8.25.11 Adam News & Info

HSM just posted some great advice for people in the Irene path. Some additions based on living in South Florida 6 hurricane hits too long --- even if you have a generator:

* Generators are great but they require fuel. Many people in South Florida were complacent because they had generators but then they ran out of fuel.

Put any outdoor furniture, pots, yard decor in your garage or tie it down. Otherwise they will turn into projectiles.

If you are in an area that is likely to get high winds, think about buying some big tarps. They are cheap and just having them means that you will not need them.

Make sure you have a lot of batteries and a battery operated radio. An mini TV is a good addition, but a radio is essential.

Buy back-up power chargers for your cell phone OR a battery powered charger.

It is probably too late to buy hand-crank lanterns, but they are perfect to have around.

Have a lot of cash. If there power is out, the ATMs will not function and if stores are open without power you will need cash.

Gas deliveries have been cut off to much of the cost -- fill up you gas tanks. If the storm is bad, it will take a while before deliveries resume. (We went almost three weeks in South Florida in 2005 without any new deliveries.)

Buy ice blocks. Freeze some ice blocks. If you have enough ice, you can keep your refrigerator cold for 3+ days.

If you have a chaffing dish of a camping stove, make sure you have safe indoor fuel. The storm will be more bearable if you have some soup or hot chocolate or hot coffee. I have made lasagna in a chaffing dish during a storm because I had a lot of eggs to use up.

Buy fresh fruit, temperature hardy vegs like carrots that do not need to be cooked.

And like HSM said -- have a manual can opener. Honestly, I had two when I lived in Boca Raton and they were the only two on my street. One circulated for a couple of weeks amongst my neighbors.

Finally, stock up on wine and chocolate. They both make it better.

In all seriousness, if there's anything that would kill you to see waterlogged, move it upstairs. Check your flashlights NOW, and scatter them where you can find them in the dark. Make sure you have enough bottled water and nonperishable food to last for a few days...and that you have a manual can opener! If you're low on clean laundry, throw in a few loads in tonight. If you have pets that don't usually wear collars, now's the time to locate some and make sure the phone numbers on the tags are up-to-date.

Then stack up a few books that you've been meaning to read forever, and leave out a few bottles of wine for when the rain hits on Saturday.

Alternatively, you can see if Amtrak has any specials to Chicago! ;D

ainow.org/idol/6103-how-do-idol-finalists-rank-on-twitter.html


Twitter was launched in July of 2006 and since then has become integrated into the daily lives of many people, and the American Idol finalists are no exception. Whether it be to announce a new concert date or album information or just answer some fan questions, many of America's household names stay connected with their fans on twitter.

As we await a new crop of talent this year, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the past ten seasons of American Idol and see how the finalists rank in terms of followers.

Let the countdown to number one begin:

#1: Adam Lambert




@adamlambert

1,173,489 followers