Yasi is coming

February 1, 2011 6:31 PM

Australia is copping another pounding from natural disasters. After the floods across Brisbane (previously) in South-east Queensland, North Queensland is in the firing line for a Category 5 cyclone called Yasi. The official warning: THIS IMPACT IS LIKELY TO BE MORE LIFE THREATENING THAN ANY EXPERIENCED DURING RECENT GENERATIONS.

It's the same area that was pummeled in 2006 by Cyclone Larry (prev 1 , prev 2).
Political debate has lately been about whether a piddling levy on above average income earners is a valid response to the costs of rebuilding after the floods, while some are calling for the establishment of an emergency fund to cover disasters in the future.

posted by bystander (183 comments total)

SMH's live blog on Cyclone Yasi. And QLD govt. website on Yasi.
posted by vidur at 6:40 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

The Bureau of Meteorology doesn't mince words, does it?

My F5 key is getting a workout this afternoon. Stay safe, North Quinceland.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 6:41 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

New Orleanian here, came to this city to help put it back together after Katrina (which, by the way, was "only" a Category 3). Just wishing everyone in Cairns a safe night, and good luck.
posted by Scientist at 6:45 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Note the BOM's rain and wind speed readings for Willis Island. Or rather, don't, because it's reading null.

Please note that the wind speed and direction equipment has been severely damaged by Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi since around 8:10 am local time on 2 February 2011 and subsequent wind speed and direction readings are unreliable...

posted by Fiasco da Gama at 6:46 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Political debate has lately been about whether a piddling levy...

IT'S NOT PIDDLING IF I HAVE TO PAY $24.00 A WEEK BECAUSE MY INCOME EXCEEDS 200K!! PLUS I ALSO DONATED $50 TO THE FLOOD APPEAL. ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK GOD MY HOUSE AND BOAT AND OTHER HOUSE IN NOOSA ARE SAFE.
posted by the noob at 6:46 PM on February 1, 2011 [13 favorites]

Wow, I was thinking about posting something about our piddly record-breaking snowstorm and record low temperatures. Compared to a big TC, my problems are piddling. As long as I continue to have power. Even then, I have alternative sources of heat and only 30-40mph winds trying to blow my house over, not winds up towards 180 mph!
posted by wierdo at 6:46 PM on February 1, 2011

What is with the weather? Meanwhile this mammoth storm is hammering the US. Armageddon seems to be upon us.
posted by koeselitz at 6:46 PM on February 1, 2011

My sister just called me from Cairns. She's a cyclone virgin so this is extra fun for her. Nothing happening there yet, everything is pretty quiet.
posted by wilful at 6:47 PM on February 1, 2011

With wind speeds of 295km/h recorded, storm surges of up to 7 metres have been predicted to hit Cardwell, between Townsville and Cairns, as the cyclone's expected arrival at midnight combines with a high tide.

Regional Traffic Co-ordinator Inspector Robert Waters has told motorists their window to leave Cairns had effectively closed.

But what do you bet that some desperate people will try anyway?

Do they build houses with basements in that part of the country? Do people build specialized shelters for events like this? I can see there are places set aside as community shelters, but ...

Four of the seven evacuation centres in Cairns are now full as the severe category five system approaches the coast and it is getting too late for people to go to such facilities, police say.

A police spokeswoman said four centres – Stockland Earlville Shopping Centre, Woree State High School, James Cook University student accommodation facility and Mossman Community Indoor Sports Centre – were now at capacity.

“Pretty much we’re saying if people haven’t gone to a centre by now they should be staying indoors,” a police spokeswoman said just after 11am local time.

How the hell do you cope with something like this?
posted by maudlin at 6:47 PM on February 1, 2011

Yasi Facebook page.

Interview with meteorologist on how this cyclone developed (advert then interview).

Oh man. It's so big it could tear 500kms inland before it stops being a cyclone.
posted by Kerasia at 6:50 PM on February 1, 2011

THIS IMPACT IS LIKELY TO BE MORE LIFE THREATENING THAN ANY EXPERIENCED DURING RECENT GENERATIONS. WE ARE TOTALLY NOT FUCKING AROUND WITH YOU HERE.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:54 PM on February 1, 2011 [8 favorites]

My friends in Australia, I wish you the best as you weather this storm.
posted by Mister_A at 6:54 PM on February 1, 2011

Yasi. Australian for Rain.
posted by kafziel at 6:54 PM on February 1, 2011 [3 favorites]

What is with the weather? Meanwhile this mammoth storm is hammering the US. Armageddon seems to be upon us.

Twelve fucking feet of snow fell in some parts of the Japan Sea Coast last weekend. It snowed for 4 days.
posted by KokuRyu at 6:54 PM on February 1, 2011 [3 favorites]

Nice loop pic (from yesterday) from the BoM.
posted by wilful at 6:56 PM on February 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

That last few lines of the interview Kerasia linked? A warning that the general overfuckingwhelming soaking from the associated rain probably means more flooding for areas south.

Hang on, guys.
posted by maudlin at 6:57 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Twitter account of Cairns resident livetweeting it.
posted by emjaybee at 6:58 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Do people build specialized shelters for events like this?

After tropical cyclone Tracy flattened Darwin in 1970something, it became mandatory for all new houses (ie all houses in Darwin) to have a stormproof core - they're usually all built on stilts up there to help with the heat, so the stormproof part is the central "column" upon which the blowaway part of the house rests.

Not sure if this part of the building code extended to Queensland, though, and I think it was only for new houses.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:59 PM on February 1, 2011

Twelve fucking feet of snow fell in some parts of the Japan Sea Coast last weekend. It snowed for 4 days.

Heh. Cairns-area relatives of mine have apparently just taken off for a skiing holiday in Japan.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:00 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

No basements in North Queensland, but modern buildings have to be built to storm ratings (but if they can stand up to this? who knows).
posted by bystander at 7:01 PM on February 1, 2011

What is with the weather? Meanwhile this mammoth storm is hammering the US. Armageddon seems to be upon us.

Global climate change, I presume.

Meanwhile, here in DFW it will be 9 degrees F tomorrow. We don't normally ever get that cold. This year and last we had more than an inch of snow, which was a once-every-five-years deal when I was a kid. Thanks to the Superbowl we're actually pretty well prepared for ice/cold, but normally, every freeze melts within a day. But we're not going to be above freezing till Friday.

Of course, summer is still awfully damn hot and getting hotter on average; I'm sure we'll crack 100 many times.

So who the fuck knows.
posted by emjaybee at 7:02 PM on February 1, 2011

Hey QLD, heres an idea for where you can get that money to rebuild your infrastructure:

Land tax on a house of $599,999 in Victoria = $5,255.00
Land tax on a house of $599,999 in Queensland = $0.00
posted by Wantok at 7:05 PM on February 1, 2011

Global climate change, I presume.

Absolutely. Tell every global warming denier you know that it doesn't mean universally warmer weather; it means more energy in the system. So we get higher highs, lower lows, and more violent storms.
posted by ceribus peribus at 7:09 PM on February 1, 2011 [15 favorites]

bystander: "No basements in North Queensland, but modern buildings have to be built to storm ratings (but if they can stand up to this? who knows)"

... don't panic if your roof lifts off.
posted by Kerasia at 7:11 PM on February 1, 2011

I spent most of highschool in Mackay on the coast of central Queensland, and you'd get a few cyclone warnings each summer. From memory no houses had basements, and I doubt our house was built to any particular storm rating, although that may be the case now.

When there was a cyclone coming you made sure you had some food and water, maybe taped up your windows or boarded them up if it was going to be really close, and then sat and waited and hoped it passed you by. The recommendation was to huddle in a door frame or in your bathroom if it actually hit you. If this thing passes a major population center it is going to be devastating.
posted by markr at 7:15 PM on February 1, 2011

This map of tracked cyclones covering the past 100 years freaks me out.
posted by Duke999R at 7:17 PM on February 1, 2011 [3 favorites]

That's pretty terrifying. I can't imagine those winds. And a 20 foot+ storm surge? Unbelievable. I hope people stay safe.
posted by carter at 7:20 PM on February 1, 2011

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/national_radar_sat.loop.shtml

Does what it says.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:25 PM on February 1, 2011

Duke999R: "This map of tracked cyclones covering the past 100 years freaks me out"

I'm going to make me a coloured woollen wig and go as 'Our nation's cyclones' to next year's Australia Day party.
posted by Kerasia at 7:25 PM on February 1, 2011 [8 favorites]

Kerasia beat me to it - I was going to call it "Baby Jackson Pollock draws a wig on Australia"
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:30 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

I used to complain about our heavy snowstorms here in Ottawa, but its still loads better than a hurricane, because you can't shovel water.
posted by storybored at 7:32 PM on February 1, 2011 [5 favorites]

In news of the stupid, it's the PM's fault for not being godly enough and the Green's fault for being queer. Nice to know that Pat Robertson syndrome is contagious.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 7:32 PM on February 1, 2011

That storm is not fucking around. Everyone in the storm track... stay safe.

It's damn cold here in San Antonio and getting colder...

Global Climate Change is real... and making our lives "interesting".
posted by PROD_TPSL at 7:35 PM on February 1, 2011

Political debate has lately been about whether a piddling levy on above average income earners is a valid response to the costs of rebuilding after the floods

I imagine the wealthy will find a way around this levy - for example, by piddling into a bottle registered as belonging to the Cayman Islands.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:36 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Brother in Cairns (Bayview Heights - which is up the hill) - spoke to him this morning and was astounded to find that he's staying. They seem to be reasonably un-fazed by the prospect of annihilating winds. Just roping things down, and if the shit hits the fan, can go down into his concrete garage. Keen to get a sound recording of what he'll experience.
Good luck, big brother!
posted by a non e mouse at 7:45 PM on February 1, 2011

Ahhhh, Pastor Danny Nialliah.

I'd like him to stand for parliament some time, just to see him get no votes.
posted by wilful at 7:49 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Everything I read about this storm makes my eyebrows go up a little more. They'll end up at the back of my head at this rate.
posted by rtha at 7:50 PM on February 1, 2011 [6 favorites]

Wow. From the liveblog linked above, at 1:45pm local time:

Reports are coming through now that the evacuation centres in Cairns are completely full and residents are instructed to stay at home. There is already wind gusts up to 125kmh in parts of the city.

And posted about half an hour before that:

Windows will explode, roofs will lift and homes on stumps may simply fall over and crumble when category five Cyclone Yasi crosses the coast, experts say.

That's a rather dire combination.
posted by polymath at 8:02 PM on February 1, 2011

I saw something about this storm in my news feed and said something about it to my husband, and how both of us (who were both longtime Houston residents and yet both lucky enough to miss the two hurricanes to hit Houston in the last generation) would have been out of there like a shot at the description of the storm even before that scary official pronouncement. The thing is, it's hard when you live in a hurricane zone. Every year the forecasters get these giant hurricane boners because OMG SOMETHING EXCITING MIGHT HAPPEN (as is going on here in Austin with MAYBE OMG SNOW THIS WEEK) and, as Don Henley once said, "it's interesting when people die" except of course in the aftermath, when it quickly becomes grinding and boring and therefore not nearly as newsworthy as the excitement of the next big storm that might hit. So the news teaches residents of storm zones that Big Storm Announcements mean next to nothing, because it's just the weather forecasters pumping up their ratings. Or at least that's how it is in Houston; I hope they don't have that built-in cynicism in Australia.

Stay safe and $DEITY bless, Queensland. We're rooting for you in Texas.
posted by immlass at 8:03 PM on February 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

Some webcams:
Castle Hill, Townsville.
A Townsville CBD one.
Innisfail.

Just starting to blow a bit now.
posted by wilful at 8:05 PM on February 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

I reckon there'll be plenty of rooting going on in FNQ too immlass.
posted by wilful at 8:06 PM on February 1, 2011 [4 favorites]

I'm moving to Cairns in 3 weeks time. Bloody hoping there's some left to move to.
posted by gomichild at 8:08 PM on February 1, 2011

immlass: there was another cyclone through Nth QLD a couple of days ago, although Anthony was weaker and quite a bit further south. The Bureau of Meteorology is not known for extravagant warnings.
posted by bystander at 8:11 PM on February 1, 2011

Amazing images. Cyclone Yasi overlaid on maps of US, Asia and Europe.
posted by coriolisdave at 8:11 PM on February 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

I just want to tell Australia good luck. We're all counting on you.
posted by inigo2 at 8:12 PM on February 1, 2011 [6 favorites]

Additional weather weirding: in my Canuck part of the woods we've had only a couple snowfalls, with warm weeks and rain between. Winter essentially passed right by us.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:12 PM on February 1, 2011

Those emergency evacuation centres apparently don't allow pets (sensibly enough) but it must be awful to leave a pet behind in the house knowing that it'll be terrified & alone & stand a high chance of being killed.
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:16 PM on February 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

Those emergency evacuation centres apparently don't allow pets (sensibly enough) but it must be awful to leave a pet behind in the house knowing that it'll be terrified & alone & stand a high chance of being killed.

A not-insignificant number of people will refuse to evacuate because of rules like this.
posted by rtha at 8:23 PM on February 1, 2011 [13 favorites]

Another Cat 5 landfall, 24 foot storm surge hurricane was Camille. Hopefully Yasi will weaken before landfall (and also that things are built better now than they were then).
posted by carter at 8:27 PM on February 1, 2011

Another reason why rats make such great pets - you could just smuggle them into the evacuation centre inside your clothing.
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:29 PM on February 1, 2011

We're in transit today, fleeing the storm on the East Coast - but flying to Australia! Thank Goodness it's NSW we're going to.

The warnings are unbelievable. Cyclone Tracy was bad enough, this is apparently one whole level worse. :-(

A question I often answer global warming skeptics is, what if you're wrong? Are you willing to bet your life that you're wrong? If you're wrong and millions die, are you willing to face a murder rap?
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 8:32 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

The TV's saying that if Yasi doesn't weaken before it hits land, it may be the strongest recorded TC to do so.
posted by notionoriety at 8:32 PM on February 1, 2011

Another reason why rats make such great pets - you could just smuggle them into the evacuation centre inside your clothing.

And roast them with only a small fire.
posted by wilful at 8:33 PM on February 1, 2011 [13 favorites]

I took my first holiday in Cairns last June. I'm glad I had the chance to see the area before Yasi. We're thinking about you in Victoria.
posted by michswiss at 8:35 PM on February 1, 2011

Wantok: "Hey QLD, heres an idea for where you can get that money to rebuild your infrastructure:

Land tax on a house of $599,999 in Victoria = $5,255.00
Land tax on a house of $599,999 in Queensland = $0.00"

Hey Victoria, next time you have bushfires, remember this:

Land tax on a primary residence or farm of $599,999 in Victoria = $0.00
Land tax on a primary residence or farm of $599,999 in Queensland = $0.00
posted by Pinback at 8:50 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

I was wondering about the word "Yasi" and it turns out that "Yasi is Fijian for sandalwood tree" (source). Curious name choice.
posted by vidur at 8:53 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

a non e mouse: "Brother in Cairns (Bayview Heights - which is up the hill) - spoke to him this morning and was astounded to find that he's staying. They seem to be reasonably un-fazed by the prospect of annihilating winds. Just roping things down, and if the shit hits the fan, can go down into his concrete garage. Keen to get a sound recording of what he'll experience.
Good luck, big brother"

I think the evacuations were more to do with the storm surges than the winds though. Bayview won't get those.
posted by gomichild at 8:55 PM on February 1, 2011

Just watching that townsville CBD webcam, and I noticed two things.
1) caillins13 is a drop dead spunk
2) a mobile billboard, like on an 8 tonne truck, was just doing the rounds of the CBD. Remarkable!
posted by wilful at 8:58 PM on February 1, 2011

Weather radar of Cairns. Cyclone seems to be hitting them now.
posted by Effigy2000 at 9:02 PM on February 1, 2011

What is with the weather? Meanwhile this mammoth storm is hammering the US. Armageddon seems to be upon us.

Warren Ellis saw this coming back in the '80s. Massive, intense weather systems stemming from human technological inputs into the climate. The terms Ellis used in his Lazarus Churchyard series was "Ruinstorm."

Yasi? Snowpocalypse II? If every week brings us another once-in-a-generation weather event, then we're in the age of Ruinstorms.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:05 PM on February 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

Yeah - but still, can't imagine driving my car at 250km/h let alone my house.
posted by a non e mouse at 9:05 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Cairns weather station, of 45 minutes ago, was still pretty mild. Gusts to 55 kph.

Flinders reef is a bit wilder.
posted by wilful at 9:14 PM on February 1, 2011

Comparison map of the cyclone overlayed on a bunch of different geographic areas. It basically covers the continental United States.
posted by codacorolla at 9:24 PM on February 1, 2011

Interesting pic from a few days ago, from space.
posted by wilful at 9:29 PM on February 1, 2011

Yeah - but still, can't imagine driving my car at 250km/h let alone my house.

If you're driving your house, you're doing it wrong. Unless it's an RV I guess, but I never could work out how they got the shingles to stay on them things anyway.
posted by Sportbilly at 9:32 PM on February 1, 2011

Stay safe and $DEITY bless, Queensland. We're rooting for you in Texas.
posted by immlass at 3:03 PM on February 2 [+] [!]

Excellent! I predict a large spike in the number of births in Texas in 9 months.

For those not in the know, "root" is slang for "have sex" in Australia
posted by goshling at 9:33 PM on February 1, 2011 [5 favorites]

ceribus peribus: “Absolutely. Tell every global warming denier you know that it doesn't mean universally warmer weather; it means more energy in the system. So we get higher highs, lower lows, and more violent storms.”

I actually don't know if I believe that the current spate of weird weather things is related to global warming. To be completely honest, though my comment above belies this, it seems to me that the "weird" weather is not so weird. People see oddness when they look for it; large amounts of snow are not unusual for any of the places that that snow has fallen, and the fact that there's a large system across North America actually doesn't seem that outlandish to me. And honestly if this were what global warming amounted to, global warming would not bother me that much at all.

Moreover I'd like to see more backing for the "more energy in the system" claim. That somehow doesn't seem scientific to me. The earth is a huge system; how can you claim there's more energy in it because a few areas that happen to be inhabited end up getting "odd" weather? Again, this seems like confirmation bias to me.

No, to me global climate change is a bit more murky, but still something that is obviously occurring. And it's occurring in much more subtle – and more sinister – ways. For example, I've seen mathematical projections that show the rainy season in the southwestern United States moving back a month in the next ten years. Storms can actually be net benefits a lot of times, since they bring precipitation; but that kind of rather quick yearly change is quite worrisome.
posted by koeselitz at 9:37 PM on February 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

goshling: "
Excellent! I predict a large spike in the number of births in Texas in 9 months.

For those not in the know, "root" is slang for "have sex" in Australia "

Several little Yasis & Cairns running around....
posted by gomichild at 9:37 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

My daughter very sensibly evacuated out of Airlie Beach yesterday. They live beachside and Anthony brought the sea up on the road in front of them. They boarded up the windows and locked the doors and flew away till it's all over.
posted by unliteral at 9:42 PM on February 1, 2011

Kiss My Yasi!
posted by gomichild at 9:44 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Okay Pinkback, lets compare stamp duty on those same two properties then:

QLD $0.00
VIC $21,970.00

I must have forgotten the nation wide levy we had after the Victorian bushfires.
posted by Wantok at 9:53 PM on February 1, 2011

piddling levy

I'll pay $500. A couple, each earning half what I do (so a higher total income, thanks to two lots of taxfree income thresholds) pays absolutely nothing. That means the 'struggling working family' on $120k gets off scot free, but as a rich bastard I get to forgo a few weeks of groceries, or petrol for three fucking months, even though my family earns less.

Worse, the couple could earn much, much more than me and still pay less: $95K each means they only pay a total of $450, even though they earn $70,000 more than I do. How is that fair, exactly?

Levies are fine and dandy, if you use some fucking common sense when you work them out. If the ATO can work out that you're a family when it's deciding whether you should qualify for stuff like Family Tax Benefit, it can do the same when it's working out whether or not you need to pay a levy.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 9:54 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'd like to see more backing for the "more energy in the system" claim. That somehow doesn't seem scientific to me. The earth is a huge system; how can you claim there's more energy in it because a few areas that happen to be inhabited end up getting "odd" weather? Again, this seems like confirmation bias to me.

koeselitz I think you've grabbed the wrong end of the stick there. More energy in the system is a primary, foundational claim of the theory of ACC. The radiative forcing is an extra couple of watts per square metre - it's the primary level outcome of the greenhouse effect.

I'm finding it hard to explain without sounding circular. We know there's more energy in the system because of the effect of all the trapped gases. Theory tells us that (and has been doing so since the 1820s), and measurements confirm it. It's not a matter of inhabited areas getting odd weather, it's a matter of measuring the entire globe and noting temperature increases. There's no confirmation bias matter in this.
posted by wilful at 9:55 PM on February 1, 2011 [4 favorites]

I was watching the two cams in Townsville - they both just went out, so I suppose their power's all out..
posted by HotPants at 10:03 PM on February 1, 2011

Also - jesus, shit's getting real. I feel so damn lucky to have been able to work from home for a couple days here in St. Louis.
posted by HotPants at 10:04 PM on February 1, 2011

Comparison map of the cyclone overlayed on a bunch of different geographic areas. It basically covers the continental United States.

Could we just get this shit over quickly and overlay it on a picture of Barad-dûr?
posted by Ritchie at 10:07 PM on February 1, 2011

How is that fair, exactly?

Oh, don't be so disingenuous. You're just trying to let on that you're on $120K, aren't you?

In Canberra, that means you can buy a house a year, and a hotel every four houses.

In Sydney, you might get a lockup garage for your car with that kind of money, but it'll have a migrant family living in the corner because they can't afford anywhere else.

In conclusion, everybody should pay more than Sydneysiders.
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:18 PM on February 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

In Sydney, you might get a lockup garage for your car with that kind of money, but it'll have a migrant family living in the corner because they can't afford anywhere else.

Making $120k and dreaming of lockup garages in Sydney? Such charming innocence!
posted by vidur at 10:24 PM on February 1, 2011

<sup>Wantok, this is neither the time nor place to debate this - but I'll point out that Qld has had stamp duty (called Transfer Duty here) on residental home purchases since at least 2002. I'm not going to do the calculations, but I know it's more than $0.00…

And I must have missed where infrastructure of 2 major cities was damaged or destroyed in Victorian bushfires.

Look, you're allowed to be pissed off - just be pissed off by the right things, not unsubstantiated manufactured bs…

obiwanwasabi: not that I disagree at all, but you'd be right at home with a friend of mine who keeps trying to start a crusade to have singles considered '1 person families' ;-)</sup>
posted by Pinback at 10:26 PM on February 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

The other Godwin rule: every conversation involving people living in Sydney will ultimately regress into a discussion of the furious accelerating expense of accommodation here. Oh so there's a tropical cyclone that's going to wipe the NQ coast clean like a sponge across a kitchen bench, sweeping everything flat in a path three hundred kilometres wide? Well try looking for a two bedroom unit in the inner west...
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:32 PM on February 1, 2011 [9 favorites]

Imagine how much extra pressure there will be on prices if there's an influx of tropical cyclone refugees!
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:01 PM on February 1, 2011

Townsville Skycam. It's currently running. With annoying ads
posted by Mister Fabulous at 11:05 PM on February 1, 2011

I'd like to see more backing for the "more energy in the system" claim. That somehow doesn't seem scientific to me.

Heat = energy, so more heat = more energy. It's pretty basic science. In terms of snowstorms and flooding, the connection is pretty simple: more evaporation means more rain/snow

With hurricanes/cyclones, well those are caused by warm water. Warmer globe, warmer water, more hurricanes/cyclones.
posted by delmoi at 11:06 PM on February 1, 2011

Just watching that townsville CBD webcam, and I noticed two things.
1) caillins13 is a drop dead spunk

How can I see this alleged drop dead spunkiness for myself? There's no profile pic or anything. Just for interest's sake; to see what kind of thing wilful is into...
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:37 PM on February 1, 2011

there goes the neighbourhood
posted by knoxg at 11:57 PM on February 1, 2011

Here is a helpful infographic showing the size of Tropical Cyclone Yasi compared to a banana the size of the UK http://twitpic.com/3vnlkg
posted by knoxg at 12:11 AM on February 2, 2011 [4 favorites]

My sister-in-law and her family are in Cairns. They've left their houseboat in the mangroves and gone to stay with a friend in a house that's apparently been built to code.

Four hours to landfall now. Does landfall mean when the leading edge of the cyclone hits the coast, or some other milestone?
posted by harriet vane at 1:54 AM on February 2, 2011

This is the most spectacular radar loop I've seen so far.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:04 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

She's as big as Katrina folks, lets hope to fuck she misses major population centres.

Had to sat to work's resident climate change bumpkin (who has just spent his leave sandbagging his parents farm in Kerang) - 'So, climate change still a crock of shit?'

'Mate, it's happening, it's just that we don't know the cause'

It's Gillard and Swan
posted by the noob at 2:05 AM on February 2, 2011

harriet vane: For a tropical cyclone, landfall is when the eye of the storm hits the coast, I believe.
posted by pseudonymph at 2:06 AM on February 2, 2011

er, satellite loop.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:07 AM on February 2, 2011

rtha: "Those emergency evacuation centres apparently don't allow pets (sensibly enough) but it must be awful to leave a pet behind in the house knowing that it'll be terrified & alone & stand a high chance of being killed.

A not-insignificant number of people will refuse to evacuate because of rules like this."

This is why I dream of being the kind of person who could fit everything I own of value, along with my pet, in a car and flee at a day's notice.
posted by IndigoRain at 2:09 AM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

Comparative storm infographic
posted by a non e mouse at 2:11 AM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

For the diazpora:
Geoblock lifted on ABC News24 for Cyclone coverage - let expats know they can watch at http://bit.ly/e9EUc0
via
posted by a non e mouse at 2:16 AM on February 2, 2011

Did I just uze a 'z' in that? Maybe the DiOzPora is what I meant.
posted by a non e mouse at 2:17 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

I was just thinking it was like Baz and Maz and all those other z-based Australian nicknames, a_non_azza.
posted by gingerest at 2:45 AM on February 2, 2011

Your touch of sheer freaking insanity for the evening: Live stream from the dashboard of a car of some "Storm Chasers" currently driving around through it all.
posted by Jimbob at 3:16 AM on February 2, 2011

For a tropical cyclone, landfall is when the eye of the storm hits the coast, I believe.

Yep, they just said that on Channel Seven. Part of their patent-pending neverending 24-hour disaster coverage.

NOBODY WORRY, THE PRESENTER FROM TODAY TONIGHT IS ON TEH SCENE.

(Seriously though, good luck to y'all Queenslanders, unlucky guys you are this year.)
posted by jaynewould at 3:22 AM on February 2, 2011

I'm glad the geoblock has been lifted from ABC News 24. ABC has consistently good coverage of this sort of thing, if you're overseas it's your best bet for reliable information.
posted by harriet vane at 3:26 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm glad the geoblock has been lifted from ABC News 24.

I'm struggling to understand how ABC News 24's geoblocking works. Annabelle Crabbe said earlier today the normal geoblocking was due to "licencing issues". If that's the case, how come they're allowed to arbitrarily remove it whenever they want?
posted by Jimbob at 3:28 AM on February 2, 2011

I enjoyed ABC 24's flood coverage, especially after the initial shock began to pass and they started showing footage of locals sandbagging main streets and chanting "save the pub, save the pub", or the family camping on the top floor of their house (the bottom was underwater) who, when asked by a dude passing in a speedboat if they were okay, held up a bottle of wine. Or the people getting around in boats with their dogs. Or the guy loading his possessions into a boat, including a framed "Keep Calm and Carry On" print. Or the dude who gave a four-ex to Kevin Rudd.
posted by jaynewould at 3:33 AM on February 2, 2011

Wow, is that sign language woman always translating live on ABC24? She's great! Reminds me of a matronly nurse type from Home & Away doing an interpretive dance.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:37 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Oh, she's gone. Must be employed by the premier.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:39 AM on February 2, 2011

I couldn't stop staring at her. The emotions on her face and in her gestures bore no resemblance whatsoever to Bligh's comparatively deadpan delivery. I was waiting for her to go Sparkle Motion.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:24 AM on February 2, 2011

The Premier's had a sign language translator at quite a few of her press conferences today and during the floods, particularly when the focus has been on what people should do to stay safe. Good idea.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 4:25 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Heat = energy, so more heat = more energy. It's pretty basic science. In terms of snowstorms and flooding, the connection is pretty simple: more evaporation means more rain/snow

With hurricanes/cyclones, well those are caused by warm water. Warmer globe, warmer water, more hurricanes/cyclones.

The heat content of air rises with increased water vapour content (in the form of latent heat) and is the main engine powering tropical storms.

The amount of water vapour in the atmosphere has increased by 4% since 1970.

This is what's meant by "more energy in the system".
posted by daveje at 4:47 AM on February 2, 2011 [6 favorites]

A not-insignificant number of people will refuse to evacuate because of rules like this.
Including my cousin in Townsville, who refuses to leave her dogs and is now sheltering in the category 5 rated house across the street.

North Queenslanders are tough people and used to rough weather, but this is outside anyone's experience. Ever. My thoughts are with all those in the area.
posted by dg at 5:10 AM on February 2, 2011

Townsville webcam is down due to loss of power. I assume that means the streetlights, because the outrageously spunky webcam person was still able to post an explanation.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:19 AM on February 2, 2011

There are worrying stories around the place...I was listening to the Cairns police scanner stream earlier, and the cops were going to check out a house where there were reports the parents had pissed off and left kids behind. Numerous stories of elderly people being told to evacuate and refusing.
posted by Jimbob at 5:25 AM on February 2, 2011

Sitting in the comfort of my place watching both Yasi coverage streaming from ABC 24 and the pitched riots/rockfights on CNN from Egypt is surreal and tense and worrisome.

Hell, even ABC 24 is right now cutting away from Yasi coverage to show the Egyptian rioting.

Beer night tonight.
posted by vapidave at 5:30 AM on February 2, 2011

Weatherzone is tracking escalating winds and plummeting pressures in their visual reports from the nearest meteorological centers.
posted by Elizabeth the Thirteenth at 5:41 AM on February 2, 2011

I'm always amused at how our Aussie mefis suddenly start sounding even more ocker than usual in local threads. Everyone reckons something. They mention their mates. Internationally obscure jokes about Noosa wankers and the soaps. Sometimes they just dunno. It's grouse.

I notice this in this thread in particular, because my younger brother is currently in Townsville, unable to go anywhere because he was diagnosed with Dengue fever yesterday and is puking his guts up. That is what puddling around in floodwaters in your tinny, with a beer, fishing, will get you in the tropics.

Keep talking, guys. I need the distraction.
posted by Jilder at 5:42 AM on February 2, 2011

Shall I tell you what's happening in this shitty Bruce Willis movie on Channel 9? Mostly it's just silly propaganda about the US soldier as global policeman, protecting the noble savages against the evil savages.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:48 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Too right, Jilder. It's gammin, ay?
posted by ocha-no-mizu at 5:50 AM on February 2, 2011

And it's just touched down in some place called Bingal Bay.
posted by Jimbob at 5:56 AM on February 2, 2011

Brother in south Cairns still somehow has power and internet and is on irc reporting that "it's getting freaky outside" & "lot of shit starting to fly around and smash into the house".

He's camped out in his hallway with a laptop, carrot cake and beer.
posted by gomichild at 5:58 AM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

Hey, we just ducked out of a major snow storm, so you never know!
posted by tommasz at 5:59 AM on February 2, 2011

Eeeep he's lost internet now, we can still text though so far - it's getting intense he says.
posted by gomichild at 6:06 AM on February 2, 2011

Bingil Bay - looks like a pretty place. My rellies' place is (was?) in Mission Beach, only a few Ks down the road.

time to get some sleep now. best of luck to all.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:17 AM on February 2, 2011

I don't want to freak anyone out - but it appears the only beer he has is Boags.
posted by gomichild at 6:30 AM on February 2, 2011 [7 favorites]

I have said "Cairns" more in the last 24 hours than I have in the last year, and after spending so much time listening to Australian media, I gotta say it sounds really weird in an American accent (i.e. mine). If I say it the way Australians pronounce it, it sounds wrong. If I say it the way an American would say it, it sounds wrong. I'm just going to say Queensland instead from now on.
posted by rtha at 6:41 AM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

Does anyone understand the psychology of people who spread stupid rumours in emergencies? People on Twitter are saying the roof has come off the Innisfail evacuation centre, which isn't true. If I ever meet anyone who admits to making shit up like that, I'm gonna punch them in dick.
posted by harriet vane at 6:43 AM on February 2, 2011

People get a bit carried away with the drama and rumours spread - although that particular one seems to be not completely false - there appears to be a building near it that has lost some of it's roof.
posted by gomichild at 6:45 AM on February 2, 2011

... its roof... *sigh*
posted by gomichild at 6:45 AM on February 2, 2011

rtha: I used to work with lots of US-ians in Oz and my suggestion to them was to say "Cairns" like they were describing "tin cans". i.e. Pronounce it short and let the accent do the work (which is kind of how Australians say it anyway).

The effect worked better for N-Eastern accents as I recall, but it was better than them chewing their way through "Key-yairns" or "Care-rens".
posted by bright cold day at 6:51 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

THIS IMPACT IS LIKELY TO BE MORE LIFE THREATENING THAN ANY EXPERIENCED DURING RECENT GENERATIONS.
Is there an archive page for this warning? The current page doesn't quite use the same language.

five fresh fish writes "Additional weather weirding: in my Canuck part of the woods we've had only a couple snowfalls, with warm weeks and rain between. Winter essentially passed right by us."

It's not over yet, a heavy LaNina is still threatening.

Jimbob writes "Annabelle Crabbe said earlier today the normal geoblocking was due to 'licencing issues'. If that's the case, how come they're allowed to arbitrarily remove it whenever they want?"

They probably mean rebroadcasting rights to material they have licensed from someone else. Live news probably doesn't involve licensing any outside programming.
posted by Mitheral at 6:53 AM on February 2, 2011

What sources are you all using for Yasi info?

I'm using tweetdeck and ABC 24. Are there any online video sources or any particularly good IRC channels?
posted by vapidave at 7:24 AM on February 2, 2011

I've been snarfing radar loop images from the BOM since December 19. Got a complete set except for January 6, when corrosion in Telstra wires lost me a day's connectivity. Makes an interesting movie. When I have a year's worth I'll upload an mjpeg somewhere.

One thing that shows up clearly is the way the system formerly known as Cyclone Anthony moved after landfall. It pushed inland about as far as Cameron's Corner, then ran southeast and is now wringing itself out over southern NSW and northern East Gippsland. I'm betting that Yasi will do essentially the same thing, though it seems to have a bit more oomph behind it and will probably go rather further inland before turning left and wetting me; it might even flood western Victoria some more.

We get freebie copies of the Herald Sun delivered to the school, and I opened today's in eager anticipation only to find that Andrew Bolt has completely failed to rise to the challenge of mounting an amusing grargument about Australia's recent floods and storms having nothing to do with anthropogenic climate change. Instead, he's gone off on some tangent about the Gillard government's response to Australians being stuck in Egypt. Poor show, that man.
posted by flabdablet at 7:34 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

And Bingil Bay and Mission Beach were indeed very beautiful places every time I passed through. Undoubtedly they will be so again in the fullness of time.
posted by flabdablet at 7:36 AM on February 2, 2011

"tin cans"

Yeah, that's what I've been doing. It still sounds funny to me, I suppose because my brain really wants me to pronounce the R in there.
posted by rtha at 8:17 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

rtha: FNQ or Far North Queensland are more accurate than just "Queensland" and easier to pronounce than Cairns (I say something that sounds like "kehns", but I'm from Melbourne and Queenslanders have been known to call Victorians "Mexicans" , so what do I know?
posted by goshling at 8:23 AM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

FNQ or Far North Queensland are more accurate than just "Queensland" and easier to pronounce than Cairns

Excellent to know!

Queenslanders have been known to call Victorians "Mexicans"

And that is just hilarious.
posted by rtha at 8:45 AM on February 2, 2011

BECAUSE THEY'RE FROM SOUTH OF THE BORDER, MATE!

Ah, my fellow Queenslanders have a rich, if somewhat simple, sense of humour.

FNQ or Far North Queensland are more accurate than just "Queensland" and easier to pronounce than Cairns

And has the added benefit of being more accurate. There's a hell of a lot of the north getting hammered, not just Cairns.
posted by Jilder at 9:11 AM on February 2, 2011

Boags not withstanding, of course.
posted by Jilder at 9:11 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

In news of the stupid, it's the PM's fault for not being godly enough and the Green's fault for being queer. Nice to know that Pat Robertson syndrome is contagious.

Somebody needs to be smoking more marijuana.
posted by philip-random at 9:38 AM on February 2, 2011

When the only mood you have is to get hammered, every beer tastes right on the nail.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:39 AM on February 2, 2011 [5 favorites]

And has the added benefit of being more accurate.

And an even more added benefit of sounding like a euphemism for a swear word: "Where are you going for your holiday?" "All the way up to effin' Cue. Hope the weather's nice."
posted by rtha at 9:59 AM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

I modded my flood map to a tropical cyclone yasi one.
posted by gomichild at 11:18 AM on February 2, 2011 [3 favorites]

Speaking as a Queenslander, I call Victorians "Argentinians", as people from NSW are "Mexicans". I think I'm unique, though.
posted by coriolisdave at 1:10 PM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

No, no, no - people from NSW are 'cockroaches'. Only Victorians are 'mexicans'. This is probably because the nickname originated in NSW, where Victorians are truly 'south of the border' (using a loose definition of 'south').

Anyway, Yasi didn't do the level of damage that might have been the case, thanks to that last-minute swerve south so that it went neatly in between the major cities of Cairns and Townsville. Still very destructive, but nowhere near the damage (to both people and property) that could have been the case if it had hit one of those cities head-on. Even the six idiots in Port Hinchinbrook who refused to evacuate when told to and then phoned the emergency services as the cyclone approached asking to be rescued are safe.

I wouldn't call this dodging a bullet, but FNQ has certainly copped a smaller calibre round than could have been the case.
posted by dg at 1:42 PM on February 2, 2011

Yes, there's the traditional cane toads = Queenslanders & cockroaches = NSWians.

Victorians used to be irrelevant in this scheme, but after the Melbourne Storm's salary cap scandal, I'd propose a nickname for a pest under the cap: head lice.
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:45 PM on February 2, 2011

In Cairns a baby was born at one of the evacuation centres. That kid has a pretty amazing story to tell...
posted by gomichild at 2:10 PM on February 2, 2011

so, we can get back to the cricket now? What an amazing run chase...
posted by wilful at 2:27 PM on February 2, 2011

Fuck yes!
"No deaths or serious injuries" reports ABC 24. Based on the pictures and descriptions and reports that they are streaming on 24 it looks more like Yasi was maybe a scary bit of unwelcome drastic landscaping and drunken exterior remodeling.
Don't let it make you even cockier. That has a way of biting back.

When Mubarak resigns in about 9 hours I will be able to rest.
posted by vapidave at 2:36 PM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

Apparently the younger brother in Townsville is fine, though crabby at Yasi for keeping him awake all night. Given the Dengue fever, and that fact he's the kind of guy who could sleep through a live performance by Immortal, and probably under the amp, too, it should tell you how major things were overnight.
posted by Jilder at 2:44 PM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

Any picture can be improved by adding Immortal to it.
(follow the link to the facebook group, which I can't access from here)
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:55 PM on February 2, 2011

Not been able to contact bro since last night - mobile towers are either out or overloaded.

Or he's dropped his phone down the toilet or something.
posted by gomichild at 3:15 PM on February 2, 2011

Photo 28 of 52 (no direct link):

BEACH CLOSED

DUE TO THE CYCLONE THE STINGER NETS HAVE BEEN REMOVED
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:18 PM on February 2, 2011

Numbering's off, Ubu, cos they've added more. But here's a direct link to the image.
posted by coriolisdave at 3:40 PM on February 2, 2011

Protip: right-click, view image, voila! Direct link to image
posted by coriolisdave at 3:41 PM on February 2, 2011

I don't want to freak anyone out - but it appears the only beer he has is Boags.

As a Hobartian, I concur. Devil's juice.
posted by Jimbob at 4:24 PM on February 2, 2011

Aw, Tasmanians & their Hobart-Launceston rivalry - don't you just want to pinch their little cheeks? Especially when Boags & Cascade are essentially interchangeable.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:39 PM on February 2, 2011

It shames me to think he was caught in a cat 5 tropical cyclone without even one bottle of Coopers Ale in the house.
posted by gomichild at 4:52 PM on February 2, 2011

Aw, Tasmanians ... don't you just want to pinch their little cheeks...
All four of them?
posted by Kerasia at 4:54 PM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

Coulda been worse, a lot of people are forced to drink XXXX in FNQ
posted by wilful at 4:55 PM on February 2, 2011

Actually, it's even worse than that wilful. A lot of people in FNQ choose to drink XXXX. Honestly, sometimes I wish that brewery had burnt down during the floods.
posted by coriolisdave at 5:27 PM on February 2, 2011

nah bullshit dave, that's not possible. Nobody chooses to drink xxxx, surely?
posted by wilful at 5:29 PM on February 2, 2011

It's done as a show of stoicism & toughness - a bit like repeatedly headbutting a brick wall, only less pleasurable.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:35 PM on February 2, 2011

Duckhand! via Larvatus Prodeo.

I love this person so much, whoever they are.
posted by harriet vane at 6:08 PM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

nah bullshit dave, that's not possible. Nobody chooses to drink xxxx, surely?

I have seen it with my own eyes...
posted by Jimbob at 6:15 PM on February 2, 2011

There was one alert to Townsville not to drink the tap water... there might not be a choice...

Finally heard from my brother - he had to wait to get the all clear to go out and find a working optus tower to call. He's ok, house is ok - some debris around and the manhole cover in the garage popped out with a large bang (scaring the bejeebus outta him in the process). He says there is just debris and stuff everywhere though (South Cairns). Lots of the area doesn't have electricity still and the weather is pretty miserable.

My brain told me everything would be ok but my heart didn't want to believe it until I heard.

Feeling much relieved and very fortunate right now. You may want to rub my belly for luck.
posted by gomichild at 6:26 PM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

*rubs gomi's belly and makes a wish*
posted by goshling at 7:01 PM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

A lot of people in FNQ choose to drink XXXX

Now I know you're playing. Everyone in Australia drinks Fosters, I've seen it on tv!
posted by inigo2 at 8:57 PM on February 2, 2011

Everyone in Australia drinks Fosters, I've seen it on tv!

You've got it wrong. We do drink different brands of beer. It's just that Foster's is Australian for beer. Took me a while to get the Donger of Aussie slang, but I think I'm quite Bogan at it now.
posted by vidur at 9:27 PM on February 2, 2011 [4 favorites]

Does this need to be constantly restated? One does not drink XXXX out of stoicism, or machismo, or even desperation. One drinks XXXX out of a 3L cut-down plastic fruit juice bottle which has a string tied around it to hold it around one's neck.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:10 PM on February 2, 2011 [6 favorites]

it appears the only beer he has is Boags

Why would you need any other brand?
posted by Wolof at 10:36 PM on February 2, 2011

...brewery had burnt down during the floods.

Er...
posted by Jilder at 11:00 PM on February 2, 2011

So far I'm feeling good that the cyclone has produced 3 more people and seems that it hasn't taken any away. How often do you get a people-surplus in a disaster of this size?
posted by gomichild at 11:31 PM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]

There was a bit of a Twitter contraversy at about 7pm last night, when Today Tonight had a "Countdown to Cyclone Yasi" clock on their screen ("It's not the fucking Olympic opening ceremony!")

It left me feeling a little guilty that I was sitting there flicking between Sky and ABC24 on the TV, earphones on listening to the Cairns police scanner, and browsing between the BOM, Twitter, Metafilter and various webcams on my laptop. Am I a disaster voyer?

I have to admit a certain fondness for the emergency warning siren on ABC local radio. It brings back serious, deep memories from living in Darwin. Although when I lived in Darwin, the cyclone advisory was read by someone with a serious ABC-circa-1970 voice, who read the complete script from top to bottom.

WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP At 6pm Severe Tropical Cyclone Monica, Category 5, Is Currently Situated 150km East-North-East Of Croker Island, With A Central Pressure Of 965 hectaPascals, Travelling At 35 Kilometers Per Hour In A Southwesterly Direction, With Estimated Wind Gusts Of 290 Kilometers Per Hour...

For cyclone Yasi, they just got the regular, cheerful ABC presenter to read it, and they often stopped half way through to cut to a news conference...
posted by Jimbob at 1:19 AM on February 3, 2011

Am I a disaster voyeur?

I have to guiltily admit that I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a major fucking disaster. Flicking through the photos this morning, it was like "Uh, OK, some banana trees fell over, oh, there's a ripped fabric awning, and uh, some paper wrapped around a lamp post..."

MORE LIFE THREATENING THAN ANY EXPERIENCED DURING RECENT GENERATIONS my arse.

There's gotta be something more to this. Has anybody noticed if Parliament snuck through some particularly nastly laws in the past couple of days? Did the MPs grant themselves a 100% pay rise? Was the navy deployed to protect Japanese whalers? Kevin Rudd sex tape?
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:52 AM on February 3, 2011 [2 favorites]

Dunno, but I am so sick of Queensland right now. It's all flood this and cyclone that. I suppose next it'll be some kind of earthquake or tsunami. Classic attention-seeking behavior. Why can't you be more like your sister, New South Wales? She doesn't have to turn everything into a major drama! Sometimes I think we made a mistake buying you a car.
posted by Ritchie at 4:13 AM on February 3, 2011 [2 favorites]

NSW doesn't have to stir up drama because she's the prettiest & most popular.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:50 AM on February 3, 2011

Kevin Rudd sex tape?

Thanks, I really needed that mental image.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 5:10 AM on February 3, 2011

Why can't you be more like your sister, New South Wales? She doesn't have to turn everything into a major drama!

New South Wales is a prissy little miser, though..."Oooow we can't afford to pay the levy! Oooow we deserve more GST revenue than they do!" It's about time she went and got a part time job, to be quite honest.
posted by Jimbob at 11:44 AM on February 3, 2011

Like running a boarding house for every Kiwi in the country, and turning tricks for tourists on the side?
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:11 PM on February 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

turning tricks for tourists on the side?
Full-time job.
posted by unliteral at 2:31 PM on February 3, 2011

Maybe, but you could still do it with one hand tied behind your back.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:53 PM on February 3, 2011

And leather. Don't forget the leather.
posted by flabdablet at 4:54 PM on February 3, 2011

Kevin Rudd sex tape?

Fair suck of the sauce bottle, Ubu.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 7:17 PM on February 3, 2011 [1 favorite]

Really? I haven't seen it yet myself.
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:13 PM on February 3, 2011

There was one reported fatality - 23yo man asphyxiated because he was was running a diesel generator indoors without ventilation.
posted by goshling at 7:48 PM on February 4, 2011

Yeah, but that's more Darwin Awards territory.
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:28 AM on February 5, 2011

And now Western Australia wants to get in on the attention-seeking: "I'll see your destroyed banana crop, and raise you 40 incinerated houses..."
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:11 PM on February 6, 2011