So, About That Tornado Thing in Park Slope

There is no set of worldly circumstances that would allow you to not know that we just had a fucking tornado pass through the Slope.  When I surface at 9th Street daily, the list of things I don't expect to see generally include a Mets win, a yellow cab, and anything open at 10:15pm.  Usually, I don't think to include "tornado" or Brooklyn Industries without any windows.

The gentleman currently sitting to my right, who has spent a good deal of his life in Oklahoma and Kansas, is laughing at me as I type.

Anyway, send us your photos.  Better yet, send 'em to me so I don't give Erica an inbox heart attack.  Twitter says she's still recovering, anyway.

Edit 11:01pm: Photos from FIPS reader Vautrin. Thanks!

8th Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets:

3rd Street between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West:

Greek Catholic Church between 2nd and 3rd Streets on Eighth Avenue:

Edit 11:52pm: Photos from Californian Caitlyn, who picked a pretty shitty/rad time to visit. She says, "I'm visiting from California--where we really don't have tornadoes--and was stranded at the Tea Lounge during this afternoon's sudden thunderstorm. I took a few photos on the walk back to my friend's place on Eastern Parkway across from the Brooklyn Museum."

Edit 7:44am: Photo of Flatbush from Michelle Citrin.  She says, "Trees flatbushed!"

 Edit 11:10am: Our beloved Gogo Gowanus sent these, a laundromat at 4th Ave and 13th Street shredded:

And via Katie Clark, 6th Ave between 13th and 14th Street:

Edit 3:06pm: From Heather D:

Happy Hurricaine Earl Day, Y'All!

Yep, today's the day Hurricane Earl is supposed to hit NYC (or Eastern Long Island, rather). But DON'T WORRY! The MTA has a gameplan!

Perhaps you might recall the day in August, 2007 it basically just rained v. fucking hard, and the subway system was pretty much just shut down due to flooding? Yep...good times all around.

So, the crack team of visionaries over at MTA headquarters are busily planning and plotting about how to make sure that shit doesn't happen again. I think the chances of them actually avoiding another day long shit-show (if in fact it does get all hurricaine'd up around here) are about as good as Lindsay Lohan avoiding any future arrests for the rest of her life. But whatevs...snaps for trying.

And sidenote: am I *really* supposed to be afraid of a fucking hurricane named Earl? I'm picturing some dude sitting out in a broken lawn chair in front of his double wide with his 4 front teeth missing. I think the hurricane naming people need to get with the Blackberry naming people and have them help come up with some goddammned ideas that strike fear in the hearts of the general population: Hurricane Brutus! Hurricane Remington! That's the sort of shit that would make me go out and buy 900 bottles of water and 178 batteries.

Anyway.

Hope we don't all die today!

A Week Ago Today... Oksana and the Monsoon

It's hard to believe that just a short seven days ago, I was dodging downed 200-year-old trees and standing in torrential rains for the annual skate school performance of Lion Kings on Ice at PP's Wollman Rink.

Guest starring.... OKSANA BAIUL. I suppose I'm the only one who is still giddy at this totally unexpected moment of grace.

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WTF!? School is *Already* Closed For Tomorrow [Also: SNOWBALL FIGHT!!]

image via: Huffington Post

WTF is wrong with these people? The junior rug rat has already been home "sick" for two days and now you're telling me that you're making the snow day call already????

This is outside of enough. I frankly see no reason for a citywide snow day, especially just a few days before a weeklong winter break.

Beware, BALLERS! Your kid-free coffee shops won't be safe tomorrow.

On a happy note, though, SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!!

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Who Gives A Shit: Are You Ready For The Summer?

It's all fun-n-games now that its 70 and breezy. But in a month or so, we're all gonna be sweatin like Elvis in a polyester jumpsuit and sticking our arms under the hand dryers in our office bathrooms to see if we can do anything at all about those pit stains.

So, we've got another simple question: Are you ready for the hot ass, humid, sticky Summer? Do you love it? Hate it? What?

That's it.

Again, answer in the comments (and if you need to answer this one anonymously, you're a complete fucking lunatic).