| Author | Message | ||
     Alex Peterson New User Username: alex_peterson Post Number: 2 Registered: 2-2017 |
Hi Vlad, Isee that the cyclone Debbie is close to your place. Stay Safe Alex | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 2489 Registered: 4-2003 |
Yes Alex, Vladimir is right in the centre of cyclone[hurricane, typhoon] Debbie at the moment. Hopefully, he, his cars and animal menangerie will come through unscathed. Right now, communications are disrupted throughout the region and may be for some time depending on the damage so we may not hear from Vladimir for some time. The after-affects of the cyclone will affect a large area of our continent as it moves inland and degrades to a rain depression and dumps a lot of water into our inland river systems. Some regions need water, others may not so it will be a mixed blessing. | ||
| michael vass Prolific User Username: mikebentleyturbo2 Post Number: 291 Registered: 7-2015 |
Hope your all ok out there! Mike | ||
| Graham Watson Experienced User Username: graham508 Post Number: 29 Registered: 3-2016 |
Thoughts are with you guys that are caught up in the cyclone, stay safe! | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Grand Master Username: soviet Post Number: 763 Registered: 2-2013 |
Testing Soviet Echo One | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Grand Master Username: soviet Post Number: 765 Registered: 2-2013 |
Are yes gentlemen David is right I am in the middle of this nasty bitch Debbie | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Grand Master Username: soviet Post Number: 766 Registered: 2-2013 |
Thank you all for your kind thoughts as I must admit the last time I was this concerned was when I boarded a Murmansk Airways jet in Samara Russian Federation which had the canvas hanging out of the tyres in the middle of Russian Zema (winter). The nerves were not cured by the pilot as he had the jet close to vertical after takeoff before banking it severely. Obviously an air force chappy not used to hauling live cargo I thought. But that's another story. | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Grand Master Username: soviet Post Number: 767 Registered: 2-2013 |
Jetsetters you are getting this blab in pieces as I have no idea when access to the evil net will go down. Last Sunday night not long after I had returned to the elswanko DeepPurple RR Spirit pad in earshot from the Pacific Ocean from my country lair there was a loud knock at my door around 8pm. The author of this rude noise was a young Queensland Constable in full battle gear. Indeed he was English from ....and I will tell you later. After blabbing a heap of legalistic dribble, I requested he come inside and explain himself. "Is it on?" I asked. "Yes" he replied "And if you stay ANY EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU" He did not raise his voice - the emphasis is mine to point out to you all precisely why within 5 minutes PussNasty and I were in the Pano smashing down the road back towards my country lair. | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Grand Master Username: soviet Post Number: 768 Registered: 2-2013 |
I have done lots of crazy things in my life but standing in the way of a potential 300 kph cyclone is not one of them and sitting inside of a luxury apartment I did not see getting built is another. Amazingly, some of my female co-workers decided to stay in Bowen in flimsy dwellings while Cyclone Debbie was being tracked by satellite and radar beating an intentional warpath to their door. I considered their actions not brave but bloody well stupid. Their reasons were that they just wanted to be home. Well I would rather be not home and alive rather than home and dead. Cyclone Debbie followed me from Bowen to Mount Coolon 204 kilometres away. She is now degraded to a tropical depression, which means torrential rain plus flooding. Those of you who really don't know exactly what a Queensland Tropical Cyclone is capable of can enjoy viewing the carnage on the net. This time around it was described as "freight trains coming from left and right - like a jumbo jet roaring its engines on my roof - to the bowels of hell have just opened" | ||
| Kevin Deasy Experienced User Username: kevin1946 Post Number: 15 Registered: 1-2017 |
I wish you well my friend,I have never been in such weather & I can't imagine how it must feel.We in Ireland don't get anything like it, seldom over 28 in a hot summer and seldom down to 3 in a bad winter.I HOPE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY STAY SAFE & WELL Kevin ( IRELAND) | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 2491 Registered: 4-2003 |
I admit to being concerned about your location especially if you were at work on the coast. I guess your current priority will be fitting flotation tyres to the trusty Ford pano [panel van for our international readers]  . Very happy you are mud and water bound and not injured by flying debris which would have been a risk if you had remained on the coast. | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Grand Master Username: soviet Post Number: 771 Registered: 2-2013 |
Thanks chaps. To give you an idea of the intensity of cyclonic wind study this. I have under my carport in front of the Camargue a Hupfeld Ronisch Claviola Piano. Its German and has an iron frame. On the top is a heavy doorlid that can be opened. Last night when the Cyclone deteriorated from 3 to 2 and was shaking the large school bus I was trying to sleep in, the wind actually flipped open the doorlid on that piano. How bizarre!!! | ||
| Patrick Ryan Grand Master Username: patrick_r Post Number: 1299 Registered: 4-2016 |
That's pretty full on Vlad. Glad you have come out of it all good. | ||
| Christian S. Hansen Grand Master Username: enquiring_mind Post Number: 560 Registered: 4-2015 |
Vlad... Yes. Can be terrifying what weather can drum up. In younger years I was with US Navy and have ridden through typhoons both at sea and anchored in harbor. Interesting to say the least to be travelling thru waves taller than the ship itself. When the bow cut into one, everything up to the bridge followed. When she rolled, decks seemed like they were on 45 degrees. Interesting. . | ||
| John Beech Prolific User Username: jbeech Post Number: 266 Registered: 10-2016 |
We used to live on the coast of North Carolina and in mid-2004 we moved to Central Florida. I remember thinking how happy I was to be seeing the last of the hurricanes because the vast majority of the damage happens to homes within a few miles of the coast and we were now 50-60 miles away. Turns out I spoke too soon because within two weeks of arrival we got creamed by Hurricane Charlie. And this was followed in quick succession by two others in a part of the state that hadn't seen 'one' hurricane since the 1960s! Anyway, this proved to be very costly for me us because I lost a 30x80 building (call it 220 meters) as well as the contents - and received no remuneration whatsoever - because the insurance agent had made a mistake when he sold us the policy (he left that building off the policy while including two others - go figure). Moreover, we were without power for two weeks . . . but do you know what? We counted ourselves lucky because some lost their lives! Anyway, I just hope Vlad remembers to duck and lays in a good supply of liquor (for the period of time there's no power and nothing to do after working your ass off all day cleaning up downed trees and other debris).  - Hurricane Charlie did a lot of expensive damage | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 1665 Registered: 5-2012 |
I remember Charley. I had just moved to Tampa in 2004. It was headed right at us as a cat 4 storm with sustained wind speeds of around 140mph. Zones A and B had been evacuated. we were in zone C and were told to stay put. News came in that it had reached cat 5 status which was a bit worrying. In the event it changed direction suddenly and hit land at Punta Gorda as a cat 4, about 100 miles south of us. Then it ploughed across Florida to John's place. It was still a powerful storm in Tampa. Power was out for about 8 hours. I can only imagine what it was like in Punta Gorda which took it's full force. | ||
| Omar M. Shams Grand Master Username: omar Post Number: 1156 Registered: 4-2009 |
good luck Vlad. I hope it all passes and that you are safe. Omar | ||
| John Beech Prolific User Username: jbeech Post Number: 278 Registered: 10-2016 |
Well, did you survive mate? Did the liquor survive? I understand you wisely evacuated to higher ground and away from the coast. Smart! | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Grand Master Username: soviet Post Number: 772 Registered: 2-2013 |
Indeed John I did survive. However, whilst fleeing from the cyclone to the country lair was a smart move, returning to the coastal city was not. Indeed, the power at the elswanko purple RR Spirit apartment has been off for 5 days and one of the linesman has told me expect the power to be off for another 7 !!! And why not? A public utility that has a monopoly on the provision of an essential service is actually answerable to nobody. Yes and that is no doubt why the Premier of the state yesterday praised them. She wanted to get in first before the media did hoping no doubt to avoid a situation where mass sacking of over paid executives might be asked to resign. This is ugly but typical. I am used to it. | ||
| John Beech Prolific User Username: jbeech Post Number: 279 Registered: 10-2016 |
Don't be too hard on the linesmen, Vladimir. It's a hot dangerous job performed under often difficult conditions. Add to it, how long has it been and how widespread is the damage? Anyway, go back to the country lair and enjoy life with amenities. In any case, you've discovered why I advise folks who evacuate to call before returning because coming back to no electricity stinks! | ||
| Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Grand Master Username: soviet Post Number: 774 Registered: 2-2013 |
John its not the linesmen I am referring to. Its the senior overpaid management that allows 20 linesmen to stand around in a circle chatting or sitting in the shade and yes they are paid. If I stood around chatting I would be sacked. I could have photographed this many times over the past week. And its not as if its a toolbox meeting its simply what it is - gross inefficiency. At my country lair I get the power cut off about 20 times a year. Now if you pulled that in the city scalping would occur. In OZ if its government or quasi government, its inefficient, be it phone, postage or electricity and up the top will be executives who are reaping not hundreds of thousands but millions per year. That is all going to stop soon because the public is sick of the two major political parties whose presence is well and truly under serious threat from independents. They only have themselves to blame for being out of touch from the people for not years but decades. | ||
| Graham Watson Experienced User Username: graham508 Post Number: 33 Registered: 3-2016 |
Vlad, Glad to hear you are ok. | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 1359 Registered: 5-2015 |
I would worry myself sick if a cyclone tornado or hurricane hit my house, I would be studying my insurance. In the 1980's a hurricane hit my house and fortunately only fences and garage roof got damaged. All UK politicians try to get "down with the people", when in reality they earn 4 times plus the national average wage and when backgrounds are checked, invariable most of the MPs were born with silver spoons in their mouths. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 2245 Registered: 6-2009 |
For those complaining bitterly about "the governing class" I suggest you keep a close eye on the United States as an object lesson. The tasks of governing are, like any other profession, learned and honed by experience. When you get people in government who sincerely believe that "government is the problem" then it really becomes a big problem when they can't and won't govern because they can't and won't compromise and/or have no idea what they're doing. The idea that "you can't always get everything you want" appears to have vanished entirely and we have contingents who are willing to reject anything other than that who are grinding the gears of reasonable governance to a halt. The politics of the United States have now entered the era of, "May you live in interesting times." This is, at least according to lore, an old Chinese curse. Brian | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 1669 Registered: 5-2012 |
I agree the US has entered a period of "May you live in interesting times" but maybe the words "for the next 3 years and 10 months" should be appended. This is what makes the United States truly great. Democracy. A total change of course will be taken in less than 4 years time if the Trump Presidency turns out to be as disastrous as the commentators are predicting. I watch with interest. |
