Category Archives: Miami

Hurricane IKE — heading straight for us?

Forecaster Blake says, “One should not focus on the exact 4 and 5 day forecast positions because large uncertainties exist at those times.”

I still don't like Ike.

'Rumpole', he of the Justice Building Blog, describes his experiences voting in our primary/judges/etc election here in Miami today in DEMOCRACY IN ACTION,

Here is democracy in action- Miami style:

I parked and approached the polling site. There were several elderly women sitting on chairs surrounding the entrance. Upon seeing me, they immediately sprung into action, grabbed their walkers or canes and cards containing ads for various candidates and descended upon me.

Now I ve lived in Miami long enough to understand most Spanish, so I immediately recognized when an elderly woman loudly insulted the heritage and family members of Fidel Castro while thrusting a Rick Corona for Judge card into my hand. Another woman attempted to press a voting slate into my hand while complaining, I m pretty sure, of the Dolphins decision to release their kicker from last year and go with a rookie. She also doesn t like the 3-4 defense, which she made quite clear to me in Spanish while handing me a Harvey Ruvin for Clerk card.

Finally, as I almost entered the polling place I felt a distinct tug on the back of my Team USA Basketball shirt that I always wear when traveling. A woman thrust a slate of candidates into my hand and told me in no uncertain terms that I had to vote for them. My Spanish is not great, so I carefully inquired if I could vote for anyone else?
NO came the loud response. These were the people I must vote for. I waived over a polling marshal, whom I m pretty sure I recognized from the security screening at the REGJB. Therein ensued a loud argument in Creole and Spanish between the marshal and the woman.

I walked into the voting area adjusting my Team USA shirt and handed another elderly woman aren t their any retired men who work at polling stations? my election card and driver s license.

WHO ARE YOU ? she screamed at me in Spanish.
Well I certainly wasn t about to reveal my identity as the blogger at this point, so I said my real NAME.
NO. WHAT ARE YOU? My spanish isn t great so I had not correctly understood the first question. It has been a long time since anyone ever seriously asked me that question and it caught me by surprise.

American? I ventured.

NO. WHAT ARE YOU? She screamed again. She was shouting in Spanish loud enough to actually wake up the other poll workers.

A human being? I mumbled, although some who read my blog might disagree. Really I just want to vote.

Another poll worker came over and explained I needed to tell her if I was a Republican or Democrat. The crisis being settled, I signed my NAME, received a ticket, a large folder and a special pen and was sent to the voting booth.

So much for electronic voting. We are now back to the days of SATs and the like. It s the good old fill in the oval with the special pen.

…

After you vote you have to take your ballot to an optical screening machine. The one I used was one of the newer ones, which I could tell because the tape holding it together was still sticky. A polling official came over and took my ballot and (I kid you not) carefully looked at every choice I made.

“What are you doing?” I said.

She replied in Spanish that she was checking to make sure I voted correctly.

“I don't think you're allowed to do that” I said. And she scowled at me like I was a relative of Fidel Castro. Another official came over and I inquired if voting in the United States Of America was by secret ballot.

“Que?” was the response. I did not know the phrase “secret ballot” in Spanish, so I had to wait several minutes for another supervisor to come over, wherein I explained the situation. The three of them huddled for a few minutes, casting glances at me that I had not seen since I had tried to board a plane earlier in the morning. Eventually the supervisor and returned and explained to me (and I have not made any of this up) that If I really wanted to, I had the right to have the ballot put through the electronic screener without it being reviewed.

I opted for that decision, and someone pulled a starter cord and the high tech optical screener coughed to life and I put my ballot through and voted.

I love this country. And I really love my town. Who could think of moving anywhere else, when this kind of entertainment is available for free?

I voted too. It wasn't nearly as entertaining in my precinct.

OK, it's grey out (although a little less than yesterday) and unusually windy (although not as much as last night around 2am). It rained a lot, but it's not raining this morning. There's more crud than usual on the street and sidewalks. But all the neighbors' piles of cut branches are still there, so the wind can't have been that bad.

I'm happy to have a bonus day at home, I can do some catch-up writing and tidying, but this was in 20/20 hindsight unnecessary. And they should do it again next time, because by the time you know it's necessary it's too late.

So I have two questions:

• Barometer is down to 1003, what's with that?
• Is Fay dumping lots of water where we need it — in the Lake Okeechobee aquifer (and the other three that almost dried up)?

Answer those, and I can get on with worrying about Invest 94.

We're closed tomorrow too:

The University Crisis Decision Team met at 6:00 P.M. today and decided that the University and the Law School, including the Law Library, will remain closed tomorrow, Tuesday, August 19th. We expect to be open for business as usual on Wednesday, August 19th. Our website has been updated and will be updated again if plans for Wednesday change. Additional information may also be obtained from the University's website at http://www6.miami.edu/prepare/ or the University's Hotline at (305) 284-5151.

Almost no rain at this moment, and the occasional tiny gap in the lower level of low and fast-moving clouds (but it looks like there are more clouds above). Wind at ground level is not great, but those clouds are really moving westwards, or maybe WNW.

Barometer down to 1005.

Public schools are closed tomorrow. No word yet on the University.

Very wet out there. Very grey. Some wind. Barometer in my bedroom is down to 1006.

We're closing, according to this email I just got:

The University Crisis Decision Team met at 11:00 am today and decided that the University and the Law School will close as of noon today. All afternoon and evening classes are cancelled and the Law Library will close as well. The University Crisis Decision Team will meet at 6:00 PM today to determine whether or not we will be open tomorrow, Tuesday, August 19th. Our website will be updated as new information becomes available. We will also send another email after the meeting. Additional information may also be obtained from the University's website at http://www6.miami.edu/prepare/ or the University's Hotline at (305) 284-5151.

It's very very grey out, and there's a steady strong but not torrential rain. There's a little wind now, although it's been dead calm for much of the morning.

Update: Here's the official UM announcement (the above was from the law school):

University of Miami Closes at 12 Noon Today

After closely monitoring the progress of Tropical Storm Fay and taking into consideration deteriorating weather conditions, the University of Miami will be closing at 12 noon today. The University's campuses are safe and secure.

This closure applies to operations on all campuses, except for clinical activities at the medical school. All University of Miami hospitals are operating normally. Outpatient clinics will remain open until all scheduled patients have been cared for or contacted.

Residence Hall desks will remain open for check-in today and tomorrow for student move-in.

Details on other closures include:

* All libraries will close at 12 noon.
* The Wellness Center will close at 12 noon.
* Shuttle buses will stop running at 2 p.m
* The Canterbury Preschool will close at 2 p.m.
* The Bookstore will close at 12 noon.
* Retail food services will close at 1 p.m.
* Dining halls will serve lunch until 12:30 p.m. and dinner will be served from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

And now (1:40pm) it's raining torrents. Judging by the trees, though, the wind isn't strong yet.