isnt the water they're traveling through essentially a lake of poison?

To put it simply, yes.

Gasoline from cars, algae and bacteria from the lake, dead animals--it's a deadly soup

while a good portion of society exists by social contract, there is a substantial portion which is only law abiding only because the police are right there.

This is my biggest nightmare.

ita, if he's dead, I'm thinking the only thing he's using is space.

I wasn't sure if he was dead in both her scenarios.

dead animals

I didnt think of pets until I watched a CNN report where an exhausted and broken reporter described seeing a dog getting electrocuted by a downed power line and being unable to do anything about it.

Gasoline from cars, algae and bacteria from the lake, dead animals--it's a deadly soup

Does that come with oyster crackers?

This is my biggest nightmare.

If it's any consolation after the earthquake there were far far more stories of people risking their lives for strangers than there were of abuse and looting and crime. Almost all of the first-at-the-scene rescuers who dug people out of the freeway collapse were the poor people who lived in West Oakland.

Still, I'd say the creep factor was in the minority but big enough to be felt. 15%? Not huge, but more than every tenth person.

Well, the blackout went OK.

The Hudson is actually pretty clean these days. It's certainly cleaner than when Palisades Park filled it's wave pool with river water in the 50s and 60s.

All the lights were out and you suddenly realized that while a good portion of society exists by social contract, there is a substantial portion which is only law abiding only because the police are right there.

Tiajuana feels a little like that. The knowledge that you can do almost ANYTHING sorta gets under you skin and makes things seem ok that you'd never dream of doing otherwise.

And now Cass won't take me there anymore.

Gasoline from cars, algae and bacteria from the lake, dead animals--it's a deadly soup

Actually, the big problem is feces and other sewage. This is almost entirely brackish lake water with a twist of petrochemicals. It's not going to kill you, but again, drinking it won't make you feel healthy and strong.

I'm with bon bon and Allyson. I do not think I would take anything other than food, meds and toiletries. But honestly, I don't know. Your shack has just been destroyed. The place where you made minimum wage, has just been destroyed. Your car is gone. The freaking roads are gone. Don't put the diamond necklace in front of me, baby. Sitting here in my den, north of Boston, on a rainy afternoon, I wouldn't steal it. In fact, I'd protect it for you. But if everything as far as I could see was under water, and even if I had enough food for now, I'd be worried about a month or three from now. I just don't know.

Gasoline from cars, algae and bacteria from the lake, dead animals--it's a deadly soup

You forgot chemicals from the industrial areas, fire ants, poisonous snakes, and dead bodies, and possibly oil and gasoline from refineries at some point, too.

Just talked to my mom (south of Birmingham). She had a 12-hour power outage and some downed limbs, but only 1/2 an inch of rain.

She says looters are the scum of the earth. I said if I were running out of food or diapers and there was no one in the stores to give the money to, I'd for damn sure take what I needed. Only I didn't say "damn" to my mother, because I don't do that.