OK by now you've heard the news - massive blackouts back east. Biggest blackout in the history of North America. As for me, I was without power for about 22 hours. But at least I wasn't stuck in an airport or an elevator.

The complex where I'm living consists of three highrise buildings that share a large common courtyard with grass and trees and a fountain. The managers threw a bar-b-q for all the residents (planned long before the blackout) nobody had anywhere else to go so the turnout was pretty good. The bar-b-q deteriorated later into a latenight party (again, nothing else to do) complete with tiki torches, music, drinxxx and fountain swimming. A good way to get to know your neighbours.

Sounds like Toronto handled the situation with a lot of class - volunteers directing traffic in the street, people checking on their neighbours to make sure they were OK, etc. etc. A few gas stations took the opportunity to gouge people by raising their gas prices from the mid-sixties to a dollar a litre. The laws of supply and demand in action

Gothamist has some great pix of NYC.

Can't help but wonder why we haven't heard anything from Cretien during all this - a time when our leaders should be stepping forward.