Too Darn Hot

Many resident of the City That Does Not Sleep were probably not sleeping because their power went out. There was a power outage for 5,000 homes in Manhattan and Queens last night, not to mention some businesses blacking out in Staten Island during the day, as NYC hit a new record for June power consumption, according to Con Ed. 12,138 Megawatts! And just last week, we heard a report that Con Ed would have enough power for the summer - lord knows we don't want to repeat August 14, 2003. The Mayor wanted answers as well, saying, "Number one, I don't quite understand why we had all these blackouts and, number two, I don't understand why it took them so long to get the power back on?" He also added that people should drink water, use sunblock, and not lock kids or dogs in cars. Con Ed says it's the city's growing population and housing boom that may be straining the system. Damn you, real estate bubble!

If you think you have it bad with bad or no air-conditioning, think about the little kids in un-air-conditioned classrooms, being expected to learn! The City has suggestions on how to stay cool, or at least healthy, during the heat.

Graphic from WNBC meteorologist John Marshall's forecast; it's labelled "John's Forecast" so New Yorkers know who to blame!