Frankenstorn

At first I didn't get it. I understand the concept of "a perfect storm" but what's with the Frankenstorm bit. When I called my brother who lives near the South Jersey shore yesterday, he explained it to me. There are two storms colliding, with the storm coming in from the west accelerating the power of the incoming Hurricane Sandy. Add to this that it is a full moon with extra high tides and finally (ta da!) it's Halloween. I guess this last bit is where the name comes from.

From what I'm reading this storm has nothing funny about it except the name. According to Jon Coen's A Tale of Two Storms on ESPN Action Sports Online, Hurricane Sandy "is already the second largest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic. The destruction will be widespread."

In 2008 I wrote a blog entry about monster movies which culminated in a few reminiscences about Frankenstein. The next day I bore down on the influence of Frankenstein on culture by interviewing
Susan Tyler Hitchcock, author of Frankenstein: A Cultural History. I'm certain that if the book gets reprinted, it will include a chapter on the Frankenstorm of 2012. Hopefully there won't be a Son of Frankenstorm in its wake.

To friends and family out east: "Batten down the hatches." Stay safe... and warm. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.