Amidst the horrific reports of post-Sandy death and destruction around New York, stories of residents' singular resilience, compassion and ingenuity likewise abound: Renegade Halloween parades, commandeered water hydrants, sidewalk-cell-phone-charging parties, free meals from food trucks,  impromptu tree removal operations, daisy-chains of extension cords, the marathoners opting to run volunteer crews instead along with the Staten Island hotel refusing to evict storm refugees for arriving marathoners, the  ethical dilemma of determining how obligated you are to live with your own filth - ie: how much shower/toilet water you're entitled to - the stubborn fans already lining up, not for busses but for tickets to see Louis C.K. on SNL this weekend, and warm beer for all. A highlight: the tale of the stalwart with "a 1-week-old son and a dog with diarrhea...sitting around a nice peaceful place in the Village dealing with feces by candlelight. The Empire State Building looms to the north like the brilliant gate to electric heaven; someone's penthouse is offering a single smug pod of light high in the sky..." People are (often) amazing. More stories of survival.

Update: Marathon cancelled.