Hurricane Isabel Pounds East Coast: "But a few thousand hardy — or foolhardy — souls ignored evacuation orders. Virginia Beach police suggested they write their names in permanent marker on their forearms so they can be identified if they are injured or killed.

At Howard's Pub on the Outer Banks' isolated Ocracoke Island, bartender James Tucker said he and five other employees resolved early Thursday to 'hang out and drink beer until the cable runs out.' "

We won't see much from Isabel here in Connecticut. We are supposed to get some high winds and heavy rain, though, so we're shutting down the computers here at work. Speaking of wind, I need to get home and bring the deck furniture inside before it gets blown all over the neighborhood.