Francine's Blog

Hurricane Sandy was a hurricane that devastated portions of the Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States , with lesser impacts in the Southeastern and Midwestern states and Eastern Canada , in late October 2012. Sandy, the eighteenth named storm and tenth hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season , was a Category 2 storm at its peak intensity. While it was a Category 1 storm off the coast of the Northeastern United States, the storm became the largest Atlantic hurricane on record (as measured by diameter with winds spanning 1,100 miles (1,800 km)). Sandy is estimated in early calculations to have caused damage of at least $20 billion (2012 USD). Preliminary estimates of losses that include business interruption surpass $50 billion (2012 USD), which would make it the second-costliest Atlantic hurricane behind only Hurricane Katrina . At least 253 people were killed along the path of the storm in seven countries.

Bieber, who was not in attendance but made plenty of headlines over the weekend due to his reported breakup with Selena Gomez, won Best Male, Best Pop and Best World Stage. Bieber's pal Carly Rae Jepson, who was the first artist signed to his Schoolboy Records, took home two trophies: Best Song for her hit "Call Me Maybe" and Best PUSH. She celebrated by crowd-surfing during her electrifying performance. No Doubt, PSY, Pitbull, the Killers and Swift each graced the Frankfurt stage with performances of their hits. The late Whitney Houston, who passed away last February, was honored as a Global Icon and is the third artist to receive the honor after Bon Jovi and Queen. Full list of winners from MTV EMA 2012: Best Female Taylor Swift Best Male Justin Bieber Best New Act One Direction Best Song "Call Me Maybe," Carly Rae Jepsen Best World Stage Justin Bieber Best Video "Gangnam Style," PSY Best Rock Linkin Park Be

All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows, Solemnity of All Saints, or The Feast of All Saints) is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honor of all the saints, known and unknown. All Saints' Day is the second day of Hallowmas, and begins at sundown on the 31st of October (celebrated as Halloween) and finishes at sundown on the 1st of November. It is the day before All Soul's Day.

  In Western Christianity, All Souls' Day, also known as the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed, is observed principally in the Catholic Church, although some churches of Anglican  and the Old Catholic Churches also celebrate it ; the observance is the third day of Hallowmas and annually occurs on November 2. The Eastern Orthodox Church observes several All Souls' Days during the year. The Roman Catholic celebration is associated with the doctrine that the souls of the faithful who at death have not been cleansed from the temporal punishment due to venial sins and from attachment to mortal sins cannot immediately attain the beatific vision in heaven, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the Mass.