A parking lot full of yellow cabs is flooded in Hoboken, New Jersey, in the wake of superstorm Sandy. (Photo: AP Photo/Charles Sykes)

HERE ARE THE things you need to know as we round off the day in three easy steps.

THINGS WE LEARNED:

#AER LINGUS: Union members at Aer Lingus will conduct a two-hour work stoppage on Monday 19 November in protest at the breakdown in negotiations over pensions. SIPTU, Unite and Mandate said the work stoppage would not take place if management agreed to re-enter talks and attend hearings at the Labour Court.

#SANDY: At least 30 people have been killed and more than 5 million homes remain without power in the wake of superstorm Sandy which has pounded the north-east of America. New York and New Jersey have been declared major disaster areas – and New Jersey governor Chris Christie has said he will reschedule Halloween tomorrow evening if necessary.

#LOWRY: Independent TD Michael Lowry has defended his decision not to disclose that he owns land in England in the Dáil register of member’s interests. Here’s what he said.

#MISSING: Police in Wales are focusing on a quarry and woodlands in the search for missing vet Catherine Gowing. Officers have called on the public to come forward with any information at all which could help in the search.

#CAREFUL NOW: Might want to think twice about that takeaway: a new study has found that every single junk food meal you eat damages your arteries.

#SLIPPERY WHEN WET: It may have been the worst kept secret in music circles but Bon Jovi have officially been confirmed as the headline act at Slane Castle next summer.

THINGS WE LOVED:

• Why should kids get to have all the fun? Here’s five reasons why adults deserve mid-term breaks too.
• Poor Canada. According to CNN it doesn’t even exist anymore.
• Most people look at road signs simply to get from A to B. Someone in Dublin 4 however looked at this sign for the Merrion Road and saw an opportunity for some punning:

(Thanks to Rory Donegan for sending this one in)

THINGS WE SHARED:

• What do you do when you’re supposed to be filming a talk show in New York in front of a live studio audience – but a freak super storm means you have to send your entire audience home? Why, just go ahead with it anyway. Here’s what happened on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night. We like the bits where he tells his joke to the ten or so people in the studio and then looks like he wants to die.
• Were you secretly impressed by your pumpkin-carving skills this year? Thought you had some skills? Yeah? Well you might want to avoid looking at this pumpkin which someone has somehow managed to carve into a playable game of Tetris. That sound you hear is your self-esteem dropping through the floor.

(Video: Nathan Pryor/YouTube)