Watch out SB! This is my crappy attempt to copy a map from the Weather Channel at http://www.weather.com/weather/map/interactive/46556?from=36hr_tornWatch_golf&zoom=7&interactiveMapLayer=radar . ND is the dot in the middle. If this was in color, ND would be covered in green with angry clouds of orange and red rapidly approaching. Pobre dome.
"UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
Message sent - 6/6/2008
TORNADO
N D Alert Emergecy! There is an imminent threat to the campus from a TORNADO. Go immediately to the lowest level of the building you are in and take cover! If you are outside, seek shelter immediately. Do not come out until you hear an all-clear announcement. This threat is real and imminent!"
Peachy. At least we finally had a use for our emergency alert system? Hopefully everyone (and the campus) is ok.
Welcome to the Fast Lane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation
The US Secretary of Transportation, Mary E. Peters, keeps a blog. Who knew?
2 Leaders Ousted From Air Force in Atomic Errors - NYTimes.com
Despite myself, I really like Gates. He's always struck me as a good man in a tough spot.
Doug Kmiec Reaffirms Endorsing Sen. Barack Obama - Catholic Online
This article is the best answer I have to the question of how I can support Obama and be true to my Catholic beliefs.
Some comments in addition (read the article first):
The bottom line is that I'm unconvinced McCain would make any real progress against abortion, and meanwhile a variety of other policies of his, especially his welfare reform ideas, would directly increase suffering in the United States. It's not that I don't like McCain- I do. I just don't think he could affect the kind of change Obama will be able to.
Then there's the fact that Obama is the closest thing the US has ever seen to a second Jimmy Carter, and a little bit of peace and human rights love in the oval office right now would do a lot of good internationally.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7435580.stm
"It was five months ago today that an unknown black senator rode into the all-white state of Iowa and absolutely ruined Hillary Clinton's day. And the day after. And the day after that. And pretty much every day since. " - Jack Rafferty, CNN
Brilliant.
State Dept. Reinstates Gaza Fulbright Grants - NYTimes.com
If you haven't been following this situation, late last week seven Palestinians had their fulbrights revoked by the US government because Israel banned them from leaving Gaza to study abroad. Fulbrights fully finance graduate studies in the US. It was a awful decision that evoked its due share of outcry, leading to today's reinstatement of the grants.
Here's the cool part:
I first heard about the situation when I got to work Friday morning. The senior staff were clustered in the middle of our workspace, sharing information and complaining about the government. Then they broke up into teams, several going off to call their contacts and try to reverse the policy that way and others setting to work on a press release from my place of work on the matter. It was one of those goosebump-raising moments- I realized I am FINALLY in a place where more can be done than just complaining about a bad situation. Policy was made while I watched. My job totally rocks.
For whatever reason, I have recently found myself indulging in things that I know will just leave me with a bitter taste in my mouth. Case in point: Veronica Mars. It's a well-written and well-acted show, which I guess is why I keep coming back to it when I'm looking for a 45 minute escape via internet TV. The suspense is excellent, and I can't help empathizing with the lead characters, who are all basically moral people trying to fix their convoluted worlds. But it's not a happy show. Terrible and depressing things happen in every episode. Kids get murdered, lives get shattered, hearts get broken. Deceit and treachery run rampant. I guess I keep watching because I hope everything will turn out all right in the end, but I think I need to admit to myself that watching is just not healthy, at least for me. I have very limited free time these days, and the last thing I need to be doing with it is watching shows that get me all upset over the plights of fictional characters. I deal with real-life crises often enough; this is absurd. Tonight, I watched my last episode of Veronica Mars. There, I said it. No more. No matter how well done it is, it's not worth this.
If only I could apply the same decisiveness throughout my life.
