Categorical Aperitif

So I get up early on Saturday to grade some papers, get some exercise, etc., and almost the first thing my computer tells me is that while I slept so peacefully there was a monster 8.8 earthquake in Chile which has triggered a tsunami that's moving its way across the broad Pacific, putting far-off Asia on alert, triggering advisories up the North American Pacific coast, and inspiring a tsunami warning in Hawaii, where the first wave is expected to hit around 4 pm Eastern time. They're predicting waves in Hawaii around 6 feet, which sounds bad enough but which I guess could be much, much worse, especially with little or no warning. What a thing to be waiting for on a Saturday.

My thoughts go out to everyone affected by this already and everyone still waiting to feel its effects. May they be as minimal as the universe will allow.

// posted by nash @ 10:25 AM