Blowing Hot Air

This morning as I was heating a drink in the break room microwave, I watched Fox "News" for a few minutes. I usually avoid watching this (or any other TV, for that matter), but the picture really caught my attention: a man in a blue raincoat in a hotel parking lot, leaning into Hurricane Katrina, valiantly speaking into the microphone as rain lashed past.

I thought "he must really have something important to say," but when I started paying attention to his words, they were more like "well, it's really coming down now - the rain and wind are getting heavier - we're all cut off from the outside - WOW a section of the hotel gutter just went flying by."

What? There is heavy rain and strong wind in a hurricane? I'm sure glad that reporter was risking his well-being and perhaps his life to bring us this news flash.

I've been through about a dozen typhoons during my four deployments to Japan. Although there is initially a certain amount of fun involved in playing outside in the big wind (hitting golf balls is a perennial favorite), it wears off pretty fast when the big rain comes - and then -

you go inside!