Again



Back from Cleveland, where on Thursday afternoon we were driving along a road when suddenly I noticed that the traffic lights had died. It was 3 o'clock, in another hour the lights would dim around Lake Erie.



At the time we didn't know that. Turning on the radio we found out that the power outage was spreading. It wasn't terrorism though, we were also told. Of course they also said they didn't know what was causing it. Which begs the question of how do you not know that it isn't something if you don't know what it is?



Today, in case you missed it an air traffic control center lost power. Just for thirty seconds, half a minute. But a lot can happen in thirty seconds. Makes you wonder if someone is trying out a new computer set they just got to see how much havoc they can raise.



Here's the L.I. Traffic Control Center story, from Yahoo! News - L.I. Air Traffic Control Suffers Delay:



"NEW YORK - A 30-second power failure at an air traffic control center disrupted flights at major New York-area airports for about 30 minutes Sunday afternoon, authorities said.



The cause of the failure was under investigation but was not believed to be related to Thursday's blackout, Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites) spokeswoman Arlene Salac said.



At 3:08 p.m., computers at the New York Terminal Approach Control Center on Long Island lost power when the power conditioning system broke down, Salac said.

Air traffic controllers who monitor flights in and out of the region's three major airports temporarily lost radar contact but not voice communication with aircraft, she said. "

Today is the Feast of St. Maximillian Kolbe



Who is St. Maximilian Kolbe?

About to Retire?







A new rumor is circulating that the Pope will retire on his twenty-fifth aniversary with the Cardinals of the world gathered in Rome for the occasion. We'll see...

Catholic Light

Crowds Growing at Glowing Statue of Mary



See picture below from yesterday's post.



From The Vindicator:



"The crowds are getting bigger, arriving earlier and staying later, prompting the city to take pre-emptive action in the event of an emergency.



Curious onlookers and the faithful have been gathering outside St. Joseph the Provider Church to see for themselves what some say is a miracle since a group of women noticed the glowing eyes and heart of a statue of Mary, mother of Jesus, on the bell tower about two weeks ago.



Weekend crowds swelled, packing Masses on Saturday and Sunday. Some worshippers streamed into the church to pray until the wee hours of the morning, according to Rocky Yeropoli, who lives across the street.



Around-the-clock crowds

Crowds gathered outside around the clock, praying or peering through binoculars in front of the statue of Mary on the west side of the bell tower and the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the east side. "

Warren Zevon's Upcoming Album



A great review not only of the album that will be released later this month, but also of the life and times of Warren Zevon. Zevon is dying, (given three months to live by his doctor a year ago) and this could be his last album or it could be a "wake-up" call. Time will tell:



From theNew York Observer: Zevon’s The Wind Amazing Testament To Soul’s Honesty:



"I think of this passage every time I listen to Warren Zevon’s new album, The Wind (Artemis). One year ago, Mr. Zevon, who is best known for a song called 'Werewolves of London'—a horrible injustice to those familiar with the 13 solo albums he’s released since 1969—was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare form of inoperable lung cancer. His doctors gave him three months to live, and Mr. Zevon made a decision: to gather his musical friends and family and, under the watch of a VH1 documentary crew, record one last album."









Also, for the "real" Zevon fans, check out this fine collection of his work:









Thanks to Amy for pointing this article out to me!

Yet Another New Amy Welborn Book!