Nearly speechless

After a long day at JPL, I arrived back here at my hotel and checked email... and was shocked. A broadcast message to employees:

Effective immediately, all Agencies at the U.S. Embassy in Paris must submit a complete and current list of all travelers in France on a weekly basis. In addition, all Paris agencies must have the ability to quickly contact travelers in the event that the Embassy's emergency cascade system is activated.

France? France??? Yes, things have been tense, but do they seriously think US Government employees or their dependents might have to be evacuated en masse? Or rescued? This is the sort of precaution that we used to have to take when visiting East Bloc countries during the Cold War, or when going into a third-world trouble spot.

(shakes head in disbelief)

Blah in SoCal...

Sitting here in Pasadena... anyone on my friends-list have local restaurant recommendations for dinner? hopeforyou has gone off to see sebab, and the folks that I was hoping to meet couldn't make it tonight. Otherwise, I'll eventually just wander around Colorado Blvd, dodging old ladies... or maybe walk to a bar and contemplate life.