My friend Jen Murphy forwarded this picture to me with a note that it was the tornado that touched down in Laramie on Thursday. There were several forwards attached to the e-mail, so I don't believe she took it and I'm not sure who did.

Whoever took it, it's a great shot.

Are you weary of the constant analysis going into the presidential race? Let the Red State Update boys quell your pain:
   

A tornado hit the Front Range of Colorado on Thursday, including in my hometown of Laramie, Wyo. Click here to read the AP report via Yahoo.

For Laramie, from what I've gathered from multiple phone calls to friends and family, is that the hardest-hit buildings were the Tumbleweed Express, the Wal-Mart and Laramie Junior High School (although I've heard both the main building and an auxiliary building; haven't confirmed that one yet.)

Most importantly to me anyway, my friends and family all seem OK. I have a few calls still out, but so far no reports of injuries or deaths have been reported from the folks I've talked to there. So far, I haven't seen any reports of deaths or injuries north of the border, but there was one death in Weld County.

There's a tornado watch in effect until 8 p.m. MDT. Here's hoping everyone remains OK.

Unfortunately, the old paternity leave is about up, and I'm starting to get a little bogged down in projects already. I'm on deadline for Pub Aux today, then tomorrow I have to get some serious class preparations done. By the weekend, I'm hoping to get back on track with my contest judging with the ultimate goal of faxing entry sheets in on Monday and being done with it.

Hopefully Audrey continues to be a good little helper. Right now we're enjoying the musical stylings of the Old 97's while she hangs out in her bounce chair and I work. So I best wrap up this blog so I can get a little more work done before she needs more to eat or another diaper change.

I will leave you with this, a little video done via cell phone earlier today:

  

Wow! I just saw a review for the new Roku device that works with Netflix, and I want one so bad right now. It allows you to call up Netflix movies using an Internet connection. Just fill up your queue with instant watch movies, then use the Roku to pick the one you want to watch. Rewind, fast-forward or pause; it's just like having it on DVD, minus the bookmarks.


If anyone wants to spot me the $99.95 it costs, I'll let you know how it works.

I had the good fortune to attend my first MU Honors Convocation today. Megan Kinkade, a senior in the newspaper sequence and a longtime TA for the copy desk, asked me to be her mentor. I happily accepted.

Here's Megan after she received her honors medal:



As if it wasn't cool enough getting asked to my first convocation, Garth Brooks was also in attendance. I'm not a huge country music fan, but I think Garth's stuff is all right. I tried to capture a picture of him on my cell phone (like a dummy, I left my good camera at home), but I couldn't get a clear shot of him, unfortunately. So I opted to Photoshop the two pics I was able to snap in order to show you he was at MU on Saturday. I heard he had a niece or nephew graduating with honors, but that was total hearsay.

Good times!

Hillary Clinton's big win in West Virginia is attributed, in small part, to her proposal to suspend the national gasoline tax, according to this analysis at CNN.com.

On the surface, suspending the national gas tax would seemingly be a big help at the gas pumps. Saving 18.4 cents on the dollar adds up fast. For instance, I just dropped $60 yesterday to fill up our van at $3.59 per gallon. That comes out to roughly 16.7 gallons of gas. Under the Clinton plan, I could save myself $3.07 each time I fill up. Over the course of the summer, that could add up if it spurs me to drive more.

But, what happens when millions of Americans do the same thing? Hmmm, it seems to reason that the price of gas would go up as (i.e. demand) as more gas is used (i.e. supply). Pretty soon, that 18.4 cents comes right back, only now it's going to the fat cats at Exxon, Shell, et al, instead of to fixing roads and other transportation projects. If Americans go too crazy with the "cheap gas" (as if $3.41 were cheap), we'd likely see gas go even more expensive than it is now.

So what's the solution? I hate to say it, but more oil is what we need right now. In the long run, what we really need is a real alternative fuel, and ethanol is not the answer.

Let's start with the short-term answer: more oil. We need more supply to satisfy demand -- that's the only way to bring prices down. Now, if you want to argue that the time has come for Americans to not travel so much for the good of the planet, good for you. The reality for me is that I have to get around town with an infant around a hectic job schedule, and public transportation in Columbia just isn't going to cut it for me. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is.

So, how do we get more supply, short of annexing Iraq as the 51st state (kidding, kidding)? More pressure on OPEC to increase production is a good start. We could probably stand to loosen up our strategic oil reserve for the summer, too. And, with the right controls in place, I'm not opposed to drilling for oil in Alaska, though I would definitely be more comfortable letting the next administration tackle that one. Considering the Bush-Cheney environmental record, one has to wonder what kind of damage would be done up there.

Long term, we need something other than oil. Ethanol is a great idea, but it's driving up the cost of food, it's not that much better for the environment, and it's hardly more affordable. On the latter point, E-85 is now more than $3 per gallon (In Columbia this week it was $3.04); my observation is that generally runs about 55 cents cheaper. But here's the funny thing: E-85 gets worse mileage than gasoline, so by the time you pay for the extra fuel and for the more expensive car that takes it in the first place, you're hardly coming out ahead.

I'm no scientist, so I can't say for certain what the right answer is for America's oil addiction. It may very well be public transportation and a major change in lifestyles for all of us. Or it could be electric cars. Or maybe even something not invented yet.

Friday night was TA Appreciation Night at Peace Park as we thanked our stellar crew of talented individuals for their efforts this year. We ate picnic food, played some games and generally had a nice little reception. It was a little cool for Audrey out in the park, but we coped with a heavy blanket. She had a good time, as did everyone else.

   

Try this out: Click on the link here for jakesherlock.com. Pretty cool, eh? An easier way to remember my blog address.

I also have other plans for a whole new site about your favorite family. I hope to unveil it by the end of summer, maybe sooner depending on what kind of time I can find to work on it.

Also, the paperwork for Audrey's college fund arrived today. I'll have details on how to donate to that coming to the blog soon.

And I really need to get to work on this darn travel contest judging ...

Sadly enough, the family went home this morning. Grandpa Tony was pretty bummed, as were Grandma Janell and Aunt Rosie. We had a last breakfast at Berlin Cafe, our favorite breakfast spot, before saying goodbye.

I spent a good chunk of the afternoon shaving Kotie. We just bought him a new bark collar on Mills' recommendation -- he uses it for his own dog. Only problem was, Kotie's hair was so thick around the neck the collar didn't work; the electrodes have to be touching the skin. So, I gave him a full on haircut. Apparently, I should keep my day job (which I don't have to go back to for another 3 weeks!).



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