SHAKEN NOT STIRRED

By now everyone's heard the news of the devastating earthquake in Kashmir. When last I checked the death toll was upwards of 30,000. We've received several emails inquiring about our safety and I'd like to thank everyone for their concerns. I am happy to report that all is well in my area but my heart goes out to those who were not so lucky.

I will say that the quake gave me a quite a start. My hotel room began to move sometime around 9:00 a.m. At first I wasn't quite sure what was going on but within seconds there was no mistaking what was happening. I haven't felt the ground move like this since the great quake of '89 in San Francisco. It lasted between one and two minutes but felt more like five. Considering that the building codes here (or lack there of) are a little shady, to say the least, I feel very lucky to have avoided a major catastrophe. I only wish that the rest of the region could share in my good fortune.