Stormy Monday

I wake up to discover that Senator Byrd is dead. Less shocking the Ted Kennedy's death, but still significant.  I never met Byrd but remember watching his poetic rants on C-Span, meeting his interns/staffers, and hearing him rail against the Iraq war.   His death is not mentioned during the day, though there is an enormously powerful thunderstorm which darkens the sky and distracts my office for two-three minutes.