Attacks in London.

Steph asked me what the reaction was like here to the attacks in London.

I don't watch TV here. This in itself makes a huge difference.I don't even know if Jeff has a TV. Maybe other Viennese watch, I can't say whether or not it's any more or less than your average American. At any rate, there is no FOX News, no MSNBC, no CNN. I haven't read any Viennese papers since having arrived here. To get my news, I read BBC News online. In comparison, my news is less sensational, stripped of the startling graphics and music on 24-hour cable networks, of O'Reillys and "pundits" and talking head experts.

Scott found out about the bombings first. When he told me, I was sad, then angry and frustrated. I didn't feel any less safe or any more vulnerable. It's quite amazing how clear in the head you can be when TV networks aren't telling you how to feel. I haven't talked to any Viennese about the attacks. Austria is not the first place you think of when it comes to the front lines of the war on terrorism. I think maybe people here are a little insulated in that respect. This is not say they are insensitive, dismissive, or apathetic, I just think they are a little more distanced.

Also, I think Europeans in general tend to put things in perspective, then react accordingly. Even on BBC's front page this morning, the big story is how Hurricane Dennis is making its way across Cuba to the U.S., while the New York Times reports how a "typical rush hour turns into chaos." In Austria Today, however, the Austrian government has announced stepped-up security measures, but it sounds like a formality. All in all, I don't think people's lives are going to change too drastically around here.