Why I'll be in a shell until Monday

About 36 hours ago, my mother lost her fight with cancer; she was 58. As one would expect, this hasn't been an easy time for me. Beyond the obvious, it was Mom who instilled in me the ambition to be aware of the world around me, and do what I can to change it for the better. She lit the spark that, fueled by my admittedly obsessive nature, became the now six-year-running China e-Lobby. As we Americans of Irish descent tend to take our time in remembering late relatives, I'll be out of pocket (actually, in a mourning shell is more like it) for the rest of the week. However, I'll be back with regular posts starting on Monday, December 4.