Weather woes and social justice

The weather channel is seemingly all about public service lately as it campaigns to be included in the Direct TV lineup.  They even trotted out the venerable Jim Cantore to inveigh against the possibility of no more weather channel on Direct.   As the supplier pointed out, it has plenty of weather spots on normally and the Weather Channel is getting more and more into reality TV with little connection to weather.  I find the idea of a for profit weather channel which uses almost exclusively data which is provided free of charge by the federal government almost ludicrous.  Especially when some idiot congressman says we should cut funding or do away with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration because the Weather Channel is doing such a good job.  The other issue which caught my attention today is the plethora of news about social justice.  From news of democratic reforms in Tunisia to popular uprisings in Cambodia to the Pope appointing new Cardinals from poor, under represented regions of the Catholic landscape, it seems the voice of the people will be heard.