Good morning on a more seasonal Sunday.  The temperatures are supposed to be more normal--highs in the high 20s or low 30s.  Also some very welcome precipitation.

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Welcome to Monday, everyone.  The temperatures continue to be seasonal although it feels really cold after the mild beginning to the year.  I have my seed/plant lists ready so my major task today is to visit all of the web sites and place my orders.  I am sternly reminding my self not to jump the gun and start my plants too early--not before the March 1st.  My next task is to start planning where the various plants will go--not that they will necessarily stay where I initially put them.  I have a lot more cleaning up to do this year because I left the lower stalks and roots of some of the plants (tomatoes mostly) in the containers.  I often do that because by spring the roots have begun to rot and adds back some nutrients. Also the pineapple sage didn't survive but I have seeds on my list.

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It is now Tuesday.  I didn't see much I wanted to link to or comment on.  The news coverage on any given issue is pretty much predictable and I have already commented to the point of nausea on much of it.  We have cut down the amount of time we watch news.  It is more infuriating than enlightening.

I did get my plant/seed orders in yesterday.  New this year: pilgrim cranberry, wonderberry, Heartthrob hibiscus, chamomile, crystal apple cucumber, Amish Paste tomato, Super Sauce Tomato, Patio hybrid FASt tomato, Mohawk patio hybrid pepper, Heatwave II tomato, cypress vine, and bergamot (monarda/bee balm).  I just realized this morning I forgot to order some scarlet runner bean seeds but I can get them locally.  I haven't yet written down were I will put everything but I have plenty of time.

Good to hear from you, Kay.  I so agree that parts of this society has gone totally bonkers.  Unfortunately, I don't see sanity returning any time soon.  Too many of those in power got there by pandering to the insanity of their constituents.  And they all seem to have a self-righteous notion that they are somehow doing God's will whether the majority like it or not.  I keep thinking of the old saying that 'those whom the Gods wish to destroy they first make mad.'  Doesn't bode well.

This little item appeared in my inbox this morning:

Wonkbook’s Number of the Day: 80 million. That’s the number of separate payments the Treasury Department makes per month. If you’re trying to understand why prioritization — in which the federal government should pick and choose which bills to pay first — may not even be possible, that number is essential. It’s not clear that it’s legal for the Treasury to pick and choose between those payments. It’s not clear that we can rewire our computer systems quickly enough to choose between those payments. And note that the one time America did temporarily default it was due to a…computer glitch.

I didn't link because I couldn't find it on the Washington Post site but it is from Ezra Klein's Wonkbook.  I find it interesting in light of proposals for dealing with the debt limit (again) by selectively defaulting on some obligations but not others.  Last time I was totally pissed that some elected assholes thought it would be legitimate to not pay my social security (or medicare, medicaid, military salaries, what have you) but thoroughly kosher to pay interest payments to China (and other governments) on the Treasury bonds they hold.

And the President mentioned that same consequence in his press conference yesterday.  I saw most of that and was totally annoyed by the reporters who hammered away at Obama's insistence that the debt ceiling be raised in a clean bill and that the Repthuglicans end their pattern of hostage taking.  For any Repthuglicans out there: I agree with him.  There is another old saying that comes to mind: you don't take hostages you aren't willing to kill.  I deeply resent the Repthuglican notion that I am expendable.

Robert Reich has a good assessment of the situation: Obama is counting on the Repthuglican's being more sane than they appear.  This is basically a MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) policy and has a serious flaw:  these guys may actually think it is worthwhile to "destroy the village to save it."