Oh how cold it is.  Right now, just before 5am, our temperature is -9F with a wind chill feel of -32.  As we did yesterday we are staying in.  I am glad I got the bird feeder cleaned out and refilled.  I had to let it thaw out.  It had a layer of ice on the top and the little food still on it was frozen solid.

This post from the Contrary Farmer almost makes me want a porch.

When I was a teen the local mall was a treat.  We had one of the early mega-malls and often spent Saturday afternoons shopping.  The malls were the place to go to find whatever you wanted and to socialize.  However, the heyday of the mall might be over.  I have seen several stories over the last few years like this one.  As with so much else about our economy, those malls catering to high end shoppers are doing very well just as their customers have done quite well inspire of recession and excruciatingly slow recovery.  Those malls depending on middle and lower income customers are on the ropes.  It is sad that so much space and materials are going to waste.  However, I don't really miss the malls.  I remember working in one for one Christmas and spending two hours trying to get through the traffic jam going into the mall and then trying to find a parking place.  I have avoided shopping even in open air malls during the week before Christmas since.  Our shopping patterns have also changed.  We spend little time browsing or window shopping now and we buy little on impulse.  The malls were great for that but aren't so great when you know what you need and know that it isn't available in the mall.

Somebody has finally called BS on the old "work ethic" nonsense.  Nimue Brown does a good job of showing the class bias behind it.  Most of what passes for work today leaves you exhausted, irritated, and without any sense of accomplishment.  It doesn't even provide a living wage.