Well, here we are at the last day of the first month of the new year.  The time goes so quickly.  We are expecting a new winter storm here which the weather people say will be the biggest snow maker of the year so far.  Since we have had so little snow so far as little as a bit over 3 inches will be enough to qualify.  The aftermath of the storm that hit the east coast has amused me throughout this last week.  I don't mean the physical effects which spanned the range from "So What?" to "Oh, MY GOD!!!"  I mean the grousing about the political and economic effects of the actions civil authorities took to deal with the potential effects and the criticisms of the weather forecasters because some areas got something less than the history making blizzard predicted.  Our local weather reporters always stress the uncertainties in their predictions.  We watch the reports with a those uncertainties in mind.  Several times we have planned for the worst and been pleasantly surprised.  Rarely have we been unpleasantly surprised.

Mitt Romney, it seems, has decided to stay out of the 2016 presidential race to (magnanimously) "allow" the rising generation of Republicans to shine.  Yeah, that is a bit of sarcasm.  I think Jeb Bush was eating his lunch and grabbing his donors.   The entire field of Republican hopefuls have impressed me mightily--in the most negative way.  I don't think I will be voting for president next time around.  Voting--yes; for president--no.

Politics in Europe should get very interesting this year.  Syria's victory in Greece on an anti-austerity, debt-reduction platform has emboldened other such parties in other debt-ridden, austerity-plagued countries.  Starting with Spain.