18* with a couple of inches of snow. We should get more snow over the day. We are debating on when we should our grocery shopping. We could put it off until later in the week--after the snow ends and the plows and shovel gangs have had a chance to do their work. However, we are out of a couple of things that are "almost" necessities--sage and milk. We decided to hang loose and see what daylight actually reveals.

Found this piece today which illustrates just how messed up our political system is. One of these days the printing press will run out of paper and ink--or, to be more modern about the metaphor, the computer will choke on all the new blips representing imaginary money.

Most of the news reports about Hawaii's missile warning fiasco have concentrated on either 1) the bureaucratic mess of who is responsible and how to make sure "it never happens again" and 2) dramatic pictures of panic stricken citizens running around like headless chickens. This article goes a bit deeper into both. I have reached several conclusions on the issue. First, look for more information before making decisions. Second, think about what you absolutely need (food, shelter, water, energy) and how you would deal with a situation that made any of them scarce or non-existent. Third, watch out for all the yahoos out there who won't take the time to consider what might happen. I had thought that, if I were ever in the path of a nuclear missile, the last place I would want to be was Hawaii but, honestly, we would have seen the same chaos among clueless civilians anywhere. It is rather ironic that I have read of warnings by the German government, the Polish government, the South Korean government, the Japanese government and probably others I can't name off the top of my head for their citizens to prepare for emergencies, military or otherwise, but there hasn't been a peep from our own.

Well we decided to do our shopping. Daylight revealed a plowed streets and the sidewalks have been cleared courtesy of our landlords and our next door neighbor who decided they weren't quick enough. Streets passable and most drivers cautious.