Welcome to March. We woke to steady to heavy rain which isn't helping the flooding along our rivers and streams. The rain should help wash out any ice remaining in my containers. I got the planting area in our storage/planting/craft room cleared and in order so I can start seeds next week. I also got a bit more done clearing off the table so I can do something on it. Mom got a lot of the office supplies and other miscellaneous items sorted and arranged also. A little at a time and we are getting things done.

What I am reading today:

The new post at Tomdispatch. Remembering Chalmers Johnson and introducing the "blowback president." I don't think you need any guesses to figure out about whom he is writing.

We can add "pharmacy desert" to "food desert" to describe some city neighborhoods. This article deals with Chicago. Additional info: bus tickets run above $2 last I heard and they don't give transfers. That means Emma Washington, the elderly resident of Chicago's Chatham neighborhood, would have to spend $8 round trip three times a month to get her meds. I can remember times when that kind of expense would have broken my budget.

From the Guardian: kids entering school don't have the grip strength or dexterity to use pencils or pens effectively. I know of schools where the problem would not even be recognized because the kids use touch screens or keyboards from the beginning. Some can't even read cursive script. Though I have also read some encouraging stories of school districts bringing back cursive handwriting.

And for a bit of humor there is always The Onion.