YACS

(Yet Another Coastal Storm)

Gray morning, sleetish-snow overnight but not interfering with newspaper walk.  Supposed to have mixed-precip changing to rain "heavy at times", with high wind warnings, flood warnings, winter storm warnings back in the hills (including malkingrey  and Himself), etc. etc. etc.

I forgot to check for Beak-face on my way out this morning -- paying more attention to keeping my feet under my body.

Possibly related?

Two news stories, juxtaposed. 

One of the safer "metropolitan" areas in the nation:

http://www.bangornews.com/detail/93949.html

Perhaps because nobody can afford gas for a quick getaway?

http://www.bangornews.com/detail/93937.html

Credit where credit is due?

"WASHINGTON (AP) - The government introduced a pair of new programs Tuesday that will provide $800 billion to help unfreeze the market for consumer debt and to make mortgage loans cheaper and more available."


. . . And here I thought a major contribution to the current economic unpleasantness came from people (and moreso, governments) spending money they didn't have . . .

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today . . .

My attitude towards "consumer credit" was bent long ago by my parents and reinforced by Wife's parents.  See, my folks graduated from college into the teeth of the Depression, and Wife's parents, ten years younger, went forth into the cold, cruel world at the start of WWII. 

Neither family had any basis to believe that money would exist next week that you didn't already have in hand.  Even money you'd already earned might never come through, or money you'd been paid and put in the bank might vanish . . . .

Warps your attitude profoundly, that does.  Even passes on to your children.

It was a dark and stormy night . . .

 . . . suddenly, a pirate ship appeared on the horizon . . .

Anyway, the wind (30 mph, gusting to over 50) growls and gnaws at our corners, rain batters sideways on the windows, and something goes Thump! every now and then, providing punctuation for the essay.  We are mid-40s F right now, which means no ice. 

I would kinda like to identify that Thump! in case it turns out to be expensive, though.