Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Good morning to you, and your dog too! (Mine, by my side, asked me to add that). Welcome to a Tuesday, February 20, 2018, as we plow into the fresh powder of a busy week, with five days of work in a four-day span, and just to make it adventurous, the weather may turn absolutely coprolitic for this evening’s commute. Today starts cloudy and cold–30 on my deck at 0300–then a winter weather advisory kicks in for Portland at 4 PM. This is somewhat later than last night’s forecast. The timing on this is everything, and it keeps changing. Keep an eye on radar (TV news or NWS web sites), and when precip gets close, that’s the time to head home. Already we have scattered closures (Oregon Trail) and delays (Corbett 2 hours, and Colton 3), and numerous districts with buses on snow routes. I won’t try to keep up with all those details here; school families know where to find them. I’ll bet all my Bitcoins that Wednesday is a full-on snow day. And we might have more snow Wednesday night. As always, we’ll count on the Drip community to keep us informed of conditions where you are (and envious, if you’re in Cabo). Sunrise is getting earlier, 7:04 AM Sunset, ever later, at 5:45 PM. Spring is 27 days away.

Shelters are open at night for homeless people and their pets, and no one will be turned away. They just have to find another place to go during the day. It’s our heartfelt hope that nobody dies on our streets, as six people did a year ago. Call 211 if you spot someone who needs help, and donate, if you’re so moved, some coats and blankets. Plus I know there are unofficial efforts to reach out; one hears of people hauling tankards of hot soup every night to folks, whose life path has led them to huddling under the Burnside Bridge.

Last night hundreds of folks with glow sticks formed the shape of a giant heart on the field at Tualatin High School, where young people are speaking out with a clear voice against school violence. I keep hearing that this feels different, like a pivotal time for a generation. We’ll see if they’re able keep up their passion. Not every generation has.

The White House says now “the President is supportive of efforts to improve the Federal background check system” for gun purchases. That’s in line with what the NRA supports. The New York Times, in the meantime, says Russian bots instantly began appearing with memes and messages on social media after the Florida shootings. The Times quotes a disinformation expert as saying, “This is pretty typical for them, to hop on breaking news like this. The bots focus on anything that is divisive for Americans.”

A petition has reached 17,000 signatures to confer military honors on 15-year old Peter Wang, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student and JROTC member who was shot, in uniform, as he was holding the door open so his fellow classmates could escape the Florida gunman.

Robo-cop speed cameras on Marine Drive will begin issuing warnings today, and tickets in a month. The city says similar cameras on SE 122nd and Division have cut speeding by 91%.

Didja hear Fergie sing the National Anthem at the NBA All Star game? Me either, the Olympics were on, but most of us have caught the video of her sultry Marilyn Monroe “Mr. President” act…and now, through TMZ, an apology: “I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA. I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.”

A USC women’s basketball player says Oregon State fans used racial slurs against her and her teammates as they walked off the court after losing a close game Sunday night. OSU officials say they take it seriously and are investigating.

Linfield College tweets out a President’s Day fun fact: two former presidents–Ford and Carter–visited their campus in McMinnville, both in 1988. And one future president did: Nixon, when he was a Whittier college student, competing in a forensics tournament.

If you’re a kid age 3-5 years old, tell your folks that open enrollment for Portland Parks Preschool starts today.

Oregon author Willy Vlautin reads from his latest novel, “Don’t Skip Out on Me,” tonight at Powell’s. I started reading it this weekend and love it so far; I may save it for a long plane ride coming up.

Besides that…the Olympics are so wonderful to watch. Lindsey Vonn goes for the gold in the downhill tonight in prime time. Last night we were carried away by the Women’s Half Pipe, sailing high, twisting, sometimes crashing. This is a great vicarious experience. We can’t wait for them to incorporate virtual reality cameras into the skiers’ headgear. Luge, too!

H4aHH:

–“Certain Ants Give Life-Saving Treatment to Injured Nest-Mates. It is the first time that non-human animals have been documented giving medical care to others.”

–“Chile creates a 10 million acre national park system in Patagonia, supported by founders of The North Face clothing company”

–“From Dishwasher to Heart Doctor, Atlanta Refugee Embodies American Story.”

–“RCMP officer helps save choking Korean boy’s life at Olympic hockey game.”

–“High School cheerleaders joins cheerleader from opposing school who was cheering alone, because the rest of her squad was out with the flu. They learned each other’s cheers.”

I’ll think I’ll wind it up there. If I seem even battier than usual, I apparently suffered the tiniest of concussions in my 2/13 rear-ender (on highway 213) along with a jammed knee that kept me awake half the night. Everything is under treatment, and I’m fine. Everyone goofs up; yesterday I was finishing up an omelet and hot apple cider with my sister at a diner in St. Johns when the server, noticing that my cup was half full, topped it off. With black coffee. On top of my cider. Now, maybe if you add a little brandy and Grand Marnier!

Let’s be careful out there. Hope we can keep you company on FM 103.3!