Seriously, who ordered *this*?

Today's forecast high: 32°F (0°C). Not a surprising temperature: this is winter in the DC area.

Tonight's expected low: 15°F (about -9 or -10°C). Wintry. Even if we are south of the Mason-Dixon line here, 15 degrees isn't all that below average. I can take it.

What they're telling us to expect for high temperatures by next Monday: 63°F (17°C). ::blink::

How are we supposed to get acclimated if the climate keeps pulling stunts like this?

Survival Meme

I know many of you are tired of this survey already, but I'll post mine with added comments to make it something more like a real journal entry, since if I don't I'll be left here uselessly foaming at the mouth and that would not be pretty.

Could you survive in poverty?
Circle [or bold] the items you know how to do.

1. I know which churches and sections of town have the best rummage sales.

-- Frankly, I'm not entirely sure what a "rummage sale" is.

2. I know which rummage sales have "bag sales" and when.

-- Again, no. But I do know where several thrift stores are located, and I know that Salvation Army stores sell clothes for half price on Wednesdays (even in different parts of the country, apparently).

3. I know which grocery stores' garbage bins can be accessed for thrown-away food.

-- Ugh. Please distinguish between "poverty" and "homelessness." If you have a place to lay down your head (or your possessions, at least) and you live in a place where churches have rummage sales (or where churches even exist), then you can probably find some charity that will give you free food if you have no other options. It will be canned, and maybe it won't be very good for your health, but many of us would still prefer it to dumpster diving. For that matter, even if you have no home, you may still be able to find a homeless shelter where they will feed you something decent.

-- My answer, then: I know how to locate at least one charity which gives away free food on occasion, I know of at least one church with a soup kitchen, and if I were really desperate to get food from the grocery stores, I would ask someone for help in working the system. Fortunately, I've never had to go that route.

4. I know how to get someone out of jail.

-- Stereotyped much?
( More! More! More! )

And then there's the "Privilege Meme"

"Take a Step Forward," from Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka, is the original version of that privilege meme going around. I'll link to the web page and then go on to treat version 2.0 as a blog survey, with comments.


Explanations and Notes:

All of the ‘step taking’ is about things not requiring effort on the students’ part, that were things done by others. While some of these are important to some people, others will be important to others. The list includes experiences, objects, and other things which reflect social class.

Take a step:
If your father went to college before you started
Yes, he studied physics.
If your father finished college before you started
Yes, though it took him over a decade. His parents were both college graduates.
If your mother went to college before you started
Yes.
If your mother finished college before you started
Yes again. She was one of a handful of white folks who integrated a local black college.
If you have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.
Not that I can think of. My family is pretty much a bunch of scientists, schoolteachers, and computer geeks.
If your family was the same or higher class than your high school teachers
Yes
If you had a computer at home when you were growing up
Oh yes.
If you had your own computer at home when you were growing up
No, but Dad had to fight me for use of the one we had. My high school teachers rather wished I didn't have access to a computer sometimes, since one of my usual excuses for not turning in work was "the computer crashed and refused to print anything." Please note, this was well before Windows. ( More Inside )