Pittsburgh snow
Fig. 1. Comic by Patrick McDonnell, January 23, 2022, fair use.[1]
I actually like the snow. Pittsburgh is at its most beautiful under a layer of snow. But it looks like I’m staying home today, Sunday, with tomorrow, Monday, very much in doubt, as significant snowfall and hazardous conditions are expected.[2] I do need to head out early to pick up a prescription and groceries, but then it will be back home, hiding from a blizzard.
This, it must be said, is a factor in my thinking about Erie. I’m thinking that in complete contrast to the utterly and completely hopeless debacle that is Pittsburgh Public Works,[3] they might actually have their act together in Erie,[4] where they more regularly get inundated, which would actually mean fewer days lost to icy roads.
If it still looks like a mess here in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, I may even head up a day early. (I already have reservations for Wednesday night.)
Ukraine
This from the the politician, Yevhen Murayev, whom Russia would allegedly install as Ukraine’s leader in some form of coup:[5]
As someone who has been under Russian sanctions for four years, barred from Russia as a national security threat and whose father got his assets frozen in Russia, I find it hard to comment on the [U.K.] Foreign Office’s statement.[6]
But apparently Murayev has a “pro-Russian” television station. He also said, “The time of pro-Western and pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine is gone forever.”[7]
I’m pretty sure we’re being inundated with shit here. I’m not sure how much from whom, but possibly the combined content of London, Moscow, and Kyiv sewage treatment facilities. Okay, add Washington, D.C.: “U.S. officials said they have no reason to doubt the British intelligence.”[8] That’s a lot of sewage.
Paul Sonne, John Hudson, and Shane Harris, “U.K. accuses Russia of scheming to install a pro-Kremlin government in Ukraine,” Washington Post, January 22, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/uk-accuses-russia-of-scheming-to-install-a-pro-kremlin-government-in-ukraine/2022/01/22/41c0999e-7bde-11ec-b79d-e53ef5e1fbe2_story.html
- [1]Patrick McDonnell, “Mutts,” Comics Kingdom, January 23, 2022, https://comicskingdom.com/mutts/2022-01-23↩
- [2]Tony LaRussa, “Pittsburgh region under winter weather advisory for Sunday, 2-4 inches of snow expected,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 22, 2022, https://triblive.com/local/regional/pittsburgh-region-under-winter-weather-advisory-for-sunday-2-4-inches-of-snow-expected/↩
- [3]Rick Earle, “Pittsburgh Public Works launches internal investigation following snow response issues,” WPXI, January 7, 2022, https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/pittsburgh-public-works-launches-internal-investigation-following-snow-response-issues/3ZAYYSR5WNCD5H5KE67WJ6SKBU/; Julia Felton, “Plowing continues on snow-covered Pittsburgh streets,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 7, 2022, https://triblive.com/local/plowing-continues-on-snow-covered-pittsburgh-streets/; Julia Felton, “Pittsburgh officials say snow response will be better ahead of Sunday storm,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 14, 2022, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-officials-say-snow-response-will-be-better-ahead-of-sunday-storm/; Julia Felton, “Pittsburgh officials say they expect to have streets cleared for Tuesday commute,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 17, 2022, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-officials-say-they-expect-to-have-streets-cleared-for-tuesday-commute/; Julia Felton, “Pittsburgh officials say 50 trucks still cleaning snow and ice,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 20, 2022, https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-officials-say-50-trucks-still-cleaning-snow-and-ice/; KDKA-TV, “Pittsburgh Councilman Publicly Criticizes ‘Unacceptable’ State Of Roads After Snowfall,” December 27, 2020, https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/12/27/pittsburgh-councilman-publicly-criticizes-unacceptable-state-of-roads-after-snowfall/; Taylor Spirito, “Pittsburgh residents frustrated after city side streets left unplowed,” WPXI, January 18, 2022, https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/pittsburgh-residents-frustrated-after-city-side-streets-left-unplowed/NLUWU6RFFBCKBCYKDEMU7Y3FWQ/; Kylie Walker, “Pittsburgh Public Works releases statement in response to snow removal concerns,” WTAE, January 18, 2022, https://www.wtae.com/article/pittsburgh-public-works-releases-statement-in-response-to-snow-removal-concerns/38803017↩
- [4]Matthew Rink, “Salt before snow: How Erie approached snowstorm in inner-city,” Erie Times-News, January 22, 2022, https://www.goerie.com/story/news/local/2022/01/23/city-erie-pa-salted-before-recent-snowstorm-did-unique-strategy-work/6563382001/↩
- [5]Paul Sonne, John Hudson, and Shane Harris, “U.K. accuses Russia of scheming to install a pro-Kremlin government in Ukraine,” Washington Post, January 22, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/uk-accuses-russia-of-scheming-to-install-a-pro-kremlin-government-in-ukraine/2022/01/22/41c0999e-7bde-11ec-b79d-e53ef5e1fbe2_story.html↩
- [6]Yevhen Murayev, quoted in Paul Sonne, John Hudson, and Shane Harris, “U.K. accuses Russia of scheming to install a pro-Kremlin government in Ukraine,” Washington Post, January 22, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/uk-accuses-russia-of-scheming-to-install-a-pro-kremlin-government-in-ukraine/2022/01/22/41c0999e-7bde-11ec-b79d-e53ef5e1fbe2_story.html↩
- [7]Yevhen Murayev, quoted in Paul Sonne, John Hudson, and Shane Harris, “U.K. accuses Russia of scheming to install a pro-Kremlin government in Ukraine,” Washington Post, January 22, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/uk-accuses-russia-of-scheming-to-install-a-pro-kremlin-government-in-ukraine/2022/01/22/41c0999e-7bde-11ec-b79d-e53ef5e1fbe2_story.html↩
- [8]Paul Sonne, John Hudson, and Shane Harris, “U.K. accuses Russia of scheming to install a pro-Kremlin government in Ukraine,” Washington Post, January 22, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/uk-accuses-russia-of-scheming-to-install-a-pro-kremlin-government-in-ukraine/2022/01/22/41c0999e-7bde-11ec-b79d-e53ef5e1fbe2_story.html↩