US Steel will be re-opening the plant right next to us, in Granite City, bringing back 500 steel workers into employment.

This is not about the tariffs at all, by the way. This was all decided before the tariff announcement. The credit goes to the Illinois legislature that is going to make all state agencies and state-sponsored organizations use products made not only domestically but in Illinois specifically. This is an enormous project our state legislature (Democrat, by the way) has been working on for the past 2 years.

Two of my neighbors are proud United Steel members, by the way. I’m happy for them and for us.

N received a package that had “Planner Pads” stamped on it in big red letters. And I was all, “He knows how I feel about planners, and he got some for himself. And not a tiny little one for me. It’s do cruel!”

And then it turned out the package was a March 8 gift for me. It’s very touching. I feel very understood.

Somebody is sharing advice on how to stay healthy during the winter season on FB:

Change your clothes and babies clothes after work/day care.
Hand wash every time you enter your home.
Sanitize door knobs/remotes/light switches daily.
Change hand towels and pillow cases daily.

Wash your hands every time after you put anything into the washer.

I’d only add and then find a good specialist who treats anxiety and OCD.

We wash our hands, obviously. But the rest – I’m sorry, when does one have a life with this regimen?

So now Trump is not menacing North Korea with nuclear weapons and is trying to do the diplomatic thing and have talks but it’s still bad because Kim Jong Un is short or something. Daddy issues rule.

Another disappointing campus story. It started well. A college president finally refused to accept a consumerist model of higher education where student is a customer who is always right and everybody else is a servant.

But then the story went on social media, and as always consumerism won.

What a great idea to place these little envelopes in hotel rooms. Hotel maids in this country tend to be extremely honest. They never take tips if you just leave the money for them on the night table. We have to write notes saying “Tips! Propina! Thank you for your hard work! Le agradecemos su trabajo tan duro!” and draw arrows toward the money. It would be great if a hotel provided the envelopes that remove confusion. There’s no need to be coy about the fact that these workers are ridiculously underpaid.