Link day!

I like sharing links, so I think I will try to do it more regularly.  This year has been full of illnesses & misery. J and I are still coughing from the flu & J has strep throat. We are doing our best to keep me from getting sick, but we'll see how that goes. I can't work if I can't talk, so strep would force me to call out of work. Keep your fingers crossed for me not getting sick!

News

• Be careful of flu this year.  On a personal note, J and I just got over the flu last week. It was miserable. The EMTs told us that our flu shot kinda missed the mark & got a different strain then what is going around town. Good to know this is all of the US and not just here in town. :( 
• Last time the US had Norwegian immigrants was in 1870 - 1910. Unsurprisingly the immigrants that Norway sent to the U.S. during that great migration wave of the 1870s were its poorest and least educated citizens. How unsurprising.
• The U.S. ambassador to Panama is resigning as he feels honor bound to resign since he can't faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion.  I can't blame him.

Misc

• This article talks about prison libraries. They can have big effects on inmates. Yay books! Popular books include Naruto & the Left Behind series. :) 
• 2018 Space events! Meteor showers, partial lunar & solar eclipses and more. Plus it looks like there will be a meteor shower on mine & J's anniversary. We may end up going out to see that.
• Cold Vs Flu.  Here is a handy infographic to help you determine which you may have.
• Advice on working while depressed. Several of these points I use to help. Know your triggers and acknowledging when I'm having a bad day are essential.
• Advice on how to be productive while depressed. This focuses more on getting the basics out of the way & staying near helpful people.
• 10 tips to help you clean.  These include buying your fav products, listening to music or just buying a house cleaning service. I wish I could get my house cleaned, but alas I am too poor for that.

Cold Weather

• You can help people in need stay warm. There are several programs depending on where you live, to help pay for heating for low income homes. Not something I tend to worry about since its not cold that much here. Donate to a local program if you want to help people stay warm this cold winter.
• Dog walking cold weather safety! Handy dandy chart to help you tell if it is too cold to walk your dog.
• How to clean rooms at an ice hotel. Not something I thought about when I saw the ice hotel, but it is still a hotel. It has to be cleaned. Turns out you mostly replace the stained material with fresh ice.