Amazingly enough March came in like a lamb here in the greater Chicago-Milwaukee metroplex and it’s going out like a lamb too.

It’s a little warmer today than it was on March 1st, 50°F vs 45°F but the same sunny skies. There’s a little more green around, the trees are starting to bud, and I saw some Robins earlier this week.

Inside the Milwaukee Art Museum yesterday:

[flickr]5572261367[/flickr]

There weren’t a lot of people there on a Tuesday so we were able to get photos without other people in them, except this one. The Little Guy got himself in this one.

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Geraldine Ferraro has died of complications from blood cancer, a cancer she’d been fighting for twelve years.

She was 75 years old.

Our prayers go out to her, her family, and friends.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

Corned beef** simmering on the stove. A beautiful day it’s 65°F

** Corned beef and Cabbage is an American-Irish tradition, not an Irish-Irish tradition, but ’tis a tradition nonetheless.

Good discussion.

Althouse linked. Thanks!

On a related note, we received a notice last week about a shortened day for school on Monday for a “necessary amendment” to the school schedule. My husband called the school district today to find out what the “necessary amendment” is. Turns out it’s for a union meeting. Our children have to lose part of their school day, interrupting their education, so the union can meet with teachers and staff. Apparently this is one of the many little work rules in the union contract with the school district. He has more here.

Languagesja>en YahooCE

Althouse

Set your clocks ahead an hour before you go to sleep tonight if you don’t want to wait until 2 am.

It’s also a good time to test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors and change the batteries if necessary.

Puerto Rico, Arizona, and Hawai’i do not participate in Daylight Saving Time.

It is Daylight Saving Time not Daylight Savings Time.

click to embiggen. Spring is coming. Yay! Nearly 50°F today. I’m still waiting to see the Robins though.

I received notice today that my contract as an Amazon Associate will be terminated as of April 15th due to Governor Quinn’s decision to sign a bill into law.

Buy a Kindle or anything else before April 15th and send me a couple cents at no additional cost to you…

The text of the email I received from Amazon follows:

Hello,

For well over a decade, the Amazon Associates Program has worked with thousands of Illinois residents. Unfortunately, a new state tax law signed by Governor Quinn compels us to terminate this program for Illinois-based participants. It specifically imposes the collection of taxes from consumers on sales by online retailers – including but not limited to those referred by Illinois-based affiliates like you – even if those retailers have no physical presence in the state.

We had opposed this new tax law because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive. It was supported by national retailing chains, most of which are based outside Illinois, that seek to harm the affiliate advertising programs of their competitors. Similar legislation in other states has led to job and income losses, and little, if any, new tax revenue. We deeply regret that its enactment forces this action.

As a result of the new law, contracts with all Illinois affiliates of the Amazon Associates Program will be terminated and those Illinois residents will no longer receive advertising fees for sales referred to Amazon.com, Endless.com, or SmallParts.com. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned prior to April 15, 2011 will be processed and paid in full in accordance with the regular payment schedule. Based on your account closure date of April 15, 2011, any final payments will be paid by July 1, 2011.

You are receiving this email because our records indicate that you are a resident of Illinois. If you are not currently a permanent resident of Illinois, or if you are relocating to another state in the near future, you can manage the details of your Associates account here. And if you relocate to another state after April 15, please contact us for reinstatement into the Amazon Associates Program.

To be clear, this development will only impact our ability to continue the Associates Program in Illinois, and will not affect the ability of Illinois residents to purchase online at www.amazon.com from Amazon’s retail business.

We have enjoyed working with you and other Illinois-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program and, if this situation is rectified, would very much welcome the opportunity to re-open our Associates Program to Illinois residents.

Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team

Hubby went to the bakery this morning for packzi and a king cake. So sweet, he let me sleep in since I was up late writing a paper last night.  I had started my paper, then realized it was next week’s paper, not this week’s with only a short time left before it was due. Oh well, I have a head start on next week’s paper.