one thing good about the deep cold is everything slows down, and almost stops. whenever you hear someone talk about ice you wonder if they're talking metaphorical, but the heavy letters of obama's concrete speech are grounded and frozen to the flatbeds halting work for days. otherwise they'd be working even on martin luther king's birthday, though his actual actual birthday is four days past. and maybe even the ice thugs are halted. even thug life must be affected by the weather.