A roundup of trending news:
* Polar vortex: Because meteorically it doesn't exist unless it has a catchy phrase, today's brutally cold front sweeping across the midwest and New England is being labelled a "polar vortex." Temperatures in my hometown, Madison, Wisc. started at negative - as in your face freezes in 30 seconds - 21.
* Gay news: In a one-step forward, one-step backward dance around same-sex marriage issues, today LIz Cheney stepped out of her bid for Senator of Wyoming, citing "health problems," which most likely translates to: It was a rough Christmas after her gay sister told the candidate that her anti-gay stances made her feel like a second class citizen. Meanwhile, the dreamy news that Utah was allowing same-sex marriage took a splash of cold water and reality in the face when the US Supreme Court halted the practice in that state until federal courts resolved underlying issues.