The Last Friday in Winter

Random thoughts on the last Friday in winter. And boy oh boy - winter just won't let go! Much of the Northern tier of the US has been hit by a winter storm. That's right, sleet, snow, freezing rain. A wintery mix, 3 days prior to the Vernal Equinox, otherwise known as Spring. NOAA notifies us that the winter of 2007 has been the warmest winter on record since 1880. "Contributing factors were the long-term trend toward warmer temperatures, as well as a moderate El Nino in the Pacific," said Jay Lawrimore of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. The 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1995. Ah, the sweet revenge of Al Gore.

One of the easiest indicators to me of the severity of a winter day has become the ritual visit to the soup cart guy. He's stationed on Montgomery Avenue in downtown Jersey City, down the block from the Path station. On severe (sub zero degrees, winter storms, gale force winds) weather days, he's not there. On decent days, his cart, surrounded by a green canvas on which "SOUP" is stamped braves the elements. He's a customer service guy - remembers the way you like your soup: Half Lentil, half Split Pea with 2 hot sauces on the side, no roll. He has a middle eastern accent that would be considered charming - pre 911. He's made my lunch an anticipated event, despite the tirgid winter. I wonder if he'll offer gelato come May?

I found a slew of material from my favorite new satire writer - Andy Borowitz, of Newsweek. In Satan’s Endorsement the Prince of Darkness proclaims “Not only am I not supporting Newt, I am giving his soul back.” In An Oscar for Bush the Supreme Court hands Al Gore a stunning reversal, stripping him of his Oscar and awarding it to President George W. Bush. “It is true that Al Gore has done a lot of talking about global warming,” wrote Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority. “But President Bush has actually helped create global warming.”

Beautiful.