Global Warning Alert!
Today's news is full of doom and gloom as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change proclaims that global warming is "very likely" our fault. At least, they are 90% sure it is. I thought the .05 level (95%) was the minimum confidence level for proving a hypothesis. Apparently when all you want is for the entire human race to make massive, fundamental changes in the way we live, 90% is good enough, and we should disregard all the scientists who think the jury is still out.

In other news, here in Chicago we don't know from global warming right now. It is Situation Normal for February. We have been in the deep freeze for a week and the next week is even worse. The weather forecast says that between now and next Wednesday, the temperature will range from a balmy -22 to a torrid 17. When I walk across the Jackson Street bridge on my way from Union Station to UIC, and it is about 10 degrees with a 30 mph wind, pardon me for thinking that global warming doesn't sound all bad.

Oh, and not to appear callous about the stranded polar bears in that widely-distributed photo, but did you know that a polar bear can swim for 100 miles? They have been getting stranded on ice floes and swimming to safety since long before homo sapiens showed up. My guess is those bad boys are alive and well and eating seals right now.