We seem to have gone from November to January to March. Last month was bitter cold and snowy; so far this month, temperatures have been unseasonably warm, and this weekend we actually had sun. Here's a photo.

Anne loves this photo.

As promised, here is the memorial photograph of the hard drive that blew up Thursday.

I've heard that people are having trouble leaving comments on the blog. Please let me know if you try to leave a comment and get an error message. I have an idea why this is happening—Das Blog has some defects in the way it handles multiple time zones—and I need more data.

Thank you.

Even though I previously reported that the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season had ended, it appears my entry of four weeks ago was premature.

I debated even calling attention to this latest bit of drivel from the mental midget extraordinaire, Pat Robertson.

Goodbye, "WinSwap." I hardly new ye.

Interesing news stories of the day:

• Sharon still critically ill; if he survives, he'll likely be severely disabled
• Jon Stewart to host the Oscars
• Cult shocker: Hollywood's creepiest couple on the rocks (didn't see that one coming)

The President yesterday made 17 recess appointments to positions requiring Senate approval, which gets the people into office until the Senate can meet.

MSNBC is reporting this hour that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has suffered a "significant" stroke.

My cousin Matt just sent me information about a portable power meter that you can use to see how much electricity your appliances are actually using. It's pretty cool.

It might be interesting to see how much power things use when they're off.

Forecaster Avila at the National Hurricane Center had this to say about Tropical Storm Zeta:

ZETA AS A WEAKENING CYCLONE SHOULD[...]MOVE BETWEEN THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH-NORTHWEST UNTIL DISSIPATION. AS YOU CAN SEE...I RAN OUT [OF] THINGS TO SAY.

'Nuff said.

The National Hurricane Center reports this hour that Tropical Storm Zeta, only the second January tropical storm ever recorded, may become a hurricane. It probably won't, but it's already so close as to make the distinction irrelevant to any ships in the area.

I'm putting this in the Politics category as well as the Weather category because I believe it's one more example of the increased tropical activity predicted by the global warming hypothesis and ignored by current U.S. policy.

For those of you dying to know what the next tropical cyclone will be named, the NHC says the naming season begins January 1st, even though the "official" hurricane season begins June 1st. So the next Atlantic tropical storm will be named Alberto, even if it forms tomorrow.

Our stupid Webcam fell again.