Aspirin: Is There Anything It Can't Do?

The entire article is here.

Davos Should Be Renamed the Hypocrisy Conference

Yes, they were rushing to hear Greta exhort us -- except for those in the audience -- of the need to cut our modest carbon footprints so the people in the audience can continue their gargantuan carbon footprints and lifestyles.

I Love These Comments From President Trump at Davos

President Trump was addressing the intelligencia who attend the Davos Conference.

‘They are the heirs of yesterday’s foolish fortune-tellers…they predicted an overpopulation crisis in the 1960s, mass starvation in the 1970s, and an end of oil in the 1990s. These alarmists always demand the same thing: absolute power to dominate, transform and control every aspect of our lives. We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country, or eradicate our liberty. America will always be the proud, strong and unyielding bastion of freedom.’

Better For the Environment?

Twitter

Almond milk is better for the environment? Not if the creamer uses 77 times more water! Another case of virtue signaling resulting in an adverse environmental outcome.

H/T: Zeke Hausfather

Unfortunately, President Trump Was Correct

President Trump's contention that people in Puerto Rico were holding up the recovery from Hurricane Maria has unfortunately proven to be correct. The discovery of the warehouse full of supplies that has sat there, undistributed, since the hurricane struck is extremely unfortunate.

Long-time readers know I am extremely critical of the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA and the TSA. In addition to the story above, take a look at the headline below.

The scummy TSA is taking advantage of a (likely unconstitutional) governmental scheme called "civil asset forfeiture" where they can take your money without any evidence whatsoever that you are involved in a crime, let alone convicted of one. You have to spend your money (attorney fees, etc.) in a process that takes years to get your money back. The Supreme Court needs to shut this down.

The TSA is a major reason I don't fly much any more.

This is What We Need to Push Economic Growth and De-Carbonize

This meme is perfect:

As the United States has proven with its lessened CO2 output without a carbon tax or other tithe to government, the best way to decarbonize is to allow the marketplace to handle it. The best solution is new generation nuclear. I'm very glad the British are going ahead with it. We need it in the United States, too, but, ironically, it is Big Climate that is most likely to stand in the way. 

The entire story is here. We need to accelerate the growth of next-generation nuclear. Because they are small and safe, not only can we use them in the first world, they can be put in Africa and other poor areas -- thus bringing prosperity -- while decarbonizing the atmosphere.

Tornado: Wrong Type of Hallway

If you are in charge of school safety in tornadoes, here is an important tip. Tornado sheltering should not take place in a hallway with windows or doors such as the one below at North Central High School in Kershaw County South Carolina.

Via security camera, here's what happened moments later when the tornado struck. Fortunately, it was a Saturday.

You want to shelter students in interior hallways that do not have windows or doors to the outside. 

More tornado safety rules for home, school and office, here.

Amazing How Good Meteorologists Are

From the NFL Network this afternoon.

In the playoffs, there are no ties so there were only two alternatives, Chiefs or Titans.

They were 100% wrong. 

This time of year, meteorologists have to contend with: no precipitation, rain, freezing rain, drizzle, freezing drizzle, sleet or snow. Then, we have to forecast, "how much"? We even got the rare out-of-season tornado outbreak correct.

Forecasting the future is hard. Meteorologists do a great job week after week.

H/T: Lisa Teachman

We Did It!!!

The Chiefs will be the home team in Super Bowl LIV.

Congratulations to the San Francisco 49'ers. See you in Miami. Not at these prices.

Go Chiefs!!!

At 2:05 CST, the Chiefs play for the AFC Championship for the third time since they won Super Bowl IV isn 1970. I have been a huge Chiefs fan since they moved to Kansas City. So, I will be concentrating on my big screen this afternoon. I hope you will join me in cheering the Chiefs to victory!

Reader Note

For personal reasons, there will be no blogging the next 2-3 days.

Sunday Feature: The Science of God

A very well done video at how science, more and more, points to God as the Creator of the universe.

Congratulations Wichita State University Students

A group of students of Wichita State University has won one of the major innovation awards at the just-ended Consumer Electronics Show. Their company, Viv02, has created a non-invasive fetal oxygen monitoring device. This new device has the potential to save the lives of babies at risk of oxygen loss during labor while also minimizing the need for C-sections. The full details are here.

Wichita State is an up-and-coming university that does amazing, innovative work. Congratulations on this life-saving innovation!!

How Did That Tornado Outbreak Forecast Work Out?

One week ago today, we were warning that an unseasonable tornado outbreak was likely in the south central United States. The graphic below was included. It was the NWS SPC's forecast of tornadoes on the 10th (Friday) though 6am on the 11th.

Now that the NWS has had time to gather all of the tornado reports (red dots), we can see the forecast was outstanding. Perhaps the brown (5%) tornado area should have been a little farther northeast but it was otherwise about perfect.

Below is a detailed map of the storms that occurred both Friday and Saturday.

Forecasting out-of-season tornado outbreaks is difficult. SPC meteorologists and meteorologists throughout the weather enterprise deserve our thanks.

United Airlines Says Its Rotten Customer Service is Due to Global Warming

From the: Global warming, is there anything it can't do? category.

Wall Street Journal, 1/15/20

Bjorn Lomborg -- hilariously -- brings up this Dilbert comic as a response.

The gold standard climate temperature data reveals that temperatures are not rising in the United States since the network was installed in 2005.

United evidently believes its customers are gullible and will believe this nonsense. Their global warming statement is a continuation of its long-time policy of blaming the weather for its operational incompetence.

And, while we are on the subject of global warming and travel:

In 1999, London's rather liberal The Guardian told us that by 2020,
"Spain will be ridden with malaria, the eastern Mediterranean will be as hot as the Sahara desert...and there will be almost no snow in the Alps."

I just checked the Alps snow report and learned 435 resorts are currently open for skiing.

None of these gloom and doom global forecasts has turned out to be correct.

And, finally, in the Maldives where global warming's sea level rise has

been forecast to "swallow" the islands, a brand-new resort opened Tuesday. Pictured below, the resort

is another built in the (what I call) "up close and personal with the ocean" style. Considering the islands were supposed to be 70% underwater by this time, the investors don't seem too terribly worried about global warming.

10:30p Thursday Winter Storm Update

Here are the latest hazardous condition headlines:

Pinks are winter storm warnings. 

The red line from the Lake of the Ozarks region to the far northeast Texas Panhandle is where there will be 1/4" ice accumulation with isolated 1/3" values. There have been a few power failures and others will occur during the night. 

Special Freezing Rain Update for Kansas

The National Weather Service has increased the amount of ice accumulation they are forecasting for south central Kansas.

On the map at right, the yellow area is where .2 to .4 inches of ice accumulation is predicted.

The map on the left is a forecast of the effects of the freezing rain. They are:

• Extremely hazardous highway conditions. 
• Perhaps some very isolated power outages.

I'm not sure why, since they increased the amount of freezing rain they are forecasting, they have not issued a winter storm warning. Regardless, I would have any errands or travel completed by a time the freezing rain begins in your location. 

For reference, here is the regional radar as of 2:30pm. 

While light snow is falling in Liberal, most of the freezing rain shown (red-salmon color) is still aloft due to the dry air near the ground. That is going to change this evening and with a current temperature of 27° at Wichita's Jabara Airport, there could be considerable ice accumulation during the night. 

Allow plenty of extra time to go to work in the morning.

Temperatures will rise above freezing mid- to late morning tomorrow allowing the ice to melt. 

New Winter Storm Forecast in the Central U.S.

Here are the current advisories:

• Colbat blue = winter storm watch. 
• Purple = winter weather advisory
• Pink = winter storm warning
• Brown = high wind
• Green = various flood warnings/advisories 

I'm concerned the freezing rain forecast in the Great Plains is not getting enough attention. 

No significant freezing rain is forecast to occur before 6pm CST.

The above map is the most likely scenario. In the areas of middle and darker green shading, roads will become extremely hazardous and there could be a power failure or two. I would urge you not to travel once the freezing rain begins.

Farther north, the precipitation type will be snow. Pinks are areas where more than six inches is forecast to fall.

Another Verified 5-Star Review of "Warnings"

The review is here.

Plus, there two new ratings at Goodreads.

If you have a post-holiday gift card or are wanting a book for a warm winter vacation (and you'll need it later this month and February), Warnings would be an ideal choice.

This Is the 50th Anniversary of NOAA