Um, yikes?

Time-lapse photography from NASA of this winter in the Arctic.



I'm not really sure what to make of that.

It came from Andrew Sullivan, but without a link or attribution. I assume it's real, but I don't know. If it is real, somebody's losing their job over collecting the data, never mind releasing it—the Bushies like their NASA neutered and working on Mars Missions, not underscoring Al Gore.

But there's no context to that video. Is that a typical seasonal shift? Can you show me a video (or simulation) from ten years ago? Twenty? More? It almost looks like a third of the ice cap melts, how is Manhattan still above water?

I hate to sound like Bush, but, I think I need more info on this...

Where's MY Tornado?

I love extreme weather. Sitting on the front porch during a raucous thunderstorm is bliss. So, I move from Brooklyn to Michigan—where there are tornado sirens, drills, warnings, etc.—fueling my desire to experience a twister (from a safe distance) and there's NOTHING. Instead, a tornado hits a couple neighborhoods away from Park Slope? Craziness.

How do tornadoes form and why don't they hit places like NYC more often? Not enough trailer parks, for one reason, but there are actual scientific, climatological reasons too—just ask this scientician...

Where's the safest place to hide from all varieties of Mother Nature's wrath? This 2005 Slate article says Connecticut.