Welcome to the Siberia, USA

There are many signs that this has been an unusually cold winter. The temperature hit -5 degrees F in my back yard this morning, and my car refused to start. But nothing really brought home just how extreme these temperatures are like the news that the waves are freezing down the Jersey Shore! And Cape May, for those unfamiliar with the area, is the southernmost point of the NJ shoreline.

Note to Self: Use Snowblower, NOT Flamethrower

More proof that no bad idea is too dumb to be tried by someone in the real world. The downside to a free society is the freedom to do things that everyone agrees is stupid... even yourself in retrospect.

Fire officials in New Bedford, Mass., said a man using a blowtorch to melt ice on his back porch ended up setting his house on fire, causing up to $30,000 in damage...

Kruger said the man was using a torch hooked up to a 20-pound propane cylinder. He got too close to the building's wood frame and ignited the vinyl siding. The fire quickly spread into the building's second- and third-floor apartments.

The scariest part for me is knowing just how many geeks will read this story and think "I have GOT to try that!"

This is why those Spring allergies are worth it

This is how it was around here last night

What the aftermath of a REAL winter storm looks like

I truly love winter. I love snow, I enjoy the ice, and I love the cold. Yeah, I know. What a weirdo. But still, I am amazed by the raw beauty of winter and ice. Check out these photos of an ice storm from Switzerland. If you like the icy images from DR. ZHIVAGO, or the deep-freeze from DAY AFTER TOMORROW, you owe it to yourself to click on over.