For My American Readers This Morning

Something called a "Polar Vortex," which apparently usually hangs out at the North Pole and is just as James-Bond-Villain-sinister as it sounds, has settled over most of the US other than the Southwest and Florida, including deep down into southern Georgia and Alabama. Temperatures are in the negative range (Fahrenheit, not Celsius!) and if half the flights weren't canceled people would be flocking to Alaska just to warm up. Atlanta was colder yesterday than Moscow, and today will be worse.  I thought this picture of The Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia might at least remind you of what warmth looks like: