Mt Kennedy: Highest Mountain In Boston (Seasonally Adjusted) -- February 16, 2015

Highest mountain in the world: Mt Everest
Highest mountain in US: Mt McKinley
Highest mountain in the contiguous US: Mt Whitney
Highest "natural point" in North Dakota: White Butte (3,506 feet)
Highest mountain in Boston (seasonally adjusted): Mt Kennedy:

Disclaimer: I am not a geographer. I have no formal training or education in geography (except for that received from Ms ----- in fifth grade, Wilkinson elementary school, Williston, North Dakota). The definition of "highest" mountain is somewhat contentious (based on how one measures "highest"). If this information is important to you, a) visit Boston (before spring); and, b) visit Wikipedia. 

By the way, if you look closely you can see the snow-covered St Bernard (the dog, not the saint) in the lower left hand corner of the photograph above -- the St Bernard is highlighted in twenty shades of grey. Also, if you look closely you can see Brian Williams on top of Mt Kennedy above -- he is second from the left, the only one with his hands on his hips. Considering that the others have their hands raised in a celebratory manner, it is possible Brian was photoshopped into the photograph.

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The Silence Is Deafening

ISIS beheads 21 Christians over the weekend. Every important western national leader condemned the beheadings. Of note: President Obama said NOT ONE THING.

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Global Warming

Tweeting right now:

• Kentucky legislature cancels Tuesday session due to snow - @AP.
• Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe asks everyone to stay off roads after 3 pm ET today when state of emergency begins - @NBC12.
• Reports of freezing rain around Chattanooga, Tenn. - @StormTrack9Dave.

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West Coast Dockworkers Strike
[Update:  A huge "thank you" to a reader who explained why the US Secretary goes to San Francisco, not Los Angeles with regard to the dockworker job action (euphemism for "slowdown").  I thought it was due to Pelosi and Feinstein both being from San Francisco, but it turns out the Pacific Maritime Association and the ILWU are both headquartered in the city. Interesting.]

I've kind of lost the bubble on this but there's either a slowdown or a strike affecting, apparently, all of the ports on the US west coast. Of the ports, the Los Angeles Port and the Long Beach Port, collocated in the San Pedro Harbor south of Los Angeles, would be the most important.

Yesterday a reader noted that the White House was going to get involved. I replied in an e-mail that I truly doubt that President Obama was concerned about the US economy or the California economy vis-a-vis the west coast ports. My hunch is that senior state politicians are feeling the heat from their constituents (and possibly even from their millionaire/billionaire spouses whose companies are being threatened b the slowdown/strike) and for that reason have asked the White House to get involved.

With that in mind, I was intrigued by this tweet trending now:

Labor Secretary Tom Perez will meet with ship owners, longshoremen in San Francisco Tuesday to help resolve port dispute - @nbcbayarea.

Of course the San Francisco port is important but in the big scheme of things it is the Los Angeles/Long Beach ports that are important. But yet the White House sends the Labor Secretary to San Francisco.

Why?

From wiki:  A member of the Democratic Party, Pelosi represents California's 12th congressional district, which consists of four-fifths of the city and county of San Francisco.

In 2007, Nancy Pelosi was the ninth-richest person in the 435-member House. In 2001, it appears she moved up to #5.

Senator Diane Feinstein is even richer, sixth richest senator in the US Senate. Feinstein has deep ties to San Francisco, born ther, and a former mayor of the city.  

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Must Be A Lot Of Unused Flu Vaccine Going To Waste

Last night, Sunday, February 15, 2015, there was an item on late night news following the 40th Anniversary, Saturday Night Live suggesting this year's flu season was particularly worrisome -- that it was critical folks pay attention to advice regarding the flu and to get one's flu "shot." I was curious; last time I looked, the flu season was coming to an end; the numbers were waning.

I was correct, Google flu trends, US:

It appears the flu season is ending. The news story last night was most likely a "press release" from the flu vaccine manufacturers picked up by the local network and used as "cheap filler."