Wind

I'm sure you're familiar with the quote "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." It comes from Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series (which I consider mandatory reading) and is usually wielded in reference to politics.

I am not a politician. I have always felt that I would be an excellent benevolent dictator, since I am incredibly wise and unlikely to be corrupted by absolute power...but I am utterly lacking in the skills it would take to get elected. I can't lie convincingly, would have problems smiling when confronted by the predatory idiocy of journalists, and I have this annoying belief that you shouldn't write checks when there's no money in your account.

But when I sat down to write today, I recognized that there may be a literary corollary to Asimov's line. I suggest: "Writing about weather is the last refuge of the incompetent blogger."

You see, all I could think about was how gosh-darned windy it was this morning. I thought about going outdoors for a run before swim practice, but when I made my early trip to the grocery store, I realized that conditions abroad were thoroughly unpleasant. I went to the gym instead.

But rather than ranting about how Nature doesn't cooperate with my wishes for idyllic training weather, I have decided to present another graphical quiz. Can you tell me the connection between all the photos at the top of this post? (No, the third guy is not Mac Davis, nor Jim Plunkett, nor Andre the Giant. My hint is that his jacket is fire-resistant.)

Then there's this:



And the double-points bonus question: What's the connection between the two sets of images?

As you ponder these puzzles, keep in mind that Spring is only a couple of months away. I hope I won't have to write about the weather too many more times before then. In the meantime, I hope you wake up tomorrow to find a beautiful sunrise accompanied by exactly the type of weather you were hoping for. Have a great day!