I hear that former president Al Gore not only took the initiative in creating the internet, but is also very active in educating people about "the climate crisis" that just about everybody else is calling "global warming."

Even though I am a highly edjumacated Bachelor of Science and stuff, I am not a trained meteorologist and have a very faint understanding of the weather science. Because of that fact I leave arguing about global warming to the experts and all-knowing bloggers.

I do have some stupid thoughts about it though. The previous three winters were very cold, and every time I watched miserable New Yorkers digging their cars out of snow, I thought that global warming would be welcomed by them. This winter, when I suddenly became a motorist myself, I found that I am greatly enjoying the unusually warm temperatures.

It looks like my minivan emissions caused some record breaking weather in New York. A couple of cherry and plum trees in Brooklyn Botanic Garden blossomed prematurely. I took these pictures last Saturday, January 6th. Now, I'd like to know, if I'll buy a small boat, will it help the summers to become cooler? If so, I think I'll invest in one.

This reminded me of the article that I've seen in the Fantastic Story Magazine for Winter 1953, in fact the same magazine from which I liberated the masthead of my website.

Dr. Bartlett's company is still in business and "this theory about the more carbon dioxide the warmer" is still around too.

Once again I spent a good chunk of Saturday in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden with my wife and daughter. As usual, I left some money in the gift shop. That store often makes me regret buying an apartment and not a house. Instead of a microscopic Brooklyn backyard I only have a couple of not very sunny windowsills. Still, I can't resist buying an plant or two. Some die quickly, some -- after a long battle with unfavorable conditions, and some thrive despite all odds. The palm did not survive, for instance, but the pineapple sent up a second shoot and is feelin' fine.

This time though, I bough a plant that isn't afraid of the browniest thumb in existence. For the princely sum of $2.95 I bought a baggie containing the Rose of Jericho of which I've heard so much ThinkGeek charges 7.99 for one.

As advertised, the dried out plant unfurls and turns green in about 24 hours.

Now, there's a plant that is chock-full-o-symbolism. Religious, blog-related, etc.

While it might be the perfect plant for a chronic cubicle dweller, it's probably a good idea not to keep it in a bowl of water, as it might start growing smelly algae and other nasty stuff. I transplanted it into a pot of soil, and it looks like now I have a plant that is next to impossible to kill. The Superman of plants. Or something like that.

To commemorate the occasion I made this blurry, yet somewhat interesting movie with my webcam. I always wanted to make one of these stop motion dealies and to check out google video interface. Here it is, in its full blur-o-vision glory.

What is the the first ever sister city to be twinned with NYC? That's right, Tokyo, Japan. And nowhere it's more apparent than in Brooklyn, at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival (aka Sakura Matsuri) that is held at the awesome Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

You know that word that the Naked Chef likes to say a lot? "Pukka"? It turns out to be a Hindi word meaning "authentic" and "first class." Well, on the minus side many Japanese things in Brooklyn Botanic are not pukka at all.

For instance, the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden is a masterpiece of true Japanese garden design. But the house and the Shinto shrine are empty shells and not authentic at all. If you want to see a real Japanese house you have to go to Philly to see Shofuso. I don't even know where the closest real Shinto shrine is.

Also, would it kill them to have a decent bento? They always sell the worst bentos ever at Sakura Matsuri. They should totally get in touch with Shinobu Kobayashi, Mainichi Daily News bento specialist.

These are all minor gripes though. I love Sakura Matsuri at Brooklyn Botanic. I especially love the distinctly Brooklyn flavor that it acquires.

How awesome is this lady's kimono? My wife wore a vintage Haori that we bought in a second hand store in Arashiyama.

Those without cromulent attire can compensate with appropriate coiffure.

Brooklyn badass samurai, wearing dark sunglasses

and cutoff kimonos.

There's some meditatin' going on.

And mingling of food.

In the end, you can appreciate the cherry blossoms amongst the throngs of people, just like in Japan. It's that just that the cops won't let you get drunk under the cherry trees, like they do in Japan.