The most troubling event in 2017 was the escalation of tensions with North Korea and the USA.

Over the years since Kim Jon Il's death in 2011 we have witnessed the isolation of North Korean leadership. First it was Un's wife that left international society. In 2017, the tensions between North Korea and the USA hit an all time high. The odd thing about North Korea is similar to other countries with nuclear capacity, in that poverty rules the country while sophisticated weaponry drain the national treasury.

The Korean Peninsula and Japan has seen at leave five major storms this year. The satellite was earlier today. There is a hurricane like storm between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. There has been many 'ghost ships' washing ashore in Japan. I would expect that to continue given the impoverishment of North Korea.

The insight one can draw from such foolishness by the USA and North Korea is the fact the people may be facing real problems with a food supply.

Himawari Satellite

31 December 2017

1700 UTC 

December 7, 2017

...In 2017 though, (click here) a number of ships have washed ashore with the crew still alive.

In November, eight men were found alive on a boat at Yurihonjo marina. They said they were fishermen from North Korea who had gotten into trouble at sea.

Another ship picked up by the Japanese coast guard was found to have 10 men on board.

The boats are often rickety and very simple vessels with no modern engines or navigation instruments on board.

Where are they from?

With most of the boats washing up empty or only with dead bodies, it was initially not clear where they had come from but some observers speculated they were North Korean fishing boats that had been searching for king crab, squid and sandfish.

Markings on some of the vessels, in Korean, indicated that they belonged to the North's military which is heavily involved in the fishing industry.

In the recent cases where boats were found with the crew still alive, the sailors confirmed they were from North Korea. One of the boats rescued in November also had a plaque indicating it belonged to the military.

Unsurprisingly, there has been no mention of the missing vessels from North Korea....               

More dangerous temperatures during a holiday.

The Republicans call this governance?

The last time the polar vortex visited was 2013. The winter was wicked and spring for farmers was late.

People have to be reminded about the dangers of carbon monoxide. They should go to places where they are safe and not use any stoves or indoor burning for heat.

UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of north and west satellite (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)
December 31, 2017
1230:18z

The Arctic air mass is firmly anchored over the USA. All air movement has been involving the oceans and not the land. The oceans are warmer than land and will continue to induce air movement that carries water vapor into the ice structures of the hemisphere.