This is being written as a tribute to our Omag brothers up North who are enduring an extremely harsh,brutal winter which will likely find a home in the record books, and live in history, as did the Blizzard of "88 (1888, that is).I'm dubbing this storm "The Freeze of '15.

Our brothers have been subjected to and suffered through a prolonged deep freeze, sub zero temperatures, icy conditions, fierce winds, a series of snow storms andone Arctic blast after another.Add to this, the ensuing collateral damage involving cars, transportation, homes,icy roads, sub zero weather, high winds ad school closings.It must have been hell for them. And we all grew up believing Hell to be a hot place.

I'm a former New Yorker, born and raised there, and have a great deal of empathy for our northern friends.There wastime during my younger years that my ski club planned a New Year's Day ski trip to Mad River Glen, a challenging ski area in upper Vermont to which I took my newlywed bride on her first ski trip.When we left home we had no idea we'd be spending 3 days on the ski slopes in -25 degrees weather with a wind chill factor of -45 degrees.Yes, I can empathize.My wife has been frigid ever since (just kidding).

Meanwhile, the South, not to be outdone, is now experiencing its own weather, a massive snow and ice storm, bearing the colorful name "The Siberian Express."It paralyzed the South (Florida excluded) with heavy snow, icy road conditions, near zero weather and school closings.

We're in the second week of Lent with no let up in sight.I hope you all won't have to witness a White Easter. I wish it were in my power to beam up my Florida sun to my southern and northern neighbors to help their plight with its warm light.

As if that were not enough, there is another victim experiencing a freeze, this one dear to our hearts.It's Omagine.In a posting last week I had indicated that the dearth of volume in Omag was attributable to investor apathy.Investors have been giving Omagine the cold shoulder.