Events

Edgar Alan Poe is 199 today.

I almost slept through a story on Morning Edition just now, about sleep: In our fast-paced, global society, many people consider it a big plus to need as little sleep as possible. But almost every sleep researcher will tell you that most people need at least seven hours of sleep for biological and psychological health. So there is a glaring disconnect between what the messages in our culture say about sleep and the messages we receive from scientists.

A very old friend of mine put her dog down this evening. I know how hard that was. Cali had a good life, and was loved. And she knew it. Every dog owner has to face this eventually: dogs only live a few years. That doesn't make it easier. In the Jewish tradition—in which I was raised, despite both my parents and me being devout atheists—we always acknowledge the sadness lurking behind joy. It's a Jewish curse to find the cloud behind every silver lining. We dip an egg in salt water at Passover to remind...

I just got back from an event in Chicago which convinced me that Obama will win the White House. 375 days, 12 hours to go. In a completely unrelated vein, I am watching Parker try to destroy a Tyvek FedEx envelope. I think I've finally found a substance he can't destroy. Update: Nope. He can destroy it just fine. I'll be seeing that Tyvek tomorrow morning.

Via Talking Points Memo.

Just now on Talking Points Memo: "At the moment, it's Rudy about 300 votes ahead of Ron Paul." Stop the presses!

Today is already the warmest January 7th ever recorded in Chicago (right now 17°C), and if the temperature hits 19°C, it'll be the warmest January day ever. Stay tuned.

Just three days ago, Thursday morning, the temperature in Chicago sank to -18°C, with a wind chill of -23°C. Right now, it's 16°C. Did I mention it's the beginning of January? I'm so happy the U.S. has taken the lead against global warming.

"I'd rather be down here wishing I were up there, than the opposite." So goes the aviation axiom. But this morning, with its 3 km visibilities and 30 m—yes, thirty meters—ceiling, I have postponed a checkout flight for the third time in a row. Here's how weather can be really frustrating. I kept track of my flights (or lack thereof) during the summer of 1999 when I was trying to get my certificate, and put together a Web page to chronicle the frustration. Two notes about the page: first, I haven't...