Events

I try not to be part of the blogosphere echo-chamber, but I think it's important people get what Josh Marshall is saying here: There's nothing odd or contradictory about Obama saying that he'll change the policy to one of withdrawal of American combat troops from Iraq with a specific timetable but that he will consult with his military advisors about how best to execute that policy. The simple truth is that this campaign offers a very clear cut choice on Iraq. One candidate believes that the US...

Via Bruce Schneier: Giraffe helps camels, zebras escape from circus Amsterdam police say 15 camels, two zebras and an undetermined number of llamas and potbellied swine briefly escaped from a traveling Dutch circus after a giraffe kicked a hole in their cage. Police spokesman Arnout Aben says the animals wandered in a group through a nearby neighborhood for several hours after their 5:30 a.m. breakout. The animals were back at the circus later Monday after being rounded up by police and circus workers...

It's time for the semi-annual update of the Chicago sunrise chart. (You can get one for your own location at http://www.wx-now.com/Sunrise/SunriseChart.aspx.) Date Significance Sunrise Sunset Daylight 2008 2 Jul 8:30pm sunset 05:20 20:30 15:09 16 Jul 5:30am sunrise 05:30 20:24 14:55 8 Aug 8pm sunset 05:52 20:00 14:08 16 Aug 6am sunrise 06:00 19:49 13:48 28 Aug 7:30pm sunset 06:13 19:30 13:17 15 Sep 6:30am sunrise; 7pm sunset 06:30 19:00 12:29 22 Sep Equinox, 10:44 CDT 06:39 18:48 12:08 25 Sep 12-hour...

Shows you how much I keep up with the news. It turns out, this is Shea Stadium's final season. I first went to Shea when I started school in New York in 1988, but I haven't been back since 1990. I hate Shea. It's uncomfortable, ugly, and the Mutts play there. Only, I just found out they're tearing it down after this season, so next season the Mets will play in their brand-new Citi Field next door. Now, I already knew about the new Yankee Stadium, and I'd decided that visiting the old one would count for...

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in conjunction with national aviation authorities like our FAA, maintains the master list of three-letter airport designations throughout the world. (Another group, the International Civil Aviation Organization, maintains a parallel set of four-letter codes that pilots use. For example, the IATA code for London's Heathrow is LHR, but the ICAO code is EGLL.) The Chicago Tribune has a story today about unexpected and unusual IATA codes: The good people...

Just jiggled the 30-Park Geas schedule a little. After discussing with my cousing the pros and cons of visiting Miami in August, we decided to hit two Cubs games in Atlanta, whereupon I'll pop out to San Francisco to see Dad and catch the A's-White Sucks series. (Sox. White Sox. My mistake. Sorry, I live north of Madison.) So, with eight parks down, and seven scheduled, we go into the bottom of 2008. National League 9, American 6.

Our best friend (nationally speaking) is 141 years old today.

And the latter half of my trip: Four Courts Lord Edward Street, near Temple Bar Anyone seen Once? This is from the opening scene, on Grafton Street: Finally, something you don't see in the U.S. much:

As promised, some photos from last week. Nieuwmarkt: Oude Kirk: Spuistraat: And this guy, obviously late of a coffeeshop:

Her Majesty the Queen has punished the unspeakably foul dictator who has ruined Zimbabwe and thrown millions into starving poverty, by stripping him of his knighthood. This, on top of her government's ongoing finger-wagging and tut-tutting, will no doubt shame Robert Mugabe into better behaviour. Morgan Tsvangerai, you can go home now. Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama have finally spoken up, though. They are probably the two most influential people in the world on this matter, so perhaps—just...