Events

Moments like these need to be savored. Via Talking Points Memo, the National Organization for Marriage, an anti-gay group, has announced a new initiative: Now that activist legislators are legislating from their legislatures to legalize gay marriage, activists are turning up the volume on anti-gay marriage rhetoric. There's just one, ahem, kink. In an unintentional but hilarious nod to gay sex chatters everywhere, the National Organization for Marriage has dubbed their campaign "2 Million for Marriage"....

Talk about good news, bad news. I just got an email from amazon.com: We now have delivery date(s) for the order you placed on January 27 2009 09:59 PST (Order# 123-4567890-1234567): Matthew Fox, et al "Lost: The Complete Fifth Season [Blu-ray]" [Blu-ray] Estimated arrival date: 12/10/2009 Sigh. I guess I can wait until December. But when will I get my Mad Men Season 2?

Via Bruce Schneier, a demonstrably incompetent police chief in the UK has resigned after mishandling a secret document: Police were forced to carry out raids on addresses in the north-west of England in broad daylight yesterday, earlier than planned, after [Bob] Quick, the Metropolitan police's assistant commissioner [and senior-most counter-terrorism official], was photographed carrying sensitive documents as he arrived for a meeting in Downing Street. A white document marked "secret", which carried...

I asked the Nature Nerd why the duck on the right has different coloring than the one on the left: She said, "Quick research indicates that mallards have, in some cases, hybridized with domestic ducks, producing color variations." I asked if that meant he was a lucky duck, or if his goose was cooked. Her reply: "Only evolution will tell, I guess..."

One more park on the 30-Park Geas is complete. Yes, I have been to the park before, but it doesn't count. Last night's Astros-Cubs game does. Maybe it shouldn't, though. The Cubs got through I think their entire pitching staff, and six broken bats (plus one flung into the stands by an Astro). Game Over indeed:

Wow, so I'm out of touch for a few hours, and this happens: The Federal judge in the Ted Stevens corruption trial has ordered a criminal investigation of the prosecutors who tried the case. It may be surprising, but apparently a heavily-politicized Republican Justice Department may have deliberately thrown it. Hmm. The Canadian dude who stole a Cessna yesterday was apparently attempting suicide by fighter jet, but for some reason opted out of suicide by crashing into the ground, and so will now face...

No, I'm not talking about those annoying smelly birds that take airplanes out of the sky. I mean the 30-Ballpark Geas, which resumes today in Houston. The last game I attended really showcased the Cubs ability to blow a game, but at least were in first place; so they are today after beating Houston last night 4-2. I'm looking forward to either a 2-0 season opening, or at least having enough beer that it doesn't matter. Photos and results tomorrow afternoon.

A pair of F-16 fighters escorted a Cessna 172 stolen from a Canadian flight school all the way from Michigan to Missouri this afternoon: The plane was reported stolen at about 2:30 p.m. ET and was spotted flying erratically. At about 5 p.m., the state capital building in Madison, Wis., was evacuated before the plane passed near the region. Police cars cordoned off the streets around the building and officers told people to move away from the area. What I find amazing: How did the F-16s fly that slowly?...

Here's an interesting meteorological aviation record (METAR) code, describing unusual events in Chicago for this late in the year: KORD 060151Z 02020G25KT 1/2SM R14R/4000V5500FT SN FG BKN006 OVC012 01/M01 A2971 RMK AO2 PK WND 02027/0118 SLP066 SNINCR 1/1 P0012 T00061011 $ Hmmm....what does all that mean? KORD: That's Chicago O'Hare International, the offical weather station for my home city. 060151Z: The record is from the 6th at 1:51 Zulu, or 8:51 pm CDT. Twenty minutes ago. 02020G25KT: The winds are...

I got a lucky break yesterday: low winds, clear skies, cool weather, decent landing practice. Not an exciting flight (see the .kml), just up to Waukegan, and one go-around caused by coming in too high and fast, but otherwise a good use of time. People wonder why I'd go up just to practice landing. Simply put, all landings are mandatory, and one prefers to do them well. The more practice I get landing the less I have to think about during the most difficult (and, again, mandatory) part of a flight, which...