Events

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported yesterday that 2011 was hot, damn hot, real hot: The average U.S. temperature in August was 24.3°C, which is 1.7°C above the long-term (1901-2000) average, while the summertime temperature was 23.6°C, which is 1.3°C above average. The warmest August on record for the contiguous United States was 24.3°C in 1983, while its warmest summer on record at 23.7°C occurred in 1936. Precipitation across the nation during August averaged 58.7 mm, 7.4 mm...

David Frum is calling Rick Perry's statement last night about Social Security "the mother of all unforced errors:" Perhaps not since George McGovern’s annihilation at the hands of Richard Nixon in 1972 has a candidate’s Primary base been so alienated from the center of American political thought as the Tea Party is today. Make no mistake: no candidate who doesn’t convincingly throw the red meat to the Tea Party audiences will have a sliver of a chance of getting nominated. I’m not going to go so far as...

I have to acknowledge the Terminal 3 atrium at O'Hare. I see it, on average, once a week: Canon 7D at ISO-1600 (+1 1/3), 1/320 at f/8, here.

I have to leave all this behind today. Fun (but quick) weekend, though: Canon 7D at ISO-800, 1/2000 at f/6.3, 250mm, here.

My sister and brother in law photo-bomb from the air: They're on their way to dinner with the family while I suffer once more in this harsh environment:

Via Fallows, a condemnation of both political parties by a former GOP operative: The Democrats have their share of machine politicians, careerists, corporate bagmen, egomaniacs and kooks. Nothing, however, quite matches the modern GOP. It should have been evident to clear-eyed observers that the Republican Party is becoming less and less like a traditional political party in a representative democracy and becoming more like an apocalyptic cult, or one of the intensely ideological authoritarian parties...

Yesterday I flew to California to continue the 30-Ballpark Geas, arriving at my first-row seat in Angel Stadium just in time for the first pitch. A short time later, the Angels got a grand slam, which ultimately devolved into the pitcher's duel you see here: Yes, with 16 runs and 23 hits, most of the 8 guys who pitched in the game saw their ERAs rise a bit—more than a full point in winning pitcher Jered Weaver's case. At one point during the game I counted four beach balls tossed around. Occasionally...

This evening at Angel Stadium in California: Canon 7D at ISO-800, 1/250 at f/8, 18mm, here. The home team won, which I always like to see when I'm not someplace the Cubs are visiting. More photos and game info tomorrow night. Right now my body thinks it's midnight.

I'm traveling today and tomorrow, so I may not have time to post much until Monday. Tonight I'll be at Angel Stadium watching a game that may not matter, except for being 18th in the 30-park Geas.

Despite spending an extra night in San Antonio, and despite an hour-long delay (including a got-to-the-runway-but-have-to-turn-back head fake) this morning, it's still Parker Day. I adopted my bête noir five years ago today, when he looked like this: Or, from another angle: