Events

Illinois state climatologist Jim Angel explains, it depends: No doubt today (September 22) will be announced as the “first day of fall” because of the fall or autumnal equinox. However, that concept refers to the date when we get equal amounts of daylight and dark. Climatologists and meteorologists prefer to use calendar months to define the four seasons in the US. For example, fall would start September 1 and end on November 30. Not only is this more convenient, because you can use monthly data, but it...

Poor Parker. I picked him up from boarding yesterday afternoon, and he had to go back again this morning. I've got a one-day trip to Pittsburgh early tomorrow morning. So not a lot of time at home. Today's lighter at work than any last week, fortunately. Just prepping for tomorrow. I'm hoping for a more regular, Chicago-based schedule once my project kicks off again.

My friend is getting married in just over four hours, right around the time some weather is due to move in. So I'm going for a walk while I can. Yesterday I took the hotel desk clerk's recommendation for lunch at Greenbush Brewery in Sawyer, Mich. Yum, both to the food and to the beer. I'm looking forward to having more of the latter back home.

Via Scott Kelby:

A clear majority of Scots have rejected independence and elected to remain in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irleand: With the results in from all 32 council areas, the "No" side won with 2,001,926 votes over 1,617,989 for "Yes". Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond called for unity and urged the unionist parties to deliver on more powers. Prime Minister David Cameron said he was delighted the UK would remain together and that commitments on extra powers would be honoured "in full"....

Polls have closed in Scotland, with polls showing a slight edge towards union: A YouGov on-the-day survey published shortly after polls closed suggested "No" was on 54% and "Yes" on 46%. Turnout is widely predicted to top the 83.9% recorded in the 1950 general election - the highest in the UK since the introduction of universal suffrage in 1918 Ninety-seven per-cent of the electorate - 4,283,392 people - had registered to vote SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon has hailed the ballot as "an amazing...

One of my oldest surviving friends is getting married this weekend in the southwestern corner of Michigan. Fortunately they have WiFi. Also fortunately I won't be stuck inside doing work tomorrow, because we ran flat-out today to finish a deliverable. I'll get photos and such up when I can. I forgot my real camera, but my phone does fine in a pinch.

With only a few hours to go before voting starts in Scotland, things are really weird in the UK: Has [Prime Minister David Cameron] been on the hustings in Scotland, taking his case to the people? Not exactly: Sadly, only a small number of Scots got to hear his appeal [last week] directly. That’s because the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom wasn’t actually able to walk the streets of the United Kingdom to deliver his message. He had to stay safely within the confines of a small building for his own...

As the summer has turned into fall the last couple of years, I've carefully monitored my air travel to ensure that I keep my elite status on American Airlines. One technique, which I may have used this year if I didn't work for West Monroe, is a mileage run: flying one or more low-cost legs to boost your mileage. Via the Economist's Gulliver blog, the Times' Josh Barry says mileage runs are going away: In the last year, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have made two major changes to their reward...

We had spectacular weather across the region Saturday and yesterday. For our hike Saturday we had partly-cloudy skies, low humidity, and 14°C—nearly perfect. Here's Parker at the top of the trail, refusing to look at the camera: Then, yesterday, I had my final Apollo audition up at Millar Chapel in Evanston. Again, perfect weather: It's a little cloudy today, but otherwise cool and October-like. As far as I'm concerned, it can stay October-like for the next six months. Walking is good for you. Also, can...