Dear Everyone,

The recent unseasonable mild weather in Chicago, and the current unseasonable weather on the East Coast, is NOT evidence of global warming! You cannot take a single weather abnormality and attribute it to climate change. Same with Hurricane Katrina, same with any single weather event. To make such a gigantic leap in [...]

Marathon Training: Running in Shorts in January!

When figuring out what to wear for an outdoor run, the common wisdom is to dress as though the temperature were 20 degrees (Fahrenheit) higher than the actual outside temperature. When I set out to run this morning, it was 60 degrees outside. Even though I was in Chicago and it was technically the dead [...]

Record January Warmth

I chose a bad day to stay inside and be a lump on the couch.
Today in Chicago, the high temperature reached an astonishing 60 degrees Fahrenheit, shattering the previous record of 54 degrees for this day, set all the way back in 1907.  When I finally did venture outside in the evening, I found myself [...]

Marathon Training Day 2: Jeezus it’s Cold Outside

I  skipped running on New Year’s Day, both in anticipation of a hangover I never actually had and because it was extremely cold outside.  Unfortunately, I made the wrong decision, because today was even colder than yesterday.  What was I to do?  I hate cold weather so much!  Surely subzero windchills would freeze the very [...]

Happy Windsday!

I haven’t been outside yet today, at least not since 1:00 this morning. I’m really hoping that I don’t have to go outside at all for the rest of the day, because it’s brutal out. As I’m writing this, the temperature outside in Chicago is currently 18 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds coming from [...]

Happy Winter Solstice!

This morning at 12:08 AM, the sun’s direct rays hit Earth further south than they do all year, marking the Winter Solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere. This meas that today is the shortest day of the year, with only 9 hours, 7 minutes of daylight here in Chicago. The sun (if you [...]

Heavy Snow Warning? Don’t Mind if I Do!

There is a heavy snow warning currently in effect for Chicago tonight. Normally I would take this as an excuse to go bar-hopping; days with ugly winter weather are perfect for going to good bars (like the Hopleaf or the Map Room) which are usually a little too crowded for my taste. Unfortunately, [...]

Almighty Piss

I’m not sure whether or not I believe in God. Throughout my life, I have waffled back and forth on this subject. My beliefs have run the gamut from very Christian to hard-core atheist, often settling in the nebulous territory most people refer to as “agnostic.” Nonetheless, when attempting to characterize the [...]

Why I hate winter in Chicago, Part 2

(See Part 1.)
Allow me to begin by mentioning that 3-6″ of snow is expected tonight and tomorrow for northeastern Illinois. The first few flakes started falling about an hour ago, and I’m quite excited. Yes, in spite of my professed hatred of winter and all that comes with it, I love snow, at least while [...]

Why I hate Winter in Chicago, Part 1.

Today is December 1st, the first day of meteorological winter. Here in Chicago, this auspicious day is met with light snow and temperatures hovering around the freezing point, with promise of heavier snow and “wintry mix” (aka sky barf) throughout the evening and into the day tomorrow. The sun will set tonight at [...]