The U.S. Olympic Committee has announced that Chicago will represent the U.S. in the competition to host the Olympic Games in 2016. Since the entire world universally loves the U.S. right now, I am certain today's announcement means Chicago is hosting the Olympics. Just not in 2016.

The vet just called: Since Parker's condition has, um, firmed up, he can now go back day care again.

Sometimes I catch Parker looking straight at the ParkerCam, and I wonder: what does he see?

I'm still schlepping out to Kishinev (near Kyiv) every morning, so again all I have to offer is the dog walker's message from yesterday: "No business, but he's back to his usual self. #2: No. Treat." Simple, concise, nicely encapsulating my dog's afternoon.

Also, I've made a minor configuration change to the ParkerCam. A problem with the upload process had caused it to blank out occasionally; I've now fixed that. Enjoy.

In lieu of a photo, just a note from the dog walking service: "Wow, what a crappy day. Parker didn't mind a bit. #2: No."

I suppose this route would get me from Chicago to London. It just seems inconvenient. (Thanks to reader RB.)

I was about to open a bag of peanuts, but I hesitated. Apparently (assuming the warning message on the bag is credible), the "product was manufactured in a facility where peanuts...are used..."

Well, blow me down, Popeye. Forget those nuts. I'll just have to stay hungry.

All right, I admit, sometimes I really hate Chicago's weather. Parker, who has never experienced a really hot Chicago summer (though he probably experienced some serious heat on the farm near his birthplace in Carbondale, Ill.), seems to enjoy it:

I've started a new project that is consuming almost every waking moment, so unfortunately I have no new Parker photo today. Instead, I'll re-post a classic, from last September:

My vet just called: Parker's digestive issues come from a hookworm infection. Eww. Fortunately, I'd already picked up his heartworm pills, so he's had his first treatment.

And whence come these parasites? I'll leave that for you to Google.

John Lennon once remarked that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus," explaining later that more people had bought Beatles albums than went to church.

It turns out, we atheists are less popular than the GEICO Cave Man. At least, more people would vote for the GEICO Cave Man, than would vote for an atheist.

The sad fact is, most of the first U.S. presidents—including Jefferson and Washington—were, famously, as close to atheists as the 18th Century allowed.

Who said voters were irrational?

I'm developing a hypothesis about Parker's digestive issues. Perhaps it has something to do with eating sticks:

I'm living a geek dream: I've found a confirmed bug in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.

I've detailed my findings over at the Inner Drive Software blog.

I've finally reviewed the ParkerCam archives from yesterday. Curse my metal body, I wasn't fast enough: he popped less than 15 minutes before I got home. Though, poor guy, I think this photo says everything that needs saying about how he felt right before it happened: