With two games to go in the season, the Cubs clinched the National League Central. Now they only have to get past three markedly better teams to get to the World Series...

"Sick cultures show a complex of symptoms.... But a dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than a riot."—Robert Heinlein, Friday.

Happy primary election season!

Poor guy. I got two bits of bad news for Parker.

First, his bad butt has returned again, this time with bad, um, mouth as well. His vet suspects Crypto again, plus whatever else he may have picked up from his foraging in the yard. This time she was pretty direct in her prescription: No unsupervised, off-leash time at all, ever. So Parker will have to have walks with just me instead of going to the park or day camp for a couple of weeks. It also means that I won't just open the back door for him first thing in the morning any more.

Second, even though he's been the office puppy for more than a year now, the building manager told me yesterday Parker isn't allowed in the building any more. This surprised me, as no one has ever complained about him. We're still working this one out; I'll let you know how the appeal goes.

So, today Parker is recuperating at home, and fasting, which he doesn't mind given his morning. Tomorrow he's on rice and "sensitive stomach" dog food.

For the first time in eight months, my dog has no odor. None.

It turns out Petsmart has hypo-allergenic shampoo. (Last time they used stinky shampoo.)

That is all. Photo to follow.

Chicago Tribune notice:

Nancy Aishton, 61, native of Janesville, Wis., lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, passed away Sept. 14 at her home in Evanston, Ill., of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Nancy is survived by her son David Braverman of Evanston; her mother Joan D. Aishton of Evanston (but native of Janesville); her two brothers and their families, Peter and Mary Ellen Aishton of Des Plaines, Ill., and John and Barbara Naland of Alexandria, Va.; and her uncle and aunt, Alan and Betty Dunwiddie of Janesville, Wis. A remembrance will be held Oct. 27, 11 am, at the Kenilworth (Ill.) Union Church. In lieu of flowers and gifts, please contribute in her name to the Les Turner ALS Foundation, Skokie, Ill., 847-679-3311.

Marcel Marceau died yesterday.

So did the St. Louis Cardinals, who were mathematically eliminated from the post-season.

A remembrance will take place Saturday 27 October 2007 at 11:00 in the Kenilworth Union Church chapel. A reception will follow.

Again, in lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Les Turner ALS Foundation in mom's name.

Nancy Aishton, 1946-2007
I love you.

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution in her name to the Les Turner ALS Foundation.

Note from the dog walking service yesterday: "He was great, as always. He looks real good in red. Went #2." (There were no hyperlinks in his note, of course.)

Sometimes the vignette on the ParkerCam makes me almost as happy as Parker. Like, seeing him just before the dog walker arrives:

That is all.

He loves the open office window. Not too many days of that left, though.

Via Bruce Schneier, Cory Doctorow: "The DRM business model is the urinary tract infection of media experiences: all of the uses that used to come in an easy gush now come in a mingy, painful dribble..."

The Cubs and Brewers remain tied for first place, one game ahead of the Cardinals, in the National League Central pennant race. I should point out that the Cubs and Brewers are one game above .500; the Cardinals, at .500. So, yes, the NL Central pennant will go to a mediocre team this year.

Sigh.

A larger-than-usual bunch of news stories piqued my interest this morning:

• Scientists may have a break in the case of the mysterious bee die-offs;
• The Cook County, Ill., Clerk is putting public records online all the way back to 1871;
• A German company has started piecing together Stasi documents the East German security service shredded in the final hours before the Berlin Wall fell; and
• An Australian comedy troupe successfully infiltrated the APEC conference by—how else?—dressing up as Osama bin Laden and walking in the front door.

More from Saturday's Wright Way Rescue reunion: Schona, a 7-year-old Lab that Parker met:

At the Wright Way reunion on Saturday, the shelter had a number of puppies up for adoption, like this one:

Today is Parker Day: I adopted him a year ago today.