Trader Joes Opens Tomorrow!

Finally, after waiting for three years (ever since moving to Oak Park), Trader Joes will be opening tomorrow in downtown.

Starbucks and Apple, Sittin' in a Tree

So I just learned (via a text message to my phone), that iphone users can get access to free wi-fi at Starbucks. This makes two of my favorite pastimes, drinking coffee and surfing the web, all that much more enjoyable. I've been reading about this for almost a year now, and I'm not sure why it took so long to put into effect.

Dancing Baby

MVI_6328
Originally uploaded by sassydrummer

Blessings for the Blind

This brings tears to my eyes. Perkins School for the Blind is of course near and dear to my heart, and this story truly moved me. They sent donations to a comparable school in Iraq, in the form of Braillers, an English Dictionary and sunglasses for the children.

The Perkins web site carries its own version of the story here.

More Train Blogging

Amidst all the economic gloom and doom, there's some good news for us transit fans. Especially for those of us in Chicago. Congress just passed legislation increasing funding for Amtrak and supporting a midwest high-speed rail network centered in Chicago. Granted, its really just seed money at this point, but at least the trend is in the right direction, which is more than can be said for the past few decades. Within a few years, it may be possible to get from Chicago to Minneapolis in 5 and a half hours by train and under 4 hours to St. Louis.

Links:
Midwest High Speed Rail

Rain, rain, go away!

We've just had two days of record rains in the Chicago area. There's been widespread flooding, road closures, and wet basements. The nearby Des Plaines river, usually a small creek, is about ten feet higher than normal. We drove past it yesterday, and it was quite impressive. I'd hate to have one of those homes right next to it. Luckily our house is high and dry.

Lake Street in River Forest (Note the trailer in street)

This is the bridge that my commuter train travels over. The water is usually ten feet below the bridge.

Meltdown

Boy, the financial industry appears in total meltdown right now. First Bear Stearns, then FannieMae and FreddieMac, now Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and AIG. Who knows what the future holds. It's all the horrible fallout from the real estate bubble, or as Atrios descriptively calls it, "the big s--tpile." The apparently worsening crisis fits well with my instinctual pessimism, so I can't say I'm shocked or surprised. I just hope Apple isn't hurt too badly.

More Transit Woes

Ridership on public transit in Chicago is up 10% this year thanks to high gas prices. Great news for the CTA right? Unfortunately, the increase in ridershp is only exacerbating the financial problems at the chronically underfunded agency. You'd think that now would be precisely the time for this city, state, and country to be investing in better public transit. You'd be wrong.

Our inept and corrupt political culture at the state and local level seems to know no limits. Our current governor, a Democrat, is largely ineffective, as well as likely a criminal. Our prior governor, a Republican, is a convicted criminal. Mayor Daley, much as there is to admire about him, presides over a system of graft and cronyism. Then add in the perpetual city versus suburb tug-of-war on top of everything else. Its a wonder that anything gets done.