It basically says that Chicago’s past continues to be such a omnipresent part of it’s present, and thus, it’s future.  I remember when I moved to this city and my grandmother mentioned that it was a great city because of it’s Midwestern values.  I didn’t really know what she meant at the time, but I certainly know now.  The article quotes a Chicagoan who says he “avoided L.A., because there they talked about whom they were going to play with; and he avoided New York, because there they talked about the projects they were going to do.  In Chicago…they come to work — without regard for what others might think.”  It’s almost like it stems from this inferiority complex, where the coastal cities get all the attention, which drives this very competitive undercurrent in Chicago.

Having returned from a week in New York at the end of April, I have found myself with a greater appreciation for this great city.  New York was awe inspiring, and I at once felt as though I was at the center of the world and entirely small.  But I also realized how much less accessible New York is compared to Chicago.  Even making $60k a year would seem to render an individual a pauper if they were trying to live on the island of Manhattan.  And despite there being a million cars on the streets at all times of the day, unlike Chicago, there’s nowhere to park.  In Chicago, you can live very near to the cultural hubs of the city and not be required to spend every last dollar you earn to do so.  If you have a car, it’s certainly very feasible to drive where you want to go.  And if you prefer to not have a car in the city, it’s just as easy to get where you need to go without hassle.  While Central Park was very nice, there’s just nothing like the miles upon miles of lakefront park to enjoy.

It’s great to be back home, in Chicago.  It’s taken me a full week and a half to get back into a routine of normalcy.  I went grocery shopping today for the first time in probably three weeks.  And this weekend I don’t have to be anywhere in particular at any given time.  This is a great city in which to live.  Now that I’ve been to New York, it’s as though I can now see that Chicago doesn’t have to be this huge, sprawling and indifferent city.  It’s a good city, with good people, who work hard every day.  It’s no wonder that after the great fire of 1871, Chicago picked itself up, dusted itself off and rebuilt.  It’s what we do.  That past is who we are, and it’s who we’ll be.

When I got home, I went to the URL from the ad, www.maps.google.com/chicago.  This took me to a landing page with a video specifically showing how Google had integrated public transit routes into directions derived from Google Maps.

I use Google Maps a lot on my iPhone.  The capability to use public transportation in directions isn’t yet available for Google Maps on the iPhone, but my guess is that this functionality will be provided in the anticipated June update.

This added feature should have a promising future in mobile applications.  I would anticipate that users will very soon be able to use this function to get public transportation directions while they are on the move.  And as Chicago’s public transit system continues to be updated, I would imagine they will make available real time scheduled arrival times, much like Dublin, Ireland’s DART system.  Google could then implement this real time information into their public transit database.  Ideally, a mobile user would be able to search on Google Maps, and see that the nearest train is 15 minutes away, while the nearest bus may only be 5 minutes away, allowing users to more effectively plan their routes.

Best Quote from the Video: “Driving directions are great, but every time I can I like to use public transportation.”  How very Googley of you.  Especially since Google provides it’s employees free transportation from downtown San Francisco.

Last night I was awoke by my bed moving back and forth.  Now, I live above the basement where the washer and dryer for the building are located, plus my bed is on wheels on a hardwood floor (although I use those furniture coaster things to keep my bed from rolling all over the place).

When I awoke, still in my sleepy state, I figured my bed was moving because someone was using the washer or dryer downstairs.  I thought to myself “who the heck is doing laundry at 4 in the morning?”  So I gave my bed a slight jostle, thinking that would solve things.  It didn’t, but the movement of the bed wasn’t enough to keep me awake, and I drifted back off to sleep.

When my alarm woke me up to NPR (in true SWPL fasion), the were talking about how southern Illinois had an earthquake overnight, and that it was felt as far north as Chicago’s largest suburb, Milwaukee.

The earthquake registered 5.2 on the Richter scale (5.4 is apparently the record).

A press release on the White Sox website notes that the 2008 campaign “boils down to open communication with the fans,” says Brooks Boyer, a White Sox VP and chief marketing officer.  Riiiiight, because Ozzie Guillen is such a stellar communicator.

Let’s get a grip here.  Swagger?  Really?  For what?  For your 72-90, 4th place AL Central finish last year?  For the fact that you haven’t won a division title since 2005?  Yeah, yeah, I know what’s coming, the typical “go win a World Series and then talk” response.  Whatever.  In the last 100 years, you’ve beaten the Cubs by a whopping total of 1 World Series title.  Get over it.