Looking to buy a house?

  How about Michael Jordan's old Chicagoland home?  Today it was put on the market for $29 million. 

 What do you get for $29 million? 
9 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, 5 fireplaces, a 3 bedroom guesthouse, pool area, outdoor tennis court, 3 multi-car garages, and of course an indoor basketball complex featuring a full-size regulation court. 

 Oh yeah, and you also get the satisfaction of knowing that Michael Jordan used to live there. 

Will Chicago Become a Hostile Environment?

  Last week our building did a routine indoor fire drill.  We walked down a stairwell to our designated floor and talked about what to do in case of a fire.  Then the Chicago fire officer that was conducting the drill mentioned the G8/NATO conferences that will be in Chicago in May.  He mentioned that the drill was not just for a fire but also for potential hostile environments.  He also said that once it got warmer outside, we would practice another drill and actually go outside to a designated meeting spot.  The G8/NATO meetings will be held at the McCormick Place but attendees will be staying all over the city.  Plus many protestors are expected.  Many articles have already been written about Chicago's security concern and the massive protests.  I wonder what kind of effect this will have on everyone who lives and works in Chicago.

Is this February in Chicago?

                       Clear sidewalks and streets?  No ice and snow?  What is going on here?

How Corrupt Is Chicago?

  This morning's news discussed a study that found Chicago to be the most corrupt city in the United States.  Even though we hear on and off about our city's corruption, I didn't realize we were worse then other large cities like New York City.  This study was performed by former Chicago alderman, Dick Simpson.  He estimates the cost of Chicago's corruption to be around $500 million.  This "cost" covers bribes, theft, police brutality along with many other illegal ploys. 
  The study brought up other world cities that had previously been very corrupt, like Hong Kong and Sydney, and stated that through a lot of hard work, they are now considered to be "clean" cities.  It was suggested that Chicago could do the same with the support of its citizens and many years of hard work.  Is there a possibility Chicago could be corruption-free in the future?  Could we ever be considered "clean" like Hong Kong and Sydney?

Metra Delays

  Due to a freight train derailment earlier today the Milwaukee District West Line has been experiencing delays.  From the latest news update, delays have been 30-45 minutes.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Did you know 1993's "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray was filmed in Woodstock, IL?

Woodstock has a nice, old-fashioned town square that made the perfect setting for this movie.  Woodstock even has it's own website that promotes "Groundhog Days".  It has events that include free showings of the movie, a chili cook-off, pancake breakfast, and a dinner-dance.  The events span through this weekend.  You can watch "Groundhog Day" for free today at 5pm in the Classic Cinemas Woodstock Theater.  There are also viewings on Saturday and Sunday at 10am.
  For more info check out:  http://woodstockgroundhog.org/