David Halberstam...

pretty sad that the last day have included the passing of so many interesting and famous people - Vonnegut, Yeltsin, and Halberstam. Much as been written about all 3, and i guess i don't have much to add to the conversation, except to say that I will miss halberstam and his take on popular culture and sports. It may not have even been a sport or subject i was interested in or particularly cared for, but whenever i heard about a new book or column, i invariable had to check it out. In most cases, I probably learned something about a area i hadn't considered before, and had a chance to learn about a person or era in a way that was unique and engaging

Hiatus over...

So my long wanderings through the jungle that is suburbia have finally spurred me to action. In particular, one occasion/location. This friday past, i went to dinner at Blu Coral, a new sushi bar in beloved Woodridge. The meal was excellent, as they have creative maki and nigiri, albeit expensive. The real boondoggle however, was at 10;30 pm, when they began to clear away tables in the dining room, and a B96 DJ appeared. IT TURNS INTO A CLUB. WITH B96 DJs. But, there's more. There were Go-Go Dancers, Shot Girls, Beer Tub Girls and a Bathroom attendant. IN WOODRIDGE. NEXT TO A BUFFALO WILD WINGS. Ridiculous.
Not to mention a fellow i over heard saying how excited he was that something like this was in the suburbs. and then he mentioned his age - 49!!! At which point i then offered my own eyeballs for a special sushi roll to be served that evening. YIKES.
Back with more soon.

So those duck and cover drills were useful...

from an article about violence in Kashmir:

"Violence levels have come down by 20%. There may be an odd incident of a grenade thrown at one place or the other, but that can happen anywhere in the world," Gen. J.J. Singh, chief of staff of the Indian army, told reporters this week.

I know downers grove is in a constant state of orange alert. Flaming Jack-O-Lanterns being the hazard that they are.

The BIG news of the day...

sure, you may have heard about Bush's address to the UN, the coup in Thailand, or even the Space Shuttle troubles. But lets be honest, the only thing that should be above the fold in the paper is this story. What in the...?!?!?

It's tough being everyone's sugar daddy

The UN Conference on Trade and Development challenged the rest of the world (specifically germany and japan) to up their imports, saying that the US could not continue to shoulder the burden of growing the world economy solo. Yeah that's right, you can't keep dumping your shit on us (even though i love shit) AND not buy anyone else's shit. The UN backing the US for once, who'da thunk it?

FEMA and Katrina...

So, this article raises some provocative questions. Namely, how much should the government improve new orleans? I mean, having been to these areas pre katrina, most of it was dilapidated and badly in need of improvement. Obviously these poorer regions needed money to make the improvements then, and now that everything's wrecked, are we obligated to replace it with a brand-spanking new city, or bring it back to what it was?

The social engineer in me says that we should make it an example of modern urban planning and design, but the realist says that this city is likely to be flooded again in 10 years. Plus, if it's a question of whether the extra 75 billion is better served in the gulf coast or in inner cities, and on healthcare and national security. Not to mention New Orleans reputation for being corrupt, and the nagging impression that a lot of this money is going to end up lining some pol's pocket (but maybe that's just the chicagoan in me).

Venezuela...

Ok, so I'm fully on board with the fact that for some, the US isnt' the latest and greatest thing in the world. But really, is it so bad that you feel the need to ally yourself with Syria? I mean, if you lead a country and claim that your interest is in worker's rights and bringing up the middle class and all that jazz, do you really want to be in bed with a country known for sponsoring terrorism, ignoring women's rights, and interested in the destruction of an entire country?
Chavez, I think you're amusing, but i'm worried that you've gone round the bend.

How Drunk is your city...

Forbes did a survey on america's drunkest cities. Chicago came in at 6th, LA at 23rd.
Las Vegas, site of my greatest debauchery ever, rings in at a lowly 14, and new orleans at 24th.
Where do you rank?