2009 Taste of Chicago?

Is it just me, or has there been little advertising for the 2009 Taste of Chicago?

I haven't spent too much time downtown to comment on visual ads, but in terms of TV and Radio advertising I have seen virtually nothing mentioned about the Taste. In fact, I had forgotten about it until the ABC7 news mentioned it last night.

I hope the Taste of Chicago will be a success this year... anyone planning on going?

Do the Olympics really cost $500 million?

I just saw this article, which says Mayor Daley has guaranteed the city of Chicago will foot the $500+ million bill for the Olympics... assuming of course that Chicago wins our bid for the games.

Now, on the one hand I totally support the idea. Hear me out on this one: if Chicago wants the Olympics (an idea I actually like) we're obviously going to have to pay for something. I don't claim to know anything about the city budget, but it seems to me that the Olympics could make a lot of money for the city. Thus, in theory that $500 million might be a good investment.

On the other hand, $500 million is a shitload of money. I don't even know if that's a realistic estimate, or what exactly that pays for. Does the US government, the state of IL, or the international Olympic committee help us out?

Obviously, that $500 million dollars could pay for a lot of things in Chicago: fixing potholes, fixing/updating public transportation, buying corrupt politicians (joking...).

So what do you think about Chicago spending $500 million dollars on the Olympics?

2009 Chicago Urbanathlon

I just signed up for the 2009 Men's Health Urbanathlon, which takes place in Chicago on Saturday, October 17. Wondering what an Urbanathlon is? It's just short of a half-marathon (10.5 miles) with urban obstacles designed to slow you down.

One of the obstacles: climbing the stairs of Soldier Field. That wouldn't be so bad if we weren't also running 10.5 miles. And it's only one of like 4 obstacles.

I'm pretty amateur as athletes go, but I'm hoping this race is motivation enough to lose some weight and start some healthy eating habits.

This is the second year Men's Health magazine has sponsored this event. Did anyone do it last year? Anyone planning on doing it this year?

Chicago vs. Honolulu: Who has the better airport?

In my previous post, I mentioned I just got back from a vacation in Hawaii. After spending the better part of a full day in an airport or on a plane, I have some quick thoughts about my time in both O'Hare and Honolulu airports.

I've been in O'Hare airport more times than I can count over the years, and I could probably talk for a week about why I like or dislike some part of it. In general I happen to think it's a great airport, though it's certainly not without its flaws.

This trip was my first visit to Honolulu airport, so my opinion must obviously be taken with a grain of salt.

Things I like better about Chicago O'Hare airport:

• There's a million options for food. Hot dog stands are a plus.
• The ticketing area is indoors and air conditioned (Honolulu is open air, and very hot/humid).
• There are more TV screens in the terminals (I didn't see many in Honolulu).

Things I like better about Honolulu airport:

• Although the options for food are very limited, your options are almost all healthy.
• The outdoor walkways are very neat (when the weather is nice).
• The terminal seating is very comfortable.

Can anyone add some thoughts to this list of things to like/dislike about either airport?

O'Hare TSA Checkpoints

I just got back from Hawaii where my wife and I vacationed for our 1 year anniversary. We had a wonderful time, though there were a number of funny things that reminded of why I love Chicago.

For one, Chicago Cubs jerseys are incredibly popular with the Japanese tourists - and I saw a lot of them. That should be no surprise given that Kosuke Fukudome is from Japan, but it was surprising that the only MLB t-shirts, hats and logos I saw were for the Philadelphia Phillies (my home town), the Chicago Cubs, or the New York Mets (I saw one hat). I didn't see gear for another MLB team the entire time I was there.

Oddly enough, one event stands out about my trip - the TSA security checkpoint at O'Hare airport.

I usually fly on United or American Airlines, for no other reason than those carriers typically have hubs wherever I'm flying. I'm not really impressed with either company, and I'm certainly not loyal to them. Both companies boast frequent flier miles, which do absolutely nothing for someone (like me) who flies maybe once a year. Those miles expire before I can finish blinking.

On this trip, my wife and I flew on Delta airlines. I don't have much to say, good or bad, about my experience with Delta - but the TSA security staff at the Delta terminal were outstanding.

I can hear your comments now: Really? The TSA was amazing? Give me a break! But very seriously, I have never felt so safe at the airport as I did on this day.

The TSA employee checking IDs in the security line took his time (the line wasn't long, so it didn't matter), but his diligence really impressed me. For every person in line he took the ticket and ID, looked at the person, looked at the ID, looked at the person, looked at the ID... and so on for literally about thirty seconds a person. He was very clearly checking the stats on height, weight and age, as well as comparing the picture to the person in front of him.

Kudos to you, Mr. TSA employee. I'm sorry I haven't had the same comments about your colleagues in the past, but you sir deserve a raise.