Back to reality

The reality here is that its been 100 degrees all week, and we’re hiding in our office buildings not wanting to set foot outside. Other than that here’s some other news this week:

New for clickr lovrs: flickr tag shootout

TIME this week: Stem Cells
New ipod like phone from Verizon: Chocolate Phone

Mel Gibson thinks his mug shot is a head shot

And mor gossip: Lohan blasted for alleged cocaine hangover “sick” days.

Halloween already?

I was shopping yesterday and guess what I saw in stores already? Halloween stuff!! Pumpkins, candy and a bunch of costumes were going out already. How crazy is that? Its only August 1st. Its a full 3 months away at this point. I guess its a race to get into people’s minds and remind them of what’s coming in a few months. Maybe I’ll see christmas stuff next?

There’s also costumes available online already too. If you’re the type of person who goes to costume parties even though you’re an adult this site might be great for you. They advertise fun and sexy costumes for sale online. You could wait till the last minute and just be the same thing you were last year or you could pick something from this site that no one else has seen. I’m sure the latter choice will garner more attention and popularity at parties.

Most of these look like they are a quite bit on the slutty side, but some people really like that. Its quite popular to be a “sexy nurse” or “wench” for halloween these days if you’re an adult and you have the body for it. I’ve seen quite a bit of that at the parties I was at last year. I am sure all the men at the party will thank you for wearing something that they’ve been dreaming about all year. Check them out online.

Sidestep

I heard about this site and service forsearching for the lowest airfares a while ago, and I didn’t want to believe it could be better than travelocity, orbitz or the airline sites themselves. I avoided it for awhile but then I was in a crunch to get a plane ticket quickly and everything I was coming up with was way too expensive. I tried it by chance and found a better fare than I was finding anywhere else. I am now a believer in Sidestep and recommend it if you are looking for the best airfare for your next trip.

Comfy Chairs

Everyone has their favorite place to watch TV and Movies at home. Some people prefer to sprawl out across the couch, others prefer a recliner chair of their own. I know a few people who feel that their TV recliner chair is their throne and are very attached to it. I ran across a site today that has all colors and styles of recliners that would make these people very happy. Its kind of a chair nirvana so to speak. They have a wide variety of reclining chairs that can meet the decor and comfort needs of just about everyone. Check out the leather, chenile, and NASCAR styles online here and get yourself your own TV watching recliner.

Olympics in Chicago

There has been a buzz here about the possibility of Chicago hosting the olympics in 2016. I know that our Mayor has submitted us to the IOC and they have Chicago as one of the 3 finalists. This is such a BAD idea. In order to host the olympics you have to have infrastructure for stadiums, for transportation, for housing and most important a city identity that people like. Chicago has none of those things. If we got stuck with this, it would be the world’s biggest clusterfuck. Here’s why:

1. We are a very polluted city. Most people don’t know this but its not something we should be advertising. Smog and air pollution from cars, airplanes and diesel trains is awful and creates a layer of grey black soot on everything every few weeks. The water pollution in our lake is so bad that it prevents people from swiming most every day. This is stuff you just don’t show off to the world.

2. Transportation. We outgrew our highways and transportation systems here about 50 years ago. There are traffic jams on I-55, 290, 90-94 and 294 at all hours. I’m not kidding, I have been stopped in traffic at midnight and 2 am for no reason except that we have too many people and not enough lanes on our highways. Don’t think public transit is the answer it isn’t anywhere you need it to be, and sometimes you’re risking your life by riding it. Bringing thousands of people into the city that need to get from event venue to event venue would be a huge mess, and they wouldn’t be able to get where they needed to go. Plus it would make life impossible for the residents.

3. Identity. Chicago doesn’t have one anymore. We’re in a huge identity crisis and have been sliding into it for 20 years. We don’t have the largest airport, tallest building or industry that defined us at the beginning of the last century before the steel belt became the rust belt. When I travel to other cities and countries people know these things about Chicago: Michael Jordan, Oprah, Gangsters, Jazz and Food. What kind of an identity is that? Should we have a parade of fat people and fatty foods into the stadium where a cheesecake dances with a deep dish pizza? Its all we’re known for and its sad. We used to be a smaller version of NY but that isn’t even true anymore.

Please spare us the embarrassment and let LA or SF have the olympics, they deserve it more than we do.

Cars

I have been a car enthusiast for a while, and its rare that a girl says that. I grew up around a lot of cars though and my brother is a big car fnatic so it wasn’t really a choice. I always would read his car and driver magazine and debate which were the best cars. We had different opinions then and we still do now. He drives a Buick GS and a Camaro, I have a Turbo Saab. The thing that hasn’t changed is that he still gets car and driver magazine because they always have the reviews and news that car lovers want. Check them out and subscribe if you’re looking for great car information delivered monthly.