Yesterday was a disaster. I left Chicago on a Continental Airlines flight to Houston where I was set to transfer to a flight to Northwest Arkansas. We boarded the plane and were immediately delayed by a thunderstorm passing through the area. But this short delay soon stretched into an hour. Then an hour and a half. Finally, we were cleared to take off, but wait, nothing would be that easy today.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," the captains voice crackled through the cabin. "Bad news … our back up hydrolic pump has failed. We are returning to the gate to have it check out."
At the gate, we were asked to deplane and told it would be 45 minutes or so. After 45 minutes we were told it would be 30 minutes. After 30 minutes we were told it would be another 30 minutes. Then another 30 minutes. Then another 30 minutes.
At 6 o'clock they finally had the plane ready to roll (the flight was originally scheduled to depart at 1PM). BUT WAIT, the crew had timed out. So we waited for a new crew. They gave us drink coupons, but they weren't redeemable for beer. So I paid $6.50 for a Ziegen Bock just so I wouldn't lose my mind. At 6:30, I realized there was another flight to NWA at 7PM. I made the switch.
I arrived at 8:30PM. 12 hours after my trip began. I could have driven here that fast. And I wasn't the only one. A woman sitting next to me had also been delayed for nearly five hours after her plane had experienced equipment trouble. Yikes. Will I ever fly Continental Airlines again. I don't know, but I'm not looking forward to the return flight.
Supreme Court Gun Decision
Reader Dan asks why I haven't commented on the Supreme Court Gun Decision. To which, I have absolutely no response. It is unacceptable. So here goes. This decision is along time coming. City-wide gun bans are clear attack on 2nd Amendment rights. Period. Mayor Daley is vowing to "fight" attempts to invalidate the Chicago ban. In doing so he will waste taxpayer dollars and his own credibility. I've never understood why so many are obsessed with gun bans. Ask yourself this, is Chicago safer than it was 32 years ago when it enacted the hand-gun ban? The answer is no. The murder rate peaked in 1992. Obviously there's no correlation. I also found it insulting that Daley commented, "Does this lead to everyone having a gun in our society?" The words ooze with paternalism. Clearly, without Daley telling us what we can and cannot own, we'd all run out in the street and start killing one another. Arg.
Chicago's News Anti Smokiong Laws
Inspectors will begin checking for compliance with the city's new smoking ban on their routine rounds next week, but complainants also will play a role in enforcement, the Daley administration said Tuesday.
And church bingo halls, which officials previously said would be exempt from the ordinance, may not be quite so exempt after all.
The key to enforcement will be use of common sense and adhering to the spirit of the law, said mayoral aide Jose Cerda, who made it clear the city is more interested in voluntary compliance than issuing tickets.
After weeks of negotiations and attempts at compromise, the City Council passed the smoking measure last month. Under its provisions, virtually all public places are to become smoke-free effective Jan. 16.
Exceptions include taverns and bars in restaurants, which have until July 1, 2008, to comply.
About 70 inspectors from the city's Health and Business Affairs and Licensing Departments will check for smoking compliance as they conduct regularly scheduled inspections, officials said. But people who witness violations are advised to call 311.
Business owners and managers of buildings where violations allegedly have taken place will be given warning letters after the first two calls, officials said. A third call for the same location will trigger a visit by an inspector empowered to write a ticket if a violation is verified.
Letters are being mailed to nearly 70,000 business-license holders in the city, advising them of the provisions and effective date of the new law.
There has been much local debate about this thorny issue, with great attention played to the quit smoking timeline Residents who are smokers are being offered free help and quit smoking tips.
Laminate Flooring
Carpet is probably the most conform form of floor covering these day's, the enjoyment of bare feet on thick lush carpet is undeniable. Yet carpet is not for everyone, and many people who work long hours, and lead busy lifestyles outside of work do not want to be spending time Hoovering carpet every few days to keep it clean. As a result, other forms of flooring have begun to challenge carpets,for market share particularly in Chicago. One other reason for this is that fitting a carpet is a job for a professional. If a carpet is fitted by anyone other than a professional, the results can be disastrous and an expensive carpet can be virtually destroyed in the process.However in comparison, any competent person can lay down a laminate floor, or put down floor tiles. Indeed all the tools you need to put down either of these floorings are available in any good Do It Yourself (DIY) shop. Investing in the tools to put either of these floor coverings down will be money well invested, as you will undoubtedly use them again in future. Laminate flooring wins over carpet in many ways. Firstly it has dropped down in price such that it is now often cheaper than carpet per square metre. Secondly it is very hard wearing; indeed in tests some laminate floors have proven to be harder wearing than solid wood floors. It also very easy to keep clean, with any liquid spills such as black coffee, red wine or even paint being easy to wipe up, with no stain left to show. Just think of how difficult gloss paint would be to remove from a carpet - a spillage could result in your carpet being totally written off! As a result, this is a big advantage held by laminate floors over other types of flooring. It now also comes in a wide range of styles. Whereas most of us just think of laminate flooring as being "wood effect", it is now available in numerous finishes including mosaic and mock brick or tile effect, making it suitable for a wide range of uses. So to re-iterate; it is very hard wearing, low cost, and easy to install. Even if you hire a professional to install the flooring, the cost will be low as the time taken to install is minimal, with a competent fitter able to lay a laminate floor for an average room in around half a day. These days there are many modern colours to choose from, including the very popular black laminate flooring range. This modern flooring provides a very contemporary look.
Kim Kardashians Favourite Places
Kim Kardashian, the most talked about American celebutante/socialite of 2008 is out and about! She posted her "Favorite Ways to Spend a Day" on her MySpace page. Here is a list of her "Top 5" places to go. Who knows... maybe you'll see Kim Kardashian there!
1. Ed's Coffee Shop - 460 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048
Ed's Coffee Shop is awesome! It has a 1960's diner look and serves anything from egg salad to burgers and sandwiches. You can even get a slice of homemade pie or grilled cheese if that's all you want! Everything is made fresh and served with outstanding service. It is a local favorite, even for the celebrities. This classic diner seats up to 45 people and takes cash only. The good news is that the food is amazing and cheap! The average price for one person ranges from $9-$15. No reservations are required. However, they are only open for breakfast and lunch (Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sat 7 a.m.-1 p.m.), so get there quick!
2. Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt - 9409 Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Pinkberry is a franchise that serves an amazing frozen dessert. Available in Original, Green Tea and Coffee, this frozen yogurt type dessert is a must have. Pinkberry has been getting great publicity and in-store traffic since the opening of their first store in 2005. They are a few exclusive locations in New York, but most of the stores are dispersed throughout Southern California. There are numerous toppings to choose from, but the most common tend to be the fresh fruit, almonds and coconut.
3. Beverly Hills Nail Design - 423 N Bedford Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
This nail salon is located on Bedford Dr in the heart of Beverly Hills. They provide massages, manicures and pedicures at an affordable price. Whether you're out shopping or need you nails done bad, you should definitely drop by for a worthwhile manicure. You can even catch some of Hollywood's most popular celebrities in there on a regular basis.
4. Four Seasons Westlake - 2 Dole Dr, Westlake Village, CA 91362
Four Seasons Hotels, Inc. is a five-star luxury hotel chain. The Four Seasons Westlake is a perfect escape from the big city of Los Angeles. From spa treatments, yoga, swimming and dinning, The Four Seasons is one of the best in the business. You can even plan an event of wedding.
5. Pacific Coast Highway - Malibu, CA 90265
The Pacific Coast Highway runs along the Pacific Ocean through the city of Malibu. Zuma Beach and Surfrider Beach are among Malibu's main tourist attractions. Other attractions include the California State Parks, the Malibu Pier, Malibu Civic Center and the numerous restaurants. This part of Malibu is also the home to many of Hollywood's biggest celebrities.
Kim Kardashian nevers fails to move far from the spotlight. Is kim kardashian pregnant is a hot topic on the twiterspere, facebook and other social media.. Meanwhile it looks like Chicago will have to work harder to attract the approval of this media jugganaught.
National Coffee Day Celebrated
Chicago residents celebrated National Coffee day recently. This little known festivity is gaining traction as national coffee chains are promoting this special day with free drinks and great deals. As one of the millions of coffee lovers I am happy to present all the coupons, deals and freebie I can find. The most popular of course are the Folgers Coffee Coupons. Folgers is one of Americas oldest and most loved brands of coffee and have been offering a wide variety of products for many years. All offering that same rich smooth taste of gourmet coffee. Now in todays depressed economic situation Chicago residents are more likely to seek out coupns for grocery items in order to make their limited weekly budgets go the distance. Coupons are big business now with over 80 million exchanged last year and even more predicted for the coming 2012 year.