Well, the news from Chicago is that there is no news. Oh yeah, that Governor guy with the funny pompadour haircut and obsession with Elvis got arrested and is either going to be removed from office or impeached by the State Senate, but you know, there's no real BIG news, just same old, same old. Blagojevich ran for office as a "reformer" and the people of Chicago are getting a good laugh about that now, saying they can't believe they voted for such a jerk. And that's it. Old news, he is toast, nothing to see here folks, move along and let the walking dead man go by. See, it turns out that "Blago" is just not all that nice a guy, so nobody feels very betrayed or upset. It is more along the lines of, "Oh, so that's what kind of a jerk he is, I wasn't ever sure."
And that recession thing? Hard to see many signs of it here. Massive building projects going on all around downtown, the place is being taken apart and put back together, folks here seem to be taking a long view of things, figuring things will eventually pick up and then they'll cash in, or out, as seems appropriate. I attended a black-tie event and dinner here, had a great time and had trouble seeing signs of economic distress or angst. Am I missing something? I went to a Bavarian-theme Christmas Fair and it was like being in a sardine can stuffed with a double-count of sardines. I like Chicago. Oddly, it reminds me of the spontaneity of Australia, where people often just start talking to you as if they know you, since they assume that you soon will know them. Very down to earth. What can I say? The economy seems fine, the mental health of the citizenry seems stable and they could give a good goddamn about who the Governor was trying to sell what to. Are these signs of an outbreak of common sense? I am encouraged to think so. Kind of like Cholera, but it's good for you.
Arthur
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