Why I Love The Second City

There's something about Chicago I love. If I could live within a few miles of Lakeshore Drive, I think Chicago would prove one of the few big city downtowns within which I could reside.

To the south you have the world-class museums, the aquarium and Soldier Field. To the north you have more than ten miles of bike lanes (all with a tremendous view of Lake Michigan and Chicago's incredible skyline that's only going to get better with the construction of Calatrava's impressive twisting structure), Wrigley Field and the zoo. Just to the south are thousands of outstanding restaurants (oh but what will I do now to feed my Giordano's desire?).

Ultimately, though, I think it's the city's embracement of the bike that wins my affection. I was returning to Navy Pier Tuesday afternoon, after a brief sojourn up Michigan Avenue to The Apple Store and Niketown. I hit the farmer's market off East Pearson for a basket of fresh raspberries and was headed by the beach at Olive Park when I noticed the stream of cyclists headed home. Commuters, most all of them. Many with iPods. And several rode fixies. Beautiful and elegant in their simple functionality, the single speeds served only to further cement my love.

Survey Says: Three Reasons I'm Happy

I'm a pretty positive fellow. Optimism generally runs strong in my household, as does good cheer. Findings from a new Pew Research Center survey may help explain why.

Married people (43 percent) are happier than those unbetrothed (24 percent).

Regular churchgoers (43 percent) are happier than those who seldom or never attend church (26 percent).

Republicans (45 percent) are happier than Democrats (30 percent) and independents (29 percent).

I'm almost surprised my local newspaper actually printed these facts. I half expected its accomplished editorial board to blame the Bush administration for others' unhappiness. The news media seemingly blames the President for everything else!

But that would be negative, now, wouldn't it? And that's not me (even when the Reds have dropped three of their last four).

Back On The Bikes

After a few years of trail (and road) running, my knee and lower back began bothering me. I figured that's a sign running's beating me up.

So, thanks to some good friends, I'm back on the bikes. That's right, bikes plural. In one week I've ridden my mountain bike off road with the dog and given River Road a run on the road bike. Today I got the single speed out and toured some new high-end neighborhoods just under construction. How many times I rode by the fields where the bulldozers are clearing acreage I can't count, and even though I was on the single speed (the purest form of bicycle out there), I found it a little saddening.

I can't blame the seller for selling the land and the builder for building new homes. The lots possess outstanding views and it's almost impossible to build-to-order in this part of the county any longer. I wish I had the $600K it takes to play with even the smallest homes being built there. But had I that type of money, I doubt I'd be living in Jefferson County anyway, so I guess the whole thing is moot.

Except for the bikes, of course. I'm back on 'em.

Google Introduces Spreadsheet Software

Why is a search company introducing a spreadsheet program? Because you can place ads in the software, that's why.

Today Google will announce it is introducing a new spreadsheet application. Analysts believe the software will provide the search giant with additional locations in which to publish paid advertising.

The move, of course, will place Google squarely in competition with Microsoft. The two rivals have often danced around one another's businesses, but Google's debuting a new spreadsheet tool is more than a shot across the bow; it's a calculated missile launched straight at the middle of Microsoft's behemoth Office freighter.

My question is why would anyone use Google's spreadsheet program when OpenOffice.org's Calc offers such a potent Excel alternative with no advertising? Calc, of course, is distributed free and is very well developed and maintained by the open source community.

Is Calc too unwieldy? Is it too difficult to download and install? Or is its footprint (size on the hard drive) too great?

Maybe folks will turn to Google's spreadsheet application simply because it's from Google and there's a sense among many that Google's cool and trendy. I don't know. I guess I'd be more excited if the new spreadsheet application were being released by 37signals, whose free (or low-cost) Ta-Da List, Writeboard, Backpack and other applications are truly innovative (and ad-free).

A Three Book Week

I love long holidays. Now my own boss, I gave myself the luxury of a four-day Memorial Day weekend.

The vacation began with a tour of the Louisville Zoo. Hannah and I spent the day there together. Our goal was to visit every animal, fish and other exhibit in the zoo and we did just that. Plus, we rode the train and carousel and hit the playground for good measure.

I also repaired our fountain (three jumping fish motif), stocked the bird feeders and planted myself in the porch swing with some Necco wafers. I ran trails every day, stuck with a rather boring Indianapolis 500 that rewarded me in the end with an exciting final seven or so laps, and knocked out several books, too:

How Proust Can Change Your Life (de Botton)

Artemis Fowl (Eion Colfer)

Temple Stream (Bill Roorbach)

I found de Botton's How Proust Can Change Your Life well worth my time. His obvious study of Proust's life and work will make my continued investment in completing In Search Of Lost Time more enjoyable and meaningful.

Artemis Fowl started with much promise, but I was ultimately disappointed with the simplicity with which Colfer navigated his conclusion.

Roorbach's Temple Stream, meanwhile, reinforced my belief that there's no better living nature writer alive. Everyone deserves to appreciate life's subtleties so well celebrated in Roorbach's writing. Summers With Juliet still stands as the single best summertime read, bar none.