Via my dad, the New York Times Frugal Traveler visited Chicago recently:

What was this city, then, if such as myself, on a low budget, could essentially see, do and eat whatever I wanted without straining my wallet? Were the skyscrapers merely a prairie mirage, a veil for the cheap, accessible delights hidden at their feet? If I asked John, he'd surely cite Descartes's deceiving demon, while Tiffany would, I bet, simply shrug the question away.

Via PC Magazine through I Can Has Cheezburger?:

Thursday afternoon I met Don Frey, the lead Ford Motor Co. engineer who designed the Mustang. He brought one of the original cars with him:

I can't remember the last time Chicago got all the way through October without a freezing day. This year, even by November 2nd, we still haven't officially had a freeze.

Also, tomorrow has Chicago's latest sunrise: 7:25 am. For those 33 years old and under, it's the latest sunrise ever. (During the 1973 energy crisis, Chicago didn't return to Standard Time in the fall.)

Delayed edit, 11:05pm: Moments after posting this, O'Hare recorded its first freezing temperature since April 16th.

From September:

Former Illinois Governor George Ryan will join a growing club of incarcerated Illinois politicians next Wednesday:

A federal appeals court today denied former Gov. George Ryan's bid to remain free on bail while he asks the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn his corruption conviction.

The ruling by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago increases the likelihood that Ryan must report to prison by Nov. 7. He can still ask the U.S. Supreme Court to extend his bail, however.

My friend Sean visited over the weekend and brought with him a stuffed toy his wife made for Parker. The results were predictable, though Parker dispatched this one much faster than the vet toy he got for his birthday:

From this past weekend, in Lincoln Park, Chicago:

The Chicago Tribune ran an editorial Sunday calling for a recall amendment to the Illinois constitution. My response:

Regardless of what you think of Blagojevich's performance, Illinois needs a recall amendment like a fish needs a bicycle.

No, not those Sox; the other Sox.

One curse down; one to go.

The splash of sunlight on Parker's face makes me think he's probably a pretty happy dog, despite the crate: