Olympic Games in Chicago?

How close is Chicago to getting the 2016 Olympics?

Urban Insurance Agency is based in Chicago and we would find it quite exciting to see the eyes of the world focused on Chicago. The additional attention will help bring more tourists as well as additional investment. Chicago would likely obtain an improved mass transit system and other basic infrastructure upgrades.
Below is a copy of a petition that seems to be working it's way across the internet.

Right now, the eyes of the world are on the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. But eight years from now, the world could be watching Chicago -- one of the last 4 cities still in the running to host the 2016 Olympics. So as we celebrate the Olympic spirit and watch athletes from around the world compete in Beijing, please join me in helping to bring the Games back to the U.S.A. and ensuring the Olympic flame burns brightly over the city of Chicago in 2016.

Chicago's beautiful parks, spectacular lakefront, top-notch sports venues, and wonderful people make it a world-class city that has what it takes to host the 2016 Olympics. That's why I've signed an online petition, spear headed by Senator Dick Durbin, to show the International Olympic the support for hosting the games here in Chicago is strong and enthusiastic -- and that thousands of people from all across America are speaking out.
Please join me by signing the petition as well!
http://www.PickChicago2016.com
Thank you for helping to make Chicago's dream of hosting the 2016 Games a reality!

John Edwards is Toast!

John Edwards made a large sum of money as a PI lawyer.
His looks and perfect amount of southern twang, helped his rapid rise to senator then to vice presidential hopeful in 2004 and a leading presidential candidate in 2008. In fact there were many that felt Edwards was on the "Short List" of running mates for Obama.

Today any hopes he might have of "Higher Public office" ended in a fiery crash after he admitted he lied repeatedly about the affair with Rielle Hunter. He went on to deny fathering her child.

That kind of Revelation has leveled many a politician but when you add the fact that he was cheating on his wife between her bouts with inoperable cancer, I can't see any way back into the good graces of the American People.
I think it is time for him to just "Go away" for a while, then find another line of work.

Larry Lubell

That is one big Hole!

Scale of Chicago Spire In case any of you were thinking that hole in the ground looked like a big foundation (which is in actuality ONLY the core foundation), check out this composite from the past two weeks of work at the site. They're excavating the tops of the double 12-foot caissons that will be under each leg of the building in order to tie them together into "supercaissons." Look at the size of this thing's overall footprint now ...http://www.thechicagospire.com/

Jack in the Box in Chicago

Do you remember when ordering your fast food involved talking to the "Jack in the Box"?


In this country, where each day, independent businesses loose ground to chains and franchises, it is surprising when you find a regional fast food franchise. While I hate the idea of dining in an up-scale seafood restaurant only to find they have 60 of them around the country each indistinguishable from the next. I'm upset when I find myself a thousand miles from home, exploring that city's "Hot" shopping district, and find that it has the same list of stores I can find in a 15 minute walk from my home.


But Fast Food franchises are exempt from my scorn. Just as I expect each city will carry the network's feeds, and my cell phone will work, my expectation is that the streets will be filled with a uniform list of fast-food joints. The fact is that simply is not true. Sure McDonald's and Burger King spots will be found, I think P.E.T.A. even found a method to franchise protesters to Stand in front of KFC restaurants, but In & Out burgers, are not to be found in Chicago.


Truth be told, I don't care about In & Out Burgers, comming from Chicago, the only thing I know about them is the Paris Hilton eat there one of the nights she got caught driving drunk. But Jack in the Box is a different story.

I grew up with "Jack in the Box" There were so many late nights, in a car filled too-full with friends, spent speaking to "Jack". Jack was my friend, he fed me those wonderful tacos. He got me hooked, I looked forward to those golden-brown, deep-fried, tasty treats. Then all at once, they were gone. Jack fled west of of the Mississippi, leaving me and so many like me, stranded, left with a craving we were unable to fill.



The other day, after a disappointing Y12 Epee contest, I brought my son over to a Jack in the Box, two blocks from the San Jose Convention Center, desperate to bring some happiness to an otherwise "Dark day". I put in my order for 6 tasty tacos, and from the first bite I was transported back to a happy memory-filled time of youth and grease, it was wonderful! O.K., I would have traded the taco for my son bringing home a medal, but that was not a choice offered.

Yes the tacos were just as I remembered them to be. Each time I find my self in a town that is lucky enough to still have Jack in the Box, I make a point of eating as many of these tacos as I can stuff down my throat. Jack never lets me down; though I am still mad at him for moving away.

Larry Lubell

Lebanon gives Hezbollah Veto Power

If Hezbollah has veto power over the Lebanese government, then aren't they the true power in the country?

So we have a Terrorist group in control of another country in the Mid-East.
From the inception of Hezbollah the elimination of the State of Israel has been one of Hezbollah's primary goals.
"If they go from Shebaa, we won't stop fighting them. ... Our goal is to liberate the 1948 borders of Palestine, ... The Jews who survive this war of liberation can go back to Germany or wherever they came from.
Hezbollah is a force behind the Palestinians suicide bomber's and scud missiles landing in Israel. The once beautiful Lebanon has been torn apart by years of war.

Afghanistan has seen its stability fall from increased Taliban power.

We have been unable to capture Osama bin Laden and destroy al-Qaeda. Over the past 5 years, their power has once again grown.

Iran's Ahmadinejad, who has stated his desire to wipe Israel off the map, is now warning it's enemies, that "Our finger will always be on the trigger and our missiles will always be ready to launch.“
With The price of gas in 2008 toping over $4.75 / gallon, and the world teetering on the sharp edge of a world recession, we are unable to challenge Ahmadinejad, and his threat to close the Strait of Hormuz

For some reason I'm not feeling all that "Safe" yet

Exxon's profits are not big enough

File this under ironic.

At he very time we are all struggling trying out how to pay for gas, The Supreme court just cut Exxon's damages from the Valdez spill one tenth of what the jury decided.

Justice David Souter wrote for the court that punitive damages may not exceed what the company already paid to compensate victims for economic losses, about $500 million compensation. The Exxon Valdez case involves reckless action that was "profitless" for the company and that has already resulted in substantial recovery for substantial injury, Souter wrote. A penalty should be "reasonably predictable" in its severity, he added.
Exxon asked the high court to reject the punitive damages judgment, saying it already has spent $3.4 billion in response to the accident that fouled 1,200 miles of Alaska coastline. A jury decided Exxon should pay $5 billion in punitive damages.
A federal appeals court cut that verdict in half in 1994. This come at the same time Exxon has generated the largest profits of any company in history. The punitive damage award is extremely large, but in fairness, it is less than half of the last quarters profit.

First-quarter profits at Exxon Mobil Corp. were $10.9 billion. The company's 2007 profit was $40.6 billion.

I'm glad to see our government is still handing out favors for big oil.

Stonehenge Mystery

Stonehenge, the most famous of all of the remaining neolithic stone circles was built over a five hundred year period. Walking around the sarsen stones it is easy to understand why this place still amazes and generates such mystery.

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