131st Edition - 4/05/07

131 - It is the 32nd prime. Note that 1 + 3 + 1 = 3 + 2.

• Stuff

*For everyone that gave up on "Lost" during the first half of the season, you were wrong. There have been four solid episodes in a row. I am curious again.

*Cubs win, Bulls win.

*Will Forte made a bet with Amy Poehler that he would pay her $300 every time she mentioned his name on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." He now owes her more than $15,000.

• Special Guest: Andrew Edwards

Andrew Edwards is a winner. After dominating the *1st Annual The Daily Score NCAA Tournament Pick'em Competition Spectacular* he has been granted the keys to the castle (a saying I have used twice this week, and it might just happen again).

The City: Chicago, The Windy City, Second City, Chi-Town, Chicagoland, Da Chi, The Chill, City of Big Shoulders, The 312, The Big Onion, My Kind of Town, and Sweet Home -- List provided by j, not Andrew

So lately, I have considered the thought of moving out of Chicago. I have no reason to move, no prospects elsewhere and I just renewed my lease, so realistically, I will be around for another year – I was just thinking about the idea of moving and did sort of a cost benefit analysis in the form of the top ten lists of the best and worst parts about Chicago.

10 best things about Chicago (in no particular order):

Neighborhoods: Buying a Chicago neighborhood map was one of my first purchases. It's what makes the city so unique.

Music: Any band that is touring the US will more than likely stop in Chicago. So many venues and opportunities to see the next big band. Not to mention Lollapalooza will be in Chicago for the next several years as well as Pitchfork Music Festival.

Ethnic Diversity: I come from a suburb full of rich white people, so I love how I am now a minority in Logan Square. You can go for a 6 mile walk and hear Spanish, Polish, Korea, and many other languages.

Restaurants and Bars: Are everywhere. You can’t walk more than a few blocks anywhere in the city without coming across a local diner or pub. The ones off the main drags are the best.

Grid System: Maybe the most organized, logical, well-planned city in the world – It is impossible to get lost in. Everything is north, south, east, west.

Public Transportation: 2^nd best in the country. You can get almost anywhere in the city using it. You just need a little patience.

Summertime: I read that Chicago packs more into its summers than anywhere in the world. There are street festivals every weekend, girls come out of hibernation, people are out walking about, and the beaches are jam-packed.

Produce Markets: You can go to a Jewel or Dominick’s, but going to a local produce shop is more rewarding. A better variety of produce than the corporations and everything is a lot.

Cheaper Airports: I have now realized how great it is to be able to take a train to two airports and have the ticket to New York and San Francisco be $200 instead of $400, like it would be if you flew out of Indianapolis, Des Moines or St. Louis.

Sporting Events: Every sport is represented here – I was lucky enough to recently attend my first Blackhawks game. Got the Bulls, Bears, Cubs, Sox, Blackhawks, Fire, Rush, Machine (lacrosse), and several colleges.

Other good things that did not make the list: comedy, theatre, clubs, art galleries, museums

10 worst things about Chicago (in no particular order):

Winter: When is the Bears game today? Wait, it’s April 4th– never mind, just confused by the 15-degree wind chill and flurries coming down outside the window.

Traffic: Is brutal. There shouldn’t be gridlock traffic at midnight on a Tuesday, but somehow this manages to happen all the time.

Public Transportation: Is worse than it was ten years ago – they have no money, so nothing is getting fixed and the entire system is a nightmare right now.

Recycling: This city is horrible with its recycling programs. No one I know recycles and no one knows what they would have to do if they wanted to start.

Garbage: Walking down on the beach last weekend down by S. 70^th street, there was garbage all over the place. Not sure if people don’t care about littering or if it is just garbage cans falling over.

Parks: Walking around Lincoln Park is all right, but this city only has a couple big parks and they get real busy and full. When you have trains going by one end of the park and major streets going by the other, that just isn’t that ideal of a situation.

Outdoor Activities: You can do any artsy activity you want in town, but if you want to go mountain climbing, sea kayaking, mountain bike riding or whitewater rafting, you have to fly a few hours away.

Nature Appeal: Goes along with the previous one. The city is as flat as you can get, with one dirty river running through it. No mountains, no ocean, no raging rivers, glaciers, large protected nature reserves, etc…Just buildings and concrete.

Crime: I thought I lived in a decent neighborhood until there was a rape, an attempted murderer was caught, and two banks were robbed, all in the last couple months.

Navy Pier: Is there any reason ever to go to this place? Actually, if they moved the Imax a mile west, then the answer is no. Have to go see 300 in the Imax on Friday.

So I feel like Chicago is one of the greatest cities in the world and a good place to be, but we don’t have everything. Things can always get better and for a guy that likes nature and wildlife, Washington Park doesn’t quite cut it.