nosugrefneb » chicago

Starbucks with Unlimited Wifi Internet Access

nosugrefneb — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:42:59 +0000

There are a few Starbucks locations I’ve found in Chicago that seem not to have the customary two-hour limit on their AT&T wifi internet connection.

Webster/Clybourn, Chicago
~~Roosevelt/Wabash, Chicago~~ (Update, 6/9/10: Seems to be limited to two hours now.)
~~Jackson/Wabash, Chicago~~ (Update, 6/10/10: Seems to be limited to two hours now.)

If you come across another location that gives free wifi internet access for longer than two hours—not just in Chicago, but anywhere—get in touch with me and I’ll add it to the list.

Dogs Waiting For Their Humans

nosugrefneb — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:39:17 +0000

Marco Arment posted earlier today his Dogs Waiting For Their Humans-style photo. This is mine.

Original post here.

Wait. I live where?

nosugrefneb — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:27:47 +0000

I live in the South Loop area of Chicago. South Loop. Have for five years now. Other names have come and gone and been bandied about—Near South, SoLo, Central Station—but it’s the South Loop.

Google, however, now seems to think I live in a mystical place called Park Row. Just a few days ago, I lived in plain old Chicago, but now I live in Park Row.

What the hell is Park Row?

The most disturbing part: Yahoo, through Flickr’s geotags, has been calling it Park Row for as long as I can remember. What exactly is going on with Google?

You’re killing me, Chicago.

nosugrefneb — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:36:38 +0000

I had never been so frustrated with Chicago as I was this afternoon. A full 24 hours after the marathon was over, streets were still shut down. Heading northbound on Lake Shore, Roosevelt was closed. Balbo was closed. Jackson, with its ridiculously long turn lane, seemed open, but was closed off about 20 feet from the intersection, which trapped people who were planning to turn left in the left turn lane and forced them to reincorporate themselves into traffic that was flying past while they stood completely still; the lights weren’t cycling either, of course, since it essentially wasn’t an intersection anymore. Monroe, too, was closed. Randolph was closed. I ended up getting off at Chicago.

It’d be fine if the traffic folks had had the courtesy to let people know of the closings. I’d have happily gotten off 4.8 miles earlier on 55 if I’d known I’d be forced to drive all the way up to Chicago. A simple detour sign would have done the trick. Maybe the City can’t afford detour signs anymore.

This was the for the marathon—or I guess the day after the marathon, but who really needs to get anywhere these days?—and it happens every year. What did Chicago expect to have happen if the Olympics were in town?

One more reason to take public transportation, I guess.

Or wait. Shoot. Maybe not. Why would the City reallocate some of the $5 billion they had just budgeted for the Olympics to something popular? Silly me.

Oh, Chicago

nosugrefneb — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:52:43 +0000

Here is the logic of the City of Chicago. Try to follow along.

Our car is parked in a non-metered spot. Our car is ticketed for “expired meter or overstay”. We, being of rational minds, appeal the ticket on the ground that it is a basic logical fallacy, including a photograph of the sans-meter parking spot. (It still is.)

Now, five months later(!), an appeal decision has been made: Ticket is confirmed. The accompanying comment, in full: “Information supports a determination that the violation occurred.”

Fantastic. Chicago, I’m falling out of love with you.