Have any Chicagoans ever watched or participated in the Chitidarod? It's a great idea--teams of five people pull a grocery cart along a route through the city and, at the finish line, have to have at least 40 pounds of food in the cart for food pantries. The rules page is very fun to read:

The Chiditarod is Chicago's very own most important shopping cart race in the universe. The Iditarod is the famous long-distance race in which yelping dogs tow a sled across Alaska. Chiditarod is pretty much the same thing, except that instead of dogs, it's people; instead of sleds, it's shopping carts; and instead of Alaska, it's Chicago. Chiditarod is a one-of-a-kind event dedicated to self-expression, reclaiming our city for freaks of all varieties, food-raising for our city's disadvantaged, and creating copious amounts of epic.

My favorite is the people who keep harping on Obama's use of the teleprompter as the secret to his eloquence.

You mean he plans out what to say in advance????

t innocence crumbles

"You have too much access to the internet"

FTW!

You mean he plans out what to say in advance????

I have to admit it was weird to see that he had one when he spoke to that sixth-grade class the other day. Do they all do that?

Pretty much everyone I've ever worked for wouldn't speak before any size group without a script, and I can see preferring the teleprompter to notecards, if you can get one! Which he can.

I have to admit it was weird to see that he had one when he spoke to that sixth-grade class the other day.

That was awkward - I think he'd have been better off making the speech in the auditorium to the whole school and maybe having a photo-op Q&A in the classroom afterwards.

Which he can.

Cause he IS the president.

But 6th graders?

Then again, I can see it now "Is the President smarter than a 6th grader?"

Also, randomly, since I had black tea today and am wired on caffeine....

I feel really strongly that all of the people 6 years ago who were waving the flag of "you're anti-patriotic" need to be called on the carpet for their b.s. about not supporting Obama. Like it or not, he is the president. Disagree with him sure. But a hitler mustache or a joker make up job is just so....I don't know... disrespectful.

His office should be owed an iota of respect and that just seems to not be happening.

I want someone on the right to be Ainsley Hayes (Haynes?)!

I'm watching last night's Daily Show and I just did a spit take with the Democratic Possum.

I feel really strongly that all of the people 6 years ago who were waving the flag of "you're anti-patriotic" need to be called on the carpet for their b.s. about not supporting Obama.

Absolutely.

AP reporting that JD Salinger has died.