The Soapbox
Lots of money, nothing to show:
Illinois received $39 million in grants to prepare to run health insurance exchanges required by the Affordable Care Act. Officials now say they won’t be ready by the Nov. 16 deadline. Several Republican-run states didn’t prepare, hoping the law would be overturned, but what’s up with a state run by Democrats being so unprepared?
All hail A/C!
We used to think the greatest invention of our time was the Internet. Lately, though, we’re thinking it’s air conditioning. Who invented that? There’s a debate whether it was Willis Haviland Carrier or Samuel Morse, but one or both ought to have a national holiday named for him.
All hail normal temps!
A few days ahead with highs in the 80s? Yes, we’ll take it and the chance to turn off the air and open the windows again. All fear the coming electric bills — for those of us who’ve been blessed to have power and air conditioning this week.
The upsides of the drought:
Although people with lung disease have been advised not to exercise outdoors because of high ozone levels, at least the air isn’t being polluted with lawn mower exhaust as much in this summer of slow-growing grass. And how long has it been since you’ve been bitten by a mosquito?
Brick by special brick:
What once was a pleasant flower garden at the Schaumburg Road entrance to Volkening Lake recreation area is now Tribute Park, featuring a pathway of commemorative bricks. The stones are available for residents to mark life’s milestones. Proceeds go to the Schaumburg Park Foundation. Attractive addition, good cause.
No easy street:
Arlington Heights is considering making an educational video to help residents and visitors negotiate dangerous street crossings. Maybe it’s needed, but we have to wonder: Is our world so complicated that we can’t even figure out on our own how to cross the street safely anymore?
Gotta love baseball:
A tip of our cap to the youth baseball players, parents, coaches and umpires who didn’t let something like sweltering heat get in the way of competing in a youth wooden bat tournament in Lake Zurich. Set up the canopies, ice down some water and “play ball.”
A ride to remember:
Jockey Rosemary Homeister Jr. likely won’t forget how she celebrated her birthday Thursday. Homeister picked up a win in the fourth race and moved into third place in the jockey standings at Arlington Park. Not bad for a 40-year-old, but we’re betting she won’t forget how hot it was either.
Heated races:
While we’re at it, good move by Arlington to push back its races to later in the day. Best move: all the extra cooling treatments for horses and riders.
The smaller they are:
Funny how the smaller a thing is, the larger its implications. Think the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle that scientists have been trying to find for decades. Officials at CERN, the Swiss atom smasher (with much of the early legwork done at Fermilab), feel they’ve made a breakthrough. That particle could explain why matter has mass. Awesome.