This other bicyclist and I successfully biked from E Chicago to Hammond today after we had to disembark our Westbound train due to the partial service outage.
We found that Google Maps gave a good route; just be sure to click the Bike icon.
It took us 15 minutes. It was hot.
Not sure if nighttime would be a good idea!
This is relevant:
https://bikeleague-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7acLAzAATMS5Mpt2byCnUQ#/registration
Bentonville, Arkansas benefits from world-class mountain bike trails and a vibrant downtown – but its rapid population growth brings challenges for traffic congestion and mobility. So how did this community go from being a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) with only 6 Bicycle Friendly Businesses (BFBs) and no on-road bike infrastructure in 2019, to Silver-level BFC recognition, 37 BFBs, and over 30 miles of new bike infrastructure built in the last 3 years? Using League of American Bicyclist and City Thread programs and strategies, coordinated between municipal and community partners, the city of Bentonville pinpointed public backing for mobility solutions and mobilized residents, businesses, non-profits, and other stakeholders to demonstrate their support. Hear from city and community leaders on how they are moving forward together, faster.
CLOSING DATE: JULY 10
They have a short survey, and then you can post pins to an interactive map with your comments concerning where the needs are.
https://engagetxdot.mysocialpinpoint.com/action
Predictably, the feedback is lacking on the east side, so if you live there, your pins are needed.
The live map is here. Is this viable? From Munster IN south to north, Monon Trail, Douglas, Sohl, Hoffman, Torrence, (Dunkin stop), 142nd, Marquette Greenway, Illiana Marina Trail over Wolf Lake, 112th, Burnham Greenway, S. Ewing, S. LSD, South Shore Cultural Center and LFT. I left Chicagoland in the 1970s before any of this bicycle infrastructure existed. I've always wanted to do this ride. I lived with my Mom near the South Shore Cultural Center. My Dad lived in Munster. I got shuttled back and forth in cars, and it felt jarring at times, like I was split up. I wonder if I cross the same space with my own (old) body at a slow space that I might reconcile those split-up memories and feelings. That's the theory anyway. We'll see how it goes. Child psychologists, please chime in. When I got to the top of the LFT I'll take the #36 bus back to DT Roosevelt Rd Station (Randolph St. elevators out of service?) and the South Shore back to Munster.
POSTSCRIPT - I exchanged LinkedIn messages with a woman I know who created the index for a little boutique EM fund with more than $3 billion AUM ($3 billion is little). The fund is now more than 25% S. Korea, this is top of mind for her, and she is looking forward to the fund's periodic rebalancing, when it will shed some S. Korea...
This is a cautionary tale for market cap weighted Emerging Market fund users. The caution is, as always, "know what you own".
Go look at the iShares S. Korea ETF EWY... the performance only started heading to the moon in 2026. It's dragging the MSCI EM index upwards, which gives IEMG / EEM investors the impression that "oh, EM is doing so well", so it's really that S. Korea is doing well, and it's a bubble. I don't think +125% YTD 2026 for a single country index is sustainable, do you? I'm pretty sure it will end in tears, and it will then drag IEMG / EEM down with it.
The alternative ETF is FNDE, which is a RAFI fundamental indexed ETF, which (1) isn't market capitalization weighted, and (2) omits S. Korea entirely, as it follows the FTSE convention of S. Korea being Developed not Emerging, just like SCHE. On the flip side, FNDF (like VEA) picks up S. Korea, so be careful. The mutual fund version of FNDE is SFENX.
If you want something like VXUS but without the craziness of a bubble, pick up IEFA and FNDE. That would make "ACWI ex-US ex-SKorea"
I'm waiting for someone to comment, "but IEMG is doing so much better than FNDE". Fine.. go sell your underwear and buy some more IEMG!
Now both SCHE and FNDE / SFENX own Taiwan, but look at this insanity:
SCHE allocation to Taiwan Semiconductor 17.1% !!!!
FNDE allocation to Taiwan Semiconductor 6.7% ! Still the largest single holding, but not as insane as SCHE. Fewer exclamation points.
For contrast... SCHX's largest holding is NVIDIA at 7.6%.
Now Shell has spoken, adding to previous statements by ExxonMobil and Chevron.
Do you know of any local bike shops that have this in stock? Heck, I'll even buy / rent a partial tube off of a private seller. I have a chronically slipping seatpost, and an out-of-town bike tour coming up. Thanks.
I recently finished the book "1929" by Andrew Ross Sorkin, and up until the 1929 bust it also seemed the little guys were beating the pros... heavy use of leverage and jumping onto hot trends, without regard to underlying valuation. It worked until it didn't. The Great Crash took place just eight weeks after the 1929 peak. It's uncanny to see similar dynamics playing out today.
Terrifying - SOXL 3x leveraged bull Semiconductor ETF is down -37.8% from its 52 week high, including Friday's after-hours action. The high was Wednesday! A literal trap door opened below these ETF holders. If this continues for a few more days, the ETF is going to zero. Leveraged ETFs crap out during extreme volatility. Never hold them overnight. Read the Prospectus.
RCA was the AI equivalent of 1929. Over three years the stock lost more than 90%... from $505 to $2.625. You could not have convinced many to sell before the bust. "But look at the 1, 3, 5, 10 year track record! Why should I sell?"
It seems counterintuitive that in an environment where there is a rising fear of inflation, and in Iran missiles are actually flying and exploding, and there is no discernible progress towards peace, that commodities should take a dive today. USD? Cost of carry? Needed to liquidate to cover AI related margin calls? Seeing through the Iran war into recession and disinflation?
I am long PDBC and XOP.
I have two SRAM 8-speed chains, new in box, PC-830 and PC-850. I have a plastic bag full of assorted unused lengths of 8-speed chain which maybe could be Frankensteined into an actual full-sized chain. I no longer have an 8-speed bike. Does anyone need these? Let me know. Zipcode 77079.
I took out Euros from the Marseille FR Airport ATM, declined the currency conversion, and still got a horrific exchange rate. I submitted a dispute with Schwab and they clawed back $23 for me in a short few days. Now the effective exchange rate is acceptable. Way to go!!!
Consider two neighbors, one in Munster IN, one in Lansing IL, literally across the street from one another (they both walk to lunch at Schoop's). How do policing and crime differ for each of them, depending on what side of the line they live on?
Policing - how responsive are the police to residents' concerns? Are they understaffed? Do cases get solved? Do criminals get punished? Or is it catch and release, or maybe not even catch?
Crime - is there a difference in crime rate, type, severity across the State Line.
These are questions from a retired out-of-towner who might want to be back in The Region after decades away. Illinois would not tax my retirement income at all, which might balance out the suck of Illinois property taxes. I'm trying to find quality of life, I guess, wherever I can find it... and flee the hurricanes, Ted Cruz, Ken Paxton, and half the year near 100 degrees. And I pay $12,000 property tax per year in Texas so... not good either.
According to preliminary figures included in the data, the number of employees in the sector stood at 115,200 in April 2026. The last time the figure was this low was in August 2022, the data showed.
The number of employees in the oil and gas extraction industry stood at 115,900 in March 2026, 116,200 in February 2026, and 115,500 in January 2026, according to the latest data. The March figures were also preliminary, the data highlighted. Previous data had the number of employees in the sector at 116,100 in March and 116,300 in February.
Hi all, I'm riding anti-clockwise around the Luberon massif. Starting May 11 in Merindol, staying overnight at La Bastide de Jourdains. May 12 ride to Mane. May 13 ride to Apt. May 14 ride back to Merindol. A larger town where you could rent bikes and all is Cavaillon.
I was going to solo, but if someone is going my way, I'm happy to ride together, the only warning is I'm a old slow senior guy on a steel non-electric folding bike so 50 km per day at 15 km/hr and I'll be done, no dancing in the town square at midnight for me.
Here's my map, it's very close to the official velo tourisme map. The stop in Mane is different due to lodging availability. My map is on Komoot, you can see 381 photos taken by others on this exact route --- as you can see, it's so scenic.
I found my lodging at booking.com I am not camping, too much gear for me to climb the hills with.
This was a nice surprise... now I don't have to file the exemption form (which is this form in Harris County). One less thing to worry about.
