This is coolbert: Convention centers. Everyone wants a convention center now. It used to be that Chicago, because of it's centralized location, was the place to go in the country for conventions. That is no longer the case. Cost of setting up and operating a convention, airplane travel, etc., have meant that other urban centers compete successfully with Chicago for convention business. And besides cost and location, Chicago cannot compete with places such as Las Vegas and Orlando from the entertainment standpoint and the climate as well. No easy fix to these problems, if there is one at all.

coolbert.

This is coolbert: Land fills. These enormous "Mount Trashmore" land fills have to be built with extreme care. If they are not sculpted properly, and the top is allowed to deteriorate as the innards of the land fill decay, you can end up with a cavity existing on the top of the land fill. This cavity will fill with water which will depress the cavity even more, and result in a snowball effect that will create a situation where the entire land fill may collapse. An avalanche will occur, crushing nearby persons and buildings with garbage. The smell afterwards will be overpowering for miles around. Landfills have only a short life where garbage is placed in them, but must be maintained for decades afterwards.

coolbert.

This is coolbert: Let me correct myself on the height of that mound that was located where Joliet is now. It was only 60' high, not 700' high. Could not have been seen from the sand dunes of Indiana. I was wrong. Sorry.

coolbert.