Cutting Phone Lines

Seems like old wired telephones may be going the way of the Edison light bulbs, in favor of newer technology. AT&T and others are trying to cut the cord on the old analog telephone system that has been used for generations, with a coordinated campaign to change telecommunications law, state by state.

In Illinois, the industry wants to rescind a state requirement that it maintain those copper-wire networks. In terms of just residential phone lines that use traditional telephone technology, just 1.3 million are left in Illinois today. At the same time, the number of wireless subscribers in Illinois has climbed from about 5.6 million in 2001 to about 12.8 million by the end of 2013.

Some major carriers, including AT&T, are designated in the current law as “carriers of last resort,” meaning they are obligated by law to maintain those copper analog landlines within their service areas. The companies say it is a matter of giving consumers what they want, cell phones, broadband, and other 21st-century digital options instead of keeping their capital tied up in the telecom equivalent of a horse-and-buggy system.

In 2011, Missouri eliminated its previous “carrier of last resort” obligation on carriers in St. Louis County, St. Louis, and Kansas City. In 2014, Michigan joined more than 30 other states that have passed or are considering laws that restrict state-government oversight and eliminate "carrier of last resort" mandates, effectively ending the universal-service guarantee that gives every US resident access to physical wire-line telephone service.

Whats in a Name, Union Station

Many towns have a Union Station. Some larger ones are in Chicago, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Denver, El Paso, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Nashville, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and many more.

Union stations or depots were constructed to consolidate rail traffic into a single terminal instead of having each railroad build a separate station and approach-track system. They formed a 'union', or coming together of railroad companies, facilities, and tracks.

The intent was to save money and hundreds of acres of valuable downtown real estate. It was and remains a success for achieving those goals. In addition, It is handy for travelers to have one place to go, regardless of final destination.

A railroad operating only a handful of trains per day through a town couldn't afford to build a fancy station, but several railroads sharing one facility could. Many Union Stations were impressive works of architecture that were preserved long after the trains that used them disappeared.

Bacon Lovers Food

Easter or not, what goes better with eggs than bacon. You know you like it. In fact, you love it. Here is something called the Bacon Explosion. Only 5,000 calories per log.

It is made of Kansas City style sauce rubbed Italian sausage, smoked slowly over hickory and oak wood and stuffed with bacon, then wrapped in bacon. There are variations, such as Jalapeño or Cheese. All are served on a big hot dog bun. For desert, you can have some chunks of crispy chocolate covered bacon in maple syrup ice cream.  If you don't want to make your own, you can buy online at this LINK. Mmmm!