Chicago, Chicago that toddlin' town, there's no place like Chicago

It seems the stars are lining up just right for the city of Chicago these days. First, there is the meteoric rise of Barack Obama. The story is made of the stuff of legends.

And the White Sox are winning. And the Cubs are winning (although we all know that can't possibly last). And the 2016 Summer Olympic bid is well on its way. And then there is this.

From the entertainment page comes news that "August: Osage County," the hit drama for Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company and a 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner, is the odds-on favorite to win the Tony Award for best play.

On the food page is the news that Grant Achatz of Chicago's Alinea restaurant has been named the country's top chef by the James Beard Foundation.

It just goes on. Politics, sports, entertainment and food. Yep, it is all lining up for Chicago. Let us hope it lasts. Reading on Walden Bookstore.