Meanwhile, back to the east...

McDonald's
812 Minnesota Avenue, KCK

802.11g
SSID: Wayport_Access or attwifi

After the somewhat depressing results of my West Wyandotte expedition, and the even sadder news, delivered by the Kansas City Star earlier this week, that the YWCA has closed its coffeehouse a few blocks away from here which was reviewed in October by ath64, it's somewhat heartening to find that at least here in the most underserved part of the metro, Mickey D's is really coming through like we thought they would everywhere else upon joining the free world a year ago.

No power outlets, so charge up in advance or type and surf faster than you eat. Speaking of speed...has anyone here checked lately? An online test reported only around 300 kilobits per second down and merely one-third that up. Is that the best Ma Bell can do?

Let's hope not, and let's also hope more businesses that are still managing to thrive in this recession wil consider unwiring, to make up for the loss of some that aren't-such as Borders Books, which (bad pun alert) has turned the first page of Chapter 11 in case you haven't heard. As the KC Business Journal reports, the closeout sale is already under way at the one local store-in the Northland-closing as a result of the filing. And I didn't even realize that their 119th and Metcalf store, the subject of another ath64 review a couple of Christmases back, is already gone.