Hiatus

Heading back to Chi-town for a few days, so won't be posting...I think you can do it from the iPhone, but I have not found it to be all that pleasant to post or read, so probably won't bother.

Maybe I'll pop in on Rod and see how he's doing, or offer to watch the kids for a while so that Barry and Shelly can go see a movie or something.

Yeah, right.

All of a Sudden...

The post below on the goings-on with Chicago politics became much less relevant.

I'm lovin' this story on Governor Blago...

"Bank of America Would Also be Prohibited From Riding the Gravy Train of Pinstripe Patronage"

Here's yet another problem with the government 'bailouts' of the Banks...and it don't bode well for the future.

Bank of America was one of the TARP recipients.

Over the last few weeks, they decided to turn off a line of credit for a Chicago manufacturing plant which was then forced to close its doors.

Its workers, scared they would not get their due vacation and severance pay, have staged a sit-in, which has gotten the attention of lots of attention seekers, like Rep. Louis Gutierrez, who are now stepping in and trying to dictate just how BOA should do business.

I'm not smart or informed enough to know exactly how much BOA is directly responsible for the decision to close the company's doors or how much control it has over money paid out to the employees here, but it seems to me that if this tactic works in the Windy City for employees, we could be in for a very bumpy ride going forward, with lots more ad hoc government intervention in how banks do business.

Buckle up.

Go, Maroons!

It Just Reeks of Class When You Use the Race of a Worker in Your Hotel Review

So, I think I'll get back into this blogging thing again after a quasi-hiatus to take care of some things in the real world.

Next month, I'll be going to Chicago for a friend's wedding. I haven't taken a real, extended vacation in a little while so didn't feel bad about staying at The Allerton...although with the deal I got, it's not pricey at all.

Anyway, in typical Dan fashion, I checked out Tripadvisor after paying for the package. It was there that I found this awesome review. I don't care if the poster is right or wrong, someone who finds it necessary to point out to me the race of a worker he found to be unhelpful is just so Archie Bunker.

RIP, Studs Terkel

I was really bummed to hear that old Studs Terkel died yesterday.

He wrote one of my all-time favorite books, and one you should pick up, Working. It's just a collection of interviews with people about their jobs...everyone from the mailman to the CEO to the prostitute. It's such an eye opener, if you're ever tempted to think that the frustrations and challenges you have on your job are unique to you.

He also did a really cool interview with Jerry Garcia I remember hearing on Minneapolis' KFAI back in the day when Area 51 was still on the air, but I do not have a copy of it.

I Have to Post My Favorite Cubs T-Shirt Item Now...Before I Lose Any Chicago Bragging Rights Later Tonight

Game 3 vs the Dodgers tonight around 10PM ET.

Funny Face

Here's a nice slideshow of Mayor Daley (Junior) and his stressed out faces...

Separate But Equal?

Winnetka, Illinios, the swanky north shore suburb of Chicago, and home to the top-tier New Trier school system had some visitors from down yonder.

Rev. James Meeks, from the city of Chicago, bussed a whole bunch of kids up there to symbolically try and register for classes in the vastly-better-funded school district.

Everyone knows that schools' funding can very dramatically by local property taxes, but I find myself sympathetic to both sides. If I'm someone who's busted my ass to make sure I can afford to live in an area like Winnetka, so my kids can get the quality education that comes with it, I don't want my taxes dilluted more and going to be spent elsewhere.

On the other hand, if I'm someone living in Chicago, perhaps working a few gigs just to make ends meet, does it seem like my kids are getting a fair shake from the Chicago Public School system? Wouldn't I be a bit resentful that the 'public' education my kids are getting is not even in the same universe as the ones being doled out 30 miles north?

As noted, the protest was largely symbollic. Enrolling in a school outside one's distric requires de facto tuition payments and there's also a plausible argument that the parents' beef should be not with the north shore, but with their own communities and the Chicago Public Schools.

It's not easy for me to make a clear "this group is right and the other is wrong" stance on this one, but I have to hand it to the Rev. for making it a big story in Chicago today and to get people who are smarter than me talking about it more openly...sometimes an in-your-face approach works.

Random Speculation

Could this finally be the year for my Cubbies?

The Neverending Drew Peterson Saga

Every now and then, I have to go back to the Chicago Sun-Times to see what's going on with the Drew Peterson affair. Luckily, they talk about it often enough on the Steve Dahl show, so I'm alerted to details in this important story.

If you'll remember, Drew is listed as a 'person of interest' in the murder of his young wife in Bolingbrook, IL, a suburb of Chicago.

In the last week, his neighbors, Paula Stark and Len Wawczak have gotten into the act, claiming to have worn a wire around Drew for several months as part of an undercover op with the Illinois State Police.

Yesterday, Drew had allegedly been mouthing off, claiming to have slept with Paula at some point.

Understandably, this upset their son, Lenny, who ran into Drew at the local barbershop.

What ensued in the parking lot is some real Jerry Springer material, with Len Sr. showing up, shoving Drew and getting arrested by the cops.

Here's a few of the verbal highlights:

Len Jr.: "Hey, m-----f-----, you ain't nothing but a murderer. I'll beat the f--- out of you. Say something!"

Peterson: "Hit me," putting his hands behind his back. "I'm going down."

Len Jr.: "Take the cool sunglasses off! I ain't Stacy, bitch! You sissy!"

Onlooker: "Knock his ass out!"

Len Sr. (now on the scene): "Say right now you f----- my old lady! I'll come around right now and drop you like you want!"

Len Sr (after his arrest).: "I wanted to let Drew know he's not going to mess with my family...If I knew I was getting arrested, I would have knocked the m-----f----- out."

Come See Hockey At Wrigley Field

Despite the pleasure I derive from watching soccer, I've just never been able to get into hockey. I'm not sure why that is, but I'm not all that big a sports fan anyway, so it does not bother me.

However, there's a pretty good likelihood of my being tuned in on New Years Day, 2009, when the Detroit Red Wings face off against the Chicago Blackhawks, in an outdoor game at Wrigley Field.

I watched the outdoor game last year, up in Buffalo and thought it was really cool, so seeing a game from the Friendly Confines can only be better.

Tickets to the Winter Classic are going to be hard to come by (plus, figure you're looking at NYE-rate hotel rooms) so this one will be best enjoyed from the couch.

Oh, The Humanity!

The Chicago Sun-Times uncovers the real pain Americans are feeling with the economic downturn.

Target Practice for the Chicago Olympics

Chicago's bid for getting the 2016 Olympic Summer Games took a sour turn last night as there was a gun death reported at the annual Taste of Chicago.

It's too bad because Chicago really is a great city and it'd be a hoot to have the Games there. At the risk of making light of the sad violence situation in the City of Broad shoulders, I'm hoping maybe Daley can muster up one of his famous outbursts.

I'm tempted to go off on a gun rant here, but the argument has gotten kind of tiresome for me.

This Made My Day

I was cruising the newspapers this morning and, when stopping at the Chicago Sun-Times, came across a banner ad for a place that takes me back...Moo & Oink.

Oh, if I could only get myself down to 71st and Stony Island today.

Now, in fairness, the parentals did not shop at this establishment, but the ads are downright priceless.

In the days since this young boy saw those ads on the Chicago television stations, they've grown quite a bit, even offering an online shop.

While this message will probably show as having been posted around 5AM, no matter when you read it...it's BBQ time!

Put Dis Guy Over By Der In Da Superfans

I really don't know why this Chicago Sun-Times article caught my eye this morning, but as soon as I saw the guy, and read his speech pattern, he reminded me of way too many people I knew in the greater Chicagoland area.

He won 25K in a contest sponsored by the paper. Here, he relates the winning moment, at 7-11, as well as his future plans.

"I go to the guy next to me: 'I think I won,' " Kronenberger recalls. "He was like, 'Get the hell outta here.' Then, he looks and goes, 'Ya won.' "

Kronenberger knew exactly what he wanted to do. "I think I'm just going to go on a nice vacation with my wife and kids," he says. "I always wanted to check out Hawaii. Maybe a nice Hawaiian vacation."

And the ladies of the Kronenberger house approve?

"You kiddin'?" he says. "No doubt about it."

I think he belongs on Bill Swerski's Superfans...

Pfleger Reels It In

Father Michael Pfleger apologized to his parish this morning for the allegedly racist and sexist words he spoke last week as a guest pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ.

I don't care enough to repost the rant (even though I got kind of a charge out of it), but his only sin as far as I'm concerned, is that he should have known better.

He expressed surprise and disappointment this morning that people are fixating on a minute or two of his sermon and not on the larger problems facing our society. Furthermore, I guess he's gotten quite a few angry and threatening emails since he went nationwide.

This is a disappointment to me. I've casually admired the Loyola Chicago grad from afar for some time. He's certainly way out there on the fringes (and if a certain Catholic friend still reads this, he'd probably argue that Pfleger should be sent packing), but he appears to be associated with more positive work, and puts himself in more danger while doing said work, than a lot of other men who wear the collar.

Keep you chin up, Padre.

No One Can Resist a Good Cop and Donut Story

The Chicago Tribune's R. Kelly Trial blog is very weird because there's not a clear way to link over to individual entries...so I had to paste this out.

I listen to the Stever's podcast on the way home most evenings and have been getting a kick out of listening to one of his minions, Brendan, who won a lottery to get one of the press passes into the trial.
----

Wednesday, May 14, 10:37 AM: Doughnuts for deputies land reporter in a hole

In the weeks leading up to the R. Kelly trial, it was clear the Cook County sheriff's department was determined to keep a tight rein on the media. But an incident Wednesday morning showed just how seriously they're taking that mission.

Law-enforcement officials threatened to pull the media credential of a radio reporter who brought doughnuts for deputies working outside the building. Brendan Greeley, who works for "The Steve Dahl Show" on WJMK-FM104.3, brought the treats to thank officers who had been kind to him during the first three days of jury selection.

The deputies, among many other helpful actions, typically give reporters and photographers a few minutes' warning before Kelly arrives so they can have their cameras positioned. When Greeley mentioned this to his boss, Dahl suggested he bring two dozen doughnuts on Wednesday as a show of gratitude.

"It was warm gesture," Greeley said.

Law-enforcement officials said high-ranking officers heard Dahl discussing the doughnuts during Tuesday's show and feared that the public would consider the snacks a bribe for information.

Makin' It

Marc PoKempner

There was a really interesting (and long!) piece on the front page of the Times this morning about Barry's rise to power in Illinois. It details all the different coalitions he had to put together and constituencies he had to satisfy as he moved from being a smart alecky Harvard Law grad to presidential candidate.

If your weather's as gray as it is here, check it out! It tells you a lot about him, but is also a really cool look at the workings of the Cook County machine.

Now, Tell Me Again Why People Call the Chicago Sun-Times a Tabloid?

This is today's cover.

I grabbed it from one of my favorite resources, Newseum's Today's Front Pages.