And you might want to set your sights on something a little more attainable, like the Cubs winning the World Series or an asteroid impact...
Acree and two other pastors — The Rev. Steve Jones, president of the Baptist Pastor's Conference, and the Rev. Marshall Hatch of the New Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church — arrived at the governor's home shortly after 8 a.m. and met with him for about 20 minutes.
Jones said they prayed with Blagojevich and his family. . .
Shortly after they left, a fourth minister, the Rev. Leonard Barr of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, arrived at the governor's house with his wife, Rita.
He said they were invited by the governor and that the two "prayed that he would continue to be a great governor for the state of Illinois."
~
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
we don't call him "Perfect Hair" for nothing
POLL RESULTS :
Do you think Blagojevich is crazy?
Yes 66%
1565 votes
No 28%
664 votes
Undecided/Crazy 5%
118 votes
Total Votes: 2347
Is Blago's hair a sign of sickness?
DIAGNOSING BLAGOJEVICH Gov's chestnut mane might be sign of narcissistic personality disorder, psychologists say Recommend (18) Comments
December 11, 2008
BY STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporter sesposito@suntimes.com
It's a head of hair that a man 20 years his junior would envy -- a chestnut helmet that brazenly mocks Father Time and screams "healthy!"
Or does it?
Gov. Blagojevich's glossy locks -- perfectly sculpted in rain or snow -- may be an indication of a sickness beneath his scalp, said one local psychologist.
"It's all part of managing his image, managing his image of being without a blemish, without a flaw," said Scott Ambers, who has practiced clinical psychology in the city for more than two decades.
Several psychologists interviewed one day after the governor's arrest agreed that he might be suffering from an affliction known as narcissistic personality disorder.
"This grandiose sense of self . . . doesn't carry the implication that [Blagojevich] is a raving lunatic, crazy and out of touch with reality, but it does suggest he has a really overinflated view of his own importance," Ambers said.
Those who bandied the term "delusions of grandeur" when talking about Blagojevich have missed the mark, Ambers said.
"I have a patient who is firmly convinced the FBI, the CIA and [the Department of] Homeland Security are following her . . . as she drives on the expressway," Ambers said. "It's all delusional."
Perhaps Blagojevich suffers from the opposite problem?
"I think he felt a certain kind of immunity," Ambers said. "It's part of the grandiosity -- 'They are not going to be able to punish me because I'm above the law, I'm smarter, I will outfox them.' "
HAIRBRAINED?
~
Do you think Blagojevich is crazy?
Yes 66%
1565 votes
No 28%
664 votes
Undecided/Crazy 5%
118 votes
Total Votes: 2347
Is Blago's hair a sign of sickness?
DIAGNOSING BLAGOJEVICH Gov's chestnut mane might be sign of narcissistic personality disorder, psychologists say Recommend (18) Comments
December 11, 2008
BY STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporter sesposito@suntimes.com
It's a head of hair that a man 20 years his junior would envy -- a chestnut helmet that brazenly mocks Father Time and screams "healthy!"
Or does it?
Gov. Blagojevich's glossy locks -- perfectly sculpted in rain or snow -- may be an indication of a sickness beneath his scalp, said one local psychologist.
"It's all part of managing his image, managing his image of being without a blemish, without a flaw," said Scott Ambers, who has practiced clinical psychology in the city for more than two decades.
Several psychologists interviewed one day after the governor's arrest agreed that he might be suffering from an affliction known as narcissistic personality disorder.
"This grandiose sense of self . . . doesn't carry the implication that [Blagojevich] is a raving lunatic, crazy and out of touch with reality, but it does suggest he has a really overinflated view of his own importance," Ambers said.
Those who bandied the term "delusions of grandeur" when talking about Blagojevich have missed the mark, Ambers said.
"I have a patient who is firmly convinced the FBI, the CIA and [the Department of] Homeland Security are following her . . . as she drives on the expressway," Ambers said. "It's all delusional."
Perhaps Blagojevich suffers from the opposite problem?
"I think he felt a certain kind of immunity," Ambers said. "It's part of the grandiosity -- 'They are not going to be able to punish me because I'm above the law, I'm smarter, I will outfox them.' "
HAIRBRAINED?
~
You know you're a YOOOGE scumbag...
... when Dan Walker thinks you're a scumbag.
A disgrace to the state
By Dan Walker
December 11, 2008
While I admittedly erred in my private life 10 years after serving as Illinois governor—and paid the price for my mistakes—I am too proud of my state and my unblemished service as governor to remain silent about the despicable conduct of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
~
A disgrace to the state
By Dan Walker
December 11, 2008
While I admittedly erred in my private life 10 years after serving as Illinois governor—and paid the price for my mistakes—I am too proud of my state and my unblemished service as governor to remain silent about the despicable conduct of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
~
Who needs raving lunatics, the mentally challenged, or MORANS when there is the punditry class?
The 10 Worst Predictions for 2008
Prognostication is by far the riskiest form of punditry. The 10 commentators and leaders on this list learned that the hard way when their confident predictions about politics, war, the economy, and even the end of humanity itself completely missed the mark.
1. “If [Hillary Clinton] gets a race against John Edwards and Barack Obama, she’s going to be the nominee. Gore is the only threat to her, then. … Barack Obama is not going to beat Hillary Clinton in a single Democratic primary. I’ll predict that right now.” —William Kristol, Fox News Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006
Weekly Standard editor and New York Times columnist William Kristol was hardly alone in thinking that the Democratic primary was Clinton’s to lose, but it takes a special kind of self-confidence to make a declaration this sweeping more than a year before the first Iowa caucus was held. After Iowa, Kristol lurched to the other extreme, declaring that Clinton would lose New Hampshire and that “There will be no Clinton Restoration.” It’s also worth pointing out that this second wildly premature prediction was made in a Times column titled, “President Mike Huckabee?” The Times is currently rumored to be looking for his replacement.
~
Prognostication is by far the riskiest form of punditry. The 10 commentators and leaders on this list learned that the hard way when their confident predictions about politics, war, the economy, and even the end of humanity itself completely missed the mark.
1. “If [Hillary Clinton] gets a race against John Edwards and Barack Obama, she’s going to be the nominee. Gore is the only threat to her, then. … Barack Obama is not going to beat Hillary Clinton in a single Democratic primary. I’ll predict that right now.” —William Kristol, Fox News Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006
Weekly Standard editor and New York Times columnist William Kristol was hardly alone in thinking that the Democratic primary was Clinton’s to lose, but it takes a special kind of self-confidence to make a declaration this sweeping more than a year before the first Iowa caucus was held. After Iowa, Kristol lurched to the other extreme, declaring that Clinton would lose New Hampshire and that “There will be no Clinton Restoration.” It’s also worth pointing out that this second wildly premature prediction was made in a Times column titled, “President Mike Huckabee?” The Times is currently rumored to be looking for his replacement.
~
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Yet another post about Gov. Bla....wait a minute - this is just another Facebook Poem
From the "Newsfeed":
Jodi-Ann is attending "Sexaholics."
Roseline is attending WORSHIPPING HIM ALWAYS.
Jim C. and Michael L, S. joined the group Joe Morgan Is A Douchebag.
Jodi-Ann is attending "Sexaholics."
Roseline is attending WORSHIPPING HIM ALWAYS.
Jim C. and Michael L, S. joined the group Joe Morgan Is A Douchebag.
Criminality & Failure Chronicled
And it must be said that while Blago will probably spend a few years in prison, Bush will walk away scot-free despite his many, many worse crimes... because, apparently, if the President does it, it isn't illegal.
President Bush tells interviewers he does not care how history will portray him.
But in our third story tonight, the Los Angeles Times has obtained an internal White House memo giving cabinet members talking points for painting history a rosy portrait of Mr. Bush even though his image will only get worse, as new, damning facts emerge.
What does the memo say? And how are we obliged to correct its bizarre claims?
To start, it says Mr. Bush, quote, "...promised to raise standards and accountability in public schools -- and delivered the No Child Left Behind Act," an act so poorly received, that the Times points out it became a standard applause line this year... for Democrats.
Also from the memo: he curbed AIDS in Africa.
Its spread has slowed, and Mr. Bush has won praise for this but he has not won any praise for withholding funds from groups that promote condom use, a proven life-saver in favor of abstinence-only programs, which have also failed in this country.
Also, Mr. Bush's foreign-aid puritan, Randall Tobias quit last year after patronizing an escort service linked to prostitution.
Also from the memo: Mr. Bush lifted the economy with his tax cuts and, quote, "responded with bold measures to prevent an economic meltdown."
In 2005, Mr. Bush told a 57-year-old single mother of three, one of them mentally challenged, that it was "fantastic", "uniquely American" that she had to work three jobs unlike half a million people who have no job as of November... in the first presidency for decades during which family earning power fell, and income disparity continued to rise.
The "meltdown" he "prevented" now having claimed several Wall Street institutions which had weathered 1929, and 9/11... but not 43.
And, of course, the old standby, quote, he "kept the American people safe"...
Not counting twenty percent of his first term, January 20th, 2001, until September 11th, 2001. On 9/11, he sat reading "My Pet Goat" for seven minutes after learning America was under attack. Then covered up environmental dangers at Ground Zero, and failed to provide for the health of rescue workers. Helped bin Laden's family flee the country. Opposed the 9/11 Commission, the Department of Homeland Security. Tried to outsource America's port security to Dubai. Did not keep us safe from the shoe-bomber... alert passengers and crew did that...
Did not keep five Americans safe from anthrax... and never caught their killer.
Still hasn't caught the killer of 17 sailors aboard the USS Cole.
Still hasn't caught the killer of 3,000 on 9/11... outsourcing that to Afghans... turning that country into a narco-state, giving bin Laden a safe haven in the region of Waziristan by literally endorsing a truce that Pakistan signed with the Taliban there.
And most of all, not keeping safe 4,200 Americans dead in his war, a war that made us less safe, invading a country that posed no grave or gathering threat, provided a check on Iran... then igniting insurrection by disbanding the Baathist Party, creating a Muslim theocracy purged of its moderate intelligentsia. One in which freedom has marched backward for women.
And Lebanon, too, elected a Muslim theocracy... run by Hamas, no less.
Keeping us safe?
Terrorism is rising worldwide.
The still-thriving enemy has claimed Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto...
And thousands of people in India... including 200 in Mumbai last month.
Russia can now invade U-S allies without fear of retribution.
And Mr. Bush failed to prevent Kim Jong Il from joining the ranks of nuclear powers.
Despite even more ample warning than he received prior to 9/11, he lifted not a finger to keep a major American city safe from wind and water.
And what, finally, of the claim in the talking points... that Mr. Bush has always upheld, quote, "the honor and the dignity of his office"?
You must define dignity downward to find it in a lie.
The lie of "Mission Accomplished."
Of upholding the Constitution... or protecting habeas corpus.
That we do not eavesdrop without warrants... do not eavesdrop on Americans.
The lie that we do not torture.
That we do not play politics with justice... that we do not use the wheels of justice... to crush dissent.
That we do not betray those who serve us in secret.
That we uphold, rather than commute, the penalties for those who do.
That we do not stage fake news conferences, do not censor science... do not plant propaganda in Iraqi newspapers... nor pay US columnists to write it in American newspapers.
Or push respected Americans to vaporize their honor and dignity with lies to the world.
Or lie about the causes of the credit crisis, high gas prices, or even that he watched the first plane hit the North Tower on TV.
Where is the honor in vowing a crusade? Of daring those who would kill American troops to "bring it on?"
Of promising to care for the troops after you put them in harm's way, without body armor or up-armored vehicles?
Where was the honor, the dignity in giving a dead soldier's mother a presidential coin and telling her "don't sell it on eBay."?
His memo, revealing yet another lie.
He does care how history will portray him.
And now... he knows.
~
More (cont'd): Zell "sensitive" to Blago's "issue"
You're a newspaper. The governor of your state--a governor who has had the stink of corruption on him for years--has his people call you up and directly state that they'll help you out if you fire members of your editorial board. It is a phone conversation that not only wipes its ass on the ethical lines it crosses, it also treats the First Amendment like it's optional. And you don't report it? Why?
There's only one reason: Zell was entertaining the offer. . .
The Tribune could have and should have run the story of Blagojevich's call to Tribune Tower in 200 point type. They should have printed it in Rod's own blood. They would have brought down a sitting governor the same week that they were trumpeting the win of Obama. They would have pushed the Tribune's brand into the stratosphere, at just the time that it needed it.
But they didn't. Faced with a defining moment in journalism--this was the kind of story that we would have taught in journalism schools for years--Sam Zell decided not to do the right thing. It's not surprising--the guy is a waxed mustache away from tying a damsel in distress to a railroad track after all--but it's still a shock.
There's only one reason: Zell was entertaining the offer. . .
The Tribune could have and should have run the story of Blagojevich's call to Tribune Tower in 200 point type. They should have printed it in Rod's own blood. They would have brought down a sitting governor the same week that they were trumpeting the win of Obama. They would have pushed the Tribune's brand into the stratosphere, at just the time that it needed it.
But they didn't. Faced with a defining moment in journalism--this was the kind of story that we would have taught in journalism schools for years--Sam Zell decided not to do the right thing. It's not surprising--the guy is a waxed mustache away from tying a damsel in distress to a railroad track after all--but it's still a shock.
I know, I know... I'll get over it
(Crain's) — Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to shake down Children’s Memorial Hospital’s CEO in exchange for $8 million in state health care funding, according to a federal affidavit unsealed Tuesday detailing corruption charges against the governor.
Mr. Blagojevich on Oct. 8 discussed with one of his campaign fundraisers pressing the executive — named in the criminal complaint as “Hospital Executive 1” — for a $50,000 campaign contribution, allegedly a quid pro quo for the governor’s recent funding commitment, according to the affidavit.
“I’m going to do $8 million for them. I want to get (Hospital Executive 1) for 50,” Mr. Blagojevich told the fundraiser, according to the 78-page affidavit.
Mr. Blagojevich on Oct. 8 discussed with one of his campaign fundraisers pressing the executive — named in the criminal complaint as “Hospital Executive 1” — for a $50,000 campaign contribution, allegedly a quid pro quo for the governor’s recent funding commitment, according to the affidavit.
“I’m going to do $8 million for them. I want to get (Hospital Executive 1) for 50,” Mr. Blagojevich told the fundraiser, according to the 78-page affidavit.
Da Mare on Blago chief of staff John Harris
"Very sad. He was a budget director. He worked here at the Police Department. Aviation. Had a good work record. I mean, you all knew him personally. Work ethic, very hard. Once you step over there [to the state], you don't know what they did. It's very sad ... It's sad. It's a sad day. It's very sad."
another Zeniths' success story
J.J. Barea got another start for the Mavericks on Tuesday, finishing with 21 points, two rebounds and five assists in 40 minutes. The Mavericks will continue to start whichever shooting guard has the hot hand and right now it's Barea. With Josh Howard (ankle) sidelined indefinitely, Barea looks like a great fantasy option over the next week or two.
I'm sure once the Mavs' crummy vets get healthy, "Kid Dyn-O-Mite" will find his way back to the bench after dominating for two weeks. Either that or he'll get traded to somewhere like Nellyland where he'll be placed behind Anthony Morrow on the depth chart. As it is, the stacked Zeniths can't play him anyway...
~
I'm sure once the Mavs' crummy vets get healthy, "Kid Dyn-O-Mite" will find his way back to the bench after dominating for two weeks. Either that or he'll get traded to somewhere like Nellyland where he'll be placed behind Anthony Morrow on the depth chart. As it is, the stacked Zeniths can't play him anyway...
~
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
more tales from the invasion of the brain-sucking... wait a minute... wtf???
Obama enjoys strong public support as president-elect
"I think he's intelligent and competent and he's picking intelligent, competent people," said Ronald Griffey, 74, a retired meteorologist and political independent who lives in the Dallas suburbs.
Griffey agreed to a follow-up interview. "I like having an intelligent president, instead of one you can drink a beer with," he said.
"I think he's intelligent and competent and he's picking intelligent, competent people," said Ronald Griffey, 74, a retired meteorologist and political independent who lives in the Dallas suburbs.
Griffey agreed to a follow-up interview. "I like having an intelligent president, instead of one you can drink a beer with," he said.
Zorn on Blago
In a profile of Blagojevich in last February's Chicago Magazine, writer David Bernstein reported:
That struck me at the time, as over the top. Today it strikes me as brave and prescient.
FWIW, a friend of mine who works in Springfield said, in March of 2006 when Designated Phokkface was running for re-erection, that, if re-erectorated, nobody in Springfield expected him to make it through an entire second term.
But who knew it would be this classy?
~
Privately, a few people who know the governor describe him as a "sociopath," and they insist they're not using hyperbole. State representative Joe Lyons, a fellow Democrat from Chicago, told reporters that Blagojevich was a "madman" and "insane."
That struck me at the time, as over the top. Today it strikes me as brave and prescient.
FWIW, a friend of mine who works in Springfield said, in March of 2006 when Designated Phokkface was running for re-erection, that, if re-erectorated, nobody in Springfield expected him to make it through an entire second term.
But who knew it would be this classy?
~
Blago phokked with the wrong guy?
According to the Rachel Maddow show, Fox News Chicago is reporting on who may have informed Fitzgerald of Blago's attempts to sell Obama's senate seat. That person is said to have gone to Fitzgerald after Blago reached out to him. That person is Rahm Emmanuel. Uh, Rod did you really think it was a good idea to talk to one of the toughest most cut throat politicians in the country about something that by simply having knowledge of it could have destroyed the man he works for?
McCain remaking his image; or, with back-stabbing A-HOLES like this, who needs enemies?
Let's see, the only reason we know about Joe the ASSHOLE is because McCain mentioned his name 785 times during one of the debates. Certainly, Joe the ASSHOLE has made enough money from his 15 minutes to pay his back taxes?
Joe Wurzelbacher lashed out at former GOP presidential nominee John McCain Tuesday, the man who made Wurzelbacher famous as “Joe the Plumber.”
Wurzelbacher told conservative radio host Glenn Beck that he felt “dirty” after “being on the campaign trail and seeing some of the things that take place.”
Recalling a conversation he had with McCain about the $700 billion financial industry bailout in September, Wurzelbacher said: “When I was on the bus with him, I asked him a lot of questions about the bailout because most Americans did not want that to happen.”
“I asked him some pretty direct questions,” he continued. “Some of the answers you guys are gonna receive — they appalled me, absolutely. I was angry. In fact I wanted to get off the bus after I talked to him.”
Asked why he didn’t leave McCain’s campaign if he was “appalled” by the candidate, Wurzelbacher said, “honestly, because the thought of Barack Obama as president scares me even more.”
While Wurzelbacher was critical of McCain during the interview, he had nothing but praise for his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. “Sarah Palin is absolutely the real deal,” he said.
~
Studs, we miss you
“Chicago is not the most corrupt American city, it’s the most theatrically corrupt.”
-- Studs Terkel, 1978
-- Studs Terkel, 1978
Hide the women and children...
Blagojevich freed on own recognizance
December 9, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were each released on his own recognizance at a federal court hearing this afternoon. Wearing a light blue running shirt and tight, dark-blue running pants, the governor walked slowly into the packed courtroom accompanied by a federal agent. After being escorted to the defense table, Blagojevich smirked and shook his head as he read documents given to him by his attorney.
He also looked briefly around the gallery, which was filled with reporters. His wife, Patti, did not attend the 15-minute hearing. Blagojevich and Harris later stepped toward the bench, as U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan greeted him. "Good afternoon, Governor," she said. "Good afternoon," Blagojevich replied.
Nolan said the purpose of the hearing was to explain the charges against the men and make sure they understood their rights. Assistant U.S. Atty. Red Schar then read into the record the two counts detailed in the criminal complaint. If convicted, Blagojevich and Harris could face up to 10 years in prison.
The magistrate agreed to release the men on a $4,500 recognizance bond. Blagojevich nodded as Nolan also ordered him to surrender his passport and any gun ownership cards. The governor was then escorted from the courtroom after the hearing.
His attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, said afterward that Blagojevich "is very surprised and certainly feels that he did not do anything wrong." The governor was driven back to his Chicago home and arrived there about 2:30 p.m. He went into his home through a back entrance.
December 9, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were each released on his own recognizance at a federal court hearing this afternoon. Wearing a light blue running shirt and tight, dark-blue running pants, the governor walked slowly into the packed courtroom accompanied by a federal agent. After being escorted to the defense table, Blagojevich smirked and shook his head as he read documents given to him by his attorney.
He also looked briefly around the gallery, which was filled with reporters. His wife, Patti, did not attend the 15-minute hearing. Blagojevich and Harris later stepped toward the bench, as U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan greeted him. "Good afternoon, Governor," she said. "Good afternoon," Blagojevich replied.
Nolan said the purpose of the hearing was to explain the charges against the men and make sure they understood their rights. Assistant U.S. Atty. Red Schar then read into the record the two counts detailed in the criminal complaint. If convicted, Blagojevich and Harris could face up to 10 years in prison.
The magistrate agreed to release the men on a $4,500 recognizance bond. Blagojevich nodded as Nolan also ordered him to surrender his passport and any gun ownership cards. The governor was then escorted from the courtroom after the hearing.
His attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, said afterward that Blagojevich "is very surprised and certainly feels that he did not do anything wrong." The governor was driven back to his Chicago home and arrived there about 2:30 p.m. He went into his home through a back entrance.
~
fasting Cubs soup?
Patti Blagojevich: Hold up that f***ing Cubs s***
During the call, Rod Blagojevich's wife can be heard in the background telling Rod Blagojevich to tell Deputy Governor A "to hold up that f***ing Cubs s***. . . f*** them." Rod Blagojevich asked Deputy Governor A what he thinks of his wife's idea. Deputy Governor A stated that there is a part of what Rod Blagojevich's wife said that he "agree[s] with." Deputy Governor A told Rod Blagojevich that Tribune Owner will say that he does not have anything to do with the editorials, "but I would tell him, look, if you want to get your Cubs thing done get rid of this Tribune." Later, Rod Blagojevich's wife got on the phone and, during the continuing discussion of the critical Tribune editorials, stated that Tribune Owner can "just fire" the writers because Tribune Owner owns the Tribune. Rod Blagojevich's wife stated that if Tribune Owner's papers were hurting his business, Tribune Owner would do something about the editorial board. Rod Blagojevich then got back on the phone. Rod Blagojevich told Deputy Governor A to put together the articles in the Tribune that are on the topic of removing Rod Blagojevich from office and they will then have someone, like JOHN HARRIS, go to Tribune Owner and say, "We've got some decisions to make now." Rod Blagojevich said that "someone should say, 'get rid of those people.'"
During the call, Rod Blagojevich's wife can be heard in the background telling Rod Blagojevich to tell Deputy Governor A "to hold up that f***ing Cubs s***. . . f*** them." Rod Blagojevich asked Deputy Governor A what he thinks of his wife's idea. Deputy Governor A stated that there is a part of what Rod Blagojevich's wife said that he "agree[s] with." Deputy Governor A told Rod Blagojevich that Tribune Owner will say that he does not have anything to do with the editorials, "but I would tell him, look, if you want to get your Cubs thing done get rid of this Tribune." Later, Rod Blagojevich's wife got on the phone and, during the continuing discussion of the critical Tribune editorials, stated that Tribune Owner can "just fire" the writers because Tribune Owner owns the Tribune. Rod Blagojevich's wife stated that if Tribune Owner's papers were hurting his business, Tribune Owner would do something about the editorial board. Rod Blagojevich then got back on the phone. Rod Blagojevich told Deputy Governor A to put together the articles in the Tribune that are on the topic of removing Rod Blagojevich from office and they will then have someone, like JOHN HARRIS, go to Tribune Owner and say, "We've got some decisions to make now." Rod Blagojevich said that "someone should say, 'get rid of those people.'"
~
Pat Quinn, the next gov (soon?): generally a good guy, but he really phokked us up in 1980
It was his petition drive that ended cumulative voting, which had succeeded in electing "ballot-rigging insiders" like, oh, Paul Simon and Abner Mikva. Under that system we had Republicans elected in even the most Democratic districts, Democrats elected in even the most Republican districts, moderates in both parties who were capable of working together. Since then all we've had are monkey-feces-hurling cronies.
The only place that could rival Hopleaf is another Hopleaf
(Crain’s) — A plan by the owners of Michael & Louise's Hopleaf Bar to open another tavern next door in Andersonville has collapsed after a Northwest Side bank pulled out of the deal.
Michael Roper, co-owner of the trendy Hopleaf at 5148 N. Clark St., says he would have paid more than $1 million for the building next door, now the home of Italian eatery La Donna Restaurant, which plans to move to Edgewater.
Mr. Roper says he still hopes to buy the two-story building, 5146 N. Clark St. His plan is to open a tavern that would serve Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and offer a beer selection that would rival the more than 150 varieties served at Hopleaf, which opened in 1992 and is known for its Belgian fare, such as mussels and frites.
Michael Roper, co-owner of the trendy Hopleaf at 5148 N. Clark St., says he would have paid more than $1 million for the building next door, now the home of Italian eatery La Donna Restaurant, which plans to move to Edgewater.
Mr. Roper says he still hopes to buy the two-story building, 5146 N. Clark St. His plan is to open a tavern that would serve Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and offer a beer selection that would rival the more than 150 varieties served at Hopleaf, which opened in 1992 and is known for its Belgian fare, such as mussels and frites.
Fantasy Football - the suckage
Only Ranger made the playoffs this year, with Smiff missing out on point differential, Sarge & Corporal a game out and the less said about Fung & Corms the better. Since we went to a 10 team league team, apparently there's no consolation bracket for 9th and 10th. So Fung & Corms are done. Finished. Outta dere. Their suckage and stinkage was absolute. They did manage to win once or twice, including going 1-1 against each other. But boy did they suck. So Fung will not have tales of lore about this season. Someone else will have to do that. Now to focus on basketball, where Briggs is obviously like 50 poi... hold on, I'm being told that somehow Smiff leads the league. I give up.
Not mentioned: K-Mad (too sexy for Fantasy Football), Briggs (lifetime Parcer, rejecter of any and all other leagues, despite innumerable coercive efforts, he will not join your league, got it?)
Not mentioned: K-Mad (too sexy for Fantasy Football), Briggs (lifetime Parcer, rejecter of any and all other leagues, despite innumerable coercive efforts, he will not join your league, got it?)
and the kicker is, she planned to trade the monkey for a cabinet post
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A Spokane woman who hid a sedated monkey under her blouse on a flight from Thailand to Los Angeles — pretending she was pregnant — has been convicted of smuggling charges.
No relief in sight here
News headline: It's Business as Usual for Cubs, if Not Tribune
Also, one of the leading bidders for the Cubs is Thomas Ricketts.
Also, one of the leading bidders for the Cubs is Thomas Ricketts.
Monday, December 8, 2008
add this to Bud Lite's List of Fails (cont'd)
Santo falls short again of Hall of Fame induction
December 8, 2008
BY CHRIS DE LUCA Staff Reporter
LAS VEGAS — Despite a restructured process that was thought to favor him, former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo was again denied entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame today when the Veterans Committee failed to vote in any of the 10 finalists on the post-1942 ballot.
Santo got the most votes, but fell well short of the 75 percent necessary. He got 39 votes, good for 60.9 percent. Jim Kaat got 38 for 59.4 percent and Tony Oliva got 33 for 51.6 percent. None of the other 10 finalists got more than 50 percent of the vote.
‘‘When our board of directors restructured the Veterans Committee after the 2007 election, it did so with the goal of ensuring the voters — the living Hall of Famers — would review their peers,’’ Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark said. ‘‘The 10 post-1942 ballot finalists all spent a substantial part of their playing career in the 1960s or the 1970s, and a vast majority of the voters were either actively playing, managing or involved in baseball in those two decades.’’
A sub committee did review a ballot of players who began their careers before 1943 and elected nine-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion Joe Gordon, a second baseman who played for the Yankees and Indians.
Among the players on the post-1942 ballot, Santo was the clear favorite under the revamped system, which cut the field to just 10 names before a final vote. There has been growing pressure on the committee to swing its doors open after gaining the reputation for being hard-liners.
‘‘The process was not redesigned with the goal of necessarily electing someone, but to give everyone on the ballot a very fair chance of earning election through a ballot of their peers,’’ Clark said. ‘‘The vote reinforces the selections of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and maintains the high standards set by the BBWAA. A 75 percent threshold is extremely difficult to attain, but the highly selective process helps ensure that enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame remains the greatest honor in the game.’’
Contacted by the Sun-Times on Sunday, Santo admitted he was anxious.
‘‘Nothing's going to change in my life if I don't get in,’’ he said before the results were announced. ‘‘I believe what I've done in baseball is Hall of Fame, and that would satisfy me immensely. But it's not going to make a difference to [family, friends and fans who have reached out]. They're still going to be around if I don't get in. That's what means a lot to me. ‘‘Am I excited about it? I've been so disappointed. This is my best chance, so don't get me wrong. But I thought I had a great chance [the past two elections].’’
Rounding out the post-1942 ballot were Gil Hodges (28 votes, 43.8 percent), Joe Torre (19, 29.7 percent), Maury Wills (15, 23.4 percent), Luis Tiant (13, 20.3 percent), Vada Pinson (12, 18.8 percent), Al Oliver (9, 14.1 percent), Dick Allen (7, 10.9 percent).
More evidence morons were voting: Dick Allen finishes behind Wills, Pinson & Oliver. His OPS+ is 19th all-time, the same as Willie Mays.
~
December 8, 2008
BY CHRIS DE LUCA Staff Reporter
LAS VEGAS — Despite a restructured process that was thought to favor him, former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo was again denied entry into the National Baseball Hall of Fame today when the Veterans Committee failed to vote in any of the 10 finalists on the post-1942 ballot.
Santo got the most votes, but fell well short of the 75 percent necessary. He got 39 votes, good for 60.9 percent. Jim Kaat got 38 for 59.4 percent and Tony Oliva got 33 for 51.6 percent. None of the other 10 finalists got more than 50 percent of the vote.
‘‘When our board of directors restructured the Veterans Committee after the 2007 election, it did so with the goal of ensuring the voters — the living Hall of Famers — would review their peers,’’ Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark said. ‘‘The 10 post-1942 ballot finalists all spent a substantial part of their playing career in the 1960s or the 1970s, and a vast majority of the voters were either actively playing, managing or involved in baseball in those two decades.’’
A sub committee did review a ballot of players who began their careers before 1943 and elected nine-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion Joe Gordon, a second baseman who played for the Yankees and Indians.
Among the players on the post-1942 ballot, Santo was the clear favorite under the revamped system, which cut the field to just 10 names before a final vote. There has been growing pressure on the committee to swing its doors open after gaining the reputation for being hard-liners.
‘‘The process was not redesigned with the goal of necessarily electing someone, but to give everyone on the ballot a very fair chance of earning election through a ballot of their peers,’’ Clark said. ‘‘The vote reinforces the selections of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and maintains the high standards set by the BBWAA. A 75 percent threshold is extremely difficult to attain, but the highly selective process helps ensure that enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame remains the greatest honor in the game.’’
Contacted by the Sun-Times on Sunday, Santo admitted he was anxious.
‘‘Nothing's going to change in my life if I don't get in,’’ he said before the results were announced. ‘‘I believe what I've done in baseball is Hall of Fame, and that would satisfy me immensely. But it's not going to make a difference to [family, friends and fans who have reached out]. They're still going to be around if I don't get in. That's what means a lot to me. ‘‘Am I excited about it? I've been so disappointed. This is my best chance, so don't get me wrong. But I thought I had a great chance [the past two elections].’’
Rounding out the post-1942 ballot were Gil Hodges (28 votes, 43.8 percent), Joe Torre (19, 29.7 percent), Maury Wills (15, 23.4 percent), Luis Tiant (13, 20.3 percent), Vada Pinson (12, 18.8 percent), Al Oliver (9, 14.1 percent), Dick Allen (7, 10.9 percent).
More evidence morons were voting: Dick Allen finishes behind Wills, Pinson & Oliver. His OPS+ is 19th all-time, the same as Willie Mays.
~
End Times Chronicles
Ron Santo denied Hall of Fame entrance
Tribune Company files for bankruptcy
High court turns down appeal on Obama's birth
Blagojevich: 'Nothing but sunshine hanging over me'
Bears are surviving ... for now
Skilly's weather: Icy today, worse to come
Studies: Dogs sense fairness, resent if other dogs treated better
Tribune Company files for bankruptcy
High court turns down appeal on Obama's birth
Blagojevich: 'Nothing but sunshine hanging over me'
Bears are surviving ... for now
Skilly's weather: Icy today, worse to come
Studies: Dogs sense fairness, resent if other dogs treated better
Brain-Dead Quinquagenarians (soon): The Dumbering
I blame society.
If the data are objectively assessed, which age-slice of today's working-age adults really does deserve to be called the dumbest generation?
The answer may surprise you. No, it's not today's college-age kids, nor even today's family-starting 30-somethings. And no, it's not the 60-year-olds who once grooved at Woodstock. Instead, it's Americans in their 40s, especially their late 40s -- those born from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.
If the data are objectively assessed, which age-slice of today's working-age adults really does deserve to be called the dumbest generation?
The answer may surprise you. No, it's not today's college-age kids, nor even today's family-starting 30-somethings. And no, it's not the 60-year-olds who once grooved at Woodstock. Instead, it's Americans in their 40s, especially their late 40s -- those born from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Classy Move
From Raw Story we get a sense of Bush's post-presidential life and yet another peek at his sensitivity and his understanding of the role he has taken on as president by examining his choice of rezzzidunce:
"When the Bushes are here full time, I imagine we'll be here full time," said Officer Michael Bratcher of the Dallas Police Department, who was directing traffic.
But the exclusive Dallas community the Bush family will soon join has a troubled history of its own.
Until 2000, the neighborhood association's covenant said only white people were allowed to live there, though an exception was made for servants. [my own bolding because I love it so much]
Enacted in 1956, part of the original document reads: "Said property shall be used and occupied by white persons except those shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of different race or nationality in the employ of a tenant."
"When the Bushes are here full time, I imagine we'll be here full time," said Officer Michael Bratcher of the Dallas Police Department, who was directing traffic.
But the exclusive Dallas community the Bush family will soon join has a troubled history of its own.
Until 2000, the neighborhood association's covenant said only white people were allowed to live there, though an exception was made for servants. [my own bolding because I love it so much]
Enacted in 1956, part of the original document reads: "Said property shall be used and occupied by white persons except those shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of different race or nationality in the employ of a tenant."
No clue who he was, but it's anudder Smiff sucker
Good old [Warriors coach] Don Nelson. Anthony Morrow didn't play in an overtime loss to the Heat. You never know with Nelson, but I'd release him in shallow leagues. [So would Smiff.]
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