Weekend way-back blogging
Saturday, Mar 19, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller
Here’s my dad during Christmas in, we think, 1979. We were living in Germany then. Seven of us were crammed into a little government apartment at an American military base in Landstuhl, near the Army hospital, where many of our soldiers who are wounded in Iraq are now flown. The closely confined nature of our existence strongly encouraged finding any possible way to get out of that home. We moved to a house in Siefersheim after school ended 1980, which gave us more room. But because I was heading off to college at the end of the summer, my bed was under the basement stairs. Appropriate. Check out the apron and the sideburns. LOL.
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Man busted for sending threatening e-mail
Saturday, Mar 19, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller An Illinois man has been arrested for allegedly sending a threatening e-mail to Attorney General Lisa Madigan. A Walnut man appeared in Bureau County court Thursday morning, after being arrested by the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for threatening a public official. And then there’s this from a different paper: Recovered in the search were two shotguns, eight handguns, two pellet guns, one stun gun and one laser pointer, as well as more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition and a cassette tape with militia information on it.
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PodShanking
Saturday, Mar 19, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Ever want to move music or other files from one iPod to another? Now you can. It’s called PodShanking, and it’s from the fine folks at ModGods.
Needed: Go check it out. (Via Cool Hunting.)
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Job opening
Friday, Mar 18, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Got this in the e-mail today. Maybe somebody out there is interested. Personal PAC
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Friday White Sox blogging
Friday, Mar 18, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller
I’m never going back. While that decrepit, dangerously crumbling, ought-to-be-bulldozed-into-the-lake antique on the North Side is jammed to sweaty over-capacity with wide-eyed surbanites, squealing tourists and drunk unemployed frat boys, the spacious, modern Sox Park is (not-so) filled with baseball fans, there to watch a game, not experience a mall-like “moment.” Throughout the season, we’ll be updating the team’s progress, featuring players and coaching staff and maybe (if I decide not to move back to Springfield) do some live blogging from the stadium (think I could get a press pass for that?). Meanwhile, here’s a little slice of Ozzie Guillen, another great reason to love the Sox.
Go Sox.
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The school funding mess
Friday, Mar 18, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Big trouble ahead. Mayor Richard Daley called Thursday for Gov. Rod Blagojevich to take the lead in improving state funding for schools, marking the latest example of friction between the two Democrats. […] I really don’t see how the General Assembly passes a budget with just $140 million more for schools, as the governor has proposed. And here’s why: Daley said the $140 million in new spending for public schools included in the governor’s budget could leave Chicago with as little as $16 million in additional funding in 2006.
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Question of the day
Friday, Mar 18, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Should the City of Chicago be allowed to own (but not operate) a casino?
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Slammed
Friday, Mar 18, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller The Daily Southtown and the Tribune editorial pages both take up the subject of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s attack on Mayor Daley’s staff this week. From the Southtown: At times it appears that Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants some Democrat to step forward and challenge him in a primary next year when he’s up for re-election. And the Tribune: He might as well have criticized Daley for not telling the governor the state legislature was in session that day. Lobbyists, including the governor’s lobbyists, are paid to know what’s going on in the House and Senate at all times. It was silly of him to shift blame.
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Maybe not
Thursday, Mar 17, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Bernie Schoenberg’s column today talks about a possible candidate for Rep. Raymond Poe’s seat, William “Billy” Cooper. Poe is running for lieutenant governor. Cooper told me this week that he moved from Arlington Heights to Williamsville about a year ago. He is also remodeling a house on Springfield’s north end, where he and his wife and two children plan to move within perhaps six months. He said he owns about 17 houses that he rents out. Cooper may have a problem, however. Williamsville is in Rep. Rich Brauer’s district. The Illinois Constitution, Article IV, Section 2, Paragraph C states: To be eligible to serve as a member of the General Assembly, a person must be a United States citizen, at least 21 years old, and for the two years preceding his election or appointment a resident of the district which he is to represent. In other words, if Cooper doesn’t live in Poe’s district now (and I’m not 100 percent about that without knowing his exact address), he can’t run for Poe’s seat next year, unless the home he’s been remodeling has been his permanent address since last November. But even that’s kinda iffy.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Mar 17, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller I’ll ask this again as we go along, but what do you think are the odds that the spring session ends on schedule this May? Also, let’s please keep it clean in comments (and not just on this post, either). I love having comments, and I enjoy reading them, but a small number of people are this/close to ruining it for everyone. You know who you are and you know what I mean. Thanks.
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Blogginois
Thursday, Mar 17, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Archpundit is talking about ANWR. Decatur has a new blog (I’ll add it to the blogroll soon. Eric Zorn has a “peace proposal” on the Chief Illiniwek issue. Illinipundit is back in the game after an illness. The Cross Blog defends its use of pseudonyms. Makes me Ralph (a pseudonym) has yet another good state news roundup. One Man continues his coverage of the Aurora mayoral race. Peoria Pundit has more coverage of the Peoria mayoral race, along with the usual smattering of cheesecake. Austin Mayor talks about Henry Hyde’s impending retirement. Rick Klau links to his first podcast. And Weinberger is too busy lobbying and dining with the beautiful people to blog much this week.
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More trouble for guv’s buddies
Thursday, Mar 17, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller The Sun-Times and (to a far lesser extent) the Tribune both run follow-up stories today about alleged violations of the city’s minority contractor laws by a company apparently controlled by one of the governor’s top fundraisers. From the Sun-times: Two restaurants at O’Hare Airport have been allowed to rake in millions of dollars, even though the Daley administration learned back in 2002 that the company running them was probably a phony minority “front” for Panda Express and Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a top fund-raiser for Gov. Blagojevich. The Trib adds a bit of editorial commentary to its story today: The city’s action sparked speculation that the Daley administration had taken aim at key allies of Blagojevich, who long has had frosty relations with the mayor. Meanwhile, the Sun-Times reports on another eye-opener about Rezko. Two companies with links to a top fund-raiser for Gov. Blagojevich were the only firms to get a break on rent for opening restaurants at seven tollway oases. Rezko is out of the country and couldn’t be reached, both papers report.
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Jacobs to be released soon
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Former state Sen. Denny Jacobs will be released from the hospital later this afternoon. Friends say he’s doing fine. A party in his honor, previously scheduled for tonight, has been postponed, however.
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Trouble for guv pal
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller The timing of this revelation could not be worse for the governor. Already under fire for taking loads of campaign money from contractors and board and commission appointees, now one of his top fundraisers is caught up in a potential scandal. City officials alleged Tuesday that a minority contractor at O’Hare International Airport acted as a front for a firm run by Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a top adviser and fundraiser for Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
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Union turf battle
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Two locals are disagreeing over whether to support the governor’s prescription drug program. A local grocery and drug retailers workers union has said Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s drug import program endangers the jobs of many retail pharmacy employees that the group represents. I thought the Sunday announcement was a little weird because of the type of workers that 881 represents. Now I know why.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller Do you think Mayor Daley runs for another term? Why or why not?
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