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* I’m taking the morning off to run some errands. I think I told you before that as part of being a responsible adult (first time for everything) I took Dr. Ezike’s summertime advice and am having literally everything checked out in case this awful virus comes back with a vengeance and we can’t make doctor’s appointments for non-emergency issues. What I didn’t realize is how long it takes to schedule some appointments. You can’t just bunch them up all at once. And it’s not just doctors. I also have like a half-dozen factory recalls on my truck that I never dealt with (oops), and my service appointment date is finally here.

Anyway, I’ll be back after lunch.

In the meantime, did you hear that the White Sox clinched a playoff spot yesterday?

* Whatever you talk about, please be nice to each other and keep the discussion Illinois-centric. You can use this thread to talk about any breaking news as well. Talk to you soonish.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 3:53 am

Comments

Good morning Rich

Comment by very old soil Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 6:08 am
So nice to not only have the Sox in the playoffs this year but they have a young core for the future.

Comment by James the Intolerant Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 7:29 am
Any polls showing how the fair tax amendment is doing?

Comment by PublicServant Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 8:12 am
Congratulations to the White Sox, and to White Sox fans.

Cubs magic number is 8.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 8:19 am
It’s 2020 so…Cubs & Sox make the World Series and then Covid hits both teams so they can’t play the Series.

Comment by Win Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 8:39 am
I’ll always refer to the ’10s as the lost decade for the Sox. Promising start to the new decade.

Comment by Jose Abreu's Next Homer Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 8:46 am
Today is the 50 year anniversary of Jimi Hendrix’ passing. It should be Jimi Hendrix Day in Illinois.

He did a great version of Hear My Train A Comin’ on Dick Cavett:

Tears burning me
Tears burning me in my heart
Way down in my soul
Tears burning me in my heart
Way down, in my soul

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 9:03 am
It appears there is a new Vote Yes ad that talks about the mismanagement in Springfield and who is going to pay for it.

An interesting shift in tone IMHO

Comment by OneMan Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 9:17 am
==It’s 2020 so…Cubs & Sox make the World Series and then Covid hits both teams so they can’t play the Series.===

Or we have an all-Chicago World Series in Texas.

Comment by Mr. Hand Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 9:17 am
Has anyone seen restaurants offering dine-in service in defiance of Governor Pritzker’s order? The Governor closed our region, but the 5 restaurants in our small town have united in opening indoor dining. And I have read of other, small town restaurants doing the same in other counties. What is happening in northern Illinois?

Comment by Motambe Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 9:19 am
Great to see that both of our baseball teams will be playing in October. I think the franchises are heading in two different directions but playoff baseball is something we don’t for granted around here. Sad that the fans were probably deprived of the opportunity to say goodbye to Jon Lester. He may go down as the greatest pitcher in the history of Chicago sports even though he didn’t spend his entire career on the north side.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 9:20 am
Watching the Sox games this year has been an absolute joy. So much about 2020 has been plainly awful and the Sox are a great distraction, even though nothing about the season seems real.

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 10:01 am
There is an ad showing up on Facebook now saying that the Fair Tax Amendment will cause retirees to pay. Is there any counter messaging to that specific claim?

Comment by Grimlock Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 10:10 am
=There is an ad showing up on Facebook now saying that the Fair Tax Amendment will cause retirees to pay.=

I’m seeing this show up in Google surveys as well. The typical question is “are you aware that the tax amendment will allow retirement income to be taxed. The “options” are yes, no, and unsure.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve got $50M to spend on promoting the fair tax if you don’t spend it wisely or spend it all. Running a misleading counter narrative is the easiest trick in the book so this should have been anticipated.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 10:16 am
Thank you Rich for all your hard work. Best place to visit to get the full stories about Illinois issues. We may not agree on all the politics but at least I’m more informed by your reporting.

While reviewing the Sun Times headlines, I noticed an ad from the teamsters stating that 1 of 6 Covid cases in Illinois started in the Cook County Jail. I found the WTTW story from 6/4/2020 and found this to be unbelievable.

Comment by snowman1961 Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 10:16 am
Motambe,

Small towns have the luxury of really not being observed closely by anyone other than their own local officials. Up in northern IL, the population is a lot denser and due to that there are more enforcement officers, etc. Add to that that in the city and close in burbs, we have seen the deaths and damage that Covid does so we tend to be more careful as a result (restaurants around here report that even though their dining in areas are open 80% of their customers prefer eating outside or taking the food off-premise).

Comment by cermak_rd Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 10:26 am
One thing that impresses me about the White Sox is that lineup is so dangerous top to bottom that they can look crappy for 5 innings but sooner or later they are going to get you.

Maeda had 8 strikeouts through 5 innings mostly off of Jimenez, Robert, and Moncada. But then in the 8th inning Jimenez gets the game winning double.

In the last few years when the Cubs get behind by a few runs, more often than not their offense is so moribund and lacking in spark that they cannot come from behind.

But with this Sox lineup the game is never over. As Friendly Bob said, the White Sox have been an oasis of joy this year.

Comment by Big Jer Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 10:47 am
=== Or we have an all-Chicago World Series in Texas.===

“If a World Series is played in a bubble…”

2020 is… wow.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 10:49 am
MVPito pushed the Sox over the line with a home run and legging out an infield hit. Amazing.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 10:49 am
Grimlock, Facebook will take anyone’s money and run anything paid for. It’s not held to any standard.

Comment by Cheryl44 Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 10:58 am
the last three games of the season are Cubs vs. Sox. Sox clinched. Cubs up 5.5 with 10 games left. Its setting up where the Sox could potentially keep the Cubs out of the playoffs. Will the Sox take advantage of their early clinch to rest their starters, or will they come out full force in those last three games because its the Cubs?

Comment by rentoria sanatoria Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 11:06 am
still really torn up after reading this phil luciano article about a 37-y-o illinois mom with no preexisting conditions dying of covid.

https://www.pjstar.com/news/20200917/cheerful-healthy-mom-becomes-youngest-covid-19-victim-in-tri-county-area

be safe out there everybody

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 11:15 am
Now that the Sox are, you think maybe the Cardinals can borrow a couple of pitchers for a week?

Comment by Whoknew Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 11:18 am
Just saw the Vote Yes tax ad again asking who’s going to pay, billionaires or “you.” A tax hike is likely coming, just who will shoulder what portion is the question. Those who oppose the Fair Tax should seriously consider if they want to pay a higher rate.

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 11:22 am
Big 10 Football back on. So much for an Illini undefeated season.

Comment by Scamp640 Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:06 pm
hisgirlfriday–that was a sad read about Dr. Andrea losing her life to Covid.

A good friend just found out that a friend of hers has passed away from Covid. The friend’s grandson tested positive after he had a porch visit with his greandmother. He had been to a party earilier in the week. Imagine being this young man and knowing that he gave Covid to his grandmother.

Comment by Nearly Normal Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:15 pm
CST had some good reporting today on Whispering Vic and his client list; and different story re: Alderman Cardenas living large at Fountainbleau. Both worth a read.

Comment by Helm Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:20 pm
==Cubs magic number is 80 more years==

Comment by A Guy Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:35 pm
I would say Sox will have the AL MVP and rookie of the year as well as manager of year all tied together with a WS vin

Comment by truthteller Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:39 pm
I think if the White Sox could find a bench coach (or something similar) that would check Ricky Renteria when he’s trying to make a goofy decision, they’d be unstoppable.
While I’m asking for things, an upgrade in right field would be great, too.

Comment by Father Ted Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:39 pm
Three candidates for US Senator were interviewed by the Chicago Sun Times this morning.

https://www.facebook.com/thechicagosuntimes/videos/3251943864926063/

Comment by James Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:40 pm
I have a question about Scott’s law. It says to slow down and change lanes if possible. I have encountered the following situation; 2-lane highway with double yellow lines. Police have someone pulled over, on the edge of the eastbound lane. I am eastbound, I slow down and if no cars are coming westbound, I momentarily cross over the double yellow line and am going eastbound in the westbound lane. After passing the stopped vehicles, I cross back into the eastbound lane. When they say “move over if possible” do they mean “if physically possible” or do they mean “if possible and allowed by law”. I had been taught in high school driver ed. (over 50 years ago) to never cross double yellow lines, it is a serious violation. If anyone knows and can clarify, it would be appreciated.

Comment by DuPage Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:45 pm
===A good friend just found out that a friend of hers has passed away from Covid. The friend’s grandson tested positive after he had a porch visit with his greandmother. He had been to a party earilier in the week. Imagine being this young man and knowing that he gave Covid to his grandmother.===

He didn’t necessarily give his grandmother Covid, but he will always wonder if he did. I’m at high exposure levels because of my job, so I have self-isolated from pretty much all of my family. I don’t just want to not give them the disease, I want to know that, if they get it, it wasn’t from me. May be a selfish reason

Comment by Leslie K Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:50 pm
Dupage…

proceed with due caution, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that of the authorized emergency vehicle, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions, if on a highway having at least 4 lanes with not less than 2 lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approach vehicle.
proceed with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle, maintain a safe speed for road conditions, if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe.

Notice the 4 lane requirement so your scenario doesn’t apply. Also its move over a lane if safe but if you can’t slow down…it isn’t move or and slow although nothing says you can’t although you don’t want to be a hazard yourself.

Comment by Friendly fire Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:52 pm
Good news for Region 7 (Will and Kankakee Counties): The added mitigation measures will be lifted, thus the region will resume Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, meaning that indoor dining is gonna be allowed again.

As for my region (Region 4), the positivity rate went down to 8.0%, so still a bit away from the 6.5% to get the mitigations removed in the region.

Comment by Justin Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:56 pm
Who writes a story about the Billy Goat without mentioning the Curse? (An otherwise good story, though.)

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-six-months-coronavirus-billy-goat-bar-chicago-20200918-5kxaecmo2fgcjarhimjjs4hz5q-story.html

Comment by JoanP Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 1:26 pm
@Motambe — plenty of Region 7 restaurants and bars never closed or reopened in defiance of mitigation measures. And now YouKnowWho, Esq. will be here tonight to talk to businesses about resisting, injunctions, and all that. Can’t say I blame them in a way if Pritzker has no teeth behind his words.

Comment by Region 7 is (Re)open(ing) Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 1:45 pm
My daughter just got in the mail, a red light camera violation. What should she do

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 1:47 pm
BDD. Check the picture. If it is her, pay it.

Lost a former coach to Covid yesterday. He had coached at Northwestern, so there is an Illinois connection. Like they say, you can’t make new old friends.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 2:05 pm
@- ==Friendly fire - Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 12:52 pm:==

Thank-you for the clarification. None of the PSAs gave the information on the minimum 4 lanes and 2 lanes same direction. I am lucky I did not get a ticket. I shall reform my driving to avoid getting one.

Comment by DuPage Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 2:35 pm
Grandson - I have no problem paying a higher tax rate as long as everybody else does too. We all made the problem, so we should all have to pay to fix it. I find it interesting that so many here think others should shoulder their burdens.

Comment by Captain Obvious Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 2:36 pm
=== I have no problem paying a higher tax rate as long as everybody else does too.===

If it fails, then we will all pay.

Since you’re in the 3%, saving yourself from paying more is not about just sticking it to others, you hope it causes more pain for everyone if it fails.

Good to know.

Thanks.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 2:39 pm
=We all made the problem, so we should all have to pay to fix it. I find it interesting that so many here think others should shoulder their burdens.=

Why should we tax state income using a different methodology than the federal government uses? And if you’re suggesting that our “problems” in Illinois are unique I’d suggest you take a look at what’s happened with our federal deficit over the last few years.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Sep 18, 20 @ 3:07 pm