Diary of a Newspaper Hawk

You heard the news. The Chicago Tribune (whose papers I love to sell) sold the Cubbies. It happens. Trib wasn't doing it right, plus they aren't selling enough papers, let me tell you. Do I care? No. Who owns the Cubs? The fans do. Not Tommy Rickert. Don't get me wrong. He pays the bills, and will make some money. No one believes him when he said they would go to the World Series. That's bar talk. Still, he is planning to improve the food and johns. That's a good thing. So welcome, Tom Rickert. Get it done right.

Been looking around. What do I see? Crabby people who don't know how good they've got it. So what, the Cubbies are being sold? You think they'd be sold if they were making tons of money? No way. Why aren't they making tons? Because the present management can't get the job done. The White Sox take it all the way. What do Cubs fans do? Whine about a guy named Bartman who had a ball land in his lap. Bears fans are no better. They gripe about QBs. It could be worse. We could've had Brett Favre. Instead, all they got on their lips are two words: Nineteen. Eightyfive. What's that? Right. 24 years ago. It ain't just sports. Politics too. Whoa is me, whoa is the nation, whoa is the world. I call talk show lemmings. The Pied Piper of the Air Waves gets on, complains about the president. This year, they hate Obama. Last year, it was Bush. Their supporters can't hear any wrong, and their detractors can't hear anything good. Both blame the media, but it is t...

The heat is like the cold. Papers just don't sell. Papers sell when people got time, and they linger. In the heat, they move inside. They don't mess around with dropping me a buck and grabbing a Trib or a Times. Cold days, rainy days -- everyone expects this. But on a hot day, a business guy in a suit? He wants nothing to do with humidity. And let me tell you, that's Chicagoland, and whatever Chicagoland has got going on, th Loop is loaded with it. Heat, and the humidity off the lake. It's not all bad news. Just because one plugger is struggling doesn't mean we all are. Take Mohammed A. Sekhani. He's a waiter at Gibson's . Nice joint. Steakhouse. Top rate, I'm told. I don't eat there, but Johnny Depp does. A meat eater. Depp left him $4,000 to say thanks for good service. What if that happened to me? It would change my life. Want more? See Stella Foster's article. Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy [Blu-ray]

Now no one out there who knows Chicago doesn't Koko. Know the blues? You know Koko. Know anything about music? Maybe, maybe not. She wasn't famous like Bach, but she is a legend like Elvis. Koko's dead. I saw her in a few blues bars over the years, and caught her from the lawn seats at the Chicago Blues Fest . The Chicago Tribune collected what others are saying . They describe her Koko Taylor, born Cora Walton in Memphis, Tennessee, moved to Chicago in 1955 and is known as Queen of the Blues. In 1966, she had a major hit with her cover of Willie Dixon's "Wang Dang Doodle (see video below)," a tune that's since become a signature hit for her. Her smoky, almost-masculine-like vocals have influenced some of the most revered female singers around, including Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin. Even now, at 79, she pretty much owns the blues scene, having won 25 W.C. Hardy Awards (now known as the Blues Music Awards), more than any other artist.

Ain't no good way of saying what needs saying: This guy is an embarrassment to Chicago's finest. Worse than the thugs popping guns in the hood because he claims to be a good man. He's not, as evidenced here . Anthony Abbate claimed self-defense. She weighs 125. He weighs 250. Apparently, if it was self-defense, he's not much of a man either. Man up, pal. The Chicago cops are a fine bunch. Not this chump.

A few known facts are buzzing around. Sarah Palin's publishing a book, and while it won't come out until 2010, people are talking about it . My Chicago Bears are looking at a sweet schedule for the fall. It is politics as usual in the Supreme Justice election as Obama nominates a Democrat. This should play well in Chitown, land of Daley, Jackson and Blagovich . Poor Mike Tyson's daughter Exodus is seriously hurt . Chicago has a Swine Flu death . Susan Boyle is still amazing (but can she sing the blues?). Cubs are playing average, Sox are not. Both aren't impressive. If I cared about hockey, I'd watch the Blackhawks . Nice season they are racking up.

Kathy and Judy were like a feminist version of the basic shock jock. They weren't much for swearing, but they talked about the same kinds of topics that made Steve Dahl famous in the 1970s. Nothing ground breaking about what they said, except that they steered clear of the kind of controversy which would get Dahl fired from places like WLUP back in the day. Apparently, WGN audiences were tired of cute stories about divorce and sex by two old women. Former Chicago newspaper columnists Kathy O’Malley and Judy Markey hosted for their show 20 years. Coming across like a mix of suburban gossips and hair salon complainers, audiences grew weary, and WGN decided enough was enough. Needless to say, the ol' Hawk is tired of them two. The began sounding like two moms chatting as if no one was listening, but ended up like two biddies chatting - and no one was listening. Chicago Tribune : The Girlfriends are going away. WGN-AM 720 this morning announced it is discontinuing the "Kathy ...

With all the noise about Drew Peterson , Rod Blagovich and the Barack Obama gaff , it is fun to see something cool. Lebron James Game Winning Shot Live NBA Playoffs 2009 Game 2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic. Michael Jordan look out. The Chicago Bulls are still my boys, but I gotta give props to King James.

The authorities aren't sure yet, but they will know soon. It could also be Lisa Stebic, also lost around that time. Stacy Peterson's husband is the infamous clown Drew Peterson, the former cop. Even John Wayne Gacy had more dignity than Drew. http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7642347&page=1 Meanwhile, the life and times of a newspaper hawk are a little better. Good weather offers better sales. The skirts and skirt chasers are out, creating entertaining diversions as I sit on a milk crate.

Drew Peterson is either extremely innocent, or extremely guilty. Not much to say, but if he's innocent, he effectively laughs at the dead. If he's guilty, he's in mighty big trouble because the good guys think they have enough evidence to make him down. Whatever Peterson is, a good man is not part of his description. The News Peterson is arrested, appears in court. http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/08/drew.peterson.murder/index.html Anyone reading http://www.triblocal.com ? Hyperlocal versions of the Chicago Tribune. Helps me sell a few extra papers.

Say it ain't so. Chicago's favorite team, the Chicago Cubs may soon be the Chicago Zellies, playing in the what --? It better not be Trump Field. Whatchu' Talkin' 'Bout, Willis? Sears Tower Gets New Name (and more here ) Here's to Ronnie Woo Woo , a man who is a fan. We've never met, but as spring approaches, I must think of him. Mr. Ronnie Wickers, I hope all is well tonight. I am a fan of your fandome.

Radio Legend Paul Harvey Dies ABC News That's all. There's no more to his story until he meets God. I'll miss him.

Curious people, mostly wondering what the new tabloid look of the Trib is like, rushed to buy in the last few weeks. Warmer weather helped. If you don't count yesterday, that is. Rain soaked my stock. Most of it, anyway. The rain came down so hard, I couldn't keep my plastic on. That's not the real news though. News Sadness today. You saw the headline. Red and Norm died. Cancer for Red. Norm - they don't know yest, but 'natural causes'. Chicagoans know who I mean. Red was the guy in booth, and Norm was more of an analyst after the game. They loved basketball, and helped guys like me who never had the skills love it more. They both played it, (Red even coached it), and both were fans through to the end. These guys were the Harry Caray of their game. I got get to my corner, but this is big for us. To you, Norman Allen Van Lier III, and to you, John G. “Red” Kerr, rest in peace. It is a different ballgame now.

Scum ex-cop, and scum ex-governor are peas of a pod, and pees on a pod, both shaking what little they've got on TV. I was telling someone, as we both worried about the great Chicago Tribune's troubles, that Illinois has so much scum it is a wonder we aren't called 'Detroit.' Here Drew Peterson talks about a possible dating game on Steve Dahl's radio show. Rod Blagovich gets his mouth on with Barbara Walters on the View. I guess Rosie O'Donnell was too busy.

Cold, cold days I have spent shivering. No one buys papers on these coldest of cold days, yet I'm there wishing they would. Why am I there? No amount of coffee helps. One guy gave me a hand warmer. That helped. Try them. Amazing. Chicago Tribune is changing Monday. Not for everyone, but I'll be selling the tabloid style, like the Sun-Times. Buy it on Amazon so I can make a buck. Buy anything on Amazon, for that matter, and I'll make a couple bucks. Rod Blagovich. What's there to say? Some funny stuff here: Senate Seats for Sale . Lost his attorney, but that might be a game to allow time to re-figure his approach. Either way, we'll have a new governor soon enough. A new president comes our way too, but Barack Obama has his own troubles . I think he'll find out George Bush was probably not the schmuck his campaign said he was. Famous painter Andrew Wyeth died . I liked his stuff. Christina's World: mysterious. Tough times for many. I'm not the only one no...