Diary of a Newspaper Hawk

What days we have that are now cool and kind, just before the booming cold? Selling papers is nicest now, sitting with a cup of coffee. Picked up a large at Intelligensia. Haven't been there in a while. The cool weather means the salary girls are bundling up. Just as well, too. I bet productivity goes up on days where modesty prevails, though, every salary girl knows how to trick up the day. Saw a one-legged guy in a wheel chair. You've seen him, haven't you? His right leg is off just before or around the knee. Black guy. He uses a combination of his hands pushing the wheeling and his left leg in a soft or pull/drag. Hard to see. Wondered what could be done. Was it -- his leg, that is -- lost in a war? Or was it less noble, like from malnutrition? He was too thin to fit my stereotype of a diabetic, but I could be wrong. All I know is a guy was slowly working up the sidewalk near the AON Building, underdressed, and, for what he was wearing, in need of new duds. Homeless? I g...

I have a cold, making the beautiful September day a loss. It might as well be February. The salary girls have turned in their flirty skirts for beige pants and tiny jackets. The News The big news in the papers is about the paper. As it seems, " Al Qaeda offers bounty on Swedish cartoonist ." This makes Islam look afraid, unable to handle an insult. Making their good reputation worse, they want to pay someone to knock off the cartoonist, to slaughter him like a lamb. George Bush never looked so right about Iraq. It has been revealed that Omar al-Baghdadi is as real as Mohammad and Santa Claus, with an actor playing Baghdadi. Hopefully, Lars Vilks will get in contact with Salman Rushdie and sort out how to handle the Al Qaeda street gang. I haven't seen the current lot, and have no doubt they are offensive to those who believe in Islam. Don't get me wrong. Offensive is offensive, and I would not tell someone they have to like or agree. That's a big difference though...

Thinking about important things as the rain considers to fall. The important things aren't how many papers I sell tonight in the coming 5:00 rush, but our men and women in Iraq who don't have it nearly as easy as myself, or any of those plopping 50 cents my way to read the news. Funny thing on a blog talking about Hillary Clinton claiming Osama bin Laden converted to Christianity . The News The news is good. Guilty As Charged James Marcello, Joey "the Clown" Lombardo, Frank Calabrese Sr. and Paul "the Indian" Schiro and Anthony "Twan" Doyle. Each of these men are scum. Losers. In some cases, bad fathers. According now to their jury, criminals. Murderers, racketeering, extortion. These are men that smile, say it wasn't them. So bad were these men that a brother and son could not stomach the crap they were dealing. If my dad or brother was one of these men, I would be ashamed to share the last name. One is a a slimy cop, corrupt in every way. Fro...

The Puppet Bike guy at Michigan and Adams (you might see him near Randolph too) continues on. I've never met him, though we know of each other. His show, a plotless Punch and Judy dance of kitties, takes place on the stage - the back of his bike. What fascinates kids is the old fashioned fun. No iPod, XBox, Wii or any other technology. The set is simple, the same as any traditional park puppet theater. These are standard hand puppets, not complex marionettes. Far as I can tell, the characters are only two cats, a monkey, a squirrel, and an alligator. The reality is, there is no puppet guy. There's at least a few guys, as far as I can see. All are doing this for tips. At least I make a few cents on each newspaper I sell. So, give the guy (or gal) a tip). You tip the coffee maven, the taxi driver. Tip this Chicago Institution. It is like PBS live, downtown, and in the Loop. The News I won't let Barry Bonds be news. I don't respect him. Hank Aaron was a man, and Barry Bon...

What a month! Little laptop trouble kept me from going online as much as I would like. It is just as well. I got some exercise. Seems everyone is going out for a walk or a run . Sales have gone in and around. The humid weather is scaring away the weekday tourists, but the gossip of the day crowd is on top of it. A friend was almost mugged until one of Chicago's Finest stepped out of a coffee shop unexpectedly. Nothing like a cop to scare off the baddies. I caught a few movies . Saw Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille . Impressive. I, myself, someone who sells newspapers, bought a newspaper while passing by the Olgivie Train Station. To think all the years I have been hawking, I have never met this guy. Could be a turf thing. I'm rarely where he is and probably vice versa. Anyway, I was off one day last week, thought I would see how the White Sox were doing. You've seen him, on the east side, just where you would enter the station's lower level? He never talks. Just grunts a...

It feels like fall today. Coffee always tastes better in the brisk morning. Today's coffee is Columbian, with sugar and cream. The News The New York Times has blogged about Google's Lauren Turner choosing to post her own opinion. It is nice to see that Google's not such an institution that it forces all employees to think uniformally. How refreshing that free speech still exists, even in corporate America. Michael Moore is making his money while making a point. Is it a surprise that Lauren Turner wants to spout her thoughts? Let freedom ring. As Michael Moore himself has said, America is the best country in the world, and his and Turner's freedom of speech is evidence of this.

When I mentioned Capt. America was dead , an outpouring of interest came on this little blog. Now that he's being buried , does the nation care? They seemed to care then , but now? I'm heading to the Taste of Chicago. If you see me, I'm there to eat. No paper selling today. The News Barry Bonds is trying to beat Hank Aaron's homerun record. Scum Conrad Black's jury is thinking . No other real news, not in Chicago. Not today.