Diary of a Newspaper Hawk

I've been thinking a lot about Carol Moseley Braun's audacity to enter the Chicago mayoral race had me thinking about former Washington DC mayor Marion Barry and Former Cicero town president Betty Loren Maltese. Funny connection they all have. Braun has, incidentally, never gone to prison, but I personally wouldn't trust her watching my hound dog. Betty Loren Maltese : She received national attention for her role in an insurance scam which robbed the town of $12 million. ( Wikipedia ) Marion Barry : His celebrity transformed into international notoriety in January 1990, when Barry was videotaped smoking crack cocaine and arrested by FBI officials on drug charges. ( Wikipedia ) Carol Moseley Braun : Chicago Democrats survive their scandals by multiplying them, hoping the unbroken monotony of misdeeds will anesthetize the public. But Moseley-Braun may have overdone it even after some notable campaign finance excesses in 1992. ( George Will ) Then again, Rahm Emanuel

Christmas is, if nothing else, a time when people are culturally forced to be nice to each other. While this guy is a little crude about it, he gets it. Even the most bitter, angry, hateful people slow down a little. They might not see the full reality of Christmas, but halfway there is a start. Me, I have, as most of you have, plans to have dinner with family. No work today, or tomorrow, but back Monday hawking and slinging everything I've got. To the mystery visitor to this blog who donated to my cause, thank you. May God bless you, too. I hate fig pudding. It sounds awful. Getting a good hot bowl of a thick hearty soup is one way to watch out for the cold mornings. So Merry Christmas. Be thankful, be warm, and don't get too cynical out there. It is Jesus Christ's birthday. Don't ruin it for Him. The News Ronny Santo died . Sad. Always liked him. So did Madoff's kid . Can't say nothing nice about a guy I never knew. Santa has been declared a fatt

I Am Running for Mayor of Chicago I think this t-shirt is funny. Buy one and tell your friends. They have them in mugs and so on. Join Carol Mosely Braun and other has-beens, wannabes and quitters. http://www.cafepress.com/ChicagoMayor

Black Friday. I'm in the thick of it. Just because the weather's cold (29 as I type with brittle fingers), and half of America has a day, I'm here. Each newspaper equals income. There's no salary out here in the streets hawking papers. Michigan Avenue is run over by tourists and executives, and suburban moms. The moms are kind, dropping a few coins into my tip jar even if they don't buy a paper. It is nice to see they understand how hard a life this is. Every dollar counts. Every dollar helps me make it another day, drinking another cup of coffee hoping tomorrow will be warmer, better. Someone even gave me $20.00 for a buck and half paper. Ma'am, I hope God smiles on you today. Thank you, who ever you are. Sales are brisk, though they come in spurts. People grab a paper on the way in from the L and the Metra, sit down in a Starbucks  and flip through looking for Black Friday sales. Black Friday is here. Black Monday is coming.

Yesterday in the Loop blew my mind. 49 years ago, I was too young to get it. But as I sat slugging papers, a man comes up to me, maybe 70 years old, and tells me he wants a copy of every newspaper. Old school Italian guy named Alfredo. He gave it all to me the way my dad would have explained it. This was at 6:00 am. "What are you doing here now?" I asked. "I want a good spot. Gonna be a crowd today, and I don't have 49 years in me for the next one." "Right here's a good spot," I said. He pulled out his folded chair, and I sat on me, and we talked until we had to stand and cheer. It beats hearing about Blagojevich and those whiners who are all in a tizzy about Sarah Palin's boobs. If I want conversation about nothing, I can just hook into whatever Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber is talking about. Congratulations Chicago Blackhawks. Search Amazon.com for Blackhawks Gear

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone? Not much here in Chicago whether's she's here or not. Warmer temps don't mean sun. They mean slush.   Stories about the dark side of Chicago continue. Terrorism suspects . Cops who tortue suspects . Corrupt lawyers going to prison . How much the Chicago Bears suck .   And this isn't getting into our corrupt politics. President Obama, Illinois' holy child, hasn't done squat for Chicago. We are not better of than we were in 2008 under George Bush. Unemployment is worse, state and city politics is as bad as when Blago tried to sell Obama's seat. So Mr. Yes We Can is just Mr. I Hope We Will.