Diary of a Newspaper Hawk

They sentenced him to 14 years. Now, to work on real crime. Funny: http://senateseatsforsale.blogspot.com

What's in a rant? I can't tell you. All I know is there are more ranters than solvers. I am tired of do-good sign holders telling me how awful the world is. Fix it. You have carried your sign, now go fix it. Or shut up.

The new guy does not impress me much, but you, Mr. Rich Daley, were a class act.

That's the famous picture from the New York Times. A bunch of guys cheering that the USA killed a man in Pakistan. There's Stassi in the middke doing a mix of Richard Nixon and Fonzie, with Wilson, McLeod, Pelosi, Hickey and some other guys trying to figure out what this means. Nobody knows what it means, and lemme tell you I don't know either. I do know Osama bin Laden was a rich brat who used a bunch of kids and dopey lackeys to kill Americans. He was loaded with western money living in the Middle East, blaming America for whatever his therapist told him. Who knows? Now by this time, his death is symbollic. Barack Obama gets to finish what George W. Bush started and this kind of puts them on the same playing field. Nobody is saying these two men agree on much, but they do agree that terrorism from Islam's extreme side is bad and needs to be taken down. I don't know what the right thing to do is, but this could be a big thing, or just another dead Islamic le...

Apparently green rivers weren't what the Real St. Patrick in Ireland had in mind. It seems he was more sober than the cartoon Americans have made him into. Rahm Emanuel is now Mayor Emanuel, the guy who pulled a Sarah Palin in Washington DC and left his job to chase another one (which is really the same as President Obama, who left Illinois a mess to chase the White House). Chicagoans had to choose whose rear-end they would kiss. With only screw-ups like Carol Mosely Braun on the ballot, the schmucks had no choice. The new rage is the old rage, and that's the baby laughing while tearing paper video. Expect to get a good laugh in yourself. The Chicago Code TV show. What do you think? Lots of cliches in there. Teresa Colvin (Jennifer Beals) reminds me as a clone of the Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein - see the free download:  'Get Happy' - House musical performed by Hugh Laurie and Lisa Edelstein [HD] ) character on House. The trouble I have is I don't believe de...

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

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.  

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...

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.

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.

Nothing good coming out of Ravenswood. Nothing good. Keep up with the craziness of Senate seat selling . Maybe Rod Blagojevich will finally be a man and step down. Meanwhile, the weather's getting warm. 54 tomorrow. And as it is Sunday, I won't be selling papers or Senate seats. Church. I'm among the few that still go because they want to. We're not alone, and by 'few', I means 'millions of people'. Chicago Bears seem to be getting better. Too late?

Rain's coming down hard. My papers are wet, but apparently, so is Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Now, everyone knows Judy Barr Topinka was no charmer, and she lost for good reason against Blago. However, Blago himself turns out to be suspect for corruption. Is he guilty? Beats me. I'm not on the jury. Is he a victim of Republican watchdogging? Could be. Either way, we're looking at a new governor sooner or later, and those who dissed George Ryan for his own corruption are at a loss. Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff were arrested today by FBI agents on federal corruption charges

The rains soaked every ounce of this city, most of which landed in my bones. Ain't coffee that I need, but more rest. Papers won't sell themselves tomorrow. But, I'm sick, bedridden, barely focused enough to use my laptop. The news has been a wild lot lately. With John McCain's campaign surging, with a woman helping him lead, I cannot help but think Barack Obama might be worried. It looks like he hasn't got this campaign and the media as wrapped up in bed like it looks. Of course, we need Obama out of Illinois if we want a real man (or woman) in the Senate again. Old Obama has been chasing the White House so much he forgot he has a day job as a senator. I mean, who does he think he is, Carol Moseley Braun? That's true incompetence . Carlos Zambrano threw a no hitter for the Cubbies. Chicago had a half marathon yesterday, as wet as the rest of the city. This was the 2008 Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon. I gotta give a salute to those crazy runners who decid...

I sat in a restaurant watching the Cubs. It occurred to me how often I do this now. It helps the Cubbies are winning, but the places are smoke free now. I'm sinking my cash into joints I'd never go to five years ago. No griping from the tobacco addicts. No one says you can't smoke. Just do it outside. Chicago needs more pollution if we're going to beat Beijing in the Olympics. Smokers, you go ahead, light up until the clouds are dark, and windows are covered with a yellow dinge. We can't do this alone. Of course, we need to get the Olympics first. Daley's on it. And, more importantly, Cubbies are up 5.5 games and the White Sox are clinging to a 0.5 game lead. We'll take it. The News Meanwhile, nepotism is hitting the streets again. Barack Obama mentor Illinois Senate President Emil Jones is trying to get his kid into politics . Cook County boss John Stroger (now deceased) put his son into office too. There's a new political machine in town, and it looks ...

Big news. Not exactly fresh, but it should be. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn died. A real man, and real writer, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970 because of books like One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich , and later wrote The Gulag Archipelago . To the punks who think they know what freedom is, read what not having freedom looks like. The News Two words: World Series. We dream it. Two teams, one city, one series. Let's duke it out. Might be. Could be. But will it be? Hopefully, if Harry Caray is in Heaven (and no one is taking bets on that one), I hope he whispers to God to let it happen. Democrat Arenda Troutman. What Chicago be without a corrupt Democrat in the news? Speaking apparently of herself as well as others (Clients? -- I hope not), she was recorded on tape saying, "Most aldermen, most politicians are hos." The Chicago Sun-Times writes that she guilty , having "admitted to taking bribes and extorting developers seeking zoning preferences....

While politics continues to be run by salary girls and imbeciles, we have two decent baseball teams. I don't mean the Kane County Cougars. Something bright. The News Jerome Holtzman, Dean Of Chicago Baseball Writers, Dies At 82 Not so bright. Sad. He knew the Chicago Cubbies and White Sox as well as could be known. Time to read No Cheering in the Press Box . There's no cheering tonight.

Our early leaders, though war ached their hearts, stood fast against tyranny in favor of freedom. Do our leaders now have the same sober valor? originally posted here: Let Freedom Ring! The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-...