Chicago, IL

This is some bizarre weather that we are having in Chicago! It was a high of 60 degrees yesterday and is heading in that direction again today. It is odd to see people ice skating at Millenium Park in t-shirts.

Such strange temperatures have caused a lot of discussion about global warming, although I do know that we do get a warm day or two like things each winter, so it is inconclusive.

The temps should start dropping tomorrow and will be back to winter by the end of the week, so enjoy it while you can!

Chicago, weather

In the near future, various parts of Chicago could be brought to you by various sponsors. Mayor Daley has spent $285,000 to hire a consulting firm to determine what options are available to the city for naming rights on the el, Navy Pier, and other important parts of city life.

You would think that a consulting firm might suggest that spending $285,000 on a project like that is rather silly, but I suppose then they would be shooting themselves in the foot.

As a purist, I would hate to see the city taken over by corporate sponsorships, more so that it already is at least. Isn’t it bad enough that they are advertisements on the buses, on the trains, at the bus stop, at the train stops, on the tops of taxi cabs and on random signage throughout the city? Do we really need to rename things, like “The CTA brought to you by Target”?

This is all just part of a larger picture of this country being saturated with commercials. Remember when the Rose Bowl was just the Rose Bowl and not “The XXY Company Rose Bowl brought to you by ABC company”? Remember when a timeout in a basketball was just a timeout and not “a timeout by GGG company which reminds you to take a timeout and shop with them…” Those were the good old days, I guess, and now we should brace ourselves for a further influx of advertisements.

Any ideas that the outside firm comes up with must maintain “the integrity of the city of Chicago’s brand image.” The plans must pass the scrutiny of “an advisory group of civic leaders.” I have a feeling, though, that the group of “civic leaders” will be a bunch of Daley cronies who are ready to rubber stamp anything with big dollar signs on it.

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Chicago, Mayor Daley, corporate sponsorship

This was an excellent weekend for football teams in the state of Illinois. On Saturday, The University of Illinois toppled the number one team in the land, The Ohio State University. Then on Sunday, despite having to go to back-up quarterback Rex Grossman, the Chicago Bears managed to beat the Oakland Raiders with a couple of late game scores. (Granted the second of the two events was certainly not as exciting as the first, but it is worth mentioning).

I had a feeling that Illinois could play spoiler to OSU and their national championship hopes. They have been playing well this season and I knew that OSU would not be taking them seriously, already thinking ahead to next week game against The University of Michigan.

After Illinois had the lead toward the end of the game, it seemed like OSU was so stunned that they could not put together anything at all offensively.

I was very happy for Illinois, especially the coach and quarterback Juice Williams who were both so obviously touched by what had taken place. The coach revealed that two years ago, after a rough season, he told Williams and the other players that in two years things would be very different, as the team would rebuild and become a force to be reckoned with. The coach obviously knew what he was talking about as Illinois had its biggest victory in years.
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In what does not come as much of a surprise, today the husband of missing Bolingbrook woman Stacy Peterson was named a suspect in her disappearance. Will County authorities visited the home of Sergeant Drew Peterson today to notify him that he has been suspended from the force.

Stacy Peterson, who was Drew’s fourth wife, has been missing since October 28th. Drew told police that Stacy called him and told him that she was leaving him. That story seems unlikely because none of her family or friends has heard from her. While he was previously a “person of interest,” he is now a suspect.

This is the second wife of Sergeant Peterson to (apparently) meet an untimely end. His prior wife’s death was labeled an accident at the time, but the police have re-opening the investigation. The body of the other woman is being exhumed and will be tested to attempt to determine why the woman became unconscious before drowning in her bathtub. That seems to me something that they should have determined the first time, but I am no medical examiner. There was evidence of blood in the bathtub and it appears that it was made to look accidental.

If he is really responsible for the deaths of both women (presuming of course that Stacy has indeed been murdered) this guy is seriously disturbed. What concerns me is the likely fact that the the first death was ruled accidental because he is a police officer. There is a long history of the wives of police officer having difficulty when their husband is abusive.

Of course there will be much more to come in this case, so stayed tuned for updates.

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Chicago, Stacy Peterson, Drew Peterson, Bolingbrook

It was revealed today that malls in Chicago are at risk of a potential terrorist attack this holiday season. According to Police Superintendent Dana Starks, “Chicago is as safe and secure as any big city can be.” The Governor’s office said that they have “not confirmed the legitimacy of the reported threat, we are working closely with them and will keep the public advised of any developments. We encourage people to go about their holiday shopping and preparations as they always would.”

Upon hearing the news, I did not express alarm, concern, or rethink my holiday shopping plans. Rather, I said, “What malls?” The actual city of Chicago proper does not really have any malls. There is Water Tower Place and that Nordstrom building with shops, but neither of these are “malls.” To me a mall has to be sprawling and have a large contingent of mall walkers. Maybe that is just my rural background coming in to play. I am sure plenty of people in Chicago consider those places to be malls and that has confused the terrorists.

I think that perhaps the terrorists need to get their ducks in a row before making such an elaborate plan. They obviously are not past the first steps of planning if they are thinking of blowing up “Chicago malls.”

Of course, if you are worried, you can visit Shopping Tips online and get some tips about online buying so that you can take care of your holiday purchases without going near any malls.
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Chicago, terrorists, malls

Just like last time, State lawmakers gave the Chicago Transit Autority (CTA) enough stopgap money to avoid the service cuts and layoffs called the “Doomsday” plan just in the nick of time. This time, the cuts were scheduled to take place this Sunday.

The CTA announced this afternoon that they received $27 million from the governor and State lawmakers and will not have to make the planned cuts this weekend.

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CTA, Chicago, Illinois, transit funding

In a bid to help prevent identity theft, the people of Illinois are going to have a new kind of driver’s license and ID card in their wallets. The new look (pictured above) will have the photo in two locations, as well as the person’s date of birth.

In addition to the obvious aesthetic changes, the cards will also have some new high tech features to them which will aid people in identifying fraudulent cards. They have also added tiny text that requires a magnifying glass to read and is hard to reproduce. They also will have wavy, multicolored lines on the front of the cards and holograms. There will also be other features can only be read with a laser pen or under a blue light.

To add another level of security, a new bar code on the back links the card holder to the card and to the facility where it was issued, so that it can be tracked down to determine if it is a fake.

The new look cards are available now in Melrose Park and will be available statewide by January. Don’t worry about getting the new card right away. Your old card is good until it expires, at which you point you will get the new style of card.

This new style is similar to other states that already have the two photo look, such as Ohio. I recall being told in college by an Ohio classmate that they were done that way to help prevent underage kids from having authentic looking fake IDs to buy alcohol. I guess that times have changed when they are less concerned about kids getting booze and more concerned about identity theft.

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Illinois, Chicago, driver’s license, identity theft

Chicago Bears fans have not had a lot to cheer about this season. A rash of injuries on the defense, as well as the replacement of the starting quarterback due to his inadequacy, has made this season the polar opposite of last year’s Super Bowl run.

Yesterday after a win against the Philadelphia Eagles, however, it seemed like the tide shifted and the Bears might be able to right this season after all.

Although the first three quarters of the game amounted to a field goal kicking duel, the Eagles scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to take the lead.

Following a punt by the Eagles, the Bears had the ball at their own three yard line with less than two minutes left in the game. The Bears had no timeouts and it seemed like a win was hopeless. However, overcome all odds, the Bears drove the ball 97 yards down the field in a series of passing played and scored with only nine seconds on the clock.

While this only puts the Bears at a record of 3-4, I could tell by listening to the players in the post-game press conference that they feel a sense of confidence that they still be a contender this season.

The Bears will next play the Detroit Lions at home on Sunday at noon The Bears feel like they should have won in the last game against Detroit, so they are sure to come out without a lot of confidence and will do all they can to win.

Chicago Bears, Chicago, Philadelphia Eagles

Drivers in the city of Chicago are already acutely aware that if the run a red light at one of several intersections throughout the city, they will have a photograph of their car taken. This is usually followed by a ticket in the mail and a copy of the photo of their car speeding through the intersection a bit too late.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, if Mayor Daley’s latest plan comes into action, illegal parkers in the city of Chicago will also be subjected to similar photographic crime-stopping power. The mayor wants to install high-resolution digital cameras to the front of street sweepers to capture images of cars who are parked illegally and blocking the street cleaning machines. The street sweepers will feature two cameras, one to take a photo of the vehicle and its surroundings and the other to focus on the license plate.

Mayor Daley originally brought up the idea three years ago and now City Hall appears to be moving forward with the plan. City aldermen are expressing concern over the plan, in part because the signs that tell motorists not to park in certain areas because of the street sweepers are typically removable paper signs, which can blow away or be taken down by pranksters. Thus, motorists may not even realize that they are parking illegally.

I suppose that it is more cost-effective to use automatic cameras on vehicles already in use for another purpose, rather than employing additional personnel to patrol and issue tickets. While the aldermen’s concerns are valid, this is the same argument that could be raised if it was simply a patrol officer placing a ticket on a car. The motorist could still fight the ticket, stating that there was inadequate notice that it was a no parking zone. Further, the motorist could potentially use the photograph that the street sweeper takes of the surroundings to show that there was not a “no parking” sign, if that is indeed the case.

I hope that the Wienermobile has learned its lesson and won’t fall victim to these new illegal parking cameras.

Chicago, Mayor Daley, parking cameras, street sweeper cameras

Are you one of the thousands of people who did not get to finish the Chicago marathon because you were ordered to stop when the race was canceled? Do you feel like you still have a marathon in you? Several marathon organizers are looking to help you out.

If you head to Denver, Colorado this weekend and provide proof that you were registered for the Chicago marathon, you can run the marathon there for free. You can pre-register here (use promo code ChicagoRunner) and then show proof of Chicago registration at packet pick-up. Although the marathon is at a higher altitude than what you trained for, the marathon organizer says that it is a fairly flat course.

The reason why Denver Marathon Executive Director Anton Villatoro decided to give free registrations is that “as a former professional athlete, I know what it takes to train for a big race and the disappointment of not being able to finish due to circumstances outside of my control.”

Other options available are $15 discounts at both the Des Moines Marathon on October 21st and the Siouxland Lewis and Clark Marathon on October 20th (use promo code Chicagomarathon07).

When I first heard the introduction of this story on the local news, I thought that the Chicago Marathon director was offering a rebate or a discount on next year’s registration. At least some other race directors recognize our disappointment, even if our own does not.

Personally, I decided to create this shirt, which I will wear proudly. Want your own? Click here.

Chicago Marathon, marathon, Siouxland Lewis and Clark Marathon, Des Moines Marathon, Denver Marathon, Chicago, running

Mayor Daley proposed a property tax increase and a bottled tax that could raise close to $300 million for city programs.

Daley urged a reluctant City Council to raise property taxes by $108 million, or 15.1 percent, to maintain and build libraries, but only if feuding Democrats in Springfield put aside their differences and extend the 7 percent cap on property assessment increases.

The proposed bottled water tax would mean that every bottle of water would cost an additional 10 cents. Additional proposals include raising the city sticker cost for SUV drivers from $90 to $120. Daley also wants an new liquor tax, which would add eight cents to the cost of a six-pack of beer, seven cents to a bottle of wine, and 24 cents to a liter of liquor.

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The Chicago Cubs are in desperate need of a win after losing their second game in a row to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division series last night. Starter Ted Lilly got shelled early and the Cubs lost 8-4.

Although there were some good offensive highlights, like the two-run homer by rookie catcher Geovany Soto, the veteran players did not come through at crunch time. The Cubs left an unacceptable 9 men on base, which shows that they are not getting hits and driving in runs when they need to.

Lilly, who is normally a steady pitcher out on the mound and can be relied on to pitch well following a Cubs loss, lost his composure early after giving up a home run to the D-backs. Lilly threw his mitt to the ground in a show of anger and frustration. After that he never really got back on track and was taken out later in the game after giving up a two-run triple.

What I think is wrong with the Cubs is all mental. They obviously have strong enough pitching and hitting to have won at least won out of two from the D-Backs. I think what is happening is that the Cubs are over-thinking, over-trying, and putting too much pressure on themselves.

One look at the box scores of the first two games shows that players like Soto, Matt Murton, and Ryan Theriot are getting hits, while stars Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee have not been very successful. I think it is because Theriot and the others do not feel that they have pressure on them to hit homeruns and drive in a lot of runs, so they are more relaxed at the plate.

It could also be that the more veteran players realize the significance of the play-offs more and what it means for the Cubs to be in the play-offs and all of the history and years of anguish that are on their shoulders. This is preventing them from relaxing at the plate and causing them to swing at bad pitches. The rookies on the other hand appear to be playing it like it is any other game. Maybe that is the right mentality.

The Cubs play for their right to stay in the play-offs this Saturday at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Game time is 5:00 p.m. central time.

Photo: Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Cubs, Ted Lilly, Geovany Soto, Arizona Diamondbacks, NLDS

The Chicago Cubs play game two of their series with the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight in Phoenix. Last night’s game resulted in a 3-1 Cubs loss. The Cubs bats were mostly silent, with only four hits, including one coming from starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano. Zambrano left the game in the seventh with a 1-1 tie, but reliever Carlos Marmol could not keep the Diamondback scoreless.

While I expected a good outing from Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Webb, I really expected the Cubs to be able to get something going offensively. The power that they showed in the month of September was non-existent and the Cubs must realize that they need to put more than one run on the board to be successful in the playoffs.
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The city of Chicago held a rally yesterday at Daley Plaza to celebrate the Chicago Cubs winning the National League central and making it to the playoffs. It is the first time that the team has made the post season since 2003.

The rally was attended by Governor Rod Blagojevich, White Sox fan Mayor Daley, former Cubs players, and other city officials. Large video screen displayed messages from the Cubs players and radio announcers were unable to attend the rally. Cheers went up in the crowd as each player gave a message to the fans, often to the point of drowning out what the players were actually saying.

As is typical in nationally-spotlighted games, Mayor Daley has made a wager with mayor of Phoenix, with the losing team having to send a variety of local food items to the winning city. Among the local companies making donations are Harry Carey’s restaurant, Fisher, and Connie’s Pizza. Daley joked that after Cubs manager Lou Pinella wins the World Series, he should go down to Springfield to help the governor out. Daley even donned a Cubs hat, if only for about 15 seconds.

The Cubs will first be up against the Arizona Diamondbacks who won the National League West. The series starts tomorrow and game one is expected to start at 9:00 p.m. central time on TBS. Game two will be at the same time on Thursday night. I am sure that there will be plenty of tired people at work or school Thursday and Friday mornings.

On Saturday, the Cubs come home to Chicago and the expected start at 5:00 p.m. at Wrigley Field.

Photo courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Chicago Cubs, playoffs, National League Divisional Series, baseball, Chicago, Mayor Daley, Lou Pinella

The police are awaiting testing on a body found in Calumet City yesterday to determine if it is that of missing Chicago woman Nailah Franklin who has been missing since September 18th.

The body, which was found in a field, is so badly decomposed that the police were unable to make an identification of the body, or even determine the race of the victim. The results of the identification process may come sometime today.

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