See this and much more funny stuff that plays on your cruel, guilt-ridden sense of humor at iOwnTheWorld.com.

I have to promote those nutjobs now and then. Sure, I love them, but I also know what they to bloggers who don't cooperate.

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BREAKING - 9:50 P.M. - June 27, 2009 - Chicago - A huge power outage "from downtown Chicago north to Evanston" currently just about everything "east of Lakeshore Drive" in the dark. Fortunately, not many people are affected directly because the area is mostly beaches and parks. Lincoln Park, which runs from W. North Avenue north to W. Hollywood Avenue in Edgewater, is the largest stretch of park in that area. However, north of W. Hollywood (5700 north), there are thousands who live in highrise buildings just east of N. Sheridan Road, then thousands more north that in Rogers Park along the east side of N. Sheridan. The entire area is served by ComEd (Commonwealth Edison). Source: Chicago Police Department radio frequencies.

RELATED:
67000 ComEd customers remain without power after storms - Chicago Sun-Times - ‎June 20
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A spokesperson for the 2009 Chicago Gay Pride Parade says that the emphasis will be more on "pride" this year and "less on crotches."

"We're all very proud," the spokesperson said, "of the great accomplishments that so many gays and lesbians have made. We're proud of our artistic contributions, of our economic and business success, of our overcoming of great social barriers and centuries of persecution."

"Then why" I asked, "is there so much emphasis on crotches? What does a bare rump hanging out of a tutu have to do with any of that? Doesn't it just perpetuate tired, undesirable stereotypes?"

"Sure," the spokesperson replied, "that's why, this year, we're requiring all of the parade participants to wear modest, business casual clothing. I mean, if you go to a Polish Pride parade or an African-American pride parade, for example, the participants use the parade to highlight their accomplishments, not their genitalia. It's a forum for promoting their contributions to society, not to solicit a quick hum job in the alley."

"So, no more lewd parade float riders? No more throbbing crotches?" I asked.

"No more," the spokesman said.

Of course, this conversation never happened. No spokesman said those things, and probably never will.

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A funny thing happened on the way to this story. My primary source proved late this morning that she is unreliable. Will that stop me? No, it just adds another dimension to the story.

The main thrust of this story was going to be the allegedly horrible conditions at the Miriam Apartments, a taxpayer funded SRO at 4707 N. Malden Avenue on the north side of Chicago. It sits in Alderman Helen Shiller’s 46th Ward, in a neighborhood that has more than its share of public housing buildings, gang problems, prostitution and violence.

The Miriam is owned by Mercy Housing Lakefront (“Mercy Lakefront”), which also has the Malden Arms Apartments at 4727 N. Malden.

Instead, it’s more about the process of trying to write a story and how a story can get screwed up, delayed and messed around. It’s about a source who hasn't come through and has made false promises. It’s about the Chicago Department of Buildings, which doesn’t seem to know its assessments from its elbow joints.

I was first told of the allegations about the Miriam Apartments in May, 2009 by a woman who lives in that building. Latoya (not her real name) alleged that water leaks through the exterior brick walls and that, as a result, interior walls were bulging in some of the residential units. A look at the building will tell you that it is in need of tuck pointing, and that at least one drain pipe is detached from the rain gutter. Latoya added that “interior plumbing leakage” is another contributing factor to the moisture problem within the building’s walls.

Latoya also claims that mold and mildew are problems in the building, partly as a result of the moisture in the walls. The Chicago Department of Buildings seems to confirm that allegation (see below). On Friday, June 19, says Latoya, there were partial ceiling collapses in three areas of the Miriam Apartments. Two, she says, were in residential units. The third was in a common “kitchen area,” and I let her take a photo of it with my camera. It is clearly a hole, and the garbage cans placed underneath it would seem to be there to catch any more water that drips through. It should be added that I did not personally see this, just the photo she snapped.

A laundry list of the other allegations made to me by Latoya:

- Bedbug infestation.

- Roaches, mice and other vermin.

- A back door that was left unlocked, allowing non-residents to enter freely (that problem, I’ve learned, was corrected in late May).

- Staff who are allegedly “frequently absent” or “asleep” at the high-security front desk. To enter you must be buzzed through a locked door, then enter a lobby and speak to the desk attendant through glass bank teller-style. Latoya claims that a neighbor on the street has video of non-residents crawling through the front windows during desk staff absences or naps.

- Latoya says there is only one emergency light in each hallway, on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors, and one in the common kitchen area.

- Bricks, says Latoya, fall from the exterior walls now and then. (I must add that I saw no holes where a brick might have once been, but that tuck pointing is in need of attention and there are cracks in the exterior walls.)

- Criminal activity in the building, says Latoya, is common and frequent. From violence to drug sales, prostitution to theft, the activity is allegedly not reported by Mercy Lakefront as required to Chicago Housing Choice Voucher Program (CHAC), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or to the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA).

On Monday, June 22 I met with Latoya in Uptown. I took careful notes as she answered questions. Mostly, I reviewed with she had told me in the past. The only news she had was the ceiling collapse. She said she had more photos, but they were on film in a disposable camera. She needed to get them developed, but would get copies to me.

I came to realize only this morning that Latoya is not reliable. I’m not saying she’s lying; I can’t know that, and I can’t know if she’s telling the truth either. I do know that she has told me untruths. I have a gut feeling that most of what she has told me is true, but she has worked against herself by not providing substantiation to me. Lying means telling an untruth intentionally. An untruth can be told innocently if the teller honestly believes the untruth or did not intend to mislead.

While a writer or reporter has certain ethical obligations that they should follow in dealing with a source, a source should have enough common sense to follow a few simple, unwritten rules too. Those rules would be, simply enough, to provide as much pertinent information as possible to the reporter as possible; if you tell a reporter that you're in a hurry to get the story out do yourself a favor and get documents and photos to the reporter. After asking Latoya repeatedly for copies of documents, complaints and photographs, she has not come through.

Last Monday, June 22, Latoya told me she had photos on a disposable film camera and would get them developed and prints to me quickly. But this morning, by phone, she told me that the photos she has are now on a CD and in the hands of Unique So Chic, a local chocolate boutique.

“You said you were going to give them to me after you had the film developed,” I said to her on the phone.

“I promised them to Unique So Chic a long time ago,” she replied.

“Then why did you tell me on Monday that you’d get them to me as soon as possible?” I asked.

“My phone minutes are running short,” she said.

“Fine,” I said, “then let Unique So Chic write the story.”

Huh? Why she chose to give those photos to a chocolate shop rather than to me or any other writer is a mystery. I mean, I love chocolate, and Unique So Chic is a nice place, but what are they going to do with those photos?

I’m writing it now, or part of it anyway. Admittedly, the story is not the story I was hoping to write, but at least it’s out there now. A source who has not been able to substantiate anything she’s told me, except for a small portion of a ceiling that appears to have collapsed, has shown that she is quite capable of misrepresenting herself.

Latoya and I have communicated by e-mail, phone and in person. Despite my asking her several times for copies of her correspondence with HUD, CHA and other agencies, she never sent anything to me. Latoya emphasized nearly two weeks ago (on Monday, June 15) that she wanted the story to get out “quickly.” Her desire to was heightened after the ceiling collapse on June 19.

Latoya had already been talking to another reporter for a couple of weeks about the Miriam Apartments. On Monday, June 14, I ran into Latoya in Uptown and asked how the story was going. She told me that the other reporter was not moving quickly enough for her. I knew about the story, but gave that other reporter “dibs” on it as a “professional courtesy,” since Latoya and she already seemed to have a working relationship. That broke down, however, and Latoya “gave” me the story a week later.

Lenora, the other reporter (not her real name), assured me that she would get the story up by 6:00 p.m. on Monday, June 22. She still has not posted that story (as of 6 :20 p.m., June 25). Lenora had her chance at the story, and the dibs came off at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. In fact, Lenora actually informed me this morning that she no longer cares about the story. “You can have the damned story,” she yelled at me. I mean, she really yelled at me, in a bizarre and frightening way. (Don’t ask, you don't want to know.)

It seems that the few people who want this story out have either screwed around on it, given up on, underreported it, or are simply unreliable. Sadly, I include the Chicago Department of Buildings (DOB) in that group.

On Wednesday, June 24, I spoke to Bill McCaffery, a DOB spokesman. In the course of asking him about violations and citations and warnings and all the rest related to Mercy Lakefront’s Miriam Apartments, McCaffery told me how violation notices are handled.

In a nutshell, McCaffery let it be known that the Department of Buildings official policy is “not written down anywhere.” I was shocked. How can it be “official” if it’s never even been written down? That’s just how it’s always been, he said. Whatever, I moved on.

If a problem is "persistent" the building owner “will get another notice.” After how long? I asked. Notices, McCaffery said, have no deadlines for action. There is no requirement for a building owner to fix a problem within any period of time, he said.

“But,” I said to him, “a simple parking ticket has a deadline for payment. Why doesn’t a citation for quality-of-life building violations have a deadline?”

No answer to that. He plowed on to say that follow-up by DOB is often not made or made after a long time because "we're stretched pretty thin." Here’s how thin, in the case of the Miriam Apartments:

McCaffery was generous with his time and reviewed the recent inspection history of the building for me.

June, 2006 - An inspection found “rotted window frames” on the 2nd and 3rd floors. “A notice was sent to them,” he said. (My photos of June 22 clearly show rotting, misshapen window frames with flaking paint on all floors, including those on the ground floor.)

October 2008 - A DOB inspection found "flaking paint" on "rotted window frames." But, McCaffery said, "they may have fixed the problem." There was no deadline to fix this, of course, and as noted above, it has not been fixed.

February 2009 - Another DOB inspection found leaks "throughout" the building and mold in interior walls. While telling me this, McCaffery told me that DOB "has had no complaints of mold."

June 7, 2009 - A complaint was made to the DOB of open garbage in the boiler room.

"Wait," McCaffery told me near end of phone interview, "I do have a complaint of mold here. I wonder why it's not in the record." He said he would look into that, then mentioned that Mercy has a date in Housing Court coming up soon. I asked him to call me back with details about the mold complaint and the court date. He said he'd get back me in the afternoon.

He has not called back. On the morning of Thursday, June 25, his office voicemail said he would be out of the office all day, returning on Friday, June 26.

Heck, that’s way past my deadline. I wouldn’t want to keep Latoya waiting.

Should we watch for a full, in-depth report about The Miriam Apartments and Mercy Housing Lakefront from the chocolate boutique? Latoya seems to think so.

RELATED:
mercyhousinglakefront.com
Take It To The Park - Uptown Update
Gang Fight At Leland And Malden Tonight - Uptown Update
'Malden Arms' SRO To Appeal Zoning Decision - Uptown Update
Mayor Daley and the rehabilitation of Malden Arms
Mercy Housing Lakefront press release, Sept 8, 2008
Chicago ordinance, 2008; loans to Malden Arms Limited Partnership (PDF)

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The FBI arrested blogger Hal Turner, known to be a white supremacist, on charges that he called for the killing of three federal judges in Chicago. Earlier this month, Turner was arrested on charges of calling for violence against three Connecticut state officials.

Chicago Breaking News (CBN) reports that U.S. Attorney's office alleges that blogger Hal Turner publicly called for the killing of three federal appeals court judges who serve on the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago. The U.S. Attorney's office says that Turner's web site included photos of the judges and addresses for them, with statements such as: "Let me be the first to say this plainly; These judges deserve to be killed." Although the federal charges against Turner were brought in Chicago, he will appear in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J. on Thursday, June 25.

In a separate but related case, the Jersey Journal reported on June 11 that Turner turned himself into Connecticut State Capitol Police "on charges of inciting injury against three officials in that state, according to Connecticut officials." In this case, the Jersey Journal story said, "The charge stems from posts Turner put on his blog regarding two elected officials and a state employee in Connecticut who took the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport to task for failing to register as a lobbyist before staging a large protest against a bill aimed at changing how Catholic parishes incorporate."

There are fake photos going around the Internet that are purported to be taken by a passenger on the doomed Air France flight 447. That Airbus 330 plane fell into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009 while on its way from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

The photos are actually from a trailer for the TV series "Lost" in 2006 (Lost 1, fall season preview), but fakers are sending it around by e-mail with a heart wrenching "report" about how the supposed disaster photos were made. A number of web sites have fallen for the hoax.

The two photos attached were apparently taken by one of the passengers in the B737, just after the collision and before the aircraft crashed. The photos were retrieved from the camera's memory stick. You will never get to see photos like this. In the first photo, there is a gaping hole in the fuselage through which you can see the tailplane and vertical fin of the aircraft. In the second photo, one of the passengers is being sucked out of the gaping hole.

Touching, but a complete lie. The hoax about the Air France flight actually started as another hoax in 2006, then about the disaster of Gol Airlines Flight 1907 (a Boeing 737) moments after it collided with another plane on Sep. 29, 2006. (Source: UrbanLegends.about.com)

ALSO SEE:
Bloggers catch news outlets fooled by crash photos hoax - CBC.ca
'Lost' photos screened as Air France plane - TravelBite.co.uk

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Spotted this car from the Ho Chunk Nation (in Wisconsin) as I was about to board a train at the Wilson CTA station in Uptown recently. I don't know what it was doing there and did not see the person driving it. I assume the car was only being used for official use, but what official use would there be here? (I dunno, I'm just asking.) Question: If an official car from the Ho Chunk Nation gets a parking ticket, would it be dismissed for diplomatic immunity?

Interesting art at the "Artist of the Wall" in Rogers Park, Chicago along Loyola Beach.

This was painted last weekend. Every time an admirer would stop to watch the artists (husband and wife), they would hand them a "Fearful Dreamers" flyer (click images to enlarge).

The web site listed on the yellow flyer, http://www.eyeoftheaxis.net,/ features "Official Cherokee Nation News," which I find interesting. It's good to keep up on events. You'll also find some interesting photos of Hong Kong.

RELATED:
"pow wow" in Thatcher Woods
Habitat Project

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I recently stumbled across a new ice cream parlor. Normally, I don't get excited about ice cream parlors. While I love the stuff, I don't tend to eat a lot of ice cream, and growing up in Wisconsin I was spoiled by the best in the nation. When I passed by Zanzibar's ice cream parlor on a recent evening, however, the place looked so inviting that I just had to go inside and look around. That led, of course, to a sampling of the ice cream. Wow...

Dang, I thought, ice cream as good or maybe better than any I'd ever had in Wisconsin! But here's the catch: The ice cream sold at Zanzibar is made by The Chocolate Shoppe in - ta da! - my home town of Madison, Wisconsin!

I used to go to Chocolate House Candy and Ice Cream, the predecessor of The Chocolate Shoppe, with my folks. That was back in my grade school days. I haven't had their ice cream in more than 25 years, and here it was, served up in generous scoops right here on Chicago's North Side, at Zanzibar in Edgewater.

One of the secrets to great ice cream is to have as few ice particles or microscopic air bubbles in the cold stuff as possible. The incredible flavors served at Zanzibar meet those specifications. Rich and creamy, cold and gooey, it will not disappoint. I know I'm hooked, and if means gaining few pounds this summer, well, you only go around once. Might as well have great ice cream. Yes, that's my banana split in the photo and yes, I ate the whole gigundo thing.

Zanzibar is much more than ice cream, though, with great hand-made sandwiches, soups, salads, coffee and tea. The atmosphere is cozy, despite the large size of the room. Free wi-fi makes this a great place to linger. Got kids? Perfect, they'll love the place. It's casual, wheelchair accessible and spitting distance from the Bryn Mawr CTA Red Line station (no parking lot, but metered street parking is right outside). Oh, before I forget - you gotta try the blue moon ice cream.

Also see The Chocolate Shoppe web site

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The "Artists of the Wall" is a long concrete bench in Rogers Park neighborhood on Chicago's North Side. It runs north-south along a stretch of Loyola Park Beach, near the lighthouse pier. Every year, locals pay a fee to paint horrible art on the otherwise beautiful bench. Here's a photo, taken on June 10, 2009, after it was sandblasted clean (properly, for the first time in years) and before it was defaced again on June 20 by amateur "artists."

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UPDATE: The lying lunatic who wrote to me this morning, with strong hints of threatened violence, wrote again! He/she is a liar, as I show in the update below, after the original lunacy:

The following comment is a response to this morning's post "Eco-Nuts Grab More Chicago Lake Front." It's creepy, it's weird, it's irrational. It's from a person who is obviously an enthusiastic supporter of the "dunes" project at Loyola Beach on Chicago's far north side. Nice to know what kind of violent lunatics support that little project, isn't it? Weirdly, the author veers off on unrelated ranting about the nearby "Artists of the Wall" (photos here, from 2008), which he/she says he/she participated in. (For current photos, click here.)

Below is the full text of the bizarre comment (received via our Guestbook - Comments). There are implied threats of violence within it and things written that seem to indicate that the author lives in or near the Rogers Park neighorhood of Chicago. Those items are highlighted as blue bold. My own interjected comments appear in red.

On 22.06.2009 17:09 wrote You are a coward from Gods GREEN Earth (IP: 24.13.110.139):

BUG OFF !!! STOP SPAMING ME !!!
YOU HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO SBC.
THIS IS A WARNING.
I don't want your blog.I don't want your hate. I do not value your opinion.

[Note: Then stop reading this blog. Nobody forces you to look at this blog.]

I don't want your CRAPPY photos of me, ( I have my own camera )... I don't want any contact from you or your hate blog. I wonder why the photos??? Do you hope for a hate crime??? Bring it on -- It's a good day to die.

"You Christians, tried to kill the son of your own God, and only after you figured out you could not kill him did you decide to worship him... and you expect us to trust in your so called words of wisdom ? "

[Note: You have that wrong, but what does that have to do with a native plants project???]

In the spirit of Tecumseh (March 1768 – October 5, 1813)

[Note: What does Tecumseh have to do with a native plants project??? By the way, George W. Bush beat "Tecumseh's curse." Isn't that cool?]

YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHO YOU ARE SPAMMING! STOP THE HATE !
WE ARE LOL @ YOU AND YOUR STUPID HATE BLOG. I WILL PRAY YOUR GOD FORGIVES YOU.

[Note: I don't know who you are because you're too cowardly to give me your name. Dude, this is a blog, a web site. It's not "spamming" anybody. You have to click on a link to view it. Here's a suggestion: Stop clicking that link.]

We have a word for people like you --
WASICHU
Wasi'chu is also a human condition based on inhumanity, racism, and exploitation. It is a sickness, a seemingly incurable and contagious disease which begot the ever advancing society of the West. If we do not control it, this disease will surely be the basis for what may be the last of the continuing wars against the Native American people.
The Lakota also used the metaphor to describe the newcomers. It was Wasi'chu, which means "takes the fat," or "greedy person." Within the modern Indian movement, Wasi'chu has come to mean those corporations and individuals, with their governmental accomplices, which continue to covet Indian lives, land, and resources for private profit.

Wasi'chu does not describe a race; it describes a state of mind.
You really think native dunes have taken over YOUR beach.

[Note: We have two words for people like you - "criminally insane." And pal, that describes your state of mind.]

YOU ARE ON STOLEN LAND.
BIG THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO RESTORE NATIVE DUNES !!!
Do you really think your "God hates Fags".
You are a coward for scribbling your words of hate. ON OTHER PEOPLES ART AT THE ARTIST OF THE WALL

[Note: So, let me get this straight. You defend the goofy anti-dandelion project AND the goofy Artists of the Wall eyesore, even though they're on what you call "stolen land?" I've never scribbled anything on the Artists of the Wall eyesore. Where did your "fags" question come from? No, I don't think God hates homosexuals. I've never thought that, never said it, never wrote it. (Photo here is the Wall as seen from near the dunes, 2008.]

Ya want to call me a hater feel free. [Note: Okay, you're a hater. Judging from what you wrote, you hate anybody who is not a Native American, Christians in general, and probably yourself. ]I'm not a P.C. kinda NDN.. never said I was. In fact I'm a little more of a radical NDN ... Can I give you a hair cut? Little of the top OLD MAN ? I know who you are and where to find you.


Okay, so, we've got a scary person who seems to strongly identify as Native American. They write that it's a "good day to die." He/she refers to the Artists of the Wall, a painting project at the beach in Rogers Park. The kicker is this: After going out of their way to identify as Native American, and writing that it's a good day to die, the author writes, "Can I give you a hair cut?" Now, I have nothing against Native Americans ("Indians"), and I don't even know if the author is actually one of them. Given that, I can only interpret the haircut remark as a threat of violence. You know, as in a scalping. Perhaps the author can calm down, seek psychiatric care, and talk a nice walk at the beach. You know, the beach on stolen land.

Oh, yes, here's what I just wrote to the Federal Government's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3):

I received a comment to my website on June 22, 2009. The author of the comment seems to identify him/herself as Native American throughout, then at the end wrote "In fact I'm a little more of a radical NDN ... Can I give you a hair cut? Little of the top OLD MAN? I know who you are and where to find you." Given the Native American references, the phrase "hair cut" seems to be a threat of bodily harm, and the phrase "I know who you are and where to find you" seems also to be a threat. Other references indicate that the author lives in or near Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. Example: "BIG THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO RESTORE NATIVE DUNES" is probably a reference to a nature restoration project at the beach in Rogers Park. "You really think native dunes have taken over YOUR beach." seems to be a strong reference to my blog post of this morning (June 22, 2009). "You are a coward for scribbling your words of hate. ON OTHER PEOPLES ART AT THE ARTIST OF THE WALL" is a definite reference to a wall at the same beach in Rogers Park.

>>> UPDATE <<<

On 22.06.2009 19:56 wrote In the spirit of Tecumseh from Chicago - Indian Territory (IP: 24.13.110.139):

Report me in to F.B.I. ??
Sure you did...
Knock on my door?
Sure they will...
Oh that must be the feds knocking now.
I'll have to ask them in for some Peyote.

Still, I would prefer if you don't clog my junk mail folder with your hate blog links -- OK
Please Mr.Hate... pretty please, with gay love on top. I said you don't have a clue who your spaming, I was wrong. YOU DO KNOW. You KNOW I DO NOT AGREE WITH YOUR HATE.
You took photos of me when I was not looking and sent them to me with your link, was that not to be taken as a threat? You don't like what I have painted at the Artist of the Wall over the years. BFD but if you wish to try and intimidate me...
Like I said ...
LOL

seek immediate psychiatric help?
Sure I will,...just as soon as we get that health care bill passed we can both go. Seems like you need a little help too. If everyone tells you your crazy, "they must be crazy" seems to be the way you think. I must get back to work now. You can hate me later.

My response (emphasis added):

You're very amusing for a psychopathic liar. Let's set the record straight, Tecumseh. I sent a link to my website to several acquaintances several days ago, once. Furthermore, you are coming to my blog, Chicago News Bench, directly, with no referring link. As of 5:30 pm today [July 22, 2009], you were on my blog for over six hours. Hardly sounds like you don't want to see it. You first entered the blog at 9:31 am, to the story about Alderman Moore going nuts at the IVI-IPO dinner. After less than two minutes on that post, you clicked over to the story about the Loyola Beach dunes at 9:23 am, where you lingered for more than six hours. Also, you wrote in your first comment that you've reported me to SBC, but I wonder why you'd do that since you're using Comcast Cable Communications. I'm not on SBC either. As for knowing who (or what) you are, I don't. I have your IP address, as does the FBI, but I don't know your identity because you're too cowardly to reveal it. Finally, I have no idea what you have painted at Artist of the Wall, but inasmuch as participants must sign up to paint, you've just provided a valuable clue for me - and for the FBI.

NOTE, Post Script: The fact that this person came to this blog with "no referring link" means that they knowingly and willingly came to it. If they had come to this blog by clicking on a link to it, for example, on another website or from an email, my stats service would show that link instead of saying "no referring link." In other words, the author of the comment is a bloody liar.

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Chicago's 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore loves to act generously - with your money. Today, he gleefully announced that he is spending your tax dollars to help stop pigeons from pooping on people as they walk under Metra viaducts (overpasses).

In an email blast to residents of his ward Moore wrote, "Now every Metra viaduct in the 49th Ward, from Howard Street south to Pratt Boulevard, has rows of plastic spikes that prevent pigeons from roosting on ledges over the sidewalks." The email had the cute headline, "Pigeons Evicted From Metra Underpasses." (See Moore's full email text below.)

PETA will not be happy about this. The homeless pigeons problem in Rogers Park just got worse, and it was paid for with your city tax dollars.

I'm all in favor of less pigeon poop, but Moore is abusing his aldermanic menu money by spending it on things that menu money is not really intended for. It is also hypocritical in the case of the Metra pigeons, because while Moore crows about the anti-pigeon spikes he "sponsored" with your money, pigeons continue to unload their bowels on people passing under the CTA viaducts at Jarvis and Morse. Moore talks about the ten Metra viaducts in his ward, but what about his nearly 20 pigeon-infested CTA viaducts?

"Menu money" is given to each alderman for the purpose of improving a ward's infrastructure. In 2009, they each got about $1.5 million. That money is supposed to be spent "at his or her discretion on alleys, street paving, curbs, sidewalks, lighting, and traffic signals. Your Aldermen should base his or her decisions on the community's most pressing needs as voiced by area residents," according to Neighborhood Capital Budget Group.

It has to be noted that pigeon poop is hardly a "pressing need." I supposed that on a technicality the pigeon spikes could be considered an infrastructure improvement. Seriously, though, aren't there more pressing needs in Rogers Park's 49th Ward? Yes, of course there are.

But Moore has pressing need of his own today. He'd like to divert attention away from his disturbing behavior at the IVI-IPO dinner on June 20. Alderman Moore was denied entrance to a V.I.P. reception because he didn't have a ticket. He yelled "F--- You!" at one of the organizers but was still denied entrance. Moore stormed out, his entourage of minions in tow, tails between their legs. As Moore was leaving, he passed Governor Pat Quinn and growled "This is pay to play!" at him. (See "Joe Moore Loses His Mind At IVI-IPO Dinner.") So, a happy email blast about reducing pigeon poop is just what the doctor ordered. Public relations concerning pigeons sure beats eating crow.

Recently, Ald. Moore used menu money to buy some goodwill from a handful of his Rogers Park constituency by allocating about $90,000 from his annual "menu money" to cover parking in a Chicago Park District lot along the lakefront. What that means is that 99.99 percent of the rest of his ward still has a severe shortage of parking, but the rest of us are subsidizing the parking of a handful. No matter, Moore got some great headlines by spending your tax dollars to subsidize parking for a few people.

Rogers Park Progress, a blog that writes about "Community, Spaces, & Transport on Chicago’s Far North Side," put it very well on June 12 when they wrote the following:

Even Alderman Moore himself admits that menu money is typically set aside for “ward infrastructure, such as streets, alleys, sidewalks, street lights and the like.” But since that stuff’s all pretty much in mint condition around here, no harm in earmarking about 7.5% of the fund annually to appease the few at the expense of the many. (Full Post...)

So today, June 22, Moore brags that he is spending more of that infrastructure improvement money to appease a few more people as they dodge pigeon crap at Metra stations. We've held back from asking the obvious question: Why is aldermanic menu money paying for what should be a Metra expense?

Following is the full text from Moore's June 22 email blast (pigeon photos added by me):

Pigeons Evicted From Metra Underpasses

Dear Neighbor,

49th Ward residents will no longer have to carry umbrellas or wear wide-brimmed hats when walking under Rogers Park Metra viaducts thanks to the installation of new "pigeon spikes."

Pigeons have nested under the Metra viaducts for years, creating an unsightly and unsanitary mess.

Now every Metra viaduct in the 49th Ward, from Howard Street south to Pratt Boulevard, has rows of plastic spikes that prevent pigeons from roosting on ledges over the sidewalks. The spikes do not harm the birds; they simply prevent them from roosting. I sponsored the installation of the pigeon spikes after investigating various alternatives to addressing the pigeon problem and the droppings that accompany the birds.

The spikes proved to be the most cost-effective and permanent solution to the problem. Union Pacific authorities gave the City permission to install the spikes, and I sponsored the installation from my aldermanic menu money--the discretionary fund for infrastructure improvements--at a total cost of $40,000 for all ten Metra viaducts in the ward. To my knowledge, we are the first ward in the city to sponsor the installation under train viaducts of these pigeon control devices.

The pigeon spikes hopefully will lower our clean-up costs and make travelling by foot under the viaducts a little more pleasant.

Please let my office and me know if you think the new pigeon spikes are working.

Sincerely,

Joe Moore

P.S. This unusually rainy month has caused me to reschedule my Satellite Service Office outings on several occasions. I plan to complete my latest round of Satellite Service offices tomorrow and Wednesday, weather permitting, of course. Look for me tomorrow (Tuesday, June 23rd) from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Lunt entrance to the Morse El, and the same times on Wednesday at the Greenleaf entrance to the Rogers Park Metra stop. My staff and I will be there to give away free coffee and donuts and take service requests.

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Welcome, Summer.

Photo: T.H.Mannis

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While the Chicago Park District is publicly plotting to extend the lake front four more miles (against the wishes of voters, it should be noted), a stealthy move has already been made to appropriate portions of our lake front. There are a number of "dunes," or "nature areas" that have been in place since at least 2007.

Chicago Park District lists the areas as: Burnham Park , Gompers Park, Humboldt Park, Indian Boundary Park & Cultural Center, Jackson Park, Lincoln Park, Loyola Park, Montrose Beach, Nichols Park , North Park Village Nature Center, Osterman Beach, Rainbow Beach , Ridge Park Wetlands Park, Sherman Park, Washington Park and Winnemac Park. We'll look at Loyola Park here, but I just want to note that some of the locations, such as Osterman Beach, resemble little more than strips of scrubby weeds wedged between sand and high rise buildings.

These "dunes" projects are, purportedly, designed to provide sanctuary to wildlife. One such project is Loyola Park, on Chicago's North Side, a block east of N. Sheridan Road at the end of W. Pratt Avenue.

The "dunes" are suddenly larger this year than last, and not by natural action. Rather, humans have essentially confiscated more of the beach for the purpose of well, for the purpose of some idiotic tilt at windmills. See the slideshow, below.

It is, to be frank, ridiculous. Volunteers spend full days hunched over, seeking out non-native plants and hand pulling them from the sandy soil. It's a futile battle, of course. Dandelions are an "invasive" species, for example.

Dandelions are native to Asia, and I seriously doubt that the well meaning, simple minded eco-volunteers will win their war (let alone a single battle) to keep the "dunes" dandelion free. That's just one of a hundred non-native species that the volunteers cannot realistically hope to keep out unless they enclose the area with a dome. Another problem: The three willow trees nearby have spawned thousands of foot-high offspring in the dunes, and volunteers last year told me that they, like dandelions, are undesirable. Again, a losing battle unless those willows are removed, and that would set off a public relations disaster for the dune fanatics.

The projects are still just laughable oddities, but they hold a menacing promise. Do beach-going Chicagoans really want the eco-lunatics to enlarge their anti-dandelion battlefields to take more and more precious beachfront away from human enjoyment? That's their goal, you know. They'll deny it, of course, but ask them this: How much more space for the "dunes" will you need, and when will it be enough?

RELATED:
Take care of what's of there first - Chicago Tribune
Nature Area Volunteer Stewardship Days - Chicago Park District


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UPDATE 6/21/09: A well-written article by Wes Lawson at Windy City Times (June 17) gives more information, including fair coverage of my comments with one disagreement - I did not say that I "overstated my case."


WARNING: This post and its comments deal with controversial sexual and social topics in a blunt and truthful way that most politically correct people are incapable of understanding.

Children at Nettlehorst Elementary will be made to march in a gay pride parade in Chicago during the weekend of June 26-27. Nettlehorst is located at 3252 N. Broadway Street, Chicago, in the East Lakeview neighborhood, also known as "Boys Town."

A typical shop window along a main strip of Boys Town (top left) gives you an idea of the predominant "culture" in this part of Chicago. That culture is based largely on anal intercourse and the pursuit thereof.

Nettlehorst is a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Magnet Cluster School, a CPS Community School and Fine Arts and Performing Arts Program Site. That's wonderful, but Nettlehorst seems to also be an indoctrination center for gay activism.

On Friday, June 5, a colorful event was held on the asphalt playground of Nettlehorst. Brightly colored swaths of cloth were tied to the wrought iron fence. The cloth was symbolic, and laminated notices attached to the fence explained (my emphasis added):

"Hey, What's This All About? Each Nettlehorst student has tied a piece of fabric to the fence as a tangible sign of his or her personal intention to create a better world. As [sic] Nettlehorst, we've also made a collective intention: that each of us becomes kinder, gentler, and more tolerant. Here, the rainbow colors of gay pride are a visible sign of our respect for the neighborhood of which we are a part, and the diversity of families that we serve. In June, Nettlehorst will be the first public school to walk in Chicago's Gay Pride Parade. We believe family means everybody."

"Everybody," say the little signs of explanation. Does this mean we can look forward to Nettlehorst having the kids tie red, white and blue ribbons to that fence as "a visible sign" of respect for the veterans fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

How about a pro-gun rally for the kids? Surely there must be one or two Nettlehorst parents who are veterans and/or believe in the right to own a gun for self-protection.

Perhaps Nettlehorst can load the kids into some buses and take them to a neighborhood where the biggest annual event does not involve drunken men flashing their bare asses from floats on a public street in a show of "pride." After all, if you really want to round out the kids' education, and if you really believe in teaching diversity and tolerance, shouldn't they include the heterosexual culture as well? Well?

According to the Family Equality Council, "The school has a gay and lesbian parent social group. There are LGBT staff, but the staff overall seems to be very inclusive. Teachers have age-appropriate LGBT books in their classrooms, and the school is participating in the gay pride parade this year...."

Are there any age-appropriate heterosexual books in the classrooms? If so, why not brag about that, too? The staff is "very inclusive?" I challenge any pro-life group to set up a speaking engagement there. Better yet, I challenge Nettlehorst to invite a pro-life group to speak there. That would be very inclusive of them.

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Ooops. Obama is slipping. The June 21 Rasmussen Reports Daily Presidential Tracking Poll shows this in stark numbers.

The number of people who "strongly disapprove" of Obama has risen sharply, while the number of those who "strongly approve" has sharply fallen.

Related:
Rasmussen Daily President Tracking Poll
America is Learning - Red Mass Group

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Chicago Alderman Joe Moore screamed "F--- You!" at a V.I.P. reception with Illinois Governor Quinn on Saturday, June 21. Why? He was upset over being denied entrance to a V.I.P. reception because he did not buy a $200 ticket for the event. While storming out, he growled at Gov. Quinn, "This is pay-to-play!" The hypocrisy of Moore's behavior (not to mention the weirdness) is rich indeed. (Read more about that story...)

If that's what Moore describes as "pay-to-play," then he's as guilty as anybody. Moore's birthday is July 16. It is typical for Moore to send invitations to his birthday party with one little catch: You'll be asked for a "suggested donation." In 2007, that meant shelling out $125.00 for grilled hot dogs and boring conversation. That's Moore's house on the day of his birthday party on July 16, 2007 (5:15 p.m.). Notice the festive Joe Moore campaign signs in the yard, perfect for any birthday celebration or pay-to-play party.

In addition to his for-profit birthday parties, Ald. Moore has a reputation for pressing business people for "donations" to his campaign fund. "Pay-to-play" is a game Moore knows well, as does his little friend Heather Steans.

Steans is an Illinois State Senator who, over the years and with help from her husband, facilitated the funneling of around $200,000 to Rod Blagojevich. She doesn't like to admit it, but there it is, in the public record. That's an inconvenient truth for Steans, as she earnestly pretends to be a pure-hearted reformer who would never participate in such dirty games (she's not, and she has). That brings us back to Joe Moore...

Of Hosts and Parasites:

Moore is on the Host Committee of an upcoming fundraising event for Steans. The fundraiser invitation, laughably, is a parody of the television show "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" That's the show that on which Patti Blagojevich, wife of the former governor Rod Blagojevich, has been busy eating bugs with has-been celebrities. Steans and most of the folks on her Host Committee were staunch Blagojevich supporters until it became too uncomfortable for them to continue in that role. The Steans invitation indirectly mocks Blagojevich, but unintentionally points out the hypocrisy of Steans and those on her Host Committee. The Steans invitation says "I'm a Politician, Get Me Out of Here!"

On Monday, June 29 folks will gather at 50 W. Washington Street, Suite 400 in Chicago. That's the office of Jeanne Reynolds, an Associate Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court. Reynolds is also the current president of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois. (Say, isn't that sexist? Is there a "Men's Bar Association of Illinois?")

If you need directions to the Steans fundraiser, you could phone Ms. Reynolds' office at 312-603-1249. That's Reynolds in the photo (in the pink thing), with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (under the forehead) at the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois’ 94th Annual Installation Dinner in Chicago, June 5, 2008.

If you would like to attend the Steans fundraiser, you have several options. Would you like to be an "Island Rescuer?" It will cost you $2,000. Other options are "Island Host" for $1,000, "Producer" for $500 and "Celebrity" for a mere $100. If you want to attend, you'll have to pay. You don't pay, you can't play. (See how that works, Joe?)

That's exactly what Ald. Moore was so upset about when he screamed "F--- You!" at the IVI-IPO folks on June 20. How do you think Steans - or Moore - would react to somebody who sends Steans a check for $100, but insists that they be given "Producer" status?

Chicago is a city of "pay-to-play" politics. Do you want to build a new store or add on to an existing building? A "donation" to your local alderman is likely to speed the process up. No "donation" is likely to slow you down, maybe even kill the project. Are you an aspiring politician who wants to run for office in Chicago or Cook County? You'll need the endorsement of the Democrat Party, the iron-fisted "machine" that decides who will be a candidate and who will not. Want to attend a Joe Moore birthday party or a Heather Steans fundraiser?

You'll have to pay to play.

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Full story over here....

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Note: The following invitation text is real. The graphic at left is a parody of the real one, which is further down. Click to enlarge.

From: Friends of Heather Steans

Subject: I'm a Politician Get me Out of Here!

Reply-To: info@heathersteans.com

Host Committee
(In Formation)

Hon. Carol Ronen
Hon. Greg Harris
Hon. Harry Osterman
Hon. Larry Suffredin
Hon. Mary Ann Smith
Hon. Joe Moore
Hon. Helen Shiller
Hon. Patrick O'Connor
Hon. Gene Schulter

Amy Brennan
Michael Carrigan
Sue Clark
Dennis Gannon
David Manning
Mike McClain
Phil Milsk
John Peller
Jenny Purdue
Bruce Simon
Dan Sprehe
Robin Steans and Lenny Gail
Jennifer Steans and Jim Kastenholz
Lois and Helen Morrison
Rob Uhe
Beth White

Dear family and friends,

This invitation is for my upcoming fundraiser. This is the only event I have planned. No worries if you can not make it or support my campaign, but your attendance and/or any contribution you can make I very much appreciate. I am up for re-election in February for the primary (I will at some point get a four year term!), and thus your help means a great deal.

Many thanks for your consideration,

Heather

What: Yes, a fundraiser for Heather!

Where: 50 West Washington, Suite 400, Chicago, Illinois

When: Monday, June 29, 2009, 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Island Rescuer: $2000
Island Host: $1000
Producer: $500
Celebrity: $100

RSVP by e-mailing info@heathersteans.com, calling 773-681-1814, or making a contribution at www.heathersteans.com or by clicking here.

Paid for by Friends of Heather Steans. A copy of our report is, or will be filed with the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.

Friends of Heather Steans 5539 N. Broadway Chicago IL 60640

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The event was a nice, civilized, invitation-only affair, but the crude 'n rude, discredited Alderman Joe Moore screamed an angry obscenity at the guests as they tried to have a good time at the IVI-IPO's 65th Annual Independents' Day dinner. The IVI–IPO is a not-for-profit, multi-partisan, independent political organization.

Moore only paid for a ticket to the general dinner. He did not pay the additional $200.00 to attend the pre-dinner, V.I.P. Reception at 6:00 p.m. He was denied entrance for not having a ticket, but he tried to crash the party, and was told he didn't have a ticket, at which point Joe Moore lost his mind and screamed "F--- You!" at the entire room. He then stormed out, passing Governor Quinn on the way. "This is pay to play!" Moore was heard saying to the Illinois Guv. UPDATE: Contrary to what another blogger is writing today, Moore was NOT "escorted out." He left voluntarily and did not have to be forced to leave, nor was he ever perceived to be a security threat.

Here's the invitation, with highlights emphasized (click image at left to enlarge it). You can see more at the IVI-IPO's web site (while it's still posted on their site).

You can bet that there are a lot of influential political types who left the IVI-IPO dinner talking about what a rude jackass Alderman Joe Moore is. Of course, I've been telling you that Alderman Moore is a rude jackass since October, 2006.

More details from Lorraine Swanson at LakeEffectNews.

RELATED: Pay-To-Play, Joe Moore and Heather Steans

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Trouble in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal continues. According to the Press Trust of India today, "The West Bengal government is considering banning the CPI (Maoists) after the Centre's suggestion to the state government in this regard following the Naxal violence in Lalgarh." Maoists are left-wing extremists (radical communists). In West Bengal, the local Maoists are also called "Naxalites."

Several days ago, according to Naxalwatch, "Groups of Left-wing extremists, which have taken control over almost 50 villages in Lalgarh, consist not only of cadres operating in West Bengal but also from neighbouring Jharkhand and Orissa, Central security agency sources said."

A report in The Economist explains that "Naxalites" get their name from "the district of Naxalbari in West Bengal where they staged an uprising in 1967, they are these days almost a nationwide force. Greeted by China's People's Daily at the height of the Cultural Revolution as “a peal of spring thunder”, they were almost wiped out in the 1970s, as the Indian government repressed them, and Maoism went out of fashion, even in its homeland. In India they splintered into various armed factions, of which the biggest were the People's War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre. These merged and formed the CPI (Maoist) party in September 2004. P.V. Ramana, of the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi, estimates the Naxalites now have 9,000-10,000 armed fighters, with access to about 6,500 firearms. There are perhaps a further 40,000 full-time cadres." (Full Article, August 17, 2006)

RELATED:
Anarchy in West Bengal as Maoists capture Lalgarh - NDTV
Maoists defy the law in West Bengal, go on rampage - NDTV
11 killed, 11 injured in Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh - IndiaExpress.com (June 20, 2009)
Indian Troops Enter Maoist Stronghold - Voice of America (June 20, 2009)
False start - In office but not yet in power - Economist.com (June 18, 2009)
Naxalites destroy Koraput nursery - The Statesman (June 16, 2009)
Al Jazeera English - India Elections - Q&A: The Naxalites of India
Official Site of Government of West Bengal, India
West Bengal, West Bengal Map, West Bengal India

Hundreds of thousands have been protesting in the streets of Iran's major cities for over a week now. Until now, people have been reluctant to call this the start of a "revolution." Let me be one of the first. Here's why:

The protests began after what many worldwide consider to be a rigged presidential election on June 12. Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed victory over challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi, but millions of Iranians question the honesty of the election results. A huge number of the ballots were cast on paper, yet only hours after the polling booths closed Ahmadinejad was officially declared the winner. The question was asked en masse, "How could the results have been known so quickly?"

Today (June 20), a report from Reuters in Tehran says that "Opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi said the Islamic Republic must be purged of what he called lies and dishonesty, sending out a direct challenge to conservative rulers after a day of unrest across Tehran."

Them's fightin' words, and earlier today a report from Telegraph.co.uk noted that Mousavi may be ready to die for his cause:

He dramatically raised the stakes in the standoff with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after publishing a letter to the country's highest electoral authority in which he cited examples of electoral fraud to support his "undeniable right" to call for a re-run of the election. Mr Mousavi made his defiant call during a speech delivered in southwest Tehran, according to an ally, who telephoned a western news agency shortly afterwards to report: "Mousavi said he was ready for martyrdom and that he would continue his path."

I'm not sure how this cannot be called the beginning of a revolution. The "leader" of the protesters publicly states that he's ready to give his life to the cause of fair elections, reform of the government, and grave defiance of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, known in Iran as the "Supreme Leader." (Khamenei and his council of fanatical mullahs are the real power in Iran, not any sitting president.) Meanwhile, Mousavi's supporters have been proving for eight days that they, too, are ready to die in the streets for principals of freedom. Because of a state clampdown on telecommunications and a general news blackout in Iran, it's hard to know exactly how many have died, but it seems certain that at least 12 19 have been killed by Iranian security forces.

So, revolution in Iran seems imminent. A full week of protests, with violent reaction from police and other security forces, a leader who publicly says he's ready to die for the cause and urges his supporters to keep defying the authoritarian regime, even calling out "Death to Khamenei"... What else to call this but the beginning of a full-blown revolt?

Meanwhile, after a week of noncommittal, weak-kneed comments about the situation in Iran, the American Supreme Leader Barack Obama finally said something forceful. He has warned Iran to cease what he called "violent and unjust" actions against the protesters (FoxNews).

RELATED: Some very recent headlines about Iran...
Real-time results for "#iranelection" - Twitter
At least 19 dead in Iran unrest, hospital sources say - CNN.com
Mousavi ready to be 'martyr' - Arab News
Mousavi is ready for martyrdom - Examiner.com
Riot police clash with Iran protesters - Radio New Zealand
Protesters cry: 'Death to Khamenei' - Independent (with timeline June 12 - 19)
A great web site I found with Iran news - http://www.demotix.com/home

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A very dangerous situation is ready to literally fall upon Uptown, on Chicago's North Side.

Many of you will remember 3-year-old Curtis Cooper, the young man who died after a defective gate crushed him at the Cabrini Green public housing project on Chicago's North Side. the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) records showed that inspectors warned repeatedly that the gate, owned by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), was dangerous and needed repair or replacement.

Well, here's a private sector equivalent and a disaster waiting to happen.

The heavy iron fence that runs along the northern edge of the parking lot at 4547 N Broadway Street in Uptown is leaning severely.


The location is probably best known for the Dunkin' Donuts in the little strip mall. If it falls, it could easily cause serious injury or death.

Photos taken on the evening of June 19, 2009 by Chicago News Bench show that the concrete into which the fence is bolted is weak, and has badly deteriorated around several areas where bolts used to hold the fence in place. (Slide show below.)

On any given day, many people can be seen hanging out next to the fence. Will the property owner do something about it before disaster strikes? Will Alderman Helen Shiller (46th Ward) or the City of Chicago spot this before it hurts somebody? Shiller's office is across the street on Broadway.



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