Uptown Update's Unjournalism
The anonymous bloggers (I know who they are) are good, I admit, at little posts about laundromat grand openings and free adverts for restaurants and cupcake shops.
Yes, by technicality that's "reporting." When it comes to reporting about "newsy" items, however, Uptown Update fails miserably. I know for a fact that the "UU" bloggers rarely visit the scene of a news story in their own neighborhood. Rather, for the vast majority of what they pass as "news reports," UU relies almost soley on frantically written, breathless emails and text messages from readers. Those "reports" are very often written by someone who "just passed by" an event and is - often by admission - guessing at what was going on.
A sadly typical example of UU's brand of "reporting" was posted just last Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. It involved a large group of cheerful, happy people marching through the streets of Uptown, cheering each other loudly and holding U.S. flags. A Tea Party rally, perhaps? Most people of average curiosity would have asked these obviously friendly people what they were up to, as I did.
I bring this up now because several people in the neighborhood have asked me about "the Tea Party rally in Uptown last Friday." The first time I was asked, I laughed and said there was no such rally in Uptown. Ever. I was told they read about it on Uptown Update. The second and third times I heard about it, however, I was irked by the inaccuracy of UU's "reporting" and by the misinformation that UU habitually disseminates.
I happened to witness this mystifying march myself. While walking along N. Sheridan Avenue last Friday morning, I saw the group of about 100 people a block away. As an active Tea Partier myself, I knew that there were no Tea Party rallies scheduled in Uptown. I followed the happy group for half a block as they turned west onto W. Lawrence. I asked one guy in the group, a middle aged man, what they were up to. He explained that they were having a combination birthday and retirement celebration for the founder of their group.
I don't remember the name of the group or of the retired birthday boy. I do remember the middle aged guy telling me that the founder was "a great mentor" for everyone in the group. No, not a cult thing, nothing weird, just inspirational financial and lifestyle mentoring. Not a Tea Party, not a political march per se, despite the handful of pro-caplitalism political signs. Remember, these folks were celebrating their mentor, a man who has helped them become financially successful. Given that, they would naturally also celebrate capitalism, the system that made their financial successes possible.
Enter Uptown Update. Or, rather, insert speculative gossip via email courtesy of Uptown Update. Their Sept. 24 "report," with no byline, was titled "Rally Reason?" The "report" starts with two quick admissions of ignorance. First, the anonymous person who posted the "report" wrote, "We had several readers write in asking about this rally near the Aragon this morning." That's all they wrote, too.
Then, the first reader quoted by UU said this (excerpts): "Does anyone know what the rally at the Lawrence L stop was about today? I was caught in the middle of it and honestly have no clue what it was about."
Let's pause for a moment. This dolt was "caught in the middle of it," yet has "no clue" what it was? We must assume that the reader wondered what was happening while "caught in the middle" of the walking celebration, yet his/her confession of not knowing is proof that he/she did not bother to ask any of the participants. In the reader's fourth paragraph, he/she wrote this:
The attendees seemed to be enthusiastic, but I couldn't decipher what about. Common calls were "Freedom is free" and "Freedom train." The most common sign I saw claimed "Jobs suck." There were a great deal of video cameras filming the entire debacle.
Again the reader admits that he/she could not "decipher" what the march was about. Had he/she taken 30 seconds to ask and hear a quick explanation, he/she would know that "Freedom is free" and the other slogans are about financial independence. Instead, what we were handed was a long admission of timidity and deliberate ignorance of that in which the reader was "caught in the middle." The reader ended with this (emphasis added):
I just wanted to get to work and they were in the way for absolutely no reason I can decipher. Since I was in no mood for any of it (remember, not a morning person), I turned up my headphones and managed not to make snide comments to these obviously enthusiastic people. A rally is fine, I suppose, but would it hurt them to make their purpose manifest to passers by?"
The reader not only over used the word "decipher," he/she made zero attempt to do so. In a seeming contradiction, he/she was in "no mood for any of it," yet he/she was interested enough to note several slogans and other details while observing them closely for at least several minutes. Not only did he/she not ask any of them for an explanation, he/she then deliberately ensured further ignorance by turning up his/her headphones to shut out information. Then, with astonishing hypocrisy, the reader asked "would it hurt them to make their purpose manifest to passers by?" Well, as I noted above, they were all very happy to explain it to anyone who asked.
That's sad, but even sadder is another commenter, a fool named "Stu." Here's what Stu wrote, in part (my emphasis added):
When asked what it was about everyone who was carrying signs that said "Stop Socialism" "Freedom" "Be an Entrepeneur" "America" said their "friend" who was a corporate recruiter who worked on in building on Sheridan road between Lawrence and Leland had retired at age 26. He was making 9,000 dollars a month...that's 108,000 at dollars a year! This was a tea party and the people were like zombies, goofy, lots of Wisconsin liscence plates....a right wing rally in Uptown. The crowd was diverse and therefore, no doubt Churchy. I told them this was Uptown and to get their right wing asses out of here...that's how I feel anyway. They lied about what they were doing. that's what I found so strange. The story of the 26 year old makes no sense at all...it was just a cover to prevent people from getting angry at them.
Stu, apparently, is one of the many, many overly medicated patients warehoused in Uptown who are allowed to stagger through the streets unattended, drooling on himself and regretting all day long that he forgot his tinfoil hat back at the nursing home. I think Stu got the age of the retiring birthday boy wrong, but we'll let that pass. Stu's comment is so wrought with inaccuracies and paranoia, however, that I cannot resist deconstructing it:
"This was a tea party and the people were like zombies, goofy, lots of Wisconsin liscence [sic] plates," wrote Stu.
No, it was NOT a Tea Party, as I explained. Believe me, a Tea Party would not have happened in Uptown without my knowing about it. As for being like "zombies, goofy," I saw no evidence of zombiness. Some of the folks were acting a bit goofy, but in that fun way that we all get when we're in a celebratory mood and with a big crowd of likeminded celebrants. I have no idea where Stu saw "lots of Wisconsin liscence [sic] plates," because this was a march on foot. It was not a car parade, nor was it a "right wing rally."
Stu wrote that "The crowd was diverse and therefore, no doubt Churchy," which only makes my brain hurt. A diverse crowd is necessarily "Churchy?" Huh? What? Does this mean, then, that a large gathering of atheists, which is ethnically diverse, would undoubtedly be "Churchy?" Ye gods, the liberal mind is amusing. Scary, as we see so often, but amusing.
Brave Stu "told them this was Uptown and to get their right wing asses out of here," and seems convinced that "They lied about what they were doing." The were not lying and Stu has no proof that they were. But here's where Stu exposes himself as a hateful liberal: He told them to get their "right wing asses" out of liberal, tolerant, Left-leaning, "progressive," proud-to-be-diverse Uptown. See, that's how it works for liberals. They love everybody, as long as those they love have exactly the same political beliefs and suffer the same symptoms of over-medication.
Uptown Update never did answer it's own question, posed in their single sentence introduction to a diatribe of mostly-guesswork comments: ""We had several readers write in asking about this rally near the Aragon this morning." The conflicting opinions, suspicions, and paranoia within the response to UU's pitiful non-attempt to get to the bottom of the mysterious non-Tea Party event only led to more questions and confusion, providing no authoritative information. Uptown Update normally operates this way, and in this way provides a great disservice to all who read it.
This is what passes for "reporting" at Uptown Update. Good job, UU, you manage daily to show us all how not to do it, and why so many people still don't trust the Internet for news. Do us all a favor and stick to your little reports about chocolate mints and free cake. Oh, and stop using graphics from all over the web without attribution or links to their sources. I mean, you have a professional graphic artist on your staff, don't you?
(Video) The Last Best Hope (Rendezvous With Destiny)
Media Ignoring Jesse Jackson Jr's Challenger Hayes
As is typical of Chicago's "mainstream media," the Republican running against the Democrat gets sparse - if any - coverage. Such is the case with Rev. Isaac C. Hayes, the Republican running against Democrat Jesse Jackson, Jr., the incumbent congressman in the 2nd Congressional District of Illinois. Reverend Isaac C. Hayes
Even with the stunning scandals swirling around Jackson - the blonde "social acquaintance" (ahem) and the recent allegations that Jackson micro-managed a pay-to-play attempt to bribe his way into being appointed to the U.S. Senate by Gov. Blagojevich, the local press hardly ever refers to Hayes. Even "conservative" talk radio station WLS 890 AM has hardly mentioned him, let alone had him on the air.
Don Wade and Roma, the morning drive dynamic duo, fawn all over Jackson, but have yet to interview Hayes. To his credit, WLS host Cisco Cotto, the one-man powerhouse who follows Don and Roma from 9:00-11:00 a.m., interviewed Hayes on recently. Oddly, however, the Hayes interview audio is not posted at WLS, while the Jackson audio is.Would it kill the "conservative" Don and Roma to give a little air time to Republican Isaac Hayes? Would it?
These are the reasons for Hayes's Sept. 22 press release. It had the header, "HAYES SAYS IT'S TIME FOR THE PRESS TO HOLD JACKSON ACCOUNTABLE."
And by gosh, he's right.
CHICAGO: Republican nominee for Illinois 2ndCongressional District Isaac Hayes issued the following statement regarding what he sees as a failure by the press to hold Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. accountable for recent scandals that have surfaced. "Over the course of this political season I have repeatedly heard that the Illinois 2nd Congressional seat is safe. The presumption is that Black voters don’t care about character and values. I find it quite condescending to suggest the ethical and moral disclosures that have plagued our current Representative will just be swept under the rug. "The Black community wants honest government like everyone else. We want jobs, entrepreneurship opportunities, great schools and safe communities.
After sixteen years of Mr. Jackson we have not seen that materialize. This is why it baffles me when I read Chicagoland newspapers that suggest my opponent has done a good job. Bringing home pork may be good politics, but the people in the 9th Ward, Harvey and Dixmoor remain economically distressed. His spending spree in Washington at taxpayers’ expense has contributed to the doubling of the national debt from $7 trillion when he first entered office to $14 trillion today. "From day one, this election has been about character and values. Do we want a continuation of the three-peat of political corruption that has plagued this district for the past 30 years, or do we want to chart a new path forward.
I find it personally offensive to Christian Democrats and moral Independents who expect their Representatives to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity. "Mr. Jackson can tout how much money he has redistributed at the expense of job creators, but the newspapers that allege he has done a good job as Congressman must face the reality of the indicators called jobs, small businesses, school performance and crime. For each of these he receives a failing grade and its time we stop the whitewashing and hold this man accountable!" This statement is from Citizens for Isaac Hayes website: http://www.isaac4honesty.com
- RELATED:
- Isaac Hayes: For the First Time, My Phone's Constantly Buzzing NBC Chicago
- Jesse Jackson Jr. Could Face Charges for Lying to Feds... MyFox Chicago
- In Wake of Scandal, Hayes Draws Attention Chicago News Cooperative
- Can Jesse Jackson, Jr. Be Replaced by a Republican? Associated Content
- Jesse Jackson Jr. having affair with bikini model Giovana Huidobro allvoices
Robinson Challenges Heather Steans On Quinn's AFSCME Deal
Exclusive: 9/21 Shooting in Uptown Was A Drive-By (Photos)
Sept. 22, 2010 - Chicago - Last night's 6:00 p.m. shooting in Uptown was a drive-by. Two people were struck by bullets in front of Midtown Medical Center, 4527 North Sheridan Road (at the intersection of West Windsor Avenue). Nobody else is reporting this, but an eyewitness told Chicago News Bench today that the gunfire came from a "grayish" car as it drove southbound on Sheridan past the medical office. The witness said that there were "at least three people in the car." After the shooting, the car turned right onto West Sunnyside Avenue (see map) and made a U-turn. It then drove back, northbound, and passed through the scene of the shooting. Police were already arriving as the shooter's car passed by the second time, the witness said. There was no more gunfire after the first shots on the car's first pass. "They just drove right on through," the witness said, "because the police didn't know yet that this was the shooter's car. I told them what I saw, and then they started looking for that car." A readers tells us that the CAPS Beat 2312 meeting was told that police were on the crime scene in seconds because they were just up the street already. What the CAPS meeting was not told, however, was that the shooter casually drove right past them. The account that the witness gave Chicago News Bench today jives with what we reported last night. In our report, we said that the police are searching for a suspect "Pregnant Girl, Man Shot In Uptown"). whose name is Lonnie White, a Gangster Disciple and who "may be driving a silver/gray mid-sized Buick." Again, we are the only ones to have reported this so far. Note: Unlike Uptown Update, I actually get off my fat butt and walk the streets in search of information. We like commenters, but we don't like to rely on rumor and innuendo from anonymous emails. That's not journalism. It's gossip. |
Police Searching For Suspect In Tuesday's Uptown Shooting
Pregnant Girl, Man Shot In Uptown
Media Alert: Isaac Hayes to Hold Press Conference to Call on Jackson to tell Truth
Who: What: Where: When: | Isaac Hayes, Republican Nominee for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional To ask Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. to tell the truth 63rd Stony Island Ave, Chicago Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 2:00-2:30 p.m. |
Updated: Chicago Tea Patriots Organizer Found Guilty
Update, Oct. 5, 2010: Also see ""Chuckie The Clown" Wojtowicz" - Portions of a vicious and threatening email sent by Wojtowicz.
Her name is Catherina Wojtowicz, and she works in the Oak Lawn campaign office of Illinios Senator Bill Brady, Republican nominee for governor. Brady, we're told, is aware of her bad behavior. Chicago News Bench has obtained a copy of Catherina Wojtowicz's Criminal Sentence Order (Case Number 2009CM006375-0001) dated June 17, 2010. Click here to see the Criminal Sentence Order.
Wojtowicz pleaded, and was found to be, guilty of "harassment by telephone." That's a violation of 720 ILCS 135/1-1 and is a Class B Misdemeanor. Wojtowicz was "sentenced to Court supervision" for one year, during which time she must "appear before the Court in person as directed." The sentence was handed down in the Circuit Court of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit of Illinois in DuPage County.
The source who provided the Criminal Sentence Order says that Bill Brady is fully aware of Wojtowicz's behavior. "Brady is afraid of Catherina," said our source, "which is why she's still working for his campaign." It was not specified whether Brady is afraid of being slandered by Wojtowicz or considers her to be a potential physical threat.
Wojtowicz was accused by blogger Chuck Jines of Streetwise Pundi of threatening to shoot him. (Note/Update: The Streetwise Pundit has removed and/or lost all references to Catherina Wojtowicz, but see the related note about this below.)
Wojtowicz's group was once part of the Tea Party Patriots Illinois until it was kicked out and excommunicated in 2009 for bad behavior in a notorious incident at a town hall meeting by U.S. Rep Dan Lipinski (D-IL) on November 14, 2009. There, Wojtowicz's group heckled Midge Hough, whose 24-year old daughter in law died nine weeks before the meeting. The daughter in law's unborn baby died with her. She blamed the death on a lack of health insurance and made comments supportive of Obama's health care "reform." The Wojtowicz group then mocked her, bringing the woman to tears. A video of that town hall went viral and has gotten more than 120,000 views on YouTube. Midge Hough's portion begins at 1:47 into the video.
I, too, am against "Obamacare." However, like 99.9999% of my fellow Tea Partiers, I would never heckle a political opponent by mocking the death of a loved one. That's not right. It is disgusting behavior and goes counter to the beliefs and morals of the Tea Party movement. The behavior of rogues like Catherina Wojtowicz is not typical of the movement, but gives a lot of fuel to those who try to paint us as savage cretins. We are not, but there are bad apples in every basket. We must toss them out like the rotten fruit that they are.
NOTE: Do not confuse the outcast "Chicago Tea Patriots" with the legitmate "Tea Party Patriots Chicago" (TPPC), a legitimate and authentic chapter of Illinois Tea Party Patriots (ITPP). They, in turn, are part of the nationwide Tea Party Patriots. This should not be difficult to remember: Wojtowicz's group does not have the word "Party" in its name.
Even without her illegal bullying tactics, Wojtowicz is an embarassment to the Tea Party movement, as noted by Capital Fax. But Wojtowicz unwittingly demonstrates her own bizarre mentality daily in her weird postings on Twitter. One of my favorites is this:
Log cabin drop out, @chinewsbench, fronts 4 boytoy steve. ChicagoTeaPatriots sells most tix of all! http://tiny.cc/ChicagoTeaHostsGlennBeck 10:24 PM Sep 6th via webFor the record, I have no boytoy. I am not gay. I've never been a member of the Log Cabin Republicans. Not that there would anything wrong with that, mind you.
RELATED:
Beware Chicago's Fake Tax Day Tea Party Event Chicago News Bench
Catherina Wojtowicz: What The Tea Does Not Need Streetwise Pundit (removed)
Catherina Wojtowicz Catherina Wojtowicz – StreetWisePundit (removed)
Racism In The Tea Party, or a Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy? - Republic Affair
The Goofy Protesters at Right Nation 2010
Busloads of People at Right Nation 2010 Tonight
Lunch With Anita MonCrief, Dick Armey at Right Nation 2010
The Bloody Gutter of N. Kenmore Avenue
Analysis: Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr's Opponent Demands His Resignation
Jesse Jackson, Jr. |
Hayes responded with perplexity to the Congressman's statement, “If Congressman Jackson wants us to believe that he participated in a meeting with Indian businessmen who discussed a $1 million bribe on his behalf but failed to tell him about it, he needs to have his head examined because it is clear he lacks the cognitive capacity to serve as a United States Congressman. He should resign now and save himself further embarrassment.”
Pollak, Robinson Team Up For "Super Sunday" Campaign
- For the "Starbucks Group," contact Caitlin Huxley, Campaign Manager for Adam Robinson for Senate, at 312-841-0172.
- For the "Pollak Campaign HQ Group," please sign up here. Call the office at 224-217-9669 or email Paulie at paulie@pollakforcongress.com for more information and to confirm your participation.
Right Nation 2010 to Conduct Presidential Straw Poll
Republican Election Judges Needed to Fight Democrat Voter Fraud
Hold on a minute: That bit about fake "Republican" judges is true. On July 14, 2010, Canada Free Press wrote that "American Thinker published an article by Lee Cary about an interview with a Chicago political machine insider. It contained the following warning: 'In Chicago, the Precinct Captains watch to see who votes and who doesn’t. Then, at the end of the day, others will cast votes for those who haven’t shown up to vote, all under the direction of the Precinct Captain. If the actual voter shows up later, they’re given someone else’s card. The Republican poll watchers don’t stop this. Hell, most of them are actually Democrats'."
Allegations that Ald. Moore's campaign committee committed ballot fraud, mail fraud and bribery still float around Chicago. Local bloggers published a picture of Moore standing right next to a person as they were voting in 2007 (photo, left), a clear violation of election law. Moore is hardly the only Democrat in Chicago who plays dirty.
[Back to the Chicago Republican Party message:] Can you serve as an Election Judge in your neighborhood on November 2, to change Illinois forever for the better? Judges of Election conduct the voting in their precinct. Every candidate on the ballot, and every voter in the state, depends on you to do your job well. It is a long day, from about 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., but you earn $125 from the government, and more If you receive official training. The greatest satisfaction is a country served, a community protected from fraud and a republic finally moving in the right direction. If you can serve, or would like to hear more, please contact us at info@chicagogop.com, or call Peter Bella, Executive Director of the Chicago Republican Party at 773-235-9467. Thank you! Eloise Gerson Chicago Republican Party - Chairman RELATED MUST-READS: What the Dems Know: Universal Voter Registration American Thinker 100,000 Stolen Votes in Chicago Heritage Foundation How to Prevent Voter Fraud: Advice from a former Chicago “Machine” Worker Uncoverage Democrat Voter Fraud is Far More Widespread Than You Think Canada Free Press Voter Fraud In Massachusetts: Democrats caught passing out absentee ballots today to rig vote for Coakley HillBuzz Could Non-Citizens Steal An Election? Illinois Review Democrats 'plan to steal the vote' World Net Daily Getting Out The Vote, Democrat Style American Chronicle Widespread Democrat Voter Fraud by ACORN UrbanGrounds Wisconsin and the Voter Fraud Agenda Wall Street Journal Online ACORN employees tell FBI of deliberate election fraud Daily Caller