Chicago lawmakers think you’re an idiot.

One of the things that set conservatives and liberals apart is how they view the common man.  Most conservatives, including myself, think people in general are responsible, reasonably intelligent, logical, and good-natured.  This is why it’s easy for us to identify liberals, they think exactly the opposite.  Liberals hold the opinion that the “average joe” is irresponsible, incapable of taking care of him/herself or anyone else around them, a complete idiot, and totally oblivious to anything of importance (global warming, fascist republicans, etc.).

Most people don’t notice this distinction.  They only look at what it is government wants to accomplish, and if it seems like a good idea, they’ll support it.  You may support a certain bill or law without realizing how it came about, or what it says about what lawmakers think of you.  As I mentioned before, typical liberals look down their noses at us average people. We’re too dumb to take care of ourselves, so we should just sit back and let the wiser government officials we elected to take care of things for us. I mean, that is why we elected them, isn’t it?

I for one, welcome our cute and furry overlords.

Well, finally back, and I’ve been sitting on this one for a week just because I loved the title I had in mind.  Just another piece of fodder from the Chicago Sun-Times.  Apparently we’re going to be overrun with…kittens.  Yes, kittens.

Global warming and kittens. While it may seem hard to see the connection between the two — a climate phenomenon that melts glaciers and acidifies oceans, and cuddly, 4-ounce balls of fur — experts say there could be one.

Each spring, the onset of warm weather and longer days drives female cats into heat, resulting in a few months of booming kitten populations known as “kitten season.”

Honestly, there are people out there (other than cat breeders) who refer to this time of year as “kitten season”?  I guess it’s right up there with those equally important seasonal periods of El Nino, and Hurricane Season.  There’s really not much more to say, it’s just becoming a parody of itself.

Below is an artist’s rendition of our near future.

Apologies, Apologies

This blogging stuff is hard work.  Things are getting more settled for me in my new job.  Hopefully I’ll get back to posting next week.  There hasn’t been that much I’ve found newsworthy that other blogs haven’t covered.  Extending this hiatus until next week.  Thanks for checking in.

Site News/Update

I just wanted to let you readers know, my schedule has changed recently.  It will be difficult for me to find time to blog in the coming week or two, wedding to go to, work, things getting hectic for a bit.  I will keep trying to post as frequently as I can find time, but I only plan on this being a temporary hiccup until I can find a healthy balance/schedule and things come on.

2nd Amendment Rally (reporter on-the-scene) [UPDATED]

Hey everyone, I got back a couple hours ago from the 2nd Amendment rally downtown. It was a really great experience. I’ve never attended or been a part of a political “rally” before and it was something I really enjoyed. I might have enjoyed it MORE though if there were counter-protesters.

I decided to cover this the same way zombietime covers his rallies. I’d also like to thank him for getting back to me when I asked him for any advice he might have in regards to covering events like this.

The rally was held at the Thompson Center and emcee’d by local conservative talk-show host Cisco Cotto. Also there were a couple NRA VPs, representatives from the Illinois Rifle Association, State’s attorney candidate Tony Peraica, and several spokesperson for 2nd Amendment Sisters (pro-gun women), PinkPistols (pro-gun gay/alternative sexualty) and other local 2nd Amendment supporters.

Anyway, here we go…

[UPDATE]  Welcome Oleg Volk and readers!!!  Here it is, 8 months after I attended the 2nd Amendment Rally downtown, and a fellow blogger (who’s much more popular than I), was kind enough to link to this post.  Oleg Volk  came across my post and pictures, set up a link, and in the last three days I’ve gotten well over 500 views, so I just wanted to say thanks Oleg!!

July 11th 2nd Amendment Rally (coming soon)

I plan on going downtown to this event tomorrow. I’ll be packing (a digital camera) and taking photos and notes of the event. I doubt it will be as entertaining as some of the stuff zombietime covers, but I’m planning on doing something similar to what he does over on his blog.

Big Brother is watching…er…sweeping you.

Mayor Daley, in his infinite wisdom, has decided that the fair citizens of Chicago aren’t being ticketed efficiently enough. He feels so passionate and determined to keep the streets of Chicago clean. No, no, not from violence…no not crime either. Daley wants to keep the streets clean…literally, like with brooms and brushes and stuff. So deep does this passion run, he’s awarded a $7.2 million dollar contract to install cameras on city street sweepers to better ticket those people who don’t move their cars on designated days.

Here’s how the Sun-Times starts off their article, in what seems like a way to justify this decision.

Red light cameras have reduced accidents and raked in millions of dollars at 69 Chicago intersections, with 60 more planned this year and 220 more by 2012.

It only makes sense to put video surveillance to work on street sweepers and snow plows to replace the primitive system Chicago has used for decades

I’ll get to the first highlight in bold in a bit, but first I’d like to draw attention to the second bold section. It only makes sense because…it will reduce street-sweeper accidents? No no, it makes sense because it will help rake in millions. Apparently the current practice of putting up temporary flyers warning people that a cleaning day is coming isn’t efficient enough, and the city wants their money. However, the city denies this.

First documented case of “Climate Change Delusion”

I saw this article on Drudge and didn’t think much of it at first. I clicked on it and began reading…and couldn’t stop laughing. I guess you can file this right alongside Bush Derangement Syndrome as new psychological afflictions that liberals have helped to spawn. Although, I don’t think Obama-thongs can cure this one. But don’t fret, I’m sure Obama hats are already in the works, just as soon as they find some unionized, non-sweatshop, organic hat-makers.

via Australia’s Herald-Sun

“A 17-year-old man was referred to the inpatient psychiatric unit at Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne with an eight-month history of depressed mood . . . He also . . . had visions of apocalyptic events.”

He must have just gotten through watching “An Inconvenient Truth” for the 153rd time in a row. Those images of an underwater NYC evidently gave him nightmares. But it gets better…

Redefining “most qualified”

Not like this is any real big surprise no matter where you’re from. We see this kind of behavior (more so on the local/state side than federal) all the time, almost to the point where people just aren’t even shocked or concerned. I believe this is the case here. The Cook Count board just hired a financial company to help borrow $150 million dollars.

Morgan Stanley, the New York financial giant that employs one of Mayor Daley’s nephews, has been picked to help the Cook County Board borrow $150 million to get by until the county’s 1 percent sales-tax increase starts flowing into the treasury.

It’s the first deal between the county and Morgan Stanley since the company hired William Daley Jr. — a nephew of the mayor and Cook County Commissioner John Daley — to help win business.

Again, nothing really shocking or surprising. I myself am not that enraged by it, but that also might be because I’m not privy to the entire deal and what other companies were potential suitors. Mostly I just wanted to bring this to the forefront, and maybe it’ll prove valuable when later on Morgan Stanley completely botches the entire project.

However, what I will say is, the more often things like this happen, maybe there will be more job offers out there for fellow Daley relatives. It’s a good business investment.

Amy Jacobsen files lawsuit

If anyone is reading this who is not a Chicago resident, this will be new to you. Most Chicagoans however, probably remember something around Independence Day of last year involving Amy Jacobson, then a reporter for WMAQ-Ch. 5. Apparently she’s now filed a lawsuit against the company that caught her in a questionable act.

The former WMAQ-Ch. 5 reporter is seeking more than $1 million in damages from WBBM-Ch. 2 parent CBS, Channel 2 boss Joe Ahern and others, complaining that a tape it aired of her in bathing attire at the home of a potential news source in July 2007 subjected Jacobson to “enormous public humiliation and disgrace.”

Jacobson wound up losing her TV job and, eventually, her home, according to the suit filed Monday in Cook County by attorney Kathleen Zellner on behalf of Jacobson, husband Jaime Anglada and their two children, all of whom alleged to have “suffered from observing the devastating effects on the person they love most.”

What had happened is Jacobson took her kids over to the home of Craig Stebic. I can’t find a suitable back-article after 5 minutes of searching so here’s a quick synopsis.

The Craig Stebic case isn’t all that different from the Drew Peterson situation. Stebic’s wife was missing for two months and reportedly he invited Jacobson over for a “pool party”. Jacobson had been working on this story and decided to accept the invitation. She then was caught on video by a competing news station. Her actions were decried as unethical and was then fired from her job at WMAQ.

Now you’re all caught up.

There’s a big debate over whether or not her firing was fitting or an error by WMAQ. Frankly, I can’t find enough back articles to confirm this, but if my memory is still good, I remember there being a slew of incidents of “questionable judgement” throughout her coverage of this story. Accusations of extramarital affairs and starting an actual relationship with Stebic, but don’t quote me on that.

Regardless, I did laugh when I saw this cited in Peterson’s lawsuit.

Jacobson’s lawsuit cites an episode of NBC’s “Law & Order” in which Lara Flynn Boyle played an ambitious reporter having an affair with a murder suspect. Apart from Boyle wearing a swimsuit and towel similar to Jacobson’s, the episode’s premise was far removed from anything that happened in Plainfield.

CORRECTION: I had incorrectly stated that Jacobson was suing her former employer. She is actually suing the company that caught her on video tape, a rival station.