Chicago Daily Observer

“Against the Capitol, I met a lion, who glared upon me and went surly by, without annoying me…”Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Act I, scene iii
Nature abhors a vacuum and wild animals are proving highly adaptive to changing environments. Last year, a coyote paid a surprise visit to a sandwich shop in the Loop. More recently, the shooting of a cougar in the Roscoe Village neighborhood made headlines. It has been suggested that this was the first time that a cougar had been killed within the city limits in more than a century.

Snow plow drivers often operate their trucks late at night and during the
hours immediately before dawn. As such, they see many things that those of us
accustomed to working from nine to five miss. Many animals are nocturnal. My
informants have told me not to discount the presence of ... Read More...

Another setback for the sport of kings as labor and management quarrel in Cicero A sit down strike delayed the start of live thoroughbred racing at Hawthorne Park Race Course earlier this afternoon (Friday, April 25th). Jockeys staged the work stoppage in order to dramatize their demand to receive a higher percentage of racing purses from the track owners.

The scheduled 3:00 p.m. start of the first race was delayed for almost
ninety minutes. Racetrack spectators observed that the temporary shutdown seemed
to be timed to coincide with the closing weekend of the Spring Thoroughbred
Meet at Hawthorne. On Monday, April 28th, racing will conclude at Hawthorne
and the next series of thoroughbred dates will be held at Arlington Park Race
Track beginning on May 2nd.

According to some sources, a tactical decision was made to stage the strike
at Hawthorne on a slow ... Read More...

“Don’t Go Crooked, Go Straight to Roy’s!”
Billboard advertisement for a former garage which specialized in wheel alignment jobs.

The late George Murray, who cut his journalistic teeth working for the Hearst newspapers in Chicago, once contemplated the irony that significant portions of the Appian Way are still serviceable long after the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, but the Little Caesars of the asphalt and road paving companies operating in Illinois cannot construct a road surface that will last for more than a few years at most under optimal conditions.

If you need any evidence of the perpetual motion machine that is “the political combine,” to use the term popularized by Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass, look no farther than the road construction industry. The paving contractors make substantial political contributions to whatever politicians are in power, the politicians award public works contracts to favored firms to ... Read More...

In the song “A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request,” the late Steve Goodman
described Wrigley Field as “an ivy covered burial ground.” It is true in more ways than one. The ashes of the late Charlie Grimm, the banjo playing player
manager of the Cubs, who won three pennants while helming the team, including
their last league title in 1945, are part of the landscape at the park.

Failing to close the deal has been a hallmark of the Cubs. Take your pick:
the 1969 team completely falling apart during the month of September and being
overtaken by the New York Mets (was it a black cat on the field at Shea
Stadium that hexed the Cubs?), Jim Frey mismanaging the bullpen against San Diego
in 1984, Roger Craig of the San Francisco Giants out maneuvering ... Read More...

“De mortuis nil nisi bonum” (translation: “Speak no ill of the dead“).

During the contested Republican mayoral primary of 1931, the incumbent
mayor, the Honorable William Hale Thompson, Jr., was opposed by two candidates.
Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the powerful publisher of The Chicago Tribune was
a determined opponent of Thompson’s re-nomination bid. In a startling
display of bravado, a Thompson operative happened to liberate a draft copy of the
mayor’s obituary from the Tribune files. The mayor reproduced the text of the
obituary and made McCormick into a laughingstock in the process.

Thompson had undergone an emergency appendectomy during the previous autumn
and the paper had prepared an obituary. It is not an uncommon journalistic
practice to prepare obituaries in advance of a noteworthy person’s death. The
summaries are largely biographical ... Read More...

Hillary Clinton is not going to go quietly into that good night.

Although she is being called up to step aside in the interest of party unity, I fully expect Clinton to soldier on until the Democrats assemble in Denver for their party’s national convention. Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean may not like it, but where is it written that nominating conventions must be as predictable as a homecoming high school pep rally? There was a time in America’s political history where convention delegates actually did bargain and confer with each other and select their party’s nominees after multiple ballots were cast. Now, the pundits and network television expect the conventions to serve as coronation ceremonies for the presumptive nominees. The issue must be decided on the first ballot if one follows this script.

For weeks and weeks, Obama’s campaign has been urging us to believe that Clinton’s candidacy was ... Read More...

I was browsing through “the Irish Sporting News” a few days ago. For the uninitiated, this dated slang expression refers to the obituary columns. The term probably had its origins in the propensity of the Irish to consult the obituaries in order to attend wakes and funerals in decades gone by.

Still, once you are of a certain age, you check the daily obituaries to make sure that
you are still breathing and to fulfill your obligations towards others.

In any event, what struck me was the obituary for an elderly gentleman who had passed away in his nineties. What caught my attention was that this person was listed as a proud graduate of Crane High School.

Crane has been in the headlines too often lately for the escalating gang violence that has been occurring there on an almost daily basis. One teenager shot and killed another student in ... Read More...

In the waning days of his unsuccessful presidential campaign, former Bob Dole asked a rhetorical question: “Where’s the outrage?” This was a challenge to the media and the public concerning serious allegations, many of which were subsequently proven, that the Clinton/Gore campaign has engaged in illegal fund raising practices which had included accepting contributions from foreign nationals. Dole correctly pointed out that the press had been ignoring the story. Although the issue failed to produce dividends for Dole, the press belatedly took up the issue. Vice President Gore’s visit to a Buddhist temple fund raising event, where some illegal contributions were collected, tarnished his reputation and may have cost him a few precious votes in 2000.

The perpetual adolescent columnist, Richard Roeper, of the incredible shrinking Chicago Sun-Times raised a question today concerning criticisms of Barack Obama. Roeper cannot fathom why his opponents have ratcheted up their criticism of the ... Read More...

Above the mantle there is a mural: a golden American eagle centered prominently atop a collection of flags arranged with the United States, France and Great Britain featured prominently. The other flags are partially obscured. I was able to recognize the colors of Greece and Japan (the now abandoned Rising Sun flag). I pondered it for a moment and asked a question of another person seated at my table. My guess was correct: the flags represented the allied powers from until the 1940s was called the Great War. That made perfect sense as the Evanston post received its individual charter in 1919.The congress had authorized the national charter of American Legion that same year.

Elsewhere in the hall were framed banners commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of World War II and a similar one for the Korean war (call it a “police action” to be technical). The World War II banner ... Read More...

If they wanted to do mischief, how would they do it?

The returns from Florida last night caused me to contemplate the significance of the upcoming Illinois primary February 5. . Although there seem to be some spirited primary fights on the Democratic ballot, other than force of habit what would possess many conservative voters to request Republican ballots when they arrive at their precinct polling places? For many voters, the primary has been reduced to nothing more than a beauty contest.

In the race for the presidential nomination, Senator John McCain (R-Az) has seized the momentum and may be nearly unstoppable. Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney remain in the field, but they are trailing McCain. Both men may be campaigning for the silver medal, the vice president nomination at this point.

Unless you reside in an outlying suburban legislative district, there may not be a candidate for the Illinois ... Read More...

How long will it be before “The Chicago Sun-Times” ceases publication?

Judging from recent events, the end cannot be too far off. In addition to gutting its staff and eliminating the business section, the tabloid paper has been struggling to stave off insolvency by filling its pages with sleaze. How else can one explain the editorial decision to run another article about the narcissistic divorce attorney Corri D. Fetman?

Fetman, you may recall succeeded in embarrassing feminists and scandalizing the legal community by promoting her divorce law practice by posting a series of provocative billboard advertisements featuring scantily clad models and the caption that “Life’s Short. Get A Divorce.” The controversial and tacky advertisements managed to offend many people, men and women alike.

In one of the most salutary acts in his lengthy public career, former 42nd Ward Alderman Burton Natarus had Fetman’s tasteless and offensive billboards removed. The advertising ... Read More...

Through nothing else but the force of habit, I still check the movie directory listings. Regularly, I come away disappointed. This is because I’m in the demographic slot Hollywood doesn’t’ care for. What is it?

. I am an adult.

Consequently this former avid filmgoer, who once went to from four to six movies per month, hardly goes any longer. .

I cannot relate to the juvenile and violent pap that has become t Hollywood productions. Increasingly, I find myself watching dvds and most of the titles that I prefer predate 1970.
That’s an anomaly. Consider: when the studios in Tinsel Town were producing films on a factory assembly line basis and churning out four hundred or more releases per year, the results were far better than today’s multimillion dollar productions.

James Cameron practically ran the table at the 1998 Academy awards with his film “Titanic.” As a movie ... Read More...

Can you remember when a Governor Moonbeam held office in California rather than Illinois? Our zany adolescent masquerading as a fifty-one year old has hit upon a new scheme to bolster his sagging popularity with the electorate: Blagojevich is reported to be considering purchasing venerable Wrigley field and assigning its operations to the habitually inept Illinois Sports Facilities Authority.

Since the State of Illinois cannot attend to its most basic responsibilities, Blagojevich feels that an afternoon at the ballpark is just the cure for what ails us. Moreover, state ownership of the ninety-five year old stadium will help keep the team in Chicago rather than moving to the suburbs. As an added benefit, the deal may aid the Sam Zell’s purchase of the Tribune Corporation. Zell has indicated that he will sell the Cubs franchise and the associated real estate separately to pay for his purchase of the media conglomerate.

... Read More...

In Addition to Depriving Him of His 1st Amendment Rights this “University” Betrays its Once Catholic Heritage.

Founded in 1898, DePaul University holds itself out as America’s largest Catholic University. Named for St. Vincent de Paul, who established the Congregation of the Mission (known as the Vincentians), the motto of the university is t“Viam sapientiae monstrabo tibi”. It’s from Proverbs meaning, “I will show you the way of wisdom.”.

Sometimes, I wonder if DePaul maintains its “Catholic” identity simply to retain tax exempt status. The classrooms and offices of the university have been almost completely denuded of crucifixes and religious artwork of any kind. After my time at DePaul, all that remains is inoffensive and nondescript representations of the saint making him appear unidentifiable.

Few of my old classmates express any loyalty to DePaul as our alma mater. Most who were graduate students described it as the most “secularized” of ... Read More...

Filing as a candidate is just the beginning, staying on the ballot is the real test

The silly season is upon us.

No, I am not referring to the Christmas shopping rush as the holidays approach. The primary election, on February 5, 2008. As I write this, candidates for delegates and alternates are hurrying to gather voter signatures on their nominating petitions before the filing deadline. Republican delegates and alternates will be the last candidates to file under the new election laws. The winning candidates will attend the national nominating conventions to be held next summer.

For the first time in decades, the Illinois primary election may be meaningful to the nomination process of presidential candidates. Our election is now early enough to affect the outcome. It means the presidential candidates are likely to have to spend some real dollars campaigning in Illinois which involves setting up offices, installing telephone ... Read More...

One month and counting. The mail has been delivered and I am still waiting for a promised government document to reach me. Tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow.

Feeling like a character out of the fictional works of Franz Kafka, I am obliged to interact and interface with various and sundry bureaucrats and clerks. One can spend hours trying to get necessary papers from the bloated county government. Lawyers derisively refer to the “Circus Court of Cook County” and dread having to retrieve files from the office of the Circuit Court Clerk, Dorothy Brown. One of my friends is a circuit court judge. He’s described the clerks as the bane of a judge’s existence I have decided to keep him anonymous, so he won’t be subjected to retaliatory conduct in the form of slower clerical responses and more mislaid files.

Abandon all hope ye who have to read the handwritten tract book entries ... Read More...

Here we go again!

In my misspent youth, I watched Abbott and Costello comedies on television often enough to memorize some of their routines. It wasn’t that difficult. If a comedic bit worked, Bud and Lou were certain to repeat it over and over again. Some of their most celebrated sketches were performed in the movies as well as on radio and television. Constant repetition of familiar routines may have served to hasten the end of their careers as headlining entertainers during the Fifties.

Listening to our politicians engage in brinksmanship and double talk, makes me pine for a straight man like Bud Abbott. He could at least put over some of the nonsense more skillfully than our elected officials.

Higher taxes are being threatened by City Hall and the County Board, but how much of it is genuine and how much of it is part of a bait and ... Read More...

As the Chicago Transit Authority lurches towards another mass transit doomsday, one wonders if there is anyway to apply the brakes to this runaway train?

Austerity and economy are two words which have been permanently banished from the vocabularies of local bureaucrats and politicians. Faced with an imminent budget crisis, the only solution proposed is more government spending to bail out the profligate transit agency. The Illinois General Assembly, which cannot manage to get its own financial house in order, must rescue the CTA, once again.

Under the administration of Frank Kruesi, the former head of the CTA, money flowed like water as the transit agency embarked upon an ambitious rebuilding and construction maintenance program. Older elevated stations were to be modernized or replaced. Train platforms were to be enlarged to accommodate longer trains. Remodeled stations were to be made fully accessible to the handicapped. New technology was ... Read More...

A few weeks ago, friends of the late Mike Royko gathered at Wrigley Field to observe the ten year anniversary of his death. Royko was a lifelong fan of the Cubs, a team that he often lampooned and ridiculed. After seeing the Cubs manage to make a final World Series appearance during his adolescence, Royko watched the team as it bottomed out completely. Royko bemoaned the clumsy players that masqueraded as professional athletes on the Chicago roster, frequently venting his anger and disgust in print. He took solace by playing sixteen inch softball and was inducted into the Chicago Softball Hall of Fame. It was altogether fitting and proper that his family and friends assembled at the Friendly Confines to toast his memory.

Thinking of Royko, put me in mind of his final years writing columns for the Tribune. It was not an entirely happy employer/employee relationship. Royko had taken ... Read More...

When does a dream become a nightmare? Possibly when the Congress repeatedly attempts to defy the wishes of the majority of the American people to pass a massive amnesty program that benefits millions of illegal aliens residing in the country.

Once again, large numbers of Americans jammed the Senate telephone switchboard and unloaded a blizzard of letters and faxes to remind their elected representatives that they oppose any legislation that offers amnesty to illegal aliens. Their efforts succeeded at derailing the Dream Act for the time being. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has vowed to try to revisit the issue in six weeks.

The Dream Act has been sponsored by our own Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL). It was defeated prior to this week, but Durbin reintroduced the measure. He was confident that the bill would pass on this turn at bat. It was hoped that the Senate could pass ... Read More...

Truer words may never have been spoken on the silver screen. That is when the late John Huston, playing Noah Cross in “Chinatown,” utters these immortal lines: “‘Course I’m respectable. I’m old. Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.”

An Atlanta based author, Karen Abbott, who has specialized in romance novels, has set out to prove this axiom true. In Sin in the Second City she seeks to rehabilitate the reputations of two brothel owners who were driven out of Chicago by the express orders of Mayor Carter Harrison, Jr., nearly a century ago. It is the most recent book to revisit the notorious and opulent Everleigh Club. The former bordello was located in Chicago’s infamous segregated red light district, the Levee which was the city’s old red-light district which in its early 20th century heyday was a conglomerate of door-to-door gambling dens, clip ... Read More...

Hildy Johnson doesn’t work here any more. Neither does Charles MacArthur or Ben Hecht. Mike Royko is dead and I am not feeling too well myself. If you are one of the few persons who still torture yourself by reading the tepid rags that pass for newspapers in Chicago, you know precisely what I mean.

Why is the online edition of The Chicago Daily Observer important and needed? Because it fills a significant void. The major news outlets have abandoned any pretense at allowing a full range of opinions in their editorial pages and broadcasts more than a few years ago and effective news coverage is not necessarily their forte either, so you need to turn to the Internet for an alternative to the empty secularism and liberal orthodoxy that holds sway in the electronic and print media in our beleaguered city.

Consider a few recent examples: the mainstream media ... Read More...