Hawks win Game 1 against the Flyers in Chicago

Well I linked to a story about last night's game in the sidebar containing the Indian Feathers W image. Now for today we take a look a the highlights. I saw some highlights before I got home last night and was almost worried that we may have lost the game. Final score was 6-5 Black Hawks.

College students don't have empathy?

Hmmm, that would be unfortunately leaving the academic setting only to face reality when they do finally have to make it into the "real world":

Today's college students are not as empathetic as college students of the 1980s and '90s, a University of Michigan study shows.


The study, presented in Boston at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, analyzes data on empathy among almost 14,000 college students over the last 30 years.

"We found the biggest drop in empathy after the year 2000," said Sara Konrath, a researcher at the U-M Institute for Social Research. "College kids today are about 40 percent lower in empathy than their counterparts of 20 or 30 years ago, as measured by standard tests of this personality trait."

Konrath conducted the meta-analysis, combining the results of 72 different studies of American college students conducted between 1979 and 2009, with U-M graduate student Edward O'Brien and undergraduate student Courtney Hsing.

Compared to college students of the late 1970s, the study found, college students today are less likely to agree with statements such as "I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective" and "I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me."
...
The recent rise of social media may also play a role in the drop in empathy, suggests O'Brien.

"The ease of having 'friends' online might make people more likely to just tune out when they don't feel like responding to others' problems, a behavior that could carry over offline," he said.

Add in the hypercompetitive atmosphere and inflated expectations of success, borne of celebrity "reality shows," and you have a social environment that works against slowing down and listening to someone who needs a bit of sympathy, he says.

"College students today may be so busy worrying about themselves and their own issues that they don't have time to spend empathizing with others, or at least perceive such time to be limited," O'Brien said.

So online activity and every man for himself causes a lowering of empathy?

Via Newsalert!

Here Comes the Hawks!!!

Click this image to visit the Black Hawk's online home. It's from their website!

Coming tonight on NBC, the Hawks start their Stanley Cup finals series against the Philadelphia Flyers at the United Center starting at 7 PM Chicago time.

I want you to enjoy this song called Blackhawk's Battle Cry! by Joe Jammer. I got wind of it in the news this week so another thing to keep you entertained before tonight's game.

Here's the article in question!

Here are the lyrics to the official fight song Here Comes the Hawks!

Here Come the Hawks, the mighty Blackhawks
Take the attack, Yeah, and we'll back you Blackhawks
You're flyin' high now, so let's wrap it up
Let's go you Hawks, move off
Now all look out, Here Come the Hawks,
Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks, Here come the Hawks

Here they come movin', weavin', flyin' high and throwin' spray,
Blades flashin' sticks crashin' tryin' for the play,
And the Blackhawks, take control,
There's a shot, AND A GOAL!

Here Come the Hawks, the mighty Blackhawks
Take the attack, Yeah, and we'll back you Blackhawks
You're flying high now, so let's wrap it up
Let's go you Hawks, move off
Now all look out, Here Come the Hawks
Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks, Here come the Hawks

(instrumental)

Here Come the Hawks, the mighty Blackhawks
Take the attack, Yeah, and we'll back you Blackhawks
You're flying high now, so let's wrap it up
Let's go you Hawks, move off
Now all look out, Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks,
Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks,
Here Come the Hawks, Here Come the Hawks, Here (trails off)

I tried to add it to this post as enclosure but don't be surprised if I come back with another YouTube video instead.

EDIT: Since I don't see anything on the blog that shows a way to play Here Comes the Hawks I have linked it above the lyrics instead.

New CTA rail cars temporarily sidelined

It seems they've found a problem with the new trains already. They have been in regular passenger service since late April. Currently they've been running along the CTA Green Line. I've had a chance to ride them several times when they were running along the Red Line:

Vibrations were affecting a component in the braking system, CTA engineers found. The vibrations could possibly cause the "slack adjuster'' in the brake to loosen and result in a loss of braking friction during extended use. The slack adjuster makes accommodations for the amount of wear on the brake pads over time.

There have been no cases of brake failure, officials said. They added that they have known about the issue for months and were waiting for a replacement part from Bombardier Transit Corp., which manufactured the 10 prototype trains the CTA has been testing.

"The new part is ready now,'' CTA spokeswoman Noelle Gaffney said.

CTA officials said they expected the rail cars to resume passenger service on the Green Line in a few weeks after the adjustments are made and the trains are tested without any passengers on board.

Before the CTA orders more of these new railcars they have to be tests on the entire L system. I like these cars, but I think I can live without the longitudinal seating.

Black Hawks championship history

The Black Hawks existed as an NHL franchise since 1926. They are considered one of the "Original Six" franchises of the National Hockey League (NHL). So called because from 1942 to 1967 Chicago, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings were the only teams that competed in the NHL.

The NHL was formed in 1917 and only two of these original six franchises Toronto and Montreal were founded before 1926. The other four Original Six franchises including Chicago were founded in 1926. Now from the time of the NHL's founding other teams had come and gone through the years until 1943.

The Stanley Cup was created in 1892 by Lord Stanley who was the Governor-General of Canada from 1888 to 1893. He was originally a British nobleman and politician and he offered this cup as the prize for amateur hockey teams in Canada. By 1926, the NHL were exclusively competing for the prize known as Lord Stanley's Cup.

Over the years the Black Hawks have competed for the Stanley Cup in 1930-31, 1933-34, 1937-38, 1943-44, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1964-65, 1970-71, 1972-73, 1991-92. They have won cups in 1934, 1938, and finally 1961. In addition they have made conference champion in 1992 which was their last Stanley Cup appearance having been defeated by Pittsburgh. That is in addition to 14 division titles starting in the 1969-70 season.

This season (2009-10) they will play for the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1992. They also won a division title and conference title this season.

GO BLACK HAWKS!!!

The top image is of Bobby Hull and Jack Evans another teammate (if you know who that is please leave a comment) standing with the Stanley Cup after their Stanley Cup victory against Detroit on April 16, 1961. This info was found on June 10, 2010 at Chicagoist.

Gun control supports consider breaking city's handgun ban

In the very neighborhood were Officer Thomas Wortham was murdered (that neighborhood being covered heavily at The Sixth Ward) we see a movement by residents to want to arm themselves. To be sure, there are those who in spite of this ban own handguns anyway. This is sure to put another dent into Mayor Daley's attempts to continue this handgun ban:

In middle class black neighborhoods like Chatham, people have voted overwhelmingly for Democratic politicians who have overwhelmingly supported gun control.

But now many are scared and angry over the killing of Officer Wortham, late Wednesday night in Chatham.

"I would say the most recent incident here in Chatham has such a profound impact on people's consciousness about violence, about crime in the streets, that people who would not normally want to own a gun, are considering that," said Robinson.

In that neighborhood, many residents have told CS 2 News off camera that they are willing to begin carrying a gun to protect themselves, even if it means breaking the ban on handguns.

Coy Pugh, a former state representative and lobbyist for the Illinois Rifle Association, said he knows why even law-abiding citizens might arm themselves.

"In the community that I grew up in, they say it's better for the police to catch me with it than the robber to catch me without it," said Pugh.

And that concerns people like Linda Williams, who believes more guns in the community will make matter worse.

"All the other industrialized nations do not have the gun laws that we have and they don't have nearly the amount of killing and injury we do," she said. "So, no, I don't believe that more guns is better."

Those in favor of gun control point out that even though Wortham had a weapon and so did his father, a retired police sergeant, the young officer still ended up shot and killed.

But those on the other side of the argument believe criminals are less likely to approach someone in the first place, or break into a home, if they think the would-be victim might be carrying a gun.

This article was actually posted at the CBS2Chicago website on May 25th.

You know my stance, I generally think people should be allowed to have a weapon at home. Obviously the argument about criminals being hesitant to break into anyone's home if they believe that person is armed.

Still let's address the concern of Ms. Williams. It's fine that she believes that more guns isn't the answer, however, I would like to see a justification. Alas this was also a TV news story so all we get is a soundbite/quote. I would like to know what stats she has on the amount of killings and injuries as a result of guns.

BTW, the other point made about the officer who did fire shots at his assailants before he was eventually shot and killed makes sense too. While I do support and individual's right to carry a gun we should always be mindful of the dangers. Perhaps instead of banning guns then we should educate people on all the dangers of guns.

Hopefully the people in power in Chicago will bear that in mind whenever the US Supreme Court rules on our city gun ban.

Crossposted @ Mechanics!

The evolution of Chief Black Hawk

This graphic is from the Chicago Sun-Times

You know in light of the Black Hawk's remarkable playoff run I may be going overboard just a little bit on Black Hawks stories. Just yesterday, I had posted about why I make the team's nickname into two works instead of the officially used one word as it has been since 1986.

Today's post is about the Black Hawk's logo. It has been an enduring one and is easily one of the most recognizable in sports. People from 80 years of age to 8 (according to this Sun-Times article) will be wearing some Black Hawks paraphernalia.

The Blackhawks logo has gone through many changes in its evolution, much like the team it represents -- one that stands just four wins away from its first Stanley Cup since 1961.

It was first introduced to the world in 1926 after team founder Frederic McLaughlin's wife, Irene Castle, designed it for her husband's franchise, which was in its infancy.

McLaughlin, a Harvard-educated coffee tycoon, named the team after a renowned leader of the Sauk tribe -- Chief Black Hawk -- after serving in a U.S. Army infantry unit that called itself the Black Hawks during World War I.

Castle was a popular ragtime dancer and vaudeville performer whose innovative style made her a trend-setter in the fashion realm. But perhaps her most durable legacy was coming up with the long-lasting symbol of the Original Six franchise.

Originally outlined with a black-and-white circle, the logo was ringed with the word "Black Hawks" on top and "Chicago" on the bottom. Facial features were few and far between, but it would become the groundwork for the icon going forward.

In 1937, color was added to the design as well as facial features. The feather, too, was more detailed. By 1960, the franchise had abandoned the encapsulating circle, and the profile took on a wider look. War paint, along with red, green, yellow and orange feathers adorned the back of the head.

Ten years later, the face took on a slimmer look and darker complexion. Today, it's very much the same as it was 40 years ago.

Enduring and believe it or not I have a jersey (actually a training jersey that I had bought in 2002) at home. Often I would wear it around campus and had more meaning as last year the Hawks were in the playoffs for the first time since 2002. That run was remarkable as it marked a turnaround for the original 6 NHL franchise especially since almost a year before Bill Wirtz (some fans may refer to him as "Dollar Bill" because he was unpopular) had passed away.

What ought to be next is a championship history since I did one with the Bears when they went to the Super Bowl. I wonder if I'll have enough time to do some before the Stanley Cup finals commence on Saturday!

Seems to be a lot of focus on Alabama political ads lately

I found this ad for Les Philip who's running for US Congress in Alabama's 5th District. You can read some more history about what's going on in this race here! You can watch the other two interesting Alabama ads here as well.

Ah the hell with it, how about seeing that gun-toting ex-Marine who's running for Alabama Agriculture Commissioner!

I wish somehow Illinois pols could use an ad like this unfortunately this could only work downstate and even that may be pushing it. A statewide candidate I doubt could ever get away with such an ad unfortunately. I have to like the cowboy motif and the Western like music of this ad. Almost reminds me of this old courtroom show known as Texas Justice. The music almost matches up with that.

Oh yeah I forgot about the editing and that southern drawl!

Found this Les Philip ad through a link via Instapundit!

I wonder if you notice how I type Black Hawks

I just felt like answering a question to something no one may notice but I'm sure wants to ask if they did.

It's my way of being retro. That's why in showing the Black Hawks logo I may be more apt to find a retro version of the Indian Head logo. The one above for instance and the one below.

Anyway looking up Black Hawks history it wasn't until 1986 that you see Blackhawks. From Wikipedia:

In 1985–86, while going through the team's records, someone discovered the team's original NHL contract, and found that the name "Blackhawks" was printed as a compound word as opposed to two separate words ("Black Hawks") which was the way most sources had been printing it for 60 years and as the team had always officially listed it. The name officially became "Chicago Blackhawks" from that point on.

Well there ya go, but in some respects I really like going retro. While the Black Hawks want to keep things official I think that I would like to keep them two separate words. And continue to use the old-style Indian head logos in addition to the current iteration of the Indian head seen below.

A few days ago when Marathon Pundit noted the success of the Black Hawks in this year's playoffs could again capture the attention of that American Indian groups who believe any sports teams' usage of American Indian images could be considered racist.

Although I think in the case of the Black Hawks they more or less honor American Indians more than any other team. The other one could be the University of Illinois as they are named for the Illini, a native Illinois tribe. Unfortunately UIllinois have had to put their mascot Chief Illiniwek to rest.

The South Chicagoan: Will Ward mis-speak matter on Tuesday?

Gregory Tejada offers us his take on a Congressional race in Idaho where a former US Marine Corps officer faces off against a Puerto Rican in a Republican primary. This Marine officer, Vaughn Ward, has made statements where he believed Puerto Rico was an independent nation. Just as he was about to announce his opposition to Puerto Rican statehood.

BTW, Electronic Villiage had looked at a couple of stories of politicians targeting candidates of Indian descent in their races. It seems like Gov. Bobby Jindahl may have started a trend. There are other Indians running for offices in Southern states, but this time those candidates of note are actually Democrats. Even worse they're opponents in Democrat primaries are making their race an issue!

Stanley Cup finals: Black Hawks vs. Philadelphia

The Flyers has won their series 4 games to 1 yesterday against the Montreal Canadiens last night in Philadelphia. The final score for game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals was 4-2.

You can read a report at the NHL website.

BTW, the schedule for the Stanley Cup finals has been set. Games 1 & 2 will be played in Chicago because of the Hawks' superior performance in the previous round. Those games will be broadcast on NBC, while games 3 & 4 to be played in Philadelphia will be broadcast on the cable channel VERSUS. If games 5 through 7 are necessary they will be broadcast on NBC as well.

Game 1 will be on Saturday so until then I may keep the Black Hawk's "W" flag up in the sidebar until I can find a suitable Stanley Cup picture as we get closer to the start of the Stanley Cup finals.

Colorado Dark Horses Put In Good Showing

Well my interest is in state politics, so when I'm able to I like to explore whats going on in the other states. There are surely quite a few interesting contests out there around the nation. Even if the contests are for Senate seats, House seats, or even Governor's seats.

What's up with Colorado, starting with the Republican side:

In the governor's race, Republican businessman Dan Maes, who has little name recognition or money, captured more delegate votes than the favorite, former congressman Scott McInnis. The tally was close: 1,741 to 1,725.

Mr. McInnis had enjoyed a big lead in the polls—50% to 15% in the most recent survey of GOP voters, released last week by Public Policy Polling.

"The Republican Party needs to wake up and realize that there is a new sunrise," said Michael Schneider, a delegate who supported Mr. Maes.

Republican Ken Buck, a county district attorney seeking his party's U.S. Senate nomination, won 77% of the delegate vote, lifted by support from tea-party activists and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, who recently endorsed him and praised his conservative credentials.

Mr. Buck's main GOP opponent, former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton, who has been considered the front-runner, bypassed the assembly and is trying to get on the August primary ballot by collecting voter signatures. Those petitions are due next week.

Messrs. Maes and Buck "are riding this tide of disaffection that's pushed in some measure by the tea-party folks," said John Straayer, a political scientist at Colorado State University.

Now for the Democratic side:

The Democratic Colorado assembly also featured a solid victory for challengers, as a former speaker of the state House, Andrew Romanoff, won 60% of the delegate vote for his party's U.S. Senate nomination. The incumbent, Sen. Michael Bennet, won 40%.

Mr. Romanoff cast his victory as an upset of the party establishment, akin to the voting earlier this week that ousted Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania and forced Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas into a runoff. Mr. Specter and Ms. Lincoln are both Democrats.

"Today, we joined our counterparts in Arkansas and Pennsylvania with one voice, loud and clear. To the party bosses in the U.S. Senate, we say this: 'Stiffen your spine or step out of the way,' " Mr. Romanoff said.

Mr. Bennet, however, retains a huge lead in fund raising, and many political observers expect him to win the August primary comfortably. Moments after the assembly vote, his campaign manager emailed supporters a plea for more donations—a plea focused more on November's general election than the primary.

"The ground is fertile for Romanoff, said Eric Sondermann, an independent political analyst based in Denver. "This could be one of those uprisings a la some of those other things we've seen around the country where the party really rallies around the insurgent and rejects the incumbent."

It seems as if neither party is entirely happy with the status quo so far. Neither party seems particularly happy with Washington either. Perhaps the true shake-up didn't happen in 2008, but it could happen this year!

Black Hawks sweep Sharks advance to Stanley Cup finals

Click pic for larger resolution

In recent weeks even the Chicago Tribune have been expressing their Black Hawks pride. The Indian feathers adorn the Tribune's Old English typeface logo. In addition Black Hawks games are seen on WGN Channel 9 or WGN America in addition to their regular radio home on WGN 720 AM.

Anyway time for the highlights for game 4. Unlike for most of the games in the series against San Jose I was able to watch at the very least the last two periods of this game. It would've been sweet if this game ended after sudden death overtime, but instead the Hawks scored an empty-net goal in the 3rd period. That was when the announcers at WGN Radio got very excited and said that the Hawks are going to the Stanley Cup finals!

BTW, at the very top of the sidebar is a Black Hawks "W" flag. It's similar to the "W" you might see for the Chicago Cubs only with the all too familiar Indian Feathers, similar in design to the Hawks' current Indian Head logo. It's there to commemorate the Hawk's Western Conference Finals victory yesterday. So today you won't see that image in a post. It is linked to an article about yesterday's game from the official Hawks website ABC News.

Now I just wish I could find an image that commemorates the Hawk's Western Conference title. Although it hopefully I can replace it with an image of a Stanley Cup title image.

Todd Seavey.com: Some Thoughts After Primary Week

This post makes me want to consider going back to school and continue my studies in Political Science. This time I'd be less of an American politics as I was at Morehouse and more of a political theorist. I really would like to explore the various ideologies or philosophies that are seen in American politics.

Mayor exploits police officer's murder

Once again Chicago's Sixth Ward was rocked by another violent shooting. This time a police officer, Thomas Wortham, was murdered near his parent's Chatham neighborhood home by thugs who wanted to steal his motorcycle.

Wortham and his father exchanged gun fire that hit two of these thugs one of them fatally. The next day Mayor Daley held a press conference to discuss Chicago's gun ban:

Often when Mayor Daley makes the case for what he calls "common sense gun laws," he stands before a table full of guns seized by Chicago Police.

The show-and-tell was the same today, when Daley was asked how effective Chicago's strictest-in-the-nation handgun ban can possibly be when the city's homicide rate is rising and an off-duty Chicago Police officer was gunned down during an attempted robbery.

The mayor picked up a rifle from the table and sarcastically told the Chicago Reader reporter, "If I put this up your butt, you'll find out how effective it is. If we put a round up your, you-know. . . .[Confiscating] this gun saved many lives. It could save your life."

Asked about the mayor's remark later, mayoral press secretary Jacquelyn Heard said Daley was somewhat exasperated because "the person asking the question was missing the point that unrestricted guns are a devastating issue" for Chicago.

"To illustrate the point, he offered what admittedly could be considered a less than ideal example, but it's one that is a stark reminder of how destructive gun violence has been."

That Chicago Reader reporter was Mick Dumke who wrote about this experience over at Clout City:

Mayor Daley wants to make one thing clear: it's my fault that he lost his cool yesterday and offered to sodomize and shoot me for asking a question about violence in the city.

A little while ago the mayor told reporters that he was merely trying to teach a lesson to me and the rest of the press corps about how dangerous guns are, since it was clear from my question that we don't get it. “I want to shock you, maybe scare you to realize, this is serious," he said. "I want you to be as passionate as I am."

Yesterday mayoral press secretary Jackie Heard put it more coherently, as she always does: "The person asking the question was missing the point that unrestricted guns are a devastating issue."

Actually, they're missing the point, and they're of course doing it on purpose. They want to miss the point. You don't have to fire a gun to shoot the messenger.

The point is that there's a critical discussion that needs to take place around here about gun control, violence, an understaffed police force, neglected neighborhoods, chronic joblessness, the war on drugs, failing schools, and the priorities of public officials. But Mayor Daley has shown no signs of being interested in it. He's decided what needs to happen, and we're either with him or against him.

There's no better illustration of his intolerance for debate, dissent, and transparency than his decision to hold a gun up and joke about shooting a journalist.

Even a blogger at Red County got into the act of talking about this Mayoral press conference:

Daley went on to say it would be behoove those who want guns removed from the hands of the people if the justices of the United States were threatened with gun violence.

"Maybe they'll see the light of day," Daley said. "Maybe one of them will have an incident, and they'll change their mind overnight, going to and from work."

It’s an ironic statement calling for gun violence to end gun violence.

It is apparent Daley does not believe citizens can be responsible gun owners. Last month during a gun turn-in program Daley said there are too many guns in society.

"When someone has access to a gun, they use it," he said.

What the mayor fails to acknowledge is most of the firearms used in crimes are not obtained legally.

Finally John Kass at the Tribune says the Mayor only embarrased himself by this display:

A reporter asked the obvious question: Given the numbers of shootings in the city, isn't the handgun ban ineffective?

The question was more than fair. In Chicago, the only people who are confident in their 2nd Amendment rights to bear arms are the criminals, the cops and the politicians.

Law-abiding citizens can't own handguns. They don't have an army of bodyguards, as does Daley. Political hacks have guns. They get out the vote for his machine.

And the retired neighbor who's never been arrested in his life? Oh, no. If he has a gun, it would be anarchy in the streets, according to Daley.

Confronted with a logical question, here's what the mayor did: He picked up a rifle from the prop table of guns, raised it and began to babble.

"It's been very effective," said Daley of the handgun ban. "If I put this up your butt, you'll find out how effective it is. Let me put a round up your, you know."

The mayor of Chicago then went on to say if the justices were attacked by thugs with guns, they'd see things his way.

"Maybe they'll see the light of day," Daley said. "Maybe one of them will have an incident, and they'll change their mind overnight, going to and from work."

Chicago politics is a rough business. But suggesting that Supreme Court justices need to suffer before becoming enlightened is despicable. It not only embarrasses the mayor, but everyone who lives or works in Chicago.

While I hope that this gun ban is overturned since I believe I should be allowed to own a gun to protect myself and my property. Also it isn't unreasonable if the gun ban was overturned that the city could require gun owners to buy liability or to receive training. I believe that getting some gun training is perfectly reasonable.

Unfortunately Daley isn't the only one who believes that everyday citizens who owns guns are dangerous. Now Daley's comments at that press conference on Thursday was directed towards the US Supreme Court. So I do hope there will be another discussion whenever the Supreme Court arrives at their ruling.

Crossposted @ Mechanics!

I forgot that the Black Hawks were playing last night!

Didn't get to watch last night's game, so I suppose I'll have to watch these highlights again. But here's an indication of how they did last night.

Here are a couple of links

• Hawks' national-anthem tradition wows Sharks
• Hawks beat Sharks 3-2 in OT, lead West Finals 3-0

WORST Translator Ever Crashes White House!

Haven't really been following this, but this week the President of Mexico has dropped by for a state visit. This funny video shows what happens when a better translator is unable to attend the state visit. LOL!

Tuesday night was a big night as far as primaries go

The above AP video talked about all the races from yesterday!

I had tweeted about Arlen Specter losing his bid for re-election last night after having been vanquished in the Pennsylvania primary. I asked how that party-switch is working out for him? He allegedly switched parties in an effort to keep his job and well he didn't survive a Democratic primary.

Also the son of Ron Paul, Rand Paul, was successful in his Republican primary. He defeated Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson who was largely supported by the Republican establishment in Washington.

Here's an excerpt from a NY Times article:

Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who left the Republican Party a year ago in hopes of salvaging a 30-year career, was rejected on Tuesday by Democratic primary voters, with Representative Joe Sestak winning the party’s nomination on an anti-incumbent wave that is defining the midterm elections.

In Kentucky, Rand Paul, the most visible symbol of the Tea Party movement, easily won the Republican Senate primary and delivered a significant blow to the Republican establishment. His 24-point victory over Trey Grayson, who was supported by the most powerful Republican on Capitol Hill, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, underscored the anti-Washington sentiment echoing across the country.

The outcomes of both contests, along with a Democratic primary in Arkansas that pushed Senator Blanche Lincoln into a runoff election in June, illustrated anew the serious threats both parties face from candidates who are able to portray themselves as outsiders and eager to shake up the system.

Wow! Will 2010 be quite the year or what? We shall see!

Black Hawks win game 2 in San Jose

Well today I did have to work and I found out the results of last night's game from Chicago Breaking Sports. You can read the rest of that report and watch some video highlights here:

As any team with a series-opening win in its pocket would, the Blackhawks talked about greedily seizing Game 2 as well, to steal yet another win from the top seed in the Western Conference on its own turf. If not unrealistic, it seemed mostly hopeful and, with that Game 1 win already in hand, not totally necessary.

Now the Hawks are exceedingly close to making a Stanley Cup final appearance a fait accompli with a 4-2 victory over the Sharks on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3 is Friday night at the United Center.

GO BLACK HAWKS!!!

Just have to say, the Black Hawks are taking up the same tradition of the Cubs. Apparently even the Hawks have the W flags as the Cubs do. Of course the Hawks don't play in an outdoor stadium like the Cubs so where does the W banner go in cast of a victory.

Of course what's more important than another W flag going up is hopefully a banner indicating a Black Hawks victory in the Stanley Cup finals!

Rich Miller: No escaping the goofiness

I missed this yesterday. Rich Miller of the CapFax published his latest syndicated column yesterday talking about the Governor's race. He compares Gov. Pat Quinn and state Sen. Bill Brady to the Harlem Globetrotter's inept longtime foes the Washington Generals:

A Washington Generals split squad game would surely be a sight to behold. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to imagine such a spectacle. We’ve got one right here in Illinois.

Last week, Gov. Pat Quinn spoke to throngs of angry union members at the site of a factory which is being retooled in part by out-of-state workers. Unions have been quite unhappy about the use of nonunion employees from other states and have been protesting for weeks.

“When there’s a job to be done,” Quinn told the union members, “look to Illinois workers because they are second to none.”

The very next day, Quinn finally announced the hiring of his new campaign manager - a young out-of-stater who has never run an Illinois campaign. His main claim to fame is that he works for the Wisconsin lieutenant governor. Before pursuing that guy, Quinn tried to hire someone from Kentucky, but was politely turned down.

If this “Factories should hire Illinois workers but I don’t have to” gaffe was an isolated case, then it would be no big deal. But Quinn has stumbled time and time again, to the point where he nearly lost his Democratic primary race after leading by more than 30 points. Like the Generals’ rare victories, Quinn lucked into his win.

And then there’s Bill Brady, who earlier this month challenged reporters to “find the tape” of him even once supporting a 10 percent across the board budget cut. Brady insisted he’d never said it. My intern Dan Weber found the tape quickly because Brady has made the across the board cut proposal literally dozens of times. Only a Washington General wannabe could make a goofy mistake like that. It almost looked like he did it on purpose, kinda like how the Generals stood around listlessly while the Globetrotters performed their awesome comedy routines.

Again, this is no isolated case. Brady, like Quinn, has a history of giving his opponent sweet little gifts, like introducing a puppy and kitty mass killing legalization bill right after he won his primary by 200-odd votes. A few months ago, Brady spoke in favor of a massive pension borrowing scheme. This month, he lobbied hard against a much smaller version supported by Gov. Quinn, claiming it was the wrong thing to do.

Kind of depressing don't you think?

I've followed Bill Brady somewhat in 2006. Who knows if the outcome would've been different had he run against Blagojevich. Of course we know Blagojevich had the ability to do what it took to win back then anyway.

I can't get with the idea of Pat Quinn as Governor and Bill Brady well he needs work! In Bill Brady's favor is that Quinn in the incumbent and he barely put to rest a primary challenge in the form of outgoing state Comptroller Dan Hynes. On top of that Gov. Quinn still has to contend with the continuing brewing controversy with regards to the state's Department of Corrections.

From what I can gather Quinn has been making all the bad moves since he replaced Blagojevich last year. In his favor, however, is the fact that I generally consider Quinn an honest man unlike his immediate predessor. It could've only been hoped that he would manage the state in a much different manner than Ousted governor.

Tough election in a year where we just know there might be some sure victories for Republicans. Might the possible wave of Republican victories skip Illinois?

YouTube's at five years

Believe it or not YouTube didn't exist when I started blogging five years ago. If I wanted to share something I saw on TV with you all I could do is either link to it or discuss it in whatever detail I could.

Now assuming someone else has posted some segment from TV, I can embed onto this blog. And this doesn't merely have to be YouTube. These days we also have the luxury of embedding from a variety of sources, especially if that clip is available from a major media outlet whether newspaper, TV or whatever. So it doesn't always have to be YouTube.

For example if I were to embed from the C-Span archives the program on the American Presidents I can do that here. Now be prepared to watch a program in excess of 2 or 3 hours.

Of course not all we see on YouTube needs to be that serious. People have become "famous" because people may have created some mindnumbing entertainment. There doesn't have to be any rhyme or reason for it, but it captures people's attention for the moment.

Perhaps that's the revolution of YouTube.

Black Hawks win game 1 in San Jose

I didn't have to work yesterday at least, but I still didn't get to catch the game. My cable acts up so it froze when I was watching the game on NBC and attempted to catch it on WGN-AM and found that the Cubs were playing. I did catch the last period but it wasn't until much later that I found the Hawks won the game.

I've got to say something about Haqikah Suggs

On June 1, 2007, I wrote about a story from Joliet where a teenaged girl was at first unidentified and there was something of a digitally created composite sketch for her. Anyone who watched the news that day finally knew this young girl's identity.

Haqikah (pictured above) was also known as Kekah. And since we discovered that she had been found dead in a park in Joliet I've been getting comments in that original post probably from friends and family who may well miss her. They very much keep her in their thoughts. That last comment I received on the first of this month.

In fact I got two comments on this story for this year the earlier one for the year posted on the blog back in February.  Three were comments were posted in the post in 2009. And finally the post was largely new when two comments were posted on June 6, 2007. Obviously there are people out there who still care about her and this story.

In the past, perhaps a year or so, Googled to see if there had been any updates to her murder. Unfortunately I had found that there had been no real updates as to who murdered her.

So I think it's totally apropriate to put her name and face out there one more time. One story with her name in it involved a possible link to other murders in Joliet. Perhaps a serial killer was loose during that time period. Of course that story from WBBM-AM was published in December 2007. Perhaps since then we know nothing about who murdered the 14 year old girl.

Since I see that there are people who still care about her or at least this story. That warrants this post today. Hopefully there can be closure for those who care about this young lady!

Four Nerds and a Cry to Arms Against Facebook

Well it does appear that in spite of great beginnings Facebook may be starting to flounder. It can be a great tool especially in the casual sense, but have they been making too many changes? And when they do implode who might replace them?

Well here's a group who are attempting to create a substitute:

A few months back, four geeky college students, living on pizza in a computer lab downtown on Mercer Street, decided to build a social network that wouldn’t force people to surrender their privacy to a big business. It would take three or four months to write the code, and they would need a few thousand dollars each to live on.

They gave themselves 39 days to raise $10,000, using an online site, Kickstarter, that helps creative people find support.

It turned out that just about all they had to do was whisper their plans.

“We were shocked,” said one of the four, Dan Grippi, 21. “For some strange reason, everyone just agreed with this whole privacy thing.”

They announced their project on April 24. They reached their $10,000 goal in 12 days, and the money continues to come in: as of Tuesday afternoon, they had raised $23,676 from 739 backers. “Maybe 2 or 3 percent of the money is from people we know,” said Max Salzberg, 22.

Working with Mr. Salzberg and Mr. Grippi are Raphael Sofaer, 19, and Ilya Zhitomirskiy, 20 — “four talented young nerds,” Mr. Salzberg says — all of whom met at New York University’s Courant Institute. They have called their project Diaspora* and intend to distribute the software free, and to make the code openly available so that other programmers can build on it. As they describe it, the Diaspora* software will let users set up their own personal servers, called seeds, create their own hubs and fully control the information they share. Mr. Sofaer says that centralized networks like Facebook are not necessary. “In our real lives, we talk to each other,” he said. “We don’t need to hand our messages to a hub. What Facebook gives you as a user isn’t all that hard to do. All the little games, the little walls, the little chat, aren’t really rare things. The technology already exists.”

I think I want to know more!

Black Hawks clinches the series against Vancouver off to face San Jose

Here are the highlights of those last two games. First Game 5 from May 9th, the Hawks unfortunately lost at home:

And last nights series-winning game 6 in Vancouver. Near the end it was almost a runaway!

In the Western Conference finals the Hawks will face the San Jose Sharks who defeated the Hawk's archrivals the Detroit Red Wings in their series.

Back in the Eastern conference none of the teams have clinched their series so far. Montreal Canadiens will face Pittsburgh Penguins tonight in Pittsburgh in Game 7. That series is tied 3-3.

Also Philadelphia Flyers will face the Boston Bruins in game 6 in Philadelphia. If there is to be a game 7, it will be on Friday. Boston is up in that series 3-2.

Chicago's black population drops to third in nation

You know I'll excerpt to another article that I sat on for a while. I'm assuming this was all from incoming US Census information.

In any case this article via Capitol Fax discusses the Black population of a southern city, Atlanta, has exceeded that of Chicago.

This reversal of the ''Great Migration'' is one of the findings of a Brookings Institution Study, ''The State of Metropolitan America,'' released over the weekend.

In 1990, metropolitan Atlanta's black population ranked seventh in the nation. By 2000, it was fourth. And by 2008, Census estimates put Atlanta in second with 1.669 million African-Americans, eclipsing Chicago's 1.667 million. The New York City area remains the largest concentration of African-Americans, with 3.1 million.

This article discusses a potential power shift as blacks move away from Chicago. In particular moving more to the suburbs than anywhere else. This article from April 23, 2010 is courtesy of the Chicago News Cooperative:

Whether you’re Mayor Richard M. Daley or Mayor-In-His-Mind-Rahm Emanuel, no voting group is more important for a Democrat than the city’s African-Americans. Increasingly, there are fewer of them.
...
By 2008, the last year for this data, it was down to 936,505, more than a 10 percent drop. The suburban Cook figure is up to 381,886. As a whole, the 2010 city population will probably show a very small drop from the 2,896,000 in the 2000 Census, largely due to a boom in the number of Hispanics.

Ken Johnson, my pro bono data subcontractor, was a longtime demographer at Loyola University and is now plying his trade at the University of New Hampshire. He notes that the decline in the number of blacks is due to a net exodus since black births still outnumber deaths, and that blacks remain the city’s biggest group, at 34.2 percent, compared with 31.3 percent of whites and 28.1 percent Hispanics.
...
There is also, he said, gentrification of traditionally black areas like the South Loop and Bronzeville. And, finally, there’s the exit of some displaced by dramatic changes in public housing, from the Robert Taylor Homes and other demolished projects, though the net number appears small. The notion of a big exit is an “urban myth,” Mr. Burns said.
...
When it comes to big-city declines in the number of blacks, there is the prospect of less influence in determining elected officials in those cities. There is also, as State Senator Kwame Raoul puts it, the possibility of diminished power in the allocation of resources, namely who gets the most public transportation, public construction and education money.

The rubber meets the road in other ways, including the primal political act of reshaping legislative and Congressional districts. When maps were redrawn after the 2000 Census, the goal of maintaining de facto black districts necessitated greater creativity in linking different communities. In the case of black legislators, it meant linking black strongholds with white areas not seen as engaging in racial-bloc voting, meaning they’d be open to voting for a black.

So Mr. Burns’s district stretches from 74th Street and Grand Crossing on the South Side to 1300 North on the Gold Coast. Similarly, State Representative Annazette Collins’s district runs from the West Side to Bucktown.

When the Democrats in Springfield redraw the Congressional maps this time, bet that a few more black districts will link city and suburban areas. The likelihood of Illinois losing a seat in Congress and the need to acknowledge booming Hispanic growth, may imperil an existing black Congressional seat in the city.

I wonder if anyone could consider this a positive development. One way to look at this is that if suburban communities and urban communities are linked or at least communities of various races and ethnicities we could see more competitive races. As far as Chicago congressional races go, they're not that competitive currently whether we discuss Democratic contests especially. Forget about Republicans!

U. of C. applications 'staggering'

Well it's about that time of year again. Graduating seniors from high school should know whether or not they've been accepted to their schools of choice. I've only known this as a transfer student. :P

Sun-Times:

Derrick Davis is an all-state basketball star with offers to play ball at two Division I schools.

Yet, the Bridgeport, Mich., high school senior will be starting his freshman year in the fall at the University of Chicago, known more for students with high ACT scores then high scores on the basketball court.

"It was a really hard decision," Davis said. "I wanted to play Division I basketball. But I felt like the University of Chicago was the right place for me."

He's not alone. High school seniors this year applied in record numbers to the Hyde Park school, which saw a 42 percent increase in the number of applications over last year. The school also reported a record number of accepted students -- 39 percent of those admitted are planning to attend.

Minority students also applied in higher numbers, a trend playing out among elite colleges around the country. May 1 was the deadline for seniors to commit to attending top-ranked universities, many of which reported record-low acceptance rates because of the high number of applications.

"What we are seeing is the current and future demographic of this country," said Eric J. Furda, dean of admissions at the Ivy League's University of Pennsylvania, which saw 17 percent more applications this year than last year. "What's the real makeup of college-bound students? The growth is among blacks and Hispanics primarily."

They've been going after minority students like Mr. Davis. Recruitment is certainly a reason why Chicago has an uptick in undergrad applications. This is certainly a good selling point for many students:

The university's strong financial aid packages also are a big draw.

"They have great resources for financing," said Kurt Schmidt, director of college admissions at St. Ignatius College Prep, a high school where typically 30 to 35 seniors apply to the U. of C. each year.

"They have the resources to make a financial aid package feasible, and they are looking for the brightest minds," he said.

Davis said he first heard of the U. of C. when his basketball coach gave him a packet of information from the school. He realized the university was the right fit when he sat in on a literature class during a visit to Hyde Park, he said.

"I liked the discussion they were having," he said. "I felt like I could be successful."

A bachelor's degree from a well-known school will be more bankable then the odds he will play in the NBA, Davis said. And though the school does not give athletic scholarships, he will receive financial aid.

Here are some stats:

While applications are up across the board, elite schools, in particular, are pulling increasingly large numbers of applicants year-to-year.

Northwestern University applications are up 9 percent over last. The school has had a 70 percent increase in applications over the last five years, including increasing numbers of applications from minority students.
...
More than 30,000 seniors applied to Harvard, a school record. About 7 percent were accepted. For the sixth consecutive year, Princeton's applications were up, this year by more than 19 percent.

Among its peer schools, though, the U. of C.'s 42 percent increase was unmatched.

Believe it or not, it's approaching a year since I graduated from Morehouse. The year I FINALLY graduated, the entering class was said to be the largest in years. I wonder how many applications Morehouse got for the upcoming year. And I wonder if they have generous financial aid, exclusive hopefully of forcing students to take on serious student loan debt.

And the main thing of note in this article a black who would otherwise make an attempt to play in the NBA as opposed to taking seriously his education chose an elite institution like UChicago for undergrad. And at that he doesn't get an athletic scholarship. This young man has gotten the right idea!

Instalanche!!!! :o

Yeah remember what I said about Instapundit on Sunday? Well I had to wait a few hours for the excitment of my FEEDJIT Live Traffic feed. I checked my feed for an hour and saw the activity from Glenn Reynolds' link to my post about America falling behind the mobile calling curve.

An "instalanche" is a portmanteau of Instapundit and avalanche. It is a euphemism for an increase in traffic due to a popular site, such as Instapundit, linking to your website.

Thank you for your eyes on Sunday night and your comments. I hope you do stick around because you're always welcome.

The thrill of this only matches being noticed by Rich Miller, Illinois' top state political blogger back in 2006! Although I can only guess that receiving an Instalanche resulted in more page views than I got in 2006.

On that here are a couple of links of note on instalanches. Perhaps you're reading this blog and you want to see what happens when it happens to you. ;)

• The curve of an Instalanche - Neo Neocon
• How To Get An Instalanche - Wizbang

Oh for that second link. It's almost 7 years old, but prolly still relevant. I had no real strategy although to be sure I've linked to Instapundit many times over the years!

Americans falling behind in world's mobile calling curve?

Since I've been in the market for a new cell phone (especially a Blackberry) this article caught my interest. It was found via Newsalert:

Despite our noisy fascination with iPhones and iPads, it turns out the United States is one of the least advanced places in the world when it comes to the way we use mobile devices. That is the conclusion of a new study by Sybase 365, which provides services for mobile messaging and mobile commerce.

In fact, when it comes to using mobile devices for things like text messaging and instant messaging, the survey indicates we’re getting blown away. Only 31.5 percent of people in the United States use a mobile device for text messaging and sending IMs—while in China 90 percent of people surveyed use mobile devices for those things.
...
Only 12.9 percent of users in the U.S. said they make use of mobile commerce services. In China the figure was almost four times that amount, at 49.2 percent. Across all of Asia, 34 percent of people surveyed said they use mobile devices for banking, versus only 13 percent in the United States. Asian customers are also more likely to make payments with their mobile phones than are Americans.
...
Why are we lagging behind? One reason, simply put, is that here in the United States we’re stuck with a legacy infrastructure, and in the developing world they’re starting from scratch. “They didn’t have the broadband infrastructure that we do, and didn’t have the PCs,” Beard says. Ironically, this has enabled them to roll out new systems that leapfrog over what ours can do.

There’s also the issue of habit. People in the United States have grown accustomed to doing banking online via the personal computer. In the developing world people are less likely to have PCs, so they’ve gone straight to the mobile phone as their platform of choice.

Beard expects the United States will catch up over time, as banks adopt the technology needed to deliver mobile commerce services, and people shift from PCs to mobile devices as their primary computer platform. The survey also indicated high interest in mobile commerce services in the United States.

Well sometimes I'm annoyed with people and their cellphones. People like to argue over their phones. They talk on the phone or they text while driving.

At the same time I think it's neat to check my banking account information over my cell phone.

Marathon Pundit: A "teabagger" attends an Organizing for America training session

This is almost a Protest Warrior style tactic. In 2003, one of the PW founders named Alan, infiltrated ANSWER and carried with him a hidden camera.

In 2010, John Ruberry (the Marathon Pundit) visits Evanston, IL to infiltrate an Organizing for America (OFA) training session. OFA just so happens to be the political arm for President Obama. I think you'll like the post there's a little humor in it as Ruberry steals a line from a film Animal House.

That post earned a link to Instapundit, one of the most popular blogs on the web today. I just don't read it as much as I used to.

Quinn hires a campaign manager

During the course of this 2010 campaign one of the gripes about Pat Quinn, the man who replace Ousted governor as Illinois Governor in 2009, was that he had no campaign manager. So now it appears that he's found one:

Gov. Patrick J. Quinn has hired a new campaign manager, but only after a more-prominent person turned down an offer, the Chicago News Cooperative has learned.

Mr. Quinn, above, had sought to recruit James Cauley, who managed Barack Obama’s 2004 campaign for the United States Senate, to lead his November campaign, but wound up with Ben Nuckels, the chief of staff to Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor.
...
Mr. Nuckels replaces John Kamis, who managed Mr. Quinn’s narrow victory in February’s Democratic primary. The governor trails the Republican nominee, Bill Brady, in recent polls by Rasmussen and Public Policy Polling.

The next question is will the race change as a result of him hiring a campaign manager? This race is a bit of a toss-up even if Illinois is largely a blue Democratic leaning state. And to be sure Brady seems to not be without his own negatives.

He opened his tax returns to the press a few weeks ago. In fact the same day as the Alexi Giannoulis' Broadway Bank was taken over by the FDIC. As late as Monday we're still talking about Brady's tax returns and what he should have paid taxes on.

Black Hawks win game 4 in Vancouver

Wasn't able to watch this game so I had to watch these highlights with you!

Metra chief committs suicide

I know that over the years I have followed the many machinations of what's going on locally in this part of Illinois, but basically this story doesn't generally affect me. Well I'm not a Metra rider and I don't generally follow what's going on in our local commuter rail service.

In fact the story of this gentlemen Philip Pagano, Executive Director of Metra, was something I really didn't follow. Apparently there were charges of financial irregularities hanging over him. At that he was recently suspended with pay over a suspicious bonus he had given himself.

To be sure however, Rich Miller noted that his suicide is part a "deeply disturbing pattern". Pagano wasn't the only player in state politics to have committed suicide in recent years. Just last year Michael Scott who was chiarman of the Chicago Public Schools killed himself somewhere near downtown Chicago. Another suicide of note is Chris Kelly. Kelly was a chief fundraiser for Ousted governor Rod Blagojevich and was on his way to prison after having plead guilty for fraud when he was found dead.

The only question I can ask is whether or not this truly is a pattern. A pattern somewhat amongst corrupt politicos. Of course I say this in reference mainly to Pagano and Kelly. I don't think a motive has ever been established for Michael Scott.

To be sure it almost seems well there was another term I could use, but right now I want to excercise caution. Pagano literally was said to have walked right in front of a Metra train this morning. The same trains that he was supposed to oversee.

Black Hawks win game 3 in Vancouver

Winning last nights game 5-2 to take the lead in their second round Stanley Cup series. I was only able to watch the final period, but at least I have the ability to watch the highlights of last night's game.

You can also read this article on last night's game from the Sun-Times.

Waiting for my train to pull off

At 95th street on board the new railcars. Watching car leveling in action.

Blackhawks win game 2 last night!!!

Last night in Black Hawks playoff action the Canucks took an early 2-0 lead in the first period. After no goals in the second period, the Hawks came back in the third to take the lead for the first time. The Hawks would win the game 4-2 and tie the series in the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Check out that games highlights!

Or if you prefer to read an article about last nights game go to the Tribune. The Canucks are getting ready for game 3 according to Breaking Sports.

Dorothy Tillman seeks to gain back her city council seat???

Just over three years ago former 3rd Ward Ald. Dorothy Tillman was defeated in her bid for re-election to incumbent Ald. Pat Dowell. Now it looks like she may want to return although in 2007 we saw reasons why shouldn't be returned to the Chicago City Council. You don't have to look further than my 2007 archives, especially between January and April of that year:

While Stroger rides his leather swivel chair into the political sunset, Dorothy "The Hat" Tillman could be cooking up a comeback. In 2007, after 22 tumultuous years as 3rd Ward alderman, Tillman was vanquished by longtime adversary Pat Dowell.

Known for her flamboyant head apparel and defiant ways, Tillman rose to power as a voice for the downtrodden. Dowell and other critics charged she morphed into an autocrat who stymied economic development and ran her South Side ward like a fiefdom.

Tillman, 62, has stayed in the fray. She hosts a lively WVON radio show, deceptively titled "Coffee, Tea, and a Conversation with Dorothy." She and her family have been criticized for alleged mismanagement of Bronzeville's Harold Washington Cultural Center.

Now Tillman is revving up. Last October her daughter, Ebony, unleashed an e-blast that defended Tillman's record and excoriated her successor. The missive, headlined, "The 3rd Ward is Ran by An Ametuer" [sic], boiled with angry accusations and personal attacks. Sounds like a campaign preview.

In March, Tillman delivered fiery words at a nationally televised forum on the black agenda, hosted by Tavis Smiley. Last week, she issued a passionate, three-page press release that ripped the city's black establishment and the Chicago Police Department for "abdicating their responsibility" to stem the city's ravaging street violence. The incendiary statement drew little notice.

Days later, I talked to her by phone. She was still sizzling, demanding more racial diversity among police brass, funds for community policing and stand-up elected officials. Young people are dying, she noted, while "the Chicago City Council sits lock, stock and barrel, doing nothing."

With the citywide elections just 10 months away, is she running for something? Alderman, perhaps? Tillman repeatedly dodged the question. She laughed.

"That's funny," she said. "That's real funny."

Forgot to note that this article actually starts off with Laura Washington, the columnist, talking about the latest controversy involving outgoing county board president Todd Stroger. He decided to buy some more furniture for his county office and at that it appears he's still trying to squeeze some people onto the county payroll. For may people it appears old habits are dying hard. Even if it appears Stroger is getting out of politics.

Anyway a couple of observations about Tillman. Well I just so happened to think about a forum Tillman was supposed to be at in 2007 that she effective blew off. And you know the aide she had in her place was none other than Jacky Grimshaw who now sits on the CTA board. How Grimshaw handled that was abrasive, but while Grimshaw may not be hurting now was also know that Tillman hasn't changed much.

Well Tillman is no longer an Alderman. We do know that in 2008 she had been arrested because she seems to be of a cantankerous sort. So hey someone got the raw deal in that instance.

I wonder how Tillman would fare in a 2011 rematch. And believe it or not it'll be a very short time before any Aldermanic hopeful will have to circulate petitions to get on the ballot next year. First, however we need to focus on 2010 here in this state!

Coco on 60 Minutes!!!

Watch CBS News Videos Online

His first interview since leaving Tonight back in January of this year. It had been 7 months since he assumed hosting duties. Sadly in a reshuffling Conan left NBC and Jay Leno got his old job back.

You know...

Expect him on TBS in the near future. He even comment on that deal in this interview as well.

Also in the market for a new cell phone

Actually I want to buy what we call a smart phone. My eye is on a Blackberry Curve, but earlier this year I visited an AT&T store. See my needs for a smart phone was to be able to surf the internet especially to be able to use Facebook on the go. Indeed it would've came right in handy going back and forth between here and Morehouse for many years.

I learned from an saleswoman that to surf the web on a mobile device it's best to get the iPhone. But I refuse to get one of those mainly because these phones seem to have the ability to get stolen and they're very expensive without a rebate!

The main thing I would like to get a smart phone is the ease of sending text messages. Now I would rarely use that feature anyway but the idea of a QWERTY keypad is very much a nice touch. With my Motorola RAZR phone basically typing a text message will take some serious navigation of the keypad.

In looking for a new smart phone the newest entry has been an Android phone. Through my cell phone provider the only one currently for sale is the Motorola Backflip. Not sure how much different an Android OS is from either the OS on the Blackberry Curve or the iPhone so I may have more questions about that.

For right now my eye is still on that Blackberry! I made a visit to an AT&T store this weekend and learned more about the Blackberry phone that I will have my eye on. I like the Curve model pictured above the best, however, it may not have the fastest speed in order to do some mobile internet surfing. The representatives informed me that it was best to go for the latest models.

And the tracking ball of the older curve has given people some problems thus they have redesigned the trackball. But it's still a nice looking phone either way. So many choices and so many suggestions, but I know what I want right now!

RANDOM THOUGHT: If I bought a mobile phone from Best Buy why would it be cheaper there than it would be if I bought the phone from an AT&T store? I found out that Best Buy doesn't do rebates whatever the listed price for that phone that's what you pay for especially if you purchase with a plan or upgrade. I'm thinking this is cheaper than going to a corporate store.

5-year-old bound, tortured, killed

Got wind of this story yesterday and I'm greatful for the follow-up. This boy's own father is charged with his death!

A Gary, Indiana man is charged with the murder of his 5-year-old son.

Leon Burns was questioned by police Thursday. He is now charged with one count of murder as well as battery and neglect of a dependent.

Investigators say his son, Leon Walker, had been tied up and tortured in their home.

The boy would have turned 6 years old on Monday.

The next thing I want to know is what possessed him to tie up and torture his own son?

Even sadder is that his mother wasn't there. She's in drug rehab. Surely there was someone out there in that little boy's family who could've fought for him!