City Budget Highlights.

I found this on the Chicago Sun Times web site. I found it interesting. My thoughts are italicized.

Highlights from Chicago's 2009 city budget

November 20, 2008

• 635 city employees laid off — possibly dozens less, depending on how many take cash incentives to retire.
• More than 1,600 vacant jobs eliminated.
  
• Six partial shutdown days around the holidays.
• Slow police hiring to 200 in 2009, saving $10 million.
• Because we definitely don't need more cops. We like being the Murder Capitol of the nation.
  
• Raise amusement tax to 5 percent on live theatrical, musical and cultural performances in venues seating more than 750 seats and 9 percent for sporting events, concerts and movies.
• Extend amusement tax to include 135,000 Chicagoans who get their cable TV by installing a satellite dish.
  
• Obviously Chicago owns the air and space that is directly above us. This is ridiculous.
  
• Increase parking tax — from $2.25 per car to $3 — on motorists who pay more than $12 to park.
• Lower Denver boot threshold from three unpaid tickets to two older than one year.
• Six-week amnesty for 3.5 million overdue parking and red-light tickets Dec. 1 to Feb.14.
• Basically only good for any tickets before Jan 1st, 2007. If you got it in 2008 you don't get any type of help.
  
• Blues and Jazz fests reduced from four days to three with fewer stages at each.
• Must not be making much money off the show.
  
• Double daily library fines from 10 to 20 cents.
• Raise ambulance fees from $325 and $8 a mile to $600 and $13 a mile for basic life support and from $400 and $8 a mile to $700 and $13 a mile for advanced life support. Nonresidents will pay $100 on top of that.
• Nonresidents should know better than to get injured or sick while visiting this city. Because your less of a person than those that live here.
  
• Raise residential permit parking guest passes from $10 to $16 for a book of 30.
• This makes sense to me.. strange.
  
• Increase the public vehicle license fee paid by limosuines and charter buses from $100 to $200 to $500 for everybody.
• Raise $9 million by requiring businesses and residential high-rises to purchase annual licenses for their garbage containers at a cost of $80 to $780.
• Cut $1.7 million city subsidy for free trolley rides.
• There's free trolley rides here? Wow.. I don't get out much.
  
• Privatize 35,000 parking meters by year’s end and apply $150 million to shortfalls this year and next. If it doesn’t work, more layoffs and tax hikes needed.
• Yes!! Privatize them so the company that gets the contract can make even more money than the city did! Brilliant!!
  
• Establish five-year, $100 million annuity with discretionary proceeds from the Midway Airport lease and spend $20 million a year through 2012.
• Save $5 million by consolidating city departments that handle consumer issues, human services, economic development and business affairs.
• Install red-light cameras at 50 more intersections.
• 50? Why not every 6 corner intersection and every intersection crossing a highway. Might as well make the most out of them. Will they catch bicyclists that don't stop as well?
  
• Raise $2 million by seeking sponsorships for city assets and events, beginning with a new agreement to provide beverage and vending services and city-owned facilities.
• Eliminate Fire Department Segway patrols in the Loop.
• There was a need for this to begin with?
  
• Raise daily and annual fees for merchants at Maxwell Street market to save popular Jumping Jack program for neighborhood festivals.
• Uh.. the Jumping Jack program is idiotic. What service does it really serve that the neighborhood organizers couldn't find in some other form?
  

Chicago's Parking Ticket Amnesty Program

Chicago has decided to start up the Parking Ticket Amnesty Program again. It's been about 6 years since the last opportunity for people to get a little help with their parking tickets.

Six years ago the city offered to wave all late fees on tickets and cut the prices on the tickets in half. This time around they're just going to cut the late fees in half. Oh, and only to the tickets you got before Jan 1, 2007. As if that's really going to help out a lot of people.

It is a good smoke screen to get people to actually fess up to the tickets they have. It will also make it easier for the city to get up to date addresses on people that have moved a hundred times since their last ticket. That way the city can actually send you notices and they can add more late charges.

However, if you do have parking tickets from before January 1st, 2007 then I guess this is good. Considering that most late fees on tickets after a year are at least a hundred bucks, so now you're just spending an extra fifty bucks.

I know what the ticket game is like. After all, I'm on a payment plan for $1,500 worth of them. Of course, all of mine were after January 1st, 2007. Once again, no help for me.

So is it really all that good of a deal? I guess so if you have a ton of tickets but it doesn't seem like much.

The amnesty program was inspired by the newly signed bill that has dropped the number of tickets that will get you the boot. Which was recently dropped from 3 tickets to 2 tickets. That's right, if you have two tickets on your name then your vehicles are now eligible for the boot.

If your not familiar with the boot system it works like this.

You have 2 tickets. They put the Denver Boot on one of your tires. Your car is now immobilized. You have 24 hours to pay off your tickets or start a payment plan to remove the boot. Plus a booting fee and a boot removal fee. If you can't make arrangements to remove the boot your car will be towed. Now you have towing fees and possible storage fees to pay for as well. If you don't make arrangements to pay off your tickets and the fees after a certain period of time; your car will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Here's the catch. Let's say you owe $600 total to get your car back. Your car gets auctioned off for $1,200. The city gets every penny of that and you still owe for your parking tickets, towing fees and storage fees.

So here's my suggestion.

If you have a car that is booted, you know you can't afford to pay off your tickets and the city is going to take it. Take everything you want out of the car and then take a baseball bat to it. Smash everything you can get to and then take a boxcutter and cut the upholstery to ribbons. Smash the windows, the radio and then pop the hood and start cutting belts and hoses.

I mean.. if they're going to take your property, sell it and then not even take the amount off of what you owe then why give them anything?

Bailout.

I've always said that nothing really effects me in the overall scheme of things. To be more precise, I'd say they don't effect me directly. Which has been my way of thinking for a long time. If something gets bad then you become better. You don't sit and complain and let things continue.

I've always been proactive for the individual. Each person is in charge of themselves. If you choose to buy a home, then you choose to pay the taxes on that home. If you choose to drive a car, then you choose to pay for gas. If you choose to have children, then you choose to raise them to be respectful and diligent. By choosing these things you earn the right to complain about these things. By choosing not to do these things, you can still complain but your complaints are useless.

At some point or another we're all effected by government. No matter what, every single person in the nation has had to use or be brought upon the government. Either in the big view (federal) or the smaller view (local). This includes all services that are ran by these governments.

The recent Bailout by the government is ridiculous. I know that Special Interest parties have constantly been supporters of whoever takes their money. They give them money and sooner or later they get some kind of tax break or favor. Ever wonder why celebrities endorse certain parties? Maybe it has to do with the fact that people who make multi-million dollar salaries get taxed as much as you and I do. Maybe I'm completely wrong. Maybe it's because the tax brackets haven't been thought of as a new way to make more capital for the nation. Or perhaps, every person is treated equally even though some of us can't pay the bills or are living on the street and others can afford their 5th vacation home.

Since when does the government propose to pay off these companies debts? Does the government, as a whole, receive money from these companies to help with the many costly national proposals? If it did, wouldn't that make it a government institution? I can see why the government would want to bail out a government institution. I can not see why it would want to bail out a private business. Perhaps it has to do with stock options that are owned by many politicians. Why would they want to lose their money when they can save it. All ideas that I know nothing about.

That's right. I don't know any true facts to what I just said. It's all things that are in my head and I'm just 'vocalizing' here. I don't need to spend countless hours looking up facts because this is all my opinion that I've obtained from reading articles. Then again, where would I get the facts needed to know what politician owns how ever many stock options in certain companies and whether these companies are the ones being bailed out.

I do know that politics have a lot to do with washing hands. You do this for me and I'll donate this much money to your campaign. Every donation is given in hope by the common person. You donate in hopes that this person will win the election and they'll do the things they've promised. You believe in their ideals. How many corporations have you ever heard of that have any type of hopes or ideals that didn't have anything to do with their bottom line? Corporations don't wonder what will happen to their employees when they shut down factories and move them overseas. They just look at the bottom line. It's cheaper to do these things overseas and that will make them more profit.

Is the government trying to bail out these corporations to save the American people or are they trying to save themselves from the mistakes they've made over time. Was NAFTA a good idea? It sounded like it at the time to some. But where is the return investment? We give away jobs and we get nothing back other than more people out of work and having to settle for jobs that pay less. Or even worse, jobs that have turned over to temporary job services.

Ah yes, temp jobs. Aren't they great? You go to work and the company you work for charges $15 an hour for you. After their cut you might get $10 an hour. No benefits because your a temp. You don't amount to anything until they decide to hire you on after how ever many months of a probation period. Even then they'll probably find a reason to let you go so they don't have to give you benefits.

So basically, next Tuesday is the cut off date for registering to vote for this November. I suggest you do. I won't sit here and endorse a certain politician but I'd definitely suggest not voting for a captured soldier who's Vice President select thinks she can see Russia from her house. It's like the blind leading the blind. One has memory lapses and can't remember saying the exact opposite things a week before. The other thinks that she can run a country because she's a hockey mom. We don't need more idiots in office. George W was enough to make all Americans look a lot more stupid to the rest of the world. New-cue-lear.

If you want more information on voting in Chicago and Illinois check out these sites.

Chicago Board of Elections.

Illinois State Board of Elections.

If you don't know if your registered then check this site out.

Vote for Change.

Yes, it's paid for by Obama. Does that matter if your going there to see if you can vote? If you said yes, then please don't register to vote. It would be useless.

Again. Tuesday, October 7th is the last day you can register to vote for the elections in November.

If you don't vote then don't complain.

A little insight into me.

Ok. Here we go. Let's see.... topic.. How bout drugs?

Ah drugs, the things that make you go oooo... or ahhh... or WHAT THE FUCK? WHERE'D THAT BODY COME FROM!?

Let's start out simply. I was never one of the people that got drunk at high school house parties. I was never one of the kids that got wasted at college parties. I've never been a person that has ever seen a need for doing any type of drugs. In fact, if I look hard enough, I would probably find a bottle of Vicoden laying around from back in 99 or 00 when I had the remains of my appendix taken out.

I've never had the want or necessity to do any of these things. Maybe it was because my father drank a lot when I was very small. Maybe it was because of the numerous times I had to hold the hair of my sister who is 8 years older than me. Maybe it was because of the times I had to babysit my sister's son due to her being too drunk, stoned or cracked out. It might even have to do with watching how it effected my siblings and how I really didn't want to turn out like them.

Seems that all of this would have the opposite effect on a person. They say that most people turn out like the people they grew up with. Luckily I grew up with a group of people that were nothing like any of the things said above. No, I was never in foster care. I grew up with my natural family. They're some of the best people and they taught me much. I did have a group of friends that felt the same as I did.

So when people ask me what I do with my off days I tell them. I spend them at home. I watch tv, play video games, draw or screw around on the internet. "Why not go out on your days off?" Good question, I guess. Why would I? I rarely drink and I spend 4 nights a week in a 4am bar. Should I go there so I can sit around, drink water, listen to loud music and see what happens? No, I think not. You see, after you do my type of work long enough, it doesn't matter where you are, you start to work. Why go to work if your not getting paid?

I know a lot of people really like it when I do go out to drink on those 2 or 3 occasions in a year. But here's the question to you. Would you think it's funny and great if I drank like that on a weekly basis? Would you think it's funny and great that I'm acting like a complete idiot and playing grab ass on a weekly basis? I doubt it. I know it gets tiring for me to see after a while.

I don't want this to come off as a high an mighty roller sounding blog. I'm no better for not doing drugs than a person that has done drugs and survived. By survive I mean a person that isn't out begging for change just so they can get another fix. Once again, I've seen that on a personal level as well.

To be more to the point. I don't care about people smoking weed. It's far from being anything worse than smoking a cigarette. Any type of cocaine, heroin and the such are what I'm mainly talking about.

So in my personal life, I'm against drugs. I don't give a shit if anyone does them. Honestly, I don't care. I know plenty of people that do and that's your choice. It's when your choice starts to invade my life that I take interest. When your choice starts to sneak it's little head into my personal area I start to get upset. I don't like being upset. It usually involves me calling you out, an argument and someone not being happy. At times it might even involve someone finding a new home.

So with all of this being said, I hope it shines a little light on me. If you've ever wondered why you don't see me on my off nights now you know. It's rare and far between that I go out and a 12 pack lasts me months at home.

Stroller Dog Twinkie Cake.

So I went walking the other day. Ok, I didn't but it did sound pretty good. I mean wouldn't it be awesome to just walk up to someone and start off your conversation that way?

"So I went walkin the other day."

"Really? Where all did you go?"

"I think I need to get my tires rotated on my car."

"Thought you were walking?"

"Why is there no mayo in the fridge?"

"What?"

"Exactly."

I happened to spot something that I could barely see. When I got closer I realized that what I thought I saw I didn't really see because the thing I saw was definitely not what I thought I saw. It was in fact nothing of any importance at all. Which just blew my mind considering what I thought I saw was something that I honestly had hoped I'd seen. In the long end my coffee was just getting colder and no one really likes coffee if it's really cold unless it has ice in it. I guess it's not really coffee if you purposely put a lot of ice in it. At that point I'd have to say it's one of those iced coffee crapuccino things. Even then is it really coffee or some kind of cappuccino creation that is supposed to taste more like overly sugared dirt?

Ever seen those baby strollers that have nothing in them except dogs? Really? Shouldn't the dog be hooked up to the front and pulling your ass around? I guess if the dog has a thyroid problem or is just fat because there's an unlimited supply of twinkies laying around it's ok. It's not their fault, it's in their genes. I could go on an on about things in people's genes... After all, that's where we all come from whether your talking about genes or jeans. Neat, they sound a lot a like. I know a few jeans I wouldn't mind getting in to. Well, when they wear jeans.. usually skirts. Which is a whole different post all together. Especially since you don't really get into them... Anywho.. back to the matter at hand.

Where'd all these same size jeans with different actual measurements come from? Pretty sure that 40 x 34 is a basic size. Since when does 40 actually mean 44? Since when did guys get so paranoid about feeling better about themselves that we have to lie about our pant sizes? Which person actually thought this through? "Let's put 40 on the tag but add 4 inches so this guy doesn't realize he's actually that big around." Isn't it enough that most of us lie about how big our feet are? HA! You thought I was going to say penis. You dirty little creature. Get your mind in the gutter more often and perhaps I'll go that route.

Speaking about routes. Everyone has their normal route that comes and goes. This month you take the bus, next month you drive, the following you just walk and so on. But have you ever surfed into a calming breeze with a giant wave coming over your head? You have? Ok.. stop reading now. Actually, start reading from the beginning and when you get to this point start over again. Please repeat the process until you fully desire to not read it over again and then just close this window.

Now that those people are gone.

Have you ever seen a beaver that wasn't furry? You know the kind, the kind that has no hair... a hairless beaver. No, you probably haven't. They're almost extinct. I shit you not. Look at that and tell me I'm lying. Kinda sad, everyone loves the hairless beavers. They build dams and eat stuff and reproduce.... huh?

Onward ho...

What is it that has the power to descend and destroy everything on this rotating pile of tension? Why is it that everything has tension? If everything just went into it's place would the tension be so extreme? If the tension wasn't so extreme would everything be over so quickly? What the hell am I talking about?

Lands of gold and honey. They're few and far between these days. Then again, why would you only want gold and honey? You can only eat honey with certain things. Even though honey is one of the only products, besides twinkies, that can sit in your cupboard for 30 years and still be good. Back to the twinkies again. Where are those damn stroller dogs? I think I spot them going across the street. Look out for that truck!!

Oh wait, I already established that what I thought I saw wasn't what I saw but could have been close to what I saw had i actually been close enough to see it.

Oh, go twinkie your hoo hoo ya ding dong.

John V on Dare 2 Direct 2.

My friend John V has a 6 minute video up for the Dare 2 Direct 2 Contest on Chiller TV.

The video is below but it would be great if you could go to the site and vote a thumbs up for his video.

Go to http://www.chillertv.com/D2D2/Videos/ and look for the video titled "US Route 666".The video should be on page 4 and the 7th listing down in the middle column. (if you have the videos sorted by Name.)

After you find the video and it loads up feel free to vote by clicking on the Thumbs Up button. You do not have to join the site in order to vote.

Thanks for the help and feel free to send this on to your friends.

-Rev

Jibberish.

Sometimes the mind wanders into a direction that is uncommon and completely misunderstood. It tells your fingers where they should go and what keys to press and then you just hope that it all comes out in a sense that is understandable to anyone that might read it. Sometimes it just comes out in a way that is amusing and yet not very noticeable. At other times, after the reader reads what you have written they wonder, "Why did I just spend the 5 minutes reading this crap that was written before me?"

The monkeys wonder if the world below them can see them when they fling poo from the tops of the trees.

A fascination with monkeys can be a good thing. It could also be an imaginative sequence of events that are, in part, a subconscious belief that there are some things out that there that can't be explained. How could this be? It's not completely understood, since most things that can't be explained are more often then not misunderstood.

In the world there are things. These things are there for the reasoning that something must always be somewhere. Just the facts that you are not there doesn't mean that something isn't happening. When a person asks, "How are things?", are they genuinely asking because they want to know or is it a typical polite question that people ask in order to seem like they care? The true question is, do you really care why they're asking or are you just answering so you don't have to go in depth about why you don't care if they ask?

The monkeys sleep in a way that the one open eye can still see when the poo is being flung upon the flinger.

Jibberish speak is a way to release the unopened. It can help bring out many things. You just open that vein that goes to the fingers and let the mind see what it is that you haven't written yet. At times it flows without thought. Other times it flows forever with just a simple jester. If you must think what you're allowing to flow then your not being jibberish. At that point your actually writing and not letting the ability just flow forth from that simple little area that contains the thoughts that you don't think but that wrestle within that tiny area.

The monkey, it sits and peels away the fabric that contains the necessary requirements to be what it needs.

Sometimes the jibberish brings out comical despair. It could bring out the comical laughter from the possibility that laughter is what brings us all the quotient that is needed. It's finely wrapped in many different layers so as to appease just about everyone. It provides itself in many different views. It can be humiliating to one and humorous to another. It could be the biggest despair to one and completely change their view of life forever. Yet, that same occurrence could be the catalyst for another's inability to stop laughing.

The monkeys sit and wait for the time to continue the point that they were thinking when they happened upon the branch that holds them.

Stormy Weather.

Last night's storm was pretty wicked. Not that I needed a storm to keep me at home but it definitely did the job. At one point I was about to head down to the Double Door to see the Melvins and Big Business but the storm started up again so I stayed at home. At least I had a little company, a couple friends stayed most of the night at the house as well.

The storm also kept my Mother here over night as well. She just flew back from Austin TX yesterday. We had gotten dinner when she got back and just as we walked into the apartment the power went out. So she decided to stay over night since there were 85mph winds out near Dekalb. Just wouldn't be safe for her to drive the big conversion van 2 hours to home through the storm.

The neighborhood doesn't look too bad. Lots of branches both big and small were knocked down last night. I saw quite a few side mirrors knocked off of cars and a couple big trees fell across the roads. Didn't really notice any trees on top of cars in the close vicinity.

Power went out last night somewhere around 7:30pm - 8pm and it was restored about 3am. Figures that my bedroom light was on and woke me up when the power came back on.

I love big storms like that. The unpredictable factor was pretty high. Never know what could happen with such strong winds.

Heard rumors of a tornado touching down in Logan Square but haven't seen anything about it yet. Tornadoes were reported in the northern and western suburbs though.

Need to update my board game collection for next time.

Christian the Lion.

Reply to Comment on New Chicago Pet Ordinance II

Comment by Melissa:

Honestly I think that the reasoning stating that it will reduce dog attacks is ridiculous.

Thank you. I haven't seen anything lately about dog attacks.

That being said, I think this law is a good idea. The shelters are not thinking of the bottom line, they are thinking of all the animals that have to come to them because they are strays or unwanted.

Not only strays or unwanted but due to the flooding in Iowa and Illinois. I've gotten the bulletins through certain organizations stating that they can't afford and don't have the facilities to keep taking on these animals left behind.

Once the term afford is used then the bottom line is being looked at. The bottom line is constantly looked at when ever a business is involved.

If you are not a breeder or showing them then what is the big deal to get them fixed.

Personally, I'm not fixed. Perhaps I should be but that's still in question. I was created this way and I like how I am. Can you ask your pet if it wants to be fixed? When a dog gets fixed it does change the animal. It becomes more sedentary, gains weight and is less attentive. In some cases, like my Father's dog, it becomes more mean. It effects every being differently and there's no way to guarantee what will come of it.

As for cats. Definitely have them spayed or neutered. There's way too many of them getting into my garbage cans. It will also help to stop the cats from marking their territories.

If you can't afford it there are always places that have low cost deals.

I went to a mechanic once that offered low rates. I bought a new car shortly after.

The amount of unwanted animals is staggering and allowing your pet to get knocked up because you didn't want to bother is pathetic.

People not taking responsibility for their animals and allowing them to get "knocked up" without being fixed is pathetic as well. The people that don't want to bother don't need an animal. By that I mean, if a person has an animal and can't stop it from reproducing without altering it, they should not have an animal. Having an animal is much more than just feeding and watering it.

As for the strays, there are a lot of programs set up to spay and neuter them to help the population control as well.

And then what? Spay and neuter them and put them in cages. Hope someone takes them home? Or release them back into the alleys? Here's an idea. Catch the strays, let them sit long enough that someone might claim them. If not, euthanize them. If someone does claim them, then spay or neuter them.

Sounds horrible but there is a huge overpopulation of strays especially cats.

Head down to the shelter some time and look at all of the little lives that are on the line because their owners didn't want to bother fixing them.

I've been to a few of the shelters here and outside the city. I've seen the many puppies and dogs that are in there. I've seen the sad faces. I've also noticed that a lot of those animals are fixed. Whether they are fixed after arrival or before was unknown to me at the time. And it didn't matter, if I had found the right animal I would have adopted it anyway.

However, I've seen many many animals with sad faces. I've nursed kittens to health with eye droppers. I've raised chickens from the egg. I've had many animals throughout my life. I've had many that died in my hands. So even though it did effect me I'm not going to run out and change the entire population because certain idiots don't know how to take care of their animals.

I also will not try to lead anyone to believe that the shelters are full due to the simple reason that someone didn't get their animal fixed.

I will lead people to believe that the shelters are full due to:

• Strays
• Animals being taken out of dangerous environments
• The flooding that occurred in Iowa and Illinois.
• Puppy mills. Like the ones that sell the animals to pet stores.
• People buying pets due to their popularity and not realizing the responsibilities involved.
  

I'm not a bleeding heart. I don't believe that society should condone what actions are good for everyone. If society and government has to condone everything then we all lose our own voice.

Reply to Comment on New Chicago Pet Ordinance

Comment posted by Miss Robyn:

Honestly, doll, I think this is a great idea. Nothing makes me feel more stabby than people who don't spay and neuter their pets- it's tantamount to animal cruelty.

Robyn, I'm very confused on how you think not getting your dog spayed or neutered is the same thing as animal cruelty? Is this supposed to mean that I constantly beat my dog every chance I get? Or that I don't feed or give water to my animal? Or perhaps since I don't think it's necessary to alter the animal; I tied a rope around it's neck and hang it from a window? Your comment is ridiculous. According to this I'm constantly treating my animal in an inhumane way because I'm allowing it to live the way it was created.

*So* many animals end up in shelters, or on the street because people didn't feel the need to get their pets spayed and neutered.

So people actually take their pets to the shelter just because they don't want to alter them? I would think that it would be more due to them not being able to take care of them or provide for them. Kind of like how people put children up for adoption.

It actually doesn't even cost that much- there are places that will do it for practically nothing.

Depending on where you live. I've looked into this and found that if you live in certain areas there is no help provided at all. Even still, for some people $50 is a lot. It's either groceries for a couple weeks or get your cat altered.

And hey, anything that prevents people from breeding dogs for fighting is great in my book. Do you know what happens to those poor dogs? It's disgusting. They hang a slab of meat from the wall by a rope, and then get the dogs to jump up and bite it, and then beat the crap out of them while they're hanging there- to dislocate the jaw and make them more vicious.

You don't actually think that this ordinance is going to stop or even help stop dog fighting do you?

The kind of people that are involved in dog fighting are off the radar. It's like the gang bangers that walk around with guns. They must not know that Chicago has a gun ban. Someone should tell them so they get rid of their guns.

How certain individuals treat animals should not be a good reason on how to treat the entire population of Chicago. Yes Robyn, I do know how fighting dogs are treated. I've seen plenty of documentation and clips. They're treated that way so they become fighters. Does that mean that my little 4 pound Chihuahua, that I will not breed, should be spayed?

Why won't I breed my dog? First off, she's too small to safely have puppies. Secondly, I'm a responsible "parent". I'm not going to allow more puppies to come about.

Why won't I spay her? I don't believe in altering an animal from how it's created for the simple ability to not worry about it becoming pregnant. I believe I'm a good enough parent to not let that happen. I've already talked with my veterinarian about having her spayed. It was suggested that it only be done if absolutely needed due to her size.

And then even when they're rescued they can't be adopted out because they're too dangerous. It's so so wrong.

I'll completely agree. Fighting dogs is wrong. It's horrible but it does happen. Any person that actually takes a fighting dog home with them should know the risks. A dangerous animal should be put down, no matter what.

Oh, and it said in the article that if your pet can't have it done for health reasons it would be exempt from the law- not that you'd have to kill it.

I might have read that wrong. The way I read it; you would have to get a breeder's license in order to keep it from being altered. Which, if you can't afford it, would lead to the altering process and possible death. Sure, I read it and write it here as a scare tactic but how else will people take notice.

New Chicago Ordinance - Forcefully Making You Spay and Neuter Your Pets.

Despite being the highest sales taxed city in the nation.

The extremely high acts of gun violence bringing Chicago back to the prestigious title of Murder Capitol of the USA 2008.

The City trying to levy a $2,000 Promoter's License on event organizers.

The City that thinks only 4am bars cause problems and forces only those bars to install cameras and have special training for the door staff of these bars. Thus bringing us the Late Hour Liquor License Safety Ordinance.

The tearing down of Grant Park for a Children's Museum.

Now thanks to Bob Barker (the really old Price is Right Host) and the City of Chicago......

Let us present the newest idiocracy to come forth.

I don't know the official name for this new ordinance but let's call it the Cutting All the Nuts Around Barksville to Indulge Stupidity or C.A.N.A.B.I.S. for short. Because someone's obviously smoking a lot of herb.

The italicized text was taken from the Chicago Tribune article. The bold are my thoughts.

The ordinance is sponsored by Ald. Ed Burke (14th), chairman of the Finance Committee, and Ald. Ginger Rugai (19th). They cited dog attacks on Chicago residents and said sterilized animals are less likely to be vicious.

Has this been proven or is this just a speculation? Less likely doesn't sound like something that has a 100% guarantee.

It "strives to control pet overpopulation in the city, seeks to eliminate unnecessary tragic dog attacks [and] can be used as a law-enforcement tool against those who use pets as weapons on our city streets," Burke said.

I'm still waiting to see some reports on how many vicious dog attacks have happened within the year.

A violation would result in a ticket telling the owner to have the pet fixed. If that failed, a $100 fine would be issued after 60 days. If another 60 days passed, a second fine could reach $500, and the city could impound and sterilize the animal. Owners would be able to reclaim their pets after paying the fines and other related costs.

Pets with medical conditions that make sterilization unsafe, show dogs, guard dogs and service dogs would be exempt. Animals belonging to federally licensed breeders also would be exempt, and pet owners could seek an exemption by applying for a city breeder's license, which would require a criminal background check.

So what if your animal can't be spayed or neutered due to health reasons and you can't afford a city breeder's license? Or don't need a City Breeder's License because your not going to be breeding your animal? Looks like the animal will have to die.

The effort was backed by PAWS Chicago, a no-kill humane organization focused on reducing the number of stray animals, and the Humane Society of the United States.

But it was opposed by the Chicago and Illinois State Veterinary Medical Associations, which said decisions on pet sterilization are best made by a veterinarian and pet owner. The groups also said such laws can reduce rabies vaccination compliance.

Who should know better? An organization like PAWS that's worried more about the bottom line or Veterinarians that treat these animals?

"I believe the reason we have this problem is because we have irresponsible pet owners," Ald. Ray Suarez (31st) said, suggesting the ordinance could be viewed as government intrusion. "There are irresponsible parents that are having sons and daughters out there. What's the next step?"

So here's the deal.

Your walking your dog or cat. Yea, I've seen people walk their cat. Someone decides to call 311 and report that your animal isn't neutered or spayed. The cops show up, they feel around and ask to see your records to see if your animal is spayed or neutered. For sake of argument it's not.

Well then, now you get fined $100 and 6 months to get the animal spayed or neutered. Six months goes by and you haven't done this. Because yes, it does change your animals attitude or what ever reason you have. Now more than likely they're going to want you to bring the animal in to prove that you had the process done.

When you show up and your animal hasn't had the operation you get fined up to $500 and the animal gets taken away from you. They do the procedure without your permission and they alter your animal for the rest of it's life.

Then guess what? You don't get your animal back until you pay the fines and the costs of said procedure.

What is wrong with this? The City takes your property from you. They alter it. And then they keep it until you can pay for the fines and costs. Let's consider what the costs could entail. Costs could include the price of the operation, the fees associated with keeping your animal in the pound, food, and handling of your animal during all of this. Hey, someone's got to pay these people for taking away your animal and taking care of it. Don't expect the City to pay for something they're doing to you.

Granted, this could be all looked at the same way people look at The Boot. You know, that thing you get when you get 3 parking tickets. Well, if they boot you then they get to take your car. Then they get to sell your car if you can't pay the fines and fees. Then they keep all the money and add the fees to your fines. They don't even apply the money they get from the auction to your fines. They keep it.

So how bout just forgetting your animal when they decide to take it.

Sound cold hearted and bad? Well imagine how many people just happen to have the money laying around to pay for this procedure. How many of those people have the money laying around to pay the fines?

Sounds like there's going to be a lot of dead animals soon. Because obviously most people won't take the time to contact their Aldermen. They won't take the time to tell their legislative voices that they think this ordinance is ridiculous.

Here's an idea. Go to this website and tell your Aldermen to shoot down this ordinance. Remind them that Bob Barker is 85 years old and should get his head check. Can he even still drive or ride a bike?

Let them know that this isn't about the money. This has a lot to do with the personality of your best friend and they're well being. Most veterinarians will agree that an animal should not be nuetered or spayed before the ages of 6 to 8 years. This is after the animal has fully developed. Even then it's not necessary to spay or neuter the animal.

Contact your Aldermen and let them know what you think.

If you don't then you have nothing to complain about. Your animals will be altered. If any of you decide to relieve yourself of your animals after the operations then you should receive one swift blow to the back of your head with a shovel.

And to anyone that says this must be done in order to stop violent dog attacks.

You are a fucking idiot.

Do you really think that the people with the violent dog fighting dogs will even know anything about this ordinance? Let alone abide by it? They don't even register the animals.

And overall, here's my ultimate question.

Bob Barker, do you even live in Chicago?

Brauerhouse tavern burns in Hillside

Original article found on Chicago Tribune Website:

THE BLOTTER
6:53 AM CDT, July 29, 2008



(Tribune photo by Michael Tercha / July 29, 2008)
Firefighters continue to work a four-alarm blaze at the Brauerhouse restaurant and bar in Hillside Tuesday morning. A fire broke out in the early morning hours.

A Hillside tavern just off the Eisenhower Expressway was consumed by flames early Tuesday morning, but no injuries were reported.

"It was closed, and the information we have is that no one was in the bar at the time," Hillside Police Sgt. Laith Ibrahim said.

The blaze broke out in the Brauerhouse, a bar and restaurant at 57 N. Hillside Ave. in the western suburb just before 2:30 a.m., authorities said.

Ibrahim said firefighters remained on the scene nearly four hours later, beating down the flames that heavily damaged the bar.

Brauerhouse, which opened in 1999, serves pizza and burgers and also is known as a live music venue. According to its Myspace page, punk, rock 'n' roll and rockabilly acts are featured.

Several neighboring suburban fire departments responded to the scene. Hillside fire officials, who are handling the investigation, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ibrahim said that despite the bar's proximity to Interstate Highway 290, no major traffic problems had been reported.

Dan P.
Blake, Tribune reporter

Past 2 weeks.

This past two weeks has been a little hectic.

I started bartending and bar backing at Estelle's about 3 weeks ago. I only have one actual bar backing shift there, Monday nights. So between working the door and working behind the bar I put in 85 hours in the past 2 weeks. If you work in a bar and your not management then I'm pretty sure you'd agree that that's a lot of hours. If you work a regular 9 - 5 job then that's only 5 hours more than normal.

That's a lot of time to be in a 4am bar when your sober.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.

Working tonight at Estelle's.

Bartending from 7pm - 11pm and then working the door till close.

Fer joy....

Disaster Movie

Disaster Movie

Max Payne

Racist Doorman.

You know what I really can't stand. People who change stories to try to make an impact.

If you've followed a link to this page then chances are you know me. You've probably seen me at work doing what I get paid to do. I check id's and I keep the peace. If there's problems I try my best to take care of them in a more diplomatic way rather than just throwing people out.

When I check id's at the door it's pretty simple. Show me your id and if your of age, and it's a legal document, you get to come in. Technically, we don't have to accept any type of id that's not issued by the United States or State government. Some people have even said that we aren't supposed to accept passports. Passports don't list any type of descriptions such as; height, weight, hair color, eye color. Passports are also issued for many years and the pictures are rarely up to date. I do accept them though.

I definitely don't accept any type of foreign id that I can't read. Is that my problem that I can't read Arabic, Chinese, German, or any other foreign language? No it's not.

So to Christine P, who has tried to slander me on Yelp, get your story straight. I didn't refuse your friend entry because he was, as you said, "Arabic". I refused him entry because he didn't have a passport and I couldn't read his id. Now remember, I wouldn't have had to let him in even with his passport but I would have had he had it with him. It would have been a 2nd form of identification and the two would have correlated.

The racist card is used way to frequently with doormen. Just because I'm a pale red head doesn't mean I hate someone that has color to their skin. That would be a ridiculous assumption. Such is the mentality that someone would publicly say that I'm a racist due to your friend not having the proper identification.

I wonder if I can sue her for public defamation? Any lawyers that read this please feel free to contact me. I'll give you a cut of the settlement. The review doesn't list me personally but I was working that night.

Monkeys make for Cute Politicians.

If you haven't heard about it yet, you will now. Emobile, one of Japan's largest cell phone service providers, took a commercial off the air recently. Due to a small party of complainants in Japan.



In the commercial a monkey is dressed up in a suit and stands behind a podium. The crowd around the monkey holds up signs with just the word "Change" on them. It's an obvious play on Obama's popularity in Japan.



Here's the kicker. Even though it is the year 2008 and racism is supposed to be close to gone. Which, let's be real, it's not in some parts of the world. This ad was deemed racist by a group in Japan that consisted mainly of African-Americans.

As I've heard it said before, "If your mind is open to racism then don't you think your a little racist yourself?" Every person that is alive is a little racist but that's an entirely different subject all together.

As one of the complainants said, "People's minds should be more open as global citizens." So... everyone in the world should know about everything bad that has ever happened anywhere at anytime within this global world. Stupid. Listen buddy, you live in their world. Your the visitor so deal with it.

Granted, if this ad pisses you off then it pisses you off. There's nothing that can be done about that. But I don't see why. Perhaps I'm cold or not in touch with any particular "breed" of humans.

Part of me really thinks this is all just getting blown up as most things like this do. The monkey is the company's mascot. It's been used in numerous situations and I will guarantee you 100% that if that same monkey was portraying a white politician no one would give a shit. But white men and monkeys haven't been correlated together throughout history. Ok... What if it was a white man dressed in Colonial garb carrying a whip? Would it get as much attention from CNN? Or perhaps a monkey dressed in a sleeveless red flannel, a trucker hat, cigarette hanging from it's lip and speaking horribly broken redneck jargon? Would that be racist or would that be funny? After all, not all white people are rednecks or were slave owners.

Every politician that has ever ran for the Presidential Office has promised change. So how do these people that are complaining even know who the monkey is supposed to be imitating? Well, it is kind of obvious. After all, Obama is running now and "Change" is a big platform in his ploys. The monkey portrays a politician, Obama is a popular politician.

Damn good thing they didn't give the monkey fake glasses and a cigar. George Burns family might be really pissed off about that.

So is it really a bad thing that a company decided to use their mascot - which has been in many other commercials and represents them - to represent a human (not just a black man) that they believe is powerful and well liked? What if the mascot was a giraffe or a hyena? Would it then be a problem because a giraffe represents thinking in the clouds? A hyena would be bad because hyenas are known for their bark that sounds like a laugh and scavenging dead bodies for nourishment. However, monkeys in the Japanese culture are a very high ranking and honorable animal.


Did anyone else notice how this article faded away from the racism based complaints and became more focused on the monkey and the politician?

You did? Good. Maybe you also noticed how a simple commercial that was trying to project a powerful and respectful image got turned around into being racist just due to a small handful of people's thoughts.

Life doesn't change until people's thoughts start to change. If your constantly looking for any excuse to turn something good into something bad then life will never change.

Trojan Games

Trojan Games Haltères
by PeteRock

More.

5 people shot in front of Bellwood home - July 1, 2008

City cop killed in struggle near North Side headquarters - July 2, 2008

2 men found stabbed at CTA stations - July 2, 2008

Pregnant woman killed, at least 6 wounded in rash of shootings - July 2, 2008

Amazing Young Guitar Player

Amazing Young Guitar Player - video powered by Metacafe

Gun Free?

Thank the gods Chicago is Gun Free, otherwise all these things would have happened for real.

All of these articles happened within the past 4 to 5 days in Chicago.

Boy shot released from hospital, girl still stable

Boy, 15, wounded in Chatham shooting

Boy shot in Austin neighborhood dies of wounds

Boy, 15, wounded in drive-by shooting on Chicago's South Side

Three adults shot to death in Chicago

Chicago arson investigator's shooting changes Fire Department policy

Alleged drug deal results in shooting death

1 killed, 7 wounded in overnight shootings across city

Man charged in fatal shooting at stoplight

You might be thinking, That's only 9 articles in 4 or 5 days.. Here's the kicker. It's 9 articles with 20 people shot or killed by illegal hand guns.

It's a damn good thing that hand guns are illegal. Just think, since they're illegal all the minors are carrying them around now. Why minors? Simple, if a minor gets picked up for a gun it's much more of a slap on the wrist than if one of the older gang members are carrying it. Let me rephrase that, it's more of a slap on the wrist than if an Adult is carrying it. I don't want anyone to think that all these shootings are gang related...

I mean, there are people stupid enough out there to shoot someone over their sneakers. Or because they flirted with their girlfriend. Yes, these people are f'ing idiots, but they're real.

With all these shootings how is it people actually feel safe? I'll admit that I carry a pocket knife. I was raised to always have one on me. I've never lived in an area where I'd carry it in my hand until I came to this city.

I don't make the assumption that I'm safe when I'm walking at night. I never rely on the police to arrive in a timely manner. If needed I'll do what I have to in order to be safe. Maybe one of these days I'll be a blurb on page 8.

Man shot after trying to protect himself from muggers.

So the only people on the street with hand guns are the Police and the "bad guys". Feel safe? Everyone knows what the turn around time for a 911 call is. It's not immediate unless it's really bad or the night is extremely quiet. Can you rely on the help?

I would gladly say that an open carry law in Chicago would be a good idea. I'd also say that there should be certain requirements needed in order to do so. Or maybe there should be more police on the streets. After the July 1st sales tax increase the city should be able to afford it. Oh wait.. maybe that increase was just to raise salaries.

Then again, in Chicago you need 60 college credits to become a cop. They don't need to be from any certain type of schooling though. It could be in basket weaving if you really wanted to become a cop. Weird huh? 60 college credits to become a cop and they still have the academy.

I would have done this already if I didn't think school was a waste of time and money.

Real Life Punisher??

Drug Arrests Were Real; the Badge Was Fake

By MONICA DAVEY
Published: July 1, 2008

GERALD, Mo. — Like so many rural communities in the country’s middle, this small town had wrestled for years with the woes of methamphetamine. Then, several months ago, a federal agent showed up.

Arrests began. Houses were ransacked. People, in handcuffs on their front lawns, named names. To some, like Mayor Otis Schulte, who considers the county around Gerald, population 1,171, “a meth capital of the United States,” the drug scourge seemed to be fading at last.

Those whose homes were searched, though, grumbled about a peculiar change in what they understood — mainly from television — to be the law.

They said the agent, a man some had come to know as “Sergeant Bill,” boasted that he did not need search warrants to enter their homes because he worked for the federal government.

But after a reporter for the local weekly newspaper made a few calls about that claim, Gerald’s antidrug campaign abruptly fell apart after less than five months. Sergeant Bill, it turned out, was no federal agent, but Bill A. Jakob, an unemployed former trucking company owner, a former security guard, a former wedding minister and a former small-town cop from 23 miles down the road.

Mr. Jakob, 36, is now the subject of a criminal investigation by federal authorities, and he is likely to face charges related to impersonating a law enforcement officer, his lawyer said.

The strange adventures of Sergeant Bill have led to the firing of three of the town’s five police officers, left the outcome of a string of drug arrests in doubt, prompted multimillion-dollar federal civil rights lawsuits by at least 17 plaintiffs and stirred up a political battle, including a petition seeking the impeachment of Mr. Schulte, over who is to blame for the mess.

And the questions keep coming. How did Mr. Jakob wander into town and apparently leave the mayor, the aldermen and pretty much everyone else he met thinking that he was a federal agent delivered from Washington to help barrel into peoples’ homes and clean up Gerald’s drug problem? And why would anyone — receiving no pay and with no known connection to little Gerald, 70 miles from St. Louis and not even a county seat — want to carry off such a time-consuming ruse in the first place?

Mr. Jakob’s lawyer, Joel Schwartz, said that what happened in Gerald was never a sinister plot, but a chain of events rooted in “errors in judgment.” Mr. Schwartz said he believed that at least three Gerald police officers, including the chief, knew that Mr. Jakob was not a federal drug agent or even a certified police officer.

“It was an innocent evolution, where he helped with one minor thing, then one more on top of that, and all of the sudden, everyone thought he was a federal agent,” Mr. Schwartz said. “I’m not saying this was legal or lawful. But look, they were very, very effective while he was present. I don’t think Gerald is having the drug problem they were having. I’ve heard from some residents who were thrilled that he was there.”

There were numerous arrests during Mr. Jakob’s time in Gerald (the exact number is uncertain, local law enforcement officials said, as legal action surrounding the case proceeds), but Mayor Schulte said that Mr. Jakob had, in fact, gone to elaborate lengths to deceive local authorities, including Ryan McCrary, then the police chief, into believing that he was a federal agent — with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Marshals Service or some other agency.

In addition to having a badge and a car that seemed to scream law enforcement, Mr. Jakob offered federal drug enforcement help, Mr. Schulte said. (Local officials thought the offer must have somehow grown out of their recent application for a federal grant for radio equipment.) Mr. Jakob even asked Chief McCrary to call what he said was his supervisor’s telephone number to confirm Gerald’s need for his help, the mayor said.

When the call was placed, a woman — whose identity is unknown — answered with the words “multijurisdictional task force,” and said that the city’s request for federal services was under review, the mayor said. Mr. Schulte said he now suspects that Mr. Jakob adapted the nonexistent task force name from the “Beverly Hills Cop” movies starring Eddie Murphy.

“Not only were these officers taken in, but so was everybody else,” said Chet Pleban, a lawyer for Mr. McCrary and the other two members of the police force who lost their jobs after Mr. Jakob’s real identity came to light.

Of the firings, Mayor Schulte said, “Nobody wanted to, but the city’s lawyer recommended it.”

When residents first began noticing Mr. Jakob, he certainly looked the part. His hair was chopped short, residents recalled, and his stocky chest filled a black T-shirt he sometimes wore that read “Police.” They said he wore military-style boots, pants with pockets running down the legs and carried a badge (his lawyer said it was from a former job as a security guard in St. Louis). And his off-white Ford Crown Victoria was decked out with police radios and internal flashing lights, residents said.

He first came to town in January, his lawyer said, to meet Chief McCrary, whose experiences serving in Afghanistan Mr. Jakob had read about in a local newspaper. Mr. Jakob was considering contract work overseas, Mr. Schwartz said, and the pair hit it off.

Soon, the arrests began. Some of those whose homes were searched said they had been kicked in the head and had had shotguns held against them. Mr. Jakob, many said, seemed to be leading the crew of Gerald police officers.

“He was definitely in charge — it was all him,” said Mike Withington, 49, a concrete finisher, who said Mr. Jakob pounded on his door in May, waking him up and yanking him, in handcuffs, out onto his front yard.

Mr. Withington said he had not yet been charged with a crime; Gary Toelke, the Franklin County sheriff, confirmed that no local charges had been issued against him. But the mortification of that day, Mr. Withington said, has kept him largely indoors and led him to consider moving. Since the search, residents have tossed garbage and crumpled boxes of Sudafed (which has an ingredient that can be used to make methamphetamine) on his lawn, he said, and he no longer shops in town, instead driving miles to neighboring towns.

“Everybody is staring at me,” he said. “People assume you’re guilty when things like this happen.”

When Linda Trest, 51, a reporter at The Gasconade County Republican, started hearing complaints from people whose homes had been searched, she began making inquiries about Mr. Jakob.

“Once I got his name, I hit the computer and within an hour I had all the dirt on this guy,” Ms. Trest said.

As it turned out, Mr. Jakob, who is married and lives near Washington, a small town not far from Gerald, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2003 when he owned a trucking company, and had, at 22, pleaded guilty in Illinois to a misdemeanor charge of criminal sex abuse of someone in their teens.

Since the 1990s, he had worked, at times, as a police officer in tiny departments in towns like Kinloch, Mo., and Brooklyn, Ill., though he never seemed to stay anywhere long and was never certified as a police officer in either Missouri or Illinois, his lawyer said. (Under some conditions, short-term employees with some departments are not immediately required to have state certification.)

As in Gerald, he impressed some, if only at first. “He seemed to have experience on the street,” said J. D. Roth, the police chief in Caseyville, Ill., where Mr. Jakob was a temporary part-time officer for almost two months in 2000. “He walked the walk and talked the talk.”

In Gerald, just a day before it was revealed that he was not a federal agent, the city aldermen voted to make Mr. Jakob a reserve officer; he wanted the designation, Mr. Schulte said, so he could enforce local ordinances, and he stood before the aldermen, hands behind his back, seeking the title.

Mr. Jakob offered city officials three contact numbers — his personal cellphone, a cellphone he said he used for drug informants and his “multijurisdictional task force” cellphone, Mr. Schulte said.

“It was the movie, ‘Catch Me if You Can’ all over again,” said Mr. Schulte, referring to the 2002 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a master of deception. “I’m telling you, with this guy, everything was right.”

Ladder Race?

Righteous Kill

DeNiro and Pacino together. Does anything else really need to be said?

In Theaters Sept 12, 2008

2nd Amendment Upheld by Supreme Court - Could Chicago be next?

Just to start off, here's a few links to news stories that you might want to check out.

Daley vows to fight for Chicago's gun ban

Jury still out on city gun ban

Mayor Daley calls Supreme Court's gun-ban reversal 'a very frightening decision'

Landmark Ruling Enshrines Right to Own Guns


The 2nd Amendment was written for a reason. It wasn't put into the Constitution just for the government's uses but it was also put there for the common good of every person that lives within the border. I should reword this. For the common good of every person that 'legally' lives within the border.

Granted, it was written during a time when there wasn't a police force but that was then. Even now I believe that the 2nd Amendment should be fully instated everywhere. I grew up in a household that hunts and shoots firearms. For now, I do not possess any firearms within the city limits. It's illegal to do so thus I do not.

I believe that people should have the choice to bear arms. If you don't like guns then don't have them. Simple enough. I believe that a person should be able to have a handgun in their home for protection. A part of me thinks we should be able to carry them in public as well.

Mayor Daley stated, "Then why don't we do away with the court system and go back to the Old West..." at a recent speaking engagement at Navy Pier. Why not?

There were court systems in the larger areas during the "Old West". There was also local Sheriffs and Deputys in many of the towns and the gun was a major factor in many disputes away from the towns. Public hangings were allowed then as well. Imagine if they were today, would crime go down? No one knows until we try.

In today's society a trip back to the old west could be a disaster. With the generations becoming softer and more outspoken it could lead to a large 'thinning of the herd'. Which isn't necessarily bad in a theoretical sense but in reality it would be horrible.

Within the past few months here in Chicago there have been a lot of deaths due to gun violence. Which could possibly be used as a platform to help keep the gun ban. But here's the question that I pose.

Are these deaths due to "gun violence" a result of people that have the legal means to own the firearms?

The answer to this question is no. As of this time it is illegal to own handguns within the city limits of Chicago. So these people that are shooting other people are breaking the law to begin with.

So how can the blame be put on the guns?

I've wondered for years how anyone can say that guns are bad. I've never understood this. You can go out and adopt a child. Do you know what your going to get with that child? Do you know the family history behind that child? Do you know if that child will become an alcoholic, drug dependent or anything else about that child when you adopt it? No, you don't. It's a gamble but it's a gamble that is worthwhile.

Do you know what you get when you purchase a gun? You get a gun. You know that it was built. You know what it was built for and it never strays from what it is. Until the person that wields that gun decides to use it for something else. A gun is a gun. It's the decision of the person holding the gun as to what they use it for.

Another example.

As I'm writing this and you see any misspelled words. Who misspelled those words? Was it the program that I'm writing through or was it just me? Could I place blame on this program due to the fact that I pressed the letters in the wrong manner? No, I can not.

Guns bring more violence.

This argument is over done. The only way that the violence will raise is due to the fact that people will be able to defend themselves from the numerous thugs that already have the illegal guns. When people can stand up for themselves they will. When the playing ground is level there will be more instances. Perhaps now the right people will be getting hurt instead of the wrong ones.

Lately there has been a lot of deaths due to gun violence in Chicago. Mostly younger kids that have access to illegal firearms. Has anything been done to find out where these firearms are coming from? Why do these minors have them? Has anything been done to try and rid these areas of these firearms? No one knows for certain except those that are directly involved. There have been no statements made to confirm or deny these procedures.

However, I'm sure it will all come up in court once someone decides to try to overturn Chicago's ban. The city will gladly try to make it seem that all of these people that caused the shootings we're from nearby suburbs. Suburbs where it is legal to own handguns. They drove into the city to shoot a person.

Children's deaths due to guns.

Again, I don't believe that guns cause the deaths of the children that find their parents handguns. I believe that to be the full fault of the parents. If your stupid enough to leave a gun in your home, fully loaded and accessible to your child then your stupid enough to lose a child. That gun did not call out your child's name and it did not ask your child to pull the trigger.

Your an adult and a gun owner. Take the responsibility to teach your children about the gun and how it's to be or not to be used. Put the gun in a place where your child can not get to it. They make gun safes for a reason, not only to protect the guns but your family as well.


In a lot of the articles that I've read it seems that certain people are very scared that the citizens of Chicago could have guns. You can now legally own rifles and shotguns in the city. Rifles which can shoot farther and more accurately than a handgun. Shotguns that can be more destructive than many handguns. What's the difference? You can't hide rifles and shotguns as easily as handguns.

Imagine if the city decided to put forth a license for people to be able to carry a gun. It could be a reasonably priced license anywhere between $500 to $1,000. This license would only be available so people could carry the weapon in public. It would not be a license for ownership because that would be against the Constitution.

Now lets say a majority of people can now carry these weapons. When they are assaulted by a mugger, a rapist or any numerous other scenarios; they have the ability to protect themselves. They have the ability to level the playing field. I'm not advocating that this should happen, I'm just putting a scenario out there.

With the playing field leveled I believe there would be less crime. The "bad guys" would have more to worry about other than just the police or wearing multiple layers of clothing to escape. Of course in the beginning there would be more deaths on both sides of the spectrum. Which is why there would have to be certain training seminars that any person obtaining this license would have to go through to obtain it.

According to an article about Texas' Right to Carry law on the NRA-ILA website: "Gov. Bush vowed that Texas` Right to Carry law would make the state a "safer place," and statistics prove he was right. Texas` homicide rate has declined to its lowest point since the 1950s and has decreased a startling 60% from the high under his predecessor. Murder rates in Texas fell by 25% between 1995 and 1997, much faster than the 16% decline in states without "shall-issue" laws. Overall, Texas` total violent crime rate has dropped 20% under Gov. Bush and is lower than at any time since 1974."

Imagine if Illinois and Chicago adopted this policy.


Maybe people could walk around any where they wanted without holding their mace, a knife or any other object in their hands.

Employees Expose FOX NEWS Distortions

Red Light, Green Light

Every Body Freezzzze..amazing - video powered by Metacafe

Punisher War Zone

The second installment in the Punisher movies is soon to be hitting the screens. This one is actually different from what I see in the trailer. At least let's hope it's not just another remake...

After a remake of the Hulk movie we don't need a 3rd remake of the Punisher movie. They're already using a different actor as the Punisher. Which will make it the 3rd actor to fill the shoes of Frank Castle.

I know the Punisher is one of the bigger comics but take a hint, if it's not doing well in the movie section then just hang it up.

Here's the trailer.

Naked Man driving next to School Bus or School Bus driving next to Naked Man?

Here's a story that seems rather strange.


Field Trip Ruined By Exhibitionist
Police: Naked Man Drove For Miles Next To School Bus

JOLIET, Ill. (STNG) ― Police say fourth-graders received an unwanted anatomy lesson during a field trip Thursday.

Mark R. Hotuyec, 46, of 1224 Nicholson St. in Joliet, was arrested after allegedly fondling himself while driving naked next to a school bus for several miles.

Chief Fred Hayes said students from Wood View Elementary School in Bolingbrook were headed to a performance at the Rialto Square Theatre around noon when a minivan pulled alongside the bus.

"On Broadway near Theodore, the bus driver noticed a maroon 1996 Chevy Astrovan was driving in the next lane. The driver was completely naked and masturbating in full view of the kids," Hayes said.

The bus driver called 911 and updated police on the situation as both vehicles drove into downtown Joliet.

"She did a great job continually providing information so that our officers could stop the vehicle," Hayes said.

Police stopped the van at Chicago and Van Buren streets.

"The driver was still naked when he was taken into custody," Hayes said.

The field trip continued as planned. Hayes said police spoke with Wood View officials about the incident.

"They're very concerned, but were relieved the suspect was arrested," he said.

Hotuyec was booked into the county jail on a felony charge of criminal exploitation of a child. Police also impounded the Astrovan.

(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2006. All Rights Reserved.)


Ok, so.... Here's my question. Why would the school bus driver keep pace with the guy in the van? Or even allow the man to keep pace with the bus?

You have a bus full of kids and this guy has his schlong hanging out. Slow down, let him get in front of you, call 911 and give them the license plate number. Then slow down more so he gets away from the eye sight of the children.

Why "continually provide information"? All they really need to know is the color, make and model of the vehicle and the plate numbers. They don't really need to know how many reps the guy is getting in. What could possibly have been the continual information? The vehicle isn't going to change colors or magically float off into the horizon.

Maybe the article is missing some information. Maybe the school bus driver did let the man get in front of the bus so the 4th graders couldn't see anything. If so, good job.

However, I think if I had a child on that bus I might be a little upset if the bus driver did nothing to get the man's car away from the side of the bus. Yes, she did call 911 and she did report the vehicle. Does that mean she had to keep up with the vehicle or allow it to keep up with her?

I guess if any of the parents go off about it we'll see something about it in the paper.

Voodoo Doll, Amazing Short Animated Movie - video powered by Metacafe

Cyanide & Happiness

The web comic can be found at: Cyanide & Happiness

George Carlin dies at 71

ET breaks the news that comedian George Carlin has died from heart failure. The man who made famous the "seven words you can never say on television" passed away at 5:55 p.m. Sunday at Saint John's Hospital in Santa Monica, his longtime publicist said. He was 71.

Carlin, who has had several heart attacks and a history of cardiac issues, went into the hospital this afternoon after complaining of heart problems.

Carlin has more than 20 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, numerous TV and movie roles, and three best-selling books to his credit. Last year, he celebrated his 50th year in show business, and he had just finished his last HBO special in March, "It's Bad for Ya."

Posted June 23, 2008 2:04:00 AM

More Articles Below.

International Herald Tribune

Just Jared.com

News Hound

Access Hollywood

Mayhem Fest Announces Dates and On Sale Info

THE FIRST ANNUAL ROCKSTAR ENERGY MAYHEM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES DATES AND ON-SALE INFORMATION
PRE-SALE STARTS APRIL 4
NATIONAL ON-SALE IS APRIL 19
TOUR TO KICK OFF JULY 9 IN SEATTLE


BURBANK, CA (April 1) – Organizers of the first-ever Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival have announced dates, venues and on-sale information for the highly anticipated all-star thunderfest. Multi-platinum rock acts SLIPKNOT and DISTURBED will lead the much-buzzed-about amp-shattering road show, which will feature hard music’s most influential bands and its new wave of heavy-hitting acts. The tour is set to kick off July 9 at the White River Amphitheatre in Seattle and will hit Live Nation Amphitheaters in 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada between July 9 and August 19, 2008.

Fans can purchase tickets beginning April 4 at 10AM local venue time via the Official Mayhem Fan Community at http://mayhemfest. tickets. musictoday. com.
Pre-sale orders also allow fans to hear tracks from Mayhem bands, receive early entry venue passes, purchase a discounted subscription to Revolver magazine and receive a Mayhem t-shirt. In addition, pre-orders enroll fans into a contest offering one grand prize winner an electric guitar and two meet & greet passes to get the six-string signed.

Fans that pre-register to be a part of the Mayhem Fan Community before April 4 can purchase tickets upon immediate availability. And by pre-registering, they’ll also be entered into a contest to win a merch pack featuring CDs from every band on the tour.

Tickets go on sale nationally beginning April 19.
You can get more information at www.Mayhemfest.com or www.livenation.com.

In addition to Slipknot and Disturbed, the main stage features DRAGONFORCE and MASTODON, as well as a JÄGERMEISTER second stage with MACHINE HEAD, AIRBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, WALLS OF JERICHO and the JÄGERMEISTER Battle of The Bands Winner. There will also be a HOT TOPIC STAGE featuring UNDEROATH, BLACK TIDE, SUICIDE SILENCE, THE RED CHORD and 36 CRAZYFISTS. The World’s Greatest Freestyle Motocross team THE METAL MULISHA is also confirmed to perform on all dates.

Sponsors for the 2008 ROCKSTAR ENERGY MAYHEM FESTIVAL include Title Sponsor ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK and JAGERMEISTER, HOT TOPIC, X BOX, IBANEZ GUITARS, TAMA DRUMS, I LOVE VAGINA, METAL BLADE RECORDS, PETA, ROADRUNNER RECORDS, THE END TIMES, DiNGSTORE. com and THE IY.
Media Partners include REVOLVER MAGAZINE, HOLLYWOOD MUSIC, KNAC. COM and METAL INJECTION.

The Rockstar Energy Mayhem festival brings together the creative team that has founded many music tours including the highly successful Vans Warped Tour and the Worldwide Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour. Kevin Lyman, John Reese and CAA’s Darryl Eaton have partnered again, this time with Live Nation, to bring fans the next great music festival juggernaut, which will be MAYHEM! Following the proven model of utilizing sponsorship to deliver a lower ticket price and an enhanced concert experience the tour organizers have joined forces again with ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK as the Title sponsor.

Live Nation is promoting the festival nationally.

In addition to catching their favorite bands live, fans can take part in a number of festival activities, including playing the newest video games, perusing vendors, attending autograph signing sessions and a slew of other interactive activities that will add to the festival experience.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK will be sampling their products and providing great surprises for attendees and will also present the VIP/Contest winner area designated THE ROCKSTAR LOUNGE and the festival area PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR TENT where fans can sample ice cold Rockstar and get autographs from their favorite bands.

"This festival will be our marquee music presentation for years to come," says Rockstar Energy Drink Marketing Director Mike Kelso.

"We at Rockstar are excited to team up with our partners from Rockstar Taste of Chaos to launch an all-out summer tour that will blow you away!"

Fans can go to www.mayhemfest.com to keep up with additional details as they are released.


Tour dates are as follows:
Date City Venue
7/9 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheater
7/11 Sacramento, CA Sleep Train Amphitheater
7/12 San Francisco, CA Shoreline Amphitheater at Mountain View
7/13 San Bernardino, CA Glen Helen Pavilion
7/15 Fresno, CA Save Mart Center
7/16 San Diego, CA Coors Amphitheater
7/18 Phoenix, Az Cricket Wireless Pavilion
7/19 Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion
7/20 Denver, CO Coors Amphitheater at Fiddler’s Green
7/22 Kansas City, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/23 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis
7/25 Dallas, TX Superpages Center
7/26 San Antonio, TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/27 Houston, TX Sam Houston Race Park
7/29 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre
7/30 W. Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheater
8/1 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
8/2 Pittsburgh, PA Post-Gazette Pavilion
8/3 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
8/5 Boston, MA Tweeter Center for Performing Arts
8/6 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion
8/8 Toronto, ON Downsview Park
8/9 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
8/10 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
8/12 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheater
8/13 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center Indianapolis
8/15 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
8/16 Hartford, CT New England Dodge Music Center
8/17 Washington, DC Nissan Pavilion
8/19 Buffalo, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center


SLIPKNOT
Uncompromising. Intense. Chaotic. Unforgiving. Cathartic. Destructive. Dominant. These words barely scratch the surface in describing the multi-platinum, Grammy-Award winning hard rock enigma known as Slipknot. This groundbreaking nine-piece, born out of the desolate landscape of Des Moines, IA, have sold in excess of 10 million albums worldwide over the course of 3 studio albums. Their last studio album Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) was released in May 2004, debuting at 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and has sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S. to date. The album broke new ground for the band, spawning a string of hit singles including "Duality," "Vermilion" and "Before I Forget." December 2006 saw the release of the DVD Voliminal: Inside the 9. Certified double-platinum, it’s a vivid, brutally honest glimpse of the world inside the ’Knot. Slipknot, along with their maggots, has forged their own path on their own terms. This isn’t a band. This is a way of life.


DISTURBED
Known for their punishingly powerful music and socially conscious lyrics, Disturbed has sold a collective 9 million copies worldwide of their three albums — 2000’s RIAA-certified triple-platinum The Sickness, 2002’s Billboard album chart-topper Believe, and in 2005 their second consecutive number one debut on the Billboard charts, Ten Thousand Fists — since forming in Chicago in 1996. The band, which is singer David Draiman, guitarist Dan Donegan, drummer Mike Wengren and bassist John Moyer, will release their self-produced forthcoming album titled Indestructible on Reprise Records in May. Get ready for what the band calls "a little bit darker, really complex and furiously paced record."


DRAGONFORCE
DragonForce are the next generation of guitar heroes. The lead single, "Through The Fire And Flames," is the massively popular breakout track from Guitar Hero III. Thanks to the superhuman guitar wizardry and soaring vocals on their most recent album, the jaw-dropping Inhuman Rampage, the DragonForce buzz has erupted from the underground and has escalated to a deafening roar. Headline tours always sell out. Heads are consistently turned. New fans are immediately made. Radio reacts. Sales continue to go up. The appetite for DragonForce is insatiable, and so is the band’s desire to dominate the US tour market. Guitar virtuoso Herman Li says, "It’s great for us to be back after a 16 month absence from touring the U.S. The demand from fans for DragonForce to return has been overwhelming, so we’re very excited to be part of the biggest tour of the summer. Get ready for some serious Mayhem on and off stage. Don’t blink or you’ll miss something!" It’s time to experience all that DragonForce have to offer!


MASTODON
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Mastodon have been critically acclaimed by almost every publication in the US and UK. "Late Night with Conan O’Brien" took note of this and put them on his show, which set a precedent and paved the way for more metal acts to be considered on NBC. Their Grammy nominated album, Blood Mountain, the group’s third release, isn’t just unconventional, it’s surreal, progressive and unrepentantly heavy. Mastodon combined their favorite musical styles, including thrash, doom, prog and psychedelic metal to concoct something utterly original, undeniably devastating and irrefutably entrancing.


MACHINE HEAD
With virtually no mainstream radio or video play whatsoever the San Francisco Bay Area’s 2nd biggest metal band Machine Head have become one of the most credible and influential metal bands of all time, and their unique brand of bludgeoning metal has gone on to sell over 1.8 million records throughout the world. Recently nominated for a Grammy, Machine Head’s latest album The Blackening was in the 1 or top 5 "Album of the Year" spot in nearly every single metal magazine throughout the world, and shocked the mainstream press at the 2007 Kerrang! Awards ceremonies, where The Blackening was named "Album Of The Year" over My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy.


UNDEROATH
Underoath are currently recording the follow up to their juggernaut gold-certified and critically acclaimed third album DEFINE THE GREAT LINE (Tooth & Nail/Solid State). The Florida-based sextet’s inexplicably delightful amalgam of mayhem and melody--plus their depth and ability--propelled the landmark 2006 album to a 2 debut on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. Renowned for their cathartic and frenzied live performances UNDEROATH have solidly built their fan base from incessant touring and their unrelentingly intense live shows, establishing an unbreakable bond with their fans. The combined sales of their three albums is close to one million copies. The strength, and explosive lure of UNDEROATH continues in 2008.


BLACK TIDE
Fresh off their now legendary Ozzfest stint, Avenged Sevenfold dates and a forthcoming tour with All That Remains, Black Tide are set to take the world by storm with their debut album Light From Above, produced by Johnny K (Disturbed, Staind). Revolver Magazine dubbed them the "Future of Metal" and Spin called them "a combination of Megadeth riffage, Metallica brutality, and Guns N’ Roses melodicism." They not only embrace the charisma, character and unwavering attitude of those who shredded before them, but they do so in a manner that would make the virtuosos that inspired them proud. Black Tide is not only bringing music back from the dead, but they’re returning the power to metal. The meltdown is long overdue.


WALLS OF JERICHO
Detroit’s hardest, Walls Of Jericho, have been described as "Murderous Metal-core" by Alternative Press in their recent feature for the "Most Anticipated 2008" issue. With Candace Kucsulain, who is arguably the most energetic and courageous front-woman in all of metal and a twin guitar attack, Walls Of Jericho have won over audiences worldwide. WOJ have an EP due out Spring 2008 produced by and featuring Corey Taylor (Slipknot), and a new album due Summer 2008. Other recent touring credits include Ozzfest 2006, Family Values 2006 as well as Devil Driver, Stone Sour, Unearth, Bullet For My Valentine, and Mastodon.


36 CRAZYFISTS
After three critically acclaimed records, 36 Crazyfists switches labels to Ferret Music for their new album, The Tide and Its’ Takers due out May 27. Still the only hard rock band to build a career from Alaska, 36 Crazyfists has built an international following by doing extensive touring around the world from appearing on the mainstage of UK’s Download Festival, to a sold-out European/UK and Australian tour with co-headliners Atreyu. 36 Crazyfists is poised to finally break the US market with the new album produced by guitarist Steve Holt and mixed by legendary hard rock mixer Andy Sneep.


FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
Five Finger Death Punch has been pummeling audiences since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, The Way of the Fist. With their hit single "The Bleeding" pulverizing the Active rock charts and MTV2’s Headbanger’s Ball, the album has been called a "Cowboys from Hell for this millennium (Outburn)." The band has already toured with the likes of Korn, Hellyeah, Flyleaf, Trivium, and Atreyu in the short time since their album debuted in the Billboard Top 200. Five Finger Death Punch features an all-star gang of musicians, including vocalist Ivan Moody (formerly of Motograter), Darrel Roberts (W.A.S.P.) and Zoltan Bathory (UPO). This summer audiences will see why Metal Edge calls Five Finger Death Punch "the sound of violent exhilaration, giving contemporary metal a belligerent shove in an exciting direction."


SUICIDE SILENCE
Suicide Silence’s rise through the ranks of extreme metal saw them headline full-scale tours in both the US & UK in the Summer/Fall of 2006 while still an unsigned band. Upon finally finding a home with Century Media Records, the band’s debut full-length impacted the Billboard 200 at 94 cementing them as the highest selling debut artist in Century Media history. According to Revolver Magazine, "The Cleansing was well worth the wait" and as the band continues to shatter the boundaries of conventionality with a uniquely devastating live show & rigorous commitment to touring, it comes as no surprise that Suicide Silence has been cited by Alternative Press as one of the 100 bands you need to know about in 2008.


AIRBOURNE
"Stand Up For Rock n’ Roll."It is as clear a statement of intent as you’re ever likely to hear. One verse that says everything you need to know about Melbourne, AU four piece Airbourne and their debut album, Runnin’ Wild: forget your worries, get down to the front of the stage and lose your mind to some ear-bleeding, sweat-soaked rock n’roll. Or, as the song continues, "Drink your beer/Drink your wine/Let’s have a good time." Stand up for rock n’ roll indeed. From the album’s fist-pumping title track to the anthemic "What’s Eatin’ You" and the self-explanatory rock explosions of "Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast" and "Diamond In The Rough," Runnin’ Wild is an exercise in booze-and-sweat soaked rock n’ roll that isn’t looking to change the world by abolishing Free Trade, but simply provide the ultimate soundtrack to the biggest all-night rock party there is.


THE RED CHORD
The Red Chord have been crafting intriguing heavy music since their independent debut Fused Together in Revolving Doors in 2002. Combining elements of grindcore, death metal and hardcore, that release established them as one of the premier Massachusetts extreme metal acts. In 2005, Metal Blade released the follow-up Clients, a tortured concept album about mental patients, drug addicts, the homeless, the desperate and downtrodden. While they decimated crowds worldwide touring with the likes of Gwar, High On Fire, Unearth, Every Time I Die and Hatebreed, as well as stints on Ozzfest 2006 and Sounds of the Underground 2005, Clients established The Red Chord as innovators in the burgeoning underground metal scene. By staying away from the cliché trappings that crippled some of their contemporaries, 2007’s Prey For Eyes hit Metal Maniacs’ "Critics Picks" Top 10 Albums of 2007, Revolver’s Top 20 Albums of 2007 and Decibel’s Top 40 Albums of 2007, further solidifying The Red Chord as a force at the top of their game.


About ROCKSTAR Energy Drink – Developed to increase the recovery time of those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles, ROCKSTAR Energy Drink is available in ten amazing flavors. You can find Original, Sugar Free, Juiced, Zero Carb, Guava, Pomegranate, Punched and Roasted Mocha, Roasted Vanilla Light and Roasted Latte at convenience and grocery retail outlets across the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK.


http://mayhemfest. tickets. musictoday. com
http://www. mayhemfest. com