[VIDEO] MORE AND MORE WOMEN ARE EMBRACING GUN OWNERSHIP via Newsalert

STUPID ANTI-RAIL ARGUMENTS: Analyzing arguments for any type of urban rail transit from light-rail to heavy-rail both in favor and against. I'm glad they knocked the whole increase in crime argument against rail transit in cities!

MARATHON PUNDIT: Christmas Day 20 years ago: Soviet Union dies

On this day twenty years ago, Christmas Day in most of Christendom, the Soviet Union died when its last leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, resigned his post--although there was not really anyone around to accept it. 

Merry Christmas and may it be a very happy and safe one!

RECENTLY I BOUGHT A NEW MOLESKINE NOTEBOOK

A much larger ruled reporter notebook. In the New Year, I will be carrying a much larger notebook at these meetings that are usually on my agenda. And then some hopefully. I usually attend local school council meetings, neighborhood meetings, and hopefully in the future more will be added.

Now what to do with those small pocket sized notebooks that doesn't have every single page filled up.

[VIDEO] ABC7CHICAGO: Reverend to stay up on the rooftop on Christmas

On this Christmas eve this local minister will remain atop a neighborhood hotel in hopes of gaining enough donations to buy it and turn it into a community center. A laudable goal I expect!

[VIDEO] BREITBART.TV: Jesse Jackson To Black Fathers: Forget Teaching Success, Teach Your Children To Fight

[VIDEO] ASSOCIATED PRESS: FACEBOOK LAUNCHES TIMELINE FEATURE

And like most of these social networking updates I'll only be dragged kicking and screaming LOL!

STILL LEAVING ILLINOIS: AN EXODUS OF PEOPLE AND MONEY. Courtesy of the Illinois Policy Institute (via Newsalert)

Illinois residents are fleeing the state. When people leave, they take their purchasing power, entrepreneurial activity and taxable income with them. For more than 15 years, residents have left Illinois at a rate of one person every 10 minutes.

Recent data from the Internal Revenue Service shows that, in 2009, Illinois netted a loss of people to 43 states, including each of its neighbors – Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky and Iowa. Over the course of the entire year, the state saw a net of 40,000 people leave Illinois for another state.

The data reflects a continuation of a trend of out-migration from Illinois that has lasted more than a decade. Between 1995 and 2009, the state lost on a net basis more than 806,000 people to out-migration.

Also these comments by the Capitol Fax:

Keep in mind this data was compiled well before the tax hike. Also, the net out-migration actually seems to be slowing. The average over 15 years is just under 54,000, so 40,000 net outmigration is less. That could be because of the recession and the fact that lots of people can’t sell their houses, however.

SLOOPIN: Doctor's Choice Closing its Showroom Due to Medicare

A reader recently commented that Doctor's Choice (1345 S. Michigan Ave.) is closing it's doors and sure enough, that seems to be the case. Although we don't claim to be health care experts, it seems strange that they're citing changes in Medicare as the reason.

Check out the comments. For one it's issues with Medicare payments, for another it's a bad business model that did them in, and for another still it's all about Obama!

KIM JONG-IL LOOKING AT THINGS a blog via Vodkapundit

What’s interesting is that every picture is identical, in that there is nothing to see — no people, no activity, no nothing — outside of the Dear Leader, his entourage, and his immediate focus.

Every. Single. Picture.

Everyone must pay attention and keep their focus on "Dear Leader"

WARD ROOM: Comparing the Ward Maps 

Needless to say inspite of a December 1st deadline Chicago Alderman still weren't able to agree on a map. So two Aldermanic factions submitted their own maps. So Edward McClellan compares the two maps between Chicago city council's Latino and Black caucuses.

Also I think he's been reading The Sixth Ward blog. lol

CAPITOL FAX: Blagojevich attorneys want another trial - Zagel calls motion “harebrained”

Apparently Blago's defense team is upset that a juror for his latest trial dared to show people her juror questionnaire. Defense said that information would remain confidential.

ABC NEWS: His Three Sons: North Korea's Shifting Heir Apparent

Although the age of Kim Jong Un is unknown, it is believed that he is 28 years old. His father revealed his third son would be the head of the Korean Worker's Party and de-facto head of state of North Korea in 2009, and had placed him in high-ranking posts. Kenji Fujimoto, Kim Jong Il's personal sushi chef, wrote in memoir that Kim Jong Un was the favorite because of his good looks and mannerisms that are similar to those of his late grandfather, Kim Il Song. 

Kim Jong-il has two other sons. Both were assumed to be the heir apparent alas they mad their daddy mad and the mantle now goes ton Jong-un!

TREKMOVIE.COM: Complete Star Trek IV score CD Announced. This has often been my favorite Star Trek soundtrack until my backpack was stolen years ago. Ah well soon I shall have it through iTunes and hopefully one day this new extended soundtrack

To mark this year’s 25th anniversary of the release of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Intrada has just announced the upcoming release of the complete score of the film, including previously unreleased cues, alternative cues, new liner notes and more.

Check out some sample tracks @ intrada.com

THE WHITE HOUSE IS MONITORING DEVELOPMENTS ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA in light of the death of longtime dictator King Jong-il

The Obama administration is warily watching developments on the Korean peninsula after the death of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Il and may postpone decisions on re-engaging the country in nuclear talks and providing it with food aid, U.S. officials said Sunday.

The administration had been expected to decide on both issues this week, possibly as early as Monday, but the officials said Kim’s death would likely delay the process. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. They said the U.S. was particularly concerned about any changes in the military postures of North and South Korea but were hopeful that calm would prevail.

COMMENT ON FACEBOOK: "Kim Jong-il is now planking .... forever"

KIM JONG-UN PRIVATELY DOUBTING HE'S CRAZY ENOUGH TO RUN NORTH KOREA! lol to the Onion!

NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG IL HAS DIED. Reported on state TV according to CNN:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is dead, North Korean state TV said Monday.

Kim, 69, died at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, state TV said.

A broadcaster reported that Kim died due to "overwork" after "dedicating his life to the people."

[VIDEO] INSTAVISION: MYTHS AND REALITIES OF AMERICAN CITIES & SUBURBS. I want to share this some more. I got to catch the part at the end where Joel Kotkin seems to make an argument against more urban rail and in favor of bus rapid transit. I can hear the argument in favor of more telecommuting. There's a lot to swallow here! Via Newsalert!

YOU KNOW, I DID SAY I COULDN'T DO TEXT, DIDN'T IT? Well that pic below was successfully posted my using the dormant text messaging on my BlackBerry. Instead of using at "texting address" (not sure what to call it) I instead used the e-mail for Blogger Mobile (go [@] blogger [.] com). Thus I was able to get that Garrett Popcorn signage onto this blog. Congrats this blog is now a mobile blog, but I still want to get a new phone. :P

ANOTHER PIC I TOOK IN THE LOOP ON THURSDAY. This is only my second visit to this new Garrett Popcorn location near Plymouth & Jackson. They only moved down the street from their old location at State & Jackson.

IN POSTING THAT PICTURE, I just wish that I have the ability to do the mobile blogging thing. Currently since I use a BlackBerry the only option would be to use Blogger Mobile. At current the Blogger app is only available on Android devices and iPhones. As was said earlier if only this could become the new mobile blog, but I'm not quite there yet!

VISITED AN M BURGER ON THURSDAY AFTER RUNNING SOME ERRANDS. Didn't eat before I left home so, just figured it was time to do something different. It costs more than to go to Burger King or McDonald's. A little over $8 for a burger, drink, and fries. The food was good though and I made sure to tweet M Burger about my experience. Oh yeah this was the Water Tower Place location that I had visited.

SECOND CITY COP ON THE ENTITLEMENT MENTALITY OF CHICAGO POLITICIANS. They look at an article from Chicago's FOX affiliate where they study Chicago's City Treasure and her use of a municipal police car to drive her around the city.

WALL STREET JOURNAL: "In Redistricting, Democrats Try to Spread Out Black Votes; Black Leaders Try to Concentrate Them"

This tension comes down to hard-edged politics. Democrats want to distribute minority voters among various districts to elect as many Democrats as possible. Black leaders often want to concentrate those voters so they are likelier to elect African-Americans.

Similar conflicts have erupted for years, but the tensions are especially pronounced this year, in part because Democrats in many parts of the country are drawing a larger share of their vote from minority communities. If minority voters are concentrated in a few House districts, Democrats worry, they will find it harder than ever to win in non-minority districts.

I need to share this on my other blog. These conflicts around the nation have caused Blacks to side with Republicans in these remap struggles. The Civil Rights Act which is justified in remapping minority district was said in this article to be "atrophying". Interesting indeed!

CAMPAIGN ON CLOSING GUANTANAMO BAY, signs law allowing indefinite detention of American citizens. It would be something if Republicans actually campaign on this point. That would be odd to me for some reason. Found this pic on Facebook.

ROLL CALL: John Dingell deplores House climate. Describes himself as sad over 56 years in the US House but also angry:

The Dean of the House spreads the blame, from Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and the tea-party-inspired candidates who wrested control of the chamber from the Democrats, to President Barack Obama, whom Dingell said needs to engage with the public or suffer the fate of one-termer Jimmy Carter. He even has a few harsh words for the press.

And his decades in Congress have given him the clout to speak candidly of other House figures from both parties.

WOW!!! Read this whole article. This guy has my respect!!!

[VIDEO] 50 Cent "In Da Club" seems so appropriate on my birthday! :)

USA TODAY: Report states that child homelessness is up 33% in 3 years

One in 45 children in the USA — 1.6 million children — were living on the street, in homeless shelters or motels, or doubled up with other families last year, according to the National Center on Family Homelessness.

The numbers represent a 33% increase from 2007, when there were 1.2 million homeless children, according to a report the center is releasing Tuesday.

Via Newsalert!

[VIDEO] SAW THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DOCUMENTARY THE CARTEL ON HULU LAST NIGHT. It was very interesting. I should post a lengthy review, but I already shared it at my Shedd School blog which is more devoted to education topics. Via Newsalert.

CAPITOL FAX: DAY OF ATONEMENT. Let's think about former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's family. That's the point of Rich Miller's syndicated column today. Because of his crazy antics there's a good chance they may be hurt by this, but only time will tell on that.

WTF??? TEN YEARS AGO ON INSTAPUNDIT: Democrats criticize Bush for NOT using military tribunals to try terrorists.

 WARD ROOM: To today's GOP Ronald Reagan would be considered a socialist.

In order to pass a corporate tax break for Sears and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Democrats had to remove a provision doubling the Earned Income Tax Credit from 5 percent to 10 percent.

According to the Daily Herald, House Minority Leader Tom Cross objected to the increase, “saying the package should be about jobs, not entitlements.”

Actually, the Earned Income Tax Credit is an antidote to entitlements, because it allows poor people to keep more of their wages. The EITC was instituted under Gerald Ford and greatly expanded under Reagan, who called it “the best anti-poverty, the best pro-family, the best job creation measure to come out of Congress.”

[VIDEO: PART 1, PART 2] OBAMA WAS ON CBS' 60 MINUTES TONIGHT TALKING WITH STEVE KROFT. Here's a write-up from the Washington Post:

During a wide-ranging interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Obama blamed Republican intransigence for stymieing his efforts to enact policies to improve the economy, saying he often feels like the captain of a ship in rocky seas who is unable to “control the weather.”

He faulted the GOP for not having “an honest conversation” about the economic policies that caused the nation’s recession and complained that Republicans made a calculated decision to block most of his policies to inflict maximum political damage after he assumed office.

Asked by interviewer Steve Kroft whether he had made too many promises to Americans during his hope-and-change campaign in 2008, Obama insisted that he “always believed that this was a long-term project.”

Video's above via Newsalert!

[VIDEO] LAST NIGHTS GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE FROM ABC. I need to sit down and take a watch of it!

ON THANKSGIVING DAY. The entrance to a closed City Hall.

[VIDEO] REASON.TV EXAMINES LIGHT RAIL VS. REALITY IN LOS ANGELES. I do wonder what is it with being anti-train at Reason. They once decided to smack down a proposal for light rail in Detroit. They seem to argue for a more efficient bus transit system than for more trains (heavy rail or light rail) to move people around cities or metro areas. Via Newsalert!

LAMESAUCE! AT&T STARTS TRHROTTLING HEAVY IPHONE DATA USERS TO 2G SPEEDS:

If you’ve been whining about why the iPhone 4S has no 4G, get ready for a real letdown — 2G speeds. The move by AT&T to throttle its top 5 percent of data users to a snail’s pace is an unwelcome Christmas present for many iPhone users.

I've been looking at getting an iPhone and then re-evaluating the services that I can get with it. Sprint looks like a good deal anyway unlimited data and texting along with whatever phone service you want. AT&T unfortunately will hit you up for phone, data, and texting.

POPULAR MECHANICS: How to shoot great video with your smartphone. Something I'm looking at more seriously since it's decidely time to consider a new phone in the near future! Via Instapundit!

[VIDEO] HAD SKEE LO'S "I WISH" IN MY HEAD TONIGHT. Not sure why but in some ways I miss the year 1996 although it wasn't entirely a remarkable year for me. But at least back then the music was somewhat memorable.

THE SIXTH WARD: Ward remap negotiations take an ugly turn per a report from the Sun-Times

The Chicago Sun-Times reported earlier this week that the process of remapping the 50 wards to coincide with a 200,000-person drop in the city’s population in the 2010 U.S. Census took an ugly racial turn last week.

Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), chairman of the City Council’s Rules Committee, nearly came to blows with Budget Committee Chairman Carrie Austin (34th). In language laced with profanity, sources said Austin accused Mell of being a racist and treating African-American aldermen like plantation n-----s.

A police officer was summoned to the third-floor to restore order. At one point, Ald. Pat O’Connor (40th), Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s City Council floor leader, urged Mell to back off because he was exacerbating racial tensions. O’Connor has since played a more pivotal role in the negotiations.

That got unnecessarily nasty!

CHICAGO ARGUS: Ideologues are doing a good, enough job of shooting themselves in the foot

HEH! WHITE FEMINISTS: IT'S TIME TO PUT UP OR SHUT UP ON RACE

We need to acknowledge that we cannot know what it’s like to be an oppressed racial minority. Cannot. The end. Period. We don’t know because we’re queer, because we’re disabled, because we’re Jewish, because we were the nerdy kid in school. These things may have hurt us severely, but we need to stop playing Oppression Olympics and acknowledge that when we’re talking about race we Do. Not. Know. No more metaphors.

GREG HINZ: NO REPUBLICANS FILE FOR COUNTYWIDE OFFICE.

In a bit of a surprise, it looks like there is a candidate for GOP committeeman in just about all of the city's 50 wards. But not one Republican filed for the countywide posts of recorder of deeds, clerk of the circuit court or state's attorney — the latter a job the party owned much of the time into the 1980s.

County Chairman Sig Vaznelis says he'll hold a slating session later to fill the ballot holes. But how does a party that can't even field candidates for prosecutor in Illinois' largest county seriously expect to even mildly challenge President Barack Obama for re-election next year?

This is Cook County we're talking about here. Republicans haven't just been weak here, but around the state for years after the scandal tainted term of Blago's gubernatorial predecessor George Ryan.

[VIDEO] REASON.TV: WHY OBAMA'S STIMULUS FAILED. A case study of Silver Spring, Maryland.

Understanding why the stimulus failed is an important step in understanding how the government can—and cannot—goose economic recovery. To get a better sense of how and where the stimulus went wrong, Reason.tv focused on Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., that's home to a large number of government contractors and other recipients of money earmarked for the sorts of "shovel ready" projects that were going to bring the economy back to life.

OH YEAH BLAGO GETS 14 YEARS TODAY. Mentioned it at It's My Mind, but this is big news in Illinois. He may not truly undestand what's happened until he's finally in federal prison. Just think almost three years ago I was all over it. On December 9, 2008, he was arrested by federal agents in almost a month and a half he was removed from the office of Governor of Illinois!

[VIDEO] HOW TO MAKE A BLUETOOTH STAR TREK COMMUNICATOR. So that you wouldn't have to pull out the actual phone and I would expect you would prefer to use this at home or an office. This appeals to be since I can be such a "Trekkie".

SERIOUSLY! SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO ENTER MEXICO? That someone was Saadi Qaddafi, son of the late Moammar Qaddafi who was formerly the dictator of Libya. Moammar is now deceased!

[VIDEO] THE MAIN TITLE THEME FOR STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN. One of my favorite Star Trek films that I have on VHS. I should pop that film into the VCR one day. It's been years!

VODKAPUNDIT: WARGAMING THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE. Above is an updated map posted by Stephen Green

More and more, I get on-the-ground reports telling me Florida is going red this year, that the magic of Hopenchange is well and truly lost. Well, let’s take a look at that, too.

If we assume — and not too rashly — that Ohio turns Red before Florida and Florida turns red before Pennsylvania and that PA is going red…

…well, then Team Obama must absolutely hold on to VA and NC to even have a chance, trailing 214-258.

The problem for Obama is, NC turns Red before Florida does.

This is a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up strategy they’re pursuing.

 November 2012 can't come SOON enough!

LOOK AT REFURBISHED IPADS WIFI+3G from both the 1st and 2nd generations. What slows me down is know that I still need to get a separate data plan and only from Verizon or AT&T. I'm also going to assume the iPad wifi+3G are made like cell phones which are manufactures specifially for sale and use with either Verizon or AT&T. I also wish instead of a data plan one could have tethering with the iPad, wonder why they don't offer that at all!

IF YOU MISSED THE HUCKABEE GOP FORUM HERE IT IS. All approximately 2 hours worth of Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, and Mitt Romney.

[VIDEO] AP: PUTIN'S PARTY LOSING SUPPORT IN RUSSIAN VOTE!

FOX NEWS' GREG JARRETT: Herman Cain Announcement Was ‘Bizarre,’ ‘Cruel’ To Supporters via Breitbart.tv. Yesterday Herman Cain suspended his Presidential campaign due to the various allegations of sexual harrasment or affairs that have come out within the past month.

US DRUG AGENTS LAUNDERS MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL PROFITS:

The agents, primarily with the Drug Enforcement Administration, have handled shipments of hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal cash across borders, those officials said, to identify how criminal organizations move their money, where they keep their assets and, most important, who their leaders are.

They said agents had deposited the drug proceeds in accounts designated by traffickers, or in shell accounts set up by agents.

The officials said that while the D.E.A. conducted such operations in other countries, it began doing so in Mexico only in the past few years. The high-risk activities raise delicate questions about the agency’s effectiveness in bringing down drug kingpins, underscore diplomatic concerns about Mexican sovereignty, and blur the line between surveillance and facilitating crime. As it launders drug money, the agency often allows cartels to continue their operations over months or even years before making seizures or arrests.

I suppose another excuse to end the War on Drugs. Can't trust the enforcers if they can't stay away from the money. Newsalert has this comment as well:

Just a reminder, the government that's big enough to give you ObamaCare and other wasteful programs is big enough to give the D.E.A. rinsing drug money.

WTF??? STUDENT SUSPENDED FOR SAYING TEACHER WAS "CUTE". This is not a high school boy with some serious hormones, we're talking about a 9 year old boy. This should've been seen innocently enough but really! Via Newsalert!

I GUESS OAK PARK ISN'T TOO HAPPY ABOUT A GUN SHOP. 2nd City Cop refers to Oak Parkers as lib-tards whose hearts flutter over the thought of guns. At that it doesn't even matter to them that handguns will only be sold to police officers and citizens will only be able to purchase rifles & shotguns! The question I ask is whether or not Chicago will ever allow a gun shop within their own city limits.

[VIDEO] BATMAN BEGINS - MOLOSSUS (ORCHESTRAL VERSION). A live version of a track [VIDEO] from the 2005 Batman Begins soundtrack. I really like the live version a lot! I hope I could buy this as a song from iTunes!

WHY THE GREAT AMERICAN CITY IS OBSOLETE? I missed this from last month, an argument in favor of merging Chicago, Cook County, and all other municipalities located in Cook County into one government. Just surprised this hasn't come up in this era of tough fiscal times!

WOW! THE WORLD'S LARGEST INSECT!!! This thing is unbelievable the size of some small birds or three mice the insect photographed can eat a carrot.

A SLAM AGAINST TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS! Yeah I think it is!