Comment Archives
Re: “On the Tribune covering the Tribune”
I'm finally reading James O'Shea's "The Deal From Hell" and I'm struck by several things, among them the sheer unremarkability of previous Tribune Co. executives. O'Shea repeatedly describes folks like Madigan and FitzSimons and Brumback as brilliant, the sharpest knife in the drawer, etc., etc. And there's a certain validity in this, though ultimately it doesn't amount to much.
And that's because when O'Shea gets down to telling us what these characters actually accomplished (and I credit O'Shea with an unusual degree of understanding as a journalist for the way corporate finance works), it's pretty bland stuff. Apparently, they share a modest command of basic accounting and a basic understanding of our pointlessly complex tax laws.
That's about it. Otherwise, they're well groomed and seem to rate high on the scale of sociopathic or psychopathic tendencies. So I'm thinking that maybe this is what we (most of us) routinely and reflexively describe as brilliance, this particular combination of quite modest competence in some established field, psychopathic tendencies (a fount of charisma) and neat or slightly distinctive grooming.
On the other hand, when O'Shea describes what he and his best journalists do, there you find some real notes of distinction, real creativity, initiative and thinking outside the box, as they say. It doesn't rise to the level of genius but certainly qualifies as excellence in the pursuit of truth. And of course, it's these folks whose work rates poorly in the marketplace while the high-functioning bean-counter psychos are compensated lavishly no matter what they do, even as they make decisions like a gaggle of snotty, cliquey 8th-grade girls.
Re: “Carnegie Sargent's Pharmacy and Health Center”
Prompt professional service. Neighborhood feel.
Re: “Chief Keef's sentencing: The view from the courtroom”
This: "white cultural tourism via violent music by African-Americans". Well said. Also, crying at the prospect of a 60-day stint in Juvie is some baby sh@t.
Re: “Mayor Rahm channels his inner Herbert Hoover”
So, was BHT's point to make Rahm out to be not such a bad character, or to take Ben to task for erroneously comparing him to Hoover. The racist.
Re: Schweinberg, please better educate the masses on the finer points of TIFs in Chicago.
Re: “With Jesse Jackson Jr. out of the way, who's left to take on the Man?”
"Let's see: CPS agreed to hire more social workers; CPS agreed to make textbooks available to students on the first day of school; CPS agreed to hire more nurses; CPS agreed to monitor the workloads of clinicians, counselors, and special education teachers; and CPS agreed to provide clinicians with private space in which to meet with and support students."
As I'm sure you know, Shorty, in the collective bargaining process it is quite common for one side (especially the employer) to hold off on something it would have done anyway until the end of the negotiating process. That way the other side may feel it has achieved something and thus could think it a little less necessary to fight quite as hard on other issues. Do you have any evidence that CPS would not have added more social workers and done some of the other things you mentioned even in the absence of this negotiation? And, of course, there is a reason why there might be a shortage of social workers in the first place, why there are questions about the workload of clinicians, counselors, and special education teachers, and why there may have been problems with getting students textbooks in a timely manner. It is because the district is constantly broke and lacks the funds to do even many of the essential things that should be expected. It can't even come close funding the level of special education educations program that are required by the federal government and hasn't for years. So if you'd like to look at the entire context of the things you mention it is necessary to look at the reasons why the district is constantly broke. One of these is the level of certain fixed expenses that is obligated by union contracts.
"What do you have against nurses, social workers, psychologists, and special education teachers? Hell, what do you have against the kids they work with every day? Sheesh. Some people."
Huh? What makes you think I have anything against nurses, social workers, psychologists, special education teachers, or the students they work with?
Re: “Chief Keef's sentencing: The view from the courtroom”
No pity. No mercy. He should have gotten a jail sentence when he was convicted to begin with.
Re: “Aldermen raise serious questions about billboard deal, then advance it anyway”
They should ban all billboards. Billboards are dangerous. People read them while driving and cause accidents, injury, and death. It is just common sense to ban billboards all together. Billboards are more dangerous than talking on cell phones, texting, putting on make up, eating, or reading while driving.
Re: “Have they found Michael Jansson's body?”
I am anxious for the results of the bones. I wonder if there was any clothing or jewelry found with the bones, that might make it more obvious who it was but I am sure it is Michael. They also should examine the car he was driving...if he was pushed into the river, the car should be set in neutral. That would tell as a lot, that this is a possible homicide and not an accident. That guy who got the phone behaved oddly and if I remember correctly the bouncers are acting oddly and denying stuff. Weird.
Re: “Maison Brasserie”
Maison is not easy to find, but it was rewarding. We really like the menu -- a broad selection of French faves, many enhanced with ingredient upgrades. The setting is pleasant (though I imagine it could get quite noisy if full) and the service smooth and attentive.
For starters, the baguette was above reproach and was served with a pair of lovely radishes(with butter and salt, in the French style). I enjoyed a lovely butter lettuce salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette -- the presentation was exquisite. My companion enjoyed brandade (not really my thing, but OK). Her pasta with rabbit was quite nice -- terrific pasta, good bunny/sauce. I had “cassoulet” (their quotes, not mine); it was OK, but kind of one-dimensional (which I guess cassoulet is: you got your meat, you got your beans). I had to try the frites, based on Vettel’s recommendation; they were almost perfect (just a little too salty for me -- in fact, saltiness was a weak point for the brandade and both entrées, too). Profiteroles made for an nice dessert, though the alleged hazelnut ice cream had little flavor. Café au lait was good and well-presented.
Maison has wine list that admirably broad and compact at the same time; there are good choices at all prices points. Similarly, it offers a nice, though not overwhelming, selection of Belgian style ales.
Salt notwithstanding, I’d like to go back and explore the menu further. Maison is clearly paying attention to the food…
Re: “With Jesse Jackson Jr. out of the way, who's left to take on the Man?”
@IAC
"What positives resulted from those rallies? Was it just that they made you feel good or was there something more? Do you think the kids at CPS or the city overall gained from the union's victory in the negotiation?"
Let's see: CPS agreed to hire more social workers; CPS agreed to make textbooks available to students on the first day of school; CPS agreed to hire more nurses; CPS agreed to monitor the workloads of clinicians, counselors, and special education teachers; and CPS agreed to provide clinicians with private space in which to meet with and support students.
"It just pushed the district further along in its usual poor fiscal state that causes extreme inflexibility of the type of programs that can be funded. And there is also inflexibility that is caused by provisions in the contract that have nothing to do with the district's finances."
What do you have against nurses, social workers, psychologists, and special education teachers? Hell, what do you have against the kids they work with every day? Sheesh. Some people.
Re: “Can the torture scenes in Zero Dark Thirty be defended?”
@California Girl
That's precisely the type of psycho argument that should be made in favor of torture. I disagree, obviously, but purely on moral grounds and not because it never works. It can work, it can yield useful information, granted.
Although it can also yield useless information. And worse, it could quite conceivably yield information that's so misleading as to divert valuable resources away from a real threat, thus actually increasing the chances that a planned attack will succeed.
The world probably works that way, too. Too bad you're so limited you can't face the facts. Sad.
And what, exactly, are you getting at with that confused reference to the streets of Europe and the Middle East? People are rising up to throw off dictators and technocrats. These are positive developments and have nothing to do with terrorism. We can only hope for such constructive turmoil here, far preferable to our tendency to date to cower before our overinflated boffin masters.
Re: “Mayor Rahm channels his inner Herbert Hoover”
"Hoover did a great job with disaster relief like Bush did a great job getting Bin Laden in Iraq."
Bullshit.
I've read that book and much else about the flood, and you are lying.
Re: “Our House”
If you really wanted to save the house then why didn't you just pay to have the house moved to a lot that you purchased for that purpose and then restore it to it's original condition? I'm sure the developer would have given you the house for free. I appreciate the need to preserve some parts of history but don't forget that all old homes have a history and it's usually a cute, interesting story as would be expected from an old house. If you want to be an activist with other people's property then I suggest you start your process a little earlier in the process like when you were walking by it for years and commenting on how crummy it was.
Re: “Chief Keef's sentencing: The view from the courtroom”
What do all these suburban raised, hipster white kids who write for Pitchfork and the Reader care about what happens to Chief Keef? They got their minstrel show. They can watch him at Pitchfork and Lollapalooza in a safe setting, and feel like they're brushing up against something real and dangerous. Him doing time is all part of the narrative. And when this initial hype wave dies down, this kid is going to be left with nothing. He's not actually talented at music so this is it, once he's not the dangerous new thug on the block it's over, and all these BS white music writers will be riding someone else's dick.
Re: “Tailwinds”
Thank you! It's about time the solutions have been brought up-to-date.....
Re: “Annals of school reform: democracy gets messy in Rogers Park”
I too remember..and I am not Hispanic, but was married to the FIRST council chair Dominick Galvan Jr., who since passed on in 2007..and Mr.Orenstein passed in 2008. Some things have slipped my mind like Mr.Malave NOT really being in the district after all.....We fought for Mr. Orenstein because he was a JUST man and listened..He was always available...My husband was also a JUST man......I remember all too well.....
Re: “Annals of school reform: democracy gets messy in Rogers Park”
This story is over 20 years old now, I was one of those students back in 1991 that supported Mr. Orenstein, and my name is Joshuah Galvan, son of former LSC Council Chair Dominick Galvan. Reading this story brought back so many memories.
Re: “Chief Keef's sentencing: The view from the courtroom”
In some respect I feel sorry for the kid. His parent's and the community he lives in have helped him with his choices, and they are fostering his outcome.
As I've read, Cozart is a very active member of a street gang, and was arrested for pointing a gun at our police officers, who had to shoot at him because of what he did.
He smokes alot of pot, and he likes to make videos of himself that tell us how tuff and strong he is. His parent's (if he has any) continue to allow him to make these videos so that he can become popular in the rap industry and get a rich.
Everyone involved in this kids demise should answer to our justice system, and that includes the judge, his parents, his community, and any media organisation that has helped exploit him.
I belive that this kid will be dead in the next year or so because of his gang affiliation.
But his situation went well beyond gangs and the rap "music" culture, and there are pleanty of people who are responsable for this; this child is being completely exploited by both older gang members and the music media who seem to love his voice of urban rejection and anger.
"B'Way", this has nothing to do with race. But if you want to put in into a racial context so be it.
The media IS run, controlled, and operated by really, really rich people who have ZERO concept of anything beyond how much money they can expolit through multiple media mediums. White people get it. We know it too.
White folks are SO minipulated just as much as blacks folks: Charlie Sheen, the "Jack-ass" crew, "moonshiners", blah, blah, blah.
If this is a racial issue to you, then I call on you to confront your own people to damn such behavior towards child.
Because as of now the blame is pointing at everything else.
Re: “Can the torture scenes in Zero Dark Thirty be defended?”
Well, we could let their butts sit in jail for the rest of their lives and let them live off of us or let them go and then they're free bomb other things and kill innocent people. Or, we can get information out of them before they bomb anything else. Who knows what it would be next? Maybe a car? A building? A plane? But of course, if they got a hold of you, it wouldn't be a tiny bit waterboarding or a bit of starvation you get. No, it would be a few fingers here, an ear there, a toe, maybe even your penis or your head. Which would prefer? They come to our country and take over then do this to you (god you've already started to take our guns away) or we stop it at the source and get information about the one giving orders?
You can't choose. The world doesn't work that way. You keep on being a pushover and the streets are going to be like they are in Europe and the middle east. Sad.
Re: “Mayor Rahm channels his inner Herbert Hoover”
"So, was BHT's point to make Rahm out to be not such a bad character, or to take Ben to task for erroneously comparing him to Hoover."
Reading new to you?
My point was to get beyond the Hoover shorthand employed by so many so-called progressives when they pretend to think. My point was to show, perhaps, how all history dissolves into caricature at the hands of hopeless ideologues, left or right.
I didn't think my point was all that difficult. Sorry to make your life more complicated than it no doubt it.