The Weekend Desk Report

For completists, there was no Friday Papers.

"Field Museum employee taking memberships at the door pocketed $900,000 in cash over seven years and is being investigated by federal authorities, museum executives said Friday," the Tribune reports.

"Disclosure of the alleged theft was made in a federally mandated tax report the natural history institution filed earlier this month."

I know stories like this ought to discourage the rest of us from indulging in such schemes, but I must admit my first thought is often to wonder if I could devise a way to commit such an act and get away with it. I suppose that's how the criminal mind works.

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"'The loss and investigation costs were fully recovered through the museum's insurance program, less a $10,000 deductible,' the museum reported in its 2014 Form 990.

"The disclosure was made in a response to a question on the form, 'Did the organization become aware during the year of a significant diversion of the organization's assets?'"

Why, yes, now that you ask, yes it did!

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"The woman would issue temporary membership cards to people who bought memberships as they entered the museum . . . and then not turn in the cash."

That means "about 9,000 memberships showing up on the books without associated revenue."

So her real mistake was not enlisting someone in the accounting department in her scheme. Noted.

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Puppet Show
"A troupe of giant puppets will not be roaming the streets of Chicago next year after all," the Tribune reports.

That's okay; giant puppets meet downtown twice a month already. (Too easy?)

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Actually, click through and read the story - seems like a pretty cool idea to me. Maybe if Redmoon offers to put them on barges and set them on fire when the show is over?

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CPD's Real Leadership Problem
"Some things that you can only know if you were an insider and no longer have to watch your ass," writes our very own Bob Angone, a retired CPD lieutenant.

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Beachwood Photo Booth: South Side Sundown
Canal, bridge, crane.

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Cubs Set Up Epicest Heartbreak Yet
On The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #81.

Plus: Hey White Sox Fans, How You Doin'?; Bulls Spiting Selves; Bears Good As Mold; and Patrick Kane's Fraudulent Point Streak.

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The Week In Chicago Rock
Featuring: The Lawrence Arms, Havok, Artifas, Steve Hackett, Flesh Panthers, Clearance, Glyders, and The Rubs.

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The Sound Opinions Weekend Listening Report: "It's that most wonderful time of the year - the end! It's time to celebrate all the great music we've had the pleasure to hear. Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot share their Best Albums of 2015 and hear nominations from listeners."

Five of their individual Top Tens overlap, by the way. So click through to find out the collective Sound Opinions Top Five records of the year!

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Weekend BeachBook

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Dusty Baker is an out-and-out racist. See also: The Dusty & Ozzie Show.

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TweetWood
A sampling.

#Chicago Baseball Team Wins Offseason For Second Year In A Row. #cubs #whitesox

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) December 12, 2015

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From the Sanders campaign. pic.twitter.com/uDG44T3BtN

— Michael Kruse (@michaelkruse) December 11, 2015

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We have kids in Chicago fighting to keep their library open. Put that on prime time news. #SaveOurLibrary

— Coretta (@NappyMetanoia) December 11, 2015

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"[The 2016 GOP nomination] is going to Rand Paul. You watch. This is what I do for a living." -Chris Matthews in 2013.

— Tom Kludt (@TomKludt) October 2, 2015

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#BlackLivesMatter Shuts Down San Franciso Town Hall: https://t.co/nSws2SuVta Over cop killings. | #chicago

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) December 11, 2015

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Bizarro #Chicago: a #Cubs-strong/mayor-weak system.

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) December 11, 2015

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The Weekend Desk Tip Line: Temporary memberships available.

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