By Steve Rhodes

I know it was a long weekend, but I still have a lot of things to tend to this morning, so we’ll be back with a full Beachwood tomorrow. We do have new material that was posted over the holiday and, of course, Jim Coffman’s SportsMonday, which dissects the Bears’ loss to the Vikings last night. Let me just say that, unlike Jim, I cannot defend Lovie Smith’s decision to go for it on fourth down. Kick the field goal. It’s early and the game’s dynamic hasn’t shown itself yet.
“I felt we needed a touchdown in that situation,” Smith said.
You obviously felt wrong. You didn’t need a touchdown in that situation, you just wanted one.
And, obviously, like every Monday morning quarterback – and let’s face it, every Sunday night quarterback because we all knew it was wrong in real time – I’m astounded at the play-calling. Opening the first-and-goal series from the one with a play-action pass was a good idea; running into the heart of a defense whose strength is stopping the rush up the middle was just stubborn. Giving the ball to a fullback signed to the active roster the day before the game was just stupid.

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Posted on December 1, 2008

By Steve Rhodes

Dear readers, as it turns out, Weekend Desk Editor Natasha Julius is on a super secret assignment in Michigan so super secret I didn’t even know about it. (Memo to Natasha: Let GM die – except for the Camaro.)
We do have a video today, though. I’m in it for the horses freaked out by the parade logo.
CM Punk at Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade

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Posted on November 29, 2008

By Steve Rhodes

Before we get to today’s special edition of The Five Dumbest Ideas of the Week . . . You know, the Beachwood staff does and does for you people. Here’s what we have:
* God Gave Rock and Roll To You. This is our way of giving thanks.
* A Beachwood Thanksgiving Poem For Children On The Subject Of Gluttony. Audio version.

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Posted on November 28, 2008

By Steve Rhodes

We’re gonna start the holiday weekend a bit early here at Beachwood HQ. We do have a few new posts on tap for the next few days, but the Papers will not appear again until Monday. I will, however, post at Division Street on the latest political developments.
In the meantime, let’s take a look back at some of the turkey time highlights from Beachwood from the last two years. I think you’ll agree they’re timeless.

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Posted on November 26, 2008

By Steve Rhodes

Is it just me or does it seem like Billy Corgan is crying out for attention these days?
Poor Billy.
The latest comes our way from Elliott Harris, who notes the following in his Quick Hits column today (it’s appeared many other places too, I know, so don’t send me hostile e-mail):
“The word is Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame had unkind words during a concert last week in town regarding Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam fame and Vedder’s Cubs-inspired ”All the Way.’ Cubs fan Corgan told the crowd between tunes Vedder’s song doomed the team’s chance to return to the World Series for the first time since 1945 and win its first one since 1908. ”Last I checked, Eddie ain’t living here, OK?” Corgan is said to have said. ”Eddie ain’t living here to write a song about my [expletive] team.’ Good to know it wasn’t the ballplayers’ or manager’s fault.”

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Posted on November 25, 2008

By Steve Rhodes

1. “The Bears know what the St. Louis Rams are,” Greg Couch writes. “They beat a tackling dummy Sunday.”
2. Can’t the city find a corporate (or otherwise) sponsor for its Jumping Jacks program instead of making Maxwell Street merchants pay for it?

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Posted on November 24, 2008

By Natasha Julius

While you’re busy having your life blood sucked by some movie or bank or whatever, we’ll be watching the news.
Market Update
With growing anxiety surrounding next week’s Black Friday, analysts are predicting possible record consumption of Hollow Gestures and Too Little Too Late.

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Posted on November 22, 2008

By Steve Rhodes

“Meanwhile, as invited guests celebrated the runway opening over lunch inside an O’Hare hangar, another problem in controlling the costs of the project came to light,” the Tribune reports.
“The price tag for building a taxiway that is a key component of the plan to expand and reconfigure the airport’s runways plan has more than doubled, according to documents the city recently filed with the Federal Aviation Administration.”
The mayor also announced that construction at O’Hare would begin soon of the Millennium Parking Lot, the Soldier Airfield, and Terminal 37.

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Posted on November 21, 2008

By Steve Rhodes

“As a new runway opens, 6 top airlines break with City Hall and call further construction ‘ill-conceived’ and ‘premature’,” the Tribune reports in a front-page exclusive today.
As far as I can remember, this is as big a broadside any portion of the business community has ever launched against the mayor. The language is cutting and the timing embarrassing.

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Posted on November 20, 2008

By Steve Rhodes

Sorry I’m late this morning – I wish I could blame it on a late night at the Beachwood Inn (free pool and Bob behind the bar on Tuesday nights), but alas I had to get some NBC5 work out of the way.
So . . . let’s see. Oh yeah. Here we go.
Thank You
William Schirmang.
You were the cause of – and the solution to – all of life’s problems.

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Posted on November 19, 2008