Chicago -
By Steve Rhodes
Every time you think the silly, sophomoric, misogynist Sun-Times couldn’t possibly get any sillier or more sophomoric, it outdoes itself.
And to think, the paper is still only 50 cents.
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Send your nominations to webphotos@suntimes.com. It’s okay if you cut off their heads, just show us tits and ass.
Posted on June 6, 2008
By Steve Rhodes
Is Tony Rezko afraid of getting whacked?
I had somewhat similar thoughts as Mark Brown yesterday upon hearing about the weirdest aspect of the Rezko verdict.
Change-Monger
“I know that there are those, like John Kass, who would like me to decry Chicago politics more frequently. I’ll leave that to his editorial commentary.”
– Barack Obama, March 14
“I’m saddened by today’s verdict. This isn’t the Tony Rezko I knew, but now he has been convicted by a jury on multiple charges that once again shine a spotlight on the need for reform. I encourage the General Assembly to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent these kinds of abuses in the future.”
– Barack Obama, June 5
A) I meant I’ll leave that up to John Kass and the General Assembly.
B) The Tony Rezko I knew never would have gotten caught!
C) So you’ll give your political mentor Emil Jones a call?
Posted on June 5, 2008
By Steve Rhodes
BREAKING 3 P.M.: There is a verdict in the Tony Rezko trial. The judge plans to read it at 3:45 p.m. today. Head over to Division Street for updates and witty observations.
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Protean Enigma Wrapped in a Rorschach Test
“On the cusp of becoming the first African-American to capture a major party nomination, Mr. Obama remains a protean political figure, inspiring devotion in supporters who see him as a transformative leader even as he remains inscrutable to critics,” Michael Powell writes in the New York Times today.
“He has the gift of making people see themselves in him and offers an enigmatic smile when asked about his multiracial appeal.
“‘I am like a Rorschach test,’ he said in an interview with The New York Times. ‘Even if people find me disappointing ultimately, they might gain something.'”
The Strategy
“Almost from the beginning, Hillary Rodham Clinton’s superior name recognition and her sway with state party organizations convinced Barack Obama’s brain trust that a junior senator from Illinois was not going to be able to challenge the Clinton political machine head-on,” the Washington Post explains.
“The insurgent strategy they devised instead was to virtually cede the most important battlegrounds of the Democratic nomination fight to Clinton, using precision targeting to minimize her delegate hauls, while going all out to crush her in states where Democratic candidates rarely ventured and causes that were often ignored.”
Posted on June 4, 2008
By Steve Rhodes
“He was a hardscrabble visionary from the streets of Chicago’s South Side who had to fight for everything he got,” Greg Kot writes in the Tribune. “He created rock ‘n’ roll’s essential rhythm, pioneered an approach to electric-guitar playing that anticipated hard rock, metal and punk and developed a vocal style and stage persona that influenced everyone from Elvis to Chuck D. It could also be credibly argued that he provided the rhythmic and lyrical foundation of hip-hop, notably on his insult-swapping 1959 hit ‘Say Man.’
“With his boxer’s build, black glasses, Stetson hat and hand-built, rectangle-shaped guitars, he looked and sounded like no one else in rock. His first band was a trio that roamed the streets and clubs of Chicago with guitar, rub board and maracas, and by all accounts rocked like the dickens – long before Presley, Berry and the rest were on the horizon.”
Hey Bo Diddley.
Posted on June 3, 2008
By Steve Rhodes
The Rev. Michael Pfleger blamed YouTube on Sunday for his mockery of Hillary Clinton, saying he thought he was speaking “in the sacredness of a sanctuary.”
A) Pfleger’s been out of town for a few months.
B) “Sacred sanctuary” meaning the place you don’t expect to be caught.
C) “I knew God was watching, but I didn’t think everyone else was.”
Posted on June 2, 2008
By Natasha Julius
We’re not sure, but it looks like terrorist wing-nut Rachel Ray may in fact be the model for that slutty new Starbuck’s logo. We’ll be pounding the pavement to find answers for you this weekend.
Market Update
Paranoia futures surged to an all-time high this week after numerous revelations of long-ranging schemes, deliberate delays and flat-out lies proved once and for all that they really are out to fucking get us.
Posted on May 31, 2008
By Steve Rhodes
All I need to know about the Sex and the City movie I learned from Roger Ebert this morning: Carrie and Mr. Big buy a penthouse they name “Heaven on Fifth Avenue.”
Check, please!
Dream Weaver
“More than half of U.S. workers say the American dream of owning a nice home, having financial security and hope for the future is unattainable, and almost half blame the political system, according to a new poll by Zogby International.”
Doprah
“I’ve tried to stay out of politics for my entire tenure on the air,” she said. “Basically, it’s a no-win situation.”
I mean, if Oprah actually used her celebrity status to lobby for health insurance and higher wages for the poor, they might not find a reason to follow her New Age nostrums anymore.
Posted on May 30, 2008
By Steve Rhodes
Scenes from a CTA derailment.
* “Although emergency personnel arrived within minutes, the situation was so precarious that the train operator ordered passengers in the first car, which separated from the rest of the train, to move to one side of the aisle to prevent the car from possibly tipping over and plunging to the ground,” the Tribune reports.
Posted on May 29, 2008
By Steve Rhodes
“The U.S. Supreme Court rejected former Illinois Gov. George Ryan’s appeal of his federal racketeering and fraud conviction Tuesday, all but assuring the 74-year-old will serve out his 6 1/2-year federal prison sentence,” AP reports.
To save time, the Court also rejected Rod Blagojevich’s future appeals.
Yes, I used that line over at Division Street yesterday, but I thought it was worth repeating.
Posted on May 28, 2008
By Steve Rhodes
BREAKING: “The U.S. Supreme Court rejected former Illinois Gov. George Ryan’s appeal of his federal racketeering and fraud conviction Tuesday, all but assuring the 74-year-old will serve out his 6 1/2-year federal prison sentence.”
And now, on to our regularly scheduled programming . . . A lot of great new stuff on the Beachwood today. Look and click ->>>
Stat Whores
“During baseball season, you’ll find Jon Passman in the press box at Wrigley Field or maybe U.S. Cellular Field. In the winter, when it’s hockey and basketball season, you might see him at the United Center,” Eric Benderoff writes in the Tribune.
“Like any sports reporter, he goes where the action is. But Passman doesn’t fret about finding the right words to lure readers into a story. He doesn’t write for a newspaper, magazine or a blog.
“Yet, it’s his account of a ballgame – a detailed report of every pitch thrown – that tells millions of fans all they need to know. Passman’s work, refreshed every minute, is sent to mobile phones, laptops and a host of other gadgets that help a nation of need-it-now sports fans not miss a moment.”
(h/t: Chicagoist)
Posted on May 27, 2008
