By Steve Rhodes
1. Roger Ebert and the Sex Pistols: Who knew?
2. Hawks HiLites: Vancouver is next.
3. The Clown Prince of Chicago Kiddie TV: Part One.
4. Meet Chicago’s Google Geeks: Happier than you are.
5. Big Z Is Pissed: Nobody could have seen it coming.
6. “Mayor Richard M. Daley wants to take his beloved security cameras on the road,” Crain’s reports.
“The Chicago Police Department is leading a push to install nearly 200 cameras along interstate highways between Chicago and Mexico to take pictures of license plates and run them through a computer to identify suspected drug traffickers, gun runners and money launderers.”
Get your clicks on the new Route 66.
“The city is touting the system, at less than $10 million, as a cost-effective way to catch criminals and even find missing children, according to a proposal for federal stimulus funding last year.”
Do it for the children!
“The effort to line up funding is being led by Frank Kruesi, City Hall’s point man on Capitol Hill.”
Frank Kruesi = Red Flag.
“Mr. Kruesi says Mr. Daley broached the idea last year with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano – a session scheduled for 30 minutes that stretched to an hour-and-a-half – and Attorney General Eric Holder in separate meetings to discuss the flow of drugs, money and guns between Chicago and Mexico.”
Next: Parking meters at truck stops along the way.
7. “Speaking of this week’s rally, I’m not sure that Neil Steinberg fully understands who was at the event,” Rich Miller writes for his Capitol Fax Blog. “He claims they were all ‘state workers.’ Not true, unless you think teachers are state employees. Also, there were tons of employees of not-for-profit groups and companies at the event . . .
“Still, I would have felt better had those been private-sector Illinoisans begging for more taxes. But that would be unlikely, given those most affected by government cuts – the poor, the sick, children – aren’t about to bus themselves to Springfield and wave signs.
“There were plenty of poor people at that rally. All he had to do was read the coverage.”
8. “After sitting idle over the winter, work has resumed on the $67 million renovation of the CTA Red Line station at Grand Avenue and State Street,” Steven Dalhman reports for his Marina City Online.
9. “Until he reached the White House, Barack Obama repeatedly insisted that the United States apply more pressure on Sudan so as to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur and elsewhere,” Nicholas Kristoff writes in his New York Times Op-Ed column.
“Yet, as president, Mr. Obama and his aides have caved, leaving Sudan gloating at American weakness. Western monitors, Sudanese journalists and local civil society groups have all found this month’s Sudanese elections to be deeply flawed – yet Mr. Obama’s special envoy for Sudan, Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, pre-emptively defended the elections, saying they would be ‘as free and as fair as possible.’ The White House showed only a hint more backbone with a hurried reference this week to ‘an essential step’ with ‘serious irregularities.'”
10. Kaption Kontest!
Co-sponsored by our pals at Chicagoist. This photo is from the Department of Procurement on the city’s new $1.8 million website. Go to this link at Chicagoist to make your entry. Prizes may be available!
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Always on guard.
Posted on April 27, 2010