Chicago Happenings

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by mmm3587
Please allow me to mentor you be telling you to water the living fuck out of that sod for the next month.

Believe me, I will, to the extent the rain doesn't help me out.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

So I went to the Sox game last night (Club Level - those are the only seats I will tolerate on 1/2-price Tuesdays), and AT LEAST 5 fights broke out. During every fight, surrounding fans ran to witness the fight and cheer it on.

Being a Sox fan, I can say that I really hate Sox fans.

I can say this about the Bears too...

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?
So I went to the Sox game last night (Club Level - those are the only seats I will tolerate on 1/2-price Tuesdays), and AT LEAST 5 fights broke out. During every fight, surrounding fans ran to witness the fight and cheer it on.

Being a Sox fan, I can say that I really hate Sox fans.

I can say this about the Bears too...

They are a bunch of drunken hooligans there... I want to take my oldest to a game soon, but if I do it we'll have to sit in the club seats or somewhere kind of empty to avoid the vulgar ruffians that inhabit much of that place. No, Wrigley is not an option, and in many ways is no different.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
They are a bunch of drunken hooligans there... I want to take my oldest to a game soon, but if I do it we'll have to sit in the club seats or somewhere kind of empty to avoid the vulgar ruffians that inhabit much of that place. No, Wrigley is not an option, and in many ways is no different.

Kane County Cougars. They are the grade A farm team for Oakland, and with what minor league players get paid, you know they have to be doing it because they like the game.

Reserved box seats are $10, parking is $2, and the concession stands are never mobbed. I plan on taking my kids to a coule games this year. I may never go to a major league game again.

[taxwonk]

But does anybody here have any inside track to the LMSB Regional Office in Chicago?

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Originally posted by taxwonk
But does anybody here have any inside track to the LMSB Regional Office in Chicago?

If I knew what it was I could tell you for sure, but seeing as I don't...

You can probably take that as a no.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
If I knew what it was I could tell you for sure, but seeing as I don't...

You can probably take that as a no.

Yeah. it's one of those deals where if you don't know what it is, you don't know much about it.

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Anybody following the latest developments in the whole Operation Silver Shovel thing?

First this guy Morales is found in Mexico five years later after showing up at the gates of Club Fed to serve his sentence, only to decide he didn't want to go... Now he claims his life was threatened because he dropped the dime on a high-ranking city official who he was supposedly bribing.

Now, today, we hear the guy's son, also Marco Morales, changes his name to Marc Morale (gee, who would ever think they were the same guy!), and gets $40mm in city contracts for his new construction business from many of the same departments his dad was allegedly paying bribes to! His first contract came from Daley's office itself.

Methinks Daley's Sergeant Schultz routine is getting a bit worn...

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
Anybody following the latest developments in the whole Operation Silver Shovel thing?

First this guy Morales is found in Mexico five years later after showing up at the gates of Club Fed to serve his sentence, only to decide he didn't want to go... Now he claims his life was threatened because he dropped the dime on a high-ranking city official who he was supposedly bribing.

Now, today, we hear the guy's son, also Marco Morales, changes his name to Marc Morale (gee, who would ever think they were the same guy!), and gets $40mm in city contracts for his new construction business from many of the same departments his dad was allegedly paying bribes to! His first contract came from Daley's office itself.

Methinks Daley's Sergeant Schultz routine is getting a bit worn...

Yup. When the Trib broke the identity of Morales' bribee on Saturday afternoon (webpage), I immediately called my brother overseas. We watch this stuff as much as anyone. The bribee is the same Tony (Pucillo) that is responsible for Kass naming the Dept. of Transportionat the Dept. of Tony.

It seemed a bit strange that the guy has been picking up union checks in Mexico for the last few years, but he only gets brought in a 5 months before the next Presidential election. If there were a strong Republican waiting in the wings to run for, e.g., the open senate seat, it would make a bit more sense. But, if this leads to Daley (there are sooo many things that do, but they don't follow the trail), his indictment only leads to frustrated citizens. Not a republican mayor or city.

In any case, I'm convinced that Daley is looking out for two groups of people. One: his Bridgeport friends and family, and two: the mob. And the latter is the only group he never flips on. He flipped on Tadin before. He flipped on is cousin. He flipped on Ald. Huels (11th ward). But he never flipped on the mob or their friends. Never.

Meantime, the number of contracts they've won from his administration is staggering.

And I can't even say a word about the things I personally know, that aren't public.

Is Chicago dying?

Hello

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Yup. When the Trib broke the identity of Morales' bribee on Saturday afternoon (webpage), I immediately called my brother overseas. We watch this stuff as much as anyone. The bribee is the same Tony (Pucillo) that is responsible for Kass naming the Dept. of Transportionat the Dept. of Tony.

It seemed a bit strange that the guy has been picking up union checks in Mexico for the last few years, but he only gets brought in a 5 months before the next Presidential election. If there were a strong Republican waiting in the wings to run for, e.g., the open senate seat, it would make a bit more sense. But, if this leads to Daley (there are sooo many things that do, but they don't follow the trail), his indictment only leads to frustrated citizens. Not a republican mayor or city.

In any case, I'm convinced that Daley is looking out for two groups of people. One: his Bridgeport friends and family, and two: the mob. And the latter is the only group he never flips on. He flipped on Tadin before. He flipped on is cousin. He flipped on Ald. Huels (11th ward). But he never flipped on the mob or their friends. Never.

Meantime, the number of contracts they've won from his administration is staggering.

And I can't even say a word about the things I personally know, that aren't public.

Is Chicago dying?

Hello

Wadda ya mean? This is Chicawga. Same as it ever was.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Wadda ya mean? This is Chicawga. Same as it ever was.

I'm not in the city at the moment. Can someone tell me whether the press conference from yesterday was televised or otherwise filmed in any way? Both papers are reporting a ventriloquist/coaching act, and I'd think this would make for great TV, but the press never seems to remember their cameras.

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
I'm not in the city at the moment. Can someone tell me whether the press conference from yesterday was televised or otherwise filmed in any way? Both papers are reporting a ventriloquist/coaching act, and I'd think this would make for great TV, but the press never seems to remember their cameras.

I didn't see video of it, but then I didn't watch the news last night. John Kass in the Trib. recounts it like that, though. Kind of a real life Chicago the Musical moment with Mayor Daley as a much less smooth Billy Flynn.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Does anyone know of any decent restaurants near Comiskey? Nothing too fancy, just something better than a hot dog stand?

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?
Does anyone know of any decent restaurants near Comiskey? Nothing too fancy, just something better than a hot dog stand?

Not much in the immediate vicinity. I'd suggest going to a good place in Chinatown (check Metromix.com for reviews) or there's a big Connie's Pizza on Archer about 2300S (mile or so north of the park) which gets big crowds before games. Try those.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
Not much in the immediate vicinity. I'd suggest going to a good place in Chinatown (check Metromix.com for reviews) or there's a big Connie's Pizza on Archer about 2300S (mile or so north of the park) which gets big crowds before games. Try those.

Ahem, you called? I made a call for ya, and here is what ya get:

Top choice: Gio's, 28th and Lowe, Northwest corner of the intersection. Small, but excellent food.

Bertucci's, 300 W. 24th place or so. Heavy Italian food, but very good.

What used to be Pauly's, and your source doesn't remember the new name... 26th and Wallace, Southwest corner of the intersection.

And, Pancho Pistola's is supposed to be very good Mexican at 31st and Union.

Again though, the top choice far and away is Gios.

Hello