THIS AND THAT--CLEANING OFF THE DESK

 It's been a week or so and I've got a bunch more on my desk so let's hit it.

I HATE liver.

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I can't wait for election to end and clear up the air waves on tv. But make sure you vote.

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Prison causes dementia. So what? How much angst, sorrow and depression did they give to their victims? Screw them.

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In 2022, a CTA train crashed into a snow plow clearing the tracks and two dozen people were injured BUT the National Traffic Safety Board has decided that the operator's blood alcohol of .06 (federal limit is .02) DID NOT play have any part in the crash. 

For the record, a BAC of .05 impairs judgement, physical function and reactions and above all, alertness and those are scientific facts, not my opinion. The operator of the train has not been charged with any infraction and is still employed by the CTA, although he remains 'out of service' with regards to operating a train. Who's kissing whom at the NTSB? 

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I really have a taste for a double cheeseburger at McDonalds...........but hold the onions.                                                                        *******

Love crunchy hash browns.

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I also don't like asparagus and god forbid, brussels (yes, there's an 'S' on the end) sprouts. or cooked carrots. or cooked spinach. yuk. or cheesy potatoes. or any kind of cheese on a breakfast item. 

Or pancakes because you eat them on Saturday morning and you can still feel them Monday afternoon. Wayyyyyyy too heavy.

                                        *******                                 Looks like the MENENDEZ BROTHERS will out by the end of 2025. Hung jury in 1989 followed by a second trial in which the abuse testimony was not allowed. Guilty and life without parole. 

Not sure how I feel about this but there are mitigating circumstances. And they have served 35 years and are classified as 'model prisoners.' Justice served?

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That sicko from Melrose Park pled guilty to torching the 'WALKING MAN' under Wacker Driver 2 years ago and took 47 years. Not enough. Guy was sleeping when the psycho doused him in lighter fluid and dropped a match. The Walking Man lived for several months in horrible pain before succumbing to his injuries. But the 30 year old piece of crap will be released from prison when he's 66 years old and that's just not fair. Justice not served.

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Halloween week will see many villages use trick or treat hours Saturday or Sunday from 1-5 with all the little darlings getting home safely while it's still daylight and now you get a little history.

Every town was struggling with many reports of big kids stealing candy from little kids after dark, not to mention the vandalism and the streets being littered with broken/smashed pumpkins. Knock the kids down and steal their entire bag. Little kids crying and bruised and the dispatch phones never stopped ringing.

I AM VERY PROUD THAT IT WAS MY IDEA at a police meeting back in the 80's to reduce the same problems we had as every other department when the kids were out after dark and we were the first village to try it, changing the Halloween hours from the actual date to a weekend day from 1-5 p.m.

Every other village laughed at us and said we were ruining Halloween but our Chief at the time stuck by my idea and that year our crime report for Halloween said ZERO PERCENT and then who was laughing? 

Now there are very few towns that allow trick or treating on October 31st as most have transitioned to daylight fun on the weekend or 'trunk and treat' in community parking lots. And you're entirely welcome. 👏👍👊👊

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Haven't had a trick or treater come to my door in 15 years. Might have something to do with living across from a cemetery.

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Thanksgiving is just 5 weeks away and if you're cooking the bird and struggle with dry white meat, try BRINING the turkey and you will get high fives all around the table. I started brining a few years back with outstanding success and if you want the recipe, just email me. EASY TO DO and all you need is a clean 5 gallon bucket or a cooler that you take on a picnic. Yummy!

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Had a hell of a year with my medical staff. The doctor who did my knee replacement has stage 4 cancer and my long time allergist died as did my primary physician. YIKES! 

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And to clarify some personal health misinformation floating around, I had back surgery at the end of May and then managed to tear my right bicep tendon completely off the bone and had that surgery in the middle of August but things have calmed down and now I'm only dealing with plantar fasciitis in my left foot and a baker's cyst behind my right knee which occasionally requires my old friend, the cane.

I DID NOT BREAK MY LEG nor was I in an auto accident.

I have rejected several offers to take me out to a field and just shoot me to end the misery and I also said no to wrapping me in bubble wrap because that would probably be a little too hot and further limit my limited mobility.

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Ok, that's it. Be safe and stay out of Chicago. Enjoy the glorious weather and Halloween.

THE ELECTION

First, a little background before we dig in. I am a moderate Republican who is strongly in favor of the death penalty and building more prisons. I also strongly believe that when someone has been through the system enough times to finally qualify for prison, they should be classified as a 'career criminal' and serve the entire length of their sentence. No early release, no parole. I also believe in the prisoners doing manual labor outside the prison and improving roads, picking up trash, shoveling snow, etc.

I am also a strong supporter of the military and the police and feel that educators are grossly underpaid. I also believe that corporal punishment should be returned to the schools. A whack with a yard stick can get a kid's attention real quick and last time I checked, all of my former classmates are doing just fine.

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Who's going to win? The United States has treated women as second class citizens for a couple hundred years and while it has gotten better, men still roll their eyes when a woman is mentioned for president.

EVEN BLACK MEN are rolling their eyes and snorting when KAMALA HARRIS' name is mentioned and she NEEDS their votes to climb the mountain. Their thought process is "We won't vote for Trump but we can't vote for a woman to be president" and their indifference is so notable that even former President BARACK OBAMA has gotten involved, imploring the black men in Georgia to get out and vote for her. The reported reaction was more grumbling and shoulder shrugging. 'Nuff said.

Let there be no mistake about it. Kamala Harris is the most liberal candidate I have ever seen except for BERNIE SANDERS. She also has a case of the flip-flops on several key issues but Trump failed to press her on those issues when he got his ass kicked in the debate. 

Opportunity lost.

Now let's go to the other side of the fence where my party has the village idiot running for president. If you disagree with him, you become his mortal enemy and he wants to hunt you down. He is buddy-buddy with VLADIMIR PUTIN and thinks Putin did the right thing by invading Ukraine. 

He is a convicted felon and facing possible jail time, whether he's elected or not and remember that he can't pardon himself from a state charge. He's also been convicted in a civil case of sexual assault and has displayed ZERO RESPECT for women through the years and that really bothers me. 

After the ass beating, he has cancelled interviews and refused to participate in a second debate and continues to call Harris names, again like a pouting child. And calling her a SHITTY VICE-PRESIDENT (exact quote) is just uncalled for in any event. You just don't do that when the microphone is hot.

 Now my entire life, I've heard that 'all politicians lie' but the thing about Trump is that he even lies about lying. He is like a petulant child when he doesn't get his own way. He single handedly broke down a bi-partisan agreement regarding the border because he didn't have any input and didn't want JOE BIDEN to have a win.

 He lied about immigrants in Ohio eating cats and dogs and to this day, despite overwhelming testimony by city officials to the contrary, has refused to retract or apologize. In my opinion, he is not fit to lead our country and, God forbid, be in charge of our military.

BUT WHO WINS??? Just jot this down. They all talk about Pennsylvania but Harris has more problems than that. She'll carry the left coast plus New Mexico & Colorado for sure but her problem starts in the mid-west because while Illinois & Minnesota are in her pocket, she is in a dead heat in Wisconsin & Michigan and if she loses either of those states, she can wave the white flag because then the Pennsylvania election becomes moot. She needs EVERY STATE in her wheel house to end up with 270 electoral votes, the minimum to be elected. (And if you're counting on one of those interactive boards, remember to include the ONE electoral vote from Nebraska)

Simply put, she NEEDS Nevada, Wisconsin AND Michigan before even thinking about Pennsylvania

Ok, if that's too much math, let's do it this way. If she loses either of the 3 states mentioned above, then she'll need either Georgia or North Carolina to make up those votes plus she still needs Pennsylvania. If I was a betting man, I would bet on Trump to win 281-259

Harris will win everything above Pennsylvania but unless men get off their recliners, it's all over and then we get to hold our breath for 4 years.

IF WAS A BETTING MAN...... just like Hillary in 2016, Harris wins the popular vote but Trump wins the election 281-256.