Justice should be blind

 I've said it forever. No matter what side of the fence you exist, if you break the law, pay the price and let's move on.

In Chicago, on an almost monthly basis, some politician is caught with his hand in the till and after initial protestations of innocence, most find their way to a plea bargain.

HUNTER BIDEN is pleading guilty to funky tax returns and being fined and put on probation. He has already paid back $100,000 in bad deductions to the IRS and will avoid jail time. (just what the hell kind of deductions were those?)  Case closed. Move along.

Now on the other side of the fence. DONALD TRUMP has a total of two indictments in his pocket totaling 71 charges, 37 of which are federal and he faces a real possibility of jail time on those charges. Plea? No chance. Protestation of innocence? All day long.

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I have been advising everyone to avoid the city of Chicago for several years due to the ongoing and increasing levels of violence and I was stunned when several people responded that I was being too harsh . So I decided to keep track starting with Memorial Day weekend and every subsequent weekend thru Labor Day. And the news is not good for the tree huggers who are defending the city.

Memorial Day weekend           53 shootings    11 dead    pretty fair start for the jungle

June 4 weekend                                46 shootings   10 dead

June 11 weekend                            30 shootings   4 dead (well, it was graduation weekend)

June 18 weekend          62 shootings   13 dead (warming up for when the weather really gets hot)

For those who are mathematically challenged     191 shootings      38 dead  spread across 14 different neighborhoods in just 13 days! Freaking incredible. AND THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE WEEKDAY SHOOTINGS!!

Chicago is a cesspool of thugs, ghetto rats, criminals, gangs and convicted felons. Which category are you? Correct, none of them. STAY OUT OF CHICAGO. There are plenty of summertime activities in Lake & McHenry counties. Fairs, carnivals, swimming, village celebrations, concerts, picnics in the park, boating and many other activities to fill your summer safely. ENJOY!

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TEEN TAKEOVERS? Excuse me but labeling criminal behavior with a cute name doesn't mitigate the damage they do on a nightly basis by raiding a quick-mart and stealing the inventory and then jumping up and down on the roofs and hoods of cars while blocking intersections.

 Apparently, they gather at the 31st beach and as darkness falls, the ghetto rats take to the streets to begin the nightly damage parade. Solution?? First, take away their gathering place with posted signs and close it at 6 p.m. Second, anyone who enters the beach area after 6:00 is immediately arrested and if they resist, use the force necessary to effect the arrest. Take a few people to jail every night and maybe the hospital......and the rats will disappear because you've eliminated the easy pickings and taken away the outdoor clubhouse. The beach belongs to the city of Chicago, not the animals who reside in the jungle.

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That van sized submarine that holds 5 people in the area of the Titanic? Did you know the doors are all bolted closed from the outside and cannot be opened from the inside? No escape.

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My acrobatic family once again visited the emergency room after BIL ROY took a tumble while walking their dog, who also doubles as a dust mop in the house. Roy now has a brand new shiny pin in his hip and was forced to withdraw from the Senior Hopscotch Competition. Yeesh. Another senior slowing up the lines at airport security. Get well soon Roy!

And brother Terry finally got his lazy ass home from the hospital and was last seen popping wheelies in his living room in his state of the art wheel chair. He looked good (as good as an ugly brother can look) and awaits the next decision on his foot. Feel better.

And speaking of lazy asses, Nephew Harpo is still milking it at home while Andrea is doing all the work. He apparently thinks it's a big deal when the surgeon puts both of his hands into your stomach cavity....and wiggles his fingers for a few minutes. Keep healing.

Did I miss anyone??? What a family. 😵😵

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Finally, Mayor Johnson says you don't have the right to talk or write negative things about Chicago unless you live in the city. Watch me, Mr. Smiley Face.

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4th of July is on the horizon so please be safe and careful. If you're local, Grayslake has fireworks this Saturday across from Central High School June 24.  

Fox Lake and Round Lake Beach both on July 1.

Antioch July 4th.     ENJOY!!!

SO YOU WANT TO BE MAYOR??

 New Chicago Mayor Brandon 'big smile' Johnson got a rude awakening over the Memorial Day Weekend when the summer carnage arrived in full force as 11 people were shot & killed while 43 others were wounded. Now Johnson says this level of violence is 'unacceptable' so I'm wondering what number would be ok.

Note to Mayor: New York has 3 times the amount of people and half the homicides.

ENTER rich guy JAMES CROWN (think Arie Crown theatre) who thinks he has the answer. Get a bunch of Chicago rich people to toss in a bunch of money to create jobs for the ghetto thugs and INVEST in the low income communities. They will laugh at twenty bucks an hour because a street corner drug dealer makes about $200 for 5 hours-tax free.

You really want to help? Have all your rich buddies underwrite hiring 10,000 more police officers and the construction of 10 more prisons in Illinois. In 3 years, you would see quite a difference in your crime stats.

I'm pretty sure that Crown was raised in Wilmette, Glencoe, Lake Forest or the Gold Coast and has NEVER walked one step in the neighborhoods in which he wants to invest. I'm sure he means well but it's time to go back to your grey poupon and linen tablecloths

And exactly what type of jobs are you going to offer to thugs who haven't seen the inside of a school since 9th grade?

Recent History....Over the last five years, grocery stores have 'invested' in those neighborhoods and all but one are now gone. Theft, vandalism, parking lot crime and night time break-ins have sealed the deal and what makes Mr. Crown think HIS money is going to make a change?? It's not. 

These people are ANIMALS and that will never change. FIFTH GENERATION GANG MEMBERS rule the neighborhoods and unless the gangs are paid off for protection, nothing goes anywhere.

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GET WELL wishes AGAIN to my brother Terry who is still reeling from an ankle reconstruction 5 weeks ago. Repeated infections, swelling and blood clots have knocked him on his butt and most of that 5 weeks has been spent in the hospital where he is currently resting. They did 2 more procedures this week and another scheduled two weeks out. Hopefully, he can spend some time at home before then.

And WELCOME HOME to nephew HARPO  who had a return visit to the hospital to clear up some gastrointestinal issues but is now doing well.

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Well, the politicos finally came to their senses and approved raising the debt ceiling before June 5th to avoid rocking the financial structure of our country. It's a terrible game of "chicken" they play every few years but no one party wants to be responsible for a default because they would surely get crushed at the next election.

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RIP to singer/dancer TINA TURNER who tore it up on stage when she was in her prime. Who can forget those long legs going wild when she belted out "PROUD MARY" and worked harder in those 5 minutes than we do all day. Google it and enjoy with the volume all the way up!

Another RIP to Hall of Fame running back JIM BROWN who played 9 years in the NFL and won the rushing title 8 times. He is also enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame and was a 9 time All-Pro. Additionally, he was so good at lacrosse that they had to change the rules on carrying the ball because no one could get it away from him.

And finally, RIP to poker hero DOYLE BRUNSON, winner of 10 bracelets in the World Series of Poker and two main events. He also authored two very successful books on poker and was married 62 years before his wife passed in 2021. Brunson is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.

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That's it for now. Have a safe summer and stay out of Chicago. Plenty of things to do in the suburban counties. 

AND SO IT ENDS.....

CHICAGO SPORTS SUCK! NO OTHER WAY TO PUT IT. 

I am so sick & tired of Chicago baseball on both sides of town. The south side bangs the drum every year and convinces us the division title is in their grasp and 8 miles north, they bamboozle the fans with yet another rebuild after dumping the core in 2021. Both teams currently have a 10% chance of making the playoffs. I will take that wager.

So we welcome the month of June but say adios to the White Sox as they are now closer to last place than first place and are the model of inconsistency. NOW I HOPE THEY PROVE ME WRONG BUT this team has no chance to win the worst division in the American League where the 1st place team is just one game above .500 and that is so sad because the Sox have talent (and I normally save this for the north side) BUT they have no heart and no leaders in the club house. They don't have a single player hitting over .270 and the last time they caught anything, it was a cold. Just terrible.

It's time to back up the truck and start dismissing personnel because we all know that JERRY REINSDORF won't sell the team so you have to start just below him and dump GM RICK HAHN and VP KENNY WILLIAMS, who have accomplished NOTHING during their time as administrators.

You keep position players GAVIN SHEETS, ELOI JIMENEZ, TIM ANDERSON ANDREW VAUGHAN,  ANDREW BENINTENDI, LUIS ROBERT and JAKE BURGER and dump the rest of these mutts. 

Pitchers??? Give LANCE LYNN directions to the nearest all-you-can-eat buffet and you'll never see him again. HE STINKS!  Tell mental midget MICHAEL KOPECH to catch a bus and also waive public relations disaster and over the hill weirdo MIKE CLEVENGER.

You keep LIAM HENDRICKS, LUCAS GIOLITO, DYLAN CEASE, MIDDLETON, SANTOS, CROCHET, LAMBERT, KELLY and dump the rest.

DONE. FINISHED. FINAL. OVERPAID UNDERACHIEVERS.

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 And it doesn't get any better on the north side where they are in last place while playing in the worst National League division. They have 5 position players who would qualify as major leaguers in HOERNER, SUZUKI, HAPP, BELLINGER and SWANSON. And don't campaign for Patrick Wisdom because he's a 31 year old career minor leaguer who's a .220 hitter who hits homers every once in a while.   And that's it. make a big trade with the other 9 on the roster and PLEASE get rid of high school cheerleader Christopher Morel.

Pitchers?  This is easy. Just remember the letter 'S' and keep SMYLY, STROMAN and STEELE and flush the rest of the crap. 

The front office sold cub fans a bill of goods in 2021 when they traded all the stars because "it was time to retool this team so we can compete again."     Still waiting................while owner Tom Ricketts continues to count his money because all of the boot lickers keep buying tickets and packing the Clark street bars.....and he OWNS most of that including all of the roof tops. Not to mention all cub sycophants paying ten bucks a month for the much maligned MARQEE NETWORK, A.K.A. 'rerun city'. Exactly how many times can you watch '15 best 2nd basemen of all time'???

But I digress. They, too, are an embarrassment to the city of Chicago.

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Explain this to me. Why is it that the YANKEES, DODGERS, BRAVES, RAYS, ASTROS & MILWAUKEE are fighting for division titles EVERY FREAKIN YEAR??? and the JAYS, RED SOX, METS, CARDINALS are also normally there. EVERY YEAR.

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf once said, "When you win, fans expect it every year but if you finish second or third, their optimism stays high but their expectations low." And this guy owns two of our major teams in Chicago. Wonderful.

But it COULD BE WORSE. The Oakland A's are 11-45 and averaging 8,800 fans with only two players ranked as 'major league ready'  and they are currently on pace to lose 117 games. The major league record is 120 by the 1962 New York Mets.  Ouch. 

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Now let's move to the Bears, who have almost everyone drinking the Kool-aid but not old Uncle Dan. Let's see what we have so far. 

One defensive back refusing camp unless he gets a new deal and one wide receiver who was a major disappointment already injured. They have no edge rushers which means the other QB has all day to throw passes and the DB's can only cover for so long. And today they said they're going to highlite running the football in a pass crazy league. Perfect.

 But here is the cherry on top.....LAS VEGAS HAS SET THE WIN TOTAL AT 7.5  and the last time I checked, Vegas was not in the habit of giving away money so figure 7-10 or 8-9 and that doesn't look like playoffs to me.

History Lesson---last year, Vegas set the number at 6.5 and the Bears won 3. So with all the supposed improvements, sin city moved the Bears ONE GAME up from last year.

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The Blackhawks got lucky in the draft and will chose wunderkind CONNOR BEDARD with the #1 pick. Now all they need is 19 more players...........the good thing is that ticket sales for the downtrodden Hawks have skyrocketed. Money is good.

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I have to get some fresh air. Bye for now.

SPORTS OF ALL SORTS

Never thought I would type this in May but THE WHITE SOX STINK!  Inconsistent starters, an absolutely terrible bullpen and even worse defense...ranked 24th in the league. They can hit the ball but timely hitting is still missing LUIS ROBERT is a stud. I will give them thru the Memorial Day weekend .....and then the flag comes down, Nothing but central division foes thru Sunday the 28th.

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Now the CUBS have suddenly realized that they have a chance to climb the mountain with the central division having a very down year and win the damn thing, being only 4 games out. The Pirates will sink like a brick and then it's the just the Brewers in their way so IF MANAGEMENT IS SERIOUS and the cubs are still contending by the mid-June, look for them to pull off a trade for a starting pitcher. I can't believe i'm typing this but I think they have a real shot at the division.

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I'm heading to the poor house betting on the NBA so thank the good Lord they're down to just 4 teams. Doc Rivers couldn't win a game 7 if the other team played with blindfolds. TEN times his team has crashed and burned in a game 7, more than any other coach in NBA history but of course, that's who I had yesterday when they rolled over and played dead, losing by 24 points. And now I'm taking Denver over the Lakers..............

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I didn't forget about the beloved CHICAGO BEARS, who hauled in a bunch of decent players who will definitely help the team BUT A WORD OF CAUTION: they won 4 games last year. four. quattro. vier. quatre. cuatro. FOUR. And while the new guys will definitely upgrade the team, for the most part they aren't superstars, just a little better than the other guys from last year.

Las Vegas is not in the habit of giving away free money and they have the win total set at 7.5 and last year was 6.5 so the big boys see just a one game difference and the Bears didn't come close to last year's number.  This year, they open against the Packers and then go to Tampa and that's two very winnable games but the first true test will be 9/24 when they travel to Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes, the guy they passed on to draft Mitch Trubisky. (shivers just ran up my spine). Then you'll have a better idea.

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Explain the St. Louis Cardinals to me. They make big news by telling former Cub Willson Contreras that he's not going to catch anymore and banish him to left field and DH for the rest of the year, throwing shade on his catching abilities, or lack thereof. That demotion lasted a week and he'll be catching tonight in Milwaukee. And he's signed for three years for a bunch of money.

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Speaking of big contracts, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has 193 million dollars coming to him over the next five years but on Sunday he was suspended for the second time in two months for flashing a handgun on Instagram. He was suspended for 8 games in March for the same violation in a nightclub in Denver and went into counseling before being reinstated but now he has been "suspended from all team activities and is not allowed on the premises" when the new video surfaced showing him with a gun and jiggywhoppin to rap/hip hop inside a car.  Morant is very talented and also very stupid. Teams can void contracts and he'll be bagging groceries very soon if he doesn't clean his act up. 

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And good riddance to aaron rodgers and his smarmy obnoxious attitude and it makes me smile when i read the green bay poll where 75% said they were happy to see him go and they were tired of his attitude. And now Mr Hypocrite shows up in New York with a new haircut and clean shaven and doesn't mention word one about doing drugs or sitting in the dark. "it's all about football with me" was his comment and I guarantee you that some media people sat down with him and warned him about that hippie act of his not playing well in the Big Apple. We'll see....and I wish him the worst on the football field.

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Only the Cubs.....they put in new lights and.........they're too bright, blinding the players in the outfield. See what happens when you try and improve a sow's ear?

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Welcome back soon to White Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendricks, who is returning from a battle with cancer. Please be patient as the fear is he's coming back before being fully recovered. We wish you well Big Guy!

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The Chicago Blackhawks are still at the clinic having the horseshoe removed from their ass after defying the odds and winning the #1 pick in the upcoming NHL draft when they only had an 11% chance of winning the top spot. CONNOR BEDARD is being heralded as the best player in the draft for the past 8 years and described by scouts as a 'generational player.'

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I ain't got nuttin else. ENJOY YOUR WEEK!

                                                             

just a bunch of stuff

 What an interesting few weeks for politicians! Donald Trump is indicted on 34 charges of falsifying business records which he referred to as a "political witch hunt" by a state (NY) that hates me......"  With no criminal record, Trump is unlikely to face jail time but it is fun to watch him squirm......

.....and then he was found guilty in civil court of sexual abuse and defamation of character and ordered to pay the victim 5 million dollars BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?? "It's a political witch hunt"..........sound familiar? 

Ok, let's move on to a serial liar, Representative George Santos was indicted on 13 counts ranging from wire fraud to money laundering and guess what?? LYING to the House of Representatives!  Santos' response to the charges? "It's a witch hunt" WAIT! DIDN'T I JUST TYPE THAT....TWICE??? Santos faces 20 years if convicted on the top counts but he says he won't resign and plans on running for re-election!  😳😳

And moving closer to home, Mike Madigan had to swallow hard when the Com-Ed 4 were found guilty of all charges which basically stated they did favors for the Speaker of the House in return for Madigan passing legislation to help com-ed. OOPS.

 Look for at least 1 of the 4 to make a deal with the feds to testify against Madigan when his trial begins next April. Madigan, 79, is toast and he knows it but at his age, he has nothing to lose by going to trial because any prison term amounts to a life sentence and him dying behind bars. Madigan's trial is scheduled to start April 1, 2024. 

Kim Foxx, the most disliked state's attorney in recent Illinois history has decided not to run for re-election and after the way she mishandled the highly publicized criminal case against actor Jussie Smollet, it is the absolute correct move to make. Foxx is indignant when challenged at any level and still whines about her handling of the case in which she let Smollett walk away and dropped the charges. Law enforcement were ecstatic over the news as they constantly fought with her office over obtaining arrest warrants and search warrants and her dismissing cases that she felt weren't worthy of taking up court time.  😵🙈🙉🙊

And speaking of 'not playing well with others,' Mayor Lori Lightfoot bid adieu last Friday as she finished her one and done term as the boss of Chicago. High hopes abounded for the formal federal prosecutor when she took office in a landslide election but the honeymoon quickly disappeared when everyone found out that the result of challenging her was being put on her 'enemies list' and removed from choice committees. She'll hate reading this but that's the same temperament that donald trump often displayed.

When will politicians learn that a disagreement is simply a difference of opinion and not a declaration of war?

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God speed to entertainer and civil right activist HARRY BELAFONTE who passed recently at the age of 96. I remembered Belafonte as the singer of the BANANA BOAT SONG (DAY-OH) when I was a kid and could always irritate my sister by singing DAYYYYYYYY-OHHHHHHHHHHHHH at the top of my lungs while she was trying to listen to American Bandstand. (She was sloth-like slow so she could chase me but had no chance of catching me!).

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NASCAR is coming to Chicago and being met with mixed reviews as the news leaked out that certain roads are going to be closed off for THREE WEEKS prior to allow the set-up and safety measures to be installed. Get used to it because I believe Mayor Lightfoot signed a 3 year contract.

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The white woman who caused the brutal death of 14 year old black EMMETT TILL in 1955 by falsely accusing him of whistling at her in Money, Mississippi died in hospice care recently and her death marked the last chance of anyone being held accountable for the brutal murder. 

21 year old Carol Bryant told her husband that Till had 'wolf whistled' her at the general store where she worked and a couple nights later her husband and brother in law kidnapped Till and he was kidnapped, tortured, hung and shot in the head before being thrown into the Tallahatchie River. The two men were arrested but acquitted by a local jury and years later, Bryant recanted the story. She was never arrested even though a warrant was initially issued but not found until 50 years later.

"Mississippi Burning" starring Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe, who are spectacular as FBI agents investigating missing kids in a small town and the movie was based on Till's disappearance.

It should be noted that JUST LAST YEAR, lynching became a federal crime when the EMMITT TILL ANTI LYNCHING ACT was signed into law by Joe Biden and incredibly, three republican members of congress VOTED AGAINST the bill. (see if you can guess the three states--answer at the bottom)

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Another R.I.P. to Jerry Springer, the man who brought total garbage into our living rooms for 27 years.............and we loved it. Shows featuring:

I have a toe fetish

pregnant by a transvestite

slept with your son....and daughter

breeder for the klan

Well, I think you get the idea. He was the king of Chicago garbage and was just behind Oprah at the height of his ratings. God speed.

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Finally, my updated list of 5 people I would like to punch in the face.

donald trump

tucker carlson (i think i can find him at the unemployment office)

george santos

dr. sheldon cooper  (big bang theory)

christopher morel of the cubs (replacing javy baez)

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and the three states were  texas, georgia & kentucky. surprised? I didn't think so.

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We're a few weeks late but I think spring is finally here. ENJOY!

WHAT A WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE!

 The beat just goes on and on and on.......Finally clearing off the desk but this one will take some time to read.......

ANDREW LESTER of Liberty, Missouri pleaded 'not guilty'  to first degree assault, which is a fancy way to say attempted murder. Lester, 84, shot a black man, RALPH YARL, 16, in the head and then the arm for just knocking on his door. Yarl is making a miraculous recovery as only 15% of people shot in the head ever make a full recovery. Incredibly, Lester was released after posting just $2,000 in cash. A perfect example of a man who should never see the light of day again and die in prison, I wonder if he would have fired if the teenager had been white?

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Now on the flip side. actor ALEC BALDWIN had ALL charges dismissed in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer ALYNA HUTCHINS. Baldwin claimed from the beginning that he never pulled the trigger but those waters were initially muddied when the FBI lab results were that the gun wouldn't fire without the trigger being pulled but another testing agency reported that the gun was faulty in it's design and could indeed fire without the trigger being pulled. Time to buy a lottery ticket, Alec.

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Hey, if you used Facebook between 2007-2022, you have some money coming to you if you sign up at FACEBOOKUSER-PRIVACYSETTLEMENT.COM because Facebook was hacked by a company that turned over personal information of 87 million users to DONALD TRUMP'S campaign. Previous checks to Illinois residents have been for $397 and $30 but the total this time depends on how many people apply. It's free money so matter what state you reside, sign up.

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So when you were a 'yute' growing up, you got popped by the local police for possession of cannabis and you pled guilty and got fined and life went on BUT, as the nuns used to tell us, it became part of your PERMANENT RECORD! And the conviction did stay on your record until........NOW.   When Illinois legalized pot in 2019, they also provided an outlet to get your record purged FOR NO CHARGE.   Just contact the site at the end of this sentence with the particulars of your arrest and conviction and they will take care of the rest. FREE!!!  carpls.org

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EDWARD BURKE has been a Chicago Alderman for 54 years, the longest tenure in the history of city politics but he is retiring at the end of the month under the cloud of a federal indictment which ties him to the current trial of 4 members of COM ED, whose futures will be determined by a jury starting next week.

 Ironically, a fellow alderman tried to institute "ED BURKE DAY' for this week and that suggestion was met with raised eyebrows and an uproar from council chambers and the suggestion was quashed by Burke himself and the matter was dropped. Burke is 79 and even with a plea bargain, will probably die in prison. 

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McDONALD'S is making changes to it's hamburgers! STOP YOURSELF! And I quote "meltier cheese, white onions added to the burger while it's cooking for caramelized flavor AND a softer and more pillowy bun." And coming out of retirement to introduce the new changes will be none other than the HAMBURGLAR, who promises that there will be no increase in prices. We'll see on that one. Changes begin next year.

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So you like hamburgers? How about free hamburgers the for the next 25 years? Steak gurus at OMAHA STEAKS have created a contest which gives the winner two deliveries a year of 48 burgers for the next quarter century. What's the catch? If they pull your name, you have to get a LARGE full sized tattoo on your butt cheek which will be rendered by world famous tattoo artist STEVE BUTCHER. I think the contest is a bit cheeky.

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What goes around.......The FLORES BROTHERS were arrested for cocaine distribution in 2008 and in order to get lighter sentences, they agreed to testify against CHAPO GUZMAN, the Mexican drug kingpin who received a life sentence because of their testimony. The brothers each received 14 year sentences and they are already out of prison.

One problem.....Their wives were supposed to turn over ALL PROCEEDS from the Flores drug empire but they apparently 'forgot' almost 3 million dollars when the husbands went to prison and with no verifiable income, the women sent their kids to private schools, paid rent for an exclusive home in the high rent district and took private jet rides to go shopping. DUH! Both wives are facing 7 years in prison when sentenced in the fall.

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Need a job? Chicago is looking for someone to be the Superintendent of Police. No thank you. The time for a bleeding heart liberal has come and gone but the political "progressives" are not going to support a hard line boss who throws people in jail. A totally thankless job.

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Is ELON MUSK one of the strangest people you've ever met in your life? After dropping prices on the TESLA 4 times this year, Musk then threw it into reverse and raised prices $2500 on his four luxury models, making the bottom line $87,000-$97,000 and they are not eligible for the $7500 government credit because they are too expensive. What the hell is he thinking? The man has too much money and not enough brains.

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If things are really going bad for you, just be glad you don't live in JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI where the water system produces anything BUT clear water and they can't afford to fix the system plus they haven't had garbage pickup since April 1st because the village board can't agree on a garbage service and every vote ends up 3-3 and unlike Illinois, the Mayor does not have a tie breaking vote.  Pretty bad, right? But we're not finished because this city of just 150,000 has 100 homicides per year which extrapolates to over 3,000 murders if they had the same population as Chicago. The State Police have been ordered to the area because the city has no money to hire new officers. What a mess.

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A sad day in Chicago because of the passing of JAMES EISENBERG, 92, the CEO of Vienna Beef which also produces those great hot dogs. Eisenberg started with the company in 1954 and bought them out in 1982. Eisenberg always wanted people to know that Vienna introduced the world to hot dogs at the 1893 World's Fair.

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BITTERSWEET....The surviving families of the victims from the Las Vegas massacre of 2017 will each receive about $22,000 as the estate of the shooter was finally liquidated.

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You probably never heard of KEN POTTS but he died the other day at the age of 102. Mr. Potts was one of two living survivors of the USS ARIZONA, which was sunk at Pearl Harbor in 1941. He was shuttling supplies between buildings when the attack occurred  and he jumped into a small motorboat with another sailor and they spent the next two hours pulling survivors out of the water. It took just 9 minutes for the Arizona to sink and 1,177 crew members died with more than 900 sailors still entombed today and the ship still sits where it sank. LOU CONTER, 101, of California is the last living survivor.

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Finally, on a happier note, my brother is starting to heal as he enters his second week in the hospital after a toxic reaction following surgery on his foot. Still sedated but conscious, he has walked a few steps with assistance and the breathing tube has been removed. He's bitching about the hospital food so I know he's getting better and hopefully will head to a rehab center soon.

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THE DESK IS CLEAR!! Enjoy the winter weather. Be safe and stay out of Chicago.

IT'S TIME FOR SPORTS!

 First of all, good-bye and good luck to Chicago Blackhawks captain and future hall of famer JONATHAN TOEWS, who was a major part of bringing 3 Stanley Cups to the city after an almost 50 year drought. Toews will be moving on OR retiring following the Friday night game against Philadelphia in the United Center. CAPTAIN SERIOUS.....We wish you well!

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Memo to boot licking cub fans: remember all your angst when the club traded "the core" from the world series year....WHY? WHY? WHY? 'how could they trade them?'   Well, let me tell you why. JAVY BAEZ......batting average .100  WILLSON CONTRERAS....  .169 KRIS BRYANT .....played just 52 games and hit ONE home run in Colorado last year and Coors Field is known among the league as 'the launching pad'. Plus 2 of those 3 guys are me-me-me jerks.

Now nice guy ANTHONY RIZZO is doing just fine with the NYY and just signed a new 3 year deal so good for him and bad for the cubs. But for once I totally agree with the front office of the cubs on their decision to dump the junk.

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The BEARS finally rang the bell with off-season moves! While I was south of the border, they made a great trade to get out of the #1 pick and made some very nice acquisitions in the free agency period. NOW COMES THE DRAFT and 4 possibilities: 

OHIO STATE OFFENSIVE TACKLE PARIS JOHNSON       6'06"      313

NORTHWESTERN OFFENSIVE TACKLE PETER SKORONSKI   6'04     297

GEORGIA DEFENSIVE LINEMAN JALEN CARTER       6'03"    305 (if you can keep him out of prison, he'll be a good one)

TRADE THE #9 PICK FOR MORE PICKS

Any of those 4 moves is just fine with me but they will still struggle to win 8 games.

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I am the only WHITE SOX FAN who doesn't believe in the starting pitching, which is a key element in gaining the post season. DYLAN CEASE is one of the 5 best in baseball. LANCE LYNN is 30 pounds overweight and carrying a 7.3 ERA. Hello, dallas kuechel.

 LUCAS GIOLITO is 6.00 and has become a split personality. AND that brings us to the the PSYCHO TWINS......MICHAEL KOPECH at 6.75 simply sucks and needs to be traded. He is certifiable and you can see the petulant child arrive every time someone cranks one. That's right, ONE hard hit ball sends him into a funk. He stinks and one good outing out of four doesn't justify keeping him.  MIKE CLEVENGER may or may not be a major league pitcher or he might be a burnt out 50/50 journeyman. Have to keep an eye on him.

Relief pitching will be fine, the defense will continue to suck until they're healthy and realize that ELOI JIMENEZ & GAVIN SHEETS should never, and i mean NEVER, see the field except at first base in an emergency. The offense will eventually be fine but you have to pitch to win. case closed.

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HOW ABOUT THOSE BULLS???!!!??? and now on to Miami where it will be interesting to see if management stifles DEMAR DeROZAN'S daughter, who screamed every time the Raptors attempted a free throw which may have resulted in the junior high-like 50% from the line. And yes, in the NBA, management does have the right to control what you yell.

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BEST BASEBALL PLAYER IN MY LIFETIME. Slam dunk. SHOHEI OHTANI.

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And late breaking news.......My brother Terry is fighting complications from a total ankle rebuild and is currently on a respirator up in Milwaukee. Personally, I think it's a desperate plea to get more strokes on the golf course when he's better. GET BETTER!

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Ok, I can see a little of my desk. More later. Enjoy the weather.....until Saturday night.