We all want to do our part to save the environment, right? But how far are you willing to go? Would you be willing to drink recycled sewage water?

No, it’s not the latest stunt on “Fear Factor” (is that show still on the air?) or some other silly reality show. It’s real and it happening right here in the U.S. Hard to believe, or better yet, hard to swallow, right? Opponents are calling it, "toliet to tap."

In an effort to increase its dwindling drinking water supply, the Orange County government has started taking sewer water, treating it and then re-using it for drinking water. The process is described as follows:

Instead of dumping [sewer water] into the ocean after treatment… it’s [cleaned] a second time using technology that renders the water almost distilled, exceeding all state and federal drinking standards. The water then goes from the new $480 million water plant in nearby Fountain Valley to the drinking supply that lies beneath Anaheim—percolating many months through the earth into an aquifer serving 2.3 million people in 20 cities. Officials say the additional purification is intensive, involving three steps: microfiltration, also used in purifying baby food and sodas; reverse osmosis, which water bottlers employ; and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide, similar to how hospitals and dentists sterilize instruments.

Advocates of the purification system say people won’t even notice a difference. And a spokeswoman for the sewer water purification project says there are so many checks and balances in the system that it’s fail-safe. I say “famous last words.”

Folks, when it comes to politics, I'm a nerd. Book carrying, taped eyeglass wearing, bona fide nerd.

I blame my mother for this personality trait.

When I was just a little Sean, I tagged along with her when she went to the polls to vote. She voted in nearly every election.

I would stand there, staring at the rows and rows of selections. She would point to which ones she wanted to vote for and I would flip the switch. Point. Flip. Point. Flip.

Take it from me it was a blast, for a 5 year old, to do something so "grown up" and I wanted more.

She said, "When you get older you can take me here and make your own choices."

That made me a political junkie.

I remember staying up to watch the 1984 election results. If you also remember that night, you know I wasn't up that late.

In 1988, I wrote this monstrosity of a report for social studies. It had charts, pictures and graphs.

That's when I really got into the electoral college. It's kind of confusing for a lot of folks... but it's really fun to play with the states and see what a candidate needs in order to win the 270 electoral votes to be president.

Whether you have a child or not, I encourage you to check out "270 to Win" and play with the numbers. Find out what which states a candidate must win to win!

It can help with understanding the process and encourage a younger generation to be engaged in politics... and math!

Win-Win, huh?

Talk about eye-openers! I got one earlier this week while working on a story about a prom dress giveaway. In order for young ladies to get a FREE prom dress, they must attend a 2-hour dating safety class. So my first question to the organizers of this event was “How big of a problem is sexual assault during prom season.” I was shocked when I heard the answer. Apparently it’s a HUGE problem, but not only during prom seasons. It’s a danger young women face all year long. These are just a few of the startling statistics the sexual assault counselors were able to rattled off the top of their heads to me:

* 1 in 3 teen girls are victims of sexual violence
* Girls ages 16 – 24 are most frequently victimized
* Girls ages 16 – 19 are at highest risk
* 80% are attacked by someone they know

What’s worse, the sexual attacks on young girls are escalating.

Part of the problem, according to the counselors is young women don’t realize that gestures like a boy slapping them on their butt, or grabbing their cell phone to check on who they’re calling or who’s calling them are small scale forms of sexual abuse. Then there are the young women who feel pressure to “put out” to boys that are “nice” to them because they buy flowers or take them out to dinner.

Counselors say the dating safety classes are beneficial for both young women and men. They’ve heard from young men who’ve taken the class that they didn’t know some of their behavior was not only inappropriate, but also illegal. For example, they didn’t realize it was against the law to get a girl drunk and have sex with her. Hard to believe, I know. What are they being taught at home? Are they being taught anything?

The bottom line is, rape and sexual abuse ARE big problems facing young women. It would behoove teens and their parents to become educated about it. And why not get a free dress in the process.

There will be a prom fashion show Saturday, March 8th where girls can get a preview of the more than 600 dresses that will be eventually given away. The dating safety classes come later. For more information, contact Guardian Angel Community Services at (815) 729-0930 ext. 524.

Check out my report!

I come from an incredibly happy family. Holidays, Birthday parties, BBQ's.. all our family gatherings are loud and very social events. So I was interested to see this new study by British and Australian researchers that shows it appears you can inherit your happiness. A researcher at the University of Edinburgh studied nearly 1,000 pairs of identical and non identical twins and found genes control half the personality traits that make people happy. Factors like relationships, health and careers are responsible for the other half.
Researchers say, "It appears people with positive inherited personality traits may, in effect, also have a reserve of happiness to draw on in stressful times."

Especially in a career like this one, I've often noticed in times of higher stress people metabolize their anxiety very differently. While some are able to plow forward and work harder, others allow their stress to bubble up and over.

Take a look at how you handle stressful situations and how happy you are. Are your family members behind it, or do you think every person writes their own path to happiness?

We've done it again.

Today, a new national record high was reached for the average price of gasoline.

$3.22/gallon for regular.

Wall Street saw it coming. AAA saw it coming. Actually, everyone saw it coming.

The "experts" blame the new record high on the price of crude oil. True to test, the price of a barrel of crude oil flirted with $110 today.

The reason for the high price of oil? Well, we know it isn't increased demand. As a country, we have curbed our appetite, ever-so-slightly, for gasoline.

Is it because OPEC and other oil producers aren't pumping enough oil? Not really.

But, I encourage you to do a quick Google search on the stock prices for various oil companies. They're way WAY up over the last 10 years.

I'm smart enough to know that I'm not smart enough to know why the price of gas is so high. I just keep paying, trying to cut back where I can and hoping that the price will drive the need for a better alternative to fossil fuels.

Here we go again! Another male politician has done the unthinkable, cheated on his wife. And once again she stands by his side as he offers a “heart-felt” apology.

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is the latest philanderer. He's accused of spending as much as $80,000 on several high priced call girls. He reportedly even had a romp with one on the night before Valentine’s Day.

Spitzer’s wife, Silda joins the likes of

Hillary Clinton (I’m sure everyone’s familiar with Bill Clinton’s sexual escapade in the Oval Office)

Dina McGreevey – the wife of the former New Jersey governor who admitted to having an affair with a man,

Suzanne Craig – the wife of Idaho Senator Larry Craig who was caught in a sex sting in an airport bathroom and

Carlita Kilpatrick – the wife of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick who had an affair with his chief of staff.

Why? Why do they stand by these men’s sides during an obviously embarrassing and painful time?

The tribune has an interesting article about that very question. Click here to read it.

Kathleen Gilbert, an associate professor of family studies at Indiana University tells the Trib:

"Even if they want to kill him, they're there."

What these women are going through is probably "pretty horrifying," says Gilbert, but their options are few: "Just try to put yourself in their shoes and think of all these years you have portrayed a public role. In some ways, it becomes automatic. This is what you do. You're a good soldier and you go in and you play the role."

Many political spouses are impressive figures in their own right, including Silda Spitzer, a Harvard-trained lawyer.

Experts offered a wide range of reasons why a political spouse might choose to undergo the humiliation of a public appearance in behalf of her husband: the alleged indiscretion might be a first stumble, the wife might be planning divorce but want the best possible settlement, or she might be deeply invested in her husband's political agenda.

I’m not married, so I can’t honestly say what I would do if I were in these women’s shoes. But one thing is for sure; his sleeping arrangements would be VERY uncomfortable for the foreseeable future.

Geraldine Ferraro sounds like a “one trick pony.” She’s reaching into her bag of dirty political tricks and pulling out a racially polarizing tactic she's used at least once before. But this time it’s not working.

The one time democratic vice presidential nominee and the only woman to be selected by a major party to run for such a lofty position can’t believe people are calling her racist. It comes after she told a California newspaper that people are “caught up” in Barack Obama’s campaign because he’s black.

Here’s the clip from the Daily Breeze:

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position," she continued. "And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

Ferraro claims her comment was taken out of context and she was really complimenting the black community on having such a successful, viable candidate.

Problem is Ms. Ferraro made a very similar comment almost 20 years ago about another black presidential candidate. Ferraro told the Washington Post back in 1988 when Jesse Jackson was running for president, “if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn’t be in this race.”

Here’s a snippet of the story from the April 15, 1988 Washington Post story:

Placid of demeanor but pointed in his rhetoric, Jackson struck out repeatedly today against those who suggest his race has been an asset in the campaign. President Reagan suggested Tuesday that people don't ask Jackson tough questions because of his race. And former representative Geraldine A. Ferraro (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that because of his "radical" views, "if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race."

Is that her answer for every black candidate who's a threat to her or someone she supports? She claims the “very sexist media” has been “uniquely hard on [Hillary Clinton].” So her answer is to inject racism into to the campaign?

The irony here is when she ran for vice president, she wanted people to focus on her qualifications, not the fact that she was a woman. Now she’s focusing on Obama’s race, instead of his qualifications.

I’m not saying she has to agree with Obama’s stance on issues. But I am saying, just like she wanted people to accept and endorse her groundbreaking vice-presidential bid, she should accept and embrace others trying to do the same.

I'm a "details" person. Perhaps that's why I'm a journalist. I'm captivated by the information that connects the dots that explain why things happen. The more bizarre the information, the more interested I am.

There’s an interesting article in today’s Los Angeles Times that's full of never before released details about the so-called war between east coast and west coast rappers. It uses FBI records and interviews to shed new light on what may have precipitated the deaths of two off the industry’s most prolific figures, Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G. It even implicates associates of entrepreneur extraordinaire Sean “P. Diddy” Combs.

Tupac Shakur Notorious B.I.G.

The LA Times says the feud began over a perceived diss by rapper Tupac. The article focuses on the night of November 30, 1994. The night Shakur was shot in a New York City recording studio.

Now, newly discovered information, including interviews with people who were at the studio that night, lends credence to Shakur's insistence that associates of rap impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs were behind the assault. Their alleged motives: to punish Shakur for disrespecting them and rejecting their business overtures and, not incidentally, to curry favor with Combs.

Some of the more interesting tidbits about that night include the details of the shooting.

As the rapper and his crew walked toward the elevator, the two other assailants rushed in from outside and demanded that Shakur and the others turn over their jewelry. When Shakur refused, all three attackers began to pistol-whip him.

The rapper surprised them by drawing his own weapon. Gunfire erupted, and Shakur accidentally shot himself in the groin. The assailants shot Shakur four times. He sustained injuries to the head, hand and thigh -- serious but not life-threatening.

The men beat and kicked the rapper as he lay bleeding on the ground. Then, ripping a $40,000 gold medallion and chain from his neck, they escaped into the night.

In a bizarre twist, Shakur, bleeding badly, sat on a couch and rolled a joint, witnesses said. Then he phoned his girlfriend, who contacted his mother, former Black Panther Afeni Shakur.

Shakur went on to record a few more albums and even serve time for a sex assault case before being killed in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting almost two years later. Despite witness accounts, no one has ever been charged in the attack on Shakur at the New York City music studio.

For those of you not familiar with this intriguing piece of pop culture, the article is an interesting crash course. It also offers insight into the seedy side of the music industry and the violent nature of hip-hop and rap music.

"Deadly Lessons", a special CLTV program examining the deaths of 32 Chicago Public School students is an Associated Press winner for Best Series/Documentary program!

The show, produced by Tonya Francisco, A.J. Chodora, Eric Melcher, Ron Zachara, and Jordan Guzzardo looked at the possible reasons behind CPS violence and potential solutions to solve the problems.

If you missed the show this Spring, click on the link below to watch the video today!

What’s going on with the Bulls? I must admit, given my schedule (I go to bed at 6pm in order to get up @ 1:30am) I don’t get to watch my favorite NBA team very much. So I’m forced catch highlights or read about them. Unfortunately, I’m reading more and more about the “fits” they’re throwing rather then the points they’re putting on the board.

There have been a string of problems this season. If you've lost track, here’s a list of the more public incidents.

* Joakim Noah mouthing off to an assistant coach and the team voting to bench him for an extra day because of it.

* Scott Skiles quitting in the middle of the season.

* Tyrus Thomas deciding not to show up to practice for no apparent reason.

* Chris Duhon taking off to catch his alma mater, Duke play a basketball game, then over sleeping and missing the team shoot-around before a game the next day.

* And the latest, Andres Nocioni having a tirade on the bench Saturday night because he was pulled out of the game and interim head coach Jim Boylan having to banish him to the locker room for the rest of the game.

What’s going on? Kirk Hinrich says ''frustration is at an all-time high.” You got that right!

I thought these were professional men getting paid a lot of money to play basketball. How frustrating can it be? Most people shoot hoops just for fun.

I know there is pressure to win, given the bar set by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and crew, but this Bulls team is making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

It’s one thing to play hard and lose admirably, but this team seems to behave like a bunch of 2 year olds when they lose.

Remember gentlemen (and I use that term loosely), it’s not about whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.

Born Free, now I'm expensive.

A few years ago, I saw a bumper sticker that said that very phrase... and I chuckled.

Now, a report by the U.S. Government confirms the cost of raising a child in a middle income family will cost $204,060.

Suddenly, I'm not chuckling.

$204,060?!?!

Over the course of 18 years, that breaks down to $11,336.00 per year.

According to the report, families making less than $45,800 before taxes can expect to spend about $148,320 in real terms over the course of their child's first 17 years.

Families with more income, say more than $77,100 a year, will spend $298,680 in 2007 dollars on raising their '07 child.

In all, it shows that making the decision to have a child should also include the financial ramifications but it shouldn't be everything.

As a product of a single parent, low-income household a successful childhood is more about the support and guidance you can give your child... not about the Nintendo Wii.

When you look at this magazine cover, what do you see?

Some people see more than LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen. Some see an angry black man chasing after a sexy white woman.

The cover for this month’s Vogue has evoked a lot of negative reaction, contrary to what the fashion magazine expected. When Vogue announced the cover, it made sure to point out that James was the first black man to grace its cover. (Given that it’s 2008, I’m not sure if that’s anything to be proud of) But it turns out that the response has been anything but gracious. Some have likened the cover to “King Kong” and Fay Wray. Compare the cover and the poster.

The Associated Press reports:

In a column at ESPN.com, Jemele Hill called the cover "memorable for all the wrong reasons." But she said in an interview that the image is not unusual -- white athletes are generally portrayed smiling or laughing, while black sports figures are given a "beastly sort of vibe."

For example, former NBA star Charles Barkley was depicted breaking free of neck and wrist shackles on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Dennis Rodman graced the cover of Rolling Stone with horns poking out of his forehead and his red tongue hanging out.

But others say the image show James' game face -- nothing more. And they note that Bundchen hardly looks frightened.

"James is a huge, black beautiful masculine statue and Gisele is a feminine, sexy gorgeous doll," said Christa Thomas, 36, a black account supervisor in Los Angeles.

"I didn't see any kind of racist overtone to it," she said. "I still don't. I think there is such a hypersensitivity to race still in this country."

I don’t think anyone would argue with that given the ongoing controversy surrounding Barack Obama, his pastor and the black church.

But is this a case of nitpicking or trying to nip an issue in the bud before it has a chance feister and grow into something more divisive?

Spring training is over.. Home openers are starting.

For the last three months the cavern to which many people have hid themselves amongst the harsh Chicago winter... is melting away and people are peeking their heads out just as the flowers begin to.
It's arguably the best time of year in Chicago. While yes, we are still dealing with a nasty winter hangover and some snowy days (I’m looking out the window at snow right now), the occasional warmer one tends to put people in a jolly mood for the more habitually warm days to come.
We are now beginning to see the neighbors you forgot you had (whether good or bad) on a regular basis, more people are converging on Chicago neighborhoods for outdoor dining, shopping or simply spending time with friends.
You start to see announcements for outdoor events, markets and such.. and.. as mentioned Baseball is about to start.
For me.. It’s Shuffle time.. Chicago's Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday marks the start of the outdoor running season in Chicago. It's my favorite time of the year. I like to think of the Shuffle as a pseudo ground hog day. Every year the weather is different. Last year it was warm, years past it's been really really cold, and this year seems just about right.. (high 30’s, maybe low 40’s – hopefully the rain holds off because cloud cover is great) which if you look at races past, means we're going to have a relatively mild summer. (I know I'm no meteorologist, just hopeful!)
I love race morning when you see the die hards in their singlet’s, running shorts and gloves. The rest of us casual racers bundled up thinking their crazy, but hoping one day we could be so bold.
There's an excitement and energy in the air. (Maybe it's from 30,000 people trying to keep warm!) And it's like Chicagoans are saying *** winter.. we're here to play outside.. no matter what you throw at us next.

Hope to see some of you out there. For everyone else.. as Cubs fans always say, “there's always next year”!

This weekend, two more Chicago Public School students died because they were shot to death. Here's the Chicago Tribune:

Two teens have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the weekend slaying of a student outside Simeon Career Academy, Chicago police said Monday morning. Two others who were with them in a car when they were arrested were released without charges.