What was the Standard Oil Building has assumed the identity of Aon Center.
The Palmolive Building became the Playboy Building- and then stripped back down to Palmolive once again.
And Sears Roebuck? It's long left for the suburbs, leaving the Sears Tower free of its flagship.
Somehow, all three architectural landmarks have lived on, and the Tribune Tower won't topple either- whether or not the company which employs yours truly enjoys ownership or not.
Tribune chairman Sam Zell wrote Wednesday that he is "asking a number of real estate firms to give us their best thinking on how we can generate more value from the Tribune Tower in Chicago, and the Times Mirror Square complex in Los Angeles."
Many believe that announcement equals auction block, dear readers- and the 950,000 square feet of Neo-Gothic grandeur that's cemented into the Chicago lexicon may be in for a name change.
While Chicago's sentimental are shouting "Shame!," I can tell you many city capitalists are saying "So what?"
"These properties will always maintain the highest value the market can bear- just because of their architectural significance and their location," says Alexander Chaparro, the immediate past president of the Chicago Association of Realtors, regarding those landmarks many equate with the Magnificent Mile.
"When you look at these properties and you look at them painted in our skyline- they become an entity within themselves, beyond what one can call them," Chaparro says.
Don't believe him?
What true White Sox fan do you know still crying in his Coors over Comiskey, choosing to avoid U.S. Cellular Field for this weekend's Crosstown Classic?
I guess a pat on the back isn't good enough anymore or just doing what you're supposed to do. Chicago Public Schools gave away a brand new dodge caliber car to a 12-year-old girl who had perfect attendance. It was part of a drawing where her family was the lucky one out of 150 people to have a key turn the ignition. First of all, a car. I never had perfect attendance in school ever but if I did I wasn't getting a car or any kind of gift. Then the girl is 12. She'll have to wait 4 years just to drive the car. I understand it's an incentive driven world nowadays and every good deed needs to be rewarded. But it just seems this wasn't thought out right. Why does a 7th grader need a car? School officials had their hearts in the right places, giving a reward for something that doesn't happen often. Kids these days are looking for any reason to skip class and miss school. How about a gift certificate? Maybe splurge and get an ipod or computer. I guess everyone will be showing up to class next year.
The verdict is in -- R. Kelly has been found not guilty on all 14 counts stemming from his child pornography trial.
Kelly left the courthouse this afternoon without commenting.
The R&B superstar cried softly as the 14 not-guilty verdicts were read in the courtroom this afternoon.
He then dabbed at his face with a handkerchief and hugged each of his four attorneys.
A short time later, he emerged from the courthouse surrounded by bodyguards and was greeted by dozens of screaming and cheering vans.
Some yelled "We love you" as Kelly was escorted into a van.
The verdict came six years after the Grammy Award winning singer was first charged with appearing on a graphic videotape with a girl prosecutors contended was as young as 13 at the time.
Both Kelly and the now 23-year-old woman denied they were the ones on the tape.
The singer had faced 15 years in prison.
The sex tape in question has been circulating underground for just about as long as this case has been waiting to go to trial... six year.
Have you seen the tape? Even if you haven't, do you agree with the jury's verdict.
Did the jurors get it right or wrong?
Share your thoughts.
For those of you who are wore out from the highs and lows of the Democratic presidential nominating race, it looks like it will end tonight!
Hillary Clinton campaign officials say she will acknowledge tonight, after the votes are counted in Montana and South Dakota, that Barack Obama has the delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination. Obama is 40 delegates short of clinching the nomination, but he’s expected to get closer by winning those primaries, along with more support from superdelegates.
Clinton is not expected to quit the race tonight but that’s more of a strategic move. Her advisors says it will give her leverage to negotiate with Obama on a few things, including pressuring him to make her his running mate and issues that she thinks he should focus come November.
Image is everything when it comes to politics. Everything you say, don't say, do and don't do is scrutinized ad nauseam. That also goes for the politician's other half.
Take these two ladies for example, Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain. We know they are the wives of the presumptive presidential candidates of their respective parties. But for the most part, we don't know much else. We’ve heard a few sound bites from them and have maybe read a few articles about them.
Then there are the photo spreads.
In these two pictures, it looks like they are trying to let the photos tell who they are or at least who they want to be seen as. And as you can tell they are projecting very different images than they do on the campaign trail.
Both were photographed for Vogue magazine. Michelle Obama in September of '07 and Cindy McCain for the June '08 issue.
In one picture, McCain is chillin' on a chaise lounger, with her hair down, wearing jeans, no shoes and red polish on her toenails.
The Washington Post writes "the implied message is unmistakable: I am not a Stepford wife."
On the other hand, Obama is shown in a more formal, classy pose. She’s in a little black dress with pearls and pumps. The Post believes "the implied message is unmistakable: I am neither subversive nor threatening. I am not some scary 'other.' I am Camelot with a tan."
The Post surmises "McCain’s image aims to excite the eyes. Obama’s offers reassurance."
Just goes to show you, pictures do speak louder than words.
It never ceases to amaze me that in 2008 we are still talking about “firsts.” Barack Obama, the first black man to run a viable presidential campaign. Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an Indy series race.
Now come word of another first. Joshua Packwood, the first white valedictorian of Morehouse College.
For those of you not familiar with Morehouse, it’s an all male historically black college. Of course, Packwood is not the first white student to attend Morehouse nor is he the first to graduate. But never in its 141-year history has it ever had a white student to essentially be named the “crème de la crème” of its student body.
His popularity got him elected dorm president as a freshman. His looks and physique made him a fashion-show favorite. His intellect made him a Rhodes Scholar finalist. His work ethic landed him a job at the prestigious investment banking firm Goldman Sachs in New York City.
What makes this story all the more refreshing is that Packwood chose Morehouse over Columbia, Yale and Stanford. He says, "I've been forced to see the world in a different perspective, that I don't think I could've gotten anywhere else." Packwood points out "None of the Ivies, no matter how large their enrollment is, no matter how many Nobel laureates they have on their faculty ... none of them could've provided me with the perspective I have now."
On May 18 the 22-year old from Kansas City, MO will graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA and a degree in economics.
Add shoes to the list of things that will soon cost more.
The Wall Street Journal reports the combination of higher production costs in China (85% of shoes sold in the U.S. come from there), higher gas prices and the weak U.S. dollar are to blame.
One analyst estimates we will be paying 10% to 15% more for shoes in the coming year.
This hurts! Buying shoes are my escape. There’s nothing like a nice pair of leather pumps or strappy sandals or 3” heels to make you feel better. Buying shoes is one of my few stress relievers that doesn’t make me feel guilty afterwards, like eating and drinking.
By my count, we are now paying more for gas, food, airline tickets, prescription drugs and property & sales taxes. Not to mention most people can’t get mortgages because of the credit crunch created by the housing mess.
Hopefully the old adage of “what goes up must come down” applies here. If not, what’s next?
It’s the story that won’t go away. Everyday the Barack Obama/Rev. Jeremiah Wright story “grows new legs.” And today is no different.
One lingering and largely unanswered question that looms seems to have finally been answered. Why did Oprah Winfrey leave Trinity United Church of Christ? It’s been widely reported that Oprah was uncomfortable with Rev. Wright’s “hate-filled” message.
According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright's more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to damage her standing as America's favorite daytime talk-show host. "Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," said one longtime friend, who requested anonymity when discussing Winfrey's personal sentiments. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart. She's been around black churches all her life, so Reverend Wright's anger-filled message didn't surprise her. But it just wasn't what she was looking for in a church." Oprah's decision to distance herself came as a surprise to Wright, who told Christianity Today in 2002 that when he would "run into her socially … she would say, 'Here's my pastor!' " (Winfrey declined to comment. A Harpo Productions spokesperson would not confirm her reasons for leaving the church.)
The other reason for her leaving should come as no surprise to Oprah fans.
But Winfrey also had spiritual reasons for the parting. In conversations at the time with a former business associate, who also asked for anonymity, Winfrey cited her fatigue with organized religion and a desire to be involved with a more inclusive ministry. In time, she found one: her own. "There is the Church of Oprah now," said her longtime friend, with a laugh. "She has her own following."
Of course it’s important to point out this is not coming directly from Ms. Winfrey. But if the “sources” are to be believed, political correctness played the biggest role in her leaving Trinity, not Rev. Wright’s preaching.
Information is powerful but only when it’s put into context.
It’s been said a picture is worth a thousands words. If that’s the case, then these two photos of Disney starlet Miley Cyrus are worth at least a million.
Innocent is NOT the word that comes to mind when I look at this picture. This is not how a 15-year old should be portrayed. Save the sex-kitten image for when she’s legal.
Disturbing is the first word that comes to my mind when I look at this picture. It looks more like a sick “older man-under-aged girl” relationship rather than a father and daughter chillin’ out.
The photos have caused quite a stir. Part of the outrage has to do with the squeaky clean image Miley has tried to project. Not to mention, “Hannah Montana” has brought her legions of fans as young as preschool.
Fortunately, Miley has recognized how inappropriate the one is with her and the blanket. She’s apologized, saying she thought it was going to be artistic but now that she’s seen it she’s embarrassed.
The economy sucks! There's no other way to put it. Gas prices are sky high, $20 will barely buy enough food for a family meal, people are losing their homes because they can't pay their mortgage, the city, county and state have all raised either sales, property or other taxes and fees, the airlines are hiking ticket prices and charging people for extra bags, window seats and exit rows. At the same time, companies are cutting jobs and raises, if you get one at all. When will it start to get better? Or at least stop getting worse?
President Bush was asked if it's time to come up with a new economic stimulus package. Something other than the one passed in February. He says no. Instead Bush wants to give the tax rebate checks that began going out this week a chance to work.
But here's the rub. It's going to take until July 11th for everyone to get them. Here's the schedule for people who will have them directly deposited into their bank accounts. It's according to the last two digits of your Social Security number.
00 – 20 May 2
21 – 75 May 9
76 – 99 May 16
If you're waiting on a paper check, you're going to have quite a wait. That schedule looks like this:
00 – 09 May 16
10 – 18 May 23
19 – 25 May 30
26 – 38 June 6
39 – 51 June 13
52 – 63 June 20
64 – 75 June 27
76 – 87 July 4
88 – 99 July 11
The checks will be anywhere from $300 to $1200 dollars depending on your situation. And keep in mind, if you owe the government, have past-due student loans, child support or other debts, they will be deducted from the check.
Please tell me how people who get their check on July 11th are going to have any real or quick impact on the economic? I'm beginning to think Mr. Bush just doesn't care. It seems like he counting down the days until he's out of office and won't have to listen to our cries anymore.
Rev. Wright: Prolific Speaker or Hate-filled Fanatic?
He's been the subject of much discussion and debate.
From coast to coast, around dinner tables and from atop bar stools, people have gone back and forth about Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
By now you know he's presidential hopeful Barack Obama's former pastor. And you know he's a minister that has delivered passionate, firey sermons to a huge congregation at Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side for more than 30 years.
Back in March, snipets of some of his old sermons started circulating on the internet. On them he accuses the U.S. government of racism, accuses it of flooding black neighborhoods with drugs and blames the government for 9/11. That has lead many to condemn him, calling him unpatriotic and a hate monger.
Have you ever heard Rev. Wright speak? And I'm not talking about snipets of an old sermon on the internet.
Here's your chance to judge for yourself. This is video of Rev. Wright's entire speech, plus questions and answers at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Monday morning (4/28/07). Please share your thoughts after you've listened to the entire speech. Is Rev. Jeremiah Wright is a prolific speaker or a hate-filled fanatic?
It seems these days, anyone with a microphone and an audience is speaking before thinking and apologizing later.
Comedian Bill Maher is the latest causality of the “foot in mouth” syndrome. He’s the host of “Real Time” on HBO. On his April 11 show, he went on a bit of a rant about Pope Benedict coming to America. Maher was critical of the way he felt the Catholic Church was being treated in light of the priest sex abuse scandal.
Maher said “If you have a few hundred followers and you let some of them molest children, they call you a cult leader. If you have a billion, they call you Pope.”
Listen to Maher's entire monologue.
Maher later apologized but now several Catholic groups are calling for his resignation. The American Life League has even set up a Web site asking people to cancel HBO until Maher is fired.
Maher isn’t the only public speaker to have to apologize for an inappropriate comment he or she made while on the air.
There’s the infamous “nappy headed hos" comment from Don Imus about the Rutgers Women’s basketball team.
And CNN host Jack Cafferty calling China’s goods “junk” and its leaders a “bunch of goons and thugs.”
Or the Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman’s suggestion that some younger golfers should “lynch [Tiger Woods] in a back alley.”
And the MSNBC reporter who was suspended for saying Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign had “pimped out” Chelsea Clinton to drum up superdelegate votes.
Some of the comments may have been gaffs, but the others I’m not so sure. The first thing everyone learns in “TV 101” is think before you speak. That leads me to believe some of these people are willing to risk pissing off one group in hopes of getting attention (ratings) from an even bigger group.
Oprah Winfrey called it a “new definition of what diversity means for everybody.”
In an interview on her show Thursday, a transgender man who is pregnant told the nation he always wanted a child and considers it a miracle. People Magazine first picked up Beatie’s story and has a full spread on him on newsstands Friday, April 4th.
Here’s the background;
34-year old Thomas Beatie, a one time pageant queen, says he decided to become a man 10 years ago, taking testosterone treatments and having breast surgery to remove glands and flatten his chest. He says he kept his reproductive organs knowing he wanted a child one day. That one-day happened 6 months ago when his wife Nancy inseminated him using a syringe of sperm from a donor bank. Beatie says he stopped taking testosterone 2 years ago, and his hormone levels are normal. The happy couple also says their roles in raising the child won’t change. Nancy will be mommy Thomas will be daddy.
What his doctor says;
First, Beatie says he was turned down by several other doctors before Dr. Kimberly James, a doctor in the couple’s Oregon town, decided to pick Thomas up. Dr. James says the baby is totally healthy, and it is a normal pregnancy.
Arguments of course have erupted over this story.
Some are wondering if they are bringing the child into a healthy environment or will their be confusion because daddy gave birth. Others are wondering why the couple are parading themselves before the media and seeking out attention. To that, the couple has said they wanted to release the news on their own terms, instead of having it spread after the baby is born. By the way.. it’s a girl.
Whether good or bad, I want to hear your thoughts on this story.
Unfortunately we’ve become accustomed to hearing about terror plots by al-Qaida and others that want to cause death, destruction and chaos. But I think it’s safe to say this terror plot wasn’t on anyone’s radar.
A group of 3rd graders from Waycross, Georgia were caught plotting to attack their teacher.
These are some of the materials police confiscated.
The 9 boys and girls brought a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items to school. They even went so far as to assign each other jobs, like covering the windows and cleaning up afterward. The 8, 9 and 10 year olds planned to knock the teach unconscious with a crystal paperweight, tie her up with the handcuffs and duct tape, then stab her. There was no mention of killing her, but police say they certainly could have done it accidently, which is why they’re taking this case so seriously.
Why did they want to do this to their teacher? They were apparently mad at her because she scolded one of them for standing on a chair.
School officials found out about the plot after another student tipped them off that a girl had a knife. Two of the students have been arrested and a 3rd one is expected to be arrested soon. Prosecutors plan to charge the 9 and 10 year old girls that brought the knife and paperweight with bringing weapons to school. They, along with an 8 year old boy who brought the duct tape will also be charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
As it seems with all stories like this, the teacher says these children are “considered pretty good kids” and “weren’t known as troublemakers.”
I say troublemakers have to get their start somewhere and it looks like this is where it begins, in 3rd grade. Hopefully the kids will be punished severely enough by police and parents that they will be detered them from the bad path they’re headed down.
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”!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.”
February is Black History Month. To mark the occasion, CLTV has put together several vignettes celebrating African-Americans, past and present who have inspired people on our staff. Some of the inspirational heroes you will recognize, others are only familiar to the person they touched. The powerful 30 second clips will be airing throughout the day on CLTV for the rest of the month. To see all of them, go to www.youtube.com/cltv. Click on the Black History Month tab and check them out.
As this week gets started and people begin to get back to a normal routine, I wanted to take a moment and share my condolences with all the family and friends of the NIU shooting victims. The first of 5 funerals was held today. Hundreds paid tributes to Catalina Garcia as she was laid to rest in a pink coffin inside a Cicero church. The soft color such a shocking reminder of the very young life cut way to short. You can find details on services for Gayle Dubowski, Julianna Gehant, Ryanne Mace, and Dan Parmenter at www.chicagotribune.com.
For weeks, months, and likely even years to come many will be asking what led Steven Kazmierczak to this senseless shooting. Was it a mental health issue? Could stronger gun control legislation have changed the outcome? Did he slip through the cracks? I realize his family has lost and are in pain as well, but in this time and place he had some 'choice' in what happened on Thursday February 14th, the five victims did not. So for the time being, lets concentrate on remembering the victims, and what was taken away so tragically.
Please feel free to leave your thoughts about the victims here, whether you knew them or not.
The email I posted last week from my colleague Marion (not Marion Brooks from Channel 5) about her disheartening experience at Chanel on Michigan Avenue generated a huge response. She also sent the email to colleagues and friends around the world, who in turn wrote several letters to Chanel. Here's an update from Marion:
I received a letter from the Senior VP of Retail/Boutiques. After offering some form of remedial action toward the store director... along with re-issuing their policy handbook against discrimination and launching a company-wide diversity campaign, there's some work that needs to be done. While, the letter did offer an apology for the incident, it didn't offer specifics.
Never-the-less, the President of Chanel along with the Sr VP wants to talk to me and get my input as they move forward with their changes. I'm working with an advertising executive on suggestions resulting in measurable changes, including opportunities for Chanel to meet their clients of color... face-to-face. We [all] know that black women are spending a large amount of money on Chanel products, but we're not part of their advertising campaigns or corporate offices. This could be an opportunity to change all that.
Instead of a phone conversation, we'd like to meet with the Chanel executives in NYC and offer solutions that work for everybody. We'd also like to offer a dollars and sense approach. This is where you can help us... can you send an email out to every woman that you know who buys Chanel cosmetics, handbags, fragrances, fine jewelry, etc. and ask them to give an estimate on how much money (and where... states) they spend on Chanel products in any given year or over the last 5 and let me know? I think that we have to let them know that the face of the Chanel consumer is changing. And their attitudes must reflect that change or their bottom line suffers.
Feel free to post your thoughts. Marion and plenty of others, including Chanel want to hear them.
The Democratic presidential race is bringing this age-old question up again.
The Associated Press reports:
Clinton's camp has perceived sexism in comments about her appearance and emotions. Supporters of Obama have complained about racial overtones in remarks about his Muslim-sounding middle name, Hussein, and his acknowledged drug use as a young man.
Beyond the back-and-forth between a white woman and a black man seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, the situation has created a snapshot of the nation's sensitivity — or lack thereof — to certain kinds of comments.
It’s interesting to note this debate dates back to the late 1800s.
Freed slave Frederick Douglass and women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton sparked it. Stanton was outraged that black men were able to vote after the Civil War (even though the “privilege” didn’t last long) and women weren’t.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Frederick Douglass
Stanton declared it to be a “serious question whether we [women] had better stand aside and see Sambo walk into the kingdom [of civil rights] first.” Douglass fired back arguing the horrifying treatment black men endured as slaves entitled them the right to vote before women.
None of the scholars or intellectuals of that time or this have been able to definitively settle the debate. But political correctness has certainly shunned one more than the other leaving us with the question: Is it more acceptable to make a sexist remark than a racist remark?
The recent shooting at the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park raises an interesting question. How much does the public need to know about what happened that fateful day?
Right after the shooting, police were extremely tight-lipped. All the media was told is there was a shooting, 5 women were dead and police were searching for the gunman. There was no description of the suspect, no motive, no details about the crime itself, nothing. But over the course of a week, it leaked out a 6th woman had survived, one of the women had been fondled, two of the victims walked in after the robbery started, the women were shot execution style, etc.
Of course as journalists we want to know everything right away, who, what, when, where, why and when applicable how many? But Tinley Park police believe they needed to hold back the details so they wouldn’t blow the search for the suspect. That leaves the public in the middle. People, especially those that live in the area need to be assured that the shooter won’t strike again. They also need to feel comfortable leaving their homes and sending their children to school.
So where should police draw the line? Do they tell everything they know about the crime right away to put the public at ease or do they hold the information close to vest to protect their investigation? As a journalist I think my answer is obvious (tell it all) but as a victim or the family member of a victim I want to make sure there is justice for my loved one. So again I ask, how much is too much and how much is not enough?
When are people going to learn? The truth is going to catch up with you sooner or later, especially in this age of rapidly evolving technology.
For example, some recent high profile criminal cases have revealed technology exists for law enforcement to pinpoint a person’s location, on any given day as long as that person has his/her cell phone on. Just ask Reginald Potts who was charged with the murder of Nailah Franklin, partly based on the FBI’s ability to put him and her together shortly before her murder using GPS tracking devices in both of their cell phones. Or ask Drew Peterson. The police used his cell signal to determine he was near the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal in Lockport the evening his wife Stacy disappeared, when he claimed to have been at home. Or ask the couple in Michigan who were convicted of murder based on e-mails the two exchanged while plotting how to kill her husband. The wife thought she erased them but the prosecutor was able to get a transcript of the messages from the internet service provider.
Now comes word the mayor of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick could end up losing his job over thousands of steamy text messages he sent to his chief of staff. It’s not the messages that are going to get him fired; it’s the fact that he denied having the affair while under oath. The Detroit Free Press got a hold of 14,000 flirty and sometimes sexually explicit text messages the two exchanged about where to meet and how to hide it.
Here are some of the excerpts:
9/28/2002, 11:53 p.m.
Beatty: Where are you now?
Kilpatrick: At home waiting for all [executive protection unit officers] to leave. Where are you?
Beatty: At the residence inn in Madison hgts.
Kilpatrick: What rm?
Beatty: I'm in room 311 in bldg 3 in the back.
10/7/2002, 11:20 p.m.
Beatty: OK, I'm feeling like I want another night like the most recent Saturday at the Residence Inn! You made me feel so damn good that night. As you can see I can't let it go!
10/16/2002, 11:48 p.m.
Kilpatrick: I've been dreaming all day about having you all to myself for 3 days ... relaxing, laughing, talking, sleeping and making love.
So because he lied to a jury, he could not only lose his job and his law license, he could also face perjury charges.
Why do people do wrong and think they can get away with it, especially when they’ve left a digital trail to their front door? The lesson to be learned here, don’t use technology when you’re trying to be sneaky or better yet, don’t do anything wrong in the first place.
This is one of those stories you hear and hope as the days go forward conclusions being reached by some of the entertainment programs don't prove to be true. I was admittedly shocked to hear actor Heath Ledger died on Tuesday. In recent years he made the spotlight with the controversial film Brokeback Mountain and through all the press he seemed to remain a low profile celebrity. Not extremely involved in the 'happening' scene, Ledger and then girlfriend/fiancé Michelle Williams seem to care more about career and family than landing on the front pages of magazines.
In his death, that is squarely where Heath Ledger is landing.
On Tuesday authorities revealed 6 different types of prescription drugs were found in his apartment, including anti-anxiety medications, sleeping pills and an antihistamine. The autopsy results are so far inconclusive, and the medical examiner is waiting further testing before releasing a cause of death, likely in several days. Police also said Wednesday a rolled up $20 bill was found near Ledger's body. Lab tests show no traces of drugs on the bill and police say no illegal drugs were found in the apartment.
Was it an accident or a suicide?
Relatives are adamantly calling the death "tragic, untimely and accidental." Close friends have come forward saying Ledger was recently going out more, and very upset about his break up with Williams and spending less time with their daughter 2 year old Matilda.
In a recent interview Ledger told the New York Times he had been exhausted and was taking Ambien to get to sleep. Today fellow actors are describing him as a perfect gentleman, who touched many lives. While I realized he may not have changed the world, solved our hunger problems, or made any major life altering discoveries, he was a man with many young fans... fans who will hopefully be able to continue to look up to him and his work and not simply look at another actor who lost their life too early, to drugs.
