August 2003

Forgiveness and Bikes

ArchPundit August 27, 2003 0 Comment

As a sometimes bike commuter, the story of the bike messenger that stalked and then attacked a guy he had a run-in with hit home a bit. Most cyclists will regale you with hours of stories about jackasses in cars that seem to be disproportionately middle aged white guys in Dodges. They cut you off, they throw things, they get out of the car until they realize you are bigger, have pepper spray, and in a hell of a lot better shape (ed…excuse me–well normally I am). They then usually quickly get back in after a hard stare.

But cyclists behave badly quite often as well. Some have trailer for bikes to bring in heavy stuff that may be dangerous when dropped on the road. There are of course the riding examples of Darwinian Natural Selection who ride against traffic despite clear guidelines in the laws of physics, but ultimately they are mainly dangers to themselves. Others can be quite horrific such as the bike messenger.

Zorn then uses it as a stepping stone to discuss forgiveness in a quite touching article.

Another Day, Another Indictment

ArchPundit August 27, 2003 0 Comment

Patrick Fitzgerald indicts a friend of George Ryan and former State Senator on Seven Counts of Perjury in the Licenses for Bribes scandal

Swanson was paid $60,000 a year for three years under the Metropolitan Pier contract, yet did little to no work, U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald said at a news conference this afternoon in downtown Chicago to announce the indictment. The defendant allegedly lied to the grand jury about how he got the contract.

I’ve lost track on the number of indictments, but the Trib reports over 60 with 50 convictions. The real effort here is to try and get closer to Ryan and make a case against him. It appears that Fawell is staying quiet making such a case hard.

A Challenge to Dick Devine

ArchPundit August 27, 2003 0 Comment

Subordinates with this sort of behavior should be made to write full apologies

When asked Friday morning if they wished to make a statement to the court after dropping all charges against two men who have spent most of their lives in prison, one of the two prosecutors handling the case replied: "I don’t think we’re required to . . . "

Of course they weren’t, Cook County Circuit Judge Dennis Porter stated. The question was would they like to.

How can someone be so callous as to ignore 27 years of wrongful incarceration?

The Problem With Twins

ArchPundit August 27, 2003 0 Comment

While this isn’t much of a personal blog, let’s say I have some experience with twins and well, the biggest problem is that they seem to have a habit of having one distract you while the other creates a mess.

John Kass, a father of twins, explains what happens when you don’t get there in time to stop the second one.

Via, Eric Zorn, another father of twins.

I have a placed a call to DCFS, however. What kind of degenerate raises his kids to root for the White Sox?

As for the Royal We–unless you have a mouse in your pocket or are using it for specific literary effect, just don’t.

Why Take a Shot at Moseley Braun

ArchPundit August 27, 2003 0 Comment

when I don’t have to, Eric Zorn did it for me:

Braun is not a sure loser because she’s African American or because she’s a woman. She’s a sure loser because she was not a particularly good senator.

Pretty much. My favorite is still when she secured a tax benefit for the Tribune Company and the Trib Editorial Board blasted her for it.

That’s a Year

ArchPundit August 27, 2003 0 Comment

Happy One Year Blogiversary to Me–well Yesterday. Thanks for all the hits and back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Seriously, I have over 44,000 hits to this site and the previous version on Blogger and I can’t really believe it. While the numbers aren’t up there with Kos or others, for a narrowly focused blog on Illinois and Missouri politics, I’m very humbled.

Good Vibes…

ArchPundit August 27, 2003 0 Comment

The Team that won’t be named here won tonight and I’ll be in attendance in enemy territory tonight, Wednesday. Send good vibes

And Kos is stuck in Chicago Heh.

A Ringing Defense of Farm Subsidies

ArchPundit August 27, 2003 0 Comment

From Joyce Morrison.

On the one hand, she seems to have a clear point.

On the other, it is really dumb clear point. Not to mention Joyce is a welfare farmer. Subsidies produce gluts that artificially lower the prices and keeps inefficient producers growing. If you can’t efficiently compete, don’t. Either find a profitable crop or find another occupation. We don’t guarantee people jobs of their choice in this country. We do our best to provide economic conditions that promote full employment and that is good and certainly our rural areas are need significant help there.

However, that isn’t an excuse to cater to an inefficient industry that survives in its current form through protectionism and subsidies. If you do away with sugar quotas and subsidies corn becomes far less profitable and either Illinois producers have to switch to a more profitable crop or become more efficient. Farms are businesses and the conceit that they are a way of life is nothing besides an excuse by those businesspeople to continue to receive their subsidies at taxpayer expense and receive protection from efficient sugar producers at the expense of consumers and those companies that use sugar in production.

Let’s Play Two

ArchPundit August 27, 2003 0 Comment

Two updates at the Political State Report

Past Redistricting Attempts with the extended text from Rich Miller’s Capitol Fax. An interesting ‘insight’ into Da Speaker.

DuPage County Republicans Canabilizing Each Other. Cleaned up version of the typical Illinois Circular Firing Squad Team article focusing on the battles in DuPage and what that means.

Senate Impressions

ArchPundit August 26, 2003 0 Comment

Jeff Trigg hits up two posts on the Senate,

1) His Impressions of the Republican Senate Candidates

The only issue I take with his comments is that while Rauschenberger lacks some of the social graces one is accustomed to in politicians (essentially he doesn’t suffer fools–but assumes everyone is a fool creating a problem talking to anyone on a one-on-one basis) he has a good shot due to some pretty good connections throughout the Illinois Senate and is close to Hastert. I wouldn’t make him a favorite, but he has a shot to do well.

2) He identifies the like Libertarian Candidate for US Senate who sounds interesting at least.