The Bear Facts...

Yes, this is another long one! I tried to keep it as short as possible. Unfortunately, I felt I needed to explain everything in detail so it could be better understood. If bad luck has followed anyone around like a lost puppy, it would have to be me. So, bear with me while I tell my latest saga and unfortunate true tale;

I am sure most of us are familiar with tow quotes; “Honesty is the best policy” and “No good deed goes unpunished”. Well, I have tried to practice the honesty thing as much as possible as it is the way I was raised and have always been taught; “in the end, honesty will always be rewarded”. Yes, honesty is rewarded; unfortunately it’s the liars that always come out ahead.

In November 2007, I was employed by Admiral Security Services, Inc. I was assigned to East Point Condominium on North Sheridan Road shortly after an Admiral employee resigned with no notice. At the time, I could not understand why an employee would resign with no notice, but after my experience with Neil Shaughnessy, Morgan Brown and Admiral Security, I now fully understand his state of mind. I was given a crash training course and was introduced to Neil Shaughnessy, East Point Condominium Manager. When I started, I was informed Neil is the type of manager who believes status quo is just fine. Neil is the type of person who firmly believes; “If it’s broken and it still works, why bother fixing it”? Neil will only spend time and money if it is absolutely necessary and he was faced with no other recourse of action.

On several occasions, I submitted incident reports regarding security violations, safety violations and disregard to personal property by East Point parking garage staff. Being a former private investigator, I was more observant than any of the other door staff employed by Admiral and posted at East Point Condominium. I was also one of the only employees who went out of his way to accommodate the residents. Shortly after I was assigned at East Point, I was retrieving a package for a resident from the package room when I not only smelled something burring but also found a plastic bag which was placed in front of an electric space heater in the package room. Not knowing I would be accused of placing the bag in front of the heater “for attention”, I moved the bag away from the heater and avoided a major fire as there were not only packages in the room but several gallons of enamel paint. I submitted an incident report and was immediately reprimanded by Neil Shaugnessy the following day. I was also informed Admiral would be notified of the incident. As proof could not be obtained I placed the bag in front of the heater, the matter was dropped and I only received a verbal warning regarding placing flammable objects in front of a heat source.

My shift consisted of four afternoon shifts and one midnight shift. Only one door person is assigned to each shift and no relief is given for the 8 hour shift. The door person must eat meals at the main desk and is allowed limited time for use of the facilities. At no time does building maintenance or garage staff relieve door staff as it is not a part of their assigned duties. Being we are not afforded any breaks, we must bring food with us. In the package room, is a refrigerator/freezer for door staff to use. Because the package room was a controlled room, the only employees who held keys for the package room were the building manager, door staff and maintenance. Usually on payday,  I would purchase frozen dinners and store them in the freezer for use when I needed them. On a regular basis, I would spend approximately $30 for two weeks worth of food. Approximately a month after I was first assigned to East Point, I started to notice my food was disappearing. As the engineers/maintenance have their own refrigerator in their break room, and Pedro Hernandez, the head engineer, lived in a unit within the building, I didn’t suspect any of the maintenance staff stealing the food. The supervisor who worked the morning shift always brought his own food, was highly diabetic and must maintain a special diet because of the diabetes. The only other person who could take the food was the door person assigned normally to the midnight shift. As soon as I noted food was missing, I submitted an incident report stating food was being taken without my permission. At first Neil Shaughnessy did not take any action regarding the petty theft and even went as far as to accuse me of consuming it myself and not remembering. Morgan Brown, Operations Manager for Admiral reprimanded me for misuse of incident reports and unfounded accusations of theft that could not be proven. Every time I purchased food, I would photograph the food in the freezer with the camera in my phone and update the photograph when I would remove an item. Again, food started to disappear and again I submitted an incident report. Eventually a notice was issued regarding removal of food items from the freezer, however, neither Admiral nor Neil Shaugnessy took the claim seriously or looked into the theft of my food. At this point, considering I was upsetting Neil’s status quo, both Admiral and Neil began to search for reasons to terminate my employment.

On February 22, 2008, I was preparing to leave after I had completed my shift. When I entered the parking garage, I noted the parking attendant was not in the office and was no where to be found. After I had placed my items inside my vehicle, I started the car and was preparing to pull out of the parking space when I noted the interior lights on inside the vehicle parked next to my vehicle. I shut off my vehicle and attempted to find the parking attendant so he could enter the resident’s vehicle and turn off the interior lights so she would not have a dead battery in the morning. After 10 minutes of waiting on the first floor, the garage attendant finally returned. I informed him of the vehicle, he opened the driver’s door, sat inside the vehicle and did not know how to shut off the interior lights. When I was a private investigator, two vehicles I used for surveillance were a Pontiac Montana EXT minivan and a Chevrolet Venture EXT minivan. Most GM vehicles use the same parts to save money. It was a coincidence the resident’s vehicle was an Oldsmobile with the same headlamp and dimmer control switch as one of the minivans I used. I pointed to the dimmer switch and instructed the attendant to rotate the wheel all the way down then rotate it back up until it stopped, but did not click. The garage attendant did as I instructed, he got out of the Oldsmobile, closed the door and within 5 minutes the interior lights dimmed off. Tow days later, Gene Weiskopff, an Admiral supervisor,  came to east Point and accused me of illegally entering a resident’s vehicle. When the supervisor Mr. Weiskopff entered the lobby, I observed him holding an envelope with my name and address on the face. At this point with all the false accusations being made toward me, I was a little upset. I emphatically explained the actual events and was informed there is video of me entering the resident’s vehicle. I stressed I did not enter the vehicle and even suggested a polygraph to prove I was not lying. Mr. Weiskopff stated he will talk with Morgan Brown and Neil Shaugnessy and review the tape again. Before Mr. Weiskopff left, he tucked the envelope inside his jacket. On February 28, 2008, the same envelope I observed Gene Weiskopff holding I received in the mail. The letter, titled as “FINAL WARNING”, not only was I accused of illegally entering a resident’s vehicle, I was also accused of being away from the main desk and in the garage “3 to 5 times” during my shift. I attempted to contact Morgan Brown who stated he viewed the video tape and clearly observed me entering the resident’s vehicle as well as video showing me entering the garage at “unauthorized” times during my shift. I insisted on allowing me to view the video to verify the claims, however, I was informed the video was property of East Point management and not available for me to view, but, was assured I was identified as the subject entering the vehicle.

I contacted Local 1 Service Worker’s Union and spoke with Terry Townes. I explained to Mr. Townes what occurred and was assured he would speak with Morgan Brown. Mr. Townes telephoned me several days later and informed me I was identified as the subject entering the vehicle, however, he was able to have the “final warning” reduced to a “verbal warning” and the “FINAL WARNING" would be removed from my employee file. I also enquired on the “3 to 5 times” I was observed in the garage area. Mr. Townes informed me, one time was when I arrived at work and dropped the vehicle off, the second time was when I picked my vehicle up after work, another time was when I brought the key to a resident’s vehicle ,(which was parked on the main drive), to the garage because the garage attendants would not answer the radio or the telephone and two other times could not be fully verified, however, Rick Smith the garage manager observed me in the garage. Again I insisted on viewing the video that showed me entering the vehicle and again my request was denied. Taking Terry Townes word the ‘Final Warning” would be removed from my employee file, I let the matter drop for the time being.

East Point Condominium is a controlled entry building which means, all the residents have key fobs that open the entrance doors. When a visitor or guest wishes to visit a resident, part of the door person’s responsibility is to verify the guest before they are allowed upstairs. The door person has a directory with all the residents and phone numbers so visitors can be announced as well as verify access into the building. The door person also opens the door for residents for courtesy or in the event a resident forgets his/her keys. When the door person is away using the facilities or retrieving items from the package room, a sign is placed upon the desk that states; “door person will return momentarily”. Considering there is only one door person per shift and no relief, persons entering the building must wait until the door person returns.

East Point residents very from very young to elderly residents living on their own. One such elderly resident is 94 years old, very stubborn and has severe Alzheimer’s disease. Most of the staff are polite to her, but never go out of their way to assist her or befriend her. Neil Shaugnessy views her as a nascence and bother. Considering both of my grandparents developed Alzheimer’s and my mother is now beginning to develop the condition, I have learned how to respond to subjects with the condition and how to correspond with them. A lot of times I would have the same conversation with Bess we just had 5 minutes previously. I actually enjoyed giving her the attention considering the two caregivers who brought her food and attended to her did not come over very often, as far as I know, she did not have any family and her power of attorney was in Memphis Tennessee. Bess also learned she could trust me and knew she could always talk to me. Given she has Alzheimer’s, in some odd way, she was able to remember me.

On April 10, 2008 at approximately 6:30pm, Bess came down to the main desk and informed me her telephone was broken. I attempted to contact Pedro Hernandez, the engineer who lives in the building and is on-call for any situations. Pedro informed me the telephone could wait and he did not feel it was enough of an emergency where he should have to take his free time and fix her telephone. Pedro also made the comment; “She should have more than one phone in her unit”. I attempted to contact one of the caregivers, however, she stated her daughter has her minivan and she has no way to get to East Point. I did not contact Admiral, because with previous dealing with supervisors, I would be told; “It’s not our responsibility, let someone else handle it”. The only problem is, no one else would much less go out of their way to assist Bess on a regular basis. Considering no one was willing to assist Bess, I decided to take the initiative and attempt to repair the telephone myself. I did go up to her unit because, if I asked Bess to bring the telephone down to me, she would forget what she went up to her unit for and she would return to the desk stating her phone was broken and we would go through the same request over again. My intentions were to retrieve the phone, bring it down to the desk and work on it at the desk. As I returned from Bess’ unit with the telephone, Pedro Hernandez was standing behind the desk and asked me where I was. I was fairly angry at him so I told him, “I went up to Bess’ unit to retrieve the phone that YOU refused to repair”. Before Pedro left, he instructed me to call Neil Shaugnessy at home. I did as I was instructed and immediately Neil enquired where I was. I explained about the telephone, how Bess would not be able to telephone the desk, fire department or police in the event of an emergency, or, could door staff call upstairs to verify visitors or to verify if Bess was OK. Neil’s response was; “You have a job to do and we can not cater to every need of all the residents. Someone else can fix her telephone”. He also stated he was not sure what he wanted to do with me as I have been a nuisance since I started at East Point.  I have made allegations about missing food and fires in the package room when in fact I was creating these incidents for attention. Considering the telephone could not be repaired, I called another resident whom I was friends with and asked if she could go to Walgreen’s and purchase a cheap telephone for Bess to use until her caregiver could replace the phone with a better one. I gave the resident all the money I had which was $5 and asked she buy what she could with the $5. The resident returned with a cheap touch tone and I instructed her on how to hook it up which she did without any problems.

The next day, my supervisor was already aware of the situation and made the suggestion I should have appeased her and told her I would call the phone company to fix the phone for her. In the mean time, she would be waiting for a repair person and be without a telephone. For the next three days a new door person was being trained, but no notice was given on why. On April 15, 2008, I received a phone call from Morgan Brown stating I violated a rule and was therefore terminated from employment with Admiral Security. I accepted the termination as the last time I filed a grievance with the union, nothing was accomplished and the union took the side of the employer despite lack of solid evidence to substantiate Admiral and Neil Shaughnessy’s claims.

One month after I was terminated I was not successful in regaining employment and I had outstanding bills to pay, I elected to apply for unemployment until I could gain new employment. A week after filing I was notified by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Admiral was protesting the filing and a telephone hearing would be conducted. When the representative from the Illinois Department of employment Security contacted me on the given date, I explained everything that led up to my termination. The representative found in my favor and I was able to receive unemployment benefits beginning the last week in June and had been receiving benefits since. On August 16, I received notification from the Illinois Department of employment Security Admiral Security Services was appealing the decision and another telephone hearing would be held on August 25, 2008. I was also informed if the decision goes against me, all benefits I received would have to be paid back to IDES. Admiral was being represented by a firm by the name of “Personnel Planners Incorporated”. After researching the company, I found out they are a law firm that represents employers in unemployment hearings. I could apply for free legal help, however, no one could see my reason for leaving the desk as a “valid” excuse despite this 94 year old woman being alone and not having any way to contact anyone or anyone being able to contact her.

I received a letter from Personnel Planners, Inc. on August 22 and inside was the “final Warning” Terry Townes stated would be removed from my employee file and supposedly reduced to a “warning”. Hallie V Kurth, the attorney representing Admiral Security Services intended on entering this false accusation as an exhibit that led to my termination. Never once was the allegation of me illegally entering a resident’s vehicle verified by anyone including Ms. Kurth who was representing Admiral Security. On August 25, I went into the hearing alone with no legal representation and attempted to defend myself and my actions, however, my actions were not viewed as “justifiable” and a decision was made in favor of Admiral and Personnel Planners. I now have to repay the Department of Employment Security all the benefits I received in the time I was unemployed. Who knows, Admiral and Personnel Planners may try to get one last punch in and sue me for attorney fees as well. Why not kick a person while they’re down, make sure they won’t get back up. Be the big tough bully and try to take what little possessions I have left and take what is left of my pride and self respect.

So, in the end, I was punished for not lying, for attempting to assist an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s who nobody wanted to help and for trying to do the right thing. Yes, it is very true, “No good deed does go unpunished”.

While reading today's Chicago Sun-Times I really enjoyed Jack Higgins' Opinion. Apparently Jack Higgins shares the same opinion abut The Chicago City Council's meeting with Superintendent Weis as most of Chicago does. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

THANKS JACK! You hit the nail right on the head, (as usual)!!

For a while I have been thinking about and considering options for the State of Illinois to consider in regards to issuance of Firearm Owner Identification cads, (FOID) and a form of gun control.

Recently, I have been considered for a very "influential" position. With any "influential" position, a detailed background check is required. One part of the background check is allowing exclusive access and disclosure of any and all medical records. If a candidate refuses access, they are automatically disqualified for any and all positions offered.

Owning a firearm is a huge responsibility. A motor vehicle operator is tested to ensure the operator is qualified enough to operate a motor vehicle as well as knows all of the laws that apply to driving. I do realize with the way most people operate their vehicles, it would appear that they put a quarter in a vending machine and received their license. I do agree that tighter restrictions should apply to operating a motor vehicle and should also include operation of pedal operated vehicles, (AKA; bicycles), but, I will reserve that for another entry.

Just as a motor vehicle is required to know laws and the ability to operate a vehicle, a forearm owner should be required to know a firearm and the laws in regards to firearm ownership. With incidents such as Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University in mind, I started questioning and thinking how can we tighten restrictions on firearm ownership. Taking the Northern Illinois murderer into consideration, I would have been suspicious just by the tattoos which were displayed on his arms. How and why mental capacity wasn’t questioned with a tattoo that portrays the puppet from the horror/ slasher movie “Saw”. Yes, this is a free country and anyone does have the option of having any tattoo they wish on their own body, but, the way I view it, someone who has a demonic sign or a character like the puppet from “Saw” raises serious mental questions. Portraying those types of tattoos should raise serious question and reason enough to investigate a person’s background. Those types of tattoos are like gang tattoos and represent something evil and or demonic. If someone is warped enough to idolize a killer from a slasher movie should not be allowed to own a firearm.

If the U.S. Government requires complete disclosure of background and medical records, why can’t the State of Illinois require the same? When a firearm is purchased, the buyer must wait a mandatory 3 day waiting period and must complete a firearm ownership form for that firearm. Considering the purchaser already has a FOID, the dealer is taking for granted the purchaser is legally as well as mentally capable of ownership. However, the background checks required for an FOID is very vague and doesn’t go deep into a person’s background. An applicant is checked for a criminal history, but that really is the extent of the background. The Illinois State Police should not only perform a criminal background check for an FOID, but, should also allow complete disclosure of all medical records as well as a questionnaire in regards to ownership, family history and medical background. If a person discloses they have psychological assistance, their application should be “red-flagged” and investigated more thoroughly. A person who refuses to or fails to disclose a medical background will be cause for reject of an application.  An applicant must also sign a release allowing full disclosure of all and complete medical records and disclose every physician, psychologist and doctor who has examined the applicant. If an applicant is found to have falsified any medical information including psychological, the FOID is immediately revoked and all firearms are seized. If the applicant is found competent by a medical professional selected by the Illinois State Police, the FOID may be returned at the discretion of the Illinois State Police.

I also believe all states should require a similar form of identification as the FOID. If all states require an FOID, then a person from Illinois who was denied an FOID can not go to surrounding states to purchase a firearm. If all states require a form of ownership identification, a purchaser can not go to Tennessee and purchase a firearm and bring it back into Illinois. I also believe all firearm purchases outside of the state of residence should be investigated by The Illinois State Police, especially if several firearms were purchased at the same time or on the same date. I believe all serial numbers as well as twist and muzzle print filed for ownership with the state police. If a firearm is registered at the time of purchase with muzzle twist and striations, if the firearm is used in a homicide, a bullet with twist, striation and muzzle print is already on file. I guess one can view it as an AFIS for firearms, as each firearm has a unique and distinct print. If a barrel is replaced, the state police or ATF is automatically notified by the manufacturer or gun smith and a new print and bullet sample is refilled for that particular firearm. If an owner sells a firearm, the Illinois State Police and or ATF must be notified so ownership records are updated and the new owner can be traced.

My idea is only a rough draft. Anyone who wishes to modify it, please feel free. If The Illinois State Police and ATF believe my proposal or ideas show merit, or wish to initiate any form of my ideas please feel free to do so. I do realize that there are holes in my proposal, alteration and  some adjustments will need to be made, but, I believe if a thorough background check is performed, including medical and psychological, if all states initiate a form of firearm owner authorization, if federal dealer requirements include verification of state of residence as well as the knowledge of ownership laws and requirements,  if a firearm is registered with the state of residence and ATF, if ATF sets up a database similar to AFIS specifically for firearms and bullets fired from the firearms, I do believe we will not only be able to track firearms used in homicides, but also reduce the amount of illegal firearms on the street as well as owners who should not possess firearms.

I have a mulberry tree in my back yard. It has been a part of our family since we purchased the house and has grown with the family. The tree has always stood fast and strong and has always endured all the weather Mother Nature throws at it. On June 15, heavy thunder storms roiled through the Chicago area with winds in excess of 65mph. Two large branches from the tree across the street were broken off and were laying in the street, but, other than a few misplaced Mulberries, our strong tree seemed to whether the storm, at least that is what I thought. At 3am this morning, I could not sleep and was watching a movie on Starz when I thought I heard something fall in the yard. I looked outside and everything seemed to be fine, so, I didn't worry too much and chalked it up to someone throwing trash away, or, something in the alley. I decided to walk outside to make sure everything was in order and no one had thrown a brick through the windshield of my car again. As I walked through the yard, I observed a LARGE branch that had apparently been weakened by the thunderstorm on the 15 and finally broken off lying across the yard with the power line bowed underneath it. The power line is not the main power line, but, the power line leading from the pole to our house. I checked the alley to make sure there was no danger to drivers and made sure the tree branch and power line was not affecting my neighbor.

At 3:10am, after all my preliminary safety checks were completed, I returned inside to call for assistance. I called 311, described the situation and I was instructed to call Com-Ed as the fire department is pretty much at the mercy of ComEd, as the power must be cut in order for them to do anything anyway. I immediately called ComEd to report the partially downed wire. I described the situation to the ComEd representative and was informed a technician would be out "AS SOON AS POSSIBLE" to handle the partially down wire. I hung up satisfied that I would see ComEd within a reasonable amount of time given the severity of the incident. 4:00am, ComEd still a no-show and the wire is still bowed under the weight of the branch. 5:00am, nothing, at 6:00am I decided to call ComEd back and find out if they are dispatching the truck from Iowa or from Montana. I was informed; "The technicians are aware of the problem, but no one has been assigned as of yet and I can not give you an ETA for a technician at this time". Great!! I have a partially downed high voltage wire in my yard. All someone has to do is walk into it and they will get the full effect of what it's like to be seated and zapped in "Old Sparky".  Not to mention, the branch is heavy enough where it is lying on the ground, has the wire stretched and weighted down far enough a person can touch it without reaching up. I don't know how much more pressure the wire can take before it completely disconnects from the house, or, breaks where the branch is laying across it.

If the wire breaks, or disconnects from the entry point at the meter, the situation will escalate from serious to critical. I can live with no power and no A/C until ComEd imports a repair truck from Japan. I can find something to occupy my time other than writing an entry on how ComEd maintains we receive exceptional service, charges us for service we really DON'T receive and still wants to increase rates for service. My real concern is the downed power line lying across the alley, or, landing on the metal fence we have around our yard. Instant electric fence. It will keep the neighborhood kids out of the yard, however, I don't think I am ready to accept the liability of someone being fried by my newly acquired property defense.

All joking aside, I notified ComEd at 3am of a potentially dangerous situation. At the time of this writing, I have yet to see or hear from ComEd. No technician has been assigned to the hazard, and no repair time has been specified. 9 hours and ComEd still has not assigned a technician or arrived to resolve the danger. ComEd wants to raise the rates and charge us even more for service. A power line has been partially down in my yard for the upside of 9 hours. This is an extremely dangerous situation. CFD can not do anything because they are at the mercy of ComEd. I REFUSE to go out and try to remove the branch from the power line to keep the line from breaking and possibly electrocuting someone. I really don't understand this. I explained how dangerous the situation is. I told ComEd the power line is under the weight and pressure of the tree branch and is in serious danger of breaking. I was told, "We will have someone out there AS SOON AS POSSIBLE". I NEVER realized in a dangerous situation "As soon as possible"  would be several hours from the time ComEd was called. I am really glad that all emergency situations are not handled in this format. A person's house is in flames, the fire department is called, emergency services states;  "We will be there as soon as possible" . Several hours later the fire department arrives after the house and the rest of the block is smoldering embers and just in time to make the comment; "what do you need us for, the fire is out".

I am sure that there are EXTREMELY important issues that the ComEd technicians need to address, like, which carwash in Chicago is large enough to fit a heavy truck with a extension arm, or, which McDonald's still offers the Indiana Jones action figures. The power line is going to break, and then we will have a critical situation where I WILL have to call the fire department and two police units will have to be removed from service to block off the alley until ComEd decides to finally assign the incident to a technician. Tow units that coals be doing something more productive than babysitting a downed power line because ComEd doesn't understand the concept of "imminent danger".

I briefly paused in writing this entry and attempted another plea for ComEd to assign a technician to the incident. Again I stressed the severity of the situation. The representative enquired how large or heavy is the branch on the power line.  Again, as I stressed at 3:00am, the branch is large enough and heavy enough to be lying on the ground and have the power line extended low enough where someone can reach out and touch it. The representative said she was upgrading the severity of the ticket and will have someone out within the next two hours. The representative also stated the original work order was issued at a "low" status, which translates to; "when you have time and can get to it, there is no emergency". Even though I stressed how severe the situation is, the original representative put the order at a "low" status.

It is now mid-day with the temperature in the 80's and sunny. ComEd will have to cut the power at the transformer in order to remove the branch and re-tension the line in order for it to be high enough so a person can not touch or grab it. Cutting the power at the transformer will cut the power for the entire block. That means my neighbors will be without power and air conditioning for possibly an hour or more. If ComEd had assigned a technician at 3am when I first called, the technician could have cut the power, removed the tree branch and repaired my power line all before anyone was up or realized that there was a short power outage. If ComEd addressed the situation at 3am, when it was dark, with cooler temperatures than at mid-day, it would be fixed and taken care of already. Now at the hottest point of the day, they are re-issuing the work order at a higher level because of the imminent danger or severity of the situation. Now everyone that receives power from that transformer will have to suffer because of ComEd and their foul-up.

It is currently 2:20pm and I am still waiting for ComEd to arrive. I was given a time frame of one to two hours. I am REALLY glad that ComEd doesn't view this as a potentially hazardous condition, especially considering the power line has been stressed under the weight of a large tree branch for over 9 hours. With the service we receive and the response time for a technician in an emergency, I am really surprised ComEd is allowed to raise rates. But then again, Enron was in operation for years. Enron deceived and scammed the west cost for a long time before the federal government found out that the executives were lining their pockets and not meeting needs of the customers. I wonder how long it will take before the federal government finds out about the inadequate service Exelon/ ComEd are subjecting us to.

If you have ever visited or live in Cook County, (AKA; Crook County), or in Chicago, you are not only familiar with Dirty Dick Daley but also with "The Prez" Todd Stroger. Cook County and Chicago are notorious for some of the highest taxes in the nation. Everything in Chicago and Crook County is taxed and not just general sales tax but specialized taxes as well. Chicago and Crook County are the only city and county in the nation that applies taxes to existing taxes. Mayor Daley and the Chicago City Council in their infinite wisdom have even applied a tax to bottled water. Because of Mayor Dick Daley and "The Prez" Stroger, gasoline has skyrocketed well above $4.50 a gallon when anywhere outside Crook County gasoline averages about $4.20 per gallon.

In one of my former lives, I used to be a private investigator. Being a P.I. I did a LOT of traveling. I have traveled as far as Kansas City Missouri and as close as the south side of Chicago. When I was assigned an investigation, I would use a minivan for surveillances. For the most part, a minivan is fairly fuel thrifty, but, not as much of a miser as some of the midsized cars produced today. A majority of vehicles produced today are also "flex-fuel" vehicles or "Hybrids". Even though more and more vehicles are being produced as "flex-fuel" and becoming very popular with consumers, Chicago and Crook county, in their infinite wisdom, (unless one is hidden in a dark remote area like the former speak easy's of the 1920's), has yet to have a fuel station that carries Ethanol, or, by its commercial name; E-85. Outside of Crook County and Chicago, selected fuel stations like "Gas City" do carry and encourage the use of E-85 Ethanol. Even throughout the state of Illinois, E-85 is scarce and a majority of the fuel stations only carry gasoline or diesel. Fuel stations throughout the state of Illinois don't even carry bio-diesel despite several vehicles being converted and produced to burn bio-diesel. However, if you travel to Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin or Missouri, there are hardly any fuel stations that do not sell Ethanol fuel.

While traveling to Kansas City in 2006, "Map quest" suggested a route through Iowa and into Missouri. The trip turned out to be about 9 hours, mostly because I like to sight see and take photographs. Considering the length of the trip, I needed to stop for fuel just outside of Dubuque. One thing that surprised me was the price of fuel in Iowa compared not only to the price of fuel in Chicago but the entire state of Illinois. At the time regular gasoline in Illinois was around $3.10 a gallon and regular gasoline was hovering around $3.25 a gallon. Regular gasoline in Dubuque was about $2.75 a gallon and Ethanol was priced at $2.25 per gallon. I was driving a 2004 model GM minivan which was flex-fuel compatible. Not only did the van run smoother and have better acceleration with Ethanol, I also saved $.50 per gallon by purchasing Ethanol instead of unleaded. While in Missouri, I purchased Ethanol and saved just as much on my fuel.

With so many benefits with Ethanol, I don't understand why there isn't a bigger push toward making more vehicles that burn Ethanol and why Chicago has yet to have a fuel station that actually carries Ethanol. Ethanol is alcohol made from corn. Unlike gasoline, corn is clean burning and does not deplete the ozone layer. Corn can be harvested almost anywhere and is not dependant on drilling or how plentiful crude oil is. We can write off OPEC and not have to depend on Middle East countries to purchase oil at inflated prices. We could actually put funds back into the pockets of Americans who are on financial aid because they are not making a profit with corn crops. America could become another economic super power by producing our own fuel. With the development of Ethanol, we are giving our own farmers a chance to make some decent money for a change because the call for corn would be outstanding. The American farmer could actually make a substantial profit and they could actually live decent lives for a change rather than worry how they are going to make their bills for the month, or, if they can afford to send their children to school. Ethanol is better all around. It's good for the economy, it's good for the farmers and it is good for our environment.

The American farmer has been suffering for years to make ends meet to feed families, buy more land and raise new crops. Every year more and more farmers sell off land that they can not afford because of miniscule profits. More and more farms are "closing" and being sold to developers who build suburban communities rather than use the land for farming. Back in 1978, my uncle moved to Woodstock, Illinois. In 1978, I used to enjoy going out to Woodstock because once you pass Hoffman Estates, there was really nothing but farms and farm land. A few years ago, developers started buying that land and started developing "communities". More and more farms disappeared, more and more "communities" and suburbs stated to pop up. More and more people started moving from Chicago out to these new developed suburbs. When I go out to Woodstock to visit my uncle, I can not believe how many farms were destroyed by these developers. Farms that could now produce corn for Ethanol. Farms that could help our economy by growing corn.

Critics of Ethanol say the refineries would have to pay millions for new equipment to refine the corn into Ethanol and that even if the refineries buy the new equipment, there still would not be enough corn grown to supply the nation with fuel needs. Well, gee, if we actually tried to HELP the farmers rather than develop communities and airports on land where corn could be grown, maybe it would not be a factor. The critics that are opposed to producing Ethanol most likely have some connection with big oil corporation. Right now, big oil can quote prices and use the oil shortage to increase prices and make a hefty profit off of the American consumer. Automobile manufacturers are against Ethanol because they have to develop vehicles that burn Ethanol. The American consumer is brainwashed by big oil and automobile manufacturers to believe gasoline will never be replaced and we will always be dependant upon gasoline as a fuel for our vehicles. If big oil wasn't opposed to Ethanol, why do stations only have one or two pumps dedicated to Ethanol? Why is Ethanol so hard to find in The State of Illinois, Crook County and the City of Chicago? Big oil is opposed to ethanol because they will have to spend money on equipment to produce Ethanol and automobile manufacturers are opposed to ethanol because of the technology they have to devise for Ethanol vehicles.

The only automobile manufacturer who is making real strides is Toyota. Toyota produces a hybrid for almost every model they produce. Yes, Ford does produce Hybrids and Honda also produces Hybrids. But for the most part, all the automobile manufacturers still produce gasoline consumable vehicles. I have seen commercials for Honda's Hydrogen/ fuel cell vehicles. I am sure everyone has seen the commercial at least once. The Hydrogen/ fuel cell vehicle is also a great idea, except, where are they? Consumers are being told that fuel cell vehicles are becoming more of a possibility every day. Ok, how many days do we have to wait for the possibility to be a fact? Gasoline is already over $4.00 a gallon. People can not afford to buy groceries or pay bills because they are buying gasoline for their cars. People like lemmings off a cliff, keep flocking to dealerships to purchase now gasoline burning vehicles. Yes, SOME of the new vehicles produced are more fuel thrifty than previous models, but, they are still GAOLINE POWERED!!!! This goes back to being brainwashed that there is no alternative to and for gasoline.

In the 70's advocates protested Vietnam until the service men were withdrawn. Protesters today are protesting the Iraq war. Boycotts have been established to protest the use of fur, war, employee benefits and work ethics. Why on God's green earth can we as a nation say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!" and boycott big oil and automobile manufacturers. Don't buy new cars or vehicles. Don't purchase gas or diesel for your cars and trucks. Start walking, riding a bicycle or limited public transportation. The big problem is, Americans are fat, stubborn and extremely lazy. We drive two blocks to the store just for convenience. Instead of walking and getting exercise, we jump in the car and drive two or three blocks to the store for a loaf of bread. Go to Toys 'R' Us, buy yourself a Radio Flyer wagon, go on EBay and the money you spend in a month on gasoline, you could BUY YOUR OWN GROCERY CART!!! Buy a pack mule or horse and wagon. You don't like public transportation and want to use your own? You don't want to give up your sporty convertible? Easy solution, instead of sending a thoroughbred to the glue factory because it is 5 years old and too old to race, adopt it. There you have it, sporty and fast!!! Low carbon emissions and all it burns is hay and alfalfa. Convert all the parking lots in the loop area to stables with hitching posts. Worried about your investment being stolen? Stick a "Lo Jack" up the horse’s butt. The only drawback to adopting a thoroughbred is color options. You basically have your choice of light brown or dark brown. The color dilemma can also be corrected by going to the local Wal*Mart or CVS and purchasing a few boxes of hair coloring. There you have it, you can even have purple, hot pink, or, pumpkin orange if you so desire. Maybe when auto manufacturers and big oil get the message, they will start producing the "promised" fuel cell vehicle, more Ethanol vehicles, more bio-diesel vehicles and the fuel needed to power them. So your $40,000.00 Range Rover or Hummer will smell like the local taco or hamburger stand. So you will have people licking the tail pipe of your Tahoe thinking it's a French fry. So what if you’re Yukon smells like Burger King or Mc Donald’s, you eat there so often you and the staff are on first name basis. I think owning a bio-diesel vehicle or truck is a small sacrifice for our economy and for the environment. It is a proven fact, bio-diesel vehicles produce less carbon emissions than regular diesel vehicles. Annette Bening in "The American President" summed it up perfectly when she was talking to one Congresswoman on the telephone, "Come on board Congresswoman, we'll make your Volvo a classic". Again, this goes back to automobile manufacturers and big oil knowing the facts and refusing to accept them. If we as a Nation say; "enough is enough" and refuse to purchase their "products", that would pressure them to make the change, spend the money needed for development, step in the right direction and have a majority of Ethanol pumps, Hydrogen pumps and bio-diesel pumps and only have one or two gasoline pumps at each fuel station. Put some pressure on Chicago City Council, Mayor Dick Daley and "The Prez" Todd Stroger to encourage big oil and fuel stations to offer Ethanol, bio-diesel and in the future, hydrogen cells instead of gasoline and diesel.

Not too long ago, Chicago gained a new superintendent of police. Jody Weis is a former FBI director from Pennsylvania. Mr. Weis is originally from Chicago and I think he will make great strides in repairing the broken-down Chicago Police Department. A lot of Chicago Police Officers do not like Superintendent Weis because he wants to implement change. Before Phil cline was given the reins of the department, officers requested and were permanently assigned to station desk duty because they get to wear their badge and gun and act like cops, but not do all the "dirty" cop work like actually going out and arresting criminals. Phil Cline changed that and I applauded him for it. EVERYONE pulls street duty regardless of rank or position. His first day as Superintendent Phil Cline made a drug bust. Phil Cline was a street cop who just happened to be the superintendent of police. Bravo Phil. Jody Weis is doing Phil Cline one better. Superintendent Weis is setting a physical fitness mandate for all officers. I am not saying the entire department is fat and lazy, but, the ones who are complaining about the physical fitness mandate are usually the ones who really need this type of ultimatum. One of Superintendent Weis' goals is to supply districts with 4x4 Chevrolet Tahoe’s. I was familiar with a Chicago Police Detective at a condominium I was assigned to. Just after Jody Weis' appointment, I asked the detective's opinion of Mr. Weis. The detective started off with the physical fitness mandate and ended with how stupid of an idea giving Tahoe’s to the districts was. The detective made a comment about the fuel shortage, the price of fuel and how he not only wants to spend money on these big vehicles but on fuel for them. Let's back track a few paragraphs here. Chevrolet offers two or three very substantial alternatives to "gasoline only" Tahoe’s. One major alternative, buy "flex-fuel" Tahoe’s, Caprices and Crown Victoria's and replace the fuel pumps at the district repair shops with Ethanol pumps. Chicago could be known as the city that took a big step in "green environment" and replacing all the gasoline vehicles and pumps with Ethanol and bio-diesel. Another alternative that will put Chicago in the media on a positive note would be to purchase hybrid Chevrolet cars and Tahoe’s. True, they will still burn gasoline, but it is a small step toward a "green city". Third option is getting together with Chevrolet or Ford and making a landmark milestone. Produce and use the very first bio-diesel police Tahoe’s, Explorers or Expeditions. Yes, the cost might be a little high, but think of the positive publicity Chicago would receive for having the first and ONLY Ethanol, Hybrid or bio-diesel vehicles in the nation. In the event critics are doubting this idea and saying it will never work. Let me remind you of one minor detail and fact, race cars do not use gasoline any more. For the last 20 years they have been using Ethanol as a fuel. NASCAR race cars produce 800 horsepower and with a restrictor plate only travels 190mph. If the restrictor plate was removed, they could reach speeds in excess of 200mph. Any doubts on speed or catching fleeing vehicles? Because Ethanol burns more efficient and at a hotter temperature, the fuel produces more power.

What surprises me the most is, all the consumers who want fast sporty cars that can go from zero to sixty in the time it takes to say, "DUH", why automobile manufacturers are not pushing and producing "Ethanol only" vehicles. Everybody wants speed and performance. A person can not even purchase a luxury car without a zero to sixty rating and how much horsepower the engine can produce. Cadillac used to be known for long luxurious vehicles. Lincoln's top selling car at one time was the Continental. The Cadillac Fleetwood was discontinued years ago and I don't even know if Lincoln even produces the Continental anymore. With consumers wanting speed and power, why on God's green earth is it taking the automobile manufacturers so long to force big oil to produce more ethanol and are still dependant on gasoline? Gasoline is dead, we need to stop depending on an almost non-existent fuel and start making strides to produce a fuel that is not only less harmful to the environment, but less harmful to our economy and pocket books.

One would think after the fuel shortage in the 70's we would learn our lesson. This brings me back to us being fat, lazy and I will add one more to the mix, stupid. Yes, I said it, WE ARE STUPID!!!! When we got ourselves into trouble the first time, we should have started looking into alternative fuels. But NOOOOOOOO, we have to be STUPID and not only produce fuel guzzling vehicles, but drool over them, buy them and beg for more!!! When I was growing up, my dad never purchased an American car. Do you know why? Other than being just shy in weight and size of a M1 Abrams tank, after starting the vehicle, if you removed the gas cap, you could see a small whirlpool in the gas tank. fuel economy didn't mean anything to anyone back then because gasoline was so plentiful there would be NO WAY we could EVER burn it all off in a LIFETIME!! Plus, fuel economy didn't matter because there is a gas station on each corner. You just fill up the tank and go block to block refueling as you go. Yes, that is partly sarcasm, but, it is also very true. While American auto manufacturers were producing cars like the GTO, the Mustang, the LTD, the Fleetwood and the Continental Town car, Volkswagen was producing cars like the type 1 (AKA the Bug), the type 2, (AKA the Carmen Ghia) and the type 4, (the square back). Toyota produced a fuel thrifty and not very popular Corolla, Honda only produced motorcycles and Nissan was known as Dotson and produced the 210 and 310 hatchbacks. Up until 1981, my dad always owned and purchased Volkswagens. In 1980, a fairly new vehicle was making a name for itself, the Honda Accord. While all the American auto manufacturers were struggling to make a fuel efficient car that had more room than a shoebox and that didn't explode when a bird feather fell on the back bumper, Honda, Toyota and Nissan already had the field mastered. It is really strange, Japan and Germany lost the war and they managed to produce the most efficient and solidly produced vehicles on the market. Long before gasoline was in short supplies, Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, Mazda, Toyota and Dotson were producing fuel efficient vehicles that put ALL American automobile manufacturers to shame.

Times don't change and once stupid, always stupid. We recovered slightly from our scare in the 70's despite gasoline jumping from $.25 a gallon to $1.50 in the mid 80's. What do we do? Start importing oil from the Middle East, declare triumph over the gasoline shortage and go back to out stupid ways of building fast, gas-guzzling vehicles. Care to dispute my statement? Ok, if you REALLY want to be embarrassed, I would be more than glad to oblige. Hummer H1 and H2, Two of the most popular SUV's on the road and two with HORRIBLE fuel economy. But that shouldn’t matter, gasoline is in abundant supply, we REALLY don't need that stupid thing called the ozone layer and who cares if other vehicles can't see around you. Just as long as your ride is "pimped", "stylin" and "phat". The last one I agree on. Your ride is fat. Only it's not spelled "phat"  it IS spelled as "FAT" as in FAT HOG, FAT PIG, and FAT UGLY. Put it this way, when you use up all the gasoline, your "pimped-phat ride" will make a really nice play house for the kids or a nice lawn ornament. You also have the option of busting out the windshield, connecting hitches and making it a "true" horse powered vehicle. Go ahead and make fun of the Amish. I have news for you, they won't look half as dumb and stupid as your ugly FAT HOG being pulled by two Suffolk Punch draft horses. Actually, you could go "Stylin" and purchase two Clydesdales, but you will still look just as stupid. The only thing that would be funnier and even more stupid is seeing a $400,000 Bentley hooked up to a draft horse or a Lamborghini or Ferrari with a Thoroughbred as the driving force. Top speed fro your  priceless Ferrari Enzo? 45mph, (with a tailwind).

For a long time people have made fun of Revolutionist’s who predict "The end is near". Well, the end is near. Not so much the end of the world, however, if we keep going the rate we are now, it will be soon. The end I am speaking of is the end of fuel driven vehicles. Promises are being made and not kept, manufacturers are talking of "flex-fuel" vehicles and not producing, promises of fuel cell vehicles and not one is for sale to consumers. Hybrids are being produced and are helping, but, not everyone can afford the price of a hybrid or the waiting period for a hybrid to be delivered. We are still dependant on the Middle East and gasoline to power our vehicles. A lot of people favor Barack Obama for the upcoming election. A lot of people say he will make changes. If I were Senator Obama, I would make one huge drastic change in one step. I would give the oil corporations, fuel station owners and automobile manufacturers an ultimatum and time limit; within a year and a half, (and in my opinion that is VERY generous), ALL vehicles produced must be 100% Ethanol powered, 100% electric, 100% bio-diesel, or, 100% hydrogen fuel cell compatible. All fuel manufacturers must provide the fuel needed in the time frame allocated. Any manufacturer or fuel producer who fails to adhere to these guidelines will face fines. 

In 1776 we declared our independence from England. We as a nation were tired of persecution and tyranny. We were tired of taxes and tariffs. How long will it take for us to declare our independence from tyranny and persecution of gasoline and gasoline prices? When will we as a nation say "enough is enough" and force a change by big oil and automobile manufacturers? The end is near. Unless we do say; "enough is enough" not only will we see the end of the fuel powered vehicle, we may just see the end of the world from a depleted ozone layer.

Last week, The Chicago Sun-Times came forward and endorsed Barrack Obama. I know I will receive a tremendous amount of grief for this but, I like the Chicago Sun-Times. They have a good comic section and I enjoy Quick Hits in the sports section. Other than Quick Hits and the comics, unless a story catches my eye, (like The Sun-Times endorsing Obama), I pretty much ignore the rest of the paper.

 I have been a Republican Judge for the Chicago Board of Elections for approximately 5 years. Since the last election, I have come to realize which ever candidate The Chicago Sun-Times endorses is not the candidate to vote for. Example; The Sun-Times endorsed Todd Stroger in the last election. They printed and had the general public in Chicago believe Todd would do a good job. Apparently not only Chicago but Cook County believed The Sun-Times as Todd won the election. If I am not mistaken, The Sun-Times also endorced Blagojevich as well. Like Lambs to a slaughter and Lemmings off a cliff, voters and the general public of Chicago followed The Chicago Sun-Times' advice.

 Since Rod and Todd won the last election, not only is the State in the worse condition it has EVER been in, but, also Cook County. We all know and can see the damage Rod and Todd are doing.  (Rod and Todd, it even rhymes. It must be an omen. Speaking of omens, I bet if we look under their hair line we might see 666). Since both took office, all they have talked about is taxing us to death.

 This entry however is not about the damage Rod and Todd are doing to the state and the county. This entry is about the Sun-Times endorsing candidates with the political experience and knowledge of a 6th grader. The latest Democratic candidate the Sun-Times has endorsed is.... Barrack Obama. Barrack Obama was just elected as a Senator for the State of Illinois not more than a year ago. How much has he done for the state? Has he done anything for his Senatorial District since he began his quest for the White House? Who is covering his district while he is out pressing the flesh and playing "battle of the wits" with Hilliary Clinton? Barrack Obama has done NOTHING for his district since he began his quest. The biggest joke is, WHEN he loses the Democratic nomination or even the General Election for the presidency, he will resume his senatorial duties like he is returning form an extended weekend. (One heck of an extended weekend there Barrack).

 This is the lack of experience I am talking about. He is making promises on his campaign when he isn't keeping the promises he made when he was elected senator. Todd made promises, Rod made promises, none of which are following up. I think it's laughable Obama thinks just because he is a senator he has enough experience to be the President of the United States. Before John Stroger was struck with a stroke, the residents of Cook County never knew who Todd Stroger was. Until Todd took over for his ailing father, I didn't even know John Stroger had a son. Electing Todd Stroger in as President of the Cook County Board was like giving a 15 year old first time driver the keys to a Ferrari Enzo and telling him not to do anything stupid. (Remember Ferris Buler's Day Off)? The only difference between a 15 year old behind the wheel of a Ferrari Enzo and Todd Stroger behind the wheel of Cook County is, the 15 year old can only crash and destroy the Enzo once, Todd not only cashes the county into a solid brick wall he backs up and makes more runs at the wall because he didn't do enough damage the first couple of times.

 I have no doubt Barrack Obama is a smart and extremely intelligent person. However, I do doubt his loyalty simply because he is still a senator for the State of Illinois and is running for the presidency. Barrack Obama is like a child that was given a Play Station for his birthday. At the time, that Play Station is the state of the art game system. Six months later, a new Play Station is unveiled and makes the former Play Station obsolete. What does little Barrack do? He stops playing with the old Play Station, whines, and cries and begs for the new Play Station. Seeing all his whining and crying won't yield him a new game system, he goes back and plays with the system he was given just six months previous and plays with it like he never even wanted the new system in the first place.

 If Obama had been a senator for several years and was politically seasoned, MAYBE I would agree he has enough experience to be president. If he can't made decisions for his own senate district, how is he going to make decisions for the United States? This isn't a job at McDonald's. This job is running the United States of America. If he doesn't like it, gets tired of it or just plain can't handle the job, he can't just quit. If he is elected, he has to follow through with his commitment. As far as I know, he has never served in the United States Military. Of course today's military isn't the same as it was 20 years ago. In today’s Marines you can DOR in boot camp if you chicken out or find out the Marines are not for you. Why did I pick the Marines as an example? Because the Marines have the toughest boot camp next to special forces training. If Obama doesn't like the job, isn't cut out or qualified enough, or gets picked on by others, he can't go crying to mommy, ask her to make it better and want to quit. Once in, he's in until he is impeached or until his term is over. The only problem is, until that time, he can do a lot of damage to the country; to the financial state of the country and at worst, the security of the country.

 It doesn't matter if you vote Republican or Democratic. Don't vote for a candidate because they are Christian, ex-Navy fighter jock/ Vietnam Veteran, Mormon, female, African American or because a news paper like the Sun-Times tells you to. Learn from the mistakes of electing Todd Stroger and Rod Blagojevich. Vote for a candidate because they deserve the nomination. Vote for a candidate because they are the most QUALIFIED for the office and presidency!

Once upon a time, in a far off land called France; there lived a very wealthy, greedy, egotistical and fat king by the name of Louis. King Louis' wife, Marie Antoinette, was just as greedy and had as much sympathy and compassion for the peasants of France as her husband the king. During the reign of King Louis and Marie Antoinette, there were essentially two types of social classes; upper class and peasants (or common people). The upper class was favored by Louis and because they were favored by Louis, they had food, jobs, homes, educations and did not pay taxes. The peasants, who were not favored by Louis, lived in shacks or on the street, had no food, rotten food or had to steal food, had little to no education, and paid an enormous amount of taxes to support the lavish lifestyle of Louis and his wife Marie Antoinette.

 Louis ruled France with an iron fist and extremely high taxes. Everything in France was taxed by Louis and the only ones who were required to pay the taxes were the peasants or common people. When Louis' high taxes were not paid, Louis imposed heavy penalties such as fines, more taxes, public humiliation, jail and even death. Considering the peasants had no money from paying Louis' high taxes, they did not have money or means to buy food for their families. Disease was also wide spread because the peasants could not afford medical care. When an upper-class died, there was a very public funeral. When a peasant died, the only ones who grieved were family. The upper class was buried in crypts and expensive graves where peasants or commoners were buried in mass graves.

 On a regular basis, Louis would take his expensive carriage and ride through France. On a regular basis, he would see the peasants working in order to pay his high taxes and didn't care for he owned ALL of France and France was the most beautiful country in the world. Louis could not understand how the peasants could make his beautiful country so ugly and blamed the peasants for making his beautiful country so hideous and repulsing. Louis knew of a solution to the riddle, but didn't care because they were commoners and peasants and he was the king. Even when the problem of no food was presented to his wife the queen, her sympathy was less than compassionate.

 After several years or Louis' laws and extreme taxes, the commoners of France decided something must be done about Louis and Marie Antoinette. The peasants were tired of working only to pay Louis' high taxes, tired of serving the wealthy and tired of serving Louis and Marie Antoinette. Commoners were talking about over-throwing the king and installing a new government. A government where only the peasants are taxed and are required to pay taxes, a government that serves the people, not just the upper-class or the wealthy. As the commoners were talking of removing the king, a liberator came forward and led the people in a revolution against the tyrant Louis. After a long revolution, King Louis was dethroned as was his queen, Marie Antoinette. Shortly after Louis' thrown was removed from his rear end, Louis' head was removed from his shoulders by the now famous Guillotine. Shortly after Louis lost his crown, (literally), Marie Antoinette lost hers as well as his royal cabinet of advisors. After the Louis the Awful was dethroned, (and beheaded), France elected a leader for the people who did not tax them for his own benefit and wealth.

The Moral of the story: If you treat your people unfairly like a tyrant, instituting unfair high taxes for your own personal gain, when you hire friends and family for jobs with inflated salaries, you will lose your crown, (and possibly your head).

Jeep owners need be aware and pay close attention to their vehicles. Incidents of Catalytic converters being cut and stolen from Jeep vehicles parked on residential streets are being reported. As only a few instances of the thefts have been reported, not many details are available at this time. The vehicles of choice are Jeep vehicles and so far only thefts from Jeeps have been reported. Jeep vehicles include; Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Compass, Liberty and Commander. It is unknown why Jeeps are specifically targeted or why the catalytic converter is specifically targeted. However, we believe the converters are targeted because of the materials used to produce the emission device.

If you own a Jeep vehicle and your catalytic converter was recently stolen, if you have not reported the incident to the police, please do so as soon as possible. Also, if you have any details regarding any of the thefts, please call your local police district and report any information you may have. Your local district can be reached by dialing 3-1-1.

I have been unemployed for over a month now. After my ex-friend and ex-employer discharged me for reasons unbeknownst to me or anyone else, I listed a resume on Monster.com.  After posting my resume, the only responses I received were from financial investment firms that are looking for investment reps. A few years ago when I was unemployed, I received an offer from CIti Financial and the offer sounded promising. After going through a 4 hour seminar, the Citi representative informed everyone there would be a $125.00 training and class charge. At that point the really great job offer didn’t sound all that great anymore.  I reviewed all the open listings, (some listings were several weeks to one month old), and applied for several “open” positions. After several weeks of waiting for return phone calls, I determined I would have a better chance of finding a Dairy Queen in the middle of Death Valley.

After no success of obtaining a request for an interview, I started to weigh all my options. One option was to become a hermit. Job description is extremely desirable, but the pay wage isn’t all that great. Besides, being a hermit, one starts to talk to rocks and trees and actually receiving an answer. Another downside of being a hermit the only company one would have is a cat or dog. Being a hermit, one doesn’t have any human contact. I also don’t think I could live without my television, DVD’s or VHS videos. While searching for possible opportunities and to drown out the sound of the phone when creditors call, I play a movie or two to keep me entertained. I think I have watched all three seasons of Emergency! Four times in the last five days. I’ve watched “From the Earth to the Moon” twice and “Goodnight and Good Luck” three times.  I also don’t think I could live in a cave as I can’t stand to be dirty and am very meticulous about my appearance and hygiene.  Can you imagine me being the only hermit who takes a daily shower and puts on deodorant and cologne to smell good? So, after a short, (and extremely brief), consideration, becoming a hermit was out of the question.

Next possibility was becoming a professional blogger here on Fox Chicago. Hours are great, description is easy, but, again, the pay wage is a little less than desirable.  Besides, Fox Chicago already has several professional bloggers like Steve canton and Mark Allen. I would hate to take away business from the two bloggers with the highest soap boxes and the biggest axes to grind. One thing in favor of me becoming a professional blogger, despite having Dyslexia, my grammar, punctuation and spelling is a far cry better than some of the axe grinders and soap box artists on the Fox Site.  But, with fears of Jesse Jackson knocking on my door for taking away topics from Mark, I decided not to pursue the professional blogger angle.

It is no secret I am an animal lover. I have one dog, one cat, (the cat and dog take turns terrorizing each other), and one bird. At times I can see a little thought bubble above the cat’s head containing a steaming bird on a silver platter as she watches the bird licking her mouth. I contemplated being a dog walker, but, it’s hard enough to pick up doggie doo from my own dog. Dead bodies I can handle, open wounds, not a problem. A person’s guts hanging out or splattered all across the room or floor, no problem. Picking up dog doo, yuck. Don’t ask me why, I find it discussing and have gag reflexes. When I walk my dog I usually bring one bag for her droppings and one bag for my barfing. So, walking dogs was not in my immediate future.

On Monday after not receiving any responses from any of the monster postings I responded to, I decided to take matters into my own hands. A fresh and new opening was posted for an armed officer at a Chicago area hospital. No interview there, just a remark my resume looked promising and if the director of security was interested, I would receive a phone call. I also applied at a large security agency. A request was made for me to come back for an interview yesterday. The base interview with the recruiter at the office went well I would think. I was referred to the director of security at a building where there was a possible opening. After that interview, I think I would have a better chance of obtaining an open space in a lifeboat on the Titanic than I would have of getting the open space. I was open and honest with the director because I believe if one lies and the lie is discovered in the future, undesirable repercussions could result. I informed the manager of my involvement with CAPS as well as being a judge for the Chicago Board of Elections. I was also asked if the position was my first choice. Being the dummy I am and totally honest, I said “no”. I told the manager I originally applied for an armed position that was listed on the job opening list, BUT, the position had been filled, so, at this point I will take anything I can get. Yes, I know, I hear the airplane nose diving toward the ground, crashing and burning. The manager informed me the officers with seniority are currently playing musical shifts and as soon as everyone finds a shift they are happy with, a possible offer of an open shift could be made. Needless to say, I think I blew that interview and possible employment.

I will give the agency I interviewed with yesterday a little time then I will apply somewhere else. One of the worst parts of being in the situation I am in right now is the financial situation my former employer has put me into. I am currently attempting to hire an attorney to pursue legal proceedings against my former employer, but, I have not had much success at this time. I have a claim with the Labor Board and am waiting to hear from them. But, the financial ruins my ex-employer left me in have really taken a toll on me and I know it is effecting any applications I am submitting.

I still can not understand how an employer or possible employer can determine what kind of employee a person would be by running a credit check? I am not going to buy the company; I just want to work for the company. At one time employment was determined by work ethics and determination. These days, employment is determined if you have a good credit score. “Yes Mr. Smith, I realize I have been late four times in the last five days, but I pay my credit cards on time! That has to be worth something”! “No sir, I don’t have any experience in dog walking, BUT, I do have a credit score of 688”. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that mixing Chlorine Bleach with Ammonia was hazardous, but, I pay all my credit cards, my mortgage and the payments on my Mercedes every month. I will try harder not to poison the rest of the workers next time”. Before my ex-employer drove me into virtual bankruptcy, I was making payments on time as well. Just because someone has a high credit score it means they have good work ethics? I’m sorry, I do not believe that. To me all a high credit score proves is they know how to shop, juggle bills and make payments. Paris Hilton has an impeccable credit score.  Have you ever watch her perform any work related tasks on her “Simple Life” television show? All the girl knows how to do is spend money. I really wish employers would start rating employees and possible employees on personality, work ethics and experience rather than if a person can spend money and pay their bills on time. If I am considered for an open position I want it to be because I am intelligent and I know the field I am applying for. Not because I know how to juggle 50 credit cards by doing balance transfers every month to avoid interest payments and monthly payments.

Girls have it a lot easier. All a girl has to do is flash a smile, flirt with the employer a little and they have the job. Then when the employer gets a little friendlier, “sexual harassment” is stated and instant job security! I’m probably going to catch a little, (or actually a LOT), of grief over that statement, but, it is said in humor. At least most of it is anyway. I actually have known females like that. Actually I worked with one who purposely dressed provocatively when she would come into the office. I know what you are thinking and I know what you are going to say. Let me put it this way; wearing jeans to the office is ok. I personally don’t think jeans are acceptable attire for an office or a work atmosphere. Wearing ultra low-cut jeans with a whale tail to the office, I’m sorry; I do not see how that kind of attire is acceptable. If a female wants to dress like that to go clubbing, that’s fine, knock yourself out. Wearing ultra low-cut jeans with her undies showing is an office no-no. The office is a professional atmosphere, not a night club. There are ways to look good and dress professionally when you come into the office. A person should not dress like a street walker when they come into the office. I am there to work not see if you buy your underwear from Victoria’s Secret. Maybe what I should do is work out, get myself into top physical condition, buy a pair of extra tight pants, find a female employer and see if I can obtain a job on my looks rather than my experience. Uhh, EMPLOYMENT experience.

So, as of 18:30 hours, (6:30 P.M. to you normal people), I am still unemployed with deteriorating hopes. At this point dog walker and hermit are both sounding really good. If worse comes to worse, I’ll go to FOX, pass myself off as a has-been private investigator and con them into giving me my own television talk show. I mean, if Jerry Springer can have a talk show anyone can! From what I have seen, it's simple; you antagonize your guests, entice fights between them and let them beat the snot out of each other on network television. Then at the end of the show, tell an endearing story about your childhood to make everyone feel insignificant. How much easier is it to get a paycheck?

Yes, I will admit I am a tad discouraged and with all the other problems I am encountering, at times I do feel down. I will muddle on, keep my head up and keep fighting for new employment. Someone somewhere will realize what I have to offer and will take a chance with me. The way I look at it is someone else’s loss is another person’s gain.

Do you believe in history repeating itself? I do, to a certain extent at least. Rewind to 1967. Richard J. Daley is the current mayor of Chicago. The United States was involved in an un-popular war. U.S. Servicemen were being killed in a war protesters said “was not our war and we had no right getting involved in”. Anti-war protestors formed rallies and marches to protest our involvement in the Vietnam War. The civil rights movement and discrimination in the south was a major issue and protestors for civil rights were forming rallies and marches. Dr. King was a prominent speaker and lead advocate for the civil rights action. The KKK made their presence known with more violent “actions” toward African Americans, Jews and protestors in favor of the civil rights movement. The space program was flourishes after a tragic set-back at the beginning of the year with the Apollo 1 fire and disaster. Apollo flights resume and more are planned as John F. Kennedy promised “the first man on the moon by the end of the decade”. Women were staging protests, burning their bras and fighting for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Let’s fast forward now to 2007. Richard M. Daley is the current mayor of Chicago. U.S. servicemen and women are being killed in an un-popular war. As in 1967, protestors are protesting a war they claim “we had no right starting in a land we had no right getting involved in”. In the south, nooses are hung from a “whites only” tree in Louisiana. Caucasian students are reprimanded for the action. Tensions in the south rise with claims of discrimination against African Americans. Six African American students from Jena, Louisiana attack and beat-up a male Caucasian student. Civil rights protests form after the African American students are arrested and found guilty of the beating. Dr. King’s children are lead advocates in favor of freeing the “Jena 6”. There is also a public outcry and protests stating African Americans are still discriminated against and the south having two sets of values, one for “whites” and one for “blacks”. The KKK after several years of being dormant decide to rear their ugly, irreverent, racists heads and begin violent threats and acts toward African Americans and protestors. NASA is recovering slowly and resuming regular flights of the remaining shuttles after the tragic explosion of Columbia in 2003. Illegal boarder jumpers are staging protests and fighting for an amendment that will make them U.S. Citizens. Elvira Arellano burns her britches by attending an “immigration” rally in Los Angeles.

With minor differences, I see remarkable similarities between the two years. So similar, it is almost frightening. One major difference between 1967 and 2007, in 1967 a Democratic president was in office and not a Republican. Even though a Democratic president was in office, Johnson was un-popular. 1967 like 2007 was the year of the primary elections. Bobby Kennedy was chosen as the Democratic nominee and Richard M. Nixon the nominee for the Republican Party. In 1967, the republicans were promising an end to Vietnam and in 2007 the Democrats are promising an end to Iraq.

In1967 Mayor Daley had a tight reign on The City of Chicago, city corruption was abundant and Otto Kerner, (a Democrat), was the governor of Illinois. The Chicago Political Machine was running full force and popping out new Democrats as well as resurrecting dead ones to vote in the November Primaries.  In 2007, Mayor Richard M. Daley is the reigning King of Chicago, is now in control of The Chicago Political Machine, new Democrats are being popped out again, corruption is rampant in city and state politics and a Democrat sits in the Governor’s chair in Springfield. I wonder what’s next. As far as I know, the Democratic National Convention is not going to be held in Chicago, so, Daley can’t resurrect his father’s great speech; “The police aren’t here to create disorder, the police are here to preserve disorder”, but, I’m sure if given the opportunity, he will find a way to use it just to make the year more accurate.

In 1967 McCormick Place, one of the ONLY buildings on Chicago’s Lake Front was destroyed by a fire. It will be 4 years before it is re-built. In 2007, King Daley jockeys for the 2012 Olympic bid threatening to go against Daniel Burnham’s promise of “always keeping the lakefront free and clear of buildings” as well as “keeping the lakefront and lakefront parks for public use”, just as Colonel McCormick did when he built the first convention center. Daley’s entire “Olympic Village” plan centers in Jackson Park. Not Jackson Park the area, Jackson Park the actual Park!! Right now Daniel Burnham and Montgomery Ward are BOTH spinning in their graves!!

In 1967 the Equal Rights Amendment movement was heating up with protests and demonstrations being held in various cities. I was only a year ol