Baseball bat = lethal weapon?

The nation will now go crazy over the shooting of a baseball-bat wielding man in Chicago. Says his father, his kid was 20 feet away from the cop.

Is a baseball bat a deadly weapon? Will all the baseball bats in the U.S.A. now be collected and burned or melted down?

That the father called the Chicago Police for help, is a key statement. When the kid banged on the father's bedroom door with the bat, the father was worried; he didn't want to be hurt; that's why he didn't open the door.

I'm sure the father is hurting. But is he willing for the responding cop to be hurt? I wonder. The father is all dressed up for the photo opp, and his lawyer, Bill Foutris, must already be thumping his chest and licking his chops over the wrongful death lawsuit that has already been filed.

The 19-year-old son didn't have mental problems, according to his mother. But the father told CNN that his son "...had been prescribed medication for emotional problems." It can't be both ways, folks.

Rahm Emanuel is already throwing the officer under the bus. He should keep his trap shut. How much and how quickly will the City of Chicago pay off?

The CNN.com story included "Then, (the father) said, police held him for questioning for hours after the shooting, not telling him whether his son, an engineering student at Northern Illinois University, had lived or died."

This reminded me of a case in 2011, when the McHenry County Sheriff's deputies/detectives separated parents, who resided down the street from the crime scene, and grilled them for hours before telling them that their son had died hours earlier. They treated the parents like suspects, and the detectives skated away on their bad form without criticism by Nygren or Zinke.

The Chicago kid's life was not "snuffed out", as the father alleges. He is blaming his kid's death on an "inexperienced" officer. Well, cops don't get to choose the calls they go on. They must be ready, from their first day on the street, to confront crime and violence and the threat of physical harm or death. 

When did you laugh?

OK, here's the question of the day?

When did you last laugh? I mean, really laugh. As in, laugh so hard that your eyes teared, you almost fell off your chair, or you had to stop what you were doing until the laughter cooled off a little. I remember a day on my motorcycle near Glenwood Springs, Colo., when I laughed at something I had done. I laughed so hard that I had to pull over on the shoulder of the interstate and stop!

Has it been a while?

I'm reading the 1994 book titled Laughter Therapy - How to Laugh About Everything in Your Life That Isn't Really Funny, by Annette Goodheart Ph.D. (1935-2011).

I never met Annette, although I feel like I knew her. Back in about 1984, someone in Denver gave me a copy of her talk at Asilomar called "Sex Tee Hee". Annette was a sex therapist in Santa Barbara, and she wanted to be known as the Laugh Lady of Santa Barbara. She told the audience that she taught a 13-week course at the local college for $1.00. It was one dollar for the entire 13 weeks! I still listen to this tape about once a year, although I know all the lines and when laughter is about to explode.

Many quotes of others are spread through the book, such as "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died." Erma Bombeck said that.

And how about this one? "The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." That one is attributed to Voltaire.

Next time you see "LOL", do it.

Grab a copy of her book on Amazon today. I got a used copy for practically nothing from an online Goodwill store in Oregon. It was in perfect condition, no markings, and arrived promptly in my mailbox. Then read it. It will do some good on your bookshelf, but it will do more good if you read it!

Snow on Christmas

To the right is my younger sister's place in western Colorado today. Seeing this picture made me almost a little happy not to be traveling the U.S. by motorcycle-sidecar outfit at this time.

On the other hand, I could be missing a lot of fun, dressed warmly in a snowmobile suit and plugged into heated gloves, pants, etc.

OK, readers; thoughts? Keep the Kia Soul or trade it on a Ural or BMW with sidecar?

Virginia's attack on concealed carry

The Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia has declared on concealed carry by out-of-staters who visit or work in Virginia.

AG Mark Herring has announced that, effective February 1, 2016, concealed carry permits from 25 states will no longer be recognized. See the list in the newspaper article link below. It's interesting that Illinois is not on the list (maybe Herring does know that Illinois changed its law in 2013), but South Carolina is).

When I first read of this action, I thought that Virginia lawmakers had gone into the attack mode. Philpott is a pretty famous name in Virginia politics, thanks to the late A.L. Philpott, who was Speaker of the House of Delegates for about 15 years until his death in 1991. (I hasten (slowly) to add that you have to go back several generations for any common blood between us in Philpott, Va.)

I got part of the picture. But it looked like if you weren't on the "bad" list, then you might still be able to carry; "bad" being those who are already prohibited from owning firearms.

Now, I'm not sure. This Richmond, Va. newspaper article explains that the AG is making the rules, through his interpretation of the law. Fortunately, Republicans hold a two-thirds majority in the House of Delegates, and a bill has already been introduced to void Herring's king-making rule.

Want to weigh in? Going to be traveling to Virginia? Want to carry while you are there? I do, because I enjoy visiting friends in Richmond and skeletons in Philpott.

Send letters or email of support to Republican Delegates and also write to Democratic Delegates and ask them to use their heads and consider the terrorism threat level and how they benefit from law-abiding, concealed-carry visitors to their state. Here's where to find names and addresses: http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php

The first thing you'll notice is that email addresses are easy to find, unlike those of Illinois politicians and U.S. Congressmen (Representatives and Senators). You can write to them without having your email disappear into "buckets", where it is sometimes counted and, probably, most of the time unread.

Idiot in Homeland Security

An email showed up in my inbox today with this statement:

If this doesn’t scare you, nothing will.

These are the kind of people representing us and guarding our safety.

https://www.facebook.com/RepDeSantis/videos/1001434629914597/?fref=nf

The woman testifying before a National Security Oversight Subcommittee is Ms. Burriesci, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Screening Coordination, Office of Policy, Department of Homeland Security.


A Committee member, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio 4th District, should have pounding his fist and shouting at her for her being so unprepared. Why did they tolerate an obvious uninformed and unprepared lowling with a long title to sit before that Committee?

Take a couple of minutes and watch and listen to the rather simple questions being asked of her.

Who hired her? Who is her boss? The DHS Secretary is Jeh (what the hell kind of name is that?) C. Johnson. And his boss is, of course, Barack Obama!

So, who really is really for that idiot in front of the Committee? You got it!

Better be buying some more guns, folks. With government employees like that one, we're going to need all the guns and ammo that we can buy.

Teddy Roosevelt on Coming to America

1907 PHOTO This one needs to circulate

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'

Theodore Roosevelt 1907 

Every American citizen needs to read this!

Introducing Mayor Obama

Will the heat get so hot that Rahm will have to bail out? Not likely. Will those poor suckers in Chicago endure him for 3½ more years?

Or will the interference with the FOIA request for the Laquan McDonald videos (by whomever) prove to be his undoing?

But when his term ends (May, 2019), will Barack Obama be looking for a job? Or maybe Michelle will.

Then, look out Illinois!!! Better make your reservation with United Van Lines now.

I'm glad I left in March 2014. It took a year to get over the chip on my shoulder about Illinois gun laws.

When I visited the first gun store in South Carolina, I asked how long I had to wait to take delivery. The salesman said, "About ten minutes." (Compare that with three days in Illinois for a handgun and one day for a long gun.) They made the requisite telephone check, processed my credit card, and I was out the door. Compare that with Illinois!!!

Voters could dump the current Democratic bloc if, in each District, they'd find a honest candidate and  (now that you're done laughing) vote out those who have glued themselves into their chairs. Start with Mike Madigan and then run down the list, starting with those who have been in office the longest. Get rid of the lawyers and the preachers.

Save the Courthouse

The Woodstock Historic Preservation Commission lost its battle with the City of Woodstock to prevent the demolition of Grace Hall back in 2010. Have 5½ years really passed so quickly?

The People of Woodstock ought to be sick at that action of the Mayor and the City Council. And they should be darned sure that nothing like that happens again. People, get involved. Don't just stand there like cows on the side of the road, chewing their cuds.

The Mayor has appointed a commission (or group of some other official name) to decide what to do about the new "elephant in the room". I'm sure that nobody can figure out what was going on the minds of the City Council members when they took over the old courthouse without a plan.

Perhaps "how" it happened is no longer important.

The Courthouse Advisory Commission should make short work of their involvement and tell the City to save that building on the Square and commit the necessary funds to make it safe for use. The City will never find a sucker to buy it and then make a huge and unprofitable investment in it. The only choice for the City of Woodstock, now that it's stuck with the building, is to admit that it is faced with an unprofitable investment, and then make the investment.

Last night I watched (for the umpteenth time) the documentary titled "Courthouse Girls of Farmland". Seven senior women in the town of Farmland, Indiana, joined together to make a calendar and raised $45,000 to fight the three-man Randolph County Board, when it wanted to demolish the Randolph County Courthouse. Visit the website (www.courthousegirls.com) and buy the DVD. Form neighborhood committees to watch the film and develop a plan to influence the Courthouse Advisory Commission.

Let the City Council know that you run Woodstock. They are just temporary bodies in their Council chairs. Write letters. Email them. Call them. You can find their names on the City's website at www.woodstockil.gov   (Whew! All those pop-ups when you hover on the City's website will drive you to the nuthouse!) Click on "Contact the Council". Then move your mouse to the right scroll bar and drag down to see the names and contact information.

Attend the meetings of the Courthouse Advisory Commission. You'll need your degree in Rocket Science now to find where Commissions are listed on the "new" website. Save your time. Just dial (815) 338-4300.

Feds investigate Chicago P.D.

I heard on the news this morning that the Feds are in Chicago to probe the Police Department and that they will be meeting with The Rahm.

Now comes the Important Question.

Since when do the Feds talk to a person who might be high in their sights? Dumb!!!

The Feds should be investigating the delay in answering a FOIA request for the videos in the Laquan McDonald shooting. High on their list of persons to be questioned should be Chicago's Mayor. To what extent, if any, did he interfere with the FOIA request, and did he order anyone employed by the City of Chicago not to respond or fulfill the FOIA request?

Or did someone in Chicago government make the decision for him, in order to shield him from direct knowledge? But acting in the way that Rahm would have directed? What's that called? Plausible deniability?

And how do you get six murder counts in the death of one person? I guess if you throw enough mud on the wall, some of it has to stick.

Why Donald Trump is Feared

Recently an Illinois friend sent this to me by e-mail. I hope Mr. Bennett won't mind my publishing it. If you read it all the way through, you'll know why both Republicans AND Democrats are bashing Donald Trump and trying so hard to discredit him and knock him out of the race.

The following is exactly as I received it.

"William J. Bennett, Host of Bill Bennett's Morning in America Show, is one of America's most important, influential, and respected voices on cultural, political, and education issues. He has one of the strongest Christian world views of any writer in modern times.

 

What I See Happening In a Trump Presidency

By Bill Bennett

 

They will kill him before they let him be president. It could be a Republican or a Democrat that instigates the shutting up of Trump.

Don't be surprised if Trump has an accident. Some people are getting very nervous: Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Eric Holder, Hillary Clinton and Jon Corzine, to name just a few.

It's about the unholy dynamics between big government, big business, and big media. They all benefit by the billions of dollars from this partnership, and it's in all of their interests to protect one another. It's one for all and all for one.

It's a heck of a filthy relationship that makes everyone filthy rich, everyone except the American people. We get ripped off. We're the patsies. But for once, the powerful socialist cabal and the corrupt crony capitalists are scared.

The over-the-top reaction to Trump by politicians of both parties, the media, and the biggest corporations of America has been so swift and insanely angry that it suggests they are all threatened and frightened.

Donald Trump can self-fund. No matter how much they say to the contrary, the media, business, and political elite understand that Trump is no joke.  He could actually win and upset their nice cozy apple cart.

It's no coincidence that everyone has gotten together to destroy The Donald.  It's because most of the other politicians are part of the a good old boys club. They talk big, but they won't change a thing. They are all beholden to big-money donors. They are all owned by lobbyists, unions, lawyers, gigantic environmental organizations, and multinational corporations – like Big Pharmacy or Big Oil. Or they are owned lock, stock, and barrel by foreigners like George Soros owns Obama or foreign governments own Hillary and their Clinton Foundation donations.

These run-of-the-mill establishment politicians are all puppets owned by big money.  But there's one man who isn't beholden to anyone.  There's one man who doesn't need foreigners, or foreign governments, or George Soros, or the United Auto Workers, or the teacher's union, or the Service Employees International Union, or the Bar Association to fund his campaign.

Billionaire tycoon and maverick Donald Trump doesn't need anyone's help. That means he doesn't care what the media says. He doesn't care what the corporate elites think. That makes him very dangerous to the entrenched interests. That makes Trump a huge threat to those people. Trump can ruin everything for the bribed politicians and their spoiled slave masters.

Don't you ever wonder why the GOP has never tried to impeach Obama? Don't you wonder why John Boehner and Mitch McConnell talk a big game, but never actually try to stop Obama? Don't you wonder why Congress holds the purse strings, yet has never tried to de-fund Obamacare or Obama's clearly illegal executive action on amnesty for illegal aliens? Bizarre, right? It defies logic, right?

First, I'd guess many key Republicans are being bribed.

Secondly, I believe many key Republicans are being blackmailed. Whether they are having affairs, or secretly gay, or stealing taxpayer money, the National Security Agency knows everything.

Ask former House Speaker Dennis Hastert about that. The government even knew he was withdrawing large sums of his own money from his own bank account. The NSA, the SEC, the IRS, and all the other three-letter government agencies are watching every Republican political leader. They survey everything.

Thirdly, many Republicans are petrified of being called racists, so they are scared to ever criticize Obama or call out his crimes, let alone demand his impeachment. Fourth , why rock the boat?  After defeat or retirement, if you're a good old boy, you've got a $5 million-per-year lobbying job waiting. The big-money interests have the system gamed. Win or lose, they win.

But Trump doesn't play by any of these rules. Trump breaks up this nice, cozy relationship between big government, big media, and big business. All the rules are out the window if Trump wins the Presidency. The other politicians will protect Obama and his aides  but not Trump.

Remember: Trump is the guy who publicly questioned Obama's birth certificate.  He questioned Obama's college records and how a mediocre student got into an Ivy League university.  Now, he's doing something no Republican has the chutzpah to do.  He's questioning our relationship with Mexico; he's questioning why the border is wide open; he's questioning why no wall has been built across the border; he's questioning if allowing millions of illegal aliens into America is in our best interests; he's questioning why so many illegal aliens commit violent crimes, yet are not deported; and he's questioning why our trade deals with Mexico, Russia and China are so bad.

Trump has the audacity to ask out loud why American workers always get the short end of the stick. Good question! I'm certain Trump will question what happened to the almost billion dollars given in a rigged no-bid contract to college friends of Michelle Obama at foreign companies to build the defective Obamacare website.  By the way, that tab is now up to $5 billion. Trump will ask if Obamacare's architects can be charged with fraud for selling it by lying.

Trump will investigate Obama's widespread IRS conspiracy, not to mention Obama's college records. Trump will prosecute Clinton and Obama for fraud committed to cover up Benghazi before the election.  How about the fraud committed by employees of the Labor Department when they made up dramatic job numbers in the last jobs report before the 2012 election?

Obama, the multinational corporations and the media need to stop Trump. They recognize this could get out of control. If left unchecked, telling the raw truth and asking questions everyone else is afraid to ask, Trump could wake a sleeping giant.  Trump's election would be a nightmare.  Obama has committed many crimes.  No one else but Trump would dare to prosecute.  He will not hesitate.  Once Trump gets in and gets a look at the cooked books and Obama's records, the game is over.  The jig is up.  The goose is cooked.  Holder could wind up in prison. Jarrett could wind up in prison.  Obama bundler Corzine could wind up in prison for losing $1.5 billion of customer money.  Clinton could wind up in jail for deleting 32,000 emails or for accepting bribes from foreign governments while Secretary of State, or for misplacing $6 billion as the head of the State Department, or for lying about Benghazi.  The entire upper level management of the IRS could wind up in prison.

Obamacare will be de-funded and dismantled. Obama himself could wind up ruined, his legacy in tatters. Trump will investigate. Trump will prosecute. Trump will go after everyone involved. That's why the dogs of hell have been unleashed on Donald Trump. 

Yes, it's become open season on Donald Trump.  The left and the right are determined to attack his policies, harm his businesses, and, if possible, even keep him out of the coming debates.  But they can't silence him.   And they sure can't intimidate him.  The more they try, the more the public will realize that he's the one telling the truth."

An end to reminders for Registration expiration

By now, if you are an Illinois motorist, you probably know that the cheapskates in Springfield will no longer mail you a reminder that your expensive Illinois license plates will no longer be mailed to you. You're on your own to remember to pay your annual license plate fees on time, every time.

A passenger-car renewal tag is $101. That's ONE HUNDRED ONE DOLLARS. Even more if your big ego wants a personalized or vanity plate.

The Great State of Illinois cannot afford to spend $0.49 to mail you a reminder? Plus a nickel or dime to print it? They could send a postcard for even less.

What happens to all the money they collect???

Keep in mind, of course, the extortion level of license plate fees and other services from the DMV; for example, title transfer. Currently, that's $95.00. It used to be $65.00, and before that, even less. How much should it be? $25.00 ought to be plenty for pushing a few pieces of paper around on a desk and mailing out a title.

You may not know that you can tell Illinois to email you a reminder of your approaching registration expiration. Be sure to give them a permanent email address (for those of you who change your email addresses as often as you brush your teeth).

"Due to the lack of a state budget, the Secretary of State's office is suspending the mailing of vehicle registration renewal reminder notices. By suspending this service, which will save approximately $450,000 per month, the office will be able to prolong the ability to mail vehicle registration renewal stickers, titles and license plates to vehicle owners for a few months longer before the postage account is depleted. Vehicle owners are encouraged to be mindful of their vehicle registration status. Motorists can sign up to receive reminder notices electronically by email." (Source: www.cyberdriveillinois.com)

CNN: San Bernardino - a "work event"

I could hardly believe the words chosen by two CNN reporters to describe the San Bernardino massacre. Are you ready? A "work event".

What kind of idiots do you suppose Evan Perez and Dana Ford are? Those are the reporters for the article published yesterday at http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/14/us/san-bernardino-shooting/index.html

If you don't want to click on the link, go to CNN.com and search for "work event". The headline is "San Bernardino shooter's social media posts on jihad were obscured".

It was a Christmas party! At the workplace of one of the shooters. No one in his right mind would consider it as workplace violence. Now, why would these reporters call the party a "work event"? Well, maybe they have to pay to work at CNN. Or maybe CNN won't let reporters use "Christmas" and "jihad" in the same article.

All of us should, of course, feel much more secure when we learn from an anonymous U.S. official that the U.S. is now (finally!) "reviewing the social media activity of visa applicants from certain countries." (Source: same article) When did they finally wake up???

$50K for a starting jailer???

The Northwest Herald carried an article yesterday, updated today, that the McHenry County Sheriff's Department plans to hire new jailers. At a starting salary of "...$49, 571 with paid holidays, vacation and sick time after one year. Major medical, dental and life insurance packages are also offered."

Presumably, a 21-year-old high school graduate with a FOID card could pull down $50 Grand.

$50,000???  You gotta be kidding me. And what will the total compensation be? $75,000? (Isn't there a retirement plan, too?) This, for a beginner at the lowest rung in the jail's ladder?

Folks in McHenry County, you'd better wake up. Soon no one will be able to afford to live in McHenry County. High taxes are already driving out the elderly. Even if your home is paid for, you probably can't afford the property taxes.

When will The People scream, "Enough!"

What will it take to "persuade" the school districts and the County Board (and its Departments, such as the Sheriff's Department) and the State legislators to cut taxes? How many services will The People be willing to do without, in order to see their tax bills go down sharply?

See what happens when you fall asleep at the switch and allow "creep"?

What has Obama done for you lately?

This showed up in my inbox today. The author is not known to me. To make it easier to read, I separated the text. What do you think?

"Has everyone lost their ability to see what is happening in the USA? Think America! Obama came into office, before Obama there was virtually no visible presence of Islam in America. 

"All of the sudden, Islam is taught in schools. 

All of the sudden we must allow prayer rugs everywhere and allow for Islamic prayer in schools and businesses. 

All of the sudden we must stop serving pork in public places and institutions. 

All of the sudden we are inundated with law suits by Muslims who are offended by America. (For God's sake, they are IN America) 

All of the sudden we must allow burkas to be worn everywhere even though you have no idea who is covered up under them. 

All of the sudden Muslim training compounds are popping up throughout the USA. 

All of the sudden Muslims are suing employers for being expected to do their jobs. 

All of the sudden all of our aircraft carriers are recalled for maintenance by Obama rendering the Atlantic unsupported. 

All of the sudden our troops are withdrawn from the middle east. 

All of the sudden there is no money for American poor, disabled veterans, jobless Americans, hungry Americans, or displaced Americans but there is endless money for obamas refugee programs. 

All of the sudden Obama fills the Federal Government with Muslims in key positions. 

All of the sudden there is an ammunition shortage in the USA. 

All of the sudden Americans are threatened by the Federal government for complaining about Muslims. 

All of the sudden, the most important thing for Obama to do is disarm American Citizens.

"Now, why is it so important for Obama to disarm America? Why? Because a disarmed country is ripe for takeover by the Muslim Army that Obama has imported into the United States. Nikita Krueschev, the Russian Dictator who visited the USA in the 1950s said the USA could never be occupied by any army because of it's [sic] citizen Army. 

"Obama knows this fact and is doing everything within his power to disarm our Citizen Army. If Obama can't do it legally, he will abuse his power and take every gun from America because he knows he must do that to turn the USA over to Islam. Be wary and watchful. 

"Obama's actions speak far beyond his words, he and the Liberal Democrats killed the people in California just as if they pulled the trigger themselves. President Obama's Legacy will be that he and Liberal Democrats brought terrorism and killing into the United States of America and Obama won't even say the words "Islamic Terrorist", WHY?"

Citizen Marshals - the time has come

I just happened to be in my car yesterday, hunting for a decent radio station, and came across Herman Cain's program. He was pitching his idea for a Citizen Marshal Initiative.

This is a great idea and one that should be immediately adopted. You can read all about it here.

It involves training, authority to carry, responsibility. Read it. There is no need for me to repeat what can be quickly read on Herman Cain's website.

Most importantly, a Citizen Marshal (CM)can carry anywhere and everywhere. A CM could not be prohibited from carrying on public transportation, at sporting events, in churches, etc.

I'd like to attend a Christmas dinner for NAMI at a local church tonight. I called the church and left a message for the head minister, asking for written permission to attend armed (concealed). Think I'll get a return call?

What if 4-5 people had been armed last week in San Bernardino when those two terrorists showed up?

The problem with carrying only some of the time is that, according to Murphy's Law, you won't have your firearm when you need it.

My loaded firearm is like a parachute. It's better to have it and not need it, than it is to need it and not have it.

Next time you go to ORD, take your packed parachute under your arm. (If your name is D. B. Cooper, don't do this.) Think they'll let you through Security? Call me from jail and let me know.

Payday for FirstElectricNewspaper

Don't miss the Northwest Herald article about the cost to the McHenry County Sheriff's Department (and the County and the taxpayers) for MCSD's thumbing its nose at the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, the Public Access Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General, and McHenry County's own Pete Gonigam, publisher of FirstElectricNewspaper.com

Of course, the proposed pay-out of more than $104,000 is only a small part of the total cost. Tens (possibly, hundreds) of thousands of dollars had to be spent by the County and the Sheriff's Department on legal fees and employee salaries, as MCSD did its little collective dance routine to avoid releasing the report that Gonigam wanted.

And what report did he want? You know the one. The one that Nygren told Don Leist to write. Oh, wait, I mean, Leist's investigative (ha-ha-ha) report of Zinke's disclosure to a political ally, the president of RITA Corporation, of a confidential DEA investigation into a drug shipment destined for delivery to RITA Corporation.

Did Don Leist make an independent, impartial, fair, unbiased investigation into Zinke's actions? Or did Nygren tell him what to do (after all, Leist did report to Nygren) and what result he expected to read in Leist's report?

Would "Dirty Keith", as he was popularly known on another area blog, do such a thing?

To help you decide, consider this. What sort of person would drive into a large shopping center parking lot, find a car parked way out at the edge of the parking lot, pull in alongside that car and glare at the driver for 30 seconds, and then drive away - - and then accuse the other driver of stalking him? It would take the brainpower of a mouse (or of a top cop in a sheriff's department) to figure that one out.

I called the Woodstock Police as Nygren was driving away. An officer responded. I asked him to write what we in Colorado had called an Information Report; i.e., to document what I was telling him, but I wasn't asking for any action. He said "OK" and was going to leave. I insisted that he give me a Report Number, which meant he had to get a Report Number and then file a report. (Now why would I have thought he might just drive away and do nothing, had I not insisted on the Report Number???)

I always wondered what happened after that at the Woodstock PD. Sure enough, the next week the Northwest Herald published a story about Nygren's accusation of my stalking him. I thought often about filing a FOIA request for documentation of just what happened after the officer turned in his report.

Congratulations to Pete Gonigam for staying the course.

But there is more to consider... Why didn't the new Sheriff in town on December 1, 2014 (that would be Bill Prim) study the matter carefully over a cup of coffee and release the report to Gonigam without further delay?

Has anything really changed at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department?

Too bad I didn't get elected in 2010. I can tell you that a lot of the garbage that happened would have been cleaned up a lot faster.

Flags at half-staff today

 

Notice how Obama usurped this nation's memory of Pearl Harbor Day.

He extended the mourning ritual of lowering the U.S. Flag for the victims in the San Bernardino terrorist attack to today, December 7, Pearl Harbor Day. "A day in infamy."

December 7, 1941: "2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded..." (source: Wikipedia)

What will Obama say today? I listened to only the first ten minutes of that pitiful speech last night. Did he mention Pearl Harbor?

How will he distance himself from his weak third pitch from the Oval Office last night and recognize the attack on this country that put us in World War II? Pearl Harbor wasn't terrorism. It was War!

Pause today in memory of those who died and were injured then and those who died later as a result of their injuries. Visit a National Cemetery and remember them.

"Is that all there is?"

Does anyone else agree with Donald Trump?

I watched the first part of Obama's pitch from the Oral Office, and I was sickened! My first thoughts were "What a namby-pamby jerk!" I could just imagine ISIS leaders have a good laugh halfway around the world, and holding their thumbs up to their noses and wiggling their fingers toward Washington.

All I could think was that it was the worst, sniveling response to anything I've ever seen. Obama lacks any personal power. I doubt he even believed the words he was reading.

Wouldn't it be interesting to see an analysis by a person who reads body language, gestures, eye movement and voice analysis? Obama is untrustworthy to lead this country.  With such a jerkwater response, Obama is inviting more attacks.

Here's how we prevent more attacks: Do what people in other countries do.

Be vigilant. Be suspicious. Be armed!

Must we be vigilant toward Muslims and Islamists? Look at the images from Detroit, where they are taking over parts of the city and where others now fear to tread. Well, Detroit is not their city. It is A city, public property, open to all.

And Sharia Law? If they want Sharia law, go back home. It's not going to happening here!

There is only one candidate in the entire presidential race with the backbone to stand up to terrorists and face down those who would destroy us. Certainly, not one of the Democratic candidates even comes close. Hillary has proven that she deserves to be booted from the race, but the Democrats don't really have anyone else.

Donald Trump is the only Republican candidate with the backbone and guts to lead this country and make it safe from terrorists. Ben Carson seems like a nice guy, but he lacks demonstrable leadership power. All the rest? Go back home.

Now, if Allan West would run, I'd have a hard time making a choice today between Trump and him.

Chamber moves out of long-time HQ

The Northwest Herald reported last week that the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce has sold its building.

What a shame. Previous Executive Directors and Boards of Directors ran the finances into the ground. The Chamber almost lost its building several years ago, because they had tapped out borrowing against the mortgage. The problem was they used the increasing equity to fund operations, instead of running the chamber out of revenues from membership dues and events of value to members and the public.

Over the years I worked for four chambers and was a member of three others. I remember calling on one gruff businessowner in Kansas City who asked me what he was going to get for his money.

"Three things," I said.

"First, you get this moth-eaten, pressed-board plaque. I have to put it up here by the front door, and I have to come back every 30 days to see if it has been dusted.

"Secondly, you get this dog-eared membership directory. Some of the companies are already out of business; some of the owners are dead; some businesses have moved, and some of the phone numbers are wrong."

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Yes, you get a canceled check from your bank in about 30 days."

Then he asked me what the people "up there" at the chamber of commerce office thought of him. He had been running ads about the crooked politicians and bureaucrats in state government and about the local crime rate.

"Sir, you wouldn't want me to tell you."

He said, "That's what I thought."

Why is the City of Woodstock providing rent-free space to a civic organization? That's wrong. What will they say when other groups come hat-in-hand?

The Chamber ought to move into the Woodstock Depot. That would a classy Chamber office!

If the Chamber provided real services to members, business owners would pay dues. The Woodstock Chamber never learned that lesson.

Take a look at the Chamber's webpage. To me, there is a clear example of very-likely trademark infringement. See the "Toys for Tots" wording. Toys for Tots is an annual event run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. But notice that toys from the Woodstock collection are going to the Woodstock Clearing House, a local Christmas gift event. This is one example of the nits that I use to pick with the Chamber, until they kicked me out.

Ever hear of a business owner getting kicked out of a Chamber because he complained about how the Chamber was being run? Instead of fixing the problems, the way business is done in Woodstock is that you get rid of the "messenger".

Sheriff indicted on 113 corruption charges

The Gibson County Sheriff's Office (Indiana) says on its Facebook page:

"The Gibson County Sheriff's Office would like everyone to be aware that there is a story circulating Facebook about the arrest of a former Sheriff and several of his deputies. This arrest was in Gibson County Tennessee (emphasis added) and NOT our department here in Indiana. Below you will find a quick blurb about the arrest.
Gibson County, TN – Chuck Arnold, the former Sheriff of Gibson County was recently indicted on 113 separate corruptions charges relating to his time as sheriff. However, after his arrest he was quickly released on a $10,000 bail, which is incredibly low when compared to the bail rates that are assigned to everyday nonviolent offenders.
Arnold was arrested with 11 other officers who were reportedly involved in his schemes."

Anyone else agree that the former sheriff's bail should be a lot higher than $10,000? I mean, 113 separate charges? Corruptions?

The good, ol' boy network must be alive and well in Gibson County, Tenn. Where is Trenton (the county seat), anyway?  It's northeast of Memphis and west of Nashville. Out in the boonies. Looks like somebody finally woke up.

Was there ever a detailed financial audit of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department, as of November 30, 2014, when Nygren's reign ended? When any long-term official leaves office, there should be a certified audit. I mean, after all, just look at Dixon, Ill. and what happened there over a 20-year period!

Maybe everything was in place at MCSD and all accounted for. Were the snowmobiles and trailer returned from an out-of-county location? Was all evidence accounted for? Were financial accounts balanced and money secured? Were all credit cards returned? Were badges and uniform patches collected? Were all MCSD ID cards collected?

Did the County Board or the County Administrator ever get nosy and look closely? Did Sheriff Prim conduct an internal audit as soon as he took office?

Just askin'...

Jihad in San Bernardino

Why aren't the police and the media calling the massacre in San Bernardino what it was. Jihad.

Jihad!

Has anyone seen that word used to describe "why" the nuts in San Bernardino decided to shoot up a Christmas party?

Hello? Where will the Muslim jihadists find "non-believers"? At a Christmas party! Duh...

Police ought to be checking out everyone that nut prayed with at his mosque. To how many did he pass messages during "prayers"?

And to the idiot-in-chief in the White House ... it wasn't "workplace violence"! No one stockpiles bombs and thousands of rounds of ammo because he is p.o.'ed at somebody at work.

The big question is why the two nutcases were still in the vicinity so soon after the murders.

What could the White House or Washington or Sacramento (the capital) or anyone have done to prevent this?

In the absence of intelligence (a word not to be associated with California) about planning of a crime, there is little to be done before it starts.

Once it starts, there is a LOT to be done, if people are prepared. Like, shoot back!

Are you prepared? If jihad starts Sunday morning in your church or while you are in line for your kids to see Santa or just stopped behind a car with an "I Love Jesus" bumper sticker, are you ready to act? Will you pile out and defend those under attack?

Think about it? Do you carry a concealed firearm? Loaded? A round in the chamber? Everywhere you go? Have you thought through a plan of defense and assistance? It's a gunfight you do want to walk away from, so think about it ahead of time.

Now, clean your firearm. And go to the range and fire a couple of hundred rounds. Now clean your firearm again. Now re-load it. While you are there, loosen your ear protection and hear the sound of shots fired, so that you aren't surprised or shocked at how loud they are.

Flags lowered. Obama is Wrong, wrong, WRONG

I am as sickened as anyone about the senseless murders in San Bernardino. But Obama is absolutely WRONG to lower the Flag of the United States of America.

The Flag of the United States should fly HIGH all the time. Keeping it at the top of the staff is the biggest retort to radicals or anyone else acting in such a horrendous crime.

If I had a flag, I would refuse to lower it. I'd tell Obama to his face to stay away from my flag and my flagpole. And this is what states and cities and towns and villages and counties should be telling him.

I don't watch TV, so I have avoided any words he has uttered. Did he speak them from his heart or did he read them from the teleprompter?

Here's what Obama can do, if he wants to stop gun crime:

Eliminate gun-free zones.
Support a Federal law that allows concealed and open carry, effectively over-riding state and municipal laws on concealed and open carry and leaving it as the Bill of Rights is written.
What if half a dozen people in that building had been armed? The Injured and Killed numbers would be lower.

Allow military personnel to carry 24/7.

Allow me to carry on Federal property, including the Post Office. As it is, when I go to the V.A. Medical Center, I am effectively disarmed for the day, because I obey the Federal law that prohibits me from entering upon Federal property with a firearm. I can't even legally drive into the parking lot and lock my firearm in my car.

The only way these laws will change is when enough people lean hard on their elected representatives and demand that the laws be changed. The pressure must be relentless. The NRA can't do it alone. If the NRA organized its 4,000,000 members, every one of them, to call two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative next Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, then they'd start to listen.

Mail and email to elected representatives is basically worthless. Email goes into "buckets", where it is only counted and very likely not read. Mail probably gets opened and sorted, and some staffer at the bottom of the ladder is told what to do with it.

If that weakling organization, I.S.R.A., did the same thing in Illinois, the votes would start changing. Getting a professional lobbyist would help. Like, maybe, somebody the politicians (mostly lawyers) would actually listen to. The present lobbyist carries too much bad baggage, going way back to when he was selling his own bumper stickers that read "Buck Flagojevich". Members finally made enough noise that he cut out that nonsense, but I remember them, and I'm sure all politicians (not just the Democrats) remember them.

Bye-bye, Gerry

We all knew it was coming. It was only a matter of "when".

Rahm swung the hatchet at Chicago PD Superintendent Gerry McCarthy yesterday.

What did Gerry say on the way out the door? Will he say that Rahm told him not to release those damning police car dashcams that showed Laquan McDonald's being shot many times after the first round fired by Ofc. Jason Van Dyke knocked him down? Will he say when Rahm first knew of the videos and when he first saw them?

Will Gerry say why the videos weren't released sooner? Such as, shortly after receiving the first FOIA Request? Were the CPD and the City of Chicago ordered to release the videos by the Public Access Bureau of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General?

I was never a fan of McCarthy. It seemed to me that he always had had to be under Rahm's thumb.

No doubt that reducing crime in Chicago is a nearly impossible task. But it can be done. It won't get done by Rahm. Hopefully, the refusal of the City of Chicago (Rahm) to release those videos will haunt him right through the next election cycle. By then, Obama will be gone, so Rahm is not likely to have another job at the White House.

Go to www.chicagotribune.com and read what Eric Zorn and John Kass have written.

Man with DD jailed 8 days

Every resident of McHenry County should be outraged at the length of time that 44-year-old Anthony Punzio was confined at the McHenry County Jail! See yesterday's story in the Northwest Herald.

Who is running that jail, anyway? Well, you know, Sheriff Bill Prim. OK, so he doesn't have his hands directly on the jail every day, but he has an administrator in charge of the jail every day, and that person should have been overseeing Punzio's confinement and reporting every day to Prim. Was he?

Punzio is charged with misdemeanor domestic battery, as the result of an incident on November 23 at a Pioneer Center-operated group home. Punzio is an adult with developmental disabilities (DD) stemming from his diagnosis of Down syndrome.

With all the CALEA plaques hanging on the walls at the sheriff's department, didn't anyone bother to study the section on incarceration of adults with disabilities? Apparently not.

The case finally reached Judge Weech's court. Judge Weech is an excellent judge with a huge heart and a caring attitude toward defendants. This does not mean he is an "easy" judge. I was in Judge Weech's courtroom many days to observe proceedings. Judge Weech has ordered that this case be on his docket every day until it is resolved.

Has much changed in the McHenry County Jail since Bill Prim replaced Keith Nygren as Sheriff of McHenry County? I've been sitting on information provided to me recently about the jail. Taxpayers, interested parties and County officials should be taking an in-depth look at Jail operations.

While the jail may be saving money by not having ten extra officers sitting around on overtime doing nothing, have administrators added more supervisors and specialty positions? Did not even one of them notice a disabled man sitting in the holding cell near the booking office for a week? Wasn't anyone brave enough to ask some hard questions?

What do those in the Training Division really do? Anything? Is there any worthwhile training conducted for corrections officers?

And what about scandals? Wasn't a female corrections officer recently fired or "asked" to resign for having a relationship with an inmate? Apparently the inmate has been released, and the female corrections officer may be pregnant with his child. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to calculate the date of the "act". If the inmate is the father (easy to determine through DNA) and was incarcerated on that date, didn't the CO commit a felony?

Is Sheriff Prim investigating that?

Wrongful Convictions Seminar

Click on image to enlarge

What is your interest in wrongful convictions? What should the imprisoned person receive as relief? Should he have to fight for it?

Right in McHenry County there are a handful. Two of the most well-known at those of Mario Casciaro and of Gary Gauger. What about those wrongful convictions that did not result in prison time? Let's say that a man gets charged with a felony while protecting his life from a vicious dog that was loose and came into the man's own yard and attacked.

While he never should have been charged in the first place, who would think that a jury would convict? But when the song-and-dance of the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office is a better jig than a worthless (but not free) defense, then you get convicted. I attended that trial, and I was appalled at the defense. It was like they went on the court expecting the game to be badminton, and I don't think they ever realized that the game was rugby.

I just received this announcement today. The event is this Friday, December 4. If you are interested, call and make your reservation.

The organization of the seminar is a little confusing (to me). It is presented by the Office of the Kane County Public Defender, but at the bottom there is a statement that the seminar is sponsored by what appear to be two law firms. I guess they are paying for the space rental, refreshments, advertising and crossing their fingers to drum up some new business.