jeudi 30 avril 2009

Technical Difficulties

No, we aren't gone.

Yes, we are having an issue with the Blogger server.

As a result of the issue, we have to take down the comments for the evening. While this means a lighter work load for us when we bring it back up, it means that the readers have to save their brilliant observations until such time as Blogger gets fixed.

We're hoping it's fixed in time for the traditional Friday night drunk blogging.

Please stand by.

UPDATE: 0300 am - problem continues.

UPDATE: 0632 am - problem continues. A number of other bloggers have reported the same issue we have. No ETA on solving it though.

UPDATE: 1038 am - problem continues. Still no ETA on solving it.

Ten Questions from a Reader

Actually, a little more than 10 questions when you look at #10. Edited slightly for space:
  • As a dedicated CPD employee for 27 years, I have a few questions and since I know the Superintendent reads this Blog, maybe he can take a moment to answer the top 10 questions I have read over and over again via SCC for us, the troops, not the media.

    1. What happened with the case involving Mike Masters, your Chief of Staff, when he was questioned for more than 3 hours standing accused of interfering with an investigation?They brought up very valid points and questions didn't they?

    2. What happened to the case where he is listed on the arrest report's narrative as an arresting officer for new years eve in 007? I have a copy and it clearly states Mike Masters Chief of Staff, Sgt. Hamilton etc.

    3. What happened with the investigation into Asst. Supt. Cuello's property (condo in 008) where a search warrant was conducted, her daughter was home and that fact was never documented, assault weapons and major drugs were found? Were all guidelines followed by CPD and was a thorough follow-up investigation conducted by IAD, Problem Buildings, the City's Law Dept? What is the status of the CR#?

    4. What is the status of the investigation of sensitive items being stolen from IAD, the 5th floor, right across from your office?

    5. How is it that you keep creating specialized units and manning them with cars, supervisors and officers when NOT ONE of the high crime districts are at their manpower complement nor are they anywhere near where they should be in relationship to equipment?

    6. You found money to put a GPS in cars with over 70,000 miles, and those same cars happen to run like crap, but no money for equipment? On that same note, why is it that the specialized units and the lower crime districts get equipment first? Why was 2211A created? Last I checked, that is not where the homicides are in 022.

    7. Why are all of the good pilot projects always conducted in 001, 018, 020 and 016?

    8. Why was your Chief of Staff known to illegally carry an unregistered weapon in Chicago, allowed to have specialized training utilizing CPD resources and personnel, allowed to schedule himself for the power test and allowed to practice shooting on a CPD range and he is not a sworn member of this department nor any other police department?

    9. Why was a CR# closed that was obtained by Commander Crump Hales in 003 against an insubordinate Sergeant, whereas your Chief of Detectives witnessed and did nothing? What happened to that CR#? Did D.S. Dugan and Chief Juan Rivera have it Administratively closed?

    10. We would like to know your line of thinking......Why do you keep moving personnel around? Why is it that we have not had a solid year without major Exempt changes? Didn't you pick them in the first place? How can the Exempt do their job when they are constantly second guessed by you and your people, the non police? Who is your policy group and how were they selected? Why don't they do details? How are you leading by example? Don't your drivers all have take home cars, their own parking spaces and make overtime on a regular basis when the districts had to cut back on OT? How did you decide not to pursue Asst. Supt. Cuello, Mike Masters and Chief Byrne, but you saw fit to pursue Cozzi and all the other old cases that you have directed to have re-opened? Do you know your 3rd in Command's history? Does she have any street experience?
All legit questions. All deserving of answers.

Why can't Carol Marin ask questions like these? We guess they can't pass muster with J-Fed's people or the mayor.

Quick Hits

We need special elections. This is getting ridiculous:
  • Signaling the end of an era, Chicago zoning czar Ald. William J.P. Banks (36th) told the Sun-Times Thursday that he will be retiring from the City Council by the end of the year.

  • Despite indictments of city employees who were members of his ward organization and clients of his nephew, Banks said his retiring has nothing to do with any investigation.
Supposedly, he has recommended his Chief of Staff and driver to Shortshanks as a replacement. Chief of Staff and driver? Jack-of-all-trades evidently.

Another dead student:
  • A 16-year-old CPS student -- who was apparently targeted -- was killed and two men wounded during an early Thursday shooting in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side, police said.

    Damier Love, 16, of the 4800 block of West Hubbard Street, was fatally shot on the 5300 block of West Chicago Avenue, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

    A man in his early 20s opened fire on Love about 12:40 a.m., according to police News Affairs Officer David Banks, who was citing preliminary information.

12:40 a.m? Evidently, a First Period Study Hall. No word on "dice game" yet, but we imagine it's there.

No more Swine Flu. It's now H1N1 Flu. And it's everywhere:
  • The number of Illinois patients believed infected with a contagious form of H1N1 swine flu rose today to at least 41 people in Illinois, as suburban schools in Cook and surrounding northern counties announced they would close after several students appeared to show signs of the virus.

    "It's going up as we speak," Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Terry Mason said of Thursday's reports of flu-like illnesses. Earlier today the number of cases had reached 20.

It's also not as deadly as earlier pandemics. But the Pork Lobby is blowing all sorts of calls into Washington, the CDC and the media to rename this virus. It's amusing on a number of levels, but unlikely to change anything - once the media has their line, they're sticking to it.

This is Reporting?

This is complete and utter horseshit by any means.

NBC 5 titles their story as follows:
The subtitle is:
  • Judge rules cops not guilty of assault if you use 'em
And the link?
  • http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Fighting-Words-Judge-rules-cops-allowed-to-beat-you-up-if-you-use-em.html
How is this reporting? How is this anything but a slam on cops? No where in the entire ruling does the judge even imply that cops can run around on or off duty pounding on people. We can't find it anywhere.

We do see where he says that if people pick fights, they better be prepared to lose. And evidently, these brothers have a habit of picking fights when they're drunk. And losing. And suing when they lose fights. They're assholes. And they picked the wrong shoving match that night because we didn't see anything that rose to the level of an actual "fight." Especially with the injuries not being reported or treated until 4 days later.

But back to NBC. It seems they're taking their marching orders from Shortshanks, too. Same as See-BS's Pam Zekman with her little "expose" about parking "courtesy" and parking tickets. Jackie Heard must be threatening to cut off a whole bunch of access if they don't play ball. Access to a whole bunch of corruption and crooked dealings that would have real reporters salivating.

How's that taste NBC? Mmmmmm, good?

All the News that Marketing Wants

The media is in the bag.
  • A short-lived research project in which the Chicago Tribune solicited responses from current and former subscribers to descriptions of Tribune stories before they had been published has been halted after reporters raised journalistic concerns.

  • Kern agreed. He said he had been unaware that the research project, a collaboration between the paper's editorial and marketing departments that previously asked consumers about general topics and past Tribune stories, had in the last two weeks begun asking for their preferences regarding the synopses of stories not yet in print.

  • Surveys were sent by e-mail to around 9,000 would-be readers on two occasions. About 500 responded to each, indicating which of 10 story ideas they preferred. Kern said the stories "tended to be news features," and the results never made it to him or had any impact in how stories were handled.
Backpedal backpedal backpedal. You can't run a country by committee, you shouldn't try to run a company by poll numbers, and you should certainly never run a newspaper by survey - even though that's what the New York Times has been doing for years now, and look at their stock price...oh wait - look at the Trib's stock price, too. And the Sun-Times. And their declining circulation numbers. And the public trust in their material.

Carry on, dead tree media. Carry on.

Rumors Rumors Everywhere

We like some of these:
  • Stormy Seas and Major Changes Ahead; Hold Fast!

    It appears that the Mayor will soon have another rubber stamp in the City Council. Unconfirmed reports are that Alderman Brian G. Doherty will soon be resigning his Aldermanic position and that the Mayor will choose a successor.

    Mayor Richard M. Daley will lose a key African American ally soon. Alderman Isaac "Ike" S. Carothers will be federally indicted by midsummer, on public corruption charges. Once again, the Mayor will personally select an Alderman.

    The Mayor is beyond frantic in his quest of attaining the 2016 Olympics. The Mayor wishes to place the 2016 Olympics as the capstone on his public service career. The Olympics provide a guarantee of a Daley Legacy for the next 100 years and a much needed distraction from the corruption and scandal that have become flagrant and blatantly obvious to the public.

    The Olympics also guarantee Chicago a much needed, federal infusion of capitol for pet projects. The Olympics provide the perfect screen to distribute literally, billions of dollars worth of contracts to the chosen few and enrich select individuals and families.

    Michael K. Shields will utilize his position as a trustee, on the Policemen's Annuity and Pension Fund of Chicago, to cause the Daley family greater suffering and humiliation. Michael K. Shields will be instrumental in obtaining the federal indictment of Robert G. Vanecko.

    The alleged misdeeds of Jon G. Burge are also haunting, former Cook County States Attorney Richard M. Daley, twenty five years latter and will become much more pronounced in the next two years.

    Underlying brewing scandals of unimagined proportion will surface after October 10,2009 and any attempt to surmount them will be futile.

    Police Superintendent Jody "J.P." Weis will gracefully exit his position, for greener pastures, in November 2009 and a CPD insider will replace him. Will Alfonza Wysinger become the next Superintendent?

    Mayor Richard M. Daley will, for yet undetermined reasons, opt out of running for re-election in late 2010. The Mayor will formally endorse Cook County Sheriff Tom J. Dart to succeed him.

    All eyes should be on Paul G. Vallas and his triumphant return to Illinois. Will Paul run for Illinois Governor, US Senator or for Mayor of Chicago?

    What high paying celebrity position will Ariel "Ari" Z. Emanuel find Milorad "Rod" R. Blagojevich? Rahm Emanuel is desperate to keep the former Governor quiet, occupied and funded; an indicted, humiliated and impoverished man can cause tremendous problems.

    FOP President Mark P. Donahue will be replaced by Daniel J. Shields, you heard it all here first.
Every good rumor has a little bit of truth in it. Alderman Doherty recently sustained a nasty fall - he might be having health problems. Carothers has been mentioned as a subject/target of a number of Federal investigations - he might be gone soon. Burge, the Oylmpics, Vallas, Blago, even the pension board protests, all have a glint of factual information tied into some wishful thinking. Each of these is a plausible scenario. Discuss.

Palermo 200



El gol 200 podía no ser especial. Pero Palermo le puso moño, lo festejó para su película y aseguró la clasificación de Boca a la próxima fase de la Copa Libertadores.

200 goles con la camiseta xeneize; a 20 de Cherro, máximo goleador del club y a 24 de Masantonio en la tabla absoluta del profesionalismo argentino.



RELACIONADO: DE LA MANO DE PALERMO (VC)

Una historia de la pelota de fútbol - Parte 12

El avance en el uso de materiales sintéticos dio para 1990 la impermeabilización total:

El “Etrusco” que rodara en Italia fue el primer balón de competición de la historia provista con una capa interna de espuma negra de poliuretano, un puerto de llegada en el estudio de la impermeabilización.

Volviendo a los inicios del país anfitrión del Mundial, la producción artística de los etruscos se descubre en las cabezas de león que decoran las (20) tríadas de la pelota.

Salvado el caso de la impermeabilización, para 1994 Adidas buscó un balón de ligereza y sensibilidad.

Cinco materiales diferentes envueltos en espuma de poliestireno dieron mayor resistencia al agua, mayor aceleración de recorrido y un tacto más suave (y más controlable).

El “Questra” (búsqueda de las estrellas), heredero de la tecnología aeroespacial, los cohetes de alta velocidad y la carrera espacial, marcó nuevos rendimientos que no tardaron en soportar y denunciar los arqueros.

Luego del Mundial USA 94, tuvieron lugar dos nuevas ediciones: el Questra Europa, oficial de la Eurocopa 1996 realizada en Inglaterra y el Questra Olympia, oficial del torneo de fútbol de las Olimpíadas de Atlanta (1996).


UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 11
UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 10
UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 9
UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 8
UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 7
UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 6
UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 5
UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 4
UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 3
UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 2
UNA HISTORIA DE LA PELOTA DE FUTBOL PARTE 1

How About Us?

  • Federal agents raided government offices in south suburban Crestwood on Wednesday, less than two weeks after a Tribune investigation revealed the village had secretly pumped drinking water from a polluted well for more than two decades.

    Acting on a search warrant obtained by U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald's office, investigators from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spent most of the day collecting records from Crestwood Village Hall, the public works department and the Police Department. They carted away several boxes of documents and took computers for further review.
The Tribune reports a contaminated well might be poisoning an entire town, the feds are there in under 14 days, grabbing boxes of records, seizing critical information, making a case to put a bunch of people behind bars for years.

Last week, Shortshanks celebrated 20 years of looting not only the City of Chicago, but the County of Cook and the State of Illinois of billions in crooked contracts, shady land deals, land give-aways, questionable campaign contributions, pension grabs, rigged voting, the list is damn near endless, and for 20 years, the US Attorney's Office can't be bothered to protect 2.8 million city residents, 8 million county dwellers and 12+ million Illinoisans.

Maybe enforcement is based on percentage of tax paying individuals?

UPDATE: Population corrected. Our bad.

mercredi 29 avril 2009

See-BS News Parking Followup

Must be sweeps week or month or whatever they're using now.
  • It's one of the rarest things in downtown Chicago, almost extinct: a free parking spot. Some people thought that they had found that hidden treasure, but soon complained to CBS 2 Investigators that they had been caught in a parking trap.
Trapped by an officer "hiding" in an unmarked vehicle who noted the times they parked and then hung tickets after the fact.

Well, technically, they were "standing" illegally, waiting for the clock to run out before they "parked" the vehicle in a spot they had been holding illegally for tens of minutes and more. Pimpy? Yup. Trap? We'd say let the lawyers sort it out but they're working for Shortshanks, so we know which that decision is going. It's currently under review.

We thought the officer making Pam jog alongside his squad car was amusing though.

In any case, See-BS News apparently has decided that the only "corruption" worth covering in Chicago is parking "corruption." And not just any parking "corruption" - "corruption" that puts the police in a bad light. Not the aldercreatures, the storefront churches, the "reverends" who demand courtesy, not even the media that commits moving violations by the busload and parking violations by the bushel and then demand (and receive) "courtesy" after the fact.

Anyone want to waste any more time pointing Pam toward City Hall? The County Building? Springfield?

Pension Meeting Rumbles

The new found activism is becoming a thorn in the sides of the powers-that-be:
  • Dozens of Chicago police officers jammed their pension fund’s board meeting Wednesday to question an investment deal that went to a real estate firm involving a nephew of Mayor Richard Daley.

    The officers blasted fund administrators for declining to comply with a subpoena from the city’s inspector general, David Hoffman. In March, the Tribune reported that Hoffman is investigating public employee pension fund dealings with DV Urban Realty, which includes mayoral nephew Robert Vanecko.

    David Kugler, the police fund’s attorney, said officials would not provide Hoffman with recordings of closed board sessions where the deal was discussed.

    Among the officers who spoke at the meeting was Mike Mette, who was freed from an Iowa prison last year when the courts reversed his conviction for punching a man. The board’s refusal to cooperate with Hoffman “makes a lot of us feel something is being hidden,” Mette said.

Business as usual has to stop. And the way it stops is people not letting it go on. People getting involved. Voters. Pension beneficiaries. Future pensioners.

Read the article linked up top. Then decide to get involved. There are mechanisms in place to remove unwanted pension board members instead of waiting for the next election. Perhaps it's time to target one or two of them?

More OT Money?

  • Grants from the federal stimulus package will give the Chicago Police Department an extra $20 million to spend on overtime for officers and new equipment in the coming months, according to a police spokesman.

    The funds come at an opportune time as crime typically increases with the temperatures, but critics feel the extra cash should be spent on hiring new officers instead of paying an already strained force to work additional hours.

    "Staffing is always a problem," said Mark P. Donahue, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge 7. "It's only gotten worse since last January."

What this says to us is no hiring for a long time.

Aguilar en Aruba

Este afiche puede verse sobre las calles de Buenos Aires.

Navarro Montoya se va de Tacuarembó.

Siguiendo el derrotero del mono, monitoreando su arte adonde vaya, tenemos que decir, muy a pesar de cual supersticioso que a 3 meses de haber firmado, Carlos Fernando Navarro Montoya (43) rescindió contrato con el Tacuarembó uruguayo,

Una discusión con el presidente del club, Daniel Albernaz, que empezó por cuestionamientos a la campaña del equipo y siguió con dineros atrasados y bancos (de madera) para el vestuario terminó con la salida del arquero a tres meses de su llegada.

"La actitud de Albernaz habla de alguien que cree que es amo y señor de una situación por ser el presidente y se cree dueño de la vida de los jugadores… Los jugadores son testigos. Ellos colaboraron conmigo para arreglar un lugar al que llamaban vestuario, en el que se sentaban en el piso y en el que había solo basura. Lo limpiamos todo y pusimos unos bancos... porque ni bancos para cambiarse había”.

Por otro lado, encontramos a Tacuarembó anteúltimo en la tabla uruguaya con 5 puntos sobre 24 jugados, muy cerca de algo que se llama ¿descenso?


mardi 28 avril 2009

Chalkie 2016 Update

From the comments:
  • I just received the following from the USOC. Apparently, the words "CHICAGO 2016" are the "intellectual property" of the USOC.

    Dear Chalkie,
    I appreciate the good work you do and your efforts to honor and support the Hundred Club. Unfortunately, by using the mark CHICAGO 2016, you are creating an unauthorized correlation between your fundraising activities and the Olympic Movement. The USOC has a well established practice of registering trademark sequences that include venue cities and year components. Therefore, the mark CHICAGO 2016 is also covered under our legislation, making your use of that city/year mark unauthorized. The fact that it is being used commercially to raise funds without USOC oversight or permission places your use squarely in violation of our legislation.

    I restate my request that you select an alternative mark that does not feature the intellectual property of the USOC.

    Respectfully,
And hopping over to the site, it appears that the USOC lacks any sense of humor or proportion.

We'd hate to see this worthy cause fade into oblivion, so we suggest any of the following remedies:
  • "Chalkie 2016" as a catch phrase;
  • a reader suggested "Chalkie World Tour" with a listing of homicides by district on the back;
  • "Tokyo 2016" instead - the USOC isn't threatening the Japanese, are they?
We're sure our readers can come up with dozens more.

Parking Courtesy

The readers have come up with a few suggestions to keep Pammy in business. We doubt she'll take anyone up on them though:
  • Start at "reverend" Meeks church. Courtesy double parking blocking streets, sidewalks and curb cutouts for blocks around. And if rumors are to be believed, on-duty tact teams providing all sorts of free traffic control and direction at the behest of the District Commander.
  • Work your way north from there. All sorts of "reverends" demanding (and receiving) parking courtesies from Commanders they helped appoint.
But that wouldn't be politically correct, would it Pammy? Would anyone believe how often we see media vans parked illegally on hydrants, bus stops and no parking zones, yet they never get written because HQ non-suits media tickets as (wait for it...) a courtesy!

Impersonator with a Gun

  • A 21-year-old man claiming to be in the military helped Dallas patrol officers answer calls and make arrests, and he accompanied them on a ride-along, but officials say he was the one taking police for a ride.

    The impostor, identified as Ryan Caskey, wore a bulletproof vest and carried a U.S. Marine military police badge and a Glock, which he reportedly drew from its holster as he kicked in a door at a Far North Dallas apartment.

    Authorities said Caskey, who is wanted for questioning, claimed to be in an FBI task force, had the cop lingo and swagger down pat, and followed officers in his black Crown Victoria with red and blue flashing lights in the dashboard.

Brought his own vest and gun along? Standard for the impersonator. But bringing your own squad car along to patrol? That's a big old red flag - even here in Chicago. We'd wonder about that one.

Barcelona 0 Chelsea 0

Muchos técnicos y estudiosos hubieron apuntado y grabado la primera semifinal de Champions League 09 que, si bien no colmó las expectativas de espectáculo, dejó un tratado a manera de manual abierto, a firma de Hiddink, sobre una temática muy estudiada en Europa: “OPERATIVO CERROJO CAMP NOU”.

Tendrán que tener en cuenta la millonada de libras, euros o dólares con que cuenta Hiddink para trazar semejante plan con éxito.

Lo que de inicio parecía respeto exagerado respecto de los blues se convirtió en la distancia infranqueable que proyectaron desde el minuto 1.

Con una relación de posesión de 70/30, el Barcelona también se adueñó del terreno y las probabilidades podían tornarse azulgranas. Pero el cerrojo planteado por el Chelsea funcionó a la perfección. No es fácil explicar que, cruzando la mitad de cancha tres veces en 45 minutos la opción de gol más clara estuviese en los pies de Drogba: un pésimo cierre hacia atrás de Rafa Márquez dejó solo al nigeriano para convertir a Valdés en figura del 0-0.

Pasando los minutos el Barcelona ganaba en nervios e imprecisión. Messi recorriendo todo el frente blue, Iniesta con algún tiro de media distancia, Henry con algún pique, Dani Alves con algún tiro libre, Bojan por Etoó, no hubo caso. Barcelona hizo todo el gasto pero el operativo cerrojo fue exitoso en el Camp Nou.

ALINEACION EQUIPOS

ESTADISTICAS DEL PARTIDO

RELACIONADO: EMPATE CON SABOR A POCO (VALE CHUMBAR)

Jefferson Tap Verdict

Cleared of all charges.

Links to follow as we have them.

UPDATE: BreakingNews.com has the better coverage. Don't read the comments if you don't want to be irritated beyond belief though.

Barcelona - Chelsea

Barcelona disputó 10 semifinales de Champions League. Chelsea, 4 (2004, 2005, 2007 y 2008). De 7 semifinales europeas definidas contra ingleses, Barcelona superó 3. Barcelona y Chelsea se encontraron 3 veces en eliminatorias de Champions League. El Barça pasó en dos (los cuartos de final de la temporada 1999/00 y los octavos de la 2005/06) y el Chelsea en una (los octavos de la campaña 2004/05). Barcelona y Chelsea hicieron 12 goles en 10 partidos de Champions. Carles Puyol va por su partido internacional número 100 con la camiseta del Barça. Leo Messi es el máximo goleador de la Liga de Campeones (8 goles). Xavi, con 5 asistencias, es el mejor pasador junto con Franck Ribéry. Les sigue de cerca el propio Messi (5). Los jugadores apercibidos de sanción del Barça son Busquets, Puyol y Alves. En Chelsea lo están Lampard y Anelka. Si alguien de ellos ve una tarjeta amarilla se perderá la vuelta en Stamford Bridge, el miércoles de la próxima semana.

ENLACES PARA VER BARCELONA - CHELSEA EN VIVO:
ENLACE 1 ENLACE 2 ENLACE 3
ENLACE 4

Los cambios de Vivas: Facundo Alfonso y Andrés Romero.

Pedro Molina, colaborador de LPND, entrega su 2º visión "Bajo la lupa" revisando los cambios que Claudio Vivas dispuso en el empate de su Argentinos contra Independiente.

Argentinos Júniors vencía a Independiente (1-0) y contaba con un jugador más (expulsión de Godoy, de Independiente en el minuto 50). Imaginé que con los cambios, Vivas desestabilizaría lo que venía siendo un buen trabajo desde el único gol del partido (´52). Y no me equivoqué, porque más allá del gol, el bicho se quedó y le dio más espacios a lo que era hasta el momento, un rival con tan poco peso ofensivo como defensivo y menos para creación de jugadas.

Alfonso ingresó a los 27 minutos y se ubicó a la derecha de Ortigoza, pero a diez mil revoluciones. Ya en la primera cometió una infracción, pero lo más interesante de éste jugador es con los rivales que se tuvo que enfrentar en la búsqueda de la pelota. Con Fredes, Centurión (provocó un corner), Sosa (le robó la pelota), Patito Rodríguez (recibe infracción) y otra oportunidad que le regaló la pelota a Tuzzio. En total cinco intervenciones

¿Qué muestra esto? Primero la inactividad de este muchacho y después, que su rival no tenía a nadie que genere fútbol, por lo tanto se iban pasando la pelota sin llegar muy lejos. El encargado de crear fútbol –Montenegro- estuvo lejos del juvenil del bicho.

La segunda variante fue la de Andrés Romero por Nicolás Giani. El delantero Sub-20 participó en cuatro ocasiones. Podría haber aprovechado alguna de esas ya que por lo general al comienzo de la jugada estaba sólo, pero luego se encontraba con un defensor rojo que lo tuvo de hijo durante todo el tiempo que estuvo en cancha. Recostado por la izquierda, ante un equipo todo arriba con dos abajo (Gioda y Tuzzio) luchó tres veces con el ex River. En una corrió y perdió, en otra tocó e interceptó Eduardo y la tercera, se la robó limpita. Su cuarta mediación fue en un off-side que no era.

Yo no entiendo los cambios del discípulo de Bielsa cuando todo andaba bien, ninguno de los dos cumplió con las expectativas y sin dudas que al desestabilizar el medio, le dio más espacio a su rival y llegó el empate.

Si algo permite y enriquece al fútbol es el intercambio de ideas. Y debo decir que no coincido con la visión de Pedro. Independiente nunca mereció empatar el partido, casi no llegó con peligro al área rival y fue dominado absolutamente por el juego del local. Los cambios de Vivas (que está dando minutos a juveniles nuevos) no descompensaron el juego ya que varió nombres y no roles.
Debemos ver que Independiente sólo pudo empatar el partido a raíz de este blooper del arquero Torrico.

Debate abierto.

lundi 27 avril 2009

Clout Parking

  • Chicago police officers in a special detail unit called "The Wolf Pack" are supposed to serve and protect by patrolling high crime areas. But CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman found them helping people with clout and connections get prime parking spots at special events. For at least part of their day, these officers serve and park.

    Getting to the game can be a pain and parking can be very expensive.

    But CBS 2 found VIPs with clout get to park for free in no parking zones right under the watchful eyes of Chicago police officers. What's more: police officers and firemen can take advantage of the free parking simply by flashing a badge.
The list of clout parkers is impressive:
  • Alderman Ray Suarez, for one, says he's taken advantage of what he called "courtesy parking
  • Edward McElroy, a longtime friend of the Daley family and public relations consultant, is a frequent VIP parker.
  • At U.S. Cellular Field, the VIPs included state senator Kimberly Lightford. She and her friend parked right under a "No Parking" sign.
  • Joe Kotlarz, the former alderman and state representative, who served three months in prison for stealing tollway funds in the '90s. But apparently he's still got clout.
And here's a good one:
  • Those with privileged parking spots weren't anxious to talk either, like Ken Hauser, vice president of the Chicago Police Pension Board.
Gee. And a Pension Board Meeting coming up this Wednesday. Perhaps some retirees would like to have a little chat with their representative? This could explain a number of his votes that seem to go along with the City wishes.

Blackhawks Advance

  • Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin made 43 saves to lead the Hawks to a series-deciding 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames Monday in Game 6 at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

    With the win, the Hawks advance to the conference semifinals for the first time since 1996.

Congratulations to the Blackhawks. This has beena long time coming. A great young team, a steady coaching staff, and a big thanks to Rocky Wirtz, without whom none of this would be possible.

Chalkie Banned?

We're hoping this isn't true:
  • BAD NEWS

    We have been contacted by the USOC regarding the sale of Chalkie t-shirts. It has something to do with an Olympic trademark. At first we thought it was a joke but a little investigation found that it could be a legit inquiry. We will be contacting our attorneys-Dewey, Cheatum and Howe for advise.

    We will plead our case, but for some reason, we don't think the USOC will give us their blessing.

    While you still can, find out how get Chalkie t-shirts and hats by sending an email to

    chalkie2016@gmail.com.

    Supplies are limited.

    They may be collectors items soon.....real soon.
Yes, we see the humor in the "Dewey, Cheatum and Howe" crack. But we don't see where the USOC has a leg to stand on here. The Chalkie website isn't using the Olympic rings, colors or logo. The torch? It's a generic drawing. The entire premise is a parody based entirely on a drawing that was submitted to us via an anonymous e-mail that raises money for a worthy cause.

It seems like an attempt to bully an entrepreneur into shutting down his website or face crippling legal bills to keep it open. We encourage everyone to buy shirts as soon as possible in case the site is forced to go under. We truly hate lawyers who have nothing better to do than undermine the free exercise of the First Amendment. We certainly hope there is a special hell reserved for them.

Visit Chalkie at this link here.

What Could Go Wrong?

A White House photo op. A giant airplane. Downtown New York City.



But Bush was an idiot? Bush was out-of-touch? They certainly weren't flying airplanes around the Statue of Liberty and New York skyscrapers.

What Were They Thinking?

Anyone see anything wrong with this picture?

This "poster" or "artwork" or whatever you want to call it adorns the wall by the escalators leading up to the upper floors of the Harold Washington Library.

Now does anyone see anything wrong with it? We aren't against public art. We aren't book burners. If we don't like it, we don't patronize it. But in a public library paid for with public funds named after Chicago's first black mayor, do we really need a double entendre advocating a habit that has pretty much destroyed entire swaths of Chicago and it's inhabitants?

Unless we're embracing it now?

Ortega ¿qué es de tu vida?

Quilmes. Sábado a la noche. Unos 15º cercanos a la costa invitan al sweater. 3000 personas en el estadio y un primer tiempo gris parecen bajar la temperatura. Hasta que a filo de silbato (´39) Narvay, desde 30 metros, pone el 1-0. ¡Mirá el pibe!, debut y gol, zapatazo!.

Empezando el segundo tiempo (´49) Fassi cabecea el 2-0 y levanta la espuma de la cerveza que vamos a tomar en el bar.Quilmes festeja.

Pero hay más: enseguida (´62), el 10 de ellos (Independiente Rivadavia Mendoza) se hace expulsar; viene a aparecer en el partido para pegarle una patada desde atrás a Diego García.

El árbitro (Daniel Raffa) lo expulsa directamente. La gente del mendocino no se sorprende. El 10 tiene tantas expulsiones como goles en el torneo (4, de los que 3 fueron de penal). No pasaron tres fechas de la última roja; un codazo a Basualdo lo dejó afuera contra Chacarita y desde entonces los gritos se conjugan con los rumores en Mendoza: ¡volvete hdp! ¡andate por donde viniste!

“No está rindiendo a su nivel – dice Aldo Bolado (DT) sobre el 10 - eso lo pone mal y pierde los estribos.”

Justamente: ido el 10 a los vestuarios, Independiente Rivadavia Mendoza va por la heroica. Con uno menos y de visitante sale a buscar: Carignano cabecea solo en el área (´70) para descontar y un rato después Tonelotto (´86) conecta un córner para empatar el partido.

Para entonces el 10, Ariel Ortega, ya hubo salido de las duchas.


RELACIONADOS:

El largo otoño de Ariel Ortega

Ortega perdido en el destiempo

CONTRATAPA Nº 5

dimanche 26 avril 2009

B.S. Interview

It's amazing. When J-Fed talks, you can't even see Daley's lips moving.

All in all, his interview with Carol Marin was a flop and a repeat of everything we've seen before. He talks up what Shortshanks wants in terms of the big "crime is down" story to get the Olympics interested in Chicago. Then he dances around and doesn't answer the other questions that might not mean much to the public, but mean a whole lot to the people he's attempting to "lead."
  • J-Fed talks up a 21% drop in homicides. After the coldest winter in a decade. But it's all wine and roses where J-Fed comes from. Aggravated Batteries with handguns are up over 100 even in the cold. A few warm days and we could manage to catch up really quick. Don't count chickens before they're hatched.

  • J-Fed says that with good equipment, good training and leadership by example, there is no morale problem. Last time we checked, there were still no pool cars citywide, Tahoes came two at a time then stopped and have to be downed at 3,000 miles for a transmission problem that ought to be the subject of an investigative report, we can't send anyone to training because we have no manpower to spare, and our leadership consists of one of the more amusing selections of buffoons outside of a carnival.

  • J-Fed bases his judgement of morale being fine by the fact that officers are still responding to calls and 10-1's, joking and in good spirits. Leaving aside the fact that we're required to go to jobs (it's in the description), everyone responds to 10-1's if they know what's good for them. That could be any one if us on the other end of that radio one day and you better believe we're going to be trusting that everyone shows up. It's what you're supposed to do and has nothing to do with morale. The joking and good spirits is more a result of everyone letting off a little steam after finding our co-workers in one piece. And the people greeting J-Fed and telling him what a great job he's doing - pure fantasy. It's either (A) cops have fun at his expense or (B) the fine CPD tradition of sucking ass. Look what happened to the first three people to smooch up to J-Fed - hello "Policy Group." Of course, at least two of them were mayoral plants, but don't tell J-Fed!

  • And finally, "merit" promotions. We called that one right on the money. J-Fed goes on and on about how merit is a badge of honor, merit promotions are good, and he lifted the "veil of secrecy" surround who was "merit" and who wasn't. If "merit" is so damn good, why not define it? Give everyone a fair shot at achieving career brownie points so as to have a shot? These were the payoff quotes - "I don't know all the players." "Mayor Daley has never called me regarding any promotion that I've made since I've been here."
Of course he hasn't J-Fed. He's been doing this long before you were here. His fingerprints aren't visible out in the open - he has people for that. He's a puppet master. And guys like you? You don't even see the strings he's pulling. We won't even name names, but you can't seriously think that a largish number of the people you promoted are even remotely qualified for the jobs they're holding?

Evidently, $310,000 per year buys a lot of blindfolds.

Again, Media Blackout

From the comments:
  • 11 different shootings in A2 on friday in less than 24 hours. Nothing in the news.

  • Oh Where Oh Where are the nice tourist supposed to go? 26 Apr 09 1450 hrs gang fight at Navy Pier. Five in custody. New Media where are you?????? Last week a fight breaks out involving the "flyer boys" a security guard was injured. What about the two stabbings New Years Eve? Are you legit reporters? Seems like you only report the news fit for the DALEY TIMES, with special anti-police stories in the shortshanks section
But strap in and wait for Pam Zekman's expose on cops abetting illegal parking since Shortshanks has made it damn near impossible to park legally anywhere in this town. Including around police stations.

The New "Chicken Leg" Murder

  • Police say a Chicago man faces murder charges for allegedly killing another man as they played games on an Xbox 360.

    Twenty-eight-year-old Joseph Johnson was charged with first-degree murder on Sunday.

    Authorities say Johnson and 24-year-old Danny Taylor were playing video games at a South Side apartment earlier this month when they got into a fight. Johnson then allegedly shot Taylor in the back of the head.
Initial reports are they were playing "Guitar Hero." Other stories are "Super Mario Carts" or a "Zelda" type game. We're sure that Johnson had a perfectly acceptable reason for his actions and we look forward to hearing it in court.

Vélez puntero: TAPA Nº 91

Tribune Anonymous Byline

  • Mayor Richard Daley weighed in on the patronage scandal surrounding Cook County Board President Todd Stroger today, suggesting his ally should explain himself to the public.

    "He has to speak on behalf of himself. I've known the family for many, many years," Daley said after a peace rally. "He has to get out there and be able to explain that to everyone in Cook County."

    Stroger has been buffeted by a patronage hiring scandal that led him to dump his cousin, Donna Dunnings, from the county's top financial post.

This coming from the "Great Un-Communicator" Shortshanks, the man who can't explain how 26 aldermen in 25 years have gone to jail; how $40 million got spent in trucks no one needed, how connected developers manage to buy prime downtown lots for $1 and get the city to clean up the EPA disasters they are for free; how his son and nephew end up involved in all sorts of city contracts and pension money grabs; the man who won't answer who hired Angelo Torres.

Pot meet kettle. At least Kass will ask the difficult questions of the mayor once in a while instead of helping him weaken the Stroger/Beavers alliance and tighten his hold on the County Board.

How Could This Happen?

  • Tony Cole, the convicted felon at the center of Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's patronage hiring scandal, has called the McGill Terrace Apartments on the South Side home since February of last year.

    The apartments are provided either free, or at reduced monthly rent, for those with a low income. Now a government agency is asking a simple question: How did Cole worm his way into a federally funded free studio apartment?

  • [...] Stroger lifted him out of a busboy job at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and placed him in a $48,000-a-year executive assistant position in the County Building. Soon Cole got a raise to $58,000 annually.

    Federal rules say Cole could only live in the subsidized studio apartment if he made less than $24,000 a year.
Gee, a violation of Federal law. In Chicago, Cook County, State of Illinois. Who'd have thunk it?

samedi 25 avril 2009

Downtown Crime Ignored

Anyone media want to touch this one?
  • O.T. Another wilding on Michigan ave. Address of occurrence 625 N Michigan to be exact. Multiple m/1's 17-20 year olds attack a couple on the street. Car 47 on-views and puts out flash. GREAT job by the 18th district 1st watch crew. Grabs at least 8 offenders at different locations. Not a "hate crime" huh? Funny how the news media did not pick up on it. This one is way to easy not to verify.
Bueller? Bueller?

Man, those crickets are LOUD.

J-Fed on Sunday AM News

Unconfirmed information that the Superintendent is going to be on the Sunday morning news with Carol Marin. The subject of their chat?

"Merit" promotions.

Anyone want to guess if he actually answers any questions about what defines "merit?"

Or will he run with the tired old story that some people "just don't test well" and never commits to a single fact about what career targets that we, the un-clouted, can shoot for in the hopes for advancement?

Our money is on the latter.

Florida Sheriffs Killed

  • Two north Florida sheriff's deputies were fatally shot at a shooting range by a suspect who was later killed by deputies after he fled across the county line, authorities said.

    It happened around 1 p.m. Saturday when the two Okaloosa County deputies went to Shoal River Sporting Clays and Shooting Center in response to a call, said Michele Nicholson, a sheriff's spokeswoman.

    Deputies Burt Lopez and Deputy Warren "Skip" York were pronounced dead after being airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, about 45 miles away, the sheriff's office said. Sheriff's officials identified their killer as Joshua Cartwright, 28, of Fort Walton Beach.

Prayers and remembrances for the fallen only in this thread.

San Lorenzo 1 Rácing 1

Simeone debutaba bien. Su San Lorenzo ganaba 1-0 en casa. Pero el Rácing de Caruso le empató en la última jugada del partido en el minuto 95 y mantiene una racha de 6 invicto.

Pagani digital

¿Se imaginaban a Pagani en iPhone?

RI DIGITAL acaba de desarrollar su primer eBook sobre fútbol que llama MultiActive ® eBook: el primer eBook multimedia e interactivo para iPhone e iPod Touch.

Después de trabajar unos meses con el amante de Riquelme se recopiló parte de su experiencia a lo largo de su larga vida periodística para bajar contenidos de autor en textos, videos y audio. Algunos temas que ya están preparados son La táctica en el fútbol, El estratega del equipo, El fútbol argentino, El hincha de la selección, Maradona DT y El fútbol sudamericano, y algunos de los ringtones con su inconfundible voz que, por ahora, no incluyen loas a Riquelme ni rounds con Fabbri.

Happy Retirement Capt. Farrell

Good Luck.

vendredi 24 avril 2009

Someone Seal the Border

  • Mexico City closed schools across the metropolis of 20 million Friday after at least 16 people died and more than 900 others fall ill from what health officials suspect is a new strain of swine flu. World health officials worried that it could mark the start of a flu pandemic.

    The World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland said at least 57 have died in the outbreak, although it wasn't yet clear if this larger number of deaths was due to swine flu.

    "We are very, very concerned," said Thomas Abraham, a spokesman for the agency. "We have what appears to be a novel virus and it has spread from human to human." If international spread is confirmed, that meets WHO's criteria for raising the pandemic alert level, he added.
Seeing as how we have contact with dozens of people every single day, police should be extra cautious. You don't want to bring anything home you didn't leave for work with.

Letters, We Get Letters

Whoever is looking into rearranging the call taking priority, look faster:
  • Today on Zone XX, we had two calls dispatch couldn't wait to give out in the middle of a backlog. The first? Assault in progress - with water balloons. The second was an EMS call for a drunk who fell over and cut his hand. They made that one a 1A priority call. Will someone somewhere tell the call takers to stop taking this BS that just buries us. Thanks.
What says the Department talking heads? Are we going to re prioritize soon?

Nothing Better to Do

  • Call off the dogs. Or rather, the Felony Franks.

    Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd) is more than a weenie bit mad over the name and logo of a new hot dog stand that will be opening in his ward in a few weeks.

    Fioretti said he fully supports Felony Franks’ mission of providing ex-convicts with jobs, but he thinks the moniker and paintings outside the West Side eatery of googly-eyed hot dogs behind bars are in bad taste.

    “This, no matter what anybody says, is not that cute of an idea. It’s a great concept for ex-offenders, but it’s a poor theme for a restaurant,” Fioretti said, emphasizing that the business’ slogans, “Food so good, it’s criminal” and “Home of the misdemeanor wiener” only glamorize criminal behavior.

Once again, let the market determine what works. If people like the advertising and the hot dogs, then "Felony Franks" will sell a million of them and the city will rake in tax revenue and maybe a few felons leaning toward recidivism won't go down that path where they are a drain on society. But an aldercreature actively working against a new business in his ward? Has anyone noticed the city unemployment rate hit a new high this week? Something on the order of almost 10%.

Even a minimum wage job is a job. And it's someone off the streets working instead of going through garages and homes looking for money.

UPDATE: Spelling corrected

La decadencia de Ríver


Simeone, el doctor traidor.

A la luz de la perspectiva que da el breve lapso transcurrido, el campeonato que logró Diego Simeone con Ríver hace apenas meses cobra un valor tan insospechado como paradójico. Porque corta una racha de 13 torneos sin títulos y porque agravó los males que llevaron a descubrir que Ríver no deja de tocar un fondo que cada vez está más abajo, que aquella racha interrumpida no es sino un tobogán demasiado empinado para el vértigo de sus hinchas.

Simeone viene así a constituirse en el doctor que sacó al enfermo del hospital. Bien sabemos que el prestigio social ganado por la medicina se debe a que los médicos curan. Pero como reverso de la moneda hay que decir que la medicina es crónicamente experimental y evolutiva y que, por ende, los médicos también matan.

En un tiempo (siglos XVII, XVIII) los hospitales no eran lugares de paso. No existía el concepto de “alta” en el sentido de “curado” o “repuesto”. Epidemias y enfermedades tan incurables como contagiosas hicieron del hospital una institución de encierro y reclusión. Quién entraba a un hospital entonces no volvía a salir sino dentro de un cajón cerrado.

Y apareció Simeone, que en medio de su experimentación medicinal, sacó al enfermo a pasear, a ver la luz del sol, el verde del césped y las burbujas de los festejos (campeón). Cosechó aplausos el doctor Simeone: se vio una notable mejoría en su paciente a partir de una importante inyección anímica. Por eso dejaron de proporcionarle los analgésicos ( y Ríver creyó que estaba curado).

Sin embargo el tiempo demostró que la acción de Simeone no fue mas que un breve oasis en la agonía para constatar que las enfermedades más temerarias son aquellas que pueden esconder los síntomas.

La falta de jerarquía es rotunda.

Es indispensable que un punta sepa jugar de primera o tenga remate de media distancia, o tenga un pique corto distintivo o una potencia desigual o algún factor desarrollado de desequilibrio entre sus variantes. Falcao no tiene nada de eso. Falcao sólo tiene una tozuda voluntad que complica el trabajo de sus marcadores.

Fabbiani salvador de Ríver, tomando la posta de un Abreu que tomó la posta de Buonanotte.

Ríver se convirtió en un cementerio de figuritas difíciles (Ortega borracho, Gallardo sin piernas, Fabbiani gordo).

El arquero Vega, de arengas que no se cree ni él, copiando los gestos de los arqueros, porque no hay arquero que se precie de tal si no sale aplaudiendo a los gritos después de una entrada peligrosa del rival.

Este "momento de Ríver" pasó a ser esta "época de Ríver".

Medimos a Ríver y se dice que ni la dirigencia ni la dirección deportiva ni el plantel profesional están a la altura de las circunstancias. Pero ¿cuáles son “las circunstancias”?

¿Una copa Libertadores adulterada con equipos no campeones? ¿Un torneo local empobrecido y físico de irregularidad imperecedera? ¿Una situación económica en default?

Para decir que Ríver está en uno de los peores sino el peor de sus momentos deportivos e institucionales es imprescindible el rango comparativo, el contraste o el paralelo con algo. Y ese algo puede ser externo: su rival (Boca), su performance americana (Copa Libertadores), su performance local (Apertura – Clausura). O interno: en más certera y cruda medida, la comparación con Ríver mismo, volviendo por los pasillos del tiempo hacia su historia.

RELACIONADO: RIVER ELIMINADO

Up 77%?

  • The CTA has become a scarier place.

    Robbery has soared 77 percent on CTA trains, platforms and buses in the past three years, from 246 incidents in 2006 to 436 in 2008, according to the Chicago Police Department.

    Theft -- when no force is involved -- is up 6 percent, from 1,173 reported crimes in 2006 to 1,238 in 2008.

Ridership is up. Crime is up. That makes sense - more victims to chose from.

Crime is up. Arrests are up. That makes sense, too - more chances to grab an offender.

So what's left to explain the rise? Manpower shortages? If one team is in on an arrest, that leaves larger swaths of the tunnels and platforms uncovered. That's one explanation. Who has the CTA manpower numbers from year-to-year to make the argument?

Nice Pinch in Homicide

  • An alleged high-ranking Chicago gang member was gunned down Thursday afternoon while standing outside a West Side residence that police believe he was having appraised, authorities said.

    Police arrested three suspects after a short chase and also seized two weapons within minutes of the shooting in the 3800 block of West Flournoy in West Lawndale.

    Killed was Ray Washington, an alleged leader in the Four Corner Hustler gang for at least seven years, police said. An appraiser who was with Washington also was shot, but he was expected to live.

This homicide might open up a largish can of worms on the west side. Nice to see that the gangs are investing in the neighborhoods though. Not sure how Highland Park feels about the police record of it's newer residents, however. Not that that's a problem anymore.

And taking a bunch of credit?

  • "They did a murder in plain view in the middle of day,'' Schmitz said. "And we got 'em. We were on them. That's what our job is.''
Good job Ric Flair!

jeudi 23 avril 2009

Carnage Continues

This one was the fifth slaying Wednesday:
  • Warren Beauchamp’s body was found by housekeeping staff at the motel in the 9100 block of South Stony Island about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said.
  • A Highland Park man was killed and a second man was wounded after a shooting on Chicago's West Side this afternoon, authorities said.
And reports of another one way up north in 024, though reports are he was alive at some point.

85 degrees Friday. 80 Saturday before the rain begins. Be careful boys and girls. We have the potential to make up a lot of ground this weekend.