Having some trouble getting a bus today in Chicago? That should come as no surprise as CTA has pulled approximately 6% of it’s fleet as CTA Tattler reports after finding a crack in the chassis of one of their NABI articulated (accordion) buses. The CTA has indicated that the routes most impacted are those that operate along the Lakefront and that additional service has been added to rush hour train service along those routes. So if you are about to walk two blocks to the lake, try walking two blocks to the Red Line instead – or give yourself some extra time!
It was the Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery whose speech struck a chord that every American can identify with. He described the path our nation must take -- one of inclusiveness and love, and he delivered it with character and heartfelt humor. This is the man who should have delivered the invocation. A man whose religious roots are familiar for conservative Americans and whose open love and willingness to fight for the rights of every minority is strongly understood by the most liberal members of this nation. He is a man who stands for cohesion of our country at a time when we need it most. It is possible to appeal to both left and right, to compromise without compromising integrity and to reach out to the other side of the debate without sacrificing your own position. Below, Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery’s benediction and some of my favorite quotes from it. Feel free to offer your comments and favorite lines in the comments.
“to turn to each other and not on each other … help us to make choices on the side of love not hate, on the side of inclusion not exclusion, tolerance not intolerance.”
“say amen, say amen, and amen”
In what may be one of the most shocking turnarounds since I’ve lived in Illinois, the House has actually accomplished something. Okay, so that is a bit snarky of me. Earlier today, the Illinois House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Governor Blagojevich on grounds that he abused his power as the chief executive of the State of Illinois. The Governor will hold a press conference at 2pm today. We can only hope that he will finally step down. Guilty or not, he is utterly incapable of getting anything done and if he (as he says he does) truly cares about the residents of this state, it is the right thing to do.
(Image courtesy Chicago magazine)
At at least one resort that quote has a different meaning. A female shark at the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas jumped from her habitat into a nearby water slide – and no, it was not built for sharks. If you’ve ever wanted to see a shark take a trip down a slide, you are in luck. Atlantis has a camera installed at the foot of the slide to snap pictures on your exit. I don’t think the shark will be purchasing a copy any time soon, however, as she died shortly thereafter. It seems sharks don’t share the same resistance to chlorine that humans enjoy and Atlantis staff were ultimately unable to rescue the poor thing.
Ridiculous path of the story…
TMZ Via Neatorama Via OhGizmo!
A Sikorsky S-61 helicopter installed the final elevations of Chicago’s Trump Tower today. The building now stands just shy of being the tallest building in the United States but manages to grab the #2 spot.
The Chicago Tribune has some great reporting on the installation as well as a wonderful time-lapse of construction that begins with demolition of the former Sun-Times building. There is also a graphic detail of the spire that was installed today.
Another beautiful building for Chicago’s impressive skyline.
 
The speed at which news, and opinion, travels through the internet is almost as fast as the “pipes” that carry the traffic. Already comments are popping up in my various feeds about Blagojevich appointing Roland Burris to US Senate…
[12:28] Elliott Ramos: i think blago lost it
[12:28] Elliott Ramos: simply lost it
Thomas Walker Polk just watched the really crazy Blago press conference…what a circus! 2:18pm
Phil DaBeatz is visibly in pain after listening to this press conference. I never imagined I would need a translator to understand English. 2:15pm
Saintless:Â Blago says of Burris: “Feel free to castigate the appointer, but don’t lynch the appointor.” (Burris is black, btw)
dhsteinberg: Blago still hasn’t resigned and today named a successor to Barack’s Senate seat. http://is.gd/edzE This douchebag knows no bounds.
But by far the best one…
Rachelle Bowden best gawker comment re blago: “This guy has four balls. At least four. Maybe six. And they’re big.” 2:33pm
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Really, the guy should just resign. Forget about whether he is innocent or guilty, he has lost the ability to govern. Not that he was getting much done before hand anyway, but now he is just useless. Â At least he won’t be remembered as the governor who screwed the CTA (but he did do that).
I stumbled upon this great article by way of The Bilerco Project called Tying the Knot by Surina Khan. It’s a fairly in-depth look at how the Right managed to pass Proposition 8 in a state that has traditionally been at the forefront of progressive politics in America (“As California goes… so goes the nation.”). Through the spreading of false information (“schools will now be required to teach students that gay marriage is the same as traditional marriage, starting with kindergarteners“), strong alliances between churches and various “family” organizations, and by reaching an unprecedented number of households directly through a well-organized and financed campaign, the Right managed to squeeze a four point lead against gay marriage.
Read More… “Tying the Knot” by Surina Khan