Saturday, November 28, 2015

Chinese Take Out

the gang of five
Q:How many Chinese hackers does it take to hijack the Village of Lakemoor website?
A:Ha ha ha, of course they do.

If you answered correctly then the joke is on you. The Daily Herald said that when Chinese hackers took down Lakemoor's website in September ...
The village summoned its technology consultant to investigate. For a time, the website remained visible. Then it went black. A check of the activity log showed attempted and actual log ins from an address in China
Lakemoor uses hack as opportunity to improve website
Whenever fact is stranger than fiction, your LakeCountyEye summons Dr. I.M. Bhatschidtkhrazzi, Professor of sino.cyber.spycraft at the College of Lake County.

"Ya," said Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "The tiny Village of Lakemoor has a bigger case of Chinese crackers on its hands than a fortune cookie factory."

Your LakeCountyEye was at a loss to why the Chinese would hack the Lakemoor website.

"They probably were not applying online for a building permit on a laundromat." deadpanned Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "Some think it was a training exercise. When young Chinese boys and girls go to hacker school, they start out practicing on easy targets."

Like Hogwarts?

"No, like the Village of Lakemoor." replied Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi.

Your LakeCountyEye whipped out the BlackBerry, and produced a news clipping:
More than 50,000 vehicles pass through the intersection of routes 12 and 120 in Lakemoor every day. Village officials need 50 of those drivers to get caught by red-light cameras and pay $100 fines to hit this year's $1.8 million revenue target.
Tiny Lakemoor gets big bucks from red-light cameras
"Ya, who hasn't hacked into a municipal website to expunge a red-light camera violation?" asked Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "But I daresay the Chinese have bigger fish in their gunsites. A fish to the tune of $1.8 million."

The Chinese hackers stole $1.8 million?

"I said big fish. $1.8 million is small potatoes." chuckled Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi.  "If that was me, I would hack into the camera system and get a livestream of the video feed."

The Chinese are spying on Lake County?

"Don't be silly." smiled Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi. "They could use that video to mail out their own traffic tickets."

Your LakeCountyEye heard enough. Did Dr. Bhatschidtkhrazzi have any parting advice?

"Tell your Lakemoor operatives to watch their speed when they are on Route 12. And if they do get a ticket in the mail, be sure to doublecheck that the return address is in English."

Thursday, November 26, 2015

There's Snow Business

pay with a smile Lake County is cleaning up from Snow-liath 2015, the world's tallest wooden snowstorm. The tiny Village of Lakemoor cleaned up in particular. That's because, as the Daily Herald observed ...
More than 50,000 vehicles pass through the intersection of routes 12 and 120 in Lakemoor every day. Village officials need 50 of those drivers to get caught by red-light cameras and pay $100 fines to hit this year's $1.8 million revenue target. That's 36 percent of Lakemoor's total expected income for this year.
Tiny Lakemoor gets big bucks from red-light cameras
Your LakeCountyEye learned that at least as many drivers slid through the intersection at Rte 12 and Rte 120 during the blizzard last weekend. "We may as well put a freeze on our revenue generating efforts," said one official. "Everything from from now through the end of the year is icing on the cake."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

A Winter Blast

NIMBY Did you hear the one about the NRA member who skidded into a snowbank? He could not escape, even after he gunned the engine. Haha, while you wait for roadside assistance to arrive, your LakeCountyEye has compiled a pop-quiz:
Where is the "Murder Capital" of Illinois?
(A) Cook County
(B) McHenry County
Those who guessed (A) may want to reread this CBSChicago story:
For Cook County, the rate of gun deaths between 2004 and 2010 was 9.31 with a population of 5,188,229 people. The rate of McHenry County, which is just to the northwest of Cook County and has a population of 301,728 people, was slightly higher: 9.41
Cook County’s Rate Of Gun Deaths Low Compared To Some Neighbors, Southern States
As a consequence of these grim statistics, refugees are fleeing gun violence in McHenry County. Most seek safety and a better life in Cook County. Combine that with porous borders around Lake County, and it is not hard to see that a humanitarian disaster is immanent.

Your LakeCountyEye has learned that the Mayor of Cook County promised to block McHenry refugees from entering his County. Not to be outdone, Governor Bruce Rauner announced that Illinois would temporarily stop accepting McHenry County refugees, in the aftermath of these gun violence statistics.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

The Plane Facts

The International House of Pancakes may have to name a pancake in honor of Peter Roskam if he books any more international flights.
Beneath the pancake lies another hilarious LakeCountyEye Double Vision™!
Haha, Roskam has logged more overseas air miles than any other Illinois Rep in Washington:

Where Illinois lawmakers traveled
While International may not be Peter Roskam's middle name, it is the address of the Lake County Congressman's constituent services office:
Peter Roskam Federal Government Office
2700 International Drive
Suite 304
West Chicago, IL 60185
District Offices
The address, as some Operatives may know, is in the DuPage County Airport. A sweet deal by any standard, Roskam maintains a constituent services office inside an airport terminal. Conventional wisdom notes that this makes the office both hard to find, and within a perimeter of airport security. Both of which will tend to discourage constituents from requesting services from their Congressman. Such as funding for Planned Parenthood and things of that nature.

Your LakeCountyEye has learned, however, that nothing is further from the truth. One source explained that the Congressman's job simply requires him to spend a lot of time in airports. Willie Sutton said he robbed banks because that's where the money is. Your LakeCountyEye's source says that Peter Roskam's office is in the DuPage Airport because "that's where the airplanes are."

Monday, November 16, 2015

Mr Roskam Goes to TBD

Old Blood and Guts Unless Peter Roskam legally changed his name to Paul Ryan, he is not Speaker of the House yet. Haha, Roskam, Lake County's vestigial Congressman, will have to wait in line to be third-in-line for the presidency -- the new Speaker of the House is Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan.

Roskam nevertheless had nice things to say about Ryan ...
"He invited House Republicans to go in a different direction," Roskam said of Ryan.
Roskam says new Speaker Ryan will plot a 'different direction'
Roskam did not say which specific different direction House Republicans would be going.

However, as reported in this blog ...
Travelin' Man
Roskam has already logged overseas Congressional trips in the direction of, and to, Indonesia, Kosovo, Nepal, Timor-Leste, Poland, Israel, Poland, Israel, Ukraine, Georgia, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Taiwan:

Where Illinois lawmakers traveled
Based on his past itinerary, Roskam may be hardpressed to find a different direction to go. Your LakeCountyEye observes, however, that Peter Roskam has not traveled to outer space yet.

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Travelin' Man

If bad news travels fast, then Peter Roskam must be bad news. Haha, Peter Roskam, Lake County's vestigial Congressman, has been all over the map lately. At least according to the Chicago Tribune, who compiled an itinerary of Roskam's recent overseas trips:

Where Illinois lawmakers traveled
Roskam logged the most frequent flyer miles of any Illinois Congressperson:
Rep. Peter Roskam, a Republican from Wheaton, ranked second in the delegation with eight foreign trips. He and Adam Kinzinger each visited 13 countries, some twice. Roskam went farther afield — a look at air miles shows him with the most of any Illinois delegation member.
Illinois' lawmakers in Congress have taken 70 foreign trips to 44 countries
What's next for Illinois's peripatetic Peter? A spokesman told your LakeCountyEye: "The Congressman is planning a fact-finding mission to Benghazi. He expects to be there some time before the 2016 election."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

This Salutation Will Not Be Publicized

Wasted away again in Libertyville. Along with its dead-tree edition, the Daily Herald also has a logrolling edition. Mention the Daily Herald in your blog and the Daily Herald may return the favor:
What's a sign you're from the suburbs? "Having appeared in the Daily Herald at least once in your lifetime." So says digital site Thrillist, which includes placement in our pages among other qualifiers, such as having gone to Six Flags Great America with your high school physics class and knowing your exact proximity to the nearest Portillo's.
You know you're from the 'burbs when...
Can free media be that easy -- who knew?

Will the Daily Herald reward your shoutout with a h/t and link to your website? In the interest of science, your LakeCountyEye has been commissioned to test the hypothesis with a clinical trial. The design is as elegant as it is simple: (a) Compile some stupid Internet Top 10 List. (b) Salt it with a reference to the Daily Herald. (c) See what happens ...
Ten Signs You're from Lake County
  1. The Neighbor Dog Ate Your Daily Herald Once in His Lifetime

  2. Wrongfully Convicted

  3. You Know the Fastest Shortcuts Under the Route 53 Extension

  4. Registered to Vote at the Lake County Election Commission

  5. Favorite Ben & Jerry Flavor: Scoop o'the Loop

  6. You Don't Count Sheep at Night -- You Count Canadian National Oil-Cars

  7. Been Stuck on a Great America Ride ... 8 Hours ... and Counting

  8. Dated Princess Nudelman

  9. "I served with G.I. Joe. I knew G.I. Joe. G.I. Joe was a friend of mine. Sir, you're no G.I. Joe."

  10. Lake County Eye? Never Heard of It
Look for your LakeCountyEye in a Daily Herald near you.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Would You Buy a Rolex from this Man?

Being a millionaire blogger has its advantages. The mailman still delivers junk mail, but it is hugely classy junk mail.

M.J. Miller & Co. -- a Barrington jeweler -- sent their catalog this week:

M.J. Miller & Co.
Gems & Precious Jewels
Your LakeCountyEye always hastens immediately to the men's watches (page 45):
Those are some super-luxury-looking timepieces. But who is that super-luxury-looking model? He looks familiar:
Your LakeCountyEye knows why he is smiling -- it looks like the model with the world-class manicure is sporting a $7000 Seiko:
Do models get to keep the merchandise they pose with? This is probably a question only a millionaire blogger would ask.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

The Fake News

See ya in court! A spectre is haunting Lake County. And it is not the spectre of stale Halloween candy. No, this is the spectre of the faith that honest people place in their law enforcement officials -- and how some individuals would abuse this faith for their own personal gain. This of course refers to those telephone scammers who have been posing as Lake County Sheriff deputies:
Police are warning Lake County residents about a telephone scam in which callers say they're from the Lake County sheriff's office. The calls appear on the caller ID as a telephone number used by the sheriff's office, making appear to be a valid, the sheriff's office said in a news release. The caller then tells potential victims that a complaint has been filed against them and gives them the phone number of an "investigating officer" to call.
Calls from 'sheriff's office' are a scam, Lake County authorities warn
One law enforcement official called your LakeCountyEye to pass along a warning: bad guys will carefully stage their exploits. And while they won't deceive trained law enforcement officials, unsuspecting individuals are often easily fooled. "It is not just victims who end up losing their money. A Major Crimes Task Force investigation can cost the taxpayers $300,000 or more from the git-go."

Everyone is asked to be vigilant and to exercise some common sense precautions: "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

Your LakeCountyEye will keep you apprised when further developments warrant.

Monday, November 2, 2015

The Commendation Will Not Be Scrutinized

All of Lake County's newspapers are on the Internet -- and some of these are laughably epicfail websites. The Daily Herald however is not one. The Daily Herald says ...
The Daily Herald received five first-place awards Thursday in the annual Northern Illinois Newspaper Association contest, including best website, best news series and recognition for its editorial writing, sports column writing and education reporting.
Daily Herald named best website, wins other awards
But don't listen to your LakeCountyEye. Read all about it instead on the Daily Herald website:
Daily Herald named best website, wins other awards
Note to Ops: Never bury your lede.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Investing in Our Future: The Case for Early Childhood Education


Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy
Children are born with the same potential to become successful learners. Beginning at one year of age, however, significant deficits begin to show in children from high-risk environments. Research shows there is no single investment that can break the cycle of poverty more effectively than a high-quality early childhood education. Children who have access to high-quality early childhood education are academically and socially more successful in school. Nancy Ronquillo, President and CEO of Children's Home and Aid Society, David Lloyd, Director of Fiscal Policy, at Voices for Illinois Children, and a parent of a child receiving services at the Jerri Hoffman Child and Family Center in Carpentersville, Illinois will lead the discussion. The panel will be introduced by former State Representative Kathleen Ryg.
  • Sunday
    November 8, 2015
    2:00 pm
  • The Stevenson Center on Democracy
    25200 N St Mary's Rd
    Mettawa (Libertyville), IL 60048
    773- 281-0378
  • $15
  • No Charge for Students