Monday, June 30, 2014

Get Your Kicks on Route 66

An actual Robert Dold press release sent over the LakeCountyEye transom:
Note to operatives: lots of tour buses depart daily from Waukegan to Milwaukee.

Book Your Trip on Badger Bus | Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee
Anyone who rides the bus is expected to abide by the rules of the bus:
31. Does Badger Bus have a policy with regard to unruly customers or disruptive behavior?
Badger reserves the right to refuse to transport a person who refuses to comply with any lawful rule or regulations. If you witness any unruly behavior or suspect any trouble with a fellow passenger during your trip, please notify the driver.

Bus Tickets FAQ
Does Badger Bus have a policy with regard to unruly customers or disruptive behavior?
Just sayin!

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Dog Eat Dog

Lake County vestigial Congressman, Peter Roskam, is now the Ex House Majority Whip. As readers of this blog are dubiously aware ...
The Schock of the New
Roskam explained to the media that he got himself replaced by some crawdad Congressman from the antebellum south because Peter Roskam wasn't "southern" enough. Operatives are asked to make like Mars Incorporated and contain their snickers.

Someone who is southern enough for the job is Lake County antediluvian Congressman, Randy Hultgren. As proof, your LakeCountyEye can exclusively report that Randy Hultgren was also competing for the coveted US House leadership post. And while he did not win, Hultgren did submit video applications to the House Majority Whip qualifying committee. Your LakeCountyEye has obtained bootleg copies:

#flipadistrict : HenryOkie wants to Flip Illinois 14th District : Help Us Bill Maher
Sharpeyed ops will immediately recognize the voiceover work of HenryOkie, who frequently blogs for the McHenryCountyBlog.

Duly impressed, the House committee invited Hultgren to submit a followup video for the semi-final round.  Operatives are challenged to watch this one all the way to the end:

#FlipADistrict IL-14
A fabulous prize goes to the first op to correctly identify the voice of the talking dog. Hint: the talking dog is also voiced by a local political blogger.
In the meantime, look for your LakeCountyEye handing out helium balloons.

Friday, June 27, 2014

The Schock of the New

Get a job! Peter Roskam lost his job. As readers of this blog are idly aware ...
Whipped Out!
Lake County's peripheral Congressman, Peter Roskam, lost a winner-take-all slugfest to be the new US House Majority Whip. Roskam explained the rout to the Daily Herald ...
"When it all came down to it, it was a regional issue," Roskam said this week. "And the argument that prevailed was we need a southern member or we need a red state member to sit at the leadership table." "I would tease people, 'Look I'm from the south part of Wheaton, Illinois.'" he said. "Roosevelt Road was not the Mason-Dixon Line they had in mind."
Roskam: Whip race 'was a regional issue'
Obviously his Republican caucus never visited south Wheaton.

For the record, Roskam's job was given to some tarheel from North Carolina. According to the Sun-Times ...
Incoming House Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., is replacing Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., as chief deputy whip, tapping Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., for the post. Roskam, currently the chief deputy whip, lost his own bid to move up to the whip post last week with the Scalise victory. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., an active Scalise supporter, was named by Scalise to be a senior deputy whip.
Schock tapped for Scalise whip team
For the record, Schock Tapped for Scalise Whip Team is not the title of a movie seen on the marquee of the Bijou in Old Town. The News-Sun headline refers to Aaron Schock, a Peoria Congressman. Peoria, for the record, is south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Now that the long knives have been pulled back into their sheaths, Roskam is evaluating job offers. Ten of them, your LakeCountyEye has learned:
Ten Jobs for Ex-Chief Deputy Whip, Peter Roskam
  1. Ambulance Chaser
  2. Ski Bum
  3. Venture Capitalist
  4. K Street Lobbyist
  5. WIND Shockjock
  6. Midwest Chairman, JPMorgan Chase
  7. Junketeer
  8. Amway Distributor
  9. Internet Blogger
  10. President, Hair Club for Men
Look for your LakeCountyEye: Will work for food near you.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Famous Last Words

Shockjock Joe Walsh is back on the air and has been airing tracks from Finally Rich, rapper Chief Keef's debut album. Haha j/k. Walsh, a former Lake County Congressman, was suspended from his radio talk show for stone cold saying the N Word during a discussion of racial epithets. According to the Illinois Review ...
Radio talk show host Joe Walsh's disagreement last week with WIND 560 AM management over the appropriate use and discussion of ethnic slurs didn't affect his listeners' enthusiasm, other than to apparently ignite it. An emotional discussion about the Washington Redskins turned sour Thursday night, but was settled when Walsh returned to the air Friday night. Sunday afternoon, 300 folks - most wearing Walsh Freedom Fighter t-shirts - responded to Walsh's call for his audience to step up and get involved.
Walsh ramps up grassroots for fall campaigns
After he and WIND management kissed and made-up, Walsh threw a victory BBQ potluck on Sunday in Mundelein. One observer described the shindig as a short pants bromance:

Lawmaker hopeful criticized for Walsh event
Your LakeCountyEye did not attend but was told that plenty of emotional discussions about the Washington Redskins could be overheard. At least 10 of them:
Ten Swearwords Heard
at the Walsh Freedom Day of Action
  1. The C Word
  2. The B Word
  3. The K Word
  4. The F Bomb
  5. The V Word
  6. T & A
  7. The R Word
  8. The G Spot
  9. The S Word
  10. Obama
Look for your LakeCountyEye dammit.

Monday, June 23, 2014

In the Wake of the News: Judgement Day

I been reporting about a decade-long conflict in Ingleside over boating rights on Wooster Lake. And reported last October that a small claims suit was filed in Lake County Court.
In the Wake of the News
A judgment order was issued by the Court, last week.

DENZ VS WOOSTER LAKE CONSERVATION
JUDGEMENT ORDER
The Court awarded the plaintiffs 4,601.72, which is the full claim plus costs.

I don't want to go into the details, but the story is an example of what happens when environmental concerns conflict with individual liberties. And what happens when government resources are summoned for the benefit of private interests.

I hope this Court judgment is the final chapter of this sad story.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Money Doesn't Grow on Trees

shares a pied-à-terre with Thomas the Tank Engine Your LakeCountyEye has the sad responsibility to report that Robert Depke passed away. Depke chaired the Lake County Board from 1990 to 1996. The News-Sun notes that ...
During the Open Space movement that pitted developers against environmentalists as to how much open land should beset aside for nature in the county, Depke became known derisively by opponents as "Bulldozer Bob," a name he came to embrace when he made an unsuccessful attempt to come back to the county board in the 2004 Republican primary.
Robert Depke remembered as an important politician, and as an important person
In related news, the village of Lake Forest promises to cut down 400 old growth trees to make room for a strip mall. The News-Sun again ...
The Lake Forest Plan Commission approved a plan to clear cut 400 trees to make way for a retail center anchored by a Whole Foods Market despite a protective tree ordinance and public requests to leave the triangle at the corner of Route 60 and Saunders Road alone.
Lake Forest Plan Commission OKs plan to cut 400 trees for Whole Foods; City Council review next
Move along, there's nothing more to see here.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Where's the Keef?

Chief Keef, Lake County hardly knew yeef.

Your LakeCountyEye has the sad duty to report that Chief Keef is gone. The rapper, last week, was evicted from Lake County. The News-Sun says ...
Chief Keef was evicted Tuesday from the Highland Park home he was renting, the lawyer representing the landlord said.
Rapper Chief Keef evicted from Highland Park home: lawyer
Unceremoniously ejected like a sackful of seeds and stems put out to the curb on collection day, Chief Keef was Lake County's favorite son hip hop gangsta rap-star. Ops will instantly recognize his critically acclaimed bustout album Finally Rich:

We got big bags of Ben Franklin bank rolls, bitch we rich.
Yeah I get twenty K for a show, I ain't worried 'bout no hoes
Cause I switch those like I switch clothes, and bitch I'm rich.
Every bitch know Chief Keef, every bitch want Chief Keef
All these bitches on Chief Keef, I'm finally rich.
I got diamonds all in my watch, horses all in my cars
I get 10 bands for a bar, I know I'm finally rich.
Chief Keef Takes the Suburbs - Chiraq - Ep 8
While Chief Keef's whereabouts are currently unknown, the vacuum left by his departure won't stay empty for long. The dog-eat-dog music industry has room for only one Lake County House Rapper. Local recording artists are already marking their territory:

I had a dream so big and loud
I jumped so high I touched the cloud
Wo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh-oh
Wo-oah-oah-oah-oah-oh-oh
Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois



Now he has two daughters and a wife.
Married for 18 years, doing it right.
Member of Rotary.
Don Wilson for Illinois Senate, Dist. 30
Along with with owing more than $10,000 in back rent, Chief Keef has garnered himself some well-deserved street cred. He was arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at a Chicago police officer. He was charged in Highland Park with DUI, driving with a suspended license and without insurance. In California Chief Keef pleaded guilty and served time for testing positive for drugs while on probation. Last year, he pleaded guilty to speeding 40 mph over the limit. There are multiple paternity cases filed against him.

Gentlemen, these are big shoes to fill.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Whipped Out!

the doppelgängerThat crash and burn heard throughout Lake County was not the Goliath flying off the rails at Six Flags.  No, it was Congressman Peter Roskam.

Haha, as readers of this blog are unavailingly aware ...
Whipped?
Peter Roskam (a Lake County Congressman by virtue of a technicality) was Deputy GOP Whip and on track to becoming the next Majority Whip in the US House of Representatives -- until reality intervened. Reality, in this case being a Republican caucus vote that gave the job to some cracker tea partier guy from Louisiana instead. And on the first vote. According to Crain's ...
Mr. Roskam's defeat could leave him out of leadership entirely, since the whip names his own deputy. There has been talk that another Illinois Republican, Peoria's Aaron Schock, might get the spot.
Roskam loses bid for House GOP majority whip
Oh the humanity!

What does the future hold for the Congressman now that he has a lot of unexpected free time to look forward to? Your LakeCountyEye has been told that Peter Roskam may enroll in a community college class. Or perhaps meet new people. Or maybe finally become an Amway distributor.

Roskam's shocking defeat, however, was not completely unwelcome. Some operatives are relieved that they will not be subjected to any more stupid Whip puns on this blog.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Whipped?

Congressman Peter Roskam has sprung a leak, at least according to POLITICO:
Rep. Peter Roskam oozed with confidence Tuesday, predicting that he would eventually emerge from the three-way race for House majority whip as the winner. "I think when the dust settles on Thursday, Peter Roskam's going to be the majority whip," the Illinois Republican said in an interview with POLITICO in his Capitol office Tuesday.
Peter Roskam predicts whip success
Note to ops: the Wikipedia says that illeism -- referring to oneself in the third person -- often is used to convey ...
an air of grandeur, to give the speaker lofty airs. Idiosyncratic and conceited people are known to either use or are lampooned as using illeism to puff themselves up or illustrate their egoism.
Illeism
But your LakeCountyEye digresses.

Peter Roskam, Lake County's casual Congressman, has challenged two opponents to a steel-cage death match for the ultimate Washington DC prize: Majority Whip. The winner-take-all Republican caucus vote is scheduled for Thursday. The magic win number is 117 -- which perhaps uncoincidentally is the national emergency telephone number in the Philippines.

Roskam may exude confidence, but that doesn't mean his staff hasn't set up a phone-a-friend lifeline:
Dial 117 before it's too late!

Para Espanol, Oprima Numero Dos.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Don't Start the Revolution Without Me

The wheels beneath the smoke-filled room of the US House Republican caucus are spinning faster than the Goliath at Six Flags Great America. Haha, as readers of this blog are rapidly aware ...
Bring Down the House
Congressman Peter Roskam -- the Deputy Republican Whip -- has been waiting patiently on the sidelines for his promotion up to Majority Whip in the House of Representatives. Now, according to POLITICO, with the untimely demise of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor ...
The race for the third most powerful position in the House — majority whip — is wide open. With less than a week until Republicans vote on the most significant changes to their leadership in nearly a decade, Peter Roskam of Illinois, Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Marlin Stutzman of Indiana are circling the 233-member House Republican Conference in a furious search for support. Scalise has the lead, having secured roughly 100 lawmakers, but Roskam is still working the conference, and has netted between 75 and 85 commitments.
GOP whip seat up for grabs
A part-time Lake County Congressman, Roskam suffered a serious setback this week from members of his own Illinois caucus. Congressmen Aaron Schock and John Shimkus are both supporting a rival for the coveted Majority Whip post. According to the Sun-Times, Roskam's fair-weather friends BFF Louisiana Rep Steve Scalise better than they BFF Illinois Rep Peter Roskam:
Schock backing Scalise for House whip as new Roskam rival emerges

Why Shimkus is conflicted about supporting Roskam for whip post
A likely sign of desperation, Roskam sent a personal letter to each member of his Republican caucus. The Daily Herald says ...
In a letter to members of the House Republican Conference Friday evening, Congressman Peter Roskam of Wheaton asked for support in his bid for majority whip.
Roskam campaigns to become majority whip
Your LakeCountyEye obtained a copy of one such confidential missive:


Attn: My Dear;

Please forgive my intrusion into your privacy, I am Mr Peter Roskam, and I am a US citizen and I am a US Congressperson. I hoped that you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that I am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of ourselves. I need your urgent assistance in transferring large amounts of monies to your account within 10 to 14 banking days.

I have at my disposal one Congressional Leadership PAC namely Republican Operation to Secure and Keep a Majority (ROSKAM PAC), of which as of 30.04.2014 contains a cash balance of $185,169.21 USD.

I want to make Itemized Disbursements of said monies, in increments of $1000 USD, into your re-election committee. I am assuring you that this monies can be transferred upon receipt of a pledge for your support in Mr. Peter Roskam upon becoming your next US House of Representatives Majority Whip.

Do indicate your private information as listed below in your response for easier communication on this project.

Your Full Name...................
Your District...................
Your Direct Phone N°...................
Your PAC...................

Once again, i need to be assured of your trust and reliability. Looking forward to your urgent response. Thanks you for your co-operation.

Highest Regards,
Mr. Peter Roskam
US citizen and US Congressperson
Advice to ops: don't start measuring those drapes inside the office of the House Majority Whip just yet.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky on "The Disappearing Middle Class”


Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy
Jan Schakowsky, Congresswoman from Illinois' 9th District, will address the economic and societal challenges facing many American families today. A long time consumer advocate and champion of issues that impact the middle class, the Congresswoman will also focus on measures Congress can take that can ease some of those pressures.
  • Sunday
    June 22, 2014
    4:00 pm
  • The Stevenson Center on Democracy
    25200 N St Mary's Rd
    Mettawa (Libertyville), IL 60048
    847-816-7433
  • Coffee and conversation following
  • This is a free event

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Bring Down the House

Watch your back! Your LakeCountyEye needs to get into the backyard chicken business. As reported on this blog (not three weeks ago) Congressmen Peter Roskam and Jeb Hensarling were plotting a coup to seize control of the Republican leadership in the US House of Representatives:
like Hensarling, Peter Roskam wants to move up in the House Republican leadership, and covets the post of Majority Whip. Uniform sources tell your LakeCountyEye that a sweeping House coup had been cooked up
Ski Party
Well, the aforementioned chickens have come home to coop. Not only had a sweeping House coup been cooked up, but it was launched Tuesday night, around the same time as the sudden demise of Eric Cantor. The House Majority Whip, Cantor unexpectedly lost a Primary challenge to an unknown opponent who seemed to appear from out of nowhere. (Your LakeCountyEye observes that successful coup plotters generally rely on unwitting stooges to do their dirty work. That way plausible deniability can be maintained in case the plot fails.)

Now, according to the Chicago Tribune ...
The primary result unleashed immediate speculation about a possible replacement for Cantor, including Jim Jordan of Ohio, Jeb Hensarling of Texas and Steve Scalise of Louisiana, when the House meets to pick new leaders at the end of the year. Peter Roskam of Illinois was also considered early Wednesday as a potential successor, though some feel it's more likely he will vie for the position of whip.
Eric Cantor loss has Republican leadership scrambling
It's too late now to close the proverbial barn door, and both Peter Roskam and Jeb Hensarling face stiff competition for the coveted House leadership positions.

What is known is that Peter Roskam is a prolific fundraiser and has been doling out money to other GOP House members and collecting chits in return. Despite of the fact that he is a Lake County Congressman, do not be surprised if Roskam shoots up in the House leadership soon.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Permethrin Ejection

safe as milk Lake County is a patchwork of farmland, forest preserves and golf courses, built on marsh and wetlands. And until all of that greenspace gets eliminated, Lake County will also be a patchwork of at least one irritating insect, the mosquito. And while great strides are being made toward paving over that mosquito-producing greenspace ...
Lake County officials celebrate start of road construction season
it is not happening fast enough for some municipalities. Waukegan recently awarded Clarke Environmental a $64,000 contract to spray that city for mosquitoes. According to the News-Sun ...
pesticides used by the company for adult mosquitoes include such brand names as Anvil, AquaHalt and Duet. One such product, Biomist, contains an active ingredient called permethrin and is said to be virtually odorless when applied in residential areas.
Waukegan alderman questions mosquito spraying plan
Odorless is one thing. Poisonous is something else entirely. The EPA classifies permethrin as ...
"Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans" by the oral route. This classification was based on two reproducible benign tumor types (lung and liver) in the mouse, equivocal evidence of carcinogenicity in Long-Evans rats, and supporting structural activity relationship information.
Permethrin Facts
(Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) Fact Sheet)
Exposure to permethrin can manifest itself in a variety of symptoms:
Skin irritation, redness, swelling and rashes are the early signs and symptoms of poisoning with permethrin. Other signs include irritability to sound and touch, cough, numbness, sensation of pricking, diarrhea, burning sensation, dizziness, fatigue, excessive salivation, muscle twitching, fluid in the lungs, nausea and seizures.
What Are the Dangers of Permethrin?
Clarke Environmental Mosquito Management, Inc. is the largest privately owned mosquito surveillance and control company in the USA. They are based locally in St. Charles and recently moved into a new climate controlled headquarters:
The building boasts a number of green features, including the removal of existing carpeting then grinding and polishing the concrete floor beneath creating a terrazzo-like effect; 100 percent recyclable Interface Flor tiles in workspaces; integrated daylight harvesting lighting that senses the amount of light needed to amplify natural light in the building; water-conserving plumbing; and open-office design to improve air flow and minimize HVAC needs.
Clarke moves into environmentally friendly HQ
The next time a mosquito spray truck passes you on the street, don't forget to call Clarke Environmental ...
800-323-5727
and ask them if they smell the permethrin over in their new environmentally friendly headquarters.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Flag Day Celebration


Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy
The grounds of the historic Adlai Stevenson home will be the setting for a celebration of Flag Day. Storytellers Mama Edie Armstrong, Susan O'Halloran and Melissa Henderson will entertain the gathering followed by a performance by the North Suburban Wind Ensemble. Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic, blankets and chairs to this outdoor event.
  • Sunday
    June 14, 2014
    4:00 pm Storytelling & Games
    5:30 pm Performance by the North Suburban Wind Ensemble
  • The Stevenson Center on Democracy
    25200 N St Mary's Rd
    Mettawa (Libertyville), IL 60048
    847-816-7433
  • $10 per person
    $20 per carload
    Bicyclers Free

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Having a Bad Day?

Cash for Gold!It's not only Lake County delicatessen owners who can be heard muttering "What am I -- chopped liver?" Haha, Lake County has a new promotional video: Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois. Produced by the Lake County Visitors and Convention Bureau, the video generously airs clips of Six Flags Great America (for visitors) and the Lincolnshire Marriott (for convention goers) -- and as readers of this blog are repeatedly aware, not much of anything else:
Today is the Best Day of the Rest of Your Life
A high ranking official at the Bureau blamed their choices on political correctness: "We had to do the Marriott to make the County Republicans happy. And Six Flags was for the Tea Party."

One disgruntled shopowner however told your LakeCountyEye the video leaves an impression that Lake County has nothing for visitors besides "roller coasters and cocktail coasters." Your LakeCountyEye observed that County Board Chair Aaron Lawlor appears in the video:
No, Today is the Best Day of the Rest of Your Life
The storekeeper said, "anyone on the County Board is welcome to shoot a video at my shop. I'll throw in a free ankle tattoo."

And it's not just the Lake County fine arts community that feel like they've been snubbed. There are no fewer than 10 sites of interest that are AWOL from Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois:
Ten Destinations Not Seen
in the New Lake County Tourist Video
  1. Girls Gone Wild on Blarney Island
  2. Tour the NSSD!
  3. Waukegan Casino
  4. North Chicago Casino
  5. Park City Casino
  6. Route 53 Extension Oasis Cigar & Hookah Lounge
  7. The Volo Grounds
  8. "Celebrate Start of Road Construction Season"
  9. The Lake County Visitors and Convention Bureau
  10. Wisconsin
Look for your LakeCountyEye, showing off some new ink.

Friday, June 6, 2014

No, Today is the Best Day of the Rest of Your Life

Your LakeCountyEye has been routed. As readers of this blog are barely aware ...
Today is the Best Day of the Rest of Your Life
the Lake County Visitors and Convention Bureau released its highly anticipated viral video, the Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois:

Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois
It's no secret that your LakeCountyEye is a thespian (and has been since college), and was invited to make a cameo appearance in the video. Naturally there will be creative differences on the set of any multi-million dollar movie production, which explains why your LakeCountyEye's best scenes wound up on the cutting room floor. If the final cut of Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois seems lacking in star-power, that's because your LakeCountyEye is harder to find than a Where's Waldo book in Fibber McGee's closet.

You know what they say: if life hands you lemons, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. So operatives were challenged to find your LakeCountyEye in the video. One clear-eyed Lakeview op tagged your LakeCountyEye right off the bat. He may have been helped by the fact that your LakeCountyEye appears in the video at two marks.

At 1:35 ...
And at 1:44 ...
This was not an easy scene to shoot. The camera had to be angled so that everyone at the bar could be plainly seen. And your LakeCountyEye had to stake out a mark so as not to be obscured by all those unpaid extras in the shot. Not to mention a mark that spotlighted your LakeCountyEye's best side (right profile).

After 53 takes, your LakeCountyEye is still hung over worse than an elephant's butt in a pair of size 11 jeans.

Hic.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Today is the Best Day of the Rest of Your Life

New visitors to Lake County always have two questions for your LakeCountyEye:
  1. How do I get to Six Flags Great America?

    And ...

  2. Where do I go to see a revival of the 1982 smash Broadway musical -- Cats?
The answer to both questions is on a video produced by the Lake County Visitors and Convention Bureau. According to the Lake County website, the video, called Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois ...
features a sampling of fun activities residents and visitors experience in Lake County every day
Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois
For your convenience, the video reduces the sampling of fun activities down to two ...
  1. Six Flags Great America
  2. Cats -- live performances at the Lincolnshire Marriott Theatre
If there are in fact any other fun activities to be had in Lake County, your LakeCountyEye wouldn't have known it on the basis of the video alone:

Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois
A music video, one might reasonably expect Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois to at least showcase a musical production of Memories -- and sung by Lake County hip hop artist Chief Keef. Your LakeCountyEye learned, however, that was deemed too cool for the room. The video instead features a cover of a platinum hit from indie rock band American Authors. The song -- Best Day of My Life -- is performed by a local Lake County folk singer.

That, in and of itself, should be enough incentive to watch Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois, and right now. If not -- full disclosure -- your LakeCountyEye was cast and appears in the video in a sizable number of frames. The first operative to spot your LakeCountyEye in Best Day of My Life in Lake County, Illinois will be made eligible for a substantial cash settlement.

What are you waiting for now?

Monday, June 2, 2014

Doodyville

Who can speak of a finer recollection than racing home after school, changing into cowboy clothes, and tuning into the Howdy Doody Show? Not your LakeCountyEye.

The show is now off the air, and while there have been many Howdy Doody celebrity impersonators over the years, one of the best was in McHenry County this week. The tireless tax fighters at the McHenryCountyBlog recorded the performance, and your LakeCountyEye got some screencaps to see how this impersonator measured up against the real thing:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
welcome Mr Howdy Doody!



I just flew in and boy are my arms tired!


Fist bump!


Be sure to tune in tomorrow, boys & girls!

Remember this name -- Bruce Rauner. Damned if your LakeCountyEye can tell which one is the true Howdy Doody and which one is the Doody impersonator. Operatives can visit the McHenryCountyBlog for photos of the entire performance:
Bruce Rauner Speaks to Volunteers in Crystal Lake
In the meantime, c'mon and join your LakeCountyEye in a spirited rendition of the Howdy Doody Theme Song ...
It's Howdy Doody Time.
It's Howdy Doody Time.
Bob Smith and Howdy Do
Say Howdy Do to you.
Let's give a rousing cheer,
Cause Howdy Doody's here,
It's time to start the show,
So kids let's go!

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Would You Buy a Used Car from this Man?

Congressman Peter Roskam wears many hats, as readers of this blog are ruggedly aware ...
The Whig Party?
Now word is out that Roskam -- alleged Lake County representative in Washington -- may be sporting a new hat, the chapeau worn by used car salesmen. According to the HuffingtonPost ...
House Republicans are awesome, because they'll trick you into buying a car you can't afford. That was the message from Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) at a recent fiscal policy summit in Washington.
GOP Rep Explains Why Used Car Salesmen Are Good For Congress
More specifically, this would be the hat worn by the confederates of used car salesmen. Roskam was caught on video plumping for fellow used car salesman Republican representative Mike Kelly:


"You know, if you give Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania eye contact -- he's a car dealer -- he's gonna put you in a car that you can't afford, and you're gonna be happy and you're gonna thank him for it. He's an incredible salesman and has a real ability." Kelly's industriousness, Roskam reasoned, is a trait shared by many of his colleagues, and has been key to the GOP's ability to govern effectively.
GOP Rep Explains Why Used Car Salesmen Are Good For Congress
An alleged PR Flack at Campaign Roskam complained that their boss was quoted out of context and that every Congressman is not a used car salesman. Your LakeCountyEye was told that "literally hundreds of other professions are represented by the Republican Congressional delegation."

There are 10, to be more precise:
Ten Commonest Occupations
of Congressional Republicans
  1. Ambulance Chaser
  2. Ski Bum
  3. Carjacker
  4. PR Flack
  5. Telemarketer
  6. Televangelist
  7. Music Industry Executive
  8. Lobbyist
  9. Internet Blogger
  10. Career Politician
Look for your LakeCountyEye in the Sixth Congressional District, pricing a beater.