QUINN ON WRIGLEY FIELD, NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION, INTEREST RATES AND STOCK PRICES…

5/30/14

I know this is late, but I got really busy today and wanted to make sure that the first piece listed below got published and was brought to your attention…

THE CUBS, WRIGLEY FIELD, RAHM EMANUEL, AND CHICAGO POLITICS:  PLAY BALL!

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/30/the-cubs-wrigley-field-rahm-emanuel-and-chicago-politics-play-ball/

I even worked a reference to granite counter tops into this observation of Wrigley and the way things work around this town.

SOUTH KOREA WARNS OF NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION:  SO WHAT?

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/30/south-korea-warns-of-nuclear-proliferation-so-what/

I, for one, would welcome a Japanese nuclear capability.

STOCKS AND BONDS ARE TELLING DIFFERENT STORIES:  WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/29/stocks-and-bonds-are-telling-different-stories-why-should-you-care/

I wasn’t the first to make this point, and I admitted it at the start of this piece.  But today, the day after I made and published this argument, I heard or read it at least three times in the financial media.  Am I prescient?  Probably not.  Am I honest?  Absolutely.

CAP AND TRADE:  THE DEMOCRATS SCREW UP ANOTHER GREAT IDEA

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/27/cap-and-trade-democrats-screw-up-another-great-idea/

Cap and trade came right out of Jack Kemp’s playbook.  But the GOP has a legitimate beef about the Obama Administration’s proposed execution of this idea.

VLADIMIR PUTIN:  “POP HAD GENCO; LOOK WHAT I GOT!”

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/23/vladimir-putin-pop-had-genco-look-what-i-got/

I’ve asked it before and I’ll ask it again…what does Vladimir Putin think when he meets with the likes of Barack Obama and George Bush?

Have a great weekend, everybody.   Hopefully, the other Hawks will stay alive tonight.  In any case, it will be a great weekend at the Quinn household.

See my two books, The Chairman, A Novel of Big City Politics and The Chairman’s Challenge, A Continuing Novel of Big City Politics, for further illumination on how things work in Chicago and Illinois politics. 

QUINN ON REDFLEX, STUDENT LOANS…AND GRANITE COUNTERTOPS(?)

5/23/14

On this last week of unofficial Spring, I managed to find the time to come up with only three posts, but on a dizzying array of topics…

HGTV’S HOUSE HUNTERS:  “WHAT?  NO GRANITE COUNTERTOPS?!”

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/20/hgtvs-house-hunters-what-no-granite-countertops/

Let it never be said that this is not an eclectic blog.

STUDENT LOANS:  ANOTHER SCHEME FROM DICK DURBIN TO “LIGHTEN” THE LOAD

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/18/student-loans-are-another-scheme-from-dick-durbin-to-lighten-the-load/

While I may not be much of a Republican, people like Dick Durbin are the reason it is highly unlikely that I will become a Democrat.  I use the term “highly unlikely” because only a fool uses the terms “never,” however tempting it might be in this context. 

REDFLEX:  COULD JOHN BILLS HAVE PULLED THIS OFF (NEARLY) ALONE?

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/18/redflex-could-john-bills-have-pulled-this-off-nearly-alone/

What I’ll think about and what I’ll believe are two different things, but this is a theory that has to be considered by any serious student of the Redflex affair, which I contend has the potential to be one of the biggest local political stories of the still new century.

Enjoy Memorial Day and take time to honor those who gave so much for us.

For more on Chicago’s politics, see my books:

The Chairman:

http://www.amazon.com/Chairman-Novel-Big-City-Politics/dp/1439255598/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355257845&sr=1-1&keywords=Mark+M.+Quinn

The Chairman’s Challenge:

http://www.amazon.com/Chairmans-Challenge-Continuing-Novel-Politics/dp/1426939108/ref=sr_1_3_title_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360098045&sr=1-3&keywords=Mark+M.+Quinn

QUINN ON REDFLEX, RUBIO, ST. GERARD, DEBT, AND INFLATION

5/15/14

Since October, 2012, when the Tribune first broke the story, I have written that Redflex would turn out to be a huge story; now more chickens are coming home to roost on that front.  So I had to find time yesterday evening to write on that ongoing saga.  As things have slowed down just a bit, I’ve also managed to write on the economy, national politics, and the Church:

THE REDFLEX SAGA:  THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING FOR CHICAGO POLITICAL JUNKIES

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/14/redflex-saga-endless-entertainment-for-chicago-political-junkies/

Back in April, 2013, I spoke at a men’s club meeting at St. Margaret Mary here in Naperville and said that Redflex was the story to watch.  My prediction seems to be being vindicated.

BIZARRONOMICS:  FALLING CREDIT CARD DEBT IS BAD

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/14/bizarronomics-falling-credit-card-debt-is-bad/

MORE BIZARRO ECONOMICS:  INFLATION IS GOOD

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/14/more-bizarro-economics-inflation-is-good/

No, really…some of my best friends are economists.  One introduced me to my wife which, in our case, worked out very well.

MARCO RUBIO:  EVEN THE BEST POLS ARE FRAUDS

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/12/marco-rubio-even-the-best-pols-are-frauds/

The incomparable H.L. Mencken saw the likes of Marco Rubio, and just about every other modern politician of all “ideological” and partisan stripes, coming.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, WOMEN, EXPECTANT MOTHERS, AND ST. GERARD

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/12/the-catholic-church-women-expectant-mothers-and-st-gerard/

St. Gerard was a great guy, and I hope he’s praying for me.  But does empathy count for anything in the Catholic Church?

I thought I’d get this out early since the Redflex story is splayed across this morning’s headlines in Chicago.  Have a great weekend, everybody, and go (other) Hawks!

QUINN ON SYRIA, PRAYER AT PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND EMANUEL’S DISPENSING HIS WISDOM ON WABASH

5/9/14

Time is tight, as it has been for the last several months, but a man’s gotta write what a man’s gotta write…

WHY DO SO MANY IN WASHINGTON WANT TO HELP AL QAEDA IN SYRIA?

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/09/why-do-so-many-people-in-washington-want-to-help-al-qaeda-in-syria/

Contrary to what the likes of John McCain would have you believe, militarism and meddling does not equate to patriotism.

CAPTAIN OBVIOUS STRIKES AGAIN:  SUPREME COURT SAYS IT’S OKAY TO PRAY

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/06/captain-obvious-strikes-supreme-court-says-okay-pray/

Maybe this is the beginning of the end of all the silliness inflicted on us by the freedom from religion crowd…but probably not.

RAHM EMANUEL TO DOWNTOWN BUSINESSPEOPLE:  JUST SHUT UP AND PAY

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/03/rahm-emanuel-downtown-business-people-shut-pay/

And have you noticed how the local media, or at least elements of the Chicago Tribune, seem to have turned on their consanguineous champion?  Still…bet heavily on the wise and mighty Rahm’s reelection.  In the screwed up politics of enlightened, modern day America, it’s all about money, and Mr. Emanuel has boatloads of it.

Have a great weekend, everybody, and God bless and thank all of you out there who are mothers.

See my two books, The Chairman, A Novel of Big City Politics and The Chairman’s Challenge, A Continuing Novel of Big City Politics, for further illumination on how things work in Chicago and Illinois politics. 

QUINN ON THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF THE OTHER QUINN’S NRI…AND ON THE OTHER QUINN’S APPARENT PLANS FOR YOUR TAXES

5/2/14

Time has only allowed a few posts this week, but they were both good ones and both at least ancillarily related to the increasingly interesting Illinois governor’s race…

COOK COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY ALVAREZ GOES AFTER GOVERNOR QUINN’S NRI; WHAT’S UP WITH THAT?

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/05/01/cook-county-states-attorney-alvarez-goes-governor-quinns-nri-whats/

A politicized criminal investigation in Cook County?  I’d have to do my best Claude Rains imitation and be shocked, shocked at such a contention.

ILLINOIS GOVERNOR PAT QUINN:  WHAT’S MINE IS MINE, WHAT’S YOURS IS NEGOTIABLE

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/04/29/illinois-governor-pat-quinn-whats-mine-mine-whats-negotiable/

The Governor, who is no relation to yours truly, is a great campaigner in a heavily Democratic state, but it looks like his myriad failings as a governor may cost him reelection.  It is, though, a long time from here to November.

As I said in one of the above posts…

Chicago and Illinois politics sure is interesting, eh?  Paying for it isn’t, but that’s another matter.

Have a great weekend, everybody.

Mark

mightydad@att.net

See my two books, The Chairman, A Novel of Big City Politics and The Chairman’s Challenge, A Continuing Novel of Big City Politics, for further illumination on how things work in Chicago and Illinois politics.