QUINN ON MICHELLE OBAMA, RICK PERRY, NEW PLANETS, UKRAINE, AND THE OLYMPICS

2/28/14

Years ago, someone described one of my earlier blogs as being “eclectic,” which is a great word and ideally suited to describe the range of topics I tend to cover in my writing and in the course of my daily discourse.  I try to remain interested and conversant in a number of subjects, and this is one of the few endeavors in which I have largely succeeded in my life.

Now that yours truly has nearly broken his arm patting himself on the back, here is evidence of my eclecticity…this week’s posts on Rant Lifestyle (a site, I suspect, most people “read” for the pictures, as many of you have observed):

SAME SEX MARRIAGE IN TEXAS AND THE TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/27/sex-marriage-texas-tyranny-majority/

Contrary to popular belief, the essence of the Constitution is not “majority rules.”   At least in America, we believe, or at least used to believe, that rights are given by God and therefore are not subject to revocation by the voters.

NASA FINDS NEW PLANETS:  ARE THE ALIEN INVADERS ON THEIR WAY?

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/27/nasa-finds-new-planets-alien-invaders-way/

As many of you know, I am a lifelong devotee of The Twilight Zone, simply the best series in the history of television.  Admittedly, this is a low bar, but I digress.  At any rate, this enthusiasm for TZ shows in this post.

MICHELLE OBAMA TO KIDS:   YOU’LL GET WHAT I SAY YOU’LL GET…AND LIKE IT!

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/26/michelle-obama-kids-youll-get-say-youll-get-like/

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it forever:  a politician with a messianic complex is far more dangerous than a pol with his hand in the till.

A UKRAINIAN SPRING? 

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/23/ukrainian-uprising-earmarks-arab-spring/

Sadly, this one’s coming true even as I write this.

2014 SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS:  WE OWE THE RUSSIANS AN APOLOGY

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/23/2014-sochi-winter-olympics-owe-russians-apology/

Given my recent surfeit of Olympics posts, I was concerned about what I’d do for material when they ended.  Judging from this week, my fears were unfounded.

Have a great weekend, everybody.  More snow and it looks like more futility from the Hawkeyes, but maybe a resurgent Illini.

QUINN ON WAL-MART, UKRAINE, MEL REYNOLDS, AND THE OLYMPICS

2/21/14

I’ve been busier than the proverbial one armed paper hanger of late, but I just keep on keepin’ on, as Gladys Knight used to say.  Writing always brings a smile to my face, and we all need some smiles in the midst of this dreary and brutal winter.  To that end, you might enjoy the following posts:

THE BUSINESS PLAN OF WAL-MART REVEALED!

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/20/business-plan-wal-mart-revealed/

So it was a lousy quarter; what I, and doubtless many of you, have discerned as Wal-Mart’s business plan will keep it on the road to world domination.

THE PREDICTABLE OUTCOME OF THE TIME OF TROUBLES IN UKRAINE

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/19/predictable-outcome-troubles-ukraine/

This one won’t make you smile, but at least it looks as if things at least have a chance of winding down in Kiev.  Maybe.

FORMER CONGRESSMAN MEL REYNOLDS ACCUSED OF BEING A BI-CONTINENTAL PERVERT

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/19/former-congressman-mel-reynolds-accused-bicontinental-pervert/

What is it about Congresspersons from the 2^nd Congressional district in Illinois?  But, breaking news:  it looks like the Mel man’s porn charges have been dropped and he may (and only may) soon be free to work his “business deals” again.   Business deals indeed.

SOCHI OLYMPICS:  WHAT, NO STARBUCKS…OR POST 2016 REVENUE?

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/16/2014-sochi-olympics-starbucks-post-2016-revenue/

The athletes aren’t complaining, but the media, predictably, finds plenty to whine about in Sochi.    This post also puts that $50 billion plus spent on the Games in perspective.

THE SOCHI OLYMPICS:  ABOUT THOSE COMMERCIALS…

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/15/2014-sochi-olympics-commercials/

At what point did those of you who are watching a lot of the Olympics get tired of seeing the same commercials…over and over and over again?   This post is good, but it gets great when I start talking about the second BMW commercial (i.e., in which the floozy gets in the car and propositions the driver), which would have been a third bullet point had it not been for the efforts of Rant’s editor.

Have a great weekend, everybody.  Falling girders in the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN spared the Quinn family a huge conflict of interest last week.  But this weekend’s Big 10 action looks good.

QUINN ON CHICAGO SNOW, PRIUS RECALLS, DOOM AND GLOOM, DAN RUTHERFORD, AND THE OLYMPICS

2/13/14

I don’t know where I’m finding the time to do all this writing, but I realize that if I don’t write I don’t feel right (no pun intended), so I make the time.   This week featured an eclectic batch of posts…

A QUICK SOLUTIONS FOR ALL THAT SNOW IN CHICAGO

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/13/quick-solution-snow-chicago/

Here’s a sure fire way for the city of Chicago to get enough salt for a winter with 500, 600, or even 1,000 inches of snow.

TOYOTA RECALLS 1.9 MILLION PRII:  WHAT’S GOIN’ ON?

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/13/toyota-recalls-1-9-million-prius-cars-whats-going/

Toyota and its shareholders need not worry about this problem, but all hybrid manufacturers may soon face a challenge that few are discussing.

DEATH, DOOM, AND DESPAIR?   YOU’VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/13/death-doom-despair-youve-come-right-place/

While I have little confidence in anyone’s, including my own, ability to make good market and/or economic calls, the economy makes me nervous.  Here I present seven, or maybe six and a half, reasons for concern.

SALACIOUS SEX CHARGES IN THE ILLINOIS PRIMARY…AND IT’S STILL NOT INTERESTING

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/11/salacious-sex-charges-illinois-primary-still-interesting/

Regardless of their degree of veracity, these lurid tales of Dan Rutherford’s alleged extracurricular activities are attracting attention to the GOP “race” for the gubernatorial nomination.  But even these stories can’t make the race interesting.

THE SOCHI GAMES:   “YOU CAN’T EXPECT A BUNCH OF IGNORANT PEONS TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING AS COMPLEX AS (THE OLYMPICS)”

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/07/sochi-2014-maybe-lay-russians/

The editors renamed this piece, but do you remember General Buck Turgidson from Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb? (yours truly’s third favorite movie of all time, by the way) The American media sound like him when they comment on the Sochi Games.

I haven’t been to the Auto Show yet this year; the days of four or more visits to that outstanding exhibition are long behind me.  But when I get there, I may have some more material.

Everybody have a good weekend and enjoy the Olympics.  Until I met my wife, I wouldn’t have spent five minutes watching the Games…and now I’m a fan.  It’s amazing what the love of a good woman can do to a guy.

And, speaking of…happy and blessed Valentine’s Day to you and yours.

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 OBAMACARE, R.J. VANECKO, CAR SALES, AND PETE SEEGER

2/7/14

I put up only four posts at Rant Lifestyle this week , but the range of topics was wide and the quality of writing was spectacular, is I can say so myself….

OBAMACARE AND WORK FORCE PARTICIPATION:  “I’LL WORK FOR YOU, I’LL SLAVE FOR YOU…”

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/06/obamacare-work-force-participation-ill-work-ill-slave/

This isn’t necessarily a pro-Obamacare piece, but the Republicans ought to be very careful about which aspects of the Affordable Care Act they attack.  Once the label of “Obamacare” is removed, many of the provisions of this law are very popular …and deservedly so. 

THE CURIOUS CASE OF R.J. VANECKO:   JUSTICE DELAYED…AND DENIED…CHICAGO STYLE

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/06/curious-case-r-j-vanecko-justice-delayed-denied-chicago-style/

The Chicago articles are not so popular in a nationwide site like Rant Lifestyle, but I’ll continue to write about Chicago politics as long as my mind and fingers work.   This particular article is one of the best I have ever written, by the way.

January Car Sales:  “I Ain’t Got Time To Discuss The Weather, Or How Long It’s Gonna Last…”

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/04/january-car-sales-aint-got-time-discuss-weather-long-gonna-last/

This is one of those articles that could conceivably make you some money.  Most of the experts were way too enthusiastic about car sales coming into this year and now are blaming the weather.  We shall see.

Pete Seeger:   “Just Talk About Folk Music And Civil Rights And They’re Yours!”

http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/02/03/pete-seeger-just-talk-folk-music-civil-rights-theyre/

Was Pete Seeger a hero, a hypocrite, a fraud, or a visionary?   Remember, only speak well of the recently dead.  And I have to tell you that, since Mr. Seeger died, I can get neither Trini Lopez’s version of “If I Had a Hammer” nor the great Johnny Rivers’ version of “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” out of my head.

The weather has not only been abominable but has kept us away from Iowa City, our daughter, and live Hawkeye basketball.  Our boys face the Wolverines this weekend in Iowa City, but we’ll have to watch on television.   The money we save by staying home acts as a salve, though.

Have a great weekend.

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.