Chicago Daily Observer

I settled into my seat for a flight a few days ago from Chicago to Washington, D.C., and opened my book: “What Makes a Terrorist.” I now recognize that this probably wasn’t the best choice of reading material for a crowded plane.

But it is a good read. The author, Princeton economist Alan Krueger, has written an accessible and interesting book on the causes of terrorism. (Disclosure: Krueger was my statistics professor in graduate school; I did badly in the class, which is why I now happily write articles like this that involve no math.)

Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, has been elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for a three year term beginning in 2008. The election occurred November 13 during the bishops’ general meeting November 12–15 in Baltimore. Cardinal George received 188 votes out of 222 votes cast for a total of 85%.

This odd stew of a Republican with a pinch of libertarianism, a soupcon of conservatism, a dash of racism and a whiff of crypto-fascism was not supposed to make it this far this long.

On September 10, 2001, Rudy Giuliani, like George W. Bush, was sliding downhill. New Yorkers were tiring of his high-handed antics, such as trying to cut off funding for an art museum because a painting displeased him. His race relations were disastrous, then came his very public marital high-jinks, trying to move his girl friend into the mayoral mansion while his wife was still living there.

The careers of both Rudy and W, needless to say, were saved the next day.

Giuliani talked tough—to millions he was inspirational—though city firefighters complain bitterly about his deeds. He actually tried to extend his mayoral term by fiat because of the attack, but couldn’t get away with it.

Nevertheless ... Read More...

One month and counting. The mail has been delivered and I am still waiting for a promised government document to reach me. Tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow.

Feeling like a character out of the fictional works of Franz Kafka, I am obliged to interact and interface with various and sundry bureaucrats and clerks. One can spend hours trying to get necessary papers from the bloated county government. Lawyers derisively refer to the “Circus Court of Cook County” and dread having to retrieve files from the office of the Circuit Court Clerk, Dorothy Brown. One of my friends is a circuit court judge. He’s described the clerks as the bane of a judge’s existence I have decided to keep him anonymous, so he won’t be subjected to retaliatory conduct in the form of slower clerical responses and more mislaid files.

Abandon all hope ye who have to read the handwritten tract book entries ... Read More...