Friday night Fun - No Doubt

Super-cool Night. Super-cool songs, super-cool front-women. It's Super-Cool!

Friday night Fun - Elastica

Super-cool night continues with Elastica 'Connection.'

Friday night Fun - The Breeders

Cannonball!

Santa, you better stock up on coal...

So a couple steps outside their apartment building in Elgin and finds a housecat in a cage with food and litter and a note saying the original owner can no longer take care of the cat. The apartment dwellers cannot keep the cat but being good citizens they tried to find a place for it, only to find out Kane County Animal Control, based in Geneva, had told them it didn't have a contract to pick up animals within the city, and Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin had said it already had too many cats.

So they do the next best thing and take it to the Elgin police department. Only they ran into Officer Scrooge, who first threatened to arrest them for abandoning an animal, then suggested they take it and abandon it in a rural area. When the couple refused the asshat officer decided to just open the cage and let the frightened kitteh run. The cat has since been found in good condition but what a lesson this couple has learned about trying to do the right thing. The dumbass Elgin police officer will face discipline and I hope Santa skips his house in a couple weeks.

Friday night Fun - BRITISH INVASION - English Beat

We were sitting at work this afternoon thinking, 'what are we gonna play tonight for Friday night Fun?' Then my iPod gave me the answer - BRITISH INVASION! We're kicking things off tonight with ska legends English Beat. This is a great live performance - Whine & Grine (with a very cool arrangement) and Stand Down Margaret. The sax player is no Saxa but he still sounds pretty damn good!

Friday night Fun - BRITISH INVASION - XTC

Fun continues with XTC and 'Dear God.'

Friday night Fun - BRITISH INVASION - The Housemartins

We're finishing it out tonight with The Housemartins doing 'Happy Hour.' We wanted 'Drop Down Dead' but couldn't find one. I remember the first time I heard Barenaked Ladies - I thought it was the Housemartins. Influence much?

Congratulations, D Mac!

Darren McCarty, former Detroit Red Wing right wing, announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday. D Mac, you gave us fans many many reasons to cheer over 13 seasons and your heart and drive will surely be missed. Best known for decisively evening the score with Fraud LePew, he is also known for scoring the game-winning goal in the 1997 Stanley Cup Final that broke Detroit's 42-year drought and ushered in the beginning of Hockey Inc and Hockeytown supremacy. Mac had his demons, certainly, but his talents on the Grind Line with Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper and willingness to flash the badge will endear him to Red Wings fans forever.

It's so cool to watch this clip and realize you recognize the players from their faces, not just from seeing the number.

Here is Mac's 1997 Stanley Cup-winning goal. Mac was never known for his finesse skating but who knew he had a move like that in him?

Friday night Fun - The Boss & Mike Ness!

We were away last week and unable to post Friday night Fun so we're making up for it tonight. We thought we'd kick it off in a big way and went to look for something by Social Distortion leader Mike Ness and came across this gem. Apparently The Boss is a big fan of Mike's and had Mike join him on stage in LA last spring and they did the Social Distortion song 'Bad Luck.' Damn it sounds good and props to the boss for digging SD. (Bruce, your gaffe in Michigan and when you said "Hello OHIO" has now been forgiven.)

Trixie wants to take a moment to ask Johnny if he remembers when we were standing this close to Mike Ness that night in Pontiac... Good times.



And here's a bonus vid: Mommy's Little Monster!!

Fright night Fun - 3-fer with Ricky Bobby & his kids

Talladega Nights is just a damn funny movie. Here's three from the flick:

Spider Monkey:



Dirty Pee Pants:



Shake & Bake! (THAT JUST HAPPENED)

Friday night Fun - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

We're finishing it up tonight with Tom Petty - everyone knows I love Tom Petty! This is getting played because it sounds good and because YouTube recommended it to me.
Here's 'Breakdown.'

Let the poisoning begin...

In an attempt to prevent big, icky, voracious Asian carps from making it into Lake Michigan the Illinois Natural Resources Department is releasing a fish toxin into a stretch of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

God speed, poison!

The fish kill is expected to cost as much as $2 million and kill thousands of fish. It is designed to give the Army Corps of Engineers an Asian carp-free window of time to perform regular maintenance on the electric barrier the corps installed to stop the Asian carp from traveling toward the lake.

Asian carp -- which can weigh as much as 100 pounds, grow to 4 feet long and have been known to jump onto water-skiers and into boats --are expected to return to the barrier after the mass poisoning.

The voracious eaters feed on the low end of the food chain -- such as plankton. They wind up squeezing out fish that bigger fish feed on, potentially devastating sport and commercial fishing.

"You don't use rotenone unless you have no other options," said Marc Gaden, spokesman for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. "Our backs are clearly against the wall here. ... This is pretty much the last chance, and this is a significant step we are taking."

Fish experts from around the Great Lakes region, including Canada, will coordinate pouring the liquid toxin into the water Wednesday afternoon. Hours later, the carcasses of thousands of fish including goldfish, gizzard shad and common carp will join the Asian carp in rising to the surface before being hauled to a landfill.

The shipping canal will be closed to boat traffic starting Wednesday and lasting through the weekend.

Rotenone naturally detoxifies, though the neutralizing agent potassium permanganate will be added to the water after the poison does its work. The fish toxin will be poured in the water roughly from the electric barrier down to the Lockport Lock and Dam.

"Is there a possibility there may be some small residual fish kill beyond the Lockport lock? Yes," said Chris McCloud, Illinois Natural Resources Department spokesman. "But we are prepared to deal with that and keep it in as tight an area as possible."

The routine electric barrier maintenance needs to be performed twice a year, and it's not known if another expansive fish kill will be needed six months from now, McCloud said.

"It's not something we hope to do," McCloud said, adding, "We need to focus on this particular operation."

Despite the efforts to keep the Asian carp out of Lake Michigan, Asian carp DNA has been found upstream of the electric barrier, suggesting that a few fish got past the electric barrier and are headed toward Lake Michigan.

Gaden said the fish kill is an absolute necessity to keep the Asian carp in check.

"Not doing it is throwing in the towel and inviting a species that is going to be very destructive into the Great Lakes," he said. "The economic costs of these fish to the ecosystem would be tremendous -- unquantifiable and irreversible."

Friday night Fun - Chester on Exercise

Sifl & Olly ask Chester about exercising.

Friday night Fun - Chester loves bubbles

Sifl & Olly put the fun in Friday night Fun here at Naperville City Desk. Sifl & Olly talk to Chester to see how he reacts to bubbles...

Yes. Yes it is. Seriously.

Web debate intensifies over whether Oak Park logo is phallic

Naperville red light cameras continue to bring the ching

A worker installs a red light camera at the corner of Ogden and Aurora avenues in Naperville in late September. City officials say red light cameras are generating about $100,000 a month per intersection. The city has installed the devices at three intersections. (Sun-Times Media File)

Three red-light cameras in Naperville are piling up money for the city. The cameras, installed at the intersections of 59 and North Aurora Road, Ogden and Aurora, and 59 and Diehl Road, are raking in $100K per month, per intersection. Each citation is $100 a pop, but there is evidence that drivers are learning. The cameras at 59 and North Aurora Road have been in place the longest (since January) with nearly 8,000 red-light warnings and citations issued. The daily average of violations per day has dropped from the low 30s in the first six months to the high 20s in the last three months and the number of crashes has also reduced.

Friday night Fun - Cake

We're kicking things off tonight with the band Cake. Long known for bending genres, they pretty much hit it out of the park with a cover of Buck Owens' 'Excuse Me, I Think I've Got a Heartache.'

Friday night Fun - Buck Owens

Most people just associate Buck Owens with Hee-Haw but not as many know Buck had a string of 21 number one hits on the Billboard country music charts. Here he is with the Buckaroos doing 'Love's Gonna Live Here.'

Friday night Fun - Blanche

NCD is proud to present Detroit's own way-cool Blanche with 'Do You Trust Me.'

Lesson one: When you visit the big city, make sure you keep a little cab fare on you

Jorge Murillo was visiting the big city of Chicago from Benton Harbor, Mich., when he found himself drunk in the wee hours of the morning Wednesday and needing a ride home, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Rather than spare some pocket change to ride the el or take a taxi, Murillo came up with an ingenious idea for a FREE ride home. Though you'd think he'd have been too addled to hit upon a plan like this, Murillo swiftly put it in motion. Grabbing his cell phone, Murillo called 911 at 2:30 am to report that he'd been robbed and kidnapped.

Officers responding to the call found an inebriated Murillo and began to doubt his story quickly. Quickly relinquishing the ruse, the drunk admitted he had not been robbed or kidnapped, and simply needed a ride home.

He was arrested by 2:40 am.

Murillo got to sleep it off in police custody. It is unclear if he wanted a ride back to his hotel or friend's home or all the way to Benton Harbor.

Friday night Fun - Texas Tornados - Mendocino

Trixie's cranking up the way-back machine with the Texas Tornados doing the classic 'Mendocino.' I was looking for the Bottle Rockets version but couldn't find it. Hey this one is even cooler!

Friday night Fun - Supersuckers - Creepy Jackalope Eye

Super fun with the Supersuckers... Creepy Jackalope Eye

Friday night Fun - Whiskeytown

Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart

Friday night Fun - Flying Burrito Brothers - Six Days on the Road

It's Flying Burrito Brothers night here at Naperville City Desk and boy are we excited. Gram Parsons is a big favorite and his work with the FBB is fantastic. Oddly, my first exposure to this song was not from FBB or Steve Earle who covered it. No, the first place I remember hearing it was the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. On Fridays they had a country cover band of assorted Ann Arbor locals and they'd play happy hour from 5 to 8 pm or so. I went with my friend Mimi just about every Friday for about three years, until the Blind Pig decided they didn't want them anymore and they moved over to the Cavern Club, a perfectly awful venue. Goofy stage, bad visibility and a microscopic dance floor. The country nights ended pretty soon after that but I still have fond memories of Pistol Pete covering Conway Twitty's 'Make Believe' and this song.

Friday night Fun - Flying Burrito Brothers - Sin City

Video #2 is 'Sin City' by the Flying Burrito Brothers. Gram Parsons is the father of the country-rock movement, a description he despised, preferring to call it 'cosmic American music.'

Friday night Fun - Flying Burrito Horses - Wild Horses

It's a defining classic - Wild Horses, made famous by the Rolling Stones, but Gram Parsons played pedal steel on the track and maintained (albeit in a drug-induced haze) that he actually wrote it. Small matter - it's such a beautiful haunting song I'm just glad it is out there for us lucky listeners to consume. Gram died way too young but his influence lives on... Here's Gram singing lead with the Flying Burrito Brothers. It's a toss-up as to whose version is better - I think I've gotta give the edge to Gram.

If you're going to shoplift, make sure your loot is incapacitated

It's been a while since we've done this but we have a Chicks Committing Crimes report for our loyal reader (he knows who he is).

TINLEY PARK- Police say the turtle in her pocket gave her away.

A Plainfield teenager was arrested Oct. 10 for stealing a turtle from the North American Reptile Show at the Tinley Park Convention Center, police said.

Authorities said a worker at the show saw Michelle Gutierrez, 18, swipe a $49 turtle. The worker followed and confronted her. Gutierrez denied it, police said.

But then the turtle started wriggling in her pocket -- and the police were brought in, police said.

Gutierrez was charged with retail theft.

Friday night Fun - The Sweet - Ballroom Blitz

Yep, she thinks she's the passionate one...

Glam rock - dig that eyeshadow!!

Friday night Fun - The Romantics

Detroit's own... Dig those leather suits and skinny ties. I saw The Romantics a couple of years ago at the Open Space at the Traverse City Cherry Festival and they still sound GREAT - everyone was dancing!

Forgive our technical difficulties

We've been having problems with our laptop for the last couple weeks here at the NCD - an antivirus program designed to protect our computer decided accessing the internet was too dangerous and shut us out. Um, Hal? We uninstalled the program and everything is back to normal, although we're trying to figure out what to do for antivirus going forward.

Our mentor Johnny Action Space Punk would tell us to get a Mac. Next time, Johnny. Next time.

NCD Retro Post

I used to love this...

Friday night Fun - The Bangles - All Over the Place

Naperville City Desk is excited to declare tonight 'Bangles Night!' This all-girl group formed in Los Angeles took up the mantle from the Go-Go's in the early 80's and helped prove to everyone that chicks sell records and that the Go-Go's were not just a fluke. They had a monster hit in the mid-80's with 'Walk Like an Egyptian' and everyone knows that song but I want to take you all back to where it started for me.

Back in the day, before the internet I was reading a magazine and came across this article about this girl-band who wanted to be the next Beatles. Pretty bold, I thought, but I was interested enough to seek out their album 'All Over the Place.' I was blown away by it - while they were not the Beatles (no on is or will be) they had catchy tunes, great hooks, smart lyrics and interesting harmonies with everyone taking turns singing lead.

Here they are with 'Going Down to Liverpool.'





I am not the only Bangles fan out there - Lorelai Gilmore of 'Gilmore Girls' fame was a big fan and dragged Rory and Paris and friends from school along when the Bangles played in NYC. Of course, the friends ditched and Lorelai was distracted by something having to do with Luke but the band sounded great and if you watch to the end you'll see that at least one of the youngsters came around and became a new fan.

Friday night Fun - The Bangles - Hero Takes a Fall

We continue with Bangles night - the girls appeared live on late night TV in 1984. And sound really good! This is 'Hero Takes a Fall.'

Friday night Fun - Bangles night!

More from The Bangles...

This is 'James.'

Oh James
Letting me down again
James

Sunday funny

My mom sent me this joke:

What is the difference between Bird Flu and Swine Flu?

For bird flu you need tweetment and for swine flu you need oinkment!

Admit it, you groan and laugh at the same time!

Friday night Fun - B-52's Dirty Back Road

Kicking it off tonight with the B-52's from the early 80's with 'Dirty Back Road.'

Friday night Fun - B-52's Hot Lava

Really cool early video of the band from 1978.

Friday night Fun - Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac

Silver Springs - what a song. Sounds awesome every time I hear it. Now that Stevie has matured there is a richness to her voice that was missing when she originally recorded it.

"Lake. BIG lake..."

Or a pond in this case.

A motorist dropped a lit cigarette in his car and rather than do the smart thing and pull over to look for it he decided to try to fish around for it while driving. You know what they say about taking your eyes off the ball - motorist veered off the road. In what can only be considered a harmonic convergence, he veered off the road into a pond. The motorist managed to exit the car and stood on his trunk to keep his head out of the water. The submerged car and lights were spotted by a passerby who dialed 911 and reported it. The caller then tried to play Good Samaritan and jumped in to help the driver but then both men became stuck in the pond bottom which was very muddy. Two Wheaton police officers arrived on the scene and were able to remove the men from the water. Afterward they were checked out by paramedics and both refused transport to the hospital.

As a tribute to the driver who probably shouldn't be allowed to smoke and drive, we offer the following classic video:

Saturday morning Fun - Mambo Italiano with puppets

We were having technical difficulties last night, of the kind that make me wish I'd bought a Mac. After waiting an interminable time just to get the darn thing to boot up I'd launch the web and within a few minutes the mouse would quit responding and my laptop would go to the Arctic Circle (freeze). After about a dozen attempts to remedy the situation I gave up and went to bed early. I'm happy to report so far this morning it's been fine.

So Friday night Fun has been transformed into Saturday morning fun! I decided to go Old School and plum the fertile depths of the American songbook. We are kicking it off this morning with a funny little video I found of some older but still sexy dude singing 'Mambo Italiano' with puppets. Don't know what it's from but it beat out posting vids by Rosemary Clooney and Dean Martin. I dig the puppets!

Saturday morning Fun - Moon River - Breakfast at Tiffany's

SMF continues with a number from one of Trixie's all-time favorite movies, Breakfast at Tiffany's. This is one of those movies that means so much to me I NEVER want to hear the word 'remake.' Would never be the same without Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Music is by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Johnny Mercer.

Saturday morning Fun - Ella Fitzgerald - Too Darn Hot

We're finishing it off this morning with Ella Fitzgerald singing the Cole Porter classic 'Too Darn Hot.'

The TV season thus far

My two favorites so far:

'Glee' - Fox. This is a great show! A glee club at a high school in Ohio wants to show everyone they have what it takes to win competitions. And they do have what it takes: a great but hen-pecked teacher and mentor, an ultra-driven member, a high school athlete-turned-glee club singer, a closeted gay kid, a diva, a disabled student and a kinda goth chick. But there are always roadblocks, in this case Jane Lynch playing a maniacal cheerleading coach hell-bent on taking down the glee club by any means necessary so her girls can get all the glory and all the budget. She takes aggression to a whole new level and is easily the funniest person on TV today. The show has incredibly snappy dialogue and you have to listen closely to make sure you don't miss any of it. Not to mention musical production numbers!

'The Good Wife' - CBS. The show premiered Tuesday night to great reviews and is getting a rave from Naperville City Desk, too. The show stars Julianna Margulies, playing the wife of a philandering Chicago state's attorney who has possibly been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and is sitting in jail and who has definitely been caught diddling hookers on the side. The show may seem a little ripped-from-the-headlines but really focuses less on the scandal and more on the wife trying to pick up the pieces of her life while facing betrayal and a mountain of legal debt. She returns to the work force after a 13-year absence and gets work in a law firm as a junior associate. Her first trip back into the court room is a fiasco as she struggles to feel her way and find one line of questioning that won't prompt a barrage of objections. On the homefront she has to mind her two kids who watch her husband suck the toes of a hooker on Youtube. Margulies plays the character with class and humor and isn't afraid to show the failures as well as the triumphs. I am looking forward to some juicy plotlines to come.

Friday night Fun - Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

We're changing it up a little bit tonight and featuring my favorite number from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Bernadette, Mitzi and Felicia perform 'Finally' and don some amazing costumes and makeup.

Friday night Fun - Jewel & Steve Poltz

Jewel & Steve Poltz singing 'Silver Lining.'

New music night

NPR introduced me to a great new song from Brendan Benson, best known for his work with one of the Jack White side projects, The Raconteurs. Benson steps out on his own with a delicious pop confection called 'Don't Wanna Talk.' Love the 'la la la' that sounds suspiciously like 'lie lie lie...'

Friday night Fun - Patty Griffin with surprise guest - Mary

Johnny really started something over on Jersey City Desk - he played one of our favorite Patty Griffin songs so we're following suit here. Here's a treasure I found: Patty singing 'Mary' with surprise guest Natalie Maines. Natalie sounds just as amazing singing harmony as she does singing lead with the Dixie Chicks and this is a particularly lovely version of the song. Anyone who knows the Chicks knows they've been a fan of Patty's from the git-go, covering her songs on three of their studio albums. Convinced me that the Chicks were no flash-in-the-pan chick act - there was substance to them and you could tell that just from song selection.

Friday night Fun - Patty Griffin - Long Ride Home

Johnny played a great Patty Griffin song on Jersey City Desk today so, yes, we're copying. This is Patty live and even without Emmylou, it sounds great.

Admirable effort to drive sales

A pizza place in a shopping center with declining sales due to ongoing road construction keeping diners away decided to promote sales by taking advantage of those motorists stuck in the delays. RoSal's, a pizzeria and hot dog restaurant in Plainfield just south of 135th Street, has seen sales slip since road construction began. The state's resurfacing project started about a week and a half ago. The construction crew still has about a week's worth of patching to finish, followed by another four or five days of work to put down the finished surface, according to village public works staff.

Rather than take the sales decline lying down the staff at RoSal's passed out free pizza samples and coupons to motorists sitting in the delays last Thursday and hopes to see a boost in business after the construction is completed. It's this kind of ingenuity and smart-thinking that this country needs and Naperville City Desk applauds RoSal's for leading the self-promotion charge. Next time the NCD staff takes a field trip we are definitely stopping by.

For all of you hanging around here over the long weekend

You'll be able to get where you're going a bit faster because the Illinois Tollway is suspending all lane closures from noon Friday through 9 am Tuesday September 8. You'll also be happy to know Trixie will not be around taking up lane space as I'm bugging out to northern Michigan and may be posting on location. Everyone remember that even though there won't be lane closures the speed limit through work zones is still 45 mph, even on a holiday.

This is also a very interesting traffic tidbit: Work systemwide will be completed by the end of the year as part of the Tollway's $6.3 billion Congestion-Relief Program.

No more backups from Yackley to Midwest Road eastbound in the am! Woo hoo!!!!

This is why you keep a flashlight in your glove compartment

What NOT to do when you get to a gas station:

Drive up to said gas station with a gas can on your passenger seat. Check

Decide to check to see how much gas is in the can by using a lighter. Check

Fail to understand gas is extremely flammable. Check

Yet this is exactly what a 27-year-old Joliet woman did on Tuesday, suffering 2nd-degree burns. Naperville City Desk sincerely hopes the young woman heals quickly and learns a valuable lesson from this mental lapse. If anyone cares to provide the woman's address we're happy to cut into the office fudgesicle fund to send her a flashlight and some batteries to keep in her car for any future lighting needs.

Friday night Fun - Elvis Costello & Emmylou Harris 'Heart-shaped Bruise'

So for lack of a better theme tonight we're featuring cool/fun songs I heard on my iPod this week. Here's a fave from Elvis Costello's album 'Delivery Man' - he's singing 'Heart-shaped Bruise' LIVE with Emmylou Harris.

Friday night Fun - B-52's 'Keep this Party Going On'

Continuing with tonight's theme of cool/fun stuff I heard on my iPod this week: the B-52's live with 'Keep this Party Going On.'

Friday night Fun - Smash Mouth

With their smash hit from 1997 'Walkin' on the Sun.'

Rough Day

Any time you have a work day where 9 people lose their jobs, it's a rough day. Those of us who keep our jobs have survivor's guilt.

It sucks.

Friday night Fun - Human League w bonus 80's fashion parade

Don't You Want Me and don't you want these 80's fashions?

Friday night Fun - Human League

It's 80's night here at the Naperville City Desk and tonight we're into 'Fascination.'

Lady, you were just RUDE

So I went to SuperTarget tonight after work to stock up on popsicles, Pop-Tarts and popcorn for the Naperville City Desk office snack bar and got into a checkout line behind a woman buying six cases of beer. I unloaded my snack bar items onto the conveyor then realized the line was no longer moving because the beer-buying lady showed an out-of-state ID and those purchases require manager approval. (Don't ask me, I don't make the rules at Target.) But that wasn't the annoying part, this was: what became increasingly annoying is beer-buying lady yakking on her cell phone the whole time, with no consideration for the cashier (or anyone else) in line.

Cell phones are a great invention. But just because you have one doesn't mean you need to be on it ALL THE TIME. Since she was on the phone in a public place I thought maybe I should comment on her conversation since she clearly wanted everyone within earshot to hear but then I remembered my mama taught me good manners. And was the conversation about anything pressing? Of course not!

This kind of rudeness in unforgivable. And I'm glad beer-buying lady had to wait. Though I do wish she'd have shut up.

Remember when we didn't have phones with us all the time and we had to wait until we got home to check our answering machines? Incredible that the world continued to spin given today's cell phone-addicted morons running around.

HANG UP.

Mixed review follow up

NCD is delighted to report there has been a turnabout in the saga of the stolen FM transmitter. You may recall we posted here a couple weeks ago that we were dismayed to find out an item had been stolen from our car when it was in for collision service in late July. We were very pleased with the work that was done but upset that someone had sticky fingers. Gerber has a service that follows up with customers to rate the work that was done and we were contacted about that on Monday. We said we wouldn't return for any future work and explained why.

Today NCD got a call from the manager at Gerber. He wanted to know what had happened and assured us he would make it right and replace the stolen item. That is fantastic customer service and we here at Naperville City Desk are very impressed at both the gesture and the promise of replacement. Customer relations are of utmost importance in this challenged economy and it's good to know some businesses still respect that. Of course, we sincerely hope we won't have need of collision service again but if we do, we'll take our business back to Gerber in Downers Grove. I just hope that maybe they can root out the bad egg(s).

Kane is sorry

Yeah, more like sorry he got caught. Patrick Kane finally addressed the public after being arrested for assaulting a cabdriver in Buffalo in early August. I understand the legal case is still pending but saying he was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' doesn't sound very penitent for the 'future of the NHL.'

Someone needs to take Kane to the woodshed for a talking to. And Stan Bowman, you ask yourself 'what would Scotty do?'

Call 555-4444, we'll talk, it's no big whoop...

Roseanne is the weakest link here. Too bad she didn't have shpilkus (sp??)...

Bad Blackhawk!

Blackhawk star winger Patrick Kane got himself in trouble over the weekend at home in Buffalo when he and his cousin took a cab ride and took issue when the cabbie did not have $0.20 in change. That's twenty cents, not twenty dollars. The cousins hailed a cab at about 4 am Sunday morning when they were leaving a nightlife area of Kane's native Buffalo. The fare came to $13.80 and the cousins handed over $15.00. When the cabbie could only produce $1.00 for change that's when it's alleged the cousins decided to administer Wild West justice and pummelled the cabbie for the two dimes. The cabbie ended up with cuts and bruises and broken glasses. Patrick Kane earns $875,000 per year as a Blackhawk and shouldn't have expected change at all. I make nowhere near that much scratch and I know you're supposed to tip a cabbie.

The Blackhawks organization said they stand by their star player but I hope privately someone gives him a real earful for being a butthead.

Good service, sticky fingers

We really don't like to do this but we have to post a mixed review of a local collision shop.

Trixie Junior Space Punk has had collision work done at Gerber Collision in Downers Grove twice - once last year when I had a fender-bender and had my front end replaced and again just a week ago or so when I was rear-ended by a hippie and had to have my rear bumper replaced (yes, the hippie part is true). I appreciate that Gerber has car rentals available right on site so that I don't have to inconvenience any friends asking them to follow me to the shop. I also appreciate that the work is very good - in both instances my car looks as good as new.

HOWEVER, this last visit has left a very sour taste in my mouth when I went to look for the Griffin iTrip transmitter I use to listen to my iPod through my car radio (very important on my long trips to northern Michigan) and what do you know - it wasn't there. Seems someone at Gerber has sticky fingers and helped himself to my FM transmitter. I guess I should be grateful the klepto doesn't have a Samsung cell phone because he left my car phone charger.

The hope is that I won't need to have my car serviced again but if I do I will seriously think twice before taking it to Gerber in Downers Grove.

Convenience: A
Quality of Work: A
Honesty by all workers: F-

Friday night Fun - 30-Second Bunnies - Sixteen Candles

So I was out last night listening to one of my favorite artists, Slaid Cleaves (I've blogged at length about him) and was away from my laptop and unable to pay tribute to John Hughes who passed away yesterday at the young age of 59. John Hughes truly captured the essence of what is was to be a teenager in the 80s and will have a lasting influence, especially for people around my age.

Here's a 30-Second Bunnies rendering of the Hughes' CLASSIC: Sixteen Candles.

Something is in the water at the Shedd

Literally. Yup. Two knocked-up beluga whales. Pretty cool!

Boy, we're busy tonight...

We're deep in the Naperville City Desk Test Kitchens testing another super-secret recipe. After I got my interns Stosh and Penny cleaned up from their flour fight, things went pretty well. We're not at liberty to reveal what we're cooking up, but let's just say it's chocolaty and wunderbahr. And the folks at work are gonna dig it tomorrow.

Friday night Fun - The Pretenders

This Friday has been declared Music That Kicks Ass Night. We're kicking it off with one of the most kick-ass songs of all time. The Pretenders with 'Middle of the Road.' I've seen The Pretenders a long time ago at the State Theater in Detroit and this song grabs you by the front of your shirt, yanks you out of your seat and makes you wanna ROCK SO HARD.

When you own a big chunk
of the bloody Third World
the babies just come with the scenery
C'mon now

Friday night Fun - Elvis Costello

No Music That Kicks Ass Night would be complete without a dose of early Elvis Costello. PUMP IT UP!

Hell-bent or heaven-sent?

Friday night Fun - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Music That Kicks Ass Night concludes with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (and one of Trixie's all-time favorites) 'American Girl.' We were appalled tonight to discover that Taylor Swift has covered the song but we're going to put that aside and let Tom P. present it with his usual and never duplicated kick-assery...

Take it easy baby
Make it last all night
She was
an American Girl

CCC: Napervillain motorist goes cuckoo

Chicks Committing Crimes: Here's a scenario motorists encounter nearly every day. You're driving along, minding your own business and up ahead you see a couple of bicyclists also sharing the road. The street may be a little tight, but a good motorist understands that you need to maneuver around them to give them room or if that's not immediately possible you need to slow down and hang back until you can safely do so. It might be a pain in the tuckus but a good motorist understands no matter how much of a pain the cyclist may be or how late you are running, your car can be a deadly weapon so you have to be courteous.

Well, Naperville resident Mary Ann Rehm must have missed the courtesy train because she decided to take matters into her own hands. Or rather, a bicycle into the grill of her car, according to the Naperville Sun.

Rehm was traveling northbound of Jefferson Street on Monday when she encountered two cyclists in the road. This charm school dropout allegedly grew impatient then freaked and instead of giving way she accelerated. The 17-year-old cyclist, Jereme Peterson, describes it this way: he recounted how he suddenly found "a car behind me, and it started beeping (its horn) and stuff. Then the lady floored it — intentionally floored it — and I jumped off the bike, and she hit it," Peterson told The Sun near the crash scene.

It was initially believed the bike became entangled with and dragged beneath the car, although a Sun reader claimed Tuesday to have been sitting on his or her front porch and seeing the driver "flying past from Fifth Avenue onto Ellsworth (Street) with the bicycle firmly attached to the front of her car."

Rehm faces Class 3 felony charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery in a public place, court records indicated. Bond was set Tuesday at $100,000. She was released after posting $10,000 bail, and is scheduled to appear Aug. 24 for a preliminary hearing in DuPage County Circuit Court in Wheaton.

Let's Go Crazy

No, seriously, it's the song "Let's Go Crazy" but it is not by who you might think.

I challenge you not to get up and dance your ass off!

It's just like it sounds

Stick damages car:

Vehicle damage: About 11:44 p.m., large stick thrown and dented passenger-side rear quarter panel of vehicle at 621 S. Wright St.

Hey, we're not New Jersey where apparently everyone in public office is crooked as a, well, New Jersey politician.

Makes Illinois look saintly by comparison.

Chihuahuas are WACK!

Potter Puppet Pals - Harry is too cool for school

Super Happy Fun Day continues with more Potter Puppet Pals

Harry & Ron & Hermione steal Severus Snape's diary and read it.

Johnny has the best ideas!

Johnny Action Space Punk, our mentor and best pal, declared 'Super Happy Fun Day' at our sister blog, the Jersey City Desk, today, and rather than be shy we're gonna give him credit and run with it.

Here's something I just discovered recently and find totally hilarious. Enjoy!

In other words: CHA-CHING

Up for consideration at tonight's city council meeting:

From Staff Reports

A look at tonight's Naperville City Council meeting.

Up for discussion

The issue: After tabling the item at its June 16 meeting, the City Council will once again consider approval of a contract with Redflex Traffic Systems for an amount not to exceed $688,880 over a three-year period to expand the red-light photo enforcement program.

What it means: After data from the cameras at Route 59 and North Aurora Road indicated a reduction of the number of crashes at the intersection since the cameras were installed, staff is recommending the installation of cameras at two additional intersections — Route 59 at Diehl Road and Route 34/Ogden Avenue at Aurora Avenue. The council tabled the matter last month in order to gather more information and determine if its possible to eliminate right on red cameras for these two locations.

State can't pass a budget but we've got time for nonsense

Seems Monique Davis, state representative and atheist hater, slipped a Michael Jackson tribute into a package of nine resolutions without really telling anyone. Rep. Davis sponsored the resolution saying "We didn't make a big thing about it. I didn't ask to have a moment of silence. I just wanted it passed. What we're saying is he's honored for the work and contributions he made for this country. His work was iconic," she said.

Davis' legislation described Jackson as a child prodigy centerpiece of the Jackson 5, a humanitarian and a "musical icon." But it steered clear of allegations of his improper contact with children, drug use, or any other controversial aspects of Jackson's life.

"He was as innocent as a baby," Davis said of Jackson, who died June 25.

Innocent as a baby? Really? Would YOU leave your child with him? I bet you'd think twice.

Other legislators were surprised to learn the tribute had been included in the package of resolutions and expressed dismay that they unknowingly passed it.

Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) said members should have been alerted about the Jackson resolution because of its controversial nature.

"I don't think we should have done it, period," said Bost, who indicated he would have voted either "no" or "present" on the resolution had he known of its content. "You'd like to say everything that goes through on a voice vote, someone has looked it over and said OK. This one was big enough, I wish I'd have known."

Franks agreed.

"There's never been an exoneration. He was certainly a great entertainer. He was revolutionary for the industry. But is he someone we should be honoring? That's open to debate, and there should have been a debate."

But Davis insisted that wasn't necessary.

"I think all of Illinois should be proud of Michael Jackson," she said. "It passed unanimously, really, because it was an agreed-upon resolution. We don't have to debate it. This kid, in my opinion ... gave his entire life to entertaining us."

A copy of Davis' resolution will be sent to the Jackson family.

News flash: Jackson was talented and sang some great songs. He was also deeply troubled and had virtually no grasp of appropriate behavior for adults. Most importantly he did not walk on water. Rep. Davis, if you're such a fan, put up a poster in your office. In the meantime, can we get back to working on legislation that actually does something, like provide the state with a working budget?

Trivia night

Name this song and the artists: (no binging!)

I'm heavenly-blessed
and worldy-wise
I'm a peeping tom techie
with x-ray eyes


Answer here.

Wingdardium leviosa!

Today is the best day! It's finally July 15 and the official release date of the 6th movie in the Hogwarts franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The movie was originally supposed to be released late last year but the studio opted to hold it when they realized the writer's strike had limited the movies that could get into production and the stable of summer blockbusters was not what they'd usually hope for. Way to call on a boy-wizard to bail their Muggle butts out! I am attending a showing this evening and CANNOT WAIT. I have decided I WILL fight a kid for a seat if it comes to that.

Here's an article from the Naperville Sun featuring some fans who don't have full-time jobs that require them to be somewhere in the morning (grumble) and who stayed up late to see the show when it opened at midnight. (I hope no wizard robes were stained with popcorn butter.)

Dedicated to Johnny

My most faithful reader...

Friday night Fun - REM - Me in Honey

My favorite local radio station, WXRT, played this a couple weeks ago when I was on my way to work and it was so cool I had to look for it for NCD. R.E.M. live from 1995 doing 'Me In Honey.' Mike Mills is doing a pretty good job substituting for Kate Pierson... Stipe is working the bald head and the blue makeup.

Friday night Fun - REM & Homer Simpson

Here's a very brief clip of Homer Simpson winging his own lyrics to 'It's the End of the World as We Know It' with R.E.M.

Friday night Fun - R.E.M. and MONSTERS

It's a three-fer tonight and a bit of fluffy fun... 'Furry Happy Monsters' - you'll recognize it!

Well, at least the kid was paying attention

Naperville City Desk is going to take this opportunity to provide a public service announcement to all women shoppers - don't leave your purse out and up for grabs in the front of your shopping cart! Trixie sees this all the time and doesn't understand it. I keep my purse on me or put it underneath - I figure if someone wants it bad enough to make a dive for it then they will have my foot to deal with as I kick them in the ass or head, whichever is closest.

The reason I bring this up is because a woman was shopping recently at a local grocery store and another woman attempted to steal the makeup bag out of the purse that I'm sure was on tempting display in the small basket. The victim's child was in the cart and yelled at the thief who put the case back and exited the store. Like I said, mom was busy comparing prices on organic kumquats and it only takes a second for your purse or the contents to disappear. Good thing kiddo was paying attention!

LADIES! Put your toddler in the small basket, NOT YOUR PURSE!

NCD presents Gentleman Jesse

This song is super-fun. 'All I Need Tonight (Is You)'

Happy Independence Day!

We here at the Naperville City Desk wish you all a safe and relaxing holiday weekend. We're on our way to beautiful northern Michigan for family, friends and Polish food.

And remember, friends don't let friends drink 42 beers then play with fireworks.

Let the girls play!

Poor Emma Royko. She's an athletic little girl with two older brothers and lots of experience playing on teams with boys. But the Naperville Sun reports some coaches or team volunteers have told her she can't play, that she can only play on teams with girls.

League officials say there is no policy preventing girls from trying out for and playing on boys' teams. Let's hope this message comes across loud and clear to everyone involved with youth sports. Emma is so frustrated at being told she can't play on her team of choice that she's said she just doesn't want to play. What good can possibly come of that?

Stay with it, Emma! You GO girl...

1,2,3,4

Today's video was brought to you by Naperville City Desk and the number 4...

Friday night Fun - Slaid Cleaves - One Good Year

NCD is thrilled to present another long-time favorite!

I used to work for a major Michigan-based book retailer and for a couple years I sat across from our folk music buyer, Stefan. When he wasn't pelting me with rubber bands and stress balls (he'd wait until I picked up the phone and started talking then I'd feel a whack in my ear), he was a damn fine shortstop and also a terrific music buyer back when this major book retailer carried a lot of fantastic music. Sitting across from someone you play softball with who is a music buyer has its advantages and Stefan called me over one day and said 'Here, check this guy out.' I looked at the CD he handed me and said 'Slaid Cleaves? What the hell kind of a name is Slaid?' Stefan raised an eyebrow and said, 'yeah, it's a weird name but give it a listen anyway - I think you'll like it. If you hate it you can give it back to me.'

Ten years later I still have that CD (and everything else he's ever recorded, too).

It was called 'Broke Down' and I was hooked by the second song. Slaid is a singer-songwriter from Maine who moved to Austin to try to get his big break. He's a crazy-skilled wordsmith and every song has a line in it that I wish I'd written; he can break your heart in one chorus. I've long bemoaned the fact that it seems like not enough people know about him but just last week I was delighted to find out a couple people I work with are big fans, too. So Slaid, if you're touring, c'mon by Chicagoland! There's a bunch of people who would like to see you!

Without further ado - here is the song that hooked me on Slaid Cleaves: 'One Good Year.'

Who wouldn't be devastated (in a good way) by a bridge like this:

When you start givin' in
where do the promises all go?
Will your darkest hour
write a blank check on your soul?

Just give me one good year
to get my feet back on the ground
I've been chasing grace
but grace ain't so easily found
One bad hand can devil a man
A good one can turn him around
I've gotta get out of here
Just give me one good year

Friday night Fun - Slaid Cleaves - Horseshoe Lounge

More Slaid brilliantness - 'Horseshoe Lounge.'

Are you the the one who faltered
Was I the one who strayed
Maybe God left us out
of the plans he made

Friday night Fun - Slaid Cleaves - No Angel Knows

This is 'No Angel Knows' live.

Wednesday night surprise - TOM PETTY

So I heard a great Tom Petty song on the way home from work and it got me thinking.

Here's a classic...

More Yzerman Magic

Here's the extended clip of Yzerman's double OT game-winning goal from the blue line VS the St. Louis Blues.

More Stevie Y!

Here's a montage of Yzerman's top 10 goals of all time. Trixie remembers #1 very very well...

Congratulations to 'The Captain'

Naperville City Desk is elated to announce long-time captain of the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman, has been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Yzerman spent 22 years with the Detroit Red Wings, his only team, before retiring in 2006. He led the team to three Stanley Cups, in 1997, 1998 and 2002, and after Gordie Howe is probably the most beloved and respected Red Wing of all time.

Yzerman honorably served as captain of the team for 19 years and holds the record as the longest-serving captain of any major sports team in North American history.

Two of the three other player inductees are also former Red Wings. Bret Hull and Luc Robitaille were also named to the Hall of Fame, along with long-time New York Ranger Brian Leetch.

Chicago drivers are pretty courteous

According to a survey, that is. A survey commissioned by the AutoVantage auto club rated drivers all over the country and ranked them by most courteous and least courteous. Drivers in New York dethroned Miami for LEAST courteous (dis)honors, with Miami falling out of the top five. Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta and Minneapolis rounded out the snarling five.

Drivers in Portland, Ore. were given the honor of most courteous.

Chicago drivers ranked 14th on the list of most courteous, but fell from the number 8 spot they held last year. Survey respondents attributed the decline to too many people talking on cell phones while driving.

Naperville City Desk couldn't agree more. Blogging is only a side-line for us, we commute about 90 minutes a day for work and we see people yakking on cell phones all the time. What we can't understand is seeing people on the phone at 8:10 am - who are people talking to at that hour? A girl at work told us her boyfriend made her get a cell phone so she could 'call him during her commute.' Seriously? Because he can't bear to be parted from her for another 45 minutes after work? That seems like a boyfriend who doesn't care for her much. He should encourage her to drive carefully and that does not mean talking on the phone. People. When you're driving you should be DRIVING. Not yakking. Drivers on cell phones are distracted and not paying attention to the road. Here's an idea: try listening to NPR - it's hands-free and you can improve your mind without being so distracted you are a menace to other drivers.

Friday night Fun - Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles - Stop and Think It Over

Naperville City Desk presents a treat tonight. We went to FitzGerald's in Berwyn last week to see Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson and were delighted to get to know their opening act and label mate Sarah Borges and her band the Broken Singles. I've been reading about her in No Depression for years and I'm glad to say I got to hear her and I see why she's getting attention. Sarah's got cheek and pipes and her sound is a very cool mix of punk and country, pop and honky-tonk, and a more than a little girl group throwback. We bought the two of her CDs they had available (and ordered an earlier one from Amazon) and we've been digging it all week. I'd also like to mention that Sarah and the boys are very personable and made it clear they appreciate everyone who comes to hear them and even the ones who just discovered them. This was day 51 on the road and you couldn't tell.

NCD is also very happy to give a plug to FitzGerald's, a fantastic local venue. I moved here wondering where I'd get to hear the kind of music I like and now I know exactly where. I couldn't get on the FitzGerald's email list fast enough.

To kick things off here's a video Sarah and the guys made for 'Stop and Think It Over' complete with grainy black and white film and sparkly dress.

Friday night Fun - Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles - Honey Now

More delicious goodness from Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles - a cheeky cover of the Gillian Welch classic 'Honey Now.' It says a lot about a singer-songwriter when they pick great songs to cover.

Friday night Fun - Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles - Lord Only Knows

And this is video #3 from our new fave, SB & the BS. Sun Studio Sessions

'Lord Only Knows'

Rate that ad!

I HATE this commercial. Truly, truly loathe it. F-



But this one is a lot better. B

You can't make this stuff up

Miller Beer truck overturns on tollway, spilling its cargo. No, seriously.

Enough said

Cabbies are creepy

Hate to make generalizations, but we here at the Naperville City Desk have a lot of experience with cabbies, mostly in New York City, a little in Pennsylvania, and plenty of experience getting a ride from the western 'burbs to O'Hare.

I attended a convention in NYC a few years ago and took a cab from the Javitz center back to my hotel and quickly became convinced the cabbie was going to kill me. He had a hair-trigger temper and while I tried to remain as pleasant as possible to attempt to stay in the cabbie's good graces, the ride was an expletive-filled rage fest, with plenty of bitching about how effing stupid people are. I don't scare that easily and once I reached my destination I paid as quickly as I could and walked into my hotel shaking from feeling like I had literally dodged a bullet.

Then there was my Pennsylvanian Pakistani phone stalker. I was headed home for Christmas to see my family and arranged a shuttle ride to the Philly airport. Because I am friendly with all people I made small talk to pass the time in the one hour drive and the driver asked me for my phone number. I wasn't interested in him but I made the mental bet that 9 times out of 10 you give out your phone number and it never gets used so I figured I was safe. No. I wasn't even to my gate yet when he started calling me. The driver called 2 or 3 times a day nearly every day for three weeks but I never took any of the calls. Thank god I hadn't had him pick me up from my home. I was very grateful when the calls stopped.

Now I arrange taxi rides to O'Hare airport regularly and haven't had any truly heinous experiences but I have been picked up by drivers who seem to have an angry edge to them. Then there was the time I arranged for a 6 am pick-up and walked outside at 5:58 am only to see the taxi driving away. Apparently the driver thought maybe he had the wrong building so he decided to run by some of the neighboring buildings to see if anyone was coming out. I was annoyed by that one but held my tongue as I just wanted to get to the airport in one piece.

The point of relaying all these stories is that I now feel my underlying feeling that cabbies are creepy is justified, based on this article from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Ginny Narsete of Lisle was taking a cab to a train station and found a bag in the backseat marked with the logo of a Mexican restaurant. She looked in the bag and discovered it was a night deposit of $5,000 that had been left in the cab accidentally. Narsete owns a small business herself and never considered keeping the money so she told the driver what she had found and asked to be driven to the nearest police station.

That's when the cabbie started acting creepy, insisting that the money had to be taken to a cab stand and driving aimlessly, not taking her to her desired destination and running up the fare and refusing to let her out of the car. Narsete called her husband for advice and her husband spoke to the cabbie threatening to call 911 if his wife was not immediately taken to a police station. Finally the cabbie did as he was told and before leaving he insisted on being paid the full fare even though he had run up the total, taking Narsete's last $20.

Police at the station determined the cash was indeed from La Bamba restaurant and phoned the owners who were very grateful to get it back.

Narsete would accept no reward and her only regret is telling the cabbie what she had found, as she could have put herself in danger. She didn't even get all the way to the train station that was her intended destination; police were kind enough to drop her there.

Moral of the story: say nothing to the cabbie - take care of it yourself later from the safety of your own home or from driving yourself to a police station.

Bottom line? A lot of cabbies are creepy.

Friday night fun - EARLY R.E.M.

This is so cool - we're kicking off the festivities tonight with a treasure. R.E.M. making their national television debut on Late Night with David Letterman in 1983. The song is 'Radio Free Europe' from their debut album 'Murmur.' Called it one of the best albums of 1983, I call it one of the best albums EVER. (Stipe has so much hair!!!)

Friday night Fun - R.E.M

What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

Friday night Fun - 10,000 Maniacs

It's 10,000 Maniacs and Natalie Merchant at the top of their game.

For all the marbles...

Words cannot adequately express the outrage

We're spitting nails here at the Naperville City Desk, fighting back tears of anger and anguish and disgust. We were sickened this evening as we read this report of a Chicagoland man who dragged an eight-month-old puppy behind his car because he 'was mad at it.' I'll spare the heinous details as you can read the account yourself. The puppy was injured but did survive and was taken for treatment at an animal shelter. Cretin Larry Chambers was seen by an off-duty police officer who reported him and he was arrested outside his home. Adding to a charge of animal cruelty is a charge of battery and resisting arrest when he punched the off-duty officer in the chest.

It's hard to know what to be maddest about. The level of cruelty is bad enough, but there is also knowing that his offenses are only misdemeanors - he will likely receive more punishment for the assault than for the gross mistreatment of that poor defenseless dog.

There is a special place in hell for people who are mean to animals and I hope they're warming up a spot for this jackass.

NCD encourages any readers to give their dogs some extra love and maybe a treat or two and also recommends animal lovers make a donation to their local humane society.

Illinois Humane Society

Michigan Humane Society

Special shout-out to my neph-dog Marley who is the happiest little guy and who has a FANTASTIC mom.