Tuesday, March 31, 2009

A small spot of good news for American autoworkers



Ford has called back 300 autoworkers to build the 2011 Ford Explorer at the Torrence Avenue plant, and also at the Chicago Heights stamping facility, according to the Sun-Times.

Matt Kolanowski, UAW bargaining unit chairman at the company's stamping plant, said Ford agreed to build the Explorer at the plant as part of a deal this month in which workers agreed to concessions.

"It's a great thing," he said. "It will bring back workers."

There's the potential that even more jobs could result, he said.

Why do Hoosiers hate America?



A Big Boy statue in the yard of a sign business in Mishawaka, Indiana has been stolen, according to the Sun-Times. Mishawaka police are on the lookout for the statue which weighs several hundred pounds.

Naperville City Desk is predicting it will turn up near a college campus at the end of the school year.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Monday night fun

This is a commercial for a GPS unit. Obviously not made or to air in this country...

Sunday, March 29, 2009

The view from the sixth green



Today's story: the weather. Winter refuses to loosen her frosty grip and Chicagoland is dusted in the white stuff. Supposed to let up this afternoon - let's hope so.

Trixie is a Midwesterner through and through - yes, her snow brush and scraper are still in the car. They won't get moved to the trunk until mid-April.

(Photo taken from the NCD news chopper.)

(Not really.)

edited to add: Snow was GONE by 2 pm. GONE. Yay!

Saturday, March 28, 2009

CCC update: Chicks committing crimes - late night at the bar edition


Four charm school dropouts were arrested last Saturday night for fighting outside a Naperville bar, according to the Naperville Sun.

The "ladies" were apparently enjoying an evening of drinking indiscriminately (not sure if they were together as a group) when chickie #1 (see glamour shots above) took umbrage and got into a scuffle with chickie #2 outside of Rizzo's on Jefferson Avenue. (One can only imagine what the affront was about - NCD is guessing it was something like 'she was acting like she was all that.') Male bystanders resisted their natural tendency to allow a catfight to play out (so they can photograph it) and pulled the chickies apart. Not to be outdone by these fighting females (maybe they are frienemies??), 1 & 2 were apart for just a second when 1 gets into a 'physical altercation' with #3 (who probably learned to pose for mug shots at reform school - again, she's got to be a dropout). By this time Naperville police have been summoned and are arriving on the scene when #4 gets in on the act, mixing it up with 1 & 3.

Not satisfied to be arrested simply for fighting in public, #3 adds a charge of battery when she gets up in the face of the police officer who is arresting #2.

All four women were taken into custody and jailed and made bail in the morning.

The scrappers range in age from 22 to 26 years old, proving once again that just because you are of legal age to drink, doesn't mean you should.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Friday night Fun - My Boys

In honor of 'My Boys' starting again next week (yay!) here is a Season 2 Rapid Recap. (Who thinks Kenny and Stephanie should give it a whirl? Raise your hand!)

Friday night Fun - Adele

This song is my discovery of the week. Amazing vocal and spare arrangement. Delicious. Please don't mind the shaky camera - just LISTEN.

Friday night Fun - Kittens Inspired by Kittens

This kid is a HOOT.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

File under: OVERREACTION



Several seniors at Zion-Benton High School have been suspended for sticking one thousand forks into school grounds as part of a senior prank. The students placed the forks near the front entrance along with a banner that read 'Stick a fork in it. We're done. Seniors '09.' Schools officials were not amused and called police to deal with the unruly students, according to the Lake County News-Sun.

The pranksters were a group of 23 seniors, 19 girls and 4 boys. They planned the prank for weeks and endeavored to come up with a plan that was impish but not destructive and would not cause any physical harm. The students even went so far as to stick the forks in the ground with the tines facing up so they would not break off and could be easily cleared. The students also wrote 'Seniors '09' in washable paint on the windows and offered to clean that up but janitorial staff did it. Within 5-10 minutes of students arriving at school, police were summoned, students were told to clear the forks, and the responsible students sent home without a police citation. Some officers even snapped photos before leaving.

Students chose to complete the prank on Monday night because the next day they were to be forced to sign a contract saying they would not pull a senior prank.

School officials suspended the students involved for at least two days.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Leukemia victim fundraiser at local Naperville restaurant

Francesca's Passaggio restaurant in Naperville is hosting a fundraiser for a Michigan leukemia victim on Wednesday. Fifteen percent of the proceeds from 5 to 9:30 pm will be donated to Care for Kevin, a nonprofit organization formed to raise funds to cover medical expenses for Kevin Christesen, a 28-year-old from Canton, Michigan. Kevin was diagnosed with adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia last summer. He is married with a young daughter. Kevin's aunt, Pat Ross, lives in Palos Heights and organized the fundraiser with the help of Danielle Laveau, the restaurant manager.

Diners are encouraged to stop in Wednesday evening to do their part. There is also a donation box available at the restaurant.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Apologizing is the LEAST this rape hoax perpetrator should do

Young women, listen up. Drinking until you pass out and then saying you were raped (when you weren't) to get out of trouble with your parents is NOT the way to conduct yourself.

A 19-year-old St. Patrick's Day reveler from Tinley Park started drinking at 9 am, was drunk by 10 am and continued to drink all day while attending a south side parade, according to the Sun-Times. When her boyfriend brought her home later that night she was very upset and rather than just admit to her parents that she was drunk as a skunk, she let on that she'd been raped. The young woman was convinced to go to the Tinley Park police and even led them to the place she claimed to have been raped by a man in a ski mask.

Her story started to fall apart as detectives questioned her friends the next day and they received a wildly different picture than the one given by the big liar. When called on it, the girl admitted she made up the story so that her parents would not be angry with her for drinking.

Tinley Park mayor Ed Zabrocki is understandably upset and thinks the young woman should apologize to the city. It is estimated the investigation cost the city at least $2,200 and NCD thinks the girl should be required to reimburse the city for this amount. Maybe she will think twice before drinking so heavily again and the hit to her pocketbook will convince her that lying about something as serious as being raped is not the way. Will the next woman who comes forward after having been assaulted have her credibility questioned? One hopes that is not the case but it would be natural to consider it.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Friday night Fun - Kathleen Edwards (yes, for the last time, if you don't like it, get your own blog)

Kathleen Edwards covering Neil Young's 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart.' Too delicious not to share.

Friday night Fun - Kathleen Edwards (yes, again)

Another one from Kathleen Edwards, a real video! This the title track from her 2005 album 'Back to Me.'

Friday night Fun - Kathleen Edwards

Here's Kathleen Edwards, my favorite Canadian singer-songwriter performing live at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, Michigan, a venue I have been to many times. In fact I saw K.E. there a couple years ago. This is a song from her latest album, Asking for Flowers, called 'The Cheapest Key.' "F is my favorite letter, as you know..."

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

When cooking, most just wing it


A new survey reveals that most people just wing it when fixing dinner, rather than relying on a recipe.

Only four out of 10 people who regularly prepare their households' meals use a recipe at least once a week, according to the NPD Group, which surveyed 3,000 adults as part of its Kitchen Audit.

In a year's time, 90 percent of people will make a dish using a recipe, according to Harry Balzer, an NPD vice president in Rosemont. Cookbooks and family and friends are the most common recipe sources. But that's changing as more people turn to the Internet, Balzer says.

One reason so many people don't use recipes: The most popular food for dinner is a sandwich.

Among other findings of its latest Kitchen Audit:
• • A cookbook that's been in the home at least two years is our main source of recipes.
• • Seventeen percent of homes have a sandwich press.
• • The No. 1 pie filling that people keep on hand: pumpkin

We here at the Naperville City Desk try to get into the NCD Test Kitchen and test at least a couple recipes a month. Most tend to come from the web but we also find and try recipes in magazines.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

More Commitments!

This one's a twofer...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Please enjoy these clips from one of the best Irish movies of all time, The Commitments. Based on the book by Roddy Doyle.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Another follow-up from a previous NCD post

The Indiana teen who identifies herself as lesbian and didn't want to wear a formal dress to her senior prom will be able to wear a tuxedo. NCD first reported on this story a week ago. The teen filed suit against the school's rule that girls must wear a formal dress to the prom. Superintendent Robert K. Taylor has said the students must wear formal attire but says it will no longer be gender-based.

The full school board will have to vote to accept the agreement tomorrow.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Follow-up to February 1 NCD post

Naperville City Desk first reported on three teens in Aurora who had been injured when a drunk driver struck them on a sidewalk on Jan. 31. NCD is sad to report that one of the kids was very badly injured and since had her right leg below the knee removed as a result of being struck. A fundraiser has been arranged to help the family of the girl with expenses such as retrofitting her current home to be handicapped-accessible or possibly finding a new place to live that is ready to accommodate her special needs. The Naperville Sun reports that people who wish to contribute to aid the girl and her family can do so in three ways. Fannie Mae chocolate bars are being sold at several Earthmover Credit Union locations with half the proceeds going to the fund. Donations also can be mailed to "Client Trust Fund," c/o Joseph P. McCaffery & Associates, 2210 Sandburg Drive, Aurora, IL 60506. Contributions also can be made via PayPal to teenvictimsfund@jpmlaw.net.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Friday night Dance Party - Elvis Costello & Emmylou Harris

Trixie is pleased to present this live video of EC and EH performing "Love Hurts" from an appearance on Letterman. Emmylou's version with Gram Parsons is one of my very favorites and I was thrilled to find this one with Elvis stepping in to provide harmonies.


Friday night Fun - Addictions

Pickles confronts her addictions head-on. Remember, smoking and drinking go together like 'porn and nachos.'

NCD: On assignment

Naperville City Desk is on assignment for the weekend in northern Michigan. Posts may be sparse.

Let's hear it for excellent roads to get here!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

File under: DIVERSITY

An Indiana high school senior is suing her school after being told she is not allowed to wear a tuxedo to the senior prom. The Sun-Times reports the 17-year-old is an open lesbian and does not wear dresses as she feels dresses represent a sexual identity she rejects.

Lebanon High School's dress code does not contain gender-based requirements, but does provide for a special dress code for prom that requires female students to wear a formal dress.

Trixie is all for pushing the envelope on these issues. I hope the young woman is allowed to attend the prom in the manner in which she is most comfortable and that the school district doesn't waste time and money disputing it.

File under: SNARK

In what passes for news today, this riveting piece from the Sun-Times on the relative non-worth of the latest ABC 'Bachelor' Jason Mesnick. Seems the writer thought the jilted chickie made out better going on 'Dancing with the Stars' than getting stuck with Mr. 60Gs. To up the snark-quotient, she adds that Mesnick's ex-wife pulls in 80Gs and pays him child support.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Oprah to tackle subject of dating violence

Talk show magnate Oprah Winfrey plans to cover the topic of dating violence on her show this Thursday, according to the Sun-Times. Winfrey said she was saddened at the news of the alleged beating by Chris Brown of girlfriend popstar Rihanna and will dedicate the show to 'all the Rihannas of the world.'

Naperville City Desk applauds Winfrey for tackling this subject, especially in light of this article from the Chicago Tribune that many teens have said they blame Rihanna for provoking Brown and that violence in dating is 'normal.' NCD sincerely hopes Oprah's message is heard loud and clear by these young people and young men learn another way to deal with their anger.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Dinner and a cocktail and a movie - all in one place

Hollywood Boulevard Cinema has announced that its Naperville location, to be called the Hollywood Palms, is set to open in September.

Owner Ted Bulthaup also owns Hollywood Boulevard Cinema in Woodridge.

The new cinema will feature a lush Mayan jungle-themed lobby and like its sister venue will celebrate the cinematic art form with seven individually themed auditoriums and the same to-your-seat full bar and menu service as the Woodridge location, according to a news release. Financing for the new location is being provided by First Chicago Bank %26 Trust.

It also is expected to host Hollywood stars on occasion, as does the Woodridge theater.

The new cinema is expected to be in the Westview Shopping Center at 352 S. Route 59.

Hollywood Palms' future show times, event and appearance schedules can be found at www.atriptothemovies.com.

I've heard of this, I've never been to one, not sure the concept is 100% - is there an intermission for bathroom breaks? Will I have to listen to someone complain about his steak while I'm trying to figure out who done it?

We'll see.

Friday, March 6, 2009

A word about the Friday Night Dance Party

Naperville City Desk is sad to announce that due to a severe reduction in embeddable music content on video-sharing sites we are downsizing and modifying our regular Friday night feature. Starting tonight we'll only post one music video and one other thing that may vary but will assuredly be something amusing. And we'll try to keep the music as cool as possible but sometimes it's gonna be some lame-ass images over the song we really want you to hear. Naperville City Desks apologizes in advance.

Tonight's selection is the B-52's with a live performance of 'Dirty Back Road' from about 1980.

Friday night Fun - A Word with Chester



Sifl and Olly talk to Chester about a fabulous moonlighting gig of his...

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Hell hath no fury: Chicks Committing Crimes

Today's reports cover two incidents of chicks breaking the law.

The first story is from Kendall County. The Beacon News reports that bride-to-be Valerie J. Hardy, 24, was at the Kendall County clerk's office, applying for a marriage license, when temptation overcame her and she helped herself to cash from a bank deposit bag.
Hardy,of Plainfield, was completing paperwork around 10:30 a.m. when she removed money from the deposit bag, which was within her reach, authorities said.

Bridezilla pocketed the money and left the clerk's office, then hid the money in various locations throughout the Kendall County office building before returning to the clerk's office. Witnesses reported Hardy and she was confronted by sheriff's deputies and led them to each of her hiding places before she was taken into custody and charged with theft of more than $300. Deputies were able to recover all the scratch. Hardy's day worsened when she was searched and deputies found marijuana and drug paraphernalia on her.

In other CCC news (chicks-committing-crimes), a Wisconsin woman decided she was not going to take getting dumped by her boyfriend lying down. Kari Heath, 20, of Strum, is charged with a felony for allegedly posting a profile of her ex-bf on Craigslist under "casual encounters," according to the Sun-Times. Heath faces a charge of causing harm through identity theft, which could put her in jail for three years if convicted.

Police say the profile on the Internet Web site indicated the man wanted other men to call him at work and “talk dirty.”

When the man got a call at work from an unknown male who saw the Craigslist personal ad, the ex-boyfriend went on line and saw his profile and pictures. Then he called Altoona police.

Heath has an initial court appearance March 19.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Grammar Bitch HOPES this lesson is well-received



Tonight I have decided to enlighten all my readers on the proper use of the word 'hopefully.' Well, really, it shouldn't be used at all as it is ill- and mal- and wrongly-used pretty much across the board.

For example, this is how it is (ill-) used with frequency today:

"Hopefully I'll leave on the noon plane."

It's a very common usage, I know, but in truth it's use this way is just plain silly. "Hopefully" is an adverb that means 'with hope.' So, do you mean you'll leave on a plane in a hopeful state of mind? Or do you mean you hope you'll leave on the noon plane? Best to use the active voice and say 'I hope I leave on the noon plane.'

Grammar Bitch knows she is fighting an uphill battle as this usage is prevalent in everyday speech and in TV dialog. But I will admit it bothers me when I hear news announcers using it; the writers who write the copy should know better.

But just because a battle is difficult does not mean it should not be waged.

Purse-snatcher is asshat; just wanted to pay it forward

A nineteen-year-old Chicago asshat was having a bad day on Tuesday. So rather than just go home and lick his wounds, he decided to take another path. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Zachary Goldak chose to ruin a 78-year-old woman's day by knocking her to the ground and ripping her purse from her hand. But he didn't get away scot-free; he was seen committing the gutless act and a Good Samaritan chased him down and called to other witnesses to call police. The GS caught up with Goldak as he tried to enter his apartment, grabbed him, retrieved the purse, and held him until police arrived.

Chicago po-po were reading the asshat his rights when he volunteered that he snatched the woman's purse 'because my day was ruined so I wanted to ruin someone else's.' He also said he 'needed the money.'

Goldak has been charged with felony robbery. His victim was taken to a local medical center and treated for a dislocated shoulder.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Stock up on ear plugs early

The Naperville Sun reports that several acts have been booked to play the annual Ribfest. Entertainers include Heart, Blue Oyster Cult and this sad news, Huey Lewis and the News. I have just never been a fan of that band. But at least H. Lewis has given up on acting.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Ancient Chinese secret may thwart emerald ash-borers



Emerald ash-borers, highly destructive insects that feed on and destroy ash trees, originated from China in the 1990s. Since then they have cut a path of destruction throughout North America destroying 25 million trees. Experts at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle have decided to look to Asia for a possible solution to the ash-borer plague and are hoping the land of their origin will crack the problem.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports Kris Bachtell, the arboretum's director of collections and facilities, recently returned from China's Shaanxi Province with ash, linden and maple tree seeds.

Arboretum officials think Chinese ash trees have evolved borer resistance over thousands of years. Shaanxi's climate resembles Chicago's. They have germinated the seeds and hope to mate them with North American ash species to create a beetle-resistant hybrid.

Emerald ash borers have destroyed 25 million North American ash trees and don't appear to be letting up. Their larvae feed on the inner bark, causing the trees to starve and eventually die.

The green half-inch beetles were found in Chicago two years ago. The city is home to more than 600,000 ash trees.

Naperville City Desk wishes to remind everyone not to transport firewood of any kind in order to slow the spread of the insect.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Thursday was a bad day for mailboxes


A scan of the police logs from the Naperville Sun reveals mailboxes have been the chosen target of ne'er-do-wells and roving bands of rabid mailbox haters:

2 Property damage: About 9:30 p.m., blunt object used to damage plastic mailbox valued at $40 outside home at 716 Colorado Court.

8 Property damage: Between midnight and 7 a.m., metal mailboxes damaged outside homes at 2628, 2632 and 2640 Hoddam Road; total damage estimated at $310.

9 Property damage: Between 11 p.m. Feb. 25 and 7 a.m., mailboxes and mounting posts damaged outside homes at 4516 and 4519 Pipestone Court; combined damage estimated at $40.

In other police news, a homeowner was the unhappy recipient of 8-inch-deep tire tracks left in 25-foot-long section of front lawn of a home at 1120 Langley Court, after a motorist drove over sod to avoid water in street; damage estimated at $200. Would it have been so hard to turn around and go another way?

And lastly, Theft: Between 2:30 and 3 p.m., state of Illinois vehicle registration sticker valued at $8 stolen from rear license plate of car parked in lot outside Marshalls, 240 S. Route 59.