Crankypants designer arrested

Trading Spaces designer Doug Wilson was arrested here in Illinois on Tuesday. Entertainment Tonight reports the cranky designer was arrested in Decatur on suspicion of aggravated DUI, driving on a suspended license, illegal transportation of alcohol and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.

I'm guessing he won't get to pick the paint color for his new cell...

Why brain trusts shouldn't rob banks...

Tip for all bank robbers: Bring a notebook or legal pad with you to a bank heist. Whatever you do, don't use half of your pay stub to write a note demanding money. The Sun-Times reports Thomas Infante of Cary was busted at home after police investigating a robbery found the other half of his pay stub, which listed his name and home address, outside the bank and quickly deduced he was the man who got away with $400 in a Dec. 26 heist.

Let's hope the smoking ban never quits...

The naysayers and bitchers claimed it would hurt business but it seems that theory has gone up in smoke. A full year after the Illinois smoking ban went into affect the Sun-Times reports bars and restaurants are showing a 7% increase over 2007. Casinos say it has hurt them but given the economic picture I have to imagine their business would be down anyway.

Not so fast...

B. Rod Blagojevich (BAD ROD) threw down the gauntlet and appointed Roland Burris to the US Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama earlier today. This move was clearly intended to send a message to the people of Illinois (and B. Rod's enemies) that he's not going quietly. I haven't lived here long enough to know anything about Mr. Burris but I wonder at anyone accepting the appointment with the high stink of scandal rolling off the governor. Even more dismaying was the presence of Representative Rush who quickly jumped in to say it would be racist to not allow Mr. Burris to assume the seat. Do we really NEED that kind of complication right now? Naperville City Desk thinks NO. This reeks of a blatant attempt to get his candidate in place by knowing it would rile up some African-Americans if Mr. Burris' appointment was challenged. B. Rod's playing hardball, all right, but it's time for this dog of a governor to get BEANED.

Savagery continues

Still no wi fi at M&D's. I'm blogging at the local independent bookshop, not a bad way to spend an evening, having an excellent peppermint hot chocolate and perusing the new books - gonna buy me some, too. Returning to Naperville tomorrow refreshed and ready to start the new year. And raring to watch the Red Wings take on the Blackhawks on Thursday - I wanted to go to the game but I'll be watching in the best and warmest seat in the house, my sofa. Where I will probably be serving peppermint hot chocolate! Wings have won the last two meetings in the shootout. I am hoping it won't come to that but the Blackhawks are young and talented and have some coaching/consulting pedigree behind them I can respect in the form of Scotty Bowman. I don't think the 'hawks are there yet, but they are up and coming. So long as they don't stand between the Red Wings and success I wish them all the best.

Technical difficulties

I got thrown out of one place already and I'm staying in a home without wi fi. SAVAGES! (Sorry, M&D!) Posting will be limited unless I can do a better job hooking up the wi fi than my sibling did.

Merry Christmas to all

and to all a good night... May your Christmas day be filled with love, food and hot buttered elves...

Here's the view from the front yard in snowy TC, MI.

Naperville City Desk is on location!

Naperville City Desk will be on location reporting from the Traverse City area this week. Intrepid reporter Trixie bugged out of Chicagoland trying to beat the "wintry mix" (translation: snow and sleet) that is coming in overnight. It was slow going on up through southern and mid-Michigan, but conditions improved north of Big Rapids. Must commend the Wexford County Road Commission - I saw plows and salt trucks out tonight and they were working hard keeping 131 clear and doing a fantastic job.

All those years in Michigan has served me well - I'm an ace winter driver. A little over 8 hours and I'm home safe and sound.

Just because it made me laugh

My nephdog Marley could SO work this look.

Okay, so maybe she's not so dumb...

Seems Drew Peterson is so used to getting his way that just declaring it should make it so but this time it may not be working for him. Seems his supposed fiancee, the sharpie-browed 23-year-old waitress mother of two is saying she ISN'T engaged to Peterson. She's living with someone she's been dating for two years.

I really hope she finds a way to dodge this bullet - don't need another salacious 'missing woman' story.

Thieves in Aurora make a clean getaway

Literally. Thieves in Aurora have targeted apartment complexes and stolen entire coin-operated washers and one dryer. The Sun-Times reports seven washing machines and one dryer (including the coins inside) have been stolen since Dec. 7. Gotta wonder where those machines are being stored or tossed once the coins are collected.

Anyone with information is asked to call Aurora police at (630) 859-1700 or Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000. Callers to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and qualify for a reward of up to $5,000 and/or a gallon of liquid detergent for information leading to an arrest.

Drew Peterson engaged

Yes, that's right, he's engaged. The Trib reports that it seems in between all the time he has spent searching for Stacy he's found another 23-year-old to boss around, er, marry.

The mind boggles. I can say that Stacy was better-looking - this one doesn't seem to know where her eyebrows belong. I wonder if she gets a bulk rate on Sharpies - looks like she might also add it to her lipstick.

What is it about this guy? Do young women find him hot? Is it the motorcycle?

Do reindeer have (a) sex?

I had no idea but apparently every year at holiday time the innernetz buzz with debate about whether Santa's reindeer were male or female. I thought it was clear it was a unisex team but experts present solid arguments for all-female, all-castrated males or all-bull teams, though they maintain the bulls would be too exhausted for sleigh-pulling due to rutting season. I'm imagining reindeer bulls sitting around watching bowl games and saying 'Beer me!.'

Friday night Dance Party Twofer

SO COOL. Steve Earle on a UK music program being backed by a favorite band of mine, Knoxville's own V-Roys. That's Scott Miller to the left!

Friday night Dance Party 2

Love this song!

Friday night Dance Party!

Liz Phair LIVE.

Bundle up, get your cocoa and hunker down

It's gonna be a rough weather night.

From Weather.com:

Periods of snow this evening will transition to a wintry mix overnight. Low 14F. Winds ESE at 15 to 25 mph. Snow accumulating 5 to 8 inches.

"Wintry mix" = snow and ice. Boo hiss.

The kicker to this is I just got both my windshield misters thawed today from the deep-freeze on Monday.

I brought some work home in case I really do not want to risk life and limb on the treacherous roads tomorrow.

I suppose a glancing weather blow is too much to ask?

Yeah, I'd like to avoid this:



I CAN drive in those conditions, I just don't want to have to.

The Grammar Bitch is IN. 5 cents, please.

Folks - it's 'regardless.' NOT 'irregardless.' That's not even a WORD.

Gotta work tonight

Talk amongst yourselves. Here's a topic:

Muppets are still cool. True or false.

Musical night!

A couple of my all-time favorite numbers from musicals.

This one features Nicely Nicely Johnson.

Finally, a good one wins 'Survivor'

YAY! BOB!

Really funny parody of 'Twilight' movie

I have read the books and liked three out of four of them (they should have put the brakes on 'Breaking Dawn' - I pity the trees that were killed to print that epic failure of a book). They are by no means great literature but they are entertaining and if you keep your expectations low you'll probably like the movie, too.

I stumbled across this parody of the movie on cracked.com and it's too funny not to post.

Bonehead with BB gun at HS gets school locked down

A local Aurora HS was locked down for five hours on Thursday when a couple of students were seen handling a BB gun. The Chicago Sun-Times reports a student who saw the gun reported it to school officials and all students were locked down in their first-hour classrooms as a precaution while an investigation ensued. The lockdown lasted five hours.

'Harry Potter' to cast spell on Chicago

This should tide us over until 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' arrives in theaters in July. The Chicago Tribune reports the Museum of Science and Industry here in Chicago is to be the first host of 'Harry Potter: The Exhibition' starting April 30, beating 30 other cities around the world for the honor. The exhibit will feature sets, props and costumes from the films and will immerse fans in the world of Harry Potter as rendered by filmmakers.

Accio, Gryffindor scarf!

Grammar bitch lesson# 1

Get prepared folks, because this is gonna happen at least once a week.

When you want to ask where someone is, please say 'WHERE ARE YOU?'

NOT 'WHERE ARE YOU AT?'

This usage is becoming prevalent and it's appalling.

One good thing about 2009

Besides the fact that it won't be 2008 anymore, 'The Closer' is back at the end of January with new episodes.

Thank yew so much!

Friday night MUSIC

So I decide to go to Potbelly for dinner last night instead of going to get groceries and I walk in and there is a guy in the corner with a guitar and a mike set up.  I smiled and said hello and kept going into the restaurant and he yells after me 'what would you like to hear?'  In a split second I think, I'd really like to hear some cool alt-country tune like 'Ring of Fire' or something else of that ilk, but he probably only knows Jimmy Buffett songs so I shrug my shoulders and go up to order my samwich (yes, I mean samwich) and guitar man breaks into 'Guitar Town' a great song by one of my all-time favorites, Steve Earle.  Imagine my surprise and delight! I hummed along and tapped my foot and the song was ending as I went to leave and I asked him 'how did you know I love that song?'  He smiled and said 'hey, I just learned it.'  

Sometimes when something cool happens you should just go with it.  

Tit for tat...

I know there are no quick answers to the mess the Big 3 automakers are in but I can't help but be pissed off at the Republican senators from the southern states who have blocked assistance to keep the automakers in business.  Yes, the automakers have made massive mistakes, but so did the financial institutions and look how quickly they got a bailout.   Though they say it's not the case, it seems very apparent that those senators want to throw the state of Michigan under the bus thinking it will help the carmakers in their own states compete.  Well, that's fine.  Maybe the citizens of the state of Michigan will remember that next time those states get clobbered by a natural disaster.  

I may just... BLUSH

So I just discovered this makeup artist competition reality show on Lifetime.  When I jumped in there were only 5 contestants left.  I'm surprised no one has thought of this before - it's a no-brainer.  Visual medium, creativity-galore and queeny-queeny gay men.  What more could you want?  Except maybe that your male makeup artist not be prettier than you?  

Blinding Flash of the Obvious Time

It's time to step down, Governor Blagojevich.  

Isn't it funny how when you said 'let the Feds listen in' - THEY DID.

Hubris and stupidity are not an attractive trait in anyone.  

The Illinois politicos should do the right thing and throw this bum to the curb if he won't step down voluntarily.  Let Pat Quinn fill Obama's vacant Senate seat.  

Quinn's been smart enough to stop talking to you for the last year.  HE'S not on tape...