Shrinking CPD?

We were told this wasn't happening. That Conehed was hiring all sorts of Detectives....which means nothing since Detectives come from the rank of Patrolman:

• Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson has accused Mayor Brandon Johnson of “chopping away” at the Chicago Police Department to help balance his pre-election budget after three years of shrinking CPD by attrition, but the mayor apparently wanted to go further.

  Acting Police Superintendent Fred Waller told the City Council Wednesday he negotiated with the mayor’s office to keep the police academy going year-round.

  At Waller’s request, the mayor agreed to keep the training going for 12 months, with recruit classes of “50 or more,” he said.

"...50 or more..."

When we went through, classes were 160 or more and started every four to five weeks. We had to get to 1300 W Jackson at 0530 AM just to get a parking spot on the street....two blocks away.

• “The budget your department has been handed by this administration … has shown a steady decline in budgeted police officer positions,” downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) told Waller during Council budget hearings.

  “In 2024, 833 police officer positions were eliminated. In 2025, a net 54 officer positions were cut. Last year, only six were added back. This budget eliminates 132 more positions. Did the department ask for these reductions?”

  Waller replied: “Well, in negotiation for this year, the mayor’s office asked for those 132 positions. But we also negotiated for — instead of just having academy classes for about eight months of the year — we were given academy classes of 50 or more for the whole twelve months” of 2027.

  “That will allow us to catch up and have more robust recruitment,” he said.

  Last year, CPD hired 539 officers and lost 397 cops to retirement. So far this year, there have been 407 hirings and 363 retirements. The department is barely keeping pace with attrition.

Gee, if only someone was warning about this five, ten, even fifteen years ago.

The entire article is a glimpse into what we and others were predicting that many years ago....but all was ignored.

fbi Shootings

 

Two shootings in three days. 

The first:

• The man shot and killed by an off-duty FBI agent on the Lower West Side Monday evening had just fired shots at a group of people in a nearby homeless encampment before the agent intervened and ended the threat, federal officials said.

  Oscar Corrales, 27, originally from Venezuela, was in the country illegally and had an outstanding felony warrant for failing to appear in court in a pending Chicago felony shoplifting case, according to federal officials and Cook County court records.

Wait....an ILLEGAL ALIEN? Let in by the Drooling vegetable?? In possession of a gun??? 

Golly, so this was sort of a....public service-type shooting?

The second:

• An aspiring rapper was killed Wednesday morning in a shooting involving an FBI agent in south suburban Dixmoor, just two days after an off-duty FBI agent fatally shot another man who was allegedly firing into a crowd in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.

  [...] The FBI statement didn’t say what prompted the law enforcement action in Dixmoor or whether anyone was taken into custody.

  Cook County court records show Clark had been charged in a series of cases in recent years. In November 2023, Clark was arrested for leaving the scene of a crash in Hazel Crest where two people were “seriously injured,” according to court records.

  About a year later, he was arrested again for possessing a stolen vehicle and a loaded handgun in Sauk Village, records show. At the time of that arrest, Clark was also wanted on a warrant for an armed robbery in Lake County, Indiana, which was later tossed.

  In September 2025, Clark pleaded guilty to failing to report an accident and the weapons charge and was sentenced to three years in prison, with over eight months of credit for time served.

An aspiring rapper? With a history of violence-praising lyrics and numerous videos with "fake" guns?? And recently released from prison???

So....another public service-type shooting?

Taxpayers seem to benefit in both cases, which is a departure from the normal operating procedures of the feebs. 

Asking the Wrong Person

Silly (or stupid) aldercreatures:

• Chicago Police Department leaders faced questions from City Council members Wednesday during a budget hearing, with much of the discussion focused on a new gunshot detection pilot program announced last week by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

  The police department, which has the largest budget of any city department, appeared before alderpersons to answer questions about staffing, vacancy rates and overtime spending. However, several Council members expressed frustration over a lack of information about the planned gunshot detection pilot.

Waller is a convenient target / scapegoat, but he doesn't have answers. The CPD is merely the enforcement arm of the executive branch....you know, Conehead. The aldercreatures will get some nice soundbites out of this hearing, mostly about how they held the interim supernintendo to account....for stuff he doesn't control and doesn't have any information on that he is allowed to speak about because his boss has him under a mayoral gag order.

Nice Academy Conehead

What the actual f#$%?

• Off topic but potential scandal brewing at the academy. A retired copper has a daughter who is currently one month into the academy. She told of a particular male recruit in her class who has been sexually harassing female recruits in the form of smelling them, getting uncomfortably close, and asking things like what perfume are they wearing. Multiple female recruits brought this to the attention of their home room instructors who notified a sgt. Instead of firing the recruit for already displaying creepy behavior, they simply moved him to a different home room. This has been done TWICE already and he is now in the class of the daughter of my friend. How the hell can you allow this man to remain employed when multiple women have already complained about him. This is the type of idiot who you will see on the news a couple of years from now for trying to have sex with an arrestee or a victim on duty

Seriously?

If true (and this would probably be the shortest investigation in history) this is the easiest and best opportunity to fire this creep, YEARS before he turns into a headline-making scandal for either workplace issues, some disturbing traffic stop behavior or maybe something truly sinister with a prisoner.

Unless he's related to someone heavy? 

FOP Horror Show

The scream at the end is truly terrifying:

• Instagram Reel Ahead!

Is accountability truly a scary prospect?

Misuse of Data

Is this another one of those reasons for restricting collected data?

• ....an Exempt member found out that her husband had been cheating on her for two years by constantly running his plate through the plate reader. Now that they are separated, she runs his plate and his new lover’s plate through the app. She basically stalking them in her department vehicle and invading their privacy. She actually used the app to track him down and to find his new address to have him served him with divorce papers after she surveilled his house.

In this day and age, completely believable.

Hamstringing Investigations?

An emailer wrote to us:

• No one is really talking about this. There was no email. No admin message. Nothing. 2 days ago the entire Dept had their Genetec apps on the Dept phones updated, taking away the "plate" option on the app...the ability to check for LPR reads and hits. This was a huge tool that all sorts of working cops would use while on the street. Several of our arrests came from this technology. We would learn the plate info of a wanted offender, with a warrant or wanted for burglary, csa, or even murder. Or a vehicle used in several robberies or smash n grabs. If they dont flip the plate, we find the vehicle thru this technology and can track it thru the assortment of city wide LPRs. Now, its gone. Only sdsc rooms have access. Perhaps certain units still have it, dicks maybe. But Joe blow tac officer, sgt, Lt...nada. 

Our first guess was this was in response to a bunch of scandals and indictments regarding FLOCK cmaera misuse....and then they sent us a link:

• The Chicago Police Department released an updated draft directive Friday outlining how officers may use automated license plate reader, or ALPR, systems.

  The revised policy defines and regulates "external ALPR systems," which include private networks such as Flock. CPD says the department and the city do not own or operate those systems and have limited access to search data.

  The proposed rules would require officers who search an external system to enter a case number, offense type and a detailed reason for the search.

  The policy would also limit access to specific members of each police bureau whose duties require it. Each bureau would have a designated member responsible for overseeing the use of department-authorized ALPR systems and maintaining an audit of information requested and accessed.

So what does everyone think? This technology was barely in its infancy when we left, so we have almost no experience with it. We are also not fans of constant government surveillance and deliberately kept our electronic profile vague and minimal. Was this tool usable at the most basic street level?

Signatures are In

And the mayoral field is set....before the signature challenges and perhaps a lawsuit or two plays out (paywalled Tribune article):

• On the last day for 2027 candidates to turn in their nominating petitions, mayoral hopefuls lugged in their stacks of signatures Monday with some personal flair.

  Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza brought with her a red cooler of chicken and pork tamales and a spork. Cardiologist Dr. Lisa Nee and her team strolled in wearing physician white coats.

  Attorney William Quinlan came in over an hour after and took a shot at some of his rivals whom he recently sued: “To be clear … we’re just filing for one” office.

  Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and others are also running for reelection in their current posts this November, prompting a lawsuit from Quinlan that was dismissed this month. Quinlan has said he will appeal.

The Quinlan lawsuit is because Giannoulias is running for the Secretary of State office in a week, but would leave if he won the mayoral election in February, a long Chicago tradition of having a "safety net" while running for other spots.

So the field looks like this (subject to change):

• Conehead, Willie Wilson, Brewer (to divide up the black vote)
• Giannoulias (the Machine/Illinois Combine favorite)
• Cardenas (the "progressive" communist)
• Mendoza  (the Hispanic Caucus choice)
• Quigley, Pappas (the has-beens)
• Quinlan, Holberg, Kelly, Nee, Ma (the unknowns)
• Carter-Walters (Republican) 

Should be a bunch of drama upcoming. 

"...lack of impulse control."

Well played judge:

• A convenience store employee was ordered detained after allegedly shooting a customer during an argument over an unpaid balance of about 47 cents.

  The shooting happened around 7:26 p.m. October 9 at a convenience store in the 4400 block of West Cortez Street. Prosecutors said Janeiro Jackson, 34, was working at the store when he intervened in a dispute between his manager and a 31-year-old customer over the remaining balance.

  [...] During a detention hearing, Judge Ankur Srivastava said there was “no viable self-defense claim,” noting that the customer was unarmed and was not threatening Jackson when he was shot. The judge also said Jackson demonstrated “a lack of impulse control.”

All over forty-seven cents.

Which, by the way, is about the cost of a single 9mm bullet nowadays. Just thought we'd mention that. 

Security "Monitors"

That commercial has become reality:

• If you take the train or bus in Chicago, you may have noticed new security enhancements while on your commute.

  The agency just launched a new ‘Safe Ride Specialist’ pilot program at key stations and major bus terminals earlier this month.

  A team of safe ride specialists could be seen at the Lake Red Line station Saturday afternoon providing another set of eyes and ears for Chicago Transit Authority passengers.

  “I think it’s going to be wonderful to assist with the police officers,” said one rider. “It will be great to keep everyone nice and safe.”

  The CTA said the specialists are trained in crisis and violence intervention and can help to de-escalate issues among passengers. They can also offer and connect riders with other services and support.

Guess what the hours are?

• Blue Line O’Hare Branch: Logan Square to Jefferson Park, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Blue Line Forest Park Branch: Austin to Forest Park, Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Green Line: Harlem/Lake to Conservatory-Central Park, Monday-Friday, 6 p.m. – 1 a.m., Saturday 6 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
• Red Line: Lake to Roosevelt, 7 days/week, Noon – 3:30 a.m. 

The first two details are essentially useless.

The second two are statistics waiting to happen.

Nice to see the CTA has money to waste though. 

Wishful Thinking?

Sounds like Conehead's people wishing for an election miracle:

• Chicago’s top shopping destination is experiencing a long-promised renaissance, following a tumultuous decade of store closures, empty storefronts and little foot traffic.

  The mile-long stretch of North Michigan Avenue known as the Magnificent Mile is seeing a flurry of new store openings such as Uniqlo and the Hello Kitty Cafe, while at least five retailers have announced plans to open locations in the coming months.

  “I think we are getting ready to go to our prom,” Magnificent Mile Association President Kimberly Bares said. “We’re on the cusp of some of the best years that Michigan Avenue has seen.”

  A number of leasing deals coupled with more than $250 million in capital investments by landlords and retailer confidence pushed North Michigan Avenue’s retail vacancy down to 25.8% from 33.8% in 2025, according to October data from Chicago-based brokerage firm Kirsch Agency.

Very few persons are hoping for a revival of actual tax-generating revenue sources more than City Pension recipients....present company included. But a boutique clothing store and a Hello Kitty eatery aren't the big generators needed.

Scandal Inbound?

Seriously?

• BREAKING NEWS!!!!
  
  The OIG came to Area 1 Detective Division unannounced and ceased a couple of computers and a few other pieces of equipment yesterday evening.
  
  Rumor has it that they have been and are nearing the end of a multi year OT FRAUD investigation involving current and past supervisors including LT’s.
  
  They allegedly used video surveillance, GPS and cooperating individual(s) - yes plural!!! Shouldn’t be in two place at one time, at your side gig/hustles, on Tik Tok

In this day and age of cameras everywhere, social media tags, GPS, etc., people should be smarter instead of getting caught like this.

Brandon Body #96

Still a chance to hit one-hundred:

• A woman who is seven months pregnant struggled for at least three minutes to tell Chicago 911 operators she had been shot Friday night, according to records and radio transmissions reviewed by CWB Chicago. The emergency response was further delayed because nobody else reported the shooting and the local ShotSpotter network, which used to monitor the block for gunfire 24/7, was disconnected by Mayor Brandon Johnson in 2024.

  [...] The block had been covered by the city’s ShotSpotter network for years before Johnson ended the city’s contract with the company after the Democratic National Convention in September 2024. ShotSpotter used acoustic sensors to pinpoint suspected gunfire and automatically alert police, allowing officers to respond even when no one called 911. Without that system, police rely on callers to report shootings and provide enough information for officers to locate victims.

  Since the system was deactivated, CWB Chicago has identified 96 cases in which shooting victims appeared to experience lengthy waits for emergency assistance in areas previously covered by ShotSpotter. In some cases, nobody called 911 to report the gunfire. In others, callers provided too little information for officers to quickly find the victims.

C'mon hoodrats!  You can do it!

Closing Schools

A bunch of people have asked who should they vote for for School Board president.

There are four candidates, and only one has declared he won't close a single school:

• Hilario Dominguez, a former political director for the Chicago Teachers Union, is the only candidate who is pledging not to support school closings.

Gee, a former CTU political director AND the candidate supported by the CTU, who wants to keep every school open - even those operating at 5% of capacity. Plus, he's been the subject of at least one investigation regarding minor students. So if you're a big fan of fiscal responsibility, not to mention banning suspicious characters from contact with children, this moron should be a hard "No." 

Among the others:

• Jessica Biggs, a former principal, and Victor Henderson, a prominent defense attorney, said they would consider closing schools, but only after hearing from communities that would be affected. Sendhil Revuluri, a former Chicago board member and math teacher, made the case for closing under-enrolled high schools, in particular, because they typically can’t support a wide array of classes and programs.

So those three should be seriously looked at as they haven't ruled out closures. 

But anyone supported by Fata$$, Prickwrinkle, the CTU and Machine politicians in general, really shouldn't be considered.

Sergeants Made

 Late on Friday:

Congrats to the deserving. 

Good Questions

From a regular e-mailer about the supposed ShotSpotter re-activation:

• 1. What company was granted the pilot program to replace shot spotter?
  
  
  2. Was that company the city’s selected RFP bidder who was, and I quote: “hands down, head-and-tails above all else”? 
  
  
  3. Or, was the company hand picked by BJ as a political favor bypassing the RFP committee process/selection sitting on the Chief Procurement Officer’s desk? Maybe a certain vendor who accompanied BJ on his trip to Rome (to see the Pope)? Possibly footing the extravagant bill for the pilot program ?!? 
  
  
  4. Was City Council notified of his decision to bypass the RFP process?? 

The speculation being that this isn't just a political calculation by Conehead seeking votes, but also a quid pro quo of a more financial nature - which many speculated about years ago that the right people weren't getting paid off when Conehead initially shut it down despite it being heavily supported by voters, aldercreatures and Larritorious.

Supernintendo Finalists

Supposedly, these are the names:

• First Deputy Ursitti
• Chief Papaioannou 
• Chief Novalez 
• Chief Parham 
• Outsider (possibly 2 outsiders)

Interviews will be taking place starting this weekend.

New Instagram Reel

877-DUES-NOW

•  Instagram link here

And as usual, you DO NOT need a social media account to view and sign along with the reel. Just "x" out the log in box and the video plays. 

Was there a meeting this past Wednesday? Any drama? 

Vote Damnit.

Election season is underway and The Contrarian has another article up with what we think is the only election that really has a chance of upsetting the usual Machine BS - the School Board:

• Of the many races in the November 3rd election in Chicago, none is more important or the most contentious than the one at the very bottom of the ballot: The election for Chicago’s first fully elected school board and an end to mayoral control of the public schools. This pivotal moment will determine not only the academic and financial direction of the Chicago Public Schools and their 304,687 children, it will also set the course for who will ultimately wield power in the City of Chicago.

  Depending on the outcome, the impact will extend beyond the interests of children and schools. Chicago’s politics and power structure will go through a radical shift that may persist for generations. Make no mistake, this election is the precursor to the February mayoral election. Yet most voters aren’t even aware these races are taking place, let alone understand the ramifications of their results.

  Chicago’s schools have historically been at the center of power. The power brokers of the old machine utilized schools as an access point to voters and, in some instances, served as patronage hubs. PTAs, fathers’ clubs and local school councils were often connected to local aldermen as a means to reach parents and influence voter turnout. Seems quaint by today’s standards of school politics.

  The political interests that govern the Chicago Public Schools today have a different agenda. They seek not only to maintain control over the schools as a power base, but also intend to indoctrinate students with an extreme leftist political dogma. Their ideology aligns with their socialist agenda, which they aim to promote directly from the schoolhouse to the fifth floor of City Hall, is foisted onto our communities, and is financed by you, the taxpayers of Chicago. Just check your upcoming property tax bill.

  This is not hyperbole. It is the reality of Chicago’s political landscape.

This election will have a direct impact on future property tax hikes, so it's actually a big deal. It's so important that the powers-that-be have hidden it at the bottom of everything when they figure voters will be too tired or bored to pay attention to what they're actually voting for.

The Contrarian article is extensive and closes with the poster we've had up a couple times already (click for larger version):

 

After you vote for these candidates, make sure you voted "NO" on a bunch of judges, too.

E.M. Success!!! (not)

That judge Bitch Beech and his EM program are working about as well as the SAFE-T Act and ShotSpotter:

• A man charged with robbing a Lurie Children’s Hospital employee on a Blue Line train spent months on the streets and on the CTA despite facing charges in three counties, being wanted on multiple arrest warrants, and wearing an electronic ankle monitor — until concerned passengers tipped off police the old-fashioned way: they told officers he was smoking a crack pipe on the train.

  Gregory Blount, 34, was ordered detained pending trial on an armed robbery charge this week by Judge Luciano Panici Jr. But his path to that courtroom took a circuitous, months-long route, leaving him wanted in Cook, DuPage, and Kane counties.

Just to review:

• out on a felony charge
• wanted in three counties 
• wearing a "judge Bitch" brand ankle monitor 
• enjoying a felonious crack fix on the CTA in violation of all sorts of "No Smoking" signs 

And it was the sign violation that did him in after law enforcement officials in three counties couldn't find him.

He was also arrested SEVEN times since last September, while warrants were in effect and while additional warrants were lodged for missing subsequent court dates. 

Great system. 

ShotSpotter Coming Back?

Over two years and almost one-hundred dead and wounded without police or fire responses:

• More than two years after Mayor Brandon Johnson deactivated ShotSpotter, the city’s gunshot detection network, despite opposition from his handpicked police superintendent, two-thirds of the City Council, and 70% of city residents, his chief procurement officer on Tuesday announced that the administration is “preparing to launch a pilot program to evaluate a range of violence interruption and public safety technologies, including gunshot detection systems.”

  Sharla Roberts sent her letter to Ald. Emma Mitts (37th), head of the City Council’s Committee on Contracting and Oversight Equity, shortly before the committee held a hearing to question why Johnson’s administration has yet to deploy a replacement for ShotSpotter, even though the city completed a request for proposals more than a year ago.

  Nobody from the administration appeared at the hearing to answer those questions. Aldermen expressed frustration with the lack of progress and skepticism about Tuesday’s announcement.

The aldercreatures are expressing doubt:

• “Breaking news,” Ald. Matthew O’Shea (19th) tweeted. “The Johnson Administration notified WTTW they would begin testing a new gunshot detection system. Unfortunately, they didn’t notify or consult with the [Chicago Police Department] or [Office of Public Safety Administration].”

  Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) questioned the timing and sincerity of the announcement.

  “The fact that he announced this today when City Council was poised to demand action is just a smokescreen,” Lopez said. “[Johnson] has no intention of acquiring any technology that catches criminals.”

Conehead isn't looking to capture criminals.

Conehead needs to capture a large part of that 70% of city residents (i.e. voters) that WANT ShotSpotter back in some way, shape or form.

This is a purely mercenary decision. 

Time for "No Weed" Signs?

Time for another useless Ordinance that would provide the City's union print shop with more work:

• Maybe next time he’ll wait until he gets off the train to light up. A Red Line passenger’s complaint about a fellow rider smoking led to the discovery of a loaded gun and four hefty bags of marijuana, Chicago police said.

  Aurelio De Jesus, 19, was riding a Red Line train on the North Side around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, October 15, when another passenger became irritated that he was smoking, according to Chicago police. As the train approached Belmont station, the passenger alerted Chicago cops riding in another train car, prompting them to investigate, CPD said.

  When the train stopped at Belmont, officers stepped off and allegedly spotted De Jesus smoking inside another car. They ordered him onto the platform, where he “began behaving erratically and attempted to prevent officers from searching him,” according to CPD.

  That’s when officers noticed a bulge in his waistband, which allegedly turned out to be a loaded gun. After taking De Jesus into custody, officers searched his backpack and found four generously sized bags of what police described as “suspected cannabis,” CPD said Tuesday.

We've all seen the "No Smoking" signs. We've made fun of the "No Guns" signs for years seeing as how everyone on the CTA seems to have one. We've wondered if there should be "No Knife" signs and maybe a few "No Lighting Passengers on Fire" signs. 

Had anyone suggested "No Weed" signs? 

This Guy Had a Gun?

Seriously?

• A suburban man who was charged with murdering his infant daughter in 2018 but ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in that case is now accused of firing a handgun inside the Kluczynski Federal Building parking garage downtown.

  Edmund Horvath, 36, of Lynwood, is charged with possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, according to a federal complaint filed Wednesday.

Those charges should have kept him from getting a gun, right? That's why dumbocrats pass all those laws, right? And want everything registered, serialized and locked up empty, right? 

Of course, the gun was stolen, negating all of the above.

 

Another Payroll Screw-Up?

Everyone's OT is missing?

• ...was anyone’s OT missing from their Oct 22 greenslip?
• Everyone’s is missing. There’s AMC message regarding this fuck up on the part of the city.

Nice to see the incompetency over at Payroll hasn't been fixed since we left. But don't worry - they'll have a new check cut by the 22nd....maybe.

Anyone know why is it always the Police checks that get f#$%ed up and not some other Department with the ability to take job actions against the City?

Conehead Toast?

How does that movie quote go?

•  We just don't recognize life's most significant moments while they're happening. Back then I thought, "Well, there'll be other days." I didn't realize that that was the only day.

We might have just witnessed Conehead's "only day."

• The long-simmering feud between Mayor Brandon Johnson and half of the coalition of progressive unions that helped put him in office boiled over Tuesday, triggering a pivotal endorsement for Illlinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias in the race for mayor.

  Service Employees International Union Locals 1 and 73 threw their formidable support behind Giannoulias, the presumed frontrunner with a campaign war chest of $19.2 million. SEIU affiliates together contributed over $4.5 million to Johnson’s 2023 mayoral campaign. The union also provided scores of campaign workers and materials

This is huge for a couple reasons. 

First up is the amount of campaign contributions now headed Giannoulias' way - millions of dollars.

Second is the campaign "volunteers" from door bell ringers to poll watchers to telephone operators calling to remind you to go vote and such.

Lastly, this is a rather large fracture between the SEIU and the CTU which has been going on for years. It finally boiled over and the CTU will either have to make up the money and volunteer shortfalls for Conehead or scale back expectations. 

The current betting is they're not going to throw money at a losing proposition.

Accuracy Down to 10%

And here we thought the extermination rate among the musical community was indicative of better accuracy among shooters:

• Chicago rapper Bloodhound Q50 was struck five times as armed gunmen fired 50 times during an ambush last month at a Fuller Park gas station, according to a newly released autopsy report.

  The report shows the 22-year-old rapper, born Mikquale T. Cooper, was shot in his head, neck, back and left shoulder. No arrests have been reported.

  About 50 casings — some from rifles, some from 9mm handguns — were recovered around the BP gas station at 4248 S. Wentworth Ave., according to the report from the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

We're going to attribute part of this reduction in accuracy to the widespread use of "switches." Sure, you can get a lot of rounds off in a short amount of time, but accuracy is what gets the job done....and with a lot less collateral damage. Sollozzo and McCluskey some to mind, and that was in a relatively busy restaurant.

Nice Hospital

This is a health facility and a Level One Trauma Center - you know, someplace that ought to be clean at the very least:

• Patients at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center won’t be eating food prepared in the on-site cafeteria for awhile after it failed a health inspection that found more than 200 live cockroaches in multiple food preparation areas.

  The inspection, on Friday, found cockroaches near the grill, fryer, steamer and storage areas of the cafeteria at the medical center at 836 W. Wellington Ave. in Lake View, according to Chicago Department of Public Health records.

  “Black slime” also built up on an ice machine and dripped onto ice cubes being served to patients and other customers, records show.

That doesn't really instill a sense of confidence in their ability to maintain a sterile environment. Bugs are mobile....they don't stay in one place.

It Ain't Just the Birds

Conehead's administration has seen the highest death rate among whales in recorded history!

• On a recent morning, Shedd Aquarium President and CEO Bridget Coughlin stood in front of a pool filled with six frolicking beluga whales, insisting that the institution, where five other whales have died in recent weeks, is not in crisis.

  Coughlin, who has a doctorate in biochemistry, also pushed back against a growing public perception that the aquarium might have bitten off more than it could chew in adding 10 more belugas to a population of eight resident whales.

The doctor doth protest too much - a 50% death rate among new arrivals is even worse than the death rate among established people (and folks) on the west side. There hasn't been a blood-letting like this since Ahab was sailing the Pequod with his 140 body guards crew

And the sad part is, with a little effort, there would be more lib-tards protesting the imported whale deaths than the the deaths over a summer weekend. 

Let the Games Begin

Nominating petitions have begun to be filed:

• Chicago voters are starting to get a glimpse at how the many candidates vying to be their next mayor are measuring up — literally — against one another.

  Mayoral contenders wheeled in tall stacks of thousands of nominating petitions, submitting them to election workers ready to size them up with wooden rulers at a Downtown office building Monday. It’s the start to the weeklong filing period for the February election that will help whittle down the crowded race for mayor by filtering out those who fail to collect the 12,500 valid signatures needed on those petitions to make the ballot.

So far, the following have filed for the mayoral election in February:

• Alexi Giannoulias
• Mike Quigley
• Willie Wilson
• John Kelly
• Matt Brewer

Conehead did not file petitions. Neither did Pappas or Mendoza.

And there are some polling numbers out (no link for these):

• Giannoulias was the choice of 25% of likely voters, according to the new poll, ahead of Johnson at 13.6%. Mendoza (9.5%) and Wilson (6%) were the only others to top 5% in the polling, while 34% of likely voters said they’re still unsure of who they would vote for.

55% of those surveyed weren't at all enthusiastic about Conehead, so his numbers will probably stay exactly where they are. 

That 34% undecided isn't likely to put anyone over the 50%-plus-1 threshold to avert a runoff.

Bodies Piling Up

Bad weekend, hundreds dead:

• As millions of migratory birds passed through Chicago over the weekend, at least 1,000 of them ended up dead and injured after colliding into buildings.

  The fall bird migration hits its peak in October, and Chicago sits along one of North America’s biggest migratory paths. And thanks to favorable weather over the weekend, over 5 million migratory birds passed through Cook County Friday night alone.

  About 25 volunteers with the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors were out Saturday collecting dead and injured birds, said Annette Prince, the organization’s director.

Wait.....birds? We thought it said....nevermind.

Damn....back to regularly scheduled programing.