Lifestyles: November 2008 Archives

The Hound likes to gnaw on a turkey leg on Turkey Day. There's turkeys and then there's real turkeys and we're not talking about those folks in the country of Turkey. We're talking folks like Sen. Dick Durbin, who some Illinoisans would like to carve up today.

That's because the Illinois Democrat, who just cakewalked into another six-year term, has decided he's thinking about maybe asking President Bush to grant clemency to former Gov. George Ryan, the Republican who's eating pressed turkey today at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind. Maybe Durbin was floating a trial balloon, but The Hound surmises it's turned into a lead Zeppelin --- and we're not talking about the band.

For Durbin's musing about giving Ryan a get-out-jail-free card, he's a turkey.

But then so is President-elect Barack Obama. He's plucking those ex-Clintonites from a government in exile faster than feathers get plucked on turkeys. This is change? If The Hound knew Obama was going to pack his cabinet with former Clintonians, what was wrong with Hillary in the first place?

With the election over, the media are being turkeys over Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. She was filmed being interviewed at a turkey processing facility which everyone jumped on. Was it Wattlegate or what? How do you think turkeys get to the Thanksgiving table. They walk there?

Another big turkey is Gov. Rod Blagojevich. What's this plan for carpooling lanes on the tollways? How are you going to police it, Gov. Turkey. With a gobble here and a gobble there? Can 2010 come too soon for this turkey?

There's an old gambling term about putting your money down and taking your chances. That's what Waukegan and its casino partners did Tuesday as they went before the Illinois Gaming Board hopefully in search of the state's 10th and final gaming license.

On top of the $225 million bid for the old Emerald Casino license, Waukegan told gaming board members that in its first full year of operation the proposed site at Fountain Square would generate $379 million in gross gambling revenues. And, those monies would be available sooner than the other two locations, tainted Rosemont and bland and boring Des Plaines. The land is already zoned for a casino in Waukegan, there's hotels already there and plenty of parking. It's also a hop, skip and jump from the Tri-State Tollway.

And, according to a marketing study done by the Waukegan group, the Lake County site would also generate an additional $200 million in additional state and local taxes after factoring our land-based location would not negatively impact riverboats in Elgin, Joliet and Aurora. Also, the study maintains a northern Illinois casino would draw gamblers from Wisconsin.

The Hound won't even mention the number of new jobs --- good-paying union jobs --- for construction of a 50,000-square-foot facility and an accompanying 150-room hotel. Let's not forget the original intent of the state's gaming intent.

But more importantly, does Illinois once again want to go through the question marks surrounding a Rosemont casino? Such as the rumors the entire village is mobbed up.

Back in 2004 when Rosemont was a lock for the 10th license, Attorney General Lisa Madigan --- a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2010 --- questioned whether Rosemont and its then mayor, Donald Stephens, had ties to the Chicago Outfit, something the late mayor denied.

His son, Bradley Stephens, is now mayor and saying the village will adopt all sorts of ordinances in order to win the license with a bid of $435 million. Is this a warning sign or not to the gaming board?

Waukegan should get this license. Then again, this is Illinois and anything can happen. Stay tuned.

In the middle of prep football playoffs and girls' volleyball playoffs, The Hound learns there is a prep bass fishing tournament for high school anglers. Huh? What's next, hunting tournaments?

Perhaps The Hound is old school, but what gives with this Illinois High School Association sanctioning bass fishing. Must have been a big lobbying push by the downstate schools near those big impoundments of Rend Lake or Carlyle Lake. What else could be behind this?

OK, The Hound knows California high schools have surf teams and schools in Wyoming, Montana, Texas and other Western states have rodeo teams which compete in tournaments. Some Western colleges even offer rodeo scholarships.

But bass fishing? This sounds fishy, yet Antioch, Grant, Grayslake North, Warren, Lakes, Libertyville, Wauconda, Waukegan and Zion-Benton are fielding bass fishing teams. Betcha that letterman's sweater is tough to come by.

And what happened to Mundelein High? Diamond Lake has plenty of fish for practice sessions. Or it used to.

The IHSA says 214 school across Illinois have signed up for next spring's bass tourney. Start practicing now, folks, and sharpen those hooks. The Hound knows some preps who might like to see fish finders under the Christmas tree. Even so, it's still fishy.

Veterans in The Hound's breed are ready to give the Waukegan guy who claimed he was a prisoner of war of the North Vietnamese a blanket party. These would be The Hound's great-uncle, uncle, second cousin, father and brother. If you were in the military, you know what happens when you get an invite to a blanket party.

For the unitiated, it is for those who don't want to carry their load. Or at least that is what The Hound has been told by the warriors in the clan. Most, they say, would have been Section 8s. Ron Naden would have been one, but he was never in the military.

Naden, a retired janitor at Oak Grove School in Green Oaks, since 1991 has been telling kids at the school and even teachers he was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War for more than a year after allegedly parachuting into Laos. That was one of the whoppers Naden apparently told anyone who would listen. One teacher even got a POW/MIA flag, framed it and slapped it on a wall at the school in his honor. That is so wrong, Ron.

Naden's downfall came when The News-Sun slapped him in the newspaper after he told his tale of the whale. The Internet is a tool being used by those who sacrificed to expose those who didn't. Why one would want to be known as a POW is beyond The Hound's pecan-sized brain. Has anyone checked to see if Ron's driving around on a free POW license plate? Or if he's applied for veterans' benefits?

When The Hound asked the relatives for a comment, their only reply was: "On the right, sick call!" If you know what that means, drive on warriors.

President-elect Barack Obama promised his two daughters a dog after the election was over. It's over and he says he'll pay up. The Hound is available for first dog status.

Consider living in the White House compared to the Dog House. Sweet! The Hound imagines the first dog would be treated like royalty by White House staff willing to please after years of putting up with President Bush's two mutts, Barney and Miss Beazley, both Scottish terriers. Remember President Clinton's chocolate Lab, Buddy? How about Bush the Elder's springer spaniel, Millie. She even wrote a book!

If rejected for first dog approval, The Hound isn't barking up the wrong tree in suggesting the Obamas' check out selecting a shelter dog --- no, not one of those snooty Shelties. A shelter dog would, after all, be the politically correct choice.

Although, President-elect Obama has tapped Clinton's former chief of staff, Chicago Congressman Rahm Emanuel, as his chief of staff. Might as well opt for the chocolate lab, too. A warning though: Those devil dogs can chew up a storm. Trust The Hound on this one.

The Hound was dragged to the friendly hardware store on Saturday and was shocked. The Hound says shocked, to discover it's already Christmas time. Yes, the hardware store people were putting up Christmas tree displays, offering outdoor Christmas displays and giving a glimpse of what The Hound may get for Christmas. Are we jumping the gun, or what?

Perhaps The Hound is confused with the change to standard time, but didn't the retailers used to start putting up the Christmas displays around Thanksgiving and not the day after Halloween? If they're selling stuff this early, what will be the discounts come December? Maybe the economy's as bad as everybody says.

Yet, there's still Halloween stuff --- mainly candy --- to dispose of with deep discounts. Where's all the Pilgrim stuff? The cranberries? The Butterball turkeys?

Maybe we should skip Thanksgiving and go right to Christmas. No turkey, just Christmas goose. Yummo!