Tag: Connie Wilson Page 3 of 6

Toyota Tundra Tears A New One in Prius, Tank-side

On April 2, 2011

In Local, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, travel, Uncategorized

Terrible Toyota Tundra

I decided to post this account of my car accident of March 31, 2011, to warn other drivers who might not want to have their small car crushed by a giant silver behemoth of a truck, simply because they are driving up Kennedy Drive, on their way to Best Buy to purchase 3 flash drives. Not in any particular rush. Just 12 blocks or so away from home.

For those who live in the Illinois Quad Cities, I want to warn you of this “most dangerous” intersection…(or one of the most dangerous)…in the city. I mean, of course, 30^th Avenue and Kennedy Drive, right where the Walgreen store sits. I was driving south toward the Jewel store on Kennedy Drive. I came to the intersection mentioned above and noticed that there were several cars in the left turn lane (which would be a turn to head your car toward Silvis, something I did every morning for 17 and ½ years, so I know that turn well).

I was paying attention. I was only driving 30 mph. You have to pay attention in the East Moline to Moline area, or you will be picked up for speeding. I try to always run radar. The border between Moline/East Moline on 30^th Avenue as you drive towards Wilson Junior High School is particularly problematical.

There is a hill on 30^th Avenue, or perhaps it is more accurate to call it a dip. As your car heads towards Moline (from East Moline) the speed limit drops from 35 mph in East Moline to 30 mph in Moline, with almost no marking. And this happens at the bottom of a hill. So, the police thoughtfully park their vehicles on a side street, wait for you to reach the bottom of the hill and (probably) move above 30 mph, so that they can give you a ticket for speeding.

At the bottom of said hill you are usually “fair game” to be picked up for speeding, since you may have inadvertently picked up speed as you coasted down the hill (it’s called gravity), and you are entering Moline’s 5 miles per hour slower speed limit, although you have not changed roads or directions. If this seems unfair to you, join the club. In order to be in strict compliance with the change in driving speed between Moline and East Moline, you’ll have to be applying your brake as you coast down the hill. Otherwise, you’ll be facing the music in court. Be aware. Be wary. You could try defying gravity, but I doubt if you’ll have much luck with this approach.

But I was not ON 30^th Avenue this day.

I was merely diving slowly (I only go 30 mph now everywhere to avoid speed traps like the one on 30^th Avenue mentioned above) up Kennedy Drive towards the Jewel store in Kennedy Square (and on past it to Best Buy out near Southpark Mall.)

As I approached the red light at the intersection of 30^th Avenue and Kennedy Drive, heading towards Kennedy Square (i.e., southbound) I stayed on the right side next to the right curb, since it was apparent that the left-turning cars would hold up traffic that merely wanted to go straight down Kennedy. Here comes the rub.
When you go THROUGH the intersection, still heading south towards Kennedy Square, the two-lane road often has cars parked along the right side curb. Not always, but often. This day, I considered myself lucky. No cars parked on the right. Clear sailing in the “right” lane, (which is not really a lane, but will ultimately narrow so that you will have to “merge” into the left lane.)

As I cleared the intersection, I noticed in my rear view mirror that a very large silver truck was tailgating me. The driver was practically in my back seat. He seemed to be going very fast, to me (remember: I’m the one who only drives 30 mph for the reasons mentioned above), but he may simply have been going 35 mph, the speed limit in East Moline (but NOT in Moline).

I glanced in my rear view mirror and commented, to myself, that I was glad I could continue to hug the right hand side curb and didn’t have to “merge” right away, because the person driving the truck was apparently in a much bigger hurry than me and very territorial about being first with a bullet. He was obviously an “Alpha Male” type who must remain in front of all other drivers at all times. Fine by me, I thought. You just go ahead and zip right on past me! I’ll just stay over here on the right, hugging this curb, until you take your giant silver whomper-stomper of a vehicle and head on down the road. Picture me saying, “Dum, dum, de dum”at that point. I also knew this intersection was a “ bad” one because my mother-in-law once had a car accident there when picking up my daughter from her piano lesson, so, no fool I, I would just hug that curb and let old Mr. Silverback or Silver Truck have the whole road for his giant ugly vehicle. No hurry on MY part to “merge.”
Unfortunately, just as I consciously willed this ill-mannered tailgating creep to zoom on down Kennedy Drive and leave me there, a curb-hugger, he hit me.

I heard a grinding, scraping, crushing sound, and my car shuddered violently. It nearly went out of control. If this idiot pushed me into the oncoming northbound traffic (i.e., the cars coming from Kennedy Square and heading north up Kennedy Drive), I would be hit broadside. I was fighting to control the car and thinking, “This mouth-breathing Neanderthal just HIT me!”

I searched the right-hand side of the road, frantically looking for a place I could pull over and get my car (and me) out of harm’s way. Luckily, the vacant lot and not-very-heavily traveled gravel road at 35^th Avenue and 2^nd Street was immediately ahead on my right. I actually had the presence of mind to signal for a right turn before pulling over and stopping my car. I had already made a note of the license plate of the Silver Toyota truck, as I wondered if he would stop at all, since he had just rear-ended a small car driving ahead of him in traffic, a car he should not have been that close to in the first place.

Mr. Neanderthal jumped down from his silver truck and was waving his arms and screaming. Why was he screaming? Beats the hell out of me! HE had just creamed my vehicle, knocking it so violently that I almost was pushed into the ongoing traffic lane, and now HE was yelling at ME. What’s wrong with this picture?

I glanced quickly at the back wheel well area of my green Prius (“the grasshopper”) and saw that parts of it were sticking out at 90 degree angles from the rest of my car. (Ooooo. That can’t be good, I thought.) One thought I had was this, “I wonder if I can drive this car after he hit me and crushed the wheel well area? It might be that the piece that is totally turn off my vehicle will puncture the tire or something.” I said nothing to the wildly gesticulating elderly male driver so out-of-control in front of me. He had obviously hit me. It was too late for him to UN-hit me, so now we simply must deal with the consequences in an adult manner. Or so I thought. That only works if both of you are capable of behaving in an adult manner. I have learned recently that many MANY adults are arrested at a maturity level of a twelve-year-old. In fact, when I visited the State Farm insurance agency, the young girl helping me file the claim said, after she heard how awful the elderly drive had been, “Yeah. The old ones are worse than the younger kids, usually.” Food for thought. Cranky old person? A stereotype, but one this guy certainly fit. And, keep in mind…THIS guy’s vehicle was not hurt AT ALL. The policeman wrote down ZERO dollars damage to his truck, so why was HE screaming at ME? Seems rather immature and unfriendly and, also, potentially designed to distract attention from the very real fact that he had just rear-ended the vehicle of a woman who was even older than he was old, but was still capable of trying to act like a civilized human being, which, I have learned, to my chagrin, many Control Freak types are not. Get in their way and they freak out.

Mr. Neanderthal was now berating me. (Seems odd, but there you have it….) He was being totally uncivil. I immediately gave him my name. I asked him what his name was.

“I’m not giving you my name, you smart ass.”

Well, this was going well, wasn’t it? I ask the man who has just ruined my car…(and damn near caused me serious bodily injury) for his NAME at the scene of an accident he has caused and he refuses to give it to me!

I tried a different tack. “I think we should exchange insurance information.” I went to my car to get mine out of the glove box.

Mr. Neanderthal says, “I ain’t giving you no insurance information. I’ll only give it to the po-lice.” (He pronounced police as 2 syllables.)

Since I frequently am in Chicago, a second home, and the Chicago police do NOT want to be bothered by people who are merely randomly running their vehicles into one another UNLESS one of them is hurt (neither of us was, fortunately), I mentioned this fact. “I’m not sure the police want to be called, unless there is personal injury, and we’re both okay.”

Wow! Wrong thing to say! And, I admit, more the way it works in the Big City than in East Moline, Illinois.
”You shut up, you smart ass.”

I think Mr. Neanderthal then also called me a liar or some other uncomplimentary thing for having shared this bit of Big City information about police responses to accidents in big cities which, admittedly, may not apply in what my friend D.J. refers to as “Poopyville.” (D.J. means no harm, and, himself lives in Las Vegas, so people who live in glass houses shouldn’t put down wholesome communities that are in the middle of nowhere, but D.J.said it, not me.)

Since I have endured quite a bit of verbal abuse online recently, which would include the Tea Party members who didn’t like the piece I did praising Eisenhower (go figure) and the ex-collaborator who has been trolling some really questionable sites and lying his ass off to the point that legal action will be taken, and now Mr. Neanderthal, who was being a complete jerk. Mr. Neanderthal didn’t need to admit guilt, but it would have been nice to have heard him say something human or compassionate like, “Gee, this is too bad.”

But no. Mr. Neanderthal, whose large silver truck had NO damage [but did have a number of colorful paint chips on his undented bumper] (makes you wonder how many other cars he has hit with his large ramming speed vehicle?) was going to simply verbally abuse me, waving his arms about and acting like a total child and complete jerk. In fact, I think there are even some rules about HAVING to give your name, if asked, at the scene of an accident, which someone closer to his size should remind him about. But this idiot wasn’t going to provide his name when politely asked.

At no time did I verbally abuse this person or call him names, or accuse him at that time of what he had done (i.e., ram into me while following too closely and driving too fast) but, hey! I could have said, “Look, you jerk! Look at the damage you just did to my vehicle! What-the-hell were you thinking, driving up behind me that fast?” But I did not say any of these things to the rude, unpleasant, 64-year-old creep who rear-ended me and then acted put out at ME! I knew he was working on some story that would make this (somehow) be MY fault. He was the type. I could just hear him now. And I could also imagine that, if I made any effort to speak with him further, Mr. Neanderthal might actually become violent.
True, it was only 3:30 in the afternoon. But I was a woman, driving alone, and an old fart with gray hair was waving his hands in the air in a threatening manner. Perhaps it was time to retreat to my vehicle and call for back up. Which I did.
Back up, in this instance, meant my retired husband, napping at home.

I got in my dented Prius, locked the doors, got out my phone, and dialed my husband, who was approximately 13 blocks away, asleep. He, in turn, called the police. I gave the spouse directions to my location just up the street and, within 5 minutes, the cavalry rode to the rescue.

For one thing, I needed someone with some mechanical aptitude to take a look at my wheel well and tell me if I could drive away from this fender bender.

For another, I might need someone to clock Fart Man if he took a swing at me.

For a third, men don’t really like to listen to “the little woman” and it would be far better if I had a man present, backing me up and telling this guy to shut up. I have known this since the days I spearheaded (some would say master-minded, but, with all the collective bargaining rights in the entire state of Wisconsin going under, perhaps masterminding something that only lasts for 31 years isn’t anything to brag about) collective bargaining rights in Silvis, Illinois. That would be the SEA efforts to gain collective bargaining rights. I insisted that a man stand up with me then, as Co-chairman of our teachers’ group, and I definitely wanted one here with me now.

By now, the police had arrived, which means one officer who seemed to be about 30 years old. Fart Man, the old Neanderthal who would not provide his name or insurance information but felt like a Big Man threatening a 5’ 2” woman whose car he had just ruined while driving like a maniac. Naturally, Mr. Neanderthal insisted on telling HIS story first. I ambled over near where he was bending the cop’s ear, because I just knew Neanderthal Man was giving a creative version of how innocent he was. [HE didn’t drive right up my rear end, practically into my back seat. HE wasn’t going fast. HE wasn’t tailgating. He was totally blameless, of course, and I should be hanged as a witch at sunrise.]

This seems to be quite the refrain of late. I had considered taking out an ad offering to be the “scapegoat” for all the world’s problems, (for a fee, of course.) Mr. Policeman didn’t want me to listen in on the old fart’s version. He instructed me to go sit in my vehicle, which I did without protest, joining my husband there. He had found my insurance papers for me in my glove box when I became rattled at the prospect of imminent injury from Neanderthal man and fled to hide within my vehicle.

Now the young policeman (who actually said, after taking my statement that he wished we had met under different circumstances) took my statement (and it took him a really long time to write everything up, indicating that there was zero damage to Mr. Neanderthal’s vehicle, but $1,500 to mine.)

We have now taken my poor Grasshopper to the Toyota dealership and filled out claims forms with State Farm and I will be without a vehicle for some period of time while parts are ordered and repairs are made. I am grateful that I was not hurt. I am grateful, also, that Mr. Neanderthal was not hurt… although I wish he would try, for once in his selfish life, to put himself in someone else’s shoes and realize that tailgating someone and hogging the road (I would have had to merge, eventually, but HE was not going to let some little Libtard car push his big ol’ honkin’ Toyota Tundra around. HE was going to be Numero Uno in line and, if you don’t like it, well, I’ll just gun my vehicle and run right over you!) And I wasn’t even at the point of needing to “merge.” God only knows what he might have done if I HAD tried to merge, with him in the left lane. I’m glad I never tried to do so while his silver truck was on the loose.

That, my friends, was my Thursday afternoon (March 31), one day after my wedding anniversary (over 40, so alert the media). It was not the anniversary present I had most desired.

I hope Mr. Neanderthal learns to be civil, polite and courteous and also reads up on the rules about how you MUST give your name at the scene of an accident, something that he flatly refused to do. As for the “let’s call the cops” thing: I needed the cops more than he did, since he had obviously done this sort of thing before (judging from the variety of paint colors displayed on his undented bumper) and he seemed to be a very unpleasant, impolite, poorly raised creep. I’m not going to give you his name. He knows who he is. If there’s any justice an even BIGGER vehicle will tailgate him and cream his car some day, and maybe, if he’s as mouthy and unpleasant as he was to me, cream him, as well.
Whatever happened to the days when, if you rear-ended somebody who was driving ahead of you, it was an automatic ticket. That’s what it should have been, for this guy. But instead, he’s still out there, tailgating unsuspecting small vehicles and probably shouting “ramming speed!” as he hits them. And, of course, telling HIS fantastical story to the police FIRST, because God forbid anyone but Mr. Neanderthal is allowed to go first.
Doesn’t he remember the Beatitude that said, “The first shall be last?” Keep that in mind while speeding up Kennedy Drive in East Moline, Illinois, hoping to be able to, at some point, merge into traffic without having to fight your way in.

Casey Abrams “Saved” by Judges on American Idol

By Connie Wilson

On March 25, 2011

In Music, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

Casey Abrams

Fox, Thursday, March 24, 2011, 8 PM (ET) “American Idol” had one of its most dramatic nights ever when front-runner Casey Abrams received the lowest number of votes and was in danger of elimination from the show. (Surely a “WTF?” moment.) The judges stepped in to use their one “save” of the season to retain the young Joe Cocker-like musician.

Casey and Stefano were the last two standing after the other low vote getters were trotted out, one-by-one, and then rescued, one-by-one. Stefano, Thia and Casey ended up in the bottom three. The first two: not too surprising. But the shocker was Casey’s low ranking.

No less an authority than “Entertainment” magazine (March 18, 2011) selected Casey Abrams as the ultimate winner of the whole competition, saying, “Underneath that goofy facial hair and dazed demeanor, this 20-year-old California dude (born in Wilmette, IL) boasts some serious musical chops.” The author of this “Entertainment” handicapping at 3 to 1, Rob Brunner, added, “And he can really sing.” (I now feel better about my +18 out of 24 showing for the Oscars, and I’m glad I haven’t made any rash predictions for “American Idol’s” tenth season…yet.) Brunner predicted, on page 48 of the March 18, 2011 “Entertainment” in an article entitled “We Pick the Winner:” “Not I-starred-in-a-school-production-of-Carousel-last-year-sing, but actually inhabit a song, infuse it with personality and emotion and a little humor.” My daughter, a Music Business graduate, only watches the show for Casey. (She had better start voting, methinks!)

Casey was interesting from the outset, showing up with a melodica during auditions so he would have perfect pitch when he began singing. On this night, to save his life in the competition, Casey began singing “I Don’t Need No Doctor” in his characteristic funky growl. The 3 judges began waving their arms in the air after approximately 3 bars, telling Casey to stop.

“We know who you are,” said Steven Tyler, declaring that Casey’s elimination was just plain wrong. Which it was. Here’s a performer with true talent, a distinctive style, musical ability out the wazoo and America’s vast unwashed apparently tone-deaf masses kick him off?

What’s wrong with this picture! (Answer: Everything.)

Casey looked like he might pass out after the judges used their one “save” of the season to keep the bearded mop-head on the team. I assume tonight’s failure to reduce the group of eleven to ten means that 2 people will be eliminated next week. In my opinion, losing Stefano, Haley or Thia would be far less damaging to the show’s integrity than losing arguably the most talented and fearless singer in the group. He has come out and sung songs as difficult as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and then, on Wednesday night’s show, hit the high notes on Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” What show was the rest of America watching? You had Stefano singing with little or no emotional connection to his song and Thia actually bobbling the words a bit, and then a truly great performer stalks the stage and…what….? You voted for “the cute one”? Yikes!

After he was “saved,” there was a dramatic encounter with Casey hugging his parents and overcome with emotion at the judges’ using their one-and-only save so early in the season. He could be heard saying, “I can’t breathe.” I feared he would pass out.

The rest of the show preceding Casey’s near-elimination consisted of Ryan Seacrest announcing that 30 million viewers had voted, Sugarland and Jennifer Hudson performing, Marc Antony assisting the contestants with the use of an in-ear headphone so that they can better hear themselves when they perform. Another high point was the appearance of Stevie Wonder to play “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and wish Steven Tyler a happy 63^rd birthday. Hulk Hogan also put in an appearance, (which seemed to thrill James Durbin more than anyone.)

Jennifer Lopez offered the startled audience and the overcome-with-emotion Casey this advice as the emotional show ended on a dramatic note: “Let people feel your soul. You deserve to be here.”

FBI May Be Working RICO Charges in Rock Island (IL) Charges

By Connie Wilson

On March 10, 2011

In Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics

On January 16, 2010, I posted an article on my blog, “Weekly Wilson” that detailed my firsthand experiences as a one-time candidate for 1^st Ward Alderman in East Moline, Illinois in 2005 who knew the vote totals announced in her race the next morning were false. (*Read the first article to see how on Weekly Wilson to see why I was able to figure out that the sudden turn-around of an election night victory for Yours Truly to a neat “she lost by 10 votes” in the morning Quad City Times could not possibly be right.)

At the time, I promised my mother-in-law I would not write about the election. She feared it would come off \as though I were a “sore loser,” which I was not. So, I did not write about it in 2005. I did not write about it until many years later, when a Letter to the Editor from Helen Heiland appeared, decrying the fact that she had been passed over to be Democratic County Chairman upon the retirement (and subsequent death) of John Gianulis.

Helen Heiland’s Letter to the Editor about how she should be the Heir Apparent to the corrupt Democratic County Chairman throne was the straw that broke the camel’s back, for me, in terms of sharing information. This was the same person who knew the truth about her own fraudulent election (went home in tears from her own victory party), even if nobody else did and even if it could not then be proven because of the corruption in the Good Old Boy network. Thanks to an informant who turned state’s evidence, it now can be proven.

Furthermore, Helen Heiland was a contemporary of Mr. Gianulis, which means that, if I was old at 50-something then, she was extremely old. I realize that various Congressmen serve until they have to be carted off in an ambulance, but, really, is that desirable? If you are in good health and can at least walk under your own power and are of sound mind and can stay awake at a Council meeting (or even be present in the first place) and, (hopefully), are intelligent, shouldn’t those qualities count for something in picking a representative of the people?

I did not run for office to become a perennial political candidate, as Mrs. Heiland has become. I ran because my former junior high school students at Silvis (IL) Junior High were present at an organizational meeting for then-Mayor Jose “Joe” Moreno in 2005. They enthusiastically urged me to challenge long-time 1^st Ward Alderman Helen Heiland (who nearly always ran unopposed), as did then-Mayor Joe Moreno. I was the only one in the room who lived in the 1^st Ward. Not exactly overwhelming qualifications for office, but, with a Master’s plus 30, good health, the time to spend, and a long history of being honest and outspoken (I was the Sylvan Learning Center founder, and I helped achieve recognition for the SEA in Silvis as four-term Co-Chairman of the group) . I had the time, my heart was in the right place, and I wasn’t planning on parking my elderly posterior in the seat until I was cremated.

Helen Heiland had been blocking many of the Mayor’s progressive ideas, supposedly at the urging of then-Democratic County Chairman John Gianulis, who dictated, from above, what would happen in Rock Island County. Later, I was told by a highly-placed Illinois politician when I was present at the DNC in Denver that I was merely “collateral damage” in an attempt to beat Joe Moreno.

The irony was that, unlike Helen Heiland, who allied herself with now-Mayor John Thodos and ran as a teammate, spending thousands of dollars (I heard $25,000), I spent $500, asked for no political contributions (although I got a few) and ran alone. Joe and I were not a political team. He was a friend. He knew the political ropes, but Joe ran on his own, and I ran on my own. He certainly offered advice about such things as poll watchers (too late, as it turned out; it was already the day of the election, and I had none. One election judge voted twice under 2 different names and 3 people entered a booth together in one precinct, I learned.)

Joe had (supposedly) somehow angered former Illinois State Representative Denny Jacobs and was to be “taken down a peg or two,” I was told. I never knew whether to believe that story or not, since Joe’s wife, Lorna, is a Jacobs herself, the daughter of Don Jacobs, Denny’s brother. Why would Joe’s wife’s uncle want him to lose his Mayoral bid, especially when Joe was such a good and popular Mayor who appealed to the large Hispanic population and frequently went to the police station to serve as a free translator, at all hours of the day and night? You couldn’t ask for a nicer or more popular guy or one with better ideas. It made no sense to me then, and it makes no sense to me now, so it must be wrong. (“Yeah, sure, that’s the ticket,” to quote an old Saturday Night Live line).

The only reason I could come up with on my own—[and it is and was pure speculation]— was that Denny Jacobs might be afraid that the popular Democratic Mayor of East Moline would one day eclipse his own son in popularity and prove to be a threat to Mike Jacobs in future elections. But,— I repeat—that is pure speculation from a political rookie, so I’d ignore that, like everything else I have ever reported has been ignored. Like the recount in a tiny room in Rock Island that showed that I finished ahead of Helen Heiland in actual ballot voting was ignored and never merited so much as a single line in either newspaper. Just go ahead and forgetaboutit. (I told my mother she should have named me Cassandra. In mythology, Cassandra always told the truth but was never believed, because of a curse that had been placed upon her.)

Elections in Rock Island County, Illinois were rigged, at least from 1988 on. I know this from my own firsthand experience. [I would venture to say that Al Gore knows this from his own firsthand experience in Florida.]

I didn’t care that I had not won the 1^st Ward Alderman’s seat. As Joe Moreno himself would tell you, I agreed to run once (and once only). I was not willing to serve more than one term. I had “promises to keep” to myself and others. My Bucket List included building a place in Chicago, spending more time with my twin grandchildren there, and writing many books, which I have been doing (8 since 2002). I was not going to become a career politician, and, quite frankly, it is too bad that more honest people don’t enter politics with the idea of serving their fellow citizens, without planning to become career politicians (“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”).

And certainly politicians should not be planning to gain office merely to line their own pockets through schemes like the Auto Poll scheme (Leibovitz’ company? American Elections Systems, Inc., incorporated May 9, 2009) or by buying up primo land for development in sweetheart deals or any of a number of other questionable political pursuits.

But the American Elections Systems, Inc. scheme that former Democrat County Clerk Richard “Dick” Leibovitz was implicated in 14 months ago goes beyond self-serving and into criminal waters. That is why I wonder why nothing more has been said or written about those 14-month old charges against Richard “Dick” Leibovitz.

Until I did some more digging, that is.

Despite a girlfriend’s defense of her former classmate Mr. Leibovitz (“Oh, it was just an accounting error!” —Right. And I have swampland for sale in Florida.), it seems fairly apparent from the newspaper stories of January, 2010, that there were many examples of malfeasance in office under Richard “Dick” Leibovitz.

According to the Quad City Times, state records list three officers and directors for American Election Systems, Inc.: Richard Leibovitz; his son Christopher of Lenox, Illinois (listed as director); and James Harmening of Orland Park, Illinois, company secretary. Harmening is also president of a Chicago-based information technology company called Computer Bits, Inc., which has provided “consulting services” to the County Clerk’s office. Computer Bits, Mr. Harmening’s company, was paid $48,969 since 2008 by Rock Island County, including $35,280 in federal grant funds.

Is it a big stretch to imagine that the conspiracy within the Rock island County Office Building could reach further than Mr. Leibovitz? Couldn’t others…perhaps even the District Attorney’s office…be involved? What other offices might be involved? (Make a list). Is it difficult to imagine that someone who might be guilty of the charges we already know about couldn’t see his way clear, (if asked by powerful others in authority), to sneak a few extra ballots into this or that ballot box, come election night, just to keep the status quo the way the Powers-That-Be wanted them to be kept and make sure an election came out “right” ? Isn’t this the American way? Stuff the absentee ballot box, fix the election, get rich on the public dollar, retain power any way you can, so that you can profit financially?

Oh, wait.

No, that isn’t the American way that I believe in. That isn’t why I spent $8,000 trying to show the rest of Rock Island County (and Scott County) what was going on over here across the “Joined-by-a-River” Quad Cities. Nelson, Keys & Keys tried to help me expose the corruption in Rock Island County, Illinois. Unfortunately, when the chips were down and the recount was going on, reporter Jenny Lee (Dispatch representative) who was present in the room, didn’t write a single word. And the Quad City Times guy must have been stuck on the bridge, because we didn’t see him at all. And so it goes…and went. As a line from the new TV drama “The Chicago Code” put it, “There is corruption and then there is just the way things get done, and you gotta’ know the difference.”

I sense corruption, and lots of it, about to be exposed.

And, yes, it seems to have been “the way that things got done” in Rock Island County (at least since 1988).

District Attorney Jeff Terronez

District Attorney Jeff Terronez, a Democrat, prosecuted a United Township High School teacher, Jason Van Houtte, who was having sex with his underage students. One particular underage student, Julie W***, testified against Van Houtte, and he received a prison sentence.

Not long after that, additional charges surfaced that the current District Attorney, Jeff Terronez, (a Democrat) had taken the girl—his star witness— and a friend on trips and allegedly supplied alcohol to the underage pair. One story has the “trip” as a harmless trip to visit colleges in Iowa City and Springfield. Supposedly an adult associated with the attractive blonde cheerleader was present and shot film of Mr. Terronez (who is 40-ish and married) with the girls. One story alleges that the current charges against Mr. Terronez are simply a vendetta on the part of the underage girl, who really “loved” her former teacher and now wishes to get revenge, with the help of the camera footage shot by her Aunt, vengeance against the prosecuting attorney who put her former teacher love away. (If this is beginning to sound too much like a soap opera, I merely would say that you can’t make this stuff up.) All these charges were first aired on WQAD, Channel 8, by Anchor Chris Minor.

I am wondering why a District Attorney of any party would be escorting underaged teen-aged girls who were not his children on college visits. It is difficult to wrap one’s mind around the adjective “innocent,” (as in “innocent trip,”_ vendetta or no vendetta. If the trip was just a college visit, why was Mr. Terronez involved at all? Does the “She just wants to get even with him” story hold together, realistically?

Quad City Times Sues

So, we have had 2 big political corruption stories in Rock Island County, Illinois in the past 14 months that seem(ed) unrelated and also seem to have been swept under the rug:

1) Richard “Dick” Leibovitz’s alleged misdeeds involving the office he held for 22 years have not (yet) been punished. He has not been tried or fined or even mentioned in recent months, and it has been 14 months since the post I am repeating below this one appeared.

2) The guilt or innocence of Rock Island District Attorney Jeff Leibovitz is also up in the air. The Quad City Times has been trying to find out what is happening regarding Mr. Leibovitz for months.

This is a timeline of the “Times” attempts to get to the bottom of the Terronez charges:

October 22, 2010: Jim Bohnsack, Rock Island County Board Chairman reported a telephone conversation wih Mr. Terronez during which District Attorney Terronez admitted that he was the subject of a police investigation. Illinois State Police declined to comment.

October 28, 2010: QC Times filed a Freedom of Information Act with the Illinois State Police, asking for information.

November 10, 2010: QC Times received a request from the Illinois State Police for a 5-day extension.

November 29, 2010: A request for a FOIA review was submitted to the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor, via e-mail. The office was supposed to submit a response within 7 days and 30 days to answer the request.

January 21, 2011: The Illinois State Police mailed a letter to the QC Times, denying the FOIA request of November 3. The request did acknowledge that there was an ongoing investigation involving Terronez. An attorney with the public access counselor’s office said he would contact Illinois State Police and ask for the documents the newspaper requested and for an explanation for why the request was denied.

February 18, 2011: The QC Times received a letter from the Attorney General’s Office with a response from the Illinois State Police. It asked the public access counselor to uphold the original denial of the newspaper’s FOIA request.

March 8, 2011: The QC times filed sit against the Illinois State Police, seeking the release of the information.

(*The timeline above appeared in the Quad City Times newspaper of March 9, 2011, on page A4. This is what is unofficially know as “the run-around.”)

So, what is going on here? We have two cases against two prominent elected Illinois officials, both Democrats. There is an acknowledgement that one case, at least (i.e., Terronez) is “ongoing.”

The other older case (i.e., Leibovitz) is a case where one might say the trail has gone cold. Or has it?

Are the authorities trying to sweep everything under the rug, or is there a concerted attempt to finally “out” the ballot-stuffing and rigged elections that I experienced, firsthand, and many others have suspected were the norm in Rock Island Country over the years. I know that the Quad City Times has had suspicions that something was “rotten in Denmark” for years, because I spoke with one of its editors who wanted me to cut down my Letter to the Editor to a ridiculously few words.

I said that what happened to me (and, I don’t doubt, to Joe Moreno and countless others) could not be explained in “ a few words” and my letter never appeared. I did not even write the letter after the election of 2005. I wrote only after Helen Heiland, (still clinging to her 1^st Ward Alderperson position until the grave beckons) sent a letter to the Moline Dispatch whining about how she should have been given John Gianulis’ position as Chairman of the Democratic party in Rock Island County.

So, what gives with the above?

While we’re all waiting for the suit that Donald Craven, attorney for the Quad City Times has filed against Interim Director Patrick Keen of the Illinois State Police (filed in Sangamon County) to wend its way through the courts, how can the public can find out what is going on? It’s been over a year since the fact of Mr. Leibovitz’s wrongdoing was first revealed…and many months (6, at least) since Mr. Terronez’s endorsement was removed from the campaign literature of a fellow Democratic candidate for office, due to the potential embarrassment factor. And, during that time, Mr. Terronez has still been acting as the District Attorney for Rock Island County, Illinois, even though one fact that has been admitted by the Illinois State Police is that he was and is the ongoing subject of a police investigation.

True, the investigation seemed to be about whether or not Mr. Terronez supplied alcohol to underage girls but is that all that he might be charged with when the facts hit the fan?

Some say that the Terronez case and the Leibovitz case are not separate at all, but iner-related. The entire house of cards that is Rock Island County politics might be coming crashing down on the heads of those who have called the shots and stuffed the ballots (mostly the absentee ballots) and released the wrong vote counts for years and years. How could the officials discover this?
Well, one way might be to read www.WeeklyWilson.com on January 10, 2010, where I explained how I went door-to-door exposing the corruption that existed in what should be fair elections in this county. I did it not for me, but for anyone who might come after me. It cost me $8,000, and…trust me on this…a seat at the table as 1^st Ward Alderman is not worth $8,000, but preserving free and fair elections is, to me…[idealist and honest person that I am.]

I had Darren Leibovitz in school when he attended Silvis Junior High School, as I explained in the original article regarding the Leibovitz charges. I had nothing to do with the discovery of Mr. Leibovitz’ alleged misuse of federal funds to build a company that marketed voting software, which would, therefore, feather his own private nest. I did not cry a river at losing a 1^st Ward alderman position that I planned to hold for the minimum amount of time—possibly only for 2 years— despite the charges some will make that I am telling this story in a “sour grapes” fashion. There have been elections since 2005, and I have not sought public office, political outsider that I was then and am now. As I told State Representative Mike Jacobs in Denver at the DNC, “I like politics as a spectator sport.” It is not nearly as much fun as a participant, especially when you can’t even expect the County Clerk’s office to fairly count the vote.

Darren Leibovitz, Richard “Dick” Leibovitz’s son, was brought in to be deputy clerk in his office by Mr. Leibovitz just before he retired, thereby placing him in a position over an employee with more seniority and more experience, Pat Randall. The rumor is that Randall has been granted immunity to tell where the skeletons are buried and how the ballot boxes got stuffed with absentee votes for whichever candidates the Powers-That-Be decreed should win this time around. Recently, an auditor (Diana Robinson) has announced she will not run for re-election. The rumor there is that she hopes, when the proverbial s*** hits the fan, that at least her pension will be secure.

What will the charges be? If the rumors turn out to be accurate, everything from vote fraud (which is what I told the Quad City Times back in 2005) to racketeering to RICO whatever. Who knows who all will be implicated and which powers on the throne will be toppled. Certainly not me. One source said, “Believe me…It’s gonna’ be far-reaching.”

Will any of the things I’ve said here turn out to be true? We’ll have to wait and see. Just ignore me, as many did when I said Obama would carry Iowa. Just ignore me, as many did when I cried “Foul!” in a small election for 1^st Ward Alderman in Rock Island County in 2005. Just ignore me when I tell you that you should stay tuned for further developments, because, and I quote Quad City Times Executive Editor Jan Touney from March 9^th’s paper (front page): “It is well past time that the public know what is happening with the investigation involving the Rock Island County State’s Attorney.”

To that, I say “Amen,” and I would like to add, “And it is also high time that the public know the disposition of the case against former Rock Island County Clerk Richard “Dick” Leibovitz.

Either there is a big s***-storm coming from on high, with charges that will make headlines, or there’s a large pile of dirty Democratic dealings that date back to at least 1988 piling up under the carpet in Springfield.

Chicago Film Fest: Encounters of the Famous Kind

By Connie Wilson

On November 12, 2010

In Movies

During the Chicago Film Festival (Oct. 7-21) I had the opportunity to meet and greet several famous folk.

One was Guillermo del Toro, who was very sweet and sincere. Another was Ron Perlman, in town to give Guillermo an award. Then there was Forest Whitaker, Cecile DeFrance (the Belgian star of “Hereafter”), David Schwimmer, Alan Cumming and the assorted stars of “Trust,” a David Schwimmer-directed film. There was also Danny Boyle, the director of “Slumdog Millionaire ” and “127 Hours.”

Ron Perlman in the background and Guillermo del Toro on the Red Carpet at the Chicago Film Festival.

Director Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire," "Trainspotting") after the premiere of "127 Hours."

Cecile DeFrance, female star of "Hereafter" and me, after the Chicago premiere of Clint Eastwood's new film.

Chicago critic Richard Roper and Cecile DeFrance, star of Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter."

Ed Burns, Director of "Nice Guy Johnny" and "The Brothers McMullen," hits the Red Carpet at the Chicago Film Festival.

Ed Burns at the Chicago Film Festival.

Guillermo del Toro onstage.

Lianna Liberato, who won as Best Actress for her part in "Trust" at the Chicago Film Festival.

Alan Cumming on the Red Carpet at the Chicago Film Festival.

Alan Cumming, who plays Eli Gold on "The Good Wife," gave interviews only to television.

David Schwimmer directed "Trust" at the Chicago Film Festival; he's better-known from his "Friends" role of yesteryear.

Nashville, TN: Labor Day Weekend

By Connie Wilson

On September 6, 2010

In Music, Pop Culture, travel

Nashville's scale model Parthenon in Centennial Park.

We’re here in Nashville and have been visiting the Parthenon, a left-over from the Nashville Centennial Celebration and other points of interest.

There was a Friday night beer-tasting event in a park, similar to others held in 14 other cities. It was well-attended, and various beers could be sampled.

After the event in the park, we attended a concert by a group called “Westfolk.” The band consists of lead singer Oscar Anthony of Chicago, who resembles Abbie Hoffman of the 60’s. On guitars and synthesizer is John Shaw. Brady Surface plays bass guitar, Ross Ridgeman helps with vocals and plays keyboards, Jared Ziemba and Houston Matthews on drums round out the group. We met Houston’s parents, who were in town from Little rock, Arkansas. Dad was frantically trying to Skype the concert “live” to Houston’s girlfriend in Los Angeles. Houston was definitely my favorite of the musicians and the last encore song was the best.

Tomorrow we plan to drive to a glass exhibit by the world renowned Dale Cihuly, whose last name I have probably just misspelled. Wish us luck!

Bon Jovi at Soldier Field on Friday, July 30, 2010

By Connie Wilson

On July 31, 2010

In Music, Pop Culture, Reviews

It was a beautiful night, because the rain that had been threatening for much of the afternoon held off. The tickets said 7:00 p.m, but we meandered across the street to Soldier Field at quarter to 8:00 p.m. and Kid Rock, performing with Bon Jovi as the lead-in act, had not yet taken the stage.

When he did, all numbers were up-tempo and, later on, he joined Bon Jovi for a rousing rendition of “Old Time Rock ‘N Roll.”

There was an intermission after Kid Rock’s hour long set and then, at approximately 9:30, Bon Jovi took the stage and held court for 2 and 1/2 hours. They played all the songs they’ve made famous over the years, and some I didn’t know. Bon Jovi looked great in a black jacket and pants that were also black, but sparkled. Other band members mostly went with the black leather pants.
Richie Sambora, in particular, had lost weight. He wore a silver lame jacket to open the show, then switched to a sleeveless leather vest, and finished up with a hat and vest combo. The fans were appreciative at all points, and 60,000 of them turned out. Considering that the band has played in 50 countries and released 11 studio albums, 2 compilations (1 Great Hits in 1994), 1 live album and sold 130 million copies, worldwide, we got what we expected: a World Class show. While the bands were performing a variety of film clips were projected on the 3 large screens behind them.

Bon Jovi, as a group, has been rocking and rolling since 1983. Jon Bongiovani, whose surname provided the group with its name “Bon Jovi” has been married to his high school sweetheart Dorothea for 21 years and has 4 children aged 17, 15, 8 and 6. It’s no wonder that Jon told “E! Online” prior to the Chicago show, “My life’s pretty good.” If you saw the “Sixty Minutes” special filmed at the palatial French chateau that is home in New Jersey, you will agree. The 48-year-old rocker pulled a calf muscle early in this tour, but, unlike Kings of Leon who canceled their entire St. Louis concert because a couple of pigeons shat upon 2 of their band members while they were playing, this band takes a licking, but keeps on ticking.

Jon Bon Jovi revealed that 2 countries they have yet to play, but would like to are Israel and Greece. Considering that they’ve played 2,600 dates in 50 countries, I’d say it’s a good bet they’ll eventually add both of those countries to their tour list. This tour, The Circle Tour, comes on the heels of the November, 2009 release of their latest album, “The Circle” and will wind down the North American leg after Saturday, July 31’s show. Then, one month off (August) and back to tour Latin America, Australia and Japan beginning in September.

A great show with plenty for everyone.

Worst Illinois Governor Ever: Who Deserves the Title?

By Connie Wilson

On July 21, 2010

In Books, Local, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics

Fifty-nine year old Jim Ridings has self-published a new book (342 pp.) about a corrupt governor of Illinois, which includes statements like these:

“He is so unscrupulous that his lack of principle gives him the appearance of audacity.”
“Insufferable”
“Small-minded”
“Unprincipled”
“Maybe his bad record is a help to him…It is so bad, it is unbelievable. When the truth is told, people say it cannot be so, and that there must be a vicious reason behind the telling of it.” (Chicago Tribune editorial about this governor.)
“The great game of politics is played everywhere, but nowhere with greater zest than in the state of Illinois.” (“Time” magazine article about this governor).
First Governor of Illinois to be arrested while in office.
“Is the worst governor the state ever had. We believe he is the worst governor any state ever had. He has contaminated everything with which he has come in contact in politics.” (Editorial from the Chicago Tribune)

So, who are we talking about here?

The question is valid, because, at this point, the book begins to outline how the governor of Jim Ridings’ book “did wickedly, willfully, unlawfully and feloniously embezzle and fraudulently convert to his own use” more than a million dollars in state money when he was Illinois treasurer in 1904, prior to becoming Governor of Illinois, a post he held from 1921 to 1929.

When arrested, this Governor refused to surrender to authorities for nearly 3 weeks, claiming that the doctrine of separation of powers protected him from arrest. He threatened to use the National Guard to place Springfield under martial law to protect him.

Prosecutors said the accused Governor had deposited millions into a fictitious bank to defraud the state out of interest payments, and that he had operated a money-laundering scheme. The defense maintained that the governor didn’t really know what was being done in his name and was the victim of his mean-spirited political foes. This Governor considered the Chicago Tribune to be chief among his “political foes,” as a current website about the governor and his family says, “The Chicago Tribune championed a cause against the Governor which impressed upon him the importance of hometown newspaper(s).”

I know you have all been reading this and thinking that the scoundrel’s name was Rod Blagojevich.

In reality, Rod Blagojevich was the second Governor of Illinois to be arrested while in office. The first was Lennington Small, a Republican from Kankakee whose offspring went on to found the Small Newspaper Group, and the SNG website says, “He established the integrity of the business through personal example.”

[After the list of charges above, I’m almost afraid to consider what that might have meant.]

Lennington Small, when brought to trial, was acquitted, but a juror and two Chicago mobsters were later indicted on charges that the jury had been bribed. Small, upon his acquittal and subsequent re-election bid (!), commuted the sentences of two other mobsters who had been jailed for refusing to cooperate with the grand jury investigating the circumstances of Lennington Small’s acquittal. It should be noted that Lennington Small lost a civil lawsuit and was forced to repay the state of Illinois $650,000. But he wasn’t impeached and—will wonders never cease—even won that second term in office.

Lennington Small died in 1936. His name was largely forgotten until his great grandson, Stephen Small, then 40, died after being buried alive in a botched kidnapping attempt in 1987.

The Small Newspaper Group began in 1913 with “The Daily Republican” in Kankakee (one of three newspapers in the town) and went on to acquire The Daily Times in Ottawa (1955); the LaPorte Herald-Argus (LaPorte, Indiana, 1964); the Daily Dispatch in Moline (1969); The Leader (Iowa Quad Cities) in 1978, (which has now ceased operations, although the SMG website does not note this); Star Publication weeklies in the south Chicago suburbs (1975-1995); SNG group prints 80,000 to 105,000 copies of “USA Today” in Kankakee (1983 to the present); “Family Weekly” magazine, which later became “USA Weekend”, was sold to CBS in 1980; Rochester “Post-Bulletin” (1977), the largest afternoon daily in the state of Minnesota; “Times-Press” in Streator, IL (1980; current Daily Dispatch publisher Roger Ruthhart came to Moline from Streator); Palisadian Post in California (1981); The Rock Island Argus from the Potter family, “one of the state’s oldest continuously published newspapers” in Rock Island, IL (1995), which also ceased operations in the recent past; and, in 1969, brothers Len and Burrell divided the family’s holdings in print and broadcast properties, with Len taking the newspapers and Burrell inheriting such properties as WKAN, in existence since 1947.

The SNG (Small Newspaper Group) website says of Governor Lennington Small, “The Governor is best-known for the 7,000 miles of hard roads he built in Illinois and for his support of the State Fair.”

Perhaps author Jim Ridings, who has written Len Small- Governors and Gangsters, a 342-page book about the “worst governor ever” would suggest other things for which Governor Small might be remembered, such as setting the bar so low that it took 90 years for someone (Rod Blagojevich) to lower it further.

SOURCES: SNG (Small Newspaper Group) official website; “The Worst Illinois Governor?” by Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune, Wed., July 21, p. 21; “Len Small: Governors and Gangsters,” self-published by Jim Ridings (342 pp., 2009).

May Day! May Day! Nashville Is Flooding!

By Connie Wilson

On May 1, 2010

In Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Uncategorized

It’s raining in Tennessee and the severe weather and storms hadn’t let up as of 5 p.m. CDT. Local papers in Nashville said it was the worst flooding since 1974.

According to the Channel 5 news in Nashville ([email protected] and the newspaper the Tennessean, there is a tornado watch for most of southwest Tennessee until 6 p.m. Six inches of rain fell Saturday night, and another 4 inches is expected by late Saturday. At 4:45 p.m., rain was still falling.

All high school proms were being canceled. There were 88 reports of road accidents and 30 people reported being stranded in their homes or cars. I40 in southwest Tennessee was shut down and I40 was shut down at the 59-mile marker on Saturday morning.

In the photo to the left, the black car belonged to a friend of my daughter’s and was parked in the Belmont University parking lot in Nashville. It was totaled.

In Memphis, the Interstate was closed. Franklin, where many rich and powerful stars reside (Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, et. al.) was flooded. The Nashville Sounds baseball game was canceled.

This photo was taken by a friend from his window.

Tornado warnings had been issued for southeast Davidson County, eastern Williamson county, northern Rutherford, and western Wilson County. The Tennessee Department of Transportation canceled all roadwork on I440.

Another friend sent the picture below of her Nashville front yard under water. (Good thing the daughter lives on the third floor; many of her friends have 3 inches of water in their basements!)

Message: My front yard! Totally freaked out.

Obama Reassures NASA Workers of Commitment to Space Program

By Connie Wilson

On April 16, 2010

In Politics, Science and Medicine

President Barack Obama traveled to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida today (April 15, 2010) and addressed the scientists, engineers, astronauts and others gathered at NASA about his goals for the space program of the future.

Noted Obama,”It was here that NASA lunched Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, the Hubbell Telescope.” Obama, reminisced about being held on his grandfather’s shoulders in 1961 in Hawaii to observe the return of astronauts from space. He said, “I have been part of that generation inspired by the space program…As president, I believe that space exploration is an essential part of our nation. So, today, I’d like to talk about a new chapter in space exploration.”

BACKGROUND OF SPACE RACE
Recapping history and the space race we ran with Russia back in the day, Obama tried to explain that we are no longer in the position that our cold war with Russia put us in back in 1957 and beyond. He did not, however, repudiate the space program, but, instead, repeated his commitment to NASA, pointing out that it was Bush the younger, 8 years ago, who decreed that the next 3 launches of the Challenger will be its last, due to cost constraints. That was not Obama’s decision, but George W. Bush’s.

Obama said, “I am 100% committed to the mission of NASA and its future. Because, if we fail to press forward we are ceding our imperative to press forward, and that’s part of our national character.”

Obama also went on to say, “People, for years, have neglected NASA’s mission.” He cited a reluctance to set objectives and to allocate funds and said, “All that has to change.” Therefore, Obama announced that, at a time when budgetary constraints are causing most programs to be cut or frozen, the budget for space exploration would increase by $6 billion dollars over the next 5 years. He went on to say, “NASA’s budget has risen and fallen with the political winds,” a practice which he decried.

NEW INITIATIVES

Some of the initiatives that Obama announced for NASA included ramping up robotic exploration of space, going to Mars, launching a successor to the Hubbell Telescope and extending the life of the International Space Station. The president announced that, at a time of freezes, NASA must work hand-in-hand with an array of private sector corporations and said, “NASA has always worked well with the private sector.” Obama said that, with new companies competing, the pace could be accelerated and that “we must build on the good work already done on the Orion endeavor. Orion will be readied for flight right here in this room.”

Another pledge was $3 billion for research to develop a new vehicle to reach deep space. He announced the plan to “finalize a rocket design no later than 2015 and then begin to build it.” This is at least 2 years earlier than previous plans, Obama noted. He announced that research should be made into ways to live and work in space for longer periods of time.

Said the president, “These are the questions that we can and will answer. We will not just continue on the same path, but leap into the future.” He referred to these goals as “transformative strategies.” Noting that the Constellation program was not fulfilling its goals, he declared that the administration would take a look at it and try to improve it, but repeated, “Nobody is more committed to manned space flight, to human exploration of space, than I am.” He pledged, “We will actually reach space sooner and more often,” with the partnership between NASA and the private sector. “We will send many more astronauts into space over the next decade.”

Obama pledged to invest in groundbreaking research, to set a course with achievable milestones. “By 2025, the first ever missions beyond the moon and into deep space” will take place. He mentioned potentially visiting an asteroid. By the mid 2030’s he said that the United States will journey to Mars and back and noted, “And I expect to be around to see it.”

Been There/Done That:

Obama downplayed the idea of going back to the moon, saying, “Some say, moon first. We’ve been there before.” He pledged, instead, that the development of deep-space propulsion systems would be critical to the space program he supports. In poo-poohing a return to the moon, he said, “I believe it’s much more important to ramp up, and that’s how we’ll insure that our exploration will be much more in the next century than it was in the last.”

Jobs Creation for Space Exploration:

Obama pledged, 2,500 jobs along the space coast, more than under his predecessor, George W. Bush. He furthermore pledged to modernize the Kennedy Space Center. Third on his list was the promise of (potentially) 10,000 more jobs in the private sector that would be allied with the government’s space program. He did note, “Some will see their jobs end (a decision made 8 years ago) when the Constellation program comes to an end, but I have directed a $40 million initiative to develop a plan for regular job growth to be on my desk by August 15^th of this year.”

THE NEXT CHAPTER IN SPACE EXPLORATION

Said Obama, “So this is the next chapter that we can reach together, right here at NASA.” He encouraged a “step-by-step push of the boundaries.” He urged a push for ways for people to live in space, calling it “humanity’s role in space.”

To the rhetorical question, “Why spend money on NASA, on space exploration, at all?” Obama answered: “You and I know this is a false choice. For pennies on the dollar, space exploration has inspired generations of Americans, creating jobs, etc….I want to say clearly that is exactly why it is important that we push limits,” but he urged “clear aims” and “a larger purpose.”

Obama called the moon landing achieved under President John F. Kennedy in 1969 “one of the greatest achievements in human history.”

BEGINNING OR ENDING?

He added, “Is this a beginning or an ending of the space program? I choose to believe that this is the beginning of something, not the end of something.” He repeated that the race into space helped define the United States and that the decision to retire the space shuttle after 3 more missions was made by “W” some time ago.

I watched the live speech on the Fox news channel, and I expected to hear derision and nay saying after the inspiring speech. The paid talking head was remarkably positive towards the president’s message. However, the “expert” that Fox hired to be interviewed (Homer Hickam, supposedly a former NASA engineer), upheld Fox’s anti-Obama bias almost to the point of being ludicrous and laughable. Hickam said, “If you want to talk about dinosaur bones, I’m your man” as the segment wound down, which had little or nothing to do with the issue of Obama’s speech on space exploration.

Hickam’s comments included these: “I just hope the people in charge don’t mess it up so bad that we can’t fix it.” (Oh. You mean like Bush did for 8 years? We’re all familiar with that strategy.)

He claimed that Obama has “a bad team” in John Holderin, his space expert. (I was tempted to ask, “There are worse team than those assembled by “W” when in office, including Brownie and Rumsfeld?) Hickam added, “They don’t have the ability to organize a Boy Scouts’ Jamboree,” which seemed, even for Fox, to be hyperbole. After the additional comment that, “I think the people he’s got in charge don’t have a clue,” the Hickam person held up his handheld GPS, his cell phone ( he would have held up a microwave and a flat screen televison, if he had been given more time and ones that were small enough), claiming that all of these developments came to us courtesy of NASA.

Hickam said, “That GPS saved my life when I was out there in the desert looking for dinosaur bones” (?) and went off on a conversational tangent about dinosaur bones. I am unsure where this so-called “expert” came from or under what conditions he left NASA, but the Obama speech was really inspiring and, in direct contradiction of Hickam’s later accusation that it was “so vague,” the speech set actual deadlines for many of these space initiatives, which is something I do not remember hearing from any president since JFK. Four of them are mentioned in the paragraphs above. The speech was interrupted by spontaneous applause by the NASA scientists and engineers on several occasions.

I spent 3 weeks in Florida in January and February. NASA workers there were understandably concerned about their futures. This speech went a long way towards reassuring top-notch current NASA workers (Homer Hickam is not among that group). After this speech, they should feel more reassured that their jobs are not going away. This will help prevent a brain drain of our top researchers. Obama’s commitment to the cause of space exploration, just as his commitment to passing a health care bill, seemed real and genuine during today’s speech.

Ten Tips to Try to Save the Titanic that “American Idol” is Fast Becoming

By Connie Wilson

On April 1, 2010

In Music, Pop Culture, Television

I’ve already posted an article that describes how Didi Benami was eliminated on Wednesday night’s “American Idol” but now, following in the steps of other news sources, most notably the April 2 issue of “Entertainment Weekly,” I’m going to sound off on the ejection of Didi (et. al.) and what’s happening to drag “American Idol” down the tubes in this, the worst season it has ever experienced.

The show premiered in June of 2002. It has been a rating blockbuster every year since. However, this year, the ratings have plummeted, dropping from 25.8 and 25.5 million to 22.9 and 20.5 million (www.entertainmentweekly.com, p. 38, “Why Can’t the New Idols Sing” by Michael Slezak). At first, I thought the low number of hits on Associated Content for “American Idol” articles could be blamed on competition from the winter Olympics. Then, the winter Olympics ended and the truth emerged.

There were many mistakes made this year, from letting Paula go as a judge, (when audiences apparently loved her particular brand of ditz), to letting it be known that this is Simon’s Swan Song Season. I’m not sure that “American Idol” audiences have ever really taken to Kara. She seemed like “the fifth wheel” last year, and that feeling continues. On top of which, as one critic put it, her constant game of “touchy feely” with Simon becomes distracting to the judging of the contestants and doesn’t seem very mature or professional to be showcased, week after week, on a major television show.

For whatever reason, this year’s crop of “American Idol” contestants is just not that good. There are perhaps 2 to 4 contestants left singing at the end of March with major star potential (Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus, Lee DeWyze and Casey James), but there are more still singing that are just plain pitiful.

Point Number One:

The refrain heard over and over again (said to the contestants by the judges) is, “You picked the wrong song.” I would like to offer this comment: why don’t the Powers That Be help the contestants pick the song(s) a bit more? If you were planning a party…say a wedding…the DJ would have the songs picked and would mix them up: some slow, some fast. There seems to be no one telling the current crop of lesser talents that it is probably not a good idea to have 10 very gloomy acoustic songs in a row. Why not help the singers out a bit? Require that ½ of the contestants sing something upbeat one week (while the other half can sing slow things) and then switch it around the next week? There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the gloomy, slow ballads that we are subjected to, week after week, song after song. If the show drags, it is because the song selections are admittedly not that great, but they could be, with a little help from the brass at the top. Who’s in that control booth, anyway, and why don’t they step in and give the poor kids some guidance here?

Point Number 2

So many of the songs being sung have been done to death over the years. It is rumored that Katie Stevens wants to sing “Over the Rainbow.” The pitch-challenged contestant, a perennial cellar dweller in the bottom three for the past several weeks, would only be about the umpteenth person to do this song. It was suggested in the “E.W.” article that perhaps a song could be “banned” from the competition once it has been sung by another artist in another year. I mean, come on: Kimberley Locke, Katharine McPhee, Jason Castro sang “Over the Rainbow” in seasons 2, 5 and 7. Do we really want to hear the pitch-challenged Katie sing it this year, too? As Michael Slezak put it, “Ask yourself if you really want to hear Rendition Number 147 of ‘Feeling Good.’” Other “Idol” contestants have already covered twenty-four of the sixty songs performed during the season 9 semi-finals on live shows. That’s a lot of hearing the same song(s) over and over and over.

Point Number Three:

Simon is always hugely critical of “cheesy” treatments of songs on the show, so what’s with the cheesy “group” numbers? Tonight’s (3/31) was “Kung Fu Fighting” and it wasn’t pretty. Why not eliminate the group singing, as the contestants often seem to be struggling with the choreography and nobody likes a bunch of amateurs bumping into one another doing lip-synched poorly chosen songs. As Slezak referred to them in his article in “E.W.”, the “never enjoyable for the audience or the contestants group numbers. So which sadist insists on keeping this cheeseball tradition alive?”

Point Number Four:

This year, the judges seem particularly indifferent. Randy takes forever to mumble an opinion and, tonight, Kara made a particularly catty remark about Simon right to his face (“I know who Simon’s in love with: himself.”) At times, the arrangement of the 4 has changed, with Ellen starting out near Simon and then removing herself to the far right, near Randy. Makes you wonder. Ellen always tries to say something pleasant, but telling one contestant that it’s nice she didn’t fall down is, for sure, the lamest of compliments after a particularly horrific vocal performance (Paige Miles’). My favorite night to illustrate this was March 30^th, when Simon actually said, to Tim Urban, the least-gifted of all the contestants vocally: “I don’t think it makes any difference what we say…You’re not gonna’ win. You’re gonna’ smile. The audience is gonna’ vote for you. Nobody cares. You’re gonna’ be here next week. So, well done.” That’s about as indifferent and desperate a statement of the show’s situation as we’ve heard. And the show’s Number One Judge and one of the originators of the program articulated it.

Point Number Five:

This year’s Mentors. What is the deal this year with the inability to find any really talented and noteworthy mentors? Has everyone heard that the show is going down the tubes, so the Celine Dions and the veterans like Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart have said, “Don’t call me; I’ll call you”? Tonight’s musical mentor was Usher. Last week, the show was reduced to using Miley Cyrus, all of 17, to mentor the likes of a really talented singer of 28 (Crystal Bowersox). I remember the year that a hologram of Elvis sang with Celine Dion, which was a spectacular special effect. Why nothing of that caliber this year? And, as another writer suggested, why not get a REAL mentor who is a producer of today’s music and would come in and work with the contestants for the entire week, rather than just someone who drops by, hugs each of them, and then sits in the audience beaming and/or plugging his or her new release.

Point Number Six:

Idol Gives Back. What happened to the idea of “American Idol” being a force for good in a troubled world? We’re more troubled now than the years when the show used its clout to try to relieve suffering around the world, and yet the show has done less of this philanthropic humanitarian sort of thing than ever before. It’s a shadow of its former self in every sense of the word. Oh, yes, there were some token moments, but nothing like the year the show dedicated itself to really making a difference in a world of disasters, natural and other. And this year, the word is suffering perhaps more than ever and the show is doing less than ever to address noble causes.

Point Number Seven:

I’ve written about this before, so please don’t think it’s a new theme for me. I think my first article was called “Some Ideas for Songs That Don’t Suck on ‘American Idol.’” The well has gone dry for theme nights like Country & Western or Rhythm & Blues. There was Beatles night this year, and that was okay, but perhaps the show needs to dig into the catalogues of some other artists of that caliber, in order to avoid the boring offerings we’ve been presented with this year. It seems as though, most nights, there is one ballad after another, usually from someone clutching a guitar, many of them off-key. It’s about as exciting as watching paint dry. When it comes down to reggae versions of “Under My Thumb” by Tim Urban and Judge Kara Dio Guardi says, “I’ve got to applaud you for doing something so incredibly different with the song,” there are those, like Michael Slezak and me who say, “No, you don’t have to applaud mediocrity.” I think my comment after that night, in the subtitle was, “Reggae, Tim…Really?”

Point Number Eight:

The contestants who either didn’t make it on when they should have (Angela Martin, Jermaine Purefoy) or made it, but were kicked off when others who are far, far less talented remain are epidemic this year. Lilly Scott, Kristen Epperly, Todrick Hall are, unfortunately, in the majority this year of contestants gone too soon who could sing rings around Tim Urban on his best day. Contestant Crystal Bowersox was even quoted as saying of Epperly and Scott, “I really did not expect them to go home at all.” Supposedly 18,000 fans of Alex Lambert have been collecting petition signatures to put him back on the show. I suspect that Angela Martin was not allowed to advance because of her brush with the law, and I have an issue with putting contestants on the air in the first place, (like the young man who held up a bank with a b. b gun and served time for it), and then making them disappear because it would be a bad thing to have a felon as an “idol” to American youth. Why let the poor guy even think he was going to get a fair shake? Not to mention the fact (although I will) that the people who put this show on need to get their standards for “amateur versus professional” straight. I heard that the curly-haired young man (Chris Golightly) who was cut (thereby allowing Tim Urban to be called back) was cut because he did not reveal a previous recording contract. There was also a talented Irish contestant in Chicago who was not allowed through because of a fear of visa problems, yet, in other years, we had the tattooed lady of Ireland, as some of you may remember, and she had had a previous recording contract. The rules seem to be very flexible, as indicated by the fact that Michael Lynche is still on the show and in the top ten, even though his mother, who worked for the Orlando “Sentinel” somehow let it slip that he was going to be a finalist in the top twelve, and then his father confirmed it. Both were big “no nos”, but the “rules” that are in place seem to be only selectively enforced. To this viewer at home, recording contracts aside, I fail to see how you are an “amateur” if you have been performing on Broadway in “The Color Purple” (Todrick Hall) or, as with Adam Lambert last year, in a number of other Broadway shows. Mind you: I’m not saying keep the Adam Lamberts OFF. Far from it. I truly miss the caliber of an Adam Lambert or a David Cook or a David Archuleta. I’m just saying that the standards are very strange, not well explained, and very selectively enforced. The rules don’t seem to apply to all contestants. It reminds me of the novel Animal Farm where all animals are equal, but “some animals are more equal than other animals.” All contestants are equal, but some contestants seem to be more equal than other contestants. That just seems unfair.

Point Number Nine:

Too much style over substance. The worst offender, this year, was Tyler Grady, the Lizard King wannabe, who, thankfully, was gone early. His posing as Jim Morrison was hopelessly jejeune, but, to be fair, he was given a lot of mixed signals from judges like Kara DioGuardia early on. You can’t encourage a guy to become a clone of seventies singers like Morrison and tell him how “cool” he is and then turn around the next week and severely criticize him for doing what you just praised in him the week before. The film of Tyler showing up to sing in a bathrobe and cowboy boots shows what happens when you tell an amateur that he is so “cool” and he starts to believe his own press, when it’s premature.

Point Number Ten:

Don’t make the losers sing again. I’ve always found this hideously cruel. Where is the humanity in saying, “You’re gone. We don’t want you. You’re a loser. Now go out there and smile and sing well.” Come on, Folks. Let’s show a little compassion here. Just go with the clips and performances from happier days and let the poor reject slip out a side door and drown his or her sorrows. This year’s Lambert boy was in tears. Katelyn Epperly didn’t hold up that well, either. Only Todrick Hall, the Broadway veteran, seemed to have the attitude, “I know I’m good, and it’s too bad you couch potatoes out there can’t empathize with my obvious talent. Screw you!” And Todrick left us with a great performance, while most have not.

This year, I feel like the entire “American Idol” season is being decided by teeny-boppers who are twelve and wouldn’t know whether the boy they swoon over and vote for, is flat or sharp and could care less about anything more than the extremely superficial issue of his “cuteness.

But, then, given the fact that the professional singers who performed this night (3/31), P. Diddy Sean Combs and Usher gave us “style over substance” performances, what did I expect?