As 2009 comes to a close I have to look back on the year and acknowledge the blessings I have received.

I am thankful for the development of this blog as a platform to showcase my talents and viewpoints. I am thankful for the social media contacts I have made over the year. In person and/or on line my twitter/facebook friends truly add value to my life. I am thankful for the people who keep up with my YouTube account and my silly videos. Hokey as they are I put a lot of work into them and it means a lot for people to take the time to view them.

I am thankful for the aggregators (Digg, StumbleUpon, WindyCItizen, ChicagoNow) out there that allow me to introduce my content to a wider audience. I bother to write this dribble and you help me get it in front of people. Thank you!

On a deeper level I have been blessed and I am thankful to reconnect with good friends over the course of the year. I haven’t laughed so hard since high school. To think of how far we have all come, and to see the next generation coming into their own, is truly amazing.

I am thankful for the new opportunities that have been presented to me in my career. After working with such good natured and talented people at Merrill Lynch I was afraid of what the change would bring. However, my new role has afforded me the acquaintance of even more talented and good natured people. That means a lot and I am so grateful for their contribution every day.

I am thankful for the men and women that leave their homes and families behind to protect us, our property and freedoms where ever their duty takes them. Police, fire, soldiers , sailors, teachers and public servants of all ranks I thank you for all you do.

I am thankful for my son. For so many years we have been distant. I am grateful for his mother, her family and everyone that has contributed to his well being in my absence. Having him in my life and being able to open my heart fully is a soaring joy that goes beyond words.

Finally, I am grateful for Amy who has been there for the ride providing a positive insight on life. She brings light to the darkness I love to curse.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Be safe and enjoy.

If the crowd at the Disney Holiday Lights Festival on Michigan Avenue was any indication of the crowds that will come out on Black Friday, I’m staying inside and barring the door. Seriously, I have never been surrounded with so many inconsiderate people in my life.

We watched the show from just in front of the Ferragamo store on the East side of Michigan Ave. We got there an hour ahead of time and met some really nice people who had brought their family down for the parade. Late comers filed in behind us as they closed down the street for the parade and all the little kiddes were excited to see Mickey Mouse.

What rubbed me the wrong way right from the jump were the late comers who charged ahead of all the people who had been patiently waiting when they closed down the street. We got there an hour ahead of time but people who had been waiting much longer than us for a prime viewing spot got pushed out of the way. Even so, you already know I didn’t get pushed out of the way by the suburban rabble. Eat this Naperville!

We took our place along the rail with a great view of the parade route and I felt bad for a few kids standing behind me. In the holiday spirit I stood single file with my son so a couple little ones could squeeze in next to us. Well, no good deed goes unpunished; these little buggers were hell on wheels. All night long these two were pushing, shoving and swearing while their mother stood by and did nothing. Way to be a parent lady.

How did it become our responsibility to make sure these little angels demon seeds didn’t fall off the rail they climbed up on next to us? How did it become my job not to step on the one ankle biter as he crawled back and forth to mom and her “fishie” snacks? Yes lady I am talking about you. I was proud of how my son handled the situation. He weathered the storm without throwing as much as a discrete elbow. His reward? A great view of the parade.

Mickey came down the Mag Mile waving his wand and lighting the lights. Pluto, Daffy and Minie followed with other Disney owned personalities it tow (ABC7, WLS and etc.). What was really funny was the slooow pace the parade kept at first then abruptly everything began to fly by at better than 25 mph. It was good to see the Proviso East band in the parade (I’m originally from Maywood). They really got the crowd moving to their beat.
All an all it was a good time. We passed on the fireworks that followed the parade and made our way home. Below are a few shots from the festivities for your enjoyment.

A marching band kicks off the festivities On Michigan Ave.

A Harris Bank float carries military personnel down the Mag Mile.

Pluto & Goofy ham it up for the crowd.

On air personalities from ABC7 cheese for the crowd. They better, this is a Disney event and Disney owns every one of em.

Scrooge! My hero. Sorry your tour/production got canceled.

Daffy and Daisy rollin down the block.

Hey it’s Frosty!

Minnie and Mickey rode on separate floats. Trouble in Disneyland?

Santa!

From Monroe and Franklin to Division and Dearborn I have seen this little guy plastered on everything from the pavement to magazine boxes. But what is it? What does it represent? What does it mean?

More than likely this was some gorilla marketing campaign that went over my head but for the purpose of this blog post let’s assume it’s not that easily explained. What if this is some fringe group symbol foretelling an uprising against the city? What if the icon is alien in nature? What if the figure points the way to city TIF funds buried treasure?

Anything is possible; I blog and you decide.

I like to consider myself a rational man. Sure, I delve into conspiracy theories now and again for the entertainment value but the mistrust of the H1N1 vaccine has taken hold of me.

I have not been vaccinated and have not pushed for my son to be either. Revelations of more people dying from a mandatory vaccination program than an outbreak of swine flu in 1976 really turned me against the idea. I understand that if I and others like me are wrong the uninoculated populous at risk for contraction could really be a problem. Even so, I don’t trust it.

Moreover I am concerned that the rush to produce enough vaccine to meet the demand could lead to “complications”. It wouldn’t be the first time heavy production demand lead to errors.

Apparently over 50,000+ Chicagoans do not share my concern and met the requirement to be vaccinated early. More vaccinations will be available in the days to come and you can find out more here: www.cityofchicago.org/swineflu.

If any health care professionals would like to comment, please feel free to add your voice to the topic.

It’s after 10 PM on a Saturday evening and all day long I have been interlacing C-SPAN coverage into my weekend routine. One year after we marveled at the election of America’s first Black President, the Congress has cast a monumental vote clearing the way for Senate debate on healthcare for all in America.

It sounds like an incredible victory for people in dire need of coverage so why do I feel like we just bought the farm? This entire process has been loaded with heated rhetoric. Allegations of a power grab on the left and protection of insurance companies on the right but nobody is giving specifics as to why they are for or against the measure.

If this passes the Senate what are we truly sighing up for? Does anyone even know? Just moments after the vote passed the IL GOP issued this release:

“Today is a disappointing day for Illinoisans as Nancy Pelosi, Melissa Bean, Debbie Halvorson and Bill Foster ignored the concerns of voters and rammed a trillion dollar 1,990 page government-run health care bill through Congress ignoring pledges of transparency and bi-partisanship. Illinois for generations will be forced to deal with the consequences of this legislation that increases health care costs, increases taxes on small businesses and the middle class, cuts Medicare and puts a Washington bureaucrat between you and your doctor.

“This Tuesday, the American people made clear at the polls that they oppose bigger government, more spending and higher taxes, but this is exactly what they are getting with this new government-run health care legislation. Melissa Bean, Debbie Halvorson and Bill Foster chose to vote with their liberal buddies in Washington rather than in the best interest of their constituents back home, and this vote will not be forgotten by Illinois voters in 2010.”

From my understanding there is nothing written into the bill that requires a bureaucrat to intervene in my healthcare or is a guarantee of state run healthcare in our future. If I am wrong in my thinking Republicans have squandered five months bickering when they should have been articulating their position. Sure, this will require additional short-term spending that America could do without. Long-term this should serve to lift the healthcare burden from companies like GM and Ford and level the playing field with foreign competitors.

Furthermore, the idea that powerful insurance conglomerates will not adapt to the new healthcare playing field and vanish leaving us as slaves to some government healthcare czar smacks of alarmist partisan dialogue. Give the voters a viable reform alternative, point out the poison pill in the current bill or just stop yourself.

Isn’t a new trillion dollar entitlement and the future of the American people worth that at least?

From the revelations of horror coming out of Anthony Sowell’s home in Cleveland to the vivid images from the killing spree of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan at Ft. Hood, it is obvious that the level of carnage in America has risen to new heights. Life is cheap and heinous acts of violence are more common in these tough times.

In the face of all this killing Is it not alarming to others that Americans are racing to arm themselves? I am a strong supporter of the right to bear arms but I have to acknowledge that not all gun owners are of sound mind, intent and well trained to handle a firearm. Just look at all the dead teenagers in Chicago killed by other teenagers with guns and you see what I mean.

Does all this violence prove we have we lost our way as a nation? As a God fearing people? How do we get back to where we belong? How do you stop the next Jason Rodriguez from picking up a gun and going batshit crazy on those he felt wronged by?

The gun lobbyists will certainly come out in force pointing out it was an armed civilian officer that stopped the tragedy at Ft. Hood. Gun control proponents will point to Jason Rodriguez’s office rampage in Orlando in a call for tougher gun ownership laws. What do we in the middle do to find an acceptable solution that preserves our gun rights while averting new tragedy? Can you avert new tragedy?

While the world tries to figure out that seemingly insurmountable question I take the time to offer condolences and prayers for the family and friends who lost loved ones to the violence that grips America. Be strong and we shall persevere.