Well according to an e-mail I got today, McCain is going to announce on Letterman tonight. Not quite Oprah, but still an interesting place to announce.

OneMan

It appears that OneMan is in fact Kreskin when it comes to the Sneedster

From a Post on Feb 18th

Anyone want to place odds that when Sneed returns from vacation she will have the following in her first column back.

it took a few days for some of these do become true...

Some sort of reference about the Obama campaign that anyone who reads a blog will have known for at least a week.

From Feb 23rd, second day back

Dateline: The Campaign Line -- Sneed hears a plan is afoot to dispatch Dem presidential hopeful Barack Obama's former colleagues in the Illinois Senate to the primary and caucus states to help set Obama's voting record straight, particularly in the being soft on crime department. They'll claim he's not. There ya go.

Some reference to where she went on vacation and how it is warmer than Chicago.
The use of the term Yum-Yum

Turns out she had surgery on her knee, so no Yum-Yum

A 'natch, A get it forget it,a Burke or Sugar Rathbord reference

A Sugar Rathbord reference on Feb 23rd, second day back, An Ed Burke on the first day back

So not too bad, also she is already repeating herself from Feb 21st, first day back

Hair stare: Songstress-turned-actress Jessica Simpson, who's accompanying beau John Mayer while he's in town to play the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb, has apparently jettisoned the blond tresses for long copper locks.
• The sultry Simpson was spotted sans makeup Tuesday at Barney's on Rush Street sporting caramel-colored hair extensions and trekking through the jewelry department in ultra high "stacked" heels.

From the 25th

I spy: Jessica Simpson and her rock star beau John Mayer dipped into Rosebud Steakhouse for soup and steak last week with nary a paparazzo in sight. Must've been because of her newly copper-toned locks. ...

Yes I realize it was a different restaurant but the Mayer reference and the hair reference make it a bit redundant in my book.

OneMan figuring out what Sneed is going to say beforehand so you don't have to read her.

Yes we have an election tomorrow and OneMan will yet again be the 'official' representative of a major political party. It only covers two wards so it should be an early night. I have my favorites for each race, but we will see how it goes. I suspect turnout is going to be tiny.

The print edition of the Beacon had a story about the cost of the primary for the election commission. Suffice to say as party representative at the count, OneMan doesn't get any money. Which is cool. It is a good story however so if you get a chance to grab a print edition I suggest you take a look.

OneMan

Hey Beacon News, I know some of you read this from time to time. Here is a question I wish you would ask.

How would Linda Holmes vote if electric rate legislation comes before the state senate and would she even vote that way if Emil wants her to vote the other way?

OneMan

Lets see if I get this right, 70K a year to drive around a state departments chief of staff? Then they have to 'share' a hotel room in Springfield? Read the whole thing I can't make this sort of stuff up. I like the multiple names angle mentioned at the end of the article.
We have cuts left and right at DNR, but we have money to pay someones driver 70K a year in this state?

Reform and Renewal my....

OneMan

The Trib has a story about an Ad Firm sort of firing a client. I have to admit that someone calling out a customer and then not going after their business because of the choices they made takes some courage.

OneMan

I have to agree with Archpundit (please make it stop) and disagree with this viewpoint on the Daley campaign paying college students to work election day. Back in 1990? I got paid to work election day by a Republican state senate campaign (I think it was $75). No one was buying my vote

They were not buying my vote, just getting a guy to watch some precincts in dorms at NIU.

OneMan

Well Lincoln Day has come and gone. Nothing really to report we ended up having to call an audible on who was going to speak due to some issues with our primary speaker. But all-in-all everything went fine.
Nothing major to report.

OneMan

Have to give Sen. Murphy credit for this.. Since I was at Lincoln Day I wasn't able to take part. More thoughts at some point when I can read all 69 posts.

I still don't see how you pull this off technically without using some sort of service that constantly updates IP/Web Site lists and that is going to cost money. Why not lets schools and libraries figure out on their own what they want to do instead of having the state dictate.

OneMan

Well it's time for Lincoln Day again, tickets are still available if you are interested. Go here for more scoop. It should be entertaining, not before the primary entertaining but still entertaining.

Between two new judgeships being added, the Hastert speculation and various other little things. It should be interesting to see who is talking to whom about what and whom.

If nothing else it looks like I might get to sit at the head table again so people who don't come by very often think I must have some influence. BTW, I used to sit at one of the tables in the back so I am well aware of the jokes you guys are cracking about the folks at the head table.

Also do you think I should bring up my milk freezing in the Oberweis box with Jim?


OneMan

Well I have written in the past that if Illinois was serious about doing something about the nursing shortage they should be helping out the nursing schools.

educationWell, they are: NIU got just under a 1/3rd of the 1.5 million that was allocated for nursing so NIU to set up some new programs. I would argue 1.5 million is peanuts, but it's a start.

Full disclosure, Mrs. OneMan is an NIU School of Nursing alum, OneMan is an NIU alum and we give to the School of Nursing every year.

OneMan

Some Questions from OneMan

Anyone want to place odds that when Sneed returns from vacation she will have the following in her first column back.

• Some sort of reference about the Obama campaign that anyone who reads a blog will have known for at least a week.
• Some reference to where she went on vacation and how it is warmer than Chicago.
• The use of the term Yum-Yum
• A 'natch, A get it forget it,a Burke or Sugar Rathbord reference

Who is responsible for organizing a High School Class Reunion?

Why the fact that Governor Blagojevich used a firm tied to Tony Rezko a few years back to do some work on his house is newsworthy. Considering the business he did with Mrs. Blagojevich and the amount of money he helped raise for Rod I would find it fishy if he didn't use him.

OneMan

Yes I realize since this is from a Republican it will likely go no place but still "The Social Networking Website Prohibition Act." SB1682 seems a bit of a reach.

Basically it prevents access to "Social Networking" sites from public schools and libraries. For one thing how do you define "Social Networking" and what a social networking site is. Is Facebok a Social Networking site but not LinkedIn. Using the Wikipedia definition sites that fit the bill include Facebook, Classmates, MySpace.

What about the networking functions of political sites like BarackObama.com or MyGOP. Since these sites have networking functions does the entire site need to be blocked or just the networking parts.

Someone please tell me dealing with Internet goblins is not the Illinois GOP big plan moving forward.

OneMan

You know I would have to say that Larry over at Archpundit has had some excellent posts about HPV, the vacine and the response of some folks on the subject.

This is a situation where I make a bad social conservative.

Just because I think something is wrong is not a reason to base public policy off of the assumption everyone else does and acts that way or public policy should make them do so.

Do I wish at some point someone in this said "You know I made some choices in my life that had consequences I have to deal and knowing then what I do know would have made a difference" sure.

Is that where the focus of the discussion on this subject needs to be, heck no. If you want people to refrain from any behavior fear is not going to do it in the long term, it has to be a choice they make because they feel it is right, not out of fear.

OneMan

Comparing the Websites.

Ok, first Sen. Obama
-- Ability to link video into your own blog/site (brilliant)
-- Ability to have your own fundraising widget like this one.

Sen. Clinton
-- Looks like you can send an e-mail to friends soliciting for money, on one hand it's and interesting approach. On the other hand, I am giving Sen. Clinton my pals e-mail addresses.

In general (and this may be my bias coming in) as compared to the Obama site, it seems to be much more focused on what you can do for Hillary than anything like a movement...

Gov Tom Vilsack
Keyword add came up on Google when I searched on Democrat president (so he gets points for that). Has links to things like youtube with information about the candidate (so does Obama)

Sen. Biden
Not bad, doesn't seem to have the 'community' element of the Obama site, has the youtube, flickr, etc links that Sen. Clinton is lacking. However searching on Biden in Google gets you two keyword ads one that used the word gaffe. (That has to be awkward)

Sen. Dodd
The Dodd Squad. Has the links to flickr and Youtube. However the second picture on the site for the Restore-Habeas.org link has him looking like he as some sort of pain in his gut. The suggestions for his ipod is an interesting idea.

Sen. Edwards
Have to admit I have always disliked the give me your e-mail splash screen. Other than that not bad, however having the contribute stuff a different color than the other items (it's blue vs. red for everything else) is a bit tacky. Also too much stuff on the homepage.

Sen. Gravel
The us suffix on the domain is lame, not cool. Also does the color thing for the donations like Edwards.

I will do the Republicans another day.

OneMan

OneMan has two family weddings this year.



To those family members who read the blog, I promise not to do this...

So where does a Matt Damon or George Clooney stay when in Springfield? The Hilton or the Crown Plaza. My money is on the Crown Plaza.

OneMan

Rich had something about the rumored “gross receipts tax”. Man, this has the potential to really stick it to business.
Take supermarkets net profits after taxes on average %1.46 (2005), so even a .25% percent tax on "gross receipts" is going to take a decent chunk out of that. Ironically high volume low margin business' will suffer the most. Think United Airlines, gas retailers, low margin industrial processors they are all going to suffer under this. Either by moving operations out of state or by having additional cost issues that competitors in other states will not.

OneMan

Will someone explain to me what the death of Anna Nicole Smith is this sort of big news?

OneMan

So Texas gets into the selling the lottery game. This has to complicate things for Illinois, since there are a likely a finite number of entities that will want to buy a lottery (or have 10~14 billion sitting around or can get that sort of financing). The basic laws of supply and demand say the more lotteries that you can buy, the lower it will end up costing you.

Also the Texas lottery had sales of $3.77 billion vs. and estimated $1.89 billion, so would you buy the Illinois lottery for 10 billion or the Texas lottery at $14 Billion?


OneMan

A professor from U of C makes some of the same points OneMan did about the lottery sale.

We know that lotteries are controversial and that it is plausible that our successors may wish they could do away with them. A government that sells the future income stream from a lottery will likely maximize the current sales price or revenue by promising not to devalue the asset it sells after the privatization takes place. It's likely Illinois will look for more upfront cash, and therefore it will promise not to make the lottery illegal (or to compensate the buyers if it does so).

OneMan

Remember kids, sometimes the shadow of a guitar is just a guitar. Not Mr. Happy.

OneMan

Hey Todd I have a masters degree as well, how about a nice county job for me? Oh yeah we are not related so I guess that is out.

OneMan

Looks like the Mayor of San Franciso will try some Rehabracadabra
OneMan

Why do I think NASA never had this problem with John Glen. Suffice to say it looks like Lisa Nowak may end up being the answer to more than just Who flew on STS-121

Here is the charging Affidavit with the words NASA/Astronaut.

OneMan

If K-Fed picking on you bothers you, you really need to lighten up.

OneMan