Peoria Illinoisan

PJStar: Home at Last.

I’m sure the photographer was thrilled to have taken this picture, but was this meant to go into his private collection, and maybe not on the front page of the Journal Star? I actually was dumb enough to think they had second thoughts about publishing it because this morning the web site didn’t have the picture. They do now. Hey, it’s OK with me, but do you think this young female REALLY wants all of Peoria looking down her shirt? There seems to be a little common decency lacking for what is supposed to be a heartwarming story. Cute kid, by the way.

If Tom Petty made a special “mix” tape for you, what would he put on it? Here’s the track listing from today’s “Buried Treasure” show hosted by Tom on XM Satellite Radio: Little Richard – I Got It The Beatles – Misery Ray Charles – Lonely Avenue James Brown – Please Please Me medly (Apollo theatre 1962) Moby Grape – Hey Grandma Little Walter – Tell me Mama Link Wray – Dance Contest The Dandy Warhols – Smoke It The Rolling Stones – Try a little harder The Shangri-La’s – I can never go home anymore The Strokes – Last Night The Surfaris – Wipe Out Slim Harpo – Te Ni Nee Ni Nu The Marvelettes – Beechwood 4-5789 The Searchers – Some day we’re gonna love again Smiley Lewis – Shame, Shame, Shame Muddy Waters – I’m Ready The Who – Relax Taj Mahal – Good Morning Little School Girl Fats Domino – Whole Lotta Lovin’

Saw this article about a Florida Neo-Nazi march gone awry on Drudge, and I couldn’t shake the images of Jake & Elwood Blues out of my head…

Florida Nazi’s:

Illinois Nazi’s:

Jake: Hey, what’s going on?
Officer: Ah, those bums won their courtcase so they’re marching today.
Jake: What bums?
Officer: The fucking Nazi party.
Elwood: Illinois Nazi’s…
Jake: I hate Illinois Nazi’s.
(audio)

If anyone’s still sitting in the “vitual waiting room”, here’s the trick.

Using Internet Explorer, click on “File” -> New -> Window.

Poof! Another waiting room opens.

Now repeat that about 40 times, pull up your task bar so you can see all the instances of Internet Explorer running, and buy your tickets!

I got 6 bleacher tickets for Cubs/Cardinals in July.

Police, Fire & Courts:
A 28-year-old Peoria woman turned her wallet over to a man who threatened to shoot her outside a Campustown shop Tuesday night, police said.

The woman was walking up to Main Street Liquors, 615 W. Main St., about 9:10 p.m. when the man approached her, indicated he had a gun and said “Give me your money or get shot,” she told police.

She held the wallet out in front of her and the man took it and ran west on Main.

Campustown: The corner of Main & University

Main St. Liquors: at the top of the Main Street hill between Sheridan and Ellis

BIG DIFFERENCE

(sorry about the fuzzy map)

Campustown gets enough of a bad rap already, it certainly doesn’t need the Journal Star’s help in being misrepresented! I’ll bet most people’s reaction is the same as mine: “yea, Campustown, I guess that doesn’t surprise me.”

Ironically, this roberry happened at the same spot that some people are petitioning to keep out an upscale “Sullivan’s” type bar because of the fear of increased crime…

Anyone recognize this? I was told many years ago that it was just laying on the sidewalk. I didn’t believe it then and I don’t believe it now, but it sure looks cool in my workshop!

www.zillow.com

This is a fun little tool that uses public records and mapping software to find similar area houses and approximate an appraisal value for your home. I curious how other’s fare, because my house came in about where I expected it. It was based on ten houses located within a half mile; one didn’t apply and shouldn’t have been used, but overall, not bad…

For fun, you can also fly around town and check out other neighborhoods to get a feel for what housing prices are going for in town.

They’re not making the front page of the paper, and there’s no hubbub about asking the city for millions, but ever so quietly and under the radar, they’re moving forward with the help of many experts from in and out of town. This week is a major turning point by bringing together the outside consultants with the architects and the Junior League Museum Committee to move past the concept phase, and begin finalizing architectural drawings.

WMBD has a report, and it will be featured on Week’s Live @ 5 tonight.

Week Video

As I was reading Terry Bibo-Baker’s Sunday column, I thought how nice it was to compliment the children of St. Marks, even though she used it as a tie-in to a typical PJStar plug for a Lakeview museum, but that’s another subject altogether…

It got me to start thinking about St. Marks, Renaissance Park, and the Media and I just don’t think St. Mark’s is recognized for the important role it plays. It’s is way under-funded as compared to a Dist 150 school, and the teachers are underpaid by current standards, but yet the students excel.

I have a neighbor who is not catholic and is moving out to Dunlap schools when their children become school aged. Can’t blame them. I’d do the same thing. I’ve always said, if you live in the west bluff, you’re either Catholic or don’t have any kids. That’s a broad generalization, but I think it’s more accurate than not.

Renaissance Park officials should be working with the school and heavily promoting it. It’s the glue that holds the west bluff together and is helping to slow the flight out of Peoria while enabling this older neighborhood to flourish.

This school is a big reason that many people, who could move out north, choose to live in the west bluff, and it should be reported.

The Band : Music From Big Pink

 

The Beatles : Abbey Road

 

Cowboy Junkies : The Caution Horses

 

Dire Straits : Love Over Gold

 

Marvin Gaye : What’s Going On

 

The Jam : All Mod Cons

 

The Kinks : Muswell Hillbillies

Randy Newman : Good Old Boys

 

Bruce Springsteen : Greeting From Asbury Park

 

The Who : Quadrophenia

I stayed away from blogging about the whole Jaywalking debacle, because it seemed like a non-issue to me. Boy was I wrong!

Twin 19 year old brothers robbed the Pere Marquette and were shortly caught thereafter. As it turns out, they had outstanding warrents out, which WEEK reported were “not related to Tuesday’s robbery.â€?

So what were the warrents?

WMBD reports: criminal damage to property, jaywalking, possession of tobacco by a minor, and curfew violation.

I love my XM Satellite Radio. It’s plugged into my stereo at home, and I have to say, my music collection has been getting very dusty of late. My drive to work is taken up by Greg & Dan, and my drive home is spent flipping between Markley & Luciano and the Roe Conn Show, so I don’t listen to it in the car, but I do listen to the live internet stream at work.

Deep Tracks. That’s the only channel I listen to. I know there’s 150 or so channels, but this channel is easily worth the $12.95 by itself. The playlist consists of rock’n roll, blues and soul album cuts that don’t get played on the radio, from the late 50’s to 80’s. Think of all the great album cuts that never get played on the radio, or classic rock that’s been forgotten. It’s what I imagine Pirate Radio must’ve sounded like.

If you love classic rock but wish they’d play more than the standard 10 Beatles songs or don’t want to hear Won’t Get Fooled Again or Hotel California ever again, then this channel is for you. Ironically, as I’m typing this The Beatles “I’m looking through you� from Rubber Soul just came on, followed by the J. Geils Band “Give It To Me�. Wow, haven’t heard THAT song in a while! What a gem!

Tom Petty’s “Buried Treasuresâ€? was on earlier… he’s got some strange taste… A lot of psychedelic and jangling 60’s guitar grunge rock. I imagine when Bob Dylan goes live with his show we’ll hear some REAL strange things…

The Journal Star had a nice writeup on our very own Lollygaggin Pammy. It’s a little fluff piece about her being filmed for the Learning Channel. I thought it would’ve been nice to actually mention the name of her blog, since that’s the only reason the whole thing is happening, but I chalked that up to standard PJStar policy.

I was shocked when I read Pammy’s post about her article.

Come to find out, they hardly talked to her (20 seconds on the phone, to be exact) and they weren’t entirely accurate.

Nice going guys! (sarcasm)

Funny to see a blogger bitch about the mainstream press screwing up a simple article about a blogger!

A 12-year-old Aurora boy who said he brought powdered sugar to school for a science project this week has been charged with a felony for possessing a look-alike drug, Aurora police have confirmed.

Penalties for juveniles are decided on a case-by-case basis, but if convicted, the sixth-grader could likely face up to five years’ probation.

I’m all for strong policing in schools, doesn’t this seem a wee-bit extreme?

Chicago Sun Times

I think Chef Kevin could teach this Atlanta Blogger a thing or two about restaurant reviews.

“Last night we ate at Chili’s. This has to be the best restaurant on the planet. If you have suggestions for others - do tell. Especially if they are in the Atlanta area.”

Don’t get me wrong. I like Chilis. But I would never go so far as to say it’s the best restaurant on the planet! Or Peoria. Or even on University.