Peoria Illinoisan

No? Well, go here anyway.

www.ThisIsSand.com

When you’re finally done playing, let your kids have a chance. {note: requires Adobe Flash Player 9}

And don’t forget to check out the gallery to make you feel very uncreative.

Hat-tip to PDCJoe.

I actually sat through and somewhat enjoyed the Disney Channel movie “My Date With The President’s Daughter.” That’s sad enough, but I found my 11 year old son’s commentary equally sad, yet somewhat amusing …

… as some thugs were giving the “President’s Daughter” and her date grief while they were cavorting around town he questioned where the Secret Service were and said “If this were real, they’d ship those [bad] guys off to China to never be seen again!”

… or maybe to Gitmo …

In today’s Journal Star and repeated on the Greg & Dan show is State Trooper Tony Halsey stating that a 20 mph school speed zone is in effect on school days between the hours of 7am and 4pm regardless of whether children are present or not. He used the example of Sterling Middle School and reiterated that the speed limit is 20mph even if every single kid is inside the school. “Kids do not need to be outside or present for the speed limit to apply.” His reasoning was that even if no-one is outside, at any given moment a kid could come running out of the front doors and into speeding traffic.

Huh?

I questioned how “when children are present” could be turned into “when children are inside working on their math assignment,” but he really lost me when his reasoning was that at any given moment a child could come bolting out the front doors, run across the parking lot and get run over by a car driving down Sterling. I understand the need to slow down and be aware of your surroundings, but that is almost laughable. [notice how I refrained from making a cheap joke about gunfire]

Illinois Statute states:

On a school day when school children are present and so close thereto that a potential hazard exists because of the close proximity of the motorized traffic, no person shall drive a motor vehicle at a speed in excess of 20 miles per hour while passing a school zone or while traveling on a roadway on public school property or upon any public thoroughfare where children pass going to and from school.

For the purpose of this Section a school day shall begin at seven ante meridian and shall conclude at four post meridian.

So what does “When School Children Are Present” really mean? I suppose it could be open for interpretation. Secretery of State Police Jesse White’s website attempts to clarify this by not only reprinting the statute above, but by adding this-

The following is an Opinion of the Attorney General’s Office (Number S-706):
This paragraph limits vehicle speed to 20 miles per hour only during school days while the vehicle is passing a school zone or is traveling on a street on or across which children pass going to or from school, and then only when children are physically present on such street or are outside the school building in a school zone. The 20 mile speed limit is not in effect when the children are inside the school building even though school is in session.

So which is it? When they are inside as reported by Trooper Halsey or when they are outside as the Secretary of State and the Attorney General believe? I’m putting my money on the latter.

The kids were all tucked away in bed, homework finished, school bags sitting by the front door, and clothes folded and draped over the couch. Time for Dad to sit down, switch on the television and catch up on todays news – maybe catch some highlights of the Democratic Convention.

Step 1. Push remote control power button.

a pop, a flash, and then nothing.

Step 2. Stick tip of scissors into hole of television where the power button used to be.

a pop, a flash, and then nothing.

Step 3. Reset power strip, repeat step 1.

nothing.

Step 4. Curse angrily.

This is one of those things that has been a long time coming, and I always knew there would be trouble when the day came. You see, our TV is set in one of two matching custom built-ins of my own handiwork which flank our fireplace. Because of the nature of our older house, there are not many choices as to where a television will sit, so a big new fangled flat panel is out of the question. Tonight you will find me roaming around Circuit City with a tape measure, and don’t let anyone tell you size doesn’t matter, because size is the #1 priority in what TV I purchase. It must fit my cabinet. Period.

Wish me luck.

West Dundee – A Kane County judge has sentenced a West Dundee woman to pick up roadkill after she pleaded guilty to stabbing two of her ex-husband’s lizards, killing one of them.

Judge Grant Wegner said 38 year old Sara Tinsley’s sentence was appropriate. She also was given 18 months probation, must undergo an anger management evaluation and pay $979 in fines, court costs and veterinarian bills.

The two bearded dragon reptiles were named Fred and Ethel; Ethel died and Fred recovered after surgery. Tinsley apologized in court Thursday and promised to not be violent towards animals.

Tinsley’s ex-husband is Harry Tinsley of West Chicago. He said there was some justice done, but thought the sentence was not enough.

1. Is anyone else getting tired of reading about the Chicago area in the Police, Fire & Courts section of the Sunday Journal Star?

2. Why can’t I find this on the Journal Star’s website under the Police, Fire & Courts section, which is where it is in the print version?

3. I think we all know someone who needs anger management therapy.

4. Roadkill is nasty. Lizards are nasty. Divorces can be nasty.

5. I Love Lucy is cool, but I’m more of a Mary Tyler Moore, Sanford & Son, WKRP kind of guy.

No joke. My nature loving daughter and her friend somehow noticed a small patch of grass actually moving up and down. Upon removal of a loose tuft of grass, they found 4 little guys curled up in a small depression in my backyard.

Cute, eh? I’ll have to be careful with the lawnmower…

No Parking Anytime.

Landscape Waste Only.

15 Minute Parking.

Open?

…You need to clean out your desk more often.

“But then again, can you prove that you didn’t put this sticker on a sign yourself for this blog?”

That recent comment is pretty laughable, but it got me thinking that maybe it’s really not such a bad idea. Everyone runs into a little writers block now and then, so in no particular order, here are some things I am considering doing.

• Spreading racist literature in central Peoria.
• Jaywalking across Main Street to prove how unsafe it is.
• Picking a fight downtown around 4am and getting tazered.
• Starting a meth lab at a hotel in Pekin.
• Hanging out at the CampusTown Shell station to see how long it takes to get panhandled.
• Spray painting the word WAR on stop-signs around the city before taking a picture.
• Playing ding-dong-ditch at Harrison Homes.

If any of these things appear on my blog in the future, you have the right to be suspicious.

The Ron Paul Forums:

Think about your daily routine. There are little stops you make in life that almost everyone else makes. Use these opportunities to advertise for Ron Paul. Take Ron Paul stickers with you everywhere you go. Big stickers, little stickers, rectangular ones, round ones.

SaveAmerikia.blogspot.com:

I urge you to spraypaint the Ron Paul stencils in areas of clear visibility, high traffic and maximum exposure. (think stoplights, stop signs, areas of interstate congestion) If you feel so compelled to illegally spray-paint these to government-funded concrete structures such as bridges, overpasses or parations, I can’t stop you, but please use caution.

Duluth News-Tribune via Minnesota Brown.com:

Four highly visible signs on the outskirts of Eveleth, Virginia, Gilbert and Mountain Iron were spray-painted with obscene political messages earlier this month.

The “Quad Cities” signs were built outside each city in 1999, at a total cost of about $72,400. Iron Range Resources contributed $25,000 to the project, information officer Lee Bloomquist said, while the four cities directly contributed $8,650 each and raised an additional $12,800 to pay for the welcoming signs.

A St. Louis County Sheriff’s deputy confirmed that all four signs were vandalized in a similar manner, said investigator Richard Feiro of the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia. The signs were sprayed with messages in red and black paint denouncing President Bush. One sign also mentioned Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.

There is nothing more disgusting than graffiti and vandalism, especially related to a Presidential candidate.  This does not bring votes or positive attention, it brings the ire of the community and reinforces the notion that this is a fringe candidate with nutty supporters.  Ron Paul vandalism hasn’t reached a fever pitch in Peoria yet, but it is noticeable and annoying. My snapshot was taken in the parking lot of Campustown, but it is not limited to the Bradley area. I have seen Ron Paul stickers on public signs in north Peoria also.

Hopefully the spraypaint stays on the shelves of the hardware stores.

Has anyone found any interesting images from Google’s street view yet? I was bound and determined to find a robbery in progress, someone entering an adult bookstore, Manual kids walking down the middle of the street, Bradley kids jaywalking, hoodlums hanging outside a liquor store …

… but all I found was the Google van running a red light and filling the tank at Road Ranger.

Humph.

I’m no coupon clipper and usually ignore newspaper ads to the extent that I immediately pull out the two pound Sunday insert and toss it to the side, but recently I was thumbing through the Journal Star and noticed an ad that I had seen probably a hundred times before … The Tokyo Spa, located in the upper left-hand corner of the third page of the sports section. It has been there everyday for as long as I can remember.

So I started thinking why is there an ad for a Spa featuring an Asian woman in a bikini in the Sports section?  How many people looking for a massage therapist go to the Sports section and how many people reading the Sports section are looking for a massage therapist? uh…

Without naming names, some claim that I can be a bit slow on picking up on these types of things but I eventually clued in on this one … it’s an AMP.  Asian Massage Parlor.  If you Google the Tokyo Spa you’ll find some interesting facts such as hosts Penny & Cookie are very popular, depending on your negotiating skills your wallet will be $40 – $100 lighter when you leave, there are 3 or 4 of these places located in Bloomington, and a few of them are located very near the State Farm headquarters.

Don’t believe me? Blogger J.W. Larson relates this experience:

We were sitting at my place on Sunday taking it easy. Somehow we get to talking about how a massage would be really nice. I said the only place I knew of that would be open and take walk-ins is Tokyo Spa. BUT, I knew they had been busted for prostitution. Now, my naive mind thought that it was a normal massage spa and that the hooker deal was just on the side. So, I get my phone book and she proceeds to call Tokyo Spa. I figured we could go, have a normal massage, and leave feeling refreshed. It was later that I learned that it was all about the hookers. No real “legitimate” massage side of the business. BUT I digress. So, she calls and the woman who answers tells her they are all booked up. I found that hard to believe. I noticed the Ivy Spa in the phone and they were open. So, Dawn calls there and is told to call back in an hour. Some time goes by and she calls Ivy again. Same story. We left and went by Tokyo Spa thinking maybe we could just walk in and see what the story was. I pulled up and sent her in alone as I’m a complete chicken. It was then that she started to see the truth. Black leather couch, mirrors on the walls and a little Chinese woman who would only crack the door to tell her “no” pretty much gave the situation away. Then, a few days later I searched and found that Ivy, Tokyo and 2 others here in town all operate as AMPs.

I have two questions:

1. I realize many newspapers allow these types of ads, including the Peoria Journal Star, but why allow advertisements for obviously illegal activity?

2. Why does Bloomington allow these places to exist and not crack down on them? If the answer is that it is hard to incriminate then simply place a cop car outside. If the business is legit, the customers will show up. If they aren’t, the customers will be scared away and in small order these places will be out of business.

The recent excavation of Main Street in front of the new Bradley Parking deck to install traffic signals and a fake red brick crosswalk has unwittingly unveiled a Peoria time capsule …

… brick streets and trolley tracks no more than 6 inches below the asphalt street surface …

National Geographic Adventure, August 2008.

Intro:

A change of address can bring instant gratification. You could wake up tomorrow in Missoula and kayak off your own deck at dawn, sneak in singletrack at lunch in Chattanooga—or choose your own adventure in any one of the country’s best base camps. But a move is a long-term investment. So this year we selected 50 innovative towns that aren’t just prime relocation spots right now, but smart choices for the future. Not only do they have the action. They’ve got a plan.

Peoria:

Peoria’s fresh set of forest lined single track has made it a new Midwest hub, thanks to the Peoria Area Mountain Biking Association’s trailblazing efforts. Come evening, pedalers and paddlers hit up the revamped riverfront for micro-brews and live music. Population: 113,107. Median home price: 135,304.

11 other cities which made the cut in the central United States classification:

Grand Marais, Minnesota
Rapid City, South Dakota
Traverse City, Michigan
Bardstown, Kentucky
Mobile, Alabama
Lafayette, Louisiana
Hermann, Missouri
Mountain View, Arkansas
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
San Antonio, Texas

Update: I scooped the Journal Star and they don’t even have the common courtesy to give me a link. How ungrateful.

In an attempt to not get over excited, I have refrained from blogging about the Cubs, but after sweeping the Brewers in Milwaukee and taking two of three from the Cardinals this past weekend, I think it is safe to say that there is something special, almost palpable, happening this year.

2008 will either go down as the year the Cubs broke the 100 year curse or one of the most disappointing years in history, rivaling the storied ’69 Cubs, that will take a generation to overcome.

No pressure, guys.