First, allow me to invite readers of this newsletter to be the first to participate in my 40-question Predict the News of 2019 survey. The link won't be published online for at least another day.
Next, if you're still inclined to be a-clickin', another 10 finalists for Tweet of the Week are posted. I really like "One of the reasons 'The Sloop John B' is so timeless is because who can't relate to having someone take and eat up all of your corn" by @LostCatDog, though I have no hope it will win.
My column for today isThe best tweets and funniest people of 2018and if you enjoy that you should not forget to review theTweets of Good Cheer -- the top 10 winter holiday-themed tweets and more. I got a little bit of gas this morning on Twitter because comedian Kathy Griffin, with more than 2.1 million followers, objected to what she saw as insufficient representation of women in my top 40. I'm not, for the record, one of those who think men are funnier than women or that women aren't funny or anything like hat. I pay no attention to gender when I scroll my feed and look for funny nuggets, and, indeed, it's not always easy to tell which accounts belong to men and which belong to women. Most people are anonymous, the photos fake and the handles androgynous: @UnFitz, @Manglewood, @TweetPotato314, @427desi and so on. It may well be that my taste is more similar to the tastes of male comics when it comes to quips, but I make it known that I'm open to submissions and it would be a sorry exercise indeed if instead of relying on my tastes I strove for diversity. If Kathy Griffin or any of those cheering her on want to make a list of their 40 favorite tweets of 2018, I'd be glad to link to it.
The coming two months promise to offer what many of us say we want — a campaign on the issues. Whose ideas are robust and pragmatic enough to bring real positive change to the city? Who exhibits the knowledge and nimbleness to turn these ideas into action?
The election is nonpartisan and diverse in terms of ethnicity and gender, so the typical labels will be less influential.
This will present an unusual challenge to voters: Will they be able to tune out the noise of the commercials, serenely evaluate the puffery in the direct mail and think independently from those who presume to do the thinking for them? Will they take the time to listen with an open mind and then make an informed choice among a raft of thoughtful, qualified candidates?
Only two candidates in Chicago's mayoral field claim the title of "doctor."
One is Amara Enyia, who has a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies (along with a law degree) from the University of Illinois. Her campaign website contains only a few, scattered references to "Dr. Enyia."
The other is Willie Wilson, who has only a seventh-grade education but has been awarded a series of honorary doctorate degrees, mostly from religious institutions. His website logo touts "Dr. Willie Wilson for Mayor," and nearly every reference to him contains the title, which his supporters and even some overly cautious journalists use.
But in doctoring his resume, if you will, in this way, Wilson effectively diminishes how impressive it is that he's been such a huge success in business despite his lack of formal schooling.
Twice in recent years, voters in Arizona have voted to amend their state's constitution in order to cut pension benefits for public employees in an effort to rescue ailing retirement funds.
This development has been greeted with enthusiasm in some quarters here because Arizona's state constitution contains robust language similar to the language in the Illinois constitution saying public pension benefits, once granted, can't be "diminished or impaired." And the courts in Arizona, like the courts in Illinois, had routinely batted down legislative efforts to reduce payments to retirees.
Could it happen here, home of the nation's biggest unfunded pension liability?
Will Illinois voters facing service cuts and tax increases to cover benefits to state retirees rise up to amend the state constitution?
Here are four reasons not to get your hopes or fears up.
The Mincing Rascals is an award winning news-chat podcast that touches on state local and national news and cultural moments. It usually features some combination of host John Williams, cartoonist Scott Stantis, program hosts Steve Bertrand and Patti Vasquez, and me. We record Thursday mornings and post in time for the drive home, usually. Find us on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher.
Thanks for opening this email and following the links, clicking on them repeatedly like a rat in a cocaine addiction experiment. We're not paid by the click yet, but someday, when we are, I'm hoping my readers will be well trained.
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