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2018年1月10日星期三

Funny tweets and bonus tips on how to age without getting "older"

The new Twitter poll is posted here. It's a good set — 14 finalists — and I don't have much hope for my personal favorite, the extremely dry ""On first base is a man named Who, same as the pronoun Who.' 'Ah, thanks for clarifying. That could've been confusing,'" by @dave_cactus.

Last week's winner was "My therapist told me 'Write letters to the people you hate, and then burn them.' Did that, but now I don't know what to do with the letters," an amusing and oft-stolen quip whose origins I can't determine.

Plagiarism is a constant problem on Twitter. People frequently steal one-liners and fail to attribute them, and only occasionally does the posse go after the thieves. My guess is that many users don't consider this kind of appropriation wrong, and they don't bother with attribution for the same reason most people don't bother with attribution when they tell a good joke.

Anyway, if ever you see a stolen tweet in my list, let me know and I'll change the attribution to "various."

Last Friday's column, My 14-point plan to be a good old man, pegged to my 60th birthday Saturday, was very well received

I've assembled a list of what I'm calling new-decade resolutions — a set of 14 rules to try to live by (to try to put) a stop to the emotional process of aging — to the hardening and narrowing of thought, the skepticism and technophobia, the world-weariness and complacency that often seem to afflict people as they get older.

It scored me an invitation to appear on WTTW-Ch. 11's "Chicago Tonight" program, and you can watch that segment here.

Online, I directed readers to the milestone birthday story I published 10 years ago, 50 things I've learned in 50 years, including these nuggets of self-help wisdom:

The Golden Rule is the greatest moral truth. If you don't believe in it, at least try to fake it.

Keeping perspective is the greatest key to happiness. From a distance, even a bumpy road looks smooth

It's 10 times easier to fall in love than to stay in love. And no matter what the sad songs say about romance, broken hearts do mend.

Don't waste your breath proclaiming what's really important to you. How you spend your time says it all.

It's never a shame when you admit you don't know something, and often a shame when you assume that you do.

Johanna warned me not to write Wednesday column suggesting that college winter vacations be shortened lest I violate my intention not to become a grumpy old curmudgeon, but I believe I pulled it off:

Long college summers are great for getting work experience earning money to pay tuition, hobo-style traveling, or other broadening endeavors. Starting them early gives students a head start on applying for jobs and internships.
But long college winters are generally a waste. Some students secure temporary seasonal employment, but most don't. And with everything else going on and so many peers on different schedules, it's a lousy time to go backpacking through Europe or hike the Appalachian Trail….
Many parents responded in the negative when I asked on Facebook if college winter breaks are too long. They wrote, as I would write, of the pleasures of being in their children's company, of savoring the dwindling moments of having them home just rattling around, of interacting with them without much of the drama of adolescence.
Four weeks? If I could stop time it would be four years.
But I can't stop time. And I want what's best for them, not for me.

See what I did there?

Former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn will stage a political comeback and be elected Attorney General! So says I in the roundup of news predictions for 2018. The column compared my forecast with those of the majority/plurality of respondents to an online poll (full results of that poll here).

Meet me back here in late December. We'll see how we did and, as usual, stand in humbled amazement at all that we didn't see coming.

And finally my weekly plea/reminder to subscribe to The Mincing Rascals on iTunes or wherever fine, free audio podcasts are served.

One of Emanuel's harshest critics creates campaign fund for 2019 mayoral run

Topspin

Chicago principals association President Troy LaRaviere has filed the paperwork to launch a campaign to unseat Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2019.

The move had been expected after LaRaviere first told the Chicago Tribune in November that he would challenge Emanuel. Creating the Troy for Chicago political committee allows LaRaviere to begin fundraising toward a campaign. Official filing for the February 2019 city election takes place this November.

The former principal of Lakeview's Blaine Elementary has been one of Emanuel's harshest critics, railing against against privatization contracts, charter schools, special education funding levels and Emanuel's metric-based education policies.

LaRaviere worked on Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia's 2015 mayoral campaign against Emanuel. He also appeared in a 2016 ad for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential run in which he said Chicago had "endured a corrupt political system" and "the chief politician standing in the way of us getting good schools is our mayor."

In an interview last November, LaRaviere (pronounced LUH-RAH-VEE-AY) predicted he would have no problem dispatching Emanuel from office.

"I think I'm going to beat Rahm. I think if I run, I beat Rahm without a runoff," LaRaviere said. "I believe that. First election, he's gone."
A Navy veteran who attended CPS, LaRaviere holds many positions similar to those of the Chicago Teachers Union, including advocating for an elected school board, opposing excessive standardized testing and resisting budget cuts.

In April 2016, the Emanuel-controlled CPS removed LaRaviere as Blaine principal amid allegations of insubordination for opposing a standardized test and ignoring warnings of engaging in on-the-job "political activity." LaRaviere insisted his firing was "politically motivated," and the move drew a rebuke from Sanders, who slammed Emanuel for having an "unhealthy obsession with taking revenge." The mayor said he had nothing to do with the decision.

The move came as LaRaviere was running for president of the Chicago Principals & Administrators Association labor group, a post he would win and still holds.

Former Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, County Commissioner Bridget Gainer and businessman Willie Wilson have said they are weighing a run against Emanuel, who is seeking a third term. (Bill Ruthhart)

What's on tap

*Mayor Emanuel has no public events.

*Gov. Bruce Rauner is planning to speak to reporters at the state-run veterans home in Quincy following his weeklong stay.

*Four City Council committees will meet, with one holding a hearing about the Water Department's troubles.

*The next hearing in state Sen. Ira Silverstein's bid to stay on the primary ballot is scheduled. His attorney has asked to have a handwriting expert testify about petition signatures.

*A status hearing in a challenge to Cook County assessor candidate Andrea Raila's petitions will be held.

From the notebook

*Will Drury be tossed from ballot in AG race?: Democratic state Rep. Scott Drury abandoned his campaign for governor to run for attorney general, but now that bid is in danger.

A hearing officer has recommended that the Illinois State Board of Elections remove Drury from the March 20 primary ballot, according to documents posted online as part of the board's next meeting agenda.

The officer says Drury didn't turn in a statement of economic interest for the attorney general race, though he already has one on file from his work as a state lawmaker. Those are two different branches of government, the hearing officer contends, so his existing economic interest statement doesn't count for his campaign.

The good news for Drury: The board's general counsel says he should stay on the ballot, according to board documents. "The statement of economic interest that the candidate has on file as a state representative relates to the state of Illinois, not only the representative district that he represents," it reads.

Either way, those are both just recommendations. Drury's fate is up to a vote of the elections board, which meets Thursday. If the board votes to kick him off the ballot, the former federal prosecutor could head to court to get back on. You can read about the case on p. 394 of this document.

*Emanuel on Rauner school AV: Mayor Emanuel on Tuesday said Gov. Rauner's amendatory veto of a bill designed to clean up language in last year's sweeping school funding formula overhaul is typical of the way he operates.

"Only the governor can find a way to veto something, then claim to take credit for it, and then once again veto it," Emanuel said after the groundbreaking for an artists' residence development in Washington Park. "Everything that's easy, he makes hard. Everything that could be cooperative, he makes adversity, an adverse relationship.

"The governor should have picked up the phone, called the leadership and said 'We got a problem here to fix.' They would have fixed it immediately. It does not need to be this hard," he said.

Asked for comment on the mayor's remarks, the Rauner administration did not directly respond. Instead, Rauner spokeswoman Rachel Bold reiterated her point from Monday that the Illinois State Board of Education continues to work on the new school funding formula and distributing money through the new system is "still several months" away.

"The General Assembly will return to Springfield in the coming weeks, and we look forward to them taking action to accept the governor's changes and address the issues with the original legislation that has prevented a number of schools from participating," Bold said in a statement. (John Byrne)

*Biss to the airwaves: Democratic governor candidate Daniel Biss released his first TV ads of the campaign, and one of them opens by showing a TV set playing a commercial of rival J.B. Pritzker.

"They'll spend any amount to win. But we're the ones that lose," Biss says in his half-minute spot — a pointed reference to wealthier candidates for the nomination like Pritzker and Chris Kennedy, as well as Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Pritzker, a billionaire who is self-funding his campaign, has spent millions on an extensive TV campaign for months.

"I think if more politicians had kids in public schools or struggled to balance their own budgets we'd have an Illinois that works for the middle class," Biss says. "That's why I left teaching. To be an organizer, then state senator to fight for fair taxes and health care we can all afford. And that's why I'm running for governor. Because fixing our broken system isn't some campaign promise. For me, it's personal."

Biss also released a 15-second spot, and both new ads sport a new tag line: "Biss for Illinois. The middle-class governor."

The Biss campaign said the ads are running on broadcast and cable channels across the state, but declined to release any information about how much it is spending on them. The campaign previously said it would report $3.1 million in cash available at the start of this year. (Rick Pearson)

*Quick spin: Democrat Ram Villivalam won the endorsement of the Equality Illinois PAC in his bid for Illinois Senate. He's running in the seat now held by Democratic Sen. Silverstein.

What we're writing

*Ray Long scoop: Ethics board fines Assessor Berrios $41,000 over political donations from lawyers.

*Rauner officials defend handling of Legionnaires' outbreak at Quincy veterans home during legislative hearing.

*Democratic socialist alderman drops out of race for Gutierrez seat, backs "Chuy" Garcia.

*Ex-Rauner aide sues for first lady's emails on abortion bill.

*Kaegi overcomes challenge to his bid to run against Berrios.

*Cook County Board committee holds hearing on suburban water rates following Tribune investigation.

*City Colleges of Chicago to sell downtown HQ to apartment developer.

*Chicago cracks down on Southeast Side manganese pollution.

*39,000 homicides: Retracing 60 years of murder in Chicago.

*Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago History Museum seek admission-fee hikes.

What we're reading

*Amazon owner gets richer.

*New Bears coach's first day: Asked if he believes he can win right away, Nagy said he's looking forward to learning the roster and incumbent coaches better.

*Dunkin' Donuts scales back menu, cuts artificial dyes from doughnuts.

Follow the money

*Democratic candidate for Congress Kelly Mazeski's campaign said she will report having $510,000 in the bank as of the beginning of the year, after raising $680,000 over the last quarter. Mazeski is running in the crowded primary race to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton in IL-6.

*And in the north suburban 10th Congressional District, Republican Sapan Shah's campaign said he'll report raising $337,545 over the last three months of 2017. He's running in the primary for the seat now held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Deerfield.

*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.

Beyond Chicago

*Trump open to DACA deal.

*Bannon to leave Breitbart.

*Trump to attend World Economic Forum.

*Researcher says FBI had Trump campaign source.