I almost left when the moderator told a newcomer who announced at the outset that she hadn’t actually read the book that doing so isn’t a participation prerequisite.
This group had been assigned Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs, by Jamie Loftus (2023). Its publisher insists that it’s a travelogue-culinary history-capitalist critique combo.
The moderator admitted after I asked that he had chosen it, and had done so before reading it.
(more…)The Chicago mayor has raised questions once again about his limitations.
The issue this time is his reaction to the Bring Chicago Home initiative, which was a campaign promise to address homelessness in the city. This initiative after legal wrangling about its ballot legitimacy was rejected by Chicago voters.
Johnson suggested after this vote that ethics rules prevented him from prevailing and that his signature issue had been defeated by Trump supporters. He also promised to proceed with his progressive agenda of investing in individuals.
Johnson’s reaction is understandable, and even predictable. It also attests to his limitations as a politician and even a person.
(more…)Regular WBEZ listeners know that the station is nearly finished with its spring pledge drive. Regular programming is disrupted by employees who offer countless reasons for donating to the station.
Those who have regular donations are offered a “pledge-free stream” with a link to “NPR programming instead of WBEZ’s live on-air fundraising segments.” That allows these listeners to avoid that mind-numbing patter about who has and hasn’t given and why more should give.
This stream is certainly better than enduring those financial appeals. At least breaks between segments replace inane chatter with musical varieties.
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