The holidays are over. Yesterday marked the last official day of the season, as most people had the day off. Now, we move forward in a new year, hoping things will be better than last year or we will be better people. Too many of us forget that part of life is trying to improve ourselves.
It is a gray, pouring rain, foggy, and depressing day. I wrote this in my office away from home, my favorite saloon. I am sat at a window and watched the on and off rain pour down. Someone played a lot of Blues songs on the jukebox. It matches the depressing weather. All the usual suspects showed up, as they do almost daily. They are an interesting cast of characters.
We are still recovering from the results of the COVID pandemic, especially economically. With flu season, new COVID cases, and RSV, a new epidemic can break out with possible new restrictions. I still keep masks handy, just in case.
With the holidays over, the municipal election cycle begins. Early voting begins at the end of this month. The ballots will be counted on election day, February 28th. There are nine contenders for mayor of Chicago. Mayor Lightfoot needs 50% plus one vote to get reelected. If she does not get that percentage, there will be a runoff election in April. The three top contenders running against her are U.S. Congressman Chuy Garcia, Paul Vallas, and businessman, and gadfly politician, Willie Wilson.
It will be interesting to see how much voter dissatisfaction there is over Lori Lightfoot’s reign on the Fifth Floor of City Hall. Lightfoot has some deep problems. Public safety is a joke. Her chosen Police Superintendent, the mercenary, David Brown, was a failure from day one. No other mayor in modern history would accept this continuing level of failure. Past mayors would have fired Brown before his first year was up.
The aldermen and women are also up for election and reelection. Several decided not to run for reelection. Most were and still are silent on Lightfoot’s failures. A few speak up, but they are too few. There should have been an aldermanic rebellion over public safety failures in this city.
All I can say is, it is imperative that every eligible voter cast a ballot in the upcoming election. Our lives and way of life in Chicago are at stake. Chicago needs change, on the Fifth Floor of City Hall and in the City Council. I do not know who I am voting for, except it will be the candidate who will fire Superintendent David Brown and demote his equally incompetent First Deputy Superintendent, Eric Carter.
The Blackhawks and the Bulls and Bulls are having disappointing seasons this year. As for that football team, whatever they call themselves, they will put their fans out of their joyful misery this weekend when they lose to the Vikings again. Joyful misery? How else do you describe rabid backwoods rubes and bark chewing peckerheads who think the worst team in the NFL is so great? There is no joy in the Chicago sports world.
A while ago, I submitted a DNA sample to learn my genetic background and create a family tree. I received an email from the lab. It had to do with misophonia. Misophonia is a hatred of everyday noises, like the sound of people chewing. These noises can cause hatred, rage, and/or panic. According to my genetic markers, I have lower than average odds of hating the sound of people chewing. All you loud chewers are safe from me.