Memorial Day weekend 2018: Houghton, Michigan rememberances

While filling up my Honda Civic last summer as Mrs. Marathon Pundit plowed our way up the Keweenaw Peninsula on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Just before the drawbridge over the Portage Lake Lift Bridge in Houghton Michigan I found a couple of monuments.

The base of this Civil War statue reads, "In memory of the Houghton Company, July 1862--July 1865" and "The Houghton Company served three years as Company I, 23rd Michigan Infantry."

As with most Michigan Civil War regiments, the 23rd served in the Western Theatre of the war.

This Purple Heart monument, which stands nearby, reads, "Dedicated to all the men and women wounded in all our wars."

Bloody Chicago: Spring in Chicago: 6 Killed, 32 Wounded in Weekend Shootings, May 18,19, 20, 2018

It's been a while since my friend Victor Maggio was on the streets of Chicago. His car was badly damaged in an accident. And while his car is being repaired, he's back on his beat.

Sadly, spring weather brings more violence to Chicago. Children are often the unintended victims.

Speaking of automobile accidents, one three-car accident reported on here began with a shooting.

At night in Chicago, "people drive like maniacs," Maggio laments, even when guns aren't involved.

And the graffiti betrays what people think. "Help, I'm in hell," one West Side sidewalk message cries out.

Harvey Weinstein turns himself in over sex assault charges

Left out of this New York Daily News piece is that Weinstein was once a major donor to Democratic Party politicians and a longtime confidante of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein turned himself into New York authorities Friday to face rape and sex assault charges in connection with attacks on two women.

A horde of at least 100 media — some on ladders — watched the former Weinstein Company co-founder arrive with his lawyer at the NYPD's 1st Precinct in Lower Manhattan to face charges that he preyed on Lucia Evans and at least one other accuser.

Evans told investigators that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004 in his office, sources said.

The 66-year-old Weinstein, flanked by his lawyer and two detectives, emerged from a grey Toyota Four-runner around 7:25 a.m. to face a scrum of reporters and photographers.

Another reason why people don't read newspapers: Leftist Chicago Trib columnist rails against new NFL anthem rule, doesn't mention fans oppose kneeling

Yesterday, nearly two years later than it should have, the NFL mandated that all of its players must stand--or remain in the locker room--when Our National Anthem is played.

Meanwhile, Chicago Tribune sports columnist David Haugh offers another reason why newspapers are failing--with most exppcted to fold, according to Warren Bufffet. In a politically-drenched column decrying the move, Haugh left out one key fact about players sitting down or taking a knee when the anthem plays: fans hate it.

Last season, before the Chicago Bears' only quality win of their dreadful 2017 campaign, fans booed when the opposing Pittsburgh Steelers entered the stadium after the Star Spangled Banner was performed. The Steelers were too good for the anthem.

NFL TV ratings suffered last season too.

Businesses that insult their customers don't survive.

Businesses that don't listen to their customers, such as newspapers, go under.

Watch this 2017 PragerU video to receive a much needed dose of common sense.

Breaking: Trump cancels Kim summit

Breaking news from USA Today:

President Trump has canceled a scheduled summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, citing the "tremendous anger and open hostility" displayed in Kim's recent statements.

#BREAKING: President Trump has canceled the June summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, citing "tremendous anger and open hostility" in a statement from the White House. pic.twitter.com/yziPPlQFcP

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) May 24, 2018

Decline and fall: Chicago loses population for third year in row

West Englewood, South Side

Decades of corruption, malfeasance, and crime have taken their well-deserved toll on Chicago.

And people are voting with their feet.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

The nation’s third-largest city lost residents for the third year in a row in 2017, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Wednesday.

Chicago’s population stood at an estimated 2,716,450 as of July 1 last year, compared with 2,720,275 the same day in 2016. The drop in residents represents a 0.14 percent decrease over the year.

More...

Among cities nationwide, Chicago lost the third-most number of residents in 2017, behind only Baltimore (a loss of 5,310) and St. Louis (a loss of 4,518).

Most Cook County towns lost population too.

Mark Dice: America’s Most Pathetic Millennial

Millenial Michael Joseph Rotondo, who has no job or practical ambitions, lives at his parents home for free.

He's 30.

His parents are evicting the deadbeat.

Crook County, Illinois judge convicted of fraud will be on ballot for retention this fall

Earlier this year Jessica Arong O’Brien, a Cook County Judge, was found guilty of mortgage fraud in a federal court in Chicago.

Then her law license was suspended.

But Crook County voters will still be able to keep her on the bench this fall.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Refusing to back down three months after losing her trial at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, O’Brien filed paperwork May 2 setting herself up for a retention vote in the Nov. 6 election, according to the State Board of Elections.

O’Brien filed her paperwork the week after the Illinois Supreme Court suspended her from practicing law “effective immediately.” Meanwhile, she’s been trying to convince a federal judge to overturn the jury’s verdict.

For now, she continues to be paid as a Cook County judge but does no judicial work, records show.

Long-suffering Cook County taxpayers--that of courses includes me--are paying her nearly $200,000 salary.

Two years ago Rhonda Crawford, a Democratic candidate for judge who was working as a law clerk, actually put on a judge's robe and presided over some traffic cases before winning her election--and of course before she was sworn in. She remained on the ballot and of course moronic Cook County voters still elected her. But Crawford was not allowed to take her seat on the bench.

Last month she died--authorities are calling it a likely suicide.

O'Brien is also a Democrat.

And she has no sense of honor.

From Doug Ross: 12 FACES: Some Truly Disturbing Images of James Clapper on 'The View'

Not for the little ones or more sensitive viewers, from Doug Ross: 12 FACES: Some Truly Disturbing Images of James Clapper on 'The View.'

Seattle’s "Amazon Tax"

Seattle might be more left-wing than Portland. Both Pacific Northwest cities have a huge homeless population.

The larger city just instituted a corporate head tax that applies to only Seattle's largest employers and that revenue is slated to pay for housing for the homeless. But why does Seattle have such a huge homeless problem, asks John Stossel? It has a cumbersome set of regulations that discourages the building of new homes and apartments.

Problem not solved.