Aldermen honor Daley. Who’s next? Media? Sports? Local TV celebrities? Check, check and check.

Aldermen honor Daley. Who’s next? Media? Sports? Local TV celebrities? Check, check and check.
Aldermen honor Daley. Who’s next? Media? Sports? Local TV celebrities? Check, check and check.

Aldermen honor Daley. Who’s next? Media? Sports? Local TV celebrities? Check, check and check.

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The news just keeps coming this week. Hopefully the big stories will take a breather today so we all can get out and drink for a semi-meaningless Mexican holiday. It would mean a lot to me if I can get out of work by 4pm!

Can you put punch in that crystal bowl? (AP)

Top story: The Chicago City Council paid tribute to retiring Mayor Richard M. Daley on Wednesday by adopting a resolution (all good tributes start that way). Then, most of the alderman (where were Dick Mell and Scott Waguespack?!) spoke about their undying affection for the long-serving Chicago mayor. I ‘ll have a post later today summing up the entire council meeting in less than 300 words. For instance, Alderman Schulter liked that Daley attended 47th ward parades.  Every other alderman made some sort of tangential reference to the Bulls, Bears, Blackhawks, Sox or Cubs. “Cubs haven’t won a World Series…” and everyone laughs. That said, it was an interesting theater.  As aldermen represent every section of the city, it was fun to watch each of them all talk about Da Mere in their own way.

Also, I loved the crystal bowl they gave Daley. Is there a store for different trophy-like crystal bowls specifically for retirements? It seems like every retirement party I’ve been to either gifts a bowl or a plate. I wonder which alderman was in charge of the bowl?

Not to be outdone, the media jumps in today. John Kass has a nice little column this morning. On the site, the headline is Kass on Daley: “I used to like him.” Good to know John.

B story: The new and improved Blagojevich trial is starting to get interesting. Not because of the actual trial, but because of the defense’s contention that Blago just had really awful advisors. Hilarious.

C story: I worked on a nice little essay with my intern Kate Dries today. It’s airing on Eight Forty-Eight this morning. It’s a piece about New York children and young adults now living in Chicago, 10 years after 9/11. What’s their reaction to bin Laden’s death? And more importantly, having to take it all in miles away from home? Kate was 12, living in downtown Manhattan in 2001. Some of the others interviewed were even younger, like 8. Anyway, it will be up online after the show airs.  You can listen to it here on the Eight Forty-Eight page.

D story: And in my own news, Alderman Ed Bus will make TV history today. The new Walter E. Smithe commercial honoring Mayor Daley is out today on channel 7 (ABC). It’s in rotation, featuring several real Chicago celebrities and one huge non-Chicago celebrity (former President George W. Bush). And there is one quick frame featuring Alderman Ed Bus. Yep, the fake 53rd Ward alderman makes the commercial of celebrities saying goodbye to Mayor Daley. WOW WOW WOW. As a friend said on FB: “You dream it, they build it.” Indeed. Here’s video of Bus roasting Daley at the event last month.

Weather: It seems nice out. It feels like fall but it looks like spring.

Sports: The Chicago Bulls rebounded last night (see what I did there?) with a big win against the Hawks to even the series 1-1. Here are my brief, random observations from that game:

No one ever really calls it out, but what is up with Coach Tom Thibodeau’s voice? He’s always hoarse. Bruce Weber style. Can we fix that - or maybe just change the rules and let him use a megaphone?

Go figure, Boozer doesn’t match up well against the Hawks either. So who does he match up against? It better be someone.

Seriously, what’s with the Cirque du Soleil? Again, TNT showed shots of the halftime show at the United Center featuring an exotic acrobat contorting her body while balancing on flowing cloth lines suspended from the ceiling. I hate that I’m saying this, but could we please just bring back the two guys who lip-synched to the Blues Brothers?

And finally, the new TNT show Franklin & Bash gets cute with its advertising, acting as if the main characters are in a crappy, local commercial for two trial lawyers. But the problem is - it isn’t crappy enough. It’s Hollywood’s version of a Briskman & Briskman commercial. With all the money at TNT’s disposal, why not spend some cash to make this thing look legitimately bad? Instead, it looks like someone Hollywood tried to do it and just made it too glossy.

Kicker: Did you see this great video by Amy Krouse Rosenthal? I know I write about Mission Amy KR a lot, but there is NOBODY in Chicago dong this kind of work. She deserves kudos for it. Anyway, a couple weeks ago she gathered some of her friends and fans to randomly cheer on commuters, like a marathon.