Off to Abe-a-palooza

No blogging until I return from the ALPLM dedication later in the day.

Abe Radio

Things have gone too far. Now a local radio station is named after Lincoln.

Someone make it stop.

Pigs vs. Springfield - The Rath of Davlin

In the comments section of this TEH post, ETK (aka ETL - whaaa?) reports getting a response from Mayor Tim Davlin's office on the issue of pig trucks stinking up the city in general and the ALPLM area specifically. Here's the text of what he got:

Thank you for your comments regarding the cattle trucks that pass through the middle of town. Rest assured, the Mayor is working with I-DOT in rerouting them. Since Jefferson and Madison are state routes, there is little the city can do on its own. But, in cooperation with I-DOT we should be able to find a solution. Hopefully, we can set a weight limit on that route, which would force all heavy trucks to go a different route.

Thank you for expressing your concerns.

Ernie Slottag
Communications Director for Mayor Tim Davlin

Well take that you porker, smelly-bellies. Your days of olfactory offensiveness are numbered! At least downtown. I hope.

ETK goes on to report that the Sunday festivities around the ALPLM were predictably intruded upon by the stink trucks.

It seemed only fair play that when we left the festivities tonight that we got caught behind a pig truck. The truck left such a stench behind it hundreds of people walking back to their parking lots were waving their arms about trying to escape the fumes - futile gestures.

ETK has been rewarded by being promoted to TEH's Chief Hog Field Correspondent. Good work!

Y2DST

Uh-oh. Extending Daylight Saving Time may cause a problem with computer programs.

If one change will cause a problem, how about my plan to constantly update the clock so the sun never sets before 8:30 PM. Hey, the IT industry needs a new Y2K to pull it out of the dumps. Let's go for it!

Wes in '08

Gen. Wesley Clark has come very close to announcing his intention to run for president in 2008. Let me follow up by endorsing him 3 1/2 years early. No sense waiting.

Clark was my choice in the '04 Dem primary. He still holds my interest.

The Ex-Presidents

OK, here's what I'm hearing now on what former presidents may be in town tomorrow:

Clinton - wants to be here but may not due to his health situation

Bush the Elder - definitely coming

Carter - despite every effort to get him here, he continues to balk

Ford - attendence status unknown (I'm kind of doubting Ford due to his age and health but who knows)

That's all I have for now.

Too Sexy for My Abe

This AP story looks at Lincoln's sex life. It has the usual "was he gay?" discussion and, as usual, comes to no conclusion after peering retrospectively into Abe's bedroom.

One weird thing, the story appears in the Southern Illinoisan along with a picture of George Bush. I'm not sure why the Bush picture is there since his name appears nowhere in the story. Shouldn't there have been a picture of Lincoln, perhaps in a sexy pose?

Rod Humor

DownLeft has the top 10 things Blagojevich will say at the ALPLM dedication.

The Cardboard President

Last week's Illinois Times' cover story was on a visit the paper would like the president to make to Springfield. One in which he does more than make a quick stop at the ALPLM. Using a cardboard stand-in, the Times takes Bush on a tour of the real Springfield.

Hanging out downtown

We can only dream of the day such a presidential visit might be possible. That is, without removing all the trees, lights, utility poles, fire hydrants, buildings, vehicles, stray animals, pollen and UV rays.

Jamming at the Alamo

OK, the photos are a little sophomoric but I laughed. Check out all the images online or pick up the free weekly before the new one comes out Thursday.

Area 51

I'm not the black helicopter conspiracy type (you there, ETK?) but I found this blog post on the legendary Area 51 pretty interesting. Basically, the blogger is using the new Google Maps satellite feature to spy on the 51st Area. Pictures included!

Be afraid, very afraid. Or not.

Securing the Perimeter

This is getting sillier by the minute.

Yesterday, I linked to this SJ-R story about preparations for the ALPLM dedication Tuesday. I was focusing on information (or lack thereof) regarding what ex-presidents might be attending. Well, there was one part of the story that escaped my immediate attention at the time:

Following Friday's announcement, at the request of the Secret Service, city crews began removing streetlights, traffic signals and trees near Union Square Park, site of the dedication ceremony. The poles and trees could obstruct the view of government snipers who will be protecting the president, city spokesman Ernie Slottag explained.

The trees will be replanted after the ceremony.

Come on!

You know what, I’m no longer asking whether disruptive presidential visits should be curtailed. No, I think I’m actually calling for the end of such nonsense. If security is so absolutely vital that trees and traffic lights need to be removed, just stay hidden in the White House.

My only reservation had been that I thought it might be at least symbolically important for presidents and their constituents to occasionally meet-up in person. Well, when a president only sees a sanitized world in person, I think something is lost. (It’s even worse for this president who regularly stacks the audiences he appears before to be friendly to him politically.)

Likewise, for we commoners who might be determined enough to endure the lines and security checks, there is little “personal” contact and the view is probably better on the local projection screen.

I say put an end to it. Humbug.

Hmmmm...

Stil no mention in the latest SJ-R of any presidents other than Bush coming to Tuesday's ALPLM dedication. We'll see.

Breaking: All 5 Living Presidents to Attend Abe-a-pooluza?

I hear Bush, Clinton, Bush (the Elder), Carter and Ford may all be attending Tuesday's ALPLM dedication.

Update: Media sources say only two presidents coming. Source of untested reliability says five.

Breaking: Bush to Attend Abe-a-pooluza

He's going to make it.

Bush visit on Tuesday confirmed

Last Updated 4/15/2005 12:48:26 PM

White House spokesman Scott McClellan confirmed this morning that
President George Bush will tour the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and
Museum in Springfield Tuesday and then make remarks at the dedication of the
museum. Laura Bush will accompany the president.

More information in Saturday's State Journal-Register

Springfield's Green Zone

Lots of road closures in downtown Springfield this weekend right through the dedication of the ALPLM on Tuesday. Much of the central part of the city will be sealed off from anyone without the proper credentials on dedication day.

This part bothers me a little though:

Horace Mann Educators Corp. is giving nearly 1,200 workers an unexpected
vacation day Tuesday rather than make them fight the traffic and maze of closed
streets expected with the opening ceremony for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Museum.

St. John's Hospital - just two blocks north of the insurance company -
doesn't have the same luxury.

"The nature of what we do, we have to be open. It's not a choice,"
hospital spokesman Brian Reardon said. "We do, obviously, have some parking and
traffic issues."

The medical complex - which stretches between Sixth and Ninth streets
and Carpenter and Madison streets - falls within the downtown street network
marked to be closed for the museum's opening celebration. That includes
facilities where 1,500 hospital employees usually put their cars. The complex's
only unaffected parking ramp is on Ninth Street, and that will be reserved for
patients and hospital visitors.

Employees have been directed to park at the Illinois State Fairgrounds
and take shuttle buses being provided to take museum visitors downtown.
(Hospital identification cards will be required.)

All vehicular traffic to the hospital complex, including ambulance
service, will be funneled through the Ninth and Carpenter entrance. Pedestrians
will go through the hospital's main lobby from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday. Escort
service will be provided for patients from that point to the complex's farthest
reaches, such as the Prairie Heart Institute.

Things will get even more complicated if President Bush attends.

"We can't use air-evac, assuming the president is in town, for security
reasons," Reardon said. "The helicopters will be redirected to (Abraham Lincoln)
Capital Airport, and an ambulance will drive patients either here or to Memorial
(Medical Center.)"

I ask again, is it time to limit presidential visits?

Simon Says

The Capitol Fax Blog points us to Sheila Simon's blog. Simon is the daughter of the late Senator Paul Simon. She's a member of the Carbondale City Council and the very first line in the blog says that it's a "website about Carbondale city government". While it does have posts regarding Carbondale City Council actions and meetings, it also has a number of posts focusing just on Simon. For example, this post links to streaming video of a discussion about her late parents that was held recently at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Simon was also recently appointed to the Illinois Gaming Board and an Southern Illinoisian article on that topic is also posted.

Friday Beer Blogging: What the Hell is This Edition

I found this on the Michelob site.

Soooo...aluminum bottles. Aren't those called cans? I haven't seen these in stores yet and I haven't seen any ads for them either (but then I never watch ESPN). I just don't know.

Smells Like Teen Safety

Wow, maybe all the restrictions on teen driving are paying off. That and safer vehicles, I suppose.

The number of teens who died in traffic crashes on Illinois roads fell to a new low in 2004.

A total of 133 people ages 15 through 19 died in traffic crashes last year, according to Illinois Department of Transportation statistics. It's the lowest total in the 30 years the state has kept track of the statistic. The previous low was in 2000, when 150 teens died.

The story from the SJ-R's online breaking news section. Full story tomorrow.

Update: Here's the full story. The state is indeed attributing the lower numbers to stricter regulation of teen drivers:

State officials credited a pair of relatively new laws for the decrease.
One allows police to ticket drivers solely for not wearing their seat belts.
Previously, officers had to have another reason to pull over a motorist before
issuing a seat-belt ticket.

The other limits the number of teen passengers beginning teen
drivers can have.

The law prohibits young drivers for the first six months
after getting their license from carrying more than one other teenager in the
car unless an adult in present.

Statistics show each additional teen passenger increases crash risks by
50 percent.

The Magic Wand

Ha, ha.

Mrs. Eleventh Hour sent an email to the ALPLM after we got stiffed on our dedication tickets. We wound up with standing room only tickets when there were still seating tickets available and given out later. Meaning, the first-come, first- serve policy was, well, bullshit.

Here's the response she got:

"Ms. [Eleventh Hour]: as much as I would like to wave a magic wand- I can't. I
don't understand the ticketing process as I had nothing to do with it. I will
check around tho and if the magic wand does appear, I shall contact
you. [Director of Guest Relations]"

Well, who DOES have the magic wand, Ms. [Relations]? Who, indeed. I bet Governor Blagojevich MOVED IT TO CHICAGO! Or, he replaced it with a Chicago wand owned by Dick Mell who got mad at the Governor and took it back!

Simon Watch

WUIS just ran a long (local) piece on the ALPLM and, of course, included Dr. Simon and his criticism of the museum. This further confirms my fear that Simon has become the chief spokesman for the ALPLM opposition.