#chicago house inspectors

[sabreezzhomeinspection]

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[beardedmrbean]

The gunman who nearly killed former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last month used encrypted messaging accounts on multiple platforms based in Belgium, New Zealand and Germany, according to a House representative appointed to a congressional task force investigating the assassination attempt.

Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Green Beret appointed to the 13-member House bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination of Trump, told reporters about the accounts while at the Trump Hotel Chicago Wednesday.

One reporter asked Waltz what he and other members of the task force had learned during the investigation and about the encrypted messages on the shooter's cellphone.

"We still haven’t learned a lot. We haven’t learned that much about those overseas accounts," he said, referring to accounts held by would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks. "We do know that they were in, if I get this correctly, Belgium, New Zealand and Germany. 

"Why does a 19-year-old kid who is a health care aide need encrypted platforms not even based in the United States, but based abroad, where most terrorist organizations know it is harder for our law enforcement to get into? That’s a question I’ve had since day one."

The representative then turned his attention to the FBI and Secret Service, bashing them for not saying a thing until they complete their investigations months from now.

"They need to be releasing information as they come across it, because this wasn’t an isolated incident," Waltz said. "The threats are continually Iran’s threats."

Waltz then cited an alleged plot that was foiled regarding a Pakistani national who paid off hitmen to kill Trump and other U.S. officials.

The New York Post reported that the FBI is scheduled to brief members of the task force on Wednesday, which Waltz said he hopes will provide insight into the "ridiculously flawed" security detail at the Trump campaign in Butler on July 13, 2024.

Both the FBI and Secret Service are conducting their own investigations into the assassination attempt, as is the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.

On the evening of the rally, Crooks opened fire on the main stage, grazing Trump’s ear with a bullet. Crooks also killed rally attendee Corey Comperatore, 50, and wounded 57-year-old David Dutch and 54-year-old James Copenhaver.

[countrymusiclover]

15 - Message from Little Brother

Part 16

Dr. Redheaded Neighbor

Tag list - send an ask to be added @annieradcliff @watermeezer @zaidatorcuatomorgado @kmc1989 @tallrock35 @melvia-ito @dreamgemini09 @anonymousmuffinbear

Will was heading out to his car swaying his car keys in his hand until someone flashed their headlights in his direction where he raised his hand so he wasn’t blinded by the lights.  He finally noticed it was his brother Jay sitting in the driver's seat.  “Come here!” 

“Jay, what's up?�� He asked his brother. 

Jay snapped back not saying another word till the passenger door was closed.  “Get in the car.  What do you know about Ray Burke?” 

“He does some real estate, owns a bar and a construction company-“ 

Jay cut his older brother off.  “And a reception hall.  You went to see him.” 

“He wasn’t feeling well so I made a house call.  How do you know?” Will sent him a confused look. 

Jay reached inside his jacket pocket showing him a small recording device before hitting the play button and playing a conversation between his brother and Ray.  “Hey, Ray.  I just wanted to let you know that your blood work looks good.  But I do recommend you follow up with a cardiologist.” 

“I’m not going to a cardiologist.  I want you, Will.  You know, I’m giving you that hall for two grand.  That’s practically for free.” 

Will shakes his head at his brother.  “Yeah, wh - are you listening to my calls?” 

“Rays.” Jay replied. 

Will raised a brow.  “Rays?”

“PD and the FBI have been investigating him for, like, two years, and look who waltzes in…my brother.” 

Will questioned still not following why he was involved.  “Why are you investigating him?” 

“Cause he’s a gangster.” Jay rolled his eyes. 

Will raised up a hand not believing what he was hearing from his sibling.  “What, he pays off a building inspector every once in a while?”

“Try money laundering, fraud, embezzlement.  Now you’re involved with him.” Jay throws his hands up in the air. 

Will brought a hand up to his forehead, sighing heavily.  “Oh, I’m not involved with him.  Hey I’m using his hall.  It’s not a big deal.”

“Yes, it is.  So whatever you’re doing, stop.” Jay sternly looked at his brother needing him to understand how serious this situation could get if remained involved. 

Will’s phone vibrated in his pocket where he took it out seeing it was an unknown area code phone number.   He pressed the cell phone to his ear to figure out who was dialing him.  “Is this William Halstead?” 

“Yeah, this is him.” 

The caller was a male voice that responded back to him.  “This is Lieutenant Griffin.  Ms.  Easton has you listed as her emergency contact.” 

“Is everything okay with her?  Is she injured?” Will asked in a very nervous tone in his voice. 

Lieutenant Griffin began explaining the situation to the civilian doctor.  “She was brought back to the medical tent after she passed out from an explosion.  She has regained consciousness but we are formally discharging her until further notice.” 

“Why?” He glanced at his brother who was listening to their conversation. 

The Lieutenant avoided the question.  “I can’t disclose that information.  You’ll just have to ask her when you see her tomorrow morning when she’s returned home.” 

“She’s coming home tomorrow?” Will still couldn’t comprehend the fact that his fiancé would be coming home sooner than they both anticipated. 

The higher officer responded before hanging up the phone.  “Yes, Mr.  Halstead.  She will arrive on a helicopter at the Chicago International Airport.  Have a good night.” 

“Hey, look at me Will.” Jay grabbed his brother’s shoulder once he had put his phone in his pocket.  “You need to stop dealing with Burke, especially if Mallory is coming home.  You don’t want this guy coming after her if you don’t hold up your end of the deal you have with him.” 

Will shook his head no pushing open the car door, shutting it and heading over to his car leaving the hospital parking lot.  “I’m helping him out to let her have the perfect wedding.  I’m not gonna stop helping Burke.” 

Mallory’s pov

Taking a nap in the seat of the helicopter I had been getting more tired than I used to and now I knew why.   I didn’t want to tell Will the reason through the phone or in a letter that would take months before it even made it into his hands.  

“We’re about to touch down, Easton!” The driver of the helicopter got my attention when he called over his shoulder causing me to wake up and he woke Maxon up who was asleep on the metal ground too. 

Leaning up in my seat I unclipped my seatbelt, reaching over and shrugging my backpack on.  Picking up my duffle bag I glanced out the door when we lowered the chopper down onto the landing platform of the airport.  The ladder dropped down where I slowly walked down the steps with a huge smile spreading across my face when I saw the man who was my fiancée. 

“Mallory!” Will called my name running across the rooftop until my body collided with his.  He wrapped his arms around my waist lifting my feet off the ground, twirling me around in circles.  “Ohhh I’ve missed you so much.” 

Maxon barked at us once I was back on my feet and placed one of my hands on the side of my fiancés face.  “I missed you so bad too.  And there’s something I gotta tell you -“

“Awe don’t worry, Maxon.  I missed you too.” Will heard my dog bark again meaning he wanted some attention so he bent down on a knee running a hand through his fur, receiving a happy tail wag. 

Brushing hair that the wind blew in front of my face I cleared my throat gaining his attention again.  “Will, can we head home now.  I’m kinda tired and there’s something I need to tell you.” He nodded in agreement where we grabbed our stuff driving back to our apartment. 

Once we had gotten everything unpacked and Maxon was laid down on the wooden floor taking a long awaited nap.  Slipping a sweatshirt over my head I plopped down on the couch simply wearing leggings watching Will warm up some leftover chicken and rice we had bought on the drive home.  He hands me my bowl sitting down beside me, focusing his gaze on me.  “So you had something you wanted to tell me.  What's going on, Mal?” 

“It's not exactly something we've talked about so I totally understand if you're not ready.  I mean we're not even married yet.  So the idea of me being pregnant with your child is like crazy-” 

Will cut me off causing me to drop my hands from being up in the air not realizing I had just blurted it out like I did.  “You’re pregnant!” 

“Y-yeah I am.” I chuckled lightly, taken back by the fact that he seemed so overjoyed about this.  “Wait so you’re okay with this.”

Will quickly scooted across the couch capturing my lips with his own.  I hesitated for a moment before I began kissing him back, wrapping my arms around his neck. I deepened the kiss until he broke it by putting his forehead against mine.  “I’m thrilled, Mallory.  I - I didn’t want to pressure you into anything too soon.  But I want all of it Marriage, kids, a family with you.” 

“I want all that with you too, Will.  And now we can have that cause I’m back home.” I nodded with a cheeky grin on my face. 

My fiancé leaned forward kissing my forehead where I nuzzled my head underneath his chin.  “We’re gonna be a family, all four of us.” Laying my head against his chest he wrapped his arms around my waist while Maxon jumped up on the couch and laid at my feet. 

[frances-baby-houseman]

We are still trying to finalize a contract on this house (a 100yo house has a lot of problems, my friends!) and there are TOO MANY LAWYERS involved. Adam is a lawyer, and he asked his uncle for a recommendation to represent us, so we have that lawyer (Steve) plus Adam's uncle has not excused himself so we also have him involved (Kenny). This is too many cooks! (too many cooks!)

We had a zoom with our inspector yesterday and he said be careful, a lawyer can protect you right out of a deal and YEAH. Kenny you need to stop asking questions! Adam put what we wanted for credits with the advice of the inspector (who I love and is my friend Marti's husband, he is GREAT, if you are buying a house in the chicago area I cannot recommend him more highly), Kenny does not need to keep offering his thoughts!!

Ugh I just want to start decorating!!

[strictlyfavorites]

Quit trashing Obama's accomplishments. He has done more than any other President before him. Here is a list of his impressive accomplishments:

1. First President to be photographed smoking a joint.

2. First President to apply for college aid as a foreign student, then deny he was a foreigner.

3. First President to have a social security number from a state he has never lived in.

4. First President to preside over a cut to the credit-rating of the United States.

5. First President to violate the War Powers Act.

6. First President to be held in contempt of court for illegally obstructing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

7. First President to require all Americans to purchase a product from a third party.

8. First President to spend a trillion dollars on "shovel-ready" jobs when there was no such thing as "shovel-ready" jobs.

9. First President to abrogate bankruptcy law to turn over control of companies to his union supporters.

10. First President to by-pass Congress and implement the Dream Act through executive fiat.

11. First President to order a secret amnesty program that stopped the deportation of illegal immigrants across the U.S., including those with criminal convictions.

12. First President to demand a company hand-over $20 billion to one of his political appointees.

13. First President to tell a CEO of a major corporation (Chrysler) to resign.

14. First President to terminate America’s ability to put a man in space.

15. First President to cancel the National Day of Prayer and to say that America is no longer a Christian nation.

16. First President to have a law signed by an auto-pen without being present.

17. First President to arbitrarily declare an existing law unconstitutional and refuse to enforce it.

18. First President to threaten insurance companies if they publicly spoke out on the reasons for their rate increases.

19. First President to tell a major manufacturing company in which state it is allowed to locate a factory.

20. First President to file lawsuits against the states he swore an oath to protect (AZ, WI, OH, IN).

21. First President to withdraw an existing coal permit that had been properly issued years ago.

22. First President to actively try to bankrupt an American industry (coal).

23. First President to fire an inspector general of AmeriCorps for catching one of his friends in a corruption case.

24. First President to appoint 45 czars to replace elected officials in his office.

25. First President to surround himself with radical left wing anarchists.

26. First President to golf more than 150 separate times in his five years in office.

27. First President to hide his birth, medical, educational and travel records.

28. First President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for doing NOTHING to earn it.

29. First President to go on multiple "global apology tours" and concurrent "insult our friends" tours.

30. First President to go on over 17 lavish vacations, in addition to date nights and Wednesday evening White House parties for his friends paid for by the taxpayers.

31. First President to have personal servants (taxpayer funded) for his wife.

32. First President to keep a dog trainer on retainer for $102,000 a year at taxpayer expense.

33. First President to fly in a personal trainer from Chicago at least once a week at taxpayer expense.

34. First President to repeat the Quran and tell us the early morning call of the Azan (Islamic call to worship) is the most beautiful sound on earth.

35. First President to side with a foreign nation over one of the American 50 states (Mexico vs Arizona).

36. First President to tell the military men and women that they should pay for their own private insurance because they "volunteered to go to war and knew the consequences."

37. Then he was the First President to tell the members of the military that THEY were UNPATRIOTIC for balking at the last suggestion.

[todaysdocument]

Letter from Daniel D. Davies to the Commissioner General of Immigration

Record Group 85: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service Series: Subject and Policy Files File Unit: 51924/3 Deport

Department of Commerce and Labor IMMIGRATION SERVICE No. 507/25 OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT INSPECTOR IN CHARGE CHICAGO, ILL October 29,1908 Commissioner-General of Immigration, Department of Commerce and Labor, Washington, D.C. Sir: I forward herewith two photographs of one Olga Averbuch, who is a sister of Harry Averbuch, the anarchist who was killed in the house of Chief of Police Shippy, of this city, some time ago. This girl is now in Russia, and has been making anarchistic speeches there. The police authorities advise me that she contemplates returning to this country in a short time. She is an alien. Her description is as follows: 5' 5" high, 165 lbs.; dark chestnut hair; delicate; wears glasses; speaks German, Russian and a little English. I would suggest that the Bureau have these photographs copied, returning the originals to this office, they having been loaned by the Police Department. Respectfully, (signed) Daniel D. Davies Immigrant Inspector in Charge Enc.1391

[lboogie1906]

Jesse Clark White (June 23, 1934) is an educator, politician, and former track and field athlete from the state of Illinois. He is a Democrat and the 37th Illinois Secretary of State (1999-2023). He is the longest-serving Secretary of State in Illinois history and the first African American to hold the office. He served as Cook County Clerk of the Register of Deeds (1993-99) and as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives (1975-93).

He was born in Alton, Illinois. He attended Alabama State University where he played baseball and basketball and graduated with a BA. He served in the 101st Airborne Division of the Army. He founded the Jesse White Tumbling Team.

He promised to restore integrity and eliminate all forms of misconduct. Key actions included: establishing a code of conduct for employees, setting strict fundraising guidelines prohibiting employee donations, strengthening the Office of the Inspector General, and passing legislation giving the Inspector General position broad powers to root out corruption.

He introduced a teen safety bill that gave Illinois one of the best Graduated Driver Licensing programs in the country. He diverted federal funds from the Illinois State Library so that local libraries in Illinois could continue to receive revenue from the state despite its fiscal crisis.

The kidney transplant of his sister contributed to his advocacy of organ donation, he expanded the state’s organ and tissue donation program. He initiated legislation to create the Registry of Organ and Tissue Donation with First Consent.

He was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, the League Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and the Alabama State University Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. He received the Jane Addams Award for Distinction in Social Service from the Chicago History Museum. He has one daughter. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

TOMORROW (May 17), I'm at the INTERNET ARCHIVE in SAN FRANCISCO to keynote the 10th anniversary of the AUTHORS ALLIANCE.

#15yrsago How kids use the net now, from danah boyd https://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/05/16/answers_to_ques.html

#15yrsago Danger Mouse’s EMI-killed CD will be released as a blank CD-R, just add download https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8053471.stm

#15yrsago Chicago Alderman vandalizes public art depicting CCTVs https://web.archive.org/web/20090520083519/http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=34234

#10yrsago Cloud computers are computers you can only use with someone else’s permission https://memex.craphound.com/2014/05/16/cloud-computers-are-computers-you-can-only-use-with-someone-elses-permission/

#10yrsago Photo of NSA technicians sabotaging Cisco router prior to export https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/05/photos-of-an-nsa-upgrade-factory-show-cisco-router-getting-implant/

#5yrsago Watch: Tim Wu debates trustbusting with Tyler Cowen, who just wrote “a love letter” to Big Business https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_Jp-GJ9LM0

#5yrsago A report from the Christchurch Call, where the future of “anti-extremist” moderation was debated at the highest levels https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/05/christchurch-call-good-not-so-good-and-ugly

#5yrsago Lent: Jo Walton’s new novel is Dante’s Groundhog Day https://www.latimes.com/books/la-ca-jc-review-jo-walton-lent-20190516-story.html

#5yrsago EPA Inspector General Report finds massive waste from Trump’s Pruitt flying business class, staying in swanky hotels https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/documents/_epaoig_20190516-19-p-0155.pdf

#5yrsago Under Trump, immigrants who serve in the armed forces are finding it harder to attain citizenship than those who do not serve https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article230269884.html

#5yrsago California set to legalize eating roadkill https://www.kqed.org/science/1941435/eating-roadkill-is-illegal-in-california-but-maybe-not-for-long

#5yrsago Florida Governor says the FBI told him how the Russians hacked Florida voting machines, but swore him to secrecy https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/05/14/which-florida-counties-had-election-hacks-russians-fbi-and-now-gov-ron-desantis-all-know-but-we-dont/

#5yrsago Grifty “information security” companies promised they could decrypt ransomware-locked computers, but they were just quietly paying the ransoms https://memex.craphound.com/2019/05/16/grifty-information-security-companies-promised-they-could-decrypt-ransomware-locked-computers-but-they-were-just-quietly-paying-the-ransoms/

#5yrsago Luna: Moon Rising, in which Ian McDonald brings the trilogy to an astounding, intricate, exciting and satisfying climax https://memex.craphound.com/2019/05/16/luna-moon-rising-in-which-ian-mcdonald-brings-the-trilogy-to-an-astounding-intricate-exciting-and-satisfying-climax/

#1yrsago Rent control works https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/16/mortgages-are-rent-control/#housing-is-a-human-right-not-an-asset

[reasoningdaily]

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WISH) — Jordan Kelsheimer, 25, of Blanford, has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison after pleading guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official.

According to court documents, beginning in 2019, Kelsheimer was employed as a corrections officer with the United States Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons. At the time of the offense, Kelsheimer was employed at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute.

For weeks, Kelsheimer had been smuggling tobacco into the facility, which is prohibited for inmate use in federal prisons. On July 17, 2022, staff found eight packs of Newport cigarettes and a stack of love letters from the inmate Kelsheimer had been smuggling to. Kelsheimer admitted in an interview on July 18, 2022, that she had been bringing in Newport cigarettes and getting paid $400 per carton by an inmate’s relative via CashApp. Electronic records showed that she made $5,140 total in 15 separate payments.

Upon further investigation and interviewed, various inmates reported that they had repeatedly observed Kelsheimer in intimate contact with the inmate in and near her office within the housing unit where she was assigned, and reported that the contact included kissing and, on occasion, more intimate contact.

“The defendant took an oath to enforce the law and protect those in her care. Instead, she abused her position for her own financial gain—risking the health and safety of her fellow correctional officers and the facility’s inmates,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Public service is a public trust, especially for those entrusted with positions in corrections and law enforcement. The vast majority of corrections officers serve with honesty and integrity, and those who instead choose to break the law themselves must be held accountable. Our office is committed to working closely with the FBI and DOJ-OIG to root out all forms of corruption or abuse in our federal prisons.”

FBI and Department of Justice- Office of Inspector General’s Chicago Field Office investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon. Judge Hanlon also ordered that Kelsheimer be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 2 years following her release from federal prison and pay a $500 fine.

[sabreezzhomeinspection]

When it comes to owning or managing a commercial property in Chicago, safeguarding your investment is crucial. One of the most effective ways to ensure your building is safe, compliant, and in optimal condition is through a commercial property inspection in Chicago. These inspections play a vital role in uncovering potential issues before they escalate, saving you time, money, and stress in the long run.

[figurelifeflirt]

Chicago Fire Season 3 episode 4 Apologies are Dangerous

So, I love all these Severide "one man rescue" adventures. But does anyone else get one? Severide got 2. This one and then when he saved Nathan.

I honestly don't think the inspector was all that hard on our food truck guys. It seemed "too easy". That they got an inspection that fast so I didn't expect the inspection to go well. Even with these "made for TV" type plotlines.

I miss Shay. Sylvie doesn't have much of a personality. Which means it's only Gabby really combatting the testosterone in house 51.

[beardedmrbean]

A postal worker was shot dead on Friday while working on her route in Chicago, according to officials.

Octavia Redmond, 48, of Chicago, was shot at around 11.40pm local time by an unknown shooter, who then jumped in a vehicle and sped away, according to police.

Redmond suffered several gunshot wounds, including to her chest, and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition. She was later pronounced dead at 12.20pm, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

According to Fox 32, the killer may have trailed Redmond before attacking her. The attacker’s white Dodge Durango was discovered torched on Saturday.

Redmond had delivered mail along the block where she was shot for around two years.

Witness Meda Robinson, 68, was in her house when she heard about 10 shots. She said she often stopped to chat with Redmond.

“She was a really nice person, she was a beautiful person,” Robinson told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I can’t understand who would come at her like that.”

The motive for the attack has not been established and no arrests have yet been made.

US Postal inspectors are investigating alongside police, according to spokesperson Michael Martel, and a $250,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the attacker.

The US Rep Jonathan Jackson made a statement on Saturday, calling for a summit with law enforcement agencies to address the “crisis” of postal workers killed or assaulted on the job.

Redmond was a “wife, mother, grandmother, and citizen who was simply going about her normal day on the job to contribute to what makes our city work for all of us,” said Jackson.

“We must embrace the Redmond family and take immediate action to assure Chicago postal workers that we will do what it takes to make their jobs safer,” Jackson wrote.

There has been growing concern about an increase in crimes against postal workers. The number of postal carriers robbed in 2023 rose on the previous year and the number of injuries nearly doubled, despite USPS pledging a crackdown.

The number of postal workers who were injured nearly doubled.

An armed robbery of a postal worker was caught on CCTV in California in May, and last month a Pennsylvania postal worker needed 16 stitches after a dog attack.

[tres-spades-hotel]

For My 1000 Followers

Hi everyone! I know it’s been ages but I’ve been getting a surge of followers lately that I had to have a look at the number. I was super surprised so I’m here to say:

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 1000 FOLLOWERS!!!!!!

*coughs* I’m an old lady …

I’m actually in my early twenties and have been pretty inactive in the Voltage/Kissed By The Baddest Bidder fandom for a few years now. Things got intense with my studies the past few years and I haven’t had much time for writing fanfiction as much as I wanted to. I even made a New Years Resolution last year to write more fanfics but that never happened.

I wanted to take a moment to discuss what’s gonna happen moving forward with this blog. When I first made it, I was at the peak of my obsession with Voltage Inc otome games and specifically, Eisuke Ichinomiya. I found Tumblr and realised it was a place to write fanfiction and fall in love with my favourite otome characters from games like KBTBB and Star Crossed Myth. Eventually, I was added to the Discord, Otome Fanatics, and became even more involved with the community, entering writing competitions, talking with likeminded people, getting to share in the love for the company and their amazing games.

Soon though, my studies were starting to catch up to me and I found myself having less time to write. Now, I’ve never been personal on this blog but I’m going to start today. My name is Olivia and I’m a postgraduate Creative Writing student who completed a Bachelors in Creative Writing. So, I’m pretty committed to my work as a writer. I wanted to make the best kind of writing that I could for these amazing characters that Voltage have fleshed out for us to play with. This does include drafting and editing like mad!

I still love Eisuke, he’s still my favourite character, but since the past couple of years, I’ve lost interest in the games, I hardly go on the app anymore. My interests have since moved onto characters from TV shows, movies, games, and book characters.

The one thing that I love the most is reading. My favourite genre is crime fiction and since April 2022, I became obsessed with Ian Rankin’s detective novel series, John Rebus. He’s a Scottish detective inspector who is always in trouble for something while trying to capture criminals all over Edinburgh. He’s a wonderful, morally grey character who gets put through the ringer more than once. I read the first book and was immediately hooked! I have collected the entire series plus some plays that Rebus stars in! I was able to read the entire series (24 books) in 8 months! I absolutely adore Rebus and plan to write fanfiction for him cause he’s amazing and my new husband! I highly recommend the series for anyone who likes crime fiction and Scotland.

My next obsession began at the end of December where I finally read American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis. I fell in love with Patrick Bateman, which has transcended into a complete maddening obsession with Christian Bale. I mean, what an actor! And he’s so handsome! I’ve currently watched over 20 of his movies, including, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Equilibrium, 3:10 to Yuma, The Pale Blue Eye and many more. I may plan to write for Bale characters in the future but that’s still unsure.

During the pandemic, during lockdown, I finally started watching House M.D in 2020 and fell in love with Hugh Laurie and his character, Gregory House. Again, I had an obsession for ages! Hugh Laurie is an amazing actor. I also fell in love with the TV show, Chicago Fire and Taylor Kinney.

Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption II stole my heart in 2018 when the game came out. I have since bought the game on Steam and fell in love with his character. There may be some fanfics for him as well that I want to write and post!

I’m gonna start rebranding this blog into a place where I can dish out my love for all these characters and reposting much more. If you have book recommendations then I would love to know what they are! I mostly read crime fiction and realist and occasionally, sci-fi and fantasy and poetry.

Eisuke and Voltage will still be in my heart and I will continue to write for him and Leon (who I was also obsessed with for a long while – I guess I just love sadistic characters!) and I may end up posting book reviews or posts rambling on about how much I love Christian Bale. For those of you who have sent in requests for Eisuke, I do plan to write those and eventually I will post them.

I’m still very grateful for all those who have followed me and have been here since the start of this blog. I know its been very quiet but hopefully that will change this year in 2023.

[pynkhues]

hi, sophie! i recently realised that ncis is on it's 20th season and svu is on it's 24th. i always love to see your insights into the industry, so i was wondering if you know or have any theories as to why procedurals seem to be so popular with audiences and/or easy for networks to invest in. i'm just honestly flabbergasted that some shows manage to get 20 seasons when most struggle to get 2.

Hi! Thank you for your lovely words! I love talking about the TV industry, and certainly read and listen to enough about it, haha, so I was delighted to see your ask, because - - well, yeah! Procedurals are pretty fascinating in both their longevity as individual shows and as a format for television generally. They’ve been a stalwart of TV for almost as long as TV has existed; in fact, one of the first procedurals, Telecrime which aired in the UK in 1938, is also one of the first ever multi-episode drama series ever made and one of the first TV dramas written directly for TV and not adapted from a play or a radio play.  

Funnily enough, it doesn’t seem like the genre has even really changed that much. Telecrime followed a detective, Inspector Holt, as he tried to solve one crime per episode, and challenged the audience to solve it before him (in real bummer news: the series is lost to history, with no surviving recordings, so unfortunately we can’t watch it! The pop culture historian in me would love to, haha). Still, you can compare that synopsis to something like Law and Order or House, and the basic concept is the same. They’re your classic whodunit’s, regardless of whether the who is a person or a disease, and in that sort of vein, they’re a televised replacement for the Agatha Christie novels of yore.

And yeah, y’know, they’re comforting. They’re cosy. They’re shows you don’t have to keep up with to enjoy, but will potentially get more out of if you do, because the puzzle is more the point than the characters.

They’ve always been crucial to the TV landscape, but I think right now, they feel strange because they mark a widening gap between TV and Streaming, and I think in a lot of ways also mark a bit of a shift in the industry now.

Let me explain.

The Colour of Money

First thing to remember is that comparatively to most TV, procedurals are cheap to make.

I know, I know, it doesn’t always seem that way with an explosion or two and headlines telling you how much certain actors earn, but the reality is procedurals are usually limited sets, not-all-but-a-lot of early-career writers and directors, limited (and often very established) sets meaning few builds, easy costuming (a lot of cop uniforms for instance will be hired en mass from a costume house and not require extensive design in a way something like, say, Game of Thrones or Succession would), and can even share sets. Courtroom sets can be, and are, used by a lot of shows and movies, meaning many studios will have a set that every show can use, so you don’t have location costs of shooting off the studio lot.

They also make money.

They’re an easy sell to advertisers, particularly if they’re established procedurals – advertisers know exactly what they’re associating their product with when they slot themselves into commercial space on NCIS or Chicago Fire, and they know these shows rate (which I’ll come back to the why of shortly), and knowing content and context makes them safe in a way that, for instance, Twitter, isn’t. You don’t know on Twitter what your ad might be nestled between, or, y’know, when the platform is going to be acquired by a megalomaniac.

They also sell internationally, which is crucial.

I’ve talked a little on here before, but streaming services have really killed off territory sales, which is really, really bad for TV as an industry. Territory sales is actually how shows have historically made money. NBC would, for instance, front the costs for producing a show like, say, Good Girls, and how they would make that money back would be through selling Good Girls as a complete season to an Australian network, to a French network, to a Japanese network, to wherever, with each sale building profits to ultimately recoup costs, make a bit of profit, and then fund future seasons of the show.

Streaming services now typically acquire international rights, meaning production companies make one sale instead of multiple, and most streaming services currently pay really badly. Like - - a fraction of what used to be possible with territory sales.

This is a bit of an aside, but we’re starting to see the impact of that. It’s why streaming services are starting to pull their original content to sell it to other networks or streamers. TV is expensive! Territory sales have always been where the money was.

So yes. Because procedurals are still predominantly on Network TV, they still have old territory deals, meaning a lot of them are still making old territory money. Law and Order and NCIS still air on Channel 10 here in Australia, meaning it’s still a network territory sale, and not a streaming sale as an international deal, and this is the same in many other countries around the world.

These long-running procedurals are still selling TV to TV network, not TV network to international streamer, meaning they’re still making the sort of money TV used to, which means they’re still making the sort of money that’s recouping costs and funding new seasons.

But why are they selling so well internationally still?

People watch them, which I guess is kind of your question, haha.

So, why do people still watch them? Truthfully, who knows! There are a lot of theories that get bandied about as to why procedurals still work, and they range from ones I find unfairly pessimistic to unfairly glorifying. My personal theories tend to vary, but I really think it comes down to appointment viewing versus regularly scheduled programming.

Appointment viewing is usually what you call viewing you have to watch at the right time, usually because they’re expected to be conversation pieces. A sports game, The Bachelor in its prime, a show like Succession. Shows that are going to be significant to your life, to your friendship network, hell, even just because it’s the show you and your co-workers have found common ground with. They’re shows you talk about, so shows you risk getting spoiled on.

Appointment viewing used to really be certain nights of the week – never Friday or Saturday, because the assumption with broadcasters was that you’d be out, and rarely Mondays. Thursdays and Sundays were often prime for this, meaning networks would program their conversation starters on those nights, and pepper the rest of the week with regularly scheduled programming, and usually Fridays and Saturdays with re-runs or old movies. It meant Mondays, when NCIS airs, isn’t for appointment viewing, it’s there to be the thing you catch when you’re home from work and put the kids to bed, but aren’t quite ready to go to sleep yourself. A comfort show with a little mystery that caps off your evening before work the next day.

That sort of programming has always been crucial to the TV landscape, but Netflix is not TV, and Netflix, somewhere along the lines, decided everything should be appointment viewing.

Binge culture is rough, and the model of streaming services like Netflix (although not all of them, I will say), is to keep your interest (and your money) by offering you an endless parade of conversation starters. Their model talks about content over story, meaning quality is irrelevant, and by treating everything as urgent viewing, ultimately, nothing is. There’s a switch, which I think we’re seeing right now, where appointment viewing fatigue has set in, and people want their comfort shows.

They want their Law and Order SVU and their Yellowstone and their 9-1-1 where it doesn’t matter if they miss an episode, and it doesn’t matter if they forget subplots, and there aren’t any easter eggs to have to look for, or Wiki pages to read to figure out what’s going on. For a lot of people, it’s too much, and on a Monday night, between work and kids and life, most people don’t want appointment viewing, most people just want to solve their little whodunit and go to bed.

The Snap Back

Interestingly, I think we’re starting to see the shape of TV really reverse, and to me, this is sort of a marker of that. Network TV seems to be really reverting back to weekly models, and going back to longer season runs of series’ that are cheap and fun and popular – Abbot Elementary’s 22-episode season 2 is a real indication of that to me – and the fact that it’s timing with Netflix caving in on itself like an undercooked cake, more streamers hiking up fees, WB pulling HBO’s content off its own streamer to sell elsewhere, and Hulu, Disney+ and Prime all shifting to weekly content instead of season drops paints a pretty distinct picture. I think streamers are realising that their model doesn’t work, and TV networks are starting to entertain the idea that their model – while very imperfect – actually sort of did. I think it means we’ll end up somewhere in the middle of both – that TV needed to be dragged forwards but that streaming was a huge leap that we need to now be dragged back from, and what that looks like in terms of actual shows and platforms is anyone’s guess.

That’s not really your ask though, haha, so yes! Really, I think it comes down to the fact that TV is a business, and procedurals are cheap and sell well and are a crucial part of the TV eco-system, and shows that are maybe better, but more expensive, or harder sells, or do sell to international streamers who can’t work out how to profit off them in the way they want, is why procedurals are the only shows that really feel stable right now.

[kmrealtygroup]

Do You Have To Pay Residential Realtors In Chicago?

Highlights

Understand realtor fees in Chicago.

Buying? Fees aren't your worry.

Selling? You'll pay a bit.

Top residential realtors earn their keep.

Are you thinking about entering the Chicago housing market? Whether buying your first place, selling your family home, or seeking an upgrade, you've probably wondered about the cost of involving professionals.

Specifically, do you have to loosen the purse strings for residential realtors in Chicago? Let's untangle this using simple language and clear insights.

The Buyer's Side: Free Help?

If you're looking to buy, here's good news! Typically, you don't directly pay your realtor. Instead, the seller covers the realtor's fee as part of the selling costs.

It's a relief to know that you get the expertise of top residential realtors in Chicago without directly paying them. They help you find your dream home in your area (hire a local agent, agency, or team), negotiate deals, handle paperwork, and guide you through the buying process, all on someone else's tab.

Sounds pretty sweet.

The Seller's Side: Paying for Support

Now, if you're selling, things look a bit different.

Home sellers are usually responsible for paying the commission, often split between their agent (the listing agent) and the buyer's agent.

This fee is a percentage of the sale price, typically around 5% to 6% in Chicago. So, while you have to pay, consider what you're getting: local realtors will market your home, bring in potential buyers, negotiate on your behalf, and smooth out the selling process.

It's a worthwhile investment in a service that could significantly boost your sales.

They're like your personal home-selling team, working to get the best possible outcome for your sale.

Why Paying Makes Sense

Whether buying or selling real estate, having a knowledgeable realtor offers value.

Buyers get a hassle-free experience and insider insights into the market without the burden of fees.

Sellers, on the other hand, might fork out for fees but gain significant benefits.

Experienced realtors can boost the final sale price, handle all negotiations, and make the selling journey as smooth as possible.

It's about investing in a service that could save you money, time, and stress.

What About Exceptions?

Of course, real estate isn't one-size-fits-all.

In some rare cases, a buyer might need to cover their agent's commission, especially if they're buying a for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) property where the seller isn't offering to pay the buyer's agent fee.

However, these instances are rare, so you can rest assured that the typical arrangement holds in most cases. Always discuss payment structures with your realtor upfront to avoid surprises.

Always discuss payment structures with your realtor upfront to avoid surprises.

The Realtor's Worth

You might wonder if realtors are worth the cost.

The answer, for many, is a resounding yes.

For sellers, they're your ticket to landing the best deal possible.

For buyers, even though you're not directly handing over a check, you're getting an ally who knows the ins and outs of Chicago's complex market.

Realtors do more than show homes or list your property.

They provide market analysis, strategic advice, and negotiation expertise that can turn a listing into your home or property into a sale. Their network of contacts, from home inspectors to mortgage advisors, can also be invaluable.

Bottom Line: What Chiocago's Real Estate Professionals Saying?

In Chicago's bustling real estate scene, whether you have to pay realtors depends mainly on whether you're a buyer or a seller.

Buyers generally enjoy the luxury of professional guidance without the fees, while sellers invest in expertise that pays off in a smooth, profitable sale.

The value a realtor offers becomes apparent when you consider what realtors do and the peace of mind they provide during one of life's most significant transactions.

So, whether securing your dream Chicago home or selling for the best price, residential realtors are vital players in your real estate journey.

[brookstonalmanac]

Beer Events 8.7

Events

Whiskey Rebellion protestors burned the regional tax inspectors home in western Pennsylvania (1794)

Rudolph Wegner arrived in America (1866)

Edward Stewart patented an Improvement in Beer Pumps (1877)

Brewmasters Association of Chicago founded (1886)

James and Arthur Dowdell patented a Hop Bleaching and Drying Kiln (1900)

Gottlieb-Bavernschmidt- Strauss Brewing Co., a group of 16 Baltimore brewers, reorganized (1901)

Gottfried Fuchs and Hermann Spath patented a Beer Cooling and Dispensing Apparatus (1934)

Walter Stilley patented a Beer Crate (1934) 

Dahlke Brewing closed (Wisconsin; 1943)

Howard Hodge patented a Glycerol Fermentation Process (1945)

Harold Michener and Eugene Jansen patented a Process of Isolating Lupulon from Hop Resin (1951)

Florian Dauenhauer patented a Vertical Hop Picker (1956)

Augusto Metz patented an Apparatus for and Method of Drawing Off the Wort in Making Beer (1956)

Milton Nicks patented a Keg Tapping Device (1956)

1st photo of Earth from space taken (1959)

Falstaff Brewing patented a Brewing Process (1962)

F&M Schaefer Brewing patented the Preservation of Beer (1973)

Nicholas Rippel patented a Beer Bottle shaped like a woman (2012) 

Brewery Openings

Cerveza Tropical (Spain; 1939)

San Diego Brewing (California; 1993)

Cascade Microbrewery & Public Firehouse  (Oregon; 1995)

Power House Brewery (Washington; 1995)

Tenmaya Beer (Japan; 1997)

Ben's Brewing (South Dakota; 2007)

Canyon Club Brewery (California; 2019)