I am trying to move my site

I've decided that $57.10 is too much to pay every month for The Blog Peoria Project and TellPeoria. So, I've just spent $19.96 to open a reseller account at Hostgator.com. And Hostgator will move the site over themselves. The problem is, I need to get WiredTree to agree to un-deactivate my account so HostGator can move the stuff over. i have no problem with WiredTree. They've served me well. It's just the opportunity to save $25 bucks a month was too good to pass up.

And since I get unlimited domains on this account, all I need to do is BUY some domains and point them to my site. So, it looks like I'll be creating "peoriaundergrounder.com" and possibly "thepeoriapundit.com."

Any Blog Peoria Project member who wants to their own domain, contact me after the dust settles.

AlterNet: Attacks on atheists continue

5 of the Worst High-Profile Attacks on Atheism This Year: How Oprah, Time Magazine and a Supreme Court Justice Sold Nonbelievers Short CJ Werleman, AlterNet America's most famous TV personality suggests atheists lack an emotional connection to the universe. READ MORE» 3 Shocking Ways Inequality Keeps Getting Worse in America Paul Buchheit, AlterNet The richest 1% have gained at least $6.1 trillion in the past five years.READ MORE» Noam Chomsky: The Richest Countries Are Racing Us Towards Disaster While So-Called 'Primitive' Societies Are Trying to Stop It Natasha Lennard, Salon In a wide ranging interview, Chomsky looks back on this year's NSA revelations and ahead to the earth's destruction. READ MORE»

Elizabeth Warren: It's the Right of Every American to Retire with Dignity -- Why We Must Expand Social Security By Elizabeth Warren, AlterNet "Instead of taking on the retirement crisis, instead of strengthening Social Security, some in Washington are actually fighting to cut benefits." READ MORE» It Was an Historic Year for Marijuana -- 10 of the Biggest Moments By Paul Armentano, NORML Record highs of the public supporting legal cannabis for adult consumption. READ MORE» Number of Black-Owned TV Stations Plummets to... Zero By Joseph Torres, S. Derek Turner, New America Media We just experienced a shameful milestone in the history of U.S. media � and barely anyone noticed. READ MORE» The 7 Weirdest Political Money Raising Events of 2013 By Kurt Walters, Campaignmoney.org Hunting alligators with GOP Louisiana Senator David Vitter? READ MORE» 6 of the Most Offensive Jokes of 2013 By Prachi Gupta, Salon America still has a way to go in understanding diversity. READ MORE» Elephants Pushed Toward Extinction as Terrorist Groups Bankrolled With Ivory Trade to US and China By Richard Schiffman, AlterNet Carved ivory elephants may already outnumber living elephants, which are being slaughtered at the unsustainable rate of 35,000 per year.READ MORE» On the Fed's 100th Anniversary, Wall Street is Psyched -- Nobody Else Much Is By Ellen Brown, Web of Debt blog Could we make the Fed a public utility? READ MORE»

Rauner blames the teachers in latest ad

Press release:

Bruce Rauner’s campaign for governor launched a new television advertisement highlighting Bruce’s commitment to strengthening education in Illinois.
Watch the spot by clicking this link: http://youtu.be/tceMIgEB684“I know the government union bosses will attack me for it, but I’ll keep fighting for better schools until every child in Illinois is given an opportunity to succeed,” Bruce Rauner said. “I’ll give parents more control and choices, reward the best performing teachers with merit pay, and challenge the bureaucracy and put more into the classroom.”
Since the beginning of the campaign, Bruce has highlighted improving education as one of his four top priorities along with strengthening the economy, reducing spending and taxes, and enacting term limits on the career politicians.
“The fact is education is the most important thing we do as a community, and if we don’t get it right, nothing else matters,” Bruce added. “I’ll make sure we get it right by putting parents and students first.”
As a private citizen, Bruce has helped give children in the city of Chicago access to a better education by donating millions to charter schools and funding merit pay programs. He’s been a leader in the education reform movement and worked with many education organizations such as the New Schools for Chicago, The Noble Network of Charter Schools, Chicago Communities in Schools, ACT Charter School, and the Chicago Public Education Fund.

They're closing Hamilton Boulevard

Press release:

Hamilton Blvd will be closed to all vehicular and pedestrian access on January 2, 2014 between Glen Oak Ave and Globe Street and will remain closed until January 8, 2014. The demolition contractor for Unity Point Methodist Medical Center will be removing the old pedestrian skywalk over Hamilton Blvd during this time period. Detour signs will be in place for both pedestrian and vehicular routes around the closure, please plan additional time to avoid this demolition activity.


For more information contact Vance Vinson, Facilities Department, Unity Point Methodist Medical Center  at (309) 672-4990.

Eric Reyes drops out of 117th District race, Schilling now running unopposed

Press release:

ROCK ISLAND – Republican candidate for U.S. Congress, Eric Reyes, released the following statement concerning his choice to withdraw from the 17th District Congressional race:

“I owe a special thank you to my friends, family, campaign staff & volunteers, and ardent supporters everywhere for their time and effort put into spreading the message of liberty in Illinois. I am eternally grateful to the people of the 17th District for giving us their time, wherever we met them,” Reyes went on to say.

 "This campaign has never been about me. It has always been about getting America back on the path our founders intended. As a party, we Republicans need to be united in our efforts and therefore, rather than continue to divide the party and waste precious time and resources of all involved, I have chosen to withdraw my candidacy and focus on advancing the principles of freedom, liberty, and limited Constitutional government by other means."
"The fact is, as bad as the situation in Washington is, the situation here at home is even worse.  We live in a state that is taxing itself out of competition for businesses. We have a budget and pension system that was recently 'reformed' by kicking the can down the road for the umpteenth time and hoping things will just magically get better. We also still live in the state with the most restrictive gun laws that infringe upon law abiding citizens' Constitutional rights and that have allowed increasing crime to continue to plague our society. I have no intention of standing by and watching our great state go the way of Detroit." Reyes said. Eric Reyes is a Constitutional Lawyer from Rock Island, Illinois. More information about Eric Reyes and his plans to restore America can be found at www.EricReyes.us

The year in crazy from Tom Tomorrow

Grocery store. South side. Now.

If you think it's vital for the city to have a civic center and a ball park and a museum, but the loss of a poor neighborhood's one and only grocery store is just 'the free market at work' and not the government's business, then you need to resign from the Peoria City Council. Now.

Are 'native ads' the best way to monetize my blog?

Cause banner ads aren't generating crap. A 'native ad' is simply a text ad posted along with blogs (along with a disclaimer). I've got to figure out how much to charge and how often to run them.

I had this story two days ago

Council member seeks to find replacement for South Peoria Aldi store.

EMT takes kid to the hospital, gets fired for his trouble

Think the government is here to help you? Think again:

In the next 15 minutes, three more calls for ambulances came up empty and, [EMT Stephen] Sawyer says, he couldn't wait any longer. Despite squad rules requiring someone to be 21 to drive the ambulance, Sawyer got in the ambulance, drove some 4-5 miles, picked up the child, his mother, and the paramedic and got them to Ellenville Regional Hospital without an issue.

So, he saved a kid's life. So, you would think the bosses of this service would look the other way, right? Wrong.

In a 4-3 decision, the board said it would suspend him for 60 days, revoke his title on the communications committee and his title as advisor from the Youth Squad that he restarted as a 15-year-old squad member.

This happened in Ellenville, NY, but don't worry. We know from experience that the people in charge of delivery of EMT and ambulance services can be just as stupid and rule-bound here in central Illinois.