Com Ed is On It! Imagine if it were a Government Agency.

Monday's brief but bold storm knocked out power all over Chicago Metro Area. A buddy of mine in Morton Grove, the Marathon Pundit his own bad self, John Ruberry, has been doing the 19th Century/21st Century morph -burning candles and using the old palm-messenger device ( which must be re-charged at a library or Starbuck's with power) to keep up on his reading and writing.

The storm knocked out power in the 18th & 19th Wards from 79th Street North to 109th Street south and roughly from Ashland east to Pulaski west. Power was restored by 6 PM on my block between 107th & 108th Street on Monday. Imagine the loss to families in the costs of spoiled meat and other groceries from family stockpiles in the deep freezer. More significantlty, were another gully washing downpour rain upon us, the sump pump has no power.

In all nearly 800,000 customers were without power - multiply that by four ( your basic husband;wife; three kiddies) and that is a crowd of folks.

By this morning, power has been restored to all but about 100,000 customers. That is pretty damn good work.

I know a bunch of Com Ed workers, most significantly the great Gino Ford who coffees up with me at Kean Gas most mornings - no sign of Gino the last three days; that boy has been up the pole, or in the bucket doing his Electrical Voodoo that He Do So Well!

This morning, I got over to Leo especially early and witnessed a parade of utility vehicles -Bucket Lift Rigs of all sizes and shapes and by my estimate there had to be forty, or more vehicles parading west on 79th Street. The odd thing was that they were all from Punta Gorda, FL. ComEd jumped on the crisis and brought in teams from neighboring states,

I found this press release issued from Com ED on July 11th.

ComEd currently has approximately 480 crews in the field and is requesting assistance from all available resources, including contractor crews and assistance of crews from neighboring states. It also has enlisted additional staffing to manage the large volume of calls experienced by the customer call center. Customers also can visit ComEd.com to report outages and follow us on Twitter to obtain restoration information.

“We recognize that power outages disrupt the lives and businesses of our customers,” said Anne Pramaggiore, president and chief operating officer, ComEd. “ComEd crews are working hard to restore service to customers affected by the storm as quickly and safely as possible.”

The powerful storm began moving through the ComEd service territory around 6:00 a.m. and departed by 9:30 a.m. Most damaging to the ComEd system was intense lightning, with high winds as a factor in causing extensive tree damage and bringing down power lines. The resulting outages are more difficult and time consuming to restore as they involve attention to more individualized equipment.

The largest number of outages is located in the company’s northern and western regions. ComEd is working with municipal officials and businesses to provide ongoing updates to them regarding restoration efforts.

ComEd’s restoration process begins with damage assessment, this process enables the company to determine hardest hit areas and factors into restoration times. The company then prioritizes outage restoration to ensure public safety first such as police and fire, then hospitals and other critical customers. Next, ComEd restores feeders, which allows us to return power to large numbers of customers at one time, followed by smaller service restorations and individual outages.

Public safety is paramount during storms and ComEd encourages the public to remember to take the following precautions:

This is great attention to customer service and public safety. We beef about utilities and their cost hikes - I know I do.

However, I was really impressed this morning by number of trucks and command vehicles brought into the Chicago area to fix the power outage. No one can say that Com Ed is not doing everything in its power to restore power.

That power lies in the hands of Gino Ford and guys and girls in the 480 bucket truck crews. Imagine if the utilities were in the hands of the government.

Welcome to Port Au Prince, Illinois.

Great job Com Ed!

Thanks Gino Ford and the ComEd Crews Who Tackled the Storms!

Gino Ford is a man a half! Mr. Ford is a Charter member of the Kean Gas* Coffee Salon - a coterie of neighborhood worthies ( Boz O'Brien, Mary Therese Riordan RN, Capt. Eddie Ryan CFD, Eddie Carroll, Terry McEldowney - Lyric Opera, Det. Neal Mosh CPD, Frank Hodorowicz, Marty Tully, Billy Higgins, Mike Quinlan, Rich Doyle, Fred Riley, Eugenius Callahan, Smash McKenna, Joe Murphy, Jerry Schumacher, Pat Sheehan, and me self) who caucus at the gas station for coffee and bon mots between 5AM and 6AM most mornings.

It is with this diverse group of tradesmen, nurses, civil servants and venture capitalists that my insights to the economic, cultural, social and religious impact upon Patriots and Neighbors and their families is incubated and hatched - prematurely and full term.

We are blessed with such people as these. They have America's back.

Gino Ford services all of us with ComEd and is the vanguard warrior who returns electrical power to all of us.

ComEd is a bete noir with most of us helots - rate hikes and obscure billing protocols developed by sneaky bean counters and protected by some Legislators in Springfield - most notably the former leader of the Illinois Senate Emil Jones.


However, the crews who venture up on the high wires face injury and death ever day and most especially when our planet goes Gangster on us - Ice Storms and Hurricano Downpours- like yesterday.

Gino missed coffee, because he is out with the crews. Gino is sweating up a storm in heavy jacket asbestos gloves, helmet and harness with tens of pounds of gear pulling him to earth along with the buffeting winds and pelts of rain.

Yesterday evening when I travelled north to pick up the beautiful and talented Ms. Terry Sullivan for evening at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase to witness the electric performance of Jazz Diva Dee Dee Bridgewater* and her quintet, I counted more than twenty huge ComEd Utility and Cherry -Picker Rigs heading north in the express lanes of the Dan Ryan.

That was Gino and the Lads. They are still at it.

Here is the high power and exotic Ms. Dee Dee Bridgewater singing Sweet Rain for Gino and the Com Ed Helots - the High Wire and Pole Artistes! God Bless you all and watch over your labors!

Thanks!

Chicago's Dept. of Streets and San says the storms that ripped thru the city downed 350 trees and put out more than 60 traffic lights. 450+ basements have flooded and more than 500 streets have been made impassable by the runoff.
Spokesman Matt Smith says the department will work through the night to get things back to normal.
Com Ed crews are out in force in the Southwest suburbs. Tonight's round of storms knocked out powerline and downed trees.
No serious injuries were reported but it will some time before communities recover. About 36-thousand of the 120-thousand power outages are located in the South suburbs.

NZ-Weather

* Dee Bridgewater 'Sweet Rain'

Kean Brothers Inc‎ -
2632 W 111th St, Chicago, IL‎ - (773) 445-3626‎

Hickey - The Iceman Cometh to Governor Blagojevich

In a Blue Running Suit and Blue and White Head band protecting thick, lustrous black hair, the iconic Governor of Illinois winds up his sprint south from Ravenswood; having reached south west Beverly/Morgan Park - the Ultima Thule of Chicago. Gov. Rod Blagojevich cools down his sprint to a manly walk and silkily sides off his route to approach a middle-aged,but ruggedly handsome, resident of the neighborhood, busily chipping away at the ice packed sidewalks of his neighbors. It is 4:45 AM on December 19th. Chicago, having been visited with an ice storm in prelude to a dumping of an expected 12" of snow.

The middle aged, but ruggedly handsome, Morgan Park resident pauses in mid thrust at the plate-glass ice ( two inches thick) and makes the sign of the cross for his quiet and personal Morning Prayers. The wiry muscled man intones with a dignified baritone:

Hickey: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by
the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God
the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church,
the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Rod-- Hey, you a voter? ( The middleaged, but ruggedly handsome man, is not startled - but aware of the jogging Governor and nods recognition with a quiet dignity found everywhere in the 19th Ward) Sure you are. Know me? Let's put aside the politics and trust the people. Let's embrace the unique opportunity we all have; take the heat and make the hard and difficult decisions, knowing that we're doing it to make things better for the people of Illinois.

Hickey - -Now, Governor! Up to your old tricks, eh? I see what you're driving at, but I can't let you get away with--

Rod--"Hang loose."


HICKEY-- You're beginning to worry me, Governor. Something's holding you up somewhere. I don't see why--You've faced the truth about yourself. You've done what you had to do to kill your nagging pipe dreams. Oh, I know it knocks you cold. But only for a minute. Then you see it was the only possible way to peace. And you feel happy. Like I did. That's what worries me about you, Governor. It's time you began to feel happy--


Rod--"I want to make money,what are you drunk, or sober?"

HICKEY--Oh, hell, Governor! You don't think I'd come around here peddling some brand of temperance bunk, do you? You know me better than that! Just because I'm through with the stuff don't mean I'm going Prohibition. Hell, I'm not that ungrateful! It's given me too many good times. I feel exactly the same as I always did. If anyone wants to get drunk, if that's the only way they can be happy, and feel at peace with themselves, why the hell shouldn't they? They have my full and entire sympathy. I know all about that game from soup to nuts. I'm the guy that wrote the book. The only reason I've quit is--Well, I finally had the guts to face myself and throw overboard the damned lying pipe dream that'd been making me miserable, and do what I had to do for the happiness of all concerned--and then all at once I found I was at peace with myself and I didn't need booze any more. That's all there was to it.

Rod--"I’m going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I’m saying. And if I don’t get what I want and I’m not satisfied with it, then I’ll just take the Senate seat myself."

HICKEY--Well, well! The Old Grandstand Foolosopher speaks! You think you're the big exception, eh? Life doesn't mean a damn to you any more, does it? You're retired from the circus. You're just waiting impatiently for the end--the good old Long Sleep!

Rod--“I don’t think there’s any cloud that hangs over me. I think there’s nothing but sunshine hanging over me.”

( A ComEd truck idling within hearing distance of the exchange between ruggedly handsome middle aged, devout, sober and modestly honest Iceman Hickey and the joggingly dangeruese Governor of Illinois - ComED Linesman Gino Ford leans from his ice crusted cab and shouts --)

FORD -- That's the stuff, Hickey. Show the old faker up! He's got no right to sneak out of everything.

Rod--A well I bless my soul
What's wrong with me?
I'm itching like a man on a fuzzy tree
My friends say I'm actin' WIRED* as a bug
I'm in love
I'm all shook up
Mm mm oh, oh, yeah, yeah!
My hands are shaky and my knees are weak
I can't seem to stand on my own two feet
Who do you thank when you have such luck?
I'm in love
I'm all shook up
Mm mm oh, oh, yeah, yeah!

Please don't ask me what's on my mind
I'm a little mixed up, but I'm feelin' fine
When I'm near that girl that I love best
My heart beats so it scares me to death!

She touched my hand what a chill I got
Her LIPS* are like a volcano that's hot
I'm proud to say she's my buttercup
I'm in love
I'm all shook up
Mm mm oh, oh, yeah, yeah!

My tongue gets tied when I try to speak
My insides shake like a leaf on a tree
There's only one cure for this BODY* of mine
That's to have the girl that I love so fine!


HICKEY--you're getting me all wrong. Hell, you ought to know me better. I've always been the best-natured slob in the world. Of course, I have pity. But now I've seen the light, it isn't my old kind of pity--the kind yours is. It isn't the kind that lets itself off easy by encouraging some poor guy to go on kidding himself with a lie--the kind that leaves the poor slob worse off because it makes him feel guiltier than ever--the kind that makes his lying hopes nag at him and reproach him until he's a rotten skunk in his own eyes. I know all about that kind of pity. I've had a bellyful of it in my time, and it's all wrong! (with a salesman's persuasiveness) No, sir. The kind of pity I feel now is after final results that will really save the poor guy, and make him contented with what he is, and quit battling himself, and find peace for the rest of his life. Oh, I know how you resent the way I have to show you up to yourself. I don't blame you. I know from my own experience it's bitter medicine, facing yourself in the mirror with the old false whiskers off. But you forget that, once you're cured. You'll be grateful to me when all at once you find you're able to admit, without feeling ashamed, that all the grandstand foolosopher bunk and the waiting for the Big Sleep stuff is a pipe dream.

Rod-- I'm Off!Big boss man
Can you hear me when I call
Big boss man
Can you hear me when I call
Oh, you ain‘t so big
You‘re just tall, that‘s all


You got me working, boss man
Working 'round the clock
I want me a drink of water
You won't let me stop
You big boss man
Can you hear me when I call?
Oh, you ain't so big
You just tall, that's all


Gonna get myself a boss man
One gonna treat me right
Work me hard in the day time
But I'll sure rest easy at night
Big boss man
Can you hear me when I call?
Oh, you ain‘t so big
You just tall, that‘s all

GINO FORD--'What's his story,Hickey?'

HICKEY--He's nothing to me except I'm glad he's here because he'll help me make you wake up to yourself. I don't even like the guy, or the feeling there's anything between us. But you'll find I'm right just the same, when you get to the final showdown with him.

GINO Ford-- Strange Interlude, Dude!


( The middle aged, ruggedly handsome Ice Man continues his Morning Devotions and the corded sinews of his powerful forearms continue to do battle with the thick plates of ice covering the walk ways of his neighbors)

FINIS

* Had the Governor been a fan of Cook County Commissioner, Impression and natural 'Iceman' Jerry Butler ( Only the Strong Survive!) he might have had a less interesting December. Click my Post Title for the Real Iceman!!!!!!!!! Eugene O'
Neill nothwithstanding: Hickey passages from Gutenberg edition of O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh

John McCain: ImPerfect Storm & Brit Writer Sees McCain Victory - So do American Voters

Given the ecstasy of his own followers and the support he has had from the mainstream media in the United States, that event should have brought with it a sense of inevitability, an overwhelming tide of belief that he was now unstoppable: that the future belonged to him. It should, in short, have given him a real bounce in the polls. But it didn't. What he got was a very small spike.

The two polls taken immediately after Hillary's withdrawal speech (and her effusive expression of support for him) gave Obama leads so small as to be virtually within the margin of error.

Some of this could be put down to the disappointment of Clinton followers, which may be expected to dissipate over the coming months. But the other explanation is that Obama's support has peaked: that his coalition of the young, the urban liberal and the black community has already max-ed out at its highest point and is going nowhere from there.

We are having us some kind of storms here in the Midwest. Working men are fighting to put power back in the homes of working people. Many in Obama's camp are locked in with the Utility Giants here in Illinois. Billy Ayers' silver-haired Pappy was the CEO of ComEd. You say you wanna Revolution?

Every time a huge Public Utility (ComEd and Peoples Gas) gets its ears pinned back in Springfield by the State Legislature, corporate stooges like the over-paid fashionista ex-wife of Obama financial funder John Rogers - Desiree goes on TV and decries over paid Union Workers. ComEd has Illinois Senate President doing the boo-hooing for the profit devouring Utility and does not need Desiree - well, neither did John Rogers, but that is . . . another story. Desiree was a laugh riot a few years back when Peoples Gas was called on the carpet at City Council - she made the traditional blond look like a Phi Beta Kappan.

These 'over-paid Union stiffs,' like my pal Gino Ford, have not been home since Friday night. They are restoring power. They are skilled blue collar union tradesmen - And Women! They do not cause the rate-hikes, but they get blamed for them.

They earn their money, in the most exhausting and dangerous manner. They work with electricty - God's way of letting us know that you've gone too far: turn off the circuit before working with wire; don't commit murder in 1930's gangster movies; put the 9 iron down when the storm starts.

Electrical High Tower linesmen are not joined for beers after work by John Rogers, Emil Jones, Tony Rezko, or Desiree Rogers, let alone Senator Barack Obama. I have seen John McCain break bread and wind with blue collar men and women. John McCain, while a privileged son of an Admiral, has a deep and abiding respect for the trades and all working people.

Barack Obama gets along swell with academics and political players and that's nice.

A British Journalist, Janet Daley, records this fact and predicts a McCain Victory In November.

But it is also true that John McCain is not a market leader on economics. He, too, is from a privileged background. Interestingly, however, he seems more able to relate comfortably to ordinary working people than Obama.



This may well be a function of his background as a military officer who was conspicuously loyal to his men, having refused to abandon them when he was offered release from a Vietnamese POW camp.

And this brings me to what may still prove to be the most significant fact about McCain: he is a war hero. (Indeed, in this respect, he bears more of a resemblance to John Kennedy than does Obama.)

He has proved himself to be unflinching in danger and courageous under fire. When people (especially Americans, who still regard military bravery as an exemplar of virtue) come to choose the man to lead them through a crisis, that will count for a lot.

To European eyes (and to some American ones, too) this is an election to determine how America sees itself: can it elect its first black president? Can it present itself to the world in an entirely new guise - as a member of the modern European club of social democratic societies?

But to most Americans - the ones who are less beguiled by rhetoric and more concerned with financial survival, and those who need practical reassurance more than inspiration - this election will be about proven character and tested judgment.

Gino Ford is probably ass-dragging tired right about now, but certainly not bitter or clinging - he has a strong safety belt well-secured. At least the rain has put some gas money in his pocket. Gino Ford likes John McCain. Like me, Gino votes Democratic in almost all local races.

Janet Daley of the Telegraph ( U.K.) is sensitive to Gino Ford, unlike the loud-mouths on cable T.V. and radio - that's one good thing about a power outage.


Ms. Daley predicts a McCain Victory in November and so do I!

John McCain: With Nick Sarkozy, America & France Again Get Cozy: Women and World Affairs at Kean Gas

PHOTOS FROM REUTERS: Regular Guys married to stunning women and France and America - together again!


With wet snow making it easy to catch the Easter Bunny laying out baskets early tomorrow morning, Gino Ford and I debated whether or not a 'regular guy' could have Run-way Models of the female variety all over him like a cheap suit.

'Look, we are trolls. We make way under 70 Large a year, work long hours, got at least three kids in Catholic Schools and College, taxed up the ying-yang, then we come home bolt down dinner, get up to the gym, or the park, or where ever the kids are playing a sport, or maybe going to music, Irish Step Dance, Beverly Art Center lessons, getting honey-do stuff done and then catching a game on cable - plays hell on our looks - well yours anyway Hickey'

'True, my once drum-like taut and tawny skin has taken on a plucked turkey-like quality and my hair, what's left of it, is whiter than Obama's Granny, but a good guy can be attractive to a beautiful woman.'

'Sure, I'm married to one - hey, she might read this on line, don't be a smart ass, Hickey, and sneak in what we're saying. You will! I know you! You have always been a gold-plated a. . ; - No Really - Honey, this is theoretical stuff! My wife is gorgeous! Get that in. Look, we been going steady since she got out of St. Joe's in Canaryville. Don't get me in Dutch. All I'm saying is regular guys - good guys don't hook up with knockout covergirls. Those skinny broads with pissed off expressions and such!'

'How about Mike Cullen? God, he's a stand-in for Larry the Cable guy and he's married to a knock-out? How about John McCain? Ever see his wife?'

'Yeah. but he's a U.S. Senator. Still, our local politicians are mutts and they hooked some eye-candy. Joyce, Sheehan, Maloney, Dart and Hynes are all politicians and about as good looking as a burlap bag full of belly buttons and they married some good lookers. I see where you're going with this.'

'To France, Gino! Even a Frog can be a good guy. Their new President, Nick Sarko! He's been married to a string of Hotties and he's still a good guy. The First French President to actually like Americans - even when we liberated Paris in WWII, DeGaulle hated Americans. This guy is like he's from over by Hegewisch. He's got a Moogie name Sarkozy. I'll bet he's got tons of cousins over around 130th & Baltimore and a ll the alphabet streets.'

'Point taken. A Good guy can date and even marry a hottie. There's hope for you Hickey, yet. On second thought - you ain't such a great guy. If I take any heat from my bride over your typing on the Web, Bub, you'll find a little something from Gino in your Easter Basket. A Mount Carmel Kiss. You know how those feel.'

'Happy Easter Gino!'

John McCain and Nicholas Sarkozy met again in Paris. When John McCain takes the Oath of Office, France and America will once again live the promise and commitment to Freedom forged by Lafayette and Franklin. Vive la France!

Click my post title for an article about Mccain and Sarkozy - here's a taste:

McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for the November election, was in Paris as part of a Senate Armed Services Committee fact-finding mission that also visited Iraq, Israel, Jordan and Britain.

He said he had thanked Sarkozy for French participation in combat operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan and said he had talked about climate change, including the importance of nuclear power in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

He praised Sarkozy, who has put great effort into improving relations with Washington after the falling out over the U.S.-led war in Iraq under his predecessor Jacques Chirac.

"I think relations with France will continue to improve no matter who is president of the United States because this president is committed to greater cooperation and values our friendship," he said.