Hello, Dahli! Skinny Sheahan, Irish Welfare and the Cat Man Do!

Last week, I joined Skinny and Houli for a live taping (oxymoron like German Jazz and Progressive Charity?) of their wonderful radio program ( AM -WCEV 1450) at Jack Desmond's Irish Pub. Skinny Sheahan related another ripping yarn from his vast catalog of true-life south side apologues.

This tale was about a gent on Irish Welfare, a good paying fringe-of-the-government job, who was tasked with driving Mrs. Maggie Daley and the Dalhi Lama to a charity event some years ago.

Mrs. Daley requested that the A/C be turned up in the limousine. The driver with the guileless charm of most hard-scrabble rooted south side ethnics, informed the First Lady of Chicago that 'The Dial for it was right there up over Dolly's head.'

Mrs. Daley was plussed, 'Excuse me? Excuse me????'

'Dolly, he's sittin' right there across from you. Reach up and grab the dial for Crissakes!'

Thus, a career change.

Who knows what will happen to Irish Welfare in this our Good Government Golden Age?


Katmandu!




. . . And readers wonder who I got this way.