
Man named Chester actually a molester. [S-T]
Forest Preserve officials searched wooded areas near Skokie after residents reported seeing another cougar, but they didn't find anything. [S-T]
The state senate passed a bill today that would require insurers cover the costs of autism therapies. [CBS 2]
Another Bowie Lincoln! [makemakemake]
An autopsy confirmed that the body found in Lake Michigan last week was Artur Shehu, the Villa Park man charged with murdering his parents. [Trib]
Clinton and Obama faced off for their first debate in seven weeks. Slugfest! [NYT]
The state has earmarked $4.5 million to repave pothole-y portions of Lakeshore Drive. [Trib]
Russia wants to send monkeys to Mars. [Telegraph]

Friday Afternoon Diversion


Oh god. New Space Race. Shut NASA down, it is antiquated and pointless.
I understand that like, getting to Mars is the 21st century equivalent of discovering the Americas, but I would just like to put manifest destiny totally behind us and you know, fund the schools.
If they insist on sending a monkey, I suggest the smirking chimp we have running our country.
how in the fruck can it cost 4.5 million to fix some damn potholes.
how in the fruck can it cost 4.5 million to fix some damn potholes.
As I understand it, the city of responsible for day-to-day "patchwork" repairs, which is just filling the holes with hot mix asphalt. But because LSD is also a state road, IDOT is responsible for the permanent repairs, which I would assume entails actual repaving...
@Spav 1
Your limited understanding of the NASA purview is evident in your comment. While not to devalue the value of space travel, there are countless advances not directly related to space missions that you benefit from every day.
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/
To think that schools would suddenly improve were NASA dismantled is illogical and laughable. It's not a binary decision. Furthermore, I find it ironic that you would shutter an unequaled scientific research organization in an effort to save education.
You (we) can have your cake your cake and eat it too. Education and NASA are not mutually exclusive enterprises.
@Hugh
"devalue the value"?
Maybe we could use some more edumacayshun money.
@Hugh:
Watch 60 Minutes more. The funding that would be required to get NASA to Mars is astronomical and seriously unnecessary. And yeah, the funding of the federal government is zero sum. It stands to reason that if NASA's funding were cut, the money would go elsewhere.
My point is that at this point, the billions it would take to mount a laregly symbolic mission to Mars, would be more of use elsewhere.
We should lease space from the Russians to continue our scientific inquires about what have you, but NASA as we now know it, IMO, should be dismantled.
Hugh,Is right spending money even huge sums like NASA spends on science have a return on the investment, there are so many other areas where we could cut the federal budget, Do we still need bases in germany, Italy and England maybe one less aircraft carrier or foriegn aid, maybe a little welfare reform. Scientific research isnt where we should cut to improve education.
I was using "education" as an example. "Health care" would've fit in there too.