By John Ruberry The Netflix neo-western Longmire has ridden into the sunset after six years. The final season started streaming on the network nine days ago and the results should please its fans. I enjoyed it. My Da Tech Guy review of the first five seasons of is here. Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor), a widower, is … Continue reading Television review: The final season of Longmire
Tag: John Ruberry
My return to Detroit
By John Ruberry Last week I had some time off from work and I did what few people do. Before sunrise I left home and drove to Detroit for a pleasure visit. It was my second trip to the Motor City. My first Da Tech Guy account, from 2015, is here. What follows is a … Continue reading My return to Detroit
Manhunt: Unabomber, a review
By John Ruberry Manhunt: Unabomber, is an engrossing eight-episode Discovery Channel mini-series, which is also available on Netflix, that dramatizes the search for the man dubbed the Unabomber by the FBI, Ted Kaczynski. Sam Worthington, best known for his starring role in Avatar, stars as James "Fitz" Fitzgerald, the FBI profiler and linguist who connects … Continue reading Manhunt: Unabomber, a review
Trump one year later: The Deplorables knew all along
By John Ruberry "'Many are the strange chances of the world,' said Mithrandir, 'and help oft shall come from the hands of the weak when the Wise falter.'" Mithrandir (Gandalf), in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Simarillion. This week greets the first anniversary of Donald J. Trump's historic election to the presidency. Historic? Yes. Trump is first … Continue reading Trump one year later: The Deplorables knew all along
Illinois businesses and jobs escape to Wisconsin
By John Ruberry Last Monday I had a errand to run for work--which brought me to Milwaukee's suburbs. And for the first time in five years I drove on Interstate 94 north of the Illinois-Wisconsin state line--on what is known as the Milwaukee to Kenosha I-94 Corridor. A lot has changed since 2012. As I … Continue reading Illinois businesses and jobs escape to Wisconsin
Illinois Math: Chicago Public Schools has fewer students but taxes go up
By John Ruberry On Friday a friend of this very blogger forwarded a Chicago Tribune Breaking News Alert to me: Chicago Public Schools enrollment drops by nearly 10,000 students. And the year before CPS enrollment slid by 11,000. There are 371,382 students taking classes in CPS schools In 2002 there 438,589 kids running the halls, … Continue reading Illinois Math: Chicago Public Schools has fewer students but taxes go up
Long quiet Chicago area taxpayers push back–and win in soda tax battle
By John Ruberry "And it was inevitable that some of these people pushed back..." Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles. Overtaxed residents of Cook County, where Chicago is, are finally waking up. After decades of being slapped by tax after tax--folks are fighting back. Last week the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to repeal a … Continue reading Long quiet Chicago area taxpayers push back–and win in soda tax battle
Louisville basketball team deserves “the death penalty”
By John Ruberry Last week I wrote this in my own blog about a scandal-plagued state university in Kentucky: "Is Louisville a college with an athletic program? Or is it an athletic program that offers some college classes?" Late last month the shadowy and corrupt realm of NCAA men's college basketball, whose players are nominally … Continue reading Louisville basketball team deserves “the death penalty”
Crook County, Illinois soda tax is fueling “free” health care, pensions
By John Ruberry I've written a couple of columns at Da Tech Guy, one here and one here, about Cook County's hated one-cent-per-ounce soda tax championed by County Board President Toni "Taxwinkle" Preckwinkle, a left-wing Democrat. But the question I've been only alluding to here and on my own blog is this one: Why is … Continue reading Crook County, Illinois soda tax is fueling “free” health care, pensions
Review: Hinterland (Y Gwyll), the series so far
By John Ruberry Much well-deserved criticism has been leveled at the BBC for compelling Doctor Who to go transgender by having, after 41 years, a woman take the lead role. Not because, as DaTechGuy himself noted two months ago, the best performer was hired, but because the Doctor Who franchise apparently needs more diversity. Keep … Continue reading Review: Hinterland (Y Gwyll), the series so far
Crook County is what happens when you elect a leftist to run it
By John Ruberry "They'll turn us all into beggars 'cause they're easier to please. "The Rainmakers, Government Cheese. "I am sick and tired of subsidizing crooks." Roger Keats, Toni Preckwinkle's 2010 Republican general election opponent, announcing his move to Texas. Last month in this space I wrote about Illinois' bubbling soda tax rebellion in Cook … Continue reading Crook County is what happens when you elect a leftist to run it
Illinois guv candidate dropping socialist running mate over BDS support exposes Dem rift
By John Ruberry Even in Illinois this story was barely noticed, but the dropping of a socialist running mate by an Illinois gubernatorial candidate betrays a deep rift within the Democratic Party that deserves a close look. Late last month State Sen. Daniel Biss, a candidate for governor, announced Chicago alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa as his … Continue reading Illinois guv candidate dropping socialist running mate over BDS support exposes Dem rift
Review: Season one of Ozark
By John Ruberry Last night I ended another binge-watching venture, this time it was Ozark, a Netflix original series starring Jason Bateman. Season one, consisting of ten episodes, was released in July and Ozark has already been renewed for a second run. Marty Byrde (Bateman) is a financial planner who makes a deal with the … Continue reading Review: Season one of Ozark
Chicago’s ruling class thrives amid city’s decline
By John Ruberry Of America's largest cities only Chicago has a declining population. So far this year--as it was for all 2016--more people were murdered in Chicago than in New York City and Los Angeles. Combined. On the surface it seems that Chicago has the best government that money can buy. The Watchdogs of the … Continue reading Chicago’s ruling class thrives amid city’s decline
Series review: Broadchurch
By John Ruberry A few days ago I finished watching season three of Broadchurch, a British mystery series which is broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV--and here on BBC America--starring David Tennant as Detective Inspector Alec Hardy and Olivia Colman as Detective Inspector Ellie Miller. Tennant of course is best known as the Tenth Doctor--and … Continue reading Series review: Broadchurch