Jacek Lazarczyk from Oak Park, Illinois Facebook Verified

Posted: Tuesday, February 14th, 2012 10:21 AM

Some time ago I stopped reading Ken's opinions; I switched to reading just the comments instead. Now I smile instead of getting irritated. We all have opinions and skills to fix the economy, political mess and catholic church, but when Ken published his 18 step program on how to take a walk I knew he was a fraud (an amateur social worker without a license).

NOPE 2012 from Oak Park

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 3:59 PM

Ken, I'm 100% in agreement with you on this (a rare event, to be sure!). As a reformed liberal, my evolution came as a result of doing exactly what you're suggesting here. My liberalism was the result of feelings, & accepting other peoples "feelings" as factual & reasonable solutions to problems. Only after regular thinking & application of logic did my views change & grow. Today, I find myself testing my conservative views even more critically, & it only reinforces them. Thanks for validating!

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 3:10 PM

Mr. Spock, you are very kind with your offer. Ken may not take to kindly to your offer, but the results would be interesting if he does. Any speculation on what he needs mending?

Mr. Spock from Star Trek

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 2:02 PM

Q, Ken's mind melted away years ago. I want to perform a mind meld to try and help him. It's strictly a humanitarian effort.

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 1:35 PM

Mr. Spock, I always thought it was a Vulcan Mind MELT, not Meld, but I do sometimes have made mistakes with lyrics in songs too.

Mr. Spock from Star Trek

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 1:30 PM

Kenny Boy, you are the most illogical human being on the face of the planet. You are in serious need of a Vulcan Mind Meld

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 1:29 PM

Needs to be fixed in certain parts of Oak Park, but that doesn't get priority because Pope knows that is a limited voting area and if he gets his bricks down, then those people in the area will influence others about Pope being the one to vote for. If Pope can get the bricks on 100 S. Oak Park avenue done, he then has the W.J. to thank Pope in print so others know he is the good guy. If people could retain history in their thinking part, they would vote Pope out and fix Oak Park.

Unfortunately

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 1:26 PM

Ouch - and all of my "thinking" about Bd members leads me to Dan Haley's most recent column about the OPRF board - and how they are sitting on a mammoth surplus of $100 million!?! How so? How many "boards" do we know that, when they have the money, don't spend it? Alright, insert "govt" with "boards" and the track record becomes frightening. Sure, the PRESENT OPRF board, comprised of people who are "friends and neighbors" won't burn thru it ASAP, but what about the next one -for the children?!?

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 1:25 PM

Unfortunately, I agree with the way people think when they get into a position that they can make a difference. Such as becoming President, but once in, a President will say why they can't do anything, but are able to do what they really want to do. Most people can't remember anything when it's time to re-elect and that is what the Oak Park board plays on. Pope always leans on the laziness of voters not to recall anything. Does Oak Park work well as a business? No, the infrastructure needs Cont.

Unfortunately

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 1:11 PM

Next? Why is it that when our friends and neighbors obtain a seat on a board their outlook on matters changes significantly? Remember when they preached the importance of "open govt" and things like that? Answer, "perspective!" They are now VIP people and start believing that who they are and what they do is IMPORTANT! Next, because of their position, they conclude that they are smarter than the rest of us -and semi-pompously become detached from their friends and neighbors. Sad and pathetic.

Unfortunately

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 1:04 PM

@Q. I've always believed that a major "problem" with the board members in OP is the motivation behind their even wishing to be on the board in the first place: "look at me!" Then this leads to their having to have things like brick streets, big bldgs, etc. and so they can say/think: "look at the great stuff/things that I've done!" And since fixing crumbling roads and alleys does not bring any psychological satisfaction...they receive less attn. They chase the sizzle and not the steak.

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 12:48 PM

Doing a little thinking again, and has anyone thought with all of the countries, why our country never learns from history. Maybe it's because history is one of those subjects that is given less preference too, but is one of the most important things to know. Locally, history repeats itself at Village Hall, and we all like to think the results will be different this time. That is due to a lack of thinking and more of people just want to think it will be different.

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 12:44 PM

Jim Coughlin, I know there is an identity lost for Negro's, Afro's, Afro-American's, Blacks and African-American's, and their roots can be traced back to several generations in America, and then back to Africa, and for some, it gives a feeling of identity just like the rest of us, but you are right, Jane is who she is.

Ray Simpson from Oak Park Facebook Verified

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 9:39 AM

Ken generates more responses to his opinions when he tries to be funny. He just seems to piss-off everyone. He claims to speak from and for the left, yet he only seems to anger them as well. To quote Ronald Reagans' debate comment "There you go again" Ken.

Understatement Nominee from OP

Posted: Sunday, February 12th, 2012 8:35 AM

@JBM: I've been laughing all morning about your previous post starting "There is a flaw in Ken's thinking logic..." The opening statement alone is perhaps this year's first nominee of Oak Park "Understatement of the Year." (And because Ken is so skilled at navel-gazing, I'm sure that he'll find no humor in it whatsoever. Which makes it even funnier! )

Ray Simpson from Oak Park Facebook Verified

Posted: Saturday, February 11th, 2012 6:31 PM

Herman Cain stated that he is an American who happens to be black. Three cheers for that style of thinking. I prefer to think of him as a Boilermaker - Go Purdue!!

Jim Coughlin Facebook Verified

Posted: Saturday, February 11th, 2012 5:08 PM

Q- I recall reading a survey conducted several years ago that asked african-americans/blacks if they had any preference. The results indicated that was no clear cut view and it was up to the individual's personal choice. You are correct that we are americans first and the "add-on" is probably just to honor that heritage. I'm irish-american on both sides. My wife's family came to this country from Norway and England. I don't know what to call her, so I just say "Jane".

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Saturday, February 11th, 2012 4:45 PM

Why does Barwin and Pope want Oak Park to be progressive but stay behind the times? Example, blue street signs now displayed on Roosevelt road are the same as the ones on Berwyn's side. Street signs are a waste of money. Embrace technology, you don't need signs with GPS telling you how to arrive to your location. Why does a sign say Fox Park, when you don't want to go to Fox Park, and if you did, you would know where it is? Thinking to much?

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Saturday, February 11th, 2012 4:42 PM

Why are Blacks's know as African-Americans when they are born in America? Do people with roots going back to England, call themselves English-Americans, or Ireland, Irish-Americans, or France, French-Americans? Of course not. Born in America, then you have the right to call yourself an American. If you notice in writing, a person will start off with African-American, but in the writing change it to Black. You wouldn't write, Irish-American and then change it to White. To much thinking?

Jim Coughlin Facebook Verified

Posted: Saturday, February 11th, 2012 3:29 PM

OP-RF Class of '69 here, Ray. Tony Browder was the only african-american member of our senior class. A great guy! Tony appeared in a skit I wrote for the Senior Follies that lampooned how all of his classmates looked alike. Times have changed and certainly for the better.

Ray Simpson from Oak Park Facebook Verified

Posted: Saturday, February 11th, 2012 2:13 PM

Jim - Our high school class had one black girl member and 50 years later I still feel guilty about how poorly we treated her. She did get the last laugh, when the high school started the noteworthy graduates program she was the first recipient. Doctor Lawyer College Professor and all around nice person - I am honored to say I know her. John- I believe that 'thinking' is a process and a means to an end. No one, except our friend Ken Trainor, ever thinks about thinking. Some are good at it others not so good and many have never given it a thought. Profound?

John Butch Murtagh from Oak Park, Illinois Facebook Verified

Posted: Saturday, February 11th, 2012 1:19 PM

Great post, Ray. It is amazing how many of us in OP share the same thought wiring despite the fact that we are on opposite ends of political views. It's a credit to the WJ Comments that it has enabled a immense amount of diverse thinking to enter the OP dialog.

John Butch Murtagh from Oak Park, Illinois Facebook Verified

Posted: Saturday, February 11th, 2012 1:10 PM

There is a flaw in Ken's thinking logic. All animals on the planet, in the air, and under the sea have brains and can think. That's how they find food, avoid danger, and keep their species going through mating. Fact is all animals are selective and use their brain to make choices. The problem is that brains sizes vary, auto response have varying speeds, and nature and environment determine how complex the brain is, and how often it has to be used. All of the above is true for humans. We all respond on occasion by saying "I'll have to think about that?" If we all responded to every question with that response,then communication would not exist. Q "Please pass the butter." A "I'll have to think about that." If we all responded to every question with that response,then communication would not exist. Ken is a professional writer who is paid to be exact with his words, thoughts, and style. Spontaneity is not a asset is writing for a paper. WJ Comments are different. Their is no penalty for expressing your opinion whether you do it badly or at the Shakespeare level. Most comments come spontaneously from the brains of people with a long held view that does not require a lot of "Think". Some posters do but great thought into their posts, but it is not a requirement. We all know people that without great intelligence that can be profound. We also all know people with great intellect that rarely say anything profound. That's the way of the brain works. Enjoy it all -- Post on!

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 11:40 PM

and that could be because he doesn't have the luxury of not taking a handle when writing columns and he uses a picture which makes him easily identifiable and didn't want face to face conversations from people who would say why his opinion is wrong. Who knows why people use handles, but they have been used for centuries. That's just my thoughts on Ken's column about thinking.

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 11:37 PM

long enough so they are able to think with a clearer brain to think with? Has anyone asked why Ken seems to strike out at people who use a screen name as saying anyone who does, isn't willing to do so, doesn't offer anything of value. I'm not pro gun or against gun's because there are several reason for and against, but after Ken started such a frenzy about guns, I didn't understand why he wrote in his column that he would not be attending the meeting on guns, Cont..

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 11:33 PM

Maybe thinking isn't for everyone, or maybe there are people who don't give much thought to thinking because they have decided thinking interrupts their lives, and what about the people who over think? Is it good to over think? Maybe thinking about thinking can be something everyone should re-evaluate and decide if it's really for them or not. What people can do is learn to focus more on relaxing from thinking by on imaging one image until they have relaxed their thought process, Cont..

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 11:29 PM

the brain and you feel relaxed once after a rest, but the brain thinks the same thoughts of anxiety because that is what it knows, so there really is no relaxation, but the same level of tension until you re-train the brain to think a new path? Ken, have you ever thought why after all of those years spent thinking about abortion that you have not come to a decision? Has anyone ever thought how long they should think about something before deciding if action should be taking on the thought? Cont.

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 11:27 PM

Does anyone know that it's impossible to multi-task because the brain is only able to think of one thing at a time, but it thinks so quickly that we think we are multi-tasking? Has anyone thought why you have to constantly beep the horn at the car in front of you because it's not moving? Has anyone thought why it takes about the same amount of time to drive across Oak Park, as it does to drive to Broadview from Forest Park? Does anyone really think sleeping regenerates Cont...

Q from Oak Park

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 11:24 PM

Jim, thinking about racism leads me to believe you a Black person can walk through a lot more neighborhoods than a White person without fearing being robbed or serious hurt. Has anyone thought why people up to the age of 20 years expect you to walk around them when they are blocking a door way or walking down a sidewalk on the wrong side or 4 abreast not living any room for you? Cont..

Jim Coughlin Facebook Verified

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 11:07 PM

Ray, I can't speak for your neighbors but would ignore them when they present themselves as believing they "know better than you". I was personally exposed to a lot racist speech growing up in the 50's and 60's. Those bigots also claimed to "know better". I guess the old adage still applies, "consider the source". The role of government is a worthy topic for discussion. Do we seek a society that values making sure that everyone does indeed have a fair and equal chance? When does a helping hand become a handout? How do we protect those who are most vulnerable and deal with those who prey on them? Does income inequality matter? Are corporations people? Lots of questions. Let's agree to keep talking.

Brent from Oak Park

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 8:48 PM

Oh Ken, I just had another thought; you ARE a Thoreau fan, as I often accuse you of being! Fess up Ken!

Brent from Oak Park

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 8:44 PM

So thinking that you are thinking isn't really thinking? When I am really thinking, the wife, gets worried and asks me why I am "lost". I avoid the questions with a nap. Keep'em coming Ken! Brent

Trying to Unplug from Oak Park

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 7:21 PM

rj from Oak Park: Free Speech does NOT mean you should just hurl mud and call names. You can state your opinions in a respectful, dignified way. THAT'S Free Speech!

Ray Simpson from Oak Park Facebook Verified

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 7:09 AM

ITTS - What you see here is a cross section of our community. We have a lot of very liberal neighbors who truly believe that they "know better than you" and so they are the better people. We also have a large number of people who believe that less government and less intrusive regulation has always worked better. Here is our problem, we live in a state where the party of "BIG GOVERNMENT" has run things for so long that no one remembers, individual initiative, welfare as a last resort, wise use of tax revenue or neighbors quietly helping friends in need. Now, the government is obligated to do it all - at bloated cost. The on line opinions reported here are the beliefs of people who are passionate enough to toss in their two cents worth. Typos have been around since type was set one letter at a time and the typesetter had to check his work upside down and backwards - right to left - bottom to top. There are a lot of people who take joy in finding trivial misprints - sort of like doing easy crossword puzzles when the greater challenge would be less relaxing. These on line threads seem not to be filtered by WJ for ideology - language, slander occasionally. I like this forum and have often wished I could 'UNPUSH' that Post Comments button. Comments never read exactly as intended in the morning. A product of "thinking" I think.

"I Think, Therefore I Spam" from Oak Leaves

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 5:57 AM

For Trainor: Quality comments = People who think just like me (i.e., extra liberal with a side of condescension). This is particularly ironic coming from him and the sorry excuse for journalism that the WJ gives us each and every week. Perhaps you should spend as much time fixing typos and grammatical errors in your publication (and maybe even reporting on something that matters and not just repeating VMA liberal PR) as you do" thinking."

rj from Oak Park

Posted: Friday, February 10th, 2012 12:12 AM

Trying to Unplug - Maybe you should - the good, the bad and the ugly - Free Speech

Ray Simpson from Oak Park Facebook Verified

Posted: Thursday, February 9th, 2012 11:55 PM

Gunz - more than a little off topic - - - again. Our community is on the hook for $800,000 because of single minded neighbors like you and you want to go to the well again? As a life member of the NRA I wind up paying the tab no matter how the case is settled. It is appalling that you have no regard for my constitutional rights. I give you the right to think anything you like (Back on topic ;=)) so long as you allow me the same courtesy. Why don't you find a more practical hobby like a plan to eliminate the bottom 10% of the graduating class at OPRF ( The GAP )or a way to restore 13th floors at most hotels. Good luck!

GUNZ KILL

Posted: Thursday, February 9th, 2012 9:47 PM

Can we all be happy about a state wide gun registry? Now thats good thinking on Rahm's part and Quinn's. Hopefully the full Illinois House and Senate think so too. Time to track where these guns are coming from. Arm yourself all you want under your constitutional umbrella but tell us who has guns and who doesnt. I like.

Trying to Unplug from Oak Park

Posted: Thursday, February 9th, 2012 7:38 PM

Ray and John Murtagh, it was nice reading your latest comments. . . about some real-life situations and which have to do with Ken's column. Some of the comments here have been appalling! I cannot believe the "Ken-bashing". It's uncalled for and disgusting. If you have an personal dignity at all, you should state your views in a logical, thoughtful way without name-calling! I feel so bad and I feel so filthy reading these things!!! STOP!

John Butch Murtagh from Oak Park, Illinois Facebook Verified

Posted: Thursday, February 9th, 2012 12:34 PM

Bravo, Ray. You are using a thinking technique shared by most people. In the army I was a cryptanalyst. That is I broke code, a discipline require 24/7 out of the box thinking. Our work facilities were secure and we were not allowed to take work back to the barracks and were not allowed to make notes out side the work area. Many a night, I dreamed of solutions, awoke, grabbed my badge,and raced to the work facility while the dream was still fresh. Sometimes the dream insight was worth the trip, sometimes not, but it was always worth the effort.

Ray Simpson from Oak Park Facebook Verified

Posted: Thursday, February 9th, 2012 12:22 PM

Meaningful thinking is a far cry from the self serving myopic view of the world we hear from Ken on a regular basis. Solving problems has been the object of my employment for the last decade or so. I have 10 U.S. Patents and know that solutions come by looking at a situation from all angles and ignoring all of the narrow minded "it's always been done that way" objections. My best, most creative ideas have come at 3 in the morning when the body rests and the brain sees things clearly.

russ

Posted: Thursday, February 9th, 2012 12:00 PM

I've found a lot of people on the left don't think. Their views are often based on emotion or because something feels good, not because it makes any logical sense in the real world. Sure, the right can do this as well (particularly when it comes to evangelicals). The problem is both sides often times allow other agendas to get in the way of clear thinking. Unfortunately, both the left and right are controlled by the extremes on either end. Us clear thinking moderates are screwed.

rj from Oak Park

Posted: Thursday, February 9th, 2012 11:24 AM

Ken - I've been thinking- animals have their primal instincts. We have intuition, conscience, civil laws, Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence & common sense. Just a suggestion-try to implement your God given common sense into all this thinking you do. It'll take practice but you can do it. It'll amaze you how it cuts down all that time spent over thinking and it also keeps intact all those other items listed above - clear, efficient thinking will result - whole new world.

Slanted Thinking

Posted: Thursday, February 9th, 2012 6:33 AM

@Ken - Stop the Labeling! How many times do the readers need to be thrown this gibberish. Why must you say - about someones position you do not agree - that it was borrower somehow from someone else without REAL thinking. You say your position has been crafted over your years - and that is no different from others, whose positions you do not agree. GROW UP - your views are BIASED.

Brian Slowiak from Oak Park

Posted: Thursday, February 9th, 2012 12:43 AM

To Phil Pittman: I would love to read that article.Please advise on any information, date, on kennys (lower case on purpose) article.

John Butch Murtagh from Oak Park, Illinois Facebook Verified

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 9:28 PM

RJ - for the record, not all "WJ posters" or people criticizing Ken are conservatives. I am a long term liberal who dallies in the middle, but never crosses the line to conservative. There are many occasions when liberals and conservatives agree on a subject or issue. Really? Yes, Really! It happens more than we all are willing to admit.

Phil Pittman from Oak Park

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 8:04 PM

Ken, I feel compelled to remind you that you have, in fact, used your column to respond to specific reader's comments. A couple of years ago you took me to task, by name, for a letter I wrote that was critical of your column praising Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), the former KKK leader.

Trying To Unplug from Oak Park

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 2:35 PM

Dear Ken, Thanks for this refreshing and honest column. All of us need to look inside and realize that we often use our "talking point", which reflect frozen positions on issues, without really and truthfully examining our viewpoints. By the way, I have to use a pseudonym because I was once attacked personally by someone who "knows me" by my real name. I want to think more about thinking. THANKS!

If You Think......

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 12:31 PM

.....Kenny Boy is insufferable now, just wait until his November 07, 2012 column appears the day after his messish is voted out of office. This is Kenny Boy Light.

Dutch Elm

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 11:19 AM

Gee. I finally got it. After years of progressive public education I'm one of the few who can think. And I'm thinking that I'm feeling pretty darned riled up right now. You know, after I got my English degree with a focus in transgendered Native American poetry, I felt pretty bad about not getting that college instructor's job they Profs kept promising. In fact, I was talking about it with a bud I met at Occupy Chicago. After Film School, he couldn't find any work

Dutch Elm

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 11:18 AM

(Continued) My dad didn't like my college choices. And he's kind of pissed about all the money I owe on the student loans. He wanted me to go to one of those conservative crazy religious schools where they teach philosophy, theology, history, the Great Books, yadda, yadda, yadda. But hey, who needs that old claptrap anyway? I'm a Thinker and I'm perfectly happy blogging away my thoughts in Mom and Dad's basement. Thanks for the forum, Ken!

rj from Oak Park

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 10:35 AM

Ken - Nice to see you gave Jimmy a gold star for behaving himself - told the rest of us to sit down & shut up until we can evolve into your kind of "thinker". How pathetic and self-righteous. Perhaps if you treated your conservative customers of the WJ with a little respect instead of in-your-face dismissive columns re anything Conservative and held yourself to a higher standard you wouldn't invite the wrath. When preaching to the choir you don't have to practice what you preach, I suppose.

Patricia O'Shea

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 10:18 AM

"you excuse Jim as a real thinking contributer while you seem to accuse the rest of us of being hate spewing, ignorant dolts" Ray, I read it exactly the same way.

Ray Simpson from Oak Park Facebook Verified

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 9:11 AM

Interesting, you excuse Jim as a real thinking contributer while you seem to accuse the rest of us of being hate spewing, ignorant dolts. The two of you are of the same ideological bent and I agree that Mr Coughlin disagrees with many of us with a degree of class missing from most commenters. Jim and I disagree on most everything and use different sources for our information, I defend my references as does he. Both of us do credit our sources and thats OK.

OP Mom

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 9:03 AM

Well said. I can't help but think that the "0ld guard" of the WJ would shut down all this insolent free speech Immediately were it they didn't enjoy the ad revenue all the page impressions generate.

John Butch Murtagh from Oak Park, Illinois Facebook Verified

Posted: Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 12:30 AM

Ken - Two Edward R. Murrow quotes came to my mind after reading your column. "Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar." I leave the localizing of the quote to you. "We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it." The WJ Comments serve as a pulpit for those who wanted to be heard. Long before Comments appeared, I was writing to city officials and getting minimal responses. My Letter to the Editor rarely received any responses. Yes Comments is filled with emoting, fact spewing, name calling, sneering, dissing, and pseudonyms, but it is the only game in town for most people who want to be heard beyond the bar and believe that spirited dissent is important in government. The biggest critics of the WJ Comments have been WJ executives, probably because of backlash from politicians. As a "Commentor", I live by WJ's rules. I dislike a lot of the commentary, but it is the only pulpit in town.