The Daily Parker

The Chicago Bar Association has released its recommendations for judicial retentions in the upcoming elections. Illinois voters have the opportunity to reject judges each year. A judge needs to get 60% yes votes to keep his or her seat, and every year, the CBA and other organizations recommend that a few not be retained. This year's losers include:

CYNTHIA BRIM - NOT RECOMMENDED

The candidate declined to participate in the Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) screening process and, therefore, according to The Chicago Bar Association's governing resolution for the JEC, is automatically found NOT RECOMMENDED.

BARBARA J. DISKO - NOT RECOMMENDED

The candidate declined to participate in the Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) screening process and, therefore, according to The Chicago Bar Association's governing resolution for the JEC, is automatically found NOT RECOMMENDED.

LORETTA EADIE-DANIELS - NOT RECOMMENDED

Judge Loretta Eadie-Daniels is not recommended for retention as a Circuit Court Judge. Judge Eadie-Daniels was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1977 and has served as a judge since 2000. Judge Eadie-Daniels enjoys the respect of those who appear before her for her integrity. However, it is the considered view of the Committee that Judge Eadie-Daniels does not possess the necessary depth and breadth of legal knowledge to serve as a Circuit Court Judge.

DONNA PHELPS FELTON - NOT RECOMMENDED

The candidate declined to participate in the Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) screening process and, therefore, according to The Chicago Bar Association's governing resolution for the JEC, is automatically found NOT RECOMMENDED.

MARCELLA CARMEN LIPINSKI - NOT RECOMMENDED

Judge Marcella C. Lipinski is not recommended for retention as a Circuit Court Judge. Judge Lipinski was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1980 and has served as a judge since 2000. Judge Lipinski does not possess the necessary temperament and demeanor to serve as a Circuit Court Judge.

P. SCOTT NEVILLE, JR. - NOT RECOMMENDED

The candidate declined to participate in the Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) screening process and, therefore, according to The Chicago Bar Association's governing resolution for the JEC, is automatically found NOT RECOMMENDED.

AMANDA S. TONEY - NOT RECOMMENDED

Judge Amanda S. Toney is not recommended for retention as a Circuit Court Judge. Judge Toney was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1985 and has served as a judge since 1994. Judge Toney needs to improve her punctuality and diligence in managing her courtroom call. Many cases assigned to her sit for much too long a period without disposition.

PAMELA E. HILL VEAL (D) - NOT RECOMMENDED

The candidate declined to participate in the Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) screening process and, therefore, according to The Chicago Bar Association's governing resolution for the JEC, is automatically found NOT RECOMMENDED.

GLORIA CHEVERE (D) - NOT RECOMMENDED

The candidate declined to participate in the Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) screening process and, therefore, according to The Chicago Bar Association's governing resolution for the JEC, is automatically found NOT RECOMMENDED.

ELLEN L. FLANNIGAN (D) - NOT RECOMMENDED

Ellen L. Flannigan is not recommended for the office of Circuit Court Judge. Ms. Flannigan was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1988. While Ms. Flannigan is well respected for her integrity and diligence, she does not possess the breadth and depth of experience to serve as a Circuit Court Judge.

JILL C. MARISIE (R) - NOT RECOMMENDED

Jill C. Marisie is not recommended for the office of Circuit Court Judge. Ms. Marisie was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1990. While the candidate has a fine demeanor, she lacks the requisite depth and breadth of legal experience to serve as a Circuit Court Judge.

DANIEL PATRICK BRENNAN (D)- NOT RECOMMENDED

The candidate declined to participate in the Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) screening process and, therefore, according to The Chicago Bar Association's governing resolution for the JEC, is automatically found NOT RECOMMENDED.

Anne loves this photo:

Parker had tons of fun at Meramec over the weekend. If we could get him to run around for hours at a time during the week at home, I think we'd sleep better.

Meramec is also fun for people:

Also, we failed to remember that at this point he only gives us seven hours from bedtime before dancing on our heads in the morning. Last night we had him out around 9:30, so at 4:45, there he was, yawning loudly in my face. I made a half-hearted attempt to rouse him at 10:15; tonight, faced with the same behavior, I'll just carry him to the yard. I miss sleep.

Just now.

The whole family went to Meramec State Park, near Sullivan, Mo., over the weekend. It was Parker's first long car trip with us. Never before in my life have I cared as much about what goes into and out of another living creature; the car trip only intensified this feeling.

Observe Parker as he was for perhaps 98% of the trip:

Now observe him as he appeared twice on the way up and twice on the way down:

That's not guilt, believe it or not. That's a seriously unhappy puppy preparing to demonstrate the folly of (a) feeding him before a car trip and (b) giving him a Bonine tablet on top of it.

He then went on to surprise us not once but five times during the trip. The moral of that story is, of course, don't give him any privacy indoors.

We all had a lot of fun, though, especially Parker. More on that tomorrow.

Here is the artist and his work, in which he shows he's moved on from textiles to sculpture:

That's a $600 armoire. He is so crated from now on.

No TDP tomorrow, but I'm sure I'll make up for it on Monday.

Ah, Parker, having fun at the dog park, yelling at the camera. I'm posting this photo so you can imagine the toothy grin, energetic bouncing, and ecstatic barking, but in the dark at 5:45 am. At least he's now slept through the night twice in a row.

So it looks like North Korea's nuclear test failed as badly as the President's (833 days, 3 hours) foreign policy. Either or both might contribute to his 34% approval rating.

Polls open in 27 days, 15 hours, 57 minutes.

We are ecstatic: our ball of fur and teeth finally, after seven weeks, slept through the night. He woke up only when he heard Abby Ryan's traffic report on NPR. Then he danced on our heads until we took him outside.

I hope this is the first of many nights we can finally sleep seven straight hours.

Though not rising to the destructive level of a nuclear-armed rogue state, Parker has nonetheless embarked on a radical remodeling of our house:

And yet, he's just so adorable. It almost makes up for it: