Untitled Document Like turkey and mistletoe and eggnog and fruitcake, there’s a tradition in the journalism business of wrapping up each year with a look back at the storie]]> Years ago, when I was new in town and causing trouble, Rich Miller phoned me, out of the blue, and invited me to lunch. As I recall, he gave me something like 15 minutes notice to show up]]> Last week, my younger son lost two teeth in the same day. We all know what that means: he was in for windfall from the Tooth Fairy. At a dollar per tooth, he was due two bucks minimum. He]]> Just about seven years ago, I moved here from Texas to find out whether I could still do journalism. I had worked for major mainstream newspapers in Dallas and in Anchorage (yes, Alaska),]]> The best compliment I ever got came from a stranger in a Chicagoland mall. We were trapped together in some sort of children’s play area, held hostage by our young sons, who were chasing each ot]]> There are many good cops working for Illinois State Police. Keep repeating that phrase to yourself as you read on; otherwise, you might think ISP is awash in scofflaws. There]]> There’s a new kid in town. He’s a shadowy figure — wears a mask and a backwards baseball cap. As the new icon of the common criminal, he’s slowly taking over the turf]]> Today’s column is dedicated to my copy editor and my mom. My mom, see, skims everything I write, trolling for clues that might explain why the heck I turned out this wa]]> I’ve never thought of myself as particularly courageous. I don’t do bungee jumping or downhill skiing or drag racing or recreational drugs. I have to psych myself up to visit the dentist, ]]> Untitled Document Last Christmas, we had some relatives come visit. Stop the presses, right? It seemed pretty mundane to me, too, at the moment I so casually tossed out the invit]]> When I called Elbert Kern last week, the first words out of his mouth were simply “I’m done.” Kern’s tone reinforced that sentiment: His voice ]]> Untitled Document This is the stupidest column I’ve ever written. I just wanted to tell you that up front. And yeah, I know, my last column was about my dog — pretty ]]> It was, by all accounts, a lovely wedding. Some 300 guests gathered at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to observe the nuptials of the happy couple — the ]]> Untitled Document Back in December 2005, I spent several days in a Sangamon County courtroom watching a middle-aged man stand trial for possession of marijuana. Set up in a sting]]> Untitled Document I’ve got a belated Valentine. I’m a day late, but everything’s relative: The love story I’m about to tell you was delayed for nearly a d]]> Today I’m going to take you somewhere you never want to go. Don’t fret; just reading about it won’t hurt you. Besides, it’s the only painless way to ]]> It’s been less than three months since Jonathon Monken became director of the Illinois State Police, but already he has jolted the agency. Which is sort of what troopers were hoping he would d]]> Two years ago, Todd Green was happy with his Blackberry. Or so he thought. Then he went to his son’s basketball practice, where another dad hanging out in the bleachers was showing ]]> When I told my editor I wanted to write a column about Crash, he yawned. “You’re going to do a movie review?” As usual, he had a valid point. I’m no film critic;]]> Untitled Document Ask Sheila Walk what she misses about her previous teaching job, and she ticks off a list ranging from the profound to the mundane: She misses the quaint archit]]>