Oh, for cryin’ in the rain.
Some of you might remember that cartoon “Bobby’s World” from way back in the ’90s. Bobby’s mom sounded like she was from Minnesota, perhaps because it was created by that crazy Canuck, Howie Mandel. Anyway, the mom always had goofy sayings like the title of this blog post, which leads perfectly into the topic: running…
Earth Hour is this Saturday!
Just a reminder that Earth Hour is this Saturday from 8:30-9:30 p.m. It’s simple: turn off your lights for an hour to demonstrate your support for global climate change initiatives. Last year, over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009. Major landmarks also…
Safely cycling in the capital city
DSI’s Image and Design Council in conjunction with Leadership Springfield have developed a bike survey. The survey was created by the Springfield Bicycle Advisory Council and Leadership Springfield. Please visit the link below and answer a few questions about your biking habits. The Springfield Bicycle Advisory Council (SBAC) was established by city ordinance to advise…
Letters to the Editor 03/25/2010
ILLINOIS FAIR MAP No longer do only magicians or teachers draw things from hats; this happy power also resides in the political parties of Illinois when deciding which party’s map will be used for the new districts after the census. Redistricting is a process done after each census done every 10 years to better accommodate…
Getting to know the natives
It’s easy in this Land of Lincoln Obsession to think that our area’s history began with the sixteenth president or with white settlers in general. But doing so ignores the many Native Americans who lived here thousands of years before there was even an America to preside over. Dr. Michael Wiant, director of the Illinois…
BPA-free babies
Illinois environmentalists, public health organizations and child safety advocates are seeking to ban Bisphenol A (BPA), an industrial chemical used in making plastics, from reusable food and beverage containers, including baby bottles, water bottles and spill-proof cups. The BPA-Free Kids Act would prohibit the sale or distribution of any reusable food or beverage container that…
Illinois prison population declines
Illinois’ prison population declined by 313 inmates in 2009, says the Pew Center on the States, adding to an annual decrease in the number of inmates in state prisons nationwide for the first time in nearly four decades. In a report titled, “Prison Count 2010,” Pew says the number of inmates in state prisons nationwide…
Why you need a home inspection
The best $300 my fiancée and I spent in the process of buying our first home did not contribute in the slightest to the actual purchase price. Rather, it kept us from purchasing a home that would have been a disaster to live in. The modest fee was the cost of the home inspection on…
Hymn from the musical “The Endless Pavement”
O hail to thee O great tvwho fills our waking hoursearly and late and in between wespend our lives before the screenplenty to do stare at the viewit’s inviting it’s excitingit’s delighting it’s afrightingno need to think of what to dojust view just viewit’s refreshing it’s caressingit’s distressing it’s oppressingno need to think of what…
Central Illinois bands in Texas
Austin, Texas — At the South by Southwest music festival, the spring break of the music industry, sensory overload is practically guaranteed. From March 17-21, nearly 2,000 acts played in Austin, Texas, convention centers, outdoor amphitheaters, concert venues, bars, restaurants, street corners and just about any other nook or cranny where a band can play.…
Home delivery
Celeste Tanner, a 30-year-old nurse, had never known anyone who had a baby in a hospital – or anyone who used drugs to dull the pain – until a month ago. The third child and first daughter of a midwife, Tanner grew up around women who had their babies at home. She was taught that…
GIANT ROBOT ATTACKS SPRINGFIELD
As you cross the railroad tracks on Fifth Street in Springfield’s north side, don’t be surprised if you see a 10-foot tall robot staring at you with its glowing red eye and aiming its arm-mounted machine gun in your direction. It’s just a sculpture by Springfield artist Travis Taylor, and it hasn’t attained sentience…yet. Over…
Eva Hunter
Now residing in Bloomington, the “girl and her acoustic guitar” comes fresh off of a solo swing through Indiana, Kentucky and Georgia for her first Springfield show in awhile. Last July, Eva released another spectacular solo album filled with well-produced, quality songs supported by excellent musicianship from a who’s who of local players that is…
When you’re face-to-face with the loan officer
Despite recent improvement in the economy, the lending environment is still tough. Winning over cautious lenders requires presenting a convincing case, exposing the details of your financial life and work history. The lender must have confidence in your ability and intention to repay this loan. Here is a step-by-step guide to finessing financing. Deciding on…
How to spend $8,000
So, you’ve closed on a home and that federal first-time homebuyer’s tax credit should be coming your way soon. Now what? First of all, realize it might take several weeks for the tax-credit form to get processed. Even then, some homeowners will only see the credit as savings on their taxes, so don’t necessarily expect…
Quinn can’t blame feds for education hole
I’m going to tell you right up front that this is a column about the state budget and involves a little math. Wait! Don’t move on to the next story. I know this can get a bit tedious. But the math is easy and the story itself tells us a lot about how this state…
SIU study pushes breast cancer survivors to exercise regularly
Maureen Maple speaks from experience when she speaks about the benefits that exercise brings to breast cancer survivors. She’s faced breast cancer both personally and professionally, as a 14-year survivor of the disease and as a research nurse for breast and ovarian cancer. Soon after moving to Springfield with her husband four years ago, Maple…
The time is right to seal the deal on your new home
The warm prospect of more affordable home prices, attractive mortgage rates and a stable economy will likely draw more real estate shoppers to the market this spring. But it’s the opportunity for cash back in their pockets that will turn many shoppers into buyers — and quickly. The potential benefit is huge: as much as…
A first-time buyer’s battle plan
Considering the available incentive programs, low interest rates and low home prices, the number of first-time homebuyers in the market has increased to approximately 47 percent, up by more than 10 percent since 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors. But even with these positive conditions, the process of buying a home for the…
Hunter shoots and misses
As a film critic, I am supposed to evaluate every movie I see with as little pre-judgment as possible and a pair of fresh eyes. Yet, I knew that when I saw the preview for the Jennifer Aniston-Gerard Butler “comedy” The Bounty Hunter, that a stinker was headed my way. Perhaps this is not something…
Goodbye to Jerry
Last Thursday a dear friend and fellow musician passed away. The loss is nearly incomprehensible, completely shocking and devastating. As easy as it is to say people die every day, and they do, when a death occurs that is so tragic and so personal, the feelings of grief come over and over in pounding waves…
A Wimpy movie
The secret behind the success of Jeff Kinney’s best-selling Wimpy Kid series is that the author has perfectly captured the voice a middle-schooler. At times sarcastic, at others doubtful and always naïve, the books appeal to adults as they help bring back memories of the most awkward moments of growing up, which can now be…
Is this any way to run an election?
The only suspense come election time in places such as Russia and Belarus and almost any of the Central Asian republics is not who wins but by how much. Government leaders bully, they bribe, they ban opponents from the ballot to produce vote margins for the winners so flagrantly false that they would embarrass the…
Implementing success
Budding entrepreneurs of health care innovations such as information technology products, research tools or services, patient care enhancements and medical devices or drug development have a chance to learn from experts April 1. SIU faculty and staff members discuss their expertise in clinical research development, research regulatory requirements, patenting, licensing agreements, plus business whiz Bruce…
Ice show
Your kids’ eyes will light up with delight seeing the musical ice version of their favorites The Little Mermaid and Shrek, as over 100 Springfield Figure Skating members dance and perform on ice. Also included in the show is a rendition of the funny Young Frankenstein and featured guest skater, U.S. National Medalist Ross Miner. Tickets…
Striking symbolism
During the noon hour at the Springfield Art Association’s Michael Victor II Art Library learn more about the man who painted Demon Sitting, pictured above. Rosina Neginsky, UIS associate professor of interdisciplinary studies, lectures on Michael Vrubel, a Russian painter of the 20th century. Vrubel was the first to develop a representation of the subconscious…
Suspenseful drama
Susy Hendrix, a blind Greenwich Village housewife, is targeted by three ex-convicts searching for drugs hidden in a doll that her husband unwittingly transported home from Canada. Jacksonville Theatre Guild presents the masterfully constructed thriller by Frederick Knott that moves from one moment of suspense to another as it builds toward an electrifying final scene.…
Perfect pastoral evenings
The humidity hung around us like a wet blanket. It had rained for days, and more rain was predicted for later, but right now it was merely a threat – or promise, depending on how you looked at it. It was the kind of midsummer weather that makes you want to hang out with a…
Heartbeat of the Democratic reform movement
It read like just another obituary written about someone who’d lived a very long time: “Doris Haddock died peacefully in her family home,” it began. “Born in 1910, she lived through two world wars and the Great Depression. She is survived by her son, eight grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.” Oh, and one other thing:…
SIMPSON THE SPRAWL-FIGHTER
Ward 2 Alderman Gail Simpson addressed the local chapter of the Sierra Club March 23 and aired her frustration about not only how the east side of Springfield’s development has been forgotten by city leaders, but also with the lack of long- range planning from the city. “People from all over the city shop at…
Picking Quinn’s running mate
As the Democratic Party of Illinois prepares to nominate a candidate for lieutenant governor, party leaders assure the public that the process is “open and transparent.” But few people outside the process know how the decision will be made, and even fewer know why the process is even necessary. After the Feb. 2 primary election…
Clafoutis a la virant
Clafoutis is a very traditional French fruit dessert, one that falls somewhere between cake and custard. I’ve made – and eaten — them for years, but never had one as delicious as the one Paul Virant served at Prairie Fruits Farm last year. His secret is the almond flour; most versions only contain wheat flour.…
