Meandering “Wind River” Lacks Focus
There’s an “almost, not quite” quality to Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River, a thriller with great potential that gets lost thanks to its oblique narrative. It surely isn’t a lack of talent on the screen that’s to blame as the cast assembled is first rate. The script by Sheridan, who penned last year’s Oscar-nominated Hell or…
The company he keeps
Kevin Drum today lists the CEOs who have quit Trump’s manufacturing council in disgust over his thinly-disguised support for the Charlotteville neo-Nazis. Ten have left so far; still on the council is the pride of Peoria, Caterpillar’s Doug Oberhelman. “If there’s a single name left on this list by the end of the day,” adds…
Illinois State Fair Twilight Parade
A great time was had by all at the Illinois State Fair Twilight Parade last Thursday. Check out our photo gallery to relive the fun (or experience it for the first time if you were unable to make it) of the Twilight Parade. Created with flickr slideshow.
A book a-borning?
In my recent column about the need for a proper environmental history of Illinois, “Oh, for a Thucydides of the prairie,” I noted that several excellent recent works, while not environmental histories per se, are informed by consciousness of the role that environment played in history. One I mentioned in Empire by Collaboration: Indians, Colonists,…
Letters to the Editor 8/10/17
MADIGAN’S TO BLAMEI believe it is rather clear that there will not be any meaningful reforms passed by the House as long as Michael Madigan is speaker. He made sure the budget got to such a crisis state that even some Republicans felt compelled to vote for the budget, even though Speaker Madigan reneged on…
In the boring summer time
It’s summer, when spouses (usually women, but not always) show up in ERs seemingly catatonic because their mates have begun talking, again, about the Cub curse or the Cardinal way. Baseball itself is not inherently boring, even if it is mystifying to the non-fan. The game, like tour cycling, cricket or government, is one of…
A Deere in the spotlight
When I was a boy, I loved spending time with my Uncle Ernest and Aunt Eula on their small northeast Texas farm. They pulled a frugal living from their 50 acres, raising a little bit of everything. Doing a lot with little to make ends meet, Ernest and Eula operated on a principle of frugality…
SB1 work was just tossed out the window
The education funding reform bill which passed the House and Senate in May and was finally sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk in July was the product of four years of research, endless listening tours and lots of hard bargaining. The House Democrats changed some things at the last minute to benefit Chicago and the…
Fear and loathing in health care
Why do voters support politicians whose clear policy goals indicate that they are likely to support measures that will adversely impact the very people who voted for them? For example, the various iterations of the widely unpopular Republican American HealthCare Act (AHCA) were based on a GOP policy document released June 22, 2016. http://abetterway.speaker.gov/_assets/pdf/ABetterWay-HealthCare-PolicyPaper.pdf You…
Editor’s Note 8/10/17
If you had to choose politician-of-the-month between Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner, which would you pick? One threatens nuclear war, but then his secretary of state says ignore it, there’s nothing to worry about. The other plays Russian roulette with school funding days before school starts, and everyone says there’s plenty to worry about. If…
Watercolor under the bridge
A guy my girlfriend dated seven years ago is now an aspiring artist, and he gave my girlfriend one of his paintings. It’s abstract, splashy and horrible. I find it disrespectful of him to give it to her (because she’s in a relationship). She said he does lots of paintings, sells almost none, and gives…
Three exhibitions; one night
On Friday, Aug. 11, celebrate the opening of three new exhibitions at the DEMO Project, a modern art gallery directed by Springfield-based contemporary artists. The first exhibition, titled “Dominus,” is a solo project by Maria Lux, a research-driven installation artist out of Walla Walla, Washington, whose exhibition utilizes raccoons and Roombas to examine animal and…
Twinning with twine
Enjoy a fun night out with your neonate Friday at page261, a boutique-style shop that offers a variety of creative “make-and-take” activities for children and adults. From 7-9 p.m., children ages 7-12 plus an adult will learn a variety of braiding techniques and create a stylish, colorful piece of wearable art. The activity cost is…
A successful start to school
Does your child struggle with attention, learning, behaviors or social skills? If so, don’t miss a free, interactive presentation offering tips and information on how to start the school year off on the right foot. The presentation, led by Melissa Schwoerer, attorney and mother of three boys; Laura Cellini, special needs advocate and mother of…
Cleaning up
Yeah, Roy so cool,That racing fool, he don’t know what fear’s about.He do 130 mile an hour, smiling at the cameraWith a toothpick in his mouth.– Jim Croce Before the evening’s first green flag at Macon Speedway near Decatur, Brandon Sheppard wipes down his race car. The vehicle looks more a cross between a Civil…
State fair beginnings
Barkers called out their wares and vaudeville actors entertained spectators while carriages pulled by horses rolled down the street. Then when it was dark enough, balloons attached to small lights were released into the sky. This was the nightly scene along Adams Street and the grounds of the Old State Capitol during the early years…
Indie rock legends invade Bloomington
Next week, two of the music world’s longest-standing, most influential and consistently popular indie rock bands will be performing at the Castle Theatre in Bloomington on consecutive nights: Canadian art-pop super-group The New Pornographers on Wednesday, Aug.16, and Dayton, Ohio-based low-fi veterans Guided by Voices on Thursday, Aug. 17. Built to Spill. The Mountain Goats. …
Six-plus years for UIS rapist
Xuesong “Gary” Yang, a former University of Illinois Springfield counselor and recruiter who pleaded guilty to raping a student on her 17th birthday, broke down in tears Tuesday before being sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison. His son, a recent Glenwood High School graduate and musician, didn’t want him present during a piano recital,…
Impasse impact
The Chicago Foundation for Women recently released a report entitled “Damage done: the impact of the Illinois budget stalemate on women and children.” The report states that “lasting damage to the social service infrastructure will make serving people, especially women and children, much harder in the years to come.” Citing a statewide backlog of bills…
CAN’T ANYONE HERE DO MATH?
While Gov. Bruce Rauner continues to rail against an education funding bill he claims is a bailout for Chicago schools, the man who vowed to shake up Springfield still isn’t showing us the numbers. A week ago, the governor briefly put his own calculations of how much school districts would gain – or lose –…
GRAND CORNDOG MARSHALS
Illinois State Fair manager Kevin Gordon announced that the families behind longtime fair vendors Vose’s Corndogs, Cullers Fries and Coleman’s Concessions would serve as Grand Marshals for this year’s Twilight Parade, to be held on Aug. 10 at 5:30 p.m. “The Illinois State Fair is what it is today because of the dedication of our…
Modest approach topples Tower
Through sheer force of will, Idris Elba (“The Man Who Would Be Bond”) attempts to make Nikolaj Arcel’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower something of note. Needless to say, his efforts go to waste in this odd misfire of a movie, a production that takes a surprisingly modest approach to the author’s epic…
More than fair
Yessiree, folks, it’s that time of year when the state fair comes to town, whether you like it or not. Along with the all the fair doings, here are a few other happenings in our fair city that might get lost in the shade of the bright lights of the Illinois State Fair. Tonight (that’s…
New City Road
Named after a country blacktop heading south out of town that could tell some tales if it could, this band is full of authentic local country musicians that could (and do) tell some tales of their own, but prefer to let their music do the talking. Melanie Finley (vocals, guitar, tambourine) fronts the modern country…
vermont report 2017 #3
I think on leaving here I’ll missthe greens the most they are inconstant change with clouds withwind or mirrored in the lake a lineof tolkien says in every wood inevery spring there is a differentgreen I’ll see these different greensagain I’ll hear my daughter saywhen I point out a leaf upon the pathall leaves are…
Out of ideas for summer produce?
Way back in February I got the gardening bug, so I started several different varieties of tomatoes in plastic lettuce containers that I’d been hoarding for that purpose. In a warm east-facing window, seedlings with names like Black Krim, Brandywine, Sun Gold, San Marzano and Green Zebra popped up and lined the windowsill. Eventually these…
