Shereikis remembered
There is a new stone bench on the UIS campus dedicated to the late Rich Shereikis, a founding faculty member of UIS’s predecessor school and a long-time contributor to IT. (See “The right combination of sensibilities,” April 11, 2013.) The bench adorns the berm where West Lake Drive meets the campus ring road. The spot,…
The profit motive
A year ago I ventured an opinion about one of the chronic ailments suffered by U.S. health care — expensive, ineffectual or unnecessary treatments that are partly a result of incentives built into our perverse system of paying for such things. (See Just what the doctor ordered, August 23,2012.) On August 19 Tyler Cowen pointed to…
Homeless Bill of Rights: literally the least we can do
Homeless people have some new protections against discrimination under a law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn yesterday. Public Act 98-516 creates a Homeless Bill of Rights, which sounds nice and might actually help someone. Problem is, it doesn’t go nearly far enough. The Homeless Bill of Rights is actually a great idea, and it does…
Blues, BBQs and beyond
I feel like I’m beginning to sound like a broken record – those were those big flat, black things with music on them we had many moons ago. Sometimes they’d get stuck on a scratch and play the same thing over and over. I still have a bunch with a working turntable and the records…
Growing pains
Under financial pressure, Land of Lincoln Goodwill has laid off more than a quarter of its retail workforce and cuts to the charity’s human services side are expected. “It’s just a bump in the road, and I expected the bump,” says executive director Sharon Durbin. Just a year ago, Goodwill was hiring as the agency…
Democratic ties plunge GOP governor contenders in polls
I had heard that Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner’s longtime personal and business connections to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel were “killer” issues among GOP primary voters, so I decided to commission a poll. The question I settled on is pretty mild in comparison to what could be used in a TV ad, so the response…
north fifth street poem #22
north fifth street poem #22 I appreciate west side christian in itsmarvelous makeover of mcclernand it included me luckily surrounded by that school they trimmed my trees leveleda long dirt barrow carted off my behemothbrush pile it took a fork lift cleared the adjacent jungle where a volunteer swungon the vines whee and my neighbor…
More than hot air
Everything’s coming up balloons. Lincoln Art and Balloon Festival takes place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Logan County Airport and downtown. A weekend of fun kicks off with a lights and siren parade at 3:30 p.m., moving from the square to the airport. At the airport, you can see the balloons close up,…
Reaching for the stars
The legendary musical Gypsy, considered by many to be the best American musical ever written, will be presented Aug. 23-25 and Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Hoogland Center for the Arts. Based on memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the show tells the backstage tale of vaudeville entertainer-turned-stripper Gypsy Rose Lee and her domineering mother Rose. Rose…
Barn yesterday
For two summers, I’ve traveled to work on a small organic farm. There, this woman and I had this amazing romance, including lovemaking during summer thunderstorms and dancing naked in the fields! It was all very romantic, and this spring, I moved across the country to live with her. I soon discovered that she was…
This mess won’t end well
One recent afternoon, my infant daughter slept in my arms while I flipped through a backlog of magazines. I stumbled upon this article – “Dysfunctional Illinois: No Play, No Pay” – about our “enormous unfunded pension liability” (about $133 billion) in The Economist. It was disconcerting that my state government’s reputation as an inept laughingstock…
Judicial politics
Sangamon County Chief Judge Leslie Graves’ former assistant is suing her and a court administrator in federal court, saying Graves fired her in retaliation for supporting another judge in an investigative hearing. The former assistant is also suing the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, claiming a violation of federal labor law. Autumn Tibbs of…
Fields of dreams
There was no ribbon cutting this time around, but dirt, finally, is being turned for new ballfields at the southern edge of Springfield. Bulldozers roared up last Friday, just one day after the three partners behind Legacy Sports Complex got their final permit from the city. “We’ll have a top-notch facility,” said Jeremy Strawn, one…
Not tomatoes; tomatillos
They look like green tomatoes, at least once their husks have been removed. When cut and the chambers of tiny seeds exposed, they still look a bit as if they could be tomatoes; although possibly, as a saying in my family goes, “like a bastard at a family reunion.” Eaten raw, their taste and texture…
Corporate greed is making us sick
The failure of our corporate and political leaders to make sure every worker gets good health care is causing some unpleasant consequences – like widespread stomach flu. Ill workers often spread illness, because millions of employees who deal directly with the public are not covered by paid sick leave policies. So, when they come down…
Letters to the Editor 8/22/13
NOT SWEET How romantic! Give a gal a break. (“Going slow on sweet gums” by Bruce Rushton, Aug. 15.) There are far, far more sweet gum trees in town, with a huge abundance of sweet gum balls, than any flock of overwintering birds could possibly consume. If you are a bird lover, which I am,…
Kick-Ass 2 a surprisingly effective look at identity confusion
Though not a complete success, Jeff Wadlow’s Kick-Ass 2 is far superior to its predecessor, a blood-soaked surprise hit from 2010 that wallowed in excessive violence and lacked the awareness to turn the film into a postmodern take on the superhero genre. That’s not to say that this sequel is squeaky-clean – far from it…
Sea of Monsters a bland, rote exercise
Fox 2000 Pictures had their hopes set high for the Percy Jackson series. With all the bestselling novels among the teen set, the series had all the earmarks of being the next Harry Potter. Several other failed launches were touted in the same way (How about the Lemony Snicket series or Beautiful Creatures from earlier…
Reviving a tradition at Clayville
Close your eyes and drift back in time. There are no cars, no cellphones, no computers, no electric grid. Not a film in a theater or a movie on TV and not one single musical recording via iTunes, albums, eight-track or Mp3. Only through direct human involvement, right before your eyes and ears, can entertainment…
News Quirks 8/22/13
Curses, foiled againSheriff’s deputies hunting robbery suspect Matthew Oliver in Pasco County, Fla., posted his wanted picture on their Facebook page, naming him their “Fugitive of the Day.” Oliver replied, posting daylong comments, along with his photo and personal details, including his address. Insisting he was set up by a “crack head,” Oliver elicited such…
WATCH THESE WATCHES
Although it’s been 81 years since the Illinois Watch Company of Springfield stopped producing watches, their timepieces are still fetching a good price. Earlier this week, a nearly flawless specimen made in 1900 sold for $564 on eBay.com from a seller in Kiev, Ukraine. Sporting beautifully painted black Arabic numerals on a white face, the…
Still Kick’n
What can you say about this band that hasn’t already been said? Here’s one thing – this Saturday is the extremely popular group’s final show. Yes, we won’t have Still Kick’n to “kick around” any more after this weekend as members Kelsey Hickman (lead vocals), Pat McCue (lead vocals, backup vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar), Don…
Farmland prices hit records
Record farmland prices continue in Sangamon County, but agriculture observers say the rise may be slowing down. The rising prices follow a nationwide trend driven by low interest rates and solid demand for crops, says John Hawkins, spokesman for the Illinois Farm Bureau. However, farmland prices may level out as interest rates rise, exports fall…
Another woman’s story
I recently spent a pleasant weekend in the company of a handsome widowed lady named Christiana. She did most of the talking, which was fine with me, as what she had to say was well-observed and often wryly funny. Besides, I couldn’t have interrupted her if I tried, she being dead for the past 141…
Tiff over taxes
Though they disagree on just about everything else, Ted Dabrowski and Ralph Martire agree on one thing: Illinois’ poor fiscal condition offers an opportunity to make the state better. For Dabrowski, vice president of policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, that opportunity is a chance to spur business investment by letting the state’s 2010 income…
DEMOLITIONS DUE
If you own a dilapidated house in Springfield, you might want to call your lawyer. In late July, the City of Springfield filed lawsuits against the owners of 16 properties, seeking demolition of the buildings on those properties. Among them is a house in the 1100 block of North Fourth Street that was badly damaged…
Sweet sauciness
If you love barbecue and good music, the Old Capitol Blues & BBQs festival is for you. With a host of scrumptious sauce-covered meats to taste, you can also vote for your favorite to determine barbecue competition winners. The music rocks with a host of musicians and headliners James Armstrong on Friday at 10 p.m.…
An open letter to a political assassin
I love elections. The torrent of lies, half-truths and baseless insinuations from candidates about other candidates is entertaining, though also disheartening if you let yourself think about it too much. This morning, I found the most magnificent specimen of a political hit job in my email box from the National Republican Congressional Committee. Behold: Hey…
This Evening: The Pharmacy’s Open Format Open Mic
As always, anything goes at The Pharmacy’s Open Format Open Mic. Bring a guitar and share a song or two. Try out that new poem, even thought the ink is still not dry in your Moleskine. Go public with that original knock-knock joke you’ve been annoying your friends and family with. Peel and eat an…
