State of the disunion
When three unions amputated themselves from the AFL-CIO at the federation’s 50th-anniversary convention in Chicago last week, gloom-and-doomers chalked it up as another sign that the American labor movement has all but clocked out. Indeed, the impact of the breakup of the largest labor organization in the nation, but arguably also the most politically influential,…
Yoakam proves he’s the real deal
Dwight Yoakam is a purist and a reactionary, but that doesn’t make him any less of a rebel. Despite his old-school Bakersfield twang and unabashed reverence for golden-era honky-tonkers Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, Yoakam has never been a retro act, nor has he ever stooped to hokey parody or knee-jerk stylistic detours. When he…
Quick takes
STEP OUT FOR BREASTFEEDING Celebrate the joys of breastfeeding Saturday, Aug. 6, by walking. The Henson Robinson Zoo is the setting for the annual World Breastfeeding Week “Walk at the Zoo,” promoting breast milk as an exclusive source of nutrition for infants up to the age of 6 months. Admission to the zoo is free…
Let it flow
Making government more transparent has been a hallmark of Sam Cahnman’s political career. In 2002, Illinois Times reported how the freshman member of the Sangamon County Board wanted to tighten up laws to protect would-be whistleblowers. Fellow board members were less than enthusiastic about the idea. More recently, Cahnman has been trying to do away with…
Something funny happened on the way to the comedy club
“(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?” — the Nick Lowe-penned New Wave classic popularized by Elvis Costello circa 1982 — was meant as a jab at punks picking on the happy hippie culture of the ’60s. The song title takes on a whole new meaning when area comics Mark Morfey, Ken Junior, Greg…
Earth talk
Dear “Earth Talk”: Are there environmentally friendly car waxes, washes, and bug removers? — Graham Berg, Portland, Ore. Conventional car waxes, bug removers, and other auto-detailing formulas work because they contain strong chemicals. Unfortunately, these synthetic substances — including glycol monobutyl ether, a registered pesticide, and the petroleum derivatives naptha and cosmoline — can irritate…
A swell rebel yell
It should come as no surprise that the big-screen adaptation of The Dukes of Hazzard is filled with crude, sophomoric humor; that the General Lee, a souped-up Dodge Charger, undergoes more character development than any of its human co-stars; and that Jessica Simpson is resplendent in a bikini. Oh, and did I happen to mention that…
Celebrity romance
Why is the public so obsessed with the private lives of celebrities? Is it really important that Katie Holmes had Tom Cruise jumping on a couch? Is it a big deal that Colin Farrell is trying to stop the release of a private videotape? That practice is more common than you might think, but overexposure…
When Roe goes
A little-remembered 1975 Illinois law may cause a whole lot of trouble in the coming year or two. The Illinois Abortion Law of 1975 was passed in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade opinion, which overruled most state laws banning abortion. Before then, Illinois only permitted abortion to save the life of the…
Rub out the grubs
If you want to panic the homeowner of a well-manicured lawn, just yell, “Grubs!” White grubs are the most destructive turf insect pest in Illinois. However, not all turf areas will get grubs, and the extent of grub damage varies from year to year. White grubs, which represent the larval stage of beetles, are creamy-white…
Letters to the editor
Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com LOOKING FOR A “POSITIVE” PLAN A lot of misinformation [has circulated] about…
A final passage
He was always “the strong one” — strong in body, in spirit, in intellect, able to quickly weigh alternatives and act in swift and decisive fashion. Thomas Mencken could strip business process down to bare essentials and construct decision tables in his mind while other parties to the puzzle were still verbalizing generalities. Sixty-five and…
Monitoring Wal-Mart’s monitors
Wal-Mart has been running splashy ads asserting that, far from being a global sweatshop profiteer, it’s a model employer that constantly monitors its worldwide network of factories to assure humane treatment of workers. Before swallowing that, you might want to hear from one of Wal-Mart’s own factory monitors. James W. Lynn was recruited by the…
It’s a wiener world
Hot dogs may just be the easiest, most accessible food around. Think about it: They’re one of a few foods sold and eaten just about everywhere, from discount and hardware stores to ballparks, gas stations, street kiosks, and, of course, restaurants. They’re cheap, they can be eaten on the run, and kids love them. People…
Unhealthy alliances
You might be surprised to learn how much Andy Van Meter cares about your health. He’s so concerned about protecting you from salmonella and meningitis and diseases borne by fruit flies that he dug deep in his pocket and spent $14,300 of his own money just to ensure that every lousy mosquito in Sangamon County…
People’s Poetry
It’s Time to Repay A town on the prairie thrives amid trash, butts, bottles. Proud of her people an illustrious history; domes dot the skyline. A town on the prairie needs nurturing, beauty, a lifting of spirit, and love. A town on the prairie waits. — Helen E. Rilling Helen Rilling has lived in or…
Jacqueline Jackson
lakepoem # 2 haiku trio wind on the water a pink transparent beach ball skims across the pond you kingfishers you why this angry chittering food enough for all hills hide the sunrise but sunsets oh the sunsets gold and gray tonight © Jacqueline Jackson 2005
The road to resolution
The decade-old dispute over a narrow block-long road leading to the Hope School now has two routes available for resolution without a trial. One is a motion for summary judgment filed by Woodside Township on July 28; the other is an agreement proposed by the Hope School and re-crafted by Woodside road commissioner Don Duffy.…
Flying high with the Bottle Rockets
It’s been more than a decade since Brian Henneman first broke onto the national scene with the Bottle Rockets, his alt-country band from Festus, Mo. Through the years the group has survived record-label shuffles, band-member switches, and many other pitfalls of the music business. “We’re the last ones standing of those roots-rock bands from back…
AFL-CIO Splinters
CHICAGO — Already in a downward spiral, the American union movement emerged last week from a pivotal confrontation with its future even more in doubt. A bitter clash of personalities and agendas split labor into rival camps as two big unions broke early last week from the AFL-CIO to start their own federation, the Change…
