Where did Merlot go?
Untitled Document What happened to Merlot? During the 1980s and ’90s, Merlot was the most popular U.S. red wine. In 1985, there were less than 2,000 acres of Merlot vines in California; in 2003, 50,000 acres had been planted with Merlot grapes. By the mid-’90s, ordering a glass of red wine had become almost synonymous…
Happy feats
Linda Ketchum clutches photographs of five smiling kids decked out in costumes that span the colors of the rainbow. She fights off tears as she flips through them, stopping each time one evokes a favorite story or memory. She remembers when her two oldest daughters, Halley and Hannah, danced in their first recital, happily fumbling…
Cranky for curry
Untitled Document It’s a new year, and everybody on cable television says I should feel bright and shiny like a brand-new penny or a twinkly star, full of determination and potential. And I do kinda sorta feel that way with this year’s to-do list permanently tucked into my pants pocket, hoping that it will somehow…
Letters to the Editor
Untitled Document We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address, and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to Letters, Illinois Times, P.O. Box 5256, Springfield, IL 62705; fax 217-753-3958; e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com. THE REST OF THE STORY Tom Rand of Naperville is far more guilty of ignoring “facts, sound logic [and] reasoned conclusions”…
Other recyclables
Untitled Document How do we find out about recycling the many other items we use that eventually break or die out, such as light bulbs, disposable batteries, portable electronics, and so on? It’s true that recycling items other than paper, plastic, and glass is still no easy task, but if you’re committed to unloading something…
Love and marriage
Untitled Document Like a horse that stumbles badly out of the gate, rights itself, and unexpectedly wins the race, Anne Fletcher’s 27 Dresses recovers from a clumsy first act to deliver a surprisingly entertaining romantic comedy. As is the case with most movies of this sort, the success or failure of such a venture relies on…
Dropping out of the Electoral College
Untitled Document A Stanford University computer scientist named John Koza has formulated a compelling and pragmatic alternative to the Electoral College. It’s called the National Popular Vote, and it has been hailed as “ingenious” in two New York Times editorials. In April, Maryland became the first state to pass it into law. Several other states, including…
Trial by jury?
Untitled Document Plaintiffs’ attorneys are lauding changes to state law, effective as of Jan. 1, that permit workers to sue their employers for race, sex, and other forms of discrimination in circuit court in a manner similar to that of other small-claims issues, such as traffic accidents. “It’s a great opportunity to get these cases…
Plot a musical course
Untitled Document Nothing leaps from the listings this week and grabs my nose ring to lead me to a particular event, so why don’t we just take a stroll through the lovely fields of Springfield entertainment, plucking luscious blooms of talent wherever we desire? The Sandinista Jr. All Ages Open Mic at the Pizza Machine…
Getting the points
Untitled Document It took several strokes of luck, but last week Springfield Fire Department Capt. Mark Dyment finally won his fight for veterans points. These points, calculated to reflect military service, can be used by police- and fire-department personnel to enhance their placement on promotion lists. Previously ranked seventh on the promotion list for …
Foreclosing on renters
Untitled Document Ponzi schemes are illegal — unless they’re being run by Wall Street bankers and delivering fat profits to some of the world’s richest speculators. Then such scams are legal and unregulated and have respectable banker monikers like “subprime mortgage pools.” The ongoing collapse of the subprime-loan scheme has been widely reported, including stories…
Tales of Sir Galahad
Untitled Document Once upon a time, in a distant land called Iowa, the media anointed U.S. Sen. Barack Obama crown prince of all the realm — well, at least, of all the Democrats. But half-a-week later, when the New Hampshire primary proved them wrong, they found another story to tell, something more along the lines…
Going the distance
Untitled Document It’s 8:05 a.m. Evan Northrup tosses his backpack aside and runs onto a makeshift track cordoned off by small orange cones. ’Round and ’round he goes, stopping briefly after each lap to collect a straw from Iles Elementary physical-education teacher Copache Tyler. Soon other kids join Northrup on the track, each with the…
Not necessarily Anytown, Ill.
Untitled Document So where’s Homerville? In Pike County, west of Jacksonville, north of Pittsfield, and close enough to the Illinois River that one character jumps in it to commit suicide (only to reappear 20 years later). Its population is small — a place you overlook if you ever leave our concrete arteries and take to…
Springfield to court the NFL
Untitled Document Springfield may soon vie for not one but three NFL teams. Frank Ross, a Springfield resident who once competed in the NFL and is helping lead the capital city’s campaign, doesn’t find the idea so far-fetched. On Jan. 22, local officials plan to meet with representatives of the NFL — the National Forensic…
People’s poetry
Untitled Document daughterpoem #4 (1973: found taped to the bathroom mirror when I returned from a late class. Author: Megan Jackson, 17) DO NOT FLUSH ZE POT ORYOU MAY VIND YOURSELVVITH MOP IN HAND AND ANKLE WRAPPED IN VET TOILET PAPER VITH SHIT BETVEEN TOEZVADING IN SVIRLING WATER . . . © Jacqueline Jackson…
