Seinfeld at Sangamon Auditorium: A master class in stand-up
In both the hit ‘90s-era sitcom Seinfeld and his current web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld habitually cedes the spotlight to others, content to play a supporting role in his own projects, providing his colleagues and co-stars the opportunity to shine. This tendency obscures the fact that the reason Seinfeld is in…
What’s killing America’s middle class?
Even in this country of grand egalitarian aspirations, the U.S. actually had no broad middle class until one was created in the 1930s and ‘40s. And, yes, “created” is the correct term for how our middle class came to be, with two historic forces of social transformation pushing it. First, the widespread economic devastation of…
Ad wars heat up
Whenever a dramatic new element is introduced into a political campaign, it’s always instructive to watch how the targeted candidate responds. Did the candidate appear ready for the new turn of events, or was s/he caught flat-footed? The J.B. Pritzker campaign appeared to pass that test last week when Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign unexpectedly (for…
Letters to the Editor 1/18/18
DOWN ON DAVIS I recently saw U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis touting the tax reform bill passed by Congress. This “accomplishment” was so important that he spent most of his time in his district doing media interviews. While he was here, did he meet with any of his constituents? Did he hold any town halls? Did…
Countries Trump was talking about
I have made it a practice to travel to countries where toileting facilities are different from ours. I can understand an obsession with scatology from somebody with a diet of cheeseburgers. He thinks he needs a chair to sit on while doing his business, because he probably has to sit there a big part of…
Good news for a change on climate change
Nature and the gods of technology have blessed us with the means to avoid the worst consequences of climate warming. Now there is good climate news for a change. What we must do is put less carbon into the sky and start taking the carbon we have already put in out of the sky. Putting…
Concert and conversation
On Saturday, Jan. 20, take in an evening of stories and songs from songwriters Sally Barris, Amy Benton and Tom Irwin. Sally Barris is a sought-after Nashville songwriter who has penned music for Martina McBride, Kelli Pickler, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood and others. Amy Benton, the organizer of this event, is a Taylorville native…
Featured author Tim Hunt
Join the Vachel Lindsay Association on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 2-4 p.m., for the first “Poets in the Parlor” event of 2018. The featured poet will be Tim Hunt, author of three poetry collections (Poem’s, Poems & Other Poems, The Tao of Twang, and Fault Lines) as well as an assortment of chapbooks. Hunt’s accolades…
Training horses for film and TV
Warm up on Friday, Jan. 26, with a hearty meal paired with a captivating presentation by Dr. Karl Luthin, a veterinarian who is experienced in training horses for film and television. Luthin has trained animals for Gods and Generals (2003), Glory (1989), Cold Mountain (2003), Gettysburg (1993), as well as HBO’s 2008 mini-series “John Adams”…
A mill’s tale
Ann Ridgeway was on her porch when the crash came. No one had told neighbors that a massive metal building was going to fall that day in October 2014. Towering more than 10 stories, the so-called dryer building – locals say artificial sweetener was once made there – produced plenty of dust and debris in…
Exploring early Illinois with Pierre and Popeye
Editor’s note: This article marks the first in a series of monthly travel columns focusing on Illinois in honor of the state’s bicentennial year in 2018. It’s a good thing early state leaders moved the capital away from Kaskaskia in southwestern Illinois. Otherwise we might all be living west of the Mississippi. As students of…
Appetite for destruction
The concrete stairs leading to the DEMO Project house’s front entrance have been reduced to rubble. Considering that the current (and final) exhibit – entitled “demo DEMO” – is a celebration leading up to the alternative art space’s impending demolition, it might be assumed that the destroyed stairs are intended as an artistic statement. Not…
Kidzeum hires first executive director
The Kidzeum of Health and Science in Springfield took a step closer to opening with the hiring of its first staff member. Leah Wilson started Jan. 2 as executive director. Wilson says the words in the museum’s name touch issues about which she cares deeply. She developed a love of science at an early age,…
Overtime woes for Illinois caregivers
Caregivers in Illinois face possible suspension following changes to their overtime policy. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) established a 45-hour per week maximum for personal assistants (PAs) of people with disabilities back in 2015. The department began issuing notices of violation, or occurrences, last fall. According to Service Employee International Union (SEIU) Healthcare,…
Putting on the Ritz
Ghosts of pratfalls past haunted Springfield council chambers this week as the city approved public funding for a rogue developer with an unproven business plan who vows to take downtown where it never has gone before. With projected rents for yet-to-be-built units topping out at $2,500, the troubled rehab project at the intersection of South…
DON’T SPEND IT ALL IN ONE PLACE
After a decade in a financial holding pattern, employees at the State Journal-Register are set to get raises. GateHouse Media, parent company to Springfield’s daily paper, is giving newsroom workers a 1-percent raise this year, starting in September, and an additional 1.75 percent raise in the fall of 2019. SJ-R employees haven’t gotten raises since…
LLCC’s Bistro Verde
Bistro Verde, Lincoln Land Community College’s student-run café, will be open during the spring 2018 semester on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. beginning Tuesday, Feb. 6. The café’s dining room is staffed by students from the dining room operations class, and food is prepared by students in the food production IV…
Thread unravels in the end
As we all know, expectations are a double-edged sword. While they may inspire us so that we may exceed them, at times they can be so great they simply can’t be overcome. The best example I can think of this, in regards to films, is The Godfather: Part III, an underrated movie that has the…
Be cool, stay warm
What better way to thaw the cold than by making a visit to a nearby watering hole or other house of performance to see some live music and feel the sound waves eradicate your chills. Who knows, it might even be a balmy 40 degrees by the time you get around to reading this. For…
Astrofix
Hailing from towns in central Illinois, friends and bandmates Jamie Merideth (vocals, keys), Phil Cooper (rhythm guitar), Dave Primeaux (lead guitar), Aaron Kaufmann (bass) and Jake McNamara (drums), along with contributions on recordings from Jeremy Bobbitt (bass), Jared Headrick (percussion/ programming), Stan Croenne (percussion) and Matt McMillan (percussion), used experiences from playing in other bands…
bulls poem # 11
bulls poem # 11 american breeders service thelargest artificial inseminationco in the world is writing itshistory ABS began as wisconsinscientific breeding institute mydad was on the original boardI was a big-eared little pitcherguess who they’re asking for anyremembered early bits! I just wasgiven the A-plus tour of currentAI at the wis headquarters thrustmy feet into a…
What is real food?
Fifteen years ago, when my wife began thinking about teaching cooking classes, she asked me to help her come up with a name for her new cooking school. I asked her what she wanted to accomplish. Did she want to teach people how to cook fancy “gourmet” foods? She pondered my question and responded: “No…what…
Editor’s note 1/18/18
Even people who don’t like Donald Trump are breathing a sigh of relief that, although he’s not in very good shape, his doctor said he’s in “excellent health.” If the pres can get by with eating a bad diet, carrying too much weight and not exercising, they can too, they reason. “The good part is…
