Environmental street art
Sewage. It happens. And, typically, it ain’t pretty. But! Check it out: decorative manhole covers! A photograph of just one of many artsy manhole covers on Japan’s streets, the image is from Remo Camerota’s book Drainspotting. There are plenty more photos here. I only happened to discover how cool water infrastructure can be because I click…
I want to go to Miami, too!
Let’s take a break from fitness for just a moment to discuss “The Decision.” I happened to catch hoops prodigy LeBron James’ announcement that he would play for the Miami Heat, and I just have to make a few things clear to the world of sports: 1) Professional athletes are a bunch of overpaid clowns.…
Katy Perry is my arch-nemesis
As a person who has more than a passive interest in pop music, I am always disappointed by the summer. It’s a time when the radio is ruled with trashy throwaway ballads that mostly appeal to people who tweet about lying out by the pool. It’s disposable, usually focused on how much cheap beer you…
Urban sprawl no more
The catchphrase in city planning is no longer “urban sprawl” – a term that automatically turns too many people off from discussing environmentally friendly development. Instead, the conversation now focuses on “smart growth,” says Dr. Deanna Glosser. To Glosser, president of Riverton-based Environmental Planning Solutions, Inc., urban sprawl is synonymous with a proliferation of impervious…
Third-party profile: Lex Green, Libertarian for governor
“I want to make it clear,” Lex Green says with wry inflection, “that Libertarians are not just another type of Republican. Democrats tell you they’re going to raise taxes and spend more; Republicans don’t even tell you.” Green is running for governor of Illinois on the Libertarian ticket, a fiscally conservative but socially liberal platform…
Spoken stories
National wordsmiths Kucha Brownlee, Baba Tony Brown, Brian “Fox” Ellis (pictured) and Barry Cloyd wow audiences with their vivid renditions of African and American folklore, American Indian stories, frolicking fables, powerful proverbs, visions of the human experience, prairie tales and much more. A special musical session is scheduled for the Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site at 1…
Fury like Armageddon
The foundations of Springfield institutions will crack and sway. Structures long thought impregnable will topple; a long-familiar landscape with be altered beyond recognition. No, it is not the conviction of Bill Cellini that might cause this calamity, but the major earthquake that is almost certain to strike Springfield and the rest of this part of…
On the trail of gooey goodness
Who created it? When? Where? Who makes the best? What are acceptable ingredients? Which is most authentic? Whether it’s French ratatouille, Italian ragu Bolognese, Mississippi ribs or New York reubens, regional specialties inspire passionate loyalties and provoke arguments that could rival a debate between Sarah Palin and Ralph Nader. So it is with gooey butter…
Taste of Downtown
Visitors and residents hungry for good music and good food in Springfield are sure to find some of both this weekend at the 11th annual Taste of Downtown. The popular event is presented this year in conjunction with the Sangamon Valley Roots Revival/Miller Lite Live American Music Show on Saturday, July 10. Springfield boasts more…
Gaining on drunk drivers
Aug. 31, 2003, is a day that Springfield’s Denny Pryor will never forget. A day that rocked his family to its core, causing an intense pain that has yet to cease. On that day, Pryor’s 18-year-old son became a statistic. The evening was like many others, with Pryor watching Timothy kiss his six-month-old daughter goodbye…
Springfield minorities stopped more often
Minority drivers in Springfield had more than double the chances of being pulled over by police during 2009 compared with white drivers, according to data on traffic stops released July 1 by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The data come from the Illinois Traffic Stop Statistics Study, which directs police agencies to collect information about…
Molly Killen’s St. Louis gooey butter cake
Molly Killeen, owner of Made By Molly, is a St. Louis native who for years was pastry chef at NYC’s renowned Amy’s Bread. Her recipe harks back to the original bakery gooey butter cakes; she also reworked hers to be somewhat less sweet – something I appreciate, having found several versions I’ve tried cloyingly sweet.…
Letters to the Editor 07/08/2010
RETIREMENT AGERecently, U.S. Rep John Boehner, House minority leader, said that he thought we should raise the retirement age to 70 in order to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This raising of the retirement age (when you would be eligible for full Social Security benefits) is essentially a 19 percent benefit cut.…
The Last Airbender is a disaster
I’ve said for quite some time that director M. Night Shyamalan needs to do something completely different to break out of his slump. The bad patch hit by the filmmaker responsible for The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs, has put his career in jeopardy. The Lady in the Water and The Happening were truly misguided…
New laws to fight Medicaid fraud in Illinois
On June 25, Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law legislation to encourage openness in the Medicaid program and to cut down on fraud, with a focus on allowing transparency. These efforts are in line with President Barack Obama’s directive to expand and increase efforts to recapture funds that have been wrongfully paid out. The Department…
INCLUSIVE ARGUMENT
Third party and independent political candidates for statewide office have it tough in Illinois. They have to gather 25,000 signatures just to get on the ballot – five times more than their established party counterparts – and their signature petitions are usually challenged by the established parties to knock them off the ballot. To “establish”…
SCHOOL’S OUT, LUNCH IN
Several Springfield schools are offering through the summer free breakfast and lunch to children 18 years old or younger. The program is a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which reimburses the district for every free summer meal served. It is designed to ensure that children, some of whom might not have access to…
Blago’s eye for ties could tie him down
During the long, excruciating overtime state legislative session of 2007, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan complained that Gov. Rod Blagojevich had a habit of diverting high-level discussions away from the budget and toward Madigan’s ties. Madigan, it should be said, does wear some eye-catching ties. He takes no credit for his taste in clothing, however.…
Local history
Did slaves escape through Springfield? What Oscar-winning megastar has family roots in Springfield? Who sold pieces of Lincoln’s home and yard — for less than a dollar? Hear answers to these and other questions on July 13 as local historian and award-winning author Tara McClellan McAndrew talks about Springfield history and signs her new book…
Michael Charles
You can count his 24 recording releases, four Grammy nods or countless performances since starting guitar at age five, but it all adds up to a great career of fantastic music for Australian bluesman Michael Charles. Twenty years ago Buddy Guy invited the Aussie to the U.S. to play at his Legends bar in Chicago…
Tepid story clouds over Eclipse
Let’s be honest – all this vampire and werewolf nonsense in the Twilight films is silly. What drives this series is the love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob. In Eclipse, this relationship takes center stage, providing the series with its best moments yet. However, the film is a long haul hobbled by pregnant pauses,…
Adventures with aliens
Here’s a chance to see the wildly popular and visually captivating sci-fi film Avatar on the large screen – not the traditional big movie theater-size screen, but a large enough screen than usually found in the home. After the movie, a 20- to 60-minute discussion will be led by Edward Beekman-Myers, UIS’s Speaker Series instructor…
The GOP’s genetic link to big oil
If scientists were to compare the DNA of Republican congress-critters and of oil corporations, I’ll bet they’d find that they match perfectly. After all, the two species have identical political instincts and seem to have a natural affinity for each other – so I’m pretty sure they sprang from the same genetic pool. How else…
Scrumptious samplings
Fried oysters, poor boys, shrimp jambalaya, pulled pork horseshoes, Thai chicken wrap, ribeye sandwich, blackened salmon sandwich, baby back ribs, gyros and vegetarian sushi. Mouth watering yet? Enjoy food, gourmet desserts and specialty drinks served by your favorite local restaurant at Taste of Downtown. Food and beverage tickets are $1 each, with menu items ranging…
More than a Taste
Add last week’s big Capital City Celebration with music on the street corners and fireworks in the rain to the upcoming Taste of Downtown with music in the streets and food in tents (with no rain please) and we’re getting to be a regular happening place. It’s just all so exciting I can hardly stand…
tappitbrotherspoem #1
some NPR listeners loath click ‘n’ clackbut I love ’em they’re such smart guysMIT PhDs and from a fair city I oncelived in and the cars they know so muchabout get into such ridiculous brouhahaswe had one once worthy of the programwe were driving through desert nevadacamped late at night at an oasis wherethe whole…
