flicks 6-30-05
Who is Batman? No, not the character’s secret identity, Bruce Wayne. Who is Christian Bale, the star of the new film Batman Begins? Even after a career spanning 18 years, Bale is a relative unknown. Born in 1974, the Welsh actor first became known to American audiences with his starring role in Steven Spielberg’s Empire…
common sense 6-30-05
Merck, the $5.2 billion-a-year drug giant, is upset that people think it’s a greedheaded bloodsucker. So Merck’s executives have decided to do something. Does that mean they’ll stop their greedheaded bloodsucking? Don’t be insane — bloodsucking is wildly profitable! No, no, Merck’s honchos want to deal with the appearance of bloodsucking, not tamper with the…
capital voices 6-30-05
Yanks Avatar is caught between liberal and conservative, and he’s making mistakes. He is, I suspect, not much different from other folks who can reach out and touch their midsixties. Once he was liberal; he’s now leaning conservative. However, in Yanks’ case, his “leaning conservative” brings him only to the middle, for he was, in…
Driving while nonwhite
On Tuesday, Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin released the findings of the city’s first-ever traffic-stop study, the purpose of which, according to a press release, was to “determine significant patterns and differences in traffic stops in the city of Springfield” toward the ultimate goal: bias-free policing. The point of the $3,500 study, conducted by Professor Michael…
A circus of soul
Victor Wooten picked up the bass at the age of 3 and never looked back. “Back then, it was a chance to be like my brothers,” Wooten says. “All my brothers were playing, and this was an opportunity for me to do what they were doing. Here was my chance to belong.” Wooten’s four brothers…
people’s poetry
Pray for Rain The windows have not slept for days no cooling breath. Parched plants bend their heads like supplicants. Elevated tempers rise, heat in unforgiving skies. Pray for rain. The tip of a fingernail sparks a match. In the dark, an indrawn breath exhales. Dun flies beat their wings like empty sails. Pray for…
history talk 6-30-05
Last year, Dan Hillis — a local attorney who is originally from Binghamton, N.Y. — purchased a home on South Douglas Avenue that he is now in the process of renovating. A curious metal plaque, prominently affixed to the house with screws, greets visitors with a whimsical, if false, statement: “On This Site in 1897,…
sound patrol 6-30-05
Writing about Gertrude Stein’s long and difficult The Making of Americans, literary critic Richard Bridgman likened the author’s technique to that of a novice driver: “Periodically there are smooth stretches, but these are interrupted by bumps, lurches, wild wrenchings of the wheel, and sudden brakings. All the while the driver can be heard muttering reminders and…
commentary 6-30-05
It is a natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren until she turns us into beasts — I know of no other way of judging the future but by the past.” — Patrick…
Bound and determined
Serious, intense clout usually only comes into play at the Illinois Statehouse on behalf of giant corporations, powerful political organizations, influential labor unions, entrenched bureaucracies, and other unstoppable special interests. Rarely, if ever, is the full force of a legislative leader’s office deployed to push a bill that is opposed by the powers that be…
appetite 6-30-05
Walking into the Dublin Pub, I had a strong sense of déjà vu. Of course I noticed the hints that something had changed: a new sign out front, a fresh coat of green paint on the walls, and some new menu items, such as pizza, gave it away. Plus, as a food writer, it’s my…
Land of drinkin’
Admitting to being a heavy drinker in his youth didn’t exactly hurt George W. Bush’s political career. It’s about time liberals learned something from the Republicans. Drinking Liberally, which was launched two years ago in New York City, bills itself as an “informal, inclusive weekly Democratic drinking club.” The group, which recently formed a chapter…
movie review
Director Steven Spielberg turns H.G. Wells’ classic tale of a Martian invasion into a commentary on today’s collective fear in a post-9/11 world and manages to produce his most frightening film yet. This loose adaptation focuses on an average working-class guy, Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise), who has lost his wife to another man and successfully…
Durbin was not misunderstood
Now that the dust has settled, it’s time for a closer look at what U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin actually said. Why did it ignite such a strong reaction? My take is that the furor over Nazis by Republicans and talk radio was a smokescreen, part distraction and part denial. What really got Durbin in trouble…
Discord in the Symphony
If it had happened at a basketball game or a beauty pageant or a spelling bee, it might not have merited a second thought. But in the refined, tuxedoed world of symphony orchestras, where etiquette follows forms etched more than a century ago, an artist taking a bow at the end of a problematic performance…
quick takes 6-30-05
TOOL TIME Parishioners of Little Flower Parish in Springfield presented the Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach with more than 1,000 pounds of tools destined for a Haitian trade school. The parish-wide campaign was prompted by an appeal by Brother René Mailloux, a Marist Brother who teaches students at College Alexandre-Dumas in Jérémie, Haiti. Mailloux organized a…
letters 6-30-05
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 INEXCUSABLE WEAKNESS IN THE LAW The Audubon Society’s threat to demolish the…
Jacqueline Jackson 6-30-05
aroundthecosmos poem #3 (jamaicanpoem #2) the sun dangling from the schoolroom’s ridgepole is a styrofoam fisherman’s float big and yellow as a grapefruit it sits at the hub of a hurricane- ravaged umbrella the crazy outspread spokes each skewering a planet mercury a small red christmas ornament farther out jupiter a fat papier-mâché breadfruit saturn’s…
earth talk 6-30-05
Dear “Earth Talk”: Aside from wind power, which seems to be gaining in acceptance, what are some other promising sources of nonpolluting renewable energy? — Bianca Hoffman, Bridgeport, Conn. Wind power certainly has been in the news lately, with wind farms sprouting up across America from California to the Atlantic seaboard. By the end of…
now playing 6-30-05
Observe Independence Day in fine fashion by going downtown, out of town, or uptown; or head for the lake or a warehouse; or go flying; or remain on the ground. Wherever you go, be sure to join your fellow Americans in celebrating freedom by eating to excess, listening to music, and watching rockets burst in…
backstage pass 6-30-05
The show of the summer is Ragtime. The musical opened last Friday at the Springfield Muni Opera and runs through this Sunday, July 3. There is not one weak performance in this production. In fact, this is one of those times when every single part is absolutely right. Ragtime features Mary Jo Curry, Tony D. Young,…
gardening 6-30-05
If you’re like most gardeners, you’ve been toiling away in the yard for a few months now and are seeing the results of your hard work. You’re also ready for a well-deserved break. The University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit Master Gardeners have the perfect answer: a summer garden walk. Join us on Sunday, July…
