People’s Poetry
glutseason poem #1 my oldest sister phoned today used the o word on me you are obese she said obese and to prove it reeled off some formula with height weight letters maybe BMW? BBW? those can’t be right but she’s sending me a diet book me I said me the o word for…
Continuing crisis
Since civil-rights attorneys Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck founded the Innocence Project in 1992, the organization, which now consists of a nationwide network of 30-plus organizations, has helped exonerate 14 death-row inmates and 183 others. Why? As Neufeld and Scheck point out in Actual Innocence, which they co-wrote with journalist Jim Dwyer, eyewitnesses make mistakes,…
Let them eat nanoparticles
Thanksgiving Day is here — a day to gather with our families, rejoice in the bounty of God’s green earth, and sit down for a generous serving of home-cooked, old-fashioned, mouthwatering . . . nanoparticles? Yes, welcome to the Brave New Thanksgiving. The white-smocked corporate food engineers are at it again, messing with Momma Nature.…
Letters to the Editor
We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address, and daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length, and clarity. Send letters to Letters, Illinois Times, P.O. Box 5256, Springfield, IL 62705; fax 217-753-3958; e-mail editor@illinoistimes.com. A LOVELY TRIBUTE TO THE RADWINES What a lovely tribute to the Radwine family — an…
Locks of love
The best compliment I ever got came from a stranger in a Chicagoland mall. We were trapped together in some sort of children’s play area, held hostage by our young sons, who were chasing each other around a big fiberglass treehouse. If you’re a parent, you know how these scenes go: Kids have a way…
The spoils of victory
Illinois Democrats won a historic victory at the polls this month. Not since the Franklin Roosevelt landslide of 1936 have Democrats controlled every statewide office, both chambers of the General Assembly, and the Illinois Supreme Court. But you’d never know it if you were at the Statehouse last week. Instead of bringing them closer together,…
Nutritious cranberries aren’t just for Thanksgiving dinner
This week we celebrate the many things for which we are thankful. Many of us will sit down to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with our family and friends. A traditional meal for my family includes turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, corn pudding, a cranberry relish, and pumpkin pie. Our tradition of celebrating…
Philosophy for twits
In a town where hedging your bets on the success of a film has become a business unto itself, there’s little room for movies that feature fractured storylines, mystic undertones, and a trippy ending out of the ’60s. Remarkably, director Darren Aronofsky found a studio willing to fund his ambitious and expensive personal vision, but…
Timely message
Like the “Lost Speech” that Abraham Lincoln gave in May 1856 in Bloomington, a speech he gave in Shelbyville in August 1856 was never recorded verbatim. The Illinois State Register of Aug. 19, 1856, noted only that the three-hour speech was “prosy and dull.” Lincoln, the paper reported, “attempted to make small side issues of…
The best and worst Thanksgiving – ever
It was the best of Thanksgivings; it was the worst of Thanksgivings. It was two years ago. A couple of months before, my family had realized that we all were dreading Thanksgiving a bit. Our family is very close but very small. I’m an only child, as is my mother. With little extended family, the…
Cour’s pop star 101 course
Ever wonder where our popular-music stars come from? Are they professionally manufactured, created by some behind-the-scenes Svengali, and systematically groomed for stardom, or are they innately gifted with an intrinsic ability to charm the masses, utterly incapable of being anything but celebrated icons? The real story is more likely combination of natural talent and careful…
Lend a hand
Illinois Times invited local nonprofit organizations to tell our readers what’s on their wish lists, other than financial support, for the holidays. Other organizations will be featured in coming weeks. Animal Protective League 1001 Taintor Rd., 217-544-7387 The APL of Springfield and Sangamon County takes in and assists homeless, sick, and injured cats and dogs;…
Hyperlink movies
Babel completes Alejandro González Iñárritu’s trilogy of fate. His global thriller towers over Amores Perros (2000), but it falls short of the emotional power of 21 Grams (2003). Perhaps spreading the canvas over three continents diminished its impact. The hyperlink form he uses breaks the narrative into smaller separate stories that link up in different…
Give with purpose
There are ways to give without buying into the commercialism of the holiday season. Among our favorite gifts are those that provide year-round enjoyment while supporting a worthy cause. Many charities offer great gift items to raise money, including calendars, cookbooks, and music. Here are a few possibilities. CLOSE TO HOME Contact Ministries and child…
Washing cars
What is the most environmentally friendly way to wash a car: doing it yourself or going to the local car wash? Few people realize that washing our cars in our driveways is one of the most environmentally unfriendly chores we can do around the house. Unlike household waste water that enters sewers or septic systems…
Thanksgiving for one
Whether we travel or stay at home, this week is the busiest week of the year — for one meal. We scurry through airports, plow through interstates and push our way through supermarket aisles, just to break bread (or a turkey wishbone) with loved ones. The anxiety is high, the lines are long, and the…
The power of corn
I use my fireplace for extra heat, but it is a hassle. I am considering getting a corn or wood-pellet stove instead. Are they energy- efficient and low-maintenance? What are my options? A wood-pellet or corn stove is an excellent choice for heating a portion or all of your home. I have tested many designs…
Duo breathes life into death
Death, unlike taxes, is the great equalizer. From the mewling preemie in the neonate ward to former President Gerald Ford, from the lowly fruit fly to the august giant tortoise, from the pope to the Dalai Lama to the highest-ranking officiant in the Church of Satan, we can all look forward to that long dirt…
Pumpkin pie with a clean little secret
Untitled Document Thanksgiving as a self-contained concept is a beautiful thing. We cook; we travel over the river and through the woods. We gather at table, we give thanks, and, ultimately, we eat too much. That’s fine. I love every minute. The problem is this: Thanksgiving is no longer a glorious eating event unto itself.…
Books for cooks
Untitled Document There are literally hundreds of cookbooks in our house. The bookshelves in the pantry are packed so tightly that it’d be impossible to squeeze in an extra sheet of paper, so we’ve ended up jamming some of them horizontally wherever there’s space on the top of the rows. There’s another row lined up…
Mockumentaries
Untitled Document The new film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan has already outgrossed all other mockumentaries — fiction films, usually comedies, presented in documentary format. Mockumentaries have grown in popularity in recent years but until Borat the fanbase has been limited. This film completely defied expectations because of…
People’s Poetry
Untitled Document plantspeakpoem #1 it’s happened again midnight jerked up by our roots yes in our backyard summer camp real sun real rain real wind some of us manage to throw down a root outside our pots nodes and such our shivering saps foretold tonight’s frost so we were waiting still apprehensive but here we…
Bond for beginners
Untitled Document Shaken and stirred — that’s how the 21st installment in the James Bond franchise, Casino Royale, leaves you. Taking a page from Batman Begins, director Martin Campbell and writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade take on the unenviable task of making everything that’s old about the world’s most famous superspy new again —…
Evergreen winter survival tips
Untitled Document Although a few of us enjoy cold winter temperatures, most of us can’t wait for 70-degree temperatures to return, and plant species are no different. This winter, as we sit inside our heated homes, let’s not forget about the plants in our landscape. How can we help our plants make it through the…
More cricket-catching ideas
Untitled Document A recent item on dealing with an infestation of crickets in a basement brought so many ingenious tips from readers that the subject seems worth a follow-up. My favorite tip comes from Bruce. “I had an infestation in my previous home,” he says. “Just suffered with them until someone suggested taking a young…
