Lord help us – bosses gone berserk
The sky is falling! The end times are upon us! It’s all over for America! And it’s all because of you execrable voters. This is the wretched wail of a few corporate chieftains who claim to be somewhere between flummoxed and furious that Barack Obama is back in the White House. With his diabolical Obamacare…
Yuletide treasure
Over the Moon Productions presents The Holly and the Ivy, an award-winning 1950 British drama by Wynyard Browne, Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at the Hoogland Center for the Arts. Browne’s play, set in 1940s England, begins on Christmas Eve and slowly unfolds over 24 hours, during which time secrets are revealed and lives are changed. Tom…
Letters to the Editor 11/29/2012
REWARD SCHOOL BOARDDr. Ikejiaku’s resignation because of alleged hiring irregularities at District 186 will open a can of worms. There have been rumors for years of how the district was hiring “friends of Walter” and now the cover has been blown. The school board should not try to run for cover. They sat by and…
The Cinema Snob
Brad Jones doesn’t stand out amid 100 or so vendors at HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis earlier this month. He is a diminutive, bearded, 30-year-old guy from Springfield in baseball cap and glasses sitting behind a folding table with DVDs of The Cinema Snob Movie, his latest movie, as well as copies of earlier creations. When…
Rugged and ready to shoot
In an Instagram world, the smartphone has become the primary camera for any amateur photog. But on the bike, in the water or up in the air, it’s time to forget the filters and grab a camera that’s tough enough to take on an adventure. For many of us, smartphones are our go-to camera, but…
No raises for unions under House resolution
Kevin Holmes of Springfield devotes his life to caring for a young man with severe disabilities. For that full-time work – seven hours a day, seven days a week – Holmes makes just more than $11,000 per year, which puts him and his wife below the federal poverty level while she goes back to school.…
Education in Illinois not getting any better
More than two thirds of Illinois students won’t earn a college degree. In the modern economy, that’s not good enough to compete, says education advocacy group Advance Illinois in a recent report on the state’s public school system. While Illinois does have changes in the works, Robin Steans, executive director of Advance Illinois, says performance…
UIS music at UIS
Most of the live music shows held at the University of Illinois Springfield, our still growing, four-year institution of higher learning on the southern outskirts of Springfield’s civilized world, come from beyond the college’s borders. Part of the reason for this apparent lack of college-based music making comes from the absence of an extensive formal…
Rousing visuals and heartfelt message in soaring Guardians
When people console me for having to see every movie that comes out, even the ones that make going in for a root canal look like a more enjoyable option, I tell them that this aspect of being a film critic is not so bad. I know that if I keep my expectations low where…
Jenny from the blocked
I appreciate that you tell it like it is instead of telling people what they want to hear. I heard you on the radio saying that an online dating site isn’t a very good venue for women over 40 who aren’t very physically attractive. Honestly, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’m probably a…
Pi a dazzling exploration of the spiritual world
I’ve become a skeptic where the modern 3-D process is concerned. The Hollywood studios have taken a good thing and overused it to the point that they’re starting to see a downturn in revenues where movies using this method are concerned. It’s gone from being a truly special technique that added an exciting dimension to…
Phone a friend
Karen Zangerle dials the number and waits expectantly as a young man answers with a gentle tone. Zangerle explains that her husband has lost his job and the family won’t be able to pay an upcoming utility bill. As the young man on the phone tells her where she can find assistance, a knowing smile…
tailsuppoem #1
the famous sculptor casting carl sandburgin bronze added a nubian goat to the pedestal(sandburg liked goats) the galesburg committeewants the tail down the sculptor objects I agreelet me tell you about goats I grew up with themyou may already know they have green yellowflecked eyes enigmatic horizontal black pupilslittle wattles some grow stiletto horns all…
Miniature mangers
Chiara Center will host its annual Franciscan Nativity Festival Nov. 30-Dec. 2. More than 100 miniature nativity sets will be on display including a set made from automobile spark plugs, connecting rods and other auto parts. Visitors can also tour St. Francis of Assisi Church, the 1920s Romanesque church of the Hospital Sisters of St.…
Flatland into flatscapes
Earlier this year, a young English woman named Jennifer Bradley undertook, with friends, to run across the U.S. in 80 days. She thus became the first British woman (we are told) to cross the country on foot, which is the sort of thing that the Brits tend to do with their time now that they…
Frozen treats for holiday eats
Scenario No. 1: It’s 4 p.m. on Saturday. You’re standing in an incredibly long checkout line with your Secret Santa gift for the exchange at tonight’s Christmas party, and you’ve just remembered you’re supposed to bring an appetizer, too. You’re already running behind: You still have to battle the holiday traffic to get home, change…
Take 10: Blogbusters!
The once dignified kingdom of coffee table books, where Norman Rockwell retrospectives ruled, has fallen to the shameless, hilarious hordes. Behold the many highly giftable books from bloggers who first rocketed to fame online. Here are photos of people obscuring a body part with vinyl record sleeves, there are portraits of families you’re glad aren’t…
Take 10: Dystopian novels
It’s a feast for fans of The Hunger Games. The wildly successful film adaptation of the dark novel hits DVD shelves this holiday season. Suzanne Collins’ blockbuster trilogy about young Katniss Everdeen battling for her life in a post-apocalyptic North America has drawn more readers to the world of dystopian literature; new post-apocalyptic young adult…
Downtown delight
Mayor Mike Houston helps Downtown Springfield, Inc., kick off its annual Old Capitol Holiday Walk, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. with a tree lighting ceremony on the Old State Capitol Plaza at the corner of Sixth and Adams. Southeast High School Sensations will sing holiday music and the Horace Mann Singers will stroll and carol…
The Great Waltz
Hailing from our neighboring city of Decatur, The Great Waltz calls its music “aggressive folk,” and began with Matt Skinner writing songs in his basement. The rest of the band, Josh Dimmick, Joe Gerard, Luke Alan and eventually, Kevin Gillman, came along to flush out arrangements and give Skinner’s songs life on stage. Soon they…
We need to focus on jobs
In the United States, citizens who believe that they live in the reality-based community are happy about the recent election results, even though the pulverized wreckage of this nation’s political discourse will be harder to repair than the damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy. There is a strong case now for ignoring the deluge of discourse…
Hauntingly festive
Lincoln Land Community College presents a mystical production of the classic holiday tale. With a cast of 20 performing almost 60 roles, a flying bed, sound effects and a beautiful underscore, you’ll enjoy the original Dickens story with a little something added to emphasize the ghost story in the play. Produced in association with Theatre in…
