UIS prof traces modern war propaganda to World War I
Even the casual observer knows that wars we fight now come with ready-made PR themes. But they may not realize Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom have tapped roots of advertising propaganda nearly a century old. World War I posters (many can be seen at www.firstworldwar.com) were designed to persuade America to enter a…
Some flicks sure to deliver the willies
Halloween’s coming and it’s time to get spooked. Our recommendation: Watch a scary movie. Local video stores stock plenty of frightening choices, but some films are more disturbing than others. Here are our recommendations of some recent (mostly) releases guaranteed to curdle your blood: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). The remake currently in area theaters…
Against the odds
It is a late September afternoon. Eighteen-year-old Johniesha Deberry is in labor. Her child wasn’t growing as expected, so birth is being induced. A fine-boned woman, with beautiful clear, black skin, Deberry wears a well-worn hospital gown. Her black hair, tinged with red, is tied in a high ponytail with a bright plastic hair elastic.…
Knoepfle 10-23-03
up early in october how fine this morning that big orange pumpkined harvest moon riding alone the west horizon alone in a pale blue dawning sky especially from this hospital sixth floor window [lots of care here] you can see the craters or as the peoria would have it their old woman putting out brush…
Battle royale
Addison Township was once king of the state’s Republican hill. The Illinois Senate President (James ‘Pate’ Philip), House Republican Leader (Lee Daniels) and state attorney general (Jim Ryan) all lived in the eastern DuPage County township. When people talked about the power of DuPage County Republicans, they were really speaking of Addison’s enormous strength. But…
Ride easy and keep a horse saddled
Saddle up, pardners, let’s go for a ride through the wild, wild, world of Springfield saloons and see what kind of excitement we can muster. Frank Trompeterand elevator shoe, joined by one of our finest female vocalists, Trina Madonia, saunter into Floyd’s Thirst Parlor, Thursday night for an 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. show. The…
Trouble man
Early in 1999, Jerry Wiley, chief fiscal officer for the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, went to meet John Johnston, his new boss. The one-on-one meeting was one of many that Johnston, who’d just been named IDVA director by Gov. George Ryan, had scheduled with key staff members. Wiley brought with him some concerns. In…
Guitar society hosts Serbian-born artist
The Springfield Classical Guitar Society launches its 2003-2004 season on Saturday with a performance by Petar Kodzas, a native of Yugoslavia. Kodzas’s appearance offers a unique opportunity to see a guitar virtuoso whose training derives from a distinctly Eastern European tradition, says Russel Brazzel, society president. “He is a mature player with a friendly, younger…
Your Turn. . . 10-23-03
On the line I was surprised to see among the list of ten censored news stories your inclusion of number six, “closing access to information technology” [Kari Lydersen, “Censored!” Oct. 9]. Telecommunication company representatives have been quoted as saying they “missed the boat” on the Internet boom of the ’90s and intend to control and…
The bitter truth
Correction The testimony of Court Appointed Special Advocate Carol Reynolds was characterized incorrectly in last week’s cover story, “Suffer the Children.” Reynolds agreed with the Court’s ruling that Mary Slover is “depraved” and “unfit,” but disagreed with the Court’s position on visitation. Mary Slover should continue to have supervised visits with Kolten Slover, Reynolds said.…
Much more than pie
Becoming a chef changed Sean Keeley’s perception of the pumpkin. Most people think of the orange, round member of the gourd family as something to carve as a Halloween decoration. Its meaty interior is usually only considered as a main ingredient for pumpkin pie. Even then, the pumpkin filling is usually purchased in cans. Who…
Behold the great pumpkin!
The typical jack-o’-lantern pumpkin weighs 15 to 25 pounds, but pumpkins can range in size from less than one pound to more than 1,000 pounds. How big is a pumpkin that weighs half a ton? The distance around a 1,000-pound pumpkin is about 15 feet. This year the new official world’s largest pumpkin weighed a…
Movie Reviews
Strong performances overshadow implausible plot of Runaway Jury The latest cinematic adaptation of a John Grisham novel, Runaway Jury, is a shamelessly entertaining film that asks viewers to set aside common sense and overlook some gaping plot flaws. In large part, it succeeds because of gripping performances by a powerhouse cast that includes Dustin Hoffman,…
Party lines
After months of planning, weeks of delay, last-minute jockeying and some nasty public bickering, Mayor Tim Davlin finally got his reorganization plan passed on Tuesday by City Council. But it wasn’t pretty. The Democratic mayor’s own vote broke the tie, which, as he pointed out, fell along party lines, despite Ward 1’s Frank Edwards’ repeated…
