Badlands features a more human predator A savage, alien hunter with daddy issues? A sci-fi adventure with shades of Don Quixote? Believe or not, that’s what you get with Predator: Badlands, the seventh entry in the surprisingly resilient franchise that contains one pleasant surprise after another. Credit must be given to writer/director Dan Trachtenberg who […]
Illinois Times
Posted inRich Miller
Leaks lead to lecture
House Democratic legislators received a stern lecture during the second week of veto session about leaks from their private party caucus meetings. During the first week of veto session in October, I posted a photo on my blog of a caucus PowerPoint presentation showing the range of revenue ideas under consideration in the House to […]
Posted inFilm
Frankenstein a masterpiece, Nuremberg serves as cautionary tale
Del Toro cobbles together ambitious, magnificent Frankenstein Referred to as “my Everest,” director Guillermo del Toro has longed to put his distinctive stamp on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Stating recently that each movie he’s made has been in preparation for this undertaking, he was able to secure a $120 million budget and a generous six-month shooting […]
Posted inRich Miller
Mass transit funding deal analysis
Last May, several Illinois House Democrats complained bitterly that their mass transit negotiators were ignored and even shut out by the Senate Democratic mass transit negotiators. The House members had a point. The Senate passed a bill which was an almost purely Senate Democratic creation. They literally gave the House a “take it or leave […]
Posted inUncategorized
Growing central Illinois one skill at a time
Central Illinois employers are facing a critical shortage of skilled workers. The relentless pace of technological change worsens this problem. Hiring alone won’t solve this crisis. To keep pace with evolving demands, employers must make targeted investments in professional development, building the skills their teams need to adapt and thrive. As new technologies transform every […]
Posted inRich Miller
IFT moves into new era
At the end of the 2024 spring state legislative session, the Illinois Federation of Teachers issued a decidedly diplomatic press release. IFT President Dan Montgomery praised the new state budget as “crucial for our state’s success,” and applauded increases in K-12 and early childhood education funding. Montgomery did criticize the “meager” increase in higher education […]
Posted inFilm
House of Dynamite both suspenseful and terrifying, Shelby Oaks disappoints
Plausible Dynamite a terrifying doomsday tale Timely, taut and terrifying, Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite is a master class in suspense, times three. Working from a script by former journalist Noah Oppenheim, the director plays out an all-too-real doomsday scenario from a trio of different perspectives, taking the viewer repeatedly on a tumultuous ride […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
On love for the poor
Care for the poor is both “the burning heart of the Church’s mission” and the heart of Pope Leo’s first message to the world’s Christians. The apostolic exhortation, released earlier this month, is called Dilexi Te – I have loved you – and subtitled On love for the poor. To take in its message, I […]
Posted inRich Miller
Hospitals and law enforcement
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights held a Statehouse lobby day last week to push its far-reaching veto session agenda. Included in the ICIRR agenda are things such as putting strict limits on executing civil immigration warrants in state courthouses. That would likely be challenged in court, but there is some common law […]
Posted inFilm
Message of Good Fortune muted, The Perfect Neighbor a gripping cautionary tale
Near perfect Fortune hindered by conclusion There’s a tempered optimism in Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, and for good reason. When his film Being Mortal was canceled in mid-production due to accusations of impropriety leveled towards its star, Bill Murray, the writer/director needed a fresh start. Turning lemons into lemonade, he was able to pivot and […]
Posted inCommunity & Lifestyle
United Way volunteers make lasting impact during Day of Action
This fall, the community came together in a powerful demonstration of service and teamwork during United Way of Central Illinois’ fall Day of Action. A total of 211 volunteers, organized into 26 teams, rolled up their sleeves and made a difference in our community. The day began with a kickoff luncheon sponsored by PNC. Volunteers […]
Posted inRich Miller
Budget deficit projections
The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget projected last week that the current fiscal year’s budget will run a $267 million deficit. The budget office recommended taking “immediate” action to plug the hole. And the problem gets much worse in the future, with a $2.2 billion projected deficit for next fiscal year, which begins July […]
