A new election map approved by the Illinois General Assembly could result in better representation for Springfield’s east side. Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner testified at a May 24 hearing of the Illinois House and Senate redistricting committees, telling lawmakers that a new election district joining Springfield’s east side with much of Decatur could aid […]
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Founding Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon at Bar None tomorrow
In an inexplicable piece of happenstance, one of the most famous and respected rap artists in the world will be performing in downtown Springfield tomorrow night — Tuesday, May 17th — in a bar that can’t even legally admit 100 people. Yes, Raekwon the Chef himself will be, um, “cooking up some marvelous shit to […]
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Refreshingly romantic Water for Elephants
The success of Sara Gruen’s novel, Water for Elephants, speaks to a need people have to believe in something basic and necessary in these dire times. It was no coincidence that during the Great Depression people flocked to the movies to escape their woes and tales of star-crossed lovers defying the odds to ultimately be […]
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A Fan Gushes: New Pornographers Tonight In Urbana
The living rebuke to any Beatles-era baby boomers fond of lamenting the lack of melody and harmony in today’s pop music — namely The New Pornographers — will be playing at the Canopy Club in Urbana tonight, and I for one could not be more thrilled to have tickets. The Canada-based indie rock combo is […]
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The longest war
The steady drumbeat of the helicopter rotors was the best sound 2nd Platoon had heard all day, coming from the southwest – the three dots quickly turned into two Apache attack helicopters escorting the medevac Black Hawk. The medevac stood off until the Apaches, with 30mm cannons blazing, made sure that any insurgents left in […]
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Isn’t it Room-antic?
In the market for a movie date this coming Valentine’s Day but want to avoid the usual RomCom clichés? Affairs of the heart have rarely been so absurdly and ineptly dramatized as they are in The Room, a notorious and unintentionally hilarious cult film oft -reputed to be the Citizen Kane of bad movies, which […]
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I Love You Phillip Morris
In the new fact-based comedy-drama I Love You Phillip Morris, (opening at Champaign’s Art Theater this Friday, January 28, 2011) Jim Carrey has the role of a lifetime as gay confidence man and multiple prison escapee Frank Russell. Perhaps even more over-the-top than any previous character portrayed by Carrey, Russell’s compulsion to manipulate, lie and […]
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Waco Brothers And Blue Ribbon Revival At Bar None 1/22/2011
“History is written by the winner / This is a loser’s song.” So sang Waco Brothers leader Jon Langford last night at Springfield’s Bar None. The song was entitled “Walking on Hell’s Roof Looking at the Flowers,” from the band’s most recent CD, Electric Waco Chair, and at last night’s show it provided a rare […]
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Conquering the Century
The 38th annual Capital City Century was this past Sunday, and although I didn’t bike it, I did sleep in. It’s a 100-mile bike trek outside Springfield, and a few of my friends and family rode the whole thing. Here’s a video of the race put together by a friend. It’s pretty amusing, and it […]
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Legalized video gambling stalled
A gambling expansion that is supposed to raise $300 million a year and help pay for statewide infrastructure improvements has yet to be implemented, more than a year after it became law. Gene O’Shea, spokesman for the Illinois Gaming Board, which regulates video gaming, says the board has no timeline for implementing the system. The […]
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Do it right in the dog days of summer
Watch this: I love that clip from Will Ferrell’s film Anchorman, and it fits tangentially into today’s post. Summer in the Midwest is a time of wretched, smothering humidity and baking heat, the combination of which usually makes you sweat without exerting any effort. If you dare to move around while outside in this sweltering […]
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The joy of helping others
Hope Meadows has received numerous awards for its innovative approach to adoption and volunteerism, including the AARP Inspire Award, the Illinois Governor’s Home Town Award and the Adoption Excellence Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program has also received nationwide attention in the media, being featured in the New York […]
