edited by: Douglas Welch,
Illinois Editor
I'm preparing to write a column about what's new in the past decade -- what brands and services and technologies and concepts have come on the scene or into their own since Jan 1, 2000; today's household words and names and idea that were unknown or all but unknown in [...]
It's looking more and more clear that the reason Tiger Woods hasn't and probably won't do a confessional interview -- why he won't "come clean" with the public -- is that the whole truth about his extramarital gadding about is every bit as unflattering and perhaps much more unflattering than [...]
I've always been a pretty big football fan, but here are two things I do not remember seeing when watching college and pro games 25 years ago an more:
1. The constant attempts to punch or wrench loose the football during tackles. As I recall, fumbles used to be the result [...]
The Daily Herald reports
Cutting Illinois' minimum wage is increasingly becoming a key proposal by Republican candidates for governor as they push ideas to help the state's economy....Andy Mckenna, a Chicago business owner and former head of the Illinois Republican Party...told WBBM's At Issue program on 780 AM Friday that' [...]Rich Miller's >Question of the Day is similar to a question that occurred to me. News reports tell us that
Public surveillance cameras ... recorded (Chicago Public Schools CEO_ Michael Scott over a roughly 45-minute time period as he drove to the location along the Chicago River where he would,' [...]
At a recent gathering that included several parents of teens and young adults, the topic turned toward vegetarianism, a dietary practice that most of the kids we were talking about had at least dabbled in.
The question on the table was, to paraphrase: "What's up with that, anyway?"
It wasn't a particularly [...]
A mash-up of dialogue from "How I Met Your Mother" and scenes from the classic animated Christmas special. Enjoy:
h [...]
Midnight's the deadline for this year's Songs of Good Cheer contest, which Mary Schmich described this way:
This year we’re asking the clever and trivia-minded to create one or more questions related to holiday music. The questions should be multiple choice, preferably with four answers. The question should be amusing, maybe mildly informative, [...]Don't expect others to listen to your advice and ignore your example.
Don't make the same mistake twice.
Stand when greeting a visitor...
Don't be rushed into making an important decision. People will understand if you say, "I'd" [...]
Your children and your cousins' children are second cousins.
You and your cousins' children are first cousins once removed, with removal signifying a shift in generations.
[...]
If you have just a moment, look at about 2:45 in this second video taken on the Illinois River:
The new AOL logo renders the company's name as if it were a pronounceable word—it is now Aol., with the period. (Company CEO Tim) Armstrong is apparently undaunted by the fact that this new word sounds like a-hole without the h.... Farhad Manjoo in "AOL's Latest Dumb Business Plan." [...]
The new AOL logo renders the company's name as if it were a pronounceable word—it is now Aol., with the period. (Company CEO Tim) Armstrong is apparently undaunted by the fact that this new word sounds like a-hole without the h.... Farhad Manjoo in "AOL's Latest Dumb Business Plan." [...]
So, what's the point of these protective covers? If you've laid out for one of those smartphones with the black chrome bezel and the glossy face, the form of your device is likely as important as its function. Rubber sheaths and plastic films promise to sustain a gadget's gleaming curves right out [...]
The first holiday card of the year arrived yesterday -- a Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah combo from an old friend -- bearing not even so much as a handwritten signature.
I wanted more: How and what is my friend doing these days? How old are those cute kids in the photo [...]
U.S. Olympic speedskater Shani Davis, hardly a class act himself, is calling comedian (and speedskating sponsor) Stephen Colbert a jerk.
Davis declined to elaborate, making the comment while vetting potential questions from The Canadian Press before rejecting an interview request and walking away....Associated PressPREVIOUSLY AT CHANGE OF SUBJECTChicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman is floating a few ideas for how to improve teacher quality. He says fewer third year teachers should be granted tenure...WBEZ-FM I understand the need for tenure at colleges and universities where it serves as bulwark for intellectual freedom. Academics should be free to [...]
As of yesterday, some section editors at all of (A.H. Belo Corp) papers, including The (Dallas Morning) News, will now report directly to (senior vice president of sales Cyndy) Carr's team of sales managers, now referred to as general managers. In short, those who sell ads for A.H. Belo's products [...]
Maybe the best cereal commercial ever:
I have long failed the test for musical sophistication that requires one to hear this piece of music and think "Pagliacci," and not "Mmmmm, Rice Krispies!."
Coca-Cola used the same music in a memorable ad:
Mary Schmich was not with us today but John Williams and I soldiered on without her and tried to double-team the unseen Leslie Keiling who really should have her own show, even though she'd seldom offer an opinion with which I'd agree:
The reason I'm making sure to park in the garage these days and am otherwise dodging The Man is that we didn't mail our license-plate sticker renewal form in on time. And the reason we didn't is that Johanna was waiting to mail it in until I signed the form.
"Just [...]
My guess is that being caught cheating on his wife will be good for TIger Woods' golf game, that all this tomcatting and deception -- boy, that wheedling voice mail to one of his mistresses was painful to listen to, wasn't it? -- has been distracting and even a bit [...]
Democratic State Rep. challenger Joe Laiacona blogs today:
The Election Board ruled against my objection to placing (incumbent Northwest Side State Rep.) Deb Mell on the ballot. That's no surprise as that is how the hearing officer ruled as well. We are still deciding whether to take the question to [...]
The dialogue's been going something like this:
Lesser [...]
Less than two seconds into this new campaign video from US Senate candidate David Hoffman, the announcer mispronounced the last name of the candidate under attack. It's juh--NEW--lee-us, not gee-uh--NOO-luss.
Also, as Rich Miller points out: "it appears that the video’s voice-over setup asks a different question than the'" [...]
Among the "Seven Stories Obama Doesn't Want Told" as listed by Politico's John Harris is --
That’s the Chicago Way... The rap is that his West Wing is dominated by brass-knuckled pols.
The expression apparently dates back to at least 1931 when, according to legend preserved cinematically in the 1987 [...]
This blog has committed to following this story to the end:
Now comes the Objector, Joe Laiacona, by and through his attorney, Richard K. Means, and, pursuant to Board Rule 20, the Objector hereby appeals and moves for (Chicago Board of Elections) review of the Hearing Examiner’s' [...]He could say: "None of your business," even though that's not the way to go...Mike Lupica, New York Daily News sports columnist, on Tiger Woods, his minor auto accident and rumors swirling around it.
Most celebrity news/gossip is none of our business, even though the expression "None of your business"' [...]
Loudon Wainwright III does a fabulous job on this wonderful 1897 gospel song on his new album "High Wide and Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project."Beautiful - Loudon Wainwright ...
The album notes say Poole never recorded this song, though it's said he sang it [...]
Row upon thumbnail row of kids' sports, school events, vacations, reunions and other gatherings. Included are five snaps of the cake my [...]
This article [...]
From the transcript of today's ruling by Chicago Board of Elections hearing officer Barbara Goodman regarding candidate Joe Laiacona's challenge to Ill. Rep. Deb Mell's petitions:
I find nothing in the Election Code that tells me that a candidate has to be a registered voter at all....I think we all [...]This result popped out at me from my recent Poll Vault on health-insurance reform:
Gallup Poll. Nov. 5-8, 2009
Do you think it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, or is that not the responsibility of the federal government?Is the government's responsibility [...]
A great and relatively new entry to my podcast feeds is "Hang Up and Listen," Slate's weekly sports roundtable featuring Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin and Mike Pesca. I'm particularly moved to recommend it after hearing this week's episode -- more than half the [...]
An advisory/reminder that a batch of freed-up tickets to Songs of Good Cheer will go on sale Tuesday morning by phone or in person at the Old Town School of Folk Music on Lincoln Avenue (773-728-6000). Another way to get tickets is to be one of the winners of this [...]
I originally posted this webliography three years ago, which is an eternity in the world of online commerce. I'm updating it for 2009 with, I hope, your help.
Here's an alphabetical list of some of the online companies that offer you the ability to create and then have printed your [...]
Though Republican gubernatorial hopeful Andy McKenna deserves to be fish slapped for his latest TV commercial in which he implies the Tribune used words to criticize Democratic Governor Pat Quinn that the Tribune never used, it strikes me as smart of him to bypass his primary challengers [...]
The Psalm 109 story (Hate speech straight from Bible to bumpers) has legs: You’re going to tell me that I’m supposed to pray for the socialist devil, murderer, infanticide, who wants to see young children, and he wants to see babies killed through abortion and partial-birth abortion and all [...]
Here's Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky speaking Saturday evening during the debate over the debate on health care reform:
We know that Americans oppose this bill. And here's Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio speaking earlier last week on MSNBC: An overwhelming number of the public [...]Below is the full text of the petition challenge filed against State Rep. Deb Mell:
I will post the reply from Mell's attorney if and when it's uploaded to me:
Below is the full text of the petition challenge filed against State Rep. Deborah Mell and the full text of the response to those petitions. You be the (election) judge:
UPDATE Laiacona's challenge was dismissed on 11/25. Following the briefs is a link to the transcript of the proceedings on that' [...]
The latest from New Left Media. I'm sure they edited out all the well-informed people with whom they spoke, but still...
' [...]Some key polling numbers from the past month:
FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Nov. 17-18, 2009
Do you think you and your family would be better off or worse off under the health care reforms being considered, or would the reforms not make much of a difference to your family?
Better [...]
Some key polling numbers from the past month:
FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll. Nov. 17-18, 2009
Do you think you and your family would be better off or worse off under the health care reforms being considered, or would the reforms not make much of a difference to your family?
Better [...]
I've been outside in my T-shirt throwing the football around with my wife and son on a day that feels even warmer than the reported 56 degrees, particularly in the sun. But the fact that it's 12 degrees warmer than the average high of 44 is not evidence of global [...]
Reader Tom F. from Arlington Heights writes:
Maybe 8 years ago you wrote a column about a an interrogation of an American POW where his captors showed him tape of protesting American students burning the flag. His response was along the lines of " you guys don't get it, this is [...]
The Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said the vote (to allow the health-care reform bill to the floor for debate) was anything but procedural — casting it as a referendum on the bill itself, which he said would raise taxes, cut Medicare and create a "massive and unsustainable [...]
This Gap commercial has the usual suspects worked up into their annual lather:
The Los Angeles Times reports:
The Mississippi-based American Family Association last week issued a fatwa against Gap Inc. -- the retailing giant whose brands include Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic -- calling for a "two-month boycott" [...]A veritable caravan of terrorist sympathizers trooping across the heartland to visit their al-Qaida brethren imprisoned near the small' [...]
A veritable caravan of terrorist sympathizers trooping across the heartland to visit their al-Qaida brethren imprisoned near the small [...]
Dan Hynes' campaign has produced this video that show Gov. Pat Quinn apparently fighting sleep during one of yesterday's debate. I remember the little jerks of the head from my college days when I was struggling in lecture classes to avoid the clutches of Morpheus. But at no point does [...]
Dan Hynes' campaign has produced this video of our governor apparently fighting sleep during yesterday's Campaign for Better Healthcare Candidate Forum at Chicago’s Holiday Inn Mart Plaza.
The images are painfully familiar: The fidgeting. The yawning. The rocking in the seat. The snapping open of eyelids that' [...]
My wife and kids are fans of "Glee" so I sat and watched it with them last night. It was just one episode. And they said it wasn't a particularly good one. So perhaps this preliminary judgment is off base, but...
"Glee" it struck me' [...]
New York Times tech columnist/blogger David Pogue is on the warpath against Verizon ...
The more Verizon gouges, the worse it looks. Every single day, I get e-mail from people saying they’re switching at the first opportunity, or would if they could. In time, the only people who will stay [...]
Is the current Newsweek cover shot of Sarah Palin sexist? Maybe. Trivializing, for sure. Had they asked me I'd have advised against using it if only for the reason that it doesn't really illustrate the story/series of essays in the magazine or capture this particular [...]
Will we be able to top Bob Dylan's version of "Must Be Santa"? We'll sure try, though the break-away chandelier may not be in our budget:
Songs of Good Cheer 2009 tickets are officially sold out, but we expect a limited number of tickets to go on sale by phone [...]
The one sentence that puzzles me in "Bartender beating: More video footage shown in Police Board hearing --Commission to decide whether Anthony Abbate gets to keep his job."
The hearing was completed Monday, and the board is expected to make its decision within weeks.
Weeks? Weeks? This beating took place in [...]
Clinging to a six-point lead with a little more than two minutes to go and facing a 4th and 2 in their own territory, the New England Patriots went for it. Gained one yard. Then lost the game when the Indianapolis Colts quickly marched into the end zone. Most observers [...]
Clinging to a six-point lead with a little more than two minutes to go and facing a 4th and 2 in their own territory, the New England Patriots went for it. Gained one yard. Then lost the game when the Indianapolis Colts quickly marched into the end zone. Most observers [...]
I cringe when I watch this video assembled after President Obama bowed like a suppliant when greeting Japanese Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Saturday. "Submission Accomplished," to quote Jon Stewart. Doesn't he have social and political advisers to help him plan these moments? Sheesh.
' [...]
GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan "Mr. Tea" Proft released a statement following his meeting yesterday with Democratic State Sen. James Meeks, a South Side pastor:
I went into the meeting impressed with Rev. Meeks’ willingness to stand up to the teachers’ unions. I came out of our meeting with great [...]I had lunch today with Bill Leff, host of WGN AM 720's new Saturday 9 a.m. --1 p.m. show "ChicagoNow Radio" (lest I get on the bad side of Rob Feder, I'll note that both the radio station and the ChicagoNow blog [...]
In Court set to hear George Ryan's plea to keep government pension we read of the argument scheduled for Wednesday in front of the Illinois Supreme Court over whether imprisoned former Gov. George Ryan will get the $65,000 a year, pension benefits he accrued before he held the offices [...]
Joshua J. Gordon, now 21, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in the May 16, 2007, murder of James Keniski, 46, of Villa Park. He and three other young men went to Keniski's home to rob him, and prosecutors allege one of his accomplices, Semaj Walker, [...]
Two debate have broken out in the comment thread of the Oxford University Press blog where the lexicographers have announced their Word of the Year: "Unfriend"
unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook. As in, “I decided to unfriend [...]
At some point I may grow tired of this joke, but I'm not there yet. I particularly like "Charlie bit me" --
' [...]
I pulled two slices of cinnamon raisin bread from the bag on the counter. My sister watched me as I painstakingly picked out the raisins and flicked them into the sink.
"Why do you have Dad buy that bread if you don't' like raisins?"
"I don't like the raisins themselves, but their'" [...]
I tuned in to WLS AM 890 at noon today to get my weekly dose of bilious, self-righteous invective from ousted, indicted former governor, Rod Blagojevich, and instead got two hours of host Bill Moller flogging the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, infomercial style, with no explanation to listeners about what [...]
I tuned in to WLS AM 890 at noon today to get my weekly dose of bilious, self-righteous invective from ousted, indicted former governor, Rod Blagojevich, and instead got two hours of host Bill Moller flogging the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, infomercial style, with no explanation to listeners about what [...]
Did the University of Michigan football team stink up Camp Randall Stadium today worse than the Chicago Bears stunk up Candlestick Park Thursday night?
Are the Bears (4-5) comparatively more hapless, a bigger disappointment, a poorer emotional investment than the Wolverines (5-6)?
Hard to say. Both clubs are losing games [...]
In Sunday's print edition of Change of Subject:
Huberman wants to end the silly high school admissions game in Chicago
Entertaining doubts about my doubts about the `stroller girl' story
The surgical mute button for dogs that won't stop barkingThe spam plague is over, has anyone noticed?
Click through [...]In Catholic archdiocese gives ultimatum to D.C. we learn:
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it would be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District of Columbia if the city refused to change a proposed same-sex marriage law.
The threat could affect tens of [...]
