The recent, unusually heavy snowfall brought the dibs debate to Washington, D.C.
The District Department of Transportation seems to want to tamp down on any DIY on-street spot reserving, noting that anyone who tries to set aside a public parking spot for their future use can be slapped with a fine.
[...]
Thursday marks ("The Simpsons") two-decade anniversary – an event that serves as a reminder not only of the show’s extraordinary staying power, but also the extent to which it’s disappeared from the cultural conversation. While "The Family Guy" and "South Park" have kicked up controversy – tackling subjects like Scientology and abortion [...]
From AnnArbor.com:
Matthew Freeman...who is required to register as a sex offender, is facing a new criminal charge that accuses him of illegally living within 1,000 feet of a school. ....
Freeman pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving force or coercion and was sentenced to probation in September 2003, court records [...]
A last round of tickets for this weekend's shows has just been released for sale. Check our Facebook Fan Page for details.
[...]You probably heard the story earlier this week: Second-grader suspended and forced into counseling for drawing Jesus Christ on the cross! The war on Christianity continues. The Boston Globe says wait a sec....
Julie Hackett, superintendent of Taunton Public Schools, said the student was never suspended and that neither he [...]
The World's Greatest Podcast (TM) just keeps getting better and better. One day it will live up to its name:
Instead, Marin wrote, Reyna-Hickey agreed only to respond to questions submitted in [...]
In 2006 I assembled the links below that addressed the question, "When was Jesus actually born?"
When was Jesus born? Sept 29, 2 B.C. When was Jesus born? Between September 16 and 29, 4 B.C. When exactly was Jesus born? Sept. 11, 3 B.C. When was Jesus [...]Look for opportunities to make people feel important.
Don't be afraid to say "I don't know."
Don't be afraid to say "I made a mistake."
Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.
From H. Jackson Brown [...]
From Rod Blagojevich's radio program today on WLS AM 890:
A bull who's castrated is a steer. And a pig who's castrated is a barrow. And a governor who's castrated is Pat Quinn.
I don't think I'm done politically. When I win this trial and I'm vindicated, people are going [...]
In one of my frequent fits of pedantry I was explaining to the kids "hearse" -- a word that came up in their reading for school -- is a vehicle used for transporting caskets containing human remains from place to place before burial, and that they resemble large station [...]
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 [...]Former WLS AM talk-show host Teri O'Brien is fulminating over at the Illinois Review about Barbara Walters' selection of First Lady Michelle Obama as her most fascinating person of the year.
What? Fidel Castro, a murderous dictator....wasn’t in the running?...I can totally see that, if by “fascinating” you mean [...]
An unsurprising news release this morning
Joe Laiacona, candidate for 40th District State Representative, announced today his decision not to appeal the ruling made by the Illinois State Election Board earlier this month. Laiacona challenged the validity of (incumbent Deb Mell's) ballot petitions because she was not, as she swore, a [...]
An Albany Times Union column by Mark McGuire published in the Tribune in January, 2006, noted:
Various name-the-decade polls over the years have shown a variety of preferences, from the Ohs to the Aughts. Regardless, none-of-the-above has won out again and again in terms of actual usage.
Dennis Baron, a professor [...]Mary Schmich and I will be helping to lead the "Caroling at Cloud Gate" singalong Friday from 6-7 p.m. in Millennium Park. Many of our friends from the Old Town Schol of Folk Music will join us.
There's no admission charge, and complementary hot coffee and cider will be served.
[...]This is a promo/ad, but I sense it's a good look at where "print" journalism is headed. Worth paying for? Gosh, it sure looks like it: [...]
From my column archives, discussions of when new decades (and centuries and millennia) actually begin:
July 6, 1998:
Fussbudgets everywhere are grousing louder and louder that the next millennium will not begin until Jan. 1, 2001, so we should all hold off on grandiose, epochal merrymaking until that date and not make [...]
They charged (Tiger Woods) with careless driving and fined him $164. It's nothing really. It's like fining a regular person a Skittle...Jimmy Kimmel
How close to the truth is this joke? A rough estimate: Tiger earned about $100,000,000 last year. The average regular person [...]
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' [...]
