Sad Wildcat news

Meaghan McMahon, LHS '97, was killed in an automobile crash on Christmas Day (Monday). I found out in the Libertyville Review, and this story from the Chicago Tribune gives more information:

About 4 a.m. on Christmas, Jose Diaz-Perez, 21, was drunk and heading to get more beer, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Elizabeth Currie, 25, had just left a Humboldt Park bar.

After a thunderous crash that killed Currie's two back-seat passengers, both drivers have been charged with drunken driving, officials said.

Bail was set at $900,000 Wednesday for Diaz-Perez, who was accused of fleeing after the accident. Currie was charged with two counts of DUI related to the crash, her attorney said.

Currie, who has been released from a hospital with a lacerated liver, was unavailable for comment, but her lawyer, Dan Kirk, said she is "very saddened, shocked and devastated." Her boyfriend of two months, Dan Parry, 33, and a friend, Meaghan McMahon, 27, were killed in the back seat. Currie's sister, Janet, a front-seat passenger, was treated and released.

"This is horribly tragic," Kirk said. "Both Liz and Janet were also victims."

He declined to comment on the DUI charges.

"We'll speak in court about it," Kirk said.

Diaz-Perez's lawyer, Ricardo Sotorrio, said his client was not at fault.

"From the limited investigation that we've made, I don't believe the facts will bear out that he was responsible for the accident," Sotorrio said.

The collision happened at North California Avenue, on which Currie was northbound in a Toyota Corolla, and West Augusta Boulevard, where Diaz-Perez was westbound in a Ford pickup truck "at a high rate of speed," Cook County Assistant State's Atty. Maria Augustus said Wednesday in Bond Court.

After the collision, Diaz-Perez and a passenger ran away, but they were arrested 25 minutes later while staggering westbound on Chicago Avenue, Augustus said. Diaz-Perez failed a field sobriety test and registered a 0.22 blood alcohol level—nearly three times the legal limit—more than two hours after the crash, Augustus said.

...

A friend said McMahon grew up in the Chicago suburbs and was a fervent bike rider who always advocated riding two wheels instead of four.

"Meaghan will always be remembered for her friendliness, her beautiful smile, her presence on the dance floor at numerous Chicago electronic music events, and her passion for bicycle riding," David Powers said in an e-mail.

Read the full story here.

A Wildcat in Guam

Hi everybody!
We hope that everybody had a wonderful Christmas, we certainly did!

Aaron and I went to Guam for 5 days over Christmas. It is about a 3 and a half hour plane ride from here. For those of you who don't know much about Guam, it is a small island in the Pacific that is a US territory. People here refer to it as "the poor man's Hawaii." I've never been to Hawaii so I really can't compare the two, but I loved Guam and thought it was beautiful. It was also very nice to see and hear English again. as well as visit some of our favorite stores and restaurants.

The water around the island was beautiful, very blue and clear. It is surrounded by coral, though, so the beach was very rocky. It's supposed to be a great place to scuba dive and snorkel, but we ran out of time so we weren't able to do either of these.

Aaron's parents happen to be friends with a DoDDS principal who works on the island, so we spent Christmas Day with them. We had a wonderful dinner and he drove us around the island pointing out some of the most interesting spots.

We are back in Japan now, just relaxing until Aaron has to go back to work. As for me, I have finished my long term sub job and now I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get a position that has opened up at Aaron's school. Hopefully I will hear something soon.

Love, Aaron and Laura

Dollars and sense

Got this e-mail from Erik Johnson (LHS '97) today:

Hey Scott,

Saw your recent bit on the minimum wage thing. I’m a serious econ dork these days, but I’m pretty neutral on the minimum wage issue. I see both pros and cons there.

But, I thought I’d drop a note re the e-mail you got from the “fairtax.org” guy since you’re interested in tax/wage questions. Consumption-based taxation is inherently unfair and over-hyped. I made a comment to Hjerpe on his website, which I’ll just modify here.....

Consumption taxes are naturally regressive. Rich people save more of their salary than do poor people. For example, if you make $200,000, you may save 20% of your income. Therefore, you get taxed on the 80% you spend. In contrast, if I make $10,000, I'll have to spend it all (or almost). So, I get taxed on the full 100% of my salary. Meaning that, even if all consumption is taxed at the same rate, the poor get taxed on a higher percentage of their income. Totally unfair. That distinction is exaggerated when -- as the “fairtax” guy proposed -- capital gains taxes are eliminated. The rich invest more. Therefore, the entire savings from that proposal goes to rich guys.

Proponents common claim is that consumption taxation can be progressive in two ways: (1) Higher income people spend more, therefore get taxed more. But that ignores the marginal question: it is not the raw amount of tax that matters, it is the percentages. The higher income person will spend more and be taxed more in raw terms than the lower income person. But, as discussed above, higher income people save more as a percentage of their income. Therefore, a higher percentage of the rich's income goes untaxed, resulting in a lower marginal tax rate. Uncool.

(2) People claim that there can be exemptions for the goods commonly purchased by low-income individuals (e.g., gas, food, housing) so that most of their income goes to tax-free goods. However, I have serious reservations that a "simple," consumption-based system can survive once we start building in exceptions. You really believe politicians will only put in the necessary exceptions and none benefiting their buddys (or their companies/industries)? Or, do you believe the rich folk's lawyers won't find ways to make their purchases count under the exceptions? The rules governing the exceptions would quickly become as large and complex as our current tax code. No "simple" system with exceptions can stay "simple."

Therefore, I fully support a progressive, income-based taxation without any (and especially without any INCREASED) consumption component. Otherwise you’re only shifting taxation from the rich to the poor, and exaggerating the class gap already existing in society. Call me a liberal (I am), but that’s unacceptable.


* * *

In personal news, my wife Christine is pregnant! She’s due in mid-June, it’ll be our first. We don’t know gender yet (we’ll find out Jan. 17), but she’s into her second trimester and we’re very excited!

And here is my response, which I offer now to seek your reflections.

Erik:

Excellent points on the FairTax issue. I'm not so good with the numbers (which is why I write for a living), but I didn't are for how the FairTax people decided to latch on to the minimum wage argument as a platform for their beliefs.

Obviously what you said is true -- rich people on average will save more of their earnings. The simple reason is that after they pay for essentials -- even if their "essentials" are markedly better than those of poor folks, they'll still have more left over. Some poor folks can't even afford essentials, let alone have some left over.

Beyond that, my amatuer analysis is that rich people stay rich by being smart with their money, and saving money is the smartest way to stay rich. But -- you need to have enough extra at some point to begin saving.

Now, I am by no means a Socialist (as far as I know), but I think the fundamental flaw with people trying to use the federal government to solve the American economy is that we allow people to choose how they spend their money. And I would rather preserve that freedom of choice than try to "fix things."

What I mean goes back to the earlier paragraphs regarding "essentials." No one can say for sure what that is. I'd give up my cell phone and Internet before I'd give up my Dish Network. Some folks will choose to wear outsized, worn out clothes if it means they can afford cigarettes. Yet other people still take each paycheck, give 10 percent to church and 10 percent to savings and live modestly off the 80 percent.

Just because we jack the minimum wage up -- even if we doubled it -- doesn't change how some people will spend it. People will rack up credit card debt, invest in newer cell phones or cars -- you name it. Others, of course, will buy sensible homes and start college funds, but sometimes a person is poor not because of the job they have. Heck, people earning six figures can piss it all away on gambling addicitions and be living under the bridge before they know what hits 'em.

The point of this rambling diatribe is that while I believe in the free market, I also understand that there are inherent problems with the system. Much like our version of Democracy however, its flaws (and they are significant) remain less worrisome than other systems that have been tried and failed over the course of recorded history.

Forced to choose, I'd say the solution to what some say are America's two most pressing domestic issues are to eliminate the minimum wage while simultaneously require that all companies registered in America must employ only American citizens or those who have been granted work visas.

Obviously flaws exist there (notably the presence of goods in American markets manufactured by companies that do not adhere to the same labor standards and therefore can offer significantly cheapr products), but perhaps it would get us closer to allowing each individual employer to determine what wages to offer to obtain the desired workforce.

Just as a retailer wouldn't waste time selling a product so fine as to be unprofitable, so too would a business owner not employ someonetoo qualified as to be fiscally practical. Conversely, a retailer will not stock an inexpensive product that is so inferior it maddens customers and does more harm than good. Niether, then, would a business owner employ people who will work for pennies in the dollar yet are so bad at the job that they actually cost the company money through their inefficiency.

Does any of that make sense? Is it remotely logical?

Also, congrats on the coming arrival. My advice, as I'm sure you've heard already: Sleep now.

STH

It was kind of a stream-of-conciousness thing, and if I reread it Thursday I may call myself an idiot. But I wanted to see it in print, as it were, and to decide if I agree with myself.

Stuff you didn't know

You know why I love the Internet? Stuff like this site, a compilation of the "Worst analogies ever written in a high school essay." A sampling:

The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
--Gary F. Hevel, Silver Spring

Her date was pleasant enough, but she knew that if her life was a movie this guy would be buried in the credits as something like "Second Tall Man."
--Russell Beland, Springfield

Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.
--Jennifer Hart, Arlington

There's more. Thanks to Eric Zorn for the link.

Attention ex-Libertyvillians

What's going on at good old LHS? The News-Sun tells us...

A Libertyville High School fine arts foundation has raised $40,000 of its $200,000 goal to refurbish the school's auditorium seating, the District 128 Board of Education was told Tuesday night.

Foundation vice president Terry Weppler said the "Take a Seat" campaign to replace 880 seats is now in full swing by recently qualifying as a charitable IRS 501-(c)-3 organization. He hopes the tax designation will further boost corporate contributions and matching-grant efforts so the foundation can reach its goal by March 1. If so, the new seating will be installed over the summer.

Weppler urged the School Board to participate in the campaign with a budget allocation.

"Seating in the LHS auditorium has deteriorated after 35 years of hard use, and in some cases has become unsafe. We are aware that at least one seat has already collapsed," Weppler said.

The high school in Clinton (about as far away from our house as LHS is from my parents') is doing the exact same thing, but with less chairs for a smaller theater. Read the full story here.

Libertyville news

You may or may not remember the piece I posted on Connie Kowal from a few weeks ago, but either way you ought to read this Barry Rozner column from the Daily Herald. A sample:

He has more energy than any 10 people you know, and he’s the go-to guy for those feeling down, ready with a smile and a handshake for friend or foe, stranger or relation.

But even Kowal can succumb to human frailty, especially this time of year when he smiles through the worst pain a person can suffer, the loss of a child. It bubbles to the surface and the swells of grief wash over him like a tidal wave.

This will be his fourth Christmas without daughter Lauren, and Kowal will spend a great deal of time with wife, Sally, and son, K.C., remembering why there is an empty chair at the table.

That’s the easy part, because the memory is never far away. Kowal can feel so alone, and yet he has a constant companion, the sorrow deep in his belly, which rarely betrays him.

"As a family, everything revolves around your kids this time of year, and Christmas was her favorite holiday," Kowal says, stopping to sob and apologizing for the interruption. "Holidays are special. We still love them, but they are incredibly tough for us.

"You want to be with the people you love, right? Lauren was the love of my life."

Kowal breaks down again, showing the side few witness.

Knowing this family, the story still breaks my heart. Rozner does a good job telling it, and things like Connie's message are worth thinking about this time of year.

So what are you waiting for? Read the column already.

E-mail fun

From my dad...



If you don't think this is funny, you'll never understand what it means to be a Holland.

Revisiting a confusing topic

Column originally published December 20, 2006

Apparently I’m big in Colorado and Texas, or so I gathered from reader response to last week’s column on the minimum wage increase issue.

With Illinois Gov. Rod Blajogevich and his Elvis hair signing that state’s increase on Monday, I figured it would be appropriate to revisit the topic. Plus, it was either that or write about how my 2 1/2-year-old son almost burned down our house last week. It’s frustrating enough to see a pile of presents on the floor where our tree used to be, there’s no need to revisit the entire episode.

Anyhow, I received two e-mails after the minimum wage column, one only a matter of minutes after it was posted on our Web site. That note came from John Nothdurft, press coordinator for FairTax.org, a Web site devoted to the cause examined Thursday in our Walter E. Williams column.

“As you may be aware,” he wrote (note: I was not), “we are the largest tax reform group in the nation with over 700,000 grassroots supporters and our legislation HR 25 is the most broadly backed with over 60 co-sponsors.”

John was merely forwarding me a letter from Ken Hoagland, the communications director for FairTax.Org, based in Houston.

Continue reading "Revisiting a confusing topic."

Make your plans now

Wildcat update

Good news for Stephanie (Velander) Peterson:

Wonderful news! I got a job yesterday! Starting Monday, I will be teaching English 8 at Macatawa Bay Middle School in Holland! I will have a contract and everything! It is for a woman on medical leave. The principal is treating it as if I would teach until the very end of the year! Woohoo! Thank you for always praying for me and for us in this crazy time of schooling and job searching. We have been totally blessed by your prayers and your supportive encouraging emails and calls. I'm excited and a smidgeon nervous. I'll have 3 days this week and then Christmas break. Then - January through June! Wow!

Fully relying on God,
Steph (& Rick too!)

Any more news? Also -- anyone who wants to get our Christmas card and hasn't in recent years should e-mail me an address pronto at the link provided on this page.

Trying to solve the minimum wage issue

Column originally published Dec. 13, 2006

Is it possible for college-educated people with full-time jobs to discuss a proposed minimum wage increase without coming off as condescending?

I’m not so sure that it is. What started off as a desire to write a column breaking down the pros and cons of minimum wage increase proposals in Iowa and Illinois turned sour in my brain after kicking it around with my editor. I realized that no matter how I worded it, blaming "the system" would come off as an indictment of people who have minimum wage jobs.

For starters, I think we all can agree that the federal minimum wage (which Iowa also uses), is far too low at $5.15 an hour. Working 2,080 hours a year (40 hours a week for 52 weeks), would yield $10,712. That’s about $893 per month before taxes, and even if one person could afford to pay rent, utilities and grocery bills on that, it certainly wouldn’t leave anything for savings or any luxuries beyond a spare candy bar here or there.

But after that point, what can we agree on? Having even a state government apply a minimum wage to its entire population is an economic foolishness given the difference in cost of living from one town to the next. What happens is that profit-minded employers in each community must make their own determination about how little they can pay to obtain the labor they require.

Continue reading "Trying to solve the minimum wage issue"

Wise Words

Chuck Klosterman, a columnist for Esquire and contributor to ESPN.com's Page 2, has a fascinating look at the way music critics and sports columnists paint both sides of the same fence over and over again, yet few people seem to call them on it.

To wit:

Sports columnists and rock critics have a lot of qualities in common (more than most readers realize, I suspect). Chief among these similarities is a sense of arbitrary righteousness: Sportswriters and music writers are appalled anytime they get what they once pretended to want. In the '80s, tennis writers complained John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors were obnoxious and undignified; today, tennis writers (I am not including David Foster Wallace) inevitably insist men's tennis is boring and that we need a new Super Brat. Whenever musical acts become obsessed with import and authenticity (i.e., U2 during the "Rattle and Hum" era), pop critics find them egocentric and ridiculous; the moment those same musical acts embrace artifice and grandiosity (i.e., U2 on the 1997 "Popmart" tour), those same critics question their integrity. Whenever you deliver anything to a sports columnist or a rock critic, they will want its opposite. And this is especially true when the (mainly) white media covers the (mainly) black worlds of football, basketball and mainstream hip-hop. (The exception being Eminem, who creates an entirely new set of problems.) In both instances, journalists remain simultaneously fixated on two paradoxical positions:

(1.) Most athletes/artists are boring because all they do is repeat safe, meaningless clichés.
(2.) The few individuals within these idioms who do say provocative, controversial things are ill-informed media whores who should be more grateful that they are rich.

Read the rest of the piece, kind of an analysis of ESPN's documentary focusing on whether or not Muhammad Ali "invented" rap, here.

Attention ex-Kowhaks

Most of the people I hung out with in college would not know this to be a very big deal, but the Des Moines Register tells us that Coe is taking on Iowa in a D-III vs. D-I wrestling meet.

This actually is probably more exciting than when the Coe basketball team played at Iowa State back in 2002, and the current Coe coach is a former Iowa wrestler. OF course, Iowa can't be too worried about Coe since, after that met at 6 p.m., the Hawkeyes take on North Carolina.

But trust me -- in Iowa, this is a very big thing.

When it snows, it pours

Column originally published Dec. 6, 2006

Every so often, a brave soul will ask me why I got into the newspaper business.

I usually don’t have a good reason, other than the obvious (too small, slow and uncoordinated to play Major League Baseball), but I typically can come up with a pretty good list of things that didn’t draw me into a career in journalism.

It wasn’t the money, because there isn’t much; it wasn’t the fame, because there’s even less of that; and it certainly wasn’t to spend a lifetime waiting to pick up the phone and never having any idea who or what is on the other end.

Case in point: Friday.

As pretty much everyone with halfway decent vision and a window knows by now, it snowed Thursday night and Friday morning. What those people may not know is that the newspaper office is one of the places people call when snow isn’t removed to their satisfaction.

I’m sure City Hall got a lot more calls than I did, but Friday was typical of one of the perks of this post: trying to talk people off the proverbial ledge with nothing but quick wits and a bag of promises.

Continue reading "When it snows, it pours."

Attention ex-Libertyvillians

Brainerd building update: Everything worked out just fine in the end.

Don't believe me? Here's what the News Sun has to say:

LIBERTYVILLE -- The vacant Brainerd Building will be turned into a community center under a lease agreement ironed out by village officials and the Community High School District 128 board.

Village officials were expected to take control of the former high school at Brainerd and Park avenues at Tuesday night's Village Board session.

After months of negotiations, District 128 officials on Monday night approved a pact with the village for lease of the property to the Brainerd Foundation.

"We believe the agreement will create a win-win situation for everyone," said District 128 Board of Education member Pat Groody who served as the district's representative in the negotiations.

The agreement calls for a long-term lease of the property at a total cost of $1.25 million. There will be no payment made to the district for the first five years, followed by an initial payment of $250,000 by the Brainerd Foundation.

This structure will allow all funds raised during the first five-year period to be used for improvements and repairs needed to reopen the facility. Following the initial payment, the foundation will pay $50,000 annually for 20 years.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Brainerd Foundation will develop and operate a community center in the Brainerd Building, while Libertyville High School will continue to utilize the Brainerd sports' fields. Both parties will share the parking.

The lease will continue to honor the parking agreement currently in place between District 128 and the First Presbyterian Church in Libertyville.

So there you have it. Find the original story and photo here.

Wildcat update

Here's another missive from Woodie in Japan:

Dear family and friends,

Things here are still pretty good. We are settling into our house as well as into a daily routine. Our household goods arrived the second week of November so we have been busy unpacking boxes. Unfortunately we have more stuff than space. One room is sitll packed from floor to ceiling with boxes.

Dustin and Marti came to visit us over Veteran's Day weekend. We spent several days in Tokyo sightseeing and ganging out. It was great seeing familiar faces. Soon after that I began substituting. One of the third-grade teachers had to go out on sick leave so I have taken over her class until Christmas. I've really enjoyed having a class again.

Aaron and I didn't do much for Thanksgiving. We just spent the weekend unpacking and relaxing around the house. We were hoping to visit Dustin and Marti in Okinawa for Chrstimas but we weren't able to work it out. Instead, we are going to spend 5 days in Guam. The weather there is supposed to be very nice (high 70s to low 80s). It's been pretty cold here (highs in the low 50s) so we're looking forward to some sunshine and warmth.

Last Saturday we went with a tour group from base to a small town for a Chrstmas tree lighting. They had food vendors, the Christmas tree lighting, and fireworks. It was very pretty, but Aaron and I froze!!! We're still waiting for our Florida blood to thicken! Not many people in Japan celebrate Christmas so we were grateful that we got a chance to feel some of the Christmas spirit.

In addition to substitue teaching I have also begun to teach English to some Japanese adults. They actually speak really well so I am mostly helping them with reading comprehension. I'm not sure if I am just filling in until Christmas, or if this is going to be a permanent thing. We will see!

If we do not speak to you all before Christmas we hope that everybody has a wonderful holiday!

Love,
Aaron and Laura

Oh, to have lived in Florida long enough to view high 50s as "pretty cold." It's mid-30s here with snow and ice everywhere and I'm pretty happy with that since the wind chill was in the single digits on Sunday.

Who's doing the most to attack marriage?

Column originally published Nov. 29, 2006

The institution of marriage in this country is under attack.

I didn’t use to believe that, but I’m starting to come around. But my recent mind shift has nothing to do with the usual suspects and everything to do with three beautiful people — Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and Britney Spears. I’d throw in Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson, but he’s not beautiful and I’m not so sure she’s still medically a person.

Recent news accounts of the marital affairs of Cruise, Holmes and Spears are enough to make a traditionalist turn away in shame. But it’s not just that these events happened, it’s that they were treated as news and, ultimately, that the American public gobbles the information like so much leftover turkey.

Continue reading "Who's doing the most to attack marriage?"

Wise Words

I don't know all that much about being a parent after only 2.5 years, but I believe this much is true:

Empty threats and meaningless rules are the hallmark of bad, even destructive parenting. If your word is not good and your rules are always subject to challenge, you lose more than a series of battles. You lose your authority and with it your capacity to lead.

When Eric Zorn wrote that here, he was talking about Ben Wallace's relationship with Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson. But still, he makes a good point.

What American accent do you have?

As Mona Lisa Vito says in "My Cousin Vinny": Dead on balls accurate.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The South
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Ode to a very special dog

Column originally published Nov. 22, 2006

All of the Clinton Humane Society venom spewing — and a looming trip home for the holiday — has gotten me thinking about my dog.

When I tell stories at work and use the phrase “my dog,” people always look at me sideways since they know the only pets at my house are two fat, stupid and mischievous yet adorable cats.

But the words roll off my tongue with ease, although we haven’t lived under the same roof for more than a summer since I left for college in 1997. Kerry, my family’s cairn terrier, will be 17 if she lives to her next birthday on Monday. We brought her home on Jan. 27, 1990, when she was exactly eight weeks old.

There are very few things I remember vividly from the fifth grade. But one of them is riding home in my parents’ mini-van (a grayish-blue Plymouth Voyager) from the pet store in Niles, Ill., with our little bundle of joy in her pet carrier.

Continue reading "Ode to a very special dog."

Elections are over — now what?

Column originally published Nov. 15, 2006.

With state and national elections behind us, the next big ballot issues formally on the Iowa calendar are school board elections in September and municipal elections next November.

The question today is if or how the results of last week’s vote will affect upcoming local races and what impact, if any, local politics had on the Nov. 7 vote.

Continue reading "Elections are over — now what?"

Unfortunate Libertyville connection

My Libertyville Google alert is not always filled with positive stories:

A man who was found shot to death Tuesday in Libertyville was an all-state swimmer who graduated from Deerfield High School this year, officials said Wednesday.

Bernard Soya, 18, whose last known address was in Deerfield, died of gunshot wounds in his head early Tuesday, Libertyville Police Chief Patrick Carey said.

Soya's body was found about 6:30 a.m., hanging halfway out of the passenger side of a rented silver Kia sport-utility vehicle parked in a lot behind the 1000 block of East Park Avenue, Carey said. Soya was not the person who rented the vehicle, he said.

Read the rest, from the Tribune, here.

Libertyville connection

OK, I admit, as much as a TV junkie as I am, I don't know that I've ever heard of the Fox sitcom "Happy Hour," nor have I heard of one of its cast members, Beth Lacke. But apparently she's from Libertyville, or so she tells TV Guide:

TVGuide.com: How are you like Amanda? And how are you unlike her?
Lacke: I'm not so much neurotic as opposed to... OK, I'm neurotic. I have a little bit of the body issues she has, but coming from a source of strength. She's also a little more outspoken and funny. I'm back home in Libertyville right now, and when we go to church everyone is like, "We're watching the show," and I'm like, "It's only a character! I'm nothing like her!" They're seeing more cleavage on television than they usually do in Libertyville, Illinois.

TVGuide.com: The elderly parishioners throw holy water on you?
Lacke: Exactly. They're praying for my soul. So I would say that Amanda wears more revealing clothes than I do, hoping that men will be distracted enough by her cleavage not to notice her other flaws.

Apparently Ms. Lacke hasn't actually been to Libertyville for a while. Anyhow, read the whole interview here.

Wildcat update

Got an e-mail from Kristina Vanni this week with an annual monthly newsletter from her site Recipe Remake.

I knew she was in LA pursuing an acting career, and I knew she'd been a prize-winning chef since our days together back at Highland Junior High. But I was not aware she'd blended both so successfully (she also graduated cum laude from Northwestern and interned at Steppenwolf, if that helps bring you up to speed>

Anyhow, check out the site, it's pretty cool. There's a video if you're interested, some good history and a link to her other professional site, effectively an online oddiser featuring headshots and resume information (she's been doing Pilates for seven years).

Also, in the realm of Kohawk updates, I've added a link to David Kincannon's new blog at right under the heading "Random Musings." I'm going to perma-link Kristina's recipe site there as well.

Riding the high horse

Column originally published Nov. 8, 2006

I write this having completed two essential responsibilities of eligible adults — voting and giving blood — in one day, so I’m all set for at least eight weeks of self-righteousness.

And for all of you who think the political parties are diligent, even the kind lady from the Clinton County Republicans who tried directing me to the wrong polling place on Monday afternoon, try signing up to donate blood. I got a call, a postcard an e-mail and a personal reminder for Tuesday’s appointment.

I’m glad to have it, though — and not just because I’ve had to reschedule my blood appointments going back to September. Tracking down donors with such voracity is a sign of how truly important giving blood is. And unlike in politics, the people who are working so hard to remind me when to be where for my blood donation have no personal gain at stake.

Since I enjoy the view from the high horse, I’d like to tackle an ongoing debate in American society: Whether or not people should be allowed to talk on a cell phone while driving.

Continue reading "Riding the high horse."

Wildcats update

Ever wonder what a typical day for Shannon and Feinberg in Pittsburgh is like? Well, wonder no longer...

Saturday, October 14, 2006

What did I do yesterday?

I had lunch at Kazansky's, I had dinner and drinks at The Sharp Edge, I watched the baseball postseason games, I got married, I stayed up late hanging out with Coco, and I played with my dogs outside twice. Overall, it was an eventful day I would say.

Read the post for yourself here.

Wildcat update

Got this note from Stephanie (Velander) Peterson:

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to take a minute to ask for your prayers over the next week. We decided rather last minute that I should go on our church's mission trip down to Mississippi to do hurricane relief/reconstruction. I've caught a cold this week and I look forward to two days of sleep on a van! ;-)

Please pray for:
-safety traveling this weekend and next weekend
-a quick recovery from this cold
-good bonding of trip members - especially for me to get to know church members better
-that I would know how best to encourage those whom we will be helping.
-that Rick and I would handle well being apart for 9 days (this is the longest we will have been apart since we've gotten married. It will be good practice for when Rick goes on his seminary intercultural trip to Oman in January.)

Muchos gracias! We'll be gone Nov. 3-12. Thank you! I covet your prayers!

In His grip,
Steph

I have a few more updates coming later. Which reminds me... I'm pretty much just taking e-mails and slapping them up here. I hope that:
a. You readers find this interesting;
b. The people who are e-mailing me are not offended; and
c. No one accuses me of having the laziest blog ever.

Wildcat update

More from Woodie in Japan:

Hi everyone!

Things here are still going really well. I spent the last 7 days in an area orientation class. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I learned a lot about the Japanese culture as well as a lot of helpful phrases.

Japanese people as a whole are so nice! A couple of times when I have asked for directions the people have walked me all the way to my destination. Also, usually if I look at a map while I am sitting on a train, someone will offer assistance.

Last night we participated in a traditional home visit. As the new neighbors to our neighborhood we had to buy gifts for all of our neighbors. The base paired us up with an English speaking Japanese women who lives close to us and she took us around to all of our neighbors and introduced us and helped us give them our gifts. Then Aaron and I went to dinner at a Korean Barbeque. We ordered some meat (we think it was some type of steak) and then we cooked it ourselves on a little grill in the middle of our table. I thought I was ordering soup, but apparently I ordered a salad with octopus on it. We ate the salad and I tried a bite of the octopus. I wasn't a big fan!

This weekend we are going to Tokyo to watch the American all-star baseball team play against the Japanese all-stars. I am excited to see the city and Aaron is excited to see baseball!

Last weekend we went walking around Yokahama and we also visited some second hand furniture shops. Most of our things have finally arrived in Japan and are now going through customs. Hopefully we will have them soon.

And in other news... I live in Iowa. Not so exciting. But I do TiVo "Jeopardy!" every day.

I know. Also not exciting.

Wildcats update

And in other baby news... from Jess (Tischendorf) and Derek Augsburger:

I don't know if I should start out this email by apologizing for the mass email, for purposefully avoiding replying back to some of your emails, or perhaps for openly lying about what is going on in our lives lately. So, I guess I'll do all 3. I AM SORRY! I have purposefully avoided responding to some of your emails and have fibbed to some of you and I am sorry!!!! Derek and I had some exciting news to share with all of you and wanted to wait for this week before sharing. It's been hard keeping this in, but it's time to share now.

We are expecting a baby!!!! Yes, I know. For some of you, your first reaction was, "its about time!". :) What can I say - the timing finally felt right! We can now say we are going to be parents. Our baby is due May 15, 2007 and we are currently 12 weeks along. Derek and I are both thrilled and scared out of our minds about this little one coming along and shaking up our world.

Derek and I decided to join the rising trend and start a blog about this whole parenthood "thing". We also wanted a way to keep all of you that do not live around here up to date on how we are doing. Feel free to stop on by and see how we're doing and leave some comments if you so desire!

http://parentsintraining.blogspot.com/

Again, I am sorry for avoiding you or lying! I will be upfront and honest and willing to answer your emails and get together now. Promise!

I'll make that link to the bloag permanent at some point.

Kohawk update

No column today (no room on the page due to election letters) but here's an update from an old roommate, Kati (Schaffhausen) Bosman:

...our daughter, Elizabeth Matilda Bosman, was born on October 9th!!!!! Crazy isn't it? The delivery was awful, not quite as bad as Kristie's with Jack, up until they knocked me out because the anesthesia didn't take during the emergency C-Section, but it was worth it in the end.

If you go the www.stlukescr.org you can see her in the on-line nurrsery.

So there you have it. Babies everywhere!

Making sure every vote counts

Column originally published Oct. 25, 2006

In recent days, operatives from both major political parties have contacted my household by telephone and direct mail to tell me how to go about voting via absentee ballot.

As I’m sure many of you know by now, the pitches are persistent and political. They tell me either how good one party or candidate is or how bad the opposition comes across. Then they give me several reasons to request the absentee ballot. One mailing went so far as to provide me the form to contact County Auditor Charlie Sheridan’s office myself.

Thanks but no thanks.

I just don’t care for absentee voting. Not that there isn’t a good place for it in the system, but it really goes against my personal political approach. I prefer to wait until election day to cast my ballot for a variety of reasons.

Continue reading "Making sure every vote counts."

Food for thought

Tuesday Morning Quarterback weighs in on the new Nike commercial that puts NFL stars in fictional Briscoe High School:

TMQ also declared himself puzzled that the Briscoe High spot uses "Spirit in the Sky" as its music track. Yes this is a catchy tune, and yes it is heard in football movies, prominently in "Remember the Titans." But the song is, after all, about dying and meeting Jesus!

Note that Nike manipulated the track so you hear its many references to dying but never hear the name Jesus. (Play the commercial here; the song lyrics are here.)

That a big corporation thinks it's fine to subliminally associate military-age young men with glory in death, but not fine to associate them with history's most important pacifist, creeps me out.

Anyway, comes now reader Mary Beth Calorama of Venice, Calif., to report Norman Greenbaum was not, as everyone thinks, a one-hit wonder. He was a two-hit wonder: under the name Dr. West's Medicine Show, Greenbaum recorded the cult hit "The Eggplant that Ate Chicago," one of TMQ's all-time favorite songs.

Read all of TMQ here.

Things you didn't know

I think the most surprising thing about this entire Tribune story is that Libertyville football players have a big screen TV in their locker room complete with an Xbox. BUt then, when you consider the JumboTron thing... well, not much fazes me anymore.

Really, Ryan Kennedy made the suggestion almost as a joke. Libertyville wanted to install an option play, to whip up formations and the blocking schemes promptly, and offensive coordinator Karl Jennrich asked his senior quarterback for ideas.

Kennedy's mind immediately fixed on the pixels of the big-screen television in the Wildcats' locker room, on a play he encountered in Purdue's virtual playbook from the video game NCAA Football '07. Jennrich has coached at Libertyville since 1972 and probably wouldn't know an Xbox from a box step, but Kennedy proffered the play anyway.

The virtually stunning result: Kennedy soon was running the play in reality. Libertyville needed an option--it just didn't figure a video-game playbook was one.

"He kind of took it and ran with it," Kennedy says of Jennrich. "I guess I just threw it out there. He liked my design--or, actually, the game's design--better than he liked his own. That's the play we're running now."

Drawing up plays in the dirt with a stick? Try the new phenomenon of drawing up plays with joysticks, as ubiquitous video games like Madden Football and NCAA Football '07 blur the boundary between simulation and real life.

Read the full story here.

Wildcat update

Laura (Dunwoodie) Fisk is now in Japan, according to this e-mail:

Hey Everyone! Well, I've arrived in Japan! Everything is good, just very different than what I expected. I guess I had a picture in my head of what "japanese" looked like, but in reality it mostly looks like a regular city with a bunch of japanese posters and signs. Japan is a very overcrowded country, therefore, every inch of space is taken up. Houses and buildings are on top of each other. There is no space for parking, so people just pull over onto the side of the street. There is a stop light on practically every corner, turning a 5 mile drive into a 35 minute commute. The good news is that I won't have to worry about speeding tickets anymore! Also, pedestrians have the right of way here, so in addition to regular traffic worries, you always have to be on the look out for pedestrians, people on bikes, and motorscooters that are constantly darting into traffic.

So far, we have spent most of our time on base taking care of business, i.e. military ID, vet registration, etc. On Sunday we took a train to what we thought was an autumn festival. We never found the festival but we did find an interesting island. It seemed very touristy with all kinds of stores and food vendors. You had to climb up a mountain and all along the way were little buildings. I think they must have been religious or brought luck or something because the Japanese people kept throwing money into wells, buckets, etc., and taking out pieces of paper from the containers near by. Of course, everything is in Japanese so I really don't know what it all meant. I need to buy some type of tour book so that when we travel I know what it is I am visiting!

For those of you who were worried about Murphy you will be happy to know that he made the trip just fine! Our other cat (Mulder) got very sick just before I left. After numerous trips to the emergency room it was decided that he would not be able to make the trip. Luckily, we found a vet technician who was willing to take him for us and hopefully nurse him back to health. Japan is very strict on pet immigration, therefore, we were warned that we would have to place Murphy in a kennel for 6 months when we got here. Luckily though, we were granted permission to home quarantine him, which means that we can keep him at our house with us and we just need to bring him to the vet once a month to make sure that he stays healthy. This was a huge relief for us!

Aaron and I are at his school now. Obviously we are very happy to be back together again. He is doing really well. We have moved into a little house about 30 minutes from base. We are waiting for our furniture and other things to arrive now. Aaron especially is going a little crazy without a television. He misses his sports and we both miss hearing news from the U.S. We actually look forward to reading the newspaper every day!

Aaron is doing a great job speaking Japanese, I on the other hand only know 2 words. He's been trying to teach me some but he ends up laughing and I end up frustrated. Therefore, we are going to go to a "survivors Japanese" course this Thursday. The frustrating part is that even after we learn to speak the language we will still not be able to go out to restaurants or other things because reading it is totally different than speaking it.

I hope everyone is doing well!
-Laura

So there you have it. Notes like this are one of the reasons I think e-mail is vastly underrated as far as its contribution to modern society.

Must we accept status quo?

Column originally published Oct. 18, 2006

One of the things people occasionally ask me about my line of work is “Where do you get the ideas for all that stuff you write about?” I usually don’t have a good answer, because most of the stuff just comes from general observations and conversations.

Another reason I don’t have a good answer is because of weeks like this — when no one idea is good enough to deserve its own column. But I’ve got space to fill and scattered thoughts on various subjects. Plus, you’re paying no more than 50 cents for this, so if I don’t float your boat you can go kill a few minutes working on the Cryptoquote (page 5B, for those of you who haven’t jumped ship already).

Last week’s column about negative campaign ads generated two types of response — one suggesting some of the ads this year have really crossed the line (I defy anyone to explain what exactly the line is) and another telling me that Americans don’t have to put up with these ads, that they aren’t a given and that we can do something about them.

While I agree in part (inside the heart of every newspaper columnist lurks at least a shred of idealism), I’m bothered by the logic because I think the way most Americans respond is by not voting. As a voter, that frustrates me. While politicians might pay lip service to the same rationale, I doubt they’re sincere.

Continue reading "Must we accept status quo?"

Attention ex-Libertyvillians

I don't know how many people will find this interesting, but as a regular traveler on Milwaukee Avenue (at least when I'm back home) and a former occasional Frank's customer, I thought it'd be nice to pass this along:

A vacant eyesore along Milwaukee Avenue on Libertyville’s southern entry will be renovated, bringing a long-sought grocery store to the village.

To be known as Fresh Foods, the upscale market is proposed for the former Frank’s Nursery and Crafts building at 1600 S. Milwaukee Ave., which closed about two years ago after the chain declared bankruptcy.

Developer Dean Theo’s plan is on a fast-track review process expected to reach the village board in two weeks. The $8 million project would involve a transformation of the façade.

“It’s a wonderful design,” said John Spoden, the village’s director of community development. “It’s really a throwback to the old inner-city market buildings.”

Frank’s occupied about 37,000 square feet in combined indoor and outdoor space. The new store would enclose and expand the area to about 41,000 square feet. Typical grocery stores are about 60,000 square feet.

“This would be a sole operation at this point. It’s not part of a chain,” said Libertyville attorney Terry Weppler, who is representing Theo through the approval process. Theo did not return calls for comment Wednesday.

“They’ve been looking throughout a large area for a place they thought would be a good spot. It’s a much higher-end store,” he said.

The operation is said to concentrate on organic foods. It would include a café doubling as an event room available to local groups, Spoden said.

“The comprehensive plan talks about having a high-end grocery store in this district, so we’re delighted,” he said.

Read the full story here.

Link of the day

Like movies? Like music? Like movies that feature music? Then this is the lnk for you.

It's a list of the top 40 music in movies scenes... not so much the best songs, but the mest movie moments featuring songs. I'd tell you what the top choice is to give you a hint, but that'd ruin the fun. An earlier example is the "Louie, Louie" scene at the beginning of "Animal House."

There's lots of YouTube clips to help jog your memory, so this link is a must for those with high-speed connections. Also, there's a couple of absolute turkeys on here that don't belong at all ("I Say A Little Prayer" from "My Best Friend's Wedding" and "Twist and Shout" from "Ferris Bueller"), largely because they're so over the top unbelievable they actually detract from the film.

Anyhow, enjoy the list, and use the comments here to add your suggestions.

Negative ads are here to stay

Column originally published Oct. 11, 2006

It’s election season again, which always guarantees two things:

1. Negative campaign ads; and

2. People complaining about negative campaign ads.

Keep in mind that, in all but rare instances, negative ads are only perceived as negative by the people they aim to make look bad. For the people who produce them, they are vitally important steps toward winning an election.

While I may have gotten a D in college logic (whether or not I deserved said D is fully debatable), it’s easy to connect the dots on this one. Why do people produce negative campaign ads? Because they work.

In fact, this line of reasoning can be used for just about any long-running advertising ploy. If you see something over and over, and it frustrates you to no end — to the point where you want to cancel your newspaper subscription, turn off your radio or throw a hammer at your television — get used to that frustration because that ad isn’t going anywhere.

Continue reading "Negative ads are here to stay."

Take two

Perhaps it was more than just the screen, according to the Daily Herald's Patricia Babcock McGraw

Yet, sometimes, it was hard to tell what was more the spectacle — the game itself, which Libertyville won 21-12 before a standing room only crowd, or everything else around it.

There were laser lights everywhere, fireworks shot off after the national anthem, and — the topper — a 40-foot by 25-foot Jumbotron-like projection screen positioned in the corner of the north end zone that ran video of every play of the game, including replays.

The "Cat-tron," as it was affectionately referred to, was sponsored by an army of local business in Libertyville and was brought in just for the Stevenson game.

But since it was such a hit — the athletic department was flooded with such an enthusiastic response that some sponsors had to be turned away — it will likely be back again, along with who knows what else.

"A fly-over by the Blue Angels is next," joked Libertyville coach Randy Kuceyeski, whose team moves to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the Lake.

Then again, maybe Kuceyeski wasn’t joking. Libertyville pulls out all the stops for its football team, especially during Stevenson week.

"Our fans and our parents are unbelievable," said Libertyville quarterback Ryan Kennedy, who was in on all three of his team’s touchdowns. "Everything we want -- even things we don’t want, things we don’t need, they get for us.

"The (projection screen), they got us brand new play clocks. They got four new extra bleachers for us. They got us the turf last year … everything is new, they've got lights on all the buildings, fireworks.

"It's a show, it's not a game, it's a show."

I won't even bother with tales of how pedestrian the Homecoming in Fulton, Ill., was last night.

Anyhow, read the rest of the Herald story here. I'm still looking for that photo.

Attention ex-Libertyvillians

Just when you thought things couldn't get and weirder in your old hometown...

JumboTron has come to high school football.

What's next? Skybox suites?

In what's believed to be the first time in Illinois high school football, Libertyville set up a 40-by-25-foot screen in the corner of the end zone for replays and crowd shots.

"This is the same screen that was put up in [the city] last year for the White Sox [World Series] celebration," athletic director Tim Albers said.

"It was paid for by all the merchants and companies in town. There were so many who wanted to advertise on it that we had to turn some of them down."

And when Libertyville quarterback Ryan Kennedy took off on a game-clinching, 47-yard touchdown run, heading right toward the big screen, did he take a glance?

"No, I didn't even think about it," Kennedy said with a laugh after leading No. 5 Libertyville to a 21-12 victory over No. 17 Stevenson on Friday night before a Johnson Sports Complex standing-room crowd estimated at 6,500.

"But," he admitted, "I did take a look after I scored on the other [10-yard] run.

"This is just amazing, and it didn't seem like a normal high school football game. Our parents and teachers—everyone—they do so much for us.

"And look at these fans. They're the best."

Kennedy gave them something to remember. He finished with 227 yards of total offense and accounted for all three scores for the Wildcats (7-0, 4-0 North Suburban Lake).

The story was written by Bob Sakomoto, the Trib's high school vootball guru, and it probably was far and away the biggest game of the night. I guess the football parents wanted to match the hype with atmosphere.

The adult part of me, the part that shook my head at VHHS' Rust-Oleum Field, thinks the JumboTron may have been a bit over the top. But the part of me that can't fathom how awesome it would have been to be Marching Wildcat last night thinks a giant screen at LHS is pretty freakin' cool. I hope to find some pictures soon.

Read the rest of Sakamoto's story here.

Attention ex-Libertyvillians

Did you know there's yet another massice downtown development project on the table? Well, me neither. Anyhow, here's some details:

After many months of difficult planning negotiations and several design revisions, the board finalized a development agreement with developer Joe Tremont, of JTEH LLC., for a three-story U-shaped structure to be built at the southwest corner of Lake Street and 607-611 N. Milwaukee Ave.

The project, which is within easy walking distance of the Metra train station, will accommodate a mixture of commercial and residential uses.

Commercial shops and restaurants will be located on the ground level, with the two upper floors devoted to 14 condominiums priced from $500,000 to over $1.2 million. Many of the condos, ranging in size from 2,500 to 5,000 square feet, will be custom built, the developer indicates.

Plans include saving the historic former Libertyville Township Hall located in the block by surrounding it with a small landscaped square. The building is now home to American Legion Post 329.

The site proved to be challenging to the design engineers when planning for parking and trash removal since there is as much as a 12 to 15 foot slope along its Lake Street property line. Plans call for 76 parking spaces for the complex, many will be underground. Trash will be disposed of in a special loading zone located at the southwest corner of the site off Lake Street.

Read the full News-Sun article here.

Wise Words

The Sports Guy offers today's gem in this, his running diary of Tuesday's Twins-A's game:

11:01 -- After a Castillo walk, Nick Punto bunts him over and would have beaten the throw if he didn't slide into first base. Can we stage a group-wide intervention with baseball players so they will stop doing this? How much evidence do you need? Do 100-meter sprinters dive headfirst through the finish line? Of course not. This drives me nuts. Can't we hire a scientist to prove this definitively one way or the other?

Steve Stone's been saying this for years, but players insist on doing it despite the evidence. It drives me crazy! This is why they allow you to run through first base -- it's faster and safer! Do it! Every time!

Things you didn't know

Can you name themost famous person buried in Libertyville? Me neither, but this blurb from Sun-Times gossip columnist MIchael Sneed (a female) could be a start:

Long live the king! King Peter II of Yugoslavia, the only king buried on American soil, may not hold that title much longer.

Sneed hears his son, Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, may be readying plans to disinter his father from St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery in Libertyville and move his remains to a family mausoleum in Serbia.

Word is Prince Alexander, who is in Chicago this week with his wife, Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia, made no secret of his desire to take his father home. It may have been the undercurrent of his visit, which also included stops at an Indiana Serbian Orthodox Church and a Monday night fund-raiser at Michigan Avenue's swank Bulgari store for the Princess' Lifeline Humanitarian Organization, which benefits Serbia's troubled health care system.

• Backstory: Sneed covered King Peter II's burial in Libertyville on a snowy winter day in 1970.

It was like a scene from "Doctor Zhivago." Snow fell on the onion-domed structure where the king is buried while steam rose from the plates of Serbian food being served by women wrapped in peasant scarves.

• History note: Peter II assumed the title of king in 1934 as an 11-year-old after the assassination of his father, King Alexander I. Peter II gained full control of the country at 17 -- but only for a month or so.

He was forced out of Yugoslavia by Adolf Hitler and the occupying Axis forces and spent much of his adult life in England and the United States, where he died at the age of 47.

His will specified he was to be buried at the monastery in Libertyville, headquarters of the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of the United States and Canada.

Prince Alexander reputedly plans to transfer the king's remains to a family mausoleum in Oplenac, Serbia. The grave, however, has been a dramatic drawing card for American and Canadian Serbs.

Will the transfer happen?

Stay tuned.

That's all she's got, but you can read the resot of the column here.

They didn’t win -- it’s a shame

Column originally published Oct. 4, 2006

"Do they still play the blues in Chicago when baseball season rolls around"

Steve Goodman asked that eternal question before his untimely death in 1984. He continued by asking "When the snow melts away, do the Cubbies still play in their ivy-covered burial ground?"

Sadly, yes. This is my third annual column wrapping up a recently concluded Cubs season. To the surprise of no one, it’s pretty much exactly the same as the first two. The 2004 season was supposed to end in a trip to the playoffs until a meltdown in the final week. The 2005 collapse came a bit sooner, but the 2006 Cubs were one of the worst teams in baseball, a glorious throwback to the teams of my youth in the 1980s and 1990s.

Only two teams finished with a worse winning percentage, the always abysmal Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Kansas City Royals. The Cubs have returned, as Goodman sang, to "the home of the brave, the land of the free and the doormat of the National League." With a new manager and team president coming before next season, who knows what to expect?

Every year since 2003 has been a disappointment in one way or another. In fact, at 27 years old, I think I can pretty much safely say that only four Cubs seasons in my lifetime have been even remotely satisfying. Of course, for someone born in 1939 instead of 1979, the number of mildly satisfying seasons increases from four to five, so it’s not like I’m alone in this wretched boat.

Continue reading "They didn't win — it's a shame."

Cubs quote of the day

From the Trib story regarding Andy MacPhail's farewell press conference:

"These are the greatest fans in the history of sports," McDonough said. "We have not won the World Series in 98 years. We have a terrific general manager in Jim Hendry. Jim will get all the resources he needs, and it's time to win."

As the Cubs staggered to a last-place finish with the worst record in the National League, they had the second-highest attendance total in franchise history. But thousands of no-shows over the final month gave the impression that fans were fed up with the team's lackluster performance. McDonough acknowledged being concerned with fan sentiment and vowed that a new atmosphere would exist under his regime.

"We need to restore the passion, the enthusiasm and the pride of the Chicago Cubs," he said. "And we will."

Read the full story here.

100 reasons to watch the playoffs

Yes, the Cubs season is over (mercifully) and with it the tenures of Dusty Baker and team president Andy MacPhail. More on that from me on Wednesday.

But for now, the season goes on with another month of wall-to-wall baseball, one of my favorite times a year. But don't take my word for it, click here for ESPN.com's 100 reasons to watch the playoffs. THen nod accordingly, especially at the Kyle Farnsworth and Greg Maddux references.

Tuba, trumpet or... nothing at all?

Column originally published Sept. 27, 2006

Attention experienced parents of the world: I am seeking your advice.

On a scale of one to 10, one being a coma and 10 being Kelly Ripa after a Starbucks bender, how did you react when your child showed no interest in something you enjoyed immensely in your own childhood and looked forward to vicariously participating in through the next generation?

At this point, my son is not yet 21/2, so the only thing he’s really showing interest in is working the DVD player and pretending he doesn’t need his diaper changed. But I realize now that I actually have a child just how unfortunate it may have been for me to spend all that time fantasizing about father-son activities that mostly involved me growing a junior me who pretty much liked all the same stuff I do.

Case in point: Kristie, Jack and I spent Saturday in Marion watching the Linn-Mar Marching Invitational. My wife is a band director, I’m a career band geek, my sister-in-law student teaches at Cedar Rapids Washington and I really wanted to see Independence perform, so it was a tailor-made afternoon, a real family affair.

We caught up to the Clinton High School caravan — including five buses — at the U.S. 30 off-ramp west of DeWitt and followed the whole line all the way to Marion. Kristie and I talked about what instrument we’d like Jack to play and how involved I’d like to be with the band boosters organization.

I was envisioning spending my Saturday mornings loading sousaphones and bass drums onto a trailer bound for who knows where when a jolt of reality punctured my thought bubble — what if Jack doesn’t want to be in band?

Continue reading "Tuba, trumpet or... nothing at all?"

Kohawk update

Deconstructing a faulty ordinance

Column originally published Sept. 20, 2006

Every so often I find myself embroiled in the midst of a semi-public e-mail debate with a local elected official.

This happens for two reasons. One, I’m naturally opinionated and paid to infuse those opinions into the newspaper. And two, elected officials almost always stand firmly behind action they have taken or votes they have cast. When I stand behind what I write and an official stands behind his policy, conflict is natural.

So far as I can remember, I don’t initiate the contact. Typically what happens is a city councilman objects to an editorial and fires off an e-mail to anyone and everyone. In the case we’re exploring today, it was a debate carried out with Ward 4 Clinton City Councilman Rodger Holm at the end of August. It also involved the city attorney and administrator, police chief, mayor, a few councilmen and a local radio station, but that was not my choice.

Anyhow, the debate ended when I did not respond to an Aug. 27 e-mail, specifically this passage:

“I would like to talk to you to find out why you dislike the noise ordinance. Basically the city attorney brought an outdated ordinance up to speed to current time. It is not the boombox that causes trouble, it is the use of it. I think that you would have to agree that when the use of boomboxes or vehicles (etc.) negatively affects other people’s pursuit of happiness and liberty, then it is a nuisance.”

Rodger then asked me to outline my reasons for disliking the ordinance, although the editorial board did a fine job of that a few weeks earlier (while Mr. Holm was out of town, to be fair). He also said he was not defending the ordinance but merely seeking my opinion. So here it is.

Continue reading "Deconstructing a faulty ordinance"

Kowal update

Anyone who knows my family has a reasonably good chance of having also met Connie Kowal.

Connie is a great guy -- always looked out for me whenever he could -- who's had more than his share of challenges latley. But things seem to be on an upturn again. It's detailed nicely in this News-Sun piece my Mark Perlman. A sample:

It's hard to pin Conrad "Connie" Kowal down.

He's a busy man right now — make it a very busy man right now.

A resident of Libertyville since 1978, Connie was just appointed president of the Chicago Shamrox, the area's new indoor pro lacrosse franchise.

Not only is Connie doing a myriad of operations with the team, he also spends a great deal of time keeping an eye on the progress of the team's home — the new Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.

The 11,000-seat stadium is where the Shamrox will play, starting in January.

So on this particular Saturday morning (no chance of getting him free during the work-week), Connie was pinned down for a cup of coffee, bacon, toast and orange juice at the Liberty Restaurant in Libertyville.

No words can paint the full picture of what kind of personality Connie is, someone I feel fortunate to have had in my life. But this piece does as good a job as any. Give it a quick read, it's worth your time.

Wildcats update

This one's not about a person, but rather the actual Wildcats. The 2006 Libertyville football squad is off to another good start. With nearby Carmel also state-ranked (and now in class 7A thanks to the state's enrollment multiplier for private schools), this could be the year we get that much-anticipated Cats-Fudgies playoff game.

Anyway, having been to a few LHS games in recent years, I can attest that the environment keeps getting better. Of course, the team is a lot better than it was in '95 and '96, so some of the improved atmosphere is to be expected.

But don't take my word for it. Take it from the Waukegan News-Sun, which doesn't go so far as to give us the name of the writer of this column.

Anyway, the thing that got me thinking about 2003 was seeing how much fun the current Libertyville High students were having at Friday night's game.

It really was 2003 all over again.

There is a spirit and a creativity for football at Libertyville High that you rarely see at the high school level.

Back in 2003, the Wildcats' signature was a flock of plastic pink flamingos on the sidelines, with each flamingo representing a team that Libertyville had defeated.

This year, there's the Spirit Spear, in which a stuffed animal representing a conquered opponent is stuck onto the spear.

So far, the spear includes a bronco from Barrington, a huskie from Naperville North, and a bulldog from Grant.

Read it all here.

Attention ex-Libertyvillians

I've only skimmed this Daily Herald article, but I'm already torn about what to think.

Flying the flag is an American tradition. But in Libertyville, the question is how high the stars and stripes should be allowed to wave.

Village trustees, an admittedly patriotic bunch, find themselves in a vexing spot. Roch Tranel wants to install an 80-foot pole in front of his Milwaukee Avenue business to hold a huge 20-by-30-foot American flag.

A Wisconsin farm boy who as a youth was touched by anything relating to the flag, Tranel says he has a genuine sense of pride and confidence he wants to share with the community.

"My intentions are pure - to make Libertyville feel good every day," he said.

He hasn't bought the flag yet but is willing to spend $20,000 to acquire and install it, complete with metal halide lighting.

Village code is silent on the matter, so the village staff suggested the pole be limited to 45 feet, the maximum allowable building height in a commercial area. Tranel, who never considered a shorter pole, wants a change in zoning so he can proceed.

The plan commission this month voted 5-2 against the request, saying the height is unnecessary and such a tall pole and large flag would be a distraction to drivers.

The matter made its way to the village board Tuesday, where after delivering an apple pie to symbolize traditional values, local attorney Terry Weppler stated the case.

"How do you argue the right of someone to display a large American flag?" he asked.

"Instead of looking at this proposal and asking 'Why?' why not look at it and ask, 'Why not?'"

Well, what do you think? It certainly would be a landmark. But... would it be too much?

Things you didn't know

In case you were wondering how Green Bay (population 102,313, according to my 2003 Rand McNally atlas) can support an NFL team while Cedar Rapids (pop. 120,758) can barely draw 2,500 to an average Kernels game in the summer, consider this:

The way the latest NFL-NFLPA agreement works, for all intents and purposes, broadcast fees go directly to players. Ticket sales cover the clubs' expenses (coaching, facilities, overhead), and owners make their profit on everything left over (local radio rights, tie-in marketing, parking and food sales).

Let's stop to consider what this means to the average NFL athlete. This season, average NFL pay -- monies actually received, not contract paper value -- will be somewhat more than $1.7 million per gentleman. That's almost exactly the $3.7 billion in broadcast rights fees, divided by roughly 2,000 NFL players on rosters or on injured reserve.

So... as long as the stadium is full (which it always is because people in Wisconsin love their Packers) and the beer and nacho sales are steady (again, this is Wisconsin...), the ridiculous payroll of an NFL squad is no problem for the publicly-owned team, the only NFL franchise thus operated.

Could the Packers pick up and move to CR and fare as well? Of course not. But if they were there from the start? You betcha. And could the Pack make more cash in a bigger city where radio rights and, more importantly, tie-in marketing were more lucrative? Almost certainly. But the genius of the NFL's revenue sharing plan for TV rights is what ensures there's no such thing as a "small-market" team in the NFL. Well, that and the salary floor/cap structure, although the two go hand-in-had (as in, the league tells you how much you can spend but also essentially gives you the money to dole out).

Of course, the huge difference between the NFL and every other sport is that nothing, save individual activities like golf and tennis, and even those are a stretch, lends itself to television the way football does. Juggling 15 NFL games on a Sunday is tough enough for the three networks involved (FOX, CBS and now NBC). Imagine trying to judge 15 Major League Baseball games each Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday through Sunday. Then try to convince fans in each Major League city to watch each minute of those ballgames the same way they're glued to the NFL each Sunday.

I don't really have a point here, just thought I'd throw some facts on the table.

Read more such information courtesy of Tuesday Morning Quarterback.

Using print to do what microphones can't

Column originally published Sept. 13, 2006

For those who were unable to attend Monday's Sept. 11 memorial service — and for those who were present and unable to hear me due to a faulty microphone — I offer in print the gist of what you would have heard had you been there, or at least standing close enough to hear me shout.

Well, it wasn't exactly shouting. I prefer to think of it as projecting. I did earn a theater minor. But I digress.

I introduced myself as such:

"Thank you. It's an honor to be involved with such a solemn event, and to see how many of my friends and neighbors join me in my belief that events like this memorial service are fundamental to the strength of our community and country.

"Some of you are good enough to read what I write each Wednesday, but today I want to spotlight your words, your memories and your thoughts and ideas.

"I'd like to introduce Marilyn Schmidt, who was kind and brave enough to write me a letter about her experience on this day five years ago."

And yes, I prepared that speech, which is how I'm able to quote myself verbatim today. Anyhow, here’s Marilyn's letter:

Continue reading "Using print to do what microphones can't."

Cubs quote of the day

Thanks (or no thanks) to the Trib's Paul Sullivan who, in a column detailing odd Cubs injuries, sums it all up quite nicely:

Chronicling Cubs injuries is a tough job, but someone has to do it. In seven seasons as the Cubs beat writer, and a half-dozen more as a backup, I've come to the conclusion that the stranger the injury, the more likely it is that a Cubs player will suffer it.

This goes much farther back than Michael Barrett's hurts-to-type-it intrascrotal hematoma, suffered over the weekend, and is a good (if not depressing), quick read.

Find it here.

Wise Words

While reading Eric Zorn's blog today, I cam across a link a page of a site run by Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences professor at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. He calls it the Top 10 No Sympathy Lines aimed at students' complaints/excuses regarding poor grades.

While reading the page and nodding my head (as if to say "Right on, Professor Dutch!") I started to think maybe he wrote this piece for people like me. But then I realized I didn't complain that often about poor grades. If I got poor grades, it's pretty much because I earned them based on a lack of effort. I found that when I tried my hardest, throughout the semester, I did just fine. (I also did just fine every time I signed up for a class taught by Chuck Aukema, but that's just good strategy.)

Problem is, trying hard got in the way of having fun, or at least committing myself to other things I thought also might benefit me in the long run, such as editing the newspaper or holding down a fraternity office (sometimes both at once, which fried my nerves but helped me nail down a Clark Merit Scholarship).

Anyhow, I urge anyone who's ever been near a college to read the whole list, and I wouldn't be surprised to see professors everywhere passing this sheet out on Day One, if they aren't already doing so.

The statements/questions rebuked/rebuffed are:
■ This Course Covered Too Much Material...
■ The Expected Grade Just for Coming to Class is a B
■ I Disagreed With the Professor's Stand on ----
■ Some Topics in Class Weren't on the Exams
■ Do You Give Out a Study Guide?
■ I Studied for Hours
■ I Know The Material - I Just Don't Do Well on Exams
■ I Don't Have Time For All This
■ But you don't understand. I have a job.
■ Students Are Customers
■ Do I Need to Know This?
■ There Was Too Much Memorization
■ This Course Wasn't Relevant
■ Exams Don't Reflect Real Life
■ I Paid Good Money for This Course and I Deserve a Good Grade
■ All I Want is the Diploma

It's to the last statement he delivers this eloquent response:

Call me elitist, but there are a lot more people who want good jobs than there are good jobs to go around. I think society has a perfect right to reserve those positions for people who demonstrate a commitment to excellence.

For people who want to get by on the minimum, there's a reward already established. It's called the minimum wage.

Please, please read the whole thing here, then pass it on. And if you have kids, don't let them grow up to be the type of people that think this guy is way off base. Somewhere along the line, American parents as a culture seem to have lost faith in their educators and educational systems, preferring always to see their child as blameless when achievement wanes or discipline is an issue.

I'm all for giving each situation a fair analysis, but as a general rule, teachers ought to be given the benefit of the doubt. I've had at least one teacher, perhaps two or three (if you add college) that truly deserved to have their tactics analyzed and corrected. But the rest of the time, if I got bad grades or found myself in a disciplinary issue, it was for good reason.

I'm done now. Thank you.

Modern life unbelievably luxurious

Column originally published Sept. 6, 2006

There was a letter than ran in Saturday’s newspaper lamenting the condition of Clinton’s schools that do not have air conditioning throughout the entire building.

While making a valid point about the disparity of some schools that have A/C while others lack — if the buildings are on the same schedule there’s no way that’s equitable — the letter writer got caught up in words that may have subtracted from her case.

Perhaps it was an unintentional use of a strong adjective, but the sentence that made me chuckle with disbelief read like this: "I have grandchildren in Bluff and Whittier schools and it is unfair and in-human for any of us to ask the students to learn and teachers to teach children in the medieval conditions they are asked to endure."

Like I said, she went on to make a solid argument. But still — medieval? Last I checked, Bluff and Whitter had plenty of running water, flush toilets and — what’s that thing called? — electricity. By most accounts, the medieval era in Europe ended in the 15th century at the advent of the Renaissance, when even the richest of kings still relieved themselves in buckets in the corner of their bedroom and had to carry candles to see past the end of their noses after the sun set.

Continue reading "Modern life unbelievably luxurious."

Things you didn't know

Ever heard of hamdog? Me neither. Sounds yummy, though...

DECATUR, Ga. -- When Becky Cleaveland is out with her girlfriends, they all pick at salads except for the petite Atlanta woman. She tackles "The Hamdog."

The dish, a specialty of Mulligan's, a suburban bar, is a hot dog wrapped by a beef patty that's deep fried, covered with chili, cheese and onions and served on a hoagie bun. Oh yeah, it's also topped with a fried egg and two fistfuls of fries.

Read a full AP story here.

(Thanks to TMQ for the link.)

Sharing helps the healing process

Column originally published Aug. 30, 2006

It was a Tuesday, I remember that. It was school board election day in Iowa and, as managing editor of the Independence Bulletin-Journal, I was pretty focused on not screwing that up, since I’d only been on the job three months.

It was also the first Tuesday our advertising manager was out of the office since I’d started. At a small paper that publishes on Wednesday and Saturday, Tuesday is by far the busiest day of the week. The most important morning task for us was to get the fax from Oelwein that told us what ads were in the paper, then draw boxes for those ads on dummy sheets representing each page. Without that information, I couldn’t begin to lay out the paper.

On this particular Tuesday, I was so focused on placing the ads properly — instructed by phone — I barely paid attention when our reporter called and said she was staying home for a while to watch the “Today” show. Something about an airplane hitting the World Trade Center.

As a compulsive fact-checker, I headed to the Internet for news, but every site I tried to connect to was down. There was no TV in our office (until later that morning) and it was good old-fashioned radio that brought me my first real accounts of the horror that was unfolding across America.

Continue reading "Sharing helps the healing process."

Kohawk(s) update

Updates on two Kohawks (three, technically) received via e-mail this week after the class newsletter went out:

From Joy (Begnaud) Jaeger:

Well, just thought I'd update you on our post-katrina settling. We actually live somewhere again! Not just in a room with next to my family or Andy's family, but we actually live somewhere! That somewhere is Littleton, Colorado. Yes, quite a change but we never do anything half-assed. We are either below sea level or a mile above it. Such is life with the Jaegers. Andy's teaching Spanish at a beautiful new middle school where the principal is a Coe Alum. I'm the Director of Religious Education at Light of the World Catholic Parish. Looks like we landed on our feet, but we will always feel at home in New Orleans. My web pages are: http://www.myspace.com/joyjaeger and http://web.mac.com/joyjaeger/iWeb/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html. Feel free to drop me a line from time to time. I hope you all are well, glad to report that we finally are.

And from Heather Houzenga

I didn't know if you were aware or if you had a myspace account...that's how I have fallen back into my old Coe day friendships. myspace.com/heatherhouzenga. http://www.myspace.com/heatherhouzenga. I recently completed a missions trip to Pass Christian, MS and plan to go again this winter and next summer if you would be at all interested in taking part.
This year is getting off to a smooth start and I hope your life is treating you as well as mine is to me! I have also recently acquired the post as President, and Marketing Representative, of the board of directors for a non-profit group, Artists Cooperative of Savanna and our gallery, 321 Art, in Savanna, IL, will be holding our grand opening on Sat., Sept. 2 from 10-2, if you are at all interested.

So there you have it. Keep those updates rolling in.

Things you didn't know

Not that you need to know, but I found this nugget interesting:

Adjusting for inflation, the average pro baseball player's pay has risen 71 percent since 1994, while the average pro football player's pay has risen 132 percent. NFL player pay increases have dwarfed all other team sports.

Thanks to Tuesday Morning Quarterback for the info.

And yes, I am reading Tuesday Morning Quarterback on Wednesday afternoon. So sue me. My Tuesdays are really busy.

Wildcat Update

Since I mentioned him in today's column, I thought I'd do a little Google search, which yielded me the home page of one Dr. Christopher Bianco.

No joke.

(Follow the link for an e-mail address. Don't you think it'd be nice if we all said hello?)

Marching band and booger jokes

Column originally published Aug. 23, 2006

"Then as it was, then again it will be
And though the course may change sometimes
Rivers always reach the sea..."
— Led Zeppelin, "Ten Years Gone"

It was a Monday night unlike any other, as I stood on the football field at Fulton (Ill.) High School, wearing a bass drum harness and trying to keep my left and right feet moving at the appropriate time.

The Marching Steamers, as they ought to be called, were getting ready for Friday’s opening football game, and I was there in my role as volunteer drumline helper guy. Usually that role is limited to teaching a few cadences I learned in high school and college, but on Monday I felt my services were required on the field as well.

As band director Nicole Styczynski (the kids call her Miss Stitch) got everyone ready to play a rocking rendition of Blink 182's "All the Small Things," she gave out a familiar "Horns up!" command. As soon as I heard the words, I instantly — from my post in the far back corner — barked out "And up!" and snapped my arms into playing position ... and then I realized I was the only one who said anything.

As I was apologizing after the rehearsal, I explained my outburst was simply a conditioned response owing to my three years as a Libertyville (Ill.) High School Marching Wildcat under the direction of Don Shupe, Randy Sundell and a goofy guy named Chris Bianco who was the subject of much unfair ridicule and also the recipient of a decorated toilet bowl sent via U.S. mail from the suburbs to his new address in Montana.

Continue reading "Marching band and booger jokes."