In the movie Roger Dodger, a womanizing advertising professional reluctantly takes his coming-of-age nephew under his wing for a single evening of carousing in Manhattan. He explains to his young charge that the most basic tenet of advertising is also the most successful technique for picking-up women: first point out that there is something wrong [...]

It’s a telling indication of my level of concern with the current debate over university mascots that my first reaction when the subject arises is annoyance. Not over the issue itself, but due to the predictable commentary that will soon follow. Every time this issue hits the papers someone responds in a manner that he [...]

I don’t know if Republican support of the city/county health department merger was based primarily on the desire to provide more efficient healthcare, or a power grab for jobs currently controlled by the Democrats. I do know that the Illinois Times‘* conservative (because she’s a mom who drives a minivan) columnist Dusty Rhodes doesn’t make [...]

If you wanted to have some fun with easily outraged right wing bloggers, send them a synopsis of today’s SJ-R article on the hiring of Mayor Davlin’s new executive assistant. Tell them how the opposing party’s aldermen referred to him as just “another white boy” and a member of the “old [...]

The City of Springfield, once again stung by charges of racism in the wake of allegations that a black firefighter candidate was unduly dismissed, might want to take a page from Rafael Palmeiro who is reeling from a suspension after a positive steroid test. A line of defense deployed by Palmeiro, which rings hallow and [...]