Ask Amy
Wedding guests want to pack heat - July 2, 2011 - Dear Amy: My grandson is getting married soon, and some members of our family who have "concealed carry" permits want to bring their guns to the church wedding and reception. This group includes about eight people in all.
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Around Town
Riggleman calls dispute 'unsettling' - July 1, 2011 - Jim Riggleman transitioned quickly from being the story to telling the story during his broadcast debut in Friday's Cubs-Sox game for Comcast SportsNet.
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Matt Bowen
Waiting for name to be called on draft day nerve-wracking - April 24, 2011 - The dynamic of the NFL draft goes much deeper than first-round picks walking across the stage in three-piece suits (bought by their agents) to shake the commissioner's hand.
Barbara Brotman
Smoke break for nonsmokers a habit worth forming - June 27, 2011 - The graphic cigarette pack warnings unveiled last week mark the latest attempt to encourage smokers to quit. Indeed, here's to our smoking friends' health.
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Steve Chapman
How Obama's stimulus failed - June 30, 2011 - Mired in excruciating negotiations over the budget and the debt ceiling, President Barack Obama might reflect that things didn't have to turn out this way. The impasse grows mainly out of one major decision he made early on: pushing through a giant stimulus.
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Joe Trost's Corner Kicks
Girls soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks: Madison County teams sweep the state tournament - June 9, 2011 - Darren Geisler, an avid soccer fan from downstate Illinois, sent an email last week thanking me for picking Granite City to advance to the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament last weekend.
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Don Dziedzina
Catching walleye in muskie country - July 2, 2011 - BOULDER JUNCTION, Wis. — Who would travel to the "Muskie Capital of the World" to fish for walleye?
Leah Eskin
Quinoa the beautiful - July 2, 2011 - Driving the prairie, I've noticed many an attentive stalk of corn. Many an eager green soybean. No amber waves of grain. Presumably the great ballad refers to wheat.
Teddy Greenstein
18 holes with Joel Quenneville - July 2, 2011 - If anyone ever deserved a breakfast ball, it was Joel Quenneville. And not because he had just munched on some coffee cake.
Ilyce Glink
Is your locksmith on the level? - June 29, 2011 - Two random events occurred that led to an interesting discovery. The local phone directory company distributed the newest version of their big, thick books that I rarely ever use or even think of. At around the same time, I needed to re-key a lock in our offices and stopped by our neighborhood...
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David Haugh
Pierre under fire, but he's underrated - July 1, 2011 - For reasons that escape me, the City That Works struggles to embrace the hardest-working baseball player in Chicago, someone who approaches each game as if he's clocking in.
Melissa Harris
Henry Paulson, former Treasury secretary, coming back home to head new institute at University of Chicago - June 30, 2011 - It took Henry Paulson some time to decide what to do next.
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Philip Hersh
Timing not right for U.S. in 2020 - July 1, 2011 - While a U.S. bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics still seems very unlikely, USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun didn't rule it out this week.
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Jon Hilkevitch
New screening will let pilots fly through security - June 26, 2011 - New security screening procedures will be tested at O'Hare International Airport starting this summer to allow pilots to speed through checkpoints without undergoing scans or pat-downs, officials said.
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Rex Huppke
Co-worker friending and cubicle dancing - June 27, 2011 - If you're mad it's Monday, remember: Tuesday is just a Monday that has had an extra day to practice.
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Steve Johnson
Keyboard Cat owner claws Threadless - June 30, 2011 - In terms of popular Internet culture, it's a war of the titans, waged over a deceased house pet with apparent piano skills. It also raises basic questions about the lines between homage and appropriation, between a mashup and a knockoff.
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Chris Jones
Belle and Mr. Beast save an otherwise hairy production - July 1, 2011 - I'm not the most enthusiastic welcoming committee when non-Equity tours of Broadway musicals such as "Beauty and the Beast" land in one of the major Loop houses like the Oriental Theatre, especially for a six-week run.
Gregory Karp
Making the most of rebates - July 1, 2011 - Product mail-in rebates started to fade several years ago, when big-box retailers such as Best Buy ditched them because consumers hated the hassle. But now rebates are back with a vengeance, as sellers use variations of the traditional rebate promotion to lure frugal-minded consumers.
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John Kass
Rahm better send Daley and Burke to driver's ed - July 1, 2011 - Sooner or later, Mayor Rahm Emanuel must sit down with Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, and retired King Shortshanks and tell them the bodyguard party is over.
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Julia Keller
Stars, stripes and stories - July 1, 2011 - Let the fireworks begin.
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Rick Kogan
David Manilow's drive - July 1, 2011 - As the creator and executive producer of one of the most successful shows in the history of Chicago television, David Manilow keeps a remarkably, admirably low profile.
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Greg Kot
Redeemed by a rock opera - July 1, 2011 - Damian "Pink Eyes" Abraham, the roly-poly singer in Toronto's F----- Up, spends a lot of his time at the band's concerts in the audience, doing everything from climbing on chairs and tables to munching on beach balls.
Gail MarksJarvis
Employee morale ebbs along with workforce - July 1, 2011 - They are the walking wounded — the people who still have jobs but are growing weary after all the cuts and pressures at work as companies continue trying to do more with less.
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Nina Metz
Kelsey Grammer, the Boss of Chicago - July 1, 2011 - "We are not holding up a mirror to Chicago politics," Kelsey Grammer said last week on the set of "Boss," his new television series about power politics and dirty dealing in the City of Big Shoulders.
Dan McNeil
Bowman needs to make some moves - June 30, 2011 - Hockey on Fourth of July weekend? You bet. I love Rocky Wirtz.
Clarence Page
Another whack at Illinois' culture of corruption - June 29, 2011 - A federal jury appeared to end former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's long-running drama when it found him guilty Monday on 17 of 20 federal counts of corruption, including charges that he tried to sell President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate seat.
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Mark Pearlstein
Board's maintenance rule may need fixing - July 1, 2011 - Q: I have been a member for more than 25 years of a 55-unit town house association. I have some concerns about changes the board is making as they relate to association responsibility for maintenance, repair and replacement of the outside windows and doors. The board has attempted to...
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David Sobolewski
'We had bigger goals' - March 21, 2011 - Obviously, the Benet team and community had an extremely rough time with the unexpected end to the season.
Michael Phillips
Retrospective honors Japan's Kaneto Shindo - July 2, 2011 - Now 99, the Hiroshima-born Japanese director Kaneto Shindo survived grueling combat in World War II but not without a clear-eyed sense of the havoc caused by war in general and atomic devastation in his native city in particular.
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Mary Ellen Podmolik
Builders pin hopes on move-up market - July 1, 2011 - A year ago, first-time buyers were driving the market. This year, there's no one specifically behind the wheel, so some homebuilders are pinning their hopes on selling homes to people who already have them.
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Dan Pompei
Key meeting regarding lockout Tuesday - June 20, 2011 - On Tuesday in Chicago, two representatives from each NFL team are scheduled to attend what should be the most significant league meeting since the lockout began.
Howard Reich
Guitarist Larry Coryell ranges freely at the Jazz Showcase - July 1, 2011 - Some musicians play smarter, better, sharper as they age.
Phil Rogers
Many worthy All-Stars won't get call - July 2, 2011 - Matt Thornton provided the model. Gavin Floyd reaffirmed it, reaching his potential for the White Sox after frustrating the Phillies.
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Phil Rosenthal
Selling the city to tourists, one slogan at a time - June 29, 2011 - If nothing else, the newly unveiled "Chicago: Second to None" is an improvement on "Make No Little Plans," the tourism slogan it replaces.
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Ameet Sachdev
Chicago Law: For unemployed lawyers, recession isn't a moot topic of discussion - July 1, 2011 - Every two weeks, a group of out-of-work lawyers meets in downtown Chicago to share employment leads, talk about the frustrations of their job searches and lend support to one another.
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Mary Schmich
How many bathrooms do you need? - July 1, 2011 - Out for a walk on Thursday, I spotted an ad that covered an entire wall of a Chicago bus stop. The giant letters said:
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Dawn Turner Trice
West Englewood baseball program producing wins, and winners - June 27, 2011 - When Bruce Wilson, a father who lives in the West Englewood neighborhood, created a private youth baseball association four years ago, the neighborhood park where the 11- and 12-year-olds played was no field of dreams.
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Mary Umberger
The rise of Hispanic homebuyers - July 1, 2011 - "Our baby is a little ugly," Oscar Gonzales said, expressing disappointment with his own real estate industry for what he perceives as underserving, or even ignoring, Hispanic consumers.
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Phil Vettel
Firing off critiques of Taste's hits, misses - June 30, 2011 - There may not be any fireworks at this year's Taste of Chicago, which runs through Sunday in Grant Park, but the annual food and music festival is providing quite a few sparklers, and a few duds.
John von Rhein
Grant Park Chorus is 'golden' in American choral works - June 29, 2011 - The Grant Park Chorus next year will celebrate its 50th anniversary, a major milestone for a choral organization that has proved such a valuable asset to the parent Grant Park Music Festival and to the remarkably abundant choral music life of the area in general.
Ellen Warren
Work wardrobes that won't break the bank - July 1, 2011 - Your clothes (and your legs) are letting you down? No problem. You've got questions … I've got answers.
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Bob Weber
Dad's brake advice solid - July 2, 2011 - Q: Back when I learned to drive, my dad taught me to always apply the parking brake before shifting the transmission to park. He told me that this served two purposes. First, it prevents failure of the pin that drops into the transmission when shifting into park. Second, it recalibrates or...
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Jen Weigel
Dating stories, good & bad - July 1, 2011 - Many readers wrote in about our recent online dating column where I shared some details of my brief cyber-dating experience. Here were some of the highlights on Facebook and in e-mail.
Jon Yates
Problem Solver: Movers quick to pick up, slow to deliver - July 2, 2011 - As the truck pulled away June 7 with their belongings, Jill and Frank Lawrence felt they had chosen the right moving company.
Eric Zorn
The argument for Blago that Blago can't give - June 26, 2011 - The best case I can make in defense of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich isn't a legal one by any stretch, but it goes something like this:
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Dennis Byrne
Who wouldn't want a drug-free neighbor? - June 14, 2011 - Â The idea of testing Chicago Housing Authority tenants for illegal drug use is drawing the usual, tiresome objections from the usual, tiresome complainers: It's humiliating, offensive, invasive and insensitive. It's more "blaming the victim" and punishing "people for being poor."
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Meghan Daum
Michele Bachmann the believer - July 1, 2011 - If I had a dollar for every time a Sarah Palin supporter accused me of not taking her seriously because I'm jealous of attractive women who've combined powerful careers with large families, I'd be in another tax bracket, one that might encourage me to vote for Ron Paul.
Jonah Goldberg
Men behaving badly - June 3, 2011 - Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York is a very busy man. He sits on several important committees. He's newly married to a high-powered wife. He's planning a run for mayor of New York, which they call "the city that never sleeps" for a reason. In fact, he's so busy that from 2007 to 2010, he...
Benny Kass
Adding children on title raises tax questions - July 1, 2011 - Q: After my dad died last year, my mom sold their house. During the title search, she was surprised to learn she didn't even own the house. Apparently my dad had been convinced by a lawyer many years ago to change the title of the house, putting us three kids on it, and taking himself and mom...
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Joyce Lain Kennedy
Think ahead for behavioral questions - June 29, 2011 - Q. What should I expect in a "behavioral" interview? How does it differ from a regular job interview? -- B.T.P.
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Charles Krauthammer
Who takes us to war? - June 27, 2011 - WASHINGTON — Is the Libya war legal? Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, it is not. President Barack Obama has exceeded the 90-day period to receive retroactive authorization from Congress.
Robert Pagliarini
Can profanity help your career? - June 28, 2011 - Can profanity help your career? What about raising your voice or slamming down your phone? Most of us do our best to fit in at the office and keep our emotions in check, but could swearing, getting angry and making a scene actually help you keep your job, or even get promoted? If done correctly, I...
Kathleen Parker
Busting water myths by the gallons - May 31, 2011 - NEW YORK — In a slender essay titled "Here Is New York," E.B. White wrote about the implausibility of the great city, mentioning among other things the millions of gallons of water needed each day just so people could brush their teeth.
Leonard Pitts
What price America's principles? - May 23, 2011 - "I would find myself trussed up and left for hours in ropes, my biceps bound tightly with several loops to cut off my circulation and the end of the rope cinched behind my back, pulling my shoulders and elbows unnaturally close together. It was incredibly painful."
Janet Portman
Ins and outs of withdrawing rental offer - June 17, 2011 - Q: We rent out a single-family house, and recently had rather lengthy discussions with a potential tenant. He wanted to get a pet; our lease says no pets. He wanted painting, but we were hesitant to go with his color scheme. He wanted an option to renew, but we didn't like that.
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Dean Richards
Gomez graduates to big screen - July 1, 2011 - Since age 7, Selena Gomez has been a working professional. First on "Barney & Friends" on PBS, then in a series of small films before being discovered by the Disney Channel, where she eventually became one of the stars of "Wizards of Waverly Place."
Daneen Skube
End workplace pity party - June 28, 2011 - Q. I have a coworker who is constantly having disasters. Her babysitter quits, she gets sick, she gets in car accidents, and then comes in telling us her tales of woe. Everyone keeps picking up her workload, and she seems to have even more problems. I feel bad for her but am exhausted. How do I...
George Will
It's the Obama way or else - January 29, 2010 - WASHINGTON — Barack Obama tiptoed Wednesday night along the seam that bifurcates the Democratic Party's brain. The seam separates that brain's John Quincy Adams lobe from its Sigmund Freud lobe.