Ask Amy
Get to know brother before fixing his life - July 13, 2011 - Dear Amy: I am seven years older than my brother, and we are very different. Although we are fond of each other, I moved away from home before he was a teenager and we have never been very close.
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Fred Mitchell's Around Town
NIU coach skydives 'for football' - July 13, 2011 - The ultimate test is yet to come for first-year Northern Illinois head football coach Dave Doeren.
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Barbara Brotman
Rahm Emanuel makes welcome waves - July 4, 2011 - Members of a certain small community have cause to behold the new mayor with particular satisfaction. One of our own has ascended to the leadership of Chicago. Rahm Emanuel is a member of our tribe.
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Steve Chapman
Defense cuts? - July 10, 2011 - Politicians often rail against government spending, except when it goes to the military. Conservatives believe there is no such thing as too much defense spending, and liberals don't argue, for fear of being labeled appeasers. So when there is talk...
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Teddy Greenstein
18 holes with … Howard Moore - July 9, 2011 - Before stepping onto the first tee, Illinois-Chicago basketball coach Howard Moore pulled out a bag of golf balls. Yes, a bag. Not a sleeve.
David Haugh's In the Wake of the News
Playing in Europe a foolish risk for NBA stars - July 9, 2011 - Nobody questions former Illinois player Deron Williams' right to sign a one-year deal for up to $5 million to play professional basketball for the Turkish club Besiktas.
Melissa Harris' Chicago Confidential
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's Getting Around
Smartphone thefts boost CTA robbery rate, Chicago police say - July 11, 2011 - The robbery rate is running higher this year on the Chicago Transit Authority system, new data show, and police link the crime increase to "Apple picking" by young thugs stealing smartphones from passengers.
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Rex Huppke's 'I Just Work Here'
Stall tactics: Tips on office bathrooms - July 11, 2011 - Every office has a bathroom, every non-robot worker has to use the bathroom and sharing a bathroom with co-workers seems to be an almost universally unpleasant experience.
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Chris Jones
Following every strange turn of the Yellow Brick Road in 'The Wiz' - July 12, 2011 - THEATER REVIEW: "The Wiz" at Theatre at the Center ✭✭✭ "The Wiz," let us stipulate, was always a weird show. With the passage of 36 years, it only has become stranger.
Gregory Karp
Shedding light on new bulbs - July 8, 2011 - Few topics get Spending Smart readers more lit up than light bulbs.
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John Kass
Bodyguard solution: Trade the town cars for clown cars - July 13, 2011 - Mayor Rahm Emanuel took a great big baby step Tuesday on the issue of who's the mayor of Chicago, him or the guy known as King Shortshanks.
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Julia Keller
Post-Oprah, Americans still hooked on self-help - July 12, 2011 - In a key scene in "Giant" (1956), the last film made by James Dean, his character — a rough-edged Texas cowpoke named Jett Rink who's handier with a lariat than he is with the English language — makes tea for the boss's wife, played...
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Rick Kogan's Sidewalks
There's no rush to leave a good tavern - July 8, 2011 - It is never a good idea to ask a man or woman what he or she is doing drinking in a tavern at 4 p.m. on a sunny Tuesday.
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Greg Kot
Odd Future booking puts Pitchfork festival in an odd position - July 12, 2011 - In a summer loaded with music festivals, this weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival inUnion Park consistently stands apart: large but not too large, worldwide yet community focused and with a premium on musical quality rather than commercial pizzazz....
Gail MarksJarvis
Question of 'Who's next?' in European crisis grows louder - July 13, 2011 - Typically this is the time of year when fortunate Americans spend tranquil summer vacations relaxing in carefree outdoor European cafes.
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Nina Metz
2 indies embrace Chicago's seedier side - July 7, 2011 - "Hello all hucksters, all hoodlums, all politicians, all crooks, all gadflies, all con artists, all gamblers, all second-story men, all floosies, tramps, trollops, dolls, all has-beens, all sob-sisters, all dropouts, burnouts, bums, stoolies,...
Clarence Page
Britain's tabloid scandal sounds familiar - July 13, 2011 - It is with a mixture of outrage and envy that an old-school newspaper veteran like me views Great Britain's newspaper hacking scandal.
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Michael Phillips
'Harry Potter' closes out the franchise with qualities that brought it this far - July 13, 2011 - It has taken Harry Potter eight full-length films to really have it out with Lord Voldemort, the reptilian prince of darkness with the undeniable leadership qualities and a clear, can-do game plan. With an ordinary franchise the audience —...
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Mary Ellen Podmolik
Habitat affiliates see strength in numbers - July 8, 2011 - If all goes according to plan, Chicago-area businesses and consumers will be hearing a lot more from the local component of one of the nation's 10 largest homebuilders, Habitat for Humanity.
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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
Polish jazz – with a Brazilian beat - July 13, 2011 - Fifteen years ago, a superb Polish jazz singer walked into a Chicago club and marveled over what she heard: the seductive sounds of a uniquely accomplished Brazilian vocalist-guitarist.
Phil Rogers
Think of All-Star star Fielder in Cubs uniform - July 13, 2011 - PHOENIX — Winning friends and influencing October. That's Prince Fielder these days.
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Phil Rosenthal
Whether for jobs or home prices, data can be as much art as science - July 13, 2011 - A number means something. A number has a specific value. Words can be fuzzy. Numbers are literally what you take to the bank.
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Ameet Sachdev's Chicago Law
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
The five phases of vacation - July 13, 2011 - Vacation, phase one.
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Dawn Turner Trice
Family talks about Boystown safety and how area has changed - July 11, 2011 - Renee Jackson was 7 in 1975 when two men who were trying to open the first gay bar on North Halsted Street knocked on the door of her family's Lakeview apartment.
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John von Rhein
Lisztomania: Bicentenary calls for celebration but also shucking of prejudices - July 12, 2011 - Will the real Franz Liszt please stand up?
Ellen Warren
The bottom line: Shorts are too short - July 8, 2011 - A popular '50s rock 'n' roll song asked, "Who wears short shorts?"
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Jen Weigel
Leadership tips from great leaders - July 12, 2011 - What do Nelson Mandela, Teddy Roosevelt and Golda Meir have in common? They all possessed the essential traits of great leadership.
John Yates' "What's Your Problem?"
Problem Solver: Alamo forgets to follow through with American Express in extra rental charge dispute - July 12, 2011 - Eva Dowd does not dispute there was a scratch on her rental car when she returned the vehicle to the airport in Maui on Nov. 29.
Eric Zorn
Flaky work rules bury common sense - July 13, 2011 - To fight the massive drifts left behind in early February by the Great Chicago Blizzard of 2011, superintendents in at least five city wards drove four-wheel drive pickups equipped with plows to help clear sidewalk ramps and the areas around fire...
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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.
Dennis Byrne
Don't let the space program die forever - July 12, 2011 - If Americans had regarded frontier exploration in the early 1800s with the same indifference that they view the manned space program, there would have been no Louisiana Purchase and westward expansion.
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Don Dziedzina
Don't let summer heat discourage fishing - July 8, 2011 - Summer's heat shouldn't stop you from fishing — if you go when the sun is low.
Leah Eskin
Working lunch - July 10, 2011 - Working at home has its good points, like breaks to walk the dog and pick up the campers and water the lawn. And its bad points, like breaks to walk the dog and pick up the campers and water the lawn.
Ilyce Glink
Selling a home: The new realities - July 12, 2011 - I've been hearing lately from homeowners who are preparing to list their homes for sale. They know the market isn't great, but they've been waiting for a year or two to move on with their lives (this is known in the industry as "pent-up demand")...
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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,...
Benny Kass
The realities of unloading a time share - July 8, 2011 - Q: I recently read your suggestions on how to get rid of a time share. You suggested attempting to give your time share back to the company with a deed in lieu, but said that it probably won't work. You are right. It did not work. However, I...
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Joyce Lain Kennedy
Tech forecast brightens, but clouds linger - July 13, 2011 - Q. I continue to read about this year's big demand in information technology. I don't see that happening in the Midwest for a 51-year-old man who's been looking for a better job for four months. Yes, I'm employed but I'd like to take home a bigger...
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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.
Dan McNeil
Bowman needs to make some moves - June 30, 2011 - Hockey on Fourth of July weekend? You bet. I love Rocky Wirtz.
Robert Pagliarini
5 elements to live your best life - July 12, 2011 - What would it mean to live your best life? Would you have enough money to travel and experience the world? Would you have financial security? Would you have plenty of friends and loved ones? Would you have a greater purpose? Good health and energy?...
Kathleen Parker
The just-vote-no crowd - July 12, 2011 - WASHINGTON — A debt crisis is a terrible thing to waste in a presidential election season, and Democrats and Republicans alike are responding on cue.
Mark Pearlstein
Board weighs paying off debt with reserves - July 8, 2011 - Q: I live in a well-established, 55-and-over, 360-unit condominium association. A few years ago, the board obtained a loan of $1.5 million at 6.5 percent interest to replace the siding on the units. The loan was later renegotiated to a lower...
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Leonard Pitts
Bin Laden's efforts to rebrand al-Qaida - July 5, 2011 - One thinks of that scene from "The Wizard of Oz" where Toto pulls back the curtain and the "great and powerful Oz" is revealed to be only an old man manipulating a smoke and fire machine. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" bellows...
Janet Portman
Crafting a buyout package to entice tenants to move - July 8, 2011 - Q: We rented out our family home when my husband was transferred to a branch office in another state. We thought the transfer would last two years, but after a year, he was told to return to his original office. Trouble is, we leased our home...
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Dean Richards
Kevin James takes on feathered, furry - July 8, 2011 - LOS ANGELES — He went from stand-up comedy to bona fide TV star to starring in a string of successful full-length feature comedies. In his latest, "Zookeeper," Kevin James, the former "King of Queens," takes on the "king of the jungle" and...
Daneen Skube
Stop office grapevine - July 12, 2011 - Q. I work in a job I really like, but one of my colleagues constantly badmouths the other employees. I'm certain he talks about me negatively when I'm not around. I've been putting up with his gossip because he's a close friend of the owner, but...
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.
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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Mary Umberger
Kitchen design with resale in mind - July 8, 2011 - Used to be when you designed a kitchen, you did it to please yourself. Now you're doing it to please someone who might not cross your doorstep for years — the person who will buy your home.
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Bob Weber
Purchase car in U.S. - July 9, 2011 - Q: I promised my wife a big trip to Europe as a gift when I retire. We haven't had a vacation in 10 years and her car will need replacement pretty soon. So I've been thinking it would make sense to combine the trip with a car purchase. (Yes, I'm...
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George Will
Who will bat against 'Alibi' Obama? - July 8, 2011 - "If he popped up in the pinch he should of made a base hit and the reason he didn't was so-and-so. And if he cracked one for three bases he ought to had a home run, only the ball wasn't lively, or the wind brought it back, or he tripped on a...