Ask Amy
Shutterbug becomes a pest at funeral - September 11, 2011 - Dear Amy: My question involves someone close to me taking photos at a funeral lunch.
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Fred Mitchell's Around Town
Williams expects scrutiny - September 8, 2011 - The eyes of Texas were upon him, and now the eyes of skeptical Bears fans follow veteran wide receiver Roy Williams.
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Barbara Brotman
Mounted patrol unit saddled by tragedies, but its pride is unbridled - September 5, 2011 - There are two notices posted on the side of Camp's stall in the Chicago Police Department's mounted patrol unit stable.
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Steve Chapman
Bully pulpit's limits - September 11, 2011 - In the summer of 1971, the nation was in the doldrums. Inflation was rising, and unemployment was painfully high. The stock market was sinking. Polls indicated President Richard Nixon could lose his 1972 re-election bid.
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Teddy Greenstein
BMW Championship should be last for Cog Hill - September 10, 2011 - Cog Hill will open its doors this week to 70 world-class golfers not named Tiger Woods.
David Haugh's In the Wake of the News
Losing ground - September 10, 2011 - Awash in the patriotism and optimism that will mark the first Sunday of the season at Soldier Field, maintain clear eyes when viewing the 2011 Bears.
Melissa Harris' Chicago Confidential
Aon founder Patrick Ryan reflects on Sept. 11, firm's loss of 176 employees - September 11, 2011 - The shadow of Sept. 11 is never far from Aon founder and former Chief Executive Patrick Ryan. It often creeps up on him in the form of a thank-you note.
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Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
Making good on vow, Verzbicas wins world junior triathlon title - September 11, 2011 - Lukas Verzbicas made good on his vow.
Jon Hilkevitch's Getting Around
Among the worst, Chicago-area commute isn't so bad - September 7, 2011 - On a scale from bad to worst, the Chicago region ranks No. 3 among the world's "least painful" urban areas for commuting based on the emotional and economic tolls caused by traffic congestion, a new study reports.
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Ask Rex Huppke: I Just Work Here
Credit endangering job prospects - September 11, 2011 - FACT: Speaker phones were invented to make untalented people sound important.
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Chris Jones
2012 Marriott season includes world premiere - September 8, 2011 - A new, born-in-Chicago musical penned by Michael Mahler and Aaron Thielen is the centerpiece of the 2012 season at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Entitled "Hero," the show is about an 20-something, aspiring comic-book artist who still...
Gregory Karp
A lesson in Savings 101 - September 9, 2011 - As students across America settle back into the school routine, they should know they carry a privileged status as consumers. They're eligible for special student pricing nobody else can get — on everything from computers to clothing to...
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John Kass
Don't be afraid to banish the fear - September 11, 2011 - Being an American doesn't mean you cower in a corner. It doesn't mean you pull the sheets over your head and stay in bed, waiting for something bad to happen.
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Julia Keller
'Rescue Me' tops all other 9/11-themed art - September 9, 2011 - See those hands of yours? Good. Now clap 'em over the ears of any kid within a 2-mile radius of the TV if an installment of "Rescue Me" happens to pop up on the screen. Because the FX Network series that ended its seven-year, 93-episode run...
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Rick Kogan's Sidewalks
Prime rib, a relish tray -- it must be a supper club - August 26, 2011 - The supper club, as defined by Bun E. Carlos, drummer for the band Cheap Trick, is "meat and more meat … lots of beverages … locally or family owned … a real special thing."
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Greg Kot
Wild Flag: Year's first 4-star album - September 9, 2011 - 4 stars (out of 4)
Gail MarksJarvis
From 9/11 to financial crisis — a vulnerable decade - September 11, 2011 - Ten years ago we watched in horror as the World Trade Center collapsed.
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Nina Metz
Documentary takes a trip on 'Soul Train' - September 1, 2011 - Some of the best moments in director J. Kevin Swain's documentary "Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America" (2 p.m. Sunday at the Siskel Film Center) occur when Don Cornelius recalls his annoyance at any number of things — changing tastes...
Clarence Page
'Moderate' Muslims? They are right here - September 11, 2011 - If there are "moderate" Muslims, I still hear critics ask, why don't they condemn Islamic terrorism? In fact, most Muslims do condemn such barbaric acts, but their critics aren't always listening.
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Michael Phillips
Shoot 'em up, blow 'em up - September 9, 2011 - What history dictates, Hollywood redirects.
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Mike Mulligan
Bears defense: An old story - September 6, 2011 - Bears coach Lovie Smith doesn't require a driver's license or birth certificate for inclusion in the starting defensive lineup. Any appearance of an age requirement is strictly unintentional.
Mary Ellen Podmolik
Housing expert sees a return to pricing realism - September 9, 2011 - Jeanine McShea has seen plenty of ups and downs in residential real estate since she began her career 25 years ago. McShea, who was @Properties' president of brokerage services, jumped ship late last month to become an executive vice president at...
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Dan Pompei
Baptism of fire for offensive line - September 10, 2011 - What we have seen so far from the Bears offensive line has led many to believe the unit will be all right.
Howard Reich
A great Polish pianist comes back to Chicago - September 9, 2011 - The world has changed radically since the celebrated Polish pianist Adam Makowicz last played Chicago, in 1990. But Makowicz's pianism – ornate, lyrical, soulful – remains as attractive as ever, as he proved before a capacity audience...
Phil Rogers
Playoff edge goes to Yankees because of bullpen - September 10, 2011 - As much fun as it would be to see the Brewers and Tigers create havoc in October, this is shaping up as a postseason that will be low on surprises. The three best teams entering the playoffs are likely to be the Yankees, Phillies and Red Sox, in...
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Phil Rosenthal
9/11 attacks unthinkable, not unimaginable, as events prior show - September 11, 2011 - Let's see what's in the morning paper: The president and Congress are looking for remedies for the ailing economy. With an eye to eliminating waste, the Defense Department is looking for ways to operate more effectively.
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Ameet Sachdev's Chicago Law
Pending patent overhaul divides Chicago lawyers - September 9, 2011 - Google Inc.'s $12.5 billion deal to acquire Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. is evidence of the importance businesses place on patents. But there is a problem with the U.S. patent system.
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Mary Schmich
One day changed an entire decade - September 11, 2011 - What exactly are we remembering today?
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Dawn Turner Trice
Language immersion program encourages participants to dive in headfirst - September 7, 2011 - The summer before Leslie Lancry went off to college in 1986, she transformed the backyard and basement of her Winnetka home into her very own French language immersion school.
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Phil Vettel
Virgin America winning a fan in Chicago - September 2, 2011 - I am no longer a Virgin virgin.
John von Rhein
Haymarket Opera Company makes stylish debut with Handel rarity - September 11, 2011 - Many opera-goers know Handel's delightful pastoral, "Acis and Galatea," composed for an outdoor performance in England in 1718. But how many also know its precursor, "Aci, Galatea e Polifemo" ("Acis, Galatea and Polyphemus"), a lengthy serenade cum...
Ellen Warren
Slither into this new reptile trend - September 9, 2011 - Are you ready for this season's style story? Just say yesssssssssssssssssssss.
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Jen Weigel
Success story: From job-hopper to author - September 8, 2011 - Gabe Berman wanted to be a writer, but he had a problem: Nobody would give him a chance.
Jon Yates' "What's Your Problem?"
Problem Solver: Patriotism — at a price - September 11, 2011 - The horrific images of Sept. 11, 2001, were still fresh in Mert Silbar's mind when he sat down at his computer and composed a letter to his neighbors just weeks after the attacks.
Eric Zorn
Happy that this is still such an important anniversary - September 11, 2011 - That 9/11 still has such singular resonance 10 years after the terrorist attacks is a blessing and a bit of a surprise.
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Julia Allison: Social Studies
A social media addict unplugs - September 6, 2011 - DEAR READERS: As a social media columnist and self-described "Twitter-aholic," my previous "off the grid" experiences were limited to nights in which I glanced at my iPhone only once or twice an hour. (I've spent weeks at ashrams with better cell...
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Matt Bowen
Ryan and Jones will be working on Wright - September 10, 2011 - The Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan will challenge the Bears' Cover-2 in crucial situations Sunday, targeting the secondary using the flat-7 (corner) combo. Atlanta will move Ryan out of the pocket using sprint action and work free safety Major...
Dennis Byrne
Under the mattress: Start with $1 trillion - September 6, 2011 - Washington, abetted by President Barack Obama's scheduled lecture to Congress on Thursday, is abuzz with schemes for government to light a fire under the economy.
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Meghan Daum
Sept. 11 and the impulse to pay tribute - September 9, 2011 - Not that you needed reminding, but Sunday is the 10th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Around the world, memorials will be held, prayers said, tears shed. President Barack Obama has called on Americans to "reaffirm the strength of our...
Don Dziedzina
Fishing the Mississippi River - September 2, 2011 - I enjoy exploring new fishing destinations.
Leah Eskin
The inside track - September 11, 2011 - The standard husband yearns for steak. He may not admit it. He may not even realize it. But telepathists concur: Deep in the cavemanly subconscious lurks a hunger for New York strip, medium rare.
Ilyce Glink
Is inept real estate agent cause for litigation? - September 6, 2011 - Q. My real estate agent failed to notify me of a valid bid for my property. He claimed to have opened the bid on a Sunday evening and failed to realize the bid expired on the next day at noon. He failed in other areas as well.
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Jonah Goldberg
My Rick Perry problem — and ours - August 26, 2011 - Texas Gov. Rick Perry is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination now, at least in the national polls. Undoubtedly that's the main reason so many East Coast pundits and Beltway wags are making fun of him. He likes guns! He's from...
Benny Kass
Filing suit only option left in property dispute with village - September 9, 2011 - Q: Quite some time ago, we began to think about renovating our home and obtained preliminary approval from the village regarding the footprint, setbacks, etc. Due to serious illnesses and other factors, we set it aside until the beginning of...
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Joyce Lain Kennedy
10 job interview essentials - September 11, 2011 - Q. One would think that in these tight times, people who need employment would bother to learn the basic expectations of employers when deciding whether to hire an individual. For example, a young man, who said he is 23, showed up at my hardware...
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Charles Krauthammer
In America's pantheon: King in word and stone - August 29, 2011 - WASHINGTON — It is one of the enduring mysteries of American history — so near-providential as to give the most hardened atheist pause — that it should have produced, at every hinge point, great men who matched the moment. A...
Dan McNeil
Packers are class of NFC - September 8, 2011 - I've been trying for a couple weeks to build a case for somebody other than the Packers to represent the NFC in Indianapolis in the game with Roman numerals. It's difficult.
Robert Pagliarini: Your Other 8 Hours
Get over yourself! - September 6, 2011 - Nobody cares about you. Furthermore, nobody thinks about you, watches you, keeps track of what you're wearing, or notices the words you mispronounce. And yes, this is wonderful news! Why? Nearly all of us, nearly all the time, are deathly afraid...
Kathleen Parker
Planet of the godly - August 30, 2011 - WASHINGTON — Rick Perry's rapid lead over previous Republican front-runner Mitt Romney was predictable. But it is not a good sign for Republicans hoping to reclaim the White House and further highlights the crucial battle within GOP circles:...
Mark Pearlstein
On condo leases, declaration is decisive - September 9, 2011 - Q: I am the treasurer of a small condominium association. We provide our house rules to each owner. The rules state that no more than three units will be rented at any given time. Our declaration does not state anything about limiting the number...
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Leonard Pitts
News flash: Congresswoman has a spine - September 1, 2011 - I am pleased to report the sighting of an artifact so rarely seen among Democrats that it has become the stuff of legend and conjecture, like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster. It is called a spine.
Janet Portman
Landlord refuses to let tenant sublet bedroom - September 2, 2011 - Q: I am a tenant of a single-family house, and I'd like to sublet one of the bedrooms. My landlord is against it, pointing to a clause in our lease that says, "Tenant may not sublet the premises or assign the lease without landlord's permission....
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Dean Richards
Matt Damon takes a cue from 'Contagion' - September 9, 2011 - LOS ANGELES — Stock up on surgical masks and rubber gloves. When you see the new Matt Damon movie "Contagion," I promise that you won't want to touch anyone or anything. The film follows the spread of a virus from China all over the world,...
Daneen Skube: Interpersonal Edge
Men, women and workplace communication - September 6, 2011 - Q. Don't men and women approach communication differently? Are you recommending techniques in your column that work for men better or women?
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
Boys soccer | Joe Trost's Corner Kicks: No favorite at start of Pepsi Showdown; local teams try to beat the heat - September 5, 2011 - For the next two weeks, 80 games and 1,000 players will be showcased in the eighth Pepsi Showdown.
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Mary Umberger
Market ripe for green loans - September 9, 2011 - In the housing industry, green building has become a familiar phrase. But green lending? Not so much.
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Bob Weber
Buying a used car? Here's what mechanic should check - September 7, 2011 - Q: I watch a lot of court shows and there are a lot of car cases. The judge inevitably says, "Did you have a mechanic check the car out?" I did that once. My mechanic looked at me and said, "What do you want me to check?" Not being a mechanic I had...
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George Will
Question time for the Republicans - September 5, 2011 - WASHINGTON — Wednesday's Republican "debate" in California will not resemble the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates, in which one candidate spoke for 60 minutes, the other responded for 90 minutes, and his opponent had 30 minutes for rebuttal....