Category > Ask Politely
Another year bites the dust, leaving behind some relevant questions to ponder. With the destruction of the Metropolitan building in the Great Downtown Fire of ‘08, should we soon expect new construction in its place? And when will southbound thru-traffic reopen at the intersection of Neil and Church? (The City won’t commit to a timetable, leaving us to wait for the building owners who suffered losses in said fire to clear the way for progress.) What of our once height-challenged …
Unless you’ve spent the last week on a vision quest in the Australian Outback, you have no doubt heard that Blago was caught trying to sell President-elect Obama’s Senate seat. In some ways, we could consider this a highly populist move. After all, never has a position of such power been so brazenly open to those with such simple qualifications (namely, a big wad of cash to throw at the governor). Aside from cash, he was also looking for a …
It’s been a little over a year since Smile Politely left beta and went live. Tradition dictates that the one-year anniversary gift is paper, but we’ve already seen too many newspapers go down the drain in Champaign-Urbana: The Optimist/The Octopus/CU-Cityview, The Hub, The Paper. So we say “thanks, but no thanks” to the gift of paper. Instead, the Smile Politely editorial staff will be treating its writers and readers to a round (or two, or three) of cheap beers at …
In case you haven’t heard, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is feeling the affects of the recession. Two weeks ago, University of Illinois Chancellor Richard Herman e-mailed university students and staff about the significance of the university’s financial woes. In the e-mail, Herman says, ”[University President Joseph White] charged leadership of each campus with the task of designing contingency plans to cover whatever financial realities we ultimately face in light of the declining state and national economies. I write …
As reported earlier today, the building that sat on the southwest corner of Neil St. and Church St. burned to the ground over night. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings and had recently been gutted and rehabbed to make way for luxury apartments. As we stood looking at the aftermath, we wondered: what are the most important and relevant buildings in C-U? Obvious ones like Assembly Hall spring to mind, but we know there are others …
There’s a lot to vote on next Tuesday in C-U, ranging from the most powerful person in the world (president) to most powerful person to legally declare death (local coroner). According to the Champaign County Clerk’s website, over 7,000 people have already voted, throwing caution to the wind, not caring about any potential October Surprise in the County Board races. Which race do you care most about? Local poverty reduction? Funding for schools via sales tax increase? The chance to …
OK, this is a pretty funny story. But we’re sure Zamboni isn’t the worst she could do. So, help us out here. What would be a name that would top it?
One of the great travesties of living in a hyper-accelerated-shopping-crazed-live-beyond-your-means-on-credit society is the fact that the Christmas shopping season officially begins long before kids even choose their Halloween costumes. As the economy continues to wax and wane, most retailers are preparing themselves for a far more naughty than nice season at the register this year. At Smile Politely, we naturally encourage folks to shop local as often as possible, and to try to spend money at places that will continue …
Applied for a loan lately? Had the courage to look at your 401K? Do you think you’ll soon need to choose between gas in your car or food in your belly? The financial meltdown and its effects on the economy are making some people jittery and some people hysterical. But has it affected you personally yet? Do you expect it to? Smile Politely wants to know.
After all the hoopla, who do you think won the debate? Did you take a drink everytime Sen. Biden said the word “fact”? Did you take a drink everytime Gov. Palin said the word “maverick” or winked? Do you think it will matter in the end?
Most Recent Opinion Comments
Thanks for that, Louis CK.
Your call to stay pissed is precisely why global warming fanatics will fail. Emotion has no place in hard science. The problem with the issue of global warming is that is has been pumped full of emotion and politics, and the science is becoming a by-product. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577171531838421366.html?KEYWORDS=global+warming
Clearly the Postal Officials in favor of this cannot make an economic argument, as this saves the post office $0. What is their rationale?
Earlier today I received this response from the President’s office (via e-mail) - Dear Jason: Thank you for taking the time to write and share your thoughts. I deeply regret the embarrassment that the anonymous email incident has brought to our great University, and the personal hardship…
This posting expresses frustration—where is the investigative reporting about the current situation at the university? There are news reports, but basically no investigation? Why? None of the potential news outlets seem to be digging, unless doing so in the quiet of the night—not CU Access, the DI,…
Thank you Childrss for the correction. I actually only know a very small bit about Miscanthus specifically (and not much, obviously). My support for cellulosic has more to do with all the various upsides. The stalks and husks of feed corn, for instance, could provide a secondary…
More on Miscanthus can be found at http://miscanthus.illinois.edu Depending on market demand, miscanthus CAN impact food costs if it becomes more profitable to grow Miscanthus on land rather than foodstuff crops. While Jason didn’t explicitly state it (so I don’t want to imply that he was wrong)—it…
“Doing so would leave the entire university community without a way to send mail.” Ever heard of a mailbox? I can tell you where some are. “The Green Street office is always busy ...” Wrong. In fact, back in the day, I would go there during the…
I still have a very strong belief in bio-fuels as a sensible alternative, so long as it’s done sensibly. The one that makes the most sense, in my opinion, is producing ethanol from cellulose instead of grain. It’s essentially turning a waste product into a usable fuel…
Most Recent Comments
Nope. It’s the back (east) side of Urbana Tire Company at 202 S. Vine. How much is a hug and kiss worth? Do I have to take them all at once or can I break it up?
FACT: Silverfish feed only on carbohydrates, such as starches and sugars. They will not consume proteins or fats (the main materials from which human beings are constructed). THUS: That was not actually a human waiter we were conversing with, but rather a lifelike simulacrum created from semi-digested Fruit Loops.
nice fishnets you’ve got there, dan!
is that illini auto on main?
The geniuses at the News-Gazette site have it all figured out. This happened because we don’t have the Chief!
Pamela - Are the roasteries in Seattle as clean as CSR? It always disturbs me a little that it is so clean in there.
Now you will be able to munch on pizza and shrimp cocktails in downtown Urbana (whilst a DJ spins?) after your dissolution of marriage http://www.news-gazette.com/news/business/features/its-your-business/2012-02-05/its-your-business-new-pizza-place-downtown-urban Is this a franchise of a Reno pizza joint, or just a coincidence of name? http://www.blackrockpizza.com
Signs someone is “fishing” for a factual anchor: 1. Starts call to radio with: “I’ve been an Illini fan for (XX) years” or “I’m a diehard fan,” as if somehow that unverifiable claim will justify the 5 minutes of B.S. that follows. 2. Makes reference to KenPom…
That’s what she said.
Black dog and Siam terrace is where I always go after my divorces.
Love CSR. Apart from making my way through the regular roasts in 1/2 pound increments, I also like to pick up some of the little sample packets of the flavored stuff for when the lady and I feel like getting crazy. Sticky Bun is pretty nice.
If you happen to be getting a divorce, or fighting a DUI prosecution, downtown Urbana is a great place to eat.
HUUUUUUGE fan of their Black Velvet roast…It makes up about 75% of my coffee intake. LOL CSR is definitely one of those Champaign institutions that I brag about to people not from here. :-)
We like CSR too! We french press at home and I leave the lid off while it steeps—letting the ground beans bloom. Then, like in your tasting, I scoop off the top layer before pressing. We really need to invest in a burr grinder though, as I…
Confidential? In this state? Hahahahahahahhahahaha
just confirmed: there will be white russians served. the art abides.
big lebowski at the art. mark it, dude.
There’s a great video promo out for “Company” too: http://vimeo.com/36077847
Wow, His Majesty took the time to answer your polite plea. It’s been a while since I spoke fluent arrogance, but allow this attempt at a translation: “I deeply regret the embarrassment…” = I wish we hadn’t got caught and it wasn’t a big deal really. “...and…
I love the Guitars
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Wow, His Majesty took the time to answer your polite plea. It’s been a while since I spoke fluent arrogance, but allow this attempt at a translation: “I deeply regret the embarrassment…” = I wish we hadn’t got caught and it wasn’t a big deal really. “...and…