The Government Has The Answers

By The Pueblo News Affairs Desk

Life right now is full of questions – the serious, “What happens if my bank goes under?” and the not-so-serious, “Will my 3-year-old ever stop asking me ‘Why?’!”
While it can’t help all the time, you might be surprised to learn how often the federal government’s answer hotline, 1 (800) FED-INFO (that’s 1-800-333-4636) has the information you’re looking for.
If your question has something to do with the government, they’ll answer your question or get you to someone who can.

Posted on October 30, 2008

Memory Geeks Unite!

By The Beachwood Memory Affairs Desk

NEW MEMORY AND MENTAL CALCULATION WORLD RECORDS EXPECTED IN MEMORY OLYMPIAD
Dateline: Istanbul, Turkey
Contact: Mr. Sinan Kilic
Email: pr@memoriad.com
Web Address: www.memoriad.com
For the first time, both top memory and mental calculation brains will compete in Memoriad (Memory Olympiad) 2008 in Istanbul, Turkey. The event, organized by the Memoriad Foundation, will take place on the 1st and 2nd of November at the Marmara Hotel, under the patronage of the Turkish Tourism and Culture Ministry.

Posted on October 29, 2008

Chicagoetry: Life With Bon Scott

By J.J. Tindall

LIFE WITH BON SCOTT
“Powerage.” I didn’t know it at the time,
But it was
“Powerage.”
I was in high school, attending Naperville’s “Last Fling”
Labor Day carnival. Steel dinosaurs trampled the muddy grass
In Knoch Park. I was waiting in line at the Tilt-a-Whirl.
The ride was run by a grizzled, burly man with tattoos,
Years before they were chic, and then common.
With a pony-tail, years before
They were chic, and then common.

Posted on October 27, 2008

Chicago’s Secret Police

By The Chicago Headline Club

The Chicago Headline Club, the largest chapter of Society of Professional Journalists in the country, strongly protests the arrest of a journalist, Mike Anzaldi, and confiscation of his equipment at the scene of a police shooting Oct. 21.

Posted on October 24, 2008

Big In Japan: Chicago Blues

By Dan Simon

It is ironic that while Japan is considered one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries, its music scene – specifically in Tokyo – is one of the most creative and diverse in the world.

Posted on October 21, 2008

Cab #583

Date Taken: 10/15/08
From: Downtown
To: Wicker Park
The Cab: A van cab. It was first in line at the Hilton Suites Hotel so I got it all to myself. But I never feel right as a sole rider in a van cab. This one was weird though – not a bench seat but two individual seats behind the driver. Also, an odd odor. Not quite a dead person, but somewhat Seinfeld-ish. I wonder if I’ll be able to get it out of my hair. And while the van is clean, it is also vaguely dispiriting in its appearance; there is an odd deathly hue inside the cab. I’m getting faint. I suddenly feel as if I might just die. There isn’t even a bench seat to lie down on.

Posted on October 20, 2008

Signs A Recession Is On The Way

By The Beachwood Economic Forecasting Desk

1. New strip mall construction sign stating “Future Home of Happy’s Restaurant” now reads “Future Home of County Soup Line.”
2. Soup lines are hiring.
3. Coming soon to every corner: Soupbucks. “I’ll have a Hot Venti Lentil with a Two-Shake of Salt and a non-fat Pepper Pour.
4. 401(k)s are now valued lower than 501 jeans.
5. 401(k)s are now 401(z)s.
6. 401(k)s now worth $401.

Posted on October 17, 2008

Your Boss Sucks

By Travis Bradberry

TODAY IS NATIONAL BOSS’S DAY: HAVE ANYONE TO THANK?
When Patricia Bays Haroski registered “National Boss’s Day” with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1958, she wasn’t playing a practical joke, or even sucking up. She was working as her father’s secretary in a State Farm Insurance office in Deerfield, Illinois. Haroski wanted to let her father know she appreciated his willingness to always go the extra mile and provide the attention and support his employees needed, even when a host of other priorities competed for his attention. Haroski chose her father’s birthday, October 16th, for the holiday because she believed a great boss should be celebrated with the same positive regard and enthusiasm typically reserved for his or her birthday.
Let’s hope the previous paragraph isn’t read by too many people at once, otherwise the collective roll of their eyes might tilt the earth off its axis. Most Americans just don’t have much to celebrate on National Boss’s Day. According to a recent study published in Human Resource Executive magazine, a third of US workers spend a minimum of twenty hours per month in the office complaining about their boss.

Posted on October 16, 2008

The World’s First Cell Phone Call

By The Beachwood Historical Firsts Affairs Desk

As noted in item No. 2 here, the world’s first wireless phone call was made 25 years ago this week at Soldier Field. What was the call about? Beachwood Labs has produced some options.
–
1. This place is huge! It would be perfect for Olympics opening and closing ceremonies one day, if they don’t tear it down!
2. The Cubs will win a World Series before this thing gets small enough to put in your pocket.
3. I told you never to call me at work, honey!

Posted on October 14, 2008

Help Save Tales From The Front

By Steve Rhodes

Longtime readers of mine know I am a huge fan of Cheryl Lavin’s “Tales from the Front.” If you are as well – and you really should be – now is a good time to step up and declare your fandom because the column seems to have been dropped by the Tribune. Here is an e-mail Lavin sent out to readers this week, followed by mentions “Tales” has received in the Beachwood in the past.

Posted on October 10, 2008

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