iconLog In  |  Register

About Us

Smile Politely is Champaign-Urbana's independent online magazine. We provide the community with a passionate, trustworthy, informed point of view on local music, arts, culture, food+drink, sports, politics and news. Our writers range in age from college undergrads to fifty-somethings, and with that diversity comes a wide array of political, cultural, social, and artistic bents, as well as an impressive wealth of experiences from which to reference. Such variety accurately reflects the hodgepodge that is Champaign-Urbana, a university town with a decidedly Midwestern flair. Smile Politely's editorial staff immerses itself in the community it calls home, and our writers' coverage of events reflects that dedication.

Whatever entertains you, informs you, excites you, or frustrates you, is all likely to be covered in our magazine. And if it's not, let us know. We're always open to suggestions that further expand our coverage. Readers are encouraged to establish their own free profile accounts to take advantage of our unique, interactive site.

Smile Politely publishes articles daily, Monday through Friday.


A note about comments

You are welcome to call us stupid, elitist, fuckheaded, pole-smoking, motherfucking, limp-dicked gashes, but be careful, because there's a line here somewhere around the area of personal appearance and our families (especially if it's not funny or involves the word "retarded", and especially if you're posting anonymously), that if you cross it, we'll be forced to delete your comment, woe unto you. We like making fun of people, too, so have at it, but it's our site, and we gots some rules.

Editors

Ben was born and raised in Champaign-Urbana, and now attends the U of I. He really likes live music and indian food.

Caleb Curtiss grew up in Champaign. He still lives there with his wife, Sarah, his dog Eileen (nickname: Floppy, Flopperella, Flopster, Flopper: the ugliest dolphin in the sea) and cat Buffy the Mouse Slayer (nickname: Taco, Fatty, Bufflecat). He likes giving his pets nicknames, and looks forward to having children so he can similarly humiliate them.

Jamie Newell can be found most weekends working on her novel at Aroma Café when she's not taking photos or sitting in a movie theater. After earning her bachelor's degree in creative writing at Columbia College Chicago, she settled in Champaign and has called it home for four years. Jamie loves to road trip, is a huge horse racing fan, and considers John Steinbeck a god. She also writes a blog about racing called Ghostsnapper.

Joel Gillespie grew up in Iowa, went to college in Indiana, and lives in Illinois. He tries to hide his prejudice against states that don't begin with I, but, let's face it, he is naturally suspicious of their intentions. If you have trouble sleeping, give him a call and ask about soybean processing. And whatever you do, never, never, never ask him for real estate advice.

John Steinbacher went to school here, then lived in Minneapolis, then lived in Toronto, now lives here again. His daughter is both Canadian and American, so he reserves the right to make fun of both countries. He has a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota and has worked in health care and disability policy for some really cool organizations. He has edited all kinds of stuff, including a cake decorating magazine. None of this has anything do with music. Go figure.

Josh is a self-taught technologist with an interest in social justice. He spends much of his time at the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, dabbling with hacking and activism for fun and lack of profit. If he ever makes money as SmilePolitely's webmaster, it may help keep his helpfulness from becoming terminal.

Justine Bursoni hails from Chicago. (Yes, really Chicago, not the suburbs.) She tried as hard as possible to leave here, graduating after three years of Art History school. It was Custard Cup that forced her to stay. She now lives in downtown Champaign, is working on her master's in art education, makes art when she can, and runs her own photo blog based on consumer culture. She always smiles politely.

Seth Fein was born in Urbana and now lives in downtown Champaign. He owns and operates The Nicodemus Agency, is the founder and curator of Pygmalion Music Festival, and is an assistant talent buyer at The Canopy Club. He loves the Purdue Boilermakers and his wife's marinara sauce.

Most Recent Comments

{username}

Dan Schreiber’s chocolate is simply the best I’ve ever had.  It’s a whole different ball-game; closer to very high-end wine than anything out of Hershey PA. 

{username}

That settles it… Im going.

{username}

Vosges is pretty decent chocolate, but you should definitely try the locally-produced chocolate from Dan Schreiber, available (regularly?) at Amara, Caffe Paradiso, and Common Ground.  I believe it is or will be at other places soon.

{username}

I read Kucinich flipped today. He must have read this and been convinced.

{username}

Bread Company can do some fantastic vegan dinner dishes!  Several of their pastas are vegan or could be made vegan and their pizzas can be ordered (and taste great) without the cheese.  I also recommend their roasted potatoes and their roasted garlic head appetizer.

{username}

General Admission? Are we supposed to camp out the night before the game to get decent seats?

SFJon avatar

I wonder with Griffey if he’s not in game shape enough to play a significant number of minutes.  If you look at his minutes played this year, he’s never played a starters minutes.

Joel Gillespie avatar

I really appreciated Ms. Lennhoff’s candid answers to the questions. I learned a lot about health care reform from this experience. Thanks CCHCC!

{username}

Glad you asked Stuart. In the 1950s (well before they were approved for human use) poultry producers began using subtherapeutic doses of quinolone antibiotics, specifically fluroquinolone, to reduce the incidence of respiratory disease in overcrowded production conditions. In humans, quinolones are a last line of defense antibiotic…

{username}

Hah!  Good one, Joel.   But my question was a serious one.  I only buy eggs from a couple of local organic farmers, so I never thought about antibiotic-free eggs.  I’m assuming that Anna meant the hen was not fed antibiotics, but am not wholly sure. I’m…

Joel Gillespie avatar

That sounds like a setup to a joke at a CSA’s annual banquet. Q: “How can you tell an antibiotic-free egg?“ A: “It just can’t seem to get rid of that cough.“ /shows self out

{username}

First off did you read the wired magazine article I posted? You should. Second, WAS!? HAhahaaha. What, we aren’t being spied on right now. Its not legal anymore? Obama didn’t just re-authorize the patriot act? Semi-mythical deep packet inspection devices. Semi-mythical deep packet inspection devices. Semi mythical…

{username}

I was all set to pounce on this, but it’s the truth.  There used to be bands in town I was afraid of, like I’d have a heart attack during their set.  There are still some great bands, but they’re pretty and dainty and low in cholesterol. …

{username}

I love eating Vietnamese food, and having growing up my entire life eating it, I was excited to go.  I really wanted to like this place because of all of the hype I had heard——unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed.  I got the pho (vietnamese soup) and thought…

{username}

Kaiyo was decent for a sushi buffet, but it definitely isn’t as good as KO fusion.  I thought it was better than any sushi I’ve ever had at a chinese buffet, but was not as good as my least favorite sushi item at KO fusion.  However, I…

{username}

What is an antibiotic-free egg?  And how can you tell?

{username}

Great article. I’ve always found that by making it in the blender, I can be my typical impatient self and pour tons of oil in at once. It’s very forgiving that way, though not fool proof. 

{username}

I will be at Danu this evening. And seeing as tomorrow - St. Pat’s - is my birthday, I will be celebrating with tons of green and fun!

{username}

Big Blue will actually be on 6-9, despite what is posted elsewhere. Then, hightail it over to Bentley’s!

John Steinbacher avatar

Ahh - good point - I will plug them in the appropriate sections.

Log In



Auto-login on future visits

Forgot your password?