iconLog In  |  Register

Category > The Local Sniff

OPINION

buzz Writer Highlights the Worst of the Status Quo

Local blogger and current buzz magazine Arts editor Drake Baer took a crack at writing his own “Likes and Gripes” this week in the buzz’s “Best of” issue, on newsstands now. His gripe is worth a gripe from me. Here’s what he had to say: “Yes, this is your lovely alt weekly, but seriously, our sports program has been disastrous this year. As I type this, we’re playing in Detroit — the worst city in the world — and LOSING …

OPINION

Idling Buses May Be History in Urbana

First Sniff I never had the chance to tour in a bus when I was a musician. It’s the dream of most bands actually; your own cot, a living room in the back with video games and satellite television, a kitchen with a stove and running water. It’s a mobile home, in reality. And when your band can afford it, it’s a luxury that most are willing to dip into the band fund to purchase. After all, any one who …

OPINION

Cabbage Soup: Go On and Dig In

First Sniff You’ll forgive me if I seem more than a little wracked in the brain, please. After all, it’s officially March Madness, and if you are one of the 16–47 people who read the Big Ten Basketball Report each week, you know that I am:      A. A die-hard Purdue fan      B. Fairly spiteful of Illinois sports      C. Obsessed by the NCAA Tournament So, after screaming at a High-Def TV screen in a random sports bar last Friday while the …

OPINION

No Great Diners in C-U Will Help Contain Your Diet

First Sniff I have recently tangled up with a new and freshly-minted obsession: weight loss. After years of making certain that my belt line increased annually with plenty of red meat, Jarling’s Custard Cup, and an excessive amount of mushroom sherry sauce from Original Pancake House, I have decided that this is the year to start reversing that trend. I am currently 5’7” and 200 pounds. That, according to most healthy weight-management sites, is about 40–60 pounds more than I …

OPINION

Why the WPGU/Buzz Local Music Awards Need To Go

I have to state it, for the record: I think WPGU (107.1 FM) is the best commercial radio station in Illinois. No sarcasm here. I promise. The station’s playlist engages me, every time I listen in. After all, WPGU’s Music Director, Mat Brown, added “Living Through Another Cuba” by XTC this year, and for that, I am eternally impressed and grateful. But that doesn’t mean they are off the hook. The WPGU/Buzz Local Music Awards are here again, and in …

OPINION

Don’t Call It a Comeback…

First sniff Where do I begin? How about where I left off? Plenty is different from the last time I wrote, but then again, even more is probably the same. Though life is never defined by what simply refuses to morph or transform. No, my friends, life lives and dies by the idea of change and moreover the act of embracing it. I’d like to believe I am changed in more ways than one. Seth Fein in 30 Years …

Most Recent Opinion Comments

{username}

Ok, just tell me when I can exhale - Just curious, since all the globalists, carbon traders, and pretty much anyone with copious amounts of wealth have weighed in on population reduction in recent years, i was wondering what yer magic number was. Some of the more…

Jeric avatar

Change is the only constant thing in this world. Change is just an indication that a particular place is improving or not. It is a good thing that there is a room for a change but it must be a change for the better. It is just…

{username}

Now that Olympian is probably a given, they’re going to have to rename the section between Willow and 45. Any suggestions? Now lets get onto Urbana’s next road to nowhere. Airport Rd., They want to extend it from Bartlow west to Lincoln thru 3 farm fields. One…

{username}

I had a great time reading around your post as I read it extensively.   Gold

{username}

I’ve always suspected that there’s a direct correlation between projected land use for the Rt 150 corridor [Industrial / Commercial] and the drive to expand 74. See the CCRPC Future Land Use Map for details, and then take a look at who owns land there, and you…

{username}

The University does not subsidize the Airbus. For decades bus transportation to the airport was provided expressly for Institute of Aviation students. This service was paid for by the Institute of Aviation, not campus as a whole. Some of you may even remember the old orange or…

{username}

A book just published gives a very useful different perspective on the “growth for growth’s sake” model and its ecological unsustainability. It is “Prosperity Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet” by Tim Jackson. The first chapter of the book can be downloaded via http://earthscan.co.uk/pwg . This…

{username}

I agree with most of the comments on the Orange “Krush.“  They are mostly immature, ignorant, college students who can’t wait for the next frat party so they can get wasted on Keystone light

{username}

“Since there is no congestion on 74, one wonders what he is talking about.“ - Duh.  Perhaps the congestion is wishful thinking? And IL DOT is planning to spend $71 million taxpayer dollars widening I-74 between Champaign and Mahomet. I contacted IL DOT on the I-74 stuff. …

{username}

Great articles, btw.

Most Recent Comments

{username}

Joel, thank you for the opportunity to answer these questions and have them posted here. I really appreciate it! Yes, I was thrilled to see that Rep. Kucinich flipped today, so he will has committed to voting yes for health reform. I appreciated his comments which seem…

{username}

It appears to me that your reviewer did all that could be expected: she paid her money, saw the play and conveyed her impressions. The review (on the whole, laudatory) may have been rushed, in a generous attempt to publicize the production while it was still available…

{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!

Log In



Auto-login on future visits

Forgot your password?