The book’s impact on my life was fairly dramatic. Late one night in March, I was lying in bed after a long day of teaching, grading and meetings and following my standard practice of reading every day no matter what. That night, I had chosen Eating Animals.

There is of course scenery in Illinois, mainly in those parts not buried in mud by the last glaciers. The unglaciated Driftless Area in extreme northwestern Illinois around Galena is one. Deep southern Illinois is another, as is Calhoun County, whose rocky ridge separates the lower Illinois River from the Mississippi River.

In the early days of the cleanup, crews suddenly appeared wearing scarlet pants and white t-shirts with bold red letters spelling out, “Inmate Labor.” Investigative reporter Abe Louise Young writes that the sight of prison laborers outraged the local community, so they were removed.

you can’t sleep on the porch at the lake if you don’t like owls they chorus so close you can feel the size and the breath of their lungs.

As someone who has seen the benefits of medical cannabis personally, it is unconscionable for the lawmakers in Illinois to withhold vital treatment to patients.

The latest national CNN/Opinion Research poll found that the “generic” congressional ballot was pretty much the same as it was in August of 1994. Voters favor unnamed Republican candidates over Democrats 48-45, compared to 46-44 in 1994. Public Policy Polling’s latest survey had the national generic ballot favoring Republicans at 45-42.

The event is being hosted by It’s All About Wine, a specialty wine shop in Springfield that frequently hosts fundraisers and wine tastings. The St. Joseph event includes two glasses of wine and hors d’oeuvres, and employees of the wine shop will be on hand to offer wine knowledge and suggestions.

“We have a couple of holes where we have some pretty goofy antics going on,” says Sliders promotions manager Mitch Wallner. One hole will include a baseball bat tee off while another will bring the Sliders turtle mascot, Speedy, out of post-season hibernation.

Tony Pate, of Missouri, says he’s speaking for a group of about 30 commercial fishermen, most of them from Illinois, who work on Illinois waterways on a full-time basis. “By right, every commercial fisherman should have been entitled to have the chance to go up there,” Pate says, adding that the jobs pay “good money.

Raegan Koebler, a soon-to-be fourth-grade student at Vachel Lindsay Elementary School, is one of 12 Illinois $1,000 Regional Scholarship winners in Kohl’s Department Stores’ 2010 Kids Who Care program.

“It was a better sale than the past couple of years, but it could have been our best yet,” says county treasurer Tom Cavanagh. The difference was the City of Springfield’s pre-sale purchase of 41 properties.

Take a drive this time of year down any state highway and you’ll likely see chipboard signs promoting this guy for sheriff and that guy for Senate. This much is true when traveling down Route 48.

When Horton Foote died last year at the age of 92, America lost one of its most prolific and endearing dramatists. Foote, who was still writing until his last days, completed more than 60 plays and scripts during a career that spanned parts of seven decades.

After more than 150 years, many Illinois State Fair traditions remain. Since its beginning in 1853, the Illinois State Fair has encouraged the production of high-quality agricultural livestock and commodities through the award of cash premiums.

Place all ingredients except the oil into a food processor bowl. Process for 15 seconds, scrape down the sides, and process for another 15 seconds. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth. Adjust the seasoning. Serve with chips or crackers (rice crackers are especially good) or as a filling for wontons.

Edamame. Midwesterners have been surrounded by soybean fields for years, but it’s only recently that most of us have encountered them at the table while they’re still green, before they begin hardening and drying. Edamame might be new to Westerners, but in Asia they’ve been eating them for thousands of years.

Thinly slice the white and green parts of the scallions and set the green parts aside. Melt the butter in a heavy pan with a close-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the shallots and the white parts of the scallions and sauté until softened and lightly browned.

Combine 1 ½ c. of the edamame, the cheese, herbs, garlic, and 1 tsp. of the vinegar/white wine Worcestershire/lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Alternatively you could mash the ingredients with a potato masher, in which case you should mince the herb leaves (measure BEFORE mincing).

Scott (Michael Cera) is a 20-something who changes girlfriends as often as his underwear. His current squeeze, Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) is about to be kicked to the curb as our hero has been thunderstruck by Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a leather-clad pixie who steals his heart with her hip indifference and comehither eyes.

AMC listings are for Friday, Aug 20 through Sunday, Aug 22. Bracketed show times are Friday/Saturday only late shows and Saturday/Sunday only matinees. Weekday movie times were not available at press time. All times are subject to change. For updates on AMC films, call 1-800-FANDANGO.

One might think all the goings-on at the Illinois State Fair would be enough excitement for one town, but quite a few entertainment extravaganzas occur beyond the barbed-wire fencing that surrounds the people’s fairgrounds in this week’s roundup of Springfield’s finer distractions bent on avoiding a terminal case of ennui.

Look who’s coming to Norb Andy’s. It’s none other than Greg Ginn, founder of Black Flag, one of the most influential and important American punk bands. Ginn, chief songwriter and organizer of the group, worked along with Henry Rollins, the more visible frontman, from 1976 to 1986.

Dates, times and locations are subject to change, so we suggest calling before attending an event..

Dates, times and locations are subject to last-minute changes, so we suggest calling before attending the event..

Do you recall your dreams in the morning? In this POV documentary, Scottish science filmmaker Amy Hardie researches the world of subconsciousness and dreaming. The film follows her the year after she dreams her horse dies and in the morning the horse is dead, and later, dreams that she dies and then falls sick with a lung affliction.

St. John’s ends its Lemonade in the Lobby series for the summer on Aug. 25 with The Sangamon Brass Quintet. The group features Aaron Duncan, Byrd Davis, Stuart Farris, Gina Coonrod and Jeff Koester. Doors open at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

ADOPTION NOTICE STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF SANGAMON Circuit Court of Sangamon County, Illinois In The Matter Of The Petition For The Adoption of RACHEL ELIZABETH PINKSTON, An Adult. Adoption No.

$10 a week for 30 words. To place your ad, contact your display rep or e-mail your ad and contact information to nbulli@illinoistimes.com.

I started seeing this amazing guy, but had to initiate most of the making out. He soon dumped me, saying he has little experience and was freaking out. (He’s 40, and has only had three girlfriends.) We got back together, but he still wasn’t initiating, and six months in, still hadn’t had sex with me.

Promote your local biz in print and online Call Nan for details - 753-1724.