The cure for common sense
There seems to be no end to commercials for prescription drugs these days. They all seem to feature the same type of generic scenes of people strolling on the beach in billowy clothing, laughing at a cozy family get-together, or looking thoughtful while doing some other activity unrelated to the drug itself.

Someone from outside
“One thing I don’t like, and Springfield don’t like, is someone to come in from outside and tell us about Lincoln.” That was the late Murray Hanes, talking as only Hanes could talk, to the late A.J. Liebling during a 1950 interview in Hanes’s office in the late downtown Springfield.

The supreme coup
How happy, then, to learn that a handful of our leaders in Washington took bold and forceful action last week to lift another group of downtrodden Americans from the pits of injustice, helping them gain more political and governmental power. I refer, of course, to corporations.

LETTERS
Re: “Hazel Lane’s proposal rejected” [Jan. 22 – Web only], the Hazel Lane residents claim that if they do not live in the city, they will not know who to call if there is a problem with plowing. That argument lacks credibility. Two residents of Hazel Lane, including their spokesperson Chris Richmond, have already been annexed into the city.

children’s school pledge from the endless pavement musical
I pledge allegiance to the great autos and to the concrete on which they roll one pavement under Ford indivisible with mobility and power steering for all.

Blagojevich trial will make the campaign interesting
Lawyers for Rod Blagojevich told reporters last week that there might be a delay in the former governor’s criminal trial when a federal grand jury, as expected, hands down a new indictment. But they also stressed that they were working hard to keep the trial on track for its June start date.

The hole next door
The dilapidated eight-unit tenement at 805 S. Fourth St. sits forlorn and dejected – once a striking Greek Revival home, now a bleak shadow of its former glory.

FOLLOW THEIR TWEETS
The event, sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited and organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, asks participants to count the birds in their backyard, parks or other community locations and to record their tallies online or on paper checklists.

THE BURNING QUESTION
After the majority of United States senators said yes, tanning businesses like The Ultimate Tan in Springfield answered with a massive email campaign, urging members to “band together to defeat this discriminatory and unjust tax” and to contact their elected senators and congressmen.

GOP wants campaign limits
The bill, HB 5008, aims to close the loophole in a campaign finance reform law approved by the governor last December. The law, which will not go into full effect until July 2011, puts no monetary limit on leaders and political parties during the general election.

A setback for wind power
Sangamon County board members are considering an amendment to make green energy developers plant wind turbines farther from people who don’t want them.

Stimulus money slow to get here
The county’s share of economic recovery funds rank it third in the state behind Cook and DuPage counties, according to records from the state stimulus Web site. But as of Dec. 15, 2009, the latest date for which figures are available, only $49.

Radio Flyers
The Emiquon Preserve, about an hour and a half northwest of Springfield, stretches 7,100 acres along the Illinois River. The preserve, on land owned by The Nature Conservancy, was once one of the most ecologically and economically important river systems in North America.

Expressions in the Dark goes red
In a city largely absent of activities and events related to African American culture, Springfield’s black residents have long suffered from the “there’s-nothing-to-do syndrome.” To cure their thirst for culture, many have adopted the habit of traveling to St.

RealCuisine Recipe
This isn’t a Louisiana recipe: I ate them at the Buckeye Roadhouse in Marin County, Calif., then recreated them back in Springfield. But they’re definitely a riff on classic New Orleans’ oysters Rockefeller. I think they’re even better than the original.

RealCuisine Recipe
Beat egg white until it begins to froth. Add the seasoning and sugar and mix well. Stir in pecans. Turn onto a greased foil-lined pan. Bake in a 350° oven for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and stir well. Reduce oven heat to 300°. Return pecans to oven, checking every 5 minutes, until the coating is dry and the nuts are toasted.

Let the good times roll for Superbowl XLIV
Not this year. On Sunday, I’ll be on the edge of my seat, rooting for the New Orleans Saints. Partly that’s because the city of New Orleans, as well as the rest of Louisiana, is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

RealCuisine Recipe
These shrimp are outrageously decadent – and outrageously delicious, definitely a special occasion indulgence. No one really knows why this New Orleans specialty is called “barbeque”; it’s not grilled or cooked over wood, nor is the sauce anything like barbeque sauce, even considering its myriad variations.

RealCuisine Recipe
Combine the egg, sugar, mustard, salt and garlic cloves in the container of an electric blender or food processor. Blend a couple of minutes or until the mixture us thoroughly pureéd. With the motor still running, very slowly pour the oils in a thin stream into the container.

Bridges takes center stage in Crazy Heart
Country singer Bad Blake has given up trying to deal with all of the disappointments in his life. You can tell by the way he carries himself, what with his unkempt hair and dirty clothes. But it’s the fact that he often appears with his belt undone and pants loosened that tells us all we need to know.

Movie times
PLEASE NOTE: Kerasotes listings are for Friday, Feb. 5 through Thursday, Feb. 11. Bracketed show times are Saturday, Sunday only matinees or Friday, Saturday only late shows. All times are subject to change. For updates on Kerasotes films, call 1-800-FANDANGO.

Festive February fodder
Somehow during the global conference on holiday scheduling meeting many millenniums ago, someone must have felt sorry for shorting February in the number of days and made up for it by overloading on the holidays.

BAND SPOTLIGHT
Here comes a new band featuring several familiar area musicians including Brian Reilly (guitar and vocals), John Reilly (vocals), Mike Taft (lead guitar), Charlie Barnes (bass), Pat Miller (drums), and Rory Davis (assorted instruments).

PUB CRAWL
subject to last-minute changes, so we suggest calling before attending the event..

HISTORY
Feb 6, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Abundant Faith Christian Center, learn little known stories of ethnic group diversity and their roles and achievements in Lincoln-era Springfield. Monday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. in SIU School of Medicine’s south auditorium, Dr. Sonja Boone, M.

THE CALENDAR
Submit calendar listings at www.illinoistimes.com.

ENVIRONMENT
Learn to recycle yard and food waste into soil fertilizer whether you’re a backyard gardener or a farmer with a large-scale project in mind. Experts will instruct you on composting organic materials and vermicomposting, reprocessing waste using worms.

HEALTH
450,000 women die each year, that’s about one each minute. One in three women have some form of cardiovascular disease. In Illinois, more than 55 percent of women are overweight and obese. But, 80 percent of cardiac events in women could be prevented with diet, exercise and the cessation of smoking.

WORKSHOPS
Promote your class, workshop or fundraiser here. Up to 30 words $10 per week; additional words .35 per word, per week. Contact your display ad rep OR email your ad (and contact info) to cenlow@illinoistimes.com.

PUBLIC NOTICES
NOTICE UNDER ASSUMED BUSINESS NAME ACT STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF SANGAMON TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Notice is hereby given that on 11th day of January, 2010 a Certificate of Ownership of business was filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Sangamon County, stating that MARY A.

THE ADVICE GODDESS
Are we fighting human nature in trying to be monogamous? I’m dating a guy I dated five years ago. Back then, he was sexually inexperienced. Now that he’s been around the block, he totally disagrees with monogamy and wants us to have a sexually open relationship.

FINDLOCALBIZ
Promote your local biz in print and online Call Nan for details - 753-2226 x129.

NEWS QUIRKS
Two burglary suspects fleeing Sacramento County, Calif., sheriff’s deputies headed for a high school football field, where they ran into players practicing for the upcoming Pig Bowl, an annual contest between firefighters and law enforcement. The latter team, comprising mostly deputies, was working out and quickly tackled suspects James Hill Jr.