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Flatland into flatscapes
Earlier this year, a young English woman named Jennifer Bradley undertook, with friends, to run across the U.S. in 80 days. She thus became the first British woman (we are told) to cross the country on foot, which is the sort of thing that the Brits tend to do with their time now that they no longer have a empire to run.

We need to focus on jobs
In the United States, citizens who believe that they live in the reality-based community are happy about the recent election results, even though the pulverized wreckage of this nation’s political discourse will be harder to repair than the damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy.

Editor’s note
Gov. Pat Quinn has taken on “pension reform” as a moral cause, even though it will take a huge chunk of the state budget away from human services. Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka has ruled out borrowing money to pay the state’s bills, including those owed to nonprofits, hospitals and nursing homes that care for the state’s most needy.

Lord help us – bosses gone berserk
This is the wretched wail of a few corporate chieftains who claim to be somewhere between flummoxed and furious that Barack Obama is back in the White House. With his diabolical Obamacare and tax-the-rich attacks on us wealthy job creators, they moan, this president is out to destroy American business.

LETTERS
REWARD SCHOOL BOARD Dr. Ikejiaku’s resignation because of alleged hiring irregularities at District 186 will open a can of worms. There have been rumors for years of how the district was hiring “friends of Walter” and now the cover has been blown. The school board should not try to run for cover.

Phone a friend
Karen Zangerle dials the number and waits expectantly as a young man answers with a gentle tone. Zangerle explains that her husband has lost his job and the family won’t be able to pay an upcoming utility bill. As the young man on the phone tells her where she can find assistance, a knowing smile slides across Zangerle’s face.

Education in Illinois not getting any better
Advance Illinois analyzed existing state data on attendance, standardized test scores, graduation rates and other benchmarks from 2001 to 2011. The group’s findings show for every 100 children who start ninth grade in Illinois, 71 will graduate high school.

No raises for unions under House resolution
Kevin Holmes of Springfield devotes his life to caring for a young man with severe disabilities. For that full-time work – seven hours a day, seven days a week – Holmes makes just more than $11,000 per year, which puts him and his wife below the federal poverty level while she goes back to school.

The Cinema Snob
the purchase of any of his DVDs. While not overwhelmed on the second afternoon of the event, business is steady, especially considering he has become a regular on the horror convention circuit – this is his third time through Indianapolis in recent years.

Holiday events
Each week throughout the season, find fun holiday activities here. Also, see The Calendar page 29 for more holiday happenings..

Community wish lists
Central Illinois Community Blood Center (CICBC), a nonprofit organization, is the provider of lifesaving blood for 14 hospitals throughout central Illinois, including Memorial Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.

Rugged and ready to shoot
For many of us, smartphones are our go-to camera, but there are still places they just can’t go. Underwater, for one, or buried under a pile of sand. Fortunately, you don’t have to risk your precious iPhone or Android the next time you hit the beach or hiking trail.

The best cameras for dry land
The NEX-F3 ($599.99, including a 18-55mm zoom lens) offers you the fl exibility of interchangeable lenses without the size and bulk of a traditional d-SLR. The 16-megapixel F3 can record high-def video and features 3-inch display that can be tilted 180 degrees for framing shots at diffi cult angles.

Take 10: Blogbusters!
The once dignified kingdom of coffee table books, where Norman Rockwell retrospectives ruled, has fallen to the shameless, hilarious hordes. Behold the many highly giftable books from bloggers who first rocketed to fame online.

Take 10: Dystopian novels
It’s a feast for fans of The Hunger Games..

Frozen treats for holiday eats
Scenario No. 1: It’s 4 p.m. on Saturday. You’re standing in an incredibly long checkout line with your Secret Santa gift for the exchange at tonight’s Christmas party, and you’ve just remembered you’re supposed to bring an appetizer, too.

Pi a dazzling exploration of the spiritual world
I’ve become a skeptic where the modern 3-D process is concerned. The Hollywood studios have taken a good thing and overused it to the point that they’re starting to see a downturn in revenues where movies using this method are concerned. It’s gone from being a truly special technique that added an exciting dimension to filmmaking (check out Coraline.

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

BAND SPOTLIGHT | The Great Waltz
Hailing from our neighboring city of Decatur, The Great Waltz calls its music “aggressive folk,” and began with Matt Skinner writing songs in his basement. The rest of the band, Josh Dimmick, Joe Gerard, Luke Alan and eventually, Kevin Gillman, came along to flush out arrangements and give Skinner’s songs life on stage.

UIS music at UIS
Most of the live music shows held at the University of Illinois Springfield, our still growing, four-year institution of higher learning on the southern outskirts of Springfield’s civilized world, come from beyond the college’s borders.

THEATER | Hauntingly festive
Lincoln Land Community College presents a mystical production of the classic holiday tale. With a cast of 20 performing almost 60 roles, a flying bed, sound effects and a beautiful underscore, you’ll enjoy the original Dickens story with a little something added to emphasize the ghost story in the play.

THE CALENDAR
Dates, times and locations are subject to last-minute changes, so we suggest calling before attending events..

THE CALENDAR
audience participation. $15. Mason City Limits Comedy Club, 114 E. Chestnut, Mason City, 482-5233..

HOLIDAY | Miniature mangers
Chiara Center will host its annual Franciscan Nativity Festival Nov. 30-Dec. 2. More than 100 miniature nativity sets will be on display including a set made from automobile spark plugs, connecting rods and other auto parts. Visitors can also tour St. Francis of Assisi Church, the 1920s Romanesque church of the Hospital Sisters of St.

THEATER | Yuletide treasure
Over the Moon Productions presents The Holly and the Ivy,.

HOLIDAY | Downtown delight
Mayor Mike Houston helps Downtown Springfield, Inc., kick off its annual Old Capitol Holiday Walk, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. with a tree lighting ceremony on the Old State Capitol Plaza at the corner of Sixth and Adams. Southeast High School Sensations will sing holiday music and the Horace Mann Singers will stroll and carol from 5-6 p.

THE CALENDAR
11pm Mon, Wed, Fri, 7am Tue and , Access Magazine Show No. 3 looks at punk icon and local artist. Access-4 Public Access Station, 691-1301..