Telling good from bad
“Everything’s on the Web.” It’s laughably untrue, but there is still too much stuff for most of us to make sense of. Thus the debate now raging on the Internet – by which I mean a lot of people are talking out loud to themselves – about the rise of the online curator.

I was a 10-year-old on Nov. 22, 1963
I could walk you to within very few feet, perhaps inches, of the exact spot I was on at 12:30 p.m., Nov. 22, 1963. I was on the Butler Elementary School playground playing Artillery Ball after lunch. I was on the side facing the school, with Ray Davis across the line on the other side of the court facing away from the building.

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This year’s election circus
Election days can be dizzying – like trying to absorb a three-ring circus with all three acts going at once. In last week’s elections, the national media focused tightly on the center ring, where two gubernatorial contests and one mayoral race were spotlighted.

LETTERS
For concertgoers coming to hear B.B. King play “Lucille” and to sing the blues in the way he is famous for, those attendees were probably disappointed. But for more than half a century, B.B. King has thrilled countless audiences all over the world. In his 88 years, B.

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Recent numbers on governor’s race
Back in mid-August, near the end of his summertime TV advertising blitz, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner scored 14 percent in a Capitol Fax/We Ask America poll of likely GOP primary voters. That was up a tick from the 12 percent he got in a June 20 poll by the same firm.

Bon voyage
Members of the Springfield Police Pension Board have a penchant for traveling, with the tab reaching into the six figures since 2007. State regulators  raised concerns two years ago, but the travels haven’t stopped, with as many as four of the board’s five trustees traveling to resort cities to attend the same conference as recently as last May.

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Help for demolishing abandoned homes?
Illinois lawmakers earlier this year passed the Lender Responsibility Act, requiring banks and other mortgage lenders which foreclose on houses to pay a fee between $50 and $500, depending on the number of foreclosures each institution files.

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Batting a thousand
But those scandals faded after the new athletic director, Kim Pate, took the helm of the athletic department in June 2011. Pate and her team have improved participation, strengthened ties with the community, and set high expectations for themselves and their athletes.

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The story of the Gettysburg Address
Photographer Robert Shaw and preeminent Lincoln scholar Michael Burlingame have collaborated for the second time on a beautiful new book about Lincoln and Gettysburg, published in time for the 150 th anniversary of the momentous Civil War battle in July and the November Gettysburg Address.

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There’s no place like home for dinner
A: The biggest thing that stresses people out is thinking that everything needs to be piping hot when guests arrive. Figure out what foods can be served hot, cold or room temperature. One of the first things I learned doing “The Chew” is the battle strategy.

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HEAD count
Feeding yourself and your family is a cinch. Cooking for a large group? That’s another story. Whether you’re hosting a formal dinner party or having a backyard gettogether, it can be tricky to figure out how much to buy and make.

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Roasting turkey
For many home cooks, preparing roast turkey and dressing is the most challenging task they’ll ever undertake. The problem is that dark and white meat have different cooking times. If the breast is done yet moist and juicy, the dark meat is often undercooked and rubbery.

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Ender’s Game a pointed tale of moral sacrifice
Set in the near future, the Earth is in a state of panic as an alien race known as the Formics are preparing a massive invasion … or so say the intelligence reports that has Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) on edge.

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A Wolfe, bells and the blues
Through the years Todd’s been associated with the likes of Mick Taylor, Carla Olson, Leslie West, Stevie Nicks, Phish and Faith Hill. Currently on a cross-country tour, Wolfe is joined live by Justine Gardner on bass and backing vocals, plus Roger Voss on drums and backing vocals, to make the classic power trio that is the traveling Todd Wolfe Band.

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PUB CRAWL
Lou Shields w/ Devin Williams, Spencer Stokes.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Off the Wall
What do you call a bunch of Springfield musicians who’ve played in bands for years, who like to get a little crazy and who love to push the musical envelope? How about Off the Wall with the killer lineup of Kip Nelson on vocals, Steve Marvel on keyboards, Dereck Usher on bass, Jack Stege on guitar and Fred Edmunds on drums.

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THE CALENDAR
Chatham Light Up the Park Holiday Display.

HOLIDAY | Bough to bough
View more than 150 Christmas trees and wreaths decorated by members of the community and marvel at the amazing handcrafted gingerbread village. Kids will delight in riding the miniature train and can visit with Santa or enjoy fresh, warm gingerbread cookies purchased from the bakery.

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MUSIC | Christmas cavalcade
The popular and nationally acclaimed handbell ensemble Bells in Motion presents a holiday concert A Ringing Christmas 2013 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Nov. 23. The concert follows a craft bazaar offering unique gifts from around the world for your holiday shopping.

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HOLIDAY | Food for feasting
Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association, Slow Food Springfield and University of Illinois Extension sponsor a day at the market on Nov. 23.

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