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Homelessness is a lot of work
OK, but so what? If the downtrodden have launched a citywide panhandling operation, figuring out the most lucrative locations and best times to stand at them and ensuring that someone did, and then splitting proceeds, that suggests a group of folks with determination, not to mention organizational skills, rivaling the best in corporate America.

Send us more Norwegians
While many in response made the point that America has always tended to get immigrants from countries less well off seeking a better life, I have not seen much examination of the opposite question: Why wouldn’t someone in Norway want to move to the United States?.

Why the American majority despises Trump’s Washington
Well, sometimes he does put together a coherent sentence using some very fine words that convey great promise, such as this one: “I’m going to fight for every person in this country who believes government should serve the people – not the donors and special interests.

LETTERS
FIRE BRITT You need to fire your socalled cartoonist, Chris Britt. He’s what’s part of the problem with hate in this world. He needs to be taught respect. President Trump is doing an awesome job! And the Democrats are trying their hardest to look more like idiots.

Hold off on predictions
It’s important to remember that average voters pay almost infinitely less attention to state politics as they do national politics, when half the country typically tunes in to debates. 28,000 Facebook views sounds pretty respectable, and it is, but about 820,000 people voted in the 2014 Republican gubernatorial primary.

Local landmark
“I became involved in this lawsuit because I wasn’t told about these fees I would have to pay and I didn’t like it,” Janus said. “When I asked around I was told it was state law and it was mandated, which I didn’t appreciate. The longer I paid it, the more upset I got.

ABE’S BIG DAY
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will celebrate the 16th president’s birthday on Monday, Feb.

The Studio Show returns
“We missed doing the show,” said Dave Heinzel, producer, cameraperson, editor and co-creator of Springfield-based web series “The Studio Show,” in which he and hosts Arlin Peebles and Keil Isham take a humorous approach to covering highlights of area arts and culture.

GOLDEN BEET AWARDS
Illinois Stewardship Alliance recently announced its Golden Beet Award winners for 2018, highlighting the most innovative farmers, restaurants, businesses and organizations across the state promoting sustainable local food and farming.

A rise in polls could mean a rise in problems for Biss
Just prior to the State of the State address last Wednesday, news broke that Biss surpassed fellow candidate Chris Kennedy in primary polls for the first time. The surge offered new credence to Biss’s campaign, a grassroots effort in an election campaign dominated by a Republican multimillionaire and a Democratic billionaire.

Making Lincoln come alive
“I had been doing some bit parts on a very small local scale, and when the national bicentennial came up in 1976 I was cast in the role of Lincoln,” Klein said. “I thought it would just take one long weekend. And boy, it has been a long weekend!” “When I was asked to take the role, I actually turned it down,” Klein said.

Lincoln in love
So wrote Dr. Elias Merryman in 1840, and he was referring to none other than Mary Todd. The poem was the result of one of Mary’s exploits with her best friend, Mercy Levering, when they wanted to go shopping in downtown Springfield on a rainy day.

For President’s Day, visit Lincoln and Washington
History buffs will find lots of links to Lincoln in that city, but shoppers might prefer Washington’s charming square full of antiques, gift shops and sweet treats. Throw in a stop at the Ronald Reagan Museum at nearby Eureka College, and you can shout success in celebrating the holiday.

Carp: If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em
They say that when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. Likewise, when invasive fish take over the waterways in more than half of U.S. states, threatening the native ecologies and viability of fishing commerce from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, chefs, fishermen and environmentalists say, “It’s time for a fish fry.

Truth more intriguing than Winchester’s fiction
The story of Sarah Winchester and her family fortune is a fascinating one. Upon the death of her husband, William Wirt Winchester, she inherited $20 million (more than half a billion in 2018 dollars), controlled half of the stock in the famous firearms company, and was allotted a daily allowance of $1,000 per day.

No music city limits
Our Thursday romps occur at venues that host various artists on a regular basis, such as The Alamo (Aaron Kamm and the One Drops), 411 Bar & Grill (Frank Trompeter’s Slammin’ Jazz Jam) and the Trading Post Saloon (Geoff Ryan and John Stevens), and the live music stays in the city limits.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | The Chickadee Sermon
What’s a chickadee have to do with a sermon? Well, one way to find out is to check out the acoustic folk act named The Chickadee Sermon, appearing downtown at Tacology 101 on Friday. The restaurant doesn’t do much live music, but they have tasty tacos and cool craft beer, plus a nice space to host musicians and an audience.

PUB CRAWL
Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters.

THE CALENDAR
Theater & Comedy Comedian Mike Armstrong.

FLORICULTURE | Prairie State Orchid Society
Orchids are beautiful house plants that produce lush, blooming flowers when bathed in enough sunlight.

THEATER & COMEDY | An innovative illusionist
On Sunday, Feb. 11, 3 p.m., take in an unforgettable performance by Vitaly Beckman, an innovative Russian illusionist who views magic as a form of art and strives to bring art to life using magic.