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Beware a U.S. Constitutional Convention
There are otherwise no guidelines in the U.S. Constitution for how such a convention would be organized or the limits on what issues could be tackled, except that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.

Congress deals blow to free speech
Mike Lacey is creating a database of former employees, could you please provide your home address? I did. Days later, I received a $5,000 check and a request to help locate other folks. So I called an ex-colleague who isn’t getting rich working for a newspaper in St.

Thieves in the suites
Sounds positive ... until you ask the key question: Innovation for what purpose? After all, some of society’s most inventive minds are flimflammers, Ponzi-schemers, gamers and embezzlers.

LETTERS
I was not sure of what to expect when we traveled to Cuba. My knowledge was limited. I had no idea of what a communist country once ruled by the enigmatic Fidel Castro would be like. We landed in Santa Clara. The airport was rough and seemed barely large enough for our jet airliner to squeeze into.

An electoral marriage of convenience
The oddest political couple in all of Illinois did pretty well in last Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Two years ago, progressive firebrand Cook County Commissioner Chuy Garcia helped lead Bernie Sanders’ Democratic campaign in the Chicagoland area and was eventually named a national Sanders media surrogate.

Teens rally at Capitol for gun control
On Saturday, March 23, a reported 1.2 million people took part in the “March for Our Lives,” a nationwide demonstration demanding changes to existing gun laws.

DRINK UP
It’s offi cial. As of this afternoon (Thursday), the Buzz Bomb Brewing Co. will, offi cially, be open for business. While Springfi eld’s newest craft brewery has been pouring suds for a month, the ribbon cutting, with chamber of commerce types and folks from Downtown Springfi eld, Inc.

BACK IN THE SADDLE
When last we checked in with the Grand Army of the Republic museum, it was cluttered, closed and at a crossroads.

The bikers are coming
Launched in 1977, the five-day event in past years has drawn tens of thousands of people from across the United States and is considered one the nation’s biggest motorcycle rallies.

Women unite in the battle against cancer
The annual Women’s Power Lunch Against Cancer inspires and educates, while raising funds for cancer research at Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at SIU Medicine. The 9 th annual Women’s Power Lunch is Friday, April 27, at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in downtown Springfield.

KINETIC ENERGY TURNS KIDS ON
Everyone wins when Engineer in the Classroom (EITC) arrives in area fifth grades for 12 weeks each winter. Engineers from local firms visit participating classes – this year 12 – to generate excitement about careers in science and math.

Organic and excellent
Snow north of Springfield delayed several musicians from arriving at the venue on time, and may have resulted in a quirky flow to “Pipe Dreams,” Saturday’s Illinois Symphony Orchestra concert at Sangamon Auditorium. For example, an overture occurred midway through the first half of the program.

Gonzo garbanzos
It’s that time of year when I’ve about used up last fall’s winter squash in my basement and all of last summer’s vegetables from my freezer and I’m looking for meal planning inspiration from my pantry. As I await the first spring radishes and lettuces, I’m leaning more on dried and canned beans to balance my diet.

Spielberg’s Ready Player One: Pop Culture 101
Taking place in, of course, a dystopia in the near future, the story is a smorgasbord of pop culture allusions that come so fast and furious that those attempting to keep track of it all will likely give up after the first hour. (I quit at about the 45-minute mark).

Presidents with Illinois roots meet at ALPLM
In a ribbon-cutting ceremony, ALPLM executive director Alan Lowe explained the significance of honoring these presidents in time for Illinois’ bicentennial. “We want to show how Illinois, as it celebrates its bicentennial, should be proud of a lot of things, including its contributions to national leadership,” said Lowe.

PUB CRAWL
Edward Davis Anderson, Micah Walk Band, Jonathan Field.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Midnight River Choir
Folks around these parts sure like these Texas-groove band dudes who met while singing songs as they floated down the Guadalupe River some years ago. The mysterious “Midnight River Choir” heard on the water soon became a combo, and they’ve been riding a rushing current of growing popularity ever since.

Let’s march into April
We are now wiping our hands of March and moving into April this weekend, whether you like it or not. And, yes, April Fools’ Day is on Easter in 2018, so make of that what you will. In the meantime, the music marches on into the misty mountains of mysterious makings.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS | Autism awareness
On Saturday, March 31, enjoy the second annual Kids Jumping for Autism Festival, a family-friendly festival held at the Illinois Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The event features a 60-foot-long hot air balloon obstacle course, a 40-foot-long ninja bounce and slide, and a 30-foot long-double slide with castle.

THE CALENDAR
Books & Authors Poets in the Parlor and Open Mic.

THEATER & COMEDY | Comedians portraying comic book characters
Enjoy two comedy shows for the price of one on Saturday, March 31. The evening begins at 8 p.m. with a showcase of some of the top comedians in central Illinois followed by the third annual Comedy Central-style roast.

CHILDREN’S CORNER | Logistics of war
Enjoy a special mid-week Civil War Tech event on Wednesday, April 4, in celebration of many area schools being on spring break. Civil War Tech events provide hands-on activities for children ages 8-12 to explore the intersection between history and technology.