Columnist

One hundred years old, still making a difference

Published by admin on Tue, 07/02/2019 - 1:17pm

The war was over, that war to end all wars. Some made it back, some did not. Some went on to function well in society, some did not. But for all it was a life changing experience. And as is the case after all wars, the survivors needed to be with others who understand. Thus, was born the American Legion, created by war, but carried forward by men.

A manly diversion, shooting pigeons in the park

Published by admin on Tue, 07/02/2019 - 1:14pm

Accuracy with a weapon has always been a trait to be admired. I imagine cavemen had spear throwing contests. And I am sure as well, that there were other cavemen there betting on the outcome. Today we go back to 1874 to witness the great Captain Adam H. Bogardus shoot down small helpless birds and delicate glass balls with deadly accuracy.

J.B.’s private money for a private plane, so what

Published by admin on Mon, 07/01/2019 - 6:29pm

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the $45 billion infrastructure bill into law last week during a three-day fly-around to several Illinois cities.
It's a good bet that the billionaire Pritzker paid for the plane that took him and whatever staff he brought to the various venues, since he's regularly done that since taking office in January. The state hasn't had an appropriation to pay to operate its fleet of aircraft since Gov. Bruce Rauner halted their use during a long period of political gridlock.

The Monkey Glad, a delicious and classic cocktail

Published by admin on Mon, 07/01/2019 - 11:54am

Sometimes a bad idea leaves a great story, and in some cases a great cocktail. This week's cocktail was both.
Once upon a time Russian doctor named Serge Voronoff was looking for ways to reverse the aging process and increase virility in male patients. Did he succeed? No, but his imaginative, unorthodox, ineffective ideas live on as the namesake for a delicious classic cocktail, the Monkey Gland.

Shake up a tropical inspired Jungle Bird

Published by admin on Wed, 06/26/2019 - 9:00am

Hotel bars have been some of the most productive breeding ground for cocktail recipes throughout the entire course of mixology history. Many of these iconic hotel creations predate prohibition, and many predate the mid-20th century.
That didn't discourage the crew at the Aviary Bar inside the Kuala Lumpur Hilton from getting creative around 1978 and giving birth to a modern classic, the Jungle Bird.
Before we get to the cocktail, where is the Kuala Lumpur Hilton? It's in Kaula Lumpur, or “KL”, the Capital City of Malaysia and near an actual jungle.

A good time in the old town tonight

Published by admin on Wed, 06/26/2019 - 9:00am

We have often talked of the unrest and racial strife that featured so prominently during the last of the 1870's in Braidwood. But by the 1880's the world had gone around a few more times, and things changed as they always do.
Let's look at some of the good times for a change.
Firstly, the railroad and coal mining strikes around the nation had ended. This was the heyday of the steam engine, and steam engines ran on coal.

Life in the big city, a trip to Joliet

Published by admin on Wed, 06/26/2019 - 9:00am

I have said little in these columns about big city life and the sprawling city to the north. By car, just a half hour away, and even in the 19th century it was only a short train trip. Today we will look at a few spots that might have drawn Wilmintonians into town.
As early as 1840 Juliet, now known as Joliet, was a booming town. There were factories, saloons, hotels, and shops with everything imaginable.
One dry goods merchant advertised the following in 1840:

Lt. Gov Stratton’s absence noted in Springfield

Published by admin on Mon, 06/24/2019 - 11:37am

"We are so proud of what we've been able to accomplish this first legislative session of ours," Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton told a TV interviewer earlier this month. "We said that we wanted to think big for the people of Illinois, we said that we wanted to get Springfield back on the track of working families and that's what we did."

Cuba Libre, a fancy name for Rum and Coke

Published by admin on Wed, 06/19/2019 - 9:00am

Summer is Cuba Libre season. Have you had one today?
Okay, if you are sitting by the pool, watching baseball or grilling on the patio you may have had more than one. Either way, you are not alone as the Cuba Libre is one of the most popular mixed drinks on the planet.
What is a Cuba Libre? ou may know it as plain old boring Rum and Coke, but it's much more than that.
So, Cuba Libre is a fancy name for Rum and Coke. What's the big deal? The drink itself is quite the big deal, and it became so in the most organic way possible: word of mouth.

The most temperate town in the Northwest

Published by admin on Wed, 06/19/2019 - 9:00am

The use of the word “temperate” in this case, does not refer to the temperature, but rather to the amount of alcohol consumed by the populace. In this case the town referred to is Elwood and the time is mid-19th century.