'Chicago Tonight' is moving to 10 p.m.
WTTW-Ch. 11's flagship program will become a half-hour show
1-5-2023 (issue No. 69)
Eric Zorn is a former opinion columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Find a longer bio and contact information here. This issue exceeds in size the maximum length for a standard email. To read the entire issue in your browser, click on the headline link above.
This week
Ya gotta … — Assorted local media figures offer their recommendations
Land of Linkin’ — Where I tell readers where to go
Spare a moment of pity for those of us with birthdays this Friday
Mary Schmich — A tangle of the past and future
Re:Tweets — featuring the winner of the visual tweets poll and this week’s finalists
Tune of the Week — Eilen Jewell’s “Sea of Tears” nominated by Steve Chapman
“Chicago Tonight” on the move
The bad news is that, on Jan. 23, WTTW-Ch. 11 is moving its flagship daily news program “Chicago Tonight” to 10 p.m. from 7 p.m. where it has been for nearly 37 years. I prefer the early evening time slot (though I often watch the show a bit later on the DVR) as a way to wrap up the work day with a thoughtful and often in-depth look at the most locally impactful stories.
Pitting it against the conventional, flashier, short-attention span 10 p.m. newscasts seems poorly advised, reminiscent of WBBM-Ch. 2’s failed experiment in 2000 hosted by Carol Marin. The New York Times reported this nine months later:
When it made its debut in February, the new late-evening newscast on Chicago's CBS station, WBBM-TV, was met with words that are rarely, if ever, applied to local news. It was called bold, serious, substantial.
In a city that consumes news the way Philadelphia consumes cheesesteaks, the station's executives were betting that it could crawl out of last place by offering a no-frills, late news program without all the flash and sensationalism that has generally given the genre a bad name.
But ultimately, it seems, the high road was a dead end.
Amid poor ratings that showed no sign of improvement, WBBM announced yesterday that the experiment was over. It said it would go back to showing a more traditional evening news program starting tonight.
The good news, however, is that “Chicago Tonight” will go back to being a half-hour show, as it was for its first 18 years and as it has been during pledge drives. The show is sharper, more focused and meatier at half an hour than it is at an hour.
The station provided this history:
“Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review” premiered on WTTW in 1978. “Chicago Tonight” was created by John Callaway, Bruce DuMont and Bill McCarter, and premiered in 1984 in a weeknight 30-minute format at 10:30 pm. The show moved to 6:30 pm in 1985 and to 7 pm in 1986, and went from 30 minutes to an hour in 2002.
Today, the WTTW News enterprise has grown to include Chicago Tonight, Week in Review, Latino Voices, Black Voices, topical specials including an upcoming 60-minute Mayoral forum, expanded digital-only coverage and reporting on wttw.com/news, and regular community engagement efforts including monthly community conversations.
We think there is an opportunity to reach new audiences with an appetite for local news at 10 pm, and to start our WTTW/PBS primetime programming at 7 pm.
The station also provided a transcript of an edited interview with WTTW-Ch. 11 news director Jay Smith, who is the executive producer of “Chicago Tonight.”
Q: There are some big changes planned for “Chicago Tonight.” Can you tell us what viewers can expect?
Smith: In the coming year, in addition to our time change, “Chicago Tonight” viewers and visitors to wttw.com/news will see us doing more investigative reporting, essential community-driven storytelling, and real-time solutions-oriented journalism. We will report stories you won’t see anywhere else, stories that directly impact lives and move the dialogue forward on local issues of consequence and concern.
Q: On January 23, you’ll move to 10 p.m. What drove this schedule change?
Smith: We know viewers in Chicago and the surrounding communities are looking for and are watching local television news at 10 p.m., and that there is an opportunity at that time to provide a high-quality news program that takes viewers deeper into the stories behind the headlines of the day. …
Q: Are there examples of the kind of investigative work that you’ve done of which you are especially proud, and that we can expect to see more of?
Smith: “Chicago Tonight” co-anchor Paris Schutz and reporter Nick Blumberg recently produced and presented a series of stories about the Republican gubernatorial primary that uncovered information about candidate Richard Irvin that we thought was important for voters to know about before the election. Nick also produced a story that looked into CTA overtime records and understaffing and their impact on passenger safety. …
Q: What do you most hope viewers take away from watching “Chicago Tonight?”
Smith: I would like our audience to feel that they can’t go to bed at night until they have read our daily newsletter, checked in on the stories we’re producing throughout the day on our website, and watched “Chicago Tonight” at 10 pm. I hope they come away with an understanding that we are thinking about them and their communities in everything we do.
WTTW political reporter Heather Cherone offered a bit more insight during “The Mincing Rascals” pre-taping video Wednesday afternoon.
Last week’s winning tweet
Here are this week’s nominees and the winner of the Tuesday visual-tweets poll. Here is the direct link to the new poll.
Ya’ gotta …
A decade ago, when former Tribune cartoonist Scott Stantis and I co-hosted “The Prickly Pair” podcast, we ended each show with a feature we called “Ya gotta …” in which we recommended something to our dozens of listeners.
I resurrected that idea last Thursday when I served as a fill-in host for WCPT-AM 820’s Joan Esposito. I asked each of my guests for three recommendations — a TV show, a movie, a book, a restaurant, a consumer product, a destination or anything else that wasn’t simply self-promotion. Here’s what they offered:
Justin Kaufmann, co-writer of the Axios Chicago newsletter
“South Side” — an HBO Max series set in Chicago.
Virtue — a restaurant at 1462 E 53rd St. in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood specializing in American Southern cuisine.
The hiking trails surrounding the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, 9800 Willow Springs Rd., Willow Springs.
Monica Eng, co-writer of the Axios Chicago newsletter
“South Side” — an HBO Max series set in Chicago.
The mushroom "chicken" sandwich from Majani soulful vegan cuisine, 7167 S Exchange Ave., Chicago.
The soul and smoke BBQ brisket at Metropolitan Brewing, 3057 N Rockwell St., Chicago.
Brandon Pope, host of WCIU-TV’s “On the Block” and Chicago Public Media’s “Making” podcast
“Severance” — an Apple TV+ series.
“We Need to Talk About Cosby” — a Showtime documentary.
Virtue — a restaurant at 1462 E 53rd St. in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood specializing in American Southern cuisine (with a bonus suggestion to have cocktails at Lazy Bird, 200 N Green St, Chicago).
Cate Plys, journalist and author, creator of the “Roseland, Chicago: 1972” project
Tours of the architecturally significant Glessner House, 1800 S Prairie Ave., and Robie House, 5757 S Woodlawn Ave.
Dining at Flo and Santos, 1310 S Wabash Ave., Chicago, and Valois, 1518 E 53rd St., Chicago.
A visit to Pullman National Historical Park, 610 E 111th St, Chicago.
Neil Steinberg, author and Chicago Sun-Times columnist
Superkhana International — a vegetarian Indian restaurant, 3059 W Diversey Ave, Chicago.
“King: A Life.” a biography of Martin Luther King Jr. by Jonathan Eig that will be published in May 2023 .
“Wednesday” — a Netflix series.
Charlie Meyerson, proprietor of the Chicago Public Square daily newsletter
FitzGerald’s — a music nightclub at 6615 Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn.
YouTube TV — a subscription service that allows you to ditch the dish or cable and pay about half what you’re paying now.
The Flute Center of New York — an instrument sales facility with, flautist Meyerson says, exemplary customer service.
I additionally reached out to several others on the local media scene, as long as I was gathering recommendations. Here they are in alphabetical order.
Austin Berg, host of the “America’s Talking” podcast, regular panelist on “The Mincing Rascals” podcast and a vice president of marketing at the Illinois Policy Institute
“South Side” — an HBO Max series set in Chicago.
In These Times — an album by Chicago-based percussionist, composer, and producer, Makaya McCraven. “Also check out this concert performance video.”
Dear Margaret — a French-Canadian restaurant at 2965 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.
And a bonus movie recommendation: Sullivan's Travels (1941). Available to rent on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and YouTube. Streaming on Criterion.
Steve Chapman, former Tribune columnist
“Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History" — a nonfiction book by Dan Flores “recounts how Americans systematically tried to eradicate these clever, adaptable animals, only to multiply their number and vastly expand their range.”
Eilen Jewell — country singer-songwriter (see the Tune of the Week below for a sample).
"Reboot" — a Hulu series.
Heather Cherone , WTW-Ch. 11 “Chicago Tonight” political reporter and regular panelist on “The Mincing Rascals" and “Take 1 with Bill Cameron”
“Magpie Murders” — Masterpiece theater series from PBS streaming on Amazon Video and iTunes.
Anthony Horowitz — author. “I recommend everything he has written!”
Joan Esposito, WCPT-AM 820 host
“Extraordinary Attorney Woo" — a Netflix series.
"Killers of a Certain Age" — a novel by Deanna Raybourn.
Tocco — an Italian restaurant at 507 Chestnut St., Winnetka.
Brandis Friedman, co-anchor of WTTW-Ch. 11’s “Chicago Tonight.”
New Orleans — “Not just the French Quarter. The Warehouse District, the Garden District, Magazine Street and so many other neighborhoods make the city what it is. Go to there!”
Veganuary — “I’ve done Dry January—and I do not recommend that. Last year, I started testing out eating vegan until 6p/dinner. Turns out, it’s doable. This year, I’m upping my ante and eating plant-based for the month (not a whole vegan, yet: I still wear leather). I’m hoping the practice spills over into February and beyond, thus I totally recommend trying it with me. Just seems obvious that it’s better for my health and the environment.”
Rocksbox — a jewelry rental/exchange. “They send you three pieces (you can select them), you wear ‘em for a while, then send ‘em back. They send you three more. Bonus: you can buy the pieces at a pretty good discount if you like them so much (which often gets me in trouble).”
Jon Hansen — WGN-AM 720 host, executive producer and host of the “It’s All Good” podcast, reporter for WCIU-TV and regular panelist on “The Mincing Rascals.”
'“Glass Onion, a Knives Out Mystery” — movie on Netflix
“Brothers in Arms” — a 1985 album by Dire Straits
The Foxtail — a Mediterranean restaurant at 5237 Main St, Downers Grove.
Melba Lara, local host of “All Things Considered” on WBEZ-FM 91.5
“Still Life"— a novel by Sarah Winman.
Chez Joël Bistro Francais — a French restaurant in the heart of Chicago’s Little Italy. 1119 West Taylor St.
Music of the Baroque — A professional chorus and orchestra that’s one of the leading ensembles in the country devoted to the performance of eighteenth-century works.
Mary Schmich, former Tribune columnist
“A Constellation of Vital Phenomena” — a 2013 novel by Anthony Marra. “My favorite book of 2022. It’s about love and war, friendship and betrayal, growing up and growing old. The Washington Post reviewer calls it ‘a flash in the heavens that makes you look up and believe in miracles.’”
“Bad Sisters” — an Apple TV+ series.
News-free, screen-free, noise-free early mornings — “Once you get accustomed to a quiet half hour (or more) in the morning, you’ll lose the itch to roll out of bed and check email, news and social media. Took me a while to break those manic habits but now I’m addicted to reading a good book or magazine story for at least as long as it takes to drink a cup of coffee. Mornings set the tone for the day and this habit helps me set the tone for the morning.”
Scott Stantis, editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune and The Dallas Morning News. Creator of the comic strip “Prickly City.” Co-host of the ”DMZ America” podcast.
“The Bear”— an FX series set in Chicago now streaming on Hulu.
Thursday Murder Club — a book series. “Such a delight. Funny and great characters.”
Nice News — a daily email newsletter containing only positive news
Patti Vasquez, WCPT-AM host and comedian
“Glass Onion, a Knives Out Mystery” — movie on Netflix.
“Top Gun: Maverick” — movie. “I’m not a fan of Tom Cruise but 12 year old me was delighted.”
"Trigger Points- Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America" — nonfiction book by Mark Follman.
Laura Washington, ABC-7 political analyst and contributing Tribune columnist
The TRiiBE — a local news website with a “singular and astute Black perspective on city politics, culture and beyond,” Washington writes.
“Agatha Christie’s Poirot” — a BBC murder-mystery series with 13 seasons streaming on BritBox.
“Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life” — a memoir by Margaret Sullivan, the first woman appointed as public editor of The New York Times.
John Williams, WGN-AM 720 host and moderator of “The Mincing Rascals” podcast
Scotland — “Lovely people and country.”
“The White Lotus” (HBO Max) and “Fleishman is in Trouble” (Hulu) — TV series.
Cryotherapy at Restore Hyper Wellness (various area locations) — “You walk into a stall cooled to -200F and for 2-3 minutes it brings your surface temperature down significantly. You emerge and feel flush and invigorated and well. “
Johanna Zorn, audio consultant and editor; occasional podcast columnist for The Picayune Sentinel
Basant— A modern Indian Restaurant at 1939 W Byron St, Chicago.
“La Cocinera de Castamar” (“The Cook of Castamar”) — a soapy TV series streaming on Netflix.
“This Land” — a podcast about the ongoing legal battle and looming U.S. Supreme Court decision over Native American sovereignty.
Eric Zorn, proprietor of the Picayune Sentinel and undeniably jolly good fellow
Mitchell & Webb videos — a British comedy duo that ranks with Monty Python for daft, inventive humor.
The Sopranos — TV series streaming on HBO Max. Yes, Johanna and I were among the last people in America to watch it.
Shutterfly — photo book/novelty printing service I prefer for all my photo book/novelty needs.
News & Views
News: Democrats can hardly contain their schadenfreude as Republican infighting in the House of Representatives delays the election of a speaker.
View: The crapshow has been riveting and amusing, but I fear it’s pushing the Republican leadership further to the right in an effort to appease the hard-liners. A dysfunctional House under Republican rule will serve the long-term interests of Democrats, but, short term, it could be a disaster for the country.
News: New York OKs human composting law; 6th state in US to do so.
View: Progress! When I tweeted this news at state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, who is promoting passage of a similar law in Springfield, she replied:
News: “The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday finalized a rule change that broadens availability of abortion pills to many more pharmacies, including large chains and mail-order companies.”
View: This marks a victory for choice in the next great battle in the abortion wars, one that I doubt the anti-choice forces will win.
News: Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
View: While this frightening and still potentially tragic event certainly appears to be related to the mid-body blow Hamlin experienced making that tackle, it wasn’t the sort of “football injury” that has been the cause of so much concern. All the shock and concern over Hamlin is warranted, of course, but it stands in relief to the relative lack of shock and concern about life-shortening brain injuries that occur all the time in tackle football, not to mention the permanently disabling injuries.
I admit to experiencing dissonance in my attitude toward football, which is easily the greatest game in all of sport. And if this incident prompts a deeper consideration of ways to minimize the far more common injuries by minimizing the inherent violence, I’ll be glad.
See:
“The Dark Pageant of the NFL” — “It can be difficult for thoughtful fans of conscience (of course I’m one of those!) to luxuriate in the game without experiencing some pangs of moral dissonance over what exactly we’re watching. This season has taxed the boundaries of our escapism big-time. … The sport’s concoction of violence, strategy, and artistry perfectly suits the American mindset; nothing else comes close.” (The Atlantic)
‘The NFL has a Damar Hamlin Problem.” — “There has been a great deal of talk about the moral trade-offs of football in recent years: We know this brand of entertainment permanently maims the people involved. Many of us make what we think of as moral compromises to keep watching. (Mine, incidentally, is that I only watch the Buffalo Bills, which is how I found myself watching on Monday.) But what happened on Monday is a reminder that those trade-offs may be impossible to bear.” (The New Republic)
“The NFL isn’t built for this” —”Football has never held up a mirror at the rest of us, to make us think about what we’re watching, more than it did on Monday … Sometimes a sport needs to slow down and reckon with itself. But the NFL isn’t built for that.” (Slate)
Land of Linkin’
My riff last week arguing that Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is not a Christmas song put me in mind of the entire category of “Nice, but …” songs — songs with gorgeous or catchy melodies and often irresistible refrains but lyrics that, upon closer inspection, make you cringe. Here is an archival discussion of that rich topic.
Should Joe Biden run for reelection? Well, revisit “Horror Movie Trailer,” a Saturday Night Live short, for some possible enlightenment.
I don’t often link to The Onion because the world is so much crazier than satirists can imagine, but I laughed out loud at “Kevin McCarthy Assures Skeptical Republicans He Shares Their Vision Of Innocents Drowning In Oceans Of Blood.” "‘At the end of the day, we all want to joyously stomp on the necks of hardworking Americans as they pathetically cry out for a mercy that shall never come,’ the California lawmaker said in an impassioned plea to House Republicans, responding to criticism from far-right members of his party who argue he no longer represents the values of those focused on littering this country from coast to coast with the gory entrails of its docile populace. ... ‘Certainly my record of damning my constituents to a life of unparalleled pain and suffering counts for something. Meanwhile, this infighting remains a useless distraction keeping us from slowly drawing our knives across the necks of ordinary Americans and letting the streams of gushing blood spill into our hands until a red tsunami washes away everything in a wave of ferocious splendor.’"
“A Long Island weekly had the goods on George Santos several weeks before Election Day” is a reminder that not all media dropped the ball on vetting the mendacious new Republican U.S. representative from New York. But the fact that one small publication did expose Santos makes it worse for the major media outlets that dropped the ball on this story.
“MAGA ruined my birthday! On the 12th Day of Christmas, Trump's true believers gave to me a body blow.” My lament about being born on January 6.
The Picayune Sentinel on the air: On Thursdays at 4:30 p.m., WCPT-AM 820 host Joan Esposito and I chat about ideas raised in the new issue. The listen-live link is here.
The Picayune Sentinel preview: Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. I talk with WGN-AM 720 host John Williams about what’s making news and likely to be grist for the PS mill. The WGN listen-live link is here.
Let there be lights until Groundhog Day!
I did not drape lights on our bushes out front this year and can offer no excuse for my indolence. But my contribution to the annual “when to take down the lights?” debate remains must reading. A version of the following was published in 2000:
Far be it from me to stir up trouble by pointing out that the leading columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times in effect called Pope John Paul II "white trash."
Or not so far be it. The facts must speak for themselves.
Officials at the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago say that February 2 is the day the Vatican takes down its Christmas decorations, including those in the pontiff's private residence.
"Your assessment of the Christmas decoration issue . . . agrees with the pope's," is how Vice Chancellor Mary Hallan FioRito put it in a letter to me.
And contrasts vividly with the views of opposition pundit Richard Roeper, who in January, 2000, wrote that Jan. 9 is "the last acceptable date for taking down any and all Christmas-related items," and that those who leave them up after Jan. 16 deserve an "official white-trash designation."
I took exception to this, as I can think of no month that needs outdoor lights and decorations more than cold, gloomy, tedious January. A modest array of multicolored lights remains draped over our evergreen shrubs to this day not because I am a lazy slug who'd rather watch fistfights among in-bred families on daytime TV talk shows than do a simple household chore (or not just because of that); the lights remain up because we hope to brighten the winter evenings on our block. Is that bad?
On Jan. 18 of that year I asked readers to vote, phrasing my question as neutrally as I could--did they side with me or with the forces of darkness? Some polling bias may have occurred because I required all votes to be sent to "YouAreRightEric@aol.com," but I guarantee the results are accurate to within four- or five-score percentage points:
For me and the pope: 89.4 percent.
For Ebenezer Roeper: 10.6 percent.
"Let there be light," wrote Liz Adams, rooting me on. "Bring on a new tradition of brightening the winter nights with low wattage, colored lights far into the new year," added Sue Anderson. Rick Meredith exclaimed, "Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day! The purpose of the lights is to light up the darkness, not just to decorate for the holidays!"
And so on and on. It was a rare contributor indeed who voiced contrary view: "YouAreWrongEric . . . By not taking down the decorations you can't get ready for what is to come because symbolically you are stuck in Christmas past," as Jacque Ames put it. "To get beyond winter's gloom you have to go forward."
About half a dozen readers took issue with how blithely I reiterated "white trash" and the assertion it has nothing to do with skin color. They had a point. The epithet was first used to describe poor Caucasians in the South, and the implication was not that they were trashy because they were white--the typical way ethnicity is deployed in compound slurs--but that they were trashy even though they were white.
Though I don't doubt the intentions of many who use the term "white trash," I can't come up with a benign explanation for why "white" is a necessary or illuminating part of it. And my guess is the pope would agree with me there too.
Pope John Paul II will leave his decorations up until Feb. 2 because that is Candlemas, also known as the feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple or the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, and marks the conclusion of the liturgical season of Christmas. (Luke 2:22-38, if you're keeping score, and, yes, the observance is distantly related to Groundhog Day).
I don't customarily defer to Rome on such matters or any others, but Feb. 2 seems like an excellent, scripturally grounded deadline to agree on for decommissioning Christmas-related decor. Its bona fides are better than Ash Wednesday, Septuagesima, St. Patrick's Day or a number of other dates suggested by those who contributed to my landslide victory.
So down ho! with the Santas and mangers and angels, which really are just too-too after 2-2. The lights, however--the pretty, secular, happy, winter-busting lights--ought to stay in place until Valentine's Day.
We still need the cheer they spread. And I still need about two weeks to root around in the basement and find the box they came in among the cases of Yoo-Hoo and stacks of K-Tel albums. — Feb 1. 2000
Mary Schmich: A tangle of the past and future
My former colleague Mary Schmich posts occasional column-like entries on Facebook. Here, reprinted with permission, is her most recent offering:
Gabrielle Starr, the president of my alma mater, Pomona College, sent a holiday card to the alumni that contained this poem by Lucille Clifton. Not your usual alumni greeting, but I like it, especially the first few lines. As I read it, it's about the tangle of the past and the future, about our evolving selves. Where she writes "twentysix" and "thirtysix," I'd add "fortsysix" and "fiftysix" and "sixtysix." The title is “i am running into a new year.”
i am running into a new year and the old years blow back like a wind that i catch in my hair like strong fingers like all my old promises and it will be hard to let go of what i said to myself about myself when i was sixteen and twentysix and thirtysix even thirtysix but i am running into a new year and i beg what i love and i leave to forgive me —Lucille Clifton (1936-2010)
Minced Words
Heather Cherone, Austin Berg, Brandon Pope and I joined host John Williams for this week’s episode of “The Mincing Rascals.” We spoke mostly about the Republican clusterevent in Washington, D.C. as they try to elect a House speaker and the race for Chicago mayor. Subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Or bookmark this page. If you’re not a podcast listener, you can now hear an edited version of the show at 8 p.m. most Saturday evenings on WGN-AM 720.
Re: Tweets
First, something that’s been on my mind about the Tweet of the Week poll and Twitter in general. You are not alone if you have perceived a dropoff in the overall, average quality of the finalists in the competition. Some very funny people have abandoned the platform, and I’m having a harder and harder time finding 10 tweets that I consider worthy. Voters seem to agree. The overall number of votes cast last week was 13% lower than the previous low total, which was back in December. And this trend runs counter to overall growth in my subscriber and readership base.
I’m thinking of being less rigid about having 10 entries every week and settling for fewer if I don’t find 10 that I think are truly amusing (though at times I’ve filled out the poll with tweets from the scrap pile that have then won the poll, suggesting that I should simply not take this so seriously or that my dark tastes are not infallible).
I’m interested in subscribers’ thoughts on this — please leave them in comments.
In Tuesday’s paid-subscriber editions, I present my favorite tweets that rely on visual humor and so can’t be included in the classic Tweet of the Week contest in which the template for the poll does not allow the use of images. Subscribers vote for their favorite, and I post the winner here every Thursday:
The new nominees for Tweet of the Week:
I’m so old I remember when New Year’s came we sang “Lang Syne.” — @GianDoh
For as long as that song was, you'd think the Ghostbusters would have mentioned their phone number at least once. — @Marlebean
Since we can't use those plastic beer rings anymore i've been choking turtles with my bare hands. — @Tanya_Sabrinaaa
That’ll do, brain. That’ll do. — @lloydrang
[In court charged with murder] I'm appreciating your feedback on not killing people. I'm listening, learning and growing. — @HorseMorsel
I just labeled the computer folder where I keep my passwords "PW" rather than "Passwords," in case anyone wants me on their encryption team. — @TheBoydP
Growing up, I really thought The Bermuda Triangle was going to be more of a problem. — @benedictsred
If you ever have to call me with bad news you can safely skip the part where you ask if I’m sitting down. — @amishschool
Every crossing guard dreams of that perfect cross, where nobody gets hit or killed. — @ipaddlearound
My New Year’s Resolution is to annoy less grammar pedants. — @richardosman
Vote here in the poll. For instructions and guidelines regarding the poll, click here.
Tune of the Week
I asked my former colleague Steve Chapman for his favorite Eilen Jewell song as an intro to her work. He suggested this one and said “Jangling guitars, a pounding beat and Jewell's mournful voice make a scorching combination. Heartache and despair have never been so fierce.”
Consult the complete Tune of the Week archive!
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Eilen Jewell must have to spell her name a lot.
I thought this batch of tweets was excellent. Best in a long time. No fall off perceived.