Opinion and Column Writing @ DePaul University

I am married to a three year old with a wallet.

Even my husband agrees. On one hand, Peter is a mature, upstanding, educated, logical and productive member of society. But then there is the other hand; the small supple busy hand of an unmonitored child.

He isn’t sneaky or devious about his lapses in maturity. I don’t know if he’s capable of such deception. Much like a small child he hasn’t learned the art of guarded thinking. Watching him devise an argument to justify a new pair of golf clubs or a trip to the casino is hauntingly reminiscent of my nannying days. When I spent much of my time watching my young charges come up with a convincing reason for another cookie or a few extra minutes of TV before bedtime.

The most recent example was when our stimulus check arrived. Continue Reading »

Isn’t this presidential election finished yet?I think even John McCain would agree. Poor John is slowly realizing that being president would not only severely disrupt his nap schedule, but unlike his current Senate gig, he’d have to work weekends.

For a moment let me borrow a popular phrase from the Junior Senator from Illinois and say…to be clear, I am not endorsing Barack Obama.

My political leanings aside, I don’t know what Obama can do at this point to lose this election. Continue Reading »

It started one day in 1986 while Ralph Bari was making himself a sandwich for lunch.

“Do you guys sell sandwiches?” a hungry Bari grocery customer asked Ralph. He said yes, made the guy a sandwich and now the family run business that started as a market in 1920 has evolved into a destination lunch spot for anyone seeking authentic Italian subs. Continue Reading »

Tom Dzurison is a recently retired high school teacher. On Friday September 13th, 2001 when Tom closed on his two bedroom, two bathroom condominium in 1717 S. Prairie he had done his research; “impeccable” is the word he used to describe the type of research he had done. Tom is the type of man that keeps real estate agents, contractors and building sale’s offices on their toes.

So after doing his research and asking all of his questions he was most satisfied with 1717 S. Prairie. It wasn’t until after moving in that Tom, along with all the other residents of the building, discovered that due to construction short cuts and inaccurate record keeping all of the research meant nothing in the face water leakage and missing assessment funds. Continue Reading »

I wonder if when Mayor Daley thinks about the Olympic bid he thinks, “How’d it get this freakin’ far?” I know I do.We can’t bring a park project in at budget, Millennium Park anyone? How do we expect to keep it in check when we go to host the biggest sporting events in the world? And the more pressing question, where is all this money suddenly coming from. I distinctly remember not too long ago threats of a CTA shut down because there just isn’t the money. Or how about our new shiny sales tax increase we just adopted to help pay off city expenses. I also seem to recall our city leaders going into a near meltdown getting the annual city budget prepared.

So pardon me if I am content basking in the glow of our new Soldier Field or gazing at Michigan Avenue’s reflection in that great big metallic bean we’re all still paying for. I’m perfectly happy with the nice things Mayor Daley has brought to this city, I just can’t afford it.

In my experience, arguing capital punishment is one of the fastest ways to polarize a good dinner party. Bring that issue up for debate in mixed company, for and against, and watch the shoulders square and the heels dig in. Continue Reading »

Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games could be one of the largest and most expensive political red herrings the City of Big Shoulders has come up with yet. Continue Reading »

Congratulations to Mayor Daley and The Chicago 2016 Bid Committee.  Thanks to their hard work our great city could have the opportunity to play host to the world’s oldest sporting tradition.  It’s a wonderful opportunity for the rest of the globe to see what we who live here already know, this is the best city on the planet. Continue Reading »