Opinion
Daily Dirt for Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023 One week left in 2023 competition, then we start all over again … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 817 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Almost, but not quite. We almost had a new No. 1 in The Great Plate Debate of 2023, but BE A…
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Daily Dirt for Friday, Dec. 22, 2023 “Sugar Sugar” may have been the height of bubble gum pop music, but it was still a great song … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 817 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Today we close the books on our tribute to the best songs of the…
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Upon viewing the trailer for the soon-to-be released film, “Civil War,” written and directed by Alex Garland, I pondered the current state of political dysmorphia in which we find our country today. As if COVID had not been isolating enough, the constant redefinition of who belongs in America — and who doesn’t — is…
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So did “Love Is Blue,” “Cry Like A Baby” and “I Wish It Would Rain” … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 816 of The Daily Dirt. 1. It’s day four of our countdown of the best five years of pop music, all from the 1960s. Today the focus is on 1968.…
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The City of Quincy has again changed its employee benefits package regarding health insurance. The city will depart from the self-proclaimed “smartest man in the room”, Jim Baxter, in 2024 and begin a relationship with Gallagher Insurance Management. The switch is welcomed and greatly so by the city’s employees. The city also has decided to…
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Big names like Aretha, Tommy James and the Supremes help anchor today’s top 10 … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 816 of The Daily Dirt. 1. In yesterday’s post, I said 1966 was one of my favorite years in this 1965-69 countdown of the best five years in pop music. That…
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I agree with Brian Inman. The trend of “infilling” duplex housing into areas zoned as single-family homes is merely the government infringing on the homeownership right. The “trend” is progressing (although it is anything but progressive), and of course, the contractors just want to make money. It’s not their neighborhood. It’s not mine, either, but…
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There were lots of interesting songs and stories from this year, ranging from the Monkees to Steve Winwood to Levi Stubbs … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 815 of The Daily Dirt. 1. It’s day two of our countdown of the top songs from the best five years of pop music:…
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But “Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch” is not far behind … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 814 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Without question, my favorite period of pop music was 1965-69. Rock music was evolving from do-wop and other silliness, and disco was still a few years away. Today we start…
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How big has she become? Gannett has a reporter dedicated solely to anything and everything that is Taylor Swift … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 813 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Taylor Swift turned 34 a few days ago. At this time of the year when I was 34, I was…
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Ton any friend who might be reading this, I do not want any sort of diet book as a present … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 812 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Merchoid.com describes itself as “the online gift store for geeks,” but the website has provided us all with some…
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Daily Dirt for Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 If nothing else, we can thank the show for the “Eddie Haskell Syndrome” … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 811 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Unquestionably, one of the classic sitcoms in TV history was “Leave it to Beaver”. As a wee lad, I rarely…
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I had the privilege of attending the TIF Board annual meeting on Dec. 13 when representatives of the various taxing bodies got together and discussed the progress of the TIF districts currently in operation in the city. There are two, and another is to be proposed very soon. During the public comment section of the…
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From “They Died With Their Boots On” to “Say Hello to My Little Friend,” these giants of the silver screen represent the best of the best … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 810 of The Daily Dirt. 1. If you’re regular reader of The Daily Dirt, I’m sure you’re aware of…
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W.C. Fields may have nailed the best overall philosophy concerning life. Be patient, just keep reading … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 809 of The Daily Dirt. 1. One of the favorite movie lines that until recently I thought belonged to the late John Wayne is, “Life is hard. It’s harder…
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I think Shohei Ohtani has knocked Taylor Swift from the top of the most-talked about list … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 808 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Several popular baseball sites have carried the following breakdown of Shohei Ohtani’s new 10-year, $700 million contract. Let’s just say Shohei won’t have…
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Darren Bailey likes the spotlight. Bailey, a Republican state senator from Xenia, made his bones by being one of the more adamant anti-COVID voices in Illinois during the pandemic. He was removed from a legislative session held in Springfield’s BOS Center, the downtown arena/exhibition hall, for not wearing a mask. He also sued the state…
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I want to chime in on the recent conversation on the Daily Muddy show between Brittany (Boll), Bob (Gough) and Bret Austin about the shortage of attorneys in Adams County. The issue with attorney shortages in small cities and rural areas goes beyond public defenders and state’s attorneys. In my experience as a young attorney,…
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There should be some sort of law against parents naming their kids such things as Diva Muffin and Moxie Crimefighter … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 807 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Today we conclude our look at what I feel were the top pop songs that are turning 30, 35…
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Roxette was one of the most underrated groups of the late 1980s and early 1990s … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 806 of The Daily Dirt. 1. It’s hard to believe it was 35 years ago we were all singing along to the following tunes, which I’ve ranked, of course, because…
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Daily Dirt for Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 The first three songs on today’s list should all be considered classics … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 805 of The Daily Dirt. 1. Today we start another three-part feature, this one about pop songs turning 30, 35 and 40 years old in 2023. Here’s…
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE: In honor of Steve’s 70th birthday I am hijacking the first part of this column. On behalf of Steve’s loyal readers and fans, thank you, Steve for providing us with your quirky, unique and sometimes baffling takes on the world. And now that you are a “Swiftie”, your star will continue to rise!…
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“Rockin’ Around the Chrismas Tree” takes spot spot on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 804 of The Daily Dirt. 1. This is really an amazing kind of story. I think anyone who is classified as a baby boomer — or whatever label represents the next…
Read Full Article Would it be fair — or an insult — to call Taylor Swift the modern-day Madonna? … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 803 of The Daily Dirt. 1. She’s now being called a global phenomenon, and it’s hard to argue that. Taylor Swift’s latest accolades are being named Time magazine’s “Person…
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Retailers may need to rethink starting the Christmas season so early … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 802 of The Daily Dirt. 1. I can remember seeing some stores in Quincy beginning to put up Christmas decorations and displays BEFORE Halloween. A bit too early, you say? I agree. And apparently…
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