Under/outerwear

Since when did underwear become outerwear?

In Control?

Think you're in control? Then obviously you've never sat in a basement at work, nervously trying to call your family while the tornado sirens go off.

Following Books

The books on being a good leader are legion. We need a few more on being a good follower.

Renters

Ownership is an illusion. We're all renters.

Weaknesses

Knowing your weaknesses is at least as important as knowing your strengths.

Snow Day

Some big storms tore through the Chicago area yesterday, knocking out power and knocking over many trees. As a result, my kids get the day off from school, thereby enjoying the earliest "snow day" ever.

Flood Zone

Floods are covering large sections of the Midwest today. Meanwhile, top Democratic strategists are huddling to figure out an answer to the most important question: How do we blame the Republicans?

Rules for Living

No. 482: If you must be an egomaniac, make sure you have the talent to back it up.

Hasta La Vista, Baby

Elvira Arellano, who was holed up in a Methodist church in Chicago for the last year while defying this country's immigration laws, has finally been deported-once again-to Mexico. Next time, get your papers in order.

Signs of Fall

You know summer is over in Chicago when the blocking sleds are out, back-to-school sales are in full swing, and the the Chicago public schools chief is making the church rounds begging the kids to be there the first day.

Thin Line

There is a thin line between counterintuitive and stupid.

Older People

When I was a young kid, I assumed that the older people I saw and knew had always been old, and that they accepted without question their advanced age and were OK with it. I also unquestioningly believed I would stay young forever. The twin concepts of aging and death were foreign to me. But not now, especially as I slowly become one of those "older people."

New School Year Math

"Free" public education has never been less free. Back to school has always been big business, as frantic (and eager) parents snap up lunch boxes, pencils, clothes, shoes, and so on before sending little Johnny or Janie back to the education "experts." A recent survey says spending costs parents with two children in school between $700 and $1,245 during this annual rite of passage.

At my kids' schools, parents are even expected to buy tissues, scissors, gluesticks, etc.-a lot of stuff they provided when I was a student. And we don't live in a poor district. Yet the schools are always crying poor, asking for tax increases to keep the school doors open. Maybe it's the new math, but something doesn't add up.

"Made in China"

Mattel is recalling 9 million more toys with the "Made in China" label. Hey, Beijing, what part of "no lead paint" don't you understand? Personally, I don't think America needs any more new toys anyway. I'll be happy to clean out my garage and family room for anyone who wants our old ones.

Where's Ralph?

Well, the space shuttle is having trouble once again with-you guessed it-its tiles. Haven't we been down this road before? Apparently some insulating foam tore into the tiles, leaving a dangerous three-inch gash. Here's an idea: Why not make the foam soft and the tiles hard?

Here's another idea: Let's stop sending these old birds aloft. They are unsafe at any speed. If they were an automobile, they would have been recalled decades ago. Where is Ralph Nader when you need him?

Culture of Death?

Although African Americans constitute only about 13 percent of the U.S. population, they are about half of all murder victims. This sad news comes from the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics. The statistic I didn't find was what percentage of those who murdered blacks were themselves black. Undoubtedly the number is depressingly high. The African American community-if that's what we can call it-is in dire straits indeed.

Computer Curse

If you don't believe in the Curse, you have never worked with computers.

The Feldco Guy

Does anyone else find the Feldco guy a bit creepy?

Sex and Kids

A study published last week on reasons people choose to have sexual relations turned up at least one interesting finding: Having children was not listed among the top 50 reasons.

Don't sex and pregnancy go together? I guess with the Pill and abortion, not so much. Instead, sex becomes merely an expression of love, physical desire, or self-fulfillment, instead of the other-directed act that it has been for untold millennia. That can't be healthy.

Fairness

There's nothing more fair than 24 hours in a day.