Recently it has occurred to me that hotel housekeeping service personnel have lots of free time on their hands. To alleviate their boredom, I offer a simple solution: Come to my place. Last week I checked into one of Las…
Sports metaphors in politics have become a strange new qualification for public office. Apparently, if you’ve played, coached, or even interviewed someone holding a ball, you’re ready to legislate. Chicago’s brutally cold winter, I have managed to indulge my love…
Forgive the language used in this column. On second thought, don’t. I really don’t give an f-bomb. You see, I think it’s time we admit the f-bomb, or “eff,” has secured its place in normal everyday language. Not that there…
While perusing the list of celebrities we lost in 2025, I noticed a glaring omission. It wasn’t a person but an institution; one that created, or had a hand in creating, some of the names on that very list. Names…
Staying healthy in 2026 is going to require a dictionary. Or maybe a translator. I realized this recently while strolling through Santa Fe, New Mexico, known, appropriately, as “The City Different.” In between the dozens of art galleries, Pueblo-inspired architectural…
Picture this. It’s 9:07 a.m. on Day One of your annual meeting. The ballroom lights dim. A well-meaning executive clicks to Slide #1. Phones appear. Laptops open. Someone in the back quietly checks email “just for a second.” You didn’t…
Growing up, swimming was never my strong sport. Nonetheless, thanks to President Trump I demand World Aquatics, the swimming federation recognized by the International Olympics Committee, reward me for my exploits in the water. Or better yet, honor me for…
They sat before me on Thanksgiving morning in Mt. Prospect, IL; a group of all female naval cadets just six days away from completing basic training and awaiting whatever adventure the Navy has planned for them. They had made it…
When it comes to rating Chicago deep dish pizza, customers invariably point to the ingredients. Cheese gooey-ness, sauce thickness, crust firmness and quantity of toppings are frequently mentioned in online reviews or in conversations with visitors and fellow Chicagoans alike.…
I recently read there are approximately 2.3 billion Apple devices active worldwide — a figure that includes the five currently charging in various rooms of my home. But Apple, consider yourself warned: If you want that figure to fall to…
Twenty years ago, in my Little League coaching days, there was always that one kid on every sports team who, according to coaches, parents and random spectators, was destined for stardom. While other players looked for worms in the infield…
I sat on my living room floor, surrounded by an assortment of cables, screws, dowels and pressed wood shelves that would eventually form the printer stand I ordered online. I had one profanity-free thought. “Time to move to Georgia.” Recently…
It has always been my fantasy to enter a bar and announce that I will buy a drink for every patron. Most likely, this will only take place if I match all six Powerball numbers. However, after watching last weekend’s…
The thought immediately crossed my mind as I took my seat in the left field stands of Atlanta’s Truist Park, an area dubbed “Home Run Porch.” “I’d better be ready to catch a ball.” I was in the Peach State…
F. O’Mahony’s, a corner tavern nestled less than two blocks from my Chicago condominium, has served me well over the years. I’ve met old friends and encountered new ones during solo visits. Rarely have I failed to strike up conversations…