All you rowdy sugar tax haters: Why weren't you P-Oed over the gas tax?

All you rowdy sugar tax haters: Why weren't you P-Oed over the gas tax?
A lot of people had their panties in a bunch over Tony Preckwinkle’s Cook County sweetened beverage tax or, as it was generally known: sugar tax. Chicagonow blogger Bonnie McGrath, called it “wrong-headed, stupid, hypocritical, annoying, thieving, inconsistent, phony, unfair, asinine and just plain dumb.” The tax, which was extremely unpopular, was eventually repealed. Me? I didn’t... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
June 10, 2019 at 3:33 pm
• 1 comment

I googled my symptoms and diagnosed myself. Let this be a lesson for you

I googled my symptoms and diagnosed myself. Let this be a lesson for you
About three weeks ago, I woke up with pain on the bottom of my right foot. Really bad pain. I couldn’t walk on it without wincing. There was no “OH NO!” moment when I knew I had injured it. There was nothing I could potentially boast about– no ski accident, no marathon injury, no hike... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
June 4, 2019 at 4:39 pm
• 2 comments

A story about the goodness of mankind. Why? Because we need one right now

A story about the goodness of mankind. Why? Because we need one right now
I just read Mary Smich’s uplifting column about a woman who lost her purse on the “L” and got her bag back with everything still in it. The first thing I thought about after reading it is: We really, really need stories like this right now. With all the horrible stories in the news, especially,... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
May 18, 2019 at 2:46 pm
• 1 comment
Advertisement:

Dear Father Pfleger: It's not OK to welcome a hatemonger to your church

Dear Father Pfleger: It's not OK to welcome a hatemonger to your church
Dear Father Pfleger: Over the years, I’ve heard an array of opinions about you. Some people, especially members of your church, St. Sabina, love and admire you. Others aren’t so crazy about you, having described you an attention seeker and a fraud. Me? I was in your corner. But those days are over. How can... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
May 11, 2019 at 2:28 pm
• 7 comments

AJ is gone. We must do better by his little brother Parker

AJ is gone. We must do better by his little brother Parker
I can’t stop thinking about the incredibly short, incredibly sad life of AJ Freund. The horrific images displayed on the nightly TV news are on rewind in my brain.  The piles of rotting garbage. The dog feces. The mouse droppings on and around AJ’s bed. The cavalier way his father, Andrew Freund, stood in front... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
May 6, 2019 at 1:45 pm
• 2 comments

What's up with Niles West High School graduates dominating the news?

What's up with Niles West High School graduates dominating the news?
Is there something in the water fountains at Niles West High School in Skokie? In the dead of night, does an engineer spritz a PR spray into the air in the classrooms or sprinkle magical media dust on the text books? I’m pretty sure none of the above is happening, but it is getting more and... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
April 15, 2019 at 2:48 pm
• Leave a comment
Advertisement:

Seven wild and wooly theories why Jussie Smollett got off practically scot-free

Seven wild and wooly theories why Jussie Smollett got off practically scot-free
Make no mistake. I don’t know anything more than you do about why charges against Jussie Smollett were suddenly dropped and he got off with a slap on the wrist after allegedly faking a hate crime. While there are many more important stories in Chicago, the Jussie Smollett case has grabbed Chicagoans–and the nation–by the... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
March 31, 2019 at 9:59 am
• 4 comments

B. Smith has Alzheimer's disease. Her husband has a girlfriend. I'm okay with it.

B. Smith has Alzheimer's disease. Her husband has a girlfriend. I'm okay with it.
In case you don’t know who B. Smith is, for a while there, she was the “It” woman. A former model, B. eventually became a highly respected restaurateur, cookbook author, entrepreneur and lifestyle expert. I don’t think it would be wrong to describe her as a black Martha Stewart. Smith’s star was rising fast with nowhere to... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
March 4, 2019 at 3:50 pm
• 2 comments

10 things I liked about the polar vortex

10 things I liked about the polar vortex
Okay, before you have me committed or send any verbal fisticuffs my way, let me explain.  I didn’t like the frigid temperatures. I didn’t like worrying about whether the furnace would break down or the pipes would burst (Thankfully, neither occurred). I hated the idea that people had to work outside under ungodly conditions, mostly... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
February 1, 2019 at 1:33 pm
• 2 comments
Advertisement:

Sometimes you aim to be the best. Sometimes you just want not to suck

Sometimes you aim to be the best. Sometimes you just want not to suck
  It was a frigid, finger-numbing night, business as usual for Chicago in January. But this evening I did something highly unusual: I went to the first meeting of a community chorus group. I went there, not to listen to music, but to sing. This wasn’t just something outside the box for me. It was... Read more »
By Judy Marcus,
January 24, 2019 at 11:32 am
• 3 comments