Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Every time you click on an Internet site–even those having nothing to do with e-commerce–you are taking the chance that some marketer or Web host will take the opportunity to gather personal information about you without your knowledge, says the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Betsy Lancefield knew early on that she didn’t want to live with a man before getting married. But then she fell in love with a man who wouldn’t consider marrying a woman he hadn’t already lived with. She was torn. So they compromised. “Six months into the relationship, we got engaged,” says Lancefield, 37. “He went to work in Indonesia for eight months, and when he returned, he moved in with me. My family and friends were excited when we got engaged, but then when they heard we hadn’t set a date, they were sort of let down.”
Imagine finding strangers sitting on your lawn chairs, drinking beer and scarfing down sandwiches on your deck. You’d ask them to leave, right? Now imagine them telling you where to go. “Rude goes way beyond slamming a door in someone’s face or flipping them off on the highway,” says 48-year-old Wrigleyville resident Mike Porcaro, whose property has often been besieged by rowdy Cubs fans. “I had to chain my barbecue pit on the deck because people felt compelled to open the lid to look inside, as if they were going to find the Holy Grail or a mini-Sammy Sosa.”
All eyes may not be on George W. Bush at Saturday’s inauguration–not with his photogenic daughters, Barbara and Jenna, sharing the spotlight. The 19-year-old twins have enlisted Texas-born designer Lela Rose to create their outfits for their dad’s big day.
Disney is suffering a bad spell of congestion. The crush of holiday visitors forced Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., to suspend ticket sales Thursday for the third time this week. The park took the action in the morning, planning to resume sales. But sales still were halted at dusk.The amusement park also stopped selling tickets Wednesday and on Christmas Day, spokesman Tom Brocato said.This is the first time it has done this in four years.
“My mother came over to the United States from China in 1947,” said art dealer Elaine Kwan. “She brought a big steamer trunk full of dresses. But when she went to college in Minnesota, she didn’t have any use for them and just kind of forgot about them. I never really had the opportunity to get real, tailored Chinese dresses made, so when I came across this trunk, I couldn’t believe my luck. I fit perfectly into them.
Sure, everyone loves the holidays. But if the preparations and chores surrounding the season to be jolly make you want to spit out, “Bah humbug!” simmer down. There are plenty of people who’ll provide services to make your holiday that much easier. For a price, of course.
Back in the late 1940s, Wayne F. Miller was quietly documenting the South Side Bronzeville neighborhood with his expressive photographs. He didn’t play favorites. He shot–with equal enthusiasm–the city’s stockyards, steel mills, churches, nightclubs, celebrities and street scenes.
Whether it’s delicate houndstooth or bold tartan, plaid is back and it’s making a high-fashion statement. Forget the image of Steve Martin in a mismatched plaid, polyester suit on “Saturday Night Live.” Today’s plaid is showing up in shoes and handbags, as well as skirts and tops.
Forget about 1,000 points of light. Michigan Avenue will glow with a million holiday lights when the ninth annual Magnificent Lights Festival kicks into gear Saturday.