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John Kass has covered a variety of topics since arriving at the Chicago Tribune in 1983.
The son of a Greek immigrant grocer, Kass was born ...
Wrana photos document loss of life, loss of dignity
April 24, 2014
John Wrana was already bleeding to death, but he didn't know it. He would die several hours later.
No time for cowards — let's talk about race, America
April 23, 2014
When it comes to race in America, the last thing I'd want is to be considered a coward.
A roasted lamb celebrates end of a hard journey
April 20, 2014
At a recent breakfast with readers, a young mother came up and quietly asked me about Easter and lamb.
Texting drivers deserve more than a fine
April 18, 2014
The other day I saw something happen on the road.
'Babe Ruth's Called Shot' about baseball, myth
April 17, 2014
It was the most stupendous home run in the history of baseball, and it happened right here in Chicago.
Kass: Obama shouldn't embrace race-rousing Sharpton
April 16, 2014
It was disappointing the other day to see President Barack Obama embracing the vulgar race hustler Al Sharpton.
Quinn out for blood in 1st bout with Rauner
April 13, 2014
Watching Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn with Republican Bruce Rauner in their first debate late last week before the Illinois Education Association, in the first round of what promises to be a bloody, seven-month political fight, I got a good look at Gov. Infighter.
Kass: In the buffet line, it's women who pay the price
April 11, 2014
Of all the political jabbering offered up in the gender pay debate, the most important question was asked, naturally, by a woman.
What looks like murder to mom doesn't appear so to police
April 10, 2014
While cops and reporters spar, a West Side mother grieves.
Can conservatives be fixed scientifically?
April 9, 2014
Kass: I finally have been diagnosed; I am a conservative
To spoil or not to spoil, that is the question
April 6, 2014
"Game of Thrones," the epic drama of treachery, naked political ambition and those awesome dragons, is coming back for its fourth season on HBO. So here's a question for the show's millions of fans:
Kass: Grown-up grilled cheese leaves singles behind
April 4, 2014
Since April is National Grilled Cheese Month, I've wheedled and begged killer grilled cheese recipes from readers. But the first one must come from Bill the Dude.
Courts come down on Wrana shooter
April 3, 2014
John Wrana survived World War II and lived almost 96 years on this earth.
Suburban officer charged in 95-year-old's death
April 2, 2014
An officer was charged this morning in the police killing of 95-year-old John Wrana, the World War II veteran who was fatally shot with beanbag rounds in his apartment at a south suburban senior facility last year.
Soon stone will mark slain boy's grave
April 2, 2014
A cemetery has many gravestones, but not every grave is marked. Some are merely blank spaces in the grass.
Moutza nominees: A snowbird, bromancers and an unconscious couple
March 30, 2014
Beware the Moutza of March, a hand sign as final as the grave.
Quinncome tax bears down on sleeping taxpayers
March 28, 2014
The Democratic bosses who run things with a perpetual smirk on their faces, and their hapless frontman Gov. Patrick Quinn, just slapped hardworking taxpayers in the mouth.
College football ruling should have schools scared
March 27, 2014
After decades of making piles of treasure by exploiting college football players, college presidents must be ripping their hair out over the big National Labor Relations Board ruling.
Mark Kirk's political bromance with Dick Durbin
March 26, 2014
Will someone please explain the political bromance between Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin?
If we raise minimum wage, why stop at $10 an hour?
March 23, 2014
When President Barack Obama and other Chicago Democrats talked about raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour, at first I didn't believe them.
Readers talk Polar Plunge, Indiana and the Obama library
March 21, 2014
Stephen Baranyk and his wife, Susie Baranyk, drove some 200 miles, from Indianapolis to Naperville, on Thursday to tell me something important in front of hundreds of perfect strangers.
Democrats use optics in first salvo in class war
March 20, 2014
Wednesday's dueling unity outings offer a taste of what's to come.
Quinn vs. Rauner: Let the class war begin
March 20, 2014
What will the campaign for governor of Illinois look like between liberal Democrat Gov. Pat Quinn and Republican businessman Bruce Rauner?
Oberweis isn't ready to face Durbin
March 16, 2014
I'm no specialist in rare political disorders, but I did make an amazing scientific discovery late last week in the Illinois Republican primary for the U.S. Senate.
In the cheese wars, call me traitor
March 14, 2014
With so much uncertainty in the world, it's upsetting to see American politicians, backed by cheesy special interests, trying to start a war with Europe.
Jimmy Snowbird flies the coop ahead of primary
March 13, 2014
Jim "Snowbird" Oberweis, one of two Illinois Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate, made news when voters learned he was in sunny Florida, just as a snowstorm was about to hit Chicago.
Annoying people: There ought to be a law
March 12, 2014
It's clear that Americans are irritated by some of our annoying, stupid, idiotic laws.
In Illinois Republican primary, no white knights
March 9, 2014
It's just too bad that Illinois is not some magical land in a knightly tale of high adventure, with wood nymphs, demons and wizards of great virtue.
CNN's mythmakers give Rahm a big hug
March 7, 2014
Is the CNN series "Chicagoland" a compelling look at this town?
CPS social worker still mourns loss of Niazi Ryan Banks, 12
March 6, 2014
Not every child can be saved.
Putin may have bested Obama on Ukraine
March 5, 2014
As he seeks to rebuild the Russian empire, strongman Vladimir Putin has developed a terribly obnoxious habit.
Hey judges, 'tis of thee I moutza
March 2, 2014
Samuel Francis Smith knew nothing about the February Moutza of the Month award that we solemnly bestow today.
Beard transplants killed the Hipster
February 28, 2014
The Hipster is dead.
Kass: Pepper and egg a sandwich for all seasons
February 27, 2014
Chicago lays claim to many of the world's great inventions: the controlled nuclear chain reaction, open-heart surgery and softball. And though we didn't invent political corruption, we certainly refined it as art.
Hillary's only obstacle is a guy named Bill
February 26, 2014
You probably won't believe this, but I aim to help Hillary Clinton fulfill her destiny and rule the world.
Oh, the things I missed while in Sochi
February 23, 2014
Flying back from the Sochi Olympics took forever, including an excruciating nine-hour layover at the Moscow airport, where there was nothing much to do but overdose on caffeine and walk outside to watch the drunks falling off benches in the cold fog.
Mandell sings old 'never in a gazillion years' song
February 21, 2014
At first, up there on the federal witness stand Thursday, testifying in his own defense, Steve Mandell didn't come off as some deadly former Chicago cop with Outfit ties and a torture chamber equipped with meat cleavers and good drainage.
While Sochi shines, Ukraine burns
February 20, 2014
When I landed in Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics to watch Vladimir Putin weave his public relations tapestry, stitching the old Russia to his allegedly new Russia, an email was waiting on my phone.
Dasvidaniya, Sochi, you're beautiful
February 13, 2014
SOCHI, Russia — There are two things I probably forgot to mention about my time here at the Winter Olympics in Russia.
'My daughter? She's an Olympian'
February 12, 2014
— Sitting and chatting with families of world champion athletes like U.S. nordic skier Kikkan Randall, hoping for Winter Olympics gold, isn't what I usually do for a living.
New star born on Olympic ice
February 11, 2014
Once I had this crazy idea that sport on ice couldn't really be considered sport unless it involved certain equipment.
John Kass: A flickering flame of faith in Sochi's oldest Orthodox church
February 10, 2014
— About the only difficulty I've encountered here, wandering alone, far from the official Winter Olympics staging grounds, has been my inability to speak Russian.
Kass: 'Tell me about American girls, please'
February 9, 2014
— The giant-screen TV in the small park near the train station wasn't there the night of the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics because, a functionary in the Ministry of Culture told me, "there have been changes."
Thoughts on Stuffed Stalin and the stuff of strongmen
February 7, 2014
— The opening ceremony of any modern Olympic Games is about great pageantry — the host nation telling its story in staged tableaus to a worldwide television audience — and Russian strongman Vladimir Putin is already a master.
A Russian bath without the beating?
February 6, 2014
— One of the first things I wanted to do in Sochi was meet the locals, since most Russians at the 2014 Winter Olympics aren't from this quaint resort town on the Black Sea.
So what is there to do in Sochi? I'm about to find out.
February 4, 2014
— What do you do in Sochi?
Christie wins something; and it's not the White House
February 2, 2014
Kass: This month's Moutza, like revenge, is a dish best served cold
Report: Cop shot at veteran John Wrana 5 times with beanbag rounds
January 31, 2014
The official Illinois State Police report on the death of 95-year-old John Wrana at the hands of Park Forest police in July remains unreleased, but I have just seen a copy.
State's attorney, someone, needs to take stand on WWII veteran's death
January 30, 2014
It's been more than a month since Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez received the Illinois State Police report on the killing of John Wrana.
Wanton Scarfists brave frostbite for the sake of fashion
January 29, 2014
As we battle subzero temperatures here in Chicago, it's clear that there are the two distinct groups of humans:
The State of the Union is: We need Hillary now
January 26, 2014
It's sad, yes, but America probably hasn't fully grasped the terrifying truth about President Barack Obama's upcoming State of the Union speech.
Super Bowl Language Police. Are you ready for some football?
January 24, 2014
In the never-ending Super Bowl soap opera starring Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, I'm having a hard time deciding which is worse:
Deeds, not words, are what's needed from church hierarchy now
January 23, 2014
When stories surface of children being sexually abused, most parents have two responses: horror and avoidance.
One day they'll ask: What was privacy?
January 22, 2014
The post-apocalyptic sci-fi stories I liked best as a boy weren't space operas on distant planets, involving warlike aliens who (weirdly enough) spoke guttural English, as if they were KGB officers in some action movie.
Family photo points to importance of governor's race
January 19, 2014
Kass: Your kids aren't paying attention to the governor's race, but the politicians aren't talking to them anyway; just leveraging their futures.
Nothing says American commerce like good creepy TV commercials
January 17, 2014
Kass: In the world of memorable TV ads, not all creepy is bad.
How can we stop parks from going to the dogs?
January 16, 2014
The promise of dog owners to care for dog parks means little in Chicago.
'Lone Survivor' is realistic about this: We owe these heroes a debt
January 15, 2014
I wasn't eager about seeing "Lone Survivor," the new hit film about four U.S. Navy SEALs forced to fight a terrible and heroic battle of impossible odds against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Clean hitting put the Big Hurt in Hall of Fame
January 12, 2014
The house was quiet, the kids were out, and Betty and I were alone, like in the old days, watching the White Sox on TV.
Chris Christie for president? Fuggedaboutit.
January 10, 2014
If New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie thinks he can be elected president after his George Washington Bridge scandal, I have a word for him:
Let's make a federal case out of dibs
January 9, 2014
Each year after a heavy Chicago snow, a few mean-spirited trolls and left-wing radicals want to deny me the title of Judge Dibs.
Do you really want the government in your bathtub?
January 8, 2014
What if you woke after a night of uneasy dreams to find a strange man standing in your bathtub?
Mayoral tan? Bali Hai Mayor Rahmfather
January 7, 2014
Nice tan, Mr. Mayor!
A very Kass Christmas greeting
December 24, 2013
For all the children who should be loved always, but especially on this wondrous night, with our arms around them and a long good-night kiss on the temple, a kiss more precious than anything wrapped in a box.
For blue-card scammers, the jig will be up soon
December 22, 2013
If you have one of those blue disabled driver placards hanging from your rearview mirror, listen up.
Chicago cops haven't forgotten little Peanut Banks
December 20, 2013
The bullets found Nazia "Peanut" Banks while he was running, just as he was about to climb the steps of his home on an unseasonably hot spring night.
Putting Obamacare on Christmas dinner menu
December 19, 2013
There's nothing quite like being asked to coerce your children in the name of Obama, especially during Christmas dinner. But at least the barackobama.com/talk Web page shows you how.
Confessions of a mall-adjusted Christmas shopper
December 18, 2013
In those brightly festooned American shopping malls full of stress and anxiety, I am the person you least expect.
Review of police beanbag shooting taking too long
December 15, 2013
It's been about five months since police shot 95-year-old John Wrana down, with multiple shotgun beanbag rounds to the stomach, after they tased him in the nursing home.
Bambi's got nothing on Midwest deer drama
December 14, 2013
Charlotte's all grown up now.
Kass: 5 years later, piecing together players of Operation Board Games
December 12, 2013
This is the time for Christmas lists — which elves have been naughty, which ones have been nice and which ones have skipped along the Chicago Way without doing hard time.
Pattern developing for President Selfie
December 11, 2013
There are many ways to remember President Barack Obama's appearance at South Africa's memorial for Nelson Mandela.
We'll stop you, Rena -- and your little dog too
December 8, 2013
Rena Church, the public art director for the city of Aurora, is a nice, pleasant person. And she has a cute, tiny dog, a Chihuahua mix named Rula.
He raised his voice for tolerance, not his fist for revenge
December 6, 2013
It wasn't the 27 years Nelson Mandela spent in prison that was most significant.
Kass: In the name of humanity, avoid Newtown tapes
December 5, 2013
In an act of mass self-brutalization, Americans reached for their computers Wednesday to summon the sounds of murder.
Something south of cheese in the state of Illinois
December 5, 2013
Watching Illinois politicians brag about how they reformed the state pension mess — actually pretending they cured the same deadly infection that they caused years ago — I had an odd thought.
Give thanks for early moutza
November 24, 2013
Don't you dare flash your open palm at me. Put that hand down.
Libraries are for free books, not free porn
November 22, 2013
There's nothing like taking some family time at the local public library when the kids are out of school during the holidays.
The Great and Terrible O vs. marinated geezer racists
November 20, 2013
Oprah Winfrey figures that old people marinated in racism should just die.
Illinois tornadoes: Out of loss comes love
November 19, 2013
The love letter didn't come to Anne Ortman in a bottle.
Hubris has a way of ruining grand designs
November 17, 2013
Somewhere deep in the mind of President Barack Obama, way back where it's safe and warm, the man must be seeking refuge in memories of happier days.
The Billy Goat is authentic Chicago
November 15, 2013
Kass: Tortured Wisconsin man proves that women actually snore
November 14, 2013
What happens when a man who hates the sound of snoring women just can't take it anymore?
Kass: Tortured Wisconsin man proves that women actually snore
November 14, 2013
What happens when a man who hates the sound of snoring women just can't take it anymore?
Kass: Tortured Wisconsin man proves that women actually snore
November 14, 2013
Benjamin Duddles of Waukesha, Wis., doesn't like women who snore.
In first appearance with Vallas, Quinn wins the stress test
November 13, 2013
About a half-hour before Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and his new running mate, Paul Vallas, met the rest of the media Tuesday, they became subjects in an experiment:
Vallas is no second banana
November 10, 2013
Can Paul Vallas possibly play second banana?
Toronto mayor says he's embarrassed; what about Chicago?
November 8, 2013
When it comes to the antics of mayors, why does Toronto have all the fun and Chicago is left in the dust?
How Chicago bosses gave fiscal bone cancer to a beautiful city
November 7, 2013
For years, and much to the anger of Obamaites and media Hopium smokers, I've engaged in a corrosive and cynical exercise:
Kass: Death of a public man provides a private regret
November 6, 2013
A few minutes after legendary Chicago chef Charlie Trotter died Tuesday at age 54, two conflicting notions came to mind.
Kass: Source says WWII vet was shot 2 or more times with beanbag round
November 1, 2013
How many times did Park Forest police blast 95-year-old John Wrana in the guts with a beanbag round fired from a riot shotgun?
Kass: Cook County source says WWII vet shot 2 or more times with beanbag round
November 1, 2013
How many times did Park Forest police blast 95-year-old John Wrana in the guts with a beanbag round fired from a riot shotgun?
Moutza wheel spins on hot air of the indispensable
October 31, 2013
When Moutza of the Month comes around, there aren't enough digits on the hands of my loyal readers to handle all the possibilities.
Here's a sign of the end days: Sexy dog costumes
October 30, 2013
With Halloween almost here, you're probably on the lookout for truly terrifying costumes.
Little Bike People get a chance to spin their wheels in outrage
October 27, 2013
Ah, the Little Bike People are angry. They think I mock them, but really, I like them. Really.
Sen. Bullhead from Illinois is hooked on outrage
October 25, 2013
Outrage drove Captain Ahab relentlessly after that great white whale, and apparently, it drives Sen. Dick Durbin too.
Dig into your spandex shorts, Little Bike People
October 24, 2013
A Chicago alderman has come up with a great idea that every taxpayer — except the Little Bike People — will love:
Kass: Rauner's 'outsider' stance amusing to Dillard
October 23, 2013
Kirk Dillard, the state senator from Hinsdale, has finally taken the gloves off with Bruce Rauner, the gazillionare businessman, in their Republican race for governor.
As high school sports end, parents hoarding time with their kids
October 20, 2013
All across America, well over a million teenage athletes are coming to the end of their fall seasons — in football, cross country, girls tennis, field hockey, boys soccer and other sports.
A compromise to rename all NFL teams
October 18, 2013
With the Chicago Bears visiting Washington to play the Redskins on Sunday, President Barack Obama should just cancel the game as a hate crime.
Spiders, unfortunately, act all too human
October 17, 2013
As our politicians in Washington stopped devouring each other for just a few days, I decided to reach out to an expert.
Please forgive me, Steve Bartman
October 16, 2013
Please forgive me, Steve Bartman.
More pressing than the shutdown: What will Boehner be for Halloween?
October 13, 2013
House Speaker John Boehner and his friends, the establishment Republicans in the Senate, are desperate to cut a deal with President Barack Obama.
Dominick's closings will mean more than empty storefronts
October 11, 2013
The news that 72 Dominick's supermarkets are going out of business in the Chicago area is, to some, purely a business story. But this one is about more than spreadsheets and accounting programs.
Wise men recall how 'elevator men know their building'
October 9, 2013
Capitol Hill elevator operators have long had to endure a terrible indignity: politicians staring at the backs of their defenseless heads.
Catholic Charities rejects Kuma donation, but another donor steps up
October 8, 2013
A new donor has pledged $1,500 to Catholic Charities to replace a similar sum rejected from Kuma's Corner, the heavy metal bar/burger joint that outraged Christians by serving a burger topped with a Communion wafer.
Kass: Catholic Charities won't accept donation from Kuma's
October 7, 2013
Catholic Charities said today it would not accept a $1,500 donation that a local restaurant has offered amid controversy over its new burger, which mocks the sacred Christian sacrament of Holy Communion.
Does Chicago 'value' anti-Catholic gimmicks?
October 6, 2013
Just as I was thinking about getting a great, thick, juicy burger — but one without any condiments that mock the sacred Christian sacrament of Holy Communion — a truly weird thing happened:
President Obama should go moron hunting
October 3, 2013
President Barack Obama obviously has a lot on his mind.
Moutza pool as deep as a bottle of muscatel
October 2, 2013
Readers are rather philosophical about the Moutza of the Month.
Autopsy report pushes John Wrana probe forward
October 1, 2013
The state's investigation into the police killing of 95-year-old John Wrana can now officially proceed, with the release of the long-awaited Cook County medical examiner's postmortem report.
Legislators will get paid, but they may pay a price
September 29, 2013
It's too early to say Pat Quinn will be re-elected as governor of Illinois, especially after a week in which he lost his big court fight with the legislature.
Geezer zombies, coming to a reality near you
September 27, 2013
"Geezer Zombies Devouring the Young" should be the biggest Hollywood hit of all time.
As cool as the glass eyes in a stuffed elk head
September 25, 2013
In the minutes before his sentencing at the Dirksen Federal Building on Wednesday morning, Chicago pol Bill Beavers didn't blubber like so many others who had gone before him.
'Jacket' of guilt for 13-person shooting tailor-made in boot camp
September 25, 2013
I don't know what they call it in other towns when the blame comes down, but in Chicago, we have a word for it.
Kass: Does Mayor Rahmfather have the answers?
September 22, 2013
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, ruler of the murder capital of the United States, would often open his news conferences with a wisecrack:
'Use-of-force spectrum' lacking in Wrana death Medical experts weigh in on issues in Wrana case
September 19, 2013
John Wrana's family held a news conference in Chicago the other day, wondering if they'll ever get answers as to why police killed the 95-year-old World War II veteran.
When politicians misuse words: Oh, the enormity!
September 19, 2013
It took a Chicago guy named Daley to honestly assess the "enormity" of American politics.
Daley departure breathes new energy into Republican race
September 18, 2013
Some Illinois Democrats might be suffering from Bill Daley Withdrawal Syndrome, but his exit from the race for governor does one thing:
'How many guys does it take to restrain a 95-year-old man?'
September 15, 2013
Shuffling the deck, dealing the cards, the seniors play pinochle and gin rummy at least once a week. The other day, chatting and kibitzing, they remembered a friend who was gone.
Season of ideal BLT is brief, luscious, tasty
September 13, 2013
Is there anything more classically American than the perfect bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich?
Kass: Lessons of 9/11 surround us, keep their eyes on us
September 13, 2013
What have we learned about our country, about ourselves, in the 12 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks? And what have we given up in those years, through manipulation and fear?
Kass: Syrian Christians largely ignored in debate over U.S. intervention
September 11, 2013
As President Barack Obama pushes to keep his military options open in Syria, we hear of many sides in that brutal war.
Kass: As Obama stumbles on Syria, his allies doggedly spin
September 8, 2013
Dogs aren't as beloved in Syria as they are here.
Rahmfather grounds Midway deal as his pilot feels the heat
September 5, 2013
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has worked for years to be seen as the smartest guy in the room, the guy with the answers and the plans and the ruthless inside moves.
Tough to beat Hitler card at Moutza table
September 5, 2013
The moutzes of September are already flying as high as Raytheon stock while President Barack Obama considers sending Tomahawk cruise missiles toward Syria, at a reported cost of about a million dollars apiece.
Kass: Late summer musings turn to bears
August 25, 2013
There's something about sitting on the steps out back and opening a cold can of beer at the end of summer.
Kass: Taxpayers: The heat is on us
August 22, 2013
There's nothing quite like inserting a can of beer into a chicken while you're contemplating how politicians treat us taxpayers.
Ex-Bear wants different path for only son
August 22, 2013
Former Chicago Bear Anthony "Spice" Adams played nine seasons in the National Football League as a defensive tackle. He loves football — both playing it and talking about it.
Egg on Rahm's face in comptroller scandal
August 21, 2013
For a man who cultivates the aura of a guy who knows everything, Mayor Rahm Emanuel didn't know all that much in the matter of Amer Ahmad.
Vet killed by cops should have been celebrating 96th birthday
August 18, 2013
John Wrana, just shy of his 96th birthday, was angry and agitated.
Does this idea have a leg to stand on?
August 16, 2013
If there's one steaming pile of aggravation in our big American cities, it's that pesky transportation issue.
Forget the tears — the Jacksons know they got off easy
August 15, 2013
It's obvious there was much drama in the courtroom as Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, Sandi, waited to be sentenced in the theft of $750,000 from his campaign fund.
Kass: There's little 'fiction' in latest sci-fi thriller ... and yes, it's political
August 13, 2013
Matt Damon, who recently announced his breakup with President Barack Obama, is downplaying the heavy-handed politics in "Elysium," his new sci-fi summer action movie.
Ft. Hood shooter just as self-destructive as before
August 11, 2013
"The evidence will clearly show that I am the shooter," said U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, representing himself at his court-martial last week, discussing his role as the gunman at the 2009 Fort Hood massacre.
Bros filling the void — with 'My Little Pony'
August 9, 2013
The last thing I want to do is enrage thousands of young men across America who like to dress up in purple pony costumes.
Kass: How would you like that in vitro burger?
August 7, 2013
In the hideous and foreseeable future, let's consider a columnist who loves to barbecue.
Cicero festival promises safe 'normal bulls,' but here's a better idea
August 7, 2013
All folks wanted to talk about was the big "running of the bulls" event proposed in Cicero, as promoters dream about "recreating" the Spanish festival of San Fermin popularized by Ernest Hemingway.
Baseball isn't America's perfect game anymore — and no one is surprised
August 4, 2013
What happened to baseball?
Kass: Was police killing of 95-year-old necessary?
August 2, 2013
When John Wrana was a young man, fit and strong and fighting in World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corps, did he ever think he'd end this way?
Have a big apple and also a Nah!
August 1, 2013
Is New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner too perverted to appreciate receiving the coveted Moutza of the Month for July?
Don't look: Boss Madigan is playing the victim
July 31, 2013
Of all the people who've been victims of raw political power in this corrupt state, I bet there's one name you never expected to see:
A serial sexter stays in New York's mayoral race. What's next?
July 28, 2013
Sometime in the future, perhaps 10 years or so from now, candidates running for mayor of New York will look back on the Anthony Weiner saga and laugh and laugh.
Celebration for first responders' families
July 26, 2013
A special celebration will be held Sunday at Brookfield Zoo by an organization known to all cops, firefighters, paramedics and other first responders in the Chicago area.
Kass: Chicago has royal babies too
July 25, 2013
England has a new royal baby, Prince George.
Kass: Show some appreciation for the new prince
July 24, 2013
Royal baby haters.
President's Trayvon speech worthy of maestro
July 21, 2013
Watching President Barack Obama play the race card late last week in the matter of the Zimmerman trial reminded me that the guy from Chicago has truly amazing powers.
A competition where politicians could be fair game
July 19, 2013
Chicago lost the world-famous X Games and the $50 million in revenue it would bring to the host city. And to make it worse, Moody's announced this week that it slashed the city's bond rating, making borrowing even more costly.
Questions mount for Lisa Madigan and her father
July 18, 2013
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan thinks I put bad ideas into people's heads.
Don't cry for Princess Lisa. She'll be OK.
July 17, 2013
Poor Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Feel that sting? It's the power brokers slapping you
July 14, 2013
When human beings are slapped in the mouth, again and again, by a political class that laughs at them, at least one thing should happen.
Kass: Oh Lisa, save us!
July 12, 2013
Kass: Gov. Jell-O not so squishy after all
July 11, 2013
What does Jell-O look like as it grows a spine?
Kass: Taste of Kass is better than anything at 'Waste'
July 10, 2013
Hundreds of thousands of people should make it to the Taste of Chicago, but I won't be one of them.
Red-light cameras really going for the green
July 7, 2013
Our friends in politics say they're keeping us safe from the horrors of distracted driving.
Red-light cameras really going for the green
July 7, 2013
Our friends in politics say they're keeping us safe from the horrors of distracted driving.
Who dares try to slay the Golden Jet? Nah!
July 3, 2013
Our Founding Fathers would have loved the Moutza of the Month.
Will the Jacksons get a slap on the wrist, or will their heads be mounted?
June 30, 2013
The two stuffed elk heads of Chicago politics — former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, former Ald. Sandi Jackson — are scheduled for sentencing in their corruption and tax cases on July 3.
Crime fighters try a new way to uproot thugs and punks — weed out the flower pickers
June 28, 2013
With so much crime in the Chicago area, from murderous gangbangers to those thug mobs and everything in between, it's nice to know that law enforcement finally cracked down on Public Enemy No. 1:
Now that DOMA'S dead, will Obama and Clinton take fight to Illinois?
June 27, 2013
Surely the U.S. Supreme Court didn't wait for gay pride week to chop the Defense of Marriage Act into bits.
Blackhawks championship starts with the guy at the top
June 26, 2013
When they saw the Stanley Cup, the crowd of people on Michigan Avenue stretched out their arms and ran toward it as if it carried the waters of Lourdes.
Pitt's zombie flick mindless, bloodthirsty — and very political
June 23, 2013
The other day, I was walking out of "World War Z" — the big summer zombie movie with Brad Pitt — and I couldn't help but look at people and wonder:
Chock your mind full of useful wisdom with a Kassopedia
June 21, 2013
My friends, you have before you the ancient scrolls that contain the Kassopedia, Vol. V, a compendium of the world's knowledge.
The story of the political princess and the pea
June 20, 2013
Have you heard the fairy tale about the political princess and the pea?
For 2nd time, woman gives Chicago athlete 1-finger salute
June 19, 2013
The disturbing photographic evidence is, unfortunately, incontrovertible. It shows what appears to be a fearsomely vulgar new trend among East Coast female sports fans.
What to get for the political dad who has everything
June 16, 2013
What do political dads really want on Father's Day?
Rahmfather could have a lock on revenue from tradition of love
June 14, 2013
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration faces a monumental crisis.
Defending NSA spying puts GOP establishment on wrong side of debate
June 12, 2013
Yes, President Big Brother has been hurt by the National Security Agency domestic spying scandal.
President Big Brother says don't worry about federal spying
June 9, 2013
Last week, when Americans learned of a massive erosion of our freedom, also marked the 64th anniversary of the publication of George Orwell's "1984."
City has cutting response to love locks on bridges
June 7, 2013
In cities across the world, from Paris to Beijing, young lovers have developed a beautiful and wonderful tradition:
This guy wants to hurl a big wrench into the machine
June 6, 2013
Just minutes after his announcement Wednesday that he's running for governor in the Illinois Republican Party primary, gazillionaire businessman Bruce Rauner declared something.
The Madiganistan succession, or Illinois' own Game of Thrones
June 5, 2013
When you mix royal Illinois political houses, ambition, jealousy and power, what do you get?
In the latest Moutza match, one figure stands above the rest
June 2, 2013
The human hand can hold a violin, paintbrush, poet's pen, even a meat cleaver.
Who-will-play-Hillary question offers a convenient distraction from real issues
June 1, 2013
If actress Scarlett Johansson plays Hillary Rodham Clinton in "Rodham" — the much ballyhooed movie bio of the young Hillary — this is what will happen:
Ozzie wants to manage and someone should let him
May 30, 2013
In a perfect universe, with the White Sox and the Cubs playing a crosstown series, Ozzie Guillen would be sitting on the top of a dugout bench.
What would our war dead think of the freedom for which they died?
May 26, 2013
This weekend's Memorial Day proclamation from President Barack Obama was like so many other gracious sentiments commemorating America's war dead.
Mr. President: Save us from Xbox One
May 24, 2013
Though he's vowed to cut back on those drone attacks of his, President Barack Obama needs to launch the mother of drone attacks:
Awkward end paves way for Urlacher's great ending
May 23, 2013
Why did it take so long for Brian Urlacher to leave the game?
John Kass: Tornadoes sound like eerie silence — then evil
May 22, 2013
Does a killer tornado really sound like a freight train?
IRS scandal a reminder of how I learned about The Chicago Way
May 19, 2013
The Internal Revenue Service scandal now devouring the Obama administration — the outrageous use of the federal taxing authority to target tea party and other conservatives — certainly makes for meaty partisan politics.
Kass: Mayor's shell game should have taxpayers clutching their wallets
May 17, 2013
I've got a feeling that in some weird, alternate universe, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is making a decent living playing hide-the-pea.
D-Wade — and others — come up short when dressing up
May 16, 2013
Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade is leading millions of American men along the path of career destruction.
Proliferating scandals expose truth about Obama
May 15, 2013
Dogged by scandal, and with his press secretary presumably now curled up in the fetal position and breathing into a brown paper bag, it's obvious President Barack Obama is in need.
Why won't Emanuel talk about Mayor He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named?
May 12, 2013
One subject that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel never touches involves a legendary political figure:
It's hard to put a finger on why the Heat would tolerate its No. 1 fan
May 10, 2013
There is no way Chicago will ever allow Derrick Rose to play one second of basketball against the Miami Heat.
I hate to say it, cyclists, but the other bike shoe has just dropped
May 9, 2013
Don't be angry, Little Bike People of Chicago. Please don't be upset at what happened at City Hall on Wednesday.
How the unassimilated are transformed into terrorists
May 8, 2013
If you're the child of an immigrant, like me, or perhaps an immigrant yourself brought here as a child, you know what it's like to have one foot planted in the old world and the other planted in the new, in this amazing, sometimes frighteningly free American culture.
Lamb of God takes away the cares of the world
May 5, 2013
The first domesticated lamb turned over coals in Mesopotamia, literally the land "between rivers," some 10,000 years or so ago.
Lives lost mean 'Benghazi' should be more than a political buzzword
May 3, 2013
Mention the word "Benghazi" to Republicans, and chances are, they'll become eager, animated, even predatory, seeking weakness in President Barack Obama.
Wrigley Field would make a great coliseum
May 2, 2013
If Cubs owner Tom Ricketts actually made good on his threat to leave Wrigley Field for a more baseball-friendly neighborhood, what would be the best use of the site at Clark and Addison?
D.C. press competes with Tsarnaevs' mom for a Nah!
May 1, 2013
The U.S. Census Bureau reports there are some 316 million Americans, which translates to about 632 million human hands.
Is Chicago turning its back on D-Rose?
April 28, 2013
Is Chicago turning on Derrick Rose?
Going Mowgli? Just be careful where you step
April 26, 2013
The no-diapers movement is reportedly gathering great force in New York, where a cadre of hipster moms in SoHo and Brooklyn are trying to save the environment and let their little ones go free.
Judge did right thing by banning cellphones in courtrooms
April 25, 2013
Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans kept hearing complaints from his judges about street gangs in their courtrooms using cellphones to photograph witnesses.
American football industry is on its deathbed
April 24, 2013
With all that college beef on parade this week, the NFL draft is a wonder of sports marketing, a televised pageant for the multibillion-dollar American football industry.
Boston tragedy can't be packaged neatly for American audiences
April 21, 2013
If you're looking for the big speech about the Boston Marathon bombings and the motivations of the Tsarnaev brothers, wrapping it all up like a nice veal roast in white butcher paper, don't worry.
Backyard gardeners can grow apart from the busy world
April 19, 2013
It's not a garden yet, just the promise of a garden now, a large square of mud bordered by timbers to keep the dirt from washing out over the backyard grass.
Dear CNN: It's OK to say, 'We don't know'
April 18, 2013
Here's an idea for CNN, Fox News and all the other TV news shops running those ominous crawl lines under their breathless broadcasts of the Boston Marathon bombings.
In the world of acts, the urge to help overwhelms
April 17, 2013
There is the world of acts and there is the world of words. And America saw both the other day when the bombs went off at the finish of the Boston Marathon.
'42' may open the eyes of a new generation
April 14, 2013
Somewhere in the middle of watching the movie "42," about Jackie Robinson's historic rookie year breaking baseball's color barrier, I decided something.
Sure, blame the Greek White Sox fan for Wrigley goat head prank
April 12, 2013
Whenever ethnic profiling raises its ugly head, you can usually count on a great newspaper to express its outrage.
In our state, politicians are protected — but not the rest of us
April 11, 2013
Illinois — where politicians force law-abiding citizens to bring a bat to a gunfight.
Slain diplomat from River Forest was a girl with an adventurous mind
April 10, 2013
Before she was a young U.S. foreign service officer stationed in Afghanistan, before she and others were blown up by a bomb, before she was eulogized at Fenwick High School on Tuesday, Anne Smedinghoff was a girl.
Here's some poetic justice for gun-control advocates
April 7, 2013
I know why the caged bird shoots.
Kass: Republican Bruce Rauner takes no position on gay marriage
April 5, 2013
Bruce Rauner, the multimillionaire Republican businessman who wants to become governor of Illinois, sat down with me for an interview Thursday and dodged questions about same-sex marriage.
Samoa Air obesity policy weighs heavy on some
April 4, 2013
Mr. Puni weighs about 440 pounds, and these days he's one big angry Samoan.
March Moutzness brackets point to Villa Park upset
April 3, 2013
Here it's already April — the White Sox have opened the season to the victorious stylings of pitcher Chris Sale — and I'm way late in giving out the March Moutza of the Month.
Homeless man living in a tent hits it big with a scratch-off
March 31, 2013
Good things hardly ever happen to homeless men. They live in all sorts of places, some under viaducts and bridges, others in cardboard boxes, in fields or under trees in the summertime.
'Game of Thrones' returns — and it's spellbinding
March 29, 2013
The wildly popular epic fantasy series "Game of Thrones" opens its third season on HBO on Sunday.
The detectives who remember the children
March 28, 2013
The other day at lunch, two Chicago police detectives, Bill Sullivan and Michele Moore-Grose, were talking with me about the murder cases they've been working and the young people shot dead.
As times change, will tolerance for tradition be tolerated?
March 27, 2013
With the issue of same-sex marriage argued before the Supreme Court and raging elsewhere in America, a question:
Some federal grants are just monkey business
March 24, 2013
Would you turn down a job paying $227,000 if all you had to do was look at animal photos in the National Geographic magazine?
No blubbering from Beavers despite guilty verdict
March 22, 2013
Just after Bill Beavers left the federal courtroom guilty on all counts — but before he'd go downstairs to play the defiant old-school Chicago pol for the TV cameras — he gave me a quiet shrug.
Ald. Lingonberry could get famous driving the Cubs from Wrigleyville
March 21, 2013
If there's one surefire way for a lowly Chicago alderman to surpass the worldwide fame of Michael Jordan and Al Capone, it's this:
Where have all the rabbits gone?
March 20, 2013
Zeus the wonder dog scared up a rabbit near the house the other day.
Dwoyne Baker wasn't perfect, but we shouldn't forget his killing
March 17, 2013
Calling someone a "perfect homicide victim" sounds terribly callous. But it explains the political/media liturgy that we all know so well.
Old-school Beavers by the numbers in federal court
March 15, 2013
There's nothing like watching a defense lawyer in federal court playing three-card monte with his mouth.
Kass: Pope Francis should heed warning of his predecessor
March 14, 2013
Jorge Bergoglio, the son of Italian immigrants born in Buenos Aires, doesn't fit the image of a high and mighty churchman in charge of an empire of more than 1 billion people.
For parents, the worry that never leaves
March 13, 2013
If you're a parent, there are certain fears you can't put to words when you learn of children being killed.
Kass: A Senate battle between a libertarian whippersnapper, crotchety establishment
March 8, 2013
Republican Sen. John McCain is pushing 80 now, but he still has those jaws and the Teddy Roosevelt teeth that look as if they could chomp through a baseball bat.
Cermak's death offers lesson in Chicago Way
March 7, 2013
The assassinated Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who died 80 years ago this week, is often portrayed by official histories as just an innocent victim of bad luck and bad aim.
Cemetery thieves steal a lot more than metal
March 6, 2013
Michael Solaya has a routine when visiting the graves of his extended family at Cedar Park Cemetery.
Years later, mob enforcer may decide it's time to talk
March 3, 2013
Chicago Outfit enforcer Mario Rainone, a loyal reader of this column, once called me to insist that "I'm no beefer!" — mob slang for talking to the feds.
Elk heads made this month's Moutza easy
March 1, 2013
Is it possible that a husband and wife could win the coveted February Moutza of the Month award, for buying stupid stuffed elk heads with other people's money?
Illinois Republicans: Get ready for Bruce Rauner
February 28, 2013
Bruce Rauner, the multimillionaire bull in the quaint Illinois Republican china shop, sat down with me Wednesday morning at a diner on LaSalle Street to talk about politics.
Sky's the limit for sequester scare tactics
February 27, 2013
The sky is falling, the sky is falling. That's the message shrieked by President Barack Obama about those mandated federal spending cuts called "sequestration."
Cardinal George: Is there now such a sea change in Western culture that people can't believe?
February 24, 2013
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago had gone through a long 16-hour day of meetings and travel, a day that began at 5 a.m., and it was just about 9 at night. He was tired, with one more meeting to go.
Could you love a dog with a Steve Buscemi face? A dog with a face only Steve Buscemi could love
February 22, 2013
That dog with the face of Steve Buscemi has stuck in my mind and it won't leave.
Jesse Jackson Jr. didn't read his own book: 'It's About the Money!'
February 21, 2013
There's no way America can fully understand the odd expenditures of guilty former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. — like those $7,058 stuffed elk heads — without reading a special book.
Why is New York's Bloomberg butting into Chicago politics?
February 20, 2013
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is butting his way into Chicago politics like some Mayor Buttinski.
Kass: Junior lacked discipline to make it in Chicago
February 17, 2013
This being Chicago, where political dynasties have their hands kissed by journalism and commerce, expect the following about former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, Sandi, the former 7th Ward alderman:
President's visit anything but welcome for the Rahmfather
February 15, 2013
The big guy is coming to Chicago, and that can't be good for the not-as-big guy on the fifth floor of Chicago's City Hall.
Kass: A Valentine's Day gift fit for a Khaleesi
February 14, 2013
Of all my dumb Valentine's Day gift ideas, today's offering is perhaps the best ever:
Kass: Chicago's forgotten innocents need our attention too
February 13, 2013
Baron Banks wasn't in Washington to witness President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech on Tuesday.
On this lonely street, nobody heard, nobody saw
February 10, 2013
In the hardscrabble burb of Schiller Park near O'Hare Airport, you'll find a street with a few two-flats and isolated houses, plenty of space between them. The kind of quiet block where everyone minds their business.
First lady's attendance at Hadiya's funeral necessary and vital
February 8, 2013
Michelle Obama is not only first lady of the United States. She's also a mother of two young daughters. And she's coming home to the funeral of a girl who was killed in a park about a mile from the Obamas' Kenwood home.
Secret drone strikes simplify Obama Doctrine
February 7, 2013
For years, scholars and journalists have struggled without much success to define the Obama Doctrine — the president's foreign policy principles.
Kass: Symbolism buried with an imperfect shooting victim
February 6, 2013
Norman Dumone "Mone" Stokes wasn't the perfect poster child for victims of violence in Chicago.
Oh, for a simpler Super Bowl, with gerbils shot from cannons
February 3, 2013
Do you ever wish for the simple Super Bowl days, the Super Bowls involving gerbils?
The gang crisis: Emanuel owns it now
February 1, 2013
"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel a few years ago.
Kass: Moutza of the Month — now with preferential treatment
January 31, 2013
Big Jim Thompson and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons insist there was no "preferential treatment" for formerly imprisoned former Gov. George Ryan.
No pity, no ridicule for Ryan out loud
January 30, 2013
We'll probably want to reach for ridicule when the George Ryan media circus is finally unleashed upon us.
Republicans trying to find their way should visit Illinois
January 27, 2013
With President Barack Obama embarking on his second term, the Republicans have proceeded through their stages of grief:
This soldier's skill had nothing to do with gender
January 25, 2013
Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a hunter.
Making a pet project out of Neanderthals
January 24, 2013
In the most depressing scientific news in years, it turns out that the scheme to clone a Neanderthal baby is about as real as Manti Te'o's girlfriend.
Doctor probes teen on guns in the home
January 23, 2013
In pro-gun-regulation Illinois — where politicians would rather play gun control politics than fight the murderous street gangs — a young man was admitted to the hospital.
Possibilities, painful reality coexist in the virtual world
January 20, 2013
Notre Dame football hero Manti Te'o is denying he had anything to do with that hoax about his dead girlfriend who didn't exist.
Praetorian Guard is key in Vanecko investigation
January 18, 2013
The Praetorian Guard of Chicago won't be part of the formal hearing Friday in what's now called the Vanecko case.
Notre Dame hoax has more than its share of baloney
January 17, 2013
Now we know why Notre Dame's football hero Manti Te'o played so poorly against Alabama in the national championship game Jan. 7.
At gathering of readers, neighbors made a bad week better
January 16, 2013
It's been a terrible week, not a week to entertain, or be cute or flip about anything.
Jane Doe beaten to death in '11, deserves to be identified
January 13, 2013
Murder victims don't stop telling their stories. They continue speaking even after death. Not in words, but in healed broken bones and old wounds, or hair and teeth and fingernails.
Spielberg stops 'Robopocalypse,' perhaps on orders of evil master robot
January 11, 2013
Robot-domination fans around the world are grieving now that Hollywood director Steven Spielberg has suspended production on the long-anticipated science fiction extravaganza "Robopocalypse."
A new title for Burris: Professor
January 10, 2013
Ever want to learn how to become a politician? Then you can still sign up for the famed "Burris School of Politics."
Kass: Chicago Way Casino — where pols can take to the pole
January 9, 2013
A sad comment on the cynicism around us is that some are scoffing at a beautiful idea:
Any judge in Vanecko case should be judged — and 'scrubbed'
January 6, 2013
Within seconds of McHenry County Judge Maureen McIntyre being appointed to preside over Illinois' political heater manslaughter case on Friday, you could almost hear her being "scrubbed."
'Zero Dark Thirty' nails it
January 4, 2013
You know the beginning and you know the end, but it's the way director Kathryn Bigelow tells the middle in her riveting movie "Zero Dark Thirty" that amazed me.
Reality TV: How deep can it sink?
January 3, 2013
I can't believe I'm actually going to type the words "reality TV has hit a new low."
John Kass: Remembering what matters on Christmas Eve
December 24, 2012
For all the children who should be loved always, but especially on this wondrous night, with our arms around them and a long good-night kiss on the temple, a kiss more precious than anything wrapped in a box.
The Rahmfather gets 'Rahmfather' portrait
December 23, 2012
It's not every day that the ruthless mayor of Chicago, the Rahmfather, can be humbled and overcome by a spectacular Christmas gift presented by a newspaper columnist.
As the world was about to end, I foolishly wrote this column
December 21, 2012
You're probably all dead — me too — swallowed by the Mayan apocalypse that many of us (foolishly) thought was utter nonsense, once.
Don't do Dibs before it gets deep
December 20, 2012
The lack of measurable snowfall is but another sign of the apocalypse, yet snow it will and soon, and when it does, there is one thing you must understand.
Tuesday jailbreak joins new chapter to colorful history of downtown lockup
December 19, 2012
There's something fascinating about jailbreaks, like the one that happened Tuesday when two bank robbers escaped the bleak federal lockup called the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
Groping for explanations when there aren't any
December 16, 2012
As a parent, the only photo I could bear to look at from that slaughter at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut on Friday was that picture of a little boy and a little girl.
Vicious cycle awaits little bike people
December 14, 2012
The Rahmfather probably won't be riding a Stingray bike with a banana seat, pulling back on his chrome ape hangers, popping wheelies down Dearborn Street on Friday with Cubs baseball cards in his spokes as all the little bike people of Chicago scream deliriously with joy.
Time to stop spinning wheels on punishment for rogue cyclists
December 13, 2012
It's heartbreaking to see how the little bicycle people treat their benefactor, Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Outside judge could clear dirty air surrounding Vanecko case
December 12, 2012
Chicago is such a political town that it's only natural that public cynicism is growing over whether a Cook County judge should preside over the highly political manslaughter case against R.J. Vanecko.
Pistol-packing lawmaker deserves a high-caliber nickname
December 7, 2012
What's worse for a distinguished, pro-gun-control Chicago politician who sports a cool goatee and an always-natty wardrobe:
Juror bristles over Emanuel's move to erase 'code of silence' verdict
December 6, 2012
Many in Chicago were upset when they heard Mayor Rahm Emanuel was cutting a deal over the federal civil jury's decision involving the big cop who beat the tiny female bartender.
Let the sun shine on Chicago Way
December 5, 2012
The phrase "code of silence" sounds dry, like that powder cops use to dust for fingerprints. But now, politically, it's not dry any longer.
Silence painful as Koschman's mom speaks
December 4, 2012
The terrible part wasn't what Nanci Koschman said about the nephew of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley who was finally indicted Monday in the death of her son.
Surprise in Koschman case -- well-connected suspect charged
December 3, 2012
This doesn't happen in Chicago: the nephew of former Mayor Richard Daley facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter in a case that was either ignored or bungled by local cops and local prosecutors for years.
A street corner, a fight and a case that won't go away
December 2, 2012
On the corner of Division and Dearborn, the shadows creep up the fronts of buildings as a neighborhood changes its skin.
Rep. Highlife, a 'Lotto' disappointment and tat boy wonder
November 30, 2012
Another Chicago politician has been indicted, this one for bank fraud after he allegedly burned through hundreds of thousands of dollars that weren't his on casino gambling, car loans and other high-rolling pursuits.
Thankfully Chicago women have both feet on the ground
November 29, 2012
This column scares the heck out of me.
Deep-seated doubts about Jesse Jr.'s seat
November 28, 2012
That horde of candidates in the 2nd District trying to succeed former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Bud Light, is a wondrous sight.
Here's one hot potato issue that's tasty to solve
November 17, 2012
No matter what all those fuzzy-thinking idealists say, America remains a nation divided.
Likability's labor lost
November 16, 2012
Is the Rahmfather of Chicago — Mayor Rahm Emanuel — his own worst enemy?
Greedy voters banished from Chumbolone Nation
November 15, 2012
Can an entire congressional district — like the one that just re-elected federally challenged U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Bud Light — be exiled from Chumbolone Nation?
Sweet stench of Petraeus scandal shouldn't mask the stink of Benghazi
November 14, 2012
U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith. Former Navy SEAL commandos Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.
No happy tears in this political drama
November 11, 2012
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a big crybaby.
Isn't it time for a TV show about a South Side political dynasty?
November 9, 2012
Now that the elections are over, what's good on TV?
The next election already: Bill Daley serious about running for governor
November 8, 2012
Illinois Gov. William Daley.
Optimism of 2008 replaced with dishing out 'revenge'
November 7, 2012
With the economy still in shambles and millions out of work or underemployed, President Barack Obama was still able to celebrate re-election on Tuesday. But the man from Chicago paid a price.
Thanks, voters, for caring enough to argue
November 7, 2012
To every American who argued and fought and squabbled, day after day during this long and often bitter presidential election, I'd just like to say one thing:
The mighty fine state of our political system
November 4, 2012
My fellow taxpaying chumbolones. With only days before Tuesday's election — between a big-government Republican and a big-big-big-really-big-government Democrat — why don't we wrap things up?
It's Romney by a head
November 2, 2012
There's only one race in America that matters, and we have the exclusive on the winner:
The moutza is for what really bugs us
November 1, 2012
Is it bad manners to give the moutza to a dead man who killed himself by cockroach?
Sandy swoops in to save Obama
October 31, 2012
What a difference a storm named Sandy makes, eh, Mr. President?
A little escapism — with social conscience thrown in
October 28, 2012
Some time back, I put out a call for your favorite political movies.
Change in Madiganistan starts at home
October 26, 2012
Wind-swept Madiganistan, that arid economic wasteland once known as Illinois, is in absolute ruins.
Benghazi not as sexy as Trump, Allred
October 25, 2012
What news stories are perching up high on the top rocks, screeching down at undecided voters with less than two weeks left in a long presidential campaign?
Don't monkey around with Facebook
October 24, 2012
There's nothing quite like a world-renowned neuroscientist Facebooking about the lack of hot chicks who study the brain.
Watch the debate or get yer mouth shut
October 22, 2012
Chicago has a TV choice to make tonight, between a presidential debate on foreign policy and that Bears-Lions game at Soldier Field on "Monday Night Football."
Illinois a thankless land when it comes to heroes
October 21, 2012
When former Republican Gov. George Ryan gets out of prison, it'll be a big story, and his pal and former Gov. Big Jim Thompson will put an arm around old George and they'll pose for the victory photograph.
A tax on politicians? It's an offer they can't refuse
October 19, 2012
American politicians are always on the lookout for "new sources of revenue," which sounds a lot nicer than "sinking their fangs into our necks." But however you describe it, they just can't stop sucking our blood with their unending tax increases on the national, state and local levels.
For Madigan Democrats, there is such a thing as a free lunch
October 18, 2012
Finally, in the sea of envy that is Illinois politics — with all those nasty, mean and negative campaign ads — we have some heartwarming news to report.
In next debate, remember Benghazi
October 14, 2012
By the time President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney meet in their second debate Tuesday, what happened last week in the vice presidential debate should be almost forgotten.
The gift, the girl and the firefighter
October 12, 2012
The girl and the firefighter lived in the same part of town, the Mount Greenwood neighborhood on the Far Southwest Side of Chicago, a neighborhood of cops, firefighters and city workers.
Droopy Chia candidates get a do-over
October 11, 2012
I have terrible news to report to Chumbolone Nation (aka American taxpayers) in the matter of the presidential Chia Heads.
The other side of the emergency room curtain
October 10, 2012
When you're in the ER alone, do you ever listen to what happens on the other side of the curtain? And afterward, what do you tell yourself about what you've heard?
Forget the debate: Happy days (for Obama) are here again
October 7, 2012
The presidential campaign is over. So pack it up, Mitt Romney. Forget about that post-debate bump in the polls. Just find a dog, put it on the roof and drive away.
Combine boss William Cellini gets prison, but all he'll miss is baseball season
October 5, 2012
Combine boss William Cellini sat at the defense table, blinking, head bowed, a tiny man who was Mr. Big in Illinois politics, waiting, finally, for what was coming to him.
FBI gives Chicago student a peek at his potential
October 4, 2012
Jeremy Clark is a serious young man from a serious neighborhood: Roseland on the South Side, the kind of place most of you see only from a distance, in a crime story.
Reverse Mortgage Guy could win this debate
October 3, 2012
As we prepare for the great debate between President Barack Obama (blessed be his name) and that guy with the Mr. Fantastic Four haircut unloved by the media, I ask you to keep someone in mind:
Kass: Have mercy, your honor, for Illinois
September 30, 2012
To the Honorable U.S. District Judge James Zagel
Schoolchildren's stomachs rumble; drama queens grumble
September 28, 2012
As nominations poured in for the stupendous Moutza of the Month award for September, President Barack Obama was avoiding meeting with world leaders because he had something more important to do: hang out on daytime TV with the ladies of "The View."
Turning away when sacrilege purports to be art
September 27, 2012
Politics is by nature a brutalizing business. It is a business of ambition and lies. Stay around it too long, and your heart becomes coarsened. It thickens and gets numb.
Chia Obama vs. Chia Romney: May the best greenfro win
September 26, 2012
The campaign for president is so close, so mean and nasty, what with Democrats and Republicans each denigrating the other guy's poll numbers, that there is only one thing Americans can do.
Obama's pricey gaffe that's worth talking about
September 23, 2012
Under President Barack Obama, the national debt has ballooned past the $16 trillion mark — a number once inconceivable — and is growing by the second as the federal leviathan feeds on borrowed money.
Kassopedia: The cure for Verpes, Rahmifications and Karen Lewis Withdrawal Syndrome
September 21, 2012
As I light my pipe, take up my quill pen and sheepskin and once again prepare to write another volume of The Kassopedia — the repository of the world's great knowledge — I'm reminded of a snarky reader.
May I have this dance, sweetheart? ACLU says no.
September 20, 2012
Every so often I have this odd fantasy: that I join the American Civil Liberties Union and its fight for free speech.
Strike lessons learned
September 19, 2012
What are the lessons learned from the Chicago Teachers Union strike and its battle with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and what does the future look like going forward?
We want justice in the Middle East — but we're tired of war
September 16, 2012
What do Americans want done with killers in Libya who murdered U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others on Sept. 11, our national day of mourning?
With bitter campaign in full swing, you need to watch some movies
September 14, 2012
What are the three most important films for American voters to watch as we prepare for Election Day in November?
Rahmpelstiltskin could come out any day now
September 13, 2012
If the striking Chicago teachers wanted to see the mayor as some angry Rahmpelstiltskin — stamping his feet in those in curly-toed boots, shrieking to be paid for spinning all that straw into gold — they'll have to wait a few more days.
CPS kids would need vouchers to attend 'unreal' schools
September 12, 2012
When Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis led her members out on strike this week, she said real school would be closed.
Rhetoric can't mask unemployment numbers
September 9, 2012
So now we know why President Barack Obama was so flat and desperate in his important convention speech from Charlotte, N.C., last week. It wasn't from the strain of comparing himself to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Democratic holy ghost of the federal leviathan.
The trouble with Obama's rhetoric: It bites the man who reads it
September 7, 2012
Once it was all about "hope and change."
Things get a little foggy for Democrats in Charlotte
September 6, 2012
When President Barack Obama asked stoners Harold & Kumar to help with his message, the inevitable was bound to happen.
Rahmfather, please come home. And get the good chips.
September 5, 2012
In what someday may be considered a stroke of absolute genius, President Barack Obama has decided to send Mayor Rahm Emanuel back home to watch TV in Chicago.
Schools chief Brizard, the mayor's human shield
September 2, 2012
Before there was a looming teachers strike and before the mayor had to go through Friday's charade of giving Chicago Public Schools frontman Jean-Claude Brizard a vote of confidence, the schoolmaster was engaging in social networking.
Romney hopes to harness disappointment in Obama
August 31, 2012
Mitt Romney wasn't speaking to the delegates at the Republican convention in Tampa on Thursday night.
When it comes to Prentice, don't sacrifice the future to save the past
August 30, 2012
Every day I come to work and look up at our building, at the neo-Gothic splendor of the Tribune Tower, a landmark and protected icon, part of the old in an ever-changing city famous for her crooked politicians and her amazing architecture.
Romney, as extreme as grilled cheese and tomato soup
August 29, 2012
Psst. Mitt Romney is some kind of conservative extremist.
A naked prince and Preacher Joe. Who wins the Moutza? Nah!
August 26, 2012
It's not every day that a Moutza of the Month comes with a free online video demonstrating how to flick your fingers and palm and say "Nah!" as you aim the ancient Hellenic curse at some deserving moron. But more on that later.
Republicans afraid of the storm? Come to Chicago
August 24, 2012
With Tropical Storm Isaac threatening to turn into a hurricane and menace the Republican National Convention in Tampa early next week, Republicans must make a decision.
Taxing bikers: The wheels begin to spin
August 23, 2012
Good news, beleaguered taxpayers! A consensus is building in support of our plan to collect revenue from the One Percenters of the Commuter Class — the bicyclists who pay nothing, not even fines when they zoom past stop signs, as politicians smooch their sweaty behinds.
Introducing bike tolls and the Rahm-PASS
August 22, 2012
The thousands of Chicago bicyclists who've been pedaling to work each morning better finally realize something.
For all that's changed, at Istanbul church, all is the same
April 15, 2012
At midnight a single flame is brought forth in the darkened and ancient church of St. George and quickly it is shared, candle by candle, until all is illuminated.
2 weeks, 2 countries, now time to come home
April 14, 2012
Before heading home after two weeks on the road, it was clear that I needed a shave and a haircut.
Izmir bears testament to the procession of civilizations
April 13, 2012
IZMIR, Turkey — My grandfathers called this port city Smyrna, but the name of it came out of their mouths with regret and pain, because they remembered it as a Greek city, and the great fire and the unspeakable things that happened as the Greeks tried to run when the Turks took it in the 1920s.
Tea, politics and tears mix in Turkey's capital
April 12, 2012
— This capital city is like all other capital cities: It is about power and reach.
With faith and hope, Turkey builds a new identity
April 11, 2012
The kind and gracious man has many visitors waiting and piles of paperwork on his desk that require his attention, as his is a working office and ministering to millions across the world takes up so much of his time.
Saying goodbye to Greece — as hordes of young people do the same
April 10, 2012
— I traveled to Greece to see the land of my fathers, to see its beauty and its economic crisis firsthand.
Going home to Rizes
April 8, 2012
RIZES, Greece — When I mention our family's village in Greece, I usually write that Rizes is the most beautiful village in the universe.
In Greece, books beat rocks
April 6, 2012
ATHENS, Greece — It is easy to throw a rock, and there have been plenty thrown here lately, a common ritual, almost not newsworthy, with the anarchists and hooligans smashing big pieces of marble and throwing the chunks at police, at the government, at each other.
A suicide, an angry protest, and a nation in agony
April 5, 2012
— The old man, reportedly ill with cancer and exhausted by the agony devouring Greece, just couldn't take it anymore.
John Kass at scene of angry Athens protest
April 4, 2012
ATHENS -- It all started Wednesday morning when a man in Constitution Square reportedly shouted that he didn't want to leave his children in debt and then fatally shot himself in the head.
While Parthenon glows, pain and despair overshadow Athens
April 4, 2012
At night with all but a full moon overhead, the Parthenon is lit and golden, almost a place of dreams as it sits there on that high rock over the city.
Not all of Blagojevich's missteps were criminal, some were just stupid
March 15, 2012
There he was outside his Chicago bungalow Wednesday, well-coiffed and determined to star in his own crazed fantasy, the Prisoner of Zenda giving us the long goodbye.
Federal immigration official warns Preckwinkle about policy
January 12, 2012
The nation's top immigration official has written a stern warning to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle about her policy that allowed Saul Chavez to skip bail and run out on felony charges.
A long prison term — and a stern warning
December 8, 2011
In sentencing the second consecutive Illinois governor to prison on political corruption charges on Wednesday, federal Judge James Zagel prodded the people of this corrupt state to reclaim their birthright.
It's not where you start, but where you finish
December 7, 2011
There were two Judge Zagels in the cavernous ceremonial federal courtroom on the 25th floor, each looking down on upon one desperate Rod Blagojevich.
Kass: Ozzie's leaving with a hole in his heart
September 27, 2011
It wasn't like going to the doctor and he tells you some bad news. It wasn't like being called into the boss' office, thinking he's going to drop a promotion in your lap and instead he tosses you a pink slip.
Union bosses love taxpayers' wallets
September 22, 2011
What if lawmakers passed a bill that allowed two dozen hand-picked political insiders to fan out across the state and walk up to you and demand your cash?
Rich and me: How we fell out
May 5, 2011
For two decades you've known Richard M. Daley as mayor and boss of Chicago. As a columnist, I've been his chief critic. But there are a few things you probably don't know about the mayor and me.
When Daley defeated his 'Mayor Chucky'
April 30, 2011
At a news conference in 2009, Mayor Richard Daley battled with his inner Mayor Chucky.
Weis talks uniforms, politics, case of Daley's nephew
March 30, 2011
Former Chicago police Superintendent Jody Weis said Tuesday that the 2004 death of David Koschman — after a confrontation in the Rush Street nightclub area with a nephew of Mayor Richard Daley's — should be reinvestigated by an independent law enforcement agency.
Looking back at when race clouded City Hall
September 19, 2010
Will Chicago once again become the city of tribes, racial and otherwise?
What's the stupidest thing Daley has ever said?
May 21, 2010
One of the great debates in American politics can be summed up with this question:
Emanuel as the successor to Daley is a scary thought
April 21, 2010
The American media is absolutely turgid with emotion over White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's ambitious plan to become mayor of Chicago once Mayor Richard Daley leaves office.
Lottery commercial redefines joy in spirit of Chicago Way
December 10, 2009
When it comes to greetings during the Winter Shopping Spree vaguely associated with the 25th of December, I guess I'm hopelessly old-fashioned.
Numbers could add up for downstate guy in race
November 13, 2009
State Sen. Bill Brady, the Bloomington Republican running for governor in the Illinois Republican primary, isn't your typical lawyer politician.
Hope smokes eternal when it's Chia-grown
September 11, 2009
It sure is a good thing that the bumper Hopium crop from my Obama Chia heads has finally come in.
Honor freedom with a beer can, chicken
July 1, 2009
Nothing quite says 4th of July -- and American independence from unreasonable taxation and those intrusive federal regulations -- like a chicken with a beer can stuck up its behind, roasting silently over wood charcoal.
To raise loyal fans, try tough parenting
June 18, 2009
Here are perhaps the two most important questions in the known universe:
Outfit's faithful reader has many a puzzle to ponder
February 5, 2009
One of my loyal readers, Chicago mob boss James Marcello—captured on grainy federal recordings eating salty corn chips while discussing my column—will be sentenced in the "Family Secrets" case on Thursday.
Fear, not passion, drove Outfit killer
February 3, 2009
Even Outfit hit men have feelings.
Don't ask mayor to discuss 'Secrets'
February 3, 2009
As Outfit killer Nick Calabrese was testifying Wednesday about murders, about the killings of gangsters Tony and Michael Spilotro, about Tony asking to say a prayer before dying and about holy pictures burning in Nick's cupped hands during an Outfit "making" ceremony, someone else was burning, too.
Mob boss' tale offers peek at city's 'secrets'
January 29, 2009
With the national media finally interested in Illinois corruption, it's too bad they were focused on Springfield's dancing monkey show and not on what happened in a federal courtroom in Chicago on Wednesday.
Chicago cop's acquittal in Iowa fight is long overdue, but appreciated
October 1, 2008
Great news from baseball-loving Iowa:
Chicago cop in Iowa prison while drunk is on the loose
August 3, 2008
Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis and Cook County State's Atty. Dick Devine have asked Iowa Gov. Chet Culver for justice in the case of Chicago cop Mike Mette.
There's no real justice in Iowa politics
January 4, 2008
The assault on the people of Iowa by national politicians telling them what they want to hear is now over and done.
Bad PR for officers claims wrong man
November 1, 2007
What do you talk about when you're driving your son to prison?
Self-defense is, inexplicably, no defense
October 28, 2007
On Sunday, Bob Mette and his son, Mike, 30, will go to the game at Soldier Field to watch the Bears play the Lions. On Monday, Bob will drive Mike to Iowa, to prison. Mike Mette, until recently a Chicago police officer, is scheduled to begin serving a 5-year prison sentence.His crime? According to the judge's ruling, Mike threw one punch at an angry drunk who chased Mike down the street and attacked him verbally, physically, repeatedly.
Outfit's fate signed, sealed, delivered
September 30, 2007
The letter that spilled the Outfit's Family Secrets arrived at the Chicago offices of the FBI in November 1998.
Case closed, but coffin on Outfit isn't
September 28, 2007
Is the Chicago Outfit dead, now that the historic Family Secrets trial has ended?
Without feds, we'd never hear the 'lies'
September 12, 2007
Federal prosecutor Mitchell Mars was telling the jury about a litany of 18 Outfit murders -- solved by federal investigators, not locals -- and he put several corpses at the feet of convicted mobster Frank Calabrese Sr.
Required reading: Closing argument
August 31, 2007
As the Family Secrets trial was put into the hands of the jury, City Hall offered up poetic symmetry in choosing a book for all Chicagoans to read as part of its One-Book-One-Chicago program:
Why I can't let 'Family Secrets' slide
August 30, 2007
There was a break in the courtroom action at the Chicago Outfit trial called Family Secrets, so I took a walk outside the federal building, wondering how to explain my obsession to you.
Luck of the Irish won't be with Outfit
August 29, 2007
The last thing you'd expect at the Outfit trial would be a big green shamrock next to Jimmy Marcello's name.
Finally, wronged cop gets some support
July 22, 2007
Michael Mette -- the young Chicago police officer sentenced to an Iowa prison for 5 years for the crime of defending himself against an angry drunk in Dubuque -- wanted to thank the readers of this column.
Mob trial hits on badge, buried secrets
June 22, 2007
How do 18 Chicago Outfit murders remain unsolved for decades?
News about us is just part of the news
April 3, 2007
A.fter a week of a relaxing family vacation, watching the cherry blossoms pop in Washington, D.C., I came back to work to the news that Tribune Co. had been sold and the Cubs are up for sale.
It's end of the run for fugitive mobster
December 18, 2005
The union boss slipped into a booth in a restaurant on Jackson Boulevard. He was wearing a federal wire, trembling, as the waitress brought over some ice water.
Mayor swayed by shiny objects, such as badges
May 5, 2005
Mayor Richard Daley is an extremely complex man. He's been Mayor Little Big Man, Mayor Fredo, Mayor Idunno, Mayor Details, Mayor Fedheimers and Mayor Queeg.
Mob charges tell a story, but more isn't told
April 26, 2005
How could the Chicago Outfit prosper and survive without the help of corrupt local police, politicians and judges?
Hull learning nothing fair in Illinois politics
February 29, 2004
Blair Hull is the multimillionaire Democrat spending his own cash to campaign for the U.S. Senate in Illinois.
Small talk ends when GOP boss' name comes up
January 29, 2004
Illinois Republicans campaigning to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) got a bit testy with each other during a Tribune editorial board meeting Wednesday.
Bring on lights, camera--we've got mob action
November 5, 2003
If you care about movies, you've probably noticed that Illinois politicians from the mayor to the governor have been eagerly promoting Chicago as a setting for Hollywood movies.
This Sox fan leads cheers: Ozzie! Ozzie!
October 29, 2003
With Ozzie Guillen coming to town Wednesday to interview for the job of manager of the Chicago White Sox, I hope Sox boss Jerry Reinsdorf remembers what he owes me.
DNA test could have Outfit guys grinding teeth
August 6, 2003
Discovering a human tooth in Bridgeport is like finding a seashell at the seashore: Find a seashell, and chances are that you're at the beach.
FBI digs not just for body, but for mob secrets too
July 30, 2003
When the FBI began carefully digging on the edge of the parking lot at White Sox park on Tuesday, they were looking for:
One witness at a time, feds turning up heat
June 6, 2003
With her nice black suit and pearls at her throat, Andrea Coutretsis Prokos, political girlfriend and alleged perjurer, was properly dressed for federal court.
Outfit bosses dive for cover as enforcer talks
February 21, 2003
Until recently, the bosses of the Chicago Outfit felt relatively safe, with their connections in politics and local law enforcement.
Time to bury dead, take care of living
September 12, 2001
As this horrible morning breaks, as the first light falls on New York and Washington, falling on the rubble covering thousands of Americans murdered by terrorists, we are confronted by our obligations.


text:
ᑐᙵᓱᒋᑦᓯ tunngasugitsi Welcome!
Job Posting:
Summer Youth Assistant
Please apply by 5:00 p.m. on May 16, 2014 to Lynda Brown, ext 211; Fax to: (613) 744-7629 or e-mail to: email@example.com
Natalie speaks on building wellness and cultural identity
City of Ottawa's
Camp FFIT
OICC's Bridging the Gap BTG
The HSBTG program supports Inuit students and parents; teaches Inuit culture and history; and assists teachers in meeting youths' learning styles by building confidence and pathways to educational success. For information, call Allison. 613-746-5400 ext 223.
Learn Inuit Culture Online!
Our Inuit Cultural Online Resource, also known as ICOR, is undergoing some site development. It provides a central resource location for learning about Canadian Inuit culture and traditions. Its purpose is to offer a way of learning about what it means to be Inuit, including some basic vocabulary. Videos are available through this website.
Elder's Night Each Month
Once a month OICC features an Elder from our community to host the evenings with storytelling, traditional teachings, or sharing knowledge and skills. Join us for the chance to see life from an Elder's perspective. For more information contact Lynda, 613-744-3133, ext. 211.
Inuit Liaison Worker
613.747.7800 x 2963
TD Bank gives the OICC's Youth Centre a great kickstart
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
Go Shopping and automatically fundraise for the OICC!
Buy groceries, gas, clothing, and help raise funds for the OICC–automatically! It is all through a progam called FundScrip. You buy your favourite stores' Gift Cards through FundScrip, OICC's ID code 3VKC4R, then go shopping! It's that easy. Call Sherry 613-744-3133, ext. 232. Please, consider fundraising with no donations or additional costs to you. Qujannamiik!!
We Are Healthy Cookbook
This cookbook is the result of the 'We Are Healthy' program, where parents of Inuit children were given easy, cost-effective and fun recipes and physical activity opportunities to encourage healthy life-styles. Now we are able to share with you some of the program's recipes. Thank you to the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport – Healthy Communities Fund for their generous funding support.
Want to Know More About Licensed Child Care?
Welcome to The Ottawa Inuit Children's Centre!
©2014 by The Ottawa Inuit Children's Centre | All Rights Reserved.

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Today in History, Jan. 6
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Extension > Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships
The Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) connect greater Minnesota communities to the University of Minnesota in order to help solve problems and take advantage of new opportunities. As a part of University of Minnesota Extension, RSDP brings together local talent and resources with University of Minnesota knowledge and seed funding to drive sustainability in four areas: agriculture and food systems, tourism and resilient communities, natural resources, and clean energy.
Read more about RSDP and our initiatives in Minnesota.
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Have an idea? We work with greater Minnesota communities on sustainable development projects.
RSDP in the news
SW RSDP gets Bush Foundation grant for winter greenhouse work
Grant will create a winter greenhouse growers association. More


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Welcome to Truman State University, Missouri's only public liberal arts and sciences institution. We offer a high-quality, affordable education that prepares you to succeed in any career or graduate program you pursue after graduation.
In this section of our site, you'll find all the resources you need to learn about Truman's great educational value, well-rounded liberal arts and sciences curriculum, and vibrant community of learners.
Most important, you'll learn all about how to schedule a visit to come see us on campus, request more information about the University, and, ultimately, how to apply so you can join us in Kirksville, Missouri.
"I love the easiness to get to know your professors and the resources that are available for students. It is easy to see the faculty's dedication towards the students' success, and I especially like that we are constantly challenged to be better. It can be very stressful at times, but it teaches you a lot."
– Roberto Renteria '16, Psychology and Biology double major


text: Ms. McCracken is an experienced Master Gardener and Master Composter with a passion for horticulture and home gardening. Discover the beauty and unique qualities of Bromeliaceae- a very diverse and interesting plant family. Through discussions, visuals and examples learn about: basic types of bromeliads, requirements for growing healty bromeliads, and starting a bromeliad collection.


text:
Our entire product range is split into several key categories to make the buying process easier for you. Find out more about our product categories and discover which products are most suited to your training goals.
Impact Whey Protein
Impact Whey Isolate
Total Protein
Instant Oats
Creatine Monohydrate
The UK's Lowest prices guaranteed!Found a similar product cheaper elsewhere? We promise to beat it by 5%!
Protein Smoothie
20% off use code: SNACK20
Spectrum:12 Protein
Myprotein Stringer Vest - Whit...
Prime beef snack
20% off
Use code: SNACK20
Offer valid until Midnight 24th April 2014 or while stocks last
In stock | Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Order before 8pm for same day dispatch. Order before 2pm on Sunday.
MP MAX Biltong is a great tasting, real beef snack made to an age old South African recipe using only the best prime beef cuts.
Exclusively made for Myprotein, this fantastic tasting Bilontg is a great choice for a high protein snack, suitable at any time of the day. Using the best cuts of silverside or topside, this premium British beef is then cut into strips and air-dried. It takes over 200g of beef to make 100g of MP MAX Biltong.
Classed as a 'wet' Biltong, each 100g provides 39g of protein, making it the ideal substitute for those unhealthy snacks that often sneak their way in to your daily diet.
Ideal as a high protein snack any time of the day.
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct light. Once opened, keep cool and eat within 3 days. Best stored in the refrigerator.
Beef, Salt, Coriander, Pepper, Brown Sugar, Nutmeg, Garlic, Chilli, Vinegar, Preservative (Sodium Nitrate).
Typical values per 100g:Energy: 267 (Kcal)Energy: 1128 (kJ)Protein: 56.6 (g)Carbohydrate: 0.2 (g)Fat: 4.4 (g)of which Saturates: 1.72 (g)Sodium: 1.67 (g)Dietary Fibre <0.5 (g)
- (13 / Feb / 2014)
Great tasting low fat snack.
I tried this with my last order to see what it was like, best way i can think taste wise is like a pepperoni without all the grease. It also has a little more texture.Goes Well With:Lunch!
- (26 / Jan / 2014)
I got this to try and was very impressed.
It was very tasty and was great for a snack, as well as being great for protein.
Give it a whirl.Goes Well With:I didn't try it with anything, I had nothing else on me and was hungry
Super tasty!
- (30 / Dec / 2013)
I got my new order this morning and couldn't resist the biltong. It's super tasty! I tried the 'Peri Peri'. I was a bit afraid that it might be too spicy (reading the comments) but it's just perfect. The pepper comes good through but isn't overpowering the taste.
The quality is also top, compared to others (low carbs, low fat, high pro, no extra junk like glucose and oil...)
I'll order more of this!Goes Well With:water
Good quality product - should have bought Original flavour!
- (08 / Dec / 2013)
The quality of the biltong itself really is excellent. I've bought various supermarket varieties in the past and all had a certain amount of chewy inedible fat on the biltong but not this one. Its all good quality and had no visible fat.
My only issue is that I purchased peri peri flavour and didn't like the taste at all. It's a little unfair to criticise too much over this as I appreciate its personal choice but I did find the flavouring a bit powdery and not very well mixed in to the product. I would definitely buy the product again but would choose the original flavour instead.
Goes Well With:Just on its own as a snack.
- (12 / Nov / 2013)
Perfect Protein snack.
My batch was really fresh, and I love the taste. Thin slices of beef makes for a perfect snack. Loaded with protein!Goes Well With:On its own, on trips, at work
- (29 / Oct / 2013)
i only recently tried jerky after finding some in the house and WOW its great. i decided to buy some biltong from MP and its even better. Low fat and carbs with a great level of protein. Well worth a try. If only there were multi buy discounts i would be having much more.
Beefy snack
- (24 / Oct / 2013)
These are tasty, lean, healthy and it's not hard to see why South Africans eat these in abundance. The downside is that the advice is to only keep the pack open for 3 days, which means you have to eat quite a bit in a short space of time if you have nobody else to share with.
So given that, smaller packs within the main packaging would be a nice addition from MP. Otherwise highly recommended. Goes Well With:Hmmm....probably a good addition to an omlette
- (16 / Aug / 2013)
Biltong is a great snack; it's tasty, satiating and gives you a good whack of protein.Goes Well With:Great on its own.
- (25 / Jul / 2013)
Biltong tastes good, it has loads of protein for the size of the pack. It's good value for money.Goes Well With:Before or after gym snack
- (19 / Jul / 2013)
Biltong is probably the most delicious snack. It is high quality with tasty spices. it's very soft while beef jerky is hard to eat. Both are unique and very tasty. I prefer beef jerky. You can chew on it longer and the effect is mouthwatering. Awesome! Goes Well With:water
- (08 / Jul / 2013)
This Biltong has a great taste and I really enjoyed it before my workout.
Shame about the Nitrates
- (04 / Jul / 2013)
All the evidence suggests that Nitrate and Nitrite preservatives are what make processed meat products bad for you. Shame this ingredient is in this product.
Biltong Original is excellent!
- (03 / Jul / 2013)
I have bought it a few times and simply love it! Much better than beef jerky. Lots of protein, not many carbs, great taste.
Good stiff!
- (18 / Jun / 2013)
Really great to have Biltong back in the cupboard as it's a satisfying and tasty snack in case hunger strikes! I can't wait to try the peri peri flavour!
- (08 / Jun / 2013)
I've always liked Biltong and thought I would give this a try, I bought a bag of the original and the peri peri.
If you like things a little on the hot and spicy side as I do then the peri peri is the one to go for, and vice versa if you don't.
I also found the peri peri a little more tender than the original but enjoyed both.
I would recommend these as a decent high protein snack and will definitely be buying more.
Great taste but does not last long
- (06 / Jun / 2013)
I thought this Biltong was a great tasting product and the meat was lean without much fat. The portion size is small so it does not last you long, but overall it's a good product.
- (04 / Jun / 2013)
I really enjoyed this product. I love the taste and the texture is very palatable too. Owing to the slight amount of moisture remaining. I enjoy it as a mid morning snack whilst at work, which is handy as its quick to eat and easily stored. This helps me as I am on my feet mot of the day running a large leisure centre and gym. So it saves minutes in a busy day and as I said before, I love the taste.
- (01 / Jun / 2013)
This Biltong tastes good, very fatty though, not as good as the jerky.
- (20 / May / 2013)
The piri piri Biltong is very tasty, and a good protein-filled snack for post gym.
Excellent high-protein zero-carb snack!
- (03 / May / 2013)
I'd tried other brands of Biltong, but they're always too gristly. The MyProtein Biltong is a lot better, and it's got an excellent protein-carbs ratio (as close to zero carbs as you can get in something that contains it naturally). Yes, the ingredients list brown sugar (and quite high up in the ingredient list), but it's actually a tiny amount (it's sometimes used in the preparation of Biltong that helps keep it moist) - it's not there as a sweetener or flavour enhancer, and you can see how little there is of it by how few calories there are! The only reason that it's so high on the ingredients list is because Biltong has so few ingredients in it anyway. Personally, I love this. It'd be great as a high-protein snack, but it's expensive.
Superb Biltong
- (24 / Apr / 2013)
I ordered the Peri-Peri flavour, and all I can say (coming from a South African), this is good Biltong! It's thin, not too dry - just the way I like it.Goes Well With:As a snack, or to mix in with your salad/pasta/rice.
Really Tasty!!
- (23 / Apr / 2013)
This Biltong tastes amazing. I just wish I had more of it! It's a good product. It does exactly what it should and you don't feel guilty about it thanks to its amazing nutritional values.Goes Well With:Anything!
- (09 / Apr / 2013)
This Biltong is excellent, tastes great and is perfect as a snack. Would definitely recommend this product.
Too Tasty
- (03 / Apr / 2013)
I wanted to eat some and save the rest for later but I couldn't resist eating it all in one go. If I had 3 packets of it, I'd eat them all in one go to.
Very Moreish!
- (19 / Mar / 2013)
This Biltong lived up to expectations. A great high protein snack but the problem is that when you open a pack it is very difficult to put down and you end up eating it all. Great taste and very easy to eat and digest. The very idea of dried meat may put some people off but I say "give it a try, you wont be disappointed".Goes Well With:Best on its own
Great Snack
- (13 / Mar / 2013)
I bought one pack of Biltong to try when on sale. It tasted great, better than the BBQ beef jerky I also had. It staved off hunger for a good while, is a great lean protein snack, and something to chew on, making me feel less hungry! All-in-all, a great snack to have handy during work etc.
Great product
- (06 / Mar / 2013)
Biltong is great tasting and unbelievably low in calories. It's a good snack to help get rid of those food cravings.
really nice!
Simon Louis Roshdy
- (06 / Mar / 2013)
Not hard, lovely flavour. Much better than the rock hard jerky!
Goes Well With: my mouth.
Mitesh Hirani
- (23 / Oct / 2012)
"Bought the piri piri flavour and I'm hooked! As tasty as cured sausages (think salami), packed with protein and hard to believe it's just 4% fat and zero carbs! The only thing stopping me demolishing the entire pack is the cost. Will definitely look out for offers on this."
jon purdy
- (31 / Jul / 2012)
"This Biltong is far the best, Great taste and no cheeeewy muck!!!"
- (17 / Mar / 2012)
"By far and away, THE BEST BILTONG I HAVE EVER HAD ! Wherever this stuff comes from, it is absolutely fantastic. I have bought from over 10 places on the web, so when I found this biltong from MP, I was amazed. Thanks MP. Big time winner !"
Kenny Dobson
- (13 / Mar / 2012)
"i have to echo the above positive comments, opened a packet and couldn't pu it down, the taste is far superior to similar marketed products that I've tried and to top it of I managed to grab these in the 50% discount sale so an absolute bargain to boot! Definatley stocking up before the sale ends :)"
Joseph Cox
- (17 / Jan / 2012)
"I'd have weird meat sex with this stuff if I was a tad more perverted. Lidl do biltong for pretty much the same price (in packs of 25g), but this MyProtein version is vastly superior as you don't get little skanky torn bits and instead some nice chunks. The best bit? Pretty much zero carb. So I'm havin' it."
joshua stevens
- (24 / Nov / 2011)
"I'm not one to usually write poor reviews, but I'm rather disappointed with the original flavour. It tastes more like artificial beef jerkey than biltong. Maybe it's because I'm used to the high quality biltong I buy from my local South African Store, but then I WOULD expect the same for £3.99/100g... especially from an online company - I've given taste a '1' for this reason. I do however still rate this 4/5 for effectiveness as it has all the nutritional content it should do!"
- (12 / Oct / 2011)
sean richardson
- (04 / Oct / 2011)
By far the best biltony I have tried and I have had a fair few the taste and texture is excellent its a petty myprotein don't do bulk discounts definathly be ordering a whole lot more
Edmund Young
- (01 / Aug / 2011)
"Tastes good, cheap and easy high protein snack. What else needs to be said?"
- (22 / Jul / 2011)
"Best biltong I HAVE EVER TASTED ! First time I have found something tasty and good for you all in one ! Thanks MP, I will be back and buying lots. So handy for a quick snack before training. What a great and very easy way to load up with protein ! Simply a GREAT IDEA !"
Beef Jerky
Dried Mango
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MP MAX® Protein Meals
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