This year's RSD pop-up shops: the Numero Group at the Empty Bottle and Hot Jams at Metro by Peter Margasak This year's Record Store Day includes two impressive pop-up shops open only for the day. First, the Metro store (3730 N. Clark) hosts a Hot Jams pop-up shop from noon till 8 PM, which will sell back stock from defunct south-side dance-music retailer Hot Jams.…

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A directory of stores participating in Record Store Day, with sales, promotions, giveaways, and in-store performances All stores participating in Record Store Day will stock a selection of special RSD releases, but in most cases retailers won't know until the last minute precisely what they'll get. So these listings don't attempt to address that question—they're more about special events, in-store performances, discounts, promotions, and giveaways.…

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Imagine if 38 percent of white children were living in poverty. Poverty wouldn't be an issue in the presidential campaign.…

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At any one time, there are a few wardrobe items I am obsessed with finding. One of them is the perfect shirtdress.…

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ARTIST: Eric Nyffeler
SHOW: Gotye and Kimbra at the Aragon Ballroom on 4/3
MORE INFO: doe-eyed.com

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A little practical guidance for choosing among the nearly 300 special Record Store Day releases by Miles Raymer There are two main ways to approach Record Store Day: You could celebrate like the devoted record geeks for whom the holiday was at least partly invented (and like the opportunistic eBay scum who have since latched onto it), gathering intelligence on which stores are stocking which exclusives and camping out in front of them for hours before their doors open. Or you could do what I do: cruise around, check out the most interesting-looking events, and see what stuff those stores have left after the rush.…

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Last year artist Matt Metzger spent a lot of time driving on I-90/94. He took note of the 18-wheelers in front of him.…

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A failure to focus mars Steppenwolf Theatre's The March by Kerry Reid Family legend has it that my Irish-born great-great-grandfather fought on the Union side during the Civil War and was at the siege of Vicksburg. We've never confirmed that story.…

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Chicago Latino Film Festival continues at venues around town The 28th Chicago Latino Film Festival continues Friday through Thursday, April 20 through 26. Tickets for most screenings are $11, $10 for members of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago; a festival pass, good for 12 general admissions, is $100, $80 for ILCC members.…

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An unsatisfying Angels in America at Court Theatre by Tony Adler As staged at Court Theatre, the two parts of Tony Kushner's epic Angels in America take seven hours to unwind. That means lots of intermissions, which in turn means lots of lobby conversations on the subject of what the person standing next to you thinks of the show so far.…

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An overview of the overwhelming fifth annual Record Store Day Record Store Day has most definitely busted out of its britches. Since its first installment in 2008, this homage to independently owned brick-and-mortar record stores has grown from a small underground phenomenon into an ocean-straddling monster.…

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In the New York Times yesterday author Ann Patchett, now also a bookstore owner in Nashville, inveighed against the failure of the Pulitzer judges to choose a fiction winner this year. Some publishers and booksellers chimed in, too?they say the Pulitzer?s good for business, good for fiction, a balm to the self-image of a struggling industry.…

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By Jamey Dunn

If you do your reading on a Kindle, iPad, NOOK or other electronic reading device, state and federal officials say you could be getting gouged when you buy best-selling books.

Illinois joined 14 other states and Puerto Rico to sue Apple and book publishers Penguin Group, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster over allegations of price fixing and violating anti-trust laws. “By colluding to fix the price of e-books, publishers and Apple essentially forced consumers to pay millions more for e-books than they otherwise would have paid,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a written statement. “Enforcing the state’s antitrust laws will ensure that consumers receive the full benefit of competitive pricing and choice in the marketplace.” Madigan is seeking refunds for Illinois customers who were overcharged under the scheme.

The U.S. Department of Justice is also suing Apple and book publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster. The lawsuit alleges that the publishers and Apple colluded to prevent a drop in the costs of electronic books as competition grew.The DOJ and Madigan say that before Apple entered the marketplace in 2010, most bestsellers were $9.99, but after the company entered into agreements with publishers to raise the prices, the price tags went up to $12.99 and $14.99, and Apple received a 30 percent commission on the sales. Publishers then demanded the same prices from other booksellers. “Based on the commitments to Apple, the publishers imposed agency terms, over some objections, on all other e-book retailers,” said a written statement from the Justice Department.

“Beginning in the summer of 2009, we allege that executives at the highest levels of the companies included in today’s lawsuit — concerned that e-book sellers had reduced prices — worked together to eliminate competition among stores selling e-books, ultimately increasing prices for consumers,” Attorney General Eric Holder said today at a Washington, D.C., news conference. “As a result of this alleged conspiracy, we believe that consumers paid millions of dollars more for some of the most popular titles.”

Some publishers have argued that their agreements with Apple prevent Amazon.com from holding a monopoly over the e-book marketplace. 

Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster agreed to settle with the Department of Justice. Under the terms of the settlement, they must end their agreements with Apple and allow retailers to sell their e-books at discounted prices. Amazon said in a written statement that as a result of the settlement, it plans to drop the cost of some of the e-books it sells.

He also cracked wise about his revival of an old tourism slogan, “Escape to Wisconsin,” which Walker brought back as an attempt to appeal to businesses after Illinois increased its income tax rate last year.

“I’m not concerned about Gov. Walker trying to poach Illinois jobs," Whitley told those in attendance. "Illinois is the fifth largest state in the country. We have job growth going on.” He said he is encouraged that Illinois leaders are working to address some of the business community’s biggest concerns, such as growing pension and Medicaid costs. “Even our governor, who as most all of you know, has had very liberal tendencies, very socialist tendencies for years. Even some might say radical tendencies. A month ago [he] stood up and gave a budget message that was not too much different than what you and I and the Illinois chamber would like to hear our chief executive officer talk about.”

While Walker drew a group of attendees to the event that was comparable to previous years, he also brought out a large crowd of union protesters upset with his policies. Anders Lindall, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, said that inviting Walker to speak “shows for one thing how out of touch from regular people those corporate lobbyists and corporate chieftains really are.”Lindall said protesters who turned out today from multiple unions, including private sector affiliations, represent the hard-working core of the state’s middle class. Protester Cary Quick said: “Myself and many of my brothers and sisters that are union members came out to give Scott Walker an unwelcome to Illinois and ask him to go back … and take back all his union-busting, corporate bolstering political ideas to Wisconsin with him — to where he can await his soon-to-come unemployment and allow Wisconsin to get themselves back on track.” Quick said he plans to travel to Wisconsin in the coming months to campaign against Walker.

Quick, who works as a mental health technician at the Choate Developmental Center in the southern Illinois city of Anna, says he came to Springfield to send a message to lawmakers that moves such as Walker’s attacks on public employee unions “would not be tolerated” in Illinois. Quick said he is worried about losing pension benefits, as well as Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposal to close several state facilities. While Choate is not on the list for potential closure, Quick said he is concerned that facility closures in the area would hurt his community. Union County, where Anna is located, had a 13.6 percent unemployment rate in February. Walker and Illinois public employee unions do agree on one thing: Both say that Quinn’s proposal to close several state facilities and layoff workers would be bad for Illinois’ economy. “All those things will have a negative impact on public employees in the state,” Walker said.

But Quinn insists that the closures have to take place to balance the state’s budget.

Quinn steered clear of Walker’s appearance, instead going to Chicago to announce that Lafarge North America, a concrete company, plans to relocate its Virginia headquarters to the Chicago area. The company says it will bring about 90 jobs. “Well, they’ve had some tough times up there since he got elected governor. They’ve lost jobs,” Quinn said at the Chicago event about Walker. “And we certainly don’t want to follow his prescriptions when it comes the economic growth.”

Quinn, who has been a vocal critic of Walker’s polices in the past, said neighboring states should work together to improve the region instead of nursing rivalries. “Our focus in not on any other state. We believe in cooperation with our Midwestern neighbors. …We think our approach of investing in important things and investing in human beings and their education is the best way to get job creation.”

Quinn’s hopes of reforming the state’s underfunded public pension systems seem to be struggling, as public employee unions have announced that they are not negotiating with the legislative working group. Michael Carrigan, Illinois AFL-CIO president, said the unions are asking for data that they have not been given, as well as assurances that the lawmakers in the group can negotiate on behalf of Quinn and the four legislative leaders. “Our unions are firmly committed to negotiating a solution to the pension funding crisis. However, to go forward, we need both the data supporting any proposals and a commitment that the representatives with whom we engage are authorized to speak for the governor and the legislative leaders,” Carrigan said in a written statement from the We Are One Coalition, which represents several unions in the state.

Quinn had set today as the deadline for the pension working group to present its ideas, but Brooke Anderson, a Quinn spokeswoman, said the group, as well as another working group that plans to propose Medicaid cuts, asked for more time. She said both sets of recommendations should be presented by the end of the week. “You should not worry about holding your breath too long because it will be very shortly,” Quinn told reporters in Chicago today.

The report states: “The type of mortgages entering foreclosure has changed since 2008. At the beginning of the current downturn, mortgages of single-family homes entering foreclosure were almost equally divided between conventional fixed-rate, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veteran’ Administration (VA) loans, at 50.1 percent of filings; and riskier mortgages, including Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) and balloon payment mortgages, at 49.2 percent of filings. By 2011, 68.2 percent of single-family home mortgages entering foreclosure were conventional, FHA, or VA loans, and only 29.4 percent were ARMs or balloon mortgages.”

The report also found the number of foreclosures in the Chicago region has declined, reaching about the same level as in the second half of 2008. There were 30,943 foreclosure filings in the six-county Chicago region during the second half of 2011, compared with 40,775 for the second half of 2010, a decrease of 24.1 percent. For the full year, foreclosure filings decreased by 18.9 percent, from 76,986 in 2010 to 64,877 in 2011.

Although the number of foreclosures has dropped, Cowan believes the reductions may be a product of recent delays in the clogged foreclosure system. (For more on the overburdened foreclosure system, see Illinois Issues March 2011.) In 2011, there were almost 31,000 foreclosure filings but only 11,766 auctions in the six-county region, which suggests that the backlog in the courts may have increased.“Without concerted effort to address the forces that drive foreclosure activity, such as negative equity and unemployment, foreclosures will continue to drain wealth from all corners of our society,” Cowan said.

" Kiefer liked his characters?Rudy, Hungarian super of a string of north-side apartment houses, and Harry, a kid from Wilmette who helps him out on maintenance runs?and used them again in 2000 in a short story he published in an airline's flight magazine. Now they're back, in a novel Kiefer brought out just three months ago.…

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Give piss a chance
04/12/2012

Dan Savage on creepy Internet oversharing, a sexual lull in an LTR, and piss by Dan Savage QMy fiance and I have been together for six years. We're both 27.…

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Culture to cult?
04/12/2012

A secretive religious sect is replacing NNWAC's Wicker Park Arts Center; the alderman objects. by Deanna Isaacs When the fourth annual Chicago International Movies & Music Festival wraps up April 15, so will the Wicker Park Art Center, anchor venue for the fest and a low-rent option for some of the city's edgiest art groups. The Near Northwest Arts Council, which established the center in Saint Paul's Community Church at 2215 W. North in 2008 and originally planned to buy the building, is being booted: they have until April 18 to clear out.…

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Gig poster of the week
04/12/2012

ARTIST: Daniel MacAdam
SHOW: Lucero and William Elliott Whitmore at Metro on 4/7
MORE ONLINE: crosshairchicago.com

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The trust fund mayor
04/12/2012

The mayor has big plans for Chicago's infrastructure. Wish we knew what they were. by Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke Everybody's talking about Mayor Emanuel's proposal to create a "trust fund" that would use private money to build infrastructure, though nobody seems to understand how it would actually work. But that's not stopping aldermen from getting ready to approve it as soon as next week.…

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Check out what's happening in the NewQuestCity Forums for Illinois .

House votes to scale back public retiree health benefits
05/15/2012

By Jamey Dunn

Retired public workers in Illinois may have to shell out more for their health care.

The House today approved Senate Bill 1313. The measure allows Central Management Systems (CMS) to set the amount that the state would pay for retiree health care benefits. The rest of the cost would be covered by retirees through premiums. Currently, many employees do not pay a premium for health care after they retire. This year, the state expects to pay more than $800 million for retiree health care

“Not only are these benefits unaffordable, given today’s fiscal situation, but they are far more generous than those provided by other governments to their employees and those provided by the private sector,” said House Speaker Michael Madigan, a sponsor of the bill.

After CMS, an agency under the governor, sets the amount the state would contribute, the legislature's Joint Committee on Administrative Rules would have the option to reject the number from CMS. Gov. Pat Quinn intends to decide premiums based on a sliding scale. “The scale is based on (1) length of service, and (2) ability to pay," said a memo from CMS that was entered into the record with SB 1313. "The percent of cost the retiree will pay will also be based on his or her pension level. Pension amounts will be broken up into seven tiers; the higher the tier, the more the retiree will pay,” According to the memo, retirees on Medicare would pay “substantially less” than those not eligible for Medicare.

Union officials say that while many retirees do not pay premiums for themselves, they do pay copays and deductibles, along with premiums for family members who are covered on their plans. The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Council 31 estimates that retirees with average health care needs, meaning no chronic illness or long term hospital stays, pay an average of $3,000 per year for health care.

Opponents said that the state would be increasing costs to retirees on fixed incomes without properly exploring all options of giving them enough chance to have their voices heard. “They all were under the assumption that this was a benefit that they could rely upon, and they feel that the state has sold them out,” said Rep. Robert Pritchard, a Hinckley Republican.

However, Madigan said he viewed the issue more as a budgeting move than a labor relations concern. “Although there are differing opinions in the area of pensions, there really is no disagreement in the area of health care. The health care is not contractually or constitutionally guaranteed. It can be changed or eliminated,” Madigan said.

 Henry Bayer, executive director of AFSCME Council 31, said that he is worried about the future of retiree health care being determined by the Quinn administration. “They have put the fate of tens of thousands of retired public servants in the hands of the governor,’ Bayer said. “We’re seen how this administration has botched so many things.” Bayer said that most retired state employees have relatively modest pensions, and increased health care costs, coupled with potential reductions in pension benefits, would make it harder for retirees to make ends meet. “This would just make it more difficult for people who retire from the state of Illinois or from a public university to have a livable income in retirement. [Some lawmakers] want to cut their [pension] income and ask them to pay more for their health insurance,” he said. “That’s a bad deal all around and not something you would expect Democrats to be doing.”

 But House Republican Leader Tom Cross said that both pension and retiree health care benefits must be scaled back to save both systems from collapse. “We fall into this trap of believing that that can’t happen in this country,” Cross said.

Auditors also found that ISAC had used misleading advertisements that could make investors think that the program was backed by the faith and credit of the state. It is not. If ISAC were to run out of money, lawmakers could vote to bail it out, but there is no guarantee that this would happen. As of February, the program was underfunded by 30 percent. Administrators say it is not in immediate danger of becoming insolvent, but without changes, College Illinois! could have trouble making payments by 2020. 

“The fast and loose operations of ISAC prior to last summer are more pervasive than we thought,” said Rep. Jim Durkin, a Western Springs Republican. However, Durkin said there were no real surprises in the audit. “What we’re reading about is history. It’s in the past, and I hope it will stay as part of the past.” Since the problems with the program were made public, Gov. Pat Quinn replaced leadership at ISAC. The program put a freeze on selling new contracts and has brought in an outside consultant to help address some of the problems. “The report does not cover the time from July 2011 to the present, during which Governor Quinn and the new commission board have taken decisive action to enhance business practices,” said a written statement from ISAC.

The commission pointed to steps taken to address the issue and says it plans to do more going forward. “It’s important to note that most of the recommendations pertain to policies, practices and procedures undertaken by former agency and program leadership. While we can’t change the past, be assured that the new Illinois Student Assistance Commission board and staff are hard at work implementing the changes necessary to stabilize and mend the program on behalf of current and future contract holders and their beneficiaries,” said a written statement addressed to contract holders and posted on ISAC’s website.

Durkin, who is a College Illinois! contract holder, said he does not expect any legislation related to the program to pass this spring. However, he said that there would be talks over the summer with legislators, ISAC and public universities. “The cost of public education is skyrocketing,” he said. Durkin said the rapidly increasing cost to students is making it difficult to sustain a prepaid tuition program such as College Illinois!.

The audit found that the cost of doing business for the program has spiked as well. “Program costs nearly tripled from $6.4 million in fiscal year 2006 to $18.1 million in fiscal year 2011 due to a substantial increase in investment management fees and increases in both direct and shared payroll expenses. Fees collected from purchasers of tuition contracts covered only 7 percent of operating costs in fiscal year 2011,” said Holland’s report. Durkin said he was “alarmed” at the increased costs of the program. “I think [ISAC] needs to go back and renegotiate the fees and the contracts with these money managers,” he said. “They’re not hitting home runs in the market, but they are being paid quite handsomely out of the fund.”

 Quinn is asking for an additional $73.6 million.

Advocates say that families who are kicked off TANF under the proposed eligibility change would likely have nowhere else to turn. “I mean, that’s more of a hardship because you’ve got families that this is the last safety net, so if you remove this, then they have no income whatsoever,” said Dan Lesser, director of economic justice at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law in Chicago, who also did not find the increase in TANF cases surprising. “The reason why the TANF caseload is growing is because of the economy. These are all programs that should grow when there is a recession; they are there to replace income [that] people don’t have because of the recession.”

According to Lesser, shifting TANF eligibility from five years to three years would instantly affect 3,000 Illinois families and more families every month after. “There is no policy justification for doing this; they haven’t even offered policy justification. This is the worst possible time, with the state of the economy [and] the long period of times people are going between jobs, to shorten the time limit,” Lesser said.

Sen. Donne Trotter, a budget point man for Senate Democrats, said that lawmakers must face the reality of the state’s budget problems and make unpopular decisions, such as voting to close facilities. “Looking at the $8 billion of debt that we’re in, looking at our pension liability and looking at the things that we must do to get us whole again in this state, this is just a right way of doing that,” Trotter, a Democrat from Chicago, said before voting to close Dwight Correctional Center. Trotter voted against the closure of IDOC adult transition centers.

The group did approve the closure of a Department of Children and Family Services office in Skokie. However, employees from that office would be moved to other nearby DCFS offices. No members of the panel present today voiced opposition to the consolidation.

 The commission’s recommendations are advisory, so Quinn can move forward without the groups’ approval. However, Evanston Democratic Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg, a co-chair of the committee, said that no governor has closed a facility against COGFA’s recommendations. Quinn did not give a clear indication of his next step. “We respect the role of COGFA in the facility closure process, as well as their engaged questioning throughout. We have incorporated a great deal of their input into our facility closure plans. However, we must continue to deal with our budget challenges and make the difficult decisions necessary to restore fiscal stability to Illinois,” said a written statement issued by the governor’s office.

Union officials who represent workers at the institutions and family members of residents at the state’s developmental centers celebrated today’s vote. “We applaud the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability for rejecting Governor Quinn’s wrongful and damaging closure threats,” Anders Lindall, a spokesman for the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Council 31, said in a written statement. “The governor’s push to force individuals with disabilities out of their homes, reduce mental health treatment, jeopardize prison safety, end reentry programs and put thousands of public servants out of work are the wrong priorities for Illinois.”

Moving ahead, the battle over closures will focus on the budgeting process. Will lawmakers include funding for the facilities in the budget they are scheduled to produce later this month? If they do, it would likely mean cuts elsewhere. Quinn could also opt to use his veto pen to cut out any funding for institutions he wants to close. “We call on Gov. Quinn to listen to the commission and withdraw his ill-considered closure plans, and we urge the legislature to make sure all state facilities are fully funded in the [Fiscal Year] 2013 budget,” Lindall said.

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THIS WEEKEND: ILGP State Convention, Macomb, March 2-4
05/09/2012

UPDATE: Thank you WIU Campus Greens for hosting a successful convention! See news coverage The Illinois Green Party 2012 State Convention will convene at Western Illinois University in Macomb, March 2-4, hosted by the WIU Campus Greens. This year’s convention will involve selection of delegates to the Green National Convention (Baltimore, July 12-15), panels, and [...]

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Major polluter Midwest Generation to close two Chicago coal plants
05/09/2012

Environmental activists with Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization (PERRO) scored a HUGE victory this week with the announcement by Midwest Generation that two notorious coal-fired power plants will be shut down. The Fisk and Crawford power plants, both located on the Southwest Side, are two of the biggest air polluters in the City of [...]

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Green Party National Convention, July 12-15
05/09/2012

The Green Party of the United States will hold its 2012 Presidential Nominating Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, from July 12-15, 2012. During the convention, delegates from across the country will officially choose a Green Party nominee for President of the United States. Visit gpconvention2012.com for meeting and travel information.

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Stein Wins IL Green Party Primary; Barr Has Strong Write-in Showing
05/09/2012

Results are in from the Illinois Green Party’s first ever online primary. With a total of 153 ballots cast, Harvard-educated physician Jill Stein of Massachusetts has won the primary with 71% of the vote. Legendary sitcom actress Roseanne Barr, whose name was not on the official ballot but became an officially recognized candidate by the [...]

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Presidential Caucuses in Illinois!
05/09/2012

In conjunction with our online Presidential Primary, Greens will be hosting presidential caucuses around the state in February. These caucuses will be opportunities for people to learn more about the presidential candidates and to confer with other Greens. This list of caucuses will continue to be updated as more dates and sites are announced: Saturday, February [...]

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Jill Stein to hold Chicago area fundraiser
05/09/2012

Jill Stein, who recently announced her candidacy for the Green Party nomination for President, will be in the Chicago area this Saturday, November 5, meeting with local Green Party organizers and raising some of the $5000 she will need to raise in Illinois to help qualify for federal matching funds. Here is her [...]

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ILGP, Schmidt file suit against State Board of Elections
05/09/2012

Press release: The Illinois Green Party, and congressional candidate Laurel Lambert Schmidt, on Monday filed suit against the State Board of Elections over the Board’s interpretation of the “established party” statute. A victory for the plaintiffs would substantially lower ballot access bars for Green candidates in numerous congressional and legislative districts across the state, which [...]

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Stay Fit with these Health Websites
05/09/2012

Stay healthy and fit with these trusted health websites. Whether you suffer from a minor health issue, or you think there is major one around the corner, you can use the Internet to get an idea of what ails you. Though the Internet provides you with numerous websites, you know there is only a handful that [...]

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Volunteer with Chicago Park District
05/09/2012

Summer is coming as are amazing opportunities to help out around your community. As you consider apartments in Chicago, check out the Chicago Park District for volunteer opportunities. With the Chicago Park District, your options range from one-day specialty volunteering all the way up to more long-term commitments. If you have a free day available, the [...]

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Dine or Explore at Chicago Mayfest 2012
05/09/2012

If you are looking at Apartments in Chicago, don’t forget to check out Mayfestwhile you are there! Taking place from  May 31st to June 3rd, there is something fun for everyone at this springtime festival. So, if you are looking for a family activity to do over the weekend, stop on by and have fun! The [...]

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Enroll Your Kids in these Chicago Day Camps
05/09/2012

Many parents can testify that one of the hardest times of year to prepare for is the summer. Since many schools have summer vacation, parents must find ways to keep their kids active, entertained and engaged while they are toiling at work. With summer on the way, make sure you check out these Chicago Day [...]

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Alta at K Station Residents and Randy Fifield Dive in for Charity
05/09/2012

The residents of Alta at K Station, the country’s largest Gold LEED-certified apartment complex, are warming up for summer with the building’s 2nd Annual Polar Plunge. Open to the public, the plunge will take place in the building’s eighth-floor outdoor pool at 10 a.m. All proceeds from a $10 admission fee will be donated to the Children’s Memorial [...]

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Enjoy Brunch? Swing by The Bongo Room
05/09/2012

If you enjoy brunch, try the Orange-Ricotta Hotcakes at The Bongo Room. One of the perks of living in Chicago is the opportunity to try new restaurants and dining options. An option that is often overlooked is brunch. Brunch is that wonderful period for culinary delights that spans across breakfast and lunch. It can be filled [...]

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View Art at 2012 Manifest Urban Arts Festival
05/09/2012

This May 4th be sure to go see the 2012 Chicago’s Manifest Urban Arts Festival. Showcasing the unique creativity of Columbia College, this festival is a popular and highly respected cultural experience here in Chicago. Three stages of live music, an art sale, an art walk, and an alumni celebration are just a few things that [...]

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