Quadsville

Quadsvillagers' Choice

So, remember a couple summers ago when the baseball flick "Sugar" was being filmed in the Quad-Cities? Maybe you were one of the people who went down to then-John O'Donnell Stadium to be an extra in the game scenes. Well, soon you'll get a chance to see if you can pick yourself out in the crowd or if you ended up on the cutting room floor. "Sugar" will be screened in Davenport April 24, a few weeks after its New York and L.A. openings. Are you going to go see it?

Just for fun

Here's a new kind of contest: See if you can match the food to the Quad-City restaurant. Also, voting is running in the photo contest.

The photo contest is now open for voting, so check out this week's entries.

And for my last trick on this very busy Wednesday...

My colleague Francie Williamson saw this on Twitter today and we both had a laugh. Thought it would make you laugh, too.

On the Illinois side, there's a Democratic primary election. For the procrastinators who haven't read up on the candidates or come to a decision yet (myself included), here's a brief study guide.

3 mayoral races in RI County

McDaniel, Ropp to face each other in primary for Colona mayor

East Moline to vote for mayor, aldermen 

Two compete in primary for Silvis mayor 

Incumbents face Democratic primary tests Tuesday

On the Iowa side, there's a forum on the Davenport Promise tonight at the River Music Experience in the Redstone Room. It starts at 7 p.m. and is moderated by Quad-City Times Editorial Page Editor Mark Ridolfi. Mark Nelson of Opt4Better.com and Ken Croken of the Davenport Promise Committee will be representing the two sides of the issue.

If neither of those activities apply to you, then you can do your part in the community today by entering your photo of an everyday object in the Quadsville photo contest, or signing up for a chance to win tickets to "High School Musical: The Ice Tour." ;-)

I also loved the way the Best Actor and Best Actress awards were presented. The peer-to-peer tribute was so touching, and really gave each of the nominees their due. I think they should make it a new Oscar tradition. I also liked that they grouped the special effects awards and documentary awards with the same presenter. Helped speed things along.

What did you think of Ben Stiller's spoof of Joaquin Phoenix's Letterman appearance? I was laughing. But I thought the James Franco/Seth Rogan piece went on too long. Then again, I didn't see "Pineapple Express," the movie they were spoofing, so...

What did you think of the Oscars? Would you like to see Hugh Jackman host again? (My vote is a resounding YES.) How did you do on predictions? I managed to get half of them right.

Quadsvillagers' Choice

Photo by: Slots, Davenport

Title: Pure and Innocent

Description: Photo of 5-week-old Emma Perdue

Kevin's Pick

Photo by: Jeremy, Bettendorf

Description: This was a picture we snapped one night when the kids were playing, they were having so much fun!

Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba is in Washington, D.C., today to ask President Obama for $109.1 million in stimulus money for shovel-ready projects in the Q-C. The top priority is the west side sewer diversion tunnel, with a $56.1 million price tag. Most of the other projects are all in Davenport, although Gluba will also push for funding for Amtrak service and WIU Riverfront Campus. Gluba is one of 60 mayors from across the country invited to the White House to pitch their wish lists. Do you think Gluba's list is spot on or should there have been more Q-C-wide projects?

Don't forget to vote in the photo contest. You have until noon. Then the next round begins.

Looks like there's also some chances to win Family Museum tickets and Flames tickets, too.

Who doesn't like free entertainment?

I'm taking suggestions for spots to hold our next meet-up on March 18. Share your ideas below.

Did you see this story today on the new gated community that may be coming to Bettendorf? It passed P&Z Wednesday night. The comments are just getting started, but several people seem to think this isn't the best timing for high-end residential developments. On the other hand, some folks say Bettendorf will have no problem filling these upscale units. What do you think?

There's also a terrific discussion happening on Anne-Marie Hislop's blog. She asked what draws people to their church and what their ideal church would be like, from music to social activities. Take a look.

Submissions for the photo contest close at noon. The theme is "Faces." Don't forget to go back and vote for your favorite, starting at 12:01 p.m.

Also, check out the Oscar contest. I just put in my picks yesterday, completely at random, because I've only seen "Dark Knight." I did listen online to the three songs nominated. But that's about as close as I'm coming to an educated guess. haha Put in your picks and you can see how we match up. You can also check your picks against David Burke's, Aaron Weibel's, Tripp Crouse's and (soon) Linda Cook's.

Parents, what do you think of this piece of legislation? It would make it a criminal offense to leave your kid in the car unattended or under the supervision of someone 11 or younger. If the vehicle is still within your sight, you would not be breaking the law.

Lawmakers are shying away from it as too Big Brother-ish. There are also questions about the consistency of the proposed law's application. It might not apply in parking lots, on school or private property, etc.

I know I have left my 7-year-old alone in my car, parked on the street in front of my house, while running back into the house to get something one of us forgot, or while hauling in groceries if she's fallen asleep on the way home. The car is always off and locked and I'm not gone for more than a minute or two. Criminal?

The next Quadsville meet-up is Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Front Street Brewery, 208 E. River Drive, Davenport. It's an all-ages atmosphere, but for those of us old enough to partake, happy hour lasts until 6 p.m. Normally, these gatherings last until 7 p.m., but I have to duck out at 6:30 for another meeting (the mayor keeps a busy schedule). :-) But you are all welcome to hang out as long as you would like. Drop me a line or a comment below if you're coming so I know how big of a table to snag.

The "Faces" photo contest is open for submissions until noon on Wednesday. The Oscar contest is also open for your picks until 7 p.m. Sunday.

Congratulations to the winners of this week's landscape photo contest!

Janalglaz wins the Kevin’s Pick award for “Escape to Paradise.”     “The blue sky, multiple layers of clouds that contrast against the green hillside combined with the texture of the trail in the sand made by the horses,” impressed Times Photo Editor Kevin Schmidt. “I can almost hear the sound of the waves as they crash along the shoreline. Great image.”

Judy3 received the most online votes to win the Quadsvillagers’ Choice award for this shot taken at the Maquoketa Caves last summer.

The Oscar Contest is up and running, too. You can even see how your picks compare to our staff picks: David Burke, Linda Cook, Aaron Weibel, Tripp Crouse and yours truly. I haven't put in my picks yet. I need to do some research. To be honest, I haven't seen any of the films nominated except for "Dark Knight."

If I were to see one Oscar-nominated film before Feb. 22, what should it be? There are lots I want to see. But time, money ... you know. What's the one I shouldn't miss on the big screen?

What kind of company specifically recruits mentally handicapped men to work for it, then houses them in a building that hasn't had central heating since 2002 and siphons away their Social Security money? And how did they get away with doing this for 30 years?

The video (embedded below) shows the various rooms in the house. They are brightly painted, like a daycare center. And it was a care center, of sorts. At least, that is what the state of Iowa would classify as a care center, since more than three dependent adults were living in it - 21 to be exact. But the place had no license as such. The building was owned by the city. And the townspeople knew these men were living there.

How does exploitation like this happen in our backyards? Atalissa is just 40 miles away from the Quad-Cities. Even if the men were happy and had their physical needs met, as seems to be the case, they were taken advantage of financially, in a way they might not even have the mental capacity to understand. That's devious. And wrong.

What's your take?

This is a pretty cool contest, because if you already have an Oscar pool going at work or with friends, you can invite them to play along with you in your own private group where you can compare scores. You can also see how your picks matched up to those of our VIPs: Time Entertainment Editor David Burke, Times movie critic Linda Cook, Beyond the Negative bloggers Tripp Crouse and Aaron Weibel, and your humble Mayor of Quadsville.

We are working on putting together a cool prize package for 1st place. We'll have some lovely parting gifts for 2nd and 3rd place, too.

And, as always, we've got the weekly photo contest still in progress. Voting is now open for the Landscape round. Choose your fave before noon on Friday and look for the winners here and in the Sunday Quad-City Times.

So let's hear it. Tell me about your best/worst/craziest first date. Or how you proposed to your sweetheart. You could even reach back into the junior high dance years, I'm sure, for some amusing tales. Did something unexpected happen at your wedding or reception? What makes you laugh as you look back on your years of dating or marriage?

I will always remember my friend Brooke's wedding. After they lit the unity candle, she placed her taper back in the holder, but it fell over and broke. Luckily, it didn't catch anything on fire. :-) The pastor took her husband's taper, blew it out and removed it from the holder, too. Then he looked at them both and said, "What happens to one, happens to the other." A terrific first lesson of marriage. I will never forget that ceremony.

OK, it's your turn. Tell me your stories!

Photo contest

Don't forget, the photo contest is open for entries until noon on Wednesday. This week's theme is landscapes and there are some stunning panoramas already uploaded to the contest gallery. Check 'em out!

Kevin's Pick Award

Title: Ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille...
Description: A flock of gulls in Port Aransas, TX were quite willing to pose for pictures.
Submitted by: Bonnie Roller
Quad-City Times photo editor Kevin Schmidt writes, "A good Black & White image contains the full range of tonal qualities. Ansel Adams and his 'Zone System' gives a tonal value from black to white and this image (on my screen) has beautiful tonal range. Although I'm not a fan of the 'tilt,' the composition and lines of this image are visually engaging."

Quadsvillagers' Choice Award

Title: Winter please go away!
Description: This picture was taken at my house in LeClaire.

And that means we'll be declaring the winners in the photo contest soon. You still have a little time to vote. The cut-off is noon. And then you can start entering your landscape photos for the next round. Should be a good weekend to go out and snap some photos, too. I think I'll be going for a run or a bike ride outside.

What are your weekend plans?

Habitat for Humanity is seeking disabled applicants for the house, which was specially built to accommodate Travis' wheelchair and other equipment.

It makes sense, and based on the quotes in the story, the family seems to be OK with this. But commenters are saying giving the family the boot just two months after Travis' death seems rough. Of course, it didn't take long for the haters to start bad mouthing the family now that there is not a tragic hero to rally around. Check out the story and discuss, but don't make me come over there with my moderator boots on.

So long, Jim

Speaking of moderators, today is Online Editor Jim Gale's last day at the Quad-City Times. He's moving to Pennsylvania and we will all miss him. I know many of you have communicated with Jim over the online years, so leave a comment here or drop by his profile and wish him luck.

If I ever see that promo on prime time, I will definitely be throwing a shoe at someone.

It turns out, the mother of the octuplets still lives with her own mom. And she already has six kids, ages 2-7, at home, all brought into this world through the miracle of in vitro fertilization. Now she's got a public relations firm to help her navigate the tricky waters of book and TV deals and offers of free products. But who will help her raise these 14 babies? She doesn't have a partner.

I'm all for women making independent decisions, but this story just gets kookier and kookier. I don't know who is more irresponsible: the mother or the fertility specialist.

SquishyPBJMom and Kay Luna also questioned the ethics of the fertility doctors. Anne-Marie Hislop reminded us that, no matter what we think of the mom, the children are innocents and deserve to be well-cared for.

Photo contest

Take a minute to vote for your favorite black & white photo in this week's contest or leave your comments on all the stellar entries. You've got until noon on Friday.

It may not be quite as slick as whitehouse.gov, but I like seeing state government attempt a site that encourages two-way communication. What are your thoughts?

A couple of other fun things to point to today...

Quad City Images has a new "Where in the QC is this?" post for you to ponder. That yellow railing looks familiar to me.... I have an idea.... See if you can guess.

And there's one more day to submit your black & white photos for the contest. Voting begins at one minute past noon on Wednesday. Some nice shots in there already. 

Phil saw his shadow, so don't get your hopes up about spring. Unless you're the logical type who puts more stock in actual weather forecasts than in skittish rodents. In that case, you can start looking forward to next weekend when we are supposed to be in the 40s with rain showers likely.

Outside of Punxsutawney, Pa., the topic of the day is the Super Bowl, so let's hear it. Did you watch for the game or for the commercials? What did you think? Aclay wasn't thrilled with some of the commercials geared toward the testosterone-filled viewers. I heard that the HD signal had problems part way through the game, causing people to scramble for the remote. I also heard Bruce Springsteen almost took out a camera man during the halftime show. Here's a Super Bowl slide show where you can relive all your favorite moments, or if you're like me, see them for the first time. I was in bed by 8:30 p.m.! :-)

This week's photo contest theme is Black & White, so submit your best photographs to be judged by fellow Quadsvillagers and Times photo editor Kevin Schmidt. You've got until high noon on Wednesday.