Quadsville

But plastic is still prevalent and paper bags have fans, too.

Which do you use most often?

But isn't flu season almost over? I know it carries well into spring, especially if temperatures are below average. But since we now know the H1N1 flu strain was not as devastating as conjectured, will there be enough people rolling up their sleeves to get rid of the overstocked vaccine?

Are you getting the shot?

It got me thinking, though, about which generation I feel I identify most with. Which generation do you call your own? (It doesn't have to be the one designated by your birth year.)

This is all a Toyota dealer's worst nightmare, and they, too, are scrambling to keep their customers. Meanwhile, there are Congressional hearings going on and lots of speculation about what this mess means for Toyota in the long run.

I note the irony as I listen to daily updates on the radio while driving around in my Prius. I'm not giving up on Toyota because of this, though. Are you?

Do you use coupons, too?

Today, we'd like to know - Do you wear your pajamas in public?

If you are Catholic, you know that, traditionally, the faithful were asked to give up eating meat during Lent. That's been relaxed to giving it up on Fridays these days. But many people also choose other things to forgo during Lent, using it as a time of sacrifice and reflection as Easter approaches.

I'm not Catholic, but I have on many occasions co-opted Lent as a chance to join with friends in abstaining from something, usually something that I consider unhealthy for me. I think this practice - which is found in most major religions - of fasting or breaking a connection with a material want is a good one. This year, I'm giving up coffee and high fructose corn syrup. Yes, that second one requires a lot of label reading, because it's in darn near everything in this country, even bread.

Whether or not it is for religious reasons, are you giving up something for Lent? Tell us what it is in the comments. What do you think of this practice?

Do you think marijuana should be legalized?

Side topic for comments: Anyone see "Reefer Madness" (either the original "educational" film or the movie made of the musical it inspired)? Both are fairly entertaining. Also interesting is the special feature on the musical DVD about how the paper industry was involved in the original movie as part of an effort to sink the competing hemp industry, hemp being a fiber also used to make paper, clothing, etc.

The fines would range from $500 for first offense to $1,000 for multiple offenses.

I'm interested in the poll results, but I'm more interested in discussion here. You can read Kurt Allemeier's full story on the topic here.I find it very interesting that LeClaire voted a similar ordinance down and Eldridge seemed to have little interest in pursuing the issue.

Do you think this is a good safety measure or do you think it is overkill? Would you let your kids and their friends drink on your property? I had friends in high school whose parents did allow that, but keys were collected and everyone slept over/camped out. Lots to debate here. Let's get it started.

Toxicology report - Now: $15 ...... Proposed: $25

Cremation permit - Now: $10 ...... Proposed: $50

Coroner's jury transcript - Now: $3/page ...... Proposed: $5/page

Autopsy report - Now: $30 ....... Proposed: $50

Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, is pushing the measure. He says some fees haven't been raised in 20 years and are not in line with inflation. I'm just fascinated to see what these things cost. How about you?

Do you think Illinois should raise these fees?

If you've never been to Front Street, they are one of our local breweries with several tasty ales brewed on site. They have a vanilla porter on tap right now that is quite tasty. Their menu is also fab. Besides pub fare, they have a signature French onion soup that's delicious, several salads and dinner items from the grille.

I hope we have a great crowd. The last meet-up was an amazing success. Looking for a repeat. You can RSVP to the twtvite here or in the comments below. See you soon.

I'm not sure how much of the Olympics I'll watch, but I have fond memories of watching the Winter Olympics as a kid, especially the figure skating events. I always liked the Winter Olympics better than the Summer Olympics. Maybe that was because I watched more TV in the winter as a kid and was always outside playing during the summer, so I didn't connect with the summer games. Actually, my only memory of watching the Summer Olympics as a kid was one time when I was sick with a stomach bug and I watched some track events. So, there you have it.

Which Winter Olympic events will you be watching? Or are you more of a Summer Olympics fan?

I have one coworker who brings a smile to my face every year with one of those little box-of-32 paper valentines tucked into my mailbox. She gives them out to the whole newsroom. It makes me feel like playing freeze tag again.

As we get older, though, Valentine's Day is one holiday that sometimes falls along the wayside or gets categorized as a "Hallmark holiday" not really worth spending money on. Do you still celebrate it? Is it just for you and your sweetheart these days? Or do you still pass out valentines to the whole gang?

Regardless, it's a good discussion to start.

When does middle age begin?

While I'm still a fan of the local #DeathStorm2010 tag on dramatic postings about our Midwest winter weather, I am much amused by new slang for snow as it accumulates.

Which of these tongue-in-cheek terms is your favorite? (And please add to the list!)

MediaCurves.com surveys thousands of people online during the game about their reactions to Super Bowl ads and then ranks them on their site. You can find their list here (and watch any commercials you missed).

Which ad was your favorite? The choices below reflect the top six ads according to MediaCurves, plus the ad I've heard the most about at the water cooler and on Twitter. And if you were wondering how that Letterman spot came to be, the New York Times has the answer.

After you vote for your favorite, tell us what the worst commercial was. For me, it's a toss-up between all the Denny's spots with screaming chickens (although you can bet I'll be getting a free Grand Slam tomorrow) and all those E-Trade commercials with the talking babies.

I've also heard some ladies take this opportunity to do a Girls Evening Out while the men are occupied with the pig skin. Then again, not all guys will be glued to the TV this Sunday, either.

Tell me about your Super Bowl (or anti-Super Bowl) plans. And vote for your favorite part of the event.

I realized on Tuesday, as I headed out to vote in Illinois' primary, that I vote pretty much every chance I get. But it wasn't always that way. I didn't vote in anything other than a presidential election until my mid-20s. I didn't vote in a primary until my late-20s.

Did you go through a similar "citizenship puberty?"

On which occasions do you go to the polls? Check all that apply.

It's a good thing my vehicle is not part of this Toyota recall for a potentially sticky accelerator. Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood has been in the news today for saying owners of the affected vehicles should stop driving them immediately. He later softened his advice, saying they should just schedule repairs.

Do you think LaHood went too far? Is your vehicle on the recall list? Tell us what you're planning to do and what your experience has been with this recall below.

Now, in Alaska, they don't have many groundhogs, so today is Marmot Day. No robotic groundhogs for them! They don't expect their marmots to predict the weather, but if those guys wanna compete with their furry brethren in the 48 states, one of 'em better hold a press conference, and soon.

Since this poll is just as scientific as Phil's grand predictions, I put it to you, Quadsvillagers: What does the weather have in store for us during the next six weeks?

I didn't. But I caught a few clips on the morning TV talk shows today. Some wild performances, looked like.

Who do you think gave the best performance? Let us know what swayed your decision (and let me know which performances are YouTube must-views).