This is spooky!!!

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FREEDOM'S EVE | Calumet City

The Calumet Memorial Park District, in conjunction with the city of Calumet City, will present Freedom's Eve on Thursday at the Superior Street Complex, adjacent to Thornton Fractional North High School, 755 Pulaski Road in Calumet City. The children's carnival will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets are 25 cents each or five for $1. A free basketball shooting contest will be at 6 p.m. Live music by the Ides of March will begin at 7 p.m. The fireworks display will be at 9:15 p.m.

GRAND OLE 4TH | Lansing

Lan-Oak Park District will have its Grand Ole Fourth celebration Friday at Lan-Oak Park. There will be carnival games and Taste of Lansing food booths open from 4 to 9 p.m. Good Times Band will perform from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Contests will take place throughout the day. Fireworks are at 9:30 p.m.

75TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION | South Holland

South Holland has planned a day of fun at Veterans Park on Friday.
Acts such as Mystic Fire, Zemrah & Co. and the South Holland Municipal Band will perform.
A rib cook-off will start the day at 9 a.m. and will show off the skills of South Holland's finest grillmasters.
A fireworks display is scheduled for 9 p.m.
In between will be games for children and adults, balloon designs, face painting and food.
Free parking is available at five different locations near Veterans Park, at 160th Place and South Park Avenue.

INDEPENDENCE DAY | Glenwood

The village of Glenwood will celebrate Independence Day with a parade that will begin at 10:15 a.m. Friday at the Glenwood Plaza on South Halsted Street and proceed to the Village Hall Complex at 1 Asselborn Way.
A children's parade also is planned. Participants must be accompanied by an adult and should line up at 9:45 a.m. in the Glenwood Oaks Restaurant parking lot, 106 N Main St. The children's parade will merge with the main parade when it reaches Main Street.
Prizes will be awarded for best decorated bicycle and wagon and for patriotic costumes.
Food, music, bingo and an interactive animal show will be among the different types of entertainment offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Village Hall Complex.
The evening will conclude with a fireworks display at dusk at the Glenwoodie Golf Course.

FAMILY FUN FEST | Homewood

Celebrate Independence Day with fun for the entire family at Homewood-Flossmoor Park District's annual festival from noon to 3 p.m. Friday at Izaak Walton Preserve, 1100 Ridge Road.
The event features food, carnival games, six different inflatable attractions, interactive disc jockey entertainment and more.
Food and beverages will be available and are coordinated by the Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve.

FIREWORKS DISPLAY | Schererville

The town of Schererville and the Schererville parks department will have fireworks at dusk Thursday at Rohrman Park. In the event of severe weather, the fireworks will be Friday. Food, music and fun begin at 7 p.m.

ALL AGES CELEBRATION | East Chicago

The city's Independence Day celebration will be Thursday at the East Chicago Marina boardwalk. Latin Satin Soul will perform during the celebration for all ages. Fireworks by the Mad Bomber will be set off at dusk. Activities start at 7 p.m. Food and drinks will be available.

INDEPENDENCE PARADE | Griffith

The Griffith Special Events Committee sponsors the town's annual Independence Parade on Friday. The theme is "Proud to be ..."
Applications are being accepted and are available at Town Hall and by phone. Monetary prizes ranging from $200 to $500 will be given to the top three floats and the top three bands performing. Line up at 9 a.m. in the lot at St. Mary Hildebrandt Hall, 525 N. Lafayette St. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and proceeds south on Broad Street from Pine to Main Street.

MUSIC, FIREWORKS | Hammond

The Hammond parks department and the Hammond Public Library invite area residents to the city's yearly Independence Day celebration Friday in Harrison Park at Hohman Avenue and Waltham Street.
The park is open all day for those with picnics or those who want to buy food from vendors starting at 2 p.m. The library hosts a patriotic concert in the bandshell starting at 5:15 p.m., and at 6 p.m. a naturalization ceremony is planned. After the newest citizens are welcomed, the Bill Porter Orchestra will perform. The band continues to play during a fireworks display by BaDaBoom! Pyrotechnics as soon as it gets dark. Admission is free.

FREE FESTIVAL | Gary

The city of Gary's Fourth of July festival will move to the parking lot next to Bennigan's at 500 E. Fifth Ave.
The musical entertainment includes Angela Winbush, DJ UNK, Blazed, 3 Piece, Ben One, Block Royal, Slave and Uneek. The free event, sponsored by Black Diamond Entertainment and the Mayor's Office of Special Events, is planned for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The parade kicks off the celebration at 9 a.m.

JOIN THE PARADE | Hobart

The Hobart 2008 Fourth of July Parade Committee has selected Hobart Hometown Pride as the theme for this year's parade, set for 10 a.m. Friday beginning at Mundell Field on Wisconsin Street.
Longtime resident and community leader Virginia Curtis is the grand marshal. She is also chairwoman of the Community Improvement Committee and director of the Hobart Chamber of Commerce.
The Indiana Air National Guard will conduct an F-16 flyover.
The entry fee is $10, and applications are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Hobart Chamber of Commerce office, 1001 Lillian St. Parade awards will be presented to the winners before the evening's fireworks display at Festival Park.

PYROTECHNIC SHOW | Munster

The town of Munster will put on its annual fireworks show starting at 9:15 p.m. Thursday at Munster High School, 8808 Columbia Ave. Its annual Independence Day parade will start at 2 p.m. Friday at the corner of Lions Club Drive and Calumet Avenue and proceed north on Calumet to Ridge Road, then east to the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts.

SHOW SUPPORT | Cedar Lake

The starting point for Cedar Lake's annual Fourth of July parade has been moved this year. Entries will line up at 9 a.m. Friday, and the parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Jane Ball Elementary School, 13313 Parrish Ave., due to the ongoing construction on 133rd Avenue in front of the high school.
The town's volunteer Fire Department is hosting this year's parade, with the theme Support Volunteers. Participating entries should give a brief description of their organization/business and what type of entry they will sponsor. Categories include marching units, color guards, floats, displays, horses and riders, motorized vehicles and motorcycles. Completed entry forms should be mailed to the Cedar Lake Fire Department, Attn. Nick Mager Jr., P.O. Box 459, Cedar Lake, IN 46303, or faxed to (219) 374-5999.

LET FREEDOM RING | Lake Station

The Lake Station Chamber of Commerce will host the annual Fourth of July parade, with the theme Let Freedom Ring, at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Entries should begin lining up at 4 p.m. at Columbus Park, 29th Avenue and Clay Street. The parade route will travel east to DeKalb Street, north to Central Avenue, east to Ripley Street and south to Riverview Park, where prizes will be awarded. A fireworks display will begin at dusk at Riverview Park, 2701 Ripley St.

MAIN STREET PARADE | Crown Point

Crown Point's annual Fourth of July parade will start at 2 p.m. Friday at Taft Middle School, 1000 S. Main St., and head north on Main Street. Entries should line up at 1 p.m.

PARADE | Valparaiso

Valparaiso's second July Fourth parade and celebration begin at 11:20 a.m. at Valparaiso University's Athletic Recreational Center on Union Street.
The parade will proceed down Union Street to Morgan Street and end up at Will Park. Parade organizers invite families, groups of friends, clubs and organizations alike to get out the kazoos and other noisemakers and join the parade. Parade participants will begin to line up at 11 a.m. in the large parking lot across from the ARC. The celebration will continue at Will Park.
From noon to 4 p.m. there will be food, live music, games and kids' crafts. The music lineup includes The Oxcart Ramblers, Planetary Blues, The Hoosier Recruits, and James and Stacy Cannon. All proceeds from the event will help support community programs at the Reiner Community Center.

ANNUAL PARADE | Portage

The annual Portage Fourth of July parade will step off at 11 a.m. July 4 from the Aylesworth Elementary School parking lot, 5910 Central Ave. The parade will continue south down Willowcreek Road and end at Lute Road.
The fireworks again will be provided by Melrose Pyrotechnics and will start about 9 p.m. at the Willowcreek Middle School football field, 5962 Central Ave. The Portage parks department again will offer refreshments for a fee and will provide activities prior to the fireworks.

TIMELESS PARADE | South Haven

South Haven American Legion Post 502 will host the Fourth of July parade again this year at 4 p.m. Friday. Participants can use any era to reflect the Fourth of July theme. The parade will end at the American Legion, 429 W. County Road 750 North, where participants will be treated to hot dogs and pop. Awards will be given at that time.

Comedian George Carlin is dead of heart failure at the age of 71.  Carlin, who had a history of heart problems died at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California about six p.m. Pacific time Sunday evening.  He had been admitted earlier in the afternoon complaining of chest pains.  Carlin became an anti-establishment icon in the 1970s with a comedy routine full of drug references and the famous "seven dirty words" that you could not say on radio or television.  Among the many films he was featured in during his career, Carlin will be remembered for his roles in 2001's "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" as well as 2004's "Jersey Girl." He also lent his voice to the 2006 animated hit "Cars." He also found his way onto 22 comedy albums and has been seen in over a dozen HBO specials.

Just this past Saturday, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC announced Carlin would receive the "Mark Twin" prize, a lifetime achievement award presented each year to an outstanding comedian.  The tribute to Carlin will be held November 10th at the Kennedy Center and broadcast in February by PBS stations.

Tim Russert 1958-2008

 

Sleep is one of the richest topics in science today: why we need it, why it can be hard to get, and how that affects everything from our athletic performance to our income. Daniel Kripke, co-director of research at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Center in La Jolla, Calif., has looked at the most important question of all. In 2002, he compared death rates among more than 1 million American adults who, as part of a study on cancer prevention, reported their average nightly amount of sleep. To many his results were surprising, but they've since been corroborated by similar studies in Europe and East Asia. Kripke explains.

So, how much sleep is ideal?

Studies show that people who sleep between 6.5 hours and 7.5 hours a night, as they report, live the longest. And people who sleep 8 hours or more, or less than 6.5 hours, they don't live quite as long. There is just as much risk associated with sleeping too long as with sleeping too short. The big surprise is that long sleep seems to start at 8 hours. Sleeping 8.5 hours might really be a little worse than sleeping five.

 

Excerpts from a dog's diary:

Day number 180
8:00 a.m.-OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 a.m.- OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 a.m.-OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!
10:30 a.m.-OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 a.m.-OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon-OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 p.m.-OH BOY! THE YARD! MY FAVORITE!
4:00 p.m.-OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
5:00 p.m.-OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
5:30 p.m.-OH BOY! MOM! MY FAVORITE!
Day number 181
8:00 a.m.-OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 a.m.- OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 a.m.-OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!
10:30 a.m.-OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 a.m.-OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon-OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 p.m.-OH BOY! THE YARD! MY FAVORITE!
4:00 p.m.-OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
5:00 p.m.-OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
5:30 p.m.-OH BOY! MOM! MY FAVORITE!

Excerpts from a cat's diary:

DAY 752
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow, I may eat another houseplant.
Day 761
Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair...must try this on their bed.
DAY 765
Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in an attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I am. Hmmm. Not working according to plan.
DAY 768
I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time, however, it included a burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such a liquid? My only consolation is the peice of thumb still stuck between my teeth.
DAY 771
There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary confinement throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer." More importantly, I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is, and how to use it to my advantage.
DAY 774
I am convinced the other captives are flunkies, and maybe snitches. The dog is released routinely and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand, has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current pre-placement in the metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait; it is only a matter of time.