Newsletter of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute  
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign -- November 2013
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

 

So glad I got to see Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman's floating art installation, Rubber Duck, during its 3-week stay in my hometown of Pittsburgh!

Dear OLLI Friends,

The change of seasons brings with it many things: cooler weather, earlier sunsets, pumpkin spice lattes. It also signals the shift in routines at OLLI,  as we bid fond farewell to the fall courses and commence the new session of study groups.

 

In many ways, it is hard to turn the page on a fall semester that was full of so many intellectual revelations and inspiring moments. The classrooms and hallways were always bursting forth with laughter, music, applause, thoughtful questions, and generous comments. Seriously - applause! Is it any wonder that our very accomplished instructors are so excited to be teaching at OLLI? As one of our instructors said to me when I told him of the stellar course evaluations he received, "Whenever you're looking for an outstanding recommendation, just listen in as I gush about the wonderful class participants and what a great opportunity it is to work with OLLI."

 

Check out The Buzz, below, to read about some noteworthy moments from the fall semester. And I hope you carry many happy memories of your own favorite classroom moments from the past two months. I know I'll never forget the delightful moment last month when Steve Shoemaker and his students in Ol' Timey Hymn Sing paraded through the office, serenading me and Kate and Janet with a rousing version of "When the Saints Go Marching In"!

 

The great news is that the new study group session offers its own array of wonderful new experiences. There are some new subjects and facilitators interspersed with the ones that have become such a meaningful part of the OLLI experience for so many of you. If you haven't already discovered the joys of study groups, I hope you'll take advantage of one or more of this session's bounty of options.

 

The study group session will take us right into the new year and, in late January, the new spring semester of courses. The lineup of nearly 40 exciting courses will be announced in early December, and course registration will begin on December 12. You will receive more information via e-mail in the weeks ahead!

 

But I don't want to get ahead of myself. This season has just begun. I want to enjoy the study groups and the wonderful sense of exploration and camaraderie that swells up around them. And I want to take a moment to reflect on the many gifts that make OLLI at Illinois such a special place: the commitment of the Bernard Osher Foundation and University of Illinois, the dedication and skill that Janet and Kate bring to everything they do for us all, and especially our members, whose generosity and energy are at the heart of everything we do. You've earned a round of applause!

 

Best wishes,

Chris

 

Important Dates
  • November 28-29 - OLLI office closed
  • December 2 - spring course catalog available in office, online, and in The News-Gazette
  • December 12 - spring semester course registration begins; details will be provided to all members in early December
  • December 23-January 3 - OLLI office closed
  • January 27 - spring semester begins
The Buzz

News from the Classroom

 

Matter, Energy and the Universe - team taught by the faculty of the Department of Physics, University of Illinois

This has been an amazing course, alternately eye-opening and hugely entertaining. Who will forget the image of a U.S. professional baseball player trained to assassinate Werner Heisenberg if he knew too much about building the bomb? A highlight of the course had to be the lecture on quantum liquids by Sir Anthony J. Leggett, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2003. Where else can you get a lecture by a Nobel laureate and have that be just one of eight class sessions?


The Bartok String Quartets - Peter Michalove

Peter has taught many popular classes at OLLI over the years. He decided to end his teaching career with a final class on the music closest to his heart. His passion for the subject was apparent every day and infected the entire class. At the sometimes emotional final class meeting, he announced a recital of six of his own pieces at the Indigo Gallery on February 3 at 7:30. Expect a full house.


Eroticism in Literature, East and West - Nancy Blake

Nancy Blake's courses always generate lively discussions, perhaps even more so than usual with this subject and the remarkable spread of film and literature covered. The dialog has been so rich it's continuing after the end of the class period with a get-together at Dr. Blake's home - more proof that OLLI does not stop when you leave the Research Park.


World War II on Film: Sacrifice on the Home Front - Mark Leff

This is in some ways a companion to Mark's earlier course on films of the McCarthy era, and featured an eclectic spread of familiar classics and now-forgotten propaganda pieces. For many of the students the high point was Casablanca, a film most of us have seen over and over, but which keeps surprising us with the depth of the story and the wonderful performances.


Compelling Characters in Fiction and Non-Fiction - Amy Hassinger

Accomplished novelist Amy Hassinger both shared her approach to writing and gave a broad view of the nuts and bolts of character development, punctuated with some very thought-provoking exercises. The OLLI writing community spread the exercises beyond the classroom, taking them to the Writers' Caf� as well to reach even more OLLIE-ites.

In This Issue
Quick Links

OLLI Illinois Home Page
e-News Committee: Cheri Sullivan (Chair), Frank Chadwick, Connie Hosier, Bonnie Hudson,  Barbara Meyer (Technical Coordinator).

Please send your ideas and stories for consideration to [email protected]
Join Our Mailing List

HALF-YEAR MEMBERSHIPS

 

Many of you are already members of OLLI at Illinois and have been enjoying our 2013-14 lineup of programs for the past several months. But perhaps you are new to the area, or have been traveling during the fall, or have just discovered all of the wonderful things that OLLI has to offer. (Or maybe you know someone who falls into one of these categories.)

 

A half-year membership costs $90; another person in the same household can join for $70. The half-year membership period is December 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014. (Full-year memberships always begin on July 1, and are available for renewal or new membership in the late spring. All full-year and half-year members will be notified when it is time to renew for the next year.)

 

Membership includes one free course and one free study group. Each additional 8-week course is $30 (4-week courses are $15), and each additional study group is $15. There are many other benefits of OLLI membership, including dozens of lectures, numerous travel opportunities, and many other activities designed to foster educational and social engagement.

 

Join now! Please contact us at 244-9141 or  [email protected], or stop by the office between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

   

GIVE AN OLLI GIFT CERTIFICATE

 

* * Learning makes a wonderful gift! Gift certificates are available in the OLLI office. Please contact us for details! * *

 

Save the Date -
OLLI at Krannert Uncorked

The OLLI Membership Committee invites you to join us for an informal gathering - OLLI at Krannert Uncorked - on Thursday, December 5 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.  

 

We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to chat with OLLI friends, both old and new, in the relaxed, beautiful setting of the Krannert's main lobby! The Krannert Center and a local wine merchant will provide several wines to sample, and a cash bar is available for you to purchase wine, beer, mixed drinks, and soft drinks.

 

No reservations are needed to be a part of this enjoyable outing. Just look for the area where OLLI members are congregating, and join the fun!

 

 

THANK YOU, CLASS HOSTS!
We are grateful to our OLLI "class hosts," who begin each class meeting with introductions and important announcements. To our fall semester hosts, thank you for so warmly welcoming students and instructors to OLLI - and reminding us to turn off our cell phones!
OLLI After Hours 

OLLI doesn't end when the class or study group session is over. There are a number of scheduled programs, such as lunchtime lectures, special lectures, movie night, and OLLI at Krannert Uncorked. But the unofficial meetings of a more social nature are a major part of the OLLI community as well.

 

The Dorothy Dunnett study group, facilitated by Sharon Michalove, met for lunch at the Golden Harbor Chinese restaurant after morning sessions.

 

The Best American Mystery Stories of 2012 study group, facilitated by Bev Herzog and Tim Smith, also met for lunch after morning sessions, but at Houlihan's instead of Golden Harbor.

 

The Eudora Welty and then the Catherine Ann Porter study groups, both facilitated by Linda Coleman and John Bennett, got in the habit of meeting at Houlihan's for liquid refreshment after their afternoon session. They have continued the meetings, even though study groups are not meeting during the fall class session. Because they've focused on southern writers, the group calls itself In the Southern Tradition.

 

The Writers' Caf�, facilitated by Frank Chadwick, also meets at Houlihan's after their Friday afternoon meetings. They've gone one better and continue to meet at the Champaign Public Library when classes are in session, but will be back on campus as an official OLLI group in November.

 

The New Yorker study group, facilitated by Bill Breeding and Andrea Lynn, also continues to meet at the Champaign Public Library during the off-sessions and returns to campus during official study group sessions.

 

Do you know of other extracurricular activities at OLLI? Please send us your stories of unofficial OLLI social activities!

 

submitted by Frank Chadwick

 

 

Instructor Interview with Peter Michalove

 

Composer Peter Michalove has been a member of OLLI since it first opened its doors in 2007 and has taught several popular OLLI courses. Peter received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Carolina in 1972, his Master of Music from the University of Michigan in 1973, and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Illinois in 1977. After retirement from a career in business at the UI, Peter returned to composing and his works have had numerous performances in the area. Peter answered a few questions for the e-News about his work at OLLI.

 

What made you decide to teach at OLLI, and to teach the particular courses you did?

 

I'm a composer, but I've always enjoyed teaching and OLLI provided a means for teaching whatever I was interested in at the moment. I first taught for OLLI by doing a lunchtime lecture on the finale to Beethoven's Eroica symphony. That music went through a number of incarnations, including ballet music for The Creatures of Prometheus, a set of piano variations and fugue and, finally, the finale of the symphony. I was always interested in the way Beethoven took a simple idea and used it for ever-more-elaborate treatments.

 

That lecture led to my first OLLI class, on the music of Beethoven. Later, I facilitated a study group on What to Listen for in Music, based on Aaron Copland's eponymous book. Then I taught a course on the music of Stravinsky. Stravinsky has always been one of my favorite composers. I'm fascinated by his use of rhythm, and from Stravinsky's rhythm, I've learned so much about his use of other musical media.


Very often I'll find that I'm interested in some musical question, and teaching at OLLI has been a way to learn about that question and to organize my thoughts at the same time. I learned an enormous amount about opera from Joseph Kerman's book, Opera as Drama. Kerman's thesis is that, in opera, the composer is the real dramatist. OK, I thought, but how does that work? I taught a class on opera as drama to try to figure that out. I came up with answers I never expected. It seems obvious now, but the way the composer controls the pacing is a crucial way the composer acts as the dramatist.

 

Did you learn anything unexpected/particularly interesting to you while teaching your class (in preparation or from class interactions)?

 

I think every teacher will tell you that he or she learned more than the students from the experience. In preparing a class, you often make connections you hadn't thought about before. The last class I taught was called The Art of the Variations. We looked at examples of the variations form from the Baroque to the present. One of the things I came to see more clearly than before was how important phrasing was in a set of variations.   

 

What have you most enjoyed about teaching at OLLI? 

 

The students -- no question. Watching students light up with a realization has been the most fun part of teaching.

 

Please share a memory from the OLLI trip to Venice and Turkey.

 

What I enjoyed most about Istanbul, and especially Venice, was the feeling that I knew the place. Istanbul is still a huge city, of which I've come to know only certain parts. But in Venice, you could drop me anywhere, and I could find my way to any destination. I can't say that of practically any other location in the world.

 

What is your favorite OLLI moment?

 

Getting to know people that I never imagined I'd have so much in common with. I recently took the study groups on Eudora Welty and Katherine Ann Porter, and there were so many in the groups that I never imagined I'd find connections with, but many of the connections were particularly strong.

 

Do you have any advice for OLLI members?

 

Take courses, study groups, trips, any kind of OLLI activity that strikes your fancy. You'll be amazed at how it will repay your effort in ways you never imagined.

 

 

 

Websites for OLLI-ites:

Fact-Checking Sites on the Web

 

Seeking 'the truth', searching for facts, wondering if a given website is credible, pondering where the website is getting its money: all these are challenges as 21st century citizens use online media to stay informed.

 

Brant Houston, holder of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Chair in Investigative and Enterprise Reporting in the Department of Journalism at the University of Illinois, recommended several fact-checking websites to members of his OLLI course, Perils of Digital Media, this semester:

Houston reminded OLLI class members to validate and verify online journalism by asking some key questions:

  • Who is producing the information for this site?
  • Who is paying for it?
  • How transparent is the site or social media?
  • Is the information original or aggregated? If aggregated, where is the original documentation found?
  • Are there any obvious inaccuracies?
  • Does it allow any comments? What is the quality of comments?
  • Who is tracking me and what are they collecting?

Submitted by Bonnie Hudson 

And the winners are:
#1 The Big Bang Theory
#2 Downton Abbey
#3 Breaking Bad/ Masterpiece Theater (Tie)
Getting to know you 
OLLI members respond to the question:
"What TV show do you enjoy watching?"

Mary Bailey

Frontline, 60 Minutes, Masterpiece Theatre, Essential Pepin cooking show, Jeopardy, Masterpiece Mystery.  I have only an antenna and get all of these shows for free!I  Also have Acorn TV (BBC) for $4.99/mo and Netflix for $7.99/mo.

 

Steve Balderson

Parenthood - Network TV; Homeland - DVD.

 

Nancy Bedinger

I enjoy watching The White Queen (a current Starz series), Game of Thrones (DVD), House of Cards (Netflix series), Downton Abbey (PBS series/Netflix).

Making Masterpiece 

In her new book Rebecca Eaton reveals the stories behind public television's most popular shows and the longest running weekly prime time drama series in American history.

 

Cheryl Binch

I always DVR Modern Family. It's the only show my husband and I agree upon. I also try to catch Elementary.

 

Sam Bostaph

Currently, I'm watching an episode of Poirot on Acorn TV each weeknight. I started with the first episode and am slowly working my way up toward the ninth season.

 

Kath Brinkmann

I don't watch much TV but if I do, I watch WILL programs. Through the internet I watch The Daily Show and sometimes Glee.

 

Rabel Burdge

We enjoy Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, Dancing with the Stars and Castle.

 

Jenifer Cartwright

I love these sitcoms; it's hard to pick a favorite. Great writing, great acting, great ensemble casts. Hilarious dialogue/comebacks and situations. 1) Big Bang Theory. Current season on CBS; reruns weekdays on Fox. Was/sometimes still is hard for me to ignore the enhanced (and very frequent) live audience laughter.  2) Parks and Recreation. Current season on NBC. Reruns weekdays on WGN. The only laughter is my own, ahhh. Very weird that my friends/OLLI acquaintances don't watch this show! 3) Roseanne. Re-runs only, weekdays on WCFN. Easy to ignore the gentle and genuine-sounding live audience laughter. 4) Bob's Burgers. Current season on Fox. No reruns yet, but the Champaign library has seasons 1 and 2. One of the funniest, most inventive shows ever created. Animated; brilliantly voiced. Definitely for adults, though okay for kids despite occasionally raunchy humor.  

The Very First 60 MInutes

Watch a short history of the origins of 60 Minutes with footage from the broadcast on September 24, 1968.

Pat. Chapel

I enjoy the investigative reporting done on 60 Minutes. But I often do not like the information that comes from those reports (mismanagement, cheating, scams etc.) Oops, maybe not so much now since the Benghazi misinformation.

 

Sharon Collins-Masel

My all-time favorite is Murdoch Mysteries, a turn-of-the-century mystery filmed in Toronto. It's available thru Netflix/Amazon. It's always a complex plot with interesting characters. Sometimes I enjoy White Collar, a current cable series. Older episodes can be found on Netflix.

 

Bill Earle

The Universe on the History channel (Comcast cable).

The "Real" NCIS

Naval Criminal Investigative Service


The NCIS mission is to investigate and defeat criminal, terrorist, and foreign intelligence threats to the United States Navy and Marine Corps - ashore, afloat, and in cyberspace.

 

Louis Fanning

NCIS WILL-TV, and Fox News.

 

Beth Felts

I watch Breaking Bad on Netflix. It is the most well written TV show I have ever seen, easily topping most feature films. And the actors are incredible, giving absolutely gripping performances in every program, sometimes more than others, often fascinatingly repulsive. Once you get past the premise (PhD high school chemistry teacher gets cancer and goes into the meth business), it is one of the best TV programs ever, in all respects.

 

Tom Galer-Unti

I enjoy The Good Wife, a current network series.

 

Richard Gerard

The network TV show I enjoy watching is Mike and Molly.


Phyllis Gingold

I love to watch NCIS - mainly reruns on Comcast 939 as we love Ziva. Also like Hostages on CBS and The Good Wife on CBS.

 

Robin Goettel

Since I'm a big fan of dancing and singing, I thoroughly enjoy watching The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance. I also enjoyed the antihero, Walter White, in 5 seasons of Breaking Bad. The series was gripping, and I recommend watching it on DVD, Hulu, or Netflix for anyone who hasn't had the opportunity to watch this show.

 

Sharon Hayes

I like to watch most of the PBS shows, but especially like the  Call the Midwife series. I try to record the commercial station programs to avoid the commercials. Some shows I like are Copper on BBC, The Bridge on FX, and the new adaption of Sherlock Holmes, Elementary, on CBS. I like most HBO special shows, too. I also love the Olympics, summer and winter.

 

Marilyn Hill

I watch a miniscule amount of TV - only the news on FOX. Never watch a show. I prefer reading instead!

 

Connie Hosier

The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan - National Geographic Channel (and Netflix). Cesar Millan observed canine behavior on his grandfather's farm in Mexico, came to the U.S., and started a business rehabilitating dogs. He founded the Dog Psychology Center, has written three books and has a TV series where he demonstrates how he helps humans eliminate their dog's imbalanced behaviors: aggression, anxiety, obsession, etc. His instruction illustrates how humans handle their dogs incorrectly - the source of most problems. He says he "rehabilitates dogs and trains humans." As a teacher, I find his insights and methods mind blowing.

 

Debra Karplus

Though I am not much of a cook, I find the cooking shows on the Create Channel (WILL-TV) to be very entertaining. Maybe someday I will become inspired!

 

Barbara Kessel

The White Queen on Starz recently was six episodes or so about the struggles for the crown of England in the 15th century, ending with the first Tudor to take the throne. It was not on Masterpiece Theatre. That is another favorite, but not always. My latest favorite within Masterpiece was the three-episode Silk about a female barrister in current times. 

 

Mary Carroll King

My favorite TV show is Dancing with the Stars.

Ten Things You Didn't Know about Breaking Bad.

 

Frank Knowles

I watched all seasons except the last of Breaking Bad on Netflix.

 

Susan and Curtis Krock

We watch the CBS Evening News, followed regularly by the 6 pm PBS NewsHour. We watch some series on PBS, such as Downton Abbey, and some of the PBS special reports, biographies, and Nature series. Most of our movie watching is from Netflix, supplemented occasionally by the Turner classic movies. We generally watch the 10 pm news (which is 50% advertising) as a soporific before bedtime - mainly for weather and the rare item of local news.

 

Bill and Carol Kubitz

We watch shows on Netflix. Currently our queue contains these shows: Numb3rs, Bones, CSI, and The Big Bang Theory

 

Linda Lebie

I don't know if I can say I "enjoy" it, but I have become hooked on Breaking Bad. I am nearly done making my way through five seasons on DVD. Everything about this series is top quality - the camera work, the acting, the phenomenal scripts. Characters are well developed and intricate. The humor is dark and complex. The storyline is unrelenting. Breaking Bad is brutal, but under certain circumstances, in certain situations, most everyone is susceptible to depravity. Everyday "normal" people from good backgrounds can make incredibly bad judgments. 

Mayim Bialik who plays Amy in the Big Bang Theory has a PhD in neuroscience.

 

Sharon Lumsden

I try not to miss Nature on WILL-TV ... almost always enlightening and entertaining. And I will watch The Big Bang Theory wherever and whenever I find it. Fortunately (for me), it is still current on CBS as well as available in reruns on Fox. Some nights they will show several episodes in a row so I get to spend a lot of time with Sheldon and his friends. (He's not crazy ... his mother had him tested!) The writing is very clever and I find that I forget those guys are actors, those are (probably) not their real personas. Long live Sheldon and his cohorts.

 

Georgia McCartney

Downton Abbey on PBS! I enjoy watching and rewatching it. The characters are so rich and interesting. I become completely absorbed by all the drama.

 

Joe McDaniel

Downton Abbey (PBS - can't wait for new season); The Blacklist (network TV - Spader is great!); Homeland (SHO); Boardwalk Empire (HBO); The Newsroom (HBO); Modern Family (network TV - my quota of laughter for a week!). I am also a Survivor fan, can't wait to watch it each week, it's a good thing we can DVR things these days!

 

Don Meier

60 Minutes is my all-time favorite TV show.

  

Barbara Meyer

The Walking Dead. And just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any better than a zombie apocalypse, along come 72 demons from the Seventh Circle of Hell in Sleepy Hollow. I eagerly await the next season of both.  

 

Carlton Mills

I have the DVDs for the two seasons of the A Nero Wolfe Mystery cable series. I grew up reading serialized Nero Wolfe books in the Saturday Evening Post. I have recently read that Rex Stout's idea for Nero Wolfe was to have a character that embodied all seven of the deadly sins! Nero Wolfe is fat, lazy, a lover of good food, and grows orchids; he dislikes women so he embodies lust and sensuousness in his love for gourmet food. He particularly dislikes Jane Austen because she proved a woman could write. And in his house 'contact' is not a verb.

 

Bob Morris

The PBS News Hour (2 to 3 times weekly).

 

Mary Mortland

Rosemary & Thyme is a British murder mystery series that my husband and I have found through Netflix. The two main characters renovate estate gardens, where a murder seems to happen each time.

 

Pam Olson

Law and Order SVU, NCIS, The Mentalist, American Pickers, Turner Classic Movies, America's Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars, Extreme Makeover, Duck Dynasty, A&E channel, Restaurant Stakeout, The Little Couple (TLC), Fox News, Food Network, AMC movies.

Super Bowl XLVI (Giants vs, Patriots) in 2012 was the most watched TV program in history with almost 167 million viewers 

 

Donna Reed

If I were to mention one type of show my husband, Mike, and I watch consistently each week during the fall and winter months, it would have to be football! College football and NFL football...that pretty much takes care of our viewing on Saturdays, Sundays, Monday nights and Thursday nights. It doesn't get any better!

 

Barak Rosenshine

I cancelled my Comcast two years ago. I watched Hell on Wheels online and I'm currently watching Blacklist. I miss the football games, but I don't miss any programs.  

 

Joseph Rotman

I'm a news junkie, and my favorites are The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC and Frontline on PBS. Some other favorites are Antiques Roadshow on PBS, The Big Bang Theory on CBS, and Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. I have recently discovered Channel 418 (Comcast cable, not a premium channel) which broadcasts news from abroad (in English) during the day, and European mysteries during  the evening (with English subtitles and without commercials). Two other favorites of mine: Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central and Homeland on Netflix.

 

Pat Schutt

My TV watching is limited but I am addicted to MSNBC and especially The Rachel Maddow Show. If I need something funnier, it's The Big Bang Theory because my grandson aspires to be a physics geek.

 

Veronica Shavitt

I regularly check and get TIVO to record old movies for me. I like to watch 1930s on, and when I  have 1-1/2 to 2 hours free, which isn't often, I watch those. I also like to watch WILL programs. From this you may see that I get my entertainment the old fashioned way, through the TV set.

 

Jan Sherbert

We are currently rewatching Foley's War series 1-6, past seasons, on DVD and our friends watch on Netflix. Foley's War Series 7 is on PBS this season, but the old series 1-6 seemed better to us!

 

Delora Siebrecht

PBS's new show Last Tango in Halifax is great. Covers all aspects of life & family. Love in your 70's, divorce, teens, gay relationships. First season just ended.

 

An American television series about a fictional sport s news show focuses on the friendships, pitfalls, and ethical issues the creative talent of the program face while trying to produce a good show under constant network pressure.

Cheri Sullivan

Every year or two, I rewatch both seasons of Sports Night. I like it so much I bought the DVDs, but it's now available on Netflix streaming. It's not a sports show, it's a serious comedy set in the studio of a sports show. It's Aaron Sorkin's first TV series and you can see his signature style taking form here. The actors are terrific, too.

 

Joe Thompson

Lots of news programs on MSNBC, plus geography programs, and NCIS, NCIS LA, Person of InterestElementary (Sherlock Holmes), Law and Order, Castle, The Mentalist, etc.

 

Patricia Tymchyshyn

I like Masterpiece Theatre, especially Downton Abbey.

 

Jean Weigel

News Hour, Nature, and Antiques Roadshow (all on PBS); Sunday Morning (CBS); and Fareed Zakaria's show - GPS (CNN) -- if not live, then on DVR. Hate to miss any of them!

 

Rosalind Weinberg
Most British Masterpiece series and Mystery series on " the telly." Homeland on Netflix. The Good Wife on the TV. Some foreign detective stories on DMV and Nova on PBS.  

 

Tony Welsh

The Big Bang Theory, Good Eats and Fast Money through Dish Network.

 

Chris and Dave Whippo

Doc Martin and The Vicar of Dibley are two of our favorite comedies, both are British series. We also enjoyed Prime Suspect and The Wire. All of these DVDs are available at the library and each of these shows has several seasons. 

 

Julie Wilcox

Masterpiece Theater on PBS.

 

David Zell

My wife Diane and I have followed The Good Wife since its beginning 5 years ago. We enjoy the fact that many actors from the stage, screen and TV seem to enjoy lending their acting skills to the shows. Besides that, we like the way the scripts include REAL incidents from every day life!       

Did you miss an episode of your favorite show and wonder what happened?

Want to see if other viewers share your opinions about a show? You can find detailed recaps of current and past seasons, television news, discussion forums, and other TV-related ephemera at Television Without Pity. The sometimes-snarky tone may not be for everyone, but it is one of the web's most active sites for television fans!
Member Photo Gallery: Favorite Halloween Photos
"Halloween on a Hedge: by Mic Greenberg

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with support from the Bernard Osher Foundation, is part of a national network that recognizes learning has no age limits.
 
Through a rich array of learning opportunities, members are inspired to take a fresh look at themselves, their world, and the possibilities that await them.
 
OLLI at Illinois is a member-led community of peers. It provides its members with a number of special perks and offers them exciting courses, and educational trips, as well as small-group discussion opportunities, a meeting place and special events.

 
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