6 Responses to “Wasn’t it already then?”

1. Famous P Says:
   May 21st, 2006 at 3:36 pm

   OHMYGOD! That last one is too funny!

2. washburn Says:
   May 21st, 2006 at 10:40 pm

   I like the reaction of the other newscaster, which is pretty evident even though his face appears in the clip as just a few dozen pixels.

3. Dave Lartigue Says:
   May 22nd, 2006 at 8:12 am

   There are a few videos I wish I could find:

   Icehouse, by Icehouse (from the album ‘Icehouse’)
   Draw of the Cards, by Kim Carnes
   Waiting for a Girl Like You, by Foreigner

   What I remember most about each of these is that they really frightened me when I was a kid. I’d like to see them again and find out what was so eerie about them.

4. Sanjay Garla Says:
   May 22nd, 2006 at 9:53 pm

   thanks for these videos. i love the last one.

   by the way, i noticed the photo in the right column is a voting card that allows you to vote for 3 UI board of trustee members. are there a few seats that are publicly elected now??

5. washburn Says:
   May 23rd, 2006 at 9:05 am

   Thanks to former Republican Governor Jim Edgar, Illinois voters no longer vote to choose the trustees of the University of Illinois.  Here’s a quotation from a brilliant essay on the subject:

   Corporate versus Democratic Models of Education

   From the 1860’s to the late twentieth century, the University changed dramatically, but always retained its identity as a public university, funded by and accountable to the people of Illinois.

   By the mid-1990’s, this began to change. Since the University was created democratically, and was supposed to serve the people of Illinois, it had been decided early-on that the University’s trustees would be chosen through democratic state-wide elections. But in 1997, Illinois’ Republican-controlled State government unceremoniously ended the University’s 117-year-old tradition of democratic governance. Trustees would no longer be elected, but would instead be appointed at the Governor’s discretion.

   This dramatic change resulted from the fact that in the early 1990’s, some candidates were elected to the Board of Trustees (BOT) without having been nominated by the UI Alumni Association. Additionally, some trustees (Judith Calder and Ada Lopez, especially) had begun to disturb the BOT’s usually clubby atmosphere. They insisted that the university recruit more women and minority faculty members, opposed the ROTC’s discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and objected to the University’s plan to abolish the professors’ union at Sangamon State University. They also called for the BOT to reconsider the University’s use of Chief Illiniwek.

   Disturbed by this unusual dissent and suddenly convinced that the Board had become “too political,” Illinois Republicans unceremoniously ended the democratic election of trustees. Echoing the Jacksonville Southerners who had forced Jonathan Turner to resign, the Republican state legislature successfully removed those elected trustees who were unacceptable to the conservative consensus. Trustees Lopez and Calder would not be reappointed.

   Since abolishing the democratic BOT, Illinois Governor George Ryan has dispensed trusteeships as rewards for political service and financial contributions. He has appointed a Republican fund-raiser (Majorie Sodemann), a casino advocate (Robert Vickrey)—both personal acquaintances with few educational credentials. Democrats held a 6-3 majority on the elected BOT; Ryan’s appointments have created a 5 member Republican majority. Although state law prohibits him from appointing more than five members of his own party, Ryan appointed an “Independent” friend and law partner of the Republican leader of the Illinois House (Lawrence Eppley), and a self-described “Democrat” who donated 10,000 dollars to Ryan’s own election campaign (Gerald Shea). The Illinois BOT is now controlled by politically conservative appointees, many of whom have virtually no background in higher education.

   Anyway, someone I’ve sort of lost touch with gave me a little demonstration voting machine, that was once used used at polling places, I think, to show people how to vote.  It has the levers to pull for UI board of trustee members—a sad reminder of how Illinois lost a little bit ‘o democracy back in the 90’s.

   Ironic post-script:  Now that IL looks poised to have a run of Democratic governors, the Republicans are starting to talk about what a good idea it would be to have an elected BOT.

6. Dave Lartigue Says:
   May 24th, 2006 at 2:05 pm

   On music videos again, 100 of my finest oxen to whoever can find a copy of the video to “Special One” by Ultra Vivid Scene.