As we head into a new year, we're wondering what you think of the current economic climate.
This is the start of the fifth year since the economy started to fall apart in 2008. Do you sense things are getting better, worse or staying about the same? Take our poll, and tell us what you think. And feel free to elaborate on your votes by commenting in the box below.
If you could get an amazing bargain simply by tweeting a sales hashtag linked to a credit card account in order to make the purchase, would you do it?
American Express is joining forces with Twitter to let people make purchases simply by using a hashtag. It's fairly simple: You link you Twitter account to your American Express account and when you see a tweet for a sale offer you'd like to take advantage off -- say, a $25 American Express card for $15 or 25 percent break on the cost of an Amazon Kindle Fire -- you tweet back the hashtag that corresponds with the deal. When American Express receives your order, they'll send you an emal and you have 15 minutes to confirm the purchase. If you say yes, your card gets billed and the item is shipped to your address. The one downside is that you can't keep your Twitter account private, so your purchase goes out publicly and is an automatic plug…
Take our poll and tell us what you hope will happen with the selection of Pope Benedict's successor.
Pope Benedict announced today he would resign on Feb. 28, citing age and infirmity as the reasons behind his decision. His action makes him the second pope in history to leave the position voluntarily, rather than upon death. We'd love to know what you think of this development and what it might mean for the Catholic church. Please answer our poll questions and feel free to offer your opinion in the comment box below. If you'd like to read the statements issued by Diocese of Joliet Bishop Daniel Conlon and Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of the Diocese of Chicago, click here.
12:54 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
Anonymous, perhaps if there were women priests there would be a lot less molestation of little boys. That's one thing the RCC has become infamous for over the years. And how does the Church usually handle these pedophiles...they council them and move them to a different parish where they can continue their perverted ways instead of being locked up like they would be if they didn't hide behind the… more ›
The Boy Scouts of America may reconsider its ban on allowing openly gay people to participate. Do you think they should? Take our poll below.
Last week it was announced that the Boy Scouts of America was reconsidering its policy barring openly gay people from participating in the private organization, but just days later announced it was postponing the decision. That the group was considering the change after taking the issue all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it won its case, was a surprise to many. We'd like to know what you think about this issue. While the organization is legally entitled to keep gays from its ranks, should they? Take our poll below, and feel free to post your opinion in the comment box below. Last week's poll... We asked readers last Monday for their opinion on a variety of questions related to gun control. Here are the results: When the Founding …
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1:31 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
and with that said your just further proving my point that you and all others with the same views are immature and ignorant. your selfish and think the world revolves around you and nothings allowed to exist unless you approve and believe in it. well ive got news for you and all the other ignorant closed minded bigots. WAKE THE FUCK UP. THE WORLD IS CHANGING AND ITS NOT GONNA STOP FOR YOU. … more ›
The debate has been charged as restrictions on certain types of guns, background checks for gun buyers and other gun-related issues come under scrutiny.
With the battle over gun control issues heating up, we're wondering where you fall on some of the key points being debated. The 2nd Amendment right to bear arms was written at a time when American colonists were under oppression, were anticipating a war to win freedom from a tyrannical government and carried weapons that could fire just one shot before having to be reloaded with gun powder. Nearly 240 years later, weapons can be loaded with magazines containing 10 or more rounds, can automatically fire bullets in fast succession and, in some cases, can literally spray hundreds of rounds in a matter of seconds. When they fall into the wrong hands, the destruction of human life can be devastating, as was the case just months ago with the …
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3:35 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
I said the other day that new laws weren't the answer if our state doesn't enforce current laws. I also provided a link about how far behind our state was in providing info on mentally ill people to the fed database, enabling them to pass background checks. Here's something I read in today's Sun Times: The governor also is expected to push circuit clerks across the state to more thoroughly report… more ›
Weather forecasts can sound like the end of the world when big storms are predicted, leaving us scratching our heads when nothing happens. How seriously should we taken them?
You try to do the right thing by dressing for the weather and avoiding meteorological situations that could put you in danger, but the question is do we put too much stock in weather reports? Case in point: The big ice storm that was to blow in Sunday, making the roads impassable and potentially bringing down tree limbs and power lines. That's scary stuff. Many people took the forecast to heart and canceled plans. Come Sunday morning, however, the warning had been downgraded to a freezing ice alert. And even that didn't come to pass ... at least not in this area. So, the question is, do we put too much stock in weather reports? Should we taken them as advisories and then use common sense based on what we see? Or is that foolhardy given …
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11:16 am on Monday, January 28, 2013
Stick your head outside and go off that. More often then not that is the most reliable forecast you can get. more ›
Take our poll below and tell us what you think of making pledges to do something on Jan. 1. If you've done it successfully, what's your advice?
What better time to start with a clean slate than at the start of a new year. But while it's easy to make resolutions to do better or be better on Jan. 1, most of us rarely make it a week without breaking or forgetting our promises. So, we want to know, will you be trying again this year? And for those of you who have successfully made a pledge and kept it, what is your secret. Offer you thoughts and advice in the comment box below. In last week's poll, we asked for your opinion on how to resolve the fiscal cliff crisis. The vote results were 62 percent favored a tax increase for the country's wealthiest residents and 37 percent said that spending cuts should be made. DON'T MISS THE LATEST JOLIET NEWS. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE DAILY …
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The Senate approved drivers licenses for illegal immigrants on Tuesday, with bipartisan backing. What do you think? Take the Patch Poll.
The Illinois House will soon take up a bill passed in the Illinois Senate Tuesday that allows illegal immigrants to obtain temporary drivers' licenses and insurance. Half of the GOP lawmakers in the Illinois Senate voted against the bill. The measure passed, though, with a final vote of 41-14. Senate Bill 957 would enable about 250,000 illegal immigrants who already drive in Illinois to have a chance to go through drivers testing, receive a special license good for three years and purchase insurance. That means safer roads for Illinoisans, backers of the bill say. Officials say uninsured immigrants behind the wheel cause $64 million in damage claims every year. Voting against the measure were Republican senators Tim Bivins, Larry Bomke, …
4:09 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012
Illegal=criminal simple. Illegals steal from all Citizens of the United States. Illegals are law breakers. Illegals burden our school systems, causing them to close. Illegals burden our hospitals, causing them to close. https://www.numbersusa.org/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyTmClBU7nA more ›
The president's small-business comments upset many people and gave Republican Mitt Romney a point of attack. But Barack Obama said the comments were taken out of context. What do you think? Take the Patch Poll.
President Barack Obama's recent comments about small business created a firestorm that could become a focus of the 2012 election — even as Obama and his supporters say his comments were taken out of context. "Look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own," he said during a July 13 speech in Virginia. "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help ... If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen." Take the Patch poll below: Who plays the most significant role in creating jobs and economic growth? That's not the entire speech, which you can read on the independent FactCheck.org. According to that post, the comments were taken out of context: "There’s no question …
Take our poll and post a photo of your cat.
According to Veterinary Pet Insurance Co (VPI) and Petfinder.com, a roundup of the most popular pet names in 2011 saw a new top name for cats, although the trend to use traditionally human names continues. The top 5 cat names in 2011 were Bella (new winner), Max, Chloe, Oliver and Lucy. Rounding out the top 10 were Shadow, Smokey, Tiger, Charlie and Tigger. So while human names rule the roost for dogs, there are still lots of traditional "animal" names in the cat world. Take our poll, add your cat's name in the comments if it did not make the list, and most importantly, post a photo of that kitty!
2:45 pm on Sunday, January 15, 2012
have to say..working over 30 years in veterinary medicine I haven't seen too many feline Olivers. I can think of only one. Whole bunch of Toms, and Socks. Mittens for the girls. more ›
anonymous
8:11 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013
J Del Rio-yeah people should cut back when the CEO of Bank of America just got a $75mil bonus-"Let them eat cake". Where is the outrage? more ›