Flick: In Hollywood, ISU is kind of a big deal

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America's most theatric success factory?

Presenters Brendan Hunt ("Ted Lasso") and Jane Lynch (just about every other show on TV) did a shout-out to their collegiate alma mater this year at the Emmys.

"People don't know this, but we both were students in theater at Illinois State University," Hunt said to Lynch and the Emmy audience, as part of their presentation schtick.

To which Lynch, in a vintage Jane-Lynch-snarkiness, responded, "Nobody cares about that."

But we ask:

While many universities — USC, Michigan, Alabama, etc. — make news with the pro athletes they produce, how many other universities have produced such theatric fame as ISU: Lynch, Hunt, John Malkovich, Gary Cole, Laurie Metcalf, Sean Hayes, Reggie Hayes, Paulina Pahl ("The Bear"), Tom Irwin, Judith Ivey, Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry, Rondi Reed (Mike's mom on "Mike & Molly"), Pat Healy, Craig Robinson ("The Office" and all those Pizza Hut commercials).

In Hollywood, ISU quietly ... is kind of a big deal.

Latest double-take

Delores Jane Adcock, an 84-year-old from Tuscola, died Sept. 2.

Read her notice: "She is survived by her mother, Nadene Cochran."

Which begs the question: How many other 84-year-olds do you know who still have a living parent?

Longest career

There is no registry for such, but surely Bill Hutson, a barber at Kings Full Hairstyling on Emerson Street in Bloomington, nears such a record.

He's begun his 65th year of cutting hair in B-N, now at age 82 and still working 51⁄2 days a week, by 7 a.m. every day.

"I have no idea (when I'll retire)," he says, chuckling.

Back on Sept. 9, 1960 — Dwight Eisenhower was president, gas was 19 cents a gallon, Bloomington only went as far east as Mercer Avenue, a haircut was 75 cents — and 15 hours after graduating from Peoria Barber College, Hutson started work.

That also was a quarter of a million haircuts ago.

"Pretty remarkable," says Mark Swerdlik, an Illinois State University professor, one of Hutson's thousands of customers since.

Kudos, Bill Hutson!

More Fun Places To Visit, If Only For Their Names

(As offered by the readers)

— Bachelors Grove, North Dakota

— Point of Rocks, Wyoming

And maybe one slightly less fun to envision:

— Cataract, Wisconsin

Most on-time arrival

The praying mantis —those long, cool, alien-looking insects — are around in summer, but they show up in force in autumn, when the female begins looking for a mate, to lay eggs before winter.

And so, right on schedule, on the very first day of autumn, Daniel Schuetz was at Underwood Park in Normal. And there, clinging to a telephone post, was a female praying mantis (they are the larger ones), looking for a date.

No word if she found one.

Interestingly, if you study up, in autumn the male mantis sees a female, sneaks up, jumps on her back to mate, then when she's distracted by something, quickly scrams — because otherwise she'll eat him.

And humans think our dating relationships are a little complicated ...

Best Name Club

— Calvin Dye Sr. He's coroner in St. Clair County (Belleville).

— In Minnesota, where the state bird is the common loon, the president of the Minnesota State Chamber of Commerce is ... Doug Loon.

Longest doggone reprimand

Who knew dogs might even play a part in the politically mixed, fully divided 2024 elections?

Example: At the height of election-yard-sign season, one Twin City home has shown a bit of disgust and reproach because of a dog that might have done its business a bit close to a political yard sign in their yard.

Covering recently the entire expanse of the home's front sidewalk was a nicely handwritten, multicolor, chalk-drawn, 39-word scolding to one apparent dog owner.

"Clean up after yourself," it read across the sidewalk. "They teach that in preschool. To the (expletive) who let their dog poop by our sign, what a wonderful example you are. We feel sorry for you. Shame on you. P.S. Smile, you are on camera."

There's the latest "scoop."

The election, thankfully, now is only 30 more days away.

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Our latest board of contributors: Max Albritton, Jim Wright, Lee Templeton, Ken Anderson, Bloomington; Daniel Schuetz, Jennifer Hilbish Schuetz, Roger Hughes, Mark Swerdlik and Roger Miller, Normal; Tim Saterfield, Madison, Wisconsin; Ian Rice, Ottawa; Mike Barford, Edwardsville.

And the envelope please: Photos from Leaders of Distinction awards