Recently in Odd Category

BY MIKE CETERA

State Sen. Chris Lauzen, here's your answer.

The Chicago Tribune on Friday ran a story about politicians using their clout to get tickets to the Rose Bowl, which will feature the Fighting Illini versus the USC Trojans. A Tribune blog entry expanded on that story with what appears to be a near verbatum conversation with Lauzen, who took acception exception to a reporter questioning why he called the U of I's president's office to inquire about getting tickets.

BY MIKE CETERA

I saw a commercial for Joe Vantreese's condo project this evening during the Cubs-Diamondbacks game. He's offering a Mercedes to anyone who buys a condo at his downtown Aurora complex. Interesting.

Nice, high-end promotion. But I think it shows the struggles of the real estate market right now.

BY MIKE CETERA

The answer (or one of them anyway): People most likely to display the U.S. flag at home, work or in their cars. Men are more likely than women to fly the flag as are Midwesterners when compared to people who live in the South.

And less than half of us describe ourselves as patriotic. Happy Independence Day.