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Flick: 'Sopranos' star didn't lose his head during B-N visit
By Bill Flick
bflick@pantagraph.com
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Heads up! Actor Joey Pantoliano ("Risky Business," "Memento," "Midnight Run," "The Fugitive," etc.) was in Bloomington the other afternoon, appearing inside of a bus outside of OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, talking about the clinical depression that had subtly plagued him throughout much of life before it finally was diagnosed two years ago. | Video of Pantoliano's visit | Read more Flick

It also was the first time he had been seen as of late with his head still attached to the rest of his body while not being lugged around in a 10-pound bowling bag.

At least so went the joke.

An Emmy-winner for his role as mobster Ralphie Cifaretto on HBO's vaunted saga, "The Sopranos," his character was axed, all puns intended, from the series when his character's head was chopped off by mob leader Tony Soprano.

Just what is it like to be most remembered for your head being found stuffed in a bowling bag?

"Oh, I'm flattered by that," Pantoliano said, followed immediately by the wise-guy, smarmy laugh made even more famous on "The Sopranos." "It's wonderful if we are remembered for anything in life and 100 years from now, if my head is remembered, too, hey, all the better."

• When do you know when you've had enough to drink?

Here's another clue:

Other night, up on a floor at Watterson Towers at Illinois State University, a man described as "in his early 20s" and appearing "highly intoxicated" asked where the restroom was, according to ISU police reports.

Apparently, he went to the wrong door.

At least, that would be one explanation when two coeds awoke in the middle of the night to notice a man urinating in the middle of their room.

• Today's civics question: When will the Chain-Restaurant Capital of the World finally have enough?

Not yet!

Red Lobster? It's only getting bigger instead.

Dropped off the other afternoon at the McLean County Health Department: Final plans to actually start building the much-talked-about bigger Lobster, near Logan's Roadhouse along Veterans Parkway.

• Today's deep thought

As mulled by Nick Petri of Minonk:

"I always thought it strange that the acronym for Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the same as Do Not Resuscitate. Now with Gov. Blagojevich wanting to cut the department's budget along with other cutbacks such as closing the pheasant hatcheries throughout the state, do you think he might have the two confused?"

• Presidential trickle-down: If Barack Obama is elected president, as you might have heard on the news the other day, Blagojevich can pick himself to replace Obama in the Senate.

Or as one critic mused the other afternoon at Rosie's downtown: "Finally a reason to vote for Hillary."

• And yet another one for the Believe-It-Or-Not file folder: Katy Klokkenga had a birthday the other day in a literal way, too.

She gave birth on her birthday.

Yup, on her birthday she had a baby -- at OSF St. Joseph in Bloomington -- so that mother and child now have the same birthday.

It gets weirder.

She also gave birth three years ago on her birthday, so that now all three will share a cake every year.

A side note:

Katy and her husband, Jason, are teachers at Normal West where, after three births on the exact same day, friends and work associates naturally did the necessary backward-math to discover what teachers apparently do in June, their first month off.

Just as amazing: Katy gave birth during spring break.

These teachers have their planning calendars in order.

Contact Bill Flick at flick@pantagraph.com. The Flick Blog: www.pantagraph.com/blogs.
Take a look
Joey Pantoliano, left, shows a photograph of his family to Becky Ritter of Heyworth and her daughter, Sarah, 16, while visiting at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington on April 8. (The Pantagraph/LORI ANN COOK)
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