• The naked truth about ISU: Who would have thought a silly TV show about a group of otherwise urban people being plunked upon a faraway island so they can gain immunity from each other would become a franchise? | Read more Flick

But "Survivor" is.

And, as CBS rolls out its newest version - it is the 16th "Survivor" in its storehouse - there is a twist, especially for those in the art department at Illinois State University.

Among the latest band of "Survivors" who premiered on CBS Thursday night?

It is a 22-year-old doing his student teaching in Barrington, Jason Siksa of Fox River Grove, who is quoted in Entertainment Weekly as saying, "I'm not evil or devious. But if it comes to lying, I have no problem."

And, oh, one other thing …

According to CBS, he used to make spare cash modeling "nude for art classes at Illinois State University in Normal."

We called.

"He modeled naked here?" asked Britney, a receptionist in the art department.

Jason apparently wasn't that memorable.

• Super lightning, too!: If you've seen the Tom Cruise movie, "War of the Worlds," the invasion of the aliens begins with strange, creepy, muffled lightning in the eastern sky.

That's what was eerie on Super Sunday here, too.

"War of the Worlds" was being shown on TV just prior to the big game.

That is when, as the Steven Spielberg movie flickered onscreen, Central Illinois had - in real life - a rarely seen, early-February lightning storm of its own … in the eastern sky.

Only difference between real-life and the movie:

There was no fateful alien attack to follow … unless you rooted for New England in the Super Bowl.

• Another year to jaw about: 2007 may have been the biggest yet in new-restaurant-crazed B-N as such places as JBucks, Destihl and now Medici opened.

There were casualties, too, of course.

A check of records shows 22 food establishments, in fact, closed in 2007 - a near-record - including such long-standing food sources as Ned Kelly's, Shooter's Buffet and Sooooooo Convenient on Raab (holders of the very first liquor license issued 35 years ago in the Town of Normal), as well as Duffy McKaw's, which closed merely months after it opened.

No word if that was a new record for shortest life span as a restaurant as well.

Today's deep thought

As mulled by Bill Arndt, of Rutland:

"With the word 'politics' being the No. 1 word of the day, it is interesting to note that, according to Webster, the word is derived from two words - poli- is defined as 'many' and tics or ticks is defined as 'blood-suckers.'"

w Not courting each other anymore: In the legal world, documents are called "briefs," an irony because in the court system matters often are labored and lengthy.

The latest example:

The Fourth District Appellate Court the other afternoon handed down a 25-page verdict, agreeing with McLean County Circuit Court that one of its own judges was paying his ex-wife enough maintenance.

It was the ex-wife's second appeal.

The split occurred six years ago, ending a long marriage. But, as can be the case in divorce, angst remains.

Included in the exhaustive detail: word of the judge's honeymoon in Greece with his new wife, how he spent several thousand dollars on several wedding receptions and the purchase of a new Mitsubishi Galant, not to mention a four-page dissent from a justice who believes the local judge is not paying his ex-wife enough.

Next time you flip on "Boston Legal" or an "L.A. Law" rerun and are amazed by the TV drama, just remember this:

Only real life is better.

• Are we all donkeys now? So Unit 5 won its $96 million referendum; John McCain edged out Mitt Romney among Republicans; and several towns around here will continue to have ambulance service.

But the most amazing development in Republican-rich McLean County in the Super Tuesday vote?

That 49 percent of the voters asked to vote Democratic!

When is the last time that happened? Has it ever happened? Was Jesus born yet?

A call was placed to the county clerk's office to ask when so many people asked for a Democratic ballot in one of the state's most Republican-fertile lands.

A few hours later, after research, they called back.

"It's never happened, as far as we could go back in records," said Peggy Ann Milton, the clerk. "But it's also a growing trend. It started before this election, we are noticing …"

McLean County … a growing Democratic bastion?

Remember you read it here first.

Contact Bill Flick@pantagraph.com. The Flick Blog: www.pantagraph.com/blogs