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Dec. 13, 2013

A full house

As director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck is charged with overseeing a number of vital tasks that include the regulation of state hospitals, retirement homes and food quality. Since Gov. Pat Quinn appointed him chairman of the governor’s Anti-Violence Task Force, he has also been leading a fight against youth violence in the state.

Hasbrouck outlined his duties and goals while speaking at a Tuesday City Club of Chicago luncheon, where he also thanked his wife Zuleika and his three teenaged daughters for inspiring him on a daily basis.

But Hasbrouck noted that being the only male in his household sometimes presents challenges that help put other difficulties he faces into perspective. “As a result of living in a household with a wife and three teenaged daughters, there’s little professional or personal drama that I’m ill-equipped to handle,” he joked. “So my attitude is, ‘Bring it on.’”

Holiday spirit

Divvy on Thursday rolled out its new Holidivvy bike, which is decorated like a candy cane and features the #holidivvy hashtag on its back fender, according to Redeye Chicago. Divvy encourages those who spot the bike around town to snap a photo and post it to their Twitter, Instagram or Facebook accounts with the #holidivvy hashtag. Divvy will select some of its favorite shots, and the winners will receive an annual Divvy membership or a Divvy beanie cap.

In the cold seat

The RedEye Chicago on Monday tweeted a picture from the first real snow day of the season of one particularly uncomfortable looking seat on a Chicago Transit Authority train. The image was originally posted by Instagram user LeyoneTracks on Sunday.

Up for grabs

The Chicago Transit Authority on Thursday began an online auction of dated transit gear, hosted by Rick Levin & Associates, Inc. at RickLevin.com, the Chicago Tribune reported. Among the items in the CTA’s first-ever online auction are a classic bus stop shelter, a ticket puncher, a train speedometer and over a hundred other pieces of CTA memorabilia. Bids can be made online until 10 a.m. Wednesday.

A not-so-bright idea

Groupon Inc. on Tuesday released a video mocking retail giant Amazon’s recently-announced venture into the development of drone-delivery technology, according to the Los Angeles Times. In the video, Groupon said it is developing catapult technology that would deliver goods to buyers. Groupon’s tag line for its catapult delivery system: “From our dungeon to your doorstep.”

-Tom Butala