Nugent drops nuggets/bombshells of advice to in op-ed column
Don't complain and never trust the French.
That's free advice to graduating high school and college seniors courtesy of former Palatine resident and rocker Ted Nugent.
The colorful St. Viator High School alum had plenty other tips for leading a quality life in a recent op-ed article he penned for the Detroit News.
Nugent, aka the Motor City Madman, is a noted hunter and Second Amendment activist. He recommends finding a relaxing hobby, just as he has: "shooting machine guns till barrels burn up, and killing sacred protein with sharp sticks recharges my batteries beyond redline. I cleanse my soul as I cleanse the good mother earth by eating her surplus."
Nugent, who runs a Jackson, Mich.-based safari and hunting expedition business, maintains ties to the area.
Last summer, he visited Palatine to pay tribute to his late mother, Marion "Ma" Nugent. He helped dedicate a 4-ton boulder in her honor that sits in front of Durty Nellie's pub downtown. She was a fixture in the community for more than 20 years and worked as a columnist for the monthly publication Illinois Entertainer.
More words of Nugent's wisdom:
You have an obligation to leave America in better shape than when you arrived.
Following trends and peer pressure is for mindless sheep that are never happy.
Get a job. If you work hard, real hard, at your favorite craft, you will ultimately succeed. If you are lazy, you will not succeed. Expect to be fired over and over again and aimlessly drift from job to job, your soul as empty as your bank account.
Do not smoke, use drugs, eat or drink too much or chew on glass sandwiches. Partaking in these mindless misadventures will shorten your life.
Have fun. Life is not a dress rehearsal. Live smart, live good. Rock hard.
Streaky clean: One Palatine teen has a streak going that's nearly as rare as that of Cal Ripken Jr.
Just as the Baltimore Oriole played in more than 2,600 consecutive baseball games, 14-year-old Dominic Vitucci has yet to sit the bench when it comes to school.
Dominic graduated from Sundling Junior High last week, his perfect attendance record still intact. That's something like 1,670 school days since starting kindergarten nine years ago at Paddock Elementary.
"He's worked so hard," said his father Frank. "It was an anomaly at the beginning but then you couldn't ignore it. He was bound and determined to make it through junior high."
It's unclear whether anyone else graduated Palatine Township Elementary School District 15 without an absence. Administrators aren't eager to recognize the feat because they want sick kids staying home.
But Dominic never even had the flu, according to his dad.
"Surprisingly, there were maybe only one or two days where he had to suck it up and tough it out," said Frank. "And if he's not feeling well, he won't tell us."
Dominic is headed to Palatine High School, where he plans on playing ice hockey.
Kimberly Pohl covers Palatine. Contact her with your story ideas or feedback at (847) 427-4472 or kpohl@dailyherald.com.