135 Comments - Team Sleep - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:15 pm: Grunge?! - OurMagician - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:16 pm: Phil - 47th Ward - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:17 pm: I’d go with Classic Rock. - Phenomynous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:17 pm: Raunerite: SuperMadigan’s one and only weakness. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:17 pm: Electric? - Norseman - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:19 pm: I believe it would be the Dummer rock. It seems to be talked about a lot around the Capitol. I hear all the time that this or that official is Dummer than a box of rocks. - Rufus - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:19 pm: pyrite - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:19 pm: Rockwell Torrey? - Homer J. Quinn - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:19 pm: fluorite is our state mineral. close enough? - Rich Miller - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:20 pm: Rufus takes an early lead! That’ll be hard to top, man. - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:20 pm: Pop Rocks? The start out real strong, then fizzle out… - I'm New Here - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:21 pm: Schoolhouse - Wordslinger - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:22 pm: Rock Raines. - RNUG - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:22 pm: Coal, except technically it’s a mineral and we already have one of those. - Turn - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:23 pm: Former five-term Illinois Senate President Phillip J. ROCK gets my vote! - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:23 pm: Fraggle? - Stuff Happens - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:24 pm: With the new budget, ’starved’? - Huh? - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:24 pm: Saint Petersburg sandstone, aka the sandstone that is used to make frack sand - jeffinginchicago - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:24 pm: Smashing Pumkins(pie) - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:25 pm: Sorry, pyrite is a no go. It’s a mineral, and we already have one of those: fluorite. I nominate the “erratic.” http://isgs.illinois.edu/outreach/geology-resources/exotic-rocks-or-erratics-are-erratic - Energy, IL - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:25 pm: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. - Judgment Day - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:25 pm: New Albany Shale - Rich Miller - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:25 pm: This one’s for the Sullivan Caucus: Shamrock Also kinda fits the state’s image. Sham, get it? - Robert the Bruce - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:25 pm: Jailhouse Rock. “Clean” Coal. - Wensicia - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:26 pm: Statehouse Rock! (instead of Schoolhouse Rock) “I’m just a bill…” - Rufus - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:26 pm: Conglomerate (easily breaks apart) - Benton Bob - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:27 pm: Crack! It’s the only rock that helps make sense of Springfield - bloval27 - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:28 pm: There’s always “Lierite” - always there in a pinch. - Wordslinger - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:28 pm: Rocco Fischetti (and no one gets hurt). - PolPal56 - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:28 pm: Actually, coal isn’t a mineral, either, being created by organic matter. But it is nonetheless classified as a rock, and it also has my vote. - anon - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:29 pm: Cheap Trick - 47th Ward - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:30 pm: Dumbasaboxof - northshore cynic - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:33 pm: cubic zirconium - Curious - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:34 pm: Whatever kind of rock they break in prisons. - David Starrett - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:34 pm: Phil. - OneMan - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:34 pm: Rod’s Hair - Empty Suit - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:34 pm: Rock of Ages - Cassiopeia - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:34 pm: Sand. - OneMan - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:35 pm: asphalt - Newdealer - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:35 pm: Fraggel - Jorge - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:38 pm: Pet Rock - Honeybear - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:39 pm: Sandstone- it’s pretty much worthless and it crumbles under pressure - foster brooks - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:40 pm: Starved rock - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:40 pm: OW: coal is a rock, not a mineral, so it counts! Huh?: “St. Peter Sandstone” For everyone else: This book lists most of the named rock units in Illinois http://isgs.illinois.edu/publications/b095 Go to the index of units begins on page 253 of the pdf You will find such gems as: Beaver Bend Limestone, Millersville Limestone, Nutwood Shale, and the Summum (No. 4) Coal. - Blago's Hare - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:41 pm: I’m with you, OneMan! - aunt_petunia - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:41 pm: Pat Quinn - Ron Burgundy - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:41 pm: The Rock across from the Hard Place. - Old Shepherd - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:42 pm: Barock Obama - Anonymous 88 - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:42 pm: Definitely Blagojevich. Dumb as a rock, though I supsect the average rock possesses greater moral integrity and compassion. Never met a rock that tried to shake down the CEO of a children’s hospital for fifty grand before the rock would send payment to the hospital for expenses incurred in the caring for sick children. Never met a rock that would even CONSIDER doing such a thing. - SextusEmpiricus - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:47 pm: I’m thinkin: “Erratic Rocks” as that sounds about right for Illinois, especially for Springfield at this time of year. https://www.isgs.illinois.edu/outreach/geology-resources/exotic-rocks-or-erratics-are-erratic - the Other Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:47 pm: A rock spray painted with the word “pensions.” - phocion - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:49 pm: Led Zepplin. - JS Mill - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:50 pm: BOX OF - RIO1945 - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:55 pm: Millstone - Arizona Bob - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:57 pm: Granite. After eons under intense heat and pressure, it becomes very dense and resistant to any king of change in form or content. Is there a better representation of Illinois voters and politicians? - walker - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 12:57 pm: Rock Around The Clock - Juvenal - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:01 pm: Cement. Search Royko: Ubi Est Mea - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:02 pm: Springfield Rock(heads) - Edward the 1st - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:02 pm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW9liiGyP_g - South of Sherman - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:02 pm: Next, can we vote on the official state crock? - jerry 101 - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:03 pm: i feel the need to be pedantic. Corn is a fruit, not a vegetable. - train111 - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:07 pm: To the north in Wisconsin, the trilobite is the state fossil. I can think of several Illinois legislators that could be nominated for state fossil - zonz - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:07 pm: That which is perched on Rauner’s neck - zonz - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:09 pm: ALT: for Illinois’ official state rock? Rock River - Tommydanger - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:11 pm: Schist. We are so full of schist. - Anon - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:13 pm: BVR: “The official state rock is Raunerite.” - Deep South - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:17 pm: Maninoff - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:17 pm: Legislators’ heads. - shakey - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:27 pm: Silurian dolomite-think thornton quarry, also widespread fresh water aquifer in N. IL and petroleum reservoir (if lucky) in S. IL., multitasking rock …… wait never mind this is fact based and makes too much sense, like maybe a progressive income tax, and facts and honesty related to the pensions and those pesky unions. - Big Joe - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:29 pm: Acid Rock - The Colossus of Roads - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:29 pm: I am torn between dolomite and REO Speedwagon. - Roadbuilder - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:32 pm: Mudstone: fits Springfield perfectly… - PublicServant - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:32 pm: Phil, of course! - Arthur Andersen - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:37 pm: Hard. - AC - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:38 pm: Immovable rock, resistance is futile - steve schnorf - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:39 pm: Dumber than a - AC - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:42 pm: Corrupt rock, because we’ve ran out of people to label corrupt, so it’s about time we start with inanimate objects - Deep Yogurt - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:44 pm: Kidney Stone - Anon. - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:44 pm: Petrified corn. - That Funky Monkey - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:45 pm: Petrified - AC - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:47 pm: They should focus on the budget instead, because everyone knows budget paper beats rock - Soccermom - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:48 pm: Lobster? - 47th Ward - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:49 pm: The Rolling Stones? - AC - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:50 pm: Soft rock, honoring the lack of substance - JoanP - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:51 pm: Rauner’s head. It may not be an *actual* rock, but it’s as hard as granite. - AC - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:52 pm: Vetoed rock, because the turnaround agenda hasn’t been passed - rock - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:52 pm: Is not flourite our state rock/nineral? - AC - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:56 pm: Some of the answers to this question are pure Gneiss - Tommydanger - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 1:58 pm: Rubble - Jake From Elwood - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:00 pm: Wackestone. Our state government fits the name. - AC - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:02 pm: Falling rock - AC - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:03 pm: New Salem Limestone - Streator Curmudgeon - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:03 pm: Sgt. Rock of Easy Company? - Wensicia - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:07 pm: Crystal Ball - Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:12 pm: I didn’t say coal wasn’t a rock… - Enviro - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:13 pm: Hard Rock Cafe - A guy - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:27 pm: Rolling Rock - zatoichi - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:27 pm: Cave-in-Rock - A guy - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:28 pm: Rock Stars - A guy - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:29 pm: Andrew Shaw’s head. - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:29 pm: Jerry 101. Corn is a grain, like wheat. - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:33 pm: Cheap Trick - Pot calling kettle - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:39 pm: …but really…erratic is the best fit. Erratics are those boulders that get in the way when digging a foundation. They get in the way of farmers. They are decorative accessories in people’s front yards. They are very diverse in identity and origin. They include both schist and gneiss. - Nearly Normal - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:40 pm: In honor of the Blues Brothers–Joliet Limestone! - Filmmaker Professor - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:45 pm: Cheap Trick. duh. - dupage dan - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:47 pm: Aggravate, I mean aggregate. - AC - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 2:49 pm: Rock Island - 47th Ward - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 3:13 pm: Pop Rocks? - Any Mouse - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 3:18 pm: As an aspirational choice: Schoolhouse - Wordslinger - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 4:10 pm: As others have pointed out in the past, in the culinary world, sweet corn, as opposed to feed corn, when it’s just right, is considered a vegetable. And as everyone In the world knows, the best sweet corn on earth comes from DeKalb County. - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 5:26 pm: Fracked - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 5:31 pm: Ballast - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 5:34 pm: Uranium - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 5:44 pm: Gravel roads - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 5:47 pm: Sandbag - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 5:55 pm: They named a pie after the governor’s dog? - zonz - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 6:08 pm: corn? I cast my vote with those who study the darned things, botanists, who say it’s a fruit http://ucanr.edu/sites/MarinMG/files/141899.pdf - Anon - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 6:22 pm: Marble, as in, “Down to our last.” - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 6:25 pm: The one that chip’s your windshield - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 6:31 pm: Rock bottom - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 6:32 pm: Bed rock - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 6:38 pm: Slag - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 6:40 pm: Quick sand - Formerpol - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 6:50 pm: Madiganite - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 7:05 pm: Tombstone - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 7:07 pm: Hail stone - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 7:08 pm: Brimstone - Anonymous - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 7:21 pm: Rock river green pipestone - Soccertease - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 8:11 pm: Country - Mama - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 8:31 pm: Summum (No. 4) Coal - Siyotanka - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 9:20 pm: Galena - Former IDOT GUY - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 10:33 pm: Cheap Trick or REO Speedwagon - Archpundit - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 10:44 pm: Why won’t you people give Gordy Ropp his one wish with a state soil? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmvkRoEowc - Archpundit - Thursday, May 21, 15 @ 10:46 pm: And get with the new century sheeple…Uncle Tupelo replaced Cheap Trick and the insufferable REO Speedwagon nearly 20 years ago - Anonymous - Friday, May 22, 15 @ 12:23 am: Buddy Guy. Or maybe a short pour of gravel (under the asphalt). Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.