Chicago: They paved a fetid swamp/and put up a parking lot

Out of the Blue is being revived in a new print here in NY, which often presages a new DVD release. (I was not that impressed the one time I saw it.)

You know what's an awesome fucking movie?

The Warriors. That's an awesome fucking movie.

Lots of potential for Warriors and Death Wish reboots, with some gun-wielding cop saying "Put down the iPad. Put down the iPad."

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/07/greensboro.race/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

i FEEL LIKE i SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAy (oops, caps lock) about that story, but I just feel like, yup, that's how it is there.

I hate it, too, but ... aren't you from Florida?

― jaymc, Tuesday, June 7, 2011 7:09 AM (14 hours ago)

Yes, but most buildings in Florida have air conditioners.

we bought a new, bigger air conditioner about a week ago and THANK FUCKING LORD WE DID

Amen. This was a good evening for a refreshing lake dip though! Water was freeeezing.

Went swimming in the Lake this time of year last year, was waaay too cold.

also, gyuh — I realize all my posts here are about roommates/apartments but my roomie J3ss put up an ad for his room and is moving out next month. If anyone knows anyone looking for a cheap place, send them my way.

apparently the person who came and checked it out today works for H4rpo(!)

Well, if you plan to do athletic swimming, it's pretty cold. But a quick dip is like nature's a/c. I guess a cold shower is the same thing if you're not close to the lake.

Okay I do think there is a lot of work that needs to be done in teaching drivers how to safely deal with bicyclists, but listening to bicyclists bitch about actually getting ticketed for running red lights and stop signs doesn't make me feel a lot of sympathy for them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those that thinks the exact same rules should be enforced (or even make sense!) for both cars and bicyclists, but it scares me to no end when I see someone barrel right through a red light.

I think I missed this mob by about half an hour.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jyf--U7kcM/Tc2mu7M2U1I/AAAAAAAABoA/8kQRncBMFgk/s640/DSC_0091.jpg

What the fuck.

In spite of my enthusiasm for movies about youth gone wild, I wish this mob would stop beating people. Robbing I understand, beating I don't.

Yeah, until last night I was really trying to figure out if this was actually a "thing" or just the latest media hype to scare people. About four months ago I was walking up State and saw security guards chasing three or four kids out of, Filene's Basement iirc, who each had arms full of clothes still on hangers and everything.

Media hype

Well, I'm not so sure anymore. I mean, yeah, the media is definitely upping the scare tactics and blowing things out of proportion, but it is starting to sound like there actually is something more to this than just "random attacks".

What I'm concerned about is that it had potential to turn into a thing if people get the idea that it is already.

That, definitely.

Totally. Still it sounds like one of those stories where one kid is a violent sociopathic manipulative creep and he convinces his friends that this horrible idea is a great idea and they do it because they all feel dead inside and blablabla and then some bad shit happens etc.

The hype part is whichever news story talks about these mobs coordinating through Facebook! and Twitter!.

It does seem to be an extension of the solo quick-grabs of iPhones and iPads on the trains.

Either way it makes me anxious about how this gets handled. I'm afraid the only real "action" we'll see is a more severe crackdown on groups of teenagers hanging out downtown.

Latest installment in my Retail Watch series:

Disappointed that the empty place between the Days Inn and The Counter across from our precious Trader Joe's is going to be an Ann Taylor Loft. http://i.imgur.com/2Yasr.jpg

But the good news is that now there are zero empty spots on that stretch of Diversey.

Dumb news: an Irish pub is opening kitty corner to the reportedly underwhelming Haymarket bar and grill.

Trib piece on the tricky role of reporting or not reporting about race with the mobbing.

"This is a diverse city and when you don't physically describe them, we don't know who to protect ourselves from."

You know, it might just be best if you stay home always.

"i don't know who to glare at"

I like that Schmich is stepping in as ombudsman.

Don't live in fear, odds are you're not going to get robbed beaten/robbed on Michigan ave or the lakefront. We obsess over the dramatic consequences of the low risk.

I have a shitty phone. If a couple of kids really want to fight me for it, let's go!

keep ya head up = best advice
i'm not living in fear or obsessing, btw

It's that damn Groupon Now that's to blame for all this, everyone waving their iPads looking for immediate deals.

hey guys
if you haven't seen it yet, please know that you are cordially invited to this event http://crush3r.com/page/enfoggjoiq

would it be weird if i made cookies? i really want to make something for it, but i don't know what? or what kind?

I was just talking to my coworker this. I predict an increase in racial profiling by police and street crossing/purse clutching by Mag Milers (was going to say white people but while it's a lot/mostly white people it's not all white people) and none of that is good.

Also, have thought a lot about the race issue in reporting. Historically, newspapers only reported on race when the suspect/perp was not white, and made no mention of race for white people. Clearly problematic in a few ways (reinforces "white" as default identity, suggests that only people who aren't white commit crimes). So I support not reporting on race (especially after reading comments dear lord). But I also think trying to be "colorblind" is a dead end because there is a lot of analysis/nuance here vis a vis race. However the Trib/Sun Times is prob not the place for that kind of nuanced reporting.

Anyway, thinking about it a lot. Chagrinned to admit it, but worried about Jeff because he's demographically similar to other victims, is often in those areas, and is always using his phone.

I think the most likely victims are the ones you see walking down the street, oblivious to the world because they are lost staring at their iPads.

Yes. Doesn't alleviate my worry.

I agree with that Trib column EZ linked but find it interesting that she avoided the word "racist" when describing commenters. Irrational, venomous but not racist, which is really the best word to use here.

aha i see what's going on here

but seriously, in whatever situation, keep ya head up is a good thing to remember

I was surprised that that column helped me clarify my thoughts on reporting of race in this matter and of reporting race in general. Or at least helped me get re-focused.

worried about Jeff because he's demographically similar to other victims, is often in those areas, and is always using his phone.

Yeah, but he's also running.

I mean, I guess if they're coming from the other direction and there's 15 of them, that doesn't matter so much. #failedjoke

Nick, believe it OR NOT, I'm actually thinking of going to your show to no.

tonight

tonoight

tonighight

woah oh

gonna make it right tonighight tonighight

woah oh

Whoa. Fr3ddy Rup3rt is going to be there? Wow.

Half the office is not here today, and I don't want to do any work. Not ANY. I want to take a nap in front of the fountain next to the Art Institute. At lunchtime, I may do exactly that.

Half the office is not here today

Mobbed!!

Alternately, Mobbing!!!

If they all show up with phones and iPads, K, you'll know what happened.