Chicago MMXII

Especially Jenny's building.

And I rode in the elevator with J3ss3 Wh1t3 and his entourage today.

He got on, smiled at everybody, and said "How's everybody's driver's license?"

Is there a name for that thing that politicians do when they imagine that everyone in the world is paying attention to who they are, so they need to address the "elephant in the room" by making a self-referential joke?

Solipsism?

Whenever he rides in the elevator with my SE Asian coworker, he asks her where she's from, to which she invariably responds, "Mudenlein."

He once followed that up by guessing various southeast Asian countries.

wow

Yeah, he's a tool. I've never seen him without at least two secret service body guard types. Probably because he's about 5'4".

xp

L gets that question a lot, and she says she's from atlanta. she gets lots of followup about no, where are your people from, because she looks arab/south asian/latina/whatev, and she smiles sweetly and says that her family lives in georgia. and then she gets the fuck away from the person.

seems that it's an incredibly common question from rude strangers if you look 'ethnic' or something.

I went to the DMV today. It was the best DMV experience I can remember having.

I'll tell JW next time I run into him.

i've always had pretty positive experiences with the chicago dmv! i have to go sometime before my birthday to renew my license.

The dmv in the loop is really great, it was so quick and easy. The dmv offices out in the suburbs are hell on earth and miserable, soul-sucking pits of doom.

yes but the real question is how was your commute

I went to the "express" office in a strip mall on Diversey out by Cicero. All I was doing was renewing my license so it wasn't too hard, but still, like half an hour in-and-out is A+ imo.

(Cicero Ave, nb)

The commute was no problem because I went at like 10AM. The only wtf moment was them accepting all credit cards *except* Visa, but I had enough cash.

I don't think I've ever had a pretty positive experience at a DMV. Maybe when I got my CA drivers' license. I had to take a written test, which I failed. They gave me a "study guide" (aka copy of the test) and I went across the street to Taco Bell, memorized it, then came back and got 100%.

btw have I told you about my soccer-supporting friend who traveled (with a large group of other Fire fans) to Canada for a game and was mis-identified by some kind of authority figure there as "J3ss3 Whit3" because the authority figure mis-read his ID? he is forever known as "J3ss3 Whit3 in Canada" now.

yes but the real question is how was your commute

Okay, for real, I haven't talked about a commute in a long time. I get that this is the chicago group's lol way of making fun of me, but its kind of old.

can you still get vanity plates for like free in Illinois? I remember when I lived in northern Indiana & went to Chicago that I'd see more vanity plates than anywhere else in the country, & figured they must be free, or free-ish. Is that right?

if so I am going to be delighted

however, the normal Illinois plates now are kind of a drag, dumb font on top, dumb blue fade on the bottom.

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/vehicles/license_plate_guide/vanity.html

huh, a biggish initial surcharge, but after that nbd. nice!

omg i wasn't making fun of you specifically! everyone talks about their commute! jon i thought you knew me better than that.

The dmv in the loop is really great, it was so quick and easy. The dmv offices out in the suburbs are hell on earth and miserable, soul-sucking pits of doom.

otm

it was easier to get a state ID than it was to get a replacement library card

I can't recall ever having DMV trouble.

In Chicago, I mean. Elsewhere for sure.

i thought the commute joke was targeted at all the loop workers since we're always talking about train delays and whatnot.

Anybody want a beer tonight? I'll be at Goose Island Clybourn. Lincoln Park Lager tapped at 6 PM.

As tempting as that sounds, I have a date w/Kr to watch P&R.

Ha, I just stumbled upon this thread:
Chicagoans! Meet me at the Hop Leaf!

huh i didn't realize Christine 'Green Leafy Dragon' Indigo was posting that long ago

She was definitely around when I started posting and then took something like a 5-year hiatus.

The Secretary of State Express in the Pedway is wonderful. I have been in there 2 or 3 times for renewal, replacement, and an address change, and not once waited in line more than 10 minutes. Filling out paperwork and paying and printing the new license took maybe another 10 minutes.

xp (Or at least posted much more sporadically.)

I want jvc to come back and realize that no one was mocking him. Come back jvc!

Meh. He's probably stuck in traffic.

Lolcommute

Also tapping tonight, Wrangler American pale ale. I'm saving a bar stool for you. Or you could go watch dumbamanda galas.

xxp ahahahahaha

btw I am going to Small Bar Logan for a bday drink in a minute if anyone is lol in the neighborhood

Jenny you will be happy to know that Siam Rice was a hit with the special librarians.

if anyone is lol in the neighborhood
well placed lol

my bf lives right there but alas I am not

"special librarians"?

hey: diamanda ga-fucking-las!! she was AWESOME. like carl said, who knew she was so CUTE? she was just adorable and funny, too. she seems like she would be a lot of fun to hang out with. CUNTCUNT!!

^^^^ I would go see her again in a heartbeat. That was such a good show.

I'm glad Siam Rice was a good pick! Were you able to hang out and talk or did they hustle you out of there?

Yay! carlnny, I'm really happy you liked it!!

It was great in all the ways I expected, and in ways I never expected!

This has been a wonderful night!

Did you two see any of the exhibit or just Diamanda?

We're number h8!

http://motherjones.com/files/images/blog_states_favorable_0.jpg

goole posted about this poll in a politics thread.
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_US_022112.pdf

xp - just DG

Huh, some of those rankings aren't intuitive to me at all. Like, I get Hawaii at #1, but why is Tennessee #2??