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Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Friday, March 29

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Fuel

A / April 15, 2009 8:22 AM

Within the past couple years, skinny jeans and text messages.

prattfall / April 15, 2009 9:09 AM

The hadoken. It truly is the ideal form of communication.

irisheyes1212 / April 15, 2009 9:33 AM

kids, vegetarianism, fitness

I want them, I gave it up after 13 yrs, I enjoy it

Andrew / April 15, 2009 9:59 AM

Certain bands I thought were derivative once upon a time; no sense dwelling on who they "ripped off" if they're good.


This question was suggested by Tracie, by the way.


JM / April 15, 2009 10:01 AM

starbucks instant coffee...it's actually pretty darn good!

Scott / April 15, 2009 10:11 AM

Employment. Smoking.

DaveDave / April 15, 2009 10:17 AM

Babies. They're not all a-holes.


(kidding...But yeah, babies. I might want one of those things.)

eee / April 15, 2009 10:24 AM

Someone I used to think highly of has recently become one of the most dispicible people I've ever met. I definitely changed my mind on that one.

pookie / April 15, 2009 10:26 AM

babies. a few years back i wanted one for sure. not after watching friends struggle, i'm having second thoughts.

G. Maitland / April 15, 2009 10:39 AM

I used to hate fanboys, now I admire them because they learned early on in life not to waste time chasing women.

Lyle Lovett / April 15, 2009 1:24 PM

After a lot of thought I'd like to reconsider.

Please, if it's not too late...

make it a cheeseburger.

David / April 15, 2009 1:43 PM

Protesting. I made the mistake of stopping to listen to the inane "Tea Party" protest in Federal Plaza, and these people clearly don't know how to do it right.

If it's done correctly and there's a reasonable message in your protest, people may listen. If you're flopping around and kicking and screaming, people will (correctly) write you off as crazy.

On the other hand, I now know what President Obama looks like dressed up as Hitler.

Sigh.

Good Luck / April 15, 2009 2:48 PM

Dave, you don't think opposition to wasteful government spending is a reasonable message? What about returning the federal government to its original purpose?

I agree though, it was nothing like a liberal/progressive protest.
1.) There were conservatives, democrats, republicans, and independents alike.
2.) There was no name calling or violence
3.) More protesters showed up than media members covering the protest (see ACORN, AIG)

oh, sigh.

...but to answer the question, I've changed my mind about Chicago. Its no longer on an upswing and I'm thinking how much more until it starts to really spiral downwards.

holden / April 15, 2009 2:51 PM

those AIG bonuses. I quickly was incensed when I heard about them, but after reading further I have started to think differently.

http://jacobregan.blogspot.com/2009/03/too-snippy-or-just-snappy-comeback.html

jamie oliver's cookbook. originally didn't like his "whatever" attitude about measurements but after spending some more time with it, i like what he's about.

David / April 15, 2009 3:19 PM

"Opposition to wasteful government spending" is something that's clearly only been around since January 21, 2009, so your point is well taken, GoodLuck.

But unless your Party-Affiliation-Ray has been perfected, then you don't know who was at those rallies. But you ARE dead wrong about name-calling.

Also, your attention to detail is appalling. I don't refer to you as "that stupid cocksucker." So don't call me Dave.

charlie / April 15, 2009 4:02 PM

Pirates...

Fuck em

Good Luck / April 15, 2009 4:22 PM

Dave, thank you for proving my point. Stay classy.

...and that the government's wasteful spending has been going on for a long time is exactly why these events are happening.

Everyone is sick of it.

Good Luck / April 15, 2009 5:00 PM

I especially liked the Obama-as-Hitler sign. And the "Fascist" and "Socialist" signs. These are some level-headed folks I can really get behind and teabag.

LittleJill / April 15, 2009 6:54 PM

Teabagging: Ur doin it rong. On topic: I've started to change my mind about living in Wicker Park. Getting more overrated every day.

fluffy / April 15, 2009 8:10 PM

I used to get annoyed by folks like Good Luck but now I just laugh. I'm in San Antonio and Glenn Beck's tea party at the Alamo was a joke. People were just yee-hawing after anything Beck said or after Ted Nugent played his guitar. *yawn*

Good Luck / April 15, 2009 8:38 PM

Well, I've changed my mind today that progressives have the ability to think critically without resorting to name calling or some other underhanded tactic to ridicule someone with an opposing opinion.

It seems GB readers have little integrity or depth of thought.

Good Luck kids.

LittleJill / April 15, 2009 9:00 PM

Oh, God, how tiresome you are. "Someone called me a name! You are all idiots! Children, even!" WHY do insist on coming here? Preach it somewhere ELSE. Please. I LONG to read/see the last of you, Good Luck.

Steven / April 15, 2009 10:30 PM

Public transportation. I used to think a car was a hassle, a waste of money. After some #$%@&! #147 passed me by as I was standing at the bus stop texting a friend, no more. (That on top of the guy that peed his pants sitting in his seat on the #36 earlier in the week.) Starting the car shopping process for this weekend and hope to be in brand-new wheels before Memorial Day. Got a space in the garage at home, and work will pay for a space in a garage in the Loop. So screw you CTA. Screw you CPS students. Screw you stinky skanky Uptown skells. Gonna get me a Honda and I'LL NEVER HAVE TO LISTEN TO INANE CELL PHONE CONVERSATIONS OR SMELL THE FUNK OF 40 THOUSAND YEARS EVER EVER EVER EVER AGAIN.

Mike / April 16, 2009 9:51 AM

"It seems GB readers have little integrity or depth of thought."

Ah, but you'll be back. Textbook troll 101. You can't resist the urge to get the negative attention. It fills some void. It's specifically what you come here for. Don't pretend it isn't.

joshua / April 16, 2009 10:10 AM

buying a house.
used to think the $8k rebate for first-time buyers and the 4.X% interest rate would be enough. but forecasts for another 10-20% drop in value scared me away.

steve / April 16, 2009 10:54 AM

Kids. All about having them now.

Winning the lotto. Ain't gonna happen.

Relaxing. Done too much of that lately, time to get the lead out.

Fitness. Going to push myself finally.

Elizabeth / April 16, 2009 11:11 AM

There was a dude at work who just disappeared one day for a week and I lost a lot of respect for him. He sporadically has these episodes where he becomes completely nonsensical and impossible to work with

Now I've learned that he was actually in the hospital (the most recent time) for an undisclosed condition he can't control that causes him to periodically go a little batty.

I feel like an asshole now.

Mucky Fingers / April 16, 2009 12:15 PM

@Steven

Congratulations on your decision! Alas, I wish to warn you that you'll soon find a new batch of headaches awaiting you as you deal with the responsibility of owning a vehicle because THERE AIN'T NO SECOND CHANCE AGAINST THE THING WITH FORTY EYES. WOO-HOO!!!

jaime / April 16, 2009 1:58 PM

the amount of fun i'm having as a blonde.

Leonard Grossman / April 16, 2009 4:34 PM

Facebook.

CVAL / April 16, 2009 5:08 PM

Holden,

I've read your post and gone through to your blog for the other links to the Wash Post and Campbell Brown's.

I think that the articles present a side of the AIG bonus scandal that is not being reported and should have received more emphasis in order to give a balanced report of what the purpose of the bonuses were and who was really receiving them.

I myself worked for a company that lost an account and was required to pay "stay bonuses" to employees who assisted in transitioning from one company to another. There was nothing wrong in recieving an incentive to stay, work on behalf of a company that was not going to hire us, and help with an otherwise messy transition. Once the transition was complete we left but were adequately compensated for our extra efforts.

The problem with AIG, the Federal Government, and the states attorney's of New York and Connecticut is that they allowed reaction to "BONUS". I don't know if semantics would have made a difference but certainly if the whole story would have been revealed prior to the release that AIG employees were receiving BONUSES, their would have been much less rabid reaction than was experienced.

I know for one thing. Had I worked at this place and not received my bonus after working 10,12,and 14 hours a day in less than favorable conditions, I would be pissed. I'm not feeling sorry for people who receive $700,000.00 retention incentives, but improper incrimination based on inaccurate facts is a injustice no one should be subjected to.

Kate / April 16, 2009 6:40 PM

Gossip. Gave it up for Lent and ain't going back. Amazing how long it took me to figure out that certain ass-clowns aren't worth the breath.

Steven / April 16, 2009 11:09 PM

@ Mucky Fingers

I've owned cars in the past (and in Chicago), but since I returned from six years living in Amsterdam I have been strickly a bicyclist slash pedestrian. It finally dawned on me this winter, however, that my Chicagoland world is not and never will be the walkable slash take your dog on the streetcar slash clean slash affordable public transportation nirvana slash xanadu world I knew in Amsterdam. CTA sucked in 1982 when I first arrived in Chicago, it sucked in 1989 when I left, it sucked in 1995 when I came back and it still sucks. Judging from the attention CTA is getting in all the grandiose proposals for the Olmpic games, it will still suck in 2016.

& I am not worried about the thing with 40 eyes. I don't run red lights and I don't turn right on red. I may be behind the wheel of a car, but I still remember what it's like to try and cross the street with grocery bags. Wheezy and me, we remember where we came from.

annie / April 17, 2009 11:52 AM

Banking with Chase. Just yesterday the jerks that stole my purse 3 weeks ago were able to wipe my account clean..this all happened in 3 different chase branch banks. when I reported it stolen they never told me to completely end the account, so I didn't. Now I'm broke and Chase has to "decide" weather or not I get that money back.

Living in Chicago, been here my whole life and I would like a change.
and kids, thought I wanted them and now I'm pretty sure they aren't in my future. Freedom is a pretty precious thing..

Amanda / April 17, 2009 9:10 PM

Changed my mind about human nature. I was crossing the street with a bag of groceries, when my bag broke and my groceries went spilling out into the street. Some people who were waiting for a bus rushed out into the street and helped me gather my groceries before the light turned green. I was so thankful. It restored my faith in humanity.

madachode / April 19, 2009 12:08 PM

Steven,
We don't care if you lived in Amsterdam, go back if you don't like here.

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