Scott / December 27, 2006 1:11 AM

Do you mean I'm first? Wow...a Dear Diary moment.

How about...

What was the most awkward moment you either 1)witnessed or 2)experienced this past holiday weekend?

BKM / December 27, 2006 8:39 AM

What was the worst Christmas present you ever received?

a scientist / December 27, 2006 8:45 AM

does this look like cancer? because i think it might be cancer.

annie / December 27, 2006 8:58 AM

What are you doing for New Years? And can I come with?

leah / December 27, 2006 10:32 AM

I'd like to talk about the AcroCats/Rock Cats & also the harmonica-playing cat in this video, please:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDt8kqvpnxU&eurl=

p / December 27, 2006 10:51 AM

have you ever stopped in Lawrence's Fishery for lunch? Did anyone else recieve a washcloth dragon puppet for christmas? Must you halt all activity for 10 days or for 7, when dealing with a person with a u.t.i ? How much $ did rachael and paula make this year? What's going on with the Mister G's Supper Club renovations? Is gogol bordello the best band of all times? Do you play any instruments? Why have cats become so popular lately? How do you define proper goolash? Do you know the role the kazachs played throughout russian history? Have you ever been intimate with someone who speaks little or no english? How do you think is the best way to keep up your knowledge and use of a non-english language within the city of chicago? Does the u of c midway ice rink rent skates and is it the place to be while on a date wearing matching monogrammed turtlenecks? Is it me or do cars dent easier these days? What's the most racist thing you've seen/heard in the workplace? What makes you laugh out loud? How many times did james brown make you get up and move it move it? What makes the east side the east side?

mike-ts / December 27, 2006 10:51 AM

The conversations I've overheard at the various restaurants, stores, and on the sidewalk yesterday. I feel like I'm the only one who had a rather comfortable Christmas.

One guy had a huge argument with his ex's family, another got into a fist fight with his brother as soon as he walked in the door, another complained about the other side of his near, dear people once they got some liquor in them, and there was the tail end of this cell phone screed, "Magazines? She bought her magazines? That f**king b**ch!"

kelly / December 27, 2006 10:54 AM

What IS everybody doing for New Years......and who thinks New Years Eve sucks?

lara / December 27, 2006 11:04 AM

once upon a time, i proposed a fuel topic via email that never came to fruition: what's your definition of a hipster? seems like a stable category, but i have found, over many drinks, that folks have radically different lists of criteria for the dread label hipster. go, my fuel friends, give me the answer...

Kelly / December 27, 2006 11:07 AM

NYE sucks. I will be spending it with spouse, family, popcorn, and videos.

My main topic of conversation today is wondering when my cold is going to get better.

p / December 27, 2006 11:22 AM

What is the hardest/furthest you've ever pushed yourself physically? Mentally? What is the best single meal you've ever had? Was it circumstances surrounding the meal or just the quality of the food which made it so memorable? Have you ever hurt anyone and do you feel guilty? Who do you find to be doing things properly? Did you garbage pick when you were a kid? Did you build sweet-ass forts? Sweet-ass ramps? Is Six from Blossom the hottest of all times? What does it for ya? Where they got you working? What is the most god-awful state, in your opinion?

JoT / December 27, 2006 11:31 AM

• polar bears endangered
• best of 70% chocolate
• city noise
• italy
• food
• making a living as an artist
• vacation
• world peace
• sweet little nothings
• memories
• value of silence

Bill V / December 27, 2006 11:35 AM

Am I the only one that's glad the Bear's game was moved to a night game? I'm going to a friend's house, and now it's turning into a Bears / NYE Party. Pretty sweet! Won't have to watch lame NYE shows all night long.

fluffy / December 27, 2006 11:47 AM

Where do you find motivation? Is there something in particular you do to get yourself motivated?

And p- cats have always been a popular worldwide phenomenon. Cats Rule/Dogs drool.

NYE- I don't make a big deal out of it- I like starting the New Year feeling rested and healthy.

Hipster- To me, there's a difference between being hip and being a hipster. A hipster is a young person who is trying really really hard to be hip, and is obviously "dressing the part" in order to fit into 'the scene'. usually, hipsters are about 5-10 years behind the times, and are somewhat unoriginal people. It seems like they're trying to go for an artsy/disheveled look. it's an acceptable way for upper/middle class white american kids to rebel. b-o-r-i-n-g. This is my opinion.

Kelly- your cold will get better by the morning of the 31st.

p / December 27, 2006 11:52 AM

Is the muffin lady still around? How good were those things? Do you feel that winter brings out the sexy more-so than the summer? I am beginning to think so. What is this a product of? Is it simply the boots and scarves and stylish layering and whathaveyou? What's the deal with casseroles and jello in rural america? Is cat stevens doing the damn thing or what? Is waking up early to tailgate for bears games the best feeling of all times? Are combo sandwiches and stocked coolers the Truth or are they the Truth? Haved you ever bribed anyone? What's C. Thomas Howell up to these days? What is going to be HUGE in 2007? Why do I feel entitled to be unproductive at work today? Do you dance and if so, to what type of music and in what manner?

printdude / December 27, 2006 11:55 AM

I want to talk about how entertainment has become so prevalent and important in these here US of A.
I want to discuss ways to get potable drinking water out of the oceans without major costs.
I wish to find other ways to power personal vehicles so we can continue on our meery way without damaging the earth more.

fluffy / December 27, 2006 12:07 PM

The muffin lady is around- I saw her last year at a show and she was hammered- she was demanding that the bartender serve her another drink- she said that she hangs out at a cigar place on Milwaukee (I doubt it). I met her at Danny's about 7 years ago and bought a muffin from her- I gave it to my Mom the next day and nothing happened.

p / December 27, 2006 12:13 PM

i think a "hipster" carries an aire of affectedness and trying pretty hard. my friend says "hipster-doofus" and i have taken to just saying "doofus" if at all necessary.
and i think fluffy touched a potentially fun question in- How did you/do you rebel?
And kelly's cold will be lifted the late-afternoon of the 31st and return on the 1st, then get theraflu'ed to deff for good. Also- do you call the practice of washing your face quickly in the sink in place of a proper shower or bath a french bath, a hobo's bath, a whoore's bath or something else entirely? Does Lutz's Bakery have some cakes or do they have some Cakes?

Baldeesh / December 27, 2006 12:14 PM

Can anyone recommend a good vet? Like, one that listens and doesn't try to order expensive tests when I bring in a cat with a cough?

leah / December 27, 2006 12:16 PM

I heard the muffin lady got thrown in the clink.

Hipsters bore me. I don't know why showering (or the appearance of having done so) & achieving this look seem to be mutually exclusive notions.

leah / December 27, 2006 12:23 PM

Who has tons of work today? Not this guy.

My mom & sister have had positive experiences at:

Cat Hospital Of Chicago
2851 W Irving Park Rd

Marilyn / December 27, 2006 12:27 PM

Is Chicago still the city that works? Was it really ever that? Define "works".

Why are people in Illinois so tolerant of political corruption?

Should "we" be Time,'s Person of the Year? Why? Why not?

What's your favorite movie? Why?

What's the best seafood restaurant in the city or suburbs?

Where's a good place to get inexpensive sailing lessons?

What's the best bowling alley in the city/suburbs?

Andy / December 27, 2006 12:31 PM

I thought the muffin lady was arrested a few years ago? If she's still peddling her wares, I'd like to know where, cuz' those were damn good!

I prefer the word "hypester" myself.

When I wash my face in place of a shower, I just call that being lazy.

tony / December 27, 2006 12:38 PM

To complicate the "hipster" definition, there are the "scenesters" that many perceive as hipsters but really aren't. I dunno how to define either. It's like pornography. I know it when I see it.

And I'd like to know when my cold will go away, too. I've had it since Thanksgiving.

Skafiend / December 27, 2006 12:45 PM

I judge my hipster by how much he pays to "dress down". If you're going to Urban Outfitters or A&F to get a grungy plaid shirt or some other similar so-out-it's-in article of clothing and it's something that you can easily get at a resale shop for a buck, THAT'S a hipster.

If, when asked to name their favorite band, a person goes out of his way to name the most obscure band he can think of and has to explain what make them so great, THAT'S a hipster.

Skafiend / December 27, 2006 12:48 PM

skafiend / December 27, 2006 12:49 PM

Hipster Bingo

kristin / December 27, 2006 12:50 PM

What are the best places for martial arts instruction in Chicago?

Christopher / December 27, 2006 12:57 PM

Let's talk about those dirty, dirty sanchez moustaches that most Chicago hipsters possess. It's not cute anymore.

Hipster Doofus / December 27, 2006 1:00 PM

Who is going to be the third celebrity to bite the big one?

fluffy / December 27, 2006 1:02 PM

I'd like to know why the pig in Charlotte's Web sounds/looks so much like Babe. I'm not very happy about that. These are 2 totally separate pigs.

When I was young, I rebelled and then fell apart - I lost even the strength to rebel. Of course, this eventually made me a much stronger person.

I like Marilyn's question about TIME's person of the year. No, 'we' shouldn't. What have we done to make this world a better place?

I don't have a favorite movie, but I saw "Down by Law" this weekend and really liked it.

And yes, I am bored at work today.

carrie / December 27, 2006 1:07 PM

I have tons of work- kinda

My Christmas ruled the roost. holla! Who got a beautiful silver bracelet and season 3 of Roseanne? This cat.

Hipsters want to look like they spent no time getting ready, but in reality they spent like 20 hours or something.

NYE=suck. Why does this night have to be better than all the others? Too much pressure to have the best night ever!! Also, why do bars charge a buttload? It's no fun because if the bar sucks ass, then you're stuck b/c you've already put down all your spending money. That's why I avoid those traps. I am excited for this year though because I have someone to make out with. Sweet. As of right now though, not sure what the heck we're going to be doing.

What else? what else? The stamp machine in my building is out of order and I need stamps.

Done for now!

Jill / December 27, 2006 1:38 PM

Cat vet - I go to Holley-Misener VCA vet up on Devon & Clark - I've been going their for years and I love all the vets there. They will sit there and chat with me about my cat's health for an hour at times - they truly like animals. When I was in college and my cat broke his leg, they spent a lot of time with me to help me find the cheapest route to get him fixed.

Eamon / December 27, 2006 1:38 PM

I dunno... what do you want to talk about?

p / December 27, 2006 1:57 PM

Best Defunct Bowling Alleys: Evergreen Towers on 95th and Washtenaw, Miami Bowl across from Curie High School. Now go to lucky strike.

Best Seafood: El Barco Mariscos on Ashland (city)or Cafe Fishy Fishy in Kinsale, Ireland (take the green line). Or on the beach in Libertad, El Salvador (south suburb). For Cheap, Son!

My favorite movie is Light Sleeper with w/ Willem Dafoe or Basquiat w/ jeffrey wright. Because i could watch either with my eyes closed and still feel the emotion of each film. I have not tried this yet, but assume it to be true. Also I like Colors dubbed in spanish and anything w/ Mickey Rourke (especially Bullett) because I often like things that kick ass.

My favorite ska band is the skapones because i like their name. Even moreso i like to shreak SKAAA in the fashion of mel's Freedom whenever i see safety pinned clothes on a trenchcoat.

The best way to learn martial arts is to watch Karate Kid to get pumped up, then practicing on stuffed animals and walls in the basement while quoting dialogue from said film and maniacally humming the theme music and running in circles while jumping and kicking until exhausted. It is now safe to assume you are a karate master and take your tuff ass up to the park where you will swiftly get delusional self beat down by big kids. I've heard.

Chicago Park District used to offer reasonable sailing lessons (indoor and outdoor), not sure if they still do.

D / December 27, 2006 2:55 PM

Marilyn, the Northwestern University Sailing Center does offer sailing lessons to the public. It was around 200 bucks for the class I think. Don't know if that counts as in-expensive for you.

I felt like it was a worthwhile class, and for the month and a half they let you take a boat out as often as you want even when not in class.

I was out about three times a week and ended up a damn fine sailor.

kate / December 27, 2006 4:15 PM

Sweep the leg Johnny.

Cats are adorable. Quite honestly, I'm afraid of dogs.

NYE can suck it as far as I'm concerned. Trust me, I'm a total fan of going out and getting wasted but December 31st is one big giant stinky hassle.

I just got a cold. Colds take forever to go away... I'm assuming I have another 3 weeks of this bullshit to deal with. Awesome.

I met a guy earlier this week, wonder if I'll see him again. Kinda hope so.

Hugs are the best. I love giving them out, love getting them - hugs rule.

How much does an adjustment (is that what they're called?) from a Chiropracter cost? I'm totally thinking a few of those would be just what I need.

When the fuck is my mail going to be fowarded? 2 weeks my ass.

I don't understand why I have to order a bridesmaid's dress 11 months before the wedding.

Last night turned out to be really really fun. Closing the (surprisingly packed) late bar on a weeknight is always a good idea.

fluffy / December 27, 2006 4:23 PM

I just don't think it's fair to either pig - I know the story of Charlotte's Web has been around for quite a while, but the pig in the movie sounds just like the one in Babe: A Pig in the City. I swear that if the geese in Charlotte's Web sound anything like the ones in Babe, I'm going to protest. So annoying!

Elena / December 27, 2006 4:27 PM

For a hipster definition try Wikipedia

fluffy / December 27, 2006 4:41 PM

Why James Brown??? Why couldn't it be Axl Rose or one of the Spice Girls?

Do people still have New Years resolutions? I might try to be more social this year, but only if people start being sincere.

mts / December 27, 2006 9:06 PM

p - I second your motion: Jenna von Oy is as scrumptious as a cupcake. Too bad her role in the Parkers is as meaningful as a potted plant. Baby got back, and nice short legs - but I've always liked the ultra short - hi Susan Carlson!

Ever since James Brown died, I've been looping that Sugarcubes song:

James Brooowwwwwwn
James Browwwwwwwwwn.

NYE is my least favorite holiday. Amateur drinkers losing control of their tongues and magnifying their personal defects. Any real drinker knows mid week is the best time to go to your favorite spot, and not have to spend $300 getting gussied up or paying a cover, and enjoy the drink specials without an elbow in the back every two minutes by some slob who loses his balance after a Shirley Temple.

Baldeesh / December 27, 2006 10:08 PM

Leah, Jill, thanks for the cat vet recommendations.

I lost one of my cats on Christmas - it started out as a UTI on December 2nd - and then he just never got better. Developed bumps that I asked my vet about right away, and was told it was nothing - but then he got worse and worse.

$1300, 3 separate vet visits, 4 nights at the vet hospital and one ruined Christmas later, we never knew what actually went wrong with him.

I miss my morning snuggles.

tony / December 27, 2006 10:13 PM

On the subject of songs, I'm sure I'd actually play "James Brown Is Dead" if I were more appreciative of grim irony.

Anyone watched "Dreamgirls" yet? I swear Eddie Murphy totally channeled his SNL James Brown character for his performance.

I'm with kate--NYE can suck it.

you I see / December 27, 2006 10:48 PM

Sex?

Carlotta / December 27, 2006 11:07 PM

Memories of 2006; and what will be missed.

May 1, 2006: The strangest day since Sept. 11, 2001. Hundreds of thousands of non-U.S. citizens breathe life into our constitutional right to peacefully protest. Downtown treets devoid of people at 5:15p, except for small groups of march participants in ethnic garb. Little traffic anywhere in the city, many businesses (particularly restaurants) are closed.

RIP in 2006:
-- Three Penny Cinema
-- Sherwyn's Health Foods

taJ / December 28, 2006 9:40 AM

WAIT rumor had it Sherwin's is remodeling...but i guess it's been a while....bummer.

skafiend / December 28, 2006 9:45 AM

Wait... wasn't that "James Broooooooownnnn, James Brooooowwwwnnn" line from "Genius of Love by the Tom Tom Club? or did the Sugarcubes sing his praises too?

Best part of Christmas in the city: so many people go back home to Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. and parking spaces are plentiful!

About NYE: The worst part (if you DO go out) is being in your favorite bar that is not too crowded, then having swarms of drunks pour in just before midnight just so they can have a drink in their hands, count down, slam the drink and stumble home.

p / December 28, 2006 10:29 AM

"gonna get in my hot tub ...makes me sweat.....ooooowwww gonna get in the whaw-tah...makes me wet"
"pass tha peas, like they used to say...pass the peas like they used tasay"
"i was boooorn in new york citay- on a monday...here's a dime booooooy gimmeee shine boooooy". And on and on and on. I love real americans.

Trek into work soundtrack today was Miami Vice Greatest Hits- Tina T Better Be Good To Me, Foreigner I Want To Know What Love Is, Smuggler's Blues, etc. really set things off properly. The rest of the disc was truly made for driving around at night looking for someone, with sunglasses on. I think that's f'ing super.

It is true that Jenna Von Oy is criminally under-utilized on The Parkers. She would certainly create richer plot lines than the repetitive and uninspired continuation of Nikki Parker's unrequited love of Prof. Oglesby. Even better- how about a spinoff w/ just jenna and kim parker and move them to chicago to work as bi-lingual union organizers, and have them go to semi-regular brunches w/ a promiscuos pr gal and an irritating redhead lawyer. It would hit so many demos the world would be forced to recognize the worth of jvo and her scandalously slept-on bootay.

leah / December 28, 2006 10:38 AM

Oooh ooh Jenna Von Oy should totally join the cast of "Girlfriends".

I think I'll write her a fan letter about it.

p / December 28, 2006 10:43 AM

Oooh don't get me started on Girlfriends. Such an attractive cast has not been assembled since Wings. Diana Ross' daughter? Forget about it. Leah, if you do not work in the generating-great-ideas-business you need to do so immediately.

leah / December 28, 2006 10:59 AM

p, thanks, but, *sigh* If only my ideas were interesting to others.

Don't even get me started about my idea for meatertots....

spence / December 28, 2006 11:19 AM

My older sister got engaged this week and I'm overjoyed. She's been a single mom for 10yrs. During that time she has raised a child by herself, held a job, went to school and finished her undergrad, masters, and is about to receive a PHD in Anthropology for Penn State. She's an incredible person.

p / December 28, 2006 11:20 AM

nice. More innovations: pasta-sandwiches; party packs of cigarettes which are half menthol/half regular. Also- getting paid for a job you don't have to show up to. I'll call it phantom-payment receiving or apparition money giving or something. That's basically what's going on right now as I'm really ghosting along today. My lone co-worker in the office today took her phone outside because she "doesn't want to yell in here" and i'm thinking of starting a rubber-band ball.

Eamon / December 28, 2006 11:28 AM

Mmm. Jenna.

kristin / December 28, 2006 12:02 PM

let's talk about
art.

fluffy / December 28, 2006 12:04 PM

Leah,

I'm sure you are a very nice and smart person. Please, don't mess with the tater-tot. They bring me such joy in life. I'm a vegetarian and would be confused if there was a new meat creation associated with the tater tot. What about 'meatstick'? Kind of like fish stick, but with meat.
(just a friendly suggestion)

skafiend / December 28, 2006 12:33 PM

kristin...

that has to be the nastiest, creepiest watermelon ever. I wouldn't enter the room if I saw that in there. it will give me nightmares...sweet, juicy nightmares

G.P. / December 28, 2006 12:45 PM

NYE: Make what you want of it. Yes, it's amateurs night, and let the unattached single folk continue playing their amateur games. Me and wifey are cooking steak & lobster.

My mission over this weekend: to go see Apocalypto, Casino Royale and Dreamgirls. Must do it!

James Brown. Damn. Our musical heroes are going and there are few suited to replace them. Whoever's coming to town - the Stones, McCartney, Stevie Wonder, the Who, Prince, Neil Young, Chuck Berry, Dylan - go see 'em before they're gone.

You might not travel this far west for vet care, but Portage Park Animal Hospital (Irving Park & Central) is great. Dr. Bornstein and Dr. Tremlova are the best vets I've ever had. They are extremely gentle and never rush you out the door, I just want to hug them sometimes (but avoid Dr. Shrock).

Hipsters make me think of a Frank Zappa quote. He said in the 1960s there were Hippies and there were Freaks. Hippies wore beads, paisley & corduroy and long hair. They looked like the Freaks, but actually they were narrow-minded elitists who simply went out of their way to look weird. The Freaks were largely indistinguishable from common society, but if you ever actually met a Freak, they were the most enlightened & accepting kind of person you would ever have met, because they were so weird and wacky themselves. The irony was that the Hippies thought they were the Freaks. Replace hippie with hipster and I've think you've got it.

The best way to beat a cold is to increase your vitamin c intake (especially for smokers) and have a POSITIVE attitude.

All the reruns of "Star Trek" and "In Living Color" are just great.

eep / December 28, 2006 1:21 PM

That watermelon head is creepy and fascinating. Just imagine what it must have looked like once someone sliced into it. Eeeek!

Now I've got the Tom-Tom Club's "Genius of Love" stuck in my head. Thanks.

My friend is a vet at the Lincoln Park Dog & Cat Clinic at Lincoln and Seminary. Several of my friends take their pets to see her and are all really pleased. If you go, ask for Dr. Post. She's awesome.

I'm hungry and don't know what to eat for lunch. I'm tired of the food by my office. And I haven't had enough sleep, so I'm hungry and tired. That's not fun.

Justin / December 28, 2006 1:23 PM

Regarding Zappa and the hippie, Who Needs The Peace Corps?

One thing I'd like a break from talking about is veganism, which, eight years on, fascinates my friends and baffles extended relatives to no end.

I thought nuggets were meatertots.

angie / December 28, 2006 1:29 PM

I would like to talk about how December 28th is like the worst birthday in the world. You're sandwiched between two big holidays and lots of people are out of town.
That said, I went out last night and had such a great time (no crowds whatsoever) that I'm going to skip all the NYE craziness. In all honesty, I'll probably still be nursing this hangover.

lori / December 28, 2006 1:42 PM

Angie,

got you beat on that one. My 40th birthday was the 26th. It wasn't so bad though, I got a fabulous Madwagon bike from my sweeties.

best martial arts instruction:

Zange's Martial Arts at Sayre Park and Shabbona park.

Allan / December 28, 2006 1:55 PM

I am thinking about getting cable or a satellite dish so I have more time wasting options while eating fried chicken on my couch but it is expensive. So I am thinking about getting some sort of dish or something that let''s me get a bunch of stuff for free. Any ideas.

Baldeesh / December 28, 2006 1:59 PM

angie - December 30 isn't much better. And last year I was nursing a hangover, so NYE was pretty low-key.

lori - your day-after-Christmas trumps my day-before-NYE

leah / December 28, 2006 2:09 PM

Fluffy--

First of all, thanks for the feedback. I am also a vegetarian. I know that The Alley Dogs at the Waveland Bowl offers what can only be described as a meatstick, and their reach is far & wide, so I consider that market cornered.

I am a life-long potato fan, but after many hours spent in bars the late summer/fall of 2003 cheering on the Cubs, the idea of meatertots was born.

I think the sports bar community would totally embrace such a product. I can see it now...

Lastly, I know you are are extremely intelligent & potato-loving, so I don't anticipate any confusion in identifying a tater tot vs. meatertot! ;)

p / December 28, 2006 3:03 PM

shabbona park has an excellent water polo program.

i recently found out i prefer white sangria to red.

has anyone rented a karaoke room in chinatown and if so is it as wildly goodtimes as i picture it? And how exactly does live-band karaoke work? Do you pick from a cache of songs the band knows or do you contact the band in advance maybe?

It is italian b.m.t. special day at subway eep. I got an especially good spoonful of giardianera on mine.

Potatoes in french fry form can add alot of texture and flavor to sandwiches and tacos. I love hashed browns. I used to just eat whole potatoes all the time, with mustard and sometimes vinegar. I have never not messed up baking home fries. Salmon and baked potato is a solid combo. Sour Cream is white trash. So are pepto bismal, liquid-cheese based snacks and k-swiss footwear.

leah / December 28, 2006 3:11 PM

p, if you rent a room in chinatown for karaoke, may I come with?

That should be the next Gapers get-together, I say!

fluffy / December 28, 2006 3:20 PM

p:

When I saw live band karaoke, the band had a looong list of songs on a notebook by the stage. You'd pick a song from the list, then wait your turn. I guess the band knew a lot of covers - they knew country western to sonic youth. It was fun to watch.

p / December 28, 2006 3:26 PM

leah, absolutely. the key element to having goodtimes singing karaoke in a room in chinatown, i imagine, is having cool people in the room who definitely want to be in chinatown doing karaoke. It's just an idea, but i think it's a good one. since i was about 6 my idea of dream residence was to live in a new york chinatown warehouse loft and this has not changed much.

skafiend / December 28, 2006 4:11 PM

eep said: "Now I've got the Tom-Tom Club's "Genius of Love" stuck in my head. Thanks."

Then my work here is done. Subliminal Song Suggestion Man...AWAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!

Spook / December 28, 2006 5:24 PM

G.P.

The definition of Freaks you’re going with as “largely indistinguishable from common society, the most kind person you would ever have met, accepting,” etc, doesn’t sound like a Freak to me, but more like a “peace and order loving coward. When I think Freak I think of strange folk like Hunter S. Thompson, James Baldwin, Nina Simone,Socraties,
John Lennon,Eugene O'Neill, Bessie Smith, etc. People who lived boldly and screamed to us all “wake the fuck up!”. I think we need more freaks to lure us out of “common society”
And I think there is nothing wrong with dressing freakish when possible, its almost like turning off the TV, feel me?

bitter bridesmaid / December 29, 2006 1:52 AM

"I don't understand why I have to order a bridesmaid's dress 11 months before the wedding."

Kate, listen to me, DO NOT DO IT. Stall, loose your credit card number, put it off, say your phone broke and you didn't get the bride's message, whatever. 11 months is a long way and a lot can happen between now and then - like the couple breaks up, you break up with your friend who is getting married, you get pregnant, you loose a bunch of weight, you decide spending thousands of dollars for a weekend in whatever town they are getting married in isn't worth it, etc.

If you must order, try and order towards the bigger size if you are "between sizes" because its much less expensive to take something in that let it out when you get alterations. That said, you probably didn't know but I found out the hard way, "designer" (read: anything outside of Davids) bridesmaid dresses actually run on the bigger side of things - so when the lady at House of Brides tries to talk you up two sizes higher than what you normally wear, look at the manufacturer's size chart, take your own measurements and stick to your guns. The dress shops are just trying to make money off alterations.

kate / December 29, 2006 5:37 AM

There's some sort of vegetarian special from Congress Pizzeria (Milwaukee just wast of Armitage and Western) that involves spinach, olives (green *and* black) and steak fries.

Motherfucin' french fries on a pizza. Don't judge until you've tried it.

skafiend / December 29, 2006 10:13 AM

Muthafcukin' french fries on a sandwich:

Primanti Brothers>/a>

Recipie

skafiend / December 29, 2006 10:14 AM

Muthafcukin' french fries on a sandwich:

Primanti Brothers

Recipie

Allan / December 29, 2006 10:18 AM

I am thinking about getting cable or a satellite dish so I have more time wasting options while eating fried chicken on my couch but it is expensive. So I am thinking about getting some sort of dish or something that let''s me get a bunch of stuff for free. Any ideas.

kelly / December 29, 2006 1:47 PM

What to do in Chicago on NYE that isn't expensive and isn't bowling?

Baldeesh / December 29, 2006 1:57 PM

kelly - My sister is throwing a party - and she's challenged 2 of her friends to a Michael Jackson dance-off.

If it goes well this year, she might expand or something.

fluffy / December 29, 2006 2:01 PM

Allan,

my sister has satellite, and has a ton of channels but half of them are useless. For me, it would depend on whether I own/rent. I think that with cable, you may have to lock into a 1 year deal...I'm not sure, but I think it depends on whether they offer you a 'deal'.

If you have cable, you can also get cable dsl, which is fast.

I'd find out whether the satelite dish company provides repairs or services, in case something happens to it. I wouldn't know how to fix it....

This probably didn't help, but I tried. Keep in mind, I don't have cable, a computer, a toaster, a microwave, and I just recently got a dvd player.

Spook / December 29, 2006 2:43 PM

The Congress Pizza rocks son! Straight up no chaser!
the thin crust over deep yo!

And the fact that is all creepy in there( bullet holes and all) makes it the perfect dive pizza bar, avoid the salad bar though, yuke! And don't make eye contact with the charming ghouls, including that ancient women who has worked there forever, cause they will steal your soul and you will become part of the Congress for eternity.

And speaking of ghouls and soul stealing, what happen to Blagg? Did the hobgoblins get him? Did Lord Kayne finally slay the nobel warrior?

I'm thirsty!

Allan / December 29, 2006 3:47 PM

Thanks fluffy. You are too nice to me. Not to mention smart. I can't believe you don't have a microwave. How do you make your microwave popcorn?

ken / December 29, 2006 4:21 PM

Tomorrow never comes. By the time it gets here, it is today and today is already yesterday.

Can "now" be measured? As in a specific length of time? Surely if "now" is this instant, it could only last for that instant otherwise it would be "later", and then, wouldn't it be "before"?

Allan / December 29, 2006 4:47 PM

ken,

That is a very interesting theory you have, but what if you had a New Years party hat on your head full of shit.

mel / December 29, 2006 5:02 PM

Bitter Bridesmaid-- Yeah, House of Brides is so notorious for that! Nobody should ever go there. I had the same experience.

Sue / December 29, 2006 5:55 PM

BLUE MAN GROUP!!!
I haven't laughed that hard since that time in '70 when Sally Ward had milk come out of her nose when we were laughing while drinking milk out of her Archie jelly glasses during our lunch which also if I remember correctly, had the BEST peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I had ever tasted in my life!

Spook / December 29, 2006 6:04 PM

I thinks baby boy Bush woke up on the wrong side of the war this morning and all bent out of shape, called for Saddam Hussein's head before the end of New Year.

leah / December 29, 2006 9:34 PM

eep.

lara / December 30, 2006 3:05 PM

hyde park animal clinic is wonderful, and i only had to tell dr. wake, who is a walking stand-up act with the beasts, for no extra charge, one that i am a poor graduate student. he now always gives me the multiple pricepoint option when a beast is sick--cats and dogs.

loved the hipster definition responses, thanks much all. i will say my favorite notion is that of hipsters being the cultural offspring of hippies. there's a whole lot goin' on in that one idea.

nye: yeah, it sucks, we all know it. i find it best to string together good people, food, and lots o' alcohol in someone's home...much cheaper, much more dear.

what the hell is a pasta-sandwich, p? i must know more.

although i heartily second tater tots as staying in the vegetarian realm, who can fault another for dreaming of new things to do with grease and spuds? so good, so good.

Emerson Dameron / December 30, 2006 8:27 PM

The only thing worse than "hipsters" is whining about them. Prefab rebellion is as old as actual conformity, and people have always hated anyone who seems to be having more fun than they are. Let's get better scapegoats this year.

See, I'm whining about whining about hipsters. I'm avant garde.

I'd rather talk about *literal* garbage. How much do you generate? What sort of stuff do you pitch? Me, a lot more, and of a much greater variety, than I'd like to. I have no faith in Chicago's cruel joke of a recycling program, but I'm hardly part of the solution.

Spook / December 31, 2006 12:04 PM

Any one know if George A. Romero is gonna do another Zombie movie? I hope so!

Marilyn / January 1, 2007 2:35 PM

Diary of the Dead

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848557/

Look for this to lampoon The Blair Witch Project and its ilk - at least I hope it will.

skafiend / January 1, 2007 3:44 PM

Re: whining about hipsters..
I love it when things hit too close to home. It makes for great tap dancing...

shuffling off to Buffalo

red wagon / January 1, 2007 5:46 PM

I throw away subscription cards in magazines, but my s.o. uses them to mark his place in the magazine. A conflict, sometimes, but a low-level one.
We don't compost, but I'd like to someday.
Should garbage be used as art?

lara / January 1, 2007 6:10 PM

emerson:

nota bene, there is a difference between "whining about hipsters" and having a serious convo about a cultural category.

lara / January 1, 2007 6:11 PM

skafiend,

touche.

adam / January 1, 2007 8:06 PM

My current DreamGirl. She's beautiful, Brazilian, plays amazing guitar/sings, and doesn't wear shoes a lot:

http://www.badiassad.com/

Unfortunately, she's married (to a Greek guy from Chicago; hoping to run into her at the Jewel sometime).

Oh, and Noon-O-Kabab. Finally went there the other day; it's now my favorite Persian resto.

And Amazon's "other sellers"; they're making me go broke saving money on all the CDs and DVDs. But if anyone wants to come over, I can entertain/bore you with hundreds of hours of music.