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Sit-ins save make-shift library at Whittier Elementary
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On the Cover
Coffee Fest.................. 6 Fun Ways to Get Fit .... 8 Public Pillow Fight..... 11 Angie McMahon ........ 17 La Casita ................... 12 Full Moon Fire Jam ... 19 Best Blogs & more ... 18
Table of Contents Arts & Culture Poster fair features vintage art, ads ............................. 4 Masquerade Ball ................5 Coffee Fest ........................6 Hot Yoga, Hula Hoops & Salsa Dancing .............................8 TV on the Radio review .....9 The Garden BMX park ......10 Pillow Fight ..................... 11
Features La Casita .......................... 12 Photo by Zach Kremian
Independent BMX riders and Chicago Area Mountain Bikers built ramps and obstacles in Clark Park #457 at 3400 N. Rockwell. See “The Garden” on page 10.
Extraordinary Chicagoans: Angie McMahon .............. 17 10 Things Every Chicagoan Should Know ....................18
DIY Free College Lectures, Other Online Learning ......................................................... 19 Full Moon Fire and Drum Jam .................................................................................. 19 Need to Know directory .......................................................................................... 20
Public Affairs Northwestern creates scholarship for local students .............................................. 21
Commentary If I were U: From the Coliseum ................................................................................. 23 Facebook Detox ....................................................................................................... 23 Raiding Raouls comic ............................................................................................... 24
E-dentity e-dentity Web Guide ................................................................................................ 26 Killer Apps ............................................................................................................... 27
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Mission Statement
The Grid is a quarterly online Chicago newsmagazine, which sifts through local politics, news, art & entertainment from the millennial perspective in order to mobilize a conscious, DIY citizenry. The Grid redefines our priorities by investigating and spotlighting human rights issues, threats to liberty, digital memes and local culture.
Editorial Policy
The Chicago Grid magazine™ reserves the right to publish any editorial content and advertisements provided they don’t discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, physical or mental disabilities, or sexual orientation. Views expressed on the Editorial page reflect the opinions of The Grid editorial board. The Grid encourages and prints Letters to the Editor. Letters should be sent by e-mail to editor@thechicagogrid.com and should not exceed 400 words. Letters may be edited for grammar, style, length and libel, but not for opinion. Authors may request their names be withheld from being published, but must sign their full names when submitting letters. All content and images © 2010-11 The Chicago Grid, used with permission or used under the Fair Use Act.
Staff
Editor & Publisher Kristina Zaremba kristina@thechicagogrid.com Public Affairs Editor John Campos john@thechicagogrid.com Visual Arts Editor Zach Kremian Copyeditors Terence Byrsa Annika Kolasa Contributors Terence Byrsa Alma Campos Julie M. Egeland Dylan Heath Alex V. Hernandez Annika Kolasa Lynda Lopez Jon Sanchez Layout & Design Kristina Zaremba
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Arts & Culture
Poster fair features vintage art, ads Story and Photos by Alex V. Hernandez Contributor
zine,” said Mark J. Weinbaum, owner of Mark J. Weinbaum Fine Vintage Posters in New York City.
The Chicago Cultural Center (78 According to E. Washington St.) Weinbaum, the covhosted the Internaers of 19th century tional Vintage Poster magazine publicaFair. on the weekend tions, like Harpers, of March 25. The were often very plain fair is considered and did not use color one of the oldest and at all; their vivid largest expositions visual medium atof original vintage tracted attention to a posters available publisher’s periodical. for purchase to the Mireille Romand, owner of Galerie Documents in Paris. “[Harpers] was general public. a literary publication and the posters created a special “I was dragged here by my husband. But I am enjoying aura about the magazine by virtue of the characters and it, I love the art,” said LaDonna Geisberg. the quality of the artistry of the posters themselves. Soon Originally from South Carolina, her husband, Harry other periodicals joined in, like Lippincott’s Monthly Giesberg, wanted to attend the Chicago fair because he Magazine, and used the poster medium as an important was looking for a specific poster created by Ben Shahn. tool for the marketing of their periodicals,” Weinbaum said. Shahn was a Lithuanian-born American artist who is best known for his social realism style and left-wing political views.
The fair had strict guidelines for the 22 vintage poster vendors who participated. For instance, for a poster to be included it had to be an original work that had to have been created with the express purpose of promoting or advertising a product or service.
Before the advent of the Internet, television and radio marketers used the poster medium to reach their target audiences.
The International Vintage Poster Dealers Association, an organization comprised of professional art dealers with experience in vintage posters, vetted all of the posters at the fair for authenticity. “Edward Penfield was one of the foremost American postersists and he was the art director of Harpers Maga4•
TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
Marcus Adelman was working the vendor table for Chicago-based Poster Plus, located at 200 S. Michigan Ave. He is an avid collector of propaganda posters and volunteered to help the Poster Plus staff at the fair.
Poster Plus, founded in 1969, will soon close its twofloor retail gallery across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago and shift its business to an online-only store.
Because of this, Adelman and store owner, Dave Gartler, were attempting to shrink Poster Plus’s inventory by offering discounts to potential buyers at the fair. “I started with propaganda posters, because so many of them whether they were in a foreign language or not, they don’t really rely on the text. What they rely on is the image to get the message across,” Adelman said. Adelman originally became interested in graphic design and propaganda posters because of the powerful
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I started with propoganda posters. They don’t rely on text. They rely on image to get the message across. —Marcus Adelman, Poster Plus founder
images they portrayed.
Eventually he began collecting and selling vintage travel posters to finance his personal collection of propaganda posters. His advice for anyone interested in collecting vintage posters: “Buy what you like and don’t worry about the other stuff, like how valuable it is. If you’re buying to hang it, buy what you like.”
Masquerade benefits AIDS Foundation
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David Pollack, owner of David Pollack Vintage Posters, had an iPad on hand with his full catalog of more than 5,000 posters and was ready to answer questions.
KDock Media held a masquerade ball at the Crimson Lounge (333 N. Dearborn) to benefit the AIDS Foundation on Oct. 16. The Grid (bottom left) co-sponsored.
Tee Lam of KDock Media is pictured on the far left with Grid editors Kristina Zaremba and John Campos. More photos at myriadofmedia.com. Photos: Zach Kremian TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
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Bjorn Dhaese (Dillanos Coffee Roasters) prepares coffee for cupping. Cupping is a method of tasting coffee. Each cup is produced in the same way to ensures the coffee’s specific characteristic come out.
Coffee Fest ‘11 Photos & Story by Dylan Heath Contributor
Chicago became dangerously caffeinated when Coffee Fest came to Navy Pier in February. Hipster Baristas wearing novelty facial hair and sleeve tattoos, and the occasional money man in a suit packed the expo. People buzzed between booths slurping samples. Baristas battled in the Latte Art competition to pain white steamed milk on espresso. Trainers conduct classes ranging The naked portafilter drops a single stream of crema, a creamy layer of thick espresso made from emulsified oils in the bean. This shiny La Marzocco machine draws a crowd. from brewing basics to espresso machine maintenance. No Latte luddites here, only Cappuccino connoisseurs. Victoria Willams & Devan Brown scrape bubbly grounds off the top of their cups and stick
their noses in. Cupping is a time for slurping and playing with your food, not politeness.
Latte art iespresso should be consistent in thickness and color, or the milk won’t pour right. Baristas practice shot after shot to get the right consistency. Coffee Fest provided Baristas espresso machines to prepare for the competition. Each shot uses a lot of milk and coffee, and leaves a lot of dirty dishes.
Nicole Keay (Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Co.) demonstrates making pour-over coffee. One of the lastest trends in the industry, the pour-over technique is the most direct way to brew. Some coffee shops like it because it is easy to control every aspect of the cup.
After judging, each Latte is displayed for the audience. Rosettas and hearts are critiqued on quality and creativity. The judges look for symmetry and color as well as beautiful designs.
Hot yoga, hula hoops & salsa g Fun ways to get fit outside of a gym Photos & Story by Jon Sanchez Contributor
Not everyone likes to run or spend time in a crowed gym, but they can still find fun ways to get fit. Hot Yoga
Hot Yoga is basically regular yoga in a room that is heated to100 degrees. The Chicago School of Hot Yoga (2442 N. Lincoln Ave.) offers classes in hot and regular yoga. It’s been open since June 2010.
“Hot Yoga allows muscles to open up more quickly and easily,” said Jessica Carlin, the school’s director. According to Bikram’s Yoga College of India, a warm body is more flexible. During each hot yoga class, you sweat a lot. Teachers recommend you drink lots of water during a class. The sweating will help clean out your body, Carlin said. The classes are not large and are open to all levels of yoga.
There is no across-the-board medical reason that keeps someone from doing hot yoga. Women who are pregnant should not do it if they have never done it before. Otherwise, the studio has a quiet atmosphere with soothing music.
The Chicago School of Hot Yoga offers different packages for memberships. The Charter membership features unlimited yoga classes, a locker and towel service for $99 a year. Or purchase packages of five, ten or twenty classes. If you don’t want to pay for a membership you can get a job there. They hire people to volunteer there and they get paid with unlimited yoga. They don’t work as employees, just volunteers. Students range in age from 18 to late thirties. Hula Hooping
This American classic has been around since the 1950’s and now it’s the newest way to get fit. The hula-
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Jessica Carlin of The Chicago School (2442 N. Lincoln Ave.) of Hot Yoga demonstrates the upward dog position in a room that is heated to 100 degrees.
hoop has been keeping people active for decades. Now Chicago offers exercise classes in hooping.
Chicago Hoop Dance has been around since 2006; offering classes in Hula hooping. According to Chicago Hoop Dance’s website, hooping helps with digestion and is a good core workout of the back and abs. Kelly Strycker, the director, said classes have about 30 people. The Hooping fitness craze has been around for 10 years. Jonathan Baxter is the founder of the hooping movement, Strycker said.
The classes are held at an artist’s studio, the cost for each class ranges from $5 donations all the way to $30 for the classes with well-known teachers. You must check the website for updates on where the classes will be. It changes from month to month. Salsa Dancing
To get in shape, you must get your body moving. To do this you can do some Salsa dancing. Salsa dancing is a popular dance style in the Latin community and anyone can learn this
style of dance.
Located in the heart of Humboldt Park is the Dance Academy of Salsa. Since 2002, the Dance Academy of Salsa has been giving lesions in all kinds of Latin dance. Founded by Miguel Mendez who has been teaching Latin dance for 18 years, people of all kinds of backgrounds have taken a class. The Dance Academy of Salsa is located on 2725 W. Division Street, down the street from a 59-foot Puerto Rican flag. The flag is made of steel and it stretches over the street, so that cars drive under it. The class starts with the basic moves, first without music and then with music. Then more advanced moves are introduced. But it does not get too advanced until the next class. The music used helps teach number-
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Clockwise from left: A hula-hooping enthusiast at Lollapalooza 2008. Dance instructors practice their steps at the Dance Academy of Salsa.
Mendez is a patient teacher who guides you in dancing. The hardest Latin dance is Salsa, Mendez said. “Salsa is the hardest one, although its three steps it’s a little harder,” he said. All styles of dance are well suited for getting a good workout, Mendez said. “When you go out dancing, you end up dancing all night.” The busiest time for classes is the evening time. Kids as young as 13 can take a class with their parent’s
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When you go out dancing, you end up dancing all night. —Miguel Mendez, Dance Academy
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File Photo by Kristina Zaremba
ing the steps.
of Salsa founder
permission, or take the class for free along side a paying parent.
You don’t have to dress up for class, although most students brought dress shoes to wear. Dress shoes allow you to slide on the floor, while gym shoes grip the floor and do not slide.
TV on the Radio reflects with ‘Light’ By Annika Kolasa Contributor
TV on the Radio’s album, Nine Types of Light, was released just over a week before the death of bassist Gerard Smith, 36, from lung cancer on April 20, and the album is an eyeopening denouement. Especially poignant for everyone who feels down or disconnected, it’s jam-packed with philosophical comments on 21st-Century desire (“We lock eyes, and walk away unrecognized / We lock arms and spin, commence our repetition”) ignorance, Subscribe
and pain; and shout outs to Plato and François Truffaut. “New Cannonball Run” is a layered masterpiece with an addictive beat. The video may be called trippy, but the song is a psychedelic experience. For those who feels thwarted by circumstance, this is the anthem. “They’ve got you, strung out and bothered and caught up and drowning in failure and shot up feeling you gotta run . . . / When the chance comes along when you could help right a wrong / the bullshit’s got you stuck up on the shelf.” A staggered electronic backbeat cuts across the
deafening monotony of the song’s opening that urges youth to “turn your touchscreens off and start harvesting the seeds that your parents sowed.” Loud and proud throughout, it ends with a note of empowerment: “Follow the sound that’s shooting out of your crown / there’s only one way up from the floor.” The chorus transforms like the listener is implored to: “You better dust off and get up, get ready to push off / hey baby, get ready ‘cause yeah yeah it’s gonna come / When the truth is spoken / love the workin’ / nothin’s gonna wear us down.” TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
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Above: A group of BMX enthusiasts await their turn to hit the jumps.
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midst Chicago’s urban Photos, Story & Layout concrete landscape, by Zach Kremian young BMX enthusiasts Visual Arts Editor have discovered a Dirtopia in their backyard. The Garden is a dirt park for BMX and Mountainbikers, and is located at Clark Park #457, at 3400 N. Rockwell, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The park, which has 3 dirt jumptrails (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) and a pumptrack, was created and is maintained by volunteers. It is dog-friendly and has restrooms on site, as well as a pedestrian trail and picnic tables. The Garden holds frequent events and yearly jump jams with food, contests, and schwag. Parking is free on the streets and in the Clark Park lot.
Below: Mike DeLaVega, 16, catches some air as young passerbys cheer their peers on.
Pillow Fight!
Photos, Story & Layout by Alex V. Hernandez Contributor Chicagoans gathered at Tribune Tower Plaza on Michigan Avenue for World Pillow Fight Day on April 2. Pillow Fight Club Chicago organized the pillow flash mob via a Facebook event that said, “Pillow Fight Day is a global celebration of the ancient art of pillow fighting . . . the only form of battle which results in victory for all who take part.” One of the organizers, Dave Michalak (pictured left), said that one goal for this year’s fight was to be more respectful of the community and authorities. “I believe it started in New York, I don’t know how long ago,” Michalak said. “A guy
named Kevin Bracken runs a thing called Newmindspace . . . About three years ago I heard about it, I don’t even remember where, and I showed up and there was a bit of a kerfuffle that year. The CPD came down on us pretty hard.” Not long after, Michalak was asked to take over the organizing of the event. “It was not going to cause a mess and would not give the cops a reason to come down on us,” said Michalak, who made sure that participants were respectful of property and people not armed with pillows during the fray. He and other participants also helped clean up the leftover pillow stuffing in Tribune Plaza after the event.
Whittier
Photos by Zach Kremian
Left: Evelyn Santos on-post at the Whittier Field House on day 27 of the protesters’ 24-hour sit-in. Above: A kaleidoscope of colored T-shirts made by community activists on display outside Whittier Field House. “Whittier Defends Your Politics,” they read.
Whittier’s La Casita: More than a library How a disadvantaged community fights for its children’s education with Annika Kolasa
“Huberman,
Huberman, can’t you see? All we want is a library!” chanted 25 community activists and mothers outside of Chicago Public Schools’ LaSalle Street headquarters on Oct. 18.
This protest calling out CPS CEO Ron Huberman followed a month-long sit-in and sleep-in at the field house of Whittier Dual Language Elementary. The school is a hundred-year-old whitewashed anachronism neglected for years, save for the imposing array of satellite dishes stacked on top of the leaky roof, where parents have been meeting since 2003 to fight for their children’s right to education. “This was something that the parents had to do as last resort,” Whittier mother Evelyn Santos said. The sit-in for the community center and the creation of this library are only the most recent developments Subscribe
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“We will analyze for ourselves the historic patterns of disinvestment and selective investment in Chicago schools and neighborhoods,” —Rico Gutstein, Teachers for Social Justice
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Photos & Story by Zach Kremian
in a far-reaching mother-led movement to get much needed reforms for this and similar schools. Whittier Elementary, at 23rd and Wolcott in the Pilsen neighborhood, has no auditorium, an inadequate gym and no formal library. “There was only one set of bathrooms; the children were eating in a basement that was full of asbestos and lead; sewage was coming up from the ground; they had no warming kitchen, and were eating cold sandwiches for lunch,” Santos said these were the conditions when TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
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‘ LA CA S I TA ’ The Little House
Photo collage: The Whittier Field House and the makeshift library within it, created through donations from across the nation.
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There was only one set of bathrooms; the children were eating in a basement that was full of asbestos and lead; sewage was coming up from the ground; they had no warming kitchen, and were eating cold sandwiches for lunch. -Evelyn Santos
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the parents began organizing for change. After receiving $1.4 million in TIF appropriations, Whittier Elementary was able to make renovations to improve the basic structure of its main building. However, like the more than 160 other schools without libraries, Whittier Elementary has faced the realities of inadequate funding since the school was created. Therefore, the field house became an invaluable space. La Casita, as the field house was dubbed, accumulated more than 1,200 books in just four weeks. La Casita—or the little house— is not just a DIY library, but also a community school that empowers families to help themselves. The mothers at La Casita have learned to sew, improved their English, and even hold yoga classes, Santos said. As part of the reforms, CPS found that due to its leaky roof, the old field house was unsafe for occupation, and rather than fix it, slated $356,000 to demolish it and replace it with an Astroturf field. The plans to raze La Casita using public money—without the inclu-
sion of a new library and community center—motivated the parents to organize and occupy the building on Sept. 15. “When they came and said, ‘We’re going to convert this supply room to your parent facility,’ it was
like a slap in the face,” said Nate Goldbaum, a second-grade teacher at Whittier. Goldbaum felt the demolition was “aimed at inhibiting our ability to organize our families, which has been a crucial part of winning what changes we have been able to make . . . It’s like they give with one hand and take with another.” A library is a lot more than a place to house books, Goldbaum said. Without one, teachers have no central location for materials, and must maintain their own catalogs and classroom bookshelves. His biggest concern, though, is for the Subscribe
students who don’t get into the habit of reading, and don’t have access to the resources they need just to survive academically. The nearest public library, Lozano, is a mile away, a hike for young feet, and Goldbaum has witnessed gang members intimidating youth from the westerly Whittier neighborhood who try to go there. Even after organizers gathered more than 900 signatures in a petition to stop the demolition, CPS had still not taken it off the table. At the height of the tensions, police taped off a perimeter around the field house, and started making plans to remove the mothers. Rico Gutstein, for a member of Teachers for Social Justice, perceives a pattern in disinvestment of specific facilities: “[CPS’s] lack of providing sufficient resources to low-income communities of color like Whittier, then dismantling, privatizing and taking over their schools when they fail to meet the standards is like tying someone’s legs together for a race, and then penalizing them when they lose,” After a tremendous outpouring of support from the community, the occupation grew, and CPS and the police abandoned plans for eviction. Then, on Oct. 4, CPS turned off the gas-heat to the field house, claiming the building was structurally unsafe and a liability. Following local and national outcry, the Chicago City Council responded, and ordered CPS to immediately restore the heat. After 43 days of the 24/7 sitin, CEO Huberman agreed to the petition’s demands: CPS will lease the building to the mothers for $1 a year once they incorporate as a nonprofit. The mothers and activists will continue to work with the School Board to make sure La Casita is safe, and Whittier is equipped with a library. However, such victories are Subscribe
Murals and signs adorn the more than 100-year old walls of the field house
Parents, students and activists volunteer for the 24/7 sit in.
always tenuous, and once the issue recedes from the spotlight there is not telling what new hardships this group will face. Dealing with CPS bureaucracy has been a problem though. Parents point to the Renaissance 2010 policy—which seeks to privatize
failing schools. But it isn’t just bureaucracy and the lack of money in the community. TIF monies and other public funds seem to be given to private interests rather than going to public schools, Santos said. “Instead of helping the children TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
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we give money to Target,” Santos said, recalling how $5.3 million in TIF funds were paid to Target to build a store in McKinley Park, less than two miles from Whittier. “We love Target, but we already have one in Archer Heights,” Santos said. “Public money for public schools.” The environment being created from the bottom-up at Whittier is fundamental to building a quality education, Santos said. Dual-language teachers, steadfast involvement by the community and parents, and more resources are the main factors that make a great school, she said. Like many schools in low-income communities, Whittier spends more money on keeping up with health and safety concerns for an old building than on improving the quality and make up of the education. Kids get asbestos instead of books. “We have everything else in place, all we need is the resources,” Santos said. CPS declined to provide any detailed comments about education
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inequality, and only said an agreement between CPS and the parents had been reached. Donations have been temporarily halted, excepting Spanish-language books for older students, which are highly in demand. The library, open from 3-6 p.m. most days, will open students’ eyes to worlds of language and help close the achievement gap, but its continued existence is a symbol of something more powerful.
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We have everything else in place, all we need is the resources. —Evelyn Santos
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Mothers, students and allies gather outside of CPS demanding the field house converted to make-shift library not be destroyed.
This movement to save Whittier’s fieldhouse-turned-library is bringing the community closer together, teaching the children to speak up for themselves, and giving the parents a victory to be proud of, said Santos.
Chants of protest can be heard from inside Chicago Public School headquarters as mothers demand to speak to then CPS CEO Ron Huberman. Subscribe
Extraordinary Chicagoans A
ngie McMahon of the Chemically Imbalanced Theater raised more than $20,000 in donations to host the Rally to Restore Sanity Chicago satellite in Grant Park on Oct. 30. More than $6,500 in remaining monies have been donated to vairous projects and charities. McMahon said she wanted to pay tribute to The Daily Show’s official rally in Washington, D.C., and to support a civil discourse on key issues. The Chicaog Grid co-sponsored the rally.
Q: Where did you grow up? A: In the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago (I moved around a lot from Lombard, Villa Park, Glen Ellyn . . . ).
Q: What’s your educational background? A: I am a Columbia College Graduate with my BA in Theater Arts. I also have my AA from College of DuPage. I have finished the advanced Conservatory Program at Second City, and all improv training at the Annoyance Theater and ImprovOlympic. Q: Who are your heroes (comedically, theatrically, morally, etc . . . )? A: I love [comedian] Louis C.K. I think he is an amazing writer. Also [playwright] Christopher Durang is my favorite. Q: How is it to be a mom and small business owner in Chicago? A: Being a mom is amazing. All I can say is until you are a parent you can’t even begin to know how fantastic it is. Running a theater has its own challenges, but it is what I was meant to do. Q: How do you think the goals of your rally are the same or different from Jon Stewart’s goals for his rally? A: I think for sure [Jon’s] rally is coming Subscribe
from more of a comic place and our rally is gonna be more issue based. I don’t think his will be void of issues or our will be void of comedy, but I think we will lean a bit more from issue-based discussion. Q: What would restoring sanity mean to you? A: Having a reasonable public discourse on personal issues, political issues, and religious issues without hate speech. Q: Why do you think people should vote? A: Because it is your right. You can’t complain if you don’t speak up. Q: Do you think anything can be achieved thru the political process? A: Yes, but I think we have to be open to discussion and all ideas to make it work. Q: What contributions would you personally like to make to the City of Chicago? A: I hope [the rally] can raise a lot of money for the Chicago Public Schools that are so in need. -John Campos, Public Affairs Editor TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
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10 Things Every Chicagoan Should Know 4. Best Free Music: Chicago Mixtape A free local indie music fest sent to your inbox every week. chicagomixtape.com 10. Best Pizza Reviews: Chicago Pizza Club The club meets, eats, takes pictures and posts their thoughts. chicagopizzaclub.com
3. Best Club for Street Speed: Chicago Parkour Learn how to move from one point to another in the most efficient way possible by vaulting headfirst over railings or tic-tacking up walls. chicagoparkour.com
9. Best Burger Reviews: Chicago Burger Project Tasting & documenting TimeOut Chicago’s “55 Best Burgers”. chicagoburgerproject. blogspot.com
Tasting Five Guys on the Burger Project.
8. Best Bar Reviews: Chicago Bar Project Reviews that are more like stories, written by locals who incorporate their love of bars, Chicago & history into each entry. chibarproject.com
Click the image above to view WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” video on Chicago Parkour.
7. Best Localvore Blog: The Local Beet
2. Best Way to Find Spa Deals: Spaciety
Articles and resources for local eating & community supported agriculture. thelocalbeet.com
Book spa and salon services discounted 4560 percent by filling open appointments at local establishments. spaciety.com
6. Best Urban Ag Blog: Green Roof Growers Learn about growing vegetables on Chicago rooftops using homemade sub-irrigated planters & EarthBoxes. Also learn about keeping chickens in urban coops. greenroofgrowers.blogspot.com Photo courtesy: EarthBox.com
5. Best Guide for Dog Owners: Bring Fido Find dog-friendly restaurants, stores, parks, beaches & hotels, as well as pet walkers, vets, pet stores and groomers. bringfido.com/destination/city/chicago_il_us/
1. Best Artists Guide: Chicago Artists Resource Featuring calls for artists, event and job listings, performance/display spacefinder and more to help you pursue dance, literature, music, theater and visual art in the city. chicagoartistsresource.org Submit your entries for Ten Things Every Chicagoan should know to editor@thechicagogrid.com
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implify life. Become independent. Empower yourself. Learn new skills. Get organized. Save time. Save money. Make money. Go green. Grow your brand. Realize your dreams. Ch ves. Make a difference. Champion social justice. Think Gridically. Make no little plans. Do it yourself. Simplify life. Become independent. Empower yourself. Learn new skills. Get nized. Save time. Save money. Make money. Go green. Grow your brand. Realize your dreams. Change lives. Make a difference. Champion social justice. Think Gridically. Make no plans. Do it yourself. Simplify life. Become independent. Empower yourself. Learn new skills. Get organized. Save time. Save money. Make money. Go green. Grow your brand. Re your dreams. Change lives. Make a difference. Champion social justice. Think Gridically. Make no little plans. Do it yourself. Simplify life. Become independent. Empower yours earn new skills. Get organized. Save time. Save money. Make money. Go green. Grow your brand. Realize your dreams. Change lives. Make a difference. Champion social justice. Gridically. Make no little plans. Do it yourself. Simplify life. Become independent. Empower yourself. Learn new skills. Get organized. Save time. Save money. Make money. Go gr row your brand. Realize your dreams. Change lives. Make a difference. Champion social justice. Think Gridically. Make no little plans. Do it yourself. Simplify life. Become indepen mpower yourself. Learn new skills. Get organized. Save time. Save money. Make money. Go green. Grow your brand. Realize your dreams. Change lives. Make a difference. Cham ocial justice. Think Gridically. Make no little plans. Do it yourself. Simplify life. Become independent. Empower yourself. Learn new skills. Get organized. Save time. Save money. money. Go green. Grow your brand. Realize your dreams. Change lives. Make a difference. Champion social justice. Think Gridically. Make no little plans. Do it yourself. Simplify Become independent. Empower yourself. Learn new skills. Get organized. Save time. Save money. Make money. Go green. Grow your brand. Realize your dreams. Change lives. M a difference. Champion social justice. Think Gridically. Make no little plans. Do it yourself. Simplify life. Become independent. Empower yourself. Learn new skills. Get organized. ime. Save money. Make money. Go green. Grow your brand. Realize your dreams. Change lives. Make a difference. Champion social justice. Think Gridically. Make no little plans. ourself. Simplify life. Become independent. Empower yourself. Learn new skills. Get organized. Save time. Save money. Make money. Go green. Grow your brand. Realize your dr Change lives. Make a difference. Champion social justice. Think Gridically. Make no little plans. Do it yourself. Simplify life. Become independent. Empower yourself. Learn new s Get organized. Save time. Save money. Make money. Go green. Grow your brand. Realize your dreams. Change lives. Make a difference. Champion social justice. Think Gridically. o little plans. Do it yourself. Simplify life. Become independent. Empower yourself. Learn new skills. Get organized. Save time. Save money. Make money. Go green. Grow your b
Free college lectures, other online learning
g Learn a new craft, skill or hobby online By Alma Campos Contributor
Masterminds like Leonardo DaVinci, Bill Gates and, Abraham Lincoln were all autodidacts, or “self learners” who became experts without most forms of formal schooling. Free e-education classes allow you to continue expanding your horizons too. You can listen to e-classes on various topics such as Astronomy, Graphic Design and Literature from your home, computer or MP3 player. Some sites even feature recorded lectures from the best universities around the nation. This new, digital method of learning is also perfect for auditory learners, who absorb information more successfully by listening than reading. The Free Education Network offers free online lessons in dozens of subjects: free-ed.net/free-ed/FreeEdMain01.asp Self-Made Scholar offers courses in just about anything, from Psychology, relationships and Buddhism to chess, drawing, languages and more. Check out the list: selfmadescholar. com/classes.html
Photo by: Zach Kremian
Crowds gather near Foster Avenue Beach for leave-no-trace Full Moon Fire & Drum Jams on full moon nights each summer (calendar--pyrotechniq.org/fullmoonjam). Pyrotechnicians dance with flames and spit fire to the pulse of live drum circles.
Notable autodidacts:
Robert Frost
GradPost provides a web guide on various general
Abigail Adams
Bill Gates
interest topics such as web development, Photoshop and
Maya Angelou
Abraham Lincoln
hundreds of classes from academia: gradspot.com/guides/
Leonardo DaVinci
Eleanor Roosevelt
diy-education
Thomas Edison
Frank Lloyd Wright
The University of California-Berkeley logs podcasts of lectures for many courses: webcast.berkeley.edu/courses.php Subscribe
Albert Einstein
source: Autodidactic Press, autodi-
Benjamin Franklin
dactic.com/profiles/profiles.htm TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
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Need to Know:
Resources for Indie Life
Make Money Employment agencies Visit thecityofchicago.com/employment/ for a directory of more than 40 employment agencies. Experienced Business Mentors • The Dept. of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection offers assistance with business start-up and licensing information, permits, citations and more. Call (312) 744-5506 for an appointment. • The Service Corps of Retired Executives (500 W. Madison St.) connects would-be and current business owners with more than 11,500 volunteer business counselors. Call (312) 353-7724, or visit scorechicago.org for more. Women’s Business Development Center Assists in development and marketing of emerging and existing woman-owned businesses. Services (in Spanish or English) include loan assistance, workshops, and oneon-one counseling. Call (312) 853-3477 or visit wbdc.org for more. Veterans Business Outreach The VBO Program provides business plan preparations, comprehensive feasibility analysis, entrepreneurial training and counseling, mentorship, and referrals to eligible veterans who own or want to start a small business. Call (810) 767-8387 or visit vetbizcentral.com for more. Small Business Alliance Loans SBA makes loans up $15,000 for start-ups, $25,000 for existing businesses. Visit accionchicago.org for more.
State Business Loans The Treasurer’s Office invests millions annually in lowinterest loans to large and small-business owners and child-care providers. Visit treasurer.il.gov for more.
Save Money Free Web Design Resources Fifty blogs to help you teach yourself-- bestwebdesignschools.com/2009/top-50-web-design-education-blogs/ HTML Help by The Web Design Group-- htmlhelp.com/ Web Style Guide, 3rd Ed.-- webstyleguide.com/wsg3/ Cut Your Wireless Bill Citizen Utility Board’s Cell Phone Saver (citizensutilityboard.org/cellphonesaver) analyzes digital copies of any major provider’s cell bill to determine and recommend the most economic plan for you according to average voice, text and data usage. Free Directory Assistance Instead of paying up to $2 to call 411, try 1-800FREE411 for residential and business listings, or 1-800555TELL for business numbers. Books Cheaper Before you shell out more paper for textbooks and bestsellers browse the 30,000 free e-books (many in Kindle format) from Project Gutenberg (gutenberg.org) or the more than 25,000 free ones at ManyBooks.net. Then search I-Share (alliance of 76 Illinois libraries), visit a local book exchange (swancc.org/directory/books.html), rent books from Chegg.com, buy and sell used media through Amazon Marketplace, or download a paperless version to digital readers like Kindle ($249, amazon. com). Discounted Theater Tix & Gift Certificates Groupon.com makes one incredible daily deal for 30 to 70 percent off tickets and gift certificates to local restaurants and merchants; Goldstar.com and ChicagoHalfOff.com offer 50 percent off or more (check out their Featured and Clearance pages, respectively).
$1,000 Business Grant Get a $1,000-grant & shared workspace to jumpstart your business idea. This is a grant, not a loan—no repayment. Visit scalewell.com to submit your idea.
HotTix.org has half-price tickets to more than 200 Chicago theatres, or visit their walk-up locations at 72 E. Randolph St. and 163 E. Pearson St. (in Water Works Visitor’s Center).
Grow Your Business The Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity offers businesses expansion incentives, technological support, access to capital, global marketing expertise and job training for workers.
Shop with Friends and Save Save big on groceries, clothes and household goods when you start a Costco (2746 N. Clybourn) club to shop bulk with friends. Buy one membership for $50 and shop as a group. Member must be present and pay for order in full, so arrange to break down receipt and split up shared purchases. Vehicle strongly recommended.
Visit www.commerce.state.il.us/dceo for more.
<CLICK> the links in this directory for instant Gridification. 20 •
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Subscribe
FRee fun Neighborhood Scavenger Hunts Discover hidden gems and interesting facts while competing with friends on a free neighborhood scavenger hunt. Hunt through Andersonville, Albany Park, Chinatown, Lincoln Square, West Loop, West Ridge/Devon Avenue, Wicker Park & Hyde Park. Visit the Visitor’s Center in the Cultural Center (77 E. Randolph St.) for a guide. Downloadable guides available soon; visit ExploreChicago.org for more. International Film Festival screenings All films screened 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Cultural Center (77 E. Randolph St.), most with an encore showing 2 p.m. on Saturday. Visit ExploreChicago.org for titles.
Members can reserve cars (from $7/hr or $68/weekday, gas and insurance included) at Zipcar.com and drive for a free 180 miles or more per day. Must be 21. Text cta2009 to 30364 to earn $75 toward driving. For greener chauffeured trips, check out Going Green Limos’ (goinggreenlimousine.com) hybrid transport options. Little Village Toxic Tours The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization gives guided tours of polluted sites on the West Side. Hear about first-hand struggles for health and human rights. Call (773) 762-6991 or visit lvejo.org/campaigns/toxitours.htm for more. Be Rewarded for Saving Water Single-family and two-flat homeowners can lower their water bills by voluntarily installing a water meter. The city’s Meter Save program charges participants only for actual water used and guarantees that metered home will pay no more than yearly assessed rates for seven years.
Downloadable Tours Download local experts talking about the city in English, Spanish, German, Chinese Mandarin and Japanese. View pictures while listening on your computer, or take self-guided walking tours with your video MP3 player. Visit downloadabletours.com to choose from History of Chicago Blues (narrator Buddy Guy), Millennium Park (narrators architect Frank Gehry and others), or Chicago for Kids—an at-home tour of history, culture and games.
Visit metersave.org or call 311 for more.
Mobile Neighborhood Tours
Conserve Power, Enter to Win Prizes from CUB Individuals are eligible to win a month of free electricity or up to 10,000 CFL bulbs. Visit cubenergysaver.com/contest to register.
Explore Download walking tours of the Albany Park, Auburn Gresham, Bronzeville, Pilsen and South Chicago neighborhoods for your iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Palm or Windows Phone. Visit tours.lisc-chicago.org/ promo to download. Twelve Museums for Free Get free admission for up to four people at twelve of the city’s best museums at any Chicago Public Library location by checking out free Kraft Foods Great Kids Museum Passports.
Green living Recycle CDs & other discs Recycle all types of CD, DVD, Blu Ray and HD-DVD discs and disassembled jewel/shell cases. Separate and label CDs versus DVDs. No floppy discs, zip discs, video tapes or cassettes. Send sorted materials, packaged however is convenient (envelope or box) to 68H Stiles Road, Salem, NH 03079. Individuals pay their own shipping fees. Visit cdrecyclingcenter.com to make donations ($2 suggested) and learn more. Ever Wish You Had a Car? Zipcars are shared vehicles parked throughout the city. Subscribe
Dispose of Hazardous Waste Household Chemicals & Computer Recycling (1150 N. North Branch on Goose Island) accepts household chemical waste on Tuesdays 7 a.m.-noon, Thursdays 2-7 p.m., and the first Saturday of each month 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit swancc.org/hcw/hcwcollection.html for a list of accepted items.
Human Services —FOOD Nutrition Assistance (Link Card) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps, helps low-income people and families buy healthy food. Visit the state’s Dept. of Human Services’ site (www.dhs.state.il.us/) and click “Food” to apply. Nutrition for Women, Infants & Children WIC helps pregnant women and mothers with children under the age of five eat well by providing coupons to buy nutritious foods like milk, juice, eggs, cheese, cereal, dry beans, pees and peanut butter. Also educates families about nutrition, fitness, breastfeeding and health care. Visit the state’s Dept. of Human Services’ site (www.dhs. state.il.us/) and click on “Pregnancy & Parenting” to apply. Common Pantry Provides emergency food monthly to individuals and families within the boundaries of Diversey (south), Kedzie See “Human Services,” p. 25 TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
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Public Affairs NU creates scholarship for local students By Lynda Lopez Contributor
For 2011 graduates of Evanston and Chicago high schools, Northwestern University’s tuition could be more affordable – even free. Northwestern’s new Good Neighbor, Great University Scholarship Program will eliminate the need for loans or work-study jobs and will provide more scholarship funds to students from the communities of Chicago and Evanston. The program will be need-based, rather than income-based, Associate Provost for University Enrollment Michael Mills said. The Chicago Grid interviewed Mills in October. CG) When did the idea for this scholarship sprout? Was it a reaction to the racial tensions on campus, as seen with the issue of students in blackface on Halloween? MM) I think it was early [fall ‘09] when President Morton Schapiro and Dean Penelope Peterson convened a working group to take a look at how to boost enrollment from the city of Chicago and Evanston. While the working group was certainly aware of the Blackface incident, the incident by itself played no role in the creation of the Good Neighbors scholarship. Rather, it was driven by our analysis that cost was a prohibitive factor for many of the students we admitted from those cities. CG) Do you think the new scholarship will also be able to help middle-class students whose parents make enough to disqualify them from other financial aid? MM) Absolutely. As was the case when we created our No-Loan Pledge Scholars program, we intentionally chose to base eligibility on financial need rather than on income cutoff, precisely to help 22 •
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these families. And financial need is a function of much more than simple [Adjusted Gross Income]—influenced by, for example, family size, how many children are in college, level of expenditures on items like health care, etc . . . So the incomes of the Photo courtesy Northwestern University recipients’ families will Michael Mills, NU Provost be all over the spectrum. CG) Does the scholarship include room and board? MM) It can potentially, for the students with the highest financial need. What the scholarship will do is replace student loans, work-study, and the Summer Earnings expectation (wages from student employment) with Northwestern scholarship dollars for every student who has demonstrated financial need. For example, let’s say student A has $20,000 of financial need while student B has $50,000. Student A will receive $20K of Northwestern scholarship dollars while student B will receive $50K (which is higher than our tuition and fees for 2010-11, which stand at $42K). CG) Does Northwestern keep statistics regarding the number of students who don’t enroll due to money issues? If so, has this been a big problem for the school? MM) We do—to the extent we can make that determination. Like the [University] of Chicago, we have all sorts of data that allow us to make informed judgments as to why students do or don’t enroll at Northwestern. I wouldn’t describe it as a major problem for NU, however. Subscribe
Commentary By Terence Byrsa
From the Coliseum
His finger was a couple of feet away from my face but it felt like he had jammed it right up my nose. The man had approached my cash register with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, and I’d barely opened my mouth to say, “Hi, how are–” when the finger crashed through the space-time continuum. I fell silent as his furrowed forehead and soured countenance told me in no words to wait…He was on his cell phone. Ah, the 21st century! With all its gadgetry to put us in constant contact with someone else, somewhere else away from where we are at the moment and away from those to whom we’re in proximity. (Let the deliberately awkward sentence construction stand as a testimony against those who make, consciously or not, decisions against social cohesion.) High-speed communication makes rotary telephones seem like snail-mail, meetings like frivolities, and dinner and drinks no more than an archaic amusement. Networking and interconnectivity aside, it’s time to shine a spotlight on the social fracturing of the digital generation and its effect on culture. Swamped as we are by posts, tweets, blogs and any other techno-expression of the Self that pops up in our transparent, structured digital communities that we miss out on the subtleties of so-called friends while their constant updates blind us to the infinitely complex and malleable reality in which we exist. How did it become acceptable that a person can walk down the street, look me in the eye ask me how my day has been, and brush past without a second thought before I realize, Oh, they’re on their Bluetooth! Ten years ago they See “If I were U,” p. 24 Subscribe
Facebook detox By Alex V. Hernandez with Annika Kolasa Contributors
I deleted my Facebook account one weekend in October. In hindsight I probably should have announced my decision via Facebook before I axed it because as soon as I did I was bombarded by texts asking, “Why’d you unfriend me, yo?” and “Dude, WTF?”
like any high school party, it was only fun until the parents came poking. Of course, the possibly concerned, potentially voyeuristic over-fiftysomes are relentless in their friend requests (it’s like they can’t take a hint). But all that is fine. What creeps in slowly like the ennui of Oceania is that posted interests, likes and comments are mined to fuel a direct marketing operation that rivals Orwell’s worst nightmare because it’s entirely voluntary.
The personal decision to delete my account on Facebook led to an afternoon explaining to friends via other “Facebook has perfected a stealth social networking sites and text mesdigital surveillance apparatus that sages that I am, in fact, still their friend. tracks, analyzes and then acts on your It’s a truly bizarre world we live in—a information, including what you tell multitiered landscape of digital realms your friends,” said Jeffrey Chester, where misinterexecutive director pretation has Don’t make the mistake of of the Center for become all too Digital Democthinking you’re Facebook’s common. racy. Yes, acts customer, you’re the product. as quotidian as —Bruce Schneier For those commenting on a unfamiliar friend’s photo, clicking the Like button with Facebook etiquette, choosing to on Wilco’s official fan page and updatunfriend someone is tantamount to pasing your favorites quotes on your profile sively telling that person that he or she deliver metric data to advertisers on a is dead to you. silver platter. But my decision to delete my acFacebook has had a few privacy count wasn’t for it to be a social slap in gaffes over the years: claiming publishthe face, it was because of what Mark ing rights to posted content; displaying Zuckerberg’s miracle baby has become. users’ pictures, names and emails on I joined Facebook during my the invalid login request page; creating freshman year at Roosevelt University social ads with personal purchases in in 2005, back around the time when a program called ‘beacon.’ But then “Arrested Development” was singing its again, what should one expect from the swan song and Michael Cera was only phenomenon that began when Mark that semi-famous nervous kid. Zuckerberg hacked Harvard resident It was a new site then, with a halls’ private user data? cleaner design than MySpace and exIt’s a pleasant ideal in most people’s clusive to college students. I was sucked minds—we can manage and document in immediately. our one-dimensional friendships, and Yet Facebook has evolved into a occasionally get something we want combination personals-tabloid site for (apps), so long as developers handle millions of image-obsessed youth. And See “Detox,” p. 24
“
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If I were U
TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
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“Detox” from p. 23
our personal data morally and securely. Every application on Facebook – Farmville, MafiaWars, you name it, has the intention of making a profit. They aren’t free fun game fairies. Every time you consent to share information, you are agreeing to transmit personal data with a party you do not know, who does not care about your e-dentity, and who can make a profit if he decides to sell it. And why shouldn’t he? You gave it to him. Facebook will argue that all information advertisers receive is anonymous, but each ID number is one search away from a full name, picture and email address–one simple program away from being a complete profile. The official response: “Developers did not intend to pass this information, but did so because of the technical details of how browsers work.” Is it too much to expect that the architects of this Internet giant know a thing or two about “how browsers work,” in regards to privacy? But we buy it. We’ll believe statements of goodwill again and again over instances tending to the contrary. Bruce Schneier is an American cryptographer, computer security specialist and writer. Once you get past the shock of his Grizzly Adams beard you should come across an article published in Information Age where he candidly clarifies the status quo for all Facebook users: “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re Facebook’s customer, you’re not–you’re the product. Its customers are the advertisers.” Schneier writes about a data trail— the eternal perpetuation of conversations that would otherwise have melted away with time into sweet nothingness. Ever dumped someone over email? FB chat? That fabric is written as concretely on history as the Rosetta stone. Long after we’re dead, our data trails will exist forever in the medium that never rots. Years from now, when our Facebook profiles will already have impressed that special guy or gal; that pot you asked your buddy to bring over, that 40 you snuck into prom and those messages you thought were private will remain etched on a hard drive taking up an infinitely small space. If our complacency to Zuckerberg’s 24 •
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Raiding Raouls by Julie M. Egeland doctrine of openness by default isn’t challenged, then soon the only people not on Facebook will be those creepy unwashed neo-luddites who live in caves and are waiting for everyone’s iPod to rise up and attack humanity. Update: After only a few days of being off Facbook, I relapsed like a junkie aching for a fix. My little act of digital defiance was futile. Twitter, LinkedIn and Flickr couldn’t fill the void that Facebook left when I deleted my account. By deleting my account I not only inconvenienced myself but also the people around. Something as simple as getting a “Mad Men” season finale party organized became ten times more difficult without Facebook. Facebook users have been conditioned through years to respond/ask/ organize/RSVP through it. Add to this the fact that nearly everyone I know is on Facebook and well, you may win this round Zuckerberg, but I refuse to be your data patsy and will actively seek out new and better ways to make my account an advertiser’s worst nightmare. I’m on Facebook for my friends, not for Zuckerberg’s marketing data needs.
“If I were U” from p. 23
would’ve been considered insane, out of touch with the world around them, but today they are as common as the communications towers that dot our undeveloped land, as much a fixture to the city as the advertisements we notice while pretending to text to avoid conversation on the subway. How many status updates must there be before the disciples of the latest digitized religion realize there is a saturation point to the minutia of life… and it’s very low. We must take care that social networking does not become a selfdelusional fantasy keeping us from real interaction – digitized reality over physicality. The WWW is safer than the CTA: there is something soothing in the control of staring at a small screen or listening to music of one’s own choosing rather than the guy snoring three seats ahead on the bus, smelling of alcohol and excrement. But reality is just that – the way things are. I can escape with a book or iTunes, but life still happens around me. I can choose to participate or not: I can text rather than talk, avoiding the unpleasant reality of tone of voice, See “If I were U,” p. 25 Subscribe
Chicago 0 1 0 2 & 2009 ormers f r e p t s e Blues F
The Shytown Checkmates performing April 30, May 7 & July 16 “If I were U” from p. 24
emotion, awkward pauses…the stuff of life; I can trade participation in the imperfect, incomplete social fabric for the comfort of technology, as I like it, neatly compact – pocketsized, digitized, planned, individualized, silenced. I can friend or un-friend as I see fit and I can lose myself “Human Services,” from p. 23
(west), Ravenswood (east), and Lawrence (north), who are below the poverty line. Distribution: 1-4 p.m., 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays at 3744 N. Damen. Visit commonpantry.org or call (773) 327-0553. —UTILITIES Apply for Free Emergency Cell Phone Low-income residents may qualify for a free cell phone with 60 pre-paid monthly minutes. Apply at safelinkwireless.com. —HEALTH Rape Crisis Hotline Survivors of sexual assault and their significant others can Subscribe
Visit facebook.com/shyproductions for details, updates & videos. Classic & Modern Rock • Blues • R&B • Originals
in any world, On Demand. Like the last three generations, we can use a screen to dull our senses and our need for companionship; we can sit in front of a new “idiot box” and waste away in bytes and junk food as opportunities for real meaning in our lives pass by unnoticed. Or, we can look up, and say “Hi.”
call 1-888-293-2080, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to receive free confidential assistance from volunteers staff trained in sexual assault crisis intervention. Chicago Abortion Fund Need-based service assists low-income women in obtaining safe and discounted second-trimester abortions. Call (312) 663-0338 and listen for details. Not a clinic. Receive advice regardless of circumstances of pregnancy.
Know Something Others Should Too? Submit Need to Know information to editor@thechicagogrid.com TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
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e-dentity
™
g Links to help resolve your e-dentity crisis
Job Hunt CoolWorks.com Summer and seasonal jobs in extraordinary places like national and state parks, camps, ski resorts and ranches. SeasonalEmployment.com Find lifeguard, camp, cruise ship, guide and beach jobs. Internships and Halloween jobs too.
Social Responsibility
Search the Web
Blekko.com Blekko slashtag searches scan only sites you like & cut out spam. Make your slashtags as narrow (/scuba) or broad (/favorites) as you like. Add a slashtag to any query to search your custom set of sites. Or use one of hundreds of blekko-created topic tags. Narrow by topic with tags like /baseball, /vegan, /anime and /occult; or refine searches with tags like /calendar, /people, /noporn and /stock. MetaGlossary.com Harvest definitions from the web with MetaGlossary, which extracts the meanings of terms and phrases to provide you with concise, direct explanations. Try even your most field-specific requests for terms, phrases, acronyms, technical jargon and slang.
Search Twitter FollowerWonk.com Search Twitter bios & run a visual analysis of 2-3 profiles. Click the image to play Sky News’ video of the tsunami caused by the Tōhoku earthquake in Japan on April 7.
Downtime Textually.org Blog devoted to cell phones & mobile content, with a focus on text messaging & cell phone usage around the world. Alltop.com The “online magazine rack” of articles from the best blogs and news sources. Search for content by almost any subject. Create a free account to build a custom page. 26 •
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Twellow.com Directory of Twitter accounts with hundreds of categories & search features to help you navigate the Twitterverse.
Quiz Yourself Day4Death.com Determine when, where, and how you will die. HumanMetrics.com Take relationship, personality and entrepreneur tests. Submit links to editor@thechicagogrid.com Subscribe
Killer Apps
• GasBuddy (Android, iPhone & Windows; free) helps you find the lowest gas prices.
• Never get caught in the rain again with reminders from Umbrella? (Android, free) and Umbrella Today? (iPhone, $1.99). • The Chicago News app (Android, free) features stories from NBC, ABC, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Breaking News, Google News and Huffington Post-Chicago. • BestParking (Android, free) and the Chicago Parking App (iPhone, $1.99) help you find the cheapest parking in your area. FasPark Chicago (Android, free) helps you find free and metered street parking.
• Stream several different Chicago Police radio zones using the Chicago Police Radio app (Android, free) or Police Chicago Radio app (iPhone, $1.99).
#FollowSpring
Contribute to The Grid
@CenterSqJournal News on the Lincoln Square, Northcenter & Ravenswood Manor neighborhoods
• Design layouts
Twitter.com feeds The Chicago Grid recommends following.
@NewMusicChicago An organization of local contemporary-classical groups @triblive Chicago Tribune’s entertainment coverage @RogersPark1000 Long-time resident & active community member @Vocalo Collaborative public radio. Call 888-635-1112 to tell your story. Listen to 89.5 FM, or stream at vocalo.org.
• Write & edit articles
• Sell ads • Plan and run eventts • Write grant proposals Contact kristina@thechicagogrid.com for details on how to get involved.
@CHICKAGOAN Healthy lifestyle choices for women @CRED_by_Crains Chicago real estate daily by Crain’s Chicago Business Subscribe
TheChicagoGrid.com Spring 2011
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Internship Program The Grid seeks interns in—
Layout & Visual Design
Grant Writing
Marketing & Public Relations
Business
SEO, Web Design & Link Building
Editing
• Build your professional portfolio • No journalism experience needed • Quarterly publishing schedule • Earn college credit • Work from home
Responsibilities vary by position, so contact Editor-in-Chief Kristina Zaremba at kristina@thechicagogrid.com for details. Please note that this is an unpaid position. Duration is flexible.