TM
BETTER THAN SHAMWOW! WEEK OF April 1, 2009 CHICAGO EDITION VOL 1 No 9
Printed with Explicit permission From Each Content Provider
Alin Dragulin | tpburl.com/8jvpy6 Chicago
RECESSIONISTAS: GETTING FAME IN THE MIDWEST By Ira | 1/23/09 | Being Totally Sweet in Chicago tpburl.com/g4js35 Every time I see a national media article about the recession teaching us “responsibility” or preaching the hipness of thrift, I feel proud. Chicago has been rolling this way forever, and we’re finally getting some recognition. How many times have you complimented someone on their shirt and they responded, “Thanks, it was only five dollars!”? The bargain is as, if not more, important than the look. Midwesterners seek value like Jack Bauer fights terrorists- it’s not a means to an end, it’s a passion. While everyone is cinching up their belts bemoaning lost buying power, a certain stable of trend-setters are sharpening their price-cutting knives. I asked my favorite local and national bloggers to share their recessionista secrets. Katherine Raz writes BackGarage, where she trains aspiring apartment therapists to find high design in low places. These are her top-three suggestions for furnishing your space for less. 1. Thrift early, thrift often. Don’t expect to go to a thrift store once and find a Danish Modern slat bench. I recommend picking one or two favorite thrift stores and visiting them a few times a month. Be a regular. Similarly, if you’re going to a flea market, garage or estate sale, get there when it opens, because after a few hours all the worthwhile stuff is gone. 2. Live better through technology. Harness the power of RSS and email alerts to find the stuff you really want on eBay and Craigslist. My advice on how to use RSS with Craigslist is here. And how to set up eBay alerts.
AFL-CIO MAY PAY FOR CHICAGO SPIRE CONSTRUCTION By Craig Wieczorkiewicz | 3/24/09 | The Bread Line tpburl.com/0gcr72 The Chicago Tribune reported Monday that an AFL-CIO pension fund may help pay for construction of the proposed Chicago Spire skyscraper. More than $11 million worth of liens were filed against the project last October, halting construction on the proposed 2,000-foot-tall, twisting tower designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava. The recession and down credit markets haven’t helped the situation. The AFL-CIO obviously is getting involved to make sure the construction project is a 100 percent union job. That’s fine and dandy, but I’m more concerned about not having a giant hole measuring 76 feet deep and 110 feet wide at the Spire site for many years to come. I’m not necessarily a fan of the Spire’s proposed height, but I think the design would be a nice addition to the Chicago skyline. It reminds me of a drill bit or a screw, which would give the Spire a unique look. Bearing in mind that Chicagoans took it upon themselves to unofficially (and affectionately) rename the Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park “The Bean,” I foresee the Spire being referred to as “The Screw.” That nickname sort of has a Chicagostyle ring to it, doesn’t it? Anyway, I was reminded recently how pleasing Calatrava’s architectural work is to the eye. My wife and I spent last weekend in Milwaukee, where the lakefront jewel is Calatrava’s addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Quadracci Pavilion. The architecture is beautiful, evoking lakefront imagery such as boats, birds and a whale’s tail, depending on the viewpoint and the eye of the beholder. I always make sure to visit the lakefront and see that museum whenever I am in Milwaukee. I hope someday the Spire will have the same effect on out-of-towners visiting Chicago. Advertising
3. Know the terminology. Furniture and housewares are just like anything else: they have their own language. Want a pierced compote with a ruffled edge? While the “vase” you saw in a design magazine might be $100 or more, you can find a similar one on eBay or Etsy if you know how to describe it. So learn the difference between a coffee pot, a chocolate pot and a teapot and you’ll be more likely to find one for 5 bucks. I have some examples here.
Garin Pirnia is the editor of Myopenbar Chicago. A prolific writer and self-described cheapskate, Garin delivers a caustic guide to free booze every week. Top three strategies, eh? Like going to open bars? 1. One way to save money is to get on the list to avoid paying a cover charge. I do live concert reviews, so I can usually get on the list and get a +1. There are a lot of events if you RSVP, you can avoid a cover...or just show up before the cover kicks in. That goes along with be someone’s +1 for stuff. Find a cool friend who gets to go to things for free and mooch off them. 2. I’d also suggest smuggling cans of beer into some events. I’ve shamefully brought some PBR to EvilOlive before to share with friends. 3. Finally, you can combine food and booze. Certain bars like Map Room, Cleo’s and Mahoney’s have deals where if you buy a drink, you get a free food buffet. Mahoney’s is the best. Every Tues, they offer $2 PBRs and a free tater tot buffet with toppings. You can get unlimited tots that actually fill you up. Maybe not the healthiest, but only spending $2 on dinner is pretty cool.
If you like these tips from Katherine and Garin, read their blogs and check back soon for more recession-friendly suggestions! Views expressed in Content do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or the printed blog inc.
Politics
fox news’s brit hume warns that because of blogs, future news will be ‘more partisan’ By Ben Armbruster | 3/20/09 | Think Progress tpburl.com/dj9v17 Last night, the conservative Media Research Center, which houses the ever on point NewsBusters blog, hosted its annual “DisHonors” media awards gala in Washington, D.C. Aside from the cornier “Media Messiah” and “Obamagasm” media honors the group bestowed to alleged “liberal” members of the press, MRC presented Fox News’s Brit Hume with its “William F. Buckley Jr. Award for Media Excellence.” In his acceptance speech, Hume warned of the dangers of the rise of blogs and news being “presented from one political viewpoint”: HUME: What are we getting?…We’re getting bloggers and websites and all sorts of individual entrepreneurs, and we have a vaster menu of choices today than we’ve ever had. But I think that we also have the danger that everything will be presented from one political viewpoint or the other, and that the media that confront us are going to be more partisan than ever — which means that the Media Research Center will have a mission for many years to come, and a good thing that is.
Hume’s warning is rather odd because in the very same speech, he thanked the MRC — an unabashedly conservative outfit — for feeding him information for his reports as anchor of Fox News’s Special Report: HUME: I want to say a word, however, of thanks, to [MRC president] Brent [Bozell] and to the team at the Media Research Center and all the contributors who make that work there possible. […] also for the tremendous amount of material that the Media Research Center provided me for so many years when I was anchoring Special Report. I don’t know what we would have done without them. It was a daily, sort of a buffet of material to work from, and we — we — we certainly made tremendous use of it.
But if anyone would know anything about reporting from a certain political point of view, it is Brit Hume. During this past presidential campaign, Hume (perhaps unknowingly) took part in the right wing campaign to paint Barack Obama as a Muslim — first suggesting that Obama had previously practiced Islam and later falsely claiming that Obama’s brother “is not sure sure” Barack is Christian. Moreoever, Hume has claimed that al-Qaeda in Iraq “was there before we got there,” that “the problem” with the Walter Reed affair was that it looked bad for former President Bush, and that Democrats “are kind of embarrassed by patriotism.” He recently said Bush put America on an “amazing” foreign policy path. And over the years, Hume’s reports have routinely contained conservative misinformation, especially on global warming and the Valerie Plame CIA leak scandal. But even though Hume stepped down as anchor of Special Report, he still gets paid to offer his dangerous commentary for the Fox News Channel.
african-american mayoral candidate wants to bring back noose to mississippi By Glenn Church | 3/20/09 | Donklephant tpburl.com/qyt8c7 A Republican black mayoral candidate in Jackson, Mississippi, wants to bring back the noose to fight crime. George Lambus is the only Republican in the dozen-candidate field for the office. He is considered a long shot in the heavily African-American and Democratic city. The racially explosive subject has brought consternation to many residents. One resident said of Lambus’ platform: “It’s offensive, but it’s so ridiculous you don’t even know how to get mad.” Still, Lambus feels it is the only way to get a handle on widespread crime. In his homemade flyers, Jackson wrote: “Crime can only be alleviated by a noose and a stout tree limb. I will provide the noose and when the economy improves, I will get the jobs here.”
Despite being the only Republican in the field, the GOP is not backing Lambus because of his explosive views. Since Lambus is the only Republican, he will automatically advance to the run-off against the top Democrat. The pistol-toting Lambus claimed that the Bible approves executions. “If we look at the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, it’s driven with blood.” Lambus may be the first African-American politician advocating the lynching of other African-Americans. Lambus’ flyers refer to Jackson’s leaders as “incompetent negro Democrats.” He is distributing them in mostly white neighborhoods. Lambus said things are getting worse for Jackson. “We have a whole generation of blacks that will soon be negroes because they aren’t going to have an education or be able to marry.”
Lambus said many people slam doors in his face and walk out of forums when he is speaking. He doesn’t seem surprised by that either. PHOTOS
PHOTOS
Stephen Funk | tpburl.com/z6pvkn
Milo Mendoza | tpburl.com/23yht5
poll: number of americans who think global warming is ‘exaggerated’ is increasing By Matt Corley | 3/11/09 | Think Progress tpburl.com/hjpdmv In a Q&A at the Wonk Room today, Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) was asked why “the media still giving space” to global warming deniers. “I’m hopeful that while the old talking heads are still singing the ‘anti-science’ tune, most of America doesn’t really believe it,” replied Edwards. Unfortunately, a new Gallup poll shows that while a majority of Americans still believe global warming is happening, a record number now say that it is “exaggerated” by the news media:
Considering the manner in which the media covers global warming, it’s not surprising that the public is confused. For instance, when conservative columnist George Will published demonstrably false claims about climate change in the Washington Post, the Post refused to run a correction. Editorial page editor, Fred Hiatt, defended Will, claiming that he was simply “drawing inferences from data that most scientists reject” and that his critics were “irresponsible.” In 2007, former Vice President Al Gore pointed out that studies have found that “essentially zero percent of peer-reviewed scientific journal articles disagreed that global warming exists,” but that “53 percent of mainstream newspaper articles disagreed [with] the global warming premise.” Gore says that this is “balance as bias.”
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obama braces for big oil backlash By Karl Burkhart | 3/13/09 | GreenDig.net tpburl.com/v95w76 Little known fact: While most every other industry was falling to pieces last year, the oil industry posted record profits. ExxonMobil alone made $45 billion. So I would hope Obama is feeling little sympathy as he attempts to bolster the sinking U.S. economy by going after the clearly unnecessary tax credits the industry has enjoyed for so long. If you’ve read my previous post tracing big oil money in Washington, you might guess that all hell is breaking loose as a result. According to a recent Business Week report, the industry is flying their top brass to Washington and mustering a PR army that will target not only politicians but all the major press outlets with a 1-2 punch message — that eliminating tax breaks for the oil industry will result in the loss of millions of jobs and increased dependence on foreign oil. First off, if the industry has just made record profits off the backs of hard-working Americans struggling to make ends meet (remember that $4 gallon of gas last year?) one would think they could afford to hedge their own job losses. And to the point that the removal of the offshore tax credit will increase dependence on foreign oil … just not true. Even if the industry did require the tax incentives to open new wells (which they don’t — Bush lifted the restriction last year) new wells will not significantly help the situation for at least five years (optimistically) to 10 years (realistically) when they will go into full production. And at best, it is estimated that there is only about 10-12 years worth of extractable oil out there. So the enormous infrastructure investment would never really break even (unless of course the American public shoulders the burden). Why then wouldn’t we want to direct that money towards a solution that will provide long-term stability? This is the question that Obama and the DOE are facing. For a fraction of the price, according to T. Boone Pickens who spoke last week at ECO:nomics summit, we could convert our trucking fleet to natural gas (which is cheap, abundant, burns cleaner and is domestic). That would buy time to develop technologies like biofuels and batteries, that could provide a longterm solution. And more importantly, we would be creating jobs in a growing industry rather than a dying one. If you want to lend your hand in support of the President, you can sign a petition that Moveon.org is currently circulating called “Stop Subsidies for Big Oil.”
The Printed Blog
how the iphone 3.0 will create a mobile economy
Tech
14 reasons why i should buy a kindle By Victoria Morgan | 1/27/09 | Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
tpburl.com/rfbcwv
1. Access to the top newspapers of the world. I read my major three when I can: USA Today, New York Times, LA Times, etc. If I have time, I can download single issues without leaving my bed on Sunday morning or if I’m waiting in a doctor’s office or at the DMV. I enjoy reading what Britain and others around the world think about our global issues.I do not have to subscribe to a monthly subscription. 2. For those that do have the time to read them all each day, you can try any newspaper for a free 14 day trial (or any blog). 3. When reading any book on the Kindle, you only have to highlight a word and click to get a definition from a built in dictionary. No more hunting for a dictionary while you’re reading or worse yet, not getting up to get one at all. 4. Since serious readers are constantly improving their horizons, you can download a sample of any book you are interested in for free to check content, style, etc. before you buy it. 5. Short of a used bookstore, you cannot beat the prices. Amazon has indeed learned marketing from iTunes. 6. Since most of us have books coming out of our ears and in every room in the house and have long ago run out of bookshelves to hold them all, it is wonderful to be able to read all you want and not add to the physical library until you are sure that the selection is worth adding to your physical library. Any book I buy will remain in my “download library” in amazon cyberspace. I can delete it off my kindle and next year if I want to read it again, I can download it again. Kindles “within families” can access the “family library”. If you want to read something your wife bought, you can download it to your kindle. You can sync your Kindle with your computer to download books you have need of from your “library”. 7. When researching, I can make notes and save those notes on anything I am reading on the Kindle. I can keep a running book list of books I want to “save for later”. 8. I can access the “whispernet” anywhere a cell phone works which is pretty nearly anywhere, anytime 24/7. If I wake up in the middle of the night and want to read anything at all from magazines to newspapers to the latest bestseller, I can and to date, it’s free. 9. Many, many books (especially the classics) are free. If I want to have a “Masterpiece Sunday” on a rainy day, I can download “Pride and Prejudice” for free. 10. I just downloaded the Kindle application on my iPod Touch and now have downloaded a few books form my “to read on the iPod in case I don’t have my Kindle with me or my purse is too small to carry it. 11. Amazon, like Apple, encourages those who can, to investigate publishing their own ebooks(apps) and provides the information to do it. 12. Anything I want on my Kindle, from a favorite recipe to an article I am working on, can be sent to my Kindle from Amazon for 10 cents a page. 13. When reading multiple books at a time, the Kindle remembers what page I was one in each no matter how long it’s been since I last “opened” that book. 14. The ability to change font size at a click when the type is really too small or too big for the page.
By Ben Parr | 3/21/09 | Mashable tpburl.com/y4f129 Apple announced some major updates for the iPhone OS software this week that will become available to iPhone owners in June. The iPhone 3.0 software includes the ability to copy-and-paste, a landscape keyboard, and push notifications. However, none of these updates were as revolutionary as the new features Apple offered to iPhone application developers. The one to watch however is the ability to purchase items within an application. This is a feature that matters because of the vast opportunities that it presents to both developers and users. iPhone users have already downloaded over 800 million applications, but that download has always been the end of the interaction with the developer. With this feature, iPhone applications can sell virtual gifts, ebooks, and application upgrades. The iPhone app store was a major innovation for mobile software. The iPhone 3.0 takes it a step further. The ability for the creators of applications to build relationships with customers by selling items and create stores within applications is a bold step towards the iPhone becoming its own micro-economy. Changing the Developer-Customer Relationship The strength of the iPhone application platform has already been proven by the willingness of users to purchase applications. Everything from virtual news stands to in-depth games fill iPhones worldwide. It has been a great marketplace for both Apple and outside developers. However, that marketplace has been a “one and you’re done” affair. After an application is purchased, the customer never has any reason to return to the developer for more because he or she already has the product. Few relationships are built between developer and consumer, and many iPhone application developers simply see a single swell of purchases before the next hot application takes over. However, with micropayments and in-application purchases, this trend is ripe for change. It allows for developers to create applications that survive on steady streams of incomes. It also allows for customers to purchase goods and services on-demand in a way that has never been possible before. The Potential of In-Application Purchases What do in-application purchases do for the developer? For starters, it provides new incentives to improve and expand existing applications. Why build new functionality into an older application if there is little financial incentive? In-application purchases address that problem by creating a market for application upgrades. Another potential opportunity is the ability to create fully-functional stores within applications. Creating a digital economy (i.e. Second Life) and selling digital media such as books and movies will soon be possible. A fully-functional streaming Netflix store on the iPhone, perhaps? As it becomes cheaper to produce smartphones with greater storage capacity, many transactions and goods like these will move away from the desktop to the mobile. For iPhone owners, it means up-to-date applications and better applications. With more financial opportunities on the iPhone, more companies will develop applications and compete with one another for users and their wallets. It also means that the iPhone becomes more robust and independent platform for all sorts of goods and services. Imagine a user being able to purchase detailed reports on any company, person, or even image inside of his or her iPhone. In-application purchases makes this type of robust service financially feasible for companies, especially or services that require human interaction. A New Mobile Economy If the iPhone application store revolutionized the mobile as a platform, then the iPhone 3.0 OS may very well be the spark that revolutionizes the mobile as its own economy. iPhone apps no longer have to be one-hit wonders, but can make sustainable income from a smaller base of committed customers. It’s no longer just the purchasing of goods, but also of services. As companies and programmers find innovative ways to utilize this new financial stream, more complex services will become available and more useful applications will be built. The iPhone 3.0 OS could be transformational. Just as the Internet transformed how people purchase goods and services, the new iPhone features may build an economy for on-demand goods and services that do not depend on any specific location or time. Staff at The Printed Blog
Katie Huntley / Social Networking Intern
Katie is the new social networking intern. She is a senior at Kent State University in Ohio studying Public Relations. She loves all things music and entertainment and just started writing her own blog at http://kehuntley.wordpress.com. Originally from Cleveland, Katie is excited to move to Chicago this summer to be with the TPB team.
Katie Killary / Media Consultant
Katie is also a new member of The Printed Blog team working as a media consultant. She’s a graphic designer living, working, writing, photographing, tweeting and catloving in NYC! She maintains TPB’s New York Twitter account (@printedblogNY) as well as her own personal blog: www.mispersonality.com.
Founded 2009
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Social Networks Jenn Beese, Social Network Manager Katie Huntley, Social Networking Intern Advertising & Public Relations Lauren Omura, Dir. of Advertiser Relations Katie Killary, Media Consultant Website & Application Development Ion Olaru, Webmaster
Daniel Glazer | tpburl.com/jzn3q7 Views expressed in Content do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or the printed blog inc.
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Personal
Photos
everyone hates this By Sara | 3/18/09 | Shady Sadie tpburl.com/n2khj5 You. Have. Got. To be kidding me. This crazy fucked up bus stop in the Netherlands actually WEIGHS A BITCH who is simply trying to take a load off. Yup, that’s her weight back there (in kilograms, yo, don’t be cray. No adults weight 69 pounds. Not living, non-midget ones, anyways). I’ll kill them. WHO THINKS THIS IS A GOOD IDEA? A Dutch health club called “Fitness First” thought this one up. Their marketing execs should be fired for being such douchebags. Actually, first they should be photographed sitting in those bus stops with their weight prominently displayed, and then they should be fired. Am I overreacting? I don’t think so. Apart from the complete invasion of privacy part, AND the fact that it’s tacky, embarrassing and gross- it preys on something much bigger that really grinds my gears. This company made the assumption that the majority of people who sat down would be so horrified with the number they saw that they’d join a gym right away, and guess what? They were probably right. I’m sure they wouldn’t be paying for that covert scale business unless it was bringing them clients. And what does that say about us? As an International (Anglo) culture we are so obsessed with our weight, that merely seeing the number sends us into a tizzy. How many times have you heard, Alin Dragulin | tpburl.com/8jvpy6
Ugh, I can’t believe how much I weigh! Or, Oh, I’ve been so bad lately, I don’t even want to know how much I weigh…
Fucking A. That’s some sad shit. When did these numbers become so loaded?! Why the value judgments, the negative selftalk, the shame? It’s so prevalent that companies can actually bank on us springing for a gym membership once faced with the number- and out in public for that matter. Ugh. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. All of that “ideal weight” and “obesity epidemic” shit has really shot those fear and guilt levels through the roof.
how i plan to seduce a paranormal investigator By Jenn | 3/25/09 | freeandflawed.com tpburl.com/4p37b6 I’ve been watching an awful lot of Paranormal State lately. I’m trying to convince others, as well as myself, that it has nothing to do with Ryan, but that it feeds my deep-seeded interest in the paranormal (You know, I did have a ghost club when I was younger.) I try to keep comments to myself as I watch the show, but I’m about one “director’s log” away from faking a demonic possession. (Don’t judge me.) I’m already plotting and scheming a way to get myself on the show. I figure either I or a coworker could be possessed by some crazy demon. I think M would be better at it. She knows that chick from Quincy who was possessed. She could just go there and find out the details. Plus, how hard is it to thrust, growl and yell out jibberish? I’ll even find some pea soup… So we’ll be having dead time around 2 a.m., cause that’s when the door between our world and the spirit world is open (see I pay attention to what he’s saying; I can multitask.) I wonder if they have to knock? And what if we showed up at like 4 a.m.? Would they be pissed off cause we’re messing with shit? I guess I’ll have to squeeze in a nap or two just in case. Anyway…it’ll be dark and suddenly I’ll forcefully be “thrown” against Ryan. “Oh my god…the ghost…it’s pushing me against you.” And Ryan, being the ghostbuster he is, will think nothing of it and pull me closer. He’ll yell, “Let her go!” I’ll swoon and start singing, “Why do birds suddenly appear...” I’m a sucker for guys who fights for the lady he loves. Later (I’ll have to take a break, I don’t want to seem too easy) my shirt will mysteriously be ripped from my torso. Holy balls that’s one crazy ghost! “Ryan, you better come search me for ectoplasm…” followed by an even quieter, but not-so-quiet-that-it’s-too-subtle, “…with your tongue…” Of course we’ll turn the cameras off for that. Once that’s done, M will miraculously be freed from the demonic hold! And everyone lives happily ever after…until the next episode. Dun, dun, dun! PHOTOS
Sex
SILS: Hippies Christine Hahn | tpburl.com/nh83kq
i blame the pope By The Bloggess | 3/23/09 | TheBloggess.com tpburl.com/mbskpv So the other day I was talking to my friend Christine and I told her she should stop reading my blog this week because I was about to take down the Pope and she’s all “Honestly, you make me hurt inside. Please leave my Pope alone” and I’m all “Well he fucking started it” and Christine was all “YOU’RE NOT EVEN ON HIS RADAR” and then the other people in the elevator started looking uncomfortable and I’m all “HE’S TRYING TO DESTROY ME” and then Christine sighed very Catholicky and was all ”Okay, fine. How is the Pope trying to destroy you?” and I explained that my blog traffic is down like 15% this month and I’m pretty sure it’s because the Pope told everyone to get off the internet for Lent which is very easy for him to say because I’m fairly certain the Pope isn’t a big twitterer. Although if he was it would probably look a lot like this. You know what would totally suck? Being the Pope’s secretary. Because if a normal boss walks in on you and you’re playing on the internet you’re going to get in trouble but if the Pope walks in on you and you’re playing online solitaire when you’re supposed to be typing Popie things you are totally fucked. PS. Christine gave me tacit permission to blame the Pope for destroying my blog because she said I was “too imbecilic to take seriously” but I’m pretty sure making up a fake twitter Pope account might be a mortal sin. But Christine also told me if you didn’t actually learn what the mortal sins are they don’t count against you so I’m pretty much still guaranteed my 14 virgins and a mule which is my basic understanding of what you’re supposed to get in heaven. Comment of the day: I think, actually, you only get 7 virgins. At least that’s what the Pope told me in his last email. Which was yesterday. Wait a minute… ~ Miss Britt
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By Vagina Drum | 3/23/08 | Vagina Drum tpburl.com/5qym96 I hate hippies. This is because most of them have iPods and think that buying a pair of TOMS will change the world. Despite this, I can get down on some things that are really crunchy. Bear Naked Granola: I haven’t met a Bear Naked granola that I don’t like. It has been part of my morning routine for a long time now, and if I plan my life responsibly (meaning, I don’t stay up until 3 am watching reruns of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), I can have enough time to mix it with yogurt. Since that almost never happens (damn you, Carlton), I end up grabbing the whole bag and deep throating it on my way to whatever obligation I wish I could ditch in favor of hanging out in my underwear and watching Spaghetti Cat on repeat. Bear Naked granola is actually a lot like an Egg McMuffin in that it’s filling, portable, and quick, but unlike an Egg McMuffin because it won’t cause you to punch extra holes in your belt. Chaco Canyon, NM: I know it may seem like I have a penchant for sitting on my ass, but exercising is second only to orgasming when it comes to my daily checklist. I don’t mention it much because talking about grinding the seat of a stationary bike isn’t that interesting. Ok, maybe it is, but I’ll get to that later. I keep up a rotation of spinning and yoga, but hiking is what I truly love. Last year, I went to New Mexico and for one week, hiked and ate nothing but Clif bars. If I could’ve found an electrical outlet to plug in my magic wand, I probably never would’ve left. The reason I single out Chaco Canyon is because it’s historical, cheap and I got my pussy eaten while I was there. Check. Burt’s Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil: I was introduced to Burt’s Bees years ago, and remember using a lip balm with peppermint oil that made me look like Tyrone Biggums. I shied away from the product line after that, but was re-introduced to what is now a staple–Burt’s Bees Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil. I don’t wear lipstick, but I am an avid lip balm collector. The Burt’s Bees with pomegranate is the best I’ve found because it doesn’t dry out or get sticky, and it gives my lips a subtle red tint that can only be achieved by giving a blowjob or drinking cherry Kool-Aid.
The Printed Blog
Feasting By Neal Boulton | 3/14/09 | Bastard Life tpburl.com/md7w0p Pre fixe. In a poll of 5,391 BastardLife readers, 23% of you told us you incorporate food into your sexual regimen. Raw Honey won the favorite spot for use on nipples among both men and women. 41% of you said that food was the best form of “erotica,” citing your use of the meal hour to work up your sexual appetite. Our favorite tip was from William and Lisa in Sebastopol, CA. “We set a formal dinner table with candles and romantic music and a stunning eight course meal—then eat naked and talk politely, but filthy, about what we’ll do after dinner. It’s a huge turn on for us.” Lifestyle
lots of domains of experience By noreply@blogger.com | 3/22/09 | Culture Future tpburl.com/hgs7nw A friend of mine was posting onto Facebook about food policy over the last few days--the White House Garden (or Orchard), the shift in food policy that Tom Vilsack has hinted at in the Department of Agriculture, the possibilities that healthy-food lobbies are looking forward to. It was a very specific realm of knowledge, and she was trying to keep her friends up to date in what she saw as a deeply important part of public policy. Another friend of mine uses Facebook to let me know what’s going on in Africa/Middle-East news (actually, it’s specifically Failed-State news; confined to states in Africa/Middle East that are undergoing genocide or wide-spread plague... disasters man-made or natural). And another friend of mine is in the intellectual property realm, and used his status to wonder aloud whether Twitter has lost its trademark since we use its name so commonly (see also: Xerox). I’ve been using my Facebook status to keep a count-down of days since the Senate concluded that President Bush had personally opened the door to torture (104 days, if you’re interested-and still no legal action, despite the fact that that in itself is a war crime). Each of us has carved a little domain of news that we personally are interested in, and we round up that news for our friends. Most of our friends are not interested in the things we’re interested in, but, you know what? We probably make our friends have to find out anyways. Several times, people who aren’t interested in politics have asked me what the countdown on my page is. I think they’re usually disappointed when they find out. To a certain degree, this is how we’re responding to the insane amount of problems we see in the world around us. We know there’s a financial crisis and two wars right now. But we also know there are other, deeply important issues that are going to be overlooked because of those big problems: the deep flaws in our intellectual “property” policy, the deep flaws in our Congressional elections, our food policy, etc. etc. etc. So each of us just grabs the one we think is important, and keep an eye out for a moment to take action. If my friend who’s watching Africa were to suddenly send me a message that said, “Here’s the day we can take action on Darfur,” I’d be up in arms--it’d be time for me to set aside my concern (intellectual “property” and Constitutional governance) to work towards hers. I think that’s the future of citizen activism. Everyone keeps their eye on their own issue and waits for the moment to strike. Food policy, for instance, is rousted this week because Mrs. Obama announced she was going to create a vegetable garden. This is their moment. Michelle Obama opened the door to starting another conversation about healthy food, sustainable resources, and everything else that the healthy-food buffs want to talk about. And I’m interested to see how that works out for them.
not my mother’s facebook... or maybe it is. By Catherine Weber | 1/27/09 | Impressions Through Media tpburl.com/y15wv4 Last night my mother told me that she reads our newsletter (nice) and wants to join Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Plaxo. She is a consummate online communicator and consumer. She uses Freecycle to get and give free stuff, she buys things from QVC, she emails with our relatives in Germany, and she sends her grandchildren interesting pictures and stories via email. She is often sharing a new application or a time saving tip with me and my siblings. Next year her Christmas letter will be digital to save time and postage. While my father, now 76 years old, has only been on a computer once, and with regretful results (that is a story for another day), my mother has been surfing the net like a pro for many years. While I think my dad would like to throw a blanket over the computer like he did to my sister’s bird cage to “shut that damn thing up”, my mom was panicked when her computer went in for a repair and required a back up while it was gone. So today I read a study that indicated that the fastest growing segment using Facebook is women over 55, and I knew that they were talking about. The computer gives those who might otherwise be isolated so many ways to create community and keep in touch. Ellen DeGeneres has been promoting her Facebook page daily, which has resulted in over 1/2 million people signing up. Her audience, of course, is women of a certain age. We have seen the same effect with the Wellness Community, who had to close their physical doors two weeks ago, but have taken quickly to the Ning community we set up for them, with more than 100 members and growing. So today I went to my Facebook page to clean up anything that my mother wouldn’t approve of and warn my sisters of my mother’s imminent arrival only to discover that I have nothing to hide from her. I must be getting old.
bad news: your cellphone is probably a bacterial paradise By Devin Coldewey | 3/16/09 | CrunchGear tpburl.com/t9dxzs If you were a bacterium (assuming you’re not), where would you like to live? How about a nice dark place constantly being touched (never cleaned) and covered in new bacteria, food, and constantly being moistened by a warm, wet breeze? Sounds great, right? Prime real estate. I call it a “mobile phone.” Now, “bacterial paradise” is a bit of an understatement by yours truly. I wanted to make the headline more palatable than the source, which describes it as “sucking a toilet bowl.” Gah! But it’s true if you think about it. Think of all the crannies you breathe into, rub your natural oils into, and which are usually kept warm and dark in the confines of your pocket. And that little trackball on Blackberries and G1s, it must be like a planet for them! The horror — the horror!
reinventing myself By Missy | 3/15/09 | That’s So Missy! tpburl.com/jbq008 Last November when I lost my job I never thought it would take me this long to find a shiny new position somewhere here in South Florida. Yet, here I am four months later, still unemployed. And you know what? The unemployment has finally overstayed its welcome. I’m worn out, and, I’ve realized that it’s time to stop bitching. But first, I have to share three things that happened this past week. Maybe this will help you understand why I’ve been bitter lately... 1. The recruiter: She had a promising out-of-state position with a large, global organization. I sent her my resume. We exchanged emails. She said she would call me the next day. She didn’t call. I followed up. She said she would call again. She didn’t. I followed up again -- at this point thinking it was a lost cause, but nevertheless I decided to be proactive. She emailed saying “I’m confused about what position we’re talking about. Can you send me a resume that is more geared towards internal and HR communication?” UGH! I DON’T GET IT. Why, after two weeks of all the back and forth, did she jerk me around and now she needs a different resume? Since I believe in following up on every lead, I took the time to completely revamp my resume to her specifications -- all the while wondering if it would lead to anything {and reminding myself, recruiters are your friends}. Have I heard from her yet? No. 2. The work-from-home position: I got a lead for a telecommuting job from an old friend. The job involved screening job candidates over the phone. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I liked the idea because it would still allow me to job search while working from home. My friend’s manager contacted me three weeks ago stating “I’ll get in touch with you next week about getting started.” Turns out I got all excited about nothing. Have I heard from her yet? No. This woman may never understand how wrong it is to do this to someone. 3. The promising LinkedIn lead from my former boss: My manager from the Chicago area recommended me for a position that seemed very promising. I followed up with the recruiter and it turns out they are already in the final stages of interviewing candidates. Another UGH! It’s pretty obvious the recruiter decided to collect other candidate resumes in case something didn’t work out with the people they were interviewing. Another dead end. In my state of mind right now, all it takes is something like those three situations to really set me off. After I spent some considerable time being pissed off, I finally decided to start seeing past all this nonsense. I decided to take things into my own hands, and to stop relying on others to secure employment. Essentially, I decided that I want to be my own boss. Yikes! Scary and very exciting all at the same time. Thankfully, my husband is an idea man. While I consider myself creative, I often fumble with new ideas. I’m much better at the strategic planning and implementation. So, he’s been working with me on new ideas, and we’re also considering the possibility of going into business together. This doesn’t mean that my job search is stopping. Nope, I’m still keeping at it. But in the meantime, it feels awesome to know that I’m taking charge of my destiny. With the way this economy is, I figure it might be the best time to explore a real lifestyle change...because what I do I have to lose? Photos
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Daniel Glazer | tpburl.com/jzn3q7 Chirp Off
@theprintedblog asked: are there any books from your childhood that you wish were turned into movies? @219Lisa
they could probably make a cute Berenstain Bears movie too.
@abrayeh
Hattie Be Quiet Hattie Be Good by Dick Gackenbach
@ewalker9 Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes. I read it over and over again, and think it would be an awesome movie. @ashleymarie6 @karayigitkizi @lilyspeak
Walk Two Moons. :) Best book ever. Or The Giver. Or Hatchet. (Maybe the stories are better in my imagination, though.) Romona the Pest or any of the Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary. Judy Blume’s “Just as Long as We’re Together” I read that until I wore out the covers when I was somewhere between age 9-12.
@ianthealy Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain. And I don’t mean the crappy Disney version of The Black Cauldron @keightdee Sabriel by Garth Nix, The Boxcar Children @kfleisher I love the Moomin Troll series. Scandinavian fairy tales. Always wished there was a cartoon animation for them Antonio Santini | tpburl.com/2d97tb
@hollywoodjane I wish there was a way to prevent Hollywood from making movies based on books from my childhood.
Views expressed in Content do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or the printed blog inc.
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International
world’s longest toilet queue in brussels By Odd News | 3/23/09 | Odd News tpburl.com/fjnhdm Over 750 people lined up in Brussels yesterday to take the world record for the world’s longest toilet queue. The event held by UNICEF in central Brussels was intended to raise awareness of World Water Day and featured a latrine like those used in the third world. Bosses from the Guinness Book of Records had said 500 people needed to join the queue to get the title, in the end they had 756. But no-one got to actually got to go the loo as organizers said the dry latrine only as a model. You have got to feel sorry for the poor bloke who joined the back of the massive queue ... because he didn’t realise the loo was fake. “The latrine was of the same design as we use in third world countries -- a dry latrine -- and we formed the longest queue this morning,” said a UNICEF spokesman. Green
eco-friendly fair trade flip-flops By Miss Malaprop | 3/19/09 | MissMalaprop.com
tpburl.com/1xvgj0
Christine Hahn | tpburl.com/nh83kq Travel
how to: use social media for travel research
I’m totally not a flip-flop wearer, except for maybe maybe at the beach, but Feelgoodz are flip-flops that even I can get behind. I discovered this New Orleans-based company recently via another new local fair-trade boutique, IN Exchange. Feelgoodz are an eco-friendly, fair-trade flip-flop — they’re the only company in the U.S. currently offering up 100% natural rubber flip-flops, which are 100% biodegradable and recyclable. Kyle Berner, the owner and founder, is a fellow alumni of my alma mater, Loyola University here in New Orleans. He got the idea for Feelgoodz while traveling in Thailand and picking up a pair of what was marketed as “Thailand’s most comfortable, all-natural rubber flip-flop.” Thailand is the world’s leading exporter of natural rubber, so it was only natural that Kyle would seek to combine his love of Thailand with his life-long love of flip-flops. Kyle and his partners are currently working to help develop a Fair Trade Natural Rubber Program in Thailand. They’re also very mindful that all of the employees of their suppliers are treated fairly. Feelgoodz has partnered with Kiva, 1% for the Planet and Idea Village to make their mission of social and environmental change happen. You can learn more about their history, mission, or order your own pair at the Feelgoodz website.
By Ben Parr | 3/22/09 | Mashable tpburl.com/g0m3j9 Whether you’re traveling to another city, state, or continent, putting in a few hours to do your homework can mean the difference between a great vacation and a week full of headaches. Finding great local restaurants, comfortable sleeping accomodations, and hidden gems should be on the top of your travel list, no matter if it’s a one day business trip or a permanent move to Thailand. In the past, this type of information was exclusive to travel agents and generic travel books. However, with the rise of social media and stronger interconnectivity, you can get the real story, avoid the tourist traps, and meet real locals. This guide provides an overview of tips and tools for using social media as a travel research tool. Step 1. Utilize Wikis and Blogs for Travel Education A wealth of information and tips are available in blogs, user comments, and wiki articles. These will provide you with the information found in most travel books, but in a condensed and searchable format. Blogs and wikis have a more human element to them as well - the debates users have on these articles helps combine the best information from multiple minds, instead of relying on the opinions and advice of one or two authors. Some places to visit: Wikipedia - Wikipedia goes without saying, but make sure to read the discussion on the cities and countries you are traveling to; these reveal some great information. Wikitravel - Wikitravel is an impressive collection of user-generated guides to destinations across the world. It covers food, hotels, events, and even the safety of different locations. Gadling - Gadling is a popular travel blog, part of the AOL Weblogs network. It is filled with a wealth of travel information Concierge - Concierge is a Condé Nast magazine, but also has a great series of blogs for those interested in smart traveling, learning about new destinations, or even culinary delights.
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Step 2. Scope Out Locales Using User Reviews Picking out the best restaurants is tough, so let others do the work for you. Social media is a great way to share reviews of restaurants, tourist destinations, and local businesses. You can pick out some top destinations beforehand or at least avoid locations with bad reputations. The most common user review website for travelers are Yelp, and Tripadvisor. But when you’re on the ground, be sure to use Where To? for the iPhone. Where To? connects to Google Maps and your GPS to find points of interest. Step 3. Connect With Locals You’ve found information on the location you’re visiting, and now you’ve read user reviews of top restaurants. Now what? It’s time to really use social media to your advantage. Make new friends in the areas you are going to visit using social networks and social media. Social media is entirely about people and the information they have. You’d be surprised how willing they are to share their first-hand knowledge. Some useful tips: @reply locals using Twitter: Twitter is the perfect platform for open conversations about locations. Use the near:location Twitter Search command to find recent tweets near any major city. And then just introduce yourself and ask some questions. Search your Facebook friends by location: Take a look at your existing network to see if any of your current friends grew up or currently live in your destination. You would be surprised to find out how many different and unique locales your friends have lived at. Meet up with the locals you connect with: If it’s within your comfort zone, it’s always an interesting time when you actually meet the locals you talk to. Have them show you the ins-and-outs of the city or the countryside. But do your research on the people you meet for your own safety. Read their blog, their tweets, and friend them on Facebook.
Tricia McKellar | tpburl.com/tz31wd
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Step 4. Share Your Travel Experience None of this information would be available to you if it were not for the hard work of others to put it in digital form. So return the favor and add your experiences to a wiki, tweet about the attractions you visit, and be open to answering questions about your own hometown. Social media is a great research tool, especially for things as subjective and personal as travel destinations. Utilizing the reviews and thoughts of others can make your trip a lot more exciting and a lot less stressful. Travel to get away from the stress, not to add to it.
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Business
Entertainment
the future of online ads is huge By Adam Ostrow | 3/23/09 | Mashable tpburl.com/70nh1x Unfortunately, I’m not talking about advertising revenue, though, that still looks bright for some segments of the online ad market. Rather, I’m talking about the enormous physical size of advertisements we’re increasingly seeing across the Web. The movement towards huge got a big boost when the Internet Advertising Bureau recently added some big new formats to its standard ad unit sizes: 300×100 and 720×300. Additionally, even bigger takeover-style ads been seen on many popular websites over the past few weeks, including ESPN, MySpace, and YouTube.
r.i.p. natasha richardson By Noelle Swan Gilbert | 3/18/09 | Noelle Swan Gilbert tpburl.com/3jmh59 I know how they feel, experiencing the sudden, violent death of a loved one. They are in shock, and numb. And wondering how this happened. It was so fast. She was here two days ago. And now she’s gone. They boys, the boys, what will we tell the boys?
Her boys are old, and they already know, but their pain will last forever. Being on the mountain with her when she was injured. Did they get to say good bye? Did any of them? She was laughing and joking with the ski patrol after her accident. She was fine. And then she wasn’t. Now they will have the autopsy, the funeral, the press, the interviews. They will be together as a family grieving, and their friends will gather around them, but then life will go on, and they will have to pick up the pieces and act like they are okay. What about the boys, will they be okay?
Sometimes the grief is too much to bear. The pain comes from out of nowhere, when you are driving, or walking the dog, or at a ball game, or in the theater hearing the overture for the first time. Oh, how she would have loved this. You try to hold the tears back, but they come anyway, falling down your cheeks onto your theater clothes. You start to carry tissue in your purse for those unexpected outbursts of emotion, always prepared yet never quite ready to experience such spontanously profound sadness. My how the boys are growing. She loved them so.
The YouTube experiment is actually fairly interesting. The company has recently been promoting the upcoming movie “The Haunting in Connecticut” with an enormous homepage ad. It features some interactive elements, like being able to enter in your zip code and see the nearest “haunted” locations. The trailer for the film is also being promoted across YouTube and has received nearly a quarter million views. MySpace is currently doing similar with a giant homepage ad for “Year One,” which includes an integrated movie trailer. Why go huge? Online Media Daily explains YouTube’s strategy: “Many people come to YouTube without having a particular video in mind to view. They land on the home page to search through the site for videos that grab and pull them in.” And pull them in is exactly what ads of the takeover variety can do – on all but the biggest resolutions, they take up so much screen space that you can’t miss them. Like it or not, I think these type of ads are here to stay. In reality, we’ve probably become so accustomed to the staple formats of online ads like 468×60 or 728×90 that we’ve we mostly ignore them. But when you move up to 720×300 or even larger, advertisers can do so much more, and actually make the ads interactive and interesting (and yes, invasive), as is the case with the “Haunting” and “Year One” ads.
I grieve each time I hear of a sudden death, motherless children, a daughter ripped from her family. A year and half has passed, and yet such news brings me right back to that first week and I relive the horrible nightmare of finding out, telling and retelling the awful news to each caller, attempting to be a mother to my children while navigating my suddenly hazy, foggy, confusing life. That first numb, insanely unreal week, when my greatest wish was to travel back in time and change history. I know they are feeling the same today. The heartbreakingly same way. R.I.P. Natasha Richardson Photos
twitter now growing at a staggering 1,382 percent By Adam Ostrow | 3/16/09 | Mashable tpburl.com/z6dqfy Maybe it’s Jimmy Fallon’s integration of it into his new TV show, Shaq’s use of it to interact in real-life with fans, or blog’s ability to write about it non-stop, but one way or another, Twitter’s growth just continues to explode. The latest numbers from Nielsen Online indicate that Twitter grew 1,382% year-over-year in February, registering a total of just more than 7 million unique visitors in the US for the month. Not only is that huge growth in one year, but in one month as well, as in January, Twitter.com clocked in with 4.5 million unique visitors in the US, meaning the service grew by more than 50 percent month-over-month. Elsewhere in the social networking space, Facebook continued to widen its lead on MySpace, with a total of 65.7 million unique visitors versus 54.1 million for its increasingly distant competitor. Meanwhile, the recently re-launched Bebo, which now plays in the social networking aggregation game, is showing some promise, growing 40 percent from last year to register a total of nearly 3.2 million US visitors in February. The competition that most are now focused on, however, is that between Facebook and Twitter. While Facebook remains several orders of magnitude bigger, its recent move to a real-time homepage and its overhaul of Facebook Pages is seen by many as a move to thwart Twitter’s continued growth. It will be a few months until this shows up in the numbers and gives us some sort of indication as to whether or not that strategy is working, but for now, both networking sites are enjoying tremendous growth. Advertising
Alin Dragulin | tpburl.com/8jvpy6 Hire Me
Christina Troiano / Publishing / linkedin.com/in/christinatroiano
I am a graduate from the University of Miami, School of Communication, holding a Bachelor of Science degree with a dual major in Broadcast Journalism, English Literature and Creative Writing. Recently, I worked at The New York Times as a web editorial reconciler/proofreader. Currently, I am a fashion, nightlife and pet health writer and blogger. Thank You
Josh and Jenn ran in Sunday’s Shamrock Shuffle. The entire team would like to thank everyone who helped raise money for the Treehouse Humane Society. So here’s a big “Thank-You” to: Michelle M., Alexa M., Nilsa S., Elizabeth N., Maxie M., Lauren G., Alexandra F., John S., The Hohmeiers, Denise R., Marthe K., Louise S., Matthew Y., Rachel M., Dan C., and Carl E. Views expressed in Content do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or the printed blog inc.
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Fashion
PHOTOS
look expensive for cheap By Ira | 3/23/09 | Being Totally Sweet in Chicago Last week I introduced the BTSIC recession series, where Chicago bloggers explain how they stay fresh while everyone else is trading food stamps for booze or diving out their executive office windows. Today I’d like to introduce you to Amber Mortensen, who though not a Chicagoan, has taken our dance floors, house parties and thrift stores by storm on many an occasion. Her passion is making you look good for less and she’s the kind of internet-famous most people only dream of. Amber has the uncanny ability of convincing her readers to take risks with style and save their money for important things like amazing beer, epic road trips and rocking the shit out of ukuleles. She’s the powerhouse behind Painfully Hip and a stand-up kinda lady.
tpburl.com/9w1hxd
1. I asked Amber to share her top strategies for looking good in hard times: 2. 1. A good fit is by far the most important aspect of looking pulled together. If you find something you love in the wrong size/shape, go directly to your sewing machine or a tailor - you’d be surprised how affordable your new favorite wardrobe staple can be! 3. 2. Keep an eye out for statement accessories! A well-fit Little Black Dress can be transformed into a formidable showstopper with the addition of an oversized art deco belt and a pair of multicolored vintage pumps! 4. 3. Slaves of fashion can continue trend-spotting! Recreate modern silhouettes out of thrifting finds. Formerly awful 90s patterns and florals are totally coming back in style - mix them up! Have fun and make them your own by combining them with tried and true closet staples. 5. 4. Most of all? Don’t take yourself so seriously. Hard times call for fashion levity - it’s amazing what a exuberant outfit can do to a well-worn rut. Food
THE BEST PIZZA IN CHICAGO.
PERIOD.
Spacca Napoli http://spaccanapolipizzeria.com
By Shannalee | 3/23/09 | Food Loves Writing tpburl.com/kctz97 While it’s true Chicago is traditionally known for its deep-dish pizza, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: this city makes a mean Neapolitan-style. Especially at Spacca Napoli. Back in the days when we were trying every local bakery, my brother and I were also on a months-long quest to find the best pizza in Chicago, having gotten the idea from Chicago Magazine, which did a write-up on all the Neapolitan-style pizzerias in and around the city. What I didn’t expect from this experiment, as a girl who has been known to crave frozen Tombstones from the grocery store, was that it would revolutionize the way I felt about pizza— not that I would stop liking the cheap kinds on lazy weeknights, but that, after having the smoky, thinner style considered a trademark in Italy, I would love this other kind much more. Here’s how it’s made: A simple, thin round of dough is topped and slid into a hot, hot stone oven (we’re talking over 900 degrees Fahrenheit) and baked for less than two minutes over an oak-wood fire. When it emerges, the result is crispy, but not like a cracker—more chewy and tender, with a swollen lip around the edges and a wet, cheesy center. If done right, the pizza will have faint hints of char from the fast heat and punches of fragrance from the tomatoes. At Spacca Napoli in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood, a pizzeria owned by Jonathan Goldsmith, pizzas are baked in an oven actually made in Naples, Italy, which cooks at 1200 (!) degrees Fahrenheit, amidst light golden walls with black and white photographs. You know, the law of averages says the more times you go to a restaurant, the greater your chances of having a bad experience. Yet, for me, the opposite has been true. Every visit gets better, from the winter night last February, when the restaurant seemed packed, but we were seated in five minutes, to the summer when we took our friend Sonja, my college roommate who was coming through town for a few days, and we sat and talked, leisurely, on a slow afternoon.
The AP Tour House of Blues - Chicago tpburl.com/h79qs1
APR
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DIY Substainable Enterprise Promotion (CSBA 111) IIT Stuart School of Business tpburl.com/p9n78d
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The Ting Tings Metro tpburl.com/wm87hd
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Chicago Startup Weekend TechNexus tpburl.com/hp2cy5
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Date and Dash Salud Tequila Lounge tpburl.com/h79qs1
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6th Annual Creative Chicago Expo Chicago Cultural Center tpburl.com/g52srb
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White Sox vs. Royals U.S. Cellular Field tpburl.com/vsymt8
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public transportation pet peeves By Jessica | 3/16/09 | The Everyday Adventures of Me in the City tpburl.com/tsvh8g The CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) is my main source of transportation in the city. Now that I’ve been car-less for four years and try to use cabs only when absolutely necessary, there is a certain amount of adjusting that happens when you rely on public transport. For example, you “plan” your trips so you can maximize your time out and about. If I go out for the ATM, I also swing by the store and grab a paper too or only got to the ATM when I’m leaving for dinner. If I want to go somewhere on public transportation, I plan on it taking about 30 minutes because, well most trips anywhere in the city take at least that. But along with these more minor changes, there are certain other things you have to allow for, like the unusual things you notice on the bus, which inevitably begin to irritate you, such as:
Loud talkers - This includes personal conversations and people on cell phones. One woman was speaking so loud on her cell phone that I could hear her over my iPod, which was IN my ears. Indoor voices!
CHICAGO EVENTS
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Metro
Cuddlers - If you really cannot stand to be physically separated, I recommend going back to bed. Then you won’t tickle my gag reflex
I’ve been putting off posting about this place because, honestly, I didn’t think I could write about it without over-gushing. However. After a recent Saturday when we capped off pizzas with risotto gelato, a sweet, creamy base with hints of vanilla and tiny bits of chewy risotto mixed throughout, the sound of the Andrews Sisters and Ella Fitzgerald in the background, I realized it was finally time. I couldn’t keep this to myself any longer. And, throwing caution to the wind, I’ll just tell you this: I love this restaurant. I love the food, the service, the way it’s always busy at nights but always able to seat me. It is the #1 place I take friends. And if I could find a job down the street, I would move there, in a heartbeat, just to walk by its orange-colored exterior, inhaling its fresh, yeasty dough, looking in at its charming dining area, ready for another slice.
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Justin Van Genderen | tpburl.com/j50x78
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DJ Dummy - Common Hard Rock Cafe Chicago tpburl.com/ktgrfn
Mistaking the bus for home - It drives me insane when people feel the need to stretch out the morning newspaper on a packed bus. I also enjoy stretching out with the newspaper...at my home. I don’t need half of the Times’ Business section stretched over me, thanks Excessive PDA - Much like cuddling, I don’t need to watch you swap spit and feel each other up. I have Cinemax for that :) Space hogs - I am guilty of this too, but it’s an unspoken rule that when the bus fills up, you move your bag from the seat next to you so others can sit down. Yes, it’s not as much fun, but it’s necessary. People who don’t do that are rude Bumper cars - Eek, another thing I’m guilty of, but I really try to avoid this. This includes having people collide into you with their oversize purses or bags. If I had a nickel for every time I was hit in the shoulder or head by a purse, I could pay off my student loan. And one time, after a chick hit me multiple times in the head with her Puma bag, I pulled out a pen and made a mark on the white leather portion of the bag. Burning in hell, I know Personal space issue - I don’t really have an issue with this, but after having some guy caress my butt on a packed bus once, I get very nervous when I’m packed in. Especially if the person sandwiched next to or behind me hasn’t showered or reeks of cigarettes. That is the worst!
Well those are the top things that irritate me. I may complain, but the CTA still provides me with transportation and provides me with lots of fun stories :) What are your public transportation pet peeves? Or do you have any great CTA/public transportation stories to share? Oh and feel free to let me know how glad you are that you don’t have to take public transportation because you have a car. I miss my car and I love driving when I go home, but my stories are never quite as interesting as in the city. Events
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Fair Trade Mixer, April 2, 2009 Learn about Fair Trade and meet with local business who support a justice centered business model. Uncommon Ground, 1401 W. Devon, Chicago, IL. http://www.chicagotweetups.com/2009/03/23/fair-trade-mixer/
See what is happening in Chicago at eventful.com/Chicago
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