27 March 2002
Aiigh! My beloved Woodward, a.k.a. Chez Bob, the finest dining in Hyde Park, is gone! They tore it from limb to limb!

25 March 2002
Phrase of the day: “snark-infested homosexuals,” from Cintra Wilson’s shockingly embittered review of the Oscars. Sample: “Let’s stop treating our citizens of color like they are a separate people from us… our black friends are just as excellent at being overprivileged celebrity fuckwads as anybody else.”

24 March 2002
Woo hoo! I rode a vintage high-wheeler bicycle today. For a while there, I actually felt kind of tall. Thanks to Carey Williams of the Illinois Wheelmen for showing me the ropes. Sorry, no photos of the momentous occasion, since all hands were busy trying to keep me from falling over.

New depths of stupidity: the latest testosterone trend: SUV-sized watches. Not far behind: our fabulous President.

Where to move to: Travel & Leisure magazine rates the locals in Honolulu not only the most attractive, but also the friendliest and most laid back.

20 March 2002
I punched someone’s car today. The guy turned right in front of a crowd of pedestrians (including me) who were starting to cross the street. Had he turned a second or two later, and he would have hit several people. I instinctively hit the car as it drove off, and he stopped, opened the door, and started yelling. Had there not been traffic cops and witnesses around, he might’ve pulled fists or a gun out as well I yelled something back (“don’t run red lights,” even though he hadn’t, but I was distracted as usual – which makes me a rather poor choice for extemporaneous speaking), which caught the attention of the cops. But anyhow, I’m beyond sick and tired of drivers bullying other road users with their size and speed.

“Capitol Fax” reports that a group called “Family Taxpayers” sent out a “Jim Ryan is too liberal” campaign piece. That name’s a disgustingly double-speaking attempt to cloak neo-Fascism in softer, “how can anyone be against…” tones.

Wearing a “REPUBLICAN” badge yesterday wasn’t that intimidating, though I did get a few strange looks from voters (particularly acquaintances). Dealing with the circus that is Chicago ward politics, though, was quite entertaining.

16 March 2002 Fed up with “dog nuisance”? Try the Poop Flag on your next walk around town. Self-righteous yet cheeky, strident yet meek. I don’t quite know how to react to this form of civil disobedience.

Oh, it’s Spring Pledge Drive over at BEZ. I’m not holding up very well even after only a few days without NPR. Next time, I’ll be sure to renew during pledge drive instead of by mail, what with the wonderful contests and all.

8 March 2002
Something I missed on yesterday’s ride into work: a chicken crossing the road, namely LaSalle Blvd. in River North. Strange.

7 March 2002
Well, golly gee, that‘s what my life has been missing all this time. Thank you, Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers, for pointing out that People Need SUVs.

Also: new Bookmarks.

16 February 2002
Several new photos under Chicagoland and Random today. Hail spring! Bulbs have begun sprouting along State Street.

11 February 2002
It is, indeed, possible to have a splendid time visiting L.A. without a car.

Yay! Got my CDs today. More mindless Francopop to keep me distracted for the next few weeks.

6 February 2002
Practice saying (well, enunciating) this a few times: “this delicious, cleansing sentence tastes quite like cantaloupe sorbet.” from today’s PowellsBooks.news, quite possibly the only email newsletter that features the serialized tale of a bookstore cat whose most human attribute is a very Portland trait: riding mass transit.

4 February 2002
Wow, it’s cold out there. Been busy for the past few days, so apologies for the lack of updates — not that anything that interesting happened (except some hanging around the neighborhood), but anyhow. (On Saturday, I did participate in some neat street theatre for Lambda Legal and found a poster of my latest political hero, but is that really newsworthy? You tell me.) Amazon.fr is running a sale on CDs (at € 8-9 apiece, that’s $11 shipped to the US!), so I think I’ll try and find something else obscure enough to make me feel creative… for the next few months at least.

The first few WTBAC pages are now up. Enjoy. I’ll spend at least some of the rest of the week on a project for the Critical Mass Art Show, opening on Saturday.

29 January 2002
You know you’re a New Yorker when… what? Responses vary considerably: some apply to the anonymity and drive of any large city. One alludes to mobility (switching apartments); another to stability (having family in the city). Hm. BTW: a snow emergency will likely be declared tomorrow. Comings and goings: the new dorms and dining hall have opened at the U of C, but Bistrot Zinc on Southport (my first sidewalk creperie) has closed and will probably be demolished, since the property’s been sold.