Chicago Daily Photo

2008-09-10T01:04:00.000-05:00

I am now posting images at frogfotog.aminus3.com

Obama's Crib

2008-07-11T11:42:00.001-05:00

Saw this today in The Mission in San Francisco.

Junior Gigolo

2008-07-01T11:40:00.000-05:00

This kid was walking with a large family on Milwaukee (off-camera) and seemed more relaxed with his shirt off. He's going to be popular with the ladies.

Chicago Theater

2008-06-30T00:19:00.001-05:00

Salvation Disaster

2008-06-29T00:29:00.000-05:00

The Salvation Army toy department after a hurricane.

Pure-fection

2008-06-28T00:27:00.000-05:00

This is crazy.

The War Tour

2008-06-26T00:21:00.004-05:00

this little tag was sitting on my bike after seeing a movie dowtown. bike parking ticket?!? ha, dios bendiga, no it's only an invitation to a downtown "Bike Tour of Chicago War Profiteers." Awesome! fuck the war profiteers! (ahem, BOEING) July 3 at 6 pm in Daley Plaza. blog address and an email were on the back. Let me know if you want to go

Heart Wall

2008-06-25T12:45:00.001-05:00

click to enlarge

Somewhere near Grand/Milwaukee. Kind of Banksyesque, no?

St. Louis Alexanderplatz

2008-06-17T11:01:00.001-05:00

St. Louis 4th Ward is one of the city's roughest (a cop once stopped a friend and I there + asked "what are you doing here?" like we were crazy to even walk around). It also has some of the city's most distinctive architecture, so I always like going back. Like a beautiful brick water tower, and this looming white doric column, which stands at the center of a breakneck, European-style turn-around ("tourne-à-gauche" to the French) -- as far as I know, the only in St. Louis. Right of way there is a joke, and it's all you can do to navigate the little plaza without crashing into the column...like a little taste of Berlin or Paris right in the Midwest! It's an adventure.

Wendy's

2008-06-14T14:47:00.000-05:00

My friend doja and a local at the Wendy's of Pontiac, IL.

A fine selection

2008-06-13T14:44:00.000-05:00

Beef Street Advertisement

2008-06-11T00:40:00.000-05:00

What's with the ribs sticking out? Are those supposed to make you hungry?

Lucha Libre

2008-06-10T22:24:00.003-05:00

Kinky and stylish: the Lucha Libre/soccer wear bus in Little Village.

Car Wash

2008-06-09T00:23:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the kids everyone got a free wash today at 18th and Paulina

The Walls are Alive

2008-06-08T00:19:00.000-05:00

Walking by, I almost got ensnared by a green, sinuous appendage

Snow in June

2008-06-03T15:46:00.001-05:00

This is crazy. There are apparently so many dried up dandelions (?) in Lakeview that they carpeted a whole block with fuzzy white seedlings. Maybe you had to be there.

Heavy Trash

2008-06-02T15:42:00.001-05:00

I have nothing profound to say about this scrap dump in the middle of town, except that it's f'ugly but maybe oddly beautiful up close?

Police Auction

2008-05-31T15:35:00.000-05:00

Ok, this is not a terribly interesting photo, but the experience behind it was. Chicago, like most major cities, holds police auctions every few weeks to sell off stolen or reclaimed goods. I went there looking for a bike, and ended up getting a pretty sweet mountain bike for $120, which was definitely on the high end. Tons of decent bikes went for $40-50. They also auctioned off various electronics and jewelery. I think repossessed/stolen cars get their own auction. The interesting part is seeing the rando people who show up; there's a small contingent of regulars, professional resellers who probably pick up half the items. The rest are all kinds of people--students, parents, bike collectors--who have heard about the auction through ads or word of mouth. It's a good time.

Most Depressing Ad Ever

2008-05-30T23:27:00.011-05:00

Every time I see this advert, I want to die. A young South Asian woman is riding alone in a cab late at night. What is on her mind at this romantic hour? A scene from tonight's production of "Pygmalion"? Hillary's chances in the primary? The next date with a lover? No, says Sprint. the industrious Sunita dreams in pie charts and stock prices. She is returning from a late night of number crunching at the office. 70 hours of her week already belong to a consulting firm or investment bank. But why stop there? If only she had a Sprint wireless card, she could squeeze some more productivity out of those last remaining hours and serve the shareholders. Wonderful, thank you, Sprint.

Indiana Jones

2008-05-28T22:12:00.003-05:00

Where are America's black movie heroes? Obama?

Aaaaagh

2008-05-26T22:11:00.000-05:00

This poor man had a yuppie woman growing out of his belly.

2008-05-21T23:31:00.001-05:00

One of the passing faces on State Street.

DC Subway

2008-05-19T15:12:00.000-05:00

The Columbia Heights stop on the Washington DC subway.

Kids today are spoiled

2008-05-18T15:26:00.005-05:00

At the Jefferson Memorial, it seemed like all of the 200+ kids had a digital camera and/or cell phone in hand, texting, photographing, or flirting in almost constant rotation. no wonder sales of Ritalin keep going up!

Images from the National Mall

2008-05-17T15:03:00.001-05:00

The Patriotic Man-Purse

Scout Leaders leading their troop.

Dan Steinhilbers "Untitled" at the Hirshhorn Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

A display blurred by the crowds at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Frontin' on Beijing

2008-05-16T15:17:00.003-05:00

Take that Hu Jintao! I thought this cop was going to give these ladies trouble, but he just had to check they had a permit to protest in front of the White House. They did.

Democracy by McDonalds, i'm lovin' it!

2008-05-15T14:37:00.003-05:00

Bus stop ad in Washington D.C. This would have you think McDs is coming out swinging for Obama! But www.365black.com, McDonald's website for African-American customers (they also have www.i-am-asian.com for Asian-Americans and www.lomcximo.com/ for Hispanics), doesn't say a peep about the election. Apparently it's just a P. Diddy-esque campaign to draw people to the site. (vote or die!)

Kung Fu Kids

2008-05-14T15:19:00.001-05:00

These dudes, students of a local kung fu school, were part of a martial arts demo at the National Asian Heritage Festival.

World's Number One Exporter of Potassium

2008-05-14T14:45:00.000-05:00

The Kazakh booth at the National Asian Heritage Festival last weekend in Washington D.C. I discovered that Kazakhs don't look anything like Borat. They had some tasty Kazakh treats for sale, such as baursaks (fried dough balls), irimshik (dried cheese balls), and kurt (dried cheese and whey), which I now regret not trying.

The REAL Terrorist

2008-05-13T14:54:00.001-05:00

This tiny lady (Russian? Palestinian?) was standing outside the White House the other day, fulminating about the Iraq War, the Israeli occupation, and nuclear weapons. "You all come here, take your pictures! Click click. You go home and talk talk but do nothing! No more talk, you must do! Bush is killing the Iraqi people, the Palestinian people. He is the terrorist!" She trotted out an awesome placard (above) with Bush's face on Bin Laden's head to support her assertions. At one point, she got into a shouting match with a group of Israeli tourists. They started chanting "Israel, Israel!" and she responded by holding up a Palestinian flag and doing a Nazi salute (to suggest, I think, that the Israelis are acting like Nazis).

Budlong Woods: lady bars, Ranchero restaurants, korean karaoke (i.e. heaven)

2008-05-11T16:27:00.003-05:00

Budlong Woods might be the most underrated neighborhood in Chicago. It's a primarily Korean/Hispanic area not far from the picturesque Lincoln Square neighborhood of northern Chicago, but seems to have escaped the normality of its surroundings.

I went up there with a friend to try a new box karaoke club. Luckily, it turned out to be full, and we ended up wandering around, which led us to some remarkable establishments. One was the seedy-looking Apache Motel, looking like a relic of the 1960s. In fact, all up and down this stretch of Lincoln Ave we found dodgy-looking motels with flickering neon signs, vacant lots, and peeling paint, looking like something off Route 66.

We also strolled into a Colombian restaurant called Pueblito Viejo. As we entered the waiting area, into view came a warm, wood-paneled dining hall where everyone seemed to be sporting jeans and cowboy hats, and a good number were looking quizzically at the two gringos in the entrance. Somewhere out of site, a live band was playing merengue (?), and an MC was encouraging the dancers. The bouncer/host asked us, in Spanish, if we wanted to come in. After a brief pause, out of politeness, we decided we'd come back another time properly dressed.

Further down the strip we stopped in at the more conventional Hidden Cove Lounge, which was hosting American-style karaoke as performed by drunken white people (e.g. Soul Asylum, David Bowie, etc.). The real gem of the evening turned out to be a Korean place called "Rumors" (see above). The place had a dazzling neon sign outside, but a totally dark storefront. We walked in, passed through a dark hallway and followed the trail of chintzy Asian pop music into a small bar. There we came upon seven or eight not-terribly-young, but dolled up Asian women doting over two older Asian men sitting on bar stools.

Immediately, one of the women came up to us, took us by the hands and started pulling us into the bar, telling us in limited English that we had to buy beers for the women. Making our profuse excuses, we pulled away, leaving the women looking perplexed, and barely escaped...but decided we would definitely return when we had cash to burn.

Nun-gle in the Jungle

2008-04-27T16:23:00.001-05:00

One of my new favorite Chicago places is the Garfield Park Conservatory, a wonderful collection of trees, flowers, cacti and other plans housed in 1930s-era greenhouses. Walking through recently were also some wayward nuns and a priest. They made me think of missionaries tromping through the jungles of Borneo.

Goat Head a Day

2008-04-22T12:05:00.005-05:00

Vegetarianism becomes more attractive each time I look at this sign on 18th street.

Rory Lake Presents

2008-04-20T11:58:00.002-05:00

Once a month the enigmatic, odd-looking patriot/entertainer Rory Lake throws his raucous Karaoke Dreams party inside the basement of American Legion hall #923 (FDR Post). $2 Pabst cans and an amazing song selection have made this a cult event for people who love singing the Smiths or Pat Ballard's "Mr. Sandman" in a husky Marilyn Monroe purr (see above) while surrounded by war memorabilia and miscellaneous Americana. It's fun...Maybe you just have to be there.

Open Ur Mind

2008-04-12T19:56:00.000-05:00

I've been taking a bunch of photos lately, but just forgotten to put them up. This one is of a mural I love in Pilsen. It's on a plaza with a church, a school, benches and trees that reminds me of something you might find in a small Mexican town.

Creepy dumpster

2008-04-06T22:10:00.001-05:00

It takes a weird person to put a life-like baby doll in a dumpster like this.

The Ballad of Chi Chi

2008-04-01T22:35:00.003-05:00

Every year, thousands of Chihuahuas are unwittingly released back into the wild, many to be lost to cocaine addictions and lap dog prostitution rings.

Yes!

2008-03-29T22:33:00.000-05:00

The five-month old New Museum on Prince Street in NYC. High five.

My Hero: Gary Carter

2008-03-28T22:29:00.001-05:00

How great was Gary Carter, legendary catcher for the Montreal Expos? Actually I never saw the guy play, but I just found this cereal box baseball card under my parents' refrigerator at home recently and am kind of taken with the radiance of this photo. This guy had an aura.

Goes Howl!

2008-03-27T22:18:00.000-05:00

I love lyrical dumpsters

Retro Delta

2008-03-25T00:15:00.003-05:00

Today was the first time I can remember ever flying Delta to LaGuardia, and I ended up inside the beautiful Marine Air Terminal, a splendid blast from the past. It feels like you've flown from the 21st century into a regional airport from the 1930s. There's a Stalinesque statue of F. LaGuardia in this circular atrium, with art deco ornamentation, wraparound murals, and even an old-fashioned diner. it's worth taking Delta just to get a look at this. wear a bomber jacket and bring a hip flask to do it right

THe BRoWN ST*R ReVoLuTioN

2008-03-23T11:22:00.002-05:00

Sathya Shanthi Sridharan and Pushkar Mohan Sharma aka THe BRoWN ST*R ReVoLuTioN, lit an audience on fire with lyrical lightning bolts Saturday evening at WashU's Ursa's Lounge.

Luck o' the $1 (yes $1) Shamrock Beads

2008-03-14T19:08:00.004-05:00

Ah, lovely shamrock beads! Just like the ones St. Patrick used to chase the snakes off the Emerald Isle back in 1100-whatever. Yes, the St Patty's day vibe was palpable in Chicago today. And tomorrow the rivers will run green in this fair city with artificial coloring liquid, while the pubs will run black with spilled Guinness.

GObama

2008-03-13T19:37:00.005-05:00

Now, normally I wouldn't use a photoblog as a political platform for preachin my own personal beliefs and such... but i just think the unofficial Obama campaign posters are the coolest. see more at http://www.gotellmama.org/

Sleepy time on the pink line

2008-03-10T09:19:00.004-05:00

Isn't she adorable? I felt a little bad taking her in this unsuspecting pose..but she'll never know

Lunatique

2008-03-08T09:56:00.005-06:00

Every year the Red Moon Theater holds an annual fundraising party, and the wealthy and chic flock to it for the elaborate decorations, the spontaneous "performances" by Red Moon actors, and inventive, interactive installations.
This year the event was called "Spectacle Lunatique," and had a sort of 18th century theatrical vibe, with actors dancing around in powdered wigs and clown costumes. As a Red Moon volunteer, I got to help out with some random tasks at the party, but mostly just got to hang out and enjoy the free food and booze. Here are some of the pretty amazing contraptions the theater created just for the event.

Skid row

2008-03-05T20:56:00.004-06:00

Today I was biking through Fulton Market, the warehouse and meatpacking district near downtown, when I saw this dude loading wooden skids onto a shopping cart. I was curious what he was up to, so I followed him for a couple blocks as he navigated his cart through the middle of the road, carefully avoiding potholes and ignoring the cars passing around him. Finally, I asked him how far he was headed with the skids, and he said Western Avenue, which is 2 miles away. He said he would get $30 from a skid yard for the 12 skids he was carrying. I said, "holy shit, that's a long walk."
Then he asked me if I had a sandwich. I said, no, but I can give you a salad. I think he must have thought I meant "lettuce" (i.e. cash), because when I pulled out a Cosi bag with a signature salad from my backpack (i.e. my dinner, it's got bleu cheese, candied walnuts, pears, baby greens) and handed it to him, he looked puzzled.
I said, "it's a salad, and some really good bread. You'll like it." He said, "oh, a salad, ok..." He looked into the bag, thought for a second, then continued, "didn't you say you had a dollar?"

Gettin' medieval on yo ass

2008-03-03T18:02:00.003-06:00

This place looks like a shotgun shack that Conan the Barbarian started decorating with memorabilia, then got bored. Seriously, I don't know what the deal is with this crazy house near the corner of Ashland and Chicago. I need to find out more. It's covered with all manner of swords and crosses and emblems; sort of Monty Python meets Sam Rodia. If you blow up the photo, you can see there are wood placards nailed along the walls with names of various heroes: Tarzan, Ivanhoe, Big Ed (not sure who that is), Sabu (aka pro wrestler Terry Brunk?) Robert Taylor (who played Marcus Vinicius in the blood and sandals epic "Quo Vadis"). Pretty awesome.

Bang Camaro

2008-03-02T12:12:00.001-06:00

Bang Camaro who just played at the Double Door here, is kind of my new favorite band. There are supposedly 20-25 guys in this band normally, but "only" about half of them go on tour. They fill out their ranks with a few locals wherever they go. When you first walk in and see them, you just start laughing. Because there are so many people on stage, there is a non-stop flow of goofy hard rock activity--always someone head-banging, fist-pumping, or shouting at the audience. The guitarists all have extreme-shaped guitars (such as the "warlock" the Flying V and the Gibson SG), and they like to point them to the sky or towards the crowd for effect. It's like an endless show of hard rock cliches--but funny. It's kind of like if Village People were a hard rock band. Also important to know: most of BC's songs (like "Swallow the Razor") don't have verses--just soaring choruses and guitar solos. Everything you love about 80s rock music minus the filler.

Red shoes

2008-03-01T12:08:00.003-06:00

I heart corporate America

2008-02-29T18:12:00.010-06:00

Today was my last day at the company I've been on a project for, so before I left I wanted to capture some of the generic Midwest corporate america vibe.

Oops! Looks like somebody left their engagement photos on the break room copier.

Oregon coast

2008-02-17T23:23:00.000-06:00

A lookout at Ecola State Park, near Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Save the children

2008-02-16T21:21:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day for Aladdin and Jasmine

2008-02-14T23:18:00.004-06:00

Hm, is this a still from the deleted scenes on my "Aladdin" Bonus DVD (we all know Disney filled that movie with hidden sexual messages)...or a naughty storefront in portland? You decide.

City Panorama

2008-02-09T22:07:00.000-06:00

Inside the Queens Museum there's an incredible, miniature reproduction of the Five Boroughs, down to building-by-building detail. I promise it'll blow your mind to see this thing in person.

Leaving a mark

2008-02-08T22:02:00.000-06:00

These ass prints left on a freshly painted subway bench made me think of the cover of the Rolling Stones' "Sticky Fingers"

Girl on the run

2008-02-06T21:23:00.001-06:00

This little girl was taking on a whole team of little boys in soccer underneath the Unisphere, the big globe near the Queens Museum. Definitely future star potential.

Light tables

2008-02-05T21:22:00.000-06:00

At the Queens Museum: light tables set up to study spectroscopic photos of the famous Really Big Map of New York from the 1964 World's Fair.

Bedford stop: hipster central

2008-02-04T21:19:00.000-06:00

There is always a surge of way-hip folks emerging from the Bedford stop in Williamsburg. As you squeeze by them, you hope some of their coolness will rub off on you.

99 cent plus

2008-02-03T21:15:00.000-06:00

What's the only thing better than a 99 cent store? A 99 cent store with discounts. Find it in Greenpoint.

Rake-won and the Woo Tang Clan

2008-02-02T21:13:00.000-06:00

Misspellings are always funnier when they're written in five foot tall font on a building.

Queens eye view

2008-02-01T21:12:00.000-06:00

The view from the 7 line heading out to Flushing.

The Church of Endowment

2008-01-30T21:08:00.000-06:00

Seventh Day Adventists: just like Salt 'n' Pepa, hating on the "short" man!

Useful accessories

2008-01-28T21:02:00.000-06:00

Saw this in the West Village. Can anybody help me out, and tell me what exactly Boy Butter Extreme is?

Le tigre

2008-01-27T23:01:00.001-06:00

Pop up Paris

2008-01-26T18:04:00.001-06:00

The Red Moon Theater is an experimental (but not shitty) theater group that's currently performing an amazing production of "Hunchback of Notre Dame." One of the coolest parts is this pop-up set of Notre Dame which totally captures this area of paris. I volunteered at the theater today and the artist who designed the pop-up box, Sam Polce, was there coordinating volunteers. He pulled the set out for me so I could relive the magic one more time...it's neat here, but way better when you see it in the show. Check it out if you're in Chicago!

Film strips decoration

2008-01-23T21:05:00.000-06:00

I haven't quite figured out yet what to do with all these educational film strips I recovered outside a Catholic school nearby, so in the meantime I'm "projecting" a few of them (there are about 50-60 total) on my living room lamp. Here I put up "Sights and Sounds of America: New York City'', "Safety in the Summer," "Tutankhamon: A Golden King," and "We Move to Music." Any other good ideas for what to do with these things, let me know!

Totally gross

2008-01-21T23:08:00.001-06:00

This is from a lego-sized display in the Field Museum's ancient Egypt section. Can you believe this kind of thing is considered appropriate for kids??

Message of Love

2008-01-20T21:07:00.000-06:00

I love you too, man.

Henry Darger show

2008-01-18T23:53:00.000-06:00

The Chicago outsider artist Henry Darger had a special opening today at the Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art in Chicago. Along with a show of his works, the center also opened the Henry Darger Room, a to-scale recreation of the room in northern Chicago where Darger lived for more than 40 years drawing his magnum opus The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion (In the Realms of the Unreal for short). You can walk in and literally be in Darger's cramped but vibrant room--it includes a reconstruction of his fireplace and is scattered with other objects salvaged from his (now-demolished) room in the North Side--old magazines, crayons, paints, notebooks, newspapers, etc. It's reminiscent of walking into the little hotel room Van Gogh inhabited in Auvers-sur-Oise--a little claustrophobic, but full of creative energy. Above is a photo of people studying one of Darger's works from In the Realms of the Unreal. Same below. My Blackberry's camera obviously doesn't do these justice, so please just go see a Darger exhibit in person if you get the chance! The dude was straight up crazy.

DIY : salvaging an iPod

2008-01-17T23:25:00.001-06:00

In a moment of haste last week, I sent my iPod flying from a ledge straight onto its head, murdering it on impact. Buying a new one didnt sound like much fun, plus one of my New Years resolutions is to try to fix things. Fortunately, it turns out somebody already figured out it's incredibly easy to replace an iPod hard drive. I just followed this guy's instructions, ordered a replacement part on eBay for 40 bucks and installed it in about 20 minutes today, using just a screwdriver and some glue. My iPod works again! Screw Apple!

OMG Miley and Hannah!!! The best of both worlds!

2008-01-14T23:13:00.000-06:00

There was a ridiculous traffic jam outside the United Center today. For those who don't live here, that's the big stadium where the Bulls and the Blackhawks play. There were literally more than a dozen limos, stretch Hummers and stretch Navigators stacked bumper to bumper along the curb, all disgorging middle aged women and tiny white girls between the ages of 9 and 14. I figured either some really rich tween queen had rented out the United Center for her birthday party, or there was an R. Kelly concert going on.

I was way off. They were all going to what was sure to be a totally super mega-amazing show by Miley Cyrus aka Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter aka Hannah Montana, aka like the coolest. girl. ever. wait, you don't know who Hannah Montana is??? Pssh. Get a clue. Seriously. Don't you ever watch the Disney Channel?
God.

Treasures from the Dumpster

2008-01-13T13:15:00.000-06:00

On my Sunday morning walk today I made what to a nerd is an incredible dumpster-dive find. St. Helen's Catholic School was throwing out boxes and boxes of educational films, film strips, school books and school records (including some hilarious yearbooks!). I ran home to get my car and then dumped a bunch of what looked like the best stuff into my trunk. Like "Drugs in Our Society" a six-part educational film strip with accompanying 33 rpm records, or film strips on "The Wonders of Nature" and "The Gold of Tutankhamon." I don't know yet how to project these things, but once I figure it out, I have a feeling I will discover some pretty amazing material in here.

Houston in a Nutshell

2008-01-10T22:14:00.000-06:00

To paraphrase Chris Rock, "There ain't shit in Houston but parking lots and skyscrapers."

The Video Ring

2008-01-09T22:42:00.000-06:00

Whoever says Houston isn't cool hasn't seen the Video Ring in George Bush Intercontinental Airport. This installation was made by a local crew called The Art Guys. It's in an oval shaped atrium inside the airport's E Terminal, and consists of hundreds of video screens in a ring flickering psychedelic images while ethereal, ambient music plays from wall speakers reaching up to the ceiling. People are constantly just racing through here to get somewhere, but it's relaxing to sit and watch the screens for a while.

Self Portrait With Sandwich

2008-01-08T21:09:00.001-06:00

Feeling a little feminine today, so I decided to go with the pink bonnet.

Ohio Street bridge

2008-01-07T23:48:00.001-06:00

I'm trying to get a little better at this panoramic photography thing. This is a work in progress.

Poster for Socially Maladapted Men

2008-01-06T22:07:00.000-06:00

"decoration" inside the bathroom of a dive bar I stopped in with a friend today in downtown Chicago. I think the place was actually called "Shocks Bar and Grill."

Sweet Dreamz Beauty Salon

2008-01-05T17:18:00.001-06:00

Not much to say about this one. Woman in plaid skirt dozing in a barber shop chair.

The Automobile of a Revolutionary

2008-01-03T22:22:00.000-06:00

I spotted this incredible car parked on Damen today. A total POS 1980s Buick painted with white and red stripes like the mythical jaguar shark that ate Esteban. No bumper stickers to be found, just one prominent decal stuck next to the rear left window. The guy's face looks like DJ Run, but the words underneath suggest an insurrectionary from the Nation of Islam. With Gil Scott-Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" playing on my iPod, I started to picture the driver of this car as a secret agent of Black Power waiting to incite class warfare so that, as Gil says,

...Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville
Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and
women will not care if Dick finally gets down with
Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people
will be in the street looking for a brighter day.

We apologize for the delay

2008-01-01T22:09:00.000-06:00

I forgot my camera in St. Louis...new photos pending.

Art still has truth

2007-12-29T22:05:00.000-06:00

Read the writing on the wall. It's the truth.

Streetside Records: the end of an era

2007-12-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

The space above used to be the floor of Streetside Records, filled with rows and rows of CDs. Now it's all packed up in boxes because Streetside went out of business. That's right. The record store that has been around as long as most Loop residents can remember is leaving. Although no-one I know ever shopped there (anyone in the know shops at Vintage Vinyl down the street), it's kind of sad to see it go. What other venue will host CD-signing parties for Chingy? Where will Nelly audition hoochie mamas to feature in his music videos? Streetside, we will miss you.

Little girl of the steps

2007-12-27T21:55:00.000-06:00

This little girl was waiting to be picked up by her dad in the freezing cold outside the St. Louis Art Museum. If they exist in a size 10, I want a pair of those boots she's wearing.

hail hail ludo

2007-12-26T21:51:00.000-06:00

Andrew Volpe (above right) was a talented goof-off at my high school. Now he's the lead singer of a St. Louis-based pop-punk band called Ludo with a pretty huge local following, particularly among teenie boppers. Their "Very Ludo Christmas" show at the Pageant was a big hit! It was one of those shows where you have teens, a few 20 somethings, and then the teens' parents trying to look inconspicuous in the dark corners of the venue.

Angel of the Runny Noses

2007-12-25T21:35:00.001-06:00

St. Louisans of all ages swamped the Steinberg ice skating rink in Forest Park on Christmas day. Above is a sniffling girl inside the cafeteria who I thought looked angelic with that metal halo and the snowflakes dancing around her.

Here's a kid waiting for his parents to show up with the hot chocolate and funnel cake (or maybe with that wife beater he'd prefer a Miller Lite?).

Alice in Chicagoland

2007-12-23T20:57:00.000-06:00

It can be easy to get desensitized to the giant holiday cheer everywhere (building-size Christmas trees, roided-up reindeers, tree-sized elves, etc.) But I couldn't help noticing these giant ornaments at Chicago's Union Station. I had a few minutes to wander around the beautiful main hall before hopping the Megabus to St. Louis.

It was also cold as hell today, so a lot of homeless people took refuge inside the Station's main hall.

Ghosts of State Street

2007-12-22T22:09:00.000-06:00

State Street in Chicago was packed today, with people panhandling, banging on trash cans for change, Christmas shopping, or just ogling the cool window displays at Macy's.

Panoranopamas

2007-12-21T20:13:00.001-06:00

(Click to see a non-miniature version)

I'm a fan of this French photographer on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranopamas) who shoots panoramic shots of buildings, street scenes and landscapes. This is my first try at emulating him...What I realized is that if you just shoot a bunch of shots left-to-right, like the stitch function on the camera suggests. you get a weird long band of photo, not the wide sense of space you get when you're actually standing in a place, like this empty lot on Damen Avenue. Next time I'm going to try to make it a little better...you'll see

Born Again Pets

2007-12-19T23:56:00.001-06:00

Gotten your Iguana baptized lately? What, you think all lizzzards go to heaven?? Pss, best be careful. Get your pet blessed at this church near Garfield and Washtenaw. Sorry, as you can tell by the date this is an old photo. I just found it on my camera phone and thought it was too good not to share. Next time I hear of a pet blessing I promise to notify my readers in a more timely manner.

Say Goodbye Gallery

2007-12-18T23:25:00.001-06:00

Biking along Grand tonight I looked down an alleyway and spotted what looked like a mural of a wolf's head. When I got closer, it turned out to be a jaguar (a wolf-like jaguar, maybe...), and just one part of the block-long "Say Goodbye Gallery," a collection of murals depicting endangered species that was painted in 1974. I wouldn't go check this thing out if you're an animal lover; it's a downer.

Angels barn

2007-12-17T22:48:00.000-06:00

One day, not long ago, an angel was flying over Ukrainian village when she spotted a heavenly cobalt blue light glowing from a street corner below. Drawn in by this apparition, the angel slowly descended and alighted on Chicago Avenue, careful to avoid the non-stop street traffic and the brown slush on the ground. The angel, mesmerized, gazed toward the light and climbed into it, thinking it might be a passageway to another world. Just then, a cage slammed behind her. Now she waits, hoping someone will let her out.

Lazy sunday

2007-12-16T22:44:00.000-06:00

I dig the crazy lime green on the exterior of this laundry joint on Western... and the santa caps inside.

The lighthouse church

2007-12-15T22:59:00.000-06:00

The Lighthouse Gospel Missionary Baptist Church near Douglas Park.

Florida in a box

2007-12-14T22:37:00.000-06:00

We must be getting completely dulled to traditional advertisements, because now advertisers are creating Damien Hirst exhibits on wheels to get our attention. This here is Ft. Lauderdale's take on it--send a beach in a box to the streets of Chicago. (I think this was near Wells and Monroe) Honestly, this would be a pretty neat idea, except that nothing inside this box makes me want to go to Ft. Lauderdale.

Skate or die

2007-12-13T22:29:00.000-06:00

Ice skating in Millennium Park around christmas is total mayhem. You've got skater kids zipping by at 50 mph, uncoordinated kids hanging desperately onto the railings, kids with no legs scooting by on their hands. Total mayhem! This photo captures that, I hope.

Koyaanisqatsi

2007-12-10T00:07:00.000-06:00

Ever since I started working on the 30th floor of the Hyatt Center, I've wanted to wait until everyone was gone, turn out the lights, and take photos of the view...

Hot Hannukah

2007-12-09T21:45:00.000-06:00

Angela lighting the coolest menorah I've ever seen. The candles are pretty cool, too; instead of melting they just evaporate like the wicked witch of the west.

Boka blanca

2007-12-08T11:42:00.000-06:00

This was the weekend we wined and dined prospective hires at my firm. Among other places, we took them to a beautifully-designed restaurant in Lincoln Park called Boka.

Faith based

2007-12-07T18:54:00.000-06:00

Just as I was riding by this mailbox on Madison Ave., I happened to be thinking about someone named Faith. No shit. I had to stop and take a photo.