My three favourite rolling stones songs

A big writeup, but just this teaser for now. Yes, it's one of the three.

Morrissey

My son Morrissey also told me that Morrissey is on tour again, and playing twice iin this area. Great!! Against my better judgement, I picked up Marc Simpsons book St. Morrissey, and before I knew it, I was on p.80. And its a so so book. These are just two quotes from interviews in the past:

Did you hear t.A.T.u.’s version of “How soon is now?”
Yes, it was magnificent. Absolutely. Again, I don’t know much about them.
They’re the teenage Russian Lesbians.
Well, aren’t we all?

When and where were you happiest?
May 21, 1959.
(born 22 May, 1959 )

So, after 10m or so i discover......

....The buttns that allow mw to switch between HTML amd "easy compose. It makes a real difference,and somehow I never figgered how to get it rite....until today. Nice. Expect diff. fonts and sizes and multiple fotof, when I'm in the mood. Fun discovery for me blogwise.

Yet more Beatles.......

Listening to “Let it Be” and “Please Please Me” Lp’s , so I figure that gives me some prompt or so for more Beatles jabber. Yeah yeah yeah.

First up- early v late Beatles in my life.

These Lp’s are the last and the first Beatles Lp’s, and they represent that polar opposite in my appreciation history of the group. Their first LP, “Please Please Me”, was recorded in 12h, I think- it was one long session. “Let it Be” wasn’t even finished and the Beatles junked it- it was released only after they had recorded another Lp (“Abbey Road“) and then broke up. The American version of “Please Please Me” was called “The Early Beatles”, and it was one of the first three records I ever bought (One purchase on a Feb nite in 1980-- but that’s a story I tell later.) I listened the shit out of that Lp, and I loved that era Beatles. I have the American version of all their early LP’s and “Sgt. Peppers”. What I never had growing up was everything after- “White Album”, “Let it Be” , and “Abbey road”. I bought the Blue greatest hits Lp that summer, but that was it after Beatles/1967.

I remember listening to “The White Album” one summer - had to be 1988 or 1989 in Rogers Park- when Jackson and I went to visit his old lady Patchouli Girl and we spent the afternoon giggling and glocking that LP on the turntable. And I though “ Hey, this is great!!”. BUT: White Album, “in my hands finally“, came in the scandalously late date of………..2006. Burned copy. And only the last 2m, w/ the reading of Emerick, am I finally listening to it a lot-studying it. Pretty good. Emericks opinion? He has bad memories of the “White Album” because the Beats were in such a state of disarray and fighting all the time. It seems it should be true for all three last LP’s they did.

And what I wrote for “The White Album” is true for the last two LP’s. My only connexion to “Abbey Road” was that Straw’s old 6240 South had a copy of it, and when it was played, I always though along the lines of “………… ‘Mean Mr. Mustard. ?…………..”. I got wind that this Lp mite actually be good through Gallo- over the years, he’d play that second side, and I began to crave it and bug him to play it when I was over. Yesterday I got Gf to order it from CPLibries so I can finally have that. But it’s funny- NEVER did I get into anything after 1967 until quite recently. Just always loved that very lively exciting alive early period, which for me extended up to “Sgt. Pepper” but did not include it. I always felt the later stuff……………..whatever, nevermind.

And now, to Yoko.

The animosity of the three towards John having Yoko in the recording sessions. Emerick, a Paul man, makes a point of writing about Linda also being in the studio, but only for a quick and respectful bit. I wondered as I read if Linda’s showups were to really meant to be a showup of John and Yoko’s behaviour. But then again, it’s only natural that she would show up from time to time. John and Yoko in my opinion were way out there. I know plenty of way out there people, and they fit the bill. They were feeling it @ the time, and just ran with it. They were both young, and I too was once young and wearing that crazyfirstlove blinders on life.

Ultimo: George.

Guess what? Slept with Ringo’s wife. I read this in a NYT book review (not Sunday’s) of Patty Harrison’s new book* (name/pw = securityout/hilts). George is a special case. A lot is written/said about his moodiness. Patty says George came back a changed man from India. She couldn’t find him in the 25 room house they lived in , and when she did she never knew what mood he’d be in. Emerick also writes a bit on George’s moods. What am I saying? They all do!! One strain of his discontent was that he was resentful of his songs being over looked by Lennon/Macartney songs. But eve before that: In the Anthology Film Series George, kinda laughingly, says that in the beginning (before they met John) he was a very junior partner to Paul because he was 10m younger. George goes “He still treats me as I’m 10m younger”.


The Anthology Film Series, by the way, is fantastic. Long cool takes of all sorts of live and studio stuff, tv apparances, promom vidoes, etc. I’ve lived with it plenty in these last two years of the Beatles of my discontent. Here’s a beyond perfect example.


*=if this doesn't work, it was in Monday, 27 Aug.'s NYT

Deja- vous

Two movies recently. Saw “Constant Gardner”. It was pretty good. Gf liked it a lot, and I must admit I get a secret thrill whenever she likes something- like when she really gets a kick out of something.

I also saw “Deja- vous” starring Denzel. Pretty good- I liked it a lot. There’s a brilliant scene in this movie- wait, there’s many- but one is great- a…………shit, I hate to be spoils, so I won’t say. SHIT!! My buddy said that it was the best “……….” in movie history- I had to agree. We were high five joying it up when that moment occurred. And then another scene- it’s a typical action film cliche, but we laughed that one up as well. Our laughter centered around taking that cliche and adding an element to it. See it. Y may not like it, but……..

Sexist link and I'm so sorry I'm so guilty AND DIRTY AND BAD AND DIRTY AND BAD AND......

Sent by another sexist freak* a while ago........thanks, I'll get those.....uh, that other story about Scarlett to you soon, good budy................

*=thanx, Chalice!!

seem 'bout/ hunnet yearzz uh-goooe

So yes, it's one of those nites where I have a few h of wireless, Matt Jenke is not around, so I just.......

This is a work of art about three men, wandering in their time, looking.........I loved it whn I first experienced it, then loved it when i saw this review foto, and then again when I unearthed it to-nite.

Say, nice foto, Frederick.

Zinadine Z'gallo

a crash or a whallop...

yes, she did look like that one old lover of mine

I'm on a Magnetic fields..............email list, and here are two crappy traxx that Tracey covered by them.....wait, don't bother, they really are crappy......... and the site has ugly pics of her, so no,no way:

she never looked like Spanky

.......................................

*=don't I just love it when not only do I have to make up a name for this old lover-- it was vibrant with her way back then-- and........it brings special smiles to me, and not because of her shoes......

shipley/



in a sassy time

A single snap from this nite presented here- and yes, I could have posted the thousands of Gallo like that, but...

I have two more pictures from the nite of vito in the Loop: follow the link to see two more...

1

2

NYT/Free/for you/ and me/ to be

So, Im clearing out a lot of stuff, and saving the pizza to go cold to look Crankfaces pictures w/ Gf.

However, and sorry for all the dust, but Ian Curtis had sent me this exciting news from awhile back-- i'd asked him and a few other bloggies on how to link up the NYT, since I read it all the time and there are so many great stories to pass on-- but they don't let me!!! However, if this plays through, i'll be a-linking lots of great arts....whenever....

Fire in a dangerous time

Scary spice fire fotos /

from cousine dans le ouest /

Chicago's Fire superfamous? /

This forests' seems the Best

...........................................

from my cousine ma cousine presently fitinf fires for the greater glory of the chicago fire in montana.

Lovers from a dangerous time

On being the greater Man than my Father

Hah, just kidding. I got a big hero worship thing of my Dad going, but I liked the original title "I am the greater man than my father', but it morphed to this, so we go......

It's in the growing; I write this. I was much impressed with the vital groth of my tomatoes this year that originally made me think "Damn, I can't remember this production even in my Dad's lifetime". Lots growth, lotsa red.

However, what really set me forth is that, by accident--I grew some potatoes this summer. By accident. And there's a very famous thing about growing potatoes in Chicago= it can't be done. Oh yes, under growth lamps, in labs, etc..., but in some dude backyard? Nah. And is' a very famous idea, written about by Cecil Adams (no I won't look again for the article, again get sidetracked , again not write this post...look yrself, send link to me, please) and seconded by the potatoe experts I trust most- my Irish uncles, all who are expert in potatoe growing (Really, and sorry for the stereotype.....wait, my uncls all did grow that tuber, so forget my apoligies...). So, my Dad? never grew an American spud. The other 35 uncles on both sides who came over to the U.S.A.? Never grew a spud.

But I have.

All those centuries of potatoe growing in their genes did not allow this trait to be unvailed in the new world; it must only have become dominant in me by.......whats the term? Sponteneous combustion?? Freak?............ MUTATION, that's the proper term-finally, in my generation.

How?

We compost righteously. It's great. All goes into the soil, be it coffee grounds, bannana skins, old vegies, and.............an uneaten backed potatoe over the winter. Now, as Gallo once said, throw some potatoes in a darken cupboard and they start to sprout- this time it was into the soil an uneated potatoe went. When it came time to finally to til the soil in the spring, the potatoe had sprouted greenery and leaves. This is kinda normal: but when I uprooted it, lo and behold, there were two smallish potatoes in the roots. It made me happy to have.........well, I did nothing. But still, they grew.

What's this new site??

Methinks I stumbled across this ......cheap now, but one day the world.....

blackstronaut

Comments from Blackie:

Two moons on August 27thPlanet Mars will be the brightest in the night skystarting August. It will look as large as the full moon to the nakedeye.This will culminate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within34.65M miles of earth.Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am.It will look like the earth has 2 moons.The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Share this with your friends asNO ONE ALIVE TODAYwill ever see itagain

have you read this or even this?

have you read this or even this?

Met her kid

Met Gf's daughter, for more or lss the first time, last week. Only took 25m.

I love taking the kids out, and a good excuse now is : end of the summer. When Nephew.1 was going to university first time, I took thm all out to Fox's Restauraunt in Oak Lawn. This was helped back then w/ a $50 gift cert. given by grateful parents of summersoccerplayers to the coach ( I was very poor back then). The first time I intro'd Gf to the Kids it was @ an end of summer dinner.

When Gf said "Hey, would it be cool to bring her to this dinner?", I figured that it would be a good time to meet- all my kids are ace, and I hoped that it would be an easy time. It was. Gf and her kid generally talked amongst themselves while my kids did the same. I'm pretty free and easy around that 14-18yo set--it's my business to be, I guess--so I tried to make things lite. It was nice to meet her.

The Life of a Thurston

Proof of how deeply lame I have become these last few months. Vito had told me to check out the French flick la Mouctsche (sic), and I finally did two nites ago. And fuck if I hadn't actually watch the film EARLIER IN THE SUMMER.

I have not been happy that I will again be a sub this coming year. The whole year. And then forever after that, seems like.......well, we'll see.

But finally getting off my ass to actually watch a dvd, and what happens- I don't even remember that I saw it last month. Pitifully, the wost was this: I had to actually watch the whole movie 'cause I forgot what happened.

By the way: good flick.

fledgling, i surmise

Was not the dead cardinals mate that was a chattering- it was a baby bird that was not hanging out directly w/ its mom, but I heard the eturn calls nicely. So , no worrying over broken hearted cardinals.

So goodbye........

What in the world was the bird chattering about?

Sounded like a cardinal, but never like that, again and again. I circled the tree, looking up trying to spot the mystery bird, when iIlooked down and realized what was happening: a dead female cardinal lying in the street.

Cardinals are great couple birds-they always are to-gether, feed and watch for each other, and etc... now, the male I assume was trying to awaked the dead mate, or was he just singing for her memory? It was very sad to have this beautiful creature dead on the ground, but its mate, 6-7 feet away singing, was the worst.

Bolo used to have a massive rival on the block-- a giant Alsation (German shepard) who would shudder the earth on Atlas' shoulders when he ba\rked: and everytime Bolo was walked by the yerd, the big dog and the 10% Bolo would engage in a fierce running barking battle, seperated by a fence, for 10 seconds. Whenever Bolo was walked by that yard, he instinctively started to race along the fence to start the confrontation.

God decided to take back the big dog back. Walking Bolo past that fence after the passing of the dog several weeks past, he instinctively got his back fur ruffled and angry and changer the fence to begin his duel, but.......no big dog...........sister.4 came back w/ the same observation.

And the day after we die, newspapers will still be delivered, there will be baseball games, .............

Don't worry, i'll have lots to blog about when I am substituting again after so long a time.................instead of mediacenteing

Of course Dick Cheney was rite....

Just a snippet, but goodies to Joker for passing it along.

Funkee

Last week, this is from Funkee. If you don't know her, then y prob. wouldn't want to see her bro, but I like stuff passed on, so here 'tis.....

"CNN is running a piece about Karl Rove and they show a couple of clips of my dashing brother, J... and his lovely wife, N. It is from a bit that they have on youtube.

Here is a link to youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDaRFf7Cd6M

I am also putting in a link to the CNN piece.

Thank God the republicans are keeping the comedians in buisness. What ever would we do without them?

Funkee"

The Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry

Written by Lazers

names edited by hilts

I(Lazers) arrived at TC Pub to find Stix still seething over the final question from the prior trivia night, and he was prepared with support to show that the J&B answer for the song “Hold On” was correct. If the wrong button was pushed, Benkowski could get toasted.

Tonight was also the debut of the new Hangman board and the related new rule: “No throwing the new Hangman board” (an odd rule, since Benkowski is the only one who threw the old Hangman board).

TC Pub represented by: Glasses, who would later be prodded to show her “tramp stamp” tattoo for perhaps the tenth trivia night in a row.

The competition: Bar, Undecided, and JC Motel (including a cute, little pony tail, though I was apparently the only one whose attention she caught)

J&B represented by: Chemical Man, Stix Hilts, Gf and Lazers

First Half: National Enquirer/Entertainment/Sports Is So Good

Blackhawk who won Selke Trophy for 85-86 season?
Total receptions for Mike Ditka as a Bear?
Year of Birth for Rose Marie?
Within $100 million, the amount of Merv Griffin’s fortune? (JC Motel’s horrible guess: $20 million)

Way too many “year of birth” and “Merv Griffin” questions in the first half.

The Bar was also off to a bad start, as they tried to select the “TV” category when there wasn’t one.

Scores at the half: J&B 1520 Bar 930 JC Motel 740 Undecided was low score

Second Half: NFL/Entertainment/News in August

First name of George Jefferson’s son?
Redskins’ poor team interception total in 2006 (defense)?

True or False- Over his 1,000 shows, Benkowski interviewed the following people:
Reverend Jesse Jackson?
Wayne Gretzky?
John Candy?

After J&B successfully answers a Mattel recall question for which the answer was “Barbies and Polly Pockets”, just imagine the hazing that immediately followed.

Looking for the name of one of Green Bay’s outside linebackers (was it right side?)?

Benkowski, after J&B successfully answered the above football question on the heels of the “Barbie and Polly Pockets” hazing: “Well, that should end the child molester talk.”

Benkowski, after some whining from the Bar: “I did a survey of the 11 places where I do trivia, and TC Pub has the most victims who are screwed and f*cked.”

Scores after two halves: J&B 2820 Bar 2130 JC Motel 1290 Undecided 910

Final Category Choice: 70s TV or 90s TV
For each: 6 of 10 wins wager, 8 of 10 wins 1000 bonus, all 10 wins 3500 bonus

J&B is the only team to select 70s TV. The wager is the classic.

70s TV: Name the top 10 rated prime time shows from the 1972-1973 season?
Clue: one of them was the NBC Sunday Night Movie
Clue: 5 are sitcoms

90s TV: Name the top 10 rated prime time shows from the 1998-1999 season?
Clue: one of them was the CBS Sunday Night Movie
Clue: 5 are sitcoms

Game on!

PART II

After much discussion, J&B guesses: 60 Minutes, All in the Family, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Carol Burnett Show, Bob Newhart Show, Odd Couple, Hawaii 5-0, Marcus Welby MD, MASH, and the NBC Sunday Night Movie.

First Half Answers:
Troy Murray
316
1923
$1 billion

Second Half Answers:
Lionel
6 interceptions
All True
AJ Hawk

Final Question:

Undecided- 910- 90s TV- guesses Friends (yes), Will & Grace (no), The Simpsons (no), CBS Sunday Night Movie (yes), Fresh Prince of Bel Aire (no), 7th Heaven (no), Dawson’s Creek (no), Frasier (yes), NYPD Blue (no), Law & Order (no)- only 3 correct- wagered 910- thanks for playing.

JC Motel- 1290- 90s TV- guesses 20/20 (no), Friends (yes), Seinfeld (no), Home Improvement (yes), Frasier (yes), Roseanne (no), Wheel of Fortune (no), CBS Sunday Night Movie (yes), Simpsons (no), General Hospital (no), and they wrote something that Benkowski was too embarrassed to read (although he gave the initials “P.J.”- any ideas?)- only 4 correct- wagered 0- remain at 1290.

Bar- 2130- 90s TV- guesses CBS Sunday Night Movie (yes), Monday Night Football (yes), Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (no), ER (yes), Friends (yes), Frasier (yes), Mad About You (no), Everybody Loves Raymond (no), 60 Minutes (yes), Home Improvement (yes)- that’s 7 correct- wagered 2130- double up to 4260.

And it’s all up to J&B- 2820- 70s TV- guesses All In The Family (yes), Mary Tyler Moore Show (yes), Carol Burnett Show (no), Bob Newhart Show (no), Marcus Welby MD (no), MASH (no), NBC Sunday Night Movie (yes)- that’s 3 correct with 3 to go- Odd Couple, Hawaii 5-0, 60 Minutes (no, no, no)- wagered 1441- down to 1379. The Bar wins for the third straight time.

Missing Answers for the 90s: Touched By An Angel, Veronica’s Closet, Jessie

Missing Answers for the 70s: Bridget Loves Bernie, Ironside, Gunsmoke, Wonderful World of Disney, Sanford & Son, Maude

Observant readers might notice that the total of correct answers for J&B plus the missing answers is only 9. Perhaps I misheard, but my research this morning indicates that Hawaii 5-0 was the 10th ranked show for that season and should have been a “yes” answer. Bar wins either way.

Glasses: “Are you guys pissed?” Stix: “I’m still pissed from two weeks ago”…then pulling out the “Hold On” support, “I’m going to tell him.” I don’t think he actually did, but Stix continues to seethe (his mantra for the rest of the night was “f*ck the Bar”). Stix says his anger is getting larger- to Red Sox/Yankees level.

Next trivia night: Thursday, August 30th. Due to that night apparently coinciding with a Bear exhibition game, Benkowski says the TV camera will be there to capture the event. One can only wonder what sort of characters that will bring…

Several weeks ago I...

...saw the Postr Children in a free show in mil. park. I had lots to say about that day, but sitting on my back so much meant that most of everything runs out my ears before inpulses reach my arms or legs ir heart or anywhere else........but, I did wish to note that everytime I have seen them, they are greatly tite and punto. They played in a superhot day, and Gf and I got nice parks and walked over almost on time- they started early, bless them. Immed. sat w/ Lucia di in the shade whilst her husband foto'd the events for you to see.

After Gf and I made like tourists- we were especially intersted in the garden, and deeply interested in the ability of what we were gaping @ to attract butterflies. some of these butterfly-good plants attract b.flies like warmfresh doggy-dangles attracts flies.

Bex alert

I liked this a lot.......

The long good bye to Blackie (Saturday, 11 August.1)

Blackie was clearing out his crib* ‘cept ‘fer the bedding and a Mac, and a few of us were enlisted to get it done; Rocky, Ian, and mattorluke joined Blackie and Iverson in the cleansing operation. It was a tuff battle: first Blackie and then Iverson were felled by the hostile conditions on the battlfield. They were shipped to the rear for some much needed R & R. They would need strength for later transportation operations to ship the goods to their other front. There was constant breaks for water, and late in the game there was a unilateral stoppage to all work while all rested and ‘X if they got’m.’ Instead of the usual K rations, we Soldiers of the Move were fed Superpizza, supped up and slobbered over until our aardvark like feeding snouts were sated.
It’s getting close. Blackie was a Connecticut boy back first summer I knew him, but otherwise all Chicago, and now he’s leaving**. It sucks for us, but he’s wanted to move someplace other for the last 15y- there was the K.C. Plan, the Near the Orange Line Plan, the Austin Plan, and now; completion.

To verse we take....

Lost Rocky, Scotty, and Ian
Drax and beautiful Julie Ann
After Vito and Vampdon now follows
Blackie to some similar Otherland

So, a short list, but lots of people have gone*** but also come back. I am planning to visit them one of these days****- plans are to take a bus- one of those cheap lines that cost one $ - and read the whole way down. Well, lets get them moved first.
………………………………......................
*=we gave her most of our lives
**=sacrificed most of out lives
***=we gave her everything money could buy

****=bad Pink Floyd !!

The Aerie (Saturday, 11 August.2)

After battle, Evanston-repaired-we, and it was to the Aerie we went. We spent a lazy afternoon, with chalice, drink, more chalice, fromage, and Pompeii to watch. I hadn’t seen it in a long time, but its a great film. My favourite part is “One of these days”, but the whole film rocks. We then watched some Beasty viddies- the hook there was the parody of Pompeii in one of their videos. This was but a stop, and back cross town was I, collecting Gf for the NITE.

The Ponies (Saturday, 11 August.3)

Wanted to see the Ponies, and a free show @ a street fest on Damen and Chicago seemed ideal. Dragons old gang territory. Have never seen them, or have any of their music, but like a lot of stuff that’s come to me, the Ponies came to me via That crowd. @ a cook out, Johnny Gunners and Kats old crib near the park, just sitting on the porch cookouting, and they Ponies were music+d up on the box. I remember asking Dragon “Listening to this shit? It‘s good.”. It was nice finally to see them in concert, and they were very good. It’s funny, but I have heard them only a few times on the cd, but some of their songs on that first LP were easily recognized---- and gotten into again. Really good. Scruffy band, like an early 90’s looking deal, and music to match- I’m trying to not use grunge-- but with, guess what, a nice beat. I’ve read they have had some changes etc, but I liked what I heard.
We also walked around the fair a bit. The suggested donation to get in was $5- a suggested donation. In the past, I haave never paid a suggested donation, but not brazenly. I’d find some unguarded spot, a low fence, a gangway not properly closed off. But w/ Gf………….…she paid. Didn’t stop me from checking out good weak points in the defenses. There was the possibility the next day that we’d go back to eat @ a good booth they had there, and it was agreed that we’d walk up a long untended alley for free entrance.
I always love a free entrance. We used to sneak into movies @ a certain movie theatre longtemps ago by using the fire exits. Did it a lot.

Sometimes more work is needed-and bravado. I used to be a serious high school basketball junkie. I’d end up going to 60-70 games a year for 4-5 years in the mid 90’s, follow all the stories, the news, saw all the keys teams and made sure I was @ special tournaments and match-ups.
For some games, I’d just flash my I.D., to get in, and the guards @ the door would think I had official business. @ other schools, I had to flash the I.D. while I had my camera in my hand-- I was playing the newspaper photographer. All to skip the $4-5 @ the door. Then again, I did go to 60-70 games a year.
And sometimes just luck was needed. Once there was a huge matchup in the SouthSubarbs, and I’d gotten use to going to a certin schools games. Well, this nite it was sold out, and I found my frustrated self stuck on the outside of the gym with 20 disappointed kids- until a sympathetic adult let us sneak in. I also played the adult - we had to move quickly and quietly so a security guard would not stop us, and the kids naturally accepted my “Lets go. And keep it quiet guys!” . All twenty did.
A final example was one of opportunity: a tournament @ a university, Dragon and I getting ready to pay our $10, when there- a rapidly closing door. A quick not-obvious-am-I-? reaction won the door open for us.

Ole!!

Lookee me!!

THE WAR OF JENKINS ERA

Fistacuffs / Friday.1

So there I was, standing, fists up, waiting for him to make the next move………

Went to my third job fair this summer looking for that j.o.b. It was @ Soldiers Field, and because I hate driving in the Loop @ that h., I decided to park near the El and take that in. Last week I’d gotten used to parking near the Western stop on the Midway line; but the drive @ rush back sucked, so I wanted that leg of the trip shortened on this day. Parked near a park/near the 95th terminal, and took that in.

Note to self: Next time on the El, just read.

Teenager came on and spat on the ground, and instinctively my face registered disgust. Mistake.
“What? What ? Fuck you , white trash. What are you gonna do? Fuck You!!”

Great, but I had to say “Shut up. I’m not interested.”

“Fuck you, I’m gonna kick yo’ ass, white trash.”

I maybe should have said something about that although I do come from a long line of country folk, my four degrees and interestes as diverse as architecture and the work of Marx maybe invalidated his claim to my class, but what came out was “Just be fucking quiet,man”

If this guy was ten times taller or whatever else, I probably would not have blathered on. But I realized that I had 40 lbs. on this guy and had been looking him in the eye the whole time, not giving my true fey nature away in the looming battle.

“I’m getting off @ 35th, and if your still on, I’m gonna beat your ass. Man, I’m gonna ………" on and on the whole ride down.

I wasn’t gonna respond anymore, just get ready to see if he was gonna go for it. He’d called out earlier to someone else on the El, trying to intimidate me into thinking there was more than one of him, but I got the feeling this guy was gonna be in it by himself. However, I’d read in a book on forts that dogs, when outnumbered, will fite from a corner- the easier to fend off many blows. So I determined to stand behind a seat, so @ least to give him/them less room to get @ me. Another preparation was to get my keys into my fist to make an ugly punching tool- classic self defense technique.

On came 47th, and he made a move up, mouthing @ me. He was by himself. I thought to put my self in the best fiting position, so I stood up, fists ready, looking @ him; warily attempting to look like wearily. All systems gay. And he left off the El. So, I get to pay the macho man- I was ready- but get to not have been in a fite.

Note to self: Next time on the El, just read.

I have been in dangerous spaces about the city before. The two worst were near the 95th terminal, and neither include that time there was a BOOM BOOM BOOM followed by three guys running straight by me in the station clutching their waistbands. Ish.

First one: there was a Harold’s two blocks away from the 95th terminal years back-gone now . Since sometimes my bus didn’t run out of the 95th terminal to my ‘hood for 20m or more, I often would run over to the Harolds, order some chicken, wait the 15m, then hop on my bus @ the stop rite outside the Harold’s. Once I had my hot chixx and was waiting for the #112 bus when a real scarey gangster looking dude walked into the Harolds to get his supper and was yelling @ me to better not be there when he got out. Stupidly, I waited………

……..till the #112 came, hopped on, and felt like a kool guy for holding my ground. I would have had the hell beaten out of me that nite, I know for sure.
And sometimes I back down.

Second one: My bus, the #112, stops running from the 95th station to my ‘hood between 0010h and 0400h. If it’s really late, I used to time my getting down to 95th to coincide with the first bus in the morning- what, being awake 430am is unnatural to me? So, I’ve spent a lot of 3.35am mornings waiting @ the 95th terminal.

One cold dark morning, a guy asked me for the horoscopes from my newspapers as I was standing rite outside the terminal. I told him I didn’t have them, or something in good faith like that, I can no longer remember, and he got angry @ me. As he walked away, I THEN snidely said something about Did he wish to read any of the other papers I was holding? He turned, swatted down the papers , and got in my face.

Note to self: Next time on the El, just read.

I immediately walked away into the terminal, putting up my hands and saying “allright, allright” . Any attempt to stand in these latter two situations would have resulted me being in big trouble. Todays wasn’t that bad, but anytime one has to ’fist up’it gets the blood going.

The job fair and after / Friday.2

The job fair was basically a bust. Only one hs was represented in libraries, but we’ll see. Also set out some resumes in grammar school boxes. I’d been called by one hs the day before, but as I write I haven’t been able to talk to them good. Was ok, though, ‘cause I got to see old people. People like me who lurk these fairs, trying to nail down a spot…..

Since I’m cheap and stupid, I decided this day to take the El up to our Russian frenz crib but sandwich in a 1.5m walk in the superblazing sun to save $1.75 El fare. Got that done, but I was wearing clothes that I was wearing to get hired in, not fight @ Al Alamein; nice pants, hard shoes, and a tie for chrissakes!! Luckily it never takes me seconds to strip down shirtless in this hostile type of environment, so with refills of water from friendly hoses on the way, I was able to get that done.

Black and Tan / Friday.3

There could be a major disturbance in the force. For longtemps I’ve been a cider drinking man. It was Rocky who turned me onto SOMETHING I CAN DRINK AT A BAR back beddy longtime when I was young and inexperienced and could only think to order coffee or soda pop or water when I was a bar with my frenz. It was @ Rainbo and it was about 1991 and it was a sip of his Woodpecker: voila I could drink with the best of them-well, not really, but finally @ least I finally could finally drink @ a bar like normal people- finally.

But as I age, fuck the fucking hangovers that fuck the fucking stomach the hangovers the next day fuck ….. fuck I can’t deal with that -- AND NOW the sickness invades the actual drinking process -- really, when I’m @ two pints, generally start to feel a little queasy. So, on this nite when Gf and I went out to Lanigans w/ Goodkixx late, my second drink was the half Guinness/ half cider called- “Black and Tan”?? Tastes good.

The name. Wiki says this:

Poor Man's Black Velvet - Guinness and cider in equal quantities. Also known as a Crown Float. Commonly known in America as a Snake Bite.

There is a problem. When poured rite, there is a real kool demarcation line betwixt the two ingredients- when poured rite. However, I ordered one once @ Rainbo, and it was a sloppy mixture. My guess is that I will have to be careful where to order it. But order it I will.

concerts / fin de semaine

Am going to see Ponies on Sat nite and Poste kids Sunday afternoon.

"Think I'm in trouble"

Stupid, stupid, stupid............had the song "letting go" in my head because of that fucking Emerick*, and then @ a god damn stop @ this fucking library yesterday made me borrow a book about........Paul*.......... And now I'm following Beatles Biographer and gonna get the scandelous book on John*. He said about the book that there's 'no turning back', but Oh, I feel like Letting Go...............When will it stop??
.............................................................................
*=no no no, they're dear frenz...

tyrant or cock block or just too much of a showoff...

Just completed the film camp @ Columbia College this afternoon. It was a four day class that was to teach us the ins and outs of video making and editing. Great !! Just loved it, and the best thing is is that i did it for the rite reasons: what I experienced this year @ Hilts H.S. was incredible, and this class is for my future eye of returning to the school and applying my learnings for the kids. I feel like a go-dooder, but c'est vrai. It's just that I haven't a school, and I'd made so many teacher connexions @ H.H.S., and they have a very vibrant arts program (remember my commercials??): when will I be able to use what I've learned for the syudents? It'll be great whenever I get a video camera (a nice one, w/ my non-bill making livestyle, would basically be free- like my car- but still I wait), but now that i've been trained on Mac- I'll have tom learn the windows version (I know, the exact same thing).

So, I made some enemies @ film camp. I got stuck with #21 and #22 for only one day. The next day we worked by ourselves in the a.m., and then I worked with other people in the p.m. I'd made damn sure I worked w/ my selve after my experience the day before, but for the p.m. assignment, I had to be a third in a group of 2 who'd worked to-gether in the a.m. The girl in the group asked me to join their group of 2, and bunched up a bannana fill oq questions @ me..........hmmmmmmmm.....I had no interest of course, but the boy fool got real mad @ me- even though he was married, I immediately felt he viewed me as The Cock Block. I just wanted to do my work and not be hit on by this woman, but the fool just hated that he was no longer the center of attention. I avoided him like the plague that he is (really felt bad for him).

Day three I got stuck with an old guy who left after 2h of filming. Since he brought his own camera, he didn't want me to touch it. He had some training on this and so was 'the expert', but he didn't know how to do anything. Good riddence.

I understand that I need to work on getting along with people. I do well w/ frenz but badly w/ family (unless they are older than 80 and younger than 22). I got along badly w/ that lady I was stuck with 2ya, and that lost me my job. Then again, the last two years I've gotten along tremendously with every co-workers-deep positive vibes- too bad my fellow media specialist @ H.H.S. wasn't in the class with me - but still. We always should grow.

I loved the class. hey, $400 too!! I'm tired* of Vito telling me about his weekend conference @ some ski resort here or there- it's about time I got a nice 'perk'. Now, one of therse days, I'll go on a business trip like Lazers or Moho. One of these days....
.......................................................................
*=Just an expression, don't worry

poster children for free !!

Say, J. and Crew are playing a FREE show Millinium Park this Sunday @ 4pm. I saw them a few weeks back and they rocked the room silly- how will they fare on the outdoor stage. It's @ 4pm, and i'm'a going.

Here is some info on the show.

oh, and...

...read my addendum to the trivia post from 3 august, below a bit.

Lecontre in the making

Presently @ lunch during a week long class that I've been taking. Real kool- I was my usual scared Sunday nite, being afraid of the new situation, but now I'm all kool. basically, the class is about using film for education- well, vidoe. I signed up 2m ago, but only found out i was eligible on friday.

I was scared that I'd be swamped in the class, but as it turns out I'm way ahead of the ball (or whatever the cliche is). Yesterday, we were supposed to break up into groups of four, except one of the people left the class. Then I was stuck with #21 and #22 of a group of 22- those of you who work in CPS know that against all the odds, #21's and #22's are all over the place. Luckily, by this point, I have 15+ years of dealing w/ those in education, so I dealt and got the group producing- though id'a rathered 50 3 years olds.

This day I made sure I worked by myself. I was really scared that #21 or #22 would want to piggyback on me again, but luckily I kept back while everyone paired up and it was an odd number. Back to the cinema.....

When to say when

Would be here...

One of thousands/ The Look on his face

Vito from cali

Vito and Darwina are in from Cali. I collected the two @ Midway Airport son los two in the morning and we battled our way to Arlington. I crashed @ the A. crib. I used to crash there a lot when Vito came back to visit- it seemed every time he flew back in from the West I’d crash that first nite he was home. Xmas break of 2004/5 I stayed 4 nites there- I remember having a great time; it broke me out of my daily bad funk I was in @ the time.
Got woken up by his screaming nieces and nephews way too early. Never gonna sleep, I gave up and hung w/ his sister, the kids, and the Vito’s. Not there was Mr. & Mrs. A. Kinda wanted to talk to Mr. A. about gardening. He’s gotta giant plot in the backyard, and its filled with lots of shit I don’t grow: squash, lettuce, even dandelion type plants. His string beans are arresting. I have ‘bush’ type bean where I cut off the beans when they reach 5-6 inches, his are ‘pole’ beans that hang from a type of trellis- these beans were one and a half feet long. His tomatoes are different than mine- mine aren’t giants, but they grow large. His are real small, and are ripening rite now. Plus the dude’s got figg trees, plum trees, apple trees, grape vines, etc…pretty impressive.

We left early ‘cause Vito and Darwina had Cubs tix, and had to be @ the Crankface’s for the game. I’d recently found and old cassette tape that Vito had made in ’93 or so, and we jammed that on the way into the city-stuff like Steve Dahl songs were on it.

Sandwich: I went to Fire game, and you can ead my thoughts over here

Collected Gf and off battling to the Loop. I felt bad because we were getting there so late; I dropped off Gf @ the door and looked for a space amongst the drifting after Lollapalooza crowd. There was a small crowd there: the Shipley’s, the English Patients‘, the Darwina’s, the Gf’s, plus Ian Curtis and Butter Berger. It was a very loose crowd- all of these boys need no excuse to cut crazy and every reason to…….well, they act crazy when they get to-gether in this context. Crank’d got a new camera, and Butter was playing with it all nite- she’s a great foto’er, so it was konsistently kool to see the results of her shooting. There was plenty to shoot- we dansed for a bit, playing old disco and new disco and National disco and some rock. Just start us dancing and soon Gallo is hoisting up people on his shoulders and wrestling begins. There was a particular picture w/ Gallo upside down on the floor w/ Vito. Shipley’s reported remark: “Oh, there’s hundreds of pictures of him like that”.

Left and home @ 4a.m.

the one where Stix leaves because Benky fucked up another final question and where he changes the rules again, am i pissed off?

Written by Stix
edited by Hilts
addendum by Hilts

Teams: Team Matt, AFC, Bar and J&B (Hilts, Chemical Man, Dragon,
Stix, Gf end of the 3rd quarter).

New limit of 3 in a row for correct answers.

1st half: News from today, Sports, Movies and Stars

Q: Bonds' July Batting avg within .020
Q: 2 Angels in top 10 of Batt avg

End of 1st half, J&B Up by 500, highlight shows tattoo on behalf of J&B.

2nd Half: some nice looking ladies join as team fab 5
Music Mix, Sports Mix, TV

Q: Spinoff of Bewitched?
Q: Cubs opening day 1996 LF?
Q: Citadel's nickname?

end of regulation:
Bar 2330, J&B 1910, Matt 1540, Fab5 1130, AFC 540

New rule for choice of final question, only 2 teams can play the same Q, Qs are NFL History, 1990s music,1990s TV.

Only worthwhile NFL question, this potential AFL city pulled out at the last minute and joined NFL in 1960.

1990s TV: 1998-99 #1 show not a comedy, game show host with #14 show for the year, Bony actress with top 25 sitcom (matt and fab 5 playing)

1990s Music: J&B and bar playing: REM song about Andy Kaufmann, 1996 song "Twisted" but who?, 1990 song "Hold on" by who?

Came down to the answer to this Q between bar and J*B.

Pat said in Q4 of the bar "they're a whining team,always have been"...and earlier said "the Bar and J*B are more alike then they think" after we both whined about him asking "sox record in 2005 playoff". DESERVEDLY.

TUNE in later Friday to see how Benky's fucked up final question fucked up J&B....am I pissed??


LATER FRIDAY

Answers:
Bonds .186
Angels top 10 batters: Vlad G and Chone Figgins
Bewitched: Tabitha
1996 Cub opening day LF: Luis Gonzalez
Citadel Bulldogs which nobody could ascertain from hangman

Final NFL--Minnesota

The Music final was Man on the Moon done by REM, 1996 Twisted by Keith Sweat and 1990 Hold On: Wilson Phillips.

The bar has all three right, though J&B's guess of Hold on by En Vogue ALSO is right.

Both songs peaked in the summer of 1990. I wasn't able to lodge a protest due to the noise of the place. At issue too is the fact that the Twisted and Hold On songs could easily be found by googling since Benky included their peak year(try it yourself), so they were not Bar internet proof, which Gf suspected earlier in the 4th quarter.....

When the Bar played Wilson Phillips on the jukebox right away, I had had enough for the evening.

And Hilts Adds...
It was a fun nite to be a trivadorista this nite. Our backagain hostess was looking great, as Glasses always does. She even first time played for our side when Gf had not arrived. The bar got real loud as the nite went on. I had a great joke about the team AFC==something that namechecked the NFC, but where the humour was I can't remember now. The funniest moment, perhaps of all rivia history*, was when a line of geotgeour chix single filed into T.C.'s all @ once: someone on Da Bar sang out ":here comes the LAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY-DDDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!". Wonderous. The last great thing was when we lost we got taunted big time by Da Bar. This is totally acceptable: we scream "HA HA" @ them, they scream "HA HA" @ us, and we both compete to be more obnoxious. This nite the final question, in which I take it that they won, i guess, on them getting it rite and us not, was about the Wilson Phillips song, "Hold on". As stated above, when Benky announced his answers and we had lost, Da Bar players immediately went to the juke box and blasted the song while 8-10 of them started to sing the song @ full volume while clapping their hands above their head-I guess the songs video. Well played, Bar.

*=well, maybe not

Yet another remake of the Nite of the Living Dead

Yes? Resemblence?

Emerick again

I haven’t been liking the Emerick, I’ve been nuts about it. I not putting it down until I’m finished--no wait, I am putting it down because I want it to last. I’m now @ point where the Beats are recording Abbey Road- soon its gone. I didn’t think I’d like the book this much, but I find myself once again checking out the DVD anthology to watch yet again. So much is interesting about this book. It provides a real insider look @ one section of the Beatles career- the most important, I guess- the studio. Emerick is not there for all the recordings, but eventually, since they prize him as engineer above all, he’s on most of their songs.

The characters he describes are well known: dour George, the drugged up White Album jamming till 4am and the engineers just wanting to go home, George Martin conniving to get more of the credit then Emerick feels he deserves, The craziness when Yoko arrives in the studio, etc…..

Like the events in Berlin, April 1945, I’m fascinated by the fall of the Beatles. I’m @ the period now where it’s just fights and bad feelings, and they way Emerick describes it: wow, it was a real shitty situation where they were old enough to go their own ways but not old enough to realise the great bond they had. As old men, I’m sure John would have joined the Anthology project

The book is also a refreshing change from the Beatle books I have read recently. I red that big Spita bio, and I thought it was great. But then I read maybe 5-6-7 other books, and except for Miles boi. of Paul, they all sorta rehashed old stuff. This book, while making reference to the rehashes, is directed towards a real insiders look @ how they made the songs in the studio, the experience of those days, and the personalities inside the studio. He really doesn’t write of them outside the studio except in passing, only what he knew.

And, as sorta stated when I last posted on this book, I also love the little incidents when Ewould meet the Bats outside the studio- there’s him with a date and John pops up nearby, or @ a party and there’s Lennon again. Just a very interesting book.

Big Clumpy Shoes

I overheard some hotchix on the telly/radio/street the other day laughing about how no women wear big clumy shoes while they are, eh, …………playing…………, only in the cinemas of ill repute. Instantly across my face, along with a deep red blush, spread a goodsmile because, actually, I know lots of women who have worn big clumpy shoes when………… So whatever, one of my nice niceties is for big clumpy shoes. Unlike some of the striking niceties of mine I can remember when this started.

There was an old girl; we parted, but much later we decided to hang out again. We hung out one very very hot summer nite, and it got so hot that eventually…… Anyway, for whatever reason of hers amidst the shedding and such going on that sweaty nite, she never took off the shoes she was wearing, big and clumpy and black. I was never the same.

Did she know what she was doing?

I’ve written this before, and I’ll write it again, but I finding my experience that girls love to wear just about whatever one wants them to wear. Bi clumpy shoes, for example. I mite be echoing the sexist language that my America has taught me to speak, but I think that since women are so trained by society to be beautiful for men and to please men, that when they know that you really really really like what they are wearing and how they look -that you REALLY like what they are wearing- they wear it when appropriate. It’s a real nice two way street: I guess that’s one of the marks of a relationship.

Big clumpy shoes…………………shame on me…………heh heh heh……………

I love Paris Hilton

Had an action packed day w/ Gf yesterday and by myself. Had an interview (see other)@ a hs, then gunned my way to the loop to collect Gf. She was having a class @ harold washington Lib., so we decided to make a day of it. I had to park about a mile away, but Gf understands my cheapness, so she's usually 101% cool w/ a mile walk (not always). But it was fookin' hot as hell, so it was a bit of a chore. But we went north, parked 'round 2600 n southport, and again hiked a great amount. We had tix to cubs game, and we wanted to eat and shop first. Wew ate @ the Chicken Hut on Belmont and Broadway- great baked chicken, tasty as hell, for cheap. Loved it for years, and it's one of the very few non 'two for one coupon' places we'd eaten @. I was gladf to turn her onto it. She also wanted one of my favourite LP's of all time for her lonesome: "Aftermath" by the Stones. We went to Reckless rite there, where no no no to da stones ( I was expecting "Aftermath" to be there, and I was laso gonna get bher "Between the Buttons"; hey, she 's interested in the shit, time to strike with that bands baddest shit--acc. to me, that is: ask Jackson or Code name Paul and it mite be "Black and Blue" ), but yes yes yes to "Murray Street" (still in a big Youth fase) and Yeah yeah yeahs LP.

We had planned to see "Paris, Je T'aime"), but since we were both terribly tired, we weren't in the mood. But its funny about the summer- since it was so hot, and we had 3h before the baseball game, we decided to air condition it in the theatre. It was a pretty good flick- maybe 20 short films , all on different aspects of the city. It wasn't perfect, but Im liked it a lot. Fun movie date for the couple.

Then we hiked the last mile.5 to Wrigley to see the Cubs (see link insert). Lon hot day, but great to spend it w/ her. We had fun.