Notes from the Post-it Wall — Week of June 3, 2018
The best way to get a feel for a city you’re visiting is to walk it. Pick a destination without a timetable and walk. Duck in to things you find worth ducking into. Read commemorative plaques. Do something touristy but do as the locals do, too. Just do it while walking. Unless it’s cold or rainy. Then run.
Noble X — Episode 1: Cowardice & Heartbreak
It was his personal winter of discontent. The New Great Depression was on the horizon and just over that, the New Renaissance awaited. John was on the brink.
American Shithole #19 — 500 Days of Bummer
Healthier people are unfortunately happier people; and happy people don’t fear the bogeyman. For obscene wealth inequality to work, billionaires need lots of bogeymen — and of course, lots of terrified poor people.
Cake Decorator: Artist or Specialist Retailer?
What professions are or aren’t due the full freedom of artistic expression?
The Minutes of Our Last Meeting – Masterpiece Cakeshop Employee Meeting
Jack: I don’t hate gay people. I just, as per my religion, don’t think they should marry. I have no problem with gay people being gay and doing lots of things that normal people do. It’s like when a monkey wears a hat and pretends to be talking and acting like a human. I think it’s cute. But I also don’t think monkeys should marry.
Why Worry When You can Sail or do Whatever Makes You Happy
And I realize that not everyone is as fortunate or privileged as I am. Not everyone has a Boat Rich daddy. But everyone should find the thing that gives them the kind of calm joy sailing gives me. It doesn’t matter what it is.
The Most Beautiful Thing Anyone Had Ever Heard
The city is a giant fishbowl of sound.
I Believe… [A Cake By Any Other Frosting]
…that there's a reason that the wealthy are most often portrayed as the villains in popular culture and it isn't envy. It's reality. If your motivations in life are a soup of individualism, competition, and materialism you are the villain.
Fat Louie the Butcher
Fat Louie the butcher had thick arms. Short and covered with hair. A bloody apron draped over his barrel chest.
#MyChicagoBookstore Adventures on Independent Bookstore Day, Part 3
I swear I do not binge-shop all the time. But in a sense it’s a good thing, because it means I found a lot of books that were interesting to me. It’s good to be interested in something. Also, they have super good deals and discounts at Open Books. And their sales support their literacy programs.
#MyChicagoBookstore Adventures on Independent Bookstore Day — Part 2
Usually I wouldn’t spend so much time and money on a shopping spree. I don’t usually go on shopping sprees at all. But how much do sports tickets cost? How much do poets make compared to people who play on professional sports teams? With all the people supporting sports and bars and sports bars, maybe it’s alright that I spent a little on books in bookstores. Maybe poetry needs its fans to give it some love and team spirit like those other sports get.
Notes from the Post-it Wall — Week of May 28, 2018
Samantha Bee calling Ivanka Trump a cunt is not funny. That’s because it’s not a joke. I never thought Samantha Bee was all that great at telling jokes anyhow. But it is totally reasonable to call Ivanka Trump a cunt. Bee shouldn’t have apologized. Saying sorry because Big Viacom said to do so is a real cunty thing to do.
#MyChicagoBookstore Adventures on Independent Bookstore Day — Part 1
I bought my books, after pulling out a random piece of paper with the amount of the discount I would get. I got my #MyChicagoBookstore passport and got that stamped. Of course I brought my own bags to wrap and carry my books in. I took a moment to get myself get organized and think about my plan of attack and then left Volumes to walk to my next destination.
American Shithole #18 — Moving and the Traveling Salesman
I’d love to spare some time this week for Trump’s on-again, off-again (just kiss him already!) love affair with Li’l Kim, or the 1,475 missing migrant children lost due to inhumane policy changes at the DOJ, or whatever else tops the news from now until Thursday in the maelstrom of bile and garbage that is Washington, but I’ve been distracted by my own triumvirate — a difficult household move, an incompetent painting crew, and a door-to-door salesman whose life must’ve depended on selling just one more security package.
If 5 Million Immigrants Successfully Voted Illegally...
Statistics demands some must have been turned away. In Japan, 14,000 people die getting in and out of the bathtub, and in this country millions of people vote illegally without fail? There should be a mountain of data of all of the people who tried and were caught.
The Minutes of Our Last Meeting – Emergency Meeting of the Ambien Marketing Department
Our hashtag #Ambien is trending. That hasn’t happened in forever. Even when the whole department did the ALS challenge while on Ambien.
Picking at Scabs Prevents Any Sort of Healing
I was never the bully that Johnny was and I was never the weak nerd that Daniel was but the amalgam of the two finds some sort of psychic purchase in my own assessment of self.
I Believe… [Black Lives Matter But Not More Than Football]
...that the simple answer is to not watch the NFL anymore. Yes, that would require so many to give up spectating a sport that exemplifies almost everything wrong with Americans in general (except for the sloth part): male, domestic abusing, drug addicts beating the shit out of each other for points and million dollar salaries.
America is a Teenager
The thing about these “new” societies is that they are “young” societies. Not children, necessarily. Children are fun and challenging but most people are cool with kids. It’s when these societies become “teenagers” that you have to watch them. When a teenager has too much control of a room full of adults, then you have a problem.
America is that teenager.
Jake and Caroline’s first date was at The Whistler. They talked about Ronnie, how much they loved The Diplomat, and debated the better ride-share service, Uber or Lyft. She was Uber, he was Lyft. They got wasted on Sazeracs and had sex at her apartment. It was incredible for both of them. Caroline stopped taking sex advice from Ronnie.