Sometimes I think I am the only one in the country who is paying attention. Isn't anyone else deeply concerned by the fact that we truly have become a fascist state? Its legal to wiretap American citizens phones with almost no judicial oversight. We have abandoned the Geneva Convention and ignore the human rights of all of our detainees.
Basically, we are no longer the "good guys." We are the axis of evil. We are the cause of the problems in the world. I just feel like I am shouting into an empty room, or to a room full of zombies because no one else cares enough to look into this.
From our treatment of the anthrax suspect, who is clearly not guilty and was probably murdered by our government: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/04/anthrax/index.html.
To the horrific things our government is doing to protect our "liberty": http://www.salon.com/src/pass/sitepass/spon/sitepass_website_refresh.html
To the way we treat immigrants and detainees: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/nyregion/13detain.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5070&en=77bb5a81d2b72cd7&ex=1219291200&adxnnl=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1218729625-oD4FmOH9CKqCMKKByYYlVA
We live in a police state, but we are all too comfortable with our cable tv, nice cars and pretty houses to care. We have become sheep, and the government is clearly herding us to our collective death (or at the least detainment)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Today, it begins...
I am going to start writing the material for a class I think should be mandatory for anyone who wants to move to a city, ever, or even visit a city really. I could even give it a pretty name, like "City Life 101." If that were the case, this would be
Lesson #1: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Ok, so we all have to get places and it is far too expensive to drive your car anywhere in the city, but particularly to work. Which means that the vast majority of us will have to be on the train between 7-9am and again between 4 - 6pm. Well, this is called rush hour. Here are a few Do's and Don'ts so that I don't have to kill you:
1) There is no legitimate reason to have children on public transportation during rush hour. There just isn't. They will get squished, and possibly trampled. Not to mention that they will always walk too slow and get in everyone's way. Its just safer to keep them off until non-peak times.
An important corollary to this, that should never have to be told to anyone but apparently does, your stroller is not welcome on the train/bus/whatever during normal hours, but it is DEFINITELY not welcome during rush hour. Leave it at home. Same goes for your bike during rush hour, but these people tend to be more considerate (and realistic).
2) When entering the bus you enter from front and exit from the back. There is actually a logical reason for this: traffic flow. This way, people can get out, while people are getting on and then things can move much more quickly. What an amazing concept!
Once you have entered, walk ALL THE WAY to the back. Unless your stop is the very next one (and in which case, why are you on the bus?? No wonder Americans are fat!) you should be as far back as you can possibly get. Let EVERYONE get on...it's good karma.
3) When exiting a train station, walk on the left, stand on the right. SOOO simple. DO NOT block people who are later than you by being the asshole who stands on the left side of the escalator while everyone behind you taps their feet and considers shoving you into those pointy things at the top. Seriously, if you want to stand -- be on the right. NEVER EVER NO MATTER WHAT stand two across. This is the ultimate sin. If you have a kid, they go in front and you go on the right. ALL THE TIME.
4) Pregnant women and old people have priority for the seats. ALWAYS. Just get your fat, lazy ass up. Seriously. I'm looking at you men of Chicago... I am ALWAYS getting up for an older or pregnant woman when I see young men all around me too wrapped up in their blackberries and iPods to notice (or they are just jerks).
5) Which brings me to iPod/Blackberry/Cell Phone Use on public transportation. Its inevitable, and I know it. I would never be crazy enough to suggest that you not do it. Just do it respectfully. Your cell phone conversation should be held at the lowest possible decibel and be as short as possible. If your iPod is on, chances are NO ONE wants to hear your music. Keep it to a reasonable level -- I know the train is loud and people are screaming into their phones, but that doesn't mean that you have to be rude too. And finally, when climbing stairs, entering or exiting a train/bus or station please pay attention and not play with your personal electronic device.
6) Your luggage. Yes, we in Chicago are unusually blessed to have trains that go to both of our major airports. That is not free license to carry your entire wardrobe with you on the train. I know you are poor, and taxis cost way too much. But so does too much baggage! Just cut down the shit you are carrying and it'll all be OK. The maximum allowable luggage for a train: 1 rolling or duffel bag per person. And I am not talking about one of the GIANT HOUSE SIZED pieces of luggage we all see, but those reasonable, small to medium sized bags. If you have more than that, you were rich (stupid) enough to pay the baggage fees then you can afford to take a cab and save the rest of us.
I'm sure there is much, much more I could say on this topic, but its just the first lesson. So, I'll save some for later.
Lesson #1: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Ok, so we all have to get places and it is far too expensive to drive your car anywhere in the city, but particularly to work. Which means that the vast majority of us will have to be on the train between 7-9am and again between 4 - 6pm. Well, this is called rush hour. Here are a few Do's and Don'ts so that I don't have to kill you:
1) There is no legitimate reason to have children on public transportation during rush hour. There just isn't. They will get squished, and possibly trampled. Not to mention that they will always walk too slow and get in everyone's way. Its just safer to keep them off until non-peak times.
An important corollary to this, that should never have to be told to anyone but apparently does, your stroller is not welcome on the train/bus/whatever during normal hours, but it is DEFINITELY not welcome during rush hour. Leave it at home. Same goes for your bike during rush hour, but these people tend to be more considerate (and realistic).
2) When entering the bus you enter from front and exit from the back. There is actually a logical reason for this: traffic flow. This way, people can get out, while people are getting on and then things can move much more quickly. What an amazing concept!
Once you have entered, walk ALL THE WAY to the back. Unless your stop is the very next one (and in which case, why are you on the bus?? No wonder Americans are fat!) you should be as far back as you can possibly get. Let EVERYONE get on...it's good karma.
3) When exiting a train station, walk on the left, stand on the right. SOOO simple. DO NOT block people who are later than you by being the asshole who stands on the left side of the escalator while everyone behind you taps their feet and considers shoving you into those pointy things at the top. Seriously, if you want to stand -- be on the right. NEVER EVER NO MATTER WHAT stand two across. This is the ultimate sin. If you have a kid, they go in front and you go on the right. ALL THE TIME.
4) Pregnant women and old people have priority for the seats. ALWAYS. Just get your fat, lazy ass up. Seriously. I'm looking at you men of Chicago... I am ALWAYS getting up for an older or pregnant woman when I see young men all around me too wrapped up in their blackberries and iPods to notice (or they are just jerks).
5) Which brings me to iPod/Blackberry/Cell Phone Use on public transportation. Its inevitable, and I know it. I would never be crazy enough to suggest that you not do it. Just do it respectfully. Your cell phone conversation should be held at the lowest possible decibel and be as short as possible. If your iPod is on, chances are NO ONE wants to hear your music. Keep it to a reasonable level -- I know the train is loud and people are screaming into their phones, but that doesn't mean that you have to be rude too. And finally, when climbing stairs, entering or exiting a train/bus or station please pay attention and not play with your personal electronic device.
6) Your luggage. Yes, we in Chicago are unusually blessed to have trains that go to both of our major airports. That is not free license to carry your entire wardrobe with you on the train. I know you are poor, and taxis cost way too much. But so does too much baggage! Just cut down the shit you are carrying and it'll all be OK. The maximum allowable luggage for a train: 1 rolling or duffel bag per person. And I am not talking about one of the GIANT HOUSE SIZED pieces of luggage we all see, but those reasonable, small to medium sized bags. If you have more than that, you were rich (stupid) enough to pay the baggage fees then you can afford to take a cab and save the rest of us.
I'm sure there is much, much more I could say on this topic, but its just the first lesson. So, I'll save some for later.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
I get more and more important everyday...
So, instead of boring you with tales of how INCREDIBLY AMAZING AND BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS Rage Against the Machine was or how Kanye West literally lit up the city with his charisma (and arrogance) -- even if his music is kind of lame -- I want to remind everyone of the reasons we go to music festivals.
Music Festivals, such as Lollapalooza, are a community. They are somewhat like church for the hippie/heathen crowd. You go to create a fellowship of sorts with your fellow concert goers -- to bond over the heat, the amazing music and your desperation for water. Maybe you share some of you wine, or the candy you snuck in because in the end, we are all one big happy Lolla family.
I feel the need to do this because of two very unnerving incidents I saw at Lolla this year that were totally counter to the spirit that ought to pervade this type of event.
The first time something happened I was sitting with my roommate watching Lupe Fiasco (who was incendiary, btw) when she noticed a phone randomly in front of us. I picked it up and began asking around us to see if it belonged to anyone. Finally I asked the guys in front of us if it was theirs. They said no, but asked to see it. I assumed they had a reason for asking for it, and offered it to them. They grabbed it and started playing with and then passing it around. I figured they were going to call the last call on the phone and try to return it. I mean, that's what I would have done. Then I noticed them pocket the phone and get up to walk away. I was completely shocked. I never even considered the possibility that they intended to steal the phone. Maybe they brought it to lost and found? I doubt it though. I just wish I had not given it to them, or asked for it back after a little while, or even stopped them when they walked away because that is not acceptable behavior.
The next incident was an even more egregious ethical lapse. At the Flogging Molly show (which ROCKED MY SOCKS OFF) on Sunday someone grabbed a kids hat and threw it up in the air. The crowd was batting it around as the guy ran after it trying to get it back. It was a brand new cubs cap. The woman next to me grabbed it when it bounced by her and swiftly put it in her bag. I witnessed all this, so when the guy came walking by asking if anyone had seen his cubs cap I said, "That woman has it. She just stuck it in her bag," and pointed right at her. I had to repeat it several times to get his attention and the woman just kept standing there looking smug. He asked her if she had it, and she denied he. He gave up at that point (maybe to avoid a fight? I'll never know). I was aghast.
Talk about lacking in character! To steal a fellow Flogging Molly fan's hat and then lie about stealing it? A new low for concert goers everywhere.
Music Festivals, such as Lollapalooza, are a community. They are somewhat like church for the hippie/heathen crowd. You go to create a fellowship of sorts with your fellow concert goers -- to bond over the heat, the amazing music and your desperation for water. Maybe you share some of you wine, or the candy you snuck in because in the end, we are all one big happy Lolla family.
I feel the need to do this because of two very unnerving incidents I saw at Lolla this year that were totally counter to the spirit that ought to pervade this type of event.
The first time something happened I was sitting with my roommate watching Lupe Fiasco (who was incendiary, btw) when she noticed a phone randomly in front of us. I picked it up and began asking around us to see if it belonged to anyone. Finally I asked the guys in front of us if it was theirs. They said no, but asked to see it. I assumed they had a reason for asking for it, and offered it to them. They grabbed it and started playing with and then passing it around. I figured they were going to call the last call on the phone and try to return it. I mean, that's what I would have done. Then I noticed them pocket the phone and get up to walk away. I was completely shocked. I never even considered the possibility that they intended to steal the phone. Maybe they brought it to lost and found? I doubt it though. I just wish I had not given it to them, or asked for it back after a little while, or even stopped them when they walked away because that is not acceptable behavior.
The next incident was an even more egregious ethical lapse. At the Flogging Molly show (which ROCKED MY SOCKS OFF) on Sunday someone grabbed a kids hat and threw it up in the air. The crowd was batting it around as the guy ran after it trying to get it back. It was a brand new cubs cap. The woman next to me grabbed it when it bounced by her and swiftly put it in her bag. I witnessed all this, so when the guy came walking by asking if anyone had seen his cubs cap I said, "That woman has it. She just stuck it in her bag," and pointed right at her. I had to repeat it several times to get his attention and the woman just kept standing there looking smug. He asked her if she had it, and she denied he. He gave up at that point (maybe to avoid a fight? I'll never know). I was aghast.
Talk about lacking in character! To steal a fellow Flogging Molly fan's hat and then lie about stealing it? A new low for concert goers everywhere.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Its the first weekend in August
Which means that its LOLLAPALOOZA! Whoo hoo. So, the music is honestly not that good this year, except for the main acts, but who can resist 3 days of laying the sun, getting a tan, eating junk food and seeing lots of other half naked people while appreciating good music and the city of Chicago as a backdrop?
NOT ME!
My roomie and I are going together for the first time this year! Which is super exciting. I'm going to see Radiohead, RATM, Kanye, Flogging Molly, DJ AM and a few others... who are you seeing?
NOT ME!
My roomie and I are going together for the first time this year! Which is super exciting. I'm going to see Radiohead, RATM, Kanye, Flogging Molly, DJ AM and a few others... who are you seeing?
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