23rd and Western, October 1982

The first shot is desolate, but you can see the second shot shows the same building. Cleaned up a bit once the new el line went through, but still not an area of hipsters. Mexican working class.The mjain building is Chicago PrintWorks, and in that parking lot, a girl named Quita McLean was killed while Dennis Cassady watched from the el platform. I wrote "Rapid Transit" for my final paper at UIC, its been reprinted seven times in four languages, even though it is a terrible story. C'mon, the first thing I wrote? But I finally got around to taking photos of my very first old haunt.

Cool Cars on My Corner, Thursday Night in July

Ed Reading the Arizona Republic: October, 1984

There's a story to this.

Just Before We Went to The Way Station

Buddy RIP

Buddy the Mitch, August 8th 2002-September 18th 2010

Buddy died at home this morning about 10 AM. I had him out at 2 AM, then we sat upstairs and watched College Confidential on TCM and I explained to him who Steve Allen was. See you around, my friend.

Judgment is Nigh!

While the train was stopped at Washington and Randolph, I was lined up with this guy on the building to the east.

Lake & Clinton

This is where the new RTA HQ is, and I had to go there to get my handicap pass replaced. Once again, I shall say that I am not racist in any way. And yet, aside from a Jewish man in a suit who had his wallet stolen, and was taken care of as quickly as I was when it was his turn, the rest of the ethnics in the room were straight off of a Jerry Springer episode. One guy yabbered on about needing his CTA Smartcard, which was in the mail, to be issued to him then and there because he was being evicted from the hotel they had mailed it to. This is where al;l the gentrification kicks in, mixing with the small industry. If I were on the Blue Line train and got off at Clinton, I would be a block away from the Greyhound terminal. I'm still thinking of going west from Clinton at street level, further west you'll see meatpacking and seafood plants. Nothing smells new, and rightfully so.

Drug Bust

Sweatshirt Time, Summer's Gone

Someone Deserves A Raise...

Canal Street Bridge & Skyline from the el

So I'm Walking Out of TJ Maxx...

after buying a replacement wallet. There were men laughing, then another man turned and laughed, as well. They were seeing something one by one, but I missed seeing who in the group matched up with whom. I had concentrated on their faces in the sun so much, I neglected to look where they were looking. All of a sudden it felt like someone had placed a drape over my right shoulder. And there this woman was. She kept pinballing from person to person and very soon an ambulance took her away. And I later saw the Banana Woman--she will either take money OR bananas--and then a closing shot from the elevated train.

Subway Blurs, Elevated Blurs

Downtown Monday Night

These are all shots from a few nights back.  It was still in the 80s and I thought some walking around was in order. The lighted building is CNA Plaza, the red building you often see in postcards of Chicago. Where I was standing is what would have been Zeigfield Court before CNA was built. The Orange Line el is passing at the bottom, but its hard to tell. The others are from the intersection of State & Van Buren.

And Who The Hell is Earl?

Mike Sterling and others of his ilk have started a blog listing the best of the best comments to certain Yahoo news articles. It is time to show this to the world...

Wednesday, September 1, 2010
“When has science ever discovered something coming from nothing? Why not believe Scientology? Isnt that science as well?”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100831/sc_afp/sciencepaleontologydinosaurs
Posted at 7:11 PM Permalink ∞
“Evolution is not a proven fact since there is nothing that proves changing of species. For instance no half reptile half bird fossils. So until there is 100% proof of evolution dont judge christians. The bible mentions things that science has only recently discovered. How come the bible mentions that the world was round when at that time most people that the earth rested on an animal? How come underwater springs were mentioned in the bible but science didnt confirm that as fact until 1977?”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100831/sc_afp/sciencepaleontologydinosaurs
Posted at 7:11 PM 1 note Permalink ∞
“The first real death from GLOBAL WARMING…..Thank you AL GORE !!!!!!!!! Liberalism is a mental disorder…………”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_discovery_channel_gunman
Posted at 7:06 PM Permalink ∞
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
“geo engeinerring is geno-cide killing us off, ive done a two year long study on this, known as chemtrials spraying all over the world, and guess who is is one of the ones funding this, microsofts bill gate , he is working with the illuminatti to change the climate, people voice agains this protest at the whitehouse, tell your family, your church, your friends”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100831/sc_yblog_upshot/noted-anti-global-warming-scientist-reverses-course
Posted at 7:24 PM Permalink ∞
“I love how its a parents right to choose when it comes to sucking a baby out of the womb with a friggin vacuum, but somebody wants to pray over their baby, and all of a sudden its “oh that poooor innocent baby.” Give me a break, if a parent wants to practice their religion freely in this country then let them. Every baby thats prayed over aint dying.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100830/ap_on_re_us/us_faith_healing_plea
Posted at 12:04 AM Permalink ∞
“

Dear Earl,

Please steer clear of New Orleans. America does not want to listen to another round of ignant bafoons yammering on about how they didn’t get the help they deserved….Hey Kanye…blow me.
”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100831/ap_on_re_us/tropical_weather
Posted at 12:02 AM Permalink ∞
Monday, August 30, 2010
“If I can be serious, this man is an artist, and with women ruining figure drawing, what else is left for men? Hiking? Biking? Men need to do something ahead of women! women will follow, but a man is the leader! Women shouldn’t think they can surpass men because that going to kill our ego and if i don’t have my ego im going to start climbing!”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100830/ap_on_re_as/as_australia_skyscraper_climber
Posted at 12:04 AM Permalink ∞
“…the bible says the antichrist will not be circumcised and the gay man who had an affair with obama swears he is not circumcised—hes evil—and Henry Kissenger said that the bilderbergs have groomed obama to bring about the new world order and it will start to emerge by 2011—Hes the antichrist-but their will be some kind of head wound first then he will become possesed then anyone not following JESUS will be sent a strong delusion to follow obama…”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_religion
Posted at 12:03 AM Permalink ∞
Sunday, August 29, 2010
“

Racism is good. Racism promotes competition, which in turn promotes excellence.

Racism is biological, a way a species has to improve itself. Just ask yourself: who are your best friends? With whom you identify in movies? Whose history you care about? What sort of people make you feel the most comfortable?

All that is programmed in our genome. We can try to be hypocritical, but we cannot deceive ourselves. That is the way it’s meant to be, so we help our own to achieve higher and higher goals. Our competition and the hatred fueling it are good, a positive thing for the species as a whole.
”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100829/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_katrina
Posted at 11:10 AM Permalink ∞
“The internet is a fad. It is already starting to phase out. More people are using cell phones which when people realize are bad for their health and are a waste of money those will be phased out too.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100829/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_britain_dictionary_s_demise

Friends & Faces, End of Summer 2010

Well, evidently I am typing this and just can't see how it will turn out. Let's go from the top. There's Jimmy, then Emmet. Jimmy again.I don't even care for the white lady, she has a puppy with her and I've seen her for months. Serious BS with her. Not making a big effort there, homeless or not. The one lady with that knot on her hair?  I saw her from the back as I was coming up the subway steps, but she turned and  just looked out of it, like she simply had a joyless job and existence. The big black dude was walking by near the puppy lay, muttering at everyone. Across the street from the puppy lady was the woman with the pink baasket, her name is Magda.  We talked for a long time and I gave her five dollars and she wanted to kiss me. I told her, no, you gave me good company. That last photo I love, I took it as I was walking down the stepsa, barely stopping. The way the girl in the billboard is starring at the dude, I hadn't even noticed the billboard.