I never planned to become a home owner -- it just sort of happened. But it's good to live indoors, and rents are going to keep going up.
Here's two walkthrough videos of our wonderful new space in Chicago. First, right after closing, and next, about a month later after we've gotten some furniture in place.
Showing posts with label chicago. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicago. Show all posts
Impossible Sliders: Try 'em!
My wife and I are road tripping around the country with our dog. I am so tired of driving and ready to be back home, but that's another story for another time.
Hidden Gourmet Treasures Await You at Twisted Tapas
Hey, look! It's our favorite restaurant, Twisted Tapas in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, getting a fine write-up over on the ChitownConnections blog. Check it out!
Kate Harding is one of Newcity's Lit 50
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| Kate Harding Photo: Joe Mazza/BraveLux |
Fun fact: Some people have a thing about the number 47. Including trumpeter Steve Kenny, who randomly ended up as #47 on a poster of jazz musicians that me and another guy put together back in 1999. I helped to configure the print layout and it was probably my pen that happened to assign him number 47 as we labeled all of the musicians. I had no idea that Steve was previously a fan of the number 47 prior to this. My wife and Steve will now have something to talk about if they ever meet.
Time For Something New
Last night, I attended a community meeting regarding whether or not the community supports lifting the packaged liquor store license moratorium in a specific area right around the corner from our home.
It was loud and long. As reported by Benjamin Woodard, over 100 people attended. My wife, our next door neighbor and our upstairs neighbors joined me as well.
The meeting degenerated into a forum questioning the right of the owner of 6800 North Sheridan (represented by MARC Realty) to decline to renew the lease of the liquor store currently in that building, called Isam's. The store's owner Sam Sadaqa really rallied the troops for this one. Nearly every person who stood up to speak expressed their displeasure that the current liquor store is closing.
The problem is, though, is that Isam's is done, regardless. The landlord indicated that lease negotiations fell through and thus, Isam's will be leaving the building irrespective of any other action taken or not taken. Meaning, the choices before the community are basically, do you want a new liquor store or no liquor store. This was lost on the crowd.
A number of people were trying to defend this store as being a useful source of food for the community. Sorry, but I strongly disagree with that. As my wife pointed out, the store has long been dirty and run down inside. It's been that way the entire time we've lived around the corner from it. And regardless of claims to the contrary, Isam's isn't really a place where you would want to buy food. As this Yelp reviewer states, "The "food" bit of Isam's Food & Liquor is non-existent, or should be. You don't want to touch those dusty groceries." The inside of this store hasn't seen a fresh vegetable in years, and I'd be afraid to buy even a frozen pizza here. Bad food options are plentiful nearby. There's a 7-11 across the street, and there's Sonny's just up the street. But there are better choices very nearby as well. The wonderful Morse Fresh Market is only a few blocks away -- I walk up there all the time to pick up vegetables and other staples. (And I'm not some food snob -- ask my wife. Our shopping is primarily split between Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Morse Fresh Market. I don't have a lot of extra grocery dollars to throw around.)
So, let's forget about the food. What about the liquor? This Yelp reviewer has it right, they have the world's largest crappy wine selection, and by the way, almost all of the bottles are dusty. Got a friend coming by, and you want to pick up a nice bottle of bourbon? Sorry, they've only got Jim Beam. And what's up with beer prices? This Yelp reviewer echoes what I've heard from a few different prices: Beer prices there are variable and/or higher than average.
I'd already given up on the store, myself. We jump in the car or jump on the bus and go somewhere else when we want to restock, because the quality and selection at Isam's just hasn't ever been that great. (Unless you're looking for half pints, which the store has in abundance.)
So, it's time for something else, and that's why I voiced my support for removing the package store moratorium, allowing the building owners to proceed with leasing part of the space to Pradeep Patel, who says he will be opening a more upscale liquor store, similar to his "Red Violin" liquor store, elsewhere in the neighborhood. That store opened over some vocal community opposition, but has gotten positive reviews. A commenter on that DNAInfo article explained, "I've been to this liquor store and despite the many objections by the local tee-totalers, it's actually a nice shop!" Another agreed. "This is a luxury goods store, not some corner crime magnet." That echoes my experience as well. I've been in to Red Violin on two different occasions and I liked what I saw. (I haven't been there more often as it's not geographically convenient for me.)
Here's to hoping that Mr. Patel gets a chance to apply for a packaged goods license at that location. If not, let the space empty out and give the building owner an opportunity to clean it up and lease it out to someone else. The building owner and management have done great work improving the rest of the commercial spaces (and attracting interesting tenants like SP Kebab and Ciao Bella Cafe). I hope that trend continues.
It was loud and long. As reported by Benjamin Woodard, over 100 people attended. My wife, our next door neighbor and our upstairs neighbors joined me as well.
The meeting degenerated into a forum questioning the right of the owner of 6800 North Sheridan (represented by MARC Realty) to decline to renew the lease of the liquor store currently in that building, called Isam's. The store's owner Sam Sadaqa really rallied the troops for this one. Nearly every person who stood up to speak expressed their displeasure that the current liquor store is closing.
The problem is, though, is that Isam's is done, regardless. The landlord indicated that lease negotiations fell through and thus, Isam's will be leaving the building irrespective of any other action taken or not taken. Meaning, the choices before the community are basically, do you want a new liquor store or no liquor store. This was lost on the crowd.
A number of people were trying to defend this store as being a useful source of food for the community. Sorry, but I strongly disagree with that. As my wife pointed out, the store has long been dirty and run down inside. It's been that way the entire time we've lived around the corner from it. And regardless of claims to the contrary, Isam's isn't really a place where you would want to buy food. As this Yelp reviewer states, "The "food" bit of Isam's Food & Liquor is non-existent, or should be. You don't want to touch those dusty groceries." The inside of this store hasn't seen a fresh vegetable in years, and I'd be afraid to buy even a frozen pizza here. Bad food options are plentiful nearby. There's a 7-11 across the street, and there's Sonny's just up the street. But there are better choices very nearby as well. The wonderful Morse Fresh Market is only a few blocks away -- I walk up there all the time to pick up vegetables and other staples. (And I'm not some food snob -- ask my wife. Our shopping is primarily split between Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Morse Fresh Market. I don't have a lot of extra grocery dollars to throw around.)
So, let's forget about the food. What about the liquor? This Yelp reviewer has it right, they have the world's largest crappy wine selection, and by the way, almost all of the bottles are dusty. Got a friend coming by, and you want to pick up a nice bottle of bourbon? Sorry, they've only got Jim Beam. And what's up with beer prices? This Yelp reviewer echoes what I've heard from a few different prices: Beer prices there are variable and/or higher than average.
I'd already given up on the store, myself. We jump in the car or jump on the bus and go somewhere else when we want to restock, because the quality and selection at Isam's just hasn't ever been that great. (Unless you're looking for half pints, which the store has in abundance.)
So, it's time for something else, and that's why I voiced my support for removing the package store moratorium, allowing the building owners to proceed with leasing part of the space to Pradeep Patel, who says he will be opening a more upscale liquor store, similar to his "Red Violin" liquor store, elsewhere in the neighborhood. That store opened over some vocal community opposition, but has gotten positive reviews. A commenter on that DNAInfo article explained, "I've been to this liquor store and despite the many objections by the local tee-totalers, it's actually a nice shop!" Another agreed. "This is a luxury goods store, not some corner crime magnet." That echoes my experience as well. I've been in to Red Violin on two different occasions and I liked what I saw. (I haven't been there more often as it's not geographically convenient for me.)
Here's to hoping that Mr. Patel gets a chance to apply for a packaged goods license at that location. If not, let the space empty out and give the building owner an opportunity to clean it up and lease it out to someone else. The building owner and management have done great work improving the rest of the commercial spaces (and attracting interesting tenants like SP Kebab and Ciao Bella Cafe). I hope that trend continues.
Dog Park in Rogers Park
Did you know that Rogers Park has a dog park? The Pottawattomie Park DFA (Dog Friendly Area) can be found at the far northeast corner of Pottawattomie Park near Clark and Rogers in Rogers Park. It's a bit hidden -- but don't be discouraged. If you're parking in the lot for the park, you'll want to come all the way back from the parking lot, to the far north end of the park, where you'll find the dog park area. It's just west of the Metra tracks. It's closer to Birchwood than to Rogers.
If you have a dog and live in Rogers Park, I hope you'll come check out the dog park! It's been open for almost a year now and it's never very busy there.
For more information about the Rogers Park dog park at Pottawattomie Park, check out the PPDFA website.
Please tell your friends! And please link to the dog park website from your website, if you're able. It'll help make it easier for other neighbors to find information about the dog park.
If you have a dog and live in Rogers Park, I hope you'll come check out the dog park! It's been open for almost a year now and it's never very busy there.
For more information about the Rogers Park dog park at Pottawattomie Park, check out the PPDFA website.
Please tell your friends! And please link to the dog park website from your website, if you're able. It'll help make it easier for other neighbors to find information about the dog park.
Bad Dog Owner
Hey neighbors, watch out for this guy:
His dog killed another dog at Montrose Beach on March 17th, and he ran away instead of dealing with it. If I see him, I'm going to call the cops on him.
More info here and here.
This is a sad situation. And for anybody who would want to say anything about either dog or what somebody should or shouldn't have done differently; that's beside the point. The point is that this guy ran from the scene. And that is flat-out wrong of him.
Update: The guy has been identified as a Chicago police officer. What the hell was this guy thinking, that he could just walk away and that nobody would ever find him again?
His dog killed another dog at Montrose Beach on March 17th, and he ran away instead of dealing with it. If I see him, I'm going to call the cops on him.
More info here and here.
This is a sad situation. And for anybody who would want to say anything about either dog or what somebody should or shouldn't have done differently; that's beside the point. The point is that this guy ran from the scene. And that is flat-out wrong of him.
Update: The guy has been identified as a Chicago police officer. What the hell was this guy thinking, that he could just walk away and that nobody would ever find him again?
My Rogers Park office was nice...
...but the view from my new office downtown is nothing to complain about!
Home Reserve Furniture: I'm happy.
There were a lot of pieces of strand board to assemble. It's a bit rough around the edges (literally), meaning there was a fair amount of sawdust to clean up when we were all done. It's not very easy to pull the fabric over the finished frame -- that took a lot of grunting and swearing. A few of the bolt and screw holes weren't drilled all the way through, but that was easily enough dealt with.
One lesson I learned (that I wish somebody had told me before purchasing) is that a stripy fabric like this makes it very obvious when you don't have the fabric positioned perfectly. That will be an ongoing project to wiggle bits into exactly the right place, I think. Also, there is NO WAY you could assemble this without a power screwdriver -- it would take about a million years to put all the screws in. With a power screwdriver, assembly took just about two hours.
There are a lot of people asking online if Home Reserve furniture is nice, so allow me to add my voice to the chorus: On day one, after assembly, we're very happy, and I'm already thinking about buying another chair and an ottoman. It's average sized, seems comfortable, and seems entirely as-advertised. It is not as squishy as a big overstuffed chair you'd buy from a furniture store, but you'll still be quite happy with it.
Here's the chair in various stages of assembly.
Bluetooth at Home
Few statements can be considered more exciting than the following: Finally, I have a use for bluetooth at home!
OK, I'm lying, but still.... We stumbled across a very simple and satisfying solution to an annoying problem. In our new apartment, we have fairly poor cell reception. Believe it or not, with Verizon, not with AT&T. The phones work, but calls drop pretty regularly if you're not actually near a window.
A friend of ours has AT&T and mentioned buying a microcell to solve that problem -- but that's kind of expensive and it irritates me that I have to pay so much to solve the cell provider's issue. So, here's what we stumbled upon instead: The Cobra PhoneLynx Bluetooth Cell to Home Phone Connection System.
What does it do? It connects to your fancy smartphone over Bluetooth, and then it connects to whatever regular telephones you have. We've got ours connected to a cordless phone system with two phones and two base stations. When we're at home, we drop our iPhones into their chargers, conveniently located by the window, where they get great reception. Then, if a cell phone rings, the house phone rings. The house phone is thus an extension for your iPhone. Since the cell phones remain near the window, reception is always great. And the thing supports two phones/two bluetooth connections. Caller ID tells us if phone #1 or phone #2 is ringing.
Wasn't sure if we'd find this all that useful, but it turned out to be a life-saver that we use every day.
And when you pick up one of the cordless phones, you get a dial tone. Dial like normal, and your call goes out over your cell phone.
OK, I'm lying, but still.... We stumbled across a very simple and satisfying solution to an annoying problem. In our new apartment, we have fairly poor cell reception. Believe it or not, with Verizon, not with AT&T. The phones work, but calls drop pretty regularly if you're not actually near a window.
A friend of ours has AT&T and mentioned buying a microcell to solve that problem -- but that's kind of expensive and it irritates me that I have to pay so much to solve the cell provider's issue. So, here's what we stumbled upon instead: The Cobra PhoneLynx Bluetooth Cell to Home Phone Connection System.
What does it do? It connects to your fancy smartphone over Bluetooth, and then it connects to whatever regular telephones you have. We've got ours connected to a cordless phone system with two phones and two base stations. When we're at home, we drop our iPhones into their chargers, conveniently located by the window, where they get great reception. Then, if a cell phone rings, the house phone rings. The house phone is thus an extension for your iPhone. Since the cell phones remain near the window, reception is always great. And the thing supports two phones/two bluetooth connections. Caller ID tells us if phone #1 or phone #2 is ringing.
Wasn't sure if we'd find this all that useful, but it turned out to be a life-saver that we use every day.
And when you pick up one of the cordless phones, you get a dial tone. Dial like normal, and your call goes out over your cell phone.
Alive in Rogers Park
W
ell, we found our fabulous new dream apartment, right here in good ole Rogers Park. Have already connected with a couple of neighbors online and at the corner bar -- and they seem ecstatic that we're replacing the college kids who had a drum set. (There's a diaper-wearing story to be told over beers sometime.) More on how we got that apartment later, but for now, here's a picture of our fabulous new, huge patio.
You can't really tell, but I had just spent a couple of hours sweeping up all the dirt and detritus, followed by a good hosing down. Confirmed: the drain works. Can't wait to load this up with chairs and be able to sit out here drinking wine after dark.
And the deck above it is ours, too.
ell, we found our fabulous new dream apartment, right here in good ole Rogers Park. Have already connected with a couple of neighbors online and at the corner bar -- and they seem ecstatic that we're replacing the college kids who had a drum set. (There's a diaper-wearing story to be told over beers sometime.) More on how we got that apartment later, but for now, here's a picture of our fabulous new, huge patio.You can't really tell, but I had just spent a couple of hours sweeping up all the dirt and detritus, followed by a good hosing down. Confirmed: the drain works. Can't wait to load this up with chairs and be able to sit out here drinking wine after dark.
And the deck above it is ours, too.
Have you been to the Oasis?
The Oasis, a neighborhood bar in Rogers Park, is quite close to our home. Kate and I have been stopping over there every once in a while, ever since I moved to to Chicago back in 2006. If they call Starbucks the third place, then I guess the Oasis is the fourth place. Gigi, April, Michelle and everyone else working there are always friendly and eager to chat about local goings on. And now they even have free wi-fi!
They've now got a simple website up and running (with a little help from me) at www.rogersparkoasis.com. Check it out. And if you want to stop by and say hi, it's at 6809 Sheridan Road, at Pratt, in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.
They've now got a simple website up and running (with a little help from me) at www.rogersparkoasis.com. Check it out. And if you want to stop by and say hi, it's at 6809 Sheridan Road, at Pratt, in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.
My Old Friend Target Let Me Down
For years I have considered Target the "hometown hero." I'm from Minneapolis, where Target is headquartered, and I've had various bits of peripheral involvement in different Target-related stuff, going all the way back to doing typesetting work for their benefits forms back in my graphic design days. Later, I worked for a pre-press shop that did a ton of Target print ad work. I always found Target easy to work with, and even easier to shop with. They have seemingly tried to position themselves as inclusive; open; inviting to all. That fits with Minneapolis, a city for which I feel has those same characteristics.
For years, I lived on the southern edge of downtown Minneapolis. Target opened a store in downtown Minneapolis in 2001. I was excited by this, and grateful to have a Target store within walking distance. It significantly contributed to an ongoing revitalization of the downtown neighborhood. Target seemed like a partner in my community. I shopped at that Target often, and bought many things. Groceries, home furnishings, clothing, electronics. I remember the ease with which my mom and I purchased a TV there on a snowy, miserable day. Drove the 4WD SUV into Target's underground parking ramp, bought the TV, loaded TV up dry, indoors, then we headed off on our way. Easy as pie. Target experimented with a grocery section, which turned out to be very popular, and it grew significantly over time. Today, Target remains pretty much the only grocery store in downtown Minneapolis.
Though I moved to Chicago a few years ago, my wife and I still visit Minneapolis periodically. We often stay at downtown hotels, and we visit the Target store on nearly every trip. It's a great place to stock up on a jug of water, snacks and toiletries when traveling, and it's a fun, vibrant environment. They even have a mezzanine that has (among other things) a place where I can get a haircut, which I've done at least twice.
And now, back here in Chicago, Target opened a brand new store at the Wilson Yard development in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. It literally just opened, I mean, just a week or so ago. The Wilson Yard development has been a bit of a boondoggle; the alderman, Helen Shiller, has taken the Daley approach of doing whatever the hell she wants regardless of what neighbors desire, and she seems to lack a commitment to transparency. A neighborhood group unsuccessfully sued to address perceived problems, and not everybody is pleased with the final product.
But everybody seems to love the new Target store. It is nice. It is large, at 203,000 square feet, larger than the average SuperTarget (174,00 square feet). The vast majority of comments from blog readers are positive. "The nicest Target I've seen around Chicago." "This store is awesome!" "Absolutely great!"
My wife and I are similarly positive. We've been there twice already. We've spent over $600 there in just this first week. We're not likely to do that every week, but we were really looking forward to the opportunity to shop here again. This Target is AWESOME! It's got a big grocery section, it's clean, it's nice, and it's right by the Wilson red line stop. We can easily get their without a car! And if we buy too much to drag home on the train, it's easy to grab a taxi outside of the front door. And, importantly, this new Target, like the one in downtown Minneapolis, is a significantly positive step in the revitalization of Uptown Chicago. Uptown is a neighborhood struggling to gentrify, home of some of the best, and worst, blocks on the north side of Chicago. This kind of investment in the neighborhood makes me want to move closer.
Target is great. Target does good. Right? That's what I thought, anyway. Until I read this: Target made a big ole donation to MN Forward, a PAC that is paying for ads supporting Tom Emmer, a Minnesota gubernatorial candidate who makes his anti-gay rights stance very clear. His website states that he has "consistently supported the constitutional marriage amendment that protects traditional marriage," the common phrasing used by people who are afraid that their personal concept of marriage is destroyed if somehow loving gay couples were allowed the same legal rights afforded to us hetero couples.
Target's CEO, Gregg Steinhafel, has gone into damage control mode. The Milwaukee Examiner quotes Mr. Steinhafel as follows: "Let me be very clear," Steinhafel said, "Target's support of the GLBT community is unwavering, and inclusiveness remains a core value of our company."
That's great, except for a couple points. First, he and his wife each donated $5,000 to Michele Bachman, a representative from the 6th district of Minnesota, a right-winger who regularly and repeatedly gets important facts wrong. Stuff like, the legality of the census, claiming FDR caused the depression (by accusing him of signing bills that Hoover had signed), accusing Jimmy Carter of being in charge during a swine flu outbreak in the 1970s (it was Ford), et cetera. Reasonable people can disagree on issues of politics, but I wouldn't even trust Michele Bachmann to give me an accurate reading of the time or temperature without it somehow becoming a reference to a secret cabal directing a liberal government conspiracy. She makes my wife and I itch to such a degree, that we are only half-kidding when we joke about moving back to Minnesota, solely for the opportunity to vote against her.
So, OK. We've got the Target CEO donating to an arguably crazy right-wing member of the House of Representatives. It's his money, not the company's money. He can do whatever he wants with it, right? Sure, he can. But you start with this, and then you ask yourself about Target supporting MN Forward, who supports Tom Emmer, who "hangs out with a guy who thinks killing gays is moral." Read about the anti-gay hard rock band "You Can Run But You Can't Hide," whose lead singer Bradlee Dean, told radio listeners recently that Muslim countries that call for the execution of gays and lesbians are “more moral than even the American Christians.” But Tom Emmer says Bradlee's a nice guy.
And Gregg Steinhafel says Target are nice folks, supportive folks, inclusive folks. Yet, Target and Gregg are effectively supporting this guy Tom Emmer, who actually doesn't seem like that nice of a guy, and who supports scary folks who think it's cool to further their agenda through hinting that it's okay to kill people they disagree with.
And now I'm wishing that my wife and I hadn't bought that television and kitchen table set from Target this past week. Target, I want you to be about supporting the community and a fun and positive shopping experience. I want you to continue to be the anti-Walmart. This is the Target I know and love, and yet, here is that same Target, taking little bits of the money I give it and helping it end up supporting people that don't believe in the things I believe in. Things that seem hateful and mean.
Why does Target need to support political candidates? I'm surprised Target thinks it's good business. It seems to me that open support for something as divisive as a political race ensure that you're likely to alienate everybody likely to vote for the other guy.
I'm surprised, and I'm disappointed. I'm nobody special, but as you can see, I'm a long time supporter of Target. But, after this, I don't think I can give you any more money, Target. Not until you show me that you can do better.
For years, I lived on the southern edge of downtown Minneapolis. Target opened a store in downtown Minneapolis in 2001. I was excited by this, and grateful to have a Target store within walking distance. It significantly contributed to an ongoing revitalization of the downtown neighborhood. Target seemed like a partner in my community. I shopped at that Target often, and bought many things. Groceries, home furnishings, clothing, electronics. I remember the ease with which my mom and I purchased a TV there on a snowy, miserable day. Drove the 4WD SUV into Target's underground parking ramp, bought the TV, loaded TV up dry, indoors, then we headed off on our way. Easy as pie. Target experimented with a grocery section, which turned out to be very popular, and it grew significantly over time. Today, Target remains pretty much the only grocery store in downtown Minneapolis.
Though I moved to Chicago a few years ago, my wife and I still visit Minneapolis periodically. We often stay at downtown hotels, and we visit the Target store on nearly every trip. It's a great place to stock up on a jug of water, snacks and toiletries when traveling, and it's a fun, vibrant environment. They even have a mezzanine that has (among other things) a place where I can get a haircut, which I've done at least twice.
And now, back here in Chicago, Target opened a brand new store at the Wilson Yard development in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. It literally just opened, I mean, just a week or so ago. The Wilson Yard development has been a bit of a boondoggle; the alderman, Helen Shiller, has taken the Daley approach of doing whatever the hell she wants regardless of what neighbors desire, and she seems to lack a commitment to transparency. A neighborhood group unsuccessfully sued to address perceived problems, and not everybody is pleased with the final product.
But everybody seems to love the new Target store. It is nice. It is large, at 203,000 square feet, larger than the average SuperTarget (174,00 square feet). The vast majority of comments from blog readers are positive. "The nicest Target I've seen around Chicago." "This store is awesome!" "Absolutely great!"
My wife and I are similarly positive. We've been there twice already. We've spent over $600 there in just this first week. We're not likely to do that every week, but we were really looking forward to the opportunity to shop here again. This Target is AWESOME! It's got a big grocery section, it's clean, it's nice, and it's right by the Wilson red line stop. We can easily get their without a car! And if we buy too much to drag home on the train, it's easy to grab a taxi outside of the front door. And, importantly, this new Target, like the one in downtown Minneapolis, is a significantly positive step in the revitalization of Uptown Chicago. Uptown is a neighborhood struggling to gentrify, home of some of the best, and worst, blocks on the north side of Chicago. This kind of investment in the neighborhood makes me want to move closer.
Target is great. Target does good. Right? That's what I thought, anyway. Until I read this: Target made a big ole donation to MN Forward, a PAC that is paying for ads supporting Tom Emmer, a Minnesota gubernatorial candidate who makes his anti-gay rights stance very clear. His website states that he has "consistently supported the constitutional marriage amendment that protects traditional marriage," the common phrasing used by people who are afraid that their personal concept of marriage is destroyed if somehow loving gay couples were allowed the same legal rights afforded to us hetero couples.
Target's CEO, Gregg Steinhafel, has gone into damage control mode. The Milwaukee Examiner quotes Mr. Steinhafel as follows: "Let me be very clear," Steinhafel said, "Target's support of the GLBT community is unwavering, and inclusiveness remains a core value of our company."
That's great, except for a couple points. First, he and his wife each donated $5,000 to Michele Bachman, a representative from the 6th district of Minnesota, a right-winger who regularly and repeatedly gets important facts wrong. Stuff like, the legality of the census, claiming FDR caused the depression (by accusing him of signing bills that Hoover had signed), accusing Jimmy Carter of being in charge during a swine flu outbreak in the 1970s (it was Ford), et cetera. Reasonable people can disagree on issues of politics, but I wouldn't even trust Michele Bachmann to give me an accurate reading of the time or temperature without it somehow becoming a reference to a secret cabal directing a liberal government conspiracy. She makes my wife and I itch to such a degree, that we are only half-kidding when we joke about moving back to Minnesota, solely for the opportunity to vote against her.
So, OK. We've got the Target CEO donating to an arguably crazy right-wing member of the House of Representatives. It's his money, not the company's money. He can do whatever he wants with it, right? Sure, he can. But you start with this, and then you ask yourself about Target supporting MN Forward, who supports Tom Emmer, who "hangs out with a guy who thinks killing gays is moral." Read about the anti-gay hard rock band "You Can Run But You Can't Hide," whose lead singer Bradlee Dean, told radio listeners recently that Muslim countries that call for the execution of gays and lesbians are “more moral than even the American Christians.” But Tom Emmer says Bradlee's a nice guy.
And Gregg Steinhafel says Target are nice folks, supportive folks, inclusive folks. Yet, Target and Gregg are effectively supporting this guy Tom Emmer, who actually doesn't seem like that nice of a guy, and who supports scary folks who think it's cool to further their agenda through hinting that it's okay to kill people they disagree with.
And now I'm wishing that my wife and I hadn't bought that television and kitchen table set from Target this past week. Target, I want you to be about supporting the community and a fun and positive shopping experience. I want you to continue to be the anti-Walmart. This is the Target I know and love, and yet, here is that same Target, taking little bits of the money I give it and helping it end up supporting people that don't believe in the things I believe in. Things that seem hateful and mean.
Why does Target need to support political candidates? I'm surprised Target thinks it's good business. It seems to me that open support for something as divisive as a political race ensure that you're likely to alienate everybody likely to vote for the other guy.
I'm surprised, and I'm disappointed. I'm nobody special, but as you can see, I'm a long time supporter of Target. But, after this, I don't think I can give you any more money, Target. Not until you show me that you can do better.
Sheridan Road in Pictures
Here's a little bit of history on our "Main Street on the lake," Sheridan Road. I stumbled across this on the "Bright Lights, Dim Beauty of Chicago" blog earlier today.
Introduction: All Aboard!
Part 1: The Transient-- A Fine Fellow Indeed!
Part 2: Cemeteries and Bahais
Part 3: No Man's Land, The Final Frontier
Introduction: All Aboard!
Part 1: The Transient-- A Fine Fellow Indeed!
Part 2: Cemeteries and Bahais
Part 3: No Man's Land, The Final Frontier
Resident charged in fatal apartment building fire
The Trib's Chicago Breaking News site reports: "Mahad Ali Hassan, 26, of 6720 N. Sheridan Road, was charged late Saturday night with first-degree murder, aggravated arson and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli."
Here's a prior story on the fire from the same site, with more details about the blaze.
Here's a prior story on the fire from the same site, with more details about the blaze.
6720 North Sheridan -- The Day After
Here's 6720 North Sheridan Road the day after the fire. Looks a lot quieter today, doesn't it? Sad to think of the people who were hurt, the one person who perished, and of course, the people who are now homeless, thanks to their apartments being ruined by fire, smoke, and/or water damage.
6720 North Sheridan Fire Update
- One death; multiple injuries. :(
- Somebody jumped from the back before they could be rescued. They are in critical condition.
- Two firefighters were injured.
- Might have been arson. Gasoline found nearby.
I fumbled trying to shoot cell phone video with my phone; was hard to see the "recording" indicator. This left me with a handful of very short clips. I was able to stitch them together into a single Youtube video.
Fire at 6720 North Sheridan
Click here to see some more pictures from the fire and rescue efforts.
One lady was sticking her head out of her fourth floor window, telling people she couldn't get out of her apartment. This was right when the fire trucks were arriving. The CFD didn't spend any time messing around. They very quickly set things up so they could get a ladder up to her. She did make it down OK. She's on the stretcher here, I wonder if perhaps only due to possible smoke inhalation. At the same time, the firefighters were helping one or two more people down from another fourth floor apartment on the other side of the fire.
It looks as though the people in the two adjacent apartments were able to get down safely, thanks to the good work of the Chicago Fire Department. Here's hoping that the burned apartment was unoccupied.
Update: One dead and four injured, according to CBS2. :(
Celebrate New Year's Eve at RoPa
RoPa, located at 1146 W. Pratt is offering New Year's Eve specials as well as their regular menu. Don't forget to call and make a reservation (773-508-0002). Read about it on the Rogers Park Business Alliance blog.
Grand Victoria Casino, Elgin
Saturday was our first wedding anniversary, and since we were married in Vegas, we decided to adventure out to a casino to celebrate. It was, uh, an adventure.
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