Chicago: Where have all the serial killers gone?

I just had lunch from the noodle joint up on 57th. Ginger salad with tofu and crunchy noodles YUM.

xpost: Cricket is boooooorrrrrring. I went to an Australia v. India match once, it took 6 fucking hours. And that was a short game.

McDonald's just opened up down the street from my office. I think that may be today's lunch. 99 cent menu, here I come.

I guess they run New Orleans restaurants and convenience stores though, not Vietnamese ones.

I wrote this!

1. What's your closest CTA stop?
Bus - Broadway and Cornelia. El - Addison red line

2. Which do you take more often: buses or trains?
Probably about equal.

3. Have you ever walked between cars on a CTA train?
I do it all the time!

4. Do you own a car? How often do you use it?
No car.

5. Own or rent?
Rent.

6. What neighborhood do you live in right now?
Lake View East, aka Boystown

7. If you could live in any neighborhood, housing costs be damned, where would you live?
Old Town

8. Are you *from* Chicago?
No.

9. Did you go to high school here?
No.

10. What's your favorite local band? (Other than the one you're in...)
I love the Fake Fictions and Canasta equally but in different ways.

11. What's the best Chicago music venue?
I think I like Schuba's best maybe.

12. What's your favorite bar and why?
Simon's - divey but not too divey, clean bathrooms, surly bartenders, awesome jukebox, Malort

13. Mayor Daley: Will he die in office or what?
God, probably.

14. Who, besides Rich, would you like to see in the mayor's office?
If Dorothy Brown runs in the next election I will probably vote for her.

15. Big Box Living Wage Ordinance: Good or bad for Chicago?
GOOD. Don't veto it, Mayor Daley!

16. Wal-Mart: Disaster waiting to happen or good way to revitalize the south-side economy?
I probably don't even have to answer this one.

17. Ever been further south than 95th St.?
Yes!

19. Ever been further north than Jarvis?
Yes!

20. Did you go to college in Chicago? If so, where?
Not undergrad but law school at DePaul

21. Who is your favorite CTA busker?
There are some awesome drummers in the Jackson red line that I've only seen twice but they rocked.

22. Weirdest panhandler story...
Some guy was beating on a newspaper box with a big foam bat and asked Ryann and me for money. I called him crazy and he hit Ryann with the bat and stepped on her foot because he thought she said it.

23. Macy's: Retail vampire sucking the life out of State St. or a the wave of the future?
MARSHAL FIELD'S FOREVA!

24. What's your favorite shopping district?
Clark and Diversey

25. Chicago dogs or deep dish pizza?
Pizzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. But I like hot dogs, too.

26. Smoking ban: Mike Ditka or the American Lung Association?
Fuck Mike Ditka in his cigar hole.

27. Kanye or Common?
I like Common's hat.

28. One place you always take first-time visitors.
Top o' the Cock

29. Have you ever called your Alderperson?
Yes, often.

30. Have you ever called the mayor's office?
Yes, once to express my support for the Big Box Living Wage Ordinance.

31. What's your favorite place to eat breakfast?
Tweet Let's Eat

Add questions and pass it on....
I wrote all these so now it's your turn.

2. Which do you take more often: buses or trains?
Train.

3. Have you ever walked between cars on a CTA train?
I do it all the time. Usually to escape a smell.

4. Do you own a car? How often do you use it?
Nope, but I have been using a rental in New Orleans for the past 3 months. Use it every day.

5. Own or rent?
Rent.

6. What neighborhood do you live in right now?
Chicago-Uptown, but living in New Orleans....ALSO UPTOWN!!

7. If you could live in any neighborhood, housing costs be damned, where would you live?
Lakeview, or Old Town.

8. Are you *from* Chicago?
No.

9. Did you go to high school here?
No.

10. What's your favorite local band? (Other than the one you're in...)
I only know Fake Fictions and Canasta, and I’m not about to choose a favorite between those two.

11. What's the best Chicago music venue?
ONE WITH A/C.

12. What's your favorite bar and why?
(downtown)Rossi’s- Kevin is a great bartender, I like dives,
(gay bar) Big Chicks- the crowd is tolerable,
(local) Green Mill- atmosphere

13. Mayor Daley: Will he die in office or what?
Why? What have you heard?

14. Who, besides Rich, would you like to see in the mayor's office?
?

15. Big Box Living Wage Ordinance: Good or bad for Chicago?
Good.

16. Wal-Mart: Disaster waiting to happen or good way to revitalize the south-side economy?
Wal-Mart bad.

17. Ever been further south than 95th St.?
Yes, but just passing through.

19. Ever been further north than Jarvis?
Yes.

20. Did you go to college in Chicago? If so, where?
No.

21. Who is your favorite CTA busker?
A couple of hippies, one playing a saw. Are you allowed to have a saw on a subway platform???

22. Weirdest panhandler story...
“Ladies and gentlemen on the train, I do not mean to disturb anyone on the train. I am totally blind and feel my way around the train by counting steps. Please, as you ride the train, help me out today.” That’s always kind of weird.

23. Macy's: Retail vampire sucking the life out of State St. or a the wave of the future?
L I’m gonna miss Marshal Fields’ name.

24. What's your favorite shopping district?
Mag Mile around H&M and Filene’s Basement.

25. Chicago dogs or deep dish pizza?
Dogs.

26. Smoking ban: Mike Ditka or the American Lung Association?
Fuck them both.

27. Kanye or Common?
No clue.

28. One place you always take first-time visitors.
Top o' the Cock

29. Have you ever called your Alderperson?
No.

30. Have you ever called the mayor's office?
No.

31. What's your favorite place to eat breakfast?
Victory’s Banner (AKA Heaven’s Gate)

2. Which do you take more often: buses or trains?
Trains

3. Have you ever walked between cars on a CTA train?
Actually, no!

4. Do you own a car? How often do you use it?
Yes. I use it about 2 times a week.

5. Own or rent?
Rent.

6. What neighborhood do you live in right now?
Logan Square

7. If you could live in any neighborhood, housing costs be damned, where would you live?
Honestly... I think I'd stay about where I am, just in a nicer place. On the Boulevard would be really nice.

8. Are you *from* Chicago?
No.

9. Did you go to high school here?
No.

10. What's your favorite local band? (Other than the one you're in...)
That's really tough. I'm going to have to go with Shellac, if they count.

11. What's the best Chicago music venue?
The Empty Bottle

12. What's your favorite bar and why?
The duality of the Hungry Brain and the Underbar, for nice atmosphere(s), good beers, the HB's jukebox and the UB's late nite hours.

13. Mayor Daley: Will he die in office or what?
No, I predict he will die at a large table after consuming much sausage, ribs, and other Vienna Beef® meat products.

14. Who, besides Rich, would you like to see in the mayor's office?
I don't really know enough about local politics to say, so... me.

15. Big Box Living Wage Ordinance: Good or bad for Chicago?
Good. It should also be applied to temporary employment agencies.

16. Wal-Mart: Disaster waiting to happen or good way to revitalize the south-side economy?
If that was all it would take to fix things I think it would have happened already.

17. Ever been further south than 95th St.?
Yes

19. Ever been further north than Jarvis?
Yes

20. Did you go to college in Chicago? If so, where?
No

21. Who is your favorite CTA busker?
I don't know that I have one, there really aren't many on the Blue Line. I'm going to have to go with the guy who came up to me at the N. Damen stop, beatboxed and did some kind of robut-esque hand/arm dance for about a minute, and then said "Tell me that ain't worth a dollar!" I didn't have a dollar.

22. Weirdest panhandler story...
He wasn't pandhandling, but I saw a guy making the sign of the cross and muttering over a cup in the gutter on like my second day here. He looked to be giving it the last rites.

23. Macy's: Retail vampire sucking the life out of State St. or a the wave of the future?
I don't know, I feel about the same way about these places as I do about Wal-Mart, Target, etc.

24. What's your favorite shopping district?
The internet. Or possibly Milwaukee/Damen/North, because I don't shop much.

25. Chicago dogs or deep dish pizza?
Rib Tips

26. Smoking ban: Mike Ditka or the American Lung Association?
Smoking stinks, yuuuuuuuuck. It's fine with me if it's outdoors though.

27. Kanye or Common?
WU TANG. Chicago hip hop is kind of weak IMHO.

28. One place you always take first-time visitors.
A taqueria.

29. Have you ever called your Alderperson?
I have not called him, but I have been to his office once.

30. Have you ever called the mayor's office?
No

31. What's your favorite place to eat breakfast?
Red Beans & Rice at Wishbone

2. Which do you take more often: buses or trains?
Train (every day to and from work)

3. Have you ever walked between cars on a CTA train?
Never! I'm neither a hobo nor Jenny.

4. Do you own a car? How often do you use it?
Yes. At least every other day.

5. Own or rent?
Rent.

6. What neighborhood do you live in right now?
Ravenswood. (Or South Andersonville, or West Uptown, or East Lincoln Square.)

7. If you could live in any neighborhood, housing costs be damned, where would you live?
Wicker Park.

8. Are you *from* Chicago?
Yes! Well, the suburbs.

9. Did you go to high school here?
Again, in the 'burbs.

10. What's your favorite local band? (Other than the one you're in...)
The Fake Ficciones.

11. What's the best Chicago music venue?
I like Schubas, Empty Bottle, Subterranean, Hideout, and the Ice Factory all for different reasons. I generally don't like anything bigger than the Metro.

12. What's your favorite bar and why?
There's no perfect bar, but I like Simon's for the neighborhood camaraderie; Hopleaf for the unusual high-alcohol beers, Belgian morsels, and New York Review of Books; and K's Dugout for the cheap pitchers and Internet jukebox. I used to go to Leadway all the time, especially when Brian was bartending, but now they play like Europop satellite radio in there.

13. Mayor Daley: Will he die in office or what?
Seems like it.

14. Who, besides Rich, would you like to see in the mayor's office?
Tom Tunney: Free cinnamon buns for all Chicagoans!

15. Big Box Living Wage Ordinance: Good or bad for Chicago?
Good, because Jenny says so. (Even though my mom says "bad.")

16. Wal-Mart: Disaster waiting to happen or good way to revitalize the south-side economy?
Whatever.

17. Ever been further south than 95th St.?
Yes. I ate at a vegetarian restaurant on, like, 111th St. once.

19. Ever been further north than Jarvis?
Yes. Kelsey lived north of Jarvis once. And I did a one-man show at a theater on the north side of Jarvis.

20. Did you go to college in Chicago? If so, where?
Nope.

21. Who is your favorite CTA busker?
Oh, there was a guy in the Jackson subway who was awesome, but I forget what he did. But I stood there for a long time and didn't want him to stop.

22. Weirdest panhandler story...
None come to mind.

23. Macy's: Retail vampire sucking the life out of State St. or a the wave of the future?
Whatever. I dress in rags.

24. What's your favorite shopping district?
Wicker Park: Reckless + Myopic + Quimby's = yes.

25. Chicago dogs or deep dish pizza?
Pizza.

26. Smoking ban: Mike Ditka or the American Lung Association?
Used to be against the ban, but now I'm for it. Easier to quit smoking when no one else is smoking.

27. Kanye or Common?
Kanye. I don't find Common all that interesting.

28. One place you always take first-time visitors.
Used to be Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. Hopleaf's a good choice; so are wacky vegetarian restaurants like Alice and Friends.

29. Have you ever called your Alderperson?
No.

30. Have you ever called the mayor's office?
No.

31. What's your favorite place to eat breakfast?
Victory's Banner

You're all supposed to add more questions...

- Have you ever been swimming at a city beach?
No

- Where is your favorite place to order delivery pizza of any style?
Father & Son's

2. Which do you take more often: buses or trains?
Bus (every day to work)

3. Have you ever walked between cars on a CTA train?
no! I have never felt to be in immediate danger in my CTA train car.

4. Do you own a car? How often do you use it?
Yes. About every other day.

5. Own or rent?
Rent.

6. What neighborhood do you live in right now?
Wicker Park

7. If you could live in any neighborhood, housing costs be damned, where would you live?
Roscoe Village

8. Are you *from* Chicago?
Nope

9. Did you go to high school here?
Nope

10. What's your favorite local band? (Other than the one you're in...)
Nasta

11. What's the best Chicago music venue?
The Hideout

12. What's your favorite bar and why?
Club Foot, but I don't know why

13. Mayor Daley: Will he die in office or what?
Seems like it.

14. Who, besides Rich, would you like to see in the mayor's office?
Dunno

15. Big Box Living Wage Ordinance: Good or bad for Chicago?
Good.

16. Wal-Mart: Disaster waiting to happen or good way to revitalize the south-side economy?
Makes me sad.

17. Ever been further south than 95th St.?
Yes. I got completely and horribly lost down there when my dad was visiting this past weekend. I was trying to drive us to Beverly's historic district. We most definitely didn't find it.

19. Ever been further north than Jarvis?
I don't know where that is, but probably. Is Evanston further?

20. Did you go to college in Chicago? If so, where?
Nope.

21. Who is your favorite CTA busker?
Don't have one

22. Weirdest panhandler story...
None come to mind.

23. Macy's: Retail vampire sucking the life out of State St. or a the wave of the future?
I visited it this weekend. Fields was better. I was sad when I had to explain to my dad that is USED to be Marshall Fields.

24. What's your favorite shopping district?
Mag Mile because I'm a sellout

25. Chicago dogs or deep dish pizza?
GROSS and DOUBLE GROSS

26. Smoking ban: Mike Ditka or the American Lung Association?
Smoking = also GROSS

27. Kanye or Common?
Both bore me. I used to like Common.

28. One place you always take first-time visitors.
Lincoln Park conservatory

29. Have you ever called your Alderperson?
No.

30. Have you ever called the mayor's office?
No.

31. What's your favorite place to eat breakfast?
Victory's Banner

Bonus Questions:
- Have you ever ridden a Metra train and where to?
Never

- Have you ever been swimming at a city beach?
No

- Where is your favorite place to order delivery pizza of any style?
Dunno. I prefer TOMBSTONE thin crust cheese.

My questions:
- How many places have you lived in Chicago?
just the one

- What are you most embarassed by in the city when guests visit?
the trash on the ground EVERYWHERE

- How often do you go to the Harrold Washington Library?
about once a month

Description:Dave's stories
mp3s:http://www.temporaryservices.org/track_listings.html

It's basically the musings of a homeless man in Chicago, recorded on a tape player given to him by some guys who ran art exhibits downtown. I found it incredibly interesting.

- Have you ever been swimming at a city beach?
Yes, but the pollution grossed me out so much I can't bear the thought of it now. I need to find me a swimming pool in the summer.

- Where is your favorite place to order delivery pizza of any style?
Laurie's.

- How many places have you lived in Chicago?
I'm on my third.

- What are you most embarassed by in the city when guests visit?
I've never been embarrassed.

- How often do you go to the Harrold Washington Library?
Probably four or five times in the past year. More often when I worked in the Loop. Occasionally I go to Sulzer.

- What are you most embarassed by in the city when guests visit?
Usually the state of my apartment.

- How often do you go to the Harrold Washington Library?
I have only been to the Washington Library once, but I have made multiple trips to the Logan Square Branch and have also visited the Bucktown/Wicker Park branch.

I don't know what would embarrass me. New Yorkers mocking the Midwesternness of the place kind of stings.

Hi, lurker Allie!

2. Which do you take more often: buses or trains?
i take both everywhere so i'm guessing it's probably equal.

3. Have you ever walked between cars on a CTA train?
sure.

4. Do you own a car? How often do you use it?
no. n/a.

5. Own or rent?
rent.

6. What neighborhood do you live in right now?
ukrainian village.

7. If you could live in any neighborhood, housing costs be damned, where would you live?
i'd own one of the gigantic greystones in ukrainian village. i like my neighborhood.

8. Are you *from* Chicago?
nope.

9. Did you go to high school here?
nope.

10. What's your favorite local band? (Other than the one you're in...)
c0c0c0ma, he4d4che c1ty, v33 d33, bu5y 51gnals.

11. What's the best Chicago music venue?
bottle.

12. What's your favorite bar and why?
club foot or goldstar. i like club foot better if it's not crowded but it usually is. i was at goldstar on sunday and there was an overabundance of baseball hats in there. bad sign.

13. Mayor Daley: Will he die in office or what?
what?

14. Who, besides Rich, would you like to see in the mayor's office?
jim belushi, if he promises to stop making films and tv shows.

15. Big Box Living Wage Ordinance: Good or bad for Chicago?
bad bad bad (i like pushing jenny's buttons).

16. Wal-Mart: Disaster waiting to happen or good way to revitalize the south-side economy?
there should be wal-marts in every vacant lot in the city. or, if said lots are too small for wal-mart, they should be paved and used as satellite parking lots for wal-mart. and the city should subsidize the cost of the shuttle for wal-mart.

17. Ever been further south than 95th St.?
sure have.

19. Ever been further north than Jarvis?
sure have.

20. Did you go to college in Chicago? If so, where?
nope.

21. Who is your favorite CTA busker?
i hate them all equally. wait, that's not true. there's the guy at the end of the tunnel at o'hare (which i think may still be cta property, i'm not sure) who is horrendously, horrendously bad. but he's always there, that kind of dedication in the face of an utter and completely obvious lack of talent is inspiring. kudos, talentless hack, kudos to you and your beatles songs.

22. Weirdest panhandler story...
i've never panhandled and i resent you asking me that question.

23. Macy's: Retail vampire sucking the life out of State St. or a the wave of the future?
who cares? will it honestly affect you one way or another? will it honestly affect you three years from now?

24. What's your favorite shopping district?
i don't shop that often and when i do it's usually at resale/pawn shops in the area. milwaukee from damen to ashland is good for that.

25. Chicago dogs or deep dish pizza?
hate deep dish so gimme a dog and don't forget the sport peppers.

26. Smoking ban: Mike Ditka or the American Lung Association?
NO WIN SITUATION.

27. Kanye or Common?
how would I know about kanye or common?

28. One place you always take first-time visitors.
my apartment.

29. Have you ever called your Alderperson?
nope.

30. Have you ever called the mayor's office?
nope.

31. What's your favorite place to eat breakfast?
my old apartment at 2340 w augusta.

32. Have you ever ridden a Metra train and where to?
took it out to deerfield because my ex had a job interview out there and was nervous and didn't want to go alone. i called in sick to work and walked around for the four hours while she was at her interview. it was about 10 degrees outside. it was my 29th birthday. she got the job.

33. Have you ever been swimming at a city beach?
nope.

34. Where is your favorite place to order delivery pizza of any style?
barcello's (pepperoni & pineapple).

35. How many places have you lived in Chicago?
I'm on my third as well.

36. What are you most embarassed by in the city when guests visit?
are you kidding?

37. How often do you go to the Harrold Washington Library?
never been.

38. What do you like best about living here? Like least?

EXTRA BONUS- Where's question 18?

This made me chuckle. :D

lolz

32. Have you ever ridden a Metra train and where to?
took it out to deerfield because my ex had a job interview out there and was nervous and didn't want to go alone. i called in sick to work and walked around for the four hours while she was at her interview. it was about 10 degrees outside. it was my 29th birthday. she got the job.

33. Have you ever been swimming at a city beach?
Yes, somewhere on the far noth side with Jesse. There was trash in the water. I haven't been since.

34. Where is your favorite place to order delivery pizza of any style?
We always ordered from Gordano's, the place famously characterized by Jonah as looking like it was run by rats. I don't have a favorite place in our new neighborhood yet.

35. How many places have you lived in Chicago?
Two

36. What are you most embarassed by in the city when guests visit?
I was a wee bit embarassed when Jeff's parents came to visit for the first time and someone stole his mom's wallet on the train.

37. How often do you go to the Harrold Washington Library?
Monthly, roughly.

38. What do you like best about living here? Like least?
Best - there is always something entertaining going on, and nine times out of ten, I can walk to it. Also, public transportation.
Least - sometimes it's a little too noisy. Chicago, slow down!

EXTRA BONUS- Where's question 18?
In the gimp room.

xpost- dang.

Do you drink Chicago tap water?
(yes)

I was on my way down to ask you about this. I missed the she part, but still wondered what was up since you and Jeff were a couple on your 29th b-day as far as I know.

Here are Jeff's survey responses:

1. What's your closest CTA stop?
Addison redline el stop and #32 Broadway bus

2. Which do you take more often: buses or trains?
Trains

3. Have you ever walked between cars on a CTA train?
Yes

4. Do you own a car? How often do you use it?
No, I iGo.

5. Own or rent?
rent

6. What neighborhood do you live in right now?
Lake View East

7. If you could live in any neighborhood, housing costs be damned,
where would you live?
I don't know, I want to live in many neighborhoods. A different one
every two years.

8. Are you *from* Chicago?
No

9. Did you go to high school here?
No

10. What's your favorite local band? (Other than the one you're in...)
Bloodyminded

11. What's the best Chicago music venue?
Empty Bottle

12. What's your favorite bar and why?
Simon's

13. Mayor Daley: Will he die in office or what?
Die in office

14. Who, besides Rich, would you like to see in the mayor's office?
No one else. Daley sucks. Sucks at a lot of things. The thing is that
he does things. He's always doing things, both good and bad. He's
Action Mayor.

15. Big Box Living Wage Ordinance: Good or bad for Chicago?
Good

16. Wal-Mart: Disaster waiting to happen or good way to revitalize the
south-side economy?
There's kerosene around, something to do.

17. Ever been further south than 95th St.?
Yeah, when we moved here, we came all the way from NC. So I've been
from NC to 95th.

19. Ever been further north than Jarvis?
Yes

20. Did you go to college in Chicago? If so, where?
DePaul, currently.

21. Who is your favorite CTA busker?
All bad.

22. Weirdest panhandler story...
None really

23. Macy's: Retail vampire sucking the life out of State St. or a the
wave of the future?
I don't really care.

24. What's your favorite shopping district?
Rush st maybe? I don't know. I shop at sears.

25. Chicago dogs or deep dish pizza?
hot dog

26. Smoking ban: Mike Ditka or the American Lung Association?
ALA

27. Kanye or Common?
neither, really

28. One place you always take first-time visitors.
Redline

29. Have you ever called your Alderperson?
No

30. Have you ever called the mayor's office?
No

31. What's your favorite place to eat breakfast?
Sam and George's

32. Have you ever ridden a Metra train and where to?
Yes, from downtown to ravenswood, just on a whim

33. Have you ever been swimming at a city beach?
No.

34. Where is your favorite place to order delivery pizza of any style?
Gigio's

35. How many places have you lived in Chicago?
2

36. What are you most embarassed by in the city when guests visit?
White people

37. How often do you go to the Harrold Washington Library?
once a month

38. What do you like best about living here? Like least?
Public transit
Proximity to suburbs, the rest of illinois, other cities, other states
and other countries. Chicago should be an island in the middle of the
ocean.