Chicago MMXII

I'm off work Monday, but I'll be in the melee, if only as an impartial observer.

Wish me luck not getting arrested for taking pictures of cops. Which btw is technically still illegal, for reasons that are so unconstitutional it makes me grit my teeth.

There has been a pretty impressive fleet of identical black sedans and SUVs parked in the lot south of McCormick place since earlier this week. Probably at least 300 of them. I couldn't tell what kind of plates they had, if any.

Can we all agree to meet somewhere in the middle wrt expecations for the NATO summit? My office, located pretty close to a lot of the shit, has ignored announcements that the entire rest of our building will be closed Friday-Monday and insisting that "eh, it's going to be nothing, a lot of hoo-hah over just another day". But I'm also not down with the "ZOMG YOU WILL BE ATTACKED, MURDERED, KILLED, AND HAVE YOUR WI-FI STOLEN IF YOU BREATHE" crowd either.

― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, May 17, 2012 7:00 PM (49 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

My employer is taking the "We will not be cowed by terrorist protesters! We will carry on!" attitude. I will also bet big money most bigwigs stay home. Also a certain person who signs drivers' licenses closed his agency in Friday and Monday, but considering he rolls w/ body guards when he runs down to Taco Bell for lunch, I think he's paranoid.

Is *photographing* cops illegal? I was pretty sure that videotaping them was illegal due to the antiquated eavesdropping law that says you can't record audio w/out permission, which is what you're doing w/ a video camera.

I drove through the Loop and Financial District and it was thick w/ city, state, and federal police SUVs.

The photo/video thing is that favorite of law enforcement -- a grey area big enough that they can kick your ass and intimidate others from participating, but don't have to do the paperwork needed to actually arrest you. You just get held for hours and then "charges" are dropped. Because there aren't any. But you can bet you won't be taking pictures again.

I think I'm getting more cynical by the second over here. Been listening to Billy Bragg and assorted other union/protest songs all day.

I know EZ is a TED fan, and so: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/17/ted-talks-refuses-to-publish-income-inequality-speech/

a grey area big enough that they can kick your ass and intimidate others from participating

OTMFM. But there is this:

http://www.morrisdailyherald.com/2012/04/30/chicago-wont-enforce-law-against-recording-and-photographing-police-during-nato-summit/afa9xoh/

They "do not intend to enforce" the law, but yes, there is a law, and yes, it does include photographing officers in the line of duty. Which is pretty much anytime they decide that they are in the line of duty.

But I take it as a good sign if they are releasing a statement saying they have no intention of arresting people for taking photos and videos, because (hopefully) it means they have decided (temporarily) against the usual policy of arresting people for "trespassing" and/or kicking anyone's ass for no reason. Word had come down that this is very bad PR for the city.

Its a big week for bad PR in Chicago. I'm finding it incredibly amusing to watch Tom Ricketts scrambling to distance himself from his Romney supporting family so he can ask the Democrat goverment for more $$$ for Wrigley.

the nerve of those fucking assholes, burn the stadium to the ground

Kr and I are potentially interested in Paddy Long's tonight. How long do you think you'll be there, Jeff?

I'm on the fence right now. Hung over. :(

But if I do it won't be much past 8.

Courtney and I and her brother and sister in law may or may not be going to Paddy Longs. Jeff we need you to be there bc you are the glue that holds us together. I am also hung over so it's fine.

There's a beer event there tonight so it's going to be crazypacked - Paddy Long's may not be the place to go if you're not going there for the beer event.

I was going to say, I'm up just getting a beer somewhere before I have to meet up with my wife for a wine tasting thing, but I'd rather not be in a crazy packed beer event.

Oh I thought the point was the beer event.

Yes me too. Or something.

Well, yes, I think that is the point for J3ff going there, I think carl was just warning other interested parties that it wasn't just a normal, stop for a beer type of thing.

yeah i was interested until i saw how big of a deal it's going to be. i was thinking about going to bad apple after work to sit outside and drink and read a book, if anyone cares to join me. or if everyone's going to paddy longs, i'll just go there. just not sure if it's my kind of deal.

also not crazy about paddy long's BACONBACONBACON theme

kind of want to go and be a super-snooty vegetarian

I'm actually leaving work early today (like around 5), but I might want to go home before I go out. Bad Apple could be appealing, too.

I am warning Courtney's family, mostly because I can't imagine going there to get a beer unless I specifically and really, really desperately wanted one of the beers they are tapping.

Or, what jvc said.

Like, the event starts at 7 and he was planning to get there at 5. That's him by himself.

I'm still sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so I'm not going anywhere but meeting n/a at the Bad Apple sounds very appealing. A-PEEL-ING.

APPLE-ING

I'm kind of afraid I have an antibiotic-resistant ear infection and my head is going to rot away from the inside out. I'm about 45% kidding.

You've been reading the horror poll countdown too long, haven't you?

There haven't even been any plague movies in the results yet!!!

I just meant wrt the terrible puns, but I guess that too!

Oh hahaha then yes, Eric H. was a direct influence on that pun, definitely.

ok well then i'll definitely be at bad apple from 5:30 for a couple of hours, probably sitting outside

sorry jeff

also not crazy about paddy long's BACONBACONBACON theme

Fuck u hipster.

Let's meet at the bad apple then. COURTNEY ARE U THERE?

JESSE ARE YOU LISTENING

ANNIE ARE YOU OKAY?

ARE YOU OKAY?

ARE YOU OKAY, ANNIE?

We should get our own board.

OK -- Kr and I are planning to get to Bad Apple around 6.

Bad Apple sounds great, but its pretty far from both my office and the wine tasting event for me to make it in a relatively short window.

No worries.

but it's on the way home!!!!!

jvc I would like to meet you

Jeff I would like you to come my lady to the Bad Apple.

Maybe later. For what it's worth, I made it to paddy Longs. Let's see if I can nurse a low abv beer for 2 hours.

I would like to meet the rest of you guys, but I'm in the South Loop at work now and I ultimately need to be at a wine tasting in LakeView at 6:45, so it doesn't really make a lot of sense for me to head out to the Bad Apple tonight. Maybe next time.

ugh bad apple doesn't have its outdoor seating set up and I want to be outside. Standing on the sidewalk trying to decide what to do.

pretty stupid not to have that set up for this weekend's weather