I have never been to Vegas, but I have been to a LOT of casinos in places that aren’t Vegas and let me tell you that to a one they have been some of the most depressing places I have ever, ever been.
Vegas is one of those places I want to go so that I can have a real reason to hate it. Also, LA.
I’d like to go to Vegas. I hear that I can fuck a lot of underage prostitutes and gamble away my student loan money and shoot up meth and bet on monkey knife fights and never have to face the consequences. Or has TV led me astray?
I’ve been to LA and probably did not get the proper introduction to it, but that’s okay.
vegas is great. i wish i was there right now. because i’ll wager 6 inches of snow isn’t snarling the metro las vegas area in gridlock. wtf over two hour commute today?
god i’m tired.
xpost- my reasons for loving vegas, while similar, are not exactly the same as jenny’s.
I can imagine it would be fun for about 10 minutes, but I am suspicious of people who LURV Las Vegas. And some people I think highly of hate Vegas, so I hope to more fully hate it one day. (I’m referring to Sayjal, who apparently has spent a good deal of time there unwillingly, and to myself.)
xpost...no offense Kevin.
none taken. gambling, free booze, you can smoke everywhere, it doesn’t snow.... you might as well call it kev vegas. kevegas.
I mean, I love decadence as much as the next guy, but still Vegans—ha ha!!!—VEGAS seems awful.
YA commuting this morning was SPECIAL. I decided to take trains instead of the LSD express bus, which was probably wise, but still. The trains were a hot, crowded, sloppy mess. And people were piling up waiting for an Addison bus, too. Usually, if I decide to walk from Broadway and Addison to the train stop, a bus will pass me. This morning I waited five minutes, walked anyway, and still no bus. But there were at least six people at each bus stop along the way.
New frontiers in scary: Walking across the slippery, snow covered river bridge at Monroe when a bus drives over it and makes it start rattling and shaking so hard that you actually lose your balance a little. That water looks coooooold...
I guess a visit would actually be fun, but the idea of being there for very long seems terrible.
Some of Sayjal’s friends are performers and crew at a Vegas show and when they came to Chicago all they kept saying was how every day of life in Vegas was more terrible than the one before. And motioning to the streets in Chicago and saying, “There’s just not...THIS there!”
Jesse OTM re: Vegas.
I asked my mom to tell me more about Steve Tobo:
Tobo was 2 years ahead of me. I met him when I was in the summer of my 9th grade year. I was changing from junior high to high school. ...I don’t know who identified me but I was selected to be trained for the debate squad at Kimball. Tobo was already a leading thespian and debater at Kimball when he came to my house that summer. He came to teach me how to debate so I could start at the beginning of the year. I visited in his home many times, too. He has an older brother Paul and a younger sister Barbara (whom we called Barbie, also a debater). His family is Jewish. His father is a doctor and so is his older brother Paul. I think Barbie went to law school, but ended up writing screen plays or something lucrative like that in Hollywood....His parents and Paul are still based in Dallas. I have phoned his mom sometimes when I have been in Dallas.
Tobo’s debate partner L1nda Ruth became my debate partner after he graduated. Linnaruf was my best friend. Linda had the biggest crush on Tobo and discussion of him took up a lot of our together time. He is intelligent, funny, very nice as a person, and extremely talented. He was a talented actor in high school. He knew that he wanted to become an actor- which sounded like an impossible dream, like some neighborhood kid saying they want to be a basketball player in the NBA- but he actually made it! He went to SMU in Dallas where they had a good theatre program. I remember his excitement when Marlo Thomas visited SMU’s theatre program. After college, he moved to Los Angeles, where he lives now. His wife is Ann. I have not met her or his children. But I know he has been in over 200 movies. He was getting into other ventures- like producing, I think.
jenny, i used to LOVE being in the middle of a bridge (out where it splits, not where the base is) when a bus would go past. especially the wabash st bridge, i always felt like it had more action to it.
I usually get a little thrill out of it because it’s dizzying but I figure if nobody has fallen off yet, I’m not going to be the one. But all the snow made it slippery for real and I actually lost my balance this time. That made it less fun.
if that happened to me it would the kind of unexpected thrill that might make my day. unless i actually fell down in which case i would probably take it as a sign that the universe is against me and contemplate jumping in front of a blue line train.
It would be more efficient to just jump off the bridge.
Less of a mess, doesn’t hold up other commuters — better all around.
no, i wouldn’t want to go that way. maybe if it were cement instead of a river below.
also, i’m wearing my jammies under my pants today because it is so cold and windy.
The river is frozen, that’s gotta be pretty close to cement.
Last night I got a rough cut of this indie movie called “G0ing Great Wh1te” on dvd, because the soundtrack is all 15 yr old Digd0wn tunes. Apparently it’s a Guest-style mockumentary (hate that term) about a business & marketing convention.
Could be funny, could be horrible but I’m excited to see a movie that hasn’t even been at a festival yet.
i dunno, i still think i could break the ice. and then i’d be paralyzed and drowning. i suppose i could go to wilmette and jump in front of a purple line train, that would only inconvenience the richie riches of the near northern suburbs. and i wouldn’t mind doing that.
Jesse: if i attended loyola in NO or tulane i could probably get some kind of crazy scholarship since they’re desperate for students
me: DO NOT LEAVE ME
Jesse: i’m not
me: okay.
good.
Jesse: though it is 65 degrees there..............
me: i’ll kill you if you leave me.
KILL YOU
I WILL KILL YOU
Jesse: that will solve nothing
me: and then keep your head.
so i can talk to it.
i’ll make a vest with tits out of you
and wear it while i talk to your head.
Sent at 10:43 AM on Tuesday
me: why aren’t you responding?
Jesse: i’m reading the wikipedia article “Semen”
Depending on how far the drop is, Kevin, you’d probably be knocked out by the impact even if the river WASN’T frozen; hitting the surface of water flat at the speed of falling in Earth gravity is basically like hitting cement.
I love the Tobo info.
I think I had a dream about Jenny, but I can’t remember it.
I linked from there.
Haha. Yeah, our tuba player last night was here from New Orleans, he was not having this weather.
However he was having Al Pacino, on his sneakers.
(seriously, I can’t find a pic but they were Nike Scarface, the toes were transparent w/pics of a little Pacino inside)
Depending on how far the drop is, Kevin, you’d probably be knocked out by the impact even if the river WASN’T frozen
it’s not that far. going back to the thread on the noise board about trains and such, sometimes when the tourist boats are passing under the bridge i wonder if i can time my jump so that i land on deck. i’m about 72% positive i can do it.
Mornin’, pawwwdnuhs. No jumping off bridges for research or otherwise, please.
I’m having a good hair day, just so you know.
Oh, I didn’t realise it was like that, I was thinking of a much higher bridge span!
i’m about 72% positive i can do it.
I like to think you arrived at this percentage through long and meticulous mathematical calculation and many, many diagrams.
Sarah: congratulations! I’m having...a hair day.
my moustache is back, just so you know. and it’s better than before.
DON’T DO IT KEVIN
GO BACK
(fair warning in case I see any of you this weekend, my winter grizzly beard is in full effect)
i’ll be shaving soon, it’s just that due to sinus congestion and the required amount of nose-blowing my nose/upper lip area is a little raw so i didn’t want to drag a razor blade across it.
Facial hair is great.
Jordan, what is your planned itinerary so I can see whether I can jump on the JC Party Train?
When it’s icy, I always have an irrational fear of slipping walking across the Michigan Ave. bridge. Is it that the railings are low on the Loop bridges? It freaks me out a little. I imagine a gust of wind and whoosh, into the river.
The buildings in Vegas look stunning in the desert light, especially the neon ones like the Monte Carlo. I went there a few years ago (was supposed to go with a group of people, and the one person I knew in the group couldn’t go at the last minute, so I decided to be on my own instead of with strangers), spent the days driving to places like Zion National Park in Utah and other neat places in the desert. I woke up early one Sunday morning and had a big beautiful desert highway going around Lake Mead all to myself—listened to NPR, stopped and put my feet in some natural hot springs. And then played poker at night.
As I’ve mentioned, my work paid for my trip to Vegas. I had to go with them though. ha ha Anyway, we stayed at the fancy pants place, had free fancy meals, drank alot, and spent time by the pool. That’s also where I tried pot.
Getting in on Friday night, playing GM 9:00—1:00, getting shrimp
Waking up on Saturday, maybe going to Ashkenaz, going to Hot Doug’s, hanging out??, playing GM 8:00—12:00 (or whatever it is), getting shrimp
eazy, i ALWAYS have a fear of falling off the michigan ave bridge but that’s probably because of all the clueless tourists taking pictures instead of watching where they’re walking. plus the railing hits about mid-thigh so i’m sure i’d just topple on over.
Man, I got busy allasudden when I wasn’t paying attention. I really wanted to do TT this week but I forgot I have to work at 8 am on Friday. That’s not conducive to our normal TT results.
ihttp://www.honeyleveen.com/hleveen/ZION%20NATIONAL%20PARK.jpg
Zion National Park
ihttp://mishilo.image.pbase.com/u47/pjd22/large/30571491.lakemeadin45cheat.jpg
Lake Mead (somebody’s random photo, but that’s what it looks like)
(not Monte Carlo—MGM Grand I meant)
ihttp://www.lasvegastourism.com/gifs/hyatt_lake_lasvegas.gif
Oh! And I Pricelined a hotel room at and stayed at the Hyatt Lake Las Vegas resort for about $70.
ihttp://www.allvegaspoker.com/photos/41453996c47af.jpg
Played poker there.
And that’s the slideshow of my Vegas trip, based on found photos.
Wow. Eric manages to put a happy face on nearly everything.
I’m not being sarcastic.
I really wish I could have gotten out to see nature.
Hey, I wish I’d hung out at the Bellagio pool. We’ll switch itineraries next time.
Free cocktails, baby. Free cocktails.
By the way, I loved that Big in Japan video.
I’m taking Friday off this week!
To go to the DMV!!!
Which one is least horrible?
I kind of can’t believe I’ve lived here more than 2 years and used a Michigan ID the whole time and never once gotten hassled for it.
I need to change the address on my license so I can vote. I think I’m too late for the adlerman/mayor elections. :(
dan, i went to the DMV on central and lexington because it was the only one open on a saturday. i would avoid it if at all possible. if i were you i would seriously go to the one at the thompson center. it’s usually very well staffed.
also, this comes out just in time for my birthday. oh, wait, no it doesn’t.
Nick and I were pulled over shortly after we moved here. We hadn’t done anything wrong, IIRC. The cop noticed we had Virginia plates and wanted to make sure we weren’t current IL residents with out-of-state plates. Then I think my license wasn’t updated either..? Anyway, we got a fine. Welcome to Chicago!
KEYS. LOCKED IN CAR.
Well that kind of sucks.
The engine isn’t running, is it?
KENAN SOMETIMES PEOPLE HAVE OPINIONS THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN YOURS AND YOU NEED TO JUST FUCKING RELAX ABOUT IT.
— Handgun O. Mendocino (rabbitrabbi...) (webmail), February 13th, 2007 2:27 PM. (pullapartgirl) (later) (link)
You’re right, though. The Dell kid is a total douche.
— Handgun O. Mendocino (rabbitrabbi...) (webmail), February 13th, 2007 2:28 PM. (pullapartgirl) (later) (link)
Is it ok if I love you? You have achieved a very Kenan kind of balance.
I like that the adjective form of alderman is “aldermanic.”
aldermaniacs
xpost haha
too obvious, i guess
if i were you i would seriously go to the one at the thompson center. it’s usually very well staffed.
Yeah, I went there before work to renew my license. Wait wasn’t too long, no hassles at all.
I once stopped to put air in my tire and locked my keys in the car with the engine running but I was only two blocks from my apartment and I kept a spare key in my mailbox because I shared the driveway with my upstairs neighbors and we often had to move each other’s cars to get in and out so I just ran home and got it, with the car locked and running in the gas station parking lot.
But even if I wasn’t, you could break in that car by looking at it funny so it wouldn’t have mattered much any.
I wouldn’t mind seeing cartoon caricatures of alderpeople. I’m sure it’s been done before.
This car:
ned, get off my hood.
it just doesn’t stop snowing, does it?
I wouldn’t mind seeing cartoon caricatures of alderpeople. I’m sure it’s been done before.
dorothy_tillman.jpg
The Thomson Center is especially easy in the mornings, pre-lunch hour. And the test you take mostly involves either a) looking at shapes of signs (octagon, diamond) and matching them with the appropriate sign (stop, no passing) or b) answering questions that are meant to educate you (i.e., is there a penalty for drunk driving? yes, no).
I stayed home today. I an lounging. I am watching it snow in my boxers.
I went to get something out of the car for my friend Moses, and the key FELL OFF the key chain just as I pressed lock and shut the door.
Luckily I had a spare at home and got a co-worker to drive me, crisis over.
Congratulations!
Snow in your boxers, Kenan?
I feel like something is stuck between my molars, but ordinary floss ain’t doing it. This is going to ruin my day.
I am watching it snow in my boxers.
TMI.
oh, xposty
I was at work late last night, and thought about taking the disused and neglected PowerMac G3. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just needs to be turned into a Linux box. Should I do this? Check one.
__yes __no
I mean, granted, it’s stealing. But it’s stealing something that no one will notice is missing until the next time we move, if then.
Only if you want to start looking like the Tron guy.
Wait, is this a work computer? Then no, you ding dong. WTF?
The g3 is already Tron guy colors. I’ll have a head start.
Wait, is this a work computer? Then no, you ding dong. WTF?
It’s a stored-under-a-cabinet-and-forgotten-computer. Because it’s useless for what we do.
Stop rationalizing it, and NO. Bad Kenan.
It’s a “wow, i forgot this was here” computer.
yeah, i’m rationalizing. what of it?
Maybe ask if you could have it? If they say “What computer??” it’s yours.
Tell it to the judge.
that would be a totally douchey thing to do kenan.
If it’s useless, why don’t you ask if you can take it? XPOST
let’s put aside for a moment our sense of propriety and remember that this thing is a dinosaur that no one wants. I lean towards yes.
What is this silly voice in my head the keeps telling me no?
And then you turn it into a linux box, and put this software on it:
And then you’re happy forever.
HEY I COULD ASK. That’s actually not a bad idea. There might be a little hemming and hawing, though, because no one knows how computers work around there, and if I can use it for anything, why can’t I use it at work?
a dinosaur that still doesn’t belong to you kenan.
The hemming and hawing will then be the price you pay for a new box.
a dinosaur that still doesn’t belong to you kenan.
you people and your principles.
yeah, you’re right, of course.
What is this silly voice in my head the keeps telling me no?
It’s the small part of you that doesn’t really want to get fired.
i think that’s it, yeah.
It’s the small part of you that doesn’t really want to get fired.
or arrested.
arrested for stealing a g3 would indeed be a sad affair
ok, fine, i’ll just ask.
Good Kenan.
So I worked on this huge, painful project collecting emails so we could mass email all the bigshot realtors in Chicago about this open house... I collected about 4500 of them and it was a PAIN IN THE ASS. I got headaches every day. Anywho, I just found out I’m not allowed to go to it (it’s today) because they need me here to answer the door even though there are only three or so other people in. Awesome.
Also, I was given a huge new list of more companies whose emails they want me to collect. Also awesome.
The good news is that I’ll just be here alone basically and could read I guess (or just spend all that extra time on here).
I forgot to mention almost everyone else in the office is going. It’s a full-floor condo, the fanciest one in the building, which will be well stocked with free food and wine and what-not.
Sarah, we’ve already established that we hate every single person you work with, I think? All of them. Can burn. In selfish, over-entitled, small-minded, stupid, ugly co-worker hell.
Thanks, Laurel.
I’m mostly in a great mood today. I guess I can’t help but bitch anyway though.