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Monthly Archives: March 2012

Our God Is a Awesomely Petty and Provincial God

The church group trying to purchase the Portage Theater and consecrate it to God vis a vis demolishing its marquee and replacing its Art Deco interior with God knows what kind of cheesy rehabbing, is supposedly circulating petitions to garner support from neighbors who might not know any better. I’d love to hear corroboration on […]

Get Off My Lawn

Ah! ‘Tis the first day of spring, and already the locals (though usually it’s visitors to the neighborhood) are engaging in the exciting sport of car-sitting. For you see, when the weather gets nice, it’s time to go outside, drive somewhere, and then sit in the goddamn car with your six closest friends while you […]

Dracula

New Steppes of Chicago Post

Parker Berry, Hegewisch, and the Hidden.

Alas Parker

Princeton Dry Goods store facade (now “Super Wok”) redesigned by Parker N. Berry. Shamefully truncated and neglected.  

Visiting Parker

Today we made the journey to Manlius, and Princeton, IL, to see a few of the remaining works of former Louis Sullivan draftsman Parker N. Berry. The folks in both towns couldn’t have treated us better. My faith in humanity was reinforced by the graciousness and industry of the members of the Manlius Historical Society […]

Studies in Window Crayon, A Collaboration Between Me and My Son

On Behalf of the Irish, Go to Hell!

Display of “Irish” drinking wear in a convenience store window downtown. I don’t know what annoys me more: the boas or the fuzzy rave hats.  

No Reward, Other Than the Satisfaction of Doing the Wrong Thing

I lost my to do list somewhere downtown (I think). Should you find it, please pass it along to me at your earliest convenience. Ignore the items remaining to be checked off, including “Collect basement wives (Asian blondes?)” and “Activate skull-fornicating android army.”

Finding Parker

I’m heading to Manlius and Princeton, IL, this weekend to see some of the few remaining works of architect Parker Noble Berry, Louis Sullivan’s final draftsman and a promising architect in his own right. Sadly, Berry died at age 30, a victim of the 1918 Spanish Flu. I don’t think his hospital is still standing, […]