A Short Break

I'm in Tennessee with my son, visiting my folks. Between that and the holidays, I haven't been blogging. I'm taking a short break. When I get back to Chicago, I've got some posts in my head about a couple of people who died in recent months, including the Irish diplomat and intellectual Conor Cruise O'Brien, whom I met years ago, mob gambler and casino head Lefty Rosenthal, whose life was the subject of Martin Scorsese's movie Casino and Political Science writer Samuel Huntington, whose book "Political Order In Changing Societies" was key to my master's theses (I wrote three short theses for my master's in Political Science, rather than one large one).

In the meantime, I'll note that I passed a couple of blog milestones in the last few weeks. I had my 50,000th hit on my blog-- it turned out to be from my old friend Dan-- and had my 1000th post sometime in the last couple of weeks.

See you in a few days.

Back To Where It All Began

As Christmas approaches, I feel the spirit of giving and sharing. And that includes sharing the origins of South Park.

In 1992, two University of Colorado students named Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who had met in a film class, did a animated short movie entitled Jesus vs. Frosty. It introduced several of the characters that would later make up South Park. In 1995, an executive at FOX network saw the short and asked Parker and Stone to make to make another film that he would use for an animated Christmas card to his friends. It then quickly spread over the internet. I saw it the first time when an old friend's brother showed it to me during a raucous weekend right after my first marriage exploded in my face. I recounted that adventure, where I learned that it's all fun and games until someone gets an eye put out in another post.

In August of 1997, the short was developed into a series, first on Fox and then Comedy Central. It's currently in its 12th season. Here's the original short from the animated Christmas card.

Christmastime For Bubs

A few weeks ago, one of the people I work with brought in a Hammacher Schlemmer catalog. They had amazing, mostly useless things. I personally wanted the wine glass that held an entire bottle. Since it's that giving season, I thought some of you might go in with me for something for our favorite blogging gun nut enthusiast, Bubs: the Marshmallow Shooting Gun. But I do need some help; there are no fewer than three models to choose from. I've included the description with each.


The 40' Marshmallow Bazooka
This battery powered bazooka launches edible, full-size marshmallows up to 40', forever changing the rules of engagement for marshmallow gun confrontations. The integrated microprocessor automatically regulates air pressure, allowing you to launch up to five marshmallows in 60 seconds without manual pumping. Simply load a marshmallow into the chamber, wait for the LED on the reticle to illuminate, and pull the trigger to bombard your mark with confections. Requires two 9-volt batteries. Ages 6 and up. 7" H x 3 1/2" W x 25" L. (2 lbs.)


The 40 Foot Marshmallow Blaster
Only available from Hammacher Schlemmer, this pump-action, pneumatic gun shoots sweet, edible marshmallows (or a handful of miniature marshmallows) up to 40'. The easy-to-refill bolt action design ensures fast, nonstop action. Front grip is detachable for easy cleanup. Includes carrying case. Ages 12 and up. The manufacturer has confirmed that this item meets all U.S. Federal toy safety standards, including safety standards for lead. 6" H x 2 1/2" W x 15" L. (2 lbs.)


The Marshmallow Shooter
This clever pump-action device shoots sweet, edible miniature marshmallows over 30', and, unlike other marshmallow blasters, it comes with an LED sight that projects a safe beam of red light to help locate a target for accuracy. The easy-to-refill magazine holds 20 marshmallows (or foam pellets, not included) for fast, nonstop action. Barrel and magazine are top rack dishwasher safe, and the back of the box includes a target for practice. Ages 6 and up. 4" H x 17 3/4" L. (1 3/4 lbs.)

I can't decide which one we should get him; each device has it's own merits. You can't beat the 40-foot Marshmallow Bazooka for raw confectionary stopping power. Yet, sometimes you need the precision-- and the handy LED "laser sight" of the Marshmallow Shooter. Yet, there may be a situation where you need to throw up a wall of marshmallows, in which case the 40 Foot Marshmallow Blaster would be indispensible. Help me out, bloggers-- Christmas approaches!

Occasional Forgotten Video: Naked Eyes, "Always Something There To Remind Me"

"Always Something There To Remind Me" was originally one of the many Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs that Dionne Warwick covered. It was eventually covered by the British songstress Sandi Shaw, and made it's way to the synth-pop duo "Naked Eyes," which consisted of childhood friends Pete Byrne and Rob Fisher. They had a hit with it in 1983, aka "The Year of the Video." Burt Bacharach has cited Naked Eyes' version as being a favorite.



Naked Eyes just missed being a "one-hit wonder" by having one other smaller hit, "Promises, Promises." They broke up not long after their hits. Byrne did session work-- you can hear him on Stevie Wonder's hit "Part-time Lover." He continues to work in the music business. Fisher formed another duo, Climie Fisher. He died in 1999 following stomach surgery.

Gingerbread House, 2008

Making the Christmas gingerbread house has become an annual tradition. This year, Mel's friend Anya joined in the fun.

When I Win The Lottery

"When I win the lottery gonna buy all girls on my block
A color TV and a bottle of French perfume
When I win the lottery gonna donate half my money to the city
So they have to name a street or a school or a park after me
When I win the lottery

"When I Win The Lottery"- Camper Van Beethoven

In March of 1986, I was living with a couple of guys in a two-flat in Rogers Park. I'd answered an ad in the Chicago Reader looking for a roommate. The place and price were right, and with the help of my old friend Tim, moved from Beverly at the south end of Chicago to the neighborhood at Chicago's northermost point.

Unfortunately, our landlord sold the building and gave us a month's notice move out. I launched an apartment hunt and found a place I liked at Ashland and Berteau, in the North Center neighborhood. My friend Mark, who'd just graduated from our alma mater, Eastern Illinois University, and unlike me had a car, helped me move.

I quickly fell in love with the neighborhood. There were el stops within two blocks either north or south. It was a crazy grab bag of ethnicities. I remember walking over to the Mexican grocery store to buy a broom, mop, bucket and cleaning supplies. There was also a Jewel's grocery store a few blocks away, and the Clark Street bus, a 24 hour line, ran just a couple of blocks away. And of course, Wrigley Field, the Music Box Theater and the Gingerman tavern were all within a fifteen minute walk away.

But one of my favorite things in the neighborhood was the factory down the street, at Berteau and Ravenswood. Ravenwood Avenue runs across much of the north side of Chicago, starting around Diversey, up to the north border. It's filled with warehouses, light industry and, increasingly, loft conversions. The handsome building, pictured at the top of this post, is that factory. It's funny that it's better looking than a lot of the "tear-downs" going up in the neighborhood.

The Sulzer Library, also in the neighborhood, exhibits History Fair projects done by kids in local schools every year. Among this year's crop of projects was one on Chicago water towers, which, to my delight, had a model of "my" building.

I learned a couple of things from this project. One was that Chicago, because of our 1871 fire, has more water towers than any other city in the country. Another thing I learned was that the clock towers that adorn this and many of the other factories, are actually disguises for water towers.

Over the years, I've had a recurring fantasy: that somehow I'll come up with a fortune and buy that building and make it my home. I'll renovate it and move my family and friends in. Once or twice a year, I actually spring for a lottery ticket. It keeps my dream of purchasing my building alive. The place would be perfect. I'd put up a basketball court in the warehouse section, and have a room with a bar up in the tower, where the long-abandoned water tower was.

The best part, though, is that there's a place at the very top of the tower from where I could sip bourbon, survey my empire below, and have a place to park my flying monkeys when they came home to roost.

Snowbound Friday Random Ten

Last night we finally got the snow they'd been they'd been threatening all day. Bet you west coast transplants don't miss that.

1. Dr. Feelgood- Aretha Franklin
2. Blue Angel- Roy Orbison
3. Star of Bethlehem- Neil Young
4. Greensboro Woman- Townes Van Zandt
5. Melting In the Sun- INXS
6. Higher Ground- Stevie Wonder
7. Greystone Chapel- Johnny Cash
8. Forever Young- Johnny Cash
9. Memories Can't Wait- The Talking Heads
10. Funk #49- The James Gang


1. I grew up listening to my dad's copy of Aretha Franklin's greatest hits. She still sounds great.
2. Roy Orbison had one of the most amazing voices ever. This song was a great showcase for it.
3. From American Stars and Bars.
4. Van Zandt was a late life discovery for me.
5. From "The Swing," an album I just about wore out the summer of 1984.
6. I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers' cover of this one too.
7. Johnny Cash' great song of redemption from his "Live At San Quentin" album.
8. Cash covering his friend Bob Dylan's song. From the Cash box set.
9. "There's a party in my mind/And I hope it never stops..."
10. The James Gang was Joe Walsh' pre-Eagles band.

The Music Box

While picking my stepdaughter up from school today, I walked over and snapped a picture of the beautiful Music Box Theater on Southport Avenue.



The first time I ever went into the Music Box Theater was in 1986, when I saw the 1980 Bob Hoskins classic "The Long Good Friday." I lived just a few blocks from it, at Ashland and Berteau, and was able to walk there in about ten minutes. I made it a habit to see movies there when I could.

According to their website, the Music Box was opened in August, 1929, just a few months before the stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression. It was reopened 25 years ago by its current management as an art theater. When I was a younger guy and had lots of spare time, one of the things I looked forward to was once a month when the Chicago Reader would have the monthly schedule in it. I've seen countless marvelous movies there: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, Down By Law and Casablanca. One time, when I was in line to see Akira Kurasowa's "Ran," film critic Roger Ebert was right behind me in line. When my friend Mark was still alive, he was always dragging me to see the animation festivals or some movie he was interested in. Wish he was still around to do that.

When Kim and her first husband got divorced, she and Mel lived right behind the Music Box. A couple of months ago, I took Mel and Adam to a booksigning by Chicago ghost enthusiast Ursula Bielski, and Mel told Ms. Bielski about hearing ghosts in the theater. Bielski confirmed that others had interacted with the friendly ghost of a long-gone employee of the theater.

When I got out of school in the mid eighties, the neighborhood around the Music Box, Wrigleyville (Wrigley Field is just a few blocks away), was rough. These days, that strip of Southport is filled with tony shops and restaurants. Fortunately, the Music Box has survived gentrification, and continues to show it's quirky mix of art movies and classic. Long may it run.