By J.J. Tindall
THE WORD LISTEN
I am the word listen.
I hear the river
And I hear the expressway.
Neither is ever empty.
Posted on January 30, 2013
QT: Semper Shy
By Zay N. Smith
News Item: Former Marine infantryman speaks out against allowing women in combat, saying fellow Marines “forced to be naked in front of the opposite sex” might find it “traumatizing.”
Add Marines to the list of things that aren’t what they used to be.
Posted on January 30, 2013
Open Letter
Dear Asses Of Chicago Commuters:
How are you doing down there? Are you cozy? Warm? Efficiently supported by a minimally-cushioned CTA train or bus seat? Oh good. What a relief.
I’m writing on behalf of the rest of the body to which you are attached. Your argument down the years, if I understand correctly, has been that your comfort should be paramount to all other concerns. Apparently you’ve been quite vocal – or perhaps guttural – about it, because the CTA agrees. It recently launched a “crowding reduction plan” aimed primarily at making sure you never have to stay upright again. You win.
The rest of your human? He or she just wants to get to work on time.
Posted on January 29, 2013
The Pizza Doctors Of LaCrosse
QT: Another Precinct Heard From
By Zay N. Smith
News Headline: “Bobby Jindal: GOP must stop being ‘stupid party.’ ”
News Headline: “Haley Barbour agrees GOP must stop being ‘stupid.’ ”
No. Let’s be fair.
Let’s hear what the Democrats have to say.
Posted on January 28, 2013
Circus Guy: Story Of A Survivor
By Frank Dina
“Mishu’s father was killed in an act of clan warfare [in Ethiopia]. Although Mishu had no intention of revenge, it was assumed by a rival clan that he would avenge his father. They arranged for his arrest without charge for an indefinite amount of time. While in prison, Mishu suffered repeated interrogations about a person he did not know.
“Family members raised bribe money to release Mishu from jail. To flee the country, he hired on with a circus traveling to the United States. When the tour was finished, he chose to stay . . . in Chicago.”
Posted on January 25, 2013
QT: An Alarming RVIII?
By Zay N. Smith
News Headline: “NFL players more likely to develop depression, problems with thinking skills.”
QT NFL Concussion Count with IX Days to Go Until Super Bowl XLVII:
As of the end of the season and playoffs, NFL players had suffered CCXXXVI concussions.
QT hoped to estimate how many times NFL concussions might be mentioned during the Super Bowl broadcast.
But there is no Roman numeral for zero.
Posted on January 25, 2013
Lupe Loves Hebru
So Does Jay-Z
Lupe Fiasco gave a shout-out to local artist Hebru Brantley in the Sun-Times this week. Let’s take a look at Brantley’s work.
1. Five years ago.
Posted on January 23, 2013
QT: A Slip Of The Tongue
By Zay N. Smith
News Item: “Chief Justice John Roberts got it right this time–but President Barack Obama appeared to stumble over the word ‘states’ during his ceremonial swearing-in. . . .”
Now why did he stumble on this word?
Let’s see . . . states. . . states. . . states’ rights. . . rights of the people. . . rights of the people trampled by secret plan to bring in U.N. troops during second term to confiscate firearms and. . . .
No wonder he stumbled.
And he almost got it past us, too.
Posted on January 23, 2013
QT: But It Was Done His Way
By Zay N. Smith
News Headline: “Obama is sworn in for second term: ‘I did it.'”
What President Obama meant to say, of course, was that he did it with the help of a teacher along the way, maybe, and system that allowed him to thrive and somebody who. . . .
He did mean to say that, didn’t he?
Hey. Wait a minute. . . .
Posted on January 21, 2013