Chicago - A message from the station manager

The [Wednesday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

Either nobody noticed that I mistakenly called yesterday’s column The [Monday] Papers, or nobody bothered to tell me. Come on, people! Engage!
Anyway, the best thing to come out of Monday’s Tuesday’s column was this response by our very own Tim Willette to item No. 3:

“She is taking four AP classes, along with serving as editor of the school newspaper, treasurer of the student council and member of the show choir.”
Nothing new here, but forever I’ve read stories like this and thought, “I don’t see part-time job on that resume.” This student is not lazy. She’s so busy with activities that she often doesn’t begin homework until after 10 p.m. But it bugs me that college admissions people appear to rank participation in the choir higher than the real-world experience of being an employee. (I assume they do, otherwise everyone would take a job at 7-11 to pad the ol’ resume, right?)
I know it’s a hell of a lot harder today for a high school kid to land any job than when we were their age. Nonetheless, if you believe these stories a lot of parents don’t put a priority on having their college-bound children balance school activities with work, once known as “saving money for school” (although granted often also earning money to take girls out, buy records, etc.)
I’m not just being an old man here, although I am one. I think the Protestant work ethic often has been a scam to separate workers from the fruits of their labor. And if anything the Millennial+ generation is doing a hell of a lot more charitable work than ours did. But to volunteer you don’t have to do much more than show up. To get a job at Wal-Mart you have to interview with one person, get called back to interview with someone else and maybe talk with the store manager and possibly take a piss-test, psych exam, etc. On the job you deal constantly with customers who consider you beneath them, management that under pressure from upstairs “encourages” you to work off the clock lest they be required to pay you overtime, and so on. I’ve done both – people generally treat volunteers differently.
However as an employee you will rub shoulders with adult coworkers who will educate you about how small every one of you is in the company’s eyes and learn the lesson of the nail that gets pounded.
I also am a great fan of when kids who excel in the classroom learn that, in fact, there are carpenters and furniture movers and shopkeepers who are a hell of a lot smarter than they are and will ever be. That lesson blessedly I didn’t need to learn from a job, but it was a great thing to have it reaffirmed.
More practically: I once worked with a young lawyer whose first job was attorney-making-six-figures. She treated everyone “below” her like shit and kissed ass to everyone “above,” some of whom came from real poverty. (She once remarked that she didn’t know anyone that didn’t have a maid.) She didn’t last, because she became hated by staff and attorneys alike.
Otherwise, re h.s. starting time – they should begin at 11:00. I’m serious.

Amen.
Unknown Americans Of The Walmart Republic
Shadows and freedom, people. Connect the dots in this particularly good installment of Local Book Notes.
Also included: The Tribune is about to come out with Chicago Portraits. We’ve embedded the preview, which basically shows you all the photos.
Matt Forte & The Futures Market
In a particularly fun installment of Fantasy Fix.
When The San Diego Chicken Came To Chicago TV
And totally broke character – so much so that we’re not sure it is a character.
Talks about: Why he legally cannot be called a chicken in San Diego and why he turned down Ted Turner’s $100,000 offer.
Bonus video segment: Check out the commercials preceding the interview.
The Cub Factor
May not appear this week. We’ll see.
The Weekend In Chicago Rock
Featuring . . . Operators, The Lemons, Corrections House, Chase, Sun Ra Arkestra, Cecile McLorin Salvant, The Chinese Professionals, STS9, The Chicago Afrobeat Project, The Motet, Lettuce, Riff Raff, DJ noDJ, Tweens, Snoop Dogg, Kid Cudi, Bassnectar, Showtek Music, Alesso, Adventure Club, DSmith, Emancipator, Nicky Romero, Griz, Dada Life, Dan Deacon, Environmental Encroachment, Billy William Patrick Corgan, Capture The Crown, Anna Fermin & Trigger Gospel, Consume The Divide, Unwed Sailor, Cashmere Cat, Talib Kweli, Slightly Stoopid, Ralph Covert & The Bad Examples, Zed’s Dead, 30 Seconds To Mars, Scott Stapp, and Blessthefall.
I’ve particularly fallen in love with Operators and The Lemons.
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Open Studio Day!
Today and every Wednesday at AnySquared Studio, also housing the laptop that is The Beachwood Media Company.

Post by AnySquared.

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BeachBook
* Logan Square’s Worst Apartment [Doubtful] Wants $1,100 A Month.
I dunno, the place is a dump but I’ve seen far worse for around that much. That is in no way a justification for the landlord’s shameful neglect; I just find it odd that Curbed finds this so noteworthy. Perhaps a sister site called The Worst Apartments In Chicago And The Slumlords Who Rent Them.com.
* Mr. Let’s Paint Is Coming To Chicago!
Possibly inside a box.
* Recent Stock-Market Surge Supported By Record Profits.
Obama has no comment outside of meekly (again) suggesting that raising the minimum wage a smidge might be a good idea, I mean, if y’all want to. But I’m good either way!
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TweetWood


Right.
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Look, I’m sure everyone was gonna make this connection, but I’m pretty sure I got there first and then everyone else acted like they thought of it on their own.
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Dude’s worse than Nixon. Only one reporter in America had him pegged: Me. Because I simply went by the record and the factual reporting, instead of engaging in fairy tales. My reward? Bupkis. Story of my career . . . and I’m sick of it.
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This one could’ve been crafted a little better, but gets to something deeper: Quinn’s haplessness.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Cheese, crackers.

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Posted on September 3, 2014