Kiss Me Deadly

The good folks from "Public Enemies" return to Clark Street to get some more "under the EL" footage.

A M&M truck gave out free samples of their upcoming ice cream bars right across from the Hershey's store! The mascot came out and did some bits with the truck; pushing it, shaking its fist at it like an old movie serial villain. The M&M people ignored it.

Over in Chinatown, people enjoyed visiting the local "ethnics."

The secret of the 20 Seconds store: it is only open 20 seconds each week. When is that 20 seconds? No one knows!! 

All the local Chase banks added a light projection so that the sidewalk in front all boast their logo. Unnecessary addition to our urban blight. Chase clients all know where their banks are and non-customers won't look at it and say, "Hey! I need to start a checking account!"

The Great 08 Tomato Scare gets local. Sadly, it would all turn to be for naught. It wasn't the tomatoes! Worst. TV Movie. Ever.

Check out the old timey car and some extras in costume.

These posters want us all to be better people. 

A strike holds up construction on that 18 room hotel. Old School inflatable rat adds gravitas to their relatively lackluster strike line.

Hey, what's going on at that Indian Restaurant? Looks like quite the brouhaha.

To the delight and confusion of many, somehow this car was hit by another and ended up perpendicular to the store. Both cars were fine, but the restaurant lost a glass panel and a table. 

I wish I belonged to a club called "Upscale Sundays." But, as this handwritten sign was posted on the door of La Cantina, maybe "Upscale" is like when you a fat guy "Tiny."

I took pictures of crowds, spilled booze, vomit, crying couples and more, but I think this one sums up a Cubs/Sox game more than any other image; an ambulance in front of John Barleycorn. Yep. That sums it up quite nicely.

My Art is Frightening

More urban blight on the corner of Roscoe and Clark. To Whomever is responsible for the "wolfmetal" sculpture: why not remove the awful motorcycles first? The corner is becoming a salute to rust.


On a sidestreet... hidden cobblestone beneath the asphalt.


One of the weirdest promo tie-ins ever. All the desktops at Best Buy have a "Hancock" picture.


Einstein Bagels gets a makeover.


Sat on the tarmac for a few hours earlier this week. I took this pic with my trusty iPhone.

Baseball Inn(ing)

One of the Charmed Ones, Alyssa Milano, loves the Cubs!!


So what are they going to build in that old Subway space? Mystery Solved!


The seniors at Mt. Carmel got out of school early and just about all of them ran over to Chipotle for a impromptu party and autograph-book signing. It was adorable with all the kids still in their uniforms. I thought to take a picture, but I didn't want to be that creepy guy taking the picture of the Catholic Schoolkids.



And a big hotel needs its own parking area, of course.


Strange Cargo indeed.


After taking a closer look, something has been added to "Sah-man-tah."



Dangerous missing manhole cover.


Strict UPS store.


The Dante's Inferno Pizza Place has erased/covered over the dancing silhouettes.


Yes. He did.

Chugga

argh. This message is so confusing... is it someone's nickname? Is it a command? And what's with that heart?


Oh, post-Cubs-game vomit. I thought I could resist your siren call to take a picture and post, but alas, I am not that strong. But, check out the red (and only red) M&Ms mixed into the puke. Delicious!



A flier for a pot parephenlia website isn't anything too new ("Check it out! Available here! No more headaches splitting blunts"), but the fact that an eight-year-old was handing them out is.


At a midnight showing of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" there were many people in costume. Just in the theater I was in there were several Indys, a Marion, an Irina Spalko, and a Mutt Williams.
I plan on dressing as Indiana Jones for the Dark Knight premiere.

Jared's Last Stand

The store facade is perhaps a bit too demure.


Insane traffic on a Monday... backed up to Buckingham.


This man loves milk!


The old Subway building has been scary derelict. I wonder what's going on in there...? Some kids dared me to run up and ring the doorbell but I only got as far as the porch.


Zoinks! Look what's going on in there! This used to be our sandwich playground.


One of those little photo magnets randomly on a window frame on Clark Street. It's four dudes all blurryly just hanging.

Sayonara, Sir Skanksalot

Ride the Public Short Bus.


This bag is for carrying tiny dead children.


Cohen Family Reunion.


I like to think that the Knights of the Round Table started the same way... posters and signs on the streets.


Hm. That's the kind of knight talent you get when you post on street corners.


This clothing store had several racks marked "Do Not Touch". Apparently it was all a grand experiment merging a museum with its' gift shop. And this was a dress museum.


The fate of all my lottery tickets.



The video billboards inside Wrigley broadcast static on off-days. It's a creepy effect.


The Nisei Lounge is closing. It was founded in the seventies by Japanese-Americans (that's what Nisei means: children of immigrants to America.) The Nisei were referred to in a negative context during WW2 and I guess this is where they could, uh, lounge. In a bitter irony, as soon as the Cubs have a Japanese player the Nisei Lounge announces it is closing. Go and have a delicious Asahi before they close.

And of course, there are still vendors still those GD shirts.