Category > Prophylaxing Politely
Once upon a happy hour, a group of pals and I discussed our first impressions of Champaign-Urbana as transplants to the twin cities. One friend oh-so-casually mentioned, "The first thing I do when I move to any new town is check out the adult stores. It really gives you an idea about what kind place you're dealing with." Silly me, I've lived here almost two years and haven't been to any of them. So what kind of place is CU, …
As an adult actively avoiding procreation, I hadn't put much thought into the genital aesthetics of my potential offspring. Once I started interviewing subjects for Part 1 of this article it occurred to me the foreskinned friends answering my questions had absolutely nothing to do with the outcome of their penises. The majority of males circumcised in the U.S. undergo the removal of their foreskin within days of birth, leaving new parents faced with yet another decision to make regarding …
I recently fell into the habit of asking my male friends about their penises. Not having unlimited access to one myself, I'm curious about what it's like to not only have a penis, but to have a penis that is different from the penis one was born with. Why are some of my friends circumcised while others aren't, and what prompts some parents to opt out of such a standardized procedure? Interestingly, these questions are usually met with excitement and …
Champaign-Urbana seems to be a hub of Internet dating and friend-finding, where people who live, work and play mere steps from each other connect online before they ever interact in person. This is not just a local phenomenon-research shows that over 40 million American singles use online dating and social networking sites to meet new people. I had originally set out to explore the experiences of fellow Chambana residents who dabble in online dating, only to find that almost everyone …
Time for a little self-disclosure. I'm not a Chambana native, but a relatively recent transplant to East Central Illinois. I first visited Champaign about 18 months ago for a job interview. A couple weeks and an obnoxiously exhausting online apartment hunt later, I set foot in this town for only the second time, and started to unpack my life. So here I was, a twenty-something young professional with no ties to UIUC, and quite a bit of time on my …
Baby-bump mania is everywhere — from alleged celebrity pregnancy pouch sightings, to I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, to the ever-popular preggo porn faction of the adult entertainment industry — we're constantly bombarded with baby-to-be imagery. Even better for parents-to-be, medical experts have worked tirelessly to dispel myths surrounding sex during pregnancy, and have celebrated and encouraged copious amounts of contraction-inducing coitus until delivery day. The most popular how-to pregnancy guides for expecting parents give delightfully graphic play-by-plays on how …
Most Recent Culture Comments
@Jason: You’re right about that. I get groceries at Schnucks (they carry what I buy, which I can’t say of any other single grocery store in town), and if they have a beer I’m in the market for it’s usually a quarter or two cheaper per 6-…
Best Neighborhood Bar (& Grill) : Urbana - My ‘hood- the ‘Boom! http://www.boomerangbarandgrill.com Go on a Wing Wednesday or Fish Friday, or see a band play some night. Local blue-collar Urbana terroir galore. My only beer snobbish gripe is lack of a pale hopped ale, but you…
The one thing that’s bothered me for a while about the Friar is that, for most commonly purchased adult beverages, you can actually walk down the strip mall to Schnucks and get them cheaper. It makes no sense, but there it is. I suspect it’s because Schnucks…
Maybe I complained enough in person. One time I even explained to the (wholly uninterested) clerk how to navigate the Illinois Statutes web page, and Savoy’s Municipal Code database I wouldn’t know because I only go there when I want to pay 30% more for anything, which is never.
@Rob: You seem to have the weirdest experiences. I’m in Friar Tuck every other week (don’t tell my mom that I’m a lush). They never fail to ask for my birth date but never my age, they never card afterwards, and they often allow me to use…
This column affords me a long-awaited opportunity. I’ve wanted to write my own column called Fuck You Friar Tuck Liquors. but I always thought it’d be too pithy. Here, I can say Fuck You Friar Tuck Liquors and not feel bothered to stretch it out to 750…
Ha! Exactly. You, sir, are welcome at the bar in My House.
Why wait ‘til 3 pm?
I’m excited to go tonight- should be very fun!
Most Recent Comments
“It was at this point, before he started his business, that working with city employees should’ve raised red flags…” But they didn’t because: 1) The City Clerk’s office originally mis-interpreted the rules, or are indeed re-interpreting them. 2) Champaign’s brick-n-mortar merchants hadn’t yet started whining about The Crave Truck.
Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
I think it’s neat that SP has turned rightward, now espousing a Tea Party-style frustration with government regulations & taxes.
This makes me so sad. (Happy to live in Urbana, though!) Crave Truck has been a GREAT addition to the food choices in C-U, and it’d be a travesty to chase them away. This town should be supporting small businesses. I’m glad to hear that they’ll still…
*slow. clap.* Still offering no threat of intelligence…. I know I said I thought you should just write this whole column yourself next year, Isaac, but now that you’ve gone and taken a “part deux” run at it, I’d like to modify my request: Best Music 2013,…
Actually, it’s kind of nice, the quiet. John Heoffleur’s engaging commentary/dialogue is sorely missed, however. In lieu of someone intelligent saying something, I’ve compiled a list of Honourable Mentions: BEST ROCK BAND: Take Care ::these gentlemen have four completely different sets at their disposal right now (which…
Facebook
Twitter
Full Site
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!