This page is a Monthly Archive of entries from July 2008 listed from newest to oldest.
Yesterday, the summer edition of the Daily Illini read, "Where's the party at? Princeton Review ranks Illinois No. 16 party school." Does anyone know what's wrong with this front page? That's right English 101 students: The sentence ends in a preposition. In order to be "grammatically correct," it should be rephrased, "Where's the party?" Is this acceptable from a journalistic publication? Or should we shrug this off as merely a linguistic variation?
There are only a handful of places in Champaign-Urbana that house the homeless. There’s the Times Center on East Washington Street, the Salvation Army’s Stepping Stone shelter on North Market, the Women’s Emergency Shelter on East Church, St. Jude’s Catholic Worker House on South Randolph, and during the colder months (mid-October through mid-April) there’s the Men’s Winter Emergency Shelter at McKinley Church and Foundation on South Fifth Street.
There are a couple other places that provide shelter for women who are victims of domestic abuse and runaway teenagers, but for the most part, the above facilities are the only places that house the homeless in our community.
I may have grown up in suburbia, but I’m not completely ignorant about farm life. After all, some years I spend an entire afternoon at a county fair. As a child I played some wicked games of hide-and-seek in my cousin’s barn, which was the old-fashioned, wood and red-painted kind, not the corrugated metal atrocities they now use. I’ve also fished out of ponds that were pre-stocked, and to this day still enjoy listening to Jeff Foxworthy.
I say all this to provide some evidence, pathetic though it may be, that I do venture out into the country at times, and usually do not run screaming back to suburbia. And yet, I learned something this weekend that I feel I should have known, and also that I feel is kind of gross, in a city slicker kind of way.
I'm in Singapore; here for a conceptual art conference called ISEA: International Symposium for Electronic Art. I'm presenting a paper that The Husband and I co-wrote, about Buddhism, Augmented Reality and Social Networks.
It's actually the second time I've ever been in Singapore, and I have many mixed feelings about the place. For one, it's a giant shopping mall — my "Uniquely Singapore" paraphernalia actually states that the national sport of Singapore is shopping. So me being here is like an almost-recovered alcoholic being locked in a beer factory for a week.
The white-marble mall attached to my hotel is open until 11 p.m. every night, and you have never seen such riches; it's filled with watch stores that sell watches that cost more than my car; Brookes Brothers, Mont Blanc. The mall is filled with people day and night. And this is just one mall; if you walk outside there is another, and another, and another. Non-stop.
Champaign City Council is at work trying to create more affordable housing around the downtown area, specifically north of Washington Street for those who work at and patronize the businesses in the area. Currently the rental properties in the immediate downtown are few and far between and will cost you plenty, but the council is looking to create cheaper digs for cooks, servers, bank tellers, baristas, retail associates, other downtown workers and those who spend time downtown/ What could be better than ditching the gas guzzler to conveniently coast to work on two wheels, or better yet, walk.
Those residing near the bustling entertainment district would certainly have beer, delectable cuisine, espresso, and cupcakes at their fingertips, but there are a few issues with making your home base directly next door to Neil Street: the influx of weekend revelers to the area could, frankly, just be annoying, and the nearest grocery stores are Meijer on North Prospect and Schnucks on Mattis Avenue. (That is until County Market opens its doors on Springfield Avenue — whenever that might be.)
But, there are perks aplenty. The downtown area includes a few banks, a boot repair store, a gas station, the post office, a movie theater and probably the biggest bonus — direct access to the Mass Transit District bus hub and Amtrak station. Living near the area would solve that pesky parking meter problem too.
So, do you want to live near downtown Champaign?
This past week I met a lot of dogs because I just happened to be visiting various friends who all had a dog or two (or four in the case of one who was dog sitting).
One thing I have noticed about dogs is that they are among the most accepting and tolerant creatures on the planet. They don’t care if you’re black or white, gay or straight, Christian or Muslim, conservative or liberal. They just sniff various parts of your body (which you may or may not appreciate) and then somehow they say to themselves in their lovable dog brains, “I like the way you smell. You’re OK.”
The News-Gazette commentary section gave us a double helping of crazy this past Sunday from nationally-syndicated columnists. On the whole, that makes it a light day of crazy for the News-Gazette commentary section, which is often capable of reducing my faith in humanity to a point where I look forward to robots, aliens or even apes taking over.
This week’s entries are from Michael Gerson, former speechwriter for George W. Bush, and Cal Thomas, far right-wing Christian apologist.
A quick Google search of tanning salons in the Champaign-Urbana area comes up with about 17 listed locations. Not to mention, six of these tanning factories are within walking distance from campus. My apartment alone is within three blocks from two different tanning salons. I just can’t understand their popularity. Granted — I’ve never given them any business. It’s something that has perplexed me ever since I arrived on this campus. Little tanned outlines of playboy bunnies peeking out of low-slung pants weren’t new to me, but the sheer numbers of these bunnies — with the occasional heart or star — was astounding. Young women and, even men, flock to places like Solar Tan, Electric Beach or Classic Tan to get their tan on.
With The Canopy Club hosting Central Illinois Metal Fest this weekend, don't be surprised if you see a couple of folks walking in town that don't seem too familiar with their surroundings. That is probably because they have flown half-way around the world to be here.
The CIMF has quietly grown into one of the most prominent music festivals in the world within a certain sub-section of the population. Headliners include bands like Monstrosity from Florida, Misery Index from Maryland and Incantation from Pennsylvania. They will be supported by bands from across the globe including Amagortis from Switzerland, Nominon from Sweden and Holocausto Canibal from Portugal.
Founder of the festival Matt Bishop says there are, "40 bands from seven different countries this year." The festival, now in year number seven, first began modestly at the Knights of Columbus in 1998 and ran it there until 2000. After a two year hiatus, Bishop brought it back in 2002 to The Canopy Club and has never looked back. Attendance is projected to double this year — which has seen a two day festival become three days.
A limited amount of tickets will still be available at the door all weekend.
So, with all this Metal being kicked out this weekend in our own backyard, we ask you:
Who ripped the most wicked Metal album of all time?
I went to Sholem Aquatic Center yesterday to enjoy the water and the sun on my day off. Sholem must be the place to be this summer because usually when I go there it is crowded and I can never find an empty poolside chair or an inner tube for the lazy river.
But this day I was lucky and found an empty chair. I plopped down my towel and flip-flops and reclined for a few minutes to enjoy the sunshine.
The chair next to me had a couple of pairs of flip-flops on it. In case you are unfamiliar with the unwritten rules of the pool, when you see peoples’ belongings on a pool chair, it means that that chair is taken. By putting something on a chair you “save” it so no one else can sit there.
In his column Single People Suck last week, Ryan touched a nerve among single people when he highlighted a billboard in Champaign that praised the economic advantages of being married. He believed this was an overt message disparaging single people because they are not married.
As a married person, I think I should chime in. It is unfortunate that Ryan should get this message directly from the billboard. Married people often have long discussions on this topic in their monthly cabal meetings, and we all generally agree: The message that single people suck should be subliminal, so as not to arouse heated arguments. Heated arguments just distract people away from their sole purpose in life, which is to get married as quickly as possible to the nearest person they can find.
July 4th, 12:30 a.m., after watching his mom blow off about 4 bags of 2-4-year-old fireworks, my 4-year-old child, the Ex-Toddler, is sitting in the dining room making art ("for my teacher") and listening to Sonic Youth's "Sister" album on his record player.
An ex-self-loathing generation X-er laments: our children will rebel not by becoming Republicans or hippies, Hare Krishnas or gay; these would be badges of honor for us, bragging rights. No, our children will rebel against us by co-opting all that we love, all our anti-societal memes, detournments, rages against the machines, which they'll absorb in healthy contemplative ways, suffering no cynicism or alienation. No highschool shootings, no self-absorbed depression. They’ll study the lyrics like anthropologists. They’ll enjoy the songs like popmusik.
“CHILD! It's 12:30 a.m., time to go to bed." I finally said.
"Am I up past my bedtime?" he asked gleefully.
I smiled politely.
You can't always get what you want from mainstream media and in this day and age, anyone can take five minutes and start a blog. But — how structured should it be? How casual the language? Should the writer adhere to the AP Stylebook? What are the benefits or consequences of blogging?
The blogosphere's options are endless and there is enough opinion and information to keep you surfing the internet all day long. Depending on the type of blog, it's the freshest form of journalism, or even the most public form of self-expression. Blog topics are bountiful and encourage interaction — they can reach audiences further and wider than traditional news outlets — and have spawned what has become known as the "digital smokebreak."
In Champaign-Urbana we have a great variety of blogs: Little Blog on the Prairie, Champaign Taste and Illini Pundit to name a few. Each has developed it's own voice, style of writing, genre and niche market of followers. After all, you're here now — and while we're an online magazine — we like to think of ourselves as neighbors, at the least.
So, you tell us — what blog around these parts has what you like to read — and why?
In case you haven’t heard, single people suck. That is the message that is being promoted on billboards these days. I recently saw one on First Street over by Basmati which said, “Married people earn more money. Marriage Works.”
The Marriage Works campaign was started by an organization called Campaign for Our Children which works to reduce teenage pregnancies. This campaign was picked up locally by the social services agency Solid Ground.
In addition to the afore-mentioned billboard, there are other segments of the campaign that say things like, “Kids of married parents do better in school” and “Married people are happier.”
As a newly-single person, I have to say, this billboard really offends me.
Every parade should be like the Washington Street Parade.
It should be led by a single fire truck, followed by a homemade sign.
The band should be filled with neighbors who value community and know only one song: “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
We all know about Texas and Memphis. Carolina and Kansas City are staples. But, Illinois BBQ?
Sounds flippy to us too. But wouldn't you know it, Bon Appetit recently named the 17th St. Bar and Grill in Murphysboro, Ill the best ribs in the US of A. And while that's not Champaign, it's getting awfully close.
Last weekend saw the premier of what is bound to be one Urbana's best annual traditions with the first annual Blues, Brews and BBQ in the parking lot of the Lincoln Square Village. The turnout, especially given its infancy was more than affirming of the fact that we, too, have a burgeoning BBQ scene that is just about ready to bust from the belt.
So, let's have it. You know the suspects with the smoke and sauce — as well as, if not better, than we do. So, who's got it in ol' C-U in the world of BBQ?
Happy 4th to all.
I’ve been scouring Craigslist for a place in Washington, D.C., where I’ll be moving in a couple of weeks. The nation’s capital is an expensive place to live, and apartments go quickly, so I find myself emailing hordes of strangers each day in hopes that one of them will have a roof that suits my needs, costs the right amount and becomes available within my timeframe. This process has led to countless hours online, a bout with carpal tunnel syndrome and some very suspect responses from property owners.
I think it’s kind of strange that we human beings don’t really know how to be human beings. We have to be taught.
I was reminded of this when I attended a “Children First” class last Monday evening at the Family Service of Champaign County. This is a class that is now required by the State of Illinois for all parents who are going through a divorce. It teaches the parents things such as what not to say in front of your children about your spouse, how to handle visitations, communicating with your ex-spouse, etc. It is a class that teaches common decency and how to treat other people — in this case your children and ex-spouse — with dignity and respect. In other words, it is a class on how to be humane (or human).
Our home phone was connected today. This is after two and a half years of being a cell-phone-only household. This in and of itself is likely unremarkable, but in conjunction with signing up for the landline phone, we canceled our cellular service.
This is a move that has been seen as radical — almost to the point of sacrilege — by many people we know. The very thought of being without a cellular phone has become a nightmare scenario for many. Why on Earth would we choose a cell-free life?
We decided that cellular phones are not necessary for our lifestyle.
During a trip to Colombia this spring, I heard a common theme from a number of Colombians with whom I spoke: In order to help Colombia’s drug violence problem, I should, as an American, work to reduce drug demand in the United States. It is our demand for drugs that produces their supply of drugs and the violence that comes with it.
This seemed unfair to me. Asking me to reduce drug demand in the United States is about as realistic as me asking Colombians to ignore the profit on the supply side or to share it equally with everyone. We should do our parts on both sides, of course, but we shouldn’t be under the illusion that people’s desire for drugs and money is going to go away anytime soon.
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