#452: The 1,001 TIF Guide, Part 1 of 2

March 18th, 2015 § permalink

I recently went to a political thing that had a courageous, honest, truthful speaker who clearly knew diddlysquat about TIF districts.

While I admire the passion the man (who was not either of the mayoral candidates) exhibited, it drove me nuts that media efforts to educate the public on how city finances work have culminated in “TIF bad.”

With that in mind, I’m going to use the next two of my 1,001 afternoons to tell you what tax increment financing is and how the current system is screwing you with your pants on. » Read the rest of this entry «

#451: 1143 Said

March 16th, 2015 § permalink

“I don’t care what they say,” 1143 told me. “You see that building on the corner, the glass one? Behind that there was a four-story, a two-story office building. And in 1979, the executives, there were these eight executives, and they lined up four by four and shot each other.” » Read the rest of this entry «

#450: Micro Views

March 13th, 2015 § permalink

He was tall, six foot five at the low end, and angry. » Read the rest of this entry «

#449: The Itch of the Tree-Mice

March 11th, 2015 § permalink

I was woken to the chirping of those little feathered flying tree-mice things whose name escapes me because it’s been so long.

There’s an itch in the air in Chicago.

It’s not the full-on fever of spring, just an itch on the skin, a tickle on the back of the throat. There’s just enough sunlight and just enough open coats to remind you spring is coming. » Read the rest of this entry «

#448: Pompon Circumstance

March 9th, 2015 § permalink

The bus pulled up and I got on, my little skirt waving in the wind. » Read the rest of this entry «

#447: The Astounding Chicago Man

March 6th, 2015 § permalink

“What’s Superman’s lair called?” the older businessman-type in the barber’s chair said.

“The Fortress of Solitude,” a man waiting with a magazine and I said in unison.

“Is that the thing made of crystals? Yeah, instead of that, Chicago Man has a parking space,” he said, and we all laughed.

“And whenever he leaves, he puts a gigantic, 80-foot lawn chair there,” I added, to more laughter.

We were trying to describe the powers of Chicago Man. » Read the rest of this entry «

#446: Unattended Packages

March 4th, 2015 § permalink

Part 1

The Red Line doors opened and I knew I wouldn’t be getting in.

It was the Grand station a few after 5. Downtown workers and shoppers poured down the various staircases, escalators and elevators to the subway to pool on the platform waiting for the train.

Dinging, whooshing, the train arrived.

A street person was sprawled along the floor of the train car, blocking the doorway. » Read the rest of this entry «

#445: The Working Man

March 2nd, 2015 § permalink

“Divorce, divorce, divorce,” the old cabbie said in a thick Korean accent, waving his hand in the air as if to wipe the word away. “This crazy country. Maybe if you had to-”

Here he struggled for a word.

“Work hard for the warm bed and-”

He struggled again.

“Full belly, you not have time to monkey around, eh?”

He laughed hard, trying to catch my eye in the rearview mirror so he was more than long gray scraggles sticking from the back of a flat cap. » Read the rest of this entry «

#444: Didn’t Kick the Bucket Day

February 27th, 2015 § permalink

My friend Joann spent two-and-a-half months eating dessert first.

She had a sickly, six-and-a-half month pregnancy that culminated in a fight with her ex over sandwiches and an appointment for one of those shots you need when your baby is a different blood type than you are.

At the appointment, they told her she wasn’t going anywhere. They told her to get some tests. » Read the rest of this entry «

#443: The Wit and Whimsy of the Chicago Jagoff

February 25th, 2015 § permalink

Any night you end with a magazine you’re featured in and an original portrait of 1920s Mayor William Hale “Big Bill” Thompson is a good one. » Read the rest of this entry «

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