Links to Me
Recent Reviews
Totally under the radar--the best coffee shop in Chicago. Huge, peaceful, comfy seating, good coffee.
Re: “Joyride Records”
The most pleasant record store in Chicago, and always has neat stuff.
Re: “Hyde Park Records”
Outstanding budget LP selection, and some nice classical finds.
Recent Comments
Re: “How Much Should Clinton's Endorsement Matter Anyway?”
My guess would be that if you wanted to point a finger at the Clinton admin for the income gap, NAFTA and economic deregulation would be a good place to start. Worth considering now that the odds are good we might be finishing the Bill Daley for Rahm Emanuel swap in the near future.
Re: “Mandated Metra Wi-Fi”
Actually, that point is hard to argue with.
Re: “Dinner & a Show: Friday 1/7”
Aw, thanks. Still have to do the Recommends e-mail before I can get to my desk, though.
Re: “Remembering Cliff Doerksen”
It's probably selfish of me to say that one of the things that makes Cliff's death so sad for me is that I didn't get to know him as well as some of my colleagues. And part of the reason for that has to do with Ira Glass's description of him--on the couple of occasions I was in the same place as Cliff, people were practically waiting in line to talk to him, because of the exceptional breadth and depth of his knowledge and his skills as a raconteur.
So like many past, present, and future contributors to the Reader, I have to remain content with knowing him through his works, which are exceptional. (I'll miss his Bad News from the Past blogging dearly, which reminded me of a darkly humorous version of "Wisconsin Death Trip.") The deservedly award-winning mince pie essay was in particular a highlight--it wasn't just exceptional on its own, but here in the office people were excited to be working with it, and it resulted in an exceptional design and presentation. The rest of us wanted to be up to the quality of the piece, and it showed. That's the kind of pleasure his writing brought, both to readers and to us. I'll always be grateful for that.
Re: “The Best Music of 2010”
Repaired. MIA's album title caused the album to export incorrectly. By the way, if MIA is reading this: YOUR ALBUM TITLE IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING TO DEAL WITH FROM A TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE. PLEASE USE WORDS NEXT TIME.
Re: “A British Pub With Burger King Views”
"god forbid they shuck the "and" for something a tad more aesthetically pleasing"
Don't front on "and."
Re: “DIY Deer Butchering”
I want to come in to Alinea one day and be handed a jerky gun.
Re: “Hoosier Mama Pie Shop”
I've never had pies this good, ever - they're all very simple and straightforward but perfectly done. All the forms of chess pie are great; the maple pecan is my favorite. The space is tiny, but quaint, and the window seat is my favorite place in Chicago to have a cup of coffee.