For the past four years, I have been coming to Edgewater's Hollywood Beach on the evening of 4th of July to watch the fireworks and dance at what I've dubbed the Hollywood Beach Rave. Last year, that second part didn't happen, which was really disappointing, especially since I pretty much invited f_morgana for this ( Read more... )

As I've written before, the way Amtrak's Pere Marquette route is currently set up is kind of limiting. A train travels from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Chicago in the morning (stopping at several cities in western Michigan along the way) and heads back toward Grand Rapids in the evening. Which is great if you're in Michigan, but if you are in Chicago ( Read more... )

Ever since I moved to Chicago proper, I've been trying to figure out the best way to watch 4th of July fireworks in the city ( Read more... )

I've been fascinated with American Evangelical subculture since I was in high school. Especially the media it produced. There is something... Soviet about it. Not necessarily in terms of ideology, but in the way it tries to spread The Message. The whole idea that Evangelicals alone know the truth, that they know the best, and that only they can ( Read more... )

ChicagoNow blogger Jack Silverstein did a post earlier today about the anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. While visiting his friend's grandmother, he was able to take pictures of the first pages of the major Chicago newspapers from the day of the assassination and a few days thereafter. This was back in the day when ( Read more... )

When you're trying to describe a woman, the term "curvy" can be tricky ( Read more... )

Lately, the Internets have been abuzz over something that's being called "the most sexist commercial of all time."

Click to view

But while it is sexist, that is not the most sexist commercial ever. I would nominate this as the most sexist commercial of all time.

Click to view

If this ad had any more condescension it would be in a rain forest.

The last two entries touched on the first two halves of my journey to New York City. Hopefully, I'll be able to fit the rest of the trip in this entry.

( Lots of waiting and fog on the last leg of the train to New York City )

As many people who know me both online and in real life can tell you, I have a certain weakness for older women. So it's really no surprise that I wound up stumbling over the official website of one Mamie Van Doren. A contemporary of Marilyn Monroe, she seemed to, at first glance, look pretty good for her age. And yet, the more  I looked through ( Read more... )

Over at Bravo channel's Real Housewives in Orange Country 2 website, there is a poll where the readers are asked to rate various Orange Country housewives who submitted pictures of themselves. The ratings are, naturally, according to their hotness.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that my beauty/hotness standards differ significantly from the ( Read more... )