11/30/06

No shines today

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For real, no shines today indeed, it was a sign in more ways then one...a physically rainy day and mental one as well....lets part these clouds again...The shine returns tommorrow???....

Brooks

11/29/06

street performer ban?

NOTE: Alderman Burton Natarus (Ward 42) has continued to unconstitutionally restrict Chicago street artists. New ordinance passed in February 2006

* Street performer ban from Delaware-to-Superior on North Michigan Ave.
* License fee for street musicians increased to $75.
* Volume limited average conversational level could be heard 100 feet away, either horizontally or vertically.
* First offense raised to $300. License revoked for one-year for three violations in a one-year period.



While walking around Michigan avenue today with some friends I mentioned the absence of one of My favorite street performer the "Tin Man"..you know the guy above who covers himself in silver paint, stands on a crate most of the time and is often seen blaring Michael Jackson all day til 1-2 am...This man is a die hard hustler and street performer extraordinaire, I once realized the lucrative aspects of his "street performing" when I spotted The Tin Man with a laptop apple computer and a five gallon bucket full of dollar bills including the usual "1$ for pics and 5$ for video"...I then and only then realized that a person could realistically make a living doin this kind of performing....Back to today, i was informed that street performers were no longer allowed to perform in certain areas of the "Magnificent Mile"...The reason this conversaton even arose was because we could hear a bucket drummer dude from a block away or so....Before we even finished the conversation , a police officer crossed the street and asked the drummer kid to show a permit or leave,well,...he left the scene....we were all perplexed, how could the city pass an ordinance preventing people from performing in public?....I was, to say it lightly a little pissed that these small sometimes mundane aspects of city life are being exterminated,not only are they quite a spectacle for tourist,but obviously a viable way for a few of these talented folks to make an honest buck.....I finally exclaimed that stuff like this is definitely ruining our city...Yuppie Tourist control the vibe of the city now....click here for more info


11/28/06

Dream

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I was told today by a friend that I was in her dream last night.Uh-Oh... I immediately smirked and mentally said "here we go" as I prepared to hear that I had done something solely embarrasing, weird or even worst, SEXUAL......So, I listened intently as this friend quickly describe my appearance in her dream first as a typical viewer in an art museum checking out some paintings or other random artworks, hand on my chin with a silly sense of interest>>>>Flash to her insisting on a home studio of her own for which she could create
art crafts music whatever her creative needs demanded, so I guess i somehow came to her assistance in designing or creating her home studio...I told her I was glad that I could be "helpful" to her not only in real life, but in her dreams as well....The whole thing was very special to me and left me with a level of positivity than is hard to describe....


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Hopefully, something positive in me is rubbing off, and setting in...we'll see


Brooks

11/27/06

3 days

I had this funny experience were I overheard a conversation between some peeps at work....No names will be used to protect the privacy of said co-workers....





It goes something like this "A male coworker of mine was havin kinda a grumpy day, the females around him were teasing that he has chronic Sunday morning grumpiness from all the drinking he does on Saturday, he quickly exclaimed "I havent had a drink in 3 days!"....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAS! were all all around, disbelief was in the air,"Yeah right" was said more than a few times. Pissed at the acusations, or the assumptions of his lack of control, he turned to say to the "ringleader of the tormentors" and shouted "Yer one to talk?"...She quiclkly remarked "Whaddya mean Im one to talk?........


...to say the least it was an interesting experience for me, hardly in all my years have I ever heard folks that drink go at it over the acusations of lack of control.
The most interesting part is that I dont drink and am usally on the end of one of the defensive/offensive tirades.

11/26/06

bike blog

So i decide to start these "daily" blogs as away of letting you all into the day to day things that happen in my life..during commutes, conversations and other candid moments...They are intended to be snapshots ,so there is a good likelihood that they will be short and sweet. The operative word is SHORT.Thanks for reading...as always Peace...Brooks



So, Im standing on the street corner in front of the nearest Taqueria,waitng for the city bus to show, when this latino guy on a bike came flying down the sidewalk like a bat outta hell, a second earlier two guys one black,one white passed me going east on the same sidewalk..
Next thing I see is the guy on the bike with his hand out in order to give the passing guys a high five as he continues on his way..."He says Whussup, only to be given a half assed high five from the two passerbyers...Still speeding down the sidewalk,by the time he gets to me, he screams " HEY NIGGA I SAID WHUSSUP!!! , AND YOU AINT SAID NOTHING!!!"....these two fellas who hang out on the benches around the bus stops looked over to me and stared...puzzled. I wondered if they thought he was talkin to me, or were they lookin to me for a reaction for the use of the word Nigger/a..To say the least I rolled my eyes and waited impatiently for the bus...
...Given the Michael Richards controversy over its use this pass week, i couldnt help showing that this N word stuff really is a phenomenom that is like a train wreck waitng to happen...

Laters,

Brooks

...p.s. for yer knowledge,I dont especially like hearing people use the term Nigger/a, and pretty much anyone.."calling,texting,messaging"me nigger/a, gets frowned upon and let go....pretty simple.