(How do you attach more than one photo to an iPhone email?)
Friday, December 28, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
The Top 15 Disappointments of 2007
So PC World just came out with its "Top 15 Biggest Tech Disappointments of 2007." Topping the list were social networking sites (read facebook apps), Office 2007, Yahoo in general, and above all Vista, which got me thinking...what are the top 15 disappointments of 2007 of my life? I honestly don't think I can come up with 15 things but I can sure as hell try... (some of these might only apply to the second half of 2007 bc I don't really remember the first half)
15. My LSAT Score - I mean it wasn't bad...156 (68th) percentile, but once I read that poorly formatted email from LSAC in John's basement I saw all of my high falutin' Boston Legal dreams go out the window. No one becomes Denny Crane by going to John Marshall.
14. Express for Men - They used to be my go-to store for all things metrosexual, but now it seems they've taken a more urban Latino style that really doesn't suit me. They went from having sweet t-shirts with birds and trees on them to all skulls all the time. A black shirt with 18 skulls and some roses around the shoulder? Sweet put it on the shelves. I didn't know Obey and Express merged. I guess it's time for me to embrace my caucasianicity and go to the Gap.
13. My Summer softball team - We got slaughtered every single game of the season except one and it was 35 minutes away. I think it's pretty self explanatory.
12. Facebook - I know it's cliche to hate on Facebook but really in the last year my use of the site has gone down at least 80%. I blame it on apps (namely zombies), that damn drawable wall, and Angelo Dunlao soliciting my contact info to try and rope me into Quixtar.
11. America - America let's face it, times are a changin'. And you're not on top anymore. So let's just try and step down with some dignity.
10. Chili's - I had the perfect Chili's order down. Chicken Quesadillas with fries instead of beans and loaded mash potatoes instead of rice. It was the same amount of money for about 4 times the food. But somewhere along the way Chili's lost something. The fries got a little luke warm, the mash potatoes got a little less mashed and the lemon water just wasn't as refreshing. Maybe I over did it or maybe the Champaign Chili's slipped on quality control. Whatever the reason, a part of me died when I realized I did not want to go to Chili's
9. Kam's - Maybe I just never go anymore or maybe it's because they charge $5 cover to get in when there is NO ONE in the bar but Kam's this year has sucked. However now that that DZ works there....
8. The Office - Every week last year I would run down to the Mez and watch the Office. It was smart, funny, Jim and Pam weren't annoyingly arrogant in their relationship and Toby had more than one line. It was the perfect segway into a weekend. Now with the writing strike and the Jim and Pam sucking it just doesn't have that 2006 charm.
7. The last episode of "Flight of the Conchords"- Sticking with the tv theme, I have never seen such a perfect tv series end so horrifically as FotC. What the hell happened there?? Murray left, got all rich with some guy who barked? It was nothing like any of the previous episodes AT ALL. If this is what I can expect from them in the future I say just leave it at one season, it's not worth me getting my hopes up.
6. My Laptop - I used to have a laptop....now the screen doesn't work...and it makes alot of noise...and there is no screen.
Oooo Top 5....CAN YOU STAND THE ANTICIPATION????
5. Metroid 3 Corruption - I know I am a huge loser for putting this in the top 5 but still the game was not up to par, at least in comparison to the first one. Too many corridors, not enough open space and an utter lack of dinosaurs and a horrible, horrible 100% completion ending.
4. Jim Nicholson - I did have the whole thing written down but then I realized I might get sued for libel. I'll just say this... Jim you disappoint me.
3. Millz - Millz?? Exactly. Now I don't know if he doesn't like me or my friends anymore or what but I have lived next to him the entire year and have seen him a total of 27.8 minutes (that's a rough estimate.) Where are you Millz?
2. Apt 515 - Verg hates the living conditions and sleeps until 1 pm, Jordan is in his room doing god knows what for 23 hours of day, our elevator is slow as hell, bums are passed out in our laundromat and we have NO WINDOWS. I had real high hopes for the apartment this year but overall I would consider it a disappointment. Now I am not saying I don't like living with you but I think that between the different schedules, the poor living conditions and the growing animosity in the apartment it just hasn't been working as well as it could. I watch Yes, Dear everyday alone for god sakes, something's got to give.
And the Number 1 disappointment of 2007 is..............................
Gallagher Leaving - Gallagher what can I say...I am going to miss you. It just won't be the same without you next door banging gingers, trying to make out with Jena, buying cheap wine that you let me drink for free, playing Resident Evil 4 for 19 hours straight or driving drunk to downtown Champaign because you need an excuse to wear some ridiculous sport jacket without being made fun of. You've got a spark to you that none of us have and where ever you end up is lucky to have you (even if it is only in Crystal's basement). So here's to you Brendan. Good luck in all your endeavors.
IM OUT
15. My LSAT Score - I mean it wasn't bad...156 (68th) percentile, but once I read that poorly formatted email from LSAC in John's basement I saw all of my high falutin' Boston Legal dreams go out the window. No one becomes Denny Crane by going to John Marshall.
14. Express for Men - They used to be my go-to store for all things metrosexual, but now it seems they've taken a more urban Latino style that really doesn't suit me. They went from having sweet t-shirts with birds and trees on them to all skulls all the time. A black shirt with 18 skulls and some roses around the shoulder? Sweet put it on the shelves. I didn't know Obey and Express merged. I guess it's time for me to embrace my caucasianicity and go to the Gap.
13. My Summer softball team - We got slaughtered every single game of the season except one and it was 35 minutes away. I think it's pretty self explanatory.
12. Facebook - I know it's cliche to hate on Facebook but really in the last year my use of the site has gone down at least 80%. I blame it on apps (namely zombies), that damn drawable wall, and Angelo Dunlao soliciting my contact info to try and rope me into Quixtar.
11. America - America let's face it, times are a changin'. And you're not on top anymore. So let's just try and step down with some dignity.
10. Chili's - I had the perfect Chili's order down. Chicken Quesadillas with fries instead of beans and loaded mash potatoes instead of rice. It was the same amount of money for about 4 times the food. But somewhere along the way Chili's lost something. The fries got a little luke warm, the mash potatoes got a little less mashed and the lemon water just wasn't as refreshing. Maybe I over did it or maybe the Champaign Chili's slipped on quality control. Whatever the reason, a part of me died when I realized I did not want to go to Chili's
9. Kam's - Maybe I just never go anymore or maybe it's because they charge $5 cover to get in when there is NO ONE in the bar but Kam's this year has sucked. However now that that DZ works there....
8. The Office - Every week last year I would run down to the Mez and watch the Office. It was smart, funny, Jim and Pam weren't annoyingly arrogant in their relationship and Toby had more than one line. It was the perfect segway into a weekend. Now with the writing strike and the Jim and Pam sucking it just doesn't have that 2006 charm.
7. The last episode of "Flight of the Conchords"- Sticking with the tv theme, I have never seen such a perfect tv series end so horrifically as FotC. What the hell happened there?? Murray left, got all rich with some guy who barked? It was nothing like any of the previous episodes AT ALL. If this is what I can expect from them in the future I say just leave it at one season, it's not worth me getting my hopes up.
6. My Laptop - I used to have a laptop....now the screen doesn't work...and it makes alot of noise...and there is no screen.
Oooo Top 5....CAN YOU STAND THE ANTICIPATION????
5. Metroid 3 Corruption - I know I am a huge loser for putting this in the top 5 but still the game was not up to par, at least in comparison to the first one. Too many corridors, not enough open space and an utter lack of dinosaurs and a horrible, horrible 100% completion ending.
4. Jim Nicholson - I did have the whole thing written down but then I realized I might get sued for libel. I'll just say this... Jim you disappoint me.
3. Millz - Millz?? Exactly. Now I don't know if he doesn't like me or my friends anymore or what but I have lived next to him the entire year and have seen him a total of 27.8 minutes (that's a rough estimate.) Where are you Millz?
2. Apt 515 - Verg hates the living conditions and sleeps until 1 pm, Jordan is in his room doing god knows what for 23 hours of day, our elevator is slow as hell, bums are passed out in our laundromat and we have NO WINDOWS. I had real high hopes for the apartment this year but overall I would consider it a disappointment. Now I am not saying I don't like living with you but I think that between the different schedules, the poor living conditions and the growing animosity in the apartment it just hasn't been working as well as it could. I watch Yes, Dear everyday alone for god sakes, something's got to give.
And the Number 1 disappointment of 2007 is..............................
Gallagher Leaving - Gallagher what can I say...I am going to miss you. It just won't be the same without you next door banging gingers, trying to make out with Jena, buying cheap wine that you let me drink for free, playing Resident Evil 4 for 19 hours straight or driving drunk to downtown Champaign because you need an excuse to wear some ridiculous sport jacket without being made fun of. You've got a spark to you that none of us have and where ever you end up is lucky to have you (even if it is only in Crystal's basement). So here's to you Brendan. Good luck in all your endeavors.
IM OUT
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Planning Schools: Perception vs Reality
There has been alot of talk lately about "Planetizen's 2007 Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs" and whether or not the rankings in the book are accurate or if they should have been ranked at all.
(See: Peralta and Freeman)
After writing what could be considered a lengthy term paper in response to Lance Freeman's article (see link above) I decided not to post it due to its length and the fact that it was so convoluted with half arguments and contradictions it made little sense. I do however think this is an important topic so I will give you the reader's digest version of my thoughts on school rankings, their importance and so on.
So are school rankings important? Short answer yes. They are a concise, convenient way to see how various schools stack up to each other. I'll admit there are some limitations which were pointed out by Prof. Freeman. However as I argued in my "just for fun" essay the limitations he pointed out were somewhat off base.
He argued that rankings are misleading because they cannot accurately represent the "nature" or "quality" of the education that would be received. While that may seem true I would argue that the "nature" or "quality" of one's educational experience is so subjective that it cannot be put into something as objective as a list. There is no way to tell the "quality of education" that one will receive from a particular institution without actually going there and that involves you having already made your decision, a decision that I would argue depended on rankings in some way or another. I would also say that that is not even what the rankings are claiming to be. They are merely a comparison of schools based on certain quantifiable criteria. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking they are something they're not. Saying rankings are misleading in itself seems to be misleading as it makes the reader think they have more meaning and weight than they do.
His second critique seems a little more valid but then again it does open itself up to some criticisms. Freeman admits that "perceptions do count." And yet he says schools trying to get a higher ranking by becoming more selective is a bad thing? If perceptions do count, and schools that are ranked higher are perceived better by the planning community (which he also admits) wouldn't it follow that by becoming more selective and improving your ranking you are also improving your school? So I would say that schools becoming more selective to improve their ranking is a good thing. Because after all isn't perception reality in this case? Again Freeman's counter argument would be that a high ranking is not indicative of a school's ability to provide a "quality education", but what I am saying to you is that the idea of a "quality education" is so subjective and so largely up to the individual that it is impossible to determine anyway. Not to mention that someone's notion of a quality education is so socially constructed, that to a large degree it will be determined by rankings regardless.
That was really the meat of what I wanted to say. I also think that a conversation on the debate of "perception vs reality" is appropriate here. What rankings do is promulgate certain perceptions of schools. This can be a bad or a good thing, it depends on which side of the fence you're on I suppose. However I do think that in the case of school rankings perception IS reality. The general public does not know about the individual details of an Urban Planning program or any other program for that matter, all they have to go on are rankings, which are based, to a large extent, on perception.
But does it really matter what the general population thinks? They're not the ones hiring you, people in the field are hiring you and they should know the in's and out's of planning programs right? That would be the perception, but I do not think it is the reality. I mean this is the first year that rankings for any sort of planning programs has been published and look at the controversy it has caused. I guess I can finish this off by proclaiming that I hope one day there can be a way to figure out which school is the best fit for one individual until then all we can do is look at the rankings and go for it. Education is what you make it...but going to M.I.T doesn't hurt either.
So are school rankings important? Short answer yes. They are a concise, convenient way to see how various schools stack up to each other. I'll admit there are some limitations which were pointed out by Prof. Freeman. However as I argued in my "just for fun" essay the limitations he pointed out were somewhat off base.
He argued that rankings are misleading because they cannot accurately represent the "nature" or "quality" of the education that would be received. While that may seem true I would argue that the "nature" or "quality" of one's educational experience is so subjective that it cannot be put into something as objective as a list. There is no way to tell the "quality of education" that one will receive from a particular institution without actually going there and that involves you having already made your decision, a decision that I would argue depended on rankings in some way or another. I would also say that that is not even what the rankings are claiming to be. They are merely a comparison of schools based on certain quantifiable criteria. Let's not fool ourselves into thinking they are something they're not. Saying rankings are misleading in itself seems to be misleading as it makes the reader think they have more meaning and weight than they do.
His second critique seems a little more valid but then again it does open itself up to some criticisms. Freeman admits that "perceptions do count." And yet he says schools trying to get a higher ranking by becoming more selective is a bad thing? If perceptions do count, and schools that are ranked higher are perceived better by the planning community (which he also admits) wouldn't it follow that by becoming more selective and improving your ranking you are also improving your school? So I would say that schools becoming more selective to improve their ranking is a good thing. Because after all isn't perception reality in this case? Again Freeman's counter argument would be that a high ranking is not indicative of a school's ability to provide a "quality education", but what I am saying to you is that the idea of a "quality education" is so subjective and so largely up to the individual that it is impossible to determine anyway. Not to mention that someone's notion of a quality education is so socially constructed, that to a large degree it will be determined by rankings regardless.
That was really the meat of what I wanted to say. I also think that a conversation on the debate of "perception vs reality" is appropriate here. What rankings do is promulgate certain perceptions of schools. This can be a bad or a good thing, it depends on which side of the fence you're on I suppose. However I do think that in the case of school rankings perception IS reality. The general public does not know about the individual details of an Urban Planning program or any other program for that matter, all they have to go on are rankings, which are based, to a large extent, on perception.
But does it really matter what the general population thinks? They're not the ones hiring you, people in the field are hiring you and they should know the in's and out's of planning programs right? That would be the perception, but I do not think it is the reality. I mean this is the first year that rankings for any sort of planning programs has been published and look at the controversy it has caused. I guess I can finish this off by proclaiming that I hope one day there can be a way to figure out which school is the best fit for one individual until then all we can do is look at the rankings and go for it. Education is what you make it...but going to M.I.T doesn't hurt either.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Stop Staring at my T-Shirt and go to McDonalds. Welcome to America
So every morning I steal one of my girlfriend's roommate's Clementines (eatin' one right now actually). I don't think she notices, she never eats them. So I figure someone has to enjoy them. They're such a nice little breakfast.
Which gets me thinking what ever happened to breakfast? It seems like no one eats it anymore. Either you're not up in time or you're too busy. And then if you are up in time you always think "ooo I'm awake before 11, I'm going to McDonalds." Which I would argue is equally as good as a Clementine if not better.
I think right now I like McDonald's just as much as when I was 3 years old. Fuck Spurlock, McDonald's is great, go hang out with your Al Qaeda friends (we all know you've got some). And forget the health professionals of the world. I wouldn't be surprised if a little McDonald's prolonged your life by at least 10 years. You don't even have to use US currency there anymore. Last time I was there I got my change in Brunei ringgits.
So thanks Lindsay for your Clemintines and thank YOU McDonald's for tasting so good and probably infusing your food with addictive additives.
Which gets me thinking what ever happened to breakfast? It seems like no one eats it anymore. Either you're not up in time or you're too busy. And then if you are up in time you always think "ooo I'm awake before 11, I'm going to McDonalds." Which I would argue is equally as good as a Clementine if not better.
I think right now I like McDonald's just as much as when I was 3 years old. Fuck Spurlock, McDonald's is great, go hang out with your Al Qaeda friends (we all know you've got some). And forget the health professionals of the world. I wouldn't be surprised if a little McDonald's prolonged your life by at least 10 years. You don't even have to use US currency there anymore. Last time I was there I got my change in Brunei ringgits.
So thanks Lindsay for your Clemintines and thank YOU McDonald's for tasting so good and probably infusing your food with addictive additives.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Connotations
I remember once my brother bought a Moon Crab as a pet. It was supposed to be this exotic pet that business executives kept in their office. A little piece of a far off vacation I guess. But then my brother's Moon Crab got some disease and it's limbs just started falling off. There was no blood or anything, they just fell off, and the thing would just keep on going like nothing happened. Until eventually it died, or we took it back...I can't remember.
It was an odd thing to see that crab's legs fall off like that. It was unexpected. Colorful, vibrant things are not supposed to have such horrific things happen to them. There should be no association with things that are beautiful and bright with death and deformity. It was an odd association to make but at the time I did.
I remember other odd associations I made throughout my life. Most of them make no sense from an outside perspective but to me they do. For instance the word "week" and the amount of time that one thinks of as a "week" I have for some reason associated with a dime. The idea of a month, I have associated with the Shell Gasoline Logo. I don't know but something about that shell just fits with the idea of a "month". Now, none of these associations are real, they're just something my mind does for some reason. I think they come from deep within my brain somewhere from my childhood. Some of them do make some sense though, like the idea of a "year" I have always seen as an ear in my mind. Probably because the first time I heard of the notion of a year, I thought it sounded like the word "ear".
But then some just make absolutely no sense whatsoever like the word "stupid", for as long as I can remember I have associated with a stained glass version of a trophy I got for getting 3rd place in a frog jumping contest in Hannibal, Missouri in 1988. The word "idiot" I associate with this figure I had when I was little of this crazy looking red-skinned Indian, which again makes no sense at all.
So where do these abstract associations originate from? Are they just left over brain currents from when my brain couldn't actually make a real connection to the material world? And why do I only make these connections to notions of time and childish insults? And why so few?
It was an odd thing to see that crab's legs fall off like that. It was unexpected. Colorful, vibrant things are not supposed to have such horrific things happen to them. There should be no association with things that are beautiful and bright with death and deformity. It was an odd association to make but at the time I did.
I remember other odd associations I made throughout my life. Most of them make no sense from an outside perspective but to me they do. For instance the word "week" and the amount of time that one thinks of as a "week" I have for some reason associated with a dime. The idea of a month, I have associated with the Shell Gasoline Logo. I don't know but something about that shell just fits with the idea of a "month". Now, none of these associations are real, they're just something my mind does for some reason. I think they come from deep within my brain somewhere from my childhood. Some of them do make some sense though, like the idea of a "year" I have always seen as an ear in my mind. Probably because the first time I heard of the notion of a year, I thought it sounded like the word "ear".
But then some just make absolutely no sense whatsoever like the word "stupid", for as long as I can remember I have associated with a stained glass version of a trophy I got for getting 3rd place in a frog jumping contest in Hannibal, Missouri in 1988. The word "idiot" I associate with this figure I had when I was little of this crazy looking red-skinned Indian, which again makes no sense at all.So where do these abstract associations originate from? Are they just left over brain currents from when my brain couldn't actually make a real connection to the material world? And why do I only make these connections to notions of time and childish insults? And why so few?
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Corporate Hangover
I finally got back to my roots and had a good old fashioned day long hangover. It had been too long. There is nothing like not being able to move without being on the verge of vomiting for a period of 12 hours or so. It gets you back to the human level of just barely being alive where you can only preform the most basic of human functions. You just lay there with your head spinning, your stomach doing god knows what and you brain thinking about how all you actually did last night was poison yourself. It's great. You can't remember what you did or how much money you spent. All you do know is that it was fun and now all you can do is lay here and puke up bile into a cup because you're too dizzy to get up and go to the bathroom. Showers help, yes, but they're only a temporary fix. The only thing that can really help is time...and a Snickers Bar(I don't know why I think it's something about the sugar or something).
But you know what? I love hangovers, they build character and bring you down from your ivory tower to remind you you're human. Who was it Sinatra that said he feels sorry for people who don't drink because when they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. When you think about it, that makes alot of sense. I mean it would be great if everyday you woke up and gradually felt better and better. What's weird is that it is actually the opposite and life in general is like that too. You gradually get worse and worse as time goes on. I read somewhere once what life would be like if it went backwards. You'd start out old and rickety but then get stronger and feel better everyday. You'd start with this high up job but then gradually get less and less responsibility until eventually you had none and all you did was play all day. Then at some point you would start to have people do EVERYTHING for you and all you would do all day is lay around and get fed. And then your life ends with an orgasm. I don't know about you but that doesn't sound too bad.
Or does it? Maybe there is something to this getting older thing. I mean you get older, can do more, make more money, learn new things, get day long hangovers, start blogs...I guess there are good arguments for both sides. The important thing is to remember you're human and to have fun because when you get down to it, it's the most important thing...that and fast food...and diversifying your stock portfolio...and videogames...
But you know what? I love hangovers, they build character and bring you down from your ivory tower to remind you you're human. Who was it Sinatra that said he feels sorry for people who don't drink because when they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. When you think about it, that makes alot of sense. I mean it would be great if everyday you woke up and gradually felt better and better. What's weird is that it is actually the opposite and life in general is like that too. You gradually get worse and worse as time goes on. I read somewhere once what life would be like if it went backwards. You'd start out old and rickety but then get stronger and feel better everyday. You'd start with this high up job but then gradually get less and less responsibility until eventually you had none and all you did was play all day. Then at some point you would start to have people do EVERYTHING for you and all you would do all day is lay around and get fed. And then your life ends with an orgasm. I don't know about you but that doesn't sound too bad.
Or does it? Maybe there is something to this getting older thing. I mean you get older, can do more, make more money, learn new things, get day long hangovers, start blogs...I guess there are good arguments for both sides. The important thing is to remember you're human and to have fun because when you get down to it, it's the most important thing...that and fast food...and diversifying your stock portfolio...and videogames...
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Land of Opportunity
I had an interesting conversation with one of Champaign's finest today ( a Sargent to be exact), and he had some pretty interesting things to say about the current state of affairs in Champaign IL...
The gist of it was this: The police have no control over anything that happens on Campus.
Why is this you ask? Well that question cannot be answered without a brief history lesson on police activity in Champaign over the last 20 years. You see back in the day it was extremely easy for police officers to tell who was a student in the University and who was not. And if you saw someone who was clearly not a student all you had to do was watch them for, oh say 10 minutes or so and 9 times out 10 they could soon be found breaking into someplace hanging halfway out a window, crow bar in hand. It was that easy. Nowadays however the story is different.
According to this rogue Sargent, now there is no way to tell who belongs anywhere. In the past there was a clear separation of students and locals. Mostly because no locals would live in the apartments the students did because they were simply too expensive for the amount of space you got. There was also a fair amount of low income housing available in the area which kept most of the locals at bay. However over the years the campus has grown, the housing projects have been torn down, and straight up thugs have moved into where students live for the sole purpose of stealing their shit. Which means that there is no way to tell if someone "belongs" somewhere or not. Even if they look like they're about to shoot up the block there is a good chance they live around the corner and have a legitimate reason to be there. This creates a tricky situation for the Champaign Police as they don't want to infringe on anyone's civil liberties but at the same time have to babysit a bunch of drunken college kids. Which is a whole other issue in itself. As this Sargent was telling me (in great, almost disturbing detail) this Campus is regionally known for being an opportunist's paradise and that people come to Champaign from Danville, Rantoul, Chicago and St.Louis for the sole purpose of crime, because they know we're all such easy targets. All you have to do is follow someone home from a bar, wait four or five blocks, hit them over the head, steal their wallet and you're done for the night. Or better yet just fucking walk into one of the many unlocked doors on Campus, if someone's there just pretend you drunk and walk out, if not steal the shit out of them. This sort of thing happens all the time on Campus and no one ever gets caught.
I also found out that between filing reports, shift changes, follow up investigations, and the absurd amount of new calls, no police officer has any idea what's going on around Campus. "Your bike got stolen...it was yellow...ok thats great" Ten minutes later a new guy is on with 5 five other stolen bikes plus an assault. So at the end of the day your bike is just as stolen, but now its under a stack of newer calls that will never get solved either. It's a giant shit show over there and I don't really see it getting any better any time soon.
I don't know I could go on but I think I made my point. So instead of applying for that great insurance salesman job just stick around here and assault some drunk sig when he's blacked out. You probably won't get caught and I'm guessing you'll make about the same.
The gist of it was this: The police have no control over anything that happens on Campus.
Why is this you ask? Well that question cannot be answered without a brief history lesson on police activity in Champaign over the last 20 years. You see back in the day it was extremely easy for police officers to tell who was a student in the University and who was not. And if you saw someone who was clearly not a student all you had to do was watch them for, oh say 10 minutes or so and 9 times out 10 they could soon be found breaking into someplace hanging halfway out a window, crow bar in hand. It was that easy. Nowadays however the story is different.
According to this rogue Sargent, now there is no way to tell who belongs anywhere. In the past there was a clear separation of students and locals. Mostly because no locals would live in the apartments the students did because they were simply too expensive for the amount of space you got. There was also a fair amount of low income housing available in the area which kept most of the locals at bay. However over the years the campus has grown, the housing projects have been torn down, and straight up thugs have moved into where students live for the sole purpose of stealing their shit. Which means that there is no way to tell if someone "belongs" somewhere or not. Even if they look like they're about to shoot up the block there is a good chance they live around the corner and have a legitimate reason to be there. This creates a tricky situation for the Champaign Police as they don't want to infringe on anyone's civil liberties but at the same time have to babysit a bunch of drunken college kids. Which is a whole other issue in itself. As this Sargent was telling me (in great, almost disturbing detail) this Campus is regionally known for being an opportunist's paradise and that people come to Champaign from Danville, Rantoul, Chicago and St.Louis for the sole purpose of crime, because they know we're all such easy targets. All you have to do is follow someone home from a bar, wait four or five blocks, hit them over the head, steal their wallet and you're done for the night. Or better yet just fucking walk into one of the many unlocked doors on Campus, if someone's there just pretend you drunk and walk out, if not steal the shit out of them. This sort of thing happens all the time on Campus and no one ever gets caught.
I also found out that between filing reports, shift changes, follow up investigations, and the absurd amount of new calls, no police officer has any idea what's going on around Campus. "Your bike got stolen...it was yellow...ok thats great" Ten minutes later a new guy is on with 5 five other stolen bikes plus an assault. So at the end of the day your bike is just as stolen, but now its under a stack of newer calls that will never get solved either. It's a giant shit show over there and I don't really see it getting any better any time soon.
I don't know I could go on but I think I made my point. So instead of applying for that great insurance salesman job just stick around here and assault some drunk sig when he's blacked out. You probably won't get caught and I'm guessing you'll make about the same.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Leave the Bums be?
As I was walking past the laundromat on the way home from class today I noticed something strange. It was a man sprawled out on the floor wedged between a laundry machine and the benches that line the laundromat. At first I didn't really know what to do, I mean I have never been in a rescue/chance to be a hero situation before so my first thought was to check to see if this guy was alive. So I walk in and start yelling normal rescue things like "Hey man you ok?", no response. So I take it a step further and start banging on the laundry machine and start making a racket, still nothing. Then I kicked him, and finally he moves his head, but still no real response. It should be noted at this point that this guy is obviously a transient of some sort, but I didn't know if he was just passed out or had a stroke or something. I mean he was on the floor in a very unnatural position, and if he was just passed out he would have just been sitting on the bench right? So then I decided to call Verg and he tells me to call 911.
I call and get some woman who doesn't seem at all interested in what I have to say. I love how these 911 attendants act as if you yourself are a trained medical professional too. Like "Is he injured or just passed out?"..."Is he unconscious?"..."How's his blood pressure?" First of all lady I don't want to touch this man who knows what sort of jig-jaggedy objects hes got on him. All I want is for you to send some people here to help him or get him out of here or something! So she tells me to wait and she is sending someone over.
So now that I am emotionally invested in this bum's well being I wait like a good, upright citizen would (real Stack like). And I wait...........and wait.............and a full 30 min later 2 police officers come strolling up slow as Millz. Now what if this had been a real emergency!?! 30 Minutes is absurd to wait for any sort of emergency response time. So the police get there and start doing the exact same thing I did. They yell and make noise and eventually kick him and he wakes up. Thank God. He's alive. Turns out he was just a wasted bum. Then as the bum was being kicked out of the laundromat he yells "Fuck the cops anyway man!!"
Now at first my reaction to this was "Fuck you Bum. I was just trying to make sure you weren't dead." But then I realized that he IS A BUM. He doesn't want to be woken up. None of them do. Sleep is their only escape they have aside from death. Booze, crack, sleep, death they're all great when you're a bum. That's all a bum has. So I say leave the bums be, let them sleep, die whatever as long as they are not bothering you. Albeit he was in my building's laundromat, which I suppose warrants my calling the police but other than that, I say let them be.
Although one has to wonder about the disturbing number of homeless in Champaign (and I would argue it is growing). However that is a whole other social issue involving development and the displacement of the poor. From a planning perspective it's great to have an upscale walkable neighborhood (ie Green Street, Downtown, and the Burnham Development) and cater to that "creative class" but not when you have 22% of your population below the poverty line. Seems like a pretty big elephant to sweep under the rug.
I call and get some woman who doesn't seem at all interested in what I have to say. I love how these 911 attendants act as if you yourself are a trained medical professional too. Like "Is he injured or just passed out?"..."Is he unconscious?"..."How's his blood pressure?" First of all lady I don't want to touch this man who knows what sort of jig-jaggedy objects hes got on him. All I want is for you to send some people here to help him or get him out of here or something! So she tells me to wait and she is sending someone over.
So now that I am emotionally invested in this bum's well being I wait like a good, upright citizen would (real Stack like). And I wait...........and wait.............and a full 30 min later 2 police officers come strolling up slow as Millz. Now what if this had been a real emergency!?! 30 Minutes is absurd to wait for any sort of emergency response time. So the police get there and start doing the exact same thing I did. They yell and make noise and eventually kick him and he wakes up. Thank God. He's alive. Turns out he was just a wasted bum. Then as the bum was being kicked out of the laundromat he yells "Fuck the cops anyway man!!"
Now at first my reaction to this was "Fuck you Bum. I was just trying to make sure you weren't dead." But then I realized that he IS A BUM. He doesn't want to be woken up. None of them do. Sleep is their only escape they have aside from death. Booze, crack, sleep, death they're all great when you're a bum. That's all a bum has. So I say leave the bums be, let them sleep, die whatever as long as they are not bothering you. Albeit he was in my building's laundromat, which I suppose warrants my calling the police but other than that, I say let them be.
Although one has to wonder about the disturbing number of homeless in Champaign (and I would argue it is growing). However that is a whole other social issue involving development and the displacement of the poor. From a planning perspective it's great to have an upscale walkable neighborhood (ie Green Street, Downtown, and the Burnham Development) and cater to that "creative class" but not when you have 22% of your population below the poverty line. Seems like a pretty big elephant to sweep under the rug.
I am not an animal!
Let it be known that this blog, though inspired by Brittany's blog, is NOT meant to compete in any way for comments, attention or cheap laughs with Brittany's blog. This is true for a couple of reasons. First, I don't have an army of Urbanians who hang off my every word so I doubt this blog will get half the attention hers does (or will). Second I am not addicted to the internet, celebrities, gossip, STD's, Craig's list, fashion, myself or DJ's so I doubt I will have enough content to keep up with her. Third, I enjoy capitalization. And finally my brain just doesn't work like that. I don't think I would have ever thought to write an alluring craigs list post about wanting to meet a sad hipster boy who loves Animal Collective and then post all of the responses using their real names. Genius.
So what can 'The Peddler Lives' offer?? You'll have to wait and see.
So what can 'The Peddler Lives' offer?? You'll have to wait and see.
The Peddler Lives.
As I was trying to set up an RSS feed for some gaming blogs I stumbled upon Google's blog link, which through a series of events led me to start my own blog. I feel the title is appropriate and gives credit to my unsuccessful online endeavor that was JoyPeddler.com. I don't know if this blog will be at all successful, interesting or last more than a week, but it will be nice to have something to express my thoughts on. And hopefully with the arrival of my iphone/tilt I can finally start mobile blogging like so many of those hip theater directors on the TV.
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