Sunday, October 28, 2007

Chicago Sun Times Interviews Rogers Park Bloggers

(Part 1 of 3)

Ace Chicago Sun Times Reporter Ditzy McTrixie ventured into the hell hole last week to interview Rogers Park's leading bloggers. Of course this included me. Google has been a real boon to me. Rather than doing any research, when lazy reporters want to write on Rogers Park, the do a quick search on Google. My blog comes up. They send me an email and we're off and running. Anyway, here's excerpts from Ditzy's article.

Recently, on a mild October night I left the comfort and safety of my Lincoln Park home to pay a visit to one of the less frequented and less fortunate quarters of the city, the far northern neighborhood of Rogers Park. I grabbed my iPhone, my Apple Powerbook and a venti Starbucks (which I am sure no one in Rogers Park has ever heard of), jumped into my Chevy Tahoe and headed north. I reached the designated meeting spot, Cafe Ennui, on Sheridan Road. The neighborhood did not strike me as safe for walking around in (I saw some "ethnic diversity") and, unlike Lincoln Park, there was no valet parking so I left my trusty Tahoe in the middle of Sheridan Road*, and went in.

Was I glad I brought some Starbucks with me! Cafe Ennui is not part of a national chain. We'd certainly never have such a place in Lincoln Park. What a site. Sprawled out all over were old hippies and beatniks, sipping espresso, reading Jean-Paul Sartre (who I was forced to hear about when I took elementary French at Northern Illinois U.), smoking, typing away on non-Apple brand laptops and wearing berets. There I was welcomed by four of Rogers Park's leading bloggers, Braig Gernliver, Tomblogger Womannis, Jostle_Lynn and Shrill Morton.

Braig is the most important blogger in Rogers Park and maybe the whole world. He's the publisher of
Hay Chicago magazine, the number 33 ranked alternative lifestyles publication in Chicago. Tomblogger doesn't work ("Affirmative action keeps me from getting that job I want. That and some post-traumatic stress conditions from when I fought side by side with Rush Limbaugh in 'Nam."). Shrill Morton works for Jonny Quest Network Services, a local business which shows the people of Rogers Park how to turn on their computers. Jostle_Lynn has the closest to a normal job of any of the four. She works downtown in an "office job" but she assures me that "a bunch of silly things like answering phones and filing papers" doesn't keep her away from the primary focus of her day, posting comments on Braig's blog telling him how great he is and what a wonderful service he provides for the community.

When our series returns these four bloggers will be telling us what a hellhole Rogers Park is and how their blogs provide a wonderful service to this poverty stricken third world slum on Chicago's northern border.

*If the Sun Times won't pay my tickets daddy better. His Princess doesn't walk anywhere she doesn't want too.

As you can imagine, I had lots of wise and insightful things to say to Ditzy McTrixie. Check back later when I will be posting parts 2 and 3 of her interview with Rogers Park's leading blogger and his friends.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Comments implying that "ethnic diversity" means lack of safety makes you an idiot and discredits your blog. Plus you seem like an obnoxious, snobby blogger too caught up in the hype of Starbucks, iPhones, Apple ibooks and all things typical of a person wanting to "fit in."

I will be attending DePaul and was researching different neighborhoods; you were of no help. I hope your simple mind is not what I will find in Lincoln Park.

Stop identifying with your BS material possessions. Find a real purpose.