Am I Chicaguh or what?

[mikea]

I've seen this picture before. It's the cover of "Don't Make No Waves, Don't Back No Losers."

That priest on the far right was the pastor of my grade school and church.

Father Byrne was not exactly a nice and warm man, but I guess he was very Irish. I have no recollection of him going the St. Patrick's Day parade in my day, which wasn't BTW, 1959. Now that I think of it we did make a big deal out decorating for St. patty's day and such, but so does most of Chicago. (This was before the days of green beer.)

I also have seen Mayor Daley 1 and Daley 2 in the flesh. #1 was at a parade. My Mom ran into him when she worked at the Sherman House.

I stood next to Jr. at a cop's funeral - for Ritchie Clark, high school friend of my brother killed in action and has a park named after him - and followed him down Washington one day when he came out of city hall and walked ahead of me. What was strange that day was a) he was alone except for one guy with him who didn't look like a cop, and b) nobody, even the traffic cops, noticing who he was.

 

[Richard]

I have no idea what the heck you are talkin' 'bout. But I will say this, Chi town is one 'o my favorite big towns. Me mum was born and raised there, I have aunts an uncles an nieces an nephews, etc there. I really like visiting Chi except for that bastard Daley an the step and fetchit aldermen.

FYI: when my dad was overseas myself and my brothers spent several years in Chicago. I learned to read in Chicago. The first newspaper I read was in Chicago. Call it prescient or what, but I knew from early on that Daley the 1st was an SOB. I rememeber that much.

 

[mikea]

I saw the "Making of The Express."

I swear that the stadium they use for Syracuse University is my high school stadium, which was in my old Chicago neighborhood. Sure, I've been gone for a year, but I hadn't heard Dennis Quaid was making a movie there. That impressive red brick building behind it may look like a college but it's really a high school.

You also see it in that Goldie Hawn movie, "Wildcats." We did know when that one was being filmed. They put out a call for extras.

You also see Chicago downtown where my office is, including the L station in "Eagle Eye" and lots more in "Dark Knight."

 

[mikea]

I saw the "Making of The Express."

I swear that the stadium they use for Syracuse University is my high school stadium, which was in my old Chicago neighborhood. Sure, I've been gone for a year, but I hadn't heard Dennis Quaid was making a movie there. That impressive red brick building behind it may look like a college but it's really a high school.

You also see it in that Goldie Hawn movie, "Wildcats." We did know when that one was being filmed. They put out a call for extras.

They just mentioned in the morning news that the filming at stadiums was done around Chicago. I knew it.

LATER they said it was my high school, across the street.

 

[etsisk]

Is Lower Wacker still green?

 

[mikea]

Is Lower Wacker still green?

They changed the color when they rebuilt Wacker Drive. Lower Wacker is yellow now. Being no fun, they got rid of the concrete trusses across the lanes that were shearing off the tops of trucks, too.

See Lower Wacker in Dark Knight.

 

[etsisk]

dammit, they screwed it up!! I recognized it in the movie, but was hoping that they just changed the color... used to call it Emerald City... it was soooo cool!