Dr. X's Free Associations

Panhandlers On The Road

DNA Chicago:

WICKER PARK — As sure as the swallows return every spring to San Juan Capistrano, Chicago has its "travelers" — transient, footloose 20-somethings who, when the weather warms, arrive here from around the country.

In neighborhoods such as Wicker Park, these bands of scruffy, homeless youth get by through panhandling, though not everyone appreciates the presence of what some call "gutter punks."

"We travel for fun, to do something other than wake up in the exact same place every day to go to the exact same job and see the exact same people and do the exact same things at exactly the same time," a 25-year-old traveler named Devlyn said on a recent warm night in Wicker Park.

This isn't a story that would have ordinarily caught my attention except for the fact that I've recently noticed two out-of-place additions to the panhandling ranks of North Michigan Avenue. One panhandler is an attractive young woman whose hygiene and grooming are definitely not of the street, so I've wondered about her story. The other is a similarly intact young fellow who operates a little further north on the opposite side of the street. I've suspected they might be working together. Maybe their a couple. I've also noticed that male pedestrians frequently stop to chat up the young woman. Pedestrians don't usually stop to chat with the panhandlers in this neighborhood.

Anyway, these two young panhandlers stand out enough that I considered taking photos and talking with them to see if I could elicit something resembling a true story about why they find themselves looking for handouts.

I don't begrudge them their choice, even if their situation is entirely voluntary. No one has to give them money and they aren't creating a disturbance. Someone told me about some Jesuit communities that actually send new community members out to live on the street and survive on begging. If this teaches Jesuits something worth knowing, then the same could be said for the experiences these young people are having on the street. Even if the intent is different, the experiences would be similar. Well, similar, except for the part about the male pedestrians chatting up the young woman.

IRS Cincinnati Office

No, this isn't about the Cincinnati IRS holding up applications for non-profit status filed by certain conservative organizations. This is about the employees in a different department at the IRS Cincinnati office.

Local Shots

Apartments

Back doors below the fold.

Sunday Cliché

600 Free Cups Of Coffee

Below: Lottery Director Mike Jones is interviewed at a cafe that's giving away 600 cups of coffee paid for by the Illinois Lottery Office. The coffee giveaway is in celebration of the record-breaking $600 million dollar Powerball jackpot drawing tonight. Lots of people are accepting the free coffee and saying things like: Huh? But why free coffee?

There were several satellite trucks parked nearby and more reporters were waiting to interview Jones. Lottery directors aren't usually all that visible, but Jones has been the subject of considerable controversy since he took the lottery job. Perhaps his ambitions go beyond running the state lottery and the coffee is a way to get his name and mug (sorry) in front of the public.

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Reader Shots

Office Life. Photo by Retriever.

Arizona State Student Consumed Way Too Much Tequila

I gasped when I got to the part about his BAC:

Pooley said the student consumed about 20 shots of tequila and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.47 percent, nearly six times the legal limit for driving. The student, who has not been identified, has been released from the hospital.

His friends left him at an ER with a Post-it note explaining that he'd participated in a drinking competition. People have survived considerably higher concentrations, but 0.47% is dangerously high.

Weee....

The Chicago Tribune:

Today's high of 91 degrees at O'Hare International Airport -- so far -- is a 55-degree increase from Monday morning's frosty 36-degree low.

You're probably next, New York.

What's in a name?

Family members of my parents' generation were, in many cases, given Italian first names that they dropped when they entered public grade schools. In most cases, English translations of their Italian names existed, but, in some instances, they didn't like the translations. My father was among the latter group and, as a consequence, he's gone by five different first names at various times during his life. Long story, I'll spare you the details.

Never Say Dry

Twelve years ago this month, I received a pricey ballpoint pen as a birthday gift. After using it for a short time, I tucked the pen away in a desk drawer, where it remained, still in the original presentation case, until today. The case is one of those objects I see almost every day, but my eyes pass over it without giving it a thought.

This morning, while cleaning out my desk, I noticed the case and it occurred to me that I could purchase a cartridge refill for the pen and start using it. With a big testing contract coming up, I'll be taking more notes than usual. It might be nice to see if there is any advantage whatsoever in using an expensive pen instead of the cheaper throwaways. Let's say I have my doubts.

Having assumed that the ink cartridge was dry, I ordered brand name refills from Amazon, so I'm not sure what prompted me to test the pen, other than that the pen was in my hand and a blank notepad was in front of me, on the desk.  After a couple of dry strokes, the ink began to flow smoothly.

Perhaps my pen is an exception, but at $13.00 per refill cartridge, I suppose these pens should have some superlative qualities.

Space Oddity Performed By An Astronaut

Commander Chris Hadfield performing aboard the International Space Station. H/T Tom Freeland

Sunday Shot

Sunday Shot

Fla. Siblings Charged With Stealing Frito-Lay Chips From Factory

GMA:

Two Citra, Fla., siblings were arrested and charged with burglary and grand theft after police caught the pair with a van full of allegedly stolen Frito-Lay brand products.

Police said they spotted Darren Hagerman, 25, and Jessica Huggard, 22, Thursday evening pulling away from industrial area of Ocala, Fla., where many factories are located. The siblings were pulled over when police noticed a 2-year-old jumping around in the backseat of their vehicle, according to the the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

When an officer looked inside the car, he noticed it was packed with hundreds of bags of Frito-Lay brand chips, ABC Orlando affiliate WFTV reported.

If you're of a certain age, you probably thought of this...