Diary of a Newspaper Hawk

The Puppet Bike guy at Michigan and Adams (you might see him near Randolph too) continues on. I've never met him, though we know of each other. His show, a plotless Punch and Judy dance of kitties, takes place on the stage - the back of his bike. What fascinates kids is the old fashioned fun. No iPod, XBox, Wii or any other technology. The set is simple, the same as any traditional park puppet theater. These are standard hand puppets, not complex marionettes. Far as I can tell, the characters are only two cats, a monkey, a squirrel, and an alligator. The reality is, there is no puppet guy. There's at least a few guys, as far as I can see. All are doing this for tips. At least I make a few cents on each newspaper I sell. So, give the guy (or gal) a tip). You tip the coffee maven, the taxi driver. Tip this Chicago Institution. It is like PBS live, downtown, and in the Loop. The News I won't let Barry Bonds be news. I don't respect him. Hank Aaron was a man, and Barry Bon...

What a month! Little laptop trouble kept me from going online as much as I would like. It is just as well. I got some exercise. Seems everyone is going out for a walk or a run . Sales have gone in and around. The humid weather is scaring away the weekday tourists, but the gossip of the day crowd is on top of it. A friend was almost mugged until one of Chicago's Finest stepped out of a coffee shop unexpectedly. Nothing like a cop to scare off the baddies. I caught a few movies . Saw Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille . Impressive. I, myself, someone who sells newspapers, bought a newspaper while passing by the Olgivie Train Station. To think all the years I have been hawking, I have never met this guy. Could be a turf thing. I'm rarely where he is and probably vice versa. Anyway, I was off one day last week, thought I would see how the White Sox were doing. You've seen him, on the east side, just where you would enter the station's lower level? He never talks. Just grunts a...

It feels like fall today. Coffee always tastes better in the brisk morning. Today's coffee is Columbian, with sugar and cream. The News The New York Times has blogged about Google's Lauren Turner choosing to post her own opinion. It is nice to see that Google's not such an institution that it forces all employees to think uniformally. How refreshing that free speech still exists, even in corporate America. Michael Moore is making his money while making a point. Is it a surprise that Lauren Turner wants to spout her thoughts? Let freedom ring. As Michael Moore himself has said, America is the best country in the world, and his and Turner's freedom of speech is evidence of this.

When I mentioned Capt. America was dead , an outpouring of interest came on this little blog. Now that he's being buried , does the nation care? They seemed to care then , but now? I'm heading to the Taste of Chicago. If you see me, I'm there to eat. No paper selling today. The News Barry Bonds is trying to beat Hank Aaron's homerun record. Scum Conrad Black's jury is thinking . No other real news, not in Chicago. Not today.

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The Taste of Chicago is coming June 29-July 8, 2007. Newspaper sales become a strange thing as tourists, and people from the suburbs who do not normally come into the Loop fall into overpriced chow lines. Sometimes, I sell three times what I might expect. People who want to look trendy-city will pick up the Sun-Times as if they read it daily. I'll take their foolish money. Other people present that they are business-sophisticates, and buy a New York Times, Wall Street Journal or Financial Times. Mostly young people, and almost always with dates. I get more tips than when my regulars come by. Speaking of tips. Made my day. Normally, I hate gift cards. I think they are the lazy man's Christmas or birthday gift. It is just cash in card form. However, a guy, one who stops occasionally gave me a gift card to Starbucks. It was worth $20.00. Why? He received one as a gift, an office party thing, but hates coffee. When he passes each day, he always asks, "Hawk, how's the coffe...

The humidity today was an invisible fog. The News The one is in the US World & News Report : The high school student who smugly held a banner at a school event that said " Bong hits 4 Jesus " was right to suspended, or at least, it was within the rights of his school to do so. I think the kid is an ass, and was not trying to make a statement. Nothing about his case compels me to think he is nothing but a boy without any real friends, looking to pretend he is a thinker. Also, Tank Johnson lost his job playing for the Chicago Bears after being stupid, driving drunk or high. I don't know what they story is. Got frustrated, stopped reading. Too bad. He seems like a nice guy. Instead, like the high school kid, he's just an ass.