Archives

All everything:

• Freelancing in Retrospect
  

  May 04, 2010

  After a successful two years working for myself, I left the freelance world last December for a full-time job with this crew here. The decision was surprisingly easy; having contracted with the company for awhile, I liked both the folks I’d be working with and the work itself. Plus, I relished the idea of being [...]

• Thoughts on Logos by Paul Rand
  

  Apr 26, 2010

  Should a logo be self-explanatory? It is only by association with a product, a service, a business, or a corporation that a logo takes on any real meaning. It derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes. [...] The role of the logo is to point, to designate-in as simple [...]

• I Hate Your Comments
  

  Mar 31, 2010

  Trading anonymity for accountability has led to radically improved conversations. — There is an inverse relationship between level of anonymity and quality of conversation I can’t stand the state of comments on news websites. If the internet is the great democratizer of content, it’s a horrible place to have an actual conversation with people. Name-calling [...]

• Mind the Dust
  

  Mar 29, 2010

  I know that absences of, oh, well over a year don’t really make for good blogging, but there’s a lot to do besides update this website. For example: did you know there are a full five seasons of The Wire available on DVD — and that the show only gets better with repeat viewings? I [...]

• These Go to Eleven
  

  Dec 08, 2008

  Popped in to the hospital today for a quick EMG on my LUE, or Left Upper Extremity. If you’ve never had the pleasure, an EMG is a test whereby doctors (in my case, five) cram into an exam room and shoot electricity into you for a good half an hour to determine if your nerves [...]

• Now It’s For Real
  

  Oct 27, 2008

  Ever since the family photoblog launched, I’ve found the archives page design lacking. A photoblog archive page should be visual. It should not contain a long, boring list of titles and captions that only make sense when the picture is visible. Last week I found a handy little snippet of PHP for WordPress that could [...]

• You’re Either With Us…
  

  Sep 18, 2008

  I have studiously avoided Facebook because I heard it was a huge time suck, and I’d rather waste spend my time online reading news or blogs. Plus, I’ve already left a Twitter account languishing pathetically by the side of the internet. What am I doing? I’m trying to think up something amusing to write on [...]

• No Stories Here
  

  Aug 28, 2008

  When I returned to work a few weeks after Bennett arrived, one of my colleagues eagerly asked to hear stories. Those of you out there with young’uns may recall differently, but in my experience there are no stories from the first month. He ate, slept, cried, pooped, peed (sometimes on me), and got a bath [...]

• Up for Air
  

  Jul 28, 2008

  The gentleman of the manor has arrived! Bennett Anders Myler was born on Wednesday, July 23rd at 3:46pm. He’s lucky to be so flippin’ cute because sir is a taskmaster; we change him, feed him, burp him, change, rock, try to sleep, feed, burp, feed, burp, change, try to sleep, change, feed, change… I’m fortunate [...]

• learnedonwomen.com Redux
  

  Jul 15, 2008

  Women’s marketing expert and author Andrea Learned hired me last fall to combine her website and blog into one easily updatable site. I quickly realized the company I was keeping; Andrea is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post and eBrandMarketing.com, and was very recently quoted in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal [...]

• Browsing le Boobtique
  

  Jul 06, 2008

  A large wall decal featuring a woman nursing twins used to hang over the breastfeeding aisle at the local baby boutique. She held one in each arm, like footballs. The first time I saw this poster, a “woop” slipped from my lips. Renate rolled her eyes. Breastfeeding doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I’m just a bit [...]

• Raise the Drawbridge
  

  Jun 28, 2008

  “Ferris – he never drives it. He just rubs it with a diaper.” When I turned 30 last September, both sides of the family kicked in to help me get a new bike as a present. Touched, I decided to wait until this spring to make the purchase; no need for the bike to sit [...]

• Could Watch it Over and Over
  

  Jun 26, 2008

  For frustrating days (like today) when you need to smile. There’s also more where that came from.

• Rearrangements
  

  Jun 22, 2008

  Renate and I have reconfigured our apartment at least thirty times since moving in. Why? Because someday one undoubtedly looks back and says, I wish I’d spent equal amounts of time in the dining and living rooms. Last fall we retooled our dining room into a sitting room. Two leather chairs face the television, with [...]

• The New (Virtual) Member of the Family
  

  Jun 19, 2008

  The last rough edges have been sanded off, and the lacquer is dry. Introducing the Myler Family Photoblog. You may notice all the posts have been authored by me, but that’s temporary. Some of us here are still breaking in our blogging shoes. We’ve backdated a bunch of pics – cruise around the archives or [...]

• Date Night is Not Dead
  

  Jun 12, 2008

  Overheard in the line for movie tickets tonight: “One for Iron Man, one for Sex and the City.”

• Neighbors
  

  Jun 03, 2008

  Eight years ago my folks moved to a county west of St. Louis where farmland still envelops pockets of strip malls. Suburbs spider out into the countryside, but feral cats played in my parents’ front yard and distant coyotes yowled at night. Apparently the wild followed them back to the burbs in October; my dad [...]

• If the Ronster’s Doing It…
  

  May 09, 2008

  Posted this over at GB, but had to share it out because it’s just… that… good: Dance Movie Blogathon This may ruin your Friday morning productivity. If that upsets anyone, let them know how to vent their frustration.

• Your Fugitive’s Name Is…
  

  May 03, 2008

  We’re stuck on a plane at La Guardia airport, waiting for a ground stop in Chicago to lift so we can return home from a weeklong romp through the east coast. I’ve just seen Ja Rule in the airport terminal, and I figure this random sighting will provide me with some conversational fodder back home. [...]

• Boston, I’m Here To Meet Yo Babies And Eat Yo Food
  

  Apr 26, 2008

  Roughly nine million of our friends had children over the past year, which means that our annual east coast swing has become a bit of a baby meet-and-greet. It’s such a burden, let me tell you, what with their endearing little smiles and their… well… their HATS. We’re trying to eat our way through as [...]

• Extreme Sleeper
  

  Apr 24, 2008

  This? This is nothing. You should hear about the time she bivouacked on a 90 degree rockface on Kilimanjaro with nothing more than a tarp and two climbing spikes.

• The Future, in All Its Glory
  

  Apr 15, 2008

  My sister called during her drive home last night and we had a few minutes to catch up before she walked through her front door. After that, it was pretty much a lost cause. “Do you hear that?” she asked as my niece shrieked in the background. “She’s saying, ‘no bathtime, no!’ Oh lord, now [...]

• Get to Know You Better
  

  Apr 09, 2008

  After a year of planning, two of my close friends quit their jobs last month to travel the country in search of a new home city — an undertaking that strikes me as remarkably brave, though completely in character. Maybe you have friends like these; tirelessly curious, fearless, and fascinated by the aspects of everyday [...]

• American Puts on its Dancing Shoes
  

  Mar 15, 2008

  Oh my. Does this mean people outside of the DC/New Jersey corridor will actually know where my alma mater is? “Wait, they won?” came the response from one friend after I sent a celebratory text message following the game. That reply sums up the past eight years, when American has flirted with a bid three [...]

• This is Not My Room
  

  Mar 09, 2008

  The guest room closet of our apartment has always been the home for homeless things. Non-seasonal clothes, wrapping paper, tennis rackets, framed diplomas, an old typewriter, wall-mounted wine glass racks, the box that (household appliance) came in… If an object doesn’t clearly belong anywhere, it gets sucked into this black hole. But now someone is [...]

• You Can Check Out Anytime You Like…
  

  Feb 28, 2008

  Target hates to see you go.

• Graphic Design Is…
  

  Feb 19, 2008

  From Linda. (click to view larger)

• +1
  

  Feb 17, 2008

  Last November I wrote about our lengthy return trip from Germany, how it took us nearly two hours to get home from the airport. By the time we walked through our front door, it was roughly 3 a.m. in Germany but only 8 p.m. in Chicago. We vowed to stay awake for at least an [...]

• A Year in Cities
  

  Jan 12, 2008

  Oh right, I have a blog. Saw this list on Andrew Huff’s blog, and it reminded me of the U.S. map I taped to the wall of my dorm room junior year. I stuck a pin in every city I’d ever visited, then filled the holes with toothpaste before I went home for the summer [...]

• Words of Wisdom
  

  Dec 19, 2007

  The previous owner of our ’98 Honda CRV was in such a hurry to peel off in their shiny new upgrade that they left a pet harness in the back seat and Johnny Cash’s 16 Biggest Hits in the CD player. The harness got tossed, but the CD has been in heavy rotation since. Johnny [...]

• Poor Little Bunnies
  

  Dec 07, 2007

  Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ’cause it’s cooooold out there today. Chicago is locked in a vicious cycle of snow thanks to some large body of water nearby, or possibly some large landmass north of the contintental 48. Either way, we’re settling in for snow and lots of it. We’re [...]

• Doing Her Part
  

  Dec 06, 2007

• 100 Oldest dot com Domains
  

  Dec 05, 2007

  I remember my Dad running Prodigy on his computer in the early 90s, but 1985? Was Al Gore even elected then? (Two points deducted for lame Al Gore Internet reference. Sorry, it’s early.) http://www.jottings.com/100-oldest-dot-com-domains.htm

• Breathing Earth
  

  Dec 03, 2007

  “This presentation displays the carbon dioxide emission levels of every country in the world, as well as their birth and death rates – all in real time.” Hypnotic. http://www.breathingearth.net/

• Ocean’s Thirteen
  

  Dec 01, 2007

  Well – at least they’re back in Vegas. In a fashionable but humorless return, George Clooney and crew take on a nasty, one-dimensional casino developer (Al Pacino) who double-crosses their pal Reuben (Eliot Gould). Plenty of cons and sleights of hand ensue, but director Stephen Soderbergh has lost the formula that made Ocean’s Eleven such [...]

• So Then I Was All Like, What?
  

  Nov 29, 2007

  Buried deep in your cellular contract is a little-known clause requiring you to speak loudly into your phone, as if it were a tin can connected to another tin can with twine. See, you thought loud-talkers are rude. Not so. These are law-abiding citizens. I was surrounded by a few of these good people on [...]

• Rube Goldberg, Eat Your Heart Out
  

  Nov 27, 2007

  Brilliant. I want to know how they forced the screen to scroll. http://producten.hema.nl/

• Joining the Flock
  

  Nov 26, 2007

  I rarely respond to online advertising, as they seem to target singles or mortgage owners looking to refinance. But two weeks ago I saw an ad promoting the new-ish Flock browser. “I’ve heard of that,” I thought to myself, and downloaded it on a whim. An hour later, I was still playing. The aptly monikered [...]

• Field Notes: Stateside
  

  Nov 21, 2007

  The last post from our weeklong visit with my mother-in-law Nina in southwestern Germany: Chicago you really know how to roll out the red carpet. After nine hours in a flying tin can, we collapsed into a cab at O’Hare on Saturday night. Minutes later we sat in a traffic jam on 94, courtesy of [...]

• Field Notes: They Got a Church in a Rock and Everything
  

  Nov 17, 2007

  The sixth post from our weeklong visit with my mother-in-law Nina in southwestern Germany: We popped over to Idar-Oberstein yesterday where they got a church in a rock and you should see it. I imagine two enterprising builders of yore sitting at the Nahe river’s edge, chewing on grass stalks and staring up at the [...]

• Field Notes: Slovenia Is My Lovely Mother
  

  Nov 16, 2007

  The fifth post from our weeklong visit with my mother-in-law Nina in southwestern Germany: On a country highway several miles outside of Ruschberg stands a modest house covered with hand-painted messages, written mostly in English. The signs praise the United States and NATO; they warn enemies away from Israel; they praise peace-loving countries. The homeowner, [...]

• Field Notes: Storming the Castle
  

  Nov 14, 2007

  The fourth post from our weeklong visit with my mother-in-law Nina in southwestern Germany: For those following along without the use of an RSS reader, I’ve posted my notes from Koln and Bonn chronologically, so skip down to the next post for the recap. Back to the castle portion of the program: German word of [...]

• Field Notes: Koln and Bonn
  

  Nov 13, 2007

  The third post from our weeklong visit with my mother-in-law Nina in southwestern Germany: German word of the day: entshuldigung! I could smell Germany all day. It’s like fireplace smoke and snow 24/7. I could also eat Movenpick yogurt and pretzel bread all day. Four German cities later and I have yet to see a [...]

• Field Notes: Day Two in Germany
  

  Nov 11, 2007

  The second post from our weeklong visit with my mother-in-law Nina in southwestern Germany: German Word of the Day: Kaiserslautern! (The German Word of the Day must be shouted, no exceptions. Hit each syllable hard for full effect.) I’ve had some sleep and some coffee, so I’m ready to go. (Note to Unisom: you’re useless. [...]

• First Cup of German Joe
  

  Nov 10, 2007

  That’s right; I traveled 4700 miles to have Starbucks. In my defense, it was 4am Chicago time and we hadn’t slept all night; the eight hour, overnight flight to Frankfurt was bumpy, and our seats reclined two inches (Renate’s) or not at all (mine). I just needed caffeine, even if it cost me roughly five [...]

• This Mah House
  

  Nov 07, 2007

  Warning: this post is all about cats. When my mother-in-law agreed to spend her fall semester leading a teaching program in Germany, we insisted on taking in her one-year-old kitten during her absence. We’ve thought about getting another cat to complement the one we’ve got, so here was a chance to take a test run; [...]

• Gaping
  

  Nov 07, 2007

  Chicago peeps: I’ve joined the writing staff for Merge and Slowdown over at Gaper’s Block, and you can help me seem incredibly resourceful! Let me know if you hear of any interesting local tidbits or events, wouldja? In return, I promise no reduction in output here, hard as that might be to quantify.

• Courting Adversity
  

  Nov 04, 2007

  “Dating is to marriage what going to a movie is to sweeping up the popcorn after a movie…. If you’re looking for a mate, you’d better find someone who will sweep up the popcorn and not just go to the movie.” Sage and amusing advice in today’s Trib by Michigan-based writer Michele Gazzolo.

• How We Roll
  

  Nov 03, 2007

  I kept the inevitable at bay for two years. I’m proud of that record. Polar ice might have melted more slowly thanks to my diligence. That’s all over now; last weekend we bought our first car. Renate has been ready since our first Chicago winter, and I have stalled like a champ. Trouble started brewing [...]

• Michael Clayton
  

  Oct 29, 2007

  George Clooney plays a law firm ‘fixer’ whose latest assignment requires him to contain the leading partner’s descent into insanity-slash-moral-absolutism, which threatens to sabotage a multi-billion dollar case. Of course all is not as it seems, but just barely, which makes Michael Clayton an atmospheric, unsurprising film that’s good but not great. Fortunately we get [...]

• Transmission Restored
  

  Oct 25, 2007

  Taking a page from Mayor Daley’s midnight razing of Meigs Field, I up and moved the radio tower when you weren’t looking. Fortunately you’ve found the new frequency. Same management, though, so I promise much of the same incisive, essential commentary you’ve grown to expect from Evolvingpage. You’re relieved, I can tell. Why the switch? [...]

• 25 Ways to Green Your Home
  

  Oct 12, 2007

  I’m working with stlouisgreen.com to design and build an online resource for regional green products, companies, events and jobs. Every few days the team surfaces a great resource, such as the following interactive home diagram. One question, though: bamboo bed sheets? 25 Ways to Green Your Home »

• The Past Four Weeks
  

  Sep 27, 2007

  I readily admit that a proper blog should not go untended for a month. Fortunately I have a handful of excuses at the ready: We took in a second cat and the Resident Feline is not happy. Which means no one is sleeping fitfully. We drove to St. Louis to watch the niece celebrate her [...]

• Surviving the Chicago Fleet Feet SuperSprint Triathlon
  

  Aug 25, 2007

  That right there is the dazed face of victory. It poured as I walked my (Dad’s) bike into the transition area at Foster beach this morning. After thirty minutes the rain had stopped, and the race marshal sent us in waves down the bike path next to Lake Shore Drive. We were supposed to start [...]

• Eight Random Things
  

  Aug 16, 2007

  I’ve been tagged by Chicago’s own/Boston’s former Mike Maddaloni. Here are eight random facts about me: I met Harrison Ford and Bill Clinton in separate events, and managed to look like a complete twerp in both photos. Realizing it was the coolest nickname ever, I signed my first grade assignments “Chip Myler” for at least [...]

• Stranger Than Fiction
  

  Aug 15, 2007

  Inventive and amusing, if a tad too long. Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick, a lonely IRS agent who wakes up one day to hear a voice narrating his life – and foretelling his imminent death. Ferrell gives an understated performance that is sweetly funny, as opposed to the lovable boobs he portrays in most of [...]

• King Me
  

  Aug 12, 2007

  In a few weeks, I’m supposed to let my dentist shave my back molar to a nub and glue a fake tooth on top of it. I hate dental work. I even clench my fists during routine cleanings. “You doing okay?” the hygenist calls out over the shriek of the bandsaw aimed at my teeth. [...]

• Premonition
  

  Aug 07, 2007

  Worst. Film. Ever. The minus on this failing grade is for the most glaring continuity problem I’ve seen in years. The F is for fantastically horrible. F-.  

• Other Places
  

  Aug 05, 2007

  EllaKB.com – Down on the Farm The niece takes a train ride and loves it, then gets herself all gussied up for a rip-roarin’, boot-scootin’ good time. Google Maps Traffic Report “Google Maps now lets you know how long a drive might take in rush-hour traffic, for a limited set of metropolitan areas. Of course, [...]

• Fourteen
  

  Aug 03, 2007

  My favorite quote from the evening’s festivities came from Tim at around doughnut number 8: “The doughnuts have stopped being refreshing.” I dug deep and managed to best my previous total (12 in an hour) by eating 14 krispy kreme doughnuts in 30 minutes. It wasn’t enough to propel me into the winner’s circle; I [...]

• Chicago Web Meetup: August 8th
  

  Jul 26, 2007

  It’s the Chicago Interactive Design/Development meetup, to be precise. This time I’m not organizing, I’m simply attending. I like the intention here – anyone working in the industry can come out to talk shop and meet others. Obviously the more people show up, the better this event will be, so sign up for the group [...]

• How Many Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Can You Eat in 30 Minutes?
  

  Jul 24, 2007

  It’s a burning question, one that has generated a lot of big talk around the office. However, only one of us has actually scaled this height. The ground rules: The doughnuts must be room temperature. Warm doughnuts go down too easy. You cannot modify the doughnut in any way; no sticking 20 doughnuts in a [...]

• Batman in Chicago
  

  Jul 20, 2007

  The Dark Knight (follow-up to 2005′s Batman Begins) is currently filming in Chicago a few blocks from our office. Last week they set a firetruck on fire just outside our building as the sun went down. Sweet. Co-worker Todd Prouty has snapped some pictures of the production as it unfolds. I’m waiting for the pictures [...]

• Casino Royale
  

  Jul 19, 2007

  Note to director Martin Campbell and screenwriters Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis: you had me at parkour. The Bond franchise gets a complete overhaul with this retelling of 007′s first mission, and with top-notch results. The silliness of the recent Bond flicks has vanished; Daniel Craig plays the British spy as slick, rough [...]

• The Urban Jungle
  

  Jul 18, 2007

  I returned from an early morning bike ride last week to see a fox trot calmly through the back alley. I braked hard. A fox? In the 4000 north block of Chicago? I stared closely to make sure I wasn’t being fooled by someone’s dog. Thin face, lean body, reddish fur, bushy tail… definitely a [...]

• Whoa Again
  

  Jul 17, 2007

  “We spend too much time staring into a lightbulb as it is.” So said one dissatisfied commenter on CNN.com’s recent redesign. While I think the new CNN.com is just ducky, this user felt the screen overwhelmed him with white. That comment has rattled around in my brain ever since. I love how sinister it sounds [...]

• If Only Bus Only
  

  Jul 11, 2007

  Today’s pipe dream: bus-only lanes in Chicago. I read in this morning’s paper that the CTA will install surveillance cameras on city buses to identify and retrain risky drivers. That’s good. Taking the 49 bus down Western is sometimes the equivalent of taking your life in your hands. Not everyone thinks it’s a good idea. [...]

• Greenside Up! Productions
  

  Jul 08, 2007

  I’m very pleased to pull back the curtain on the new web site for Greenside Up! Productions, a brainchild of the tireless Craig Jung. Greenside Up! promotes sustainable, “green” lifestyles through the creation of educational materials, and also helps craft marketing messages for companies and organizations that develop environmentally-friendly policies and procedures. Craig needed the [...]

• Swimming Pools and Swingsets
  

  Jun 28, 2007

  The niece (who went and turned nine months old) is fearless in the water. She really shines when it comes to splashing her mom in the face. Atta girl! Obsessed with trains, my nephew kept shouting “all abooooard” while he rode the swings: They are possibly the coolest kids ever.

• Here Comes the Flood
  

  Jun 27, 2007

  A flash thunderstorm swept through yesterday around 3:30, flooding most of the basements on our block, including ours. The neighbors who were home at the time told me the street was submerged from “front step to front step.” I am still trying to get my hands on a photo, because I can hardly believe it. [...]

• Goran’s Beach
  

  Jun 02, 2007

  The nephew explored the lakefront at Oak Street beach last July, and we took a million pictures to document the event. We have pictures of Goran playing in the tide, Goran dumping water out of a coca-cola bottle, Goran eating flavor-ice popsicles. I wanted to frame one of the photos in which he’s setting about [...]

• High Power Job
  

  May 23, 2007

  “…it’s about as safe as crossing the street. It’s not a job for a hot dog.”

• A Year of Reviews
  

  May 21, 2007

  One A+ (Tsotsi). One F (The Family Stone). Everything else in between. A American Dreamz Breach Capote The Last King of Scotland Lucky Number Slevin Shopgirl The Squid and the Whale Tsotsi Vigils (local Chicago theater production) World Trade Center B Born Rich Caché The Departed Inside Man Mission Impossible 3 Pirates of the Caribbean: [...]

• Turf Wars
  

  May 19, 2007

  In the naive days of our marriage, Renate and I purchased two rugs simply because we thought they’d look nice in our apartment. This morning I carried the first rug to the curb. Thirty minutes later it was gone, sucked up into a world of scavengers who might live with cats but long ago accepted [...]

• Superman Returns
  

  May 17, 2007

  The largest crime that unfolds in Metropolis is not Lex Luthor’s bizarre plot to re-create the world’s supply of viable real estate. Rather, it’s an ominous evaporation of character. Superman Returns emerges as the lovechild of the superb Superman II and the horrendous Superman IV: The Quest for Peace; it’s a mishmash of silly criminals, [...]

• International Olympic Committee to Chicago 2016: Ditch the Logo
  

  May 16, 2007

  Legalities trump gorgeous design. Boo and double boo. Read the Chicago Tribune article »

• Staying Tuned
  

  May 15, 2007

  Tired of wasting precious seconds revisiting the site to see who’s said what? Keep up to speed on all the essential blather flying around Evolvingpage through the brand-spanking new comments RSS feed. A link to the feed can be found below the comment box on every post. Add it once to your feedreader or your [...]

• Losing Weight
  

  May 13, 2007

  I keep “things” for years. I still have a beer bottle cap that was given special meaning at a college party. I have insurance statements for a car I shed five years ago. I’ve got concert wristbands. Credit card statements. Baseball ticket stubs. Seashells. Grad school loan payment coupon booklets. Postcards. Props from high school [...]

• Perched
  

  May 12, 2007

  Maxim: when you find a warm spot on a Saturday afternoon, plant your rear in it.

• Breach
  

  May 12, 2007

  Chris Cooper stars as FBI mole Robert Hanssen in the true story of the spy’s undoing in 2001. Ryan Phillipe holds his own as the young agent-in-training who helps catch Hanssen in the act of passing secrets to the Russians. Apparently Laura Linney thinks she’s acting in a 1930s gangster flick; I kept waiting for [...]

• GrandOpening: 3 Months of Pong, and then…
  

  May 10, 2007

  A New York design firm buys retail space and opens a new shop, museum, club (or what have you) every three months. Brilliant concept. Plus, the world needs more ping pong outlets. Visit the GrandOpening site »

• Turning Green
  

  Apr 22, 2007

  I am slightly suspicious of the new squeeze bottles standing proudly beneath the kitchen sink. Motivated by a Tribune article about the toxicity of household cleaners, we headed to Target and bought a boatload of non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies. (We rented a car to get to Target, but I believe our new mixtures also remove [...]

• “There’s an art to saying the wrong thing at the right time.”
  

  Apr 05, 2007

  I’ve missed Derek Powazek’s writing since he went silent on his personal site in January. Very glad to see he’s back in action. Visit powazek.com »

• No Thanks for the Peas
  

  Mar 21, 2007

  The niece has started on solid foods. So many flavors to explore, so many foods to discover she hates… Some excellent video work by my brother-in-law here, including an outstanding choice for the soundtrack.

• craigjung.com
  

  Mar 20, 2007

  The side work has been keeping me busy lately, and though I’m certainly not complaining, it’s nice to have one item checked off the to-do list. Introducing craigjung.com, the professional site of a St. Louis-based entrepreneur. Loaded with energy, Craig undertakes new projects on a routine (sometimes weekly) basis. Every time we talk there are [...]

• Chicago Web Meetup: 3/15 at Fado Irish Pub
  

  Mar 07, 2007

  The next Chicago Web Meetup is just over a week away, and I am all a-twitter with excitement. Thursday, March 15th 6pm Fado Irish Pub and Restaurant: http://www.fadoirishpub.com/chicago/directions Co-worker Howitt is also working to drum up a crowd. Anyone going to SXSW this week is required to attend the Meetup so you can tell us [...]

• Ghost Riders
  

  Mar 05, 2007

  Turns out several of the Chicago Transit Authority board members never use the system. Apparently you need to be part of the problem in order to be part of the solution. My favorite zinger from the Trib’s ‘unbiased’ article: “I don’t think it is appropriate for me to put a minimum or a maximum on [...]

• The Departed
  

  Feb 23, 2007

  All the elements are in place for an instant classic, but The Departed never fully congeals. We’re given tiny snippets of relationships between the characters in Martin Scorsese’s ‘competing mole’ flick, and so we don’t really care about them all that much. It’s a pity, because we won’t see a collection of talent like this [...]

• Chicago Web Meetup: 3/15
  

  Feb 12, 2007

  Time to slap on name tags (no, not really) and nerd out. The next Chicago Web Meetup is Thursday, March 15th, 6pm-ish. Location and solidified details TBD. I’m seeking suggestions on where we should meet. I don’t think Elephant & Castle will really suit our needs moving forward, especially if we have a larger turnout [...]

• Looking for Words
  

  Feb 08, 2007

  I need some new blogs, please. If you work in the web industry, chances are your blog reading closely mirrors mine. To some degree, it should. When a new trend emerges or controversy brews, we’ll get trustworthy insight from various thought leaders as well as a helpful dose of sarcasm every once in awhile. That [...]

• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
  

  Feb 06, 2007

  Something about a debt, a key, a chest, a sea monster, the East India Company and – oh look, swordfight! It’s best to remain unconcerned with deciphering the plot in order to enjoy this visually stunning film. The standard twists have been deployed to keep the storyline afloat for two sequels with mixed effect (love [...]

• Spousenotes.com
  

  Feb 05, 2007

  “Every relationship has its own language.” Here’s my favorite by far, a note which will be appreciated by spouses of web-workers… We can’t help it!

• The Last King of Scotland
  

  Jan 30, 2007

  It’s no small wonder Forest Whitaker is this year’s Oscar favorite; he is both captivating and terrifying as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in a fictional film based loosely on real events. Unpredictable and brutal, the self-proclaimed ‘man of the people’ rises to power in a military coup, then slowly comes undone amid traitors both real [...]

• Run, Howitt, Run
  

  Jan 29, 2007

  Not only is he running another marathon, co-worker Howitt’s doing it for a great cause: funding blood cancer research. Good luck, mate! Learn more »

• It’s Cold Out There
  

  Jan 23, 2007

  Polar bear hat courtesy of her Auntie and Uncle from Chicago, who know how to handle the cold. Ellakb.com »

• Lucky Number Slevin
  

  Jan 20, 2007

  Despite an occasionally confusing ride, Lucky Number Slevin ranks up there with Ocean’s Eleven and The Score as a must-see contemporary con film. Stacked with talent including Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci, Bruce Willis and Lucy Liu, the film is carried surprisingly well by Josh Hartnett. Give him and this film a chance; you [...]

• Move to Chicago
  

  Jan 16, 2007

  “…figured I’d let you know Chicago might be a possibility for next year…” So says a regular reader from Boston as he applies to PhD programs around the country (Loyola is in the mix). Clearly he must move to Chicago. We just need to give him a few good reasons why. I’ll start: We have [...]

• Why Chicago Will Win: It’s the Website, Stupid
  

  Jan 15, 2007

  The LAist predicts Chicago will win the USOC bid for the 2016 Olympics. See reason #5; the Chicago Park District is a Duo client. I’m just happy to be the guy standing behind the guy who designed the site… Nice work, Sr. Kenny.

• Pasted
  

  Jan 12, 2007

  I’m lucky to have friends who will spend a two-hour car ride attempting to unravel the storyline behind Bob Dylan’s ‘Tangled Up in Blue.’ When one of them recommends a magazine dedicated to music and film, I pay attention. You could do a lot worse than signing up for a subscription to Paste Magazine. Each [...]

• Mission Impossible 3
  

  Jan 11, 2007

  The best of the series. If you’re familiar with “Alias” or “Lost”, you’ll spot director J.J. Abram’s fingerprints all over this film (which he co-wrote as well). He’s even brought along half of his previous casts, so if you miss Felicity (Kari Russell), you’re in luck. Philip Seymour Hoffman is perfectly understated as a ruthless [...]

• Vote for Howitt
  

  Jan 10, 2007

  Only you can help co-worker Howitt find his work featured in JPG Magazine. Vote now! »

• One Step Closer to Chicago 2016
  

  Jan 09, 2007

  The USOC gives a thumbs up to a U.S. Olympic bid for 2016. San Francisco has dropped out; L.A., you’re next…

• Whoa…
  

  Jan 09, 2007

  As Neil Diamond once said, “everybody just cool out.” Okay, maybe that was Will Ferrell as Neil Diamond. But I like to think Neil would want us to cool out as well. If you’ve been here before, you’ll notice things look very different, and I will explain everything. Or, at least, some things. A New [...]

• Tobias Eduardo Guillermety Gauld…
  

  Jan 09, 2007

  …is blogging! Perhaps with some help. Visit the site »

• What Every Four-Month-Old Needs
  

  Jan 07, 2007

  Or, at least, what every Uncle of a four-month-old needs… Introducing ellakb.com, where it’s All Ella, All the Time. She laughs! She eats! She sleeps! I’ve got my fingers crossed for a live webcam. Until then, enjoy the pics and the videos. I love that my sister and brother-in-law are not afraid to clown for [...]

• The Last Kiss
  

  Jan 02, 2007

  Put aside the improbable way Kim (Rachel Bilsson) zeros in on Michael (Zach Braff) at a wedding he’s attending with his pregnant girlfriend. Put aside the inconsistently unhinged behavior of Michael’s girlfriend’s mother (Blythe Danner). Put aside the mostly unresolved stories of his friends’ meandering lives. Put aside this movie. D.

• Time to Make the Cookies
  

  Dec 23, 2006

  “I don’t want to give cookies that look like they were made by a five-year-old,” Renate complains early in our cookie-frosting expedition. I’m paying scant attention to the final appearance of my cookies, and it’s exasperating. She spends five minutes on a snowman. “See?” She presents the smooth, unblemished result. “People don’t care what they [...]

• Mixed
  

  Dec 18, 2006

  A few months after my sister shipped out for Miami University of Ohio in the fall of 1993, she mailed me a cassette tape covered in handwritten track and band names. She’d been listening to “When it’s Raining” (The Samples), “Woman in the Wall” (Beautiful South) and about twenty other tracks she deemed worthy of [...]

• Quitter
  

  Dec 11, 2006

  Always use hot water while shaving. Hot water softens the beard, opens pores and cleanses the skin. The Art of Shaving Damn thing was scratchy anyway.

• I Have What It Takes
  

  Dec 10, 2006

  I’m growing a beard and right now it itches. I grew a goatee several years ago, but just when people got used to it I shaved it off because it itched too much. Don’t let itching deter you. Your skin will eventually adjust to the new situation. Itching should be only a temporary phase. Beards.org [...]

• Cutting the Cord
  

  Dec 06, 2006

  After much deliberation, we effectively told Comcast to kiss off on Saturday. We are now the proud owners of a TV antenna that returns five channels. It felt liberating and absurd, twisting the antennae around and stepping back to assess the reception. But now it feels like we’ve struck a blow for simplicity. At the [...]

• More Ella
  

  Dec 02, 2006

  My brother-in-law has sent more photos of the niece (now on flickr). He calls this series “On Dad’s Lap.” I call it, “Coming to Terms with Mom and Dad.” Titles appear below each photo. You? And You? Shock Denial Acceptance Turn Up the TV

• That’s Just Funny
  

  Dec 01, 2006

  We’re getting walloped with snow. I’d rather set up camp on the couch and watch movies in my sweatpants, but Chicago has the snow removal thing down cold. I arrived at work soggy, wishing we had a radiator on which to dry my hat and gloves. Snow days. If I was at home, I’d get [...]

• Pick Your Poison
  

  Nov 27, 2006

  Traveling can lead to periods of reflection. It can also lead to long stretches of boredom. While driving through the brown landscape of northwestern Indiana for the holiday weekend, I pondered the following scenario: You are stuck on a deserted island. Once a day, a song plays over an unseen loudspeaker. Somehow you have the [...]

• Take the Day Off
  

  Nov 07, 2006

  Renate catches a mind-numbingly early bus for work, and we’re being sociable tonight, so we pulled ourselves out of bed at 5:15 this morning to vote. If the polls hadn’t opened at 6, we would’ve been SOL. We would’ve been electoral miscreants. We would’ve been those people the pundits moan about every year (except 2004) [...]

• Vigils
  

  Nov 06, 2006

  With tickets selling online at the scandalously low price of $12.50 apiece, you have no reason not to catch this quirky gem at Chicago’s Goodman Theater before its run ends next Monday (11/12). A widow struggles — literally — to let go of her dead husband’s memory while a suitor waits in the wings; sadness [...]

• Pencils Down
  

  Nov 01, 2006

  At 103 pages, the first draft of the screenplay is complete. What’s It About? On his twenty-ninth birthday, the owner of an aging independent movie house makes a last-ditch effort to keep the bank from repossessing his theater, while making a play for the girl he’s been pining after for years. If he can outflank [...]

• 89
  

  Oct 21, 2006

  Opening dramatic doors is easier than figuring out how to close them. Yesterday, for the first time, I did not meet my goal of 3 pages/day. I fiddled with formatting. I edited. Then I gave myself a break, as I’m already well ahead of my goal (I should be at 63 pages). Goals Revised: 100 [...]

• Thank You For Smoking
  

  Oct 18, 2006

  The best part of this disappointing film is over within three minutes; I could watch those gorgeous title screens all day. A few more rewrites would’ve pushed this film solidly into the black comedy realm where it rightfully belongs. Instead, the laughs fall flat, and the tongue is not placed firmly enough in cheek for [...]

• Chicago Web Meetup Reminder & The Looming IE7 Release
  

  Oct 12, 2006

  Chicago Web Meetup Elephant and Castle, 111 W. Adams Street, (312) 236-6656 Wednesday, October 18 7pm I may require co-worker Howitt to wear a sombrero so you’ll know where we are. (Note: we’ll be in the bar area to the left when you first walk in.) From what I’m hearing, I think we’ll have a [...]

• How It’s Going
  

  Oct 09, 2006

  For the Curious I’ve written 45 pages. Some of them are good. Most of them will need attention. For the Sarcastic No, the screenplay does not consist of one page of dialogue and 44 pages of stage direction. No, it is not written in 14pt, and no, it is not triple-spaced. What’s it About? Still [...]

• Gone Writing
  

  Sep 29, 2006

  I’ll be AWOL from Evolvingpage for the month of October to pursue a foolish endeavor: I’m going to write a screenplay. The organizers of National Novel Writing Month (November) have planned National Screenwriting Month for next June, but I’ve been tinkering with an idea for weeks now and the iron seems to be hot. October [...]

• Introductions
  

  Sep 24, 2006

  “This is in case she decides to throw up on you,” my mom said as she handed me my two-week-old niece and a blanket (which proved not to be necessary). She coos and sighs and fusses and eats and sleeps. Somehow it is all fascinating. 600 miles and 48 hours later, I’m staring at the [...]

• Friends With Money
  

  Sep 14, 2006

  Hooray, another ‘slice of life’ movie in which nothing actually happens. The only hint of plot development in this film involves the struggle by Jennifer Aniston’s character to find a decent boyfriend — and you’re better off watching The Good Girl for a more engrossing version of the same situation. Some fine performances by a [...]

• Some Business Is Still Usual
  

  Sep 12, 2006

  Washington Mutual Bank (now breezily known as WaMu) wants us to believe they disdain the way banks charge customers for checks, overdrafts, ATM withdrawals, and so on. The company’s advertising campaign features a genial WaMu employee taunting a group of old, white bankers, who snicker at WaMu’s customer-friendly policies. Billboard ads feature the same codgers [...]

• Ask Me About My Niece
  

  Sep 07, 2006

  Ella Katherine Boeckmann Born 9/7/06 at 5:35 a.m. 7 lbs, 9 oz. Lots of hair Very talkative; squawked at me through the phone repeatedly during our first conversation. I believe this means I’m her favorite Uncle. Arrived closest to my predicted delivery date. I also take this to mean I’m her favorite Uncle. Actually told [...]

• One Year+
  

  Sep 04, 2006

  Yesterday we bought ourselves a new bed at Marshall Fields, aka Macy’s. One year ago yesterday we officially arrived in Chicago, newly married, unemployed and a bit shell-shocked. As we wandered through the enormous furniture department of the State Street store, now shot through with swaths of Macy’s red instead of Marshall Fields hunter green, [...]

• American Dreamz
  

  Aug 28, 2006

  The previews don’t do this film justice; American Dreamz is one of the funniest satires since Wag the Dog and Election, skewering reality TV, politics, terrorism and LA all at once. That said, the film starts to poop out in the second half, and the ending is disappointingly weak for such a strong start. Still, [...]

• Chicago Web Meetup
  

  Aug 24, 2006

  When I lived in Boston, the local web workers would get together every once in awhile to have a few drinks and talk about terribly exciting things like standards and applications. It was a great way to spend a few hours soaking in web nerdliness with like-minded people. I’d love to get something similar going [...]

• MYOB
  

  Aug 21, 2006

  My sister is hopping up and down in the hospital lobby, washing down a pack of Hostess Chocolate donettes with a coke. “Do you feel anything?” I ask. “I feel something, but I don’t know if it’s me or the baby,” she says. My brother-in-law asks for one of her Donettes. She says no. Renate [...]

• Tsotsi
  

  Aug 18, 2006

  Set against the townships beyond Johannesburg, Tsotsi tells the story of a region struggling with extreme poverty and abundant wealth, and of the characters who crash into one another at the divide. The young title character leads a vicious South African gang that has begun to spin out of control. A brutal act on Tsotsi’s [...]

• Mailbag: Film Edition
  

  Aug 14, 2006

  Drew, Having faithfully read Evolvingpage’s movie reviews, we raced to add Shopgirl to our Blockbuster queue. We see grade inflation isn’t only in academia… That movie is bollocks. The only thing that separates it from the putrid mass of romantic comedy films is that: it has better cinematography; it doesn’t rely on hokie gross out [...]

• World Trade Center
  

  Aug 13, 2006

  Oliver Stone’s emotional, reverential film presents the true story of two Port Authority police officers trapped in the rubble of the collapsed towers on 9/11. The movie follows both their struggle to survive and the growing anguish that grips their wives and families (who know little of the men’s whereabouts). What emerges is a moving [...]

• Mancation
  

  Aug 10, 2006

  After six years, the ritual is fairly set in stone: Friday night we play No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, with blinds increasing after every two rounds of dealing. Saturday we play a modified version of baseball; teams of two bat, then rotate into the field. We grill burgers and hot dogs for lunch. Some of us [...]

• What We Don’t Need
  

  Aug 02, 2006

  Seemingly innocuous household expenses come under the crosshairs in the name of the down payment.

• Spy Game
  

  Jul 27, 2006

  An espionage flick with heart and a jumpy disposition. Tony Scott (Domino, Man On Fire) unleashes his frenetic, washed-out filmmaking style on the story of a retiring CIA spook (Robert Redford) who discovers on his last day at Langley that his protege (Brad Pitt) has landed in a Chinese prison and faces execution in T-Minus [...]

• House for Sale
  

  Jul 25, 2006

  After five years living in a “recreational lake community dedicated to nature” where residents zip about in golf carts and the Symphony plays every July 4th, my folks are moving back to St. Louis. I’m doing my part. Want to buy a house? Five years ago, I blinked with surprise as my mom called to [...]

• Getting Organized
  

  Jul 18, 2006

  The latest addition to the EP portfolio is live and kicking; introducing Business Organization, LLC. Business Organization helps companies improve operations by first analyzing business practices and then implementing customized business solutions. The company is rapidly leaving its sole proprietor days behind, and principal Craig Jung knew the company needed a web presence to boost [...]

• Shame On You and You and You
  

  Jul 12, 2006

  The Chicago Tribune editorial board thinks we, the general public, are a bunch of ungrateful sacks when it comes to foiled terrorist plots. From Monday’s editorial, “Another fuse, unlit”: Lovely weekend, wasn’t it? Sunny, warm, just beachy. Oh, and federal authorities say they’ve foiled another nascent terror plot against the U.S. — this time for [...]

• Supporting Youth Filmmakers
  

  Jul 09, 2006

  In January 2002, my friend Dave and I completed the last marathon editing session for a short film we’d written, produced and directed. Eager to screen it for friends and family, we spent a month securing a location, creating promotional materials and seeking out other short films to screen. We named the event the Newbury [...]

• Training Day
  

  Jul 06, 2006

  Seeking the gray area between reality and unbridled idealism, Training Day overcomes the occasional credulity-straining coincidence to paint an effective portrait of corruption in self-destruct. Rookie cop Jake (Ethan Hawke) spends his first day as an undercover narcotics officer learning the ropes from lead detective Alonzo (Denzel Washington), and the day quickly devolves into a [...]

• Caché
  

  Jul 03, 2006

  The title means “hidden,” and much that has been tucked out of sight is slowly revealed in Michael Haneke’s voyeuristic psychological thriller. An upper-middle class Parisian couple begins receiving video tapes of their comings and goings, and the chase to uncover the stalker’s identity turns up old skeletons and undermines the couple’s trust in one [...]

• Stretching the Legs
  

  Jul 03, 2006

  It has stopped raining, for the moment. Renate and I stand with what appears to be several thousand people, some in matching tee shirts, others with headphones clamped firmly to their ears. The ambitious ones twitch anxiously about two hundred feet ahead of us, a hand on their sports watch as they wait for the [...]

• No Fat For You
  

  Jun 29, 2006

  Apparently our city government has developed a taste for banning things. Scandalously delicious things. Things you must be told are bad for you. Things like fat. Yes, we’re too dang fat and the City Council is going to do something about it, dul gurn it. According to today’s Tribune, Chicago Alderman Edward Burke wants to [...]

• Me and My Subway Car
  

  Jun 27, 2006

  Can you believe it? The good people at the Chicago Transit Authority have given me my very own subway car. I can do whatever I want with my subway car. I can leave my briefcase on the seat next to me in the morning even if the train becomes horribly overcrowded. I can board my [...]

• Beyond Thunderdome
  

  Jun 22, 2006

  They’re squaring off in the Tribune Company boardroom, and the increasingly hostile wordplay popping up in official letters and press conferences got me thinking: what we really need in this world is the verbal equivalent of a dance-off. No lawyers, no long and protracted legal maneuvers, just skillful blather and perhaps a dictionary, and certainly [...]

• Price Check on the AC
  

  Jun 19, 2006

  I tend to forget that what I pay for a thing depends largely on me (well, us) in the first place. It’s easy to overlook our pricing capabilities because we’re not the ones setting them. But we do create the demand driving those prices, and it looks like we might soon be empowered to ease [...]

• The Break-Up
  

  Jun 12, 2006

  Wallowing somewhere between comedy and drama, The Break-Up wastes the primary talents of its two stars by filling their scenes with uncomfortable, room-clearing brawls. Unfortunately, you don’t see enough (or any) of the good times to know why this relationship is even worth saving. The film suffers from both misleading marketing — this ain’t funny [...]

• Marshall Fields Forever
  

  Jun 07, 2006

  Thousands — THOUSANDS — are protesting the renaming of Marshall Fields to Macy’s on keepitfields.org. One sentimental rebel at the barricades bemoaned the potential passing of “our beloved tradition-filled, friendly department store paradise.” That’s right, paradise. A paradise where Frango mints fell from the sky and rooms were made of Walnut. A paradise so enticing [...]

• Mass Ogling
  

  Jun 05, 2006

  The Pharaoh was in town this weekend, as were my folks, and my mom wanted to arrange a get-together. After nine months in Chicago, Renate and I had not yet been to the Field Museum. Meteorlogically speaking, my parents could not have picked a more picture-perfect weekend to make the trip from St. Louis, and [...]

• Capote
  

  Jun 05, 2006

  A sparse, engrossing dissection of Truman Capote’s self-infatuation during the researching and writing of In Cold Blood. Hauntingly filmed in cold, unforgiving shades and colors, the film slowly wraps a hand around your throat, squeezing tighter as the film progresses. Philip Seymour Hoffman is brilliant and somehow unrecognizable, making the chilling conclusion all the more [...]

• The Family Stone
  

  May 23, 2006

  I’m rarely angry after watching a movie, but two hours of contrived and pointless plot developments left me reaching for my pitchfork and looking for the nearest mob. I can only conclude that the producers have some serious dirt on the cast in order to make them work on such a vapid script (let’s have [...]

• Book Those Bands
  

  May 19, 2006

  Coudal Partners is currently running a highly entertaining contest on its site. The gist: combine the names of bands and books in oh-so-clever ways. The best of the best get listed on Coudal’s site, and the winners get the book and a CD by the band. Apparently Coudal is being flooded with entries, including the [...]

• Shopgirl
  

  May 16, 2006

  Note to Steve Martin: please keep writing screenplays. Or, please keep writing books and turning them into screenplays. Shopgirl charters familiar territory (the love triangle), but manages to take fresh and believable turns in subtle movements. Director Anand Tucker pays loving attention to the film’s atmosphere, creating a serene backdrop filled with beautiful cinematography and [...]

• Swimming In It
  

  May 16, 2006

  It’s time to do our part as water-loving citizens of Chicago. The Mayor and other intrepid city planners want to implement new standards that would reduce the amount of bacteria in the Chicago River and create an environment in which fish can thrive (and people can avoid staph infection). From yesterday’s Tribune: Unlike most other [...]

• Match Point
  

  May 04, 2006

  The potential this love-triangle film builds during the first forty-five minutes churns into plodding turmoil that goes on too long. While Woody Allen’s characters don’t take the easy way out, it sure feels as though he did; the film takes a startling and disturbing turn, but one that ultimately feels very familiar. Still, it’s great [...]

• Eyeballs
  

  May 04, 2006

  My vision used to be 20/20. Like George Costanza, I could spot a nickel on the ground from across the room. I routinely mocked my college roommate, who held the alarm clock up to his face to tell time at night after removing his contact lenses. Times have changed. For the first time in my [...]

• Gratitude Exclamation Point
  

  May 02, 2006

  EXT. WACKER DRIVE – EARLY EVENING DREW walks down the street toward the subway station, leaving a voice message for HIS WIFE RENATE. A WOMAN approaches, waving at him. WOMAN Excuse me? Hi. Hello? Drew looks at the woman, then looks at his phone as if to say, “I’m on the phone.” The woman waits [...]

• What to Write
  

  Apr 27, 2006

  What indeed… I read an article yesterday that boldly declared, “blogs [are] ‘essential’ to a good career”. The article offered some advice for newbie bloggers: …pick your topics carefully and have a purpose. ”The most interesting blogs are focused and have a certain attitude,” says [Phil] van Allen [a faculty member of the Art Center [...]

• The Squid and the Whale
  

  Apr 26, 2006

  A moving, occasionally disturbing, and frequntly funny tale of a family grappling with both divorce and chronic intellectual snobbery. Writer/director Noah Baumbach’s script and the impeccable casting make the film a must-see. Jeff Daniels deserves the praise he’s received, and Laura Linney matches his performance, but the film zeroes in on the children’s struggle to [...]

• Lord of War
  

  Apr 24, 2006

  I can hear my grad school screenwriting professor now: “too much voiceover means you don’t know how to tell your story.” Excessive narration suffocates this beautifully filmed movie about gun runners, which also suffers from middling character development; by the end of the film, you really don’t care about the characters. Eamonn Walker shines as [...]

• Sunday Paper
  

  Apr 23, 2006

  Brew coffee. Don sweatpants. Brew coffee. Locate breakfast pastry or equivalent morning nosh (granola bars will suffice). Sort sections by spousal preference. Pour coffee. Stake claim on favorite living room couch. Commence reading, occasionally out loud should you feel the need. (Note: spouse may tire of this practice.) Refresh coffee. Nap as needed. Repeat weekly.

• Inside Man
  

  Apr 19, 2006

  Solidly constructed con/heist flick, though Spike Lee wobbles a bit walking a fine line between unveiling the mechanics of the con while leaving dubious character motivations up for discussion. Some of the characters felt a little undercooked (who is Jodie Foster supposed to be?). That aside, the film features a strong cast (especially the great [...]

• Isn’t it a Nice Day?
  

  Apr 19, 2006

  A former colleague of mine had a handy metaphor for describing poor Customer Relationship Management (CRM): You work at an information booth. Someone walks up to you and says, ‘where’s the nearest gas station?’ You reply, ‘isn’t it a nice day?’ The person tries again: ‘I’m just looking for directions to the nearest gas station.’ [...]

• Born Rich
  

  Apr 17, 2006

  Bored twenty-something heir to the Johnson and Johnson family makes a documentary about the vexations of growing up rich. The film works best when he stops narrating and focuses on his friends (including Ivanka Trump and the brutally honest heir to the Whitney/Vanderbilt fortune). Mostly enjoyable, often revealing, and provides a few laugh-out-loud moments, including [...]

• The Dying Gaul
  

  Apr 16, 2006

  Vengeful love triangle story that performs a spectacular bellyflop at the end. The DVD even ships with an alternate ending, which must be the producers’ way of saying, “we know, it stinks.” Peter Saarsgard, miscast in Flight Plan and Jarhead, does his best work since Shattered Glass. Campbell Scott and Patricia Clarkson are also pitch-perfect. [...]

• We Got Pizzazz
  

  Mar 31, 2006

  This morning as I sat down to leaf through the main section of the Tribune before Renate took it for her commute, I discovered that the Chicago Transit Authority has named its newest subway line “The Pink Line.” Not Silver, the second-runner up. Not Gold. Pink. “I don’t think so,” said Joseph Santoyo, 18, as [...]

• Newbury Film Series Redesigned and ‘Re-aligned’
  

  Mar 01, 2006

  Over the past month, the Newbury Film Series website has undergone some stylistic updates, a little re-organization, and a bit of a re-alignment (a la the Cameron Moll method) to nudge it in the direction of becoming a more resourceful destination for Boston-area filmmakers. Stylistically speaking, the site is a bit smoother and softer than [...]

• Save the Papers
  

  Feb 23, 2006

  Dear Wall Street Journal (and every other newspaper trying to combat flagging circulation), There are those of us out there who like you just fine. We’re called your subscribers. We pay for your paper because we like to read it. Not all of it, and sometimes none of it, but more often than not, we’ve [...]

• Observations on Chicago
  

  Feb 19, 2006

  After nearly six months in our new hometown, here’s what I’ve learned: Boston drivers are bad; Chicago drivers are dangerous. You may as well be wearing a bullseye on your back when trying to use a crosswalk in this town. Many people now believe it is socially acceptable to wear a wireless cell phone head [...]