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| BrendanMcKillip.com brendan mckillip's daily journal |
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daily journal
Changing the Rules The family of Walter Payton has a statue of the Chicago Bear football legend and they want to place the statue outside of Solider Field. The Chicago Park District�s is fine with the idea of a Payton statue on park district grounds but argue that "Soldier Field and the area surrounding it is to be preserved strictly as a memorial to war veterans."  I say, if the Park District can put a spaceship inside of Solider Field than a statue can go outside the stadium where Payton played his entire 12-year NFL career. Labels: Chicago, Chicago Bears posted by Brendan | 5:59 PM | permanent link
Timelapse Chicago I understand that I might be slightly biased, but does any other city photograph nearly as nicely as Chicago seems to? I don't think so. Labels: Chicago posted by Brendan | 12:29 PM | permanent link
That Ain't a Chicago 'Stache Entertainment Weekly has a preview of Hugh Jackman and Danial Craig from the new Broadway play that they are debuting in this September. The play is called Steady Rain and is about two Chicago policemen.  Wolverine and James Bond caused a stir here in Chicago about a month back when they dropped in un-announced to tour some police stations and other typical Chicago cop hangouts to get a little background research done. Considering that they are an Aussie and Brit portraying Chicago police officers, it was probably helpful to see how good Midwestern cops handle themselves.From the photo EW publishes, it's obvious that one of the things that Mr. Craig noticed was the walrus mustache that is so popular with Chicago's finest (see a fine example at the right). Unfortunately, I think Mr. Craig should have taken a few more photos for reference. Instead of sporting a walrus 'stache he ended up with some form of cheesy porn 'stache that looks like he used this website for reference.  Dude, that ain't a Chicago 'stache. posted by Brendan | 9:57 PM | permanent link
Slice versus Wedge Chicago Tribune writers Phil Vettel and Kevin Pang debate the correct way to cut up a pizza: slice versus wedge A snippet: I learned a few things from this exchange 1) Square cut or grid cut pizza is referred to as the "Party Cut" - interesting In any case, an argument over slice versus wedge is pointless. It doesn't matter how the pizza is cut, just as long as I get to eat it. posted by Brendan | 12:43 PM | permanent link
The Ledge is Open The Ledge opened today. 4 glass-encased boxes suspended from the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower.  And here's a shot looking down through the glass floor:  I can't wait to go. posted by Brendan | 12:59 PM | permanent link
LEGO Fun Not only is it incredible cool that architect and certified LEGO professional Adam Reed Tucker has designed and built more than 15 skyscrapers that are part of the ART + SCIENCE = ARCHITECTURE exhibit opening today at the Chicago�s Museum of Science and Industry. But LEGO has also produced model kits based on many of Tucker�s designs.  I want my very own Sears Tower to preside over my desk at work. Labels: Chicago posted by Brendan | 12:41 PM | permanent link
Chicago is a Model Town One day this summer I plan to walk over on my lunch hour to take a look at this:  It�s a 25 x 35-foot scale model of the Chicago Loop area - basically downtown Chicago, with every building from the Sears Tower down to small mom & pop shops represented. The model, which is on display at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, was created using a 3D printing process called stereolithography which uses lasers and a vat of acrylic resin. It is not clear to me why the model was built, other than Mayor Richie Daley thought it would be kewl. Regardless, I think it would be fascinating to see a model built to scale with as much detail as has gone into that project. Labels: Chicago posted by Brendan | 12:30 PM | permanent link
5 Things I Think I'm attending an email conference for the third year in a row, and this time I finally decided to stay at the hotel associated with the conference center. The hotel is a posh-posh resort run by Marriott. They charge $16 for 24 hours of internet access. The hotel I stayed at the last two years � which was five minute drive away � gave me Wi-Fi Internet access for free and was nearly hundred dollars cheaper per night. This is last time I stay at this resort.  [via]  I can't wait for this to open and get Ian, Emma, and Zoe up there. It will be a blast.  Check out his blog. Labels: 5 Things I Think, Chicago, Comics, Rant posted by Brendan | 10:32 PM | permanent link
All the Young Talent is in Chicago  When I read earlier this week that Chicago Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg was named as one of the three Calder Trophy finalists for the 2009-09 NHL season, it reminded me that not only did Patrick Kane win the award for the outstanding rookie player in the NHL last year for the Blackhawks, but that fellow line-mate Jonathan Toews was a finalist for the trophy as well. I know that the Blackhawks have a lot of great young talent, but having three guys in two years being recognized as the tops of top says to me that the Blackhawks have a bumper crop of great players. Then it occurred to me that the Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose was just honored as the NBA�s 2008-09 Rookie of the Year and that Geovany Soto of the Chicago Cubs is the reigning National League Rookie of the Year for 2008. Plus, Chicago White Sox infielder Alexei Ramirez finished second in voting for the American League Rookie of the Year balloting in 2008. What about the Chicago Bears? Running Back Matt Forte was named one of the five finalists for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2008, and now the Bears have Jay Cutler, a Pro Bowl selection in his third season.That a lot of great young talent in pro sports in this city. If the respective players and their teams are managed well (and stick around), Chicago could be in for a number of years of competitive and exciting pro sports teams. That�s pretty exciting. Labels: Chicago, Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox posted by Brendan | 11:34 AM | permanent link
5 Things I Think And if none of them are named McKillip, why don't they explain the origin of the name on their website? I'm curious. That�s just not right. Aaaaah!  Trop50, the 50% less sugar orange juice "beverage" from Tropicana, may be the worst tasting liquid I have ever ingested that wasn�t intended for medicinal purposes.I'm not sure if I'll be able to forgive Heather for bringing that into our house. I think she received this sorry excuse for a drink for free from the store. Who is this product for? The sugar and calories from your orange juice isn't going to kill you. Cut the sugar and calories out from someplace else. Ugh. My tongue hurts just thinking about Trop50. Starting this May, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be screening each of the 10 Best Picture nominees from 1939 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of what is probably Hollywood�s greatest year. Ten great pieces of film making, plus animated shorts from 1939 and chapters of Universal�s Buck Rogers serial from that year as well, all up on the big screen. And the series ticket is only $25 � that�s $2.50 per movie! That would be a fantastic ten weeks. But then I realize that�s only one reason for being in California and I can always come up with five or ten reasons to stay in the Midwest. Labels: 5 Things I Think, Chicago, classic movies, Family, oddities, Rant posted by Brendan | 1:08 PM | permanent link
WOW! What a Homepage This is the homepage of the Chicago Tribune this evening.  Wow! The former-Governor, his brother, and slew of close friends all indicted political corruption charges. I can't wait to see how many talk shows Rod makes the rounds on this time to plead his innocence. The Bears land Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler and tackle Orlando Pace. They had to give up Kyle Orton and some draft picks to get Cutler, but the Bears now have a certifiable top tier quarterback. I'll miss Orton. I liked him. Orlando Pace might be approaching the twilight of his career, but I think the Bears can probably get a few good years out of him and strengthen the offensive line. An older Orlando Pace is still better then a lot of the offensive lineman out there today. Labels: Chicago, Chicago Bears, Politics posted by Brendan | 8:08 PM | permanent link
Mario Visits Chicago posted by Brendan | 9:50 PM | permanent link
Good Luck With That  From today's Chicago Tribune:Sears Tower will change its name to Willis Tower this summer, under the terms of a lease signed by global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings.If the past few years have taught me anything, I've learned that Chicagoans don't like outsiders coming in a renaming their cultural landmarks. Of course everyone in Chicago will continue to refer to the building as "Sears Tower", we've been doing that for over thirty years. If the name ever switches within the public consciousness, it will probably take another thirty years to work it's way in - maybe longer. Consider this. There are streets in Chicago that received new names when my Dad was a kid, but to this day my Grandparents still refer to those streets by their original name. My Dad knows to do the conversion in his head, but that doesn't happen for me. I only know the new name. If the name change sticks for the Sears Tower, it will probably follow a use progression similar to that. I will forever call it Sears Tower, Ian (my son) will learn both names, and his kids (shudder) might only know it as Willis Tower. Then again, at least when the street names were changing it was by Chicagoans and usually to a name to honor a Chicagoan. Willis Tower will be named after a London-based insurance broker. So the building could go on as Sears Tower forever. (I'd like it noted that I avoided the obvious, "What you talkin' 'bout Willis" jokes that this story inspires) posted by Brendan | 12:39 PM | permanent link
Public Enemies A film about about John Dillinger starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, directed by Michael Mann, and shot almost entirely here in Chicago. Oh yeah, I think that looks good. posted by Brendan | 8:46 AM | permanent link
There's Nothing Miserable About Chicago I�ve told myself a number of times that I wasn�t going to comment on it � but the story keeps popping up and every time it does it�s like a little paper cut on your finger that keeps getting opened up. Forbes.com's released a list of "America's 10 Most Miserable Cities" that they compiled using the following criteria: commute times, corruption, pro sports teams, Superfund sites, taxes (both income and sales), unemployment, violent crime and weather.  Chicago came in #3 on the list.I know I�m responding emotionally to the use of the word �miserable�. If Forbes had used another term like �least desirable� or �challenging� cities to live in, the response might not have been so vehement. But I don�t think that was ever Forbes intention. They chose the word �miserable� so people in those ten cities would register all sorts of reactions, get them talking about Forbes, blah, blah, blah. Again, this is why I didn�t want to comment or acknowledge the article. So why am I? Because it just burns me that Forbes continues to publish this sort of irresponsible, faux-science reporting. You can�t just pick some criteria, come up with rankings, and then claim that this place or that place is a better or worse place to live. Why you call one town over another your home cannot be reduced to crunching numbers or the scientific method. Chicago Sun-Times columnist (one of the few things I like about the Sun-Times) Neil Steinberg sums up my aggravation with Forbes� article nicely in his column today: What the Forbes study overlooks is that Chicago is not populated by Manhattan scribes nor Boulder mountain climbers, but Chicagoans. We are a hearty tribe, made of stronger stuff, and delight in challenges that only seem miserable to those who don't know any better. Calling our city miserable is like an agoraphobic calling baseball awful because it takes place outside. It says a lot more about the complainer than the thing being complained about. We love it here, and pity those whose appreciation of life is so constricted that they fail to see why.Now that I�ve gotten that off my chest, maybe I can finally start ignoring Forbes� story and return to enjoying living in (or at least near) Chicago. posted by Brendan | 1:18 PM | permanent link
Ah, Winter 6+ inches of snow on the ground. Snot-freezing temperatures.  Yes sir, this is a good winter. (Side note: I think my pants froze during my walk from the train station to my office. They were cracking when I took each step.) These extreme weather conditions are one of the reasons why I love living in Chicago. I don't want the same-old, same-old every day. I like to see that thermometer swing. posted by Brendan | 10:33 AM | permanent link
This Ain't Beantown My whole professional career has been about designing, building, and managing web sites. I even have considerable experience targeting and serving website banner ads. So I feel fairly confident in calling the ChicagoTribune.com out on this: There is no reason to serve up an M&M�s ad showcasing the Boston Red Sox on the Chicago Tribune website.  That�s just wrong. posted by Brendan | 9:28 PM | permanent link
Classic Cubbie T-Shirt Son and Heir Apparel is a Chicago-based online retailer selling vintage-inspired sports clothing. Most of the offerings are for the Cubs, Sox, and Bears, but they have a few items for the Brewers and some of those teams out East. And on the homepage it looks like they've got plans to add even more teams. My favorite is this one announcing the popular double-play combination for the Chicago Cubs back in the early 90's.  Labels: Chicago, Chicago Cubs, Sports posted by Brendan | 11:56 AM | permanent link
Own a Little Chicago History This is crazy cool.  I was reading through the Cubby-Blue blog, and his post today Tim Souers passes along an interesting story and information on how anyone can obtain some obscure (if tangential) Cubs memorabilia.Apparently when William Wrigley purchased the Cubs back in the 1920�s, he was looking for a new logo to adorn his team with. At the time he belonged to the Chicago Athletic Association, one of Chicago�s oldest private social clubs. The CAA used a red "C" surrounded by a blue circle as its logo. Wrigley liked the look of the logo, so he decided to adopt it for his ballclub. Fast forward almost ninety years. The CAA shuts its doors for the final time, and little store called POSH bought up the club�s remaining china and silver. What makes this notable is that the china is marked with the CAA logo � the same logo (more or less) that the Cubs use today. POSH is selling everything they obtained from the CAA, so here�s a chance to own not only some Chicago history, but a little Chicago Cub history as well. Labels: Chicago, Chicago Cubs posted by Brendan | 9:57 PM | permanent link
Enough of the Playoff Talk Already  I haven't seen it in the papers, but I've heard TV sportscasters talking about the Chicago Bulls chances of making the NBA playoffs. Technically, the Bulls could make the NBA's second season, but I think it's better to ask if this version of the Bulls deserves to be in the playoffs.The Bulls are 29-44. Have played horribly all season. The only reason they are even mathematically in the hunt is because they play in the weaker Eastern Conference. I'm surprised how much significance is put on making the playoffs - at least by local sports media yahoos. It's as if making the playoffs can negate a season of sub-par play. If you are a lousy team, but manage to make the playoffs, then you've only extended a depressing season a little longer. Who really needs that. I remember suffering through the same silly talk back in November with the Chicago Bears. The Bears were an uneven team, plagued with injuries and inconsistent play. Even if they mathematically were in playoff contention, I don't think anyone would have considered them a serious candidate for being labeled the best of the NFL. I know I didn't want to see them being embarrassed in post-season play. It's no different than the situation we have now. Like the Bears, the Bulls have no right to be in the playoffs. They have played inconsistently all year and have looks like anything but a champion. They don't deserve to be in the playoffs. I wish the talking heads on sports TV would understand this. It's annoying. posted by Brendan | 10:55 AM | permanent link
Winter in Chicago We've already had some good storms here in Chicago this winter. A sizable amount of snow and then two weekends of ice storms. With forecasts calling for some snow showers scattered over the next few days, I think we might enjoy a white Christmas this year. This week the Chicago Tribune published a gallery of great photos taken around the city during winters past. In particular I like the picture below, showing motorists stuck on Lake Shore Drive following a particularly hearty snow fall back in 1967.  From what I've read, that '67 storm was a real whooper. The biggest snow storms I recall is the blizzard that hit Chicago back in 1979, which ended up costing a mayor his job, and the massive blizzard of 1996 that had Heather and I snowed in for a while back when we lived in Cleveland. Hopefully we don't get anything quite that big in Chicago before Christmas. posted by Brendan | 12:38 PM | permanent link
Figuring Out What Ails Him I�ve noticed recently that my brother-in-law appears to be out of sorts. Whether its emails to my sister admitting his fears of suburban life or angry comments left on my blog, he just doesn�t seem like the happy-go-lucky guy I know. At first I thought that being part of the McKillip family and our devilishly good looks, razor sharp wit, and affinity for cake, had started to wear him down. My sister and Patrick have been married for 12 or 13 years now. A lesser man than Patrick would have cracked long ago in the presence of my sister's glow for that many years. But then this morning I think I stumbled up on the real reason for Patrick's apparent malaise.  Yep, his beloved White Sox really didn�t deliver this year. Meanwhile, what are the McKillip Family-endorsed Chicago Cubs doing right now? That's right, they won their division and are back in the post season. Maybe next season. But look on the bright side of the situation, with TBS� goofy-ass scheduling, you can get plenty of good sleep over the next few nights while us Cubs fans stay up late to watch Piniella and the boys beat down the Diamondbacks. Labels: Chicago, Chicago Cubs, Fun posted by Brendan | 11:04 AM | permanent link
Blackhawk Owner Dies  The first thought that entered my head when I read that long-time Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz died was, "Maybe now we can get some Blackhawk home games on TV again."My second thought was, "Well, that's a cold and callous reaction to the news of a man's death." Even though I believe that under his tenure as head of the Wirtz family-owned NHL hockey team he drove the once storied franchise into the ground, that doesn't mean he wasn't a good man. There are family and friends who are sad today that they've lost a dad or a brother or golf buddy. I really should show more sympathy. Then I thought, "Why not do both?" Apparently lots of other people had the same thoughts I did this morning. Labels: Chicago posted by Brendan | 12:19 PM | permanent link
Poo-Poo On You, IOC  The International Olympic Committee has ruled that the logo Chicago had unveiled back in October cannot be used to promote the games - if Chicago should win the right to host the 2016 Olympic games.Apparently the IOC rules state that a logo "shall not contain the Olympic symbol, the Olympic motto, the Olympic flag, any other Olympic-related imagery (e.g., flame, torch, medal, etc.), slogan, designation or other indicia or the distorted version thereof or a design confusingly similar thereto." Which means the keeno design for a logo Chicago had been plastering around the city for the last seven months will have to go. I'm a little sad. The logo was really great. Not only was it simple and refined in its presentation, it also worked in all sorts of subtle representations of Chicago and its rich history. Its really nice piece of art. Hopefully the design group that came up with torch-inspired logo can work that same magic again, but stay within the IOC's rules. posted by Brendan | 8:34 AM | permanent link |
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Kevin: Square-cut pizzas should go the way of Crystal Pepsi. The first time I laid eyes on one, I thought surely there was a mistake; perhaps in the course of slicing, the pizza maker slipped and his wrist went 90 degrees sideways. He kept going, covering his mistake, and thought, "Wow, I'm on to something. I'm innovating on decades of pizza tradition!" Except it's no innovation. It's impractical and dumb. Thoughts?
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