July 2008 Archives

Posted July 31 at 3:48 p.m.

For the love of Mike, sometimes I hate CTA smart cards. 

Not once, not twice, but THRICE this week, I've watched a rider use the supposedly handy touch-n-go sensor only to get summoned back by the bus operator.  In each case, the card did contain value, so what's really going on?  It wasn't even a case of a rider paying the traditional way at the same time, a definite no-no...it was just a weird glitch.

The notion of the smart cards is clever and convenient.  I much prefer it to the old-school cash or mag-strip card, but we either need to have a CTA sit-down with the manufacturer of the touch-and-go device or the smart card itself because something is not right.

Check out this e-mail from a less-than-enthused CTA card carrier named Ann:

"More than half the time I get on a CTA bus, I have to scan my Chicago Card Plus 3 or 4 times before it works. Some drivers request another scan politely, and some are really rude. To the CTA generally, this needs to be fixed, as it is hardly the "Go Lane" when you have to scan your card multiple times. To the rude bus-drivers, don't take it out on me because your equipment is not functioning properly."

I'm going to look into this issue because I know it's a sore point for many riders.  CTA employee insiders, feel free to shed some light.  Bus operators too seem peeved by pesky cards.

And riders, other than Ann, how sick are you of serial swiping?

Posted - July 31, 2008 - 12:51 p.m.

I've never been a big fan of chores, and you could call my room "organized clutter." There are a few things I do keep impeccable including my closet (my Diesel sneaker collection is meticulously placed) and the Rolodex on my desk (if that counts).

For years I've settled for "clean enough," which is apparently the new housekeeping standard, according to this McClatchy story.

Clean enough is "no crumbs visible around the toaster ... just don't look under the toaster. The tub isn't grimy, but it doesn't gleam either, which is why God invented shower curtains. And you could knit a scarf with what's behind the refrigerator."

Couples spend 17 hours a week on housekeeping, down from 26.5 hours in 1965, according to a University of Maryland sociologist. Women now spend 12 hours a week housekeeping, half the time they did in 1965. But men doubled their housekeeping time from 2.5 hours to 5 during this period.

I'd messtimate I spend about 3 hours a week housekeeping including laundry time but I also have two roommates who share the burden of keeping our house presentable. How much time do you spend a week tidying up?

Posted 11:01 p.m., July 30

This is hilarious!

Starring Mila Kunis as Audrina and James Franco as Justin Bobby

Posted 10:41 p.m., July 30

Here's some more excerpts from the Entertainment Weekly cover story on Lauren and "The Hills":

P.S. Speidi declined to comment for the story after finding out LC was on the cover. Of course they did.

In the story, LC says, "Every season, I think it's the last...Right now, I think this is the last season...I go through phases when I've been filming where I wake up in the middle of the night and I think I'm being filmed."

Creator and exec producer Adam DiVello says, ''I'd love to stay with it until Lauren gets married."

We can't imagine no more Hills. What would we watch? Who would we live vicariously through? Oh wait, there's Brody's reality show "Bromance," and talk of Whitney getting her own spin-off. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Getty file photo

BONUS: Here's a link for an EW video with Lauren:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1137819692/bclid1155151521/bctid1701198734

Posted 10:25 p.m., July 30

Well, Entertainment Weekly answers the BIG question in its August 8 issue.

And they do a good job of showing exactly how the show is filmed.

Here are some excerpts:

"Is it fake? The answer is...to a point. The Hills is, essentially, scheduled reality. A typical week begins with producers calling the core cast members on Sunday and getting intel on what's happened to them over the weekend. An e-mail update is sent to the staff that night so everyone can prepare for Monday's 'story meeting,' in which the producers and story editors sit around and dissect the Hills girls' personal and social lives. From that, they determine whom to film during the week. "

"Plotting out the shooting schedule is an elaborate process: Depending on where the girls are going and whom they'll be with, production will call ahead and clear the locations — restaurants, cafés, retail outlets — for the crews to come in. Once everything is set up, Lauren gets her shooting schedule e-mailed to her, usually the night before."

"According to Lauren, many times the paps and their incessant flashbulbs will ruin establishing shots of the girls entering, say, a restaurant, so production will ask Lauren and her friends to do another take. Explains (creator and exec producer Adam) DiVello, 'If we lose something, or there's no audio and we need them to talk about something [again], we'll ask them to talk about it. Anyone that's making a reality television show that tells you they aren't doing [the same thing] is probably lying.' "

"Lauren says she understands why fans cry foul about scenes that reek of 'take 2' awkwardness. 'I get that there are certain scenes where someone's like, 'Sooo, last night was weird....' And then there are people on the show who really don't help, because they are very fake. We know who we're talking about — like, you need to stop rehearsing your breakfast.' Lauren won't name names, but we're guessing she's referring to series villains Heidi and Spencer. The duo did tell EW last year that they had faked arguments for the cameras, which DiVello admits he can't control. 'We work with what they're giving us,' he says. 'I don't think any of these kids are making up stuff, but I don't know.'"

Image of Entertainment Weekly's cover

Posted 3:50 p.m., July 30

Lauren gets into fights. Lauren cries. Oh, the drama! And we love it.

"I know I look tortured," LC says in the September issue of CosmoGIRL! according to UsMagazine.com. "But it's a TV show and you don't see all sides of people."

She goes on to say how the show is about relationships. Duh, of course it is. That's what we want to see.

"It's not about me being a designer. No one wants to see me working at the factory on my collection, or me and Lo having a dance party in our pajamas," Lauren said. Nope, you're right. That sounds so boring and that's probably why MTV keeps Speidi on the show.

Sure, being on the show has made Lauren popular and given her access to the hottest clubs but it's not everything it's cracked up to be.

"Can you imagine being 22 and having your parents know everything about you?" she says in CosmoGIRL! "Literally, my mom can go on the Internet and find out where I went last night, who I was with. I mean, there are no secrets!"

Getty file photo

Posted July 30, 2008 at 1:35 p.m.

Don't get it twisted.  I'm still loving the idea of, and awaiting the full launch of, the bus tracker.  But as one rider cleverly demonstrated through a graphic he sent to me, it also doubles as evidence of bogus bunching. Here is a screen grab he shared with me today for the No.147-Outer Drive Express, and below it, he had some choice words (bolded) for a bus-bunching situation from this weekend:

"As a daily rider of the CTA's 147 bus, I've now had a week to use www.ctabustracker.com and I must say I like it, but there's no way it will eliminate bus bunching--a CTA tradition I've had witnessed for 20 years that will never die. The good thing is now I can see when the parade of buses approach my stop before I leave out the door to work.   Then I can know whether to leisurely walk the two blocks to the bus stop or slowly run there.   Thursday, I turned on bustracker and could see I was going to miss the trio of 147 buses and knew I would be getting the next lone bus departing south from Howard St.   Friday, I was fortunate enough to have enough time to meet the same trio of buses as it arrived at my stop.  They even continue the 147 parades on weekends, as you can see by the two photos I've attached from about one hour apart Saturday morning."

Yeeouch!  Anybody else beholding the bunching on bus tracker?  Do you mind bunching less as long as you know where it's happening?

Posted 10:58 a.m., July 30

Remember in Season 4 trailer where Brody tells Lauren Stephanie is bad news?

He told the same thing to UsMagazine.com and compared She-Pratt to Spencer:

"She's a million times worse!" Jenner said Tuesday while at Ryan Sheckler's X Games Celebrity Golf Tournament in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.

I trust he would know since he was Spencer's BFF since they were kids until he decided to be Lauren's friend. And we could see how conniving She-Pratt could be, taking after her brother.

The trailer also showed what looked like She-Pratt on a date with Lauren's new guy. UsMagazine said She-Pratt denied it was a date. But Brody says otherwise.

"He might not have known that it was a date, but she had candles, and they were alone!" Jenner said. "It was a date."

Getty file image

Posted - July 30, 2008 - 10:53 a.m.

It's been a techtic week at the "Word on the Street" offices.

First there was the story about a potential ban on texting while walking. Then there was the death of Scrabulous. Now, there's word that Chicago is the third most e-mail addicted city in the country behind New York and Houston, according to the fourth annual AOL Mail e-ddiction survey.

I've picked out the most intriguing Chicago results:

>> Nearly 23% of e-mail users have declared or considered declaring "e-mail bankruptcy," deleting all of their email messages to start anew.

>> Chicagoans on average have 2.5 e-mail accounts.

>> Sixty-five percent of Windy City e-mail users say they have checked e-mail from the bathroom. Vowel movement? No? Too soon?

>> Forty-seven percent checked e-mail while driving (a Chicago no-no).

>> Twelve percent checked e-mail while on a date and 18 % perused e-mail at church. @men!

>> Seven percent have asked someone out on a date or broken up over e-mail while 3% have quit their job by email.

>> The average Chicago e-mail user checks personal email at work 3.4 times per day.

What are some of your e-veryday habits?

Posted 5:19 p.m., July 29

Audrina opened up to the LA Times while she was on her way to get her hair done in Beverly Hills (talk about multi-tasking) about how her life has changed on "The Hills."

Here's what she had to say: Random people offer her advice on Justin Bobby. The best part about being a star is going to award shows. And I'm sure getting a ton of free stuff too. She said she doesn't work at Epic as much as she used to and is focused on acting. Imagine that.

Here are the five best quotes:

On whether Lauren is her friend outside of "The Hills"?

"We don't have a lot of the same friends, but we try to reserve one night a week to hang out. In the fourth season, you'll see our fight gets cleared up. Basically, I just start doing my own thing separately from her and Lo, and I get busy. But you know, things change and friendships do drift apart sometimes. Lauren and I aren't not friends, we're just not as close as we used to be."

Biggest misconception about her?

"I don't feel like they show me on 'The Hills' sticking up for myself. They edit that out. I'm generally happy with how I look when it comes out. In real life, though, I'm bubbly and fun and talkative and when you see me on the show I'm always sitting there and sad. But I'm fine with it because it's not my show. I'm there because of Lauren."

First time you got recognized in public?

"I think it was during the second season. It was a lot of little girls. Some of them cried. I kept telling them, 'I'm normal, I promise.' There was also one time when this older woman at a make-up counter just started giving me advice about Justin Bobby and the girls and living in L.A. It was weird, but when people meet me they feel like they know me. I was at the beach just yesterday and this lady from Minnesota sat down and just started talking to me. They just feel very comfortable. It's very flattering."

Favorite thing to do alone?

"Go on my laptop and answer e-mails. There's a lot of them. I like to respond to people who message me on my Myspace. The real me is 'Audrina XO,' not all the other Audrinas listed."

The one thing you'd change about being a star?

"If I want privacy, I wish I could have it. We have paparazzi sit outside the house, and I don't mind if they follow me in Los Angeles, but I wish I could have privacy when I drive out to see my parents and family."

Getty Image

Posted July 29 at 12:55 p.m.

I'll admit I haven't ridden a bike since I was about 16, and my dad handed me the keys to a Chevy Cavalier formerly known as the Grey Ghost.  Hey, don't judge me.  It's hard to huff it from Beverly to Hyde Park and kick it with your friends on a two-wheeler.

Still, I am concerned for my cyclist buddies, particularly those who bike-and-ride on the CTA. That's why I tackled some of their issues in today's column.  I hope you read it, but to summarize: the stability of bike racks and old bikes being left on station racks make up many bike-riders' beefs.

Do you bike and bus?  Or do you bike and ride from the "L"?  What are your concerns, kudos with the CTA's 8-year-old program to support alternative transportation? 

I may run some blog comments in print in "Hey, CTA!" tomorrow so I hope you weigh in.

Posted 1:31 a.m., July 29

Speidi have been seen househunting. And rumor has it they're looking at homes priced at $15 million.

Yep, Heidi said it's expensive. "But we want to get one house where we want to stay and build a family in," she told Extra.

Where are they getting all this money to do it? What is it they do again? Wait, they play themselves on a reality show and he manages her and her so-called music career. Don't forget she's a fashion designer with her own Heidiwood clothing line.

Spencer told Extra why the couple is moving: "I need a break from the drama," he said.

Are you freakin' kidding me? It's the drama that has made him his name, the drama he creates. If he needs a break, why are they always smiling in front of cameras and doing interviews?

Posted 12:44 a.m., July 29

Oh, it's on. A war of words: Mary-Kate Olsen vs. Spencer Pratt.

Spencer is clearly peeved about what Mary-Kate Olsen said on Letterman about him in June.

Spencer talked to UsMagazine.com and showed why we all can't stand him. "I know I've made it in Hollywood when a famous troll is talking about me on Letterman," Pratt said.

I wouldn't exactly call Mary-Kate a troll. Unlike him, she's established herself, has a career, and is multibillionaire.

"I forgive her, though," Pratt said. "She's had to go through life as the less cute twin, which must be tough." Ugh, it must be tough believing his lies.

Turns out Spencer talked about Mary-Kate in an earlier Details magazine article bragging about his scheme to get famous:

"'Basically, I made it, like, my mission to try to go on a date with every girl on The Hills,' says the guy who will proudly tell you he made $50,000 in high school by selling a photo he took of Mary-Kate Olsen drinking at a party."

Why anybody can stand to be in the same room as him but less date him, I have no idea.

Posted 12:08 a.m., July 29

Even though the show was on hiatus, "The Hills" cast kept busy. Doing what, you ask? Why, partying and hamming it up for the cameras.

Kentucky Derby: Speidi made an appearance, not really watching the race. They pretended to in another photo but were busted posing for the cameras when Heidi was looking into the binoculars the wrong way. So their acting skills haven't really paid off yet!

Vegas, baby: Audrina celebrated her 23rd birthday in May but without LC. Maybe she just wanted to leave the drama at home? Obviously they're still friends cause they're seeing parading around in Tinsletown.

Barking up the wrong tree: Lauren appeared at the Animal Fair's "Paw's for Style" dog-fashion show in July but she didn't strut down the runway with a pooch. The animal people say that was part of the deal. LC said on her MySpace blog she posed for the mag cover, hosted the event, did press and donated clothes and wasn't aware there were any other committments. "I have always been responsible and keep my word on all commitments. I am extremely hurt and disappointed that Wendy Diamond would go to the press and attack me with untrue statements," LC said. More like a catfight to me.

Google knows all: Lauren talked to PopSugar in July and admits she does something we all do - Google our dates. "But I don't believe everything I read though. I Google pictures to see ex-girlfriends and stuff," she said.

Off base: Heidi said she is planning a trip to go to the Middle Iraq to perform for the troops. First, do they know who she is? Second, do they care? Third, could she point to Iraq on a map? Her step-brother who died was an airborne ranger in Afghanistan and Iraq, she told Extra.

I think you're pretty much caught up now in case you've been in hiding.

Getty Images

Posted 11:45 p.m., July 28

How the hell did Spencer get on David Letterman? Even Letterman asks that.

And Letterman asks what we all want to know - how Spencer makes a living?

Spencer says he's a partner with artists who are the next Jay-Z and the future Michael Jackson. If they're as talented as Heidi, I see Grammy.

He also tells Dave he won't appear at a club for less than $100,000. Who would pay to see Spencer? Come on, you can't be serious.

See Heidi's interview on Letterman:

Watch Lauren on Letterman:

Posted 11:34 p.m., July 28

Here's something the girls can fight over: Who the hottest castmate?

On its 2008 hot list Maxim says it's Heidi. They put her at #36. I guess she should be at the spot. I mean her plastic surgery paid off.

Lauren's ranked at #56 with that girl next door look.

Audrina came in at #74 but Whitney and Lo didn't make the cut.

Which Hills girl is the hottest?

Getty Images

Posted 7:24 p.m., July 28

Even when "The Hills" hasn't started, it's on TV. Wonder how much LC and Brody got paid for this?

The best part is the Warrant song though.

Posted 7:15 p.m., July 28

This year, Heidi released her songs: Higher (she's prancing around in her bikini), No More (lyrics could be about Spencer yet she's still with him), and Fashion (she's attempting to rap the names of designers).

I think it's her voice but it's hard to tell - I'm sure it was altered in the studio. Either way, poor attempts to become a triple threat - actress, designer, singer. Ok, I feel bad but only a little bit.

And Spencer is no videographer. He could use some tips from the camera guys filming him. You'd think he's have it down by now. I'd tell him not to quit his day job but I still have no idea what he does.

What do you think: can Heidi sing?

Check out the songs:

Posted July 28, 2008 at 5:43 p.m.

Yet another reminder of how careful you need to be along the CTA.  This is not the fault of the agency, but I was horrified by this Red Line electrocution story.  The police are investigating the death of a 43-year-old man on Red Line tracks over the weekend as a possible homicide.

A waitress contacted me about a year ago and told me she was nearly pushed onto the tracks in a subway by a man she didn't even know. I wrote about it in a past column. Have you ever had a dangerous encounter along the CTA?  What happened, and did you report it to the police? 

Posted - July 28, 2008 - 3:33 p.m.

I am a txt-walker, a txt-driver, and if I could, I would text while sleeping.

Call this phenomenon ambu-texterity: multi-tasking while multi-texting.

This Chicago Tribune story looks at people who text while walking. But if you are one of these txt-walkers, beware.

A bill introduced in January in the Illinois House would ban using wireless devices while crossing a roadway.

"This legislation is not laughable. On the surface it's like, 'Oh wow, what is this?' But it's becoming more and more of a common problem with people haplessly crossing an intersection and almost killing themselves," said bill sponsor Rep. Ken Dunkin (D- Chicago), according to the Tribune.

This is not the first legislative attempt to restrict texting. I wrote a RedEye story a few weeks ago about a push to specifically ban driving while texting or DWT.

Washington, Minnesota and New Jersey have passed laws that specifically forbid drivers from sending or receiving text messages while driving. Phoenix also enacted a ban against texting while driving last year. A California ban on using hand-held phones while driving that went into effect in July also includes a texting limitation for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Are you ambu-textrous? How would these proposed restrictions affect your life?

Posted July 28 at 12:07 p.m.

Greetings "L" and bus buddies. Sorry I've been out of pocket with fresh posts, but I was attending the UNITY convention here in Chicago.  Journalists of all hues gathered at McCormick Place and other venues to discuss diversity in the news media and to learn a few new technology tricks.

But I digress.

While attending several events, including Sen. Barack Obama's CNN interview on Sunday, I couldn't help but notice that No.3-King Drive service along the convention center was on point.  I don't know if it's some vast conspiracy by the CTA to show out for our visiting journalism guests, but it seemed the time between buses was much shorter. 

Over the past five days, I've overheard out-of-towners remarking about the great bus service of the CTA and even expressing some envy at our mass transit system.  Is it just me, or do you sometimes think certain routes are rigged to make tourists think the CTA is ab fab?  I know riders are always telling me they think that CTA Prez Ron Huberman is fixing up the stations that he uses for his commute.

Let's get all X-files and explore this possible conspiracy theory.

Posted - July 25, 2008 - 9 a.m.

Today we have a very special guest at "Word on the Street." Elliott Serrano, author of RedEye's "Geek to Me" blog, has graciously offered us cosplay.

He writes:

Go to any comic-book convention (especially Comic Con International in San Diego) and you'll more than likely run into a few folks who are into "cosplay." These folks add color to the throng of backpack-wearing, longbox-toting geeks and nerds who are there to get their books signed and score some swag.

But what is "cosplay," you ask?  Here it is in it's simplest terms:

>> cosplay: A contraction of "costume play," cosplay is the practice of dressing as a fictional character from motion pictures or animation and interacting with other similarly dressed "characters" in a real-time, real-life environment (as opposed to online).

As it draws its origins from Japan, many "cosplayers" dress as "anime" (Japanese animation) or "manga" (Japanese comic books) characters. In North America, you also have several sub-sects of the "cosplay culture" who dress as American sci-fi ("Star Trek," "Star Wars") and fantasy ("Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings") characters.

Cosplayers will sometimes just hang out together at appropriately-themed events or will even engage in real-time ARGs (Alternate Reality Gaming) where the event in question serves as the "game board" for a role-playing game adventure.

Some sites to learn more about this colorful sub-culture are:

http://www.cosplay.com

http://www.cosplaymemories.com

Posted 9:44 p.m., July 24

Yes, it's out. You can relive every moment of Season 3 now the four-disc DVD is out on July 29! It's $29.99. It's hours of time suckage - like marathons MTV runs of its shows.

Plus, there's commentary like:

Lauren talking about the infamous night at Le Deux. She says she wanted to step away from Heidi so she left the room. Points for walking away from a bad situation. But LC says Speidi found her. Of course they did. They crave their camera time.

Heidi opening up about how uncomfortable it was to watch her stepdad talking to Spencer when she wasn't around. Uncomfortable? Everything her dad said to Spencer was dead on, maybe he notices how much she's changed - everyone else has.

Heidi also talks about how she's drawn to Spencer despite their ups and downs with Spencer. Translation: I have no friends anymore. Spencer is all I have. And I've never seen him work a day in his life yet he's able to afford everything.

Photo courtesy of MTV

The other castmates:

Whitney Port – Lauren’s co-worker at Teen Vogue and at People’s Revolution.

Lauren “Lo” Bosworth – Lauren’s friend from Laguna and now roommate.

Brody Jenner – Lauren’s brief romantic interest and former best friend of Spencer.

Spencer Pratt – Heidi’s boyfriend and Lauren’s nemesis.

Stephanie Pratt – Spencer’s sister and Lauren’s classmate and friend.

Photos courtesy of MTV

Audrina Patridge lived in the same apartment building as Lauren and Heidi and eventually moved in with Lauren.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Audrina got a bigger role when Spencer tried pursuing her and Heidi at the same time in Season 2. Audrina later took over the role of Lauren’s roommate when Heidi moved out. She is now at the center of the Lauren, Lo and Audrina roommate/friendship triangle, which has viewers guessing whether she will move out of the guest house.

HOLLYWOOD DREAM: She works for Epic Records and has landed a movie role in “Into the Blue 2.”

LEADING MAN: Justin Bobby is the guy Audrina can’t let go of. They’ve got an on and off again relationship.

Photo courtesy of MTV

Lauren Conrad, also known as LC from her “Laguna Beach” days, is the star of “The Hills.”

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: She’s been at the center of all the drama – fights, tears, breakups.

HOLLYWOOD DREAM: As she goes to fashion school, she worked as an intern for Teen Vogue, helping at fashion shows and photo shoots. She now is working for People’s Revolution. She has launched her fashion line – The Lauren Conrad Collection.

LEADING MAN: She met her ex-boyfriend Jason Wahler in Laguna and famously skipped out on a summer Paris trip to be with him. The couple broke up after that summer but they’ve been the subject of sex tape rumors. Both deny one exists.

Enter Brody Jenner, introduced to her through Heidi and Spencer. Brody also dated Laguna Beach nemesis Kristin Cavallari. Their romance is short-lived yet their friendship is still strong.

Season 3 featured a familiar face – Stephen Colletti, the romantic interest of LC in “Laguna Beach.”

Photos courtesy of MTV

Heidi Montag first made her appearance during a fashion show organized by Lauren in an episode of “Laguna Beach” when the pair attended fashion school in San Francisco and quickly became Lauren’s best friend on “The Hills.”

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: When Lauren moved to West Hollywood, the pair became roommates for two seasons. Heidi moved out to be with Spencer, whom Lauren despised. Their friendship crumbled after that. Lauren blames Speidi (Spencer and Heidi) for spreading rumors of a sex tape featuring Lauren and her ex-boyfriend Jason Wahler.

HOLLYWOOD DREAM: Heidi dropped out of fashion school to work for Brent Bolthouse Productions and is now frequently seen at clubs like Area and Hyde. She has launched her own clothing line called Heidiwood and released three songs titled Higher, No More, and Fashion.

LEADING MAN: Spencer Pratt has been her on and off boyfriend/fiancé since Season 2.

Photos provided by MTV

Posted - July 24, 2008 - 11:08 a.m.

My RedEye story today looks at the congestion on the lakefront trail. For you non-Chicagoans, the lakefront trail is a 18-mile paved ribbon that explodes in popularity each summer.

It's so popular then that it inspires camaraderie, but it also creates a battleground pitting cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, pedestrians, tourists on Segways, skateboarders, dog walkers and stroller moms against one another.

I walked the length of the trail earlier this month and took notes on who and what I saw. Here are some of the characters that have become infamous on the trail:

>> Lance Armstrong wannabe
Look: Day-Glo spandex, helmet, sunglasses
Spotted: South of the Shedd Aquarium

>> Tour-toise
Look: Helmet, fanny pack, camera around neck
Spotted: Around Grant Park

>> Aqua Teen Force
Look: Walking five across, toting cell phones, carrying coolers
Spotted: North Avenue Beach

>> Dog Whisperer
Look: Short shorts, tiny tank top, long leash (on the dog)
Spotted: Montrose Avenue

>> 'That Guy'
Look: Shirtless, iPod, bright-colored running shorts
Spotted: Belmont Avenue

>> Skaterboi
Look: Ironic T, skinny jeans, checkerboard Vans
Spotted: South of 31st Street

>> Stroll patrol
Look: Prada bag, running shorts, double stroller
Spotted: Lawrence Avenue

Posted 2:59 p.m., July 23

"The Hills" has had its ups and downs and here are the five most memorable ones drama-filled moments - at least for us.

The Blow Up between Lauren and Heidi: "You know what you did." Yes, she knows what Lauren is accusing her of. If she didn't before, she does now. Lauren blames Speidi for spreading sex tape rumors. It's the first time they come face to face since the rumors.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

The Beginning of the End with Lauren and Heidi: "He's a sucky person." Of course, what broke up these two best friends was a coniving and manipulating Spencer. And that makes him a sucky person. Lauren gives Heidi a warning of things to come, a warning Heidi disregards.

It's O-V-E-R between Lauren and Heidi: "I want to forgive you and I want to forget you." Lauren isn't willing to patch things up with Heidi, even after Heidi apologizes for what Lauren had to go through, but not specifically says sorry about spreading the sex tape rumors. I guess we all have to stop hoping for that reunion of best friends one day.

The Falling Out Between Lauren and Jen Bunney: "You did something really shady." It's hard to forgive a friend if they've just hooked up with your crush - after you gave her a birthday gift. I don't blame Lauren. Who needs friends like that?

The Confrontation of Lauren and Spencer: "I don't want to talk to you." And it's probably the last time the two have talked - civilly. Who knew her relationship with Heidi would end over Spencer, a guy who flirts and hits on other girls, including Audrina.

Posted 12:38 p.m., July 23

They fight about everything else - so why not politics.

But I highly doubt they know what they're talking about. They know clubs and fashion trends - I give them that. But domestic and foreign policy yeah, right.

So please don't be influenced based on what "The Hills" castmates say about whether John McCain or Barack Obama has got their vote. We're in trouble if voters are casting ballots based on what people from "The Hills" say.

Heidi Montag: McCain. "I'm a Republican and McCain has a lot of experience," she told Us Weekly. She was later seen by the paps with McCain's daughter. I can see Heidi now dreaming of visits to the White House of course captured on camera.

Brody Jenner: Obama. "He's just cool!" he has told E! "I mean, he's young, and I think people would take us more seriously with Iraq and everything." And everything? Like what in particular Brody?

Lauren Conrad: Undisclosed. “Lauren Conrad believes in a private ballot but encourages everyone to vote," her publicist told the New York Times. Nice official PR response. Maybe LC's undecided?

Here's what Barack Obama had to say about them:

And McCain:

AP Photo of Montag at TRL

Posted July 23 at 11:39 a.m.

Are you a beautiful, dark-haired woman that was hanging out on the Red Line northbound around 10 p.m. last night?  Don't all raise your hands at once.  I know that's kind of a broad description, but  hold on, there's more detail to this current "L"ove Connection. 

This fella, in search of a romance with this Red Line rider, sent me a message (below).  If this sounds like you or someone you know, please help him get the hook-up. 

"I know you probably get a lot of these but I'll try anyways. I have a missed connection on the Red Line. I was taking the Red Line northbound at about 10 or 10:30 Tuesday night 7/22. I was with some friends as we were on our way home following a volleyball game and a couple of drinks. There was this beautiful girl, with dark brown hair, sitting in the car wearing a red shirt and jeans with a black bag. I was in gym shorts and a t-shirt with my gym bag. She got off at Fullerton and stayed on with my friends. I would love the chance to talk to this stunning girl. I am only writing to you because I think for the first time in my life I am truly ready to meet someone special, I hope I didn't just miss that person. Thanks."

He sounds like a catch.  Come and get him, Fullerton-bound femme fatale!

Posted July 22 at 5:09 p.m.

Awwww yeah.... For those of us who have been suffering through shuttle service on the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line, raise your "Going Public" glasses for a toast.  Riders can kiss those blasted buses goodbye and return to the rails beginning this Thursday (July 24) at 3 a.m. 

The work was completed ahead of schedule and slow zones are down to 11 percent, rather than the nearly 23 percent clocked last fall, so sayeth the CTA.  Suh-weet!  Love to spread the CTA sunshine...when it's there to spread.

Posted 3:48 p.m., July 22

Welcome to RedEye's blog on "The Hills."

Yes, we too are obsessed - more like head over hills for the show.

If you're like us and have been craving a fix and can't wait for the new season to start, look no further.

Spoiler alert!!!

Here are the scene stealers in the trailer:

1. "Let me tell you about the date I went on." Audrina tells a surprised Justin Bobby she went on a date. Finally, she's moving on. Instead of telling him she went on a date, she should just break it all off for good. Why she's been with him this long, who knows.

2. "Stephanie, we've been nothing but nice to you." Heidi and ugh, Spencer, decide at yes, Don Antonio's, not to talk to She-Pratt (Stephanie, Spencer's sis) after her birthday party probably held at a Bolthouse club. The party is sure to be drama-filled as frenemies Lauren and Heidi are both there.

3. "Heidi wants me to move out?" Yeah, Spencer moved out but it looks like he's back. Instead, it's newcomer Heidi's sis that's asking whether she should move out of Speidi's place. Maybe they're worried Heidi's sis will become friends with Lauren like She-Pratt.

4. "I know how crazy you are." Wow, this could apply to almost the whole cast. But, Brody, hot Brody, is telling how it is straight to She-Pratt's face. He's protective of Lauren and telling her what we're all thinking - She-Pratt has ulterior motives.

5. "Does Lauren know that you went on a date with me?" Here's what Brody means about ulterior motives. It looks like Stephanie is pursuing Lauren's latest love interest. Shame on her, but we can't say that we didn't see trouble brewing somewhere involving She-Pratt.

6. "Lo's always super-bitchy." Ah, the uncomfortableness among the housemates has reached awkward. Audrina rightfully is feeling like the odd person out. She is after all living in the guest or pool house. But will she move out this season?

The trailer doesn't disappoint - drama, guys and tears. Can't wait!

Watch the MTV trailer for Season 4 which starts at 9 p.m. central time on August 18.

Getty file photo

Posted - July 22, 2008 - 12:19 p.m.

My RedEye cover story, which also ran in the Chicago Tribune metro section, is about the popularity of naps and how some people are paying big bucks to nap at spas.

Fifty-four percent of the 1,000 Americans polled in a 2007 survey by the National Sleep Foundation said they took at least one nap during the previous month. The respondents on average took 3.5 naps during the month, with an average reported nap time of about an hour.

And some are shelling out the Benjamins to nap. The Kohler Waters Spa at Burr Ridge, which opened in April, offers a 60-minute massage and a 15-minute restorative nap for $150. Meanwhile, Yelo, a New York City spa with air-conditioned sleep chambers, plans to open a Chicago location in 2009 or 2010, according to the company.

"We are seeing so many of our guests coming in that are having trouble sleeping at night," said Jean Kolb, Kohler's wellness business director. "This is a way for us to really extend an opportunity for them to have total relaxation."

Here's a look at some popular types of nap:

>> power nap: The nap, which shouldn't last longer than 30 minutes so nappers don't fall into a deep slumber, is intended to revitalize and stimulate energy to finish the day's work. Power naps were popularized in the '90s.

>> cat nap: Generally longer than a power nap, cat naps are typically more of a vacation or leisure activity.

>> disco nap: A quick snooze before heading out for to a club or party. Disco nappers, beware. Snooze too long and you might miss the night.

>> booze snooze: A quick siesta when too much alcohol makes you drowsy.

Do you nap? If so, which type of nap do you prefer?

Posted July 22 at 8:30 a.m.

It's a sad thing that some Chicagoans never venture past their side of the city. 

There's nothing worse than meeting a South Sider unfamilliar with the diverse ethnic restaurants -- such as the Ethiopian Diamond -- on the North Side's Broadway Street strip or meeting a North Sider who has never sampled South Side delicacies, such as Rainbow Cone or Top Notch beefburger.  And those are just in the culinary categories.

But good news for those looking for a crosstown encounter and a little education.  On Aug. 14, rail aficionados Tony Coppoletta and Graham Garfield will discuss the history of the South Side "L."  Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event starts at 6:30 p.m.  This is more a retrospective, not an activist event, so go if you want to get your learn on.  I've talked to Tony several times and he is definitely a CTA scholar.  See the full flyer here:  Download history.doc  Mark your calendars.

Posted July 21 at 1:28 p.m.

Okay, I know patience is a virtue, but is anyone else jealous of the riders that today got access to the next-bus tracking system?  Here are the routes live as of Monday:

No. 7 Harrison, 8 Halsted, 10 Museum of Science & Industry, 12 Roosevelt, 17 Westchester, 18 16th/18th, 38 Ogden/Taylor, 52 Kedzie/California, 125 Water Tower Express, 126 Jackson, 129 West Loop/South Loop, 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, 147 Outer Drive Express, 148 Clarendon/Michigan Express and 156 LaSalle

In my  'hood of Bronzeville, I can track the No.35-35th to get to the Red Line, but the molasses-running "L" isn't tracking, so that doesn't do me much good in terms of timing transit options.

Where, oh where, is the No.4-Cottage Grove and No.3-King Drive intel?  I know it's wrong, but I'm so tired of waiting.  Anyone else experiencing tracking envy? Like one of my fellow RedEye bloggers, I'm "practically green" over here, but it has nothing to do with the environment.

Posted - July 18, 2008, 5:26 p.m.

Yupre is the new yuppie.

Yupres are young urban pre-professionals, according to the blog Politics as Puppetry.

"Yuppie" describes a young financially secure person who is not afraid to flaunt his or her wealth. Yuppies have a good job and place to live.

"Yupre" describes a less financially secure person. Yupres are forced to intern, volunteer or work a series of part-time jobs to pay the bills, Politics as Puppetry reports.

Still, yupres live a decent lifestyle mostly because of parental support.

By the Politics as Puppetry definition, I was a yupre when I first lived in New York and when I moved back to the city a year later.

When I moved to New York after college, I worked very briefly and cheaply for the New York Post as an errands runner and mail opener. When I lived in New York a year later after grad school, I worked as a city hall reporting intern for the New York Daily News for $250 a week.

I learned a lot of street skills at both newspapers. But I probably wouldn't have been able to accept either job without my parental monetary cushion.

During college, I worked for free at a few internships while some newspapers only gave me a $500 stipend for 10 to 12 weeks of work. I don't regret providing free or cheap labor because I always walked away with diverse clips and experience.

But I know not everyone could accept these positions because they couldn't afford to live on small stipends or no money at all.

I few years ago I wrote a letter to Romenesko, the journalism mecca site, about the importance of unpaid internships. Some students can afford to work for free. They can live at home or live with relatives like I did, I argued. But other journalists argued that unpaid internships don't provide a level playing field because not everyone can afford that lifestyle.

Do you think it's fair for companies to offer unpaid internships?

Posted July 18 at 12:22 p.m.

It's hot.  I know I'm not telling you anything new.  But this is almost the kind of hot that infamously touched off the drama in "Do the Right Thing."  I'm two steps away from going old-school and calling Rosie Perez to bring me some ice.

That's why it's really dangerous to be a luggage lout right about now.  I know, I know.  You need to ride the buses and "L" trains and you also need to be able to bring your stuff (groceries, luggage, grocery carts).  But there should be some kind of limit, folks, and if you do bring things onboard, be careful with them. 

Or you just might anger the wrong rider.  I got an e-mail and some pretty choice photos from a rider named Erica who used her camera phone to memorialize a rider with quite a lot of baggage who was causing quite a lot of blockage.

Tell me, honestly.  Have you ever done this?  What do you think the CTA could do to mitigate the baggage boors?  Personally, I think you should either streamline your stuff or pitch in with some buds on a shared limo in some extreme carry-on cases.

Posted - July 17, 2008, 4:56 p.m.

On last night's "Project Runway" season premiere, an episode that was vanilla compared to past season premieres, contestant Suede (nolastname) used the word wackadoodle.

I immediately sat up on the couch. I had seen the word, which means an absurd person, featured in a New York Times piece in May.

In an interview, Rev. Jeremiah Wright said he had been called a wackadoodle by a journalist, according to the Times article.

Times writer William Safire traced the meaning of the word wackadoodle: wack comes from wacky, which means irrational or off-the-wall, while doodle means simpleton, like a Yankee Doodle.

Actress Isla Fisher, known for her relationship to Sacha Baron Cohen and her antics on "Wedding Crashers," also used wackadoodle last year in a Details interview to describe some of the roles she's played.

And there you have it, the one degree of separation between "Project Runway," Isla Fisher and Rev. Wright.

Posted July 17 at 2:15 p.m.

Here that buzzing sound?

That's no swarm of bees, that's the result of news from the CTA that they might begin turning some Brown Line cars seatless during rush hour as part of an experiment that could start as early as a few months from now.  Riders are e-mailing me, outraged about this development which, according to a Trib article, is aimed at helping the agency save some dough and get more folks in the trains.

It's only fair to add that the cars will be marked, and riders have an option of going into the trains where they can rest their cabooses.  Then there's the fact that gas prices have gone up, ridership too is increasing, yadda yadda yadda.  Still, something about this idea strikes me as strange.  I know similar systems exist -- consider those gloved shovers cramming commuters into trains in Japan-- but with all this work to make trains longer, I didn't expect this particular piece of news.

I'm not the only one who is skeptical.  I got e-mails from some riders who are more than a bit perturbed by this public transit development.

The CTA and Ron Huberman have got to be kidding. North side riders have endured this painstaking, inconvenient expansion project for a year, in part to allow for longer trains on the Brown line to accommodate increased ridership. Now, that’s not enough of an inconvenience, their newest solution is to take away seats on the 2 cars they added??? If ridership is up 7% from last year at this time, use that increased revenue to get on par with other cites with public transportation, and buy cars with center-facing seats. Standing room only cars are unsafe, inconvenient, and certainly not customer friendly. CTA riders are not cattle to be herded onto a car in order to maximize profits for the poorly managed CTA.

Youch, here's another:

What is with the CTA? Not only is service consistently slow, inefficient, rude and all around terrible, but now they are REMOVING all the seats from the brown line during rush hour?!? I am to the point where I want to kick the CTA to the curb and start taking the metra or move to a city with better transit, not to mention lower sales tax. I am sick and tired of the CTA and the fact that government officials and consumers fail to be outraged by their mismanagement and waste of resources and money. It is about time we all stand up for ourselves and demand to be treated fairly and provided consistent, timely and proper service, the kind of service we deserve and pay for, especially considering Chicago has the most expensive public transit in the U.S. I have had enough of the CTAs half-truths and lies

Again, not all the seats, but you get his point.

Anybody think this seatless CTA concept is a good one?  Or come up with something better, if you can... 

Posted - July 15, 2008, 2:21 p.m.

Fashion aside, one of the best things about watching "Project Runway" is mentor Tim Gunn and his expansive vocabulary.

Time magazine recently asked Gunn about how he got such a big vocabulary. He responded:

" ... And I have to say as a teacher, I always wanted to raise the bar for my students. I wanted them to wonder and then research, 'what is he talking about? What does he mean?' And I will tell you, when I wrote my book "A Guide to Quality, Taste, and Style," my editors came back to me and said, "You know, we need you to change a lot of these words because people won't know what these mean." And I said, "You know something? Let the readers who need to sit with Merriam-webster.com and Google! I'm not going to dumb this down."

A clip of Tim spitting out his fancy vocabulary was played during the Season 3 reunion show. A few of his favorite words and phrases:

>> make it work: Tim's common criticism to a contestant when he sees that the design is moving in the wrong direction or the contestant is running short on time.

>> mitigate: to make less severe

>> caucus: meet with your team members

>> consternation: dismay

>> Sturm und Drang: turmoil

Take the Tim Gunn vocabulary quiz here

Season 4 winner Christian Siriano also had a few favorite phrases including fierce (though that's more of a Tyra Banks word) and hot tranny mess (denoting a model who looks like a transvestite because of poor design choices by a fellow contestant, though Christian later said he was trying to work that phrase out of his vocabulary).

I wonder what Season 5 will deliver on the punway.

Posted July 15 at 12:01 p.m.

Greetings, public transit peepz.  I was contacted by a kindly woman searching for her son's MIA camera.  Below are the available deets.  If you've got any intel, please let me know by posting below and I'll forward you her contact info.  Any and all help is appreciated. Here goes:

"My son lost his brand new digital camera on the northbound red line train at around 6 pm on Sunday July 13. It was a black Casio Exilim camera in a small black leather case."

Posted July 15 at 8:30 a.m.

Are you CTA stylin'?  If you want to rep for the rails and routes, take a spin through today's "Going Public" and learn all about designers creating CTA-focused fashions.  Here are some links to the sites where the products are being (or about to be) sold:

thatsmystop.com-Check out the two bros (pictured) who run the site, Nick and Justin Miles as they rock a couple of their items.

leaders1354.com- keep your eyes peeled for CTA sneakers that will come out in a limited edition -- only 150 pairs total.  Very cool with system maps on the soles.

"Going Public" prefers these products to what the CTA sells on its site, including a very gaudy "Don't Be Jack" hat.  I know they are more for nostalgic purposes, but I wish Project Runway's Tim Gunn would call CTA Prez Ron Huberman and tell him "make it work" when it comes to transit fashion.

Posted July 14, 2008 at 2:30 p.m.

Another boost for the bicyclists who use the CTA. Today, CDOT announced that covered bike shelters will be built at four stations: Midway airport station on the Orange Line, the Sox-35th Street station on the Red Line and the Jefferson Park and Damen Avenue stations on the Blue Line, according to a Tribune report. 

"We want to provide a seamless transition from riding a bicycle to taking public transit," CDOT spokesman Brian Steele is quotes as telling the Trib, adding that funding for this project comes from a $916,000 grant from Congestion, Mitigation and Air Quality, a federal program aimed at encouraging the public to consider alternatives to car travel.  Suh-weet for cyclists. 

The shelters will reportedly look like what's at Millennium Park, pictured below: 

I know shelter is an issue for bicycle/CTA riders.  I recently received this plea from a Brown Line rider named Daniel who said that he wants the bike racks at Kimball moved back into the station for security reasons.  He wrote: "Now that the bike racks have been moved outside, I've had one bike stolen and another vandalized.  Please, CTA, can you move the bike racks back into the station!" 

I will see what the CTA says about this Kimball kerfuffle. 

In the meantime: Do we need any more cyclist-related infrastructure along the system?

Posted July 14 at 11:03 a.m.

Happy Monday, fellow commuters.  Hope your ride in wasn't too much of a public transit pain this morning. 

Speaking of pain, I had an interesting experience on a bus lately, during which a man decided to sit cross-legged on a crowded bus, as if he were in some kind of yoga class that nobody else knew about.   I was sitting in a seat facing west, and he was adjacent to me facing the direction of travel, but his knobby knees jabbed me at least three times.

I kept moving over, but didn't want to land in the lap of the gentleman to my left, so I just endured slight CTA suffering until Cross Legs finally exited the bus.  Ridiculous. 

His actions even influenced me to ponder the most irritating public transit poses:

(1) The Lean: Where a rider sits in one seat but then leans on the one next to him, essentially blocking a seat. To sweeten the pot, some put their whole arm across the back of the seat.  What, are the rest of us riders in your personal car?

(2) The Side Sit: This is where a rider places his or herself in the outside seat and then swivels -- only slightly-- if someone else wants the window.  Here's  a tip: Move in, or get all the way up to allow others to pass.)

(3) The Sprawl: Rotten rider take up two seats, sprawling out on bus or "L" seats as if he or she were at home on a couch.  It's worse if Sprawler falls asleep and snores.

(4) The Stance: Men usually affect this pose where they sit with their legs spread wide, as if daring you to graze them when you try to sit beside them.

Seen any annoying public transit poses lately?  Heck, if you've got a photo of one, send it over too.  Those camera phones can be pretty handy. 

Posted - July 11, 2008, 4:02 p.m.

No, it's not the fear of Italian ice cream. Gelotophobia is the fear of being laughed at, according to the Associated Press.

Gelotophobia was a hot topic at a recent conference for the International Society for Humor Studies.

Psychologist Willibald Ruch of the University of Zurich told the AP the word was coined a decade ago to describe people who hear a stranger's laugh and think the laughter is about them.

The fear, which studies show afflict between 2 and 30 percent of the population, can spark sweating, heart palpitations and trembling, according to the AP.

What are some of your fears? I'll start. I'm afraid of people touching my ears (a fear that started after I got my tragi pierced three years ago) and the "Wizard of Oz." (I can't even link to it. I can't believe I typed it.)

Posted - July 10, 2008, 5:53 p.m.

There never seems to be any good news about the airline industry. Today's RedEye cover story looks at flightmares: delays, cancellations and lost luggage are turning airports into despairports.

I don't have many, but here are some of my flightmare stories:

>> On one flight as a kid my family booked two coach tickets and one first-class seat. We each rotated into the first-class seat. Eventually, all that excitement of a first-class fare must have gone to my head because I threw up in first-class. Or maybe it was my brother. I just remember the puke. I haven't really flown first-class since.

>> I got to the airport pretty early for a Chicago-to-New York flight two summers ago but they gave away my seat. As it was, I was narrowly going to make it back to New York in time for work at the Daily News. I had to take a later flight to Newark and take the PATH to get into the city. I had to stave off my editor, and I ended up doing a lot of man on the street interviews that day.

What are some of your flightmares?

Posted - July 8, 2008, 10:12 a.m.

About 100 new words have been added to the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in its latest edition, according to the Associated Press.

New entries include:

>> edamame: immature green soybeans

>> pescatarian: a vegetarian who eats fish

>> prosecco: a sparkling Italian wine

>> soju: a Korean vodka distilled from rice.

>> infinity pool: an outdoor pool with an edge designed to make water appear to flow into the horizon

>> dirty bomb: a conventional bomb that releases radioactive material

>> norovirus: small, round single-stranded RNA viruses, such as the Norwalk Virus

>> mondegreen: "words mistaken for other words. A mondegreen most often comes from misunderstood phrases or lyrics," according to the AP.

Mondegreens come from writer Sylvia Wright misinterpreting a Scottish ballad's lyrics "Oh, they have slain the Earl of Moray and laid him on the green" as "Oh, they have slain the Earl of Moray and Lady Mondegreen."

The AP lists some modern examples: "There's a bathroom on the right" in place of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "There's a bad moon on the rise" and " 'Scuse me, while I kiss this guy" in place of "kiss the sky" in the Jimi Hendrix song "Purple Haze."

Do you know of any other mondegreens?

Posted July 7 at 3:12 p.m.

Head's up, home team.  I may be running some blog posts in "Hey, CTA!" tomorrow, so if you have any compliments or complaints for CTA service, hit me up below.  We're making sure we have a mix of comments and commenters, so from time to time, you'll see your posting in the paper.

Don't be shy.  I know someone has got something to say about Taste of Chicago service, particularly on the Fourth of July.  Kinda glad I was out of town for that fiasco. 

Posted July 7 at 1:00 p.m.

What's up public transit peeps?  "Going Public" is back in the building.  I missed you all, and appreciate your patience (and posts) in my absence.

I am still digging through my inbox.  You know how that goes after an extended out-of-office stint.  But among the first things I pulled up was an e-mail that struck my interest.  Some self-described "Left Coasters" have created a manners-based site for mass transit, and they offer some tips even we seasoned CTA-ers could use.

The most recent MuniManners post, as of today anyway, great advice about how to handle bags/baggage on trains.  After getting my toes rolled over and watching rampant seat-blocking, I can give a big amen to that. 

I also enjoyed another bit asking riders not to sleep during their commute.  They're right, nobody wants to be buried under your dead weight while you make like the bus or rail version of Rip Van Winkle.

Check out their site, and then let's make our own list of the most important mass transit manners.  I want to start by asking riders to exit out of the back.  I know it's hard, and you feel you may miss your stop, but it's ri-damn-diculous to come from the back to the front and block boarding riders.

My cover story today is a look at fireworks by the numbers. I won't be fireworkin' it this weekend because I'm not a big fan of bombs bursting in air (especially after this story).

What are your Fourth of July plans? What's on your to-Doodle list?

Oh, boy. The latest fashion trend: Leggings for men, which I'm calling maleggings.

From Givenchy to John Galliano, maleggings were all over the Paris runways, New York magazine reports.

Other male trends:

>> murses: Male purses, which were recently showcased on the Milan runways. Jerry Seinfeld pioneered this trend in "Seinfeld" season 9 with his European carry-all.

>> guyliner: Male eyeliner, which is popular with Pete Wentz

>> manpris: Capris for men

>> mirdle: Girdles for men with muffin tops

>> mandals: Like Jesus, serious walkers prefer mandals over flip-flops. Mandalites also tend to wear socks with their mandals, sometimes because of foot odor problems.

Are these next?

>> manny packs: Fanny packs for men

>> mandex: Spandex for men

>> hank top: Male tank top

>> manscara: Mascara for men

What other manscaping trend am I missing?

Posted July 2 at 8:00 a.m.

"Going Public" is going out of town, but puh-leaze don't let that stop you from posting your public transit thoughts and observations.  Feel free to add any kudos, complaints or even artistic expressions.  And I'll be back on track come Monday, July 7.

My cover story today is about people who carefully watch the Web like hall monitors. They meticulously review the entries in Wikipedia and urbandictionary.com.

I'm an avid Wikipedia user. I go there never to source information, but just to get a general overview on a topic.

Have you ever read a Wikipedia page, clicked on a link to another page, then clicked on another link, then another, until you were on a Wikipedia page that was far diffferent from the page you started on?

Call it Wik's degrees of separation.

For today's story, I started on four Chicago-related pages and tracked the six degrees of link separation. Here's an example of two Wik's degrees of separation.

>> Start: Barack Obama >> South Side >> Bud Billiken Parade >> grand marshal >> NASCAR >> land speed records >> sound barrier

>> Start: Chicago Transit Authority >> bus >> public baths >> British culture >> fish and chips >> lard >> soap

Posted July 1 at 10:30 a.m.

Shortly after we crowned the Rotten Routes, I contacted the CTA to get their take on what went wrong with the No.8-Halsted and No.22-Clark routes.  In recent months, CTA officials told me the No.8 was showing signs of improvement, in part due to staffing shifts and a ticketing program aimed at bus-lane blockers.  So imagine my surprise when ol' No.8 showed its face on our Rotten Route list for the second time in two years, this time, tied with the No.22.  Booo!

Here's what the CTA told me is their take on the "Going Public" contest, as well as some facts that you may want to know about ongoing and upcoming adjustments to these routes.  Check it out, and let me know what you think:

Does CTA have a response regarding the #8 and #22 being this year’s “Rotten Route(s)” as determined by the Going Public online poll? Any comment regarding improvement or work on those routes?

Since last fall, CTA has implemented a performance management program to improve reliability and reduce bus bunching throughout the system.  In addition, service levels are evaluated to determine appropriate changes.

Between May 2007 and May 2008, weekday ridership along the #8 Halsted route increased by 2,615 rides – the largest increase in ridership across the system – and the #22 Clark route also gained 1,973 riders per weekday – the fourth highest gain across the system.

Schedules for the #8 Halsted and #22 Clark bus routes were reviewed and adjusted to improve reliability for the 2007 Winter Pick (December), which included a running-time adjustment that added service on both routes (40 hours were added to the #8 and 23 hours were added to the #22).

For the 2008 Spring Pick (March), during the morning rush period the frequency along the #8 Halsted was improved to 6 minutes (previously 7 to 8 minutes) and eight additional buses were assigned to operate along the #22 as part of the supplement for the Three-Track Operation.

Despite the significant increases in ridership recently, performance along the #8 Halsted and #22 Clark routes has in fact improved since last year with a modest 3.39% and 0.9% decrease in bus bunching over the past 12-months, respectively.  These improvements are a result of implementing measures such as increased supervision, leap-frogging, schedule changes, and earlier departures.

Since April, newer buses were assigned to the #8 route resulting in fewer bus break downs and delays.

Staff continues to monitor each bus route to identify trends and their causes (scheduling, ridership, route configuration, equipment failure, operator performance) and what can be done to help improve service reliability as quickly as possible. 

Posted July 1 at 8:00 a.m.

So you think you're riding the CTA's most busted bus? 

You may not be exaggerating the awfulness of your bus service, but "Going Public" launched a public transit poll, and learned that not one, but two bus routes hold our official title of Most Rotten Route.  But there were other routes that duked it out for the dubious distinction, and some came pretty close.  Here they are, in all their infamy below.

No.65-Grand (1st runner up)

No.152-Addison (2nd runner up)

No.4-Cottage Grove (3rd runner up)

No. 87-87th Street (4th runner up)

The CTA offered a more in-depth explanation of what went wrong in the No.8/No.22 tie for terrible service. Stay tuned.  I'll post it in a few.