Category: Dark Matters

This is for posts about dark thoughts and not so pretty things in life

A Long overdue goodbye to Summer

Even though I haven’t been motivated to vent my spleen in a while, I’m hammering out this post because we apparently have a new policy at CN where you could lose your blog space if you don’t post periodically or frequently enough or something. Don’t feel neglected readers, I haven’t been posting on social media... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
October 26, 2018 at 11:23 am • 

Summer of 99: When It all went to Hell

This time of year always brings me back to the Summer of 1999 when I experienced a terrible Series of Unfortunate Events.  I lost my job.  I broke my toe.  My roommate and I were not getting along.  I got mugged.  And I let someone special get away. Hat tip to Nina Vallone of YouKnowKeen. ... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
July 19, 2018 at 2:18 pm • 

Doxing is bad, but it's even worse when you do it to the wrong person

Hey, didja hear the news? The guy who moved in down the street is a child molester who burned down an orphanage and kicks puppies. Kicks puppies! Let’s go give him a piece of our mind.  I heard it from a friend, who heard it from her brother’s girlfriend’s, uncle’s cousin’s, baby momma’s doctor who... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
July 3, 2018 at 6:30 am • 
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Writer's block comes in many forms

If you are a ChicagoNow fan or junkie, you probably have noticed a few changes around here.  Some good like the front page getting updated with new posts more often.  Some questionable like the Ask ChicagoNow posts.  ChicagoNow has always been a Hogwart’s for bloggers and our Dumbledoore left a few months ago (at least he... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
March 15, 2018 at 6:59 am • 

Facebook Take a Break Feature puts friendships on Life Support

The other night a friend from my College Years posted something on Facebook that could be perceived as racist, if read in a certain light.  Specifically, any light bright enough to read her status post in. It would be easy to unfriend her and not look back.  In fact, since I am trying to trim... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 29, 2017 at 11:19 am • 

When you go from living Paycheck-to-Paycheck to Credit Card Cycle to Credit Card Cycle

Today is the closing date for my main credit card.  That means I start a fresh cycle and have already racked up $380 in charges for things I put off paying for until today.  That doesn’t include the $105 I spent on my belated Father’s Day present yesterday…I had to pull the trigger and purchase... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
July 11, 2017 at 12:12 pm • 
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What would you do with a Time Machine?

I posited the following question on my FB the other day: If you had a time machine, describe your first trip…what time period would you visit, what would you do? Some of my friends played along and came up with interesting things like “witness the Resurrection of Jesus” or “see Einstein and Eddington prove relativity. ... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
June 27, 2017 at 9:36 am • 

There is a world of difference between Being Critical and being Negative

You’ve probably seen those memes that advocate eliminating negativity, or banning negative thoughts from your life, or putting negative people in concentration camps.  Okay I made up that last one until a reader goes to meme generator… What I don’t like about the concept is that it doesn’t make a distinction between Negativity and simply... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
May 9, 2017 at 2:14 pm • 

Flashes of Confidence

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No one has ever accused me of posing an overabundance of Confidence. There have been glints, glimmers, and flashes, but at best I usually oscillate between cautiously optimistic and Fake It Til You Make It, with a heaping helping of Second Guessing thrown in for good measure. Now the question  I have is, is it... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
April 27, 2017 at 11:25 am • 
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Three valuable Friendship Lessons

Stop me if I’ve written about this before…or just read anyway.  Recently a friend reached out to me about Mutual_Friend who was being a twatcycle to them.  I listened for about 20 seconds before interrupting:  “oh sorry to hear, I’m sure it will work itself out.” If you don’t know me, that’s not that kind... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
October 10, 2016 at 12:05 pm •