Mr. Chicago

Marc: 19th Apr 2005 - 18:33 GMT

hey that's my dad!!! tell him i want a new bicycle for arbor day..

Peter: 19th Apr 2005 - 18:37 GMT

am i the only one wondering about that hazy cloud of moisture that seems to be soaking the pavement from the region of his ass?

jeeff: 19th Apr 2005 - 18:43 GMT

if i'm not mistaken someone on the steps has tied a bit of caution tape to the passed-out guy's hand and they're moving it up and down? that's pretty inhumane.

elaine: 19th Apr 2005 - 19:06 GMT

would the real beavis and butthead please stand up?

elaine: 19th Apr 2005 - 19:16 GMT

my friend Ian saw a woman do a shit on a wall by the canal in full view recently. He said he though about taking a photo but he couldn't quite bring himself to, even though she obviously could bring herself to do what she was doing... When you pass up your humanity what then is inhumane? Or am I just being too po faced here? I'll get my coat...

jeeff: 19th Apr 2005 - 19:18 GMT

you might argue that this guy (and the poo woman) are more human than those of us who keep ourselves more tightly in check. a lot of people make the connection between humanity and vulnerability. i don't know if i buy that tho.

elaine: 19th Apr 2005 - 21:18 GMT

it's a good question, though. I don't know how important it is to come to a conclusion. It might even be important not to

Jamie: 19th Apr 2005 - 22:30 GMT

Just my 2 pence, but a couple of weeks ago i watched a fat bare assed woman taking a piss on a roundabout in Thame near Oxford. My partner swears she saw the stream of piss.

jeeff: 19th Apr 2005 - 22:39 GMT

there were a bunch of elderly prostitutes (i'm talking 60 yrs old plus) who serviced the large population of homeless men and drifters in my neighbourhood in tokyo. they often squatted in the gutters at night, even when i was walking right past. they always repelled and kind of fascinated me, maybe because they were so close to the street, literally.

as far as conclusions, i rarely come to any.

elaine: 20th Apr 2005 - 07:07 GMT

I think that is probably for the best - keep it a bit zen and on the hoof. I watched the derrida docco last night and he had the coolest take on forgiveness - you can only forgive the unforgivable, andything less than unforgivable you can't forgive because it was forgivable anyway. But that there is no imperative to engage in anything beyond that, like remorse etc, because that is just being a christian; pure forgiving is just forgiving the unforgivable period. I loved that

nairi: 22nd Apr 2005 - 01:41 GMT

Re: Mr. Chicago

In an odd way, i find that pic interesting.

vz: 27th Apr 2005 - 18:36 GMT

i would've beaten the guys that are doing the caution tape thing senseless.

and elaine, it's a good thing that your friend didn't take the picture-- it means he's still got at least an ounce of humanity in him.

vz: 28th Apr 2005 - 05:43 GMT

ok, this makes me feel kind of stupid-- there's clearly a glaring contradiction in my last comment.

i wouldn't've beaten those guys senseless, i would've... implored them to respect the homeless guy's dignity. yes.

elaine: 28th Apr 2005 - 07:48 GMT

Blimey, d'you think? I can usually tell off kids and teenagers ok, but am more intimidated I suppose by adults, and also I have a strong revulsion factor for street drunks, but I do know people who are a lot kinder than me

Paul G: 5th May 2005 - 04:34 GMT

the pose of the (a) well-dressed young men on the steps is more telling than is the pose of the (b) older man lying on the sidewalk.

(a) + (b) = the new chicago, and the new america, and nothing that i want to be a part of.

elaine: 5th May 2005 - 06:18 GMT

now, also i see he is wearing trousers and not a boiler suit, which doesn't change what he is doing, but it does alter how i read who he might be

Peter: 5th May 2005 - 14:15 GMT

paul g, id love to hear more about your views on "the new chicago"... cities develop personalities in the most sublime ways and flux like crazy... i know very little about chicago, but id definitely love to hear anything you could report back to us about this flux.

RuneWillem-Norway,Oslo..: 28th Aug 2005 - 23:35 GMT

Looks like the people in the back of this picture dosen't give a Shit about this old man... And it looks like the people having a bit fun with this homless guy by hooking him up with that plastic rope..

TheManTheDeveloper: 5th Dec 2005 - 19:12 GMT

Most homeless people are mentally ill. While this photo is humorous. It is humorless to see them talking to themselves, not really able to take care of themselves as they walk past me everyday in Chicago. I see many similar people walk past looking through our garbage for food, in my neighborhood which is not downtown, but in Humbolt Park, I guess that they are burnt out drug addicts. I could be wrong. But somehow they are affected mentally in many cases. When you see these people, have empathy. One day it could be you that falls off the edge of sanity.