Oprah Miracle Rally- Photos by Philin Phlash

OK, I know we are technically an e-newsletter covering just Wicker Park and Bucktown, but Phlash is the kind of man who knows no borders and seems to be everywhere.

This past week there was a big Oprah rally downtown, or something related to Oprah, I'm not sure, but I do know that Oprah's departure will be a huge loss to Chicago, especially for jobs when you stop to think about all of the people who either work at Harpo Studios, or do contract work with Harpo, and the tons of restaurants and eateries like Wishbone near Harpo Studios that will lose a lot of business since tourists won't be making mecca journeys to Oprah's studio anymore.

It's a good thing we all survived yesterday's non-Rapture. The real question is, how much of a hit will our local economy take without Oprah helping to propel it up?

She's 'bigger than all get out'- and she's out of here too. :(

LaSalle II Magnet School to Launch a Permanent Mural on Division Street

(below is a press release from LaSalle School. photos of the preliminary mural outline by Philin Phlash)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LASALLE II MAGNET SCHOOL AND GREEN STAR MOVEMENT WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE PERMANENT PUBLIC ART ON DIVISION STREET IN WICKER PARK

Mosaic to Reflect the Embracing of World Cultures and Languages Taught at LaSalle II

LaSalle II, a new magnet school in the Chicago Public Schools System with a focus on World Languages and green living, would like to invite local Wicker Park business and residents to become a part of a historic landmark right here in the Wicker Park community. With the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber and SSA’s proud support through the WPB SSA Community Grant Program, LaSalle II is partnering with Green Star Movement to create a Bricolage mural installation to reflect the unique teaching techniques happening within the schools walls as well as the vibrancy and strength of the community in which the school sits.

LaSalle II Magnet School is a world language academy where students study Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Spanish, or Urdu throughout their elementary and middle school education. All students study the cultures associated with each language in general education courses. Please contact Joseph Betancourt, LaSalle II Green Coordinator, at the office (773)342-7211 or cell (773)-297-8560 for more information. For information about the school, please contact Nicole Aquino at 773-534-0490 x 48396. Please join the LaSalle II school community celebrate:

LA SALLE II MURAL RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY

MAY 27, 2011 AT 2:00 PM ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

Images from the Grand Opening of Real Naked Food

Real Naked Food, 1909 W. Division celebrated its Grand Opening this past Friday night.

I popped by a few weeks back, and this time Philin Phlash was in the area, as were many others.

Here are a few of Phlash's images... including a few familiar faces, from the Logan Square Indoor Farmer's Market (Crumb and Co-Op Hot Sauce) and the Bucktown Craft Fair (Katherine's Chocolates).

images by philin phlash to maybe i.d. in next pipeline

See Saw

a makeshift seesaw stands
litter-strewn empty space,
A playground
where children play.
Have we come a long way?


Photo by Philin Phlash

Images from Lasalle II Spring Thaw

Long before the Mercedes Benz dealership near the highway was a Blockbuster, it was a peculiarly shaped restaurant called The Paddle Wheel, and the place where my parents had their first date.

Moving on, the dealership was home to a fundraiser, Spring Thaw II, which took place this past Saturday night, and benefited Lasalle II magnet school.

Philin Phlash was on the scene. Here are just a few pics.

Images from Mayors Against Illegal Guns Tour and a few Pre-Coffee Words About It

There's miles to go before 8AM and I have to sneak in a pre-cube shower, plus I'm behind on other sections of the pipeline, because people keep sending me their news and I'm the idiot who'll link to it, so I'll make this quick.

Phlash popped by a press conference yesterday morning for this issue.

There was no time to write a story, so he just gave me the press release, or rather left it on my desk, which is how we do things now, and it seems to work. I like Phlash's post-it notes. Click on any of the release images to enlarge them!

There is no time for me to write a story, but if there were, I'd write something like it's cool to see the almost former longtime mayor in the news again, that he looked more relaxed and introspective than ever, that according to Phlash there were a lot of funny off-the-cuff remarks and jokes made by Daley (maybe Rahm needs to take some lessons from Daley in this regard?), and that guns are an issue which affect everyone. Oh yeah, and stay tuned next week for a possible photo of Phlash and Daley which was shot by the mayor's photographer...

But, back to the non story I'm not writing. Phlash scribbled on the press release that Congressman Quigley "had the red scarf on" (which is good, cause I wouldn't have known that) and "Guns Affect all of us!!" [sic]

The coalition, comprised of mayors of 500 big cities and town, per the press release, states that "Each mayor in the coalition has signed a statement of principles committing to a common goal: protecting the rights of Americans to own guns, while fighting to keep criminals from possessing the guns illegally."

I guess what I'm wondering is what if those two groups of people are the same sometimes?

On page two, Phalsh wrote that Daley said, "I can't understand why Americans/Chicagoans are not outraged. If it was your brother or sister or family member gunned down, you would care. Everyone should care."

And, as a sidenote, Phlash also wrote that "Alisa Hauser should care."

I do care.

That's why I'm up at 5AM. And I was up until midnight. And why I'm doing my Day Job half assed, and the Pipeline half assed. When you do too many things half assed, it's inevitable that stuff will fall through the cracks. But not these images. So I'm posting the best of them.

Thanks to Phlash for going above and beyond the Pipeline call of duty.

Saturday Night: Phlash Shoots Congress Theatre, Cobra Lounge

I feel like it's Riot Fest all over again. Here is Phlash shooting a few bands this past Saturday night.

In no particular order are Dropkick Murphys at Congress, and Naked Raygun, who played earlier in the night at the Congress, and then ended their night at the Cobra Lounge.