NP: EXO, The Safety Primer Justice (CD)

Two emerging trends you may have noticed include these entries appropriating song titles and the recurrence of the "weekend wrap-up" entry on Mondays.

Anyway, I want to talk a little bit about driving and the suburbs. First, I don't understand how you can have a major nexus of more than one expressway and/or tollway and not have entrances in both directions. I found myself in Elmhurst on Saturday to record some percussion for a friend of mine, and planned on hopping right on the Eisenhower to continue on to Naperville for the Fire game. At York Road and North Avenue, there was a ramp for 290 East, and for 294, probably in both directions. After not finding the one I need, I figured I'd just hop on the tollway (294) for an exit and turn around. Except that there's nothing resembling an exit until you're practically at O'Hare.

I wound up going about 45 minutes out of my way, up the Kennedy and back down 355, to get to Cardinal Stadium. I also ran out of toll money by the end, which of course went hand-in-hand with leaving the tollway at an exit with no manual toll booth. I was only three cents short, and I went ten cents over on the return trip to make up for it, so hopefully the good state of Illinois will see fit to let it slide.

Closer to home, they're finally getting to the last stage of construction on Western Ave., which means less of the street is a minefield of exposed manhole covers. This is both good and happy.

I'm also feeling very much the legitimate music journalist today, as I had a local band that I respect a lot (see the current musical selection) send me their new CD for review, and also had someone yell at me for making fun of a band in l.i.t.c.

Finally, I know I keep coming back to this, but I like being right. I'm very curious to see what happens if and when Clark formally joins the Democratic presidential fray.