Peoria Illinoisan

The Motels - Only The Lonely

Madness - House of Fun

The Who - Eminence Front

Tom Petty - You Got Lucky

Split Enz - Six Months In A Leaky Boat

I.E. - YouTube, Google Video, etc, can be converted to standard computer video files that you can save to your hard-drive and play via your preferred viewer (Realplayer, iTunes, Windows Media Player).

So get busy and download all the videos and bootlegs that your heart desires… you may want to consider adding another hard-drive to hold all of this new content. I don’t have a video iPod, but apparently this is a real coup for those that do. iTunes charges $1.99/vid.

pssst… my source says to keep it quiet before THE MAN catches wind of this and shuts it down.

[FLV Online Converter]

Best line I’ve heard in a long time: “Prohibition was law in the rest of the United States. It was a suggestion in Peoria.”

I made it to F.Scott’s to say farewell, as promised. They did not disappoint. I’m going to really miss that place.

Although I had been told otherwise, the ADM plant in Peoria produces enormous quantities of grain alcohol which is shipped to Russia and available at Friar Tucks as imported Russian Vodka.

Did you know that MacQueen Ave is in the West Bluff? I didn’t either. Thankfully the Journal Star is there to help me with my confusion.

There are a large quantity of Peoria history “picture books” available, but has anyone else noticed that not one of them really tell Peoria’s long and deep history? I like old pictures and all, but even the most substantial book that I know of, Jerry Klein’s PEORIA!, seems to only scratch the surface. And God forbid someone would publish something about the Liquor, Prostitution, Gambling and Corruption that shaped this city in the early 1900’s.

A question on Peoria.com’s forum asked how to deal with stress… here’s my answer:

Put on the headphones for a 25 minute excursion into Supper’s Ready

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

The Journal Star is reporting that President Bush will be making a stop in Peoria:
“While details of the visit have yet to be released, Bush will visit Caterpillar Inc. and make a couple of other stops, the Journal Star has learned.”

Where will he be visiting and what will his message be? While at Caterpillar, will he be showing off his environmental record by discussing the new low emission diesels or will he jump up into a big Cat tractor to show his power and strength, while touting his plans for Iraq?

Where do you think the “couple of other stops” will be? I’m guessing a school might be a logical stop. Maybe he’ll use Whittier as an example of how well the educational system has been during his administration. Mr. Hinton would like that.

How about immigration? That’s always a hot topic. He can explain his stance while eating lunch at one of our fine Mexican restaurants or after he attends one of the all Spanish masses at the Cathedral.

Coffee shops are always popular stops for visiting politicians to show that they can relate to the common folk. If he wants police protection, I suggest he visit the BP Amoco on Western.

Will Ray show him the school plans for Glen Oak or will he focus on getting that trail we so desperately need? (”You know, George, if you get rid of earmarks, I may not be able to secure the funds needed for this trail.”)

Where ever he ends up, whatever he says, like him or not, it is guaranteed to be a fun filled day for Peorians.

I became a huge fan of Shawn Colvin shortly after I saw her open up for Lyle Lovett. This song was a surprise radio hit in 1997 (of which she won Grammys for both Song and Record of the year).

This video was banned in the United States.

If you don’t understand why Stevie Ray is a legend, you should watch this video. If you are a fan, you’ll absolutely love it. I don’t think the slow blues get any better; obviously he’s done his homework.

Lou Reed said this is the best version (of his own song) that he’d ever heard.

I certainly can’t disagree; and besides, I’ve always had a crush on Margo… don’t tell my wife.

Next to Sweet Jane, this is my favorite VU song… and it’s almost radio friendly.

I hate to admit it, but this song fits my mood way too often.

The intro sets it up, but the fun starts at around the 2 minute mark. At 3 minutes it really starts to heat up and after about 4 minutes there’s no stopping ‘em… Who says there aren’t any bands playing great Rock’n'Roll anymore?

It is on Austin City Limits though, so they can’t get too crazy.

Sept 20, 2004

I’ll let those more clever than I caption this photo.

(also known as a simple post meant to keep the blog moving until I get the chance to write about something meaningful)

“I need to know the address of the Gamestop Store in Norwoods Mall or Norwoods Mall Address Please?” That was a forum question on Peoria.com. I don’t know why I felt the need to answer it, but I looked up the Northwoods address and posted it anyway.

Somehow my curiosity got the best of me and I clicked on a link three down in the google search and ended up at www.labelscar.com where they aim to document the rise and fall of the Shopping Mall. In their words: “Our mission has been to study these centers, and attempt to preserve something of their presence. The enclosed shopping mall, despite still often being considered a dominant scourge that kills our downtowns, is now in its own slow, drawn-out death spiral.”

“We became amazed at the disparities we saw between large, successful, packed malls and old, dated, or for whatever reason emptier malls. We began to realize that many don’t even realize the differences or, if they do, they don’t really consider them. We found them fascinating, and started to contemplate the bigger picture. This blog is essentially the culmination of our explorations, our discoveries, our ruminations, and efforts in putting together a semblance of understanding in the retail puzzle of America.”

As to Northwoods Mall, they have this to say about it, along with many photos, pre-renovation: “Though meticulously maintained, many elements harkened back to the mall’s 1970s roots, most notably the grand center court with the huge 1970s silver light fixtures hanging from the raised ceiling.” Unfortunately, they got there too late to see the red/orange carpet in the center court and the old clock (which I miss).

The other local mall featured is Pekin’s East Court Village Mall, of which they didn’t have much good to say: “Pekin Mall is the first remarkably dead mall we visited, in January of 1999 […] When we approached the mall from sad downtown Pekin on Court Street, it looked spectacularly dated on the outside, but nothing, I repeat, nothing could have prepared us for the inside.

“We entered through Bergner’s on the east end of the mall and walked into the main mall and suddenly timewarped into someone’s psychadelic, drug-induced trip from 1972. The floor tiles were this shiny mix of off-white, deep blue, purple, and what can only be described as puke green. Horrifically, the tiles alternated colors so a striped pattern repeated the mismatched color scheme throughout the entire mall. I’ve never seen anything like it, and haven’t since (thankfully, I was born in the 80s). Strangely, the mall also seemed rather dimly lit, despite the manmade lighting and the very cool mod-70s windows carved into the ceiling for natural light.”

“However, I’m afraid that’s only the beginning…”

These mall connoseurs claim to have visited 2/3 of all the enclosed malls in the United States and have documented them with descriptions and photographs. It is also a blog, and they encourage comments.

Sometimes doing a good deed, even if done out of pity, can have some unexpected results, and this strange but interesting site is one of them.

Peoria Landmark #120 has been named… and I was *this* close to giving up!

Manual is rumored to be closing and the plan includs holding a lottery to decide which High School the current students will be bused off to- Woodruff, Central or Richwoods.

Initial reaction #1: More violence among students from rival High Schools. Will they ban Manual Rams jerseys and jackets from the new schools because it incites violence? (I don’t know if anyone even wears those things anymore)

Initial reaction #2: Mr. Hinton doesn’t back away from controversy, does he? You think the guy would’ve had enough by now.

Initial reaction #3: I went through the consolidation of Spalding and Bergan. It sucks for the students and it sucks for the teachers.

Initial reaction #4: That’s a lot of property to abandon.

Initial reaction #5: I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be bused 20 minutes out to Richwoods. Will the districts be divided geographically, as would make sense, when new Freshman come in?

Remember the new PR guy the district hired not long ago? He’s going to have his hands full with this one!

Angie took this photo for NameThisPeoriaLandmark #120. Although it was on my short-list of places to visit, had I not been told where this was, I would have never guessed it either.

Guesses so far:

Mt. Hawley Cemetery
Civil War section of Springdale Cemetery
Hobbit Cemetery near the Shire
Springdale’s pet cemetery
I have no idea where this picture is
Jubilee Park cemetery
A scene from the Blair Witch Project

Does Angie have everyone stumped?