Michael Hinko Jr

  We Are The Shaggs, the 2026 Ken Kwapis documentary, hasn't yet found a streaming home (catch it on the festival circuit if you can).  Till then read the brilliant 1981 Lester Bangs review of their album, Philosophy of the World:  Better Than the Beatles (and DNA, Too) http://www.keyofz.com/vvoice.htm  During a discussion of his film, Ken Kwapis recommended reading The Shaggs chapter in "This Is What It Sounds Like," a book by Dr. Susan Rogers. 

  My Melitta pour-over coffeemaker. I purchased it in the late 1970s or early 1980s. It has taken some bumps and bruises but continues to make my morning cup.

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 From the website: Division Street Revisited follows up on the stories of “uncelebrated” people in Studs Terkel’s groundbreaking 1967 oral history, Division Street: America.  Great storytelling.  

[this is an excerpt from " turkey always and all ways ," published by Strongbow Inn]   Before the days of railroads, super highways and refrigeration, turkey marches were common in this country. A drover, accompanied by boys with herding sticks and a wagon of shelled corn hauled by a mule, would lead an army of thousands of birds on the great marches from farm to market. The marching birds often travelled as far as 25 miles a day. When grasshoppers were plentiful, the birds fed upon them; when they weren't the boys threw them shelled corn so they fattened as they walked. Herds crossed mountains, forded rivers, weathered deserts. Occasionally the birds would panic and hundreds of them would cluster on the roof of a school or covered bridge, sometimes collapsing it. Once in Arkansas, a famous wager took place between a duck farmer and a turkey farmer to see whose birds reached market first. The turkeys, capable of moving fast as ponies, were odds-on favorites, but the ducks...

During yesterday's walk we passed an odd building with no windows sitting among the residences. Some members of our walking group wondered what it could be. I said it was a Central Office and explained it was where the phone company (there was only one phone company) switched incoming and outgoing calls. Our telephone rotary dials, the ones making all those clicky noises, sent routing instructions to a central office.  I think my young acquaintances were somewhat puzzled. Here is an FAQ http://www.co-buildings.com/faq.htm  

Where did it start? As best as I can remember my Grandma Hinko gave me my first taste of coffee. In my parent's home coffee was considered as adult drink. I guess the thinking was that children shouldn't get all wound up on the caffeine. I'm certain that we were buzzed on caffeine anyway because it was an ingredient in cola beverages, which also contained lots of sugar. But this was the early 1960s and that was the common knowledge; no coffee, lots of cola. No coffee, unless my sister and I spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa Hinko. In Grandma's kitchen we would be served freshly baked goodies. And the best thing to go along with those treats? Certainly not cola. A little coffee would be the thing. This wasn't your usual mug of coffee. It was more of an introduction to the beverage. Just a splash of coffee with a lot of milk and sugar. Still, it was enough to give us a taste. And that's all it took. There wasn't anything like the taste of coffee. After th...

There is a fascinating Wikipedia page about the history of the West Ukrainian People's Republic. The West Ukarianian People's Republic, aka the ZUNR, held power for only eight months. But the wiki acts as an explainer of the governance in the region where my Grandfather Hinko's family resided, more so than other documents I've read. I recommend reading this page and exploring the links.  The Poles, not accepting the ZUNR governing body, began an uprising. Their actions encompassed not only Lviv, but other cities including Przemyśl. Przemyśl is a city near Dobra, Sanok County, Poland, the rural village where my grandfather lived. Geographically, Dobra is located 61 km from  Przemyśl and 12 km from Sanok . When family members ask why Grandpa John and Grandma Sabina Hinko's marriage certificate lists their country of origin as Austria, I tell them it's complicated. But this Wikipedia page goes a long way to explaining how a village of Ukrainian people w...

With Chicago set to host the Democratic National Convention this summer I thought I'd post a document that was published following the 1968 Democratic National Convention. "The Strategy of Confrontation - Chicago and the Democratic National Convention - 1968" chronicles events, injuries, arrests, and problems occasioned by the so-called strategy of confrontation that produced the clashes between police and 'radicals' at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. In a statement Mayor Richard J. Daley said, "I would like to say here and now that this administration and the people of Chicago have never condoned brutality at any time but they will never permit a lawless violent group of terrorists to menace the lives of millions of people, destroy the purpose of this national political convention, and take over the streets of Chicago." And so we have The Strategy of Confrontation. The Strategy of Confrontation   Daley had a way of communicating that...

The "Report of the Chicago Riot Study Committee to the Hon. Richard J. Daley" examines the causes and events of the civil unrest that took place in Chicago from April 5-7, 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The committee, led by local judges, business leaders, lawyers, and politicians, analyzed the social and economic conditions contributing to the riots. The report provides detailed accounts of the violence, property damage, and responses by the police and city officials, along with recommendations to prevent future disturbances. The report includes an examination of Mayor Daley's controversial "shoot to kill" order issued during the 1968 riots. The report provides context for the order, examining its impact on the events and public perception. Daley had instructed the police to "shoot to kill" arsonists and "shoot to maim" looters, a directive that drew significant attention and criticism. Report of the Chicago Riot...

As I walked around the protest encampment on the University of Wisconsin Madison campus I wondered why tent camps had become the symbol of protest here and on campuses across the nation. Encampment on the Library Mall, University of Wisconsin Madison, April 29, 2024 Activists have utilized tent encampments for many years. For instance, the 1968 Poor People's Campaign camped in "Resurrection City" on Washington D.C.'s National Mall to bring attention to poverty in America.  Photo of the 1968 Resurrection City camp: SCLC records, MARBL, Emory University   In 1932 the Bonus Army, a group of World War I veterans, set up camp in Washington, D.C. to demand early cash redemption of their service bonus certificates. Bonus Army, Camp Marks, Anacostia, Washington D.C., 1932 In each instance the tent camps draw attention to a cause. The protesters create a visual statement that they are not going anywhere anytime soon. In some cases this leads to a positive outcome, change for t...

I had a great time today joining the crowd on the UW Madison campus to watch the eclipse.

Over the decades of our marriage Donna and I shared many traditions. Not anything big, just small things we cherished and made a part of our lives. One such thing was a Sunday afternoon celebration of sorts; we would enjoy Italian food and watch a movie. My late wife Donna coined the phrase, 'meatball and a movie.' I've continued that tradition, and I keep a list of all the Sunday afternoon plates and films.   Meatball And A Movie    

 "I think coffee is one of the best things about being alive."                                                                                           - Steven Wright   As he often does, Steven Wright hit the nail on the head. Drinking coffee is so much fun, the best way to start the day. But it has to be good coffee. Certain cultures get this; the Italians, for sure. Americans were very late to the game.  When I started looking for craft roasters in 1970s Chicago, there were few choices. Steve Siefer and Peter Longo's Coffee and Tea Exchange roasted the best beans, in my opinion. When they started roasting in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, some, but not all, residents were delighted. A few people...

  I took the L down to Jackson and walked east to Buckingham Fountain. Such a great fountain and a familiar sight. Next I walked to Marshall Field to see the Tiffany ceiling. Beautiful, and from a different era. Then I continued on to the public buildings and their associated sculptures; Dubuffet, Miro, Picasso. I was standing by the Picasso (now a favorite slide and skateboard ramp) when a tour group gathered next to me. I decided to listen in, and then I mingled with the group and joined their walking tour. I gathered the theme of the tour was Chicago's famous crooks; mobsters, crooked politicians, serial killers. The guide put on a pretty good show and projected his banter over the din of the city. He used a nasally Chicago accent - Chi-cah-go, cah-fee shop. Whether this was his own or an actor's portrayal, I don't know. But it was effective. The stories were sometimes engaging and pointed. At other times they only vaguely applied to the walking stops. But it was an ente...

A Blu-ray disk of the 2011 film, "Thin Ice" arrived in the mail. And with that, I was finally able to watch director Jill Sprecher's original cut, "The Convincer," included on the disk in its entirety. The re-edit and re-titling of "The Convincer" by distributor ATO Pictures and production company Werc Werk Works was controversial, to say the least. Jill Sprecher said she was "heartbroken and devastated." In a note to Roger Ebert, Jill Sprecher said she doesn't even claim “Thin Ice” as her own: "Nearly 20 minutes were cut; the structure rearranged; out-takes used; voiceover and characters dropped ...  Although our names contractually remain on the film, my sister and I do not consider 'Thin Ice' to be our work." Now I have Jill and Karen Sprecher's third (I'll refrain from saying, "... and final") film in my DVD collection, and I am sure I'll watch it many more times. Actress Michelle Arthur on the ...

One more spin around the lake.   One more afternoon in the park. One last splash of color.

   

   

    The familiar view from the entrance to Diversey Harbor.