Coffee Run


Weekends, I tend to combine my errands. I take out the trash and then walk down to Gallery Cafe to grab a coffee. Before leaving, I had a brief debate on whether I should bring my camera. I decided I wouldn’t see anything interesting, and left it.

On walking down the alley, I spotted this and ran back inside to grab my camera.

Seeing this (which I assume are gang signs), I was reminded of two prior blog entries. The first thing I thought of was how some graffiti is ultimately constrained by its environment. I also thought a lot about my friend Alex and his fondness for Nelson Algren.


I was taken by these vines, and decided to take a photo. Only afterwards did I realize that there was an attempt here to cover up some prior graffiti.


I’m kind of fond of this one. I saw the plane out of the corner of my eye, and managed to get it in the frame fairly quickly. This image makes me a little wistful, almost like a pang of homesickness or missing a recent lover.

For anyone out there who has a camera: always carry it with you. Have it on your person at all times. And any chance you get, have it out and in your hand. There are a ton of photos out there, waiting to be taken. I got three neat images today, and this was all in a matter of 2 minutes, walking down the alley behind my apartment.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. You dont have to post this….but you must stay in Logan Square…near Milwaukee & California? Its hard to tell what nation that is throwing tags because there is nothing flipped up; everything is being broken showing disrespect to everything; in case you wanted to know; top row from left to right; Broken Five Star (the People Alliance, & their nations uses the five star or 5), Upside down pitchfork (representing the folks nation & all nations claiming folks, or 6), Upside down staff of the Spanish Lords (peoples nation, their homeland close to cali & milwaukee), upside down Cobra Diamond (Spanish or YLO Cobras), Upside down Latin Kings Crown (Peoples nation), Broken Folks 6 Point star (represents “King” David Barksdale founder of the Black Disciples; a tribute to him as one of the founders of the Folks nation alliance), Upside down Insane Orquestra Albany “OA” (allied with Cobras as Insane Familia), Broken “eight” star of the Insane Ashland Vikkings (allied with Cobras & OAs as Insane Familia), Broken Almighty Imperial Gangster Crown, and the severed Almighty Latin Eagles head upside down….Im thinkin either this is somone just trying to piss everyone off and is not affiliated or some renegade nation. It might be the United Latin Lovers Nation but I thought they were cool with Cobras & OAs still….I dont know. They are the only ones not being thrown down hahah and they are kind of renegades. Just thought you might want to know. Maybe you already do.

    Chicago Cold War Reply


  2. Correction & Update, the Pitchfork represents all Disciple nations, a bunch of Folks mobs used to use it but now a lot of Folks mobs that war with Disciples throw it down. Looking back on this now; this was almost def. Latin Lovers since they are at war with the OAs.

    Chicagocoldwar Reply


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