A photo in life

I remember when the lightbulb went off, about a year ago. I was riding the CTA Green Line from Hyde Park to the Loop. I looked out the window as we approached the Indiana stop, when lo and behold, there it was.
During the summer before my junior year of high school, I took a mural art class. The plan was to have finished a mural by the end of the summer that would be hung in the wing where the school radio and closed-circuit television stations were produced. Since none of us had ever attempted such a task, our teacher brought us to the Elliott Donnelley Youth Center on the South Side of the city. I don't remember what the inside looked like; we spent a lot of time in the community art garden, an oasis among the dilapidated buildings. I took lots of photographs of the mural on the wall--the style reminded me of that of Thomas Hart Benton, an artist about whom I was writing a biography for this class, who painted flowing scenes on large canvases. I also photographed the sculptures from different angles, and with other students leaning against them or examining them. One cone-shaped sculpture was painted bright yellow with red dots. A stone gazebo was inlaid with polished stones and shining tiles. There were also large painted tiles and other things too, which I didn't photograph and can't remember. That was 1996. For 9 years, those photographs have been floating around in my drawers, mixed in with other photos from parties and such, hiding behind books. Until I looked out the train window, I had no recollection of where that mural and sculpture garden were located. (Until I moved to the city of Chicago, I had no idea there was anything else besides Michigan Ave. and Clark-and-Belmont.)
And when I saw the mural on that youth center wall, it was the weirdest thing, like spending 9 years looking at a photo of a person you met once, then walking past them on the street, looking exactly like the photo. It was like finding a long-lost friend. Only this friend's facade had faded. The mural seems to be in pretty good shape, at least from a distance. But the bright yellow cone-shaped sculpture is faded to a gritty pale tan, and the stone gazebo looks tired and worn. But it's all still there, just like I remembered it in the photo. Perhaps one day this summer, I'll stop onto the center, photos in hand, and offer to help out with something.
If you want to see a photo of the Elliott Donnelley Community Art Garden, go here
The mural on the taller building on the right is the one I have so many photographs of. You can see the yellow cone-shaped sculpture just in front of it, and the stone gazebo is in the middle, right in front of the train rail.
If you want to see what the area looked like before the restoration, go here

Why rockers rock (and not just because of their music)

I heart Guster. Their music is great, they're nice Jewish boys who sing about latkes during Chanukah, and they're also environmental activists. While on their Campus Consciousness tour, they will drive a van that runs on B20, a 20 percent biodiesel blend. According to the news article on Environmental News Network today, this "Campus Consciousness Tour, www.campusconsciousness.org, aims to educate, inspire, and activate students, and above all, leave a positive impact on each community and college/university that the tour reaches, according to the band." The tour is sponsored by Reverb, an organization that is a project of the non-profit organization ARIA Foundation (Artistic Resources In Action). If you want more information about the tour or anything else mentioned here, click on the above link to the ENN news article, which has more info and links to the websites of the other organizations above.

Crunchy Cons

No, I'm not talking about the negative aspects of being an environmentalist (because really there aren't any). I'm talking about political conservatives who are embracing the environmental movement along with their liberal cohorts. Clean air and water, natural resource conservation, and wildlife protection aren't issues that only affect political liberals. When the environment suffers, we all suffer. More people on both sides of the aisle are stepping up to join conversations about conservation and to take action to clean up our land, air, and water. Check out this article on Environmental News Network as evidence that the environmental movement is growing everywhere, whether we want access to more organic food, to save the arctic seals, or to just reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Speaking of oil, there's an article in the April issue of Discover magazine about the growing success of the the plant in Carthage, Missouri that turns the Butterball plant offal and other refuse like rubber tires and plastic into bio-oil, which can be used as-is or combined with some other oil to make gasoline. Sadly, Discover strikes again--since I'm a subscriber, I get the issues long before they hit the news stand or the online files, but in the meantime, read Discover's first article from May 2003 about the plant. I may be a vegetarian (and looking at the pile of dead turkey parts only reinforces it) but I would use the oil from this plant for everything possible. Hey, I don't have to eat it, it just has to power my car and electricity (with little or no pollution).

Roe v. Wade, Red v. Blue, Men v. Women

I find it a bit interesting that right around the time that South Dakota Governor Michael Rounds signed into law a bill banning abortion in his state, tourism ads began airing on television boasting of all the wonderful things to do in South Dakota. But this issue has brought up another interesting point. The general grief people have with outlawing abortion is that women should have the right to decide what to do with their own bodies, and it's no business of anyone's besides hers and her doctor's. I agree. But what about the fetus' father? Does he have a right to decide whether or not to have the baby? Some men are now speaking out, saying that they have been unfairly duped into paying child support for a child they didn't want. Do they have an equal say in this matter? I'm still undecided. But I will say this: There are ways to prevent a pregnancy, such as the many forms of over-the-counter and prescription contraceptives, as well as just plain not having sex. I understand that accidents happen, but if a guy is that adamant about not having children, put on a damn condom, even if the woman claims to be on birth control. Eighteen years of child support is a big price to pay for not using common sense. Maybe these guys have a case, maybe they don't. But they better base it on something besides their own regret if they want to gain any ground on the matter.

The Wet Blanket

At first I was hesitant to post this article up here because it's so long and so accusatory, and I don't want to seem preachy. Well, not too preachy, anyway. But it has haunted me since Monday, and so I post it here. The article is critical of Republicans in politics, and although some Democrats are just as guilty, the issue goes beyond party politics. The problem is corruption, which must be eliminated no matter where it comes from. So regardless of your political affiliation, please read this and understand that something needs to be done.

Saving Our Democracy

The Boys Club

Yesterday, the Republican candidates for the Illinois gubernatorial race came together for an NPR radio debate. Whomever wins this primary election will face Illinois Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich. Although I do care about the outcome of this race because I want the state government to be run successfully, I'm not too worried. It's generally believed that in Illinois, Republicans and Democrats are all really about the same, because they must appeal to the mostly moderate voters in Illinois. Anyway, after the debate last night, Judy Baar Topinka (the only female candidate) left and the 4 or 5 other candidates stuck around to answer questions during a press conference. Not sure why Topinka left--the news clip on WGN News (click on GOP radio debate to watch the clip) this morning didn't mention her reasons for leaving--but during the press conference, the other candidates spent the whole time criticizing Topinka and her platform. At one point, candidate Jim Oberweis (yes, of Oberweis Dairy) crooned, "Come back, Judy dearest. Come back and play with the boys." She did, and she held her own as the other candidates criticized her to her face.

Since the news clip was less than 2 minutes long and they didn't really say much else, I will refrain from making any assumptions about what else happened. But when I saw Oberweis crooning, I cringed. It seemed incredibly condescending, and whether Topinka will be a good governor (if elected) is beside the point. I just wondered 1. whether the male candidates would have done the same thing if Topinka were a man and 2. If Topinka WERE a man, whether s/he would have left after the radio debate or stuck around with the other candidates to continue the debate at the press conference. Just an interesting character study, is all.

When it all falls down

On this blog, I usually try to avoid writing about what everyone else is talking about and instead look for the stories that may be under the radar. However, there is one really mainstream topic about which I would post here, if only I understood it. Chicago city politics fascinates me. Right now, it's slowly crumbling, as evidenced by City Clerk James Laski's resignation. Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass writes about city politics all the time, which has really piqued my interest in the whole thing (though it could also be the journalist in me). Kass has been writing about city politics for a great number of years, and although he's obviously biased against Mayor Daley, he knows a lot about what happens behind closed doors and can explain it better than probably anyone else out there.

Chicago is nicknamed the Windy City not because of the weather (although yeh, it's windy) but because of the politics. The history of the city and the scandals that are slowly being exposed tell a lot about the way this city is run and how complicated it all is. I encourage everyone to look into it. If I have a lighbulb moment, I'll post it here. Happy learning!

Musical lamentation

In the past month, I have acquired somewhere in the area of a few dozen new albums, an amount of music so daunting that I haven't even tried to listen to most of it yet. My iPod and I are going to have to have a serious reconnection. During this time, I have also gotten my coworkers hooked on the workday addiction that is Yahoo Launchcast, shared my music collection with some other willing participants, and sampled yet another online music service that looks cooler than Launchcast, has none of the annoying commercials of Launchcast, plays way random music, and allows users to create more than one station.

With all this exposure to new music, I must lament the impending end of an era known as No Doubt. In 1996 I went to a Mighty Mighty Bosstones/No Doubt concert at the World Music theater, and I still hold to this day that it was the best concert I have ever been to. Although Gwen Stefani usually gets most of the attention, No Doubt was definitely more than just the strong female vocalist. The drums always carried a stong beat that stood out, complemented by the bass line and guitar riffs. No Doubt was a band that was strong because each of the members was equally strong. But now, dear friends, I feel the time has come. I feared it was nearing with the release of Gwen's independent high-school pop album (which isn't bad, but it's certainly a departure from the band's unique sound and rockin' albums). And now that she's pregnant, she and husband Gavin Rossdale are going to make their pretty little nest and have their pretty little baby and the only music produced by either of these musicians will be the lullabies and preschool songs about baby animals. Two of the other band members have families as well, and so they will probably go their separate ways, then show up on some VH1 reunion show in 10 years. I guess everyone has to grow up sometime, huh?

Mood elevator

Taking a break from the serious stuff to bring you something sure to make you smile, no matter how bad your day is. Feel free to laugh out loud, even if your co-workers think you're loony. Cats always look like they either hate the world or they were caught in the act of doing something silly (which, despite all efforts, they couldn't stop themselves from doing, as if they were temporarily possessed.) It's really quite hilarious.
www.stuffonmycat.com

The only thing better than this is Planet's Funniest Animals on Animal Planet.

And you thought DMV lines were long

Laurie Goering, foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, has her job cut out for her in South Africa. Her latest report exposes the horrendous bureaucracy of South Africa's Home Affairs Department. Take a printout of this article with you anytime you go to the DMV. It will remind you to appreciate the mere 3 hour wait. At least you know you'll walk out of there with a correct ID card or driver's license in hand, which is more than most South Africans can say.

Interesting Southern culture

I thought this story was truly fascinating: Descendants of slaves help transcribe the Bible into the language of their ancestors
We Northerners tend to think of the South as just one big backwards Red State, but there is some truly fascinating culture that doesn't make it into the news usually. One of my friends told me about her family's Southern roots and what it was like for them to be Southern Jews. Ancestors of slaves are embracing their familys' roots and the traditions they passed on. The book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil features voodoo beliefs and rituals that are still practiced today as Santeria and other Caribbean religions. I'm sure there's more out there, too, but I haven't spent really any time in the South to learn more about the things you don't hear about in the Midwest.

Morning Radio

So, the only good thing about driving to work instead of taking public transportation is getting to listen to Morning Edition on NPR. Last Thursday, I heard a really interesting story about how people look to other things besides housing as economic indicators. I don't know much about the economy, but I guess that housing prices around the country are general indicators of how the economy is doing. If prices are high, it means people feel confident about the economy and are willing to invest more money in real estate (that whole supply and demand thing). According to the NPR story, people are now looking at other prices, like those of horses (a big investment that doesn't pay off right away) and also that of dry cleaning and men's underwear. Obviously the economy isn't an exact science. But doesn't increased demand in dry cleaning and men's underwear indicate that people are soiling their clothing more due to increased stress? Just a thought...

(click on the post title to go to the NPR story)

Wave goodbye to traditional energy sources, Part Two

Last month I mentioned an article in Discover magazine about new technology that converts ocean waves into usable energy. At the time, the article wasn't up on the Discover website yet. But it is now, so here ya go:
Wave Energy: Can a mechanical snake that surfs the ocean squeeze enough watts from water?

America the Great?

Many thanks to my friend who reads the New York Times and sent me this article about the miserable excuse for science education in this country. She sure knows how to get me steamed up :) I'll refrain from a soap box lecture and say just this: Students in other countries like China and Japan are learning to speak English as well as they speak their native language, and their families are strongly emphasizing success in education over sports and other extracurricular activities. Call it perpetuating the stereotype or call it striving for greatness. But someday soon, the U.S. will no longer be a competitive nation in fields of scientific research and discovery. Then, all we'll be left with is lamo celebrities and lots of tall buildings.

Nosmo King

If you recognize Nosmo King, you must have read the Ramona Quimby books when you were a kid (or last week...you know, whatever). Nosmo King was a sign that Ramona, a young girl, put up in her house to encourage her father to quit smoking. She couldn't fit "No Smoking" onto one line, so she wrote it in two lines:
Nosmo
King

Anyhoo, finally, Chicagoans are getting a note from Ramona, courtesy of a smoking ban just passed by Chicago City Council. Unfortunately it gives freestanding bars and taverns until July 2008 to go smoke-free, which means we Chicagoans who actually care about our health and enjoy clean air must continue to forego patronizing establishments that allow smoking, which often means missing out on social events held by well-meaning friends who aren't as bothered by smoky bars. It's still beyond me why anyone feels they need to support smokers' rights. Unlike other behavior that some people may not approve of, smoking actually affects other people. I guess I assumed clean air was the status quo, which we need to protect. New York, Boston, and Los Angeles have all proved that the ban doesn't affect the city's economy and that plenty of people still go to bars and restaurants. Chicago should have more faith in its citizens.

Crunchy, and proud of it

Many of you know that I have recently decided to eat vegetarian, and organic when possible (Whole Foods=Whole Paycheck, but Trader Joes is a rather viable alternative, and oh how I love Trader Joes). Anyway, the organic trend is catching on, but for some reason there are still obstacles to healthier eating. No, I don't get it either. This Tribune article in Sunday's paper discusses the attempt to water down the regulations for labeling food as organic. You probably don't think about all the chemicals and additives in food these days, but just because it seems safe now doesn't mean it won't cause problems years from now. I suspect that in the next 10 to 20 years, we will start to experience health problems that directly result from unnatural chemicals in our food and in our environment. Lung cancer and asthma are already becoming more widespread problems in large cities where there is greater pollution, and even the Blommer Chocolate Factory in Chicago was cited by the EPA for releasing exhaust into the air that contained too much particulate matter (who knew that inhaling chocolate was a bad thing?!). So there's my official plug for healthy eating. Support organic farming and eat locally. Start at www.FamilyFarmed.org for more info.

Tradition?!

I read this article last week (For Family Honor, She Had to Die), and although I really wanted to post it here right away and comment on it, I hesitated. The article discusses a number of murders of young women in London recent years--women who were doing what other young women their age were doing, like going to school and dating boys. But these women belong to families that immigrated to London from Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and in an effort to instill a sense of cultural tradition in their families while living in Western society, they have imposed strict rules on their children. And so, because these young women wanted to date young men and go to school and live like their peers, they were killed by their brothers, cousins, and family friends for breaking tradition and dishonoring their families. In their home countries, this sort of honor killing is condoned. But these families lived in London, where murder of any kind is against the law.

Oh, what a conflicting issue, which is at the root of our trouble with keeping peace in the Middle East. How can we be respectful of all cultures in order to help them live together in the same country and yet condemn this kind of violence? In Iraq, the U.S. is imposing Western values on people who have known a very different culture for thousands of years. I'm not comfortable with that, and I believe we should respect the traditions of other cultures everywhere in the world. We have seen the clash continue in Paris, and the Chicago Tribune yesterday printed an article about the culture clashes throughout the rest of Europe.

Understand that the vast majority of people in the world, regardless of their national, cultural, and religious identities, just want peace and freedom. But during a time when Western culture is invading every corner of the world and we are busy condemning violence, the pockets of groups fighting Western culture are growing stronger. So how do we protect people by imposing certain values that other cultures may not agree with? It's a slippery slope, and a question not easily answered.

Wave goodbye to traditional energy sources, Part One

Discover magazine is sneaky--they send me the next month's issue halfway through the current month, and they don't post the new issue on the website til the new month. So I was all pumped up to talk about the article in December's issue about new technology that harnesses ocean waves as an energy source. But alas, December's issue isn't up on the website yet, so rather than retype the whole article here (which might infringe on the copyright and would take too much time), I'll just request that you sit tight til December til it appears here or on the Discover magazine website. In the meantime, this will have to do: Newsweek Next Frontiers

Don't despair when you hear about the energy crisis in this country and around the world. The government may not be doing enough right now to support alternative energy exploration (after all, they have their buddies in the oil business to look after) but there are enough people in the world who are so passionate about alternative energy that they are pushing boundaries on their own. I know I'm excited about what's happening just under the surface.

Updates and downdates

1. Remember my post about the mentally disabled woman who was raped and impregnated at the facility where she and her sister lived? First the good news: they caught the guy who raped her--an 18-year-old who worked there. He better be imprisoned for life or something. What a tragedy that girl and her family have gone through. The bad news is that the facility had ignored previous reports of other inappropriate behavior from the people who work at the facility. Why are 18-year-old guys being allowed to bathe female residents, even if there is a staff shortage? Appalling.

2. Remember the requisite ode to Sammy the guinea pig? First the sad news: Rest In Peace Sammy, October 21, 2005. He had more teeth problems and just didn't make it this time. But the uplifting news is that I got a condolence card the other day from the vet (Animal House of Chicago on West Lawrence Ave) with little notes from the vets and some of the vet techs. It was so sweet--one of the vet techs even referred to him as "my little man," which he totally was. I guess most veterinarian offices do this for pet owners, but it was still really touching.
This is the first time I have ever lived truly alone, without any room mates and without any pets, and I tell ya, pet ownership is way underrated. Animals bring such love and joy into people's lives and they ask for nothing in return, as evidenced in this article. So my plea to everyone is to support animal rights and anti-cruelty organizations and smile back at every animal who crosses your path. Yes, even the rats in the alley.

Not to brag or anything...

...but I totally called it. Okay, so I live on the North Side (it's just safer and closer to everything I need without having to drive) and okay, so I didn't go to any Sox games this year (apparently people would rather hang out at Wrigley Field?!), but I have always been a White Sox fan, and so I cheered last night when they won the World Series. Ozzie Guillen, probably the most stressed out guy this side of Washington DC, made it through, despite the end-of-season slump and some really tense games. Cubs fans are mighty ired right now. They're just jealous because the Sox swept the series in four games and the Cubs had their chance two years ago and blew it.
So now that I've gone and bragged about the win, you should read the column by Chicago Tribune's John Kass, a true South Sider and White Sox fan. John Kass usually throws some attitude into his column, a "told-ya-so" kind of approach, but today he is a gracious winner and says it well. Still, we can brag a little bit, right?