25 Years: A Glimpse-Vol.1

As of today I am 25-years-old and it is a strange, almost otherworldly feeling. In theory this is just like any other day but suddenly I am a quarter of a century old. It is never good when the words century and birthday are in the same sentence, even as a joke. Many of you reading this blog know me in person, but few know my true story. 

The story begins in Las Vegas during the mid-1980s. Stubborn as ever, even during birth, I needed to be cut out in a c-section to avoid injury. It turns out that was the least of my problems. According to medical records I was born with a large bump on my head and a hole in my heart. The doctors also believe I was going to have webbed feet for the rest of my life. Needless to say my parents were a mess. A neurosurgeon that specialized in boxers was brought in to perform what was essentially a miracle. Even under the best conditions it was estimated I would not live past the age of five. 

And just as suddenly as the madness came it went. Unbeknownst to me I grew up a normal child (relativistically) completely unaware of the tremendous sigh of relief that happened the day I turned six. 

By the time I turned seven my parents were in the process of a divorce. It hurt back then but in hindsight it was for the best. They have since both remarried and are much happier. 

Incidentally, it was right about this time, somewhere between five and seven years old that I made two discoveries that would change the course of my life. The fact that they happened in the same moment is pure serendipity. Being rather little at the time my parents thought it would be a good idea to take me see the popular family movie of the day, Back to the Future II, the result was mind blowing. 

I left the theater dreaming of parallel timelines and hoverboards. I was determined to have one and to this day wish I could hop on one and fly through the air like Marty McFly. From that day forth I was a geek, I soaked up all the science fiction I could find. I also discovered music. Watching Michael J. Fox tear up the stage playing "Johnny B. Good" changed the way I looked at music. Up until that point it had just been about hair metal and loud guitars. Discovering Chuck Berry's music opened my eyes to all that music could be. 

I just looked at the clock and realized it's almost Midnight. If you would like to know more let me know on my blog and I will write a follow-up piece. I hope you all enjoyed my rant. 

A City in Flux

I decided to go for a walk today and clear my head, what I found was a world in disarray. All over Lincoln Park and Lakeview stores are closing without any notice. There one day, gone the next. It is as if they were never there at all. 

Typically this wouldn't be so disheartening if it weren't so sudden and widespread. Just today I found that the Coldstone and Hollywood Video down the street from me were closed. Only a day before Coldstone had been doing an ice cream promotion that drew a tremendous crowd. And yet not 24-hours later, still reeling from the high of the event, it was gone. Where is the justice in that? I realize these are just stores but the principle of the idea is so much more. 

The television and internet all tell us that the world is getting better. The recession, they say, is not as bad as it seems. But the government just speaks in numbers and statistics, they need to get out there and experience it first hand. The only way to know the world is to walk in it. 

As someone whose full-time position was recently eliminated I understand the struggle. Yet the world is full of contradictions. There may be more of us unemployed but we are certainly better off then we once were. It is simply a new state of being. I look at the so called vagrants on the street and they really don't seem to be that bad, most of them anyways. 

While pondering this newfound conclusion I found myself passing a man selling Streetwise. Usually I would be glad to hand the vendor money for such a publication, then I got a good look at him. He was on a cell phone talking away and there was an ipod strapped to his arm. I don't even own an ipod! With the world seemingly crumbling around us how is it that those in need  somehow have more? What does this say about society when an ipod is counted among the crucial essentials one needs to survive? 

I don't have the answers for you, I wish I did. But the world is changing quickly, let us hope for the better. 

Blogapalooza 2009 or a Blog about Bloggers Blogging

For this novice blogger going to Blogapalooza 2009 was an eye opening event. Bloggers, it seems, can be celebrities. Hosted by ChicagoNow the event brought the who's who of the Chicago blogging scene. It was a luxurious event that aimed to please all the senses at once. 

I've lived in Chicago for nearly 20 years and yet somehow never walked into the shops on 900 N. Michigan. The event gave me just the excuse I needed. Donning my classiest casual clothes I blended in as well as I could. I found it a little hard to mingle at first but the champagne going around certainly helped.  

"I LOVE your work!" a tall, middle-aged woman exclaimed loudly to ChicagoNow blogger Candance Jordan. Jordan is the writer of a social scene blog and extremely well versed writer. But that's not what caught my eye. What grabbed my attention were the amazing appetizers floating around the store. From  chicken satay's to large spring rolls I could have stayed in there forever. 

And that's when it occurred to me: it's all about the food. Yes, the Chicago social scene is alive and well and very beneficial to those involved. But it also gives those attending a chance to taste gourmet food by some of the city's top chefs. This, I believe, is the real attraction. Let's face it, had the event taken place in a conference hall with nothing to eat but coke and bagels it just wouldn't have worked. 

Over the course of the evening i'd say maybe 500 people attended the event. Out of all those how many event crashed? Say hi to a few people (or better yet come in a group so you don't have to know anyone else), grab your food and leave. These events happen quite often so i'd be willing to bet there's a whole of subculture of people that go purely for the free food. 

Taken from a purely hedonistic viewpoint yesterday's event was a sensual playground. Each floor presented new and wonderful ways to eat, drink and be merry. From free samples of bourbon and shoe shines at Marc Shale to free Bloody Mary's at the Oak Tree Restaurant and Bakery it was truly fantastic. 

My only gripe with the event is that it did not showcase any of the lesser bloggers of Chicago. Understand, this is not me asking for praise, I just got into the game. But there are many others out there, big names in the blogging world, who deserve the same sort of celebrity status as the writers I met last night. 

Why the Soul Craves the Blues

I'm not a musician but I know my music. In Chicago the blues is in our blood, it is the heartbeat of the city. From the rattle of the train to the sidewalk performers playing sax deep into the night. The blues has morphed over the decades into something a lot happier. At its root though the blues is essentially about exactly that: depression, loss and sadness. So what is the attraction?

For me it's the twang of the guitar. Anyone who has ever lost someone they loved be it to death or simply a really bad breakup you can feel it in every note of a good blues song. The way the chord of an electric guitar just draws out to its end screeching and scratching all along the way. It speaks to the soul. No other instrument reflects the torment of the soul quite like the slide guitar. 

Lyrics play a part too but not nearly as much as the instruments themselves. The true sorrows of the soul are written uttering a single word. The greats like Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson knew this. Legend has it that Johnson met the devil at a crossroads and sold his eternal soul so he could play better guitar. Johnson's work revolutionized the blues genre and found a way to translate the inner torment of an entire time period into raw, revealing music. 

It may sound strange but the soul needs the blues for the same reason it needs gospel music. Without it we'd go crazy desperately trying to translate that which cannot be spoken. 

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

A New Day

It's Monday again. I never thought I would actually look forward to Mondays. They used to mean long classes or tedious meetings but lately Mondays bring new opportunities.  Yesterday was the second day of Rosh Hashana, a holiday believed to symbolize the rebirth of the world. It is fitting then that the universal cocoon would burst all over a Monday morning. No time for rest, get moving or miss the existential race altogether. 

As the world changes so must I. After years of talking about doing a blog I have finally done it. The proof is in the product, as you can clearly see. In time I will expand this out adding video articles and more complex reporting. This is just the beginning of what I hope will eventually become a much larger venture. 

You will find that this blog is only partially about me. We live in a wild world that grows ever more fascinating. As a journalist I am in a unique position to see and do what others cannot. While many of my stories appear in my articles there are many adventures that never see the light of day. Those are the experiences I wish to share with you. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I do.