Product Placement Time, II

You know em', you love em', or at least you know I love em', and isn't that a wonderful thing that everyone wants? It's time for another performance by Chicago Tap Theatre (howdy lovely ladies, and Mark and Phil).

It's there annual summer story show, a superhero comic tap opera, or a continuation/re-introduction of last year's story of Hourglass (the comic book superhero hottie and hottie crew) once again battling evil hotties (and Mark and Phil). This year the show is "The Hourglass and the Poisoned Pen". I don't know the plot yet, so I can't spill the details, sorry. Suffice it to say, great tapping, I'm willing to bet a great storyline (plot written by comic book artist Andrew Pepoy, who will be at the show this Saturday), lots of fun, many laughs, and from what I'm told, bright colors. I don't know if there is anything shiny though. Oohhh, shiny.

As with all Chicago Tap Theatre performances, I recommend taking the time to see this one. The story shows are always among my favorites, innovative, different, definitely not what I would expect of tap (well, until I got to know CTT, now I'm spoiled forever. I like being spoiled.), and just all around awesome. Plus you'll be supporting one of the kindest, nicest, creative, innovative and hottest (I like calling them hot, because they are, and then they tell me how nice and sweet I am. I'm so easy.) performing groups in town. (And if you doubt me, I took a friend to their Mixology show back in March or so, and she's now hyping the company and trying to figure out when she's going to go as well. See em' once, fall in love with them forever. Trust me.)

On a quick side note, you can cheer, clap, hoot and holler during the performance for things you like or enjoy. I always enjoy cheering for the "evil" characters. It's more fun when "evil" wins. (This might explain some things about my life.)

Also, be aware, if you want to talk to the cast about the production, Friday nights they'll be having special question and answer sessions.

While the show runs through the 20th of July, I'd suggest earlier rather than later (later performances of all shows tend to sell out, earlier it's easier to get tickets), in fact I'd suggest you go this very weekend. Really, don't you want something cool to do this weekend? And as I've pointed out in the past, guys, you can really impress the ladies with how culturally cool you are, and all you have to do is watch a live comic book, though you'll love the performance on all levels I'm sure.

Hopefully I'll see ya there this weekend.

Tickets here.

June 27-29, July 5,6, 11-13, 18-20
All Friday and Saturday shows at 8pm
All Sunday shows at 3pm
Athenaeum Theatre, Studio 3, 2936 N. Southport
For tickets, call 312-902-1500 or here.

Because I Can, XXIV

Product Placement Time

I don't do much advertising, but time to do some.

You got some free time an upcoming weekend, this weekend, some weekend nearby? Good, I knew you did. Go see some theater. And if you ask me what you should see, and you're still reading so I'll assume you are asking, there are two productions I would see currently, and I will see both of them.

In this case, go see the Strange Tree Group's current production, "The Mysterious Elephant, And the Terrible Tragedy of the Unlikely Addington Twins* (*Who Kill Him)."

It's getting good reviews, it's a fun show, a fun night, and more importantly, I like it. (FYI - I have good taste in theater, maybe not clothes, nope, not clothes, but definitely in theater.) Should you want a "professional" review, go here (I'm still cooler though). And if you doubt that it is worth it, realize I give them my time, happily, to photograph their shows to encourage their work. It's time well spent. I think they're worth watching.

Tickets here.

Because I Can, XXIII

It's in the Eyes

I'll trust the look in someone's eyes before the words out of their mouth. This is the pitcher checking first base during the Oak Park South Side Little League Championship Game. (I'm still debating between vertical or horizontal.)

Another Day on the Job, II

This is what I wore to work Saturday night. Note the always sexy fanny pack. It's hot, oh yeah baby, hot. Also, the farmer's tan, it's hard work to get that strong of a farmer's tan.


More images from this event will follow...when I have time.

Just Checking Another Item Off the List

This quote is from the coordinator of an event I'm trying to cover this weekend. He is giving me advice on how to successfully cover the event and do so in a way respectful to those participating.

"wear few if any clothes (seriously)"

Now...I don't know what to say here. Someday I'm going to have seen it all, done it all. Being asked to strip for work, that's a new one for me. And not all that nice to those around me (time to take on those body image issues). Do what you got to do I guess.

Anyone know where to get some Marvin the Martian boxer briefs in Chicago? And a fedora? Seriously.

Because I Can, XXII

Because I Can, XXI

Urban Golf

So, as I've already established, Monday was just incredible, on so many levels. Well, not to rub it in, but this was Sunday.

Sunday started at the loving time of 5:30am, for leaving the house at least. I spent from about 6am till 10am covering Bike the Drive, the annual closing of Lake Shore Drive so that bicyclists can takeover and enjoy it. It was harder to photograph than I expected, but I got a couple of okay images out of it. Suffice it to say, it got covered.

Later in the day was urban golf, through Cudgel. Basically the idea behind urban golf is you get a golf club, a tennis ball, a series of alleys, dress like a 70s golf rock-star hero, and drink your way through the course. It's a good time, it's utterly, and totally ridiculous, hence good time. So I got to spend a few hours hanging out with some awesome people, who were fabulously dressed ("I want to look very meticulously terrible.")

I also decided, that besides wanting to cover this again in the future, when I do so, I'm playing next time. It's not so rushed that I can't, and hell, my journalism has to get more gonzo. (If you don't know what Gonzo-journalism is, first and foremost I hope you aren't a journalist, if you are a journalist and don't know that term I'm kicking your ass. The wikipedia entry is pretty good. I tend towards being a bit more factually accurate, but the whole getting into the middle of events thing I'm all into. While I may be an observer of life more than a participator, I'm at least going to observe from pointblank range. I believe that I can only truly portray a situation if I feel a situation which means being absorbed by the situation which done by being totally and wholly in a situation. Got it?) I need to be more gonzo. I'm doing better, but I must get more involved, almost every image I'm happy-ish with comes from a situation I'm totally absorbed by and in.

Live and learn.

(and the dork in the yellow, is the reporter I was working with. For a reporter (which sets the bar pretty low) he's pretty good all around.)

Wonderful, Strange

I had the strangest experience on Monday. I had a common holiday off. For the first time in 8-10 years, maybe more, I had Memorial Day off.

See, Memorial Day has a lot of parades and similar, and normally, I'm at those parades making photos. This year, my boss decided to give me the day off and give all that work to freelancers. This was a surprising gift.

I spent the day with two amazing, beautiful women. We picnicked, in spite of the risk of rain, we goofed off, and goofed off some more, and talked enough to write a book or two. Our blankets were covered in food, drink, piles of cameras, clubs and balls and other things for juggling, and wonderful friends.

It's a strange experience for me to have a day off that other people have off. To be able to enjoy the company of friends so thoroughly. I want to repeat it. I want to repeat having the day off, but more than that, I want to repeat Memorial Day 2008. I want that happiness, that inner warmth, every day. It was amazing. (If I keep talking, all I'm going to do is ramble on about how good it was in a very repetitive manner.)

The photos, some of them are weird, we're three odd people, but I just like these images. We were just having fun, being us, through and through. There are, quite literally, a hundred more I like also, but I can't post them all.

I just want you to know, right now, I'm smiling.









Update: Sarah's blog post, and if you don't know Sarah, you really should, trust me. Also, her post is so much better than mine. Read it, you'll get a feel for the day better than from me and discover you want to hang with Sarah also, but I have dibs. Just sayin'.

Because I Can, XX

Because I Can, XIX

Because I Can, XVIII

Because I Can, XVII

Because I Can, XVI

This Post is About Nothing

Maybe I've given up on meaning in life. There isn't any. Sorry. Get over it.

Maybe life is just too tough some days. Maybe I'm tired of bad shit happening to good people.

Maybe I want goodness for my friends. Though I should say, there are people out there willing to offer it. To them, you are amazing, please don't ever stop. You have no idea what you, what you few mean to me.

Maybe I just have given up on trying to be decent, not even good, but decent meaning anything to anyone but myself.

At some point, it all means nothing. At some point, maybe, just maybe, you have to do it for yourself. I'm not talking about being selfish, that's just not my style, most of the time.

Maybe I, and really, this is all about me, it's my blog, what else were you expecting it to be about? Maybe I need remember to give without expectation of a return. Give with only the joy of giving as it's only reward. Maybe, just maybe, this is the most cynical of attitudes.

You know what? I'm a weak man. I'm sorry. I am. Think less of me if you wish. It's probably fair. There are a lot of things I can't do, I can't do as a man, I can't do as a human, I just can't do. I'm not strong enough. I wish I was. At some point, I don't know where, we are all just...not strong enough, we are broken.

Maybe this makes me less of a man. I'm sure some think so. Frankly, I pity them. Don't get me wrong, I want to be more than I am. I'm capable of being so much more. It hurts me, it hurts me, that I'm not more, I have the potential, I know I do, but I don't, I can't, and I don't know why. But somewhere, somehow, I am what I am, and that, that right there, is enough, maybe, just maybe, it's even downright good.

What I do today, what I will do tomorrow, everything I've ever done, I know, amounts to nothing, but maybe, just maybe, that means I'm nothing more, nothing less, than everyone else.


Maybe, just maybe, that means I'm good enough.

Because I Can, XV

Because I Can, XIV

Had a couple of hours to kill between a children's exercises shoot and state water polo championships. I'll probably have a better variant of this tomorrow, but this was the best on that card, and I don't have that much time to kill. ;)

Because I Can, XIII

Not the best image from the evening, but it's what's up for now.

I Live a Hard Life

Because I Can, XII

Yeah, it's the shot every high school photo student has taken and thought was interesting, and it wasn't, but it's part of the process, so it's good they do it. I suppose I could say something intelligent about exploring with a fresh eye, or a child's eye, or seeing the world with the newness only found in babies. Those are all true and wonderful, but really, I just want too.

It was just a photo I wanted to take while out on a stroll in a park on a night not so many days ago.

Is there any better reason in this world than, "because I wanted too" or "because it made me happy"?

It's all about the food

I just get to have lunch/dinner with the coolest people. This is, yep, I'm calling you out on stage for a minute, Peter "George" Ksander, according to Time Out New York, "the most ingenious set designer working downtown." And the whole serious look thing makes me laugh hysterically.

I'm becoming a stronger and stronger believer in the value of surrounding yourself with the most creative, kindest people you can. I think it will only encourage those things, help you grow those things, in yourself. I'm not sure if that's how it works, but it's a happy experiment to try.

Isaah

The world is different than I would've thought.

Many a year ago I saw a study. It pretty soundly linked perception and media consumption. By this I mean, how dangerous people saw the world was pretty strongly related to how much news and media they consumed. People who saw the world as less threatening, tended to be out and about more.

Now, mind you, I spend a lot of time consuming media. I may not read many books these days, or any books at all, but I read hours upon hours a day. I read newspapers, magazines, website upon website, blog after blog. Many of them relevant to my job and career. I want to do what I do better, every day, every year. But I'm also out and about, a lot, I mean, a lot.

So in the last few weeks, and these photos are already over a week old, I've just been busy, I've met at least two former drug dealers and ex-cons. You know what? They were two of the nicest, smartest, and in some ways, wise people I've met in a long time. The older one I met knew it, he just knew it. It didn't matter what "it" was, he knew the score, he knew what was important in this world and he knew he had made mistakes and that he had moved on. He knew he was a good guy. And I only got to know him for maybe twenty minutes. From that time, he was right.

Isaah, was much younger, maybe 19. He made some mistakes, some big mistakes, but you know what, it's not the mistakes that matter, it's what we learn from them that matters. Isaah, he learned. He learned big time. Isaah is one of those rare people who makes me regret leaving the world (the horrible world) of management. I wanted nothing more after talking to Isaah than to offer him a job. No, his skill set might not have been great, but he has the important qualities. He is smart, he learns from his mistakes, kind, caring, interested and interesting, genuine and also scarred, hard-working, looking to make his life better, and willing to do the work to get there.

He's currently doing work with a program, Clean Slate, to help him get placed in a steady job and get the training he needs. Much of this involves doing work picking up trash on the street. I was a janitor for a few months, but nothing as hard as what he's doing, and he's doing it for far less, for now. He's trying, he's working. Isaah came across as what we want from the citizens of this country, a desire to improve, both their standing in the world, and themselves.

Isaah was an inspiration to me.

I tried to relay that to him, I'm sure I failed, but that morning I spent hanging with him, learning his story, his past, and how he was trying to make a better now, and better tomorrow, you know what, he's one of the reasons I love my job. People like Isaah.