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06.24.05 || Beat the HeatWho likes to sit and sweat? I know I've mentioned this a lot, but today it really reminds me of it. Why and how can people like 90-degree weather? I mean there’s really nothing you can do that doesn’t include sweating. As you here in Chicago know, today’s high is supposed to be close to 100 degrees, and well it sucks. Sweating all day just doesn’t appeal to me; I guess I should be going farther north. Not only am I allergic to (or just dislike) the heat, my skin rather dislikes the sun. I am unlike one of those who like to go soak up some cancer, also known as tanning. If I’m out in the sun for any length of time, I turn red, get really burnt, and then start peeling a couple days later. The outcome of this is a little bit darker red skin, not a tan skin. So needless to say me and heat and sun don’t get along. I know lots of people say they like summer season the best, so I just have this question, does anybody really like this 90-degree weather?
06.14.05 || Batman Begins -- A look back
So tomorrows the big day. Many Batman followers are going to flock to the theaters. Well thanks to these Batman enthusiasts my website became an instant hit, so I feel I owe them something. As I promised before, here is a nice condensed form of all the Batman Begins filming pictures in Chicago I took back in August of 2004. There are many things I've posted about these pictures, and if you click the picture below there will be more of a description there also. Well for those who don't know that Batman Begins was partly filmed in Chicago, on Lower Wacker, you have a lot to learn, for the others, who know what’s going on, check out the pictures.
Alright, it all started when I was looking at the vacant lot outside my 101 N. Wacker office building last year, and saw all these motor homes and other trucks and buses. Well I soon found out Batman was filming in Chicago! These pictures are from August 2nd, 2004.
Realizing the hype this was bringing I didn’t want to let any one down and tried to keep up with what they were doing. Being that the movie was filmed at night, and I live two hours away, there really wasn’t much practical sense for me to be there when they were actually filming, but I did capture the vehicles used during the day. This is when I noticed superherohype.com had linked me, and many Batman fanatics were flocking to my site to check out the pictures. So August 12th I captured a few more pictures of the Gotham City squad cars and other filming trucks.
The filming crew was quickly in and quickly out, so it didn’t leave me much time to get pictures of what they were doing. The last day I was there that they were around was August 16th. So that gives you a little story behind the capture of these pictures, and maybe you’ll see a few of these in the movie if you go see it. You can see the old blog posts here: August 2004
06.13.05 || If I Were A Rich Man
Growing up I’m sure we all heard our parents talk about the ‘new’ music these days, mostly how their old music, which originally came out when they were in high school, is being recreated and made into new and ‘hip’ music today. Well today comes the day I say, what is with this new music? I heard “Gwen Stefani – Rich Girl” on the radio yesterday and I’m like, oh, so she’s copying old songs now too. First of all this is a sign of laziness, the artists today cannot make new lyrics, new music; they have to take old stuff and remake it to a newer 21st century beat. Now granted “If I Were A Rich Man” came out around 1964 in the infamous play Fiddler on the Roof, I wasn’t around, but being in the videography business I just recorded this production, and have seen it probably around 50 times in editing and making the videos for it. So being well familiar with this song, I noticed it right away, and realized, yep, she’s gotten lazy lately. Now she’ll make money on a song 40 years old. I can’t say that the song sounds bad, or she (or her sound crew) didn’t do a good job, its just sad we have to repeat songs, just add a different singer and little different beat.
06.09.05 || Undercover
For those hanging around DeKalb this summer, or coming back anytime soon watch out for new Dekalb unmarked police cars. They have a few I’ve noticed, obviously the usual darker color Ford Crown Victoria’s, and Chevy Impala’s. Also look for a white Mustang, older body styled one, not the new 2005 body style. The newest to the list, that I've seen is a black 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix, like the one below.
They’ve added hidden strobes and tinted windows on this car, totally does not look like a police car. They’re getting more and more sneaky, just waiting for you to do something wrong like speed down Annie Glidden. This is where I saw the cop in this car, pulled someone over, most likely speeding, but obviously I have no idea. Anyways let me know if you see any other cars in the DeKalb area..
06.06.05 || Subject: ILLEGALS
I think everyone knows I have very strong viewpoints on this matter. Well, as many of us know I’m not the only one. What I may say to someone, which sounds really bad, is very true. Because I point out the truth of the matter I’m looked upon as a bad person. If I point out to someone they have done something bad or wrong, no matter what it is you will look upon me negatively. Rather than admit fault and apologize for the matter you will ignore what I’ve said and label me. As a society we must learn to improve, and refusing others suggestions for improvement is purely a step backward. This is nearly the same as learning from our mistakes, except someone is telling us advice, because they already had the mistake and learned from it, and is trying to help you out. Weather this is refusing the truth or ignorance of the subject at hand, I think many people ignore what is going on so close to us. All the following points are pretty striking if you actually think about them, rather than ignore the fact they are true, and realize that this is going on in our neighborhood. Let me point out, this is an email I received which I totally agree with the point they are trying to make. Another similar email is Andy Rooney's email I posted a couple years ago.
It's an interesting thought from a Southern Californian.
Try driving around as a Gringo in Mexico with no liability insurance..... and have an accident....
Enter Mexico illegally... Never mind immigration quotas, visas, international law or any of that nonsense.
Once there, demand that the local government provide free medical care for you and your entire family.
Demand bilingual nurses and doctors.
Demand free bilingual local government forms, bulletins, etc.
Procreate abundantly.
Deflect any criticism of this allegedly irresponsible reproductive behavior with, "It is a cultural United States thing... You wouldn't understand, pal."
Keep your American identity strong. Fly Old Glory from your rooftop or proudly display it in your front window or on y our car bumper.
Speak only English at home and in public, then insist that your children do likewise.
Demand classes on American culture in the Mexican school system.
Demand to be eligible for Mexican retirement funds into which you never contributed.
Demand a local Mexican driver license. This will afford other legal rights and will go far to legitimize your unauthorized, illegal presence in Mexico.
Insist that local Mexican law enforcement teach English to all its officers.
Good luck! Because it will never happen. It will not happen in Mexico or any other country in the world... except right here in the United States... Land of the naive! If you agree, pass it on. If you don't, move to Mexico... or Iraq... or France.
Oh.... And one more thing. . don't drink the water!