Live from the Heartland

Old Oaken Bucket Game - Indiana University vs. Purdue University

2007-11-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

Since 1925, each year the Indiana University Hoosiers and Purdue University Boilermakers play a Big Ten conference football game to determine the winner of the Old Oaken Bucket; one of the oldest football trophies in the nation. The Old Oaken Bucket is symbolic of collegiate football supremacy between the two largest public universites in Indiana - the bucket is in it's 83rd year of spirited rivalry. These teams play at the highest level, NCAA Division I.

On Saturday, November 17, I attended my first "bucket game" in person and enjoyed the experience with the company of my son who is a sophmore at Indiana University - Bloomington, and a close friend of mine and his son from Chicago (who are avid Boiler fans).

The Hoosiers won the contest 27 - 24 with kicker Austin Starr sending a 49-yard game winning field goal squarely between the goal posts with 30 seconds remaining.

Earlier in the game Starr had made a 42-yard field goal to set an IU school record for field goals in a season with 18. Ironically, Starr wears jersey #18. "I had a dream this week about me doing this," he said of the game winner. "I'm not sure how long the kick was in my dream, but I prepared myself all week to be the guy to enable us to beat Purdue, to have a game-winning kick."

The weather could have have been more gorgeous; an absolutely beautiful warm sunny, southern Indiana fall day where the afternoon temperature at the 3:30 pm kick-off was 57 degrees, clear skies and no wind. Those from this region know the setting for Indiana football does not get any better than this and Memorial Stadium, with a capacity is 50,180 was sold out.

Accordingly to the Chicago Chapter of the IU Alumni Association, the history of this rivalry began when both institutions, who had met on the field since 1891, held a meeting of the Indiana and Purdue Alumni Chapters of Chicago in 1925 to "discuss the possibility of undertaking worthy joint enterprises in behalf of the two schools."

The creation of a traditional football trophy to go to the winner of the annual clash was proposed. Dr. Clarence Jones of IU and Russell Gray of Purdue were appointed to recommend a suitable trophy.

At a later meeting they recommended "an old oaken bucket" as the most typical Hoosier form of trophy, that the bucket should be taken from a well in Indiana, and a chain to be made of bronze block "I" and "P" letters should be provided for the bucket. The school who wins the traditional football game each years should have possession of the "Old Oaken Bucket" until the next game and should attach the block letter representing the winning school to the bail with the score engraved on the latter link."

Fritz Ernst of Purdue and Indiana's Wiley J. Huddle were givent he task of finding the bucket. They located it on the old Bruner Farm between Kent and Hanover in southern Indiana. The region had been settled by the Bruner family in the 1840's, making today's bucket well over a century old. For the first game, in 1925, excellent repair work put the bucket, moss and mold-covered with some staves showing signs of decay into good shape for its initial appearance, which ended in a 0-0 tie!

I am glad 82 years after the first Old Oaken Bucket game that I was able to enjoy a Hoosier victory! After the win, we all went down onto the field and mixed with the team, students and fans - this was a unique experience that I hope to have again.....

Reflection - When I met Norman Mailer

2007-11-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

Norman Mailer died Saturday, November 11, 2007 in New York City at the age of 84.

He probably would not have wanted an old man's death. He would most likely have liked it to have gone another way - an accident or a bar fight, a lover's brawl, or perhaps at the White Horse Tavern, the Geenwich Village bar where another gifted writer, the poet Dylan Thomas, literally drank himself to death. Mailer was as renowned for hard living, womanising and fist-fights as he was for his literary works. He had nine children by six wives, including one who he stabbed, nearly fatally, in a drunken fight at a party; he also bit off part of the ear of actor Rip Torn.

His career took in other such bizarre events as running for mayor of New York City in attempt to make his beloved city the 51st state. During the 60's and 70's Mailer was one of the leaders of "hipsterdom" in New York; dabbling in avant-garde culture, black power, drugs - he was also co-founder of the alternative newspaper the Village Voice.

While many would have predicted a much more flamboyant demise, unlike his hero Ernest Hemingway; Mailer, the giant of American literature and one of English Language's most gifted writers, died of renal failure in a New York hosptial bed. A few month earlier he had an operation on his lungs to remove scar tissue.

Each year in my hometown of the Indianapolis - Marion County Public Library has sponsored the Marian McFadden Memorial Lecture series; an annual presentation that has hosted such notables as Norman Mailer, John Irving, Judy Blume, Maurice Sendak, Margaret Atwood and John Updike, Saul Bellow and most recently Kurt Vonnugut Jr's son, Mark, who presented the very speech his late father had planned to deliver at this year's 30th anniversary of the McFadden lecture series.

This yearly lecture was established after the Library Foundation received a gift from the estate of Marian McFadden, Director of Public Libraries from 1945-1956. The lecture typically occurs in the Spring and has been offered free to the public since 1978.

I was fortunate enough to meet Norman Mailer at the end of his lecture in probably 1979. My mother, who instilled in me and my brother, and later my son a love of books and reading, wanted to attend this lecture due to her affection for Mailer's works. I recall the lecture being serious, funny, cynical, political as well as deeply intellectual; Mailer talked much about Gary Gilmore, the central figure in the book he was finishing that went on to win the 1979 Pulitizer Prize; The Executioner's Song. This novel was based upon a true story of the double murderer from Utah, Gary Gilmore. Gilmore was the first person executed in the US after the re-instatement of the death penalty in 1976. He made famous the line "let's do it" when he faced his executioner.

My late mother took with her a small 5" x 6" red textile copy of "The Naked and the Dead" (1948) the World War II novel, set in the Pacific, inspired by his experiences as a soldier that made Mailer famous at the age of 25. After the lecture, Mailer stood at the edge of the stage at North Cental High School and talked with a small group of people who had gathered to greet him.

I escorted my mother up the steps on the left side of the stage and Mailer immediately made eye-contact and smiled at my mother as she stood in the circle of probably 8 - 10 people. He quietly acknowledged her and said "hello" and my mother said she loved his novels and asked if he would he be so kind as to sign the book she had brought. He genuinely seemed touched and said "I would love to, what is you name dear". My mother replied Marie and he took out a black cartridge pen and wrote inside the front cover "Best Wishes Marie, Cheers, Norman Mailer". We both shook his hand, relayed our thanks and departed the stage. My brother now has the book in his personal collection.

Several years later my wife and I honeymooned in Provincetown, where Mailer's spent much of his time and was a pillar of the community. Considered an eccentric and outcast in many circles, when in Provincetown he could be himself; the hard-fighting, serial-marrying and Pulitzer Prize winning Mailer played in the town poker tournament, gave numerous readings in support of the Fine Arts Work Center and the local library, and helped raise money to build the town's first theater in nearly three decades.

Mailer's love affair with Provincetown began on a 1943 visit while he was a student at Harvard University, according to J. Michael Lennon, his longtime editor, archivist and friend. Mailer loved the 18th century white clapboard houses in Provincetown as much as he liked the artists, merchants and fisherman who occupied them.

For 60 years he would return to Provincetown, where he bought a brick house overlooking the bay living with his sixth wife of 32 years, Norris Church Mailer. To Mailer, according to Lennon, "Provincetown was the perfect place to write, a place with all the bohemian charm of Greenwich Village without the noise and distraction".

Lennon has gone on to say "he became a fixture in town, everybody knew him, he'd walk down the street to buy a newspaper and wave to people and stop to chat". In his younger days, he would walk the dunes during the day, write late into the night and hold court on the back porch of his home as the sun and into the horizon.

"He choose to live in a small town at the edge of the continent, but he was at the center of the nation's political and social discourse, whether he was taking on the war in Iraq or taking on Adolf Hitler", said friend Seth Rolbein, editor of the Cape Cod voice.

"In his final days, assisted by two canes, Mailer would walk the quarter mile from his home to his favorite resturant, Michael Shay's, order two dozen Wellfleet oysters and take the shells home to ponder them, discerning the face of a Greek warrior in on or a sun goddess in another".

"He had deep blue eyes" said owner Shay Santos, "and when you had a conversation with him, you knew you had his full attention".

The photo I selected to place on this entry is quite similar to the way he looked the night I met him in Indianapolis. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to hear Norman Mailer speak his thoughts in a setting such as this; I am even luckier to have had the chance to make eye contact into those deep blue eyes for just a moment in time, and shake the hand of one of our great literary contributors.

Almost Famous

2007-10-22T16:56:00.001-07:00

While growing up I played the drums and other related percussion instruments beginning in the fifth grade and continued through high school and beyond. During grade school I quickly became the best drummer at public school #18, located in the Fountain Square section of Indianapolis. While the first chair drummer in grade school I began the first ever pep band for athletic events and even marched in a parade; something not many people in the 7th grade did in those days, the year was 1968.

As I transitioned into high school, I eventually sat first chair and studied privately from the head of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for all four years of high school. A key event was placing 1st in the state solo ensemble contest held at Butler University for snare drum competition. During high school I played in concert band, orchestra, pit band, pep band and marching band. I was fortunate enough to march in the Indianapolis 500 parade, around the track before the race, and on Monument Circle for various city events that required a high school band. The high school was Manual, which is on the south side. In the 1970’s Manual had a reputation for being the best band and music program in the city.

David Letterman had a show on Saturday morning at channel 13 called “Clover Power” which was sponsored by 4-H to showcase local high school talent. I put together a drum ensemble called “36 heads” which was one of the coolest music events going on at that time. The piece called for 4 drum sets, 8 drum heads each, i.e. two heads on the snare, two heads on the ride tom, two heads on the bass, and two heads on the floor tom. 4 x 8 = 32, then you add in the human head of each drummer which is 4 total and you have 36 heads. The piece was so extraordinary we played at various schools, art museum, and sectional basketball games at half time.

We were spotted by a scout from Clover Power and they had us on the show. I remember it well, we drove to 11th and Meridian where the old channel 13 studio was located (now channel 20) and met a very, very young an not famous, not yet discovered David Letterman. He was very nice to us, and very funny. He told us what a break it was to have something besides kid with their sheep. He bought us cokes in the commissary and joke with us during the taping. I like to tell people “have I ever told you about the time I played the drums live on David Letterman”.

I graduated from high school and went to London with the thought of trying to live there and play live music. Understand at this time I have been playing every day and practicing no less than 30 minutes per day every day of my life since grade school. I was among the best out there. I met a music booking agent in London who told me Steve Miller (who I didn’t really know at the time) was looking for a studio drummer for his next album and was auditioning. If the drummer selected fit the band well, they would go on tour with them. The audition neared and I had met some friends who were going to the continent and down to Greece for the winter. I thought this sounded just about perfect so I took off with them and did not show up for the audition.

I came back to the US and through correspondence learned Steve Miller had really wanted me to audition after hearing my credentials (which were impressive for an 18 year old). He did get a drummer and they cut the studio album which was called “The Joker” and went to #1 within one month after release. The song is still popular to this day.

So, here I am writing about it and thinking whenever I heard the song “The Joker”, I smile and think to myself - that could have been playing the drums on that album…..but at least I got to play on David Letterman!

Indiana University Kelley School of Business News Release

2007-03-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

Kelley Indianapolis News Room
IU Kelley School of Business Indianapolis students learn financial markets firsthand during trip to NYC

2/12/2007 (Kelley Indianapolis)

The New York Stock Exchange and other securities markets have driven capital investment and economic growth in the U.S. for more than 200 years – yet many Americans still lack a basic understanding of these institutions. A recent survey by the National Council on Economic Education showed that more than half of students couldn’t identify the basic purpose of the stock market.

At the IU Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, Professor David Steele is helping reverse this trend, one classroom at a time. For the last six years, Steele has organized a unique field trip for freshman undergraduate students in his Honors X105 course: These students travel to the heart of the U.S. financial capital, New York City, and learn firsthand the history and operations of the securities and public equity markets.

“I saw a lack of understanding of the capital-raising process, which is really a fundamental concept,” said Steele. “I starting thinking, ‘What’s the best way to bring this to life?’ A trip to New York seemed like a great way to get students excited about our financial history and how the system works today.”

In Steele’s Fall 2006 course, 24 students traveled to New York, each spending just over $500 on airfare, lodging and meals. The trip’s itinerary mixed a study of the current markets with a look into the past.

“We visited Alexander Hamilton’s grave and Federal Hall, the first U.S. seat of government; we toured the Museum of Financial History, and stood on the spot where the agreement to form the New York Stock Exchange was signed in 1782,” said Krista Bontreger, one of the students on the trip. “Learning the history helped us understand why things are done the way they are today, and how our government and our financial markets developed together.”

In delving into the modern New York Stock Exchange, students learned the ins and outs of the largest capital-raising market in the world.

“We learned that exchanges like the NASDAQ are 100% electronic, while the New York Stock Exchange trades electronically and manually – that’s the trading floor that’s usually seen on TV,” said Stephen Reusser, another of Steele’s students. “We talked to several traders and learned about the process, how they spend their days – it’s very hectic.”

Students also toured the offices of Merrill Lynch, exploring areas of the global brokerage that are typically closed to the public. The class also heard from Merrill Lynch associates who had been evacuated from the firm’s headquarters on 9/11, when three employees lost their lives during the terrorist attacks.

Steele’s class also broadened their horizons with a taste of New York culture, visiting historic neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, Little Italy, Chinatown and SoHo.

“We were enlightened by the cultural diversity, and found that the New Yorkers we met were actually very nice and outgoing,” said student Morgan McTargett. “We had a great time, and learned a lot.”

Steele deemed the trip a success.

“The student came back from New York with a much greater understanding of our capital-raising process and financial markets than they did when they left, and memories that will last a lifetime,” he said. “Just as important, it helped them learn concepts that will appear again and again throughout the rest of their business education at Kelley.”

The IU Kelley School of Business has been a leader in American business education for more than 80 years. With an enrollment of 3,716 undergraduate and over 1000 graduate students, it is among the premier business schools in the country, with both the undergraduate and graduate programs ranked among the best in the United States. Kelley’s Indianapolis campus, based at IUPUI, is home to the school’s Evening MBA and Master of Professional Accountancy programs and a full-time undergraduate program.

View Entire List of News Items

Staff Login

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kelley School of Business Indianapolis Kelley School of Business Bloomington IUPUI Home
801 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202 Ph: (317) 274-2147 Contact the Kelley School of Business
Copyright 2007, The Trustees of Indiana University Copyright Complaints

The Kelley School of Business is accredited by AACSB International.

Broken Angel House

2007-01-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

Broken Angel or the Broken Angel House is a building located at 4 Downing Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, at the intersection of Downing and Quincy Streets. The house was featured prominently as a backdrop in the film Dave Chappelle's Block Party. The photo to the left is looking from the east (Quincy Street) toward the facade of the building.

My son is a huge fan of Dave Chappelle and encouraged my wife and I to see the film, a.k.a. Block Party which we did some time ago. We thought this film, with a strong hip hop spirit, was well done and we both enjoyed it very much.

The Broken Angel House which serves as the backdrop for much of the movie is such and interesting focal point of the film, my son and I decided during our next trip to New York we would drive by and see it in person.

While in New York with my son about a year ago we drove by the house and took several photo's. This past week, on Thursday, January 4, 2007, my wife, son and I were in New York and we made the trip again so my wife had the opportunity to see the Broken Angel House.

Broken Angel House is the home of Brooklyn artist Arthur Wood who originally purchased the 4-story brick tenement building in 1972 for $2,000. He lives in the house with his wife Cynthia and raised their son Christopher who is now a stone carver. The artist explored ideas about design and vernacular architecture with improvised construction to add new floors and rooms to the orginal building, to the point where the structure reaches 104 feet, or about 9 storys above the sidewalk. The site had been compared to Watts Tower in Los Angeles for the ad hoc construction and is acknowledged for its value as folk art and as part of the cultural heritage of the area.

Dave Chappelle's Block Party is a documentary film hosted and written by comedian Dave Chappelle, and directed by Michel Gondry. The budget for the movie was $2,000,000 and was distributed by Rouge Pictures. As of July, 2006 the film grossed a total of $16.9 million dollars in US box office and DVD sales.

The film features Chappell during the fall of 2004 when he threw a block party on the corner of Quincy and Downing Street in Brooklyn. The Broken Angel House is on Downing where it dead ends and joins Quincy. The film gained prominence after its production, which took place after Chappelle's highly-publized decision to walk away from a $50 million deal to continue his hit Chappelle's Show.

He invited several alternative hip hop and neo-soul musical artists to perform at the party, including Kanye West, Mos Def, Jill Scott, Erykah, and The Roots along with The Central State University Marching Band, Lauryn Hill was also scheduled to perform at teh party, but since Columbia Records refused to release her songs for use in the production, she decided insteead to reunite The Fugees for the occasion. In addition, Chappelle performed comedy monologues and sketches in between the musical acts.

I recommend the movie and I also recommend driving by and seeing the Broken Angel House in person; it is quite a piece or "living artwork".

Broken Angel House
4 Downing Street
Downing & Quincy Streets
Brooklyn, New York 11238

Beatles in Indianapolis - September 3, 1964

2006-09-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

I was in the fourth grade when The Beatles came to Indianapolis on their first ever North American tour. I did not attend the show but remember the hype and the folklore (urban legends) very well and thought I should write a posting on my memories of these days. I tell the story of their first trip to the US and the events in Indianapolis often as the city has changed much and many don't even remember the Coliseum where concerts were played and the Indiana Pacers had their first home some 40 years ago.

The Beatles traveled from Philadelphia to Indianapolis, playing 2 shows on September 3rd at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. They had played one show at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, September 2 at Conventions Hall. After a fun and entertaining chat with the press, and a quick meet-and-greet with a group of lucky locals, the Beatles took to the stage.

According to motor racing writer Bob Jennings who was one of the teenagers in attendence that day: "There was an afternoon show in the fairgrounds Coliseum before a packed house of something like 10,000 screaming fans. Ticket demand was so hot, an evening show was hastily scheduled in front of the grandstand on the one mile dirt race track because the Coliseum was already booked for another State Fair event. I was able to get tickets to the evening show... a couple hundred yards from the stage. There was an electricity that's hard to describe... about the only thing I can compare it to is the start of the Indianapolis 500."

Following their two performances that day in Indianapolis, the Beatles departed for Milwaukee Wisconsin, the next stop along their franticly-paced 1964 North American Tour.

I remember most of the "hype" centered around where the Beatles stayed during their visit to Indianapolis. As a young boy at the time, I recall every news report speculated they were staying at the now demolished "Essex House", an upscale hotel in downtown Indianapolis which sat on the east side of Pennsylvania Street across from University Park; the actual address of the Essex House was 407 N. Pennsylvania Street. Various plans have been reported through the years for former Essex House site.

Crowds camped out by the hotel in hope of viewing the "mop tops" who were the sensation of the world at this time. Also fans made their way inside the hotel ripping off wallpaper, removing doornobs and other artifacts. The promoters then moved the Fab Four to the Speedway Motel.

The Speedway Motel (on the site of the Indianapolis 500 race track, is still at this location and in use; it is literally the same as it was during the Beatles visit with some minor innovation renovation of the rooms, but no structural changes to the building. The Beatles stayed in rooms 228, 230, 232 and 234. These rooms are virtually the same as when the band stayed in them with the exeption on new carpet, wall paper, etc.

Also, Clark Gable has stayed at the hotel; as well as virtually every driver of the Indy 500 from the time the hotel was built to present. Paul Newman filmed a scene from the movie "Winning" in room 214.

The Speedway Motel was built in 1963 and rennovated in 1981. It is now called the Brickyard Crossing Resort & Inn which includes a complete rennovation of the former "Speedway Golf Course" by local Indiana golf course architect Pete Dye. By visiting the pro shop, you can view a photo on the wall of the Bealtes in 1964 just off turn 2 putting golf balls; on what was at that time the location of the practice putting green.

The Beatles arrived at Weir Cook Airport on September 2, and

Afternoon Show1. Introduction2. Twist & Shout3. You Can't Do That4. All My Loving5. She Loves You6. Things We Said Today7. Roll Over Beethoven8. Can't Buy Me Love9. If I Fell10. I Wanna Hold Your Hand11. Boys12. A Hard Day's Night13. Long Tall Sally (incomplete)
THIS BLOG POST IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AND NOT COMPLETED AT THIS TIME - ALL INFORMATION ABOVE THIS LINE IS ACCURATE. CHECK BACK FOR THE COMPLETE STORY.
THE BEATLES' FIRST US TOUR, 196419 August Cow Palace, San Francisco20 August Convention Hall, Las Vegas21 August Coliseum, Seattle22 August Empire Stadium, Vancouver23 August Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles26 August Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver27 August The Gardens, Cincinnati28-29 August Forest Hills Stadium, New30 August Convention Hall, Atlantic City2 September Convention Hall, Philadelphia3 September State Fair Coliseum, Indianapolis4 September Auditorium, Milwaukee5 September International Amphitheatre, Chicago6 September Olympia Stadium, Detroit7 September Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto8 September Forum, Montreal11 September Gator Bowl, Jacksonville12 September Boston Gardens, Boston13 September Civic Centre, Baltimore14 September Civic Arena, Pittsburgh15 September Public Auditorium, Cleveland16 September City Park Stadium, New Orleans17 September Municipal Stadium, Kansas City18 September Memorial Coliseum, Dallas20 September Paramount Theatre, New York

03/09/1964 - Indianapolis cenes at Weir Cook Municipal Airport with newsreel voiceover.Scenes around the Speedway Motel (2:35)
12,413 people filled the State Fair Coliseum for the afternoon show (The Beatles stepped on stage at 6:21 p.m.) of which some footage follows:
State Fair Coliseum, Indianapolis - Concert Footage
Concert Introduction and tuning (1:18)
Twist And Shout (1:21)
You Can't Do That (3:08)
All My Loving (2:16)
She Loves You (2:38)
Things We Said Today (3:01)
Can't Buy Me Love (2:37)
If I Fell (2:12)
I Want To Hold Your Hand (1:06)
Boys (3:36) ... followed by film of The Beatles leaving the stage Some crowd shots are the same as in the Philadelphia - Concert Footage above on disc one !And some are repeated during this footage !!
25.48
12
03/09/1964 - IndianapolisPress conference after the afternoon show, plus motel footage and newsreel voiceover. Also scenes at the airport.When The Beatles boarded their chartered plane at Weir Cook Municipal Airport, they were $85,231.93 richer. ($1,719.02 had already been deducted for state gross income tax).
2

Maria's - Santa Fe

2006-08-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

I had the good fortune of discovering one of the best resturants I have ever been to; and without any doubt, the best margaritas I have ever tasted. The place is called Maria's and is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Maria's is owned by Al Lucero, a former television executive who is the fifth owner. Started by Maria Lopez and her husband Gilbert in 1950, on the very spot, in the very same building Maria's exists today, it began as take-out kitchen. Maria's business boomed and the couple added two booths and a patio. Over the years, Maria's has had it ups and downs, and now that Al Lucero has retired, returned to Santa Fe, and with his careful attention to preserving the history and traditon of the Maria margarita, and his passion for this Santa Fe historic landmark, it looks like we can taste Maria's margaritas for years to come.

Maria's is a very, very special place; Robert Redford has written the introduction to their book "The Great Margarita Book", the Seattle Times has called Maria's "The Motherload of American Margaritas", the New York Times has called Maria's margaritas the "best in town", The Washington Post added they are "world class", Southern Arts described Maria's as "Margaritaville" and named their margaritas as one of the 101 reasons to visit Santa Fe. From Better Homes to Playboy, newspapers and magazines nationwide, as well as almost every state and local publication have given Maria's margaritas sensational reviews.

While in New Mexico on business to meet with the New Mexico Economic Development Partnership, I arrived at the Sunport (Albuquerque's name for their airport, which you gotta just love) at 7:30 pm on a long flight from New York's LaGuardia. Hot, tired and hungry, my host asked if I wanted to grab something to eat during the next two hour driving leg of my trip to Las Vegas, New Mexico. I have been to New Mexico enough to know you do two things while there: buy turquoise and have margaritas. My reply was "let's go somewhere and have a margarita".

Little did I know upon driving into the parking lot of a very small, crowded and unpretentious building that I would soon be in "Margarita Mecca". This place is special and you feel that as soon as you walk in the door. Take it from Robert Redford who writes in the foreword of Maria's book:

"When people have asked of a place to eat in Santa Fe, I find myself referring them to Maria's. Is it fancy? No. Is it chic? No. Is the good good? Yes. But the margaritas - they are the best. Like anything of quality, it takes love and care - a degree of passion to execute it, love to start it, commitment to that love to sustain it. Maria's is a history and a definition. I am glad it's there. I'm glad I've tasted their margaritas, and I hope not too many people find out about it".

Since much of Santa Fe presents upscale eclectic shops, gallaries and resturants, I was expecting this place might be the typical trendy place frequented by locals and tourists alike. What suprised me was the fact this place is what most of us would refer to as a "hole in the wall". I might add that is much of the charm as well. With over 100 margaritas to choose from, I have been asked "are they frozen? those kind like you buy on Bourbon Street in New Orleans from dispensers?" - my answer is no, no, not at all - each one is handcrafted behind a tiny bar by some of the absolute nicest people I have ever met in my life. This place is an absolute "must do" on anyone's travel list; good food, superb margaritas, outstanding wait staff and bartendars - how often do we find all of that? an unpretentous resturant with unpretntous staff, in an unpretentous building!

After two margarita's and a wonderful meal we proceeded to Las Vegas, New Mexico, checked into the Historic Plaza Hotel and had the best night's sleep with my belly full of Maria's sausa, chips, taco's and of course, those superb margarita's.

Salud!

Maria's New Mexican Kitchen
555 West Cordova Road
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
b: 505.983.7929
f: 505.983.4700
e-mail: info@maria-santafe.com
www.marias-santafe.com

Resturant Review - Luke's Bar & Grill - New York City

2006-08-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Arriving late, hungry and tired in NYC on Monday night, August 14, I decided to try Luke's Bar & Grill which is located at 1394 Third Street, between 79th & 80th Streets; I found Luke's to be a real gem located in a wonderful and lively neighborhood on the upper eastside.

Their website homepage says "from martini's to meatloaf, our menu has something for all" which is exactly what I had. Grey Goose up with olives and meatloaf with mashed potatos.

Zagat describes this establishment, run by proprieter Luigi Militello, as "solid as a rock, this “friendly” Eastsider is a “fixture” for American pub grub, especially if you’re “into burgers”; with a “cool staff” and “lively” regulars, it’s a “typical” neighborhood hangout for brews and simple food for young and old alike".

Somewhat predictable, after Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes fame was arrested here on Tuesday, August 10, 2004, when he got into a brouhaha with the police over his driver double-parking in front of Luke's while he ran inside to pick-up take-out meatloaf - you can now order "The Mike Wallace Meatloaf" from the menu. Mr. Wallace says he has gone to Luke's for over 10 years and absolutely loves the food.

The night I was in Luke's it was warm and the front windows were open allowing you to feel the energy and hustle and bustle of Manhattan nightlife just outside. The place is the sort of establishment that is simple and clean, mixture of young and old, and provides the feel of being a Manhattan resident hanging out in your local neighborhood pub without any of the tourist activity.

Give it a try next time you are in the city!

Luke's Bar & Grill
1394 Third Avenue
Between 79th & 80th Streets
Manhattan, NY 10021
212.249.7070
www.lukesbarandgrill.com

My son goes to college.....

2006-08-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, August 23, 2006 we took my son to Indiana University in Bloomington where he begins his first year of college on Monday, August 28. Now this is no small event; and it was the first time we have experienced one of our children leaving home. After several days of getting boxes packed, supplies purchased, plans developed for this transition in our family's life, it all came down to a last minute errand my son had to make on Wednesday morning that defined the move away from home and into college life completely - he discovered he had no "sticky putty" to hang his posters on the wall of the dorm room that he would occupy in a few hours. So, with a crisis at hand, he made several unsuccessful visits to nearby office supply stores in search of "poster hanging putty", and finally located some; only setting our departure schedule off by one hour. A young man must have his priorities!

My wife, son and daughter, with the belongings of a college freshman stacked in every conceivable space in the car, all made the hour's drive to Bloomington, Indiana. We were fortunate to have the drive complimented by a beautiful August day - I must say, the laid back, easy, peaceful feeling of driving through southern Indiana only gets better as the years go by.

I recalled this very same trip in 1970 when my father, mother, brother and myself made this same exact trip to take my brother to college at Indiana University for his freshman year. I contantly reminded my family that the landscape has remained virtually unchanged as you make the drive from Indianapolis into southern Indiana, this area of the state is known for it's midwestern charm and beauty, and has the only hills and valleys of any significance in the entire state.

In a time when highways are filled with strip centers, outlet malls, mega truck stops, and "See Rock City" and "Fireworks Ahead" billboards, the drive from Indianapolis to Bloomington is like going back in the 50's when life was slower, farm tractors were still plowing on each side of the highway, and outlet malls had not even been introduced in America. You can still experience this is 2006 if you make this 50 mile drive on State Road 37 South from Indy to B-town.

Upon arriving in Bloomington the campus was filled with mini-van's, U-haul's, students and parents all vying for close parking places to begin the exercise of carrying fans, small fridges, micro-waves (yes, these too) trunks filled with fall clothes and of course "notebook computers and IPods" which is essentially, the best I can tell "all requriements for life as an 18 year old". My son even has a Blackberry wireless PDA. A big difference from my brother taking a portable typewritter and a Pickett slide rule.

As we hooked-up with my son's roomate, a childhood friend from Indianapolis, it became clear they wanted their space and freedom and in no way wanted us helping un-box, move furniture around or assemble any of the adjuncts to enhance dorm living. Mom did get to make the bed and put sheets on; our son did not argue with that of course, particularly in view of the fact he is on the top bunk. Several of their high school friends located them about as quickly as we arrived and it seemed like like the perfect time to say goodbye, wish him well and head back home with our new three member household.

I am thrilled for him and the experiences he will have ahead of him; and of course from a parent's perspective this is one huge bittersweet event. But, it is "all as it should be" and he is well prepared for this next journey in his life.....

GO HOOSIERS!

Goin' 185 on my birthday!

2006-08-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, August 19, 2006 I was able to experience a lifetime dream - a ride around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track in a 2-seater Indy car. For several years now, vendors have emerged who provide opportunities for paying enthusiasts to ride, and in some venues drive a real race car. In Indianapolis, we have such a company called Sinden Racing, which was formed in Indianapolis, on Gasoline Alley by two former Indy car pit crew members. This organization has been around since 1987, and has been sponsoring "Indy Racing Experience", a 2-seater Indy car ride which occurs several times a year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. My generous brother provided me a birthday present for an actual ride; ironically Sinden Racing was conducting a Indianapolis session on my actual birthday, which made it very special.

It was a beautiful day in Indy; about 100 people signed up for the event. Each participant receives a packet in the mail for a morning or afternoon session which includes the general time-frame for your ride. After checking-in at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, a van takes you to the pit area of the famed oval and you check-in once again; this time you get fitted with a full racing suit and racing shoes. It's becoming serious at this point! While suiting up in one of the Formula 1 garages, you can hear the cars screaming around the track!

After being fitted, you simply queue-up along the wall of the pits with about 6 other people. Sinden Racing has two cars going around the track; one car runs three laps and as they go by the pits and into the first turn on the third lap, the second car goes out. As the first car enters the pit, the next person gets inside, straps in and when the current hot car is on the third lap, you go out. The is really effecient; and they have a tent to stand under to keep cool due to the heat of the uniform. As you are standing in line at the pit-wall, you are fitted with a sock that goes over your head, a helmet and racing gloves.

When your turn comes, the crew members place a step for you to access the car so you don't step on the fuel tank; the crew is checking tire pressure, covering the engine area with wet towels because the constant starting and stopping makes the engine really hot. You are strapped in with full harness (very tightly I might add), and in a few minutes the driver peals out and you are racing down the famous pit row of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and onto the track. I have never experienced a rush like this in my entire life!

It seemed to me that by the time we were through the first turn and onto the short-chute we were up to speed; I simply could not believe how fast we were going. But, by the time we hit turn two, it was clear we were not even close to the speed we would be going.

Down the backstretch, the car just screams from engine noise and as you head into turn 3 from the backstretch it becomes surreal. How a car can possibly stay on the track at that speed in a turn is just mindboggling. Of course, intellectually I know that physics associated with the related down-force from the wings causes the car to stick to the track; but to experience this in a race car is surreal. It is inexplicable. I learned quickly that when you watch a car on TV during the race from the on-board camera, what you don't experience are the g-forces, the noise, the bumps, the jerks in the turn, it is absolutely unreal. The turns are banked at exactly the same 9 degrees and 12 minutes as they were during the first Indy 500 in 1911 - the only difference is that we were going over 100 mph faster than the first 500!

I also thought of Ray Harroun in his #32 Marmon Wasp running at an average speed of 74.6 mph around the same track to win his first Indy 500 in 1911 in 6 hours, 42 minutes and 8 seconds. The experience of being on the track with the tradition, history, fame, and the emotion of growing up in Indy and seeing the evolution from front-engine roadsters, to the NOVI, the Lotus, side-turbine, wedge-turbine and now the current down-force cars was truly a very, very special day.

The two drivers for the day were Davey Hamilton and Stephan Gregoire. I had Stephan Gregoire and after a memorable ride, I shook his hand and told him it was a great ride on my birthday - he gave me a thumbs-up as he raised his visor and waited for another rider to accompany him on what probably seemed to him like a Sunday afternoon drive. We averaged 185 mph, and pulled 2 g's in the turns.

Sinden Racing also has a program at Indianapolis Raceway Park, now called O'Reilly Raceway Park, where you can take a class and then drive 8 full laps in an actual Indy car by yourself while a seasoned driver leads you in another car. Every car used actually raced in an Indy 500.

Can you guess what I am doing next summer?

Two More Rounds of Golf - this time Florida!

2006-03-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

While chairing a conference in Tampa Bay the last two days of February and the first day of March I was able to work in two rounds of golf on two of the best courses in the area: Copperhead at the Westin Innisbrook in Tarpon Springs, where the PGA Tour plays the Chrysler Championship, and TPC of Tampa Bay in Lutz, where the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am is played.

Both courses are simply wonderful. While the weather was a bit windy on Sunday, February 26th when I played Copperhead, it was just perfect on Wednesday, March 1 when I played TPC. The Outback Steakhouse Pro-am has just finished the previous Sunday, so the bleachers were still up and it provided a unique perspective of what it must be like on the tour playing before large stadium crowds. On the par 3's the greens were surrounded by bleachers which provided an imposing challenge, "even though they were empty". I can only imagine what it must be like when they are full of spectators watching every single aspect of one's play.

Noting that I played my first round of the year in Indianapolis on January 28th, see post dated January 29, 2006, this trip allowed me to play a round in both February and March in Florida, keeping up with my goal of playing golf once per month "somewhere" all year long. I have never done that, and it seems like a fun goal to "take a shot at".

No conference is complete without evening dinner commitments. On Sunday evening I had dinner at Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa which I have heard so much about through the years but never had the opportunity to eat at due to schedule conflicts every time I have been in the area. It's quite an experience and one that I recommend. Quite frankly, I personally would not go out of my way to go here again, but it is one of the "must do" dining experiences one should have if you are in the area and have the time.

On Monday night, I had dinner in the Ybor City Historic District of Tampa Bay which I found very nice. I can highly recommend the Columbia Resturant. The Columbia opened it's doors in 1905 on Ybor City's Seventh Avenue. Family owned for over 100 years, it is not only a landmark in Tampa, but serves award-winning Spanish/Cuban cuisine and an internationally honored wine list. Flamenco Dance performances are featured nightly (except Sunday) and live jazz Thursday though Saturday. Don't miss the dance performances, and if you are looking for a quiet place to have a hand-rolled cigar and great glass of homemade Sangria, this is the place.

On Wednesday evening, I had dinner at Charley's Steakhouse & Market Fresh Fish near the Tampa Airport and thought it was absolutely outstanding! If you are ever in the Tampa area, be sure to have dinner at Charley's. I checked the Zagat guide for resturants in Tampa Bay, knowing that I wanted to eat at Berns, but really did not know of any others in the area. Zagat had an entry on both Berns and Charley's under steakhouses. Charley's is one of the best resturants I have ever dined; service and food is impeccable. Be sure to make a reservation and to have key lime pie for dessert.

Upon arriving home Thursday at 4:30 pm from a successful conference, I met my wife and headed to Butler University to hear former President George H.W. Bush speak. Refering to my entry on October 30, 2005, describing my opportunity to hear former President Clinton's speech at Butler in November, this now makes two presidents I have been able to hear speak in my hometown of Indianapolis within four months of each other. Considering I had only seen one president in my lifetime until the Clinton speech, which was LBJ in 1966 in Indianapolis, this has truly been a special opportunity and worth waiting in line to get the tickets each cold morning. I have now seen three US Presidents speak in person; I am glad to have made the effort.

Not a bad week....much of life is trying to make things happen and seizing the opportunity when it comes your way......

First round of golf for 2006

2006-01-29T09:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Saturday, January 28th, I played my first round of golf for the year. The weather was an unbelievable 58 degrees in Indianapolis; with the sun popping in and out during the afternoon. I played with a long time friend from high school and we walked the entire 18 holes with pull carts; the outing was perfect!

We played from the white tees, neither of us lost one single ball, and I had one par with a total score of 111. Hey, it's the first round of the year and the course was played during the winter here in Indiana. Add two strokes for winter conditions to every hole and it doesn't look so bad!

My golf partner for the day, Bill Hafer, has been one of my best friends for 40 years. Bill and I played together at Riverside Golf Course, the oldest golf course in Indianapolis. It is a municipal course, built in 1901. The most interesting hole is "Old Smokey", a 440 yard, par 4 with a steep and challenging elevation change just prior to the green. The name comes from the steep hill with a green on top, hence "on top of old smokey".

We plan to play at least one round every month of the year in 2006 with a goal of playing all 13 Indianapolis Municipal courses as well. The municipal courses in Indy are just wonderful in both value and challenge. Each course is city owned and operated by a PGA member professional. Additionally, each course meets the standards set by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), and offer specially equipped golf carts for those players requiring additonal assistance. Once again, an example of how progressive the courses are here in Indy.

The complete listing of municipal courses we plan to this year is as follows:

Coffin Golf Club
Douglass Golf Course
Eagle Creek Golf Club (both courses)
Pleasant Run Golf Course
Riverside Golf Course
Sahm Golf Course
Sarah Shank Golf Course
Smock Golf Course
South Grove Golf Course
Thatcher Golf Course
Whipsering Hills Golf Course
Winding River Golf Course

As a note, Sarah Shank is the first golf course I ever played; I was in the eigth grade at public school #18 located in Fountain Square, on the southside of Indianapolis. The game has brought many enjoyable times with friends and business associates. Beyond that, my wife and I now take a golf vacation each year at our condo in Lake Lure, North Carolina, just outside of Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Bill and I will be heading to the practice rounds at Augusta National during Masters Week, April 3, 4, 5 with two other close personal friends. We plan to play two Donald Ross courses in Augusta while there: Augusta Country Club, built in 1899 and Forest Hills Golf Club, built in 1927.

I was fortunate enough to get 4 passes for Tuesday and Wednesday of the practice rounds; Wednesday is a practice day with the famous par 3 tournament in the afternoon. We'll play golf on Sunday and Monday, then attend the practice rounds all day Tuesday and Wednesday. Two of the foursome going have never been to Augusta National Golf Club, so we are looking forward to this extraordinary golf event this spring, as well as more rounds ourselves.

Southern California, Lakers, Leno and Pimp my Ride

2006-01-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

Each year my son and I try to take a long weekend trip to visit my brother who lives in southern California. We always coordinate it with the west coast swing of the Pacers schedule, and catch the game at Staples Center against the Lakers. We have been at every Pacers/Lakers game (except one) since the Staples Center was built, including all 2000 NBA finals. During the 2000 NBA finals, the Pacers matched up with the world champion Lakers and the series went six games, losing the finals in LA. We were there, it was an extraordinary experience and the first and only time the Pacers have been to the NBA finals.

This year we left on Friday, January 6th and arrive in LAX late Friday evening. Arriving at my brothers we called it a night (it was 2:00 am Indy time). We awoke to a beautiful sunny southern California day, and as always, began with a trip to the local Starbucks. Next on the agenda was lunch at my all time favorite hamburger joint adjacent to the UC Irvine campus, In-N-Out, which is a southern California institution.

This particular In-N-Out is the company's flagship store, and their corporate headquarters is on the 9th & 10th floors of the office building in the middle of the marketplace. On the ground floor of their HQ building is a boutique children's bookstore, A Whale of a Tale who's owner, Alex Uhi is known for her ability to reach out to children with a view to "make them readers for life", as well as staging events highlighting the importance of reading. Because of this commitment to young readers, she lures blockbuster authors such as J.K. Rowling to the store, who held a book signing for her Harry Potter books at "The Whale". I'm sure J.K. must have "eaten a double-double" at In-N-Out while here.

We spent the afternoon visiting high-end car dealers on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Newport Beach. These included Porsche, Bentley, Rolls, Ferrari, Maybach, Mercedes, BMV and Maserati. This was really a joy for me to experience with my son. As a car buff myself when I was his age, it was not only fun to look at these beautiful machines, but fun to see how much these cars have changed since I was his age. My favorite? the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Concept work on this beautiful luxury car began secretly during 1999 in a former bank building located near London's Hyde Park. Once I discovered the history of the concept, the process and the product, the story and the car resonated in a very nice way since I spent time in this area on three seperate trips to London during the 1970's.

According to Auto Week, the Phantom first appeared on the market in May of 2003 and has a base price of $332,000. There are 28 Rolls dealers in the US and 70 dealers world wide. This source estimates 445 of the Phantoms were sold in 2005. I know of one just a mile from my house; Jermaine O'Neal, our star player with the Indiana Pacers drives his silver Phantom around on a regular basis, seeing him at the neighborhood CVS Pharmacy, Sony Theater and the local Ritters Frozen Custard on hot summer nights.

After our luxury and sports car outing, in which we found all the dealers and sales staff very nice and accomodating, we drove to Huntington Beach to check out the surfing capital of the US. My son had been here when he was younger but did not remember the area. In fact, we went to the Surfing America USA Championships held each year in Huntington Beach about six years ago when we took a family driving trip down the west coast that started in Portland and finished in Irvine.

On Saturday, this visit to "Surf City USA" allowed time to visit several very cool shops, a stop at the International Surfing Museum, a nice walk out to the edge of the pier where a Ruby's Diner (not to the confused with the one on Newport Beach) seen in many national photo's, has now been built, and we visited the Surfing Hall of Fame, which is at the corner of Main and Pacific Coast Highway and is a similar set-up as stars on the sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard.

My son found several local independant clothing stores he really enjoyed and clearly the selection is much different and more progressive than here in the midwest. We also visited two of the local surf shops. It was fun and I really enjoyed watching him select clothes, shoes, hats and assessories to try on. This is the way a teenager's life is suppose to be; and to feel in some way you are part of it is something to savor, every single second.

As we finished our Saturday escursion it was now dark in Huntington Beach and tempatures in the low 60's; we were in shorts and most of the locals were bundled up. It was nice to spend a January evening looking at surf boards for sale, viewing the ocean and enjoying the warm winter beach weather. Next stop was dinner in Laguna Beach at Las Brisis, a favorite resturant on the ocean and one we have enjoyed for years and years. After a great mexican dinner and some of the best margarita's on the west coast we called it a successful first day.

Sunday began with our traditional trip to Greeter's Corner resturant for breakfast in Laguna Beach which is located at 329 South Coast Highway. This is just a great place with a wonderful view of the public beach and ocean. We always sit on the deck and this morning the sun was shining, patio heaters lit and the coffee hot.

I first remember visiting this place while driving through Laguna in 1973 on vacation. "The Greeter" was actually Eiler Larsen, a native of Denmark who for over 40 years gave a friendly wave and warm smile to all who passed through Laguna Beach. Eiler would stand at the corner on the southside of the PCH where it takes a slight jog in front on the resturant; he would wave to those passing through much of the day. With a long beard and shabby clothes, the first time I saw him I thought he must be a vagrant. Little did I know over 30 years later I would eat regularly in a resturant that bears the name of his daily activity, and a lifesize wooden statue rests in front of the resturant on the same spot that is carved in the likeness of Eiler waving, or should I say "greeting". The city fathers procalimed him the Official Laguna Greeter in 1963 and even put his footprints in the sidewalk.

Laguna is perhaps my favorite town in the world and the origin of the name is from the Ute-Aztecas who roamed this area and inhabited the canyon formations directly east of Main Street. They named the area Lagonas, their word for lakes, after two fresh water lagoons that decorated the canyon. The Spaniards arrived changing the name to Canada de las Lagunas (Canyon of the Lakes), and in 1904, the name of the area was officially chaned from Lagonas to Laguna Beach.

A long time celebrity town and home to the silver screen, Laguna has been home to Bette Davis, Mary Pickford, Mary Miles Minter, Victor Mature, Judy Garland, Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin and Mickey Rooney. These early Hollywood stars also founded the Laguna Playhouse in 1920.

Other dignataries such as Franklin Roosevelt frequented the area and John Steinbeck wrote Tortilla Flats while living at 504 Park Avenue. Today, billionaire and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett maintains his only home outside of Omaha in Laguna Beach.

After breakfast we traveled to Los Angeles for the LA Auto Show. This annual extraganza is held at the Los Angeles Convention Center which adjoins to Staples Center. I simply could not believe the size of this show coupled with endless displays of exotic cars I have never before; one such car was the 1001 horsepower Bugatti supercar. My son enjoyed the show immensely; Dad did as well. Upon leaving the show we ran into Eric Estrada who was in the crowd like the rest of us checking out cars with a friend. He actually posed with me while my son took a picture of us using his cell phone. What the heck, when you are in LA and see a washed out former TV star, why not go for the photo op!

We headed back to Irvine and rested after spending nearly six hours on our feet on concrete floors. Let me say, I have been to the auto show in Indianapolis, and at the McCormick Center in Chicago and have seen nothing like the LA Auto Show. Quite honestly it is overwhelming; but worth going to if you are ever there during the show. It is an opportunity to see all the cars produced in world in one place. A rare venue indeed.

Monday is the big day. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 4:30 pm, and then over to the Lakers/Pacers game at Staples Center at 7:30. We are lucky this year, my son is 16 so he meets the age limit to be in the studio audience for the live taping of Jay Leno. This is something very cool to do. My wife and I were in the audience when Johnny Carson hosted probably 20 years ago, and my brother and I attended Jay Leno a couple of years ago. It is a really great experience. I wrote in November for tickets and they were mailed prior to leaving for California so I had this locked in.

Leaving Irvine around noon, we wanted to get to NBC Studios at 3000 W. Alameda Ave. in Burbank by 2:00 or so. NBC requires the studio audience to be in line by 3:30 pm, first come, first serve as far as place in line and seating once you get admitted at 3:30. So the strategy is to get there early. The studio seating holds just over 300 so it is a very intimate setting. There were five people in front of us so I knew from past experience we were in great shape. Many of course were those who stayed over from the Rose Bowl on Wednesday the 4th in Pasadena (Texas 41 Southern Cal 38).

The way the show works is an usher admits groups of about 15 at a time inside to a staging area where you wait again as they escourt smaller groups of 5 or so into the actual studio and seat you. The studio is very intimate and due to all of the lights over the set, the temperature is set extremely low; it is very, very cold. It warms up a bit after the lights come on and the show begins taping live. We had seats in the 5th row to the far left of the set; this is the area where the musical guests perform at the end. The first 4 rows across the entire front of the studio are reserved for friends and family of guests on the show and people that have a connection with NBC employees. For example, the musican who performed the day we were on had about 10 people setting in front of us as his guests.

Jay comes out both times I have been there about 15 minutes minutes prior to the show beginning and jokes around, tells everyone what to expect and then heads back to change into his suit. Both times I have been on the show he comes out in jeans and a jean shirt. He is extremely cordial, makes you feel really part of the show and the entire affair is an extraordinary experience.

The guests were broadway favorties Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, who perform in The Producers, which has become the biggest ticket seller in Musical History.

After the show's taping ended, we headed to Staples Center to watch the Pacers and Lakers play at 7:30. We had great seats, saw a very good game, but did not see the Pacers grab the "W". I have been to every single game, except one, when the Pacers have played the Lakers in the Staples center and have not seen them win yet!

After the game we headed back to Irvine which is an easy 30 mile drive south from LA. We reflected on the day, judged it to be superb and planned our activity in LA tomorrow, prior to heading out in the afternoon. We decided to visit West Coast Customs, the custom car shop Hq'd in LA where MTV's "Pimp my Ride" is filmed.

Leaving Irvine in the morning, we headed to 5301 W. 104th St. in LA, Headquarters of West Coast Customs. WCC's headquarters and shop is behind LAX; an area which is quite honestly very distressed. Upon finding West Coast Customs, this small unassuming site is located behind a wall with barbed wire around the top. The building looked more like a "secure military compound" than a custom car shop. A bit anxious to walk through the open chain link gate as I watched a person exit with a pit bull, I yelled up to some brothers on the front dock and asked it was ok to come in. They were very nice and pointed the way to the main door and gift shop. We had and enjoyable time checking out several cars in the front that had been "pimped". It was actually a very cool experience and the cars are truly extraordinary and creative works of art, understanding you must be into the "pimp look".

Upon stopping in the office, we asked if we could take a quick tour of the shop, unfortunately they were actually filming for a future episode of "Pimp my Ride" that day. So we headed out, turned in our PT Crusier "un-pimped" rental, checked in for our flight, did the security dance and headed back to Indy. It was a wonderful, just wonderful father and son trip!

3rd generation Steele accepted into Indiana University - Bloomington

2006-01-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

In December of 2005, our son Ben was accepted into Indiana University for the fall 2006 semester. Needless to say, we are thrilled with his acceptance; he will become the 3rd generation of Steele's to attend IU. His grandmother Steele, uncle Rob, mom and myself are all IU grads.

Ben plans were to apply at the end of his freshman year for admission into the Kelley School of Business and enroll in their entrepreneurship program which has national recognition. On January 4, the Kelley School of Business sent Ben a letter congratulating on his admission to Indiana University and went on to state due to his excellent academic record in high school, he was being invited to become a "direct admit" student in the Kelley School of Business at IU, Bloomington this fall. This is very significant for Ben; the business school has three opportunities for acceptance:

Selection by Dean: Direct Freshman Admission

Already admitted to IU Bloomington and indicated business as your intended major
SAT composite score of 1270 or ACT composite score of 29
Top 10 percent of high school class or 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale

Option 1: Current IU Bloomington Students Applying for the First Time

Between 26 & 70 hours of college course work
Applying to the Kelley School of Business for the first time
Completion of English Composition
Completion of three or more of the following courses: Finite Mathematics, Brief Survey of Calculas, The Computer in Business Administration or Business in the Information Age

Note: Students enrolled under Option 2 must demonstrate consistent 3.0 (B) academic performance.

Option 2: Current IU Bloomington Students Reapplying for Admission

Must have completed 56 to 70 hours of college course work and all of the following business courses a minimum grade of C: Finite Mathametics, Brief Survey of Calculus, Intro to Microeconomics, Business and Economic Strategy for the Public Arena, Introduction to Statistical Theory, Business Accounting Skills, Introduction to Accounting I, Introduction to Accounting II, Legal Environment of Business, Technology in Business, Career Perspectives, Elementary Composition, The Computer in Business, Business Communications, Public Speaking or Business Presentations.

Ben's letter was signed by Daniel C. Smith, Dean and The Clare W. Barker Chair in Marketing. It stated:

Because of your excellent credentials, we would like to offer you a unique opportunity: direct admission into the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. The Kelley School offers direct admission to exceptionally well prepared freshmen, like you, who have indicated their intintin to pursue a business major. We would like you to become a member of our entering "direct admit" class, a select group of the most promision freshmen within the Kelley School of Business.

As a direct admit freshman, you will not have to apply for admission to the Kelley School as a sophmore, unlike all other business majors. In addtition, the school will provide special opportunities to enrich your overall experience and build important alliances. Direct admit freshmen have the option to take special sections of honors business classes, and will be assigned to the direct admit business advisor, who will assist you in planning your adademic schedule. We recognize you are outstanding, and want to provide youwith the best possible experience at one of the nation's finest business schools.

As a graduate myself from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, and currently an adjunct faculty member in the school, this admission has special meaning for me. I now watch my own son become a student in our school, and look forward to watching and contributing to his development as a future business leader.

New York City, December 2005

2005-12-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

Our family visited New York City, December 16th, 17th & 18th, 2005 for the sole purpose of spending some time together during the holiday season; and for our kids to experience the energy, beauty and excitement of New York at Christmas time. It is an absolutely wonderful experience.

We left Indianapolis on Friday, December 16th, after school was out and arrived at LaGuardia aroud 8:30 pm. Following the usual routine of taking the "the yellow taxi" to midtown, we checked in at the Renaissance Times Square. Our plan after check-in called for dinner at the original Palm Resturant, 837 Second Avenue, one of my favorite resturants in the US, and one that is quickly becoming a favorite of my family's.

I have become acquainted with the national VP of Operations for The Palm and he made arrangements for the perfect booth just adjacent to the maitre d' stand. Albino Serpagli, General Manager of the New York Palm One, was our pre-arranged host and we began with The Palm buying us all a beverage at the stand up only bar in the back of the first floor. This was wonderful for the kids to see many of the original caricatures in this area and the warped wooden bar. Albion is a native of the Emilia Romagrian area of Italy in province from where The Palm draws it name. After a great dinner, enjoying the history of The Palm, and talking basketball with Albino (he played in Italy), we walked back to our hotel along 50th Street where the lights from Times Square guided our way.

On Saturday, we dedicated the day for the kids to enjoy a New York shopping experience. armed with some cash from mom and dad and a good night's sleep at the Renaissance, we boarded the subway at 50th and Broadway and headed to SOHO. It was quite the experience and one that was not only tremendous for the kids, but one we enjoyed immensely. When you live in the midwest and shopping is pretty much brand stores inside brand malls; walking around SOHO on crowded streets presents everything from street vendors hawking their wares, to coffee shops, hot roasted chestnuts on carts at virtually every corner, and of course unique store, after store, after store which is a very different experience than what we enjoy at home. We spent most of our time on the streets Prince, Grand, Greene and Broadway; also making it to the far south end where the historical Cast Iron section of SOHO is located. I absolutely adore the architecture.

After a full day of contributing to the New York economy, I managed to get all the shopping bags assembled so I could make "a drop" to the hotel while everyone else began a trek to Macy's, in Herald Square, the first marquee store of the day. After I stashed the bags in our room it was 4:00 pm or so and I began walking down 7th Avenue to Herald Square. You could see the lights which decorate the front of Macy's from as far away as the south end of Times Square. As I arrived at the Herald Square main entrance, I was facinated by the mechanical Christmas scenes in the windows and the Macy's storefront. It reminded me of the old LS Ayres department store in my hometown of Indianapolis during the 1950 and 60's which had sophisticated mechanical Christmas scenes one upon a time as well.

With the assistance of cell phones we all found each other, assembled and headed to the nearest subway so we could grab an hour or so of rest before we headed back to this area for the Pacers vs. Knicks NBA game at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, December 17.

Taking the train to Pennsylvania Station, which is underneath MSG is always quite the experience. It simply amazes me everytime I am here, the amount of retail, infrastructure and people that exist underground. The experience of walking through Penn Station also reminds me each time I am there of coming here with my family on visits from New Haven, Connecticut when my brother was in graduate school at Yale. It has not changed in all of these years, and it is fun to watch my kids experience the energy and excitement of this very unique place.

The game was great, we actually won in the garden! 102 - 96, with Jermaine O'Neal scoring 31 points. This was not the case the past season when my son and I went out for the game, so it was nice to walk out of the garden with a victory.

There was a strong "hoosier" connection at the game. Reggie Miller, our former star player for 18 seasons and retired as of this season, 1987 - 2005, was sitting on floor seats as a guest of Spike Lee. It was fun to see Reggie giving the ref's a hard time from the sidelines, or should I say a harder time than when he was playing.

Also, the Knicks are coached this season by Larry Brown who was our coach in Indiana (1994 - 1997). His assistant, Herb Williams was a popular Pacer, coming to Indiana as a first round draft pick in 1981 and playing here for the next 7 1/2 years before going to New York as Patrick Ewing's backup. Isiah Thomas the current Knicks President was there as well and stood in the mid-court tunnel entry way where the players enter and exit with his usual stance, arms folded, the entire game. Isiah was an Indiana University standout, prior to a spectular NBA career with the Detriot Pistions and has been elected to the Hall of Fame. He was the Pacers coach for three seasons as well, 2000 - 2003.

Lastly, Richard Gere the actor was there with his son and sat at the end of the court on our end of the garden. Gere comes to Bloomington, Indiana peridocially to visit the Tibetan Cultural Center, founded by Mr. Thubten Norbu, a retired Indiana University professor who is the elder brother of the Dalai Lama.

After the game we walked up Broadway to our favorite late night spot the Carnegie Deli and shared sandwiches. If you have been to the Carnegie Deli you understand the comment.
Dead tired, we walked back to the hotel to rest for another day of shopping before catching our late afternoon flight home.

Sunday began with brunch at the Rainbow Room, on the 65th floor of the GE building. It was perfect setting; we imagined what the room must have been like in the days of dinner & dancing with the famous big bands of the 40's and New York's social elite; enjoying the circular, rotating dance floor and the stunning view of the city's skyline. We were able to get a window table at the southeast corner of the room with a striking view of the Empire State Building and lower Manhatten. It was a georgeous day, clear and sunny, we could not have been luckier for this time of year. The brunch at the Rainbow Room is highly recommended; jackets required.

After brunch we watched the skaters on Rockefeller Plaza and of course took pictures of the Christmas Tree. A walk to Sak's and then Bloomingdale's finished our day. Both of these stores are absolutely georgeous at Christmas time. In the event you dislike shopping and crowds, simply go through these stores to see the decorations.

A quick walk back to the hotel, one more bag of hot roasted almonds and shopping bags in hand we caught our driver, loaded up and headed to LaGuardia. We had a great view of the city at dusk off the left side of the plane as we headed back to the heartland and looked forward to Christmas in Indianapolis.

Golf - last round for the year...

2005-12-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, December 14, 2005 I played my last round of golf for the year. While in southern Florida for a business meeting at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa I was fortunate enough to play the Blue Monster which has been host to a prestigious annual PGA Tour event for more than 40 years; currently the Ford Championship at Doral. The course features long fairways (totalling 7,125 yards for the tournament tees) with undulating greens and plenty of water hazards, bunkers and very deep bermuda rough. The famous 18th hole (pictured) with its signature fountain is one of the most recognized symbols in golf.

The Doral Resort consists of five excellent eighteen hole courses; I have now played the Gold Course, (one year ago) and the Blue Monster. The five courses are:

PGA Tour legend Raymond Floyd recently redesigned the Gold Course to follow a traditional Florida layout, incorporating gently contoured greens, strategic bunkering and water surrounding 16 holes. The course also features narrow, tree-lined fairways and finishes with a dramatic par 4 island green on the 18th hole. This course hosted the 1999 PGA Qualifying School finals.

The Great White Course was designed by three-time Doral champion Greg Norman. It appears to be quite challenging, and the feedback on the Great WhiteCourse from those I spoke with the day I played were very positive. I plan to play the Great White Course next time I am in the area and time permits.

The Blue Monster was a joy to play; with permanent, fixed television stands on nearly every hole, you indeed know you are on a championship course when playing - the course also presents perhaps the most interesting and challenging layout of sand bunkers I have ever experienced.

The day was absolutely georgeous with not one cloud in the sky. The temperature was in the 70's the entire day with full sun. I could not have picked a better day or time of year to play Doral; and especially the Blue Monster which I have wanted to play for years now. While I won't disclose my score, I would like to make it known that I parred the 15th hole (a signature hole par 3) and it made my day!

Patio - a live music institution closes its doors

2005-11-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

Last night, Saturday, November 26, 2005 one of the best live rock "n" roll music clubs in the country closed. The Patio, located at 6308 N. Guilford Avenue in the Broad Ripple section of Indianapolis, which has been in business for over 40 years, hosted their last live music venue.

The current owner, Steve Ross who also owns another popular club in Broad Ripple know as The Vogue, says the audiences have become too small at the Patio, but stops short of pronouncing live music in the trendy Broad Ripple Village as a dead issue. "If for some reason the DJ format rolls out of favor, the Vogue could go back to what it used to do - which is bands five nights a week," Ross said. The press has reported in all of their interviews with the owners the club that the Patio is closing due to declining business and less interest in live music venues.

One musican, and former employee of the club, Jeff Sample, was quoted in the paper over the weekend saying "There are a whole lot of cutting-edge bands that are getting their start and will go on to great things," Sample said. "It's a shame the Patio won't be there to help make that happen." He added "It's all about packing cattle into a bar and paying a DJ in the corner".

Musician and former Flat Earth Records label manager Mark Kocher said "the Patio is the heart and soul or real rock 'n' roll in this town," "Having said that, I think we as music consumers and music fans did it a disservice. We came out when we felt like it. We have no one but ourselves to blame."

The Patio is a very small cramped club that feels like you are going back into the sixties in terms of what the live rock "n" roll club music scene was like. The place is set up for great sound and nothing more. After walking inside from a small sidewalk on Guilford Ave, you encounter a very cramped but cozy environment. Low ceilings, lots of stage lights, no fancy artwork, no chairs or tables, two bars and the rest is standing room where you cram yourself as close to stage as you can and rock with the band.

In fact, even last night, where the environment was unchanged, you could literally lean on the stage and be at the feet of the microphones and musicians. These types of venues are a thing of the past, and experiencing the Patio as a patron or musician is a rite-of-passage for anyone in the midwest who aspires to be a musician or wants to experience an authentic rock "n" roll club. I have been fortunate enough to have experienced the Whiskey a Go Go and Troubadour in LA and the Bitter End in NYC, all clubs from the 60's that are still operating and virtually unchanged since the days many of the best musicians in the world got their starts in these three very small clubs. The Patio, without reservation is in the same class as all of these clubs.

As you listen to the music, jockey for a better position in the crowd, or simply close your eyes and listen to that wonderful sound of good live music, miked with a great house PA system, and acousitics that have been tweeked through the years by glueing carpet mat and egg cartons (spray painted black) to the ceiling and walls, you literally cannot tell if you are at a club in London, LA or NYC. The Patio is that good.

In my 25 years of visiting the Patio and also playing there on one occasion, I read the press on Friday and decided I should attend the last show. I left about 9:00 pm and drove to Broad Ripple where the local news had already staked out several spots for the coverage. I walked right inside after paying a $5.00 cover charge and the Patio felt like an old friend. Same colors, same stage lights, same stage, same everything. The crowd was a mix of 60 year olds down to the 21 crowd. I was simply amazed at the crowd etiquette and common courtesy - no pushing, excuse me, thank you....the sorts of things we have come to believe don't happen late at night in music clubs these days. It felt good, it felt right. I suppose 20 years ago we would have said "it has good karma", and I can say after my experience last night, it still does....

The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed at the Patio in 1985. The Smashing Pumpkins attracted about 20 customers who paid a $2 admission fee in 1990. Alanis Morissete sang to a packed house in 1995.

But last night is was Otis Gibbs who headlined. He told a story of playing there for the first time 15 years ago and a "biker looking guy" walked in in the wee hours of the morning, leaned on the PA speaker and after a couple of songs said "give me that guitar". Otis did so and he introduced himself as Dicky Betts, the ex-Allman Brothers Band guitarist who had been playing two blocks away at the Vogue. Another story surfaced this week in the press where local radio personality and comedian Dave "the King" Wilson shared his memories of David Letterman sharpening his stand-up routine there. This was a period of time when Letterman was one of our local weather newsmen; he grew up in Broad Ripple and attended Broad Ripple High School which is three blocks east of the Patio.

The history of the Patio can be found on their website, however since it is not clear if that site will be maintained, I am paraphrasing some of the relevant history from their site which is from a press release dated October 21, 2005.

"The Patio began its history as a live music club in 2950 when it was called the Terrace Lounge. That name changed to Lazas Cocktail Lounge until 1954. In 1955 it became the Pink Squirrel. Then in 1960 it became The Doris in Broad Ripple (no one seems to know who Doris was) . The name of The Patio began in 1962 when it was named Jim Moore's Patio Bar, which was only about half of the size it is now. As the smaller businesses moved out of the building, the Patio expanded into their space. Eventualy, in approximately 1977, the Patio became the size it is today under the ownership of Arthur "Chubby" Wadsworth. Chubby was a well known character in and around Broad Ripple. He ran the Patio, with the help of Tyrone Tice and Randy Roy, they operated the as the Patio Lounge with live rock bands. At that time the Patio was one of only three live music clubs in Broad Ripple. Thes three included the Vogue, the Patio and the Garage (the Garage operated out of where Cardinal Fitness is now.) In 1985 Chubby sold the Patio to Randy Roy. Then in 1987, Randy sold the Patio Lounge to Steve Ross and Dennis Burris who called it the Patio Nightclub, but most people just call it "the Patio".

Going into the Patio will be a new club operated by David and Maggie Lee owners of Naked Tchopstix in Broad Ripple. Naked Tchopstix is a sushi bar and operates in the building south of the Vogue.

Jeff Sample, vocalist for Gravelbed, a regular band at the Patio and a former employee of the nightclub perhaps says it the best "the first clue of the Patio's demise should have been the arrival of a Starbuck's at the corner of Broad Ripple and Guilford avenues".

Johnny Cash - "Walk the Line" Movie

2005-11-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

As a musician, I was thrilled to see a movie produced on the legendary Johnny Cash. My wife and I saw the film, released on November 18, 2005, last night. The movie "Walk the Line" profiles Cash's early up-bringing through the most volatile period of his career where he evolved from self-destructive pop star, into the iconic "Man in black". Fighting demons and fighting for the love that would lift him up, this movie captures Cash's early career and lengedary love affair with June Carter Cash as he walks the line between destruction and redemption.

Johnny Cash was born to a farm family in Kingsland, Arkansas in 1932. He went to Memphis in 1955, and walked into the soon-to-be-famous Sun Studio and sang blistering songs of heartache and survival that were gutsy, full of real life and unlike anthing heard before. It was at Sun that he later recorded hits such as "I Walk the Line" (1956) and "Ring of Fire" (1963), written with his wife, singer June Carter Cash of the famous country dynasty The Carter Family.

A major figure in country and western music, Cash's unique style, all-black wardrobe and often tragic subject matter in his songs, made him once of country music's biggest stars. Cash mixed elements of folk, country, and rock in his music winning 11 Grammies and was elected to both the Country Music and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I have always listened to Johnny Cash. I think my up-bringing as a musician naturally caused me to expose myself to many different artists and genres. Cash's music is clearly a distinct, different style and the lyrics are of the sort that are simple, and remind us of our own vulnerabilities and imperfections. Recently, when my son asked me to write down my favorite 20 songs as a young man; I listed one of them as Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". (see entry, October 23, 2005)

I was fortunate enough to see Johnny Cash live sometime in the late 1970's at Little Nashville Opry located about 50 miles south of Indianapolis, and about 5 miles south of Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival. I attended this concert with my parents shortly after coming home from the service in 1977. I assume it was between 1977 and 1980. I remember the concert itself as if it was yesterday.

Little Nashville at that time had barn doors on stage like the backdrop of the Grand Ole Opry. The musicians would enter the stage from the middle and come through the barn door. I remember the announcer saying: "Ladies and Gentleman - the Man in Black, Mr. Johnny Cash". We were sitting in one of the first few rows (it seems like maybe row 4 or 5) and when he walked out he seemed bigger than life.

Dressed out in a black suit, long shiny hair, and a guitar around his neck, he walked straight to the front of the stage, nodded, and then said "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash".

Mark Cuban, Andrew Carnegie & Indiana University's Kelley School of Business

2005-11-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

Mark Cuban, the Chairman, President & Co-Founder, HDNet, Co-Founder, Broadcast.com and owner of the Dallas Mavericks graduated from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business in 1981, where he received a BS in Management & Administration. Mark was a member of the rugby team and as a senior, gained hands-on buisness experience when he opened and ran a bar on Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington, across the street from Nick's English Hut, called Motley's Pub. He was only 21 years old. Motley's was a good venture until the awkward event of a wet T-shirt contestant, and several other patorns, turned out to be underage. The bar now runs under a new name. However, Dallas Mavericks fans or IU/Bloomington loyalists can stop at a bar on the terrace level of the American Airlines Center and have a beer at.....you guessed it "Motley's Pub".

William L. Haeberle, professor emertius of management and senior fellow at the Johnson Center for Entrepreneuship & Innovation at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business had Cuban as a student. I have recently become acquainted with Dr. Haeberle through a group he founded called the The Alliance. The purpose of The Alliance is to connect senior executives of privately held Indiana companies through a quarterly forum consisting of 2 days of dialogue and discussion on critical business and leadership issues facing Indiana entrepreneurs. Dr. Haeberle told me he had Mark's class read Andrew Carnegie's "The Gospel of Wealth", published in 1889. Dr. Haeberle went on to tell me "it's my patriotic duty to make money." He told me to read the book and I would understand the learning. I have now since done that and understand exactly why he had his students read Carnegie's work.

I also did some research on Cuban and noticed he is listed on the Kelley School of Business website with the following commentary on his education; "during the course of the semester, we read Andrew Carnegie, which discussed how it was patriotic to be wealthy, and all the good one would be able to do. He (Dr. Haeberle) probably had more to do with my entrepreneurial education than anyone."

As a faculty member myself, I have been struggling with how to help students understand the balance between creating individual wealth and giving of their talents for the betterment of society. Carnegie clearly provides an intellectually challenging work to help us sort through that.

So.......Dr. Haeberle and Mr. Cuban, another group of students will now become exposed to this important work as we study capitalism, free enterprize and democratic societies.

"Andrew Carnegie (1835 - 1919) was a massively successful business man - his wealth was based on the provision of iron and stell to the railways, but also a man who recalled his radical roots in Scotland before his immigration to the United States. To resolve what might seem to be contradictions between the creation of wealth, which he saw as proceeding from immutable social laws, and social provision he came up with the notion of the "gospel of wealth". He lived up to his work, and gave away his fortune to socially beneficial projects, most famously by funding libraries. His approval of death taxes might suprise modern billionaires!

On Andrew Carnegie's tombstone reads the following:

"Here lies a man who knew how to enlist the service of better men than himself."

Rosa Parks - 1913 - 2005

2005-10-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

It was hot in the summer of 1963, particularly on Ringgold Street where the houses had no air conditioning and during summer, if you were a kid, you stayed outside until you parents made you come in for a bath. This particular day, the sun beat down and I remember going inside our house and the old Westinghouse fan which always sat between the kitchen and living room was running full blast, as it would until late in the evening when we might turn it down to medium so our house would be quieter for sleeping.

My mother was watching television which was unusual for her during the day. She told me to come in and watch "something that was very important". I noticed many black people (which many called negros or colored people in 1963) as far as you could see from Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol steps, as well as sitting and standing on both sides or the reflecting pool on the mall in Washington D.C.

This would become known as the "March on Washington" which signaled the true beginning of the Civil Rights Movement in America. I watched it live on black and white television. It was August, 28, 1963. An estimated 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to urge support for pending civil rights legislation. The event was highlighted by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream" speech delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

I remember Martin Luther King giving this speech and I remember Charlton Heston being shown on televison with the leaders of the movement. I thought this was very cool as my reference to Charlton Heston was as Ben Hur in the movie by the same name. He was a democrat in those days and very active in issues viewed as liberal. My mother explained to me what was going on and I remember my parents talking about the Civil Rights Movement at the dinner table.

This year, in the fall of 2005 I am reminded of these significant events and how I processed them as a child and as an adult through the death of Rosa Parks, at 92. Ms. Parks died Monday, October 25, 2005 and many refer to her as the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement" for not giving up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. The segregation laws in Montgomery at this time required her to give up her seat.

Sparking the modern civil rights movement in the United States by this event, Rosa Park's arrest for breaking Montgomery segregation laws started a boycott of the city bus line that lasted 381 days. This eventually lead to the 1956 US Supreme Court ruling declaring segregation illegal on public buses.

Mrs. Parks made history again after her death this fall as she became the first woman and only the second African-American to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. She is entombed in a mausoleum at the prestigious Woodlawn Cemetary, where some of Detroit's leading citizens have been laid to rest.

I am fortunate to have experienced the tremendous progress we have made the last 50 years with civil rights in America. I am fortunate to have had parents who helped me understand the importance of this movement and I continue my commitment to develop my own children's view and contribution to our world through understanding the importance of acceptance, equality, tolerance.

It is important each day to remind ourselves of the words Thomas Jefferson wrote in our Declaration of Independence in 1776:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

We also must remind ourselves of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address where he began:

"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought fourth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

And lastly, we must remember Martin Luther King, Jr's famous "I Have a Dream" speech:

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all mean are created equal."

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color to their skin but by the content of their character."

"I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little black boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

"I have a dream today."

The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States

2005-10-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, November 6, 2005, at 7:30 pm my son Ben and I enjoyed the rare opportunity to see a former US President speak in person. The location was Butler University in Indianapolis and his appearance was part of the University's Celebration of Diversity Distinguished Lecture Series honoring the university's Sesquicentennail. When I first learned President Clinton would be speaking at Butler I thought what a wonderful opportunity it would be for my son to experience seeing a hearing a former president in person. I had only seen one US President in my lifetime and that was Lyndon B. Johnson ("LBJ") when he was in Indianapolis speaking on Monument Circle just three years after the assassination of John F. Kennedy ("JFK") which occurred November 22, 1963.

I took the Monday morning off when tickets were first being distributed on Butler's campus; arriving at 7:00 am I stood in the rain with an already lengthy line of ticket hopefuls, complete with local news teams shooting footage and interviewing many who had braved the weather in hopes of having the opportunity to hear our former president speak. The morning actually went by quickly; by 10:00 am I had two tickets in hand for me and Ben. As I drove home and anticipated the impact I hoped this would have on my son, I reflected upon my own experience seeing and hearing LBJ 39 years earlier in our hometown of Indianapolis.

President Johnson's speech was on the west steps of Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, on July 23, 1966. The day also included a speech at the Indianapolis Athletic Club, located at 350 N. Meridian Street; formerly a predominately democratic club open to members only. This site is now condominums called "Athletic Club".

I remember the day so well. In those days Presidents rarely came to Indianapolis (and for the most part that is still true) so the excitement surrounding the appearance of our President was significant, particulary considering the extraordinary degree of social change and unrest ccuring in our country during LBJ's presidency.

Upon reflection, during this time our nation was recovering from the recent assassination of President Kennedy. This in itself was difficult for a nation who lost an immensely popular, charismatic leader and the youngest president ever elected in our country. Additionally, the degree of profound historical events that were occuring at this time would also present to our nation some of the most troubling, significant, historical, and radical times our country has experienced during a presidency. These include:

Violence and unrest associated with the Civil Rights Movement
Signing of the Civil Rights Act (July 2, 1964),
Signing of the Voting Rights Act (August 6, 1965)
Assassination of Malcolm X (Feb. 21, 1965)
Vietnam War troop levels top 200,000 (1965)
LBJ's request for a full investigation of the Ku Klux Klan (March 26, 1965)
LBJ's public denouncement regarding Gov. George Wallace use of brutality toward Selma-Montgomery marchers (March 9, 1965)
Gov. Wallace's defiance of federal school desegregation orders (April 6, 1966)

Lastly, on a positive note during these difficult times for our country and the presidency, we witnessed Martin Luther King, Jr., become the youngest man ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10, 1964 in Oslo, Norway.

Research from the the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas reveals in 1966, "on July 23 -- Johnson warned African Americans that riots impede reforms, Indianapolis, Ind., after racial tensions caused riots in Omaha (July 3-5); Chicago, Il. (July 12-15), Brooklyn, NY (July 15-22), Jacksonville, Fl. (July 18) and Cleveland, Ohio (July 18-23).

In a speech at the Indianapolis Athletic Club, he said: Riots in the streets do not bring about lasting reforms. They tear at the very fabric of community. They set neighbor against neighbor and create walls of distrust and fear between them. They make reform more difficult by turning away the very people who can and must support reform. They start a chain reaction the consequences of which always fall most heavily on those who begin them".

My brother, mother and father all went down to see LBJ and it was a memorable event. On top of the Circle Tower Building you could easily observe in full sight many secret service agents with rifles; this was a period of time when a strong and visable presence of federal and local law enforcement in all public appearances of the President was expected due to the recent assassination of President Kennedy.

Now, sitting with my 17 year old son in Hinkle Fieldhouse 39 years later, I hear the only other President I have seen in person begin with "Tonight I want to have a conversation", and President Clinton went on to ask the crowd a provacative question that set the tone for the rest of the speech: "If you were asked to describe this era in one work, what would it be?" He said most people would probably answer globalization, but suggested it should be interdependence. "There is no more stunning example of global interdependence than the attack on the United States on September 11, 2001. We need to move away from interdependance and move towards a set of integrated communities."

Clinton addresed serious issues concerning the world today, but he kept the evening light hearted with his typical smooth sense of humor and casualness that he is noted for. "The great thing about being a former president is being able to say what you think," and then added "Of course, no one cares what you think." He also began his speech, after the long standing applause by saying "it is great to be in Hinkle Fieldhouse, Hoosiers is on of my all time favorite movies". The crowd cheered loudly.

He went on to say he had lots of friends in Indianapolis and remembers well spending time here while working on the Jimmy Carter presidential campaign with his wife Hillary and enjoys coming back here often.

Perhaps more indicative of his ability to wax humor in his opening remarks he said "I am also happy to be here for Butler's Sesquicentennial, I never knew what that word meant until I was governor of Arkansas and the state celebrated their Sesquicentennial during my term - I learned how to say this and after some practice and it's a fun word to say, but once you master it, only one in four people know what it means".

On a serious note he said "You have to make a world with more partners and fewer enemies". That "we're out there telling Iran they can't have nuclear weapons, but we can have a few more?", and talked about the great economic theory he brought to the White House to balance the budget, "Arithmetic", and went on to say "we voted in 2000 to adandon arithmetic".

I thought his commentary on the human condition to be most salient:"one half of the people in the world live on $2 a day and one quarter of the people in the world die of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria or diarrhea-related infections. He said that it is statistics like this that drive him to donate so much of his time and money".

President Clinton closed the evening by saying, "You have the power to make a difference and I urge you to use it." All 9600 people in Hinkle Fieldhouse stood and applauded for several minutes. Clinton then answered pre-written questions from students where the course name and instructor was mentioned first. Upon conclusion of the question and answer session, he spent probably 20 minutes standing in front of the stage shaking hands and talking with as many people as he could who waited around for an opportunity to meet him briefly.

This was an outstanding evening for me and my son. It took almost 40 years for me to see a President again. I am glad we had this experience together, as I did with my father many years earlier. It leaves a profound memory.

Edward Hopper - the connection

2005-10-30T05:19:00.000-08:00

I have always had an appreciation for art, not so much because I understand the artist's history or the various generes, but simply because I enjoy most artistic expressions. Since I was a young man I have always liked Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. Early on, I never really knew much about American Realism or Hopper himself, but is seems that anyone you have a conversation with about this painting cannot help being intrigued by the depiction of three lonely people sitting in an all night diner. In fact, it has become so popular over the years that many renditions have appeared which range from comedic to Elvis Presley, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe sitting at the counter of the all night diner. Nighthawks hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago.

I have been to Chicago several times to view this painting and it is absolutely striking to see it in person. It appears to have much more green to it than if the photo's. However, it is not only Hopper's Nighthawks I have come to love, but virtually all of his works which I have read about in various books that I have purchased, or been given through the years.

My first formal exposure to Nighthawks as a prominent American painting was during an art appreciation class at an undergraduate at Indiana Univeristy. Charles Haynes was the instructor and I remember how much I enjoyed learing about the movement of the Ashcan painters and how American Realism grew out ot that movement. Hopper was mentored by Robert Henri, one of the leaders of this movement at the beginning of the 20th century which depicted painting scenes of daily life in poor urban neighborhoods.

I met my wife during this same period and we were discussing art; she is a big fan of Impressionism, and I mentioned how much I enjoyed Hopper's works and that he was in fact my favorite painter. She mentioned her late grandfather was a urologist in New York City and Edward Hopper was one of his patients. His office was at 121 East 60th Street. At times, he would give Dr. McLellan a book, or lithograph, some of which are still in the family. I have been fortunate enough to have one of the books titled: Edward Hopper, Retrospective Exhibition, Text by Lloyd Goodrich which Edward Hopper provided my wife's grandfather. Inside the cover it reads "To Dr Allister McLellan Edward Hopper", and is signed by a cartridge pen, which was common during this time period. The book is a collection of plates from Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Fine Arts and Detroit Institute of Arts - These include: Evening Wind, 1921 - Room in New York, 1932 which clearly resemble the inside of Hopper's studio which was located at 3 Washington Square North, in Greenwich Village.

As I have studied Hopper and come to adore his works, upon a recent trip to NYC I decided to walk by his studio and home which was a flat in Greenwich Village at 3 Washington Square North. This address is on the northside of Washington Square Park and the door is not an entrance these days, as the building is occupied by New York University's Sociology Department. The door is still there with the number #3 on it in the event you would like to take a photo on the steps of this Greenwich Village walk-up.

You can walk around the corner of the building "to the northeast" and find a door that says "NYU Sociology Department", and the receptionist with let you go up and see Edward and Josephine's flat and studio. You must leave your ID at the receptionist station. When NYU bought the Washington Square building the Hopper's lived and worked in, the agreement was that their flat and studio would always be retained and visitors could come in and tour it on their own during the hours the sociology department is open.

The flat and studio for the most part are vacant, but there are several photo's sitting around of Hopper painting in the studio which has a fireplace and a beautiful window facing due south overlooking Washington Square. One of the large black and white photo's shows Hopper standing next to the fireplace. It is small and quaint and provides more insight into Hopper the man, and his lifestyle. You can take pictures while you are there.

Also, I encourage you to hang out in the area; this is the heart of NYU and Washington Park is a wonderful green space to sit and enjoy the atmosphere of college life in Greenwich Village.

Edward Hopper - the artist

2005-10-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

Nighthawks, 1942, oil on canvas, 84.1 x 152.4 cm, the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60603

Edward Hopper, (July 22, 1882 - May 15, 1967) was an American painter best remembered for his eerily realistic depictions of solitude in contemporary American life.

Born in Nyack, New York, Hopper studied commercial art and painting in New York City. One of his teachers, artist Robert Henri, encouraged his students to use their art to "make a stir in the world." Henri, an influence on Hopper, motivated students to render realistic depictions of urban life. Henri's students, many of whom developed into important artists, became known as the Ashcan School of American art.

Upon completing his formal education, Hopper made three trips to Europe to study the emerging art scene there, but unlike many of his contemporaries who imitated the abstract cubist experiments, the idealism of the realist painters enamored Hopper. His early projects reflect the realist influence.

While he worked for several years as a commercial artist, Hopper continued painting. In 1925 he produced House by the Railroad, a classic work that marks his artistic maturity. The piece is the first of a series of stark urban and rural scenes that uses sharp lines and large shapes, played upon by unusual lighting to capture the lonely mood of his subjects. He derived his subject matter from the common features of American life — gas stations, motels, the railroad, or an empty street.

The best known of these paintings, Nighthawks (1942), shows the lonely customers frequenting a downtown all-night diner. The diner's harsh electric lights set it off from the gentle night outside. The diners, seated at stools around the counter, are similarly isolated from one another, leaving the viewer to wonder what led them to the diner late at night. Hopper explained that Nighthawks was inspired by "a resturant on New York's Greenwich Avenue where two streets meet". The diner has since been destroyed, but the painting reveals three customers lost in their own private thoughts. the anonymus and uncommunicative night owls seem as remote from the viewer as they are from one another. Although Hopper denied that he purposely infused any of his paintings with symbols of isolation and emptiness, he acknowledged of Nighthawks that, "unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city."

Other examples include "Chop Suey", "Rooms for Tourists", and "Office in a Small City".

Hopper's rural New England scenes, such as Gas (1940), are no less wistful. In terms of subject matter, he can be compared to his contemporary, Norman Rockwell, but while Rockwell exalted in the rich imagery of small-town America, Hopper depicts it in the same sense of forlorn solitude that permeates his portrayal of city life. Here too, Hopper's work exploits vast empty spaces, represented by a lonely gas station astride an empty country road and the sharp contrast between the natural light of the sky, moderated by the lush forest, and glaring artificial light coming from inside the gas station.

Hopper died in 1967, in his studio near Washington Square, in New York City. His wife, the painter Josephine Nivison, who died 10 months later, bequeathed his work to the Whitney Museum of American Art. Other significant paintings by Hopper are at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago. Josephine, a former actress as well, sat as a model, for every woman Hopper painted.

In 2004, a large selection of Hopper's paintings toured through Europe, visiting Cologne, Germany and Tate Modern in London. The Tate exhibition became the second most popular in the gallery's history, with 420,000 visitors in the three months it was open.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

New York City - 121 E. 60th Street - Dr. Allister M. McLellan

2005-10-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

I took my son on his second trip to New York City in November of 2004. The purpose was to have a fun weekend and to catch the Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 15, 2004 @ 7:30 pm. I asked my mother-in-law, who was born and raised in Manhatten for the address of her late father's medical practice in the city. I wanted to take my son to see where his great-grandfather's office was in the city. My wife was also born in NYC, so as we talked about this trip, I asked my mother-in-law to write as much as she could remember that might be of interest to my son for our visit. This writing was directed to my son, and her comments were written very quickly, and are unedited.

Life in New York City 1927 - 1950 - I've tried to think of my life in New York in an organized fashion, but things keep popping into my head! Here goes! EMJ November, 2004.

"My parents had been living in New York City before I was born. It was on Third Avenue in a 4th floor walk-up. Mother washed her clothes and linens in the sink and hung them on the lines provided on the roof of the building. There was no air conditioning anywhere. Later we moved to Jackson Heights on Long Island until I went to Junior High. My grandfather lived with us after awhile and he would take me to the orthodonist in the City - a bus trip over the Queensboro Bridge. The office was on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. After seeing the doctor we went downstairs to the Schraft's Resturant and every week I had a club sandwich and vanillia ice cream with butterscoth sauce and almonds!

Lillias and I took piano lessons. Our teacher took us to several concerts in NYC. I remember hearing Myra Hess play somewhere. We always had to wear white gloves with our dressy clothes to go! Also we rode our two wheeler bikes and we played with our dolls. Shopping for clothes was usually at Bloomingdale's very near Father's office, which was at 121 East 60th Street, between Lexington and Park avenues. Macy's Paraade at Thanksgiving went down Fifth Avenue. Usually we went, sometimes with Father's secretary. All I remember is large balloons and lots of floats and bands.

When I was in Junior High we moved to Pelham. Our regular dentist was on Park Ave. in the City. (Believe it or not, I had 12 gold inlay fillings before I was through high school!). So we made lots of trips, since there were so many of us. From Pelham we had to take the New York-New Haven-and-Hartford local train into Grand Central Station to get to NYC. It was about a 40 minute ride, but then we were in the middle of the City. In summer all the summer camps going to New England met about the same days to load on the trains. It was bedlam in the station! We were headed for Vermont and it was an all-day long trip.

Mother enjoyed the theater and father was not too keen on it, so she and I would attend afternoon theater plays and then meet father for dinner. We always went to a fancy resturant, but I can't recall any names. In my senior year 3 couples of us went to NYC for New Year's Eve. We ate somewhere and then at 11 pm headed for Times Square to see the ball drop. The crowd was horrrendous and it wasn't long before my feet were not touching the gound. I was just being carried along. I could see my friends but I could not get to them for, what seemed like a long time. We missed the last train to Pelham, so had to wait for the mild train at ??30 am. I assured everyone that my parents were not concerned, that they would know we were OK, and would reassure their parents. Well, when we pulled into Pelham station at 4:00 am, who was there, but my father. He was very calm and asked what had happened, but he must have been the most relieved person around! Some of the other parents punished their children, but in my home we just talked about it and what it meant to them, not to hear from us. I kept saying, "I just didn't want to wake you up!".

I wnet to nursing school at Cornell University School of Medicine at New York Hospital on 68th and York Ave. Although the nursing school is gone, the hospital is there and growing. One of my classmates was from Iowa and on our day off we went to the top of the Empire State Building, where I had never been. On another trip we went to the Statue of Liberty and climbe to the head. You could not go up the ar to the flame any longer. Ellis Island was not a place for tourists at that time. While I was in school there, I was assigned to the Neuro-surgery floor, where a Dr. Jeck was the resident. My father came to visit me (which he often did, just to say hello, when he cam to see his patients). ON this occasion he saw Sheff's name stamped on his whites and recognized him as the son of a former colleague. He wnet home later and invited Sheff for the weekend. Then called me arranging for me to meet Dr. Jeck in the parking garage on a certain Saturday morning. I was to bring him home - but, I was to let him drive, not me! and entertain him for the weekend.

Several months later Sheff asked me to go ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza one evening. He knew I could skate a little at least, but he was really good. We skated to music for several hours. How romantic!!!!! it was!!!! Meanwhile I was assigned to public health for three months. My district was 125th Street, not a very respectable neighborhood, but certainly one that needed all the help they could get. One day, I visited a woman with cancer who lived in a 6th floor walk-up in a "bad area". Armed with nothing but my bag and determination I walked up the stairs, which wer dark because the lights had been shot out. When I arrived I found she had four little children with her, whom she was afraid to let out of her one room apartment. I did what I could for her and promised to get her some help for the children. It was an education for me and perhaps that is why I have always done public health work.

I am sure there is more, but I can't think of it. If you get this, this evening and have questions, give me a call I will be here".

EMJ/November 2004

On Sunday, my son and I walked to Central Park to see Christo and Jeanne-Claude "The Gates" which was the largest public display of art in the history of NYC. The 7,500 free hanging saffron colored fabric panels placed throughout Central Park were on display for only 16 days. We were fortunate to see them. After walking through the park we visited the 121 East 60th Street office of my son's great-grandfather, Dr, Allister M. McLellan. As we walked east on 60th Street from Central Park, I encouraged my son to try to think about what life must have been like for his great-grandfather in New York during the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's. As we peered through the glass doors we saw an older woman who was the Sunday receptionist. She approached the locked doors, and I talked to her through a voice-box about what we were up to, and she let us in; we discoved this was still a building occupied by physicians, and she actually remembered Dr. McLellan. She told us she had worked in this building as a young pharmaceutical sales representative and now was retired, but enjoyed the people she had come to know so much she decided to work part-time as the receiptionist. She appeared to be about 70 or so. We know she did in fact remember Dr. McLellan, as she said, "ah yes, Dr. McLellan, he was a urologist", which in fact he was. After our brief visit we went to Serendipty 3 at 225 E. 60th for lunch, and then a brief walk through of Bloomingdale's on the corner of 59th & Lexington. We returned home Sunday evening after a wonderful weekend.

Resturant Review - concept & introduction, October 2005.

2005-10-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

I have been encouraged by my brother to write a resturant review for my blogsite. It seems like something fun to do, and useful for those who know me. I have an affection for resturants that generally fall into three catagories: historical, eclectric, funky. Generally, the food is secondary to the experience. That being said, you should understand I enjoy great dining, but my selection will be based upon the overall experience, including those who are with me.

Each month I plan to write about one of my favorite resturants. Some will be local, and some will be not-so-local, some will be high-end, some will be low-end. I might write on a place in the upper 70's in Manhatten's upper east side, such as Luke's Bar & Grill; a wonderful small resturant and bar you may recall received publicity when Mike Wallace was arrested for disorderly conduct as his driver double-parked and was cited by the police while Wallace was inside getting take-out meatloaf; or it might be be a charming off-the-beaten path place in Southern Indiana, such as the Story Inn where I enjoyed a wonderful, romantic dinner and evening with my wife. Regardless, the idea is to have fun and introduce my friends and those visiting this site some great places to hang out and enjoy food and the experience.

Also, I want to introduce the Zagat Survey thought to be the world's leading provider of consumer survey-based dining, travel and leisure information, with more than 250,000 voters participating worldwide. This is a subscription based service that I believe to be very good, after all it's a review by those who actually have eaten at these establishments, not some suit engaged in a marketing effort. Zagat provides instant acces to trusted ratings and reviews for over 30,000 resturants, nightspots, hotels and attractions. If you want to subscribe to the resturant section only, that's possible. The cost for a 365 day subscription at this writing is $24.95 for the full subscription and $19.95 for the resturant only subscription. Spare the extra $5 bucks and get the full access. As you visit different cities, many times you will see a Zagat placard in the window of resturants, hotels and entertainment venues stating: "This Establishment is Zagat Rated". The placard will generally include commentary from customers.

If there is a story to tell about the place, I will include that as well. And many times, the best stories are those we create ourselves through our own experiences and engagement.

Chicago White Sox - October 2005

2005-10-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

I was at the Holiday Inn Chicago - Mart Plaza giving a talk to an industry trade group on Friday, October 28, 2005. It was, without any doubt, exciting to experience the energy in Chicago after the White Sox won the 2005 World Series on Wednesday evening. To celebrate their first World Series since 1917, the city sponsored a parade on Friday; this public event attracted tens of thousands of fans who turned out to see what was referred to in the media as a "giant block party". The team rode in double-decker buses from US Cellular Field through several neighborhoods where fans lined the streets leading to the downtown loop cheering, waving and saluting the new world champions of baseball.

The White Sox won the 2005 World Series over the Houston Astros by a sweep.

Game 1 - October 22, @ Chicago, CWS 5 - HOU 3
Game 2 - October 23, @ Chicago, CWS 7 - HOU 6
Game 3 - October 25, @ Houston, CWS 7 - HOU 5
Game 4 - October 26, @ Houston, CWS 1 - HOU 0

I have enjoyed the experience of watching two White Sox games in person; once in 2003 and again in 2004, both at US Cellular Field, previously Comiskey Park, on Chicago's southside. In 2003 the Sox played the Yankees and I had seats directly behind home plate and saw Derek Jeter, the popular short stop for the Yankees batting several times. I was not more than 20 yards from him. On a wacky side note, as I was leaving the stadium, I ran into Jerry Springer, the popular, but controversial Chicago based talk show host and former mayor of Cincinnati. I politely shook hands and he signed my ticket. The ticket is dated September 23, 2003, game 80, box 130, row 5, seat 5. It was a 7:05 pm game. I recently read where Derek Jeter made $19,600,000 in base salary for 2005. Not a bad year!

In 2004, my second experience seeing the White Sox, they played the Minnesota Twins. This was a unique in that I took the subway to US Cellular Field which was very cool. If you have never done this, it is an absolute "must" Chicago sports experience. You can catch the subway at various places. The subway which runs "under ground" is not to be confused with the Chicago "L" that runs "above ground", i.e. "elevated" which is where the nickname "L" comes from.

I normally stay in the Gold Coast which is the area around the Hancock Building. In this area you can catch the subway at State & Chicago, this stop is marked as "Chicago" (Red Line) on the train maps. You take the train to the "Sox/35th St." stop. You'll come up the stairs and the ball park will be a brief 5 minute walk. On the way, you'll be entertained by street artists, vendors hawking their wares and people enjoying the spirit of the event. As you return to the Gold Coast, the (CTA) Chicago Transit Authority, which is our nation's second largest public transportation system, has several trains cars attached, all heading north and waiting for White Sox fans to board. Your return back will include every kind of entertainment you might imagine on a train packed like sardines of wild Chicago White Sox fans. It's one of the best experiences you can have.

For articles about the White Sox celebration visit the Chicago Tribune website.

Favorite 20 Songs for My Son.

2005-10-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

My son asked my wife and I to provide him a list of our favorite 20 songs when we were his age (senior in HS). It took about 10 minutes for me to compile my list, and it could have easily contained probably 200 songs. We like and remember songs for various reasons, i.e. significant experiences such as military, college, early years of marriage. I am listing my 20 in no particular order.

The Weight/I Shall Be Released - The Band
US 1968 single for the The Band's debut album "Music from Big Pink", with "The Weight". The artists are listed as Robertson, Danko, Manuel, Hudson, Helm, this was before "The Band" became the group's name. Label: Capitol, Catalog #P2269 (promotional single) and 2269, Year: 1968 - Released September 1968 in the US and reached #63 on US Charts and #21 in the UK.

Let It Be - The Beatles
The Beatles thirteenth album was also their last. Let It Be was issued in Britian on PXI on May 8, 1970 as part of a special boxed package which also included the glossy book The Beatles Get Back. When it was issued in America on Atlantic Records (AR) 34001 on May 18, 1970, it had the highest advance sales on record for that time - a total 3,700,000. A film by the same title was produced as well.

Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf
From the album, "The Second" which was a follow-up to their enormously successful first album release titled: "Steppenwolf". This landmark first album contained the songs, "Born to be Wild", "Sookie Sookie", "The Pusher", later used in the movie "Easy Rider", and "Hootchie Cootchie Man". The next album, which contained "Magic Carpet Ride" was titled simply "The Second" and also was produced in 1968, Label: ABC Dunhill/50037, artist: Steppenwolf, words and music by John Kay and Rushton Moreve. John Kay commented "The Second was a record full of experimentation. It was started a few short months after the first album Steppenwolf was released. At that time we were contractually obligated to record two albums a year. That pressure, along with our greatly increased touring schedule, TV show appearances, etc, quickly had us behind schedule".

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
From the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road released in 1973, produced by Gus Dudgeon, recorded at Strawberry Studios in Chateau D'Heirouville, France, May 1973, Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Bernie Taupin. Includes other notable songs such as Candle In The Wind, Bennie And The Jets, Saturday NIght's Alright (For Fighting).

Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix
From the album Are You Experienced which was The Jimi Hendrix Experience's debut album. Even after Jimi Hendrix's death in London on September 18, 1970 from drug-related complications, this was the most sold of his albums, and remained so for 20 years. Hey Joe was released as a single also on Monday, May 1. 1967, Reprise Records, 0572. Hey Joe was the first single Jimi Hendrix released and it went to #6 and lasted ten weeks on the U.K. charts.Are You Experienced was released on Wednesday, August 23, 1967, Reprise Records, 6261 and contained other notable Hendrix songs as Purple Haze, Manic Depression, The Wind Cries Mary, Foxy Lady.In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the voacbulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since. He coupled hurricane blasts of noise and dazzling showmanship - he could and would play behind his back and with his teeth and set his guitar on fire - which some believed obscured his considerable gifts as a songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of blues, RB, and rock styles. It was in a New York Club, most likely Max's Kansas City, the Bitter End or the Cafe Au-go-go (all Greenwich Village clubs) that Hendrix was spotted by Animals bassist Chas Chandler. The first line-up of the Animals was about to split, and Chandler, looking to move into management, convinced Hendrix to move to Londo and record as a solo act in England. There a group was built around Jimi, also featuring Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on bass, that was dubbed the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The trio became stars with astonishing speed in the U.K. where "Hey Joe," "Purple Haze," and "The Wind Cires Mary" all made the Top Ten in the first half of 1967. These tracks were also featured on their debut album, Are You Experienced, a psychedelic meisterwerk that became a huge hit in the U.S. after Hendrix created a sensation at the Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967. The following year Hendrix released "Electric Ladyland" which ranks as one of the greatest albums of the rock era. Jimi Hendrix appeared at Woodstock in the summer of 1969 and many famous pictures depict him onstage at this festival playing his 1968 Fender Stratocaster.

Initial Posting - Sunday Morning, October 23, 2005.

2005-10-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

I thought I should provide a few thoughts on my initial entry and why I have decided an attempt to create a weblog of important and not so important experiences of my life.

First. I believe writing is good for the soul; it allows us to express, refine, solidify, change and express through our eyes one's view of events, experiences and life itself.
Second. I believe I am at a point in life where I would like to capture my thoughts and experiences for others to view; primarily my family and children.
Third. I believe if used properly and responsibly, the digital tools we have available provide superior archival and accessibility of information. I do not want to write in a journal and worry about leaving it somewhere or getting damaged.

It is important on my initial post to recognize an important person who introduced me to the electronic frontier and encouraged me to explore the many applications for communication. Perry Nelson, a colleague and friend provided me a copy of "Being Digital", by Nicholas Negroponte, Vintage (January 3, 1996), 272 pages, ISBN: 0679762906. As I read the book, and Perry demonstrated the "possibilities" for endless applications in learning, communication, commerce and information gathering, I became intrigued. This was over a decade ago.

Being Digital - Nicholas Negroponte, Editorial Review: Amazon.com

As the founder of MIT's Media Lab and a popular columnist for Wired, Nicholas Negroponte has amassed a following of dedicated readers. Negroponte's fans will want to get a copy of Being Digital, which is an edited version of the 18 articles he wrote for Wired about "being digital."
Negroponte's text is mostly a history of media technology rather than a set of predictions for future technologies. In the beginning, he describes the evolution of CD-ROMs, multimedia, hypermedia, HDTV (high-definition television), and more. The section on interfaces is informative, offering an up-to-date history on visual interfaces, graphics, virtual reality (VR), holograms, teleconferencing hardware, the mouse and touch-sensitive interfaces, and speech recognition.

In the last chapter and the epilogue, Negroponte offers visionary insight on what "being digital" means for our future. Negroponte praises computers for their educational value but recognizes certain dangers of technological advances, such as increased software and data piracy and huge shifts in our job market that will require workers to transfer their skills to the digital medium. Overall, Being Digital provides an informative history of the rise of technology and some interesting predictions for its future. -- This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

In closing, I must also thank my brother Rob who never fails to help me maintain curiosity about the world and unconditionally supports every new endevor I attempt.

My weblog has been established.

2005-10-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

Established Saturday Night, October 22, 2005