How about a little pure Chicago to kick off a Friday. Flickr user BenSeese uploaded this timelapse gem of The Bean in the spring, but it's still cool today.
The great thing about The Bean, CloudGate if you simply must placate persnickety sculptor Anish Kapoor, is just sitting back and watching how people react to it, near it, in it, etc. This video gives you a speedy taste of the childlike playfulness the mirrored work of art elicits.
And it's a soothing way to head into the weekend. If you like the video, by all means vote it up at WindyCitizen where it was originally dug up.
Theme parks are, by and large, confusing places. There are multitudinous masses of sweaty humanity, milling aimlessly. And always lines bisecting the flow of life and adding to the confusion.
But of course, a little mapping goes a long way to clearing up life's seemingly insurmountable confusions. And that's where this site comes in to, well, play. It's a fascinating collection of theme park maps through the years leading us through the history of confusing fun throughout the world. There's even pdfs of theme park brochures to help you skip through your yesteryear childhood memories.
It's also an interesting trip through America's progress. Take in the relatively simple hand-drawn layout and attractions of 1953 Riverview Park in Chicago and compare it to some of the monstrous new offerings, 2008 Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, for instance, for a case study in how the country's liesure tastes and expectations have changed. It's a visual tale of the quest for bigger, faster, more.
Or, of course, it's merely a geo-coded timeline of the history of mass entertainment and thrill rides. A roller coaster through history.
The hypnotic drawbridge dance on the Chicago River may build the ire of people unlucky enough to be stuck in their cars, trapped by the klaxon-call of slow maritime progress beneath the street. But it also marks the finer days in our fair city.
Warm weather, sunshine and fun at the lakefront. Some of the best Chicago has to offer.
So as yet another steel-grey day morphs into early night, take a few seconds and think about the summer, courtesy of YouTuber Brunopier in this timelapse shot as a sungle boat floats its way through downtown - a shot that took an hour to get, but you can enjoy in about 30 seconds.
A year ago tonight, hundreds of thousands of Barack Obama supporters filed into Grant Park in Chicago to see the junior senator from Illinois become the first black President of the United States in a landslide win against Sen. John McCain.
The euphoria, right, from Nov. 4, 2008 in Grant Park has died down considerably in the last year. (Scott Stewart~Sun-Times)
It was the culmination in an often bitter two-year fight for a candidate many people knew little about. Supporters in Grant Park - and throughout the country - turned out to mark the historic moment with spontaneous celebrations and joyful exuberance. Even many of Obama's fiercest critics admitted it was an exciting moment in American history as the country took one more step toward closing the race gap.
But glory, as it so often is, was fleeting following the 2008 presidential election. Like the new car, the value begins to plummet and the shine to fade the moment it's driven off the dealership lot. No longer is it enough to win the campaign - now the results must come. And come quickly.
By Thomas Conner on October 21, 2009 12:46 PM
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Kanye West is dead. Long live Kanye West.
Or so some Twitter prankster would have you believe.
Early today, Twitter became abuzz with rumors that Chicago's most notorious rapper had passed on. The phrase "RIP Kanye West" began reproducing in tweets throughout the service, becoming a trending topic that's still No. 1 on the site as of this post.
West is, however, still alive and kicking. As The Daily Swarm put it in its round-up of news reports about this, he continues to not be dead.
The moral of the story: It's ridiculously easy to start rumoriffic mayhem. We propose some new hashtag heard-its ... #mileymising, #Tribuneshutdown, #daleyretires. Your suggestions?
It's no wonder Chicago was identified by the Princess Cruises Life Balance Barometer as America's most stressed out city.
In the national survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive, Chicagoans had the least "life balance," followed by Houston, Boston, Los Angeles and San Diego. Meanwhile, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Las Vegas and Dallas/Fort Worth ranked last on the list -- meaning their citizens claim to have the most life balance.
In a Princess Cruises press release, stress expert and founder of The Stress Institute, Dr. Kathleen Hall, said life balance "is all about having time for work, relationships, relaxation and fun, but when people are stressed out, it can be hard for them to focus on the priorities that will help get them back in balance."
What do you think, Chicago -- are we really that stressed, or is this a case of Princess Cruises trying to coax us away from the cold winter weather that awaits in coming months?
Kanye West is not gonna let Spike Jonze's short film, "We were once a fairytale," finish.
Just one day after the odd 10-minute opus was released, Chicagoan West pulled the joint from his own site without warning or explanation. The film shows a drunken rapper exorcising his demons as normal people look on.
Sounds familiar for some reason.
The beleaguered rapper debuted the clip on his Web site Monday before removing it. In it, West is shown acting drunk and obnoxious, and at the end of it, he stabs himself with a sword and pulls what appears to be a little mouselike demon out of his stomach. He then gives the demon a sword, and it stabs itself.
A rep for Jonze says the video was made within the past year. West's publicist did not respond to an Associated Press e-mail seeking comment.
Death, it turns out, is anything but dignified for Michael Jackson.
His family continues to squabble over the estate. The label is marketing his work, using his death as a profit engine. His brain was held in deep freeze as his death investigation continues.
And now this ... his singed hair from the infamous 1984 Pepsi commercial fire accident is up for sale.
According to the London Sun newspaper, Ralph Cohen, the executive producer of the commercial, saved the hairs in his coat, which he had used to try to put the flames on Jackson's head out. Now the dozen singed hairs are going on the block in an auction expected to bring in a whopping $1,500.
Of course, that price also includes Cohen's harrowing tale of the day:
"And then, as Michael on his cue, was supposed to come down the stairs the explosion went off and the first thing I noticed was - he was about half way down the stairs - and I noticed flame emanating from his hair.
"And it took me a moment to register what exactly was happening because there was so much lights and so many different things go on sic] it was a little confusing but I noticed his hair was on fire and I immediately rushed out from my position.
"I pulled my jacket off as I was running and proceeded to, when I reached him, put it over his head."
Richard Davie from International Autograph Auctions is selling them at the Edwardian Radisson Hotel at Heathrow, London, on October 17.
The hairs are said to be worth about twice as much as when Jackson was alive. The video flameout is pointed to by many Jackson watchers as the beginning of the end for the King of Pop. After suffering second degree burns, he became hooked on pain killers, live-in doctors and bad advice until the time of his death by cardiac arrest this summer.
That, if it were the end of the story, would be enough to cover the weird quotient for the day. But when it comes to Michael Jackson, there's always more.
The Arlington Heights, IL., company, LifeGem, already has plans for about 100 more of Jackson's burned hairs - making them into diamonds. Dean Van den Biesen, one of the company's co-founders, says the 7- to 9-month process to make diamonds from Jackson's fried locks is underway.
"We have the Armani suit jacket, the locks of hair, the documentation. Everything," Van den Biesen said Tuesday.
How many diamonds does 100 hairs get you? About three by the time the carbon purification process the company advertises is complete. As to who gets those diamonds when they're done, plans are still being developed.
You'll just have to make due with the King's latest single - or is it his single? - for your Jackson fix in the meantime. Or, there's always the other King's hair auction, if you really must go that route.
Famed Chicago Sun-Times Page 1 Editor James Smith has been on Oprah. He's posterized President Obama. He's even hung out with Muhammad Ali.
But it's his musical taste that sets him apart.
In this first installment of what will be an occasional series, we take a look at what he's rocking on his iPhone, the radio, TV or, in this case, YouTube.
Today's choice: "'65 Love Affair," the classic Paul Davis epic that marked his departure from garbagey country ballads to garbagey pop.
Enjoy, we know you will be rocking the white man overbite before you know it!
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. A day that will live in infamy in Chicago?
According to 922warning.com, yes. Seems we're scheduled for nuclear armageddon today. Reason to worry or is this just a crackpot bit of end-of-world b.s. on the Web (does that happen?). Let's look at the facts as broken down by the site:
Firstly, keep in mind that a "second 9/11" or "9/11 sequel" could occur on 9/12/YYYY or 9/22/YYYY, rather than on 9/11/YYYY. Furthermore, eight years passed between the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and 9/11, and now eight years have passed since 9/11.
• 9/22/2009 is a Tuesday, as was 9/11/2001.
• 9/22/2009 is the first day of fall ("fall" being the operative word here).
• Chicago is known as "The Second City."
• President Obama is from Chicago.
• Chicago is a candidate city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The host city will be selected in October.
• Illinois Lottery drawings are held at 9:22 p.m.
• 9/11 occurred during President Bush's first year in office; President Obama is currently in his first year in office.
• September 22nd is the 265th day of the year and is followed by the final 100 days of the year.
Seems like a slam dunk call for you to grab some cans of Spam and get to the fallout shelter, right? I mean, the Lottery is involved, people!
Now, frankly, we're just a little skeptical of this bit of intel. First of all, the Doomsday Clock is still at 5-til-midnight, so we have a ways to go there. And da Mayor has yet to tell the City Council to let this happen. Nevermind the fact that the Cook County Board has no immediate plans for a fallout tax.
Besides, the Cubs aren't a threat to win the World Series this year, which is the true test of credibility when it comes to an end-of-days scenario.
Chicagoist has more on the latest action item in our government's war on ... umm ... us, apparently. They'd just better not piss of the cops or some heads are getting cracked over this one.
Thanks to our friends at Chicagoist for turning us onto the latest candidate to announce he's running to push the hugely unpopular Cook County Board President Todd Stroger out of office. The name? IcePhoenix23.
Rolls off the tongue and right onto a campaign placard, doesn't it?
Speaking of rolling, what does this guy bring to party aside from a concern for the community and outrage at the incumbent? Roller boogie skills. Mad roller boogie skills.
He could take a hit in the polls over the shorts, but this being Cook County, let's not count him out until all the ballots are marked twice, hidden, lost, counted, thrown out and rearranged in the next election.
Democracy in James Brown-inspired roller disco action!
Sad news tonight that Patrick Swayze, by all accounts, one of the better people in Hollywood, has passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
For most people, he'll be remembered as the sultry teacher for Jennifer Grey in "Dirty Dancing." Or maybe as the leading man in the afterlife in the chick flick uberhit "Ghost." Or maybe from his latest and last roll in "The Beast," the gritty crime drama set in Chicago. Or as the adrenaline junkie bank robber, Bohdi, in "Point Break." Dare to dream, he might even be remembered after a long career as Dalton ("Be nice ... until it's time not to be nice) in the classic "Road House."
But for me, as a child of the '80s in rural America where God, guns and guts were all we had to keep the Commies at bay, I'll always think of his role as Jed, the leader of a scrappy band of teen freedom fighters in "Red Dawn." So here's the whole movie, in chapters, to honor Swayze.
It takes a little work to get past the haughty "we're gonna make you cool" attitude behind this CBS Sunday Morning report on Wilco, but once you do, it's a nice look at some of alt Chicago's favorite sons.
Keeping in mind the average age of a Sunday Morning viewer is ancient, the "gee whiz" tone is somewhat understandable, and under that layer is Jeff Tweedy chatting about how Chicago factors into his life and how the band has almost defied the ability to become a huge draw.
But, as Tweedy points out at the end of the piece, this band has survived 20 years of turmoil, lineup changes and various other issues, making it that much more impressive that they're still banging around - and getting bigger, by their standards.
Yes, it is yet another pandering report on something from Chicago by a coastal media outlet, but there's no denying the world outside Chicago and the New York club and college town scenes is picking up the scruffy guys after years of toil.
There's nothing like an inbound CTA/Metra ride to make one think of drinking - at least that's what Budweiser is banking on in a new video ad spot.
The twist? It's a spot running in the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of a campaign for the beer's licensed brewer, Diageo Ireland.
Set to the tune of the Beatles' "All Together Now," the spot almost makes you forget you're watching an ad - and almost makes the schlep downtown something to look forward to for the work-a-day drones stuck on the various "L" and Metra lines used in the piece.
Sliding by scenes both famous and simply familiar, it's not the usual glamour shoot you'd see from a Chicago-shot ad campaign, but rather an insider's view to the city. There's the usual skyscraper footage and the like, but no ballparks. No lakeshore. No Michigan Avenue.
Irish blogger Darragh Doyle touched on some of the Chicago-centric aspects of the ad in a post in July. Here's what Doyle had on the city - and its people - as star:
Written by Dave Henderson and Richard Denney, and shot by award winning Director Chris Palmer, it was shot over 5 days from an actual train on the metro-rail as it tracked around the city of Chicago.
All in all, the film and crew were on the train for 50 hrs over a 5 day period in temperatures that were often below freezing. All of the actors were outside for up to 10 hrs a day in the freezing temperatures, often in costumes that provided little warmth. As such there was almost an entire crew of people dedicated to keeping the actors warm with blankets, thermoses and portable heaters.
The people of Chicago were brilliant as well and invited actors into their homes and offered them some respite from the bitter weather during shoot down time glorious stuff.
The band playing the Beatles cover is The Hours, a London-based duo.
The work for the "Lyrics" was written and conceived by DDB London and during a blogger release party for the spot, DDB's Matt Delahunty tells krishnade.com what it took to get the add off the ground - a 17-month process. It's an interesting look behind the scenes:
Delahunty talks about not only the technical challenges of getting the shoot timed perfectly, but his surprise at the freezing Chicago weather that surprised him on his first trip to the States.
You can find much more on the making of the video - behind the scenes and concept work, as well as upload your own video clips - here, though you'll need to be 21 - or at least tell the site you are - to get through the age wall. Some very cool insights to be found.
In the end it is just an ad campaign for a mediocre beer, but any Chicagoan can appreciate the glimpses into our city. And anybody who appreciates the creative process will find the explanations behind the work a treat for sure.
Hat tip to the Windy Citizen for finding this Chicago gem. Stop by and give it a vote up if you're so inclined.
When the news of the new Sears (OK, Willis, if you insist) Tower Skydeck attraction "The Ledge" first broke, the reaction was universal: "Awesome!"
Not so universal was the willingness to jump on the 4 inches of glass between the perfect view and oblivion. Plenty of adventurous souls jumped at the chance to levitate 1,300 feet above Chicago's streets, but just as man cautious folks said "thanks, but are you crazy?!?"
And up until now, this GigaPan shot from The Ledge was just about the best thing going in terms of high-up imagery.
Well, here's a little video project that should be immediately embraceable by both groups. Chicago film and media company 3to1 Studios has posted the above making-of video of a high definition project the crew is working on based on pretty much every angle possible of The Ledge.
We had a unique opportunity to shoot, "The Ledge" experience on the Willis Tower Skydeck in Chicago (formerly Sears Tower). For those who are unfamiliar with The Ledge, it's basically a glass and steel platform that protrudes out of the tower for a unique 103 story view of the city below.
Our mission was to shoot The Ledge from all sides including some reverse shots outside, a task not for the Acrophobic.
Willing to do anything for the perfect shot, our fearless Director of Photography, Kevin Moss and his First A.C., Hunter Whalen strapped into the towers window washing scaffold armed with the Red Camera One to capture some of the more breathtaking views of The Ledge itself.
This in itself provided most of our crew the opportunity to view the city of Chicago from the real Skydeck, the rooftop of the Willis Tower.
And the title, "Anything for the perfect shot," really sums up best what this experience must have been like for the crew. Hanging over the edge, literally, off the roof of the Willis with a handheld HD camera, safety harness or not, must have been quite the adrenaline rush to say the least.
So when can we see the actual footage, which promises to be stunning for all but the most vertigo-stricken? According to a comment from their post, it'll play at the Willis, presumably for people waiting in the miles of lines it takes to get to the top:
We can't release the footage for the time being. But you will be able to see it projected on a large screen in line at the Willis Tower skydeck ;)
Can't wait. Should almost make that eternal wait for the turbo elevators to the top worth the while.
And, if you just want a bunch more beautiful shots from the Ledge, you might want to click here.
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