The Hot Iron

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Northern Illinois University Flag Over Wrigley Field

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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Ringo Starr at the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago

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Saturday, July 05, 2008

Happy Independence Day

As I was off the grid yesterday, July 4, I would like to wish everybody a belated yet no less Happy Independence Day!

After a relatively quiet day, I got home and caught up on the local news.  During the newscast, the anchor said they were conducting a survey asking viewers if they felt they were patriotic.  Where this query did not diminish my reflections on the freedoms we have in the US, it was sad this question keeps coming up in the media.

One thought on patriotism that came to me yesterday was what I did on my 18th birthday, many years ago.  After having a great breakfast at home from my Mom, I hopped in the car and made 2 stops.  First I went to my hometown’s town hall and registered to vote.  From there, I went to the post office and registered for the draft.  Where both of these actions are vital to being an American, I felt doing these in this order important, especially if I had any feelings or reservations over the draft.  Through my active participation in the democracy that is the US, I could help make a difference.

Happy 232nd birthday to the United States of America, and here’s to many, many more.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Happy Flag Day

June 14 is Flag Day in the US.  It celebrates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777, and later became a nationally recognized day.  More information about the day’s history can be found in this Wikipedia article on Flag Day.

Today I will be joining members of the Chicago chapter of the Daughter’s of the American Revolution, or DAR, in handing out flags to people along Michigan Avenue.  The DAR is a historic organization of women who can trace their ancestry to the Mayflower or the American Revolution.  My lovely wife is a member, and thus that makes me a Husband of a Daughter of the American Revolution, or HODAR.  With a title like that, how could I not participate?

Happy Flag Day, a day in honor of not only a great national symbol, but also one of the best known brands in the world.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Art Institute Portrait Made With Jelly Belly Beans

Monday, June 02, 2008

Next likemind coffee in Chicago on Friday June 20

The next likemind coffee will be next Friday, June 20, 2008 in dozens of cities around the world.  In Chicago, it will be at Gallery 37 Cafe, 66 E. Randolph, at the corner of Wabash in the Loop in the Gallery 37 building.  Note the cafe opens right at 8.

I call likemind a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, et. al.

No RSVP is required but is always welcome, and you can by commenting to this post or at the likemind Chicago Facebook group.

Will there be books again this month?  Stay tuned…

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Déjà vu All Over Again

It was a great time to grow up in the 1980’s in New England.  Let alone the music and outfits, but having your favorite basketball team winning the NBA championship 3 times, on top of their other 13 titles, it was good to be a Boston Celtics fan.  From the Big 3 – Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale – to the supporting cast including M.L. Carr’s twirling towel, the C’s were a powerhouse and it seemed it would last forever.

A major part of the Celtics run in those days was their rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers.  Much of it had to do with each team’s key stars, Larry Bird for the Celtics and Earvin “Magic” Johnson for the Lakers, extending to their college championship game in 1978, where Bird’s Indiana State lost to Johnson’s Michigan State.  Though the rivalry was intense, you could see and feel the respect those players had for each other.

After the 1986 NBA title banner was hoisted to the rafters of the Boston Garden, the men in green went through 2 lean decades, plagued with the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Miller Lewis and coaches who couldn’t put it together.  As a former season ticket holder, I still have the letter from former coach M.L. Carr apologizing for the performance of the team in his last season as coach.  But after a change of ownership and what was believed to be controversial personnel changes by general manager – and former player – Danny Ainge, the Celtics are back in the NBA finals, and back against the Lakers.

Go Celtics!  I’ll be cheering along with the throngs of Boston fans here in the Windy City.  Though it’s a different Big 3 in Pierce, Garnett and Allen, we are confident and hopeful against a once-again formidable opponent.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

My Take-Aways From The Book Be Our Guest

Several years ago on a business trip to Amsterdam, I was offered a book by the hotel I was staying at.  The book was about the hotel and area where I was staying, and I gladly accepted it and it sat on my bookshelf until now.  So why would I keep such a book?  Now I know.

The book is titled “Be Our Guest! All about Jan Toebaxman, Holland and the Dutch.” The hotel I stayed in was called the Golden Tulip Jan Tabak – Golden Tulip is a hotel chain and Jan Tabak is a version of the name Jan Toebaxman, or Joe Tobaccoman in English.  It tells the story about the original hotel built near the site back in the 1600’s, as well as the story of the innkeeper and the region where it is outside of Amsterdam.

Did I have any takeaways from this 47-page book?  Of course!  My greatest takeaway is that there are stories to be told.  From stories of individuals to families to businesses and cities, there are surely many stories never documented in some form, and thus lost over the generations.  It is not until years later this is usually found, and the recreation of the stories from other stories takes some great effort.  Telling a story, no matter how small, adds to the conversation of life and society.

Another takeaway is you can sell through telling your story.  If I had more time on that trip this book pointed out small towns and sights to see in those towns.  The book itself had little mention about the present-day hotel itself, but in selling on the area, it would be top of mind to stay at this hotel if I wanted to visit this area again.

A final takeaway is receiving this book was unexpected.  The only other hotel I have been in that had a book or story of any kind was a Marriott hotel, where I found a copy of the Marriott family and hotel chain story.  This was years ago, and I don’t even know if they distribute the books in hotel rooms anymore.  Usually the “reading materials” in a hotel room are sales pitches or the Gideons Bible, and some hotels don’t offer the latter anymore.  This book was a pleasant surprise, even though it took a while for me to read it.

As I pass along a book after I read it, I will send this book to the first person who posts a comment stating they would like it.  Don’t leave your address, as I will email you outside of the blog for it.  And there’s no obligation to visit The Netherlands either, though I highly recommend it.  The hotel is still there, but is now NH Jan Tabak.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Giant Wrapper Art at Looptopia 2008 in Chicago

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Wordless Wednesday - Combo Recycling and Trash Can at Millennium Park, Chicago