the3six5 is a story of the year 2010, told daily by a different person. It falls under the category of a crowdsourced piece. It is the mastermind of Daniel Honigman and Len Kendall, 2 people who work in social media and the Internet in Chicago with whom I have the honor to know.

Last Thursday, August 19, I contributed “my day” to the project. Below is what I submitted. If you are not following the3six5 I highly recommend you do. It is a unique perspective on the year told my a wide variety of people.

Taking my little girl to daycare every day allows me to somewhat recreate Robert Downey Jr’s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, where he plays out in his mind’s eye how his next moves will take place. Of course I say somewhat, for as much as I would like, the day of a Web consultant can sometimes be unpredictable. Then again, this is part of why I do what I do.

After I drop her off and watch her bounding into her class (and once again wondering how she does it without the 3 cups of coffee that didn’t allow me to keep up with her) I continue out my role as Holmes, but with a Patriots jersey on, as it’s a gameday. In between client calls, development and some blogging, my mind wanders back to the date – August 19.

When I chose this day to share my day with you, I knew it would fall on the date, 6 years later, when I arrived in the Windy City. I wasn’t quite sure if it would be a big day, or just another day, or where I would even be this day. I also wasn’t sure if I would be reminiscing about what’s transpired over the years. As it turns out, though there have been some lows, the highs have trumped them, and I am pretty positive about where I am right now. Ok, the photos of my family and pictures of some of the Web sites I have build which surround me may have some influence on that, not to mention not following the news today!

I am also looking ahead to the next few weeks – this weekend I was invited by Nokia to a beach house in Huntington Beach, CA to try out a new mobile device, which will be followed by some quality time-off with the family, followed by kicking off a great Web project. Some days the glass is half full and some days it isn’t half full, rather shattered on the floor and liquid splattered. Then again, I probably have followed the news too much those days.

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Sound the trumpets, as I wish to blow my own horn a little bit and pass along a few mentions I have received in the past few weeks in the Chicago media.

Newcity is a weekly print magazine with a great Web site covering additional aspects of the Windy City. Reporter Ella Christoph interviewed me about likemind Chicago, the monthly coffee meetup I co-host, as well as others who attend. It’s a great article highlighting this unique, morning gathering of tech, creative and agency folks.

Chicago Now is a blog powered by the Chicago Tribune, and reporter Lira Luis wrote about co-working and OfficePort CHI, the office space my Web consulting firm Dunkirk Systems, LLC inhabits most days and a few nights and weekends as well. Where I was not interviewed for the article, a picture of me hard at work is featured.

Thanks for the coverage, and if you are a reporter covering business or technology, I am more than glad to talk to you about an upcoming article!

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Coming off the successful launch of the Spartan Charters Web site last week, my Web consulting firm Dunkirk Systems, LLC is proud to announce the launch of the redesigned Web site for Chicago artist Augustus V. M. “Gus” Higginson.

The Web site, at www.AugustusHigginson.com, is a showcase for his work and his career. The artwork section features a gallery of his most recent works as well as some of his past works. As an architectural historian, many of his works pay tribute to great buildings, including The Rookery in Chicago and the Chicago Cultural Center. His works are large-scale, and the site features detailed photos of his works as well as the entire pieces.

Once again, Dunkirk collaborated with Visible Logic, Inc. and Emily Brackett for this project. Emily’s design not only serves as a great backdrop for Gus’ artwork but also captures the essence of the artist as well. Behind the scenes of the Web site is powered by ExpresionEngine, the great content management system which we at Dunkirk have been working with for years for many of our clients. This provides the ability for editing of all content on the Web site and provides an infrastructure for managing search engine optimization. Integrated in the home page is Gus’ Twitter stream, which you can follow and see photos of his current and past works in process.

On a personal note, it was a fun project, especially working with a local client. Most of my clients are not local, though despite this they progress very well, and many times I have met the client after the Web site was completed! It was great to sit at the table with Gus during each phase of the project.

Whether you have an appreciation for architecture, history, or simply want to see a unique perspective on some great places, check out the new Web site for Augustus V. M. “Gus” Higginson.

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It is with a heavy heart that I write about Father Joseph McGlone, a retired Catholic priest from the Boston area, who passed away earlier this year. I just found about this news by chance when I was performing some Web searches. Allow me to take a diversion from my usual writing to remember a great man and leader.

Fr. Joe, as he was known to everyone, was the pastor of Corpus Christi Church in the village of Auburndale in Newton, Massachusetts. He was there for over 30 years, which is rare for a priest. I was fortunate to have been a member of Corpus Christi when I lived in the Boston area and was honored to have had him marry me and my lovely wife several years ago.

Fr. Joe had a unique appeal; unlike many priests this good Catholic boy had known over the years. He was very real and down to earth. He welcomed you into his church and made you feel at home. He prayed for the issues that many other priests would jam down your throat! As a result, Fr. Joe made Corpus Christi a truly welcoming church, and it certainly wasn’t a chore to go to his church every week. This is not to say Fr. Joe was not assertive or a leader. Even when he used his great sense of humor, he was making a point. There was a period of time I had not been regularly going to church. When I did finally start going back, one week I brought my family with me and he made sure I knew I hadn’t been there and how much I missed and how much I was missed. He jokingly let me had it, all the while welcoming me back.

As the sex abuse scandal was exposed in the Archdiocese of Boston, it took its toll on everyone, including Fr. Joe. When the Archdiocese announced that churches would be closed, he pointed this out one week in his sermon that church expenses weren’t being met my offerings and this was not a good sign for Corpus Christi. This must have been tough for him to say as he never asked for money. But the next week, offerings nearly doubled and maintained that level. I also remember asking Fr. Joe how he was doing throughout the scandal, especially as many of those priests were in surrounding towns. His response was, “I am a woodcutter.” When I asked him to explain, he said if anyone asked him what he did for a living, he would say he is a woodcutter and not a priest. That was on par with his style.

At the time of the almost heartless church closings taking place in the Archdiocese of Boston, Fr. Joe was asked to retire, to which he refused. Everyone was ecstatic he stood his ground! Here was a new archbishop coming in from out of town and wanting what was right about the church to leave? A few years later, after I had moved form the Boston area and Corpus Christi had merged with another church, he was asked again to retire and did. Though I cannot speak directly to the circumstances after I was away, I did hear he remained active in the church close to his hometown where he was a member after retirement, and I am sure they were fortunate to have him.

Right before I moved to Chicago, I lectured one last time at Corpus Christi and Fr. Joe was the presiding priest at the mass. At its conclusion he surprised me by announcing to the congregation that both my wife and I were leaving for a city where he had once studied once in his career at Loyola University. His thoughts were touching as he recalled our wedding and wished us well. That was one of the last times I saw Fr. Joe and a great memory of a great man, along with the many others I have of him from over the years.

Rest in peace, Fr. Joe.

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The next likemind will be Friday, August 20, 2010 in dozens of cities around the world.

In Chicago, it will be at Argo Tea, 140 S Dearborn St. at the corner of Adams and Dearborn Streets in the Loop from 8:00 am to 10:00 am.

I call likemind a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, social media, et. al. For more on likemind, read this great article on likemind Chicago from the Newcity and likemind from the New York Times.

No RSVP is required. You are also welcome to join the likemind Chicago Facebook group.

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