Where Is The Bus?!

I have to say that every year, I forget how horrible the winters are here in Chicago! I long for the day when I no longer have to trudge over mountains of frozen hills full of dirty ice and snow. When I can walk on my own two feet and trust that I will not fall on my face from slipping on a thin sheet of ice. It seems that no pair of shoes can have enough traction to keep my feet on solid ground.

With that said, why does cold weather make buses run slower? My only means of transportation in this city is by bus and train. When it is impossible to get from one side of the city to the other by warm train, I am forced to wait for 30 minutes at two different bus stops to get me across town. As I wait, my hands and feet become numb and I am placed in a world of mental and bodily malfunction.

As I wait, I am forced to sing happy songs, and pretend that I am on a tropical island far away from this arctic city. I peer down the street, past the oncoming traffic hopping to see a bus approach. Nothing. As I continue to wait, anger grows inside me towards those who pass by in their warm cars. Music pounds from their closed windows and exhaust pours from the rear of their salty vehicles. I catch myself glaring into their frosted windows to see if there is any mercy. "Help me!" I want to scream. "Where are you going? Want to give me a ride?" Of course I know I cannot do this, because my safety is concerned. Does it even matter? I sometimes wonder if I'd rather die in the cold or in a warm car. I check again, nothing.

I crush ice with my boots that have now become bricks of ice themselves. Again, I look... wait, I see something. It looks like orange lights blinking up ahead. I squint my teary eyes and anticipate bus #152 going west bound. Waiting. Waiting. Nope. It was a mirage.

After 30 minutes, the bus arrives. By this point I am so frozen I have lost all energy to punch the bus driver with my icy hand. All premeditated thoughts have dissipated about what I would scream at the driver. I was going to explain to them about how slow they drive and about how they needed to surpass all other stops and just get me there! Yet, I think: IF I do all of that, if I actually say what's on my mind at this very moment, I will not get to my destination anyway.

So I step into the warm bus and take my seat among all of the other freezing citizens of Chicago.

Are Social Networks More Efficient Than The News?

Notice: WHAT ARE THEY SMILING AT? Why are they so happy all of the time? What is so funny? These are the questions I ask when I watch the news, not about what is going on in the world. These people are distracting. I think this distraction might be a tactic to keep us from being "scared." Well, I got some news: It ain't working!
HERE'S SOME GOOD NEWS: What began as a horrific accident in the Hudson turned into something beautiful for the citizens of The United States...

This picture was taken by some dude who was a nobody, until a US Airways plane crashed into the Hudson. Yes, some guy took this photo you see to your left and proceeded to post it immediately onto twitter. Wow! You are my hero! I mean he could have helped save a life, but he was capturing the moment!  He took a classic pic and arrived before any News Channel 5 could! In fact, the news crews had a hell of a time getting to the scene. Now this guy is probably making millions and will fly into the journalism business. Sheesh...

Does this mean that social networks may be the "new" source of our news? Well, perhaps. We the people now possess the technology and have the ability, through the Internet, to do our own broadcasting to the world. This guy's picture traveled around the globe in less than 2 hours! He used no cheesy, or over exaggerated paragraphs to explain the situation. All he did was post this picture using his iPhone.

So basically, if we keep on posting the actions of life before us, then we may actually rid ourselves of this fake news that has been plaguing our society for decades.

I actually think it would be great to rid our televisions of these cheese puffs. We already know what to expect anyway: killings here, war there, disease and cancer, etc...  If I want to hear the news, I just tune in to NPR and listen to All Things Considered. I don't need some chick with glue and plaster on her face to tell me what's going on in the world. Their jokes aren't even funny. If I was watching the news for comedy hour, I would just tune in to The Daily Show, where the news is ACTUALLY funny! 

One last bit of info: Don't you think the birds would have seen a large jet coming their way and gotten the hell out of the way? I don't know, just an observation.

Read what the BBC has to say about it.

A Whiff of Creativity

With only 3 days into this new year, I am already feeling a whiff of creativity in my bones. Yes, most of it could be the chilly air sending a chill up my spine, but the atmosphere is definitely creative. All of the traveling is done for the holidays (thank god) and my mind is fresh. Why is it that a new calendar year can feel so fresh and new? 

Tonight my film buddy, Andrew, is coming over to talk about a project that has been brewin' in this head of mine. Over the holidays, I was able to sit back and ponder life and nature. The past year of 2008 brought travel, new experiences, friendships, and hard work. I'm not sure if I can put into words my experiences from New York, but it has sparked a new found creativity that I need to tap into this year. This evening all of those ideas will be thrown onto the table with a pen in hand and lots of wine drinking. I haven't fully recovered from the New Years party I attended, but what the heck, bring on more wine please!

Chicago brings cold weather and lots and lots of nasty snow. However, this only symbolizes the rough terrane I know must be crossed in order to produce a wonderful performance approaching in the spring. Funding is the scariest task for me, but with a gallery space already set for the show, I feel that is the least of my worries. 

I am jumping around, but I have not written down my thoughts in quite a while. I just cannot imagine a life without creativity. There is never enough support in this city for small projects, especially in dance. However, I feel that this could change rather quickly. Maybe I am just doing this for my own sanity, but I firmly believe that this city needs more collaborative projects and I am set on doing that THIS year.

Let's see what this year brings...