:: Ray's Periodic Rantings ::

:: Monday, March 31, 2003 ::

Unpleasant surprise
It's a good thing I wasn't planning to fly into Chicago's Meigs Field any time soon. Anyone who did was in for a rude shock. The Chicago Tribune reports today that last night Chicago police blocked access to the airport while city crews unceremoniously shut it down, carving up large X formations in the concrete. In doing so, they stranded several airplanes parked there. The only notification was a "Notice to Airmen" issued with the FAA at 3:02 AM. Ouch.

Today Mayor Daley defends his decision, citing security concerns, as evidenced by his recent nationally covered tantrum in trying to get a Temporary Flight Restriction (often mistakenly called a no-fly zone) issued by the FAA for downtown Chicago. Here's the rub...Chicago has all along had flight restrictions by the mere presence of Meigs that make a TFR fairly redundant. This article explains how flight rules around airports are very restrictive, and planes flying near downtown have always been covered by both O'Hare and Meigs restrictions, requiring that they both have radar transponders and request clearance to enter the area from Meigs tower before doing so. In retrospect, obtaining the TFR was a brilliant, manipulative move on Daley's part, because it freed him to close Meigs without losing its airspace protection. In this vein, however, it should be noted that TFRs are just that, temporary. Eventually, Chicago's will be rescinded, and if Meigs remains closed, our airspace will be relatively unguarded for the first time in decades.

Not only are the security concerns, in my opinion and that of Friends of Meigs, misguided, but in fact they are a smokescreen for Daley's true intentions. It is no secret in Chicago that he has wanted to close the coolest little airport on the planet for years, to replace it with some kind of prairie nature park. I have three problems with this. First, the park will undoubtedly be built by the mayor's close friends in the construction industry in a sweetheart deal, as is every other project in the City of Chicago. This thought makes me want to wretch. Second, Northerly Island, the little man made isthmus on which Meigs sits, is just that, a big pile of landfill. Any attempt to put a prairie there will be completely artificial and pointless. If the mayor really wants to put money into the parks, there are several on the South and West sides that desperately need attention. Third, who said watching small airplanes landing and taking off isn't a valid recreational pursuit? The boys I have mentored and I have spent pleasant afternoons rollerblading in the area, picnicking in the grass, and doing just that. Where else can you go via public transportation and watch airplanes?

Daley and his administration continually bleat about how this is Park District land, and they have terminated the lease. This is an insult to my intelligence and yours. To pretend that the mayor doesn't run the city, including the Park District is outright offensive, almost obscene! Who gave final approval for the groteque monstrosity of a new stadium rising up out of and spoiling the aesthetics of Soldier Field, also located on Park District land? I can assure you it wasn't some Park District flunky!

Does it sound like I am mad about this? Damn right! I am hopping mad! The mayor and I have very different ideas about what Chicago and its lakefront ought to look like. The frustrating thing is that there isn't a lot I can do other than give the mayor's office a piece of my mind. You can, too. If enough of us do...well, he's pretty much da mayor for life, and what we say doesn't count for sh*t. We can make our voices heard, though.

The Friends of Meigs site has all kinds of good info about why Meigs should stay open. If you agree, give the mayor a ring. You can reach his office at 312-744-3300. Thanks.
:: Ray 4:24 PM [+] ::
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Dinner
I threw a little dinner party tonight for my friends John & Kathleen and Julian & Isabel, who had not met. I spent an enjoyable day tidying the house, prepping the food, listening to Orbital (upbeat, ambient techno), setting the table just so, and musing about how serving dinner is a kind of theater when done right. I cooked an old standby of mine, grilled italian sausage from the local market (Joe Caputo & Sons), polenta with basil/tomato sauce (from a jar, but a small brand also fromo Caputo, very yummy), and asparagus and red peppers sauteed in olive oil with balsamic vinegar. I was pondering what to serve for dessert, when it occurred to me I had these wonderful pears from Harry and David that I had to do something with before they went bad. So I pulled out the New Basics cookbook, looked up pears, and found a recipe for pear & ginger cobbler. I looked it over, and got a brilliant idea. The steps were pretty easy to compartmentalize and distribute, so after dinner, we all made the cobbler together. Everyone had fun, and the cobbler turned out great. The evening was a success. I am content (and still slightly glowing from the wine). Happy Spring!
:: Ray 12:27 AM [+] ::
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Clean
At last. Yesterday I got the bathtub drain flowing again, and took a long, luxurious shower. It's good to be clean.
:: Ray 4:35 PM [+] ::
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Yuk, sigh, and moan
Yuk: From Ruben Bolling's Tom the Dancing Bug in today's Salon, Can you spot the double taxation?
Sigh: From Carol Lay's Story Minute in Tueday's Salon, Jingo Lingo.
Moan: Today was my second day in a row with no shower, and last night my house was permeated by the lovely odor of sulphur. Why? My aging, kludgy shower drain is clogged. The old, bargain brand drain cleaner that was in my cupboard stank up the house, but did nothing else. Neither did my best, most vigorous plunging. So this afternoon I am off to the hardware store to rent or buy some kind of auger or snake. I just hope it doesn't end up screwing up my drain pipes. That would suck, and be very messy.
:: Ray 9:42 AM [+] ::
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New heights in satire
You should all go look around at www.whitehouse.org right now! The sad thing is that the content there is closer to the truth than anything depicted at www.whitehouse.gov.
:: Ray 12:52 PM [+] ::
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Two quick thoughts on the war
Has anyone seen any cost estimates that take into account local law enforcement at the various anti and pro war rallies that have taken place? Overtime for all the police in full riot gear here in Chicago alone has to be enormous.

A pretty nasty sandstorm hit Iraq today, including our forces. From what I understand, they had trouble keeping some of their tents up. There is a subculture of Americans intimately familiar with this problem. Dust storms on the Black Rock Desert, where Burning Man is held every year, can have winds of 50 to 70 mph. Many camps, some quite elaborate, have been destroyed over the years. In 2000, I had to struggle to keep my modest setup from blowing away, so I can empathize. Hang in there, guys. Even the worst storms eventually end.
:: Ray 10:23 AM [+] ::
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Austin pics
Just a quick note to say that I have posted a few Austin trip pics. Eve of Eve and Tobin is an old friend from art school. Chris and April were my Airstream neighbors at Burning Man '02. Enjoy!
:: Ray 9:19 PM [+] ::
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Protest
Today I finally spent some time at an anti-war protest (although I didn't bring the sign I wrote about yesterday). I had a digital camera with me and took this 2-shot panorama. There were two demonstrations going on, pro-war on the right and anti-war on the left. I felt a little out of place because I don't really belong on either side. I layed out my position in yesterday's post, so I won't rehash it but I have to pointedly ask of the "pro-war" camp: what exactly are you in favor of? War? Killing Iraqi conscripts and civilians? America rocks, and who cares about a few towelheads? How can anyone possible be so in favor of war that they would go out and demonstrate?

This week, public radio's This American Life did a show about war. A subtlety was mentioned that I think we would all do well to take note of: when WWII ended and Americans celebrated in the streets, they didn't shout, "we won!" Having suffered ever greater casualties in the last year of the war, they cried out, "it's over!" In war, nobody wins.
:: Ray 10:58 PM [+] ::
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School and protests
I did it! I just registered for my first formal schooling since finishing my BFA almost 12 years ago. I am taking two welding classes at College of DuPage, and I am stoked! If nothing else, after the apocalypse I will have a marketable skill. Otherwise, I will be able to make cool metal things to bring to Burning Man.

Meanwhile, here in Chicago we have seen our biggest war protest since the 60's. Over 10,000 people shut down Lake Shore Drive last night. They will be at it again tonight. I will rooting for them, and plan to participate myself on Saturday at noon. What will my sign say?

I support our troops, but not the doofus who sent them.

Unfortunately, we are in this thing for the duration. There is no way to back out now, and I will not be a party to scorning returning soldiers like happened after Vietnam. There are brave men and women over there risking their lives in my name and yours, and I absolutely support and thank them. But this war and the way it was started is nothing to celebrate, and I have little other than scorn for the president and his administration.
:: Ray 1:49 PM [+] ::
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War and new knowledge
What a bizarre couple of days! After a wonderful time in Austin and Kerrville, I flew home Monday night, missing Bush's "get out of Dodge" speech. Now cruise missiles have struck in Iraq. Now all I can do is pray for the safety of all involved in this war, and that it doesn't negatively affect leisure travel enough that my employer gets into trouble. I am no fan of Saddam, but as I have said before, if taking him out costs me my job and my house, well, I have a problem with that.

On a completely different note, yesterday talked on the phone with Jackie, my biological mother. I told her about my trip to Texas, then said that my visit in Kerrville with Chris, my neighbor from Burning Man last year, had inspired me to seek out and take a welding class. She almost casually mentioned, "that's what your father does." At first I was confused...my father was an attorney. Then I realized she meant Joe, my biological father, whom I have not yet met. It turns out he is a welder in the maintenance crew on the Mackinac bridge. I knew he worked on the bridge, but didn't know what he did there until just then. My feeling that it is time to try to contact him again has been growing for sometime now. Yesterday it got even stronger.
:: Ray 12:14 AM [+] ::
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Austin!
I am in Austin this week, a city notable as both the home of SXSW and the state capitol of Texas. As the state capitol, it abounds with evidence of Texas laissez-faire (crumbling, and even nonexistent sidewalks, among other things) and the legacy of Governor Bush. Wednesday I looked on at a Texas Federation of Teachers rally. Their demands are simple, really. Because of our education president, they are now being held to higher standards through tougher standardized testing, but their pay is $5000 below the nation average for teachers, there are rumblings about increasing class size (the last improvements here happened when class size was reduced), and they want decent health insurance. In that regard, they are screwed royally. When they want to strike, Texas tells them they are state employees so it is illegal to do so. But when they ask about state employee health coverage, they are told that they are the employees of the local school districts, not eligible for state coverage. The pay is so good and they are treated so well, that a friend of mine here quit teaching high school several years ago to go stock groceries at Whole Foods for better money and insurance. That is pretty sad for the children of Texas.

Incidentally, President Bush, if you are reading this...the good folks of Austin were very happy to see you get elected president, not because they wanted to see you in the White House, but because it meant they would be rid of you. The same thing goes for you, Tommy Thompson, and the people I know in Wisconsin.

South Austin and SXSW is like a whole different world. There are cool people here, both from here and all over the country, and the place is buzzing with good energy.

I was never much of a guitar band person, but I have seen a few...it is amazing how different their characters can be. Army of Freshman was a group of college kids, two guitars, synth, drums, singer with a penchant for pointing mic at audience, who all seemed to be jumping up and down all the time, with intellectual lyrics like, "Spring Break!" ST37 was a middle aged three guitar band that dedicated their set to a sixties era experimental film maker that died last week, and somehow managed to work a pschadelic, spacey aesthetic into their wall of sound, aided by a 16mm projection of old stock footage.

Last night, I saw Daniel Lanois, whom I was curious about, having only heard a couple of songs by him on a Brian Eno ambient album. The set was one of those sxsw magic things, in that he was rocking with a group called Mother Superior, whom it appeared as though he had met fairly recently, but they all did pretty good together, and then Richie Havens came out for the last number and they all jammed on Freedom.

Billy Bob Thornton played after that. I had low expectations, and only stayed because I had already paid to get in and had never actually heard him sing. I ended up walking out when his first special guest turned out to be one of the guys from Styx. Billy's band managed to sound over-produced right there on stage, and his cocky swagger on stage was a big turnoff.

I have seen some entertaining films, too. More on that in my next entry...now it is time to go for breakfast!
:: Ray 9:48 AM [+] ::
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Miscellany
Cold day today. When I looked out the window at the thermometer this morning and saw the needle down near 10 degrees, I pretty much decided right then that I wasn't going to the monthly Bear Spirit Medicine Lodge sweat lodge, as I had sort of planned. If I had been serving today's lodge, I would have been out there without hesitation, of course, but to go and pray, freezing my tail off? I'll go in April.

Tonight I attended a Pathways graduation. I hadn't been to one in a couple of years, and I had been itching to go. I am glad I did -- quite a few familiar faces were there, faces of people that I don't know very well in every day life, but am always happy to see, and they are happy to see me. I attended the seminars a few years ago. They were major steps in my life. While I credit my spirituality for how I have survived as well as I have since Mary died, I credit Pathways for grounding me and teaching me about loving myself and accepting love from others. Without the tools I found there, I don't know that I would have been in any condition to be happily married when I met Mary. I am happy to talk about my experiences there, if anyone is curious.

Tonight I have been working on a juicy little project for an old client of mine. I used to do FileMaker work for Jeff when he worked at Ameritech. Now he is working for a professional association that I won't yet name, and wants to demonstrate for them a FileMaker back end for their membership website, a vast improvement over what they currently use. I have been waiting for just such a project to hone my FileMaker/web skills. So far it is working out well.

Finally, as I type this, past my bed time and getting tired, Continental Divide is on TV. I had forgotten how much of a babe Blair Brown was, as eagle researcher Nell Porter. She is a stunning woman with long, flowing, brown hair, living alone in the mountains, strong, independent. Wow! It is a fun movie, too, with John Belushi giving a great performance as Chicago columnist Ernie Souchak, utterly, completely out of his element, trying get a story on the Blair Brown character, high in the Rockies. And there is some Chicago scenery, and a train ride thrown in for good measure. What's not to like?
:: Ray 1:27 AM [+] ::
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Saturday
I am afraid I haven't had anything to say all week that seemed profound. I still don't, but I didn't want to let another day slip by without posting, so on with the inane!

It has been an interesting week, here in Chicago. We had a final bit of Winter snow, then the weather got nice again, yesterday and today. Tomorrow I plan on attending a sweat lodge, and appropriately it is supposed to get cold, again. There is nothing like walking on snow in bare feet to enhance any ceremonial experience. I look forward to Spring. So do my cats, who have been getting a bit stir crazy lately.

As for politics, I am disgusted with what is happening at so many different levels in the Bush administration that I find myself unwilling to articulate it all. Ack!

So happy Saturday!
:: Ray 5:05 PM [+] ::
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Pacski Day Bummer
Happy Pacski Day! Just in case you have never lived near a sizeable Polish population, pacski are similar to jelly-filled donuts, and are made every year to celebrate Fat Tuesday. This morning I got up early (for me) to take an earlier train, intending to stop at the Alliance Baker on Division St, to pick up a dozen and bring them to work.

They were out of them.

More were being made, but I didn't have time to wait, so I bought what was supposed to be a cheese danish instead. Now I am somewhat unenthusiastically eating a slice of what turned out to be an apple danish (apologies to any afficianados out there, but apple pastries just don't do much for me).

That is my bummer for today. Next year I will reserve my pacski in advance.
:: Ray 9:43 AM [+] ::
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