Thanks for Your Service

Here we are again at Veterans' Day. With two live wars, the numbers of vets in our society grows every day. I can't always get behind the policy used to prosecute these wars, but I've got to acknowledge and respect those putting their lives on the line for their nation.

Happy Halloween!

Posting is getting very few and far between (more than a month and a half--what's that about?), but come on, I couldn't sidestep Halloween. Will more regular posting ever resume on this blog? It could happen.

Relax for Labor Day!

This is the paradoxical holiday in which we take a break from work so we can celebrate work. Fire up the charcoal!

Who Doesn't Like a Day Off?

It's "Not Quite Labor Day, but Close Enough" in Chicago on Monday. Most civic employees get a nice late summer's day off. Unfortunately, they're also taking a "wage vacation," too. The city's calling it Reduced-Service Day, but it essentially means, except for emergency services, the city's closing down to save a few bucks. It's doing the same thing on the Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve (that's always a popular move--cut employees' paychecks just in time for Christmas), and its supposed to save us all $8.3 million.

When you look around the country at other states and municipalities and their problems, moves like this are only the tip of the iceberg. Although a repeat of the Great Depression doesn't look as likely as it might've a few months ago, we've still got a long way to go to pull out of our financial mess. Telling people to stay home three days a year isn't going to provide the edge we need to balance a budget. The city and the county have already been raising taxes. They can keep on doing that, but not without consequences. Cut services? That'll happen one way or another if they can't afford them.

But whatever we do, we'd better not set aside the Olympic bid.

Hey, Look! It's a New Blog Post!

I never intended to abandon this blog, although not posting anything new in almost a month certainly might cause one to wonder. Although I was hoping desperately that ending my commitment to post something new here every day would leave me with more time to do other things, it seems very much like my other responsibilities have simply absorbed most of the new spare time, instead. As some of you have already figured out, though, I have recently started being diverted by Twitter (follow me here) and Facebook (friend me here), though they provide a different, more interactive but less in-depth experience.

In years past, I've talked about bands and shows I've gone to, but that's recently taken a back seat to my busy schedule of too many tasks. I live-blogged the last show I saw, Art Brut, almost three years ago (read it here, here, and here), and I haven't made it out for live music ever since. Tonight I'm breaking that interregnum, though, with another show. Although my musical interests remain reasonably broad, it's again Art Brut that beckons. They're at the Subterranean tonight, and it will be my first time at that venue. Will I live blog it? It could happen, if I find myself with anything to say at length. But technology marches on, and I'd say it's much more likely that you'll find me on Twitter. As I've already tweeted, "I read my DC comics. I drank my chocolate milkshake. Now I'm ready to go see @EddieArgos and Art Brut with my little brother."

Sublime in the Subway

I had some business downtown this morning, so I was off far earlier than I usually leave to drive to work. Parking downtown is far more difficult and expensive than it is at my suburban workplace (where our office park has a free dedicated parking lot), so Mrs. Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk (who works in the Loop) and I went down on the El.

As it turned out, my business downtown didn't take long to wrap up, so I was headed home (without Mrs. Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk, who stayed down to work or do something equally silly) about 10:30. I must've just missed a northbound train at the Lake Street Red Line station, as it took several minutes for the next one to come. But while I was waiting, something very unusual was taking place.

I'd been standing on a fairly crowded platform for a couple of minutes when all of a sudden someone started singing "Over the Rainbow." I didn't immediately see the singer, and although one can often find busking musicians in the El, the fact that it sounded to be a capella made me initially think someone was just goofing. But the singing continued, and it didn't take me too long to spot an older man standing a ways down on the other side of the platform. From "over the Rainbow," he segued into "Mona Lisa." He had a strong but very sweet voice, which was very effectively displayed by the melodic pop he was choosing to place in his repertoire.

It was also during "Mona Lisa" that I started to notice just how quiet it had become in the subway station. There's always some noise with all the people coming and going, so it wasn't absolutely silent, but all ongoing conversation had ended, no one was talking on a cell phone, and there wasn't much more jostling and moving around than was necessary. Yet, although everyone was clearly listening, very few people were overtly acknowledging the singer. Even if people went over to put some money in his collection, they didn't do much more than walk over, drop the money in, and step away. It was so quiet, though, that when one person dropped in a couple of coins, even at 25 or 30 feet, I could hear the coins land (how else could I have known that they were coins rather than bills?). And even the heavy metal kid in the AC/DC T-shirt went over to slip him something.

The northbound train was taking its time in getting there, so I heard a few more songs, as well. He sang "Chain Gang," which immediately brought to mind the similarity of his voice to Sam Cooke's. They each had the paradox of gravity and seriousness leavened with a certain weightlessness. "Moon River" followed, and he was singing "What a Wonderful World" as the subway finally arrived. You never know the details of another person's situation, but this man certainly seemed to have far too beautiful a voice to simply sing in the subway for tips. I've since been told that he's been seen down there at various stations from time to time, so what I experienced is not that unusual. I'm sure he has his own circumstances and reasons for doing this, but whatever his story, he certainly brightened my morning.

Have a Great Fourth of July!

Despite the implication of this 40-year-old cover, Captain America is indeed coming back. Keep that in mind as you eat hot dogs and apple pie and watch fireworks. There's nothing to worry about.

Captain Canuck Is Back

What a great way to end Canada Day! A collection of Captain Canuck comics from the '70s by Richard Comely and George Freeman has just been released by IDW. Although it's ostensibly available in stores now, IDW doesn't seem to have done the best job of putting it out there, as Amazon just says it was published on Monday, and even IDW lists it as going in to their own catalog on June 16. My comics store didn't know anything about it. But if it's not out there yet, it soon will be! I don't have all the issues this collection brings together, but I've got a few of them, and these are fun comics! This book is certainly something to look forward to.

Happy Canada Day!

And here's one for the tourists:

You Know Who You Are

Here's a little something for those of us who've been missing the Binny's troubadour.

One More Time for the Theatre Building

Last week, I passed along the information about an auction in support of Chicago's Theatre Building. It was scheduled to end a week ago, but quite frankly, they're not getting the interest that a lot of these items deserve. So the auction was extended a week--which means, it's in its final hours all over again! (The time is down to 8 hours as I post this.)

There are almost 100 items that still have no bids at all! This includes entertainment items, sports memorabilia, and books, DVDs, and CDs! Go look around and find something you'd like. And if you've already gone, go back and look again. (Mrs. Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk has her bids in for us.)

Take a look here for more information about the Theatre Building and its activities. It's much more than simply a performance venue. For just a taste, here's its Mission Statement:

1. To provide subsidized space, equipment and support for performing groups
We offer services to the performing arts community with an emphasis on emerging artists and companies.

2. To develop and produce new musicals
We nurture new musicals – from our professional writers’ workshop to our concert readings and studio presentations to our nationally recognized festival of new musicals.

3. To provide opportunities for emerging artists, administrators and performing groups
We offer an intensive internship program, affording students the opportunity to break into the field.

Who can argue with that? Go bid and support the Theatre Building!