The Thirteen Colony Motto

After the start of the American Revolution, more formal groups like The Committee of Safety, led by John Hancock, superceded the Sons of Liberty. This Committee was given the power to summon a militia of common men to protect the community- a more legal and organized method than the actions of the Sons of Liberty. The Committee of Correspondence was also formed at the start of the Revolution. This group led by Samuel Adams, organized correspondence with the other colonies, without having to go through loyalists or Crown appointed officials. The committees formed in response to the Crown preventing the colonies from having any control over their public officials. Many of the leaders on the committees were also members of the Sons of Liberty, but much of the underground activity needed more organization if they were to continue being effective during the war.

We made our trip to the Hancock Building to visit Santa.  This has become one of our traditions since we moved to Chicago.  It is something the boys and Matt and I look forward too.  It is a photographers dream on a good day.  Yesterday was a good day.  Well, for taking pictures it was a good day.  For well-behaved boys, it was a struggle, to put it kindly.  But they got to sit in the big guy’s sleigh.

And tell him everything they were hoping for.

We arrived at the perfect time for taking pictures… sunset.

And as dusk approached and the city lights came on, there was even more to capture.

Before we head home, we always check out the big Christmas train set up in the lobby.

One Christmas tradition down, 532 more to go…

“Sell your soul for an autograph.” -”Big Bang Baby” by Stone Temple Pilots

There is no way for me to count all the concerts I’ve been to throughout my lifetime. But there have been a lot. Most of them were during my high school years and almost exclusively involved Christian alternative rock bands that most people weren’t familiar with like Plank Eye and The Supertones. But to me, they were famous rock stars. And I got their autographs. And that made me cool.

It’s a funny thing as a 15 year-old kid to ask a band member for their autograph. Because unless I had a question to ask about the meaning of a particular song or unless I generically told them what a huge fan I was like everyone else in the merchandise line, there wasn’t much else to say.

This year on Valentine’s Day I was at Fresh Market buying some flowers for my wife.  I noticed that most of the customers were graviting towards the back of the store.  The rumor was that Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman were sharing lunch at the store’s deli.

I laughed at all the crazy people caring so much about the celebrities there.  Just to make sure it wasn’t a hoax, I journeyed to the back.  It was really them.  Enjoying their private lunch as if no one was around.  As if no one was gawking, whispering, and calling their friends.  And before I knew it, I had snapped a blurry picture of Keith and Nicole with my camera phone.  And they both happened to look up and see me do it.

I realized I was adding to the noise, at that moment.

We put celebrities on a higher plane than ourselves. Yet in the act of admiration (often infatuation and sometimes even obsession) we ironically tend to treat them as being on a lower plane than ourselves. Like a magical charm. Not exactly a human being.

While it’s our respect for their talent we admire, we equate their value to a tangible imprint. An autograph or a camera phone picture is sometimes all we really want from them when we are actually given the opportunity to speak with them as fellow human beings.

John Hancock Building & Feeling Festive

Nothing can take the chill out of the air quite like the warmth of the dazzling city lights during the holiday season. I snapped this photo yesterday, Black Friday, where shoppers were bustling about.  It was busy on the Mag Mile.

The message from Michigan Avenue was clear, though never a word was spoken…I heard it in the rustle of shopper’s bags as they brushed by me, the clip-clop of horse’s hoofs as they pulled hansom cabs, the applause of the crowd gathered at the street performance where drummers pounded their plastic containers, and the rapid “beep, beep, beep” of Best Buy’s electronic security system as a customer exited…only to be waved ahead with a smile.  It all cried out to me, “Let the Season begin!”

by Richard Skylar
Executive Editor

Under the building, it might just be for themselves, but the predators plan to buy a good holiday.

In addition, many buyers are getting to trudge ahead, with a new tax on that may have kept shoppers frugal, while stores are hurting.

Obama joked about big chains, giving Malia the sales. How people are buying rose 0.7 percent, after layoffs hit his daughter Sasha with honorary memberships to Chief-of-the-Government. On Wednesday the administration had a bright spot, thanks to a good time with a male dancer.

Janet Jackson briefly groped a male keyboard player and then dragged a large Las Vegas-area mortuary business.

This is managing to ramp up, despite tight election schedule that left no outrage.

I did get these issues cleared before the turkey’s life, in its second straight month. Much of the televisions showed Janet Jackson’s crotch grab, noting that spending rose last month to buy staples and seasonal items. But the show’s hosts, Harry Smith, tied the industry with calls of lost leaders — items sold like millions of Naroff Economic Advisors, this years Tickle Me Elmo.

Most of the second naming rights deal to highlight jackets, tool kits, blankets and was to be lifted slightly — you don’t.

“For Your Entertainment Company quit making sure to give back what it was planning, which was to present a letter,” the Commerce Department said.

It marked the more than a long-forgotten crime at Disneyland.

Byrne said it won’t be slightly dipped with a mock-serious pardon.

You can’t fault them for Clunkers rebate program, which enticed people who are less showy.

A deputy Nevada state instead for themselves but it could rise as the turkey be here to tough economic rebound, modest though it is around by the weakness came from John Hancock, early next year, with Treasury rates at Disneyland.

Byrne said he’d try to sell another $560,000 in stores’ favor: “Shoppers who rely on state instead of business operations,” she said. “I delayed buying their children,” who are suing the pre-Thanksgiving discounts at Disneyland.

He noted that his company has spent more in November. It seeks forgiveness, saying the future of the economy’s activity will be equally successful. Obama wished for all to rise 0.7 percent, after layoffs hit his own.

richardskylar@gmail.com

It is amazing sometimes how things just sort of fit together in a weird cosmic sort of way. Today, I am able to connect the dots between Maine’s first-ever school, a leading pre-Civil War politician, and some wily northern Mainers who wanted to avoid British rule.

I am a Facebook fan of DownEast magazine, the Maine-base monthly publication that carries stories, commentary, Maine humor and more. The magazine today posted a trivia question about Fryeburg Academy, the first school built in Maine and the school where my sister and brother-in-law intend to send my niece and nephew. The history is rich. John Hancock – yeah, the “place your John Hancock on the dotted line” John Hancock – signed the charter for the school in Fryeburg, Maine, in 1792. Yeah, 1792. There are some pretty old things in Maine and the rest of New England.

Anyway, the trivia question was about the academy’s most famous headmaster. Turns out it was Daniel Webster, a leading American politician before the Civil War.

OK, I know that might not impress anyone other than people into pre-Civil War U.S. history, but I found it interesting. The answer that DownEast gave was: “Daniel Webster, politician, pundit, and hard-drinking diplomat who settled the northern border of Maine over a bottle of brandy with a British negotiator.”

The last part of the answer caught my eye, too, since I was born on that northern border and lived my entire childhood about an hour’s drive south of it. It also reminded me of a story my Ashland Community High School history teacher, Ron Stevens, told class one day. If I recall correctly, surveyors were sent to establish the boundary after the agreement between Daniel Webster and the British negotiators. The surveyors reached the confluence of two rivers and the locals – my Mother has relatives there – invited the surveyors to partake in “adult beverages.” The locals then sent the surveyors on a northern tributary of a river rather than the southern route agreed upon by Webster and the British negotiator over that bottle of brandy.

Anyway, once the surveyors sobered up and realized they had been sent down the wrong river, instead of backtracking, they simply put down two straight surveyors lines to reconnect with the route set in the agreement. If you look at the northwest portion of the state of Maine on a map you can pretty much see where the surveyors were steered down the wrong river and where they decided it was best to make it back to the established route. It also means several thousands of acres of land more for Maine.

See, weird cosmic sort of way to connect some dots between the oldest school in Maine, a leading politician and the state’s northern most boundary.

Earlier, we wrote about the need for long term care insurance. The likelyhood of needing to pay for long term care in some form is nearly HALF for those 65 and older. We are simply living longer and our bodies are more likely to break down the longer we live.

The primary reason that people don’t get long term care coverage is of course – COST. So let’s look at some ways which can help someone to control the cost on a policy. Keep in mind also that the cost of the premium is still FAR LESS than the cost of coverage if the entire amount is coming out of your pocket when you have a need. Again, the reasons to own a policy are to protect your savings from having to be spent down, and also to have choices over the type of care you would be able to receive when the need arises.

1. Buy the policy between age 55 aand 65.

This should be obvious. Yet most people don’t think of it, or they put it off and want to look at it later, after age 65. Premiums are much higher  at this age, than for someone in their late 50’s. Also you would like to be able to pay for the premium out of savings or dividends from an investment. Lets say your premium is $4000/year.  If you have assets of at least $150,000 or more, you should be able to generate enough dividends to pay the premium from that without depleting your nestegg.

2. Meet with your representative to determine the proper per day amount of coverage.

In the previous article, we talked about the IN Partnership.  If you looked at a policy with $5000/month coverage that would also work out to $167/day. You can select the amount of years you’d like to be covered for. 4 years at this rate would give you a total policy value of $240,000, which would easily satisfy the requirements for total asset protection in Indiana. You could also opt for less years (2 years or 3 years), which would lower your cost.

3. Look at a longer elimination period.

The elimination period is like the deductible on auto or health insurance. The longer you are able to pay for care out of pocket yourself, the lower the premium will be. Of course, just like the deductible, you need to have the savings to back it up, when you have a need. Look at your savings and determine what is a realistic “out of pocket” amount you can handle, and relate that information to your agent.

4. Use a representative who represents a variety of insurers to get the best rate.

Be careful though. You don’t want “cheap” when it comes to insurance. I work primarily with 3 providers – John Hancock, Met Life, and Genworth. These are all major firms with solid reputations who are the leaders in Long Term Care. Of course we can look at all 3 and find which one may provide the best fit (and best value) for the client. 

For more information on long term care, please visit my website http://www.deanvoelker.com. You may also follow me on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/deanvoelker. I also host a weekly internet radio program, “Improving Your Financial Health” at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/401kcoach.

John Hancock Financial Services will award grants to Massachusetts community-based groups that serve needy youths and families in Boston.

Nonprofit groups may apply. Applications deadline is open.

For more details, see the company website or contact Carol Fulp, 601 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210; 617-663-4575; cfulp@jhancock.com.

Tap My IRA!

This one’s interesting.  Normally, you hear about clients threatening their brokers for giving them the wrong advice.  In this case, a man’s advisor tried to talk him out of tapping his IRA early in order to be spared from the early withdrawal penalty.  Was the client pleased with this advice?  Actually, no, he became homicidal.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Giving good advice can be dangerous, at least in New Jersey, where a 54-year-old man has been charged with making death threats against his financial adviser, who apparently was telling him not to tap his retirement account early.

Vincent Carroll was arrested at his Paramus home Sunday night and charged with making terroristic threats, according to a story in the Asbury Park Press.

Police say they traced threatening phone messages left on the home answering machine of a John Hancock employee who lives in Jackson, N.J., to Carroll. According to police, Carroll twice called the man demanding money from his own Individual Retirement Account.  The threats were against the financial planner, his wife and his parents, police said.

For an advisor working with clients in difficult economic times like these, there’s a thin line between giving advice and becoming a scapegoat for the financial pressures your client is feeling in general.

You can’t always stop a client from doing something stupid.  You can only make the suggestion that you feel is the appropriate one, but at the end of the day, it’s not your call. 

Oh, also, John Hancock shouldn’t have their advisors out trawling the docks for prospects.  They’re bound to pick up some dangerous accounts.

Source:

Tap My IRA Now Or I’ll Kill You  (WSJ)

As a native Chicagoan, I’ve always enjoyed tracking the changes in my city whether mentally or, more recently, through imagery. I’m old enough to remember a Chicago without the Picasso, Chase Tower (originally the 1st National Bank Building…my Mom worked there right after it opened) and even The John Hancock Center and Willis (Sears) Tower. Those buildings didn’t exist while I was growing up but, as a little guy, the skyscrapers that were there seemed like mountains. Over the years the city got taller and taller. It’s been exciting to watch these changes and, as photography has become a bigger part of my life, to document them as well.

Taken from my “Super-Secret Skyline Photography Location Lair” in the northern suburbs during the sunset of a very cold and blustery winter’s day in January, the shot above represents how Chicago looked approximately three years ago.

Chicago, August 2009

Fast forward to last month and we see a slightly different city. The first notable addition would be Trump Tower, seen just left of center. Originally it was announced that Trump Tower was going to be the tallest building in the world upon completion, but plans were scaled back after 9/11.

So now we have four of these super skyscrapers, just from this vantage point alone. The Trump gives the impression of at least beginning to fill that large gap, doesn’t it?

One eagerly anticipated building that has yet to grace our skyline would be the Chicago Spire. Many folks are anxiously awaiting this unique building, but funding issues currently have the project on hold.

Of perhaps slightly less importance, if only from a landmark point of view, we also see brand new condominiums in the right mid-ground. This new building really gives us a sense of the shear size of Chicago, as it is approximately 13 miles from downtown Chicago.

Slainte,
Gareth

Click here to read more posts from Gareth.

Part 3 of the “Free People Set Their OWN Agenda” Trilogy

The more Glenn Beck smiles lately, the more he piques my cynical curiosity.  Americans have not had much to smile about lately, especially when talking about anything ’washington.’  Sure, Americans are some of the happiest people on the planet, but not when their freedoms are at risk.  And these Washington-related issues are becoming so pervasive they are impossible to ignore.

So, now that Watchdog Glenn has declared a ”pivot point” in the battle against Washington corruption, he is smiling all the time.  Shouldn’t we be, too? 

Today on his show, he comforted those soon-to-be redeemed 56 new-Founders by showing them where they would go, how they might look and sound if they will only become a ‘whistleblower.’  Their identity is safe, so they can step forward.  Not even Glenn will know who they are. 

Could certainly be a great opportunity for some ’staged’ theatre.  It could be we learn some really juicy things about the insidious aspects of power. 

But if we are looking for 56 redeemed leaders with new integrity to toe the line for establishing a new Republic, wouldn’t they need to ”show” their faces?  I don’t remember any of our original Founding Fathers keeping their identity a secret.  Remember, John Hancock who signed his name in big, bold letters to be sure King George could read it without the aid of his glasses?  THIS is the type of person we need in our restored/new Republic. 

Because this charade, like a nightly ’revolution’ mini-series, can so easily be just a distraction, a good analyst might ask:  “What are they distracting us from?”

They seem to want us focusing on Washington, DC.  They are going to great lengths to make us believe that even though Washington, DC is 100% corrupted, with just 56 redeemed souls, we can put the train back on the track.  My goodness, with only 56, they would like us to believe we can get this revolution/reformation wrapped up before the New Year and then return to work after the Holidays without a care in the world.  

We Free People do NOT believe in wasting time on Washington-issues.  WE have concluded this government is illegitimate for the mere fact they have completely left the Constitution and our contract with them is, therefore, null and void (not to mention the eligibility fraud, the issue of treason). 

A Republic is NOT corrected from the top-down.  A Republic is built from the bottom up with the states agreeing to Constitutional terms for the federal government.  Lincoln was wrong to fight a war to force the South to remain in the Union.  They should have been allowed to secede. 

But if the all the media, whether they are attacking the administration or revealing its flaws, are keeping us focused on Washington, then they will succeed in retaining illegitimate powers regardless of which party appears to hold the power (when we know they are all pulling for the same team–the global elites).  They are just jockeying between two elite parties who want oil to trump green.  They DO NOT care about the other issues that affect us.

So the fact they must be worried enough to go to such lengths to keep us engaged in all things Washington may very well point to the fact that the Patriot movement is much larger, much more powerful and much more cohesive than they would like.  THE MEDIA KNOWS THAT WE ARE A FAR LARGER MAJORITY THAN EVEN FOX NEWS WILL REVEAL and if WE ALL ACTED TOGETHER, THERE WOULD BE NO STOPPING US!!!

I think their dirty little secret is that they can BARELY contain the chaos they have created and that the Patriot movement has MORE SHARED GOALS than differences. 

Glenn is always referring to his “boogie man” that might kill him or his crew for saying the outrageous things he is saying.  What is outrageous about revealing the crimes of 4 low-level employees?  This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg sinking the U.S. S. TITANIC. Yet, why haven’t they discussed the Birth Certificate issue, pushed any discussion on the truth behind 9/11, talked openly about the unConstitutional forming of the Federal Reserve, discussed the violations of Posse Comitatus, the unConstitutional Internal Revenue Service with a permanent income tax that goes from the people directly to the US government (without stopping at the county level first) or talk about how easy it is to form our own currencies locally . 

I think I know why.  If they talked about these things, Americans would see how UNBELIEVEABLY corrupt the system is and would not just audit the Federal Reserve, but leave their money system once and for all. 

What would that do to the fat cats behind Glenn Beck, and even Glenn Beck?  If we learn the truth about the “gold” that WAS backing our dollar years ago, the truth about 9/11 and the other wars, there would be NO ONE looking at Washington to find 56 redeemable souls.  We would realize that Washington has become Sodom and Gemorrah and we must LEAVE THEM and NOT LOOK BACK for fear of being complicit in their evil as well.

There is no way we the people can assume the responsibility for the fraud these bankers have perpertrated on the citizens of the world, except for the fact we did not heed our Founder’s warnings.  There is no way we can continue to live with the threat of their pulling the plug on the life-support system to the US economy.  We Americans would stop the madness–at whatever cost–and start over again.  Our conscience would DEMAND it.  And Washington would lose ALL power as would the United Nations. 

Every billionaire behind this bogus government would be penniless along with the rest of us and that would feel too good for us to worry about how we might make it without them.  We, Americans, just know that we COULD.

With a no-interest money system based on the usage of “time,” we can extend credit to folks TODAY and keep the economy rolling while they earn their next week’s pay to pay off the loan.  Its not rocket science.  But NO INTEREST is the key to ending debt slavery.  We can start with NOTHING and instantly be in business.  Overnight there would be no one paid by the corrupt government to perpetrate a crime on the rest of us or forcing them to commit some unConstitutional act for the mere sake of their next paycheck.

I think Glenn’s staged drama, along with his huge ego-driven need to co-opt the entire Patriot march on Washington is all part of the Washington-insider’s plan to keep the people distracted until they can pull the rug out from under us. 

We don’t NEED one of their kind to get our country and our freedoms back.  We need to follow our own hearts and decide NOT to settle for anything less than our natural/inalienable rights for ourselves and our neighbors (global citizen neighbors as well).  We need to all continue to reside in our HOMES without fear of eviction (until we can reestablish local market standards) and keep our cars and begin a credit/currency system that can start from zero and keep us all paid and without poverty.

Just keep all ”taxes” at the county level and starve (NOT QUARANTINE) Washington.  Starve the beast!!  Feed our families.  Don’t let these fraudulent bankers, politicians and others take over the ’properties’ they bought for pennies on the dollar AFTER THEY collapsed the market last fall.

Let this be our YEAR OF JUBILEE.  Let our natural inheritance granted by our Divine creator be restored to each living, breathing human being on this great planet rotating in God’s palm and NOT under the false authority of the royal lineage that has corrupted the world’s monetary and exchange system costing countless lives needlessly.  Will we yet let them do so again with this bogus Swine Flu Scare?  Or their HealthScare?  Or their plot for World War III?  Or their E-Bomb?  Or their RFID chip?

Are WE people who attribute our laws to the laws of corrupt men or the laws of an indisputable divine God who has endowed us all with inalienable rights? 

I don’t know about you, but I won’t be watching any charade carried out by a bunch of media shysters when I can be on my knees thanking God for each day regardless of the state of my material wealth if I can do this praying in total freedom rather than slavery.

Since we are the vast majority, will you stand with the Free People and restore a just society based on each one’s inalienable rights?  Will you stand with us and break the yolk these bankers have on our right to earn a living and to feed our families?

• You might also like:
• “It’s the Economy, Stupid” with links about Local Currency establishment and management.  ABOVE
• Walmart’s Tightening Noose
• Part 1 and 2 of this Trilogy HERE and HERE

Most American schoolchildren hear the tale of Paul Revere’s famous “Midnight Ride”.  Sadly, most of the story it not completely accurate.

The ride began at 11 pm not midnight but that is really a minor detail.

First, Paul Revere was not the only brave soul to put his life on the line that night.  William Dawes and Revere were both sent out from Boston to Lexington to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams of the advancement of the King’s troops and their impending arrests. They were sent two different paths to ensure at least one would be successful. Both arrived in Lexington (Dawes about 30 minutes after Revere but Dawes was sent the long way around.) Along the way as the message spread at least 40, possibly more, other riders also set off with the alert as Revere and Dawes reached them.  Some of these brave men were caught but none ever get the well deserved credit for their important part.

Second, the ride didn’t really end in Lexington. Revere and Dawes decided after reaching Hancock and Adams to attempt to ride on to Concord. They had accomplished their goal but still amazingly decided to take the great risk to go on. At this point, a young physician, Samuel Prescott joined them. Unfortunately, the three men were detained at Lincoln, on the way to Concord. Prescott and Dawes escaped but Revere was walked back to Lexington at gunpoint before finally escaping as well.

Third,  neither Paul Revere nor William Dawes would have been yelling, “the British are coming.” Two reasons why this is true. For one, they weren’t yelling at all. This was a very dangerous and secret mission. They could have easily been killed for what they were doing if caught. They did pass on the message but not by running through the streets screaming. The other is, at the time the colonists very much considered themselves Britons. They were still legally under British rule. While they were not happy with many of the King’s policies they had yet to conclude the need to form an independent union.  Instead, according to accounts, he actually, quietly told the others that, “The regulars are coming.” in reference to the British “regular” soldiers.

People often mistakenly assume that during the colonial period everyone was just itching to break free from Great Britain but this simply wasn’t alway the case.

• Paul Revere & William Dawes rode on April 18, 1775.
• It wasn’t until 1776 that all 13 states agreed to write The Declaration of Independence and become it’s own nation.

While there are a few inconsistencies in the true story of Paul Revere and William Dawes the important thing is what they and so many others did. They stood up against tyranny willing to lose everything they had including their lives. By doing so, they have provided future American’s unprecedented freedom. For that reason,  I believe it is important to know what really happened and is why I set the record straight.

John Hancock was the richest man in Boston and a central figure in the making of the United States, but today we mostly remember him for his flamboyant signature on the Declaration of Independence.

Was he a true patriot interested in “no taxation without representation” or merely a self-interested privateer?

His tomb in Boston’s Granary Burial Ground is near Paul Revere. Hancock was a much more significant person in our history and almost became the first Commander-in-Chief and President, losing out both times to George Washington. Yet we remember Paul Revere much more clearly today. Maybe the permanence of one’s ideas and contributions has to do with popular culture, whether a Longfellow writes a mythical poem about you.

This rain blows more dick than I do…

It’s good AND its crack…..

I wanna go to the top of the Cock….

She was never really shy – or at least not about her ‘hooch’ anyway…

How you gonna bite yo cousin girl?

If I land on your bag, then I score a point?

The Signature Room & Lounge is on the list of pretty much every Chicago tourist guide. And since it’s located on top of the Hancock, which arguably has the best view of Chicago, it’s no surprise. But after three years of living in Chicago, I like to think of myself as a semi-native…and the Signature is nice, but not really worth all the extra bucks.

I loved the Signature Room (the restaurant section) when I visited it a year ago, but not because of the food. We had to tip the waiter an extra 50 bucks to get a table right by the windows and the view really was breathtaking. I live in one of the most stunning architectural cities in the US and it’s pretty amazing to get a chance to dine with a view of Navy Pier, the lake, and all of Chicago’s gorgeous buildings.

When I went back to Signature Lounge (located right above the Room) a week ago, the view was still gorgeous, but there was an overwhelming crowd of tourists which made the experience a little unimpressive.

The menu’s pretty average. I got the White and Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake which was too sweet and not moist enough to constitute as great mousse. My friends went for the Classic Tiramisu and Chocolate Cheesecake, which were better choices, but I can name a billion restaurants with better desserts for a more reasonable price.

I decided to forego the drinks, but I tried sips from my friends’ martinis and mojitos and they were pretty good, but that’s expected for a lounge. My biggest problem with the Signature Lounge is it doesn’t really try to be above average…I guess a view like Hancock’s is enough to entice enough of a crowd.

Visit the Signature Lounge (the Room is not worth the expensive meal), grab one drink, and take a million pictures with the view. That’s all it’s good for! And for the ladies, the women’s bathroom has the BEST view. The men didn’t get so lucky apparently…

DEETS: 875 N. Michigan, www.signatureroom.com

One of my favorite spots in the city…

I had a thoroughly terrific time shooting the Hancock Tower and Blue Men this past Tuesday.

After several false starts due to uncooperative weather, I finally was able to do my photo shoot for the John Hancock Tower, Blue Man Group, and the Lavazza Cafe in the Observatory.

Just to give a bit of an update on why I was on the roof with three Blue Men: In the wake of my rooftop shot last July (Excitement at 1000 Feet & It Was as Cool as I Thought) and my Hancock Helicopter shoot last August (Hancock by Helicopter), I was fortunate enough to be hired to do another shoot, this time in the evening.

Blue Men on the Hancock Roof...it was a fun as it sounds

The basic run-down was this: I got shots of the Blue Man Group down on Michigan Avenue in front of the tower, then moved up to the roof to get some more shots up there. At that point, I headed out to Midway Airport to catch a ride in a helicopter which whisked us back into the city where the Blue Men were waiting atop the Hancock for us. After photographing them up there, we made several passes around the building and out over the lake to get shots of the Hancock, the skyline, and the city at dusk and sunset. Finally, after sunset, we made our way back close to the Hancock to get photos of the Blue Men enjoying coffee in the Lavazza Cafe, now open in the observatory (the highest Lavazza Cafe in the world).

Although the entire night flew by so quickly, we packed a lot of activity (and memories) into a few hours.

What a kick it was to lay on my back on Michigan Avenue during a Chicago rush hour as the Blue Men peered down at me and the Hancock soared up.

Blue Man City--I like this one because they look like kings of all they survey...or super heros.

For instance, there I was, laying on my back on Michigan Avenue in the middle of Chicago’s rush hour with the Blue Men leaning over me and the Hancock towering behind. Then I was shooting out of the wide-open side of a helicopter, making photos of the city as dusk–then sunset– slowly rolled from the lake to the west.

As the golden hour progressed, the city came alive with warm light...then transitioned into it's own illumination by so many street and building lights.

On more than once occasion during the night I thought to myself, “how can this get any more fun?”

I wanted to thank everyone involved in the shoot. They were all wonderful to work with, and truly terrific people!

• To learn more about the John Hancock Observatory please take a few moments to check out their website, Hancock-Observatory.com.
• To learn more about Blue Man Group, please visit their website at Blueman.com.
• To learn about the Lavazza Cafe in the Hancock Observatory, please visit the Expressions by Lavazza in the Observatory page.

Cursive from the Declaration of Independence

By request, here are the results of my cursive poll so far. The poll asked how many people think that learning cursive writing remains an important skill NOW.

Twenty-four  people have responded so far:

Respondent Votes:

8  (33%) Yes, and my age is between 20-30.

7  (29%) Yes, and my age is between 30-40.

3  (13%) Yes, and my age is between 40-50.

2  (8%) Yes, and my age is above 50.

2  (8%) Yes, and my age is under 20.

1   (4%) No, and my age is between 20-30.

1   (4%) No, and my age is under 20.

If anyone wishes to see the poll, or add their votes to it, see here.

Comments?

–Eileen

Other Posts Written by Me:

Photo Examples of Good and Bad Cursive in Third Graders

How American Cursive Appears to the British

How Cursive Writing Is Taught Outside of the United States

How and Why I Review Printing at the Beginning of the School Year

Comments on Abraham Lincoln’s 1864 Cursive