February 29, 2008
Icicles and Objects in Playhouse Square
Yesterday I was running 15 minutes early for a meeting in Playhouse Square. Taking my little back-up camera out of my pocket, I slowed down and took a look around. Here is some of what I saw.
My friends think I keep a camera with me to annoy them at social gatherings. While that is important, it's really more about moments like this. Things you wouldn't notice unless you stopped to pay attention.
December 02, 2007
Ireland 2007
Vacations go far too quickly. Ireland is actually smaller in area than Ohio, but 10 days there only gave us a quick taste of the south. Here are some photos. If this slideshow doesn't work in your browser, you can view the set at Flickr.
November 09, 2007
American Music Masters
Please join us this November as we celebrate the life and music of Jerry Lee Lewis at the annual American Music Masters Conference featuring leading musicians and scholars who will lead us in in-depth discussions of his life and music.
Free Admission for Case Students
But I'm not a music major; will the conference go over my head?
Music fans of all backgrounds will be able to understand and enjoy the conference. Participants cover a range of topics. Some tell stories about what it was like to work, play and socialize with the honoree while others discuss the honoree's music and cultural impact.
At the end of the day attendees walk away with new insights regarding not only the musician and his legacy but also the life and times in which he performed. Overall the conference offers a rare glimpse into the life of the honoree through the eyes of those who know him personally and through the research of who studied his music.
September 18, 2007
Wanna catch social network fatigue?
Pownce
Streamy
If you're not already exhausted from Twittering your days away while making sure to Digg your favorite blogs, update your Facebook status on the hour, throw random thoughts onto Tumblr and pull your Flickr feeds onto your other accounts, then perhaps it is time to join Pownce or Streamy.
I have 2 Streamy and 6 Pownce invites available to anyone who 1) knows what I am rambling about, 2) promises to use the services or at least give them a solid try and 3) submits the most interesting/amusing reasons for wanting an invite in the comments field below.
If your comment is clever and you make sure to include your email address in the email field—and I've not yet run out of invites—I'll send you an invite. Every year I get a group of friends together to draw pictures at chalkfest. And every year I come up with some idea that is more ambitious than it should be. Over the years I've had better luck with buildings than with other subjects. This year the day approached quickly and in my rush to pick a subject I chose a building I know well, Adelbert Hall. So I printed out pictures, one with a grid, and traipsed over to the museum. As drew out my gridlines and stared at the pictures, I quickly ascertained that I had made the same mistake I always do. I'd bitten off far more than I could chew. The sidewalk was rough of texture, the colors of chalk were few (though I had more than the standard box of 24) and the details in Adelbert were many. I'd never noticed how many hues can be found in that stone. Daunted by the task I plugged away, and if nothing else can be said, the final output is clearly a building rather than a three-toed sloth. But the outcome isn't what chalkfest is about. The comraderie of friends drawing under a rich blue sky, live music in the background and the people who wander by is what makes the weekend. Scores of people turned out, all friendly, and many more complimentary than was warranted, but overall it was a great weekend and a great way to clear the head from one's every day world and just immerse oneself in the task at hand. Year after year, rain, shine, heat or chill, this is the nature of chalkfest. It doesn't matter if I try to draw an Egyptian sculpture that looks like an alien frog (my first year's effort) or a building that somehow has far fewer details than the original, chalkfest is a great way to clear the mind and enjoy the moment. This year a number of people asked me if I minded that all the work would soon be washed away by the rain. And I don't, it's not the result but the process. But for those of you who missed it, some of the results are quite cool. From the extravagant work of the professionals to the creativity of the kids, many moods and styles were expressed. As the skies are still clear, their results are still there, if but for a few more moments. So if life takes you to University Circle in the next few days, take a walk in front of the museum. There is much to be seen in the pavement. And if University Circle isn't in walking distance, you can see the photos I took this weekend at Flickr. I'll probably take more tomorrow and will add them to the same batch.
September 16, 2007
I'm not giving up my Web career to become an illustrator
Adelbert Hall 
My chalk rendition of the photo