OKO

The cat and the tango

2011-01-14T20:25:00.001-06:00

Years ago, in a previous life, I had a cat named Einstein. Einstein was a gregarious and friendly Maine Coon Cat. Black, white and very hairy. He would climb up on anybody's lap to take a nap. His purring was loud and he was insistent on being pet by everyone who came over. My friend Adam, who didn't particularly like cats, would tolerate Einstein rubbing up against him and, it was obvious, actually enjoyed the cat's unwarranted attention. One day, walking in the neighborhood, I noticed a stray kitten in a nearby alley. The next day, I passed by and saw him again, so I went home and got some cat food. A few days later I brought him home. I told Adam about the new cat, but explained that he was an alley cat. That he was terrified of everyone and everything. Whenever Adam came, he would pet Einstein and asked about DaVinci. I would explain that when the door bell rang, DaVinci would run like hell to hide somewhere. One day, when Adam came to visit after sitting down, he looked around the room and finally said, "You've been telling me about DaVinci for many years now." I agreed, saying it had about five years. "Do you know what I think?" He asked, quietly. "I think you made it up. I think you made up that cat. There is no other cat here. It's just Einstein, isn't it?"

Years later, in another life, I met a guy name Derek, at the airport in Buenos Aires. He told me that he was going to spend a couple of months there to learn to dance the tango. He told me about the lessons he was taking. They were different and challenging, compared to lessons he had taken in the U.S. He posted, on Facebook, about his nightly trips to various milongas (dances) and about the very late nights, or shall we say, the early mornings. He posted links to videos of various people dancing tango, which were fascinating. But it dawned on me that I have never seen any videos that show Derek actually dancing. And this evening it slowly occurred to me, "Where’s the cat?"

Look in the camera Kevin

2010-12-29T23:13:00.001-06:00

Kevin’s attention was on something else, so I said, “Look in the camera, Kevin.” Responding literally, he leaned forward to look into the lens. LOL

Buenos Aires, November 2010, a synopsis

2010-12-15T23:19:00.001-06:00

We met a guy, Derek, at the airport. He was nonplused that he had to pay the $140 entry fee. It turned out that although he has been living in Nashville, he's actually from Poland. We suggested that he use his Polish passport and he got into Argentina with having to pay the reciprocal fee. He came for a 2 month stay to learn tango. He's very focused. We shared the car to Casa Palermo and helped him get a hotel for the first couple of nights. I asked Leo if he knew anyone who had a place for rent and Leo offered to rent a room in his house (!). Derek liked the idea and we took him to Leo's the next day for a look. He signed up on the spot. (photo above: Derek and Carolyn at La Mamma Rosa)

The gaucho

The gaucho’s girl

Our friends Maria and Tin (Maria owns a boutique hotel, Magnolia, 1 block from Casa Palermo) invited us for the weekend to their family farm about 2 hours from San Isidro. The farm belonged to Tin's parents, but he and his 6 siblings inherited it at some point. It's two or three hundred hectares and there are about 15 or 20 horses. They rent a major portion to a neighboring farmer who grows soy and corn. The soil there is amazing, for farming. There isn't a stone to be found . . . pure loam. No cattle around here! They have a rambling house with a swimming pool, but it was too cool to swim. And there's a house for the gaucho and his woman (not sure if it's a wife or what). The gaucho and his family seem fairly self sufficient. They have pigs, chicken, lambs, goats, duck, and other animals. Unlike at Killasonna Lodge, the guacho’s woman prepared the meals and cleaned up. Pretty sweet. Saturday evening we drove to the nearest town (about 25 kilometers), Capitan Sarmiento, for pizza. On Sunday we took a long walk through the farm and adjoining farms in search of an abandoned farm house that Tin knew about. Eventually we found it buried in a jungle of trees and bushes, surrounded by corn and soy. When we returned, the gaucho prepared an asado for lunch.

Above, with Adriana and Carlos

Above, with Maria and Tin

On the roof of the boat.

Dramatic sky in the delta.

Above, the boat, docked at the end of the evening.

Adriana and Carlos invited us to their boat again and invited us to bring our friends Maria and Tin along. Although these two couples live nearby each other in San Isidro, they had never met. We met at Adriana and Carlos' house, which has a huge yard. In one corner, they built a small house for Adriana's mother. Sol, their daughter, is an architect and design/built the house. Spectacular. I told them to build another in the opposite corner of the yard and we'll move in. The boat is now equipped with a parilla (grill), so we had an excellent asado, anchored in some lost cove in the delta. The evening was magical. There were huge turtles, fish and colorful birds swarming around and grabbing the bread that we threw into the water. Then, and this was weird, it drizzled around the boat. Not on us, just around us. You could see the drops hitting the water all around us, but nothing was hitting us. We were, of course, sitting on the roof, drinking wine. In the distance there were fantastical clouds, lightning and occasional thunder. Magical.

(photos above: Leo working on this print; Adriana pulls the finished print off the press; Alejandra is cleaning up, while Adriana talks on the phone.)

Every Wednesday, Leo goes to a studio to create his paintings. I call them paintings, but they are actually monoprints that are made on an etching press. I asked if we could accompany him and he obliged. The studio is actually a room in the apartment of a woman named Adriana. She is an artist who also holds classes and provides studio time to artists like Leo and Alejandra (another architect/artist there that evening). It was fascinating to watch Leo and Alejandra produce their prints. It was very collegial and afterwards we all went out for dinner. (note: Several days later, Leo gave us his print as a gift. When we return to BA, we plan to have it framed. A big kiss for Leo!).

A couple of years ago Tito told us about the thinnest building in Buenos Aires. We tried to find it, but failed. This time we finally we found it. It's amazingly thin, yet it presents an impressive facade along the wide part. The first photo, above, shows the thin edge. The second photo shows the impressive front. (corner of Anchorena & Arenales)

Of course, we spent a great deal of time enjoying the food. Last year Julia gave me a book about the bogedones of BA. We have been to several and decided that we should make a point to visit each one at some point. We picked one near Cementario Chacarita and headed there on our bikes. We went through an interesting neighborhood that for many blocks consists of stores that sell auto parts, pieces and related things. Some (or many) stolen, I'm sure. When we arrived at the restuarant, we found it had gone out of business. But I remembered seeing an interesting place along the way, so we went there instead. Splendid idea. Campo dei Fiori is an Italian place with American gangsters festooning the walls. They offer a lunch special for $23 pesos. I ordered gnocchi and natilla for desert. Well, the gnocchi were simply amazing. They absolutely melted in my mouth. Natilla is essentially creme brulee without the crispy topping. Needless to say, we returned a week later for another helping!

(photo above: The floor at Campo dei Fiori . . . below, the waiter and manager)

Above, El Ateneo, a bookstore in a what was once a movie theater. Great adaptive re-use! Click the photo to see a large version.

The night before our last day we went to an opening at the studio that Felix Rodriguez and about four other artists share. We were happy to see Felix and glad to see he was well and painting. Felix had suffered a brain aneurysm a couple of years ago, but has largely recovered.

All sounds perfect, but there were are couple of unhappy events:

Just a couple of days after arriving, I dropped my external hard drive. Somehow, Tito was able to get the drive working for a short time and I was able to save many critical files. The next time I started my computer, however, it would no longer work. Thanks to Tito for saving those critical files.

On Sunday night (NOV-28-10), after returning from Tin and Maria's farm weekend, we met Pablo (Julia's novio) for dinner at La Mamma Rosa. Minutes after Pablo arrived Carolyn exclaimed, "Someone's stealing our bikes!" Indeed two guys were already hopping on and leaving on our bikes. Pablo and I gave chase. I lasted one full block before having to slow down to a walking pace. Pablo ran for four! He got near them, but they spotted him and ran off into the night. Bastards. We bought replacement bikes the next day, but this time a very, very thick bike chain.

Above, our new bikes outside a new heladeria in our neighborhood, called La Colonia. The chocolate mousse helado was the best I’ve ever had.

Above, Camila and Tito, at the restaurant Cabernet (Jorge Luis Borges 1757), where they treated us to a spectacular dinner. Memorable, possibly forever, is the calamari appetizer. It was exquisite!

Last, but not least, a plug for +5411, which is my favorite men’s clothing store in BA because they carry exactly my favorite jeans. They’re are almost an exact duplicate of my old Levi’s 505 jeans. Of course, Levi’s no longer makes 505 jeans. They make something called 505’s, but they are cut differently; relaxed. If I want more relaxed, I’ll drink more wine, thank you. Anyway, a guy named Paolo is part owner of +5411. Go visit him and buy some jeans that feel good. (photo above: Paolo with Carolyn and me. Yes, those beautiful jeans are my +5411’s. And that’s the belt I just bought. Me . . . rocker.)

Buenos Aires – November 2010 – Part 1

2010-11-22T19:36:00.001-06:00

We arrived in Buenos Aires Friday morning for yet another two week adventure. The photo above is a detail from a painting by our friend Silvia Flichman. See a slideshow of some of my photos by clicking HERE.

Note: To see Silvia’s work, visit her blog Sin TÃtulo or visit her studio at Acuña de Figueroa 1612.

Llegamos a Buenos Aires la semana pasada por las anteras aún dos semanas de aventura. La foto de arriba es un detalle de una pintura de nuestra amiga Silvia Flichman. Vea una presentación de diapositivas de algunas de mis fotos haciendo clic aquí.

Nota: Para ver las pinturas de Silvia, visita su blog Sin TÃtulo o visitar a su estudio en Acuña de Figueroa 1612.

Studio Banana

2010-11-12T19:18:00.001-06:00

Earlier this evening C and I rented a couple of movies to watch this weekend. Then I discovered StudioBanana.tv and found this fascinating short movie. It’s baffling to understand how this movie was created. And Studio Banana has many movies. The ones on architecture are astounding. I don’t know if we will need to rent any more movies this winter. Enjoy!

Somewhere in Ohio

2010-11-09T21:28:00.001-06:00

Natalie’s Window

2010-07-25T22:19:00.001-05:00

A Paul & Tom Weekend – July 2010

2010-07-25T13:48:00.001-05:00

Lightning Strike

2010-07-05T15:39:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday there was a violent lightning storm with the outcome that it struck a tree in our parkway and another across the street. Miraculously, the only damage was that Carolyn’s computer no longer can connect to the internet via ethernet. It connect via wireless, but it will not recognize a hard connection. Click player below to hear the thunder.

The tree across the street has a split running, about 1” wide, down from the upper part of the tree to the ground. And the street was littered with bark that was blown off the tree by the lightning.

View Full Album

Cars of Buenos Aires

2010-07-01T18:24:00.001-05:00

Click image to see slide show.

There are a lot of unusual vehicles in Buenos Aires. That is, unusual to a gringo like me. The slideshow below is a compilation of cars, mostly, and other vehicles that caught my eye on the streets of BA. The SUV in the two photos above certainly caught my eye because it’s a brand I’ve never heard of before, Chery. Specifically, it’s a Chery Tiggo, which is manufactured across the river in Uruguay. It is marketed as a the most inexpensive SUV. Indeed, it costs about $15,000 US. Unfortunately, it’s not available in the U.S.

CLICK the image above, or HERE, to see the slideshow. For the best experience, once the slideshow opens, right click and select “full screen mode.”

Gregory Gaymont

2010-06-23T22:24:00.001-05:00

C and I embarked on another of our bike rides in Chicago last Saturday. It was a glorious sunny day with barely any clouds.

The photo at the top of this post is of Gregory Gaymont, artist and owner of Gregory Gaymont Studio & Gallery, 3948 N. Southport Ave. (www.gaymont.com). Very nice selection of fine art, much of it by local artists. Worth checking out.

During our ride we “discovered” a small neighborhood called West Graceland. Beautiful homes and multifamily buildings on trees lined streets. The real find was a tiny private community-managed park. Last image below.

Monday, May 17, 2010 – Buenos Aires

2010-06-23T20:05:00.001-05:00

This is the view from Camila and Tito’s balcony. It provides a good view of what the middle of a typical block looks like. Outdoor space is treasured in Buenos Aires.

Father’s Day 2010

2010-06-20T22:20:00.001-05:00

photo credit for portrait above: Rachel

Plain Jane’s Aprons

2010-06-18T17:03:00.001-05:00

We bought some very imaginative aprons at theMaifest in Jacksonport over Memorial Day weekend. They’re the handiwork of local artisan Jane Penovich, above, who hand makes them and has the byline, “Plain Jane’s – Anything But Plain Aprons.” She can be found at the various festivals around Door County. Of, if you have an apron emergency, you can reach her at 920-559-6145.

Saturday, May 15th – Buenos Aires

2010-06-10T21:40:00.001-05:00

It’s taken me almost a month to finally post these photos. Click the photo to see a slide show of an action packed Saturday in Buenos Aires.

Click photo

gaztro-wagon

2010-06-07T22:15:00.001-05:00

As Carolyn and I biked by, she exclaimed “I just read about this in the Tribune!” We had stumbled on gaztro-wagon (5973 N.Clark St., Chicago). It doesn’t open until Wednesday, but owners Matt and Melina Maroni happily explained their concept and menu. Actually, the concept extends beyond the restaurant. Matt wants to put his food on trucks. Read the Tribune article HERE.

Friday, May 14th – Buenos Aires

2010-06-02T17:45:00.001-05:00

Silvia, in her studio.

A small painting by one of Silvia’s students.

Waiting for lunch at La Renaciente, one of the countless small restaurants that are under the radar of Guía Oleo.

Adriana, in her atelier.

Yes, that’s me . . . modeling one of Adriana’s HOMEWARE creations.

In Adriana’s atelier.

Interesting electrical connection . . . BA style! :)

Mussels Provençal

2010-05-21T21:08:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday, May 15, 2010, Carolyn, Julia and I had lunch at El Obrero, a well known and well regarded “bogedone” in the La Boca barrio of Buenos Aires. The restaurant is well off the beaten path, in a somewhat seedy neighborhood containing many industrial buildings, stray dogs and little street life. The sidewalks in this area are unusual, abruptly changing elevation that presumably is meant to protect the buildings against flooding from the nearby river (see photo below). Note that there are no guard rails at the top of the elevated sidewalks. The restaurant, which dates back to 1954, is popular and crowded. The food and service were excellent. Here, Carolyn and I introduced Julia to mejillones a la provençal (mussels provencal). Following is my interpretation, which I developed after a trip to France in 2000. Extremely simple, but totally satisfying. -jb

2 lbs. mussels, cleaned and debearded
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 cup white wine
¼ teaspoon celery seed
salt and black pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium/large tomato, diced

In a Dutch oven, cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil for 10 minutes over a medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes. The heat to boiling and add the mussels, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook about 8 minutes or until all the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that remain closed. Serve with bread and white wine.

first prepared June 29, 2000

At El Obrero, Augustin R. Caffarena 64

Autumn Asado

2010-05-21T08:13:00.001-05:00

A short movie documenting an asado (barbeque) at Tito and Alicia’s weekend house, about 100 miles north of Buenos Aires. The house is situated on 2 hectares and the grounds are like a park. In addition, there is a large garden, from which we collected the ingredients for the salad. The cool morning turned into a perfect afternoon. After the asado we played a game of soccer to work off some calories. This will forever be a memorable afternoon.

Thursday, May 13 – Buenos Aires

2010-05-18T22:23:00.001-05:00

Carolyn and Maria. Maria invited us to sample the Magnolia Hotel breakfast.

Sofia takes a moment to pose for a photo.

The bandiola de cerdo at La Renaciente. One of my favorite dishes for lunch, it’s simply grilled pork.

We ran into Leo and Ernesto at La Renaciente.

La Renaciente, from the outside.

Av. Cabildo in Belgrano, at dusk (above).

Wednesday, May 12 – Buenos Aires

2010-05-14T18:28:00.001-05:00

Although we arrived on Saturday, it wasn’t until today that we got out on our bikes. We headed toward Belgrano, which is generally northwest of Casa Palermo. The neighborhoods along our route varied from very impoverished to very wealthy.

Above, waiting for the end of the school day.

The two photos below represent a frontier. The wealthy homes of Belgrano are just a few blocks away.

That’s my bike with a watering can that we bought in a shop that makes all sorts of things from sheet metal.

We encountered a guy with a strange pet. A tiny porcupine from Africa.

Above, waiting for the bus after school.

Above, another kiosko in a city with thousands of kioskos.

Above, dusk settles in at the corner of Gurrachaga and Nicaragua. Later that evening we went to dinner with Adriana and Carlos to A Nos Amours.

Tuesday, May 11 – Buenos Aires

2010-05-14T15:12:00.001-05:00

Fall morning in Palermo Viejo. At the end of our block.

Above, the lobby of Maria’s hotel (Hotel Magnolia)

Sofia (Maria’s daughter) was making alfajores.

Monday, May 10th, Buenos Aires

2010-05-13T18:14:00.001-05:00

Above, Pastel de Papas at La Colonia

Clockwise from the top left: Carolyn, Camila, me, Jujuy (at La Colonia)

Sunday, May 9th, in Buenos Aires

2010-05-10T13:14:00.001-05:00

Above, a follow-up on the Palo Boracho tree (the fat tree with the spiked trunk and branches). The Palo Boracho also bears large pink flowers and fruit.

Fall in Buenos Aires. People here think it’s cold. The girl in the photo above is donning a sweater. The other girls are dressed for cool weather. Meanwhile, I was wearing a short sleeved shirt and thought it was wonderful out.

The ubiquitous green signs that dot the urban landscape in BA. I was dismayed to discover that these seemingly old signs are in fact convincing reproductions make from fiberglass.

Sunday night C, J and I went to see Dancing Mood perform at the Club Necito Vega (above).

Back in Buenos Aires – Saturday, May 8

2010-05-08T18:10:00.001-05:00

Click image for larger view. Then use browser back button to return to this page.

C and J are beaming, finally seeing each other after six months.

While walking to have lunch at Cantina La Mamma Rosa, we passed by a small catering establishment. The owner instantly called to us to step in to sample something.

We tried the sphere shaped Swiss chard filled “mini bohios de verdura” (like an empanada)(note missing one on the right). Tasty. Definitely better than eating spinach. (Rut’s Catering, Loyola 211 in Villa Crespo)

Above is the Palo Boracha tree. The name means “drunk stick.” It’s named because the lower part of the tree is engorged on water. Another reason this tree is popular is because it can be planted next to a house without fear that the burglar will climb in. Note the thorns on the trunk in the photo below.

Miscellaneous photos:

Still life from Leo’s house.

Old friends walking along Honduras.

Jacks Fork River – Getting There

2010-04-20T21:48:00.001-05:00

Driving to meet my canoeing partner, Ray, at the bridge where the Jacks Fork River crosses under Highway 17 in southern Missouri gave me an opportunity to do a bit of exploring along the way. Although short, this was, after all, a road trip and a chance to observe. One clear impression is that the gap between wealth and poverty is as evident in the far reaches of rural America as it is in urban areas. I was as struck by the number of obviously wealthy ranches with elaborate homes tucked into the hillsides of Missouri as I was by the scores of trailer homes and small, squalid houses that clog the small towns along the way. Another impression I had was that the number of churches in southern Missouri is greater than I remember. Always pure white, with fresh signs and plenty of parking. I didn’t have many opportunities to interact with locals, other than at a a motel and few gas stations. Everyone I spoke with was polite and friendly. My dinner on the road consisted of a 1/3 lb. mushroom burger at a chain restaurant that came with a 32 oz. Coke and curly fries. Really, who needs to eat all that? Half of it went in the trash. All in all, the mood out there was generally good. People seem filled with hope (or something), camouflage is still in style, and wind turbines are cropping up like weeds.

Click the image below to see a slideshow of some of what I saw on my short road trip. Click the back button on your browser to exit the slideshow.

I made a few wrong turns along the way that provide opportunities for some good photos. I guess it’s good that I don’t have GPS. I took a State highway to Ackers Ferry, MO, where a ferry takes you across the Current River. Unfortunately, the ferry does not open until May 15th. Grr. But fortunately, the highway just north of Ackers Ferry climbed a steep hill to a point over 200 feet above the river. The panorama was spectacular. Click the photo below and see. Then click again and scroll around.

Jacks Fork River

2010-04-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

How’s Your Brain?

2010-04-14T22:25:00.001-05:00

The Birthday Granola

2010-04-07T18:36:00.001-05:00

Natalie brought over some granola she made about a week ago. It was supposed to be for Carolyn, but I must admit that I probably ate most of it. I became addicted to it. When my b-day rolled around she gave me a fresh batch and the recipe in the form of a card (below). The latest batch was a bit more toasted than the first, which I really liked. I will be making this often!

Boy, it’s scary how old Adam and I are getting!

2010-04-06T17:48:00.001-05:00

Inside of card . . .

2010-03-22T21:20:00.001-05:00

Someone had their thinking cap on . . .

2010-03-22T07:45:00.000-05:00

Breaking With Scientology

2010-03-07T10:41:00.001-06:00

Okay, I live in a cave. I had no idea what Scientology is until yesterday, when I read the New York Times article, Breaking With Scientology. This religion was started in 1952 by a science fiction writer named Hubbard. Among other things, Scientologists believe they are immortal. I like that. I just wish it were true.

My take is this: T.S. Elliott summed it up best. "Man cannot bear very much reality." It seems to me that for many, they cannot bear hardly any reality at all. I think they fear reality, which is outside their control, and, in refuge, turn to absurdity.

YabuPushelberg

2010-03-03T20:49:00.001-06:00

this is one cool website.

(headphones
enhance
the
experience)

2010-03-03T18:39:00.001-06:00

This is what architecture is about . . .

2010-03-02T18:49:00.001-06:00

This is thinking forward. This is not looking back. Back is over.

Read about it.

Flooding in Buenos Aires

2010-02-25T21:53:00.001-06:00

Blue Moon

2010-02-24T22:23:00.001-06:00

I’m rather delayed at posting this image, but better late than never. It’s a photo taken on New Year’s Eve, 2009. It was a blue moon and a very bright one at that.

The wait for water

2010-02-21T22:04:00.001-06:00

This idling truck emphasizes the fact that drinking water now costs more than the gas that’s wasted to haul it.

Diane’s Birthday Dinner

2010-02-20T14:47:00.001-06:00

At Cafe Lucci. Natalie said, to Diane, “You look 25.” What more can you ask for?

A new way to get help with your computer: JustAnswer.com

2010-02-17T21:32:00.001-06:00

The photo above is of a Sony VAIO VGN-NR285E laptop. The computer is only 2 years old, but the battery is already completely dead. I went on line to buy a replacement battery, but Sony no longer sells this battery. I searched on line and found an independent source for the battery, which was $120 (!). I ordered it, not realizing it was being shipped from Hong Kong. It finally arrived after two weeks, accompanied by a tiny DVD that contained instructions that I had to run the included program before installing the battery. I did this and the computer stopped working. It would not boot up. I simply got a VAIO logo. I could not even access the BIOS set-up.

I tried everything I could think of (not much) and finally called SONY. Because the computer is no longer under warranty, I had to agree to pay them $50 for telephone support. The service person asked me several question and made me turn on the computer and press various buttons. She concluded that the computer had suffered a hardware failure. She instructed me to ship the computer to SONY. The repair would cost either $299 or $699, depending on whether it was a minor or major repair.

Instead, I decided to try JustAnswer.com. This is a web-based service. You agree to pay an expert a pre-determined amount (I agreed to $18), post your question and an expert tackles the problem. I got hooked up with a guy named David L. He asked me to perform various tasks to ascertain the problem. This included instructions such as remove on back on memory and try to boot up the computer. Later, he told me to remove the hard drive (bottom right in the photo) and try to boot up the computer. This is not something I would have tried on my own. But with his guidance, I did. And suddenly I was able to get the BIOS set-up screen. He told me to reset it to the default. Viola! The computer returned to life!!!! For $18. I gave him a $50 bonus. The guy was a genius. He honed right into the problem and I never even mentioned the battery problem.

So this is a heads up to anyone needing computer help. Or even other advice. Check out www.justanswer.com. Meanwhile, I plan on trying to get my $50 back from Sony. And I have to send that battery back to Hong Kong. No more Sony products in this house.

Eyes Wide Open

2010-01-22T21:04:00.001-06:00

When: December 4, 2009
Where: Corner of Acuña de Figueroa and El Salvador, Buenos Aires

Elliott and I were returning from lunch with Leo and his friends and encountered four girls covered with paint. There is a tradition, at some schools, in Buenos Aires, to do so on the last day of the school year. I asked the girls to pose for a photo. I snapped and extra, just in case. I can’t tell you how many times I take 3 and 4 photos of a group and still can’t capture a single image in which everyone is looking into the camera with their eyes open.

In the first image, the girl second from the right is not looking at the camera.

In the second image, the girl on the left is not even facing the camera.

Fortunately, Photoshop provides the necessary tools for cutting and pasting, blurring, sharpening, lightening, darkening, etc. With patience and time I made the very pleasing composite, below, from the two two photos above.

The photo below, incidentally, which I took about fifteen minutes before encountering the girls, underscores my point about people and their closed eyes. Three of the eight guys in this photo (Elliott, right, is one of the guilty) have their eyes closed. Moral of the story: Always take several photos of a group if possible.

My First Pajama Party

2010-01-03T22:10:00.001-06:00

It was incredibly small for a pajama party, my first, but the occasion momentous: Celebration of New Year’s Eve 2010 and a Blue Moon. Resolutions: None mentioned. Our hopes: World peace. And health and happiness to everyone.

HONEST WORK

2009-12-28T13:39:00.001-06:00

Rachel Explains Facts About Santa

2009-12-27T11:53:00.001-06:00

Buenos Aires – The Photos

2009-12-22T10:15:00.001-06:00

Click on the images and then select SLIDESHOW

View Full Album

Buenos Aires November 2009 – The Movie

2009-12-21T22:55:00.000-06:00

Friday in Buenos Aires

2009-11-23T08:43:00.001-06:00

Lunch with Julia at Cantina La Mamma Rosa. 80 degrees, sunny.

El Local

2009-11-11T21:47:00.001-06:00

We cruised around Green Bay last weekend in hopes of finding a good Mexican place. We pulled over and asked two teenage Mexican girls for advice. They mentioned a number of restaurants, but couldn’t seem to give us directions to any of them. Suddenly the one girl told us how to get to El Local “On University, past the bank and before the next light. It looks like a house and you park in the back.” She was spot on. We found the largest burrito we have ever seen. Note C’s hand in the photo of the burrito. And tasty. (The burrito.) We shared and could not finish our portions. The chips and salsa were also very good.

Hookworms

2009-11-09T07:52:00.002-06:00

Dickson Despommier tells us the story of how the insatiable millionaire John D. Rockefeller turned an eye to the untapped market of the American South and ended up eradicating the hookworm (and, in the process, a number of other awful afflictions) with an ingenious contraption. Then Patrick Walters introduces us to Jasper Lawrence, a modern-day entrepreneur whose passion for hookworms stems from lifelong battles with allergies and asthma. But unlike Rockefeller, Jasper sees this parasite as friend, not foe. (source: WNYC Radiolab)

I am posting this link for the interest and potential benefit of certain friends and acquaintances who have Celiac's Disease, allergies and/or asthma. Make a point to listen to this story, particularly the second segment.

Lunch at Tre Kronor

2009-11-01T19:22:00.001-06:00

My portrait, by Carolyn. One of the few photos I like of myself.

Diane Troy Natalie & Elliott at Killasonna Lodge

2009-11-01T16:05:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T18:36:00.003-05:00

Le Fils du Vent - The Moreno Trio

2009-10-27T22:27:00.001-05:00

Put down the bongos and listen to this . . .

Girls vs. Boys

2009-10-25T22:12:00.000-05:00

Men Vs Women, Trivial Pursuit - The funniest videos clips are here

Mary Rose & Jens at Killasonna Lodge

2009-10-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips

2009-10-10T09:40:00.001-05:00

Compelling information about toxins and chemicals in foods that should be avoided, particularly if you are preparing foods for kids. The real difficult ones to avoid, for C and I, will be the corn-fed beef and farm raised salmon.

1. Canned Tomatoes
2. Corn-Fed Beef
3. Microwave Popcorn
4. Nonorganic Potatoes
5. Farmed Salmon
6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
7. Conventional Apples

See the complete article, by Anne Underwood, HERE.

The good stuff:

Free Advice

2009-09-27T10:19:00.002-05:00

Thinking people know that free advice is easy to come by and that only when you pay for advice or work hard to acquire it do you truly appreciate the benefit of the knowledge you gain. Or actually act on the advice. So please feel free to send me some money for resurrecting this from the annals of YouTube. Oh . . . and take the advice; it's never too late. One more thing: Use sun screen!

Dan Weese marries congas with canoeing

2009-09-22T19:37:00.000-05:00

In August, C and I took another of our numerous bike rides in Chicago. This time we started at the north end of Andersonville and headed to Wrigley Park along Clark Street. It’s a busy road, but it has an official bike lane. In Andersonville we came across numerous shops that sell vintage furniture and accessories. In one, called Room Service, I spotted a beautiful conga drum. (note beautiful conga drum in photo below.)

I’ve had a low grade fever for a conga drum since I was a kid. After a bit of fast talking on my part, Carolyn agreed that it was essential that I buy the drum because it was the most ideal early Christmas gift for me that she had ever seen (or could even imagine). The owner of Room Service, bless his heart, agreed to let me take the conga home “on approval.” We soon learned that the $245 price tag was steep for a working musician’s conga drum, so I returned the drum the next day (particularly since I am not a working musician. Yet). The owner agreed that this particular drum was more a decorating accessory (it certainly looked nice in the living room, as you can see in the next photo) than a working drum (although it played nicely).

I figured I would shop around. Indeed, the very next day we found ourselves in Lincoln Square, literally across the square from Cafe Selmarie, looking at a beautiful pair of LP congas, with stands and bags for $350. (Poor guy was getting married and it was clear that the drums had to go.) Even C was stunned at the beauty of this pair of drums. I hemmed and hawed, but finally determined I had to sleep on it.

The next morning I checked Craigslist, for the umpteenth time. Woah! Something new had just been posted: A pair of LP (that’s a brand name) bongos . . . for ten bucks?! In Skokie! I bought them instantly. I have been banging away with pleasure ever since.

There is something to be said about their portability, but they do look puny compared to my guitar. Almost silly:

The conga drum definitely looked much, much cooler. Absolutely groovy.

I have continued to dream about congas and shared my tale with architect and professional trouble-maker Dan Weese. It turned out that he owns a conga drum! And has even had lessons. He has been encouraging me to buy one since the moment he heard my story. Or a pair of them. Or a set of three. “Come on, John, you only live once.”

Today I received this sketch from Dan (click to see larger version):

Meanwhile, I am enjoying my bongos, banging away with turned-up-loud Santana, Mongo Santamaria, Poncho Sanchez, Tito Puente, etc.

Cami & Tito Visit Chicago

2009-09-21T22:33:00.002-05:00

Our friends Camila and Roberto (a.k.a. Cami & Tito) came to visit in early September for 6 days. We had a great time showing them around Chicago and Evanston. We also had the opportunity to take them to Killasonna Lodge for a couple of days. I made a near feature length movie from the photos and video clips. The movie was so long that I had to break it up into five segments. This is part one:

How Does The Internet See You?

2009-08-27T15:42:00.004-05:00

This is how it sees me; at least as of this afternoon:

To see how you look visit Personas.

Maria & Tin Visit Chicago

2009-08-27T12:00:00.001-05:00

Let’s Stop Buying Water in Plastic Bottles

2009-08-27T07:06:00.000-05:00

Watch this informative PowerPoint Show to learn why.

89

2009-08-18T22:51:00.001-05:00

How Do We Keep Up?

2009-08-16T15:38:00.001-05:00

HELP!

2009-08-16T15:27:00.001-05:00

Being stranded on an airplane is a problem that needs to be fixed. I get claustrophobic, so the idea of getting trapped on an airplane is very unsettling. According to our government, from January to June this year, 613 planes were delayed on tarmacs for more than three hours, their passengers kept on board. The story below is the most recent one.

Following is the letter I wrote to Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Dick Durbin and Roland Burris. I urge you to write one too; we need to make a change!

I am writing to ask that you work on a "Passenger's Bill of Rights." The story below is another example of why this is desperately necessary. It's absolutely inhuman to detain people against their will like this. Thank you. John

47 passengers spend 'surreal' 6 hours stuck on airport tarmac; Continental apologizes

NOMAAN MERCHANT
Associated Press Writer
5:25 PM CDT, August 10, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) By its sixth hour sitting on a deserted tarmac, Continental Express Flight 2816 had taken on the smell of diapers and an overwhelmed lone toilet.

What should have been a 2 1/2-hour trip from Houston to Minneapolis had moved into its ninth hour, and the 47 passengers on board had burned through the free pretzels and drinks handed out early in their Friday night flight from Houston. continue reading story

The German Coast Guard

2009-07-27T07:50:00.001-05:00

Oil Fire In The Kitchen

2009-07-13T17:42:00.003-05:00

A pan of oil burst into flames on the stove. Now what?

This short video shows what to do . . . and what not to do.

Another kitchen tip: When you are loading the dishwasher, always arrange knives so the sharp tips face down. I once read an account about someone who didn't. The person reached into the dishwasher, cut his artery, lost consciousness and died.

note: A lid would also work nicely.

Groovy Crib!

2009-06-25T19:22:00.004-05:00

Nautilus House designed by Architect Javier Senosiain of Arquitectura Organica. The firm's name says it all. See photos at their website HERE.

The organic style is found around the globe. My favorites are the buildings that Antoni Gaudi designed. The photo below is an organic house in Door County, Wisconsin that I took five years ago.

What the . . .

2009-06-12T08:04:00.001-05:00

Recently Michelle Obama served food to the homeless at a government funded soup kitchen.

Cost of a bowl of soup at homeless shelter $0.00 dollars
Having Michelle Obama Serve you your soup $0.00 dollars
Snapping a picture by a homeless person who is receiving a government funded meal while taking a picture of the first lady using his $500 Black Berry cell phone $$$$ Priceless

The Competition . . .

2009-06-09T07:25:00.000-05:00

Creative Bicycling

2009-06-03T07:33:00.000-05:00

Boneless

2009-05-31T09:44:00.007-05:00

This morning is a bright, sunny morning and we slept in late. We lingered in bed, drinking coffee and reading magazines. I made my way through the entire March, 2008 issue of Cooking Light magazine. Yes, 2008 . . . someone brought a pile of old magazines to the office and I snagged this one to check it out. By the time I was near the, I was struck by the realization that every recipe in the magazine calls for boneless cuts of beef, pork, chicken, etc. Not one bone. Is the staff of Cooking Light worried that Americans are afraid of bones?

Another observation: Why does a magazine called Cooking Light include a recipe that calls for 3 tablespoons of whipping cream. What do they think will happen with the remaining 1/2 pint (13 tablespoons) of whipping cream? :)

Nelly's - a restaurant review

2009-05-14T22:06:00.001-05:00

May 14, 2009

Last night Carolyn, Natalie and Anita went to Nelly's Saloon for dinner; on Anita's suggestion. It's a trip.

Nelly's is a Romanian restaurant at 3256 N. Elston Avenue. The decor is . . . hmm, how to explain . . . see the photo. Not exactly a color scheme I would choose, but it's not my place. It's certainly clean and bright. Not captured in the photo were the large flat panel with Bulgarian TV, the black lights and the disco ball.

Nelly is a nice lady with wild hairdo and a manner that is at once accommodating and unsure. I felt as if this was her first night, yet it's clear that she's been at this a long time. In any case, she made us feel comfortable. We asked for white wine, dry, not sweet. She seemed somewhat unsure so we asked if we could try one glass before everyone committed. We turned our noses up at the sweet muscat, but she amiably offered to bring an alternate. "If you don't like it, I'll bring you some red wine." The second glass, a regular muscat, was perfectly drinkable. I elected to also drink the sweet muscat and to my surprise, I ended up liking it.

I asked Nelly if I could take her photo, but she insisted, "Please, no, I'm ugly." Although she's not. In fact, she's interesting, with that wild mountain of hair.

Soon she brought a large basket of thick-cut white bread, a bowl piled with sour cream, another with long hot peppers, and a plate of butter. Really good butter. A somewhat odd combination, but we ate everything but the sour cream. We ordered two orders of skinless sausage with french fries and two orders of pork goulash. With the goulash, there was a choice of polenta or mashed potatoes. Carolyn opted for the polenta, but Nelly assured her that if she didn't like the polenta, she would bring mashed potatoes. Nelly, who is a little spacey, brought mashed potatoes. And another huge basket of bread.

The sausage was good, but the french dried potatoes were fantastic. The insides were like mashed potatoes. I tried Carolyn's goulash, which was disappearing fast, and it was amazingly tender.

Near the end of our meal, Nelly returned to check on us. She was perfectly attentive. "Perfectly" in the sense that she showed up at the right times and didn't hover. We expressed our delight with the bread and she explained that it was made in the kitchen; that everything is home made. The large, thick pieces suggested a large loaf, so we asked. She said she would show us and disappeared. Moments later she materialized with the chef, a short woman who didn't speak any English. She carried the largest loaf of bread I have ever seen and described, with hand motions, the kneading, the rising, the pounding, the rising and baking. Nelly threw in some explanatory assistance.

They left us with two nicely wrapped packages of bread to take home. The tab was $62 for four. That included 7 glasses of wine. When I say glasses, I mean filled to the rim.

Ratings, on a 1 to 5 scale: Food - 3.5. Service - 4. Price $$

p.s. the bread made really good French toast.

Environment, Food, Energy. What's Next?

2009-05-13T07:54:00.001-05:00

Water. Here are some interesting (stunning) statistics:

The production of one kilogram of beef requires 16 thousand litres of water.
To produce one cup of coffee we need 140 litres of water.
The water footprint of China is about 700 cubic metres per year per capita. Only about 7% of the Chinese water footprint falls outside China.
Japan with a footprint of 1150 cubic metres per year per capita, has about 65% of its total water footprint outside the borders of the country.
The USA water footprint is approx 2500 cubic metres per year per capita.
The Australian water footprint is approx 1400 metres per year per capita.

See the Water Footprints website HERE.

Disco Fever Anyone?

2009-05-12T22:33:00.001-05:00

You will want to click image to see the larger version

From a 1975 J.C. Penny catalog. For additional entertainment see this VIDEO.

A Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T18:28:00.003-05:00

Marian Brzezinski, In Memorium

2009-05-03T22:17:00.002-05:00

Born May 3, 1914
Died March 21, 1990

The photo is of my father in Bagdad, Iraq (9-22-45). He was badly wounded at the final battle of Monte Cassino and was sent to Bagdad to recuperate. One military document describes "Gunshot wounds: Chest, Right Leg, Left Arm." I recall him telling me that he had some nerve damage and could barely use his left hand. This was particularly distressing since his profession was music (clarinet and saxaphone). Fortunately, the Army sent him for extensive rehab in Bagdad and he recovered full use of his left hand. I don't know the circumstances of why he's in the head gear and outfit.

Stanislawa becomes a citizen

2009-04-30T20:42:00.003-05:00

The photo above is from my Mom's Certificate of Naturalization, which is a pretty cool looking document. See next photo. Click to see a large version.

Stanislawa

2009-04-29T22:55:00.002-05:00

I came across my mother's passport photo this evening. I had never seen it before. She was 30 at the time and preparing to leave England for the United States. Below is a photo of her in March, on the day she moved into her new apartment.

Buenos Aires - March 20 to April 4, 2009

2009-04-07T22:37:00.003-05:00

Back from another fun trip to Buenos Aires. One of the highlights was an evening at the nearby Virasoro Bar. Click on the movie to see/hear a sample.

SOPHIE LÜSSI TRIO from John Brzezinski on Vimeo.

Comedian Steven Wright

2009-03-18T21:30:00.003-05:00

This came to me by way of our friend Steve Loeb in Hong Kong . . .

Steven Wright is the erudite scientist who once said: "I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen and replaced by exact duplicates." His mind sees things differently, to our amazement and amusement. Here are some of his gems:

1 - I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.

2 - Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back.

3 - Half the people you know are below average.

4 - 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

5 - 82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

6 - A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.

7 - A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

8 - If you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain.

9 - All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.

10 - The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

11 - I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left me before we met.

12 - OK, so what's the speed of dark?

13 - How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?

14 - If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

15 - Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

16 - When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

17 - Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.

18 - Hard work pays off in the future; laziness pays off now.

19 - I intend to live forever....so far, so good.

20 - If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

21 - Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

22 - What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

23 - My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."

24 - Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?

25 - If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

26 - A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

27 - Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

28 - The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread

29 - To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.

30 - The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.

31 - The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.

32 - The colder the x-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it.

33 - Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film.

And an all time favorite -

34 - If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?

New approach to Fire Dept. funding

2009-02-24T07:50:00.001-06:00

Harris Hall Renovation

2009-02-23T19:24:00.000-06:00

Pardon Our Dust: Harris Hall Gets a Makeover from Northwestern News on Vimeo.

En Tus Brazos

2009-02-09T18:23:00.001-06:00

EN TUS BRAZOS from et su on Vimeo.

Le Ballon

2009-02-06T23:04:00.000-06:00

Le ballon from et su on Vimeo.

Incredible Under Sea World

2009-02-03T22:33:00.002-06:00

Click the "HD is off" button and then click "watch in high definition."

Macroworld of Bali from Alex.Be. on Vimeo.

In Time for Valentine's Day: The Science of Love

2009-01-24T12:16:00.002-06:00

Hail The Chief!

2009-01-20T16:41:00.002-06:00

New York Times image

The Joke Was On US

2009-01-18T21:52:00.009-06:00

I gotta have one!

2009-01-14T21:11:00.001-06:00

All Aboard!

2009-01-11T11:31:00.000-06:00

January 1, 2009 Jacksonport, WI Polar Bear outing

2009-01-04T21:00:00.000-06:00

Pick a Shoe & Say Goodbye To 2008

2009-01-04T20:24:00.002-06:00

Click on a shoe . . .

Fifty People, One Question

2008-12-30T06:51:00.001-06:00

Fifty People, One Question: New York from Crush & Lovely on Vimeo.

A Christmas Story

2008-12-24T08:39:00.002-06:00

Remember as a child, when you didn't get everything you wanted for Christmas and your mother reminded you that someone out there had it worse?

Sergio Lopez could be that someone.

Since April, he lost his wife, his job and nearly all of his possessions in a house fire.

More . . . (a Chicago Tribune story)

The Christmas Letter - 2008

2008-12-19T08:16:00.003-06:00

Don't worry, it's not a real Christmas letter.

It's snowing here again and we're certain to have a white Christmas. I played around with Windows Movie Maker and made a short video for all my friends to enjoy. i.e. instead of Christmas cards. Happy holidays! -John

Snow from John Brzezinski on Vimeo.

Robin Williams on Obama's Election

2008-12-17T17:22:00.001-06:00

Fantasia 2000 - "Rhapsody in Blue"

2008-12-15T20:44:00.001-06:00

PART ONE

PART TWO

Paper or plastic?

2008-11-14T18:37:00.001-06:00

I read that we (the inhabitants of planet Earth) use over one trillion plastic bags per year. The number looks like this: 1,000,000,000,000 or can be stated as either one million million -or- 10¹².

Question: Which is the more environmentally friendly bag to use for groceries? Paper or plastic.

a. Paper

b. Plastic

c. Neither

Answer: Neither read on . . . here.