Cobwebs from the Attic

Learn your History!

Recently, the big controversey in Chicago has been a meeting between the Chicago Police Department and gang leaders in Chicago.  The purpose of the meeting was CPD stating to gang leaders to knock it off or pay the price.  Basically, the current rash of gang-related murders has the CPD trying some interesting tactics.

Monday, on WGN radio, Bob Sirott had Alderman Bob Fioretti on the show. Fioretti was blasting Chicago Police Superintendant Jody Weiss over the meeting. His claim was that the Chicago Police should not be “negotiating with urban terrorists”.  

OK, I agree with his statement.  However… In the whole scheme of things, I do not see a negotiation taking place. I see the CPD laying things out on the table, issuing a warning that the gang leaders had better watch their P’s and Q’s. To me, a negotiation means that each person walked away from the table with something. I guess if you consider being told that you’re on “double secret probation” means you got something, then OK. But, I don’t.

One the statements by Fioretti in his arguments was that the CPD had never negotiated with gangsters. He even was so bold as to mention that the CPD didn’t even negotiate with Capone. Being an amateur student of the Outfit, I have to call shenannigans on Fioretti’s comment.

First of all, Capone’s Outfit very rarely hurt any innocent by-standers. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head were from the St.Valentines Day Massacre. Reinhart Schwimmer, who was an optician with a gangster obsession, and John May, who was a mechanic at the SMC Cartage Company. For the most part the murders were between the gangs only and in that time period, most of the public preferred that they killed each other. Today, there are a lot of innocent victims.

Another thing that Fioretti didn’t think of when he brought Capone into the argument was that for the most part Capone owned the CPD. That boat had sailed as far as negotiations were concerned.  Then, a little more obscurely, I can remember at least one other “negotiation” between law enforcement and the Chicago Outfit. FBI Agent William F. Roemer detailed a negotiation in one of his books with Outfit boss Tony Accardo to keep each other’s families out of the crosshairs.

So Fioretti needs to learn some history before he starts yapping again.  Better yet, he should just shut up and let Weiss do what he can do to try and bring the murders to an end.

STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!!!

This is a moment that I’ve waited several years for. Since I first became a hockey/Blackhawks fan in 1993, I’ve wanted to watch this team achieve success. I was in the United Center when there were 5,000 or less people there. Even after the band-wagoneers decided it was time to go to a Blackhawks game, I was there. I have brought many people into enjoying the sport on a regular basis, including my wife and her family.

I was disappointed in the fact that I didn’t get the day off during the rally/parade, but I did see the parade and I did watch part of the rally online here in the office. Maybe it was just as well, with the heat and my emotions, it was probably best I was tucked away in my cube.

So, now the off-season begins. I look forward to the draft and the Blackhawks Convention. At some point I expect to be in the presence of Lord Stanley himself.

As I close this chapter on the 2009-2010 NHL season, all I really have to say is…

LET’S GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!

A Chance Encounter…

For the last couple of years I have been going to lunch at a place over on LaSalle St. across the street from City Hall called Garden Village. It had a dubious history of being the former location of Counselors Row. Counselors Row was the restaurant where First Ward Boss and Outfit honcho Pat Marcy not only held court, but was caught on tape violating RICO statutes. I started going to Garden Village when I was reading Robert Cooley’s book “When Corruption Was King”. Cooley was the attorney that they wired to nab Marcy.

Anyway, last week Garden Village closed their doors. I was forced to find a new place to grab lunches. Luckily, there was always an alternative less than a block away. On Washington, in the Burnham Building, there’s a similar place called Delmonico. I’ve taken to going there for lunch.

So, today, I crossed LaSalle to City Hall and I notice a security agent standing by the door. I figured someone important was in the building or would be arriving, so as I turn to walk to Washington, a car pulls up, and out comes Mayor Daley! Now, I am a Daley supporter. I may not agree with everything he does or supports, but I feel that he and his father represent what this town is about. So, I support him.

So, as the Mayor walks past me towards the entrance to City Hall, I look him in the eye to greet him. He stops me and next thing I know, we’re talking Blackhawks! (Luckily I wore my jersey and my hat today!) He mentions how tough tonight’s game will be, I agree and relay the story about the Montreal journalist whose car was trashed when he was in Philadelphia covering their series with the Canadiens. (story) He was a little shocked to hear that. I then said, that no matter what, tonight’s game is going to be brutal! He agreed and then I said, the best way to counter it was to give Eager and Burish a bit more ice time. He agreed with that as well.  We then wished each other a good day and we went our separate ways.

Maybe I’m a sucker for a historical politician, but honestly, for me, that was a pretty cool encounter!

LET’S GO HAWKS!!!

What else is there to say? The Chicago Blackhawks have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. I’m giddy as a little girl — in a hockey jersey.

The Loss of a Legend

The rock world was somewhat shocked by the loss of one of the best voices in rock/metal. 

Ronnie James Dio was a diminutive man in stature, but he was a vocal giant.  He lost his battle with cancer on Sunday.  I was somewhat surprised.  Publicly, he spoke with confidence that he would beat it.  Now I see what pure bravery looks like.

Being a guitar player, if one were to think that I wasn’t affected by his passing that person couldn’t be more wrong.  Ronnie’s music from his solo career permeated my musical life.  It wasn’t until later that I discovered his Rainbow and Black Sabbath catalog.  But many, many hours were dedicated to listening to his music. 

Holy Diver and Last In Line were some of my very first cassettes.  When I was in my early teens, I remember walking around my hometown of Griffith, Indiana with my tape player, listening my Dio tapes.  While walking to my destination I would daydream about being on a stage right next to Ronnie playing the guitar.

Even before that, I remember being in Troy Farrell’s basement watching Dio: Live at the Spectrum on VHS.  While we talked about being rock stars when we grew up. (Troy is now living the life, me… I’m still in the midwest.  No complaints though.  Life is what you make of it.)

While Ronnie is no longer physically on this Earth, his spirit and memory will carry on in the hearts of rock/metal fans all over the world.

Stepping Up

Over the last couple of weeks I think that I’ve made some decisions that will have a big impact on my life. 

First and foremost (and the reason for the title) I have started training for one of the multiple events here in Chicago that involve stairs.  The event that I originally chose was the “Hustle up the Hancock” where participants will climb the stairs of the John Hancock Center from the ground floor all the way to the observation deck.  (94 flights)  During one of my Weight Watchers meetings, the group leader suggested that I involve myself in an event that will happen this fall. (the Hustle is in February)  This event will happen at the Willis Tower.  Don’t know what the Willis Tower is?  You might know it by it’s former name, the Sears Tower.  Yes, I’m training to take on 103 flights of stairs in November.

Here’s some building facts.

•  The Willis Tower is located at 233 S. Wacker Drive in the heart of Chicago’s West Loop.
• The building houses some of the city’s largest corporations and prominent companies covering the financial services, legal and insurance industries, to name a few. 
• The Willis Tower’s 4.56 million gross square feet would cover 105 acres if spread across one level. This is the equivalent of 16 city blocks in Chicago.
• Within the building, there are 25 miles of plumbing, 1,500 miles of electric wiring, 80 miles of elevator cable and 145,000 light fixtures.
• The building weighs more than 222,500 tons and it cost more than $175 million to build.
• The Willis Tower’s structural framing consists of steel columns and beams in a “mega-module” system consisting of nine modules.
• The building features a high-speed 104-car elevator system divided into three zones for efficient transportation.
• Every year, more than 1.3 million visitors enjoy aerial views of Chicago from Skydeck Chicago, 103 floors up the Willis Tower.
• Now, Skydeck Chicago visitors can literally put the city at their feet. This summer, the Tower opened The Ledge, four glass-bottomed, enclosed balconies that extend 4.3 feet to the west, providing unobstructed views (1,353 feet straight down) over Wacker Drive and the Chicago River.
• On a clear day, Willis Tower highest office views can reach nearly 50 miles.
• The Tower contains approximately 3.8 million rentable square feet (“RSF”) including approximately 159,000 RSF of retail space.
• The building opened in 1973.
• On July 16, 2009, the building was renamed Willis Tower. A global insurance broker, Willis Group Holdings, has made the building home of its new Midwest Region headquarters.

And that’s not even the biggest.  There’s another climb in what is known as Presidential Towers, a 4-building structure on Chicago’s west side that I hear is pretty gruelling.  That’s 4 separate 40-story buildings.  I plan on doing that one as well.

Besides the tower climbs I have also begun to think of my musical knowledge as lacking.  I’ve often carried a lack of confidence in what I know as a guitarist and guitar tech.  Last week I started taking lessons again to fill the holes in my knowledge and playing. 

All of this is geared towards helping me build my confidence and self-esteem.  Lately I’ve been feeling pretty good about my progress in the realm of weight loss. (and 75+ lbs is nothing to sneeze at)  However with that progress brings questions.  Such as, when the pounds come off, what will life be like?  And what’s next?

To help myself answer those questions in time, these events and classes are designed to help me find out what to do with the “new me”.

Another Milestone!!!

Last weekend I made it to 77 lbs. On top of that, Monday, I started my training for the “Hustle up the Hancock”.

What did I get myself into?

Happy Birthday Twinkies!

This is a reprint of a reprint that appeared in the Chicago SunTimes. I couldn’t help but share this one! 

“Twinkie Experiment Goes up in Smoke.”
By Zay N. Smith

The Hostess Cake company, marking the 66th anniversary of the Twinkie, announced it takes 45 seconds for a Twinkie to explode in a microwave.

QT takes nothing on faith.

Following are its findings, with appropriate time notations:

3:30:00 p.m. Sun-Times vending room is empty. QT has been waiting for this chance.

3:30:28 p.m. One Twinkie is unwrapped and placed in Sun-Times vending room microwave machine. Setting is 100 percent. Microwave door is shut.

3:31:00 p.m. Button is pushed.

3:31:19 p.m. Twinkie appears to grow slightly in size.

3:31:22 p.m. Halfway to theoretical point of explosion, Twinkie shows no further outward signs of change.

3:31:29 p.m. A 1-inch fissure opens in top of Twinkie. White filling pours out in slow stream onto microwave’s tray.

3:31:38 p.m. Flow of filling stops.

3:31:45 p.m. Theoretical point of explosion.

3:32:00 p.m. Twinkie turns darker shade of brown. Bubbles noted in filling.

3:32:13 p.m. Twinkie turns still darker. Gone too far to stop now.

3:32:35 p.m. Twinkie ignites.

3:32:36 p.m. Black smoke billows into Sun-Times vending room.  Use giant wad of wet paper towel to grab smoldering Twinkie.  Throw it under stream of cold water. Leave it there. Fan wildly at smoke.

3:33:00 p.m. Uneasy wait for Sun-Times sprinkler system to go off.

3:34:00 p.m. Take wad of wet paper towel out of sink. Slowly open to inspect Twinkie. Break Twinkie in two. More smoke. Throw under water again.

3:35:00 p.m. Twinkie fire appears to have been struck. Sun-Times vending room still hazy with smoke. Somebody coming down the hall.  Put wad in wastebasket. Walk slowly out the door.

3:35:40 p.m. Arrive at desk in city room. Faint smell of burnt sugar has spread across fourth floor. Several people comment. QT too busy at work to notice.

Conclusion: Do not try this at home. Maybe at work. But not at home.

Friends + Hockey = Good Times

For the last couple of weeks I have facilitated some get-togethers with different groups of friends.

Last weekend, I gathered a couple friends from the HairBangers Ball days, grabbed some pizza, and then went to see the Chicago Steel (USHL) face the Tri-City Storm. I think by all accounts, we had a great time. It was good to connect without the premise of going out and getting full-on drunk and stupid or having to shout at each other over a band. The night was casual and all about re-connecting and seeing some hockey.

This weekend it wasn’t too much different. However it held a deeper meaning to me. This group of friends for this event is a group that I have known since kindergarten, long before TEKKY ever came about. In a time where it is rare that friends stay in contact for so long, to see a group remain in contact for the better part of 30+ years is nearly unheard of.

This event came about one day when I saw one of my friends comment on Facebook that he had taken his kids to an Indiana Ice (USHL) game. I inquired about whether he had a good time and thought to myself, that it would be a great opportunity to get everyone together. So, I sent out an e-mail to gauge interest. Then I devised a plan where we’d meet prior to the game for some food, and then head to the game. A bonus that came later is when I realized that I had some Star Wars items to give to the sons of a couple of my friends. So I threw out the idea of grabbing breakfast the next morning.

I have to say, I am proud of how this event went. It didn’t go without it’s share of hiccups, but by the feedback that I got, everyone was glad we got together and are excited about the next time we get together. And I couldn’t be happier that I set it up. My wife likes to say that I’m a sap, and honestly – and reluctantly – I will agree with her. When it comes to the things that I cherish the most, this group of friends is at the top of the list. (My wife is up there too, but don’t tell her, she’ll get all cocky about it)

So, what would I do differently for the next event? (yes, I’m already thinking about the next get-together) Really, one of the major changes I’d make would be where we had the “pre game”. I chose a place in Indianapolis’ Broad Ripple district, while it was perfect for us in our 20s – for bachelor parties and whatnot, it didn’t feel as kid-friendly as I wanted it to be. Besides, it’s not good when an establishment that claims to be a deli is out of turkey. I think next time I’ll find a pizza place that is NOT in Broad Ripple.

Until then, I’ll be glad for the get-together and the memories it produced.

What’s going on?

OK, so it’s been over a month since my last post. What’s new?

Well, I’ll tell ya. Job. That’s what’s new. For the last 3/4 of a year, I’ve been working in a support role for one of our testing teams. I have been providing reports, managing defects, and other general tasks.

So what am I doing now? Well, I don’t think I can go into much detail, but I provide data for the testing teams to test with.

I am actually on the fence about whether I’m happy about the move so far. There seemed to be some politics involved in the move. I am definitely not someone who is big on politics.

So, it all actually happened pretty suddenly. I was in a skip-level meeting with my director and she seemed to be leading the conversation towards me taking on a different job within the organization. I was happy where I was despite being a little bored. I was a little unnerved about the meeting, but I put it in the back of my mind and didn’t think much about it.

A couple of days later I get a call from my current boss. He starts to talk about how my skills would be better utilized in a different group. Not being someone who rocks the boat, I didn’t protest, I didn’t argue, I didn’t really say much of anything. I am just glad to be employed. I was a little happy that someone thinks I have skills that are valuable to the organization other than what I was currently doing.

So the meetings happen between myself, my former boss, and current boss in regards to the transition. This is where I realized, my former boss was being blindsided by the move. This, honestly, is what puts me off about office politics. It seemed more like a power-play type of move on behalf of my current boss. In my professional life, I don’t like leaving loose ends. Unfortunately, I really didn’t have a say in it. The decision was made on a Thursday that I’d move on to a new job and I was to be in Hoffman Estates, IL the next Tuesday to start training.

Here’s what really gets me. I was given no transition, rushed into a training situation, and when it’s all said and done, I was given nothing from which to start doing the new job. For over two weeks, I had no access to systems and tools to do what I had just trained for. Oh well, it seems to be life in the big corporation. Hurry up and wait!