Skokie Sculpture Park 2012

ARTS OF SKOKIE NORTHSHORE SCULPTURE PARK

I just can't help but wonder at the artistic change every time I drive along McCormick Boulevard in the Skokie-Evanston border.  Yes, the drive-in theater from many years ago is gone now and yes, the foul odor from the sewage treatment plant still permeates the nose of drivers rushing by in the evening.  As a resident of the village, let me remind all drivers not familiar with Skokie that it value human lives and should not race fast and furious along the boulevard.  I know where the police is hiding, particularly not under the bridge because there's no bridge in Skokie.  The approximate time is usually in the evening, between 8 pm to 11 pm.  I get to notice this since both cars stop right in front of my house. In 2011, there were 10,283 ticketed drivers in Skokie - the highest in Lake and Cook Counties.

Oops! Ah yes, my mind tend to wander in the labyrinthian maze.  The 2-mile Sculpture Park has 65 sculptures and is set from Dempster on the north and Touhy on the south.  This Sunday, August 19, the Art in the Park activities for young boys and girls of school age will be able to create with clay, beads, feathers and art materials, and express their own artistic talent.  Sculpture Park docents and volunteers will be on hand to help.  It will be held from 10 am to 1pm east of McCormick in Section 1 - between Dempster and Main St.  The Music Institute of Chicago will also be at the Park to show the children musical instruments and provide hands-on instruction.

                                    

The park is open all-year round to everyone, rain or shine, with biking, jogging and just walking in the well-paved paths.  (Watch video).  Once in a while, you might see a little turtle along the river's edge.



CHINA'S NEW AIRCRAFT CARRIER

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China is a world power. BTW, Snopes.com says this is "undetermined."

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From: jpl
Subject: FW: [MAA2001] Fw: CHINA'S NEW AIRCRAFT CARRIER
Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2012 20:34:23 -0500

Incredible & scary should China become the world power.

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CHINA'S NEW AIRCRAFT CARRIER ? You may have no interest in modern weapons but........here it is! ? ? THIS IS QUANTUM LEAP ABOVE ANYTHING WE HAVE ON THE? DRAWING BOARD.  THEY HAVE THOUGHT "OUTSIDE THE BOX" ON THIS ONE.?  BETTER SPEED, LARGER CAPACITY, MUCH MORE STABLE, ETC.  DEFINITELY A "? BLUE-WATER " LONG REACH VESSEL.  PLUS THEY CAN SERVICE THEIR NUKE SUB? FLEET IN-BETWEEN THE TWIN HULLS ( SIGHT UNSEEN ) OR EVEN LAUNCH? AMPHIBIOUS OPPS FROM SAME.? IT WILL BE LAUNCHED IN HALF THE? TIME IT TAKES THE USA ? AT JUST ONE-THIRD? THE COST.  ADD THE NEW CHINESE STEALTH FIGHTER BOMBER ( NAVAL VERSION? ALREADY FLIGHT-TESTING ) IN THE MIX AND YOU HAVE THE MAKINGS OF A? FORMIDABLE WEAPONS SYSTEM INDEED. ALSO LOOK AT THAT EXTRA ''PARKING? AND READINESS'' STATION BETWEEN BOTH?? HULL STRUCTURES.? AND OF COURSE THE? LAUNCHING AND LANDING CAPABILITIES FROM THE UTILIZATION OF TWIN? FLIGHT DECKS AT ONCE. P.S. SOME THOUGHT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO? ADVISING YOUR GRANDCHILDREN TO LEARN TO SPEAK MANDARIN ( FORGET? SPANISH ). MY VERY, VERY BRIGHT 15-YEAR OLD COUSIN HAS ALREADY BEEN? ADVISED TO DO SO BY PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT SUCH? THINGS. P.S.? SIX OF THESE VESSELS ( TWO PACIFIC, TWO? ATLANTIC, ONE INDIAN OCEAN AND ONE ON THE?? MEDITERRANEAN?? SEA )? WOULD BE A PRETTY GOOD DIPLOMATIC " BIG STICK. "?  NOTE : THE? CHINESE ARE ALREADY DRILLING FOR OIL OFF CUBA ,?? BRAZIL AND?? VENEZUELA .?  CAN THEY BUILD A FLEET? OF THESE THINGS? A FEW FACTS:  THE CHINESE HAVE COMPLETED THE? WORLD'S BIGGEST DAM ( THREE GORGES ), THE WORLD'S LONGEST OVER-WATER BRIDGE ( 65 TIMES AS MUCH? STEEL AS IN THE EIFFEL TOWER ),??  CONSTRUCTED? A 15,000 FT. HIGH RAILROAD INTO TIBET (ALL CONSIDERED MAJOR ENGINEERING? FEATS). CHINA IS? THE ONLY NATION OTHER? THAN RUSSIA THAT CAN LAUNCH MEN INTO? OUTER SPACE (OUR CAPABILITY ENDED WITH THE LAST SPACE SHUTTLE? LAUNCH THIS MONTH ).  THEY HAVE ALSO SHOT DOWN A SURVEILLANCE? SATELLITE ( ONE OF THEIR OWN ) FROM THE GROUND.?  PLUS THEY PRACTICALLY OWN AMERICA IN THE INTERNATIONAL DEBT GAME. CHINA'S NEW A/C CARRIER COULD BE TWICE AS FAST AS ANYTHING WE HAVE, PLUS THE STABILITY OF A CATAMARAN TYPE HULL WILL GREATLY REDUCE THE PITCHING,? YAWING AND SWAYING COMMON TO OUR PRESENT DESIGNS.

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Stones of Tribune Tower

STONES OF TRIBUNE TOWER
The magnificent architecture of the Tribune Tower is located north of Wacker Drive just off the Chicago River bridge and Michigan Avenue on the other side.  The building is a collector of stone pieces from historic buildings anywhere in the world. I only have very few stone collections - Versailles, Mt. Sinai, Red Sea and Petra. Yes, everybody must get stone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTvXm7Npiz0

Catch Me, Chicago!

GOT  MOUSE?

CLICK CHICAGO AND MAKE IT YOUR TRAVEL DESTINATION!

Au contraire, CHICAGO is a captivating city.  It's more than an exclamation point!  Having grown up and lived almost my adult entire life in and around the city, I've seen so many delightful changes through the years.  I must say, the former Mayor Richard M. Daley did manage the city well of 29 million people with class and style, transforming and making the urban living easy for me and everyone, maybe. 

This is not hard to believe - For the year 2011, a total of 92 million visitors "experience" Chicago.

Domestic visitors rose to 11.2 percent, to 42.4 million, a tad below 3 percent in 2007 when the city hit its peak of 45.2 million domestic visitors.

Leisure visitor levels rose 13.5 percent, to 31.8 million.

Business traveler volume increased 5.1 percent, to 10.6 million.

International visitor traffic  a guesstimate of 7.2 million (?)

Chicago is beyond comparison.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2CpNifOKgE