The National Parks: America's Best Idea

He has done it to me again. At some point, I'm going to have to come right out and say it; Ken Burns is a national treasure. I guess I just did.

My first exposure to Ken's work was in 1990, The Civil War , a mind boggling look at how our country almost destroyed itself, with impartial analysis by some of the greatest historians alive (and in the cases of Shelby Foote and Steve Ambrose, sadly gone now.)

Then, in 1994, came Baseball, a marvelous 9 part historical romp through the national sport starting in the mid-1800s and progressing to the modern era.

In 1997, Ken produced and directed Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, and I officially became a Ken Burns disciple. I have watched this thing at least 10 times, and each time I find something new. That, I think, is the greatest quality of Ken's work. The visual effects are so stunning at times, that you almost forget to listen to the narration. But the effort that Ken puts into his research, the little background stories that he somehow digs up, are a delight in and of themselves.

Ken and his longtime bud Dayton Duncan, another Lewis & Clark scholar and all around cool dude, somehow manage to find the perfect readers for their scripts. From David McCullough, to Ken Olin, to Matthew Broderick, ...Burns always picks the right people to play the right characters, and you find yourself forgetting that's Ferris Beuller reading the part of John Ordway.

It's obvious now, that high profile Hollywood types have no problem checking their egos at the door when Ken Burns asks them to take part in one of his productions.

Hal Holbrook, doing the narrative for Lewis & Clark, was obviously inspired. You could hear it in his voice. He was the perfect choice.

Other works by Burns include: Jazz, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mark Twain, World War II, and the Brooklyn Bridge.

What I would give to spend a few hours over a few bottles of wine with Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan. And oh to be able to step back in time and invite Ambrose and Foote.

Well, they've done it again. This time, Ken and Dayton given us a real gift, an absolutely wonderful look into the National Parks of the United States. It's only been 2 installments so far, but it's spellbinding.

You simply must set aside time to watch The National Parks: America's Best Idea.

In the usual Burns style, he blends astounding cinematography with his trademark slow-pans across old black & white photographs, and weaves them together so seamlessly that the 150 year age difference between HD video and monochrome doesn't even occur to the viewer.

I am delighted that Ken and Dayton have chosen our National Parks as their newest subject, and have not been disappointed in their angle of delivery. Again, Burns and Duncan have found a way to transport viewers back to the late 19th Century, and allow us to almost talk to John Muir.

By touching on the enormous opposing political pressure being exerted on Teddy Roosevelt while he was unblinkingly setting aside enormous tracts of land to be protected forever, we come to better understand the true greatness of TR. TR understood the meaning of the word forever.

But besides the obvious players like Muir and TR, Burns and Duncan have, again, found the lesser characters to be a large part of the story. Bit players become major heroes, and villains.

In the case of Yellowstone buffalo (Titonka), they tell of a guy who was out in the dead of winter poaching the shit out of these symbols of the American west. He had piles of dead buffalo laying all over a snow covered plain and was busy removing their heads, which he planned on sending to a taxidermist in Omaha.

Phil Sheridan and some of the US Cavalry were patrolling the park, because Congress could not be convinced to allocate funds for a permanent park service. They came upon this fucking scumbag, who was so busy chopping heads that he didn't even hear them approach. Looking up, he was somewhat surprised to be looking into the muzzle of a gun pointed at his head.

As the poacher laughed it off, he told them that the worst thing that could happen was he'd be fined a couple of thousand bucks and he'd lose some hides. No biggie, as he was making a bundle.

He knew that the great herds that once covered the plains had been all but eradicated. He knew that the herd in Yellowstone were all we had left. And, in a warp of American logic that is all too common, this jagoff decided he wanted to be sure to kill them off before someone else got them, ...before they were all gone.

Unbeknownst to the shithead, a writer was accompanying the Cavalry patrol that day, doing an article on Yellowstone during the winter. Shocked and appalled, he wrote a scathing article that appeared in papers across the country, discussing the plight of the almost extinct American buffalo. Public outcry! People wrote their congressmen. People demanded action. And the buffalo was saved from extinction.

The commercialization of Niagra Falls made the US a laughingstock across Europe in the 1800s, and people like Muir and TR wanted desperately to prevent profiteers from taking over Yosemite Valley, Yellowstone, The Grand Canyon, and Mount Rainier among other national treasures. They considered the billboards circling Niagra to be a national embarrassment, and they didn't want it repeated as Americans spread westward.

For instance, in a legislative loophole that allows the president to sidestep congress, Teddy Roosevelt thwarted Arizona politicians efforts to keep the Grand Canyon for themselves. He couldn't call it a National Park without congressional approval, so he exercised his presidential power of decree, and declared the Grand Canyon a National Monument.

There are some sad moments, where we learn of politics of reality trumping the politics of idealism. The arguments about whether we should allow our parks to be completely wild and free, or to be simply protected places whose resources could be utilized if need be.

Shows like The National Parks: America's Best Idea are the types of productions that cause the viewer to stop and think. It causes us to give thanks for the people who came before us, and who left us the wonderful gift of our National Parks. A gift we all own together. Programs like this remind us of how important it is to understand our own history.

And nobody does history like Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan.

Going downhill fast

The day started off great. The day after a Bears win always starts off great.

First, my dear friend Queen Noor of Jordan sent me an e-mail. I don't usually post private e-mails, but Lisa specifically asked me to share this with all of my friends.

Queen Noor is very very excited, okay?,,.and she has great news. She just attended a UN Security Council special session on nuclear proliferation and disarmament, chaired by President Obama. Seems they unanimously passed a resolution to rid the world of nukes. Here, I'll let Lisa tell you, it's only a 53 second video and, as usual, is well worth watching.

So that was very nice, but then I learned that not only does Barack have time to discuss nukes with Lisa, he also has time to climb aboard Air Force One on Thursday night and fly to Denmark. This is big news in Copenhagen, and the Danes are beside themselves with anticipation.The purpose of the trip, in the middle of the most serious financial crisis in most Americans' lifetimes, and with the health care debate raging white-hot, is to pitch the city of Chicago for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

First Lady Michelle Obama will be traveling there tomorrow to warm up the crowd, and Bouncy McOverdraft plans to pop in late Thursday, check out the Tivoli Gardens and help with a Viking ship excavation, and then attend the final meeting prior to the selection announcement on Friday. Back on the plane, and shoot on home.

It should be noted that Denmark has consistently finished first in surveys ranking the happiest places in the world, it has the world's highest level of income equity, and along with New Zealand is rated the most peaceful country on the planet. Also, along with Sweden and New Zealand, Denmark possesses the least corrupt politicians on earth.

Happy, peaceful, financially robust and non-corrupt Denmark. That's where Barack Obama is going to tout unhappy, violent, bankrupt and ultra-corrupt Chicago, as a good choice for a world gathering.

Good idea. Hey, it can't cost that much to bounce across the pond and back on AF1 can it? It's a short hop. Garment bag only. He can bring the little shampoo bottle and the mini toothpast tube.

The four finalists are Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Madrid, and Chicago. Rumor has it that it's going to come down to Rio and us.

In the words of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley "They just had games in Beijing which is close to Tokyo, London has already gotten 2012 and Madrid is right there, and Rio has the soccer thing which is even bigger than the Olympics." (translation: "Japanese look pretty much like Chinese, Spaniards live pretty close to the Brits, and let's face facts, they only care about soccer in Brazil so they should be happy with that soccer thing." [The 2014 World Cup]}

Rio de Janeiro deserves to win the competition. There's never been a South American olympic games, and that time has come. Besides, it's Rio. Rio has great beaches, and tons of Brazillian chicks wearing those little dental floss bikinis. I'm rooting for Rio.

But Obama is going to Copenhagen to pitch for Chicago. Oprah is already there. Jordan isn't going, but he already voiced support for the games coming here. Oh gawd, I think we might win the fucking 2016 Summer Olympics.

I'm moving.

Doors Around Town

The Heurtley House in Oak Park~ Frank Lloyd Wright



The Great Hall~ Columbian Exposition-1893


Another one of Frank's





Park Chapel~ North Side





River Forest




Frank Lloyd Wright- Oak Park



Ditto





Andersonville- Near North Side


The Chicago Historical Society




Park Ridge



Park Ridge



Bond Hall- University of Chicago



State Street in The Loop



Gold Coast
(one of my all-time faves)



Bucktown Duplex


Another one of Frank's- Oak Park

Greetings from Obama Country!

Just had to go to the post office, couldn't trust the corner box. Get this stuff postmarked by 3PM on the 1st just to show what a fine upstanding pay my bills on time kinda guy I am. Pulled into the parking lot, waited in the queue, and tossed some letters in the box at 2:55. (Dude was just coming out of the building with the big official US Postal Service mail basket to empty the boxes.Yes!)

I then pulled around the building and parked my car. Dug around in my briefcase/duffel/catch-all bag and found my camera. I composed myself, put on my game face, and formulated my story. Pulling a few sheets of company stationery from my case, I tossed them in my measuring clipboard and approached these two guys who were standing on the sidewalk.



"So I saw you guys standing here when I mailed my letters, and actually parked my car so I could walk over and talk to you."

"Glad you did."

"I'm Michael."

"Nice to meet you Michael, I'm Dick."

"Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure."

"Don't mind me, I need to keep notes."

"That's fine."

"What's the story dude? Gimme the pitch."

"We want to take back the country from the Nazis currently in charge."

"That's Lyndon LaRouche you're talking about?"

"LaRouche PAC. We're representing Mr. LaRouche in getting out the message about the Nazis in Washington, specifically Obama."

"Yeah I noticed you have a little Hitler mustache painted on him."

"He's as bad as Hitler if you think about the health care policy."

"Adolf Hitler."

"That's right, and if you want to talk about the economy, they're calling it "globalism" but it's just a bunch of guys here, this is the Federal Reserve, and these are the banks that got bailed out, and...."

"That's got nothing to do with "globalism." And another thing, the banks got bailed out by Bernanke and Paulson. Those were Bush's guys. They gave the banks 750 billion dollars and they didn't even ask for a fucking receipt!"

"Exactly."

"What do mean Dick? You're calling Obama a Nazi but then you mention the bank bailouts which happened under Bush."

"The Nazi thing refers to his health care program. It's patterned after Hitler's T4 Initiative...."

"Is that a handout?"

"Yeah, but we're asking for support."

"Sorry Dick. I'm not giving anybody any money until I know the facts. I know I'm not entirely happy with the policies Obama's team has come up with, but I also know our health care system is fucked up. Where does LaRouche stand on this? Is he running again in 2012?"

"No. He's not running. But if you read that pamphlet, it covers his views on Obama and Obama's health care ideas....you know, like the Death Panels. We want to end HMOs and rebuild the Hill-Burton Hospital System. Also, it's time to discuss colonizing Mars."

"Mars? Well I agree with that, but I have Blue Cross. I've heard the mention of "death panels" and I think that's already been addressed."

"Well that's what they say! They're liars! Are you aware of the way old people were killed off in Nazi Germany?"

"The legislation does not have any language about panels of people deciding who lives and who dies."

"Just read the pamphlet....."

"Michael."

"...thanks. Just read the pamphlet Michael. You'll see."

"Okay, now about this globalization thing. What's that you're saying about the Federal reserve?"

"We need to realize that if we don't halt globalization...."

"Uh Dick, I think you're a little late on that. The US is not calling the tune anymore."

"Oh yes we are. If you look at the unemployment figures from..."

"From China? Is that what you're going to say?"

"200 million unemployed."

"They also have 1 point something billion people. Our numbers are worse. And their unemployment problem came hand in hand with a newfound love for capitalism. Too bad, we owe China so much money, that we might as well just come out and say it....They own us. The rest of the world is talking about dumping the dollar. We are not going to stop globalization Dick. The world is going to globalize, with us or without us. We need them more than they need us."

"Well, I see what you mean but...."

"But nothing. I came over here to ask you why you're out here at a US Post Office, representing Lyndon LaRouche. I'm unhappy with the 2 Party System, and I'd like to hear some other voices, some new opinions."

"That's who we are."

"No that's not who you are. You're a guy who paints a Nazi mustache on Obama's face, and sets up a card table in front of the US Post Office, in what is probably the whitest border suburb of Chicago. You LaRouche people have one of the Obama is Hitler stands set up down at 79th and Stoney? You want to promote a guy whose message seems to be that Barack Obama is Adolf Hitler. From the pamphlet you gave me here, and I will read it believe me, I'm getting another Nazi vibe with the photoshopping of Obama into an old shot so that it looks like he's having a good laugh with Adolf Hitler and a bunch of fucking Aryan youth."

"Well, I don't decide what pictures they use for the literature."

"I know that Dick. Let me ask you a question, do you mind if I take your picture? I got one from back there, but I want a close-up of your little display here. I'll be blogging about this in about 30 minutes."

"No no, that's fine."

"Smile Dick."



"Excellent, hey one more question,....speaking of Nazis. Ya figure you'd have been able to set up a little anti-Hitler lemonade stand like this in front of one of his post offices in say...oh....1942?"

"Probably not."

"I agree. One more picture. Uhhhh, I'm not sure that guy with no shirt on wants to be in my blog."



"Gotta go. Bye Dick."

Ah, I see. No wait, I don't.

Posted something earlier about Chris Kennedy running for Roland Burris' about-to-be vacant US Senate seat. He'd launched an exploratory committee, and told the papers he was launching an exploratory committee. The old trial balloon.

Last week, Kennedy announced he won't be running for the Senate, nor the Governor's office. I found that odd, and oddly timed.

Today, Gov. Pat Quinn announced that he is appointing Chris Kennedy to the University of Illinois board of trustees. A few weeks ago, Quinn said the entire board should resign after it was discovered that Illinois politicians and power-brokers were using their connections on the U of I board to gain admittance for less than stellar but powerfully connected high school seniors.

Of the 9 trustees currently on the board, 7 have offered to resign. The two holdouts will be leaving, I assure you.

And the University of Illinois has Chris Kennedy on the Board of Trustees. Nice guy and all, but Chris comes from a background where connections carry clout, and name recognition opens doors. Wonder what the hell Quinn is up to. Guarantee you he's up to something.

Patrick "Two Dimes" Kane

There's stupid, and then there's stupid.

Imagine for a second that you're Patrick Kane, 20 year old right winger for the Chicago Blackhawks. You were named the NHL Rookie of The Year in June of 2008 (for the 2007-08 season.) You helped lead the Hawks to the conference finals this past season before losing out to the Detroit Red Wings.

Things are looking up, right? Got the world by the ass, with a cheek in both hands.

So, after the season you decide to head back to Buffalo,NY your hometown. On a nice August night, you decide to go out for a few cocktails with your 21 year old cousin James Kane.

(I'm assuming that 's what you were doing, even though you're not 21.)

At around 4 AM you grab a cab (first mistake, always take a limo) and tell your driver to take you over to Chippewa Street, an area of Buffalo known for its nightlife. Upon arrival, the cabbie informs you that the fare is $13.80 . You and your cousin chip in and give the guy $15.

Do you tell him to keep the change? I mean, you're a hotshot NHL star, and a local celebrity to boot (in both Chicago and Buffalo I'm sure.)

No.You tell the driver you want $1.20 change.

Despite the fact that you're an American, you did spend some time in '07 playing for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League before being brought up by the Hawks, and it was there no doubt that you learned the Canadian custom about tipping. It can be the only explanation.

Scottie Pippen learned the hard way here that gratuities are a staple for people in the service businesses. After screeching about the automatic 15% tip added to dinner parties of 15 or more, Pippen made headlines and became forever known as Scottie "No Tippin'" Pippen. He'll never live that down in Chicago, and word has it he's afraid to come back here after being booed during a Bulls game halftime show celebrating the life of Johnny "Red" Kerr.

So there's no way you, Patrick Kane learned the art of squeezing a nickel to try to get two dimes in this town, it must have been during your brief stay in Ontario. Limo drivers have a saying: What's the difference between a Canuck and a canoe? A canoe occasionally will tip.

Anyway, so you're Patrick Kane, and you want your $1.20 change.

The cabbie tells you he doesn't have two dimes.Oh well, no biggie right?

Wrong.

That's when you flip out and start beating the hell out of the cabbie. You grab him by the throat, you rough him up, and together with your cousin James you take back the money the you gave the cabbie.

Even though you signed an entry level NHL rookie contract for a mere $875,000 per for three years, you had incentives in there (including big bucks for winning the Calder Trophy) that could earn you something closer to $3.5 million a season.

But you want your $1.20 back so badly, that you beat up a cabbie and take his money.

Now it's 5AM in Buffalo, and the cops pick up you and your cousin James. You are booked and charged with second-degree robbery, a Class C felony, as well as fourth-degree criminal mischief and theft of services, both Class A misdemeanors, and you are taken to the Erie County Holding Center.

You begin to worry about returning to Chicago ever again, because you know what awaits you there. You consider a change of careers. You consider retiring at age 20.

As you look at your cousin James across the holding pen, it suddenly occurs to you that you, Patrick Kane, are a very very stupid young man.

Just goes to show you, you should always tip the help.

For Emmett

The Last Quatrain of the Balled of Emmett Till

after the murder,
after the burial
Emmett’s mother is a pretty-faced thing;
the tint of pulled taffy.
She sits in a red room,
drinking black coffee.
She kisses her killed boy.
And she is sorry.
Chaos in windy grays
through a red prairie.

Gwendolyn Brooks~ 1960

Most people know the story of Till, a black kid from Chicago who was beaten to death at the age of 14 because he had the nerve to whistle at a white woman in the lovely little cracker shithole known as Money, Mississippi. His eye was gouged out, and he was shot in the head. His body was weighted down with the fan from a cotton gin, and his body was dumped in the Tallahatchie River where it lay for 3 days before being discovered.

Till had traveled to Mississippi in August 1955 to stay with his uncle, Moses Wright. Three days after hs arrival, he was outside a general store owned by Roy Bryant and his wife Carolyn. Accounts vary but there's general agreement that, on a dare, Till whistled at Carolyn Bryant. Considering the timing of the "event", hot on the heels of Brown v Board of Education, and the location, deep in the heart of cracker country, it's somewhat understandable that Till's uncle told him he should get the hell out of that place.

Roy Bryant had been out of town on the 24th, but upon his return his 21 year old wife told him of Till's act of public defiance. Niggers just didn't whistle at white women in 1955 Mississippi. According to most accounts, Bryant and his half-brother J.W.Milam drove to Wright's house in the middle of the night, 12:30 AM Sunday Aug 28th, and roused Emmett from his sleep. They took him to Carolyn Bryant to confirm his identity as the person doing the whistling (or grabbing her about the waist asking for a date, or saying "Bye, baby.." depending on which story is to be believed.) Once she IDd Emmett as the offender, he was tossed in a pickup truck and taken to a beat up old shed on a plantation in nearby Sunflower County.

Initially, with Till still missing, Bryant and Milam claimed they had indeed taken him for a ride, but insisted they were just trying to scare Emmett, and only roughed him up a bit before releasing him. After hearing about Emmett, Medgar Evers went to Money, and passed himself off as a cotton picker so he could interview others about the missing Chicago kid.

Within 3 days, a body was discovered in the Tallahatchie, bloated and beaten beyond recognition. A ring on a dead finger, given to Till by his father, allowed positive identification. The dead body in the river was Emmett Till.

Bryant and Milam stood trial, and were acquitted by an all white jury of 12 men. Deliberations took just over an hour. According to one juror, it would have taken less time, but they stopped for a soda break.

Till's murder was seen as one of several key events during that shameful period of US history which led directly to the Civil Rights Movement.

After their acquittal, and thanks to laws protecting them against double jeopardy, Bryant and Milam admitted to killing Till in a January 1956 article in Look Magazine. They were paid $4000 for the story.

Emmett's body was brought back to Chicago. At the funeral, Mamie Carthan Till, Emmett's mother, insisted the casket be open."I wanted the world to see what they did to my baby." Emmett was buried at Burr Oak Cemetery on Sept 6, 1955. (the same day Bryant and Milam were indicted.)

In 2004, the US Dept of Justice announced that they were reopening the case to see if anyone else was involved in Emmett's murder. No autopsy had ever been performed, so the FBI exhumed Till's body in May 2005. After the autopsy was performed by the Cook County Coroner's Office, identifying the remains as those of Emmett Till, the body was reburied in a new casket.

Till's original glass topped casket was to be used as a shrine to Emmett, as well as the Civil Rights Movement according to the people who ran Burr Oak Cemetery. Instead, they tossed Emmett Till's casket in a storage shed where it has become home to a family of possums.

The people running Burr Oak Cemetery are now under investigation for re-selling as many as 300 plots. There are reports of bones being scattered about in rows of hedges, and trucks being loaded up with the remains of unearthed bodies.

Initially, it was feared that Emmett Till's grave had been dug up, the body discarded, and the plot sold again as part of this massive scandal that has rocked Chicago. As it turns out, it appears Till's body is still in his grave.

As of this morning, a new section of Burr Oak has been found to be the site of more grave digging and Tom Dart, Cook County Sheriff has now declared the entire Burr Oak Cemetery a crime scene.