16/1/09

Let's start with another update in my quest to become an internationally published writer.

Hi Scott,
Thanks for your message. I am hoping we will publish your article next week. I just need to get it approved by my editor first.
Many thanks,
Mark

I have to say, this is looking pretty good. I imagine they don't have too many people that have actually seen Obama, let alone the number of times I have, so it would sort of make sense for this to happen. I figured all along I had a pretty good chance. But I never expected all this to come together so quickly.

Today was another productive day. I figured out where my classes are. They're about a 20-25 minute walk down on Regent Street, a block or two away from Oxford Street, so there are just tons of places to eat and visit between classes. I went all the way down to Piccadilly Circus today (not many animals, more Time's Squarey.)

From there I went to Theaterland and Leicester (pronounced Lester) Square where I was the other night. Most notably now, is that I know how to get nearly anywhere in the West End, a big step that will lead to me using my GPS far less. Trafalgar Square and Parliament aren't that much further from Leicester Square, so I can get to nearly everything in London by foot now.

I stopped in Starbucks down by Piccadilly Square to kill some time. I got a Chocolate Cream this time. I think I'm sticking with Strawberry Cream.

From there I wandered about Chinatown (or maybe it was just a random area where they decided to hang a lot of Chinese Lanterns), which was bigger than I was expecting. It's not particularly great, but there are a lot of shops and restaurants there, and it's right next to a number of other landmarks.


I then went and sat in Leicester Square (it's a big hangout by the theaters, Will Smith was here two days ago for a movie premiere) and finished my drink.

There was a statue of Charlie Chaplin next to me, I forgot he was British. Probably because he never talks.

From there I had a little bit more time so I went to the National Portrait Gallery, which was pretty incredible. They have things dating from Henry VII to the present (including a cool Paul McCartney portrait.) I didn't get to spend that much time there, but I'm sure I'll be back.

From there I headed back to 309 Regent Street where my classes are for orientation.

The building (on the right) has to date from the 1850s, it's incredibly ornate inside, like walking into a fancy New York hotel. The auditorium I was in was the first place where moving pictures were shown in England, kinda cool.


Orientation was worthless except that I found out I didn't need to register with a GP (general practitioner) so that just saves me some time. I also didn't win the project quiz thing, but I didn't expect to.

From there I walked back to my place and on Marylebone Street, I saw a plaque that said Charles Dickens lived on a site about two blocks from me. Out of all the cool history things I've seen so far, this was probably the coolest, I'd because because it hit so close to home, literally. It's pretty exciting to think that I'm walking the same streets Dickens did.


I left for the boat, which was at the Monument stop on the Circle Line. It took about 40 minutes to get there. I ran into a girl from my floor (oh man, I think her name is Brittany? I should probably know that) and we both headed down there.

There were a bunch of people waiting by the Monument (to commemorate the 1666 Fire) and soon the leaders came and we left for the boat (people in charge don't seem to be too prompt.)

Unfortunately, the boat was docked. It was right next to (lame) London Bridge, and most people stayed in the lower deck and sat around. Brittany? and I went to the top deck and hung out. She spent the last four months in Spain studying (she's from Missouri but got an awesome study abroad scholarship) so we talked about Spain quite a bit, since I plan on visiting there. She said to go to Barcelona for sure, not so big on Madrid, but I probably will anyways.

A couple other people came over and hung out with us on the top, and everyone here has been very nice. They were talking about The London Paper and I told them that it looks like I was going to be in it and they were pretty impressed.

After about two hours we went inside and stayed around listening to more American music (it's everywhere) and then decided to leave. I took the tube to the Westminster stop and walked from Parliament to Trafalgar Square to Leicester Square to Piccadilly Square to Regent Street to Oxford Street to Baker Street and back home. It is basically the same route I took earlier, but now I can get all the way to Parliament for sure. It's also a lot prettier at night.




I looked around for a cafe to get some desert in, and I found one on Regent Street but I decided I wanted to get closer to my room first, so I chanced it and lost. All the cafes were closed when I got back. Oh well, guess maybe tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'm going to Stonehenge and Bath, which I'm pretty excited about. Stonehenge is just one of those sites you hear about your entire life and think it'd be cool to see. Bath sounds interesting as well. We leave at 8, and I'm not excited about that. I struggled to get up before 11 still.

But on a good note, my student Oyster card came, which was incredibly fast. I'm pumped, now it's 30% off fares, and they seem to stretch pretty far as it is.

15/1/09

First off, I sent in the Obama column last night and The London Paper got back to me. They said this:

Hi Scott,
Thanks for sending in your column. We are considering it for publication. Can I ask your age and occupation? We like to state that for each author.
Many thanks,
Mark

I would imagine that means they are going to use it, which would be very excited, especially if I had something published before I even started a class here. Anyways, I'll let everyone know the link and you know I'll grab copies if it does actually run.

Today I turned in my group's 'getting to know London' project (which I did the whole thing, mostly out of my own curiosity, we didn't have to do it) and then I went to Salas to get tickets to see Peter Bjorn and John on March 5.

They are probably my favorite band (the whistley guys) and the venue is on my street, just a mile or two down. It was only 12.50 pounds, so another plus. The Streets play here on the 29th, but that's sold out for now, I don't know if they do StubHub or anything else like that here.

From there I went to King's Crossing train station.

It is right by Salas (I think that was the station in Harry Potter? Someone will tell me if it's wrong) and went down to the Tate Britain (not Tate Modern as I thought.) I got there rather early, so I picked up a Metro (another free paper, more newsy than the others) and read it by the Thames for a while.

We were supposed to meet our group leader Koichi by the Underground stop, but he was 20 minutes late, so I ended up sitting outside for about an hour, and today was rather damp and cold.

The Tate Britain has art from only British artists. It turns out I'm not too keen on British art. Most of the stuff was the 18th century portraits of people sitting around in fancy clothes not looking real. I find paint thrown on canvasses more interesting.

They did have some cool things, like a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I that I swear I've seen before. It is sort of amazing to think that they commissioned paintings so that people would know what they actually looked like. It was about 400 years old.

They also had a Henry Moore sculpture that I think I've seen before as well. Maybe there is a replica at the DIA?


I came back and made some food and was invited to eat with the rest of the hall. They're really cool people. We talked about difference in America and England, how they don't do peanut butter and bagels that much, things like that. Turns out Phil was very impressed that I interviewed Dizzee Rascal (but not impressed I interviewed Paul Oakenfold. I figured it'd be the other way around.)

I went with the hall down to the club/bar thing in our basement of our campus and hung out. As I walked in, they played Dizzee Rascal. And they played him later too. Pretty funny stuff. But nearly everything they played was American. Snoop Dogg, DMX, Jay-Z, even Soulja Boy.

I ended up chatting with Phil from next door and he was very jealous that I saw the Arctic Monkeys live. They're apparently the best thing ever. I asked if the Beatles were still cool over here, and he said yeah. His parents had seen them six times or so, even in Liverpool, which is incredibly cool. After hanging around for a while there, I decided to head back up, I was tired and wanted to get a couple things caught up.

I purchased my plane tickets and reserved a hostel in Athens. I'm pretty excited, I never thought I'd ever go there. It's a pretty awesome first trip. I hope. I need to figure out what else there is besides the Acropolis there, I remember learning a lot about it in art history, I'm sure I won't have much trouble filling time. I'm there from February 1-3 and staying at the Athens Backpackers Hostel. I'm excited.

Tomorrow I have another orientation meeting and then all the study abroad people are going on a boat tour on the Thames for five or six hours. Could be cool. I'm thinking I might want to go to Picadilly Circus tomorrow too, I also need to figure out where the plastic dinosaurs by Crystal Palace are.

My foot is still bothering me but I think it's getting a little better. Ir's probably only slightly torn.

14/1/09

Today was rather productive.

In the morning I went to my study abroad adviser and switched some classes. My schedule looks like this now.

Wednesday:
10-1 Creative Writing about London
2-5 Devising London

Thursday:
9-12 Art and Society
2-5 London Theater in Performance

As you can see, this is sort of an awesome schedule. I can travel on Tuesdays now, which is usually a great travel day.

Art and Society is where we go out in London and look at art, architecture and historical sites. Basically the class was made for me. The first week it sounds like we're going to St. Paul's Cathedral. I'm glad I didn't go yesterday.

Devising London is slightly less defined. It sounds like we will be doing things at London sites and then at the end of the year we have some sort of performance about our time in London. Not sure how that all ties together. Sounds like a Mrs. Barney kind of class, so it could be fun. Either way, I don't expect it to be academically challenging.

I went to a store in the school and I picked up an A4 notebook (it's longer than American paper) and a bottled water so I can have something to carry water in. From there I walked down to Oxford Street, which is kind of like State Street and Michigan Avenue put together. It's pretty awesome. Lots of different shops, a much greater variety than in the states. I went into a Boots (think CVS) and bought some liquid hand soap for 1.70 pounds on a two-for-one sale. The next store I went to was Argos. It is a catalog store where you go to a catalog and look through a book, find the number of the item you want, and write it on a card. You take it up to the tilly (cashier) and pay, then you walk over to another desk and they fetch the item from the backroom. I was going to get a 40-piece silverware and 12-piece plate set for 7 pounds, but they were out of the plates. So I ordered a Spiderman kids set.

I went into about three different H&Ms and looked around. They have a lot of the same things as in the state, but they also have a good deal more. The prices are a little high, but not much. I didn't get anything.

I came back and had two bowls of Frosties. Then I decided to walk to Buckingham Palace. My foot is still hurting, so I switched shoes to my Pumas but it still hurt (although at the end of the walk it seemed to be doing better.) It's about two miles to Buckingham Palace, and a pretty nice walk. It's been incredibly pleasant outside. It was foggy in the morning, but clear at night, and in the upper 40's. There were a bunch of people out running and walking.

When I finally got to Buckingham Palace, I wasn't that impressed. It's not incredibly well-lit, so it wasn't that interesting.

I walked around the block, and you can really only see the front view, the rest is blocked by a wall. There isn't much security around the place. I felt like I could throw a baseball into the front of the Palace. I did see a couple Bobbies, and one with a machine gun, but you could get pretty close.

I was also surprised by how much activity was going on all around it. It sort was like Wrigley Field with buildings and people out and about.

In the back of the block, away from the front, the security was a little more serious. But I could go up to the front of the Palace and stick my camera through the gate.

I walked up Queen Victoria's Statue and took another picture. Still not that impressive in the dark.

On the walk back I went by the original Hard Rock Cafe and then stopped in Primark's again because I had to pass it. I almost bought about half the store but ended up just getting a mat for the bathroom for 1.96 pounds so the floors aren't always wet.

Since I had things to eat with, I decided to get some more food at Tesco. I got bread, Nutella (they had peanut butter, but it was about three times more expensive for the same amount) raspberry preserves, more milk (they come in liters, so they're smaller) Cheerios, crackers (like a case of fancy man crackers you get a events, it was super cheap, like 2 pounds), 'mature cheddar' (it has a little stronger tatse, but still good) and bananas (for mom.) I also joined the Tesco Card Club. I then ate the most since I've been here. I had a Nutella and jelly sandwich, crackers and cheese, milk, my last yogurt, and a banana.

I read The London Paper and/or London Lite everyday. They're free papers and also like RedEye, youth and entertainment based. In The London Paper they have a spot where readers write a column everyday, so I wrote one today for the Obama inauguration. If it doesn't get published, I'll post it here.

Tomorrow I'm touring the Tate Modern I think, we'll see.

LDN

So I think this will be my new place to post the happening about London that I happen upon, so check back regularly, I'm going to try to post daily.

Yesterday was rather uneventful. I went to meetings for a good part of the day and then bought food and pillows (along with jeans, a hand towel, and sweatpants for 16 pounds) at Primark’s. I did get to meet a number of people on my floor. Phil lives next door and is a pretty cool guy. I probably met about 6 people or so, all were very nice. My room is starting to feel like home a little bit. I put some maps up on my walls so it’s just not so stark-white. My internet is up and working and I found out about my classes (and how I can’t wait to drop postmodernism.) The rest of the classes seem pretty good though, a lot of going out in the city.

At the meetings they had pastries and I had four, and some water and tea, so that took care of one meal. The room was on the second floor, but they don’t start counting floors until they get to the usual second floor. Very confusing. I would be on the 11^th floor in America. For dinner I had one of the Chicago-style pizzas I made in the microwave. It was kind of gross. I still don’t have any utensils, so I need to take care of that soon.

I got to Skype people and I applied for my student Oyster card. The internet is a great thing.

Today I ended up doing quite a bit. First off, my right foot really hurts, in the back right side, in front of the heel. Not really sure what that is all about, probably because of all the walking I’ve been doing. Bu

t today I did more walking then I’ve ever done.

I took the tube down to Tower Hill and as soon as you leave, you see a Roman Wall that was used for defense when the city was founded over 1,000 years ago.

Then I saw the Tower of London. I’ve always wanted to go there, I remember learning about it in 6^th grade and how cool I thought it was. It is impressive in person.

I’ll be going there on Sunday (with the group so it’s free) and that’s what I’ve been most looking forward to.

Right across from the Tower is the Tower Bridge (naturally.) It’s the really famous bridge that people think is the London Bridge.

I paid 4.50 pounds to go up into the top of the towers along the elevated walkways. It was kind of cool, I felt like I had to do it.

I went to the engine rooms and then finished walking across the bridge until I came to the lame London Bridge. It’s just a boring bridge.

From there I walked past St. Paul’s but I didn’t go in because I wanted to get a guided tour of Westminster Abbey, and the last of the day was at 2:30. So I hustled over there.

The Abbey is incredible. It’s just filled with tombs of legendary people. Kings, Queens, Newton, Dickens, Darwin, Chauncer, nearly every space has some tomb or another. Unfortunately I couldn’t take pictures in there. Edward the Confessors tomb in the middle was very interesting, as well as the Coronation Chair. But maybe what I liked the most was going into the old Roman rooms that predated the church. I thought about sticking around for a choir performance, but I wanted to get to dinner with the group (free food) at Brown’s.

As I was leaving the area, I walked past Parliament again and I asked about tours and getting inside. Well they said I could for free attend a House of Commons session. Which was going on right now. So I jumped at it.

After going through airport security, I entered Westminster Hall, dating from the 11^th century I believe. It’s one of the most historical places in the city and the only remaining part of the old Parliament building. After about 15 minutes, I was in watching the House of Commons upstairs behind glass. There were maybe 10 members of Parliament, and one guy talked the entire time about who knows what. At one point he made a jab at the other party and people laughed. There was a guy in the center wearing one of those old white wigs. I stayed for about 20 minutes but I decided I had enough, and Westminster Hall was much more interesting anyways.

I hung around there for a little before heading back to my room. I looked up the directions and headed over to Brown’s. Unfortunately, I got off a stop late and got on the wrong line (these tubes are basically idiot-proof) and then when I actually got to my stop, I couldn’t find the place. By the time I did, everyone was gone.

Frustrated and thirsty (it was about 50 degrees today) I stopped in Starbucks and got a Strawberry and Crème frappacino because they don’t have Green Tea. It was priced about the same as in the states. I liked it, but I think I’ll try another one next time just for fun.

I walked around Leicester Square for a little (where they have all their theaters) and then came back and did some research on going to Athens. I think I’m going to do it. I have everything all mapped out, I just don’t know what else I’d do there besides the acropolis. We’ll see.

I made another pizza in the microwave because I can’t get the oven to work, drank two yogurts, and some milk from the container. That’ll probably be my goal for tomorrow.

Day 1

At the airport, it took me about 10 minutes to get to my gate. I would have been there quicker if the guy in front of me wasn’t an airport rookie.

After the plane finally took off about two hours late, I spent most of my time watching movies. First I saw Vicky Christina Barcelona, a Woody Allen movie that wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t exactly funny, but it was alright. It made me want to go to Spain and Barcelona a lot and made me get excited to go traveling on the weekends.

I had a pretty good pasta with some sort of cream sauce and then I watched an episode of “Flight of the Concords” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” both good. I spent some time writing and just like last time when I thought I was pretty close to getting to sleep they turned the lights on for breakfast.

I had to wait in a pretty huge line for customs, but it wasn’t much of a hassle. My bags came up right away as well an I headed to the Undergroud. I bought a ticket and the guy let me through the handicapped gate because I was carrying so much stuff. I didn’t swipe my card. Arriving at Baker Street, the same thing happened.

The area around my place is pretty nice, lot of old brick houses, cafes, and shops.

It seems like there is more going on there than I thought. My room is 10C, it’s pretty tiny, maybe half the size of Paul’s room, but it had a bathroom, which is just a shower with a curtain, a toilet, and a sink all within about a four-foot space, but it’s way better than going down the hall.

I don’t think my window closes all the way, which makes it pretty cold in here, so I might have to get that taken care of. I was also curious if I should have just brought a power strip and one adapter for it. I guess we could still do that maybe.

I left early for my meeting and got to see the area a bit. I walked up to Regent’s Park and there were many people out running and familes out for walks. It felt very New Yorky. The meeting was more or less a waste of time, but we got to go on an awesome walking tour of Westminster, looking at Big Ben, Parliament, Westmister Abbey, Trafalgar Square, and a couple spots where people were beheaded.

I answered two of the guides questions right, being who was the last person to lie in state in Westminster Abbey (the Queen Mother) and who is the prime minister (Gordon Brown.) It was sort of surreal seeing Big Ben in person, the building is even more ornate than it seems in “Peter Pan.”

Then I walked down the Thames River (and saw Cleopatra’s Needle dad) because the weather was so nice. I took the tube back to Baker Street (it is so easy to use, letting people know what is going on is a great idea) and then walked around looking for a place to eat. I found a Barclay’s and Starbucks around the corner on Baker Street, right by the Beatles London Store (I think their Apple store was right around there, I have to figure out where). Walking around the city is incredibly difficult, at least as far as crossing traffic goes. Many streets are one ways but split in the middle where you can’t just walk right across. Nearly every crosswalk is labeled ‘look left’ or ‘look right.’

I went down the Oxford Street and found two more H&Ms, although I didn’t go in any. It was pretty busy on Oxford, especially for a Sunday night. I figured it had to have more people on it than Michigan Avenue. I went down by Oxford Circus and decided to head back.

I went to Pizza Express because the only other place open was Pizza Hut. Pizza Express is a sit-down place, but a quick one. I got raspberry tea with my margehrita pizza and got ice cream topped with brownie and hot fudge for desert. I was falling asleep during the meal, so I asked for the check (they just don’t give it to you there) and it actually worked, so that was good.


I’m fallins asleep righting about it rea

^that was the last thing I wrote before I actually fell asleep, thought it was kind of funny.

I just got the internet to work and my class schedule up, so two big things taken care of. I just have a really short Ethernet cord, so I could use a longer one/the router. Now I need to still find pillows. I’m going to try Harrod’s, the big department store.

Granderson's Journey From UIC to MLB

On March 3, snow covers the ground as yet another winter storm passes through Chicago. But 1,172 miles south in Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla., it’s 82 degrees and sunny, as the Detroit Tigers get ready to play the Tampa Bay Rays in a spring training game. For Curtis Granderson, those 1,172 miles represent more than just the difference between the snow and sun. For him, it’s the distance between the Major Leagues and home.

Standing outside the Tiger’s clubhouse in Lakeland, fans call Granderson’s name for autographs after batting practice before he changes into his game jersey. Granderson, 6’1,’’ 185 pounds is in blue and grey Under Amour shirt with a Tigers insignia on the chest, wearing his white game pants with socks pulled up to his knees. He’s charismatic and a line of reporters forms to talk to him.

Granderson, 26, was the first player from University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to play Major League Baseball, and the only current player in the Majors that graduated from college in Chicago. Granderson was born in Blue Island, Ill. and grew up in Lynwood, Ill., where he played little league baseball. He attended Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing, Ill. He made varsity as a sophomore and hit .427 as a senior in 1999, being named All-Area by the “Illinois Times” and “Daily Southtown.”

Ken Reynolds was Granderson’s high school assistant baseball coach and current head coach of Thornton Fractional South. He said Granderson was a pleasure to be around.

“He was a popular student in high school, one of those students who were friendly with all social groups,” Reynolds said. “He was well liked by his teachers throughout his high school career. One thing that always stood out was his willingness to be coached. Not only would he listen to the advice, but he would ask questions to gain a more detailed understanding of the point being made. That appears to have not changed as he moved on to college and pro ball.”

Granderson chose to attend UIC, where he said his goal was to play Division I basketball, but hoped to baseball as well.

“I was this close to playing (basketball),” Granderson, motioning with his index finger and thumb. “A broken thumb in my fall practice sophomore year got me away from that. With baseball, I looked at it and said, ‘I am pretty good at this; let’s see where we can go.’ I ended up having a blowout junior year and I got drafted and the rest is history.”

Granderson was a success from the start at UIC, leading the team in home runs (7) and runs (51) his freshman year. As a junior, he exploded for a .483 average, a UIC record, and second highest in the nation, led UIC in nearly every offensive category, and named 2002 Horizon League Player of the Year.

He said the most important thing he learned at UIC was how to approach the game.

“For me, to allow myself to just go, and I’m still in the process of that,” he said. “My head coach, Mike Dee, always told me to trust myself. He goes, ‘there’s a lot of players who go out there and always have to say go, faster go slower, do this and that. You’re instinct is pretty good right now, just don’t second guess yourself.’ That’s the big struggle I still have.”

After his junior year, Granderson was selected 80th overall by the Tigers in the third round. Chicago is not known as a baseball haven, as the northern weather prevents players from playing year round, but Granderson said he was never concerned about coming from a Midwest state for his baseball future.

“Once I got going it was one of those things where it was ‘just keep playing,’” Granderson said. “I was in this world where everybody was so called even and now it was, ‘how can I separate myself?’ I looked and my weaknesses and tried to figure out how I could turn those into positives and keep asking questions, keep trying to get better.”

His teammates had high praise for Granderson. Bryan Russo was a freshman infielder in Granderson’s final year at UIC. Russo, who graduated in 2006 and attending paramedic school, said Granderson was the “hardest working guy on the team” and a leader on and off the field.

“Not only was he a great ball player and knew a lot about the game, he is one of the nicest, non-selfish people I have ever met,” Russo said. “I could talk to Curtis about anything.”

Nelson Gord and Granderson both started at UIC together as freshman. Gord, from Buffalo Groves, Ill., was a utility player and played Independent League ball after college and now coaches baseball in Schaumburg. He says Granderson was a “great” teammate.

“Great example of him putting the team above himself happened in a midweek non-conference game our sophomore year,” Gord said. “He had a ‘slash’ on (fake bunt/hit-and-run) and he was supposed to hit the ball on the ground. He pulled the bunt back and swung and hit a two-run home run over the fence in left-center. He came back to the dugout upset because he didn't ‘do his job.’ Selfless.”
Even though Granderson was drafted as a junior, he went back to school while playing in the Minor Leagues and graduated with degrees in business management and business management. He said he became interested in business after taking an intro class as a high school senior.

“When I got drafted, I told the Tigers I wanted to finish school, because at the time I didn’t know how long I was going to get a chance to play this game,” Granderson said. “Did I want to be a pro? Yes. Was I going to happen? I didn’t know. Both my mom and dad teach, my sister teaches as well, and school was never a difficult thing for me, so I enjoyed going to class.”

Granderson started his professional baseball career in 2002 with low A-ball Oneonta, where he hit .344 in 52 games. He progressed quickly through the system. After being named to the AA All-Star team in 2004, he was a late-season call-up by the Tigers, making his Major League debut September 13. He was in the Majors for good at the end of 2005. In 2006, he became the Tigers’ starting leadoff hitter and centerfielder and they went to the World Series.

In 2007, Granderson established himself as a star and one of the game’s most popular players. Despite not being listed on the All-Star ballot, he had the most write-in votes of any player, with 376,033. He became the third player in history to have 20 home runs, doubles, triples, and stolen bases in a season, and the first in 50 years, and his 23 triples were tops in the Majors. This off-season, he signed a 6-year, $30.25 million extension with the Tigers.

“He has always been a great player,” Gord said. “But now he had put himself in a category that virtually no one reaches.”

Despite Granderson’s successes, Gord says he never thought about Granderson playing in the Majors until he was drafted.

“Once he went out and hit 20-plus home runs in AA, I knew it was just a matter of time,” Gord said. “I'm sure he would be the first to tell you that when we came in as freshman no one thought he would be doing the things he is now.”

Off the field, Granderson has become an ambassador for the game. This winter, he traveled to England and Africa to promote baseball. He worked for TBS as an analyst during the playoffs, blogs regularly for espn.com, and frequently updates his MySpace. He founded the Grand Kids Foundation in 2006, where he puts on events like charity dinners and basketball games to benefit educational programs and inner-city baseball programs.

“I love being any type of positive role model, from the baseball spot to the education spot, having graduated from UIC and playing baseball,” Granderson said. “Any way to get to that spot and say, ‘I’m from the city of Chicago, I graduated college, I also get the chance to play this sport, so there are a couple different avenues that being in the same shoes that I am, as an inner city kid or a suburban kid, you could have the same opportunities I’ve had.”

Gord feels Granderson has helped to raise UIC profile.

“Even after Curtis made headlines with his .480 average and we made it to our first NCAA regional, we were still flying under the radar,” Gord said. “It wasn't really until Curtis put up his 20/20/20/20 line last year when people started opening up their eyes to the kind of program UIC has. Curtis has definitely helped this process and has been a draw and topic of conversation when it comes to Chicago area players, UIC, and doing things the right way.”

At his high school, Granderson has worked the instructional clinic every year since he was drafted, and lifts weights and conditions with the high school players in the offseason. He also donated money and equiptment to the school’s baseball program. Reynolds says Granderson has “absolutely” influenced kids in the area to play baseball.

“He is so natural around young children, both as a teacher of the game and an advisor of what is really important - grades, family, having fun, etc.,” Reynolds said. “He is also very eager to try and help stimulate a rebirth of interest in the sport within the African American population. At our clinic in February, he spent quality time with a large group of mostly 8 to 12 year-olds, many of whom are just now beginning to really realize how good he is.”

Even with his Chicago roots, Granderson is making his presence felt around the world in a sport not usually associated with the area.

“Despite his recent rise to fame and a larger checkbook balance, he remains very grounded in what's important in the world,” Reynolds said. “I do not expect that to change because of how well he was raised by his parents. I've said many times to many different people, Curtis is a great player, but he is even a better person.”

Curtis Granderson Ground Rule Double 3/3

First Day of Spring Training

'Guitar Hero' Slash Returns from Small Screen to Stage

In the music world, Slash is known mostly for his time with Guns ‘N Roses and Velvet Revolver. But since October, no auditions are needed to play with Slash. In fact, he’ll come right to your living room.

Slash is featured on the cover of Guitar Hero 3, and is a playable character in the video game. The player uses a guitar shaped controller and pushes buttons to play the notes that appear onscreen, mimicking a real song that plays. On Jan. 21, according to Activision, the Guitar Hero franchise surpassed $1 billion in total sales and Guitar Hero 3 became the biggest selling video game for a single year.

“There’s like a demographic I’ve never met (laughs) that all the sudden recognizes me as the guy from Guitar Hero, but then as a result exposes them to Velvet Revolver and Guns ‘N Roses and whatnot,” Slash said in a phone interview. “You can’t knock that. If you really want to resurrect rock and roll, the first place you got to start is with kids.”

Detroit Free Press Digital Life writer Heather Newman says that Slash’s presence might lead to the introduction of his music to younger players. “While playing is nowhere near as difficult as playing the real thing, it does hint at the complexity of some of the guitar riffs in famous guitar-heavy tracks and solos – which might lead some new audiences to better appreciate the work of some of the ‘older’ masters,” Newman said.

Putting Slash on the cover might also help to bring more credibility to the game, according to Robin Kaminsky, executive vice president of Activision Publishing. “Guitar legend Slash, combined with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock's robust soundtrack and innovative new game features, will continue to solidify the brand's leadership in the rhythm-action genre," Kaminsky said in a statement.

Newman said that the cover is important for video games. “You always need an iconic guitarist for the cover of Guitar Hero, and despite his goofy hat, Slash is certainly one of the best-respected and best-known modern guitarists out there,” Newman said. “I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a guitarist in a more recent band that had as big a name.”

But Slash, the man behind riffs like “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child of Mine,” says the actual guitar skills don’t necessarily transfer to the game.

“I got good enough at it at one point when I was exposed to Guitar Hero 2, and I beat it, but only on medium,” Slash said. “I didn’t have the time or the patience to get into hard and expert and all that. I put it away because I was so addicted to it that I completely shirked any other responsibilities I had for like two weeks. When Guitar Hero 3 came out, they sent me one, and I thought, ‘This will be easy. I’ve been playing real guitar for the six to eight month interim.’ I was completely rusty playing Guitar Hero so I had to start completely over again.”

Does that mean that Slash, who Esquire named “Best Guitarist” in 2005, can’t even beat the video game with his face on the cover?

“I haven’t even gotten past the first concert,” Slash said laughing. “I’m scared to because once I start I know I won’t be able to stop. I’ve got a lot of things going on right now so I can’t really afford to be sitting there kicking on the jams on Guitar Hero.”

His already busy life is about to get busier, as Velvet Revolver kicks off a tour on Jan. 24 at the Riviera Theater. Slash, 42, says that despite all his years in music, he still gets excited to go out on the road. He said, “I love touring, I’m a sicko that way.”



Guitar Hero 3 Commercial with Slash


Video of Guitar Hero 3 Battle with Slash

From the Front Row to the Last Row, Wilco Shows Are a Hit

With the wind chill down to 2 degrees there aren’t many people outside on Monday at 4 p.m. in Uptown, except for the clustering of about 20 people standing outside the Riviera Theater, waiting in line for the third night of the Wilco Chicago hometown residency. With two hours to go before the doors open, blanket and hot beverages are aplenty as the fans try to move around to keep warm.

Sitting in folding chairs at the front of the line are Chris Cross and Leo Cahalan, who drove up from Michigan to go to the shows. Wrapped in blankets head to toe, exposing only a bit of their faces. They have been in line since noon, taking turns switching off from the bitter conditions with friends.

They purchased tickets to all five shows through the presale and have been waiting outside of each show early. Friday they got in line at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. and waited until the doors opened at 7 p.m. “We weren’t first (in line), but we were pretty close to the front, within the first 10 people,” Cross said from behind a thick teal blanket.

Getting in line early is something that Cross and Cahalan say they do at a lot of concerts, and not just for the chance to be close to some of their favorite musicians.

“Half of the fun is just spending time with these people and just the adventure of it,” Cahalan said, peeking out from under his hood, looking more like an artic explorer than a concertgoer. “A lot of us have met at these shows. You get to meet a lot of like-minded people. We might seem crazy to do this, but it’s a lot of fun.”

“It’s so worth it,” Cross added.

But not everyone finds bracing the cold for hours fun. Sitting in the last row of the balcony on Saturday are Jerry and Kim Voris who came from the suburbs. They have been to seven or eight other Wilco shows. After missing out on tickets though the wilcoworld.net presale (“those were gone in like 30 seconds,” Kim said), they purchased tickets for all five nights off Ticketmaster’s website the day they went on sale.

Sweat drips down Jeff’s face as he sits down for the intermission. “It’s hot up here, but it was even hotter last night down lower,” he said. “Last night we got here at 7 and we got to pick where we wanted to sit in the balcony, so we were right up front. Tonight we got here a little later, around 7:20 or 7:30, and the only seats we could get were in the last row.”

Although the view from the top isn’t as intimate as from the front of the stage, the seats in the balcony gave them the option of sitting down or getting up and dancing when they wanted. And they weren’t complaining.

“Where else can you pay $35 and hear this kind of great music for a night?” Kim said.

Hell is Chrome Clip

Handshake Drugs Clip

Muzzle of Bees Clip

Roses are Red and Sometimes Blue

Roses are Red and Sometimes Blue
Milan David Richardson
Scott Bolohan
February 5, 2008

On a cold Saturday morning Rose Hannigan walks into a neighborhood coffee shop to warm herself before embarking on a search for cans, coins, and Valentine camaraderie.

Homeless, Hannigan is known in the Lakeview area for her personable nature, ruby red jogging pants, and chatting up customers from a corner chair at Argo Tea. “I saved my coins for three days last year to get these pants,” she told one man while fumbling through her red mesh pockets for a Tootsie Roll, the start to a plethora of discarded chocolates she hopes to find post-Valentine’s Day.

“I love Valentine’s Day and here they have it in a cup,” Hannigan said. “ValenTea,” a hibiscus flower and pomegranate February promotional beverage by Argo Tea (see video at the bottom of the page), has fast become a favorite amongst regulars and people like Hannigan who struggles to stay warm.

Argo Tea manager Alex Langenfeld admits to breaking the rules every now and then by offering hot tea to local homeless right before closing for the night. “It's just hot water but it makes the difference in them feeling warm for that evening,” Langenfeld said. It's a sentiment people like Hannigan seem to appreciate during the “love month” that for some brings negative thoughts.

While most girls her age are preparing gowns for senior prom, 19-year-old Hannigan prudently organizes a Red Eye newspaper into her jacket to keep herself warm for another day. “Its not easy, but I get by,” Hannigan said. “People help me out if they can around the holidays. I think it makes them feel better about me having to sleep out in the cold over Valentine’s Day,” a feeling some Chicago residents understand very well.

Hannigan is one of 26,000 homeless youths living in Illinois according to the Lakeview Action Coalition. Not-for-profit, non-denominational groups such as The Night Ministry on Chicago's North Side, are working extra hard to tend to the needs of those without shelter. “Since 1976, The Night Ministry has served Chicago’s most vulnerable youth and adults," Night Ministry Coordinator for Public and Media Relations Kari McLean said. "We accept people where they are regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual/gender orientation, or social status.”

The group distributes warm meals and clothes to the less fortunate, providing Hannigan and many others the necessities to make it through another day. "During winter, we see a lot of people with frostbite," Mark Bradley, Night Ministry Director of Outreach & Health Ministry said. "We give out a lot of coats and gloves. People are driven into the shelters or they'll die from exposure."

Bradley said that about 200 people a day visit the shelter in the winter, but their youth housing programs turn away two or three youths every day because of only 32 beds available.

At The Night Ministry, they don’t forget about Valentine’s Day either. McLean said they were planning a youth Valentine’s dance a few days before Valentines Day and the Youth Outreach Team will have some Valentine's goodies at their street outreach program Valentine's night.

Hannigan may not be struck by Cupid’s arrow this year, but with places like Argo Tea and The Night Ministry out there, she can still be shown some love this Valentine’s Day.