See the film that started it all…back in movie theatres! Academy Award® nominee Sylvester Stallone stars as war hero John Rambo. An ex-Green Beret haunted by memories of Vietnam, he was once the perfect killing machine. Now he's searching for peace, but finds instead an over-zealous, small-town sheriff who's spoiling for a fight. All hell breaks loose when an unjustly imprisoned Rambo escapes and becomes the target of a massive manhunt. Now he must use all his cunning, combat skills and weapons training to stay alive and outwit his pursuers.
Following the film, see the alternate ending (where Rambo dies!) for the first time ever in theatres. Plus - this event will include an exclusive, never-before-seen interview with Sylvester Stallone on First Blood, the new film and the iconic Rambo series.
Only one night - Thu., May 15 @ 7:30pm (local). Click for tickets and event information
The Green Festival is a party with a purpose and hits Chicago's Navy Pier May 17th and 18th. There, you can sample products from green businesses, take part in how-to workshops and yoga classes, and enjoy live music and organic food, beer and wine. Plan to bring the kids and turn them loose in the Green Kids Zone. For more details about the Green Festival, including when it comes to your town, go to http://www.greenfestivals.org/
This morning the boys and I headed to Kennicott Park to experience the magical "Children's Cheering Carpet" performed by Italy’s acclaimed children’s visual theater group Teatro di Piazza D’Occasione as part of the week long Children's Humanties Festival here in Chicago. It was an incredible experience for me and the boys...we've never seen anything like it before.
When we arrived, we were instructed to remove our shoes and walk quietly into a dark room where kids and their parents sat around, what appeared to be, a big white carpet. As the performance began, a company member sitting in a light at the corner of the stage starts to tell a story about the Japanese Garden, where a boy goes on a journey to the sea and when he returns, he cannot tell his story using words so he builds it with sticks, leaves, flowers and stones. First a narrator tells us this story, then, a dancer enters the space and starts to animate areas of the surface of the carpet with brightly-coloured, active scenes from the story and bonsai trees, stones, dancing waters, and lost footprints come alive in digital images and sounds that respond to the pressure of her feet and body. Then children in the audience are invited to explore and animate the gardens themselves, experiencing the reconstructed natural environment through their own senses. We loved it and it was incredibly moving experience.
You can view a performance at: http://www.teatrofabbrichino.it/video/ccc3/ccc3.htm
The Children's Cheering Carpet will be peformed again Sunday and Wednesday and the Festival runs through May10th. The programs of the Children's Humanities Festival aren't just "kid stuff". They have been designed to be as engaging for adults as they are for young people. Children 17 and under are admitted free and adult tickets are $5. However, when you order your tickets online you can use promo code "CCM" for a $5 discount.
Find out more about the Children's Humanities Festival including schedules and ticket information at: http://www.chfestival.org
On Friday, May 2 Chicago's Loop will be illuminated and transformed into a sensory playground celebrating arts, culture, architecture and insomniacs alike in the nation's first dusk until dawn artistic celebration.
Looptopia is an all-night extravaganza painting the Loop as an urban wonderland, with 300 artists, 100 venues, 14 hours, and more than 100,000 people. Highlights include: green sculptures made from trash by the American Institute of Architecture; performances by Le Vorris and Vox Circus, Midnight Circus and Cirque du Soleil; dance performances and classes; live blues, jazz and Latin music; and Olympic and Paralympic sports demos. There are of course Family Friendly Events , Food Specials, and even a Giant Game of Hide and Go Seek at Sunrise in Millenium Park
Find out more at: http://www.looptopia.com
My Mom forwarded me an email about how most consumers will spend their rebate checks on goods made in and profiting the foreign economies. I believe it said the only ways to keep it in the US Economy was to spend it on gambling, cigarettes, or prostitution. But, there are in fact many ways we can consciously spend this money and assist in stimulating our Own Economy. Who else is going to do it? Not one man or one woman....All of Us will have to do our part in order for the stimulus package to accomplish the goal of actually Stimulating the US Economy. I wouldn't have minded a brief note from the Government on how they thought the money would best be utilized....I'm left on my own to figure it out.
Here's what I've got so far, feel free to comment with more ideas:
- Pay off bills/debts with government/municipalites: this would be parking tickets, electric bills, property taxes, estimated tax payments, etc. Money that helps the cities, states and country that we live in Function.
- Take a vacation on the Amtrak trains: my favorite memories of my childhood are of me and my Mom taking the train from Chicago to Seattle, L. A., Las Vegas (Mom refused to fly) and having the times of My Life! I made pen pals (remember those?) and saw the landscapes of our Beautiful Country. Aside from putting some money into our very own local transportation systems it eliminates the need to buy your own gasoline (at these astronomical prices) or fret over the Krazy Airlines. (sidenote: May 10th is National Train Day, google it or go to Amtrak.com
- Donate (some of) it to a Museum. Preferably one that houses the history of your own ancestry or of your passion (art, music, science, history) They are often very under funded and if You don't do it, who will??
- Go to a farmer's market...or if you can, go to a Real Farm Market (those little storefronts on the edge of Lush Acerage!): Buy their produce, milk, juice, eggs, plants, seedlings, whatever they've got! They need our help and We Need Our Farmers.
- Get a MakeOver: Beauty and Nails Salons, staples of the US Small Businesses buy and spend operational dollars locally. And we could all use a fresh face after such a torturously long winter, dontcha think?
While you mull that over...grab a couple o' hookers, a carton of Marlboro's and hop the next plane to Vegas Baby!!! Yeah!
FreeRice is a charity website where users play a vocabulary game in order to raise money to fight world hunger. The website was created by John Breen, who also created the hungersite.com, therainforestsite.com and Poverty.com. Visitors to the website are presented with a word and four definitions. If a user selects the correct definition, FreeRice.com donates 20 grains of rice through the United Nations.
Play and Donate Rice for Free at: http://www.freerice.com/
Chicagoans can catch Tracy Morgan, whacked-out 30 Rock star and SNL vet, 7:30 this Saturday April 26th at the Vic Theatre 3145 N Sheffield Ave (at Belmont Ave)
Tickets are $33.50 and can be purchased at http://www.victheatre.com/ or by calling 773-472-0449
And now, Here's an interview with Tracy on WGN from last year
Today the boys and I headed down to the UIC campus to the fifteenth annual ReptileFest - the largest educational reptile and amphibian show in the country, sponsered by the Chicago Herpetological Society. We were able to touch alligators, hold snakes and turtles and feel the feather-light touch of a corn snake's tongue...creepy.
It was an incredible exhibit and Shan and I even got interviewed by the tv camera's.
Whoo hoo! We had a Blast (and I said that on TV!)
As usual here are pics from mere minutes ago....
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Recent Comments
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Ms Genevieve said:
There is a Lot to do here...we can ever do it all. I'm grateful that Chicago is so culturally diverse... read more
on Children's Cheering Carpet: The Japanese Garden -
allison said:
chicago always has stuff going on! you're an awesome mum to expose your boys to all these cultural things! read more
on Children's Cheering Carpet: The Japanese Garden -
pat said:
Sounds interesting...oh I like your new header banner...sweet! read more
on 5.2.08 - Looptopia '08 Chicago's All Night Cultural Celebration -
Seriously, Gen, you should get some $$ from the city for being one of its biggest promoters! I love our... read more
on Chicago Green Festival 5.17 - 5.18