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On May 21, 2008, at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. The Ride of Silence is a FREE ride held during Bike Safety Month where cyclists are asked to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. The Ride aims to raise the awareness of the legal rights cyclists have on the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who are victims of roadway crashes.
There is no brochure, no sponsors, no registration fee and no T-shirt.
In Chicago, the Ride kicks off on the corner of Dearborn and Washington. Participants are asked to wear a black armband and remain silent for the 10-mile bicycle procession. For more information, contact Elizabeth Adamczyk at rideofsilence.chicago@gmail.com. Day of event registration is allowed.
Check the resources on The Ride of Silence website to find a Ride Of Silence in your area or to get information on how to organize and host a Ride of Silence .
Since starting his new job in February, Chicago's top cop Jody Weis has made a habit of announcing big changes meant to rebuild the image of a department plagued by scandals. Weis has floated the idea of physical fitness tests for Chicago cops. It's not all that surprising given that Weis comes from the FBI , where physical fitness is part of the culture.
FBI agents are allowed to take one hour per day three times a week to work out on the clock. That time is intended to help them pass a fitness test they have to take twice a year. Here's where the contrast with Chicago's cops comes in.
They also have a fitness test but the standards are essentially meaningless. Officers don't have to pass, in fact, they don't even have to take the test if they don't want to but officers receive financial incentives for passing.
Last year, out of Chicago's 13,500 police officers, only 2,400 passed the department's voluntary fitness test. The remaining 80 percent of officers either failed or didn't even try.
If superintendent Jody Weis wants to make physical fitness tests mandatory for the entire force, he'll have to get the okay from the police union. The yearly tests would be mandatory for new or promoted officers starting in 2009 and voluntary for everyone else. Chicago police officers could be teamed up with their very own personal trainers and given tailored diets if they fail the mandatory fitness tests.
Officers would have up to 90 days to buff up before retaking the test. If they fail a second time, they would be referred to the department's medical services section for "further evaluation regarding the officer's fitness for duty."
FBI Special Agent Michael Glasheen is the fitness coordinator for the Chicago FBI office. He administers the FBI test and tells us more about it in this interview with Chicago Public Radio's Criminal Justice Reporter Rob Wildeboer
Jamie Kennedy, the film and TV actor best known as the writer, producer and star of the WB's "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment," performs at the Improv in Schaumburg tonight through Sunday May 18th. Tickets are $22 but you can get them for $11 at Goldstarevents for the show on the 18th.
Gyoza (Panfried Pork Dumplings) and Takumi Roll – crab, salmon, avocado, crumb, cream cheese
Take Out from Takumi @ The Presidential Tower 555 W. Madison Chicago 312.258.1010
And for a little added value here's a book to read
Spotted on Thrillist
SomethingStores's premise is simple: pay them $10, and they'll send you...something. Sounds preposterous, but apparently the mystic geniuses running the site use shady connections to access discounted, unique, and useful goodies from liquidators, wholesalers, artisans, and manufacturers, allowing them to unload it for a low-low price that includes shipping anywhere in the US. Encouraging examples of previous deliveries're listed on the Something Tracker: Madden '08 for XBox, a Perry Ellis Shirt, a dart board, and $25 gift cards from Target and ExxonMobil.
As the wares are completely random, not everything (jewelry box, pashmina scarf) is ideal dude stuff -- but hey, Surprise yourself at SomethingStore.com
Spotted on Trendcentral
With visual search being predicted as where the search category will be heading in the future, the SearchMe site is one to watch. The functionality gives users actual web pages to digitally page through (as if browsing an online magazine), instead of just a list of links, and will likely be employed by more websites going forward. The Searchme site is still in beta Try it out at: http://beta.searchme.com
View a demo below
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
