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Perusing Chicago Public Library data: Rogers Park ranks high among bookworms, Great Gatsby flies off shelf and eBook checkouts on the rise

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:10:00 -0500

Chicago's open data program has some detractors, but most can agree that we like books. Or at the very least Rogers Park does, according to city data.

The Chicago Public Library system, one of the largest in the country and in place since 1873, has kept a meticulous set of records.

Libraries could well be considered some of the earliest adopters of open data as they ditched card catalogues and rubber stamps for computerized records. Librarians are professional catalogers, and so to bridge the print and digital worlds, we wanted to take a look at some of the data CPL has to offer.

What we found:

The Great Gatsby saw a resurgence as interest was likely piqued by a movie release
Rogers Park ranks among the highest in checkouts for neighborhood branches
eBook checkouts are on the rise

What's in CPL's data trove?

Among the data sets on the city's portal site:

The Great Checkout

According to the popular fiction titles, "The Great Gatsby," first published in 1925, now ranks among the top reads in Chicago. After tabulating the data from CPL's website, we've found that Chicagoans are moving the copies between libraries, interest has started to wane in some branches and a decent amount of copies were placed on hold.

Why the uptick?

“We often do, a lot of people when you know you want to go see a movie and when you read the book you want to read the book first,” said Ruth Lednicer, spokesperson for CPL.

Chart: Checkouts, holds and available copies of "The Great Gatsby" in the Chicago Public Library system as of 6/11/2013

eBooks are on the rise

While CPL has grown its eBook capabilities, starting first with Sony and Barnes & Noble Nook readers, the greatest increase came after Amazon launched its library lending program, which at the time opened up over 3,536 titles to Chicagoans using Kindles.

How many checkouts are we talking about?

Well, in January of 2011, there were 13,841 eBook checkouts. In April of 2013, there were 35,651. That's a 158 percent increase.

Which neighborhood has the most bookworms?

Chicagoans, ever competitive with their rival neighborhoods, may be interested to know how their library stacks up among others, or how often they're being utilized. Interestingly enough, Chicagoans read more during the winter months.

Also, the Rogers Park branch ranks among the highest in checkouts for 2012. This may be in part due to a heavy immigrant community, which adopts English by reading books and a neighboring school, according to CPL's Lednicer.

The Lincoln Belmont branch also ranks as one of the highest in checkins, just behind the Sulzer Regional Branch and the Harold Washington Library Center.

Sometimes the stats can be skewed, such as the Edgewater branch, which is currently operating out of a bookmobile while their new branch on Broadway is being contructed.

Circulation figures include new checkouts as well as renewals. In January all branch locations were closed on Monday, January 9, Monday, January 23 and Monday, January 30. Beginning in February, all branch locations restored partial Monday hours, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. On June 18, all branch locations restored full Monday hours. Edgewater closed 6/16/11 for construction of a new branch scheduled to open in mid-2013. The library’s bookmobile opened 6/24/11 for Edgewater holds pickup and returns. Douglass closed for 10 days in February for roof repairs. Humboldt Park closed 3/26/12 for facility improvements and expansion. Lincoln Park closed for four days in August for replacement of the air conditioning system. Many locations experienced sporadic closures in summer 2012 due to air conditioning issues and area power outages. Albany Park closed 9/22/12 for construction of a new branch and will remain closed until 2014. Brighton Park, Jefferson Park and Portage Cragin were closed 11/26/12-12/7/12 for replacement of their HVAC systems.

2012 circulation by branch

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Circulation figures include new checkouts as well as renewals. The Chicago Public Library opened four new locations in 2011: Greater Grand Crossing (4/23/11); Dunning (5/6/11); Daley, Richard M.-W Humboldt (7/8/11) and Little Village (10/3/11). Edgewater closed 6/16/11 for construction of a new branch; a bookmobile for holds pickup and returns opened 6/24/11. Altgeld closed for extended periods in July and August for air conditioning installation. Back of the Yards closed permanently 8/22/11 due to repeated flooding. All locations were closed February 2-February 3 due to weather. In addition, many locations experienced sporadic closures in summer 2011 due to weather-related issues.

2011 circulation by branch

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What's trending in CPL?

While the New York Times Bestseller List may be a good indicator of what the nation is reading, in Chicago, the closest thing we may have is the most popular titles data set.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a data-cke-saved-href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;https://data.cityofchicago.org/Education/Popular-Nonfiction-Titles-at-the-Chicago-Public-Li/6mc3-ah7p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;https://data.cityofchicago.org/Education/Popular-Nonfiction-Titles-at-the-Chicago-Public-Li/6mc3-ah7p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; title=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Popular Nonfiction Titles at the Chicago Public Library&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; target=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Popular Nonfiction Titles at the Chicago Public Library&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a data-cke-saved-href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;https://data.cityofchicago.org/Education/Libraries-Popular-Fiction-Titles-at-the-Chicago-Pu/nv46-bxa3&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;https://data.cityofchicago.org/Education/Libraries-Popular-Fiction-Titles-at-the-Chicago-Pu/nv46-bxa3&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; title=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;Libraries - Popular Fiction Titles at the Chicago Public Library&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; target=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;_blank&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Libraries - Popular Fiction Titles at the Chicago Public Library&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

In a sea of Twitter and Facebook updates, the data does indicate the Chicago's libraries are not just well used, they're booming from computer use, eBook checkouts and more.

The data would seem to suggest: Chicagoans give a hoot.

— Elliott Ramos is a data reporter and Web producer for WBEZ (and a card-carrying member of Chicago's Public Library system). Email him at eramos@wbez.org or follow at @ChicagoEl.

Social media brings new angles to Boston bombing story

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:41:00 -0500

Since the bombs went off on Monday at the Boston Marathon, people around the world have been anxiously awaiting news in the case. Wednesday saw a bizarre cycle of reports and retractions about the identity and possible apprehension of suspects that left many frustrated with mainstream cable news networks. Meanwhile, many members of the massive message board Reddit used online tools to conduct their own manhunt.

After authorities released photos of two suspects Thursday afternoon, things progressed rapidly leading to a car-jacking and a shoot-out and the eventual death of one of the suspects. With suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev still on the loose, an eager public was left to pursue other angles, often aided by online resources. Here are some of the most compelling narratives that we’re following at WBEZ (NOTE: We are reporting on these as activities, their claims have not been verified by WBEZ).

Verifying the suspect’s social media accounts: NPR’s Andy Carvin worked vigorously to link a Twitter account to Tsarnaev and sifted through speculation based on that account’s tweets and profile image. Others sifted through a profile on VKontakte, a popular social network with Russian-speakers.

Police scanner monitoring: As the dramatic scene unfolded in the wee hours of Friday morning, there weren’t many official channels of information available. There were, however, online streams of the Boston police scanner and plenty of eager Twitter users posting what they heard on them. Some longtime journalists were chagrined over disseminating unverified information, but participants in Reddit’s ad-hoc detective force transcribed everything they heard for hours. Boston Police went on to ask social media users not to post information they heard on scanners.

The effect of smartphone cameras: For residents in Watertown who woke to gunfire, Instagram was a popular outlet. Many posted surreal photos of SWAT teams and bullet holes in their residential neighborhood. Another chilling side-effect of the manhunt is that streets in the Boston area eerily empty today. NPR is collecting photos of that rare scene as well.

Loyalty, critique or exit?

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 05:00:00 -0500

In 1970, economist and business theorist Albert O. Hirschman published a book entitled Exit, Voice, and Loyalty.

As a student of business ethics, this book helped to shape my intellectual and philosophical perspectives on a person’s real life options when confronted by organizational mistakes, mismanagement, or mischievousness. I’m not sure if Professor Hirschman would agree with my interpretation of his overall thesis, but it’s a model I’ve been effectively using in the classroom for years.

When an organization makes a mistake, starts moving in the wrong direction, or does something blatantly illegal, I think members of that organization, from top to bottom, are forced to make a choice about what they should do.

The first choice is loyalty: On one hand, loyalty suggests agreement. “Whatever the company is doing, I see no problem with it!” Loyalty can be the product of fear: “If I speak up, will I lose my job?” It can be a product of indifference: “What do I care? I just want to get paid.” Or loyalty can be the result of genuine uncertainty: “I’m unwilling to cast the first stone.”

The second choice is critique or criticism: To criticize does not necessarily mean to be negative or to deny; to be critical means to evaluate. Criticism implies taking something apart in order to understand it and make it better. To criticize is to add one’s voice to the conversation. To critique is to be engaged, concerned and responsive to the situation.

Finally, there is the option to simply exit: To leave or move on can be either a demonstration of character or cowardice. If one has argued for correction but has seen those efforts fail, then the choice to exit is a demonstration of integrity and strength. But to leave out of fear of personal reprisal or recrimination, without due concern for others who might be innocently involved. . . that is the act of a cad.

Hirschman taught me that in trying times we are all tested. The choices we face are tough ones, but choices must be made. Neutrality, as Dante pointed out, is never a viable option: “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”

Divas in the board room

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 05:00:00 -0500

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, and Marissa Mayer, COO of Yahoo, are arguably the youngest and most well-known females in corporate America today. In the male-dominated world of business, where only slightly more than 4 percent of Fortune 500 companies are led by women, Sandberg and Mayer are wunderkinds who achieved early success and rose to the top at a meteoric rate.

In both financial and feminist circles they are considered rock stars, trail blazers and gurus to be studied and emulated. And this dynamic duo has not been hesitant in word or deed to proclaim and demand a new set of rules for women in the workplace.

After 13 years at Google, where she was the twentieth employee hired and the first female engineer, Marissa Mayer left Google to become CEO of Yahoo in July 2012. Her first two challenges were obvious ones:

she needed to address the company’s declining ad revenues and stock prices
she was seven months pregnant

The pregnancy issue handled itself, and on September 30, 2013, she had a baby boy.

The company's financial issues remain ongoing, and Mayer returned to work just two weeks after having the baby to give them her full attention. (She has managed to balance the financial dilemma and the demand of diapers by having a nursery built next to her office.)

Since then, she has done everything in her power to right the ship. And her most controversial decision to date speaks directly to how she sees and wants the game to be played. Starting this spring, “working at home” has been banned.

“We need to be one Yahoo, and that starts with physically being together”, Mayer said.

Although Yahoo’s new model has generated a considerable backlash, Mayer’s message is clear: “do as I do” or move on.

Sandberg, in her recently published book Lean In: Women, Work, and The Will To Lead offers advise about how women can advance their careers, and at the same time, admonishes women for being part of the problem of why more women are not in more leadership positions. If you want to get ahead and make it big time, says Sandberg, women need to “lean in”, assert themselves more, put in more time, take on more tasks, be more ambitious.

Yes, she says, it is a male dominated world. So work harder. Believe in yourself. Don’t doubt your ability to do it all. Make more demands. Take on more. Sandberg argues that women have to stop looking for excuses and reasons for failure or mediocrity. Success costs, and if you don’t pay the price, it won’t happen.

I’ve got a daughter who is a business person, my wife is a COO of her firm and I like to think I’m a card carrying feminist. But to tell you the truth, Sandberg and Mayer scare me. Or, perhaps more accurately, they confuse me. They want women to outwork the men. They are advocating putting in the big hours, and making the big compromises, so that they too can succeed on Planet Finance. But maybe they’ve all got it all wrong. Maybe it really shouldn’t be about the big job, the big hours, the big sacrifices. Maybe it’s the system and not the players that is all screwed up. Maybe none of us, men or women, should be eager to “lean in” because the world we are being asked to “lean into” isn’t, in the long run, humanly worth it.

Maybe our two C-suite divas are on to something more important than success at work. Maybe their’s is a cautionary tale. Rather than “leaning in”, maybe all of us should start thinking about “leaning back”, and start trying to find success and accomplishments in other parts of our lives beyond our jobs.

Al Gini is a Professor of Business Ethics and Chairman of the Management Department in the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago.

Roger Ebert draws young film buffs to Chicago

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:17:00 -0500

[Note: Nico Lang and Leah Pickett wrote these reflections on Roger Ebert's influence on them as writers, movie goers and people prior to the news Thursday that the legendary Chicago film critic has passed away.]

Yesterday Roger Ebert announced that he was stepping down as the lead film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. I’ve known this day would come since he first broke the news about his battle with cancer in 2006. Since then, each of his reviews has felt like a precious resource or an old letter, something you know you need to keep close to your heart.

I knew one day I would have to write him my own letter to tell him how much his work has meant to me — and inspired a generation of young critics. I wish that day weren’t today.

The first time I read an Ebert review I was a lonely kid, living in the suburbs of Ohio. I couldn’t get the other students in my school to talk to me or look at me, and one day, when I sat next to a girl I liked on the bus, the boy in front of us informed her she should move.

“He’s the biggest loser in school,” he bluntly reminded her.

Like many young film critics, I instead found my community in the movie theater among the people huddled in the light of the widescreen, illuminated by giant images of Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

These were my people, the compulsive cinephiles, the people who saw almost everything, even when it was trash. The summer of 2001 I saw almost everything that was out, including Monkeybone, which I saw twice. The film was widely dismissed and ignored by the critical community (because it was technically terrible), but annoying cartoon animals aside, I was enraptured by the depth of its art direction, the surreal world Henry Selick created with his sets and his swiss-army-knife imagination. No one else liked it. I felt like I could see something no else could, like a Magic Eye picture made for me.

Roger Ebert rightfully hated Monkeybone, but I started reading his reviews because he was unafraid to champion the films everyone else left behind, unabashed about the joy he found in watching something as silly and brainless as Tomb Raider.

He forced me to see the beauty in trash and to give films a chance I might have otherwise overlooked. He even has a film festival, EbertFest, devoted to it. Many of his readers decry the fact that he gave four stars to Knowing (where Jesus turns out to be an alien) or Perfume, because his opinions so fly in the face of consensus. But that’s exactly why I’ve loved him for so long: He told me it was okay to like the things I liked, simply because I liked them.

I love Ebert because as a nerdy kid who needed heroes to look up to, he taught me the value of my own perspective and that people could cherish your contribution to the conversation, whether you agreed with others or not. He’s not Armond White, who goes against the grain to make a statement. Ebert's a gentleman. He forces us to evaluate our own opinions and think about what a film truly says to us, and his critiques of The Human Centipede films have been particularly relevant at a time when we're increasingly taking violence for granted. Sometimes we have to wonder: Is this the movie we really asked for? Is this what we want?

He might champion the little guy, but he’s not afraid to throw his share of shade — in the best possible way. For Ebert newbies, check out his review of North for that.

When I came to Chicago, part of me came here to be closer to Ebert. I wanted to be able to pick up the Chicago Sun-Times and read him every Friday like my own personal weather forecast.

Ebert has been my compass, my personal totem and my guide. I know that I’m not alone in feeling like his words have raised me. I find comfort in finding out that other people share in my devotion to his work. It's yet another community of people finding solace in the consolations of art.

I know that as long as his health allows him to write, every word will be incendiary and timeless, an eternal testament to the power of the page. But Ebert doesn’t just belong to print, and his work will live as long as there are people gathered in the dark, looking for light. He belongs to the ages.

— Nico Lang

'A marvel of Herculean proportions'

Roger Ebert is the reason that I decided, at the ripe old age of nine, that I wanted to be a film critic.

I was a very weird kid with crippling social anxiety; but thankfully, I discovered early on that the world of movies was my safe haven: a magical place where I could go to escape all of my problems, even if just for a little while.

So, on one particularly lonely Friday night (after watching The Godfather for the umpteenth time and imagining how sorry my bullies would be after I went back in time to marry Michael Corleone), I changed the channel and saw Roger Ebert on my TV screen, talking about a new film called The Truman Show.

As fate would have it, I was instantly captivated by this serious-looking man and his relentless verve for moving pictures. I shared his enthusiasm over every little cinematic detail; and when he began analyzing Truman’s cultural impact with partner Gene Siskel, the electricity of their back-and-forth was as visceral as anything I’d ever felt. I wanted to bottle up that energy and cherish it forever, so that even when I felt different from my family and friends, I’d never have to feel lonely again.

Of course, I didn’t know then that 12 years later I’d be on a plane to Chicago, inspired to attend the Ebert-approved Columbia College film school with a well-worn copy of I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie in my backpack. But as I watched Siskel & Ebert on that life-changing night circa 1998, I discovered that my dream job had a name (film critic!) and, after reading every Chicago Sun-Times review that I could get my hands on, learned that Roger Ebert was more than just a kindred spirit: he was my cinephile spirit guide.

In many ways, Ebert has become a marvel of Herculean proportions. He is a Pulitzer Prize winner with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, celebrated author of more than 15 books, veteran TV personality, founder of a film festival, prolific writer of some of the best film criticism that I’ve ever had the fortune to read and a survivor in every sense of the word.

Amazingly, Ebert’s 11-year battle with thyroid cancer has failed to weaken his spirit, as he remains just as insatiably passionate and exceedingly talented today as when he first began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967. And even though his cancer has returned this year, Ebert plans to “slow down” but by no means cease writing completely. According to his announcement, Ebert will continue to review films that interest him, raise funds via Kickstarter to reboot the TV show At the Movies and promote his Kartemquin Films bio-documentary due out next year: the Martin Scorsese-produced, Steve James-directed adaptation of his best-selling memoir, Life Itself.

I will miss reading Ebert’s weekly reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times, but I also take comfort in knowing that his archived works will live on for me to continually re-visit and enjoy. Every time I read his spot-on review of Bonnie and Clyde (his “Best of the Year” pick for 1967) or his top 10 list of favorite movies (2001: A Space Odyssey, Aguirre, The Wrath of God, Apocalypse Now, Citizen Kane, La Dolce Vita, The General, Raging Bull, Tokyo Story, The Tree of Life and Vertigo), I get goosebump-memories of my nine-year-old self, watching his show and reading his reviews for the very first time.

Ebert’s hiatus is undeniably sad news for those who love and support him, but his “leave of presence” also could not have been more beautifully stated. Whether he will grace his readers with a hundred more reviews or start an entirely new chapter on the other side of Life Itself, Roger Ebert’s legacy is already written on our hearts; and as long we have his words to turn to, then he will never truly leave us.

— Leah Pickett

Nico Lang writes about LGBTQ issues in Chicago. You can follow Nico on Tumblr and Twitter @Nico_Lang or find them on Facebook. Leah Pickett covers Pop Culture for WBEZ. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @leahkpickett.

Twitter, Tweet, Crash

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 05:00:00 -0500

Let me be clear, I’m not a fan or follower of Ned Ludd. I am not a Luddite.

Technology can be the engine of beneficial economic and social change. Case in point, the “age of the computer” has revolutionized the world. Computers have changed how we know, what we know, and how we communicate.

Today, iPads, iPhones, and smartphones have become our private portals to the world. Both by means of voice and text, we use them to garner information, conduct business, order merchandise, and thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, stay connected to family, friends, and, theoretically, an infinite number of acquaintances and absolute strangers.

The downside of our ability to be constantly connected is that we have, in fact, become overly connected. These miraculous machines have created a new draconian protocol of instant messaging and instant response. The habit of using our own various phone devices has become an addiction and part and parcel of our daily routine.

We check them as soon as we get out of bed, in the bathroom, while having coffee, on the train, walking to a meeting, at a meeting, at the store, most annoyingly, while simultaneously talking to a person who is right in front of you, and, most alarmingly, while driving a car.

A recent survey indicates that 1 out of every 5 car accidents occurs while one of the drivers is texting. And, according to AT&T Illinois President, Paul LaSchiazza, you are 23 percent more likely to have an accident while texting.

So, the philosophical question has to be asked: Why do people persist in texting while driving? Is it because we can’t stand to be alone? Are we afraid to miss a message? Do we fear being disconnected? Or, is it simply a nervous tick?

Whatever the final reason, I think our texting addiction has converted Descartes classical saying of “I think therefore I am!” into “I text therefore, I am!” Oh yes, here’s one other philosophical thought to keep in mind. It’s from Nietzsche: “That which we love, can kill us.”

You are your car

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 05:00:00 -0500

I totally get it: Detroit and the international car community are the main drivers (pun-intended) in industrial production and economic well being.

No one can debate the fact that as goes GM, Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes, etc, etc, etc. – As goes the world economy.

What I don’t get; or, should I say, what I no longer get is why we collectively are so fascinated with cars. Recently, I went to the Chicago Auto Show, and frankly, I was underwhelmed! Oh sure, there were a number of beauties to be found there.

Cars that mimed and mirrored car executive Robert A. Lutz’s iconic statement: “We are in the art business...art entertainment and mobile structure, which coincidentally, also happens to provide transportation.”

Yes, there were a number of stunning pieces of art there to covet and admire: Jaguar Roadster; Corvette Stingray; Ferrari F12 Berlinetta; Infinity Q50 Sport; and, of course, the Maserati Quattroporte.

But except for these stand out Cinderella’s, the rest of the ball was populated by a pretty pedestrian (again, pun-intended) crowd. As far as I was concerned, most of the cars on display, very much looked alike. The Fords looked like the Mazdas.

The Nissan SUV’s could hardly be distinguished from everybody else’s SUV’s. The Honda, Hyundai and Toyota sedans were all peas from the same pod. And, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

I went out of my way to ask a lot of people who were there, what they felt about the show, and, generally, they agreed with my opinion. One gentleman, I talked to who was around my age, nailed it for me.

He said that when our dad’s were growing up, cars were a rarity, an extravagance, a luxury.

By the time our dads became dads, cars were still alluring and exciting, but they were becoming commonplace. And for our generation, he went on to say, while many cars are beautiful, expensive, and mobile symbols of class, most of us see cars as a utilitarian necessity.

We may still want to drive a Cadillac, but if the price is right and you can get a 10-year “bumper to bumper” guarantee, a Kia will do – at least for a while. Bill was spot on! Cars are beautiful. Yes, I would prefer to drive an Infiniti Sport Convertible, but in the end, it’s only a car.

Prima facia, it may say something about me - something about my credit rating or how much I make - but, it’s not who I am.

It certainly doesn’t give me a sense of identity, purpose, or meaning in life. My best friend, Dennis, dropped out of high school in our junior year because he wanted a car. He wanted to be cool. He wanted to impress his girlfriend.

So he got a job and bought a beat up 1953 Chevrolet, and his girlfriend loved it. Back then, I guess we did think that owning a car made you cool. And clearly in Dennis’ case, it did.

His girlfriend, Nancy in fact married him. And guess what, they are still together. Now that is cool.

Is technology changing our lives too much?

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 05:00:00 -0500

In the last 10 years, the electronic age has us totally interconnected. Social networking of all kinds – Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Socialcam, texting, platforms such as iPads, iPhones, smartphones and computers of all kinds.

These tools have forever altered the normal concept of time and space. They have replaced it with an immediacy that has taken on a life of its own. All of us are now no more than a click away from communicating with everyone we have ever met or known in real or virtual time.

Thanks to the wild, wild word of the web, we can be anywhere and everywhere with the stroke of a key or click of a mouse.

In essence, what all of this has done is to radically change the pace and rate of our lives. Not only are we bombarded with more input, information and data than ever before, we are now required or at least strongly expected to respond to it faster than ever before. At one level, the increased pace and rate of change is a good thing. It forces us to be more agile, more responsive, more adaptable to an ever-evolving world. It opens us to more options and possibilities.

On the other hand, the increased rate and speed of input and change is exhausting. Here’s the problem. When life becomes an Olympic endurance event (the Everydayathon), when the stopwatch is always ticking, when are we supposed to have fun?

When will there be a time to be human in the old fashioned way? As Benjamin Kline Hunnicutt, professor of leisure studies, so aptly put it, “Having to go so fast to keep up, we miss stuff-our existence is truncated. Some things simply cannot be done going full speed: love, sex, conversation, food, family friends, nature. In the whirl, we are less capable of appreciation, enjoyment, sustained concentration, sorrow, memory.”

I think, if we can be honest with ourselves, we all do too much or try to do too much. My mother used to accuse me of having “eyes bigger than my stomach.”

She told me that I both literally and figuratively put too many things on my plate.

“Alfredó,” she’d say, “you do too much. Slow down, take smaller bites, or you’re not going to enjoy anything. Piano, piano arrive sano!” (Slowly, slowly, and you’ll get there surely, safely!)

You know what, maybe we should all slow down, take a moment, and reflect on the wisdom of my mother’s words. It couldn’t hurt.

A Mere $392,800 Gets You A Degree!?

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 05:00:00 -0600

Are you shocked by the cost of a university education today? I am, and I work at a university.

Frankly, I don’t understand how parents and students today are able to pay the present room, board, and tuition costs of an education at either a public college ($25,000) or a private college ($55,000). The cost of higher education has increased at a faster rate than inflation for at least the last ten years.

And, according to college financial aid consultant Kalman Chany, there is no end in sight. Chany predicts that when today’s children to go college, the estimated cost of a state school will be $37,000 a year, and at a private school, the cost will be $98,200.

When you multiply these numbers by a factor of four, you wind up with public tuition topping out at $150,800, and private tuition at $392,800. (And, by the way, these figures do not include books, spending money, and transportation) Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m still convinced of the importance of a college education, both in regard to developing competence and a career, as well as addressing the related questions of “personal identity and character.”

However, I am also convinced that universities need to redefine their financial models and ways of doing business. The golden ages of the “baby boomers” charging off to college in unprecedented numbers is over. Birth rates have been down for over 15 years, and so has the pool of normal college age students.

Moreover, the demands and specific needs of the market place have changed. Nowadays, just getting a degree is no longer a guarantee of getting a job.

“Boomer” parents were once able to help, if not, completely pay college bills while simultaneously maintaining a middle class existence and planning for retirement. But, today’s parents can’t do it all anymore. And, clearly, most students cannot pay for their own tuition.

Those students who do pay their own bills, often do so by taking on loans that often require 10 to 15 years to pay off. Given today’s and tomorrow’s projected costs, I simply don’t think universities can maintain their present pedagogical model and method of doing education.

I’m convinced that within 15 years, the average university undergraduate curriculum will be a two to a three year experience. Yes, there will be “some” liberal art; but the focus will be on career preparation and technical competencies. This possible near-future scenario deeply troubles me greatly.

But, after four-decades in the classroom, I, sadly, just can’t imagine any other workable alternative.

Love + Radio podcast releases new episode on pedobaiting

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:39:00 -0600

The Love + Radio podcast is one of WBEZ's edgiest enterprises. Over three seasons and more than half a decade, Nick van der Kolk has carved out a space akin to Errol Morris in the audio world. After his season two episode "The Wisdom of Jay Thunderbolt" won the top prize at the Third Coast International Audio Festival in 2011, WBEZ became a finanical backer of the experimental podcast.

While the content of the podcast is far darker and explicit than anything else we produce, it is compelling to hear first person accounts of questionable life choices. Like the best of cable dramas, Love + Radio features stories of conflicted characters- every one of them at least somewhat morally ambiguous.

In the new episode, titled "Jack and Ellen" listeners get a detailed first hand account of a young woman who practices pedobaiting- defined by Urban Dictionary as "the act of pretending to be a sexually active minor online in order to lure ('bait') pedophiles." If that weren't enough of a moral grey area, this woman also blackmails those who fall for her scheme and lives off those profits.

If you've read this far, you probably know this is content intended for adult audiences. Fans of HBO dramas should be fine with this episode.

Subscribe to Love + Radio on iTunes.