Abbey Road

Nothing like a few people you know going up to the Pearly Gates to make someone sit up and take notice. While I didn’t know Tim Russert or George Carlin personally, I felt like I did since I’ve watched Russert on Meet The Press for years and Carlin … well heck, he an icon for smart alecks anonymous, a group to which I consider myself a founding member.

But now that I am looking squarely in the eyes of a birthday with a zero at the end and the first number is greater than five, I’ve started thinking seriously about what’s really important in life, besides the dog, my Cooper and airplanes. No really, I am serious here when I say that I wonder how many people would say good things about me when I’m gone. Did I log more time in an airplane than with my wife and daughter?

Of course, I hoping death is a topic I won’t need to deal with for quite sometime which brings me to the topic. Summer camp.

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It’s not fair that all the cool guys die early … first Tim Russert and now George Carlin, a man who set the world on its ear as he taught us to truly think about what we actually said rather than what we think we meant.

He was the Hippy, Dippy Weatherman the first time I heard back in the 70s, but he’s at his best when he tried to explain the idiocy of the airline industry’s language to the rest of the world.

It’s worth 10 minute of your time.

We’ll miss you George. Than God for YouTube.

I walked out in the alley on Saturday near my home just north of Chicago and was surprised to see a bunch of kids all staring up at the azure-blue sky to the north. “Hey guys. What’s going on?” I asked. One small boy said nothing and only pointed up to the sky. That’s when I was treated to an aerial display I hadn’t seen in at least 20 years … a skywriter.

When I was a kid - yes, long before the 20 years so no smart-aleck remarks - skywriting was a part of the integrated mix of marketing messages a company used to blast its message to thousands of people in a moment. I towed banners from a 7KCAB Citabria many years ago, but skywriting looks like way more fun than I ever had dragging rags.

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I found out today that my 2006 Cooper is worth more now today than when I bought it two years ago. How can that be? I remember the old story … new cars loose a chuck of their value as soon as you drive them off the showroom floor. So what gives?

I read a story in today’s Chicago Tribune over breakfast about the value of small gas-saving buggies being on the uptick, even 10 year old cars like the Geo Metro. Didn’t think too much of it until our designer Ken asked me if I’d read the story and snooped for the answers about my Mini.

“Why would I do that?” I asked. “Man, read the story again,” he said. “Small cars are worth more money these days. Next thing I knew he and I were looking up Kelly’s Blue Book. And that’s when the earthquake or sorts hit.

My car with 18,000 miles is worth $250 more today than when I bought it. OK, not astounding appreciation, but how many cars are worth what you paid for them two years after you drive them off the lot? This only happened once before when I sold the 1962 TR-3 I’d kept garaged for 10 years.

So despite cash flying out of my checkbook at a breakneck pace these days, I learned today that I not only have equity in my house, but my Mini as well. I knew I should have bought one of these for my wife. Good thing I didn’t have one BEFORE I met her though.

I was caught the other day listening in the car to the Rush Limbaugh talk show that runs around midday in Chicago. I told my passenger friend the truth. What else could I do?

I listen to Rush. Not everyday of course, but probably once a week. And you should too. Here’s why.

If you never put aside a little time each week to listen to the conservative Republican talk shows, you’re missing a great opportunity to hear what the other side thinks. As the Fox TV News folks say it, we need fair and balanced.

If you only read the New York Times or watch CNN, oh what a wayward citizen you’ll become. You’ll mist the opportunity to listen to people tell you that Democrat Barack Obama has done more to divide America than any candidate in recent memory. Of course, I didn’t hear the why behind that statement.

You’d also have missed the chance to learn that the ONLY reason Obama stands where he does today - on the brink of the Democratic nomination for President - is that so many people hate Hillary Clinton.

Now there is element of truth in there somewhere if you dig a bit because a great many people really can’t stand Hillary and can’t imagine voting for her.

But if Rush thinks that’s the only reason people will vote for Barack he hasn’t been listening. Of course Air America doesn’t get out nearly as well here in Chicago as Rush.

Even if you’re not a Chicagoan, you’ll probably recognize the stamp of our own Mayor Daley here as graphic designer Ken Smith - better known around You Tube as ArtistMac - turns his own brand of wry humor at the City that Works … or at least the city that hopes to work well enough to garner the Olympics in 2016.

In his video, Ken shows that Chicago still has some serious work ahead if it’s going to impress people that arrive in Chicago at Midway Airport to make that all important Olympic decision.

Rob

Remember the buzz about Senator Barack Obama not being black enough to run as the African American candidate for president? Obviously that wasn’t true as the primaries have shown.

But he obviously is not mean enough to fight the same dirty campaign Hillary Clinton would like to draw him into. As Bill Clinton said the other day, getting elected to the White House, ” is a contact sport. If you don’t want to play, don’t put on the uniform.”

I’m afraid everyone is right.

I don’t think Obama is as mean as Hillary or Bill. I also don’t think he’s mean enough to throw every dirty issue possible in Hillary’s face in order to win. I honestly don’t believe his strategy is to win at all costs.

Frankly, I think that’s one of Obama’s strongest character traits.

It may sound silly in this day and age, but I think everyone - at their core - realizes that the American political process is in a severe state of decay. And it’s because of the politics of people like Hillary, a woman who says she knows Washington well and can work her way through the muck if elected.

What she and even supporters of John McCain don’t seem to understand, is that Obama’s message of hope isn’t simply focused on economics. It’s focused on the possibility of change - at long last - to get ourselves out of the electioneering quagmire we’ve managed to imbed ourselves in the past few decades.

We do need a change in Washington. But not simply of governing parties, but of election and representation tactics.

Obama’s strongest suite … he’s a nice guy.

And as such, he might just start a new direction in American politics. Elected officials who actually listen to the people who elected them.

People have taken issue with my blogs because I take so many pot shots at the folks in our Federal government. Part of the reason is that I’m a Baby Boomer and that’s how we see the government … Viet Nam and Watergate. And besides, they keep giving me so much ammunition.

Be that as it may, every so often the Feds put something together and actually improve a service they deliver to the rest of us.

In the last 24 hours, I had the chance to experience the panic of someone telling me I should be in Paris next week and I cringe looking at the expired passport on my desk.

The Post Office told me the it would take four to five weeks to receive a new one. That wasn’t going to work although even I had to remember that they are only handling the service for people who plan ahead with their international traveling agendas.

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As a Chicagoan, I grew up on the likes of John Belushi, Dan Akroyd and Gilda Radner who all spent time at Second City here before hitting the stage at Saturday Night Live in the 70s. Way too often I laughed till I cried.

The last ten years or so I must simply be getting old because most of the bits just haven’t seemed that funny.

But last weekend’s Saturday Night Live hosted by Christopher Walken included a skit called, “Googly Eyes, A Man Who is Very Afraid of Plants,” that is destined to become a classic. If any other actor had tried this it would have bombed.

Only in Illinois, a state that seems to be able to put more governors in the slammer than any other - George Ryan a Republican went to jail this year for corruption - and who knows how many before Ryan - don’t ask about after Ryan, at least not yet - could we come up with one of the nation’s dumbest legislative proposals.

There’s a bill floating around near our state legislature in Springfield to make it illegal to talk on a cell phone while crossing the street.

Honestly I’d be the first to tell you that I’ve held my breath more than once when a pedestrian walked in front of me talking on a phone. It’s enough to make your heart stop while you try to swerve. I especially like the ones who flip me off when I blow the horn at them too.

But folks come on! Get your priorities straight.

If I almost get run off the road by one more man - or woman - driver talking on the phone who doesn’t take the time to look over their shoulder before they change lanes I’m gonna scream, not to mention throw a big rock at their truck ( and why are they always driving some kind of SUV?).

Piloting two tons of steel while talking on the phone seems like a slightly higher priority than jaywalkers. On this one, the Chicago City Council got it right when they banned cell phone use while driving a few years back. Sure it didn’t stop all the nut cases that simply must know everything right now. But it was a start.

Of course, it could all be worse. A NY state senator proposed similar legislation there this week except his was a bit more reaching. New York’s proposal would also make it a crime to listen to an iPod while crossing the street.