Autumn of Ohio--Golden Tree

Photo by JESSICA J. NOLL

Chicago's feces: A stench to be reckoned with

What is it about Chicago and feces? Dave Matthews Band’s bus manager and now Vandale Amos Willis—apparently if you give lots of money or apologize for flinging poo, then it’s okay(?).

The Associated Press published a story about a Chicago man in a Duluth, Minn. court who was reported as apologizing for “spreading his feces around a courtroom during his trial on drug charges.”

This really warrants a couple of questions, like, was he on drugs or selling? Because being on drugs can slightly explain what he was doing smearing his own poo all around—or if he was selling, who was desperate enough to buy drugs from Mr. Poo-hands? Okay, that’s a little ridiculous, I know, but isn’t spreading your feces a little on the ridiculous side too?

Why is it that Chicago seems to get the brunt of the crap club? Dave Matthew Band’s tour bus, in 2004, I believe, was in trouble for throwing, literally, tons of feces into the Chicago River—Nice. Well Matthews apologized for his employee who did this and then made a donation to a Chicago organization to help clean the river, ect. I'm not sure if the lawsuit was dropped, but I know I didn't hear anything else said about it.

Meanwhile, Willis was sentenced for 10 years—not for his poop in the courtroom, but 10 years for his drug offense. In fact, the judge said that his actions would not be held against him—to that I would have say, “ick!” But hey, he did apologize for poo-flinging, so all is forgiven, right?

I just know that while I lived in Chicago, I also experienced feces in the city--on a train. I even wrote a column about it. I enjoy the windy city, but some things do not make me want to stand too far down wind of Lake Michigan.

Newest freelance article and photo link...

I recently wrote an article for one of the local papers here called the
Milford-Miami Advertiser at:

http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/C2/20060927/NEWS01/609270626/.

My Chicago Immigration Ralley photo was also featured in the newest edition of Reservoir Online Mag at:

www.colum.edu/students/reservoir.

To view, cut and paste links into your web address bar and --> go!

Long time no blog...

Well, since my last post, I moved from Chicago back to Cincinnati. While working hard at finding advertisers for Bohème Vérité I am also working as Elissa Sonnenberg's freelance assistant for Cincinnati Wedding (magazine) and as the Cincinnati correspondent for People (magazine). Things are slowly moving in the right direction here after a couple of months, but to tell the truth, I enjoy living back, near my family and friends. Now all I need is a full time gig, health insurance and a car and I'll be one happy lil' photographer and writer!

I will be sure to update the blog a little more regularly with anecdotes and my thoughts as a writer and photographer. And I would like to talk about what is going on in the news itself. If anyone has any suggestion on what they'd like me to discuss, feel free to pitch it.