We’ll start light then end angry.  Here we go:

Flight of the Dan

I’ve started a series that inserts me into the posters of movies I watched from ages five to fifteen.  I call the series Flight of the Dan.  The above cropped image is from the title piece.  You can follow the series on my facebook page.  Eventually the series will end up in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Do Dogs Understand Language or Tone/Gesture?

This is a legitimate question.  I was walking to the L when I saw someone yelling at their dog in Spanish.  I thought “Hmm, so does the dog only respond to Spanish words?  Would it respond to “Sit” or just “Siéntese.”  Do you have to match the language or just the tone?  Seriously, I want an answer.  I’ve decided this will be my child’s first science fair experiment.

Mugged and Kidnapped

Last night one of Trish’s co-workers was held up at gunpoint, forced into a car, and taken to an ATM where she withdrew $200.  I guess the story ends well because the muggers left her on a street corner instead of raping and killing her.  How pathetic is it that THAT is the happy ending?!

I’m trying not to let events like this make me cynical, but what I hate is that these PRICKS got away with it!  That means that in their minds the idea of mugging people at gun point was reinforced as a good one!  What took this woman days of hard work to earn, they stole in minutes!  I nearly lost it thinking about if this had happened to my wife, but then I realized that just because it didn’t happen to her shouldn’t make the event any less upsetting.  I think this is a major problem with our society in general: as long as it doesn’t happen to our loved ones, it’s okay.

I know what you’re thinking: “But Dan, what about the outpouring of support towards Haiti?  I gave $10 to the Red Cross and none of my loved ones were directly effected.  Doesn’t that make me a good person?!”

Not really.

It almost makes it worse because it just highlights how great our capacity for good can be.  A capacity that, except when a gigantic tragedy strikes, is all but ignored.  In case you’re wondering, I have no solution to this problem.  I don’t think there is one.  I think the world will be filled with assholes as long as there are people around to fill it.

…so much for not being cynical.  Have a nice night!