[embedded content]He had to do it again, drag Monica Lewinsky back into the spotlight when he “explained” why he had an affair with the White House intern. In this latest explanation, he revealed he did it to “manage his anxieties.”

As quoted in the New York Times he prattled on:

“You feel like you’re staggering around — you’ve been in a 15-round prizefight that was extended to 30 rounds, and here’s something that’ll take your mind off it for a while,” Mr. Clinton says. “Everybody’s life has pressures and disappointments and terrors, fears of whatever, things I did to manage my anxieties for years.”

Despicable.

Most twitter and other responses suggested that he should have taken a pill to manage his anxieties. Instead, seeking relief with medication (or by himself), Clinton’s insufferable ego compelled him to make up a new explanation, all so that he can be included the spreading Blob of victimhood.

What bothered me even more was his selfish compulsion to drag Monica Lewinsky back into the public’s consciousness, with all the embarrassment and shame that goes with it.

There was no reason except for his personal benefit to bring it up again.

He used her then, and he’s using her now. She wasn’t a person that he had wronged; she was a pill, a Valium. A stress reliever. A tool. Yes, he admits he had wronged her, just as, I suppose, you can claim that the devil (i.e. his stress)  made him do it.

Monica Lewinsky was a  young woman who deserved–and still does–all the compassion handed out by the #MeToo movement to sexually abused women. 

I will not be watching the sickening four-part documentary series, “Hillary,” which amounts to one more pathetic exercise by a desperate woman to place herself in the front row of the national stage. I would vomit if I saw her, as she does in the series, “reveal” how surprised she was by Bill’s affair. She explained how she was “convinced” by adamant denials of an affair. It is high-order BS when everyone else in America knew that her creepy husband was lying. (And later committed a true impeachable felony of perjury by lying under oath about his affair.)

It is truly beyond my understanding how progressives, masters of the universe of compassion, could tolerate Clinton’s victimization of Lewinsky. How they could excuse him of what today would be a capitol offense if committed by, a corporate CEO, against not just an intern, but a grown woman. The power imbalance of that affair if just staggering, exceeding anything that has been recently revealed.

And don’t you dare say that Lewinsky was a willing participant in the affair. By the definition hurled about today about what defines sexual harassment and assault, Clinton not only should have been  removed from office but should have faced criminal charges once out of office.

In my view, Bill Clinton is as much of a slithering worm in a pile of dung as Harvey Weinstein. That a network would give any credibility to him and his equally obnoxious wife signals just how deep today’s popular culture has sunk.

Here (below) is his defense of his actions in an earlier interview. He felt “terrible” (boo hoo for his suffering), he didn’t  get off free and he left the White House “16 million in debt.”  Talk about Donald Trump’s state of mind. This guy is Trump’s equal in that department. Be sure to watch the goofy excuses made for him by two women defenders of the dirt bag.

[embedded content]

[email protected]

www.dennisbyrne.net 

My historical novel: Madness: The War of 1812

Want to subscribe to the Barbershop? Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.

The March edition of the Chicago Artisan Market vill showcase more than 100 of the Midwest’s finest artisans under one roof. Exhibitors vill include designers & makers of clothing, jewelry, vearable art, shoes & accessories, pastries, gourmet food & healthy snack foods, natural skincare products, home goods & décor, and functional & decorative art. Team Gregula vill ve visiting the Chicago Artisan Market for the fourth time.

There vill be various opportunities for market attendees to enjoy. Meet & shop vith 100+ artisans in food, fashion, home goods and art. Learn how the makers create their one-of-a-kind designs and products. Look, listen, feel and taste everything on display throughout the Sunday market. DIY Classes (booked in advance only) vith seasonal themes including: The Art of Orchids, Hand Lettering, Spring Floral Design 101, Create a Vertical Garden, Learn to Paint Floral Watercolor Wreaths.

This family-friendly market also includes a FREE Kids Zone featuring  complimentary arts & crafts and kid friendly snacks. Plus professional face painting for only $5-6.

DATE

•  Sunday, March 8, 2020

TIME

• 10AM – 4PM

VENUE

• Morgan MFG
  401 N. Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60642
  (West Loop / Fulton Market)

ADMISSION

• General Admission: $8 ($10 at door)
• Includes VIP Goodie Bag: $25
• Group Tickets: 4 for $20
• Kids under 12: Free

For additional information, click HERE.

Connect vith Count Gregula’s Crypt

1) Like us on Facebook.

2) Subscribe to us, type your email address in the box and click the “Create Subscription” button. Our list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.

In 1965 a wonderful playwright and director, Douglas Turner Ward, wrote the amazing satiric play Day of Absence. It helped launch the iconic Negro Ensemble Company in New York City. The mission of the Company was to present live theatre written by and about black people to a culturally diverse audience that was and is often underserved by the theatrical community.

Day of Absence was then and is now a timely production that should open the eyes to all of America…and beyond.

The play takes place in a quiet southern town that falls into chaos when one day the white people wake up to notice that all the Black people have disappeared. Day of Absence is traditionally performed as a ‘reverse minstrel show,’ with black actors in white-face.

Congo Square Theatre celebrates its 20^th Anniversary season by bringing this iconic play into to the twenty-first century. The funny thing is that not much has changed.

Director Anthony Irons has included the disappearance of black and brown citizens to this production.  He has successfully made this play so relevant while maintaining the humor of the situation. The way he integrated films, TV shows, and songs that we all know added flavor to what could have been a dated script.  In fact, the audience was laughing so loud some of the dialogue was lost, however, the meaning was not.

The cast is amazing with perfect timing and energy. I was a little worried because Day of Absence was the first play I performed in as a theatre major.  It is my all-time favorite play because of the in depth meaning behind all the humor.  My fears were set aside when Jordan Arredondo and Ronald L. Connor  opened the show as two friends, Luke and John who first notice that there aren’t any black or brown people at the mall.  I was laughing till tears ran.  Founding Congo Square Ensemble member, Ann Joseph as the Mayor and Ronald L. Connor as her assistant Jackson are hilarious. 

While the play is funny and an enjoyable evening at the theater, it is scary that nothing has changed. That the significance and importance of black and brown people to society is so taken for granted that we would have to be missing before our worth and accomplishments are seen. OR we can all go to the polls and really let them know the power of Black and Brown Americans.

Congo Square Theatre Company’s Day of Absence is playing at the Victory Gardens’ Richard Christiansen Theatre through March 22, 2020.  You do not want to miss this powerful production.

I give it 5 out of 5 Winks of the EYE.

Until next time, keep your EYE to the sky!

Amare Symoné has had herself a busy 2020 thus far. She is fresh off the release of her empowering new single “Sooofly,” and she is gearing up for the release of her upcoming Agape Acoustics EP, which is due out on March 25. However she has managed to squeeze in yet another single, “Pictures,” which sees her reaching depths of vulnerability she hasn’t tapped into before.

The instrumentation is absolutely gorgeous. The guitar lines are smooth and warm, and the chord progressions paint a serene vibe. The production is a new sound for Symoné, but it really works.

An artist known for her brooding introspection, Symoné reaches a whole new level on this new cut. The “Pictures” she is referring to are the ones of a former flame she still has a connection to even though they’re through. She expresses no interest in pursuing a relationship with this person, but an intense infatuation persists. She is left involuntarily alone and the heartbreak is immense.

“Pictures” sees Amare Symoné exuding all of the traits that make her a compelling artist to begin with. Her pensive songwriting taps into the most universal of human emotions, bringing them to life in a way that anyone can empathize with. However, with the more stripped-down production, Symoné is also treading new waters in terms of sound, which only makes her artistic trajectory that much more intriguing.

“Pictures” is now available on all platforms.

Stream “Pictures” here: https://fanlink.to/amaresymonepictures

Follow Amare Symoné on Instagram @amaresymone

Don’t wait to be great. This powerful message is one that 12 year old Jahkil Jackson has as a tagline for his nonprofit organization, Project I Am.  Those word have been a reality for him since he started the organization four years ago, at only eight years old. Since then, he’s been acknowledged by the likes of President Barack Obama, CNN, Marvel, Cartoon Network and more for all of the greatness he puts out into the world. Jahkil knew he didn’t have to wait until he became an adult to make a difference in the world, and he wants other kids to know they don’t have wait either.

Today, my daughter and I attended Project I Am’s fourth anniversary celebration here in Chicago. Project I Am was created to raise awareness about homelessness and help the homeless by providing with key essentials like toiletries, socks and other useful items via blessing bags. Jahkil has given out more than 35,000 bags since he started, and continues to find new ways to give back.

The event attracted nearly 200 kids and teens from all over the Chicagoland area who came out to help stuff blessing bags and enjoy open skating in celebration of Jahkil’s hard work. My daughter was excited to be a part of something that true makes a difference in other people’s lives. She’s been pretty adamant about helping the homeless in small ways like giving them change or food since she was about five years old or so. Now, she’s inspired to do even more.

You can also help Jahkil continue these efforts by visiting his website to make a monetary donation, send items for blessing bags or purchase cool items with inspiring messages like, “Don’t wait to be great.”

I’m getting this posted at my usual time, but minus a few dozen beer events I have yet to populate my calendar with. Y’see, Mrs. ‘Naut broke her wrist last Friday, and had surgery this past Friday to put all the bones back together. So I’ve been sitting with her. I’m continuing to add events for the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day, so I once again ask you to check back often!

Friday, March 13

[embedded content]

Saturday, March 14

[embedded content]

Sunday, March 15

[embedded content]

“Welcome to the moment many of us dread twice a year when the government unintentionally causes mass chaos by fiddling with our clocks.” -David Grasso
[embedded content]

Now I know Adam Duritz is singing “Daylight fading…,” but every year around this time it reminds those of us trudging through the four seasons, bitching about daylight savings, that the time is upon us. We need to turn those clocks ahead.

“Daylight fading, Come and waste another year/All the anger and the eloquence are bleeding into fear
Moonlight creeping around the corners of our lawn/When we see the early signs that daylight’s fading
We leave just before it’s gone…” -Adam Duritz

[embedded content]

Your body is fragile, it needs that extra 40 minutes of sleep. Otherwise, you know, you might die. Honestly, when we lose sleep, we die, or so statistics say. Many of them say that a little bit of sleep loss can kill you. Who would’ve thought?

Drowsy driving causes extra traffic accidents, while drowsiness and groginess causes heart attacks, strokes, and a loss of productivity at work. I mean, I’m sure, the next day no one is feeling good. This year it falls on a Sunday. I can’t figure out if that is good or bad?

Daylight Saving Time was originally concocted as a way to save energy and implemented during World War I in Germany. It’s no longer saving anyone power, but crime numbers decrease with more light, supposedly. Also, daylight hours see more people exercising, so, that’s a GREAT thing.

“Springing Forward” seems imminent, but falling behind feels more logical.

Good luck tomorrow, it’s Sunday, so take the time to recharge, because the world needs a fresh you.
Subscribe to my blog below.

by Lira Luis, FRIBA, AIA, NCARB, CeM, LEED AP BD+C

As the US House of Representatives announced today (March 7th) that they are “preparing to allow staff to telework as concerns grow over the global coronavirus outbreak” I have been amplifying the benefits of teleworking for the architecture industry beyond a “Virtual Practice” into a “Virtual Practice on Blockchain Technology“.

Last year at the 2019 Chicago Build conference, I underscored the importance of making your practice relevant to accommodate a Virtual Practice on Blockchain Technology. In light of the coronavirus pandemic (within the physical workplace), the virtual workspace — in other words the ability for remote work, is now inevitable. And as public entities such as the US House of Representatives and private entities such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, etc. have asked their staff to work remotely, I have been sharing the benefits of a Virtual Practice to the architecture industry since 2017 at the Chicago Architecture Biennial, in preparation for extraordinary economic events — in our current global situation, a coronavirus-impacted one.

When most public and private sectors switch to remote work, then privacy and trust will become all the more important in a Virtual Practice. In a coronavirus-impacted economy, you’ll be dealing with both biological (coronavirus, for example) and virtual (computer) viruses. This is where the value and difference of a Virtual Practice on Blockchain Technology come into play — from simply that of a Virtual Practice.

Last year in June, at my presentation in the 2019 American Institute of Architects Conference on Architecture, I gave this prediction:

Global business analysts and executives alike predict that by 2020 — that’s as soon as next year, more than half of employees will work remotely… Just one more thing: Virtual Practice on Blockchain Technology is applicable and replicable regardless of building type or focus… Are you ready when they become mainstream soon?

So today, in the first quarter of 2020, when the US House of Representatives, including major private companies have adopted remote work to stay on top… that prediction I shared last year? It came true.

Here’s how to get your practice started or advanced to a Virtual Practice on Blockchain Technology: (Download Cheat Sheet)

My presentation (from 2019 Chicago Build) looked at how blockchain technology can help avoid loss of privacy, data, and accountability including where they add value, in architecture and cities. I bet you’re a bit like me — when I first heard the word “blockchain”, I didn’t know where it could add value to architecture or cities. Most people think the only application of blockchain is through Bitcoin, a kind of cryptocurrency that is difficult to understand. Bitcoin is just a fraction of the by-product of blockchain technology. This presentation discussed how blockchains work and their core limitations — and the systems that now exist on blockchain technology… because most will be integrated into our online interactions sooner than you think. Satoshi Nakamoto, a pseudonym of the person or persons who developed Bitcoin, published a white paper in 2008 that proposed a system for electronic transactions without relying on “trust”. And thus the first blockchain-run database was born for Bitcoin. You can read the white paper in detail at bitcoin.org/

Vladimir Goncharoff, PhD, a five-time recipient of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Silver Circle Award for Excellence in Teaching at Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said this about my presentation on Virtual Practice on Blockchain Technology:

“I’m a lecturer of electrical computer engineering at University of Illinois in Chicago and what I found very interesting at the conference was Lira’s presentation on blockchain and its use in managing an architectural and building project. From a technical point of view I’m very interested in the algorithms and implementation of blockchain, but here I found a practical use I didn’t know yet, existed. So I’m really excited by that — I’m gonna try out all the three apps that she mentioned in her talk.”

---

Lira Luis is a 2020 Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). She is principal architect at ALLL/Leapfrog Project, delivers presentations at national conferences named in the “Gold 100 Listing of the world’s largest and most successful trade shows” for the past 20 years. She organized and led AIA Practice Management’s (PMKC) A’19 session “Virtual Architectural Practice: Alternate Realities for the Emerging Gig Economy” and “Virtual Practices: The Impact of Technology and Transience on New Histories in Practice” partner program at the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial, subsequently co-authored a resulting white paper with AIA Trust “An Architect’s Guide to Virtual Practice” that reached more than 30,000 AIA members, and moderated the webinar “Virtual Architectural Practice – An Alternate Reality”. At A’16 Conference on Architecture she shared solutions about the gig economy and potential for Virtual Practices in “Rethinking the Workplace: Co-Working Spaces for Architects”. She brings more than 25 years of architecture experience and is emeritus chair of AIA PMKC. After graduating from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of architecture, working in firms in the USA and abroad, earning NCARB certification, she runs a Virtual Practice on Blockchain Technology.

I’m too old.

Like Joe Biden.

I recognize Joe Biden. I know him. I know what it is to struggle for a word, as Biden did when he couldn’t remember, holy smokes, the name of God when he said, “All men and women created by—you know, you know the thing.”

Or when he called Super Tuesday “Super Thursday.” Or when he proclaimed he was a candidate for the “United States Senate,” and he advised everyone that if you don’t vote for him to “vote for the other Biden.”

Huh?

When Biden says, “If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, there’s still a 3o percent chance we’re going to get it wrong,” he could be mistaken for Yogi Berra who once  said, “Pair up in threes.” Maybe you know what he meant, but you can’t be sure.

As the New York Times noted, “A day on the campaign trail without a cringe-inducing gaffe is a rare blessing. He has not been too blessed lately.” And that was back in 2008.

Seems that Joe has been working on getting old for a long time.

Remember Mrs. Malaprop, a character in Richard Brinsely Sheridan’s play, “The Rivals,” who butchered the English language? Like her, Biden’s blunders would get him tagged President Malaprop.

His gaffs are too numerous to itemize here. Taken alone, each one might not be troublesome, but altogether, they describe a man who is well past his prime. Dangerously so.

But here’s the kicker: Biden’s opponent is another old guy, Bernie Sanders. What we have here is one old guy (Biden) who is possibly out of his mind running against another old guy who is definitely out of his mind.

Add to that this lament: The only two viable candidates the Democrats have are two, old white guys. (That’s another story that I’ll leave to the professional race baiters.) Of course, whichever gaffer gets the Democratic nomination, he’ll be facing another old white guy, Donald Trump.

Boy oh boy, what a country. Out of more than 300 million Americans, the best we could find to head the executive branch is septuagenarians?

Here I’ll be instructed that age isn’t a factor, that [fill in the name of your favorite geezer] is bright and quick as a man [half or whatever] his age.

That, of course, is horsepucky (a vulgarity probably not familiar to anyone under 70). You’d don’t just lose a step. Or struggle to find the right word. Or can’t remember if you applied deodorant this morning. You no longer think or react as quickly. It’s harder to focus. Taking in new information is a challenge. You doze off.

And consider:  The next president could be an old guy who might have to face an Article 25 removal from office because, as it said, he has “lost his faculties.” And picking who’ll be the vice president to take his place will be chosen, not by us, but in the dark.

The average life expectancy at age 78 for an American man is about 9 years. (It’s a year-and-a-half longer for women, but that’s also another story.) With that in mind, I plan to live life fully in a way that’s pleasing to me and wife Barb. And not pursuing an ego-driven dream that inflicts myself on my family, community or country.

So, here’s the line-up. An old guy whose infirmities are moving from a side show to the main event. Another old guy who is a captive of  the worn-out and discredited ideas that molded him as a hippy dippy youth. And another old guy whose mind tells him that he’s the greatest ever, no doubt about it.

Right now, I’d settle for the latter because what he (Trump) has accomplished is much closer to the mainstream than either what Biden or Sanders would do to America.

Now it’s time for a nap.

[email protected]

www.dennisbyrne.net 

My historical novel: Madness: The War of 1812

Want to subscribe to the Barbershop? Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.