On July 13, 2015, the headline story featured a 28-year-old black activist name Sandra Bland from Illinois; she was found hanged in Waller County, Texas, in a jail cell; after three days of being arrested during a pretextual traffic stop. Bland’s automobile was stopped on July 10, 2015, by State Trooper Brian Encinia because of a minor infringement.

The world saw the questionable arrest partially recorded by Encinia’s dashcam, a bystander’s cell phone, and Bland’s cell phone. Five years after this ‘minor traffic violation took place, questions surrounding her death continue to resurface, as many seek some form of justice. Bland’s death, ruled a suicide, has troubled many that knew her. The incident enraged the community and protesters that were against her arrest, disputed the cause of death, and alleged it was racial violence against her.

The world premiere of ‘Graveyard Shift’ at Goodman Theatre shines a light on the racial tension that is plaguing our nation. Straight from the headlines, the critical piece of work, written by playwright Korde Arrington Tuttle, touches on the dual lives of Sandra and the cop involved in her arrest. The legacy of Sandra Bland loosely inspires this purposeful story. However, Tuttle doesn’t make any attempt to refabricate Bland’s character or her life story. He allows us to see the emotional depth of the harsh realities in a world filled with lots of trepidation. The fictionalized play entwines the truth with urban poetic dialogue and rhythm, where senseless bigotry is all too common at the hands of a policeman.

Set in Chicago and Texas is where we meet Janelle (Anisa J. Hicks), who just received the opportunity of a lifetime, which allowed her to relocate from Illinois to Texas to work at Prairie View A&M University and to move in with her fiancé Kane (Debo Balogun). Brian (Keith D. Gallagher) is a small-town police officer in Prairieview, Texas, who is on probation for violence against a black college student. He has to deal with his irritable boss Trish (Lia D. Mortensen), who has no problem taunting him all of the time. Brian is also romantically involved with his co-worker Elise (Rae Gray), who decided to relocate and leave town. The worlds of these individuals quickly down-spiral in a collision of power and injustice.

Director Danya Taymor makes her debut along with Tuttle in ‘Graveyard Shift,’ some of her credits include Pass Over at Steppenwolf and Daddy at the Vineyard Theatre and the New Group. After developing Tuttle’s work, she focused on collaborative work so the audience can witness the story as a community. Although set designer Kristen Robinson used split runway staging, at times, it became very confusing.

How can a young woman’s life have ended when she had so much to live for, a new location, and a new job?

The storyline with Bland and her boyfriend, played by Debo Balogun, was a beautiful love story that provides more sympathy for the tragic end of Bland’s life.

The stage, a somewhat extended runway, set up to display a simultaneous look into the life of Bland, and the officer that shot her, was a bit awkward. You could see the audience having a difficult time trying to determine who to look at or listen to the combined dialogue.

We see the love and tension between Janelle and Kane and the personal issues of three Prairie View, Texas officer, Supervisor Trish (Lia D Mortensen), Elise (Rae Gray), and Brian (Keith D Gallagher). Elise is having an affair with Brian, who is married. Balogun, who reminds us of a young Sidney Poitier and Hicks are magical together as the distance lovers who are afraid that being under the same roof might complicate their love.

Graveyard Shift, decision to add the personal lives of the officers diminishes the events of how devastating and demoralizing it was to learn about how a young lady who accepted a new job and excited about relocating to Texas; would commit suicide. Their stories, which seemed out of place, and some unnecessary scenes, felt like fillers lacking meaning. The cop that arrested Janelle (Sandra Bland) storyline lack relevance and needed more substance. The story behind Bland death is too powerful to dilute with casual conversations.

During an interview, Korde Arrington Tuttle described Graveyard Shift as concurrent love stories where two lives collide. We witness the love between Janelle and Kane; however, their passion increased the sorrow and pain felt more than the love Tuttle wanted to display. It reminds us that life is too precious, and power can blind equality.

Let’s Play ‘Somewhat Recommends’ Graveyard Shift. We struggled with this recommendation but ultimately felt that the love aspect got lost in translation.

Goodman Theatre
Graveyard Shift
By: Korde Arrington Tuttle
Directed by: Danya Taymor
February 7 – March 8, 2020

Rod Blagojevich is a free man. His prison sentence has been commuted by Donald Trump. He’s back in Chicago, home with his family.

The last twenty-four hours has been a circus. All that’s been missing are the clowns.

In the last day, we’ve been overwhelmed with scenes of Rod signing autographs, shaking hands with everyone in sight and a helicopter following the road trip to his home as if he was O.J. Simpson.  Ronnie “Woo Woo” Vickers was at today’s press conference. “Rod Woo” “Patti Woo” “Amy Woo” “Annie Woo”!!! I guess the clowns weren’t missing.

Then we were subjected to his proclamation that he’s now a “freed political prisoner.”

Enough Rod…ENOUGH!!!

I always thought that the sentencing for Blagojevich was too much. I felt five to eight years was appropriate. I’m okay with him being out after seven. But Rod, there’s no way you were a victim of anything except your own greed. You tried to sell a Senate seat! Pure greed. You tried to shake down a children’s hospital for donations.  A CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL!! Pure greed and pure evil. You brought shame on yourself, your family and the people of Illinois, who put their trust in you..TWICE!!!

Rod, you said you didn’t let us down. Umm…dude…you absolutely let us down…big time! But most of us are compassionate people. We are forgiving. All we want to hear are these two words…I’m sorry. I’m not asking for much. Sadly, I’m almost positive we’ll never get it.

So Rod, welcome home. I’m happy for you and Patti, but more for your daughters Amy and Annie. It’s nice to see a family reunited and happy. Have a good life. Here’s to that and to never hearing anything from you ever again.

Related Post: Is there double jeopardy for impeachment?

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She smiled, too.

Sitting at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru window this morning near my house. The employee’s uniform shirt said, “Fueled by Positive Energy.” And, he most definitely was.

He smiled, cheerfully commented on the weather then asked how I was — which made me think about how many other employees I’d been served by in that same line, with that same friendliness.

So, after I paid, I asked to talk to his manager. As I did, a shadow crossed his face and his smile faltered. I’d seen this effect before, since I frequently like to compliment people who give good service. I knew he was expecting a complaint, because that’s typically what people do when they ask for the manager. So, I quickly added, “I want to compliment you,” and immediately saw relief on his face.

As he called his manager over, that same shadow crossed her face, as if she were bracing.

“Every time I come here, your employees are excellent” I told her. “You’re obviously doing a great job of finding and training good people.”

And she smiled.

Relieved and pleased. And also obviously proud of her team.

A good way to start the day.

The egg and cheese wraps didn’t hurt either.

(This experience happened at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 5414 Grand Avenue in Gurnee, Illinois.)

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I keep seeing a worrisome trend, and hearing it, too. People are doing too much! I don’t necessarily mean they’re too active, but any action is being described by the word “do.”

I suppose it started with “let’s do lunch” among executives. But now I’m hearing people saying “I did the onions” or “Just do the beans” in a recipe, or reading a note saying “let’s do (name of restaurant).”

When I saw that note from a friend who will remain anonymous (and thus remain a friend), I had to write back and ask how you “did” this place — eat, play, or what? That came from not knowing it was a restaurant.

And the conversation went well, too, when I had to stop and say “What did you do to the onions? What should I do to the beans?”

Now that I’m conscious of it, I’m hearing and reading “do” all over the place, like gulls at Lake Michigan beaches in summer. (It was snowing as I wrote this, and the artwork warmed me up. I hope it helps.)

Fall not into the trap of saying “do” when you could use another verb — cook, boil, play, eat, whatever you really need. (And if you wonder about me for writing “fall not” at the beginning of this paragraph, think a moment: I wanted to caution you, but I could not use “do not,” could I?)

Margaret Serious has a page on Facebook.

One of the problems I’ve always had with Acura is that it doesn’t differentiate itself enough from its mainstream Honda brand. The exterior design is different-ish. But the interior appointments — especially on the Honda upper trims are virtually identical. 

For less money.

However, the 2020 Acura RDX finally ups the ante and is worthy of the Acura name.

Hits

The RDX was all-new for the 2019 model year, and the changes made this vehicle much more upscale. 

The exterior is nicely done with a mesmerizing grille as a focal point, and a few sharp angles to add interest to the design. But the overall lines are still somewhat conservative, which means this vehicle won’t look weird in 10 years.

The interior, however, is the true highlight. Modeled after the “Acura Precision Cockpit” concept, the RDX now has an interior that looks lux-level with glossy black accents on the center stack and a large info screen perched on top of the dash. The reverse stitching on the leather of the seats, center stack and steering wheel is attractive. 

2020 Acura RDX (Photo by Jill Ciminillo)

One interesting feature that you also see on some Hondas is the pass-through on the center stack. It’s at about knee level and is the perfect size for a small purse or bag.

The test vehicle was the sporty A-Spec trim, so it also added nice touches such as a perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel, suede seat inserts and a suede dash accent

Another hit: The standard inclusion list. The base RDX is equipped with high-level safety tech, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, dual-zone automatic climate controls, heated front seats, power lift gate, passive entry and push-button start. All for just more than $38K.

Misses

Frankly, there really aren’t too many misses on this vehicle. I liked the design. I liked the handling. And I loved the Dynamic Mode system.

But if I had to pick something, it would be the True Touchpad interface. This trackpad thingy is one of the solutions automakers are adopting to avoid distractions due to touch screens. But after a week, it’s hard for me to tell if it’s a successful solution.

The Acura system employs the use of “absolute positioning,” which means you touch the pad on the center stack in the same location as the item on the infotainment screen to make a selection. So, it’s like using a touchscreen but completely different at the same time.

I got used to it (ish) after a 200-mile road trip, but it never quite became intuitive for me — especially while I was using Apple CarPlay.

2020 Acura RDX (Photo by Jill Ciminillo)

Trims

The RDX doesn’t have “trims” so much as it has “packages.” You start with the base model and add content packages, which means there aren’t a lot of one-off options to add.

• Standard: $38,825
• Technology: $42,025
• A-Spec: $45,025
• Advanced: $46,925

Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is available for $2,000. So, unless you go crazy with accessories, a completely tricked our RDX will stay under $50k.

The Chicago Factor

In terms of SUV sizes, the 2020 Acura RDX is manageable in an urban location. Plus, with features such as rear cross-traffic alert, tight parking lots are much easier to manage. 

The RDX is maneuverable, easy to parallel park and fits in most tight city spaces. Yet it’s also comfortable and quiet on the highway for those long road trips. This could easily be a city or suburban daily driver, but if I lived in the city, I’d make sure its primary parking space was in a garage. 

2020 Acura RDX (Photo by Jill Ciminillo)

THE PHOTOGRAPH is a love story, in fact it is two love stories connected by a photograph.

When Christine Eames (Chanté Adams), a renowned photographer dies she leaves her daughter Mae (Issa Rae) a photograph and two letters.  One she has written to her and one to be given to her father.

Christina and Mae were never close, in fact, Mae was never sure if her mother really loved her. As she reads the letter, she finds out so much about her mother and why she was the way she was. Through the letter we are taken back to view the life and love of Christina and her boyfriend Issac (Y’lan Noel – young Issac).  They loved each other but Christina needed more and Issac was content to be where he was.  She wanted to see the world and tell a story through the eye of her camera while Issac just wanted to be devoted to her and live out their lives in their small Louisiana town. Their love story is deep, somewhat predictable but draws you. 

After Christine’s death, journalist Michael Brock (Lakeith Stanfield) has the assignment of writing a in depth story about her. He meets Issac (Rob Morgan – older Issac) in Louisiana to get apart of the story of her past. He then comes back to New York and meets Mae and is immediately attracted to her. Their love story begins here. 

It was refreshing watching a true love story of color that didn’t have any violence, jail time, cheating or affairs. These were two love stories that any one of us may or could have no matter our circumstances or upbringing.

There are a lot of insecurities, commitment issues, and awakenings portrayed in this film.  Writer/Director Stella wrote a heart felt story of two women who loved but had to make hard decisions.

While I found the love story between Christina and Issac a little more interesting than between Mae and Michael.  It felt that Mae and Michael’s story dragged some with the long lingering looks and a few heavy sighs.  I also found the parallels between Christina’s mom and Christina eye opening with the choices they both made at almost the same time of their lives.

THE PHOTOGRAPH is worth spending the money to see it theaters.  I give it 4 out of 5 winks of the EYE.

Until next time, keep your EYE to the sky!

Over the last few years, Mugen! The Human has undergone one of the most profound artistic evolutions of any artist I have covered on CoW. From the lo-fi sad rap of projects such as Before You Go to the jazz-tinged boom bap of tracks like “No More Sad Songs,” Mugen has proven that he is not one to stay in the same place for too long. Mugen continues his ongoing metamorphosis with his new single, “Freaking You//IGOR,” where he is sounding more mature as an artist than ever before.

As the title implies, this track is a double-serving of sorts. The production on “Freaking You” is a melancholy trap banger with a soulful vocal sample reminiscent of something that would land on one of Mugen’s earlier projects. The beat on the second track is actually the instrumental to “New Magic Wand” by Tyler, The Creator, hence the title, Igor. This instrumental is an aggressive piece of hardcore hip-hop, something that is meant to be blasted at full-volume.

Lyrically, “Freaking You” sees Mugen diving into a situation with a love interest who he’s trying to pursue. Later in the verse, he flips it back on to himself when he starts questioning himself more and more. By the end of this cut, he is drowning in his own self-doubt. On “Igor,” Mugen completely flips the script, similarly to how the beat switches up. He drops a series of bars that are confident and braggadocios, showing that he’s more hungry than he’s ever been. The contrast between these two tracks is really something.

If “Freaking You//IGOR” is symbolic of anything, it’s the fact that Mugen! The Human is always turning over a new leaf. In a lot of ways, he is still the same melancholy sad boy he’s been from day 1. However, given how much his pen game has improved, it’s  clear that Mugen puts every bit as much care into making his bars sharp as he does into crafting a hit. With how much he has been leveling up lately, he is an artist you will want to keep on your radar for the foreseeable future.

“Freaking You//IGOR” is out now on Soundcloud. Stream it here: https://soundcloud.com/mugenthehuman

Follow Mugen! The Human on Instagram @mugenthehuman

After enjoying Ciders throughout Chicago, we have a week of Mardi Gras and then… well, for many of us, it’s Lent. But it’s still okay to indulge. Beer was enough for the monks, after all.

I am still having issues with my calendar server sometimes not showing up in these articles. I’m trying a few little alterations. If you can’t see the schedule, please let me know.

Monday, February 24

Tuesday, February 25

Wednesday, February 26

Thursday, February 27

So here I am, years down the road from the start of my journey to redemption. It took a while, but I’ve confronted and mostly overcome the obstacles that stood in the way. My white knuckle grip on the wheel has eased and I’m coasting comfortably in cruise control.

Along the way I wrote in my journal describing both the breakdowns and surges of power as I charted my emotional cartography. It made for a powerful story and when I reached the end of the challenging uphill climbs and perilous switchbacks that demanded my full commitment, I published the memoir as a way to share the adventure and perhaps help others with common backgrounds and enthusiasm for adding joy and meaning to the years that remained.

So what’s left to do? “Enjoy life,” you say, “With GPS laying out the route all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.”

And therein lies the pitfall, confusing the satisfaction and contentment of “being in the moment,” as rationalization for merely marching in place.

When I am aware, focused, my antenna raised, taking in the energy that pulses through the universe, it is fulfilling and rewarding. But it is a two-way process. We transmit energy as well as receive it. I must be wary of sitting in front of the buddha, being mindless rather than mindful! It’s easy to use my meditation as an excuse for leaving the bed unmade and the dishes unwashed, postponing the start of the day rather than welcoming it with eager expectation.

For me, the danger is slipping into a do-nothing rut and allowing that groove to grow deep, until – alarm bells – I’m stuck in the last chapter of my memoir. Which is antithetical to what that chapter describes – the joy of turning anxiety into anticipation and overcoming fear with the lure of unknown adventures. Years of mulling over the past led to a conclusion about what was driving me, but the end of the biography is not the end of the journey. To the contrary; it’s the terminus for changes in how I manage my life and recalibrate going forward.

I’ve added dimension to my quest for personal peace having learned to accept both ‘what is’ and ‘what is not.’ My goal is a clearly defined boundary protecting me from my arrogance in thinking I have the power to change the behavior of others, and conversely keeping me focused on what I can do; mainly, tell my story whenever an audience appears.

I am not thinking about ‘performance’ when I refer to audience; rather my willingness to reveal the path of my life and offer its lessons, so painfully learned, to any takers.

All of us have within us, a light to shine. Not as gurus or sainted persons, but as the authors of the lives we live, using the tutorial of the past as syllabi for the way forward. The book is not closed.