Over the weekend I did something I have not done since good Friday… I went to mass. My faith guides the decisions I make in life but I haven’t been a weekly service kind of guy since I escaped from the Nuns graduated eight grade.

Matter of fact for the last decade I have pretty much only gone to church on Easter and Christmas. It has been tough to hang on to my faith with the revelations and scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church in recent years. My faith has really suffered.

As a child the fear of Nuns armed with yard sticks God kept me in line and out of trouble more than anything. I think how different my life would have been without the Catholic Church and the Catholic schools I attended. Without the positive impact of the staff at St. James School and later St. Joseph High School I wonder what my formative years in turbulent Maywood would have made me.

I look at today’s street violence with great concern for my son. The world he is growing up in is even more turbulent and uncertain than what it was for me thirty years ago. The need to guide him through the pitfalls he faces has sparked a rejuvenated spirit in me and a return to my Catholic roots. I hope that participation in the church will make me a better father, a better mentor and a better person for my son to learn from. I hope that building a fellowship with Christ will be the same steadying factor in his life that it was in mine in his youth and beyond.

I have been asked how I can trust the Catholic Church with my son in light of the Priest scandal. Well either I am naïve or I am correct in thinking that these were isolated incidents. All fall short of the glory of God and a small percentage of men who betrayed the trust of others should not be allowed to destroy my faith in the church and hinder mine or my son’s walk with God.

Although he is nine years old we attended mass for the very first time last Sunday. The 9:30 mass was a good one at Holy Name Cathedral. Thank you to Fr. Dan Mayall. The message was a very relevant one to me and I am glad we attended… even if it has been years since I have gone to confession and could not receive communion. I guess I’ll have to take care of that for next time.

Savvy pundits and average Joes alike were impressed with Barak Obama’s use of the internet in the 2008 elections. How will the internet impact the 2010 elections? As social networks like Facebook and Twitter grow into their own, will politicians take note and incorporate them into the classic campaign push?

Locally, I have seen Dan Hynes take his push for Gov. to the internets and I have been following Dan Rutherford on twitter for some time now. However, the majority of local candidates have not adopted an online approach beyond the standard website and mailing list approach. Hey Topinka, call me girl you look like you need a little help ‘dere.

Nationally, the RNC has quietly revamped their RNC website. The new look includes all sorts of imagery selected to communicate their inclusive history. They have also launched a new Facebook application called “the Friendship Fairness Czar”. I have no clue what it is or how it will help the GOP build their base but it is all over their website.

It will be interesting to see how all the tools available today will figure into candidate outreach going into next year. Of course I will be here to analyze it all.

It may seem like I am picking on Republican candidates in this post but I am not. I am simply remarking on the fact that the DNC has been early adapters and the GOP has ground to cover.

This time next year I expect to be giggling like a fat kid in a candy store while following the campaigns of state and local officials. One year away from the general election and state wide candidates are starting to come to life in preparation for next spring’s primaries. These are pivotal times in Illinois as we face an eleven billion dollar budget deficit and an unemployment rate of 9.9%. Officials will have to find new ways to reduce spending, increase revenue, stimulate job growth and overcome the perception of institutional corruption in Illinois. Now more than ever your vote will count heavily but who do you vote for?

At the Governor’s level Pat Quinn (D) faces challenges from within the Democratic party and a crowded Republican field. Everyone from Dan Hynes (D) to Andy McKenna (R) to Jim Ryan (R) and others have lined up for the keys to the Governor’s mansion but who has the vision to move the state forward in these tough times?

The race for wingman Lieutenant Governor is a tossup if you ask me. Mainstream media types may recognize the names tossed into this ring but the only one I recognize is the unlikely candidate Rickey Hendon (D). No disrespect to state power brokers like Terry Link (D), Art Turner (D) and Mat Murphy (R) who are also running for the Lt. Governor spot. It’s just that as a Chicagoan I haven’t heard much about anyone other than the flashy outspoken State Senator from the 5th (Hendon).

The Attorney General race should be fun. I can see Lisa Madigan yelling debating the pants off of all comers. Judy Baar Topinka looks to make a return to state wide office as State Comptroller but the real fireworks will come in the race to fill Roland Burris’ Senate seat. Alexi Giannoulias (D) and Mark Kirk (R) lead a rag tag field of candidates ready to duke it out of for the jr. Senator’s Seat.

With Mark Kirk (R) running for Senator his seat in the Illinois 10th Congressional district is up for grabs. I’m hoping for a real war of the roses in this race. This is the same district that launched Lisa Stone into the papers last week so when I should be hoping for leadership for the people of the 10th I am really looking forward to something like the Wacky Races. Let it fly suburbanites, I’ll bring the popcorn.

If I were a better man I would be running in the 7th Congressional District to replace Danny Davis (D). I was a long time resident of that district and it faces real challenges going forward. Challenges I am familiar with and have a clear vision of resolving. Unfortunately my pedigree would leave me torn to shreds, my pockets are way too shallow and my rolodex too lightweight so I’m just blogging about the race instead of running in it. As Davis comes home from Washington D.C. to challenge for Cook County Board President LaShawn Ford (D), Darlena Burnett (D) and Jim Ascot (D) among others have stepped up to replace Rep. Davis. I wish them all well on behalf of the district they may come to represent.

Matter of fact let me take the time to wish everyone running for office in Illinois good luck. The people of this great state work hard to make a living and deserve representation that protects their livelihoods and liberties. Follow BraxtonMedia for coverage of next year’s primaries and general election. I love politics and I am looking forward to a great political season.

I wanted to thank everyone again for the support of BraxtonMedia’s 2009 Step Out to Fight Diabetes. With the support of our generous donors we raised $335 (67% of our goal). Overall the Chicago event raised $189,152.

Thank you to walk manager Leslie Crouch who did a great job interacting and motivating during the run up to the walk at Soldier Field last Saturday. We are always interested in supporting diabetes research because it impacts friends and family close to us. We hope you take the time to learn more about this cause and continue to support the efforts of the American Diabetes Association in the future.

For more information on supporting the ADA or learning how to avoid and / or live with diabetes check out the American Diabetes Association website.

Thanks again!

There comes a time in a bloggers life when he/she must tread into a contentious fray to express an opinion on a controversial topic. For me, that day isn’t today because this blog entry is about the freedom of speech row coming out of Buffalo Grove and it’s just downright silly.

Enter Lisa Stone, newly elected Buffalo Grove trustee (congratulations Lisa and thank you for the service to your community). According to a Chicago Tribune article Trustee Stone won her seat in a very heated campaign. During said campaign comments in very poor taste were directed at her 15 year old son via the forums of the Daily Herald website.

As a parent I can assure you I feel her pain and motivation to protect her son. However, these are the internets and she is now a political figure, what part of mudslinging did she not understand? While civility would steer most people away from making tasteless comments to a minor, the reality is you are always one click away from jaw dropping filth online. Filth protected by the first amendment right to free speech.

Qualifying what is and what is not free to say is a very slippery slope as the letter of the law is subject to perception. It is my opinion that this push to set precedent law treads dangerously on our constitutional rights.   I mean really, what could have been said so vile that it would call for a lawsuit that compelled Comcast to give up the subscriber’s name and ip addy? I guarantee that I could unleash a diatribe of verbal sewage right now made up of verbs, adjectives, subjects and predicates in three different languages that would make hipcheck16’s post look like something from the Disney Channel; and it would all be within my constitutional right to do so.

This case sounds like it is one part “protect children from online attacks” and nine parts “hunt down my political adversaries”. I suspect that the Stone family knows who Hipcheck16 is and is out for blood.  Otherwise a more seasoned politician would have let these anonymous attacks roll off like water on a duck’s back. Hipcheck16 deserves a hip check no doubt, but I don’t let our hyper litigious culture forever label the Stone’s son a momma’s boy who can’t fight his own battles and result in the rest of us ceding a precious bit of our first amendment rights.

Last Friday I was complaining about the nightlife in San Francisco, well you will get no complaints about the nightlife here in Tampa. The area is just as diverse and scenic but so much more fun.
We started out at Whiskey Park North for happy hour. The whole scene reminded me of the old Oliver’s after work party in Downers Grove. I know I can be a little snobbish at times but with the 80s music blasting and free drinks flowing how could I not have a good time?  I was surprised to find that they still rock the freestyle music down here in Florida (a lot of Stevie B playing in the clubs and on the radio).

The Whiskey Park North crowd was made up of a good number of beautiful people and as the sun went down, the place was packed with all kinds of people dancing and having a good time. My only complaint was that the bartender had no concept of how to serve a Guinness. She poured it like she was pouring milk or something… FAIL. Other than that a good time was had by all.

I see that the art of the pick-up line has not evolved down here. One of the girls I was with was approached by some guy and the first words out of his mouth to her were “ooh I like your thick NSFW”. Really dude? All I could think of was the Jump Smokers Douche bag song. I wanted to lean over and tell him “bro you’re over thirty”. He was the standard spiked haired, tatted up over aged club guy rockin’ the Ed Hardy gear with no game and desperately looking to get lucky.

Next was Blue Martini. As I said in my tweets last night this place must have been designed by or is owned by the same people who own Martini Park in Chicago. The layout was very similar and the main bar/ stage was identical. I switched from Guinness to Gimlets and rocked out to the sounds of the “Black Honkeys”. They were the standard funk and soul cover band you would expect for a place like this but again a good time was had by all.  The cheap drinks caught up to us quick so we headed to the Waffle House for eats before calling it a night. One of the crew bailed to clean up after an unfortunate event (she hurled all over herself).

This was a great wrap up to an amazing week of travel. To experience it with Amy, Andrea and her friends in Florida was awesome. Today I’ll lounge at the beach, watch the Wisconsin / OSU game and pack for the journey home tomorrow. I have crossed four time zones and upon arriving in Chicago will have covered nearly seven thousand miles. It was terrific to share it with you via my blog and I thank you for following along.

Enjoy the pictures from last night and I will see some of you Sunday!

Amy and Andrea after a few adult beveages.

Linda Eric and Andrea strike a pose.

Andrea and Eric making faces at the camera.

Annie, Andrea and Linda

Linda, Me, Amy and Annie.

Dan, Amy and Annie

Me and my Amy.

Andrea and Linda cheesin’.

Well, I don’t know that we actually made it into Tampa Bay proper but I was able to enjoy a Tampa Bay favorite for lunch today. Lee Roy Selmon’s restaurant (as in the Bucks hall of fame defensive end) serves an awesome burger called Dewey’s Stacked Burger. The menu describes it as USDA “Choice” ground beef grilled over an open flame topped with bacon, smoked cheddar cheese and mouth-watering pulled pork. Finished off with a drizzle of Selmon’s House sauce and served with lettuce and tomato. If I had to describe it I could do it in one shot delicious.

The area our friend Andrea lives in is really beautiful. This is my first trip to Florida and the way so much water intertwines with dry land is very interesting. Not what I am use to seeing in Chicago. I found myself saying the same thing out west when looking at the mountains surrounding San Francisco and Las Vegas. I am use to the very flat and consistent landscapes of the Midwest. It is great to see more of the varying topography of our nation.

It was a long day. Once I got settled in at Andrea’s I hit a wall and had to sleep. After traveling over 5,000 miles, spending the last week two hours benind Chicago time and now swinging one hour ahead, my body is having a real problem adjusting. Since I slept the day away I don’t have many shots of the area to show you but we did pass the Buck’s stadium and the Yankees spring training home.

Enjoy the pictures!

The Tampa Bay skyline

Tampa Bay Buckaneers headquarters

Bucks HQ from a distance

Raymond James Stadium

Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the NY Yankees

I woke up yesterday in Las Vegas, slept last night in Chicago and this morning I am in Charlotte NC flying though to Tampa Bay. I gotta give it to the people that travel like this week in and week out because it isn’t easy.That being said I wish I could travel like this all the time, I love it! We were treated to a spectacular sunrise above Chicago on our departure but the camera was stored so I have no pictures to share.

Speaking of missed photo opportunities you probably know by now that I didn’t make it to the Grand Canyon. Thanks to Senior Manager Sarah and her less than stellar customer service at Club Quarters San Francisco… YOU RUINED MY PROJECT SARAH! . I thought I could take a few spectacular shots on the aerial tour through the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam but it wasn’t to be. It’s just as well because I have been pushing myself pretty hard the last week and this trip was to be a relaxing getaway.

Amy is with me on this leg of the journey and I anticipate good times with our friend Andrea who lives in Tampa. It will be hard to transition back to nightcrawler mode on Sunday when I get back to regular life but in a lot of ways I am looking forward to it. No I didn’t say that because I know the crew at R.W. Baird are reading my blog. What can I say, I dig my gig and have some unfinished projects to tighen up.

Look for more pictures and video from Tampa over the next couple days and a new edition of TheDaily on Monday! Also if you have not contributed to our Step Out to Fight Diabetes please consider doing so. Your support is greatly appreciated and goes toward a very important cause.

Walking along Las Vegas Boulevard chugging sipping a Sapporo my mind turned to Chicago and the loss of our Olympic bid. It is one thing for Chicagoans to be divided on the issue but for the IOC to dismiss us like they did… that hurt my Windy City pride.

So what’s next? We have no large capital improvement plan to replace the Olympic project and the local schools, hospitals and transportation still need improving. Then it dawned on me. Walking along the strip with the lights flickering all around me and new construction continuing in these economic times I realized we don’t need a new plan we need to implement an old one. Legalize full scale gambling casinos in Illinois! I’ll give you a moment to finish cringing.

Alright, explain to me why Chicago could not become known as the entertainment and resort destination of the Midwest if not the nation? I envision hotel and casino developments surrounding one of our beautiful public park spaces like Garfield or Jackson Park. The open space would provide recreation for locals and tourists alike while providing a beautifully landscaped midway for the new entertainment development. Not to mention the much needed new revenue stream and infusion to the tax base. If lining up casinos around one of the parks wouldn’t work for you how about a casino in the old main post office. Come on, I know I’m not the only one that has imagined that.

I know the same arguments against the Olympic bid would apply to this sort of development plan. People would potentially be displaced, there is the fear of organized crime moving in and there would be an opportunity for insiders to make money on the plan. However, these pitfalls will be a risk in any plan moving forward and I am tired of the Chicken Little types coming out against progress with no plan of their own. Someone needs to take the lead to move Chicago forward and I would support any local and/or state candidates that would bring real gambling real revenue and real progress to Illinois.

I appreciate your time taken to read this post and as always, your positive feedback is appreciated.

Walking the strip from Excalibur Hotel and Casino to Treasure Island I encountered the most festive, over the top, opulent environment I have ever witnessed. All this on a Monday Night… can you imagine Sin City on the weekend? Tucked into the palm tree lined streets awash in the glow of neon you can find everything from corny Vegas t-shirts to luxury labels like Gucci, Fendi and more. The whole environment is designed to whip you into nirvana and keep you reaching for your wallet. You may go broke sampling all that Vegas has to offer but they will certainly make sure you have a smile on your face while you go bust.

This is my first trip to Sin City so I can’t compare this visit to more bountiful times but it seems the reports that Vegas is empty are exaggerated. The casinos, shops, restaurants and nightclubs were all buzzing Monday night. The new development called City Center is nearly ready to welcome its first guests and looks like it will add even more luxury retail and accommodations to an already over the top experience.

Your consumer options are not limited to the standard fare here. When I say it’s all for sale I mean it. Anything your sick and twisted heart desires is just a phone call away. A long the strip are men and women who appear citizenship challenged flicking these cards to draw attention. There are dozens of them standing together at various points along the strip trying to hand these cards to you. The strip is littered with cards. The cards are advertisements for companions that will visit you in the privacy of your hotel room. There are also billboard trucks driving around advertising these services. In Chicago this would be scandalous but here it’s just a part of the seduction that is Las Vegas.

Enjoy the photos!

The MGM Grand awaits.

This trip I stayed at the Excalibur Hotel. It is just down the way from Mandalay Bay and Luxor. I got a great deal on the room but it seemed to be a good distance from the center of the action. It seemed like Ceasar’s Palace was more central to the action but by no means was any part of the strip boring.

New York New York was right next door to Excalibur and across the street from the MGM Grand. I had a few drinks here Sunday night inside Coyote Ugly. The girls were a blast dancing on the bar.

The Monte Carlo looks amazing no?

I have never seen a Planet Hollywood like this one before.

From New York New York to Paris in just a 15 minute walk, not bad.

I always wondered what the big deal was with the fountain at the Bellagio… well now I know. 20 story high jets of water erupt and fall in a sophisticated synchronized spectacle.

After all these years Donny and Marie are a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll and doing well at the Flamingo.

Welcome to Ceasars Palace.

Shop till your arms are full of bags and your card is declined at The Forum Shops.

A Las Vegas Strip classic, The Mirage.

Have a Hog and a plate of ribs at Harley Davidson Cafe.

Wide shot of the strip.

Looking the other way.

Headed back to the hotel I got this shot of the lion outside the MGM.

Ahh Vegas, nothing else like it.

Hope you enjoyed the shots of the strip at night. Thanks for following along. More content to come as I work my way from Vegas to Chicago and on to Tampa Bay!