Posted by John on Feb 23, 2009 in
Business Okay, time for a travelogue. I recently returned from a video shoot for client BP at their Whiting, Indiana facility; the oldest continuously operating oil refinery in the world, and still the largest in the Midwest. Whiting opened in 1890 on then rural shoreline at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, and the ensuing appetite for gasoline to feed new-fangled automobiles spawned a boom that built one of America’s first “company towns” for 10,000 employees and familes. I worked in a bunker-like building as solid as the day it was erected in 1910, breaking only for cheeseburgers and fries from Shoop’s, another institution rooted in the neighborhood since 1948.
You won’t find Whiting on the Travel Channel. Its location could designate it as the buckle of what has been disparaged as the Rust Belt. Still, while sunny empires collapse from Lauderdale to La Jolla, Whiting still works. It was exhilarating to be among fellow Midwesterners who endure the old fashioned way, by showing up every day with sleeves rolled up (or more accurately, coveralls donned per refinery rules) and muscles ready. Even shooting a video gets your hands dirty at a place like this, but there’s something oddly purifying about the grime.
Posted by John on Feb 10, 2009 in
Calendar,
Music,
Programs When the groundhog spied his shadow on February 2 , many were dismayed at the prospect of six more weeks of winter. In the chilly cheeseland I call home, kick-starting spring by March 16 is a forecast I’d relish. For one thing, it means that the ground will match the mood on St. Patrick’s one day later.
So, why not think green and schedule my Smilin’ St. Paddy’s Party into your festivities? I’ve booked a couple of dates but several, including the blessed day itself, are still available. My Celtic combination of well-known favorites and lesser-known gems is peppered with jokes and not one, but several Irish blessings. Make it a lucky day for both of us and contact my alter ego, Paddy O’Chair, at me@johnduggleby.com.
Posted by John on Feb 2, 2009 in
Calendar,
Music Want to feel warm in a hurry? If you’re near a computer on Thursday evening, February 5, tune in to a live webcast from the Green Parrot in Key West, Florida, where I’ll be kicking some percussive butt with the venerable bluegrass ensemble Piper Road Spring Band. I hope to be working up a sweat that even my northern brethren will feel through their monitors. The gig is from 10 pm-2 am Eastern time (yawn), so you in other zones– including Twilight– can figure it out from there. The webcam can be found at www.greenparrot.com . It’s probably on right now, but I’m not there– yet. My three-date Florida schedule is carved in silicon on my Calendar. The band (without me) played some dates last week that have wound up on YouTube, so you can search there using their name as well. Just don’t expect me to be in anything dated earlier than February 5… except in spirit. See you in Cyberspace!
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