Chicago Ideas Week

In mid-October I was able to attend Chicago Ideas Week (October 17 to 23). A non-profit venture that attracts designers, business people, and celebrities together to discuss how they became successful in their industries. I was able to hear from Tom Arnold talk about his friend David Carr who was a writer for the New York Times. The main seminar I attended was focused on influential entrepreneurs and how they got started. The sold-out presentation at the Palace Theater included fashion designer Cynthia Rowley, Martine Rothblatt, founder of Sirius XM, and Martha Stewart. 

You can see Martha Stewart's interview here:

My photos:

House on the Rock - Part 1

Twenty three years ago my grandmother sent me a card from the House on the Rock, which is an enormous house (comprised of a series of buildings, walkways, and structures) in the middle of Wisconsin. This year, I haphazardly came across a postcard from my grandmother and I was also able to make it to House on the Rock myself. See my grandmother's card below:

Postcard reads: Dear Paul, Thank you for the Birthday card. I thought of you on my Birthday when I was at the "House on the Rocks" [sic]  I love you - Grandmother.

Located in Spring Green, Wisconsin, the House on the Rock is a little hard to describe. What is now more commonly known is that most of what is inside the House is fabricated. However, some things are 'real'. The owner Alex Jordan, must've been a little bit weird to have developed such a peculiar house. The house has collections of self playing instruments, which aren't actually playing. Recorded music is played from speakers behind the moving 'contraptions'. And there are many 'antiques' of extravagant things, like eight barrel guns that could never actually have been used, and very insecurely displayed European crown jewels, etc. So instead of being didactic the House becomes more about an overabundance in presentation and subjective opulence. The lack of explanation is the true mystery behind such a huge and bizarre house. 

More photos are coming next week! One blog couldn't do the House justice.