AeroShell Aerobatic Team pilot Steve Gustafson of Tallulah, La., flies a World War II era AT-6 Texan aircraft in a formation over Lake Michigan near Marquette Park Beach in Gary, Ind., during the Gary South Shore Air Show, Saturday, July 10, 2010. This image was shot with a Go Pro Hero HD camera mounted to the wing, set to capture a still image once every two seconds.

Far in the distance, though the hazy blanket of hot summer night air, they greet my eyes as shimmering, golden orbs far on the horizon. A rising planet? A star? Something from beyond our solar system? I start to get nervous, “This might be it, Guy, remain calm.” With my eyes now keenly fixed on the target, the shimmering golden color begins to ascend into a brilliant white as the orb rises higher into the sky. OK, it’s not a star, definitely not a planet

Henry Colquitt of Chicago, Ill., consoles his daughter Jackie Colquitt, 13, outside the late singer Michael Jackson’s childhood home at 2300 Jackson St. in Gary, Ind., Friday, June 25, 2010. A ceremony unveiling a monument took place at the home Friday, commemorating the first anniversary of the singer’s death.

There’s a select few events in our country’s history that have created defining, indelible memories in the minds of those who lived through them. People can tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when the news of these events broke. When I was a child, these events were often ones relegated to our parents’ memories, and passed along like cherished, historic heirlooms. They told of being curled up in front of black and white TV sets watching Neil Armstrong take his first steps on the moon, or of school teachers running into classrooms in tears with the news that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated.

Read More…

Beach goers wade in The Gulf of Mexico at Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, Friday, June 18, 2010. Indian Rocks Beach, along with much of the West coast of Florida, is currently unaffected by the Deep Horizon oil spill which has devastated much of the Northern gulf coast.

Like many residents of The United States who haven’t been living under a rock for the past 60 days or so, I’ve been keeping up with the tragic oil spill that has plagued The Gulf of Mexico and many of its shoreline communities. And, like many residents who don’t live near the affected areas, the news stories have simply been unfortunate blips on my daily radar. While disappointing and unfortunate, the oil spill doesn’t affect me directly way up here in the Chicago area. I can go about my normal routine unaffected, and the oil spill is relegated to casual mentions over dinner, if that.

Read More…

Jonathon Curry poses for a senior portrait, Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Small, battery operated flash units were used for a polished look in this location which was without A/C power.

Now that you’ve successfully chewed and swallowed that first morsel of truth I dished out in my last entry, I think you’re ready for another: I have a hard time keeping things simple. Perhaps that’s because, in my mind, “simple” often equates to mediocrity. Mediocrity terrifies me more than almost anything in life, more than wasps, accidentally falling into large bodies of water at night, and marriage