Controversial Kicks

In an article on St. Patrick's day the Belfast Telegraph wrote about a controversial shoe that was soon to be released by Nike. As pictured above, the St. Patrick's day themed "Black and Tan" was to relate to the popular drink where a 50/50 mix of Guinness and Bass Ale separate in the glass with less dense Guinness floating above the ale.

Little did Nike realize that an infamous group of WWI veteran's formed a paramilitary group called the Black and Tans in the early 1920's, which was encouraged by the Royal Irish Constabulary to suppress any uprising against British Rule. The group is particularly known for its ruthless and indiscriminate violence. The following is a quote from Lt. Col. Smyth in the Belfast Telegraph article from 1920:

"If a police barracks is burned or if the barracks already occupied is not suitable, then the best house in the locality is to be commandeered, the occupants thrown into the gutter. Let them die there - the more the merrier.
Should the order (Hands Up) not be immediately obeyed, shoot and shoot with effect. If the persons approaching (a patrol) carry their hands in their pockets, or are in any way suspicious-looking, shoot them down.
You may make mistakes occasionally and innocent persons may be shot, but that cannot be helped, and you are bound to get the right parties some time.
The more you shoot, the better I will like you, and I assure you no policeman will get into trouble for shooting any man."

As expected, Nike apologized soon after it realized its mistake.

St. Patrick's Day in Dublin

The streets of Dublin were draped in green and covered in Guinness yesterday. After a massive parade, the hundreds of thousands of spectators poured into the nearby pubs and the cobble stone streets of Temple Bar partying in full force.

I knew pictures wouldn't quite do the atmosphere justice so here's a quick video in Temple Bar.

Cultural Plan for Chicago

A fellow blogspot user that I am following is the Chicago Cultural Plan, which is currently being developed as a premier objective of the early part of the Rahm Emanuel mayorship in the city. After nearly 40 almost-continuous years of leadership under the machine politics of the Daly Mayors (Sr. and Jr.) where most of the energy was focused on the Downtown/Magnificent Mile/Michigan Avenue/Millenium Park/Central Business District a sea-change is occurring as more focus is being placed on the surrounding neighborhoods.

The Chicago Cultural Plan is an attempt to understand emphasize the existing arts and culture scene that is so vibrant within many Chicago neighborhoods while also showing support for future cultural initiatives. A senior leader of the project in Chicago recently wrote a blog entry highlighting the duties of a "Cultural Planner" and also shared how important strong support for the arts are in enriching our communities socially, culturally and economically:

"... Ask anyone what they love most about their community and they are very likely tell you about the architecture, the history, the parks, and the ethnic restaurants. The culture is what makes a place unique, and is typically what residents and visitors celebrate and hold most dear about their community." (Burros)