Timezoneone Blog

            Blog. Spelled backward, it’s gold-pretty close, anyway.  And the family name that sits pretty close to my first name is, of all things, Gold.

            The Gold family is comprised of the lovely and talented Southside Patty (32 years of watching over me, of blond-haired and blue-eyed Scandinavian heritage, nine brothers and sisters). Ben, the eldest (tattooed with characters of his favorite horror movies, lighly-pierced, married, kind, hard, hard rock drummer and barista), Amy (lovely, lovely daughter-in-law wife to Ben, artistic, born and bred in Rockport IL), Max, the second (film editor, 5-string bass player, deep, smart, wise, fine artist, blond, and curly), Mason the third (percussionist with a particular bent for Afro-Cuban hand drums, print producer, willowy, ass-shaking funny, animal loving, party loving), Joe the fourth (film student, trying to figure out where he misplaced his identity, strong as an ox, dancing fool, Vietnamerican), and Zoe the fifth (flute and piano playing, ballet dancing, singing and acting, coffee colored skin, Bat Mitzvahed in an Irish Pub Jewish Vietnamese Princess from the west side of Chicago).

            That’s my Gold family.

            All of our first names are 3 letter names.

            Lor, Pat, Ben, Max, Mason, Joe, and Zoe.

            “Hold on there, wise guy”, you’re saying.  ”What about Mason?  Mason’s not a 3 letter word”.

            Well, he was suppose to be a 3 letter name.  His name was suppose to be Sam.  If he was Sam, Gold family’s little 3 letter name joke would have been kept in tact.  But when Mason was born, much to our disappointment, he did not look like a Sam.  No matter how hard we tried, no matter how we wanted to get past this painful crossroad of life, we could not see a Sam laying there in his little swaddling cloth. 

            So we named him Mason.

            And Mason spelled backward is “no Sam”.

            And blog spelled backward is glob-which takes us nowhere.

Lor Glob - blogging out for the year and potentially forever….

            I’m rarely without something to say.           

            But today, I am.

            Here’s what my somewhat silent day has been about.  I’ve done a story for Promo magazine about our honest-to-god, wild and uniquely positioned organization.  I was moved to put together a list of what I thought were the best of blues, r&b, rock and bawdy bar tunes starting from the 20’s and stretching all the way to the turn of this brand new century.  I did it for a possible new client who loves the art of sound as much as I do and with whom I really consider a new friend.  I was allowed to be thrilled senseless by hearing from a whole lot of people with whom I’ve lost touch-and they found me again. They found me by reading the articles that have come out about us.  And they envy me.  And they’re exceedingly interested in my connection with all of you.  I also got to talk to Brett for an hour.  More importantly, I got to really listen to Brett.  I got to talk to Richie McD about the future-which looks amazing and bright and right because Richie is amazing and bright and right.  I got to hear about the beginnings of TimeZoneSun and why it exists.  I got to look again at the work we’re about to present to Crocs and stare and shake my head yes at what fantastic thinking looks like.  I got to meet David from NZ.  He’s on his way to Indy to take pictures of a Nascar.  And I can’t wait for him to come back so I can buy him a patty melt at Mary’s Diner and talk baseball.  David is here at a supernatural time when both of Chicago’s baseball teams-The Cubs and The White Sox-are both in the playoffs for the first time since 1906.
            What I got to do is reaffirm why I’m here. At TimeZoneOne.  With all of you.

            Everyday is a crossroad.  Every morning I get to choose what I already have and what else I’d like to have.  Every afternoon, I get to wonder if where I am is the place to be-and of course it always is.  And when darkness sets in and the night takes over, I get to hope that I get to do it all over again.    

            I guess it’s not that I have nothing to say.

            It’s that I have too much to say and my mouth hasn’t caught up.

            I guess today, my head has moved down the road but my mouth is hanging out back there, somewhere.

            It’s 4:16pm.  The bottom of the 8^th inning.  The score is 6 to 3, Tampa Bay. Go White Sox.

Lor Gold

It is not only little old Timezoneone that has a New Zealand/Chicago connection.
Recently Vincent Ward’s new feature Rain Of The Children was selected for the Chicago Film Festival. 

It is not the first time that Ward has won in Chicago. In 1980 he won a Silver Hugo at Chicago for his documentary In Spring One Plants Alone. Rain of the Children uncovers the story of an elderly Maori woman who was the subject of Ward’s In Spring One Plants Alone, which he made when he was 21. It showed the life of 80-year-old Puhi who lived in remote bush country looking after her 40-year-old son Niki. Ward lived with Puhi for 18 months but never unravelled the mystery of her life. In the new film, we learn her extraordinary story.

Ward is one of New Zealand’s best known directors and has won international acclaim with a reputation for making films with a unique, deeply human vision. Since his debut feature Vigil (1984), he has directed several well known films – The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988) and Map of the Human Heart, What Dreams May Come (1993), starring Robin Williams, as well as writing the story for Alien 3.

Kim

Two weeks ago I got to enjoy all the wonders of international air exploration to meet our new team member in Chicago.It was a wonderfully exciting week, highlighted by
· My second call up for the Fenders Cricket Team
· Being run into the ground by Rich on a wee jog lakeside
· Home BBQ cooking at the loft overlooking the city
· Thai take out on the Tattershaw’s new deck overlooking the city (note to kiwi diy’ers, deck’s in Chicago are built of plastic look a like decking due to the range in temperatures, the kiwi diy culture has no chance of taking off in Metro Chicago)
· Listening to wonderfully talented lawyers finding the longest possible way of telling you maybe!
· The office local pub where you can dine outside to the back ground noise of trains and jack hammers
· Shopping for dress up’s for the girls at the Disney store and Target

Travel Tip next time you have a few hours in San Fran Airport
Jump on the BART Train, get off at the first stop and enjoy the wonders of mall shopping. You can store your bags and take a shower at the travel agency in the airport.

Andy

Can you pass the third grade? Do you know your North Dakota from your North Carolina? How well would you do naming all the states of the United States of America?

With this game, you have a few minutes to drag the names of the US states and drop them in the right places on the map. The TimeZoneOne team have clients all around the USA so I am sure we will all deliver big scores! 

Click on the link below to play the game but be warned, it is very addictive!

http://www.pibmug.com/files/map_test.swf

Nigel Scores 40

One the best things about living and working in Chicago is the summer - although short lived, only June till September, it is spectacular!  Super hot days with long summer nights that don’t cool off, the city is alive with street parties, summer sales, sailing events, outside dining, beach volleyball, fireworks, green tree-lined streets, grilling out, and movies in the park.  But one of my favorite things has to be wandering around our neighborhood, which is called ‘Little Italy’, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Chicago, and seeing snippets of what it must have been like when it was filled with Italian immigrants and ruled by the mob.

The Italians started moving to Chicago in the 1850’s and by the 1930’s there was around 75,000 Italians, with a big number of them, particularly from Sicily, residing in the Little Italy area.  The area boomed, and with it a proliferation of Italian restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores.

The story goes that residents of Chicago’s Little Italy warily observed a poplar tree that stood at the corner of Taylor and Loomis streets (one block from where we now live) and carved into the trunk were the names of neighborhood residents who had refused to submit to the Black Hand’s extortion attempts.

One hundred years later, the “Dead Mans Tree” is gone, but organized crime is once again a hot topic in Chicago, as the most important mob trial in decades continues to unfold at the Dirksen Federal Building in the Loop. The Outfit’s reputation still inspires terror — so much so that the identities of the jurors in the ‘Family Secrets’ trial are shielded to protect them from threats.

But the neighborhood once ruled by the mob has changed, today I watch old men sitting smoking cigars outside the unmarked storefronts of private men’s clubs. Push my way through crowds of people queuing up for one of Marios famous Italian ices late into the night.  Say hello to old Italian women sweeping their steps. Sit sipping a latte under the statue of Joe DiMaggio just off the main street and visit the traditional Italian grocer that imports the most amazing prosciutto, still wrapping it in old fashioned grease proof paper.  But there’s one restaurant I wander by that always sends my imagination racing; Rosebuds, an old Italian Men’s Supper Club once a haunt of Robert DeNiro, Tony Bennett, Carol Burnett, Robert Redford and Frank Sinatra, a gallery of black and white autographed photos lines the walls, they’re so nostalgic that I feel transported in time and can almost hear Frankie belting out ‘My Kind of Town’ across the hot smoke filled rooms.

“A nostalgic Chicagoan” - Raewyn

Yup, you can ban just about anything…

It’s the law: No Sagging Pants in Chicago suburb

or you’ll get one of these.

Matt

This week is the 4th of July and for the New Zealanders among us who might not know much about this American holiday I have gathered a little information from the great Wikipedia (below). As for all you Americans ‘Happy Independence Day’ from all of us here in New Zealand.

4th of July:
In the United States, Independence Day (commonly known as the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States, but is often also viewed as simply a summer festival, apart from its patriotic overtones.

And to get you in the spirit here is one of the better 4th of July fireworks displays:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeFi3SDi_n8

Alaina

Fonterra (a New Zealand based dairy cooperative) has recently moved its U.S. headquarters location from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to O’Hare, Chicago.

Fonterra collects and supplies fresh milk from farmers and exports a range of dairy products including milk powder, butter and cheese. It owns brands such as Anchor, Tip Top, Anlene and Mainland and has distribution networks across North America, Europe and Asia.

So, a big TimeZoneOne G’day to the Fonterra bro’s and chicks. We look forward to having you all into the agency for welcome drinkies. We’ll supply the Kiwi Pinot, you bring the cheese…

Richard

Traveling in the U.S.A is nothing new for the TZ1 Business team, however for this New Zealand zoner it is a truly unique experience. So sitting here at Sydney airport, waiting to mosey on back (something I learnt to do in the U.S) to the creative hub, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what has been an interesting time.

First off, it was a real shame my luggage was lost somewhere in the void which is LAX. It put a dampener on my first couple of days as I stressed out over having lost everything I had bought with me. My t-shirt collection would never been the same and the small matter of 50 odd cricket shirts for the TZ1 Fenders Cricket Team lost was enough to send the Chicago office into despair. I won’t mention airlines, but thankfully I was re-UNITED with my luggage with 2 days left of my trip. Luckily Boulder, Colorado had plenty of shopping to offer and I made it through the week without offending too many noses.

Pretzels! Why, why, why! Of all the things to be offered on an airplane they give you the one thing that tastes like cardboard, and are bound to leave you dehydrated if you don’t partake in the beverage service. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I love flying the friendly skies as much as anyone else, but one tip… eat before you get on the plane, and then spend the time on the plane worrying if your luggage made it, better yet carry-on, but note you will have to make a mad dash to the front of the queue to ensure you get overhead baggage space as it is almost as valuable as gold. Well enough of the moaning (sorry if I have bored anyone), and on to the highlights…

Boulder , home of Crocs and Mork and Mindy . It was my second visit to Colorado, and this time I got the chance to have a walk around and take in the sights. Having now done that I can say Boulder is alot like Christchurch, and because of that I felt right at home. This Zoner could easily live and enjoy life there as it is a friendly, easy-going place. For anyone planning a trip to the USA, Boulder would be a great addition.

Chicago, as ol’ blue eyes Sinatra would say - my kind of town. Again this city was like a home away from home for me. Having lived in the big smoke before (Sydney), I am used to big cities and don’t find them intimidating. I probably did too much work and not enough sight-seeing while I was there (entirely my fault) but from what I did see it is one of the truly great world cities and one I would like to visit again (hint, hint, Zoner Business Team!) For anyone visiting I would recommend skipping Sears Towers and instead visit the Hancock Observatory , walk the magnificent mile, get down to the lake side, and visit Navy Pier . This is only a small part of a huge city but alot of fun.

All in all I had a great time and would do it again a million time over, but I am looking forward to getting home, sleeping in my own bed, and seeing the team in NZ.

So thanks to the Business Team for having me and I see you back there again soon (hint, hint, hint!)

Homeward Bound Blogger Tim.

P.S. To everyone in the creative studio… Australian Customs confiscated all the American candy I was bringing back, so sorry no Baby Ruths, Reeces Pieces, or Twinkies this time.