On Thursday Night I went to the Coe College (My Alma Mater) Alumni Reception at The Metropolitan Club on the 33rd Floor of the Willis Tower in Chicago,IL It was great to see many familiar faces and fellow alums. I enjoyed catching up on the current life at Coe with President James Phifer. It was FUN meeting so many new alums including recent graduates. One of my favorite moments of the night was catching up with Coach Marv Levy. I have met him numerous times over the years and he inspires me each and every time we re-connect. We shared a few stories and a few laughs. He said "They often call Coe the Harvard of the Midwest and he said no Harvard is the Coe of the East!".
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Coe College Alumni Event with Hall of Fame Coach Marv Levy.
On Thursday Night I went to the Coe College (My Alma Mater) Alumni Reception at The Metropolitan Club on the 33rd Floor of the Willis Tower in Chicago,IL It was great to see many familiar faces and fellow alums. I enjoyed catching up on the current life at Coe with President James Phifer. It was FUN meeting so many new alums including recent graduates. One of my favorite moments of the night was catching up with Coach Marv Levy. I have met him numerous times over the years and he inspires me each and every time we re-connect. We shared a few stories and a few laughs. He said "They often call Coe the Harvard of the Midwest and he said no Harvard is the Coe of the East!".
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Top Chef Master Rick Bayless!!
Went to The Green City Market and saw a demonstration by cooking legend and recent Top Chef Master Winner Rick Bayless. Rick is the owner of three classic Chicago restaurants.
He shared with us what he was cooking for Thanksgiving. He prepared for us a great Butternut Squash Soup.
Here is the finished Butternut Squash. I hope to make this over the Holidays. I was so GOOD! I can see why he is the Top Chef Master! The recipe can be found here Bon Appetit!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Blues Brothers ;)
I went to a Launch party for Dan Aykroyd's Crystal Head Vodka. I love the bottle. It's a Crystal Skull.I got to meet some great and FUN people. It was a true pleasure to meet Dan. Ive been laughing to him for years! I had a nice chat with him about his new book he wrote with his dad A History of Ghosts: The True Story of Seances, Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters. He is very funny and genuine in person. I had a blast! Hope our paths cross again.
Dan hooked me up with a signed copy of the 25th Anniversary edition of The Blues Brothers. One of my Favorite movies and ALL-Time Chicago Movie!Monday, November 16, 2009
Best Dive Bar in Chicago. You ve never heard of with a criminal past!
Shooting a movie at the L&L Tavern in my neighboorhood. This bar has quite a past. It was voted by Maxim Magazine as one of the best dive bars in America.
Little known fact about this joint: The question is, who's the next serial killer who drinks here? We've got our eyes on a couple guys. When Dahmer was arrested, [L&L employee] Frankie—who Dahmer hit on—said "Oh my god! That's the guy that used to drink in the corner by the window and 'chickenhawk' [watch for young men at] the Dunkin Donuts across the street!" And John Wayne Gacy showed up in full clown outfit back in the '70s.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Let the Games Begin!!. Meeting the President of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
On Sunday I had the fortune of going to a presentation by Michael Chambers, The President of The Canadian Olympic Committee. In less than 100 days the world will descend upon Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. He gave a great overview of the mission, history and venues of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. We had a great conversation on many topics from what he's most excited about, to why Chicago didn't get the 2016 Games. I love the Olympic Games and all it stands for. The world coming together in peace in the spirit of sport. He gave me numerous pins, pens, and brochures to help promote the games. He shared what Vancouver is doing to try to solve its massive homelessness problem. Vancouver is one of the warmest cities in the entire country so it attracts a lot of the homeless. Overall it was a great pleasure to meet Mr. Chambers and reignite the Olympic Spirit within me. I wish the games began tomorrow. Let the Games Begin!
The Waking Life,Rotoshop,and animation with Bob Sabiston
On Sunday afternoon I went to a presentation by one of my favorite animators., Bob Sabiston. You may not know the name but Im pretty sure you have seen his work. Bob Sabiston (born 1967) is an American film art director, computer programmer, and creator of the Rotoshop software program for computer animation. He showed two of his short films and then discussed how he and his team create such great animation. We had a great conversation after the presentation of our mutual love of philosophy. A Lot of his films have a philosophical undertone. The first film he showed is called Grasshopper.
You can watch it here.
You can watch it here. The first 8 minutes of the feature film "The Waking Life" is below.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
My afternoon with Parrot Researcher Dr. Irene Pepperberg.
Went to a talk this afternoon at Northwestern Law School by Dr. Irene Pepperberg. She is a scientist who studies Animal cognition with a focus on parrots. I have been a fan of her work for many years.
Dr. Pepperberg is showing a video of some of her 30 years of research. Her parrot Alex just recently passed away. She wrote a great book about her life with Alex. Its called Alex and Me. She found Alex in a small Pet Store in Chicago.Please watch these videos below to appreciate the depth and greatness of her work. For the video she showed us click here. Its with Alan Alda.
Legendary documentarian and cinematographer Albert Maysles
I just returned from a party at Barneys on Oak Street with legendary documentarian and cinematographer Albert Maysles. Some have called him the greatest cameraman of our time. When we took the picture above we did about 4 takes until we found one we both liked. He kept telling the camera man zoom in closer. I just watched a great documentary last week he did on Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes on ESPN. We had a fun time chatting about our mutual love of psychology and Chicago. We joked around about our glasses. He told me he has been wearing the same pair for over 40 years. If you want a pair like our glasses you can get them at www.albertmayslesglasses.com.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Bright-sided with Barbara Ehrenreich.
I went to lecture with Barbara Ehrenreich who recently wrote a new book called Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America" She lectured on ills we get for being so focused on the pursuit of Happiness. I have admired her work for years and was blessed to get a different insight into the personal growth industry. Heres a presentation that was similar to the one I witnessed. The Audacity to Win! with David Plouffe-President Obamas Campaign Manager
On Friday I got to participate in a webcast presentation with President Obama's Campaign Manager David Plouffe, Hes an incredibly nice and focused man. I can see why Obama won the election. He gets things done! He has a new book out called The Audacity to Win. Which he definitely did do. I had a nice conversation with him about bi-partisanship, I also shared with him my memories of being in Iowa for the Caucus and witnessing President Obama's historic speech. "They say this day would never come...."I have always admired David from how well he did his job in the campaign. It was nice to finally interact and ask him some of the burning questions that I had.
This is the beginning of the webcast being broadcast at the Abraham Lincoln BookShop. The shop is incredible. You must visit it. There is so much I wish I could buy. It's like a museum where every thing is for sale. The webcast should be available here shortly. Here's a great talk by David at Google!
DDB Presents: David Plouffe "The Art of the Possible" from Mode Project on Vimeo.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Mr. Kenneth Cole!!
Went to a launch party Thursday night on Michigan Avenue for Kenneth Cole's new clothing line. Met some great people, drank and had a great time . I had the opportunity to talk with the great designer Mr. Kenneth Cole. His line of Mens clothes are some of my favorites. I like how they have a simple and clean look. Mr. Cole showed me a few pieces in his new line. I asked him some business advice for a friend who is starting a clothing line. He said don't do anything that already exists, be original, create something new. I admire his efforts to raise A Wear Ness He does make a difference.
One of my Favorite Chefs...Food Network's Tyler Florence!
Went to a Chef Demo and product launch by Tyler Florence while he was in Chicago. Tyler told me Chicago is one of his favorite cities in the world! I tend to agree with him. It was fun to learn some basic cooking skills with Tyler. People better watch out, I may be a cooking machine. Tyler has got some great cookbooks out. He also has a great program on the Food Network. Check out his shows and books.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Hanging with Big Buff! Chicago Blackhawk Dustin Byfuglein.
Had a Great Time hanging out and goofing around with Blackhawks player Dustin Byfugleinat at Whiste Sox GM Kenny Williams bar called Market. He's wearing my glasses. He thinks hes cool. Buff is one of the biggest hockey players I have ever seen. He told some hilarious stories I cant repeat. Buff rarely gets in fights because you would think he would destroy everybody with his size. Had an wild time. Hope to do it again soon.
My favorite NEW Building Downtown Chicago. AQUA!
The Founder of Chicago. Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable
I love this photo I took because it shows the statute of Jean Baptiste DuSable along the river with all the modern outgrowths in the background.
Having some drinks with former Playboy CEO Christie Hefner
What a great and classy lady!. Ms Christie Hefner and I sat down for some conversation and drinks at the Fairmont Hotel. We both had attended a great lecture by Michael Sandel on "Justice". So we were joking around with the book tugging at it to hold it up. I am proud of Christie and her great work in the community. She left Playboy and is now working on mentoring young students. I admire what she has accomplished. I am grateful for the time we had to connect and converse.
Michael Sandel-Professor of the MOST POPULAR class at Harvard University!
Professor Michael Sandel of Harvard University teaches a course called "Justice."You can find the entire course from Harvard online here. It is also on PBS. Check you local listings. Ive been watching the videos to his class like crazy online over the past 2 weeks. They are SO GOOD. So it was a great honor to meet Michael and thank him for his GREAT contributions to society by teaching such an important course. I wish EVERYONE would watch this class. Goto CharlieRose.com and type in his name for a great interview. Heres a sample into to his course below.
Does that make me Mac? If hes a PC Hanging with John Hodgman
I had so much FUN listen to John Hodgman. He so intellectual, witty and snarky. He has a lot of strange insights which just crack me up. He read numerous pages from his first book all about this place they call Chicago but doesn't really exist. He said he uses a Mac, in fact many of them and that he re-did his kitchen in iphones. Catch him regularly on the Daily Show plus he has 2 books that look hilarious. It was a lot of fun to crack some jokes with him after his performance. We are being filmed for when his perfformance airs online.
Jaume Plensa- Sculptor of The Crown Fountain and my Favorite Overall Sculptor!
It was a GREAT pleasure to meet the sculptor of one of my favorite pieces of art in the city of Chicago. He told me and few others some wonderful stories of what inspires him and how he works. Whats fortunate for Chicago is that he is going to be a visiting lecturer at the School of the Art Institute.
Jaume on stage at the Art Institute talking about the construction and inspiration of the Crown Fountain in Millenium Park
Here is a photo I took of the Crown fountain right before the lecture. Here is Part 1 of a keynote lecture Jaume did. You can find the other 8 parts on Youtube
My visit to the Trump International Hotel and Tower
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CITY FROM 70 STORIES UP!!
Looking East up the river towards Navy Pier and Lake Michigan
Looking down on Michigan Avenue and the Wrigley Building
Looking Northwest over the cityMonday, November 9, 2009
I met one of my HEROES Tonight!
Dr Paul Farmer is a physician, Harvard Medical School Professor and a founder of Partners in Health. He is making a HUGE impact in many of the poorest countries in the world.
Please watch a profile of him from 60 Minutes.
Watch CBS News Videos Online http://bit.ly/2njCc0
He is incredibly inspiring. I feel he should receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his Global impact on Health. I had a the pleasure of meeting Dr Farmer while he was in Chicago speaking at the Facing History and Ourselves event and while meeting with Chicagoans who are supporters of his Partners in Health Organization.
I sat in the front row of his lecture with a 12 year old girl and her mother. This young girl was inspiring to me because she told me her hero is Dr. Farmer. She has read all the books about him. I told her and her mother how proud I was to meet them and how great it is for them to have role models like Dr Farmer. I wish all children could say the same. I had the fortune of introducing Dr. Farmer to this girl after the talk. It was a thrill for me to met one of my heroes but it was even more of a thrill to watch this girl meet hers.
Please read Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. and support Partners in Health.
20 years ago today!
The world changed 20 years ago today!. The fall of the Berlin wall signaled the end of communism as we know it in the West. It unleashed a wave freedom across Europe. I carried the piece of Berlin Wall that I own with me all day to remind me of that momentous day and to be grateful for the wonderous freedoms we get to live every day.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
New Videos from Inspire2Act
people can subscribe to your videos on youtube so when you update and post a video to youtube everyone gets an email like this when you update. (Obviously when you choose to)
From: YouTube Service [mailto:service@youtube.com]
Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2009 3:10 AM
To: robertedwardneumangrayjr@gmail.com
Subject: New Videos from Inspire2Act
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Your Latest Subscription VideosHere are the newest videos from each of your subscriptions. To change the subscriptions for which you receive updates, or to turn off updates, go to your email options.
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Friday, October 23, 2009
Dr Drew and Loveline LIVE!
I went to a special edition of LOVELINE Radio Show with Dr. Drew Pinsky at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was hosted by Q101. After the show I got to hang with Dr. Drew. We had a great conversation on addiction and psychology. He even gave me some fitness tips. Real down to earth and cool guy. The night was so fun my eyes wanted to jump out of my head.
This a great video summary of the night. Check me out at :27 seconds.!Friday, October 16, 2009
@robertgrayjr Congrats! You won a pair of tix to see Banana Shpeel by Cirque du Soleil at The Chicago Theatre! http://tiny.cc/CDS740
@robertgrayjr Congrats! You won a pair of tix to see Banana Shpeel by Cirque du Soleil at The Chicago Theatre! http://tiny.cc/CDS740
Sunday, September 13, 2009
New blog post- a quote about the power of the erotic to inform our daily existence: http://bit.ly/2ni0SW
New blog post- a quote about the power of the erotic to inform our daily existence: http://bit.ly/2ni0SW
For once we begin to feel deeply all the aspects of our lives, we begin to demand from ourselves and from our life-pursuits that they feel in accordance with that joy which we know ourselves to be capable of. Our erotic knowledge empowers us, becomes a lens through which we scrutinize all aspects of our existence, forcing us to evaluate those aspects honestly in terms of their relative meaning within our lives.
-Audre Lorde , Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power
Saturday, August 15, 2009
April Rose & Lauren
Went to meet Maxim Model April Rose. I hooked her up with my friend Lauren Strec.
Lauren is in competition to be the Spokesperson for the TV Show Chicago Huddle. April was the previous host of the show last year. Please vote for Lauren at http://bit.ly/lDfFr. You can Vote up to 5 times. She will only WIN if people VOTE!Sunday, August 2, 2009
Danny Fisher's 50 Greatest "Mindful" Films of All Time http://bit.ly/eybMQ
Danny Fisher's 50 Greatest "Mindful" Films of All Time http://bit.ly/eybMQ
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
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