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EDITORIAL Publisher: BOI Magazine, Inc. Editor: Nate Daniels Feature Editor: John Stephens Media: Sylvia Stewart Graphic Design: Titanium Graphics Layout Specialist: Jerry Ellison Social Media: Mike@Night
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COVER Model: Carter Wilson @ Fitness Formula Club
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COVER STORY
Interview with Cover Model Carter Wilson Q: Where are you originally from? A: I grew up on a farm in southeast South Dakota and currently I live in Wrigleyville.
Q: Where did you go to school or study at? A: I went to Augustana College (Sioux Falls, SD) and Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (they have different names now)
Q: Do you have any hobbies? A: Yes, my hobbies are piano, exercise, reading,
learning new things from select Youtube channels
Q:
What is your favorite music that you like to listen to?
Q: What's one of your special talents? A: Taking the contrary point of view to groupthink, playing the devil’s advocate (so to speak), etc......technical or analytical writing.
Q: What do you think of Chicago? A: Chicago's really made up of a diverse
group of people who seem to get along relatively well, considering how diverse it is. The high rises, park, and bike trail along the lake is a huge part of the city’s charm.
Q:
Do you have any advice or something that you’ve learned along the way and would like to share with our readers?
A:
Q:
Yes, If there’s something you really don’t like or strongly disagree with, sometimes if there’s no immediate danger, it is better to avoid feeding into that thing and giving it any energy, and to avoid “fighting for” your cause. It has been said that you become a version of what you fight against; it’s better to deal with the thing you don’t like by starving it of energy, essentially.
A:
Q:
A:
I like everything by Karen Carpenter and the Carpenters, also club/dance music from the late ‘90s and early 2000s, all classical piano music (but not necessarily the obvious pieces people associate with that) Would you like to tell us anything about your family? Glad you asked, my oldest niece just had a baby, who is half Peruvian. I am very excited to meet her, but I haven’t had the chance to travel to her home yet.
Q:
How did you first come to be photographed as a model?
That's great advice! What would you like to see in the future?
A:
I'd like to see less reliance on large news outlets and bureaucracies, run by God knows who or what, to tell us what is true, to tell us what our local reality should look like, to tell us what to think about, etc.
A:
My friends at Indiana University had a liquidlatex specialty-type website and also an exerciseoriented website for which they needed a feature person to use for the site.
Instead I'd like to find a community that resonates with you and build the world you want locally instead of worrying about trying to control everyone/everything to meet some sort of uniform standard.
Q:
Great, and good luck with your vision of the future, we sure can all use positive thinking. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with our readers at boiMAGazine.
Is there anything that you would like people to know about you?
A:
Ya, that I can be funny, but in a sarcastic or teasing kind of way.
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Special thanks to FFC East Lakeview Chicago for hosting location of photo shoot.
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FITNESS
Stay In Shape, Get Fit and Stay Healthy Whether your 2022 sights are set on running a half-marathon, lifting heavier weights, or just moving more, working with a personal trainer or coach can help you get there. Sure, there’s a time and place for following cookie-cutter workouts, but sometimes real change comes from having personal feedback around your specific exercise needs and lifestyle. While some might have seen personal training as a splurge in the past, more people are considering virtual personal training or online fitness coaching now because they see it as a way to prioritize their self-care and health, especially if they’ve canceled or put a pause on their gym and group fitness memberships. “I really think personalized fitness is going to be important and doing workouts that are sustainable. People are smart enough to understand that there are no quick fixes and that they need to find something that they really enjoy doing. They also want to know the reason behind the exercises that they’re doing and how it’s going to help them get to their goals,” says Sal Nakhlawi, a certified functional strength coach with an online health coaching program that provides customized training and nutrition plans, lifestyle guidance, and community. Over the past year, we’ve seen many trainers expanding their personal-training businesses digitally, offering one-on-one training and customized workout plans, as well as smaller group fitness classes that follow a specific program geared toward honing a certain goal or skill. Training apps like True Coach and Talent Hack have allowed them to do that. And the numbers show it: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for personal trainers and fitness instructors is projected to grow 39% from 2020 to 2030, a rate that’s much faster than the average of any other occupation. While the pandemic affected personal trainers’ job prospects, most have been able to adapt and earn more by offering online services, according to a 2021 survey from the Personal Trainer Development Center.
Even digital fitness brands like Kemtai, Peloton, Mirror, Tonal, and Tempo are realizing the demand for more personalized fitness by developing at-home technology that corrects your form, offers feedback, and designs workouts made for your goals. Many of us still mostly work from home and because of that, there’s a greater appreciation for 10, 15, 20, and 30 minute workouts you can easily squeeze in during your lunch break or between Zoom meetings. Apps, including Equinox+, Peloton, Apple Fitness+, obe fitness, and Nike Training Club, have libraries of express workouts that allow you to incorporate more movement into your day. “Something that I continue to lean into is telling my community to commit to less so you can show up more. My quickie category of fiveand 10 minute arms, abs, and butt workouts allows my clients to be able to commit to that. They find that moving for just five minutes can really turn their day around, and it has the mental health component,” says Megan Roup, founder of The Sculpt Society, a dance cardio and sculpting workout app. Dedicating just five or 10 minutes to moving can give you a mental reset during your day by taking your mind off of stressful, allconsuming tasks. Shorter workouts also help reduce the hassle of making room in your schedule for larger blocks of time to work out. In addition, shorter workouts give you the freedom to mix up your routine and get a well rounded workout. Irace says that 40% of Equinox members “class stack”: for example, doing a 15 minute run before a 30 minute strength class. “My instinct is that many will lean into shorter workouts when they are squeezing something in at home and dedicate themselves to somewhat longer gym visits when they work out in a club or studio,” Irace says. “But clubs would be smart to have classes or workouts of varying durations to allow members to choose what works for them on any given day. More options will be key for 2022.”
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national autonomous VEHICLE DAY May 31, 2022 Embrace the future of travel on Autonomous Vehicle Day, celebrated yearly on May 31. While self-driving cars have until recently only lived in our imaginations (or on the silver screen), technology and science have combined to bring us the dawn of a new era in travel, when automobiles can go from one place to another without anyone touching the wheel. Founded to honor the advances in the autonomous vehicle industry and to recognize the potential opportunities thereof, Autonomous Vehicle Day shows us how close we are to a sea change in the way the world travels. Autonomous vehicles are not a new concept, the legend of flying carpets is the earliest form of human imagination dreaming up a driverless vehicle. Multiple technology innovations over the years have brought autonomous vehicle development to where it is today such as the guidance system of torpedoes and General Motors’ 1958 Chevy, which had pick-up coils allowing this model to steer itself. In fact, this journey began almost 100 years ago, when army engineer Francis Houdina attached a radio control system to a car, allowing him to control it via remote control. To demonstrate features like turning, moderating speed, and honking, he drove this car around the streets of New York. Apparently, the driverless car spooked passersby, who took to calling it the ‘phantom car’. Of course, innovation in autonomous vehicles is not limited to cars alone. Local Motors developed Olli, which is an automated electric, cognitive shuttle, which can transport up to 12 passengers
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at a time. Additionally, self-driving passenger vehicles, self-driving buses, and autonomous commercial trucks are also being developed. The Department of Defense is also purportedly developing self-driving military vehicles. Entrepreneurial ecosystem platform Emerging Prairie and American technology talk show host Marlo Anderson founded Autonomous Vehicle Day in 2017. What's there to like about Autonomous Vehicle Day? We’re going (back) to the future! Self-driving cars are what the movies and sci-fi books have promised us for a while now, and we’re excited to see how this reality will look. This day helps us take a quick stroll down memory lane and see how reality compares to the showbiz version of autonomous cars. So far, they’ve surpassed our expectations. Safe driving is a thing of the future The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported around 94% of all traffic crashes are caused by human error. Reducing the human role is expected to reduce car accidents and save lives. This also has the add-on benefit of saving money. If you don’t crash, you don’t need to rehabilitate your vehicle, saving you countless dollars over the years. It also inspires everyone to share in the experience of autonomous cars. The autonomous vehicle industry has been making great strides to change the future of travel as we know it, and we are here for the revolution. If more and more people knew about it they can embrace for what will be our future.
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After its acclaimed record-breaking run in New York City, Jonathan Rockefeller’s Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, here it comes, The New Musical Stage Adaptation arriving in Chicago on March 15, 2022 for a limited 13 week run through June 12, 2022, bringing Pooh, Christopher Robin, and their best friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit and Owl (and Tigger too!) to the historic Mercury Theatre Chicago located at 3745 N. Southport Ave. Inspired by the beloved books by A. A. Milne and the classic Disney featurettes, the production was welcomed in New York with rave reviews where it was called “A perfect reintroduction to live theater. It’s a captivating adventure with spectacular puppetry,” (Mommy Poppins); “Charming and whimsical stage show that Pooh surpasses every expectation I had for it,” (The Laughing Place); “Winnie the Pooh is delightfully first-rate,” (Theatre Pizzazz); “Irresistible. ‘Winnie the Pooh’ is sweeter than honey,” (DC Metro Arts); “An hour of bountiful joy,” (New York Theatre Guide); “Mesmerizing life-size puppets and original Sherman Brothers tunes, the beautiful new Winnie the Pooh musical is must-see,” (Theatrely); and “The wonderful thing about musicals is that musicals are wonderful things. The New ‘Winnie the Pooh’ Musical Is Sweeter than Honey,” (Toy Insider.) “The music, the life-size puppets, and the charming performances are the perfect way to introduce (or re-introduce) audiences to live theatre, and this is a must-see show for Winnie the Pooh fans of all ages. I am thrilled to be entrusted to bring this celebrated character to the stage for new audiences as they join our adventure into the Hundred Acre Wood. And what a grand adventure we had in New York City and now we look forward to celebrating Pooh and friends in Chicago,” said Jonathan Rockefeller, creator of Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Adaptation. In a new story from the Hundred Acre Wood, this fresh stage adaptation is told with impressive life-size puppetry, telling exciting new stories featuring characters
that have played iconic roles in the lives of children for generations. Accompanying the magical, modern narrative is an original score from Nate Edmondson, which features some of the songs written for the animated feature from The Sherman Brothers’, including Winnie the Pooh, The Blustery Day, The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers and Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce and A.A. Milne’s The More It Snows (featuring music by Carly Simon) and Sing Ho, a new arrangement. Winnie the Pooh broke theatre box office records during its New York premiere for largest advance and is developed and presented by renowned family entertainment creator Jonathan Rockefeller (whose spectacular puppetry is omnipresent in the acclaimed productions of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, Paddington Gets in a Jam and the recently released streaming film Paddington Saves Christmas). A leader in family entertainment, Rockefeller Productions values, please note that the safety of its patrons and its staff and will enforce current CDC and industry safety standards, all patrons will be required to wear a mask inside the theatre, and every person 12 + will be required to show proof of vaccine before entering the theatre. Children 511 will be admitted with one vaccine that was administered at least 14 days prior to performance. For children under 5, proof of a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance start time or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within 6 hours of the performance start time will be accepted. Health and safety protocols are subject to change in accordance with CDC and local public health mandates.
Tickets are available on their website at: www.WinnieThePoohShow.com Performances days and times are Thursdays at 7pm., Fridays at 10am. and 7pm., Saturdays at 10am., 2 and 7pm. and Sundays at 11am. and 3pm., with ticket prices starting at $38. boiMAG.com 13
TUNING IN
Interview with Seb by Nicky Roland In this issue, I’ll be talking to a fellow house producer who over the last couple of years has become a good friend and partner in crime. House of Seb is a French underground house music producer from the South of France. A huge fan of Chicago House, he revived his music production passion during the height of the lockdown and hasn’t looked back since. I have edited some of Seb’s responses for legibility but tried to preserve his tone throughout this interview.
Q:
Hi Seb, it’s a pleasure to finally sync up and do a feature on you. Could you start by telling our readers a bit about who you are and where you’re from?
A: Of course,
and thank you very much Nicky for this great opportunity to be interviewed by you. I am Seb, from House Of Seb, born in the North of France near Belgium. I am married, 2 children, 1 dog and I live in Vence in the South of France. I’ve always loved technology and testing new things like a geek and I’ve released 4 patents in the computing area. I am currently working in a big company as Applications, Data and Artificial Intelligence Director.
Q:
When did you first start getting into music, and when did you discover your passion for House.
A: I’ve loved music of all styles for as long as I can
remember, new sounds, new styles... I was born in the 70s, so as you can probably imagine, music was rich with many different styles that were filling our lives and airwaves. My passion for Electronic music and House started at the end of 80s when I first discovered electronic music. Frankie Knuckles you know? He became my reference. My passion increased with the ´New Beat movement’ and
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opportunities to go to a famous big Belgian club ´Boccaccio Life ´ which at this period was the biggest temple of electro, where electro lovers from numerous countries congregated every weekend.
Q:
Chicago House has been a huge influence on you and your music, what attracted you specifically to the Chicago sound, and have you ever made the pilgrimage to the mecca of House?
A: Do you remember what I said? Franky
Knuckles was my reference. The House Music movement was launched in Chicago and even today in my opinion, all other movements like EDM fall in behind it. Chicago House is for me the mother of them all. I love it, as it’s a style derived from disco and funk, which was in my roots. I had the opportunity with my job 10 years ago to visit Chicago and you can imagine how happy I was to be there and listen to famous Chicago house tracks in this location. You are true it was like a pilgrimage. Amen!
Q:
You leverage a combination of AI and played instrumentation in your music, could you explain your technique and workflow to our readers?
A: Of course, technology as you know
evolves a lot and very quickly. I see and use the AI only to assist me during the creation phase when there are periods of lack of inspiration or when I’m stuck finding the appropriate chords for a melody. I use an iMac and logic pro X which for me is the best hardware/software to produce my music. I used AI in a limited way as it cannot generate emotions; emotions are generated and created by the artist. It needs to stay like that. I also use AI during the mixing mastering phase with wonderful tools like Ozone to help me to adjust sounds and frequency in the stereo shield and be at the right level of commercial tracks. AI must be used to save time, assist, and provide guidance for better quality, but not to produce a full track otherwise we cannot be called artists.
Q:
Who are your biggest musical influences, and if you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
A: I love also Jamie Principle, Mike Dunn,
Mousse T. They are all my musical fathers in this style and the reference in House Music. I cannot spend a week without listening to one of their tracks. Nicky Roland is very good as well, isn’t he? :-) You asked me about collaboration, what about we produce a track together in the future?
Q:
You produce music and a ton of marketing material while holding down a full-time job, how do you balance things?
A: There are two reasons. First, I don’t sleep
much, and early in the morning or late at night I have time to manage my social media channels answering fans, and the tons of messages that I received. I do that at these times as it needs to be managed quickly to ensure engagement and respect for the people who are asking questions or contacting me. It’s also the best time to not be disturbed by external events which can break your productivity. The second reason is to have a strong process of creation using a methodology to ensure that you quickly finish what you started. All of what I do and create is capitalized and never a waste. Even if I don’t use it immediately I know that I can reuse it later. I also use some automated tools to simplify the creation of media and spread them in a consistent and quality way.
Q:
What would be your dream engagement?
A: I would love when the people are back on the dance floors, to be booked at Tomorrow Land. Would you come with me?
Q:
Do you have any gigs lined up in the coming year, or online events we should be aware of?
A: I don’t know yet. I am for now in a big
creation drive to produce more and more tracks, optimize my workflow and have more materials. In parallel, I invest my time into creating my digital record label named HOS Records to manage artists with the same passion and create digital content.
Q:
On that subject, where can we find you on social media/online?
A: I'm on the main social media platforms,
such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook, and of course on all major streaming
platforms. All my online presence can be found at this link: https://push.fm/fl/8h6tzfdz.
Q:
Last, but not least… If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
A: I would change things to ensuring that all
things are done in the interest of our mother planet. Egotism is increasing in the world. More and more people are looking only at their feet and their own interests. I know that it’s the economic management system that pushes us to that. But politically I am pretty sure that things can change to remove silos and ensure that people can all live together with the same interest, protect the planet, but above all, ensuring love between them. And we all know that music is the one element that can unify people. This is what I try to do with mine. Thank you, Nicky And thank you Seb! I personally can’t wait until we can stand on a stage together, and about that collaboration? That's definitely on the table! As mentioned above, Seb’s music can be found on all major streaming platforms. His style is heavily influenced by Classic/Chicago House and Deep House, heavily infused with his own unique flare. Be sure to also check out some of the HoS Records playlists on Spotify is you want to hear some of the best emerging House artists from around the world. Continued >>
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TUNING IN Continued...
“FLECHA” is part of the EP DELIRIA, a soundtrack for a video-game of the same name: DELIRIA, an LGBTQIA+ musical narrative adventure. LAIALEX isn’t just a musician, he’s also a Game Director and Producer!
In other news... Georgie Porgie and Music Plant are back with another blazing hot track, this time with the Legendary Glenn Friscia, leading off 2022 with a massive track!!! Glenn flips a classic into a peak hour masterpiece, with two killer mixes. The House mix gives you a sax solo while the Jackin House beats are straight-up fire!! Tower of Babel, my latest release is out on all major platforms and starting to make waves. This is a completely different style for me, drawing on classic electro, tech house, and even a little dubstep. It’s been compared to early Daft Punk, Cybotron/ Model 500, and even Don Diablo. If you’re looking for a new and unique sound, give it a spin. And...I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention my favorite new queer Brazillian indie artist LAIALEX. “FLECHA” is the second single by LAIALEX, a new queer artist from the Brazilian indie scene who combines video games with pop music rhythms, what he likes to call “GAMER POP”. In this song, he pays homage to City Pop (those catchy tunes from Japan’s 80s pop, like the beloved “Maria Takeuchi - Plastic Love”). His sound is also infused with influences like Róisín Murphy & David Bowie.
The music video, a co-production of Aipo Digital and Buva Films, was directed by Marcelo Engster. A tribute to the “80s chroma-key” aesthetic, we see LAIALEX dancing and strolling through the night of a digital metropolis, looking for some good company but getting disappointed by toxic men and relationships, you know… the usual dilemma of dating apps). You can find LAIALEX and FLECHA on all major social media and streaming platforms. Be sure to check out his YouTube channel for some cool and creative videos. Nicky Roland is a house music producer originally from the UK, now based in Denver, CO, Find him on Spotify and on Twitter @nickyrolandmusic
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HEALTH & WELLness Adult ADHD, Is This You?
by: Dr. Charla Waxman BS, MBA, EdD
Director of Business Development
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, (ADHD), affects millions of adults. Some of us were saddled with the label and the stigma as kids and found that it followed us right into adulthood. Others of us never got the label, but we certainly had some suspicion about what seemed to be holding us back in so many aspects of our lives. Let’s take a look at ADHD and some ways manage it. Some resources will be provided, as well, that might provide support and information. Be reassured. There is help, hope, and recovery. Do any of the following sound familiar to you?
are probably struggling with the concurrent symptoms as an adult. If an honest self-assessment and a good professional assessment determine that you have adult ADHD, there are still some things you can do to help make sure that you are getting all you need to relieve symptoms and move toward recovery. Ask yourself (and be truthful): Am I willing to consider medication? Am I aware of other co-existing mental health or medical conditions that may be exacerbating my ADHD symptoms? Have I considered that alcohol and other substances, used as a coping tool, may cause an addiction (a mental health disorder) that can only make things worse?
I am never on time. Things that have to do with deadlines and time are like torture to me. For some reason, I just cannot seem to manage time like other people I know. It seems like the harder I try, the more jumbled things get. I have trouble focusing. People who depend on me are often disappointed because things just don’t get done. I may seem like I am confident, but that is just this weird energy I have. I don’t really feel like I fit in anywhere. I remember being told as a kid that I tried too hard to fit in and that I just needed to be myself. To this day, I don’t even know who “myself” is. I have a thousand projects I have started and a lot less that got finished…. I mean, a lot less. I find myself taking unnecessary risks; like driving too fast or without a seat belt. Now, only a professional can give you the diagnosis of ADHD, but having the frustrations listed above may mean that something more than just a few bad days, is amiss. In addition to taking a look at the above, note whether this is long term or whether what has been going on can be linked to a current crisis and the stresses that go with it. Also note, as indicated above, that if you had this diagnosis as a child, you
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Have I considered therapy or support group help? Any of these listed may be a great help. Grab on to educating yourself with resources in your community and nationally. A couple national supports include: ADDitude Magazine @ www.additudemag.com
National Institute of Mental Health @ www.nimh.nih.gov National Alliance for Mental Illness @ www.nami.org Attention Deficit Disorder Association @ www.add.org
These are just a few places to start. Remember, people can and do recover from mental health conditions. Although recovery may not mean cessation of all symptoms or eliminate the need for medication, recovery can mean an increase in self-awareness and control.
PRIDE JOURNEY
A Visit to Chicago During Market Days by Joey Amato
I took some time the next morning to check out the hotel’s 2-story art gallery space or maybe find time for a quick workout in their fitness center before heading to Hutch American Bistro for brunch. Hutch is located off the same red line stop as Boystown so it’s quite convenient. I ordered the smoked salmon avocado toast which came with fruit salad. It was light yet filling and the perfect way to begin the day. We went back to Hutch for happy hour of a different day and sampled a few additional I planned my visit to the Windy City to items including the guacamole + queso coincide with Market Days, one of the and Chicago meatballs. The restaurant city’s premier LGTBQ festivals. Since offered a daily happy hour menu consisting relocating to Nashville and then Indy, I had of half-off select appetizers as well as $3 heard dozens of stories about this event champagne. Yes, please! from friends from around the When in Chicago, you would be remiss if country who you didn’t visit one of the city’s numerous would travel cultural institutions. Since the Field to Chicago Museum and Shedd Aquarium are in the specifically to same complex, we decided to visit both in attend. This year’s the same morning. festival was going to be iconic since Tyler and I are both huge animal lovers, so the 2021 event we headed straight to the beluga whale was cancelled due to the pandemic. and penguin habitats. Beluga whales are one of my favorite Trixie Mattel, Todrick Hall and Greyson mammals, so it was Chance were among the headliners wonderful to see them performing this year (2021), however I was up close. most excited about seeing Lisa Lisa, Jody Watley and Ty Herndon. The Field Museum is home to one of Tyler and I arrived on the first day of the the largest (and festival and it appeared to be similar to a best in my opinion) pride event. Vendors lined the street selling dinosaur exhibitions everything from artwork to sunglasses in the country. The as well as some other more risqué items. chronological display It didn’t take long for us to run into a few brings guests through friends, some of which I hadn’t seen in history and mass many years. Market Days is what you make extinctions leading up to the birth of it. You can spend the afternoon strolling dinosaurs. The Field Museum is also home Halsted Street or you can skip the street to Sue, the largest and most complete T-Rex fair and head straight to the bars, clubs, and skeleton ever discovered. This is a must-see circuit events in the evening. for any dinosaur lover. 20 boiMAG.com Chicago is my kind of town… it really is. I’ve been to Chicago more times than I can count over the years, however I have never written a Pride Journeys article about the city. Well, it’s about time I did!
After a fun filled day of partying, head back to the 21c Museum Hotel located in the River North neighborhood, about a 25-minute red-line commute from Northalsted aka Boystown. The boutique property is one of the newer hotels in the 21c family. I’ve stayed at their properties in Oklahoma City, Nashville and Kansas City and they never disappoint. The 21c Chicago was kind enough to provide me with a wonderful corner suite as well as their Love is Love package, which included a pride tank top, perfect to wear during the festivities. We decided to walk back to our hotel after visiting the museum as the weather was perfect for a leisurely stroll along the lake, until it started raining. With nowhere to take cover, we just admired the beauty of Chicago’s architectural wonders as well as the sculptures in Millennium Park including the worldfamous Bean. Speaking of walking, the city offers free walking tours through Chicago Greeter. Local guides volunteer their time to take guests on customized walking tours of the city. We decided to focus our tour on architecture and landmarks. Our knowledgeable guide took us to some places we would have never known about if we had set out on our own. While we took a journey through the North Loop, the Greeter Tour service can take visitors through many of the 77 neighborhoods in the Chicago area. Before heading back to Boystown, grab a quick bite at Tied House. I was thoroughly impressed by both the food and service of this establishment. Tyler and I shared a few items including the Black Bean Hummus prepared with salsa roja, lime crema as well as the Watermelon and
Bigeye Tuna which came with pickled ginger and a koji vinaigrette. The Short Rib Risotto was served with roasted sweet corn Risotto, cherry tomato, summer squash. While the short rib portion was a bit fatty for my liking, I found the risotto part to be incredibly flavorful and cooked to perfection. I would order the risotto by itself next time… it was so good! Northalsted aka Boystown of course is the heart of Chicago’s LGBTQ community. There are dozens of shops, restaurants, businesses, and nightlife venues catering to every gay under the sun. What many tourists don’t know is that Chicago has a gay beach. While it may not have the waves of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood Beach attracts some of the most beautiful people in the Midwest and is only about a 10 minute Uber ride from Boystown. With only a few months of beach weather per year, locals flock to Hollywood Beach every opportunity possible to soak up the sun. There is way too much to see in Chicago to fit everything into a weekend. Especially when you include a festival as well. I am going to make an effort to visit more frequently, especially since it’s so close to my home in Indianapolis. Enjoy the Journey! boiMAG.com 21
by: Dr. Charla Waxman
BS, MBA, EdD, Director of Business Development
Bullies plagued many of us as kids. They taunted, they bashed our self-confidence, and made us fearful and anxious. We’d like to think that as adults we have left the bullies behind us, but if we really take a look at the worst times of our lives, chances are an adult bully was there to fuel those bad times. Let’s take a look at the adult bully and ways to manage those who negatively affect our lives with behaviors designed to overpower and control.
As adults, we think we are prepared to be the person who makes a difference; we seek to be good people, good neighbors, co-workers, and friends. Bystanders of bullying are often emotionally unable to be the people that they know they are as the bully can be so intimidating that we fear speaking out against them or challenging their behavior. Many times, bullies recognize their behavior as bullying. Looking into their past, you often find someone who has the lived experience as a victim. This does not reduce their culpability, but it does let us know that the bully needs help escaping the role and learning how to manage the feelings left behind by a history of abuse and pain.
Bullies exist in many roles in our lives. From the family member who aims to hurt, embarrass and belittle, to the overbearing boss and abusive partner, bullies shame us, and destroy our self-confidence. Bullies make us doubt ourselves and we blame ourselves for their behavior. Victimization is a cycle and a role that may be hard to break.
Just like the bully, victims and bystanders may need mental health support. Bullies are toxic and toxicity in one’s life over time can cause feelings and behaviors related to depression and anxiety. Suicidal thoughts and the idea that life is not worth living with abuse can become pervasive. Bullying is serious.
Just as cyberbullying has made its way into schools, don’t think that adulthood cancels out those who use social media to harass. Cyberbullying is alive and well in the world of adults. Cyberbullying is damaging no matter the age group; creating a footprint of falsehoods that we know can never be erased. The cyberbully can be an invisible giant; much bigger and meaner than someone who confronts you in person.
There is help and hope for all roles in the bullying framework. Many therapists specialize in anger management, trauma, post-traumatic stress, and relationship improvement. Local health departments, counselors, and therapy groups are out there to assist. Calling 1800 273 TALK is just one of many supports that will help you link with places in your community that can help.
Being the victim of a bully can be so stigmatizing that we ignore the cruelty and shaming, even allowing unwanted advances and personal contact. Many times we suffer in silence allowing the ridicule and defaming to continue without speaking up or speaking out.
If you feel like giving up, don’t! Let Lake Behavioral Hospital help you pick up the pieces of your life and help you find recovery as a bully, a victim, or a bystander. Assessments are free and one call to 855 990 1900 can make the difference. Walk-ins are always welcome.
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ARTWORK DISPLAY: Winston Harrell, Jr.
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CHEF WITH A HEART FOR ART Winston Harrell, Jr. in Mesa Arizona
Winston Harrell Jr. was born in Oceanside California in 1958 but he grew up in Chicago Illinois in 1960. He started his art career at the age of fourteen. In 1970 where he participated in Mayor Daley’s summer Youth Program for inner city under Privileged kids in 1972.
To better equip himself with the changing world of computers, digital art and graphic design, he enrolled in the Visual Communication Program for graphic design at Westwood College in Atlanta Georgia in 2006. "Where I received my A.S. in computer graphics and design." said Winston.
The program focused teaching neighborhood inner city youth the value of Art through the creations of Murals and other neighborhood artwork. To better fuel his curiosity for Art he later enrolled in a two year correspondence Art course for commercial artist thru Art Instruction Schools of Minneapolis Minnesota where he learned the basic principles of Art and illustration. As his creative desire for learning continued to grow he completed the A.S. program for Culinary Arts at Le Cordon Bleu of Chicago in 1997.
He currently showcased his Artwork at Jarrods Tea House and Art Gallery in Mesa Arizona and at Whatzit and Whoozit Retail Outlet in Phoenix Arizona in 2021. He is also an active member of Arizona Artist Guild. Winston states that “my artwork is an extension of who and what I am as a person.” and that “I am inspired by feelings of home a family.” Here is a link to Winston’s most current portfolio, it includes art from his latest exhibitions in downtown Mesa Arizona: https://chefontherun.artstation.com boiMAG.com 25
by Jack Santo
help us determine which leads are worth pursuing and what value we In 2022, we will see artificial intelligence can expect from potential customers. continue along the path to becoming In engineering roles, AI tools help us the most trans-formative technology by providing predictive maintenance, humanity has ever developed. letting us know ahead of time when According to Google CEO Sundar machines will need servicing or Pichai, its impact will be even greater repairing. In knowledge industries, such than that of fire or electricity on our as law, we will increasingly use tools development as a species. This may that help us sort through the everseem like a very ambitious claim, but growing amount of data that’s available considering it is already being used to to find the nuggets of information that help us tackle climate change, explore we need for a particular task. In just space, and develop treatments for about every occupation, smart tools cancer, the potential is clearly there. and services are emerging that can help us do our jobs more efficiently, and in The full scale of the impact that giving 2022 more of us will find that they are a machines the ability to make decisions, part of our everyday working lives. and therefore enable decision-making to take place far more quickly and accurately than could ever be done by humans, is very difficult to conceive right now. But one thing we can be certain of is that in 2022 breakthroughs and new developments will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
The Augmented Workforce
There have always been fears that machines or robots will replace human workers and maybe even make some roles redundant. However, as companies navigate the process of creating data and AI-literate cultures within their teams, we will increasingly find ourselves working with or alongside machines that use smart and cognitive functionality to boost our own abilities and skills. In some functions, such as marketing, we’re already used to using tools that
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Better Language Modeling
Language modeling is a process that allows machines to understand and communicate with us in language we understand, or even take natural human languages and turn them into computer code that can run programs and applications. We have recently seen the release of GPT-3 by OpenAI, the most advanced (and largest) language model Continued >>
TECH TRENDS CONTINUED Artificial Inelegance (AI) ever created, consisting of around 175 billion “parameters”- variables and datapoints that machines can use to process language. OpenAI is known to be working on a successor, GPT-4, that will be even more powerful. Although details haven’t been confirmed, some estimate that it may contain up to 100 trillion parameters, making it 500 times larger than GPT-3, and in theory taking a big step closer to being able to create language and hold conversations that are indistinguishable from those of a human. It will also become much better at creating computer code.
AI in Cybersecurity
This year the World Economic Forum identified cyber-crime as potentially posing a more significant risk to society than terrorism. As machines take over more of our lives, hacking and cybercrime inevitably become more of a problem, as every connected device you add to a network is inevitably a potential point-of-failure that an attacker could use against you. As networks of connected devices become more complex, identifying those points of failure becomes more complex. This is where AI can play a role, though. By analyzing network traffic and learning to recognize patterns that suggest nefarious intentions, smart algorithms are increasingly playing a role in keeping us safe from 21st century crime. Some of the most significant applications of AI that we will see develop in 2022 are likely to be in this area and more in the future.
AI and the Metaverse
The metaverse is the name given for a unified persistent digital environment, where users can work and play
together. It’s a virtual world, like the internet, but with the emphasis on enabling immersive experiences, often created by the users themselves. The concept has become a hot topic since Mark Zuckerberg spoke about creating it by combing virtual reality technology with the social foundations of his Facebook platform. AI will undoubtedly be a lynchpin of the metaverse. It will help to create online environments where humans will feel at home at having their creative impulses nurtured. We will also most likely become used to sharing our metaverse environments with AI beings that will help us with tasks we’re there to do, or just be our partner for a game of tennis or chess when we want to relax and unwind.
Low-Code and No-Code AI
A big barrier to the adoption of AIdriven efficiency in many companies is the scarcity of skilled AI engineers who can create the necessary tools and algorithms. No-code and lowcode solutions aim to overcome this by offering simple interfaces that can be used, in theory, to construct increasingly complex AI systems. Much like the way web design and no-code UI tools now let users create web pages and other interactive systems simply Continued >>
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TECH TRENDS CONTINUED Artificial Inelegance (AI) by dragging and dropping graphical elements together, no-code AI systems will let us create smart programs by plugging together different, pre-made modules and feeding them with our own domain-specific data. Technologies such as natural language processing and language modeling, like mentioned above, mean that soon it may be possible to use nothing more than our voice or written instructions. All of this will play a key role in the ongoing “democratization” of AI and data technology.
As well as increasingly effective cars that are autonomous, Tesla says its cars will demonstrate full self-driving capability by 2022, although it’s unlikely they will be ready for general use. Its competitors include Waymo (created by Google), Apple, GM, and Ford, and any of them can be expected to announce major leaps forward in the next year. The year will hopefully also see the first autonomous ship crossing the Atlantic, as the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS), powered by IBM and designed in partnership with non-profit ProMare, will once again attempt the journey (having been forced to turn back during its initial attempt this year).
Creative AI
Autonomous vehicles
AI is the “brains” that will guide the autonomous cars, boats, and aircraft that are set to revolutionize travel and society over the coming decade. 2022 should be a year to remember when we look back in the future and contemplate with horror the fact that we thought it was normal that 1.3 million people died of traffic accidents every year, 90% of which were caused by human error!
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We know that AI can be used to create art, music, poetry, plays, and even video games. In 2022, as new models such as GPT-4 and Google’s Brain redefine the boundaries of what’s possible, we can expect more elaborate and seemingly “natural” creative output from our increasingly imaginative and capable electronic friends. Rather than these creations generally being demonstrations or experiments to show off the potential of AI, as is the case now, in 2022, we will increasingly see them applied to routine creative tasks, such as writing headlines for articles and newsletters, designing logos and info-graphics. Creativity is often seen as a very human skill, and the fact we are now seeing these capabilities emerging in machines means “artificial” intelligence is undeniably coming closer in terms of scope and function to the somewhat nebulous concept we have of what constitutes “real” intelligence.
