My wife over heard this conversation between our 6 Year Old Son and our 5 Year Old Son this morning while they were playing (this was in character).
6 Year Old Son: I don't like your tone.
5 Year Old Son: I guess you can be the big genius.
5 Year Old Son: Give me 50 bucks and I will let you into my school.
6 Year Old Son: Then I will kill you.
5 Year Old Son: Give me 50 bucks.
6 Year Old Son: Let me tell you something.
5 Year Old Son: It's these two guys talking.
6 Year Old Son: good job. You two are unconscious. Sorry.
5 Year Old Son: Don't fight me like that, I am a good guy.
6 Year Old Son sings. "super zapper loudness".
5 Year Old Son: those are the pirates. I will throw something at you.
6 Year Old Son: That doesn't hurt, I have a windshield.
5 Year Old Son: ahhhhhh. Take that!
6 Year Old Son: Good job you guys, thanks. Are you happy that I used my criminal mastermind?
5 Year Old Son: Yes. Boom, ahhh.
6 Year Old Son: uh oh. There is a mean soldier. He is good, but he is mean. He has a big blaster.
5 Year Old Son. 6 Year Old Son, he's not mean.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Legendary actor Paul Newman dies at age 83
One of my favorite actors, Paul Newman, has passed away.
Legendary actor Paul Newman dies at age 83
Saturday September 27 9:16 AM ET
Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as an activist, race car driver, popcorn impresario and the anti-hero of such films as "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Color of Money," has died. He was 83.
Newman died Friday after a long battle with cancer at his farmhouse near Westport, publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was surrounded by his family and close friends.
In May, Newman he had dropped plans to direct a fall production of "Of Mice and Men," citing unspecified health issues.
ADVERTISEMENT
He got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become one of the world's most enduring and popular film stars, a legend held in awe by his peers. He was nominated for Oscars 10 times, winning one regular award and two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including "Exodus," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Verdict," "The Sting" and "Absence of Malice."
Newman worked with some of the greatest directors of the past half century, from Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston to Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese and the Coen brothers. His co-stars included Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and, most famously, Robert Redford, his sidekick in "Butch Cassidy" and "The Sting."
He sometimes teamed with his wife and fellow Oscar winner, Joanne Woodward, with whom he had one of Hollywood's rare long-term marriages. "I have steak at home, why go out for hamburger?" Newman told Playboy magazine when asked if he was tempted to stray. They wed in 1958, around the same time they both appeared in "The Long Hot Summer," and Newman directed her in several films, including "Rachel, Rachel" and "The Glass Menagerie"
With his strong, classically handsome face and piercing blue eyes, Newman was a heartthrob just as likely to play against his looks, becoming a favorite with critics for his convincing portrayals of rebels, tough guys and losers. "I was always a character actor," he once said. "I just looked like Little Red Riding Hood."
Newman had a soft spot for underdogs in real life, giving tens of millions to charities through his food company and setting up camps for severely ill children. Passionately opposed to the Vietnam War, and in favor of civil rights, he was so famously liberal that he ended up on President Nixon's "enemies list," one of the actor's proudest achievements, he liked to say.
A screen legend by his mid-40s, he waited a long time for his first competitive Oscar, winning in 1987 for "The Color of Money," a reprise of the role of pool shark "Fast" Eddie Felson, whom Newman portrayed in the 1961 film "The Hustler."
Newman delivered a magnetic performance in "The Hustler," playing a smooth-talking, whiskey-chugging pool shark who takes on Minnesota Fats played by Jackie Gleason and becomes entangled with a gambler played by George C. Scott. In the sequel directed by Scorsese "Fast Eddie" is no longer the high-stakes hustler he once was, but rather an aging liquor salesman who takes a young pool player (Cruise) under his wing before making a comeback.
He won an honorary Oscar in 1986 "in recognition of his many and memorable compelling screen performances and for his personal integrity and dedication to his craft." In 1994, he won a third Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, for his charitable work.
His most recent academy nod was a supporting actor nomination for the 2002 film "Road to Perdition." One of Newman's nominations was as a producer; the other nine were in acting categories. (Jack Nicholson holds the record among actors for Oscar nominations, with 12; actress Meryl Streep has had 14.)
As he passed his 80th birthday, he remained in demand, winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe for the 2005 HBO drama "Empire Falls" and providing the voice of a crusty 1951 car in the 2006 Disney-Pixar hit, "Cars."
But in May 2007, he told ABC's "Good Morning America" he had given up acting, though he intended to remain active in charity projects. "I'm not able to work anymore as an actor at the level I would want to," he said. "You start to lose your memory, your confidence, your invention. So that's pretty much a closed book for me."
He received his first Oscar nomination for playing a bitter, alcoholic former star athlete in the 1958 film "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Elizabeth Taylor played his unhappy wife and Burl Ives his wealthy, domineering father in Tennessee Williams' harrowing drama, which was given an upbeat ending for the screen.
In "Cool Hand Luke," he was nominated for his gritty role as a rebellious inmate in a brutal Southern prison. The movie was one of the biggest hits of 1967 and included a tagline, delivered one time by Newman and one time by prison warden Strother Martin, that helped define the generation gap, "What we've got here is (a) failure to communicate."
Newman's hair was graying, but he was as gourgeous as ever and on the verge of his greatest popular success. In 1969, Newman teamed with Redford for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," a comic Western about two outlaws running out of time. Newman paired with Redford again in 1973 in "The Sting," a comedy about two Depression-era con men. Both were multiple Oscar winners and huge hits, irreverent, unforgettable pairings of two of the best-looking actors of their time.
Newman also turned to producing and directing. In 1968, he directed "Rachel, Rachel," a film about a lonely spinster's rebirth. The movie received four Oscar nominations, including Newman, for producer of a best motion picture, and Woodward, for best actress. The film earned Newman the best director award from the New York Film Critics.
In the 1970s, Newman, admittedly bored with acting, became fascinated with auto racing, a sport he studied when he starred in the 1972 film, "Winning." After turning professional in 1977, Newman and his driving team made strong showings in several major races, including fifth place in Daytona in 1977 and second place in the Le Mans in 1979.
"Racing is the best way I know to get away from all the rubbish of Hollywood," he told People magazine in 1979.
Despite his love of race cars, Newman continued to make movies and continued to pile up Oscar nominations, his looks remarkably intact, his acting becoming more subtle, nothing like the mannered method performances of his early years, when he was sometimes dismissed as a Brando imitator. "It takes a long time for an actor to develop the assurance that the trim, silver-haired Paul Newman has acquired," Pauline Kael wrote of him in the early 1980s.
In 1982, he got his Oscar fifth nomination for his portrayal of an honest businessman persecuted by an irresponsible reporter in "Absence of Malice." The following year, he got his sixth for playing a down-and-out alcoholic attorney in "The Verdict."
In 1995, he was nominated for his slyest, most understated work yet, the town curmudgeon and deadbeat in "Nobody's Fool." New York Times critic Caryn James found his acting "without cheap sentiment and self-pity," and observed, "It says everything about Mr. Newman's performance, the single best of this year and among the finest he has ever given, that you never stop to wonder how a guy as good-looking as Paul Newman ended up this way."
Newman, who shunned Hollywood life, was reluctant to give interviews and usually refused to sign autographs because he found the majesty of the act offensive, according to one friend.
He also claimed that he never read reviews of his movies.
"If they're good you get a fat head and if they're bad you're depressed for three weeks," he said.
Off the screen, Newman had a taste for beer and was known for his practical jokes. He once had a Porsche installed in Redford's hallway crushed and covered with ribbons.
"I think that my sense of humor is the only thing that keeps me sane," he told Newsweek magazine in a 1994 interview.
In 1982, Newman and his Westport neighbor, writer A.E. Hotchner, started a company to market Newman's original oil-and-vinegar dressing. Newman's Own, which began as a joke, grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All of the company's profits are donated to charities. By 2007, the company had donated more than $175 million, according to its Web site.
In 1988, Newman founded a camp in northeastern Connecticut for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. He went on to establish similar camps in several other states and in Europe.
He and Woodward bought an 18th century farmhouse in Westport, where they raised their three daughters, Elinor "Nell," Melissa and Clea.
Newman had two daughters, Susan and Stephanie, and a son, Scott, from a previous marriage to Jacqueline Witte.
Scott died in 1978 of an accidental overdose of alcohol and Valium. After his only son's death, Newman established the Scott Newman Foundation to finance the production of anti-drug films for children.
Newman was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the second of two boys of Arthur S. Newman, a partner in a sporting goods store, and Theresa Fetzer Newman.
He was raised in the affluent suburb of Shaker Heights, where he was encouraged him to pursue his interest in the arts by his mother and his uncle Joseph Newman, a well-known Ohio poet and journalist.
Following World War II service in the Navy, he enrolled at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he got a degree in English and was active in student productions.
He later studied at Yale University's School of Drama, then headed to New York to work in theater and television, his classmates at the famed Actor's Studio including Brando, James Dean and Karl Malden. His breakthrough was enabled by tragedy: Dean, scheduled to star as the disfigured boxer in a television adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "The Battler," died in a car crash in 1955. His role was taken by Newman, then a little-known performer.
Newman started in movies the year before, in "The Silver Chalice," a costume film he so despised that he took out an ad in Variety to apologize. By 1958, he had won the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for the shiftless Ben Quick in "The Long Hot Summer."
In December 1994, about a month before his 70th birthday, he told Newsweek magazine he had changed little with age.
"I'm not mellower, I'm not less angry, I'm not less self-critical, I'm not less tenacious," he said. "Maybe the best part is that your liver can't handle those beers at noon anymore," he said.
Newman is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.
___
On the Net:
http://www.newmansown.com/
Legendary actor Paul Newman dies at age 83
Saturday September 27 9:16 AM ET
Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as an activist, race car driver, popcorn impresario and the anti-hero of such films as "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Color of Money," has died. He was 83.
Newman died Friday after a long battle with cancer at his farmhouse near Westport, publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was surrounded by his family and close friends.
In May, Newman he had dropped plans to direct a fall production of "Of Mice and Men," citing unspecified health issues.
ADVERTISEMENT
He got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become one of the world's most enduring and popular film stars, a legend held in awe by his peers. He was nominated for Oscars 10 times, winning one regular award and two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including "Exodus," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Verdict," "The Sting" and "Absence of Malice."
Newman worked with some of the greatest directors of the past half century, from Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston to Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese and the Coen brothers. His co-stars included Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and, most famously, Robert Redford, his sidekick in "Butch Cassidy" and "The Sting."
He sometimes teamed with his wife and fellow Oscar winner, Joanne Woodward, with whom he had one of Hollywood's rare long-term marriages. "I have steak at home, why go out for hamburger?" Newman told Playboy magazine when asked if he was tempted to stray. They wed in 1958, around the same time they both appeared in "The Long Hot Summer," and Newman directed her in several films, including "Rachel, Rachel" and "The Glass Menagerie"
With his strong, classically handsome face and piercing blue eyes, Newman was a heartthrob just as likely to play against his looks, becoming a favorite with critics for his convincing portrayals of rebels, tough guys and losers. "I was always a character actor," he once said. "I just looked like Little Red Riding Hood."
Newman had a soft spot for underdogs in real life, giving tens of millions to charities through his food company and setting up camps for severely ill children. Passionately opposed to the Vietnam War, and in favor of civil rights, he was so famously liberal that he ended up on President Nixon's "enemies list," one of the actor's proudest achievements, he liked to say.
A screen legend by his mid-40s, he waited a long time for his first competitive Oscar, winning in 1987 for "The Color of Money," a reprise of the role of pool shark "Fast" Eddie Felson, whom Newman portrayed in the 1961 film "The Hustler."
Newman delivered a magnetic performance in "The Hustler," playing a smooth-talking, whiskey-chugging pool shark who takes on Minnesota Fats played by Jackie Gleason and becomes entangled with a gambler played by George C. Scott. In the sequel directed by Scorsese "Fast Eddie" is no longer the high-stakes hustler he once was, but rather an aging liquor salesman who takes a young pool player (Cruise) under his wing before making a comeback.
He won an honorary Oscar in 1986 "in recognition of his many and memorable compelling screen performances and for his personal integrity and dedication to his craft." In 1994, he won a third Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, for his charitable work.
His most recent academy nod was a supporting actor nomination for the 2002 film "Road to Perdition." One of Newman's nominations was as a producer; the other nine were in acting categories. (Jack Nicholson holds the record among actors for Oscar nominations, with 12; actress Meryl Streep has had 14.)
As he passed his 80th birthday, he remained in demand, winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe for the 2005 HBO drama "Empire Falls" and providing the voice of a crusty 1951 car in the 2006 Disney-Pixar hit, "Cars."
But in May 2007, he told ABC's "Good Morning America" he had given up acting, though he intended to remain active in charity projects. "I'm not able to work anymore as an actor at the level I would want to," he said. "You start to lose your memory, your confidence, your invention. So that's pretty much a closed book for me."
He received his first Oscar nomination for playing a bitter, alcoholic former star athlete in the 1958 film "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Elizabeth Taylor played his unhappy wife and Burl Ives his wealthy, domineering father in Tennessee Williams' harrowing drama, which was given an upbeat ending for the screen.
In "Cool Hand Luke," he was nominated for his gritty role as a rebellious inmate in a brutal Southern prison. The movie was one of the biggest hits of 1967 and included a tagline, delivered one time by Newman and one time by prison warden Strother Martin, that helped define the generation gap, "What we've got here is (a) failure to communicate."
Newman's hair was graying, but he was as gourgeous as ever and on the verge of his greatest popular success. In 1969, Newman teamed with Redford for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," a comic Western about two outlaws running out of time. Newman paired with Redford again in 1973 in "The Sting," a comedy about two Depression-era con men. Both were multiple Oscar winners and huge hits, irreverent, unforgettable pairings of two of the best-looking actors of their time.
Newman also turned to producing and directing. In 1968, he directed "Rachel, Rachel," a film about a lonely spinster's rebirth. The movie received four Oscar nominations, including Newman, for producer of a best motion picture, and Woodward, for best actress. The film earned Newman the best director award from the New York Film Critics.
In the 1970s, Newman, admittedly bored with acting, became fascinated with auto racing, a sport he studied when he starred in the 1972 film, "Winning." After turning professional in 1977, Newman and his driving team made strong showings in several major races, including fifth place in Daytona in 1977 and second place in the Le Mans in 1979.
"Racing is the best way I know to get away from all the rubbish of Hollywood," he told People magazine in 1979.
Despite his love of race cars, Newman continued to make movies and continued to pile up Oscar nominations, his looks remarkably intact, his acting becoming more subtle, nothing like the mannered method performances of his early years, when he was sometimes dismissed as a Brando imitator. "It takes a long time for an actor to develop the assurance that the trim, silver-haired Paul Newman has acquired," Pauline Kael wrote of him in the early 1980s.
In 1982, he got his Oscar fifth nomination for his portrayal of an honest businessman persecuted by an irresponsible reporter in "Absence of Malice." The following year, he got his sixth for playing a down-and-out alcoholic attorney in "The Verdict."
In 1995, he was nominated for his slyest, most understated work yet, the town curmudgeon and deadbeat in "Nobody's Fool." New York Times critic Caryn James found his acting "without cheap sentiment and self-pity," and observed, "It says everything about Mr. Newman's performance, the single best of this year and among the finest he has ever given, that you never stop to wonder how a guy as good-looking as Paul Newman ended up this way."
Newman, who shunned Hollywood life, was reluctant to give interviews and usually refused to sign autographs because he found the majesty of the act offensive, according to one friend.
He also claimed that he never read reviews of his movies.
"If they're good you get a fat head and if they're bad you're depressed for three weeks," he said.
Off the screen, Newman had a taste for beer and was known for his practical jokes. He once had a Porsche installed in Redford's hallway crushed and covered with ribbons.
"I think that my sense of humor is the only thing that keeps me sane," he told Newsweek magazine in a 1994 interview.
In 1982, Newman and his Westport neighbor, writer A.E. Hotchner, started a company to market Newman's original oil-and-vinegar dressing. Newman's Own, which began as a joke, grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All of the company's profits are donated to charities. By 2007, the company had donated more than $175 million, according to its Web site.
In 1988, Newman founded a camp in northeastern Connecticut for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. He went on to establish similar camps in several other states and in Europe.
He and Woodward bought an 18th century farmhouse in Westport, where they raised their three daughters, Elinor "Nell," Melissa and Clea.
Newman had two daughters, Susan and Stephanie, and a son, Scott, from a previous marriage to Jacqueline Witte.
Scott died in 1978 of an accidental overdose of alcohol and Valium. After his only son's death, Newman established the Scott Newman Foundation to finance the production of anti-drug films for children.
Newman was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the second of two boys of Arthur S. Newman, a partner in a sporting goods store, and Theresa Fetzer Newman.
He was raised in the affluent suburb of Shaker Heights, where he was encouraged him to pursue his interest in the arts by his mother and his uncle Joseph Newman, a well-known Ohio poet and journalist.
Following World War II service in the Navy, he enrolled at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he got a degree in English and was active in student productions.
He later studied at Yale University's School of Drama, then headed to New York to work in theater and television, his classmates at the famed Actor's Studio including Brando, James Dean and Karl Malden. His breakthrough was enabled by tragedy: Dean, scheduled to star as the disfigured boxer in a television adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's "The Battler," died in a car crash in 1955. His role was taken by Newman, then a little-known performer.
Newman started in movies the year before, in "The Silver Chalice," a costume film he so despised that he took out an ad in Variety to apologize. By 1958, he had won the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for the shiftless Ben Quick in "The Long Hot Summer."
In December 1994, about a month before his 70th birthday, he told Newsweek magazine he had changed little with age.
"I'm not mellower, I'm not less angry, I'm not less self-critical, I'm not less tenacious," he said. "Maybe the best part is that your liver can't handle those beers at noon anymore," he said.
Newman is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.
___
On the Net:
http://www.newmansown.com/
Monday, September 15, 2008
US in 'once-in-a-century' financial crisis : Greenspan
Sep 14 02:18 PM US/Eastern
The United States is mired in a "once-in-a century" financial crisis which is now more than likely to spark a recession, former Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan said Sunday.
The talismanic ex-central banker said that the crisis was the worst he had seen in his career, still had a long way to go and would continue to effect home prices in the United States.
"First of all, let's recognize that this is a once-in-a-half-century, probably once-in-a-century type of event," Greenspan said on ABC's "This Week."
Asked whether the crisis, which has seen the US government step in to bail out mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, was the worst of his career, Greenspan replied "Oh, by far."
"There's no question that this is in the process of outstripping anything I've seen, and it still is not resolved and it still has a way to go," Greenspan said.
"And indeed, it will continue to be a corrosive force until the price of homes in the United States stabilizes.
"That will induce a series of events around the globe which will stabilize the system."
Greenspan was also asked whether the United States had a greater-than 50 percent chance of escaping a recession.
"No, I think it's less than 50 percent.
"I can't believe we could have a once-in-a-century type of financial crisis without a significant impact on the real economy globally, and I think that indeed is what is in the process of occurring."
The former Federal Reserve chairman also predicted that the financial crisis would see the failure of more major financial institutions, even as embattled Wall Street investment giant Lehman Brothers scrambled to find a buyer.
"In and of itself that does not need to be a problem.
"It depends on how it is handled and how the liquidations take place. And indeed we shouldn't try to protect every single institution."
On Saturday, Democrat Barack Obama's campaign seized on a warning from Greenspan about John McCain's tax plans to portray the Republican as economically reckless.
In an interview with Bloomberg Television Friday, Greenspan said the nation could not afford 3.3 trillion dollars of tax cuts proposed by McCain without matching cuts in spending.
Greenspan, a long-time friend of McCain and a Republican, said about the Arizona senator's plans to extend massive tax cuts imposed by President George W. Bush: "I'm not in favor of financing tax cuts with borrowed money."
McCain has said he would pay for his cuts by ending pet funding projects for US lawmakers' districts known as "earmarks."
The United States is mired in a "once-in-a century" financial crisis which is now more than likely to spark a recession, former Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan said Sunday.
The talismanic ex-central banker said that the crisis was the worst he had seen in his career, still had a long way to go and would continue to effect home prices in the United States.
"First of all, let's recognize that this is a once-in-a-half-century, probably once-in-a-century type of event," Greenspan said on ABC's "This Week."
Asked whether the crisis, which has seen the US government step in to bail out mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, was the worst of his career, Greenspan replied "Oh, by far."
"There's no question that this is in the process of outstripping anything I've seen, and it still is not resolved and it still has a way to go," Greenspan said.
"And indeed, it will continue to be a corrosive force until the price of homes in the United States stabilizes.
"That will induce a series of events around the globe which will stabilize the system."
Greenspan was also asked whether the United States had a greater-than 50 percent chance of escaping a recession.
"No, I think it's less than 50 percent.
"I can't believe we could have a once-in-a-century type of financial crisis without a significant impact on the real economy globally, and I think that indeed is what is in the process of occurring."
The former Federal Reserve chairman also predicted that the financial crisis would see the failure of more major financial institutions, even as embattled Wall Street investment giant Lehman Brothers scrambled to find a buyer.
"In and of itself that does not need to be a problem.
"It depends on how it is handled and how the liquidations take place. And indeed we shouldn't try to protect every single institution."
On Saturday, Democrat Barack Obama's campaign seized on a warning from Greenspan about John McCain's tax plans to portray the Republican as economically reckless.
In an interview with Bloomberg Television Friday, Greenspan said the nation could not afford 3.3 trillion dollars of tax cuts proposed by McCain without matching cuts in spending.
Greenspan, a long-time friend of McCain and a Republican, said about the Arizona senator's plans to extend massive tax cuts imposed by President George W. Bush: "I'm not in favor of financing tax cuts with borrowed money."
McCain has said he would pay for his cuts by ending pet funding projects for US lawmakers' districts known as "earmarks."
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Lost Star Wars Scene
This has a bit of choice language in it but it's pretty darn funny. (I had the wrong clip posted, it
s correct now.)
s correct now.)
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Funny Cat Story - 'My Cat is a Vampire'
I used to have two cats, Amadeus and Minuet. My wife sent this story to me and it really made me laugh and remember. I had to post it.
---------------------------------------------
My cat might be a vampire
By Bob Rybarczyk
SPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH
08/19/2008
I might be raising a vampire cat.
I don’t understand cats.
I just don’t. I never really have. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched our cats doing something and wondered what in the hell they’re thinking. They think a piece of paper makes a perfect platform for a six-hour nap. They refuse to eat the last few pieces of kibble in their dish, and yet they are all too happy to drink out of the toilet. You get the point.
What surprises me the most is that they seem to keep coming up with new ways to be weird. I’ve only been around cats for the last four years or so, but you’d think four years would be more than enough time to figure out a species that can be amused for days by a pipe cleaner. Nope.
We have two cats in our house, Frisco and Charlie. Frisco is 14, large enough to exhibit his own gravitational pull, and generally disgruntled. Charlie is less than a year old, apparently made of balsa wood and rubber bands, and a complete idiot. They are Fatboy and the Freakshow. The immovable object and the unstoppable force.
Big fat Frisco sleeps 23.99 hours a day. When he’s not sleeping, he’s eating or seeking out a new place to sleep. His hobbies include sleeping and gaining weight. Charlie barely sleeps at all and is about as bright as a slab of poorly cooked liver. He finds everything to be either fascinating or terrifying. There is no middle ground. One second he can be sprinting through the house like he’s being chased by Satan on a scooter, and the next he’ll be lying in your arms waiting for you to rub his belly.
When we first introduced Charlie to Frisco last winter, Frisco spent the better part of a month hiding in the basement. We weren’t sure if he was afraid of Charlie or just really hacked off at us. Eventually they found a way to peacefully coexist. They weren’t buddies by any means, but they made it work.
A few months ago, that all changed. Charlie decided, I guess, that he was tired of avoiding Frisco. Instead, he began assaulting him.
At first, Charlie would simply run up to Frisco and start whacking him in the head or wrestling with him. It seemed like the kind of things kittens do when they want to play. Frisco, being the cranky old man that he is, would want none of it. He’d fight back but would give it a minimum effort. His goal was not to play, but to inflict just enough pain to get Charlie to go away. Unfortunately, despite weighing more than several third-world nations, Frisco is a mediocre fighter. He gets in a good shot once in a while, but for the most part all he does is get Charlie in the mood for more shenanigans.
None of this really seemed all that weird or surprising. Kittens, especially male kittens, enjoy a good whack in the head once in a while. When I was a kid, a crack upside the noggin was a good time.
A couple weeks ago, however, Charlie changed his tactics, and this is the part that has me confused. Charlie, you see, has begun licking Frisco. Now don’t start going all, “Awww, isn’t that adorable,” because you haven’t heard the entire thing. I actually thought it was adorable the first time I saw it, too. I should have known better.
The first time I saw it, Charlie walked up to Frisco as if he were in the mood for a ruckus, but instead of whacking Fat Boy upside the head, he put him in this kitty-headlock sort of grip and began licking Frisco’s head and ears. “Aww,” I said. “Isn’t that…” But before I could finish, Charlie’s mouth opened, exposing his little kitty fangs, and he bit Frisco right in the neck.
This did not go over well with Frisco. Not one bit. He cracked open a six-pack of pain and went after Charlie like he was made out of delicious turkey. If there had been a crowbar nearby, Frisco would have, through sheer force of will, grown opposable thumbs and wielded it like a baseball bat.
Charlie’s fast, and Frisco tires after about two seconds of activity, so the little one was able to get away unscathed. I figured I’d never see anything that stupid again.
Again, I should have known better. The very next day, Frisco was sleeping on the floor and Charlie climbed on top of him, licked his head and ears, and chomped him in the neck. Once again, Frisco raged against the machine. This time, though, Charlie didn’t instantly flee. He stuck around for what he probably thought was a rollicking good time.
Oddly enough, Frisco didn’t really seem all that homicidal. He fought back, but not like before. Instead, he rolled around with Charlie a bit, whacked him on the head a couple dozen times, and chased him away. I didn’t get it.
As the days went by, I saw the same thing over and over. Lick, bite, scrap. Lick, bite, scrap. Frisco had to know that whenever Charlie licked him, a bite in the neck was coming. Right? Frisco’s stupid, but he can’t be that stupid. You’d think that he’d kick Charlie in the chin any time he stuck out his tongue.
And why is Charlie even bothering to lick Frisco in the first place? Does he think Frisco’s going to be fooled by the bizarre display of faux affection? Or does he do it because he finds Frisco tasty? Why bite him in the neck in the first place? Was the usual form of wrestling not entertaining enough?
You see, this is all stuff I don’t understand. Dozens of questions, not one single answer. I’m left to simply wonder. It makes me crazy. I’d give anything to have the cats speak English for even a few minutes, just so I could ask them these things.
Although, you know, even if I could ask them, they’d probably just shrug and say they had no idea why they do what they do. They’d probably ask me why I spend so much time sitting in front of the computer or eating things that don’t taste like dead birds.
Maybe it’s better that I don’t know. I suppose as long as Charlie doesn’t start biting me in the neck, I shouldn’t worry about it.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Charlie’s a vampire, and that it’s just a matter of time before all of us, Frisco included, become his mindless slaves.
Nah. Vampires don’t drink out of the toilet.
---------------------------------------------
My cat might be a vampire
By Bob Rybarczyk
SPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH
08/19/2008
I might be raising a vampire cat.
I don’t understand cats.
I just don’t. I never really have. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched our cats doing something and wondered what in the hell they’re thinking. They think a piece of paper makes a perfect platform for a six-hour nap. They refuse to eat the last few pieces of kibble in their dish, and yet they are all too happy to drink out of the toilet. You get the point.
What surprises me the most is that they seem to keep coming up with new ways to be weird. I’ve only been around cats for the last four years or so, but you’d think four years would be more than enough time to figure out a species that can be amused for days by a pipe cleaner. Nope.
We have two cats in our house, Frisco and Charlie. Frisco is 14, large enough to exhibit his own gravitational pull, and generally disgruntled. Charlie is less than a year old, apparently made of balsa wood and rubber bands, and a complete idiot. They are Fatboy and the Freakshow. The immovable object and the unstoppable force.
Big fat Frisco sleeps 23.99 hours a day. When he’s not sleeping, he’s eating or seeking out a new place to sleep. His hobbies include sleeping and gaining weight. Charlie barely sleeps at all and is about as bright as a slab of poorly cooked liver. He finds everything to be either fascinating or terrifying. There is no middle ground. One second he can be sprinting through the house like he’s being chased by Satan on a scooter, and the next he’ll be lying in your arms waiting for you to rub his belly.
When we first introduced Charlie to Frisco last winter, Frisco spent the better part of a month hiding in the basement. We weren’t sure if he was afraid of Charlie or just really hacked off at us. Eventually they found a way to peacefully coexist. They weren’t buddies by any means, but they made it work.
A few months ago, that all changed. Charlie decided, I guess, that he was tired of avoiding Frisco. Instead, he began assaulting him.
At first, Charlie would simply run up to Frisco and start whacking him in the head or wrestling with him. It seemed like the kind of things kittens do when they want to play. Frisco, being the cranky old man that he is, would want none of it. He’d fight back but would give it a minimum effort. His goal was not to play, but to inflict just enough pain to get Charlie to go away. Unfortunately, despite weighing more than several third-world nations, Frisco is a mediocre fighter. He gets in a good shot once in a while, but for the most part all he does is get Charlie in the mood for more shenanigans.
None of this really seemed all that weird or surprising. Kittens, especially male kittens, enjoy a good whack in the head once in a while. When I was a kid, a crack upside the noggin was a good time.
A couple weeks ago, however, Charlie changed his tactics, and this is the part that has me confused. Charlie, you see, has begun licking Frisco. Now don’t start going all, “Awww, isn’t that adorable,” because you haven’t heard the entire thing. I actually thought it was adorable the first time I saw it, too. I should have known better.
The first time I saw it, Charlie walked up to Frisco as if he were in the mood for a ruckus, but instead of whacking Fat Boy upside the head, he put him in this kitty-headlock sort of grip and began licking Frisco’s head and ears. “Aww,” I said. “Isn’t that…” But before I could finish, Charlie’s mouth opened, exposing his little kitty fangs, and he bit Frisco right in the neck.
This did not go over well with Frisco. Not one bit. He cracked open a six-pack of pain and went after Charlie like he was made out of delicious turkey. If there had been a crowbar nearby, Frisco would have, through sheer force of will, grown opposable thumbs and wielded it like a baseball bat.
Charlie’s fast, and Frisco tires after about two seconds of activity, so the little one was able to get away unscathed. I figured I’d never see anything that stupid again.
Again, I should have known better. The very next day, Frisco was sleeping on the floor and Charlie climbed on top of him, licked his head and ears, and chomped him in the neck. Once again, Frisco raged against the machine. This time, though, Charlie didn’t instantly flee. He stuck around for what he probably thought was a rollicking good time.
Oddly enough, Frisco didn’t really seem all that homicidal. He fought back, but not like before. Instead, he rolled around with Charlie a bit, whacked him on the head a couple dozen times, and chased him away. I didn’t get it.
As the days went by, I saw the same thing over and over. Lick, bite, scrap. Lick, bite, scrap. Frisco had to know that whenever Charlie licked him, a bite in the neck was coming. Right? Frisco’s stupid, but he can’t be that stupid. You’d think that he’d kick Charlie in the chin any time he stuck out his tongue.
And why is Charlie even bothering to lick Frisco in the first place? Does he think Frisco’s going to be fooled by the bizarre display of faux affection? Or does he do it because he finds Frisco tasty? Why bite him in the neck in the first place? Was the usual form of wrestling not entertaining enough?
You see, this is all stuff I don’t understand. Dozens of questions, not one single answer. I’m left to simply wonder. It makes me crazy. I’d give anything to have the cats speak English for even a few minutes, just so I could ask them these things.
Although, you know, even if I could ask them, they’d probably just shrug and say they had no idea why they do what they do. They’d probably ask me why I spend so much time sitting in front of the computer or eating things that don’t taste like dead birds.
Maybe it’s better that I don’t know. I suppose as long as Charlie doesn’t start biting me in the neck, I shouldn’t worry about it.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Charlie’s a vampire, and that it’s just a matter of time before all of us, Frisco included, become his mindless slaves.
Nah. Vampires don’t drink out of the toilet.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Second Foot Surgery - Screw Removal
Here are pictures of the screw removed during my second foot surgery. The screw is about two inches long and had to be removed to allow proper mobility in my big toe. My surgeon has done an excellent job throughout this process.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Big Cookout
I went to a big cookout at my folks last night with Shannon and the boys. My friend Bruce and his brother and sister were there. My dear old friends, Craig and Heather were there with their girls. I've know both of them since grade school back in New York. They live close by but it's been 1year and two months since I last saw them. What a crime, there really is no excuse for it being so long. Hopefully I'll see them again soon, in a matter of days or weeks, not months or years.
At any rate the big event was a lot of fun, most of it spent trying to cram the details of 14 months into 4 or 5 hours.
The food was good and the conversation was good too.
At any rate the big event was a lot of fun, most of it spent trying to cram the details of 14 months into 4 or 5 hours.
The food was good and the conversation was good too.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Comcast Data Limit
Comcast to make monthly Internet use cap official
Thursday August 28, 6:21 pm ET
Comcast to set official limit on Internet use to deter bandwidth hogs
It's official comacast is imposing a data transfer limit. I'm a comcast user, I doubt I'll go over but it still kinda stinks.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Comcast Corp., the nation's second-largest Internet service provider, Thursday said it would set an official limit on the amount of data subscribers can download and upload each month.
ADVERTISEMENT
On Oct. 1, the cable company will update its user agreement to say that users will be allowed 250 gigabytes of traffic per month, the company announced on its Web site.
Comcast has already reserved the right to cut off subscribers who use too much bandwidth each month, without specifying exactly what constitutes excessive use.
"We've listened to feedback from our customers who asked that we provide a specific threshold for data usage and this would help them understand the amount of usage that would qualify as excessive," the company said in a statement on its Web site.
Customers who go over the limit are contacted by the company and asked to curb their usage.
"We know from experience the vast majority of customers we ask to curb usage do so voluntarily," the company said.
Comcast floated the idea of a 250 gigabyte cap in May and mentioned then that it might charge users $15 for every 10 gigabytes they go over, but the overage fee was missing in Thursday's announcement.
Curbing the top users is necessary to keep the network fast and responsive for other users, Comcast has said.
Comcast stressed that the bandwidth cap is far above the median monthly usage of its customers, which 2 to 3 gigabytes.
Very few subscribers use more than 250 gigabytes, it said. A user could download 125 standard-definition movies, about four per day, before hitting the limit.
The cap is also above those of some other ISPs. Cox Communications' monthly caps vary from 5 gigabytes to 75 gigabytes depending the subscriber's plan. Time Warner Cable Inc. is testing caps between 5 gigabytes and 40 gigabytes in one market. Frontier Communications Co., a phone company, plans to start charging extra for use of more than 5 gigabytes per month.
Thursday August 28, 6:21 pm ET
Comcast to set official limit on Internet use to deter bandwidth hogs
It's official comacast is imposing a data transfer limit. I'm a comcast user, I doubt I'll go over but it still kinda stinks.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Comcast Corp., the nation's second-largest Internet service provider, Thursday said it would set an official limit on the amount of data subscribers can download and upload each month.
ADVERTISEMENT
On Oct. 1, the cable company will update its user agreement to say that users will be allowed 250 gigabytes of traffic per month, the company announced on its Web site.
Comcast has already reserved the right to cut off subscribers who use too much bandwidth each month, without specifying exactly what constitutes excessive use.
"We've listened to feedback from our customers who asked that we provide a specific threshold for data usage and this would help them understand the amount of usage that would qualify as excessive," the company said in a statement on its Web site.
Customers who go over the limit are contacted by the company and asked to curb their usage.
"We know from experience the vast majority of customers we ask to curb usage do so voluntarily," the company said.
Comcast floated the idea of a 250 gigabyte cap in May and mentioned then that it might charge users $15 for every 10 gigabytes they go over, but the overage fee was missing in Thursday's announcement.
Curbing the top users is necessary to keep the network fast and responsive for other users, Comcast has said.
Comcast stressed that the bandwidth cap is far above the median monthly usage of its customers, which 2 to 3 gigabytes.
Very few subscribers use more than 250 gigabytes, it said. A user could download 125 standard-definition movies, about four per day, before hitting the limit.
The cap is also above those of some other ISPs. Cox Communications' monthly caps vary from 5 gigabytes to 75 gigabytes depending the subscriber's plan. Time Warner Cable Inc. is testing caps between 5 gigabytes and 40 gigabytes in one market. Frontier Communications Co., a phone company, plans to start charging extra for use of more than 5 gigabytes per month.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
International Society of Arboriculture
I work at ISA or the International Society of Arboriculture. There were two local news stories about our organization recently. You can follow these links to learn more about where I work.
ISA Interview Part #1
ISA Interview Part #2
Enjoy! You can also visit our consumer oriented site to learn more.
ISA Interview Part #1
ISA Interview Part #2
Enjoy! You can also visit our consumer oriented site to learn more.
Monday, August 11, 2008
More Foot News
It's time for Foot Surgery, round two!
I saw the surgeon today and as expected talked to him about removing the screw from my right foot. This is a five minute procedure and they won't put my out completely but they will send me to 'dreamland' as they put it. This is classified as a surgery, so I get to go through the entire pre-op procedure again, curtailing medication, having a pre-op physical, fasting, etc... Afterwards I will walk out on my own two feet, and I will be in a post op-shoe/slipper.
The downside of all this is I will miss two days of work and I will need someone to drive me home from the surgi-center and stay with me for 24 hours while the anesthetic wears off.
The bottom line is although the screw removal is indeed a five minute procedure, it's all a bit more involved than it appeared to be.
I saw the surgeon today and as expected talked to him about removing the screw from my right foot. This is a five minute procedure and they won't put my out completely but they will send me to 'dreamland' as they put it. This is classified as a surgery, so I get to go through the entire pre-op procedure again, curtailing medication, having a pre-op physical, fasting, etc... Afterwards I will walk out on my own two feet, and I will be in a post op-shoe/slipper.
The downside of all this is I will miss two days of work and I will need someone to drive me home from the surgi-center and stay with me for 24 hours while the anesthetic wears off.
The bottom line is although the screw removal is indeed a five minute procedure, it's all a bit more involved than it appeared to be.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
My Foot and the Office Move
My foot is gradually improving. I see the surgeon again tomorrow for some follow up work. X-rays, check up, etc... Part of my foot is still numb, and will remain this way for months. Most significant is I have little to no power in my big toe. There is a screw holding the bones of my big toe and next two toes together. These bones should move independently and thus I have little power in my foot. I walk funny on my right foot, and thus both it and my left (good) foot hurt frequently. Climbing ladders is out of the question and going down stairs is a little awkward.
When I see the surgeon he will schedule a short procedure to remove the screw. It will take five minutes and supposedly I will be walking immediately after. I'll be out of shoes for a few days while the new dressing is on my foot. Sounds ok, regular shoes are pretty snug right now anyway.
All this made my recent office move a little more challenging. I manage an IT department of two (myself included) for a company of 35. We recently purchased a larger and much nicer building. The other IT guy and I planned for about a year how to get our network infrastructure, phones and other IT resources moved smoothly with minimal downtime.
I couldn't lift anything heavier than a CPU because of my foot, but my coworkers all seemed to understand, pitch in and watch out for me.
Due to a change in the responsibilities of the moving company the other IT guy and myself wound up moving most of the monitiors, printers, and CPUs ourself. It wasn't overly heavy but the repetitious nature made my foot hurt. I was in pain and couldn't walk most nights just before the server move. For two or three days we moved CPUs, monitors and printers, for staff who were away at our annual conference. All in all it was 40 or so workstations, which wound up being 40 CPUs, 40 monitors, 30 printers, and many other odds and ends. Factor in trips out of the old building and trips into the new building that was many many trips back and forth.
Bruce, the other IT guy was quite tired, and worked very hard. Even in good health I would have been tired, but I was in a lot of pain due to my foot. Still it had to be done.
The big push was last Thursday. Our T1 (internet) and PRI (phones) were switched to the new location and the hardware was moved. Our goal was to have our web site and e-mail back up in 6 hours, with 5 key workstations running by the end of the day. We were back up and running in 3 hours and had probably 75-80% of the workstations up by the end of the day. It went better than we could have hoped.
We're still working on post move clean up and odds and ends but things have really slowed down and I'm feeling much more relaxed.
I am pleased with how the move went and I am very happy in the new building.
I've been tempted to take up NWN2 modding again, but remain torn about this. You can read more about this on my RPG Blog.
When I see the surgeon he will schedule a short procedure to remove the screw. It will take five minutes and supposedly I will be walking immediately after. I'll be out of shoes for a few days while the new dressing is on my foot. Sounds ok, regular shoes are pretty snug right now anyway.
All this made my recent office move a little more challenging. I manage an IT department of two (myself included) for a company of 35. We recently purchased a larger and much nicer building. The other IT guy and I planned for about a year how to get our network infrastructure, phones and other IT resources moved smoothly with minimal downtime.
I couldn't lift anything heavier than a CPU because of my foot, but my coworkers all seemed to understand, pitch in and watch out for me.
Due to a change in the responsibilities of the moving company the other IT guy and myself wound up moving most of the monitiors, printers, and CPUs ourself. It wasn't overly heavy but the repetitious nature made my foot hurt. I was in pain and couldn't walk most nights just before the server move. For two or three days we moved CPUs, monitors and printers, for staff who were away at our annual conference. All in all it was 40 or so workstations, which wound up being 40 CPUs, 40 monitors, 30 printers, and many other odds and ends. Factor in trips out of the old building and trips into the new building that was many many trips back and forth.
Bruce, the other IT guy was quite tired, and worked very hard. Even in good health I would have been tired, but I was in a lot of pain due to my foot. Still it had to be done.
The big push was last Thursday. Our T1 (internet) and PRI (phones) were switched to the new location and the hardware was moved. Our goal was to have our web site and e-mail back up in 6 hours, with 5 key workstations running by the end of the day. We were back up and running in 3 hours and had probably 75-80% of the workstations up by the end of the day. It went better than we could have hoped.
We're still working on post move clean up and odds and ends but things have really slowed down and I'm feeling much more relaxed.
I am pleased with how the move went and I am very happy in the new building.
I've been tempted to take up NWN2 modding again, but remain torn about this. You can read more about this on my RPG Blog.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Eldest Son's Award Winning Artwork
Here are the pieces of art that won at the county fair. I blogged about this recently. My eldest son is quite talented. Sorry about the glare on the first two pictures, perhaps I'll try again later without the flash on.
1st place for his water color painting.
1st place for his pencil sketch.
He took 3rd place for his charcoal drawing.
He won tops honors for artwork overall in his age group. The grand prize for his category!
1st place for his water color painting.
1st place for his pencil sketch.
He took 3rd place for his charcoal drawing. He won tops honors for artwork overall in his age group. The grand prize for his category!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Eldest Son at the County Fair
My eldest son is an talented artist. This year he entered the art contest at the County Fair. I was proud of him for putting himself out there and entering in several categories. He's very talented and I expected him to place in at least one category.
He did place. He did more than that! He took 3rd place for his charcoal drawing, 1st place for his water color painting, 1st place for his pencil sketch and he won tops honors for artwork overall in his age group. The grand prize for his category!
Again I was pleased he entered something. I was proud enough at that point. I am thrilled beyond words for him. I always tell people he's talented and it's not just fatherly pride. Looks like others agree!!
He did place. He did more than that! He took 3rd place for his charcoal drawing, 1st place for his water color painting, 1st place for his pencil sketch and he won tops honors for artwork overall in his age group. The grand prize for his category!
Again I was pleased he entered something. I was proud enough at that point. I am thrilled beyond words for him. I always tell people he's talented and it's not just fatherly pride. Looks like others agree!!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Tree group branching out in west Champaign
This is an article about where I work.
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Tree group branching out in west Champaign
By Don Dodson
Monday, July 21, 2008 2:12 PM CDT
E-mail Story Printer-friendly
CHAMPAIGN – A worldwide society based in Champaign expects its staff to grow by 27 people over the next 10 years and is moving to accommodate that growth.
The International Society of Arboriculture, 1400 W. Anthony Drive, C, plans to move this weekend to the former Farm Credit Services building at West Park Court and Country Fair Drive, Executive Director Jim Skiera said.
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The society has 21,000 members worldwide – including commercial, municipal and utility arborists – and a staff of 38. But Skiera said that number should grow to 65 in 10 years.
Part of the growth is related to the society's certification program, which so far has certified 25,000 arborists.
It also awards other certifications, such as "certified tree worker/climber."
Skiera said the staff also puts together conferences for the society, and that sector is growing as well. The society's annual conference and trade show starts Saturday in St. Louis, with the 2008 International Tree Climbing Championship going on there simultaneously.
"The emphasis on green is really starting to accelerate," Skiera said, adding that interest in the environment is growing in China and India as well as the United States.
Currently, about 17,000, or 80 percent, of the society's members are from the United States. But the society has members in 50 countries, including Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, China, Hong Kong and many European countries, he said.
The move to the two-story building at 2101 W. Park Court will give the society about 34,000 square feet, or more than double what it has on Anthony Drive, Skiera said.
Part of that is warehouse space needed for the society's publications, which generate about 25 percent of its revenues.
The society publishes periodicals, such as Arborist News and Arboriculture & Urban Forestry. But it also produces certification study guides, best-management-practice guides, training videos and interactive CD-ROMs.
Skiera said some members have pushed for the society's office to be in a larger city, but he said the costs of doing business there would be greater, and Champaign-Urbana is "pretty competitive" in that respect. Besides, he said, if the society moved to another community, staff members would have to move, too.
The move to Park Court was made possible after Farm Credit Services of Illinois moved its office earlier this year to the former Roberson Transportation headquarters on the east side of Mahomet.
David Owens, president and chief executive officer of Farm Credit Services of Illinois, said the move to Mahomet was made to accommodate growth.
"We were simply out of space at the former facility and were housing two employees in some offices," he said. "We explored options for adding on, renting additional space or purchasing a second facility nearby. None of these options was very promising."
The former Roberson building has 44,000 square feet, which Owens said is "a bit larger than our current needs," but it provides "adequate space for future growth." Currently, about 60 employees work there.
Farm Credit Services put on a new roof and installed new heating, ventilating and air-conditioning units, Owens said. It created 51 private offices and 20 workstations in the building, with space for 20 more workstations in the future.
Owens said Farm Credit Services' business began growing rapidly three years ago.
"Beginning in 2006, our business started to experience additional demand for loans," he said. "We grew 13 percent in 2006, 24 percent in 2007 and are on track for 30 percent growth this year. Higher farm input costs, cash rents and land values are fueling this demand for credit."
----------------------------------------
Tree group branching out in west Champaign
By Don Dodson
Monday, July 21, 2008 2:12 PM CDT
E-mail Story Printer-friendly
CHAMPAIGN – A worldwide society based in Champaign expects its staff to grow by 27 people over the next 10 years and is moving to accommodate that growth.
The International Society of Arboriculture, 1400 W. Anthony Drive, C, plans to move this weekend to the former Farm Credit Services building at West Park Court and Country Fair Drive, Executive Director Jim Skiera said.
Advertisement
The society has 21,000 members worldwide – including commercial, municipal and utility arborists – and a staff of 38. But Skiera said that number should grow to 65 in 10 years.
Part of the growth is related to the society's certification program, which so far has certified 25,000 arborists.
It also awards other certifications, such as "certified tree worker/climber."
Skiera said the staff also puts together conferences for the society, and that sector is growing as well. The society's annual conference and trade show starts Saturday in St. Louis, with the 2008 International Tree Climbing Championship going on there simultaneously.
"The emphasis on green is really starting to accelerate," Skiera said, adding that interest in the environment is growing in China and India as well as the United States.
Currently, about 17,000, or 80 percent, of the society's members are from the United States. But the society has members in 50 countries, including Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, China, Hong Kong and many European countries, he said.
The move to the two-story building at 2101 W. Park Court will give the society about 34,000 square feet, or more than double what it has on Anthony Drive, Skiera said.
Part of that is warehouse space needed for the society's publications, which generate about 25 percent of its revenues.
The society publishes periodicals, such as Arborist News and Arboriculture & Urban Forestry. But it also produces certification study guides, best-management-practice guides, training videos and interactive CD-ROMs.
Skiera said some members have pushed for the society's office to be in a larger city, but he said the costs of doing business there would be greater, and Champaign-Urbana is "pretty competitive" in that respect. Besides, he said, if the society moved to another community, staff members would have to move, too.
The move to Park Court was made possible after Farm Credit Services of Illinois moved its office earlier this year to the former Roberson Transportation headquarters on the east side of Mahomet.
David Owens, president and chief executive officer of Farm Credit Services of Illinois, said the move to Mahomet was made to accommodate growth.
"We were simply out of space at the former facility and were housing two employees in some offices," he said. "We explored options for adding on, renting additional space or purchasing a second facility nearby. None of these options was very promising."
The former Roberson building has 44,000 square feet, which Owens said is "a bit larger than our current needs," but it provides "adequate space for future growth." Currently, about 60 employees work there.
Farm Credit Services put on a new roof and installed new heating, ventilating and air-conditioning units, Owens said. It created 51 private offices and 20 workstations in the building, with space for 20 more workstations in the future.
Owens said Farm Credit Services' business began growing rapidly three years ago.
"Beginning in 2006, our business started to experience additional demand for loans," he said. "We grew 13 percent in 2006, 24 percent in 2007 and are on track for 30 percent growth this year. Higher farm input costs, cash rents and land values are fueling this demand for credit."
Friday, July 11, 2008
Foot Progress
I had a follow up appointment with the foot surgeon. He was extremely pleased with how all of the bones in my foot are healing and the alignment is excellent. In short I am doing very well.
I have another x-ray in a month or so followed by 5 minute out patient procedure. They will be removing a screw in my foot. Apparently the bones of my big toe and next two toes have a big screw running threw them necessary for healing. However the big down, middle three toes and little toe all need to move independently for proper mobility. Thus this particular screw gets to come up. He said it's a five minute procedure, I can walk immediately after it's done and the only ill effect is I am in a post opp slipper or sandles for a few days. I'll give you the time for th
I have another x-ray in a month or so followed by 5 minute out patient procedure. They will be removing a screw in my foot. Apparently the bones of my big toe and next two toes have a big screw running threw them necessary for healing. However the big down, middle three toes and little toe all need to move independently for proper mobility. Thus this particular screw gets to come up. He said it's a five minute procedure, I can walk immediately after it's done and the only ill effect is I am in a post opp slipper or sandles for a few days. I'll give you the time for th
Monday, June 23, 2008
Award for Hobby Related Work
I won an award for some hobby related work. Check out this entry on my gaming related blog to read more. My gaming handle is ENoa4, and I am towards the bottom of the awards list in one of the last categories.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Saugatuck, MI 2008
We completed our annual family father's day drip to Saugatuck, MI. Everyone had a great time and the kids are dying to go back. With my foot I didn't get to hike or swim but I read a book, relaxed and had a great time too.
Here's a picture of my favorite restaurant in Saugatuck and some of the docks.
Here's a picture of my favorite restaurant in Saugatuck and some of the docks.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
William Shatner
Great article on William Shatner. It really captures him well. He's strange duck, but I really enjoy him.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Music Video
I worked with a gentleman by the name of Steve Bevil for a few years. He's bright, well organized and very pleasant to work with. I knew he wrote, sang and produced music on the side but didn't have a chance to hear anything he did until a few days ago. Here is one of his songs posted on youtube. Unfortunately Steve has left ISA, where I work, for a new job. Hopefully he'll keep me appraised of his musical pursuits. He is working in the building my wife works in so I am hoping the odds of staying in touch are a bit higher.
The video was shot and edited by Bret Henrikson another guy I work with. I have been aware of Bret's strong interest in shooting and editing video and we've even worked together on an ISA video project. I thought Bret did an excellent job shooting and editing this video. The selection is tasteful and complements the music very well.
Nice job to both Bret and Steve.
Steve, I know you've peaked at this blog before. Please stay in touch.
The video was shot and edited by Bret Henrikson another guy I work with. I have been aware of Bret's strong interest in shooting and editing video and we've even worked together on an ISA video project. I thought Bret did an excellent job shooting and editing this video. The selection is tasteful and complements the music very well.
Nice job to both Bret and Steve.
Steve, I know you've peaked at this blog before. Please stay in touch.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Progress with my foot
I am continuing to make progress with my foot. I am walked more and more without crutches, although when I do I tend to get carried away then wind up in quite a bit of pain from pushing myself. It does feel good to be more self-sufficient. I almost feel like myself. Driving and the amount of activity are the two biggest limitations I have left.
The cast is starting to get stinky! It's warm and I am sweating more, so don't get to close. I can't get it it wet so there isn't much foot washing going on.
I get the cast off next Thursday afternoon and will be in a surgical boot which will allow me to walk more normally. I'll also get a special boot I can switch into to drive comfortably. I'm looking forward to the change.
The cast is starting to get stinky! It's warm and I am sweating more, so don't get to close. I can't get it it wet so there isn't much foot washing going on.
I get the cast off next Thursday afternoon and will be in a surgical boot which will allow me to walk more normally. I'll also get a special boot I can switch into to drive comfortably. I'm looking forward to the change.
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