This Photo Appears in the NowPublic Environment Story on the Vernal Equinox, by Invitation, here:
In the Story "SPRING EQUINOX 2009: March 20 First Day of Spring - my.nowpublic.com/environment/spring-equinox-2 009-march-20...
and resides here on NowPublic -
my.nowpublic.com/environment/happy-spring-pho to-02
Posted 19 hours ago. ( permalink delete edit )
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Post Secret....Frank Warren...- go there
Post Secret....Frank Warren...www.postsecret.com - go there
Originally uploaded by randi rivers
i asked.. he said yes... so i snapped my bitty camera as
he added the stamp that reads:
"Free your Secrets and Become Who You Are" .....
i don't know who that would be.
and i still love the "no photographs of any kind" sign.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Why Dyslexics Make Great Entrepreneurs
Quoted from http://techannounce.ttu.edu/Client/ViewMessage.aspx?MsgId=86663&mode=print:
Why Dyslexics Make Great Entrepreneurs
by Gabrielle Coppola When Alan Meckler, the CEO of IT and online imagery hub Jupitermedia (JUPM), was accepted to Columbia University in 1965, the dean's office told him he had some of the lowest college boards of any student ever admitted. "I got a 405 or 410 in English," he recalls. "In those days you got a 400 just for putting your name down! Yet I was on the dean's list every year I was there, and I won a prize for having the best essay in American history my senior year."
It wasn't until years later, at age 58, that Meckler learned he was dyslexic. He struggles with walking and driving directions, and interpreting charts and graphs. He prefers to listen to someone explain a problem to him, rather than sit down and read 20 pages describing it. As a youth, Meckler discovered a unique strength—baseball—and cultivated it religiously to compensate for weakness in other areas.
ASSET OR HANDICAP? All of these things, according to Dr. Sally Shaywitz, a professor of learning development at Yale University, are classic signs of dyslexia. Shaywitz has long argued that dyslexia should be evaluated as an asset, not just a handicap. She recently co-founded the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, dedicated to studying the link between the two. "I want people to wish they were dyslexic," she says. "There are many positive attributes that can't be taught that people are generally not aware of. We always write about how we're losing human capital—dyslexics are not able to achieve their potential because they've had to go around the system."
It's not clear whether dyslexics develop their special talents by learning to negotiate their disability or whether such skills are the genetic inheritance of being dyslexic. It's a question Shaywitz plans to explore, along with trying to change the way dyslexia is viewed in the educational system and the business world. One project at the center will be an education series to train executives to recognize outside-the-box thinkers who don't perform well on standardized tests.
Shaywitz recently tested a well-known CEO (whom she declined to identify) for dyslexia. The man confessed that he'd hired an outside company to help identify future leaders within the organization by administering a reading test. "'The irony is,' I told him, 'you're eliminating and sifting out all the people like yourself who might actually be the ones to be creative and make a difference.'"
COPING SKILLS That kind of rejection, along with a penchant for creativity, may help explain why so many dyslexics are inclined to become entrepreneurs. Julie Logan, a professor of entrepreneurship at Cass Business School in London, believes strongly in the connection.
In a study to be published in January, Logan found that 35% of entrepreneurs in the U.S. show signs of dyslexia, compared to 20% in Britain. Logan attributes the gap to a more flexible education system in the U.S., vs. rigid tracking in British schools, and better identification and remediation methods. "Most of the people in our study talked about the role of the mentor and how important that had been," Logan says. "The difference seems to be somebody who believes in you in school."
The broader implication, she says, is that many of the coping skills dyslexics learn in their formative years become best practices for the successful entrepreneur. A child who chronically fails standardized tests must become comfortable with failure. Being a slow reader forces you to extract only vital information, so that you're constantly getting right to the point. Dyslexics are also forced to trust and rely on others to get things done—an essential skill for anyone working to build a business.
"People really struggle to delegate, and these people have learned to do that already," she says. "If you're bogged down in the details, you're not out there looking at where your business needs to go."
LEMONADE FROM LEMONS Paul Orfalea, who founded the copy-and-graphics chain Kinko's 37 years ago, has both dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. He proudly attributes much of his business success to an inability to do things most others can. "I would always hire people who didn't have my skills," he says. "My secret was to get out of their way and let them do their job." He is also inured to failure. "You know what's great about a C student? They have risk-reward pretty much well-wired," he says. "A students are always putting in maximum effort, and C students say, 'Well, is it really worth it?'"
Cisco Systems (CSCO) CEO John Chambers says dyslexia helps him step back and see the big picture. His third-grade teacher discovered his reading trouble; he says alternative teaching methods and supportive parents helped him learn to deal with it at an early age. "Dyslexia forces you to look at things in totality and not just as a single chess move. I play out the whole scenario in my mind and then work through it.… All of my life, I've built organizations with a broad perspective in mind."
Meckler, who was one of the first to convert his IT trade publications into a sustainable, ad-supported business model for Web publishing, also strives for the big picture and has little patience for details. "In business meetings…I can hear a whole bunch of people talking about a lot of things, and I seem to be able to cut right to the chase," he says. "I think my mind has been trained…to zero in on the salient point."
FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL DYSLEXICS Those entrepreneurs who have embraced their dyslexia have also made it their personal mission to pave an easier way for the next generation. Discount brokerage pioneer Charles Schwab (SCHW) started the Charles & Helen Schwab Foundation, a resource center for kids and parents to overcome learning and attention disorders. Orfalea founded the Orfalea Family Foundation, to support and identify different learning styles and try to remove the stigma that comes with them.
Ben Foss, a researcher in assistive technologies in Intel's (INTC) Digital Health Group, started a nonprofit and made a documentary film about the first man in America to win an employee discrimination case based on dyslexia. He's now working to adapt technologies for the blind to also assist people with learning disabilities, too. Despite the titans of business disclosing their dyslexia to the world, Foss says it's still daunting to climb the corporate ladder as a dyslexic. "If you're John Chambers, Charles Schwab, or Richard Branson, sure. But if you're a corporate VP in the mid-ranks, there's a very large disincentive to saying you're dyslexic, because you're still being evaluated," he says. "Ironically, talking about it on your terms is what allows you to become successful."
Of course, being a misfit often lends itself to great entrepreneurship. Health-care entrepreneur and real estate magnate James LeVoy Sorenson has more than 40 medical patents to his name and is responsible for inventing the first computerized heart monitor, the first disposable paper surgical masks, and the first blood-recycling system for trauma and surgical procedures. He also dropped out of community college at 18, and was told by grade-school teachers he was either "slow-witted or developmentally disabled."
At 86, Sorenson says overcoming dyslexia trained him to be persistent and solve problems in new ways: "I like to add one word to the end of many sentences: 'yet.' Instead of saying, 'I can't do it,' I say, 'I can't do it—yet.'"
Coppola is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in New York.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
spiderling.... maybe a young orb weaver?
spiderling.... maybe a young orb weaver?
two tiny spiders today.... well this one wasn't so tiny.... but one was on my door knob when i got home... it was not a familiar sort to me, but i took a stick and he crawled onto it and i put him on my orchid cactus (which is about to flower, btw!!) and then i went on inside.....
then, when i was in the dining room, i saw a pair of shoes i needed to move, so i bent down to get them, and i spied this unusual spiderling on the blind....
hhmm.. two unusual spiders in one day, 15 or so minutes apart.... so i consulted an oracle...... yes, i did. something needs my attention.
it might be that i am in need of creating something.... both young-appearing spiders, the door knob one webbed the stick and bungeed into the orchid cactus.... the blind surfer 'looks' like it could be a mini one of those giant, beautiful orb weavers i've seen occaisionally that create such amazing webs......
or.... i could be in for entanglements of some sort..... but i would think i'd run into some sort of webbery and get all ickified from it, if that were the case....
so i choose to believe i might need to be creating something..... ahhh!! i know what it is! it's my soon to be unfolding new job..... the one that's just been 'created' that i will be the first one ever in it....... yeah!
Monday, July 23, 2007
mama spider
I was watering the garden.....and i spied this spider running along for safety.....she was carrying her egg sac.....and she so kindly paused to allow me to get this photo of her... soon the egg will spill forth dozens of tiny spiders who will hitch a ride on their mama's back... have you ever seen that? it's an amazing sight to see.....
best viewed LARGE
best viewed LARGE
another fabulously beautiful butterfly
The Butterfly Haus at Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, Texas, is worth visiting. Check them out..... www.wildseedfarms.com
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
It Is Difficult to Admire.....
the intricately hand-carved ivory tusks of a formerly living majestic mammal depicting a long dead asian empress and emperor when smaller humans are loudly whispering come here come here come here (and i kid you not one of those smaller humans JUST NOW hollered come here come here as i was typing those very words)
but i digress....
i'm thinking the enormous, majestic, _living_ mammal might have been proud to sport those amazingly carved tusks, if only someone had been nice enough to ask.
go see these tusks at the Texas Tech Museum. I promise it will be worth it.
I can't even find a photo online that does these two magnificently carved tusks an iota of justice.
but i digress....
i'm thinking the enormous, majestic, _living_ mammal might have been proud to sport those amazingly carved tusks, if only someone had been nice enough to ask.
go see these tusks at the Texas Tech Museum. I promise it will be worth it.
I can't even find a photo online that does these two magnificently carved tusks an iota of justice.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Spiders have a Sense of Humor.....
clever spiders have a way of dissuading persistent paparazzi like me....
they jump on your camera lens to try to scare hell out of you!
the kids got a good laugh out of it anyway :)
click there to read about it...
this is what he was doing before i so rudely disturbed him...eating lunch....damn... he might be related to Brad Pitt...
get it? that's a paparazzi joke.... :) come on!
they jump on your camera lens to try to scare hell out of you!
the kids got a good laugh out of it anyway :)
click there to read about it...
this is what he was doing before i so rudely disturbed him...eating lunch....damn... he might be related to Brad Pitt...
get it? that's a paparazzi joke.... :) come on!
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
A Strange Little Dream
Last night I had this crazy dream… unlike any that I've ever had before…I read online a few weeks ago about the cicadas emerging this year and I just kind of glanced around some of the news articles… like the one that mentions that zoo animals are all excited because these cicadas taste so good and they're a beneficial addition to the animals' diets....
So anyway…. I haven't really had cicadas on my mind other than that, so the dream I had was kinda strange….well, here goes….
I was visiting my friend that lives at Ransom Canyon. His house has a back yard that starts out kind of flat and then climbs into the wall of the canyon at a steep slope…. It's not particularly landscaped intricately, but in my dream, as we're standing there in the back yard talking, a large cicada comes whirring by, all around our heads a couple of times, and lands on the ground near us, where there are three stump-like protrusions coming up from the ground, surrounded by a rocky planter. It seemed like the stumps looked like small trees or some sort of cactus that had been cut back…they were in a triangle pattern.
The cicada started going around and around in the dirt around one of the stumps. Pretty soon it had uprooted the stump at the top of the triangle. While it was doing it's little 'job', I remember feeling like the ground beneath my feet was shaking and vibrating heavily. A very odd, powerful feeling… like a jackhammer but less intense.
Suddenly, the stump rolled off the planter and fell out of sight. Then the cicada started whirring again in the center of the planter between the two remaining stumps, but this time it was digging straight down. I could still feel the ground vibrating. I looked at my friend and he started smiling and then I woke up. I felt like I could still feel the vibration in my feet and legs.
It was a very strange feeling.
That dream is puzzling me….. any ideas?
So anyway…. I haven't really had cicadas on my mind other than that, so the dream I had was kinda strange….well, here goes….
I was visiting my friend that lives at Ransom Canyon. His house has a back yard that starts out kind of flat and then climbs into the wall of the canyon at a steep slope…. It's not particularly landscaped intricately, but in my dream, as we're standing there in the back yard talking, a large cicada comes whirring by, all around our heads a couple of times, and lands on the ground near us, where there are three stump-like protrusions coming up from the ground, surrounded by a rocky planter. It seemed like the stumps looked like small trees or some sort of cactus that had been cut back…they were in a triangle pattern.
The cicada started going around and around in the dirt around one of the stumps. Pretty soon it had uprooted the stump at the top of the triangle. While it was doing it's little 'job', I remember feeling like the ground beneath my feet was shaking and vibrating heavily. A very odd, powerful feeling… like a jackhammer but less intense.
Suddenly, the stump rolled off the planter and fell out of sight. Then the cicada started whirring again in the center of the planter between the two remaining stumps, but this time it was digging straight down. I could still feel the ground vibrating. I looked at my friend and he started smiling and then I woke up. I felt like I could still feel the vibration in my feet and legs.
It was a very strange feeling.
That dream is puzzling me….. any ideas?
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Monday, June 05, 2006
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Tanner and Shaila
Here it is... a collage of a very special night for my son....Senior Prom.
Isn't he handsome? and she's very pretty. His first real girlfriend.
Time's a passiin.....it's almost Graduation Day....my my my.
Isn't he handsome? and she's very pretty. His first real girlfriend.
Time's a passiin.....it's almost Graduation Day....my my my.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Friday, April 28, 2006
Monday, January 02, 2006
The Birdman
Man with a secret helps city say bye-bye to birdies
By Colleen MastonyTribune staff reporterPublished December 26, 2005
DECATUR, Ill. -- Every fall, the starlings descended on Decatur like a plague. Screeching and flapping, thousands of birds seized control of the park and dive-bombed residents, who fought back by lobbing firecrackers and blasting them with a propane cannon.Nothing worked until town officials called in James Soules. As owner of the Decatur-based Bird Repellent Co., the quiet man said he could beat the birds, but there was a catch: He refused to tell anyone how he would do it. He demanded complete secrecy, warning officials not to spy on him.Soules might have seemed like a swindler, but over the next few weeks something astounding happened. The starlings began to fly away. "I was amazed," said Dan Mendenall, a city official in Decatur. "It was almost like he wished them away."The last of those birds flew out of Decatur in the 1990s, and in the years since, the 83-year-old Soules has driven off others using tactics that are a closely guarded secret. A modern-day pied piper, he has become a legend around Decatur, where people call him the "birdman," "shaman" or even the "crow whisperer."In bifocals and a cardigan, the grandfatherly-looking Soules has chased birds from Bloomington, Springfield, Joliet and dozens of other cities over a 50-year career."He doesn't get rid of half or a third. They're all gone," said Paul Osborne, the mayor of Decatur. "I don't know what he does. He doesn't poison them. He doesn't use spray. You never see bird carcasses. They just fly away, and they don't come back."Over the years, Soules has made a steady living battling blackbirds, starlings, crows, pigeons and sparrows. These birds can be a big problem for cities and towns across the Midwest. Starlings and crows in particular can descend en masse in the autumn, mucking up parks and leaving sticky messes on sidewalks. A typical roost can draw a few hundred to 15,000 birds, and on rare occasions hundreds of thousands, so many the sky nearly turns black.In recent years, crows in particular have been moving to urban areas. And moving them out can be difficult. The U.S. Department of Agriculture sometimes attacks urban roosts by shooting pyrotechnics into trees. Other tactics range from banging on garbage cans, spraying smelly chemicals or blaring taped raptor calls to zapping birds with lasers. But such approaches bring mixed results."As with most wildlife," said Brad Robbins, a wildlife biologist at the USDA, "there is no one magic wand." When told of Soules' secret, Robbins was stumped. "I really don't know what he is doing," Robbins said.Soules isn't talking, saying only that he does not shoot, poison or trap the birds. Likewise, he says he does not use lights, sounds or smells."We often thought he just talked to them," said Gary Goddard, 62, city manager of Galesburg, Ill., only half-joking. "Like Doctor Doolittle."Indeed, Soules' story seems made for Hollywood, a tale of a regular guy who stumbles upon a secret that gives him a seemingly superhuman power."We had someone who tried to watch him," said Phillip Wilhelm, Decatur's municipal services manager. "Never was able to catch him doing anything."In Galesburg, where Soules had a contract two years ago, people occasionally saw him in the park, working long after midnight. As he moved from tree to tree, the birds seemed to lift up. "I'm not exactly sure what he does," said Goddard, the city manager. "But whatever it is, it is very effective."The story begins with Soules' father, Jimmie, who founded the family business in the 1930s. The elder Soules had become a local hero in the 1940s, when he used owl decoys to scare the starlings from Decatur. Life magazine featured him and his fake owls in a three-page spread in 1947. In one news account, Soules and his then business partner were described as "America's foremost two-member team of bird shoo-ers."But the starlings eventually realized the owls were fakes, and soon Soules Sr. was back at the drawing board. By the 1950s, his son had joined him. The younger Soules tried to attack the problem by "thinking like a bird." He studied their habits, and often rappelled down buildings to look for nests.Today, Soules is deliberately vague about his breakthrough, saying only that he used `trial-and-error' before he hit upon a foolproof method in the early 1950s.Soules and his father soon were selling their secret process, carrying mysterious black boxes to towns in Illinois and across the Midwest. They refused to reveal their technique, but guaranteed their work and accepted payment only after the job was done. Their company stationery announced: "We have never failed."They crisscrossed the region, chasing crows from courthouses and pushing pigeons out of parks. Everywhere they worked, they collected written recommendations:An "unprecedented su"Every promise made has been fulfilled," wrote a company executive from a factory in Buffalo, N.Y."Tax money well spent," wrote an official from Sangamon County, Ill.In Decatur, Soules and his father kept the birds out of the downtown for a few thousand dollars a year. But in the 1980s, the city let the contract lapse.But by the early 1990s, the starlings were back. Birds were roosting in the downtown. Birds were pecking people on their heads. Worst of all, birds were leaving a sloppy, smelly mess.City officials organized volunteers to bang pots and pans along the streets. Maintenance workers set off a propane cannon so loud it shattered windows and triggered the alarm at the downtown bank.Still, the birds refused to budge.In desperation, local forester Randy Callison called Soules. But perhaps feeling jilted, Soules refused to take the job. He told them he didn't have the time, and it didn't pay enough. Two more city officials had to call before Soules finally agreed to a contract that paid $36,000 over four years.Within a week, city officials say, the birds had flown away.Having learned its lesson, Decatur has renewed Soules' services ever since, signing the most recent contract in October.Soules says it can take one to three weeks to move an urban roost. The first step includes surveillance. "You have to know why the birds are there," he said. The second step includes removal, a process that takes about two to three hours of work per night and which Soules steadfastly declines to discuss. After the birds are gone, Soules says he patrols every other week.He hasn't seen any of the birds in Decatur since October. But he remains vigilant. On a recent night, Soules piloted his Chevy truck through the darkened streets, shining his industrial flashlight into trees, peeking into parking lots and suspiciously eyeing the sidewalks.Bundled in a black jacket and cap, he tottered through Central Park. "This would be solid with birds in here," he said.His father died in 1987, and Soules now runs the business with occasional help from his oldest son. He began cutting back on his jobs about three years ago and now only covers Decatur and Bloomington.His memory isn't as good as it once was, and he lately suffered dizzy spells. On a recent night, he fell while looking for birds."I am too old," said Soules. He has three children, but none are interested in taking over the business.Over the years, a few people have made inquiries about buying him out. But Soules won't sell his secret to just anyone. It would have to be someone willing to work hard. "Someone who would take it over and expand it," he said.In Decatur, public officials hope the secret lives on. "Otherwise we might have birds all over the place," said Osborne, the mayor.Speculation about the birdman's secret has abounded for years. One joke was that Soules hired someone to dress in an owl suit, climb the tallest tree, flap his wings and hoot.A member of Soules' church once asked if he trained a pigeon to lead the birds out of town.Most, it seems, are willing to live with the mystery."I guess there are some things in life where you may never hear an explanation," said Steve Swanson, Decatur's director of engineering and infrastructure. "It's like the guy who hides his secret for Coca-Cola. He just won't share it."Soules laughs when he hears the wild guesses and strange theories."You're not even close," he said on a recent day, his eyes lively, his voice ringing with glee. "You haven't even got one-tenth of the secret."When asked about the black "mystery" boxes, Soules didn't miss a beat."The boxes?" he said, offhandedly. "Oh that was a gimmick. I haven't seen those boxes in years."----------cmastony@tribune.comccess," wrote leaders from St. Louis.
By Colleen MastonyTribune staff reporterPublished December 26, 2005
DECATUR, Ill. -- Every fall, the starlings descended on Decatur like a plague. Screeching and flapping, thousands of birds seized control of the park and dive-bombed residents, who fought back by lobbing firecrackers and blasting them with a propane cannon.Nothing worked until town officials called in James Soules. As owner of the Decatur-based Bird Repellent Co., the quiet man said he could beat the birds, but there was a catch: He refused to tell anyone how he would do it. He demanded complete secrecy, warning officials not to spy on him.Soules might have seemed like a swindler, but over the next few weeks something astounding happened. The starlings began to fly away. "I was amazed," said Dan Mendenall, a city official in Decatur. "It was almost like he wished them away."The last of those birds flew out of Decatur in the 1990s, and in the years since, the 83-year-old Soules has driven off others using tactics that are a closely guarded secret. A modern-day pied piper, he has become a legend around Decatur, where people call him the "birdman," "shaman" or even the "crow whisperer."In bifocals and a cardigan, the grandfatherly-looking Soules has chased birds from Bloomington, Springfield, Joliet and dozens of other cities over a 50-year career."He doesn't get rid of half or a third. They're all gone," said Paul Osborne, the mayor of Decatur. "I don't know what he does. He doesn't poison them. He doesn't use spray. You never see bird carcasses. They just fly away, and they don't come back."Over the years, Soules has made a steady living battling blackbirds, starlings, crows, pigeons and sparrows. These birds can be a big problem for cities and towns across the Midwest. Starlings and crows in particular can descend en masse in the autumn, mucking up parks and leaving sticky messes on sidewalks. A typical roost can draw a few hundred to 15,000 birds, and on rare occasions hundreds of thousands, so many the sky nearly turns black.In recent years, crows in particular have been moving to urban areas. And moving them out can be difficult. The U.S. Department of Agriculture sometimes attacks urban roosts by shooting pyrotechnics into trees. Other tactics range from banging on garbage cans, spraying smelly chemicals or blaring taped raptor calls to zapping birds with lasers. But such approaches bring mixed results."As with most wildlife," said Brad Robbins, a wildlife biologist at the USDA, "there is no one magic wand." When told of Soules' secret, Robbins was stumped. "I really don't know what he is doing," Robbins said.Soules isn't talking, saying only that he does not shoot, poison or trap the birds. Likewise, he says he does not use lights, sounds or smells."We often thought he just talked to them," said Gary Goddard, 62, city manager of Galesburg, Ill., only half-joking. "Like Doctor Doolittle."Indeed, Soules' story seems made for Hollywood, a tale of a regular guy who stumbles upon a secret that gives him a seemingly superhuman power."We had someone who tried to watch him," said Phillip Wilhelm, Decatur's municipal services manager. "Never was able to catch him doing anything."In Galesburg, where Soules had a contract two years ago, people occasionally saw him in the park, working long after midnight. As he moved from tree to tree, the birds seemed to lift up. "I'm not exactly sure what he does," said Goddard, the city manager. "But whatever it is, it is very effective."The story begins with Soules' father, Jimmie, who founded the family business in the 1930s. The elder Soules had become a local hero in the 1940s, when he used owl decoys to scare the starlings from Decatur. Life magazine featured him and his fake owls in a three-page spread in 1947. In one news account, Soules and his then business partner were described as "America's foremost two-member team of bird shoo-ers."But the starlings eventually realized the owls were fakes, and soon Soules Sr. was back at the drawing board. By the 1950s, his son had joined him. The younger Soules tried to attack the problem by "thinking like a bird." He studied their habits, and often rappelled down buildings to look for nests.Today, Soules is deliberately vague about his breakthrough, saying only that he used `trial-and-error' before he hit upon a foolproof method in the early 1950s.Soules and his father soon were selling their secret process, carrying mysterious black boxes to towns in Illinois and across the Midwest. They refused to reveal their technique, but guaranteed their work and accepted payment only after the job was done. Their company stationery announced: "We have never failed."They crisscrossed the region, chasing crows from courthouses and pushing pigeons out of parks. Everywhere they worked, they collected written recommendations:An "unprecedented su"Every promise made has been fulfilled," wrote a company executive from a factory in Buffalo, N.Y."Tax money well spent," wrote an official from Sangamon County, Ill.In Decatur, Soules and his father kept the birds out of the downtown for a few thousand dollars a year. But in the 1980s, the city let the contract lapse.But by the early 1990s, the starlings were back. Birds were roosting in the downtown. Birds were pecking people on their heads. Worst of all, birds were leaving a sloppy, smelly mess.City officials organized volunteers to bang pots and pans along the streets. Maintenance workers set off a propane cannon so loud it shattered windows and triggered the alarm at the downtown bank.Still, the birds refused to budge.In desperation, local forester Randy Callison called Soules. But perhaps feeling jilted, Soules refused to take the job. He told them he didn't have the time, and it didn't pay enough. Two more city officials had to call before Soules finally agreed to a contract that paid $36,000 over four years.Within a week, city officials say, the birds had flown away.Having learned its lesson, Decatur has renewed Soules' services ever since, signing the most recent contract in October.Soules says it can take one to three weeks to move an urban roost. The first step includes surveillance. "You have to know why the birds are there," he said. The second step includes removal, a process that takes about two to three hours of work per night and which Soules steadfastly declines to discuss. After the birds are gone, Soules says he patrols every other week.He hasn't seen any of the birds in Decatur since October. But he remains vigilant. On a recent night, Soules piloted his Chevy truck through the darkened streets, shining his industrial flashlight into trees, peeking into parking lots and suspiciously eyeing the sidewalks.Bundled in a black jacket and cap, he tottered through Central Park. "This would be solid with birds in here," he said.His father died in 1987, and Soules now runs the business with occasional help from his oldest son. He began cutting back on his jobs about three years ago and now only covers Decatur and Bloomington.His memory isn't as good as it once was, and he lately suffered dizzy spells. On a recent night, he fell while looking for birds."I am too old," said Soules. He has three children, but none are interested in taking over the business.Over the years, a few people have made inquiries about buying him out. But Soules won't sell his secret to just anyone. It would have to be someone willing to work hard. "Someone who would take it over and expand it," he said.In Decatur, public officials hope the secret lives on. "Otherwise we might have birds all over the place," said Osborne, the mayor.Speculation about the birdman's secret has abounded for years. One joke was that Soules hired someone to dress in an owl suit, climb the tallest tree, flap his wings and hoot.A member of Soules' church once asked if he trained a pigeon to lead the birds out of town.Most, it seems, are willing to live with the mystery."I guess there are some things in life where you may never hear an explanation," said Steve Swanson, Decatur's director of engineering and infrastructure. "It's like the guy who hides his secret for Coca-Cola. He just won't share it."Soules laughs when he hears the wild guesses and strange theories."You're not even close," he said on a recent day, his eyes lively, his voice ringing with glee. "You haven't even got one-tenth of the secret."When asked about the black "mystery" boxes, Soules didn't miss a beat."The boxes?" he said, offhandedly. "Oh that was a gimmick. I haven't seen those boxes in years."----------cmastony@tribune.comccess," wrote leaders from St. Louis.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Happy New Year to YOU!
Well, here we are.... on the brink of a brand new year - 2006. Seems incredible, doesn't it?
2005 hasn't been a particularly exciting year for me. Nothing in my own life was especially remarkable, earth-shattering, devastating or anything like that. I think it was the kind of year that just passes by and becomes a mile marker in the long stream of life. Which is exactly the kind of year I don't mind having.
That's not to say that 2005 was un-remarkable. Not at all!! There were indeed some earthly happenings that caused havoc and devastation, death and despair to so many! The tsunami of late December 2004 and the Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005 were two such bringers of destruction. We saw the globe pull together, though, and help out those that were in desparate need. Thankfully, my own family has been safe and sound.
2005 has not seen the end of war and strife in the Middle East. It is hoped that 2006 will bring about a different story and our troops can come home and the war-torn contries can get busy rebuilding their people's homes and lives. That would be a good thing for us all to work towards. Ending war. Yeah. War is not good for children and other living things!
A really good thing about 2005, for me, is that I discovered flickr photo sharing. It almost feels like I've found a second family! I've made friends with people all over the world and have never met them face to face. And I've been around the internet for at least twelve years. There's just something about the people there on flickr , the artists and the visionarys, the professionals and the snapshooters, the proud moms and dads, the photoshoppers and the upload-em-as-they-are folks....they are all so very special, and I so enjoy seeing what the day brings in uploads. These are some of my favorites, collected so far. Go here to check them out : My Favorites and here to see my own photos : My Sets .
Tell a Story in 5 Frames, Visual Story-Telling, is my favorite group there. I've very much enjoyed being a member of this group. There have been some wonderful stories posted with great photos, and some pretty lively discussions.
The stories have ranged from tragedy, see fezhead's A Separate Peace, to chuckle funny, Isado's Saturday in the Park, to reflective as in Drkmg's Hard at Work. From the exotic, beckerpecker's Death of a Beautiful Afternoon, and the amazing, beckerpecker's Multiple Personalities and SkiMom's Swimming with Bear to the stark reality of human frailty, wilkiecoco's Gravedigger... and J.Star's Love and Redemption, there have been stories posted here that touch nearly every facet of the human condition and the world in which we live. There are many great storytellers here, so take a few minutes to check out the group. You might discover a story you want to tell. O, yes, scary stories are there as well! Take a look at this one : xylonets' If You Go Out to the Barn Tonight.... If you do go out there, be verwy verwy careful!
Some other streams you might like to check out are :
Protection Island - British Columbia and Canada - BEAUTIFUL!
Wildlifeuplift - Pacific Northwest- Raccoon & Forest photos-AMAZING!
Bellys, Mothers, Babies - Visit and take a look at this set. MOVING!
These are but a few of the incredible sets and photostreams that are there for the viewing on flickr . Go check it out. I'm totally, and unashamedly, addicted and enthralled!
Well, that's about it. What a post, huh?
Have yourself an awesome 2006! I expect mine will be rather eventful. Stop back by and visit....read about the growing pangs I know I'll go through as my son graduates high school and enters college. Hmmm... I think it will be interesting!
See ya 'round!
Randi
2005 hasn't been a particularly exciting year for me. Nothing in my own life was especially remarkable, earth-shattering, devastating or anything like that. I think it was the kind of year that just passes by and becomes a mile marker in the long stream of life. Which is exactly the kind of year I don't mind having.
That's not to say that 2005 was un-remarkable. Not at all!! There were indeed some earthly happenings that caused havoc and devastation, death and despair to so many! The tsunami of late December 2004 and the Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005 were two such bringers of destruction. We saw the globe pull together, though, and help out those that were in desparate need. Thankfully, my own family has been safe and sound.
2005 has not seen the end of war and strife in the Middle East. It is hoped that 2006 will bring about a different story and our troops can come home and the war-torn contries can get busy rebuilding their people's homes and lives. That would be a good thing for us all to work towards. Ending war. Yeah. War is not good for children and other living things!
A really good thing about 2005, for me, is that I discovered flickr photo sharing. It almost feels like I've found a second family! I've made friends with people all over the world and have never met them face to face. And I've been around the internet for at least twelve years. There's just something about the people there on flickr , the artists and the visionarys, the professionals and the snapshooters, the proud moms and dads, the photoshoppers and the upload-em-as-they-are folks....they are all so very special, and I so enjoy seeing what the day brings in uploads. These are some of my favorites, collected so far. Go here to check them out : My Favorites and here to see my own photos : My Sets .
Tell a Story in 5 Frames, Visual Story-Telling, is my favorite group there. I've very much enjoyed being a member of this group. There have been some wonderful stories posted with great photos, and some pretty lively discussions.
The stories have ranged from tragedy, see fezhead's A Separate Peace, to chuckle funny, Isado's Saturday in the Park, to reflective as in Drkmg's Hard at Work. From the exotic, beckerpecker's Death of a Beautiful Afternoon, and the amazing, beckerpecker's Multiple Personalities and SkiMom's Swimming with Bear to the stark reality of human frailty, wilkiecoco's Gravedigger... and J.Star's Love and Redemption, there have been stories posted here that touch nearly every facet of the human condition and the world in which we live. There are many great storytellers here, so take a few minutes to check out the group. You might discover a story you want to tell. O, yes, scary stories are there as well! Take a look at this one : xylonets' If You Go Out to the Barn Tonight.... If you do go out there, be verwy verwy careful!
Some other streams you might like to check out are :
Protection Island - British Columbia and Canada - BEAUTIFUL!
Wildlifeuplift - Pacific Northwest- Raccoon & Forest photos-AMAZING!
Bellys, Mothers, Babies - Visit and take a look at this set. MOVING!
These are but a few of the incredible sets and photostreams that are there for the viewing on flickr . Go check it out. I'm totally, and unashamedly, addicted and enthralled!
Well, that's about it. What a post, huh?
Have yourself an awesome 2006! I expect mine will be rather eventful. Stop back by and visit....read about the growing pangs I know I'll go through as my son graduates high school and enters college. Hmmm... I think it will be interesting!
See ya 'round!
Randi
Monday, November 28, 2005
Saturday, November 12, 2005
decisions....decisions.....
I created this with flickr toys....check it out.... it's a pretty cool place.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Pit Pull Terriers - an awesome breed
As the owner of an American Pit Bull Terrier, I’m very concerned about the effort to ban this breed. I am absolutely against Breed Specific Legislation. There has to be an answer to this problem.
I came across this article and wanted to share it. There are two deeply felt sides this issue and this article has a little of each side.
A Pit Bull Primer, San Francisco
I have always planned to visit Denver.... sadly, now I never will. I refuse to spend any of MY money in a city (DENVER) that has outlawed and sentenced to death the American Pit Bull Terrier, beloved pets beloging to AMERICAN CITIZENS, and is encouraging neighbors to turn in their neighbors to law enforcement because a pit bull is part of the household.
It is horrific that people have lost their children to the attack of a pit bull or to any dog, or other animal. But those particular animals and their owners should be held wholly responsible, not the entire breed, and in some cases the PARENTS of the children themselves should be held responsible in most part, for failing to teach their children the proper way to approach/handle any dog.
PARENTS - Teach your kids how to behave around dogs!
DOG OWNERS - Be RESPONSIBLE pet owners. Treat your animals well.
Breed Specific Legislators - Come talk to the APBT owners that are responsible. Meet our dogs. Who knows? You might just fall in love with them.
Miracles do happen!
I came across this article and wanted to share it. There are two deeply felt sides this issue and this article has a little of each side.
A Pit Bull Primer, San Francisco
I have always planned to visit Denver.... sadly, now I never will. I refuse to spend any of MY money in a city (DENVER) that has outlawed and sentenced to death the American Pit Bull Terrier, beloved pets beloging to AMERICAN CITIZENS, and is encouraging neighbors to turn in their neighbors to law enforcement because a pit bull is part of the household.
It is horrific that people have lost their children to the attack of a pit bull or to any dog, or other animal. But those particular animals and their owners should be held wholly responsible, not the entire breed, and in some cases the PARENTS of the children themselves should be held responsible in most part, for failing to teach their children the proper way to approach/handle any dog.
PARENTS - Teach your kids how to behave around dogs!
DOG OWNERS - Be RESPONSIBLE pet owners. Treat your animals well.
Breed Specific Legislators - Come talk to the APBT owners that are responsible. Meet our dogs. Who knows? You might just fall in love with them.
Miracles do happen!