Weather...Or Not March 2010 Entries - Wandtv.com, NewsCenter17, StormCenter17, Central Illinois News-
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--Wasn't it just March 1st? Weird.
--I'm running a little behind with the blog this morning. Our good friend Cissna Park Phil is gearing up for a trip to Haiti, and I've been helping him get some good radar sites down there. I'm not sure how comfortable Phil would be with me mentioning this here…but he is a good dude. He freely gives of himself to help people in bad situations. Phil is involved with the HaitiDome project, which is attempting to bring solid, affordable housing to the people of Haiti. I've blogged about it here before.
There is a fundraiser for HaitiDome coming up on April 10th at Sliderz. From 4 to 7 Saturday evening The Still will be playing, and I hear they are good. I may even try to get there myself. It's a great cause, my friends.
--Got a call from an old friend, we used to be real close.
Sorry…Billy Joel was on my I-Pod this morning! Yesterday I did talk to a friend that told me an odd story about the City of Champaign. My friend lives in Mattoon and has a special someone in Champaign, technically his fiancé. She lives in an apartment building so my friend has to park in metered street parking when he visits her.
The other night he parked his truck in a metered spot. You don't have to put money in the meter after nine each night in Champaign, so he filled it to cover him until 9. The next morning he got up and his truck was gone! He called the city and learned that his truck was towed.
Apparently from 3 to 5 on any given morning in the city of Champaign the city has the right to put a bag over any meter and deem that parking space as "unparkable". At that point they are allowed to tow any vehicle in that spot with no notice to the vehicle's owner at all. $170 later the owner can go to the city's car lot and get his/her car back. Again…the city can do this to any metered parking spot any time between 3 and 5 any morning they choose. Does this sound like complete bs to you? It certainly sounds fishy to me. I have never seen any signs or notices anywhere that says they can do that.
--So I mentioned in yesterday's blog that tomorrow morning was going to be huge for our newscast. By the way…I am in much better spirits this morning than I was yesterday morning. I've received permission from Scot England to discuss who our very special, legendary guest tomorrow morning will be. It's someone that I grew up watching every week as a child, and even into adulthood.
Monday I mentioned, and several times before here on the blog, that I am a huge pro wrestling fan. You just can't find a weekly TV show that gives you as much drama, comedy, and action as pro wrestling. To me it is the complete entertainment package. And one of the true legends of pro wrestling will be here tomorrow morning.
Our guest is one of the best managers in the history of pro wrestling. He is a manager of countless champions. He has been involved in some of the biggest moments in the history of pro wrestling. And he created one of the most memorable characters in the "sport". His name is "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart, and he will be here from 6 to 7 tomorrow morning.
There have only been two times in the past few years when I've been nervous at work. One was when Barrack Obama was in the studio when he was running for State Senator. The other was recently when Jerry Mathers, The Beaver, was in the studio. And I know tomorrow I will be nervous doing my weather thing in front of someone that I've watched on TV for literally decades. I hope you tune in tomorrow morning, because it should be memorable!
Honestly…I was not going to blog this morning. I'm in a bit of a hole right now, and I don't want to do any more overly dark blogs. What is happening in my life happens to many people every day. And from what I am told what I experience as I go through this is quite normal. Sadly…knowing that does not make it any easier. But this hole will pass, as the others have, and eventually things will be "normal" again. Like during previous holes I will just make it a point to not make any major life decisions until it passes!
I do have something coming up that has me excited. In a few weeks I am going out of the country. I will be with family on a trip to Mexico. We'll be on the West coast of that country. I'm really looking forward to getting away. And even though I am honestly thinking about staying down there and not coming back, the time away will do me well, I think.
See…sometimes when you decide to do something you really don't want to do…good things happen. While I was just typing the above paragraph Scotty England came down to talk to me. He has set up something for Thursday morning that is HUGE to me. From 6 to 7 this Thursday morning we are having a guest in-studio that is going to make my YEAR. I can not tell you who it will be…but when you find out, if you have been reading this blog this week, you will understand why Thursday morning's guest will be so huge to me.
Scot…you really did just make my day.
Heh. The hole is already getting smaller…
Hope your weekend was good. Mine was fantastic! I worked Saturday night for Laine Sylvester. This happens a few times a year. They take the morning kid and make him work late on a weekend. And the fact that I just referred to 10 P.M. as late should tell you a little something. I was pretty much a zombie during the Saturday night news. But it's cool, because Laine fills in for me a lot. And even though it is her job to fill in for me it is nice to be able to help her out once in a while, too.
I had a great dinner Saturday night. It was a special occasion and I was not alone. The dinner was at Mi Pueblito in Decatur. For my money it is one of the better restaurants in Decatur. We walked into the restaurant and were seated almost right away. I like that, even on a busy Saturday night. The service there has always been great, from my experience. The food comes out shortly after you order…and the service remains great until you walk out the door. I really appreciate good customer service, as you may have read here on the blog before. There is no excuse for any business in this economy to treat any customer like he/she is less than important.
Last night was WrestleMania 26. I've also blogged about my love for professional wrestling. I've enjoyed it since I was a little kid watching it with my Grandpa. Every year I have a tradition of watching the "WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony", and I follow it up by watching "WrestleMania". Typically I take the following Monday off work. But this year I am working. The show ended around 10 last night…so I am going this morning on little sleep. And I think it is entirely worth it!
The week looks like a good one, weather wise. We should come close to 80 degrees at some point late week…
I will be mentioning this again here on the blog, but I want to put a quick bug in your ear about an event coming up soon in Monticello. But first…the back story. A good friend of a good friend of mine had a brain aneurysm in January. She was out in California when it happened. She went into the hospital out there, and has been in a coma ever since. Over the past 3 months she has had 3 more aneurysms, and a few strokes. Her name is Rhonda Killian-Sinkosky, and she lives in Monticello with her family.
Rhonda's husband has been travelling back and forth between Illinois and California for close to 3 months now to see Rhonda. When someone goes into a coma eventually the family has to make a choice about getting back to their lives. Rhonda's husband comes back to Illinois to work and be with their 2 kids, and goes back to California when he can to see his wife. She is still in a coma.
Thursday, April 8th is Rhonda's 40th birthday. Friends of hers are going to throw a benefit for the family on that evening in Monticello. It's at Three Ravens from 5 to 7. It's $40 to get in the door, and that money goes to the family to help cover medical expenses, and help the two kids. They will have some auctions, food, drink, etc.
I met Rhonda once at a party at her house. This is a good woman, with a good family. And they need a bit of a hand right now. If you have interest in this event, or helping this family, send me an email and I will start you in the right direction: greg.trumbold@wandtv.com
Time for "Feedback Friday"!
From Tricia in Sullivan (3/19/10):
After scrolling all the way to the bottom of the page, I have forgotten what I was going to say.... Ha ha ha!! Have a good day! :)
Nice!
From Melanie in Moweaqua (3/22/10):
Hi Greg!
I just wanted to continue with the census discussion. Since I am barely 9 years out of high school, this is my first census form. It was pretty simple Q&As, but I don't get the point. In the past 10 years, since I am assuming the last census was done, I have graduated high school and college, married, lived in 4 different counties, and have 3 children. I am questioning the accuracy here. Obviously in 10 years, things, and people will change. Second, as of today's mail, this is my 3rd piece of mail from the census. Really? I thought we (the government) are broke. To touch upon what was said in an earlier blog, why send a letter out to tell us to expect the census, then send the census out, and then send out a postcard type piece of mail telling us we should have received the census. I don't get it. Maybe it is because of my youth that this is all confusing to me, or maybe it is just that I am wiser than our government and realize the waste this has caused. I get that this helps with funding and all that, but every 10 years and 3 pieces of mail? I don't get that!
Have a wonderful week, and good luck on the house!
Good points and questions, Melanie! The accuracy issue, as I see it, just comes with the territory. When you are counting what I am sure will be more than 350 million people you have to accept that there is no perfect way to do it. The census is actually similar to the way we track TV and radio ratings, but maybe that is a topic for another blog. They are flawed by their very nature…but the best way we have to date to get it done. Hopefully technology will improve accuracy, as long as it does not involve implants or two-way screens in everyone's homes! (Yeah…"1984" reference. Gold, Jerry…Gold!)
Remember the tax rebate checks from a few years ago? The government released the news to the media that we would be getting these checks. Then the government sent us postcards to tell us we would be getting the checks. Then the government sent the checks. How much time and money were wasted by not just sending us the friggin checks?? Yeah…it seems that they are doing the same with the census. And these are the people that are reforming our healthcare system??
Thanks for the well wishes on the house. Selling a home in this economy is proving to be…tough. But I am still confident it will happen soon, especially once the flowers bloom.
From My Little Sister in Myrtle Beach (3/25/10):
I don't think the new format of your site is that bad. Why is everyone so irritated that they have to scroll to the bottom of the page? It takes 2 seconds. The poor techie people at WAND can't catch a break. Give them a hug from me and tell them I like the site. :0)
Thanks for the one vote of support for the new look of the website, little Sister! I am happy you are devoting so much time to my blog lately. I mean…I know you don't have much going on in your life right now. You only have the wonderful husband and new born in your life and I am sure that leaves a lot of spare time. School prolly doesn't give you enough to do, either. So it makes me happy that my niece is probably lying in her crib going hungry because you are obsessing over my blog and how it can look better!
Heh. I am totally just kidding you now. I will pass along the compliments to our web people, and maybe even give them a round of hugs!
From Josiah in Decatur (3/25/10):
Hey Greg! I was wondering why the live doppler on channel 17 has that v shaped cone of emptiness lol. It's like we're just plain hitting a wall when that radar scans that area. I just noticed it and thought you would know what is up with that. Thanks!
Hey, Josiah. Great question. The "V" on our Live Doppler Radar has been the subject of a lot of talk within the StormCenter 17 walls. It seems to be more than just regular radar attenuation, which is the weakening of a radar signal with distance/clutter. If it were attenuation you would still see a return on the radar closer to the actual radar. But this "V" starts at the radar and extends outward. It goes straight North through Clinton to Bloomington, and the other prong goes Northwest through Lincoln. It's curious…and our engineers have never been able to get it figured out. The problem is certainly over my head.
I will say that Live Doppler Radar is a pretty old piece of equipment. But it is kind of like that grizzled old veteran that you keep around the office. It isn't what it used to be, but there is nostalgia there! It could also be a dead section of the radar, in which case…how much do you really want to spend fixing an out-dated piece of equipment?
Fortunately Live Doppler 3D, and our other storm tools you will see as we get into full-blown storm season, do not have this issue. As a matter of fact…they are far superior weather tools than you will see anywhere else around here.
From Trish in Decatur (3/25/10):
Good Morning, GREG, I just want to let you know that you should enjoy some of the peace and quiet with the new phones because it will not be long before the new ext. gets out. I also wanted to let you know that I personally do not see your stars so I can give you 5 STARS!! Have a great weekend and as always thank you for such a great blog.
Hey, Trish. Thanks for the compliment, and sorry you aren't seeing the stars! You bring up a good point with the phones. Being isolated is not always a bad thing!
From Dave in Lincoln (3/25/10):
Greg:
I have not seen anything about your opinion on this health care issue. Myself I am not in favor of it. I feel there are a lot of people going to be hurt by it. One of the reasons a lot of Americans didn't and still don't have health insurance is they can't afford it. Stop and look at all the people that are still on the unemployment line. They sure can't afford it drawing unemployment. I feel this health care package is being shoved down our throats.
When we first started this health care reform I thought it was happening too fast. I was actually happy that Congress slowed it way down. Something this big should not be decided so quickly.
I appreciate your opinion, Dave. Thanks for sending it. And you have been paying attention! I did not really give my opinion on the health care bill. But I will now, since you pointed it out.
To begin…it is frustrating to me to see how people are reacting to the passage of the bill. Under no circumstances should anyone on the winning or losing side of a debate be lowering him/herself to violence, threats, or racial epitaphs. The stories coming out of Washington since the bill passed really tell us where we are in this country.
It is a huge issue that will eventually impact all of us. I get that. It is extremely important that we handle health care the right way. People are going to be emotional about it, but people have let their emotions get them out of control. As a country we need to reel ourselves back in and get some perspective. No one is trying to take over our country. Besides…it is run by corporations now, and we are not likely to get it back from them for decades.
I've read the basic outlines and timelines of the health plan. I have not read all 2000 or so pages of it. But I don't have a major problem with anything I have read. Some of the provisions coming up in a few years are curious to me. But you have to keep in mind that this is just the hull, or skeleton, of what our health care system will be like. There is NO ONE in charge of this thing that wants our country to fail, believe me. Our elected officials will be closely scrutinizing our system over the next few years. They will be making tweaks and improvements as we go along. And sure…some people will be hurt between now and getting it right. But you know what? People are getting hurt a lot more right now.
So overall I think this health care bill is a step in the right direction. There are some things that will not be answered until we get some time under our belt. Will it destroy small business? Well…we have to wait and see. Will insurance companies fold in a few years? Maybe…but I doubt it. I have faith that before really bad things happen there will be changes made. Yeah…I said it. I actually trust our elected leaders to get this one right. One thing those people care about more than anything is keeping their jobs. And they know if they really hose us on this one they will be unemployed like 10% of this country at the moment.
From Jason in Decatur (3/25/10):
I enjoyed the clip in Elisabeth's video montage where you made her speechless. I found that to be pretty funny.
Thanks, Jason. I had forgotten about that moment until Scot put it in Elizabeth's farewell A to Z report. It was a true story. For my high school graduation I wore my cap and gown, a tie, and socks and shoes. That was it! And as I walked across the stage to get my diploma I grabbed Justin Grady, school board member and my presenter, by the ears and kissed him on the forehead. He has since passed, but I am glad we got to have a moment together before he died.
There were two people handing out diplomas at my graduation. One was Justin, and the other was a lady. I am not sure who she was, but I had decided that if it was her giving me my diploma I was going to grab her…dip her…and give her a huge mouth-to-mouth kiss. I'd probably get arrested if I tried that these days. But she was lucky enough to not have to be my presenter. So I just ended up kissing Justin on the forehead.
That's it. I will be working tomorrow for Laine Sylvester on the 6 and 10 news. It is hard for me to stay up past 8 these days, so if you want to see what could be an entertaining and confusing weathercast…tune in tomorrow night around 10! I may or may not blog tomorrow, as well. Just make sure to sign up for email alerts just in case, so if I blog you won't miss it! Have a great weekend!
So we recently put in a new phone system at StormCenter 17. I'm not sure what was wrong with the old one…but someone somewhere decided it was time for a new system, so we have a new system. Change is inevitable. It comes into every person's life from time to time. When the new phone system was put in it changed everyone's extension inside the building.
That means when you call the weather department for something it is no longer at extension 4130. Now you have to put in a different extension. And to be honest…I still have no idea what that extension is. And since we have put in the new phones I have yet to hear the weather phone ring…so I assume no one else knows what the extension is either.
In a way it is kind of nice. No one can bother us now. No one can call to ask what the weather is going to be at their house! Heh. But the downside is that someone that actually needs legitimate help can't get a hold of us either. I had someone trying to get a hold of me yesterday to ask a weather question involving his job…and he had to get bounced around to two or three different people before someone took a message so I could call him back. Oh, the struggles of modern technology.
(Watch this segue way!)
It just makes me that much happier that it is so easy to get a hold of me here on the old weather blog. All you have to do is scroll through 16 months of crap to get to the bottom of the page. There is a place way, way down there where you can submit feedback. It is your chance to sound off on whatever is on your mind at the time. We've fielded questions, comments, concerns, and even plugged people's businesses and projects on this blog. So if you have such a concern…hit the feedback section way down at the bottom of this page.
While you are down there you may as well sign up for email alerts, too. That way whenever this blog is updated you will get an email letting you know. It is a great way to never miss a blog. And let's face it…getting to the bottom of this page is such a long, painful struggle…you don't know when you will make it down there again. So you may as well sign up for everything while you are down there.
ALSO…I am hoping to have 1,000 five-star ratings by the end of the Summer. The rater is down by the feedback and email alert section. So while you are way, way, way down there you may as well hit me up with a rating star, or two, or five. I have no idea what I will do if I hit my goal. But why not help me get there, anyway…you know…while you are way down at the bottom of this page!
Tomorrow is "Feedback Friday". It's been a big week for health care in this country. Some other major issues have been happening as well. If you have thoughts you would like to share…hit the feedback!
--So yesterday we talked about soap nuts. Today I want to tell you about the other link at the top of this blog. Honestly there is not a lot I can say about it. I have to be careful to not "cross the streams", if you know what I mean. But if you hit the link above…and then hit the "Products" tab on the website…you can find good deals on things like satellite TV service, home security, cell phones, home phone service, internet service, and even these awesome video phones.
I've mentioned these deals before on the blog. Many of you have already checked out the deals, and some of you have taken the deals. And I thank you for that. But since I have mentioned the deals there are many more people reading this blog. I don't want anyone to miss at least the opportunity to see what we have to offer there. So check out the link, and then check out the products. Chances are good I can save you money on things you are already paying for every month. In this economy...every penny can count.
--Just a quick thought on this health care debate. Many people are happy that a new bill has passed. Many people are upset about the new bill. To me…it is a lot like the climate change debate. We should be taking care of our planet anyway…so climate change and whether or not we are impacting it would be a moot point. Well…with health care…if we were a healthier country we would not need so much medicine. About two-thirds of our country is now obese. Me thinks the focus on health care in this country should be placed on not needing it in the first place.
Now before I am accused of being anti-obese…I am not. But obesity increases the risk of many diseases. The bigger a country is the more unhealthy. If we take care of our bodies better than we are right now as a country then we will spend less money on healthcare. But who is talking about that right now? Not many people. And I think we should be talking about prevention. Of course…insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies don't make much money from healthy people.
3/23/10
I want to talk with you this morning about soap nuts. It's no secret that I spend some time most weeks at B. Lime, the Green Store, in Champaign. My friends own the store and I help them out by filling in some hours when they need it. The concept of the store is also something in which I believe. The mantra is "reduce, reuse, and recycle". It is not about tree hugging, or some political climate change argument. It is about simple sustainability. At some point you have to assume that resources will run out, and taking care of what we have now helps future generations.
Back to the soap nuts. Back in the day some marketing genius discovered that he/she could sell more laundry detergent if the soap got sudsy. So now we assume that the more suds a soap creates the better the soap. It simply is not true. As a matter of fact you don't need any suds from your laundry detergent for it to be effective. Enter soap nuts.
Soap nuts are simply a certain type of nut that you put in a little bag and put in your laundry. It cleans your clothes. I know…I did not believe it either. But a couple of weeks ago I bought a small sample bag at B. Lime and tried it in my laundry. I've done a few loads with soap nuts…and they are fantastic. And guess what?? No suds at all. No suds means less waste. And less waste is what B. Lime is all about.
There is a little smell good that you can put on the bag of nuts to give the clothes a scent. Other than that the three to five nuts in the bag do the job perfectly. B. Lime sells a decent sized bag of nuts that will do around 175 loads of laundry for a lot less than a regular bottle of Wisk, or whatever. There is a link to B. Lime at the top of the blog. Hit it and it will give you information on how to get information about soap nuts. Or you can email me and I will tell you what I know. But I was very surprised with how good the soap nuts perform.
Tomorrow I will tell you about the other link at the top of this blog.
3/22/10
Last week I was talking about the U.S. Census. I even posted a link to a video of a guy railing against it. As feedback has been coming in from you on this topic it would appear as though this guy doesn't really know that of which he is speaking. From those of you that have received your census forms it would appear as though the only questions are concerning your name, age, and who lives in your house. Someone very close to me actually received hers over the weekend, and she told me basically what I stated above.
Here is some of the census feedback.
From Dave in Lincoln (3/19/10):
Greg:
I saw the same video that you spoke of. The census form was nothing like the man on the video spoke of. I have not had any one from the census come to my door. They will get the same response from me that you spoke of.
That certainly is good news. I am still curious to see what the people going door to door will ask, though. Anyone had that yet? Or does that come later?
From Cleo in Decatur (3/20/10):
Hi Greg, I already filled the census out and mailed it. There were not that many questions. They did ask about the home, whether you own it, rent it or a few other choices and your phone number. I don't have a phone, so I didn't list that.
I just didn't like that they sent it to me over two weeks early and wanted me to answer the questions for April 1, 2010. As in, on that day, who is living with you.
I'm the type to who wants to get things over and done with, goes off a list, because if I don't I'll probably forget.
I don't know why they could not have put it for the date when they started mailing them out. It would of been better for them to have it two weeks in the past than in the future, to be more accurate.
Yesterday, which was Friday Morning, I did have trouble getting my computer to do any at all, but then when I got on later, everything was fine.
Hope the boys are doing good, they will be home soon. Good luck on selling the house. *SMILES* Love, Cleo
I've actually wondered how I should answer the question of who else lives at the address. Technically it is only me…but officially it is one other person. I guess I should go by the address listed on tax forms, which would be 2. That just seems more official to me.
By the way…I am still having computer issues. To do some things I have to log out of my user name and go in under the intern account. Two steps forward, one step back I guess!
Had another fantastic weekend. No one was hurt…and my bottom was not shown to the general public! This next weekend I will working for Laine, and working on my house. Can't wait to get that bad boy sold!
I'm having nasty computer issues this morning. There could be a virus on this thing. Later this morning I will have to have our network guy come down and take a look at it. And then he will give me that computer guy look like I caught a venereal disease or something. You know that look…the computer techs take their computers so personally! Heh.
Good feedback on some issues this week. If you have any thoughts you would like to share the feedback form is still at the bottom of the blog. I think someone is looking into it, but we might be stuck with this format for a while.
"Feedback Friday"!!!
From My Little Sister (3/15/10):
No blog today? I like to read your blog in the mornings. I think you should do a book of memoirs or something. Maybe I am biased, but I really enjoy what you write. Like the Waffle House story. It doesn't get much better. Love ya Bro!
Well thanks, Lisa. It's good to know that I will always have at least my family to read the old weather blog.
And for the record…I never said it was the "Waffle House"! Do you want me to get sued?? :-)
I've since posted that Monday was a vacation day for me!
From Angie in Charleston (3/16/10):
I LOVE Neil Diamond...he rocks. And UHHHH..I live pretty close to Mattoon. Where's the love Greg? Where's the love?
There is nothing better than a live Neil Diamond album, in my opinion. He was perfect for the 70's/80's cheese. Did you know, Angie, that Neil actually wrote many hits in the 60's and early 70's for other artists. Google him sometime. Pretty interesting fellow. And who could forget "The Jazz Singer". Love it.
Don't worry, my friend. We will get together soon…
From Cleo in Decatur (3/16/10):
*SMILEs* Good to see you had some fun and relaxation.
I was expecting that last line to finish with "Folks".
Love,
Cleo
Thanks, Cleo. I've found myself saying this a lot this week…but…I did not literally show people my hind part. It was a metaphor for making a butt of myself. I suppose sometimes you just have to.
From My Little Sister (3/17/10):
I accidently gave you 2 stars instead of 5. ugh! Can I have a do-over?
I think I am being cyber-stalked by my little sister. Is that even possible??
Yes…you can give as many stars as you like as many times as you like. And thanks for bringing down my rating!!
From an anonymous emailer (3/17/10):
Hi Greg,
The census does ask way more questions then needed just for a head count of the area's, and USA.
With all the big brother watching, and wanting to know more information, has gotten out of hand.
National Security is a different story and situation. If they see me, or another person e-mailing terrorist countries, go for it, for Securing our Nation, and others countries.
With all the forwards and e-mails of the Health Care Bill, with the President wanting to know what money we have in a Bank account, and etc. What's actually in the Bill is only accusations. We don't know what all is in it. Why should they need to know that?
Are we, or should we be concerned that, whatever amount we saved, or invested will determine how much we will pay for Health Care on a individual basses?
Our Government's record of being the tender, and care taker of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, all of them going broke, and failing, makes me say and think, non of them shouldn't even have a pet animal that relies on them for anything.
Just think, they won't be subjected to the same health care as they see fit for our population of the USA.
They voted and gave our Social Security to benefits, to people who never paid into one red cent into it. Well, I'll cut it short, It's one thing to be stupid and know it, But when our elected members of Government assume that we are stupid, and they make the worst decisions for us. I think we all know who is stupid.
The link I posted yesterday with Ron Paul touches on this a little bit, aside from the census stuff. One of his main points was that many of the major programs our government took over back in the day are bankrupt now. I don't know…lately I am starting to lean towards less is more when it comes to our government. You can't even label Republican or Democrat anymore…because neither of those terms means what it used to. Again…maybe it is time for a complete government overhaul…
From Dave in Lincoln (3/17/10):
Greg:
Just to let you know I read your Blog every day. I have received my census report, I filled it out and sent it back. All they asked was how many lived in house hold and if you were white etc also if you were american etc. Keep up the good work,
Dave…thanks for updating us on the census! Maybe the guy in the video I posted was only reacting to rumors of what he had heard was on the census? Or are questions on the mailed form different than the questions they ask you in person? Hmmm…I am not sure.
Anyone is more than welcome to chime in on this, especially if you have already filled out your census forms…or have had a census employee visit you. I would love to know if there is a difference in the questions asked.
Personally I don't have a problem answering the "stat" questions like number of people in the household, or ethnicity, etc. But if they start asking about how much savings, or home value, or stuff like that…I won't answer. A lot of that stuff they could find on their own anyway. I mean…they are the government!
From Angie in Charleston (3/18/10):
My memory may be fried, but isn't Ron Paul a libertarian who switched to the Republican party to have a better chance of actually getting on the ticket? (which is a whole, big can of worms in and of itself) I always find it interesting to listen to him talk about freedom of choice for everything...except a woman's right to choose. How can you be for freedom of choice and anti-choice at the same time? He really lost me on that one.
Uh oh…speaking of opening a can of worms! In the interest of keeping this blog shorter this morning I will glance over the woman's right to choose issue! I agree with you, Angie, but I don't want to get into THAT debate on this blog. You might notice I mostly stay away from religion, too!
I think you are right about Ron Paul. Again…I don't really get into labels. But I think he does bring up some good ideas. Sometimes smaller is better.
From David in Decatur (3/18/10):
Hey Greg, Dave here. After watching Ron Paul's interview with John Stossel, I thought of the scene in the movie "Ten Commandments" when Moses came down the mountain with the tablets, and found the people had turned into heathens. If no one controlled all of the behavior that individuals wish to have and use freely, is this what we would have? This is not meant as a religious observation, only as an example of what might happen if everyone was allowed too much freedom.
That's a good point, Dave. I think of the federal government more as a watch dog. The feds should not be doling out things like health care, per se. But I think they should certainly provide law enforcement. At least that is what I took from the Ron Paul interview.
"Ten Commandments" is a great movie, by the way. Charlton Heston was fantastic! We used to have it on those old video discs. Remember the video discs the size of a record album?? Yeah…old school!
Also from David in Decatur (3/18/10):
Greg, after submitting the last comment, I had to ask why did they put the section for comments all the way at the bottom of the blog? It is stupid to have to go all the way through almost a month's comments, just to send in a comment. This new web site is junk.
Dave!! I literally laughed for about 6 minutes when you sent this feedback! Our website people are aware of the new design being not-so-user-friendly. I know that a couple of them are working on the situation to see if changes can be made. But it could very well be that this is how it is for a while.
I do thank you for scrolling to the bottom of the page to send feedback, though. And Dave…I sincerely hope you gave me five stars while you were at the bottom of the page! :-)
I hope everyone enjoys what could be our wash-out of a weekend! Next week I will get my "side thing" back together and get the link back up here on the blog. You could save money on stuff that you are probably already using. It's no scam…I am saving money myself!
I came across a video the other day that interested me. It was done during the last Presidential campaign. 20/20's John Stossel did an interview with Ron Paul, at the time a candidate in the Republican Party. The interview may or may not have aired on national TV. The information with the video referred to it as banned, but I did not investigate that.
I don't agree with everything that Ron Paul has to say. But he certainly makes a lot of good points, in my opinion. Check it out and decide for yourself…and as always send me feedback if you would like to share some thoughts. This link is to part one, and you can find the other 5 parts if you choose on the right side of the screen next to the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6a9549ZeqQ&feature=related
Is it even possible that I may be gaining a Republican slant in my old age? Not having been a big fan of political labels…why, don't we just say that I believe personal responsibility goes a long wa, y. And I am star, ti, ng to believe that the government sh, ould not be in charge of everything we do. As a matter of fact I like Ron Paul's ideas about what exactly the federal government should be in our lives.
So…have you received your census forms yet? As a general rule I don't offer information to anyone that does not need it. I bristle at a store when they ask me for my phone number, or zip code. The only reason they need that information is for their own marketing. Why should I contribute to their marketing for nothing in return?
Every time the census goes out people get up in arms about having to answer the questions, either on the form or in person. I honestly understand the need to count people in a society. It makes sense that we need to know how many people live here. We elect our representatives to make rules to help improve our lives (in theory!). Our local municipalities are in charge of providing us fire protection and police protection. We have schools that are provided to us by our elected government, as well. And these people need to know how many people are in an area to figure out how to provide these services that we pay for through our taxes. It's logical…I get that.
Yet in a week or so when the form gets to my house I will prolly only partially fill it out. I will likely give the number of people in my household and my ethnicity. There may be one or two other questions that I will be comfortable asking…and that will probably be it. It will depend on my general mood at the time…but I don't see myself answering some of the more personal questions on the census forms, because it just might not be anyone else's business.
Last week someone sent me a link to a video that I found interesting. While I am not as curmudgeonly as this fellow…I certainly understand his point of view.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsDhkPym01k&feature=fvw
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Remembe, r…for better or worse…the feedback form is now at , the bottom of , the blog. Use it to send me your thoughts. But if you have a lot to say just send me an email with "Blog" in the subject line, greg.trumbold@wandtv.com Feedback will be posted on Friday.
While you are down there…give me a star! My goal is to have 1,000 "Five Star" ratings by the end of the Summer. Why? Well…why not?
You can also sign up for email alerts at the bottom of the blog, too. That'll help you never miss a blog post!
--I had a great weekend. I've been spending a lot of time around Mattoon lately, for reasons I won't get into right now. Heh. But Friday night I went out and showed my butt a little bit. Sometimes you just have to blow it out, don't you? A lot of steam was blown off Friday night, and a lot of sleep was slept Saturday. But it was all in good fun, and the way nature intended. Really…it was a great stress reliever. And I am at a point in my life where that kind of thing saves my life and my sanity.
--Neil Diamond is on my IPod right now. "Song Sung Blue" is a fantastic tune. It's been said around this blog that I have a very eclectic taste in music. Neil, Barbara, Ozzie, White Stripes, opera, classical, classic rock, and even bluegrass will all be found on my IPod. And I don't shy away from admitting to any of it.
--Here is something that astounds me…I've been playing the lottery solid every week for a couple of years. The Illinois State Lottery allows you to buy a subscription, and it actually saves you a little money. So for the past couple of years I have bought a year long subscription because I was playing all the time anyway. I actually save money by buying the subscription. And with all of that playing I still can't seem to win the big jackpot. Stunning.
--Okay…here's a little weather. We should have a great week, if you like sun and temps in the 60's. I still have some leaves in the backyard from last fall and they have to go. Without any animals around the house to take care of I should have plenty of time to get t, hem squared away. Maybe it will even make it easier to sell the house!
That's all for now.
--Obviously the economy in our country has been poor for a couple of years. Now many of our states are feeling the money crunch. Our own state is beginning the big battle to decide where cuts need to be made, and how we bring in more money. There is one part of the country that has been dying a slow death for a while…even longer than the rest of us. That place is Detroit. You can buy a house there in some cases for less than it would cost you to buy an average car.
Tough times call for innovation. Someone has come up with what seems to be a terrific idea for revitalizing this almost dead city. It doesn't involve moving forward technologically. In some ways you can think of it as going back to basics. Here is the link:
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/03/09/turn-a-quarter-of-de.html
, ,--And speaking of innovation…I worked at B. Lime again yesterday afternoon, which is my normal routine. Wendi just got the Sanyo Eneloop bike. The Eneloop is a synergetic hybrid bike. You ride it like a regular bike…but it has battery assist. She let me put the thing together yesterday…and it is very cool. Here is a link to check it out:
http://us.sanyo.com/News/SANYO-Unveils-its-eneloop-bike-to-U-S-Bicycle-Market-at-Interbike-2009
B. Lime is the only place in Illinois, as far as I know, that is carrying the bike. Wait…there might be a place in Chicago…but I am not sure about that right now. B. Lime is certainly the only place in downstate that is carrying it.
"Feedback Friday"!!!
I put some more personal stuff on the blog this week. Thank you for the wonderful feedback many of you have sent. Like with most personal things I will prolly only post a little bit of the feedback. You have had nice things to say to me, and I appreciate it!
From Elizabeth in Decatur (3/9/10):
Hi Greg,
I am VERY happy to hear that you are going to be around for the next couple of years! YAY! Mornings just would not be the same if you weren't giving us the weather outlook!
Thanks, Elizabeth!
From Joan in Effingham (3/9/10):
Hi Greg, Glad to hear you have a new contract - looking forward to 2 more years of your animated weather broadcasts & entertaining blogs....congratulations!
Thanks, Joan! It'll be nice to have a job for two more years, unless I manage to get myself fired!
From Shannon in Decatur (3/9/10):
Congrats, Greg! Frankly, I wouldn't enjoy my mornings near as much without your blog to read!! Glad you're going to stick around a few more years!
Remember Shannon…the blog is not tied to my contract. Just because I work here does not mean I will continue the blog! :-)
From Mark in Decatur (3/9/10):
Hi Greg,
Congratulations on your contract. Got a technical question for ya to tackle.
i bought a NOAA Weather Alert Radio ($34.00 at Walgreens) and I got it set up with the county codes, etc.
My question is this: When do I turn it on? I know it tells you what kind of an alert and everything but does it turn on by itself or do you switch it on so you can get the alerts?
I'm a little technologically Impaired here. Yes the line was from Weird Al Yankovich. Thanks bud!
Hey, Dude! Those NOAA weather radios are pretty cool, and could literally save your life.
Leave it on all the time. Plug it into a wall socket, and make sure you put back up batteries in it. When an alert hits it you will know, because those things are freaking loud! There is no need to turn it off because you should not hear anything when the weather is calm, provided you set it up correctly. Send me a private email if you have problems with it and I will walk you through it!
From Mom (3/9/10):
Greg, Congratulations! Contract time for you is also stressful for me, too. I am "thrilled" that you have a 2 yr contract signed; now I know that you will still be in the area for at least another 2 years. A great stress reliever for this mom. :-) I, for one, think you are doing a great job on the blog, and I continue to look forward to reading your thoughts every morning. Keep up the good work.
Love,
Mom
Well at least my Mom still likes me!
From John in Dalton City (3/9/10):
Hi Greg, long time fan, first time blogger. Glad to hear you are going to be around for 2 more years. You are a delight to watch on T.V. and I love your blog! Keep up the great work!
John! We always love to hear from first-timers here on the ole blog! Thanks for sending feedback. (I would have said tha, nks even if you were bashing me, for the record!)
From Cleo in Decatur (3/9/10):
*~*~*~Greg~*~*~* was there really~ any doubt that you would continue to be our weather man?
*Smiles*
You just don't get it.
Where would we be without you. hmm.. now on with your ~oh so funny random thoughts, please.
And by the way, How are the boys doing?
And I am enjoying the nicer temperatures, I had the pups out today.
I hope the house sells, sorry about the reason why, but then you can move on.
Oh.. and I know its warming up, and I love the Special Olympics, but there's no way I would do Polar Plunge..lol Enjoy your days~ things will work out.
Love,
CherylAnn "Cleo"
Actually, Cleo…at one point I had a LOT of doubt about returning. With so many things up in the air the last several months I thought about moving to Chicago, or out east. At one point I was even seriously considering moving to California.
The boys are doing well. You sent this feedback before yesterday's post, so I will just redirect you there for a pooch update!
From Phil in Cissna Park (3/10/10):
Hey Greg;
Like you I opted away from satellite radio, but I DO miss it on long commutes across the country. I traded a vehicle WITH a satellite radio for a vehicle without one...and I have one of the little portable things you can get from Sirius, but wasn't sure if I wanted to use it or go to a replacement radio. So, why I decide, Sirius was nice enough to place my account on "hold" until a decision was made.
I recently picked up 98.5, which I believe is being broadcasted from Lafayette, Indiana I get it fine up in this area but doubt it would make the trip to Decatur. So, being an old guy, I just loaded up the CD player with my 6 favs, and rotate them out as needed.
Hi, Phil. Good to hear from you again on the blog! I hope the HaitiDome boys are getting their project up and running.
Honestly…I haven't really missed satellite radio yet. There are a few pretty good radio stations around here. And I find that I am spending time on the phone for my commute, especially on the way home. I'm thankful for Bluetooth!
From Judy in Findlay (3/10/10):
Dear "Suits" -Thank you for keeping Greg and giving him another contract. Please tell the IT guys that the changes to the site are confusing if one would like to send a comment.
Hey, Judy Judy! Your message to The Suits has been passed along!
The guy that redesigned our website will LOVE reading your feedback, as he is a devoted Gregorian. At least he was until he reads this…
From Sandy in Decatur (3/10/10):
Greg, I always give you 5 Stars when I look at your blog~ Not sure if it is of any help to you. Thanks for the Update on the Amber Alert.
Hope that Paden is better by now. Good Luck getting the house ready for the market. How did the Open House go? You should contact the HGTV network about selling your home, they could help you. Here's their link; http://www.hgtv.com
Happy Trails, Sandy
Thanks, Sandy. Paden is doing very well these days. The steroids will likely be a lifetime thing for him, but his doses will co, ntinue to get smaller. He isn't trying to hump everything all the time anymore. But weight will be an issue while he is all roided up.
And thanks for giving me stars! My goal is to get 1,000 "5 Star" hits by the end of Spring. So yeah…you stopping by every day and starring me does help!
I might actually look into that HGTV stuff…
From Angie in Charleston (3/11/10):
Greg...sending huge hugs!
Thanks, Babe.
Yeah…feminists love it when dudes call them Babe!
Okay…so I don't know if my good friend Angie is hard-core feminist. But I do know that my good friend Angie does tremendous things for women in her area. Hit this link and investigate:
Keep on keeping on, Hot Mama!
From Andrew in Clinton (3/11/10):
Hi Greg,
The governor issued his budget plan and I think it is safe to say it does not attract too many fans. I'm sure that my next comments are oversimplifying the situation but here goes... Something that has been bothering me through the whole state financial disaster is that very little accountability has been owned by our elected officials. The state's failure to pay outstanding bills has led to many instances of cuts, lost jobs, and/or unpaid time off for many government subsidized organizations, sacrifices I understand are a necessary evil in order to maintain. However, something that I have not seen discussed by elected officials as a means to come out of the red are cuts or salary cutbacks on their end. Let's be realistic, the state did not get this far in the hole over night. Elected officials can point the finger at past governors as being to blame but government is set up so that there are checks and balances. I find it hard to believe that at any time during the past eight or so years there was not something that could have been done by state legislators to blow the whistle (as a serious effort and not a politically motivated effort). The citizens of Illinois (at least the citizens outside the Chicago area) have tightened their belts and made enough sacrifices. It is time for the individuals that ultimately got the state into this mess to start taking their licks.
Word, Bro! I've heard a lot of chatter lately about the upcoming elections. It sounds like there are a lot of people that plan to vote out an incumbent. I've joked about revolution on this blog…but a non-violent voting revolution would send a powerful message to our so called "leaders".
I think too many of our elected officials…and I am talking about the professional politicians…have taken their responsibilities for granted. Their purpose seems to be to keep their jobs instead of acting in our best interest. The only way for us to keep them in check is to vote them out occasionally. Sadly, though, voting in this country is not exactly a priority. Hopefully one of the positives of our nasty situation is that it will make more people take interest in our election process. The last election brought out new voters. Let's hope that trend continues. We citizens have more power than we use…but we have to be united for it to be effective.
From Mary in Assumption (3/11/10):
hey greg glad to here u are going to be our weatherman for 2 more years. Hopefully when that's up you'll be here again. You get used to certain weathermen/women and then they change them. We always watch WAN, D TV for the weather. You guys give the best weather reports. Good luck on selling your house and I'm sure your dogs will miss you very much.
Thanks, Mary. No one knows what the future holds…but I have really enjoyed my time at StormCenter 17. I&, amp;, amp;#, 39;m happy to be sticking around for at least 2 more years!
Wait…wasn't I just railing about incumbents?? Well let's hope that only counts for politicians!!
Have a great weekend, all! I have a 3 day weekend this weekend. Tuesday will be my next work day. There were a few days of vacation that I had to burn before my contract was up, and that is why it seems like I have been gone so much lately!
Hey…someone buy my house this weekend, okay??
--So we have our first decent thunderstorm event this morning. Last night there was actually a tornado watch for our southern most counties, although fortunately no tornadoes were reported. We have had a bit of rain, slightly gusty wind, and possibly a little bit of small hail. Overall a nice, safe way to begin the Spring storm season. Let's hope we get through the entire season without having one nasty storm! Heh. As if.
--I was blogging about local radio stations. My old car pooler, Scott Lithgow, works at Talk 101 in Decatur. Scott is a great guy, and so is his co-host in the morning, um, Scott. Here's why I did not mention their station…I never get to listen to their morning talk show because I am always at work. And later in the day their station has Glenn Beck, who I don't really like. I think Talk 101 does have Dave Ramsey, which is cool. That guy has got to be making a fortune by telling people to do what they should already be doing with their money.&, amp;, nbsp; In my book…that makes Dave Ramsey brilliant!
--There hasn't been much on the blog lately about my personal life. I've shared with you that my house is on the market, which should not be a huge surprise to anyone. But I have been careful to not get into too much because there are a few other people involved. I will tell you that last night/this morning has been kind of tough.
When you are trying to sell a house it is important that the house is always in "show room" condition. You never know when someone will call to come and see the house. The other day I made the decision that the house will be consistently cleaner with just me there. This morning I let the dogs out like we do every morning they are staying with me. When I put them in their crates before I left I said goodbye to them for a while. I've decided that the boys should stay with Emily until we sell the house.
We've been giving them time with both of us anyway. But now they will be with her full-time for a while so we can keep the house cleaner and more manageable for the sale. Don't get me wrong…it's not like I will never see them again. And they will be happy with her, and she will obviously take good care of them, like I do. But it was sad leaving the house this morning knowing they won't be there when I get home.
This must be what they mean when they say breaking up is hard to do!
Last week I cancelled XM Radio. My receiver was not working properly, and with my home situation I have been scaling back spending. You know…going back to one income it just seems prudent to reset some things until I know what my situation will be from month to month. And it just doesn't make sense to pay every month for satellite radio anymo, re.
While I do miss the variety of satellite radio…th, is change has given me the chance to check out some of our local radio stations. To begin I have to say I am disappointed that I can't even find 12 good stations to fill my car's presets. I'm not a big enough fan of country music to make a preset out of a country station, so that does limit the possibilities. And I also travel between two cities, which makes it tough to keep a station through an entire commute to work.
There are some good stations around here, though. Champaign offers a lot of variety, mostly I think because the population is so diverse with the university in the area. I found 93.5, The Source, which was really playing some great stuff this morning. They did quite a bit of 80's, and mixed in some current stuff. It seems to be quasi-alternative…which is nice. They don't play the standard cookie-cutter 80's stuff that you can find on any "we play anything" station.
One thing that I do not like about radio stations…and this started as I was leaving radio back in the day…is this "corporate playlist" mentality. With ownership being what it is these days you have a few radio stations in an area owned by a company that owns stations all over the country. And often times these radio companies supply their music playlists from one corporate source…and that is the list all their stations have to play. They say the list is based on heavy research, which may be true. But if you listen to these stations for more than a couple of hours at a time you will hear at least one song repeated. I miss the days when it was a free-for-all and you would have great variety.
Even these stations that claim to play anything, like The Chief in Champaign, go off of a corporate playlist. So it is not like they actually will play whatever. Their playlist is just as structured as any other corporate station. And to be fair…I noticed the same thing with XM. But with XM there were so many channels that you could give yourself variety by flipping around to different stations.
I think I will likely get a cord for my IPod so I can listen to it when the local radio stations just aren't giving me what I want at any given time.
There is a pretty thick fog going this morning. Visibilities are pretty bad. Be careful out there!
Here is something pretty cool someone sent me. It's always a good time to remember those that are sent to war. And it is always an even better time to remember those that don't make it back.
http://www.virtualwall.org/iStates.htm
Looks like it is going to be a wet week. We are falling behind the "normals" anyway, so a fair amount of rain this week will probably be good. At the very least it should keep washing some of this road salt away.
Monday after a vacation is always fun! The open house yesterday was okay. I will hear today if there was any real interest in the place. Everyone involved is at the point where we are just ready to move on with things…so it would be fantastic if the house would sell pretty soon. I am really hoping to be done with it before mowing season begins! Everything in its own time, I suppose!
3/4/10
My goal today and tomorrow is to fix the door that I had to kick in a few months ago. I think I can do it without having to buy a brand new door. Obviously it needs to be fixed if I am going to sell the place, and with the open house coming up on Sunday there is no time like the present! This morning I will "formulate" the plan and figure out what I need. Tomorrow I will put the plan into action.
This morning I almost woke up after the sun came out. I looked at the clock shortly after my eyes were open and it was 5:30...almost made it! My goal on this mini-vacation is to wake up AFTER the sun comes out. I think I can do it tomorrow! When I woke up this morning I heard the noise of retching. It was Dusty. He was getting sick. I jumped up and ran to the bathroom to grab some Kleenex so I could catch his oral goo. But...as the goo came out of his mouth it tore threw the Kleenex and I ended up catching some of it in my hand. Gross. I ended up having to clean a blanket that caught the rest. Ah, well. I still love the little dude! And...enjoy your oatmeal after that early morning vomit story!
Yesterday something weird happened here at WANDTV.COM. Since I began this blog around 2 years ago it has by far been the most read non-weather feature on the website. The "spot news" stories beat it...but those are only up for a day or two. Other than that...the forecast pages beat my blog every day, and that is it. On top of the mountain it sits...until yesterday. While this blog was still the most read non-weather feature on the website...it would appear as though I have company now on top of the mountain. Vanessa Murphy is giving me a good run for my money!
I have posted the link to Vanessa Murphy's blog here a time or two. It's called "The Real Scoop", and Vanessa is doing a great job with it. Basically her blog is a continuation of whatever story she is covering for the day. She gives additional information on the blog about her story...which to me is exactly what a news blog should be. It should give people that are interested about a story more information. Great stuff! With our limited air time during the news many times we don't have time to get too in-depth, at least not compared to the "old days". Vanessa's blog is a great extension of her investigative reporting. Here is the link: The Real Scoop. Let's see if we can't help Vanessa knock me off the top of this blog mountain! She's a good reporter and deserves to sit on top of the mountain for a while!
3/3/10
It is nice to come into work on Wednesday knowing it is the last day of the work week. Wouldn't it be nice if we all got to have 4 day weekends…every weekend? I suppose nothing would get done in this country, though, if we could do that. Hmmm. It would be like we were all members of Congress!
Talk about people being out of touch and not having a clue. Our Congress is ridiculous lately. Can they get anything done? I don't know if he is right or wrong…but one dude with a vote just cost over a million people their unemployment bennies? Don't get me wrong…I know for a fact that there are many people abusing that system right now. But this is a horrible economy and jobs are hard to find. Are you telling me that every single one of those million or so people that just got shafted don't deserve to have their benefits??
With my shortened work week I will do feedback today. If I get enough between now and Friday I may do some more on Friday, but as with any other time I am not working I can not promise you that I will get to the blog tomorrow or Friday!
From Jerrie in Decatur (3/2/10):
Dear Greg Thanks for the warm waether and the sun it makes us all feel better. glad you have a good moring program I enjoy watching all of you somewhere in the show you all make me laugh we are now talking about cutting jobs in the city the places that never be cut are the fire department and police department but why not get rid of the city manager and all of the assitants we have a mayor so why do we need to pay all of the extra money when we dont need this city has in the past ran with just a mayor has our city goverment gotten so lazy its easier to pass the buck as they say i think. may be should take a step back and look at how thing were ran I hope you have a good vacation will miss seeing you smiling face but everyone does a good GOD BLESS you and keep you safe jerrie
Hi, Jerrie. You are welcome for the warmer weather. Although I can't really claim credit for any kind of weather…I certainly agree that the warm up is LONG overdue!
It may have been mentioned here before…but I think this current atmosphere in the country makes for a great time for a complete system overhaul. I'm talking kicking everyone out…having new elections for everything…term limits…and see if we can't get back to what our brilliant Fore Fathers had in mind when they wrote all of those amazing documents back in the day. Is that revolution? Maybe. And if that is what it takes…so be it. But as it is right now we are all in a lot of trouble. We may not even be able , to pay the people that put out our fires.
From Mark in Decatur (3/2/10):
Howdy Greg,
When you were talking about the kids in Head Start, It brought back a memory of when I was in first grade.
Back in those days, the railroad used to have passenger trains roaring through here everyday. My father was working for a company not unlike UPS called Railway Express Agency or R.E.A. He would unload the packages off of the trains and deliver them throughout Decatur.
My first grade teacher took us on a field trip to Taylorville to ride a passenger train back to Decatur. We were watching the countryside fly by and having fun.
When we pulled into the station, I spotted my Dad and told everyone in my class that my father was there on the dock.
We got off of the train and immediately made a beeline for my father. Imagine the sight of a mini mob around a guy trying to get his job done.
After we got back to the classroom, all my classmates said I had the coolest Dad in the world. So, maybe one day, one of the kids you see can say hey I saw the weather dude when I was little.
Hey, Mark. I do love going to classrooms and talking to kids. And you never know…but it would be very cool if the kids remember it forever, too!
Cool story about your Dad.
I will tell you this…I have been doing this long enough now that last year we had an intern here that told me I spoke to her…GRADE SCHOOL CLASS back in the day. Gotta be honest here…while it was cool that she remembered…that one hurt a little bit! Time does fly, doesn't it?
Have a great weekend, all! Perhaps we will chat again before the weekend comes. But I will be very busy the next couple of days getting my house ready for the open house on Sunday. If you know anyone looking to move to or in Champaign…send them my way!
3/2/10
--Second day of March…and by the weekend the high temperatures should hit around 50. Splendid. From most people's accounts…we are ready for Spring. I've said this before…I don't know if this is just because of the way time and memory go, but this Winter seems colder than the Winters we have had lately. It is probably just perception, which isn't always reality. Either way I am personally happy that it is getting warmer!
--Yesterday I went to a Head Start program to show off the StormRunner and talk to the kids about severe weather safety. These are four and five year old kids, and they have the atten, tion span of a fruit fly, . So it was a , short session. Bu, t it i, s always f, un and inspiring to be around such wide-eyed little people.
Today I am headed to Baum Elementary in Decatur to read a book to some students. I love doing stuff like this.
--Tomorrow is just another work day, but Thursday and Friday I will be on vacation. So we may do a little feedback tomorrow. I might or might not blog on Thursday and Friday. It depends on the mood. "We" have put the house on the market and I am having an open house on Sunday. So I have a lot of work to do on my time off to get things ready. If I am a whirling house of fire Thursday and Friday I may not stop to blog. But if I wake up feeling verbose I might "put some words to paper", as they say. If you want to make sure you don't miss anything just sign up for email alerts. I believe you can do that at the bottom of the blog. We are still working on getting the feedback and email alert area back to the top of the page!
--I got some feedback yesterday from our friend Scott in Virden. Scott is not a huge fan of rodents. He emailed a while back with a way to keep mice away. I believe this is an update…
From Scott in Virden (3/1/10):
Hey Greg...
Remember some months ago I had mentioned about using Glade Plugins to keep mice away? To this day we still have never had any. I now find the Glade Plug-ins with the Fan included works great because you can adjust the speed of the fan...so you can really saturate the room and contents in a large room or garage...or turn it on Low for a smaller room...with the Clean Linen scent.
What's better about saturating the air in your garage with a sweet and/or fresh scent? Rodents can't stand it.
What's more, rodents can crawl up inside your car or truck and do horrible/expensive damage. They like to chew the insulation off of wires...which can short circuit your vehicle or even cause a fire. They also like to chew on rubber hoses...which over a period of time...will cause them to deteriorate sooner and possibly cause your vehicle to lose anti-freeze (depending on which hose) as well as other problems. Mice also will chew and make nests in the filters to keep your cab air clean...which is what your vents, heating and a/c, use to bring air into your car from outsid, e. They, c, an clog , air filters with their obnoxious waste. (What's that foul odor we keep smelling?) Mice/Rats like to chew the insulation from under the hood...which can be used to make nests.
And when you come home from work, your engine compartment is warm and cozy, which is a wonderful invitation for rodents to become permanent residents. Maybe too, you keep your dog food, cat food, bird seed, or whatever, in the garage. Unless you keep it sealed up, such as a plastic container with a tight lid or a garbage can with a tight lid, rodents will have a food source nearby plus a nice cozy home...your car! How convenient!
Some farmers during the winter I know will park their vehicles in their garage (or machine shed) with the hood open so the heat of the engine can escape faster and rodents can't chew the insulation under your hood...also allowing the sweet scent (or odor of moth balls, depending on their preference) to further saturate the engine compartment from top to bottom.
My uncle also used to have Bounce fabric softener cloths stuck in the all the cracks and crevices on his tractor and combine cab on the farm...and the scent it had kept mice out of the cabs.
Talk to your friendly mechanic or auto service center, and they can fill you in on all the rest.
Now, what about your laundry room? Mice can get into your home through the outdoor vent for your clothes dryer. It may have a grate or screen over it, but you must realize that it only takes a 1/4 inch opening for a mouse to squeeze through. Mice cannot get into your clothes dryer, but if your hose connected between your dryer and exterior wall can be penetrated with a toothpick, these critters can get into your home. But if you keep an air freshener (such as mentioned earlier) in that room, that may deter them...causing the uninvited guests to do a 180 turn when they get a whiff of it.
Whatever the situation, remember...rodents can travel vertical and horizontal, but they cannot travel upside down. Hope this is helpful.
Scott from Virden
3/1/10
--I knew that March was going to be bringing warmer temperatures for us this year for a few differen, t reasons. First…it is March. It always gets warmer in March. Second…could it have actually gotten any colder around here?? And third…this weekend I was around two longer, thicker haired dogs that were outside a lot…and they , were shedding. See…if you really want to be aware of the weather and environment just pay very close attention to animals. They always know.
By this weekend we will be coming close to 50 degrees. But remember…with March also comes more rain. Might be a wet weekend…stay tuned!
--This week is severe weather preparedness week. You won't have to look far on StormCenter 17 to see what you can do to get ready for Spring storms. We will have stuff all over the place, including here on the website. Look for anything called "Season of Change" and you will be able to find anything you ever needed to know about severe weather!
--I got some feedback over the weekend that woke me up to something. For the past week or so we have been talking about the website changes at wandtv.com. Response has been mixed. Here is a piece of feedback pointing out something I had yet to realize.
From Sandy in Decatur (2/28/10):
Hi Greg, My gosh, almost wasn't able to send you a Blog note, couldn't locate the submit link. They moved it to the bottom of the blog page!
I was wondering why there are no AMBER ALERT issues on WAND website? My weather machine was set off with an Amber Alert this Sunday, about 11 am for Decatur IL.
In Decatur, 3 1/2 yr old blk girl, 38 lbs, taken by 24 yr old female, K287474 lic plate of white 1998 GMC early Sun. morning.
Hey, Sandy. To begin…the Amber Alert was cancelled yesterday after they picked up the guy that allegedly stole the kid. So that is good news.
I believe the Amber Alert on our website issue is a technical one. As I recall it was something that was discussed and eventually decided that it was not something we could do, outside of what we did yesterday. Once we did a news story on it we put it on the website. But to get the automatic alert crawl going wasn't possible at that point, to the best of my knowledge…which prolly isn't much!
You are right…both the feedback and email alert buttons are now at the bottom of this blog. I will see about having them moved back to the top in the next day or so. But for now if you need to send feedback or sign up for email alert you need to scroll to the bottom of the blog. And while you are down there feel free to give me some stars!
It is nice to come into work on Wednesday knowing it is the last day of the work week. Wouldn't it be nice if we all got to have 4 day weekends…every weekend? I suppose nothing would get done in this country, though, if we could do that. Hmmm. It would be like we were all membe, rs of Congress!
Talk about people being out of touch and not having a clue. Our Congress is ridiculous , lately. Can they get anything done? I don't know if he is right or wrong…but one dude with a vote just cost over a million people their unemployment bennies? Don't get me wrong…I know for a fact that there are many people abusing that system right now. But this is a horrible economy and jobs are hard to find. Are you telling me that every single one of those million or so people that just got shafted don't deserve to have their benefits??
With my shortened work week I will do feedback today. If I get enough between now and Friday I may d, o some more on Friday, but as with any other time I am not working I can not promise you that I will get to the blog tomorrow or Friday!
From Jerrie in Decatur (3/2/10):
Dear Greg Thanks for the warm waether and the sun it makes us all feel better. glad you have a good moring program I enjoy watching all of you somewhere in the show you all make me laugh we are now talking about cutting jobs in the city the places that never be cut are the fire department and police department but why not get rid of the city manager and all of the assitants we have a mayor so why do we need to pay all of the extra money when we dont need this city has in the past ran with just a mayor has our city goverment gotten so lazy its easier to pass the buck as they say i think. may be should take a step back and look at how thing were ran I hope you have a good vacation will miss seeing you smiling face but everyone does a good GOD BLESS you and keep you safe jerrie
Hi, Jerrie. You are welcome for the warmer weather. Although I can't really claim credit for any kind of weather…I certainly agree that the warm up is LONG overdue!
It may have been mentioned here before…but I think this current atmosphere in the country makes for a great time for a complete system overhaul. I'm talking kicking everyone out…having new elections for everything…term limits…and see if we can't get back to what our brilliant Fore Fathers had in mind when they wrote all of those amazing documents back in the day. Is that revolution? Maybe. And if that is what it takes…so be it. But as it is right now we are all in a lot of trouble. We may not even be able to pay the people that put out our fires.
From Mark in Decatur (3/2/10):
Howdy Greg,
When you were talking about the kids in Head Start, It brought back a memory of when I was in first grade.
Back in those days, the railroad used to have passenger trains roaring through here everyday. My father was working for a company not unlike UPS called Railway Express Agency or R.E.A. He would unload the packages off of the trains and deliver them throughout Decatur.
My first grade teacher took us on a field trip to Taylorville to ride a passenger train back to Decatur. We were watching the countryside fly by and having fun.
When we pulled into the station, I spotted my Dad and told everyone in my class that my father was there on the dock.
We got off of the train and immediately made a beeline for my father. Imagine the sight of a mini mob around a guy trying to get his job done.
After we got back to the classroom, all my classmates said I had the coolest Dad in the world. So, maybe one day, one of the kids you see can say hey I saw the weather dude when I was little.
Hey, Mark. I do love going to classrooms and talking to kids. And you never know…but it would be very cool if the kids remember it forever, too!
Cool story about your Dad.
I will tell you this…I have been doing this long enough now that last year we had an intern here that told me I spoke to her…GRADE SCHOOL CLASS back in the day. Gotta be honest here…while it was cool that she remembered…that one hurt a little bit! Time does fly, doesn't it?
Have a great weekend, all! Perhaps we will chat again before the weekend comes. But I will be very busy the next couple of days getting my house ready for the open house on Sunday. If you know anyone looking to move to or in Champaign…send them my way!
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