Carbondaley Dispatch

postcard from the edgy

2009-07-30T09:27:00.001-05:00

it's been a busy summer, and more fun since leaving greyhound, though i'll miss some of my colleagues from those days. ... the pics at right offer a random depiction of some of highlights so far, still focusing on local people and events.

some pix are personal, some are public, such as the ribbon cutting at the Stadium Grille. ... Let me tell you, after eating there... they should tape the ribbon back together, and put the building up for lease!

at last the folks at Southern Bank will have a nice building to look at.... But everyday when I drive by it seems like fewer cars are in the parking lot. overpriced, small portion, poor beer selection... Nice ambience though.

the other pics are of friends in various states of work or relaxation.

i myself and leaving town tomorrow, for a few weeks, by bus to the NW and points beyond for a few weeks. Where i stop nobody knows, but I'll be tweeting as I go. I'll send you a postcard from Vancouver.

tonight is the final Sunset Concert of the summer... some funky music from the steps of Shryock auditorium.

See ya there, Bloggee.

How I partially spent my summer vacation

2009-07-14T09:01:00.009-05:00

Enjoying my rediscovered freedom to spend mornings doing "whatever" -- not having to open the Greyhound ticket office at 9:30 anymore.

For instance, I could attend yesterday's ribbon cutting at the new Stadium Grille, across lot from First Southern Bank. In the multiple exposure collage pictured here, Chamber of Commerce director Kristin Gregory spools ribbon to Bonnie Brackett, CCoC Board Pres, as Aur Beck and a couple dozen others look on.

The collage was created with Picasa, uploaded to Twitpics and Facebook.

Although out of the bus biz, I am still driving for Blue Star Lines, picking up the Amtrak crew from the station, and driving them to the motel. Although it is an easy gig, I often have to wait for the conductor or engineer as they take care of business in the station. The other day, I snapped some photos of my work environment, including this one, which shows the vehicle I drive.

From All Aboard Amtrak

I also shot some video of Great American Taxi at last Thursday's Sunset Concert, which you can view on YouTube

Let's see what else? It looks like former employer Art Lovers Trading Company has hung its last painting on the walls. However, owner Sue Mills will continue to promote local art on the internet and elsewhere. The painting on the wall is a print of the sand painting of the old Carbondale Bank bldg by Vic DeGraff.

From Artistic expression

A couple weekends ago ...I attended the benefit for Cayenne Boyd at Orlandini Vineyard. The photos are uploaded at the link below.

Gotta go.

From Benefit for Cayenne @ Olandini Vineyard

sight for poor eyes

2009-06-19T07:09:00.003-05:00

Somone asks what I'll be doing when my run with Greyhound is done. Simple: continue what I've been doing -- morning drives for Blue Star Lines, finishing my blook, selling my own books, promoting the sand paintings of Vic DeGraff, occasional blipping, tweeting, etc.

Of course Ill be keeping up w/ goings on in C'dale, scanning ShawneeNet for the latest local news feeds, including the "Dazette" And since I now have Mediacom I can watch City Council meetings on TV. (Eurma Hayes Child Care should have been allowed to fail 5 years ago, when Council agreed to underwrite its operation.)

The ShawneeNet site needs upgrading too ... with more photos and links to businesses.

All of this requires clear vision -- which I got a couple of days ago.

Had my eyes examined by Louisana's own Mia Guillory, the Opthamologist at Doctor's ValuVision in the Mall, where I got tested and fitted with new eyeglasses this week.

I bought a couple of pair.

Now everything has come into better focus.

counting the days

2009-06-12T08:30:00.003-05:00

Only 18 days until my Greyhound adventure ends: June 30 will be my last day. Not that I'm counting the days, or anything.

I plan to train the staff at the BP gas station (905 E. Main, across from Sonic & Midas) to take over in July.

After that, I'll have mornings free for the first time in five years. ... Time to process photos and write chapters for my blook -- and tweet on local stuff ... and play deejay on blip.fm.

Haven't you heard?

2009-06-08T08:05:00.007-05:00

In a letter to supporters, reprinted on the Team Brad website, Mayor Brad Cole announces his intention to seek statewide office on the Republican ticket. Which office, he doesn't say. Whatever one he can get, I guess. At this summer's State Fair in Springfield, Cole's fellow party members will convene to compare notes on a strategy to retake control of State government. ... Seems like Cole is staking his territory.

Most of comments in the local press are negative; not much has changed in that regard since the mayoral election.

There are actually two sets of comments on the story: several on the "breaking news" version.... and several more on the "front page" version.

Tweet from Pickles Alley

2009-05-27T07:52:00.004-05:00

Bicycling to work yesterday ... down Main St. on the south sidewalk ... three fire engines passed by at an alarming rate, so I stopped and sent a "tweet" from my Blackberry -- at the entrance to the alley called "Pickle's" in Scott Thorne's "Dazette" blog.

That's the south entrance to Carbondale City Hall / Civic Center at the end of the alley.

If you don't care to click on the link to that tweet, here's what it stated:

Tweet from pickles alley: 3 fire engines just went haul-assin down Main St.

Today I'll try to find out where the fire trucks were headed in such a hurry.

Tweet from Woodlawn Cemetery

2009-05-26T08:28:00.017-05:00

Along with a couple hundred other folks in C'dale, I attended the annual Memorial Day service at Woodlawn Cemetery, where the first-ever such observance was held in 1866 according to a tweet posted that morning. ;-)

I had intended to videotape the entire service, but the memory card ran out before Mayor Cole's speech was done. ... The photo above shows him gesturing toward the curious unnamed sarcophagus (pictured above) he thought might have been knocked to the ground and opened during the sudden Derecho (aka Hurricane Lucille) that blew through town earlier this month.

During the event I shot off a couple of tweets -- one about the Illinois State grant the City got for to begin restoration of the old Attucks H.S bulding, across the street from that very cemetery. WSIL TV3 was there, and reported on the story: Carbondale Gets Grant for Renovating Attucks School

The other tweet concerned Mayor Cole retelling the story of "The Giving Tree" a children's story by Shel Silverstein. Since my Twitter Updates also go to Facebook, one of my Friends there was incredulous that Cole would tell this story since the City would incinerate the destroyed trees and branches instead of recycling.

More photos of the storm damage and aftermath on my Picasa web albums. The album is called If a Tree Falls in Carbondale.

Tweet ya later, Bloggee.!

beesy beesy

2009-05-17T10:58:00.001-05:00

Experimenting with a new look for summer... Will be adding more photos to the mix, too.

City: No time for twitter just yet

2009-05-14T12:46:00.004-05:00

Back from visit to City Hall re: the City's communications response. Picked up paper copies of #12 & #13 Mayoral updates on recovery. The city's tech guy, Mark Jones, told me he was too busy to tweet the info - or have someone else do it. ... I pointed out that the several items on the piece of paper I was holding could be cut-and-pasted from the word processor into Twitter. ... Mark stated that he understood how twitter worked, but he was too busy to deal w/ it. ...

I think the Mayor will have to approve whatever goes out. Cole sends and receives text messages daily, so he should "get it." Not sure why he just didn't do it. Guess he preferred the on-air radio updates. A friend said he was boasting on-air about what a great job the City was doing. The great leadership he has shown is another sentence for his political biography when he runs for governor.

When I saw hizzoner on the Monday after Hurricane Lucille, I asked what name the hurricane had been given. "Hurricane Obama' he joked "like Katrina was Bush's fault." A bit of Republican humor by the Mayor on a dark day for Carbondale. But he's probably right, the hurricane created a lot of extra work for folks.

I also stopped by Castle Perilous to ask Scott Thorne of the meaning of "Pickles' Alley" ... Seems Scott was taking a bit o liberty with the name, but I won't make a big dill about it.

Actually, Pickle's alley was between Walnut and the PK's Parking lot. The big brown Christian Baril law office used to be called "Charley Pickles" - a hangout back in the day. But Scott liked the name, and "Notes from Pickles' Alley" was born.

Just checked the @CarbondaleIL twitter site... No updates, following 2, 7 followers.

Storm damage on Springer St.

2009-05-14T09:21:00.000-05:00

Civics 3G

2009-05-14T08:39:00.005-05:00

so i went to city yesterday and it was busy with food stamp recipients because the M'boro office was w/out power, and people needed to take care of business, so Mayor Cole offered the use of the Cdale Civic Center.. ... Mark Jones, the city geek, was working on something in another city bldg. Deborah .... wouldn't say much... seemed anxious to see me on my way... Wouldn't say anything for fear I'd quote her.

also stopped into the Main Street / Chamber of Commerce office, where I spoke to Sandy at Main Street and Barb at Main Street about the value of Twitter.... Barb got it and signed up @cdalemainstreet before I left the office. And she used it to post important information, which I didn't get on time because I didn't have the feeds set to go to my cell phone. For twitter feeds to have max use, they should be forwarded to your cell phone.

@ericmittan Channel 3's production editor tipped me off to Jim Raser's @forecaster feed, which I'm getting.... Think I'll add it to the feeds at left, along w/ my own Twitter feed.

And some comedian started a mock "@explorecarbonda" twitter feed. Funny stuff. Can s/he keep it up?

And the Dazette's Scott Thorne is twittering @castleperilous for his Castle Perilous game venture. And Scott's been busy dropping links and tidbits at a good clip. I had to laugh, though, at his first post-Hurrican Lucille

Since the city apparently does not have "explorecarbondale" ... how about @cdalecity or @carbondale_il

Today, I'll try agintoget holda Mark Jones or Mayor Cole to find out what's up w/ the City's twitter and other stuff, like the future Bike 2 Work Day.

all thumbs

2009-05-13T08:07:00.001-05:00

Looking out my window see no Ameren truck, They knocked off at 8 or so last night, and so Day 5 without power begins. One good thing: as a result, I'm becoming more profish w/Blackberry keypad thumbing.

Wanted to comment on the City of Carbondales disaster preparedness and performance, after a visit to City Hall to find out about the City's use of twitter and other electronic media.

I've already been told by Mayor Cole and Mark Jones that twitter account exists, but the name I was given "@ExploreCarbondale" doesn't exist.

I'll go there after my morning Greyhound stint and speak to Mark Jones, the City's top geek.

note: this post was originally typed w/ Blackberry keypad, and edited after power was restored. The original had more errors due to my misthumbing.

If a tree falls on Springer St and nobody hears it. . . .

2009-05-11T10:38:00.001-05:00

Reading in the Dazette that there was a storm here on Friday--which explains the 100 mph wind and heavy rain a little after 1:00 pm! I captured some of it on video from my upstairs porch door and bicycling thru neighborhoods until the camera's memory card ran out.

Ironically, I was about to buy a new video camera when the power went out.The freakish storm is being called an "inland Hurricane" by experts:"Hurricane Lucille"?

Naturally, I tweeted the event on my Blackberry - sending out 140 character updates of "the situation". Unfortunately no one in Carbondale actually READ them at the time, but at least I shared the event w/ out-of-towners

On Saturday I tuned into C'dale radio 1620-AM and only heard a Boil Water order. A little more info would have been appreciated, so I text-messaged Mayor Cole about the lack of info, and he texted back they were "working on it"

Later he texted that the radio message was changed and an email had been sent. EMAIL? Who could read it w/ the power down? He texted back for me to get a printed copy at City Hall. I went there, but the door was locked and the email was taped to the door.

Later, at an emergency meeting for City staff and Council at 1pm, I posted a quick tweet, but I gave it a rest, since Codell Rodriguez was writing down the details for The Southern Illinoisan. (Although they didn't make it into the SI's Twitter account)

After the meeting I drove to Duquoin w/ another C'dale refugee and got the last room in town at the Budget Inn, watched the Denver Nuggets beat Dallas, and said hi to Councilman Haynes at Krogers.

That's my report so far.
It's Monday morning and I'm thumbing out this text on the Blackberry..

I plan to question Mayor Cole about the City's emergency communications response.

And the tweets just keep on coming.

Who's your cabbie?

2009-04-23T19:04:00.004-05:00

Met two Ace Taxi cab drivers today at the Bus Place, Dave (pictured) and Pat, who filled me in on prices... $4 anywhere in town....plus $4 extra per extra stop, and $2 per 5 minuetes if driver must wait. Also, passengers don't have to double up.

These prices are "introductory" through Summer.

What really impressed me about the 4 Green fleet vehicles is how clean they are ... and the drivers have all their teeth! ;-)

Go Green!

Giving it the old collage try

2009-04-23T09:16:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I went to Marberry Arboretum and snapped a few photos. There will be chapter on the Arboretum and other local green spots in my blook, Karmadale After Blog.

Does anyone know who Douglas N. McEwen is? The bench where i was sitting when the tree-sky photo was taken is dedicated to him.

I'll be uploading more collages and slideshows to this blog as the blook progresses, using my "SuperSlip 257" and Picasa.

Peace out.

Where's the tea?

2009-04-15T13:29:00.004-05:00

The local "Tea Party" was pretty well attended by mostly older people. Jeff Trexler, Secy of the local (newly formed) Constitution Party, opened the gathering with a prayer, the everyone took their place in line. I was hoping to find Shawn the Beer Philos'pher there, since it was he who tipped me off (on Twitter) about this event, and he and I expressed a difference of opinion about it's importance: I called it "sour grapes in a teapot" but Shawn said he'd rather have sour grapes than kool-aid... (Maybe Shawn should trying selling sour grapes at a sidewalk stand this summer to see which beverage washes down better with the public).

Also in the crowd, my house manager (who intensely dislikes Obama) and local blogger "Greener Than Thou" who handed out flyers of her own: about spending tax money to kill children and save bankers (and writes about the experience "At the Mad Hatters Tea Party" in her blog).

Also old friends Mark and Lynn (who spoke against Obama "spreading abortion" throughout the world with his policies).

Didn't see any tea, though... Click on the photo for more detail.

Bye bye (buy) Bytelife

2009-04-14T08:51:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, I pulled the plug on Carbondale Bytelife since no one was posting to it, and my hands are full with other projects and blogs.

All 839 posts have been archived, and will be published in the DVD version of the blook Karmadale After Blog (now due in Fall 2009). Meanwhile ... individual posts will cost 25 cents, with a discount for multiple requests. For instance, all 839 posts could sell for 5 cents per post (about $40).

A chronological title and author list of all the Bytelife posts will be placed on the redirect page.

Better idea?

Of Taxes Taxis and Taxonomies

2009-03-26T11:37:00.004-05:00

A commenter to my previous post "Doug Law" asked if I paid taxes. Of course! I also have proof of insurance and registration, and valid license. But since I usually always ride bicycle, the license plate renewal 'scaped my notice. It's taken care of now. ... It would be cheaper to just sell the car, and take a taxi around town.

Not with Moonlight cabbie Rob Taylor though. It's reported in the Daily Egyptian, that he's quitting the business at the end of the semester, since fares have already been down, even before new taxi service came to town. I wonder who owns it. Someone with a business degree.

Taxonomies. Using TweetDeck for Twitter allows users to group the folks they're "following" into user-created categories. My categories are Folks and Friends ... News .... Geeky ... Marketing ... Entertainment.

If you aren't on Twitter yet, you should be! If you follow my updates, you'll be the first to know about tomorrow's meeting w/ Mayor Cole about this year's Bike 2 Work Day, or my YouTube video about it. ... Or the name of the owner of Ace Taxi. And more good info.

Doug Law

2009-03-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

Recently, I got stopped while driving to Schnucks, because my license plate registration was expired. On top of that, my proof of insurance was not to be found (since it was laying on the desk in my room, a block away). And, uh, my seat belt wasn't fastened. ...

Maybe because I'd just uploaded a video to YouTube of Will Whitmore singing "Johnny Law" ("the littlest man you ever saw") I expected "the book" to be thrown at me. Not the one I'm currently reading, but a hefty ticket.

Turned out, Officer Doug was a stand-up guy, and let me off with a warning, plus a ticket to provide proof of insurance at the County Courthouse in a few weeks.

What's so funny?

2009-03-03T11:17:00.004-06:00

Choose one: ... Clerks at Old National Bank (Schnuck's branch) are laughing at:

a) my favorite Charity,
b) the balance of my bank account, or
c) Zathos45 little tweets. ;-)

From Local Business Folks

Tough times for local PR profession

2009-02-19T18:19:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, walkin' with my sidekick The Jokir, we snapped a photo at the traffic island at Mill and Illinois ('Millinois', as I call it). For fun, I stood there as if I was holding a sign, and when I got home, I photoshopped a sign and words. Then posted it with this caption:

Carbondale man appears to be holding ”photoshopped“ sign on traffic island, seeking PR work for food.

”Dinner for two-four, depending of the menu,“ says Doug Barker, self-described ”media maven, "If it's 4 star restaurant, dinner for 3 or 4."

Other forms of payment acceptable to Much More Media PR firm include Saluki basketball tickets, and garden mulch.

I'm thinking of setting up a lemonade or cocoa stand at this location, since business has tailed off so much at The Hound. The two girls in the background might be interested in working it.

Meanwhile, I've been posting more pix to Bytelife ... so many that I'm thinking of changing the name from Carbondale Bytelife to Carbongaze Davette.

new blook cover collage

2009-01-08T09:22:00.004-06:00

The typeface will be cleaned up, but this collage is what the new blook cover will look like. ... Also the title is being changed from "Carbondale After Blog" to Karmadale After Blog.

This collage was created by Picasa, from a folder of pix from 2003. It is just a test.

Click on the image to see a larger version in the web album.

Into the MMIX

2009-01-03T06:57:00.012-06:00

What's new and exciting in 2009? In Carbondale, it will surely be the upcoming City Council election. Yesterday, one of the seven City Council candidates stopped into the BP Bus Place to say 'hi', and I assured him that I'll support the candidate(s) with the most convincing internet presence. So far, Pawel Sawicki has made the best webpression via Scott @ Carbondale Bytelife.

And nationally, the new President, Barack effing Hussein Obama! That's exciting! I get a Matthewsiastic "thrill up my leg" thinking about it. Or it could be the sweet guitar jam I'm listening to.... a live recording at Hangar 9, Dec. 2005, with Robbie Stokes, Chris Duarte, Din Dayemi, Grant Morgan, and the Majnun drummer and keyboard.
----------------
Now playing: Robbie Stokes - Stoked

I hope Obama can do something about decreased bus ticket commissions. Since I moved the station to a better location on East Main St., Greyhound has reduced commission rate, and raised ticket prices, so fewer people are using the bus. With gas prices dropping, bus ticket prices are still at $4/gal prices. If something doesn't give, I may be forced to quit, since The 'Hound already cuts into prose-writing time that could be going to my blook. ...

... As does Twitter, which I prefer to blogging, since I can usually shoot out a couple of 140 character "tweets" without too much effort, but sometimes it takes a bit of crafting to compact the message. Would make a good technical writing exercise. ... Of course, not everyone takes pains to convey much relevant information. I usually include a link, as do most of the tweeters I follow.

Often, following is reciprocal. ... You follow @BarackObama, and he follows you. I'm up to 77 followers. Barack Obama had 153,379. I select a mix of interesting people to follow, reporters like @Jayette in Springfield, PR mavens like @Dana_Willhoit, Web 2.0 technology guru and political savant @DaveWiner, or fake expert, comedian John Hodgman.

I take my blog and twitter (micro-blog) writing seriously. Writing in 140 characters or less, requires pithy expression, unlike blogging, where I get paid by the word. Ha ha. ha. ha. ha. (And the word is secret, like on the Groucho Marx You Bet Your Life quiz show.)

Wishing all who read this Happy MMIX!

----------------
Still playing: Robbie Stokes - Stoked

'Twas the Day After Christmas

2008-12-27T00:35:00.003-06:00

What's up, Bloggee? Vicissitudes of life got you down -- or UP? ... I stayed up late last night with a housemate who got dumped by betrayal. "The house is haunted now," he says.

Since the City is mandating more frequent housing inspection, each renter in the house is being asked to pay an extra $35 in January to cover costs. I'm all for improving housing safety, etc. Maybe the inspections can lead to reduced bad memories in houses. The city could add a paranormal exorcist to City Staff, replacing recently retired City Manager Jeff Doherty.

Meanwhile my own love life is looking up after a bad spell. With someone to go out with, I am more likely to be seen at places like Key West on Sunday night to hear and dance to Ivas John Band rocking the blues. Or the oddly-named, but breathtaking (especially if you have the cold that's goin around) Giant City State Park.

Yesterday, we walked out to the new apartment complex south of town, past Arnold's Market where Old 51 meets New 51. "Reserve" it's called. Snapped some photos, but they won't be included in the blook. No new material will be added after the last Mayoral election. Still need to finish a few chapters, but they will write themselves. (Maybe edit themselves, too?!)

Beginning to feel the old deadline pressure point in my right wrist, My friend The Beer Philos'pher kindly tweeted re: my long promised blook "Can such a project ever be completed?" he asks. ... 'Yes' is answer.

The publication date is Bike to Work Day... May 16, 2009.

With a new title (Karmadale After Blog) and cover design. Instead of the current ugly yellow and red, a collage of photos will wrap around front cover and back. (One of the highlights of the blook will the hundreds of photos of people, places and events around town over the past few years, through the last mayoral election, with updates. Plus video, like Mayor Cole singing "C is for Cookie" at Bike 2 Work Day with his bizarro doppleganger, and -- .)

Oh look, it's already the 27th.

Happy New Year, everyone.... See you on Twitter!

State of the Twitter speech

2008-12-07T19:15:00.001-06:00

Last week I met with Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole, to talk about his upcoming "State of the City" speech to the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce hoping for a preview copy I could leak to the blogosphere, and BC came through, as he always does, handing me a printed draft of his speech-in-progress, which updates previous years' projects, and presents some new ones. I suggested that he simply say "Ladies and Gentlemen .... the State of the City is fine." - and walk off the dais -- and out of the room -- before returning to the luncheon room microphone with "Gotcha!" He laughed at the idea, but didn't think the crowd would appreciate it.

However, he did hand me a printed draft of his speech, with permission to quote it in this blog, an exclusive to the Carbondaley Dispatch: Mayor Cole goes on record that he "looks forward to many good days and years ahead" for us all.

To hear more, come to the Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Civic Center, noon, Tues. December 9. ... I'll be there, twitterin' the speech as it is being delivered, as I did last week, when I first got hold of the draft.