Tuesday 2/15/2011
Vote for Calypso & Gracie
Dear
friends - our cats Calypso and Grace made it after a almost a year to the Cats
vs Dogs webpage. Calypso has since passed (she left us bravely on January 17th
due to illness), but please take a moment to vote for Grace as she really
misses her sister. Huge hugs and personal thanks to everyone who shows Gracie
their support. The link is http://www.wciu.com/catvsdog.php
and voting ends tonight. Thanks!
Tuesday 3/17/2009
Illinois Marathon Desperately Seeking Volunteers
The inaugural Illinois Marathon may not ever hear the starting gun if more volunteers do not step forward.
Champaign police have informed event organizers that they will pull special-event permits necessary to hold the April 11 marathon if organizers don't come up with more traffic-control volunteers at 225 city intersections along the marathon route that will wind its way around Champaign-Urbana and the University of Illinois.
Champaign city officials have set an April 1 deadline – two weeks away – for event organizer Casmar Events of Fargo, N.D., to provide assurances that they have the volunteer network in place. Volunteers are needed to protect the 7,600 runners who have already signed up for the event. Runners are expected from all 50 states and 4 foreign countries.
Currently, there are about 150 traffic volunteers, but Casmar indicated they need at least 250 and would like to have 350 to assure runner safety. Extras are also needed because not all volunteers can stay for the entire six or seven hours the event will last, he said.
Traffic volunteers make sure runners stay on course and make sure runners are protected from traffic. It is a great opportunity to be right on the course and in the middle of the race.
The decision to set a deadline was made last Friday in consultation with Champaign Police Chief R.T. Finney and City Manager Steven Carter.
Champaign, Urbana and University of Illinois police will cover 70 high-volume intersections along the marathon route, but there are 241 other intersections that need volunteers to make sure cars don't interfere with the race and put runners in jeopardy.
Of those 241 intersections, 16 have low enough traffic volume that they could probably left unstaffed, but the other 225 will need volunteers.
If the Illinois Marathon can't get the needed volunteers, refunds would be made to entrants.
If you are in the East Central Illinois area or looking to get out of the city for a few hours on a spring Saturday you can sign up to volunteer by clicking on the "volunteers" tab at www.illinoismarathon.com, or call volunteer coordinator Mary Anderson at 217-369-2308 between 5 and 9 p.m. or Bonnie McElwee at 217-344-4160.
Event organizer Mark Knutson said that, to encourage more volunteers, the marathon will pay $18 to not-for-profit organizations for each volunteer they provide who agrees to work a six-hour shift.
Volunteers would need to be in place by 7:30 a.m., a half-hour before the planned start of the 8 a.m. race.
A video tour of the marathon route is available at http://tinyurl.com/cct3m4.
Champaign police have informed event organizers that they will pull special-event permits necessary to hold the April 11 marathon if organizers don't come up with more traffic-control volunteers at 225 city intersections along the marathon route that will wind its way around Champaign-Urbana and the University of Illinois.
Champaign city officials have set an April 1 deadline – two weeks away – for event organizer Casmar Events of Fargo, N.D., to provide assurances that they have the volunteer network in place. Volunteers are needed to protect the 7,600 runners who have already signed up for the event. Runners are expected from all 50 states and 4 foreign countries.
Currently, there are about 150 traffic volunteers, but Casmar indicated they need at least 250 and would like to have 350 to assure runner safety. Extras are also needed because not all volunteers can stay for the entire six or seven hours the event will last, he said.
Traffic volunteers make sure runners stay on course and make sure runners are protected from traffic. It is a great opportunity to be right on the course and in the middle of the race.
The decision to set a deadline was made last Friday in consultation with Champaign Police Chief R.T. Finney and City Manager Steven Carter.
Champaign, Urbana and University of Illinois police will cover 70 high-volume intersections along the marathon route, but there are 241 other intersections that need volunteers to make sure cars don't interfere with the race and put runners in jeopardy.
Of those 241 intersections, 16 have low enough traffic volume that they could probably left unstaffed, but the other 225 will need volunteers.
If the Illinois Marathon can't get the needed volunteers, refunds would be made to entrants.
If you are in the East Central Illinois area or looking to get out of the city for a few hours on a spring Saturday you can sign up to volunteer by clicking on the "volunteers" tab at www.illinoismarathon.com, or call volunteer coordinator Mary Anderson at 217-369-2308 between 5 and 9 p.m. or Bonnie McElwee at 217-344-4160.
Event organizer Mark Knutson said that, to encourage more volunteers, the marathon will pay $18 to not-for-profit organizations for each volunteer they provide who agrees to work a six-hour shift.
Volunteers would need to be in place by 7:30 a.m., a half-hour before the planned start of the 8 a.m. race.
A video tour of the marathon route is available at http://tinyurl.com/cct3m4.
Monday 3/16/2009
Gay swimmer wins Big 10 Championship
Andrew Langenfeld of Centralia, Illinois and a senior at Purdue University, set a record in winning the 50-yard freestyle last month in the Big Ten men’s swimming and diving championships at the Indiana/Purdue Apuatic Center in Indianapolis. Langenfeld, who is openly gay, won in a conference-record time of 19.34 seconds.
Langenfeld, 22, swam in last year’s U.S. Olympic trials. The 50-free is known as the "splash and dash." It is the shortest competitive race in the sport. The 6’6" Langenfeld had the fastest time at the turn and went on to the win. A year ago in the same race he finished 13th.
In an interview with OutSports.com, Langenfeld said he has not encountered any homophobia, and has helped network other gay athletes.
"Swimming is definitely one of the sports that is more accepting of gay athletes," Langenfeld said. "It might be because of the close relationship we all have. I mean, we’re all running around in small bathing suits, so there’s a very intimate level between us. When friends or teammates come out, you don’t look at the sexuality factor."
When he’s not in the pool, Langeneld is a Spanish and applied linguistics major and he reportedly speaks eight languages.
Langenfeld, 22, swam in last year’s U.S. Olympic trials. The 50-free is known as the "splash and dash." It is the shortest competitive race in the sport. The 6’6" Langenfeld had the fastest time at the turn and went on to the win. A year ago in the same race he finished 13th.
In an interview with OutSports.com, Langenfeld said he has not encountered any homophobia, and has helped network other gay athletes.
"Swimming is definitely one of the sports that is more accepting of gay athletes," Langenfeld said. "It might be because of the close relationship we all have. I mean, we’re all running around in small bathing suits, so there’s a very intimate level between us. When friends or teammates come out, you don’t look at the sexuality factor."
When he’s not in the pool, Langeneld is a Spanish and applied linguistics major and he reportedly speaks eight languages.
Monday 4/21/2008
Awesome Cherry Weekend
Matt and I returned from DC today where we were partied with Miss Foozie at the annual Cherry parties. You can always tell how much fun was had by how tired you are on the plane ride home!
Frank and Foozie...it was an awesome weekend...everyone else...look for the pictures on the ChicagoPride sister city site at www.pridedc.com
Frank and Foozie...it was an awesome weekend...everyone else...look for the pictures on the ChicagoPride sister city site at www.pridedc.com
Monday 12/17/2007
Writers' Strike, Tori Spelling & Dead Heroes!
I hope CBS has another Amazing Race in the can. It's going to become grim when the new year starts, what with the writers' strike -- there'll be lots of reality shows (none of them anywhere near as good as TAR), lame game shows and repeats. If the networks get really desperate we will probably get lots of NASCAR (yee-haw!) and professional soccer (yawn!) in prime time.
This season's TAR has been terrific. I’ve learned to love Goths in the persons of Kynt and Vyxsin, those cute Kentuckians with magenta hair, pale skin and black clothes.
Sunday, the teams landed in beautiful Dubrovnik. That's one of the many pleasures of TAR, finding places you want to see in person.
Speaking of TV, remember the lovely Donna from The West Wing? She had that series-long crush on Josh (Bradley Whitford) and finally got him.
Well, Janel Moloney, the Donna actor, has taken that circumstance and run with it on Showtime's Brotherhood: She plays a political tramp and potential homewrecker. Donna, get a grip!
Janel Moloney trivia: She's the niece of the fine Broadway actor Christine Ebersole. Further, both women are quite tall.
Meanwhile, Heroes offered a somewhat interesting season finale. I know y'all think Sylar makes a great villain, but I hate him and wish he would go away. Zachary Quinto was so much better as Tori Spelling’s gay best friend on So Notorious. I miss that show…I wish she would dump that husband of hers and that crazy B&B and bring back the goofy Tori we all know and love!
Anyway…back to Heroes…according to the glance ahead, the third volume of the show will be called "Villains," so it looks as if we're in for a bumpy ride whenever that season begins. (Now we hear the writers' strike could last months. The great thing about that is, if there's nobody to write the Oscars show, we may get to do away with all the lame intros, and the show will be about two hours long.)
Nathan is killed at the end of the Heroes season finale, but who can be sure? One of the dumb things about the show is that they kill people and bring them back.
Heroes characters I like: Hiro, the cheerleader, Ando, Jessica (though I think she may be dead…but again…who can be sure)and Mr. Muggles! (I have included his picture today)
Heroes characters I hate: Sylar, Adam, Suresh, Peter, Micah, Maya.
Note to the striking writers: if you insist on bringing a dead character back next season…make it George Takei’s character on Heroes…I loved him!
This season's TAR has been terrific. I’ve learned to love Goths in the persons of Kynt and Vyxsin, those cute Kentuckians with magenta hair, pale skin and black clothes.
Sunday, the teams landed in beautiful Dubrovnik. That's one of the many pleasures of TAR, finding places you want to see in person.
Speaking of TV, remember the lovely Donna from The West Wing? She had that series-long crush on Josh (Bradley Whitford) and finally got him.
Well, Janel Moloney, the Donna actor, has taken that circumstance and run with it on Showtime's Brotherhood: She plays a political tramp and potential homewrecker. Donna, get a grip!
Janel Moloney trivia: She's the niece of the fine Broadway actor Christine Ebersole. Further, both women are quite tall.
Meanwhile, Heroes offered a somewhat interesting season finale. I know y'all think Sylar makes a great villain, but I hate him and wish he would go away. Zachary Quinto was so much better as Tori Spelling’s gay best friend on So Notorious. I miss that show…I wish she would dump that husband of hers and that crazy B&B and bring back the goofy Tori we all know and love!
Anyway…back to Heroes…according to the glance ahead, the third volume of the show will be called "Villains," so it looks as if we're in for a bumpy ride whenever that season begins. (Now we hear the writers' strike could last months. The great thing about that is, if there's nobody to write the Oscars show, we may get to do away with all the lame intros, and the show will be about two hours long.)
Nathan is killed at the end of the Heroes season finale, but who can be sure? One of the dumb things about the show is that they kill people and bring them back.
Heroes characters I like: Hiro, the cheerleader, Ando, Jessica (though I think she may be dead…but again…who can be sure)and Mr. Muggles! (I have included his picture today)
Heroes characters I hate: Sylar, Adam, Suresh, Peter, Micah, Maya.
Note to the striking writers: if you insist on bringing a dead character back next season…make it George Takei’s character on Heroes…I loved him!
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