Sunrise:

[Another stunning HDR image by Steverob50 ]

A Moleskine Moment

I musta been trying to save paper

The Memopad

It’s a table! It’s a scratch pad! It’s a Italian restaurant-hand me the crayons . . .

The Memodesk by Teamlab is a regular table combined with a giant memopad. Or is it a table and tablecloth from a Italian restaurant?

The manufacturer says it’s a way to create magic and on top of that . . . refills for your table!!!

Different specialties make for free discussions where each person is equal. Each hand moves, writing and sharing ideas, and at any point, someone else could join in, adding to the group with their mouths and with their hands, adding to the writing, and making everyone think. Let’s imagine that you want to start a good company in the pre-information era, and of course, you put a whiteboard on every wall of the meeting room, so it looks “just like it should”. It would be accepted by the world, but it wouldn’t be right in this age of information. If you want to build on the future of the information age, the memo desk is the way to go.

For some reason I doubt the nice Japanese woman is part of the bargain, it certainly is a different way to advertise your product.

C.E.N.T.S. Show in Columbus, Ohio

I’m doing 2 different events in Columbus next month 01/25-28/09. For the OSU Short Course.

A 3 hour Sunday event(Stone the Entire Process) I believe we have reached the workshop limit , and a I hour talk on Monday(Dealing in High-End Design).

ANLA Management Clinic 2009

The American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) Management Clinic is right around the corner. Febuary 6th, through the 9th in Louisville KY.

Today is the last day to register for the earl-bird special, it works out to a savings of $70.00 to register early.

I just finished my registration a few minutes ago, quick, clean, simple. My regret here is that I was not able to get this up sooner on the Blog.

My regular readers know all about the Mgmt Clinic. I have posted several times on here about the clinic, including real time posting from the clinic last year.

Even though I have not been added to this years list of speakers . . . it’s still a great conference to attend. Just had to throw that in there, I last spoke at the clinic in 2006. Considering the opportunity to network with others around the country and the sharing of information is 1st rate, how can you not go?

Couple of disappointments for 2009:

• Only one night of Muggets, what are you guys thinking. I get to spend more time talking shop in a non-shop atmosphere in the Muggets than anywhere else . . . and you go to one night! To top it off  . . . a live band, great we now have to shout over a band-bad move clinic folks, bad move . . . in my opinion.
• Very little on the design side, as a matter of fact . .. basically nothing.  As I see it . . . if nothing is designed, there is no plan . . . how do folks figure out what to bid on, to grow, to install, to maintain, to make the Earth a better place to live. It’s almost as if the Mgmt Clinic didn’t want Design Professionals to attend.

Having expressed those 2(major) disappointments . . . I’m still going. The energy, the attendees, the friends(old and new) are too great to pass up.

I guess we’ll just make our own Muggets night, we are an adaptable group.

Bad Economy, Find some Help

Please take time to check the links, the schedule . . . you will not be wasting you educational dollars, especially in a tough climate we are now in.

As a matter of fact; considering the climate we are in, how can you not go to the clinic? We/you/I need every weapon at our disposal to survive in this economy. To not only survive but to thrive and be successful.

There is always opportunity especially in tough times. Be smart, be adaptable.

The Clinic is Blogging 12/18/2009

Right now; on Thursday, a group of speakers are posting some of their insights on the Clinic Blog. There’s a new entry about every hour. Check it out. If you don’t get there today go back and read through the entries.

Finally

How could we have a time where the Whispering Crane Institute, and the Giant Duck Institute not have face-to-face interaction.

Here’s the latest from Cornell

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The news on kids and birds, I thought it would be best to just post the entire release rather than trying to interpret the release.

It’s great to get to the kids to garner enthusiasm at a young age. Now if we could find more ways, better ways, effective ways to get the young ones interested in gardening . . . both ornamental and edible.

The release:

News Release: December 19, 2008

Learning Bird Behavior Turns Kids into Scientists Revised teaching unit is released from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca, NY–Why is that crow chasing a hawk? Do birds fly away from noisy places? How long will an American Robin spend pulling a worm from the ground? The BirdSleuth curriculum from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is all about tapping into a child’s natural curiosity to answer scientific questions in a fun way. The just-released revision of the Exploring Bird Behavior module offers educators even more lessons, posters, and multimedia resources. The new student toolkit comes with two important tools for collecting behavioral information about birds: a BirdSleuth stopwatch and tally counter. “Kids love to work with gadgets,” says Birdsleuth project leader Jennifer Fee. “Give them a stopwatch or put them in a lab coat, and they transform into little scientists. And then it becomes easier to explain tricky concepts, such as the difference between a behavioral event and a behavioral state.” (An event can be counted; a state can be timed.) This module also comes with a DVD showing bird behaviors most students have never seen, including stunning slow-motion video of the exotic courtship dance of the Greater Sage-Grouse. A 32-page teacher’s guide includes step-by-step instructions for completing all six lessons, or “investigations.” The Exploring Bird Behavior module, like the others in the BirdSleuth series, engages students in inquiry by building lessons and activities around citizen-science projects from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This module uses the Crows Count project. Students count crows and their relatives (ravens, magpies, and jays), observe their behaviors, and report what they see to the Cornell Lab where scientists are studying the dynamics of group behavior in crows. “BirdSleuth gets kids interested in nature, gets them outside, and teaches them to think more critically,” says Fee. “They ask questions, collect data, look for patterns and evidence, test ideas, make conclusions, and share results.” To learn more about the new Exploring Bird Behavior module and about the entire BirdSleuth curriculum, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/BirdSleuth.edu. The staff is happy to answer any questions about how to make Birdsleuth a welcome supplement to your existing science curriculum. #

Contact: Jennifer Fee, Project Leader, (607) 254-2403, jms327@cornell.edu

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Lab’s web site at www.birds.cornell.edu.

10 Reminders we all Need

I found this list written by a European Architecture firm about their rules on design.

Now it may not be rules . . .  just their list of 10 things to design by. Either way the list is a worthy reminder for anyone who creates/designs for a living.

From the firm Ortner&Ortner.

10 reminders for better architecture

1.
invent nothing

2.
mix everything

3.
consult artist

4.
refine simply

5.
take it further

6.
remain enigmatic

7.
embrace the old

8.
separate  shell from  contents

9.
be bold

10.
learning by numbers

Here’s the list in it’s original state.

25 words, a lot of great thought in 25 words. More of us should probably think this way, design this way, and probably even live this way.

There’s too much noise in the World.

Some Class for this Blog

Recently it’s been said to me:

Rick Anderson you some class on this here Whispering Crane Institute blog, and you need it now.

Wow, really . . . well in that case. Ladies and Gentlemen I present . . .   Ode to Joy.

High End Outdoor Theatre

Now here’s a outdoor home theatre almost no one can afford. However if you find a client that can afford this system, I’d say they’re a keeper.

We need the right context to spec something like this:

Now this is top end

Here’s some of the description of the product.

Rising from within this video tower is the custom built center channel speaker. It is supplied by one of the foremost recording studio monitor manufacturers in the world. Its dedicated amplifiers are stored in the equipment racks within the tower. The center channel amplifiers alone, have a power output of 3100 watts!

Flanking the main video tower are the main left and right sound towers. Each of these ensconce the main speakers for left and right as well as a compliment of 8 sub-woofer cabinets. Each sub-woofer cabinet has 4-twelve inch drivers, as well as an amplifier channel for each, totaling a monumental 32 woofer drivers with a combined amplifier power of Eight Thousand watts. Total combined amplifier power for the entire system is Twenty Two Thousand watts!

That’s a lot of power, a whole lot of power, and it’s obviously about the power to impress. They did mention a possible price tag for this project . . .

While it’s still a concept, you can be the first to own this incredible outdoor theater package for $375,000 to $1.5.  Complete this contact form and Harvey Altman will get in touch with you personally.

Let me not that the link is from the article and I have decide to leave it for those of you who may want to get in touch with Mr. Altman.

Night time only.

There is one drawback to this system, no daytime viewing . . .

All functions and controls are at your command via a wireless, touch-screen control system . The theater has all of the sources you require. Hi definition dvd, blu-ray , hd-satellite, hd-cable, etc. Whatever you require, we can supply.

These motorized outdoor theaters are for dusk and evening viewing only. Daytime viewing is just not practical at this quality level. It would require six times the amount of light for daytime viewing so we feel it is not a practical option at this time. Systems range from an eight foot wide screen in a single motorized tower with non-motorized surround speakers to the behemoth described here with nine motorized towers as well as various configurations in between . Please contact us for a consultation and location evaluation.

I found this on the ballerhouse.com site then click on the Ballertoys link to find all sorts of upscale stuff.

An Appreciation of Stone (45)

A Beautiful Pile of Curbing

Look at this great big pile of old sandstone curbing laying in wait for a good home.

Large aging slabs of fine Ohio sandstone . . . hidden away, that’s right, hidden away.

In a field of weeds and large piles of old street bricks.

Behind abandoned buildings wondering will there ever be a usefulness to my exsistience?

Steps, walks, curbing, walls . . . sculptural art in the garden?

I wonder.

My 1st Briar Hill Stone Steps

1st set of Briar Hill steps!

Here they are, big beautiful Briar Hill Stone steps.

If memory serves(and it may very well not), this is a slide I took around ‘88-’90. Part of a larger construction job we had installed in the early 80’s.

Thinking more about it, I’m pretty sure very late ‘81, or early in ‘82 was the time period. Either way it was a long time ago.

Looking at those steps I wish we would have done just a bit more “facing” on the Briar Hill Stone. I think everything we did in that time frame(early ’80’s) was installed the same  way. With no facing you can see it allowed for a smooth line on the bottom side of those risers. Behind those risers lie one row of brick pavers . . . real clay.

Not to many concrete pavers back then, and if there were concrete pavers they looked like concrete pavers. For us; back then,  just good old-fashioned hard-fired brick pavers.

The Rest

The other hardscape in the photo is Ohio fieldstone, I guess we could call it random rubble fieldstone, used for stacking  . . . just like you see in the photo. I’m not sure I  like how that looks today, but it was holding up and doing it’s job.

Throw in a very simplistic hand rail and you got yourself a nice set of utilitarian steps into the upper backyard.

I do remember it being very shady, so the pachysandra seems to be in place. Especially in an older upscale neighborhood in West Akron, Ohio. It’s funny I remember the house, the front yard, the driveway leading to this back yard and the area where this set of steps are. but I doubt very much I could get to this house today.

Memories

For you oldtimers do you remember old jobs in the same such way?

Do a lot of you even have any images from way back then? How are you storing them? If you haven’t digitialized those old photo’s or slides . . . do you have plans to do so?

Or even more importantly do you care to do such a thing? Keeping a historical record? Archives?

Digital World

Today we can take everything digitally, but if those image aren’t uploaded promptly, and LABELLED promptly . . . then look out! Then we  have the issues of backing up all these digital images.

As someone who’s lived in both worlds of images and have treid to be an early adapter, I still haven’t decided which is the best way, or the easiest way. One thing for sure the digital way is a hell of a lot cheaper.

The ability to take good images and then print  pretty good images on good paper for very little is quite an advantage over the old way. I like this part of the “new” way for sure.

Task Ahead

The other reason for posting was a reminder to me to star considering which of the 7,000+ slides that I am going to digitalize . . . man that’s a lot of slides and no way am I going to scan all of those . . . no way!

What about you?

Big 3 CEO’s and their nice Private Jets(2)

I hear it everyday, and now from everywhere. Our industry-the real Green Industry, is bracing itself for a Nantucket sleigh ride from hell.

2009 is not going to be for the weak of heart. I’m calling it now . . .  all sissies to the sidelines. It’ll probably be the worst year in the Green Industry since 1981-1982.

Some companies will fail and a lot of guys who are out of work . . . you know what I am about to say, don’t you? . . . . . . . a lot of guys out of work, who own a pick-up and a couple mowers are gonna appear en-masse. Making it even tougher for those of us who play by the rules, bid work correctly, hire employees correctly and pay our taxes on time. We just want the opportunity to work in an even playing field . . . right?  . . . right?

However

In the meantime 3 companies who have literally pissed away way over 50% of their market share are standing . . . tin cup in hand, without a ounce of remorse . . . asking for billions. That’s billions . . . of dollars. No one is resigning, mo one is accepting blame, no one is accountable, and finally no one on the union side is remorseful . . . they are conceding nuthin’, nada, zippo.

Our industry will not do this, no tin cups in hand for us. The good men and women in our industry will plug along, fight the good fight and work hard every day hoping that what they/we/I earn in 2009 will allow us to continue.

Bailouts . . . it’s not our way we have dignity.

If our industry is doing it wrong, we change the way it’s done. Or we go out of business. Keep growing the same petunia and you’re outta here! Build a wall with RR ties . . . you’re outta here!

Congress

A note to those enablers inside the Beltway:

You cannot help men permanently, by doing for them what they could and should, do for themselves.

Those are good words, they come from a wise man, a guy pretty good at crisis manaagement, and he wasn’t a bad President  . . .  Abraham Lincoln.

Possible Solution

Some of these issues are going to get a lot of time at the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) Management Clinic this coming Febuary. If you’re looking for some strategy for the coming year, good ideas, solutions, networking opportunities . . . this is the place to be.

I wasn’t going to bring up the clinic in this post, but this seems to be appropriate to my rant. A opportunity for solutions, not bailouts.

Just In

They’re now calling it a Bridge-loan, but it’s a bail out and it’s wrong. this is not the American way. Seriously let’s pull up our britches, re-adjust the ball cap and just go out there and work our asses off.

Find new ways to market, ourselves, brand ourselves, re-do the business plan. Use our minds, our hearts, our brains.

Do we really want this great country to be a nation of Organ grinders and monkeys holding out tin cups?

Do we really want that?

I sure the hell hope not.