Oshkosh - On Your Mark!

I have a small off topic editorial comment at the end today.
--------------------------------
I can just feel the excitement in the air. I know how it was days before the events in Columbus and even though I am in a different location . . . I can feel it.

Today is getaway day in Aurora and tomorrow the white trucks will be on I-94 and then US 41 heading north. Has anybody found where Base Camp will be yet that is the place to be Thursday.

I remember standing with excitement as the convoy started arriving in Columbus. I've always been like a kid when I can watch an infrastructure being built. It was like being a child again when the carnival would roll into Fort Atkinson (where I grew up). Of course this time I did not win a free duck that pooped all over our yard and chased the neighbors and then oddly disappeared (he must have run away).

So if you guys are feeling silly about being excited, you are not the only ones.

Kitty B'gosh reporting from Oshkosh. - a day late - sorry(rod)

The Main Street location was flurry of activity today as the crews are nearing completion of the Public Enemies set. Many of the store windows are dressed with the appropriate items. Lots of new signs erected today. The Exclusive Company (NOT GONNA DO IT!) is still undergoing its transformation to Walgreen's, but it looks like many of the other stores have or will receive their final touches by tomorrow. I came upon a make-shift welding booth in the alleyway behind the bank. Lot of hand lettering being done, also.

Bo-Neeta, one of my co-workers at my day job threw me a tasty little tid-bit today. Her daughter works with a guy who got a call to come in for a wardrobe fitting on the 7th. His first shoot day is supposed to be Friday, April 11 with one or two days next week. He was also told that he may be moving on when they go to the next location site (Little Bohemia?).

YEA - I revealed dates tee hee

I was told that a truck hauling a street car came past the house this morning. And, I know a guy that was called Monday night to report for a fitting next Monday (14th). He was told he will be on set Wed, Thurs and Fri of next week.

Kitty B'gosh has left the blog

Thanks KBg.
--------------------------
I have some cool postcards of Oshkosh.

This one was postmarked 1908

The Union National Bank from 1886

And if you guys did not like your sun dial - what do you think about THIS!

The Victory Arch 1919

Erected by the City of Oshkosh and dedicated to soldiers and sailors of the Great World War.

News from Aurora

I received an email from Tiffany and I don't think she would mind if I posted it.

We heard that there was going to be a meet and greet, so we stayed behind the Paramount. The crowd was growing larger, and a security guard said there was no way they would do the meet and greet on the street, and that we should stay there. After waiting forever, they said the meet and greet would in fact be in the front of the Paramount. We were not happy, as we were right in front. We went to the street in front and were able to eventually get to the front of the
barricade.

Johnny came out at midnight, and it just started to rain. I was towards the end of the line, and it
seemed to take forever. He finally came over and shook my hand. I thanked him for everything he does for the Make-A-Wish, and he said "Thank you. That's a great organization." I smiled and nodded and released his hand. He has very soft hand. He was very gracious and looks everyone in the eye. I even heard that he spoke to someones daughter on the phone. She said her daughter was a drama major and he asked where she was. She said he was on the phone, so he took the phone and said "Hi drama major."


Speaking of photos. If you send me any this weekend try not to send more then 8 meg at once LOL. In fact many of you have your cameras set to the extreme as far as quality. I suggest you bump it down a little.

Madison - dates are getting a little firmer and I have heard that Universal is pleading with the Capital law makers to allow smoking in the building.

Columbus - I will be attending a meeting with the Auditorium people tonight and then the City Counsel has an open meeting to discuss what to do with ten brief cases of $10s and $20s that Universal left behind ($250,000). I, of course, being a SIM CITY kind of guy, have ideas!

Did you know that Minneapolis used SIM CITY as part of their planning process? Who sai games were for children.

The Book - I have been working on it lately and have mixed feelings. The first problem is that I have too many wonderful photographs. I have enough to fill up sixteen pages with ease, the book has a great look and feel and I am very happy with progress.

The problem is keeping down costs. When you see a photo book normally it is a big thick book with a price of $60 marked down to $20. So far THIS book is 16 glossy pages and will cost $20 and I hope to get $25. $5 will go towards the Auditorium fund. Will people want a 16 page book for $25? It should have 50 or 60 total photos! hmmmmmm.

The thickness us underwhelming - the content is great!
----------------------------------
Editorial vent. I have thought about deleting this but if I do my head might explode so I'll keep it up until I feel better.

I don't know how many of you have been watching the news lately but something occurred over the weekend that took way way too long to happen.

Because of the bravery/desperation of a 16 year old girl, police finally moved on the Yearn for Zion Ranch in Eldorado Texas and rescued 416 children.

I'm sure many of you have seen the news but might not understand just how bad this was.

Adult males would take babies and spank them to make them cry, then hold their faces under the faucet and then more spanking. This would go on for over an hour until the baby was too weak to cry anymore. This was called breaking the child.

And so his or her new life would begin. A life of servitude and punishment. Any mother that did not do exactly what her husband wanted would watch their children was punished for THEIR wrong doing.

The 16 year old that called police was literally risking her own life. From accounts from people that did escape she was desperate enough knowing that if caught, she would "disappear".

Have I shocked you? Good.

Why the hell did it take so long for police to do anything. It's not like this was a surprise. Fly overs of the 1700 acre compound showed there was not one swing set, not one play ground on the grounds. Police knew something was not right yet did nothing. Their is another one of this "camps" in Utah. I watched as 60 Minutes tried to tour the place and the crooked police in the town made them leave.

Police said "well, we really had no proof and nobody ever complained" YEA! I wonder how many phone calls we got from Hitlers Concentration camps!

I'm sorry you guys but this just pisses me off how we can turn our backs on known atrocities under the blanket of "following the law". There comes a time when SOMEONE has to say STOP!

They are trying to arrest ONE male. I say everyone in that places knows what was happening and they should all be locked up for a long long time.

OK - I'll not step off my soap box and slink into the crowd. Sorry for being a downer - doesn't happen often.

A happy side point.

Seems the blog is growing in numbers. I was expecting to see a slow fade of unique readers but looking at same day numbers it's actually growing. Yesterday we had 1,215 unique readers, up from 1,187 last Tuesday. This follows the trend from Monday 1,109 to 1,199.

I say "we" because this is all of our blog - you people all help and make it fun - I just take credit!

Thanks!

Rod