Mayor Flees as Government Workers demand their year-end bonus pay

Protest by government workers who are demanding their bonus pay.



Article.

Christmas Letter, December 2016

Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season, of course…

I hope your year has been full of people responding to you with “of course.” The world needs more people saying “…of course”. Whether it is “of course you are welcome here” or “of course I’ll help”. Even “yes” isn’t as good as “of course”. “Yes” means it could have been “no” – of course means there was never any question.

The Oxford English Dictionary indicates that the phrase “of course” first appeared in the mid-1500s and was used to mean "belonging to the ordinary procedure; customary; natural." The use of "of course" within the phrase "as a matter of course" appeared in the 1700s and had the same meaning. The use of "of course" as a standalone phrase emerged in the 1800s when the definition, "customary; natural," was modified slightly to become, "naturally; obviously."

I have been reflecting on how blessed we are with so many friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers who respond to our spoken and unspoken requests with “of course.” When Erik (now 22), landed an internship with Strategy& (division of PriceWaterhouseCoopers) this past summer in San Francisco, it was the Bratt family who said, “Of course, he’ll live with us.” The summer was wonderful. Erik is now mid-senior year at Swarthmore College and has accepted a position upon graduation with Boston Consulting Group and will be living in Philadelphia.

Grant headed for an internship at the University of South Dakota in June and the Jorgensen family said, “Of course, Grant can stay in our home.” And when Grant decided to head for New Orleans to attend Tulane University, friends in that area all responded with, of course, we are just a phone call away if he needs anything. Grant approached first semester freshman year with his own “of course” attitude and made his way into a biochemistry lab. This research and community of researchers has become a focus of Grant’s freshman year.

Mark rarely is met with “of course” in his quest for innovative and additional aquatic programming for inner-city youth. But, he continues to fight back with “of course we’ll use the pool, have programming on weekends, and welcome all ages.” Mark ignores obstacles and is now running more programming and positively impacting more lives than ever.

At work, I have had an exciting year of expanding services with the focus that treating hearing loss can improve health outcomes. I am so thankful for a group of colleagues around me who respond to these ideas with, “Of course we’ll figure out how to make this work, and find the resources, time, and expertise to do all of this.” And, of course, I enjoyed telling Main Stage stories for The Moth in New York and Pittsburgh this year.

We hope you hear “of course” throughout 2017, and we hope you’ll think of responding with this phrase so people know there was never any doubt that you would help them, cheer them on, include them…and, of course, we wish you and yours health and happiness in 2017!

Catherine Palmer and Mark Rauterkus
108 South 12th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Fwd: fake news and the resurgence of McCarthyism

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "John Hemington"

On November 24^th The Washington Post published a scurrilous article attempting to blacklist over 200 alternative media sites across the political spectrum as being "Russian controlled" or "useful idiots" for Russia in publishing "fake news" that is pro-Russian and anti-American.  Further stating that these sites were largely responsible for the election of Donald Trump as president and should be investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the Justice Department as foreign agents.  It would be one thing if any evidence supporting these claims was presented – none was.  Not only was no evidence presented but of the two so-called sources for this blacklisting one was a long-time hard-right cold war neoconservative think tank and the other was entirely anonymous as to who it was or what methods were used to make the determination.  That these essentially useless sources were used as the basis for an article to attack alternative media outlets is the worst possible sort of journalism – that it was done by The Washington Post is unforgiveable.

Interestingly enough an analysis of the media outlets listed by the anonymous "evaluator" seems to indicate that these outlets were chosen solely on the basis that they criticised Hillary Clinton, the mainstream media and elitist institutions or that revealed information that the elites hoped to keep secret.  The "Russians did it gambit" appears to be a ploy reprising the McCarthy "Red scare" blacklisting in the 1950s.  One of the screeds presented by the anonymous PropOrNot.com urged people to only use certain establishment news sources stating:

"We call on the American public to:  Obtain news from actual reporters, who report to an editor and are professionally accountable for mistakes.  We suggest NPR, the BBC, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Buzzfeed, VICE, etc, and especially your local papers and local TV news channels.  Support them by subscribing, if you can!"

This is a very dangerous precedent for one of the nation's papers of record to promulgate the rantings of an unknown anonymous source attempting to discredit over 200 perfectly valid alternative news sources by asserting that they are pro-Russian and anti-American.  I find it particularly distressing because a number of the listed sources are ones I personally know to be of excellent quality in their reporting, the only apparent connection being a willingness to level criticism at Hillary Clinton and the New Democrat establishment (as well as the Republican establishment).  None of them, as far as I can tell are in any way shape or form pro-Russian or anti-American.  They are, on the other hand, proponents of getting out news which is generally shielded from the public by the mainstream media sources listed in the paragraph above.

Attached are six articles from a variety of sources, including those on the "list", discussing this attack on journalistic integrity and freedom of the press.  I urge you to take the time to read at least some of these to get a full understanding of just how threatening this is – particularly with the advent of a President Trump on the horizon.  The very last thing we should want are constraints on a free press whether that comes from the mainstream media or from the government.  And keep in mind, some of the media outlets on the "list" were progressive, some were conservative and some were libertarian.  This is an equal opportunity assault on dissent in America.

John

Links:

• Washington Post's Propaganda about Russian
• Confessions of an Alleged Russian
• Wash Post Promotes a McCarthyite
• Fake News about Fake News
• Wash Post Blacklist Story is Shameful
• We're Under Attack

Fwd: As we know . . . Super Syria Tutorial in Video Lecture

---------- Forwarded message from John H. ----------

As we know that fateful day of destiny is fast approaching when one or the other of the two worst candidates for president in American history will assume the mantle of the presidency.  Perhaps it is time we start thinking about just how this all came about and what, if anything, can be done to prevent a similar situation four years hence – assuming, of course, that we manage to avoid thermonuclear war in the interim. 

Nothing we have done up until now has managed to move the nation away from the status quo; and with the prospect of another four years of neocon incited war and neoliberal economic and political machinations it is more than likely that the prospects for most Americans (and much of the rest of the world) will be significantly diminished.  So, if we don't commence now to develop some alternative options it may be too late for all of us.  Read the attachments and watch the lengthy video about the war in Syria (it's worth it) by a very conservative Virginia state senator and retired Marine officer who went there to investigate and see what you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0753SEMZiM&feature=youtu.be&t=3m26s

John

• Don't think it is over when Trump loses.

• Needed Now, a Peace Movement against the Clinton Wars to come.

• United States as Destroyer of Nations

 

High school and birthday athlete with Implant for hearing and without vision gets interview with Ellen

Perhaps his story can be worked into the new book we're updating, Time Out! I Didn't Hear You.

You are invited: Saturday Swim School at Oliver High School, 2323 Brighton Road, Pgh 15212

Fwd: Preparing for 2017 . . . and beyond

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John Hemington
Date: Mon, Oct 10, 2016 at 7:55 PM

Well, we'd better be getting prepared for Hillary to ascend to the throne of the Empire next January.  Her neocon allies are already hitting the pavement pushing for the removal of Putin as President of Russia – if not a direct military attack on Russia (see second attachment).  Hillary has pretty much indicated that this sort of policy is right in her wheelhouse.  She'll likely begin with the establishment of a " no-fly zone" in Syria.  This will almost certainly bring the U.S. or one of our surrogates in direct conflict with Russia.  The U.S. propaganda ministry has been operating overtime to convince our citizens and the rest of the world that Russia is the criminal aggressor in Syria.  And we should all be aware that, no matter how we may feel about the Assad regime, it is still the internationally recognized government of Syria; and, as such, has invited Russia to lawfully be in the country fighting the so-called rebel forces sponsored by the U.S. and NATO countries (see first attachment).  Thus, the U.S. and all of the rest are in the position of being international war criminals operating in clear violation of international law such as it is these days.

In Syria as in other areas of the Middle East the U.S. has been operating in an effective alliance – supplying arms, ammunition and other support to al Qaeda and its various offshoot organizations such as the al Nusra front in an illegal effort to overthrow the Assad regime all the while claiming that we are fighting against ISIS.  This is a proxy war that does not bode well for either the U.S. or for the world.  There are now multiple high ranking military officers, up to and perhaps including the Secretary of Defense, strongly advocating a direct assault on Russia.  This would, of course be the height of folly and might well result in the termination of human life on earth – although perhaps quicker and less painful than waiting for climate change to play out in a century or two. 

In this the collective hubris of the neocon crowd is beyond measure and belief, but that has never stopped them before.  They were, after all, the primary force behind the illegal war on Iraq in 2003 and continuing, as well as Libya and now Syria.  The fact that it also generates vast wealth from government coffers to the defense industry and multitudes of private contractors taking advantage of the virtually bottomless pit of welfare being dispensed provides political momentum.  It is also enabled by very fact of a volunteer military which is also incentivized by endless war in which promotions are frequent and, for senior officers, lucrative positions with contractors, lobbyists and as "color commentators" for cable TV are sure to follow. 

Unfortunately little attention is given in the media or otherwise to the massive death, destruction, displacement and terror which is imposed on those in the countries we choose to assault in the name of freeing them from terrible dictators and imposing democracy – whether or not anything like democracy ever follows.  Nor is any real thought given to those American volunteers sacrificed to the Empire's war machine.  The only time casualties really seem to matter is when they can be blamed – whether true or not – on the supposed enemy whoever it might be this week.  The important condition is that the wars must go on.  Too much is a stake for peace to be permitted to break out; too much wealth to be forfeited. 

This is the price of Empire.  The boundaries must always be expanded and defended; and the enemies are always at hand.  More importantly, if there are no convenient enemies some must be found or created otherwise the populace might become restive and revolt.  In this empire, just like many in the past, the real fruits gradually fail to be distributed to the masses at home as the oligarchs and plutocrats hoard the spoils to themselves.  But this Empire is even more different from most past empires in that there don't really appear to be many spoils from battlefields and conquered provinces.  The wealth that is accumulated is mainly taken from the citizens of the "homeland" and therein lies a potential fatal flaw.  Once the mass of the people figure out just how they are being scammed and abused by their leaders they are likely to refuse to cooperate – and empires, no matter how powerful do not survive forever.

We are, I believe, now seeing the beginnings of such anger arising in the current election cycle.  Most of those long frustrated at being left behind still haven't come to realize why exactly their situation is as it is, but they at least recognize that the deck is stacked against them by their putative leaders and they don't want more of the same.  Most of us still remain victims of the Empire's propaganda machine which incessantly inveighs us to blame and fight one another.  Still, there is just a glimmer of recognition beginning to develop that the real problem is not down here among the "little people", as our politicians are fond of terming the rest of us, but up there among those who serve the masters of the machine as well as the masters themselves. 

Unfortunately the neocon space cadets, none of whom have ever served their nation in the military, may manage to get us all annihilated before there is enough sentiment aroused to take down the Empire and return the nation to the people.  But, until that time, we must work to resist and overcome these forces of death and destruction.  It is not much hope, but it is all there is.

John

Mothers Day Weekend Radio Show -- Catherine Palmer tells of her mom moments

My wife's photo is on the front page of The Moth, http://www.TheMoth.org.

Listen to her story. It blends parenting, school music concerts and swim meet cheering into her story when the theme was blundering.

Link to the entire NPR show. Catherine's story is second, in at a 6:05 mark.

There is fit. Then there is "Speedo fit." New ads show some of what we do.

Bravo to Speedo. Those superstars are looking good too! Article in Ad Week, http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/speedo-make-a-splash-aqua-fitness-push/303558/

For the ages! The water does not know how old you are.

Swimming, What a Wonderful Sport to Learn - SwimEasy Ltd. UK

Tosd@s, tod@s amamos nadar... Discover more here: www.swimeasy.co.uk

Posted by Natación on Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Swimming Video from Niagra

Ten minutes long:



The video has a certain tone and perspective about competitive swimming that is sorta harsh and negative.

Starting our day at the crack of dawn. I.B. kids can handle the tough "why questions."

Enjoy this little film:



Share it and let me know what you think.

Show Up: The AM Swim Video

Highly competitive swimming helps with school attendance. Don't punish nor eliminate the positive aspects of sports. Rather, promote, facilitate and replicate.

Our swim team t-shirt slogan: “Winning Formula: Show up + Score more points.” Showing up matters. This United Way funded PR blitz with PPS stresses school attendance. Swimmers understand that message and live it.

On many mornings in the past years, 25+ students arrived at the school for 6 AM swim practices. In recent years, the Obama Swim Team has held 6 AM practices every school day (if no 2-hour delay). The 6 am practices often span into the fall and spring too.

At 7:15 am, as swim practice ends, swimmers are at the school. They are present, clean and ready to fuel their bodies and brains. Kids attending AM practice are not tardy for school.

Kids in quality, competitive programs understand that 6 am practices are essential. Champions understand the sacrifices and hard work are worthy. AM swim practices don't happen every where, as not all the teams are doing all they can.

One school day distinction between swimmers and other athletes are AM practices. Many college teams in other sports hold AM practices for their athletes. It would be great to have open gym and weight lifting times at 6 am for students, before school, more often at PPS. Perhaps with the Olympic Sports Division and efforts of PPS H2O, the early bird practices can be with more students, not only swimmers.

Fwd: The Crisis in Flint, Michigan cannot be ignored

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: John Hemington <jehemington@verizon.net>

Attached is an article by Michael Moore, who grew up in Flint and is a Michigan resident, concerning the crisis of poisoned water in Flint, MI.  Some of you may not have a high regard for Mr. Moore, but in this instance, in my opinion, he is exactly right.  The Governor or Michigan committed is almost certainly a criminal act in covering up for over a year the fact that his determination to divert the water for Flint from its previous source in Lake Huron via Detroit to the heavily polluted Flint River in order to save money resulted in significant increases in lead and other mineral and chemical poisons polluting the water in Flint – impacting all of the 100,000⁺ residents and, in particular the highly vulnerable children.  As the article makes very clear, lead poisoning in anyone is bad, but in children it leads to permanent non-treatable disabilities and neurological impairments.

I strongly urge you to read the attached article and to sign the petition Michael Moore has created.  If the water of Flint had been poisoned by terrorists in the same way it has been done by the state's governor and his administration there would be a national uproar and demands that the terrorists be caught and executed for this heinous crime against humanity.  No one is demanding that the governor be executed, but he certainly should be removed from office and tried for the crime against the citizens and children of Flint for which he is responsible.  If this had happened in your community I have no doubt that you would be prepared to take violent action against those responsible.

John

Article in PDF format.

Bad answer....

One of the best cycling trips on film ever. And, second video is of the making of the first.

This goes way beyond my comfort zone.

New movie: Poverty, Inc.

Concerning injuries in high school football

2 Political Junkies should think about doing a Kickstarter and getting a couple of these publications

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review seems to be downsizing some of its remote publications with sales looming, as reported in its own pages.

http://triblive.com/business/headlines/8994304-74/trib-media-total#axzz3k9SAfE4v

Perhaps Dave, a blogger at 2 Political Junkies, should do a crowd source campaign and buy one or two of these papers. Dave just loves to read the various opinions found in the pages of the Trib, especially by editorial pundits, and lampoon them for less than truthful statements and conclusions.

Comeback

The Comeback page: http://www.cneonline.org/comeback-series/.


Article on Linked In from Jerry Bowyer sent me to the trailer. Insights from the Jack Kemp approach.

Forbes.com: "'Comeback' Miniseries Aims To Reboot The Jack Kemp Agenda"

The man who mentored Jack Kemp as an anti-poverty crusader has teamed up with the man whom Jack Kemp mentored into politics to produce a mini-series called Comeback. Robert Woodson and Paul Ryan produced Comeback and used it to take viewers into the toughest neighborhoods in America, and show them groups of people who are solving the social ills of the inner city poor from within and below. Comeback shines the light on the people that Woodson calls “community antibodies.” Community antibodies are the neighborhoods’ organic defense against threats such as violence, addiction, and social break-down. Comeback is not really much of a public policy series, and even less of a politics series. But I think it leads the sensitive viewer to some pretty clear policy and political conclusions: that the welfare state has failed, that the people who know the most about these communities learned what they know by growing up in them (not by studying monographs in grad school), that government has made things worse, that to the degree that government can play a constructive role, it is to empower the local community leaders (not shills, pols, and grievance merchants, or activists) to have more degrees of freedom in what they are already doing, helping people escape misery one at a time from the inside out...

To read the entire article and listen to the interview, click here.

Tune! Or more like an anthem.

https://youtu.be/5Ug_vpIk1jc