Save money for schools -- start with an open source embrace

I figure that at least some of you have already seen the article entitled "Software Piracy Fight Makes Enemies" ... snip to another author ...

IMHO, schools are going to play a big part in bringing about a real world digital tipping point. At least that is the point that we are going to be making in the Digital Tipping Point film.

I am a volunteer supporting a public middle school in San Francisco with Free Open Source Software, and we have filmed our work there as part of the DTP film. We are giving away all of our footage on-line under a Creative Commons Attribute ShareAlike license (cc by-SA).

We interviewed the superintendent of the Portland Public School District, who talked about Microsoft's dirty deeds there. Basically, the BSA demanded an audit pursuant to the Microsoft EULA. The audit alone would have cost the Portland District $100, 000.00. Microsoft just *happened* to send out its sales rep at the same time and offered to make the whole thing go away if the school district would just pony up for new licenses.

The PPSD told Microsoft no, and it became such a press issue, that Microsoft backed off, and as a result, the PPSD increased its FOSS usage to the point where many schools in the PPSD have no Microsoft products at all.

Source: Christian Einfeldt, Producer, The Digital Tipping Point.

Panther statue decorating pushed back to Jan. 10 - News

Wait until next year has new meaning for the birthing and re-birthing of Pitt's Cows. Well, NYC had the cows. Cinci had the pigs. The Burgh had the dinos. Next up -- Pitt's ten panthers.

Panther statue decorating pushed back to Jan. 10 - News After reviewing 26 proposals, the SGB selection committee gave the statues to Tau Beta Sigma (a band sorority), the Pre-Medical Organization for Minority Students, The Pitt News, Pitt's chapter of the American Chemical Society, the Panther Psychology Club, Pathfinders and the Black Action Society. The Inter-Fraternity Council, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the National Panhellenic Association will combine to decorate one of the statues. The Panthers for Israel, Hillel, the Muslim Students Association and the Saudi Student House will work together to create a statue, as well. SGB also took one of the statues for itself, which it has invited all students not involved with any of the nine other statues to help decorate.

Once painted, the statues will be placed in prominent locations around campus until homecoming next year, where they will be repainted by a new selection of groups.

Each year, a new suite of groups gets to repaint them.

The panther that was put up on campus next to the Pitt Student Union a few years ago has a story behind it. A deal was cut with Pitt's student government president to land the panther instead of generation of opposition to the removal of Pitt Stadium. The statue represents a sell-out bobble.

UPMC, CMU: No plan to buy Schenley

UPMC, CMU: No plan to buy Schenley Carnegie Mellon University and UPMC say they're not looking to buy the Pittsburgh Schenley High School building in Oakland, but the University of Pittsburgh won't say one way or the other.

Panther Rants is to blame. Well at least it is there to turn to

Panther Rants: Nordenberg comments on Pederson hiring BLAWNOX -- University of Pittsburgh chancellor Mark Nordenhair sat down with the staff at Panther Rants and explained the logic behind hiring former athletic director Steve Pederson.

Bitter sweet.

I am so angry, still, about the return of Steve Pederson, as Pitt's re-tread Athletic Director, that I still can't blog about it.

Latest Schenley Hand-out -- pass around

Your Children are at risk!

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WANTS TO PUT 11 YEAR OLDS IN THE SAME BUILDINGS AS HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

THIS WILL LEAD TO:

• BULLYING!

• DRUG ABUSE!

• TEEN PREGNANCY!

PARENTS’

CALL TO

ACTION

YOU CAN STOP THE CHANGES TO OUR SCHOOLS!

1 . CONTACT YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE AND TELL THEM TO VOTE “NO!” ON THE REFORM PLAN

• CALL 412-622-3600 TO FIND OUT WHO YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE IS, OR THE PARENT HOTLINE 412-622-7920

2. WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR! LET THE MEDIA KNOW THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE AFFECTED BY 6-12 SCHOOLS!

• THE MEDIA AND SCHOOL BOARD ARE FOCUSED ONLY ON THE CONDITION AND COST OF SCHENLEY HIGH SCHOOL

• THE SCHOOL BOARD WANTS TO USE THE SCHENLEY HS CLOSURE AS A WAY TO LAUNCH ITS EXPERIMENTAL, ILL-CONCIEVED, EXPERIMENTAL REFORM PLAN

• 6-12 SCHOOLS INCREASE THE RISKS OF PREMARITAL SEX, PREGNANCY, BULLYING AND DRUG USE

3 . ATTEND THE SAVE OUR SCHOOLS RALLY DEC 10 AT THE PITSBURGH BOARD OF EDUCATION BUILDING

• 6PM ON CORNER OF BELLFIELD AND FORBES IN OAKLAND

• LET INCOMING SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS KNOW THAT 6-12 EDUCATION IS WRONG FOR YOUR KIDS

4 . GET INFORMED: VISIT WWW.INFORMEDREFORM.COM

• CALL TO GET INVOLVED: 412-513-9091

The price on the spare couch -- now that it is the 4th quarter -- has gone up to $200. That's a 2-M % increase.

That couch isn't for free any more!

Go Pitt!

Another swim meet, but Dangy appeared

Grant had an inspirational cartoon character, Dangy. He showed up on this meet program.

Evel Knievel died, according to evelknievel.com

See evelknievel.com.

Penn Hills High School - class of 77 -- 30th reunion

monroeville-expo

Video snip of song!

Penn Hills Class of 1977 30th Reunion Follow-up from Gina:

The Penn Hills Class of 1977 30th reunion was a resounding success! We had close to 400 people attending. The night was full of fun, reminiscing and dancing.

If you were of the classmates that attended, thanks so much for your support! It was a night to remember!

If you couldn't make it, we're sorry you missed out on such a great time, but you can still be part of the evening as we are offering a DVD of the reunion, a program and the 30th reunion favor (while supplies last)-- see below for details.

Also, I want to take the opportunity again to thank the committee - Joe Evanish, Deb Testa Fantone, Steve Eversole, Michael Migliore and Mark Rauterkus.

Sincerely,
Gina Costa Calabro

Couldn't make the reunion?
We have extra copies of the program and favors as well as DVD of the evening.

The package is $12 for the DVD, a favor and the program. We have a limited supply of programs and favors so get your orders in ASAP!

Just the DVD is $10.

If you would like to order, please send a check payable to:
Penn Hills Class of 77 Reunion,
7 Joshua Valley Road, East Lyme, CT 06333

Be sure to include your full name, address, phone number and email address.

Yearbook DVD = Get Your Copy for Only $10!

Joe Evanish scanned in the entire yearbook and set it to the music of the Seventies. It was definitely a labor of love as this was a big undertaking in scanning and cropping the pictures in the year book. For those who attended the reunion it was played on a big screen during dinner and it was a huge hit!

If you would like to order, please send a check ($10) payable to Penn Hills Class of 77 Reunion, 7 Joshua Valley Road, East Lyme, CT 06333

Be sure to include your full name, address, phone number and email address.

Take me. Great for basement, etc.

"I'm cheap."

"No skeletons in this closet."

Find me at 12th Street and Bradish, South Side Flats. Good for paint cans and the garage.

CNN & YouTube Debate among R candidates

RedState is calling for CNN to fire Sam Feist, CNN's political director; and David Bohrman, CNN's Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of the debate.

The debate, which CNN billed as "a Republican debate, and the goal was to let Republican voters see their candidates," CNN either knowingly or incompetently allowed hardcore left wing activists to plant questions and Anderson Cooper willingly gave one of those activists a soapbox so he could harass the Republican candidates about military policy.

Simple googling would have revealed these left wing activists.

Had CNN done its homework, this would not have happened. They either willfully let it happen, or incompetently bungled it. Either way, heads should roll.

Likewise, we hope one or more of the GOP Presidential candidates will call for a do-over debate on substantive policy issues.

To the Directors post here. Erick Erickson, Editor, RedState.com

Ron Paul 2008 › States › West Virginia

Ron Paul 2008 › States › West Virginia: "For West Virginians planning to serve as a delegate for Ron Paul in the State Convention, or for anyone wishing to vote for Ron Paul delegates in the online balloting in January, the application deadline is quickly approaching - you must be registered as a Republican and submit all needed applications by November 30, 2007."

Rockzillaworld Eliza Gilyson, "Highway 9"

Protest folk song.

Rockzillaworld Eliza Gilyson, "Highway 9" So the little man gathered all his chicken-hawks in
and the neo-cons and his daddy's kin
With their own clear channel and a helluva spin
and a white man hidden in a black man's skin.

Q & A about Pgh Ethics Hearing Board from a student at Pitt

Hello Mark,

I am a student at the University of Pittsburgh that happens to be working on a case study involving Luke and the Ethics Hearing Board. The course is Board Governance and we are studying different aspects of board governance (especially those that are not for profit). You seem very opinionated and I am requesting your thoughts on the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board to use in my analysis. I thought instead of using the different newspaper articles and simply highlighting what everyone already knows, I would turn to bloggers to get the “real deal” and see what actual Pittsburghers think about the Ethics Board, Luke, and their actions especially during the investigation period. Please forward this message to your fellow bloggers if you think they would be willing to share some insight as well.

1) Was the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board board structure and composition helpful or hurtful to the organization? Did board members have conflicts of interest?

2) Was the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board board a “good board?”

3) In your estimation, did the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board reach a fair decision on clearing Mayor Luke Ravenstahl on any wrong-doing? Were there any clear signs of negligence or incompetence on the part of the board or any of its members?

4) Did the board operate independently or did it do the bidding of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (recall that two members of the board are nominated by the major)?

5) In your research, did you see any board activities that seemed questionable?

6) What did the board do right? What did the board do wrong?

7) Should the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board change their policies and/or procedures as a result of this set of hearings against Mayor Luke Ravenstahl?

8) What do you think motivated board members to join the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board? What agenda if any do you think each has as a board member?

Thank you, (Student's name and contact NUKED until I hear from him again.)

My replies:

#1) I've come to understand that the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board is nothing but a big joke. It is not helpful. It is not going to improve upon the ethical behaviors of those in local government. It is a sink. It is much like a fiddle for the mayor and others to play at their will. It moves too slow. I've seen glaciers move more quickly.

Those that are presently on the Pgh Ethics Hearing Board seem ill-prepared for the duty of being on the board. They have put in a request for a budget of $40,000 per year to the President of Pittsburgh's City Council. A big portion of that payment is for 'training.' These folks are not trained. They are in the dark and they know it. They are in over their heads. They are frozen with in-action. And, they won't move until others come to their aid and hold their hands.

I think those on the board who are not ready to be ethical and act as they are called to behave should resign. This is not a place for on the job training.

The organization of the board is fine. However, the people they have picked are fine with being in their role as puppets.

The board's leader, Sister Patrice, was in a conflict of interest by putting out a mention about the golf to Luke. She can't be judge and prosecutor in the same instance.

The board is also building a task force to look at the matter of gifts from the nonprofits. They are all from the nonprofit world. And, they seek more input from the nonprofits. This is okay -- but it comes at the exclusion of taxpayers, citizens, voters, residents. Everyone there has a nonprofit job. The want to increase the direction given to the nonprofit weenies. So, there are certain conflicts of interest because citizens are being excluded.

Rather than reform, however, it is often better to just replace first.

2) The City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board board IS (present tense) a joke. The board stinks. That is NOT a "good board." I'm not sure why you ask about "WAS" (past tense). The board operates. It is not changing, sadly.

3) In my estimation, the City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board has not yet reached a clear decision on Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's golfing in the summer of 2007. The code is still up for discussion and changes. Letters have been sent. Various filters and opinions are still brewing. A task force has been called, but not gathered. This matter won't be completed until 2008. Perhaps it will be over by the middle of the next golf season.

If the same offer was put forth again today, I expect that the same outcomes would unfold from the administration. It is not resolved. The lessons are not firm in everyone's understanding. Moving forward, there is much doubt that lingers.

The board members put Luke on trial and that was a very clever way of getting him off the hook. What they found could not stick. The complaint needed to come from a citizen. The Ethics Hearing Board just acts as JUDGE.

4) Without doubt, the Pgh Ethics Hearing Board operates without any hint of independence. It is a branch of the Law Department, in turn, a branch of the Administration, and, of course, the mayor!

5) In my opinion and research, I have found that all of the board activities are to be questioned. First, the entire process is undermined with the confidentiality requirement. Citizens should not be subject to fewer rights of speech because they file a complaint with the Ethics Hearing Board. The Ethics Hearing Board is unconstitutional.

The Ethics Hearing Board should look to all city officials, employees, contractors and candidates. The Ethics Hearing Board seems to think that candidates can't be unethical and that if they are -- that is not within their scope of concern. Go figure.

6) The Ethics Hearing Board has been worthless to the citizens and the struggle to live in a more ethical region.

7) The City of Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board should change its policies. Radical changes are needed. They should happen quickly. First, those that can't tell what is right and wrong should resign. Those that can't open their own mail without it being screened by the law department should quit. Those that are clueless to the first amendment rights such as freedom of speech, should never be in any public capacity. The board should call for massive changes to the code and operations by saying it will stike down the provisions of confidential behavior from anyone who makes a complaint. And, all liabilities should be revoked as well. The board isn't in any position to dish out punishments. It should never be in that role.

8) Board members are motivated to help with the city for countless reasons. Pride, civic duty, and an awareness of the city's ills are just a few reasons. The agenda of the board members are for them to reveal -- not me. I can't begin to read their minds.

Pittsburgh's Hot Metal Pedestrian Bridge Now Open - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

Bridge over river opens to locals 100-years late.

Pittsburgh's Hot Metal Pedestrian Bridge Now Open - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl led governmental, non-profit, and bike and trail leaders on the first walk across the freshly restored bridge. 'The rehabilitation of this century-old bridge symbolically captures Pittsburgh's economic revival,' Ravenstahl said. The Urban Redevelopment Authority began work on the Hot Metal Pedestrian Bridge in 2003 after the completion of a vehicular bridge.

Funny how Pittsburgh's leadership takes such a front and center stance on something that is so old.

This isn't a new bridge. Rather, it is a facelift on an old bridge.

Pedestrian bridges are great. Don't get me wrong. But, if we really wanted (and I do) pedestrian bridges, we'd do it with a grand style.

Tip of the Spear

Tip of the Spear In the summer of 2005, Pennsylvania state government revealed its seedy underbelly when the General Assembly gave itself and others an unconstitutional middle-of-the-night pay raise.

Is this book on your Christmas list?

Public Comment to the Pgh Public School Board and Administration about the folly they're causing with out schools and children

The city schools have both an enrollment problem and an employment problem.

These are the statements from my son. They were delivered last night to the school board along with 100 other statements from citizens.

Erik Rauterkus

11/27/07

Statement to the Pgh Public Schools Board of Education

Hello, I am Erik Rauterkus. I live in the South Side. I am a 7th grader a Frick ISA, 6-8, a middle school in the heart of Oakland.

At Frick I am a Spanish major.

Last year Frick started the school year with two full-time teachers for Spanish. My teacher was Ms. Layal. Every thing was going fine until the other Spanish teacher left in the middle of the school year. One fix was a combined class, making our class huge. Later in the year Ms. Layal left too. We were left with about 2 weeks of substitute Spanish teachers that could hardly speak the language let alone control the class.

Then a teacher named Ms. Carter came along and she was with us for about 7 or 8 weeks. After that we had Ms. Llayl again for about 5 more weeks. After that we had Ms. Brunet. We had a handful of Spanish teachers.

This year again we have had many other Spanish teacher problems. The students have no clue what teacher could show up in the door the next day. We have had many very unreliable Spanish lessons throughout the past 2 years at a school. Frick has a specialized language program.

Teacher turn-over has been a real concern. Now the French kids have teacher issues.

Teachers have no clue if they will have a job next year. If great teachers are offered a job in a suburban school, they know they will have that job, that building, that program year in and year out.

The students, families and TEACHERS get yanked around throughout the district time and time again.

Who is going to teach at Frick next year?
Who is going to want to teach at I.B. World?
Who is wanting to teach at the Science and Technology school.
Will Rodgers teachers be merged into downtown spaces at CAPA?

Teachers do not know where they will be. Many will decide to go to suburban settings – and so will the students who want a stable school environment.

Please vote NO as to moving Schenley and Frick.

Thank you for your time.

If others wish to share their statements, please email them to me: Mark -@- Rauterkus -dot- com. I'll do my best to make them appear on this blog.

By the way, KDKA Radio is clearly against the citizens on this matter. Its coverage is crooked. The one blurb on the radio news today was a humorless joke. News pointers:

Group Wants Schenley High School To Stay Open
KDKA - Read more in our Privacy Policy Dozens of supporters of Schenley High School turned out as a last ditch effort to save the school. ...

Supporters plead Schenley High's case
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - An overflow but mannerly crowd of more than 200 people asked the city school board Tuesday night to save Schenley High School in ...

Last night's meeting has a couple of sideline fireworks. There were people held at the door upon my mid-meeting departure who where not able to witness the meeting. There were 45 open seats in the main room. Yet, the citizens were being held at the front door by security. Go figure. In another instance, my voice recorder caused a meeting stir.

Cool Schools: Ten That Get It - November/December 2007 - Sierra Magazine - Sierra Club

Cool Schools: Ten That Get It - November/December 2007 - Sierra Magazine - Sierra Club

CMU makes top 10 list of "cool schools" with Sierra Club.org site.

Informed Reform dot com

Informed Reform

Headline: Put the PUBLIC back into our Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Announcer sacked over spoof messages - Yahoo! News

Announcer sacked over spoof messages - Yahoo! News* 'We would like to remind our American tourist friends that you are almost certainly talking too loudly.'