Stone guard in Bangkok's palace.

Changing of the guard, in Bangkok.

The Angry Drunk Bureaucrat smells a budget in the oven

The Angry Drunk Bureaucrat The department of Finance is also estimating revenue from the Casino at 'eleventy zillion, bagillion dollars,' although with a note that they may be overestimating the amount slightly.

Bob's Bean | Engage Pittsburgh

Bob's Bean | Engage Pittsburgh Follow Bob into communities: traveling civic coffee truck and net cafe

Vote for this and give it a "10" -- if you please.
Classroom look.

Two power-hitters in idea generation. C and L.

UnNews:Thailand now 60% "less funny" - Uncyclopedia

Humor me.

UnNews:Thailand now 60% "less funny" - Uncyclopedia BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand is now 60% less funny than it was the day before yesterday, according to the Swedish Institute for Rating Amusing Countries. Before the military takeover, the country was given 'Fairly Amusing' status. That has now officially dropped to the level 'Only Makes us Kind of go 'Phnuh...''. The new military leaders have not helped matters by announcing that everyone in the country must now wear a tie, have a haircut and get a proper job. On the other hand, according to SIRAC, Army chief Sargeant Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin has a fairly amusing name, so this might be an optimistic sign.

Picasa 2 Release Notes

Picasa 2 Release Notes Share photos online
Upload photos to Picasa Web Albums for easy sharing on the web. Select the photos you want in Picasa and upload them to the web by clicking the 'Web Album' button. When viewing your friends' albums online, you can even download them right back into Picasa on your own computer.

Political unrest and the role of the artist as activist

CMU's College of Fine Arts email blast has details of an ARTIST TALK with Joyce Kozloff and Ann Messner for Friday, September 22, 5:30 p.m.

Kozloff and Messner will talk about "Disarming Images," political unrest, the role of the artist as activist, and related issues in the gallery. Messner is the creative director of the video, as well as an adjunct at Pratt Institute, and has recently held positions at the Council of Humanities at Princeton University, Amherst College and Harvard University.

All events and exhibitions at the gallery are free and open to the public.

Images of Thailand from our past trip

Masks of wood


Decorations


Carvings


Craftwork


Baskets


Drive Thru in boats


Floating market


Vase


Elephants


Fan


Mixing paints


Book ends


Footwear


Lamps

Marionettes

Creepy, spiders, butterflies.

Parking lot sales kids with postcards. The tour buses are filled with potential customers.

Thailand photos -- all for the public domain

Guards in Thailand.

(Click any image to get a larger view.)

Because They Can.... by Russ Diamond

Red flags should go up anytime a Court requires one hundred pages to explain its position, and the recent opinion by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court regarding the 2005 pay raise fiasco is no exception.

The case was unusual in its origin, as the Court reached down to combine three separate cases from lower courts for an opportunity to make a general legal opinion. One case challenged the constitutionality of the pay raise itself, while two others challenged the constitutionality of its repeal.

This combination allowed the Court to cherry pick arguments from briefs filed on behalf of many different parties in each case in order to form its eventual ruling. One wonders whether the Court would have made such a move had their own compensation not been at stake.

Logic would dictate that if the pay raise itself was unconstitutional, any issue regarding its repeal would be moot. But the Court approached it differently, establishing opinions regarding the repeal first, based upon the assumption that the pay raise was constitutional. Doing it any other way would not have allowed the preservation of the judicial raises.

While the opinion goes to great lengths to explain the necessity for an independent judiciary and demands that the other two co-equal branches of government be kept from stepping on judicial turf, it offers no reciprocal respect of the legislature’s prerogative to make a bill an ‘all or nothing’ affair by inserting a non- severability clause.

Another contradiction lies with the Court’s willingness to revisit its original ruling on unvouchered expenses, while on the other hand considering its 2005 opinion regarding legislative shenanigans with the slots bill to be rock-solid precedent. In other words, it’s acceptable to correct a twenty year old mistake but unacceptable to do the same for a decision made just last year.

The biggest insult to our intelligence, however, is the Court’s claim that it had nothing to do with the original pay raise legislation. Published reports from as early as November 2004 mention Chief Justice Ralph Cappy’s overtures to the legislature for a judicial pay raise.

The opinion opens with an explanation of the political implications of the pay raise and an account of the public fallout, including the first-ever non-retention of one of its own last year. With this in mind, the fact that the lone dissenter to this opinion is the very next justice up for retention in 2007 comes as no surprise.

The timing of this ruling raises questions as well. Is its release less than seven weeks before a general election an indication that the Court wished to ‘stick it’ to the legislature in return for botching pay raises for the judiciary? The emphasis on protecting judicial turf lends credence to the notion, as does the fact that public anti-pay raise furor has otherwise taken a hiatus of late.

In legalese, the Court needed one hundred pages to delineate why they restored their own pay raises, but in plain English it takes only three words: Because they can. This should come as no surprise to citizens who regularly follow the Court’s slicing and dicing of the Constitution’s plain language.

The usual follow-up to the brazen ‘because we can’ position is an equally arrogant question: So waddaya gonna do about it? The Court’s opinion actually hints at the answer.

“In our democratic form of government, there are other methods, besides lawsuits, which may serve as a corrective tool for legislative excesses, the primary method being the political process. This case has borne out the effectiveness of that process,” the Court notes.

The opinion fails to mention, however, that the same option is available to address judicial excesses. Pennsylvanians who wish to regain control of their government should choose to not retain members of the judiciary at future elections, following the precedent set last year with Russell Nigro.

Not just because we can, but also because it’s the right thing to do.

Experience the Evolution

The Penguins have a new slogan for its season: Experience the Evolution.

I like it. Well done. It works for me.

Plenty of fun images could be used with this slogan. Imagine a pre-historic man drawn with long arms that nearly drag on the ground, hunched back, and hockey gloves.

Then take the dated images of the evolution of man, from ape to uprigt, and outfit an entire team of players -- perhaps as they take the ice -- and blur into a guy in a crouched skating position showing speed -- but also to remind of the non-upright, being at the early end of the chain / timeline.

Brash bemoans publicity of private life - New Zealand

Brash bemoans publicity of private life - New Zealand, world, sport, business & entertainment news on Stuff.co.nz The suggestion is crap. I have always made a point of telling the New Zealand public what my policies are and what I stand for in a policy sense. I've never held myself up as a morals campaigner.'

Not only am I trying to get a grip on video blogging and my associated mulit-media archives, I'm excited to tune into more news and research into life in New Zealand.

This dude with a great name, "Brash", has a great answer, "The suggestion is crap" when asked about the news of his afair.

Calling HTML and Blogger code angles

Before I retire to watch the Steelers on Monday Night Football, I'm asking for a little help.

Q#1: I'd love to embed the video from Blip.TV into the blog postings. What is the right code to make that happen?

With YouTube, they give a handy code snip for cut and paste to embed the player.

But, ...

Q#2: With YouTube, how do you manage the size of the object window so that the videos don't get too big and look so fuzzy. You'll see on my video, often taken with a Sony digital camera, that I'm able to get rather small, postage sized video clips. But, when they come into the web via YouTube, the frame gets larger and the imgages look rather ugly.

Are there some code tips or settings that can be managed in YouTube to get smaller reditions -- or accurate renditions of videos uploaded there?

I did touch up the object pixel size in the one video below, but it didn't change anything. Perhaps because my cache wasn't cleared?

Thanks in advance.

New Hazlett Theater Opening Celebration - PittsburghLIVE.com

Splendid news. Wish I could have gone. I'd love to see this place washed in digital photos and a walking tour video blog.

New Hazlett Theater Opening Celebration - PittsburghLIVE.com: "New Hazlett Theater Opening Celebration

Family photo at The Great Wall. 

New photos and videos are perking and moving online this week.

Photos in a video format are headed to my new video blog site. See the link along the left side of the screen. Panda photos are already there. Much more to come. You might want to get that page, Rauterkus.Blip.TV, and subscribe yourself to one of the various RSS feeds available there. Photo show me at The Great Wall. It isn't ADA accessible.

Humm... I wonder. Can PghBloggers be made a subscriber to my RSS fee at Blip.TV?

On Religion: What sort of end will Harry Potter meet? | naplesnews.com | Naples Daily News

Pondering Heros.... and Harry Potter:

On Religion: What sort of end will Harry Potter meet? | naplesnews.com | Naples Daily News “A hero is not perfect. In fact, his flaws are part of what make him great,” said Tobias, pastor of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church outside Pittsburgh. “By the end of a story like this one, the hero has simply become too big to remain in this world. This kind of hero is born for a purpose and he dies for a purpose.”

Surveying the mayoral landscape .... poorly

Surveying the mayoral landscape - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Surveying the mayoral landscape

Joe Sabino Mistick article on the mayor landscape is a blunder of the highest order. This isn't a survey with any sense of truth. It is typical of Pittsburgh's media blunders and why we need a vibant internet and blogger network to point out the failure in their ways.

To begin, Les Ludwig, everyone's favorite, is NOT going to run. I talked to Les this week. Les has three important programs on his front burner presently. All have big implications and are very cost friendly to the city's and county's landscape. But, as exepcted, these projects are not getting the traction they need.

Joe Sabino Mistick should talk with Les about his proposals for his next article rather than put his name in as a mayor candidate. Then when the new proposals are put into the mainstream media, we'll have something good to talk about.

It is not too early to count Les out -- but -- do look at the ideas behind the past candidate next.

Sure, Peduto and Lamb and Ravenstahl are obvious picks.

But what of Joe Weinroth, the Republican.

What of Green candidate Titus North? Titus got the votes of my wife, my mother-in-law and my director of research in the last general election.

Joe wants to ponder, poorly, the elections of the future when dates are still unknown, but won't talk about the present. Titus North is running for US Congress and wants to be on the November 7, 2006 ballot. Why don't you do a real landscape review and talk about him.

Titus North, if he gets on the ballot, could get more votes for US Congress in 2006 than Peduto got for mayor in 2005.

Then there is this crap about James C. Roddey. He doesn't even live in the city Joe. Why not mention Lynn Swann. Perhaps he should be mentioned too.

Oh, and for Dan Onorato, our county executive, why stop there?

Let's wish for Fast Eddie Rendell to come back and be both Governor and Mayor of Pittsburgh.

Hell, let's vote for the departed Bishop to be both Mayor and the leader of the Arch-Dioceses of DC. Perhaps he didn't change is voter identification card. And, I'm sure that they could leave a light on for him at St. Paul's Seminary if he really needed to establish residence, still within the city.

Finally there is the 'keep the powder dry' part. Like this is 'war.' Give us a break. We have elections in this society so we don't need to go to war. But the media is bent on making these democratic funcitions everything that they are not. Elections are simple. Democracy is messy. The media gets is wrong, repeatedly, here in Pittsburgh. Hence, it is no wonder we get what we got.

I like to use another slogan. In war, the first casualty is the truth. Thanks, but no thanks to Joe Sabino Mistick, for proving this heartbreaking point, again, as we talk about the mayor's race due in 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2009.

If you want to survey the landscape, then survey the landscape. Perhaps the headline should be about celebs instead.

Psst.... Ever hear of Jack Wagner and Jim Ferlo?

Alabama bayou getting some expert advice on Katrina rebuilding

Alabama bayou getting some expert advice on Katrina rebuilding BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. A panel of experts whose Hurricane Katrina rebuilding advice upset some New Orleanians will focus on Bayou La Batre's storm recovery in a weeklong visit.

Arriving tomorrow (Sunday) night, a 10-member panel from the Washington, DC-based Urban Land Institute brings a range of expertise, including developers, architects, market analysts, and urban planners.

The panel includes former Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy and former U-L-I Chairman Smedes York of Raleigh, North Carolina.

The panelists will interview about 70 people on Tuesday about the bayou's future and rebuilding efforts before spending Wednesday and Thursday preparing their presentation for delivery Friday morning at Bayou La Batre Community Center.

OMG. Run.

Talk about being irresponsible...

Blip.tv and some Rauterkus videos and Panda images

Check out the first videos to my new BLIP.TV site. My Profile - blip.tv (beta) Rauterkus' video blog

More is on the way. I've got other videos at YouTube.com/rauterkus. But the YouTube has a 100 meg limit per upload. The Panda photo slide thingie -- no audio -- was too large for there, but fit at Blip.TV.

Reactions welcomed.

Transit hearings on possible fare increases shift into reverse

Don't do today what can be put off until tomorrow. Create a real crisis at the last minute. No sense in planning for one in advance. What was delayed with last-minute band-aids in the past year(s) can wait again for more band-aids.

Transit hearings on possible fare increases shift into reverse State and Allegheny County officials have asked the Port Authority to hold off on public hearings on a possible fare increase and service cuts until a state commission finishes its report on long-term transportation funding.

Don't you hate it when you see the county executive say -- "Wait until after the election." Or, where the exact words, "What's the rush? We've got to break ground on the twin tunnels first, then pull the rug out from under the poor?"

"Public hearings.... how old fashioned!"

Free Wiki for teachers

Folks, if you are NOT a teacher, then go to our Platform.For-Pgh.org/wiki/ and start to edit and insert your content there.

If you are a teacher and want to use the wiki space in your teaching and classroom, enjoy the tool and technology with the link above.

Governor Rendell's health good

Catherine Baker Knoll, Lt. Gov, has been adn will continue to be one short step away from being governor. Furthermore, Ed Rendell has aspirations of being on the Dem ticket for 2008's race for President. He might need to bolt from PA in the future, and would be giving us CBK as the state's top leader.

Governor Rendell's health good
Gov. Ed Rendell is slightly overweight and takes Zocor to lower his cholesterol, but overall he's a 'healthy, 62-year-old man,'' doctors say.

The results of his annual physical were released yesterday by his campaign. He took the exam July 17.

Mr. Rendell, who is known around the Capitol and in his hometown of Philadelphia as someone who loves to eat, weighs 257 pounds, which is seven more than when he was elected in 2002. His height is 5 feet 11 inches.

To control his weight he exercises 30 to 35 minutes a day on a treadmill and rides a stationary bike, said campaign spokesman Dan Fee.

Diversity Calls

The Future of White Boy clubs at FactoryCity The Future of White Boy clubs

LEAP -- counter on the drug war with editorial wonks

blog.myspace.com/leapspeakers National Conference of Editorial Writers Annual Convention, Pittsburgh, PA

Newspaper editorial writers are getting a dose of reality when they wander thru the exhibit area at their annual convention this wk, when they round the corner and encounter the LEAP exhibition booth, staffed by the savvy experts HOWARD WOOLDRIDGE and STEVE HEATH. Howard, is, of course, a co-founder of LEAP and a member of the e-board while Steve is a longtime activist focusing on media, OpEd efforts and Letters to the Editor. Steve's wife Doreen is helping out at this very important conference, too. Rarely do newspaper editorial boards write an opinion on drug war efficacy--and hardly ever do they write about the idea of ending drug prohibition--but mostly that is due to the fact that people fm the criminal justice system have approached them to advocate ending the War on Drugs. That's how it is done: editorial staffs host politicians, public health specialists, single issue advocates and others into their offices to pitch to them their views. After grilling the guests and studying the issue they usually come out with an opinion piece under the masthead of the paper so this is a unique opportunity for them to meet LEAP, hear our pitch and then we'll work to set up interviews around the country. Which begs the question:

have you ever called or written to your editorial board about Drug War efficacy? It's an easy bit of activism that everyone can perform. Look at your paper today...find the editorial/opinion section (like this ONE) and find out who the people are behind the opinions. Get the contact information and send it to me AFTER you have first attempted to reach them yourself.

Editorial Blog in OR - merging with Pgh -- and not about Luke

Editorial Blog - StatesmanJournal.com: "A politician who's not afraid to speak his mind

Oregon has puny politicians compared with some in the East.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell says what he thinks. That’s refreshing – especially for a candidate seeking re-election.

Rendell, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, spoke to the National Conference of Editorial Writers yesterday in Pittsburgh. He didn’t mince words – about either his fellow Democrats or about the Bush administrations.

Democrats, he said, are afraid to take a stand. Democratic politicians are worried about getting elected, or re-elected, instead of fighting for what they believe in. (Sound familiar, Oregonians?)"

Others in the editorial biz are blogging from Pittsburgh too, so they say.

Arraignment date set for lawmaker's aide - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Arraignment date set for lawmaker's aide - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Debora Romaniello, state Rep. Michael Diven's chief of staff, is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 6 on charges stemming from an accusation that she provided false signatures -- including at least five of dead people -- on the Brookline Republican's nominating petitions.

Paddle on Lake Erie, three day recap of a Sojourn Event

Sounded like fun.

Re-cap document Paddlers Congregate on Lake Erie’s Shoreline

Photo from our two-week camp in Canada, Chikopi, with Ak-o-mak on 'water day.' This photo was taken as the kids (all swimmers) were about to start a 400-meter canoe race. Dozens of other boats were streaming to the start as well. Few would finish as a massive dunking rage was about to unfold!
Fun and not much of a 'sojourn.' (Click image for larger view.)

Lots of Lots

Last weekend I went to the Sprout Fund event called an Idea Roundup. It was worth the $10 entry fee, for sure. Small groups worked in many classrooms and I was happy to be with old GZ (Ground Zero) pals, Jon and Christine, now both in State College for academic work.

One of the strong ideas that surfaced in our group came from them and dealt with vacant land. Plenty of properties are not being used within the city.

Another group also worked on the same concept and used a clever, "Lots of Lots" handle.

Vacant land fix-up is a worthy action. But the plans run into some serious hurdles, such as ownership. And, when you look at the bigger situations, we should be moving those bits of ground to private ownership and taxable property. Philly had this attitude in the past but it has done an about face.

August Incentive Taxation — Center for the Study of Economics We're Pretty Vacant...And We Don't Care

That used to be the sad song of the City of Philadelphia and its assessment arm, the Bureau of Revision of Taxes.

About 40,000 vacant parcels of land sat for years, revalued when there was a sale, otherwise out of sight, out of mind and out of city coffers.

No longer. Now, the city realizes that accurate vacant land values mean more city revenue. They realize that city services create land value, and that value should be recouped.

This summer, 20,000 vacant parcels will be revalued. It’s high time. A glance at current vacant land values would make Paris Hilton blush: The lot at 1401 South 54th Street in the troubled Kingsessing neighborhood is a case in point.

• The lot was purchased in 2004 for $11,000.
• The official “market” value? $2,400
• The official “assessed” value? $640
• Total tax bill? $53!

Meanwhile the house next door pays about 10 times more at $570 a year.

The overdue reassessment of vacant land is welcome. Next step: cut the taxes on the poor homeowner, and raise the holding cost of vacant lots. How? Land Value Taxation.

He ran for Mayor of Pittsburgh in 2005. Recently, he ran into the undemocratic democrats.

Titus North, Green Party Candidate for US Congress. Is he on the ballot or not?

Stop Big Media - Don't Let The FCC Cover Up Facts

Stop Big Media - Don't Let The FCC Cover Up Facts Just as the Federal Communications Commission is poised to open the floodgates to wholesale consolidation, comes news that former Chairman Michael Powell buried a study showing media consolidation is harmful to local news reporting. The FCC can't simply cover up evidence, ignore the public outcry, and hand over local media to the likes of News Corp., General Electric and Disney. They need to hear from you first.

Use the form below to speak out against FCC efforts to make Big Media bigger. Use the text provided or write your own comments about how media consolidation will impact your community.

Dragon Boat Races this weekend on the Mon

I'd rather see real people in swim races.

6abc.com: PA Supreme Court Reinstates Raises for Judges

6abc.com: PA Supreme Court Reinstates Raises for Judges HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - September 14, 2006 - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated pay raises for 1,200 elected judges and district judges in a decision adding new fuel to an issue that has roiled state politics for more than a year.

The opinion:

Party.

Pointer: Three Rivers Post & Standard -- Don’t Mess with the Bosses In Government Gambling

Gambling: "Well, I’m personally no fan of gambling, but neither am I a fan of laws that prohibit adults of sound mind making consensual decisions among themselves. That means, as far as I’m concerned, if you want to play a little online blackjack or roulette, it is your business and nobody else’s.

The crackdown is yet to come. It will be big.

The sky isn't falling, but the boot on the necks of others is going to hurt.

We see in the paper that the projections at The Meadows Slots Parlor next to the race track has a wide range of expectations. The kickback to give tax relief seems marginal. But that is only part of the story yet to unfold.

When these slot locations don't make enough money -- they'll start to attack others. They'll be hungry and they'll have some cash flow. And, they'll want to be fed, eating what comes between customers and their purses.

Furthermore, the slots deal isn't going to be enough to break even. They'll need to expand to table games and all sorts of other revenue streams.

Op-ed column: Zero-sum games by David Schlosser, candidate in Arizona for U.S. Congress

Source

When there are two people competing for a finite set of resources, whatever one person secures is lost to the other. In a two-party political system, what one party wins, the other party loses. Game theorists call this concept a “zero-sum game.” The logical assumption is that the two parties represent the opposite ends of the political spectrum. Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives.

A logical assumption, but – like most conventional wisdom – wrong. Republicans and Democrats are two sides of the same coin. While those parties may be polarized, they do not represent a true alternative to each other. With rare and easily counted exceptions, both parties advocate the continual expansion of the Federal government into more and more varied parts of Americans lives. Both advocate spending priorities that exceed our ability to pay for them. Both believe the tax code is a tool for granting favors and encouraging or discouraging particular behaviors. Neither so opposes illegal immigration, pork-barrel spending, or the corrupting influence of special-interest campaign funding that it will pass any legislation to actually address those problems.

Americans aren’t used to zero-sum games. At the grocery store, they can choose among hundreds of breakfast cereals and, if they don’t find a cereal they like, they can choose oatmeal, yogurt, a muffin, or fruit. Dozens of brands of automobiles, hundreds of stereos, thousands of styles of carpet and tile and wood and laminate, tens of thousands of book titles – Americans enjoy an embarrassment of riches in virtually every aspect of their lives, except their political choices. Examining the positions of Republicans and Democrats proves there is virtually no difference among their policy positions.

... (snip) ...

The dynamism of our culture and economy is based on circumventing the limits of a zero-sum game. Rather than worrying about how to take away someone else’s piece of pie, leaders and innovators figure out how to make the pie bigger, which benefits everyone. One of the last bastions of zero-sum thinking is the two-party system, in which Republicans and Democrats act as if they own the seats in Congress. Until voters break away from the zero-sum thinking of the two parties, they will fail to acknowledge the real owners of those seats: American citizens.

Full article and other notes from author / candidate reside in his Platform.For-Pgh.org page concerning:

Health care,

Dismal public (primary and secondary) education,

Iraq,

Gay marriage,

Social Security and Medicare,

Immigration.

Green Party Heachaches from the Dems -- Dems bent on breaking democracy

This is exactly what I didn't want to do and was not able to do. I came back from Canada after coaching at camp and talked with Titus North, Green candidate for US Congress. Titus had been sleeping in a tent in Harrisburg, thanks to the undemocratic Democrats.

This is no way to run a democracy. This is shameful politics from the Democrats.

Green Party candidate prepares for day in court
MARTHA RAFFAELE, Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Green Party's U.S. Senate candidate hopes to persuade a state judge that he has gathered enough signatures to allow him to complete against Republican Sen. Rick Santorum and Democratic state Treasurer Bob Casey on the Nov. 7 ballot.

A Commonwealth Court hearing on a lawsuit filed by state Democrats is slated to begin Thursday amid a tension-fraught review of signatures collected by Carl Romanelli, who political observers have said could hurt Casey's chances of unseating Santorum, the Senate's third-ranking Republican.

State law required Romanelli, a railroad industry consultant and former family court officer from Wilkes-Barre, to collect 67,070 signatures to qualify for the ballot this year. The Democrats allege that more than 69,000 of the roughly 94,000 signatures he gathered - aided by Republicans who bankrolled the effort and Santorum campaign staffers who assisted with the legwork - include numerous fake names, unregistered voters and illegible signatures.

The hearing date comes toward the end of the fifth straight week in which volunteers for both sides have been reviewing the signatures to determine how many are valid.

Tensions have caused two public disturbances during the process. A scuffle broke out last month between Green and Democratic Party volunteers, and on Sept. 5 an independent Congressional candidate helping Romanelli was charged with disorderly conduct.

Although he acknowledges that there have been difficulties, Romanelli, 47, said he remains optimistic that he will prevail.

"I still have all the confidence in the world in our signatures," Romanelli said Tuesday. "It's ridiculous to see the haggling over the signatures, day in and day out."

But before the hearing can begin in earnest, both sides must jointly file papers indicating how many signatures they agree are invalid.

Clifford B. Levine, a Pittsburgh attorney representing the Democrats, said that as of Monday night, the two sides had agreed that more than 28,718 signatures were invalid. That's roughly 2,000 more than the 26,760 that would have to be invalidated to disqualify Romanelli from the ballot.

"We've been going through five weeks where the Green Party's representative has agreed with the petitioner's representative," Levine said. "Nobody forced their hand."

But Lawrence M. Otter, Romanelli's lawyer, contended that some of the signatures considered possibly invalid were erroneously classified as such because of problems with the state's electronic voter registry, which is being used to verify them. For example, Otter said, in some instances the system has indicated that it has no record of a registered voter's signature on file.

"It's a classic example - you're disenfranchising someone," Otter said.

Otter has even used subpoenas to obtain tax records and driver's license records of voting-age Pennsylvanians from the state revenue and transportation departments in order to prove the validity of any disputed signatures.

Pennsylvania law requires minor-party and independent candidates to collect a number of signatures equal to 2 percent of the ballots cast for the largest vote-getter in the last statewide election. This year's threshold, because it is based on Casey's record vote count in winning the treasurer's office in 2004, was set at an unusually high 67,070 signatures.

A separate matter pending before the state Supreme Court could also determine Romanelli's fate.

Otter is appealing a state judge's decision rejecting Romanelli's arguments that the 2 percent signature threshold should be based on last year's judicial retention elections, which would have cut the number required to fewer than 16,000. The high court has not yet heard arguments in that case.

Could and WOULD you attend a Candidate Forum on Oct 30?

This letter was part of "tidbits" from our UU Church, Sunnyhill. The church is located in Mt. Lebo but has members from many areas south of the rivers.

---

Dear Sunnyhill Members and Friends,

We'd love to plan a special event from 7 to 8 pm for Monday, October 30, at Sunnyhill. We've hosted CANDIDATE FORUMS in the past and we'd love to do so again -- but only if we get a strong promise from our core supporters that this is an event that they'll attend and even promote to other friends and co-workers.

Our goal is to bring in four candidates to each provide us with a 10-minute policy talk and field a couple of questions. These would be ALL the people on the ballot -- not just from one party. We want an inclusive event -- but not a 'real debate.'

The candidates we want to invite are the ones who are running for PA HOUSE of Representatives (Harrisburg) and the US House (DC's Congress). They are the ones on the ballot for Mt. Lebo come November 7.

We figure opinions have been established for US Senate and Governor already.

So, please RSVP YES or NO if you'd be able to come to a one-hour event from 7 pm to 8 pm on Monday, October 30, 2006 at Sunnyhill to hear from candidates on the ballot.

Mark will tally the replies. If we hit a critical mass and get a commitment from a sizable audience, we'll make posters for the event, confirm with the speakers and proceed. Otherwise, resume you're regually scheduled programming.....

Mail to: Mark @ Rauterkus . com
YES and HOW MANY _________ you'll be bringing.

NO. Can't attend.

Stay tuned.....

Redd up opportunity (sent by Matt Hogue)

On Saturday September 23rd there will be an unofficial Elliott "Redd Up" day. The cleanup will start at 9 am and will focus on the 6 blocks on the #30 firehouse side of Lorenz Avenue. These areas have become increasingly dirty and are in need of a spruce up. Please plan on attending. If we have enough volunteers we can do more areas than the planned ones.

At 9 am on September 23, 2006 at 825 Lorenz Avenue / Emanuel United Methodist Church.

It is recommended that you bring a heavier pair of work gloves if you have them available.

Photo below show a sweeping the sidewalks. Quiz: Guess where? And, guess what you'll find just around the corner. (Hint, what kind of plants are they? And, who eats those plants?) (Hint 2: Click photo for a larger view.) (Hint 3: Go to http://YouTube.com/rauterkus.)


Click the comments to find the answer.

Simba Information To Host Premier Education Industry Event, Featuring Analysts, National Experts and Educators

Simba Information To Host Premier Education Industry Event, Featuring Analysts, National Experts and Educators: "Industry experts and educators speaking at the conference will include: Christopher Curran, Berkery, Noyes & Co.; Steve Dowling, Pearson School Companies; Robin Jarvis, Recovery School District, New Orleans; Estee Lopez, New Rochelle (NY) City School District; Julie McGee, Harcourt Achieve, Professional and Trade; Esther Monclova-Johnson, District of Columbia Public Schools; Peter Quandt, Haights Cross Communications; Lynn Spampinato; Pittsburgh Public Schools; Jessie Woolley-Wilson, LeapFrog SchoolHouse; and more. The full conference agenda and speaker list can be found at www.simbanet.com/conferences/.

I guess the outgoing boss of CCAC will NOT be there, as the event has a K-12 focus.

Pitt's and CMU's Greens and Libertarians meet tonight

The Pitt Libertarians and CMU Libertarians present,

Greens and Libertarians, the Yin and Yang of our Political Future.
at 7 PM, tonight, Tuesday, CMU's Scaife Hall Auditorium

A short presentation by Dan Sullivan will be followed by discussion that focus on how the ten key values of the Greens are compatible with the core principle of the Libertarians, and how the Greens have been pulled to the left of their values while the libertarians have been pulled to the right.

It explores how the two groups can keep their identities but create a "dynamic tension" by confronting each other directly on issues instead of letting the major parties and the power brokers work out compromises.

CMU's Scaife Hall is the first building on the left if you cross the bridge behind the Carnegie Library and then turn left just before you get to the Phipps Conservatory. Do not confuse it with Pitt's Scaife Hall.

Walking Home

Walking Home by Sara Kruger

When my husband and I decided to return to the US after five years abroad, we vowed to continue the car-free lifestyle to which we'd grown accustomed. We enjoyed the extra disposable income freed from the budgetary restrictions of car payments, insurance, maintenance and gas. Such savings enabled us to see much of Europe. We would be making our new home in Washington, D.C., and since I had never lived on the East Coast, I was excited to continue putting toward travel any extra money saved by resisting the temptation to own a four-wheeled ton of metal, this time for exploring the surrounding states. Friends were dubious about our ability to hold out. 'You'll fold in a week,' predicted one such naysayer. But, we were determined to survive.

Prove me wrong. Name one thing, just one.

I asked: "Can anyone name ONE idea that the Act 47 Team or the ICA Board has come up with? Just one would be nice."

I don't think they (overlords) get credit for anything. I'll go out on a limb and say, "The oversight board (ICA) and the Act 47 Coordinators have provided Pittsburgh with no benefits -- 'zippo.'

I've been to a few of their meetings. Mostly, meetings don't even occur.

Furthermore, having overlords costs the city. They come with some big bills that the city must pay. The work of the overlords doesn't 'translate well.' Yeah, right. A room full of monkeys and some typewritters could do a better job producing poetry than what the overlords have given the city's citizens in terms of goverance, oversight and management for a better future.

These overlords don't even provide us with good gossip nor photos for the 'seen' pages. Even with the PA Gambling Control Board gets more notice with its 'slime ball back-to-work programs' and the resulting arrests.

Event Sept 15 -- interesting merger of events

Sep 15, 2006

Board Member, Howard Woodridge, will speak at this year's National Conference of Editorial Writers about the failure of drug prohibition. Working a booth for LEAP and talking to conference visitors will be Steve and Doreen Heath. Event location: Sheriton Station Square, 300 West Station Square Drive.
http://www.leap.cc/events

I've heard and respect Howard Woodridge. He come from a police force background and hates the war on drugs.

Panda Power!

SICHUAN, China -- One zoo in southwest China has its hands full with 16 baby pandas. The Sichuan Wolong Panda Protection and Breed Center is dealing with the results of a breeding boom -- 16 pandas have been born since July, 2005. The brood includes five sets of twins. The cubs are weighed and measured every five days by a special panda nurse.

The heaviest tips the scale at just over 24 pounds, while the lightest weighs about 11 pounds.

Pandas.


Rest is good.



Abby and Catherine, with a panda in the background, from our trip to the Panda facility in the past. Abby is now a student at Pitt!

Advice for Luke

At Pittsblog, the question about the 'mayor matters' surfaced. The mayor does matter, mostly.

To be sure, Pittsburgh still has two oversight boards. The ICA and Act 47 folks are still here. Plus, we've got authorities out the ying yang too. Even the Gambling Control Panel has serious powers and influences now too.

Let's reflect a bit on the role of the overlords for a moment. I see the biggest role in the city for the overlords (Act 47, ICA, etc.) as insurance. They must make sure that the bond holders get paid. The city's debt is sky high. Pension promises are massive and still not fully accounted. URA Properties are not even listed in an inventory.

The overlords can't 'run the city' as the question asks. Nor do they try. Nor are they capable. The overloards are here to make sure that the city doesn't run on empty without the loss of serious flesh and blood first. The money interests don't want the city to go bankrupt. That would be a black eye. Rather have a kick in the teeth and rats running wild snf eatting what they can gobble.

Luke: The overlords should be shown the door. That should be one of Luke's biggest missions.

Bob didn't choose to kick any tailfeathers with the overlords. To each his or her own.

My first address if I had been O'Connor in January, 2006, would have been, "I'm here now. I'm in charge. Overlords, there is the door. Hit the road. We don't need you help, now. We don't want your help, as you've not been doing any heavy lifting anyway. And, nobody voted for you -- so take your high priced bills out of here. Morph back into citizens and grab a broom like the rest of us are about to do."

But, that song from Day 1 (January 2006) of a new O'Connor Administration would have been 'flat' as O'Connor was on council when quick fix after quick fix was approved and the city slid into its debt. Bob was on Grant Street, with powers, and then with the Gov, too, with powers, when Pgh did a lot of its financial bleeding. Overspending is the norm.

Luke wasn't. That's Luke's advantage. The new guy should be known as "Long Term Luke."

The spend now and pay later philosophy doesn't sit well with a (mature) 26 year old. The high spending ways works for a one-term chief executive who is about to retire.

Luke should be about 'Long-Term Vision' + Short-term power + and finding the ULTIMATE solutions for fiscal sustainability.

Now is not the time for a band-aid approach.

In Luke's 2007 budget address, Luke needs to talk about the work process for the 2008 budget. The 2008 budget needs to be the best budget any city has ever seen -- anywhere in the world. And in 2007, we build the monitors and enforement and accountability into our city's work culture -- round by round, department by department.

Luke needs to not only send the overlords a message to start packing, but then he needs to take his clipboard and computer over to the building next door. Luke needs to camp out with Dan Onorato for a few weeks, after this year's budget is handed off to city council.

Short term, Luke needs to be with Scott Kunka and Bill Urbanic and the present budget folks on the city side. Luke has to be prudent and go with the flow for now. Perhpas Luke can insert a few financial widgets and utilities for 2007 that make budget monitoring possible in the years to come. Then punt and put faith in the ones who have been in the administration all year.

When Luke goes out into the neighborhoods in the weeks and months to come, I hope he is with a calculator. Luke should be meeting with various employees about various spending and revenue matters at every turn. Luke should be dead set upon finding the best solutions possible. That is going to take a lot of research and hard work -- on paper -- and with the folks in the field.

I dare say that the sillyness and silly spending has already been cut from the budget. But, now it is time to turn to the new and next chapter -- serious solutions with honest accountability. Luke can fix the framework for the city, and make the 2008 budget something to behold, if he and everyone decides to take that bull by the horns.

It is 9-11. Oh my.

Creep stinks. I think it is silly to do a 9-11 flashback on September 10th. The 5 year date should be marked, but not the eve of 9-11, nor the week prior. Hell, if we knew 9-11 was to arrive then like we saw it approach this year, the entire tragic mess could have been averted. The surprise of 9-11 and shock then -- makes 9-11 events on 9-10 or earlier shameful and perhaps, hype driven.

When does Christmas arrive? And 9-11 isn't Christmas, OMG. So, Post-Gazette editors, all that 9-11 stuff should have gone into today's newspapers, because it is 9-11.

---

Jon Delano hosted a talkshoe event today at 9 am. A 30-second moment of silence came, along with some interesting talk.

Personal safety is important. To be safe provides a huge animal need. We need to be safe in our neighborhoods. We want to be safe in our schools, in our travels, in our communities.

I'm a 'lifeguard.' I understand that prevention counts. I keep certifications current in giving first aid. It is hard to discount wellness and safety.

However, being safe isn't the end all and be all question for me nor for our society. To be safe raises 'primal concerns' -- such as in a 'fight or flight' response. But other concerns and ambitions within the human experience make 'safety' factors less than the number one priority.

As we ponder 9-11, we are reminded by some that we are 'at war.' There are 'bad guys' who want to take us (the United States of America) down in flames. They are real. They'll strike again. They are driven. They are planning. We can expect additional actions, gross ones, against humanity, again. No doubt.

This isn't a new lesson. We are all aware of the threats. The possibilities are endless. And what comes next might be unthinkable for most of us.

One guy said that 9-11 came about because of a failure in our intelligence. And, nobody has been held accountable. None got demoted or fired. Rather, most who fumbled got more responsibility and raises even.

My point is that there isn't accountability -- just like there was none in the war on drugs. We were at war, a decade or two prior to this one, with a 'drug culture.' We had and still fight a 'war on drugs.' And, we are not winning that one either. And, I don't see folks there being the fall guys for that campaign either. More and more is spent in those battles too.

(more to come)....

Green defense in City Paper

Growing Green

In “Political Deform” [Aug. 16], Chris Potter chooses to mock the Green Party, quoting someone who is no longer a Green.

He should have interviewed Ed Boortz, Allegheny County party secretary, and Titus North, candidate for Congress in the 14th Congressional District, who spent last week in Harrisburg explaining to a judge how they spent day after day along with other Green Party members, collecting thousands of signatures, working hard to see they were meeting requirements. Potter does not focus on the injustice of denying a voice to people who feel betrayed by Democrats and Republicans, held hostage to the “military-industrial-petrochemical-nuclear complex” for the past 50 years.

In spite of this, the Green Party of Allegheny County continues to grow, and we are waiting for an intelligent analysis of the present system that will bring about campaign reform by the local media.

— Liz Hughes, vice-chair
Allegheny County Greens

Lane 9 News Archive: Creative Financing To Save a College Swimming Program

Lane 9 News Archive: Creative Financing To Save a College Swimming Program Creative Financing To Save a College Swimming Program -- September 8, 2006

Clever swimmers. Unprudent footballers.

The book | OpenLife.cc

Put this on your back to school reading list.

The book | OpenLife.cc Open Life: The Philosophy of Open Source

You can get a copy without charge for online reading. Download it and give it a peek.

I think I'll take parts or the whole work and make it available as I make new CDs for handouts to others. It would be part of my TV show, HON, (Heavy Or Not) if I had a TV show. :)

kdka.com - Will Bob O'Connor's Legacy Fade Or Continue?

Question:

kdka.com - Will Bob O'Connor's Legacy Fade Or Continue? But without his driving force will those grand ideas fade away?

Answer:

No.

Furthermore, the ideas of from Bob were not grand. Bob was grand. But his ideas were basic. To clean up is core to what government should do. Pick up the trash. Redd up. Move junk cars off the streets. That's 'sticking to the knitting.'

Bob was grand in his ambitions to to the basics. Bob was grand in his personality and willingness to serve. Bob was grand in his ability to connect with people.

The O'Connor legacy is but a day or two old. It hasn't even hatched yet. There is no way under the sun that Delano can ponder the O'Connor legacy -- yet.

Delano might be able to ponder the O'Connor tenure and the short six months of his agenda as mayor. I think Delano might be able to review O'Connor's legacy as President of City Council and as a councilmember.

Bob didn't aim to 'rebuild downtown.' Bob's approach was more of a localized approach. He wanted to build upon what we already had. Bob wanted to have smaller projects rather than 'grand, mega projects.' Bob was more about being organic -- or more about an step-by-step evolution. Not a 'rebuilding.' More keep building, and a re-establishement of the building.

Steve Hargadon

Steve Hargadon

Rebirth of the New Idea Factory -- with second life at The Sprout Fund

Today, it seemed to me, The Sprout Fund re-launched the New Idea Factory. I was there. It felt good the second time. More open. More dazzle. More digital.

James C. Roddey championed the "New Idea Factory" back in the day. I don't know what was first, that or the Sprout Fund. So, in a way, it is like the Sprout Fund calling back to its roots.

All in all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Hundreds of good ideas were shared. Lots of doodles developed.

Sorry, I'm skeptical. I'm a guy who wants to go out of my way to wear a black hat, and that's not allowed in a 'brainstorming session.' To say the least, as I did, I can mostly claim tonight that I have a sore tongue. But, I didn't try to be a party pooper. No way. I did have fun and it was a feel good structure and I'm very hopeful of the outcomes yet to flourish.

This type of meeting is right up my alley. The cycle of 'weed and seed' without the inclusion of 'harvest' has been under my skin for more than a decade. We need to do more than weed and seed -- and lots of those ideas were getting out there today. So, in some instances, I'm thrilled.

And, only a moron can't love AlphaChimp Studios! Peter is great. We need more integration and more graphics to support our stories. We've got too many stories that are NOT strung together.

One of the ideas that I helped to poke along the pathway in our homeroom to the final stage was called "Bob's Bean." The concept builds upon the legacy of Bob O'Connor's of going into the neighborhoods. We need to build bigger, bolder routes along the pathways he blazed from Grant Street to neighborhood spots.

Bob's Bean is a temporary, mobile, coffee truck / chart, that causes civic engagement and has a digital support infrastructure, much like an internet cafe. It can go from place to place, as scheduled much like the Citiparks Art-Cart or the Library's Bookmobile. It has a moderator or facilitator. Expect urban hikes in that neighborhood that day so as to engage everyone.

Huddle, Hike and Hypothesize.

We need to get politicians off of Grant Street. We need venues of common ground. We need to say "free food" and / or drink (coffee, tea, hot chocholate, cider, lemonaid, etc.) and have casual places to mingle, get to know one antoher. We need to hear of successes and failures in various places -- while those places are present.

Think of a traveling internet cafe. Think of a meeting place that isn't owned by anyone -- but by everyone. Think of a place where the shirts get rolled to the elbows -- and sip to admire a mural and then start to lock horns and plan for new actions for the weeks to come.

This would be a monthly, (or so) scheduled function. Sessions would go for the day -- and then go away for another place and another time.

There is $100,000 of funding that is due to hit the streets in "several months" -- complete with RFPs (Requests For Proposals). Yes. That makes the exercise more than just an academic letter grade.

In the past, I knocked The New Idea Factory because it was elitist and more about being 'invited to participate' and less about an attitude of open door inclusion. This event was held at a public school (great) with a $10 fee (more than fair) and lunch was provided (goodie).

The 'New Idea Factory' could have been great boon for the mass production of cookie cutter stuff. I don't want to mass produce fun. I don't want certain specs applied to all aspects of our lives. We've been a 'factory town' for many generations. It has its hang-ups from my point of view.

However, a 'New Idea Distillery' -- that is different. That 'distilling' effort seems to have a much better ring to the concepts that we crave around here.

Case in point: Tom Murphy could take a stretch of land and figure out how squeeze a lot of tax breaks into its infrastructure and how to get new development onto either greenfields or brownfields. He was a mastermind at making new retail developments. And those goals go counter to what I think we need and really want in the end. Let's take a new idea -- and then take it apart to study if it is sustainable, if it is helping our urban core, if it is just, if it is what government should be doing.

Along these lines, I don't want to see something such as this "Bob's Bean concept" be turned into a "dog and pony show" that exists to leverage grass-roots support for hidden agendas. Many have seen and lived through the Tom Murphy styled "Power Points" for various "projects." Spare us of that top-down type of song and dance. Bob's approach wasn't about the computer presentation and vision that fit into a series of bullet charts.

Bob's way was to be there in person. Look folks in the eye. Share a cookie and/or coffee. Shake hands and spill out with an attitude that includes, "just do it." But, there needs to be more if we are to institutionalize this approach. We can't be Bob. We all can't be there at the same time. We can't just 'show up' -- mostly unannounced. We can't always host roving meetings and pull strings so something is always getting done.

I think the Bob's Bean venture could work. The concept builds a mini town-hall that travels and includes digital assets.

As the social following the event I heard a bit from John Allison of the PG. Expect something to run in a week or so that catalogs some of the ideas. I also saw a reporter from the City Paper as well.

Let's roll out the red carpet for these ideas on the internet.

Perhaps many of the ideas, if not all of them, can be pulled into the Platform.For-Pgh.org wiki as well. Some have been there for some time. We'll need forums and FAQs and wikis and in turn, RFPs and real folks to pick up the project and run with them.

Pittsburgh has something to get Jazzed about. Did you hear about the new Jazz concept???

Baby-Faced Mayor Takes Over an Aging Pittsburgh - New York Times

Baby-Faced Mayor Takes Over an Aging Pittsburgh - New York Times

Now comes the hard part.

Luke, fear not. I don't give a flying fart what you wear to the Steelers' games. You'll get a pass on that from me.

Nice quote from fellow blogger, Carbolic Smoke Ball!

Tip: The best way to raise downtown development is to tax the land. If you tax the land -- then you reward those who build upon it. We have a dense downtown because we have had a legacy of a land tax.

We'll empty the tall buildings, get folks to move out of the city and continue the downward slide if we keep up with the recent policy of taxing the buildings and taking the burden off of the land.

A dumb public policy would reward the one who tears down a building and makes a surface parking lot.

A better public policy would be a blanket reward for those who fix up their properties.

Luke's biggest problem is NOT the uncertainty surronding him. I'd say that is Luke's biggest asset and strength.

Some say Luke would be a fool to NOT use O'Connor's playbook. I say Luke would be a fool to ONLY use O'Connor's playbook. And, if LUKE executes from O'Connor's playbook -- he'll never be able to be known as a smart leader with his own leadership style.

Luke's got the luxery of being able to build upon the O'Connor playbook and greatly expand it.

A Charlie Batch Encounter

Last night's meeting: Charlie and I talk after he got an award from the Jerome Bettis and the Bus Stops Here Foundation. Charlie has the man of the hour and is a superstar in his community work in Homestead with the kids.

Daly, NBC: 'Show' us your stuff

Daly, NBC: 'Show' us your stuff Daly, NBC: 'Show' us your stuff

NBC and Carson Daly plan to reward those with a penchant for storytelling on the Web with an interactive contest dubbed 'It's Your Show,' the network said Thursday. The online competition, which began Thursday, will encourage users to create and submit their own user-created video with the help of clips and a 'video tool kit' and the lure of $100,000 in cash. 'We want to give people a chance to show us what the next level of user-generated content can look like when given the tools and the opportunity,' NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly said. Reilly also indicated that a television component of 'It's Your Show' is in development, with plans to integrate the best and worst of content into a broadcast. Daly is set to host.

Among those paying their respects - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Among those paying their respects - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review What's up with this as a news story?

More on my summer vaction

The food was good. An army marches on its stomach -- and mine had no complaints. (Left to right: Les, Mark, J.P, Zack)


Staffers. Bob and Les are kneeling. Dick Bower and Barbara are center. I'm far to the left in the jacket.


At the Chikopi swim meet. I'm the one without the hat to the left of the guy (Dick Bower) with the hat. Bob D is starting the race at the far right.

Water Polo in a lake at Camp Chikopi, Canada

The water polo course we built at Camp Chikopi. The kids are warming up in this photo.


Another angle of the water polo warm-up. In this shot I'm off to the left. In the prior, I'm off to the right. I was able to coach the polo from a row boat or else I stood on a wooden, but aged docking of sorts.


Closer action shot -- as we had lots of balls in the pool to dribble, shoot, pass and move about with.

Fore!

Proposal would name Schenley golf course for O'Connor

Proposal would name Schenley golf course for O'Connor An organization involved in running the Schenley Park Golf Course wants the city to rename the facility after the late Mayor Bob O'Connor.

'My hope is that it eventually comes to be called the Bob O'Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park, and that people end up calling it The Bob,' said Bruce Stephen, executive director of The First Tee of Pittsburgh, a nonprofit organization that teaches kids golf and moral values at the course.

'The [O'Connor] family very much wants that.'

Sounds like a 'slam dunk' to me. Let's make sure that the pins are 'red' -- as in 'redd up the green.' Golfers will be able to 'redd up their shots at The Bob.'

There are sure to be other ways to honor O'Connor too.

Back in the day, I suggested that we re-name the "Liberty Bridge" and "Liberty Tunnel" for Tom Murphy -- IF he would resign from office before his term ended. Murphy did plenty to erase Liberty from our landscape, so taking that tag off the bridge and tunnel seemed fitting. Murphy was also a champ at 'gridlock' as well, something that the goes hand and hand with the tunnel and bridge. But, that rant is all water under the bridge now.

Bob O'Connor didn't re-start the marathon in May, something that Tom killed. Next up in our sporting datebook, The Great Races (10k, 5k, tot trot) named for a past mayor. The Great Race was also killed for a year by Tom Murphy -- but it was born again. It makes money.

Bob was a friend of sports.

We are all missing this gentleman.

Time to lower our heads in prayer....
Now Bob gets to look down upon us, from heaven.

Much is being said and written. I'll listen and share in the grief.

Funeral, then football. Weird set of events today for Pittsburgh.

Crazy for Liberty displays Atlanta Constitution article about Libertarian Party

Crazy for Liberty The Libertarians, unlike the Republican and Democrat parties, actually take their platform seriously, rather than viewing it as a quadrennial exercise designed to throw red meat to the faithful then to be ignored for the following 47 months.

The Idea Round Up - This Saturday!

At this one-day event, The Sprout Fund will engage creative young thinkers and regional leaders in a conversation that promotes new thinking about the topics that matter most to our community.

This Saturday, September 9, 2006
CAPA High School, Downtown
9 AM - 4 PM
$10 (includes lunch)
Only 100 spaces left!
Register now: engagepittsburgh.org

Not Your Typical Civic Meeting

Roll up your sleeves and be a part of community change at a day-long civic engagement symposium

Learn what's going on nationally in other cities, engage in panel discussions with regional leaders, and work in small design groups to generate as many brain-busting ideas as possible. All ideas will be welcome-the wacky, the way out, the logical, the needed, the necessary, the fun, and the futuristic.

The Idea Round Up promises to be a highly visual and highly interactive day with 20 local artists on hand to illustrate all the ideas generated.

Sprout will announce plans to release $100,000 in funding to support projects that grow directly out of the ideas developed during this exciting collaborative design event.

Meeting to address new aquatic center for Mt. Lebanon

Serious talk of a swim pool is back to the front burner in Mt. Lebo tonight.

Meeting to address new aquatic center for Mt. Lebanon
Mt. Lebanon residents are invited to the first of three public meetings to help plan the municipality's new aquatic center at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Mt. Lebanon Recreation Center, off Cedar Boulevard.

The talk of a swim pool in Mt. Lebo should be associated with the talk of a swim pool repair and/or rehab at Dormont too.

If we had a Pittsburgh Park District, we'd put these decisions into a venue and forum that makes much more sense. We'd be thinking more as a region and not as tiny municipalities.

This summer I collected signatures at the Dormont Swim Pool and there were many who were there from Mt. Lebo.

Mayor's term goes to when ???

There has been some talk about how long Luke gets to be Mayor of Pittsburgh, without an election. That is a valid conversation given the ugly conflicts of words within the City's Charter. But that is for another thread. See below.

What became of the "TERM LIMIT" idea? Presently, Pittsburgh has NO TERM LIMITs for its Mayor, nor for City Council Members.

The US President and even the PA Governor can only serve two terms.

We have the potential of Luke, now in his mid-20s, serving as mayor until he is in his mid-60s. With a 26 year old mayor at the helm, we could have a 40-year period where Luke is the boss on Grant Street.

The concept of 'term limits' goes both ways. To favor democracy, let the people decide, not some charter. But, to avoid a czar-like state, keep a revolving door in the top offices.

I think we need to think again about 'term limits' in the city, for mayor and for those on city council.

Webcast Interviews - Happy Educational Listening

Thursday evening (September 7), hear an interview of Larry Cuban, emeritus professor of education at Stanford, and author of "Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom." The one hour interview starts at 5 pm PDT, (8 pm in Pittsburgh) and is set for a live webcast with a question and answer session at the end.

The webcast and the concurrent chatroom are available. Upcoming interviews on Open Office (Solveig Haugland & Ben Horst), Open Source Software in Education (Eric S. Raymond & Doc
Searls), and Open Source licensing (Ruth Lutes & Ragavan Srinivasan
from HP).

Recordings of the interview (.mp3 and .ogg) with Prof. Cuban will be available on Friday. Recent interviews recordings are available at
http://edtechlive.wikispaces.com/Recordings+List.

* Victoria Davis and Adam Frey on "Wikis--What Are They, and Why Use Them in Education?"

* Michelle Moore on "Moodle: An Open Source Learning Management System"

* Mike Huffman and Laura Taylor on "Indiana's ACCESS Program: Affordable Classroom Computers for Every Secondary Student"

* Daniel Howard and William Fragakis on Atlanta Public Schools' Linux Thin Client Project

* Jim McQuillan and Eric Harrison on LTSP, K12LTSP, and Linux Thin Client for Schools

* Dr. David Thornburg on "Free and Open Source Software in Education"

Attempt to embed a FEARLESS podcast widget

Excerpts from the pending book: On Becoming Fearless, by Arianna Huffington. www.huffingtonpost.com

Rendell's sleazy even with the little stuff - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

My only quibble with the editorial that follows is that mention of "little." Mixing the politics with the efforts of the office -- while in office -- isn't little. It is a big deal.

Headline should be: "Rendell is sleazy with web stuff too."

Rendell's sleazy even with the little stuff - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Rendell's sleazy even with the little stuff

Sunday, September 3, 2006

The issue that you first read about here in Whispers last month refuses to die: Gov. Ed Rendell still is unabashedly using the state Web site to link to his campaign Internet site.

The Democrat governor's official schedule is linked to his campaign schedule -- and from there, to the whole cyberworld of re-electing Rendell to a second term.

Republicans have been making it an issue over the past two weeks. The governor's office says there is no issue, and contends it saves time and money by not having to refer political inquiries to the campaign.

Not every Pennsylvania elected official is so nonchalant about using public resources to finance a political campaign.

At last week's Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn Hills, was asked whether he would link his official Web page to his campaign site.

'No,' Santorum said. 'As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure if I'd be allowed to, if I could. But, no, I don't think you're allowed to. But I think -- look, I can't tell you -- I'll show you the two Blackberrys I have; I keep everything separate.'

He continued: 'We go out of our way to keep everything as separate. ... We put up firewalls everywhere we possibly can to make sure the taxpayers are not putting one cent into this campaign.'

Courage, Katie

Courage, Katie: "It isn't her fault, but CBS has made Katie Couric into Joan of Arc."

Humm....

In Pittsburgh we've got a young Luke R -- who is our Young Jedi Mayor.

The two have taken the helm of tow rather large, visible insitutions in the same week. The common ground ends about there -- on the calendar that is. But, we'll see who lasts the longest.

I figure they both have rather long tenures.

International Studies in Pgh Public Schools -- holding meetings and volunteers needed

Here is the deal: Pgh Public Schools has a new I.B. coordinator. This role had NOT been filled in the past two years. Or, if there was someone there -- they were not doing much. Now it is the time for the parents to offer up some support for the new agenda and programs for the next school year.

Now that you have had time to check the school calendar, I am sending a second request for volunteers. Mme. Smith has scheduled a grade level activity for Sept 12 (sixth grade), Sept 13 (seventh grade), and Sept 14 (eighth). While the students will be watching the movie, Akeelah and the Bee, the parents will be meeting to hear the plans for the IS/IB. Several volunteers are needed each evening to sell concessions before the movie, from 6:15 to about 7:15. Since you plan to be there for the activity and meeting, please help get the year off to a good start by volunteering. So far I have 2 mothers for Wed and 1 who can come any or all 3 days.

I am having problems with this first attempt at getting volunteers because of my limited email list; I have the people who have signed up for my IS list that I have identified as Frick parents. I do not know all of the Frick people and I have very few 6th grade parents. IF you know of someone who would be interested in helping, please have them email me.

amy moore
412-244-0444

Please do NOT leave a comment here for Amy. Contact her directly.

Emma's Revolution and Anne Feeney in DC tonight

I sorta wish I was able to go to this concert and be in DC this week. But, we can't swing it.

Tuesday, Sept. 5th, 9:30 - 11 pm, Camp Democracy Concert on the National Mall, Emma's Revolution with singer-songwriter-hellraiser, Anne Feeney!
Constitution Ave, between 14th & 15th St NW, Washington, DC

Camp Democracy is a three week encampment of activist activities, trainings, workshops and culture will take place on the National Mall through Sept. 21st and address issues including ending the war and corporate welfare, defending human rights and the environment, and much more. http://www.campdemocracy.org

This is the week for the American Swim Coaches Assn. Meetings too. http://www.swimmingcoach.org.

Joseph-Beth Special Event -- and Drinking Liberally to follow

On Saturday night, a special event unfolds at a South Side Bookstore. Following, there is a gathering of folks with "Drinking Liberally" at the Irish Pub in the same complex.

Joseph-Beth JEROME ARMSTRONG and MARKOS MOULITSAS ZUNIGA sign Crashing the Gate
Saturday, September 9 at 7:00 pm
Written by two of the most popular political bloggers in America (www.dailykos.com and www.myDD.com), Crashing the Gate hails the new movement--of the netroots, the grassroots, the unorthodox labor unions, the maverick big donors—-that is the antidote to old-school politics as usual. Fueled by advances in technology and a hunger for a more authentic and populist democracy, this broad-based movement is changing the way political campaigns are waged and managed.

I have no clue as to the contents of the talk nor the book. Reviews welcomed. Nonetheless, it is fair to say that I like the title of the book. I've been known to 'crash' and 'rock the boat' on many instances.

Mayor's Election Must Take Place In 2007

by Tom Leturgey

Soon the city of Pittsburgh will be back to normal on Grant Street. The tragic death of Bob O'Connor will continue to cast a shadow over our city for some time; however, we must move forward.

New interim Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is a "transitional" leader: a compromise canidate from Pittsburgh City Council, undoubtedly scared out of his wits. He's probably a good guy, but no 26-year-old on the planet can successfully run a major metropolitan city with no experience.

When he was appointed city council President, the city was being led by a healthy, robust Mayor who was easily expected to serve two terms.

Bill Peduto should have been council president, but he ran against O'Connor and the "powers that be" weren't going to allow him to be in the city's second-most-valuable position.

Jim Motznik thought the position was going to be his, but the Overbrook resident's only claim to governmental claim is publicly running away from a television news reporter. He's now President of City Council.

Tawanda Carlisle reportedly wanted the city council president post at the beginning of the year. Can you imagine if she had been the original "compromise" canidate? She grabbed headlines earlier this year for allocating untold thousands of public dollars to personal friends, stating the money was paid for "reports" or "studies." Turns out the funds were transfered to pay for nearly-plagerized works.

Bob O'Connor's former chief of staff, now councilman Doug Shields, reportedly also wanted the city council presidency, but he didn't have the votes.

That allowed Ravenstahl, a former college placekicker and council's only four-year college graduate, to be given what was perceived to be a largely ceremonious tip of the hat.

There is already differences of opinion how long Ravenstahl can serve as interim Mayor. Common sense says that a special election will be held next year; however, there is arcane verbiage in the city charter that states a city controller and Mayor's race cannot be held in the same year. And you guessed it, that row office election is in 2007.

Ravenstahl has just started to represent his north side constituency; only those with a pure personal agenda can believe that the interim Mayor can serve until 2009, which is the next year of municipal elections.

Ravenstahl has not been elected Mayor. He was not even a decisive choice as city council President, as O'Connor had been years ago. It can be argued that Ravenstahl shouldn't be an interim Mayor at all.

IF the smartest and most civic-minded heads prevail, there will be a special election for Pittsburgh's 60th Mayor in 2007. Don't count on it, however, as this issue will surely bog down our system for some time to come.

The Point -- not Pgh's Point State Park -- at Camp Chikopi

Have you ever heard the story of "Old Man Barlow?" We go to "The POINT" at Camp Chikopi, light a fire, and hear from the Camp's Director, Bob D. Just before dusk, as the sunset is on the brink, the swimmers gather with the lake as an embrace on three sides.

The swimmers in the 15-and-older age group at the awards event following the 1-mile swim at Camp Chikopi. I didn't mind getting 'last' in this race to these guys.
(Click to see larger image.)

Nick Coleman: In ballpark vote, democracy takes back seat to money

Nick Coleman: In ballpark vote, democracy takes back seat to money ... to observe the last charade of democracy as the county pulled the trigger on a new park for our beloved Minnesota Twins without bothering to win the consent of the besieged taxpayers.

Jazz on Flagstaff Hill

Flagstaff Hill presents Labor Day Jazz Festival

FREE!

September 4, 2006 from 1:00 – 6:00 PM at Flagstaff Hill – Schenley Park.

Featuring: Dwayne Dolphin, Salsamba, Three Rivers Jazz Orchestra with Sheryl Bailey and Dave Samuels, Maureen and David Budway, and Joey DeFrancesco Trio.

September 4th, Labor Day, MCG Jazz and Citiparks partner to present more than 30 musicians at the Labor Day Pittsburgh Jazz Festival, a celebration of jazz music with local and national artists. The music begins at 1 p.m. and lasts until 6 p.m. at Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. This festival is free and open to the public.

Organized as a community outreach event by MCG Jazz as a part of its 20th anniversary celebration, (one of almost 30 performances Duquesne Light and MCG Jazz are bringing to the Pittsburgh area this summer) the Festival continues MCG Jazz’ history of presenting quality jazz festivals in Western Pennsylvania.

THE CENTRIST: Russ Diamond: PA Supreme Court to Decide Fate of the World

I raised this objection in my battle to stay on the ballot too.

THE CENTRIST: Russ Diamond: PA Supreme Court to Decide Fate of the World Article VII, Section 1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution sets forth the “Qualifications of Electors” as being based on age, U.S. citizenship and residency. No mention is made of being a registered voter.

If the Court rules in favor of the plain language of the Constitution, not only would the current challenge to Romanelli be in serious jeopardy, but the ability of anyone to challenge a minor party or independent petition in the future would be severely hampered. Without the ability to rely on the statewide voter database - the SURE system - to validate signatures, how could a potential challenge even be formulated?

Future efforts by minor party and independent candidates to gather signatures to overcome Pennsylvania’s ballot access hurdles would be bolstered, adding the important element of competition to the electoral process. Those candidates would no longer need to worry over whether a signer has matched letter-for-letter their information on file with the Department of State.

Home, home, home. -- Rest at home.

Today (Sat, Sept. 3) we (Erik, Grant and I) left Canada. Our escape and encounters at Camp Chikopi came to a close. http://www.campchikopi.com.

I've been out of touch with the blog, email and all news . Since mid-August, I only got to talk to my wife three times on the phone as my cell phone didn't pick up a signal on the camp's site. We drove and Chikopi is three-and-a-half-hours north of Toronto.

As we were making the drive home, around Erie, PA, I checked my cell's voice messages to the news of Bob O'Connor's death.

We got a good meal and visit with my parents on the way home in Cranberry.

Then, just after 8 pm, we pulled into town, parked on the Blvd., and paid our respects at the City County Building on Grant Street. My boys didn't want to go to the visitation. Erik objected as we didn't have on a suit. They had no choice.

It was a sad experience but they were glad to have gone.

Both of my boys had a real relationship with Mayor O'Connor. Bob once pulled out a $5 bill from his wallet and gave it to them to split -- so that they could get some ice cream.

We all miss Bob and we all have stories to tell and share.

We had a great, great, great trip. Being home is nice. But home has an bit of an empty feel tonight.

Bob's campaign made great play on the word, "home." The one campaign message was simply, "Because this is home."

Well, I'm home. I'm back. But moreover, Mayor O'Connor, rest in peace. Bob will have a home in our hearts for generations to come.

As a final tidbit for tonight -- my wife is stuck at O'Hare airport for the second time this week. So, we're home and she is not and that is an uneasy feeling too after being apart for so long and after this journey's solemn final steps.

Rest In Peace Bob O'Connor

by Tom Leturgey

Bob O'Connor was a good man who worked for 12 years to become Pittsburgh's top guy on Grant Street.

He ran for Mayor in 1997 and 2001 but barely lost to Tom Murphy both times.

The third time was the charm as it was clearly "Bob's Turn" to become Mayor. He was clearly the nicest guy in a crowded pack of mostly Democrats. He would make eye contact with you from across the room and it made you feel like the only person in the room. He was that type of guy.

He quickly took charge of Pittsburgh and his "Redd Up" campaign was a successful clean up project to make the city sparkle for the Major League Baseball All-Star game and festivities.

When he was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer the same day the city shined for the Home Run Derby at PNC Park, the news sounded incomprehensible. Not Bob. Not the healthy, robust 61-year-old who had more energy than a man half his age.

At first, news came that he was taking the cancer treatments well. Then those positive news reports suddenly stopped. Somewhere along the line it just seemed that Bob wasn't doing well.

People prayed. People prayed A LOT. Prayer serves were held that brought hundreds of people from all faiths together downtown.

Secular radio hosts began having DAILY PRAYERS for him. Bob released an appreciative statement, thanking people for their overwhelming prayers and concerns.

It might have been those prayers and concerns that helped him hang for all those weeks.

His entire family were class acts throughout the whole ordeal, especially his wife, Judy, who attended the prayer services downtown.

Bob O'Connor did more in six months as Mayor than his predecessor, Tom Murphy did in 12 years.

The city has lost a great man on Friday, September 1. Rest in peace, Bob O'Connor.