Michael Diven and Wayne Fontana spent lots of money and paid plenty to printers and postmaster

Both Diven and Fontana ads were over the top. 

Election day was on May 17. It was a special election. Fontana won. Diven and then me.

Fwd: Volunteer with PUMP for OpenStreetsPGH - May 27th!

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From: PUMP

Join with us as we "takeover" an intersection for the day!

View this email in your browser Volunteer with PUMP for OpenStreetsPGH! PUMP will once again host an intersection for all three OpenStreetsPGH events to ensure a safe and fun experience for all participants.  Volunteer shifts are 2.25 hours long and leave time for you to participate in the event as well.  All volunteers receive an official OpenStreetsPGH t-shirt.  Join us!!  SIGN UP!  OpenStreetsPGH Dates and Routes May 27th - Downtown, Uptown, and South Side June 24th - Downtown, Strip District, and Lawrenceville July 28th - Shadyside and East End neighborhoods For complete information about OpenStreetsPGH, visit the main website HERE! Questions?  Please contact Jave Brown at PUMP at jave@pump.org or 412-338-2133 x18. Thank you to our sponsor! PUMP     PSL

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Ta.
 
 
Mark Rauterkus       Mark@Rauterkus.com 

Executive Director of SKWIM USA, a 501(c)(3)
PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim & Water Polo Camp Executive Coach

Middle School Swim Coach at The Ellis School

Former Varsity Boys Swim Coach, Pittsburgh Obama Academy

Recent Head Water Polo Coach, Carnegie Mellon University Women's Club Team
Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team

http://CLOH.org

412 298 3432 = cell

Fwd: Panel discussion and good primer on neoliberalism

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From: John H

Attached is a very good and interesting panel discussion held at West Point involving a number of retired military personnel who are critical of the current state of endless war now engaged in by the United States all around the globe.  The panel is chaired by Andrew J. Bacevich, a retired Army Lt. Col. And military historian teaching at Boston College.  While the discussion is both interesting and important, it does fail to address what I believe is the core basis for this nation's otherwise inexplicable determination to wage war on just about every not already subservient to our military posture.  It now appears that our military interventions are completely out of political control and essentially operating on automatic pilot because so much of the U.S. economy is dependent upon military and security contracts and the sale of military hardware to other nations and terrorist groups around the world.  Furthermore, the areas of operation are largely determined by political submission to the will of Israeli Zionist radicals (including neocons here in the U.S.) who have essentially gained control of our political processes and are determined to have the U.S. wipe out any real or imagined adversaries in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

In this process the U.S. has intentionally created, supported and funneled weapons to a multitude of designated terrorist organizations which we simultaneously claim that we are determined to destroy.  The end result is a proliferation of terror groups which regularly attack military and civilian targets, thus further justifying the need for ever increasing military activities on our part and on the part of our NATO allies.  This results in an endless cycle of violence, mass casualties and refugees in those areas in which we intervene which quite naturally leads to the declared need for greater security measures and the concomitant loss of civil rights at home and abroad, as well as the rampant rise of right-wing nationalism in those nations (including ours) impacted by the refugee crisis. 

What is also often missed in this horrific assault on some of the poorest nations on earth, is how much of it is stoked by the simultaneous rise of neoliberalism as a political and ideological movement in lock-step with the militarization and the severe limitations on previously granted rights.  Neoliberalism, at its core, operates on the premise that only the "market" has rights; everyone is subject to market forces.  This leads to policies which effectively tie corporations which, under neoliberalism can do no wrong, directly into government which is charged with protecting the rights of corporations and those who manage them.  This leads to a situation where corporations become dependent upon government subsidies to prosper and survive and what better way to provide subsidies than through the Defense Department.  This, combined with the neoliberal financialization of virtually all aspects of economic life, leads to a situation where only the interests of powerful international corporations can be taken into consideration by government policy makers.  And so, war becomes the natural constraining force used to cow the populace into ultimate submission – because they convinced us that there is no alternative; or as Margaret Thatcher so cleverly put it, TINA.

This, as a result, is, almost without question, the single most dangerous time in human history…  Or, as the old Chinese curse is reputed to have augured, may you live in interesting times.  We surely seem to have found those times the curse referred to, and then some.   When combined with man-made climate change humanity is on a downward spiral which may well not be survivable during the lifespan of those now alive.

 John

Articles:

• Combat High, Panel Discussion on Military
• Yes, Neoliberalism is a Thing, PDF

Fwd: Water

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From: John H

If you think that water depletion and contamination by pollutants is not a world-wide problem, you're not thinking – you're dreaming.  Check out this article from today's Washington Post for some frightening information on depletion and then consider that a very high percentage of the water we drink, cook with and bathe in is being polluted by an unimaginable volume of pollutants, some visible and some not, injected legally and illegally by corporations and people on a daily basis.  Many of these chemical pollutants are not even acknowledged or identified.  But one strong indicator is the incredible spiking of the cancer rate in many areas of this nation.  It's long past time to stop this flagrant abuse of this critical resource for life. 

John

ARTILCLE: Humans are causing massive changes to the location of water all around the Earth

Fwd: Pittsburgh should be aware . . . Amazon

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From: John H

Pittsburghers should be very aware that becoming another Seattle could be incredibly damaging to the entire structure of the city and the region should they succeed in bribing Amazon to set up HQ2 in the 'burg.  Watch out what you wish for, since you may get more than what you want.

John

Link to article, Behind Seattle's Amazon Tax 

Fwd: Why Tim Urban's talk became such an instant success

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From: Neil Gordon

While most of the top TED talks have been around for many years, Tim Urban's talk "Inside the mind of a master procrastinator" went up more than a decade later. And it's easy to understand why – Tim's talk features a homemade construct of specialized terms that satirizes the dense intellectual work of social scientists and uses a series of goofy, poorly drawn stick figures as visual aids to illustrate this construct. His theme? Procrastination. He takes the audience through how his procrastination has plagued him his whole life, including waiting until the final two days before deadline to write a 90-page thesis paper back when he was in school. He explores other ways that people procrastinate as well, and even offers an interesting idea regarding the challenges of procrastinators when they don't have specific deadlines – that procrastination is undermining the work of entrepreneurship and other self-led endeavors. But one particular way that he relates to this quality in his own life is when he tells the story of the TED people approaching him to do the very talk he was giving right in that very moment. He described how he procrastinated in doing a talk on procrastination! What this meant, other than that he gave the audience a good laugh, is that he did something that has the potential to be very powerful when putting together content as a public speaker… He connected the theme of his talk to the experience they were sharing in the room in real time. Now, this might seem like a fairly obvious observation to make. But the implications can actually be rather profound. I recently had a conversation with a client who showed me an example of a speech he gave. He speaks on the value of taking risks and trying things out even if they might not work. In his video, he told a pretty ambitious story – which was a risk in its own right. And then he lost his place in the story, even though the speech was being delivered to thousands of people. The opportunity? In a moment like that, he can connect the theme of his talk – taking a risk even if it doesn't work out – to the experience they were sharing in the room in real time. What that might look like would be saying something along the lines of, "See? Right here and now I'm taking a risk. And a case can be made that it's not exactly working out the way I wanted it to." Then, he could go on and make the larger point that is anchored by the broader scope of his message. A unique feature of public speaking as a body of content is that there are people in a room with you experiencing that content in real time. This is a departure from a book, a filmed video, or even an email like the one you're reading right now. Because you're sharing an experience with them right then and there, you have an opportunity to connect some aspect of their experience with the very message you're there to share that day. If you're speaking on the significance of finding courage, you could tap into how courageous they do or do not feel at some point in the talk. If you're talking about how to respond to unexpected moments, you could simulate a moment that the audience wouldn't expect and then check in with them on how they feel right then and there. There's a huge variety of different ways that a speaker can relate their topic to that particular audience's experience in real time. And as long as it's in support of your message, it will reinforce the power and impact of their having seen you live. To view Tim Urban's talk, click here: https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator Sincerely, Neil neilcanhelp.com

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Fwd: Book Musial Moments for your summer program

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From: St. Louis Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Foundation

Book Musial Moments for your summer program The St. Louis Sports Commission has created an innovative program fostering civility, respect and selflessness among young people in the St. Louis region. Inspired by the great Stan Musial, the organization is visiting schools and summer programs in the metro area to introduce the concept of "Musial Moments" and to instill the qualities of sportsmanship on and off the field. Presentations are led by Solomon Alexander (a.k.a. The Sportsmanship Guy), the director of the Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Foundation. Through a fun and interactive 45-minute session, students are motivated to care about sportsmanship and to be good to those around them - just as Stan the Man did during his illustrious career and life. Funding from Sports Commission supporters enables this program to be offered at no cost to participating groups. To bring Musial Moments to your school or youth organization, call 314-345-5130 or email salexander@stlsports.org. The following schools and youth organizations have hosted Musial Moments assemblies since the program's inception in 2015: Bob McCormack's Youth Basketball Camp Bayless High School (2) Fort Zumwalt High School (2) McKinley High School  Duchesne High School Great Circle St. Rose of Lima (DeSoto, Mo.) Bristol Elementary Woerner Elementary (2) Forsyth Elementary Central Elementary (Roxana, Ill.) Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club (2) Halls Ferry Elementary (2) McCluer High School Ritenour Middle Holman Elementary Robinson Elementary LeMasters Elementary Danforth Elementary Johnson-Wabash Elementary (2) Robinwood Elementary Commons Lane Elementary Sherwood Elementary Carondelet Leadership Academy Henderson Elementary Pembroke Hill School (Kansas City, Mo.) Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center The J in Creve Coeur St. Alban Roe School Hazelwood Northwest Middle Academy of the Sacred Heart (St. Charles, Mo.) St. Charles Borromeo School Shenandoah Valley Elementary Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis - Adams Park Christian Academy of Greater St. Louis Parkway South Middle St. Ferdinand School Fort Zumwalt North Middle Wohlwend Elementary Mary Queen of Peace School

St. Louis Sports Foundation, 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 500, St. Louis, MO 63103

Fwd: eNews: Baylor Regents Accept Illuminate Strategic Plan to Move Forward

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From: Baylor University <enews@baylor.edu>

Baylor Board of Regents spring meeting actions...

Baylor Regents Accept Illuminate Strategic Plan to Move Forward Board also announces new Regents; approves operating budget, five new degrees WACO, Texas – At its regular spring meeting, the Baylor University Board of Regents accepted the University moving forward with the implementation of Illuminate, Baylor's Academic Strategic Plan, and took action to approve a $660.1 million operating budget for 2018-2019, five new academic degrees and new Board members. On Thursday, Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., presented Regents with an overview of Illuminate that included the plan's foundational Four Pillars, five Signature Academic Initiatives and "Give Light," a multi-year comprehensive capital campaign to provide the resources necessary to achieve the strategic plan's objectives. Since providing an initial framework in February, President Livingstone and University academic leadership and the deans of Baylor's 12 colleges and schools have discussed and refined the plan, synthesizing input from two on-campus and several off-campus Baylor Conversation Series events and an open-ended online feedback form from faculty, staff and students. They also developed working groups for each Pillar and Initiative and continued engagement with the Faculty Senate. In her presentation, the President outlined Illuminate's Four Pillars, built on the aspirations in Pro Futuris, that Baylor will be a community recognized for: Unambiguously Christian educational environment; Transformational undergraduate education; Research and scholarship marked by quality, impact and visibility; and Nationally recognized programs in human performance through the arts and athletics. President Livingstone also announced the plan's five multidisciplinary Signature Academic Initiatives, which focus on key challenges facing society today: Health – Research and collaboration in this area will focus on environmental, family and community determinants of health, biomedical research, health policy, law, leadership and ethics, and undergraduate health and medical education. Data Sciences – Research, educational and professional training in this area will focus on biomedical informatics, cybersecurity and business analytics, with an overarching theme of ethical uses of largescale data. Materials Science – Research and collaboration in this area will focus on technologies that make products faster, stronger and lighter, providing solutions for enhanced quality of life. Human Flourishing and Ethics – Research and collaboration in this area will focus on understanding the conditions by which humans, communities and societies flourish. Baylor in Latin America – Research, collaboration and engagement in this area will focus on health and disease prevention; business development and international trade; human capital formation and education; immigration, migration and human trafficking; congregational development; democratic governance and economics; and culture and arts. "These selected 'signature' academic initiatives will amplify and expand our Christian commitment and position Baylor for leadership in fields of national importance. By strengthening scholarship, deepening learning and enhancing teaching, these initiatives will support our commitment to excellence in undergraduate education and growth in graduate education," President Livingstone said. "Collaboration is vital to finding solutions to the immense challenges facing our world. Baylor's Illuminate initiatives will be developed around areas where existing collaboration is yielding results and where continued work and additional investment will elevate the University's research profile." Following acceptance of Illuminate by the Board, Baylor leadership will establish University-wide faculty implementation teams over the summer who will work on an implementation plan and top-level metrics to measure success. "We are excited to move forward with Illuminate, as we accelerate our quest toward preeminence as a Christian research university and strategically chart our path over the next five years and beyond," President Livingstone said. Board approves operating budget, new degrees Regents approved a $660.1 million annual operating budget for 2018-2019, which includes an additional $9.9 million for scholarships – both merit and need-based – for undergraduates, graduates and professional students, and graduate assistantships. The budget supports new and replacement faculty and staff positions, merit raises and more competitive stipends for graduate assistants. The budget takes effect June 1. In addition, the Board approved five new degree programs: Ph.D. in Preaching, the only one of its kind in the free-church tradition offered at a major research university; U.S. Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing (USAGPAN), a two-phase, 36-month program culminating in a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree; Master of Arts in Teaching and Joint Bachelor of Science In Education/Master of Arts in Teaching, which allows students to earn a master's degree and an initial teacher licensure for the State of Texas; Master of Arts in Classics and Joint Bachelor of Arts/Master Arts in Classics, which will serve students interested in secondary education, including at Christian and classical schools, and students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Classics after completing the M.A.; and Doctor of Occupational Therapy, a post-professional program to transition currently practicing occupational therapists with a master's degree in occupational therapy to OTD and help meet the need for occupational therapy services in a growing range of settings. The Board also authorized the funding to negotiate and execute a contract for a human resources and financial cloud-based enterprise system. Board Leadership, Committee Chairs, New Regents Following last year's implementation of improvements and best-practice recommendations to the Board's structure and governance, Regents voted to approve officers and committee chairs, who also will serve on the Executive Committee, for 2018-2019: Re-elected as chair and vice chairs are: Joel T. Allison, B.A. '70, of Dallas, Chair; Daniel H. Chapman, B.B.A. '66, M.B.A. '73, of Dallas, Vice Chair; Jerry K. Clements, J.D. '81, of Austin, Vice Chair; and Mark Hurd, B.B.A. '79, of Redwood Shores, California, Vice Chair. "I am appreciative of the confidence the Board has placed in me as Chairman over the past year, and certainly as we look forward to the future," said Chairman Allison. "My love for Baylor runs deep, and I am willing to serve this great institution however called. We have made great progress over the past year, and there is much more to be done as we unify the Baylor Family behind the Illuminate strategic plan, which will benefit our students, faculty and the university overall." Added President Livingstone: "Chairman Allison has guided the Board over the past year with a steady hand and, as the statesman he is, worked tirelessly to bring unity and healing to the Baylor Family. He has stayed true to his four 'non-negotiables' on decision-making adopted by the Board: Will this decision keep Baylor a Christ-centered university? Will this decision stay true to our mission? Will this reflect our core convictions of what Baylor stands for? Is this the right thing to do for the right reason? I look forward to continuing to work over the next year with Joel and our Board of Regents as we implement our academic strategic plan and strategically advance the university." Elected as committee chairs: Academic Affairs – Jennifer Walker Elrod, B.A. '88, of Houston, Chair, and Alicia D.H. Monroe, M.D., of Missouri City, Texas, Vice Chair; Advancement and Development – Dan Hord III, B.B.A. '89, of Midland, Chair, and Jeff D. Reeter, B.B.A. '84, of Houston, Vice Chair; Audit – Mark Rountree, B.B.A. '86, M.T.A. '87, of Dallas, Chair, and Jill Manning, B.B.A. '84, of Dallas, Vice Chair; Compliance and Regulatory Affairs – Randy Lee Pullin, B.B.A. '82, of Houston, Chair, and Mark E. Lovvorn, B.B.A. '76, B.Acc. '77, of Dallas, Vice Chair; Finance and Facilities – Larry P. Heard, B.B.A. '80, of Houston, Chair, and Miles Jay Allison, B.B.A. '78, M.S. '80, J.D. '81, of Frisco, Vice Chair; University Leadership and Compensation – Mark A. McCollum, B.B.A. '80, of Houston, Chair, and William (Bill) S. Simon, of Rogers, Arkansas, Vice Chair; Nominating, Governance and Regent Leadership – J. Cary Gray, B.A. '79, B.Acc. '80, J.D. '83, of Houston, Chair, and Julie Hermansen Turner, B.B.A. '67, M.S.E.D '68, of Dallas, Vice Chair; and Student Life – Kim Wilson Stevens, B.S.Ed. '93, of Waco, Chair, and Dennis R. Wiles, Ph.D., of Arlington, Vice Chair. In other action, the Board elected two new at-large Regents: Michael McFarland, B.B.A. '93, Ed.D. (Educational Administration) '05, of Crowley – three-year term; superintendent of Crowley ISD; football letterwinner 1989-1992; member of The Word Church, Fort Worth; and Todd Reppert, B.B.A. (Accounting) '91, of Houston – three-year term; founder and president of Reppert Capital Partners; member of Second Baptist Church, Houston. Elected by Baylor alumni and welcomed by the Board to three-year terms as alumni-elected Regents are: Katie Jo Baumgardner Luningham, B.A. (University Scholar) '11, of Atlanta, Georgia; Judicial Law Clerk at United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit; member of Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Overland Park, Kansas; and Gordon Wilkerson, B.B.A. '82, of Lubbock; president of Wilkerson Properties; member of First Baptist Church of Lubbock. Regents re-elected by the Board to three-year teams are: J. Cary Gray, B.A. '79, B.Acc. '80, J.D. '83, of Houston – final three-year term; Dan Hord III, B.B.A. '89, of Midland – final three-year term; William (Bill) S. Simon, of Rogers, Arkansas – second three-year term; and Kim Wilson Stevens, B.S.Ed. '93, of Waco – second three-year term. Regents appointed/reappointed by the Baptist General Convention of Texas last fall and confirmed by the Board are: Rene´ Maciel, M.S.Ed. (Educational Psychology) '91, of McGregor; missions pastor, First Woodway Baptist Church; Joel T. Allison, B.A. '70, of Dallas; third three-year term; and Jennifer Walker Elrod, B.A. '88, of Houston; third three-year term. Honoris Causa Student Regents approved by the Board for one-year terms are: Will Cassara, a sophomore pre-business major, of Keller – second-term voting; and Malcolm B. Foley, doctoral candidate in religion, of Rockville, Maryland. Terms begin on June 1. "This past year has included many significant governance changes for the Baylor Board of Regents, and we have remained resolutely committed to living out Baylor's mission in all decisions that we make," Chairman Allison said. "We welcome our new Regents and look forward to having them share their experience, insight and passion for Baylor University as we focus on supporting President Livingstone, the administration and faculty and providing strategic guidance on the needs of the University and our Baylor Family." The Board also expressed its appreciation to Regents who have completed their terms of service: Bob Beauchamp of Houston; Linda Brian, B.A. '69, of Amarillo; Wayne Fisher, B.B.A. '61, L.L.B. '61, of Houston; David H. Harper, B.B.A. '88, of Dallas; past Chair Ronald D. Murff, B.B.A. '75, of Dallas; and Student Regent Hannah Vecseri, a senior University Scholar from Houston. Newly Promoted, Tenured Faculty Honored On Thursday night, Regents, President's Council and the Council of Deans gathered for a special reception and dinner in the Paul and Katy Piper Great Hall at Truett Seminary honoring newly promoted and newly tenured faculty at Baylor. Three commencement ceremonies, as well as commencement for Truett Seminary, are scheduled for this weekend, as Baylor will confer degrees upon nearly 3,000 graduates.

Baylor University  Waco, Texas 76798  1-800-229-5678