Friday, September 29, 2006

Friday night -- football and that

Book signing by South Side resident, Dane Topich, is slated for 7:30 pm on Oct. 5 at Joseph-Beth Booksellers (2705 E. Carson Street).

Lifelong South Sider and local author Dane Topich will be signing copies of his book - Ultimate Pittsburgh Trivia.

In the spirit of local trivia, what Pittsburgh clock is twice the size of London's Big Ben?
Tonight the bridge was packed with folks watching Brashier and Perry battle at South Stadium.

Country Western fans got to hear a free concert in the massive surface parking lot at South Side Works, behind the REI. We were going to try to go. Oh, well. How did it turn out, if you went.

Carlynton had its homecoming game tonight. Lots of high school football action was everywhere -- and the traffic always comes to a grind on these nights.

South Side Sabers play a homecoming game on Saturday at South Vo Tech's stadium


Sabers gather to listen to coach.

Get into some big time little league football if you don't have a date for the Pitt game against Toledo. Check out the South Side Sabers as their teams play on Saturday, September 30. The games occur throughout the day. Our pal, #49, has a game that start sat at 1:30. The action this week is at South Side's Cupples Stadium, next to South Vo Tech, 9th Street and East Carson.

This is the Sabers homecoming and the only game they play in the stadium. His team is 4-1.

CollegeSwimming.com talks of Annie Nemith

CollegeSwimming.com: Providence College

With no scholarship money and little representation at the Big East championship, Providence swimmers simply compete for the love of the sport. In fact Providence only sent one athlete in Annie Nemeth to the conference championships. The senior to be competed in three events at the meet, including the 200 IM, 100 and 200 breaststroke. Nemeth placed 34th IM with a time of 2:12.07, 33rd in the 100 breast with a time of 1:08.56, and 22nd in the 200 breast with a time of 2:25.42. Not too bad considering she was the lone representative. Nemeth returns this year and looks to be back, but this time to compete for a spot in the finals.
Annie has been a coach and swimmer in our league and team. You go girl! Have a great senior year.

The Pennsylvania Progressive: Ballot Reform

The Pennsylvania Progressive: Ballot Reform Ballot Reform

The Centre Daily Times agrees with us about the undemocratic law barring third party candidates from the ballot. This editorial calls it crazy:

In other words, a third-party candidate who collected more than 58,000 valid signatures still cannot get his name on the ballot to run for statewide office this year in Pennsylvania. That's insane.

While a loyal Democrat I'm also a democrat. I believe in democracy, with all its faults. I believe a candidate who gets 20,000 petition signatures as Russ Diamond did should be on the ballot. A man like Carl Romanelli who has 58,000 valid signatures being thrown off the balot is insane, as the editorial board at the State College paper says.

America: Freedom to Fascism -- and The Guardian

Two new movies are out and are worthy of mentions:
America: Freedom to FascismAMERICA: FREEDOM TO FASCISM ... is the film that F/9-11 aspired to but failed to be.
I never saw the F/9-11 flick. But the Freedom to Fascism one is such a strong Libertarian one that I'll go out of my way to see it -- or even help to insure that it plays somewhere locally. Perhaps we can get that at the South Side Works cinemas.

Another movie just out today is a Coast Guard movie called, The Guardian. The previews of that are very interesting. Given our love of water this is a 'must see' for my sons and I. We are drawn to the macho swimming scenes.

I've read on the net that many of the swimmers used in the movie as extras were recruited from Division I college teams -- Auburn, Alabama, etc.

I don't know if we'll have the time to get to The Guardian this weekend, but I'd love to hear about it from others. My #2 son is only 8 years old and the movie is PG13. Plus, my wife isn't interested in nightmares nor a fear of the water.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Saints and the Superdome - Monday Night Football -- armchair america scores big time on replay

A must read, if you ask me.
Saints and the Superdome Saints and the Superdome

Dave Zirin

ALL CANDIDATES FOR MINNESOTA GOVERNOR AGREE TO NATION'S ONLY STATEWIDE ONLINE DEBATE

MINNESOTA GUBERNATORIAL E-DEBATE TO RUN OCTOBER 9TH - 19TH

GRAND RAPIDS, MN (September 28, 2006) The era of YouTube(TM) and MySpace(TM) meets Minnesota's strong civic tradition of innovation, thanks to a new online debate with the gubernatorial candidates co-sponsored by Blandin Foundation and E-Democracy.Org.

The Minnesota Gubernatorial E-Debate will take place online from Monday, October 9th through Thursday, October 19th. Minnesotans can participate directly in the gubernatorial campaigns by using the Internet - including video, audio, pictures, and plain texts - to submit questions and share their views with candidates and fellow citizens.

The E-Debate is designed to promote and facilitate substantive, interactive, in-depth public discussions of candidate positions and proposals.

All of Minnesota's official gubernatorial candidates appearing on the November ballot formally have confirmed their participation in the debate, including:

* Governor Tim Pawlenty, Republican Party
* Attorney General Mike Hatch, DFL Party
* Peter Hutchinson, Independence Party
* Ken Pentel, Green Party
* Leslie Davis, American Party
* Walt Brown, Quit Raising Taxes Party

The E-Debate, along with E-Democracy's comprehensive non-partisan, comprehensive collection of election links is located online at:

http://www.e-democracy.org/mnelections

Minnesotans are encouraged to email questions to the candidates via e-mail immediately, or by October 10th for the second round of questions, via: e-debates@e-democracy.org.

The candidates have agreed to address four major themes and 10 short answer questions over the two week debate period. Unique to the other debates, a portion of the e-debate will focus on broadband/Internet-related questions.

Along with text responses, candidates have the option to provide their Opening Statement in video via the YouTube.com video sharing service. Candidates also may record their rebuttals into audio podcasts, and also provide links to content related to their answers.

Voters may participate by submitting text questions and by using the new "Voter Voices" section of E-Democracy's web site to share their own video, audio, pictures, blog posts, links, and discussion forum messages across popular online services (for example, Flickr.com for photos, YouTube.com for video, blog posts via the Google blog search, etc. Minnesotans are invited to view an integrated, dynamic presentation of all of this material on a single web page at:

http://www.e-democracy.org/voices

E-Democracy's Board Chair and debate host, Steven Clift, will summarize debate results and responses at a statewide conference, "Next Generation Broadband: Policies, Practices, and People Practices," to be held in Alexandria, Minnesota, October 18-19th. For more information, or to register for the conference, visit http://www.blandinfoundation.org, or contact Denise Pfeifer, Minnesota Rural Partners; at dpfeifer@minnesotaruralpartners.org , 507-828-5559.

The E-Debate is made possible through the generous support of the Blandin Foundation and its Broadband Initiative.

The Blandin Broadband Initiative is designed to raise awareness about the value of broadband, catalyze broadband use and to encourage public and private investment in rural broadband capacity. It is led by an 18-person strategy board representing private and public sector partners and stakeholders.

Blandin Foundation, Minnesota's largest rural-based private foundation is located in Grand Rapids, MN. Its mission is to strengthen rural Minnesota communities, especially the Grand Rapids area, through grants, leadership development programs and public policy initiatives.

E-Democracy.Org is a non-profit, non-partisan, volunteer-based project whose mission is to expand participation and build stronger democracies and communities through the power of information and communication technologies and strategies.


For more information contact:

Steven Clift
E-Debate Host and Board Chair, E-Democracy.Org
clift@publicus.net
612-203-5181

Becky LaPlant
Blandin Foundation
bllaplant@blandinfoundation.org
218-327-8764

*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://DoWire.Org ***

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

MTV Think News - Contentious Clinton Interview Lights Up Web — But Few Are Talking About Issues

Hide and seek videos at You Tube and with Fox News. Somethings are just too hot for you. Don't touch.
MTV Think News - Contentious Clinton Interview Lights Up Web — But Few Are Talking About Issues The interview was riveting television. But if you were searching YouTube for it after Monday afternoon, good luck. Clips of the contentious back-and-forth were removed from YouTube at Fox News' insistence — and even Fox News' own Web site wasn't providing an unedited version of it online as late as Tuesday morning (September 26), although the full interview was back on the Fox News site by Tuesday afternoon.

So what gives? Why bury an interview that everyone — including nearly every Fox News show that followed — is talking about?

That's what Zach Gates, 21, would like to know. The University of Pittsburgh student and webmaster of the Hanlon's Razor political blog said he got an e-mail on Monday from YouTube informing him that his two-part post of the Clinton/ Wallace interview had been taken down because the site had been informed by Fox News that it was a copyright infringement. Gates, who posted videos from CNN and MSNBC onto YouTube as well as other Fox News shows, speculated that Fox News planned to sell the interview, or buried it because of the 'smackdown' Clinton gave Wallace.

Gates said this is the first time he's seen such a concentrated effort to get a video taken off YouTube. 'If you do a search on YouTube right now you'll find thousands of clips from Fox News that go back months with tens of thousands of views,' he said on Tuesday morning. 'My concern is that by taking down the full interview, you can only see sound bites and talking heads talking about it, without context. So they're deciding without reporting.'
The interview was worthy watching.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Councilman Pushing For More Pittsburgh Recreational Areas

ThePittsburghChannel.com - News - Councilman Pushing For More Pittsburgh Recreational Areas Pittsburgh has 26,000 acres of parks and recreation areas, but city councilman Jim Motznik wants more.

Motznik introduced two resolutions in council to add 500 new acres of greenway space to Frick Park, along with other city parks and public areas.

Among the neighborhoods that would have bigger greenways are Oakland, Southside, Hazelwood and Mount Washington.

Motznik said Pittsburghers need more areas for relaxation and family activities.
Jim, our problems are not space nor hardware problems. Rather, we have software and programming problems. That is where the focus should be put.

But, I expect I'm speaking Greek to Jim.

The Forbes Fund special event for nonprofits

An event is cooking for CMU -- and details are in the comments. Oct. 26 at CMU in the afternoon. A seminar and awards event. They do a nice job.

I won't attend as I'm with the kids and coaching.

Titus North for Congress -- He sticks to ballot after a long battle from good-for-nothing un-democratic democrats

Undemocratic democrats aim to kills this nation's democratic legacy and are shameful. We're sending our sons, daughters, husbands, wives and neighbors into harm's way around the world to spread democracy. However, there are too many here at home that just don't get it. They are power hungry and not worthy of serving the public interest.

Titus North, former candidate for Mayor, jumped through hoops all summer to get onto the ballot. Then came the attorneys with more challenges throughout August and September.

Congressman Doyle, I've got a problem with your values. Sure, Doyle backed off. Right. The call down happened weeks to late. The back-down happened after the signature challenge was proven to be bogus and fail. Mr. North was to prevail so Doyle called off the dogs. Jackass, donkey, friend of royalty, enemy of democracy -- all fit to say the least.
Status of the challenges to the petitions of Titus North, Green, for US Congress

August 20, 2006 - 2:00 am

As many of you know, the petitions submitted by Green Party senatorial candidate Carl Romanelli have been challenged by the Democrats. What you may not know is that my petitions were also challenged. I want to make it clear from the start that ALL my petitions were circulated by local Green Party volunteers and not a single one of my signatures was collected by the petitioning firm contracted by Mr. Romanelli. Moreover, the tedious and time-consuming review of my petitions has made it plainly obvious to everyone involved that no fraud was involved in the collection of my signatures and the required number of registered voters in the district signed my petitions. Mike Doyle has been decent enough to pledge that he will not try to disqualify any signatures from registered voters in the district based on technicalities, so my place on the ballot seems assured. Still, the process of inspecting the challenged signatures line by line may take weeks. What this clearly demonstrates is that signature requirements for ballot access are unreasonably high. Thanks to everyone who has helped with the effort of insuring that voters will get a choice this November.


It's final -- Titus North to be on the ballot

September 21, 2006 - 6:27 pm

On September 13 Congressmen Mike Doyle called Titus to tell him that he has instructed Bob Casey's lawyers to withdraw that challenge that had been filed against Titus' nomination petitions. This came following more than four weeks of line-by-line verification of the signatures on the petitions by Titus and his tireless volunteers. The signature review proved that Titus had enough valid signatures to appear on the ballot and that the majority of the signatures challenged by the Democrats were perfectly valid, without even technical errors.
The Titus North site is, VoteNorth.org.

Share you knowledge about the Nov. 7 special election for City Council

We Wiki Wildly

Tell us what you know and put it on the wiki.

http://69.36.175.17/wiki/index.php/Pgh_City_Council_district_1

Sums up life in PennsHELLvania! Joke...

Have you heard the one about the Senator who dies and then gets to see St. Peter. The Senator is given a choice between heaven and hell...
Click the comments to read the joke.

Pop-Up Playback of video of Jennifer. Endorsement for Mark


Meet Jennifer Madge, a supporter of candidate, Mark Rauterkus.

This is one of the new files recently uploaded at Rauterkus.blip.tv.

Spanish Teacher -- not at International Middle School -- come on

This just in.... and edited slightly.
Frick's Middle School (in Pgh Public Schools) hosted its PSCC (Parent School Community Council thingie) extra meeting this morning to discuss the Frick action plan for 2006. Before the meeting began, Mr. Walters (principal) announced that the long term sub in Spanish had been pulled and was being sent to Allderdice High School.

The only justification that I can see to pull a language teacher from Frick to send to another (non-international studies) school is if the teacher is being offered a full time contract as opposed to a long-term sub position. I have called and left messages at both the parent hotline and the World Languages Office (Dr. Thekla Fall) to get some clarification on the situation.

When we met with Mr. Roosevelt (Pgh Public School's Superintendent) and Dr. Spampinato (Academic boss of Pgh Public Schools) in August 2006, we discussed the importance of the administration making a commitment to the international studies schools, especially in the areas of language instruction. Languages are an integral part of the Frick education and it is difficult, if not impossible, to maintain the program if qualified language teachers are being taken away. As of this morning, human relations did not have a qualified replacement.

We need to make our position very clear to the people making personnel decisions. We MUST have QUALIFIED language teachers in the international studies program.

I think we have quite a few action people on this email list who probably have better ideas than I on the action that would be most effective at this point. This is one more opportunity for the International Studies cluster to show its strength and commitment to our program. I will pass along any additional information that I receive.
Outside a school building in China.
SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT AT THE JCC IS THIS EVENING FROM 7-9 PM. Each year in the fall, the Jewish Community Center holds an information evening with representatives from the public and private schools in the area. Hopefully, the elementary magnets will be represented.

Allegheny Institute hosts an event on Thursday at PAA

You should try to attend.
Allegheny InstituteConference on Improving The Western Pennsylvania Economy on Thursday September 28th. Panel discussions will address the problems of the state’s pro-union laws, tax problems faced by Pennsylvania’s business, and how business leaders can help advance important initiatives. Speakers will include Pat Toomey from the Club for Growth, national public sector union expert David Denholm, and Jim Roddey, the first elected Chief Executive of Allegheny County. The conference will be held at the Pittsburgh Athletic Association in Oakland from 8:30AM to 12:30PM. For more information please contact us at 412.440.0079.
We've all got to fight against Western PA's Tunnel Vision. These guys at the A.I. do it better than most, if not the best.

Jon Delano hosts a discussion tonight at 9 pm on TalkShoe

Talk Shoe.... or in this photo, it is bike shoe.

I'm enjoying the tech application, Talk Shoe. Tonight Jon Delano hosts his 4th program and conversation there at 9 pm. I'll try to tune in if I can.

Grassroots PA -- new design and greatly improved

Giant Drum at a drum tower in China. A bell tower is nearby in the other direction in the courtyard. Looking at a fancy drum is nothing like hearing it.
I've not been to Grassroots PA . com since mid-August when I pulled myself out of the race for PA Senate, until today.

They did a good overhaul there. Now posts from readers to the blog are permitted, again.

I would like to be put on the blog roll, Chris. Call it Rauterkus, or Mark Rauterkus, or Mark Rauterkus and Running Mates: http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com.

And Chris, I'm a little pissed, still, at the lack of any props from you in mid August when I pushed to you some news exclusive on my pending trip to Harrisburg. The papertrail and evidence that goes through my state senator's office concerning my ballot access opportunity should have been put to light in your domain then. Perhaps you were doing the blog overhaul then and had to bench yourself.

GrassrootsPA Judge: Romanelli To Be Thrown Off Ballot. Romanelli Attoney: No Ruling Yet. AND: PA Supreme To Rule On Signature Threshold. ALSO: Santo

GrassrootsPA � Judge: Romanelli To Be Thrown Off Ballot. Romanelli Attoney: No Ruling Yet. AND: PA Supreme To Rule On Signature Threshold. ALSO: Santorum/Romanelli Debate Russ Diamond
Posted Monday, September 25, 2006 at 3:01 pm

If this sticks, there will never be another statewide candidate who is not an R or a D. The Dems have sunk to appalling depths to disenfranchise voters and the clueless and corrupt judiciary is backing them up.
FOLKS, the Ds said he is off the ballot -- and he isn't really off the ballot. The Ds lied, again. Undemocratic Ds suck.

Incumbent Party fixin's (letter to editor by Mark Crowley)

Two party blockheads as shade looms larger.
As a Libertarian Party member, I think the election reform article on the Presidential Funding Act of 2006 ("Incentives can fix campaign financing" by Bill
Bradley and Marty Meehan, Opinion and Commentary, Sept. 24) needs another headline.

Try "The fix is in again."

The Presidential Funding Act of 2006 is the latest protection "fix" for the bipartisan Incumbent Party (i.e., Democrats and Republicans). Prior fixes include:

BiCRA (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act) protects incumbents by limiting free speech before elections. It restricts challenger parties with regulations to which the Incumbent Party is more immune.

Pennsylvania's 2006 ballot-access signature requirements paralyze statewide challenger parties. Compare 67,000 signatures required for third-party challengers to only 2,000 for Incumbent Party candidates.

The Help America Vote Act mal-aligned the election process so even balloted candidates might not be properly counted. What chance do challenger type-ins
(write-ins) have?

Given the direction of the country and that the Incumbent Party has controlled the White House and the Congress for generations, I can see why they need to "fix" it again.
Source.