Death of a utility. The day the photos died. I miss my blogger bot!

We will live to fight another day. We will survive. But, rest in peace, dear blogger bot. I loved using the button and zipping a photo to my blog. Now I've got to do some other tricks -- or else I might need to break down and build a new widget.

March 16, the early show, with passport

Some promo is to happen with The Early Show and March 16 in Pittsburgh. Get a free trip to some place around the world.

Look to apply on the web. Gotta take the kids to school and pack for New Zealand. So, if you win, perhaps you can visit us there.

??

Pointers welcome.

County eyes storage site for new park; riverfront plan targets Atlas Self Storage land | YourPennHills.com

County eyes storage site for new park; riverfront plan targets Atlas Self Storage land | YourPennHills.com: "County eyes storage site for new park; riverfront plan targets Atlas Self Storage land

Vera Miller
Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Allegheny County officials who want to create a riverfront park have their sights set on a Penn Hills property being developed as a storage facility."

City authority OKs free parking schedule - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

This is so Jim Ferlo-ish.

City authority OKs free parking schedule - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Free parking is so romantic.

Sweethearts who travel to Downtown on Feb. 14 will be able to park for free on the first of seven parking holidays this year at the Pittsburgh Parking Authority's 5,000 garage spaces and 800 parking meters.

Free parking on Valentine's Day will be from 4 p.m. to midnight.

The other free days are Nov. 23 and the five Saturdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas: Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 8, 15, and 22. They will last all day.

Perhaps this is a the sentimental "bobble" to smoothen the jilted relationship with the public. You know. Some couples have a 'spat' and then the Mrs. gets a new family jewel. I think this happened with some NBA player who was caught red handed, right?

So, for Pittsburgh, the citizens get to feel the day-in-day-out sting of high taxes on parking -- but -- get to park for free on a few Saturdays. Sparkle season smiles.

This kiss and make up deed and news release costs $100,000.

Why not give $100,000 to the pipe dream called the Pittsburgh Promise? That's the hope that city kids will get college scholarships and only $10,000 went into the kitty.

This is weirdness as well when David Onorato starts to speak for the private parking operators. The Parking Authority is a steward of our public assets. They feel that they are entitled to give away $100,000 as they wish to who they wish. But, he has to have his head examined to say that the private parking business folks MIGHT offer a similar give-a-way.

Is this public servant going to show up in other private marketplaces and demand that others give away free trinkets too?

If he is trying to figure out the best way to serve the public then he needs to think again. The give-a-way is a positive thing for his self interest.

Here are a few free parking spots:

From merge city

From china - bike ...

Pittsburgh Penguins, National Hockey League - CBS SportsLine.com

Why do anything in public when it is so easy to be private with the spending of the public's money. As these guys jump into bed together, it shouldn't be done in the family hours of programming time. I'm happy Rendell waited until after 9 pm before he popped into the scene. But, I wouldn't mind if this courting wasn't so 'hush-hush.'

Pittsburgh Penguins, National Hockey League - CBS SportsLine.com Asked why neither side was talking - unlike the previous meeting, when Lemieux and Rendell both appeared optimistic during interviews -- Ardo said, 'We don't intend to negotiate through the media.'

Ardo said no face-to-face meetings are currently scheduled, but, he said, 'Negotiations are continuing' with an agreement hoped for 'as soon as possible.'

A surprise guest at the talks was Don Barden, the Detroit gambling casino owner who was picked by a state panel last month to build a new slots machine parlor in Pittsburgh. Barden has agreed to contribute $7.5 million a year toward the arena costs.

'I want to do everything I can to see that the Penguins stay in Pittsburgh,' Barden said.

Before the meeting, Onorato told reporters, 'We're coming down to try to finalize the deal' - the most optimistic comment any of the principals have made to date. But Onorato also cautioned it would take time to work out details such as the Penguins' lease and financing.

Back-room deals have killed this town. This one is sure to be just another milestone, if not headstone.

Purchasing merger timetable proposed

Tossing money out the window is a Grant Street sport.

Purchasing merger timetable proposed 'We've seen enough studies,' said Mr. Peduto, who is set to announce his mayoral candidacy Monday. 'We know exactly what the savings will be. ... We can't afford not to do this. It's time we stop throwing money out the window.'

The other game played there is leap-frog.

Hurry and form another task force.

Connect the dots. The one wants to buy printing with a joint purchasing department. This means that those borchures about the bulk gargage pick-up days can be with more color and gloss. One doesn't have his face on all the junk mail in the city yet -- but -- should he win he would and he'd have suburban taxpayers pay for it.

Then again there is the dog license merger thingie that was big-news in the last election. Why hasn't Peduto fixed that yet? Is he saving it for after he announces? Or, is it a low priority because Michael Lamb is only running for controller? Or, do they want Mr. Lamb to keep using his old lines for the pending cycle. Everyone loves puppies.

From china - bike

Blogging Causes Ravenstahl Incident To Hit High Water - News

Explosive. But not like thugs, right?

Blogging Causes Ravenstahl Incident To Hit High Water - News McIntire's decision to go public unleashed the explosive power of the Internet in a way never before seen in Pittsburgh's politics.

Funny quote: These blogs are not affiliated with WTAE-TV. Some of them may contain rough language. Too bad the fourth estate, the jouralist-watchdogs, don't bark with "rough language." Rough-ruff! =:0

Gotta love the headline of hitting high water. Worth a video clip. You write the caption to the video clip in the comments.

Click for short video of high water.

Political Bloggers: "Dime a dozen" says Jon Delano

Dime a dozen. Jon Delano just earned new nick-name from me. Dime a Dozen Delano.

What I post on this blog is MORE accountable than what goes out on the air at KDKA-TV because there is a "comment button" here. One can't talk back to the TV with any satisfaction.

The press is free as long as you have one. I do, too.

Marty Griffin and Jon Delano were talking about one of their own, the MacYapper. Delano said that the bloggers can say anything they want and the Main Stream Media (MSM) would never stoop so low. Giggle. It was the MSM guy, the recent KDKA-radio show host, that is taking about thug-like behaviors.

Oh well. Let me edit this audio file in the days to come.

Bar Legislation goes to City Planning Meeting - Jan 23 at 2 or so

It's called an Exhibition: Council Bill 2006-0935 – Sections 911.02 and 911.04 (Bar legislation) is the last item on the agenda for the PLANNING COMMISSION (as part of the Dept. of City Planning) at 200 Ross Street to start at 2 pm on January 23, 2007. This is the last item on the agenda, so you might not need to be there until 2:30.

MacYapper -- should be a 2 way race at the end of MAY, not day.

John posted, in part:

MacYapper ... ruminations of countless pols, hacks, ne'erdowells, scalliwags, and scumbags, it looks like it's a two person race at the end of the day. Or at least, at the end of the sentence.

The race for mayor comes in two waves. One is at the end of 'may' -- or middle in the month of May, 2007. That's the primary.

The other wave comes in November 2007.

Plenty of races are looming on the ballot this year. Any scalligwags who want to shout out here can do so. Or, send me a pointer to your site / news.

School board and municipal elections happen this year. I hope that the bench is packed and the opposition is present, for both the spring and fall elections.

4,832 Votes in Allegheny County didn't count in November 2007 election

After some digging, here is a report about the recent election.

When Allegheny County Executive says that the election went on without a hitch -- he lied.

Tim Martin, Libertarian, candidate for US Senate against Rick Santorum and Bob Casey and Carl Romanelli, got 45 votes. None were reported from Allegheny County to Harrisburg. Zero.

Carl J. Romanelli got 107 votes.

Scattered votes = 595.

For Governor, Swann lost to Rendell. Russ Diamond scored 46 votes and NONE were reported to the state. Zero.

Marakay Rogers / Christina Valente got 50 votes that were reported.

In the 14th District for US Congress, votes were given to Michael Keaton, Mike Turzi, Bob Logue and Jim Quinn -- but none were reported. The reported amount of scattered votes is 577.

In the race that I wanted to enter, PA Senate, 42nd, against an un-democratic democrate without any other opposition, Michael Diven got 29 votes, Mark Harris got 16 votes, I got 14, and 588 votes went scattered to others.

All in all, in this year's write in votes I was suprised at how poorly the Disney characters did in the totals. But, I was very impressed with the creativity of the citizen voters. But the bottom line, we're not being told. Many vote didn't count.

A summary of the scattered votes, by my count: 4,832.

Other counties report the results of every voter, vote and candidate. Allegheny County doesn't.

These insights are not going to change the course of the world. No candidate stands a chance to be beaten by scattered write in votes. But, nobody should have confidence that everything is on the up and up.

The 'fat letter' - got ink in a Trib article

The 'fat letter' - Tribune-Review "'It's a pretty flaky measurement,' said Mark Rauterkus, whose two sons, ages 9 and 11, go to Phillips Elementary on the South Side. 'I wouldn't hang my hat on it.'

Rauterkus said he has coached youth swimming for several years, and thinks a more accurate way to measure kids' fitness is looking at body fat percentage, or by physically measuring how many pull-ups a kid can do.

The doctor quoted in the article, Dr. David, is our family doctor. He says good things too.

Nice article.

Years ago I published a book, Pull Your Own Weight. The author's philosophy was to have the kids to pull-ups, or chin-ups. And, it connected with a new weight equipment device, the Total Gym. Chuck Norris has sold the Total Gym on TV info-comercials for years since then.

The Pull Your Own Weight concepts were put into practice with a group of at-risk kids at a public school in Rock Island, Illinois. They made great improvements. All the classrooms to the school had pull-up bars installed in the doorways. Kids had some special attention each week with their pull ups. Generally, the kids were assisted by an adult to complete the pull ups.

Some of the kids at the school that year got very strong. I saw the results, and this was years ago. I think, if memory serves me right, there were more than a dozen kids who could all do more than 12 pull ups. The school record climbed to 23 or some such number, way higher than anything I could ever dream of doing.

Check out the article. It is posted in full in the comments of this blog post.

As a note: It is a typical clash of cultures to have my former opponent and heavyweight senator, Wayne Fontana, quoted in the news concerning the Penguins saga and a give-a-way of more public money to the team through the cover of the venue -- while at the same time have a newspaper quote from me in an article about kids -- and FAT measurements. (See the post below.)

Rendell to meet today with Penguins on arena

Rendell to meet today with Penguins on arena No one is predicting, however, that a final accord will be announced as part of this evening's gathering.

'I think they're getting closer to a deal,' said state Sen. Wayne Fontana, a board member of the city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority, which has been involved in the talks. 'I'm confident that progress is being made.'

If the Pens get a greater share of the Mellon Arena revenues, then don't say that no new dollars are part of the deal.

Pay SMG $5-million, up front! What's up with that?

Do they just print the money and give it to SMG?

City wants Downtown blueprint for disaster. Other, better ideas offered below.

The city wants, err, ... this citizen wants no such blueprint. Naysayers say it will cost nearly $600,000 when the net result is a best-practice strategy of "run like hell."

From Paddle-kayak

City wants Downtown blueprint for disaster - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pittsburgh officials must specifically tailor their evacuation plans for Downtown to avoid the confusion that has accompanied past emergencies, the city's top emergency coordinators said Wednesday.

I would do much better than this for much less.

How about if we take the basement of the city county building an use it for storage of:

Twenty thousands of water bottles, empty.

Suitable inventory of water buffalos to fill bottles when and if needed.

5,000 bikes with helmets and handlebar baskets

From Paddle-kayak

3,000 canoes with paddles and lifejackets.

From Paddle-kayak

A dozen bells on wheels. Every toy box needs noise makers.

Hear the bell being suggested.

My plan costs $0 for the blueprint, but it is priceless. Furthermore, the plan that has a blueprint cost of nearly $600,000 has no scope of work that is understood. Their plan might still call for all the above.

Bonus package: I hear that the Eastern Mountain Sports store in Ross Park Mall is holding a going out of business sale. Perhaps the order of necessary equipment can be purchased at that sale.

Early Returns reports on example of haste making waste

Haste makes waste.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Local News - Early Returns Turns out the Pittsburgh Building and Construction Trades Council quietly endorsed the mayor in mid-December, according to its Business Manager Richard Stanizzo. Why didn't they announce it back then? 'We left that up to [Mr. Ravenstahl], to use when he wanted to do it,' he said.

Often I rant against those who do too little too late. Often nothing gets done. Generally, doing nothing is a bad option.

However, doing something that is worse than nothing is easy to do too. Here comes a low-blow from a union that needs to be understood by everyone.

The Pittsburgh Building and Construction Trades Council picked a candidate for its endorsement before a race even began.

This isn't a new practice among unions in Pittsburgh. However, it is a brazen example of a union that made the choice to not even think at all. And this union has no respect for democracy.

John Mac's Question at MacYapper gets an answer from me

MacYapper WHO'S GONNA BREAK IT FIRST?

The answer is you, John. You broke it first.

The MSM (main stream media) is less and less important. Don't hold your breath waiting for the MSM. In the end, the MSM is there to sell soap. And, at the outset of any type of coverage, the other question of, 'is this news break going to help us sell soap' gets asked. Hence, you've got the answer as to why the MSM is so silent on most instances of important watch-dog matters that have a bit of a 'bite' to them.

I've said for more than a week that the court case is a lose-lose and should have been settled. Why wait? Wait to fire the city solicitor, George Specter, then settle?

In other matters, more than $300,000 in contracts went before city council for initial approval so outside attorney fees could be secured. That's money that goes to contractors who are attorneys. There's no 'security' in that spending, if you worry about the taxpayer and citizens of the city. The question came, why even have a city legal department if they can't do the heavy lifting, legal work of the city?

I don't want my mayor, regardless of who it is, to be in a legal battle with a police commander. That isn't healthy.

Peduto won't get much wind in his sales, despite where the pope sqats. Remember, Bill Peduto taught the city about "pay to play contracts." Peduto seems to be fine with the racking up of more than $300,000 in outside legal fees. And, Peduto seems to be fine with the spending of nearly $600,000 on a contract about an evacuation plan for downtown. Those contracts are either corporate welfare or a play-to-play deals. The later, to Michael Baker Corp, goes to the firm that put the worthless, yet very expensive hole in the center of the West End Circle.

Big spenders can't benefit on the fall out of thugs who are also are known the world over as big spenders. The thuggery in contrast is not a big deal vs. the big deal spending.

Both bad habits on display (thuggery and spending) stink. But what is really welcomedis an option that isn't with such illustrations of thuggery nor spending.

Getting cold enough for some real winter fun

Introducing Table Hockey on Real Ice Introducing Table Hockey on Real Ice

How handy are you?

Issues of the hour in City Council: Prop Pgh and a $.6 M contract to M. Baker Corp for what!

My prepared 3-minute statement slated for city council chambers on transportation and PAT (Port Authority Transit) got put to the side today because of pending conversations devoted to the bills on the agenda. Preliminary talk and votes among the nine members was to come. I felt the need to express views on a pimple-faced Propell Pittsburgh legislation effort to creat a new commission in the city. Plus, a give-away to a corporation to the tune of nearly $600,000 was on tap. The expected contract approval came without a clear scope of work and centered on a silly downtown evacution plan process.

Oh my gosh. These typical yet goofy elements get chucked to city council's realm and there is only a short window of time when the public can put in its two-cents. I called on council to think again about both matters. What the heck is the administration thinking? My comments help set the tone of the meeting that followed. Both agenda points were de-railed -- or perhaps delayed.

So, I played a role by speaking and offering up the typical nay-sayer protest. But, this time, today, they listened and back-up was provided.

The Propell ordinance got push aside and will become a topic of a pending public hearing. Great. Calling for public hearings is a great way to shine more light on half-baked proposals. Getting more people engaged is always welcomed on Grant Street.

Pittsburgh needs a new commission like it needs another hole in its head. This Propell Pgh effort isn't about boats. Rather, it is for those 'propeller heads' that seem to vote with their feet and depart Pittsburgh. The sacred 'young people' are to be given their own commission from Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Humm. It didn't smell right to me. I'm trying to work to smaller and more limited government and the Mayor wants to make it bigger. No thanks. Booster groups are fine, but the booster groups should reside outside the realm of an ordinance and change to the city's code (laws).

A pre-agenda item was the approval of a new member to the Pittsburgh Clean or Green Commission. Whatever. The folks on city council didn't know what that city-sanctioned group did. Neither did the appointee, who is a a current member of the mayor's administration. Duhh.

The approval of the contract to Michael Baker Crop. got voted upon and advanced with a 3 yes, 1 no and 3 abstain margin. But, there are nine members of council. Weirdness prevailed instead of the regular white-washing.

(More to come shortly.)

Urban Farming - series of free lectures and events with CMU

Starting on Thursday, January 18, 2007, series of talks at Carnegie Mellon University focus on topics related to urban farming (permaculture, local economies, youth development, and technologies), endocrine disruption, and environmental justice.

The lectures are gratis (no charge). These talks make great food for thought and seeds for discussion and local action.

Reconnecting Our Farms, Food, and Community

A Partnership with the Urban Farming Initiative of Pittsburgh Urban Farming talks are all from 5:30 - 7 pm in Rangos 1 & 2, University Center at CMU.

Thursday January 18, 2007 -- Pittsburgh: Urban Food Forest of the Future?
David Jacke, Author and Ecological Designer, Dynamics Ecological Design, Greenfield, MA http://www.edibleforestgardens.com/

Healthy forests are self-maintaining, self-fertilizing, and self-renewing. Edible forest gardens mimic such natural forests, but can grow food and other products, provide meaningful jobs, and improve people¹s health and the quality of urban life. Since cities are ecosystems like any other, food forests can also teach us how to redesign urban communities for greater abundance, health, and integration. The lessons are simple and practical, yet profound, the possible results astonishing.

Tuesday February 13, 2007 - Creating Livelihoods from Greenhouses and Forest Gardens
Jerome Osentowski, Director of the Central, Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, Basalt, CO - http://crmpi.org/

I will show from my own experience how we have created a viable commercial culinary and medicinal herb and salad green business within the understory of a forest garden and in greenhouses. The other business we have created and will be talked about is the edible landscape nursery which includes our heritage fruit tree collection.

These will all be presented within the framework of permaculture ethics and principles.

Tuesday March 20, 2007 - Urban Farming with Youth
Patricia Gray, Executive Director, The Food Project of Boston, Lincoln, MA - http://thefoodproject.org/

The Food Project has been farming with young people for more than 15 years. For ten of those fifteen years, we have farmed in Dorchester and Roxbury, two low-income neighborhoods in Boston, MA. We now farm on two and a half acres, including a rooftop site. The food we grow on our urban farms is distributed through three streams: farmers’ markets, donations to hunger relief organizations, and our kitchen and culinary businesses. This workshop will focus on The Food Project’s work in the City of Boston—finding and procuring usable land, distributing local, fresh food to those who have little access to it, working in a community, running successful farmers’ markets and involving youth in all aspects of this work.

Tuesday April 24, 2007 - High Tunnel Technology: A Tool for Economic Development, Job Creation, and Increased Quality of Life through Urban Agriculture
Dr. William James Lamont, Jr. Professor of Vegetable Crops, Department of Horticulture, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA - http://plasticulture.cas.psu.edu/
http://www.sare.org/highlights/2004/tunnels.htm

High tunnels are one of the components of season extension technology. They are not conventional greenhouses, but like plastic-covered greenhouses, they are generally quonset-shaped, constructed of metal bows that are attached to metal posts which have been driven into the ground about two feet deep. They are covered with one layer of 6-mil greenhouse-grade polyethylene, and are ventilated by manually rolling up the sides each morning and rolling them down in early evening. There is no permanent heating system although it is advisable to have a standby portable propane unit to protect against unexpected below-freezing temperatures. There are no electrical connections. The only external connection is a water supply for trickle irrigation. They are used to extend the growing season and a high tunnel without any supplemental heat in Pennsylvania can produce crops from March until early December. Since 1998, and the founding of the High Tunnel Research and Education Facility at Penn State, a wide variety of vegetables, small fruits and cut flowers have been successfully grown
in high tunnels. Crops are either grown in permanent raised wood framed beds or in ground using plastic mulch to warm the soil and help control the weeds. In the urban environment, due to the high levels of heavy metals in the soils the use of raised beds with new soil is practiced.

High tunnels offer the opportunity to take vacant land in urban environments and create jobs while ensuring a continuous supply of nutritious vegetables and small fruits and cut flowers that can be marketed to the local communities or to restaurants, farmer markets and other retail outlets. These activities will increase the quality of life in those communities and offer entrepreneurial opportunities and
careers in all phases of urban agriculture.

Endocrine Disruption:
Extending Rachel Carson's Legacy
Distinguished Lecture Series in Environmental Science, Technology, and
Policy
These talks take place from 4:30 - 6PM in the Adamson Wing, Baker Hall
136A.

Monday February 5, 2007 - A Revolution in Environmental Health Sciences:

New Opportunities to Prevent Genetic Diseases, John Peterson Myers, CEO and Founder, Environmental Health Sciences

Monday February 12, 2007 - From Silent Spring to Silent Night: Hermaphroditic Frogs, Breast Cancer, and Pesticides

Tyrone Hayes, Associate Professor, Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley

Monday March 5, 2007 - Environmental Challenges to Human Fertility: Three Case Studies

Shanna Helen Swan, Professor, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dept. of Environmental Medicine, and Dept. of Community and Preventive Medicine School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester

Thursday April 12, 2007 - Lessons from the Swamp: Contaminants, Alligators, & Your Reproductive Health

Lou Guillette, Distinguished Professor of Zoology, Associate Dean for Research, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida

Environmental Justice
The LaPaglia Ethics Lecture
4:30 - 6PM Adamson Wing, Baker Hall 136A

Friday March 30, 2007 - Nanotechnology, Environmental Ethics and Environmental Justice

Ronald Sandler, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Senior Researcher in the Nanotechnology and Society Research Group, Northeastern University

Getting to the talks:
Free parking is available on campus after hours (very simply, in the lot at Forbes & Morewood, and with gates and card-machines in the parking garage a bit closer to the University Center -- but the open lot is not far, either, just drive in off Forbes on the west side of the intersection and go left through the open gates). Many city buses stop at that intersection, as well; check out

To find the U.C., look at the tall sculpture accurately named "Walking To the Sky" from Forbes avenue, and the U.C. will be on your left. Inside the building, look up and you'll likely see signs above the corridors; the Rangos rooms are on the second floor. Google map. Click on "hybrid" in the upper right-hand corner of the map to see the campus up close and personal (yes, you can even see people. The current image appears to predate Walking To the Sky, though.).

Baker Hall, where the non-farming talks will be held, is on Frew Street near the Hunt Library.

Health Care: www.dividedwefail.org

The SEIU (union), AARP, and Business Roundtable are launching a partnership to reform health care. SEIU's President Stern will stand with Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP, and John Castellani, President of the Business Roundtable, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. to announce the formation of the Divided We Fail partnership today. The groups represent more than 50 million and are joining forces to influence the political debate on health care reform and long-term financial security for working people.

Webcast of the event slated for 2 pm today.

Los Angeles Times has coverage of the partnership in today's edition. Full-page ads announcing the launch are in major national newspapers this week.

More about the campaign, www.dividedwefail.org.