A vote for new machines The panel charged with reviewing Allegheny County's voting system says the county should consider buying new machines if it can't adapt the existing ones.
But the members of the Allegheny County Citizens Elections System Advisory Panel have said that voting machine companies are changing products so quickly that it is best to watch the market for a while rather than doing anything immediately.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
A vote for new machines
Here is another Dan Onorato screw up. He did the wrong thing. He did the wrong thing despite others telling him what the right thing to do was.
BABY TALK and the arrival of "The Golf Fairy"
BABY TALK: "luke worms around ethics. "Big blog posting. This blogger tries to make it to the end of the P-G article with a dance among Luke's twisted logic without exploding his head in the process.
"The only thing of value I received was knowing I played a small part in seeing the work of the foundation will continue," he said.
I hate to break it to you, Luke, but you played no part in seeing the work of the foundation continue. The continuing of the foundation's work comes from the money that golfers and sponsors pay to participate in the tournament. You, as you've already told us, couldn't afford to pay that kind of money. So UPMC and the Penguins paid it for you. Which means they played a small part in seeing that the work of the foundation will continue. You played golf and stalked celebrities and skipped public hearings. For free.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Carbolic Smoke Ball: PEDUTO JOINS FORCES WITH iJUSTINE FOR PITTSBURGH REFORM WEB SITE
Carbolic Smoke Ball: PEDUTO JOINS FORCES WITH iJUSTINE FOR PITTSBURGH REFORM WEB SITE: "Next up for the City Councilman: a Foreign Policy Think Tank with LonelyGirl15 and a couple of YouTube lip-syncers"
George Phillies for President | George Phillies
George Phillies for President | George Phillies George Phillies for President Most Americans know the truth. America is in deep trouble. We are on the wrong track.
* This year, the budget deficit is over $700 billion. We are selling our grandchildren into debt slavery.
* Civil liberties are collapsing. Bush Republicans ignore our civil rights.
America needs answers. The Libertarian Party has those answers: Answers true to our traditions. Answers that will bring us Peace, Freedom, and Prosperity.
Do you know what Bacn is? Hint: It is sorta like spam, but different.
The term got legs at Pittsburgh PodCamp 2.
Charles' Purchasing Certification Blog: How Bad Is Golfing With Suppliers?
Another blogger, but from another industry, Purchasing, sounds off on the Mayor's folly with ethics from on the golf course.
Charles' Purchasing Certification Blog: How Bad Is Golfing With Suppliers? Ravenstahl's 'but-mommy-said-it-was-OK' defense isn't exactly making him look real sharp right now.The take home message:
When I teach conflict of interest in purchasing, I always caution my students to avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest. Even if certain activities with suppliers may not bias your decision-making, others may have the perception that they do. And that can be just as harmful to your internal influence as a real conflict of interest.
An update from Ron Paul, candidate for President of the United States
Not all the media are biased. A local newspaper in New Hampshire reported on an annual GOP bbq in the town of Hollis. It could be called "the Ron Paul show," they said, since the far bigger crowd that usual consisted mostly of our supporters. One volunteer even rented an airplane and flew a wonderful sign around the sky. What great, creative, self-starting people I'm meeting, at every stop, all of them united by a love of America and American freedom.
Politics is usually about division. But this campaign is just the opposite. Not only are our volunteers a bunch of happy warriors, but they also practice the virtues of tolerance and peace, just as they want the nation to do.
The other day, the state chairman of an opposing campaign (not in New Hampshire!), angrily tore a sign out of one of our supporter's hands and trashed it. Different people with different beliefs might have responded differently. But our people, though they'd been standing in the rain all day, applied the Golden Rule. It's because of quiet heroes that I know we can change this country.
A reporter in New Hampshire told me this story about Florida: she had seen the same three supporters working every day passing out our literature, and so decided to interview them. She was startled to discover that one was a Republican, one was a Democrat, and one was an Independent. But I wasn't.
Freedom brings us all together. We can all agree on leaving people alone to plan and live their own lives, rather than trying to force them to obey at the point of a gun, as runaway government does. Instead of clawing at each other via the warfare-welfare state, people under liberty can cooperate in a unity of diversity.
There is no need to use government to threaten others who have different standards, or to be threatened by them. Looking to our Founders, our traditions, and the Constitution, we can build, in peaceful cooperation, a free and prosperous society.
At a talk show in Nashua, New Hampshire, the host asked me about the fair tax. Well, I agree on getting rid of the IRS, I told her, but I want to replace it with nothing, not another tax. But let's not forget the inflation tax, I said.
This was something she had never considered, but after I talked about the depreciation of our dollar by the Federal Reserve, its creation of artificial booms and busts, and its bailouts of the big banks and Wall Street firms, to the detriment of the average person, she loved it. That is another tax, she agreed, a hidden and particularly vicious tax.
They try to tell us that the money issue is boring or irrelevant. In fact, it is the very pith of our social lives, and morally, Constitutionally, and economically, the central bank is a disaster. Thanks to the work of this movement, Americans are starting to understand what has been hidden from them for so long: that we have a right to sound and honest money, not to a dollar debauched for the special interests.
Unconstitutional government has created a war crisis, a financial crisis, a dollar crisis, and a freedom crisis. But we don't have to take it. We don't have to passively accept more dead soldiers, a lower standard of living, rising prices, a national ID, eavesdropping on our emails and phone calls, and all the rest.
We can return to first principles, and build the brightest, most brilliant future any people on earth has ever aspired to. Help me teach this lesson. Help me campaign all over this country, in cooperation with our huge and growing volunteer army. Help me show that change is not only possible, but also essential. Please, make your most generous contribution (https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate/) to this campaign for a Constitutional presidency worthy of our people. Invest in freedom: for yourself, for your family, for your future.
Sincerely,
Ron
Don't let the rain come down. Onorato is stuck in a sand trap and can't get out. Flooding folly.
Little white balls on the golf course roll downhill, like other things. Little white lies are another. So does sewage.
Sometimes it is great to be from "the heights" and not where I live, also known as "the flats." A letter to the editor in today's Trib is used as a springboard to talking about 'why' and 'how' some approach problems and solutions. The outcomes I desire are different.
The older communities and the river towns are getting stomped upon by the more suburban communities. Millvale got crushed. Carnegie, in the past, got crushed with water.
How that happens should be understood. And, why it has been allowed to happen also must come into focus. On these later questions, Onorato shows his folly and lack of insight.
Onorato understands 'what happened.' But, Onorato can't get a grip on 'why' and 'how' and even the more simple 'when' and 'where' issues.
Onorato says, "stop subsidizing development in flood-prone watersheds." The first three words are great. Yes, we should stop subsidizing development. Do not use government money to subsidize any development anywhere.
Onorato wants to put the brakes on the subsidization in "flood-prone watersheds." Yes, that is partly right. However that is exactly what Onorato has NOT done. Onorato and County Council pushed for a TIF in a flood-prone watershed, a wet-land, called "Deer Creek Crossing." They wanted to put in a new strip mall in a marsh. I said no. I went to County Council's meetings to fight the TIF. I said that project should be stopped. Onorato and the vast majority of those on County Council was in favor of the tax-payer give-away to the developer for putting buildings, road and parking lot in a marsh.
Thankfully, others protested too. The Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network took up the side I was on and sent messages to deny the TIF at Deek Creek Crossing too. Other voices joined in as well. Objections were raised, in public. This was a few years ago. Onorato was County Executive. Onorato didn't object.
We won that battle. Deer Creek Crossing did NOT proceed. I have a fleeting understanding that the protesting didn't matter much. Rather, the deal fell down because of finance issues with the developer, building matters and perhaps even some common sense marketplace wisdoms.
Onorato wants to put together a map of Allegheny County and identify flood-prone watersheds. Dan, maps don't look into the future. Dan might need some tea leaves to sprinkle about on top if the maps -- in a hard rainstorm.
People are needed for the reading of the maps with the wisdom to understand the potential for flooding. Wisdom is necessary.
But in Onorato's world, put a subsidized development on a greenfield on a hill would be okay for a few reasons.
1. The new development wouldn't flood. It is on a hill. The developer will install rain water run offs. The rain water run offs will be paid for by part of the subsidy.
2. The new development's environmental changes are seen as progress to Onorato. Progress is good. But, to Onorato, way better than "good progress" is new development that hinges upon the buy-in, err, buy-off of political cronies to insure that those deal gets done.
Onorato needs to be the czar of the Sim City Game. He wants to be the one who makes the map. He wants to be the pivot person. He wants to be able to bend the lines and rules to show the flexibility and progress as long as the campaign donations are in his favor.
Onorato wants to have appointment powers among cronies to give blessing for deals. Onorato wants to go to the groundbreaking with a hard hat and shovel as bad as Mayor Ravenstahl wants to play golf.
Presently, properties get flooded and the county's tax incomes go down the drain (pun intended). With new "rain water run off watershed mobilized tax inspectors" reporting to Onorato, Onorato will be able to penalize and punish in indiscriminate ways.
Wonder if the Angry Drunk Bureaucrat is already working on job descriptions or at least going through the Rolodex finding family members to fill those posts.
The letter to the editor:
I favor building upon our urban density, not suburban sprawl.
The purpose of government is to govern, as in working to make sure that the electronic voting machines really work. We need people in government to worry about the basics, such as the constitution, not pie-in-the-sky strip malls.
Onorato, Rendell, and before them, Tom Murphy, stink at the creation of sustainable marketplace jobs and overall wealth creation for the citizens of the region. Their performances are not to be copied nor made into a model for others to copy.
Sometimes it is great to be from "the heights" and not where I live, also known as "the flats." A letter to the editor in today's Trib is used as a springboard to talking about 'why' and 'how' some approach problems and solutions. The outcomes I desire are different.
Flood control - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review As Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato acknowledged during his recent tour of Millvale, it is widely accepted that upstream development is a significant contributing factor to downstream flooding. We cannot undo the decades of building that has increased the magnitude and frequency of flooding. However, we can buck the trends that continue to make it worse.Bingo. Onorato frames the problem well.
The older communities and the river towns are getting stomped upon by the more suburban communities. Millvale got crushed. Carnegie, in the past, got crushed with water.
How that happens should be understood. And, why it has been allowed to happen also must come into focus. On these later questions, Onorato shows his folly and lack of insight.
Onorato understands 'what happened.' But, Onorato can't get a grip on 'why' and 'how' and even the more simple 'when' and 'where' issues.
Onorato says, "stop subsidizing development in flood-prone watersheds." The first three words are great. Yes, we should stop subsidizing development. Do not use government money to subsidize any development anywhere.
 |
| From planning-urban |
Onorato wants to put the brakes on the subsidization in "flood-prone watersheds." Yes, that is partly right. However that is exactly what Onorato has NOT done. Onorato and County Council pushed for a TIF in a flood-prone watershed, a wet-land, called "Deer Creek Crossing." They wanted to put in a new strip mall in a marsh. I said no. I went to County Council's meetings to fight the TIF. I said that project should be stopped. Onorato and the vast majority of those on County Council was in favor of the tax-payer give-away to the developer for putting buildings, road and parking lot in a marsh.
Thankfully, others protested too. The Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network took up the side I was on and sent messages to deny the TIF at Deek Creek Crossing too. Other voices joined in as well. Objections were raised, in public. This was a few years ago. Onorato was County Executive. Onorato didn't object.
We won that battle. Deer Creek Crossing did NOT proceed. I have a fleeting understanding that the protesting didn't matter much. Rather, the deal fell down because of finance issues with the developer, building matters and perhaps even some common sense marketplace wisdoms.
Onorato wants to put together a map of Allegheny County and identify flood-prone watersheds. Dan, maps don't look into the future. Dan might need some tea leaves to sprinkle about on top if the maps -- in a hard rainstorm.
People are needed for the reading of the maps with the wisdom to understand the potential for flooding. Wisdom is necessary.
But in Onorato's world, put a subsidized development on a greenfield on a hill would be okay for a few reasons.
1. The new development wouldn't flood. It is on a hill. The developer will install rain water run offs. The rain water run offs will be paid for by part of the subsidy.
2. The new development's environmental changes are seen as progress to Onorato. Progress is good. But, to Onorato, way better than "good progress" is new development that hinges upon the buy-in, err, buy-off of political cronies to insure that those deal gets done.
Onorato needs to be the czar of the Sim City Game. He wants to be the one who makes the map. He wants to be the pivot person. He wants to be able to bend the lines and rules to show the flexibility and progress as long as the campaign donations are in his favor.
Onorato wants to have appointment powers among cronies to give blessing for deals. Onorato wants to go to the groundbreaking with a hard hat and shovel as bad as Mayor Ravenstahl wants to play golf.
By the way, once Ravenstahl matures, he'll out grow golf. Look to Luke to turn to pursuits. His ambitions will swing him to become a "dirt-turning deal maker and kingpin" like his 'upstream boss.'3. Onorato can call for "routine inspections." Politicians hate doing the "routine" but love the "inspection" element. Making an invasion, in-your-face, notification of owners of record and dishing out fines, charges, extra taxes are turn-ons for tax men. To create jobs where slackers can hang, yet still have inspection powers makes them happy. Then, when a storm brews, they spring to action.
Many local "D-party" politicians choose to go one of two ways. It is as if they have two different watersheds that are clearly visible within the D-party politician personality map. They choose to go dance at the country clubs with golfing buddies who want to do big-time development deals. Or, they go to bingo halls and mingle with seniors, bringing ice cream and sheet cakes. With the seniors politicians promise whatever the seniors crave.
Presently, properties get flooded and the county's tax incomes go down the drain (pun intended). With new "rain water run off watershed mobilized tax inspectors" reporting to Onorato, Onorato will be able to penalize and punish in indiscriminate ways.
Wonder if the Angry Drunk Bureaucrat is already working on job descriptions or at least going through the Rolodex finding family members to fill those posts.
The letter to the editor:
Flood control Wednesday, August 22, 2007I stand for the elimination of all subsidization deals to developers.
As Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato acknowledged during his recent tour of Millvale, it is widely accepted that upstream development is a significant contributing factor to downstream flooding.
We cannot undo the decades of building that has increased the magnitude and frequency of flooding. However, we can buck the trends that continue to make it worse.
For example, stop subsidizing development in flood-prone watersheds. Identify and map flood-prone watersheds in the County Comprehensive Plan and deny public funding that facilitates development there.
Do routine inspections of water detention facilities to ensure that they are functioning as designed. If they are not, notify the owners of record to restore them to their original condition. Funding for the program could come from fees to the municipalities, developers and landowners in the interest of public safety.
Protect large woodland masses as part of a watershed land-use plan. When woodlands are replaced by an equal amount of asphalt, runoff volume can be up to 50 times greater.
A one-time investment in woodland and flood-plain protection can pay dividends for generations and eliminate recurring flood damage and repair costs. Allegheny Land Trust is currently mapping highly functional natural lands that absorb storm water.
These are a few ideas that can be part of a flood prevention strategy that addresses the problem at its source.
Roy Kraynyk, Moon
The writer is executive director of Allegheny Land Trust.
I favor building upon our urban density, not suburban sprawl.
The purpose of government is to govern, as in working to make sure that the electronic voting machines really work. We need people in government to worry about the basics, such as the constitution, not pie-in-the-sky strip malls.
Onorato, Rendell, and before them, Tom Murphy, stink at the creation of sustainable marketplace jobs and overall wealth creation for the citizens of the region. Their performances are not to be copied nor made into a model for others to copy.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
If you don't count the two rounds of golf, Luke is right. But blindspots are now what we need from our mayor.
Luke said, "This was not a gift to me -- I received nothing." It would be different if I was the [beneficiary] of $9,000. I wasn't.Luke played two rounds of golf. That was his benefit. He was the beneficiary.
What about the goodie bag? Did anyone ask. Has that been returned?
Luke didn't benefit -- except for the golf.
Luke told the truth -- except for the lies.
Luke, you should have been a caddy for First Tee participant. Luke could have been sure that he didn't benefit by giving the opportunity to another who would NOT ever have such an opportunity.
The First Tee program could have easily held a skills contest. Figure out who had the best attendance. Give that as a reward. Get a referral from a coach and take a budding athlete to the tournament with you. Let that person play the round. Be a mentor. Bow to someone else. Lend a hand in service.
It would have been different if Luke insured that the $9,000 benefit was targeted to and at a less advantaged golfer he accompanied.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Blow Hard Dean
The storm is now at Cat 5.
No sign of fellow blogger, Matt H. His vacation in Mexico must have been a wash out, sadly. Is he home or headed home yet?
Pointers or insights welcomed on him, fellow Pittsburghers, storm news and whatever goes in an open thread like this.
No sign of fellow blogger, Matt H. His vacation in Mexico must have been a wash out, sadly. Is he home or headed home yet?
Pointers or insights welcomed on him, fellow Pittsburghers, storm news and whatever goes in an open thread like this.
District 3 Election Guide - News from the past
Blast from the past:
District 3 Special Election Guide - News
Mark Rauterkus (L)
Mark Rauterkus grew up in Penn Hills, moved out of state for a few years, and then moved back to Pittsburgh in 1990.
The South Side resident said that part of his motivation for running for council is that the city is in a big crisis, and he believes children have been ignored.
Rauterkus, who has two children, said that if elected to council, he would like to chair the Committee on Youth Policy and the Citiparks Committee.
One of the things that Rauterkus would like to accomplish is to restart the Pittsburgh Marathon.
He would also like to integrate additional programs into the city's neighborhood parks. 'There's a lot to be done there,' Rauterkus said.
Rauterkus is a swim coach for the Carlynton Swim Club. He said he would like to acquire funding to open more of the city's pools, which have been closed at times because of budget cuts.
Rauterkus added that he is dedicated to his campaign 'for the long haul.' If he does not win this election, he plans to build a network of volunteers and issues. 'Whoever does win might only be there for a year and half,' Rauterkus said. 'They're going to have me to contend with next week.'
Senior Staff Writer Laura Jerpi
Sunday Forum: Redefine Pittsburgh
Talk about the future happened in the Sunday paper, at the Cognitive Dissonance blog, and soon in a report. Links include, so far:
The Burgh Report: "Deadline: October 19, 2007 In Sunday's PG, Duquesne University Chancelor John E. Murray Jr. called out Luke Ravenstahl on government reform. He makes a number of strong points."
My post in a thread about this from another blog:
The Ds around here are very good at the creation of new taxes -- not new residents, nor new private sector jobs, nor new scholars, nor new company neighbors.
A merger to work needs to be more like a wedding / marriage. Both sides need to bring something to the endeavor. Presently, the city offers little value to those in suburban reaches -- other than a big headache. The little boat of Allegheny County can't be a life-raft for the sinking ship that is the city.
The city needs to get its act together. The city needs to get a grip. The city needs to get its house in order. Then -- AFTER that has been done, real talks of mergers can proceed.
Bailout mergers suck.
As a city and county resident, I don't want my county to take on the burden of the city. And I live in the city. Both will sink then.
So, we've got to fix the city first. And, those in office now can't. They won't because they don't have the capacity to do so. And, more to the point of my campaigns, others in line with D endorsements don't have a foggy idea as to what to do in these areas either. They (Kraus, Lamb, Burgess, Harris, and of course Luke) are not going to lead the city to better outcomes.
Peduto says that there isn't even a reform agenda being talked about by those on Grant Street and in turn, in his party. To him, the Reform Pgh Now hype is to start the reform agenda discussion. Jeepers.
We can't 'reform until AFTER we replace and redirect.' Then reform. Then merge.
Case in point: The Pgh Public School District is too big. It doesn't match well with any of the suburban districts. One could take the ONE School District approach for the entire county -- as they do in the South. But, this might do wonders for Beaver, Butler and Westmorland. I say chop up with horizontal cuts the PPS.
But, we don't have good metrics on the schools -- because (in part) the D controllers and A+ have fumbled.
We are lagging and sagging -- everywhere. Tossing a few of them out of office will do much to perk up the city with real talk of purpose and vision.
Sunday Forum: Redefine Pittsburgh The Sunday P-G article.
Cognitive dissonance in Pittsburgh and beyond John Murray, Duquesne University’s un-elected city/county official at large, is getting out ahead of the soon to be released Nordenberg committee’s report, trying to spin what he believes will be in the report and what he believes will undoubtedly be counter-spun for weeks after the report’s release (that’s what I am taking away, anyway).
The Burgh Report: "Deadline: October 19, 2007 In Sunday's PG, Duquesne University Chancelor John E. Murray Jr. called out Luke Ravenstahl on government reform. He makes a number of strong points."
My post in a thread about this from another blog:
The Ds around here are very good at the creation of new taxes -- not new residents, nor new private sector jobs, nor new scholars, nor new company neighbors.
A merger to work needs to be more like a wedding / marriage. Both sides need to bring something to the endeavor. Presently, the city offers little value to those in suburban reaches -- other than a big headache. The little boat of Allegheny County can't be a life-raft for the sinking ship that is the city.
The city needs to get its act together. The city needs to get a grip. The city needs to get its house in order. Then -- AFTER that has been done, real talks of mergers can proceed.
Bailout mergers suck.
As a city and county resident, I don't want my county to take on the burden of the city. And I live in the city. Both will sink then.
So, we've got to fix the city first. And, those in office now can't. They won't because they don't have the capacity to do so. And, more to the point of my campaigns, others in line with D endorsements don't have a foggy idea as to what to do in these areas either. They (Kraus, Lamb, Burgess, Harris, and of course Luke) are not going to lead the city to better outcomes.
Peduto says that there isn't even a reform agenda being talked about by those on Grant Street and in turn, in his party. To him, the Reform Pgh Now hype is to start the reform agenda discussion. Jeepers.
We can't 'reform until AFTER we replace and redirect.' Then reform. Then merge.
Case in point: The Pgh Public School District is too big. It doesn't match well with any of the suburban districts. One could take the ONE School District approach for the entire county -- as they do in the South. But, this might do wonders for Beaver, Butler and Westmorland. I say chop up with horizontal cuts the PPS.
But, we don't have good metrics on the schools -- because (in part) the D controllers and A+ have fumbled.
We are lagging and sagging -- everywhere. Tossing a few of them out of office will do much to perk up the city with real talk of purpose and vision.
Pregnant athlete OK'd to play just before giving birth
Pregnant athlete OK'd to play just before giving birth A pregnant Mercyhurst College student-athlete passed a sports physical and was cleared to play volleyball two days before giving birth, police said today.I know volleyball. I published books on volleyball. Women's college volleyball isn't the place for a women who is six, seven, eight or nine months pregnant. I think that is fair to say.
The 18-year-old sophomore, whose baby was later found dead in her on-campus apartment, participated in what police called a 'light workout' the day before the Aug. 12 birth -- even though investigators would later determine she was 39 1/2 weeks pregnant at the time.
How can the coaches not see what's up with her?
How can a doctor not see?
I'm glad that the NCAA does not have a policy on barring pregnant athletes. Fine. But this birth seems to be a mystery to everyone involved.
NCAA rules require physicals for first-time college sports participants. In subsequent years, student-athletes can just update their medical information to remain eligible, Ms. Dent said. Okay. Perhaps she was a sophomore. I think that was what was reported. Okay, perhaps she had not had her first practice. Perhaps she skipped. I don't know.
Frankly, I don't care much about the policy investigation as I do about the care of the player / student / woman. And, I care for sanity.
I hope that common sense did not die -- as did the baby.
Software tool promises 1-click colonialism | The Register
This weekend at PodCamp, I gave a bit of a 'holy war' rant against some rather big-boy players in the realm of new media.
One guy talked to me in the hallway after the presentation and said, 'Man, you've got a lot of nerve to trash on both the Creative Commons and producers at THIS event.
"Yep. I felt as if I went behind enemy lines in a holy war today -- to scout around and do some recon."
Here is another pointer to another angle on this global topic of 'rights' and 'payments' and how one can really make a living.
One guy talked to me in the hallway after the presentation and said, 'Man, you've got a lot of nerve to trash on both the Creative Commons and producers at THIS event.
"Yep. I felt as if I went behind enemy lines in a holy war today -- to scout around and do some recon."
Here is another pointer to another angle on this global topic of 'rights' and 'payments' and how one can really make a living.
Software tool promises 1-click colonialism | The Register: "The music industry has a long and shameful history of robbing black artists of their rights. Now along comes some new software that will help speed up the job. Think of it as a sort of 1-Click 'non-payment' system. Liblicense is a project that Creative Commons hopes to integrate with MIT Media Lab's OLPC, or One Laptop Per Child initiative. That's the rubbishy sub-notebook designed for developing countries, that developing countries don't seem to want very much. The genius of the move is that instead of needing to hire shifty lawyers to bamboozle artists out of the right to be paid, Creative Commons makes the process not only voluntary, but automated, too. Liblicense will greatly ease the process of assigning a Creative Commons license to creative material straight from the desktop.
Cleaning up Pittsburgh - Pennsyltucky Politics
Cleaning up Pittsburgh - Pennsyltucky Politics: "There's a new reform group in town, or at least in Pittsburgh. Reform Pittsburgh Now will have to change its name if it gets bored and decides to pick on folks in Harrisburg, Philadelphia or Tyrone. We imagine they'll find plenty to keep them busy for a while."Who is going to open the next new site? It could be called one of the following:
Bill Ogden has a fine statement about 'reform.' Often the word 'reform' gets tossed around so much that in the end reform is deformed.
I don't want to 'de-form' Pittsburgh.
An constant buzz in Pittsburgh isn't 'reform' -- rather it is enforcement. We have lax enforcement on many fronts. A site, Pittsburgh Enforcement could be of interest. Then what is lax in one area is brutal in another. Those in city hall are happy to make new enforcements, such as with cat licenses. But they want to give free passes to cronies.
My biggest statement about reform concerns the sequence. I'd rather not reform until after we replace. Those who are in office present the worst possible actors for making future reforms.
We need to:
1. Replace
2. Redirect
3. Reform.
That sequence, with reforming at the end, is important.
Ranked as 10th in the state, other net ponderings
In this week's listing of the top 20 PA Political Bloggers, Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates is 10th. Yesterday at PodCamp, it was funny to hear how the contemporary history of Pitsburgh political blogs. My blogs and internet days were reported to have started in the 1970s, so said Bram of the Pittsburgh Comet.
In the early times, there were only two blogs, said Matt. Rauterkus.com and 2PJ. I was nice to get the nods.
The theme of Bram's statement was that the bloggers are now a force that shape the mainstream media coverage. Journalist read the blogs. The blog content is showing up in the coverage. Themes from blogs then run on the evening news and with both the Trib and P-G. Blogs have become a hot source and the bloggers keep more honesty in the coverage. Bloggers that don't get it right are told so.
There is much more 'peer review' with bloggers than with newspapers and tv news. So, when something that isn't 'spot on' gets published, doubts are raised with comments and at other blogs.
Bram gave an interesting take on the value of blogs in these times.
Another way of putting those concepts into action is to say that the bloggers have been providing a wake-up call for the watchdogs. Or, some might say the bloggers are now effective pests to the now-no-longer-slumbering watch dogs.
For years I've been hard on the local media about coverage I've seen that isn't accurate, balanced and as insightful as it could be. People have told me to NOT pick on those who buy ink by the barrel.
Pittsburgh needs, and democracy needs, a viable Fourth Estate. Journalism matters. I'm a J-School (Journalism School) graduate. Pittsburgh's trouble has come, in part, from the poor coverage from the local media.
One guy in the final PodCamp session was all about 'blame' and hitting upon the media. He was funny. Plus, his remarks hit home for me.
There was one person from the P-G at the final session. Who was that? Were there others from the P-G in throughout the event?
The Trib's Sunday paper had a great article on the event.
In the early times, there were only two blogs, said Matt. Rauterkus.com and 2PJ. I was nice to get the nods.
The theme of Bram's statement was that the bloggers are now a force that shape the mainstream media coverage. Journalist read the blogs. The blog content is showing up in the coverage. Themes from blogs then run on the evening news and with both the Trib and P-G. Blogs have become a hot source and the bloggers keep more honesty in the coverage. Bloggers that don't get it right are told so.
There is much more 'peer review' with bloggers than with newspapers and tv news. So, when something that isn't 'spot on' gets published, doubts are raised with comments and at other blogs.
Bram gave an interesting take on the value of blogs in these times.
Another way of putting those concepts into action is to say that the bloggers have been providing a wake-up call for the watchdogs. Or, some might say the bloggers are now effective pests to the now-no-longer-slumbering watch dogs.
For years I've been hard on the local media about coverage I've seen that isn't accurate, balanced and as insightful as it could be. People have told me to NOT pick on those who buy ink by the barrel.
Pittsburgh needs, and democracy needs, a viable Fourth Estate. Journalism matters. I'm a J-School (Journalism School) graduate. Pittsburgh's trouble has come, in part, from the poor coverage from the local media.
One guy in the final PodCamp session was all about 'blame' and hitting upon the media. He was funny. Plus, his remarks hit home for me.
There was one person from the P-G at the final session. Who was that? Were there others from the P-G in throughout the event?
The Trib's Sunday paper had a great article on the event.
Pittsburgh conference draws budding bloggers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pittsburgh conference draws budding bloggers"
OwnTerms, legal document templates for use and remixing
Get a free pass to sidestep a laywer in the establishement of various terms and conditions for web sites, blogs and other entrepreneur efforts.
OwnTerms OwnTerms is designed as a repository for “boilerplate” legal documents: those that every web site, startup, or entrepreneur needs but doesn’t want to draft in a lawyer for. All the documents on OwnTerms are licensed under a Creative Commons license, enabling anyone to take them and edit them for their own use provided certain conditions are met.This just opened. Perhaps you can upload your t&cs (jargon for terms and conditions) to that site.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Star-Telegram.com | 08/19/2007 | Are words dangerous?
Star-Telegram.com | 08/19/2007 | Are words dangerous? Are words dangerous? Texas prison officials wouldn't let a man on Death Row read Jackie Robinson's words, saying that to do so might lead to 'strikes or riots.' By DAVE ZIRINI hate the death row. I hate capital punishment.
The state makes so many mistakes in so many parts of its operations, that I'm sure that it has made some 'fatal mistakes' in the past. The best way to make those mistakes non fatal is to not kill anyone in prison.
That's my observation. Go read David's article if you care about life, sports, literacy and the final ticks on the clock.
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