First Fruits: Fifth/Forbes corridor shows signs of progress at last

First Fruits: Fifth/Forbes corridor shows signs of progress at last The anchor for the $32 million Market Square Place project will be the Downtown YMCA, which will move from its current location on the Boulevard of the Allies. Millcraft also is planning 46 upper-floor apartments priced to attract residents earning $40,000 to $50,000 a year.

This is churn for the YMCA and YWCA. It is a net loss of space.

Aaron Russo - DEAD. He died yesterday

Ouch.

Aaron Russo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Aaron Russo (February 14, 1943 – August 24, 2007) was an American entertainment businessman, film maker, and libertarian political activist.

At Pittsburgh's BootCamp in the spring, I provided a DVD handout to people who wanted it. The DVD Handout was of Aaron's film, Freedom to Fascism.

He was way to young to die.

Do you remember the movie, The Rose, with Bette Midler?

YouTube debate among presidents has been saved. What about local debates?

The online world wears a big smile with the saving of the Presidential YouTube debate among Republicans.

We won the first battle. Because of online grassroots activists like us, we saved the Republican YouTube debate.

Now we as Republicans need to actually WIN the debate by the encouraging everyone to submit their questions, online and off. Please ask the candidates your question at:

http://www.savethedebate.com/submit.php?s=stf

And sign up to be a Video Volunteer to collect questions in your community at:

http://www.savethedebate.com/VideoVolunteer?s=stf

I can help you get your question put in to the candidates -- or put into the mix to be picked by organizers before being shown to the candidates.

But frankly, I'm a little worried about the local debate scene. When Roddey and Onorato were in a race, they gathered hundreds of times. When Murphy and O'Connor were in races, they were on TV dozens of times -- in debates and with extended interviews.

The debates must be booked NOW. They are not going to materialize, I fear.

And the next question comes, debate inclusion.

Closed for the summer

What's up with the City's outdoor swim pool at Ormsby? Yesterday was the hottest day of the summer and the pool is empty. No water?

In other open and closed news:

Kennywood will open at 5pm on Friday, August 31, but will be closed from August 27 through 30.

Kennywood will have regular park operating hours over Labor Day Weekend, as well as our September Bonus Weekends on the 8, 9, 15, and 16.

CQ Today - Hill Computers Used for Thousands of Wikipedia Edits

CQ Today - Hill Computers Used for Thousands of Wikipedia Edits Political spats, petty vandalism, cleft chins and Rep. Rahm Emanuel’s (fictional) death by shark attack — Wikipedia users on House computers clearly have a lot of time on their hands.

A new online tool has made it possible to see a full archive of edits to the popular online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, organized by the computer network from which they originated. The list of categories includes major corporations, media outlets, and, of course, Congress.

I've been watching this for some time.

Web 2.0

The Pittsburgh Comet: Crime and No Punishment

The Pittsburgh Comet: Crime and No Punishment

See my interaction with a fellow blogger, Bram. Look into the comments section.

Bram snines new light onto the Department of Public Works within the city. He gives a rather bold opinion. Check it out. My approach is more, Potter-like. And, that isn't "Chris Potter" emulation.

Return to work not easy for stay-at-home dads - Your Career - MSNBC.com

Return to work not easy for stay-at-home dads - Your Career - MSNBC.comIt appears men who make the decision to become stay-at-home dads may be in even more career hot water.

I've been a stay-at-home dad. This article cuts close to the bone.

At the outset, I'd bicker with the concept in the lead paragraph of doing nothing to update their skills.

It might be bad to stay at home and do nothing. Sure. But, I didn't. While I was at home, my resume took a serious hit. however, my skill creation efforts did not shrink.

Working on the internet and going to work on community efforts present different opportunities for establishing skills while I was an at-home dad. This overlooks the whole challenge of being an at-home dad too.

When I was an at-home dad, my professional career was jolted. No doubt. But skill crafting does not need to STOP.

The root of article says men have added problems as we try to return to work. You bet. I feel that Pittsburgh's society, by and large, doesn’t give much credit to a recent at-home dad. Some do. Many don't. Some women are the worst. There is a bit of unspoken discrimination, sad to say. But, the “unmanly” tag isn't the hurdle. Unworthy for interviews and unworthy of job offers is more of a hit than being called 'unmanly.'

“In our culture, we look at work and family issues as women’s issues and don’t acknowledge men have at least the same kind of concerns about their families.

This is where I have a strength -- issues. I care about family issues. I care about healthcare, wellness, schools, parks, pedestrian life, parenting, and -- discrimination.

We've fully accepted the uncommon family structure in our house. Sadly, the rub comes with the plug-in to the greater community and wide-perceptions, especially the media. If I gave a damn what others thought I'd be a basket case.

Men face more prejudice when they decide to return to the workplace than women do. Save the males!

Men also face more prejudice when they are in school, before the workplace, as men's swim teams at many universities are axed.

Are there firms in Pittsburgh where men take "vacation leave" instead of "Family Leave" with the birth babies?

Stay-at-home dads usually have little support. But the real need for support isn't at the workplace nor within the family. Rather, it is within the community. Few guys made the same choices. More are doing so. But we're few and far between. The support I valued the most was on the internet among other at-home dads.

I agree that it is important for men to have the support of other men. This can't be overstated. Dads need playgroups. Dads need other dads to lean upon, just as women have had for the ages. Validation isn't nearly as important as plain old fashioned tips and socialization among adults.

Men get that support from men’s groups where men get the fathering, the wisdom and the tough love they need to make unpopular decisions,” says Wayne Levine, a clinical psychologist and founding director of BetterMen.org.

The article says stay-at-home pops are in uncharted waters. That's right where I want to be. I want to make my own, original mistakes, not repeat the mistakes of others.

Sometimes being a guinea pig can play in your favor.

Podcasting to spin into action shortly. Heavy Or Not, let the round up and shake ups flow

The fall is going to be busy. Two programs are going to swing into action: Heavy Or Not, and Take Your Mark.

Blogger has some new features that give more muscle to bloggers.

This is a test. For the next 20 seconds, this blog will experience a test of the button on the far right side of the screen shot in the image below.

From signs

UPMC announces $618 million profit, fends off critics - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

This is great. Michael Lamb came out of his slumber and gave a quote to the media. Wonderful.

UPMC announces $618 million profit, fends off critics - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Allegheny County Prothonotary Michael Lamb, the Democratic nominee for city controller, wondered whether UPMC pays its fair share for city services, a recurring theme among critics. 'They do have the state law regarding nonprofits on their side, but given the fiscal situation of the city, we want to ensure everyone pays their fair share. The question is, what is their fair share?' Lamb said."

I sent an email to the reporter that wrote the article.

Hi,

I see you give ink to Michael Lamb, D, candidate against me in the controller's race. I am so glad you did. He has been absent in recent months. He has nothing to say. And, what he said in the article you published is perfect -- as it is nothing but the sound of him scratching his head wondering what in the world is going on.

If you'd like more quotes -- call me or email. I have a very close relationship to UPMC. Plus, I have a real plan that can be deployed throughout the city with UMPC and the other nonprofts.

My main running mates!

Grant and Erik get political with their t-shirts
yesterday at Idlewild Park.

Grant's t-shirt reads, "Freedom Loving Pennsylvanians support Ron Paul for President in 2008."

Erik's says "Save Ginny!"

A bunch of folks are headed to Kennywood for Ron Paul day on Saturday -- all wearing their Ron Paul t-shirts.

I'll be at the Pitt student activities fair at the Student Union. Welcome to town undergrads and graduates.

Crews Rescue Kayakers From Loyalhanna Creek - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh

Update: Comment from a parent is found within this thread.

This is sorta funny.

Crews Rescue Kayakers From Loyalhanna Creek - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. -- Emergency crews were called to Loyalhanna Creek in Westmoreland County Thursday afternoon to rescue a group of kayakers.

Channel 11 has learned that 35 freshman from Seton Hill University were on an orientation field trip when a girl began suffering from stomach cramps.

Offiicals said she panicked and then her kayak turned over. One other student was pulled from the water. They were both taken to a local hospital for observation.

No other injuries were reported. Students told Channel 11's Alan Jennings they were lost and their instructor did not know where they were going.

So, we learned that two students were lost in the woods for 45 minutes after they split from the group. Okay, lesson one, -- stay with the group. Lesson two, -- on a kayak trip, don't go walking around the woods.

I don't want to defend the kayak trip leader, but jeepers. Emergency rescue and the news crew might be "overboard" (pun intended) for a tummy ache. On the other hand, did anyone check to see if she is pregnant, given the outcome of the back to school story from Mercyhurst of a few days ago.

Story has video on the news site.

The War on Drugs get a new 'surge' with IOC plans tougher sanctions for doping cheats - Friday August 24, 2007 1:27AM

The war on drugs faces new, harsher blowback from the International Olympic Committee. What used to be a six month ban for athletes might be taken to a four-year ban.

SI.com - Olympics - IOC plans tougher sanctions for doping cheats - Friday August 24, 2007 1:27AM Rogge told a news conference Friday that such a penalty could effectively amount to a four-year ban for athletes.

Once again, the drug war is going to be a fruitless effort.

Buzzword 'bacn' clogs e-mail arteries

First published on this blog on, 23 August, 11:50 pm.

Buzzword 'bacn' clogs e-mail arteries Buzzword 'bacn' clogs e-mail arteries

Now that the word, BACN, has made it into the mainstream media on the other side of the world, I can blog my 'bacon' story about our time in New Zealand.

Stay tuned.

By the way, I dished out a little bacn myself last night. I now have 52 new friends on my LinkedIn page.

To set the stage, did you hear about the news from band camp at a Western PA school?

kdka.com - High School Band Eats Cookies Laced With Laxatives High School Band Eats Cookies Laced With Laxatives (KDKA) Some members of the Connellsville Marching Band were sickened after they ate cookies apparently laced with laxatives. Practice came to a halt on Thursday when students became ill. Former band members, who have graduated, served the batch of tainted cookies. School police are investigating and so far, school officials aren't commenting. The students who were sickened weren't seriously ill.

In New Zealand, they speak English, of course. Yet some of the words of the Kiwis are not easily understood by Americans.

For instance, going to the swim pool, you always want to bring your togs. Togs? Swim suits are called 'togs.'

While coaching swimming in New Zealand, we had a wonderful opportunity to go on a team trip in a ... stay tuned.

Mon/Fayette Expressway funding triggers debate in West Mifflin

The Daily News - Mon/Fayette Expressway funding triggers debate in West Mifflin A pitch for state and federal funding for the Mon/Fayette Expressway north of Jefferson Hills triggered a debate among West Mifflin councilors about Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato.

An interview of me -- Mark Rauterkus -- while at PodCamp Pittsburgh

blog.myspace.com/phyllostachys PCPGH2 Interview 1 - Mark Rauterkus

I've been involved and presented at all three events in Pittsburgh.

The first event was PodCamp. I talked about how I do my outreach with my give-a-way CDs.

The second event was BootCamp, geared more to the novice techie and those just starting up with blogs. I co-presented with Jen English and we talked about the landscape of political online interactions. We went from A to Z -- or Announce blast lists to wikis.

This PodCamp, in August, I presented on license issues covering Creative Commons and other open source, free, and public elements with tools, content and data.

Plan of Attack - check out David Adams, city council district 9

This is the introduction we've been looking for.

Plan of Attack - News - News - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh Dave Adams' townhouse sits at the end of a quiet dead-end street in the East Hills. As he stands outside, a couple of young neighborhood girls run up to say hello. He greets them, pats their heads and sends them back to their yard to continue playing.

Despite the calm, 'You can go right out to the end of that block and buy all the drugs you want,' says Adams, the 48-year-old CEO and founder of the Conscience Group, a community think tank that works to solve community problems and issues. 'They used to drive their cars right down in here, until one day I told them to leave this area alone.

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.

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.

Ron Paul for President 2008!

Ron Paul for President 2008!: "Ron Paul Meetup Group Growth Record"

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.