Our 2007 Christmas Letter is about to hit the mailbox

Rauterkus Family

108 South 12^th Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15203

(phone #s nuked for website)

Dear Family and Friends:

We hope this letter finds you happy and healthy and reflecting on a great 2007 while looking forward to more growth in 2008.

This year began with time, visits and energy devoted to the Maine/Boston area as we said goodbye to Catherine’s father. Two memorials celebrated Grandpa's life. Later in 2007, we celebrated the other end of life's spectrum a birth and baptism. Our sons have 15 cousins now.

We lived in Christchurch, New Zealand throughout May and early June. Words and pictures can barely describe the beauty and our excitement for New Zealand. Catherine taught (assisted by two Pitt graduate students) at the University of Canterbury. I got to coach "full time" for the Wharenui Swim Team (pronounced "fair –a –new–ee"). Erik and Grant swam and competed for this team. We rode bikes everywhere, saw penguins walking on the beach, and enjoyed multiple Lord of the Rings Tours! Visit http://picasaweb.google.com/mark.rauterkus for some pictures of the NZ trip.

This was a massive year for home renovations. The roof and entire 3rd floor room and deck was taken off and replaced while we were in New Zealand. Catherine’s Mom was 'project manager' and her overseeing this project from across the street was a huge help. The new third floor gives us a “Great Room” to match our view that overlooks Pittsburgh's skyline. The whole house (siding, some interior walls, flooring, kitchen, lights, paint) has got attention. Uncle Bob and cousin AJ were wonderful to help with insulation and office area floors. Come by and visit with us, and get a tour this old house. Catherine’s Mom had us at her house for a month of meals as the kitchen and dining room were being recreated.

Politically, we worked hard to build "opposition" and insure few would get elected without opposition. Libertarians with various running mates, (myself in two ballot positions) built teamwork. My goal was to give voters a choice and to create an atmosphere that would demand debates with discussion of issues. All in all, many goals were largely met, including the netting of 7,000 votes within a frugal budget.

It was fund to help organize and celebrate: 30th reunion of the Penn Hills High School, three weeks water polo camp, a July 4 biathlon (5K run + 1K swim); local swimming (of course) and more personal fitness for myself as we are now members at the JCC (with a health club).

Both of our boys are in the double digits: Erik, 13; and Grant, 10. Both doing well with great schools, great friends, swimming fast, and home in newly renovated bedrooms! On Saturdays the boys take their violins to Xtreme Strings to play rock, jazz and fiddle tunes with some electric and improv. Both love it.

Our very best wishes to you and yours in 2008!

Mark, Catherine, Erik and Grant

Thirty minute video, in two parts, slated for IOWA, now that the tea-party has put wind (major gusts) into the sails of freedom

part 1:

part 2:

Paul’s Haul, Redux

• For the second time this quarter, a supporter-organized “money bomb” has helped Ron Paul break the single-day online fundraising record, this time raising more than $6 million in one day (the first effort, on November 5th, raised more than $4.2 million online in a day). Led by Paul supporter Trevor Lyman and timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, Ron Paul’s Tea Party ‘07 marshaled supporters to contribute to what the Politico’s Kenneth P. Vogel called “arguably the largest single-day fundraising haul in U.S. political history.”

• Ron Paul Graphs, the site that’s tapped into the Paul campaign’s own fundraising data to produce dozens of graphs and charts, produced an impressive donation arc that shows donations kicking into high gear around 8am ET yesterday, and tailing off at midnight. “Dan B.,” the supporter who runs the site, puts the final online number at $6,043,022.96, from 59,170 donors.

• The Washington Post’s Jose Antonio Vargas points out that Paul is the only candidate this year, Democratic or Republican, “to increase his fundraising haul with every quarter, raising $640,000 in the first quarter, $2.4 million in the second, $5.1 million in the third.” He’s raised an astonishing $18 million this quarter, more than tripling last quarter’s haul and beating out his campaign’s goal of $12 million by Dec. 31.

• Meanwhile, all we’ve been talking about is money. But the haul is a representative of a massive voter-generated movement. Some supporters have quit their jobs, moved to New Hampshire, blogged, made videos, and obsessed about data. PBS’s NOW produced a good piece about Paul and his zealous supporters, including Tea Party organizer Trebor Lyman. It includes a part of an interview with techPresident’s Zephyr Teachout, the full text of which was posted last week.

---

Update from Ron Paul:

December 17, 2007

What a day! I am humbled and inspired, grateful and thrilled for this vast outpouring of support.

On just one day, in honor of the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, the new American revolutionaries brought in $6.04 million, another one-day record. The average donation was $102; we had 58,407 individual contributors, of whom an astounding 24,915 were first-time donors. And it was an entirely voluntary, self-organized, decentralized, independent effort on the internet. Must be the "spammers" I keep hearing about!

The establishment is baffled and worried, and well they should be. They keep asking me who runs our internet fundraising and controls our volunteers. To these top-down central planners, a spontaneous order like our movement is science-fiction. But you and I know it's real: as real as the American people's yearning for freedom, peace, and prosperity, as real as all the men and women who have sacrificed for our ideals, in the past and today.

And how neat to see celebrations all across the world, with Tea Parties from France to New Zealand. This is how we can spread the ideals of our country, through voluntary emulation, not bombs and bribes. Of course, there were hundreds in America.

As I dropped in on a cheering, laughing crowd of about 600 near my home in Freeport, Texas, I noted that they call us "angry." Well, we are the happiest, most optimistic "angry" movement ever, and the most diverse. What unites us is a love of liberty, and a determination to fix what is wrong with our country, from the Fed to the IRS, from warfare to welfare. But otherwise we are a big tent.

Said the local newspaper (http://www.thefacts.com/story.lasso?ewcd=36475b4d132fc0a1): "The elderly sat with teens barely old enough to vote. The faces were black, Hispanic, Asian and white. There was no fear in their voices as they spoke boldly with each other about the way the country should be. Held close like a deeply held secret, Paul has brought them out of the disconnect they feel between what they know to be true and where the country has been led."

Thanks also to the 500 or so who braved the blizzard in Boston to go to Faneuil Hall. My son Rand told me what a great time he had with you.

A few mornings ago on LewRockwell.com, I saw a YouTube of a 14-year-old boy that summed up our whole movement for me. This well-spoken young man, who could have passed in knowledge for a college graduate, told how he heard our ideas being denounced. So he decided to Google. He read some of my speeches, and thought, these make sense. Then he studied US foreign policy of recent years, and came to the conclusion that we are right. So he persuaded his father to drop Rudy Giuliani and join our movement.

All over America, all over the world, we are inspiring real change. With the wars and the spying, the spending and the taxing, the inflation and the credit crisis, our ideas have never been more needed. Please help me spread them https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate in all 50 states. Victory for liberty! That is our goal, and nothing less.

Sincerely,

Ron

Tea Party -- sure to leave other R candidates with a hangover, again

To minimize traffic on RonPaul2008.com, please monitor the Tea Party
progress on one of these sites:

http://paulcash.slact.net/?save_the_republic=true


http://ronpaulgraphs.com/

These concepts of freedom have legs. America still cares! Politics matters to many.

Go Ron Paul!

What Does Freedom Really Mean? — Ron Paul

What Does Freedom Really Mean? — Ron Paul 2008: We’ve all heard the words democracy and freedom used countless times, ...

YMCA to add second Downtown site

So sad to say, if there is one thing that UPMC has messed up over the years -- it is fitness. UPMC has stumbled in this area so much that it must be scared to step onto the treadmill.

YMCA to add second Downtown site At the U.S. Steel Tower, the Downtown Y will team with UPMC, which is moving its headquarters into the city's tallest skyscraper, to operate a wellness center.

To partner with the Downtown YMCA is "interesting."

It might be a nice perk for the top brass at UPMC. How nice for them.

Would have been nice to see UPMC team with the Pens and get a real fitness and community center in The Hill as part of the CBA (Community Benefits Agreement) or in Uptown by Mercy.

It would be nice if the UPMC facility on the South Side had access -- as promised in our CBA -- before CBAs were called CBAs. Twice a month -- 24 times a year -- the community is to have access to the indoor football practice facility. Camps, competitions, community expos and a wide range of other things -- run by community organizations and leaders -- do NOT happen there.

So, who thinks this is true?

With UPMC, which will start moving in this spring (2008), nearly 10,000 people will work in the U.S. Steel Tower alone.

Is that saying UPMC will have 10,000 workers in USX or that there will be 10,000 workers in USX including some from UPMC?

This is what the Downtown YMCA should be doing more and more of. Taking care of downtown workers is not the core mission of the YMCA.

Breast training with Coach Gong in Chengdu, China. View Video

breastroke training in China View Video

Transportation blog points to Glenn's recap from SEPTA and PA's top court

Transportation Glenn reports with a recap of transfers in Philly.

Situation on saving Schenley and getting better high school reform

From Nick Larda:

Good evening everyone. My name is Nick Lardas. I am a resident of Oakland and am here to speak again as concerned parent, taxpayer and voter.

I came to ask you to stop spending on engineers and consultants to implement the current High School reform program until it can be more thoroughly studied and to save Schenley High School at Schenley High School.

One month ago without a complete plan in place and without allowing for public input, you voted, despite the protest of taxpayers and students, to proceed with spending money to dismantle Schenley High School and Frick Middle School, two of the most successful schools in Pittsburgh and to recombine them into three experimental 6-12 high schools. The only reason given for putting 11 year olds in the same school with 18 year olds is to reduce the school to school transitions from 2 to 1. You used as a major part of your argument justifying your decision that Schenley required $65-$80 million for asbestos abatement and restoration work which the school district could not afford and instead would spend about $50 million to create your experimental schools. You bolstered your argument with the claim that the plaster at Schenley was loosing its adhesion on a large scale.

Three weeks ago you posted on one of your many web sites limited information from the architects and engineers you hired to study Schenley High School.

I’ve reviewed that information and as a civil engineer who runs a restoration contracting business have come to a different conclusion than you have.

* The plaster is not experiencing adhesion failure throughout the school. It is failing where it was damaged by water leaks.

* The partial remediation/restoration option is the best value for the school district and will cost between $37.8 & $42.4 million depending upon whether you include air-conditioning or not and will upgrade the school for the next 30 years. There is no justification for the more expensive restoration if the money is not there.

* Asbestos abatement and demolition combined constitute only between 5 and 15% of the total costs depending on which option you look at.

* The renovation work needed at Schenley comes as no surprise to the board. The ventilation system was shut over 12 years ago and has yet to be fixed.

Of the letters and reports from October 2007 only one is based on actual materials testing. Wiss, Jenney, Elstner Associates made a visual inspection of the school and tested actual plaster samples. Page 6 of their report they states “The water penetration likely resulted in damaging the interior plaster finishes, some of which may not have been identified and repaired”. On page 7 referring to the plaster repairs of this past summer they state “It is likely that the current repair program identified the majority of damaged plaster that existed for some time” In other words, when your roof leaks or a water pipe bursts it damages your plaster ceiling and wall. If you don’t fix it eventually it falls down. Once you go around the house and find all the damaged plaster and fix it, it will stop falling down. There is no emergency.

Since the new reports show no fact based information that anything about Schenley’s physical structure has changed drastically since Astorino’s 1/31/06 Schenley High School Evaluation Study, I would like to point out some of conclusions scattered throughout that report.

On page one of the Asbestos Risk Analysis section they state “The plaster, overall is in good to excellent condition”.

One page 4 of the asbestos abatement section they state “However, if the capitol budget is limited, the alternative of minimal ACM remediation/removal, enclosure and encapsulation should be pursued”.

Your own reports show there is no sudden emergency and that Schenley can be restored for costs well below your alternative schemes.

Schenley High School & Frick Middle School work. For the sake of our children you cannot afford not to fix Schenley. Fix Schenley the building. And spend the savings to improve the programs in Schenley High School & Frick Middle School.

Respectfully Submitted by: Nicholas D. Lardas

Luke is against direct kickbacks to those who didn't ask for them

Luke leaves at the end.

Community Master Plan --- you won't be qualified to write it about your community!

PM Update: I'm glad to see other bloggers have found this video too.

They are hungry at the European Short Course Championships: Lazslo Cseh Downs Second World Record in IM

I.M. Hungry.

Lane 9 News Archive: European Short Course Championships: <font color=red>Flash!</font> Lazslo Cseh Downs Second World Record in As Many Days

Posting splits of 54.93, 1:54.24, 3:02.97 on the way, Hungary's Laszl Cseh became the first sub-4:00 man in the event as his 3:59.33 knocked more than a second off his global standard of 4:00.37 set in Trieste in 2005.

This gives the US Men, such as Phelps, some competition. The world is swimming very fast in advance of the Olympics. It is going to be an interesting year for international swimming.

Locally, best of luck to the swimmers who are in the annal Pitt Christmas Meet. It started today and goes throughout the weekend. Many of the region's top swimmers participate.

Best wishes for Coach Jay and the team in Somerset who is also hosting its first big prelims and finals meet there. I tried to get Jay to consider some interesting twists to that meet format -- some we picked up from New Zealand Swimming.

I'd love to see us do Adam & Eve races. That is a two-person relay based off the results of the 50-free. The fastest boy finalist is coupled with the 8th (if in an 8 lane pool) fastest girl. Second with seventh and so on. Kids from different teams mix it up in the same relay. Kids decide who goes first, boy or girl. Then one race in each age group is held. Prizes were given as well.

Pittsburgh being considered for Amsterdam flight, group says - Pittsburgh Business Times:

Pittsburgh being considered for Amsterdam flight, group says - Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh International Airport is 'on the short list' of airports under consideration for a direct flight to Amsterdam to be operated by Northwest Airlines/KLM alliance, according to a local group focused on air travel.

My wife and I expect to go to Amsterdam, for the first time ever, this May.

Letter to Editor: Real ID (ouch) and Ron Paul (yes)

Mark Crowley, fellow Libertarian, of Plum, wrote:

I had a LTE today (12/13/2007) in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review urging support of bills in the PA legislature to not implement the Real ID.

This was my fifth LTE on this general topic that I've submitted to assorted newspapers recently, but it's the only one to get printed. I suspect none before were printed because they didn't respond to something written in the papers. Right now the Real ID is below media radar.

I think this one was printed because today the Trib also chose to print an LA Times story where Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff said we need the Real ID. The Trib's front page below the fold story was titled, "Chertoff renews call for national ID." I think this getting printed has more to do with dumb luck than persistence.

Mark

PS -- I'm 2 for 2 on Ron Paul LTEs. I never dreamed Real ID LTEs would be that ignored more than ones about Ron Paul!

---

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_542472.html

Stop Real ID


In 2008 Pennsylvania begins implementing a federalized driver's license mandate called the "Real ID" that will include personal and biometric data linking us to government databases.

Like gun control, it will penalize innocent law-abiding citizens with higher fees and taxes, more bureaucracy, greater inconvenience, increased privacy risks and questionable security. Criminals and terrorists will work to exploit the ID's false sense of security.

Negotiations are also under way to share database access now among future participants of the North American Union and NAFTA Superhighway.

South Carolina, Maine, New Hampshire and Montana have rejected Real ID. There's hope that Pennsylvania will too.

We must urge our state legislators to reject Real ID. In the House ask your state representative to support H.B. 1351. In the Senate, ask your state senator to support Sen. Folmer's anti-Real ID legislation (bill number not assigned yet).

Act soon. If you're not worried about identity theft and illegal immigration now, wait until Mexico's bureaucracy has your personal and biometric data.

Mark Crowley, Plum

Open Source Geeks at Schools, take note

Open Administration for Schools 2.50, an open source, web based, school administration package is now available from:

http://richtech.ca/openadmin/

This version has many new updates, features, etc. outlined below:

1) Single Site SSL - OA will now run on the Apache SSL server to give encrypted communication between web browser and server. As a result, it has been updated to run as a single site per school (since SSL precludes the use of easy virtual sites).

Andy Figueroa, besides figuring out how to do it, and testing the results, has also written the docs for a clean debian/ubuntu server install for this.

2) Fee System - improvements to make this system more useful. It's still a baby in developmental terms. It has a new outstanding fees report with family totals; an additional receipts field to simplify transaction structures and rewritten payments and invoice scripting.

3) Transcript system - a new transcript system that can generate multiple page per student transcripts (with identical cool looks as previously).

4) Report Card system - a new rewritten report card script that has even more configuration options and now has a GPA setting. The code has been rewritten to make it more flexible (and configurable).

5) Rewritten student enrollment scripting to allow better looking editing and to support the 18 additional student fields. It also has a new 'Clone' function to clone other family members to speed up student enrollment.

6) Rewritten pdf generation reports to support alternate language characters (normally Spanish or French) in generated pdf's. This makes use of the input encoding module of LaTeX.

7) Pop up calendar for date entry on Attendance and Main pages (from the dynarch.com folks) (and scripts updated to support this)

8) A new Custom Staff Report (analogous to the custom classlist report).

9) Beginning support for alternate paper sizes rather than just letter paper (ie. A4) as used by schools outside of North America. It is an additional configuration option in master configuration file (defaultpapersize).

10) New single field reset system (called 'bulk updates' on the Start/End of Year page) to reset a single field in all student records, etc. This replaced the large number of separate scripts.

11) And other fixes and improvements to improve the code and better support languages other than English.

Les Richardson, Open Admin for Schools

Holiday Music from home made musicians in recent concerts

Proud dad warnings:

From Violin-Holida...

Erik and Grant, my kids, are both visible in this photo. The gathering is with musical children and adults from the Pittsburgh Music Academy while playing at PPG's Wintergarden.

Click images below to hear the sounds and watch the video. Hint: Hi-Def playback not required.

Jolly Old St. Nick and into Oh Christmas Tree View Video

At another concert, at Frick Middle School, Erik played with the strings.

Frick Middle School - Frosty The Snow Man - Strings

View Video

And for something more difficult, and not about the holidays, it is off to the races with William Tell...

William Tell ... Frick Middle School Strings - December concert, 2007. View Video

A few of the Pittsburgh Frick 6-8 musicians just after their strings concert. Erik Rauterkus, grade 7, is the one with the red tie.

From Violin-Holida...

Underdog

Plus, there is a tea party too!

Pittsburgh and the NFL nation turned its eyes to New England last Sunday evening for football. Well, it happens again this weekend -- but for something much more important -- politics and the leadership of our nation in the White House.

They are brewing some big ideas to share at a tea party in Boston for this weekend. I wish I could be there.

Heavy:

Official site of the Pittsburgh Steelers - NEWS

Official site of the Pittsburgh Steelers - NEWS What is the key to defeating the Jaguars?
Red zone efficiency
Control the line of scrimmage
Contain Taylor and Jones-Drew
Protect Roethlisberger

The key to beating the Jags this Sunday at Heinz Field is not listed on the quiz/survey now running on the Steelers home page. The key to winning the game is, "Score more points."

There are two very important keys to life: First is, "Show up." Second is, "Score more points."

We are not sure that Big Ben is going to 'show up' as he didn't practice the past two days due to a shoulder injury.

Hope he takes it easy and keeps "the clear" and "the cream" in the trainers locker. Would hate to see these footballers acting like they play baseball. (giggle)

We love Charlie Batch too.

Create Debate | Gather.com - wonderful framework

Create Debate | Gather About Create Debate: Join the open dialogue with the 2008 U.S. presidential candidates! There are no time limits, no mediators. YOU ask the questions. They give answers about the future of America. And we all can explore this unique format for presidential debate.

http://America.Gather.com/k/jz6FVIsITxUhEHcJBC4FBggGCgs=/

Create Your Own "best of" Category! - "Best of" categories and winners created by our readers - Main Feature - Main Feature Extra - Pittsburgh City Pa

Create Your Own "best of" Category! - "Best of" categories and winners created by our readers - Main Feature - Main Feature Extra - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh Category: Best political party Winner: Libertarians

The American Entrepreneur - Reasons why Onorato should move to the private sector

The American Entrepreneur - Newsletter Articles SIX REASONS WHY DAN ONORATO SHOULD NOT BE GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA

The headline grabs. The article continues.

Are you ready for some football? Grant and I are going to Sunday's game. His birthday gift.

My second son, Grant, has always wanted to go to a professional football game. He gets his wish on Sunday -- as his 10th birthday gift. He turned 10 on Dec 4. That's when we told him about the tickets.

Mom purchased the tickets from a friend / season ticket holder (or some connection) via work. Nice.

Word is that the seats are up high -- and under the roof if should rain.

I'm not too sure what we can bring into the game. Camera, binoculars, seat pillow, stadium blanket, pockets stuffed with a few snacks sandwiches (peanut butter and jelly). Is that okay?

I know that umbrellas are NOT allowed.

Tips, suggestions and other insights are welcomed.

Any tailgates out there that could float an invite our way? Post-game tailgates?

We might take the Gateway Clipper from Station Square -- as we can walk to Station Square. I had thought about hitting the brunch at the Hard Rock Cafe before the game. But, we've got a church gig / pageant.

And when is the game? Is it a 1 pm kickoff?

I remember going to a game with my dad at 3RS when I was little. The Steelers got their buts kicked -- as was generally the case. But that day, they were playing the Green Bay Packers. We left early and went to the Hilton Hotel lobby to get some player autographs of the visiting team. Bart Starr was one of my favorites. He went an entire season and only tossed 4 interceptions, I think. We saw Ray Ray Nitzke Nitzke. In street clothes, he could blend into the crowd.

After the game we walked up the stairs and over the Ft. Pitt Bridge. There was a swell of people heading out of the stadium and to those steps -- and for a few minutes, my feet didn't touch the ground. I was amused. Not scared. But felt very small -- among the fans.

The Pittsburgh Comet on the RIPPING of Civic Arena snd the new White Elephant

The Pittsburgh Comet Carl Redwood, Chair of the One Hill Coalition, underlined Frazier's point in commenting that there were no drawings of the view from the Hill District. 'Only walls and fences.'

The Hill gets the DUMPSTERS.

Don Carter has been a front man for the big guys for many years.