Coach Gordon, Penn Hills Football -- still at a loss for words

Woodland Progress It's been about a week since the Penn Hills School Board agreed to open the head football coach position, and Neil Gordon said he's still at a loss for words.

Gordon, head coach of the Indians for 21 seasons, said he was making plans for his team in the offseason and hoped to continue at the helm of the Indians.

'We were looking to get things going for winter workouts and the weight program,' Gordon said.

Profs: city not ready for casino

The Pitt News covers to the story from the professors at the Univ. of Pittsburgh. Seems that the city is not prepared for the slots parlor. Go figure.

Profs: city not ready for casino - NewsBut what happens when a brand new $450 million casino comes to town? Does the gambler's problem get worse, or are there adequate resources available to help?

In light of the Majestic Star slots casino being built in Pittsburgh's North Side, these are exactly the questions three Pitt professors sought to answer.

Giuliani, a pit bull. He'll eat your kids too. Thompson departs race. Alan K does the Texas 2 step exclusive

Crossing Mayor Giuliani Often Had a Price Rudolph W. Giuliani likens himself to a boxer who never takes a punch without swinging back. As mayor, he made the vengeful roundhouse an instrument of government, clipping anyone who crossed him.The last thing the USA needs is a president with an attitude.

In other GOP Presidential politicla news, "So long Senator Thompson. Tip: Take your wife out on the town and let your hair down."

Perhaps he'll play a role in the convention, yet to come.

And in Texas, Alan Keyes is starting to kick up some dust. See the comments.

Is the NFL on the right team -- Super Bowl's half time won't seem the same after reading this.

Is the NFL on the right team? - Los Angeles Times: The rubber business has historically been horrific for African workers, known as tappers, who collect sap from rubber trees on plantations south of the Sahara. The labor practices of the Firestone Natural Rubber Co., a subsidiary of Bridgestone/Firestone, in Liberia seem in keeping with this history.

For 81 years, the company has operated a plantation in Harbel, a company town in the truest sense. Its very name comes from founder Harvey Firestone and his wife, Idabelle. The town received its name after Firestone signed a 99-year lease with the Liberian government in 1926 that gave his company access to 1 million acres of land on which rubber trees grow. The sap -- known as latex -- collected on the plantation is shipped to the Bridgestone/Firestone plant in Nashville, where it is used to make tires, among other goods.

Third time is the charm. What does the mood ring say about healthcare in PA with Rendell now?

The photo shows the backdrop banner and Gov. Rendell at his press conference last week -- an event at which he announced the third launching of his bill to cover uninsured Pennsylvanians. "Healthcare for All." Has a nice ring to it. Great publicity. And a real boost for all the hard work our many hundreds of advocates have done in advancing our single-payer campaign to this stage in the process.

Hearings begin in March.

Chuck

www.HEALTHCARE4ALLPA.org

What if a candidacy raised a zillion dollars and no one voted?

The Ron Paul Internet phenomenon is unlike anything else in recent elections. There have been incredible spikes in fundraising for the Good Doctor and an eclectic mix of supporters continues to look just like the cast of a Federico Fellini film.

Ron Paul is NOT an effective leader of people.

What is amazing to a Conservative voter is that Dr. Paul’s supporters are not Republicans, but a mismatch of political ideologues who oftentimes simply act the picked upon, bullied victim.

A quick scan of Paul’s political beliefs ticks off like a conservative Republican’s wish list. No tax hikes, repealing the IRS, withdrawal from the United Nations, a strong stance of gun owners’ rights; however, the oldest candidate in the race boasts a charisma-free resume that will never garner wide, mainstream appeal.

In some ways, the elderly, yet spry Paul is the quintessential Don Knotts of the Presidential race. He seems easy with the pre-written jokes and sharp on the stump. Paul, like Knotts before him, does not command an authoritative presence. He’s the bookish anti-cowboy during a time in which John Wayne is needed. Or Chuck Norris.

Religion is always a sticking point in Presidential elections, especially when the “Religious Right” is still considered a major voting block. Paul’s religious affiliation is as checkered as his supporters. Married in a Presbyterian Church, Mr. and Mrs. Paul raised their children in the Episcopalian Church, while Ron’s religion (on Wikipedia) is listed as Baptist, despite the notation that he considered becoming a Lutheran minister. Needless to say, since Paul practically “tried out” every religion, voters who value faith in a candidate won’t be clamoring for the devoutly fickle Paul.

The fact is, there isn’t a true front runner on either side of the aisle. Mitt Romney (two separate Presidential compatibility tests says he’s by far my candidate, yet I cannot wrap my arms around him) is from Central Casting. Fred Thompson, who came in second in one of my online tests, watched his campaign peak when he announced his candidacy on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Leah Thompson has more of a shot of being the GOP nominee now). Thompson, an actor by trade, tall and rough-looking by genetics, was touted by some to be the most Reagan-esque. But he’ll drop out soon.

Mike Huckabee isn’t much more convincing than Paul, in spite of the fact that wrestling legend Ric Flair endorsed him. If elected, Huckabee might be the only world leader able to make Kim Jung Il tap out to the Figure Four Leg Lock.
On the other side, Barry Hussein Obama is the “cool kid” to support, despite a legislative resume that’s lightly more impressive than mine (and I’ve so far turned down the various offers to run for public office—yes there have been three or four). The “Smartest Women in the World” talk has been silenced in the Hillary “I already have the drapes measured” Clinton camp. American Gladiators has made resurgence, Clinton says, perhaps she can insult women’s characters again for four or eight years. Jebus help us all if Hillary shrieks her way back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Since Ron Paul isn’t ever going to come close to earning true Republican votes in the Primary process, he would best be served in someone else’s Cabinet. Perhaps he could serve his country as Secretary of the Treasury or in a post that would best utilize his intellectual mastery of the Constitution.

What’s ironic is Ron Paul’s candidacy could possibly translate into some sort of Independent run. That would be a disaster for those who share in his “Leave Us Alone” philosophy. This mishmash of supporters would vacuum enough votes from the ultimate Republican candidate to open the White House doors to a “Big Government” Democrat who will most assuredly squash all of the “freedoms” Paul’s followers espouse.

Ron Paul - a quick, easy introduction to the man running for the 2008 presidency - Who is Ron Paul? Learn about the Ron Paul Revolution

Ron Paul - a quick, easy introduction to the man running for the 2008 presidency - Who is Ron Paul? Learn about the Ron Paul Revolution: "Introduction to Ron Paul
This web site was created so that you can introduce your friends and family to Ron Paul. We accomplish this with short video slideshows for the busy professional.

Splendid site. Easy to navigate. Great best-of bits to click upon. Check it out. Unofficial site.



Looks like Ron Paul is going to raise nearly $2-million today, on MLK Day.

Is this the first time Luke Ravenstahl has left the country?

What other international travels has Luke, his wife and Dan Onorato enjoyed?

Anyone know. Post in the comments.

Pennsylvania's Influence Index of bloggers

Blognetnews.com � Pennsylvania � Influence Index#9 Mark Rauterkus -

I'm back. This blog is now ranked #9 in Pennsylvania's Most Influential Political blogs. Last week, for the first time since the service started, the blog fell off of the top 20 listings. So sad. But, it was short lived.

I think I had a better Christmas than most of the other bloggers. So there.

[412] MLK Day -- its official. It is YOUR turn to stand for elected office in 2008

My latest email blast was sent around 3:15 pm on MLK day.

[412] MLK Day -- its official. It is YOUR turn to stand for elected office in 2008 #1. Today is MLK Day. I wish you the best. It is also a day when I've reached a few decisions.

The news reflects, in part, the blog's polling that was done. See the results on the left. I'll take them down shortly.

QUESTION: Should Mark Rauterkus stand for public office, again, in 2008?

REPLIES:

Give it a break. Don't run. (58%)

Run for PA House. Stay active and engaged. (9%)

Run for US Congress. Shoot for a DC post. (7%)

Support Ron Paul as a deligate to the GOP Convention. (17%)

All the above -- as a Republican (7%)

All the above as a Libertarian. (8%)

---

Here is the 'inside story' that bloggers might wonder about, beyond the email blast.

Tom lives in Bellvue and is running for PA House as a R.

Michael Grant lives in Robinson and is running for PA House as a R.

The chair of the Allegheny County Libertarian Party, Dave Powell, and myself, vice-chair, had considered running for PA House. Both of us were going to run as Republicans. Dave Powell lives in the district of Lisa Bennington, D. She is a one-term member of the PA House. She is choosing to NOT run again. With the open seat, there are a ton of Ds seeking the nomination. Powell and I considered joining the R party and seeking R party nominations because of the ballot access issues that third party candidates face. We want to make a statement. The local Republicans are in debt and not able or willing to field candidates anyway. With us both doing the same thing -- it would have made for a stronger statement.

Dave just came back from a week in New Hampshire, working for the Ron Paul campaign. He has a young kid at home. Oh well.

Jim Roddey invited me to join the Republican party, not long ago. If Mr. Roddey wants to get the signatures for me and for Dave Powell -- then we should talk again. But, I won't hold my breath. In 2001, I remember asking Jim Roddey, then county chief executive, to sign my petition to allow me to get onto the R ballot as a candidate for mayor. He refused then. I wouldn't expect help now either.

We both understand the importance of running candidates in the city against the one-party machine. Yes, the D party isn't much of a 'machine.' Helping candidates in the burbs is fine. But, we crave more city opposition. We crave true 'diversity' and new thoughts on the campaign stump.

Furthermore, some races in the city are sure to heat up a bit. It is great to get people of other parties into the mix when the boil begins. Joe Weinroth ran for mayor and got some buzz along with the hype devoted to O'Connor, Peduto and Lamb. Challengers need to start earlier, not later.

Mark DeSantis blew many opportunities in 2007 by waiting to run for mayor and not getting onto the ballot in the primary. He was a 'write in' because he was late.

So, while I'm not yet a declared candidate for the 2008 spring season, I've not ruled out the 2008 general election nor any race in 2009.

Caffeine Doubles Miscarriage Risk

Newsmax.com - Caffeine Doubles Miscarriage Risk: "Pregnant women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day have twice the risk of having a miscarriage as those who avoid caffeine, U.S. researchers said on Monday."

Coffee is one worry. Pepsi and Coke are just as bad. Same too with ice tea. Now Pepsi has a new drink with double the caffeine.

23 Reasons Why a Profile of Pete Carroll Does Not Appear in this Space | Table of Contents | LA Magazine

23 Reasons Why a Profile of Pete Carroll Does Not Appear in this Space | Table of Contents | LA Magazine: "23 Reasons Why A Profile of Pete Carroll Does Not Appear in this Space"

Wonderful profile. But, like the man, it is NOT really a profile.Some want to save the world -— Carroll wants to coach it. He’s launched a foundation, A Better LA, aimed at motivating on a large scale, at ending violence in the inner city, and he now takes time each week to think and talk about problems other than what to call on third and long. With any coach who’s still coaching, drawing conclusions can be hard. His legacy is always in flux; it hinges on what happens next Saturday. But when a coach is remaking himself into a social activist, when he’s just beginning the task for which he may one day be best remembered, firm statements feel that much more ridiculously premature.

Read #16. I've put it in the comments.

Beijing beefs up pre-Games security - Sunday January 20, 2008 10:29PM

SI.com - More Sports - Beijing beefs up pre-Games security - Sunday January 20, 2008 10:29PM: "City officials have initiated a broad security sweep to ensure China's capital is safe in the run-up to the Summer Olympics, according to state media that quoted Beijing's top police official."

Young at heart, make a donation today to freedom's most visible champion today, on MLK day, Ron Paul. Freedom isn't free.

Today, on MLK Day, presents another huge opportunity to make a contribution to the one person on the campaign trails who blends best with the messages of Martin Luther King, Jr. His message resonates for his honesty, its non-violence at home, peace abroad, and civil disobedience against tyrannical government.

Freedom fits everyone.

If you are against the idea of going into an illegal war, a war that was never declared by Congress, even if you are not a Republican, make a donation today.

Today is a 'money bomb.' I don't like that word -- money bomb. But, it has its effect. Today is the day to be a part of history with a donation. You'll be able to tell your grandkids decades from now that you remember giving Ron Paul a donation on a specific day back in early 2008, before the US invaded Iran. You can be a part of history with a donation today. And, it is so easy to do.

Ron Paul is has the most grass-roots support. Ron Paul's average donation at one time was $90. Giving $10 or $15 or $25 is fine!

In my most recent races for public office, I didn't solicit funds for my campaigns. I ran for city controller and spent less than $250. I got votes for less than four-cents each. But, Ron Paul is different. He is worthy of your donation. And, he has been isolated by the mainstream media. Fox excludes him from debates. Just the travels around the country is 'taxing' and 'expensive.' Ron Paul has been showing up. He is getting his message out as best he can. And now, people can't knock him because money talks and he doesn't have it. Well, Ron Paul is the one on the Republican side with the most money. And, he is being wise with the spending. Go figure.

When the next debate comes and Ron Paul is on stage -- while Fred is not and Rudy is broke -- if not absent -- he'll have time to shine.

Ron Paul is on the upswing. California, with its high tech sector, loves Ron Paul. Ron Paul won't tax the internet. Ron Paul spoke to the employees at Google months ago and was thrilled with the support he got then. It has grown.

Ron Paul does well in the silver state -- see below. And the golden state too! And, let's help him make another historical statement on this date -- the MLK date -- for the sake of everyone's freedom and prosperity.

The message below comes from Ron Paul.

January 21, 2008

What a shot in the arm the Nevada caucuses were, where we took the silver as #2, beating McCain, Huckabee, Thompson, and -- of course -- Giuliani. We also got four more delegates. In South Carolina, we beat Rudy again. A big thank you to all our wonderful donors, volunteers, and voters. So many people worked so hard to spread our message of liberty, honest money, peace, and free-market prosperity. I owe you all my deepest gratitude. So do our fellow citizens. So do all future Americans. Most of the mainstream media continue to pretend that we do not exist. Yet soon the race will be down to four candidates-Romney, McCain, Huckabee, and me, and there is no stopping us, as Tim Russert grudgingly pointed out the other night. Thanks to you, we are in this all the way through a brokered convention.

Nevada, by the way, is known as the Silver State for a reason-its great mining industry produced the precious metal for the beautiful silver dollars minted at the fabled Carson City mint. These constitutional coins, include .775 ounces of silver, in accord with the Coinage Act of 1792. Today these coins, worth $1 in my father's day, have about $14 in silver. That is, the dollar is worth 1/14th of what it was, thanks to the counterfeiting Federal Reserve.

The Fed has again taken our country into a terrible crisis. Who else is talking about honest money that cannot be printed up at will by DC bureaucrats? My opponents in both parties are all some variety of print-and-spend Keynesians. Only we are telling the truth, about who is to blame for this recession, and how we can build real prosperity with sound money, no IRS, no deficit, and strict obedience to the Constitution. And, of course, no hyper-expensive, hyper-dangerous empire all around the globe.

When I met with some great ladies in Charleston, all of whom wore beautiful hats, I talked about the young people flocking to our banner. "Don't forget the young at heart," said one. Darn right! A youthful outlook, work ethic, and optimism characterizes all of us. Frederic Bastiat predicted many years ago that liberty would be saved by the young. He might have added the young at heart as well, and how right he was!

I continue to be astounded not only by all our revolutionaries, but by our fellow travelers. Democrats and even the workers for my Republican opponents come up to me to talk about our ideas. They are fascinated, and want to learn more. Reaching so many people doesn't necessarily mean a victory in the next primary, but it counts for the real changes we want in our country, now and for our children and grandchildren.

Of course, I am mainly paying attention to the next primary! We are working hard in Florida, in Louisiana for the caucuses, and then for Super Tuesday in more than 20 states. Meanwhile, the whole world is watching how we do tomorrow in fundraising, on a day dedicated to the memory of Martin
Luther King, the great champion of non-violence at home, peace abroad, and civil disobedience against tyrannical government.

Please make your most generous donation https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate/ . We can't let this movement be stopped, nor slowed. I promise you that I will continue to pour all my heart and mind and strength into the battle. I know you will too. Let's work together for all we love, and all we hope for: freedom! Surely, it is worth all our efforts.

Sincerely,

Ron

O-R Online

To be honest, he was NOT fired. His contract went out for applications. I hope he makes another application and gets the job back.

O-R Online I have no idea why Penn Hills High School football coach Neil Gordon, one of the most successful coaches in WPIAL history, was fired on Wednesday. But, until I hear differently, I'm going to assume that it had something to do with somebody's kid not getting enough playing time. The school board president says Gordon wasn't fired and the district superintendent says Gordon can re-apply for his job. I don't know what they're teaching the kiddies in the Penn Hills School District but if you're the Penn Hills High School football coach on Tuesday, and on Wednesday you're told that there's an opening for a head football coach at Penn Hills and you're welcome to apply for the position, you've been fired.

blast from the past: Speaking back then about campaign finance reform

This public hearing was on December 16, 2004:

Part 1, opening.



Part 2, trying to open the books of campaigns:



Part 3, as they try to give me the hook. A slight overlap of the first clip and second clip occurs.



A few years ago campaign finance reform was pulled into the realm of city council, thanks to Bill Peudto. We held a public hearing. I spoke.

Tonight's PCNC NightTalk had a Dem state rep and a R state senator. The D predicts that campaign finance reform will be a hot topic in Harrisburg in 2008.

Bubble man: With lofty goals, Phelps in 'biggest year of life' - Friday January 18, 2008 9:36PM

SI.com - Olympics - With lofty goals, Phelps in 'biggest year of life' - Friday January 18, 2008 9:36PM'It took a while for me to get my motion back in my wrist,' he said. 'If I could live in a bubble right now I probably would, so I couldn't get hurt, I couldn't get in trouble, I couldn't do anything but swim, eat and sleep.'

Be safe. Be careful. But don't fall into a bubble -- as they are slippery.

So, these loosers love Pittsburgh but are not telling -- or flashing in the open

Post-Gazette NOW - Local News - Early Returns State law does not require that municipalities reveal the details of proposals by losing bidders in competitive processes. However, Early Returns today consulted legal opinions to determine whether correspondence to the mayor, in response to a public solicitation of amorous prose, would fall within the Right-to-Know Act, allowing public access to the losing entries, and potential scrutiny of the administration's decisions and examination of whether they favored members of the Democratic Committee. The mayor's office stopped short of promising access to the losing entries.

Here is a reason to love Pittsburgh -- it is open to winners and loosers -- without secrets.

Take the entries and post em all.

Pick em. Go to lunch. Do it dutch! Swap spit if you wish. Then get back to work after the nooner.

New website allows for searching of Allegheny County

An interesting press release and password was sent in an email. I'm checking it out now.

Beaver, PA based Property Data Solutions LLC would like to announce the launch of a new website which will allow advanced searching of Allegheny County property records. Searching capabilities include searching by name, address, property type, school district and others categories on over 565,000 properties
in Allegheny County, PA. A database with over 15 million of pieces of property information has been in development for 6 weeks in anticipation of the launch of this site, the only local website that allows the public to search a complete database of Allegheny County property records by name.

Since Allegheny County Council restricted access to name searches on the Allegheny County Property Assessment website many residents, businesses and government agencies have been unable to effectively and easily search property records over the internet. AlleghenyPropertyInfo.com hopes to bridge this gap with a search engine that will let our website subscribers locate needed property information quickly, 24 hours a day and at a minimal cost without visiting County Offices.

Property Data Solutions LLC will allow access to the subscription only AlleghenyProperyInfo.com through daily, weekly, monthly and yearly subscriptions which currently start at $0.99 for one day + tax. Longer subscription lengths are available and multiple user discounts and site licenses are also available for large
organizations, real estate companies, media outlets and other business that depend on accurate property information delivered over the internet.

Facts about AlleghenyPropertyInfo.com:
• 565,190 property records in Allegheny County available for search.
• 15,260,000 pieces of Allegheny County property data in our database.
• Website has been in development for 6 weeks.
• Secure payments for subscriptions are handled via Paypal.com. No credit card information is stored on our server.
• The only local website that allows name searching of properties located in Allegheny County.
A special login for media wishing to test out our site for reporting purposes is available for the next 7 days. ...

Message from PPS about cultrual whatever

Pittsburgh Public Schools, Division of Communications and Marketing

MESSAGE HIGHLIGHTS

• There is an opportunity for two parents to serve on a committee for Culturally Responsive Education
• The initiative is focused on the culture of African-American children
• Interested parents should reply to Pat Fisher - pfisher1@pghboe.net - by January 31^st
• You must include responses to the three questions below in your reply

Dear Parents,

As a result of a partnership between the Pittsburgh Public Schools and The Heinz Endowments, we are proud to announce a new initiative in an area termed Culturally Responsive Education (CRE). The Pittsburgh Public Schools currently defines CRE as work that reflects and is in dialogue with a child’s ethnicity and culture. In the case of this initiative, we are particularly focused on the culture of African-American children.

Pending board approval on January 23^rd, this initiative will run for at least three years and will couple artists with schools who plan to increase the African-American cultural content of their environment. In the spring, the District will produce a Request for Proposals for schools that would like to develop deep (or deeper) relationships with artists over the next three years as a way of more actively engaging African-American children and their families.

As this is a new area of focus for the District, we are developing an Advisory Committee for this initiative consisting of community, parent, teacher, and artist representatives. It is our expectation that the committee will meet monthly in its early stages before transitioning to quarterly meetings.

Role Description for Parent Representative on the CRE Advisory Committee

The two parent representatives should have a working knowledge and interest in African and African-American culture, as well as an interest in the arts and the role of arts in education. The representatives will be particularly appropriate if they have a belief in the importance of parental involvement in schools and are interested in how artists might increase the current levels of parental involvement in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

If you are interested in serving on this committee or would like more information, please submit your responses to the questions below to: Pat Fisher, Executive Director on Special Assignment at pfisher1@pghboe.net.

Questions

1. Please describe your experience practicing, teaching or observing arts of the African Diaspora.

2. Please describe your experience in building relationships with parents, children and community leaders inside or outside of traditional systems.

3. Please describe your experience in developing or observing connections between the arts and other academic subjects such as reading or social studies.

---

So, the parents get TWO, count em, "one, two" on the 'advisory board.' How generous.

Who else is on that advisory board?

Why are the others on that board.

How about if we put ten parents on the advisory panel and then have one principal help to coordinate.

Why not just have the people that we elect -- the school board -- be the people that are on that board. They can work out the details. They can make the decisions. Those are the people that we empower to guide the district's educational policy decisions.

Who gets to pick who gets on the board.

Just as I've barked about in the authorities and with the other panels in the city and county -- I have no problem with people being appointed -- as long as those people are subject to 'retention votes' on election days.

Take letters of application. Pick the people. Then, at the next election, we'll vote and let you know if they can continue to serve on that board in that capacity -- or else you'll need to pick another person -- or ticket of people until the next election.

Meanwhile, there are a bunch of other mini-boards perking about in the Pgh Public School District now. But, the make up and purpose of these adivsory panels are unclear and unannouced. Who is on them? When do they meet? Where are the minutes of the meetings? What votes are being conducted? Who got to pick them?

There is a facilities group.

There is an I.B. group.

There is a high school reform committee for some time. Those people stopped meeting months and months ago. There are times when one or two people are pulled out of hiding to help front a new effort that has NOT gone to the entire committee.

This is a classic case of divide and conquer.

This is a classic case of giving up a few crumbs from the table.

This is OUR school district. It is paid for by the taxpayers. The parents are the one's who have to have faith in the district. We choose to live here. And, it seems, that the administration does all it can to block the parents from involvement in our schools.

The number one reason schools succeed -- or don't -- is parent involvement.

What parents and what taxpayers were at the negotiations with the teachers union? Where are the terms of that deal? When are we going to find out what's what there.

A longer list of parent concerns about the school teachers contract was passed the last two times to the board and administration. However, we understand that those worries were never really talked about in those negotiations.

Then they wonder why the district's student population is dropping lower and lower.