Thursday, September 18, 2008

Seagate to close Pittsburgh center

Seagate to close Pittsburgh center: "Computer hard drive giant Seagate Technologies is planning a 'phased closure' of its Pittsburgh research center, located in the Strip District. The shutdown will be complete by June, 2008.
The facility will be closed by June. The phases are "fast," then "lights out" and then "closed." At that speed, I'm not sure that the electric company will have a crew ready to handle the disconnect by then.

I want to know what is going to happen with the Seagate Triathlon?

No one voted to pour taxpayer funds into Wall Street. And no one voted for the government to take over an insurance company.

Nobody voted before the spending of the money for a bailout of AIG.
Another Federal Bailout: “I Told You So,” Says Bob Barr | Libertarian Party “It appears that President George W. Bush should say that we are all socialists now,' says Barr, as he explains that the government has now taken over insurance giant AIG with an $85 billion loan, for which it received an 80 percent equity stake in the company. 'In other words, the federal government now will own and run one of the nation's largest insurance companies.'

“This administration, supposedly devoted to free markets and fiscal responsibility, has bailed out the housing industry, the quasi-government mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the investment house Bear Stearns, and a leading insurer. What’s next?” asks Barr.

“And how will we pay for this ever-rising bill for corporate welfare? The national debt already runs $9.5 trillion,” Barr explains. “The deficit this year will run a record $407 billion. Next year the red ink will be even greater. And there are trillions upon trillions of dollars that will come due under Medicare and Social Security as the Baby-Boomers retire,” he adds.

United Stock Tanks on False Bankruptcy Rumors | Travel Industry Blog | BNET

Speaking of miss-information on the internet.
United Stock Tanks on False Bankruptcy Rumors | Travel Industry Blog | BNET United Stock Tanks on False Bankruptcy Rumors

Education: Pittsburgh schools trying to get away from race-based admissions - News - News - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh

Education: Pittsburgh schools trying to get away from race-based admissions - News - News - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh In any case, the magnet program seems to be in limbo for now.
The magnet program is in limbo, so says the newspaper (Pgh City Paper).

Well, well, well.

Without the magnet program, Pittsburgh would be a ghost town. The magnet program has been the saving star that has kept the PPS afloat.

It seems as if some administrators are hell-bent on trying to destroy the school district, and in turn, the city.

I agree with the statement in the newspaper. The magnet program is in limbo. Limbo is not a good place. Limbo is not what parents want to hear. Families don't choose to opt into limbo.

Limbo = FUD = Fear, uncertainty, doubt.

With limbo comes an acceleration of the exodus.

The magnet program has been a crown jewel of the school district for many reason. The diversity factor is one element. But there is more to the magnet than just a lottery for an entrance into a school.

The magnet program means choice. And, it seems that a lottery is less about choice and more about chance. The choice is not up to the luck of the draw. Rather, the choice needs to be put onto the realm of the family.

The lack of solutions and understanding as to what works and what is folly is frustrating.

Some sort of modified lottery is nothing but a way for lawyers and bureaucrats to CYA. (CYA = Cover Your Ass) To run a school district based upon some sort of modified lottery is a bad bet and formula for failure.

Some say the the lottery, be it PowerBall or other flavors of state-sanctioned numbers running, is a "stupid tax." The odds of winning are not favorable. Those who spend money to buy Lotto tickets are the least capable of covering the expenses.

Our school district needs to be smart with our kids and not aspire to "stupid tax" solutions.

This is no way to lead a nation and conduct our democracy. I'm for OPEN and HONEST discusions.

The Commission on Presidential Debates, which was created by the Republican and Democratic parties, still refuses to make public the contract negotiated by the Obama and McCain campaigns that will govern our presidential debates. This lack of transparency is unacceptable. It is time to take action.

Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) of the McCain campaign and Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) of the Obama campaign directly negotiated the secret contract that will dictate the terms of the upcoming presidential debates.

PLEASE CALL the offices of Sen. Graham and Rep. Emanuel and demand that they make public the debate contract. They are elected officials who are obligated to serve the interests of the voting public:

Phone number of the Office of Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC): 202-224-5972
Phone number of the Office of Rahm Emanuel (D-IL): 202-225-4061

Also, PLEASE CALL the Commission on Presidential Debates and demand that it makes public the debate contract. The Commission claims that its mission is to “provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners.” Hold them accountable to their mission.

Phone number of the Commission on Presidential Debates: 202-872-1020

Please let us know what happens.

Open Debates is teaming up with nine other pro-democracy organizations to issue the following press release today demanding the release of the debate contract: http://www.opendebates.org/makecontractpublic.html

Additionally, you can hear Open Debates Executive Director George Farah on the radio show “CounterSpin” at the following link: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3610

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Court rejects Republican effort to strike Barr from ballot

Libertarian Presidential candidate Bob Barr to remain on the ballot in Pennsylvania
Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania
3915 Union Deposit Road #223
Harrisburg, PA 17109
http://www.lppa.org/

For Immediate Release:
September 17, 2008
Doug Leard (Media Relations) at Media-Relations@lppa.org or
Michael Robertson (Chair) at 1-800-R-RIGHTS / chair@lppa.org
Philadelphia, PA - The Honorable Judge Johnny J. Butler of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania rejected a Republican effort to set aside the substitute nomination certificate of Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr, keeping Barr on the ballot. The lawsuit, brought by Cumberland County Republican Chairman Victor Stabile, claimed the Libertarian Party and Bob Barr mislead electors by continuing to collect signatures with the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPa) candidate's name on nomination papers after Barr was nominated in the National Convention on May 25, 2008. The signature gathering period began in February 2008 and ended on August 1, 2008.

"There is no legal mechanism in the Pennsylvania Election Code that allows for the substitution of candidates until the nomination papers are filed," explained LPPa Chair Michael Robertson. "We knew we would have to substitute the candidate and a Committee to Fill Vacancies was identified on every nomination paper. The only way to proceed under the law was as the LPPa had done by filing the nomination papers, withdrawal form, and substitution certificate. Judge Butler recognized there was no intent to mislead electors."

This case could have had dire consequences for the ability of voters to freely choose their representatives in government had the objector's petition been upheld. The current election laws in our Commonwealth favor some candidates at the expense of others. To help expand political choice in Pennsylvania, the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania urges support of the Voters Choice Act. This act, supported by Pennsylvania state senator Mike Folmer, will move Pennsylvania one step closer to free and equal elections as required by our Commonwealth Constitution.

The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in Pennsylvania and the United States. More than 200,000 people across the country are registered Libertarians, and Libertarians serve in hundreds of elected offices. Please visit www.LP.org or www.LPPA.org for more information.

Bumper Sticker Snickers

Saw one on the South Side today: McBush - Stalin. The pro-choice group ran a contest and came up with some cute ones:
* McCain-Palin: 15th Century Solutions for the 21st Century
* McCain-Palin: The Anti-Choice
* McCain-Palin: The Bridge to No Choice!
* McCain-Palin: (Supreme) Courting Disaster
* With McCain-Palin...There is NO Choice!

Tomlin Motivates “Ninth Grade Nation” Of Pittsburgh Schools - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh

See the Pittsburgh Promise mention at the end of the article.
Tomlin Motivates “Ninth Grade Nation” Of Pittsburgh Schools - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh: "Steelers coach Mike Tomlin spoke in a rally to motivate the “Ninth Grade Nation” of Pittsburgh area schools.

“We all dream of doing great things,” Tomlin said. “What are you going to do today to make it happen?”

Tomlin, as well as Steelers players Charlie Batch and Max Starks, gave speeches to launch the class of 2012 on their first year of high school.

The class of 2012 will be the first to receive college money from Pittsburgh Promise, the organization responsible for the rally.
Humm. I had expected that the students who graduated last June would be in college now and would be getting money from the Pittsburgh Promise. What's up with that?

Perhaps the coach is talking in coach-speak? It could be "first" as in "First Down."

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

t r u t h o u t | Bob Woodward's Not-so-Secret Weapon

t r u t h o u t | Bob Woodward's Not-so-Secret Weapon These are the horrors that happen when journalists give up their role as watchdogs and become running dogs for Shock and Awe, surgical strikes, enhanced interrogation techniques, the latest counter-insurgency tactics, or whatever else the National Security State wants to sell. But the horror will be far worse if we forget that the Pentagon has explicitly committed itself to make its new tagging, targeting and locating technology available for use within the United States.

To be, ... or ... Not to be ... (a panda)



From china - bike - more




The wind is gone. Weather tune after being blown about.

Modern tune.

Further fallout feared as dust begins to settle on Wall Street - al.com

Good credit is good to have.
Further fallout feared as dust begins to settle on Wall Street - al.com Andreas Rauterkus, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said Wall Street as it existed last week has changed dramatically.

'We woke up this morning and only two of the country's investment banks are still standing,' he said, referring to Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

Rauterkus said the collapse of Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch could furtherstrain a financial market still absorbing Bear Stearns' federal government-aided sale to JP Morgan earlier this year.

'The credit crunch could get worse,' Rauterkus said Monday. 'Banks will be less likely to make loans unless you have good credit.'

Monday, September 15, 2008

Central Catholic-Upper St. Clair football game moved

Central Catholic-Upper St. Clair football game moved: "The Central Catholic-Upper St. Clair football game originally scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Duquesne University's Rooney Field has been moved to Upper St. Clair High School at 7:30 on Friday.

Central Catholic athletic director Chuck Crummie confirmed Duquesne's 1,100-seat venue couldn't handle the anticipated crowd, prompting the move.

Also, Upper St. Clair will be designated the home team for the game, while Central Catholic will now get next year's game as their home game.
If I'm mayor, this game is played in PNC Park.

If I'm mayor, I'm working hard to get a stadium for Central -- within the city. I won't pay them to build it -- but -- it would be a city asset that could and should be built.

Debunking Laissez Faire Lehman

Jerry Bowyer, who will also be on the local radio airwaves at 3:30 pm today, Monday, on 1360 AM, as the new program begins, sent this:
This morning on CNBC Governor John Corzine (D) of New Jersey blamed the current crises in the market on what he called the "laissez faire" mood of regulation which we have seen "over the past decade." (Video below). Does he even believe this stuff? Lehman Brothers, like Bear Stearns and others was basically lobotomized by Corzine’s former colleague Eliot Spitzer, who severed communication between the research divisions of these firms from the trading operations. He did this in the name of "conflict of interest." Who’s interest was served by severing the higher brain functions of these firms from the rest of the nervous systems? With one populist fell swoop, allegedly designed to make Wall Street safer for investors, Spitzer made it dumber.

Click the link below to view the entire article.

http://m1e.net/c?30089296-2DdnYqME4hl/M%403617207-tRdIbZX2PGREM

I only get to mumble and grumble to myself

From Beijing - Great Wall
Judge keeps drink tax referendums off ballot An Allegheny County judge today upheld a board of elections ruling that both proposed referendums on the county's drink tax cannot appear on the November ballot.

Judge Joseph James agreed that the initiatives -- one proposed by opponents of the drink tax and one proposed by county council -- were legally insufficient.
Judge James can't be bashed by me as I'm sure to be before him in the future in some ballot challenge. So, I'll just grumble to myself.

I only get to mumble and grumble to myself

Judge keeps drink tax referendums off ballot An Allegheny County judge today upheld a board of elections ruling that both proposed referendums on the county's drink tax cannot appear on the November ballot.

Judge Joseph James agreed that the initiatives -- one proposed by opponents of the drink tax and one proposed by county council -- were legally insufficient.
Judge James can't be bashed by me as I'm sure to be before him in the future in some ballot challenge. So, I'll just grumble to myself.

Judge keeps drink tax referendums off ballot

Judge keeps drink tax referendums off ballot An Allegheny County judge today upheld a board of elections ruling that both proposed referendums on the county's drink tax cannot appear on the November ballot.

Judge Joseph James agreed that the initiatives -- one proposed by opponents of the drink tax and one proposed by county council -- were legally insufficient.
Judge James can't be bashed by me as I'm sure to be before him in the future in some ballot challenge. So, I'll just grumble to myself.

Judge keeps drink tax referendums off ballot

Judge keeps drink tax referendums off ballot An Allegheny County judge today upheld a board of elections ruling that both proposed referendums on the county's drink tax cannot appear on the November ballot.

Judge Joseph James agreed that the initiatives -- one proposed by opponents of the drink tax and one proposed by county council -- were legally insufficient.
Judge James can't be bashed by me as I'm sure to be before him in the future in some ballot challenge. So, I'll just grumble to myself.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Men Are Good, despite what you have seen...

Here are two snips of an intro and tune by Joe Jencks, the performer slated for our House Concert on Wednesday. He is singing to the kids at Sunnyhill in this clip.

From Joe Jencks house concert


From Joe Jencks house concert


Only a few seats remain for the gig. Please RSVP. Call 412 298 3432 or email me, Mark @ Rauterkus . com.

Diondega 412: "I would be surprised if they're not already investigating."

Diondega 412: "I would be surprised if they're not already investigating.": "City Controller Michael Lamb is saying things like, 'if the 'non-disparagement' clause in the unwritten settlement prohibits Ford from talking to him about an audit of how the URA awards contracts, Lamb will file a legal challenge in an attempt to invalidate it. When asked about federal and state investigations Mr. Lamb said, 'I would be surprised if they're not already investigating.' Those are ominous signs if you ask me. Foreshadowing for all you poet laureates out there."