St. Pat's Day in Ireland

Too bad they didn't have couches to burn.

Home | WOPULAR: "Cars torched, firefighters attacked, police bombarded and neighbors terrified: It was another fine St. Patrick's Day in Ireland, where inebriated mobs annually turn districts of Dublin and Belfast into a nightmare.

Where is Dan Rooney when you need him? He could stand there in the helmet and spikes and fix it all.

Olympic Swimmer Visits Capitol Hill

Olympic Swimmer Visits Capitol Hill - washingtonpost.com: "Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones yesterday implored lawmakers to put federal and state monies toward what has been a privately financed program to teach swimming skills to inner-city children."



During his morning visit to Capitol Hill, Jones in particular urged lawmakers in his home state of New Jersey to commit funding for the USA Swimming Foundation's "Make a Splash" initiative, which Jones said helped 2,500 inner-city kids in Atlanta learn how to swim last summer.

The four-year-old program, Jones said, has spread to 21 states but its success has been jeopardized by the economic crisis.

Jones, who won a gold medal in the 4x100 freestyle relay in Beijing, learned to swim after nearly drowning at a water park in Irvington, N.J., when he was 5.

"This is something we really want to catch fire and spread throughout the country," Jones said.

Motznik vs Diven and a real solution

Marty Griffin of KDKA Radio is going to rant about Diven and Motznik on his show. I just sent this via instant message:

Judges, or district magistrates, don't really represent the people. Rather, they are to uphold the Constitution and laws. Greater scrutiny and higher standards are necessary.

Solution: Insert "NOTA" - "None Of The Above" voting on all ballots. If NOTA wins, a re-do with different candidates is necesary. Works wonders in other areas. PA could do it too.

Diven, Motznik challenge each other's election petitions

My oh my.

Diven, Motznik challenge each other's election petitions City Councilman Jim Motznik -- who is battling his former boss Michael Diven for an open district justice seat in the city's South Hills -- filed court papers today challenging Mr. Diven's nomination petitions, and Mr. Diven turned around and did the same to his former chief-of-staff.

Democracy at work.

Michael Diven is the guy who had dead folks rise up to sign past nomination petitions.

Public service set for some in Super Bowl disturbance

Public service set for some in Super Bowl disturbance Forty-one of the 44 accused in the unruly Feb. 1 celebration showed up at Municipal Court this morning. Three others did not receive the mailed summonses and the court will attempt to contact them again.

A contrarian strikes again

Rant on the folly that is Bruce Kraus.

A contrarian strikes again - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Here's the pressing question for a Pittsburgh City Council featuring one member who says 'there's absolutely no room for discussion' of its tentatively approved ban on indoor furniture being used on outside porches:

Why is such furniture on an unenclosed porch, balcony or deck that's not visible from the street or sidewalk any less of a supposed public hazard (for fire and/or vermin) than such furniture that is visible? At least that's how the proposed law, set for final approval this week, appears to be styled.

The legislation ostensibly is designed to thwart torchings during spontaneous street celebrations -- think Oakland, think Super Bowl XLIII -- and to eliminate yet another place for rats to supposedly plot The Siege of the Cathedral of Learning. Author Bruce Kraus, the councilor who has appointed himself the no-discussion Kraussissar, er, kommissar, says 'Rome is burning.'

How many aggravated couch burnings does Pittsburgh have in a given year again, Herr Kraus?
Yes, Mr. Kraus, Rome is burning -- the city remains in state receivership, the pension funds remain virtually bust and systemic budget flaws soon likely will metastasize like a voracious ugly cancer.

And City Council is 'prioritizing' by regulating outdoor furniture. Can dictating the color of our homes, what flowers we plant and the number of scoops in our coffee makers be far behind?

To the credit of Mr. Kraus, but really to employees of public works, the South Side is clean this morning. On Sunday, the clean-up from the weekend was in full swing. The place looks good.

Yesterday, a neighbor was using some green paint to cover a mailbox that had been a vandal magnet. I asked if she was painting the green with the left overs from St. Pats Day. Thanks for that effort. I dare not give more details as she isn't a union worker.

But, back to the couch.

What if a couch shows up in front of Mr. Kraus' home? Does he get to pay the $500 per day fine?

Couches are able to burn. But, worse than a couch are the Eucalyptus tree. Let's ban all Eucalyptus trees too. And, pine trees burn. Let's ban all pine trees. And, what about a top cause of fires -- Christmas Trees. It would be better for Mr. Kraus to ban all Christmas Trees than to ban indoor couches placed outdoors.

Datestone is a solid find, but where to put it?

Datestone is a solid find, but where to put it?: "Neighborhood activist Carl Suter of Crafton Heights, who happened on it two weeks ago, thinks it deserves a better fate, perhaps as an artifact along one of the city's riverfront trails.

I agree with Carl. Put the stone back in Point State Park.

Do not press 9 0 # while on the phone

90# on your telephone is a no no!

I dialed '0', to check this out, asked the operator, who confirmed that this was correct so please pass it on . . . (l also checked out Snopes.com. This is true, and also applies to cell phones!)

PASS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

I received a telephone call last evening from an individual identifying himself as an AT&T Service Technician (could also be Telus) who was conducting a test on the telephone lines. He stated that to complete the test I should touch nine (9), zero (0), the pound sign (#), and then hang up.

Luckily, I was suspicious and refused. Upon contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by pushing 90#, you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which enables them to place long distance calls billed to your home phone number.

I was further informed that this scam has been originating from many local jails/prisons DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE.

Driver dies after chaotic South Side chase

Bad news.

Driver dies after chaotic South Side chase Driver dies after chaotic South Side chase

It's PI day!

Everything is going around in circles today. There was a famous mathematician who discovered that our universe may not be just simply a rectangular space but may be bent into a huge hypersphere instead, with pi around it (circumference/diameter).

His birthday was today in 1879 - Albert Einstein.

Now you know he rest of the story.

Bill Peduto kicks off re-election to Pittsburgh City Council

Or, watch the same content at Rauterkus.blip.tv.

http://blip.tv/file/1876379/

Snake Oil

Pittsburgh Marathon running out of entry spots

Pittsburgh Marathon running out of entry spots: "The registration spots for the May 3 event are going fast. Entries have been capped at 9,000 -- 3,500 for the full marathon, 3,500 for the half marathon and 2,000 for up to 500, four-person relay teams."

Why cap the entries? Why?

Perhaps it is time to think again. The race is in May.

Search for Greatness

+ What Makes a Principal Great?

In her school visits as N.C. Teacher of the Year, Cindi Rigsbee discovered that the best administrators have some things in common.

+ What Makes a Great Teacher?

Robyn R. Jackson, author of the recently published Never Work Harder Than Your Students & Other Principles of Great Teaching, discusses the mindset of master teachers.

Kids on the radio on Saturday playing violin

Tune in to the Saturday Light Brigade Radio Show on Saturday from 10-10:30 AM to hear us do our new Irish music set as well as other fiddle, jazz and rock tunes. You can hear the show on the following stations

WRCT 88.3 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh
WIUP 90.1 Indiana University Indiana PA
WMCO 90.7 Muskingum U. Ohio
WSAJ 91.1 Grove City PA
WNJR 91.7 Washington & Jefferson U.
WCUV 91.7

Or on the internet from their site http://www.slbradio.com/

You may also come to see us do this remote broadcast at the Pittsburgh Center For The Arts at the corner of Fifth Ave. and Shady Ave. in Shadyside. It's their open house and open to the public free. We may also stick around for awhile and play a few more tunes in another area of the center.

Bert P. Krages Attorney at Law Photographer's Rights Page

I'm still a little hacked off about last night and how I went to two meetings and was asked to put away my video camera. This has happened before. A twitter friend pointed me to this.

Bert P. Krages Attorney at Law Photographer's Rights Page A Downloadable Flyer Explaining Your Rights When Stopped or Confronted for Photography

Thanks! I'm printing it out now.

The Photographer’s Right is a downloadable guide that is loosely based on the Bust Card and the Know Your Rights pamphlet that used to be available on the ACLU website. It may be downloaded and printed out using Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may make copies and carry them your wallet, pocket, or camera bag to give you quick access to your rights and obligations concerning confrontations over photography. You may distribute the guide to others, provided that such distribution is not done for commercial gain and credit is given to the author.

Download The Photographer’s Right in PDF format

A Stand for Photographer’s Rights

The right to take photographs in the United States is being challenged more than ever. People are being stopped, harassed, and even intimidated into handing over their personal property simply because they were taking photographs of subjects that made other people uncomfortable. Recent examples have included photographing industrial plants, bridges, buildings, trains, and bus stations. For the most part, attempts to restrict photography are based on misguided fears about the supposed dangers that unrestricted photography presents to society.

Ironically, unrestricted photography by private citizens has played an integral role in protecting the freedom, security, and well-being of all Americans. Photography in the United States has an established history of contributing to improvements in civil rights, curbing abusive child labor practices, and providing important information to crime investigators. Photography has not contributed to a decline in public safety or economic vitality in the United States. When people think back on the acts of domestic terrorism that have occurred over the last twenty years, none have depended on or even involved photography. Restrictions on photography would not have prevented any of these acts. Furthermore, the increase in people carrying small digital and cell phone cameras has resulted in the prevention of crimes and the apprehension of criminals.

As the flyer states, there are not very many legal restrictions on what can be photographed when in public view. Most attempts at restricting photography are done by lower-level security and law enforcement officials acting way beyond their authority. Note that neither the Patriot Act nor the Homeland Security Act have any provisions that restrict photography. Similarly, some businesses have a history of abusing the rights of photographers under the guise of protecting their trade secrets. These claims are almost always meritless because entities are required to keep trade secrets from public view if they want to protect them.

Pittsburgh goes to the mattresses — and sofas - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Whew. We dodged a bullet with the fines for these couches.

Pittsburgh goes to the mattresses — and sofas - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "'The safety and the image and health and prosperity of the surrounding neighborhood is critical to the health and safety of the business district,' she said. 'These (couches) really are safety hazards.'

There will never be a fine given for anyone. Enforcement won't happen.

If the fee was $20. Then tickets might get written.

Socking a kid a $500 bill will knock them out of college in many instances.

Besides a $20 fee rather than a $500 fee, how about if you give out a 3-1-1 phone number and the Department of Public Works will come to pick-up the couch in 24 hours or less.

War on Drugs didn't work. War on drinking might fail too.

Being drunk isn't against the law. Being disorderly, destructive, and taking a leak is.

There is no holding cell for disorderly drunks -- as in youth curfew center.

Open containers are illegal and should not be tolerated.

All in all, downtown venue for drunken party is okay as it allows South Side to be slightly more human.

Marty G on KDKA Radio is ranting about the St. Pats Parade.

This sounds like a fun spring and summer project

Call for Entries: The BurghBot Project
Submission Deadline: April 1, 2009

Are you an artist interested in exploring new media? A roboticist looking to show off your creativity? If so, the BurghBot Project wants YOU! The Pittsburgh Technology Council and CREATE Lab are currently seeking artists and roboticists to participate in the 2009 Annual Art and Technology Exhibition.

DETAILS: The Community Robotics, Education and Technology Empowerment [CREATE] Lab of the CMU Robotics Institute will provide up to 10 artists with robotic media to serve as a foundation for robotic artwork -- to be juried and showcased during this year’s Art + Technology Exhibition at the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s 15 Minutes Gallery.

SUBMISSIONS: No robotic or new media experience necessary.

MATERIALS: Selected artists will be notified and presented with their materials by April 15, 2009. All artwork must be completed and delivered to the Pittsburgh Technology Council for the exhibition opening on June 18, 2009. BurghBots will be showcased and for sale at the 15 Minutes Gallery, with a portion of proceeds returning to the artist.

ROBOTIC SPECIFICATIONS: Each artist will be supplied with a robotic framework [above] and a three hour instructional workshop. Robots are approximately 18”Hx 8”Wx 6”L. Artists may utilize any creative means to enhance the robots aesthetics or function, as long as no working parts are damaged or destroyed. Robotic frameworks remain property of CREATE Lab.

TO ENTER: To be considered as potential BurghBot artist, email your resume, brief artist statement and porfolio samples to kharvey@ pghtech.org by April 1, 2009.

CONTACT: Direct alll questions and submissions to:
Kim Chestney Harvey,
Creative Director, Art + Technology,
Pittsburgh Technology Council,
2000 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
kharvey@ pghtech.org

http://www.15minutesgallery.org

Win Makes 28 Straight for Stanford

Great props for a Pittsburgh guy, also a member of the JCC Sailfish, swimming his freshmen season at Stanford.

Win Makes 28 Straight for Stanford: "La Tourette downed Washington senior Scott Spansail (14:44.24), with Cardinal freshman Trevor Scheid and sophomore David Mosko coming in third and fourth respectively. The top four all met NCAA qualifying times.

Another first-year Cardinal, Bobby Bollier, won the 200-yard butterfly in 1:42.92. Arizona freshman AJ Tipton finished second in a time of 1:43.43, while Peter Davis of Cal was third.

'We have a great freshman class, maybe one of our best ever,' Kenney said. 'It's been one of the more fun years. They've brought a lot of energy.'