Appeals court rejects challenge to city's lost-gun law

Appeals court rejects challenge to city's lost-gun law State Commonwealth Court today affirmed a ruling that dismissed a lawsuit challenging Pittsburgh's lost and stolen gun law, deciding that the National Rifle Association and four individual plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to bring the case.

If a person does not have the legal standing to challenge a law in court, then I guess that that law has no standing to apply to any individual.

You all are invited!

Open Invite: 4th of July and our annual party. Celebrate the passing of the 10,000 milestone in blog postings!

6pm Badminton in the park by our house (12th n Sarah St). There's also room for Ultimate Frisbee. Plus swings, etc. If you don't want to play in the park, plan to show up at the house (108 S. 12th Street) any time after 7pm.

We'll have the usual arts and crafts and some "water" games.
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How is that REGISTRY for gay couples in the city of Pittsburgh doing, really?

Bruce Kraus was keen to start a registry for gay couples in Pittsburgh a while ago. He had helpers in city hall. It began. How about an update?

I didn't think it made sense to start such a registry for a few reasons. It is an expansion of government. It is not really governement's business. The best benefit was to save a family of 4 some money on city swim pool passes. It would save them $300 over a ten year period.

Nazi Germany used records to hand out yellow, six pointed stars and pink triangles. I'd rather not have those source documents.

I had heard that the registry one year after being formed had six couples listed. But, that's not confirmed, just hear-say. So, I wonder.

Councilman wants audit of fund tapped for parking study

Sherlock!

Councilman wants audit of fund tapped for parking study: "Council found the $250,000 in old capital accounts dating to the 1990s. The ICA and Mr. Burgess want to know why the money was just sitting around, what its proper use would be and whether other pots of unused money exist."

Dude, be sure to look in the laundry basket of Doug Shields too.

Coach talks about the next USA opponent, Ghana

Wandering: "African teams are killing me. I am still convinced they have the talent to compete with any team. Ghana and Ivory Coast showed lots of immaturity in not getting the results they needed in their last matches. I respect having a certain style. I understand pride and holding on to certain values. Every athlete dreams off making certain plays and scoring goals in big moments. But at some point all those things need to be put aside, or at least in the right place, to win a match. Ghana was casual and selfish against Australia, they played like they were gonna win just cause they are better. This happens all the time in all sports, but you don’t do it here when you have three matches to qualify."

On Special Education - Education Week

On Special Education - Education Week: "Schools Could Use Guidance on Physical Education for Disabled Kids"

Then go here:
http://aforathlete.wikia.com/wiki/Time_Out!_I_Didn't_Hear_You

Sustain the embrace

Education Week: Study Finds Success in NYC's 'Small Schools' ... a major study of New York City high schools has found that students are more academically successful in smaller, more personal high schools that they choose for themselves than they are in larger, more traditional schools.

Here is the point I'd love to make, "Different strokes for different folks."

We should have some small schools. We should have some big schools. We should have some flavors of schools that are unlike the flavors of others. Even a girls public high school campus would be welcomed -- if the boys had their own all city public boys school campus too.

43rd post at the Pure Reform Blog

"When freedom enters, the slaves are the ones that benefit the most. Yes, the poor get richer."

Bank on it.

I wrote and posted in a thread at the PURE Reform Blog about school choice within Pgh Public Schools so as to make ALL of our high schools magnet schools so as to end all feeder patterns for high schools in the city.

Here is the whole post, placed here, slightly out of context. Sorry about that.

---

When freedom enters, the slaves are the ones that benefit the most. Yes, the poor get richer.

Same too with "open enrollment."

It is CRAZY to say that the rich will get richer with choice among schools in PPS. CRAZY.

Presently, there is very little balance. Balance isn't the goal anyway. Fight for balance and then find all at the bottom.

BTW, the real rich (as a class) are not in PPS at all.

With this plan, (well, there isn't much to point to in "THIS PLAN" other than to say the end of all feeder patterns for high school students in PPS) ALL the KIDSs are put into good schools. NOBODY will go to crappy schools. Now plenty are forced to go to bad schools and with choice, the bad schools will need to do a better job -- or else die.

There will NOT be a large group of parents who choose to send their kids to NO SCHOOL -- for whatever the reason. Think again.

The REAL nasty cycle that is very hard to end is FORCE. We end force with CHOICE. We end slavery with freedom.

BTW, we do do single race schools in USA -- its often found in suburbia. The dangerous territory is silly talk that makes little sense.

Noise-induced hearing loss is completely preventable

A Post-Gazette news article featured expert quotes from Catherine, my wife.

Noise-induced hearing loss is completely preventable

Hearing loss has little to do with the source of the sound and everything to do with the dosage, or the level of the sound and the amount of time spent listening to it, said Catherine Palmer, audiologist and director of UPMC's Center for Audiology and Hearing Aids. MP3 players don't cause hearing loss, and it's not any more dangerous to listen to music from an iPod than it is to listen to music from a stereo or car
speakers, experts said.

'Sound is sound. The ear doesn't care how it got there,' Dr. Palmer explained.

The problem with MP3 players comes when people listen to them for too long at levels that are too high.
The greater the exposure, the greater the chance of hearing loss because it builds up over time, Dr. Palmer said."

Have you checked out the Mount Vernon Statement yet?

New Page 1 THE MOUNT VERNON STATEMENT
CONSTITUTIONAL CONSERVATISM: A STATEMENT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

We recommit ourselves to the ideas of the American Founding. Through the Constitution, the Founders created an enduring framework of limited government based on the rule of law. They sought to secure national independence, provide for economic opportunity, establish true religious liberty and maintain a flourishing society of republican self-government.
These principles define us as a country and inspire us as a people. They are responsible for a prosperous, just nation unlike any other in the world. They are our highest achievements, serving not only as powerful beacons to all who strive for freedom and seek self-government, but as warnings to tyrants and despots everywhere.

New Meetup: Tsunami planned after golfers depart Oakmont

From: Mike Cornell <cornells@zoominternet.net>

Sender: kayaking-129-announce@meetup.com

Announcing a new Meetup for Pittsburgh Kayakers (ka-"yack"-ers)!

What: Tsunami!

When: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 9:00 AM

Where: Allegheny River, Harmarville

What happens when a huge bridge falls 100' into a river? Tsunami! Gather up your nerve and your sense of adventure for an all-new way to experience a dynamite-packed implosion. Tuesday July 13, the the old PA Turnpike bridge at Harmarville will drop into the Allegheny River like a sack of potatoes, and we'll be there, bobbing on the water, 1000' away, watching it go down!

Bring food and drink, noisemakers, video cameras, marine radios & police scanners, flags, crazy hats, Frisbees & beach balls; it's a goofy event, so come prepared!

We'll launch from Oakmont or Harmarville, no more than a mile away, and then hang out on the river, waiting for the big moment. When will that moment be? I don't know yet, but I assume that the Turnpike will be closed during the implosion, and all Turnpike closures are publicized in advance. Probably mid-day; for safety, they wouldn't do it at night, and they'll probably avoid rush hours. I'll update the listing as I get more information.

Thrills! Spills! Mayhem! Destruction! Isn't THAT worth a day off work?

Learn more here:
http://www.meetup.com/kayaking-129/calendar/13894387/

Heart Health in PA

American Heart Assn sent this. I've got a reply at the end.

Urge the PA Senate to bring House Bill 816 up for a vote in Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee!
Dear Mark,

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Pennsylvania, killing more people than the next five leading causes of death combined. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and is the leading disabler among adults. Beyond the toll in suffering and death, these two diseases place a tremendous burden our health care system. And yet, Pennsylvania invests ZERO resources to the prevention and treatment of these diseases!

Urge the Senate to take the next steps to support heart health!

The good news is there is a solution to significantly reduce the impact of these diseases through House Bill 816. House Bill 816 would lay the foundation to expand the Heart Disease and Stroke Program at the state level when implementation funds become available. The bill was voted out of the House unanimously in March, but has yet to see movement in the Senate!

Urge the Pennsylvania Senate to bring this bill up for a vote in the Public Health and Welfare Committee to keep the bill moving!

Thank YOU for all you do to help improve the heart health of Pennsylvania!

Jennifer Ebersole, PA Advocacy Director
American Heart Association

Melissa Brown, Grassroots Director
American Heart Association

Isn't an investment into Physical Education in schools count for SOME spending heart health?

Death generally means that one's heart stops beating. Not always, but often. So, it isn't a real shocker (PUN) that failure of heart beating is a leading cause of death.

We need to do plenty more for fitness in PA, of course. Now I'll go find the bill.

Oversight board balks at funding parking study

Oversight board balks at funding parking study

The OVERLORDS speak! Quick, check for a pulse.

Don't pay $250,000 for a study. That's like paying someone to do your homework. How about if members and staffers of city council do their own homework and only took a paycheck for doing their job -- and NOT paying the consultants a nickle.

Canada-based earthquake felt here

Canada-based earthquake felt here: "An earthquake centered in Canada could be felt by some people in the Pittsburgh area this afternoon.
Reports of buildings shaking came from Carlow University in Oakland and from the South Side."

I felt it. No doubt. Felt like the boards on the floor were moving as a football team marched in the next room. No noise, but the gentle wobble of the floor. I was checking my voice mail.

Nobody cares. Now back to your regular World Cup Victory Party Celebration. Cheers and here is to your face paint gets a touch-up soon!

South Africa may bid on Summer Olympic Games

Rogge plans to discuss possible SAfrican bid with President

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- IOC president Jacques Rogge will discuss the possibility of a South African bid for the Olympics when he meets with South African President Jacob Zuma next month.

Read the full story at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/more/06/23/south.african.olympics.ap/index.html

Fw: Big Phone. Big Cable. Same $ellout.

From: "Josh Silver, FreePress.net" <info@freepress.net>

End These Secret Meetings! The Wall Street Journal just revealed that the FCC has been convening secret backroom meetings with phone and cable lobbyists to cut a deal on Net Neutrality. The closed-door meetings have included a small group of lobbyists from AT&T, Verizon and Google. The goal, according to insiders, is to "reach consensus" on rules of the road for the Internet. This is outrageous. The FCC can’t ignore the public's demand for Net Neutrality and then quietly give control over the Internet to a few massive corporations. Tell Obama and the FCC: Stop These Secret Meetings President Obama pledged to "take a back seat to no one" in his support for Net Neutrality. To head the FCC, he appointed Julius Genachowski, the man who crafted his pro-Net Neutrality platform in 2008. But even after millions of people joined Obama’s call for Net Neutrality, FCC staff is huddling with industry lobbyists in secret to cut a deal that could leave the free and open Internet in jeopardy. This plot is all too familiar. We've seen it before, during the BP oil disaster and the subprime mortgage meltdown, when government officials put the interests of big business ahead of those of the public. Now, the same thing is happening to the Internet. We can’t let the one agency tasked with oversight of communications strike secret deals that undermine Net Neutrality. Don’t Let Lobbyists Determine the Future of the Internet Sign our letter to President Obama and the FCC to end the secret meetings and guarantee that the public -- including the tens of millions of Americans who use the Internet every day and in every way -- is given a seat at the table. Thank you, Josh Silver President and CEO Free Press http://www.savetheinternet.com/ http://www.freepress.net/ P.S. Be sure to sign the letter to Obama and the FCC. Then forward this e-mail to your friends in Pennsylvania and share the action via Twitter. P.S.S. Check out our full-page ad protesting the secret meetings, which ran in today’s Washington Post.

Fw: College Opportunity for students ages 17-20 with a high school diploma or GED

From: Jacqueline Lyde

Dear Friends,

Do you know someone between the ages of 17-20 years old with a high school diploma or GED in Pittsburgh, PA who would like to go to college or could benefit to going to college.  If so please contact Donielle Owen (donielleowen@aol.com) and/or Deborah Hayes (dhayes@cubm.org) at the the Center for Urban Biblical Ministries.  There are approximately 10 spots available for interested students.  The program starts on July 6th so contact them today!

Please share this information with other groups and organizations for which you are affiliated.

Thank you for your assistance.

God Bless,

Jackie Lyde

Minister Jacqueline Elisa Lyde, M.Div.

Associate Minister and First Lady

Baptist Temple Church

7241 Race Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15208

(412) 241-1624 - church

I invite you to visit Baptist Temple Church for our Sunday Worship Services at 7:45am and 10:45am!   It is my hope that you will visit with us soon.

Public talk on bikes today at Point Park

Allegheny County will be looking at ways to enhance people powered transportation opportunities over the coming months.

Here's the information you need to participate: If you live, work, study or play in Allegheny County – or even just pass through the County, we encourage you to use your local knowledge to help us make the County a more accommodating place for pedestrians, cyclists, skaters and others.

See links below for more information. 

Allegheny County has partnered with PennDOT's Bureau of Public Transportation to develop a comprehensive active transportation plan. The primary objective of the "Active Allegheny" Plan is to accommodate and encourage walking and biking as an integral part, and common means, of getting around Allegheny County.

To receive input from the public, the following public meetings will be held in open house format: 

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 4:30—7:30 pm Point Park University Ballroom 201 Wood St., Pittsburgh, PA 

Thursday, June 24, 2010 4:30—7:30 pm Carnegie Borough Building One Veterans Way, Carnegie, PA

http://www.activeallegheny.com/ http://bike-pgh.org/2010/06/your-input-is-needed-for-the-countys-active-allegheny-plan/ 
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Public Schools' parents wary of realignment when Peabody closes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Public Schools' parents wary of realignment when Peabody closes - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Kelly Howze is worried about how her sons will be affected by the Pittsburgh Public Schools' proposed reconfiguration of East End schools.
'We are strictly opposed to it. I don't think our children would survive in Westinghouse,' said Howze, 30, the outgoing president of the Lincoln K-8 parent-teacher organization.
The plan, presented to the school board yesterday, would relocate Pittsburgh Peabody students to Westinghouse High School or Milliones. Milliones, which houses the university preparatory magnet, is a 6-12 school."

My plan would 'fix' this objection. Do not force the kids to go anywhere. Allow the students and families to choose where to attend.

If space is limited in the other schools -- then performance requirements might be necessary too.

If you don't do your homework at Allderdice, and there is a waiting list, then you'll be asked to leave to make room for students who are going to do their assignements.

If you want to get into a popular school and have missed 20 days of school in the 8th grade -- forget it. That school may not need to take you.

One of her sons is a sophomore at Peabody and the other is in seventh grade at Lincoln K-8. "I think it should have been thought out a little better when they forced us into K-8, and now they're turning around in less than five years (and) forcing us into another transition."

People do not like to be 'forced.' People don't like to be yanked around. And, when they see that happen to others, they vote with their feet. They depart. They leave the city. Or, they stay in the city and go to charter or private schools. Or, they don't move into the city.

If we had a new attitude of closing schools only over time and of giving all kids a choice of where to go to school -- the new pittsburgh pledge -- then we'd have hope of seeing more people keep their students within the PPS -- and even some to move here as well.

Some kids at Pittsburgh Obama, headed into grade 11 for the fall of 2010, will have attended three high schools (buildings) in their four years of high school. That's yank, yank, yank. That's reactionary. That's unpleasant.

So, the move to Peabody could occur in the fall of 2012 for their benefit.

And, end feeder patterns.

And, don't allow kids to enter Peabody as 9th graders in the fall of 2010 -- as they'll be another 'lost class.' Phase out the school starting as soon as possible.

End all FEEDER Patterns for High School Students in Pittsburgh

The PPS does not need feeder patterns any more. Let the kids and the families choose the school of their choice, as space permits.

City school board discusses high school reorganization: "Sherry Hazuda echoed Mr. Sumpter's sentiments as she proposed that the board consider extending open enrollment to all schools, which would allow students from any part of the city to attend any school in the city, if they meet the admission requirements."