Blair, smiles and says nothing so as to not offend. Very wise move.

Coach makes "Facebook" curfew .... Blair "no comment" on City League

Blair keeps to self on City joining WPIAL

Former Schenley basketball star DeJuan Blair was in town Thursday night playing for the San Antonio Spurs against the Cleveland Cavaliers in an NBA preseason game. Shooting the breeze a little with Blair before the game, I told him that the City League is seriously considering disbanding and joining the WPIAL. He hadn't heard of the idea, but I asked him of his opinion.

"That's interesting," Blair said.

I then said, "Well, what do you think? Do you think it would be a good or bad idea?"

Blair said, "I can't saying anything else. I'm going to have to no comment on this one because if I said what I really want to say, it wouldn't come off too good."

Don't know if Blair thinks it's a good or bad idea, but he obviously thought it best to keep his thoughts to himself. Maybe it was a smart move, but I'm still curious what he thinks.

Contest wants students to think about city's future

Contest wants students to think about city's future

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program today will kick off a contest designed to get high school students thinking about the city's future.

Students may work individually or in groups to address the question "What is your promise to Pittsburgh?" Responses must be submitted or postmarked by Nov. 24.

While the city prefers video responses, students may submit essays, photos, artwork or responses in other media. Mayoral spokeswoman Joanna Doven said she didn't want to limit students' creative expression.


Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10291/1096236-100.stm#ixzz12ihf7hAF

Today's Math Homework

http://blog.ted.com/2010/10/16/benoit-mandelbrot-and-his-legacy/

1 killed, 2 injured in shooting in California, Pa.

1 killed, 2 injured in shooting in California, Pa. A post-homecoming party in California, Pa., turned violent early this morning, leaving a Pittsburgh man dead and two injured. The incident happened at an off-campus apartment complex near California University of Pennsylvania.
Jeron Xavier Grayson, 18, of Washington Place, Uptown, was shot and killed, according to the Washington County coroner's office. He was pronounced dead at 2:42 a.m. in an ambulance just before he was to be transported by medical helicopter.
Two others who were injured were treated at Mon Valley Hospital then released, according to Sgt. Chester Kowalski of the Pennsylvania State Police Belle Vernon barracks. While no details were available about the injuries to a young man, police said a young woman sustained facial injuries from flying shrapnel.

This is a good reason why the Pittsburgh Promise should be able to transfer to schools beyond the borders of Pennsylvania. The opportunity to get out of town to a college is great, but for some, it needs to be farther away. Sure, there are mix-ups and trouble in plenty of places out of the region too. However, some of the trouble can be avoided with a fresh start some states away.

Grumbling aside, China's ready for Asian Games - More Sports - SI.com

Grumbling aside, China's ready for Asian Games - More Sports - SI.com

The Asian Games get underway in one month's time in this leafy city of urban bustle and charming alleyways, bringing together more than 11,500 athletes competing in 42 sports. The Olympics-style event is shaping up to be another well-run, well-organized spectacular by the Chinese government, though wide-ranging preparation projects set off grumbling among some residents who see them as an inconvenience and waste of money.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/more/10/11/asian.games.ap/index.html#ixzz12XH476V0

Grumbling aside, China's ready for Asian Games - More Sports - SI.com

Grumbling aside, China's ready for Asian Games - More Sports - SI.com

The Asian Games get underway in one month's time in this leafy city of urban bustle and charming alleyways, bringing together more than 11,500 athletes competing in 42 sports. The Olympics-style event is shaping up to be another well-run, well-organized spectacular by the Chinese government, though wide-ranging preparation projects set off grumbling among some residents who see them as an inconvenience and waste of money.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/more/10/11/asian.games.ap/index.html#ixzz12XH476V0

Parking bidder offers to tweak deal

Parking bidder offers to tweak deal

."Their thought is, OK, we probably see a better way of getting this done. Perhaps we should re-evaluate this lease agreement. Is there a way perhaps to lower the initial payment, decrease the length of the lease, find ways to keep the city more involved?" said Councilman Bruce Kraus, one of those approached by LAZ.

Mr. Kraus and five colleagues -- Patrick Dowd, Bill Peduto, Natalia Rudiak, Doug Shields and council President Darlene Harris -- on Wednesday voted against four bills that would have authorized the lease with private investors led by J.P. Morgan Asset Management and LAZ parking.


Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10289/1095711-53.stm#ixzz12XFJaple

They did well to contact Bruce Kraus as he is one of the most wishy washy of them all. Plus, his sense of purpose as to what government is to do, and not do, is suspect as well. If there is a cause for over-reaching, he'll gladly over-reach!

Here is an idea for Laz: Take one of the downtown garages, buy it outright. Then build a new garage in its place with some small first floor retail to help the pedestrian life, put in a mega bike parking area like that in Amsterdam, some self-storage on a floor near the top, pedestrian cross walks above the street to other corners or buildings around the garage, and a 50-meter swim pool on the roof that can be covered in the winter for hosting swim meet.

Then people will come to the city to swim or watch a swim meet in a fine facility, and would need to park and go out to eat after.

Make sure that there is nice access to some bus parking too, around the building somewhere.

State touts benefits of spending on early education

State touts benefits of spending on early education

Happy Birthday OpenOffice.org

Ten years ago, on 13 October 2000, Sun released the source code to StarOffice under open-source licenses. Formidable in size and complexity and positioned against a seemingly overwhelmingly dominant competitor, OpenOffice.org was seen as at best, foolish, at worse, boring, fit only for office drones. Browsers, it was said, have more fun.

But we, the OpenOffice.org project community, showed these skeptics to be wrong. We showed the world that a free office productivity suite using open standards, especially what later came to be known as the OpenDocument Format (ODF), is more desirable, more powerful, and more transformative than any browser could be. We, the OpenOffice.org project community, gave the world a set of tools that allows all to participate as equals in the fields of commerce, science, education, government, to name but a few.

We have given the world the tools to do things and to work together. With OpenOffice.org, people produce - and their productions are theirs to keep and do with as they will. That is real freedom.

It is a freedom that today perhaps 100 million people enjoy. In some regions, our product's usage is greater than 20 percent of the office suite userbase. How have we done this? And without spending the expected billions on advertising and other marketing efforts? To a great extent, OpenOffice.org, the application made by us, the community, sells itself, and its good news is spread through word of mouth, not via billboards and the like. Its professional quality and performance is tremendously persuasive. OpenOffice.org works on all platforms and in over a hundred languages, and perhaps most important, it also works well with other suites: our code and our use of the ODF means there is no vendor lock-in. Users, from those in government offices to individuals at home, are free to choose what is best for them without the anxiety they'll be stuck with something they do not much like but costs a lot.

They have chosen OpenOffice.org, and we are sure they will continue to do so in even greater numbers over the next ten years. They choose it today it not simply because it costs them nothing to download from our site, but because of its professional quality and flexibility - as well as its reassuring consistency. Over the last ten years, we have regularly released small and large versions incorporating new features, functionality, and design, all tested and qualified for any user environment. This fall, we are releasing OpenOffice.org 3.3, and the beta is available for community testing. Expect more releases-and also a lot more extensions.

With extensions, there is virtually no limit to what the application can do, and every day the community makes more available under a variety of licenses. These address individual, as well as enterprise, needs. Support, services, and training, offered by Oracle and other large and small companies, is globally available in a host of languages; these all complement the free community support and constitute a portion of the large and growing OpenOffice.org ecosystem.

And our momentum is building, as the size and complexity of the community contributing to the project grows and as more see in OpenOffice.org a future they want to be part of. It's a future of freedom that we commit to, as a community that includes Oracle as well other enterprises, and countless thousands of independent contributors.

Our first ten years have proven the strength of our vision and technology against every imaginable challenge; the next - well, who can say? Only this: we commit to making the tools of productivity, growing the community, and improving the product - open to all to inspect, use, improve, distribute, and we invite the world to join us in our commitment.

Happy Birthday, OpenOffice.org!

On behalf of the OpenOffice.org Project,

Louis Suarez-Potts
Community Development Manager
OpenOffice.org

Teens arrested in Homewood for throwing rocks at cops

Duck!

Teens arrested in Homewood for throwing rocks at cops: "Two 15-year-old boys were arrested this afternoon for throwing rocks at city police officers who had arrived in Homewood to disperse a crowd of as many as 80 rowdy teens.
Police from the Highland Park station were called to Frankstown and North Homewood avenues just after noon for a large fight and found the teenagers blocking the street and ignoring officers commands to leave."

Jeepers.
High school kids had a half-day of school today.

Mayor's parking lease plan rejected by council

Mayor's parking lease plan rejected by council

"At this point, I think it's irresponsible to actually entertain a plan that has been universally panned by the citizens of Pittsburgh," said Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak, the first to call for a vote.

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10287/1095054-53.stm#ixzz12Lcq1Idl

Reform fumbles. Put a fork in it. I'm glad that they are to think again on the parking and pension issues.

Judge upholds rejection of Mt. Lebanon High School plan

Judge upholds rejection of Mt. Lebanon High School plan

The Mt. Lebanon School District filed a court appeal in April, after the three-member zoning hearing board issued an eight-page decision denying the variances. The zoning hearing board wrote that it believed the district could have complied with zoning requirements but for its "overreaching," specifically singling out the athletic field house planned on Horsman Drive across from the main academic building.

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/10287/1095195-100.stm#ixzz12LUyjDOM

So, the over-reaching of the building happens at the athletic field house, exactly where there should be over-reaching.

Zoning problems are a pain.

How about if you put the swim pool and some athletic facilities on the roof, as is done in Hong Kong swim pool at HKU. The swim pool at HKU is over a parking garage. Very nice.

How low can they go?

Harry Reid support group launches ad campaign in
in support of fake tea party candidate!

Fellow Patriots,

This is going to flat out send you into a level of outrage.

Do you remember hearing about Scott Ashjian, the fake third party "tea party" candidate who set up a run for Senate to sabotage Sharron Angle's chances of success in the general election?

The problem Ashjian presented is that he was polling around 5 points. Those same 5 points could elevate Harry Reid to a win in Nevada.

All of the Tea Party groups in Nevada came out in a strong way, joining together to oppose Ashjian's candidacy. Ashjian was neutralized for most of the year... until now.

"The deceptively named Patriot Majority PAC, a pro-Reid and clearly anti-patriot organization, is currently running an ad on conservative radio in Reno Nevada were they mention fake Tea Party candidate Scott Ashjian 4 times reminding voters that he’s still running and on the ballot."

You can read our full post and listen to the ad audio here.

Groups supporting Harry Reid know full well that Scott Ashjian has a chance to sink Sharron Angle and they're going after it with everything they have.

We must stop them.

Click here to view our latest TV ad.

We've got to step up our fight here in Nevada. We're one of the few groups actually located here in Nevada who have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars combating Harry Reid in the media and on the ground.

We can only continue doing this with your help.

Please, right now, consider a contribution to our campaign here in Nevada. Harry Reid must be defeated.

For Liberty,
-Eric Odom

Free Online Course "Concussion in Sports - What You Need To Know" Now Available

PIAA - News - Free NFHS Online Course "Concussion in Sports - What You Need To Know" Now Available

PIAA is pleased to distribute the NFHS online course, "Concussion in Sports - What You Need to Know". It is a first-of-its-kind complimentary online course designed to familiarize those associated with interscholastic athletics on the signs, symptoms, and treatment related to concussion in sports. The only requirement is a quick and easy registration at www.nfhslearn.com.

This 20 minute course is designed for coaches, officials, parents, administrators and students to learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of concussions and a step-wise process to return to normal activity. Like all courses at www.nfhslearn.com there are printable resources available within the course.

Rundown parking garages pose 'no immediate danger' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Rundown parking garages pose 'no immediate danger' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Three deteriorating city parking garages marked for demolition are sturdy enough to endure at least a decade of punishing winters and salt-sprinkled tires, the city's top parking official said Thursday.

Rather than owning the garages and leasing them for 50 years, it would be much better to just sell them now and have the burden and upside of ownership transfer to the new owners. Those garages could be re-built -- by private owners.

Abortion opponents fight for right to use leaflets on cars - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Abortion opponents fight for right to use leaflets on cars - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"That minor inconvenience is all you're talking about," he said.

The 7th, 8th and 9th U.S. circuit courts of appeals have ruled the ordinances unconstitutional. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Catlettsburg, K.Y., ordinance in 2005. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, and six other circuits haven't ruled on the issue, White said.

The city law runs afoul of the Constitution because it includes a penalty for people who hand out literature face-to-face if their activities cause litter, he said.

Kraus said he researched the law and checked with the American Civil Liberties Union before sponsoring the law. He proposed the law in 2008 because fliers had become an eyesore in his South Side district.

Over-reaching gets the city nowhere.

Philly hot spots

Comcast Sets Up WiFi Hotspots In PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia BusinessComcast is allowing its Internet customers to access thousands of WiFi hotspots for free. The Philadelphia-based cable-television, Internet, phone and media company is setting up the hotspots in its home town and neighboring communities.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Happy Birthday in 24 languages

PARENTS MAGAZINE RATES PITTSBURGH TOP PLACE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES

PARENTS MAGAZINE RATES PITTSBURGH TOP PLACE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES: "Pittsburgh is ranked number four out of 100 cities in Parents Magazine first ever comprehensive survey identifying the top ten cities to raise babies."

Shanghai tries to charm Ravenstahl, delegation

Shanghai tries to charm Ravenstahl, delegation