Beyond Books - News, Literacy, Democracy, and America's Libraries - MIT - 6-7 Apr 2011

Assessing the common mission of journalists and librarians April 6-7, 2011 / MIT Center for Future Civic Media

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For three centuries, in American towns large and small, two institutions
have uniquely marked a commitment to participatory democracy, learning and
open inquiry - our libraries and our free press. Today, as their tools
change, their common missions of civic engagement and information
transparency converge.

Economic and technology changes suggest an opportunity for collaboration
among these two historic community information centers - one largely public,
one largely private.

But How? The capability of newspapers to provide community information is
declining. Library budgets are under challenge. At the same time, informal
sources of local information are rapidly increasing.

On Wednesday and Thursday, April 6 and 7, 2011, Journalism That Matters,
LLAMA, the Office of Information Technology Policy of the American Library
Association, the MIT Center for Future Civic Media, the Media Giraffe
Project at UMass Amherst, the New England News Forum, the Donald W. Reynolds
Journalism Institute and the Cambridge Public Library invite you to join in
a work session for civic information transparency that builds from and
beyond books.

Our intention is to assess shared purpose -- and now shared channels and
technologies -- among librarians and journalists to promote civic engagement
and open access to information. More and more, libraries are becoming
"community information centers" -- an evolution broadly supported in the
recommendations of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of
Communities.

Libraries and legacy media have always shared a common purpose -- helping us
acquire the information we need to be engaged, informed (and entertained)
citizens. They used different tools - newspapers, broadcast stations and
books. Now the tools are converging - web search, data taxonomies, database
creation and analysis, social networks - as librarians and journalists
together foster civic literacy and engagement.

Librarians want to expand public access to accurate information, including
trustworthy local news. So do journalists. How do we expand libraries as
community information centers beyond books - perhaps even beyond their four
walls - facilitating and engaging with journalists? What can libraries and
journalists do - together - to foster improved access to community
information?

Thus, as the tools and mission converge, it's time to ask: "What's possible
at the intersection of libraries and journalism that serves the information
needs of communities and democracy?"

Via a pre-event social network, an evening agenda-setting dialogue, a day of
roundtable planning and closing action commitments, we'll discover what's
possible at the intersection of public spaces, open documents, citizen
reporting and journalistic purpose. Among the questions we may ask:

* What does engagement mean to journalists and librarians?
* What might libraries do to facilitate community social news
networks?
* Must free speech be absolute within a taxpayer-supported
institution?
* How do we define the boundaries between engagement and
partisanship?
* Are libraries poised to become public-access media centers as
cable fades?
* Should a library operate a news collective, non-profit or
citizen-journalism service?
* How can libraries help preserve a free digital information
commons?

STIPENDS AVAILABLE

If you are a graduate student in library or information science, a
technologist or journalist with relevant experience to our purpose, you may
apply for a travel/lodging stipend. Stipend awards will be made based on
need around March 15. To apply, register now and choose the "request
stipend" option.

REPRESENTATIVE COLLABORATORS

Among our growing list of collaborators are(alpha order): Joe Bergantino
(New England Center for Investigative Reporting), Jessica Durkin (New
America Foundation fellow), Mike Fancher (RJI / Seattle Times-retired),
Fabrice Florin (NewsTrust), Renee Hobbs, (Temple Univ.-Media Education);
Marsha Iverson (ALA and King County libraries), Library Leadership &
Management Assn. (LLAMA), Alan Inouye (director, Office of Info Tech Policy,
ALA), Barbara Jones (ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom); Nancy Kranich
(Rutgers Univ., chair ALA Center for Public Life), Lorrie LeJeune and Andrew
Whitacre (MIT C4FCM), Leigh Montgomery (SLA news-division chair-elect,
Christian Science Monitor librarian), Donna Nicely (Knight
Commission/Nashville Public Library), Patrick Phillips (Vineyard Voice),
Josh Stearns (FreePress.net), Colin Rhinesmith (Univ. of Illinois) and Bill
Densmore, (New England News Forum/Media Giraffe Project/Reynolds Journalism
Institute).

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Email jtm@journalismthatmatters.org or call Bill Densmore at the the New
England News Forum, 413-458-8001.

-------------------------------------
Bill Densmore, director/editor
The Media Giraffe Project / Journalism Program
108 Bartlett Hall / Univ. of Massachusetts
Amherst MA 01003
OFF: 413-577-4370 / CELL: 413-458-8001
densmore@journ.umass.edu

-----------------------------------------
Group home for Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire:
http://groups.dowire.org/groups/newswire

Summary of Governor Corbett’s Proposed Education Budget from Ron C.

FY 2011-12 for Basic Education

The Education budget for 2011-2012 proposed by Governor Tom Corbett on March 8, 2011 has Pennsylvania students bearing most of the burden of his budget cutting ideas. It is very likely that this budget proposal, if enacted, would be harmful to students in early childhood programs, elementary and secondary grades, and higher education.

The effect of the budget proposal would be to starve K-12 programs for resources and drive tuition up at higher education institutions in Pennsylvania. It is important to remember that Pennsylvania starts out with one of the nation’s most inequitable funding systems for K-12 resources across our 500 school districts; has among the lowest levels of state support for K-12; has a $4.6 billion funding shortage to get to “adequate” funding for all students to have the opportunity to become proficient relative to state academic standards (2007 Costing Out Study); and has some of the highest public higher education tuition rates in the nation.

School districts would lose more than $1 billion of state and federal stimulus funding.

* Basic Education Subsidy reduced by $550 million. The $5.226 billion currently being proposed by the Corbett administration represents the 2008-2009 level of funding.

* Accountability Block Grants are eliminated, a loss of $259.456 million. Much of this was used by districts to support early education.

* Charter school reimbursement to districts is eliminated, a loss of $224.083 million. These payments reimbursed school districts for about 25% of their charter school costs.

* Special Education would be flat-funded for the 3rd consecutive year at ($1.026 billion).

* Career and Technical Education was level funded at $62 million.

* Other cuts to school districts amount to more than $50 million.

These other basic education items are eliminated entirely:

* Basic Education Formula Enhancements ($1.984 million)
* Dual Enrollment Payments ($6.959 million)
* School Improvement Grants ($10.797 million)
* Education Assistance Program ($47.606 million)
* Science It’s Elementary ($6.910 million)
* Mobile Science Education Program ($1.6 million)
* Intermediate Units ($4.761 million)
* School Entity Demonstration Projects ($600 thousand)
* High School Reform ($1.762 million)
* Lifelong Learning ($825 thousand)
* Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic ($69 thousand)
* Job Training Programs ($3.442 million)

Additional information and analysis about the budget will be posted on EPLC’s website as it becomes available.

The EPLC Education Notebook (current and past editions) also is available by visiting the EPLC website at http://www.eplc.org/ednotebook.html

Proposed education cuts termed 'catastrophic'

Proposed education cuts termed 'catastrophic'

"You're breaking people's dreams," said Kaitlyn Grzywinski, 19, of Saxonburg, a freshman at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. "This decision will ruin some people's chances of going to college. Cost is a huge factor."

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/11068/1130619-455.stm#ixzz1G73mwonS

Great quote.

Transit Cut protest rally slated for Sq. Hill on Saturday

Pittsburghers for Public Transit (PPT) is having a rally to protest the unfair service cuts proposed by Port Authority. This rally will be held on Saturday March 19th @ 12p in Sq. Hill at the corner of Beacon & Murray. We ask that everyone assemble at this location a few minutes before noon; once the crowd has gatheres we will march with signs to the intersection of Forbes & Murray for a demonstration.

They are hoping for a large turn-out and can use as much support from us as possible to fight these cuts! As members and/or friends of the Black and White Reunion we ask you to join us in supporting this cause because there is not one organization, community, or business in the city of Pittsburgh that does not benefit from transit so please urge all of your members, friends, interns, students- whomever you know to come to this rally and add their voice to this movement. We hope to see you there.
Thanks!!

Pittsburgh school election needs higher voter turnout, group says

I don't think so.

Pittsburgh school election needs higher voter turnout, group says

Pittsburgh school election needs higher voter turnout, group says
Monday, March 07, 2011
By Eleanor Chute, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A+ Schools, a public education advocacy group, today launched a campaign aimed at increasing voter turnout in the upcoming school board primary election in Pittsburgh.

Four seats are up for election this year: District 2, held by Dara Ware Allen; District 4, held by Bill Isler; District 6, held by school board president Sherry Huzuda; and District 8, held by Mark Brentley Sr.

According to A+ Schools, voter turnout in those districts ranged from 14 percent to 26 percent in 2007. The organization has set a goal of increasing voter turnout by 26 percent or 6,000 voters.

"Our community consistently lists education as a top concern, but each year the turnout rates remain pitifully low. If we expect the Pittsburgh Public Schools to improve performance, we -- the voters -- must show the board we are paying attention and hold them accountable by voting," said Carey Harris, A+ Schools' executive director, in a news release.

In the campaign, volunteers and partner organizations will help get voting pledges. A+ Schools also will conduct a candidate forum and publish a voter guide.

The primary is scheduled for May 17. Candidates must file their petitions by March 8.
Education writer Eleanor Chute: echute@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1955.

Read more: http://post-gazette.com/pg/11066/1130341-100.stm#ixzz1FwjYad8k

If you don't know who to vote for, don't vote. It isn't bad to skip questions on a ballot.

What is needed are public discussion and public candidate debates. We should zap ignorance. Vote totals that are elevated only to increase ignorance is -- well -- just more harm than good. It is far worse to ask for uninformed voters to vote than almost anything else.

UK scrambles to explain SAS Libya blunder: News24: World: News

Where is James Bond when you need him?
UK scrambles to explain SAS Libya blunder: News24: World: News

UK scrambles to explain SAS Libya blunder

Frankly, I don't think they need James Bond. What is needed and what is wanted may be different.

China: Tibet won't fall apart if Dalai Lama dies | Stuff.co.nz

China: Tibet won't fall apart if Dalai Lama dies | Stuff.co.nz
the order was conveyed verbally, as is often the case with official directives that the government does not wish to defend or explain.

Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee will Vote on Castle Doctrine Bill on Monday, March 7

This Monday, March 7, the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee will vote on important legislation. Introduced by state Representative Scott Perry (R-92), House Bill 40 (Castle Doctrine legislation) would permit law-abiding citizens to use force, including deadly force, against an attacker in their home and any place outside of their home where they have a legal right to be.  If enacted into law, it would also protect individuals from civil lawsuits by the attacker or the attacker's family when force is used. 

In 2010, both the state House and Senate overwhelming passed this important self-defense legislation, which was vetoed by anti-gun Governor Ed Rendell before he left office.

Please contact members of the House Judiciary Committee today and urge them to support a Pennsylvanians right to self-defense by voting for HB 40. Contact information for the House Judiciary Committee can be found on thw web at http://www.NRAILA.org.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Here is how some ask for money for a cause -- at the end.

Parker: Don't take RWC away - the-press | Stuff.co.nz

Those who will be missing the NFL next fall can turn a lonely eye to Rubgy.

Parker: Don't take RWC away - the-press | Stuff.co.nz

Christchurch is ''utterly'' committed to holding its Rugby World Cup matches, despite the damage wreaked on the city by last week's earthquake, Mayor Bob Parker says.

Questions have been raised about whether the city will be able to host the event, given predictions that it may take months to get essential services up and running following last week's 6.3-magnitude quake.

Christchurch is scheduled to host five pool games and two quarterfinals in the Cup which begins on September 9, 2011.

The comments in the article are interesting. They want to bring in cruise ships to give housing to the guest when the world cup for Rugby comes. But why wait. Thousands are without homes and safe sleeping quarters now. Bring in the ships to Christchurch now and then you'd have some support for the tourists in the months to come.

In other news, icebergs now cover a quarter of the 5km by 2km Tasman Lake, which is about 200km west of Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island.

Harpers hits a home run with story on Julian Heicklen

Splendid job!

The Obstinate Dr. Heicklen
By Scott Horton

The New York Times reports on the case of Julian P. Heicklen, a 78-year-old retired chemistry professor from New Jersey, who now faces federal criminal charges. What has the mild-mannered Dr. Heicklen done?

Since 2009, Mr. Heicklen has stood [at 500 Pearl Street in Manhattan] and at courthouse entrances elsewhere and handed out pamphlets encouraging jurors to ignore the law if they disagree with it, and to render verdicts based on conscience. That concept, called jury nullification, is highly controversial, and courts are hostile to it. But federal prosecutors have now taken the unusual step of having Mr. Heicklen indicted on a charge that his distributing of such pamphlets at the courthouse entrance violates a law against jury tampering.

Federal prosecutors in New York have reached the alarming decision that informing individuals on the street in front of the courthouse (some of whom may be en route to serve on a jury pool) about the doctrine of jury nullification is a criminal act. Their view would find no sympathy among the authors of America’s constitutional system.

Jury nullification has a long and noble history in America. William Penn’s trial in 1671 is often taken as the first textbook case illustrating the doctrine. Charged with “breaching the King’s peace” (more or less the charge that prosecutors previously tried against Heicklen) because he convened a gathering of Quakers in London, jurors were charged to convict Penn. They steadfastly refused. There was no doubt that Penn had broken the law. The jurors’ quarrel was rather with the prosecutors who brought the charges and the judge who ran the court, whom they viewed as instruments of repression, and with the law itself, which, as it was being applied, was manifestly unjust. In the end Penn and the jurors all went to prison, but the injustice of the entire process belongs to the chain of events that presaged the American Revolution and led the nation’s founders to embrace nullification.

At the sedition trial of journalist John Peter Zenger in 1735, Andrew Hamilton recounted the story of the Penn trial to a New York jury and admonished them that whatever the law and facts, they had the right to acquit Zenger if they held that to be the just result. They followed his advice in an outcome that laid the foundation for American press freedom.

America’s Founding Fathers made their case to juries arguing for nullification. John Adams, when defending John Hancock in 1771, insisted that the juror has not merely the “right” but actually the “duty to find the verdict according to his own best understanding, judgment, and conscience, though in direct opposition to the direction of the court” and its understanding of the law. Conscience should serve as a safety valve, he argued, against unjust laws, or against just laws, unjustly applied.

Since then, jury nullification has been used to block the prosecution of those who helped slaves flee captivity or who simply offered them education; to free those who faced prosecution for resisting military service in unpopular wars or whose conscience forbade them to bear arms; and to end the prosecution of women who sought abortions and the doctors who served them. In the December 1926 issue of Harper’s Magazine, Walter Lippmann made the case for the use of jury nullification to address some of the extreme prosecutions resulting from the Volstead Act. In the December 1995 issue, Paul Butler argued that minorities should use jury nullification to press social issues.

The “controversy” relates not to nullification as a doctrine but to a far narrower issue: can the jurors be told that they have this right? Prosecutors and judges detest this notion because it strikes at the core of their power to interpret and guide the application of the law. No doubt about it: nullification makes their lives difficult. Consider the recent dilemma of prosecutors and judges in Montana, unable to find a pool of jurors willing to convict anyone for possession of marijuana, no matter the evidence.

Julian Heicklen’s conduct is remarkably like that of the seventeenth century pamphleteers whose obstinate insistence on rights and fair process belongs to the animating background of the American Revolution. Consider the case of John Lilburne, for instance, who was repeatedly arrested and tried for distributing pamphlets articulating a vision of natural rights and whose stout defiance of prosecutors and judges led directly to the notion of the right of confrontation and the exclusion of secret evidence. Consciously or not, Heicklen even embraces their tactics—like Lilburne and early dissenters, he kept his silence in response to questioning from the bench. Heicklen is just the sort of defendant that jurors in days gone by would have recognized as a victim of persecution and would have acquitted. And the federal prosecutors, no doubt aware of this fact, are eager to keep his case before a judge who shares their belief that jurors must be kept ignorant of the existence of the doctrine of jury nullification.

Shortly before his death, Thomas Jefferson noted with disdain that judges were working hard to bury jury nullification. It reflected a pernicious “slide into toryism,” he remarked in a letter to James Madison in 1826. In Jefferson’s view, judges and prosecutors who rejected the jury’s right of nullification were betraying the values of the Constitution and instead embracing those of the British Crown. “They suppose themselves… Whigs, because they no longer know what Whigism or republicanism means.” The fundamental question to put to the “tory” prosecutors who have brought the Heicklen case is simple: what about the First Amendment?

More students to be sought for after-school programs - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

More students to be sought for after-school programs - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Board member Thomas Sumpter said the planned reduction is "inconsistent" with the district's plans to improve and expand arts education.

This is GREAT to have a board member question a policy and do something about it. Well done.

Julian's progress report

Hi Tyranny Fighters: (date unsure)

1. Homeland Security Criminal Case in New York

Since my second letter to Attorney General Eric Holder the following have occurred:

I have been invited to speak at the Harvard University Law School. by William F. Weld Professor of Law at Harvard Law School Charles Nesson.  I will be at Harvard University on March 28 and 29, 2011.  

I have accepted an invitation from the New York Lawyers Guild to meet with its members.  No date has been set yet.

The Federal Defender's Office of the U. S. District Court has several people working on my case under the direction of Attorney Sabrina Shrock.  They have just purchased my new book entitled "The Non-Trials."

An attorney from Florida has entered the case on my behalf.

The American Civil Liberties Union has not indicated any interest in my arrests.

The American Jury Institute has disaffiliated itself from me, terminated my membership, and returned my dues for 2011.

2. Robin Hood

Robin Hood is a human rights group headquartered in Formosa (Taiwan).  It has submitted a request to the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to become an intervener in my criminal case in Newark.  It intends to submit a habeas corpus brief on my behalf to the U. S. District Court of New Jersey in Newark, NJ.  In addition it is contacting me about other civil liberty cases in the New Jersey area. It has taken an interest in the case of Chris Busche, who is incarcerated in Essex County.  Tyranny Fighter Joseph Dunsay is helping Chris.  If you are interested in helping Chris, contact Joseph Dunsay, and send copies to me and Paul Mass.  E-mail addresses are:

Joseph Dunsay: josephdunsay2009@gmail.com

Paul Maas: drpaulmaas@gmail.com

3. Florida Tour

I will arrive in Fort Lauderdale, FL on Tuesday, March 8, at 1:47 pm.  Bruce Toski (Spartacus) will meet me at the airport, and be my chaperone for my stay in Fort Lauderdale.  His e-mail address is: agent007@doitnow.com. We will proceed to the Broward County courthouse in Fort Lauderdale for a Fully Informed Jury distribution from about 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Please join us if you can.

On Wednesday, March 9, 2011, He and I will spend the day distributing literature at both the county and federal courthouses in Fort Lauderdale.  Again you are invited to join us.

Wednesday evening I will give a talk about the war on drugs at the Broward County Libertarian Party monthly meeting.  It is my 79th birthday.  There will be "surprise" party.  You are commanded to appear, so that you can surprise me.  Contact Don Sheldon (E-mail: donaldsheldon@gmail.com), the President of the Broward County Libertarian Party, for details.  My new book will be on sale at a discounted price.

On Thursday March 10th, I will drive to Orlando where, on Friday, March 11, at approximately noon I, and anyone who wishes to join me, will distribute FIJA material at the Orange County Courthouse, 425 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32801.  Chief Judge Blevin Perry, Jr. issued an  ORDER forbidding the distribution of jury information literature on or near public court property.  Distributors of literature may be arrested and found in contempt of court.  Contact Mark Schmidter (E-mail: mschmidter@gmail.com) for details.  

The ACLU of Florida has filed a legal challenge to Judge Perry's ORDER. Cooperating Attorney Lawrence G. Walters and ACLU of Florida lawyers Randall Marshall and Maria Kayanan are asking the Fifth District Court of Appeals to vacate the January 31, 2011 order that bans the distribution of materials, oral protest, education, or counseling "intended to influence summoned jurors on any matters" which is, or may be pending before that individual as a juror.

I have no definite plans for the rest of the weekend, as I may be in jail.  When released I plan to travel to any of the cities listed below if other Tyranny Fighters in those locations will join me:

Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Tampa, and Clearwater, FL, as well as Atlanta, GA and Montgomery, AL.

On Friday through Sunday, March 18–20, I will attend the Save America Foundation Convention, where I will sell and sign my book.

On Tuesday, March 22, I will leave from Tampa to return to my home in NJ.  For those of you who may wish to contact me in Florida, my cell phone number is 814–880–9308.

4. LWRN Radio Broadcasts at www.lwrn.net

February 5, 2011

Robert Frommer, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, discusses some recent law suits prosecuted by the Institute. I discussed the showdown that is coming between the people of the United States and their government.  I also reported on blatant incidents of kidnapping by the Keene, NH courts.  

February 12, 2011

I interviewed Mark Schmidter about his jury nullification outreach in Florida and separately interviews with Pete Eyre on his recent arrest and detainment after wearing a hat in Keene, NH district court as well as the subsequent imprisonment of Adam Mueller for contempt of court.

February 19, 2011

Roger Roots, a lawyer and member of the Advisory board of the american Jury Institute discussed jury nullification.

February 26, 2011

Pastor William Temple, Chairman of the Freedom Fest 2011 National Tea Party Nominating Convention being readied for Kansas City in October, discussed his entry into politics and religion.

March 5, 2011

John Chambers, Founder of the Save America Foundation discussed the coming collapse of the economies, global financial systems, and currencies

around the world.

March 12, 2011

I will discuss the nullification of the U. S. Constitution, the transformation of U. S. courts to courts of inquisition, and the possibilities of reclaiming a free society.

5. Future Activities

The Coalition for Medical Marijuana of New Jersey usually holds its monthly public meeting on the second Tuesday at 7:00 pm  in the Lawrence Township Library (Mercer County) Room #1.

Campaign for Liberty of Orange County will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday evening, March 10, 2011.

The Save America Foundation Convention will be held in Tampa, Fl from March 18–20, 2011.  

6. Suggested Books

A new book, "The Non-Trials" by Julian Heicklen, Ishi Press (2011) discusses his arrest at the Isaiah Wall in Manhattan, NY, in 2007 and the subsequent legal activity. It is now available for $25.95 at amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and probably other booksellers. Chapter V is a discussion of jury nullification.  You should read it and also the Regas brief at:

http://1215.org/lawnotes/lawnotes/jurytamp.htm

I am planning on a book tour for 2011 and am available for book sales and/or speeches at any conventions.  Let me know if your organization is interested.  Books will be available for sale at a discounted price at the Save America Foundation National Convention in Tampa, FL from March 18–20.

"Actual Innocence" by Barry Scheck, PeterNeufeld (co-founders of The Innocence Project), and Jim Dwyer (a writer for the New York times), a Signet book (2001).

"Ordinary Injustice" by Amy Bach, Henry Holt and Co. (2009).  Amy Bach is an attorney and journalist who spent eight years investigating the widespread courtroom failures that each day upend lives across America.

Michael Badnarik gives a course about the U. S. Constitution using his book "Good to be King."

  Mike Benoit has written a book entitled "Sham and Shame of the Federal Income Tax."  You can purchase it directly from him for five dollars.  His E-mail address is in the header of this E-mail.

At some unspecified future date each of you will have a quiz by the U. S. courts on the material in these books.  Failing that quiz will lead to a long prison sentence.

7. Warning

You should know that the Federal Protective Service, and possibly the FBI, is intercepting my E-mails.  Another violation of our civil liberties.  Be prudent if you write to me.

However a U. S. court recently has ruled that  If the government wants to see your emails stored by an Internet service provider, they first will have to get a warrant.  See:

http://www.allgov.com/Top_Stories/ViewNews/US_Court_Rules_Warrants_Needed_to_Spy_on_Emails_101216

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS ETERNAL VIGILANCE

THE PRICE OF JUSTICE IS ETERNAL PUBLICITY

Yours in freedom and justice—Julian

Athletic Business: Study Probes Criminal Records of College Football Players

Athletic Business Newswire - Study Probes Criminal Records of College Football Players

Pitt didn't do well in this evaluation. When there are more arrests than wins, it isn't good.

But this article plants the problem on that of the 'recruit.' Those in the NCAA and those at the various universities are seeking to do criminal background checks on the recruits. Fellows, the problems are those that happen when the recruits are STUDENT ATHLETES. Too many of the problems happen as these college kids are in college -- not before they arrive there.

To talk about the screening process for recruits is to talk about the pimple on the ass of the elephant. Talk about the behavior of the players when they are in the program. Worry about that. Worry less about getting the criminal history from those in the community for kids that are NOT in the program and worry more about making sure that there are no criminal activities of those on the teams and on the staffs. Then talk about sharing that data with the community at large.

Finally, I'd love to see a the probe of college football players measured against the athletes of other sports. Are the volleyball players and club sports participants getting into less trouble?

I don't expect everyone to be perfect. But let's not only compare the thugs that wear helmets and take drugs with aggressive side effects at one college town with those of another.

In other news, what about the guy getting cut from BYU's basketball team?

England Finds That Olympics Aren’t Spurring Millions to Exercise - NYTimes.com

England Finds That Olympics Aren’t Spurring Millions to Exercise - NYTimes.com

When London was awarded the 2012 Olympics, organizers promised an ambitious legacy: to get two million more people in England involved in sports and physical activity.

The Brits are GREAT at "sit down sports." The photo is sorta funny, as the guy is sitting down with the exercise equipment.

What are "sit down sports?"

Rowing, Crew, Bobsled, Luge, -- humm... What else?

From Erik

When the Olympics went to China, tons and tons of new playground equipment was put in throughout the country.

Fw: [DW] Skype call at in minutes 4pm NZ Time, 10pm EST - Online groups for quake community recovery In Christchurch

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Clift <clift@e-democracy.org>
Sender: newswire@groups.dowire.org
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:39:00
To: <newswire@groups.dowire.org>
Subject: [DW] Skype call at in minutes 4pm NZ Time, 10pm EST - Online groups for quake community recovery In Christchurch

Find me on Skype: netclift


Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
  Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org
  Follow me - http://twitter.com/democracy
  New Tel: +1.612.234.7072

From: Steven Clift <clift@e-democracy.org>
Date: Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 1:52 PM
Subject: 4pm Monday Call, Possible online "Neighbours Forums" across
Christchurch to assist community recovery
To: Team <team@e-democracy.org>
Cc: canterburyissues@forums.e-democracy.org


To: Christchurch Councillors and Community Board Members
From: Steven Clift, E-Democracy.org
CC: Canterbury Issues Forum

During these most difficult times, our thoughts and prayers are with
you and your community.

With my interactions with local volunteers in your fair city and
visits years ago where I presented to your council as it developed its
online consultation strategies, I have a special place in my heart for
Christchurch.

For those who have not heard of E-Democracy.org, we host "Issues
Forums" across 15 communities in three countries including the
Canterbury Issues Forum.

Over the last few years we have had amazing growth and participation
in _neighbourhood_ level online forums in the UK and Minnesota (where
I am based). Under normal circumstances we never open local forums
without a local volunteer forum manager and at least 100 initial
participants recruited.

These are not normal circumstances.

Based on initial local interest on the existing regional forum, we are
exploring the rapid creation of 10 to 20 Neighbors Forums that would
cover your entire council. We would then be in a position to do
community-wide promotion and outreach. For perspective, own neighbours
forum - http://e-democracy.org/se - serves an area with 10,000
residents and over 15% of households are engaged daily.

In the next 48 hours we will evaluate whether this is viable and
whether there is sufficient volunteer interest (in this case, people
can help from far away like those raised in Christchurch now living
further a field) staring with a Skype call at 4 p.m. Monday your local
time. I am "netclift" on Skype and will call out to you on a regular
line if you e-mail me your number. (If we switch to a teleconferencing
service, for this or a future call, I will e-mail you.)

The key issue is just how to most effectively establish the rough
boundaries of each forum so they are small enough to function in a
neighborly and useful way. We find there is a sweet spot around areas
with 10,000 residents and/or very strong senses of local identity.

Here is the rough proposal:

   http://e-democracy.org/chch  (text below for convenience)

Here is where to join to get involved in discussions about the idea.
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/canterburyissues/

Also, the last thing we want to do is open a very local forum where
one already exists that works. (Note the while we do feed our forums
into Facebook and Twitter, these tools rarely work in isolation for
hyper-local community exchange.) So, within your community board area,
please let us know if there are existing two-way forums (or community
information websites who might want to get involved), by e-mailing us:
 team@e-democracy.org

Please pass this along far and wide.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please e-mail me or
post them to the Canterbury Issues Forum. This idea has to be viewed a
truly helpful and timely for us to pursue it.

Sincerely,
Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
Executive Director
E-Democracy.org

For those mobile e-mail reader among you, text from
http://e-democracy.org/chch -

This is a "real-time" working page to define the rapid creation of
neighbour online forums across Christchurch to promote post-earthquake
community recovery.

   * Get Involved - Join the long-time Canterbury Issues Forum now
(also on Facebook and Twitter).
   * Read the evolving proposals
   * Global volunteers Skype group call Monday, Feb 28 4 p.m.
Christchurch time (convert) - Skype "netclift" to be added.

Today, Neighbours Forums mix e-mail, the web, Facebook, and Twitter to
reach a critical mass of local people. Multi-channel approaches are
required to prevent exclusion.
[edit] Proposed Neighbours Forums

There appears to be an urgent need for neighbor to neighbor two-way
communication across Christchurch that complements the one-way
information alerts available.

By Tuesday, March 1 we will determine:

   * 1. How many forums to open and their coverage areas.
   * 2. Whether there is the volunteer capacity to make this work.

In addition to our five years experience with the Canterbury regional
forum, E-Democracy.org has extensive experience with public
neighbourhood level forums in the UK and Minnesota in the U.S.. Forums
at this hyper-local level are in the works for 3 areas in Auckland.

There is no one size fits all rule to neighbor forums, but in general
they work best when defined by a sense of community identity. They
enhance community engagement when they are tied to (or within)
community boards and elected councillor districts when possible.
Sometimes these political boundaries run in the opposite direction of
on the street senses of identity, school zones, and marketplace
patterns. Our neighbour forums tend to work best when they serve areas
with 5,000 to 20,000 in population. Some of our forums with roughly
5,000 households have attracted over 15% of households with engagement
everyday.

Drafting Geographic Scope

This is our starting list - 8-16 based on the Christchurch community
boards with one or two forums per community board.

Each forum needs a simple name like "Papanui Neighbours Forum" and a
sentence that lists all the major places people need to know to figure
out is the forum coverage area is their best fit.

   * Which potential forums should be merged?
   * Which neighbourhoods not listed (like Avonhead, Saint Albans,
New Brighton, Sydenham, Linwood, Marshland etc. ... these are names on
Google Maps and the Christchurch.org.nz map that are not in the names
of community boards) with strong identities split by community board
boundaries really need their own forum?
   * Which area do YOU want to make happen as the leader?

This is a "wiki" - just press edit to make changes.

   * Akaroa - Add your name, e-mail here to volunteer as the forum
start-up leader
   * Wairewa

   * Burwood
   * Pegasus

   * Fendalton
   * Waimairi

   * Hagley
   * Ferrymead

   * Lyttelton-Mt Herbert - SAMPLE forum.


   * Riccarton
   * Wigram

   * Spreydon
   * Heathcote

   * Shirley
   * Papanui

Also, proposing:

   * Central Christchurch

Other maps and resources to help ID boundaries/centres of forums:
Christchurch real estate areas, Wikipedia on area geography,
Christchurch.org.nz map, placenames on bus map, placenames on Google
Maps, population density, library locations, add more here.
[edit] Existing Neighbourhood Places Online

If you know of Facebook Pages, e-mail lists, social networks, place
blogs, etc. with critical mass participation covering small areas
within Christchurch, please list them here.

*

[edit] Regional Quake Response Online Networking and Resources

There is no shortage of regional information resources and Facebook
Pages responding to the quake. We will use these networking to recruit
hyper-local participation by neighbourhood.

   * http://www.facebook.com/Support.Christchurch.Earthquake
   * http://www.facebook.com/riseupchristchurch
   * http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christchurch-Quake-Live/155356454496418
   * http://www.facebook.com/christchurch.page
   * http://www.facebook.com/ChristchurchQuakeMap

   * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Canterbury_earthquake
   * http://canterburyearthquake.org.nz/
   * http://www.canterburyearthquake.govt.nz/
   * http://police.govt.nz/christchurch-earthquake
   * http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/canterbury-earthquake/
   * http://wiki.crisiscommons.org/wiki/CrisisCampNZ
   * http://eq.org.nz/




Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
  Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org
  Follow me - http://twitter.com/democracy
  New Tel: +1.612.234.7072

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World's Most Liveable Cities: 2011 Economist Intelligence Unit Report (PHOTOS)

World's Most Liveable Cities: 2011 Economist Intelligence Unit Report (PHOTOS)

Based on a combination of environment, health care, culture and infrastructure, Vancouver topped the list of the world's most liveable cities for the fifth straight year, according to a new report.

The Liveability Ranking and Overview assesses living conditions in 140 cities around the world. A rating of relative comfort for 30 indicators is assigned across five broad categories: stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure. The survey gives an overall rating of 0-100, where 1 is intolerable and 100 is ideal.

The full report can be purchased for US $500.

Cyclists dodge rocky death | Stuff.co.nz

Check out these visual with this story from our old home-town of Christchurch. Cyclists dodge rocky death | Stuff.co.nz

Three cyclists caught on Evans Pass in Lyttelton during the earthquake yesterday dodged boulders the size of busses as they ran for their lives, and a jogger may have been killed.

Woops. Pitt host WVU on Thursday

It is still Wed.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Earth Dog Tonight - for those in WV, rather than cheer against Pitt at 9 pm or burn your couch should they pull an upset

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: Russell Mokhiber <russellmokhiber@gmail.com>

Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:16:16 -0500 (EST)

To: <mark@rauterkus.com>

ReplyTo: russellmokhiber@gmail.com

Subject: Earth Dog Tonight

My 13 year old son, Nico, asked me yesterday:

Dad, what's a civil liberty?

Well, Nico, in some countries, if citizens want to meet, to assemble, to discuss politics, they can't.

If they try to assemble, the police will come and bust it up.

In the USA, we can meet openly.

We can discuss politics, and the police can't do anything about it.

We have this thing call a civil liberty, this freedom -- to meet, to assemble, and to speak.

Which is what we are doing tonight.

At the Earth Dog Cafe in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

Featured speakers:

Dr. Margaret Flowers on the failure of private health insurance industry -- and what we can do about it.

And Kevin Zeese on the $700 million a day we spend in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and what we can do about it.

Plus a Q/A session.

We've had a good response to our initial publicity for this event.

Should be more than 100 people there tonight.

Earth Dog Cafe.

Tonight -- 6 pm to 9 pm.

Music by The Hayride Trio.

It's the second in a series of monthly meetings to discuss the political economy of the USA.

Hope you can join us tonight.

best

Russell Mokhiber
304.258.4454

PS: See yesterday's article in the Martinsburg Journal here:

http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/556625/Morgan-County-will-host-public-forum.html?nav=5006

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