Marionettes

Creepy, spiders, butterflies.

Parking lot sales kids with postcards. The tour buses are filled with potential customers.

Thailand photos -- all for the public domain

Guards in Thailand.

(Click any image to get a larger view.)

Because They Can.... by Russ Diamond

Red flags should go up anytime a Court requires one hundred pages to explain its position, and the recent opinion by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court regarding the 2005 pay raise fiasco is no exception.

The case was unusual in its origin, as the Court reached down to combine three separate cases from lower courts for an opportunity to make a general legal opinion. One case challenged the constitutionality of the pay raise itself, while two others challenged the constitutionality of its repeal.

This combination allowed the Court to cherry pick arguments from briefs filed on behalf of many different parties in each case in order to form its eventual ruling. One wonders whether the Court would have made such a move had their own compensation not been at stake.

Logic would dictate that if the pay raise itself was unconstitutional, any issue regarding its repeal would be moot. But the Court approached it differently, establishing opinions regarding the repeal first, based upon the assumption that the pay raise was constitutional. Doing it any other way would not have allowed the preservation of the judicial raises.

While the opinion goes to great lengths to explain the necessity for an independent judiciary and demands that the other two co-equal branches of government be kept from stepping on judicial turf, it offers no reciprocal respect of the legislature’s prerogative to make a bill an ‘all or nothing’ affair by inserting a non- severability clause.

Another contradiction lies with the Court’s willingness to revisit its original ruling on unvouchered expenses, while on the other hand considering its 2005 opinion regarding legislative shenanigans with the slots bill to be rock-solid precedent. In other words, it’s acceptable to correct a twenty year old mistake but unacceptable to do the same for a decision made just last year.

The biggest insult to our intelligence, however, is the Court’s claim that it had nothing to do with the original pay raise legislation. Published reports from as early as November 2004 mention Chief Justice Ralph Cappy’s overtures to the legislature for a judicial pay raise.

The opinion opens with an explanation of the political implications of the pay raise and an account of the public fallout, including the first-ever non-retention of one of its own last year. With this in mind, the fact that the lone dissenter to this opinion is the very next justice up for retention in 2007 comes as no surprise.

The timing of this ruling raises questions as well. Is its release less than seven weeks before a general election an indication that the Court wished to ‘stick it’ to the legislature in return for botching pay raises for the judiciary? The emphasis on protecting judicial turf lends credence to the notion, as does the fact that public anti-pay raise furor has otherwise taken a hiatus of late.

In legalese, the Court needed one hundred pages to delineate why they restored their own pay raises, but in plain English it takes only three words: Because they can. This should come as no surprise to citizens who regularly follow the Court’s slicing and dicing of the Constitution’s plain language.

The usual follow-up to the brazen ‘because we can’ position is an equally arrogant question: So waddaya gonna do about it? The Court’s opinion actually hints at the answer.

“In our democratic form of government, there are other methods, besides lawsuits, which may serve as a corrective tool for legislative excesses, the primary method being the political process. This case has borne out the effectiveness of that process,” the Court notes.

The opinion fails to mention, however, that the same option is available to address judicial excesses. Pennsylvanians who wish to regain control of their government should choose to not retain members of the judiciary at future elections, following the precedent set last year with Russell Nigro.

Not just because we can, but also because it’s the right thing to do.

Experience the Evolution

The Penguins have a new slogan for its season: Experience the Evolution.

I like it. Well done. It works for me.

Plenty of fun images could be used with this slogan. Imagine a pre-historic man drawn with long arms that nearly drag on the ground, hunched back, and hockey gloves.

Then take the dated images of the evolution of man, from ape to uprigt, and outfit an entire team of players -- perhaps as they take the ice -- and blur into a guy in a crouched skating position showing speed -- but also to remind of the non-upright, being at the early end of the chain / timeline.

Brash bemoans publicity of private life - New Zealand

Brash bemoans publicity of private life - New Zealand, world, sport, business & entertainment news on Stuff.co.nz The suggestion is crap. I have always made a point of telling the New Zealand public what my policies are and what I stand for in a policy sense. I've never held myself up as a morals campaigner.'

Not only am I trying to get a grip on video blogging and my associated mulit-media archives, I'm excited to tune into more news and research into life in New Zealand.

This dude with a great name, "Brash", has a great answer, "The suggestion is crap" when asked about the news of his afair.

Calling HTML and Blogger code angles

Before I retire to watch the Steelers on Monday Night Football, I'm asking for a little help.

Q#1: I'd love to embed the video from Blip.TV into the blog postings. What is the right code to make that happen?

With YouTube, they give a handy code snip for cut and paste to embed the player.

But, ...

Q#2: With YouTube, how do you manage the size of the object window so that the videos don't get too big and look so fuzzy. You'll see on my video, often taken with a Sony digital camera, that I'm able to get rather small, postage sized video clips. But, when they come into the web via YouTube, the frame gets larger and the imgages look rather ugly.

Are there some code tips or settings that can be managed in YouTube to get smaller reditions -- or accurate renditions of videos uploaded there?

I did touch up the object pixel size in the one video below, but it didn't change anything. Perhaps because my cache wasn't cleared?

Thanks in advance.

New Hazlett Theater Opening Celebration - PittsburghLIVE.com

Splendid news. Wish I could have gone. I'd love to see this place washed in digital photos and a walking tour video blog.

New Hazlett Theater Opening Celebration - PittsburghLIVE.com: "New Hazlett Theater Opening Celebration

Family photo at The Great Wall. 

New photos and videos are perking and moving online this week.

Photos in a video format are headed to my new video blog site. See the link along the left side of the screen. Panda photos are already there. Much more to come. You might want to get that page, Rauterkus.Blip.TV, and subscribe yourself to one of the various RSS feeds available there. Photo show me at The Great Wall. It isn't ADA accessible.

Humm... I wonder. Can PghBloggers be made a subscriber to my RSS fee at Blip.TV?

On Religion: What sort of end will Harry Potter meet? | naplesnews.com | Naples Daily News

Pondering Heros.... and Harry Potter:

On Religion: What sort of end will Harry Potter meet? | naplesnews.com | Naples Daily News “A hero is not perfect. In fact, his flaws are part of what make him great,” said Tobias, pastor of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church outside Pittsburgh. “By the end of a story like this one, the hero has simply become too big to remain in this world. This kind of hero is born for a purpose and he dies for a purpose.”

Surveying the mayoral landscape .... poorly

Surveying the mayoral landscape - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Surveying the mayoral landscape

Joe Sabino Mistick article on the mayor landscape is a blunder of the highest order. This isn't a survey with any sense of truth. It is typical of Pittsburgh's media blunders and why we need a vibant internet and blogger network to point out the failure in their ways.

To begin, Les Ludwig, everyone's favorite, is NOT going to run. I talked to Les this week. Les has three important programs on his front burner presently. All have big implications and are very cost friendly to the city's and county's landscape. But, as exepcted, these projects are not getting the traction they need.

Joe Sabino Mistick should talk with Les about his proposals for his next article rather than put his name in as a mayor candidate. Then when the new proposals are put into the mainstream media, we'll have something good to talk about.

It is not too early to count Les out -- but -- do look at the ideas behind the past candidate next.

Sure, Peduto and Lamb and Ravenstahl are obvious picks.

But what of Joe Weinroth, the Republican.

What of Green candidate Titus North? Titus got the votes of my wife, my mother-in-law and my director of research in the last general election.

Joe wants to ponder, poorly, the elections of the future when dates are still unknown, but won't talk about the present. Titus North is running for US Congress and wants to be on the November 7, 2006 ballot. Why don't you do a real landscape review and talk about him.

Titus North, if he gets on the ballot, could get more votes for US Congress in 2006 than Peduto got for mayor in 2005.

Then there is this crap about James C. Roddey. He doesn't even live in the city Joe. Why not mention Lynn Swann. Perhaps he should be mentioned too.

Oh, and for Dan Onorato, our county executive, why stop there?

Let's wish for Fast Eddie Rendell to come back and be both Governor and Mayor of Pittsburgh.

Hell, let's vote for the departed Bishop to be both Mayor and the leader of the Arch-Dioceses of DC. Perhaps he didn't change is voter identification card. And, I'm sure that they could leave a light on for him at St. Paul's Seminary if he really needed to establish residence, still within the city.

Finally there is the 'keep the powder dry' part. Like this is 'war.' Give us a break. We have elections in this society so we don't need to go to war. But the media is bent on making these democratic funcitions everything that they are not. Elections are simple. Democracy is messy. The media gets is wrong, repeatedly, here in Pittsburgh. Hence, it is no wonder we get what we got.

I like to use another slogan. In war, the first casualty is the truth. Thanks, but no thanks to Joe Sabino Mistick, for proving this heartbreaking point, again, as we talk about the mayor's race due in 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2009.

If you want to survey the landscape, then survey the landscape. Perhaps the headline should be about celebs instead.

Psst.... Ever hear of Jack Wagner and Jim Ferlo?

Alabama bayou getting some expert advice on Katrina rebuilding

Alabama bayou getting some expert advice on Katrina rebuilding BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. A panel of experts whose Hurricane Katrina rebuilding advice upset some New Orleanians will focus on Bayou La Batre's storm recovery in a weeklong visit.

Arriving tomorrow (Sunday) night, a 10-member panel from the Washington, DC-based Urban Land Institute brings a range of expertise, including developers, architects, market analysts, and urban planners.

The panel includes former Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy and former U-L-I Chairman Smedes York of Raleigh, North Carolina.

The panelists will interview about 70 people on Tuesday about the bayou's future and rebuilding efforts before spending Wednesday and Thursday preparing their presentation for delivery Friday morning at Bayou La Batre Community Center.

OMG. Run.

Talk about being irresponsible...

Blip.tv and some Rauterkus videos and Panda images

Check out the first videos to my new BLIP.TV site. My Profile - blip.tv (beta) Rauterkus' video blog

More is on the way. I've got other videos at YouTube.com/rauterkus. But the YouTube has a 100 meg limit per upload. The Panda photo slide thingie -- no audio -- was too large for there, but fit at Blip.TV.

Reactions welcomed.

Transit hearings on possible fare increases shift into reverse

Don't do today what can be put off until tomorrow. Create a real crisis at the last minute. No sense in planning for one in advance. What was delayed with last-minute band-aids in the past year(s) can wait again for more band-aids.

Transit hearings on possible fare increases shift into reverse State and Allegheny County officials have asked the Port Authority to hold off on public hearings on a possible fare increase and service cuts until a state commission finishes its report on long-term transportation funding.

Don't you hate it when you see the county executive say -- "Wait until after the election." Or, where the exact words, "What's the rush? We've got to break ground on the twin tunnels first, then pull the rug out from under the poor?"

"Public hearings.... how old fashioned!"

Free Wiki for teachers

Folks, if you are NOT a teacher, then go to our Platform.For-Pgh.org/wiki/ and start to edit and insert your content there.

If you are a teacher and want to use the wiki space in your teaching and classroom, enjoy the tool and technology with the link above.

Governor Rendell's health good

Catherine Baker Knoll, Lt. Gov, has been adn will continue to be one short step away from being governor. Furthermore, Ed Rendell has aspirations of being on the Dem ticket for 2008's race for President. He might need to bolt from PA in the future, and would be giving us CBK as the state's top leader.

Governor Rendell's health good
Gov. Ed Rendell is slightly overweight and takes Zocor to lower his cholesterol, but overall he's a 'healthy, 62-year-old man,'' doctors say.

The results of his annual physical were released yesterday by his campaign. He took the exam July 17.

Mr. Rendell, who is known around the Capitol and in his hometown of Philadelphia as someone who loves to eat, weighs 257 pounds, which is seven more than when he was elected in 2002. His height is 5 feet 11 inches.

To control his weight he exercises 30 to 35 minutes a day on a treadmill and rides a stationary bike, said campaign spokesman Dan Fee.

Diversity Calls

The Future of White Boy clubs at FactoryCity The Future of White Boy clubs

LEAP -- counter on the drug war with editorial wonks

blog.myspace.com/leapspeakers National Conference of Editorial Writers Annual Convention, Pittsburgh, PA

Newspaper editorial writers are getting a dose of reality when they wander thru the exhibit area at their annual convention this wk, when they round the corner and encounter the LEAP exhibition booth, staffed by the savvy experts HOWARD WOOLDRIDGE and STEVE HEATH. Howard, is, of course, a co-founder of LEAP and a member of the e-board while Steve is a longtime activist focusing on media, OpEd efforts and Letters to the Editor. Steve's wife Doreen is helping out at this very important conference, too. Rarely do newspaper editorial boards write an opinion on drug war efficacy--and hardly ever do they write about the idea of ending drug prohibition--but mostly that is due to the fact that people fm the criminal justice system have approached them to advocate ending the War on Drugs. That's how it is done: editorial staffs host politicians, public health specialists, single issue advocates and others into their offices to pitch to them their views. After grilling the guests and studying the issue they usually come out with an opinion piece under the masthead of the paper so this is a unique opportunity for them to meet LEAP, hear our pitch and then we'll work to set up interviews around the country. Which begs the question:

have you ever called or written to your editorial board about Drug War efficacy? It's an easy bit of activism that everyone can perform. Look at your paper today...find the editorial/opinion section (like this ONE) and find out who the people are behind the opinions. Get the contact information and send it to me AFTER you have first attempted to reach them yourself.