Downsize Violence. No Torture

T. E. and Catherine, (my wife).
We were walking out of a soccer match at the stadium in Chengdu, China.

My wife, Catherine, was upset this week. She was upset because of a political matter no less. Understand this fact of life with my wife: Catherine never gets upset on matters of politics. Of course she'd have to be that way as she's married to me. I think you all get the picture. Well, the political frustration comes because the USA's President wants to set a policy to allow torture. This is upsetting.

I seldom mention my wife in this blog. She gets props (posts here) for getting press coverage and showing up in a family photo as we've been out and about. But, all-in-all, this comes as an exception. This one is a biggie -- with her and, of course, with me too.

This organization in DC did a fine job with its email blast on the topic. It is repeated and worthy. Most of all, actions on your part are welcomed.

Human Rights Watch needed a grassroots organization to fight an evil bill in Congress. They called on us. We are happy to oblige, because the evil is great, and requires urgent action from YOU.

The whole world is going insane.

* When someone implies that Islam may be rooted in Violence, Muslims the world over "rebut" this criticism by committing Violence!
* Here at home politicians say the Islamists want to destroy our Freedom and the politicians "rebut" this threat by destroying our Freedom!

The antidote to this insanity is YOU. You must keep your head while others are losing theirs. And you must also be resolute, firm, and direct. Toward that end . . .

We are going to be blunt in this message. We are going to put aside our usual reticence about naming names in order to avoid pointless partisan divisions and offending deeply entrenched loyalties to personalities. The crimes involved are too great. We mus t, like Emile Zola in the Dreyfuss Affair in 19th Century France, stand up, and point, and shout: "I accuse!"

The President of the United States wants to legalize torture. The President wants to create "Star Chamber" courts. These are war crimes. They are crimes against humanity. They are crimes against our heritage and our Constitution. They are being done in your name. And they endanger your future.

President Bush wants legislation that would empower the federal government to . . .

* Arrest non-citizen U.S. residents accused of terrorist involvement as "unlawful enemy combatants."
* Arrest non-citizens for contributing to charities linked to militant groups.
* Charge, try, convict, and punish people based on evidence they have never seen, and cannot rebut. (Such courts are called "Star Chambers," and they are a stain on the history of the human race.)
* Prohibit the accused from challe nging the lawfulness of their detention before an independent court.
* Hold people in military prison for life, without ever telling them the cause of their detention.
* Subject detainees to cruel and unusual punishment.
* Use evidence collected through torture to secure convictions.
* Redefine the War Powers Act to grant torturers "Get Out of Jail Free" cards.

On the Background page for our campaign against this legislation you will find links to letters from two Generals who are former members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They oppose these new federal powers. They know these powers will do nothing to defend us. Instead, these new powers will only endanger us.

* They will create new enemies.
* They will put our troops at increased risk of torture, now and in the future.
* They will stain America's reputation forever.

The reasons for this are perfectly clear . . .

* Information gained throug h torture is useless. Victims of torture will say anything to stop the pain.
* Convictions rendered by "Star Chambers" are baseless. We cannot know who is guilty unless we test the evidence using due process. "Star Chamber" courts will prohibit us from knowing if we have convicted the guilty or the innocent. But . . .
* If we do this, WE will stand convicted in the eyes of the world and of history, and we WILL be guilty.
* And we will move millions who now bear us no ill will into opposition against us.

I could go on -- and on and on and on. But what I've said here should be enough to get you moving (I hope). So I only need to inform you of two more things . . .

First, Congress likes to fight evil with a lesser evil. The lesser evil in this case is a bill from Senators Warner and McCain that would eliminate legalized torture and "Star Chamber" courts, but it would still create special tribunals. We don't ne ed these either. The Geneva Convention, the federal courts, and the Uniform Code of Military justice have served us well in the past against enemies far more terrifying than the Islamic terrorists. But . . .

If the busy-bodies in Congress simply must pass something, they should pass the Warner-McCain bill. Our message to Congress for this campaign is carefully crafted with this in mind.

Second, we need to be bigger. Our government is out of control. We need the size and visibility to wack Congress up side the head with a metaphorical two-by-four whenever necessary. Only you can make this happen by contributing to make it happen.

(Go to their site, DownsizeDC.org, to click and send messages to the Congress.)

Now, go forth and fight evil. If you won't, who will?

Jim Babka, President, DownsizeDC.org

Now what are you waiting for....

5th candidate joins race for mayor's former seat - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

5th candidate joins race for mayor's former seat - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The Allegheny County Democratic Committee has scheduled a public candidate forum for 7 tonight at Brighton McClure Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Benton and Brighton Avenues on the North Side.

The committee plans to nominate a candidate Saturday.

The deadline for putting in paperwork for getting on the ballot as a Libertarian for the city council special election on Nov 7, 2006, to fill Luke's old seat, is MONDAY.

O'Connor and Motorsports News

Shifting it into high gear....

WhoWon.com ... The Internet Source for Motorsports News and Information O’Connor to Grand Marshall 18th Annual Pittsburgher

by Judy Gower, Dow Carnahan

IMPERIAL, Pa. -- The son of late Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O’Connor will be the Grand Marshall at the 18th Annual “Pittsburgher 100” this Saturday, September 23rd at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. This prestigious event is the highest paying race for the World of Outlaws Late Models series in 2006.

The O’Connor name has long been synonymous with stock car racing in Western Pennsylvania. Bob O’Connor’s uncle, Buddy O’Connor, was champion of the Pittsburgh Racing Association in 1954 and 1966, and was honored by the Dapper Dan Club of Pittsburgh those same years. One of the many tracks Buddy O’Connor competed at was the former Heidelberg Raceway. Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, near Imperial, is nearly a mirror image of Heidelberg with the same light standards, grandstands, and press box.

When Bob O’Connor was growing up, he and his family would often attend the area speedways to cheer on his Uncle Buddy. Bob was very instrumental in getting racing memorabilia displayed at the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. Some of those items are from Buddy O’Connor’s racing career.

“Western Pennsylvania lost a great man with Bob O’Connor’s recent passing”, said Miley Motorsports President Red Miley. “We are very pleased that Corey and other members of the O’Connor family can be with us this weekend for our premier event.”

Preliminary events including time trials and heat races are scheduled for Friday night with the “Pittsburgher 100” and other features set for Saturday night. Race time both nights is 7pm. For more information, visit the speedway website – www.ppms.com or call (412) 279-RACE.

Then on Sunday, there is "The Great Race."

Prestige, glitter, going fast, awards.

Stephen Pietzak's words against the moving of the FIRST Carnegie Library out of its historic home on the North Side

The resident, Stephen P., speaks from experience in a common-sense desire save a historic building's use in a valued spot in the city. City Council could and should move to tell the URA, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the world, and the North Side that those acts are not going to occur. And, City Council has the power to prevent such a move from happening.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Allegheny Regional Library: The Best Site Is Where It’s Located Now

I’m Steve Pietzak, resident of the South Side Slopes. I was main Reference Librarian at Allegheny Regional Library for 13 years.

Why keep Allegheny Regional Library at its present location?

The present location of the Allegheny Regional is in the heart of the North Side. It is easily accessible by most communities to the North, South, East, and West. The Library is the closest large branch to downtown Pittsburgh. The Allegheny Library is on the way to ANY location on the North Side. It HAS LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

Allegheny Regional Library is the first PUBLICLY SUPPORTED ANDREW CARNEGIE LIBRARY IN THE U.S. Some visitors to the City of Pittsburgh come to see the start of Andrew Carnegie’s Libraries, with more than 2,600 Libraries given to the World by Andrew Carnegie. Any major city would relish the "Cradle of Andrew Carnegie Public Libraries," and preserve, save and enhance this Library as a "Historical Time Marker."

The Allegheny Regional Library was so important to Carnegie that he invited U.S. President Benjamin Harrison, (along with Senators, Congressmen and the Governor) to come and dedicate the Allegheny Library on February 20, 1890.

The Allegheny Library is a very good and sturdy Library Building. The Library was designed and built by Smithmeyer and Pelz, the architects of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. If the Allegheny Branch is considered to be a poor design, then we should also consider abandoning the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., as a poor design.

The $20 Million mentioned as the price of Renovation is a "Rolls Royce" price to pay for renovation. The Carnegie Library Managers should obtain bids from 3 reliable architects to meet the moderate needs of the Library, and not the exquisite ‘Rolls Royce"needs.

Some decisions have to go past the "BUSINESS SENSE," and must take into consideration historical importance, heritage importance, and importance to the community and to the city.

Allegheny Library could be made into a showcase for the City of Pittsburgh. With the New Heinz Field and PNC Park in close proximity to the Allegheny Library—IT MAKES GOOD BUSINESS SENSE AND HISTORICAL SENSE TO TURN THE LIBRARY INTO A SHOWCASE FOR THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH -- To showcase to the World that we care about our History, our Heritage and our Libraries!

The New Proposed Allegheny Library site at 1200 Federal Street will ISOLATE the Library even further than it is now! This new location will NOT BE on the way to anything for most North Siders and it begs SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS.

The Allegheny Library is the last important historical vestige Of "Old Allegheny City" and Pittsburgh—IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONNECT OUR PAST, WITH OUR PRESENT TO OUR FUTURE!

Let future generations say that this was "OUR FINEST HOUR"—to save the "1st Publicly supported Andrew Carnegie Library in the United States" as a Public Library.

Sincerely,

Stephen Pietzak

I agree fully with Stephen. The North Side Library should stay in the building it is in presently. They should do a fix-up of the existing site using insurance money. They should NOT move away from the site. And, the URA should NOT sell land for $1 to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for a new location for the North Side Branch.

---

Glenn A. Walsh presented to City Council too. See and hear his opinions by clicking the YouTube scree below (best viewed at 160x112 resolution).

All the images in my blog of Thailand are put into the public domain.

Dudes like this, and this size, might not back down.

Friendly American tourists. And they are friendly to Americans, presently and through history.


Changing of the guard.


Various uniforms and weapons from the ages are on display.


Do you think someone is getting boxed in a corner in Thailand this very moment?

TV trucks would be parked here, if this was the states.

Better view of the guard, on the other side of the moat. Bangkok style. We're all used to security.

This is a moat. The pathway isn't for bikes, but for guards.


These are not parade grounds, but a fleet of tanks could park on the grass if necessary.


Fixing an offering.

He's watching. Don't speed. That circle thing isn't a target.

Details, details, details.

Stone guard in Bangkok's palace.

Changing of the guard, in Bangkok.

The Angry Drunk Bureaucrat smells a budget in the oven

The Angry Drunk Bureaucrat The department of Finance is also estimating revenue from the Casino at 'eleventy zillion, bagillion dollars,' although with a note that they may be overestimating the amount slightly.

Bob's Bean | Engage Pittsburgh

Bob's Bean | Engage Pittsburgh Follow Bob into communities: traveling civic coffee truck and net cafe

Vote for this and give it a "10" -- if you please.
Classroom look.

Two power-hitters in idea generation. C and L.

UnNews:Thailand now 60% "less funny" - Uncyclopedia

Humor me.

UnNews:Thailand now 60% "less funny" - Uncyclopedia BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand is now 60% less funny than it was the day before yesterday, according to the Swedish Institute for Rating Amusing Countries. Before the military takeover, the country was given 'Fairly Amusing' status. That has now officially dropped to the level 'Only Makes us Kind of go 'Phnuh...''. The new military leaders have not helped matters by announcing that everyone in the country must now wear a tie, have a haircut and get a proper job. On the other hand, according to SIRAC, Army chief Sargeant Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin has a fairly amusing name, so this might be an optimistic sign.

Picasa 2 Release Notes

Picasa 2 Release Notes Share photos online
Upload photos to Picasa Web Albums for easy sharing on the web. Select the photos you want in Picasa and upload them to the web by clicking the 'Web Album' button. When viewing your friends' albums online, you can even download them right back into Picasa on your own computer.

Political unrest and the role of the artist as activist

CMU's College of Fine Arts email blast has details of an ARTIST TALK with Joyce Kozloff and Ann Messner for Friday, September 22, 5:30 p.m.

Kozloff and Messner will talk about "Disarming Images," political unrest, the role of the artist as activist, and related issues in the gallery. Messner is the creative director of the video, as well as an adjunct at Pratt Institute, and has recently held positions at the Council of Humanities at Princeton University, Amherst College and Harvard University.

All events and exhibitions at the gallery are free and open to the public.

Images of Thailand from our past trip

Masks of wood


Decorations


Carvings


Craftwork


Baskets


Drive Thru in boats


Floating market


Vase


Elephants


Fan


Mixing paints


Book ends


Footwear


Lamps

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.

Editorial Blog in OR - merging with Pgh -- and not about Luke

Editorial Blog - StatesmanJournal.com: "A politician who's not afraid to speak his mind

Oregon has puny politicians compared with some in the East.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell says what he thinks. That’s refreshing – especially for a candidate seeking re-election.

Rendell, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, spoke to the National Conference of Editorial Writers yesterday in Pittsburgh. He didn’t mince words – about either his fellow Democrats or about the Bush administrations.

Democrats, he said, are afraid to take a stand. Democratic politicians are worried about getting elected, or re-elected, instead of fighting for what they believe in. (Sound familiar, Oregonians?)"

Others in the editorial biz are blogging from Pittsburgh too, so they say.

Arraignment date set for lawmaker's aide - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Arraignment date set for lawmaker's aide - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Debora Romaniello, state Rep. Michael Diven's chief of staff, is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 6 on charges stemming from an accusation that she provided false signatures -- including at least five of dead people -- on the Brookline Republican's nominating petitions.

Paddle on Lake Erie, three day recap of a Sojourn Event

Sounded like fun.

Re-cap document Paddlers Congregate on Lake Erie’s Shoreline

Photo from our two-week camp in Canada, Chikopi, with Ak-o-mak on 'water day.' This photo was taken as the kids (all swimmers) were about to start a 400-meter canoe race. Dozens of other boats were streaming to the start as well. Few would finish as a massive dunking rage was about to unfold!
Fun and not much of a 'sojourn.' (Click image for larger view.)

Lots of Lots

Last weekend I went to the Sprout Fund event called an Idea Roundup. It was worth the $10 entry fee, for sure. Small groups worked in many classrooms and I was happy to be with old GZ (Ground Zero) pals, Jon and Christine, now both in State College for academic work.

One of the strong ideas that surfaced in our group came from them and dealt with vacant land. Plenty of properties are not being used within the city.

Another group also worked on the same concept and used a clever, "Lots of Lots" handle.

Vacant land fix-up is a worthy action. But the plans run into some serious hurdles, such as ownership. And, when you look at the bigger situations, we should be moving those bits of ground to private ownership and taxable property. Philly had this attitude in the past but it has done an about face.

August Incentive Taxation — Center for the Study of Economics We're Pretty Vacant...And We Don't Care

That used to be the sad song of the City of Philadelphia and its assessment arm, the Bureau of Revision of Taxes.

About 40,000 vacant parcels of land sat for years, revalued when there was a sale, otherwise out of sight, out of mind and out of city coffers.

No longer. Now, the city realizes that accurate vacant land values mean more city revenue. They realize that city services create land value, and that value should be recouped.

This summer, 20,000 vacant parcels will be revalued. It’s high time. A glance at current vacant land values would make Paris Hilton blush: The lot at 1401 South 54th Street in the troubled Kingsessing neighborhood is a case in point.

• The lot was purchased in 2004 for $11,000.
• The official “market” value? $2,400
• The official “assessed” value? $640
• Total tax bill? $53!

Meanwhile the house next door pays about 10 times more at $570 a year.

The overdue reassessment of vacant land is welcome. Next step: cut the taxes on the poor homeowner, and raise the holding cost of vacant lots. How? Land Value Taxation.

He ran for Mayor of Pittsburgh in 2005. Recently, he ran into the undemocratic democrats.

Titus North, Green Party Candidate for US Congress. Is he on the ballot or not?

Stop Big Media - Don't Let The FCC Cover Up Facts

Stop Big Media - Don't Let The FCC Cover Up Facts Just as the Federal Communications Commission is poised to open the floodgates to wholesale consolidation, comes news that former Chairman Michael Powell buried a study showing media consolidation is harmful to local news reporting. The FCC can't simply cover up evidence, ignore the public outcry, and hand over local media to the likes of News Corp., General Electric and Disney. They need to hear from you first.

Use the form below to speak out against FCC efforts to make Big Media bigger. Use the text provided or write your own comments about how media consolidation will impact your community.

Dragon Boat Races this weekend on the Mon

I'd rather see real people in swim races.

6abc.com: PA Supreme Court Reinstates Raises for Judges

6abc.com: PA Supreme Court Reinstates Raises for Judges HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - September 14, 2006 - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated pay raises for 1,200 elected judges and district judges in a decision adding new fuel to an issue that has roiled state politics for more than a year.

The opinion:

Party.

Pointer: Three Rivers Post & Standard -- Don’t Mess with the Bosses In Government Gambling

Gambling: "Well, I’m personally no fan of gambling, but neither am I a fan of laws that prohibit adults of sound mind making consensual decisions among themselves. That means, as far as I’m concerned, if you want to play a little online blackjack or roulette, it is your business and nobody else’s.

The crackdown is yet to come. It will be big.

The sky isn't falling, but the boot on the necks of others is going to hurt.

We see in the paper that the projections at The Meadows Slots Parlor next to the race track has a wide range of expectations. The kickback to give tax relief seems marginal. But that is only part of the story yet to unfold.

When these slot locations don't make enough money -- they'll start to attack others. They'll be hungry and they'll have some cash flow. And, they'll want to be fed, eating what comes between customers and their purses.

Furthermore, the slots deal isn't going to be enough to break even. They'll need to expand to table games and all sorts of other revenue streams.

Op-ed column: Zero-sum games by David Schlosser, candidate in Arizona for U.S. Congress

Source

When there are two people competing for a finite set of resources, whatever one person secures is lost to the other. In a two-party political system, what one party wins, the other party loses. Game theorists call this concept a “zero-sum game.” The logical assumption is that the two parties represent the opposite ends of the political spectrum. Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives.

A logical assumption, but – like most conventional wisdom – wrong. Republicans and Democrats are two sides of the same coin. While those parties may be polarized, they do not represent a true alternative to each other. With rare and easily counted exceptions, both parties advocate the continual expansion of the Federal government into more and more varied parts of Americans lives. Both advocate spending priorities that exceed our ability to pay for them. Both believe the tax code is a tool for granting favors and encouraging or discouraging particular behaviors. Neither so opposes illegal immigration, pork-barrel spending, or the corrupting influence of special-interest campaign funding that it will pass any legislation to actually address those problems.

Americans aren’t used to zero-sum games. At the grocery store, they can choose among hundreds of breakfast cereals and, if they don’t find a cereal they like, they can choose oatmeal, yogurt, a muffin, or fruit. Dozens of brands of automobiles, hundreds of stereos, thousands of styles of carpet and tile and wood and laminate, tens of thousands of book titles – Americans enjoy an embarrassment of riches in virtually every aspect of their lives, except their political choices. Examining the positions of Republicans and Democrats proves there is virtually no difference among their policy positions.

... (snip) ...

The dynamism of our culture and economy is based on circumventing the limits of a zero-sum game. Rather than worrying about how to take away someone else’s piece of pie, leaders and innovators figure out how to make the pie bigger, which benefits everyone. One of the last bastions of zero-sum thinking is the two-party system, in which Republicans and Democrats act as if they own the seats in Congress. Until voters break away from the zero-sum thinking of the two parties, they will fail to acknowledge the real owners of those seats: American citizens.

Full article and other notes from author / candidate reside in his Platform.For-Pgh.org page concerning:

Health care,

Dismal public (primary and secondary) education,

Iraq,

Gay marriage,

Social Security and Medicare,

Immigration.

Green Party Heachaches from the Dems -- Dems bent on breaking democracy

This is exactly what I didn't want to do and was not able to do. I came back from Canada after coaching at camp and talked with Titus North, Green candidate for US Congress. Titus had been sleeping in a tent in Harrisburg, thanks to the undemocratic Democrats.

This is no way to run a democracy. This is shameful politics from the Democrats.

Green Party candidate prepares for day in court
MARTHA RAFFAELE, Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Green Party's U.S. Senate candidate hopes to persuade a state judge that he has gathered enough signatures to allow him to complete against Republican Sen. Rick Santorum and Democratic state Treasurer Bob Casey on the Nov. 7 ballot.

A Commonwealth Court hearing on a lawsuit filed by state Democrats is slated to begin Thursday amid a tension-fraught review of signatures collected by Carl Romanelli, who political observers have said could hurt Casey's chances of unseating Santorum, the Senate's third-ranking Republican.

State law required Romanelli, a railroad industry consultant and former family court officer from Wilkes-Barre, to collect 67,070 signatures to qualify for the ballot this year. The Democrats allege that more than 69,000 of the roughly 94,000 signatures he gathered - aided by Republicans who bankrolled the effort and Santorum campaign staffers who assisted with the legwork - include numerous fake names, unregistered voters and illegible signatures.

The hearing date comes toward the end of the fifth straight week in which volunteers for both sides have been reviewing the signatures to determine how many are valid.

Tensions have caused two public disturbances during the process. A scuffle broke out last month between Green and Democratic Party volunteers, and on Sept. 5 an independent Congressional candidate helping Romanelli was charged with disorderly conduct.

Although he acknowledges that there have been difficulties, Romanelli, 47, said he remains optimistic that he will prevail.

"I still have all the confidence in the world in our signatures," Romanelli said Tuesday. "It's ridiculous to see the haggling over the signatures, day in and day out."

But before the hearing can begin in earnest, both sides must jointly file papers indicating how many signatures they agree are invalid.

Clifford B. Levine, a Pittsburgh attorney representing the Democrats, said that as of Monday night, the two sides had agreed that more than 28,718 signatures were invalid. That's roughly 2,000 more than the 26,760 that would have to be invalidated to disqualify Romanelli from the ballot.

"We've been going through five weeks where the Green Party's representative has agreed with the petitioner's representative," Levine said. "Nobody forced their hand."

But Lawrence M. Otter, Romanelli's lawyer, contended that some of the signatures considered possibly invalid were erroneously classified as such because of problems with the state's electronic voter registry, which is being used to verify them. For example, Otter said, in some instances the system has indicated that it has no record of a registered voter's signature on file.

"It's a classic example - you're disenfranchising someone," Otter said.

Otter has even used subpoenas to obtain tax records and driver's license records of voting-age Pennsylvanians from the state revenue and transportation departments in order to prove the validity of any disputed signatures.

Pennsylvania law requires minor-party and independent candidates to collect a number of signatures equal to 2 percent of the ballots cast for the largest vote-getter in the last statewide election. This year's threshold, because it is based on Casey's record vote count in winning the treasurer's office in 2004, was set at an unusually high 67,070 signatures.

A separate matter pending before the state Supreme Court could also determine Romanelli's fate.

Otter is appealing a state judge's decision rejecting Romanelli's arguments that the 2 percent signature threshold should be based on last year's judicial retention elections, which would have cut the number required to fewer than 16,000. The high court has not yet heard arguments in that case.

Could and WOULD you attend a Candidate Forum on Oct 30?

This letter was part of "tidbits" from our UU Church, Sunnyhill. The church is located in Mt. Lebo but has members from many areas south of the rivers.

---

Dear Sunnyhill Members and Friends,

We'd love to plan a special event from 7 to 8 pm for Monday, October 30, at Sunnyhill. We've hosted CANDIDATE FORUMS in the past and we'd love to do so again -- but only if we get a strong promise from our core supporters that this is an event that they'll attend and even promote to other friends and co-workers.

Our goal is to bring in four candidates to each provide us with a 10-minute policy talk and field a couple of questions. These would be ALL the people on the ballot -- not just from one party. We want an inclusive event -- but not a 'real debate.'

The candidates we want to invite are the ones who are running for PA HOUSE of Representatives (Harrisburg) and the US House (DC's Congress). They are the ones on the ballot for Mt. Lebo come November 7.

We figure opinions have been established for US Senate and Governor already.

So, please RSVP YES or NO if you'd be able to come to a one-hour event from 7 pm to 8 pm on Monday, October 30, 2006 at Sunnyhill to hear from candidates on the ballot.

Mark will tally the replies. If we hit a critical mass and get a commitment from a sizable audience, we'll make posters for the event, confirm with the speakers and proceed. Otherwise, resume you're regually scheduled programming.....

Mail to: Mark @ Rauterkus . com
YES and HOW MANY _________ you'll be bringing.

NO. Can't attend.

Stay tuned.....

Redd up opportunity (sent by Matt Hogue)

On Saturday September 23rd there will be an unofficial Elliott "Redd Up" day. The cleanup will start at 9 am and will focus on the 6 blocks on the #30 firehouse side of Lorenz Avenue. These areas have become increasingly dirty and are in need of a spruce up. Please plan on attending. If we have enough volunteers we can do more areas than the planned ones.

At 9 am on September 23, 2006 at 825 Lorenz Avenue / Emanuel United Methodist Church.

It is recommended that you bring a heavier pair of work gloves if you have them available.

Photo below show a sweeping the sidewalks. Quiz: Guess where? And, guess what you'll find just around the corner. (Hint, what kind of plants are they? And, who eats those plants?) (Hint 2: Click photo for a larger view.) (Hint 3: Go to http://YouTube.com/rauterkus.)


Click the comments to find the answer.

Simba Information To Host Premier Education Industry Event, Featuring Analysts, National Experts and Educators

Simba Information To Host Premier Education Industry Event, Featuring Analysts, National Experts and Educators: "Industry experts and educators speaking at the conference will include: Christopher Curran, Berkery, Noyes & Co.; Steve Dowling, Pearson School Companies; Robin Jarvis, Recovery School District, New Orleans; Estee Lopez, New Rochelle (NY) City School District; Julie McGee, Harcourt Achieve, Professional and Trade; Esther Monclova-Johnson, District of Columbia Public Schools; Peter Quandt, Haights Cross Communications; Lynn Spampinato; Pittsburgh Public Schools; Jessie Woolley-Wilson, LeapFrog SchoolHouse; and more. The full conference agenda and speaker list can be found at www.simbanet.com/conferences/.

I guess the outgoing boss of CCAC will NOT be there, as the event has a K-12 focus.

Pitt's and CMU's Greens and Libertarians meet tonight

The Pitt Libertarians and CMU Libertarians present,

Greens and Libertarians, the Yin and Yang of our Political Future.
at 7 PM, tonight, Tuesday, CMU's Scaife Hall Auditorium

A short presentation by Dan Sullivan will be followed by discussion that focus on how the ten key values of the Greens are compatible with the core principle of the Libertarians, and how the Greens have been pulled to the left of their values while the libertarians have been pulled to the right.

It explores how the two groups can keep their identities but create a "dynamic tension" by confronting each other directly on issues instead of letting the major parties and the power brokers work out compromises.

CMU's Scaife Hall is the first building on the left if you cross the bridge behind the Carnegie Library and then turn left just before you get to the Phipps Conservatory. Do not confuse it with Pitt's Scaife Hall.

Walking Home

Walking Home by Sara Kruger

When my husband and I decided to return to the US after five years abroad, we vowed to continue the car-free lifestyle to which we'd grown accustomed. We enjoyed the extra disposable income freed from the budgetary restrictions of car payments, insurance, maintenance and gas. Such savings enabled us to see much of Europe. We would be making our new home in Washington, D.C., and since I had never lived on the East Coast, I was excited to continue putting toward travel any extra money saved by resisting the temptation to own a four-wheeled ton of metal, this time for exploring the surrounding states. Friends were dubious about our ability to hold out. 'You'll fold in a week,' predicted one such naysayer. But, we were determined to survive.

Prove me wrong. Name one thing, just one.

I asked: "Can anyone name ONE idea that the Act 47 Team or the ICA Board has come up with? Just one would be nice."

I don't think they (overlords) get credit for anything. I'll go out on a limb and say, "The oversight board (ICA) and the Act 47 Coordinators have provided Pittsburgh with no benefits -- 'zippo.'

I've been to a few of their meetings. Mostly, meetings don't even occur.

Furthermore, having overlords costs the city. They come with some big bills that the city must pay. The work of the overlords doesn't 'translate well.' Yeah, right. A room full of monkeys and some typewritters could do a better job producing poetry than what the overlords have given the city's citizens in terms of goverance, oversight and management for a better future.

These overlords don't even provide us with good gossip nor photos for the 'seen' pages. Even with the PA Gambling Control Board gets more notice with its 'slime ball back-to-work programs' and the resulting arrests.

Event Sept 15 -- interesting merger of events

Sep 15, 2006

Board Member, Howard Woodridge, will speak at this year's National Conference of Editorial Writers about the failure of drug prohibition. Working a booth for LEAP and talking to conference visitors will be Steve and Doreen Heath. Event location: Sheriton Station Square, 300 West Station Square Drive.
http://www.leap.cc/events

I've heard and respect Howard Woodridge. He come from a police force background and hates the war on drugs.