The Pittsburgh Comet: Crime and No Punishment

The Pittsburgh Comet: Crime and No Punishment

See my interaction with a fellow blogger, Bram. Look into the comments section.

Bram snines new light onto the Department of Public Works within the city. He gives a rather bold opinion. Check it out. My approach is more, Potter-like. And, that isn't "Chris Potter" emulation.

Return to work not easy for stay-at-home dads - Your Career - MSNBC.com

Return to work not easy for stay-at-home dads - Your Career - MSNBC.comIt appears men who make the decision to become stay-at-home dads may be in even more career hot water.

I've been a stay-at-home dad. This article cuts close to the bone.

At the outset, I'd bicker with the concept in the lead paragraph of doing nothing to update their skills.

It might be bad to stay at home and do nothing. Sure. But, I didn't. While I was at home, my resume took a serious hit. however, my skill creation efforts did not shrink.

Working on the internet and going to work on community efforts present different opportunities for establishing skills while I was an at-home dad. This overlooks the whole challenge of being an at-home dad too.

When I was an at-home dad, my professional career was jolted. No doubt. But skill crafting does not need to STOP.

The root of article says men have added problems as we try to return to work. You bet. I feel that Pittsburgh's society, by and large, doesn’t give much credit to a recent at-home dad. Some do. Many don't. Some women are the worst. There is a bit of unspoken discrimination, sad to say. But, the “unmanly” tag isn't the hurdle. Unworthy for interviews and unworthy of job offers is more of a hit than being called 'unmanly.'

“In our culture, we look at work and family issues as women’s issues and don’t acknowledge men have at least the same kind of concerns about their families.

This is where I have a strength -- issues. I care about family issues. I care about healthcare, wellness, schools, parks, pedestrian life, parenting, and -- discrimination.

We've fully accepted the uncommon family structure in our house. Sadly, the rub comes with the plug-in to the greater community and wide-perceptions, especially the media. If I gave a damn what others thought I'd be a basket case.

Men face more prejudice when they decide to return to the workplace than women do. Save the males!

Men also face more prejudice when they are in school, before the workplace, as men's swim teams at many universities are axed.

Are there firms in Pittsburgh where men take "vacation leave" instead of "Family Leave" with the birth babies?

Stay-at-home dads usually have little support. But the real need for support isn't at the workplace nor within the family. Rather, it is within the community. Few guys made the same choices. More are doing so. But we're few and far between. The support I valued the most was on the internet among other at-home dads.

I agree that it is important for men to have the support of other men. This can't be overstated. Dads need playgroups. Dads need other dads to lean upon, just as women have had for the ages. Validation isn't nearly as important as plain old fashioned tips and socialization among adults.

Men get that support from men’s groups where men get the fathering, the wisdom and the tough love they need to make unpopular decisions,” says Wayne Levine, a clinical psychologist and founding director of BetterMen.org.

The article says stay-at-home pops are in uncharted waters. That's right where I want to be. I want to make my own, original mistakes, not repeat the mistakes of others.

Sometimes being a guinea pig can play in your favor.

Podcasting to spin into action shortly. Heavy Or Not, let the round up and shake ups flow

The fall is going to be busy. Two programs are going to swing into action: Heavy Or Not, and Take Your Mark.

Blogger has some new features that give more muscle to bloggers.

This is a test. For the next 20 seconds, this blog will experience a test of the button on the far right side of the screen shot in the image below.

From signs

UPMC announces $618 million profit, fends off critics - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

This is great. Michael Lamb came out of his slumber and gave a quote to the media. Wonderful.

UPMC announces $618 million profit, fends off critics - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Allegheny County Prothonotary Michael Lamb, the Democratic nominee for city controller, wondered whether UPMC pays its fair share for city services, a recurring theme among critics. 'They do have the state law regarding nonprofits on their side, but given the fiscal situation of the city, we want to ensure everyone pays their fair share. The question is, what is their fair share?' Lamb said."

I sent an email to the reporter that wrote the article.

Hi,

I see you give ink to Michael Lamb, D, candidate against me in the controller's race. I am so glad you did. He has been absent in recent months. He has nothing to say. And, what he said in the article you published is perfect -- as it is nothing but the sound of him scratching his head wondering what in the world is going on.

If you'd like more quotes -- call me or email. I have a very close relationship to UPMC. Plus, I have a real plan that can be deployed throughout the city with UMPC and the other nonprofts.

My main running mates!

Grant and Erik get political with their t-shirts
yesterday at Idlewild Park.

Grant's t-shirt reads, "Freedom Loving Pennsylvanians support Ron Paul for President in 2008."

Erik's says "Save Ginny!"

A bunch of folks are headed to Kennywood for Ron Paul day on Saturday -- all wearing their Ron Paul t-shirts.

I'll be at the Pitt student activities fair at the Student Union. Welcome to town undergrads and graduates.

Crews Rescue Kayakers From Loyalhanna Creek - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh

Update: Comment from a parent is found within this thread.

This is sorta funny.

Crews Rescue Kayakers From Loyalhanna Creek - News Story - WPXI Pittsburgh WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. -- Emergency crews were called to Loyalhanna Creek in Westmoreland County Thursday afternoon to rescue a group of kayakers.

Channel 11 has learned that 35 freshman from Seton Hill University were on an orientation field trip when a girl began suffering from stomach cramps.

Offiicals said she panicked and then her kayak turned over. One other student was pulled from the water. They were both taken to a local hospital for observation.

No other injuries were reported. Students told Channel 11's Alan Jennings they were lost and their instructor did not know where they were going.

So, we learned that two students were lost in the woods for 45 minutes after they split from the group. Okay, lesson one, -- stay with the group. Lesson two, -- on a kayak trip, don't go walking around the woods.

I don't want to defend the kayak trip leader, but jeepers. Emergency rescue and the news crew might be "overboard" (pun intended) for a tummy ache. On the other hand, did anyone check to see if she is pregnant, given the outcome of the back to school story from Mercyhurst of a few days ago.

Story has video on the news site.

The War on Drugs get a new 'surge' with IOC plans tougher sanctions for doping cheats - Friday August 24, 2007 1:27AM

The war on drugs faces new, harsher blowback from the International Olympic Committee. What used to be a six month ban for athletes might be taken to a four-year ban.

SI.com - Olympics - IOC plans tougher sanctions for doping cheats - Friday August 24, 2007 1:27AM Rogge told a news conference Friday that such a penalty could effectively amount to a four-year ban for athletes.

Once again, the drug war is going to be a fruitless effort.

Buzzword 'bacn' clogs e-mail arteries

First published on this blog on, 23 August, 11:50 pm.

Buzzword 'bacn' clogs e-mail arteries Buzzword 'bacn' clogs e-mail arteries

Now that the word, BACN, has made it into the mainstream media on the other side of the world, I can blog my 'bacon' story about our time in New Zealand.

Stay tuned.

By the way, I dished out a little bacn myself last night. I now have 52 new friends on my LinkedIn page.

To set the stage, did you hear about the news from band camp at a Western PA school?

kdka.com - High School Band Eats Cookies Laced With Laxatives High School Band Eats Cookies Laced With Laxatives (KDKA) Some members of the Connellsville Marching Band were sickened after they ate cookies apparently laced with laxatives. Practice came to a halt on Thursday when students became ill. Former band members, who have graduated, served the batch of tainted cookies. School police are investigating and so far, school officials aren't commenting. The students who were sickened weren't seriously ill.

In New Zealand, they speak English, of course. Yet some of the words of the Kiwis are not easily understood by Americans.

For instance, going to the swim pool, you always want to bring your togs. Togs? Swim suits are called 'togs.'

While coaching swimming in New Zealand, we had a wonderful opportunity to go on a team trip in a ... stay tuned.

Mon/Fayette Expressway funding triggers debate in West Mifflin

The Daily News - Mon/Fayette Expressway funding triggers debate in West Mifflin A pitch for state and federal funding for the Mon/Fayette Expressway north of Jefferson Hills triggered a debate among West Mifflin councilors about Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato.

An interview of me -- Mark Rauterkus -- while at PodCamp Pittsburgh

blog.myspace.com/phyllostachys PCPGH2 Interview 1 - Mark Rauterkus

I've been involved and presented at all three events in Pittsburgh.

The first event was PodCamp. I talked about how I do my outreach with my give-a-way CDs.

The second event was BootCamp, geared more to the novice techie and those just starting up with blogs. I co-presented with Jen English and we talked about the landscape of political online interactions. We went from A to Z -- or Announce blast lists to wikis.

This PodCamp, in August, I presented on license issues covering Creative Commons and other open source, free, and public elements with tools, content and data.

Plan of Attack - check out David Adams, city council district 9

This is the introduction we've been looking for.

Plan of Attack - News - News - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pittsburgh Dave Adams' townhouse sits at the end of a quiet dead-end street in the East Hills. As he stands outside, a couple of young neighborhood girls run up to say hello. He greets them, pats their heads and sends them back to their yard to continue playing.

Despite the calm, 'You can go right out to the end of that block and buy all the drugs you want,' says Adams, the 48-year-old CEO and founder of the Conscience Group, a community think tank that works to solve community problems and issues. 'They used to drive their cars right down in here, until one day I told them to leave this area alone.

A vote for new machines

Here is another Dan Onorato screw up. He did the wrong thing. He did the wrong thing despite others telling him what the right thing to do was.

A vote for new machines The panel charged with reviewing Allegheny County's voting system says the county should consider buying new machines if it can't adapt the existing ones.

But the members of the Allegheny County Citizens Elections System Advisory Panel have said that voting machine companies are changing products so quickly that it is best to watch the market for a while rather than doing anything immediately.

Ron Paul for President 2008!

Ron Paul for President 2008!: "Ron Paul Meetup Group Growth Record"

BABY TALK and the arrival of "The Golf Fairy"

BABY TALK: "luke worms around ethics. "

Big blog posting. This blogger tries to make it to the end of the P-G article with a dance among Luke's twisted logic without exploding his head in the process.

"The only thing of value I received was knowing I played a small part in seeing the work of the foundation will continue," he said.

I hate to break it to you, Luke, but you played no part in seeing the work of the foundation continue. The continuing of the foundation's work comes from the money that golfers and sponsors pay to participate in the tournament. You, as you've already told us, couldn't afford to pay that kind of money. So UPMC and the Penguins paid it for you. Which means they played a small part in seeing that the work of the foundation will continue. You played golf and stalked celebrities and skipped public hearings. For free.

Carbolic Smoke Ball: PEDUTO JOINS FORCES WITH iJUSTINE FOR PITTSBURGH REFORM WEB SITE

Carbolic Smoke Ball: PEDUTO JOINS FORCES WITH iJUSTINE FOR PITTSBURGH REFORM WEB SITE: "Next up for the City Councilman: a Foreign Policy Think Tank with LonelyGirl15 and a couple of YouTube lip-syncers"

George Phillies for President | George Phillies

George Phillies for President | George Phillies George Phillies for President Most Americans know the truth. America is in deep trouble. We are on the wrong track.

* This year, the budget deficit is over $700 billion. We are selling our grandchildren into debt slavery.

* Civil liberties are collapsing. Bush Republicans ignore our civil rights.

America needs answers. The Libertarian Party has those answers: Answers true to our traditions. Answers that will bring us Peace, Freedom, and Prosperity.

Do you know what Bacn is? Hint: It is sorta like spam, but different.

The term got legs at Pittsburgh PodCamp 2.

Charles' Purchasing Certification Blog: How Bad Is Golfing With Suppliers?

Another blogger, but from another industry, Purchasing, sounds off on the Mayor's folly with ethics from on the golf course.

Charles' Purchasing Certification Blog: How Bad Is Golfing With Suppliers? Ravenstahl's 'but-mommy-said-it-was-OK' defense isn't exactly making him look real sharp right now.

The take home message:

When I teach conflict of interest in purchasing, I always caution my students to avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest. Even if certain activities with suppliers may not bias your decision-making, others may have the perception that they do. And that can be just as harmful to your internal influence as a real conflict of interest.

An update from Ron Paul, candidate for President of the United States

Not all the media are biased. A local newspaper in New Hampshire reported on an annual GOP bbq in the town of Hollis. It could be called "the Ron Paul show," they said, since the far bigger crowd that usual consisted mostly of our supporters. One volunteer even rented an airplane and flew a wonderful sign around the sky. What great, creative, self-starting people I'm meeting, at every stop, all of them united by a love of America and American freedom.

Politics is usually about division. But this campaign is just the opposite. Not only are our volunteers a bunch of happy warriors, but they also practice the virtues of tolerance and peace, just as they want the nation to do.

The other day, the state chairman of an opposing campaign (not in New Hampshire!), angrily tore a sign out of one of our supporter's hands and trashed it. Different people with different beliefs might have responded differently. But our people, though they'd been standing in the rain all day, applied the Golden Rule. It's because of quiet heroes that I know we can change this country.

A reporter in New Hampshire told me this story about Florida: she had seen the same three supporters working every day passing out our literature, and so decided to interview them. She was startled to discover that one was a Republican, one was a Democrat, and one was an Independent. But I wasn't.

Freedom brings us all together. We can all agree on leaving people alone to plan and live their own lives, rather than trying to force them to obey at the point of a gun, as runaway government does. Instead of clawing at each other via the warfare-welfare state, people under liberty can cooperate in a unity of diversity.

There is no need to use government to threaten others who have different standards, or to be threatened by them. Looking to our Founders, our traditions, and the Constitution, we can build, in peaceful cooperation, a free and prosperous society.

At a talk show in Nashua, New Hampshire, the host asked me about the fair tax. Well, I agree on getting rid of the IRS, I told her, but I want to replace it with nothing, not another tax. But let's not forget the inflation tax, I said.

This was something she had never considered, but after I talked about the depreciation of our dollar by the Federal Reserve, its creation of artificial booms and busts, and its bailouts of the big banks and Wall Street firms, to the detriment of the average person, she loved it. That is another tax, she agreed, a hidden and particularly vicious tax.

They try to tell us that the money issue is boring or irrelevant. In fact, it is the very pith of our social lives, and morally, Constitutionally, and economically, the central bank is a disaster. Thanks to the work of this movement, Americans are starting to understand what has been hidden from them for so long: that we have a right to sound and honest money, not to a dollar debauched for the special interests.

Unconstitutional government has created a war crisis, a financial crisis, a dollar crisis, and a freedom crisis. But we don't have to take it. We don't have to passively accept more dead soldiers, a lower standard of living, rising prices, a national ID, eavesdropping on our emails and phone calls, and all the rest.

We can return to first principles, and build the brightest, most brilliant future any people on earth has ever aspired to. Help me teach this lesson. Help me campaign all over this country, in cooperation with our huge and growing volunteer army. Help me show that change is not only possible, but also essential. Please, make your most generous contribution (https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate/) to this campaign for a Constitutional presidency worthy of our people. Invest in freedom: for yourself, for your family, for your future.

Sincerely,

Ron

Don't let the rain come down. Onorato is stuck in a sand trap and can't get out. Flooding folly.

Little white balls on the golf course roll downhill, like other things. Little white lies are another. So does sewage.

Sometimes it is great to be from "the heights" and not where I live, also known as "the flats." A letter to the editor in today's Trib is used as a springboard to talking about 'why' and 'how' some approach problems and solutions. The outcomes I desire are different.

Flood control - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review As Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato acknowledged during his recent tour of Millvale, it is widely accepted that upstream development is a significant contributing factor to downstream flooding. We cannot undo the decades of building that has increased the magnitude and frequency of flooding. However, we can buck the trends that continue to make it worse.

Bingo. Onorato frames the problem well.

The older communities and the river towns are getting stomped upon by the more suburban communities. Millvale got crushed. Carnegie, in the past, got crushed with water.

How that happens should be understood. And, why it has been allowed to happen also must come into focus. On these later questions, Onorato shows his folly and lack of insight.

Onorato understands 'what happened.' But, Onorato can't get a grip on 'why' and 'how' and even the more simple 'when' and 'where' issues.

Onorato says, "stop subsidizing development in flood-prone watersheds." The first three words are great. Yes, we should stop subsidizing development. Do not use government money to subsidize any development anywhere.

From planning-urban

Onorato wants to put the brakes on the subsidization in "flood-prone watersheds." Yes, that is partly right. However that is exactly what Onorato has NOT done. Onorato and County Council pushed for a TIF in a flood-prone watershed, a wet-land, called "Deer Creek Crossing." They wanted to put in a new strip mall in a marsh. I said no. I went to County Council's meetings to fight the TIF. I said that project should be stopped. Onorato and the vast majority of those on County Council was in favor of the tax-payer give-away to the developer for putting buildings, road and parking lot in a marsh.

Thankfully, others protested too. The Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network took up the side I was on and sent messages to deny the TIF at Deek Creek Crossing too. Other voices joined in as well. Objections were raised, in public. This was a few years ago. Onorato was County Executive. Onorato didn't object.

We won that battle. Deer Creek Crossing did NOT proceed. I have a fleeting understanding that the protesting didn't matter much. Rather, the deal fell down because of finance issues with the developer, building matters and perhaps even some common sense marketplace wisdoms.


Onorato wants to put together a map of Allegheny County and identify flood-prone watersheds. Dan, maps don't look into the future. Dan might need some tea leaves to sprinkle about on top if the maps -- in a hard rainstorm.

People are needed for the reading of the maps with the wisdom to understand the potential for flooding. Wisdom is necessary.

But in Onorato's world, put a subsidized development on a greenfield on a hill would be okay for a few reasons.

1. The new development wouldn't flood. It is on a hill. The developer will install rain water run offs. The rain water run offs will be paid for by part of the subsidy.

2. The new development's environmental changes are seen as progress to Onorato. Progress is good. But, to Onorato, way better than "good progress" is new development that hinges upon the buy-in, err, buy-off of political cronies to insure that those deal gets done.

Onorato needs to be the czar of the Sim City Game. He wants to be the one who makes the map. He wants to be the pivot person. He wants to be able to bend the lines and rules to show the flexibility and progress as long as the campaign donations are in his favor.

Onorato wants to have appointment powers among cronies to give blessing for deals. Onorato wants to go to the groundbreaking with a hard hat and shovel as bad as Mayor Ravenstahl wants to play golf.

By the way, once Ravenstahl matures, he'll out grow golf. Look to Luke to turn to pursuits. His ambitions will swing him to become a "dirt-turning deal maker and kingpin" like his 'upstream boss.'

Many local "D-party" politicians choose to go one of two ways. It is as if they have two different watersheds that are clearly visible within the D-party politician personality map. They choose to go dance at the country clubs with golfing buddies who want to do big-time development deals. Or, they go to bingo halls and mingle with seniors, bringing ice cream and sheet cakes. With the seniors politicians promise whatever the seniors crave.

3. Onorato can call for "routine inspections." Politicians hate doing the "routine" but love the "inspection" element. Making an invasion, in-your-face, notification of owners of record and dishing out fines, charges, extra taxes are turn-ons for tax men. To create jobs where slackers can hang, yet still have inspection powers makes them happy. Then, when a storm brews, they spring to action.

Presently, properties get flooded and the county's tax incomes go down the drain (pun intended). With new "rain water run off watershed mobilized tax inspectors" reporting to Onorato, Onorato will be able to penalize and punish in indiscriminate ways.

Wonder if the Angry Drunk Bureaucrat is already working on job descriptions or at least going through the Rolodex finding family members to fill those posts.

The letter to the editor:

Flood control Wednesday, August 22, 2007

As Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato acknowledged during his recent tour of Millvale, it is widely accepted that upstream development is a significant contributing factor to downstream flooding.

We cannot undo the decades of building that has increased the magnitude and frequency of flooding. However, we can buck the trends that continue to make it worse.

For example, stop subsidizing development in flood-prone watersheds. Identify and map flood-prone watersheds in the County Comprehensive Plan and deny public funding that facilitates development there.

Do routine inspections of water detention facilities to ensure that they are functioning as designed. If they are not, notify the owners of record to restore them to their original condition. Funding for the program could come from fees to the municipalities, developers and landowners in the interest of public safety.

Protect large woodland masses as part of a watershed land-use plan. When woodlands are replaced by an equal amount of asphalt, runoff volume can be up to 50 times greater.

A one-time investment in woodland and flood-plain protection can pay dividends for generations and eliminate recurring flood damage and repair costs. Allegheny Land Trust is currently mapping highly functional natural lands that absorb storm water.

These are a few ideas that can be part of a flood prevention strategy that addresses the problem at its source.

Roy Kraynyk, Moon

The writer is executive director of Allegheny Land Trust.

I stand for the elimination of all subsidization deals to developers.

I favor building upon our urban density, not suburban sprawl.

The purpose of government is to govern, as in working to make sure that the electronic voting machines really work. We need people in government to worry about the basics, such as the constitution, not pie-in-the-sky strip malls.

Onorato, Rendell, and before them, Tom Murphy, stink at the creation of sustainable marketplace jobs and overall wealth creation for the citizens of the region. Their performances are not to be copied nor made into a model for others to copy.