Fw: Call your legislators NOW about transit funding

FWIW:

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

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From: jon@jonrobison.org

Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:22:36 -0700

To: <amandel@msworld.org>; <alanpgh@aol.com>; <alanpgh@gmail.com>; <crawfordmcdonaldgreene.com@jonrobison.org>; <dstewart@gmail.com>; <khuwe@trcil.org>; <mosqueavenger@aol.com>; <amodeirm@stvinc.com>; <bmasona@gmail.com>; <JBauer103w@aol.com>; <pghdazzler@aol.com>; <Schneider@psc.edu>; <jjCA5933@aol.com>; <druppen@ucppittsburgh.org>; <dskillings@portauthority.org>; <mrainey@otma-pgh.org>; <jennahrebecca@yahoo.com>; <gavaler@pitt.edu>; <pshell@cs.cmu.edu>; <sherrygoldman@alumni.duq.edu>; <jenniferzami@juno.com>; <meemers@surfbest.net>; <kingmary@aol.com>; <donnadonna123@yahoo.com>; <smlt16@aol.com>; <emilystricker@hotmail.com>; <kproblem2003@yahoo.com>; <mark@Rauterkus.com>; <info@indypgh.org>; <patrick.altdorfer@verizon.net>; <rayrosenblum@hotmail.com>

Subject: Call your legislators NOW

Jonathan and Mary Robison 154 N. Bellefield Av.#66, Pittsburgh 15213  jon@jonrobison.org                                                                                            

Dear Friend,

          No, this is not our usual pre-election political newsletter.  It's an emergency appeal for action.

          As you may know, public transportation has a grave funding crisis.  The Port Authority of Allegheny County needs about $50 million to avoid another fare increase and major service cuts.  The Pennsylvania Legislature had planned to fund transit with a toll on Interstate 80, but the federal government disapproved.  As a result, the state is short about a half billion dollars to fix bridges and roads as well as for the state's 36 public transit systems, including PAT.  If we don't get about $50 million in new state money very soon,  PAT will be forced to eliminate about 30% of our transit service.  Neighborhoods will suffer.  Pittsburgh will suffer.  People will suffer.  The environment will suffer.

          Please join us in telling legislators why YOU and your neighbors need the bus or T.  Contact legislators at the Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA  17120.  For local office addresses and e-mails go to www.legis.state.pa.us or to the blue pages of your phone book.  Anyone who wants more details or wants to help can contact us.

          Why now?  The governor is calling a special session of the State Legislature for late July on transportation funding, now that we have a state budget.  That doesn't mean that he knows the solution or that they know the solution.  Over a dozen solutions have been suggested.  What is needed is for the legislative leadership to get together on a solution or a package, and enact it – this summer.

          Why can't PAT just trim costs?  PAT has already done that.

          Why your legislators?  Yes, they probably already support public transportation.  But a few calls will make them more assertive on this vital issue.

 

Please TELL LEGISLATORS WHY YOU NEED PUBLIC TRANSIT.

Please call YOUR State Senator and State Representative.

Please also call

   Joseph Markosek, Majority Chairman, House Transportation Committee  412-856-8284

   John Pippy, member, Senate Transportation Committee                            412-262-2260

Tell them why you and your neighbors need public transit

Please forward this message to all your friends – to your e-mail list.  We need to pass the word, especially outside Allegheny County.  Please contact us for any more information.  I, Jon, am president of the Allegheny County Transit Council, an all-volunteer organization representing PAT riders.

I urge you: please call your legislators.

Love and Peace,

Jonathan and Mary Robison

How to improve your golf game after watching the US Open at Oakmont

With the US Women's Open at Oakmont, near Pittsburgh, my boys (12 and 15) have been watching the play and working at the course selling programs a bit.

Erik's observation: He is now convinced that he'll make solid improvements to his game once he changes his golf wardrobe to include a sports bra and skirt.

If I was at Oakmont, I'd tail the women from Norway, Suzann Pettersen. I know how to swear in her native language as I've coached nearly ten swimmers from Norway. Then if she has a bad time of things, I'd know what she was saying.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzann_Pettersen

Fw: Pennsylvania state budget disappoints again

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

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From: Media-Relations@lppa.org

Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:33:40 -0500

To: <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>

Subject: Pennsylvania state budget disappoints again

Pennsylvania state budget disappoints again
 
Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania calls budget "failure" and "fantasy"
 
Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania
3915 Union Deposit Road #223
Harrisburg, PA 17109
www.lppa.org
 
For Immediate Release: July 9, 2010
 
Contact: Doug Leard (Media Relations) at Media-Relations@lppa.org or
Michael Robertson (Chair) at 1-800-R-RIGHTS / chair@lppa.org
 
Harrisburg, PA - The state legislature keeps finding new ways to disappoint Pennsylvanians at budget time.  While our last budget was unconscionably late, this one is a mix of failure and fantasy.
 
This budget fails to cut spending at a time when our fiscal position is precarious.  General fund spending increased from $27.8 to over $28 billion while the state’s total operating budget jumps from $65.9 to $66.4 billion.  The budget ignores the past two years of revenue collection decreases that led to a general fund $1.2 billion gap last year and a $3 billion gap the year before.
 
The budget fails to cut pork and reintroduces "Walking Around Money" (WAM) reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review to be between $65 and $100 million.  In addition, it provides millions for the construction of the John P. Murtha Center for Public Policy and the Arlen Specter Library Project Center. It irresponsibly ignores both the coming public pension crisis that will require a $5 billion increase in annual payments in 2010 and the coming loss of federal stimulus funds in 2011-2012 fiscal year.
 
In June, The Commonwealth Foundation released “A Taxpayer's Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania” which identified opportunities to cut over $4 billion in wasteful state spending in Gov. Rendell's proposed FY 2010-2011 budget.  Their report also offered a series of recommendations for resolving the current revenue shortfall and reducing the size and burden of government on Pennsylvanians.  The budget failed to take advantage of these opportunities.
 
Instead, our state legislature fantasizes in their budget calculations that Pennsylvania will see a 3.2 percent increase in revenue collections at a time when unemployment is growing and business is receeding.  An even greater fantasy is that the budget calculation assumes $850 million in Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funds that have yet to pass Congress. According to Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, "No one, including the governor, thinks we'll receive $850 million."
 
Commented Brian Bergman, State House Candidate in the 119th district, “Yet again, Pennsylvania's government has failed to pass either a balanced budget or an on-time budget.  Where are the incentives to do either?  There is nothing currently in the PA Constitution or statutes that puts any penalty on the representatives in Harrisburg if they fail in their duties.  It's time to hold them accountable - vote them all out and elect new people that will truly work FOR the citizens of Pennsylvania and will enact consequences when the Legislature fails so completely in their duties.”

Mark Crowley, LPPa Media Relations, summarized “It's no surprise that this budget was created behind closed doors.  They suspended the rule requiring a public comment period.  The disappointing result certainly shows this lack of transparency.”
 
The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in Pennsylvania and the United States. More than 200,000 people across the country are registered Libertarians, and Libertarians serve in hundreds of elected offices. Please visit www.LP.org or www.LPPA.org for more information.
 

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Steelers host youth football camp

Steelers host youth football camp: "The Pittsburgh Steelers will host a second youth football camps in the Pittsburgh area in July. The Pittsburgh Steelers Youth Football Camp will feature instruction from some of the best high school and youth coaches in the area, as well as current and former Steelers players.

The camp is $175 and is open for children between the ages of 6-14. They will participate in non-contact drills and skills sessions to win awards and prizes including autographed items. All campers will receive two tickets to a Steelers’ preseason game, a camp T-shirt, a one-year Steelers Kids Club membership, DVD highlights from the camp and other giveaway items.

The camp will be held at West Allegheny’s DeMichela Stadium on July 19-20. The camp can hold up to 200 players, and will run from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. each day."

Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan acknowledges possibility of group not owning club - ESPN Dallas

Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan acknowledges possibility of group not owning club - ESPN Dallas: "Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan acknowledged Thursday that his group, which includes Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg, might not end up owning the team. He added that he wasn't sure what he might do after this season should Houston businessman Jim Crane, who is trying to get back in the bidding, ends up owning the team."

Pittsburgh Public Schools

Good News section of Pittsburgh Public Schools has a pointer to the article in the Post-Gazette that mentioned Grant and Erik as volunteers for the US Women's Open at Oakmont.

Pittsburgh Public Schools: "District students amoung 2,900 volunteers at U.S. Women’s Open (Jul 8, 2010)

2,900 volunteers join in to help U.S. Women's Open run smoothly

Grant gets some ink in the P-G today.

2,900 volunteers join in to help U.S. Women's Open run smoothly: "Grant Rauterkus, 12, of the South Side, and his brother, Erik, 15, volunteered through The First Tee of Pittsburgh, an organization operating out of Schenley Park Golf Course.
'I'm going to be doing program sales on Friday,' said Grant, a seventh-grader at Obama Academy in East Liberty. 'I'm doing it because I really enjoy golf and I love the atmosphere.'"

Brookline man dies from injuries suffered in beating

Friends like this?

Brookline man dies from injuries suffered in beating: "Wily G. Ruiz, a friend of both men, told Pittsburgh homicide detectives that they had been together drinking, playing cards and listening to music inside an apartment, but the two had argued off and on all morning, according to a criminal complaint."

Do you think the drinking had anything to do with this as well?

Oppose REAL ID in PA

Mark C of Plum had a LTE in the Trib (7/6/2010) regarding Pennsylvania's REAL ID Nonparticipation Act. Contact your state House rep and House Transportation Committee.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/letters/s_688754.html

On June 15, 2010, the state Senate passed Senate Bill 621, the REAL ID
Nonparticipation Act, by a 50-0 vote. This legislation, introduced by Sen.
Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon County, would prohibit Pennsylvania from
participating in the federally mandated REAL ID Act.

REAL ID would turn each driver's license into a national ID card. It would
put us face-to-face with real-time federal monitoring, a devious form of
control.

While Pennsylvania struggles with budget deficits, we don't need another
underfunded mandate. PennDOT should fix roads and bridges, not herd us into a costly "Big Brother" system with a biometric database.

Many thanks to our state Senate, but we must now look to our state House.
The bill is in the House Transportation Committee, chaired by Rep. Joseph
Markosek, D-Monroeville. He needs to hear that this legislation should move from his committee to the full House and then to the governor's desk.

The federal government grows relentlessly in size and arrogance. Our best
hope to reverse this is the states; that 50-0 vote is a great start. Contact your state representative and urge rejection of REAL ID by supporting SB 621.

Mark Crowley, Plum

12 person, 24 hour race

Sam Infurchia, the assistant race director for Ragnar Relay, DC has information about a new and unique running event. It's a 12 person 24 hr relay race that starts in Cumberland, MD and ends in Washington, DC. Check out the website at http://www.facebook.com/l/e4673ORRuVVcA4lXW2m0XziwVjQ;www.ragnarrelay.com  and join our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=177416847098&index=1  .

I'm not dead yet!

Okay... So French, German and Spanish are options for language study. But, the reason to not offer them is not because they are dead. Heck, LATIN is being taught. Where in the world can you go to study LATIN other than some Roman Catholic HISTORY Catacombs?

Au revoir for study of French, German?... signs of decline are there, locally and nationally: Some of Pennsylvania's state-owned universities are seriously debating whether to offer French and German majors after current students graduate. Enrollment in French classes is shrinking in Pittsburgh's public schools, and one high school is considering phasing out its longtime German program. Shady Side Academy, a private school with campuses in Fox Chapel and the East End of Pittsburgh, is eliminating French and German from its middle school curriculum to focus on Spanish, Mandarin and Latin.

Another thing that bugs me about the article is that Spanish is winning by a mile. Really? Not three miles? Not just by 300-meters?

What is central to the American sensibility is not the language but rather the study.

If you really want to master another language that goes to the heart of sensibilities, then teach JAVA or C++ or PERL or even LISP as viable languages for study in schools.

Different strokes for different folks. Thank goodness we're speaking english and can travel to places like New Zealand and understand most of what goes on except the Haka.

Long Island man blows arm off with fireworks

Not good.

Long Island man blows arm off with fireworks | World | News | Toronto Sun As one of the explosives shot out of the launcher, it hit Smith 'in the left arm, completely severing it from his shoulder.'

I don't even like sparklers.

Old Papers - Blog Post # 10,086 at Mark Rauterkus and Running Mates

I've got a lot of old papers and records in our house and throughout the office spaces. Too many.

Today I spent some hours weeding a box in storage that has been gathering dust and a tad of mold from the year 2000. Sure, its contents graced my desk about 10 years ago, but it also marked a key time in my political life. That is when I went out on a limb. That year I gathered steam and ran for mayor of the City of Pittsburgh. The election was in the spring of 2001, but I was a candidate in August 2000.

I was so mad at what Tom Murphy and the others in City Hall were doing -- I said, "I'll run. I can do better. Our city needs to do better."

Much of what is in this box did not get into this blog. Sure, a good deal got onto the internet then -- as I was blogging before the word and utilities call blogs came into our shared awareness. But, those archives are not easy to find as web sites have come and gone.

So, it is time to re-type and re-position.

The fight against Fifth and Forbes with the URA has interesting twists with me then as I mentioned the saving of the Civic Arena in some emails and postings. Here we are 10 years later, not 2000 but 2010, and the fate of the Civic Arena is unsure.

Back then I talked about and networked with others about Hazelwood too. Nothing much has changed there, except a few fires and some other homes have been made level.

Then there was Pitt Stadium and UPMC's expansion into the South Side with the proposed building of the UPMC Sports Performace Center. Back then I said that we should have some community access to those facilities. Never really came. The Brashear Association failed us all greatly then -- and still do in this regard. And, I pushed UPMC to build the football practice fields behind UPMC South Side Hospital, not along the river in a place better devoted to flex office space and new job creation. I worred then that UPMC Hospital needed to be supported by the sports medicine and football facilities so as to not close in the years to come.

UPMC South Side Hospital is shutting down now. Told ya.

There are other gems here too. Remember Tom Murphy wanted to spend capital funds from the city's budget to tear down steps that run along the slopes of the South Side and around the city in other neighborhoods. Rather than fix the steps, he wanted to spend more to rid the city of those hazards.

Meanwhile, Bruce Kraus talked this week in council to the blue/green folks seeking new legislation about clean air and clean water. He is about being safe, clean and green. The most important thing to you -- to everyone -- so said his heart and soul in a story from another -- is the air you need to breath.

Without the breath, we die. He is thinking about the legacy he'll leave once he is gone. It all hit him 11 years ago.

Well, there are others who crave the air. But, people will die for more. People will fight to their death for their freedom. People will jump the Berlin Wall and run for their life -- and be shot of course -- for freedom. They had plenty of air where they were. The air wasn't different. But, the oppression was.

Yesterday would have been the 72nd birthday of a young man who was killed as he ran from East Germany by a sniper. He was hit and fell as he tried to dash to freedom. Nearly an hour later, after much blood had flowed from his body, he died.

Clean air and clean water are great.

Happy Independence Day!

This is blog post, so reports blogger on the dashboard, 10,086. Thanks for reading. Thanks for the history.

Liberator - The Fourth of July: More than Fireworks and Cook-Outs

Liberator Online Archive

The Fourth of July is one of the most significant holidays in American
history. It was on that day, in 1776, that the 13 American colonies
declared their independence from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson
drafted the Declaration of Independence, one of the greatest documents
in the long struggle of mankind for freedom from oppressive
government.

The Declaration contained these words that made it more than just
another political document:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created
equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted
among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed; that, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of
these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such
principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall
seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

The ideas in the Declaration were not new. Indeed, they had been
expressed by British thinkers such as John Locke, and similar
sentiments had been used in Britain to justify rebellion against King
James II in 1688. But Jefferson's words struck a chord across America,
and across the world; they still reverberate today.

Fifty-six American leaders in the Continental Congress stepped forward
to sign the final document, at enormous personal risk.

Tragically, many Americans today have no idea of the great sacrifices
that were made by the Founders to win their freedom.

The story below tells what happened to the men who signed the
Declaration of Independence. The author's name, as far as I know, is
lost.

* * *

What Happened to the Signers?

Five signers were captured by the British and brutally tortured as
traitors. Nine fought in the War for Independence and died from wounds
or from hardships they suffered. Two lost their sons in the
Continental Army. Another two had sons captured. At least a dozen of
the fifty-six had their homes pillaged and burned.

What kind of men were they? Twenty-five were lawyers or jurists.
Eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers or large plantation owners.
One was a teacher, one a musician, and one a printer. These were men
of means and education, yet they signed the Declaration of
Independence, knowing full well that the penalty could be death if
they were captured.

In the face of the advancing British Army, the Continental Congress
fled from Philadelphia to Baltimore on December 12, 1776. It was an
especially anxious time for John Hancock, the President, as his wife
had just given birth to a baby girl. Due to the complications stemming
from the trip to Baltimore, the child lived only a few months.

William Ellery's signing at the risk of his fortune proved only too
realistic. In December 1776, during three days of British occupation
of Newport, Rhode Island, Ellery's house was burned, and all his
property destroyed.

Richard Stockton, a New Jersey State Supreme Court Justice, had rushed
back to his estate near Princeton after signing the Declaration of
Independence to find that his wife and children were living like
refugees with friends. They had been betrayed by a Tory sympathizer
who also revealed Stockton's own whereabouts. British troops pulled
him from his bed one night, beat him and threw him in jail where he
almost starved to death. When he was finally released, he went home to
find his estate had been looted, his possessions burned, and his
horses stolen. Judge Stockton had been so badly treated in prison that
his health was ruined and he died before the war's end. His surviving
family had to live the remainder of their lives off charity.

Carter Braxton was a wealthy planter and trader. One by one his ships
were captured by the British navy. He loaned a large sum of money to
the American cause; it was never paid back. He was forced to sell his
plantations and mortgage his other properties to pay his debts.

Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he had to move his
family almost constantly. He served in the Continental Congress
without pay, and kept his family in hiding.

Vandals or soldiers or both looted the properties of Clymer, Hall,
Harrison, Hopkinson and Livingston. Seventeen lost everything they
owned.

Thomas Heyward, Jr., Edward Rutledge and Arthur Middleton, all of
South Carolina, were captured by the British during the Charleston
Campaign in 1780. They were kept in dungeons at the St. Augustine
Prison until exchanged a year later.

At the Battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British
General Cornwallis had taken over the family home for his
headquarters. Nelson urged General George Washington to open fire on
his own home. This was done, and the home was destroyed. Nelson later
died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis also had his home and properties destroyed. The British
jailed his wife for two months, and that and other hardships from the
war so affected her health that she died only two years later.

"Honest John" Hart, a New Jersey farmer, was driven from his wife's
bedside when she was near death. Their thirteen children fled for
their lives. Hart's fields and his grist mill were laid waste. For
over a year he eluded capture by hiding in nearby forests. He never
knew where his bed would be the next night and often slept in caves.
When he finally returned home, he found that his wife had died, his
children disappeared, and his farm and stock were completely
destroyed. Hart himself died in 1779 without ever seeing any of his
family again.

Such were the stories and sacrifices typical of those who risked
everything to sign the Declaration of Independence. These men were not
wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means
and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more.
Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged:

"For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the
protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other,
our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

* * *

What an incredible story! Remember these men and their sacrifices as
you celebrate this Fourth of July. I know I will.

In Liberty,

Sharon Harris, President
mailto:sharon@self-gov.org

PS: Today, thanks to the Founders, and thanks to all those who have
fought to maintain and extend our freedom in the two centuries since
the American Revolution, we're not being asked to risk "our lives, our
fortunes, and our sacred honor" to win our liberty.

But the struggle for liberty still goes on today, of course. That's
why you're reading this newsletter, and that's why the Advocates for
Self-Government exists.

Are you into the Tour de Fance Bike Race? Get these updates via email

If you are into fitness and the Tour, then subscribe yourself to this newsletter. You won't be sorry. And, you can always check out later.

Carmichael Training Systems : Mailing List Signup: "Carmichael Training Systems Mail List Registration"

snip....

Today was a dramatic start to what's sure to be a dramatic and thrilling race. And now that there are some decent time gaps between the favorites already, the action should be heated right from the beginning.

Some quotes

Don't eat the seed. Sow and reap!

Teach things we don't understand. Don't teach what you understand.

Don't give to God that is nothing.

Take a leap of faith, a step of faith.

For leaders, putting your head in the sand is a fumbling of duties.

Pittsburghers care about our kids. If we knew it would help, we'd cut off our arms to help our children. But, coming to the understanding of what is best seems to be much of the problem. And, when we don't try hard enough -- we all are defeated.

---

Pittsburgh would like to be "Knowledge Town." We need places that spark our imaginations. We don't aspire to be 'Rote Memorization Town." We should be wise, full of knowledge, insightful, and full of imagination and capacity to fix.

I do not want to see all of our science crammed into the Science Center. I don't want all of the cultural aspects of our city confined to the Cultural District. I don't want the History Center to be the lone keeper of every historical artifact.

I want diversity. I want an urban, unique, mixed use place that has spaces and relationships that work to fire up our intergerational wonder.

Talking about the stars and heavens is rich. And, when we had this mentality, and capacity as part of the Buhl Science Center and its star theater, Pittsburgh was growing.

Now, Pittsburghers often leave the city.

On a number of occasions, I've spoken at the public podium and have pointed out that the former Lazarus Department store in Pittsburgh, with its downtown TIFFs (tax breaks) and Corporate Subsidies -- and because of its low sales price of the property from the URA and with hair-brained deal from the Mayor's planners -- Lazarus paid less per year than the rent for the Old Post Office on the North Side that was a reuse and home to the Children's Museum.

---

When a stadium deal or a convention center deal or a new arena deal is pondered, we as citizens, as parents, as taxpayers, are going to get beat up badly. We are going to pay the brunt of the costs.

For the kids sake, we have a serious desire to hold out the highest of hopes. We want splendid opportunities for the next generation.

We don't want to cobble together rinky-dink solutions for our kids. And, we know that it takes great perspectives to find elegant, uplifting solutions.

---

This place should not deplete you. Rather nourish.

---

A feather of an ostrich is kept in my office. The feather gives a reminder for an approach to politics from a softer approach. The feather comes from one of the biggest birds, but it can't fly a lick. The ostrich fame comes from its act of putting its head in the sand. That is not a good place to be. This is a bad habit. It is terrible for building perspectives. When your head is in the sand, it is a by-gone conclusion that you can't see the stars.

---

In youth, every event looks unique.

How do you deal with the moment? How do you look forward? How to react to the anticipation of the future?

We can choose what we bring to tomorrow. We can't know what tomorrow brings.

A tiny action is stronger than a lifetime of worry.

Expect a challenging life. Why think not?

---

As we face a troubled and puzzled world, let us not build troubled and puzzled solutions.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Spirit of confirmation is in the air. Undeterred. Persistent.

Do not absolve the institutions for responsibility. There is institutional racism.

They've got buckets full of money. But we've got oceans full of good ideas. They do not have a monopoly on good ideas. When they think they've got a monopoly on the ideas, then we've got a de-facto monopoly on principles, because they've sold out. They are closed minded. There is nothing worse.

It is not for the slaves to talk about freedom.

---

Politics is complicated. Democracy is messy. Voting is simple.

The best we can hope for is for full knowledge of who is paying for campaigns. That's timely disclosure for direct and supplemental campaigns.

Afghanistan Water Polo's July 2010 Newsletter

Afghanistan Water Polo's July 2010 Newsletter: "It is amazing to think that my recent visit to Helmand Province, Afghanistan would result in the creation of another provincial swim and water polo team in Afghanistan. Lieutenant Joshua Pogue, a Marine who I worked with was the one who identified a pool aboard the Shorabak Garrisson. After many weeks of meetings and dissappointment, a team finally formed. What started with no water in the pool has now turned to five days a week of athletes practicing. Athletes are learning basic fundamentals of swimming and water polo,"

PA Budget insight fro EPLC Notebook of July 2, 2010

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: "Ron Cowell" <cowell@eplc.org>

Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:19:12 -0400

To: <cowell@eplc.org>

Subject: EPLC Education Notebook - 2010-2011 Budget Update - #10-22 - July 2, 2010

The Education Policy and Leadership Center

         800 North Third Street, Suite 408, Harrisburg, PA  17102

     717-260-9900     -     www.eplc.org

_________________________________________________________________

 

EPLC EDUCATION NOTEBOOK

Friday, July 2, 2010

 

SPECIAL 2010-2011 BUDGET UPDATE

 

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

 

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate approved a budget for 2010-2011 on Wednesday, June 30, after reaching an agreement with Governor Rendell.  However, the Governor said he would not sign the budget bill until a package of legislation related to budget issues also was approved.

 

It is being reported this Friday afternoon that the Governor and legislative leaders have now agreed to the particulars of that package of related legislation.  The Governor’s Office has announce a tentative budget signing ceremony planned for Tuesday, July 6.

 

With the budget sent to the Governor on Wednesday, school districts would receive a basic education subsidy increase of $250 million, down from the $354.8 million increase that Gov. Rendell originally proposed.  While basic education funding is not at the level proposed by the Governor, Rendell called the increase significant.  He also noted that while support for the basic subsidy is increasing, the overall education budget was not held harmless and experienced significant cuts. 

 

The new budget includes a total General Fund spending level of $28.05 billion.  It also includes an agreement to enact a gas extraction tax by October 1, and is predicated on receiving $850 million in yet-to-be approved federal FMAP funds (Medicaid reimbursement to states).  If FMAP is not extended at the federal level, additional line items in the state budget would have to be placed in reserve.  This almost undoubtedly would mean a reduction in funds for basic education.

 

The budget agreement does not include revenue from four additional sources that were part of this year’s budget debate – a tax on cigars, a tax on smokeless tobacco, ending the discount for businesses that remit sales tax receipts on time, and revenue from closing the Delaware loophole for corporations.

 

For details on the education budget, please go to the House Appropriations Committee budget link below:

http://www.hacd.net/budget/201011/documents/Updated_HB2279PN3277_063010_9am.pdf

 

We’ll be sending more detailed analysis next week.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

EPLC Education Notebook is published by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC).  Permission to reprint or electronically redistribute the Notebook in whole or in part is granted provided attribution to EPLC is provided.

 

The Education Policy and Leadership Center is an independent, non-partisan and not-for-profit organization. The Mission of EPLC is to encourage and support the enactment and implementation of effective state-level education policies in order to improve student learning in grades P-12, increase the effective operation of schools, and enhance educational opportunities for citizens of all ages.

 

Quote from: Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Pain is a relatively objective, physical phenomenon; suffering is our psychological resistance to what happens. Events may create physical pain, but they do not in themselves create suffering. Resistance creates suffering. Stress happens when your mind resists what is...The only problem in your life is your mind's resistance to life as it unfolds.

Dan Millman

In Blow to Bloomberg, City Must Keep 19 Failing Schools Open

In Blow to Bloomberg, City Must Keep 19 Failing Schools Open: "Because many eighth graders assumed the schools would be closed and the Education Department discouraged them from attending the schools, few applied. Some of the schools could begin September with just a few dozen freshmen. School officials said they expected enrollment to grow with students who move into the city, but the number will still likely be far smaller than in past years."

This sounds like Peabody, a bit. The school is going to close in a year. So, why start at Peabody in the fall of 2010 only to find another school in the fall of 2011 as a sophomore?

Fw: Article on ballot access intimidation

------Original Message------
From: Henry Haller
To: Mark Rauterkus
To: Titus North
Subject: Article on ballot access intimidation
Sent: Jul 1, 2010 9:40 PM

My article on the consequences of failing a petition challenge is now posted on The Point website (www.thepointpress.com).

-- -- Henry



Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Overboard Kraus

"We elected Bruce Kraus to be our city councilman because of his promises of 'Safe, Clean and Green.' Instead, Mr. Kraus has become our neighborhood dictator and is attempting to run the place into the ground."

Taxed Enough Already

Brand new video, just out today. And, this is their first ever music video too.

Concpet Mapping in Physical Education. Bonnie did a book on it.

Concept Mapping



Applications such as Kidspiration and Inspiration, both from Inspiration, help students to clarify, conceptualize, and communicate ideas through the development of graphic organizers. The programs allow users to structure their ideas either by creating an outline or using drawing tools. Either way a graphic is created that represents a concept or information. Students can use graphic organizers to demonstrate their understanding of physical education concepts. Some of the possible assessment ideas for graphic organizers include:


1. Depicting locomotor and nonlocomotor movements.


2. Depicting the components of health-related fitness.


3. Illustrating fundamental skills used in different sports.






Four popular types of graphic organizers include spider, hierarchy, relationship map, and systems map. The spider is organized by placing the central theme in the center of the map and then adding sub-themes around it. For example, the term Health-Related Fitness is placed in the center and the components of health-related fitness are added as the sub-themes. The venn diagram depicts similarities and differences. For example, it can show a comparison between offensive and defensive strategies, or a comparison between the sports of basketball and team handball. The relationship map links two or more concepts by words that describe their relationship. For example, volleyball is to team sports as badminton is to individual sports. This helps students learn in a more meaningful manner, taking in new information and integrating it into already known facts and concepts. The last category is the comparison map. This map also depicts similarities and differences. For example comparing practice for open and closed skills.


If you are interested in more information on using concept mapping in physical education, click here.

I like different software for concept maps. My favorite is a bit older, LifeMap. But, the free (gratis) utility is from Florida. Start reading: http://cmap.ihmc.us/publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryCmaps/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.htm

Wandering

Wandering: "So I went to Ghana-Germany match."

Fw: PodCorps.org is Closing

It takes a good deal of courage to close down project. More than starting them I say.

Mark R
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Kaye <doug@rds.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:00:57
To: <mark@rauterkus.com>
Subject: PodCorps.org is Closing

_______________________________________________________________

PodCorps.org is Closing
_______________________________________________________________

Sometime in the past three years you registered on our
PodCorps.org website, a place to match producers with audio and
video stringers around the world. Nearly 1,000 stringers have
joined PodCorps.org, but the website has not achieved the kind
of critical mass required to make it a success in anyone's book.
We have therefore decided to close the PodCorps.org website as
of July 5, 2010.

The reason we failed to reach that critical mass is rather
straightforward: We are spread too thin among multiple projects
and didn't commit the resources required for PodCorps.org's
success. The Conversations Network has a very small budget and
depends entirely on volunteers. And while you and others
supported the concept by registering on the website, we were not
able to recruit a volunteer team to manage and promote
PodCorps.org.

I want to personally thank you for your participation and
support of the PodCorps.org concept. I only wish we had the
resources to fulfill our side of the bargain. The Conversations
Network's other projects (SpokenWord.org and our proprietary
podcast channels) get all of our attention and are doing quite
well, but we need to accept our limitations in order to ensure
our successful projects continue without distraction.


_______________________________________________________________

MEDIAmobz: An Introduction
_______________________________________________________________

For those of you in the video world, I want to use this
opportunity to introduce a somehwat different alternative to
PodCorps.org. We have a long standing friendship with a
for-profit company called MEDIAmobz. They have a network of
producers that provide video production services for the
business market via partners such as Business Wire and Cisco. As
PodCorps.org is closing, we thought you might want to sign up
with MEDIAmobz as a way to find video production jobs around the
world.

Dave Toole, founder and CEO of MEDIAmobz passed along this note:

"Thanks for considering joining our producer community at
MEDIAmobz. We provide you free tools to post your video reels
and links to your work to help market your capabilities to the
business market. We have provided dozens of clients turn key
video solutions for business story telling. We do not charge
clients to post jobs and only charge a small fee when they have
agreed to hire a production resource. We hope that we are able
to help provide an easier way for clients to connect with
creative resources to help them tell their story. Please have a
look around and let us know what we can do to help you in
providing your services."

MEDIAmobz:
http://newsletters.conversationsnetwork.org/rd/9z1zeh9cbig5s3v2n6h1hoaeife00c0mqh3ijr8usd0


_______________________________________________________________

Public Media Opportunities
_______________________________________________________________

For those of you interested in public radio or TV in the U.S.,
here are some additional related sites you should check out:

Public Media Corps (PMC):
http://newsletters.conversationsnetwork.org/rd/9z1zglosumugqphqecpe3ncd1t58bi7s75km1js4vn0

Public Radio Exchange (PRX.org):
http://newsletters.conversationsnetwork.org/rd/9z1z53412grbqkdefmetui4ak67b9esel6ibrtrjubo

Association of Independents in Radio (AIR):
http://newsletters.conversationsnetwork.org/rd/9z1z7r8qq20l8na2h096iv0n4f4q91hemjqahbpa9sg

Transom.org:
http://newsletters.conversationsnetwork.org/rd/9z1zde4e6uedgjbmn8q06tag2lvauhhqkvvch8ouf1o


_______________________________________________________________

Thanks for listening.

...doug

Doug Kaye, Executive Director
The Conversations Network

_______________________________________________________________

Subscription and Contact Info
_______________________________________________________________

This newsletter from The Conversations Network was sent to
mark@rauterkus.com.

Forward to a friend:
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Macy's puts Downtown building on the market

Macy's puts Downtown building on the market: "Macy's joins a growing list of buildings for sale Downtown. They include the Gateway Center complex, the Oliver Building, the Regional Enterprise Tower, the EQT Tower, and the American Red Cross building."

Put the Civic Arena on that list too. Also, PA wants to sell the State Office Building, right? The Downtown YMCA's old building went to Point Park recently too. Then there is the sale of the Ft. Pitt Museum.

Fw: DR News: Accountability & Hypocrisy, Part 2 - Today's Budget

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

---

From: Democracy Rising PA <tim@democracyrisingpa.com>

Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:15:29 -0400 (EDT)

To: <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>

Subject: DR News: Accountability & Hypocrisy, Part 2 - Today's Budget

Democracy Rising Pennsylvania

UNSUBSCRIBE HERE Accountability & Hypocrisy, Part 2 - Today's Budget Today the legislature is expected to suspend the rules and vote to approve a budget that makes deep cuts into nearly every part of state government except the place that already has a $180 million surplus – the House and Senate. What did you expect? According to a printout of the budget proposal obtained from the House Democratic Caucus: The House takes a cut of just 0.6% ($1,049,000 from a budget of $184,630,000) The Senate takes a cut of just 0.1% ($119,000 from a budget of $92,075,000) Legislative Service Agencies take a cut of just 1% ($93,000 from a budget of $9,268,000) "Legislative Miscellaneous," however, increases by 19.3% ($2,520,000 on top of a $13,053,000 budget for this year). The increase is due almost entirely to $2.4 million in new spending for the Legislative Reapportionment Commission. This commission, consisting of four legislative leaders and a fifth person of their choosing, will re-draw legislative districts in 2011, following this year's census. Ten years ago, this commission gave PA the second-most-gerrymandered legislative districts in America. Since then, lawmakers have rejected every attempt to improve upon this tawdry performance. Missed Opportunity for Savings As the 28th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury revealed, the legislature easily could reduce its budget by at least a$60 million through staff cuts and streamlined operations. Click here  for the May 25 edition of DR News. The Surplus In fact, with such small cuts to their operations, the House and Senate are on track to increase their surplus from $180 million to more than $200 million by this time next year if they enact any significant reforms recommended by the 28th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury (below). That's what they did last year, when they over-budgeted for themselves so that they could restore $67 million of the $87 million they spent during the budget impasse. In other words, rather than spending down their surplus, they added to it. And so it continues this year. Click here  for an edition of DR News about that. The Budget Process No one can be surprised that lawmakers waited until the last possible minute to negotiate the budget and now will suspend the rules to pass it before citizens can object to the most profligate legislature in America feathering their own nests again while others suffer. In part, this is because the budget process doesn't apply to them. Each year after the governor presents a proposed budget, lawmakers hold public hearings where cabinet officers and others must defend their budget requests, line item by line item. But there never is a time in the budget process when lawmakers have to discuss and justify their own budgets to the public. Questions Why do voters allow the legislature continue to hoard at least $180 million while cutting programs that benefit citizens? Why doesn't the budget of the legislature have to undergo the same scrutiny applied to state agencies in the executive branch? What do gubernatorial candidates Tom Corbett and Dan Onorato think of this display of fiscal arrogance and hypocrisy? Will they make budget reform a key part of their campaigns and service in office?   Please support DR's work with a tax-deductible contribution. Click here  to donate online or find our mailing address. Thanks! Democracy Rising Pennsylvania abides by strict NO-SPAM rules. Please read our Privacy Policy for more details. We can be reached at: P.O. Box 618, Carlisle, PA 17013  © Democracy Rising Pennsylvania 2001-2010. All Rights Reserved. Powered by the Action Potential Nonprofit Web Toolkit

PA, you break my heart. Stroke, stroke, stroke.

Regular Session 2009-2010 House Bill 816 P.N. 3316 : "Establishing State funding for the Heart Disease and Stroke Program within the Department of Health."

Starting to figure out the local bike race scene

Erik rode in the Tuesday night bike race at the oval tonight with the Juniors and Women's race. He got 22nd in a field of 31. But, he was only 7 seconds behind the winner. He was wise and didn't sprint at the end. He didn't even shift in the entire race. He was on my bike and at the start line was asking for the seat to be lowered. He left the race with all his skin -- and for that I'm very happy.

There is more. One toe clip was never made tight, blah, blah, blah.

He did great.

In a season, he could own that race.

We have to upgrade our equipment. Only one of our bikes has drop bars and Grant's bike isn't legal with its staight and forward part extension.

I've got to get in shape and ride too.

Cassidy: Linux could ease schools' tech crunch - San Jose Mercury News

I wish PPS would use Linux. I think it is absurd that the Sci Tech School does not use Linux.

Cassidy: Linux could ease schools' tech crunch - San Jose Mercury News... The answer for local schools facing daunting technology challenges lies with the penguins.
You know, penguins — those who worship free and open-source software, including Linux and the operating system's mascot, a penguin named Tux.
I've been hearing from the penguins since I wrote recently that if Silicon Valley CEOs want the state to improve K-12 education, then they should take a bigger role in helping those schools deploy classroom technology from this century.

Furthermore, everyone should be using OpenOffice.org software and tossing out Microsoft Office.
Here we go!

Fw: WAIVE THE JONES ACT -- SAVE THE GULF! Go Dutch!

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: "Tom Schatz, President, CAGW" <cagwpresident@cagw.org>
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:17:22
To: <mark@rauterkus.com>
Reply-To: "Tom Schatz, President, CAGW" <cagwpresident@cagw.org>
Subject: WAIVE THE JONES ACT -- SAVE THE GULF!

Citizens Against Government Waste


Dear Mark,

President Obama is refusing to allow the use
of state-of-the-art equipment that could dramatically help clean up
the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and save the fragile Gulf Coast
marshlands and beaches.

I need your help today to force him to
act. Let me explain.

Within days of the explosion on BP's
Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, the Dutch, who have
worked in Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina, offered the services of
their high-tech oil skimming ships. The Dutch government has
particular expertise in cleaning up oil spills,and they require
oil rigs off their coast to respond to any leakage within 12 hours.

In addition, the Dutch, who are the most
experienced people on earth in building dikes, offered President Obama
assistance in building sand barriers to protect the pristine Gulf
coastline, sensitive marshlands, and wildlife.

However, in response to both offers,
President Obama said NO!

Why would he say no? Because it would
require him to waive the Jones Act.

The Jones Act is a 1920s-era law that
protects the U.S. domestic merchant marine industry -- and its unions
-- from competition by mandating that all cargo and passengers shipped
between U.S. seaports be carried on U.S.-flag vessels using U.S.
crews. Even without the spill, this protectionist measure costs
our economy an estimated $3.1 billion per year.

If President Obama would waive the Jones Act,
as President Bush did in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, millions
of gallons of oil and sludge could be swept from the sea and miles of
beaches and marshlands and their birds and fish could be protected,
ultimately helping preserve commerce and American jobs along the Gulf
Coast.

Yet, back in April when the spill occurred
and again on June 15 when President Obama delivered his Oval Office
address to the nation on the oil spill, he bowed to the wishes of his
union supporters and refused to even consider issuing an Executive
Order to suspend the Jones Act. Instead, the President exploited
the disaster to once again push for his job-killing cap-and-trade
energy tax that would devastate the economy and do NOTHING to solve
the immediate crisis in the Gulf.

In short, President Obama andBig
Labor's union bosses care more about protecting a few union maritime
jobs than the environment or the millions of Americans who are losing
their economic livelihoods due to this environmental disaster.

So the Gulf, its residents, environment, and
wildlife continue to suffer while President Obama cozies up in
Washington with his union boss buddies!

Mark, CAGW is launching a
national effort to shame the President into waiving the Jones Act to
dramatically accelerate the Gulf clean-up efforts, and I need to ask
you to make an Emergency Waive the Jones Act -- Save the Gulf
contribution to support this drive today

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=rTKtknMXY4y8mQkJQduO5w..

.

I believe if hundreds of newspapers and radio
and television stations start running stories about how President
Obama is more concerned with protecting labor unions than he is with
preserving the environment and livelihoods of those living along the
Gulf, the pressure to waive the Jones Act will become
overwhelming.

Your contribution of $25

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=sxTEH8QOwaLz_nwecZOiGA..

, $35,

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=i5mJBNxE6Qn-GXfgJtJmvg..

$50

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=YhjOc1OvX15ISLxJasarIQ..

, or even$100

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=kYvjMXhNblgSAjTGJg80uA..

today will enable us to feed the facts and figures to the media
about how waiving the Jones Act can dramatically help clean up the
Gulf. For example, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen has stated
that more than 2,000 skimmers, including foreign-flag vessels,
are currently operating off the coasts of the United States and
could be used in the Gulf, yet Florida officials have reported that
just 32 skimmers are deployed off their coastline.

Further, your financial support will help us
publicize how President Obama is not doing all he can to help the
residents of the Gulf Coast and is putting the interests of his union
supporters first.

Mark, last week, millions of
more gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico after an undersea
robot bumped a venting system and forced BP to remove a cap that had
been containing some of the crude. Still, President Obama never
once mentioned waiving the Jones Act!

Your contribution is vital if we are to
generate media interest and build the overwhelming public outcry
necessary to force the President to buck his union supporters and
waive the Jones Act. So please, make an Emergency Waive the
Jones Act -- Save the Gulf contribution today

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=HvBZlGN_MasUj0thcSUbxw..

. With your help, we can win this all-out battle to save the
Gulf Coast. But the clock is ticking, the oil is flowing, and I
need to hear from you today.

Sincerely,

Thomas A. Schatz
President

P.S. Mark, CAGW is not the only
critic of President Obama's failure to waive the Jones
Act. A number of Gulf Coast lawmakers have publicly called for a
waiver, and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin recently told FOX
News' Bill O'Reilly: "The Dutch, they are
known, and the Norwegians, they are known for...dikes and for
cleanup water and for dealing with spills. They offered to help
and yet no, they...can't even get a phone call back, that is what
the Norwegians are telling us and the Dutch are telling us." To
generate massive media coverage and rally the millions of Americans it
will take to overcome the powerful unionsand force President
Obama to waive the Jones Act, I urge you to make an Emergency Waive
the Jones Act -- Save the Gulf contribution

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=kBwmgB_9ij_cA07Gln5WzQ..

of $25

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=Blrajc9vLnVZjgBP2cOG_w..

, $35,

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=2QYQjTavUy-4SxZwCyaUxA..

$50

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=uDuoEEkTA2Zwu32Pih9cAA..

, or even$100

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=KxOoL-cCdhA5LVVeJ-nmVA..

today.

***
Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation's largest taxpayer
watchdog group with more than one million members and supporters
nationwide. It is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit
organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and
mismanagement in government. Contributions to CAGW are
tax-deductible as charitable contributions to the extent permitted by
law. For more information about CAGW, visit our website at
www.cagw.org
http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=9LOao8Vuf7ivJokv2i8I3Q..

. Makea contribution to help us force President Obama to
waive the Jones Act!

http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=gdDvHmQVF9PVpQGma1dCiA..

Please helpus spread the word about how suspending the Jones Act
could help clean up the oil spill in the Gulf and get residents that
depend on the Gulf back to work.Forward this message to a
friend.
http://membership.cagw.org/site/R?i=6nhQKeq6wfnksJPdfEhCtw..




Unsubscribe from receiving email, or change your email preferences.
http://membership.cagw.org/site/CO?i=Zqh3AcyO_3LV7J3sK8gOd3gK3Op1D3Ul&cid=0

Bicycle Sizing for Mark Rauterkus

Inseam: 83.8cm 33.0"

Shoe: 10.5

Torso: 154.9 cm, 61.0"

Arm: 60.9cm 24.0"

Category: Mountain Bike Sport

Frame Size: 78.1cm or 30.7"

Top Tube: 58.0cm or 22.8"

Stem: 105.0mm - 130.0mm

Intial seat height: 34.6" - 35.4"

Yes! Barbie is a Libertarian?

Is Barbie a Libertarian?

Where do I sign up? I want to be a member of "The BEST Party."

Inspired political video.

The Saturday Profile - Icelander’s Campaign Is a Joke, Until He’s Elected - Biography - NYTimes.com: "Last month, in the depressed aftermath of the country’s financial collapse, the Best Party emerged as the biggest winner in Reykjavik’s elections, with 34.7 percent of the vote, and Mr. Gnarr — who also promised a classroom of kindergartners he would build a Disneyland at the airport — is now the fourth mayor in four years of a city that is home to more than a third of the island’s 320,000 people."

Do watch the video to the end and read the full article.

The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : U.S. Soccer: Technically Czar-Free, and Winning

The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : U.S. Soccer: Technically Czar-Free, and Winning: "Here's something I didn't realize in '06: some countries really do have soccer czars. Not just the Chinas of the world, either, but free and soccer-crazed countries. For instance, while reading this New York Times article about France's World Cup experience devolving into nation-wide racial discord (really), I was surprised to learn that France has a 'Sports Minister' and a 'junior sports minister,' both of whom Sarkozy called on the carpet and ordered 'to rapidly learn the lessons of this disaster' after France's ignominious World Cup exit."

This is very funny to me. Just look back at the success with Team USA in the recent winter Olympics in Canada. The USA leadership has been in storm after storm in the past years. There has been a merry-go-round with USA's top leadership -- and -- the team thrived in terms of medals and overall victories.

We don't need any czars in America. They don't work, generally.

Post-Gazette NOW - Polls - single gender school question

Post-Gazette NOW - Polls

Q: Do you think single gender schools will be good or bad for students?

I voted EXCELLENT, but, and that should be a much bigger but, ... the students must want to attend a single gender school. Then it would be and is and will be 'excellent.' Otherwise, not so much.

And, I'm not very fond of the idea for anything other than high school and college as an option. Not in middle school nor grade school.

Do you think single-gender schools will be good or bad for students?
Category: Education
Voting began on 6/25/2010
Voting ends on 6/27/2010

A.Excellent idea - 122 (37%) B.Maybe a good idea - 70 (21%) C.Neither good nor bad - 15 (4%) D.Definitely a bad idea - 116 (35%) E.I'm not sure - 11 (3%)334 Respondents

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/polls/Default.asp#ixzz0rtkG55aL

Pittsburgh 48 Hour Film Project is right around the corner!

On Aug. 13, 2010 through Aug. 15, 2010, you can join hundreds of filmmakers and make a movie in 48 hours! That’s right… write, shoot, edit and score a short film in 48 hours. Then see it premiered up on the big screen! Registration will begin at 12:01 am on Tuesday June 29, 2010.

The 48 Hour Film Project is going to eighty cities spanning all six continents this year. Which one of you will make the best short film to represent Pittsburgh against teams from around the world vying for the title of "The Best 48 Hour Film of 2010"?

We hope to see you in the cinema!

Best,

Kahmeela Adams
Nina Gibbs

Pittsburgh@48hourfilm.com
Pittsburgh Producers
48 Hour Film Project
http://www.48hourfilm.com/pittsburgh

Education Week: NCAA Proposes End to Early Scholarship Offers

Education Week: NCAA Proposes End to Early Scholarship Offers: "Prep players may have to wait a little longer to start accepting scholarship offers.

An NCAA committee announced Thursday that it will back a proposal to prohibit making scholarships offers to recruits before July 1 in the summer between their junior and senior years in high school. If passed, it would apply to all sports.
Coaches also would have to receive high school transcripts documenting at least five semesters or seven quarters worth of academic work for a young recruit before they can offer a scholarship.

It is the first recommendation to come out of the Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Issues Cabinet, which is reviewing recruiting conduct. Committee chair Petrina Long acknowledged it would be a difficult rule for school compliance officers to monitor."

Sounds right. If the NCAA can make more trouble for the student athletes then it will.

I think it makes more sense to have the rules have a stipulation that gives a little peace of mind to the student-athletes and their families as soon as possible. These are the same athletes that are about to be exploited for the next seasons of their lives. A bit of peace in that realm, while they are still in high school, makes perfect sense to me. So, the NCAA nixes that.

Appeals court rejects challenge to city's lost-gun law

Appeals court rejects challenge to city's lost-gun law State Commonwealth Court today affirmed a ruling that dismissed a lawsuit challenging Pittsburgh's lost and stolen gun law, deciding that the National Rifle Association and four individual plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to bring the case.

If a person does not have the legal standing to challenge a law in court, then I guess that that law has no standing to apply to any individual.

You all are invited!

Open Invite: 4th of July and our annual party. Celebrate the passing of the 10,000 milestone in blog postings!

6pm Badminton in the park by our house (12th n Sarah St). There's also room for Ultimate Frisbee. Plus swings, etc. If you don't want to play in the park, plan to show up at the house (108 S. 12th Street) any time after 7pm.

We'll have the usual arts and crafts and some "water" games.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

How is that REGISTRY for gay couples in the city of Pittsburgh doing, really?

Bruce Kraus was keen to start a registry for gay couples in Pittsburgh a while ago. He had helpers in city hall. It began. How about an update?

I didn't think it made sense to start such a registry for a few reasons. It is an expansion of government. It is not really governement's business. The best benefit was to save a family of 4 some money on city swim pool passes. It would save them $300 over a ten year period.

Nazi Germany used records to hand out yellow, six pointed stars and pink triangles. I'd rather not have those source documents.

I had heard that the registry one year after being formed had six couples listed. But, that's not confirmed, just hear-say. So, I wonder.

Councilman wants audit of fund tapped for parking study

Sherlock!

Councilman wants audit of fund tapped for parking study: "Council found the $250,000 in old capital accounts dating to the 1990s. The ICA and Mr. Burgess want to know why the money was just sitting around, what its proper use would be and whether other pots of unused money exist."

Dude, be sure to look in the laundry basket of Doug Shields too.