Sunday, March 03, 2013
Fwd: [wplug] Hacks and Hackers
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elwin Green
Date: Saturday, March 2, 2013
Subject: [wplug] Hacks and Hackers
To: wplug@wplug.org
Hi,
Long-time, long-absent WPLUG'er here. I am writing to introduce you to
Hacks and Hackers. Who are they? Their website
says<http://hackshackers.com/about/>
:
"Hacks/Hackers is a rapidly expanding international grassroots journalism
organization with dozens of chapters (and counting) and thousands of
members across four continents (and counting). Our mission is to create a
network of journalists ("hacks") and technologists ("hackers") who rethink
the future of news and information."
As a hack (former reporter for the Post-Gazette, now running my own
community news website) with a strong interest in hackery, and especially
the possibilities of hacking journalism, I would like join with a hacker or
two to start a Hacks/Hackers chapter in Pittsburgh.
If interested, please drop me a line. Thanks!
Elwin Green
Publisher, Homewood Nation <http://www.homewoodnation.com/>
Twitter: @homewoodnation
Facebook: Homewood Nation <http://www.facebook.com/homewoodnation>
Personal blog: ReVisions: Bekitemba's GUT<http://bekitembasgut.blogspot.com/>
Personal Twitter: @elwin15208
_______________________________________________
wplug mailing list
wplug@wplug.org
http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug
--
--
Ta.
Mark Rauterkus Mark.Rauterkus@gmail.com
PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim and Water Polo Camp Head Coach
Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team
http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com
http://FixPA.wikia.com
http://CLOH.wikia.com
412 298 3432 = cell
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Fwd: PaYouthandGov just uploaded a video
From: "YouTube" <noreply@youtube.com>
Date: Mar 2, 2013 3:13 PM
Subject: PaYouthandGov just uploaded a video
To: "Mark Rauterkus" <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>
Cc:
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Swim PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY STATEMENT seems harsh.
AMS PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY STATEMENT |
THE FOLLOWING REVISIONS TO THE AMS PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY STATEMENT ARE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY....
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Youth Governor in Butler for motivational speech to youth. Be big.
From: "YouTube" <noreply@youtube.com>
Date: Mar 2, 2013 11:31 AM
Subject: PaYouthandGov just uploaded a video
To: "Mark Rauterkus" <mark.rauterkus@gmail.com>
Cc:
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Fwd: Enter the 2013 Lights On Afterschool poster contest!
From: Afterschool Alliance <Afterschool_Alliance@mail.vresp.com>
Date: Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 12:01 PM
Subject: Enter the 2013 Lights On Afterschool poster contest!
To: mark@rauterkus.com
The 2013 Lights On Afterschool poster contest is now officially underway! The winning poster could come from YOUR program—but only if you enter! Each October, 1 million Americans and thousands of communities nationwide celebrate Lights On Afterschool to shine a light on the afterschool programs that keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families. Last year, more than one million people gathered at more than 9,000 sites across the country and at U.S. military bases worldwide to participate in the only nationwide rally for afterschool programs. Encourage all of your program participants to submit artwork that celebrates afterschool programs and conveys the importance of keeping the lights on afterschool. The winning poster design will be printed on tens of thousands of posters sent to Lights On Afterschool celebrations across the country, not to mention that the winning artist will be featured on our website, blog and Afterschool Storybook! This contest is a great opportunity for an afterschool program to gain national recognition for the great enrichment opportunities it offers, since the young artist's program will be credited on the poster, too! The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2013. Click here for contest details and submission guidelines. Keep in mind that the winning artwork will be scanned to become a digital image, so avoid using textures or raised materials. We love bright colors that jump off the poster, so materials that won't smear or rub off—like markers, paint and pens—often work better than crayons, watercolors or chalk (or why not try your hand at some digital art?). The artwork or design should generally promote or convey afterschool or Lights On Afterschool. Abstract or realistic drawings are welcome. Some examples of ideas might be:
We're already excited about the 14th annual Lights On Afterschool on Oct. 17, 2013, and can't wait to see what our afterschool artists come up with to help us celebrate! Afterschool Alliance
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Fwd: New Dawn, New Possibilities. Pledge for Stretch
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Speaking to PPS Board about UNDEFEATED
My talk. Stay tuned for my comments.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Fwd: Schenley/ Call to action
From: "Concerned Citizens" <mail@change.org>
Date: Feb 22, 2013 3:45 PM
Subject: Schenley/ Call to action
To: <mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:
CALL TO ACTION!
It is not over- really! But an affirmation of continued support for Schenley as a school is key.
We need 100 people to come to Monday's public hearing beginning at 6:00 pm at the Board of Education Building on Bellefield (near Forbes Avenue). Wear black and red and support those speaking in favor of Schenley as a school and/ or speak yourself (call (412) 622-3868 before Monday at 12:00 to sign up). Do not leave it to others- it's now or never. Email to schenleyschenley@gmail.com to let us know you will be there.
If you would like to speak, points to cover may include:
Equity
It is easy to say not to spend money on a building, but other city HS buildings have windows and do not require middle and HS students to share one set of athletic facilities.
Board members representing the relevant area of the East End support this facility.
An actual cost/benefit analysis is needed
Cutting air conditioning and the extra electrical capacity it requires would cut many millions of dollars from the estimate and reduce energy consumption. Other nonessential items may also be cut. East End families need the opportunity to offer input and prioritize.
How much will it cost to make comparable like new renovations at Peabody- all new systems, all new doors, all new finishes, acoustic tiles, etc. especially given the "building within a building" structure that was created when Peabody was bricked over; what is the cost of adding windows?
What is the cost of providing equitable athletic facilities to Hill students?
To what extent has the loss of Schenley increased charter enrollment, and what is the yearly cost of charter tuition for students who would have otherwise chosen Schenley?
What are the benefits to the city and the district of the educational offerings by some of the bidders (there were no educators on the sales agent's panel, limiting the usefulness of its recommendation).
Logic- it makes no sense that conversion to a totally different use would cost half as much as keeping the building a school. A requirement to use separate contractors might add a few percentage points to the cost of the project, maybe even 5%, but not 80%+.
How has the closing of Schenley affected achievement of students in affected neighborhoods?
Strong schools/ strong city
The school building is the first thing a family considering PPS or a transfer to Pittsburgh sees; if they don't like what they see their inquiry may stop right there. The building is a visible sign of a city's commitment to its schools. We need options that will attract families.
Schenley was the only high school with 100% enrollment and has a proven ability to attract students.
Upcoming changes in the Board
Many Board members do not plan to return. The next board is the one that will have to deal with the consequences of this decision so why not leave it to them. For example, where would students go while Peabody is renovated?
With building closed almost 5 years, what is the rush to sell now rather than waiting for input of new Board members in a matter of months?
The building is not well suited for housing
There is a very real concern it will be used as student housing, which is not a good fit for the neighborhood.
Due to large hallways and common spaces the building is not a strong candidate for residential use.
From an environmental point of view the existing use is best.
PLEASE COME OUT ON MONDAY EVENING- IT IS AN HONOR TO FIGHT FOR SCHENLEY
This message is from Concerned Citizens who started the petition "Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Directors: Investigate if important information about Schenley was withheld at the time of closing ," which you signed on Change.org.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Fwd: An Exciting Announcement
Approve. Keep the Ron Morris legacy alive
From: "Raja" <raja@joinraja.com>
Date: Feb 22, 2013 3:27 PM
Subject: An Exciting Announcement
To: <Mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:
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Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Fwd: [New post] PPS: Planning a Privatization Scheme?
From: "Yinzercation" <comment-reply@wordpress.com>
Date: Feb 20, 2013 3:46 PM
Subject: [New post] PPS: Planning a Privatization Scheme?
To: <mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:
YinzerThing posted: "Around here, the acronym PPS usually means "Pittsburgh Public Schools," but now it might mean "Planning a Privatization Scheme." The district has hired two consulting companies to help it craft an education plan that addresses equity issues for students a"
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Sunday, February 17, 2013
Program at the Mt. Lebanon Library: The History and Impact of Financial Power – 1868 to 2008
Free Program Series at the Mt. Lebanon Library
A facilitated program series planned and moderated by John Hemington, on The History and Impact of Financial Power –1868 to 2008, will be held at the Mt. Lebanon Library. It will examine, evaluate and draw conclusions from the historical, political and economic roots of both the Great Depression and the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 (GFC). We will try to determine whether the same processes, problems and ideas which led to the Great Depression are related to the events which triggered the GFC. We will also critique the contribution of mainstream economic ideas, models and policies and whether they may have contributed to the ongoing turmoil in the world’s economies today and what this bodes for the future?
The group will meet twice a month to discuss readings from the three books and the cumulative issues raised by these readings. The program will last for a year, beginning on the first Tuesday of March, the 5th, from 7:00 p.m. until 8:45 p.m. and subsequent 1st Tuesdays (except for July which will be the 9th). The 2nd monthly meeting day will be determined at the initial meeting. The program is free but will involve a commitment of time and a willingness to read the three books over the course of the year – listed below – on which the program is based. Clearly, not everyone will be able to attend every session, but a good faith effort should be made to attend as many as possible and to read the material assigned.
Even for those with a good background in history this should be a fresh and revealing experience. Our goal is to demonstrate conclusively that there is not just one history connecting events over time, but perhaps as many different histories as there are historians; and that critical study and evaluation is required to come to meaningful conclusions. Participants will be encouraged to carefully evaluate the facts behind issues before arriving at judgments about the nature of current events. There is no interest in furthering any particular political agenda, view or ideology in this program, therefore, three non-mainstream – but highly credible – authors have been selected for the core reading material. Because the material is primarily historical and minimally technical any reasonable literate individual should be able to participate fully. The discussions will be moderated to minimize argumentative speeches and debates. The idea is for conclusions to be focused on the factual substance covered in the materials – not on personal political or cultural prejudices. An extensive list of optional readings will be provided.
Carroll Quigley, whose book Tragedy and Hope is central to this project, is one of the very few historians whose studies focused on the activities and operations of the world’s “power elite” in the twentieth century and is reputed to have been the only historian ever given unfettered access to the Archives of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Rockefeller Archives. Prior to his death in 1977 Quigley taught at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where one of his students was Bill Clinton. Earlier in his career he taught at both Princeton and Harvard.
Reading Material
Tragedy and Hope – A History of the World in Our Time (1966), by Carroll Quigley (through page 1083)
The Gods of Money – Wall Street and the Death of the American Century (2009), by F. William Engdahl
Debunking Economics – The Naked Emperor Dethroned (Revised Edition, 2011), by Prof. Steve Keen
If Interested Contact John Hemington at: jehemington -at- verizon -dot- net or show up at the initial meeting.
“We were taught by Dr. Quigley that mankind's greatest tragedies were the consequence of man’s adherence to mistaken or outmoded ideas. The most pernicious of these false ideas are the belief in the perfection of knowledge and that the truth is ours to possess. The belief in the infallibility of human knowledge destroyed classical civilization and threatens to destroy our own. It was faith in the false god of perfect knowledge that led to the silencing of Galileo by the Inquisition, the Reign of Terror in France, the slaughter of a whole generation at the River Somme and the burning of Wilhelm Reich’s books by the U.S. government. It was this same sort of intellectual intransigence that deluded our leaders into believing that strategic bombing could crush the Vietnamese Revolution and has led our civilization closer and closer to ecological disaster.”
William Erickson (Georgetown SFS ‘75)