This is what a real Twitter presence looks like (creative work gets ABC’ed). Just in case anyone was interested in, say, bringing Google a message about Greensboro, you should know that Twitter is a free global option. (It appears our mayor is MIA – where’s the “fresh leadership” he self-lauds?)
What city leadership can look like
This is what it looks like when a city’s mayor is on board:
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka’s mayor says the city shall temporarily be referred to as “Google, Kansas — the capital city of fiber optics,” in an effort to persuade the Internet giant to test an ultra-fast connection in the state capital.
Mayor Bill Bunten issued the proclamation Monday after no city council members objected to the monthlong change.
Bunten says the proclamation is mainly for fun, but that he hopes it will set Topeka apart from other cities vying for Google’s fiber optics experiment, including Grand Rapids, Mich., and Baton Rouge, La. [Question: do you see "Greensboro" in this list? No?]
Never-ending story
I guess I was wrong. There truly is a never-ending story.
What is with these people?
RICHMOND – State Delegate Bob Marshall of Manassas says disabled children are God’s punishment to women who have aborted their first pregnancy. The money quote from possibly the stupidest pol today:
“The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children,” said Marshall, a Republican.
I believe this WGHP story is missing an important word that I added in bold. (What’s with “deity-specific?”)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Supporters of sectarian prayer before public meetings are expected to turn out in droves for tonight’s Forsyth County Board of Commissioners meeting at which the board plans to vote on whether to appeal a judge’s ruling that bans deity-specific prayer before meetings.
“At the heart of this issue is religious liberty. What we have is a situation where a federal court has now instructed a clergy how to pray,” said Dr. Steve Corts with the partnership. “As soon as the court begins to tell us how to pray our faith, it won’t be too long before they are telling us how to practice and think our faith. It’s a dangerous, dangerous precedent. That’s why people are so worked up.”
The issue isn’t religious liberty, Dr. Corts, and you’re being disingenuous for stating otherwise. Anyone can pray at any time to whomever she or he wishes – THAT is religious liberty and be darned glad you have it. The issue in this matter is prayer in the name of Jesus Christ to regularly open government meetings. I think prayer is fine and dandy and have been known to do it myself at times. But the up-in-arms folks are missing the very large point and Dr. Corts in ensuring that they continue to do so. Shame on him.
Cesar Millan’s Daddy passes away
Daddy passed away. If you’re a Dog Whisperer fan, it’s sad news. His life gives new meaning to “a dog’s life.”
He lived each day of those sixteen years happy and fulfilled as Cesar’s right-hand-”man,” helping to shape the behavior of entire generations of dogs by showing them the way to balance. He stood as champion for calm-submissive pit bulls everywhere, and was instrumental in helping to repair their image as violent, savage, uncontrollable beasts. He successfully battled cancer and weathered chemotherapy, and even got the opportunity to present at the 56th Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards!
New addition to the family
They delivered the furniture piece today (twice, the first time the top piece door was broken). I immediately checked another item off my list and cleaned out the bulging office supply closet and started secreting everything I need in a handy and attractive location. It’s amazing what you can find when you clean out a closet (and realize what you just bought duplicates what you already had). I think I’m downsizing, mostly crap. (Note to Kid #1: see red item in top left glass cabinet? It goes everywhere I go.) Baseball goodies behind right glass door and Martin Buber’s photo, way top left, is a perma-fixture in my office.
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| Being assembled | First step at filling it; anticipate changes | Seeing somewhat bare closet shelves! |
De-scarring
I’ve got a hubby-do list on which one big one was checked off today. With a can of perfectly matched paint, hubby touched up all scars in the foyer, back hallway, old Hanukkah decoration tape marks and several doors (mostly doorframes) today. Bittersweet: a lot of the doorjamb injuries were caused by my mother’s (z”l) wheelchair. They were scars but they were memories. However, Kid #1’s bedroom door disaster (furniture in, furniture out, just growing a teenager) are now all gone. My day consisted of, “Here.” Then, “Here.” And a few more, “Here and here,” and just for good measure, I put my glasses on.
Platforming
Summary of the CPAC-Republican “winning” platform that is probably good for Republicans because, well, everything is, isn’t it? The best thing they can do is actually run on this platform.
- Eliminate Medicare
- Privatize social security
- Hate gays and call them names and get into shouting matches with gay members of your own party
- Make jokes about the domestic terrorist plane-into-building murderous attempt
- Support US torturing prisoners and shout down anyone who says otherwise (even if he’s in your own party)
- Disparage science and create facts that fit your reality – humans & dinosaurs were friends so rewrite the textbooks because we’ve all seen the Flintstones so it must be true
- Create your own science and make up “facts” like, “It’s cold where I live so climate change is wrong and it’s Al Gore’s fault”
- Compare President Obama (who dates his wife) to Tiger Woods and call for his impeachment over ‘policy issues’
- Call for revolution against the United States of America
- Support groups that threaten America
Jail time
A bit of a discrepancy in outcome, no?
Ex-New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik was sentenced to 48 months in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to charges of lying to Bush administration officials who vetted his unsuccessful 2004 nomination for homeland security secretary.
Nearly 180 Department of Homeland Security weapons were lost — some falling into the hands of criminals — after officers left them in restrooms, vehicles and other public places, according to an inspector general report. [..] But 74 percent, or 179 guns, were lost “because officers did not properly secure them,” the report said.
Team Prion
TechTriad is a proud sponsor of Team Prion, the Grimsley High School Robotics Team, part of the NASA-sponsored global competition. Watch the robot in action here.
Losing a thousand
Been looking for office furniture for months (too many snowy Saturdays have interfered). Finally got to Colfax Furniture last weekend and chose a piece that would have been perfect and they were having a special/sale. The piece I chose cost $975 and their special was that if you spent $1,000, then you got free delivery (worth $95) and $100 off. So I offered to buy it with the special and asked them to just ignore the $25. I figured that in this economy, they’d rather have the money.
Not so. They refused and I walked out. Whatsamatta with people?
Tax Dollars at Work
Sent to me by a friend:
House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr. , R-Norwalk, pictured standing, far right, speaks while colleagues Rep. Barbara Lambert, D-Milford and Rep. Jack F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, play solitaire Monday night as the House convened to vote on a new budget.
The guy sitting in the row in front of these two…. he’s on Facebook, and the guy behind Hennessy is checking out the baseball scores.
These are the folks that couldn’t get the budget out by Oct. 1, and are about to control your health care, cap and trade.
Take a breath
All this agonizing and charge-spewing over a group getting together to try to put together a proposal for the Google FiberFi. Slow down and take a breath, please. There’s a chasm of difference between “secret” and “getting organized.” There is work to be done before specifics can be shared (especially when the “specifics” aren’t specific yet.) I know very little more than I’ve already posted.
I did not organize this group; I’ve done a lot of volunteer civic stuff related to Internet downtown and, oh yeah, that almost annual ConvergeSouth conference. So I have no argument about asking me (among others) if I’d like to help (but I’m biased). I’ve encouraged the group to provide more information but please realize that group-organizing is not a warp-speed event and some Internet users believe sometimes that things should be online within minutes of thinking about them. I’m hoping for more sunlight today or at the worst, Monday.
It’s not a state
Lots of people are questioning why Washington, DC, is having so many street clearing issues while Philadelphia, which gets a little more annual snow is up and running even after the same big storms. One big reason is that Philly gets help from other PA counties while DC, which is not a state, does not. The DC budget is Congress-controlled and we know what that means. The Metro, on the other hand, is just a mess. Of course, it was built without a connection to the biggest airport around, so what should we expect?







