Recycling theft ordinance

While on my morning walk this past Friday I was crossing Glascock at Brookside when I noticed a blue pickup truck pull past me. I’d seen this truck the week before and suspected it was involved in some suspicious activity, so I stopped to watch what it did. From across the street I watched as a man hopped out of the truck, crossed the street, and began rummaging through the neighbor’s recycling bin, fishing out the aluminum cans. It wasn’t the suspicious activity I’d thought it was but noted the license plate anyway and continued walking.

I took the kids to school by car that morning and when I returned to the neighborhood I was amazed to see yet another man in a pickup truck, rummaging through a neighbor’s recycling bin. This wasn’t a case of some homeless guy collecting a few cans to get by, this looked like an entire team was out to steal the cans people had put out for the city.
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Karl Hess backlash

Still reeling from its loss to Duke Thursday, N.C. State came out flat against the Seminoles yesterday and lost 76-62. That wasn’t especially surprising, but what was surprising was referee Karl Hess tossing two fans from the game with 6 minutes left. The fans, former N.C. State basketball legends Chris Corchiani and Tom Gugliotta, admitted to jawing at Hess but never threatened him nor used profanity. Hess tossed them anyway and gave no explanation.

N.C. State Athletic Director Debbie Yow announced today that Corchiani and Gugliotta, along with the rest of the 1989 ACC title team, will be honored at Tuesday’s game against UNC. I think it’s great that the university is sending the message that these two ACC legends are always welcome at the Wolfpack’s home court.

As for Hess, needless to say Hess won’t soon live this down, no matter what arena he next appears in.

End of the week relief

It’s been a challenging week for me, with work issues heating up, two city board retreats I’m having to plan, yesterday evening’s Parks board meeting, early release day from school for the kids, and helping coach the kids’ basketball teams.

When I was feeling down yesterday, I was cheered for a bit by N.C. State’s success against Duke during their visit to Cameron Indoor Stadium but they couldn’t protect their 20 point lead in the second half and wound up losing by 5. I went to bed anxious.

Work went better for me today, the kids kept themselves busy during Early Release, and I got to help coach Hallie’s basketball team tonight. Unfortunately, our team lost by two points in a tough-fought game. Rather than hang our heads, though, we went out for a very fun dinner with our friends Joe and Toddi.

Tomorrow morning I spend four hours facilitating the RCAC retreat. Then less than half an hour later, I’m off to Chavis Park for the carousel building groundbreaking. Then, as soon as that’s done, I’m off to Travis’s basketball game. Once that’s done, I fly solo with the kids again while Kelly goes to a PTA planning meeting.

Good grief, life is busy lately.

Shame on Thom Tillis

NC House Speaker Thom Tillis kicks the people out of the second floor of the North Carolina General Assembly but lets his buddies from the Big Telco Mafia continue to hang out and buy votes. What’s he afraid of? That folks will see how Tillis is selling off our future to whichever corporation is the highest bidder?

Thom Tillis should be ashamed of himself. Is it any wonder the public takes such a dim view of our state legislators as a whole?

The protesters entered the building, forfeiting signs larger than 25 square inches, per the rules, and climbed the stairs to the second floor where they quietly lined the hallway from the speaker’s office to the House chamber. They said they wanted to make their presence known after few people witnessed last month’s impromptu late-night session.

Police greeted them on the second floor and cited the rule adopted Nov. 18, 1987, by the Legislative Services Commission, a now-defunct body. (The rule’s purpose is "to make visitors feel welcome and at the same time make it possible for the General Assembly to function effectively.")

Adam Sotak, the demonstration’s organizer, appeared baffled. "I’ve been coming here since 2000. I have never been told I can’t walk around the second floor," he told the police officer.

A group of suited men with Time Warner Cable badges clustered in front of Tillis’ door moments before the crowd arrived.

via Little-known House rule limits access to chamber – State – NewsObserver.com.

Game over for Raleigh software startups?

I thought this recent Triangle Tech Talk column by Chris Heivly was interesting until I got to this part (emphasis mine):

So what’s my point and where do we go from here? First, notice that we refer to this as Triangle Tech Talk and Triangle StartUp Factory. We support the entire area and we will support any initiative to help Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cary and other local communities embrace entrepreneurship. But not around software companies. Let’s support each community to identify their industry niche. Let’s rally companies in that niche to build a critical mass in a neighborhood. And then let’s celebrate and market that niche.

So, Tech Talk is declaring “game over” for software startup companies and Durham is the winner? Durham has had success with software startups, no question about it, and I don’t want to take anything away from that. Still, to imply that Raleigh should just close up shop is a bit ridiculous, don’t you think? Raleigh’s been home to Red Hat, Lulu.com, Misys, Allscripts, Da Vinci Systems, Q+E Software, HAHT, Accipiter, Oculan, Lobbyguard, and many, many others. That’s not exactly a dearth of talent. To say that Raleigh should cede it’s startup software scene to Durham is ridiculous.

How about this: Raleigh can be Raleigh and Durham can be Durham. Each city can go with whatever works for it. There are plenty of smart, creative people in both cities and plenty of room to grow and compete. Both cities can enjoy success with software startups. To declare a “winner” and divvy up who should get what is absurd.

Citizen reps at all levels

I learned today that another long-serving member of North Carolina’s General Assembly is stepping down. Serving in today’s legislature cannot be much fun, no matter which side of the aisle you’re on.

I think part of the problem is the grueling schedule of the General Assembly. My previous post about fairly compensating city councilors also applies to state legislators. If serving in the legislature is going to be a full time job we should compensate our representatives accordingly.

Twenty years a civilian

Dress blues, winter 1991.


Today marks the 20th anniversary of the end of my active duty service in the Navy. I actually was separated a few weeks prior to this due to the amount of leave I had accumulated but it was 15 Feb 1992 when my active duty was up (known as EAOS).

It would be another four years before I would be a true civilian as my inactive duty took place directly afterward. Had America decided to invade Iraq before 1996, I could have been reactivated and been obligated to serve.

It wasn’t just a life, it was an adventure!