Sensitive ears

As I blogged about before, I used to be a part-time recording engineer. It was a blessing and a curse. The blessing was that I learned some cool things about music production. The curse is that now I can’t help but notice when a song is mixed wrong. Maybe a microphone is too hot, or a vocal is too loud, but I notice and it makes me cringe.

As a photographer I know that little things can make a big difference in a photograph. The same applies to music. Once I learned what to listen for I can’t help but notice the mistakes.

Big telcos go after municipal broadband in N.C. again

It looks like the big telcos are trying once again to block municipal broadband projects in North Carolina. Legislation is expected to be introduced in the N.C. Senate’s Revenue Laws committee next week that will seek a moratorium on municipal broadband projects, allegedly because it will “harm state tax revenue.”

Please contact the folks below and let them know this bill is harmful to North Carolina:
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Google Fiber: what happens next

Google’s James Kelly, Product Manager for their Google 1Gbps Internet project, talks about where they go from here.

So what’s next? Over the coming months, we’ll be reviewing the responses to determine where to build. As we narrow down our choices, we’ll be conducting site visits, meeting with local officials and consulting with third-party organizations. Based on a rigorous review of the data, we will announce our target community or communities by the end of the year.

So, it’s all in The Goog’s hands, at this point. I’m hoping the City of Raleigh makes the cut, in spite of the less-than-motivating city effort.

Previously:
Raleigh works to woo Google Fiber.
Gaga for Google’s fiber – Independent Weekly

The value of preventative health care

A commenter on Gawker, apparently a doctor, had an insightful comment on the value of preventative health care, something that the health care legislation might help. It describes how a patient with a simple, treatable issue, could rack up a tremendous hospital bill that the hospital will inevitably absorb because the patient can’t afford health insurance.

This kind of thing goes on all the time at my neighborhood hospital, WakeMed. See below for the Gawker comment:

40% of the patients at the hospital I practice at are uninsured. Those 40% cannot afford the $100 cost of a clinic visit. Here’s the way this thing normally works:

1) Patient comes to the ER for something simple. Let’s use an ulcerated lesion on the forearm as an example. EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) states that we are required to stabilize the patient if they are in distress. The patient is not in distress, so they are given an appointment for a dermatologist and discharged. they receive a bill for $500-$1500 (which they do not pay).
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Gerry’s memorial party

Gerry's Party

When I left off in my previous post, Kelly and I were on our way over to the party for Gerry. A party was something he had requested and it seemed fitting to toast him now that he’s gone. A group of friends was asked to organize it and many worked very hard to bring it all together in a week’s time.

A friend of Mandy’s dad had a place he would let us use and the planning group went to see it the Wednesday prior to the party. I arrived as everyone was walking in and was impressed by the facility. Mandy was there, too, and brought her kids. Seeing Emma and Caleb for the first time since the accident nearly brought me to tears again. Gerry so loved his family! Both kids were happy exploring the place so I kept my feelings to myself.
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Gerry’s funeral

Some of Gerry's many friends

When I was making up my list of Highlights of 2009 at the end of last year, one of my runner-up items was that none of my friends or family had died all year. The death of Gerry Reid on March 1st changed all that, of course. While I didn’t specifically blog about the healthy year, I did allude to it by calling it dull.

Saturday morning, Kelly and I put the kids in the able hands of good friends and rushed out the door to the service at Asbury United Methodist Church. The stated attire was casual, befitting Gerry, so with my jacket and collared shirt I wore socks and sandals. Kelly had socks and sandals with her but opted not to wear them with her dress. We grabbed lunch at the nearby Harris Teeter and ate it in the church parking lot while we watched other guests make their way into the church. Once our lunch was done we also made our way into the church, joining the parade of friends who knew Gerry. There were plenty of socks and sandals present as well as hockey jerseys, kilts, and other Gerry-style attire.
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Weekend of highs and lows

It was a weekend of highs and lows. Friday night I drove over to help set up the facility for Gerry’s post-service party. Arriving after the work was done (though right when I said I would arrive), instead I joined Jeff, Suzie, Bill, and Janet for a beer and a bite to eat. We had a conversation both deep and hilariously funny.

Saturday morning we were scheduled to go to Hallie’s soccer game but it had gotten rained out. Instead we got the kids ready for their sleepover at their friends’ house and got ourselves ready for Gerry’s funeral. We got the kids out the door and then ourselves, arriving at the church around 12:25. I’ve got a separate post coming up on Gerry’s service, but suffice it to say it was far harder for me than I expected.

We went to a post-service party for Gerry and had a great time. Then we went to yet another party after that one. It was good meeting friends of Gerry’s from various points in his past.

This morning Kelly and I slept in somewhat later, which wasn’t really by design as Daylight Saving Time took effect today. We picked up the kids from their sleepover, ate lunch (BBQ!), and headed out for a two-hour family bike ride on the greenway. It was awesome! When we returned, we figured out that we’d ridden 14 miles. And the kids had no complaints at all! I so love riding with the family and look forward to many more rides like today’s.

Now it’s time for a shower and then bed. My busy week of meetings is this week so my posting this week will be sporadic.

Raleigh works to woo Google fiber

I got a little ink in this week’s Independent Weekly, discussing the Triangle cities’ efforts to lure Google’s proposed 1Gbps fiber network:

East Raleigh organizer and blogger Mark Turner said the Bring Google Fiber to Raleigh! Facebook group he created the day that Google announced the fiber program now includes more than 600 members and has drawn the support of elected officials. He hopes upcoming Internet conferences in Raleigh will add muster to the effort.

“I see fiber and Internet connection as being almost as vital nowadays as sewer service and water service, as far as building communities,” Turner said. “It would really position us for some long-term growth.”

Let them

The Friday before last I drove to work in the midst of drivers acting like idiots. It inspired me to wonder how the Dalai Lama might treat the idiots in traffic, if he would be as tempted as I am sometimes to show them the error of their ways. It falls into my general deep philosophical thinking that we’re all on the planet to teach and help each other: we can all be angels to someone.

I posted my thought and then went about my way, thinking that was the end of it.

Then on Thursday, a close friend died after a traffic accident on that very same highway. As I again drove by the scene of that horrific accident, I was startled to have a thought pop into my head:
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A little downtime

Yes, I actually posted that last post at 3:13 AM this morning. It was another night like Monday night, where my sense of shock and grief kept sleep at bay. Still, when the alarm clock sounded I managed to put my feet on the floor in the morning, for which I am always thankful.

It was my toughest day so far in dealing with the loss of Gerry. Up until now there has been plenty for me to do to create something positive for Gerry and his family but now that he’s gone the emotion my activities have been (mostly) keeping in check are now coming forth. On my way to work I teared up again when I saw a state trooper and wondered if he might have been at the scene of Gerry’s wreck. Then later this morning I had to stop reading Gerry’s guestbook because I became too emotional. I also got weepy thinking of all the missed opportunities for future fun together, and that from this point on our lives would be forever out of sync.
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