World’s largest midget?

Went out to dinner with some family friends when my friend leans over the table.

“I see you all the time on public access,” he tells me.

“Really?” I reply. This was news to me.

It brought up all kinds of questions, namely

  • there are people who actually watch public access
  • I’m friends with one of them, and
  • I have no clue what could be showing that has me in it.

I don’t have cable so the only time I can see what’s on Raleigh Television Network is the streaming the city does of its government channel. I might show up at an occasional city council meeting but more often than not there’s other stuff showing.

Being on public access all the time is kind of like being the world’s largest midget.

Kiera Wilmot’s chemistry explosion: Is she more like Oliver Sacks or Dzhokhar Tsarnaev?

Nice commentary on letting kids experiment with science, bangs, stinks, and all.

It is without a doubt risky to let kids try unsupervised science, but we already let kids do hazardous things such as ride bicycles and play baseball, and even encourage them to do so with a chaperone. You don’t get better at fielding unless you throw a ball around outside of regular team practices. We accept the idea that accidents might happen in the course of enthusiastic practice. So while throwing a baseball around in an open grassy area behind the cafeteria before school is a really bad idea, it is not a felony—even if you have the misfortune to accidentally hit someone in the head. We accept these risks in order to get better ball players.

via Kiera Wilmot’s chemistry explosion: Is she more like Oliver Sacks or Dzhokhar Tsarnaev? – Slate Magazine.

Are all telephone calls recorded and accessible to the US government?

Astonishing. There’s a reason the federal government buys millions of dollars worth of file servers.

BURNETT: Tim, is there any way, obviously, there is a voice mail they can try to get the phone companies to give that up at this point. It’s not a voice mail. It’s just a conversation. There’s no way they actually can find out what happened, right, unless she tells them?

CLEMENTE: “No, there is a way. We certainly have ways in national security investigations to find out exactly what was said in that conversation. It’s not necessarily something that the FBI is going to want to present in court, but it may help lead the investigation and/or lead to questioning of her. We certainly can find that out.

BURNETT: “So they can actually get that? People are saying, look, that is incredible.

CLEMENTE: “No, welcome to America. All of that stuff is being captured as we speak whether we know it or like it or not.”

via Are all telephone calls recorded and accessible to the US government? | Glenn Greenwald | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk.

Concussion

Feeling like the Bad Parent. Son Travis said he hit his head while playing after school but I failed to take it seriously. It took Kelly arriving home to get him whisked to the ER, where he was diagnosed as having a concussion. As many concussions I’ve had in my life, I should’ve known better.

They’re on their way home now where he’ll simply need some rest to return back to normal.

Time of Use electric rates

With a few days of eGauge power tracking under my belt, I began to look into the other half of our solar equation: the Time of Use electric billing. Duke Energy (formerly Progress Energy) be installing a new meter for us after our solar panels get installed. We’ll be billed at a much, much different rate once that happens.

Power companies offer optional Time Of Use (TOU) rates for customers who would like to shift their power consumption to off-peak times. This benefits the power company because it doesn’t have to spin up new power plants to handle the peak demand. Demand-generated electricity is very expensive compared to a plant that’s already online, so power companies obviously want to avoid it.
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Neuse River Greenway Dedication

Neuse River Greenway Dedication, 25 Apr 2013

Neuse River Greenway Dedication, 25 Apr 2013

I had a great time speaking at yesterday’s Neuse River Greenway Dedication, where there were probably 200 people in attendance. I wore a suit because I was speaking, though I much rather would’ve preferred to be there in bike clothes as was Wake Commissioner Joe Bryan. I was second-to-last on the speaker’s list, behind Mayor Nancy McFarlane, Eugene Weeks, John Odom, Joe Bryan, Tony Tata, Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones, and Charles Meeker. Greenway planner Vic Lebsock batted clean-up before the ribbon was cut.

The suit wound up acting like a heat blanket, soaking up the sun on what was supposed to have been a cool, breezy day. Afterward I kept my jacket on too long and then went from the park to the hot gymnasium at Conn Elementary where I joined my family for the school’s Pizza and Pizzaz PTA event. By the time the show ended and I was stacking chairs I felt a bit dizzy and my muscles were cramping.

Yesterday’s greenway was one of the last major dedications I’ll speak at before my term as Parks board chair is over. It has been wonderful public speaking practice! I got lots of compliments on yesterday’s speech, too. After my term is over I’m not sure what I will do but the Parks board sure has been a lot of fun.

Seaboard slipping away

I learned last night that the bank that financed Seaboard Station was successful in flipping it from Chapter 11 bankruptcy to Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This means it will soon change hands, and William Peace University could certainly buy it, over the objections of the surrounding neighborhoods. Peace claims it has no plans to demolish it. Anytime soon, at least.

Citing “internal deadlines,” Peace president Debra Townsley said yesterday that Peace would not seek council approval again for municipal bonds. I think the university knows it would be fighting an uphill battle against the neighbors, who are still smarting over the university’s closing of Franklin Street years ago. There is still a lot of fence-mending there that needs to take place.

I hope the tenants there are safe. I would personally love to see a development firm buy the property as the retail interest at the property has never been stronger. The neighborhood watches with interest.

Tracking the sun (and more) with eGauge

The eGuage (upper right) installed in our electrical panel.

The eGuage (upper right) installed in our electrical panel.


I found out this morning that Southern Energy will be installing our solar panels on Monday! After a perfect, sun-filled afternoon today I was daydreaming of how our home’s electric meter might soon be spinning backwards!

As part of our installation we’ve purchased a power meter to track our electricity generation and consumption. It’s called eGauge and has become surprisingly addictive since I turned it on this afternoon, providing instantly-updated data through a web browser. Our solar panels aren’t installed yet but once they are, I’ll be able to see a ream of information on our electricity use.
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Public service resume

Just for fun I decided to compile a list of my public service accomplishments. It was a bit surprising to me to see how much stuff I have been involved with!

(The earlier dates are approximate as I’m lazy and don’t feel like looking them up right now!)

  • 1999-2001 – Boardmember, North Carolina Museum of Art Contemporaries
  • 1999-2001 – Member, Garner Land Use Ordinance Rewrite Committee
  • 2001 – Graduate, Garner Citizens Police Academy
  • 2001-2002 – President, Garner Crimestoppers
  • 2005-2006 – Steering Committee, Triangle Linux Users Group (TriLUG)
  • 2008 – Valedictorian, Raleigh Neighborhood College
  • 2008-2011 – Chair, East Citizens Advisory Council (East CAC)
  • 2012 – Chair, Raleigh Citizens Advisory Council (Raleigh CAC)
  • 2008-2010 – Boardmember; Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board (PRGAB)
  • 2008-2012 – PRGAB Liaison; Mordecai Historic Park Advisory Board (MHBAB)
  • 2011-2012 – Vice-Chair, Mordecai Historic Park Advisory Board (MHPAB)
  • 2010-2011 – Vice-Chair; Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board (PRGAB)
  • 2011-Present – Chair; Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board (PRGAB)
  • 2010, 2011 – Assistant Coach, Salvation Army Youth Basketball
  • 2011, 2012 – Assistant Coach, City of Raleigh Youth Baseball
  • 2012 – Volunteer, Triangle Radio Reading Service
  • 2012-Present – Board Chair, Little Raleigh Radio
  • 2012-Present – Volunteer, Friends of World Music

Russell Allen

I was surprised and saddened to hear that Russell Allen had been let go by the Raleigh City Council. Russell was as responsive as you’d want any city manager to be; I can’t recall a single time I sent him an email and he did not respond. I know many others contacted him about issues and he would respond, often no matter how big or small the problem was.

Russell led the city through some of its biggest growth and through some of its greatest financial challenges. He’s always been a professional, and as even those who clashed with him will attest, you always knew where you stood with him.

He made some fantastic hires with the city’s other leaders, picking great police chiefs, planning staff, and other crucial roles. It doesn’t matter what else the city has going for it, Without a great staff it won’t deliver on its promise.

I expect Russell will soon be snatched up by another city looking for a great manager. I wish him well and look forward to learning more about the Council’s decision and points of view.