Twitter Updates for 2012-07-24

  • Two weeks past the election and @tonygurley still has signs everywhere. Pick them up, please. #ncpol #ncgop #keepamericabeautiful #
  • Cx 1 wk, but still RT @mtdotnet One week past the election and @tonygurley still has signs everywhere. Pick them up, please. #ncpol #ncgop #
  • Yikes! A HUGE bolt of lightning just landed within a few hundred yards of our home. #
  • Lightning sparks shed fire in Woodcrest neighborhood of East Raleigh. #ncwx http://t.co/n3E0kvyd #

In getting it wrong the NCAA might have actually found their voice

The NCAA slapped Penn State with a massive $60 million fine, vacated a decade of victories, and took away scholarships for four years as punishment for the Jerry Sandusky scandal. While I don’t know how Joe Paterno slept at night knowing the evil that Sandusky was committing, I’m not sure sanctions are right for this case. Paterno’s actions may have been cowardly and cold-hearted but the athletes and alumni aren’t at fault. Punishing them seems misguided.

Meanwhile, over in Chapel Hill it’s beginning to stink to high heaven with the allegations of egregious academic fraud, yet those in Baby Blue get off with a slap on the wrist. Go figure.

To me, as heinous as this matter is — and it is undeniable that it is far worse than impermissible benefits or academic fraud — it was still a matter for law enforcement as opposed to the fellow member institutions that make up the NCAA. The people responsible for what occurred are either in jail for life, headed there, or dead. What has happened today, with the announced penalties, severely punishes hundreds of people who had exactly nothing to do with the past culture of football isolationism.

via In getting it wrong the NCAA might have actually found their voice – WRALSportsFan.com.

Sweetie weekend

Atop Hanging Rock

Kelly and I have enjoyed a wonderful “sweetie weekend” hiking around Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury, NC, after Kelly took the kids up to stay with Kelly’s parents for a few days. We boarded the dog Saturday morning and headed west, stopping by the Tanger Outlet mall to get a few clothes. Then we headed up to Hanging Rock to spend the first of two days hiking around this beautiful park.

Upon arrival at the park’s visitor center, Kelly asked the park ranger what trails he suggested. Peering around the room, the ranger noted there were no kids in tow and suggested we try one of the more strenuous trails: Moore’s Wall Loop Trail. We took that advice and set off for the trailhead near the lake’s bathhouse.

Moore’s Wall Loop Trail is a challenging hike in one direction and not so much the other. We opted to go counter-clockwise towards the highest point in the park, Moore’s Knob, and that proved to be a very tough climb! It was step after step for what the ranger said was 700 steps until reaching the base of the lookout tower on Moore’s Knob.
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Little Raleigh Radio kicks off its donation campaign!

Little Raleigh Radio


Little Raleigh Radio, the LPFM station I’m helping launch, has gone live with its Kickstarter donation campaign! After just one day it’s already reached 1/3rd of its goal of $10,000!

Help bring really local radio to Raleigh! Donate today!

We are building a community radio station and we need equipment so we can start broadcasting.

We are doing this. We are starting a community radio station in downtown Raleigh and we are doing it legit.

This studio will launch our internet broadcast stream and it will also prepare us to be on the air with a low-power FM signal in 2013. We need to populate the studio with more hardware than a couple of laptops and microphones borrowed from our volunteers. We are using Kickstarter to raise $10,000 to purchase gear including soundboards, CD players, turntables, microphones, speakers, cables and supportive equipment. We need your help. We believe in the value of community and we want our volunteers to be able to create community through radio.

via Little Raleigh Radio // We'll do it live! by Little Raleigh Radio — Kickstarter.

Slimming down without really trying

I could scarcely believe my eyes this morning when I stepped on the scale and registered 170 pounds even. It’s what I consider my ideal weight and about thirteen pounds below my highest weight.

I’d been noticing that my waist has been slowly slimming down, so much so that I’m able to wear pants I last wore ten years ago! My waist has dropped about two inches over the past year. The other times I’ve dropped down to this weight didn’t include the smaller waist so I’m hopeful this is a more permanent change.
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Twitter Updates for 2012-07-19

  • My smartphone can change traffic lights to green. Seems all I have to do is pick it up. #
  • @GGatilov It's time Russia put on its Big-Boy Pants and find a solution to #syria The world is watching you! #
  • The new Dell laptop docks ship with the biggest power adapters I've ever seen! http://t.co/GNNsVdrK #geek #
  • Success tonight with Raleigh CAC's UDO workshop and passing new bylaws. Could #catHerding be giving way to #consensus #