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

Raleigh Wikipedia meetup

Dang! It looks like I missed a Wikipedia meetup here in Raleigh. I’ve not been all that thrilled with some of the local blogger meetups I’ve been to but a group of Wikipedians sounds like a lot of fun.

Hopefully I’ll be around for the next one!

Vacation to Arizona

We’re about to embark on a week-long trip to Sedona, Arizona. I’m looking forward to it as I’ve heard a lot about Arizona from my buddy Greg and others. I’ve also been captivated by what I could see through the windows of Phoenix’s lovely Sky Harbor Airport. That’s been as close to visiting Arizona as I’ve been up to date.

I’m looking forward to rediscovering the subtle beauty of the desert. I’ve also heard a lot about Sedona and expect it will live up to the hype. And folks tell me there’s a big ditch that’s worth a good look-see.

If you Internet folks have other suggestions for things to see, let me know!

Feeling more settled

I’ve been contracting at my large network storage company employer for over 15 months now. I feel fortunate to have had a paycheck during this time but a contract job is not as stable as I would like at this time. I kept hearing that my bosses wanted to bring me on full-time but there were never any permanent positions available.

That changed this week. A spot opened that seems custom-made for me. Provided the details are worked out it looks like I could be a permanent employee by May. What a relief that will be!

Cabin fever breaks this past weekend

We really took advantage of the great weather last weekend. The sunshine and temperatures in the mid 70s spawned lots of outside activity. We played basketball with some friends and skated at our house on Saturday before watching Hallie’s soccer game. Then Kelly took the kids to a party while I helped my dad with a fix-it task. It was fun catching up with my parents.

Sunday morning we met a new friend who worked with Gerry for a family hike and picnic through Umstead Park. Hallie went to a birthday party while the rest of us played with the neighborhood kids. We made homeade pizza for dinner that night, which was fun making and eating.

LTE on school board

I just sent this letter to the N&O. I hope they print it.

In light of our area’s high unemployment rate and sagging housing market, I can’t think of a worse time for a costly social-engineering experiment with the Wake County School System: the heart of Wake County’s economic engine.

We’ll have five members of Wake’s school board to thank when our taxes get hiked to pay for this boondoggle.

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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Race? Race for a championship, maybe.

Some ridiculous thread on the WRAL Sports Fan website asks “Why do some NC.STATE Fans treat Coach Lowe different From TOB?? Does Race Play a part in this???” I didn’t bother wading through all of the 16 pages of responses because I already know the answer.

I like both coaches. I like both basketball and football. But there’s no denying that around here basketball is king. Our rivals frequently win national championships in basketball and State doesn’t. Does this put more pressure on Sydney Lowe than it does Tom O’Brien? Sure it does! If UNC and Duke were always contenders for national championships in football then O’Brien would always be feeling the heat.

It’s not about race, it’s about the neighborhood we live in.

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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