N&O layoffs

I’ve long thought that Raleigh could use more community newspapers. I just never thought the News and Observer would become one.

A large number of N&O staffers had their last day yesterday. There were a lot of familiar names in the group that will be missed, but one I thought was particularly disappointing to see was the Take It Outside writer, Joe Miller. I’ve long maintained that the two things that keep me subscribing to the N&O are the columns of Barry Saunders and Joe Miller. Of them, I always thought Joe had one of the best jobs in the country.

I wish the laid-off reporters and writers well and hope I’ll see more of their work soon.

Why we need municipal Internet

Imagine, if you will, a world where the streets in this country are privately owned by the country’s shipping companies. In our more modern example, Let’s say your particular street is owned by a company called FredEx.

Now let’s say you want to order a CD from a far-away retailer. Realizing that it owns the street in front of your house and that few other options exist, FredEx chooses to triple the shipping rate it charges to deliver your CD. And why shouldn’t it? FredEx knows it has the best delivery path available to your house, if not an outright monopoly.

Sure, you could always choose to have your CD delivered by your postman, Mo Dem, but his is a walking route so it’s painfully slow. On the other hand, you could ship your CD by the “competing” shipper, U Pay Us, but FredEx still gets its cut for its road.

What once looked like competition is anything but. You’re trapped.
Continue reading →

One victim of newspapers

A friend forwarded me a classic Calvin and Hobbes Sunday strip where Bill Watterson takes a shot at greedy capitalists. Calvin’s selling lemonade for $15 a glass and Susie Derkins calls him out on it, whereby Calvin offers a number of excuses for the exorbitant price.

I laughed and found myself missing the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. I also wondered if my kids will ever have the same experience of finding these jewels on the comics page each day.

There will never be another Calvin and Hobbes. If newspapers ever disappear that will be guaranteed.

CAC success

I’m back from another successful East CAC meeting. It was a great meeting: actually ended somewhat on time. We’re really getting things done now and it’s a blast to see it all happening.

More later. I’m ready for bed!

Sun and Oracle

Farewell, Sun. What a pioneer you were. Oracle will keep Sun alive and possibly even treat it well, but it will never be the same.

The upside of this is that there should be a spate of start-ups soon as Sun folks (and some Oracle folks) head for the exits and try their own thing. The other upside is that Red Hat avoided Oracle’s clutches. Oracle can’t make a move for Red Hat now without raising antitrust concerns. Will IBM continue shopping?

Sleep: I know not of it

I had to look up the definition of sleep this morning because I certainly didn’t learn about it last night. The dog opted not to do anything at his final bathroom break of the evening and then proceeded to whine all night long when he decided he had to go. Then I heard Hallie say something to him when she got up in the night to go to the bathroom, so I had to check on her.

I offered the dog a chance to go out but he sat there looking stupid, so I went back to bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow, the back yard motion light came on, compelling me out of bed. I grabbed the flashlight, checked out the yard, and then shooed the dog outside where he finally relieved himself. With everyone happy again, I finally went back to bed.
Continue reading →

Long, busy, weekend

It’s been quite a long, busy weekend. Saturday morning, we participated in the SPCA dog walk around Raleigh. After doing 3K around downtown with a tired Labrador and somewhat tired kids, Kelly took Hallie off to her friend Suzanna’s birthday while Travis and I did ten miles of biking on the greenway. T and I had a “great adventure” at the foot of Lassiter Mill Falls, practicing skipping stones into the water, before we turned back and headed home. I never realized how beautiful Crabtree Creek is there, looking east from below the falls. I was wishing I had thought to bring my camera.

Once reunited, we all headed over to our neighbor Randy’s house for his annual “Earth Day Birthday” party. Live music, beer, and steamed oysters: yum! The kids tore around while we socialized. Our whole tired lot headed for bed too soon!
Continue reading →

An expert speaks on pirates

While I’ve been blogging about pirates for four years now and have sailed through pirate waters during my time in the Navy, my pirate expertise pales in comparison to the merchant mariners who sail these waters every day.

Below is an email I read last night on one of my email lists. Take it from Captain Bill Doherty, an actual merchant marine captain: this problem won’t be solved easily.

I am an active Merchant Mariner.

Last year I spent the entire year out in those waters on the Maersk Vermont, Maersk Ohio and the President Truman.

It’s very difficult for those who dont have first hand Merchant Marine experience in those waters to get a full appreciation of the situation.

Pirates aren’t new, just their tactics and equipment are. They have better boats, better guns and much more sophisticated electronic guidance systems.
Continue reading →

Late to the tea party

So, where have these tax protesters been for the past eight years? You know, when Bush went six years without vetoing a single spending bill? When Bush blew a $230 billion budget surplus in his first year and then signed us up for an extra $3,000,000,000,000 of debt? It was fine to spend money on bombs for the past eight years but once Obama got this economy dumped in his lap suddenly it’s his fault.

Sorry, teabaggers: you’re eight years too late.