It may have run its course.
This blog, I mean, not Harrisonburg itself.
Intended as a place to put opinions, news, and analysis that didn't fit within the scope of hburgnews, this site never really took off with readers in the way I hoped.
I'm going to be putting my main blogging energy into Crocktown, hburgnews, and a new project that will replace this one as the catch-all for what's on my mind but doesn't fit elsewhere. It is called Updated All The Time and ideally will be pouring out new content throughout the day for those of us who obsessively (or is it compulsively?) scour the net for interesting new conversations. I hope the readers here will join us there, and I hope some of you will consider contributing to the new site as well.
This site will stay up as an archive, and may be updated (rarely) with longer analyses that would be too lengthy to post elsewhere.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Do you plan to stay here for "an unlimited time"?
If not, then you might not be eligible to vote in future elections.
A bill by Delegate John Cosgrove is working its way through the General Assembly that would redefine the requirements for "domicile" and "place of abode", which are both necessary conditions to register in a specific locality. Here's what the law would say if the change goes through:
If you're a college student, military base occupant, or a worker on a fixed-time contract, you may not be able to vote anywhere in Virginia because the above definitions would not only keep you from voting in your "temporary" residence, but also at your "permanent address" since you don't actually dwell there. And for the rest of us, how will they possibly establish our intent to remain where we live for an unlimited time? Polygraph tests when we turn in our voter registrations?
Why does it seem that some people want to keep voter totals as low as possible?
A bill by Delegate John Cosgrove is working its way through the General Assembly that would redefine the requirements for "domicile" and "place of abode", which are both necessary conditions to register in a specific locality. Here's what the law would say if the change goes through:
"Residence" or "resident," for all purposes of qualification to register and vote, means and requires both domicile and a place of abode. To establish domicile, a person must live in a particular locality with the intention to remain there for an unlimited time. A place of abode is the physical place where a person dwells.
If you're a college student, military base occupant, or a worker on a fixed-time contract, you may not be able to vote anywhere in Virginia because the above definitions would not only keep you from voting in your "temporary" residence, but also at your "permanent address" since you don't actually dwell there. And for the rest of us, how will they possibly establish our intent to remain where we live for an unlimited time? Polygraph tests when we turn in our voter registrations?
Why does it seem that some people want to keep voter totals as low as possible?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Kindle or iPhone?
Amazon is having a press conference next Monday, where they will likely announce the much-anticipated second version of the Kindle book reader. The Kindle is pretty cool, and they were experimenting with several cool bonus features on the first version that may well be improved in the Kindle 2.0, like web browsing and even listening to MP3's. Plus, of course, I love reading. If the Kindle 2.0 comes in at a good price point with a few improvements and a continued commitment to no subscription costs, it will be a very tempting option.
But I'm also waiting for an iPhone that can actually replace both my iPod and my cell phone, in addition to serving as a handheld computer. It's not far from that goal as is; I'm waiting for a little more storage space, a little better 3G network provider, and a little lower price point. The App Store has so much cool stuff that I'd love to be using on a daily basis.
Should I hold out for a dream device, or live with one or the other of the cool options that will soon be available?
But I'm also waiting for an iPhone that can actually replace both my iPod and my cell phone, in addition to serving as a handheld computer. It's not far from that goal as is; I'm waiting for a little more storage space, a little better 3G network provider, and a little lower price point. The App Store has so much cool stuff that I'd love to be using on a daily basis.
Should I hold out for a dream device, or live with one or the other of the cool options that will soon be available?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
What's in a name?
I picked up a really interesting book from Books-A-Million tonight called The Secret Universe of Names, which is based on the idea that the sounds in your name have an influence on the formation of your personality. We've had a lot of fun looking up the names of people we know and often find the descriptions of the related personalities to be spot-on. Here are a few gems:
Jeremy - Connected, Creative, Thoughtful, Obsessive, Repressed, Moody. "JRMs would never trade job satisfaction for money, and when it comes to their careers, they are independently minded enough to end up owning their own business. While they don't have an inordinate need to be in the spotlight, they do have a strong need to be noticed for their efforts..."
Brent - Quick-thinking, Innovative, Witty, Short-tempered, Insensitive, Wild. "The passionately bright people hold strong convictions and lofty ideals that tend toward the conservative..."
Joe - Warm, Intelligent, Engaging, Distracted, Overly emotional, Uncommunicative. "These are well-balanced individuals who, for all their serious underpinnings live their lives with style and buoyancy...You can be confident that they'll always have something good to say about you, even when no one else is willing to sing your praises. But they aren't above poking fun at your foibles either. Still, most people don't seem to mind, because their sense of humor is the self-deprecating kind where they'll laugh at themselves too."
If you want to hear some highlights of what the book has to say about your name, post it below.
Jeremy - Connected, Creative, Thoughtful, Obsessive, Repressed, Moody. "JRMs would never trade job satisfaction for money, and when it comes to their careers, they are independently minded enough to end up owning their own business. While they don't have an inordinate need to be in the spotlight, they do have a strong need to be noticed for their efforts..."
Brent - Quick-thinking, Innovative, Witty, Short-tempered, Insensitive, Wild. "The passionately bright people hold strong convictions and lofty ideals that tend toward the conservative..."
Joe - Warm, Intelligent, Engaging, Distracted, Overly emotional, Uncommunicative. "These are well-balanced individuals who, for all their serious underpinnings live their lives with style and buoyancy...You can be confident that they'll always have something good to say about you, even when no one else is willing to sing your praises. But they aren't above poking fun at your foibles either. Still, most people don't seem to mind, because their sense of humor is the self-deprecating kind where they'll laugh at themselves too."
If you want to hear some highlights of what the book has to say about your name, post it below.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Who says the inauguration will be excessive?
A popular theme on blogs this week is that Obama's inauguration on Tuesday will be too expensive, and that the media is hypocritical for its complaints about the costs of the 2004 Bush inauguration. But where are these folks getting their numbers?And of the few expenditures that have been calculated, which would they like to see cut? Portapotties for the record crowd? Security? A stage?
The most recent unsubstantiated number that keeps getting repeated is $160 million. Anyone know what this is based on?
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Rush to judgment
The recent death of a Harrisonburg woman struck while jogging has been the cause for a lot of speculation of various types.
First, a number of commenters on DNR's site (the comment thread has since been removed) speculated that the hit-and-run driver must have been an unlicensed, undocumented immigrant (which proved false).
Then, as details about the accused driver came out, I posted a link to the Facebook page of someone with the same name and asked if it was the same person; this set off a firestorm of criticisms at hburgnews, and even a warning it could be libelous. The word libel strikes fear in the heart of any blogger, and one of the site's editors removed the link. It turned out to be, in fact, the same person, so it's a moot point, but I was surprised by the reactions. First, to qualify as libel there must be a false statement and it must cause harm. No part of my comment was demonstrably false or had the potential to harm the person mentioned. Second, at least a few people misjudged my motives (suggesting my goal was to scoop the DNR when it fact it was more about establishing the identity - and thus the ethnicity - of the accused person). It was interesting to see people opining (before the link between the Facebook profile and the accused person was finaly established) on how they would feel if they were in the shoes of the Facebook profile's owner. Some said it would make them angry to have their identity "linked" with the criminal's (even by a question on whether or not there was an actual link) while others (like me) said they would want to have the question asked - and answered - publicly and quickly if someone with their same name had been accused.
Now that more details have emerged, two other questions have caused a great deal of speculation. One is about the victim - was she running in the road as some local joggers have done? If so, what responsibility does that behavior entail for these kinds of accidents? The second question is about the role of alcohol in the driver's behavior. According to media reports, the driver (a bartender) was out late drinking at her own place of employment and another bar. Was she driving drunk? Assumptions about both questions have led people to go way over the lines of reasonableness and good taste, considering the circumstances.
Speaking of good taste, one other controversy has emerged surrounding the media coverage. The DNR ran a photo, credited to Pete Marovich, of a shoe (presumably that of the victim) at the scene of the accident. Many people have criticized the picture as being in bad taste. A common refrain is that it would be upsetting to people in the victim's family. Personally, I think it is an example of good photojournalism, telling part of the story and bringing an emotional impact to the article.
What are your thoughts on all this stuff?
First, a number of commenters on DNR's site (the comment thread has since been removed) speculated that the hit-and-run driver must have been an unlicensed, undocumented immigrant (which proved false).
Then, as details about the accused driver came out, I posted a link to the Facebook page of someone with the same name and asked if it was the same person; this set off a firestorm of criticisms at hburgnews, and even a warning it could be libelous. The word libel strikes fear in the heart of any blogger, and one of the site's editors removed the link. It turned out to be, in fact, the same person, so it's a moot point, but I was surprised by the reactions. First, to qualify as libel there must be a false statement and it must cause harm. No part of my comment was demonstrably false or had the potential to harm the person mentioned. Second, at least a few people misjudged my motives (suggesting my goal was to scoop the DNR when it fact it was more about establishing the identity - and thus the ethnicity - of the accused person). It was interesting to see people opining (before the link between the Facebook profile and the accused person was finaly established) on how they would feel if they were in the shoes of the Facebook profile's owner. Some said it would make them angry to have their identity "linked" with the criminal's (even by a question on whether or not there was an actual link) while others (like me) said they would want to have the question asked - and answered - publicly and quickly if someone with their same name had been accused.
Now that more details have emerged, two other questions have caused a great deal of speculation. One is about the victim - was she running in the road as some local joggers have done? If so, what responsibility does that behavior entail for these kinds of accidents? The second question is about the role of alcohol in the driver's behavior. According to media reports, the driver (a bartender) was out late drinking at her own place of employment and another bar. Was she driving drunk? Assumptions about both questions have led people to go way over the lines of reasonableness and good taste, considering the circumstances.
Speaking of good taste, one other controversy has emerged surrounding the media coverage. The DNR ran a photo, credited to Pete Marovich, of a shoe (presumably that of the victim) at the scene of the accident. Many people have criticized the picture as being in bad taste. A common refrain is that it would be upsetting to people in the victim's family. Personally, I think it is an example of good photojournalism, telling part of the story and bringing an emotional impact to the article.
What are your thoughts on all this stuff?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Discrimination by Hburg police?
Let me preface this by saying that I know most police officers, here and elsewhere, really do want to make our community safer and want law-abiding people of all races to enjoy peaceful lives.But...
I had to pause when I received a media advisory today from the HPD's spokesperson, Mary-Hope Gangwer, crowing about an arrest made at a checkpoint on Norwood Street about two weeks ago. A 22-year old Hispanic man with several outstanding warrants was bagged, and that seems to be the cause for this public celebration of neighborhood profiling. In the press release, Gangwer quotes herself: “This is yet another example of the benefit checkpoints provide to the community. Not only do officers remove impaired drivers, they are also aware of wanted individuals that may go through the checkpoint.”
Norwood Street, for those who don't know, is an area populated primarily by Hispanic immigrants.
Do you think we will ever see checkpoints trying to catch all the tipsy drivers coming out of the Spotswood Country Club, or the VFW? I wonder how they decide where and when to put up these kinds of checkpoints...I've sent that question to Ms. Gangwer and will let you know what she says.
As long as the police were in the Norwood Street neighborhood, I thought they might do something about the KKK graffiti on a very visible wall there. Somehow I imagine that they would downplay the activity of that graffiti "artist" in a different way than they approach those who tag buildings with "Bloods", "Sur 13", or "MS-13"...or am I just being pessimistic?
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