Disturbing Silence from the Watchdogs

I was chuckling yesterday over the Daily Sentinel's lament about the purported silence of the ACLU on a piece of legislation in Hawaii, of all places. As it turns out, there was no silence, as a reader pointed out that the ACLU of Hawaii had issued a press release on the bill last week.

Then I found something similar that made me stop laughing.

If you think that I'm just going to go on about how great the ACLU is, and gets a bum rap from a lot of clueless people....well, not this time. There is a disturbing silence from the venerable guardian of the First Amendment, as well as others, regarding a piece of federal legislation that seems to me to embody the old adage about the road to Hell being paved with good intentions.

The Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act (H.R. 1966) is a rather short little bill, introduced by California Rep. Linda Sanchez, and co-sponsored by 14 other members of Congress.

The bill is named in memory of the 13-year old Missouri teenager who killed herself after significant online abuse by instant messaging and a MySpace page in a fictitious name. The mother of a former friend was charged at the federal level, and convicted of several misdemeanors related to computer fraud.

The meat of the bill is basically one paragraph:

‘Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.'

In other words, a lot of local bloggers could conceivably be prosecuted for online criticism of someone that causes "substantial emotional distress". To channel Ralph D'Andrea, that's crap.

The civil liberties implications of this are significant, and have generated quite a bit of traction in the blogosphere. However, the vast majority of those blogs leveling comment appear to come from a right wing point of view; perhaps this is a byproduct of the largely liberal conglomeration of House members who have lined up behind this legislative travesty.

I support several groups that focus on free speech and civil liberties issues, among them the ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). These groups are all well represented in the sidebar of this blog, and all display considerable expertise in the area of protecting individual liberties, whether it be online, in public protest, or in our colleges and universities.

FIRE has been the only one of these three groups with a perceived stake in the issue to come out with position and reporting of any kind on the bill, or its' potential fallout.

Extensive searches of the ACLU and EFF websites show no analysis or action alerts on H.R. 1966. EFF posted some general comment last year on the constitutional viability of anti-cyberbullying legislation, but nothing specific to this bill. Why?

The silence on this issue is deafening from these champions of individual rights.

The most comprehensive MSM coverage of the issue comes, from all places, Fox News. They leveraged noted lawyer and blogger Eugene Volokh to comment on the legislation for what it is; not viable when exposed to the rarefied light of the First Amendment.

Could it be that the push from the Democratic left to enact such a flawed piece of legislation is causing ACLU and EFF to remain quietly on the sidelines, to appease a small bloc of legislators who could be counted on to support other pet projects?

Where is the remainder of the mainstream media regarding this? Where was the Sentinel when the perfect niche issue came to light for a conservative-leaning editorial board with significant disdain for the ACLU?

For me, the answer lines up this way; bad law is bad law, regardless of which side of the aisle or political spectrum it originates from. HR1966 is bad law. It needs to die a quick death in the House Judiciary Committee.

Rep. Sanchez is feeling the pressure, and tried in vain to defend her bill in a recent Huffington Post Op-Ed. This was swiftly countered with a very common sense and comprehensive assessment by MSNBC's Helena A.S. Popkin. When you invoke something like Columbine, and worse yet get it wrong, you know you're grabbing at straws.

As a paying member of both the ACLU and EFF, I expect an organizational position on HR1966 to be researched, developed, and published in short order. What appears to be some selective application of their respective mission statements needs to stop.

Have a good rest of your weekend.

Do the Math - 53 Weeks Later

Here we are again at the intersection of 1st Street and Grand Avenue in Downtown Grand Junction. The Riverside Parkway has reduced some of the traffic load from the intersection, but it's still, in my opinion, the best location for a roundabout in GJ where there isn't one.

As in the past, I like to take a picture of the intersection not for the traffic, but for the two convenience stores and gas stations on either corner. Here's what I'm getting at:

While the overall situation is certainly better than it was a year ago, the question remains about the seemingly inexplicable discrepancy between two similar businesses, who appear on the surface to be selling fuel from the same oil company.

Why, then, does the business on the left feel they can sell regular gas for a quarter more than the business on the right? How is it that premium grade at the station on the right is less costly than regular at the station on the left?

I would love to be able to ask the appropriate management representatives these questions, and may get the chance to. I thought I would give our excellent professional media at the local level a shot at it first, though.

Looking forward to some more local reporting on this issue. Thanks!

Graduation 2009

The Daily Sentinel - Christopher Tomlinson

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

- Lao Tse

Evan -

"What a long, strange trip it's been" - and for you, it's only begun to get interesting.

You've had to grow the last few years under less than ideal circumstances. While your choices for taking steps through this life are not the ones I would take, they are uniquely yours, and set you on a path that I hope will be a fruitful and happy one for you.

Your mother is proud of you today, and loves you like no one else - as do I.

Good job.

Stay close, no matter how divergent our paths become.

Much Love,

Dad

Fire, Flood and Communication

Today's Sentinel story about the flooding and electrical condition inside Mesa State's Tomlinson Library had me scratching my head more than usual this morning.

In what could have been a tragic repeat of the Thanksgiving 2007 incident at Grand Junction High School, flooding caused by a fire sprinkler that popped when a bearing overheated in the Library's generator room put quite a bit of water in the first floor of the facility.

After reading that this situation went undiscovered until employees arrived to open up on Sunday morning, I immediately wondered why the sprinkler water flow, and subsequent alarm activation, went unnoticed until somebody showed up at the building.

In my experience, these types of alarms would normally generate a signal at a monitoring center, who would then notify the Fire Department, along with the owner's representative and/or site maintenance. At the least, there is usually some type of external signaling device, such as a bell (powered by the water flow) ringing to indicate that the sprinkler system has been activated. These capabilities are typical of buildings that are protected in accordance with local building and fire codes.

I decided to seek clarification and additional information, and found a willing and informative source in Mike Page, the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Grand Junction Fire Department. He enlightened me with the following information:

• Mesa State, like other State-owned institutions, is exempt from much of the local fire codes, but does "work closely" with local authorities to assure that their buildings are well protected.
• A single sprinkler head can dispense as much as 25 gallons of water per minute, which is a significant amount over any period of time.
• New commercial construction that is built to meet current fire code typically requires the building's fire alarm system to be monitored by an outside service. This includes any building that is sprinkler-protected.

After speaking with Mike, I contacted Kristi Pollard, Mesa State's Development Director and acting public affairs person today. I asked about the seeming lack of alarm monitoring, and why the Library's alarm would not be monitored, especially in the context of yesterday's incident.
Ms. Pollard replied with the following:

"Mesa State College does not currently have an automated system that will contact the fire department. However, during the summer MSC will be undertaking a controlled maintenance system project that will be updating all of MSC's aging monitoring systems with state-of-the-art systems that will all be linked together on the college's fiber network."

I then confirmed with Ms. Pollard that the new project would provide for 24-hour monitoring of these alarm systems. She stated "that's correct". Ms. Pollard also added that the Library was slated to re-open today.

While this is all good news, it is long overdue, and there still isn't any guarantee that a monitored alarm condition would result in immediate notification of public safety resources. A call to the maintenance person on campus (or maybe even on call) could conceivably be considered as sufficient. The need for immediate fire response will hopefully be made very clear by the GJFD when the time comes, with this incident as a benchmark.

This all could have been much worse, and needs to be a continued reminder to facilities operated by our varying levels of government that in the response and mitigation areas it's best to play by the rules established by the locals.


Saw the new Star Trek movie tonight with Evan, my brother Dave and his wife Lan. Pretty darned good, a little melodramatic and contrived in parts, but worth a second sit-through.

This was a healthy diversion from being glued to the TV watching the Penguins lose in overtime to the Capitals (arrrgh), extending what has been a war of a playoff series to a decisive Game 7. I think the phones will be shut off on Wednesday night.

Graduation day is tomorrow. A lot of emotion coming from many corners, locally and otherwise, and this corner is no exception. More to say in words and pictures tomorrow. Time to get some sleep.

Have a good week.

Mother's Day Weekend

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers I know. Considering that this is also graduation week, that's quite a lot who I have known for a long time, from the time our children first walked into Kindergarten, onto the soccer field, or into their first meeting of Cub Scouts.

I'm fortunate to still have my mother, and she's come out to celebrate her only grandson's graduation. My brother and his wife will be joining us later this morning. We are going to treat my mother to a nice dinner and a glimpse of some of the unique scenery our area has to offer.

Evan has to work this Mother's Day, and although I wish he could join us I also have to let him assume this responsibility as his own, do what he can, deal with both the pleasantries and the drudgery of the working world, and let him learn his way. Despite the significant challenges of losing his mother, he's turned out to be a resourceful, resilient, and articulate young man, who I daresay is better prepared for some of this world's more difficult realities than perhaps some of his peers.

He's trying to get into Mesa State for the fall, and has a plan mapped out as far as what he wants to study. I have the means to help him out initially, but depending on how his plans and dreams shake out he may end up paying for some of his college education. That's not a bad thing in my mind; I think that he will learn and be ready for whatever gets thrown at him, or adapt quickly.
In a world like ours today, that ability is invaluable.

There are pink tulips and purple irises adorning my girlfriend Leslie's house today, and while she says she enjoys the flowers there is a reminder of the physical distance between us that the sentiment behind the flowers must somehow compensate for. I'm a better person with her close by. I miss you, baby.

It's been a busy weekend with relatives coming in from out of town and having to work on Saturday, but with the cool evening breezes tempering the heat of the mid-spring day, and the sound of good music wafting into the neighborhood from the festival downtown, I'm feeling pretty good about the days ahead, but a little empty as well for those who are not with us.
To absent friends...

To add to the quiet satisfaction is the triumph of the Penguins again last evening. One more win and they're halfway to the Stanley Cup. The first time they won it was in 1991, when two other things happened that I thought would not in my lifetime; that I would own a house, and have a child.

Despite the loss and disappointment over the last few years, I can truly say that I am blessed by the love of my family, including those who are far away. Thanks to all the moms out there; one way or another, we couldn't have got here without you.

Enjoy the day and the week ahead.

Remembering Tammy - Part 2

In the spring of 2006, about 4 months before I started this blog, my late wife Jan was fighting the lung cancer that would eventually take her from us about a year later. She wanted to spend part of the summer at our condominium on Cape Cod, but was fretting about the myriad issues surrounding air travel, especially with metal rods in her spine and a boxful of medications.

While thinking about the logistics of this, I arrived at the conclusion that this trip could be much more for Jan. With that in mind, I worked out a plan to drive the distance, taking our time to get there as much as possible, along a route that would allow us to spend time with as many of Jan's relatives and friends as we could.

While on the way we got to see parts of the country we had never seen before, and people that we had not seen face to face for many, many years. The trip remains a good memory during a tough time. I wrote about it at length in the Yahoo group that chronicles Jan's illness.

Tammy Martin and her family didn't have the opportunity to travel together this way. I've written about Tammy before, roughly a year ago when she lost her battle with ovarian and colon cancer.

Circumstance and the progression of her illness prevented a trip for Tammy, her husband Burke, and their two children from happening.

Today, Burke and the remainder of Tammy's family began an effort to see to it that adults facing a serious illness have the opportunity to travel or share special experiences with their families. The Tammy D. Martin Trips, Dreams, and Memories Foundation held the kick-off of their initiative, along with a tree dedication in Tammy's memory, today at Hawthorne Park. This coincided with what would have been Tammy's 39th birthday.

I stopped down and spoke with Burke, Tammy's mother, and two sisters. All seemed buoyed by the reception so far from the community at large, which included plenty of media attention, in particular a very nice story in yesterday's Sentinel.

Hopefully this will translate into a healthy beginning for the foundation, and the ability for them to fund trips of this nature for families in need.

My check is already in the mail. If there is space within your heart and your finances to help a local charitable effort with an identified need get off the ground, please consider it. I will keep a banner at the bottom of this blog page until the end of the month, to serve as a reminder and as a measure of support.

Thanks.

A Stitch in the Patchwork

Congratulations to Bill Pitts and Tom Kenyon, who along with incumbents Teresa Coons and Bonnie Beckstein were sworn in earlier today as members of Grand Junction City Council.
Your commitment to public service is admirable, and you've got a big job with just about as big a target on your collective backs.

Best of luck to all of you. I will continue to try my best to keep my comments respectful and directed at issues, not personalities.

One item on Council's agenda this evening relates to annexation. I continue to have significant concerns about the manner in which the City/County annexation "machine", driven by the Persigo Agreement of 1998 and seemingly unstoppable even in the face of challenging economics and reduced revenues, continues to add territory to the city limits.

However, tonight's action may actually shed a ray of the light of common sense onto this process, while at the same time continuing to illustrate the egregious nature of the manner the city has grown under the Persigo Agreement. Council will vote tonight on the annexation of six separate pieces of right-of-way along North Avenue (see partial illustration above), which comprise the remaining sections of one of the City's prime commercial and commuter corridors.

The good news; The entire length of North Avenue, from First Street to the I-70 Business Loop just west of 30 Road, will be in the city limits. For public safety, this simplifies things quite a bit, especially as they relate to traffic enforcement and accident investigation along North Avenue.

The not-so-good news is that the practical effects of these quirky annexations are somewhat embellished by this latest move, at least until the City gets around to annexing the remaining properties along North Avenue, east of 29 Road, that remain outside its' boundaries today.
The following illustrates this rather well:

Tonight's annexation (it's a foregone conclusion, and that's part of the problem) will include those parts of North Avenue highlighted in blue, thus unifying North as part of the city in both directions. Notice, however, all of the properties in white, which are not part of the City. There is still potential for confusion and miscommunication with incidents and criminal activity that begin in one jurisdiction and cascade over into another.

For example, if a vehicle traveling north on Morning Glory Lane is rear-ended by another vehicle, then pushed into the intersection of North Avenue and struck by a second vehicle, then it's quite possible that the Colorado State Patrol will be handling the first accident and the GJPD the second one. Lovely, huh?

An even more interesting example of this is the annexed property along 29 1/4 Rd, highlighted in red. Note the line drawn down the middle of 29 1/4 Rd, connecting this property to the right of way of North Ave. that will be annexed tonight. That line appears to illustrate that the City has taken only the west side right-of-way on 29 1/4 Rd., in order to connect the annexation to the remainder of the annexed properties and rights-of-way in the area.

What this likely means from a practical standpoint is:

• If an incident happens at the annexed properties, the GJPD will handle it.
• If an incident happens on the west side of 29 1/4 Rd., the GJPD will handle it. If it happens on the east side, the MCSO (or CSP, if it's an accident) will handle it.
• If it happens at any other property in this illustration, the MCSO or CSP will handle it.

If you're confused, it's OK; you're not alone. Think of the 9-1-1 call taker trying to obtain this information, and assess jurisdiction, in an emergency situation. This may be followed by the dispatch of multiple agencies to sort it out and eventually determine the correct jurisdiction. How does this speak to the efficient management of limited public safety resources? Does this really have to happen this way?

One can only hope that with a new Council comes new questions, and the eventual re-visitation of the annexation process. In the meantime, I will continue to watch these developments.

Best of luck to our two new Council members as they try to navigate this quagmire in search of a more responsible way of growing our City.

Brought to You by the Letter 'S'

Happy May. I started this month not feeling all that great. Things are better on that front, and while progressing through yesterday and today I wound up finding out several things worth mentioning, all beginning with the letter S.

Senioritis

Friday was my son's last full day in a high school classroom. I had to bring him a form that he had forgotten at home, and it reminded me of his first day of Kindergarten, when he didn't have a snack. Another boy shared his snack with Evan; they remain friends to this day. I asked Evan what today had in common with his first day of school, and he immediately knew.

He picked up his yearbook from school today, and at first glace it looks immensely interesting. I have a picture of him with his backpack, ready to go to school for the first time. Contrast that with today, and it's amazing what the years do, and how fast they go by.

Samantha Stiles

I read Samantha Stiles' column in Friday's Sentinel over a sandwich at the First and Grand Subway. I thought her ruminations about traveling to Denver on the Amtrak were entertaining. Trains could be a big deal again in this country. There's lots of potential there; I need to go back east again soon, and would love to do part of it on the train if I have time.

Unfortunately, Sam is another talented young journalist who is taking leave of Grand Junction in search of greener or more familiar pastures. She is headed back to Austin, Texas. While this leads to the question of why she left Austin in the first place (it's a great city), this continues a disturbing trend of young journalistic talent leaving our area, including Mike Saccone, Marjorie Asturias, and now Sam.

While we as local media consumers are used to this in the broadcast arena, and may not be completely unexpected given the current nature of the newspaper business, it is nonetheless a cause for concern. I'm sure that our local editors are cognizant of this, and will hopefully continue to try to recruit energetic, talented journalists even through hard times.

Best wishes to you, Sam, for continued success and/or happiness wherever life takes you.

Smashburger

While I was at Subway yesterday I noticed work being done in the storefront next door, previously occupied by a pizza place and a barbecue joint. The new signage indicates that Grand Junction is about to get its first Smashburger franchise.

If that is still the case (their website doesn't list a GJ location slated to open soon), then this will be something to look forward to. Smashburger is a Denver-based chain of restaurants that showcases high-quality beef "smashed" on the grill to seal in the juices. Their menu embellishes this with fresh toppings, several kinds of cheese, and even a fried egg if you wish.

Evan and I dined at one of these places in Denver this past March. An extraordinary meal, quickly prepared, with the option to have a beer if you want. It's a little pricey, but I have the feeling that this location will draw enough business to make it worth the while of the franchisee.
Let's hope they get it finished and open soon. Yum...

Sheryl Williams

I was saddened to read about the death of Sheryl Williams in a motorcycle accident near Delta on Wednesday evening. Sheryl was a skilled, dedicated nurse who worked for Rocky Mountain Health Plans Home Health when my wife was ill.

Along with many other dedicated caregivers, Sheryl's diligence and skill helped Jan to deal with both the discomforts of her illness and the more difficult side effects of her treatment. Sheryl helped to improve her quality of life, despite the seriousness of her illness.

I'm sure that many patients and other families have benefited from Sheryl's compassion and expertise, most recently at the St. Mary's Regional Cancer Center. My condolences go out to Sheryl's family and co-workers.


I'm off to the graveyard shift for the bulk of the upcoming week. Evan is working afternoons and evenings at City Market, so up until graduation week we will be passing ships in the night.

Hopefully there will be plenty of chances to tell him how proud I am of him, to follow his dreams and don't be afraid, and to cherish every moment of every day.

Enjoy your Saturday.

Torture....Enough

"See, Mr. Gitts, most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of...anything! "

- John Huston (as Noah Cross) in Chinatown (1974)

A couple of evenings ago I was watching Keith Olbermann go way too deep into the nuances of waterboarding in the context of the Bush Office of Legal Counsel memos. I got tired of the immense effort being made to somehow distinguish the differences between waterboarding with a medical professional present and without. I started asking out loud if there wasn't something else Olbermann could focus that fine intellect and rapier wit on that would have a more tangible benefit for us citizens.

As it happens, voices as diverse as The Daily Sentinel and Garrison Keillor seem to be sharing this sentiment, and many published opinions carry with it a recurring theme; that too many resources and media attention would be directed at the inevitable hearings, indictments, and trials surrounding those who did indeed engage in torture at the behest of their government.
Keillor said it best:

"When I hear Democrats talk about "holding them responsible," I smell the sour righteousness of the victorious lording it over the vanquished. The guy they really want to put on trial is the old brush-cutter of Crawford, or else the old grouse hunter of Wyoming. They're the guys who signed off on those memos authorizing torture. The buck stopped at their desks."

Our limited resources should be effectively managed by directing them toward fixing the problem permanently, instead of engaging in high-profile prosecutions that amount to putting out spot fires while the central conflagration continues to burn unabated. As the Sentinel's editorial today pointed out very succinctly:

"One can dispute whether the United States should engage in some of these techniques, and many do. We have long argued that if Congress wants to prohibit waterboarding and other techniques, it can pass a law doing so. President Bush vetoed legislation containing such prohibitions last year, but Obama won’t."

Their editorial goes on to portray those engaging in the legal legerdemain that eventually determined that waterboarding was not torture as "struggling to determine what was legal and what was not under the imprecise language of then-existing federal law".

I don't buy that for a minute. I believe that the word came down to explore and utilize whatever means available to extract the information from those detained, and find a way to justify it under the law of man. The quotation at the top of this post drives my thinking in this regard.

That being said, should we be wasting time and human energy on targeting individual offenses, or working hard to eliminate the central facilitator of their moral affliction?

If we as a nation are truly committed to not engaging in torture or anything approaching it, then we need to codify that commitment so that it is clear and unambiguous.
Then we should move on.

We should also refuse to be complicit in the attempts of others to extract what they perceive as "justice" from those who currently reside within our borders. I'm referring to the case of one John Demjanjuk.

I've followed this case loosely for several years. I believe that there is sufficient reasonable doubt as to whether or not the man did any of the things he is accused of, and at age 89 I agree with his family's contention that to deport him overseas once again to face trial would amount to torture.

One way or another, by the hand of Man or of God, he will meet that God in relatively short order, and those of us who share a belief in that God must have faith that he will then be judged in accordance with whatever his actions were.
Leave him be.

If we truly portend to be "One Nation Under God", then we should be listening and taking heed when His Word directs us to follow a certain path, regardless of how inconvenient that path may be to our earthly goals. This familiar passage from Matthew sums it up pretty well for me:

Matthew 6:14-15 (New International Version)

14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Have a good day.

Prom Night 2009

Christopher Tomlinson - The Daily Sentinel

Saturday evening was rather blustery and unsettled, as evidenced by the photo above. By the time that my son, his date and the group of kids they went with to Grand Junction High School's prom had assembled, the wind was gusting significantly, and a dirt-infused rain was trying to work its way across the valley.

The kids all looked great, but I of course focused on Evan and his date, Morgan. They made for a very cute couple, which may sound trite considering it's Prom Night, but there was something different about these two. They genuinely looked interested in each other, not just the spectacle of the event. They seemed to complement each other very well.


After the kids were on their way, I went down to KAFM to take in two events at The Radio Room. One was the opening of an exhibit by members of The Art Quilt Association (AQuA).

janrickman.com

I was really looking forward to the show, and it didn't disappoint. There are some extraordinary artists in our area, and it was a privilege to see so many excellent examples in one place. The website includes pictures of pieces by many of AQuA's members.

The staff of KAFM has shown their expertise and versatility in making the Radio Room a quality, versatile venue for art exhibition, concerts, lectures, film, and other community gatherings. The station has leveraged this resource rather well.

The timing of the quilt show unintentionally coincides with some controversy about quilting in recent news items. Seems that Quilter's Home Magazine has featured more controversial art quilts that have challenged the status quo of the hobby in the minds of many, both in and out of the quilting community. Publisher Mark Lipinski is making waves with a unique take on the hobby that is exciting both quilters and fans of the art form.

While you won't see anything as provocative at this show as what's in the magazine, it is nonetheless worth stopping by if you're in town on your lunch break. The exhibit is open from 11-1, weekdays through May and June.

After the quilt show opening, the Radio Room transformed into a concert venue for singer/songwriter Gigi Love. Ms. Love has an excellent singing voice, and writes some very good music. She had an excellent electric guitar player accompanying her acoustic playing as well.

As good as Ms. Love's performance was, it seemed hampered by some difficulties trying to get her guitar in tune, and get it to stay there. I'm wondering if a significant reduction in barometric pressure as a result of the passage of a nasty cold front, occurring between her sound check and the actual performance, could have been a contributing factor. Ahh, springtime in Western Colorado..

Evan made it home in one piece the next morning, and said he had a good time. I was in bed by midnight, and could say the same thing. Rather than musing about transitions and waxing nostalgic, I'll leave it at that. Those of you with teenage kids know what I mean.

Hope the rest of your week is a good one.

Homeland Insecurity

Initially, I thought of posting just about the ongoing "controversy" surrounding U.S Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. I thought up the cutesy title in about two seconds, then started to realize that it meant a lot more to me today than just a few humorous comments about the distraction du jour.

It's been an unsettled last couple of days. I've been annoyed by several things. My girlfriend Leslie, who I talk to every day, seems restless and uneasy as well. It might have something to do with the early spate of warm weather here in GJ and in Pittsburgh, where it got up to 88 today and will be about the same through the weekend. Perfect hockey weather in the Burgh.

We are getting a respite in Grand Junction, with rain in the forecast just in time for my son's Senior Prom later today. This spring has been a nasty one for respiratory irritation, possibly secondary to seasonal allergies that really haven't affected me here as badly as they did back east, that is until this year.

What is not helping with this is the place where I work. I develop a nice hacking cough there after about three hours in my work area, especially if there is a lot of foot traffic. I think that this stirs up more airborne particulates from the carpet, which by anyone's recollection hasn't been cleaned in a couple of years.

I did my part, and took this up with my boss and the Employee Health office. We'll see what happens. In the meantime, the sniffles are creeping in on me even in the house at 2:30 in the morning. I may have to resort to giving Claritin a try for the first time.

Last night after work I told Evan I'd take him wherever he'd like for dinner, and he said he wanted sushi. I'm not a fan personally, but Suehiro on Main Street delivers good food and decent service for a good price, and has stuff I like as well.

It was a very good meal, even if the ambiance was a little more challenging than usual. Seems that last night was the re-scheduled Bret Michaels concert at the Mesa Theater, across Main Street from the restaurant. Along the streets and in the restaurant were a generational cross-section of 80's hair metal fans, along with some of the younger generation attracted to the singer by his dating show on VH1, Rock of Love. As for me, any mention of Poison, Warrant, or Whitesnake and I'm changing the channel or running in the opposite direction. Luckily, my kid likes Bay Area hip-hop and The Clash. To each his own...

My son is very thoughtful and articulate, even if we disagree on more than a few things. It's going to be an interesting time watching him graduate in a couple of weeks. I have some family coming out, and it will be nice, but I feel that his mother should be here. She took better care of herself than I ever have, and loved that boy so much. She, her parents, and others that played a large role in his life will be watching from Heaven, of that I'm sure.

With this rite of passage comes a transition period in my life as well. I committed myself primarily to my son after I left the 9-1-1 center last year. My work at the hospital has occasionally proven to be a challenge to that commitment, and it's now time to re-evaluate and prepare for the next phase of my life. That's not a comforting thought, as I am a lot of times driven by ego, and the ego craves certainty. I'll just leave off with something I read on Facebook that describes a part of my situation:

"The reason that ego and love are not compatible comes down to this: you cannot take your ego into the unknown, where love wants to lead. If you follow love, your life will become uncertain, and the ego craves certainty."

Oh yeah, almost forgot...

Those Republicans, especially those locally, should take comfort from the fact that they now have someone that they might comfortably refer to as "Janet from another planet'.

To her credit, Ms. Napolitano is making some sense at times, particularly about the Real ID fiasco.

The Obama administration properly dismissed the Republican 'indignation' as just posturing.

I don't fault Ms. Napolitano for her staff's eagerness to get out a report before it could be vetted from a political standpoint. As Governor of Arizona, Ms. Napolitano probably didn't see that many left-wing extremists, but had to work with someone who might just pass muster for inclusion into that report of hers; the Sheriff of Maricopa County.

Have a great weekend.

Columbine - Perspective and Tolerance

Ten years ago yesterday, I was working at the 9-1-1 center. Even as professionals who were trained and experienced enough to expect the unexpected, the Columbine massacre put a lot of us back on our heels, trying to assess the objective details of the incident; the whats and hows, how many victims, how many suspects, who was in Command, how information was being managed.

Over the years I've collected a lot of reports from the various agencies that either played a direct role in managing the incident, or acted in a review capacity. Their findings, and the actions taken on a collective basis by the various arms of government (including public education), make up the bulk of my interest and knowledge base in this and other similar tragedies.

I really didn't have much concern or interest about why the two young men would engage in such violent contempt toward their fellow human beings. However, I recently picked up Denver freelance journalist Dave Cullen's book on the massacre, and have been intrigued by the first couple of chapters, much of which incorporates the journal entries and letters of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

While many seem unwilling to draw any more public attention to the killers or their motivations (Oprah Winfrey being the most noteworthy), I'm still undecided on how much of this is necessary to try to understand perhaps what is beyond our comprehension or capabilities. I guess I'll just see what the book looks like beyond Chapter 2. If it becomes too melodramatic or psychoanalytical, I'm putting it down. I believe that some things are not meant for us to understand.

The only other perspective that I think is relevant amid the cacophony of reporting and personal accounts is as a parent, public safety professional, and civil liberties advocate. From these vantage points, changes made in the wake of Columbine have been a mixed bag in terms of both effectiveness and intent.

The Sentinel's reporting in Sunday's edition focused on events that occurred locally after Columbine, and the response of government and local school officials to both events. Additional mention was made of "zero-tolerance" policies, extensive security measures, and comprehensive emergency planning and response efforts that have been ramped up as well.

Some of these efforts have resulted in the prevention of potentially tragic occurrences, such as the 2004 Fruita Middle School "hit list" incident involving five students, one of whom brought a gun to the school. Not reported in Sunday's account was how this particular incident illustrated the need for consistency in the application of policies and due diligence; at least one of the involved students was the child of a law enforcement officer.

In contrast to the above example is the establishment of a network of School Resource Officers among several local law enforcement agencies, along with the hiring of a full-time Safety Coordinator at District 51. This dedicated group of officers, while having a positive impact on the

mitigation of a number of issues, has also enabled District 51 to develop the means to keep many incidents off of the radar of the media or parental community, by instructing staff to contact their Resource Officer instead of the county's central dispatch to report incidents, even if that officer may not be on campus.

I believe that this practice puts a misplaced priority on maintaining secrecy over effective management of the incident, while creating a double standard for public safety system access and the potential for confusion in true emergency situations.

The slippery slope of "zero tolerance" has not reared its ugly head here as much as it has elsewhere. The Sentinel's editorial this morning cites a rather grievous example of the potential for abuse of these policies by over-zealous school personnel. Hopefully the Supreme Court will recognize this, by affirming the female student's 4th Amendment right not to be strip-searched for Ibuprofen.

Zero tolerance for weapons, or any representation thereof, would seem to make sense on the surface, until you consider the case of the honor student in the Cherry Creek School District south of Denver, who was expelled in February for having three fake wooden rifles used by her drill team in her car on school property.

The school district responded to the significant public and professional outcry by saying that they were only following the state law that requires an expulsion. Fortunately, a Republican State Senator has introduced a revision to this law which will apply the expulsion requirement to actual firearms only.

Despite some of the interesting commentary from the school Principals interviewed by the Sentinel, it is becoming readily apparent from a number of perspectives that zero tolerance equals zero common sense. I expect that continued efforts at allowing discretion in some of these areas will be put forth and enacted.

At the same time, I hope that greater emphasis will be placed on transparency and consistency in the reporting and management of incidents that occur on our school campuses. As parents, neighbors, and taxpayers, we deserve to know what kind of environment we are sending our children into, what kinds of issues are being dealt with that impact our neighborhoods, and what kind of organizational effectiveness our tax dollars are paying for.

As my only child prepares to leave the public school system, I'm thankful for the dedicated staff of teachers and administrators that made his school experience a (mostly) safe one. I look forward to continuing improvement in communication between administrators, citizens, public safety, and the media in its varying forms.

In a focus area where there are so many stakeholders and so many varying agendas and priorities, the better we are able to communicate and understand, the safer we will be.

Have a safe and blessed week ahead.

In Praise of Dispatchers

Dispatch "Dis*patch"\, n.

1. The act of sending a message or messenger in haste or on important business.

2. Any sending away; dismissal; riddance.
To the utter dispatch of all their most beloved comforts. --Milton.

3. The finishing up of a business; speedy performance, as of business; prompt execution; diligence; haste.
Serious business, craving quick dispatch. --Shakespeare.

4. A message sent with speed; especially, an important official letter sent from one public officer to another; -- often used in the plural; as, a messenger has arrived with dispatches for the American minister; naval or military dispatches.

- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary

You'll have to excuse me for tooting the horn of my own profession for just one day.
I'm called to recognize those on who we as a society rely to safely and effectively coordinate critical resources, no matter what types of resources they may be.

This week marked National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, which was established back in the early 90's to recognize the contributions of those who toil in relative obscurity and 'interesting' work environments, through political and cultural quagmires, and with uncooperative and often hostile citizens (and sometimes responders), to get the right help to where it's needed.

I've been doing this sort of thing for over 25 years. The fundamentals of the profession really haven't changed much, even though just about everything else has - right up to what they call those who do this job. As you can see from the definitions above, the emphasis of the word was on speed and haste. Now the emphasis is on the tools and skills used, with unwieldy, PC-sounding titles like "Telecommunicator" or "Communications Specialist". They sound more professional, but still don't do justice to the skill sets required.

The last time I was called a "Dispatcher" was while working at Life Flight in Pittsburgh. Around 1990 our job titles were abruptly changed to "Air Medical Communications Specialist" after the FAA objected to the use of the title "Dispatcher" in an aviation-related position without being licensed by the FAA as a "Dispatcher".

It turns out that such a position has a lot of responsibilities for flight planning, routing, and calculating such things as fuel loads and weight and balance. They also maintain contact with commercial aircraft while in the air to advise of changes in weather, or to communicate other information on behalf of the airline they're working for. Another name for this job responsibility is "Flight Superintendent".

Coordinating resources at this level is an awesome responsibility, just as dealing with a sometimes frantic general public can be, to go along with Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, Public Works, and Human Services personnel, all whose demeanor can approach a similar level at times.

As time passes, and the priorities and challenges of this life change, I've been buoyed by the quality of the young people who have challenged themselves to get past the long screening process and lengthy training program, and continue to carry themselves in an honorable and professional manner. You know who you are.

One big difference in many parts of the United States is in how Telecommunicators are generally regarded and trained. This is something that has improved in the years that I've been in Colorado, but there are still many places in this country where those who serve as the critical link between citizens and public safety professionals are regarded as no more than clerical staff. Their agencies receive the same priorities with regard to funding. In fact, over the years some legislatures in other states have seen fit to attempt to raid 9-1-1 surcharge funds, in the same way that Colorado dallied with tapping a worker's compensation fund. Politicians and priorities, hmmm....

Grand Junction and other areas in Colorado have an excellent public safety communications system, from the Technology through the Processes all the way to the People. While that doesn't mean that there isn't room for improvement in many areas, it does mean that there are responsive, professional people on the other end of the line, ready to address just about any situation thrown at them.

The reported difficulties in finding the kind of people who can accomplish this on a consistent basis is also that much more of a validation that they are an equal part of the team that protects lives and property in Mesa County.

I've dispatched with a walkie-talkie, cell phone, and clipboard in the passenger seat of a car, in closet-sized rooms with dust bunnies the size of cats, in rental office trailers with borrowed carpets to try to improve the acoustics, in the basement of an old train station, in a large, well-equipped truck that incorporated many of my own design ideas, and in the Emergency Operations Center for a major metropolitan area.

Now I'm back in a hospital in a windowless room, but maybe there's a chance for some light on the subject. Perhaps it's time for me to take "Dispatching" to a different level. Who knows where I'll end up?

This coming week includes some tough anniversaries in our recent history as a state and a nation. More about that later. May your week ahead be a peaceful one.

Amazon and Smart Mobs

Graphic by the National Coalition Against Censorship

"Way back" in 2002, the techno-social-futurist Howard Rheingold penned a book called Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution. The book's main focus was on the then-nascent technologies of text messaging and wireless Internet connectivity, how it had been leveraged in places where mobile phone proliferation was significantly greater than in the US (Japan and Finland), and the potential for social mobility and change rising from this instant and mobile measure of interactive connectivity. I tore through the book in about 3 days back then, and my copy is littered with post-it bookmarks, highlighted passages, and margin notes.

Now that Wi-Fi Internet service has proliferated into homes and businesses across the country and the world, and organization through text messaging and social networking services are creating unique and powerful ways of mobilizing people, opinion, and resources, Mr. Rheingold's predictions about the power of this technology are coming to fruition in ways that are exciting to some and scary to others.

The flash mob phenomenon, while impressive in its ability to assemble seemingly random and disparate groups for things like pillow fights and performance art, has started to do some serious growing up in the last week or so.

Last week, Amazon.com removed from it's sales-ranking based search system numerous book titles that could be termed adult-themed. These included several gay and lesbian romance novels, erotica, and other books in similar genres. One author and blogger who complained to Amazon about this received an email reply that the removal of his gay-themed novel from sales rankings was "in consideration of our entire customer base".

Ouch.

Since Amazon's search system selects items in its inventory based on this sales ranking as well as the customer's search query string, these types of books may not have been displayed as available for sale, or have been so far down in the results as to have been likely ignored by shoppers. One blog secured several screenshots illustrating the problem, while calling for a boycott of Amazon until the practice was ended.

In conjunction with consternation in the blogosphere, someone subscribing to the social networking site Twitter began notifying others and encouraging collective action through the twitter "hashtag" #amazonfail. Over the Easter weekend, this tag was present in more "tweets" than any other tag, including #Jesus. While that is unfortunate, it illustrates in no uncertain terms the ability of these types of services to notify and mobilize thousands with little effort.

Amazon took notice, and with their PR department on its heels during Easter weekend issued what appeared to me a hastily-assembled media release lamenting the problem as the result of a "glitch" that would be fixed as soon as possible. Many Twitter-ers are sensing that Amazon's response is a bit disingenuous, which has resulted in a new hashtag, #glitchmyass.

It doesn't matter what happened. What matters here is that the use of social networking and related activism sent a corporate giant reeling and into serious 'spin and protect' mode. This is even more ironic when you consider that Twitter is owned in part by several venture capital firms, including one operated by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

As we've seen in other applications in the commercial, political, and activist arenas, the social revolution that Howard Rheingold predicted earlier this decade is upon us. My personal take is that these types of new and innovative technologies benefit those with innovative, open and creative approaches to life and living.

That's why regardless of how much social networking is used to garner support for causes such as today's Tea Parties, those with a mind inclined toward eliciting collective support for the common good will have the edge in using these technologies. Those with closed minds just won't see it.

Have a good night.

Graveyard Scatterbrain

I emerged Monday from what was a quiet, almost laconic Easter weekend (save for the excitement of watching golf, as contradictory as that may sound) into two nights of graveyard shift at the hospital. To follow the first night shift that I've worked in over two years was a session at the radio station Tuesday morning with 23 second graders, eager to record their Words.

After that came lunch with my co-producer, followed by a trip to the accountant to get my taxes, sign and mail the necessary paperwork, then head back to the house. By this time I was on autopilot to the bed for about 2 1/2 hours of sleep before getting up to do my second night shift.

I survived that surprisingly well, but today requires me to be up and active, mostly in the afternoon, and I hope that my circadian rhythms are up to the challenge. The night shift has made my Internet and computer-induced ADD all the worse, and as a result a few choice tidbits have been flitting their way in and out of my head. I'm going to try and list all of them before something else gets in the way of proper cognition, like the Penguins game tonight.

Give me a minute....

'Sexting' - Sinister or Just Stupid?

About a year and a half ago my son had a call come up on his cell phone. With this lovely device you can associate a photo with a particular caller or group of callers. When I saw the photo of the naked female torso on his phone, I was immediately concerned and alarmed; was that someone he knew? Why did he have it on his phone?

After eliciting an explanation and expressing my extreme displeasure, the picture disappeared from his phone. While the person that exposed themselves for their cell phone was unidentifiable from the picture, it was undoubtedly circulated to several other people. Why would someone do something like that?

As time has passed others have had occasion to ask the same question of teenagers, both famous and not, and the reaction from the so-called responsible adult segment of our society has been as varied as there are political systems at work in our 50 states.

Our always-at-the-ready-to-pounce-on-anything-remotely-resembling-anything-sexual news media has brought forth numerous examples of kids taking pictures of themselves in various states of undress for boy/girlfriends, and finding that the ubiquitous, pervasive, and permanent nature of the Internet, combined with human error, indifference, and in some cases cruelty, has proliferated these images wayyy beyond the intended audience.

The reaction from said media, parents, other teens, and the criminal justice system has been all over the place. This has ranged from the to-be-expected ridicule from a lot of insensitive kids to a well-publicized suicide resulting from this.

As is commonplace when technology and its' uses race ahead of common sense attempts to regulate it, the response from many law enforcement agencies and prosecutors has been ham-handed and less than appropriate. This week's court case involving a Pennsylvania DA (surprise) threatening child pornography charges against three girls who circulated provocative pictures of themselves is an example. There are several other cases out there, including one from Florida where the boy who sent a nude picture of his girlfriend to others (after she sent it to him) may have to register as a sex offender.

Many people are asking if the punishment fits the crime here. Others go as far as to ask if there is a crime being committed if the images are taken and disseminated with the full knowledge and consent of the participants. Still others wonder if this is largely an unwarranted intrusion by government into the parent-child relationship. Lots of so-called experts with more time and clearer heads than mine have weighed in expertly on this subject. You can read their assessments here, here, and here.

I decided to mull over all of this from a parent's perspective, and tried to come up with something meaningful to say to my child that would hopefully stick. So here goes:

The first time that someone you love chooses to share their body with you will hopefully be something that you can happily carry with you the rest of your days on this earth. You won't need a picture to remind you; it will be an indelible imprint on your memory, a sweet something written with a purple Sharpie on the inside cover of your favorite book.

That sweet something is best when it stays with just the two of you. To make it something more than the profound statement of love and trust that it should be cheapens both the experience and those who shared it. Keep this close to your heart, for when your heart feels close to someone else.

May you have a blessed and safe Easter weekend.

Council Candidate Follow-Up

Today was municipal election day in the City of Grand Junction. It seemed to be a rather low-key affair in comparison to the last election. Aside from the obvious differences, conducting an election solely by mail may have something to do with that.

Even though the stakes don't appear to be as high as in November, there were still 4 council seats to be decided, which constitutes a majority. While there doesn't appear to be an organized slate or bloc of candidates which could conceivably control Council if elected, there did seem to be a somewhat refreshing difference of opinions that created some meaningful choice in some districts and the one "at-large" seat that was contested.

One month ago I posted a recap of issues pertaining to Public Safety, with the stated intent of posing these issues to as many Council candidates as I could reach, to elicit any opinion they might have on these issues.

I sent an e-mail that included that earlier post to every Council candidate with the exception of Bill Pitts and Ken Sublett, who I could not locate e-mail addresses for. Here is a brief overview of what I got back:

Bonnie Beckstein, Sam Susuras, and Tom Kenyon did not reply.

Roland Cole replied with a question as to who I was, and if we had met. I replied to him with a brief bio, and stated that to my knowledge we had not previously met. I received no further replies from him afterward.

Reford Theobold replied, and basically referred me to his website, specifically his position on new Public Safety infrastructure. Mr. Theobold's website is comprehensive in scope, and contains many well-written position statements. The experienced Mr. Theobold also received local media endorsements, as did Mr. Cole. A lot of good it seemed to do them.

While it's true that Mr. Theobold was a Council member when the last economic downturn hit Grand Junction, it's also true that he was a Council member when the Persigo Agreement was signed with Mesa County. He may have proven his mettle in helping to manage adversity, but what about growth, especially when that growth may continue unabated despite the likelihood of reduced revenues? I guess we won't know, at least until he runs again.

The most comprehensive and fruitful response came from incumbent (and unopposed) candidate Teresa Coons:

Hi John --

I would be happy to sit down with you and discuss your concerns and issues. Without going into great detail in this message, I would say that most of the things that you mention in your points below are actually taking place, albeit maybe not in a manner that makes these collaborations obvious to the general public. For example, the public safety functions throughout Mesa County (police, fire, and all-hazards emergency management) are approached very collaboratively by all of the emergency services agencies within Mesa County. There are a number of formal contractual and informal agreements among all of the agencies within the county. There have, in fact, been a number of major emergencies over the past few years where the collaborative operations of these agencies were clearly evident. Having served for the past 6 years on the Mesa County Board of Health, for the past 4 years on City Council, and serving as the City Council representative on the Meth Task Force, the Offenders Management Task Force and the Pandemic Flu Preparedness Task Force, I have been able to witness the inside operations of the emergency agencies within our county, and the relationships among them. I might also add that the Police Chief has established a Citizen's Advisory Board, and Grand Junction police, fire, and utilities personnel (among others) participate very actively on the County's Emergency Management committees, which are convened by the County Emergency Manager, and include participation from key personnel from the other incorporated municipalities within the County.

Teresa Coons

Ms. Coons made an effort to answer my concerns by lining up behind the efforts already being taken by local public safety agencies to work together and communicate. I agree with some of her assertions, but some of my concerns remained unaddressed. These efforts do occur, and they do result in some extraordinary joint operations in highly adverse conditions. I hope to be able to sit down with her sometime soon.

One other thing that came out of Ms. Coons' reply was that she copied it to City Manager Laurie Kadrich. Ms. Kadrich then copied that email to the other candidates, asking that she be given the first opportunity to speak with myself and others about the concerns I have brought forward.
I meet with her later this week.

Congratulations are in order to Bonnie Beckstein, Teresa Coons, Tom Kenyon, and Bill Pitts on their election to Council. It stands to be an interesting year ahead, right off the bat. I'm looking forward to see how the Comprehensive Plan, along with the obvious needs of Public Safety, will be addressed by this Council in ways that are in the best interest of the City that put them in office. 25 years from now is important, but pales in comparison to the needs of the community over the term of these new Council members.

Tomorrow is another day of work, as well as a day of reflection, remembrance, and continuing to look forward to a future both uncertain and full of possibilities perhaps not even thought of yet.

Take care.