Spurious Signal Propagation

So much has been going on lately that I started alliterating subheadings in my head to try to keep them straight, and try to organize my thoughts about them.

While pondering them in recent days, they seemed to resemble too much unwanted feedback on a landscape of information and occurrences. I tried to have a serious discussion with my wife about religion - and wound up with a headache instead of anything meaningful. That doesn't usually happen.

All of this reminded me of what in radio terms is called spurious signals, or "undesired signal energy present at any frequency at the output of a device that was not present at the input". It's all the noise that gets in the way of what really needs to come through. More about this later.

Here is a sampling of some of that intentionally organized, yet unwelcome random stuff that stands in the way of real progress in my own personal growth - perhaps more of a picture of how my brain works (or doesn't) than one might like.

Brought to you by two letters of the English alphabet.


Surveillance, Secrecy, Snowden - Past is Present 

Has anyone else noticed that this entire episode started out eerily like the first several minutes of The Bourne Ultimatum, right down to the same media outlet breaking the story?
Hopefully it doesn't follow the plot line completely, even though I'm sure that the reporter Glenn Greenwald and his staff are taking whatever precautions they feel are necessary. The same can be said for their source.

Despite all of the additional revelations and events that have transpired over the last two weeks, I will stick with my first impressions about Edward Snowden after reading the interview that the Guardian conducted with him in Hong Kong, and released two Sundays ago - 

"I carefully evaluated every single document I disclosed to ensure that each was legitimately in the public interest," he said. "There are all sorts of documents that would have made a big impact that I didn't turn over, because harming people isn't my goal. Transparency is."

Courageous, misguided, naïve, unafraid, narcissistic - these and so many other adjectives have been used to describe the man. I personally think that he did a service to the cause of personal privacy and controls over what the government can find out, and what they can do with it.

I was listening to Mike Pintek talk about this on KDKA last week. He referred to the Pentagon Papers controversy, which this affair is being compared to, as "ancient history".
Please, Mike - we were both alive when it happened, and just because it happened 40 or so years ago does not make it any less relevant. 

Daniel Ellsberg is also still alive, and commented rather astutely in the Guardian on Snowden's actions:

"Snowden did what he did because he recognised the NSA's surveillance programs for what they are: dangerous, unconstitutional activity. This wholesale invasion of Americans' and foreign citizens' privacy does not contribute to our security; it puts in danger the very liberties we're trying to protect."

Ellsberg also makes a comparison of the NSA's activities to that of the East German Stasi during the heyday of the former Soviet bloc. The 2006 Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others is an excellent dramatic rendering of what it might have been like to live in a society where the fear of someone listening actually affects the nature of the discourse, regardless of the innocence of that discourse.

That is perhaps the best point I have heard in response to all of the reporting, hype, and outcry - that people will "self-regulate" themselves into what they think is palatable to what the government will tolerate.

This is an affront to the liberty of thought that no free society, that wishes to remain so, can tolerate for very long. The fact that all of this started to become public knowledge on the 49th anniversary of the publication of Orwell's 1984 has apparently not been lost on a lot of people.

The government may choose to throw the book at Edward Snowden, or do nothing at all - let him live out his days with one eye continuously looking over his shoulder. There is, however, enough of an outcry on both sides of the political spectrum - including ACLU litigation and a very popular White House petition demanding Snowden be pardoned - that some action to curtail the NSA's activities will likely have to be considered.

We The People, at least those of us who care deeply about the free expression of ideas and dissenting opinion, will not stand for it. Apparently, many citizens are planning to take to the streets this 4th of July in support of the Fourth Amendment. How appropriate is that?


Sewickley Sewer Street Shutdown Surprise - Prolonged

Over the several months, an ongoing project to connect portions of Aleppo Township and Glen Osborne to Sewickley's sewer system has resulted in several street closures and other traffic-related issues - many not communicated in a way motorists and citizens would probably appreciate or expect.

This trend apparently continued with the closing of Beaver Street in the heart of the Village two weeks ago. The Herald's story, dated Tuesday June 4, announced the closure and detour of Beaver at Logan Street to last two days.

The Quaker Valley School District sent a mass e-mail the previous evening, attempting to quickly notify parents of the closure. Communications Director Tina Vojtko made it a point to write that "we were just informed late this afternoon" of the impending detour - I imagined I could almost hear the banging of annoyed fingers on Ms. Vojtko's keyboard as it was being written.

I can't tell you if I was surprised or not to go to church two Sundays ago and see the closure - and associated heavy equipment - still in place. It was later reported that the "2 day" closure ended a little over a week after it commenced.

From last year's closure of Beaver Road in Glen Osborne, to the recent single-lane restrictions on Route 65 in the same community, up to and including this last closure, whomever is responsible at Sewickley Borough needs to make a better effort at communicating restrictions on traffic flow and other services, especially if those delays take longer than expected.

On my regular commute down Route 65 this week, I took note of the backhoe, fresh trenches, and pipe staged below where the road passes behind Osborne Elementary School. Hopefully something will be said about it..well in advance..if they intend to disrupt traffic again.


Sewickley Photoplay Philanthropy Shortage

The Village Theater Company is approaching a self-imposed deadline to obtain total pledges of $1.5 Million to construct a new movie house in the heart of Sewickley Village.

They've got a way to go to reach that goal by the end of the month. This past week I sent them an example of how a community comes together to make a great space possible - something that transcends the space itself.

Village Theater Company needs the community's help, at a fundamental level, to make this happen. It starts with financial resources, at this point in any amount. Best wishes to them in their efforts.


Penguins Paradoxically Plummet - Still Supportive

After following the Penguins during their successful campaign through a lockout-shortened regular season, and then over the first two rounds of playoffs that were rocky but eventually successful, it was distressing to see them basically not show up at all the first two games against the Bruins.

Since the Pens' season ended, there has been the predictable amount of speculation, announcements, signings, and accolades. Here are a few observations while we're waiting for next season to start:

1. Despite the post-season reaffirmation of Marc-Andre Fleury as the team's "franchise goaltender", this doesn't really explain or forgive his being thrown under the bus by Coach Dan Bylsma during the playoffs. If the team elects to jettison Fleury after saying this, it will  be tough to get behind anything they have to say in the future.

2. As for Coach Bylsma himself, General Manager Ray Shero apparently believes the team needs stability at the coaching level, and that the current coaching staff is best equipped to manage the team through numerous personnel additions, and perhaps some deletions.
Nevertheless, there's a bit of serious evaluation warranted for the way in which the team basically didn't show up for the first 2 games against the Bruins, and how to prevent that in the future.

3. It's nice that we have Evgeni Malkin for a long time, but the team's overall effectiveness will be diminished if they can't re-sign Kris Letang.

4. Sidney Crosby is probably the best individual player in the NHL. Those who play with him seem to agree with that statement - Congratulations, Sid, on your award.
With that in mind, consider the following statement from Wikipedia:

Although the rules do not specify any other distinction between the captain and his teammates, the captain has numerous responsibilities to the team, particularly in North American professional hockey. The captain is a dressing room leader, and also represents the players' concerns to management. During the game, captains are expected to motivate their teams, particularly captains who are stars or franchise players.

Considering the talent that Ray Shero amassed for this year's campaign, including Brenden Morrow and Jerome Iginla - both of whom left their previous teams as the captain - is there room for discussion as to which of the Pens may be best qualified to serve in that role in the future?


Public Station Programming Problem has Solution Starting

Two years ago this week, I wrote about the loss of jazz music programming on the FM airwaves in Pittsburgh. Two recent events have brought the return of this programming to local radio a significant step closer.

Pittsburgh Public Media announced the closing of their purchase of Bethany College's radio station, and the establishment of studio facilities in Pittsburgh's southern suburbs. According to the Post-Gazette, the group estimated that the station could begin broadcasting jazz music and other offerings of the currently online-only Pittsburgh Jazz Channel by sometime next month.

The group singled out Essential Public Media, the owners of the former WDUQ, for selling them some of that station's old equipment to help facilitate the start-up. It was nice of EPM to try to make amends in this way.

The station's current transmitter site will cover mainly the south and west suburbs of Pittsburgh, on 88.1 FM.  The group states that it will be actively seeking additional frequencies and transmitter sites to cover the remainder of the Pittsburgh area, and is seeking public support to gather funds for that purpose.

Coincidentally, this week the FCC announced that they are accepting applications for Low Power FM station licenses, made possible by the passage of the Local Community Radio Act in 2011. This could be an avenue for the jazz radio folks to gain access to the FM airwaves, while admittedly at low power, but with the proper transmitter placement could attain the coverage goals that they're looking for.

Great credit should be given to the Prometheus Radio Project for helping to spearhead the passage of the law, and for continued efforts to educate and inform non-profits and community groups about the availability of LPFM to inform, connect, and motivate local communities to action.

Come to think of it, there may be an opportunity for some forward-thinking locals to band together and make a go of it in our immediate area. I can say from personal experience that it can be lots of fun and hard work, with intangible rewards, and sometimes meaning beyond words.

Speaking of signals..Radio Free Leetsdale, anyone?

Enjoy the summer. 

Reflections on a Closed Balcony

“The Balcony is Closed.”
Roger Ebert, 1942 – 2013
Credit: Twitter via Salon.com

I’ve been trying to hold on to some personal thoughts about Roger Ebert, who died a week ago this past Thursday. I first wrote about Mr. Ebert back in 2010, after finding his exhaustive and popular blog, and its prolific original content and visitor commentary.

The reaction to his death has been significant and heartfelt from across a broad landscape of the national consciousness. If at least one online commentator is to be believed, it seems as if history is prepared to remember Mr. Ebert with the same regard that it holds other observers of the American condition, such asMark Twain, H.L. Mencken, and Will Rogers.

For me, I was a teenager growing up in Sewickley when books and the movies provided a gateway to other places and situations that I was only too happy to lose myself in. I really wasn’t aware of Roger Ebert, even though he was busy winning his Pulitzer Prize at about the same time.

Mr. Wheat and his theatre were still a community staple back then, but the nostalgic charm of the drive-in and the bombast of the multiplex sounded the death knell for little places like his – or so we thought. The Ambridge Family Theatre has been a special place for many years, and the prospect of a new theatre in Sewickley holds hope for the continued emergence of the Village as a place that teems with possibilities.

Roger Ebert has a lot to do with that, over and above his signature turn as Gene Siskel‘s partner and foil on PBS for all those years. Ebert championed the creative and artistic richness of such seemingly obscure film types as documentaries, independents, and Japanese animation.

The resulting increase in interest in “smaller”, independently-produced films has helped to sustain those older movie houses that have specialized in showing these and other films.

There are several local examples of this, including the Hollywood Theatre in Dormont, which featured prominently in one of the most engaging films made in this area, and one which Mr. Ebert recommended highly  - The Perks of Being a Wallflower. As for me, I got to see “Rocky Horror” in all its glory at the old Kings Court in Oakland.

Pittsburgh Filmmakers has also established a successful network of venues for these purposes – and appears to be poised to add Sewickley to its list of locations. Let’s hope they don’t get lost in pretentiousness, and decide to have some fun with it as well.

In the age of DVDs and Internet streaming, when people would seemingly be content to retreat to their homes or tablet devices to watch a movie, Ebert put a great deal of personal capital into the potential that social media and online communities offered those with an interest in film, other passions that Ebert expressed in writing, or both. What remains is an impressive collection of commentary by Mr. Ebert and a variety of associates.

I’ve been touched by much of Mr. Ebert’s volumes of writing on several topics, as well as some of the tributes that have appeared in the wake of his death. Here are a few:

An excerpt from his memoir Life Itself, titled “I Do Not Fear Death“:

“Kindness” covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn’t always know this and am happy I lived long enough to find it out.

His commentary for the DVD of Citizen Kane - full of insights and love for what Ebert admitted was his favorite film.

His now-famous skewering of Rob Schneider, who deserved it…




                                                                                            – Krishna Shenoi


Ebert corresponded and established meaningful relationships with numerous people of all ages and walks of life. One example is reflected in the above drawing, with a link to an accompanying blog post.

Another is a recent column in a public relations trade publication, by a PR executive who began exchanging letters with Mr. Ebert while in junior high school. There are numerous lessons that this professional marketer tries to impart as part of the example Mr. Ebert set, including this most telling one:

Ebert’s illustrious career mirrors society in profound ways – and it’s no accident that with the changing landscape of media and with his own failing health, he adapted into one of the most avid social media practitioners of our time. He was steeped in two-way engagement long before its mainstream popularity, and he fully leveraged the medium to stimulate great ideas and engage in intense conversation. 

Ebert may have been reduced by illness to someone without a speaking voice, but leveraged the virtual world to gain a lasting presence in it. He was very astute about marketing his product – himself. As a result, there is that much more of him that is left to study and enjoy for generations to come, and a legacy of succession is in place to assure that his beneficial impact on his craft will be a lasting and substantial one.

This must have not been an easy thing for someone such as Ebert, who in his writing seemed to espouse being alone as much as he enjoyed connecting with others. He overcame the spectre of alcoholism, fought back against the ravages of cancer, and while not always on the right side of everyone (who can be?), earned the respect that he got.

He was able to adapt to the times and the attitudes…

When I was a child the mailman came once a day. Now the mail arrives every moment. I used to believe it was preposterous that people could fall in love online. Now I see that all relationships are virtual, even those that take place in person. Whether we use our bodies or a keyboard, it all comes down to two minds crying out from their solitude.

He was most fortunate that he found a loving, equal partner, who he loved deeply and who was there for him.

Ebert saw the Internet as a “godsend” for those, like him, who were unable to connect to others by virtue of debilitating diseases. Yet he also saw the inherent value of relationships that resist a connection to everyone, all the time. This excerpt reads to me like bullet points for building a healthy relationship in later life. The emphasis is mine:

Why do people marry with no prospects of children? Babies are not the only thing two people can create together. They can create a safe private world. They can create a reality that affirms their values. They can stand for something. They can find someone to laugh with, and confide in. Someone to hold them when they need to be held. 

He then concludes this same paragraph with an admonition: A danger of the internet would be if we begin to meet those needs without feeling there has to be another person in the room.

Roger Ebert made a considerable life for himself by understanding and leveraging transformative media – motion pictures, television, the Internet – while showing us at the same time how to live an intimate, graceful existence, especially in the face of personal challenges that bordered on the extreme.

He was active, lucid, and relevant to the end - what more can one hope for in life?

It’s ironic that his example should represent for me a re-evaluation of all things online, but it does. It’s time for an adjustment or two.

See you at the movies..

Cell Phones and 9-1-1: Image vs. Reality

"From the Desk of the Mayor", Leetsdale Borough Newsletter, March 2013

Easter blessings to you.

I don't often write in this forum about the particulars of my profession. Looking back, it's been about a year since I explored the topic in depth.

Besides, I sometimes get the distinct feeling that most people, including those closest to me, have only a certain level of tolerance for the minutiae inherent in making a complex system function with grace and efficiency in the vast majority of circumstances. So when I'm not working, I try to think and write about other things that matter to me.

However, recent developments have me thinking about the potential consequences of communicating misleading, incomplete, or inaccurate information to citizens about this critical service, and especially how it works when using a cell/wireless/mobile phone.

It's Only a Movie..Only a Movie...

With that in mind, a movie came out earlier this month that incorporates 9-1-1, cell phones, and dispatchers as the the heart of the story. The Call stars Halle Berry as a 9-1-1 Telecommunicator forced to confront a critical, career-changing incident not once, but twice.

Too often I look at this type of entertainment and pick apart the differences between it and real-life circumstances. This tends to annoy those around me. Plus I can't in all fairness say whether or not the movie is any good based on just the snippets and hype.

I watched the trailer a couple of times, and came up with the same general observations that come up when film and TV attempt to enter the 9-1-1 realm:

1. Those 9-1-1 operators that work in open space environments, with high ceilings, abundant natural light, and state-of-the-art, ergonomically friendly equipment, are a decided minority in the business. Progress is being made, however - so much so that I actually know people plying the trade in such lovely surroundings - lots of them. Unfortunately, this does not include me.

2. Too often, entertainment vehicles that feature a dispatch center include the best of technologies - things that may not be available in all areas. This movie does it a little differently - it's plot moves along on the premise that a prepaid cell phone, such as those marketed by companies like Tracfone, Net10 and others, cannot be located via Global Positioning System (GPS) trackingas other mobile phones can. This is not true - many of these phones do give their location when calling 9-1-1.   

Cell Phone Reality #1: While technology can help 9-1-1 professionals locate people in need, it's only one part of the solution. Human beings helping other human beings is still what makes thisworld go 'round.

If you're really interested in learning more about the film from a 9-1-1 perspective, the Editor of 9-1-1 Magazine, probably the most informative publication about the profession, is also a film buff. Hiscolumn about the movie is sure to entertain and inform anyone with more than a passing interest in what public safety folks do day-to-day. 

Leetsdale Mayor's Cautionary Tale Highlights Best Practice Challenges

What really got me thinking about things was this month's Leetsdale Borough newsletter, specifically Mayor Pete Poninsky's contribution, which is pictured above. The Mayor focused specifically on the fact that his town sits on the county line, and as such some cell phone calls to 9-1-1 go to neighboring Beaver County, when Allegheny County dispatches the borough's police and fire departments.

This happens because some of the cell phone towers that provide coverage into Leetsdale are located in Beaver County, and are designed to send calls to the 9-1-1 center where the tower is located.

The Mayor's comments raised my eyebrows a bit when he stated "The call will then be transferred to Allegheny County 9-1-1, which will cause a 5 to 6 minute delay".

They stayed up when he suggested that cell phone users dial a 10-digit number, instead of 9-1-1, to reach Allegheny County directly and potentially avoid this delay.

As someone with more intimate knowledge of how this is supposed to work, I was surprised by this allegation. In general practice, the transfer of a call between one county's 9-1-1 center to another should take no longer than 15 to 30 seconds to accomplish. 

Great strides have been made in recent years to make sure that our area's emergency services function in a well-coordinated fashion, beginning with simple, direct access via our nationalemergency number.

To recommend that citizens dial any number other than 9-1-1 in an emergency, regardless of how well-intentioned the reason, constitutes a step backward in these efforts.

I spoke with Mayor Poninsky, and asked him what information he had to support his general statement about call delays. The Mayor admitted that his statement was based not on an identified pattern or trend, but an isolated incident involving an ambulance call in the borough.

This brings up additional factors involving the reason for any delay, as calls for EMS in Leetsdale must also be transferred to Valley Ambulance Authority for response. The ambulance service maintains it's own dispatch center, instead of relying on the county 9-1-1 center for service.

When trying to analyze how things work (and don't) in complex systems such as public safety, it's helpful to break things down into components common to best practices in many industries. For example:

Technology: There's an obvious need for at least one more cell tower in Allegheny County to cover Leetsdale and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, it's difficult to convince mobile phone companies that new towers are needed - more infrastructure cuts into their revenue and profits, and many communities try to resist towers over aesthetic or health-related concerns. 

Leetsdale Police Chief James Santucci, who also has a background in dispatch center management, estimated that the dividing line between cell coverage from towers located in Allegheny or Beaver County is in the area of Henle Park and Victory Lane. 

He also stated this can vary, however, on the user's cell phone carrier and even what type of network they are using. Someone using Verizon's 4G network, for example, may get coverage from a different tower than if they were on their 3G network. 

Regardless of these variations in cell tower and/or network coverage, you as a citizen deserve to have your call processed promptly and efficiently, regardless of which side of an imaginary line you find yourself on. This involves factors that go beyond the physics of radio, or the cold calculus of electronics. 

Cell Phone Reality #2: The person answering your 9-1-1 call may not be anywhere near your actual location, or as familiar with your area as you might be. Be prepared to answer questions as fully and calmly as you can.  

Processes: Even though some towns and agencies choose to do their own dispatching, most of them tell their residents to call 9-1-1 in an emergency. They know that by doing this it will also trigger the notification of agencies that they do not coordinate, but that may also be needed. 

The 9-1-1 centers in turn must quickly gather the required basic information, identify the need for a transfer, and successfully make that transfer. This happens hundreds of times a day in our area.

Unfortunately, at times the information necessary to determine whether or not the call requires a transfer is unclear, or must be repeated to multiple people. Chief Santucci cited this as a possible contributing factor to the incident that the the Mayor referred to in his newsletter article.

This highlights a process that also involves technology - the ability to quickly share data between dispatch centers could speed things up considerably, but would require a solution to connect what are currently different computer systems. 

People: None of the above can truly succeed without the effort of dedicated, well-trained professionals and the cooperation of an engaged, well-informed citizenry. Unfortunately, it's also a given that the amount of dedication, training, cooperation, and awareness varies greatly.  

Challenges like these extend across all of these areas, especially as technology continues to evolve, processes adjust to adapt, and people change their lives in response..or not.

Cell Phone Reality #3: Your brand new, state-of-the-art smartphone may be eclipsed by the next big thing 6 months from now. 9-1-1, however, has been behind the curve from the start. 

Since cell phones first hit the marketplace in the mid-1980's, those of us in public safety communications have been playing catch-up with the industry to assure that citizens who have an emergency situation can use this technology to get the right help to the right place. 

This has been a tough job, especially when popular features such as text messaging, mobile Internet and VoIP phone services, still and video cameras, and the ability to upload information to social media platforms has become commonplace - all without assuring first that public safety and 9-1-1 are prepared to deal with it. 

The primary government agency that holds sway over the mobile phone industry is the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC makes the rules that require the cell phone companies to provide for location information, as well as to promptly report cell service outages or disruptions.

Cell Phone Reality #4: The FCC also made the rule that requires all working cell phones to be able to call 9-1-1, regardless of whether or not there is a service plan for them. In other words, remove the battery from your old cell phone before giving it to a child to play with. Please and thank you...

The Future Is..Wait a Minute, It's Here Already

If you have a modern cell phone, you hold a marvel in your hands. The technology that makes your phone work is revolutionizing telephone systems from the ground up. The foundational world of mechanical, then electronic switching that made our landline telephone network possible is gradually giving way to the Internet as a new foundation - and 9-1-1 is following suit as best it can. 

Next Generation 9-1-1 offers the promise of establishing reliable communications networks that can handle all of the different ways that critical information can be sent today. It also changes the way that 9-1-1 services can be accessed and delivered, allowing for greater efficiency and the potential for reducing long-term operating costs.

The state agency that oversees the provision of 9-1-1 service in Pennsylvania is the Pa. Emergency Management Agency. PEMA appears to have a handle on the needs, benefits, and challenges behind making the transition to this next level of technology, in order to positively address citizens' expectations of both effective service delivery and that government revenue be spent in an efficient, responsible manner. 

This involves processes and people as well. The removal of physical limits related to legacy phone networks creates the potential for consolidation of both dispatch centers and the vendors that provide them with technology and maintenance support. A recent illustration of these potential trends from another industry is the announcement this past week of the rumored phasing out of the US Airways operations center in Moon Township.

Another example of how much things may be changing came to light this month as well, as the FCC posted a notice that they will be looking into the possibility of changing that rule about all working cell phones being able to call 9-1-1.

This is in response to the volumes of accidental calls from those phones that aren't connected to a service provider - we affectionately call these butt dials, pocket dials, purse dials, toddler dials, etc. These tie up both available lines and the personnel responsible for promptly answering them. 

There is no shortage of good public information out there about calling 9-1-1. April is National 9-1-1 Education Month - it also marks National Public Safety Telecomunicator Week.

There are plenty of online resources available for free download by citizens, government officials, and educators to help make sure that, even in the midst of unique local operational practices, a simple, direct, and easy to understand message is being sent. 

Change is a Constant

Regardless of the direction all of this goes, dynamic changes like these will continue to impact the way we live. That may sound awfully simplistic, but I don't know of any clearer way to say it.

This also applies to things that we take for granted even more, and perhaps understand even less about what it takes to deliver them to us. Stay tuned... 

Cell Phone Reality #5: We're doing the best we know how. Your cooperation is essential to our success on your behalf.

The Election, with Ben and Elaine

Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon 
Going to the candidates debate 
Laugh about it, shout about it 
When you've got to choose 
Every way you look at it, you lose 

                    - Simon and Garfunkel

The music of Simon and Garfunkel was running through my head last month. WQED aired a documentary that was originally broadcast on CBS in 1969, prior to the release of the iconic folk duo's last album Bridge Over Troubled Water.

The film, Songs of America, was included on a DVD that accompanied this album's 40th anniversary release. Our wonderful public library system provided access to a copy in short order, and it did not disappoint. I grew up listening to this music - wore out my mother's vinyl LPs.

The quote at the top, from Mrs. Robinson, was something that I thought about when putting together my earlier post about the choices we faced last Tuesday. 

It wasn't until the aftermath of the election, and the collective giddiness that many of us felt over what seemed to be a national rebuke of the Republican Party, that I thought about the movie that this song was written for.

If you already know The Graduate, then you know how the story ends. The young couple, in love despite some serious family drama, reject convention and the establishment to break out on their own. The initial elation over this brash and somewhat hilarious turn of events gives way to facial expressions that perhaps reveal other emotions - concern, uncertainty, even fear.

On a more topical level, the last scene of The Candidate (1972) shows similar emotional contrasts. 

That's what the election last week felt like to me - a sense of near disbelief and quiet satisfaction, followed by a renewed sense of concern for many issues and situations that have yet to be addressed. 

We remain a nation largely divided, but the record turnout in some jurisdictions threw that much more water on the fire of conservative extremism, even in the face of attempts to make it more difficult to cast a ballot in many states. The comparatively narrow popular vote may not constitute a mandate for President Obama, but the turnout certainly sent a message. 

What will also be interesting is how that message is received around the world. The recent stepping up of violence between Israel and Hamas, the rise of terrorist attacks in Libya, and the impending change in leadership at State (and CIA in the wake of scandal) are just a few of the factors that will make foreign policy interesting in the coming year.

The gains and holds by Democrats in the Senate (Tom Smith's challenge of Bob Casey really wasn't), along with a few hard-fought victories in the House, seemed to send an additional message. 

This is true even if a Republican conservative defeated an incumbent Democrat to represent the bulk of the Sewickley area and Beaver County in Congress. J.D. Prose was right - Keith Rothfus and Mark Critz split the vote nearly 50/50 in Beaver County, and that probably contributed more to Rothfus' victory than other factors.

Mr. Critz, in an election day interview on KDKA Radio, called Rothfus an ideologue - for everyone's sake, let's hope he's wrong.

If the intent of the electorate was a little nebulous at the federal level, it certainly wasn't in the races for state offices. With the exception of Mark Mustio, local House and Senate representatives were all elected from the Democratic side. This includes incumbent legislator Rob Matzie and now Senator-elect Matt Smith.

Democrats Kathleen Kane and Eugene DePasquale handily won their respective elections for Attorney General and Auditor General. In the days since, the brunt of most speculation focused on those areas of emphasis that may have helped these two win - Ms. Kane's promise to probe the handling of the Jerry Sandusky investigation (along with other issues), as well as Mr. DePasquale's commitment to review enforcement and regulatory issues surrounding Marcellus Shale exploration, and the agencies responsible.

This is of particular interest, given the recent controversy surrounding the completeness of water testing in the area of Marcellus drilling activity by the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The war of words is escalating between DEP secretary Michael Krancer and legislators such as Jesse White (D-Cecil). On a related note, Rep. White's recent historical analysis and commentary on the behavior of a local Marcellus drilling company is great reading.

With the wholesale defeat of Republicans running for statewide office, many are reading these results as a significant message to Governor Corbett. The Governor's public face appears to be unfazed by these developments, but I'm sure that the sharks are beginning to smell blood, and are preparing to circle for a run at Mr. Corbett in 2014. 

I was quite surprised at the turn of events in other states where the government permits the people to have a more direct say on how they are governed, through initiatives and constitutional amendments. 

Much attention was paid to the amendments legalizing marijuana for personal, recreational use in Colorado and Washington. Knowing the debate in Colorado since medical use of cannabis was legalized there in 2000, the effectiveness of the will of the people will largely be driven by how the federal government chooses to respond, or not. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper's glib comments about "holding off on the Cheetos and Goldfish for now" have received a lot of attention. 

As with so many other legal vices in this country, it feels to me as if those who are tripped up by any local or federal intervention in states where these laws are passed will have done so by calling undue attention to themselves. 

The other significant results were initiatives or questions in 4 states concerning the legalization of same-sex marriage, all of which went in favor of it. A Bloomberg columnist speculated on the likely challenges that may work their way up to the Supreme Court in the coming years. That likelihood represents one of the major pluses of President Obama's re-election.

One referendum that was noticeably absent from ballots across the country was the recurrent attempts at passing a personhood amendment. I remember when this amendment was on the ballot in Colorado - twice. It was soundly trounced both times. 

The inability of supporters of this type of initiative to get sufficient signatures to qualify for any state ballot in 2012 contrasts greatly with some of the anti-abortion rhetoric from candidates that made the news during the campaign. This included some controversial TV ads from long-time abortion protester and presidential candidate Randall Terry that aired locally. The comments concerning pregnancies resulting from rape by GOP senate candidates Todd Akin (Missouri) and Richard Mourdock (Indiana) were widely criticized on a bi-partisan level, and likely contributed to both candidates being defeated last Tuesday. 

Regardless of how one personally feels about abortion, it seems as if the vast majority of the electorate has grown tired of attempts to put it forth as a political issue, or feels as I do that the issue hinges on a decision gate that should not involve the government. 

Roe v. Wade was decided almost 40 years ago. Perhaps the voters are saying that it's time to move on.

The results of these initiatives around the country seem to represent a general rejection of this and other bullet points on the Republican social agenda, if not their fiscal plans as well.
Negative ads and attitudes aside - and we all know there were plenty of those on both sides - perhaps the message being sent from the voters to our political leaders is that solutions will likely not be forthcoming exclusively from one spectrum or the other.

In short: Work together..or else.

This will hopefully continue to be emphasized by what seems to be a newly energized and involved group of voters. Young adults helped President Obama to win re-election, and will likely continue to be a force for change and accountability.

This isn't to say that the remainder of the demographic didn't play a role. Let's imagine that Benjamin Braddock and Elaine Robinson stayed together, made a go of it in work (plastics?) and family, and are now preparing to retire.

They're holding their own in the family homestead, but are eyeing either a retirement community or an SUV pulling an Airstream trailer to spend their golden years in. It seems that with the kids gone, that property tax bill from the school district makes less and less sense every day.

They believe in fiscal responsibility, but eye with suspicion the Republican agenda to make changes to Social Security and Medicare. They ask, "Why should the budget problems be tamed on our backs? What did we do all that yelling for when our friends were fighting in Vietnam, and now we seem to be firmly mired in no-win conflicts in who-knows-where-istan?" 

They've been (mostly) loyal Republicans since the so-called Reagan Revolution - Ben pulled the lever for Romney, but Elaine had serious issues with the financial and social messages, especially as they relate to rape and abortion. She voted for the President.

As an active couple who grew up around the technological revolution, they have a computer, smartphones, and social media accounts to keep in touch with the grandkids. My, how they're growing up so fast these days....

Perhaps as much as technology moves our world faster and has served as a divisive and distracting influence, it also serves to allow information sharing and collaboration across not only physical boundaries, but generational as well.

The very nature of communication in this way lends itself to a greater sense of openness, curiosity, and understanding - something that those who resort to noise, hatred, and intolerance instead of facts and reasoned discourse will have to get used to more and more.

Wishing our leaders the best - for us and them - in the challenging years ahead.

Here's to keeping hope alive.

The Fortune Cookie Files

A close-up of my wallet, AKA the file cabinet, before a recent cleaning.

As part of my recent commitment to clean some things up, I started with one of the more essential components to the existence of most men - the wallet.

As one of the attached photos clearly demonstrates, I have a lot of stuff in my wallet. I'm the kind of guy that likes to have a lot of resources available - aside from the usual required pieces of plastic such as ID and a credit/debit card, I have loyalty cards (GetGo, Sheetz, Bottom Dollar, etc.), library cards (Sewickley and two in Colorado), postage stamps, a personal memento from my wife, a card-sized copy of the Bill of Rights, and space for coupons and receipts to accumulate. By the end of the month, I've got quite the collection. 

Despite medical warnings to the contrary, I like a wallet I can keep a lot of things in. Until I was about 25 I carried one of those big trucker's wallets, chain and all.

One thing that I've collected over the years stems from an affinity for Asian cuisine, and the omnipresent fortune cookie that comes with every meal. The fortunes themselves have little to do with the actual food or restaurant - truth be told, the best Asian cooking I've ever had was made by my sister-in-law in Oklahoma. 

Truth also be told, the fortune cookie is an American invention, and by Japanese immigrants to boot. According to Wikipedia - 

The exact provenance of fortune cookies is unclear, though various immigrant groups in California claim to have popularized them in the early 20th century, basing their recipe on a traditional Japanese cracker. Fortune cookies have been summarized as being "introduced by the Japanese, popularized by the Chinese, but ultimately...consumed by Americans."

Some of the fortune cookies that have graced my plate or take-out bag serve as a reminder or an admonition that I find valuable. These usually sit behind my drivers license until I clean and re-organize my wallet; they then get taped to old business cards and get placed in one specific spot for future reference. 

One timely and important piece of advice, taped to a monitor at
Allegheny County 9-1-1. Haven't had any take-out from that end of town yet.

There is a fortune cookie app available on Facebook. I will not provide a link to it - I like people too much to do that. As much as I'm interested in the random relevance or kitschy clairvoyance of fortune cookies, I don't like them enough to subject myself to anything from a Facebook app. For those Facebook friends in love with Farmville and similar time sponges, forgive me.

Sounds good to me, but I'm afraid that the money I save by not
buying more stuff will go toward more Chinese food...

It's also important to understand that these aphorisms are just that - an original thought in a concise or memorable form. They can be fun to read, dwell upon, even genuinely reflect on if the spirit moves you - but they are still mostly just the product of mere mortals. For example, how much stock would you place in a fortune that said "fracking fluid is high in essential nutrients"?

Remembering that you can get your own custom fortunes fairly easily nowadays further muddies the gene pool of mysticism and intrigue that can sometimes occupy the mind of the fortune recipient possessing an overactive imagination.

For me, the clarity present in scripture can be a healthy antidote to this confusion, even if some religious writers assert  (and I'm learning elsewhere) that most of the Bible isn't meant to be consumed in bite-size pieces. There are real and virtual fortune cookies available for this purpose.

You can even get instructions online for how to make your own fortune cookies with verses from LDS teachings. Although it's unclear whether or not the finished product would be suitable for church-recommended food storage, they would most likely be ideal for your next Mitt Romney fundraiser. 

So check out some of the samples I've collected. I know that some people also enjoy the language lesson and/or the lucky numbers that are on the back, but that's not what I've focused on. Perhaps I missed winning the Powerball because of it. Oh well..

Just as quickly as that order of Vegetable Lo Mein is forgotten, so may a lot of the fodder posing as advice or predictions, pinched en masse into rudimentary dough and baked with a hint of vanilla. 

But who knows what significance something so seemingly insignificant can have on the life of a single individual, and therefore on other individuals that person interacts with? Who's to say what the importance of the word "Rosebud", for example,  has on the psyche of one person, and possibly the collective psyche of a nation? How about the word "change" or "hope", for that matter?

Can fortune cookies be a metaphor or delivery system for American freedom? 

Some insight into this year's presidential race.

Have a good week ahead.