Give IT a Break!

I read this news report the other day.

• Texas Politics: Hasta la vista, Vista? (ANOTHER UPDATE) – Chron.com

Then I made the mistake of reading the comments. Gratefully there were just a few.

I ended up with a super-long blog-post full of insightful commentary and inside perspective.

I scrubbed it.  Figured these things really won’t matter much in the big scheme of things.

Rest assured citizens of the State of Texas, I can’t speak for everything and everyone, but it is my personal opinion that your state IT shops and their dedicated staff are on top of things, making sure you get the most bang-for-your-tax-bucks.

We got you (the public) and the state employees who use IT hardware and software technology to serve you covered.  Whatever the operating system is, or must, or could yet be.

We get IT. And we make IT work for you.

It’s our job.

We do it very well and very professionally.

--Claus

Eye on Obama…Hello POTUS-elect!

Gotta confess…regardless of personal political affiliation or leaning (or apathy), POTUS-elect Obama does have a very youthfully attractive Presidential style.

I voted on Tuesday, Lavie did not (very sick that day and didn’t early vote as planned), and Alvis will be voting in the next presidential election for the first time. Wow.  We already had a bit deeper political discussions between ourselves which is an interesting thing.

Here’s hoping that the next coming years will bring positive change and renewal inside our borders and reconciliation with our allies outside of them.

A few related links:

The next President of the United States – Boston Globe’s “Big Picture” feature with 35 stunning journalistic photos that bring to mind the aura of the Kennedy years…despite not having been born yet in that period.

Viewing a LOT of Images Effectively (plus 700 Obama Newspaper Covers in Silverlight Deep Zoom ) – Scott Hanselman’s ComputerZen.  Scott shows us what Silverlight Deep Zoom can do with web-images of the Obama onslaught.  If you have Silverlight and want to skip the technicals just hop over here: Silverlight DeepZoom Obama News.  If you don’t have or want Silverlight, check out this link instead: 730 Newspaper images from 66 countries at the Newseum by Scott Stanfield (although it isn’t nearly as “sexy”).

5 Signs President-Elect Obama Is a Geek – Wired Blog.  I wonder if he is an XBox360 guy or a Wii Dad….and does he prefer Vista or XP or a Mac?

BTW…I gotta be willing to stand behind any President who seems to have the same pair of eyeglasses as I wear.  I’m not 100% sure but I’m guessing those are Ray-Bans and the MIB style looks particularly close to the ones I wear.

--Claus

What's Missing from this Book?

Mom has successfully moved back to town from Kerrville, Texas.

My brother and I are working on helping her unpack, set up her new home, get her services set up, etc. Important stuff like ensuring we have proper cable channels ordered, high-speed broadband, wireless connectivity...all the things mom needs.

Last night as we were going through the boxes, someone pulled out an old copy (circa 1950'ish) of "a Little Golden Book: Cars and Trucks."

The following "kawaii" site has images of a slightly newer edition of the book and pages: Wee Wonderfuls: cars and trucks. All look the same but the last picture.

As I went through it, Alvis plopped down next to me so I decided to entertain my brother and mom with a running sociological analysis of why this book could never be published today.

1. The gasoline station hoses have no vapor-recovery devices on the ends.
2. They are pumping the gas directly into the ground. No regard for fuel spillage or ground contamination.
3. Does the fuel-truck driver have the truck running during pumping?
4. The school bus is loading kids, but has no safety flashing lights.
5. Why are there kids running out of the woods?
6. Is that a dog or a Meerkat?
7. What police officer is going to stop multi-lanes of traffic to let a family of cats cross?
8. Unsecured livestock in an open pickup truck bed?
9. The last picture on the Wee Wonderfuls post doesn't match the one in my book. In my copy, Dad is smoking a pipe out on the lawn watching the kiddos play, while mom is stuck in the camper cleaning the dishes all by her lonesome.
10. My book has lots more examples like these of characters over-looking some glaringly obvious public-safety issues, like the last page that looks like a college-prank of loading up a Beetle with as many people as you can fit.
11. Every single person in the book is white. I guess ethnic diversity didn't exist when the book was published? Or maybe they were implying that citizens of other ethnicities didn't need to drive cars and trucks?

Scarry.

Really. Richard Scarry illustrated the thing.

Alvis was shocked when I pointed out #11 to her. It really concerned her.

That made me feel proud as a parent. Maybe I am doing something right.

--Claus

Election Movies....

As we grind slowly closer to Election Day here Stateside, I've been thinking about the electoral process.

Alvis's Disney/Nick channels have been running a steady stream of election-focused items.

Lavie and I have been discussing our local and state issues and who we may be voting for this year...

A few nights ago, I dropped in, mid-show on PBS's airing "By the People: Democracy in the Wild" which provided a fascinating view of just how an election is run--from the officials point of view. It gave me new respect for poll-workers and the county election clerk's duties. Wish I could have seen the whole thing.

So here are some other (more or less) Election themed movies (in no particular order)...feel free to add your own suggestions:

Wag the Dog,

Dave,

The American President,

All the President's Men,

Napoleon Dynamite,

Election,

The Candidate,

Primary Colors,

Bullworth,

Bob Roberts,

Anytown, USA,

Welcome to Mooseport,

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and

You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown.

Go vote!

--Claus