By now, you've seen (or heard about) Wyoming Rep. Cynthia Lummis's appearance on "The Colbert Report." Here's a link to the clip:
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/221062/march-09-2009/better-know-a-district---wyoming-s-at-large---cynthia-lummis
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Plans proceed for Cheyenne supercomputer
We are all very excited about the new supercomputer that's planned for a site outside Cheyenne.
Last week, The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) announced the selection of an architectural design team for "a supercomputing center dedicated to advancing scientists' understanding of climate, weather, and other Earth and atmospheric processes."
NCAR sent along this digital version of the proposed design:
Here's sneak peek at some of the equipment that will be used at this super-high-tech facility:
"We are pleased to be moving forward on this world-class, collaborative endeavor," says NCAR Director Eric Barron. "We are advancing an era of scientific progress and discovery through a partnership that will deliver top-notch resources to the world's research community."
We live in exciting times.
Last week, The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) announced the selection of an architectural design team for "a supercomputing center dedicated to advancing scientists' understanding of climate, weather, and other Earth and atmospheric processes."
NCAR sent along this digital version of the proposed design:
Here's sneak peek at some of the equipment that will be used at this super-high-tech facility:
"We are pleased to be moving forward on this world-class, collaborative endeavor," says NCAR Director Eric Barron. "We are advancing an era of scientific progress and discovery through a partnership that will deliver top-notch resources to the world's research community."
We live in exciting times.
Legislature vanishes in the night
Odd not to have the Legislature in town on Friday. They wrapped up the session late on Thursday and melted into the night -- the same way they had arrived way back in January. Tumbleweeds tumbling through the streets, no doubt rolling through the abandoned law-making chambers that used to resound with carefree laughter and the rustling of newly-minted bills. Parking was easy to find. No lobbyists hanging around on street corners, cadging quarters from passers-by. Eerie. But nice.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Poet wraps up 2009 Wyoming Legislature
The Wyoming Legislature ended its 2009 session with a reading -- and a bit of accordion playing -- from our poet laureate, David Romtvedt of Buffalo.
David's one of those multi-talented guys who writes great poetry, plays an assortment of musical instruments (solo and with his band, Fireants), teaches a broad array of college courses and is bilingual. He's attempting to become multilingual, taking courses in the Basque language. It's not an easy language, having roots back to Europe's earliest (and now defunct) tongues. David just returned from the Basque County and had a new song for the legislature.
It was a fandango, which he played on a new Basque accordion and sang in the native language. Members of the Wyoming House and senate were attentive as David performed, and then read a new poem, "The Age of Risk." He also thanked the legislature for their ongoing support of the arts, arts education and the Wyoming Arts Council.
This is the fifth year David's been a guest at the legislature. Usually he performs earlier in the session in order to charge up its members for any arts-related bills on the docket. He may be a good luck charm, as the Wyoming Arts Council's budget has gone up during that same time. And it has nothing to do with multimillion-dollar budget surpluses due to taxes on extractive energy projects. Just a coincidence...
This evening, David was set to talk poetry and accordion at Hobbs Elementary School's "Night of Arts," along with Aussie storyteller Paul Taylor from Laramie and several other artists. That's the school my kids attended. While there, they received a good background in the arts. My son played the trumpet and my daughter, the violin. Lots of writing in the classroom, as well as Young Authors and "Letters About Literature" contests.
After David's legislative appearance, I asked him about the Basque song. He said it was a song by a Basque songwriting team. The subject was the first woman Palestinian suicide bomber who died during the Arab-Israeli clashes. He translated the words, and noted that there is no judgement in the song, no taking sides on whether the bomber was good or bad. Just the story of her dying. It seemed an odd song to be playing to our very conservative legislature. David said he would have told them what it was about, but nobody asked.
David's one of those multi-talented guys who writes great poetry, plays an assortment of musical instruments (solo and with his band, Fireants), teaches a broad array of college courses and is bilingual. He's attempting to become multilingual, taking courses in the Basque language. It's not an easy language, having roots back to Europe's earliest (and now defunct) tongues. David just returned from the Basque County and had a new song for the legislature.
It was a fandango, which he played on a new Basque accordion and sang in the native language. Members of the Wyoming House and senate were attentive as David performed, and then read a new poem, "The Age of Risk." He also thanked the legislature for their ongoing support of the arts, arts education and the Wyoming Arts Council.
This is the fifth year David's been a guest at the legislature. Usually he performs earlier in the session in order to charge up its members for any arts-related bills on the docket. He may be a good luck charm, as the Wyoming Arts Council's budget has gone up during that same time. And it has nothing to do with multimillion-dollar budget surpluses due to taxes on extractive energy projects. Just a coincidence...
This evening, David was set to talk poetry and accordion at Hobbs Elementary School's "Night of Arts," along with Aussie storyteller Paul Taylor from Laramie and several other artists. That's the school my kids attended. While there, they received a good background in the arts. My son played the trumpet and my daughter, the violin. Lots of writing in the classroom, as well as Young Authors and "Letters About Literature" contests.
After David's legislative appearance, I asked him about the Basque song. He said it was a song by a Basque songwriting team. The subject was the first woman Palestinian suicide bomber who died during the Arab-Israeli clashes. He translated the words, and noted that there is no judgement in the song, no taking sides on whether the bomber was good or bad. Just the story of her dying. It seemed an odd song to be playing to our very conservative legislature. David said he would have told them what it was about, but nobody asked.
Legislature: Not a cent for children's health needs, but lots of dough for pet projects
Joan Barron reports in today's Casper Star-Tribune that Gov. Freudenthal is "puzzled at the overall thrust of the legislative session that wraps up tonight."
The Legislature, dominated by Republicans, spent an inordinate amount of time on some of the Far Right's favorite topics -- gay rights (very much against), guns (FOR!), abortion (against) and "fetal rights" (FOR!). They socked away more money that we don't have, as budget surplusses have shriveled with falling energy prices. But it's more important for Republicans to sock away money than to spend it on children's health needs.
Sk(r)ewed priorities.
He said he was disappointed that the Wyoming House last week rejected a bill to set up a health care reform pilot program financed with tobacco fund money, and another proposal for $90,000 to expand the children's health insurance program.
"I think there's some ideological stuff going on, particularly in the House. They want to meddle in your personal life. Somehow the government can do that, but it can't help kids get insurance," Freudenthal said. "That doesn't fit for me, particularly when we are heading into these economic times."
He said health care costs are not coming down, which is he why he liked the health care reform pilot program. The pilot may not have worked but it could have provided the state with information about what might work, he said. "I don't know if it's just ideologically without rudder and it's just kind of the winds and the mood of the House or whether there's a purpose," he added.
The Legislature, dominated by Republicans, spent an inordinate amount of time on some of the Far Right's favorite topics -- gay rights (very much against), guns (FOR!), abortion (against) and "fetal rights" (FOR!). They socked away more money that we don't have, as budget surplusses have shriveled with falling energy prices. But it's more important for Republicans to sock away money than to spend it on children's health needs.
Sk(r)ewed priorities.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Rocky's rocky road leads it to the Net
As noted on these e-pages last week, Denver's Rocky Mountain News published its final edition last Friday.
Some of its out-of-work reporters and columnists now write on I Want My Rocky. Mary Voelz Chandler still covers the arts beat and wrote a piece about Colorado's Arts Advocacy Day taking place on Friday, March 6. On that day, the Colorado Council on the Arts will meet to talk about its drastic state budget cuts (25 percent) -- and decide how to spend $314,000 it will receive from the 2009Economic Stimulus American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It has to send an application for that money to the National Endowment for the Arts by Friday, May 13.
In Cheyenne, all of us at the Wyoming Arts Council heard today that our cut of the stimulus package is about $290,000. We only have ten days to assemble an application.
To read more of Chandler's IWMR column, go to http://www.iwantmyrocky.com/2009/03/03/arts-advocacy-day-a-chance-to-consider-saving-jobs/
Some of its out-of-work reporters and columnists now write on I Want My Rocky. Mary Voelz Chandler still covers the arts beat and wrote a piece about Colorado's Arts Advocacy Day taking place on Friday, March 6. On that day, the Colorado Council on the Arts will meet to talk about its drastic state budget cuts (25 percent) -- and decide how to spend $314,000 it will receive from the 2009
In Cheyenne, all of us at the Wyoming Arts Council heard today that our cut of the stimulus package is about $290,000. We only have ten days to assemble an application.
To read more of Chandler's IWMR column, go to http://www.iwantmyrocky.com/2009/03/03/arts-advocacy-day-a-chance-to-consider-saving-jobs/
And you thought Wyomingites stood up to bullies like Limbaugh...
Video clip from Heather via Crooks & Liars:
Monday, March 02, 2009
Registration opens for Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless "Walk in My Shoes"
Here's a great way to help out a good cause -- and get a bit of exercise.
WALK IN MY SHOES, presented by Beacon Hills Baptist Church, Saturday, June 13, 2009.
Walk begins at the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless building, 907 Logan Avenue, Cheyenne. Check-in time 8 a.m. Walk begins at 9 a.m.
Pre-registration fee is $12. Registration on day of walk is $15.
Ghost walkers are welcome, which are people who have a conflict on that day, and can’t walk, but want to help. Ghost Walkers are eligible for door prize drawings. Fill out the registration form below and mail it with your check to the address below.
WALK IN MY SHOES 2009 REGISTRATION FORM
(Copy and paste this form onto a MS Word document, print it and fill it out.)
Make check(s) out to:
Beacon Hill Baptist Church (mark "WALK")
MAIL TO:
Walk In My Shoes
c/o Beacon Hill Baptist Church
110 Central Avenue
Name: _____________________________
Address:____________________________
Telephone:__________________________
Walker: _________ Ghost Walker_________
Waiver: I hereby waive all claims against Beacon Hill Baptist Church, the City of Cheyenne, the Cheyenne Parks and Recreation Department, SHY-WY Amateur Radio Club, the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless, their board members, volunteers, event sponsors and other personnel involved in the event for any injury I might suffer in this event. I attest that I am physically fit and prepared for this event. I grant full permission for organizers to use photographs of me and quotations of and from me in legitimate accounts and promotion of this event.
Signature:___________________________
(participant or parent/guardian)
WALK IN MY SHOES, presented by Beacon Hills Baptist Church, Saturday, June 13, 2009.
Walk begins at the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless building, 907 Logan Avenue, Cheyenne. Check-in time 8 a.m. Walk begins at 9 a.m.
Pre-registration fee is $12. Registration on day of walk is $15.
Ghost walkers are welcome, which are people who have a conflict on that day, and can’t walk, but want to help. Ghost Walkers are eligible for door prize drawings. Fill out the registration form below and mail it with your check to the address below.
WALK IN MY SHOES 2009 REGISTRATION FORM
(Copy and paste this form onto a MS Word document, print it and fill it out.)
Make check(s) out to:
Beacon Hill Baptist Church (mark "WALK")
MAIL TO:
Walk In My Shoes
c/o Beacon Hill Baptist Church
110 Central Avenue
Name: _____________________________
Address:____________________________
Telephone:__________________________
Walker: _________ Ghost Walker_________
Waiver: I hereby waive all claims against Beacon Hill Baptist Church, the City of Cheyenne, the Cheyenne Parks and Recreation Department, SHY-WY Amateur Radio Club, the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless, their board members, volunteers, event sponsors and other personnel involved in the event for any injury I might suffer in this event. I attest that I am physically fit and prepared for this event. I grant full permission for organizers to use photographs of me and quotations of and from me in legitimate accounts and promotion of this event.
Signature:___________________________
(participant or parent/guardian)
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Wear a dark suit and march down to the coal-fired protest
Another weekend of big confabs and protests in Washington, D.C....
Some 10,000 college students are in D.C. this weekend for Power Shift '09, an event meant to energize young people (and at some future point, their elders) into making the big switch from coal- and gas-powered energy to alternative energy. I took a look at the Power Shift '09 web site map to see if any Wyoming students were registered. The map showed two registrants from Laramie, presumably from UW. After attending the creativity conference at UW this past week and hearing about scores of innovative student projects (Evolve Revolve, Pokes Vote, etc), I'm a bit surprised more didn't travel to this D.C. event. But it's expensive to travel and with spring will come more and numerous opportunities to network and protest in our nation's capital.
There is a protest on Monday on Capitol Hill against the coal-fired plant that powers Congress. It was organized by environmental writer Bill McKibben and well-known Luddite essayist Wendell Berry. This event is sponsored by Capitol Climate Action. McKibben had asked protestors to dress less like, well, hippie-dippy protestors and more like Congressional reps. I like the idea. Imagine the impressive sight of thousands of men and women in dark suits (not yet time for spring wardrobe changes) marching in cadence, swinging their laptop cases.
Some of the air was let out of the protest when Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid ordered the Capitol Power Plant to finish its switch from coal to natural gas. But the protest will go on, according to McKibben writing on the Grist web site:
Not to be outdone, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a right-wing think tank, has announced a counter-protest to the Capitol Climate Action, the biggest civil disobedience on climate issues in U.S. history. It's called the "Celebrate Coal! and Keep Energy Affordable" rally.
As a veteran of protests and counter-protests, I'm not fearful of collisions between warring energy factions. It is possible that the day could erupt into a melee when one group of dark-suited protestors collide with another. Laptops could get switched,Blueberries Blackberries lost, Blu-Ray headphones knocked from skulls. But who knows? Maybe some common ground will be found, some blend of goals and ideas.
I think not.
Here's McKibben:
Here's part of a press release from the Competitive Enterprise Institute:
Taxes on Wyoming's coal, gas and oil pay my salary. That makes me a bit conflicted. I won't be at the D.C. protest or counter-protest, but I think it's terrific they're happening. But the real battleground on this issue will be in Wyoming. We dig millions of tons of coal out of the ground each year and send it to power plants across the U.S. and overseas. We burn some of that coal in colossal plants and send most of the power out of state. How in the world are we going to deal with that -- and find alternatives?
Some 10,000 college students are in D.C. this weekend for Power Shift '09, an event meant to energize young people (and at some future point, their elders) into making the big switch from coal- and gas-powered energy to alternative energy. I took a look at the Power Shift '09 web site map to see if any Wyoming students were registered. The map showed two registrants from Laramie, presumably from UW. After attending the creativity conference at UW this past week and hearing about scores of innovative student projects (Evolve Revolve, Pokes Vote, etc), I'm a bit surprised more didn't travel to this D.C. event. But it's expensive to travel and with spring will come more and numerous opportunities to network and protest in our nation's capital.
There is a protest on Monday on Capitol Hill against the coal-fired plant that powers Congress. It was organized by environmental writer Bill McKibben and well-known Luddite essayist Wendell Berry. This event is sponsored by Capitol Climate Action. McKibben had asked protestors to dress less like, well, hippie-dippy protestors and more like Congressional reps. I like the idea. Imagine the impressive sight of thousands of men and women in dark suits (not yet time for spring wardrobe changes) marching in cadence, swinging their laptop cases.
Some of the air was let out of the protest when Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid ordered the Capitol Power Plant to finish its switch from coal to natural gas. But the protest will go on, according to McKibben writing on the Grist web site:
We'll still be protesting on Monday in D.C., but it looks like the protest may be half victory party too! Late Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter off to the Capitol Architect -- the guy in charge of buildings and grounds, as well as the century-old, mainly-coal-fired power plant that Congress owns and which is located just a few blocks from the fancy dome and the National Mall. The two leaders told him to stop shoveling coal into the power plant's boiler and finish the switch to natural gas. Now, it just so happens that this is the same coal plant targeted for the first mass civil disobedience in the history of the American climate movement.... It didn't take much of a push to convince Congress that the time for change had come. It's an almost giddy feeling -- sort of like what most of America felt on election night when the voters actually chose to elect the smart guy. It feels like the system is working (sort of) the way it's supposed to.
Not to be outdone, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a right-wing think tank, has announced a counter-protest to the Capitol Climate Action, the biggest civil disobedience on climate issues in U.S. history. It's called the "Celebrate Coal! and Keep Energy Affordable" rally.
As a veteran of protests and counter-protests, I'm not fearful of collisions between warring energy factions. It is possible that the day could erupt into a melee when one group of dark-suited protestors collide with another. Laptops could get switched,
I think not.
Here's McKibben:
This is one small power plant. We need to start shutting down the whole vast coal archipelago that provides half the nation's electricity. That's going to be a tough, grinding job that requires a huge movement. And it's somehow going to have to stretch around the world, to China and India and everywhere else where coal is commonplace. (That's why we've got 350.org up and running; we're not going to solve this one city at a time).
Here's part of a press release from the Competitive Enterprise Institute:
CEI has applied to the U. S. Capitol Police for a permit to hold the rally in front of the Capitol Power Plant on the south side of E Street, S. E., between South Capitol Street and New Jersey Avenue, S. E. The District of Columbia Metropolitan Police have also been notified that the rally will be held on the north side of E Street if the Capitol Police deny the permit. The anti-coal protest group, Capitol Climate Protection, has apparently not applied for a permit to protest around the Capitol Power Plant.
“The goal of Celebrate Coal! is to publicize the colossal benefits of coal-fired power and the need for access to affordable energy. If the anti-coal zealots are allowed to prevail politically, electric rates will skyrocket for most Americans and many jobs will be lost in energy-intensive industries as a result of higher power prices,” said Myron Ebell, Director of Energy and Global Warming Policy at CEI and one of the event’s organizers.
Taxes on Wyoming's coal, gas and oil pay my salary. That makes me a bit conflicted. I won't be at the D.C. protest or counter-protest, but I think it's terrific they're happening. But the real battleground on this issue will be in Wyoming. We dig millions of tons of coal out of the ground each year and send it to power plants across the U.S. and overseas. We burn some of that coal in colossal plants and send most of the power out of state. How in the world are we going to deal with that -- and find alternatives?
Saturday Night at the Movies -- "Milk"
Saw "Milk" tonight. Saturday Night at the Movies with the family. Sean Penn was terrific, as was Josh Brolin. A history/civics lesson as well as a damn fine movie. I'd forgotten about the defeat of California's Prop. 6 in 1978. Makes you wonder how Prop. 8 snuck in over the transom in 2008. Some of the same anti-human forces at work today.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Elton John performs benefit concert in Laramie on April 3
Elton John has announced that he will perform April 3 in Laramie at UW's Arena Auditorium. It's a benefit concert for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization founded by Judy Shepard after the murder of her gay son, Matthew.Tickets for the Laramie show, $35-$85, will go on sale at 8 a.m. Monday, March 2, at wyomingathletics.com.
Here's a statement about the event from Judy Shepard:
"Ten years ago, Sir Elton did a concert in Laramie to benefit the Foundation. It was wonderful beyond description. He is a gracious and generous human being. We are sincerely grateful for his continuing support."
The Friday evening concert will be held amidst the proceedings of the Public Art Symposium set for April 2-4 at the UW Conference Center. So all you Wyoming artists out there can come to the symposium on Thursday, Friday and Saturday -- and spend a little time with Sir Elton on Friday night.
Photo: Elton John's 1971 album, "Tumbleweed Connection," with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. "Where to Now, St. Peter?", "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun," and "Burn Down the Mission." Western themes explored by Brits, with amazing results. My favorite Elton John album.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Rocky Mountain News R.I.P.
The Rocky Mountain News in Denver will publish its final issue tomorrow. Read all about it at http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/26/rocky-mountain-news-closes-friday-final-edition/.
The newspaper was founded in 1859 by William Byers, one of the many hucksters to stake claims at the fledgling outpost located at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte in Colorado Territory. Byers hauled his printing press in a wagon all the way to pre-Denver. The paper survived floods and fire and the ravages of time. It just couldn't deal with the Internet.
In the early 1980s, I covered high school sports for the Rocky. Just for a year. From 1978-1981, I wrote about high school sports for the competing Denver Post. I moved on to managing editor of a weekly newspaper, Up the Creek, which began its life covering the lively singles scene in Denver's Glendale enclave. It moved from drooling (in print) over wet T-shirt contests to covering arts and entertainment and culture in a rapidly growing city. We made fun of the Rocky and Post for their mistakes. We dueled with Westword over stories and ads (Westword won). I then moved on to other things, as people do. I love newspapers, and hate to see a good one go into the dustbin of history.
But here I am, writing on the Internet and reading newspapers such as the Rocky and the Post and the NY Times and the London Guardian and all the others for the price of a few cents of electricity.
Weird times, eh?
The newspaper was founded in 1859 by William Byers, one of the many hucksters to stake claims at the fledgling outpost located at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte in Colorado Territory. Byers hauled his printing press in a wagon all the way to pre-Denver. The paper survived floods and fire and the ravages of time. It just couldn't deal with the Internet.
In the early 1980s, I covered high school sports for the Rocky. Just for a year. From 1978-1981, I wrote about high school sports for the competing Denver Post. I moved on to managing editor of a weekly newspaper, Up the Creek, which began its life covering the lively singles scene in Denver's Glendale enclave. It moved from drooling (in print) over wet T-shirt contests to covering arts and entertainment and culture in a rapidly growing city. We made fun of the Rocky and Post for their mistakes. We dueled with Westword over stories and ads (Westword won). I then moved on to other things, as people do. I love newspapers, and hate to see a good one go into the dustbin of history.
But here I am, writing on the Internet and reading newspapers such as the Rocky and the Post and the NY Times and the London Guardian and all the others for the price of a few cents of electricity.
Weird times, eh?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Obama's speech shows us the way
Alternative energy... health care... education...
The Big Three.
So glad that Pres. Obama revisited the three priorities that he hammered home during his race for the presidency.
Get busy on alternative energy to get rid of our dependence on the oil sheiks. Build windmills and upgrade the energy grid and build solar cells and design better hybrid cars. And clean coal? Nobody knows what that is but we can pour money and energy into ways that will make Wyoming's huge coal reserves cleaner and more useful in the alt-energy future.
Health care is crucial. Single-payer health care, the kind that Republicans (including our Wyoming delegation) hates. But the only kind that can solve our tangled health care system.
Tax breaks for college students. More college loans. A renewed commitment to post-secondary education. Everyone commit to at least a year of college? Why not? If I had my way, I'd always be taking a course.
Shovel-ready projects? We have plenty of those that require actual shovels -- highway construction, rebuilding cities, renovating homes. Then there are some that use metaphoric shovels. Projects in the arts and education and science.
I hear white noise in the background. Wait -- it's Bobby Jindal from Louisiana, another Republican naysayer. White noise, the droning of a political party with no ideas.
The Big Three.
So glad that Pres. Obama revisited the three priorities that he hammered home during his race for the presidency.
Get busy on alternative energy to get rid of our dependence on the oil sheiks. Build windmills and upgrade the energy grid and build solar cells and design better hybrid cars. And clean coal? Nobody knows what that is but we can pour money and energy into ways that will make Wyoming's huge coal reserves cleaner and more useful in the alt-energy future.
Health care is crucial. Single-payer health care, the kind that Republicans (including our Wyoming delegation) hates. But the only kind that can solve our tangled health care system.
Tax breaks for college students. More college loans. A renewed commitment to post-secondary education. Everyone commit to at least a year of college? Why not? If I had my way, I'd always be taking a course.
Shovel-ready projects? We have plenty of those that require actual shovels -- highway construction, rebuilding cities, renovating homes. Then there are some that use metaphoric shovels. Projects in the arts and education and science.
I hear white noise in the background. Wait -- it's Bobby Jindal from Louisiana, another Republican naysayer. White noise, the droning of a political party with no ideas.
Stimulate the economy by cancelling student loan debt
I've been on Facebook for a few weeks. I have 29 friends, most of them far-away family members. My sister Mo in Tallahassee prompted my interest in FB, which had just been another PC time-waster until she started a family group. It's been fun to see what my four brothers and four sisters are up to. It's also educational viewing the posts by my nieces and nephews in college (and high school) in Florida -- and my son in college in Tucson. Exams, parties, rock concerts -- my niece Erin just went to a "wrock" concert, and I'm trying to figure out what it is. They post many more photos and videos that their elders. It's a multimedia melange to them. We're still figuring it out...
I've read a couple of anti-Facebook columns lately. I haven't been on long enough to be angry at this social networking site. One writer said that he didn't need FB to talk to his friends -- and didn't want to make any new friends who spend all their spare time on Facebook.
Facebook has a "groups" section. You can start your own group -- Red-headed Nazis for Christ, Recycling Geeks of America, etc. -- and you can invite all of your new friends to join. Some of these groups have gathered a huge number of joiners. One is Cancel Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy. It boasts more than 83,000 members who want to wipe clean the student loan slate and spend their money on more important things, such as a faster laptop to accommodate all their new FB friends. I joined this one, as I'd like to persuade the lender of my grad-school loan to knock off some of the thousands in interest and fines it has piled onto my loan.
Some have commented that the group's members are just a bunch of whiners, people who took out loans voluntarily and now want to default on those loans, ruining the system for others. As if there was a "system" to student loans. If the act of finding, applying and receiving a student loan is systematic, I haven't seen it. My son gets tuition assistance from Pima Community College, but hasn't yet taken out a loan. I encourage him to avoid it if possible.
Pres. Obama has taken a step in the right direction, with tax credits for college expenses and other programs. But, as in the mortgage loan mess, many of us are carrying around student loans bloated by expanding interest and fees that drag us down. As is the case with "responsible homeowners" and their mortgages, we're just looking for a little relief -- not a bailout. Or default.
I've read a couple of anti-Facebook columns lately. I haven't been on long enough to be angry at this social networking site. One writer said that he didn't need FB to talk to his friends -- and didn't want to make any new friends who spend all their spare time on Facebook.
Facebook has a "groups" section. You can start your own group -- Red-headed Nazis for Christ, Recycling Geeks of America, etc. -- and you can invite all of your new friends to join. Some of these groups have gathered a huge number of joiners. One is Cancel Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy. It boasts more than 83,000 members who want to wipe clean the student loan slate and spend their money on more important things, such as a faster laptop to accommodate all their new FB friends. I joined this one, as I'd like to persuade the lender of my grad-school loan to knock off some of the thousands in interest and fines it has piled onto my loan.
Some have commented that the group's members are just a bunch of whiners, people who took out loans voluntarily and now want to default on those loans, ruining the system for others. As if there was a "system" to student loans. If the act of finding, applying and receiving a student loan is systematic, I haven't seen it. My son gets tuition assistance from Pima Community College, but hasn't yet taken out a loan. I encourage him to avoid it if possible.
Pres. Obama has taken a step in the right direction, with tax credits for college expenses and other programs. But, as in the mortgage loan mess, many of us are carrying around student loans bloated by expanding interest and fees that drag us down. As is the case with "responsible homeowners" and their mortgages, we're just looking for a little relief -- not a bailout. Or default.
Wyoming to get $538M in stimulus funds
Today's Casper Star-Tribune has a list of funds coming to Wyoming through the Democrats' stimulus plan. It comes from the National Conference of State Legislators, via Sen. Mike Enzi's office. Enzi, of course, voted against the stimulus, as did our other senator and lone representative. It must be painful for them to release information about legislation that will bring much-appreciated help to their state -- and one which they had nothing to do with.
Here's the list thus far:
Fiscal Stabilization Fund $15 million
Medicaid $110 million
Highways and bridges $157.6 million
Transit capital grants $9.3 million
Drinking water state revolving fund $19.7 million
Clean water state revolving fund $19.5
Weatherization assistance $19.8 million
State energy program $20.4 million
Emergency food and shelter $200,000
Immunization $1.6 million
Foster care/adoption assistance $300,000
Elderly nutrition $500,000
Child care $2.6 million
Head Start $1.1 million
Community service block grant $5 million
Grants to local education authorities $25 million
School improvement $6.8 million
Special education Part B $25.8 million
Special education Part C $1.8 million
Vocational rehabilitation $1.6 million
Educational technology $3.1 million
School lunch equipment $100,000
Public housing capital fund $1.4 million
HUD affordable housing grant $3.6 million
Homeless prevention $1.7 million
Internet crimes against children $1.6 million
Violence Against Women Act $800,000
Unemployment insurance/state administration grants $900,000
Employment service $2.1 million
Law enforcement grants $5.6 million
Community service for older Americans $600,000
Job training for adults $1.2 million
Job training for youths $2.9 million
Dislocated workers $900,000
Less than $100,000 each for:
Community assistance/food assistance
Education for homeless
Crime victims assistance
Total: $538.6 million, give or take a few bucks.
I don't see anything in here for the arts, although $50 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts was included in the stimulus plan. Perhaps the NEA needs to figure out how they'll handle the funding before numbers can be released.
Here's the list thus far:
Fiscal Stabilization Fund $15 million
Medicaid $110 million
Highways and bridges $157.6 million
Transit capital grants $9.3 million
Drinking water state revolving fund $19.7 million
Clean water state revolving fund $19.5
Weatherization assistance $19.8 million
State energy program $20.4 million
Emergency food and shelter $200,000
Immunization $1.6 million
Foster care/adoption assistance $300,000
Elderly nutrition $500,000
Child care $2.6 million
Head Start $1.1 million
Community service block grant $5 million
Grants to local education authorities $25 million
School improvement $6.8 million
Special education Part B $25.8 million
Special education Part C $1.8 million
Vocational rehabilitation $1.6 million
Educational technology $3.1 million
School lunch equipment $100,000
Public housing capital fund $1.4 million
HUD affordable housing grant $3.6 million
Homeless prevention $1.7 million
Internet crimes against children $1.6 million
Violence Against Women Act $800,000
Unemployment insurance/state administration grants $900,000
Employment service $2.1 million
Law enforcement grants $5.6 million
Community service for older Americans $600,000
Job training for adults $1.2 million
Job training for youths $2.9 million
Dislocated workers $900,000
Less than $100,000 each for:
Community assistance/food assistance
Education for homeless
Crime victims assistance
Total: $538.6 million, give or take a few bucks.
I don't see anything in here for the arts, although $50 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts was included in the stimulus plan. Perhaps the NEA needs to figure out how they'll handle the funding before numbers can be released.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
MoveOn meets with LarCoDems Feb. 24
Nicole Novotny sends word that the next meeting of the Laramie County Democratic Party will feature guest speaker Kate Wright, regional coordinator for www.MoveOn.org
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m. at the Historic Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne.
After Kate's presentation, the Laramie County Democratic Party will discuss future fund-raising and the election of new officers for 2009 and 2010.
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m. at the Historic Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne.
After Kate's presentation, the Laramie County Democratic Party will discuss future fund-raising and the election of new officers for 2009 and 2010.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Nebraska and Wyoming share a trait: lack of children's mental health care services
The daily newspaper was invented for this.
On Feb. 1, the Omaha World-Herald published a long article, "Safe Haven kids finally got right help." The article, by staff writers Matthew Hansen and Karyn Spencer, was based on interviews and research into 10,000 pages of documents released to the paper by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. It takes time and patience it took to read that many pages of bureaucratese. It takes skill to translate that into an article that is heart-breaking. Read it at http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10552927, and then read Judith Warner's column in the New York Times that alerted me to the OWH piece. Go to http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/is-there-no-place-on-earth/?emc=eta1
I've written several posts about the weird happenings surrounding Nebraska's "Safe Haven" law. Parents, at their wit's end with kids (mostly teens) who had mental health and behavior problems, abandoned them to Nebraska's authorities. One mother drove her child to Nebraska all the way from Georgia.
Nebraska is Wyoming's neighbor to the east. Both states reflect the fact that there is a severe shortage of mental health care practitioners and facilities in the nation's rural areas. Here's a paragraph from Warner's column:
Many rural areas have no child psychiatrists or psychologists at all. Wyoming, with its 97,000 square miles of mostly "rural," doesn't have a single child psychiatrist. Psychologists? Yes, in the state's cities of Cheyenne and Casper, maybe a few others. There are licensed therapists who can provide counseling and possibly point harried parents in the right direction. There are non-profits such as UPLIFT and its outreach specialists who can do the same thing. (Note: I'm an UPLIFT board member). But when you are a parent faced with a mentally ill child, you need lots of guidance and professional help. Your child will likely need medication -- you need an M.D. for that.
Why do I care about this? My daughter just spent 2008 in a residential treatment facility. My wife and I are involved in our communities and know our way around mental health care and twelve-step programs. We have health insurance, but knew it wouldn't come close to covering the costs.
When it comes to long-term care for your own child, we often felt the way this mother described it to the OWH reporters:
Good question, Theresa.
More about some of the possible answers in future posts.
On Feb. 1, the Omaha World-Herald published a long article, "Safe Haven kids finally got right help." The article, by staff writers Matthew Hansen and Karyn Spencer, was based on interviews and research into 10,000 pages of documents released to the paper by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. It takes time and patience it took to read that many pages of bureaucratese. It takes skill to translate that into an article that is heart-breaking. Read it at http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10552927, and then read Judith Warner's column in the New York Times that alerted me to the OWH piece. Go to http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/is-there-no-place-on-earth/?emc=eta1
I've written several posts about the weird happenings surrounding Nebraska's "Safe Haven" law. Parents, at their wit's end with kids (mostly teens) who had mental health and behavior problems, abandoned them to Nebraska's authorities. One mother drove her child to Nebraska all the way from Georgia.
Nebraska is Wyoming's neighbor to the east. Both states reflect the fact that there is a severe shortage of mental health care practitioners and facilities in the nation's rural areas. Here's a paragraph from Warner's column:
In 1990, the Council on Graduate Medical Education estimated that by 2000, the United States would need 30,000 child psychiatrists; there are now 7,000. Many rural areas have no child psychiatrists or psychologists at all. Often, pediatricians end up providing mental health care, but they aren’t trained for it and often aren’t reimbursed for it by health insurance. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is currently working with the American Academy of Pediatrics to try to formalize ways to collaborate on caring for children with mental health needs, but models for such joint care are scarce. And doctors have no financial incentives to talk to one another on the phone.
Many rural areas have no child psychiatrists or psychologists at all. Wyoming, with its 97,000 square miles of mostly "rural," doesn't have a single child psychiatrist. Psychologists? Yes, in the state's cities of Cheyenne and Casper, maybe a few others. There are licensed therapists who can provide counseling and possibly point harried parents in the right direction. There are non-profits such as UPLIFT and its outreach specialists who can do the same thing. (Note: I'm an UPLIFT board member). But when you are a parent faced with a mentally ill child, you need lots of guidance and professional help. Your child will likely need medication -- you need an M.D. for that.
Why do I care about this? My daughter just spent 2008 in a residential treatment facility. My wife and I are involved in our communities and know our way around mental health care and twelve-step programs. We have health insurance, but knew it wouldn't come close to covering the costs.
When it comes to long-term care for your own child, we often felt the way this mother described it to the OWH reporters:
Theresa Thomason, an Omaha native who lives in Oklahoma, said she had been struggling to get her adopted foster child into a residential program for his psychiatric problems.
She called an elected official and said she was taking her son to Nebraska unless someone helped her. A barrage of phone calls, e-mails and faxes followed. Her son was admitted within days.
"Why on God's green earth does it take all that to get help?" she asked.
Good question, Theresa.
More about some of the possible answers in future posts.
How much stimulus dough will come to WYO?
Ben Neary of the Associated Press reports that Sen. John Barrasso estimates Wyoming may receive up to $540 million from Pres. Obama's economic stimulus bill.
It's one hell of a deal when federal money comes with strings attached. Such as, when the feds give Wyoming money for highways, the gubment expects the money to be used for highways. The gall! The same goes for federal funds for education, toxic waste clean-up, even the arts.
Some Repub governors have made noises about not accepting the stimulus money. Louisiana's Republican Gov. Bobby Jindel, currently GOP Golden Boy, made some threats along those lines last week. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin took time out from Mardi Gras festivities to say he'd take any of those federal funds that the Gov turned down. Still a lot of rebuilding to do in New Orleans.
That's the thing. Repub Govs may jabber all they want about not accepting stimulus money. But when it comes right down to it, they take it because their constituents -- Dem and Repub -- need it. Govs of southern states have been the most vociferous. They usually have sent Repubs to the U.S. House and Senate. But in the end, they'll take the money. State budgets are in touch shape. And Republican margins of victory weren't all that impressive in the recent elections.
In Wyoming, our budget surplus, brought to us by the energy extraction industries, have shrunk. All agencies in state government have been told to plan on 5 percent budget cuts this year and 10 percent for budgets in the next biennium. These are permanent cuts, not storm warnings that may be lifted in a few months. Wyoming is not exempt from the economic distress that's afflicting its neighboring states. A lumber mill shut down in Laramie this week, throwing 67 employees out of work. There's a lot of that going on.
Instead of worrying about some imaginary strings attached to the stimulus package, I'd suggest we take the money and keep people employed -- and put others back to work.
But Barrasso, a vocal opponent of the $787 billion stimulus bill, warned Wyoming lawmakers on Friday that they will have to consider carefully whether to accept federal dollars that may come with strings attached.
The Republican said only one copy of the lengthy bill was distributed in the Senate before last week's vote to approve it. He said that made it impossible for senators to read it before voting on it.
Gov. Dave Freudenthal has said this week that his administration is working to make sense of the bill and to determine whether accepting federal money would commit the state to future expenditures.
It's one hell of a deal when federal money comes with strings attached. Such as, when the feds give Wyoming money for highways, the gubment expects the money to be used for highways. The gall! The same goes for federal funds for education, toxic waste clean-up, even the arts.
Some Repub governors have made noises about not accepting the stimulus money. Louisiana's Republican Gov. Bobby Jindel, currently GOP Golden Boy, made some threats along those lines last week. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin took time out from Mardi Gras festivities to say he'd take any of those federal funds that the Gov turned down. Still a lot of rebuilding to do in New Orleans.
That's the thing. Repub Govs may jabber all they want about not accepting stimulus money. But when it comes right down to it, they take it because their constituents -- Dem and Repub -- need it. Govs of southern states have been the most vociferous. They usually have sent Repubs to the U.S. House and Senate. But in the end, they'll take the money. State budgets are in touch shape. And Republican margins of victory weren't all that impressive in the recent elections.
In Wyoming, our budget surplus, brought to us by the energy extraction industries, have shrunk. All agencies in state government have been told to plan on 5 percent budget cuts this year and 10 percent for budgets in the next biennium. These are permanent cuts, not storm warnings that may be lifted in a few months. Wyoming is not exempt from the economic distress that's afflicting its neighboring states. A lumber mill shut down in Laramie this week, throwing 67 employees out of work. There's a lot of that going on.
Instead of worrying about some imaginary strings attached to the stimulus package, I'd suggest we take the money and keep people employed -- and put others back to work.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Twists and turns in arts-funding story
In the Feb. 15 New York Times, reporter Robin Pogrebin chronicled the odd story of how the $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts managed to stay in Pres. Obama’s economic recovery bill. Not a pretty story, but it does illustrate some of the horse-trading that goes on in Congress. And the importance of government funding for the arts.
Here are excerpts of the story interspersed with my commentary based on 17-plus years as an arts worker, including a two-year stint at the NEA:
A 2007 Americans for the Arts report, Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences, contained the following economic stats:
Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year -- 63.1 billion in spending by organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in event-related spending by their audiences. It included 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs, $104.2 billion in household income, $7.9 billion in local government tax revenues, $9.1 billion in state government tax revenues and $12.6 billion in federal income tax revenues.
That's a lot of simoleons. Big numbers cause Congress to sit up and listen. It also helps that arts supporters were contacting their reps and senators. People like you and me and our close personal friend, Robert Redford.
You have to wonder why Utah's entire D.C. delegation voted against the stimulus bill. Sen. Hatch has not always been a friend to the arts, but he's had his moments. Sen. Bennett is a longtime arts supporter. But both are Republicans. They were only taking orders from their leadership, as were Wyoming's Sen. Enzi and Sen. Barrasso.
Did you know that Utah has the nation's oldest arts council? That's a fact. Arts are huge in the state, especially in Salt Lake City, with its symphony and ballet companies and Mormon Tabernacle Choir and public art programs and museums and... The list goes on and on. And earlier this year, the Utah Arts Council got rid of its folklorists as it faced budget cuts. One would think the stimulus funds for highways and airports and building renovation would have appealed to Utah's delegation. After all, you need all those things so people can get to the arts.
During debates on the bill, some Republicans had labeled the arts "highbrow" and "a luxury" that was populated with leftist artists and arts supporters. It was reminiscent of the so-called "Culture Wars" of the late 1980s and early 1990s, when a few NEA-funded projects casued an uproar and became a rallying cry for Jerry Falweel, Pat Robertson, and his fellow travelers in the Religious Right.
But even that battle had shades of gray. The NEA's budget was cut in half following Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" and Republican victory in the 1994 elections. Newwt got his way and almost all of the fellowship programs for individual artists were eliminated. All but the ones in creative writing, as various high-profile writers and Hollywood types appealed to Mr. Gingrich's vision of himself as a writer. He is a writer, of speculative fiction and history. So the creative writing fellowships were spared on the turn of an artistic ego and a few well-placed words.
Here's a few final words from the NYT article:
Here are excerpts of the story interspersed with my commentary based on 17-plus years as an arts worker, including a two-year stint at the NEA:
There was a whiplash quality to the action surrounding the arts money. As the week wore on, things weren’t looking good. Although a House version of the bill had included the $50 million, the Senate version approved no arts money at all. The Senate even voted 73 to 24 on Feb. 6 for an amendment ruling out stimulus money for museums, arts centers and theaters. And some conservative Republicans had denounced the arts as bonbons for a leftist elite with no place in an emergency stimulus bill.
The challenge for culture boosters in Congress was to convince a House-Senate conference committee that the arts provide jobs as other industries do, while also encouraging tourism and spending in general.
"We had the facts on our side," said Representative Louise M. Slaughter, a New York Democrat who is co-chairwoman of the Congressional Arts Caucus. "If we’re trying to stimulate the economy, and get money into the Treasury, nothing does that better than art."
A 2007 Americans for the Arts report, Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences, contained the following economic stats:
Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year -- 63.1 billion in spending by organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in event-related spending by their audiences. It included 5.7 million full-time equivalent jobs, $104.2 billion in household income, $7.9 billion in local government tax revenues, $9.1 billion in state government tax revenues and $12.6 billion in federal income tax revenues.
That's a lot of simoleons. Big numbers cause Congress to sit up and listen. It also helps that arts supporters were contacting their reps and senators. People like you and me and our close personal friend, Robert Redford.
In his conversation last week with Ms. Pelosi, a California Democrat, [Robert] Redford said he drew on his film experience to argue for the arts as an economic engine. "Ticket takers or electricians or actors — all the people connected with the arts are at risk just like everybody else is," he said in an interview. He said he also reminded Ms. Pelosi that his Sundance Film Festival brings more than $60 million to Park City, Utah, each year.
You have to wonder why Utah's entire D.C. delegation voted against the stimulus bill. Sen. Hatch has not always been a friend to the arts, but he's had his moments. Sen. Bennett is a longtime arts supporter. But both are Republicans. They were only taking orders from their leadership, as were Wyoming's Sen. Enzi and Sen. Barrasso.
Did you know that Utah has the nation's oldest arts council? That's a fact. Arts are huge in the state, especially in Salt Lake City, with its symphony and ballet companies and Mormon Tabernacle Choir and public art programs and museums and... The list goes on and on. And earlier this year, the Utah Arts Council got rid of its folklorists as it faced budget cuts. One would think the stimulus funds for highways and airports and building renovation would have appealed to Utah's delegation. After all, you need all those things so people can get to the arts.
As the details of the final bill were being hammered out, tens of thousands of arts advocates around the country were calling and e-mailing legislators... The tide turned. In addition to preserving the $50 million allocation, the final bill eliminated part of the Senate amendment that would have excluded museums, theaters and arts centers from any recovery money.
That Senate amendment, proposed by Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, had grouped museums, theaters and arts centers with implied frivolities like casinos and golf courses.
During debates on the bill, some Republicans had labeled the arts "highbrow" and "a luxury" that was populated with leftist artists and arts supporters. It was reminiscent of the so-called "Culture Wars" of the late 1980s and early 1990s, when a few NEA-funded projects casued an uproar and became a rallying cry for Jerry Falweel, Pat Robertson, and his fellow travelers in the Religious Right.
But even that battle had shades of gray. The NEA's budget was cut in half following Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" and Republican victory in the 1994 elections. Newwt got his way and almost all of the fellowship programs for individual artists were eliminated. All but the ones in creative writing, as various high-profile writers and Hollywood types appealed to Mr. Gingrich's vision of himself as a writer. He is a writer, of speculative fiction and history. So the creative writing fellowships were spared on the turn of an artistic ego and a few well-placed words.
Here's a few final words from the NYT article:
In arguing for the $50 million in arts money on the House floor on Friday, Rep. Obey made similar points. Arts workers, he said, have 12.5 percent unemployment: "Are you suggesting that somehow if you work in that field, it isn’t real when you lose your job, your mortgage or your health insurance? We’re trying to treat people who work in the arts the same way as anybody else.
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