Dear Harrisburg City
Or to whom it may concern:
Please unblock the stormdrains at 3rd and Emerald. The intersection floods everytime a heavy shower comes down. I've only lived in the neighborhood for a few weeks now, and I've seen it flooded twice. I don't even want to imagine what will happen if a hurricane comes through like Floyd or Isabel or Ivan and dumps heavy rain on the area for more than 12 hours. Or dare I say it, Agnes.
Thank you.
A Concerned Neighbor.
(PS, I actually live along the river, so a big flood occurance would make this moot to me. I'm just saying it could affect a lot of homes and a few businesses, including a halfway decent grocery store, if the intersection were to really flood.)
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Idiot of the day
"The NAACP unfortunately in the 2000 campaign likened the president to James Byrd, who was a racist killer in east Texas, who the president brought to justice."
Ken Mehlman. You are an idiot. Please note, that James Byrd was the victim.
Transcript.
Via Atrios.
"The NAACP unfortunately in the 2000 campaign likened the president to James Byrd, who was a racist killer in east Texas, who the president brought to justice."
Ken Mehlman. You are an idiot. Please note, that James Byrd was the victim.
Transcript.
Via Atrios.
Terry In the Big City, Episode One
I'm finally settled in Harrisburg and I finally have the time (and ability, now that the DSL is on) to write about stuff.
Some stuff I won't write about:
1. My job (or more specifically, my observations on the people I work with.) I'd rather not get fired. I will say that I enjoy what I do thus far as a transportation planner in training, and the people I work with are easy-going and friendly.
2. Political rants. It's just too exasperating. You hear one thing that gets you angry, that's fine. However when it's a daily litany of outrages ongoing for nearly half a decade, you get a little worn out. As Forrest Gump once said, "Sometimes, there just aren't enough rocks."
Some stuff I will write about:
1. My friends , though they'll all be given code names in the cast of characters to protect their privacy.
2. My hobbies. I'm currently looking into buying another aquarium. And maybe a new computer. And some plants.
3. Harrisburg. It is my new home.
4. Rants about local goofiness. Pennsylvania's greedy legislature just voted themselves a payraise. The poor dears were only making about 70 grand. Now they're somewhere in the 80s. I suppose their kids need to get that super expensive private education and I also suppose they need to pay for the expensive cars I see lined up along the Capitol. But I digress.
That's all for now.
I'm finally settled in Harrisburg and I finally have the time (and ability, now that the DSL is on) to write about stuff.
Some stuff I won't write about:
1. My job (or more specifically, my observations on the people I work with.) I'd rather not get fired. I will say that I enjoy what I do thus far as a transportation planner in training, and the people I work with are easy-going and friendly.
2. Political rants. It's just too exasperating. You hear one thing that gets you angry, that's fine. However when it's a daily litany of outrages ongoing for nearly half a decade, you get a little worn out. As Forrest Gump once said, "Sometimes, there just aren't enough rocks."
Some stuff I will write about:
1. My friends , though they'll all be given code names in the cast of characters to protect their privacy.
2. My hobbies. I'm currently looking into buying another aquarium. And maybe a new computer. And some plants.
3. Harrisburg. It is my new home.
4. Rants about local goofiness. Pennsylvania's greedy legislature just voted themselves a payraise. The poor dears were only making about 70 grand. Now they're somewhere in the 80s. I suppose their kids need to get that super expensive private education and I also suppose they need to pay for the expensive cars I see lined up along the Capitol. But I digress.
That's all for now.
Saturday, July 2, 2005
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is a really cool town from what I can see of it. I'm excited to be moving there and exploring it. My dad thought some of my new neighborhood (uptown, north of Macclay, right on Front St.) looked a little shady. I thought it looked like a neighborhood in transition.
So, if any Harrisburgers (is that what we're called? If not please correct me) are reading, what's good in town? Where's the Weis/Giant/Acme/Food Lion (and can I get there on the bus? I don't really drive.)
Looking forward to this change in life, I am.
Harrisburg is a really cool town from what I can see of it. I'm excited to be moving there and exploring it. My dad thought some of my new neighborhood (uptown, north of Macclay, right on Front St.) looked a little shady. I thought it looked like a neighborhood in transition.
So, if any Harrisburgers (is that what we're called? If not please correct me) are reading, what's good in town? Where's the Weis/Giant/Acme/Food Lion (and can I get there on the bus? I don't really drive.)
Looking forward to this change in life, I am.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Evolution Rant also Lazy Parent Rant
So the PA House (AKA the Assembly) has decided to debate on whether Intelligent Design should be taught alongside evolution in the schools. This is due to the fact that the fundamentalists think evolution is evil and intelligent design is the best they'll get to creationism.
This bothers me.
For one thing, I think intelligent design is a very lazy theory. Very lazy. Instead of attempting to explain things, which science is supposed to do, it just says "Oh, a designer made it. That's the end of the story." Evolution, while imperfect in some ways, explains how things came to be and so on. I also don't like intelligent design because of its chief proponent in PA, that Behe guy. Having seen him attempt to debate his intelligent design theory he really comes off as an obnoxious toad. My personal dislike for him and his debating style also factors into my feelings on intelligent design.
At anyrate, I hope they don't do anything with this. I hope evolution remains where it should be : In the science books in the schools. If fundamentalist parents don't like it, they can teach the kids other things all they want instead of being lazy parents and plopping the kids in front of the TV/Computer/Video Game. Do that thing that you always say the gays are trying to destroy and have Family Time, where you all sit down and talk or discuss or teach new things. Turn your TVs off.
So the PA House (AKA the Assembly) has decided to debate on whether Intelligent Design should be taught alongside evolution in the schools. This is due to the fact that the fundamentalists think evolution is evil and intelligent design is the best they'll get to creationism.
This bothers me.
For one thing, I think intelligent design is a very lazy theory. Very lazy. Instead of attempting to explain things, which science is supposed to do, it just says "Oh, a designer made it. That's the end of the story." Evolution, while imperfect in some ways, explains how things came to be and so on. I also don't like intelligent design because of its chief proponent in PA, that Behe guy. Having seen him attempt to debate his intelligent design theory he really comes off as an obnoxious toad. My personal dislike for him and his debating style also factors into my feelings on intelligent design.
At anyrate, I hope they don't do anything with this. I hope evolution remains where it should be : In the science books in the schools. If fundamentalist parents don't like it, they can teach the kids other things all they want instead of being lazy parents and plopping the kids in front of the TV/Computer/Video Game. Do that thing that you always say the gays are trying to destroy and have Family Time, where you all sit down and talk or discuss or teach new things. Turn your TVs off.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Saturday, June 18, 2005
banner.jpg
A Banner I'm testing out.
I am moving to Harrisburg, PA, where I was lucky enough to get a very nice job.
A Banner I'm testing out.
I am moving to Harrisburg, PA, where I was lucky enough to get a very nice job.
Monday, June 13, 2005
observation
I've recently discovered Craigslist . . . a bizarre collection of want ads, roommate ads, hookup ads(Generation Y terminology for "I want random, anonymous sex" and no, I don't do that) and more.
It is incredibly amusing.
However, I discovered that to my horror, the owner of craigslist is beaming the various postings into space.
Aliens will discover said postings. I think they will then come and vaporize the Earth.
I've recently discovered Craigslist . . . a bizarre collection of want ads, roommate ads, hookup ads(Generation Y terminology for "I want random, anonymous sex" and no, I don't do that) and more.
It is incredibly amusing.
However, I discovered that to my horror, the owner of craigslist is beaming the various postings into space.
Aliens will discover said postings. I think they will then come and vaporize the Earth.
Thursday, June 9, 2005
Why Geography
I've had this fascination with maps since an early age. I recall getting an old National Geographic World Atlas sometime in the mid-1980s. It was well read by the time it finally disappeared.
I also had a globe.
I collected maps all throughout childhood. At one point, I used to write to various states who would then send me a travel guide, and then a map. The travel guide usually went into the recycling bin. I kept the maps. To this day, I usually buy 2 to 3 atlases a year to replace the ones that go out of date. I'm about due for a new world atlas. With a new job coming very soon, I think I will upgrade to a really nice expensive one. And a globe too. I could use a new globe.
Eventually, I went off to high school (and decided I wanted to be meteorologist) and then college (where I discovered that multivariate calculus was the devil and decided not to be a meteorologist.) Instead, after talking to the department chair of the Geography Department and then taking some of his classes, I was hooked. I discovered that there was an entire tech industry surrounding the creation of maps (GIS, Cartography). I also discovered that people with skills in GIS whether it is AutoCAD, ESRI ArcView or GeoMedia are usually highly coveted by local , state and federal governments, construction companies, utilities, travel agencies, and more.
So what can I do with a geography degree? Lots. I can move into the more technical areas such as GIS and cartography. I can move into urban planning, transportation planning (which is the job I am currently hoping for). Or, at the government level and with a masters degree, I can move into research analyst positions including demographics, economics, and political analysis.
So, in short, a long personal interest and dollar signs helped me decide "why geography."
I've had this fascination with maps since an early age. I recall getting an old National Geographic World Atlas sometime in the mid-1980s. It was well read by the time it finally disappeared.
I also had a globe.
I collected maps all throughout childhood. At one point, I used to write to various states who would then send me a travel guide, and then a map. The travel guide usually went into the recycling bin. I kept the maps. To this day, I usually buy 2 to 3 atlases a year to replace the ones that go out of date. I'm about due for a new world atlas. With a new job coming very soon, I think I will upgrade to a really nice expensive one. And a globe too. I could use a new globe.
Eventually, I went off to high school (and decided I wanted to be meteorologist) and then college (where I discovered that multivariate calculus was the devil and decided not to be a meteorologist.) Instead, after talking to the department chair of the Geography Department and then taking some of his classes, I was hooked. I discovered that there was an entire tech industry surrounding the creation of maps (GIS, Cartography). I also discovered that people with skills in GIS whether it is AutoCAD, ESRI ArcView or GeoMedia are usually highly coveted by local , state and federal governments, construction companies, utilities, travel agencies, and more.
So what can I do with a geography degree? Lots. I can move into the more technical areas such as GIS and cartography. I can move into urban planning, transportation planning (which is the job I am currently hoping for). Or, at the government level and with a masters degree, I can move into research analyst positions including demographics, economics, and political analysis.
So, in short, a long personal interest and dollar signs helped me decide "why geography."
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Sunday, May 8, 2005
Monday, May 2, 2005
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