J. Palmer – Page 509 – …just another random person's thoughts & digressions.

FW: WKYT – September 20, 2007

> —–Original Message—–
> From: WKYT E-News [mailto:wkytenews@nl.clickability.com]
> Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 6:01 AM
> To: kg4vma@gmail.com
> Subject: WKYT – September 20, 2007
>
> ===================================
> WKYT e-news
> ===================================
> ===================================
> News Updates
> ===================================
>
> Downtown Lexington Parking Garage Shut Down
>
> A Lexington parking garage is closed, more than a month after
> concrete fell from it.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Berea Residents Face Mandatory Water Alert
>
> The water shortage situation continues to worsen across the
> Bluegrass.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Well Known Lexington Father And Son Survive Tennessee Plane Crash
>
> A private plane owned by a Central Kentucky electrical contracting
> company crashed in Tennessee, shortly after leaving Birmingham,
> Alabama. The Amteck plane went down in near a shopping center in
> Chattanooga.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Kentucky Mother Delivers Baby In Parking Lot
>
> Scary moments this morning for a Bath County woman who delivered
> her baby in a grocery store parking lot.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Investigation Into Fatal Car Accident
>
> New information into a deadly crash in eastern Kentucky that killed
> a man.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
>
> For more local and national news, visit our web site at:
> http://www.wkyt.com?source=enews&c=y
>
> ===================================
> Weather Updates
> ===================================
>
> It was the same ole song and dance weather wise across Central and
> Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday. With a big ridge of high pressure in
> place, abundant sunshine was the rule with afternoon highs into the
> mid 80s in most locations. It may feel even a bit more summer like
> for the late week as temperatures creep a few degrees warmer into
> the upper 80s around the area. We could even see a lower 90 degree
> high or two down across Southern Kentucky. Naturally just when we
> don’t need it, we are in an extended dry period but that may try to
> change by the first part of next week. In the short term expect the
> dry weather to stick around through the weekend, although we could
> see an isolated storms into Sunday as some of the moisture tries to
> return from the south. We are watching an area of disturbed weather
> off the Florida east coast which could eventually become our next
> tropical system over the next 24 to 48 hours. Some of the data is
> indicating it could skip across Florida and into the Gulf of
> Mexico, eventually bringing some moisture our way early next week
> as a frontal system moves through the Ohio Valley. This appears to
> be our next best chance of rain for the area so we’ll see how that
> plays out into next week. In the meantime the dry weather is here
> for now…TG
>
> For more local weather and current radar, visit our Weather Page at:
> http://www.wkyt.com/weather?source=enews&c=y
>
> You received this email because you are subscribed to our
> E-news mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe or
> change your subscription to receive the html version of this
> email, please go to to update or
> cancel your subscription.
>
>

FW: WKYT – September 19, 2007

> —–Original Message—–
> From: WKYT E-News [mailto:wkytenews@nl.clickability.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 3:01 PM
> To: kg4vma@gmail.com
> Subject: WKYT – September 19, 2007
>
> ===================================
> WKYT e-news
> ===================================
> ===================================
> News Updates
> ===================================
>
> Security Guard Foils Robbery Attempt
>
> Lexington Police are searching for a man who tried to hold up a
> Lexington drug store and ended up being chased by a security guard.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Crash Victim Identified
>
> We now know the name of a man killed in a fiery crash along
> Interstate 75.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Kid Nation Premiers Tonight
>
> It hardly seems possible. 40 kids, 40 days, on their own with no
> parents and no supervision.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Bardstown Man Faces Federal Charges
>
> A central Kentucky man will face federal charges after state police
> found nearly a million dollars worth of marijuana in his home.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Berea Residents Face Mandatory Water Alert
>
> The water shortage situation continues to worsen across the
> Bluegrass.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
>
> For more local and national news, visit our web site at:
> http://www.wkyt.com?source=enews&c=y
>
> ===================================
> Weather Updates
> ===================================
>
> It was the same ole song and dance weather wise across Central and
> Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday. With a big ridge of high pressure in
> place, abundant sunshine was the rule with afternoon highs into the
> mid 80s in most locations. It may feel even a bit more summer like
> for the late week as temperatures creep a few degrees warmer into
> the upper 80s around the area. We could even see a lower 90 degree
> high or two down across Southern Kentucky. Naturally just when we
> don’t need it, we are in an extended dry period but that may try to
> change by the first part of next week. In the short term expect the
> dry weather to stick around through the weekend, although we could
> see an isolated storms into Sunday as some of the moisture tries to
> return from the south. We are watching an area of disturbed weather
> off the Florida east coast which could eventually become our next
> tropical system over the next 24 to 48 hours. Some of the data is
> indicating it could skip across Florida and into the Gulf of
> Mexico, eventually bringing some moisture our way early next week
> as a frontal system moves through the Ohio Valley. This appears to
> be our next best chance of rain for the area so we’ll see how that
> plays out into next week. In the meantime the dry weather is here
> for now…TG
>
> For more local weather and current radar, visit our Weather Page at:
> http://www.wkyt.com/weather?source=enews&c=y
>
> You received this email because you are subscribed to our
> E-news mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe or
> change your subscription to receive the html version of this
> email, please go to to update or
> cancel your subscription.
>
>

technology and primary education

Things have advanced so much in the past twenty years. It amazes me sometimes.
This morning, Diana () called after she dropped the kids off at school this morning, and asked me whether I knew that Taron was able to play with a computer while at school. I did know this, and I know that he enjoys doing so–I saw him shove a girl out of the chair so that he could continue his turn (needless to say, he got a stern lecture–as stern a lecture that a three-year old can understand anyway). They have an old iMac in one corner of the classroom, where the kids can play various interactive and educational games, while learning the basic concepts of using a computer–keyboarding, using a mouse, etc.
It’s just a little, I don’t know, weird, I guess, to see my three-year old son using a computer, when I hadn’t had my first encounter until the fourth grade. My encounters weren’t all that different from what he is accomplishing now. Well, perhaps a bit different. We did do the gaming thing, mainly Super Munchers, Oregon Trail, and Dr. Quandary. We also took advantage of using a word processor and spreadsheets. Obviously document handling is a bit advanced for him (like by maybe two years).
It’s just amazing.
I’ve been intending to put an old computer in Taron’s room, for him to play with, but haven’t yet. (His behavior has been keeping me from doing so–in fact his behavior has been causing him to lose privileges.) I fear that he really won’t like the thing, either, since he has gotten used to the comforts and features of a more modern computer. The computer I have saved back for him is an old PCjr.
Talk about being worlds apart. He’s been playing with one of the first iMacs, and I want to give him a PCjr… I’m sure he’ll hate it.
I had acquired the PCjr a couple of years ago. Someone asked me whether I wanted it, and I thought hey, that’d be a great first computer for Taron–it’s practically indestructible! So, I took it, played with it, (to make sure it still worked) tested the cartridges, and tracked down all of my old software, then put the mess into storage, to await for the day in which it would be placed in Taron’s room. Well, I think I should dig the sucker out soon (and track down a 5¼ drive for this computer so I can create a few more program disks). It won’t be long before Taron will need access to a modern PC, and I’ll need to show him a bit more on the use of a computer before he gets a hold of our notebooks or this desktop. Indestructible PCjr. with the funky chicklet keys to the rescue!
…in other technology and education news…
Students are using Palms in classrooms. And I’m not meaning in larger cities, I’m meaning here, in Cynthiana. I didn’t know this. From what information I have read, there are five elementary school classrooms that are using Palm Pilots. Wow! Third-graders are learning how to use a data assistant, tracking their assignments, and syncing information between their Palms and the PCs at school. I was just beginning to learn cursive handwriting, and these kids are mastering graffiti!
Another interesting thing that’s going on in Harrison County is that all of the teachers are blogging. Each teacher has an account through WordPress, where they give announcements on events, assignments, and what-not for parents and students to review. What a great tool! Not only are the teachers blogging, but the administration is blogging as well. I have subscribed to the feeds of three of these administrative blogs, so that I can be in the know of what’s going on within the Board of Education.
It’s just, I dunno, wow! Amazing!
And I can’t help but to sit and wonder what other advances will occur in the next few years, as Taron and Nivea leave the HeadStart programs, and enter into the regular school system. How will technology effect them? Will they soon be blogging as well? It’s not a far-fetched idea. I found a video on TeacherTube, where an instructor in New Zealand created a video explaining why students there are blogging:
I also wonder why I feel so shocked and amazed by this. I had foreseen this when I was a student, as did many teachers. We had all expected technology to enter the classroom, and that there would be a greater connection to the world in years to come. I guess that’s it. I wasn’t expecting those years to pass by so fast. I wasn’t expecting to see my son playing on a computer in daycare, before he had the chance to do so at home. I wasn’t expecting any of this to happen so soon. And it amazes me.
For the first time in my life, I feel old.

FW: WKYT – September 19, 2007

> —–Original Message—–
> From: WKYT E-News [mailto:wkytenews@nl.clickability.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 6:01 AM
> To: kg4vma@gmail.com
> Subject: WKYT – September 19, 2007
>
> ===================================
> WKYT e-news
> ===================================
> ===================================
> News Updates
> ===================================
>
> Fiery Crash Shuts Down I-75
>
> A fiery crash on I-75 killed one man and shut down the highway for
> hours.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Teen Sisters Killed In Crash
>
> Two sisters, both high school students, are dead after a crash in
> Harrison County Monday night.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Residents Concerned Some Wildcat Fans May Be Too Wild
>
> A big win for the Wildcats turned into a big headache for some
> people who live near the UK campus.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Man Trapped In Truck Survives
>
> by DeAnn Stephens
>
> A man is dramatically rescued after being trapped inside his truck,
> upside down for two hours.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Vandals Leave Hate Messages At A Laurel County School
>
> by Phil Pendleton
>
> It was a shocking discovery for people at a Southern Kentucky
> school this morning.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
>
> For more local and national news, visit our web site at:
> http://www.wkyt.com?source=enews&c=y
>
> ===================================
> Weather Updates
> ===================================
>
> It was another sunny and warm day on Tuesday across Central and
> Eastern Kentucky thanks to high pressure continuing to dominate our
> weather. You may have noticed a few more scattered clouds on
> Tuesday and a bit more haze as that return flow on the backside of
> the high picked up. Expect more of the same into the mid and late
> week and in fact summer may not go down without a fight as
> temperatures could run toward the upper 80s late this week with all
> the sunshine and the dry ground here in the commonwealth. A frontal
> system may get as close as western Indiana on Wednesday but all
> we’ll probably see out of that is a few more clouds around as that
> system sort of washes out.The quiet weather pattern may stick
> around until late in the weekend when some moisture from the Gulf,
> possibly tropical starts to stream northward and increases the
> chances for a few isolated to scattered storms into early next
> week…TG
>
> For more local weather and current radar, visit our Weather Page at:
> http://www.wkyt.com/weather?source=enews&c=y
>
> You received this email because you are subscribed to our
> E-news mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe or
> change your subscription to receive the html version of this
> email, please go to to update or
> cancel your subscription.
>
>

Andrew Meyer

Okay, so I just found out about this incident, thanks to reading my slashdot and countdown feeds… curiosity got the best of me so i hit Google and YouTube. Some of the vids from YouTube are embedded below, the last being the most complete. All videos show different perspectives of the incident.
An interesting spectacle, to say the least.
So, Andrew Meyer, for some reason, decides to get nutty and belligerent at an event, asks a whole bunch of ridiculous questions, attempts to incite a riot, resists detainment, and gets tazed. And the only thing he had to identify himself when the police were able to remove him, and begin filing reports was a business card. Now, please, tell me this wasn’t a stunt… I need a good chuckle.
What’s interesting is to see all of the blog reactions out there in reference to this incident. There are posts supporting Meyer, posts bashing Meyer, and posts picking fun at Meyer, the police, and Sen. Kerry. I even found an entry where a guy announced the sale of shirts, mugs, and all the other wonderful CafePress junk, carrying Meyer’s plea of “don’t taze me bro!”
Many are crying police brutality. One quoted the right for a person to resist arrest. One drew comparison to Kent State. Kerry’s even responded.
I did, however find two writings that I believe are worth reading–one being from the vantage point of a fellow student at the event, and the other being another one of us random people reading the stories and watching the videos on YouTube.
First, an eyewitness states:

While the final question was being read, some douchebag ran down the aisle, grabbed the mic from the other side of the room, interrupted the kid who was talking, and started yelling at Kerry, demanding that his questions be heard. He started ranting about how Kerry talks in circles or something, and everyone was getting annoyed. The cops are all over him in no time and try to escort him out, but he starts yelling and resisting. Kerry insists that they let him stay and even agrees to answer his question.

After the interrupted guy’s question was answered, Kerry keeps his promise and lets the angry guy talk. This is the point where people started taking their cameras and phones out. All the videos floating around youtube start around here. You can see in the videos that his questioning gets kind of inappropriate, so somebody cut his mic. Instead of shutting up, he starts yelling and making an even bigger scene. He struggled all the way up the aisle, and started violently trying to free himself. They threatened to taze him and he wouldnt stop fighting, so he got tazed. They only had to arrest him because he was causing a disruption and wouldn’t leave peacefully. He wasn’t being silenced for asking tough questions, trust me.

The latter person, Jamilah Kolocotronis, wrote in reference to the negative comments being theorized about Meyer:

He is a human being who had something to say. If some people think he was annoying, well, so what? Can you imagine arresting people just for being annoying? There wouldn’t be anybody left.

The point is that someone’s freedom of speech was violated. Freedom of speech is an essential right–an inalienable right–which cannot be or should not be taken away. In the United States of America, people are not to be arrested and electronically shocked simply for stating unpopular opinions. Without the freedom of speech, the USA will become just another police state.

Interesting stuff. So, what do you think?
Personally, I’ll back the police. I think the twerp went too far, and he should have been grateful for receiving attention, and quietly slipped away, rather than throwing a tantrum.
What do you think?

FW: WKYT – September 18, 2007

> —–Original Message—–
> From: WKYT E-News [mailto:wkytenews@nl.clickability.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 3:01 PM
> To: kg4vma@gmail.com
> Subject: WKYT – September 18, 2007
>
> ===================================
> WKYT e-news
> ===================================
> ===================================
> News Updates
> ===================================
>
> Teen Sisters Killed In Crash
>
> Two sisters, both high school students, are dead after a crash in
> Harrison County Monday night.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Bite Robbery Suspect Facing Attempted Murder Charges
>
> A robbery suspect accused of biting a store clerk plead not guilty
> to attempted murder, among other charges today.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Court Official Enters Alford Plea To Misconduct Charge
>
> State police say a former central Kentucky court official has
> entered an Alford plea on a misdemeanor count of official
> misconduct.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Two Dead In Louisville Shooting
>
> Police say two men are dead after an early morning shooting in
> Louisville.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
> Bank Robbery Suspects Enter Not Guilty Pleas
>
> Three men accused of robbing a southern Kentucky Bank had not
> guilty pleas entered on their behalf, but they could now face more
> serious federal charges.
>
>
>
> ———————————–
>
>
> For more local and national news, visit our web site at:
> http://www.wkyt.com?source=enews&c=y
>
> ===================================
> Weather Updates
> ===================================
>
> It was another sunny and warm day on Tuesday across Central and
> Eastern Kentucky thanks to high pressure continuing to dominate our
> weather. You may have noticed a few more scattered clouds on
> Tuesday and a bit more haze as that return flow on the backside of
> the high picked up. Expect more of the same into the mid and late
> week and in fact summer may not go down without a fight as
> temperatures could run toward the upper 80s late this week with all
> the sunshine and the dry ground here in the commonwealth. A frontal
> system may get as close as western Indiana on Wednesday but all
> we’ll probably see out of that is a few more clouds around as that
> system sort of washes out.The quiet weather pattern may stick
> around until late in the weekend when some moisture from the Gulf,
> possibly tropical starts to stream northward and increases the
> chances for a few isolated to scattered storms into early next
> week…TG
>
> For more local weather and current radar, visit our Weather Page at:
> http://www.wkyt.com/weather?source=enews&c=y
>
> You received this email because you are subscribed to our
> E-news mailing list. If you would like to unsubscribe or
> change your subscription to receive the html version of this
> email, please go to to update or
> cancel your subscription.
>
>

379

Through the miracles of radio technology, I now know that Becky Barnes has arrived at the HCHS front office.
What fun the high school must be facing today with all the media attention.
I don’t remember there being such media frenzy with the deaths that occurred throughout my high school years. We lost a lot of people during that four year time frame. I think there were something like four or five car wrecks, a suicide (maybe two) and a guy who died due to liver failure.
I wonder where Rick is buried…

BREAKING NEWS: HCHS students mourn deaths of two classmates

I don’t know what time the article was published, today, but sometime late this morning or early this afternoon, the Cynthiana Democrat published a story on the accident that occurred yesterday evening.

BREAKING NEWS: HCHS students mourn deaths of two classmates
By Becky Barnes, Editor
Two Harrison County High School students were tragically killed in a two-car accident Monday evening.

Their deaths have stalled many activities at the school as classmates and family mourn.

Sarah Riggs, 17, and Jennifer Riggs, 16, were in the front seats of a 1997 Camry, which Sarah was driving. They died at the scene. Backseat passengers Jake Stephens, 17, and Jennifer Edens, 16, were taken to Harrison Memorial Hospital.
All Homecoming activites that were planned for the balance of the week have been postponed. The football game against Bourbon County will go on as scheduled. However, high school soccer games and other activities have been cancelled through Thursday night.

More information will be released as it becomes available. See this week’s Cynthiana Democrat for the complete story.

The Lexington Herald-Leader has published an article as well. Two guestbooks are available for signing in remembrance of the teens.
As I drove back down the hill from picking the children up from school some twenty minutes ago I spotted two news vans making their way up church street towards HCHS. 27Newsfirst and WLEX18 are apparently going to have coverage for this story tonight. It’s, of course, a tragic tale which will be sure to grab at everyone’s heartstrings–two teenage sisters killed in a car accident during homecoming week, the school and classmates mourning, and homecoming events (all but the game itself) canceled.
I believe that Cynthiana was going to see the first homecoming parade in years, up until this event.
In regard to the parade, I believe that this was going to be the first parade in nearly fifteen years. I’m honestly uncertain of the last parade, or the date, but I believe that there hadn’t been a parade since the year that Bennie Doan had wrote a threatening letter in which he (writing anonymously) threatened to kill his daughter; if that was the last time, of a parade, then, yes, it’s been fifteen years – that was 1992. An interesting story there… maybe I’ll revisit it at a later date…

Workers Cause More Problems Than Viruses

…and this is supposed to be surprising?

Workers Cause More Problems Than Viruses
Technical Writing Geek writes “A new report finds that, for the first time, virus infections have slipped to the second spot on the list of computer security troublemakers. In first place— a company’s own workers. ‘The Computer Security Institute has just released the 2007 edition (PDF) of its long-running “Computer Crime and Security Survey,” and it offers some dreary news for overworked computer security admins: average losses from attacks have surged this year. More surprising is the finding that the single biggest security threat faced by corporate networks doesn’t come from virus writers any more; instead, it comes from company insiders.'”

Trent Reznor Says "Steal My Music"

Like people aren’t doing it anyway?

Trent Reznor Says “Steal My Music”
THX-1138 writes “A few months ago, Trent Reznor (frontman of the band Nine Inch Nails), was in Australia doing an interview when he commented on the outrageous prices of CDs there. Apparently now his label, Universal Media Group is angry at him for having said that. During a concert last night, he told fans, ‘…Has anyone seen the price come down? Okay, well, you know what that means — STEAL IT. Steal away. Steal and steal and steal some more and give it to all your friends and keep on stealin’. Because one way or another these mother****ers will get it through their head that they’re ripping people off and that’s not right.'”