Back in March I commented on some things that Dave Winer said about California Schools. [here]

The main point of the discussion was that the California Public School system is in a near third-world state (with apologies to the oppressed in the third-world) due to the short-sightedness and greed that grew out of Proposition 13.

Today, Tom Foremski chimes in with pretty much the same point. [here]

It is shocking to me that the world’s sixth largest economy can have a public education system that is the shame of the nation. When I explain to people in Massachusetts, when they complain about schools here, that teachers have to ask parents to supply paper towels and toilet paper, they are shocked.

California has a beautiful veneer over a core that is disintegrating and changing rapidly. This morning, I heard a story on NPR [link to follow later] about a South LA school torn apart by racial conflict — latinos against blacks. Many will chalk this up as a city issue, one unique to LA. It’s not. The latino population of California is growing, and the public school system is failing these children.

What to do?

It comes down to one thing — avarice. Until the people of California can overcome their greed, the children of California will wallow in a public education system that is the shame of the industrialized world.

Tags: API, children, economy, education, HTTP, IE, IM, IP, it, Massachusetts, Om, One, PHP, pr

Had lunch with Rick Segal who was in Waltham on business today.

Lunch was good, and we talked for 90 minutes about all things blogging and technology. It was interesting to meet an Microsoft Technical Evangelist from the good old days.

It was a great chance to meet with someone else who has big ideas, and as my first blogger “meet-up” was a complete success…

…until I demonstrated my complete lack of navigational skills by getting lost and making him late to his 1:30 appointment.

I hate driving in Massachusetts.

Tags: app, blog, Blogging, business, cro, HTTP, IM, it, Massachusetts, Microsoft, Om, One

DowBrigade points out that folks could have looked up information in the Massachusetts RMV records, through a third-party Web site. [here]

I wonder who the bright spark who came up with this idea was?

Tags: blog, HTTP, IE, information, it, Massachusetts, third-party, web

Distance between Marlborough, Massachusetts, United States and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, as the crow flies:

2506 miles (4033 km) (2178 nautical miles)

Initial heading from Marlborough to Victoria:
west-northwest (298.2 degrees)
Initial heading from Victoria to Marlborough:
east (80.0 degrees)

Care of Indio and Tim Yang

Tags: Canada, cro, EAD, HTTP, IE, IM, it, Marlborough, Massachusetts, Om, PHP, United States

Dave Winer notes that Silicon Valley isn’t what it used to be. [here]

Now, with Yahoo getting its mojo back [here and here], and a few other happenings in the Valley, there are some signs of life.

But there is still a lot of vacant real-estate. The office buildings that housed Webvan are still vacant after 3 years, and they have a great view of the Bay and the San Mateo bridge. There is still a vacuum there.

I can’t speak of the lap dogs, as I am a mere prole.

However, I do disagree with the comment Dave W. makes about schools. If he is referring to Colleges and Universities, ok, I agree. But the public school system in the Bay area, and in California in general, is one of the reasons why I was not too upset to move to Massachusetts.

My kids were going into the highly underfunded, if not malnourished and dying, system of non-education in California that resulted from one of the greatest breeders of inequity in the modern world — Proposition 13.

I love this statement from Warren Buffett:

Buffett cited the inequity of property taxes he pays on his homes in Omaha, Neb., and Laguna Beach, Calif., and said the California cap on property taxes imposed by Prop. 13 “makes no sense.”

His $500,000 house in Omaha has a tax bill of $14,401. His $4 million house in Laguna Beach has a tax bill of $2,264. The taxes on his Omaha home increased $1,920 this year, compared with $23 on the Laguna Beach home, he said.

Complain about the other taxes; then remember that your kids are going to schools that are 40^th in the US by funding.

I miss the great garden we had. But my kids are learning more by not being in California Public Schools.

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Heard this on NPR on the way home tonight. very relevant to this discussion.

Tags: blog, California, college, Dave Winer, education, Laguna Beach, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Omaha, pr, San Mateo bridge, United States, universities, USD, Warren Buffett, web, Yahoo!, Yahoo! Inc.

My point was NOT about pocket wars, as Scoble seems to think it is. My point is: Where the (&^*%&$%$*^(*&&^ do people get the money to pay for all of this crap that dominates their lives? How does Scoble pay for it?

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT I HAVE SOMETHING “COOL” IN MY POCKET?

This post seems to further substantiate my view that most residents of the US cannot read between the lines, are ideologically cast in stone, and lack a sense of sarcasm.

White headphones do not pay the bills, feed the hungry, educate the poor, and help bring a better standard of living to people. If Scoble thinks that white headphones are the cure, he is about to get dropped from my read list.

This post is closed.

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The more I read posts like this from Scoble, the more I realize that a lot of the Bloggers that I read live in a completely different universe from the rest of us in the real world?

I am sorry, but the more I read, despite Robert’s unflagging entusiasm for Microsoft, Tablets, and other things, the more I realize that he leads an extremely privileged life that bears no resemblance to a reality that I know.

I know…a bitter old man on a rant. Sorry.

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Scoble comments below. He missed the point.

1. SiliValley and Seattle are not the norm. Please come to Massachusetts.
2. My point was: How can people with kids, mortgages, schools, and real lives keep up with portable media, hot new tech and trends?

I would love to be hot and trendy with cool tech and lots of places to go. Guess I have other “reality-based” needs to deal with.

Tags: ads, blog, cool, cro, EAD, HTML, HTTP, IE, IM, it, LAN, live, Massachusetts, media, Microsoft, Om, One, posts, pr, wars, web

Seth, who I am quoting way too often this week, has three great posts on finding a job. [here and here and here]

I am one of these people. I have a degree in History. I work in high-tech. I can write code when I want to. I can limp around linux, Windows and pretty much and Unix-like environment. I know a fair amount about HTTP, TCP, SSL, Apache, databases, MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL, QA, Customer Service, Marketing, Sales and a few other things I can’t remember now.

Macs don’t scare me.

So, what does the work world do with a polymath generalist? Employers hate people like me, because we don’t fit a mold, a niche. I hate structured job roles. I want to achieve excellence, not mediocrity.

I got my last job by sending an e-mail to all of the executives at the company and saying ‘Look, you need me. You will not get better without me. Hire me now.’ Two months later I was leaving the Bay Area for Massachusetts, much to the chagrin of my former employer, to join a company that created a position for me.

I want to work for companies that do that. Companies that build themselves around key people, amazing talent, a desire for excellence.

The growth trend of more small companies appeals to me. Hey, even a company of one can be huge.

Thanks for the great read.

Tags: apache, app, blog, cro, customer service, data, database, EAD, Google, HTML, HTTP, IE, IM, it, Linux, Mac, marketing, Massachusetts, media, Microsoft, mysql, Om, One, posts, pr, search, ssl, TCP, web, window, Windows

1. It snows in Massachusetts — why can’t people drive in it?
2. I am going home in a few minutes.
3. Buy the Sonics. [here and here]

You have heard the Sonics — Think Land Rover. [here: The Edge and The Split].

Seattle Garage Band…yeah you have heard that before. But from 1962-1967?

Their music sounds like someone took the masters and dragged them behind a Land Rover…on Titan, then committed them to wax. I am amazed that the recording needle didn’t go through the wax when they made these albums.

And the ads cleaned up the sound!

Coming of age in my musical appreciatin in Victoria, BC, the Sonics were a normal part of the background noise that I heard. And everyone covered them, especially The Witch and Strychnine. And you haven’t heard Louie, Louie until you hear the Sonics version…with the amps at 11.

Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds. Buy these cds.

Then put your ScobelizerHeadphones on and melt your mind. No one will notice; it’s a snow day.

Tags: ads, app, blog, EAD, HTML, HTTP, IE, it, LAN, Massachusetts, media, normal, Om, One, performance, pr, video, web

Now, technically, it is not a true Chinook, but it sure feels like one. Where else can the temperature rise 20 degrees in 2 hours? It was eeriely warm when I came to work this morning. When I go home, it will be a surprising cold that will great me.

Gotta love weather, the last random element.

Tags: HTTP, IE, it, Massachusetts, Om, One, pr

Samantha and I hail from Victoria, BC, on Vancouver Island, the largest island off the Pacific Coast of North America. It is blessed with a mild mediterranean climate, year-round.

Except now.

Apparently they are having a winter storm that has dumped more snow on the area than we have seen in Massachusetts this year.

Have fun!

Tags: app, Canada, hits, HTML, HTTP, IM, it, LAN, Massachusetts, North America, Om