BREVITAS

Articles

A diplomat who actually resigned on principle

Books

Last Words: A Memoir George Carlin with Tony Hendra

The Battle of the Story of the "Battle of Seattle"

Film

The Garden: An LA community tries to save its 14 acre garden from politicians and developers

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"

Politics

Windham County Liberal Examiner, CT - The former third-party candidate for President and Connecticut native Ralph Nader is considering a run to challenge embattled Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) for his U.S. Senate seat. However, Nader announced that he is gauging the reactions from those around him and the state's disapproval of Dodd's job before he makes any formal announcement. . . At a recent promotional book signing for his new manuscript, "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!" residents held signs pleading, "Run Ralph, Run" for the once national political scapegoat. The state's Green Party is also eager to convince Nader to challenge Dodd as the best chance for the party to claim a Senate seat in Connecticut in the foreseeable future.

Cities and transportation

Context Sensitive Solutions - Shuttle buses equipped with front bicycle racks bring visitors to Zion National Park from parking lots in neighboring Springdale, Utah, and from the park's visitor center. Shuttle buses equipped with front bicycle racks bring visitors to Zion National Park from parking lots in neighboring Springdale, Utah, and from the park's visitor center. With almost three million visitors every year, by the early 1990s, traffic congestion and illegal parking were taking their toll on the park and its gateway town. In 1993, the National Park Service recommended a mandatory shuttle system to transport visitors to Zion's inner canyon. They held public meetings in the surrounding communities.

Springdale residents, led by Mayor Phillip Bimstein, suggested that the park extend the shuttle system into town. Park visitors could be encouraged to leave their cars in Springdale and take a free shuttle service to the park; reducing traffic and, at the same time, allowing visitors to explore the town. . . The heart of the project is the free shuttle-bus system that runs through town, picks up and drops off passengers at parking facilities, hotels and major areas, and ends at a new visitor center located within Zion National Park. . . Route 9 was narrowed from 40 feet to 32 feet at four locations, where pedestrian crossings and bus shelters that match those in the park were installed. The roadbed, curbs, and sidewalks were colored red to minimize the visual impact on the natural landscape. In the shuttle's first week of operation, residents of Springdale were seen using it for daily errands, to go to church, and, of course, to visit the park.

Cyber notes

Boing Boing - New Zealand's National Business Review stuck a pay wall in front of its website back in mid-July, betting that enough readers would stick around and pay for "quality" that it would make up for the stupendous drop in readership. Looks like they bet wrong. Their traffic plummeted, and traffic to their free competitors skyrocketed. On every metric, NBR is failing: page views, session duration, unique readers, and total time on site. NBR has a high pay wall price, so maybe they've got enough money from corporate subscribers to make up for the advertising losses -- but how long will they keep them for, with all the links, visits, and attention going to their competitors?

Ecology

Portland Press Herald - At 1,165 feet, Mount Harris is little more than a broad hill in a small town along Route 9, southwest of Bangor. And as residents debated an ordinance to regulate wind power development here, it seemed like a local matter. That changed Nov. 19. By a wide margin - 229-78 - voters approved an ordinance that's being called one of the most restrictive in New England. It requires a one-mile setback between turbines and homes, a standard that likely will have the effect of banning grid-scale wind power on Mount Harris and other wooded ridges in town. Now developers, environmentalists and state officials are wondering whether growing public backlash against wind power will prompt more towns to use ordinances similar to Dixmont's to restrict similar proposals. Mainers have a long history of craving economic development in general, but fighting it in their backyards. Does Dixmont's vote signal that the apparent public support for renewable energy extends only to wind projects that are very far from where people live?

Swine flu

Las Vegas Review Journal - Two months after H1N1 flu vaccine was first distributed to public health districts around the country, people 65 and older with serious medical conditions still can't get vaccinated. . . The evidence has shown that, as a group, seniors need the vaccine less than younger age groups, according to Dr. Anthony Fiore with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And when there is a vaccine shortage, he said, you must prioritize. Public health authorities admit they have been inundated with calls from the elderly who want to know when they can receive vaccinations. Many seniors have called the Review-Journal to complain. Some refrain from giving their names because they fear their complaints could cause their Social Security benefits to be cut off. . . And private physicians who have enrolled in the H1N1 vaccine provider program aren't supposed to bypass public health regulations. They sign documents saying they will abide by the program's designated priorities if given vaccine to distribute.

Local heroes

Salem News, MA - In defiance of the ban on the word "meep," at least two Danvers High seniors wore blue "Free meep" T-shirts to school, saying they would like to sell these shirts to raise money for a scholarship or grant. Seniors Mike Spiewak, 17, and Matt LaFleur, 18, wore their "Free meep" shirts to school yesterday despite a ban on the word that was broadcast to parents in an automated call about two weeks ago. The school's principal has said "meep" was being used to disrupt the school. . . The students spoke outside the school on Cabot Road and said they were not suspended for wearing the shirts yesterday, though some teachers asked them to cover them up. LaFleur said he has already been suspended twice for meeping, including once for creating a Facebook page asking about making shirts "to show how stupid it is we are getting banned from saying 'meep.'" Spiewak and LaFleur said meep was not used to harass a teacher but was an inside joke and a greeting.