First Looks category archive
No Place To Hide, Good News for Stalkers Dept. 0
Donna Sciulli is one of the most photographed women in Pittsburgh.
On Aug. 30, they snapped shots of her picking up groceries at the Pennsylvania Macaroni Co. in the Strip District. Two days earlier, shutters flew as she drove past the U.S. Steel Tower.
And outside her Beechview home, she’s been pictured nearly a dozen times.
Ms. Sciulli is not a celebrity. She is, however, one of the 80,000 Pittsburgh drivers whose license plates had been scanned multiple times in August by the Pittsburgh Parking Authority, which is using cameras mounted on cruisers to record a massive database of where and when everyday people go about their business.
Cars are photographed ostensibly to determine whether they have outstanding parking tickets.
And, since the Parking Authority considers its snapshots to be a public records and keeps them on file and on line for at least 30 days, whether or not outstanding violations are found (in the great majority of cases, they are not), anyone can track anybody.
Light Bloggery 0
Somewhere to go, something to do.
The Friendly Skies 0
Passengers reported buying tickets for $5 to $10 before United shut down the bookings on its website and phone centers to prevent more tickets from being sold or given away.
Not even that fare would get me to willingly fly that airline.
Why I Haven’t Posted a 9/11 Thread 0
Because there are enough empty pro forma remembrances.
Break Time 0
Off to drink liberally.
Drinking Liberally Norfolk Tomorrow 0
Now on Tuesdays for Norfolk (still Thursdays for Virginia Beach) to make it easier for persons with commitments on either day to catch at least one per month.
Drinking Liberally is a gathering place for liberals. Socialize and laugh in a friendly atmosphere.
When: 6 p., Tuesday, September 10.
Where:
Uno Chicago Grill
5900 Virginia Beach Blvd
(Janaf Shopping Center) (map)
Details here. Meetup page here.
The Rocket’s Red Glare 0
My local rag tells how you can watch tonight’s launch. It should be visible from several hundred miles away.
I grew up about 50 miles south of Wallops Island. I remember the family all going into the side yard (the left in the picture above, the darkest portion of the yard) to watch early satellite and space probes being launched from Wallops.
Tonight I shall probably sleep through it.
Make TWUUG Your LUG 0
Learn about the wonderful world of free and open source.
What: Monthly TWUUG Meeting.
Who: Everyone in TideWater/Hampton Roads with interest in any/all flavors of Unix/Linux. There are no dues or signup requirements. All are welcome.
Where: Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk Training Room. See directions below. (Wireless and wired internet connection available.) Turn right upon entering, then left at the last corridor and look for the open meeting room.
When: 7:30 PM till whenever (usually 9:30ish) on Thursday, September 5.
Directions:
Lake Taylor Hospital
1309 Kempsville Road
Norfolk, Va. 23502 (Map)
Pre-Meeting Dinner at 6:00 PM (separate checks)
Uno Chicago Grill
Virginia Beach Blvd. & Military Highway (Janaf Shopping Center). (Map)
Happy Birthday to Me 4
Still driveling on after eight years of shooting my mouth off on the Internet.
If a tree blogs in a forest etc.
Break Time 0
Off to drink liberally.
Drinking Liberally Virginia Beach Tomorrow 0
Fun and fellowship for liberals. Join us and talk about anything in a relaxed atmosphere.
When: Thursday, August 22nd, 6 p.
Where:
Croc’s 19 Street Bistro
620 19th Street (Map)
More here.
News, Ripped from the Ticker 0
Bad taste warning, as usual.
Light Bloggery 0
Family business.
Bubble Boys 0
What the Booman said.
Break Time 0
Off to drink liberally.
Drinking Liberally Norfolk Tomorrow 0
Now on Tuesdays for Norfolk (still Thursdays for Virginia Beach) to make it easier for persons with commitments on either day to catch at least one per month.
Drinking Liberally is a gathering place for liberals. Socialize and laugh in a friendly atmosphere.
When: 6 p., Tuesday, July 13.
Where:
Uno Chicago Grill
5900 Virginia Beach Blvd
(Janaf Shopping Center) (map)
Details here. Meetup page here.
Ticked Off 0
It’s not your imagination – there really are more ticks than there used to be.
Humans have created a perfect tick habitat, Gaff said, by fragmenting forests and inserting houses. Squirrels, raccoons and other small animals love the habitat where woods meet grass, and ticks love animals. The rise in tick numbers also parallels the rise in the white-tailed deer population, she said, which is itself quite large.
The good news is that this excerpt is from a story about a local engineer who is working in a tick-killing robot, sort of a Roomba for the little vampirelets. Large-scale trials are set for next year.
Follow the link for details.