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Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/210 first.

It's strange. I can never predict which photos at Flickr are going to be popular.

Big shout-out and thank you to the folks at SeriousEats who were kind enough to call Gaia "Adorable."

I'll pass on the discussion over whether this is a correct application of the creative commons license in favor of simply basking in my daughter's new found internet fame.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/Use_google_docs_as_a_sick_log first.

Gaia was sick earlier this week with what her doctor described as a nasty roller-coaster of a virus. She was a little flushed on Sunday when we went to the Pumpkin Farm with her cousins, and so we knew she was getting something.
On Monday, Jeni stayed home with her, preempting the "come get your daughter" call from the daycare. By noon she was throwing up and had a crazy high fever, so to the doctor she went. I stayed with her on tuesday. And that's where it gets interesting.
I didn't want to have to keep Jeni updated on the phone all day long while I sat with the girl. It was hard enough to be with her; she was so upset and sick. Dashing to the phone to update a concerned mommy was going to be frustrating, and I didn't really want to stream video because you can never really be sure who's watching and I wasn't planning on being on a throw up gag reel on the You Tube.
So I set up a spreadsheet and a form on Google Docs and shared it with Jenifer. Then I set the form as my home/startup page on my browsers-- as to facilitate updating the thing. It turned out pretty well, actually. Jeni kept an eye on it throughout the day. She said it was nice to see what was going on at home.
And more importantly, I didn't have to struggle to remember when things happened. I had a place to write down what she ate and when she threw up. I had time-stamped entries of when I gave her medicine. I can never remember that stuff, I would have had to have written it down anyway-- and between Jeni's laptop and mine, I had one near me for any given moment. At my house, it's probably easier to find a laptop than a working pen most of the time anyway.

Have you used Google's Forms features for feeding the spreadsheet? They're pretty basic, but they're fantastically easy to set up, and they do exactly what you're looking for with a minimum of set up.

And as for the girl? She's great. She's finally back at school today (Thursday) and, although her sleep schedule is really broke, she's on the mend and has pretty much talked non stop since about 2 a.m. Tuesday.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/202 first.

Yeah, it's on...

MilwaukeeDevHouse3 is Friday, November 21, 2008 at 6pm at Bucketworks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Join us!

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/911problemsand0solutions first.

In the city of Milwaukee, 911, literally, is broken. Last night, under the advice of the police who, in months past, have visited my house investigating break-ins in the neighborhood, I called for a squad car. -- And dispatch argued with me that I didn’t need to call 911 and I should call the non-emergency line.
At about 8 p.m. the girl was getting dressed after her shower and I was in her room helping her. My delightful wife was in the bathroom when there was a knock at the door.
Remember, at our house, we have a very clearly posted “no solicitors” sign. Standing outside the screen door, I find a guy wearing some kind of an ID Badge from a local (for profit) college, selling me a sob story about how his neighbor burned down their flat and that he had no where to live and no job until he graduated from the local college. He had a large clipboard in one had with some things scribbled in it, and said he was collecting the names of the people who were helping him and that when he got back on his feet, he’d be sure to send something back to the people who helped him out.
I told him that I did not respond to solicitors and he would do well to contact Milwaukee Hunger Task Force and the Red Cross for help, because those were charities that I do support. He said he really just needed some cash and that the red cross hadn't helped him. I cut him off, said I was sorry, but I didn’t respond to door-to-door solicitors. He started to walk away to the north, and I called the 911.
And that’s where things get shitty.
After waiting on hold briefly-- seriously -- I told the dispatcher that I had just shooed off a panhandler begging door and that the police told me to call in with anything suspicious or threatening and ask for a squad.
The dispatcher told me that I didn’t have an emergency. I said that there was a threatening man at my door and that for all I knew he had a weapon.
She asked why I would say that.
I told her that I felt threatened and could she please send a squad. She said no. And told me to call the non emergency number.
Eventually my delightful wife took the phone and continued to plead with the dispatcher, and between she and I, we eventually elevated the call to a supervisor.
Now it gets shittier.
The supervisor told us that we could get a squad, eventually, and that she’d be sure to review the tape of the call, but that the public “Needs to understand” that the police chief has decided that squads will not be sent out to everybody who requests them. “We have a lot of frustrated people in Milwaukee,” she said.
I said something unhelpful-- along the lines of “You’re not helping.” and Jeni shushed me and then asked if she could “Please” send a squad. It was only at this point that the dispatcher actually asked for my address.
Look, you shouldn’t have to beg 911 operators to send you a squad. That’s fucked up, Milwaukee. Look. The guy’s sob story might have been legitimate. I doubt it, but maybe. My point is, that’s not for the 911 dispatcher to decide. That’s for the squad to decide. That’s what police in Milwaukee have told me.
Furthermore, I’ve been told by police chiefs that I’ve worked with in the past that It’s not dispatches job to decide if a squad should be called. I’ve been told that dispatch is supposed to relay information to the chain of command and that the chain of command is supposed to make decisions. I can see how such a scenario would break down in a larger police force like the City of Milwaukee’s, but that still doesn’t mean that when a taxpaying citizen calls for a squad he or she should be told that they’re emergency isn’t dire enough.
I should also emphasize that City of Milwaukee Police Officers have told me to lie to dispatch in order to get a squad out there faster. I don’t do this. I won’t purger myself just to make the system work. But that’s what police in Milwaukee have told me to do. ONe officer some years ago in my old neighborhood told me, “say you saw that he had a gun or something.” So clearly, 911 in Milwaukee is in disorder.
The issue of whether or not I had an emergency is a red herring in this case anyway. The issue is one of service to a community. I was trying my damnedest to be a good citizen. I was trying to report to the police that I felt something funny was going on. I had been told by police officers that this was the way to do it. To be told I’m not important and a cold and dispassionate dispatcher in a safe room miles away from me is more than insulting to my civic sense of responsibility. It’s insulting to anybody who expects that along with the higher cost of living and the significant tax rate enjoyed by city of Milwaukee residents, comes a stronger and more responsive infrastructure.
I point this out, on the record, today, as a pre-emptive explanation of why I moved out of the city.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/194 first.

Every so often, the universe makes an effort g to take me down a notch. Before It totally pantses me, I'm going to take a tip from an old friend and scale it back a bit.

I am many things, and the thing I'm working on right now is humility. Before I get my ass in more trouble. Try to remember this, Internet. No mater what or who you are, there are people who are smarter, better, and cleverer than you. And God help it if they aren't above rubbing your nose in it.

I'll have my cup of humility with a side of humble toast, thank you.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/193 first.

I'm back at work and I'm trying to wrap my head around what today's news on Wall Street really means to me.
This is the best I can come up with:

I really like how one of my co-workers put it:
"I'm not really sure there will be much impact for those of us who cling to the hairs of the economic underbelly."

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/191 first.

Here's my presentation about BarCampMilwaukee3 from Web414 last night. Hosted on Scribd, rendered in fancy iPaper.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/188 first.

This picture made me realize that I am raising some kind of a super girly-girl.

There's certainly nothing wrong with that. I'm pleased as punch as a matter of fact. You may notice that the things in her headboard include a live animal known to most as a "cat." She calls this animal "Merm" and he lives in her room. He is an older cat that we rescued from the Humane Society.
Look at how the girl beams, and tell me you could have resisted her repeated innocent inquiries into the acquisition of a cat. You say you could have stood strong against that face? I say you are a liar.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/183 first.

Mr. Kevron snapped this photo of the girl this weekend. Today, by the way, right about now, actually, marks the very first day in my life wherein my loyalties split between my wife and my girl for the very first time.
Three years ago was the first time wherein I was honor bound to be by the side of not one, but two people who needed me. It has been my privilege to do my best by both of them ever since. It's hard, but we do ok. I hope.
The girl spent the weekend attached to my hip, and we went to Bucketworks to help with the physical wiki weekend, and set up for Urban Scrawl. SHe painted a board that got used in the Urban Scrawl show, and she was soproud.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Gaia. Thanks for being an awesome three-year old.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/182 first.

Robot Parade from Jared Foster on Vimeo.

Love this idea. A Robot Parade at Bucketworks would be an awesome fundraiser/outreach project.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/176 first.

I forgot to tell you: Last night, I dreamt that I had fallen asleep on a hole in the ground that Raccoons kept squirming out of. I assume that I was sleeping on Gaia.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/172 first.

Things to note about the guy sitting next to me at Altera at 3:30 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon.

1. He is reading Tagged.com and flipping through voting yes to all the chicks and no to all the dudes.
2. He has an "Apartments for Rent" flier with him.
3. He has a "application for employment" for the Milwaukee Fire Department.
4. He has or knows someone who has a Wells Fargo Checking Account, according to his Nalgine bottle.

That is all.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/171 first.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/169 first.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/168 first.

I peek over and see that Gaia is watching me type this, and I notice that she's smiling at me and she's cuddling one of her mother's cha-cha shoes.
Since she's not sleeping, "What are you doing with those," I ask her.
"They're Mama's shoes," she says. "They're cuddly, I like to cuddle them."
"Ok. Go to sleep."
"Do you want to cuddle Mama's shoes in the big bed?"
"No thanks."
"They're nice," she giggles.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/162 first.

She's wearing an Orange Shirt, Pink Shoes, Blue Pants and a Purple Headband. She asks me if I would help her put on her Lailac sweatshirt.
"Are you sure you don't want your green one?"
"Why?"
"Well, if you wore you're green one, you'd pretty much have all the colors on."
"I guess I need a Green Shirt then," she says.
"Why?"
"Because then I'll have all the colors, and I'll be as pretty as I can be."
"Aww. THat's cute, But I think you're already as pretty as you can be."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"But with the green shirt, I'd be even more pretty!"

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/160 first.

Congratulations to the Gang at Bucketworks for cobbling together a fantastic space for the Bucket's first event since it was closed by Mother Nature and the subsequent cleanup.

Born 2 Skill was a good artshow focused on the empowerment of women and urban expression, and the event did well in the converted playspace. There was street and sketch sytle arts, fine arts, a DJ, and even some jewelry and sculpture. Gaia really liked the giraffe sculpture.

I stopped by tonight to check it out and was happy to see art and community melding again at Bucketworks. Back on our feet, taking baby steps. I didn't walk through the flow space or the greenhouse, but what I could see through the windows of Quazi Cafe, it'll be a little while before the bucket is back at 100%. Great work, Patrick, Jen, and everybody who, I know, did whatever they could to get the space ready for Born 2 Skill tonight.

I brought Gaia with me; it was her first Art Show and she was very excited to be there. You could tell because she had her intense face on, studying what was going on. She liked the DJ, by the way. Jeni asked how she could know what a DJ even was, and I was all like, but she loves DJ Lance. Yo-Gabba! Gabba!

So on the way home, as we pull out of the Bucket's driveway and up Sixth Street, Gaia says, "Wow. That was cool. This was fun. Thanks, Dad."

She's such a cool kid. Totally spoiled, I am.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/157 first.

Gaia is from another planet.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/155 first.

So, we're taking the Pig around the block, and Gaia looks up at the canopy and sees the tree cover we're walking under and she says, "Ooh! Dad! Look at this dark and magical forest!"
And I say, "No, it's the neighborhood. It's safe."
And she says, "I know, Dad. I'm pretending."
And I say, "Ok. It is a magical forest then."
"Don't worry," she says. "Pig is here. He's a fighter."
And I think that's great. "Pig's our warrior, ehy?"
And she says yes.
"What do you want to do here in the forest?" I ask her.
"I'm here to explore!" she says.
"Ok. Can I be the healer? Every party needs a healer." I say.
"Yes. We need a healer," she says.

And my heart went pitter, pitter pat.

Hey Kids!This was posted at http://writelarge.com/node/148 first.

Massive Mayfly hatch up north this weekend. If you listen carefully, you can actually hear their wings humming in the air.