Gregory Heller

I have been talking about this for what seems like ages. Ever since i went to my first conference with live back channel chat projected above the heads of the speakers. I think it was the PDF in 2004. The idea is that during big national political televised events, like debates, conventions, state of the union.... events that are carried on major media outlets uninterrupted... you have a live IRC or similar type of back channel chat where smart folks can talk about the event, point out lies, or truths, crack wise, etc.

In case you didn't know it, we are on the brink of a transit strike here in NYC. The effects of which, in the last week before the Christmas and Chanukka Holiday season would be devastating on NYC residents and people who work here. Compound the holiday with the frigid weather, and it is a recipe for disaster. I've gotta say that I am typically pretty sympathetic to the municipal labor unions in their demands. For years under Giuliani they got the short end of the stick.

Well, [l:http://nytimes.com/2005/11/29/politics/29bush.html?hp&ex=1133326800&en=8ed882717b3b0cd8&ei=5094&partner=homepage|from the sound of it], Bush was catching up on his [l:http://www.nbc.com/The_West_Wing|West Wing] viewing while down at Crawford for the holidays.

I have been meaning to write about this for over a week. After the election, the NYT ran an [l:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/11/nyregion/11traffic.html?emc=eta1|article on the NYC Partnership's working group on congestion pricing NYC streets]. The article (or rather the Partnership) forced the freshly re-elected (and term limited lame duck) Mayor into a bad spot, and the administration [l:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/12/nyregion/metrocampaigns/12congestion.html?emc=eta1|shot back] that they were not considering congestion pricing.

[l:http://feeds.feedburner.com/echoditto?m=253|EchoDitto Blog as a story this week about how a simple email list can be part of an egovernment solutioon]. In the example, a local councilperson asked people on a neighborhood email list about a traffic issue.