I haven’t seen much use for Twitter, until now. It started last week when I was trying to think of ways that the students and faculty could post or view information about our Blackboard System. Maybe students could post to a specific Twitter hashtag ( e.g. #uncfsubb ) when they wanted to report a system availability problem, or look to see if others were having a similar problem, or see if there was official info regarding what was causing the problem and how much longer the system might be unavailable. *So, I might put the above hashtag in a mailto link on an alternate Bb web page. The viewer could both search on Twitter for postings under that hashtag, and they could also easily post using that hashtag.

Okay, so that is what had gotten me looking at Twitter recently. So, yesterday, I was crossing I95 just north of Lumberton, NC. As I did so, I saw that both lanes of north bound I95 traffic were at a standstill, looking both north and south, as far as the eye could see. It was then that I thought, it would be useful if there were a standard Twitter hashtag for people to use when they were on a specific road and they encountered a problem, or were looking for info about a slowdown, etc. So, “#I95NCTraffic” would be a nice Twitter hashtag to use if you were anywhere along I95 in North Carolina and either saw an accident, had to make a detour, wanted to know why traffic was backed up on I95, etc.

I’ve also thought that Twitter hashtags would be great for sharing info during an emergency situation (if the power wasn’t out to your mobile device). Maybe you’re having to evacuate “the island” and you would like suggestions for the best route away. That would be in addition to the posted signs by the State (or Federal Govt.). Maybe you are looking to see if you want to go to Raleigh, or if it would be best to detour elsewhere.

The State could post these Twitter hashtags on roads and then, if it was needed, you could check there.

Tweets about "#uncfsuoutages"
//

Thomas Kuebler does great work! It is both captivating, in it’s detail, and creepy, and that is a compliment. I came across the artist’s work, “The Mythical Menagerie of Doctor Baltus Bagoon” when I was going from antiques store to antiques store in Selma, NC. It was the perfect location, unless I had found it in an old store in some bleak mountain town.

I am so glad that I was alone when I found this art displayed amongst the old items of the store. If it had only been later in the day, when the late afternoon shadows had fallen, minutes away from twilight, and moments away from the darkness of night. Oh, boy, I would have probably ran out of the store, “screaming like a little girl.” Well, actually, I did find myself looking closer and closer at the detail of Baltus, and asking myself, how can this not be real.” And thinking, “If he moves (Baltus), I’ll jump six feet.” It is that good.

The Mythical Menagerie of Doctor Baltus Bagoon (by Thomas Kuebler)

http://www.thomaskuebler.com/gallery/beggars_freaks/baltus_bagoon/index.htm

The artist reveals his process for “The Mythical Menagerie of Doctor Baltus Bagoon” via the “Smooth-On” art supply site:

http://www.smooth-on.com/a99/Hyper-Realistic-Silicone-Artworks-From-The-Wild-Imagination-of-Tom-Kuebler/article_info.html

I’m not sure how much something like this is worth, but it would be great in a museum, where it could be appreciated by many people.

Archie Campbell was a riot on "Hee Haw" when he did his "Rindercella" story.

Archie Campbell’s "Pee Little Thrigs"

Open a Mind, Touch a Heart

Storytellers continue a North Carolina tradition (Margaret Buranen )

http://www.carolinacountry.com/index.php/carolina-stories/carolina-life/item/open-a-mind-touch-a-heart

Written version of one of these:

Loldygocks & the Bee Threars

By Susan L. Adams

I sent the following email to all the NC Senate and House legislators regarding NC Fracking (their email addresses, as of today on their website are listed at the bottom of this post):

—

The Governor isn’t going to veto a NC Fracking bill, since he has been representing the Energy Industry long before he was elected Governor… so, if you guys/gals don’t protect the Citizens of NC by putting in strict laws and guidelines at the start (unless you vote fracking down in NC), the Energy Industry surely isn’t going to protect the people of North Carolina.

You don’t need to be taking safeguards out of fracking legislation because it will scare away the Industry. You should hold them accountable at every turn. They should have to reveal what toxic chemicals are being pumped down, and brought back up. You better darn well not allow them to leave those toxic chemicals in NC, and you should probably care where those chemicals get hauled off to. Someone, somewhere will be left with that toxic waste.

You should add a tax for the fracking industry, up front, that will go toward clean-up, infrastructure repair and related health issues that might occur “down the road”. Don’t tell me, “But if we put too many rules on them, they will go elsewhere.” You put strict laws on them, and they’ll still come for that oily dollar of profit.

Rather than “fast tracking” the legislation on this, you all need to be slowing it down, and “making sure it is done right” and will both benefit and protect the people of North Carolina.

Thanks.

Bill

—

NC Senate Email Addresses (from web site on 02/27/13)

Austin.Allran@ncleg.net; Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.net; Chad.Barefoot@ncleg.net; Tamara.Barringer@ncleg.net; Phil.Berger@ncleg.net; Stan.Bingham@ncleg.net; Dan.Blue@ncleg.net; Andrew.Brock@ncleg.net; Harry.Brown@ncleg.net; Peter.Brunstetter@ncleg.net; Angela.Bryant@ncleg.net; Ben.Clark@ncleg.net; Daniel.Clodfelter@ncleg.net; Bill.Cook@ncleg.net; David.Curtis@ncleg.net; Warren.Daniel@ncleg.net; Don.Davis@ncleg.net; Jim.Davis@ncleg.net; Joel.Ford@ncleg.net; Thom.Goolsby@ncleg.net; Malcolm.Graham@ncleg.net; Rick.Gunn@ncleg.net; Kathy.Harrington@ncleg.net; Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net; Ralph.Hise@ncleg.net; Neal.Hunt@ncleg.net; Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net; Clark.Jenkins@ncleg.net; Ellie.Kinnaird@ncleg.net; Floyd.McKissick@ncleg.net; Gene.McLaurin@ncleg.net; Wesley.Meredith@ncleg.net; Martin.Nesbitt@ncleg.net; Buck.Newton@ncleg.net; Earline.Parmon@ncleg.net; Louis.Pate@ncleg.net; Ron.Rabin@ncleg.net; Bill.Rabon@ncleg.net; Shirley.Randleman@ncleg.net; Gladys.Robinson@ncleg.net; Bob.Rucho@ncleg.net; Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.net; Dan.Soucek@ncleg.net; Josh.Stein@ncleg.net; Jeff.Tarte@ncleg.net; Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net; Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net; Trudy.Wade@ncleg.net; Michael.Walters@ncleg.net; Mike.Woodard@ncleg.net

====

NC House Email Addresses (from web site on 02/27/13)

Alma.Adams@ncleg.net; Kelly.Alexander@ncleg.net; Dean.Arp@ncleg.net; Marilyn.Avila@ncleg.net; Nathan.Baskerville@ncleg.net; John.Bell@ncleg.net; Larry.Bell@ncleg.net; Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net; John.Blust@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net; Marcus.Brandon@ncleg.net; Robert.Brawley@ncleg.net; Bill.Brawley@ncleg.net; William.Brisson@ncleg.net; Mark.Brody@ncleg.net; Brian.Brown@ncleg.net; Rayne.Brown@ncleg.net; Rob.Bryan@ncleg.net; Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net; Justin.Burr@ncleg.net; Becky.Carney@ncleg.net; Rick.Catlin@ncleg.net; George.Cleveland@ncleg.net; Jeff.Collins@ncleg.net; Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net; Tricia.Cotham@ncleg.net; Carla.Cunningham@ncleg.net; Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net; Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net; Jerry.Dockham@ncleg.net; Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net; Beverly.Earle@ncleg.net; Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net; John.Faircloth@ncleg.net; Jean.Farmer-Butterfield@ncleg.net; Susan.Fisher@ncleg.net; Elmer.Floyd@ncleg.net; Carl.Ford@ncleg.net; Valerie.Foushee@ncleg.net; Jim.Fulghum@ncleg.net; Rosa.Gill@ncleg.net; Rick.Glazier@ncleg.net; Ken.Goodman@ncleg.net; Charles.Graham@ncleg.net; George.Graham@ncleg.net; Mike.Hager@ncleg.net; Duane.Hall@ncleg.net; Larry.Hall@ncleg.net; Susi.Hamilton@ncleg.net; Edward.Hanes@ncleg.net; Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Pricey.Harrison@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net; Yvonne.Holley@ncleg.net; Mark.Hollo@ncleg.net; Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net; Craig.Horn@ncleg.net; Julia.Howard@ncleg.net; Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net; Frank.Iler@ncleg.net; Verla.Insko@ncleg.net; Darren.Jackson@ncleg.net; Charles.Jeter@ncleg.net; Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net; Bert.Jones@ncleg.net; Jonathan.Jordan@ncleg.net; Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net; James.Langdon@ncleg.net; David.Lewis@ncleg.net; Marvin.Lucas@ncleg.net; Paul.Luebke@ncleg.net; Chris.Malone@ncleg.net; Susan.Martin@ncleg.net; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net; Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net; Deb.McManus@ncleg.net; Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net; Mickey.Michaux@ncleg.net; Chris.Millis@ncleg.net; Annie.Mobley@ncleg.net; Tim.Moffitt@ncleg.net; Rodney.Moore@ncleg.net; Tim.Moore@ncleg.net; Tom.Murry@ncleg.net; Garland.Pierce@ncleg.net; Larry.Pittman@ncleg.net; Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net; Joe.Queen@ncleg.net; Nathan.Ramsey@ncleg.net; Bobbie.Richardson@ncleg.net; Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net; Deborah.Ross@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net; Jason.Saine@ncleg.net; Ruth.Samuelson@ncleg.net; Jacqueline.Schaffer@ncleg.net; Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net; Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net; Michael.Speciale@ncleg.net; Paul.Stam@ncleg.net; Edgar.Starnes@ncleg.net; Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net; Michael.Stone@ncleg.net; John.Szoka@ncleg.net; Evelyn.Terry@ncleg.net; Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net; Paul.Tine@ncleg.net; Joe.Tolson@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net; Rena.Turner@ncleg.net; Ken.Waddell@ncleg.net; Harry.Warren@ncleg.net; Andy.Wells@ncleg.net; Roger.West@ncleg.net; Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net; Winkie.Wilkins@ncleg.net; Michael.Wray@ncleg.net

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

Perceptis Helpdesk first level techs, and whatever training process the company provides, or fails to provide have been a constant source of irritation to me for the past couple of years. Simple problems were escalated to me by numerous Perceptis Helpdesk T1 (first level) techs, and their management never figured out how to correct this problem.

Over, and over, and over, and over, and over (and over, repeated many more times) tickets came to me without the basic info included so that I could start working on the problem, without having to contact the user (faculty & students) to get the basics of a problem. The T1s were excellent at stating problems in “generalities”, but failed repeatedly to provide enough specifics for me to not have to cold call the user. “The student can’t download an assignment,” to which my mind screamed, “WHICH ASSIGNMENT, in WHICH COURSE.” “The student isn’t able to view a podcast,”… “WHICH ONE?” *I hope this isn’t a generational problem. A generation of people that can generalize, but doesn’t have a clue about getting to “specifics”.

The user can’t do this,… or the user can’t do that… and I would have to ask, “Which course”, or “which assignment”, or go checking to see if the person was enrolled in more than one course. Many of the T1s just didn’t show that they had a clue as to what was needed to solve a user’s problem.

I came to hate the phrase by Perceptis management, “We will coach the tech.” If you had a good training system, you wouldn’t have to keep coaching your new techs on how to solve basic Bb problems.

I was just passing by, and decided to stop in and take a few pictures of the new Central Harnett Hospital which has just opened recently. The Harnett County Governmental Complex is just a short distance away. I am guessing that Harnett County decided to put their governmental offices & agencies in a central location of the County. It is odd that they are not located in a central town or city in the County, but maybe a city will grow up around the complex now.

Nice looking facility, but reminds me of something that might have been built in the early 1960s in Russia, or Scandanavia. But then, the arched dome of the 1950s Quonset Hut buildings made a resurgence in the early years of this Century. Fifty years from now kids will be looking at these structures and noting when they must have been built.