Ulster County: An Exercise in Inefficiency

On Wednesday, I was scheduled to take a typing test for the second part of the Senior Clerical Series of the Civil Service Exams. I have concerns about a number of things that happened during the exam, but one particular problem stands above the others.

Moments before beginning the exam, an alarm went off in the building and we needed to leave, fire-drill style. Our paper work, including SSNs, addresses, etc. was all left inside, and some left their identification, purses, etc. Once we were outside, the exam monitors proceeded to initiate the process required in such situations. They attempted to contact the alarm company and waited for the Sheriff.

After nearly 40 minutes, the alarm was still running. It was an intruder alarm, rather than a fire alarm as previously thought, on a building that housed classrooms with a number of county-owned computers and other technological equipment.

The alarm company was nowhere to be found, and did not answer the phone calls.

The supervisor of the monitors was nowhere to be found, and did not answer the phone calls.

The Sheriff's department was nowhere to be found, and did not answer the phone calls (even though they are supposed to immediately report to the site of a county alarm).

The individual on shift for the building was also nowhere to be found.

In those 40 minutes, the test was delayed and a number of participants needed to leave, after taking time off work and scheduling sitters in order to come in the first place. In addition, I can only imagine how much county property could've been carted off by the mysterious "intruder."

All of a sudden, the individual on shift for the building appeared at the front door and turned off the alarm. Yes, he had heard the alarm go off, but he had just started his BREAK and didn't return until after his break had finished. Are you freaking KIDDING ME?!?!?!

Of FOUR different responsible parties, NONE responded in a timely manner. In fact, only ONE responded at all, but only after he had finished taking his break.

What was the Sheriff's department doing that was so important that they could ignore the alarm altogether? I can't speak to Wednesday evening, but Thursday evening may give some insight.

On Thursday, I got to the New Paltz Thruway exit around 6:30 pm. At the entrance to the toll booths from New Paltz, there were EIGHT Ulster County Sheriff vehicles that appear to have stopped a man in a minivan. He had two Dunkin Donuts coffee cups on top of the car; either there was something in them that wasn't supposed to be, or some of the officers had brought them along for the ride. Among these EIGHT vehicles was one undercover UC Sheriff vehicle - a beige AUDI. Last I checked, Audis were luxury vehicles; while they've come up with some concept police cars in the past, I am having a difficult time understanding why Ulster County needs vehicles that cost tens of thousands of dollars in order to do their job, which seems to consist of joining SEVEN OTHER OFFICERS in pulling over ONE man. Unless he was Joran Van der Sloot or Osama bin Laden, I can't really see the logic? But this type of high priority incident may indicate why not one Ulster County Sheriff officer could be bothered to show up at the previous night's intruder alarm in Kingston.

Oh, Ulster County. These shenanigans are always so tiresome, and I fear there is far more to come. Stay tuned for some fascinating info on the Ulster County Board of Elections. Teaser: At best, they're completely inept; at worst, they're completely corrupt. I know, I might make Jay Mahler angry again, but maybe instead of getting mad she should make sure that BOE employees do their jobs and actually follow, rather than rewrite, the laws.

Could someone please explain?

For the past few months, I've been watching a number of events unfold, and I must admit - I have no idea WTF is going on here.

I've watched Democrats close the blinds and lock the doors while Republicans struggle to crack them back open.

I've watched multiple Democrat-run governments move forward with falsified, illegal budgets.

I've watched so-called "progressives" allow their environmentalism to escalate into frenzied paranoia, using environmental protection to justify impediments to progress and change.

I've watched Greens bow down to rules they had no role in developing, adopting them as their own and finally crumbling under the strain in some strange version of Stockholm Syndrome, which didn't hurt their oppressors but will almost certainly hurt them.

I've watched Republican after Republican not only advocate for, but honestly, truly work for, meaningful governmental reform rather than the milquetoast nonsense Bartoletti and Horner have paraded around for years.

I've seen voters support a tax increase that was greater than one proposed 3 months ago, this time acting strongly in support of what they were overwhelmingly against.

I've watched the level of illogical intolerance rise to an astonishing level, where the partisan black/white enemy mentality has become so ingrained that it is almost insurmountable.

I've watched adults descend into utter foolishness, grasping desperately for anything they can paint as "victory," rather than recognizing that their cause stands on its own merit.

I've seen remarkable pettiness infuse the commentary of people who consider themselves community leaders and upstanding citizens, even though nobody else does.

I've watched as we bask in the suffering of another in order to feel better about our own.

I've watched as people are subtly, quietly backing down from everything that should enrage them, instead opting to only be enraged as they are told.




I've gotta ask, what is going on?


Registered Democrats, why do you continue to demonstrate wholehearted loyalty to a party that refuses to remain loyal to you? Surely this isn't what you expected when you elected them to represent you?

Elected Republicans, how long will this last? You've certainly got my attention, and I like what I've seen, but at what point will it go back to being about abortions and business and every other issue where we've already agreed to disagree?

Greens, why can't you please get out of your own way? When will you recognize that so many do want to see you successful, yet it's your own decisions that are siphoning away support?





Sigh.
Crazy, crazy times.

BREAKING NEWS! Poskanzer is FINALLY OUTTA HERE!

Just saw the good news over at the Freeman. I'm assuming we're still stuck with the guy for another few weeks or months, but jeez, even in my disgusting condition, I'd gladly volunteer to help him pack if it'd help him on his way sooner.

So, now that Albany will almost surely coronate another bum like Poskanzer, we can at least pretend SUNY gives a crap about what we think. Who would YOU want as the new President? What qualities do we need in the new enthroned one?

"The word 'flu' is always dangerous. So, I figured I'd see what it was all about." - Bob Gray

Today begins my second day home with the lousy flu. I hate the flu. I don't really know anyone who doesn't. And, somehow, I ALWAYS manage to get it right around this time. Last year really wasn't very bad for sickness at all, so I can hardly complain. Perhaps it had something to do with palm trees and sunshine well into December. But now I'm back on the goddamn east coast, and back with my lousy gross sickies. And I'm taking Tamiflu, which from what I've been able to tell, probably does absolutely nothing. I guess it's supposed to decrease the lengthy of your symptoms or severity or some such nonsense. But by like a day. And only maybe. Not sure really what the benefit of it actually is, plus Rumsfeld had some hand in its development or marketing or SOMETHING like that which, if I was a crazy Dem, would probably make me really nervous and conspiratorial and lead to a panic attack which would cause my airways to close and kill me when I probably should've just taken the Tamiflu and gone to sleep for a while. I'm none of those things, though, so I'm just taking the silly stuff and suffering somewhat quietly.

I did basically nothing except sleep yesterday, and read "Brooklyn," a sweet, fast novel by Irish author Colm Toibin. I generally hate modern fiction, especially anything that has ever even been near the NY Times Bestseller List, but this one was gentle and easy, perfect for a day lying in bed coughing up all sorts of unspeakable things, well-suited for the type of spring we've been having this year.

I'm thinking that this unanticipated quarantine can also allow for a few bonuses - I'll finally write up Part 2 of the social networking series (poor Korn, I promised AGES ago!). I'll also get some work done on my tirade against the Board of Elections, which I'm sure you've all been anxiously anticipating since I alluded to it weeks and weeks ago. I'm sure I can also come up with a few local politics gripes, too. Oh, things are so exciting in Barbie Blog!

But, for now, I'm going to share a few lovely blogs, think about the embroidery and/or sewing I can do today without kicking my ass TOO much, and perhaps watch the Cider House Rules or A Place in the Sun because, even though I'm broke, I can't part with my Netflix.

Also, if anyone wanted to bring me vegetarian celery-free, cilantro-free, beet-free get well foods, I'd be forever indebted (or, really, just pretty grateful and appreciative).

Just came across This Mama Makes Stuff today and I really love it. Her ideas are great, her ART LESSONS for the kids are freaking PHENOMENAL, and I see tremendous value in her blog for anyone, regardless of whether you have a child-free existence or not. Her genius refashions alone are reason enough to add to your roster.

I was fortunate enough to meet Susanna at the NYC Easter Parade a few weeks ago, and am so impressed with her lovely, lovely blog. She is an amazing artist and I am just smitten with her winged messengers and I also really love her round robins (the royal confections are to-die-for). So, check out Susanna's Sketchbook and you'll probably be as enamored as I am.

I couldn't go completely non-local and apolitical. If you haven't checked it out yet, "Sweetie Petey" has been doing some outstanding blogging over at the PR Party website. If you want a chuckle, want something to think about, or just want to join those cranky Hinchey-or-Bust Dems in being mad at us, it's the perfect place to be.

My LLLL (Lovely Lesbian Lover Lagusta, as if you didn't know) has a few exciting blog developments! First, the much-loved resistance is fertile has a new URL at http://blog.lagusta.com. Also, her amazing Lagusta's Luscious (LLLLL? Luscious Lovely Lesbian Lover Lagusta?) now has it's own foodie home! So update your bookmarks and be sure to check both of them out!

Finally, the amazing Ivan Lajara appears to have organized a blog roll for the Kingston Daily Freeman similar to (but better than) that junk the PoJo tries to do. It's got a lot of really neat blogs and I'm so glad they're bolstering their online presence (I really wish Ulster Publishing would learn a thing or two from them and do something about the god-awful website). Of course, LB is one of the featured blogs and if you'd like to be included, too, just send your info over to Ivan! He also turned me onto an amazing live blogging tool called Cover It Live, which I hope to be using here soon. It's gotta work better than the running comment commentary over at the gadfly... oy. Anyways, check out the other blogs, keep up with a few that you like, and comment to let them know that you want to see more!

Kimbiz? Kazmin? Whoever he is, he needs to STFU.

Village Trustee Brian Kimbiz aka Brian Kazmin owes Sally Rhoads and everyone participating in tonight's Village Board meeting a tremendous apology. Not only did he expose his complete ignorance of the legislative process, legal codes, and other areas, he also lied about his role in disseminating information about the noise ordinance and was completely disrespectful of his fellow trustees and the public.

Raising your voice when you don't get your way is for petulant children, and that's exactly what Kimbiz appears to be. His efforts to drown out individuals who had the floor, including Sally, amounts to bullying and temper-tantrums. His behavior was completely inappropriate and the only adequate remedy for this outrageous affront is a public apology for his immature conduct during this meeting. Mocking others by making faces, snickering, rolling eyes, interrupting and other childish behavior has no place in our public forums and he is setting a terrible example for those who have not had experiences with the many thoughtful, respectful, informative students that are involved in our community. He might be "pissed as hell," but that doesn't mean we should all be subjected to it. If revisions are made to the noise ordinance (which they clearly should be - it's a pretty lousy law in it's current form), perhaps they can include his offensive and embarrassing comments in the violations.

There are frequently valid reasons for disagreement between permanent community members and SUNY students; these issues arise independently of sensationalized efforts to fan the flames. While Kimbiz' Facebook group purported to operate under the context of civil discourse, his efforts on behalf of this issue ensured the contrary. He has manipulated just emotions of the very constituents he pretends to serve in order to bolster publicity and his absurd agenda of giving power to those who have never really had it taken away. Any efforts to increase animosity among various groups of our community should be discouraged, especially when those efforts are spearheaded by our public officials. We have enough warfare without creating new battles that never needed to be.

In addition, it's about time he get a few things straight. The learning curve he faced should be almost completely dissolved after nearly a year in his position. He serves on the VILLAGE Board, not the TOWN Board, "CDs" are NOT official minutes of a meeting, and there are huge differences between NYS laws, Village laws and SUNY policy. Perhaps if he is able to finally get these basic concepts down, he wouldn't be so obviously frustrated and obnoxious during meetings. Spell check would be a huge improvement, too. It's almost as painful to read the junk he puts on Facebook as it is to actually listen to him spout this nonsense in person. I know I've made fun of his goal to be a "great lesion" on the Village Board, but I'm only beginning to realize that he actually did mean it literally.

Finally, kudos to Police Chief Joe Snyder. Chief Snyder was the only person making an effort to diffuse an unnecessarily heated debate, returning it to the conversation it ought to have been in the first place. I've seen great things from him during his tenure and am constantly reassured of his competence and compassion each time he responds to difficult situations with such poise and respect.

Coffee Party Founder Annabel Park to Visit New Paltz THIS SUNDAY! 1pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Pete Healey - 845-399-3288
PHealey3@gmail.com
Brittany Turner - 916-384-6735
Turner.Brittany@gmail.com

RENEWING DEMOCRACY: THE FUTURE OF THE COFFEE PARTY
National Coffee Party Founder Annabel Park to Speak at Local Meeting

NEW PALTZ - On Sunday, April 18, the Hudson Valley Coffee Party will welcome Annabel Park, founder of the National Coffee Party, to New Paltz where she will discuss the origin of the Coffee Party, concerns surrounding the existing debate in the US, and her vision for the organization's future. Joining Park is local Coffee Party organizer Pete Healey, who will moderate an open discussion between Park and area activists.

According to Healey, "One of the major public policy questions currently being discussed in Coffee Party circles is money in politics. I'm afraid that the three campaign finance reform failures in recent years indicate that those efforts are not a sole solution to our complex problems. It seems like one way out is to consider strategies to renew our democracy by expanding opportunities for new parties to develop. We need to level the playing field for everyone who wants to participate in civil discourse and electoral politics."

Healey added, "The Coffee Party is all about civility and respect for different points of view; New Paltz is exactly the kind of place for that conversation to occur. We have a longstanding tradition of supporting diverse and unique viewpoints. Just this past February, an unprecedented civil conversation was had among state legislators and local representatives of varying political viewpoints. We look forward to replicating the success of that event, and believe the Coffee Party is a natural extension of the civility and innovative solutions demonstrated in the February meeting."

The event will be held at the Muddy Cup Coffeehouse, 58 Main Street, at 1:00pm. The event is free and open to the public; attendees are encouraged to support the Muddy Cup in return for their generous use of their space. Coffee Party members and interested participants will have an opportunity to ask questions of Park and engage in informal conversations on political issues of interest to the community.

The Coffee Party identifies itself as a "spontaneous and collective expression" of interest in cultivating "solution-oriented civic engagement." The organization is "made up of people acting independently of political parties, of corporations, and of political lobbying networks. . .demand[ing] a government that responds to the needs of the majority of its citizens as expressed by our votes and by
our voices; NOT corporate interests as expressed by misleading advertisements and campaign contributions." Additional information is available at the National Coffee Party website, www.coffeepartyusa.com or the Coffee Party of the Hudson Valley Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Coffee-Party-of-the-Hudson-Valley/399399095041?ref=ts.

###

Social Networking 101 - Part 1

I've apparently established myself as a bit of Facebook guru, and I kinda like it that way. Over the past few weeks I've bumped into a number of "strangers," who, as it turns out, are Facebook friends or are interested in the Facebook phenomena. Since there are few things I love more than my lovely "fbk," I'm providing a series of Facebook 101 tutorials here at Barbie blog.

I've conducted workshops on social networking, social media and Facebook in particular. If you'd like a copy of my powerpoints or if you have questions that aren't answered here, please feel free to comment or email and I'll do my best to help get you started.

FAQ

- What are social networking sites?

Social networking sites build online communities where people with shared interests can connect to each other.

-What types of social networking sites are available?

1. Connection Sites - Connection sites are used to connect to other people, businesses, organizations, ideas, or just about anything that exists in the "real world." I've broken these into 3 sub-categories:
   

• Personal Sites (i.e. Classmates, Friendster) - these sites are primarily used to connect socially with other individuals. Classmates is a site with paid upgrades that allow you to connect with past and present schoolmates. Friendster is a free site that allows you to connect with friends. These are less popular and you may be dissatisfied with the level of connection you are able to achieve with your "real life" contacts.
  
• Professional Sites (i.e. Linked In, Zoominfo) - these are similar to the personal sites, but are used specifically for professional networking opportunities. Linked In allows you to connect with past and present colleagues, associates, supervisors, etc. and provides a forum for resumes, references, etc. Zoominfo compiles media and web links highlighting your work as a professional and compiling a profile based on this information. Whether you sign up for Zoominfo or not, you PROBABLY have a profile on the site. I highly recommend that you visit the site to see if it has tracked you, claim your identity and modify any information that appears on your profile as necessary, especially since it can also compile personal information such as phone numbers, addresses and email addresses.
  
• Combination Sites (i.e. Facebook, MySpace) - these sites are a hybrid of the two listed above, as many use them for both purposes. Many businesses and organizations have also developed a presence on these sites, as it is a free and easy way to connect with stakeholders and is often easier to maintain than a stand-alone website. ***A WORD OF CAUTION: Before signing up for these sites, make a conscious decision about what you will use your account for. For example, do not sign up using your work email address without first checking on restrictions. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND that people wishing to keep their personal lives separate and private from their work lives sign up using ONLY a personal email account, or, create 2 separate accounts - 1 for personal use and 1 for professional. While there are many options available to establish different privacy thresholds, this is not foolproof and your best bet is to just keep things separate from the beginning.

2. Blogs (i.e. Wordpress, Blogspot, LiveJournal) - If you're reading this, you probably already know what a blog is. If you need me to go into more detail, let me know. They're maybe not specifically social networking (moreso web publishing and journaling), but there is a definite social component.

3. Sharing Sites (i.e. Flickr, Google, YouTube) - These sites are dedicated to sharing a specific
type of media. Flickr, for example is used for photos, YouTube for videos, and Google for everything from videos, photos, books, websites and more.

- Who uses social networking?

Social networking is for EVERYONE!!! No, really, it is. Many people mistakenly assume it's for kids and while certain sites are geared more toward a particular demographic, 35-49 year olds are one of the largest groups of people using these sites. 18-24 year olds and 50-64 year olds also make up a huge percentage of users. Chances are, many people you know are already using these sites and you should probably be one of them!

(This graph uploaded pretty crappy, but you get the idea.
If you're a nerd like me, you can click on it to make it come up all pretty.)

- What are the benefits of social networking?

Can't see the grandkids as often as you'd like? Hate talking on the phone? Looking for a place to find local activities and businesses of interest? Social networking sites can help with all of these issues. The sites are simple and convenient (once you learn a few basics), and you can log on or off only when you're interested in connecting with others.

You can learn about and RSVP to various local events through the sites and make connections with new friends who are interested in similar groups, activities and issues. You can connect with family and friends who, in an increasingly busy world, are less easy to pin down than perhaps they once were. You can, often, chat live with these loved ones through the site, keep up on important events like birthdays and anniversaries, see newly updated photos without having to weed through emails, etc. You can also take advantage of the targeted advertising through many of these sites, which includes ads that are based on your existing interests. No more nuisance "free iPod" pop-up ads; the ads on these sites are truly tailored to your needs. You can also find solace in the fact that you will no longer be a technological "untouchable;" you'll be in tune with what everyone else is talking about!

OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS SITES

More details on Facebook coming in Part 2, as per your requests - if there are others that you'd like additional details about, let me know.

Deciding which site to use can be daunting; I happen to have accounts with most of these sites, but if you're a beginner, you may prefer just one site to start. Sites that I'd encourage you to register with are marked with an asterisk.

Facebook*
- Profile Page
- Events
- Pages/Fans/Groups
- Notes (Blog)
- Photo and Video Sharing
- Heavy traffic: I guarantee you will know at least 10 people already using the site

Linked In
- Like Facebook with Professional Slant
- “Professional Networking”
- References and professional connections
- No photo/video sharing, blogging

Twitter
- 140 character mini-blog updates sent to “followers” via e-mail or text message
- No video or photo sharing
- Fast, simple, easy to update from any location
- Heavy traffic and celebrity access

Blogs: Blogspot & Wordpress
- Platform for editorial style entries on any issue of interest
- User-friendly
- Mobile upload capability
- Photo sharing to support text

YouTube*
- Video sharing
- Channels, friends and subscribers
- Post videos as “comments” to others
- Can be embedded in other sites
- Cannot download videos easily
- Heavy traffic

Any questions? More info on actually setting up your Facebook coming soon!