The Bletchley Circle

My wife and I love to watch Masterpiece Classic on Sunday nights.  From Downton to Wallander, we love a good mystery and an old fashion soap opera.  Recently, after Masterpiece, PBS has started airing a new series called The Bletchley Circle.  We've been hooked.

The story is about a group of four women who were genius code crackers for the British during World War II.  Following the War all espionage service members were forced to sign The Official Secrets Act.  In the show (and actual history) these women were not allowed to tell others, even their husbands, what type of work they did during the war.  In many respects they returned to normal everyday lives. As one of the girls begins to recognize potential patterns (like codes) in a local serial killing spree she rallies her former colleagues to solve the case.  It's been fun to watch.

What I can't help but think about is how many "Bletchley Girls" we have right here in Provo.  How many talented, smart, and completely capable women who are at home happy raising their families but together compose a huge untapped pool of talent.

Enter Google Fiber.

I really hope that one of the results of Google Fiber is that stay-at-home mothers can find ways to continue to develop their interests and talents.  That more mothers who need to or choose to work can do so more easily from home - and that fathers too can have more flexibility to tele-commute and spend more time at home with their families.

Time will tell what impact Google Fiber will have on Provo and our homes and families.  But I would love to see the next big thing come from a stay-at-home mom with a great idea and who now has the tools to see it come to fruition.

Hazardous Waste Disposal Day

A few weeks ago I took advantage of the free Hazardous Waste Disposal Day sponsored by the County.  The drop off point was at Provo Town Center Mall.  I dropped off some old paint cans and some old pesticides.  Before I dropped off the materials they did a quick survey asking 1) how I heard about the even (Facebook) and 2) if there we a charge for the service what would I pay. (I suggested $10).

Below is a link to a story about a local group of parents trying to raise money for some new computers at Canyon Crest in Provo.  It's one way to recycle those old computer monitors!

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/yes-that-is-a-gorilla-yes-he-is-raising-money/article_947052ed-3f7a-51ed-ab0e-85222af99388.html

Provo - Open for Business

I wish Provo would do this:

http://www.texaswideopenforbusiness.com/

With the addition of Google Fiber why not tell the world that Provo is "Wide Open for Business"?  Provo has so many advantages from quality of life to natural resources we really should hang out an "open" sign.  From start-ups to established companies...come one come all!

Tax Preparers outnumber Law Enforcement and Firefighters - Combined!

Just came across a new site (for me at least).  www.facethefactsusa.org.  Kind of cool.  Take a look.

The article that got my attention was this one: When Tax Complexity puts Dinner on the Table.

The facts (as they say) are interesting:
Tax Preparers: 1.2 million
Law Enforcement Officers: 765,000
Professional Firefighters: 310,400

What does this say about the complexity of our tax code?  Is it nuts or is it nuts...or is it just well nuts? 

SLCO Mayor - This One's Over

With State Senator Ben McAdam's announcement yesterday (read the article here) of several Republican Mayor endorsements (Sandy, Riverton, Bluffdale, Taylorsville, and West Jordan - plus Independent Murray Mayor Dan Snarr)  I'm prepared to call this race for the Senator. 

Salt Lake County has always been more moderate and Crockett would have to get a huge portion of the Republican vote PLUS eat into the Democratic vote to win.  It just doesn't look like he's going to be able to do that this go around.

Kudos to McAdam's to shore up these endorsements early.  Nice piece of campaign-work there.

Text of ex-slave's letter to his former master

The following is a letter written by an ex-slave in response to his former master's request that he return to the plantation, soon after the end of the Civil War. 

I think the letter stands on its own.  Fascinating. 

Dayton, Ohio,

August 7, 1865

To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.

I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy — the folks call her Mrs. Anderson — and the children — Milly, Jane, and Grundy — go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.

In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve — and die, if it come to that — than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.

Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.

From your old servant,

Jourdon Anderson.

So Ryan, Where've ya Been?

Not that many of you have missed me I'm sure but I have taken a bit of a break...from blogging...but now I'm back.

I've actually been quite busy working on a few local political campaigns.  Below is a quick update on my 2011.  Last November I worked on two Provo City Council races and one Draper race.

For you Provo politicos; if you remember, Gary Winterton and Bonnie Morrow were involved in a very close race. I was helping Gary as his campaign manager.  It was an interesting experience with Gary coming out on top by just six votes.

Me on the right looking over the shoulder of Provo City Recorder Janene Weis and Deputy County Clerk Scott Hogensen with Utah County Clerk Byan Thompson and former Provo City Councilwoman Cynthia Dayton also looking on.

Bonnie ran a great race and had one of the best get out the vote (GOTV) efforts I've ever seen by a local candidate. It's a tough way to lose being that close but she's gone on to do very well for herself having since been appointed to the Provo City Planning Commission and appointed as the Vice-Chair of the Utah County Republican Party.

It was a long day what can I say?  They counted each vote by hand...twice.

In that same 2011 cycle I helped Gary Garrett with his Provo city-wide campaign.  Councilman Garrett's race was not quite as competitive but we put together a nice website and Gary ran a nice city council campaign (if I do say so myself) with Gary winning relatively easily.  Check out is campaign site here: www.garygarrett.org.

Moving North along I-15 I helped former Bluffdale Mayor Claudia Anderson who had since moved to Draper and was running for City Council there. In Draper you only had to be in the top three as all members run city-wide.  Unfortunately, Claudia missed the top three by about 300 votes with the voters re-electing all of the incumbents.  She ran a good race, but didn't get out and knock doors like she needed to in order to be competitive.  She also had an anonymous mailer hit a few days before the election attacking her record as Mayor.  It's always hard to recover from those last minute hit pieces.  We responded with a postcard as quickly as we could but ultimately it wasn't enough. 

Too bad really for Draper.  Claudia is a wonderful person who started her own company (Audio Enhancement) and isn't afraid to ask the tough questions. She has an inspiring story herself that I'll try to share in a subsequent post.

More on my 2012 in a subsequent post...nice to be back.

Note to any candidate: Never say "Frankly I hope it's the other guy."

So I'm late to the party as usual in terms of catching up on the Party Convention last Saturday. Call me a nerd but I had a good time. Some of my candidates and issues won...others lost. All in all as it should be I suppose.

As a campaign junkie though I just had to include this note on what not to say if you ever hope to be elected to well...anything...

Read this article in the Provo Daily Herald about Dave Duncan, candidate (at the time) for State Party Chair: Duncan a long shot to win GOP Chair

A few excerpts to highlight:

"The heart of the question is who should have the ultimate say in party affairs? The delegates or the power brokers?" asked Duncan.

Duncan admits being this aggressive about the issues and putting his name out there for everyone to scrutinize is a bit out of his comfort zone. He even says he hopes another candidate for chair, Arnold Gaunt, wins on Saturday. The third candidate for chair is Thomas Wright.

"I hope that one of us gets elected," says Duncan. "Frankly, I hope it is Arnold."

But Duncan's name is on the ballot and he is hoping he can change minds on Saturday. He notes this group is a different group than the traditional GOP delegates that have been involved in the past. Many Tea Party delegates who brought down former U.S. Senator Bob Bennett will be voting again at the convention and Duncan hopes their resentment for the old guard might work in his favor, but he isn't holding out much hope for a victory.

"I think my chances are very slim," he said.

If you ever hope to win, don't ever say what Dave said in this article. It comes across as though he doesn't really want to win. I've seen this happen dozens of times, mostly during convention speeches where a candidate gets up and all but apologizes for even running at all.

My point is that if you are going to run - run for crying out loud. If you don't think you can win then you won't. It's 50% attitude 50% hard work - the last 10% is luck ;)

I actually like Dave. I believe he's sincere and committed. The interesting thing is given the way the voting worked out I think Dave really had a legitimate chance of winning his race. But I think his attitude towards winning as demonstrated by his comments proved to be his downfall.

A Tale of Two Sites

Most folks associated with campaigns will tell you that a campaign website is the new yard sign. It's been like that for at least the last ten years I'd say - so maybe it's not all that new. But really, the website is the central hub for disseminating campaign information. It's all very interesting how campaigns develop their sites, what they post, what the new/latest add-on or plug-in features they choose to use, etc...

But what about domain names? Consider NY Assemblywoman Jane Corwin's (for Congress) site JaneCorwin.com, then consider JaneCorwin.org

I'll wait while you take a look at each...No really look at BOTH sites.

Notice anything different?

The .org site is from the opposition. I doubt it's directly from the opposing candidate's camp but certainly it's not from a fan. My favorite part is the bogus slogan: "Together we can make delicious soup from the bones of the poor." As opposed to the official one: "Together we can build a bright future that is lit with prosperity and opportunity."

The truth is, I think the .org/bogus site is actually the better site. Cooler graphics, better features. They've actually gone to great lengths to make it look official, with crisp photos, a Twitter feed, rotating banners, and links to official sites like ProjectVoteSmart for voting records.

It'll be interesting to see the reaction to the bogus site. It's humorous, but cuts fairly deep. I suspect as many people will go to that site as do the official one. And perhaps the publicity of a bogus site may drive more traffic to the official one - kind of a no publicity is bad publicity scenario.

Campaign 2000 was one of the first Presidential races to really use the web as it came of age. At the time George W Bush bought a number of domains, anything from BushSucks.com to GeorgeWBush.com (.org/.biz/etc). People at the time thought it was a bit overkill, but I think larger campaigns should think about purchasing domain variations for very reason Jane Corwin is facing right now, not to mention possibly having to shell out chunks of valuable messaging dollars to purchase a domain (see this story on a squatter back in 2000).

Anyhow, one of those goofy things that comes up in a campaign. It'll be interesting to watch or should I say See Jane run...She does look rather regal standing next to a firetruck.

Update (like five minutes after I first posted I know!): turns out it's this guy, the Green Party candidate and a notorious prankster.

"I've Got Better Stuff to Do."

This morning President Obama released his long-form birth certificate. The President said that "he decided on the release because the conspiracy theory over where he was born had eclipsed the debate on the budget." And I agree with him.

I see two problems with this whole silliness.

First, is that it took him so long to do it. I mean the requirements are fairly straightforward to be the President of the United States; No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President...(Article II Section I). So if your qualifications are ever in question I would think it simple enough to provide the appropriate documentation and move on.

And this gets to my second problem with this issue; the conspiracy theorists would not let this issue die. In the vacuum of formal proof, which has just now been provided, the birther issue got legs and kept running much longer that it ever should. And I think you see Obama's frustration with this non-issue in his statement today "I've got better stuff to do," referring to the budget issues.

Obama miscalculated how distracting this issue would become. People in their desperation (that doesn't seem like quite the right word though) to discredit him grasped on to this issue of all things. And to me the frustrating thing is that we're talking about a birth certificate here, not the budget, not the wars, not education, not ...name literally ANY other issue. It's just silly.



And now, because it's so curious to me, the side-bar to this story - Donald Trump.

If you read Obama's statement this morning it's full of awesome one-liners that as a guy who dabbles in campaigns like me just eats up. My favorite; "while the parties debate their fiscal policies, people can’t be 'making stuff up' and providing 'sideshows and carnival barkers.”

Sideshows. Carnival Barkers. Awesome. And really, is there any better way to describe Donald Trump right now?

There is an interesting article in the Union Leader that sums up my feelings of Donald Trump fairly well; see it here. In the article the author sites a Trump appearance on the Bill O'Reilly show where Trump said:

“If he wasn’t born in this country, it’s one of the great scams of this time.” To which O’Reilly replied: “It’s provocative. I think it gets a lot of attention, but I don’t think you believe it.”

I think O'Reilly was on to something at the time. Trump knows this issue is not substantive, but it is provocative, and it certainly has got Trump a lot of attention over the last month or so. But in the end, he comes off as a Carnival Barker. Someone who when history looks back at this presidential race will label as a literal sideshow.

And it's happening already; Jimmy Kimmel challenges any serious journalist to interview Trump with a straight face.

It'll be a fun (side)show to watch.