We are thinking of logos for the union

We need a new logo for our new union? Here is my idea!

We can't fix everything

I once thought and believed with all my heart, "if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." I got active in my union, I attended community meetings, I went to city council meetings. I was a steward. I walked picket lines and nobody cared. I chanted through a bull horn. This made people mad. I have had a gun aimed at me, more than once.
It almost ruined my life and still I was frustrated. It was not enough. More had to be done. Most people did not care. I was angry. I was unhappy. I was working as hard as I could and I was always tired. Still, some people who I was trying to help didn't think I was doing enough work to fix their problems, other people I leaned on for support didn't show so I tried to do their work, but most people either still did not care or they considered me a nuisance.
Apathy, lethargy and momentum are huge forces. I learned I cannot move a herd of elephants. I have had to back off. Less is more than nothing. Well, maybe, I can move just one elephant?

Blog Full Disclosure Statement

Dear Blogosphere:

One of the topics of conversation that came up in last night's great Geek Dinner with Robert Scoble is how a person presents his or herself and establishes a virtual identity with blogs. Should a person have one weblog where all thoughts, opinions, passions and ideas are presented? Or, should a person divide their blogs into categorys that can be viewed as a whole or by category? Or, should they have separate blogs for different parts of their lives?

I went the different blog route. I do not want folks to have to sift through what to them may seem like noise to get to the content (the signal) that they want. Also, I do not want folks to be turned off on what I present on one topic because they disagree with an unrelated opinion.

The down side is I may not be presenting an honest digital identity of who I am. So, for the sake of honesty and full disclosure, here it all is:

My Family Weblog

This where I chronicle my family and personal life. This is a digital journal of the folks who are nearest and dearest to me.

My Geek Blog

This is where I write about my work and passion for emerging technology in higher education.

The Edupodder Blog

This is where is host content specific to podcasting in higher education and content related to the sessions I teach in the Center for Faculty Development and Support at SJSU. This often crosses over with my Geek Blog. I am concerned that dual posting between this and my Geek Blog may happen too often and may dilute the topic conversations on each.

The Black and Blue Blog

This is where you can read bicycle news and information related to the bike club I am active in, the Almaden Cycle Touring Club. I am the publisher of their monthly newsletter and I use this blog as a club news source and a place to coordinate production of that newsletter.

My Opinion Blog

This is where I hide my opinions of everything from movies and wine to politics, religion and relationships. If you disagree, I respect your opinion.

So, there it is Blogosphere, that is who I am. For the sake of full disclosure, I am posting this to all my blogs!

~Steve

My wish, a democratic CSUEU, formerly CSEA, CSU division

The California State University division of the California State Employees Association, CSEA, was the union that represented employees in four bargaining units of the California State University System. Now, that division of the union has broken away (to an extent) and formed the California State University Employees Union, CSUEU (which is still affiliated with CSEA.)

I believe in my heart in the concept of collective bargaining. I am a former president of the CSEA (now CSUEU) chapter at San Jose State University.

With that history in mind, I hope the new organization has an increased focus on democratic principles and practices. In my opinion labor unions cannot be secret societies that are not accountable to their constituencies, that do not report their budgets, expenditures and income to the constituency and that fail to communicate matters like policy and by-laws, union meeting times and locations, officer nominations, the status of bargaining and the distribution of union funds to the people they represent. In my opinion employees have a right to know what their union is doing and where their money is being spent.

In my opinion democracy is at the heart of unionism. The union has to have firm processes in place to address problems, complaints and issues not just between the employees and the employer, but between the employees and their union. I hope the new union makes democratic representation a core value as they move forward.

Wine Review: Castoro Sangiovese 2000

Wine Review: Sangiovese: 2000 Castoro Cellars Reserve, Paso Robles, CA. [My Rating, 8] This is very nice. We enjoyed it a lot. It was very pleasant. Their second release of Sangiovese, "the grapes of this vintage were perfectly ripend and produced a very rich wine. Reportedly, this is outstanding. Aromas of allspice, cinnamon and vanilla from the oak, coupled with rich, ripe fruit nuances of plums and dried apricots" Recommended with pasta with red sauce and cheese. Recieved 1/20/2003 in wine club.

BART, Jan. 12, 2005

I think, with all of the talk about extending BART to San Jose International airport they are missing the easiest, most efficient and most important improvement they could make to BART. In my opinion that would be to improve accessibility of BART to south bay commuters by moving it closer to Interstate 680 and offerring adequate parking.

As it now it is frustratingly slow to drive to BART from San Jose with much of the commute over city streets.

Now, if you arrive at the station after 8:30am there is a good chance you will find the Fremont parking lot full.

This is what I did when I attended MacWorld yesterday. It was very frustrating. I was attending a user group meeting that evening so I could not take Caltrain. I think a big dig into and through San Jose would be a waste of taxpayers money. But, an extension into Warm Springs or, even better, near the great mall, with a light rail connection and a large parking structure would be a sound investment.

Book Review: Breaking the Limit

Larsen, Karen (2004). Breaking the Limit. New York: Hyperion. (ISBN 9-7868-6870-8)

[My Rating, 9] If you liked Robyn Davidson's book, Tracks, you will like this book. In my opinion this is a great adventure book, a great feminists book and a great travel book. It is about one woman's two-wheeled trip from New Jersey to California to Alaska and return on a motorcycle. One her journey she met fellow travelers (including bicyclists), local folks and her birth family. Larsen is an excellent writer and her trip, like all good journeys, led her to a lot of self-revelations. If you can't make the journey yourself you should at least read the book. It is a great trip!

Movie Reviews: Wall Street, Shrek 2, Edward Scissorshands, Big Fish, Day After Tomorrow

• Wall Street
  [My Rating, 7] This was a decent and entertaining movie. It was nice to see Martin and Charlie Sheen together in a movie. Micael Douglas was excellent in his role.
• Shrek 2
  [My Rating, 9] A very funny movie and one we likes a lot. Of course the Donkey steals the show. I still like him better than "Puss". My favorite scene was when the giant ginger bread man attacks a Starbucks, I mean a Farbucks, and the customers run out and across the street, to another Farbucks.
• Edward Scissorshands
  [My Rating, 10] Yes, a ten! This is one of my favorite movies of all time. It is a wonderful story and a romantic movie. Last night was the first time Susie and I saw it together.
• Big Fish
  [My Rating, 9] A really good story about love, families and a man whose stories are bigger than life. To me there is a lot about human nature and the unavoidable (and not dishonest) way we all tell stories and remember things in ways that embellish the facts and present events in ways that reflect our personalities as much as historic events.
• Day After Tomorrow
  [My Rating, 8] We liked this movie a lot more than I thought we would. I know, there is a lot of scientifically inaccurate information here, but it makes for great entertainment and there is enough truth about global warming to give us pause.

Wine Review: Zinfandel: Castoro Cellars, 2001 Cobble Creek, Estate

Wine Review: Zinfandel: 2001 Castoro Cellars Cobble Creek, Estate, Paso Robles, CA. [My Rating, 9] Yes, I like it that much! Two gold medals Very nice. A bit fruity but not odjectionably so. I like this. This, in my opinion, is the best Zin from a place that grows very good Zins! Their Cobble Creek Vineyard is right outside their Paso Robles tasting room. Notes for the 2002 Vintage:

This wine is from vineyards that surround Niels and Bimmer Udsen's home and the tasting room. All the grapes are grown in the traditional head pruned style with limited production. These grapes are grown to produce wines of distinction with deep color and flavor extraction. We are noticing that this vineyard tends to exhibit great raspberry fruit notes. As you enjoy the bouquet take notice of the elegant fruit and ripe plum aromas coupled with the spiciness characteristic of rich Zinfandels. Enjoy this limited bottling now or hold some to compare with future vintages.

This is the wine they served at their winemaker's dinner! Great wine!

Wine Reviews: 1999 Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, Estate, organically grown

1999 Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, Estate, organically grown, Gold Medal Winner and Highest Point Score of all entries Santa Cruz Mountains 2002 Commercial Wine Competition Wine Club. From a little boutique winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains located near Summit Road, this winery has a tasting room in Monterey on Cannery Row. We bought a case of this wine during Passport Days in the Fall of 2004. One bottle had to be thrown away due to taint.

[My Rating, 7] Nice, and a pleasant wine to drink. I liked it a lot when we got it. But, the more I drink it the less I like it. It has that flavor that Chards have when they are still good and drinkable, but to me past their prime. Maybe in 2002 it was in its prime, but in my opinion, not now.

Book Review: Air Battle Force

Brown, Dale (2003). Air Battle Force. New York: Harper Collins. (ISBN 0-06-009409-5)

[My Rating, 7] I am sure Brown is a nice guy and this is a decent read if you like this kind of stuff. The characters are kind of one dimensional and, in my opinion lack depth. The plot is pretty predictable and a stretch to make believable. Reading this is kind of like watching an old cowboy movie where the bad guys are all lousy shots. However, it is a good way to escape without having to think very much!

Wine Reviews: Burrell Chardonnay and Castoro Syrah

Syrah, Castoro Cellars, 2001 Reserve, Paso Robles
[My Rating, 8] Nice nose and a pleasant wine to drink on a relaxing evening. It is a delicate subtle wine with a hint of vanilla and finishes well.

Chardonnay, Burrell School, 2001, Estate Reserve, Santa Cruz Mountains
[My Rating, 8] Really nice mellow wine. Easy to drink, pleasant, not too oaky or sweet. Grapes were grown right off Summit Road. A good wine! Purchased during passport days 2004.

Movie Review: Bridget Jones, The Edge of Reason (2004)

Susie and I really enjoyed this movie. It was fun, light hearted and romantic. The movie was panned by most critics. However, we do not often agree with most critics. For example, a lot of critics like the Kill Bill movies, we do not! If you like fun and lightly romantic movies, you should like Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. We did.

Humbug!

This season is just too crazy, too intense, too much to do, too busy, too stressful and too much work!

Congress to hear case regarding wine sale

Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution empowers the United States Congress "To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes".
No matter what you say about states rights, no matter what your concerns about local businesses being impacted by either on-line, catalog or phone sales, states do not have the right to regulate interstate commerce.
Why are boutique wineries being punished because states want to control interstate commerce? Because, in my opinion, they can get away with it!
I have got a feeling that there is more of a threat to local tax bases and local businesses from Amazon and other e-tailers (not to mention catalog sales) than there is from wineries.
To me the laws, as they exist now, are about interstate commerce and not about controlling the sale of alcohol.
I live in CA and my desire to be able to have wine shipped from my NY brother-in-law to his CA sister (no sale involved) is due to a CA “reciprocity” law not a NY law. I am a CA constituent, not a NY one. CA may be trying to pressure other states to allow CA wines to shipped to other states by banning wineries in states that ban CA wine shipments from shipping to CA, but again that is a trade policy and that, I believe, violates the commerce clause.
If states want to ban any and all alcohol shipments, including same state shipments, I think they arguably have the right to do so under the 21st amendment, but as soon as they discriminate, as soon as they start to favor and allow their own in state wineries to ship and not out of state wineries, as soon as they change the playing field to favor their own alcohol shippers (and that includes laws of reciprocity,) as soon as they allow some shipments and not others; I believe they are interfering with interstate commerce and I believe only the feds can do that.