EdCone.com

Greg Cole posted this photograph from c. 1968 on his FB page.

That's me at top left next to Greg, with Hunter Hoover up front, and the late Louise Fields; her store, The Formal Wear Shop, is still in business.

I don't remember why we were doing this, but I'll ask my mom at dinner tonight.

Doctors don't want to die any more than anyone else does. But they usually have talked about the limits of modern medicine with their families. They want to make sure that, when the time comes, no heroic measures are taken.

This article made me think of my dad, an MD who chose to pursue pretty much every medical option available to him at the time when he got what he knew to be a death-sentence cancer diagnosis, in part because he felt an obligation to do so as an oncologist himself. And as is increasingly clear to me as I close in on the age at which he received the bad news, he really, really was not ready to die.

The Journal piece reminded me of this article by Atul Gawande:

Curiously, hospice care seemed to extend survival for some patients...

...people who had substantive discussions with their doctor about their end-of-life preferences were far more likely to die at peace and in control of their situation, and to spare their family anguish.

My father knew the score, and he was very clear with us along the way. I don't want to pretend it made things easy for anyone, but it did make things better than they might have been otherwise.

I didn't think this story on State Street skewed quite as negative as Fec saw it, but failing to cite more of the going concerns -- not to mention the impact of the long-empty former Eckerds on Elm and the sputtering Golden Gate shopping center -- made it a partial view at best.

Having grown up on stories of McAdoo Heights and riding my bike past the Star Theater en route to Good Time Charlie's arcade, I watched with interest as the neighborhood turned around. People from Irving Park looked at Robbie Nutt as some sort of daring pioneer when he managed London's.

The location, location, location is promising and with some good management and in an economy where people actually have money to spend I dont' see why State Street can't thrive again.

I read on the Wikipedia that Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars series enjoyed a revival in the '70s because Vietnam vets could relate to the stories of war on another planet.

Maybe, but I bet the Frank Frazetta cover art on a cheap paperback edition helped, along with the fast-paced adventure tales within (Tars Tarkas was a complete badass and Dejah Thoris dressed even less modestly than Frazetta suggested).

The influence of Burroughs on much of the sci-fi and fantasy that followed him, including wellsprings of pop culture like Star Wars and Star Trek, is clear; his obsession with race, which seems grounded in 19th Century pseudo-science, has aged less well.

The upcoming movie version is getting terrible buzz, but I'm told by an otherwise respectable banker who still has the copies he purchased at the Greensboro Day School book fair, circa 1975, that he and I are going to see it anyway.

Related.

Bill Hemphill, who died yesterday at age 90, was a visionary businessman and civic leader who achieved great success and did great things for his hometown -- as important a figure as Greensboro would see in the latter half of the 20th Century.

He was brilliant, thoughtful, humble, and generous with his good whisky.

Note to the N&R: Though he would have demurred, his story is without question front-page news.

Your weekly report from the City Manager, hot and fresh.

In case you were worried that the C4GC/GCGOP feud is dying down...relax, it's on like Donkey Kong (the real action is in the comments).

I cannot promise that I would work as hard as our local ambassadorial appointees Aldona Wos (Estonia) and Bonnie McElveen-Hunter (Finland) did at their posts, but I solemnly pledge that I'm up for logging significant hours in the Bahamas should that job come my way.

Because you just can't get enough: A special meeting of the City Council will be held Tues 2/28 at 3PM to appoint a new interim attorney, look at some Q2 budget numbers, and more.

When Dick Carney finally did contact us, I wanted very much to hate him.

I didn't stand a chance.

Lenslinger writes about his late biological father, who "sold specialized tools to local farmers, convertible BMW's to pretty women and ice to Eskimos."

Just yesterday I told a reporter who is working on an article about Greensboro's online media market that 'Slinger was an essential player in the evolution of local teevee-on-the-internets.

(Veering off topic: The reporter was totally shocked by something she discovered about online news in GSO; I was not shocked at all. I promised her I would wait for her story to discuss it.)

Jen Jones is crossing the state to talk about the specific and general not-goodness of the proposed amendment that would make civil unions and gay marriage unconstitutional in North Carolina.

People who want to stop this thing need to be having conversations of their own, across their actual and virtual social networks. The case against Amendment 1 is eminently makable to people holding a broad spectrum of political and social beliefs.

Here's a comment from a local reader after yesterday's post about Tea Party favorite Renee Ellmers' No-on-1 position:

There are many of us voting against Amendment 1. One reason is that it overreaches on civil unions, and some who do not like the idea of same sex marriage, strongly believe we should have civil unions or at least leave the door open for them. Some of us understand as conservatives we want LESS government intruding on our personal lives, not more, and the government should not be involved in the marriage business...And some of us are fine with gay marriage and adoption. Opinions vary.

There are a great many conservatives who have done things to further the cause for gay rights in some way...They aren't RINO's.

Reaching black Democrats with a similar message about upholding principle by voting against this amendment seems like a necessity, too.

Given Raleigh's recent penchant for dictating local rules, this video about PA's new statewide fracking policy is worth watching. More here.

Standard disclaimers as to my genuine interest in continuing to drive and use hot water apply.

Thanks to JS for the link.

City press release: 

The table attached to the press release on Greensboro Police Department’s end of year crime report distributed on Feb. 20, contained an inadvertent calculation error for homicides.

The three year average for this crime is actually 17 cases, which changes 2011’s comparison to the 3-year average to an increase of 47%, not 32% as originally reported.

A revised table, with the corrected cells highlighted in yellow, is attached.

The Greensboro Police Department strives for accuracy. However, occasionally unintentional errors occur.

We apologize for this oversight.

Revised chart here; original release here, along with my comment that cheering about good numbers in every category except rape and murder seems to understate the awfulness of rape and murder; this morning's N&R pom-pom shake here.

Sanity outbreak continues in the Old Dominion:

In a stunning turn of events, the Virginia Senate has voted 24-14 to scuttle a bill that would have given fertilized eggs the same legal rights as people.

I wonder if poll numbers like these had any influence on the decision to abandon ship on personhood.

New management at the downtown farmer's market reports that only one incumbent annual vendor did not sign up for the coming year, and that was when he retired from his baking buiness.

Full letter to Council after the jump.

A report on the first meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Greensboro: Robbie Perkins says the noise from Greene Street doesn't bother him personally.

I talked to a Center Pointe resident who said music is less of a problem than loud motorcycles.

I missed this at the time, but I'm happy to see that GOP Rep. Renee Ellmers has spoken out against the proposed amendment that would make civil unions unconstitutional in North Carolina (via Blue NC).

A very positive review of Jim Yardley's new book, Brave Dragons: A Chinese Basketball Team, An American Coach, And Two Cultures Clashing.

The GSO native and Pulitzer-prize winning journalist will be at his hometown Barnes & Noble at 7 PM on March 1 for a book-signing and discussion.

David Wharton on Zack Matheny's bond stunner:

We already have $134,108,500 in approved (2008) bond projects that are still outstanding, which were slated to be completed "in 5 to 7 years". Four years later, the majority of big projects have not yet reached the design phase, and none of them has been completed. In fact, as I understand it, most of the bonds for these projects have not yet been sold. Many neighborhoods have been waiting patiently for the improvements that the public approved in 2008.

I would like to know by what process the council schedules the sale of these bonds, and whether the current mayor and council intend the proposed PAC and economic development bonds to cut into the queue ahead of these projects.

Dave Winer: "I  finally decided today that even though sometimes I get some value from  having comments here on Scripting News, in balance they're not worth the  trouble. So I'm turning them off."

Comments aren't a necessary component of a good blog -- it's ironic that neither Dave nor Instapundit, both Hall of Famers, could appear on Greensboro 101, which requires listed sites to enable comments -- but I get a lot of value (along with agita, tsuris, lulz, and eye-glaze) from reader input, and I appreciate the fortitude of those who brave the fever swamps to contribute good stuff.

"No person should be directed to undergo an invasive procedure by the state, without their consent, as a precondition to another medical procedure."

Forced vaginal probe bill stalls in VA.

Hubble finds "a new class of planet, a waterworld enshrouded by a thick, steamy atmosphere."

More here.

Kay Hagan releases a statement in opposition to NC's proposed anti-gay amendment:

In today's hyperpartisan political environment, I view any attempt to alter our state constitution with a critical eye. Amendment One has far-reaching negative consequences for our families, our children and our communities. North Carolina is one of the most business-friendly states in the nation, and this amendment would harm our state's ability to recruit the innovators and businesses that are driving our economic recovery. Jobs are my number one priority, and we cannot afford totake our eye off the ball and give businesses a reason to grow and expand elsewhere. The people I hear from everyday - the families that make up the fabric of the Old North State – tell me they are sick and tired of watching their jobs and their livelihoods fall victim to divisive partisan posturing. In North Carolina we say our state is "Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great." Amendment One harms our state's resolve to make all people and all families great, and as a proud daughter of North Carolina, I urge all North Carolinians to join me in opposing it.

[B]roadcasters have the right to bar so called “third party” ads or insist on the accuracy of those they decide to air...

...FlackCheck.org’s “Stand By Your Ad” page is both flagging deceptive presidential ads in primary and caucus states and identifying the stations airing them. To make it easier for viewers to send words of encouragement or dismay to station managers, the FlackCheck.org “Stand By Your Ad” initiative provides them with the names of station managers, the e-mail addresses of stations and a sample letter that can be amended and sent directly from the viewer’s account.

Press release, FlackCheck site, Stand By Your Ad page.

Thnx to alert reader HJ for the pointer.

In North Carolina, opinion polls show a majority of residents support some type of legal recognition for same-sex couples, whether it be civil unions or marriage.

That "whether it be" is why it's so important that voters understand the meaning of the proposed Amendment 1, which would make civil unions unconstitutional along with gay marriage.

So it's good to see the N&O, just one day after seriously misstating the scope of the amendment, getting it right this time around:

North Carolina is looking to catch a wave that crested eight years ago by asking voters to approve a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions.

TEDxWakeForestU is this Saturday.

Some background here.

Almost all of the rise in nonmarital births has occurred among couples living together.

That detail is far too important to bury nineteen paragraphs into an article about the huge increase in the rate of single motherhood.

I'm one of those (conservative?) elitists on the married side of the "new class divide," and as someone who helped raise two kids and believes that two parents is an optimal number I found graf 19's other stats on unmarried cohabiting parents disheartening ("...in some countries such relationships endure at rates that resemble marriages, in the United States they are more than twice as likely to dissolve"), but still there's a major distinction to be made between "alone" and "unmarried."

Thomas Goldsmith of the N&O substantially understates the impact of North Carolina's proposed Amendment 1:

[T]he proposed change in the state constitution that would ban same-sex marriage...

...Same-sex marriage is already illegal in North Carolina, but supporters of the amendment say it will prevent judges from overturning that law.

Of course, the amendment also would make civil unions unconstitutional as well.

Big difference.

Even a newspaper in a county that just passed a resolution in favor of this terrible amendment should get it right.

Gawker Media found out that porn is tough business.

Well, yeah. This article was published ten years ago this month:

Welcome to the real world of Internet porn, a market where the easy money has long since been pocketed - and where even the established players aren't enjoying work the way they once did. In addition to the typical hassles that come with running any operation, this hypercompetitive industry brings its own set of issues: unique legal problems, deadbeat customers, and even the occasional moral qualm.

Apple:

Our new data center in Maiden, North Carolina, demonstrates our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our facilities...We know of no other data center of comparable size that has achieved this level of LEED certification. Our goal is to run the Maiden facility with high percentage renewable energy mix...including building the nation’s largest end user-owned solar array and building the largest nonutility fuel cell installation in the United States.

If sustainability and alt energy are money pits and/or UN plots, then why do gimlet-eyed corporations (and the Pentagon) pursue them?

Zack Matheny:

I respectfully request that the City Council consider a bond referendum of $20 Million dollars for Job Creation and Retention and Economic Development.

Full text of his email to the City Manager after the jump.

Greater wage flexibility may in practice be resisted by economic agents.

Translated from the technocratese, I think this means that one of the many risks facing the latest European debt deal is that Greeks already consigned to penury to keep lit the lamps of Gstaad might frown upon further reductions to their paychecks.

Or as a local philosophizer put it in another context, "Personal fiscal austerity is great unless you have nothing to austere."

Compared to the average rates in the past three years, crime in Greensboro has declined in every category except two in 2011...

Given that those two categories were murder and rape, that's a fairly sunny take on the numbers, no?

The percentage jump in homicides reflects the relatively small base rate, but the increase in rapes reported looks large in absolute numbers.

Full GPD press release after the jump.

Dean Smith was ahead of the curve...he had a math background. Everything we did was measured up against an efficiency rating. Everyone talks about Bill James in baseball or "Moneyball," but Coach Smith was way ahead. If you go back and read his books today, he was using statistical data and different metrics to measure the efficiency of any offense or defense that we were running...

Big Ten commissioner and former UNC player Jim Delany reminisces about his days in Chapel Hill.

Home. Dog seems glad to see us.

We heard again and again that President's Day weekend is the busiest time of year in South Florida. Anecdotal evidence gathered at airports, restaurants, and beaches gave me no reason to disbelieve this assertion.

Kind of bummed I missed our one day of winter.

Rare relevance sighting: SNL opener actually funny and sharp on a touchy topic.

UPDATE: Touchy but less funny.

I wonder if this was like the famous "Mush from the wimp" headline.

To previous discussions of branding Greensboro my cousin David adds a query about the long-forgotten moniker City of Flowers, which he then answered himself with this link to the work of Gayle Hicks Fripp.

N+1 is a well-regarded literary magazine, but there's nothing in the description of this project about cities that indicates details of the component articles are supposed to be fictionalized, and yet the piece on Greensboro by Aaron Lake Smith is weirdly wrong on so many details that it reads like a sci-fi story in which someone has altered the present by making a butterfly-wing change to the past.

HEAT, hybrids, and more in your weekly report from the City Manager.

UPDATE: N&R confirms Matheny's claim, posts correction.

Zack Matheny: I was misquoted on the "key people" remark in today's News & Record.

He tells me it was more like, "Here's the key, we've got people who live downtown, and people who run businesses, we can find something that works."

Quote: "I may say some stupid things, but I didn't say that, and I wouldn't say that."