Mobile footage could put a brake on hoons | NEWS.com.au

Oh, happy day - Australia is starting something that **hopefully** Dallas, London and every other place with dangerous ignorant drivers will adopt.  Namely, allowing normal people, not the 5.0 (cops), to shoot footage of people breaking the law in a car and send that video to the police.  Then, the police can issue a fine for the driving.

What about the big brother culture?  Fark that - don’t elect people who make stupid/intrusive laws and that problem shouldn’t exist.

Bubba’s driving your Ford F150s, talking on a cell phone, while swerving in and out of traffic … be aware! 

 

And, no I’m not entirely certain what a ‘hoon’ is …

 

Mobile footage could put a brake on hoons | NEWS.com.au

Hindsight

My Dad just sent this to me a little while ago.  I’m not certain the source … The New Yorker (maybe?) 

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Caption: “I keep thinking we should include something in the Constitution in case the people elect a f#$king moron.

Ding-Dong the Hack is Dead

The inevitable happened today - Mike Garrison, the political hack appointee President of West Virginia University resigned.  His selection and administration was a complete disaster.  The final nail in the coffin was the political cover-up of Heather Bresch’s (formerly Manchin - gov of WV) unearned MBA degree.  The Pittsburgh Post Gazette has a good write-up on the (link) entire ordeal.  Head over to Hammy’s blog for a good detailed following of the process as well.

Oddly, the thing that go Garrison fired to resign isn’t the root cause of WVU’s problems.  Analysis of his hiring does get us a step closer to the problem.  A quick Google search unearthed a post on Fifth Column that gives a good explanation of Garrison’s rise to power.  I know Morgantown, West Virginia’s Dominion Post also had a good story during the time of Garrison’s hiring, which outlined his political connections.  He’s a lawyer and a hack; not an academic administrator or even global business leader, but he became the President of West Virginia’s flag ship university.

A quick summary of WVU today.  WVU today, with some exceptions around medical research and the CSI program, is a mediocre school that provides an education that doesn’t justify the opportunity or financial costs its students, academics and supporters invest.  I’m not talking about athletics and I’m sure I’ve missed some key points (not time to Google “good things at WVU”) other than our #1 party school status.

This hasn’t always been the case, nor should it be the case.  WVU was a respected 2nd/3rd tier school during the mid-part of the 20th century.  My Dad often laments about how he remembers business, law and psychology as top schools, and they probably were.  The WVU of yesterday also stood out as a place where students were given a second chance to succeed.  It was a pure meritocracy - all in; prove you belonged.

But today, WVU’s world looks much different.  Public school status and a small state, if analysis from outside consultants were to be conducted, would show that WVU’s natural ranking nationally should be either upper third tier or middle second tier for schools with a few tier 1 schools - probably CSI, a specialized medicine focus (elder care and Alzheimer’s) and certain types of engineering.  Oh, and the business school should be highly ranked for marketing and small market entrepreneurship. 

Unless I missed something, WVU has moved away from meritocracy to everyone one in; everyone out.  It’s not a subject that’s interesting to me but frankly a key issue for the school’s resurrection.

WVU’s strategic shift or mediocre results aren’t the core problem.  No, those are simply symptom’s of a larger issue.  Frankly, a school that is nothing more than a reward for political hacks or those unskilled in managing/turning around large institutions.  Those who are governing the school appear to have no interest in its best interest; only their own.  Until those incentives and focus change; WVU and its stakeholders are doomed.  It’s sad, but a fact.

Will the next President of be another political hack or someone hired to turn around the school?  Let’s hope for the latter, but how often do those tiger stripes really change?

The Associated Press: WVU’s president to resign over degree scandal

Notes on, you know, stuff

I just got back from Phoenix, Arizona where I participated in my company’s first ‘All-Hands’ meeting.  For those of you not ‘down’ with US business lingo, this is a meeting where everyone in the company (or a high percentage) travel from all parts of the country for a meeting and training.  It was a good time.  The training was tight and it was nice to finally put faces with the names.

During the meeting I came to the conclusion that wine is the cute girl (or to be politically correct person) that you flirt with in the evening, and then her/their other half shows up to beat the crap out of you in the morning. 

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A few people have asked me about my feelings on the election in the 27th district.

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein

Well, there you go. 

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My friend Chris has been doing some inspired writing on the rise of Marshall as the top university in West Virginia.  His link is in my blog roll.

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Presumed Democratic candidate Barack Obama referenced the US having 57 states.  I’m guessing in the back of his mind was a quick strike on Canada and completing the merger with Mexico.  But, I could be wrong.

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It appears Hillary Clinton’s online strategy is to watch for anything unique about Barack’s site and just copy it.  Currently, her head is the size of a Macy’s Day Parade blow up.  Has anyone else noticed that she never faces the camera in any of her campaign ads?  I get not having mirrors around because the lack of reflection would freak out the electorate, but why not show the whole nose?

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Next weekend Mrs M and I have been married for five years.  We’re heading to San Antonio for the weekend.  More on that, later.

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And finally, I’m currently reading The Dilbert Principle.  It should be required for all undergraduates preparing for the working world.  Screw Porter and Aaker, this book will teach you more about corporate work than anything else.