Monthly Archives: April 2022

The Russian Federation has a list of members of Congress who are now banned from the country, something that some of those representatives say is a badge of honor.

"That feeling that I must be doing something right, to be honest," said U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Democrat who represents Berks and Chester counties.

All three of Berks County's members of Congress are on the list of nearly 400 representatives sanctioned by Russia after publicly opposing Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Democrat U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean was included in the long list along with Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser.

For Houlahan, it hits home. Her father was born in the city of Lviv.

"What Putin has done is upset the great progress we've been making since World War II through the UN and other agencies," said Andy Jampoler, Houlahan's father. "I view [the sanction] as a seal of good housekeeping. It's a distinction she should be proud of. How can you do better than be sanctioned by a tyrant who is upsetting and inflicting catastrophe in the world?"

"We have to have hope," said Houlahan. "We have to believe we can make a difference."

Read the rest here:

Lviv native, father of Rep. Houlahan: Ukraine war has 'upset great progress' - 69News WFMZ-TV

Young people are not passive victims of technology or helpless addicts. They are technology creators and agents with diverse backgrounds and interests.

When people hear that I study digital youth culture, I often get asked, Is technology good or bad for kids? My first struggle is to reframe the question. The question assumes technology is one thing, and all kids use technology the same way. Technology is made and shaped by us and we have the power to make it good or bad. I prefer the question, How can we support young people in harnessing technology for progress? Young people are not passive victims of technology or helpless addicts. They are technology creators and agents with diverse backgrounds and interests.

Ive been researching teens use of technology in both Japan and the U.S. for almost three decades, and have seen similar intergenerational dynamics play out with every new wave of technology that teens adopt and make their own. Adults worry, teens experiment and adopt new ways of using technology, and eventually, adults start embracing digital culture teens created.

We celebrate tech titans who started their empires while still in college. What gets less appreciation are everyday examples of young people around the world harnessing technology in innovative, self-actualizing, and progressive ways. The optimism and creativity of youth is like solar energy constantly renewed, and largely untapped. If we can recognize their diverse needs and strengths, we can support youth as innovators, learners, and change makers.

In the late nineties, I sat on subways and wandered the streets of Tokyo observing how teens were using mobile phones. My research team at Keio University gathered detailed logs of text message and voice communications of high school students. They shared insights about how they used text messages, emoji, camera phones, and the mobile Internet. The rest of the world was skeptical that the mobile Internet would take off beyond Japan. It would be almost a decade before text messaging was widespread in the US. I never would have dreamed that people of all ages around the world would be communicating with emoji and smartphone photos 20 years later.

Back then, older folks would shake their heads when they saw teens walking while texting. They labelled them nagara zoku (the multitasking tribe) and oyayubi zoku (thumb tribe). Mobile phones in the hands of teens became a symbol of the decline of culture and social norms. Teens, on the other hand, were annoyed by adults who failed to put their phone on silent mode and fumbled through their pockets while it rang. Ever since street smart high school girls used pagers to send text messages to each other in the early nineties, Japanese teens were innovating in mobile communication. Japanese phone providers capitalized on these teen innovations by creating new technologies including varied texting services, emoji, camera phones, and the mobile Internet.

Teens also created new social norms as they took to new technology. For example, they found the older practice of placing a voice call unannounced to be invasive. They quickly developed a new social norm to knock before entering. When they wanted to talk, they would send a text message first to check availability. Their friend might be on public transit, in class, or some other setting where a voice call will be disruptive. They recognized that just picking up the phone and calling someone when it was convenient for the caller was inconsiderate to the person receiving the call.

When young people are experimenting, mobilizing, and innovating, they are also learning and developing new skills. When my daughter was in middle school and high school, she was involved in online fandoms for some popular bands. She took to social media and blogging to connect with fellow fans, and quickly amassed followers. During a particularly busy week of school, we were problem solving together about how to manage time. I think I should take a week off of blogging, she suggested while I nodded. When I checked in on her a few hours later I saw her on her blog, and started in on a gentle scolding. Mom, she interrupted, with a sigh, Im queuing up the posts so I dont lose followers during the week I take off. Somehow, she had become more adept at social media management than her mom who fancies herself a digitally fluent public intellectual.

These kinds of communication and networking skills are just one of many competencies that young people gain through interest-driven and socially connected learning with technology. We call this connected learning when young people are learning as a by-product of geeking-out, creating, and organizing together with fellow enthusiasts. Whether it is fan fiction writers creating new narratives together, gamers strategizing and sharing tips, or dancers sharing and learning from online video, online affinity groups continue to fuel learning in ways that are social and passion-driven.

When young people are learning and organizing together online, its not all fun and games. Their digital skills have fueled world-changing social movements. In college, my daughter went on to join the Percentage Project, which uses social media to raise awareness about the experience of underrepresented groups in computer science programs. She also helped start an online video series, Decrypted By Us, highlighting the expertise and perspectives of women and minorities in tech. After the school shootings at Stoneman Douglas High School, we saw a multi-racial coalition of teens fuel the March for Our Lives movement. Adults were stunned by their media savvy, and their snappy comebacks at politicians and detractors on social media. Young people wielding social and mobile media have been at the heart of so many progressive movements whether it is Black Lives Matter, Dreamers, or climate activism.

These progressive uses of technology dont just happen on their own. Behind all of these positive examples are powerful platforms that enable them to connect, create, and communicate. Also essential are the caring adults, organizations, and coalitions that have given young people the space and support to amplify their optimism and progressive potential.

Many years ago, I co-founded a nonprofit, Connected Camps, that is dedicated to supporting college students to mentor children through popular digital gaming platforms. We are just one of a growing legion of organizations supporting youth leadership in making positive change. We believe that mentorship centered around shared causes and interests can change lives and the world. Whether you are a parent, an educator, an employer, or a fellow enthusiast, we all have a role to play in nurturing the power and potential of young people.

Dr. Mimi Ito, cultural anthropologist, Director of the Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine

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How can we support young people in harnessing technology for progress? - We Live Security

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 30! On that day, the Mesquite Republican Women will be holding an outdoor Spring Festival at the Mesquite Recreation Center field from 10am-4pm.

Sixty booths have been reserved for the event. Many of the booths will feature local artists, crafters and businesses offering services to the public. In addition many candidates in the upcoming primary election will have booth. Most of them will be on hand to meet, greet and answer questions. Food Trucks will also be in attendance.

The candidates will take the stage throughout the day, alternating with the live entertainment: DJ and Tammy.

There will also be a bake sale offering wrapped goodies to take home. Prize drawings will be held for donated gifts.

It is sure to be a fun time in the park. For more information about the event contact Melissa at Melissah@rconnects.com.

See more here:

MRW To Hold Spring Festival - The Progress - mvprogress

On January 22, 1973, the national conversation on abortion was supposed to end. Hailed as a landmark legal decision, Roe v. Wade sought to guarantee a womans right to abortion, ruling that a pregnant woman has a right to privacy in her decision on whether to bear a child.

However, in the five decades that followed, the debate over abortion has persisted and polarized the nation. In case after case, restrictive laws slowly chipped away at Roe, leaving abortion rights in peril. From 1973 to 2019, states passed over 1200 abortion restrictions. This summer, the Supreme Court may even overturn Roe v. Wade, despite the fact that most Americans would oppose such a move.

Interestingly, the American story of an endless back-and-forth over abortion may be the exception, not the rule. Canada and the United Kingdom did exactly what Roe was supposed to accomplish, but never could. They settled the debate.

How did three liberal democracies, beginning at relatively similar starting points in the late 20th century, end up in such different places on the issue of abortion?

Let us begin with the United States.

The defining feature of Roe is that it was an attempt at judicial, rather than legislative, change. And its disappointing legacy has led some to lose faith in the power of the courts as vehicles for social change. In his groundbreaking book, The Hollow Hope, Gerald N. Rosenberg argues that significant social progress cannot be achieved through litigation. He argues that the court is constrained by a variety of factors and thus unable to accomplish social reform. For instance, the Supreme Court lacks the power of implementation and therefore relies on cooperation from the other two branches of government.

This is paradoxical because the Supreme Court appears all-mighty, so much so that the U.S. is often referred to as a model of judicial supremacy. Indeed, judicial review allows five justices to yield power over a whole government and overturn democratically approved legislation. While the judiciary appears to rule supreme in the United States, this perception stems primarily from its ability to overturn laws rather than meaningfully change the status-quo on its own. While the judiciary is powerful, it is not powerful in the way that the pro-choice movement would hope.

Rosenbergs controversial findings on the limitations of the judiciary have been debated for three decades now. Critics have raised counterexamples of social reform through the judiciary, such as the Supreme Court case of Obergefell v. Hodges which mandated that states license and recognize same-sex marriage. Rosenberg, in turn, has responded by showing that his theory still holds true and that his critics have overstated the importance of the courts even when it appears as though they have achieved great victories. I weigh in on this ongoing debate through a different comparative perspective. Instead of comparing outcomes on different social issues in the same country, I look at the same issue across different countries, arguing that the experiences of the United Kingdom and Canada are consistent with Rosenbergs contention. Courts can rarely catalyze long-lasting social change.

The United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, there was no Roe v. Wade equivalent no famous legal battle, no nine men in robes ruling on womens rights and, ironically, no ambitious attempt to speak the final word on abortion.

Instead, after debate in the legislature, there was the Abortion Act of 1967, a parliamentary act providing a framework for legal abortions, amending but not replacing the Offences Against the Person Law which criminalized abortion in 1861.

Oddly enough, abortion is still technically a criminal offense in the United Kingdom by virtue of parliaments failure to overturn the Victorian law of 1861. But the Abortion Act of 1967 provided legal exceptions under which women can receive an abortion with the authorization of two doctors. In practice, access to safe and legal abortions in the U.K. far exceeds that in the U.S.

Canada

If the U.K. is a clear case of parliamentary supremacy, and the U.S. one of judicial supremacy, Canada falls somewhere in between. It is also much more complicated.

While independence in the U.S. came about through revolution, Canadian independence came through a much more gradual process of negotiation and transfer of power from Britain. As a consequence, Canada inherited many foundational principles in British law, namely the principle of parliamentary sovereignty.

The power of the judiciary is therefore much more limited in Canada than in the United States. While the introduction of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms expanded the role of the judiciary to weigh in on clashes between individual rights and democratically approved legislation, the judiciary remains far more deferential to parliament in Canada. The case of abortion was no exception.

Until 1988, Section 251 of the Canadian Criminal Code held that a woman seeking an abortion must apply to an abortion committee which would allow an abortion only if the continuation of pregnancy would threaten her life or health. In hearing the case of Dr. Henry Morgentaler, a physician who performed an abortion in violation of Section 251, the Supreme Court overturned the Section on the grounds of a right to receive medical care. Notably, they did not rule on the basis of a right to abortion per se. The judiciary explicitly delegated the broader moral debate over abortion to parliament. Thus, rather than seeking (as Roe did) to terminate political dialogue over abortion, the Supreme Court of Canada in Morgentaler actually invited future political dialogue on the balancing of womens rights and any rights that parliament may find fetuses to hold.

The Canadian parliament never passed any legislation on abortion. It joined China as the only countries with no law governing abortion. In practice, the consequence was legal abortions at all stages of pregnancy.

Explaining the Divergence

The United States was the only one of the three countries that experienced a ruling on abortion seeking to finalize the issue. And yet, it is the country where divisions on the matter are strongest.

One could chalk this up to cultural differences; perhaps the religious right is more prominent in the U.S. than in Canada and the U.K. But there may also be an institutional explanation lurking beneath the complex histories of abortion rights in the three countries: The model of parliamentary supremacy in U.K. and Canada as opposed to the judicial supremacy of the United States seems to have been more effective in achieving stable abortion protections.

First, legislative change tends to result in compromise, while change through the courts is zero-sum. While Roe attempted to define winners and losers in a perpetual tug-of-war, the Abortion Act of 1967 in the U.K. struck a compromise: no formal legality, but far greater access to abortion. The unique capacity of legislatures for negotiation and compromise may lead more people to be satisfied with the end outcome.

Second, legislatures garner a certain procedural legitimacy that is thoroughly lacking in the courts. Perhaps the never-ending fierce debate over abortion in the U.S. can be explained not only by peoples dissatisfaction with the content and morality of Roe, but also the procedure underlying it: Americans may be frustrated with the undemocratic process through which abortion was legalized and thus view it as a fundamentally unjust outcome. This is consistent with Rosenbergs finding that, prior to 1973, there was little organized political opposition to abortion. Professor Jennifer Holland, a gender and sexuality historian, notes that Roe changed the direction of the pro-life movement. Now facing a definitive ruling on abortion that applies nationally, the movement was incentivized to became broader, better organized and more powerful. The fact that this movement was successful in doing so can be partially explained by a feeling of injustice among many in the face of an undemocratic ruling. In contrast, policies passed by majoritarian systems are more likely to gain enduring support because, even if there is disagreement, such policies have the democratic consent of the populations political representatives. This holds even when the outcome of democratic debate is no policy at all, as in the case of Canada.

Finally, regardless of where one stands on the issue of abortion, a system of parliamentary supremacy is more consistent with fundamental democratic principles and thus more morally legitimate. Governments yield immense coercive power over the lives of their citizens. They can take their property, force them to abide by restrictive laws and even hold the right to put them behind bars. In return, citizens deserve a reciprocal right to have input into the way they are governed. While antimajoritarian institutions may have an important role in liberal democracies, we should generally default to the decisions of democratic legislatures, especially on important moral issues that welcome rigorous public debate.

In the words of Abraham Lincoln, if government policies on vital issues are to be irrevocably fixed by the Supreme Courtthe people will have ceased to be their own rulers. Instead, we should welcome the power of the legislature to pass policies through a fair procedure that respects the democratic consent of citizens.

Image by Colin Lloyd licensed by Unsplash

See the original post:

Does Judicial Supremacy Limit Social Progress? A Comparative Analysis of Abortion Rights in the US, Canada, and the UK - Harvard Political Review

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Adam Laxalt speaks at a meeting of the Mesquite Republican Women organization held on Wednesday evening last week. PHOTO BY BOBBIE GREEN/The Progress

The April meeting of the Mesquite Republican Women Club drew a large audience to the Mesquite Veterans Center on Wednesday night, April 13. On the agenda for the evening was an overloaded list of candidates in the upcoming primary elections which take place on June 7.

The four scheduled speakers at the event were U.S. Senate candidate Adam Laxalt, who is hoping to replace Senator Catherine Cortez Masto; a group of candidates for Secretary of State including former Assemblyman Jim Marchant, Sparks City Council Member Kris Daher, Judge Richard Scotti, and businesswoman Socorro Kennan,

Other candidates that showed up and were given two minutes to speak were Peter Pavone for Lieutenant Governor, Mary Marshall-Land for Clark County Treasurer, Stavros Anthony for Lieutenant Governor, Charlie Delapaz running for Assembly District 19; and Pattie Gallo and Paul Wanlass who are running for Mesquite City Council.

Secretary of State candidate Kris Dahir mentioned he has been a pastor for thirty years with plenty of experience in helping people. I have hope because we have so many amazing people running for offices; we have you the voters, who are motivated to turnout on election day; and we have God who will help us, Dahir said.

Dahir said that some of the current election laws pose a big problem. We need change to get more security in our election laws so we feel safe that our vote will count, Dahir said. We need voter ID and to stop mail-in balloting.

Dahir said that he has spent a lot of time working within the rural communities of the state and he plans that this will continue. I want to be your Secretary of State, he said.

When questioned about the alleged problems with Dominion voting machines in the last election, Dahir said If I see evidence they can be fraudulent, I will get them changed.

But Dahir added that the power of the Secretary of State is limited. He said that he will need the help of a Republican administration to make these changes.

Judge Richard Scotti, also a candidate for Secretary of State, believes there is a lot that the office can legally do to fix our election laws now. He said the Secretary of State has the power to get rid of the Dominion voting machines except in purely municipal elections.

Scotti said that signature verification regulations need to be changed to have certified signature experts verifying signatures or eliminate the voter machines.I have researched the Constitution and the Secretary of State has the authority to sue the Governor, the legislature, and local election officials, Scotti said. And I will do it.We need to protect our state sovereignty from the federal government, Scotti added.

He said that he is one of the lead attorneys on the Repair the vote Pact working to eliminate the universal mail-in vote act.

The third candidate for Secretary of State was Jim Marchant. Marchant said he has already been working on election integrity in Nevada.

Marchant said that he worked with a group who got Nye County officials to remove the use of Dominion Voting machines. He has also been working with the Conservative Partnership in Washington D.C. to ensure that poll watchers who have the knowledge and power to stop irregularities placed in the polling places, so that these things can be cleared up on the spot.

When I get elected, I will clean up the system and the voter rolls, Marchant said. Number one is getting rid of E.R.I.C. a Voter Registration System that Nevada is a charter member of. The Company is owned by George Soros and it keeps our voter roll in a mess.

Marchant went on to emphasize the need for a conservative Republican Governor in office in Nevada. He said that the state needs a governor who wont veto constitutional election regulations like voter ID, similar to what was done in 2015 by a Republican Governor after the legislator passed voter ID law.

Socorro Keenan, also running for Secretary of State, said she is running because she believes this is our last chance to keep America as we know it.I am a mother and a grandmother, Keenan said. We dont have time to wait any longer for these people already in office who do nothing but go along to get along.

Keenan said she is worried about properties (title deeds) being stolen with forged signatures. She said all original signatures should be verified and stamped with a blue ink stamp to stop the forgeries.Keenan said that she would support voter ID. What you want is one voter one ID, and to get rid of the Dominion Voting machines, she said.

U.S. Senate candidate Adam Laxalt spoke at length listing all of, what he believed to be, the numerous failings of the current administration. He talked about how this will be the biggest senate race in a decade or more.This is going to be a red wave of biblical proportions, Laxalt said. This is our time. This is the easiest sell conservatives will ever have.

Laxalt echoed the other candidates talking about voter fraud in this state and the need to overhaul election regulations in Nevada. He said that, in order to overcome these voting obstacles, the voters must have a massive voter turnout to stop the cheating.

The Mesquite Republican Women plan to hold a Spring Festival on Saturday April 30 from 10AM-4PM at the Mesquite Recreation Center field. There will be arts, crafts, food vendors and entertainment along with primary election candidates. All of the public is invited to attend.

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Mesquite Republican Women Hosts Primary Candidates - The Progress - mvprogress

Austin Nola knew hed swiped a base before taking third during the home opener, but he strained to remember the exact circumstances (second base on Sept. 10, 2019, with the Mariners).

Stolen bases have never been a focus for the 32-year-old catcher.

Running without obstruction is a different story altogether.

No pain is nice, Nola said. Running with zero pain, it feels great. Its the first time in a couple years.

Nola broke a bone in his foot shortly after arriving via trade in August 2020. He missed another two months last summer with a left knee sprain and was slowed by a brace, in more ways than one, after his return.

It was never comfortable, said Nola, who hit .272/.340/.376 over just 56 games played last year. It was like an extra pound and a half on my leg. It made everything feel like it was just off.

These days Nola is moving around quite well as evidenced by leading the way on a double-steal on Thursday night and even advancing all the way to third on a Little League triple after a fly ball got past Atlantas right fielder.

The Padres using Nola in the two-hole is almost all about what a tough out he is walked and drove in a run on Sunday when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded but Nola, a converted shortstop, takes extra comfort in the fact that hes far from a base-clogger these days.

Its crucial to be healthy, to be available, to be moving, Nola said, to take advantage of any mistake, anything that can happen in the game. Always be ready. Its just nice to have that again.

Right-hander Mike Clevinger (knee, Tommy John surgery) threw a bullpen session before Sundays game and will shift his rehab assignment to Triple-A El Paso to pitch on Tuesday at Las Vegas. Left-hander Blake Snell (groin) will also throw a bullpen on Tuesday before deciding if hes ready to begin a rehab assignment.

What that means long term for rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore, slated to start Wednesdays matinee against the Reds or even right-hander Nick Martinez, remains to be seen, but Padres manager Bob Melvin has largely balked at the idea of using a six-man rotation.

Well figure it out, Melvin said Sunday. Typically things transpire along the way, as weve seen to this point. Like when we acquired (Sean) Manaea, is that too many starters? But it certainly isnt. You can never have too much starting pitching, so well figure it out.

Read more:

Padres notes: Austin Nola on the move, pitching progress - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Madawaska McDonalds walls have come down and the new Land Port of Entry walls are going up, pushing the border crossing project forward.

MADAWASKA, Maine Madawaska McDonalds walls have come down and the new Land Port of Entry walls are going up, pushing the border crossing project forward.

After the General Services Administration announced in the fall of 2019 that the federal government wanted to put a new land port of entry on the site where a 48-year-old McDonalds restaurant stood, the building was officially torn down Thursday, April 7, to make way for the relocated border crossing.

Along with the border crossing station comes the new international bridge being built over the St. John River, spanning between Madawaska and Edmundston, New Brunswick. The bridge is a collaborative project between independent contractor Reed & Reed of Woolwich and New Brunswick-based Greenfield Construction, along with the Maine and New Brunswick transportation departments.

With the land now clear for the border crossing station, General Services Administration Regional Public Affairs Officer Paul Hughes said the next several weeks will include installing precast concrete wall panels for the two buildings at the port. The project is on schedule with the expected timeline for the structures.

As for the bridge, Andrew Lathe with Maine Department of Transportation said that a work trestle has been removed from the water in preparation for the St. John Rivers ice melt. The trestle is used to assemble concrete seals and caps needed to construct the five 60-foot-tall pier shafts on which the bridge will rest once it is built.

So far, the construction crew has not been met with any complications due to the ice or other environmental conditions, Lathe said.

Currently, the prime contractor, Reed & Reed, is working on the new U.S. abutment with the installation of formwork, reinforcing steel and concrete placements, Lathe said. Reed is also installing a cofferdam for pier No. 1 on the U.S. side.

The site of the 48 year old McDonalds in Madawaska is now flattened land, making way for the new land port of entry project on Apr. 19. (Emily Jerkins | St. John Valley Times)

Pier No. 1 is further up on the embankment and not in the water unlike piers 2 through 5 that the contractor completed last fall/winter. On the Canadian side, Greenfield Reed & Reeds subcontractor is installing micropiles that will support the new abutment extension near the Canadian port of entry, Lathe said.

The work trestle will be reinstalled over the water this spring and contractors will finish the abutments and pier caps on the Canadian and U.S. sides before installing the steel superstructure late this summer, Lathe said.

The land port of entry is projected to be essentially complete and operational in late 2023, which coincides with the opening of Maine Department of Transportations International Bridge Project. For now, the existing century-old bridge is in use, though a 5-ton weight limit was imposed in 2017.

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Walls go up as bridge and port of entry projects make progress - fiddleheadfocus.com

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

Moapa Valley residents who tune in to free-to-air television signals may have experienced several channel outages over the past several weeks. The Moapa Valley Television District (MVTVD) board members have been scrambling to diagnose a series of problems that have arisen at their Beacon Hill site and to get the programming back on the air for the public.

We have had several different problems that have occurred to the equipment up there since that last big windstorm, said MVTVD board member Roy Wilmer at a board meeting held on Tuesday evening, April 5. We have been able to fix most of them. But there are still a few that need work.

High winds caused a break to a connection on the incoming receiver antenna for the districts Channel 13. This caused a fuse to blow in the power supply which took down the antenna for a time, Wilmer said.We have been able to get that back up again, Wilmer added. Even though finding the problem took a little bit of time.

But more persistent problems are occurring on Channel 8 and Channel 3. Wilmer explained that he believes he knows the fix for those channels. But it is not an easy fix, he said.

The large bank of antennas that receive TV signals from the Las Vegas valley were installed back in 2009. Those antennas are mounted to a structure of four-inch steel pipe that are vertically anchored to the ground and are tied together. The antennas are mounted on that structure at about 15-16 feet off the ground, Wilmer added.

Over the space of many years, and a lot of wind blowing up there, the positioning of those antennas have changed a little bit, Wilmer said. So instead of pointing over the mountain toward the Las Vegas source, the lower antennas have dropped a bit so that they are now pointed into the side of the mountain.

To add to the difficulty, the Beacon Hill site presents some rather challenging topography. It is a rugged hilltop approached only over a very narrow dirt road. Access to the antennas by heavy equipment is not possible.

There is just no easy way to get to them, Wilmer said of the antennas. We are trying to work on them off of an eight-foot stepladder which is really not the best idea in the world. But there is no way to get equipment in there.

If it was someplace where you could just drive to, we could hire a bucket truck to come up there and use that to fix the problem, Wilmer added. But it is just not quite that easy.

But Wilmer said that he was working on a plan to install scaffolding around the structure and allow for easier maintenance in the future.

In the meantime, the board talked about finding a contractor that could do the repair job in the interim.New MVTVD Board member Arthur Villezcas, who works at Overton Power District (OPD5), suggested that the OPD5 has a pickup truck equipped with a small lift bucket. He said that he could inquire on whether the OPD5 would be willing to contract with the MVTVD on the job.

The problem is that we are really swamped right now with projects and things that are going on, Villezcas said. But we could ask.

Given the urgency of the situation, MVTVD Board Chairman Lance Mortensen suggested that they would even be willing to pay extra to have an OPD5 crew come up on a weekend to do the job.Wilmer said that he and the other board members were doing all that they could to bring the stations back up again.

There are some challenges that we will get over, Wilmer said. But people should remember that we are just a small volunteer board and we are doing the best we can with what we have.

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MVTVD Board Discusses Fixing Outages - The Progress - mvprogress

Stop gripin' and start typin'! The Manuscript Writing Cafe in Tokyo's Koenji neighborhood is built to help writers make progress on whatever novel, article, report, or manga they may be working on. Customers are required to set a writing goal and to be working away while in the cafe. From Thrillist:

The shop provides writers with power and charger outlets, cooling stands, and Wi-Fi to make things as writer-friendly as possible. Writers also have access to unlimited refills of drip coffee to help them power through any writer's block.

Writers can also request different levels of verbal pressure from staff members to make sure progress is being made. Every 30 minutes, to give writers more of a sense of urgency and help them hit their deadline, writers are charged 150 yen or $1.20. Not only will patrons be charged every half hour, but customers also can't leave until they achieve the day's writing goal or the cafe closes for the night.

Link:

Tokyo's new Manuscript Writing Cafe demands customers make progress toward their writerly goals - Boing Boing

Alabamas white team, led by the Tides first-team defense and second-team offense, won the schools spring football game Saturday.

The white team defeated the crimson team, which included the first-team offense and second-team defense, 25-7.

Here is what Nick Saban said after the game:

-- Saban: This was the last opportunity for players to impress and it was showtime to see who would elevate their game. I think we had quite a few guys that did that today, Saban said, noting he was pleased with the specialists executing. A lot of players made plays. It was really tough conditions, Saban said, adding they never practiced with a wet ball in the spring -- but they typically do it in the fall. I do think that was probably a bit of an issue for throwing the ball, catching the ball, he said.

-- All in all, I was pleased with the effort. I was pleased with the progress we made in the spring.

-- Saban said the front seven on defense was further ahead than the offensive line and that affected the game more than anything else.

-- Saban: I think we know what we need to do. The important thing for players is to improve over the summer before fall camp. We obviously have some things that can be distractions to that in this day and age of football, Saban said.

-- Asked about J.C. Lathams spring, Saban said he has made a lot of progress in the spring. Were not satisfied with where he is, but were pleased with the progress that hes making. Saban said the purpose of Saturdays game was to evaluate offensive line and there was less helping with blocking in terms of players chipping, etc.

-- Saban said Jamil Burroughs has made a lot of improvement on the defensive line. He also noted Tim Smith and Chris Braswell as making improvements, with Saban saying he views Braswell as a starter at outside linebacker alongside Dallas Turner and Will Anderson. Saban also noted the progress made by younger linemen Tim Keenan and Damon Payne.

-- Saban said Alabama consciously tried to make Jalen Milroe pass the ball more this spring and he has made progress in doing that. Saban said Ty Simpson, made some good plays for the first time out.

-- Does it stand out to you? Fast is fast, Saban said when asked how much Jahmyr Gibbs burst stood out when he become available in the transfer portal. Very good running back, very good receiver, good third-down back, Saban said. Very good addition. Saban added he likes where they are at with running backs, especially when they get Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams fully back from knee injuries. He also said freshman Jamarion Miller has shown some promise.

-- Saban said three cornerbacks are competing for starting jobs -- Eli Ricks, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Khyree Jackson. He wanted to see them play a lot and they are all capable, Saban said. He said Ricks, the LSU transfer who played on the second team simply to get more playing time in the spring game, needs to continue to learn the system. Hes a very conscientious guy and works hard at it, Saban said of Ricks. Saban also said Jackson is playing with more technique and McKinstry had a pretty good spring as well.

-- You never want drops, Saban said. They also had that issue in the second scrimmage when the conditions weather-wise were better, and players need to catch the ball regardless of the conditions. Some of the young guys [at receiver] have made an impact this spring, Saban noted, naming freshmen Aaron Anderson and Kendrick Law. Saban said they need to get more consistent at wide receiver in order to take advantage of other strengths on the team.

-- Saban said Robbie Ouzts has been one of the most improved players of the spring, he is playing with more confidence and playing faster. They need depth at tight end, Saban said, adding that Cameron Latu had a decent spring, as well.

-- Saban said Will Anderson did well in Saturdays scrimmage and regardless of the circumstance he gives 100 percent. Saban said he was asked recently about Will Andersons weakness and Saban said it is pass coverage, but asked reporters rhetorically if they want Anderson rushing the passer or dropping into coverage. He cracked a smile after that one.

-- Saban ended his news conference by complimenting Tua Tagovailoa on his first class charity luau in Tuscaloosa earlier this week. He also brought up John Mitchell and Wilbur Jacksons pregame ceremony, complimenting them on their courage and how it made Alabama a better place. I cant tell you how much I appreciate those guys for being trailblazers in what they did and creating tremendous opportunity for a lot of other people, he said.

-- Saban ended by wishing all the Christian folks out there a happy Easter.

-- I guess I wont see you for a while, which will be one of the saddest parts of spring practice being over, Saban says to reporters.

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.

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Nick Saban pleased with progress after Alabamas spring game - AL.com