Happy Diwali!

To my friends and former colleagues, happy Diwali to you!

Heroes

When I lived in Silicon Valley I got to meet some of the computer pioneers. John McCarthy — known as the father of artificial intelligence and Lisp — is one someone who I would have liked to have met. The guy just looks smart and that hair is fantastic! Thank you for your contributions and rest in peace, Mr. McCarthy.

Green Bay Trick or Treating

Halloween is on Halloween this year! "Trick-or-treating for the City of Green Bay will be on Monday October 31 from 4-7 PM."

Season Tickets

Hopefully she'll be able to use them. Maybe her kids will. Maybe she won't even want em. It seems to me it is every parents responsibility to put their newborn on the list so that they have the option, right?

Irene E. Van Adestine

Irene E. (Bricco) Van Adestine, December 3, 1918 - October 12, 2011, Green Bay, WI, was welcomed into the arms of our Lord on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011, surrounded by her loving family.

Irene was born Dec. 3, 1918, in Neva, Wis., and was the daughter of the late Leo and Mabel (Olesen) Bricco. Irene graduated from Bear Creek High School, Outagamie County Teachers College and Oshkosh State Teachers College. She taught in the one- room rural schools of Waupaca and Outagamie Counties. In 1967, Irene went back to teaching at St. Joseph Catholic School in Green Bay. Irene remains a member of The Brown County Retired Educations’ Association.

Irene has always been a staunch supporter of her husband's involvement in hockey and officiating on a local and state level. This interest had continued on through her son and two of her grandsons. Irene spent over a decade helping with her daughters Girl Scout troops.

As a young girl, during the depression years, Irene acquired the skill of sewing from her mother. She began by learning how to reuse and refashion styles that were popular at that time. Irene always dressed very fashionable through her high school, college and early teaching years. After she was married, with an ever increasing family, Irene happily spent the rest of her life making clothes, curtains and doing mending/ repairing for all of us.

She was an active member of St. Jude Parish, chairing many funeral luncheons, greeter for funerals and helping in the office. Irene was also a long time member of the St. Jude Women’s Club, bible study group and with her deep faith would pray her rosary daily. Irene was a Red Cross volunteer and enjoyed participating in exercise groups for over 30 years—well into her 90’s. She traveled extensively with her husband, family and friends throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Irene's love of family and history guided her to spend countless hours putting together books and memorabilia regarding our family stories and genealogy which has been enjoyed by many and for future generations.

Irene was a very energetic lady and always had a project going. We were told that while in school her teachers wondered if she ever sat still. Well, we can tell you that she rarely did! She was the life of many get-togethers and could always be counted on to get the fun going, whether dancing, singing or putting together the greatest costume.

She married Robert “Red” Van Adestine Aug. 16, 1944, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bear Creek. Robert preceded her in death April 29, 1987. They were blessed with six children, Bobbie, Donna, Renee, Sue, Margaret and Dan. Her family was her greatest pride.

Irene is survived by her children and their spouses, Bobbie and Tom Browne, Sue and John Piton, Margaret and Bruce Demerath, Dan and Jill VanAdestine all from Green Bay, Donna and Larry Morrow, Renee and Tom Werner from Luxemburg; her grandchildren, Michelle (Jeff) Wick, Matt (Sabrina) Browne, Jennifer (Neil) Schwartz, Jaci (Tony) Rocheleau, Joe Morrow, Mike (Michelle) Werner, John (Lori) Werner, Zak (Amy) Werner, Dan (Julie) Piton, Karen (Jeremy) Metzler, Derrick (Julia) Demerath, Lee Demerath, Marci Van Adestine and Brian (Darci) Van Adestine; her great-grandchildren, Sarah, Andrew, Emily, Alex, Melanie, Megan, Elizabeth, Olivia, Blake, Madison, Lilian, Ethan, Grace, Iris, Tyler, Ivy, Genevieve born Oct. 12, 2011; step-great-grandchildren, Skyler, Dalton and Sophie.

Irene is also survived by two brothers and sisters in-law, John Bricco of Green Bay; Loy and Lorraine Bricco of Bear Creek; Eunice Bricco of Clarkstown, Wash.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Irene was preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Red”; her infant grandson, Stephen Lawrence Morrow (6/16-11/5/1981); her parents; and her siblings and their spouses, Domain Bricco, Fern (John) Lorge, Leonard (Margie) Bricco, Gladys (John) Martin, Florence (Bob) Mathewson; brothers in-law and sisters in-law, Maurice Van Adestine, Sarah (Alfred) Clausen, and Alice (Frank) Binder.

The family will receive relatives and friends at the Blaney Funeral Home 1521 Shawano Ave., from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday. Visitation will continue Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011, at St. Jude Catholic Church, 1420 Division St., Green Bay, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the church with the Rev. Donald Everts officiating. Burial will be in Fort Howard Memorial Park. To send online condolences, please go to www.BlaneyFuneralHome.com.

Thank you Margaret and Bruce for the special care you have given Mom.

Irene lived her vibrant life to the fullest and was a true role model for her children and grandchildren.

We love you Grandma Van!

Downtown Development

The next phase of the City Deck, an urban park that takes full advantage of the waterfront, is beginning. In addition to the mayor and the supporting cast, thanks to the alders who voted yea along the way.

Of course, next to that Watermark project which is remodeling the old Younkers building is underway. In the same project are the Green Bay Children's Museum and a restaurant/bar by the folks that own the ever popular The Bar. They will all make wonderful additions to N. Washington St.

Next to that is the gaping chunk of leaky concrete we all grew up with called Washington Commons, Port Plaza Mall, or just "The Mall". The Mall and some of it's old, tired friends are dead and it's going away so it can become a corporate headquarters. Thanks also go to Schreiber Foods for committing to downtown Green Bay.

And now, just to the north of the old mall and it's ramp, a KI Convention center expansion is in the works.

I believe that economic development sum of these projects is larger than the raw addition of the parts. I'm proud of each and every vote I took in support some of these projects. The other Alders, Supervisors, Mayor should also be proud of what they helped happen. It takes dreams and vision to make things happen. But in addition to the electeds let us not forget those who did and do so much to spur economic development, execute on that vision, and keep our city a great place to live. So my thanks to everyone who works to make our downtown and city a better place, leaders and workers alike.

Newspaper Week Editorial Response

"The Press-Gazette has a proven record of providing what its readership expects and requires. We remain committed to our readers and this community, and we'll be here for a long time to come."

I appreciate those words and I still want timely news like this article stating that the Executive vetoed the latest county board proposed maps today. I'm grateful I can get it online. I subscribed to the weekend edition for two years because I wanted to support my local paper. I read that paper based content maybe three times in those two years. Almost all of them literally went from the paper box to the recycle bin.

Please start genuinely working toward getting beyond the paper based add and subscription sales model. Ditch the anonymous forums, the signal to noise ratio is unbearably low. Make folks use real names tied to their paid online subscriptions. Include your archives in an online subscription. Allow an online subscriber to order six paper-papers a year. Throw in some classified add words and automatically cross post them to online partners. Most importantly, offer the paper without advertisements to subscribers. (The technically savvy people already turned the adds off because they cause the page to load way, way too slow.)

In otherwords, if you want my money for your online content then you need to build value around your content. You also need to give me a way to give you money without having a dead tree delivered to my house. Thanks for reading!

Firefly and Bureaucratic Absurdity

Yeah, looks like we may have found another type of bureaucrat. The moron. (Though it's hard to tell if it's the chief or some unmentioned rule writer. Either way someone is a moron.)

Phone Virii and Other Madness

Yesterday I get this text message with a lewdly suggestive subject line. Since I know the from number to belong to a religious right women, I'm guessing her phone got infected with text virus and that virus sent copies of itself out to everyone in her address book. It used to happen with Microsoft Windows/Outlook emailing all the time back in the 1990s.

Today, I spot this article covering how any app running on an HTC with internet access gets access to much more private info. HTC needs to lock their version of Android down or I'll not consider them for my next phone. Especially after they caved in to Microsoft patent threats.

We all need to remember that these smart phones aren't just hard-coded firmware like your father's Nokia. Smart phones are are full blown computers and we all need to realize they can and do have the same weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It's only a matter of time until we see security and antivirus tools offered in the App Stores and Markets.

Two Motives- Two Kinds of People?

I stumbled across the Iron Law of Bureaucracy today. In part, it states there are two types of folks in a bureaucracy. People who serve the organizational goals and others who serve the bureaucracy itself. I've certainly seen those qualities and loyalties in different people.

But here's the thing, I don't buy it. The over-clever simplicity of dually exclusive absolutes in this "law" doesn't allow for the shades of gray that most often exist in the real world. It doesn't allow for organizations where the people primarily executing on the mission keep the others in check. It implies that people looking out for the welfare of others is bad in a way that brings Ayn Rand to mind. Worst, it most certainly doesn't take in to account that one person can embody both motives simultaneously. It reminds me of "Balonium" the massless, frictionless element they use to teach physics in high school.