Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | People's revolt against the IRA gathers momentum
The people's revolt against the IRA gang who murdered Robert McCartney continued to grow last night despite Sinn Fein's attempts to defuse the crisis, with 1,000 protesters demanding the expulsion of more rogue republicans.
Despite the IRA's court martial and expulsion of three members - allegedly including the former officer commanding the Belfast brigade - the family claim at least nine others implicated in the killing are being sheltered by the organisation.
Asked whether, as residents claim, two of the men involved in the clean-up after the murder had previously acted as his election workers, he said he would not comment on "falsehoods in the media".
He also denied claims by residents that republicans had ordered children to riot in the Markets area to impede police investigating the murder.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
On Becoming Baby Wise
Amazon.com: Books: On Becoming Baby Wise: The Classic Reference Guide Used by Over 1,000,000 Parents Worldwide
We have so many friends having babies. I regularly point them to this book - the book that made our two daughters manageable. We swear by it and (like magic) have watched it teach our Anna Laura and Alexandria to sleep, eat and behave.
Highly recommended, but it's hard to do. Don't give up.
As an aside: there are people who passionately don't like it - the whole idea of putting a child on a schedule offends them. To those like that: sleep well.
We have so many friends having babies. I regularly point them to this book - the book that made our two daughters manageable. We swear by it and (like magic) have watched it teach our Anna Laura and Alexandria to sleep, eat and behave.
Highly recommended, but it's hard to do. Don't give up.
As an aside: there are people who passionately don't like it - the whole idea of putting a child on a schedule offends them. To those like that: sleep well.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Snow Sledding with Anna Laura
I’m not sure how it worked out but Denver is a city that spans miles and miles with millions and millions of people, yet still her best sledding hill in my neck of the woods! Granted, when you live in the mountains the odds of having the best hills are a little tilted.
This afternoon I huffed up the hill at Meyer Ranch where everyone goes to sled. People from Conifer and people from Denver who don’t seem to mind the 20 minute drive. The fact is, this sledding hill is wide, steep and – best of all – faces south(ish) so the snow tends to stay for a long time.
I tool Anna Laura with me. It was her first time to sled and although a part of me was nervous, I wasn’t really nervous at all. The weather was warm, the sky was pretty clear and there were tons of other kids making their way down and then back up the long hill.
It was a real winner. Anna Laura laughed and screamed the whole way down; I drug my hands a little to prolong the ride – there’s no reason to burn down the hill with a 2 year old. We only made the trip twice but I’ll bet it imbedded in her little memory quite deep.
She sure had fun. I had fun, too.
This afternoon I huffed up the hill at Meyer Ranch where everyone goes to sled. People from Conifer and people from Denver who don’t seem to mind the 20 minute drive. The fact is, this sledding hill is wide, steep and – best of all – faces south(ish) so the snow tends to stay for a long time.
I tool Anna Laura with me. It was her first time to sled and although a part of me was nervous, I wasn’t really nervous at all. The weather was warm, the sky was pretty clear and there were tons of other kids making their way down and then back up the long hill.
It was a real winner. Anna Laura laughed and screamed the whole way down; I drug my hands a little to prolong the ride – there’s no reason to burn down the hill with a 2 year old. We only made the trip twice but I’ll bet it imbedded in her little memory quite deep.
She sure had fun. I had fun, too.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Recent Microsoft Presentations
Three weeks ago Integro/Microsoft held a seminar with about 35 participants - driven mostly by Integro sales - where I presented on Reporting Services (part of the Microsoft SQL Server stack). The main idea of the presentation was to list the necessary items you need to have a successful implementation.
The audience asked me so many questions, it became quite clear how strong the momentum for this new SQL function has become. Primarlily, the drive is because licensing for alternatives is so expensive. The reality is, RS is pretty well stocked with features and with the Microsoft brand, people are willing to dabble with an early version with the promise of improvements.
The Denver Microsoft office tries to arrange a minimum number of events like this with local partners and gives them a type of "credit" they spend to qualify for their positition as a partner. To our benefit, we get to work with Carl Dubler, the dry-witted SQL Server champion who in earlier years inspired me to dig so deeply into the SQL stack.
Get this, Carl's follow-up email said something (and I quote from memory here), "Jerry Nixon is the number one advocate for Reporting Services in the region." How about that? It didn't actually say I knew what I was doing - but I will have to take what I can get.
Last Tuesday, the local BI quasi-user group called Analytic Avenues, mostly a marketing engine for local Microsoft partner Immedient, had me as a "guest speaker" to basically repeat the content of the earlier Reporting Service presentations. I would guess 20 people were there representing a completely different segment.
The venue for this didn't allow for much dialog with the audience and what questions they did ask were not very illuminating. It's frustrating that SQL 2000 RS has certain features and when they lack people say SQL 2005 has the answer. Even if it does, a new version of SQL Server is not trivial - a 2005 implementation will include new administrative knowledge, probably updates to backup software and unknown hardware minimums.
I don't know, it's true we can address some issues with the next version, but I like to meet people where they are - as much as I can.
I have not made any major appearances since DevDays 2004. I will unlikely present at DevDays this year (very unlikely) since - for one - it is a vehicle Microsoft uses to pat individuals on the back who MSFT likes by giving them exposure; not all deserving individuals are good presenters though.
The audience asked me so many questions, it became quite clear how strong the momentum for this new SQL function has become. Primarlily, the drive is because licensing for alternatives is so expensive. The reality is, RS is pretty well stocked with features and with the Microsoft brand, people are willing to dabble with an early version with the promise of improvements.
The Denver Microsoft office tries to arrange a minimum number of events like this with local partners and gives them a type of "credit" they spend to qualify for their positition as a partner. To our benefit, we get to work with Carl Dubler, the dry-witted SQL Server champion who in earlier years inspired me to dig so deeply into the SQL stack.
Get this, Carl's follow-up email said something (and I quote from memory here), "Jerry Nixon is the number one advocate for Reporting Services in the region." How about that? It didn't actually say I knew what I was doing - but I will have to take what I can get.
Last Tuesday, the local BI quasi-user group called Analytic Avenues, mostly a marketing engine for local Microsoft partner Immedient, had me as a "guest speaker" to basically repeat the content of the earlier Reporting Service presentations. I would guess 20 people were there representing a completely different segment.
The venue for this didn't allow for much dialog with the audience and what questions they did ask were not very illuminating. It's frustrating that SQL 2000 RS has certain features and when they lack people say SQL 2005 has the answer. Even if it does, a new version of SQL Server is not trivial - a 2005 implementation will include new administrative knowledge, probably updates to backup software and unknown hardware minimums.
I don't know, it's true we can address some issues with the next version, but I like to meet people where they are - as much as I can.
I have not made any major appearances since DevDays 2004. I will unlikely present at DevDays this year (very unlikely) since - for one - it is a vehicle Microsoft uses to pat individuals on the back who MSFT likes by giving them exposure; not all deserving individuals are good presenters though.
You are only as sick as your secrets
Ronald G. Weaver Sr., Chief Executive Officer of Viper Networks said something cool. "You are only as sick as your secrets." I liked that. Their ticker is in the tank, but I think their company - generally - is a strong buy!
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
MSN Web Messenger
MSN Web Messenger
Wow! I didn't even know this existed. A browser-based MSN Messenger client solves a lot of pain when I am not at my own machine and - it saves me the grief of AOL users already having the same functionality. Bravo; although it's a hair slow on my ISDN connection.
Wow! I didn't even know this existed. A browser-based MSN Messenger client solves a lot of pain when I am not at my own machine and - it saves me the grief of AOL users already having the same functionality. Bravo; although it's a hair slow on my ISDN connection.
Monday, February 07, 2005
40 Days of Purpose is Starting
Not so long ago we were starting 40 Days of Community and now we are starting 40 Days of Purpose.
40 Days of Purpose is actually the study that is suppoed to come before the 40 Days of Community - but we are unorthodox around here. The small group meeting at our house had never doneit so we are now.
Yeah@
40 Days of Purpose is actually the study that is suppoed to come before the 40 Days of Community - but we are unorthodox around here. The small group meeting at our house had never doneit so we are now.
Yeah@
The sick Pope
Last week when the Pope was admitted to the hospital it made me think - there is no other single person on the planet whose health is a concern to as many people as the Pope.
Not the President of the United States, not the head of the United Nations (can you even tell me his name?) or anyone else. Catholic or Protestant alike, people are concerned because - not necessarily out of love - they respect for his level of influence.
I think many Protestants who in the past have enjoyed not liking the Pope have softened their approach because (1) it's just wrong to be hateful and (2) the fact is, the Pope and the Catholic church is very much responsible to positively impress on the world the Christian ethic.
Agree or not with that last part, can you imagine anyone the globe as a whole cares for more than the Pope? I can't.
Not the President of the United States, not the head of the United Nations (can you even tell me his name?) or anyone else. Catholic or Protestant alike, people are concerned because - not necessarily out of love - they respect for his level of influence.
I think many Protestants who in the past have enjoyed not liking the Pope have softened their approach because (1) it's just wrong to be hateful and (2) the fact is, the Pope and the Catholic church is very much responsible to positively impress on the world the Christian ethic.
Agree or not with that last part, can you imagine anyone the globe as a whole cares for more than the Pope? I can't.
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