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as I've grown a little "less young" (ahem) I've started to have slight issues, and in particular I notice that if I work right up until bed, I toss and turn worrying all night

Maybe you're an insomniac. Even as a baby I didn't need much sleep, my mom used to say how when I was a baby she'd look to see how I was while in bed and I'd be quiet but wide awake. I've settled down some in my middle ages, what with the all the therapy I've had and the prescriptions I'm taking but even when I was 45 years old I'd be awake almost 60 hours straight, get 8 hours sleep then be up another day and a half before getting another 8 hours.

if I run home from work (about 10 miles) I feel awake all evening (good) and into the night (bad).

How are the roads, or other pavements, and traffic? If they're good then maybe you can ride bike or skate. Around here, Minneapolis/St Paul, we have some bike/hiking pathways people use to go to and from work. At least when there's no snow. Of course not everyone is even near one but many are.

Falcon

Minneapolis has complete downtown coverage now.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/wirelessminneapolis/

Actually using it right now to post, doesn't really seem like a dead idea from here!

You can sign up at http://www.usiwireless.com/, its only $14.95 a month!

Minneapolis has complete downtown coverage now.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/wirelessminneapolis/

Actually using it right now to post, doesn't really seem like a dead idea from here!

There is no "may" on this. The FBI IS involved in this. They've already announced that they would be playing a key role in this.

As somebody who was right in the middle of the 2004 RNC protests (one of my friends is still helping to process legal work from protesters who were unfairly arrested) I can guarantee that it will eventually come out that the Department of Homeland Security was coordinating this. Just from the reports that I've read so far, there were statements that officers in several kinds of uniform were involved. Eventually it will come out that at least one of those "officers" was actually a fed.
Face it, folks. Under current circumstances, local police departments simply don't have a choice in cases like this. Just like routers at ISPs, local police departments are now required to cede authority to any number of federal authorities any time the feds say so. And just like ISPs, they're forbidden to tell us that they're acting under federal orders. Don't just get mad at Minneapolis-St. Paul police. Stay angry at the feds.
On the other hand, the Minneapolis police have been using Safe Zone and related programs to suppress dissent for a long time now. I was hearing about the rampup when I was there in May and I've been hearing about more and more use of such programs to prevent free speech for a couple of months now.
Minneapolis is under lockdown. If you walk into Arise! or Mayday, assume that you're being photographed, at the very least. This will still be true for a minimum of a few weeks after the RNC leaves town. And we have to assume that they will continue to declare any and everything weapons. Did you look at their pile of "evidence"? Except for the books and a few other things, all of that could be found in the average garage. And none of it is as dangerous as the contents of many a Republican pickup truck. How many "normal American" homes would be so empty of guns, right down to paintguns?

This is what a police state looks like, folks. Chances are it'll get worse from here.

In Minnesota, police need a license from the state. There are three ways to get a license. Two of them require a college degree (only two years). If the degree is in the wrong field they must also complete a certificate program. To get a license without a degree, officers can move from another jurisdiction where they have five years experience in law enforcement.

Minnesota police also have to maintain physical standards, pass a psychological evaluation, not have any felony convictions or any of a long list of lesser convictions.

They must also complete 48 continuing education credits every three years.

Despite those rules, a suicidal man died today after St. Paul police used a taser on him.

We have it in Minneapolis. I'm not a subscriber but there is presence pretty much anywhere?

Minneapolis is in the process of rolling out wi-fi. See here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/wirelessminneapolis/
and here:
http://www.usiwireless.com/service/minneapolis/overview.htm

My friend is about to get connected to it. He said the modem was pricey, but he hates comcast so much that he doesn't care. I, otoh, game. Therefore I need the speed cable gives me so I'm kinda stuck with Comcast.

As far as profitability / viability goes, I have to assume USI Wireless is expecting to make money. Not sure that wireless WANs have surpassed current tech enough for them to back off their contract.

Wireless Minneapolis is rolling out nicely. It is succeeding because
- It is not free -- but half the price of other ISP providers in the area so it is a great bargain.
- It is a based on a Municipal Services model, where the city will be the biggest customer of the network. So even if no one signs up, the network provider will still make a profit.

I expect future muni wifis will use a Municipal Services-based model as well.

the minneapolis network is being developed by us internet. they're behind schedule -- initially the first areas were supposed to be finished in june/july and the entire network complete by november.

the network does run 802.11, and a wireless 'modem' is not required, but highly recommended (they'll say it's necessary to guarantee the stated bandwidth).

you're right, at $19.95/month the price is good. also, the minneapolis city council negotiated for a unique community benefits package to bring some of the profits back to the community.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/wirelessminneapolis/ Already available in parts of Minneapolis, the rest should be up by the end of the year. They require a modem rental/purchase, so I don't think it's 802.11, but I could be wrong. The prices/speeds seem better than DSL and cable (my DSL just went from $36 a month to $50 for 1.5 Mb/s, I can get 6Mb/s from this for $36), I'm going to give it a try as soon as my neighborhood becomes active.

A lot of people around here seem to think that city-wide wireless is going to be free. In Minneapolis, there is a fee--$19.95/mo residential, $29.95/mo for business.
 
The wi-fi has already had unforseen benefits as the new wi-fi was used during the rescue effort after the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.

The city of Minneapolis, MN is going wireless and in some areas is already providing service. The estimated completion date is December 2007. The charge is pretty reasonable too, only $20 or $30 per month depending on access speed.

More info here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/wirelessminneapoli s/

Many squad cars and firetrucks are already using the wireless technology and a number of cameras are used for survelence in high-crime areas. Since I drive through one of these areas every day, I can tell you the cameras have already made a real difference!

There is hope that with this kind of access, that the city will become a more livable place and that some lower income people will be able to use these services to better themseleves. While I hope that this is true, I'll also take it with a grain of salt and say that I will believe it when I see it.

This service was used for several days after the bridge disaster with very good results. Talk about trial by fire!

Electronics

This item collected on recycling week only. Limit of two (2) large items per recycling week. Place next to the garbage cart on the recycling day. Please post a sign or write on the item "Please Take". Item will be picked up on next business day after recycling day.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/solid-waste/what-t o-do-E.asp#P29_687

We keep a pile by one door (along with all our other recycling) of things pre-tagged with "Please Take" - recycling week comes, I haul two out along with everything else before I leave for work in the morning.

Minneapolis is soon to become the largest wifi hotspot at 54 square Miles. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/wirelessminneapoli s/nextsteps.asp#TopOfPage

In many US cities, it is illegal to re-fill a parking meter. That would seem to limit the appeal of this feature.

http://www.phototour.minneapolis.mn.us/3788, http://satellite.rsat.com/rsat/spatial/whitehouse. html

Oh, you think that is ugly public art? Apparently you have never been to Minneapolis.

That's the Wesiman Museum, a building constructed primarily to blind drivers on Washington Avenue around sunset. Note its striking wrinkled exterior, a result of poor material choices for our climate.

All in all, I'd compare its appearance to that of a discarded burger wrapper.

At least in the US, there are cases where someone has picked up cash on the ground and been convicted of theft. See Joey Coyle. The money was in the street. He kept it. It was against the law.

Could you reference a few cases where someone has left keys in their car, had it stolen, and the thief has gotten off scot free or better yet had the case dismissed? How old are you to believe that you can take anything out in the open?

Even if the car is running and parked out front of your home, if it isn't yours and you take it, you are stealing it. See this article from the Minneapolis PD.

What's the difference between Flash and your cracker tool? Your intention. The credit data is a locked box, and you're taking bolt cutters to it.

I use Vim to edit content from a MySQL
database with the help of a vim script I've posted here:

http://www.phototour.minneapolis.mn.us/pages.vim.t xt

:Edit page_name edits a
webpage stored in a database table, and

:Save re-saves it.

Our government is run by a small fraction of the population chosen through popular vote. If they govern according to their own views(as they do now), we have a democratic oligarchy. If they figure out the views of their constituents, and govern based on that, we would have a Representative democracy.

We elect people who do not promise to govern according to constituent's views(they may say "interests" instead). If an official wanted to do so, they could poll constituents instead of only giving weight to those with the time to write in.

If that's what we collectively wanted, we could require accurate representation from candidates and elected officials. We don't, and so shouldn't complain when a "representative" governs how THEY see fit and ignores our views. That's the arrangement we've chosen.