Glengarry Glen Government: The Perils of Governing Like a Campaign

A recurrent pattern in public administration is the appointment of campaign communication staff to key agency roles following an electoral victory. These individuals, skilled in messaging, rapid response and public engagement, often struggle to transition from the fast-paced, reactive nature of campaigns to the structured, process-driven world of governance. Effective policymaking requires excruciating planning and … Continue reading "Glengarry Glen Government: The Perils of Governing Like a Campaign"

Diamond Head, Hawaii, January 2025

Waikiki, January 2025

New Mexico, December 2024

After the election, the antidote to uncertainty isn’t more scrolling — it’s doing

Feeling overwhelmed by the weight of tomorrow? You’re not alone. Like many people this month, I’ve been caught in a spiral of news feeds and hours-long discussions about what might happen next. I keep coming back to lessons from an unexpected place: the airplane. Early in our training, pilots learn a critical lesson about handling … Continue reading "After the election, the antidote to uncertainty isn’t more scrolling — it’s doing"

Comment on The Time Kamala Harris Lived in Champaign-Urbana (Updated July 2024) by Mark C Beldon

In reply to <a href="https://michaelcastellon.net/2020/08/12/the-time-kamala-harris-lived-in-champaign-urbana/comment-page-1/#comment-3778">Dennis</a>. <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lived on Avondale in Champaign, too</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Comment on The Time Kamala Harris Lived in Champaign-Urbana (Updated July 2024) by Richard Broome

In reply to <a href="https://michaelcastellon.net/2020/08/12/the-time-kamala-harris-lived-in-champaign-urbana/comment-page-1/#comment-3778">Dennis</a>. <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>They actually lived in Champaign on North Prospect Street. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Comment on The Time Kamala Harris Lived in Champaign-Urbana (Updated July 2024) by Ramesh Jayaraman

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As someone hailing from Madras, India, having arrived @ Berkeley for Grad. School (precisely 20 yrs. after Dr. Shyamala Gopalan did) and also having worked at UIUC/NCSA in late 80's, I more than intrigued!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Records at USCIS's website (avail. per FOIA) appear to corroborate (in Shyamala's own handwriting) that @Pete's account is accurate!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Comment on The Time Kamala Harris Lived in Champaign-Urbana (Updated July 2024) by Dennis

In reply to <a href="https://michaelcastellon.net/2020/08/12/the-time-kamala-harris-lived-in-champaign-urbana/comment-page-1/#comment-3773">Pete Nelson</a>. <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>@Pete, thanks for the specific details. Do you know what address the Harrises lived at in Urbana, during their time there? Just curious from a historical significance perspective.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Bruce Bastian, WordPerfect Co-Creator, Dies At 76

Via WSJ: When Alan Ashton was a computer-science professor at Brigham Young University in the mid-1970s, the director of the school’s marching band knocked on his door and said he wanted to use a computer to choreograph the band’s halftime shows. Ashton was easily persuaded; he was a trumpet player whose Ph.D. dissertation at the … Continue reading "Bruce Bastian, WordPerfect Co-Creator, Dies At 76 "

Hiking the Sonoma Coast

10 years on, is the world any closer to finding MH370?

Via CNN: For the past 10 years it has remained one of the modern era’s greatest mysteries. A commercial airliner with a strong safety record carrying 239 people vanishing from the map, spawning a wide variety of competing theories, books and documentaries and leaving the families of those left behind asking themselves every March 8 … Continue reading "10 years on, is the world any closer to finding MH370?"

Indexing the Information Age

A fascinating read from Monica Westin at Aeon: One weekend in March 1995, a group of librarians and web technologists found themselves in Dublin, Ohio, arguing over what single label should be used to designate a person responsible for the intellectual content of any file that could be found on the world wide web. Many were … Continue reading "Indexing the Information Age"

Comment on IFR Oral Exam / Checkride Study Guide by New aviation resources, updated flight training materials | Michael Castellon

[…] instrument Rating oral exam questions, updated for […]

New aviation resources, updated flight training materials

I’ve added a new section to the site: Aviation and Flight Training Resources, an index of important links and publications for pilots and students . I’ve also updated two of the most popular pages on my website:

Comment on The Time Kamala Harris Lived in Champaign-Urbana (Updated July 2024) by Pete Nelson

The Harrises moved away from Champaign by 1968, when Kamala was about 4 and Maya 1. At first they went to other Midwest university towns. In 1970 the girls were living in Berkeley with just their mother, who divorced their father the next year. So, this pic is from a later visit back with the Gottheils. The house in the near background is 2511 Pond, but the Gottheils lived at 2509, just out of frame to our right. The Harris ladies lived in the Berkeley area until Kamala was 12, when they moved to Montreal.

Comment on Comcast horror stories by David

My comcast has been down 9 weeks now. The seventh technician came out today. Every technician has openly lied about what they did or were going to do. 4 claimed that the problem was fixed! The seventh technician said there was no line from the telephone pole to the house, no connection to the box and the box was buried in the snow, not even on the house. (9 weeks, 35 hours on the phone, 7 technicians The first technician, 2 months ago, said the line needed to be reattached....and he would send out a truck "immediately" to do that. No notes, no records , no truck. Each subsequent technician said in their notes that they did reattach and the problem was fixed. The 7th guy today said "they were lying to you!" This guy was wearing tennis shoes and complained that he didn't want to take the ladder off the truck and walk in the snow. This is MN winter! Where can you put a ladder where there is not snow? NIGHMARE CONTINUES!, going on week 10. Oh yeah, three Tripp to Edina xfinity in person to resolve, NOT RESOLVED

Comment on Bradley Koda, the Parts Seller Keeping Atari Machines Alive by Marc

I m so surprised to see that Bradley still selling Atari parts. I bought him some parts and cards for my Atari Portfolio, when he was at Dusseldorf in 1999...

Comment on Hot and Fast Smoked Texas Brisket by Chef – Michael Castellon

[…] flew fairly low under the radar. Austinites will appreciate several scenes shot around the city. Brisket makes an appearance courtesy of Aaron […]

Comment on The Time Kamala Harris Lived in Champaign-Urbana (Updated July 2024) by My Most Read Stuff of 2020 – Michael Castellon

[…] The Time Kamala Harris Lived in Champaign-Urbana […]