I'll be on PCNC’s "NightTalk: Get to the Point" tomorrow night

I'll be a panelist on tomorrow's PCNC's "NightTalk: Get to the Point."

The show airs Friday, October 9, 2009 from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM (with repeats at 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM, I believe).

P.J. Maloney of KQV Newsradio will host the program.

The panel will consist of Rose Somma Tennent (Quinn & Rose, WPGB, 104.7 FM), Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidate Les Ludwig and me (Maria Lupinacci, 2 Political Junkies blog).

The program commonly features conversation on a wide range of topics local to Pittsburgh, the Southwestern Pennsylvania region and some national items.
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Rapist of 12 year-old hired by Pgh Public Works

Crossposted from 2pj at Sue and Sherry's request (with a h/t to Gloria who posted this story to a mailing list):

From kdka.com:

Bernard Pendleton is a truck driver for the City Public Works Department. He's a Democratic Committeeman. He's also a convicted felon.

Court documents show that in 1987 Pendleton approached a 12-year-old girl at a bus stop, asked her if she wanted to go smoke marijuana, then took her to a house and raped her, threatening, "If you tell somebody, you know what is going to happen."

[snip]

Public Works Director Guy Costa is one of several city leaders who approved the hiring of Pendleton because of his Democratic Party affiliation. They never saw his criminal file - didn't know he raped a 12-year-old. But they did know he was a felon. Right on his job application he admits to pleading guilty to statutory rape and illegal gun possession.

"We felt it was good for us to hire him as a truck driver," Costa said.

Griffin: "So it's okay then? On his record he says, 'I have been convicted rape.' That doesn't come across anybody's desk?"

Costa: "Based on the information we had at the time we felt that he was the best candidate."

(Apparently, however, there is no truth to the rumor that Public Works will be handing out Aqua Dots to city children for the holidays.)

May we add that this type of thing is exactly why we need ordinances and not just departmental polices when it comes to hiring and promotions practices in this city?

While we are gratified to learn that women's and DV groups are continuing to meet with police and city officials this week over police policies on officers with domestic violence histories, we cannot allow the police bureau to simply institute their own guidelines.

There must be laws in place when it comes to the safety of women and children in our city.
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Speaking of standards of beauty...

I saw this video over at Shakesville. It morphs "500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art."

In the comments section at Litbrit's post, some found the video awe inspiring and others found it creepy -- especially that for the first couple of centuries, it seemed like the women all had the same face (the noses seem to be identical through the entire video).

Now there does seem to be a universal female beauty ideal and it does correspond to what is in essence a baby-like face: large eyes, small nose and chin, pouty mouth. Similarly there's also an ideal female body type. It mostly has to do with proportion of hips to waist: Twiggy and Marilyn Monroe -- while very different in weight -- both had the same hip to waist ratio.

Now I could get all scientific on your ass and quote all kinds of theories on beauty: how babies are all kind of cute because people are more likely to love /like cute things (and therefore more likely to care for them); or that a smaller chin on a woman indicates a higher level of estrogen; that the waist to hips ratio may also tie into signals that the woman is better built to bear children; how both people and butterflies have a marked preference for symmetry when choosing a partner and how symmetry may be an indication of good health; etc., but that's just how my mind works when I view a video like this.

What do you think of it?

The Society Gets Some Cyber Shout Outs

Wow ... only one day under our belt and word is spreading, thanks to our intrepid bloggers. Check aht what the ladies (and a few men) have been saying ..

From Metroblogging Pittsburgh, Lindsay sends out this praise:

3 of Pittsburgh's top and in my opinion best bloggers have formed a new blogging project - The Pittsburgh Women's Blogging Society. I think the idea for the PWBS came out of a discussion on the RunBabyRun list serve, but these women rock.

I have always wanted to be a woman who rocked. I use that phrase all the time, but it really makes me smile to have someone use it about moi! Especially someone as cool as Lindsay whom we hope will soon join our ranks.

Our very own Ehrrin gave us some love ...

It sounds like a pretty great concept--all women blogger in the 'Burgh blogging
about things that are important to women.

Amen, sister. Glad to have you aboard.

Over at 2 Political Junkies, our good friend David offers his well wishes.

And we have already been added to the Pittsblog blogroll ...


Not too shabby, ladies, not too shabby at all.