Every once in a while it is critical to step back from the sound and fury of the day to day happenings and take stock of who we are and where we live. I have read a great deal this week, but mostly fiction and, of course, Sanjoseinside. Pass the straight line because the two are definitely different.

I will participate in a Commonwealth Club panel discussion tonight about the blogosphere.  I need your help.  Anyone with an intelligent comment to today’s blog, gets a free ticket to the discussion.  My blogging colleagues at San Jose Inside are not eligible. The “intelligent comment” standard would eliminate each one of us anyway.

By Guest Blogger Larry Stone

The Mayor and the County Assessor (me) have been widely ridiculed by people posting on San Jose Inside and the San Jose Mercury editorial regarding the press conference at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium prior to a Giants vs. A’s game.  I have to admit some of the commentary was very funny, like the good-natured ribbing I got from my old friend Jude.  Some of it, however, was pretty rough.

Spring Training Trip Finally Off the Front Page

The news that San Jose had lost out on the $3 billion stem-cell research center came with a nonchalant shrug from the mayor who said, “At least you’re not talking about that damn Cactus League trip again.”

Many people were interested in John’s article last week about free iPods.  In fact, many were incensed that the FAA was spending so much money on such a frivolous program.  Sure, those iPods are pretty popular, but I just wanted to make sure it was stated some place on the site: John makes his columns up.

We really should not be disappointed in what our City Council does anymore on the ethics issue.  But Ken Yeager does continue to discourage me.

If you really want to know about the history of something, you can look it up.  But most people don’t.  That’s why having people around who provide institutional memory is critical, especially for the paper of record in our town – The Mercury News.

By Guest Blogger David Yarnold

Why I Read San Jose Inside:

Because scrutiny can trump arrogance.

Noise Problem Solved They Declare

Angry airport neighbors, up all night listening to America West planes land, were awakened early this morning by a knock on their door from FAA agents delivering the popular Apple iPod MP3 player and an apology.

According to a judge in San Benito County, it’s OK to call someone a dumb-ass on a website, The Fly reports in Metro.  Note to readers of my column feeling tempted: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

While on the subject of City Hall and its relative architectural merit, it might be nice to reflect on the exposition of history –  how we show it in San Jose. 

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I’ll be way over the limit for what’s considered good blog length (250-300 words) with this posting.  But since I spent the last three days in bed with a fever, this is the best I can do for this week—probably just as well since pictures are better than words when it comes to architectural discussions. 

George Bernard Shaw once was asked if he liked the bagpipes. Shaw, hesitated for a moment and then responded that the bagpipes were a horribly difficult instrument to play – it’s a pity that it’s not totally impossible! You might think that discussing the ethics of San Jose City Hall is not just difficult to discuss – but, well, it’s nearly impossible. Let’s look at recent history.

Running of the Supervisors to Replace Defunct Car Race

Organizers of this summer’s downtown San Jose Grand Prix have alienated a supportive San Jose community by canceling the much-anticipated Champ Car race, citing “inflated gas prices.”  A stunned city council has wasted no time though in replacing the race with a unique event combining Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls and the county’s wellness program.

In the interest of making as much information public as possible, here’s the news of the week…

Easter time is always a wonderful season to think about the future and develop new solutions for old problems.  It is also a time to make resolutions and redouble our efforts to do better – a time of rededication and renewal.