This is an update. The original is the first comment:
Dear Senator/Congressman,
I am writing to you to ask you to do something about phone calls and phone number spoofing. I believe that this is a real problem that needs to be addressed. I would submit that any number of your constituents would agree. The technology and techniques for addressing this matter exist already.
Recently, I got a couple of phone calls from irate people to complain about calls they received from my phone number. The thing is, I never placed the calls. It seems that somebody spoofed the calling number, substituting mine for theirs. (I also never called these people back. I believe that would just make things worse.)
When a 911 call center receives a call, they need to get all accurate information about the caller, even if the caller is spoofing the number. When I receive a phone call, I should (at least) know that the number represented on my display is legitimate. I can then decide whether to answer a call from a spoofed number.
I would like to ask you to assist in doing the following:
- Ban spoofing. There is no legitimate reason for an honest person to hide their phone number.
- Require originating phone systems to supply origin information.
- Permit phone users to see the source information (regardless of origination)
It is technologically possible to do this. Please let me explain.
The old phone system that I grew up with was a switched circuit. If I made a call across the city or across the country, there was a single circuit – a single pair of wires – making the connection. The origin and the destination were never in doubt. This was how phone companies knew how to bill the phone calls.
Today’s systems are no longer circuit-switched. They are packet-switched. This is the technology that the internet has enabled. What this means is that the circuit that connects a call at the beginning can switch in the middle of the call and neither party will know this has happened. When one set of circuits gets overloaded, it can switch to a different route without interrupting calls. This is a great technology.
Because of this technology, a business might have a phone system and 10, 20, 100 phone numbers, but only one or two physical lines coming into the building. For this reason, the phone system will report its phone number to the phone company as the call goes out. My primary employer has a system such as this. It reports two different numbers representing the two plants it services. This is important, as 911 calls need to be routed correctly. This is another great technology.
My complaint is this: Nefarious actors with a bit of software are making phone calls from one city, but reporting false phone numbers, perhaps in another city. For an example, consider SWATing calls. It’s not just pranks or telemarketers; it’s causing real, measurable harm.
This can be corrected. EVERY phone call made up of packets (the little pieces of voice that comprise a phone call) contains header information. This header contains the source of the call and the destination of the call. Examination of the header should be sufficient to determine if the call is legitimate.
- If the header indicates that the call is a Verizon landline, the phone number should reflect this.
- If the header indicates an AT&T Wireless call, the number should correspond to this.
- And so-on.
Personally, I’m not interested in answering the phone from somebody hiding their real phone number and identity. It is technologically possible to do this. What the telephone industry needs is a minimum of guidance to do this. Something along the lines of “Customers must be able to determine the origination of incoming calls, whether by software or hardware attachment.”
A 911 operator in Pittsburgh should be able to identify a call such as this: A call from a number that indicates a business. The phone call is coming from a Greensburg with a phone system that handles calls for 3 locations, one of which is in their 911 call area. The should KNOW that the number is reported in their area and legitimately comes from another location.
Further, another 911 operator should get a call from a guy holding his family hostage and should see that the number IS spoofed from another city, and the SWAT team should know going in that this is likely a spoofed call. That kind of tragedy should never happen.
You have my thanks for your attention to this matter.
Finally, thank you for working for us. Whether I voted for you or not, there are things you do that I approve of, and things I don’t approve of. Thank you for doing what you think is in our best interests. After all, that is why you are in your position. I thank you for that.
Jim Lang
Erie, PA
I got an email from my friend Mark this morning. Just wow.
Forty years ago today (March 22, 1978), while a college senior at Alderson-Broaddus College, S. Mark Courtney took “one small step…” In actuality, that morning he laced up a pair of Chuck Taylor All-Star basketball shoes and ran a mile and a half from his apartment in Morgantown, WV. His intention was to regain some fitness with a goal of someday running the Boston Marathon.
In those 40 years, Courtney has logged 103,000 miles (over 4 times around the globe) and burned over 10 million calories on the road. On December 20, 1979, he started a daily running streak of at least one mile a day. That streak is still alive at almost 14,000 days in a row ranking him 26th on the US American Streakers Association record list.
Not only did Courtney achieve his goal of running the Boston Marathon before the age of 40, he has completed the famed event 38 times in a row, placing him 14th on the active Boston Marathon streaking list. Fewer than 25 runners have ever run more Bostons, and his average of 2:44:03 for his best 25 Boston Marathons is an unofficial Boston record. He won the 50-59 age group in 2006 out of almost 3000 division finishers.
His lifetime racing statistics include almost 2000 races, including over 160 marathons and almost 1000 5k’s. He has recorded over 225 career victories, including 5 marathons.
Courtney owns and operates “Runner’s High” the oldest chip timing company in Pennsylvania. The company provides timing services to almost 300 races a year throughout the region.
When the sun comes up tomorrow, it may be sunny, or it may be snowy, but one thing is for sure. Mark Courtney will be running.
Last weekend the Family & I went to Lego Land in Florida. It was a long drive, and it wore me out. But it was completely worth the time & effort to get it done. I can’t say enough nice things about the people we interacted with or the wonderful beach near St. Petersburg.
It was not as good as it could have been, however.
Lego Land: Jen had “buy one, get one” coupons for the kids. Buy an adult admission and a kid gets in for free. But it didn’t quite work that way. The tickets Jen bought were the wrong kind to get the kids in. We had to buy 2 more tickets to get the kids in. At $90 each. Strike one.
Lunch was an interesting affair. I expected to pay too much for lunch. I did not expect to pay $56 for 4 sandwiches, a salad, 4 bottles of water, and a soda. The sandwiches alone were 4 times the cost of better sandwiches I can buy at work from the wheel of ptomaine. The bottles of water were shorty half-pints. I expect the park to make some money, but not 4X the prices. Strike two.
The lines were longer than I expected, but that didn’t bother me too much. What did bother me was that you can buy VIP passes. For as low as $250/person, you can have priority access to rides. Line-jumping, for a price. (High-end line-jumping is $700/person). Really? Kiss my butt. Strike three.
Never again. And next time we plan a visit to the park, I’m going to find out what the real costs are. I don’t mind the park making a buck off my visit. Milking ever last bit is a but much.
Speaking of such visits, I remember a visit to Carowinds on the NC/SC border when I was a kid. We drove past it on the way down & the way back. I’ll look into pricing the next time we want a trip. Right now I can buy tickets for $40/person. Parking is $15. The things I remember best:
- Roller coaster was a blast.
- Monorail can be used to get around the park. Makes it possible to get places withouth walking all the way across the park.
And for the best amusement park experience? Waldameer. Hands-down. The following features make it a winner:
- Free parking. (Though I don’t mind $10 for a car if the experience is good.)
- Free entry to the park. You pay if you want to ride.
- Great ride prices. $40/person is the highest price, including Water World. Discounted as low as $20/person.
- Free picnic areas, or relatively cheap pavilions w/ catering. (Okay – if you rent the pavilion, you have to use Waldameer if you have it catered. It IS their park.)
- Water World – one of the best in the country. THE best in my opinion.
I’m all for making a buck. But the experience should be worth the cost. My worst day at Waldameer (rained out last year) was still better than Lego Land.
How a company performs is directly dependent on its employees. No matter how good a product, how strong a market, or how great the economy, poor performance by the people that do the work will bring the company down.
On the other hand, a group of happy, productive employees can help a company weather the worst of storms provided it is possible to survive until things improve.
Ownership can have an impact. A public corporation has stockholders, a board of directors, and management. Because they are separate, there is a disconnect that can hamper response to adversity. The owners do not know and work with the employees. I do not claim that this is either good or bad. It is merely observed.
Private companies, on the other hand, tend to have a smaller group of owners (or a single owner) who is more likely to be involved in the daily operation of the company. There is a good possibility that the owners talk to and work with the employees on a regular basis.
Which is better? It’s hard to say. The stock market comprises thousands of publicly traded companies, and we use the market to evaluate the economy. Private companies are not represented there.
A good representation of the economy is GDP, but we don’t talk about it as much. We just get quarterly reports on GDP growth.
Boy, this sure wandered off track.
I won’t worry about the economy based on the stock market. It’s not a good indicator. I want to know about GDP. Is it going up or down? My guess is a rise. It should continue to rise as long as companies (and employees) meet or exceed expectations.
When I have a lot of things to do (but not a lot of pressure), I tend to wander around. This happens most when there are a lot of distractions and noise. If it’s quiet, I can usually focus on one thing & get it done. But Squirrel! I have two dozen projects in progress. They’ll get done. Eventually. This make Jen nuts, and I’m sorry about that. I’m working on it.
When there is a deadline and I have one or two things to get done, I can focus and get the things done, on time & under budget. It’s a pain in the butt, and makes me short-tempered, but it gets done.
My real problem comes when there are many high-priority tasks that all have to be done right now. In situations like that, I benefit from somebody telling me “this is first”. That’s the kind of situation you don’t want to see. I’m short-tempered, distractable, and worried. I’m not a type-a.
I’m really good at doing the things I do. I’m not good at making it look pretty.
Saturday afternoon I took the kinder over to Harborcreek Community Park for some wildcat-type skiing. Really, it was just regular skiing, as I’m not coach, and there was not a gaggle of younglings on skis having a blast. But it was good all the same. As soon as we got there, Emma’s foot hurt, Grace’s thumb was numb, and Joe was ready & raring to go. (!!!). It was probably the fact that Dad was doing it and not the coaches.
Given that it was the community park and not a regular CC ski area, we had to blaze our own trail, which Emma took to right away. Her siblings alternated between following her (easier) and doing their own trails (more independent). I brought up the rear so I could yell at them to get up (you know how to get up!).
Grace spent some time complaining about her skis going under the snow while the rest of us seemed to be going on top. I observed that she was picking up her foot (like walking) instead of just gliding it forward (like CC skiing). I demonstrated & she imitated and she noticed an immediate improvement. Coaching.
Joe and I found a nice little hill to go down. Neither of us are terribly good on skis, so it was a thrill to go down and not fall. Good things.
Emma stayed a good ways ahead of us, so no story on her. Well, except that she stayed ahead.
We got 0.51 miles in before they took the skis off & came home.
Sunday, after the race, I had planned to go out again with anyone that wanted to get a couple of miles in. I stopped at work to take care of a problem for 30 minutes. When I came out it was pouring rain. Darn it.
There will be more opportunities.
Several years ago I decided I wanted to be a blogger. Like many things I take up, I got bored with it quickly and simply stopped doing it. I won’t apologize for that – my personality and tendencies are what define me.
Lately I’ve been posting longer items on Facebook – the kind of thing that you have to click on to read the rest of. I don’t know that it will be a long-term thing, but it does help me think things through and get in a good mindset for the day. So I’ll continue.
This will be a little more work – I’ll wind up posting links to the posts on FB & Twitter, which means going through Social Pilot. I can live with that. I use SP for the timing and club work in any event.
Start Times:
7:30 am for 10k, 9:00 am for 5k events
Chip pickup on race morning: 6:30 am. Get there early if you plan to park at Beach 1.
Parking:
- Beach 1 – if you don’t get there by 7:00, you should PROBABLY park at the top of the hill (Waldameer)
- Waldameer, Ridge Center, Rainbow Gardens – there will be a shuttle to take you to Sara’s, and you will walk over to Beach 1.
- THERE IS NO PROVISION FOR BEACH 6 PARKING. If you park there, you’ll have to walk to beach 1, and you’ll have a hard time getting out.
- If you park on the side of the road, you will be ticketed. You may even be towed. In short, DON’T PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
- If you are doing the 5k, your best bet will be to park at Waldameer or the Ridge center & take the shuttle. The Beach 1 lot will PROBABLY be full by the time you get there. You should get there by 8:00.
If you have not picked up your chip yet, you will pick it up at the ERC Beach 1 Pavilion. PLEASE bring the email sent this morning to speed processing. If you didn’t get the email, PLEASE consider registering online next year. While they CAN look you up by name, it is noticably slower. Bringing it on your phone is sufficient, though a printout might be easier (you can throw it away when you’re done.)
If you have picked up your chip, your chip number can be checked here. If it doesn’t match the chip you have (and ONLY if it doesn’t), please send an email to jimlang@bigwhitetrailer.com so I can fix it. (Don’t send anything else, please. I’ll correct bib numbers, but I have ‘way too much going on. Tell me the chip number you actually have.
I REALLY want to get results right on Thursday, and you verifying your chip will help immensely.
RACE START:
The start for both races will be on the MAIN ROAD – Outbound lane just north of the last Beach 1 entrance. This is the same spot the 5k started last year. We’re moving the 10k there as well. There will be no chance of hearing announcements, so be ready. The 10k will start promptly at 7:30 with the sound of an air horn. The 5k will start promptly at 9:00 with a long blast of an air horn. You have until 9:10 to start the 5k. At 9:10 the start will be narrowed to 4 meters, and at 9:20 the start line will be closed. For both races, you will proceed NORTH over the start mats to your turnaround point (there will be a marshal at the turn for each race), and finish on the old Lake Road (same finish as last year).
See you on Thursday.
Thanks
Jim Lang
the Big White Trailer.
As I am involved in more than a few local races (and some not-so-local), I’d like to share thoughts on some types of races and their effect on the local running community.
As I see it, there are 3 types of races (in general)
- Local race, regional draw.
- Local race, national draw.
- National race, national draw.
The first is what most runners encounter on a regular basis. The epitome of this race is represented by the PR run, held Saturday, June 11, 2016. There’s a new RD this year, and they worked hard to live up to the standards of the previous team. It’s a race that will be around for as long as people are interested in running it.
Another example of such a local race is the ERC Father’s Day race. It’s a local club drawing local people to a familiar course.
The second type of race is well represented by a couple of ERC races as well. The Erie Marathon has become a destination event, drawing participants from California, Texas, Montana, and many other states. There’s still a regional draw, but there’s national attention as well. That it’s done on a regional budget is remarkable.
Another example would be the ERC Turkey Trot. 4000+ runners coming from across the country. Admittedly, it’s mostly family visiting family that drives this, but it’s still a lot of traffic.
The final kind is epitomized by races like the Biggest Loser and the Color Run. I know some local runners that don’t care for these events. They’re put on by out-of-town organizers, charging more than local races, and they’re taking the money out of town. That’s the perception, at least.
It’s that last kind I’d like to focus on for a moment or two. The prices seem high for our region, and they are. But there are a couple of reasons for that. Erie has a notably lower cost-of-living than other areas, and we’re used to $15-$20 for a little 5k. Local races in other regions regularly charge $25 or $30, with prices that go up. There is also a difference in expense. These races spend a good bit of money on advertising (to get the national runner), equipment (stages, entertainment, scaffolds), and other fees (permits, venues, etc.) local races simply don’t pay contribute to the cost as well. Packet pickup at the Convention Center? Very nice, and it contributes to the viability of the Convention Center as an attraction.
But the real effect of out-of-town organizers with national draw is more subtle and more profound. Of the 350+ participants, 150+ were from outside our region. These folks came to town and either spent a night in a hotel or visited with family. They also bought at least 1 meal here, perhaps 2 or 3. A large number of these folks where here for the event, not for the race. It’s a mindset that shows when you watch for it.
Most local runners who have been at it for a while have done something like this. It’s usually a half or a full marathon, but you’ll go out of town and make it a weekend or week-long event. Arrive a couple of days before, see the sights, eat at local restaurants, go to the expo, and run the race. After it’s over, you’ll eat a post-race meal and head home. The effect on the local economy is noticeable.
It’s a name-draw. Most runners will recognize names such as:
- Biggest Loser
- Western States
- Marine Corps Marathon
- Rock & Roll
- Army 10-miler
- Bay to Breakers
- Boston
People love to be a part of something like this, and the side-benefits help those nearby. That’s the draw of a national event.
So, there are 3 types of races – with 3 types of customers. There won’t be a lot of overlap, but you’ll notice the types if you go.
- Local runners, looking to race & socialize, as well as event-specific entries, looking to support a friend.
- Local and regional runners, looking to race and to be a part of a “big” event. How many of the folks at the ERC Turkey Trot are there because of its reputation?
- Regional and national runners – there because of the name of the event, wanting to be a part of something big.
I love that we have all 3 types of events around here. I would encourage everyone to spectate. Be a part of the crowd that’s cheering. You KNOW how it feels when you’re running.
n.b. – I do have an interest in seeing these races succeed. All of these races. Even the ones that don’t use my services. Running is good for the community, and the more races we have, the healthier our community becomes.
When I started directing St. Pat’s years ago, I “turned on” online registration and did all of the paper apps myself. It’s work, but it’s worthwhile.
Since then, I’ve gone through two online registration services (I started with Active, then RaceIt, and now RunSignUp), eliminated registration fees (so you don’t pay extra to register online), and raised the price of paper apps. I’ve gone from hundreds of paper apps 5 years ago to 11 (that’s 10 + 1, or one less than a dozen) paper apps mailed in this year. The paper folks paid $2 more to register than they would have had they registered online. (And they still paid less than race-day registration.) I advocate making paper available no matter what.
In years past, race day applications were entered by me, in my trailer, on the order of 100-150 applications. Some races saw 400 race-day entries. The most St Pat’s ever saw was 127 (that I know of). This year, a volunteer did most of the paper apps, while I did 30 or so in my trailer, and I did corrections in the trailer after the race started.
We also turned on kiosk registration wherein people could register on their phone, their home computer, or at the race site. Anyone using the kiosk was able to specify cash and, when they check in, pay for the race. The advantages? No handwriting to try to decipher and they can use the same lanes as the pre-registered runners. Disadvantages? None that I know of. (More on that later).
I had NO trouble with folks that registered via kiosk. I cannot say the same for the paper apps. That nobody noticed speaks well for the volunteers and how well the system worked.
So, what I’m trying to say is that I would advocate kiosk registration (and virtual elimination of paper apps) going forward. It works. The key will be getting the word out ahead of time and letting people know it’s available.
And an objection comes to mind. What’s to keep folks from waiting until race morning and just using the kiosk? What is the saving grace? The same things that encourage folks to pre-register for every other race apply here as well. Prices go up on race day. No shirts on race day. Shoot – we could have kiosk price at $20, paper price at $25. Then racers still have the option of paper if they want it.
I welcome your thoughts. I’d like a discussion on the pros & cons. Ask questions. I am going to work towards this and knowing what people think ahead of time will help when addressing problems that will ievitably arise.
jimlangrunner 