PSoTD

Sure was a bit strange to hear them in Central Pennsylvania on a November evening...

Just thought I'd highlight some Central PA blog posts of the recent past that could be of interest:

Best of Harrisburg v1- Giant Groceries
5 Things About This Weekend
What A Great Meeting in Harrisburg and Rep. Conyer's Support!
Introducing blogHarrisburg mobile
Harrisburg/State Capital
Hidden voices must be heard
Toby

This isn't good:

The FBI is investigating a recent incident where hackers were able to infect the computer system of a water treatment plant near Harrisburg, PA.

However, it appeared the hackers sought to create another botnet zombie rather than subvert the operations of the facility.

With their control the hackers could have altered the treatment of the water, making it unsafe.

(Hat tip to Harrisburg Happening for spotting this)

I guess I have two thoughts about this:

The Jonathan Keeler who sits among fellow Derry Twp. School Board members is far different from the Jonathan Keeler presented on the Internet.

Before his MySpace.com Web page was changed recently, Keeler talked on the site about a sexual act with his wife and said he wished he were president so he could "get a hummer in the Oval Office."

When his Web page came to light last week, Keeler told a reporter from The Patriot-News that he believes his private life should have nothing to do with his professional life.

...

The Derry Twp. School Board scheduled a meeting for 6 tonight to discuss Keeler's recent posts in a forum on PennLive.com and his MySpace page. MySpace is a free Internet site where people can create personal Web pages with photos, profiles and more.

Before his MySpace page was changed, Keeler talked about drinking and mentioned "threesomes" as an unknown fact about him.

Keeler said he is concerned that he could lose his seat on the school board for something he considers to be a freedom-of-speech issue.

The first thought I have is, of course, how naive. How could anyone be on a school board and not realize that such a posting could come back to haunt him or her? Political positions are full of people who will use any means - including information on sexual preferences - to push others out of the way. School board offices, because of their proximity and importance to the education of minors, have been particularly sensitive to such information. If you post something like this on the Internet, it is findable. And if it is found, there are likely to be consequences.

On the other hand, after this was discovered, I'm somewhat impressed by his response. No typical political yammering and stonewalling, but a simple declaration that private life should have nothing to do with professional life. People may disagree, but that is a point worth fighting for, judging a public official based on performance rather than personal attributes or lifestyle. Why should people begrudge adults who choose to participate in threesomes or foursomes or moresomes, as long as it is legal and consenting? Do any of us really want our sexual lives approved by the public? So why should we expect to judge others?

Still, it's naive to think he could have this website and not run afoul of a political institution. Hope is not a plan.

Update: Keeler resigned.