Poll: Thoughts On Drone Use in Missouri?

You thought drones were just for warfare in far away lands? Thank again. As I watched the CBS Sunday Morning report Drones: Eyes in the sky (w/video) I liked the idea of using a personal drone to get good aerial photos to use here.

Suppose you’ve got a dangerous hostage situation; an unmanned aircraft can track the gunman. It can evaluate flooding, or help firefighters cheaply and safely without endangering lives, the argument goes.

(snip)

But today, you or I could go online, order a drone kit for a few hundred dollars, and fly the thing anywhere, legally.

Terry Kilby, a smartphone app designer, and his wife, Belinda, an art teacher, use theirs to take bird’s-eye view photographs of Baltimore.

“We can get something that is a totally unique and fresh perspective on images that you would ordinarily think that you’ve already seen before, but now it’s a completely new take on it,” said Belinda. (CBS Sunday Morning)

Their photos shown in the CBS report forced me to imagine the possibilities, although the cost is too steep for my purposes:

Now they shoot with a custom hexicopter, an approximately $3,000 flying photography studio that can climb as high as 400 feet. It’s outfitted with two cameras, GPS to lock and hold an altitude, and a gyroscope to keep it level. There are goggles Kilby can strap on to see exactly what the drone is seeing. (Baltimore Sun)

But Amazon has one for $299 that I could control from my iPhone (pictured). But I also thought I’d be concerned about someone controlling a drone outside my 4th floor windows.  In December a bill was introduced in the Missouri House regarding drone use:

The bill proposed by State Rep. Casey Guernsey, R-Bethany, would require law enforcement officers to get a warrant before using drones to gather evidence or other information about criminal activities. It also would ban people, organizations and state agencies from using unmanned aircraft to conduct surveillance of people, farms or agricultural operations without the owner’s permission. (KMOX)

The bill is HB46.

The poll this week seeks your thoughts on drones. Would this bill protect your privacy or infringe your rights to use a drone? The poll is in the right sidebar, mobile users need to switch to the full layout.

— Steve Patterson

Board of Education Power House

Decades ago basic industrial buildings had a sense a sense of design I find very appealing today. For example, the Board of Education Power House at 3614 School Dr:

This makes me wonder if people 80+ years from now will find our current industrial structures charming. Doubtful.

— Steve Patterson

Construction Vehicles Break Up Bleak Area

Walking next to One Memorial Drive/Gateway Tower is about as bleak as it gets in St. Louis. Look to the east and you can see the Old Cathedral and Arch, but right next to you is rock and a tall blank wall. The other day at least a few vehicles parked on the beige rock added some visual interest.

I’m an advocate of on-street parking because it creates a nice fixed barrier between traffic and pedestrians. Conversely, I generally oppose parking between sidewalk and building because  it creates a fixed barrier limiting pedestrian access. Here the area nearest our big national monument is so dismal the vehicles were a welcomed sight. The contempt  for the pedestrian in 1966 is clearly evident. Pathetic!

— Steve Patterson

Old Gas Station, New Use

Nearly two years ago, March 18, 2011, ground was broken on a rehab & new construction project called Botanical Grove, west of Botanical Heights and part of the area once known as McRee Town. The main focus that day was residential — rehab of existing buildings and new modern infill. I was there and thrilled by the ambitious plans of the developers. The work continues but many of the residential units are occupied by homeowners. I was also skeptical about the future of a tiny little former gas station at the corner of McRee & Tower Grove Ave.

I could see the appeal and potential but I knew the lending climate that existed, would anything come of the idea to remake the gas station? In a word, yes!

Some will say gentrification, the affluent are pushing out the poor. I see a once decrepit structure brought back to live bringing in tax revenue for the city and employing people. Botanical Heights to the east employed the cleared earth strategy of urban renewal but Botanical Grove kept and rehabbed many existing structures and infilled on vacant lots. Many housing types were offered as a result.

— Steve Patterson

Readers: Over One-Third Atheist/Agnostic/Secular

The headline could’ve been “nearly two-thirds religious” but that wouldn’t surprise anyone.

Here are the detailed poll results in the order the answers were presented (see original post):

Q: I identify myself as a:

• Christian-Protestant 37 [18.23%]
• Christian-Catholic 67 [33%]
• Christian-Morman 1 [0.49%]
• Christian-Jehovah’s Witness 1 [0.49%]
• Christian-Other 6 [2.96%]
• Jewish 8 [3.94%]
• Buddhist 1 [0.49%]
• Muslim 3 [1.48%]
• Hindu 1 [0.49%]
• Other 4 [1.97%]
• Unaffiliated-Atheist 44 [21.67%]
• Unaffiliated-Agnostic 16 [7.88%]
• Unaffiliated-Secular 9 [4.43%]
• Unaffiliated-Religious 4 [1.97%]
• Don’t Know/Rather Not Say 1 [0.49%]

No surprise that “Christian-Catholic” was the top answer but “Unaffiliated-Atheist” as the second answer may be a shock some. If we combine atheist/agnostic/secular the total is 69 — two more than the 67 that selected Catholic. Still, those who identify with a religion/belief were nearly two-thirds of those who voted.

Tower Grove Abbey is a shared space used by Stray Dog Theater, SDT’s Arts in Mind education project , and Tower Grove East Neighborhood Association. South City Church used to meet in the Abbey but they have a new meeting space now for their services.

I’d like to see an additional use in this and other former churches:

Not many sermons include the message that we are all going to die and there is no afterlife.

But the Sunday Assembly is no ordinary church service.

Launched last month, as a gathering for non-believers, it is, in the words of master of ceremonies Sanderson Jones, “part foot-stomping show, part atheist church, all celebration of life”. (BBC News)

Atheist church? Well, not exactly — none of that talk of a creator.

According to the Independent, about 200 worshippers showed up to the service, held on Jan. 6. The congregation focused on the theme of “Beginnings,” deliberating over ways that success can be achieved by letting go of past failures and avoiding “mental booby traps.” Instead of a sermon, the church invited Andy Stanton, a popular children’s book author, to talk about overcoming the odds and achieving success; and instead of praying together, those gathered were encouraged at one point to close their eyes and meditate on their fears of inadequacy and failure. With Jones taking the stage as MC, the congregation was also treated to some stand-up comedy. A rendition of Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back In Anger” was even sung during the gathering. (Huffington Post)

It’ll be interesting to see if this once a month experiment in positive energy for those of us who don’t buy into the idea of a creator will succeed. Comedy and uplifting stories on a Sunday morning sounds good to me. And no, atheism is not a religion.

— Steve Patterson