Bobby O' on the World Wide "Redd"

Now, I'm usually a snarky, smarmy, unpleasant, and, above all, nasty person, but upon seeing Bobby O's "Redd Up Pittsburgh" Website, my cold, callous bureaucratic heart melted slightly.

But only slightly. I still hate the phrase "Redd Up," although now Bobby has taught me that the phrase comes from Middle English, which makes me think that it's something that Chaucer would have written:

Whan that April with his showres soote
The droughte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veine in swich licour,
Of which to redd up is the flowr...

And so on.

I actually like this website as it addresses a few of my particular pet peeves: (1) duplication of effort, (2) assignment of responsibility, and (3) [shutter] empowerment.

Let me start with #3 first, as it is my favorite. In his "get involved" section, Bobby calls out the citizenry, challenging them to get up off their duppas, quit their bitching, and do something. If this is [shutter] empowerment, I can deal with it.

To point #2: I'm sick and tired of people calling me about X when I do Y, and expecting me to know who does X... because, you know, I work for The Bureaucracy and I know everything.* So I'm glad that Bobby helping me out on this one.

And this gels with point #1: if everyone knows what everyone else is doing, or at least knows what everyone should be doing, no one has to duplicate efforts or do someone else's job. I like that; I hate doing other people's work.

So, as much as I hate the term, I hope Bobby O has luck with his Redd Up campaign...'n'at.

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* Actually, I do know everything, but only in a strictly Platonic sense in that I've forgotten it and I have to remember it again.