Apparently, while in Carolina campaigning for that whole Presidential Primary thing, Barack O. found time to meet with my favorite — well, except for Dean Smith, of course — North Carolina resident. (He also played a pickup game with some members of the Carolina team.)

(For those of you who may be slightly less obsessive about the Tar Heel basketball team, that’s Coach Roy Williams.)

The National Association of Government Communicators checked out the blog we created while we were in Algiers. They loved the fact that we shared so many great new technology tools with our audience.

I don’t really speak French. My second language, such as it is, is Spanish.

But here in Algeria I have rediscovered my Menu French. I may not be able to find Main Street, but I can navigate my way around a menu. (One basic rule: if I don’t recognize word, I don’t order the dish. Strange words often turn out to be disgusting body parts or slimy marine creatures.)

Algerians mostly speak both French and Arabic. Many also have at least a working knowledge of one or two more languages.The chef at our hotel can prepare a superb breakfast, even for English speakers. Over easy? Scrambled with green peppers? Pas de problem. He speaks, we have decided, excellent Egg English.

In our workshop for members of Parliament and their staffs, we rely on the offices of a superb translating staff. Although we were cautioned not to use jargon or slang, the subject of technology just comes with its own linguistic challenges. (How do you say “YouTube” in French?)

Today, I was afraid I might have stumped even this great group of translators. In the course of discussing blogging, I exclaimed, “Holy Cow!”

Would an international incident ensue? I need not have worried. One of our group who was listening to the French translation reported that the translator handled the phrase with elan.

His translation: “Ooh la la.”

Like so many things, it just sounds better in French.,

At least not for Cubs great Ernie Banks.

This story also includes the best lead I’ve read this month: “This doesn’t have anything to do with an apostrophe, does it?

An article in today’s Washington Post describes the way the Internet is changing Presidential politics.

What’s true at the national level is even more true at the local and state level.

Example Number One: me.

I’m not supposed to be in office. In the 2001 redistricting, my district was carefully drawn to make sure I couldn’t win it. And it almost worked. But because I communicated so regularly with voters, even a few who told me they “never voted for anyone else in your party” pulled the voting lever for me.

We didn’t have access to many of the tools that are available today. There was email, but not all my colleagues knew how to use it. (Actually, some still don’t. One older veteran still asks me to “Send me an Internet on that.”)

Today, I use email, a web site, an electronic newsletter, online surveys, and a blog.

It hasn’t replaced all my other communication. I still mail a lot. I go to community meetings and school events. I knock on doors.

But technology has made it easier for me to reach more people.

Now I’m looking forward to talking with colleagues in Algeria about the many ways to use technology.

Note: This is cross posted at www.algiers2008.com, which is a blog we have created to document our training mission to Algeria.

That’s what my daughter Sara, the former sportswriter, will say when she sees my bracket over at NLS. That apparently is the phrase the cognoscenti use when what they really mean is, “You went with the Committee picks???”

Everybody is an expert at bracket time. Everybody has an idea about some team (George Mason, Gonzaga) that can make a run. And everybody tries to make sure their brackets include the 7, 10, or 11 seed they think will go deep into the tournament.

So here’s my answer: Kansas. They’re my sleeper team.

OK, I know the Committee picked them as a 1 seed. But Kansas flops every year. Three coaches, several All Americas later, I have learned NEVER to pick Kansas past the Round of 16. But everybody–everybody–says that they’re the real deal. So this year, they’re my Cinderella.

Headed into the Bat, er, Basketball Cave now–if I emerge, it will not be to discuss Virginia politics, but that buzzer beater that just blew everybody’s brackets.

Including, probably, mine.

David Bulova, one of the most knowledgeable members of the House when it comes to environmental issues, introduced a study resolution to examine new pollution problems in the Potomac. David noted that scientists are finding male fish that have begun growing eggs. His study resolution would have had the House examine whether man-made chemicals might not be the source of the problem.

Turns out he was right abut the issue–but the House didn’t want to pursue the study. The House has a particular bias against studies, I have noticed. Which may tell you a lot about how some of the legislation that gets through our chamber manages to pass.

That’s how we started blogging. Two years ago, when the General Assembly went into overtime, we started our first blog, calling it Extra Innings. We figured if we hated blogging, we could just quit when we had a budget.

Now our friend Vivian Paige wonders if we’ll revive the name.

We are slated to vote on the budget today. But there will be at least one special session. There is general agreement that we can come back to resolve issues in the two competing bond bills. We are less sanguine about reaching consensus on transportation, but we really have to keep trying.

Given how hard we had to work to migrate from one blog name to another, I think we’ll stick with this one for now. But watch for Extra Innings posts as we slog on through the spring.

Two observations: In the House, the word rural is a one-syllable word. (It’s pronounced “rool.”)

Bill, however, is a two-syllable word (bee-yul).

As I suspected, the SOQ revisions are a very bad deal for school divisions.

You can see an interactive map here.