Lake of the Ozarks mess in NY Times today

Sure enough: Mo. Residents Upset by Order to Move Lake Homes The Star is quoted as a source in the article. If they can down there at the Star, meaning, if they have enough reporters, they'd better stay on this one. Well, after they cover everything they need to on city hall and around this area. As ever, here's hoping. Link: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/11/06/us/AP-US-Lake-Removing-Homes.html?ref=us

Think the KCMO School District has problems?

Thank our lucky little stars we don't have Memphis, Tennessee's issues. This from The New York Times today: Merger of Memphis and County School Districts Revives Race and Class Challenges, By SAM DILLON. "The largest school district consolidation in American history is taking place as the overwhelmingly black Memphis district is being dissolved into the majority-white Shelby County schools." And we thought it couldn't possibly be worse. Enjoy this beautiful Sunday, y'all. Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/education/merger-of-memphis-and-county-school-districts-revives-challenges.html?_r=1&ref=us

The sad state of the Baby Lisa case

It was announced earlier in the week that the "Kansas City police have abandoned the active search for baby Lisa Irwin. KMBC reported on its live blog Thursday at 7:08 p.m.: 'Kansas City police said they are not actively searching for 11-month-old Lisa Irwin. Police also said the parents still are not cooperating in the investigation.'" This according to Yahoo! News (link below). The Kansas City Police Department--and then KMBC-- followed that up with a story saying that's patently untrue. All this on the one month anniversary of Lisa's disappearance. The whole thing is just so sad. Besides the fact that the case has led to a stall, it seems there are two things, from the Yahoo! News article, that are paramount. First, there is the possibility of the mom in the case being charged with something or other: "The missing link in this picture of how drunk Bradley may have become and when is Samantha Brando who hasn't spoken publicly about the case. Samantha Brando was at the home about the same time as Netz and stayed until 10:30 p.m. If Brando's recollection of Bradley's drunkenness mirrors Netz' and the physical evidence at the house supports their statements, Bradley could potentially face child endangerment charges. She had three young children in her care that night, her son 5, Jeremy Irwin's son, 8, both watching television in the house, and baby Lisa. Brando's 4-year-old daughter was with the boys." Second, and finally, there is this: "If Bradley and Irwin want baby Lisa to be found, the police declaring the Lisa Irwin investigation inactive could break the impasse between the family's lawyers and investigators over unrestricted interviews. Police want to speak to the baby's parents individually and also want trained social workers to interview their respective sons. If Bradley and Irwin continue to refuse interviews, they risk creating the public impression that they don't want the investigation into their daughter's disappearance to go on. They are now publicly on notice that the police have run out of leads on where the baby or her body might be and need their cooperation to develop new ones." For two innocent people, the parents of Lisa Irwin surely act oddly, don't they? The whole thing is just some kind of weird, unfortunate--and sad. One last note: in yet one more creepy, sad note in the case, November 11 would be baby Lisa's birthday. Links: http://news.yahoo.com/baby-lisa-irwin-search-abandoned-215600911.html; http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/04/kansas-city-police-say-search-for-missing-baby-lisa-irwin-still-active/; http://livewire.kmbc.com/Event/Live_Blog_Amber_Alert_Issued_For_Missing_10-Month-Old#ixzz1chdtMS49; http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/05/3250061/from-mother-hen-to-media-villain.html

Al Jazeera: the next, most important media source?

If you read any international news sources--and most Americans don't--it might easily be argued that the new, next, best international news source may well be Al Jazeera, passing up the BBC and other European news sources. Look at the list of their current "opinion" columns and sources: 'Attack Iran' and AIPAC's infamous chutzpah, MJ Rosenberg, Obama and Asia's two futures, Yuriko Koike; Leveraging hip hop in US foreign policy, Hishaam Aidi; Apartheid and the occupation of Palestine, John Dugard; The latest crackdown threat to hit 'Occupy', Danny Schechter; Conservatism blew up the economy, Cliff Schecter; The Commonwealth's missed opportunity, Malcolm Fraser; Goldstone walks alone on a bridge to nowhere, Richard Falk, America's other 87 deficits, Stephen S Roach; A gravity test for the euro, Kenneth Rogoff; Arms sales to Bahrain under the scanner, Joel Beinin, Internet freedom initiative mere lip service?, Jillian C. York; The all-American occupation; Steve Fraser; Kenya's blundering mission in Somalia , Tendai Marima. Food for thought. Want to know what's going on in the world? Al Jazeera seems to be another place to look.

Andy Rooney on war

Rest in peace, Andy Rooney.

One more reminder today

Don't forget---and enjoy that extra hour of sleep, y'all.

Brilliant

Happy Guy Fawkes Day

Rather suddenly, a bit more British history has resonance for America and Americans: "Guy Fawkes was an Englishman who tried to blow up the House of Parliament in the early 17th century as part of a plot to give Catholics more power amid a Protestant monarchy. He failed, then killed himself to avoid execution, but became a British folk hero whose effigy is burned each Nov. 5, Guy Fawkes Day, a rough British counterpart to Halloween." Links: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/fashion/guy-fawkes-mask-is-big-on-wall-street-and-halloween.html?_r=1; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_fawkes

Google's KC plans even bigger?

The Wall Street Journal, the Star and the Huffington Post all reported today that Google's already-big plans for the Kansas City area may even be bigger than we knew: "On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google is working on a subscription-based cable-TV service, according to "people briefed on [Google's] plans." Google is currently building Google Fiber, an ultra high-speed broadband network in Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, and if the the Journal's sources are correct, the cable-TV service as well as a phone service will be added to this platform. Google's Fiber project will bring Kansas City residents a blazing internet connection that is '100 times faster than what most people have access to today.' Google hopes that its Fiber project will be up and running by early 2012. According to the Kansas City Star, the addition of TV packages to the high speed internet service would solve one of analysts' major concerns about Google's broadband plans, namely that people who are used to traditional cable providers' all-inclusive phone, internet, TV plans wouldn't be willing to trade all that for just high speed internet." Stay tuned, boys and girls. It sounds like it's going to get better and better. Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/03/3247010/google-may-offer-cable-tv-service.html; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/04/google-paid-tv-service_n_1076349.html

KC on "America's 50 Best Cities"

Bloomberg's "Businessweek" magazine this time, ranks "America's 50 Best Cities" today. The good news? We're on the list. The bad news? We very nearly weren't and aren't. We just barely hit the list--at 43. Oklahoma City? 36th. Omaha? 34th. That hurt. Lincoln, Nebraska, though at 22? Yow. Shoot me. For what it's worth, Raleigh, North Carolina comes in at the top spot. Link to original post: http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20110920/america-s-50-best-cities/

More great work from our own "Harvest Public Media"

I wrote here, some time ago, about what was, at that time, our new "Harvest Public Media" people from the area and region. From their description page, they describe themselves this way: "Harvest Public Media is one of seven Local Journalism Centers nationwide created with the support of a two-year grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The initiative is intended to strengthen collaboration among six Midwest public broadcasting stations." They are throughout the Midwest and one of the participating stations is our own KCUR 89.3 FM as well as the Kansas Public Radio (KPR) group. Today, they gave a report on NPR on McDonald's "McRib" sandwich and its local, Nebraska origin: From Nebraska Lab To McDonald's Tray: The McRib's Strange Journey. Whether you eat the things or not, I think you'll find the brief story interesting, at least. They cover more, different, excellent stories about food in all its aspects than virtually any other source. Just more great stuff from Harvest Public Media. Thanks, y'all! Links: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/11/04/142018151/from-nebraska-lab-to-mcdonalds-tray-the-mcribs-strange-journey?ps=cprs; http://harvestpublicmedia.org/; http://www.kcur.org; http://

More on that "Robin Hood Tax"

Because it's such a great, simple, intelligent and elegant idea. It makes too much sense to not do this, worldwide. Go here, if you would, to sign up for this campaign and show your support: http://robinhoodtax.org/. And please spread the word.

A "Robin Hood Tax" for bankers and banking

I hadn't seen or heard of this idea--a "Robin Hood Tax"--for and on the banking sector. It's described as a "Campaign video by Richard Curtis that could raise hundreds of billions for public services and to tackle poverty and climate change at home and around the world." Not only is it an excellent idea--and a simple one--but it's being supported and promoted, as you can see, in these wonderful, even funny, brief YouTube videos. And after all, who but the bankers will or would be against it? If administered intelligently and responsibly--which is possible, all you skeptics out there--it could help untold millions of the most needy and impoverished people across the globe. Great food for thought. See more here: http://www.robinhoodtax.org.uk. I can't think of anything that needs to go "viral" more than this video--and idea. (Thanks to reader and "friend" rbbrfsh for showing it to me).

Poor in US hits all-time high---and low

New data out today show the the "Poorest poor" in the US hi an all-time new high, in numbers, recently. Yeehaw, huh? Check the data: WASHINGTON (AP) — "The ranks of America's poorest poor have climbed to a record high — 1 in 15 people — spread widely across metropolitan areas as the housing bust pushed many inner-city poor into suburbs and other outlying places and shriveled jobs and income. New census data paint a stark portrait of the nation's haves and have-nots at a time when unemployment remains persistently high. It comes a week before the government releases first-ever economic data that will show more Hispanics, elderly and working-age poor have fallen into poverty." Isn't that just terrific? And still, the Republican leaders in Washington want to keep the government from creating any new jobs or work, through infrastructure construction jobs or anything and everything else. Heaven forbid the country actually succeeds while there is a Democratic president in the White House, eh? This is really sick. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/poorest-poor-us-hits-record-1-15-people-040233161.html

Them vs. us

"We have a society in which money is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few people, and in which that concentration of income and wealth threatens to make us a democracy in name only." --Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize-winning economist, writer, columnist for The New York Times, etc. Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/opinion/oligarchy-american-style.html?_r=1

An encouraging political survey

Check out these results from a Pew Research Center survey (click for full view):

If you examine all the groups, most say the Democrats are "more concerned with people like me", more say they think the Democrats can "bring about needed changes" and, finally--and perhaps most tellingly to me, more people believe the Republicans are "more extreme in their positions". It's enough to give a person hope, you know? Link: http://www.npr.org/2011/11/03/141984787/generation-gap-how-age-shapes-political-outlook?ft=1&f=1001

Senator Bernie Sanders, telling it like it is

Yet again: Here's hoping.

Quote of the day

"Wall Street owns the country...Our laws are the output of a system which clothes rascals in robes and honesty in rags. The [political] parties lie to us and the political speakers mislead us...Money rules." --Mary Elizabeth Lease Link: http://www.readersupportednews​.org/opinion2/275-42/8222-amer​ica-occupies-wall-street-becau​se-wall-street-occupies-americ​a

One love

Especially applicable to Kansas Citians?

October 28, 2011 New Rule: Missing Inaction

Truth hurting there, Kansas City? Just wondering.

I can hardly believe this

From the PBS "NewsHour" web page, check out their article "5 Things to Know About the G20 Summit": "The Europeans, particularly the Germans and French, like the idea of a financial transaction tax in order to have banks pay for their own bailouts rather than the taxpayers. But Britain and the United States are not keen on it. They feel their financial institutions, which are larger, would suffer more, and that the taxes themselves would be easy to evade." Get that. The Americans don't want to "have banks pay for their own bailouts..." if you can believe that. Astounding. Wouldn't you think that would be self-evident AND fair? Americans just aren't very bright. Or, in actuality, the American corporations can just buy our representatives easier. Link: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/11/g20-primer.html

Quote of the day

"With our economy in worse shape than at any time since the Great Depression, it is literally beyond comprehension how we could not get a single Republican to vote for a bill to put people to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges. In Vermont, almost one-third of our bridges are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete and 36 percent of our federal-aid roads are rated ‘not acceptable' and need of major repairs. We need to invest in our infrastructure almost as badly as we need to provide jobs," --Senator Bernie Sanders (Indep., VT) Link: http://sanders.senate.gov/news​room/news/?id=d13af6bf-b93e-41​61-b10b-c82651539bd3

Brand new day...

Good morning, y'all.

Baby Irwin case on Fox

Interesting, to say the least.

On the Republican Party theocracy

Republican and, at the time, uber-Conservative. They'd eat him alive now since what he was concerned about, above, is exactly what happened, to the detriment of the party and, worst of all, the country.

The baby Lisa call, from Los Angeles

National attention.

Quote of the day

"What's going to be most important for the US and its citizens is that, as we change and as we become less wealthy and yet more of a melting pot, sociologically, is if we decide we can and will work together as a nation and a people or if we're going to, instead, tear each other apart and fight for what's left in time to come. Let's hope we choose the former." --me

Dio de los Muertos

What a cool idea. Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

What is it good for?

Links: https://www.facebook.com/WarCosts#!/WarCosts; http://www.bravenewfoundation.org/2011/10/blog/the-myth-of-military-contracting/

Music night...

I'm so old, I remember when YouTube didn't have this good a screen clarity on its videos. What an improvement.