Click on picture for easier reading.

Thank you, Calvin, George. Now, go away.

Think our media isn't corporate-owned?

Conservative, Republican Ike on Labor Unions

Eh, Scott Walker?

Got satire?

At once funny and sick at the same time.

Please, KCMSD, please...

No new, big, ugly surprises this week, please. We're begging you. Haven't you had enough? We know we surely have.

US Congress dealing on "insider" information

If you didn't see this segment last evening of CBS "60 Minutes", you might take a little time and do so now. It's excellent. It seems it's illegal for all the rest of the nation to deal on "insider", non-public information BUT NOT OUR LEGISLATORS IN CONGRESS. This has got to stop. Take a few moments and watch this, if you would, then email your Senators and Representatives in Congress and tell them we will no longer tolerate this. This is one more way we need to take our government back.

A Kansas City birthday music two-fer today

Both David Basse and Tim Whitmer celebrate birthdays, today. Happy birthday, gentlemen! Kansas City appreciates the music you give us, the city and the world. Links: http://www.davidbasse.com/; http://www.timwhitmer.net/;

While we're at it, our US Congress...

Did you see that segment last night on CBS' "60 Minutes" that showed our US Congress has made and kept it legal for THEM to trade in stocks and commodities with non-public information while for the rest of the country, it's quite, quite illegal? After this morning's video from Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles", it brought to mind this scene:

The Right wing response to anything and everything they don't like

I saw this headline last evening: Romney: Iran will obtain nuclear weapon if Obama is re-elected and once again was reminded of this scene from Mel Brooks' classic comedy film, "Blazing Saddles": What would be perfect is if Cleavon Little's portrayal here, of the sheriff, could be the substitute for President Obama, somehow, but it can't. Instead, the "sheriff" in this scene is the United States---he's you and me--us and our future. Anything and everything the Republican leaders and Tea Party members and Right wing doesn't like, they're only too happy to put the US' future at stake, to ransom us, so they can get their way. They operate on fear and have since at least the 8 nightmare years of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Karl Rove. They keep doing it, too, time and again, issue after issue. It's disgusting. It's a good thing the scene here--and, of course, the movie--was and is funny. At least something good comes/came out of that. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-iran-obtain-nuclear-weapon-obama-elected-023551376.html

Penn Sate and the Catholic Church

"Jerry Sandusky is unfit to be a Coach. He is however totally fit to be a Catholic Priest." --Gilbert Gottfried, comedian, on Facebook

I hope Adele is happy one day

But, that said, I hope that, if and when she is, it doesn't interfere with her wonderful voice and her singning and her ability to sing the blues.

Walking in midtown at 3 am?

No, it's not a Patsy Cline song. It seems a young woman walked to the Sunfresh store in Westport last night--at 3 am--for a loaf of bread. I saw it on the news this evening. Holy cow. I can't imagine doing that myself, as a guy, let alone a woman. I used to live in midtown. I have a friends who still do--also males--and they can tell you, you just don't do such a thing, not even if it's not late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, but especially if it is. Mind you, I'm not blaming the victim here but I'd think anyone's parents or friends or family--anyone--would tell you the same thing. No loaf of bread or any food is worth that walk. Ever. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/13/3264025/kc-police-investigate-unrelated.html

I'm a sucker for a flashmob

and this is recently done.That said, I remember, even as a kid, when "West Side Story" first came out, that I found the depiction of mobs doing modern, contemporary dance jarring, at least. Here's another, from across the pond: I love how sweat pants, in Europe, apparently mean "gang clothing". I also love that both versions were updated to include both sexes. Leonard Bernstein lives.

Further proof of the travesty that is our government in Washington

There is to be a segment on CBS' "60 Minutes" tonight, showing that "American lawmakers can legally buy stock based on nonpublic information." (My added emphasis). Nice. When you can write your own rules and make your own paychecks and raises, life's pretty sweet, no doubt. Or at least it must be for them. We surely don't know, huh? I hope they don't wonder why we're angry out here. Links: www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minutes/main3415.shtml; http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-1148

On the Chiefs today

"For only the third time since 1962, a NFL team lost to a team that completed only two passes the whole game. Ladies and gentlemen, your Kansas City Chiefs." --Bob McWilliams (a friend). Coincidentally, radio host at KPR-FM radio at KU

From Jefferson City, with love

Click on the two separate pictures for easier reading.

September Songs, November songs, you get the idea

A (Facebook) friend has this up on his page today. Frankly, I think I'd heard the name Betty Carter and perhaps heard her sing but I don't know what. Having heard this, I'm sold, hook, line and sinker. I hope y'all had a wonderful Sunday and weekend.

Redux

"...and just like they say, nothing good ever lasts..."

I'm a new, but huge, fan

Holy cow (and thanks--many great thanks--to Donna).

Another weird one from Independence

I mean, come on. Check out this headline in the Kansas City Star: Independence woman accused of fatally beating KC man, 93, who wanted sex. Yikes. That's weird in a couple different ways, at least, even before you get into the article. Our hat's off to you, Independence. But that's all. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/11/3260429/independence-woman-accused-of.html

Baby Lisa's parents: Innocent, they say, but not cooperating

Well, happy birthday, baby Lisa Irwin. Today she would be a year old. Hopefully she's safe and sound somewhere and will be home again soon. But if she is, if she ever is, apparently it won't be because her parents helped the police any further. From the Star today: "An attorney for the parents of missing baby Lisa Irwin said today that his clients will not sit down to separate interviews as police are requesting." If you're innocent, as we all want to believe Lisa's parents are, why would you not be interviewed any way the police want? A lot of us out here don't get that. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/11/3260417/baby-lisas-attorney-explains-parents.html

Self-serving superintendent

Well, now we find out today that not only did now-former Kansas City Missouri School District Superintendent John Covington go shopping for a job elsewhere, FAR before his contract ended, AND lie about it, and then leave early, during the first week of a new school year--he's not done yet--NOW he also cherry-picked those 3 administrators that just left so he could take them with him to his new, high-paying job up there in Detroit, likely so it could help save his butt. Was this guy Machiavellian or what? Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/10/3258754/covington-introduces-three-from.html

The Catholic Church vs. the real world, 2011

In the real world, when/if there are sexual abuse/exploitation scandals, the people accused of said sexual abuse acts are--eventually--at least accused of said crimes, put up on charges and, quite possibly and likely, fired from their jobs. We have to look no farther than right now with Penn State, Head football coach Joe Paterno and school president Graham Spanier. And we need to keep in mind, these aren't even the people who are said to have performed the sexual abuse. They were only apparently lax in their handling accusations of sexual misconduct by another person who worked for them at that same university. The Catholic Church, by contrast? The accused sexual predator--one Shawn Ratigan--is reported by both news media and the police to have taken inappropriate and extremely inappropriate pictures of children in the grade school he was to be overseeing at three different schools in the area. He had been transferred twice, at least, rather than being scrutinized by the church he was to be working for or, at least as likely, having been turned over to authorities to examine the claims made against him, first by a principal at one of the schools and then later, finally, by a computer technician who found the pictures. The priest--Ratigan--finally does get turned in, and he attempts suicide. Is he done yet? Certainly not. He gets an attorney and pleas "not guilty" to charges finally, finally brought against him. Apparently, there is no shame. As if that's not enough, the man who was his superior, one Bishop Finn, claims no responsibility whatever, in any way, though he "apologizes" to his church, but also, like Ratigan before him, pleads "not guilty" to charges filed against him in court. See? In the Catholic Church, it's still far, far more important to protect both the institution and the hierarchy in that institution, than the children they are to be teaching or mentoring. Poor Joe Paterno. He should have just been a priest in the Catholic Church. Or a Bishop, eh, Bishop Finn? Then he wouldn't be dismissed from his job already. Links: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-pennstate-abuse; www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/us/15bishop.html; https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=father+shawn+ratigan+news&pbx=1&oq=father+shawn+ratigan+news&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=s&gs_upl=17257l22572l0l25120l25l13l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=8eaad5999fa7e232&biw=1140&bih=562

No! Not here in Kansas City!

I was just perusing breaking stories as I read email when all of a sudden I saw a headline that I thought would be great to have some fun with: "Woman found fused to vinyl chair." I figured I had to check it out, you know, see where she's from and write a short piece about it. I thought it would be perfect if she's from, oh, I don't know, Arkansas? Mississippi? Alabama? Anywhere South or Southeast from here. The nightmare? I read the first sentence and find out the world is presently reading she's from RIGHT HERE IN SUBURBAN KANSAS CITY. Serves me right. The "silver lining" for me, if there is one, is that it happened in Independence. Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/missouri-woman-found-with-skin-fused-to-chair-son-says-she-wanted-to-be-left-to-die-at-home/2011/11/09/gIQAnIGB6M_story.html

Rick Perry, going down just as Herman Cain is

From tonight's debate:This, ladies and gentelmen, is about the only reason I love this guy.

That does it--the KCMSD is toast

News from the Star today says "At least three of Kansas City Public Schools’ core cabinet members are leaving the school district. The district’s chiefs in finance, academics and curriculum are on their way out, a development that is particularly distressing to Kansas City school board members who are angry because they think that Missouri Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro, whether intentional or not, is stirring panic among top staffers." If anyone, anywhere in town thought there might be a chance at all that the State of Missouri might not take over the District after all, especially after the assistance Russ Ptacek kind of gave them with his report this week, claiming Superintendent Covington lied about not looking for a job out of town ahead of time, well, you can forget it. It's all over but the shouting. Come on, January, 2012. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/09/3257129/three-top-administrators-leaving.html

"Love?"

I don't think I'll ever get over or forget that a pastor--a religious minister--named "Love" killed his "girlfriend's" husband, for starters, then DID THE OFFICIATING AT THE MAN'S FUNERAL. I mean, come on. Dickens didn't write stuff any better than that. That is some kind of sick and twisted. Links: http://www.pitch.com/plog/archives/2011/11/09/ex-pastor-david-love-pleads-guilty-to-killing-parishioner; http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/09/3256188/ex-pastor-david-love-admits-killing.html

I'm so old...

...I remember when people used to automatically click "yes" on the updates for new features on Google mail or Facebook pages or whatever. THAT old.

For baby Lisa Irwin's birthday...

I should think the things little baby Lisa Irwin's parents could and should do for her 1st birthday, coming up November 11th, would be to, first, allow her half-brothers to be interviewed by police and then, secondly, but more importantly, allow for interviews of each parent, separately, as the police have asked all along, because, after all, they're completely, totally innocent, as they've said from the start. Right? Link: http://news.yahoo.com/baby-lisa-irwin-case-huge-break-false-alarm-202200617.html

Big news last eveing

Big news last evening: First, according to the Star, "Voters in two urban Kansas City areas chose candidates Tuesday to fill vacancies in the Missouri House of Representatives, and Democrats were elected for both." Yeehaw. That's great news. Second, Locally, no surprise, the city voted for the zoo tax initiative. At least, the ones who showed to vote did, for better or worse. Here's hoping that turns out well. Third, Ohio voted down the curbs on union power. Third and finally, Mississippi defeated that whole "person begins at conception" idea, thank goodness. All in all, with the reports nationwide on different votes and elections, it was a night that went very much against Republicans, big business and the Right Wing. Yeehaw. Now, on to 2012. Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/08/3255360/kcs-ellington-morgan-elected-to.html; http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/08/3255333/clay-county-passes-zoo-tax-jackson.html; http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-09/ohio-repeals-union-law-to-set-stage-for-2012.html; http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-voters-reject-republican-backed-union-limits-021951331.html; http://news.yahoo.com/miss-defeats-life-fertilization-ballot-prop-041831234.html