The way it was, the way it unfortunately ended

According to a note with the video post: "Walter Cronkite had almost finished broadcasting the "CBS Evening News" when he received word of Martin Luther King's assassination. His report detailed the shooting and the nation's reaction to the tragedy."

The humor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Socialism for the rich--an old problem

"We all too often have socialism for the rich and rugged free market capitalism for the poor" ~ The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1964

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: more unequal than ever on health care, too

Martin Luther King, Jr. on America's war

"I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government. For the sake of those boys, for the sake of this government, for the sake of the hundreds of thousands trembling under our violence, I cannot be silent." --Martin Luther King Jr. Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence. We must end America's "perpetual war." We are the warmonger of the world. It will only end if we demand it.

Martin Luther King, Jr. on progress

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction...The chain reaction of evil -- hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation." Martin Luther King, Jr., "Strength To Love", 1963

America's truer history

This is, ladies and gentlemen, where we came from. This, below, on this video, is our history. Sure, we pat ourselves on the backs now, telling ourselves that we are wonderful, just people and that we now support the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his goals of justice, equality and fairness. The fact is, he was reviled all across the nation, not just in Southern states but particularly there. It's important we know our history. It's important we not forget.

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

"Almost always, the creative, dedicated minority has made the world better." --Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this day, in 1919

"National Delusion Day of Note: On this date in 1919 the eighteenth amendment to the constitution authorizing prohibition of 'intoxicating liquors' took effect. Wishing to build on Prohibition's success Will Rogers made a corollary policy recommendation for higher education: 'Instead of giving money to found colleges to promote learning, why don't they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as good as the Prohibition one did, why, in five years we would have the smartest race of people on earth.'" --From Sarah Vowell, writer, humorist

Occupy the courts this Friday

The Move to Amend organization (www.movetoamend.org) is organizing a day of peaceful occupation and protests nationwide at Federal Courts this Friday, January 20. This is the anniversary of the Supreme Court's monumental--and monumentally wrong--Citizens United decision which gave corporations the legal ability to pour unlimited amounts of money into political campaigns, among other things. Here's what you need to know: 11:30am to 1:30pm, Gather in Ilus Davis Park immediately across the street from the Charles Evans Whittaker Federal Courthouse at 401 E. 9th Street, KCMO. Plan to dress for cold weather! Contact: Mary Lindsay, MTA Kansas City, KCMoveToAmend@gmail.com; (816) 885-9996. See you there! Additional link--you can go here to register for the event: http://action.citizen.org/p/salsa/event/common/public/index.sjs?event_KEY=72556

Quote of the day--on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom." --Martin Luther King, Jr. Link: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martin_luther_king_jr.html

Learn?

On this day, 1967

ON THIS DAY:

On Jan. 15, 1967, the first Super Bowl was played as the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League defeated the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League, 35-10.

That sound you heard?

That was the sound of the door slamming shut on all the other Republican presidential nominees:

News tonight: Jon Huntsman to quit presidential race, endorse Mitt Romney Links: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/jon-huntsman-to-quit-presidential-race/2012/01/15/gIQAwcwx1P_blog.html?wpisrc=al_comboNP; http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/15/politics/gop-campaign-wrap/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Another economic race between states

There is an article out today about a "Ballot Initiative Would More Than Double Michigan’s Renewable Portfolio Standard" To an extent, I can see how a bit of a race will be taking place among states--if it hasn't already begun--to get more and more renewable energy and for a few reasons. First, it would be to have technology in the forefront of the state's economy. No state can afford to fall behind on cutting-edge technology. Second, it would be to lower energy costs for each state. Third, it likely add the jobs these projects and breakthroughs bring and finally, to have cleaner air. It's already true among nations--at least it is for those who care to take it on. The US needs to do a far better job of this. Link: http://cleantechnica.com/2012/01/15/ballot-initiative-would-more-than-double-michigan’s-renewable-portfolio-standard/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IM-cleantechnica+%28CleanTechnica%29

A TV show on and about "Revenge"?

Does this make sense? A television show on and about--and named--"Revenge"? Does this make any sense? Did we not hear of and possibly either read the book or see one of the several versions of "The Count of Monte Cristo"? Another question--how long can a tv series last when it's based on, again and again, stories of only revenge? I guess we'll find out, huh?

"Paper Moon", 1973

Filmed, in large part, an hour North in certain people's hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri, for what it's worth. A great film, for sure.

Overnight entertainment

Saturday evening entertainment--too funny

Have a great weekend, y'all.

Important column from our own Arthur Brisbane

Former Kansas Citian and Star employee Arthur Brisbane asked what I think is both an important question and a stupid one, all at once, recently in The New York Times. It was: "Should The Times Be a Truth Vigilante?" (link at bottom). I'm sure he/they meant well but it has to be asked, if the newspaper media and PBS and NPR can't be "truth vigilantes" for society, who, exactly, is going to perform that role? This becomes even more important and true as we get more and more dependent on computers and websites for information and current events. We have already been made far too keenly aware of the fact that people only go to sites to reinforce beliefs they already hold, instead of to be told what actually is, even if it disagrees with already-held beliefs. My question is, if not you, NY Times, and again, PBS and NPR, then to whom are we to turn for hard data and "truth", instead of opinion? Link: http://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/should-the-times-be-a-truth-vigilante/?pagewanted=all

Quote of the day

"It looks as though, for the second time in three presidential cycles, one of the major parties is about to bestow its nomination on a rich, patrician, out-of-touch, socially awkward, politically tone-deaf hair model from Massachusetts." --Michelle Cottle, The Daily Beast. All I can say is, I certainly hope so. Link: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/14/mitt-romney-the-gop-s-own-john-kerry-or-is-he-more-an-al-gore.html

Possilbe war with Iran, like the war with Iraq

Here's hoping they'll listen this time.

Two things I think are nonsense

Here goes: First one? This whole "unconditional love" thing. Unconditional love. Right. Listen, unconditional love sounds like a huge excuse to be an enabler. I have a daughter and sure, I love her unconditionally but I have to say, that doesn't mean she--or anyone else--can treat me poorly and that be okay. Will I still love her? Sure. But will I tolerate being treated badly? You're darn right I won't. And here's the other beauty: That whole "everything happens for a reason" nonsense. Holy cow. I can't begin to tell you how strongly I disagree with this. I think it's an excuse for people to go on living but not either analyzing life and realizing and accepting that there is a great deal of chance and pure fluke to nature, the world and universe. People just don't want to accept that there really may NOT be a "reason for everything." For that matter, their accepting this idea--that everything happens for a reason--gets them off the hook for thinking about life not having any real meaning or purpose, beyond living itself (and helping others, etc.) and that there very well really might not be anything after this life. These two bug me when people put them out there. People don't want to think, to evaluate and maybe think beyond comfortable little scenarios already planted in their heads. Faceslap.

Missouri follows Kansas' (ignorant) lead

Indeed, it seems the state of Missouri wants to follow Kansas' lead down a rabbit hole, legislatively, by requiring that "intelligent design" be taught in schools. (see link below). If ever there were a misnomer and oxymoron, it is the name "intelligent design." How sad. How stupid. How ignorant. How unfortunate. Links: http://midwestdemocracyproject.org/blogs/entries/missouri-bill-would-mandate-teaching-intelligent-design/; http://ncse.com/news/2012/01/second-antievolution-bill-missouri-007097

Climate change deniers out there?

For any and all climate change deniers out there, please see the above photo. From the internet last evening: "Ghorama is an island located in West Bengal, India, that is eroding into the ocean due to a dramatic increase in the sea level. The photographer posed locals on disappearing segments of the island. According to the artist, locals who still live on the larger segment of the island expect to be relocated within the next 25 years." (Photo: Daesung Lee/Sipa Press) There's the glaciers and ice caps melting and then there's this. Ignore any- and everything else if you wish, but you can't deny these things. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/snapshots-1320966603-slideshow/#crsl=%252Fphotos%252Fsnapshots-1320966603-slideshow%252Fsnapshots111312-photo-1326482674.html

President Obama makes brilliant move

Did you hear the announcement yesterday that President Obama asked Congress for the power to reorganize--and shrink--the federal government, especially as it applies to the Commerce Department? He's "...prodding Congress to give him greater power to merge agencies and promising he would start by collapsing six major economic departments into one." He wants to combine the Trade and Commerce Departments, at minimum. It really is downright brilliant. It hits the Republicans, the Right Wing, the Tea Party and "Conservatives" and even the Libertarians right where they live--or right where they want to live. That's what people don't realize about Democrats and the Left, too. They don't get that actually liberals also want smaller, more effective government. It's just that they (we) do want a safety net, so to speak, for the poorest of us but there's no reason we can't or shouldn't have smaller but more effective government. As I said, it's a brilliant move and it undercuts the very things the Republican candidates for his job say he--President Obama--won't do or isn't capable of. Fantastic. Now, if the Republicans in Congress don't give it to him, they'll look like idiots or hypocrites--or both--and he can use it against them. If they give it to him, he gets credit for shrinking and organizing government better. It's a total win situation for him. Link: http://times247.com/articles/power-grab-obama-wants-authority-to-merge-agencies-at-will

I hope the Star has a reporter to spare for this story...

...because this is, I think, a rather significant one for us to all know about: Power Woes Shut Down Wolf Creek Nuke Plant And what's the power company's and government's first response to us, the public? Wait for it: Low-Level Emergency Didn't Threaten Public Safety No, they never do, do they? Just ask the people in Japan after the Fukushima disaster--not that this is remotely like that. It's just that the first thing you always hear in these things is that "all is well." Right. A bit of the story: BURLINGTON, Kan. -- The operators of the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant said a loss of off-site power prompted an automatic shutdown at the northeast Kansas facility. The shutdown happened Friday afternoon. Wolf Creek officials say the plant's two emergency diesel generators automatically started, supplying power to all safety-related equipment. Plant officials declared a "notification of unusual event," which is the lowest of four emergency classifications defined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. I just hope the Star can, as I said, spare a reporter for this. I hope we can know what's going and that it really is inconsequential. There was the initial report, last year, about the flooding near the nuclear reactor in Nebraska but the Star didn't give that any additional coverage after that, I don't believe. Link: http://www.kmbc.com/news/30211372/detail.html

Overnight entertainment

I'm so old...

...I know who Ethel Merman was.

Friday, 13th

So the very first Friday the 13th happens in the first month of the new year. Whaddya' think? Does that make the year lucky? Unlucky? Means nothing at all?