What Are We Celebrating This Month?

Here they are, ladies and gentlemen--all the things we're celebrating here in America in this new October month:

Adopt A Shelter Dog Month
AIDS Awareness Month
American Cheese Month
Antidepressant Death Awareness Month
Bat Appreciation Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
(World) Blindness Awareness Month
Caffeine Addiction Recovery Month
Celiac Disease Awareness Month
Celebrating The Bilingual Child Month
Children’s Magazine Month
Christmas Seal Campaign (10/1-12/31)
Church Library Month
Church Safety and Security Month
Class Reunion Month
Co-op Awareness Month
Cut Out Dissection Month
Down Syndrome Awareness Month
Dyslexia Awareness Month
Eat Better, Eat Together Month
Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month
Emotional Wellness Month
Employee Ownership Month
Energy Management is a Family Affair-Improve Your Home Month (10/1-3/31/13)
Financial Planning Month
Feral Hog Month or Hog Out Month
German-American Heritage Month
Global Diversity Awareness Month
Go Hog Wild – Eat Country Ham
Halloween Safety Month
Head Start Awareness Month
Health Literacy Month
Home Eye Safety Month
Italian-American Heritage Month
International Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) Awareness Month
International Starman Month
International Strategic Planning Month
International Walk To School Month
LGBT History Month
Long Term Care Planning Month
Month of Free Thought
National Animal Safety and Protection Month
National Apple MonthNational Applejack Month
National Arts & Humanities Month
National Audiology Awareness Month
National Bake and Decorate Month
National Book Month
National Bullying Prevention Month
National Caramel Month
National Chili Month
National Chiropractic Month
National Cookbook Month
National Cookie Month
National Crime Prevention Month
National Critical Illness Awareness Month
National Cyber Security Awareness Month
National Dental Hygiene Month
National Dessert Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Depression Education & Awareness Month
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
National Ergonomics Month
National Fair Trade Month
National Family Sexuality Education Month
National “Gain The Inside Advantage” Month
National Go On A Field Trip Month
National Kitchen & Bath Month
National Liver Awareness Month
National Medical Librarian Month
National Orthodontic Health Month
National Pasta Month
National Physical Therapy Month
National Pickled Peppers Month
National Pizza Month
National Popcorn Poppin’ Month
National Pork Month
National Pretzel Month
National Protect Your Hearing Month
National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
National Reading Group Month
National Roller Skating Month
National RSV Awareness Month
National Sarcastic Awareness MonthNational Sausage Month
National Seafood Month
National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
National Stamp Collecting Month
National Toilet Tank Repair Month
National Window Covering Safety Month
National Work and Family Month
National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month
Organize Your Medical Information Month
Pear and Pineapple Month
Photographer Appreciation Month
Polish American Heritage Month
Positive Attitude Month
Raptor Month
Rett Syndrome Awareness Month
Rhizomes and Persimmons Month
Rhubarb Month
Right Brainers Rule! Month
Self-Promotion Month
Spinach Lovers Month
Squirrel Awareness Month Link (Different Than Squirrel Appreciation Day in January)
Tackling Hunger Month
Talk About Prescriptions Month
Vegetarian Month
Wishbones for Pets Month (10/15 – 11/30)
Workplace Politics Awareness Month
World Menopause Month

What will you be celebrating?

On this day, April 4, 1968, for the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

History, a reminder and even still, from then to now, an inspiration:

"What we need in United States is not division;

what we need in the United States is not hatred;

what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness

but is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another,

a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country

whether they be white or whether they be black."

Entertainment Overnight -- April, Come She Will

Tax Day

''It's that time of year again, April 15, taxes. 

I know it's depressing, but just remember, you're paying for roads, bridges, hospitals, and an army to keep the nation free. 

Unfortunately that nation is Afghanistan.'' 

—BILL MAHER

America, what you've become

Oh, and a warmonger. The world's warmonger.

Happy Earth Day.

Good news for America; Bad news for Republicans

Just announced this morning:

Unemployment rates fall in two-thirds of US states

WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment rates fell in two-thirds of U.S. states last month, evidence that modest economic growth is boosting hiring in most areas of the country.

And in many states, unemployment has fallen well below the national average, which was 8.1 percent last month. Rates were lower than 7 percent in 22 states in April. That compares to only 13 states in April 2011.

The Labor Department said Friday that unemployment rates dropped in 37 states in April, the most in three months. Unemployment rose in 5 states and was unchanged in eight.

Nationally, the unemployment rate has fallen a full percentage point since August. Employers have added a million jobs over the past five months, although the pace of hiring slowed in March and April.

Good for Americans.

Good for the country.

Good for all us working stiffs.

Bad for the Republican political party.

The haters.

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/unemployment-rates-fall-two-thirds-us-states-143609469--finance.html

Third week of April, 2012

Snow last night in Philadelphia--they were forecast to get 6 to 8 inches of it. Meanwhile, about 80 warm degrees just North of San Francisco, 104 in Palm Springs and about 65 here for the high, in the middle of the country. Grateful, anyone?

For our first full day of Spring

To Spring, indeed

Happy Spring, y'all. Enjoy.

The truly odd--to the point of weird--saga that is the e-tax vote

A mulit-millionaire on the other side of the state gets a hankering to have the two largest cities in his state get rid of their earnings taxes and we all have to react.

He starts paying for advertising out of his own pocket, gets it on ballots and here we are, it's election day and we have to vote on it.

Never mind that he doesn't live here.

Never mind that it would wipe out two-hundred million dollars from the Kansas City operating budget.

He was bored, I imagine.

I also imagine he's a huge egotist.

But whatever.  Here we are.  We have to vote on this thing.

As if that isn't all odd enough, no one is quite sure how we the voters feel on it.  No one is quite sure if it will get an "up" or "down" vote.

And as if THAT isn't all odd enough, even if we kill it today, we have to vote on it again, in 5 years.


Weird as it all is, folks, get out there and vote today.

Then, let's all tune in at 7 and see how it went.

Links:  http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/04/2776716/tuesday-is-election-day-in-kc.html
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/04/2776205/the-stars-editorial-voters-should.html

April Fool's Day, 2011

"Always you have to contend with the stupidity of men."--Henry David Thoreau
American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher, 1817-1862

Happy April Fool's Day, y'all.

Monet's "Water Lilles" to be back!

I thought this was great news:  Monet's "Water Lilies", the 3 panels, 42 feet long in all, are to come back to the Nelson-Atkins Art Gallery again this Spring--early April, to be exact.

I remember seeing them when they were here the last time.  Naturally, I thought them amazing.  Such a revelation to see them in person.

Get this--the last time they were here?  The first time I saw them?

Thirty years ago.

Holy cow.

This is one of those "THAT much time has gone by??" moments.  Followed by "I CAN'T be THAT old, am I?"  (Don't answer that--it's rhetorical).

So good on the Nelson.  Another terrific show coming up.  And reasonably soon, too, what with the beginning being April 9.

It will make us think of Spring that much sooner and quicker, right?

Won't it?

Link:    http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/09/2571310/monets-water-lilies-to-reunite.html

Mitt Romney in the catbird seat right now, it seems

Right this moment--and it's a long way from 2012, I'll grant you--it seems like Mitt Romney can do no wrong.

First, I saw a week or two ago how the Republican Party is looking at Salt Lake City for its convention that year.

That just screams "Mitt!", since he's Mormon and that's their promise land, so to speak.

Second, as of last weekend and the wierd, hypocritical meeting that was the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, straw poll showing Mitt on top.


Adding to the fact that he's "presidential handsome" and worth approximately a quarter of a billion dollars, he at least has a good chance right now of being the Republican Party's next presidential candidate.

But it's one heck of a long way to 2012, as we all know.

Funny side note: Sarah Palin was the number 3 popular candidate in this poll, behind Ron Paul.

Man, I love the nutjobs.

KC Police Chief Corwin's response to Saturday's Plaza brawl

From his blog:

Plaza incident

"As you’ve probably heard, large crowds of juveniles converged on the Country Club Plaza on Saturday night and wreaked havoc throughout. They intimidated shoppers and diners, destroyed property, committed a strong-arm robbery, and a juvenile suffered severe head injuries in an aggravated assault. Police took control of the crowds using traffic crews to close streets, pepper spray to disperse the crowds and a helicopter overhead to help officers on the ground find the most troublesome areas."

"We will be taking a number of measures to ensure those who shop, visit, dine at and stroll around Kansas City’s historic Plaza area can do so without fear. We will be meeting with the Plaza Merchant’s Association, NAACP and others to put together the best possible plan to allow Plaza patrons to fully enjoy themselves while keeping disorder at bay. We plan strict enforcement this weekend and for future weekends, and it will be mobile in case problems arise elsewhere."

"We will be closely following the development of any similar events. If you hear of a group planning to organize something like this, please call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. You will remain anonymous, and you could save someone’s life. As I mentioned, one young man was seriously hurt in Saturday night’s incident."

Uh, right, Chief. I'm sure they're going to call. You'd better get back to your office right away and wait for it to come in.

Reading through the lines here, I make this predictable prediction: Cinemark will no longer allow teens to come to movies there, without parents, as it used to be.

Link to original post here: http://kcpdchief.blogspot.com/2010/04/plaza-incident.html