Republicans in Jefferson City, At It Again

Image: Think Progress

Yessir, Republican legislators in Jefferson City are at it again. They're writing and trying to pass very self-serving legislation, all in the guise of "protecting our vote." Here it is.

Missouri voter photo ID measures pass 

House committee

Never mind that it's been proven, time and again, that there really is no significant problem with vote fraud of any kind.

How Voter ID Laws Are Being Used 

to Disenfranchise

Never mind that the costs of voter ID far exceeds any value obtained in keeping voting rolls any more clean and accurate than they already are.

How Republicans Rig the Game 

This is yet more un-American, Right Wing, Republican vote suppression and disenfranchisement of Americans. It helps them get and keep the poor, blacks, Hispanics, the elderly and physically-challenged, at minimum---read: possible Democratic Party voters---from voting.

It's not just wrong but deeply wrong and we need to fight this, we need to end it in America. They've been pushing these "voter ID" laws and gerrymandering for far too long. It all needs to end and we need to get started on it. We can and should tolerate this no longer.

Links:

Texas Voter ID Law Is Unconstitutional and Discriminates

Federal Court Rejects Texas' Voter ID Law As Unfair

Dartmouth Study: N.C. Voter ID Law Unfair to Black Voters

Kansas City's Own Harris Faulkner Makes Strange Media List

Kansas City's former newswoman, Harris Faulkner made a rather big, if dubious list this year.

The 34 Sexiest People in Television News 2015

What they wrote of her:

It is impossible to put together a list like this and not have unanimous support that Fox News’ Harris Faulkner deserves to be on it. Faulkner is an anchor for Outnumbered on weekdays; aside from her looks and sharp intellect she delivers for Fox, Faulkner made headlines of a different sort this year, filing a lawsuit against toy manufacturer Hasbro for creating a toy named after her. No, seriously. Faulker is undoubtedly stunning, and rightfully finds herself on our list of the Sexiest People in TV News for 2015.

Of course, it's terrific she's successful. What's disappointing is that she's with that deeply racist, Right Wing, in-the-pocket-of-Republicans channel.

Remember when news was news and there was no expectation of being "sexiest"?

I miss those days.

You kids get off my lawn.

Link:  Harris Faulkner - Wikipedia

People Who Should Just Go Away

I don't mean anything bad or awful should happen to them but honestly, they should just go away.

Mitt Romney

George W. Bush

Dick Cheney (should have happened years ago)

Both Koch brothers

Donald Trump

All the Walton siblings

Chris Christie

Carly Fiorina

Rand Paul.

Rick Perry

Ted Cruz (see a trend here?)

Mike Huckabee (from Arkansas)

Senator Tom Cotton (also from Arkansas)

Bill O'Reilly.

Rush Limbaugh.

Sean Hannity.

Steve Doofus. Doocy. Whatever.

Ray Romano (just because he's so incredibly dull)

I'd say Jay Leno but thankfully, he did go away

Climate change deniers

Obama haters

Haters, period

NRA President Wayne LaPierre

Racists (but that's an easy one)

People who scream, fixatedly, about the nation's deficit

Single-issue people (again, this could be people fixated on the national deficit or abortion or whatever)

The overly emotional

The icy cold, eartless bastards of the world

All the Kardashians (there's more than one, right?)

Kanye West

Anne Coulter (absolutlely)

Rudy Giuliani

Sheriff Joe Arapaio

Megyn Kelly

Rupert Murdoch

Pat Robertson (the crazy, greedy, rich old bastard)

Anyone who doesn't bring intelligence or laughter or kindness--at least one--to the world

Kansas heads will be 'asplodin' today

First this:

Federal judge orders Kansas to allow same-sex marriages

And then tonight, some Republicans losing, and big time?

Happy 81st birthday, Alvin Brooks!

And thank you for all you've done for Kansas City and Kansas Citians, all these years.

Links:  Happy Birthday Mr. Alvin Brooks - NBCActionNews.com - KSHB-TV

Ad Hoc Group Against Crime

The latest on the airport

Yesterday, the City Council downtown voted to go forward with a study on a new, single-terminal airport for Kansas City and the region.

That's the bad news.

Here's the good news:

Three councilmen voted against it--John Sharp, Scott Taylor and Scott Wagner. To them I say kudos and thank you.

More good news, really: "Mayor Sly James admitted he is not completely sold on the current proposal" according to KSHB 41 News.

I'm thinking that, with good information gotten to the Mayor and the will of the people to not throw away our existing facility for all the reasons available--financial, environmental, practicality on so many levels and sheer fondness for and appreciation of the existing airport--I think he can be shown this new single-terminal airport idea is a poor one that should itself be abandoned.

I think the City Council can--and will--be shown and convinced this walking away from our existing airport and building a new, single and very expensive terminal, expensive in so many ways, is a patently bad idea, effort and investment.

Here's hoping.

Link to story:  City council approves single-terminal plan at Kansas City

We may get lucky again, Kansas City

 

 

Face it, Kansas City, sure, we had a big snow the other day and we're about to get another.

 

So it goes.

 

But the fact is, we were fairly lucky on that last one, I think. Really, think about it. It hit at just about the right time for most all of us to just shut down. Companies, for the most part, wisely closed and nearly all of us stayed home.

 

With this next storm, if it stays on the track it is now, time-wise, it looks as this storm is going to do the same thing. That is, it looks as though the worst of it is to hit us after rush hour Monday evening, and hit us hardest by dawn.

 

With this in mind, we should be able to quietly, calmly (with the exception of the runs on the grocery stores today), coolly and intelligently close our offices and stores again, stay home and wait until Wednesday morning, wherein we'll all start back at it.

 

We shall see, as always.

 

Here's hoping that's what happens.

 

Link:  US National Weather Service Kansas City Missouri

The latest weather/snow forecast

 

Another Major Winter Storm... Starting Soon - Snowfall Forecast

*This forecast is subject to change. For the latest information, check back frequently for upda...tes*

SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

After looking at some fresh information, here is a look at our latest forecast regarding our next winter storm!

Our storm system will continue to dive southeastward from the Rockies today and will make its way eastward into the Texas Panhandle by the afternoon and evening. We are expecting snow to develop this afternoon across Western Kansas, although heavy snow is not expected. Some light freezing drizzle could accompany the snow with dry air aloft. The low will continue to push eastward tonight along the Oklahoma/Texas border with snow moving eastward across Western and Central Kansas. The low will undergo intensification as it moves into Central Oklahoma, which will lead to heavier snow development east of a line from Hays to near Liberal overnight tonight. The low will continue eastward with the heavier snow continuing eastward across Central and Eastern Kansas with lighter snow in Western Kansas on Monday. It is now becoming clear that heavy banding of snow could occur from South Central into portions of East Central and Northeast Kansas. The low will begin to push northeastward as it hits the Arklatex Region Monday night with snow ending by early Tuesday.

There is a chance that Southeast Kansas will see rain for most of this event before the heavy snow moves over the area Sunday night, which is why only 1-3 inches is shown in extreme Southeast Kansas. Heavy snow will come in to play for Southeast Kansas Monday night with 3-6 inches possible across much of Southeast Kansas.

As mentioned, the heavier snow is expected to fall east of a line from around Plainville to Liberal and into Central and Eastern Kansas where 6-12 inches is possible. Banding of heavier snow is expected to occur over South Central, East Central and Northeast Kansas where a foot or more of snow is currently expected.

3-6 inches is expected across portions of Southwest and North Central Kansas with lighter amounts of 1-3 inches over far Western Kansas as upper level dynamics do not look to support heavy snow at this time.

Gusty winds and blizzard conditions can be expected with this storm over Southern Kansas. Blowing and drifting of snow can be expected with the strongest winds occurring Monday and early Monday night. This will lead to low visibilities and possibly white out conditions which will make travel extremely difficult if not impossible.

Stay tuned...

 

Link: https://www.facebook.com/Capitalists/posts/487356071325006?comment_id=88418715#!/CirrusWeather?fref=ts

Latest snow/weather forecast

 

Link: 41 Action Weather Blog

Good luck with that, Missouri Senate

In the news today:

Missouri Senate approves immediate takeover of Kansas City public schools

Yes, I can totally see that working. A group of people, men, mostly, with no education backgrounds for the most part, trying to run a school district from 158 miles away, that historically can't even run itself.  Oh, yeah, I'm hopeful. (not at all).

That said, maybe, just maybe, if there's any fiscal chicanery or outright theft or illegal misuse of funds, maybe they can eliminate that.

As I said, I'm not hopeful but we've tried nearly everything else.  Perhaps this can help?

Anyway, here we go--down the rabbit hole.

On doing research first

 

 

Too often, we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." 

 

--President John F. Kennedy

Not a good forecast for Monday night (New Year's Eve)

From Fox 4's weather forecast today on their Facebook page. (Click on picture for better viewing).

This doesn't look good.

Kansas City Chiefs fans hit new low

There's been a controversial issue for years for and about Kansas City NFL football fans, what with their repeated ending of the national anthem with "...and the home of the Chiefs!" instead of the actual "...and the home of the brave" as they should.

Then, there's been the fact that they did the "tomahawk chop", which was considered disrespectful of Native Americans.

But all that went out the window today when Chiefs fans in the stadium outdid themselves.

When quarterback Matt Cassel was hit in the game today against the Baltimore Ravens, suffering a concussion, too many in the audience broke out in a stadium-rattling cheer.

Tacky.

Truly a new low.

Link: http://www.kmbc.com/sports/Chiefs-OT-Eric-Winston-blasts-fans-who-cheered-Cassel-injury/-/11664276/16891856/-/8h9kae/-/index.html

To local "journalists": This isn't news

I was watching KCTV-5 news last evening when they put on a story they felt was important to us.

The only thing was, it was out of Utah, we found out, and it was about a mom who witnessed another mom, at a different table in the restaurant, who had her kids on "potty chairs."

And this is news how?

With some research, I found that it's also on Fox 4's website. They figured it was somehow important, also. They posted it 6 days ago, so not only is it not news, not only is it irrelevant to us here in the Kansas City, metro area, it's OLD filler, to boot.

Seriously, as I've said before, you'd think these people would be embarrassed. They should be embarrassed, professionally, especially, even if they haven't studied journalism, but especially if they have.

Wow.

I hope they don't also why they have low viewership and why we don't tune in.

Link: http://fox4kc.com/2012/09/06/mom-potty-trains-toddlers-in-middle-of-restaurant/

The Nelson has a new exhibit of photography

Good news/bad news on our weather

The good news is that, because of what will be tropical depression Isaac that dumped so much flooding rain on New Orleans, we now have a 60% chance of getting rain here Friday.

The bad news?

We likely won't be able to see that "blue moon."

I'll take it.

Isaac will apparently disappoint

The good news: Hurricane Isaac shortened a political convention.

The bad news? It's going to hit New Orleans--and apparently on the 7th anniversary of category 5 Hurricane Katrina.

Yet more bad news--it's apparently not going to bring precipitation to our area.

Dangit.

The crap that passes for local news

I've said this before and each time it comes up in its most ugly way, I'll point it out again. It is nearly inconceivable what passes for news on the local, evening news. This is just one more pathetic example.

If it isn't this kind of pointless, "infotainment", it's some YouTube clip from some far-flung part of the world about some other ridiculous, meaningless tripe.

Pitiful.

I would think these people--all of them at the local "news" stations--would be embarrassed.

Additional side question: What is it about local news talent that is supposed to now hold iPads while reading the news, anyway? Is that supposed to make them look more important or up-to-date or both, or what?

Link: http://fox4kc.com/2012/08/13/picture-of-dog-and-his-owner-gains-international-attention/

The next big weather and drought question for metro KC

How soon until the water rationing in the different cities and towns in the area begin?

It can't be long now.

Weather questions for us

I asked earlier here, do you suppose we're going to get 3 Summer months of August?

The answer, it seems, is yes. At least we are this year.

105 degree weather 2 weeks ago, in June, and now, at the end of this week, back to 100 degrees and more, for the foreseeable future.

Not good.

So the new question now is, do you suppose this is the type Summers we'll get from now on?

Of course the answer is, we have no idea. Let's hope not. High 90 and low 100 degree temperatures for three months? Awful.

Then, on top of it, to get little or no rain?

Murder.

The second question, then, is will we be getting mild, nearly non-existent winter temperatures and little or no precipitation then, too?

And again, the answer is, we have no idea.

All we can do is hope these are both--all--flukes this year only.