On that whole Daylight Savings Time thing

Big weekend for the city

Yes sir, there are a great deal of things going on in Kansas City this weekend.

First up is one of the year's best First Friday in the Crossroads because it's not blistering hot or freezing cold right now. That should be a terrific turnout.

Second is the Brookside Art Fair.

Next up is Cinco de Mayo so every Mexican restaurant in the area will also be packing them in.

Finally--it's a short list, if even a full weekend--"The Avengers" movie opens. I expect it will be packed, for those interested.

So, whatever you're doing this weekend, y'all, have a great time. Let's be careful out there.

NPR asks a great question on our voting

The question NPR asked yesterday is one I've put forward before and it's a good and timely one. That is "Should Elections Be Held On Weekends?" I think the answer is partly tradition and partly so we keep the voter rolls down but really, voting in the middle of the week makes no sense at all. If we want voters voting and we want turnout at the polls--and I suggest most of America does, in fact--then why don't we vote on Saturdays when more people are off work? This would likely help both getting volunteers to man the booths as well as making it easier to get to them to do this civic duty. Oh, yeah, it's time this changed.

Ep. 238: February 17, 2012 - Overtime

Links: http://www.npr.org/2012/01/18/145397003/why-vote-on-tuesday-why-not-the-weekend; http://www.whytuesday.org/

And now we wait for Saturday evening (or the next flash event)

If I were a restaurateur or restaurant manager of a Country Club Plaza establishment, I'd be coming up with all kinds of extremely lucrative specials for my clients--all my clients--for this Saturday evening, if possible.

That is, I would do that if I had already spoken with the Mayor, KCMO Police Chief Corwin and Highwoods Properties Management and Security, to see if there really is a new, strong, workable, viable plan for everything to be under control this Saturday evening.

It's going to be a peculiar, fascinating weekend, here in Kansas City, in a few days, I think.

Hopefully a quiet one.

Sharp contrasts

 

Last evening on the Plaza was in sharp contrast to the night before, since the previous evening was all drinking and loud conversations.

As this shows, it was warm temperatures and wide open stores. It was really nice. While not yet completely, officially Spring, it surely felt like it.

And it's also in sharp contrast, apparently, to what it's going to be like on the Plaza this evening, when the rain comes in, and then this weekend, when the temperatures fall further and we get snow, if the forecast is correct.

But what the heck--last evening was terrific, Spring starts this weekend and next week has promises of temperatures in the 60's.

Somehow I think we'll make it.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Thoughts on a Friday morning

--it was sure great to see and be in the sun and have such warm temperatures yesterday;

--so what if it's going to cloud up and bring us rain and snow this weekend--a) Spring begins this weekend, too and b) by next week, we'll be back in the 60's;

--I like the way Google predicts my searches (just don't try finishing my sentences);

--If I didn't have to get to the office this morning, I surely could have taken what I think were some terrific photographs;

--Great news for the weekend as it looks as though we're going to get at least some health care reform relief this weekend. The Democrats finally decided to "play rough", thank goodness;

--I wish I had more times and reasons to say "acoutrement". I love the way it sounds. (heck, for that matter, I wish I could speak French).

Let's have a great weekend, y'all.

Hey!

It's a new day. It's the weekend. Yay! (trying not to be shallow).

And I missed a post. Yesterday was busy.

So, great news! I've been trying to put something more positive out here--something not so heavily political and yesterday I found it. Eureka!

Did you see where a "huge" solar plant--according to the AP article I saw--is planned out in Arizona? I tell you, that's good news. We, as people in the United States separately, but also everyone else on the planet, too, need to see and understand that solar power is a way to get us out of all the biggest messes on this little planet. I mean this.

If we do more solar, even this way, with big solar power plants, but particularly if we developed more, better and cheaper photo-voltaic cells (so we could put them on our houses and office buildings) then 1) we wouldn't have to stay in the Middle East, where all the ignorant, centuries-old religious battles are still going on and 2) we would have FAR less pollution. And aren't those our largest problems on the planet? It seems as though they are. A third benefit would be the reduced likelihood of contributing to carbon dioxide output. (Did you notice I avoided saying "global warming"?).

Anyway, I see this as very welcome news, especially now, at the end of winter, when we're so cold-weather/gray skies intolerant. We need some encouragement.

Can you imagine NOT needing an electric company's power plant/pollution/bill in the mail? Wouldn't that be nice? No need for radioactive waste, either from using nukular power (thanks, Mr. President). That would be possible if we create those cheaper, more available photo-voltaic cells. It would help the US's security in so many ways, if we create them, rather than letting the Japanese or Chinese get on this first.

But first we have to get this knuclehead out of the White House.

Oh,well.

More fun for us today:

Check out these websites.

The first on the hypocrisy of Senator John McCain:

http://bravenewfilms.org/watch/18252086/30016 (Thanks again, Bryce!)

The second, a terrific, tongue firmly planted in cheek riff on the "Christian gene":

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qCzbNkyXO50&feature=related

(and thanks, Bob, for this one).

The next one is WAY overdue. It's a clarification for 94.3% of Americans (you know how geographically-challenged we are, right?):

http://www.kansascityisinmissouri.com/

(Thanks, Michael!)

And finally, if you missed Dilbert today, you should go see it. It's a hoot and shouldn't be missed.

http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/dilbert/


Yeah, great stuff for the weekend! Get out there and have a good time!