.....Trust, Railroad Crossings, and a Gravel Road.......

Last week, I read with interest a Column written in the Neosho Daily News, by Roy Shaver. If you did not see the editorial by Dr. Shaver - he basically asked for people to bury the hatchet and move on with improving Neosho and not dwell on the past mistakes, by City Officials.

I must say, I agree with Dr. Shaver's overall message, but I am going to have to agree to disagree with him on a few things...........The biggest concern I have about the State of our City is I don't see where the problems are yet in the past. There continues to be an evident lack of planning in some areas and this is effecting all of us.

Case in Point, the recent closing of the Railroad Crossings in Downtown Neosho. Before I go on, I want to go on record as saying I am probably the ONLY Citizen in Neosho who agreed with the decision to close these crossings. That is for another day, but I just want to be clear - I was and am for the closings. Now, with that said, back to my message -

How is it the City of Neosho wants us to get behind their efforts, when they don't plan to put their efforts behind us???  As the City closed the Downtown crossings over the past couple of weeks, they caused traffic to be diverted to new routes, which is fine and in the name of "progress".  But when "progress" sends traffic from paved smooth roads to a gravel rough Road - is it progress? 

Why didn't the City make plans to ensure La-Z-Boy Drive was paved prior to the closings?  This would have allowed for a smooth transition of traffic and would have showed good planning.  As Citizens complained, City Hall directed them to call Swift Construction, who was awarded the paving contract.  Really???  Should unhappy Citizens be responsible for calling the Contractor?  I don't think so, I think that is the City's Job!

Now, as Dr. Shaver was encouraging people to stop the bickering - yes, Roy, I got your message - I do not bring this up to simply complain.  My motive is this - I hope to encourage the City to learn from mistakes and admit them up front.  There will be more mistakes, as we move forward, but if we keep repeating the same type over and over again - how will trust ever be re-established???  If we can't agree - let's at least be Civil!!!!

......The Rent is Too Damn High.....

If you have not seen the viral videos of Jimmy McMillan, who is running for Governor of New York, you have to watch these takeouts from the Debate this week.  He represents the "Rent Is Too Damn High Party".......

.....STOP Zero Tolerance policies.........

I understand why "Zero Tolerance" policies have come to be.  Things like - zero tolerance for drugs in school, zero tolerance for guns at school, zero tolerance for drunk driving, etc.  But, is it really more "fair and just" to have such policies in the first place?

I say NO, these policies are flawed and they take the human aspect out of all situations.  Why can't we train people to take action in various situations and trust their judgment?  Will mistakes be made if we go back to the days of old?  OF COURSE!  Are mistakes being made now?  OF COURSE!

Case in point,  On Sunday September 19, a group of kids in Overland Park, Kansas went to their neighborhood school to play, while school was NOT in session.  The children were around 11 years old.  One child brought an air soft gun to school.  The kids played, like kids do, and shared the gun. Airsoft guns shoot little plastic BB's.  One child was shot with a BB and told his parents, who called the police.  No one wished to file any charges, so the police took no action.

The Shawnee Mission School District found out about this incident and began their own investigation.  One little girl, Alyssa Cornish, who is a Fifth Grade Student, has been suspended until January for playing with the gun.  Alyssa is a straight "A" student and a member of the student council.

Now, mind you, I have vast experience as a police officer and in training and research of school violence.  I have written action plans for area schools and colleges on violence, so while I may not be a true "expert" - I am well versed on these types of situations.  What good does it do society to have this little girl at home and not in a normal class room setting, until January???  None.  This is overkill!

11 year old kids make mistakes.  They don't look at the world like you and I do.  They don't always comprehend consequences, like maybe they should.  Is it wrong to have guns at school?  Of course.  But suspending a student for three months!  That is like killing a butterfly with a bazooka!  I advocate each case being reviewed on its on merits and stop this silliness!  We must keep the students best interest at heart.

For the facts and the whole story, I refer you to the Kansas City Star's Wednesday October 27, 2010 Issue -  CLICK HERE!!!



Had School been in session, I would have supported this punishment, but I believe the kids distinguished this as play time and not being school property.

I would welcome any thoughts on this story or any zero tolerance situation in life!  Have a great day and please dwell on what I always say, "If we can't agree - let's at least be Civil!!!"

......English must be our National Language....

On Wednesday, I was speaking with a friend of mine, Chad Spencer, and the topic of speaking English came up.  This is a controversial topic to some, but I really don't know why.  Having English as the "Official" Language of the United States of America is not a matter of race, nor is it a way to put down the ancestry of any person.

To me, the issue of having English only is a matter of survival and continuity for Business Interests and Interests of National Security.  The Great Seal of the United States of America (Pictured Above), has the Latin Phrase - E Pluribus Unum - displayed prominently on the ribbon, which is held in the beak of the Eagle.  To me, this Latin Phrase says it all!!!  E Pluribus Unum means - "Out of Many, One".  This phrase refers to the melting pot and what has made America Great.

As a Nation, we must demand our Schools, Elected Officials, and Government use English only and stop this trend of including Spanish and so many other languages in official documents and teachings.  Now, I am not at all against having translations or translators available for immigrants who move to America.  But, we must do all we can to encourage the transition to English, as soon as possible.

My Family is of French decent on my Mother's side.  As strange and yes downright redneck as it might seem, my Mother's Maiden Name was "Douglass", with two "s".  This is French.  (All my Grandparents were Douglas' or Douglass' - ha ha ha - funny but true).  What if my ancestors from France demanded a switch to French?  What if immigrants from Germany wanted us to change over to German???  I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

At this point in History, there are many Spanish speaking immigrants coming to America.  Forty years from now, it will be some other foreign speaking group.  In order to uphold our identity and the American way of life, we must push the SPEAK ENGLISH AGENDA.

If a person comes to America to live and they get sick, how do they tell a Doctor or Paramedic what is ailing them?  If they encounter a law enforcement officer, in a good or bad circumstance, how do they keep themselves and the officer safe?  If they wish to get the full benefit of all this great Nation has to offer, how can they not learn English????

I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this controversial subject.  Follow this link to an article which was republished from Reader's Digest, about this very issue, if you wish to learn even more.  

If we can't agree - let's at least be Civil.................................

....Obama caught lip syncing a speech.....

Obama Caught Lip-Syncing Speech

........Stop taking so many anti-biotics - it's killing us!..........

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureu, more commonly known as MRSA, along with other infections are running rampant through American Society and our Hospitals.  We must cut back or stop altogether taking anti-biotic medications.  They are causing us to build up resistance to strains of infections, which are deadly.

Some Public Health Experts say there are as many as 19,000 unnecessary deaths each year in the United States, due to the overuse of such drugs and unsanitary practices by health care workers.  Simply washing hands when going from one patient to the next can dramatically reduce infections.

As can be demonstrated by the practices of Health Care Workers and Hospitals in Norway, huge reductions in infections can be made with some effort...........Follow this link to read more and hopefully the next time you go to a Doctor - you will reconsider the use of Anti-biotics...............Also, read this article from the Miami Herald on the alarming rate of mutations from infectious diseases........this is a National Crisis and WE can do something about it!!!! 

.....Neosho FFA Agronomy Team - 1st in Nation!!!......

I am always excited to see Neosho Kids make it and shine on a big stage.  Well here are four students who not only shined and made all of us proud but they are an elite group, who can call themselves Champions.  I am so proud of them and I applaud their efforts!  The only question I will ask is this - just like the Debate Squad who won Nationals last school year - where is the parade - the school assembly - and the proclamation from the Mayor for this group of kids????  Had the football or basketball team won State - there would be a huge celebration in Neosho - these kids deserve no less!!!

To Neosho's FFA Agronomy Team, Congratulations and thank you for representing Neosho with such class!!!!

Below is the Newspaper Article:

FFA AGRONOMY COMPETITION

Team places first BY TODD G. HIGDON

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER (From the Neosho Daily News)

The Neosho High School FFA agronomy team has won nationals at the FFA National Agronomy CDE (Career Development Event) in Indianapolis, Ind.

The four-member team was made up of Stephanie Hancock, junior; Whitney Gray, junior; Jared Sage, senior; and Jaycob Wilkins, senior.

“Last Wednesday is when they did the team problem and actually the team problem is what won the contest for them,” said Mike Aldrich, FFA advisor. “That is where they were given a scenario and this year on the team problem, they had to plant sweet corn on 575 acres in New Jersey. They are like the consultant team and they had to tell the farmer what to do. They had to present that.

They did awesome on it.”

Aldrich said this was the second time the agronomy team from Neosho High School’s FFA department has won at nationals. The first time was back in 2007.

Agronomy deals with the study of crops and the soils in which they grow. At one time, agronomy was called crop science Agronomists study ways to make soils more productive. They classify soils and test them to determine whether they contain substances vital to plant growth. The nutritional substances include compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Agronomists also examine the development of the roots and their relation to the soil.

“I am really excited,” said Hancock, about winning nationals.

Echoing her remarks was Whitney Gray.

“I am extremely proud,” she said. “I never imagined getting this far.”

Charles Gray, Whitney’s father, attended the event.

“It was nerve-racking,” he said.

“When they was going through it, you are sitting there, they are calling off all of these teams and when they get to the last two, your school had not been called off, you are sitting there, your knees get weak, you are trying to figure out where you are going to end up when they call the other school.”

Whitney’s older sister and current FFA chapter president Alisha Gray expressed her thoughts about the team.

“I am happy that they did this,” she said.

Not only did the team win nationals, but team members also received some high scores.

Jared Sage was third high individual in the nation, Jaycob Wilkins was fourth high, Whitney Gray was 11th and Stephanie Hancock was 13th.

“I am super proud,” Aldrich said. “This is the highest that we go.”

......Highway Patrol notifications on Sex Offenders........

From today's KANSAS CITY STAR an interesting new service from the Missouri Highway Patrol:

Missouri creates e-mail alerts about sex offenders

JEFERSON CITY | Missouri residents now can receive an automatic alert if a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has launched an e-mail system that notifies neighbors within 24 hours if a registered sex offender changes his or her address.

People can sign up for two options. They can receive a notification when a sex offender registers a home, work or school address anywhere within 500 feet to 5 miles of a particular address. People also can track address changes for specific sex offenders.

Missouri's Sex Offender Registry went online in May 2004. It initially listed sex offenders by county. It was expanded in 2005 to include a searchable database, offender photos and mapping features.

Follow this link to the Community Notification sign up page on the Missouri Highway Patrol Website.

.....Alexander Anderson - my tribute to a great artist...........

Tribute to Alexander Anderson who created the cartoon Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Alexander Anderson, who created the great cartoon, "Rocky and Bullwinkle", passed away Friday, at a home in Carmel, California - he was 90 years old.  I loved this cartoon, as a young child in the 1970's.  His full obituary may be read by following this link.  

Please enjoy these "clips" of the show..............THANK YOU MR. ANDERSON!

.....Vote NO on Proposition A.......

I have already addressed this issue once, but I feel so strongly on how important it is to Missouri and Local Control Rights, I will address it again.  It is imperative to support Local Control and not get confused by the hoopla on this initiative.  One man has financed this ballot issue!!!  One millionaire is trying to steal an election.  To ALL of my Conservative friends, who tell me they are going to Vote Yes, because they are tired of taxes, I ask you this - are you true to Conservative Values and the idea of Local Control?  This tax was voted on and PASSED by the Voters of Kansas City, in 1963 and 1970.  If THEY wish to repeal it, they can.  Why should it be ANY of our business what happens in Kansas City or St. Louis!!!

On this issue, Conservatives are wrong and you are going to handicap ANY long range planning by our States two largest Cities.  If this passes, they will have to vote on this tax every five years to keep it.  There is no way any legitimate long range planning can be done in five year increments.  This is terrible law - its terrible for Missouri.  Please step back and reconsider your Vote - this effects NONE of us in Southwest Missouri!!!!

Follow this link to what Kansas City would lose, without this tax. 

For the sake of professional planning and good Government VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION A - This is NOT a tax issue - it's a local control issue!!!!!

......When doing what is right makes you a Hero......

It is great to see a person willing to lay down their own life for that of another.  This video shows ordinary people, who became extraordinary as they saved the life of a man who fell on to subway tracks.  It is great to see people get involved and doing "the right thing".



 

......Winter weather outlook.......

Another Winter of Extremes in Store for U.S. as La Niña Strengthens

ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2010) — The Pacific Northwest should brace for a colder and wetter than average winter, while most of the South and Southeast will be warmer and drier than average through February 2011, according to the annual Winter Outlook released Oct. 21, 2010 by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. A moderate to strong La Niña will be the dominant climate factor influencing weather across most of the U.S. this winter.

.....Joe Biden invites women up for a tax discussion......

Biden Invites Nation's Women To Tax Code Discussion At Private Mountain Chalet

And in other news......................The CIA Accidentally overthrew the Government of Costa Rica today................



O-SPAN Classic: CIA Accidentally Overthrows Costa Rica

.......Plastic that mimics Uranium???...........

Molecular Mimicry: Plastic, Steel Line Up Like Kin

by Joe Palca

October 19, 2010

From npr.org

 

Courtesy of Frank Bates Tasty Science: One of the first models produced by a research team to model the molecular structure was built out of simple marshmallows and coffee stirrers. The method, researcher Frank Bates says, is "very low tech as far as the visualization goes."

Frank Bates didn't start out expecting to find a fundamental property of nature, but that's what he may have done.

Bates is a chemical engineer and materials scientist at the University of Minnesota. He makes block copolymers — a kind of plastic. Copolymer means they're made from two different plastics, the end product having the best properties of both.  "We had synthesized these molecules and wanted to know how they were organized down at the molecule scale," says Bates.  So he and his students went to the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, where there is a particularly powerful X-ray source, and shined a beam of X-rays on the block copolymers.

Scientific Shapeshifting

Fun With DNA

DNA isn't just for building life. DNA can also make art, like the tiny map of the Americas at left.

"We found something that was simply inexplicable," he says. They had a shape that no one had ever seen in a plastic before. Part of the explanation seems to be related to what the plastic molecule is made from.

"There's one part of the molecule that doesn't like the other part," Bates says. So the one part of the molecule folds up into a sphere, forcing the other part to the outside, where it makes little tendrils. It resembles a hairy sphere.

The X-ray pictures of the particular block copolymers Bates was studying — one polymer containing isoprene and lactide; and another polymer containing styrene, isoprene and ethylene oxide — suggested something unusual was going on.

"There's some new way of arranging our spherical, our hairy spherical particles," Bates says.

Courtesy of Frank Bates Bates and his research team used pingpong balls and red pipe cleaners to model the "hairy spherical block copolymer particles." The actual spheres are roughly 1 million times smaller, and each contains about 200 polymer molecules, represented by the red pipe cleaners.

To make models of how these spherical hair particles fit together, Bates used some surprising tools: pingpong balls.

"Pingpong balls with the pipe cleaners are festooned around the pingpong ball, which create this image of a soft, squishy, hairy sphere," he says. "Our other favorite tools are marshmallows and toothpicks and coffee stirrers. Very low tech as far as the visualization goes."

And it turns out, as the researchers report in the journal Science, the way Bates' spheres fit together resembled nothing so much as something called the Frank-Kasper sigma phase. That's the name for the way the spherical balls pack together. The Frank-Kasper sigma phase has never been seen in plastics, but it has been seen in some metal alloys like stainless steel and certain forms of uranium.

So how is it that a plastic resembles uranium? Bates has an answer.

"I think what this work does is that it makes contact with something that is more universal than just plastics. It has the capacity to teach us how nature works," he says.
And understanding how nature works is something all scientists strive for.

.....Drug Seekers CLOG our ER's - Let's eradicate them!!.............

As the people of this Nation focus drug policy attention on Marijuana and legalization, I stand by stunned at the lack of discussion and downright apathy shown by so many Hospital Administrators and Legislators to the REAL drug problem.  Methamphetamine?  While, Meth is a huge problem, no I speak of one creeping up on us fast!  This one is legal, yet illegal, it's in the name of being "humane", but it's inhumane - it's practiced to satisfy, but it's unethical.................what in the World am I speaking of??  I speak of the drug dealers, you call Doctors.

Now, don't get me wrong here, there are many great Doctors and I don't blame the good ones, like I do the bad ones.  I blame Hospital Administrators, Patients, Nurses, Doctors, you, me, your dog, etc.....get my point here - ALL of us are to blame for the epidemic, known as "drug seeking".

You see there are many people who everyday clog, yes clog, the Emergency Rooms of Freeman Neosho, Freeman West, St. John's Joplin, McCune Brooks, Cox - Monett, and EVERY other Emergency Room in America!!!  These people I speak of go to the Emergency Room (many times more than one Emergency Room a day!), to complain of lower back pain, headaches, pain here, pain there, etc.  They seek a prescription for pain killers and 99% of the time (a figure of speech I don't have an actual number) they get it!!!!!  They take these pain medications and out the door they go to "pop pills" and then sell what they don't want.

It makes me sick!  The good Doctors and Nurses (and there are many) who try and curb this practice, have their careers threatened when they try to deny prescriptions to these addicts.  You see, the addicts complain to Administrators about the "terrible and rude" care they received from the Staff, who refused to give them Meds and then the Nurses and Doctors are chastised for not giving the appropriate level of patient care!

This is madness all the way around.  There are millions of dollars of drugs being prescribed each year to addicts through Emergency Departments and the taxpayers are paying for a huge majority of this waste.  It is waste!

Normal Patients, like you and I are just as guilty here as we demand Doctors give us medicine when we don't feel well or have an ache, we could probably suffer through and not whine so much about - but we don't we rely in the miracles of modern medicine - drugs - to "save" us, because we have been programmed to get legalized dope!

If you are not familiar with the practices of drug seekers and the efforts of the many responsible Doctors and Nurses to curb this practice - I beg you to inform yourself on this problem, no this crisis.  Stand with me to demand Health Care Administrators reward the responsible ethical Doctors, who try to say, "NO".  As we seek Healthcare Reform, this is one part of the Battle and as of today - I declare War and say, bring it on - let's fight it out!  No more Drug Seeking at our Nations Emergency Departments!!!

Here is a Blog article from an Emergency Doctor about this problem, please read it and get informed!!! 

....Honoring Cops.....

I appreciate views of all people and I am open to disagreement from anyone.  That is the reason for me to have this Blog.  I hope to stimulate discussion, knowledge, and yes controversy.  Earlier today, I posted a Blog about two police officers who were killed.  Shortly after making this post, I received the following anonymous e-mail:

"Steve, I am disturbed by the posts u make about

police officers who have died in the line of duty.  I 

have seen many of yur links over the past year on FB

about these and it trivializes their deaths cause u

post so many.  People stop paying attention to them

like they do tornado warnings they are just ignored

cause people see it and say there he goes again. Y

not post a synopsis every three or four months maybe

then people would pay attention.  Just sayin' "

Well, "Just Sayin' " - here are my thoughts.  I respect each and every one of my Brothers and Sisters, in Law Enforcement.  They are all sacred to me.  The ones I work with everyday and know intimately and the thousands worldwide, whom I have yet to meet.  Anytime, I learn of a line of duty death, I pause and pray for the soul of the fallen.  I then attempt to find factual verifiable information on the situation, which led to their demise, and I post it as a tribute to them. 

It is my opinion, if I posted a synopsis every three or four months, people might glance over it and not pay attention to EACH INDIVIDUAL OFFICER.  They died so we may sleep in peace at night, so the least we can do is appreciate their sacrifice - as it is happening. 

You may be correct - people may glance over my posts - because there have been so many (130 so far this year - as I write this), but that is their mistake.  We take so many things in life for granted.  For example, when was the last time you saw individual names and stories about EACH soldier who has died overseas?  You don't see it because it is happening so often the news organizations have "more important things to cover".  Ironic isn't it - that just like Cops who give us all freedom - Soldiers are ignored for more "important" stories?  Point is, I feel obligated to say "THANK YOU" to the police officers who pass into Heaven, so I write about them..............If no one else pays attention...........shame on them!   

Thank you for your thoughts "Just Sayin' " opposing view points are always welcome here.........If we can't agree - let's at least be Civil!!!! 

......Mental Health and Political Correctness.....

One of my more popular posts was the Post I had about Paul Marsden, the Army Reservist, who committed suicide and my own struggles with PTSD. Mental Health Issues are important, but I am not a fan of political correctness, as I think we - as a society - go to far in our attempt to appease everyone.  We need to be able to laugh at and with ourselves.  We get to offended at too many things, for example; I came across this story out of Sandusky, Ohio about Mental Health advocates demanding name changes for Halloween rides at an amusement park. 

(Please keep in mind, I am an advocate for Mental Health issues - I served about eight years on the Board of Directors of the Newton County Mental Health Fund.)  These advocates, in Ohio, object to the words "crazy" and "demented" in the descriptions of rides!  Come on people, there is nothing wrong with entertainment and how far are we to allow Political Correctness to take us???  Here is the article from the Sandusky Register:

CP haunted asylum angers mental health advocates

Oct 07 2010

Sandusky

 

Mental health advocates aren’t crazy about two of Cedar Point’s Halloween attractions.

As part of HalloWeekends, the amusement park has a haunted house and separate show focusing on mental health patients: Dr. D. Mented’s Asylum for the Criminally Insane and The Edge of Madness: Still Crazy.

The attractions promote false stereotypes and misinformation, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The advocacy group is asking Cedar Point to remove the haunted house and the show immediately.

“Both of these displays suggest that people with mental illness are dangerous and deranged and that the general public should be frightened of such people,” the alliance wrote in a letter to Cedar Point administrators. “Mental illnesses are biological brain disorders, they are diseases.

“Would Cedar Point ever even consider developing a display or attraction that used cancer patients as a means of instilling fear in their guests? We think not. And why is this? Because cancer is a serious disease. We would never want to paint individuals with this terrible disease in an unfavorable light," the letter says in part. “Why then do you feel that it is acceptable to paint individuals suffering from biological brain disorders in an unfavorable light?”

A follow up article to this one, in the Sandusky Register, may be found by clicking this link.

.....Two more Heroes give the ultimate...........

Sgt. Sean Drenth of the Phoenix, Arizona Police Department was shot to death with his own shot gun, after a struggle with an unknown assailant, on October 18, 2010.



Tragedy continued for my family in Blue, when Officer Tommy Portz, of the Baltimore, Maryland Police Department was killed in a traffic crash on Wednesday. He was responding to a medical emergency call, when he rear ended a fire truck stopped on a freeway.



Please, as you pray tonight remember both of these men and what they gave for you - like Jesus Christ, these men died so you would not have to. They laid their lives on the lines and gave the ultimate sacrifice.

"Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called the Sons of God" - Matthew 5:9

.....Never know what a Day as a COP will bring!!!!.........

Chimpanzee vs. Police Car: Video of 300-Pound Chimp Attacking Police Car in Kansas City

300-Pound Chimp Attacks Police Car (CBS)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CBS/AP/KCTV) A 300-pound chimpanzee that broke out of its owner's house has been captured after smashing out the window of a police car and wandering around a neighborhood in Kansas City, Mo.

"Terrifies me for my daughter, she was on the roof screaming bloody murder," said Shannon Jennings, a Kansas City resident according to CBS affiliate KCTV.

Jennings said she was rushing to help her niece, when the chimp jumped on the hood of her SUV.

"I was scared, terrified," Jennings said. "I didn't know he could open doors, but I knew it was on top of my car and the car was shaking."

Police Capt. Rich Lockhart tells The Kansas City Star that his department got a call about noon Tuesday that a primate was on the loose a few miles from the Kansas City Zoo.

Even though it was near the zoo, Lockhart says the chimp was actually a pet that had escaped from its chains. Animal control officers shot the chimp - named Sueko - with a tranquilizer, but said it did not work to subdue the animal. The chimp then climbed a tree and avoided another tranquilizer shot by Animal Control officers.

Police said Sueko was capable of opening doors and that it had climbed on a patrol car and struck the passenger-side window with its fist before running off.

Its owner was eventually able to coax it into a cage.

Lockhart says the owner has been cited for having a dangerous animal within city limits.

Animal Control officers took the chimp to Monkey Island, described as a retirement home for exotic animals. "Just got a call from Animal Control," Dana Savorelli, who owns Monkey Island, said.

"They asked me if I could house it, 'cause they don't have things like that," said Savorelli.

Savorelli took Sue in temporarily, but said he will keep her as long as needed at the facility located in Greenwood, Mo., southeast of Kansas City.

......Some people are JUST STUPID.........

Ok, so a Police Officer in Redwood City, California is parked along the road, when a young man walks up and asks for a ride home to Danville, Ca.  As the kind Officer prepares to let him in the car for the ride, he asks, "Do you have anything illegal on you?"  The young man says, "Yes............uh No, I don't" -  The Officer searches the young man and finds cocaine!!!  (Here is the actual news story - Teen Arrested With Cocaine After Asking Cop for a Ride Home from a Party)

This made me think of only one thing and that is......."Here's Your Sign"...Bill Engvall's famous comedy line.....Had this young man been wearing his "Sign" we could have kept him out of Jail..........

.....Homlessness in Finland - this is not only an American problem......

Homelessness is an issue all of us should be concerned about.  I volunteered on the Board of Compassionate Ministries and Crosslines, in Neosho for a number of years and attempted to make a small dent in this Nation wide problem.  You will find more posts from me about this issue, in the near future, but tonight - I came across this article from the Great Nation of Finland - in Scandinavia.  Finland is one of the most affluent countries in the world and constantly ranks high with it's great Educational Standards.  I found this article interesting because it speaks of the 350 Homeless families IN FINLAND.  Not, to take away from the plight of these unfortunate people, but it would be awesome if America had a system where ONLY 350 families were homeless!  We have a lot of work to do!................................

Campaign Focuses on Plight of the Homeless

10-10-17

Image: YLE / Timo J Malmi

The Night of the Homeless campaign was launched on Sunday across the country. The campaign organisers want to remind people that a home is both a basic and human right. The lack of a home cannot be accepted in any circumstances, the NGO emphasises.

Campaign organisers, who are arranging the event for the twelfth time, say the consequences of global poverty are also evident in Finland in many ways. Migration within the EU is increasing as disadvantaged people in poorer countries leave their homes to seek a better life elsewhere. They also point to a worsening polarisation between the unemployed poor and those in jobs.

Official estimates put the number of homeless in Finland at 8,150 single person households and 350 homeless families. Half of those without a permanent roof over their heads are in the metropolitan Helsinki region.

A new group of homeless are young people who have lost their credit status and cannot afford to pay high rents. 

YLE

........Way to go Wildcat Marching Band!!!..............

Wildcat Band places 4th at Maple Leaf

Neosho Daily News
Oct 19, 2010
Neosho, Mo. —

The Neosho High School Wildcat Band closed its 2010 competition schedule with a fourth place finish in finals competition at the Carthage Maple Leaf Marching Band Festival on Saturday.

Neosho, performing its 2010 marching band show, “Beyond Perimeters” for the final time, placed behind Willard High School in first place, Lebanon High School in second place and Carl Junction High School in third place.

Mt. Vernon and Joplin placed fifth and sixth, respectively.

In preliminary competition, the Neosho Wildcat Band’s percussion section won the Best Percussion caption in Class C, which featured Willard and Lebanon.

In finals, the Wildcat Band’s color guard won the Best Auxiliary caption, beating out the other seven bands in finals.

“I was very proud of the percussion and color guard for earning those caption awards,” said Elizabeth Rogers, director of instrumental music at NHS. “Those students worked very hard this year, and all that hard work paid off in their performance at Maple Leaf. I was proud of the entire band.”

Rogers is assisted by Ryan Lovell, associate band director, and assistant directors Darren Cordray and Ben Gervais. Eric Daughtery serves as the color guard assistant.
Copyright 2010 Neosho Daily News. Some rights reserved

......Obama has improved life for Americans abroad!!!!.........

This is for my liberal friends!!! I hope you see the humor in it! Jennifer (aka Fish), Erron Wright, Bill Slade, and Jason Knapp - I thought of all of you!!! I know Obama has made the World a better place for ALL Americans and here is proof!!!

(WARNING: This video is PG - 13 and contains rude hand gestures and Adult situations, if this offends you - go read my posts about other stuff!!!)



Has Obama Failed To Reduce Hostility Toward Obnoxious Americans Abroad?

.......National Teen Driver Safety Week.....

Great article to raise awareness on teen driving issues, from the Neosho Daily News!!!

October remains most dangerous month for teen crashes

Teens are nervous about being in a crash but continue to text

Neosho Daily News

Posted Oct 19, 2010 @ 09:01 AM

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. —

The majority of teens, 57 percent, admit to reading or sending text messages while driving.  A recent State Farm survey by Harris Interactive shows that despite concerns about getting into an accident, most teen drivers still lack awareness about the true ramifications of dangerous driving practices.

In the survey, 70 percent of teen drivers admitted to being nervous about being in a crash or hurting someone.  But despite these concerns, 57 percent of teens admit to reading or sending text messages while driving.

That’s why State Farm supported the congressional resolution designating the third week of October as National Teen Driver Safety Week .

October remains the most dangerous month of the year for teen driver crashes.  According to State Farm claims data, the highest number of injury or collision claims filed by 16- and 17-year old drivers continues to hit a high point in October, spiking by about 15 percent when compared to other months of the year. In Missouri, 10.5 percent of teen car crashes occur in October, making it the most dangerous month for teen crashes.

Copyright 2010 Neosho Daily News. Some rights reserved


UPDATE:
Another Great article on the same topic from www.usatoday.com - Thanks to Fred Harris for pointing this out!
 

....Study confirms - Americans ARE Likable!!!!..........

American Public Actually Kind Of Endearing In Some Ways

From The Onion.com

October 18, 2010 | 

New research on Americans, above, indicates they can actually be little bit charming sometimes.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—According to an extensive 18-month study published by researchers at the University of New Mexico this week, Americans, despite their embarrassing behavior, general ineptitude, and countless other negative traits, are actually kind of endearing in some ways.

"Our initial data showed that Americans are impulsive and tend toward willful ignorance—findings that are consistent with past research," said Professor Spencer Dixon, who led the study on U.S. culture and society. "But what we were surprised and, honestly, a little delighted to find is that Americans' short attention spans, simplemindedness, and inability to articulate a coherent idea can actually make them pretty lovable."
"It's hard to describe," Dixon continued. "It's just all these little quirks they have. And after a month or two of observation, they kind of start to grow on you."

After thousands of interviews with citizens from every socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic background, the UNM researchers discovered that despite the tendency of many Americans to do the loudest, dumbest thing possible at any given moment, the populace is "in the end, pretty hard not to like" and in many instances "sort of charming, frankly."
With their quirky ability to remain immobile for hours on end, Americans gradually won the affection of researchers.

Although the study documented numerous cases of adult Americans throwing tantrums, wasting valuable resources, taking their clothing off at live music or sporting events, and littering, researchers said they have determined conclusively that these habits in fact actually add to the people's charm.

"They do this other thing in public sometimes where they'll keep shouting the same stuff over and over again for no reason whatsoever," Dixon said. "And it's really fascinating, because according to our findings, not a single one of them even knows what it is they're shouting. They just like the sound of their own voice, I guess."
Added Dixon, with a chuckle, "The goofy bastards."

A large section of the 380-page study was devoted to examining the personal appearances of Americans, which researchers described as either very drab or unusually provocative, depending on the subject, but in all cases "undeniably amusing to look at."

Anthropologist Loren Martinez, who analyzed the eating habits of Americans, said she was dismayed by early evidence suggesting the study's participants completely avoided food with any nutritional value, but was quickly won over after witnessing their enthusiasm for cookies.  "The way they had chocolate chips and crumbs smeared all over their faces as they wolfed down plate after plate of cookies kind of made me smile," Martinez said. "Because it was just so them, you know? You just have to love anyone who feels no shame about stuffing a second cookie into their mouth while they're still chewing on the first."

According to field data, individual Americans also possess a winning ability to ignore the problems plaguing the nation and content themselves with sitting down in front of a television and drinking an entire six-pack of Coors Light while watching people dance.

Joel Anderson, a research assistant on the project, said the study changed his own preconceived notions about Americans.  "Sure they were loud and obnoxious and pathetic, but they were basically harmless, and we kind of liked having them around," he said. "Even when they smashed our lab equipment you couldn't really stay mad at them for long. I mean, c'mon, look at them."

"The way they waddle around in their little fat pants?" Anderson added. "Tell me that's not adorable."
The study's conclusions contradict a 2004 University of Massachusetts survey that found Americans were selfish, intolerant assholes who should eat shit and die.

.....Shots fired at the Pentagon and National Museum of the Marine Corps...

Pentagon shot at, authorities investigate

The Washington Post - www.washingtonpost.com

Pentagon locked down after report
7:08 a.m.
Pentagon entrances were locked down early Tuesday after a report of possible shots fired near the building.
Major Chris Perrine, a Pentagon spokesman, says a civilian reported he may have heard shots at about 5 a.m. EDT on the south side of the massive Defense Department headquarters.
Perrine says police authorities did a sweep of the area and didn't find anything.
The roads and pedestrian entrances leading to the Pentagon were reopened a little after 5:30.
--The Associated Press

Pentagon search after report of shots
10:20 a.m.
Pentagon police continue to investigate a report of possible shots fired near the building Tuesday morning, WUSA 9 reports.
Chris Layman, spokesperson for Pentagon Police, said officers widened their search for evidence, shutting down the southbound lanes of I-395, including HOV lanes, starting at the Boundary Channel Drive exit.
Northbound lanes were also shut down while police investigated. All lanes have been reopened to traffic.

11:31 a.m.
Someone fired shots at the Pentagon early Tuesday, hitting the building and causing minor damage, defense officials said.
Police who protect the massive Defense Department headquarters temporarily locked down some road and pedestrian entrances to the building after a civilian reported he may have heard shots at about 5 a.m. on the south side of the facility.
A sweep of the area and facility found that some shots had hit the building, Marine Col. Dave Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman said. He didn’t know how many or from what kind of weapon.
Roads and pedestrian entrances leading to the Pentagon were reopened a little after 5:30 a.m. but part of nearby highway 395 was later temporarily closed for part of the investigation.
The Pentagon Force Protection Agency is scheduled to hold a news conference 11:30 a.m. Tuesday to talk about the shooting incident this morning.


Law enforcement officials search for evidence along I-395. (AP)


A dozen police also were seen at around 9 a.m. walking side-by-side in a line as they combed through a grassy area on the south side of the building.
Lapan said there were no injuries. In response to a question, he said he did not know whether there was any connection between Tuesday’s incident and Monday’s discovery of bullet holes in windows at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, some 30 miles south of the Pentagon.
A cleaning crew at the museum associated with the Quantico Marine Base called police when they noticed the bullet holes in windows high up in a part of the building that faces Interstate 95.
Police believe the shots were fired at the museum late Saturday or early Sunday, when no one was inside. Investigators used a crane to inspect the damage Monday. Because of the height of the holes, police suspect the bullets were likely fired from a rifle, but they are still working to determine what caliber of bullet was used.
Several glass panels were hit, causing about $20,000 in damage. None of the museum’s artifacts — including a harrier jet hanging near the damaged windows — were hit.
-- Associated Press

2010

10

19

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By Washington Post editors  | October 19, 2010; 12:48 PM ET

.... My Battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.........

In some upcoming posts, I am going to address issues on Mental Health.  For this post, I wish to speak out about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Suicide. 

A friend of mine, Craig Maxey, told me of an American Hero, who died on October 12, 2010.  His name was Paul Anderson Marsden and he was a Veteran of the Iraq War.  Now, I do not profess to have any knowledge of his situation and what led him to take his life, but I do know this – our Nation – no our Society - does not do enough to help those who give so much to others or to those with mental stress in general.

Paul was a Sergeant in the United States Army Reserves.  He deserved a better life; he deserved to live – period!  Our Military and our society MUST do more to assist people who are struggling with survival.  Again, I did not have the honor to know Paul, so unfortunately I do not know his story – but I’d like to help turn the tide on Mental Health issues and begin speaking out.  So, in honor of Paul and others like him, I want to say this…..I am sorry I was not there to help you……I am sorry society let you down……I am really sorry our society “labels” people who fight various demons and ostracizes them, making them afraid and embarrassed to reach out.  How do I know how it feels?  I have been there.  I hope Paul’s Family does not mind me sharing my experience in his honor……

In the Spring of 2007, While working as a Neosho Police Officer, I attempted to stop a car for a very minor traffic violation.  The car was north bound on Lime Kiln Road, on the far North edge of the Neosho City Limits.  The car had no front license plate.  After I turned on my emergency lights, the driver chose to run.  After a mile or so at high speed, the young female driver lost control.  She slammed off the road and into a huge Oak Tree.  Time stood still, as I watched her car roll like a vehicle out of the Dukes of Hazard.  It flipped upside down and careened into a marshy area of water, which was several feet deep.  I ran to the edge of the road and watched as two females came up from underneath the car.  I ordered them to the side of the water.  Initially, they both complied, but within a few seconds, the driver began to yell at me that she had a little boy trapped in the back seat of the car.  I thought she was trying to trick me in order to get away or maybe she was trying to distract me, so she could pull a weapon out and harm me.  I wasted thirty or forty five seconds trying to get a handle on what was really happening.

I began to realize the girl was serious and there really was someone in the car.  I entered the water and tried to free the young man, but I was unable to.  I could feel his arm, but the water was so muddy and the car was under water.  Having children of my own, I was panicked.  Rescue workers are not supposed to panic, but I was…I feared losing this young man over someone not having a license plate!!! 

After my worthless rescue attempt, Neosho Fire Chief Greg Hickman arrived and assisted me, by making a dive into the back seat of the submerged car and cutting the seat belt, which held the lad in.  I helped Chief Hickman get the lifeless body from the wreckage.  We carried him up the hillside and began CPR.  We called for a rescue helicopter and the boy was flown to a Joplin Hospital.  He survived.

I struggled with my actions on this call.  First, should I have been chasing this car in the first place?  No, I did not make this girl run.  She feared getting a ticket because she did not have a driver’s license!  But, I had only seconds to assess what was going on and at the time I was searching for the suspect in a stabbing.  So, I did not know why the driver was really fleeing.  Secondly, I hesitated in my rescue effort of the boy, because I thought the driver was lying to me and pulling a clever ruse.  For months, there was not a night I went to bed where I did not see this young boys face, as he was pulled from the car, lifeless, not breathing, with blue skin.  I followed proper police procedure and used good officer safety skills to protect myself - I know I acted professionally, but nothing is worth losing a child over!

Then, the final straw……..

A relative short time later, an old neighbor of mine committed suicide and in the suicide she inadvertently took her son with her.  He was an innocent victim as she filled her garage with carbon monoxide gas from her car.  He was asleep in another part of the home and the gas unintentionally spread to claim his life, as well as hers.  It was a tragedy.  This young man had played in my back yard.  Knew my wife and kids.  He had just ate dinner beside me and my wife at a local fast food restaurant – only hours earlier.  I was literally one of the last people to see him alive.  I found his body in the home, as I checked the crime scene.  I was the first emergency responder there.

Then it hit me, the huge flood of emotion.  The young neighbor of mine was preparing to go to Alaska with his Uncle in only a few weeks.  He had the rest of his life ahead of him.  But, not now.  Not now.

As the weeks past, from both of these calls, I began to drink alcohol.  I mean “drink” alcohol.  I like an occasional beer or some wine, but during this dark period of my life, I was stupid.  I would come home from work, sit down with a 12 pack – 18 pack, bottle of wine, whatever and drink.  I would think about the things I could have done differently to change both of these situations.  I know now, there is nothing I could have done.  I blamed God and questioned my faith.  How could a loving “good” God allow either of these events to take place???  There is no answer to that question and I have learned to not ask why, when it comes to the Lord’s Plan.

I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  I nearly lost my marriage, became isolated from my kids, and was not the cop I normally was.  I was crazy.  I could not function.   If you have not been there, there is no way to really describe it.  While I did not seriously think of suicide, there were several nights I wondered if anyone would care if I was gone or if the World would actually be better off without me.  Crazy, huh?

Well, here is the deal – just like our Soldiers – people expect Cops to be super human.  We are not.  We are people.  We laugh, we cry, we make mistakes, we hurt, we wonder why????  But, due to the stigma of being “weak”, I was afraid to ask for help.  Luckily, some important people, namely my Wife, intervened in my life and stopped my downward spiral.

I encourage all of you out there to reach out and help someone who you think is struggling.  Be a friend and listen for signs of problems.  Help fight the stigma attached to those who are mentally unstable.  We must encourage people to seek help from professionals and not penalize them when they do!!!!!  Some police departments will never allow an officer back on the road if they ask for help.  Come on!  I know there will be those people who can not be placed back into crime fighting, but this is not true for all officers.  There are many people who could use a shoulder to lean on for a short period of their life, but this does not mean they are not capable of recovering and being better for it!

Back to Paul, I appreciate his service and what he did for our Country, but I am sorry he was let down by myself and the “system” around him.  I don’t want to see any more people end up like Paul, so let’s join forces to make sure they don’t!

....Nikola Tesla - another Hero of mine.....

If you are unfamiliar with Nikola Tesla, you are not unfamiliar with his inventions. The next time you turn on a light switch OR power on your computer, don't thank Thomas Edison, thank Nikola Tesla........

I know there is an hour's worth of video here and you may not have time to watch it all at once, but I encourage you to watch these videos over the course of a couple of weeks and see what you think of Mr. Tesla. He intrigues me and I seriously believe he could have really changed the course of American History, if he had been able to secure more funding for even more of his research.

I am most intrigued by his research on the wireless transmission of electricity. This is an area where I think we should invest research and development dollars. Just think, if Tesla was right and electricity can be transmitted, like radio waves, to a distant receiver - well, the world could be changed forever!

I hope you take the time to watch.....go pop some popcorn....sit back, relax, and meet another Hero of mine.....Nikola Tesla (July 10, 1856 to January 7, 1943)

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



Part 5 - Final Episode!

....Breaking News - Shooting in Tennessee.....

Henning Tennessee Post Office Shooting, Two People Dead

Post Office Shooting in Henning, Tn.

There are reports coming out of Henning, Tennessee this morning that around 9AM there was a shooting at the Henning Post Office. Officials have stated that 2 females have been shot and killed. the exact details of this tragic shooting are not avialable as of yet, however, at least two deaths are confirmed.

Henning Tennessee, which is located approximately 50 miles to the northeast of Memphis, is a small town in the far west part of the state. The population of the town is just 970 people, and the area is only about 1.3 square miles. Located in Lauderdale County, Henning is known for the Battle of Fort Pillow, during the civil war.

...."Right" / "Privilege" to vote...........

I copied the text below from the Missouri Bar Association - it is well written and educational for anyone who wants to know about your "right" or "privilege" to vote. I plan to build off of this information in an upcoming post...................



The Right to Vote

In some respects the reference to voting as a right is a misnomer, for voting is not a right but a privilege. The Constitution delegates to the states the power to decide what qualifications are required of potential voters, thus failing to guarantee voting rights at all.

The Missouri Constitution, in Article 8, Section 2, presents the qualifications which Missourians must meet if they wish to vote. Such criteria as age, residency and registration are found in Missouri's provisions, as in most other states. Those who are confined to mental institutions or are otherwise mentally incapacitated may not vote. Also, those who have been convicted of a felony or crime connected with the exercise of the right of suffrage may be excluded by law from voting. Essentially, however, all duly registered Missourians over 18 years of age are entitled to vote.

Although voting may not be a natural or vested right, it has come to be considered the status of a right which cannot be restricted without just cause. Several constitutional amendments are concerned with the voting rights of Americans. The fact that these were introduced and ratified through the process of constitutional amendment indicates that it is still the prerogative of the states to prescribe the qualifications of voters -- provided that constitutional provisions are not violated.

The oldest of these amendments is the Fifteenth Amendment, which prohibits denial of voting status on the basis of color, race or previous servitude. The terminology of the amendment is important, for it is here that the phrase "right to vote" is coined within the text of the U. S. Constitution. All other amendments dealing with suffrage were to follow this precedent and refer to voting as a right.

Section 2 of this amendment is also important, for it is the source of several pieces of legislation which deal with states' efforts to circumvent the thrust of the Fifteenth Amendment. One of the techniques used by the states was the grandfather clause, which did not expressly prohibit blacks from voting, but rather forced all who were not descendants of those who could vote in January, 1867, to take a stringent literacy test. The effect was to bar blacks from voting because their ancestors, who were slaves, could not vote. The courts were dedicated in their efforts to eliminate disenfranchisement because of racial discrimination, and the "grandfather clause" provisions were struck down in 1915.

It eventually became obvious that case-by-case litigation was an ineffective means to ensure that Americans would not be denied the right to vote; thus, legislation was passed to implement the purpose of the Fifteenth Amendment. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 reiterated the amendment in announcing that "no voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard . . . shall be imposed or applied by any state or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color."

Another group of American citizens -- women -- were enfranchised with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Women had long campaigned for suffrage, with both Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone forming organizations to promote the movement as early as 1869. Although 12 states gave suffrage to women within their borders by 1913, it took the process of constitutional amendment to extend this right to women throughout the nation.

On February 4, 1964, yet another amendment to the Constitution concerned with the voting rights of Americans was ratified. The Twenty-Fourth Amendment provides that the right of American citizens to vote in national elections "shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any other state by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax." This amendment established that the right of any citizen to vote in an election was not to be determined by his economic capacity to pay a poll tax. With passage of this amendment, another possible subtle means to disenfranchise Americans was diminished.

The U. S. Supreme Court was later to deal with the issue of poll taxes as a prerequisite to voting in state and local elections, with the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment applied to eliminate poll taxes altogether.

It remained for one more group of Americans to have their voting rights guaranteed by constitutional amendment. In 1970, the Voting Rights Act lowered the minimum age of voters from 21 to 18 in national, state and local elections. But the Supreme Court was to hold in the same year that such a legislative attempt did not hold to the legal processes of the Constitution. It was ruled that only through the Constitution could the states' power to establish voter qualifications be modified. But a movement for the extension of voting rights to 18-year-olds was already underway, and a constitutional amendment -- the Twenty-Sixth Amendment -- giving them this right was ratified in 1971.

It is a testimony to the importance of the right of the people to vote that more amendments to the U.S. Constitution deal with this issue than with any other. The maintenance of our way of life and the system that makes it possible is dependent upon the input of the people. The legal heritage of our nation demonstrates the awareness of our people that to deny one the right to vote is not only detrimental to that individual, but also to the system itself. Voting is still a privilege in that it may be denied of certain individuals on legitimate grounds, but it is a right in that the grounds must be strongly warranted and legally justified.

....George Brett - one of my Heroes.....

George Brett was one of my heroes, as a child. I would stay up many nights and listen to the Kansas City Royals on my little AM radio. This was in the late 1970's and through the mid to late 1980's. Dan Quisenberry, Amos Otis, Paul Splittorff, Frank White, Bret Saberhagen, and others gave me many thrills and much excitement. But, no player then or since excited me like George Brett. He was and still is awesome.

I came across this video of one of his most infamous moments - the "Pine Tar" Incident, which took place against the dreaded New York Yankees and their Manager Billy Martin, was played on July 24, 1983.

Even if you are not a sports fan it's great to watch and see how mad Brett gets after he is called out for a rule violation (he had too much pine tar, which helps with gripping the bat, above the logo). Just had to share this video.....so sit back and enjoy a moment of American Sports History.....Ladies and Gentleman may I take you back in time 27 years to my youth and my Hero, George Brett.............

....Let's get something for our Money.....

While I don't agree with everything Derek Thompson suggests in this editorial, from The Atlantic, I do agree with this......Why are we paying workers unemployment for doing nothing????  Why not pay workers their unemployment, but have them work on public works projects, like paving roads, building sewers, etc.  Yes, I know I am making a suggestion reminiscent of the WPA (Works Progress Administration), but seriously isn't it better to get something rather than nothing????  I am tired of typical American entitlements! --- Steve Douglas

The Atlantic Home

Friday, October 15, 2010

Derek Thompson - Derek Thompson is a staff editor at TheAtlantic.com, where he writes about economics, business, and technology. Derek has also written for BusinessWeek, Slate and The Daily Beast.

Derek Thompson is a blogger at TheAtlantic.com and staff editor for the Business Channel, where he writes about economic policy, technology, and the media industry. Derek graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University with a triple major in journalism, political science, and legal studies, but he doesn't plan on doing anything with that last bit. He has also written for Slate, BusinessWeek and The Daily Beast. He has appeared as a guest on radio and television networks, including CBS News Radio, the BBC, and CNBC. 

The Case for Lower Wages and More Government Spending

Oct 13 2010, 12:00 PM ET 

General Motors and the United Auto Workers union agreed last week on a new wage structure that works out to a 20 percent wage cut for GM employees, Steven Pearlstein writes. It was a small news story last week, but it represents a microcosm of the economy. With nearly one fifth of workers unemployed or under-employed, the best way to save jobs and boost productivity in the short term is for workers to accept lower wages.

This shouldn't be big news. In economics, prices fall with demand. Demand is down. The price for work -- wages -- should be down, too. But wages have a tendency to flat-line, not fall, in recessions. Workers refuse to work at lower pay and employers are afraid to lose good workers by demanding pay cuts. So instead of falling wages, you get falling employment.

Pearlstein suggests we all "look for creative new wage structures" to get the economy rolling again. That means "look for ways employers can pay employees less money." There are a couple ways to do this. Some we've tried, and some we haven't. We have tried hiring more part-time workers, off-shoring more jobs, and adding cheap positions. We haven't tried "job-sharing," the German plan where government and employers split the check for workers to keep more people in their old jobs even when demand for their product falls.

We also haven't really tried direct hiring. Let's say that wage cuts are, as Pearlstein headline announces, "the only way to get Americans back to work." If work is cheap, and out-of-work construction workers are plentiful, and we're paying them already to be unemployed, why not continue to pay them ... to work! The United States has hundreds of billions of dollars of infrastructure to update across the country, which we will eventually have to update, and labor will never be cheaper than today, with 30 percent of construction workers on the federal dole for joblessness.

The case for lower wages entails all sorts of conclusions, from cheaper public employees to cheaper private retirement packages. But it also makes a good case for the government writing checks to unemployed workers and saying: Fix this levee.

......Dragons in Denver?????..............

Denver Zoo hatches 4 Komodo dragons

The Associated Press

The Denver Zoo says it's become the only zoo in the world to hatch endangered Komodo dragons for a third time.

The zoo said Thursday that in its latest feat, four dragons have hatched and four are still in the incubator.

Denver Zoo Curator of Reptiles and Fishes Rick Haeffner says the zoo is only the second one in North America to hatch the dragons this year.The four should be on display in the nursery soon.

Komodo dragons are the world's largest species of lizard and can grow to be 10 feet long and more than 250 pounds. They have a vicious bite and have about 60 razor-sharp, serrated teeth up to 1 inch long.

Between 3,000 and 5,000 Komodo dragons are left in the wild.

Read more

.....Wal-Mart the Farmer's Market?????...........

Wal-Mart looks to stock more local produce

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says it will double its sale of locally sourced produce in the U.S. by the end of 2015. The move by the world’s biggest retailer is part of a new sustainable agriculture strategy that looks to steer more business to small and medium-sized farmers globally while also reducing farming’s environmental impact.
Wal-Mart plans to buy more of select U.S. crops. It also anticipates providing training to 1 million farmers and farm workers in emerging markets and selling $1 billion in food sourced from 1 million small and medium-sized farmers.

....Baxter Springs Attorney Indicted......

October 14, 2010

Chris Meek, Baxter Springs defense attorney, charged in federal court

By Roger McKinney Globe Staff Writer

  The Joplin Globe Thu Oct 14, 2010, 02:23 PM CDT

BAXTER SPRINGS, Kan. —  Baxter Springs defense attorney Chris Meek was charged Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Wichita, with felony drug crimes.

A federal grand jury handed down the indictment Wednesday charging Meek with aiding and abetting the manufacture of marijuana and maintaining a premises for the purpose of manufacturing marijuana, both on March 14, 2006, and possession of prescription painkiller Hydrocodone on Sept. 1, 2009.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting the case against Meek.

Read the indictment 

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the charge of aiding and abetting the manufacture of marijuana; up to 20 years and a fine of up to $500,000 on the charge of maintaining a premises to manufacture drugs; and up to a year in prison and up to $1,000 fine on the Hydrocodone charge.

Meek, reached by cell phone, said he was unaware of the indictment. He said he would have no comment until he talked with his attorney.

Meek also is a former Cherokee County Attorney, the county prosecutor.