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February 28, 2007

Maybe Kansas City will get a decent mayor

I have not lived in Kansas City, Missouri for many years - gosh, I moved out of Kansas City in 1990. Kansas City is a mess. The politics of the place has been screwy forever. Much money is wasted, much favoritism shown. The city has annexed huge chunks of non-incorporated areas over the years, and has never provided those areas with the same amenities people living closer to the center city get - you know, amenities like police and fire protection and ambulance service, clearing the snow and ice off roads, that kind of stuff.

Kansas City has a weird process for selecting a mayor. There are no 'political parties' allowed (hahahaha) in the elections for the city. All the people who want to run for mayor (and this time, there were 12 or 13 people running) are voted on at the same time (yesterday). The top two vote-getters then have a run off election in a month or so.

The results are in - Funkhauser and Brooks will be running against each other.

I hope and pray that Kansas Citians vote for Mark Funkhouser - he was city auditor for years and he knows where the money goes and whether or not it should go there.

Alvin Brooks is a fine man - but he is a very liberal Democrat. I can't imagine how much money he would want to spend!

I'll write more later.

I have to go to work!

Posted by Beth at 6:53 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

February 14, 2007

I suck at live blogging

I had so much fun meeting so many great folks at the Dole Institute of Politics last night that I pretty much gave up on live blogging. The facilities director and his wife, Laurence and Terry (it might be Terri or Terrie, I'll have to ask her) Bush let me hang out 'backstage' with them.

Terry, oddly enough, is exactly 3 days older than I am. So I have her business card and email address, and since Lawrence, Kansas is just the next county over, I'm sure we'll get together for a birthday drink, at least.

It was very nice to meet some 'big' bloggers. John and I were very lucky to be invited to the pre-event dinner. I sat next to Judge Joseph Pierron, of the Kansas Appellate Court, and discovered that we both graduated from Rockhurst College (now University). The good Judge graduated a few years before I started at Rockhurst - when it was an all-male college. We both had been taught by several of the same professors - Dr. Rydzel for history, and several of the same Jesuit priests. I thought it was kinda funny that both of us did whatever was necessary to avoid Father Freeman's classes!

John sat next to Judge Pierron's wife, Diana Bartelli Carlin, Ph. D. Dr. Carlin is a fascinating, brilliant woman - she is the dean of the Graduate School and International Programs at the University of Kansas and a professor of Communications. She has been very involved with presidential politics as you can see.
We also sat with some KU grad students. And I can't remember their names!!! So if anyone was there, let me know who they were.

It was really a fun meal. Lots of talking and getting to know each other. Wonderful experience!

I will write more about the Blog to the Chief event later on - now, I have to get ready to go, I'll be gone for a few days and won't have access to the internet, but I will be back probably Saturday or Sunday.

Update - here is John's post, with pictures, of last evenings events.

Posted by Beth at 7:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Venomous Kate

Kate was admitted to Cushing Hospital in Leavenworth, Kansas yesterday. Her blood work was not good.

So, everyone, say some prayers for Kate's quick recovery.

Posted by Beth at 7:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 13, 2007

Live Blogging at the Dole Institute

I am sitting in Lawrence Bush's office here at the Dole Institute of Politics. He is the director of facilities here and really is the person who runs it all!

We had a lovely dinner here and now, I am going to live blog the discussion tonight. Bill Lacy, the Director of the institute is introducing the bloggers right now. I met Bill, and he is a very gracious host as the top guy here.

This is a discussion on how the upcoming 2008 Presidential Election will be affected by blogs.
David Perlmudder, a professor here at Kansas University, is our moderator.

The role of Political Blogs in electing the President is what will be discussed tonight.
Candidates Romney, Clinton, Edwards, Obama and others have blogs or My Space pages.

Oh, gosh - John is doing a much better job and I have got to go to the bathroom!!!!
So, go read John's blog

Okay, I'm back from the bathroom. They are discussing how blogs are forcing politicians to talk directly to the people. Sound bites do not work on blogs.

Now they are talking about the media - the MSM - and how they get to pick out what is important enough to discuss.

Oh, gosh, I give up.

Posted by Beth at 7:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Why is it okay to slam the Catholic Church?

I am a Catholic. Once upon a time, the Democrat Part had a lot of Catholic voters. I used to be one of those. In fact, I was even a Precinct Captain for the Democrats in Johnson County, Kansas.

I thought that Democrats championed people of any religion, any background, any race. Boy, was I wrong! I look around the blogosphere and see blogs like Pandagon, where Amanda (ex-official blogmistress of John (I hate Catholics) Edwards) goes on and on forever about the Catholic Church forcing women to have babies.

And then, there are people here on newsvine.com who hate the Catholic Church.

What happened to the liberal idea of tolerance?

Is it possible it doesn't really exist?

Or is hating Catholics the one safe bigotry left to liberals? After all, I have not seen any nuns chopping the heads off of people.

Catholics are pro-life - is that the problem? Liberals hate us because we revere life?
Or is it charity? Catholics are pretty darn charitable - and you don't have to be Catholic to be a recipient of Catholic Community Services, you just have to have a need.

Or maybe they hate us because we believe there is such a thing as sin?

I don't know. But I do know that I'm no longer a Democrat. I'm no longer a liberal - why on earth would I want to be identified with a bunch of people who hate me for my religion. Who hate all Catholics?

This is cross-posted on Netvine..

UPDATE: So you can understand what the commenter below is referring to, here is a link to the article I objected to and if you scroll down, you will find my comment.

And of course, in typical moonbat fashion, I'm the one who is a bigot for defending my church.

Posted by Beth at 1:04 PM | Comments (22) | TrackBack

We are going to have an interesting time tonight

John and I are going to the Dole Institute of Politics Presidential Lecture Series: "Blog to the Chief: The Impact of Political Blogs on the 2008 Election". We will get to meet some wonderful bloggers there. It is free to the public, and I urge everyone to try to come. There will be bloggers from the Left and from the Right. I think it will be pretty interesting.

And C-Span is going to cover it - I'm glad we are not on the panel, but we do get to go to a dinner and discussion before the event. We are waiting to see if we can take pictures and/or liveblog it.

Posted by Beth at 9:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 11, 2007

Amanda, John Edwards and feminism

The whole Amanda of Pandagon thing is totally cracking me up. Obviously, John Edwards learned all about flip-flopping from his mentor and running mate, John (I was in Vietnam) Kerry.

First he hires her. Then he fires her, then he doesn't fire her.

Darlene says it's because Amanda found something new to make her feel fresh again.

Posted by Beth at 5:56 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 7, 2007

Speech

I swear if I hear anyone use the term "Speaking Truth to Power" one more time, I'll scream.

Where the hell did that phrase come from?

Can't they just say "Speaking truth"?

Or better yet - just shut up?

Posted by Beth at 6:03 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

February 6, 2007

This is what we pay Senators $165,200 per year for?

Let's see. Just what has the Senate accomplished so far this year? Nothing. They are not even debating anything that means anything.

Spending all this time on a non-binding resolution is ridiculous and a waste of taxpayers' time and money. They do it just to get into the spotlight. Just so they can express their own version of BDS. And too many Republican Senators are behaving as badly as the Democrat Senators. They are so wishy washy - Brownback, for instance, my own Senator (I cannot stand the man), is against the war, but won't vote for a non-binding resolution because it might send the wrong message to the enemy. Too late, Brownback, to late Senators, the message has already been sent.

No one likes war. But since we are there, and if we leave, Iraq will become a black hole, we have to do what we can to win it. Yes, win it. And we don't win wars by being a bunch of whiny, snotty Senators who just want their own anti-Bush soundbites to be on the evening news.

I was awakened very early this morning by the critters (4:00 am). I went about my morning chores and turned on the radio. It was some talk show or another, and they were discussing the 'non-binding resolution'. Virtually every caller appeared to be reading from a George Soros script denouncing President Bush.

In a way, I am happy that Senators are doing nothing - they can't raise my taxes when they are being publicity hounds. On the other hand, our Troops in Iraq are put in harm's way by politicians and pundits who exclaim that they are going to fail. If any of you think that Al Qaeda does not take great solace in knowing that the US is going to let them take over the Middle East, well, you are just damned ignorant.

Update: Go read this post - it's kinda related to this one, and I hope that the idiot Senators give General Petraeus a chance.

Posted by Beth at 5:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 4, 2007

I must be out of my mind

You all know that last weekend, I laid down the last of the tile (vinyl tile) that I started 9 years ago. Well, today, I noticed that the fucking toilet is leaking, and two tiles are unstuck - I looked, and the fucking subfloor is all wet and warped.

Fortunately, my company's stock shot up about 10% on Friday. I had put in an order to sell my options about a month ago if the stock reached a certain price - it reached it, so I'm about $3,000 richer after taxes.

I decided, what the fuck. (Yes, I'm full of fuck this and fuck that today). I'm going to have the floor professionally done. Maybe with ceramic tile, or stone. And then, I looked at the incredibly ugly light blue plastic tiles on all four walls of the bathroom, and I tore most of it down. And then, I looked at the ugly striped wallpaper above where the tile used to be. And I pulled most of it down. Now I'm looking at the ugly, 5 foot wide mirror over the ugly bathroom cabinet, and I'm going to get rid of that, too. And then, I think I'll paint the cabinet and have a new top put on it, and I think I'll get one of those vessel sinks which I think look so cool, and I'm going to get a pretty, smaller mirror and put shelves on either side.

Only, I'm going to get as much of it done by SOMEONE ELSE as I can afford.

I might even get a jacuzzi to replace the 45 year old bathtub. Lowes has one for $700 that will fit.

Oh, I am also going to paint the ceiling.
so there!

Posted by Beth at 6:43 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

February 3, 2007

Blogging and bloggers

I know, I've been lax in my blogging of late. But I'm trying very hard to reorganize our home so I will eventually have more time for blogging and some of my creative interests.

It's so funny - most people I work with, etc, have never heard of a blog. And since I work in the technology world, and most of them are under 30, it's pretty humourous that their 53-year-old co-worker is more up on stuff than they are. Don't get me wrong, the people I work with are great - especially since I switched over to a different solution - YeeHa!!!

I spent last week learning how to install IBM WebSphere and how to set up our software to work with it on handheld, wireless computers. I love it! But, while I'm learning, I'm not going to be doing a lot of blogging - actually, I have not done a lot of blogging lately anyway! But at least this is a good excuse.

Blogging has been great for me. I have met so many wonderful people via the Internet and blogging - and I've been blessed enough to meet a lot of bloggers in person. Gosh, probably close to 100 by now - I really do need to make a blogroll of the bloggers I've met in person.

It's also very cool that a blogger I have been reading forever, Venomous Kate, is pretty much a neighbor now. We had drinks and appetizers last Saturday evening, and as soon as Kate feels better (she is down with a sinus infection right now), I look so forward to hanging out with her more often.

You see, I'm kind of an odd person. I do not have a lot of friends. It's not that I'm unfriendly, it's just that my interests rarely mesh with people who are neighbors or co-workers. As a result, the people I'm most comfortable with and happy being around tend to be bloggers - we have something in common - viewpoints or interests - I have made friends that mean more to me than any friends I've ever had thru email and my blog and their blogs.

Bloggers, at least the ones I link to, are brighter than the average "man on the street". They have critical thinking skills. They are erudite. They are funny.

My neighbors are nice people. However, they are pretty technology-illiterate. They are more interested in Survivor or the SuperBowl than in the state of the world or politics or artsy stuff or critters.

I like everyone I've met at blog meets, etc., more than my neighbors and most of my co-workers.

Yay bloggers!

Posted by Beth at 4:49 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack