Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
BILLY MAYS DIES...STRUCK HIS HEAD DURING ROUGH PLANE LANDING...SUBDURAL HEMATOMA?
BILLY MAYS DIED AT HIS HOME IN FLORIDA.
HE WAS A PITCHMAN WHO MADE IT GOOD SELLING OXYCLEAN AND OTHER STUFF.
I AM SHOUTING IN HIS MEMORY.
ps--- RIP local artist Nick Owens who passed over yesterday.
About the artist
Born...Springfield, MO 1978
Resides...Springfield, MO
Bio...I(Nick Owens) began painting at an early age. having grown up in a creative household I was always encouraged to experiment with a variety of activities. Growing up in the skateboarding community I was exposed to the two most influential things in my life, and my art, punk rock and street art. I moved to Nashville in 1995 and that's when I really started to pursue art. I am directly influenced by the world i live in and I'm naturally drawn to urban city life. as I move around a lot, often times images of the city I'm living in will appear in my work. I thrive on excitement and that also is a prevalent theme in my paintings. i like to experiment with obscure metaphors to tell a story within my work. Although I work primarily on canvas or panel, I have recently been doing some mural projects which I personally think are important in the promotion of the arts in a community. I've done several exhibitions in Springfield, MO; New York, NY; Chicago, Il; Norfolk, Va and most recently Kansas City, MO. I currently live in Springfield but I'm planning a trip to Mexico City later this summer.
Horse Trailer Rescue And Other Stuff
Sara and Dan broke down in the pickup pulling the gooseneck horse trailer with the horse in it last night around 11. They had been to an evening horseshow. They were able to limp into the T/A truckstop in Mount Vernon.
Knowing the battery was probably ok, I got the Suburban fired up and drove to Mount Vernon, planning to switch out batteries, I planned to put the battery in the pickup in the Suburban and the Suburban battery in the pickup. As the battery in the pickup wore down from not being charged, the battery in the Suburban would be charging. When we needed to, we would just pull over on the shoulder and switch out batteries again. The downside is working on the side of a highway at night with only flashlights for illumination. Luckily, Sara and Dan had parked under a light at the T/A truckstop so we could see what we were doing. We still needed flashlights for these 60 year old eyes.
On older vehicles (like almost all the vehicles I own -- hey they are all paid for, licensed, titled, tagged and insured and I have no car payments!), the battery can be disconnected while the truck is running (don't try that on a truck with computer or electronic ingition and fuel injector). I kept the suburban running while we switched batteries because I wasn't sure if the pick up battery would have enough juice to start the Suburban.
It was lightning and thundering while we were working on the trucks in the truckstop. That brought the heat down. Sara was worrying about Margo, the horse in the trailer, who kept stomping her feet and occasionally kicking at something in the trailer. Finally, we got everything switched and the pickup started. I told Sara and Dan to roll the windows down (power windows), not to run the air or radio and disconnect the trailer lights. I didn't want to put any more demand on the battery that the headlights and spark plugs took. (You've seen NASCAR drivers do this when the charging system fails. Except they have back up charging systems. Occasionally you see them have to switch out a battery in the pits. They do it a lot faster than Dan and I did last night.)
We took off down the highway. Sara and Dan in the lead pulling the trailer with Margo and no trailer lights (Sara has the back of that trailer full of reflective tape, you can see it even without tail lights) and I following close behind in the Suburban with my four-way flashers on.
We made the trip home without having to switch batteriess. Sara and Dan unloaded and fed the horses, and I drove the Suburban back to Springfield.
Sophie's birthday was Saturday also. Big birthday party at Jim and Kristin's house and later that evening a bar-be-que at Peggy and Pride's, just down the street. I was feeling sort of heat sick so I just stuck to drinking water. I was glad I did.
The parties were wonderful, Sophie and all her cousins went swimming in the kiddie pool. Neighbor Jack and I cooled our heels in the big pool. Sadie's getting baptized this morning. Everyone's at church except for me and Jack.
I am waiting for Dan to bring in the pickup so we can bring it to our private mechanic to check it out. I realized last night when I was driving to the truckstop that I had no backup vehicle that could pull the horse trailer. I think the horsefarmer has the right kind of hitch in his big Ford Diesel F900 thousand (it's a big truck). I may have to rig up a hitch on the B's Nest truck to be a back up truck. It's the right color.
Finally got the back porch project finished, it turned out nice! We had tiled the old back porch and hadn't yet finished tiling (or even started tiling) the new footprint of the new porch.
My son-in-law and I, with the help of the grandsons, commenced tiling, grouting and sealing the back porch. We finished up yesterday. It is nice to have a project completed (been doing this since November, 2007).
Why did it take so long? Hey, I told you I was a busy man!
Hey, speaking of horses....this just in from my little brother Ed. He's the one my other brother John, Longrooffan, calls "jeepjunkie" -- check out his yellow jeep.
Where'd He Go? He Got Moved To Nashville....
God is moving LifeOfJason to Nashville to start a new church, a new life.
Listen to his story from the June 17, 2009 episode.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Too Hot To Blog
Thermometer on the barn showed 105 this afternoon.
Daniel and I finished grouting the tile on the backporch. I put two coats of sealer on it this afternoon. Tomorrow will reset the hot tub.
Went to the boys' ball game tonight after I went to Lowe's. They are good ballplayers. Got home and watered the PvtRN's flowers and plants.
Now, I am going to take a cool shower and go to bed.]
Too hot to blog.
The Last Word On Michael Jackson*
Here is a link to some recent video taken of Michael Jackson shopping with his children. Look for more information coming about Jocko and the drug Demoral as the story unfolds.
Meanwhile, slow down in work zones.
This news release is from MoDOT:
MoDOT Striping Crews Face Narrow Escapes*This is the last Michael Jackson story I will publish. MSNBC last night was full of him. I am too.
JEFFERSON CITY - Five MoDOT striping crews were involved in crashes and narrowly escaped injuries while painting brighter, more visible lines on Missouri roads this spring. No MoDOT employees suffered serious injuries, however, the driver of a semi-truck was killed in one of the crashes. Inattention, impairment, speeding, following too closely and texting while driving are all suspected as the causes of the crashes.
"Driving is a job that demands your full attention," said Don Hillis, MoDOT System Management director. "Distractions are easy to come by, but please protect yourself and our highway crews and concentrate on the road."
When MoDOT sets up a striping operation, several trucks, sometimes as many as three, travel behind the paint truck to warn drivers to slow down and change lanes. The trucks are equipped with TMAs - truck mounted attenuators -- at the rear bumper, which are filled with a material designed to absorb the energy of the crash and provide a barrier of protection.
"Those trucks have several flashing lights, several orange signs, and they actually have an arrow that will flash and direct drivers around it. So we are pretty lit up," said John Russell, regional maintenance supervisor for MoDOT in St. Louis.
These striping crews avoided serious injuries by mere inches:
· The driver of a car on Interstate 44 near St. Clair barely avoided hitting a striping crew on March 26 by swerving at the last minute, but in the process she rolled her car numerous times. It took several hours to attend to the driver's needs and get the crash cleared and the striping operation back on track.
· On March 30, on Interstate 270 at the Tesson Ferry exit near St. Louis, a motorist driving about 60 miles an hour rear-ended a TMA driven by Martin Connell, a MoDOT intermediate maintenance worker. The driver received two tickets and totaled his car but was not injured in the crash.
· MoDOT Senior Maintenance Worker Ted Hargis was driving a TMA behind a striping crew on April 22. They were on Interstate 29 near the Mound City exit when he looked in the rearview mirror and saw two semis, side by side, coming straight for him. At the last moment, one semi swerved back into the other lane, just clipping the TMA. The TMA was totaled and the front axle was ripped from the semi. The semi driver admitted inattention was the cause of the crash. Everyone was wearing a seat belt and no one was injured.
· A striping crew in downtown St. Louis barely escaped injury on May 12 when a semi-truck driver who was passing a striping operation passed three TMAs and then clipped the yellow paint carriage on the striper, nearly ripping it from the truck. The semi narrowly missed the driver's head and the crash spilled paint and glass reflective beads onto the roadway. The tractor-trailer fled the scene and hit another car at the next intersection where he was arrested. The highway workers were shaken, but not seriously injured.
· James Evans, a seasonal worker for MoDOT, was on his first day back for the summer season on May18 when the TMA truck he was driving as part of a striping crew was struck on Interstate 70 near Concordia. A semi-truck ran into the back end of the MoDOT truck and it rolled twice before coming to rest in the middle of the median. Evans was wearing a seat belt and was able to walk away from the crash.
MoDOT crews will be out improving Missouri roads throughout the summer months. Please buckle up, watch for signs, slow down and stay alert when you are driving through a work zone.
Between 2004 and 2008, 79 people were killed in work zones. Since 2000, 15 MoDOT employees have been killed in the line of duty. Hitting and injuring or killing a highway worker in Missouri could result in a fine up to $10,000 and loss of your license for a year.
To find out more about work zones or to rate a work zone in your area, please visit http://www.modot.org or call 888-ASK-MODOT.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Iran Off The Cable News Cycle, Replaced By Farrah Fawcett, Kodachrome, Michael Jackson And Ed McMahon
Farrah Fawcett passed over to the other side, Kodak discontinued Kodachrome, fifty year old Michael Jackson died of a heart attack, and Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson's sidekick, died at 86. I will miss them all.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Confirmed! Ashcroft To Endorse Blunt
Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft will endorse Roy Blunt in his quest for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Kit Bond.
Chad Livengood, political reporter for the SN-L, confirmed on his twitter page what was first reported on the Bus this afternoon.
Randy Turner, teacher, band member, author and blog writer who writes the Turner Report fleshes out the story.
Robin Carnahan, the daughter of the late Governor of Missouri and Senate candidate Mel Carnahan, is the front running Democrat for the seat. In a bizarre twist, the incumbent Ashcroft lost his senate seat to Carnahan who was killed in a plane crash about three weeks before the election. Missouri Governor Roger Wilson appointed Carnahan's widow and Robin's mother, Jean, to fill the seat. She lost to Jim Talent who lost to Claire Mcaskill, who is, along with Kit Bond, a Missouri senator.
Blunt's endorsements appear to be designed to send a clear message to his possible opponents, Sarah Steelman and Chuck Purgason, to back out and let him have his rein.
Ok, enough of this politics stuff, I got stuff to do for I am a busy man! 2Dlake~
Ashcroft Set To Endorse Blunt On Monday In Springfield, MO?
Will former U.S. Attorney General endorse Roy Blunt for U.S. Senator on Monday at the special event at the Greene County Sheriff's Training Room?
Let's see, Lt. Governor Peter Kinder and former U.S. Senator Jim Talent are scheduled to endorse Blunt on Saturday in St. Louis (David Catanese KY3 blog).
Earlier, former U.S. Senator Jack Danforth, after low-rating Roy, did a switchero and endorsed him after Schweich's boat didn't float.
Retiring Senator Bond and U.S. represenative Emerson have also endorsed Blunt.
Ashcroft is the only one left.
Blunt / Ashcroft Event At Greene County Sheriff's Training Room--Update
Earlier this afternoon I called Jenny Edwards, the Greene County Public Information Officer and asked her about the Blunt / Ashcroft event.
Her email response:
Jim, Sheriff Jim Arnott tells me any public official may request use of the Sheriff's Training room. The room is available subject to scheduling and the sheriff's discretion.
Congressman Blunt often uses this training room for announcements related to law enforcement. Sheriff Arnott said the room is ideal for use by public officials who travel with security detail, because everyone who enters the building must pass through the metal detector and have their bags screened.
Sheriff Arnott added that the invitation you received for Monday's event did not come from his office.
As you and I discussed on the phone, any individual or group may also request use of the Historic Courthouse Rotunda, Hearing Room, or grounds for public announcements or events. Requests must be made at least a couple of weeks in advance, require filling out a form, and must be approved by the county commission.
Please contact me if you have additional questions.
-Jenny
Roy Blunt And John Ashcroft To Hold Political Event At The Greene County Sheriff's Office
This email is being sent to Blunt supporters by the Greene County Republican Party:
You are invited to join Roy Blunt and our former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft for a special event in Springfield on Monday, June 22, at 12:45 p.m. The event will be held at the Greene County Sheriff's Office in the Training Room located at 1010 N. Boonville Ave. Springfield. Please join us for this free event to show your support and our unity for Roy Blunt's campaign for the United States Senate.developing
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Pruitt-Igoe: An Update
A year ago May, I did a post that related to Pruitt-Igoe, a housing project in St. Louis designed by the same architect who designed the WTC.
Wikipedia has a pretty good entry on the project.
Urban Review STL-- a blog I have linked to before, has more on a documentary film being made about the buildings and their demise.
Taking A Burden Off The City: Rusty Comes To The Rescue!
The SN-L has the story about the Commercial Street CID Board:
When contacted on Wednesday, Worley said, "If the city is interested in opening that back up, we'll just have to visit with them."Rusty's right: The City right now is in lean times. We all need to do our part by taking some of the burdens off the city.
But reached at mid-afternoon, Worley said he had phoned city staff, adding they agreed to reopen the process.
Smith took umbrage at that language, saying the official process goes through the city, so it had yet to begin...
"We were just trying to assist the city in this process," Worley said. "The city right now is in lean times, so we were trying to take that burden off the city."
Does anyone have any suggestions on how we can take some of the burdens off the city?
We will see that they get to Rusty ASAP.
Meanwhile, we learn Pricecutter and Brown Derby will absorb the extra tax. Consumers will pay it in the end.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Ensign Admits To Affair
I guess he couldn't keep his promise.
Ensign's wife released this statement:
Since we found out last year we have worked through the situation and we have come to a reconciliation. This has been difficult on both families. With the help of our family and close friends our marriage has become stronger.Hmmm, anyone else notice WHO is conspicuously absent in her statement of helpers? (Hint: her philandering husband is a member of "Promise Keepers".)
Ensign has been a rising star among conservatives, speaking out against President Barack Obama's stimulus package, statehood for the District of Columbia and union-organizing legislation and in favor of gun owners' rights.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Vandals Attack The Bus Plunge
Vandals attacked the Bus Plunge and broke off the lighted "Flying Lady" hood ornament.
The attack occurred sometime this weekend.
Why would someone do this? Why would someone knowingly destroy another person's property?
I came into possession of the hood ornament when I bought this Cushman Truckster. You can see the "Flying Lady" gracing the front of the Truckster.
I did find an ornament like the one vandals broke off of the bus. It is on ebay.
My wife and I find joy in little things: a concrete yard animal, a porch swing, even a lighted hood ornament on an antique bus. I can't understand why someone would want to destroy something so simple. I can tell from the remnants left on the hood of the bus that the vandals broke the ornament taking it off. They also dented the hood.
Oh well, maybe they (the vandals) needed the ornament more than we did. I am trying to maintain a positive outlook on this whole affair, but it ain't easy.
A couple of months ago I was sitting in the bus cleaning up after the St. Pat's day parade when I saw three boys walking down New street. I sat back and watched them. In front of the neighbor's house, they stopped and lit a joint. I mean these kids couldn't have been more than 14 or 15.
As they walked down the street, one of them came up and tried to open the driver's window of the bus. I was sitting in the driver's seat, so I openned the window and said something like, "Hey, what's up" or " How you doing?" I don't remember but I know I scared them.
A while later I found someone had shot a BB gun at the rear window and cracked it.
This isn't life or death issues, no one is hurt, no one went to jail. I just wish that people would leave our stuff alone. I won't bother your stuff, you don't bother mine.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
What I Did On My Summer Vacation:
I helped Grandpa and Uncle Daniel tile Grandma's back porch.
That's grandson Austin with the red hair laying the red tile. Blake, his neighbor and good buddy is helping. Their Uncle Daniel, the good welder, is showing the boys how to set tile.
The boys also learned how to run the tile saw. The tile saw blade is an abrasive blade. The saw is water cooled. I post pictures tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
City of Springfield News Release - City Police-Fire Pension Board Members Temporarily Abstain
City of Springfield News Release - City Police-Fire Pension Board Members Temporarily Abstain
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 9:29 AM
From: "city@springfieldmo.gov"
To: jimlee138@sbcglobal.net
The City of Springfield management staff members who serve on the Springfield Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement System Board of Trustees will temporarily abstain from upcoming board meetings until any alleged conflict-of-interest issues are resolved.
Deputy City Manager Evelyn Honea, City Attorney Dan Wichmer, Human Resources Director Sheila Maerz and Finance Director Mary Mannix Decker will abstain from participating in the Pension Board meetings and voting on any matters.
Mannix Decker will remain the Board’s treasurer and will attend upcoming meetings to answer questions regarding financial reports and retirement calculations, but will not participate beyond that.
City Manager Greg Burris has asked board member Ken Homan to serve as the interim board president in place of Evelyn Honea beginning with this week’s meetings. The board’s quorum will be adjusted to five votes during this interim period.
St. Louis Attorney Dan Tobben raised the conflict-of-interest issue at the May 6 meeting of the Police-Fire Pension Fund Citizens Task Force. Tobben, who represents the Springfield Police Officers Association and the Firefighters Local 152, said he believes the City Attorney has a conflict in serving on the Pension Board and also representing the City in potential legal matters involving the board. Wichmer said he decided to recuse himself from the Pension Board, which is seeking independent legal counsel.
Wichmer also advised that the conflict-of-interest assertions could apply to other City staff members on the board, so Burris decided to temporarily remove them until the Citizen’s Task Force makes recommendations about the Pension Board’s membership. Wichmer also raised the issue of whether other City employees, who represent Police and Fire employees on the board, could be considered to have conflicts. Burris said he has not asked the other City employees to abstain because they were selected as members by their departments. He said he is encouraging the Pension Board to get an independent legal opinion regarding any conflict-of-interest issues with remaining board members.
For more information, contact: Interim Board President Ken Homan, 883-3838.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Birds In The Attic.....
Just got a call from niece Peggy, she thinks there are birds in her attic.
More to come...
Correction
It looks like Jackehammer and I are the only two bloggers in Springfield who make mistakes or least admit to making them.
I posted yesterday that Jason Wert had emailed the SN-L and told them he was stopping his blog. I called that email a "press release". Wert left a comment stating that he DIDN'T email the SN-L, the SN-L emailed him. I stand corrected.
My comments on his quitting blogging were based on his April 18, 2008 and August 18, 2008 blog postings.
Blogger Sends Out Press Release Announcing The End Of His Blog
Jason Wert is quitting blogging. Now, I know, you are saying, he said the same thing last August, but he came back. This time he may be serious. The SN-L is reporting that Wert sent them an email saying he was ending his blog to focus on a new ministry. Wert said "he couldn’t go into detail about the ministry, but he called it “a ministry aimed at encouraging people to look at ways to serve others outside of their comfort zone in places like prisons or inner city missions.”
Jason, good luck in your new ministry. It is easy to be distracted when you can feel the Lord leading you in a new direction. Follow his lead. Delete your blog. Get it out of your life and embrace the new challenges you face!
Good Luck and Good Speed!
Sheriff Arnott....you better get ready, the Hound of heaven may have caught a scent!
Sunday, June 07, 2009
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