The Washington Post reports that Roy Blunt was born in Niangua.
However, we have no reason not to believe that he is an American citizen.
ps--To all those wingnuts beefing about lawmakers not reading bills before they vote on them: we had a governor who signed bills into law without reading them. Why weren't you bitchin' then?
Our nation needs more Christians willing to run and serve in public office whether that be through standing up for family values on a local school board, defending righteousness on a city council, or bringing integrity to state or federal office. Yet there has been no practical, Bible-inspired resource to assist them in this all important endeavor. That is, not until now.
From the looks of this, these people think God says it is ok to discriminate against their fellow Americans.
A canopy express truck like this one today, in that condition, at a well-publicized auction, would probably bring $35 to $40,000.00
This posting is currently on Springfield's Craigslist.
apha palomino gelding
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Date: 2009-07-30, 1:48PM CDT
Reply to: sale-2dv6e-1297246303@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
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***************************SOLD
Tigger is a 5 yr old APHA registered palomino overo. He stands approx. 15.3 hands. He is a deep, rich, golden palomino. He has a GORGEOUS head, big badonkadonk butt,thick bones, and is really well put together. He was broke to ride as a 2 yr old by a REAL horseman who puts on clinics in Ohio. This man is the real deal, not some wannabe. He's been in the business nearly 40 yrs. He put a SOLID foundation on this horse.Has had lots of trail miles. He was a stallion, was used for breeding, and was ridden as a stallion. Because of the economy and lack of mares, I decided to make life easier for him. He was gelded this spring. He is living the good life, out to pasture with the other horses and gets along just fine. I have not had a lot of time to ride him this year, but the last time I did ride him, he was a perfect gentleman...just lazy as all get out. He's got potential to be a super speed event horse, but he did turn lazy after being gelded. I think he'd come out of that with consistent work. He'd make a great roping horse or just about anything else you would want to do. He's smooth enough to do westen pleasure, tall enough to go english, and stout enough to drag a bull across the county. He has a super disposition(has always been gentle, even as a stallion), loves to be pampered and loved on. He is always the first one to come running when you call. This colt is not junk. I wouldn't have driven all the way to Ohio if he was. He is a NICE horse, and WILL win if shown. He does have an old scar on his back fetlock, but he is sound on it. He runs HARD while playing out in the pasture, stops, turns, etc...and it does not bother him at all. It's not that bad of a scar, but it is there. It is just cosmetic. I really wanted to train him on barrels but I really don't have the time with 4 kids. He's just sitting out in the pasture going to waste, and he's really too nice a horse to do that to. He is registered with APHA. His registered name is KISS MY CASS. He is a son of the great Whata Cassanova. He has a great pedigree and is bred to do anything you could possibly ask a paint horse to do. And he's pretty to boot. I paid a LOT of money for this horse. Paid to haul him from Ohio. Paid to have him gelded. Not to mention the training he's had. With the economy the way it is, there's no way I will ever make my money back so I am offering him for a fraction of what I paid. This is a nice horse, he is NOT a cheap sale barn horse. email me for more info. Please, serious inquiries only. *********************
BEWARE, JOSH BEIST IS A PRICK.
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
A tip of the hat to 5 Acre Dream.
The Voices section of this morning's SN-L: Don't Let Red Tape Kill The Gardens.
Red tape won't kill the gardens, hard work will.
Sharon, the next door neighbor gave Kristin, another neighbor, some green beans from her garden. Did you ever wonder why they are also called "string beans"? This picture will explain:
Sharon planted them and picked them. Her husband Jack tilled the garden, weeded the garden, watered the garden.
Kristin washed the green beans, snapped them, cut them, and put them on the stove and steam cooked them.
They were delicious. I remember eating green beans out of my grandparent's garden when I was a kid. Granny would cook the beans with bacon and onions and lots of butter and pepper.
Mmm, delicious.
I didn't figure out how many hours and effort Jack, Sharon and Kristin invested into preparing those beans so my son and I could eat them, maybe 6? It took longer to prepare them than it did to eat them.
How much time and effort does it take to a can of green beans out of the cupboard and throw them on the stove?
they don't taste as good as home-grown, no way.
when one of my classmates, Bob McCormack, saw an ad in "Ramparts" magazine about a festival coming up in August.
"We ought to go to this," he said, "It'll be fun."
Bob's grandmother had given him a 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix-we would drive that up there. Bob's grandfather was the "Bob" of "Bob's Candy Canes".
We were students here. We were strongly discouraged from attending.
Cylenda Gayle Martin Viles, a longtime resident of Springfield who took great joy in raising a large and tight-knit family, has died. She was 59.
Cylenda was married for 35 years to Bill Viles and helped her husband originate and operate BJ's Trophy Shop on Sunshine near Glenstone. All other family members also work in the business.
The entire family wishes to thank friends, acquaintances and customers for the outpouring of sadness over Cylenda's death.
She suffered a severe head injury in an accidental fall at a boat dock near Branson on Monday evening, and died the next day.
She is survived by her husband, Bill Viles; sons, Bill Jr. and wife, Lori, Lucas and wife, Lisa, and Nick and wife, Cassie; and daughter Taylor and her fiancé, Landon Small.
She is also survived by her sister and best friend, Patti Kruse of Springfield.
She had one grandchild, Wyatt Bear, son of Lucas and Lisa.
Cylenda presided for many years over gatherings of her children, friends and pets at the family residence on Fairway St., which she delighted in designating as a central meeting place for many groups of young people.
Backyard barbecues around the swimming pool with a come-one, come-all feel were a joy for her.
Cylenda and her husband never missed their children's sporting activities through the years as they grew up, activities which included football, basketball, baseball, track and field, and volleyball. They were well known among their friends to hop in the car and drive hundreds of miles to be present at a contest.
Visitation will be held in Greenlawn Funeral Home East, 3540 E. Seminole St., from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday evening. Graveside funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, in Eastlawn Cemetery, 2244 E. Pythian.
Salon.com is posting on Roy Blunt and the birthers.
Roy made the Rachel Maddow Show AND Countdown With Keith Obermann.
Randy Turner, The Turner Report, files this report. Turner's blog also includes these two youtube moments.
David Catanese, KY3 Political Blog, also reports on the non-issue, quoting Blunt's remarks that Obams hasn't produced a birth certificate.
I think Ol' Roy B knows that in primary elections only the diehard base votes and he is afraid that Chuck just might upset him, what with Roy being so closely tied to Washington, lobbyists, Delay, Abramhof, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. So, Roy has got to cater to the lunatic right wing fringe base so he can pull off the primary.
I got a call from the RNC earlier this month, wanting money for Roy. The caller agreed with me that the Blunt name was tarnished in Missouri.
*Roy says he doesn't know anyone else who can't produce a birth certificate----well what rock has he been hiding under? I know of people in my immedicate family who didn't have birth certificates. My grandfather was born in 1892 and there was no birth certificate for him or my grandmother. There were baptismal certificates which Social Security accepted as proof of age and birth as I recall.
One blogger from Kansas City, commenting on Blunt giving the slimy "I don't have any reason not to believe that [Obama was born in the United States]", said that's a pretty lazy reply and can go both ways. Like, say, "I don't have any reason not to believe that Roy Blunt was faithful to his first wife."
Morehere.
If we don't learn from the past are we doomed to repeat it?
It's ok to make mistakes, just don't make the same mistake over and over.
From Jackehammer's blog:
The first paragraph of Sunday's Springfield News-Leader article, "Observer scours pension's past for cause of shortfall" began not as a paragraph but, as a single question:
"When it comes to the city's police-fire pension woes, how much more does the past have to offer?"
That's an interesting question, isn't it? Should past mistakes weigh into any discussion of the police and fire pension task force as they are seeking a solution to the underfunded police and fire pension plan?
Fungus Amungus, a 105-page expose of local flood and sewage contamination conditions, written by retired investigative reporter and urban flood victim Wanda Sue Parrott is available for on-line preview. Parrott is the former representative of Springfieldians Against Stormwater/Sewage (SASS) neighborhood watch group near the Bass Pro campus and Wonders of Wildlife Museum at Sunshine St. and Campbell Ave., in Springfield, Mo.
She prepared and paid for this private 105-page exposé in 2006 for members of the SASS neighborhood, now part of the Seminole/Holland Neighborhood Association. It covers the 1900 blocks of So. Campbell Ave. and South Ave. which Bass Pro is seeking to rezone in order to build a five-story hotel or other commercial enterprise(s). A Public Hearing is slated for Aug. 6.
“Unfortunately, my former neighbors did not read the report when I finished it three years ago,” Parrott says. “Now it might be too late to take action that could have been beneficial, but I hope FUNGUS AMUNGUS will offer enough insight to help them make the wisest decisions.” She believes the zoning change will be approved, regardless of any opposition by neighbors, because “the city and Bass Pro need each other.” The report reveals legal and financial reasons she reached this conclusion. The book's format is an easy-to-read 50 Q & A approach.
The city purchased Wanda Sue Parrott's floodprone property known as “The Place of Weeping Waters” at 203 E. Washita St., Springfield on Feb. 2. She now lives in Calif. Launching of “FUNGUS AMUNGUS” as a public service will be Thurs., July 29. You may preview it now by following this link:http://www.amykitchenerfdn.org/dir_page.html
PS---- Don't pee in the lake.
From BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer:
"You don't argue with a police officer," Powell said.
The funniest blog in Springfield (even more so since the cat got spooked and left the building) has a thought provoking post questioning the ah-ah-roma that pungently wafts along Sunshine to Battlefield and Lone Pine.
I thought it was just the Japanese Beetles.
Embedding has been disabled on Shatner's poem, you can link to it here.
Obama Wants To Push Through His Health Plan Is So He Can Kill All The Old And Sick People And Save Social Security! Apparently Roy thinks so too.
The above photo was taken earlier this summer while the Bus was taking photos of his vacation getaway for insurance purposes.
Only the log chain padlocked around the dog's neck saved the Bus from being a victim of a lunging dog. The dog's owner's sister, who lives in the cabin next door to the Bus's vacation wonderland,(the dog's owner's landlord won't let her keep a pet so her sister watches the dog) said the dog is actually a really nice dog and wouldn't hurt you at all once you actually get to know the dog, insisted that it was her right to keep the dog and if it actually crossed over the property line, it actually wouldn't have hurt a soul. It's actually a nice doggie.
So why then, asked the Bus, why do you keep him chained up with an effin' log chain?
Those dump trucks use when they drive through the tubes, the drivers got to be paid too and what about tube use taxes and license plates and all that other stuff?
If everyone is cutting back on their travel plans and taking 'stay-cations', who's gonna read the signs?
Wonder why extreme makeover didn't just buy this house and 10 acres for $220,000 (7 Bedrooms, 4 full baths, formal dining, nearly 5000 sq ft, 3 car, 10 acres w/private lake, tornado shelter, wet bar, and movie theater in large walkout basement. All bedrooms have walk-in closets. 2.5 Acres of inground sprinklers. Wildlife everywhere. Home needs a little updating, but seriously...look at this price! Republic schools. ALL OFFERS SUBJECT TO BANK'S APPROVAL OF A SHORT SALE. Appraised for $450k in 2005) and do a quick remodel?
Only the Australian press dares to tell this tale!
In other news, the reparative therapy (Can one ever be ex gay?) has apparently worked on Harry as he left his life partner of six years for the recently widowed Linda.
In today's wet SN-L, Greg says he wants to talk to council first about the tax checks. "...He emphasized that the city would take action only if "four or five" checks bring more disappointing news."
SN-L reporter Kary Booher (who wrote the story cited above) said that, "Burris emphasized that there is no rancor between him and the council, all but saying the topic has been overblown." Is the 'topic' sales tax checks, the budget or his relations with the City Council?
Greg may be remembering last February's budget exercise, how quickly that got out control and he doesn't want a repeat.
Something is going on--- Booher reported on Greg's memo form July 17, listing curbs to city services. That memo includes this gem:
"The staffing shortfall is negatively affecting our ability to respond to information requests in a timely manner," Burris wrote. "We will, of course, continue to adhere to the Sunshine Law. While the law provides for us to seek cost recovery for the extensive research time and copying costs necessary to fulfill some of these requests, that does not mean we can recapture that time."
"I think I want to talk to council about it, and I don't want to do all my communicating with the council through the newspaper," Burris said Monday.
At the board's annual retreat Monday, district officials presented new long-range projections that painted a dismal picture of expenditures increasingly outpacing revenue gains over a five-year period.
Dwindled money from state sales taxes and local property taxes -- important sources of school revenue -- is expected to recover from historical low points but not keep pace with expenditures, Steve Chodes, the district's chief financial officer said.
When asked if he considered the levy increase to be an emergency, the man behind the projections chose his words carefully.
"The word 'emergency,' I don't know," Chodes said. "But I would say that if you look at the projections for the next five years, there is a real need, especially when 80 percent of your budget is salary and benefits."
We made a note and stuck it on the dashboard of the bus to remind us to not forget to celebrate Bastille Day and the third anniversary of Melvin's last ride.
This is part of Melvin's going home notice:
His easy smile and quick wit were testimony to his enjoyment of life. Melvin's quiet demeanor in his later years belied his true approach to life and of the philosophy by which he lived: "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming...Wow! What a ride!"
I was reading the SN-L website when I noticed this headline on the right side of the web page under related headlines.
I clicked on it got a prompt for a username and password.
Will this be a story in the Monday SN-L
In a related note my utily bill last cycle was about $160, this cycle it was almost $250.
I was sitting on the back porch with my son Jim, my grandson Austin and our friends Scott and Callie. We making weekend plans for the lake and comparing notes on how much money we spent for meals eaten out today. Scott and Callie spent $19.00 for breakfast at Gallie's Drug. I took Trey, Austin and myself to Arby's on South Campbell where three combo meals cost me $19.95 (which included over a buck and a quarter in sales tax).
Suddenly, about 9:52 PM we heard shells exploding.
It sounded like south-central/south-west Springfield was being carpet bombed. At that exact moment, I saw on the television that Walter Cronkite had died.
Scott, Jim and Austin quickly informed me that the exploding shells had nothing to do with Cronkite's death or what we consumed this day. It was all a big coincidence. In Springfield, whenever the home team wins a game, shells explode at Sportman's Park to celebrate another win for the Springfield Cardinals.
And that's the way it is, Friday, July 17, 2009.
Oh yeah, it's called "Hammons Field", not Sportsman's Park.
ps-- moon landing or capricorn one?
Can anyone tell the difference?
This bothers me.
No, not the part about 101 full time and the 46.5 half time jobs left unfilled (that's a lot of jobs....and why are so many half time? And where are these jobs? Police?, Fire? Public Works? Does it really make a difference?)
No, what bothers me is our City Manager comment:
"The staffing shortfall is negatively affecting our ability to respond to information requests in a timely manner,We will, of course, continue to adhere to the Sunshine Law. While the law provides for us to seek cost recovery for the extensive research time and copying costs necessary to fulfill some of these requests, that does not mean we can recapture that time."
Roy Blunt raised $1.4 million this quarter and I am still getting phone calls (I got one this afternoon) from the RNC seeking more.
Who's my favorite NASCAR driver? Anybody but Jeff Gordon.
Who's my favorite Senatorial candidate? Anybody but Roy Blunt
If you wish to contribute to Roy's fund (Rely On Your Beliefs?) you can call 703 321 0527.
I wonder if Matt will give any of his money to his Daddy?
BTW--in my phone call with the RNC this afternoon, I mentioned that Blunt's name was slightly tarnished. The caller said words to the effect that we know, because of Matt. He also said they were not to mention Matt first.
Chad Livengood reports on his blog,Inside Missouri Politics, that the husband of Springfield City Clerk Brenda Cirtin will officially launch a 2010 campaign for the 140th District seat in the state House of Representatives next Thursday.
Livengood posts that Cirtin's husband:
...intends to seek state Rep. Bob Dixon's seat representing the 140th District, which includes the east side of Springfield and eastern Greene County.The Cirtins hope to join the Twittys in the one spouse works for us and the other is elected by us arena. The power has to be kept concentrated.
Dixon, R-Springfield, is seeking the 30th District Senate seat in 2010. Sen. Norma Champion, the district's current officeholder, is term-limited at the end of next year.
He is director of the Criminal Justice Program at Evangel University and owner of two businesses: Robert Cirtin Investigations, LLC and Safe at Church, LLC, a consulting firm for church security services.
I received the following information this morning from a bus rider:
Regarding the property now in issue as potential site for a hotel or whatever use is decided upon after a zoning change is approved, Bass Pro benefitted by tax provisions under the rules of the original enterprise zone established in 1984 for a 25-year period. That 25-year period expires in 2009. Therefore, new tax incentives must be instituted if Bass Pro is to benefit financially and, as a consequence, the City of Springfield benefits, as well.
The upcoming zoning change hearing is step one of a predictable outcome in which Bass Pro and the City of Springfield win and the neighbors, who waited too long to take any action, lose.
Until 1994, the city and private industry/commerce remained separate entities. The city represented the public sector; the industry/commerce represented the private sector.
The Public Sector, as representative of The People, was more interested in social welfare than in the profit potential. The Private Sector, being based on business, was more interested in the profit potential of a venture. Jointly, although separately, the public and private sectors constituted the basis from which a venue's economy functioned.
Then, in 1994 in Springfield a new form of creative capitalization-by-necessity set a precedent. A Target store was opened near the James River Freeway off Glenstone Avenue. There existed a major problem with the sewer system in Springfield, a city with more than 1000 miles of pipes which were, to a large extent, cracked, broken, otherwise defective, and inadequate for handling the water and sewage of a city on the grow.
Target was granted favorable Tax Incentive Financing (TIF) in exchange for repairing/replacing the wornout defective sewer system. Thus came into existence the first public/private partnership in Springfield's economic history.
Fast forward to 2009. The floodprone area in issue at Washita Street-South Avenue is part of the Bass Pro property. The City of Springfield does not have the millions of dollars absolutely necessary to restore the land to its natural usage as a retention pond/water basin. By working out a TIF project beneficial to both Bass Pro and the city, Bass Pro will pay to have the Infiltration/Inflow problems fixed with first-class landscaping and beautification, in exchange for tax benefits that make such a project feasible.
The joint action will probably destroy the east side of South Ave. as a neighborhood but it will save the city from the Federal lawsuit threatened for $75 million by Dept. of Justice vs. City of Springfield in 1994 for violation of both the federal and state Clean Water Acts.
Bass Pro will get its zoning change. The city cannot afford to not allow it.
A former neighbor of Bass Pro, who lived in the area of the proposed hotel, writes the Bus: The lands in issue are in the Enterprise Zone, and specific uses are spelled out about what can and cannot be put in. A hotel and any other purely profit-making enterprise was not allowed, councilman John Wilson argued back in the 1990s. Whether rezoning hearings include usage discussions, as in Enterprise Zone rules, is unknown, members of the neighborhood watch group need to find out.
Morris had tax incentives that made non-proceeding more beneficial than forcing through the building of a hotel back in 1994, so after he came in and destroyed the neighborhood's neighborhoodliness, the development plan was dropped and adjacent property owners were not notified of the change in plans.
A private/public deal was struck in 1994 between the city and Target (TIF Financing)--setting a precedent. Will that precedent now be used for replacement of the original tax incentives Morris had?
Morris's original tax incentives had a 25-year lifespan that expire in 2009.
Somewhere there is documentation that the lands in issue are in the Enterprise Zone, and specific uses are spelled out about what can and cannot be put in.
I wondered why, in this economy, would anyone be wanting to build a big hotel..especially since Becky Spence, John Q and the guy developing the Heer's building are not proceeding very fast with their projects. Knowing that, according to the information I received, the original tax incentives had a 25-year lifespan and will will expire in this year--well that may be a reason why the zoning change is being proposed at this time by Bass Pro Shop.
There is a report, a 50 Q&A report, titled "Fungus Amungus" prepared, complete with illustrations, that was given to the city and the neighborhood association in 2006 regarding this area. I am trying to track down a copy.
I know that the city routinely destroys documents after a certain length of time. (Jason Wert wrote an excellent blog post on this subject. When I went to reference it, it seems he has not only quit writing LifeOfJason, but he deleted the entire blog. That is a shame because his city council live blogging gave us information that we got from no other source.) I don't know if the information about this subject is still in city files somewhere or not.
duplicate post, deleted, see posting above.
From the realtor's description:
New Construction circa 1955 — One-owner home that's never been lived in!
Circa 1955: The best way to describe this awesome find? "NEW CONSTRUCTION FROM 1955!"
This awesome 50's bungalow, located on a quiet, cul-de-sac street on the Hill, has seriously never been lived in... at least on the main level. This ONE-OWNER home was resided only in the lower level during their stay here, so the main level has been frozen in time and perfectly preserved.
The vintage Magic Chef gas oven had a head-count of 28 turkeys cooked in it for 28 Thanksgivings — that's IT. The other meals prepared in this home were in the lower level kitchenette, where the family resided full-time.
The quality of the 50's shows, as everything is in great working order, the original wooden sash windows are in perfect shape, the tile is impeccable, the hardwoods are pristine (they're there under the wool carpet)... the list goes on and on.
There is an entry foyer, large living/dining combo, large eat-in kitchen, 2 bedrooms with hardwood floors and double (large!) closets, and bath on the main level.
Downstairs, you could eat off the floor it's so clean, and features an additional full bath (offered as-is).
The yard is neat and tidy, and fully fenced, and has a 2-car garage with electric opener. Newer low-maintenance siding has been added to the home.
Offered for 129,900 — seller open to negotiatng furniture/furnishings to remain. Truly one of a kind to find. WILL NOT LAST.
the country is a life insurance company from Texas. And you know how I feel about Texas life insurance companies!
I thought life partners referred to marriage
1. What do they do when it rains?
2. Dang, that guy must be good at "Whac-A-Mole"!
3. Didn't he have any girlfriends to give them too?
4. Maybe a garden would be better?
5. I thought they ended up on a shelf at the DAV store.
6. It could be art.
3422 Mt. Elliot Street, Detroit, MI - take a tour of the street.
"The Native had a great love of his country but remained suspicious of government" reads the caption on this photograph in Ozark Mountain Folk, These Were The Last, a portfolio of photographs by Townsend Godsey.
I came across this on Catanese's KY3 political blog. While I may not be on the same side in the war on Christmas, I can hear him loud and clear here.
Bike Race
Here's the latest from Chad Livengood.
Here's the message from Tony Messenger.
Here's some information from Sherman Potter.
Missouri State Democratic Party Chair Craig Hosmer and Executive Director Brian Zuzenak.
ShowMeProgress caught up with Zuzenak this year.
Show Me Progress: So, you've started your tenure here just a few days ago. And you, you've had previous experience in Missouri politics?
Brian Zuzenak: I have. I start, I actually started my career in politics here. Actually, while I was still in college down at Missouri State. And worked on my first legislative race in 2000 for a, it was a, open seat, open state House seat in Springfield that we were probably not, I, it was, it was, very, one of those toss up districts, this was before redistricting. It was a decent seat for us, but were running, unfortunately we were running against the former incumbent who had come back to take the seat back. And, and, you know, I didn't really, [laugh] I didn't really know what I was doing at all.(emphasis added) I was trying to finish college and I had done an internship up at the capitol for Representative Liese in the, during session. And had gone back to school and really enjoyed politics and sort of got bit by the political bug. Probably not for the first time, but sort of the first time I really became engaged in politics. And went back and had the opportunity to run that, that House seat, We were unfortunately, came up short by a couple of points...
http://craiglook.com is a search engine that gives the user the ability to search all the Craigslists at one time. I did a search on 1985 Chevrolet and found these two examples.....AFTER I bought the new engine!
1985 Chevrolet C20 in Atlanta
1985 Chevrolet 2500 in Memphis. This one sounds like a good truck but 2500's are GMCs, not Chevrolets. Wonder what else is not accurate in the description. Nice looking truck from the pictures. I googled the phone number and the seller advertises a lot on Craigslist, he's probably a dealer.
In other news, Craigslist robberies on the upswing, especially in Philadelphia....ah, one of the interesting things that occur in Phillie! Do they plan this stuff?
Bad Michael Jackson tattoos.
Are you wondering what to do with all those vegetables you have produced in your community garden, or, as it is sometimes called, "urban garden"?
This just came in from "The City"
The Springfield-Greene County Park Board will co-sponsor with other agencies a unique canning class called “Home Canning the Safe Way” at 1:30 and 6 p.m., Monday, July 13, at Doling Family Center, 301 E. Talmage.
The class will offer participants hands-on instruction by University of Missouri Extension staff on the proper techniques of canning and storing perishable food items, and take-home guide sheets will be provided.
The classes are $10 per person. Advance registration is required by Friday, July 10, by calling (417) 862-9284. Registration forms for other canning, jams/pickles and freezing classes are also available online at extension.missouri.edu/greene.
In Greene County, more than 270 people registered for food preservation classes this summer, surpassing the 2008 enrollment of 28. The classes are sponsored by the Park Board, Greene County Commission, Greene County Extension Council and MU Extension.
For more information, media contact: David Burton, MU Extension, (417) 862-9284 or at burtond@missouri.edu.
This just in from the The Sun:
WHEN 11-year-old Paris Michael Jackson, who has spent her childhood hidden from the spotlight behind a veil, was pushed in front of a microphone to address 19,000 people and billions more at home - my mind was made up.Variety weighs in with it's opinion here:
Top performance ... Shaheen
This wasn't a memorial for a pop icon or the greatest entertainer the world has ever seen.
It was a reminder of why MICHAEL JACKSON became a deeply unhappy, lonely man living an utterly bizarre existence.
It was a macabre circus.
Taking children to a funeral is one of the most difficult decisions a parent will ever have to make.
But the King of Pop's young daughter speaking as the climax of the memorial just wasn't right.
Paris didn't look comfortable and more importantly, capable, of doing it.
As the family gathered on stage I was surprised to see the children being paraded in front of a gold coffin holding the remains of their beloved father.
Then, as JANET Jackson struggled to lower the mic stand for her niece's tiny frame, I just couldn't believe my eyes.
I understand the yanks do mawkishness like no other, but putting a grieving child in the spotlight is questionable.
Having said that, her few words were deeply touching, bringing a tear to the eye.
Brotherly love ... Jermaine Jackson
JERMAINE Jackson performing a heart-warming cover of his little brother's favourite song, Smile, was the only other part that hit the right note.
BROOKE SHIELDS rambling, MARIAH CAREY warbling, USHER touching the coffin and the decision to sing Heal The World, all seemed wide of the mark.
Shields' speech would have been apt for an awards ceremony, but not a memorial.
It wasn't the time or the place for REV AL SHARPTON to be preaching about Michael's good work for black people.
Or Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee to be reminding us all you are "innocent until proven guilty" under the American constitution.
MAGIC JOHNSON so very nearly got it right with a touching anecdote. Unlike his career on the court, he then dropped a clanger by mentioning Kentucky Fried Chicken five times.
It says a lot when a little Welsh kid, who came seventh in Britain's Got Talent, was the best thing about the memorial.
SHAHEEN JAFARGHOLI sang his socks off in front of a baffled audience who clearly didn't have a clue who he was.
Luckily, choreographer KENNY ORTEGA was there to explain to the crowd who the Swansea lad was.
And he also grabbed the chance to remind everyone about the great work AEG had done putting the memorial together with only days notice.
Grief ... Jackson kids and family
Something he should have been used to from the This Is It fiasco.
AEG, Kentucky Fried Chicken, The Staples Center and Brooke Shields' career all received priceless PR adrenaline injections.
And a world record was broken for the most people wearing sunglasses indoors.
I did notice one fitting tribute to all the parasites who sucked money and life out of Jacko during his troubled life.
Boxer MIKE TYSON, singer CHRIS BROWN and promoter DON KING all weeping in the crowd.
The memorial was missing producer QUINCY JONES, the one honourable character capable of giving "The Earl Spencer" speech.
It took the sickly events at Jacko's memorial service for my disappointment to kick in that the King of Pop never had his chance to take a glorious final curtain call in London.
Jackson tribute: Tortured logic, alibisThese two articles reflect some of my thoughts about the whole episode. Now that Neverland is over, the reality sets in:
Media tries to justify its coverage overkill
By BRIAN LOWRY
Fox News split the screen between a sometimes-cynical anchor Shepard Smith and avid coverage of the hearse carrying Michael Jackson.
DEATH IS said to trigger five stages of grief. In the wall-to-wall coverage of Michael Jackson since his death, media members can add two more stages to their list: "tortured logic" and "alibis."
Since his death, Jackson has often been portrayed as a beloved icon, much the way Princess Diana somehow became our princess in the wake of her premature demise. As networks committed to broadcasting Tuesday's memorial tribute live, hopes of perspective and proportionality quickly dimmed.
Helicopters hovered above the memorial procession to Staples Center, adding yet another slow-speed chase to our visual memory.
As for the service itself, Motown founder Berry Gordy fleetingly acknowledged that Jackson had made "questionable decisions" in his life while lauding the singer's talent. Songs and tributes poured out -- some emotional, others defiant, many self-indulgent.
But media organizations are also making questionable decisions. Having committed themselves to overkill regarding all things Jackson, news outlets have created narratives justifying their gluttony.
Some of the media fascination is understandable. Since he was "arguably the weirdest superstar in history," wrote Marty Kaplan, director of the Norman Lear Center at USC's Annenberg School for Communication, "you'd have to be brain dead not to be interested" in the Jackson story.
The problem is that "interesting" alone isn't enough to merit this frenzy. So another adjective -- "important" -- must be utilized as a rationalization for pandering to the audience's most prurient impulses.
Let's be honest: To many, what set Jackson apart from other extremely talented entertainers were his much-discussed eccentricities and the criminal charges brought against him. At worst, Jackson might have engaged in inappropriate, perhaps illegal behavior with young boys; at best, he exhibited a troubling lack of judgment that left him vulnerable to such allegations.
That's hardly a matter to be brushed aside. Yet there was CNN's Don Lemon on "Reliable Sources," making this extraordinary statement to dismiss as "elitist" anybody second-guessing the wall-to-wall coverage: "Michael Jackson twice -- well, once, I should say, he was acquitted of child molestation. The other time it was settled out of court. ... And if you talk to people who were involved in those cases, they don't believe that he did it. So let's put that aside."
For some reason, this brought to mind that joke in "The Addams Family" movie when Gomez is told that he's a "lady-killer" and brightly chirps, "Acquitted!"
Inevitably, in the run-up to the memorial, the tone of the TV coverage hewed closer to adulation than anything approaching dispassionate analysis, and Tuesday's event continued the pattern. CBS' Katie Couric, for example, let her guests advance the shaky proposition that Jackson was a civil-rights pioneer.
On Fox News Channel, Shepard Smith did attempt to convey the absurdity of it all but found it difficult to arch that eyebrow too high -- coming, as his comments did, amid live reports from correspondents obsessing over every lurch of Jackson's motorcade.
SO WHAT'S THE ANSWER? Nobody would or should expect the media to ignore this kind of story. But the powers that be could begin by coming clean about their priorities instead of elevating Michael Jackson to sainthood in order to validate their actions.
The various anchors should admit to being caught up in a competitive melee that's effectively blotted out more important news.
Don't inflate the subject's significance simply to erase or obscure your journalistic misdemeanors. Tell the audience you can't resist freak shows because, frankly, you suspect many of them can't, either. And create at least some space for news that directly touches people's lives as soon as possible.
Instead, the major media's stance is a bit like "The Hangover" -- wanton gluttony, followed by amnesia.
For major news outlets wondering how to recognize symptoms of this condition, here's a rule of thumb: Whenever E! crews are sitting beside you, and you're getting most of your news tips from TMZ, you are perhaps directing your shrinking resources in a dubious direction.
On "Good Morning America," it fell to poor Claire Shipman on Monday to report on "How America mourns its legends." She spoke of John Lennon and Elvis Presley, saying such deaths represent "the end of an innocence, or an era."
Sorry, but in terms of the Jackson coverage, it's a little late for recapturing innocence. Right now, we're just looking for an exit.
Those immediate realities include who owns the Jackson family home now, as well as Neverland, the Beatles catalog, and Michael’s own music company, MiJac. For years all of those assets have been encumbered by inconceivable debt. Now the debt will have to be retired. There are many ahead, no doubt.
With silver belles and cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row.
Uhh, not so fast.
With a jaunty tip of the hat to Fat Jack, we recall that the vehicle in the jpeg above was formerly known, with much political uncorrectness, as the
MG Midget.
Spent the morning running parts: radiator hoses and oil pump take up screen from O'Reilly's, getting radiator cleaned and pressure tested at Republic Radiator and getting the exhaust manifolds tweaked.
I had planned on getting new manifolds but the only ones available that I could find for an "M" code motor were stainless steel and my cost was $333.00 a side. So off to Advanced Welding where Tim is making the old ones as good as new! Meanwhile, the Private Mechanic and his brother work on taking the old motor out and getting the new one ready to go!
This must have been an interesting pitch meeting: "We want the guy buying your product to also buy a pornographic magazine. A really nasty one. Then terrible things will happen to him, and he will be humiliated on national TV, and everyone will know that he — your consumer — is a total deviant."Read the whole article (with links) here.
The ad, which quietly appeared in February as part of a viral campaign, has attracted little notice thus far, but because it comes from a highly respected American brand, it seems to mark some kind of cultural tipping point, where pornography has soaked so far into the fabric of mainstream culture that it's no longer seen as a stain. The phenomenon, known as porn creep, is also evident in ads from such companies as American Apparel, Carl's Jr. and Quiznos.
As marketers struggle to find ways to make an impression on a population saturated in all kinds of media, the too-hot-for-TV online-only video has become an increasingly common device. And in order to get customers to seek out and recommend the straight-to-YouTube video, marketers often reach for comedy from the appropriateness hinterlands. Especially when trying to reel in young men.
Both Anheuser-Busch and DDB declined to comment for this story. But branding expert Rob Frankel contends that any controversy generated by the video will be regarded as icing on the marketing-strategy cake. "This ad is about a guy who would like a brew and some ass," he says. "That's right in their strike zone."
In years past, when Jack and I were really steaming along, we'd take the prize money we had won in the previous years and have a big cook out down at the lake cabins. Everyone who rode the bus in the parade was invited. Lots of fun, laughter and fireworks.
This year will be no exception. Oh, we've scaled back a little, pork steaks instead of KC Strips and Ribeyes. No fireworks shot off the deck. No preaching.* Just pork steaks, potato salad, baked beans and neighbors!
Nothing says celebrating America like fireworks made in China! Happy Fourth of July, Bus Riders!
Won't be blogging much until after the holiday for I am a busy man.
*After reading the comments on the SN-L article, look for another perspective of JRA's 2008 "I Love America" celebration in this world view.
The final blow came last Saturday night at the T/A truckstop in Mount Vernon. Nothing is worse than a broke truck pulling a horse trailer with a hot, tired horse inside the trailer. Ever hear a horse kick the side of a trailer on a hot, humid summer night while broke down on a hot asphalt truck stop parking lot? You can read about it here and here.
I brought the truck to the private mechanic and he told me the news no one wants to hear: The motor was just about shot, I could rebuild it but it would be just as cheap to replace it.
I called Jeepjunkie and he was all fired up to get a crate motor from Chevrolet. I went to Reliable and the motor they had,in stock, was a light duty truck motor and the blue truck needed a medium duty truck motor. They could only warranty it for 12/12.
I craiglisted for motors -- lots of 350 motors out there at all prices and conditions. The terms "good motor", "strong motor", "new motor" mean, I quickly discovered, different things to different sellers.
I shopped motors until I was punch drunk. I learned about "M" code, "L" code, "N" code motors, motors specific to 1979 - 1985 C20 Chevrolet pickups. I learned about intake manifolds, vacuum lines, throttle body motors. I learned about exhaust manifolds and donut gaskets and pvc valves. I learned that a 350 motor from a 1985 1/2 ton won't fit a 1985 3/4 ton.
After two days of agonizing over do I fix it or sell it and get another one. Knowing that Sara likes this truck, it matches her trailer finally helped me decide to fix it. So last night I went to the South Campbell O'Reilly's store and purchased an "M" code motor with a three year unlimited mileage warranty and all the needed parts for $1,492.51.
Today's mail contained a check, via the Horsefarmer and Mr. Miller, in the amount of $1,488.34. Thanks, Mom!
