Craigslist Jeep

With a tip of the LMAO hat to Longrooffan! On craigslist now.

1997 Jeep Wrangler - Hellcat - $5500 (Mark Twain Forest )

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Date: 2010-02-27, 11:08PM CST
Reply to:

I should start by saying that if you are looking for a “Pajama party Barbie Jeep” you my friend, should keep looking. If you are looking for a short description of to the beast before you, I can offer you two words “MEAT & POTATOES”. This is the All American chariot of the free world.

I won rights to find this Jeep from Indiana Jones, Chuck Norris, and Bear Grylls in a poker game in Monte Carlo. I went all in with my life as collateral and won a map to the prized treasure on a bluff. The map lead me across all 7 continents until I found it’s hiding place, a giant mine shaft 5 miles north of Hell itself. Armed with a pick ax and six pack of beer I dug this jeep out of the darkness, it was buried under 70 tons of granite. When Satan tried to stop me, I dropped the hammer in my new beast, ran his red ass over, stole his girl, and floored it all the way back up. He was up he was no match for the furry under this hood.

I quickly realized at this point I wasn’t dealing with any ordinary Jeep. This thing was forged from a single block of all American Tungsten Steel. Real sturdy! From that day forward my life has never been the same.

So if you are looking for a rice burning hatch back, a solar powered liberal mobile, or even a Hyundai crossover keep on looking my friend this thing is a piece of red white and blue Americana Machinery.

This baby’s pulse is pumping 4 liters of uncensored raw fuel through her straight six nuclear power plant. And rest assured this is no metro feminine automatic…you command her to obey, with your calloused hand planted firmly on the t bar Hurst shifter. And she will obey, the first time, every time. If you can’t handle your stick shifter, or reach the clutch pedal, you better not come skipping over here wanting to test drive her. If you stall her out, you can count on getting hit in the face with a piece of re-bar and sent back to Highland Springs where you came from.

If you’re a man who needs such worldly things as air conditioning, Move on, you do not possess the Jedi Force. Read no further. If you want to blow the sweat off your brow, you do the old fashioned way: doors off, top down. “What if it rains?”…You winey sack a' s**t! I told you to stop reading… Any man who drives this beast doesn’t give a s**t about rain. Not even skin melting acid rain, Cause he’s already dripping wet in blood, sweat, dip spit, and fish guts.

If you are looking for the kind of jeep that has to be pansy parked in the garage, so the “carpet doesn’t get wet and soggy” Then you should plant your Obama sticker on some Japanese piece of Toyota. Cause this thing has drain holes in the floor to let the blood drain out from buffalo you just killed, with your bare hands. Because you are William Wallace from Braveheart and when you get home you can leave your “sissy sponge glove car wash kit” in the pink bucket it came in. Go ahead and spark up your 6000 psi heated pressure washer on the dually trailer in your man cave, cause you are Tim Gillespie and you can pressure wash your truck on the inside. She’s got vinyl saddles with a full roll cage in case that buffalo comes back to life while you’re doing 80 over some mountain pass or flooded river.

If you’re thinking about J.C Whitney chrome bumpers for her, think again. The bumper bashers come hand forged in a blacksmith shop in Stone County over a wood burnin fire, out of 4 inch well casing, and railroad tracks and then I welded em to the damn chassis. That way if you get deployed you can piggy back this war wagon on a deuce and a half and chain her down tight from the four corners, so you don’t lose her when your convoy gets hit by a talibani roadside suicide bomber.

And forget about putting one of those “It’s a Jeep Thing…You wouldn’t understand” stickers on this machine cause when you’re spotted in this American Classic there will be no questions, no further explanation required, people will understand and get out of your way…..real quick.

If you think you’re ready to park this panty hauler on your tract of land. If you buy this jeep you better go get your old lady ready for some changes around your lair, cause stuff will be happening. Happening.

1. More chest hair.
2. You’re growing a beard.
3. Meat Only Diet.
4. T-Rex for a pet.
5. You’re taking a job at the lumber mill.
6. Your car carries five kegs.
7. Natural male enlargement.
8. Catch more fish.
9. Wire bristled toothbrush.
10. Sex in the yard.
11. Sex in the garage.
12. All male offspring.
13. Chiseled jaw line.
14. Not giving a dang.
15. Flesh turning to steel.
16. Higher salary
17. Promotions.
18. Better looking wives.
19. Better looking mistresses.
20. More golfing
21. More killing stuff.
22. More dead animals in the KITCHEN freezer.
23. More tools in your garage.
24. Bigger TV
25. Wife takes out the trash
26. Four Wheel Drive
27. Wife brings trash can in from road.
28. Wife stops bitching about clothes on floor.
29. Wife stocks fridge with beer.
30. Chuck Norris.
31. John McCain
32. Steaks for dinner.
33. Winning the Lottery.
34. Be-itches on the side.
35. Wrestling with bears.
36. Building stuff out of stone.
37. Riding Lawn Mower.
38. Bon Fires in cul-de-sac.
39. Bar Fights.
40. Wife picks you up from Thee Gentlemen’s Club.
41. Craftsman Tools.
42. Jay Bisset.
43. Welding stuff.
44. Digging holes.
45. Huge Piece of meat.

Put your GPS back in your purse cause this thing has compass bolted to the dash.

Sounds good doesn’t it?

This jeep has carried me through 117,000 miles of battlefield twice as gruesome as the second half of the movie “300”….And just like a trusty steed this juggernaut has never left me stranded. If you think you’ve worn her out you drag this bitch back to me in any condition. And I'll handle the rest.

But if you think you’re going to get to whip this mule you better pony up Fifty Five Hundred Dollars…American Cash. I’m not selling you this car unless have you have driven a 1963 Falcon Van with a three on the tree, so don’t even think about it.

No Checks.
No Euros
No Northerners.
No Red Hair.
No Low-Ballers.
No one from Highland Springs or Cooper Estates


Location: Mark Twain Forest
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

On Craig's List Springfield Now

1997 Jeep Wrangler. Hurry before it's too late.

Someday,

Hey Joe!

George Aggernite (Lyle Mabe), Co-Founder of Baldknobbers Dies

From the SN-L:

Veteran Branson entertainer Lyle Mabe has died.

Mabe died early today after a long illness, according to a news release from the Baldknobbers, which he helped found in 1959.

Mabe, 71,performed in Branson’s first show as comedian George Aggernite, which was the name his father gave him as a small boy.

Mabe played the washtub bass from the show’s founding until 1991.

After leaving the stage, Mabe continued to provide advice, particularly when it came to comedy.

During television appearances representing Empire Gas, Mabe helped popularize the Baldknobbers.

In 1960, Mabe performed at the opening day of Silver Dollar City, and portrayed Uncle Ike during the first summer of the Shepherd of the Hills outdoor play.

At a time when the Branson show season ran from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Mabe and his brothers took their show on tour to spread the word about their show Branson.

Those tours went from Minnesota and Wisconsin to Texas.

The practice of off-season touring and inviting audiences to visit Branson was picked up by other Branson performers.

The tradition started by Lyle Mabe continues, with the show being carried on by the family’s second and third generations.

Mabe’s wife, Betty, preceded him in death. Mabe’s son, Brent, is the Baldknobbers Show music director.

I can still remember those old Empire Gas commercials with the tag line, "It's economical".

Billy Long Parody By Bungalow Bill

Find more at Longiswrong.com, written by conservative blogger Bungalow Bill

They Already Shower Together Now,

Part 2

The Chicken Hearted Killer - A True Crime Story

"The Chicken-Hearted Killer" from Crime Does Not Pay #50 (Mar. 1947)

Howard “Sonny” Potts loves his chickens. So much so, that he thinks about his chickens at work (“Curse this job which keeps me away from them!”).

He thinks about them on his way to the bus. He thinks about them while on the bus. He thinks about them so much that he starts to get real sweaty.

At home, Howard treats his wife Muriel shabbily, smacking her with a broom and slapping her in the head.

Muriel, for some crazy reason, doesn’t understand the whole chicken thing. She wants money to buy food and a new coat. Howard isn’t keen on either suggestion (“I’ll decide where the money goes in this house – and none of it goes to you!”).

Even though Howard, the genius, doesn’t give his wife money to buy food he demands to be fed so Muriel cooks up Mr. Corn, a favored rooster. This outrage causes Howard to use the business end of an axe on Muriel and bury her body next to the chicken coup.
Big mistake, as the chickens come home to roost and begin to dig Muriel’s body out of her (presumably) shallow grave in front of a wandering cop.

Howard’s goose is cooked (so to speak) and he’s sent to the gas chamber where he utters his final words, “COUGH. I love chickens more than anything else! COUGH.”

(Caution, illustrations are larger than they appear. Click on them with your mouse.)






Pittsburgh Post Gazette, May 23, 1943:

Clerk Admits Killing Wife When Dinner Was LateDenver, May 22, (UP)--District Attorney James Burke said tonight he will file a first degree murder charge against Howard (Sonny) Potts, Denver shipping clerk who told police he beat his wife to death and buried her in their basement because, “I lost my head when dinner wasn’t ready.”

Detective captain James E. Childers said Potts, 39, formerly of Boone, Ia, signed a complete statement that he struck his wife with his fist, jumped on her body in a rage, draffed her by the hair to the basement stairway and hurled her down, when he found a promised chicken dinner hadn’t been prepared.

Potts told police that before he buried his wife he went down into the basement several times a dy, “sometimes just to look at her, but generally to fix the furnace.”

Jamie McMurray, 2010 Daytona 500 Winner, To Drive To The State Capitol

Those who follow NASCAR know the Daytona 500 is not only the opening race of the season, but also ranks right up there with the Superbowl and the World Series.

The 2010 winner of the Daytona 500, Jamie McMurray, and the team and sponsor he drives for, have quite a Missouri connection.
McMurray is from Joplin, MO, and raced at area tracks before moving to NASCAR.

Car owner Felix Sabates of the Ganassi/Sabates ownership team lived in Columbia and worked at the University Hospital in the 1960s when he first emigrated from Cuba.

Bass Pro Shops, the car's sponsor, main store and headquarters are in Springfield.
Missouri is a well-known racing state producing Rusty, Kenny and Mike, the Wallace Brothers and Kenny Schrader from St. Louis area.

Local racing fans remember Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace racing with Larry Phillips in the Fairgrounds and other short tracks in SW MO.

Mark Martin worked for awhile at Phillip's shop on Commercial Street, pushing a broom in the shop. Mark and his dad, Julian, (deceased) and Bill Davis, former NASCAR Team Owner regularly traveled to Springfield to race at the fairgrounds. Mark and his crew usually had Saturday morning breakfast at the McDonalds on North Glenstone

Carl Edwards lives in Columbia and he and his wife may have their first child by the time of the event. Carl's step-dad, Jim Sterling was a publisher/ owner of Bolivar Herald Free-Press and racing journalist and major supporter of racing at the Bolivar Speedway for many years.

Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats, O'Reilly Automotive and Lucas Oil Products in Missouri are three major racing sponsors and industry promoters

Sadly, local racer Tony Roper from Fair Grove was killed in a NASCAR Truck event at Texas Motor Speedway

Mark Lightfoot a Springfield business owner owns a Sprint Car racing in the USAC K&N National Silver Crown Championship Series which ran last weekend in Tucson AZ

McMurray now stands at the top of the field having won the Superbowl of racing, the Daytona 500 and Missourians are all cheering for him and Carl Edwards to make the Race for the Chase to be the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.

McMurray's visit to Jefferson City was made possible though the efforts of Joplin's state senator, Gary Nodler, whose office supplied the following information:

JEFFERSON CITY – Senator Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, plans to welcome NASCAR driver and Joplin native Jamie McMurray to the Capitol on Thursday, February 25. McMurray is the winner of the Daytona 500.

The car will arrive on the South Lawn of the Capitol at 9 a.m. (weather permitting). Senator Nodler will be joined by Governor Jay Nixon, Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder, President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph and House Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, in welcoming McMurray to the Capitol.

Senator Nodler will also introduce McMurray on the Senate floor and present him with a Senate resolution to thank him for his hard work and congratulate him on his achievements in racing. McMurray will then proceed to the House of Representatives to be recognized by House Speaker Richard and the members of the House.

The plan is for McMurray to arrive at the Jeff City airport, get in his race car, and drive it down to the Capitol.

WOW! What a sight that will be!

Do you think he will do burn outs on the south lawn?

What Is It About These Circuit Clerks?

Frequent bus riders will know that I frequently lampoon the current circuit clerk of district 31.

What would happen if Steve spent as much time learning how to do his job as he spends on his political activities? In October, 2008, in a lifeofjason interview, Steve said, "The office of Circuit Clerk is non-political in the sense that I have a job to do for the people." Might he actually turn into a tolerable clerk?

Luckily for those who do daily business with the Court, the county was able to hire Jerry Moyer who spends most of his time making lemonade.

Is there something about the circuit clerk job that causes some people to crash and burn? Retired Circuit Clerk Mike Carr had his share of customer service missteps but at least the paperwork was correct. And even now, almost two years after Steve told us he would fix the problems, there are still major malfunctions in the maintenance of case files in the clerk's office.

But it ain't nothing like what is going on in St. Louis. Jake Wagman, writing on the StL Political Fix last December, wrote

St. Louis Circuit Court Clerk Mariano V. Favazza has launched a last-minute effort to hold onto his ability to hire patronage workers, a power that is set to expire in the New Year.

Favazza filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block a decision prompted by the state Supreme Court that would transfer the power to hire or fire deputy clerks from his office to the court’s presiding judge.

“I realize that it’s not the presidency of the United States, but it is an elected office,” Favazza said of his position. “And it should have powers.”

The action marks an escalation of the tension between Favazza, first elected in 1998, and the judges, who have sparred with Favazza on how to run the courthouse.

Favazza has previously fought legislation, backed by the judges, that would eliminate his position altogether.

Wagman has another story today about the St. Louis Circuit Clerk:

ST. LOUIS — Mariano V. Favazza, the loquacious circuit clerk embroiled in a courthouse power struggle, has drawn a challenger in the August primary.

The circuit court clerk is the elected administrator of the state judiciary’s St. Louis division.

Favazza, first elected to the post in 1998, is fighting an edict from the state Supreme Court that would change the position dramatically by transferring the power to hire or fire deputy clerks from his office to the court’s presiding judge.

Translation: The office would no longer be the bastion of patronage it was under Democratic powerbroker Joe Roddy or his successor, Freeman Bosley Jr., who used the position as a springboard to become mayor

One thing about Helms and Favazza-- they both got elected, which is more than I could do.

Missouri Lawmakers Want Governor To Play Lottery; Win Mountains Of Cash!

Breaking news from the AP:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Some Missouri lawmakers want the governor to play the lottery in hopes both he and the state will win big.

The House Tax Reform Committee scheduled a hearing Wednesday on a bill that pokes fun at Gov. Jay Nixon’s proposed budget.

The measure would require Nixon to buy a $2 lottery ticket each week from his personal paycheck until he wins enough to make up a $300 million budget shortfall.

Nixon’s proposed 2011 budget assumes Missouri will get about $300 million if Congress extends the federal stimulus payments to states for an additional six months.

Frequent bus riders will recall this stop the bus made yesterday:
Lucky! Lucky! Lucky! Maybe The State Ought To Start Playing The Lottery To Reduce The Deficit?

A Bus Driver's tip of the hat to all our Jefferson City readers! Thanks for riding!

Run Forrest, Run!

NEWS FLASH: Steve Helms Seen In Courthouse

This just in:

Steve Helms, Greene County Circuit Clerk, actually was seen in the courthouse this afternoon.

He was planning on attending a conference on "how global warming is not real" but he realized he already went to that one- he just couldn't remember if he used vacation time or if there was a way he could do court business at the conference? Tweet, Tweet.

Reliable sources state that Steve, looking tan and fit, found the courthouse without having to consult written direction or asking bailiff. The belief was that Helms planned to file paperwork in his attempt to get re-elected to the circuit clerk's post.

It was not known if Steve walked or rode his Segway to the courthouse.

Jerry Moyer is rootin' for Steve to win, it's called job security.

We are waiting to see if Steve will publish a voice of the day about his experiences in the courthouse or on how global warming ain't real.

Someday...

I'm Going To Be Blunt: Concurrent Receipt, Which Benefits Army And Armed Forces Disabled Retirees Only Passed After Much Delay.

Roy and Springfield's favorite veteran


There is a television ad currently playing in this area which implies that Roy Blunt supports terrorism by accepting money from oil companies that do business with countries that support terrorism. The implication is that one can tell the mettle of a person in part by the company he keeps.

A section of Blunt’s website (Roy’s Blog), “Veteran’s Speak Out Against Carnahan’s Dirty Attacks”, says that a “radical special interest group” (Was votevets.org the group responsible for the ad.) I do agree with the supposition that the ad is misleading.

But, even more misleading is that Roy's veterans give credit to Roy for "his leadership in passing concurrent receipt for disabled veterans...which enabled them to both their military pension and their disability compensation…Blunt saw the injustice and took the lead.” I think they are referring to this press release Roy sent out in 2003?

I hate to be so blunt, but the fact of the matter is that this bill that would benefit not only our armey disabled veterans but also disabled vets of the armed forces encountered much delay as it wound its way through the halls of congress.

The record reflects (and I looked it up) that then Speaker of the House Tom Delay, then Majority Leader Dick Armey and then Minority Whip Roy Blunt opposed the bill and would not bring it to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote until Representative Jim Marshall from Georgia secured enough votes on a discharge petition that would have forced the hands of their House leadership. The bill was brought to the floor and easily passed.

Friends of Wisconsin DAV has this to say on the matter.

“Military retired pay is earned by virtue of a veteran’s long service to the nation; disability compensation is for service-incurred disabilities. Yet some service members who retired from the armed forces after 20 or more years of service must forfeit a portion of the retirement pay they earned through that very faithful service to receive VA compensation for service-connected disabilities.
Most nondisabled military retirees go on to pursue second careers in order to supplement their income, thereby justly enjoying a full reward for completion of a military career, along with the added reward of full pay in civilian employment. To put service-connected disabled retirees on an equal footing with nondisabled retirees, disabled retirees rated 40 percent or lower should receive full military retired pay and compensation to account for diminution of their earning capacities.

Disabled veterans should not suffer financial penalties for choosing military service as a career rather than a civilian career, especially where in all likelihood a civilian career would have involved fewer sacrifices and greater rewards. If a veteran must forfeit a dollar of retired pay for every dollar of VA disability compensation otherwise payable, our government is, in effect, compensating the veteran with nothing for the service-connected disability he or she suffered..

Washington Watch tells us about H.r.303 (Is Roy a sponsor? NO), Govtrack.us tells us about H.R.303 (Is Roy a sponsor? No), and OpenCongress.org tells us about H.r. 811(Is Roy a sponsor? No), three pieces of legislation that have been introduced in the 111th Congress and would eliminate this longstanding inequity.

It says a lot that you have to go back to 2003 to find a veteran's issue that Roy supported.

Why isn't Roy supporting H.R.303, H.R. 333 and H.R. 811?

So, what to believe? Roy's blog which conveniently neglects to tell us that Roy only voted for the bill AFTER it secured more than enough votes to pass and make his no vote irrelevant(after he fought it all the way) or guys who walked the walk and lived to tell about it?

I Guess Roy And Kit Didn't Get The Memo

SANTORUM: I would be very cautious if I were a Republican to do that. … I think the facts of the matter of what has happened after the stimulus package passed proved it hasn’t created a whole lot of jobs. But then to take money from that package and go out and do photo-ops talking about how many jobs it creates does undermine your credibility. [...]

Members of Congress having opposed this plan then running out and saying here’s money I brought home to the district — that’s not to say your district doesn’t get the money. They would whether you do the photo- op or not. But I wouldn’t be out promoting it.

Lucky! Lucky! Lucky! Maybe The State Ought To Start Playing The Lottery To Reduce The Budget Deficit?

I think the state is missing the boat by not playing the lottery. Just look at all these winners! If these guys won, who's to say the state couldn't win, say, the powerball or the latest scratchers contest? But you got to play to win. And it's not really gambling, is it? Gambling is goes on down at the Downstream with the slot machines and poker games and big guys in white hats.. The lottery is just a ticket you buy at the Git'n Go with the change from your pack of Marlboro reds.

Why, it seems like everyday the SN-L is publishing a story about some lucky man who won the lottery. In today's paper where a 26 year old guy won $200,000 for the rest of his life-- the paper said "He could have taken a $3 million lump-sum payment, but opted for the annuity." See, if you don't play, you don't win.

See, think of what Missouri could do if it won $200,000 for the rest of its life. I mean the SCOTUS said that corporations are people, why can't states be people too? What's the life expectancy of a state? (I mean, Texas not included because if they secede are they still a state?)

Even St. Louis recognizes the benefits of gambling, especially gambling aboard a St. Louis landmark.

This Economy Sucks: A Reluctant Participant's View Of "The Great Recession"

A reluctant participant's view of "The Great Recession"

This Economy Sucks!

Daniel has been laid off since two weeks before Christmas. And before that, he was laid off (off and on) for 5 months of last year.

Saturday, it finally really hit me.

We had nothing to do Saturday, and Daniel said "Wouldn't it be fun to go to Branson and go shopping at the outlet malls, out to dinner and get a cheap hotel room, like we used too?" OMG!

I'm sooo mad! That sounds so fun! How did we used to afford to do stuff like that? It's been so long, I can't remember being able to afford to do something like that, spur of the moment.

So, because companies aren't ordering stainless steel tanks to be built, Daniel has no work, thus the outlet malls, restaurants, and hotels of Branson are taking a hit.

But wait, that's not all.

If Daniel was working, we would be shopping at Lowe's to finish a project running lights to my barn.

We would be shopping at the lumber yard to build new fences.

We would be saving to remodel our kitchen and bathrooms, thus improving the value of our home.

I would be saving to buy another horse, thus providing more business for my hay guy, feed store, farrier and vet.

We both have old cars. If Daniel was working we would be considering purchasing newer vehicles.

Arughhhh!!! So Frustrating!

Why Republicans Win In Greene County

The SN-L poll question for 02.21.2010:

Which do you believe better explains the working of life on the Earth?

Intelligent design: 50.3 per cent
Theory of Evolution: 41.1 per cent
No opinion 8.0 per cent

Total votes: 664

This pretty well shakes out to voter identification in Greene County. The intelligent design people are the Republicans, the evolution people are the Democrats, and the No Opinion people are the Independents.

Today is the first day to file for the August primary and Fall general election. Here's a patriotic poster to get you all in a political frame of mind:
Surely someone will file for District 31 Circuit Clerk.

Surely someone will stand up and voice their concerns out loud.

Surely those who are most affected by the incompetence will stand up,

Surely someone will ask why we continue to pay $70,000 plus for someone else to do the job

And quit calling me 'Shirley'. Say, how's that whole gym-thingie workin' out fer ya?

The Potholes At The Daytona 500, A Follow Up

During the February 14 running of the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, FL, the track developed a pothole.

My brother John chronicled the occuranced in his blog. It started like this:

Longrooffan, my little brother John, posts on his blog, a post about the track repairs at Sunday's Daytona 500.

See the guy in the bottom right hand side of the photo, with the 5 gallon pickle bucket (I don't know for certain it is a pickle bucket, but it looks like the buckets DeGraffenreid uses at the pickle plant in east Springfield. What? You didn't know there was a pickle plant in east Springfield? There is!), see that guy? He's a friend of John and Ed.

You can read about John and Ed's connection to the pothole here.

Today, John posted a follow up to the pothole story, it's on his blog.

About Last Night...

Usually when I start driving the bus I put Twitter and Facebook up in the background while I work on the bus.

Saturday night was no different. I was searching out variations of "Route 66" by Bobby Troupe when this tweet flashed across the screen:

auctnr1 Great event at Big Cedar - surprising number of Joplin area folks here. All my work in Joplin is starting to bear Fruit - FINALLY!
7:44 PM Feb 20th from mobile web

I read it and just figured Auctnr1 (Billy Long, one of the field of candidates for the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives currently held by Roy Blunt, uses Auctnr1 as his twitter name) was having a fund raiser down at Big Cedar. I knew that the Herschends of Herschend Family Entertainment had given Billy some money so it seemed logical that there would be a fund raiser down at Johnny Morris' place on Highway 86.

I continued working on the bus. About 15 minutes later, another Tweet from Auctnr1, this one is telling about a meet and greet downstream from here, down I-44 way at the Panera Bread in Joplin. I guess Sam Hamra ok'ed it. Still, no big deal, just some candidate tweeting on a slow Saturday night.

Then, this tweet from Jack Goodman, also a candidate for the 7th House seat,comes across as a retweet from lucascase:

jackg4congress Enjoying Christian County Republican chili supper. Crowd is more that double last year's attendance. Very encouraging for our future!
5:37 PM Feb 20th from Tweetie
Retweeted by lucascase

This catches my interest. Christian County Republicans are having a chili supper, Jack Goodman is there but Billy Long is down at the Big Cedar at a fund raiser (or so I thought). Were any of the other 7th District candidates at the chili supper? Did Auctnr1 'dis' the Christian County Republicans by not showing up at their doings? Which was on Auctnr1's calendar first, the fund raiser at Big Cedar or the Christian County Republican's chili supper. I thought Auctnr1 figured he'd get more money from the doing's at Big Cedar than he would from the chili supper down in Christian county. But there's voters at that there chili supper who are in his district and a candidate has to show up at these functions if he is to be taken seriously.

Then, 15 minutes later, or about the time it takes to drink a beer or consume a glass of wine, comes another tweet from Auctnr1:

auctnr1 A St. John's Hospital administrator said they could reduce their costs by 60 percent if they could do ONE THING - Collect Their Bills!
8:19 PM Feb 20th from mobile web

My first thought on this tweet was that some administrator from St. John's hospital didn't know Auctnr1 was going to be tweeting the conversation and was saying stuff that probably wasn't run through Mike Peters office.

Oh, it gets better. Sometime between 8:19 and 9:00, Auctnr1, or someone using his twitter account, sends a tweet of just one word: "Jackg4congress".

Well, this suddenly got interesting. Is Auctnr1 endorsing Jack Goodman? Is this a silly prank being played on Jack Goodman by Auctnr1? Was Auctnr1 'just kidding around' with some folks down at the Big Cedar? Did someone steal Auctnr1's blackberry and tweet this without his knowledge?

At 9:00, David Catanese retweeted the Jackg4congress tweet, which I retweeted as did two others:

davecatanese That an endorsement? RT @auctnr1: Jackg4congress
9:00 PM Feb 20th from UberTwitter
Retweeted by you and 2 others

Notice how the tweets are still coming about every 15 minutes, just long enough (no pun intended) to get a drink or see if there is a twitter reaction to your tweet.

A few minutes later, another tweet comes from Aucntnr1. I retweet this one also:

auctnr1 Goodman, Moore, Nodler, Moon & Wisdom were all @ VFW Chili Feed - Thank a Vet & see 'The Messengers' if you can - Support The Troops
about 24 hours ago from mobile web
Retweeted by you

Why is Billy Long tweeting who attended the Christian County Republican Chili Cookout or is it a VFW Chili Feed? I don't know.

But, being a veteran, I am more interested in the second part of his tweet. What does he mean when he says "Thank a Vet"? Did Auctnr1 mean to refer to the movie "The Messenger" instead of "The Messengers"? Support our troops? I suppose that if you are thinking about a VFW chili dinner, you could associate that with Veteran's, and rightfully so.

And, if you are in a sentimental mood, you could get teary eyed thinking about veterans or you could get teary eyed when you suddenly realize or someone points out to you that you missed an opportunity by not being at the Christian County Republican Chili Dinner. So you scramble to deflect the scrutiny from your actions and try to salvage something and hope to get back on message: "Support The Troops". And, remembering a movie you saw at The Moxie that had something to do with soldiers and Irag, well let's throw that in the tweet too. Hey, it was a good movie, and by golly we ought to support our troops!

About 10:30, lucascase tweets about the Christian County Republican doings, and I retweet this tweet also:

lucascase Great chili supper tonight in Christian county. All 7th District candidates were there except Billy Long (@auctnr1) and Michael Wardell.
about 24 hours ago from web
Retweeted by you

Now, I am interested. Why were all the 7th District candidates there except for Billy Long and Michael Wardell? Michael Wardell, it turns out, had to work and couldn't make the chili feed. Did someone in Long's stable (I am pretty sure Jeff Roe is working for Long) make a mistake on the calendar and schedule a fund raiser on the same night as the Christian County Republican Chili feed? Gee, I thought the 7th district was more coordinated than to along something like that to happen. (Remember, I'm still thinking Auctnr1 is having a fundraiser at Big Cedar.)

I go back through the tweets to look again at Auctnr1's tweets of the evening and try to make some sense out of the evening.

Remember that tweet that came through at the beginning of the evening? Sure you do, this one: Great event at Big Cedar - surprising number of Joplin area folks here. All my work in Joplin is starting to bear Fruit - FINALLY!

Well, well, well, look what was posted on Kansas City Craigslist:

Big Cedar 2010 Celebration of Tastes February 19th-20th, 2010 Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized. ~ Andre Simon, "Commonsense of Wine"
The Celebration Of Tastes is an event no wine lover should miss!

The weekend begins with our casual Friday Night Welcome Reception with featured wines from Clos du Bois and Winemaker Erik Olsen. Cooking stations offer a generous selection of hors d'oeuvres carefully chosen to highlight the nuances of each wine. The winemaker himself is present to share his expertise and answer questions, and our culinary team gives more tips on pairing food with wine. (tickets are $95.00 per person) Plus, you'll enjoy a fabulous silent auction. Bid on special vintages, stemware, wine tools, and apparel from the host winery and our own specialty boutique. All proceeds from the auction go to charity*. It's an intimate and exciting event that sets the tone for the weekend.

Saturday brings a full day of activities including culinary demonstrations, wine seminars ($25 per person), and tastings ($45 per person) concluding with our main evening event: The Wine Lovers Reception and Dinner($155.00 per person). This elegant evening starts with hors d'oeuvres and conversation. The multi-course menu that follows is created by our Executive Chef, Andy Hampshire, and his team to pair perfectly with the finest wines of the weekend. Enjoy the magic created when food and wine bring out the best in one another!

The room rent for the villa was $499.00. Dinner was $145.00! Per Person! That's almost $300 for you and the wife! Dang, I've bought trucks at a well advertised auction that ran good that didn't cost $499.00 (10% buyer's premium not included). And you thought he was a populist!

Before I get lost in " the magic created when food and wine bring out the best in one another", let get back to reviewing Auctnr1's tweets of the evening.

In all my searching, I couldn't find the tweet "Jackg4congress". I know it was up there because Catanese saw it and replied to it and I retweeted it. What happened to it? I am sure I wasn't the only person who noticed its absence.

Remember how Peter Kinder put up all those tweets during that "hostage" crisis in Jefferson City late last year "I was first the Tweet it" and deleted them when it turned out to be a false alarm? Did Auctnr1 realize he'd pulled a Kinder and better get rid of that tweet. But you can't delete another person's tweet.

Could it be that Auctnr1 was attempting reply to a Jack Goodman tweet, after all, Goodman's twitter handle is "jackg4congress." But where was the "@" that shows up on a twitter reply? Screen captures of Auctnr1's tweet show no "@".

Could it be that Auctnr1 was attempting to send a private message to Jack Goodman via his twitter account? Some have suggested that Auctnr1 got in the race at the urging of the Blunts. The plan was that Auctnr1 would head off a strong Greene County contender, siphon off money from Nodler and, in doing so, allow the Blunt's candidate (jackg4congress) to sweep the field. But Long went rogue and, despite polls showing high name recognition, he lags behind the other main contenders for the seat.

Could it be that Auctnr1 was planning to play some "dirty tricks" on jack4congress? Remember that Jeff Roe works for Auctnr1. Roe's reputation is well known in Missouri political circles as a purveyor of interesting campaign strategies.

Could it be that Auctnr1 let his fingers do the walking and the tweet went off prematurely?

Who knows, but the fact remains choosing to go to a wine tasting weekend instead of attending a Christian County Republican event with the other candidates from the 7th District fits in with the street buzz going around that, while Auctnr1 is quick with the jib and joke, his platform consists of soundbites and one-liners that don't get much beyond how much he hates Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and President Obama. He has his talking points down pat, but if he forgets them or if you ask substantitive questions that require more than a soundbite for an answer, as one would expect at a candidate's forum or a serious interview, he flounders.

Last August, did David Catanese foreshadow Saturday night at the wine tasting when he wrote:

But throughout his humorous and off-the-cuff repertoire, Long has a tendency to make some statements that could come back to haunt him. He mocked the plight of the uninsured ("Get out the crying towel") and claimed that 26 million people under 35 probably don't want health insurance anyway. Claiming that President Obama's healthcare plan might have taken his mother's life back in March of 2008 is also quite a strong charge. It's all done in the loving-aw-shucks Long way, but in a competitive race where a sliver of moderate Republicans could matter, those statements may rub some the wrong way.

To the author of Long is Wrong.com it already has.

*This year’s “Celebration of Tastes” features a Silent Auction Charity Benefit. All proceeds from the auction go to charity which raises the question: does a silent auction need an auctioneer? It is not clear if ticket sales for the other events went to charity.

We're #1 And We Did It Without Any References To Gays, Queers Or Homosexuals!*

*Frequent bus riders got off at this stop more than almost any other stop on the line.
Artist's rendition of frequent bus riders.

Leaves From An Ozark Journal, February, 1937: Reading "Fighting Angel" By Pearl Buck

On Feb. 14 Church Board voted to give Saturday night services to some mission point.

Reading "Fighting Angel" by Pearl Buck.

Earl Smith with me to Dallas County, services at High Prairie, overnight in Buffalo in Chester Moffatt home, talked until midnight.

Heard Martin T. Pope's church joke.. 40 per cent of congregation joined church Sunday night, five present and two joined.

Feb. 17 to Prairie Grove, for Will Saxbury funeral. All six children present.

A call on Loren Craig. How he enjoyed Earl's music.

Feb. 20-21 at Stoutland and Friendship. Small attendance. Men working on Plato S.S. Annex, several days in Feb. Spoke at Lynchburg CCC---"Why Jesus Appeals To Me."

E.E. Davison in a meeting at Summersville. Found out he is antin-UCMS.

Bus Music

This one's for the CDM:

Blunt's Bus -- Not A Wise Choice For Traveling

Earlier, we documented how Roy came to town.

Roy's didn't know that the projects he was praising were funded by stimulus money. I did. And it wasn't that hard to find the documentation showing how the projects were funded.

If I found it out, why couldn't Roy's staff? News reports said Roy's staff was unaware of the funding source when the tour arrangements were made.

Kit Bond seems to have had the same problem up in Columbia last Thursday. Bond's staff ever so gently, I am sure, reminded Kit that he DIDN'T vote for the bill that provided the funding for the autism center.

An expectation, perhaps unrealistic, is that we want our U.S. congressmen and senators to know how and why they voted the way they did on a particular bill. The facts they must digest in the discharge of their duties is tremendous. Perhaps it is a bid unrealistic to expect them to remember every little detail, such as how they voted.

That is why a congressional staff is so critical to the operation of a congressman's office. The incident in Columbia earlier this week pretty well gives us the heads up that Bond's staff is on top of things, even more so than the Senator. That's plane to see from the recapture of the article. Bond's staff appears to be level headed.

Roy's staff, on the other hand, has suffered through some mis-cues. The Springfield photo op being one of them.

Another is the Roy Blunt Bus Tour of Missouri currently underway. In this event Roy is touring I think 19 Missouri cities in an 1100 mile tour in a, as he calls it, "bus". Someone on the bus tour is twittering the tour.

Now, believe me bus riders, I know buses and what Roy is traveling in ain't no bus.

It's an RV plastered over with graphics. And it is a Ford (sorry horsefarmer). I wonder if it came from the same place as Matt's bus?

This is the RV that Roy Blunt is traveling 1100 miles in to impress upon the voters of Missouri that he has the temperament, the capability and the common sense needed to be our next senator.

And it has slide-outs.

What?

Slide-outs. The RV is designed for parking in campgrounds and electric motors slide the rooms out on tracks and make the RV larger. When traveling down the highway, the rooms "slide in" and the vehicle is legal width for traveling on roads and highways.

I can see two slide-outs in the photo of the RV, one in the back bedroom, the other in front side of the RV. I can't tell if the left side has any slide-outs and I ain't about to drive to Nixa Hardware to find out.

While slide outs are great when parked in the campground, they are not so great for taking an 1100 mile tour of Missouri, especially in an RV full of politicos, staff and hangers-on.

Whoever made the decision to use a motor home with slide-outs for the Roy Blunt Bus Tour apparently never took a trip of any length in a motorhome with "slide-outs". 2 people--not a problem. But a bus full? Dang uncomfortable and it shows a remarkable lack of understanding and lack of planning. When the slide-outs are slid in, all the interior space in the RV, except for a narrow aisle, is taken up by the slide-outs. Most RVers find that slide-outs "tend to cramp the interior space of your RV quite a bit while you're driving."

Is his staff to blame? Is it legit to conject that if Blunt's staff makes these kind of errors (photo op, motorhome) that we can so obviously see, what kind of errors are made that we can't see?

Is it legit to suggest that Blunt's remarkable choice of staff is reflective on his ability to lead? If he can't chose a good staff, pick a travel friendly RV or do his homework for a photo op, -- what kind of job will he for us in Washington?

Fasten those seatbelts bus riders, it looks like we are in for a bumpy ride!

The StL Post-Dispatch weighs in on the same subject

Green Segway

Someday...

When I Like Something, I Link To It...

Let The Eagle Soar!

I was in Staples on North Kansas Expressway several years ago buying printer ink. John Ashcroft came in and was buying a fax machine. He was wearing blue jeans and had a leather belt with his name embossed on the back, "John".

Here is a list of Attorney Generals who covered things up then resigned:

Illegal break-ins, hush money, Watergate.


Illegal spying on US citizens, torture memos, gitmo atrocities, rampant partisanship.



Breasts.


Oh yeah, I remember these songs.

A Preachment, Dear Friends, You're About to Receive on John Barleycorn, Nicotine and the Tempations of Eve

They Showed "Poor Judgment" But Did Not Commit Professional Misconduct

The Associated Press' Matt Apuzzo reports:

WASHINGTON – Justice Department lawyers showed "poor judgment" but did not commit professional misconduct when they authorized CIA interrogators to use waterboarding and other harsh tactics at the height of the U.S. war on terrorism, an internal review released Friday found.

Assistant Deputy Attorney General David Margolis, the top nonpolitical Justice Department lawyer and a veteran of several administrations, called the legal memos "flawed" and said that, at every opportunity, they gave interrogators as much leeway as possible under U.S. torture laws. But he said Yoo and Bybee were not reckless and did not knowingly give incorrect advice, the standard for misconduct.

The Office of Professional Responsibility, led by another veteran career prosecutor, Mary Patrice Brown, disagreed.

"Situations of great stress, danger and fear do not relieve department attorneys of their duty to provide thorough, objective and candid legal advice, even if that advice is not what the client wants to hear," her team wrote in a report that criticized the memos for a "lack of thoroughness, objectivity and candor."

The internal report also faulted then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and then-Criminal Division chief Michael Chertoff for not scrutinizing the memos and recognizing their flaws, but the report did not cite them for misconduct.

Yoo is now a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and Bybee is a federal judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based in San Francisco. The decision spares them any immediate sanctions, though state bar associations could independently take up the matter.

The memos authorized CIA interrogators to use waterboarding, keep detainees naked, hold them in painful standing positions and keep them in the cold for long periods of time. Other techniques included depriving them of solid food and slapping them. Sleep deprivation, prolonged shackling and threats to a detainee's family were also used.

It's Not Tiger's Fault He Was Having Sex With All Those Women

"Can a wife contribute to her husband's decision to have an affair? Can she contribute to her husband's diving into the world of pornography?

Yes. It usually comes from her repeated refusal to have sex with her husband."

That's one way to spin the axis.

Meanwhile, over on Craigslist, Hurry, this won't last seven hours!

Date: 2010-02-18, 3:17PM CST
Reply to: see below
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A sheet of 10 full new Viagra for $50

Call now 4.1.7-7.6.3-7.9.1.5

Location: Springfield
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1607016900

My Daugher Sara and Her Horse Named Margo

I have posted before about Sara and Daniel's adventures, Sara also chronicles them on her blog 5acredream.

Here is a photo of Sara and Margo taken in February, 2009:
Here is a photo of Sara and Margo taken in January, 2010:
Nice photos, Sara!

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday. (Thanks for the tribute lmhall.)

Roy CAN Dance! Especially Around The Question: The Evolution Of An Answer

On February 17, 2010, the 1 year anniversary of the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Representative Roy Blunt attended an event in Springfield MO at a site that had received over $500,000 of stimulus money.

I asked asked Representative Blunt as he concluded his tour of Springfield's Brownfield Program site

if he would care to comment about how President Obama's stimulus package was benefiting Springfield.

"No comment," said Representative Blunt.

Springfield received over $500,000 for this project, how do you think this benefited Springfield I asked again.

He stopped as he got ready to enter the elevator and told me I had the wrong project. The project out at the waste treatment plant received stimulus money, not this one.

No sir, I said, the EPA released a press release last August announcing over $500,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus money) going to the Brownfield Program.

"No comment," said Representative Blunt as he entered the elevator and the doors closed.

Tony Messenger, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, asked Representative Blunt in Jefferson City yesterday

if it was hypocritical of him to bash the stimulus while taking credit for spending from the same bill in his district, Blunt said he wasn’t aware if he had done that.

“There may be an example of that,” Blunt said. “I’m not sure what it would be.”

David Loeb of the Associated Press, reports Representative Blunt

said he hadn't knowingly appeared at ceremonies for stimulus-funded projects. But "if I had, I'm not going to be embarrassed about it," Blunt added.

"Surely in spending $800 billion, some of it was worthwhile," Blunt told members of The Associated Press and the Missouri Press Association at their annual Capitol media event.

On Wednesday, Blunt toured several Springfield-area projects funded through the brownfield redevelopment program for contaminated sites. The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded about $1.1 million in stimulus grants for Springfield-area brownfield projects.

"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, published in 1977 by The Ozarks Mountaineer.


Meanwhile, Kit Bond (has that man's head EVER sat on a level plane atop his shoulders?) is having an AWESOME month!

Maybe It Was Roy's Evil Twin I Encountered Yesterday?

Yesterday, I blogged about my encounter with Representative Roy Blunt in downtown Springfield (#SFG) during the Brownfield Progam tour.

During that encounterI had the following exchange with Representative Blunt:

I identified myself and asked him if he would care to comment about how President Obama's stimulus package was benefiting Springfield.

"No comment," said Representative Blunt.

Springfield received over $500,000 for this project, how do you think this benefited Springfield I asked again.

He stopped as he got ready to enter the elevator and told me I had the wrong project. The project out at the waste treatment plant received stimulus money, not this one.

No sir, I said, the EPA released a press release last August announcing over $500,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus money) going to the Brownfield Program.

"No comment," said Representative Blunt

Today, Tony Messenger of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch caught up with Representative Blunt in Jefferson City and filed this story.

Of particular interest to me is this portion of Messenger's story:

Blunt also criticized the rising debt and the federal stimulus, which he voted against. Asked if it was hypocritical of him to bash the stimulus while taking credit for spending from the same bill in his district, Blunt said he wasn’t aware if he had done that.

“There may be an example of that,” Blunt said. “I’m not sure what it would be.”

Earlier this week, Blunt appeared at a ground-breaking for a project in Springfield funded by the stimulus.

Well, sir, here is an example (notice the frequent use of the pronoun 'we'):

Here is a video capture of Representative Blunt yesteday taken from KY3's news broadcast. KYTV is the NBC affiliate in Springfield. Even they noticed the disconnect between what Roy says and what Roy does.