Boys Happy dance
October 15, 2009 1:20pm
Friday, October 30, 2009
Just Keep Cutting, From the Mailbag and Beggar's Night
Good Morning...
So glad it's Friday we all need a couple days to reset. No complaining. Just the way it is...
Brooke is voiceless again this morning, Jeriann is sore from her Ferrell's training (did we tell you she's doing Ferrell's?), and I have no excuses. But I know I am looking forward to the weekend with my family.
To the News:
War Decision
This topic brought the most discussion on this blog yesterday. President Obama meets with The Joint Chiefs of Staff to talk about the war. If anyone has been watching, I think Richard Engle's reporting this week from Kabul has highlighted that there are no easy answers here. Pull out of Afghanistan and there are consequences. Continue the fight, and there will surely be consequences. Unfortunately, we will likely feel them here in the next year. Before you give an all or nothing type statement, consider that the situation in Afghanistan is complicated enough that we couldn't possibly understand all of the implications. I will agree with one point. The commander on the ground has asked for permission to go after what he believes is the best course of action. I know some won't agree with his opinion.
"We should get out" is not a strategy that is remotely realistic at this point. So why don't we listen to the guy the President himself chose to lead the troops? Unfortunately the answer is politics. The left will not like a troop increase. OK but if you disagree you better have some alternative plan.
Keep the Cuts Coming
We will likely hear more every day about the impact of State budget cuts. Today it's students professors and kids.
From the Mailbag
I always enjoy the conspiracy theories floated our way via email. Sometimes they produce fun new catch phrases.
After our story aired last night about China lifting its ban on US pork imports, we got this email.
Why is it that national NBC coverage seems to be the biggest user of "Swine Flu" instead of H1N1? Is this a liberal, anti mid-America program or just East-Coast ignorance?
So glad it's Friday we all need a couple days to reset. No complaining. Just the way it is...
Brooke is voiceless again this morning, Jeriann is sore from her Ferrell's training (did we tell you she's doing Ferrell's?), and I have no excuses. But I know I am looking forward to the weekend with my family.
To the News:
War Decision
This topic brought the most discussion on this blog yesterday. President Obama meets with The Joint Chiefs of Staff to talk about the war. If anyone has been watching, I think Richard Engle's reporting this week from Kabul has highlighted that there are no easy answers here. Pull out of Afghanistan and there are consequences. Continue the fight, and there will surely be consequences. Unfortunately, we will likely feel them here in the next year. Before you give an all or nothing type statement, consider that the situation in Afghanistan is complicated enough that we couldn't possibly understand all of the implications. I will agree with one point. The commander on the ground has asked for permission to go after what he believes is the best course of action. I know some won't agree with his opinion.
"We should get out" is not a strategy that is remotely realistic at this point. So why don't we listen to the guy the President himself chose to lead the troops? Unfortunately the answer is politics. The left will not like a troop increase. OK but if you disagree you better have some alternative plan.
Keep the Cuts Coming
We will likely hear more every day about the impact of State budget cuts. Today it's students professors and kids.
From the Mailbag
I always enjoy the conspiracy theories floated our way via email. Sometimes they produce fun new catch phrases.
After our story aired last night about China lifting its ban on US pork imports, we got this email.
Why is it that national NBC coverage seems to be the biggest user of "Swine Flu" instead of H1N1? Is this a liberal, anti mid-America program or just East-Coast ignorance?
It is, in fact, a "liberal, ant-mid-American program" As everyone knows liberals are against power companies...oh wait no that's not what they meant.
My question is, where did I miss this "program"? Is it part of the Economic stimulus? Maybe it's like "cash for clunkers". Is there grant money we can apply for? Some sort of Tax credit? Everyone else is getting something, why shouldn't people who are clearly out to destroy the American way of life through their use of two words.
Sorry for the sarcasm, I've written about this before. I think I've made my opinion clear. Maybe it was the billion and a half customers the pork industry lost in China that had sales down, and not the limited use of the words Swine Flu? Maybe it was a combination.
I don't know anyone, I haven't heard anyone, and I haven't seen any reports of anyone claiming pork will hurt you. Not one in the entire time we've been talking about this strain of flu. But that's just me.
I know I know...they're out there. It's the same guy who says we're seeding the clouds with a different strain of the flu so the government can control us all.
Beggar's Night
So every year someone asks why Beggar's Night instead of Halloween? Someone always answers that Iowans changed the day we trick or treat because people were uncomfortable with the Pagan traditions of Halloween, or that parents thought it corrupted their kids with thoughts of the Devil! Oh My!
Before you go blaming Christians for stirring up the candy collecting schedule, here's the explanation the Des Moines Register Put out a few years ago:
The credit for providing Des Moines children with the perfect outlet for their most groan-inducing jokes largely goes to one woman, Kathryn Krieg, director of recreation for the Des Moines Playground Commission (later the Parks and Recreation Department) for 43 years.
When Krieg assumed her post in 1931, kids on Beggars' Night were more likely to clamor "Soaps or Eats" than "Trick or Treat." Every year the newspaper ran a long list on Nov. 1 of youths arrested the previous evening for crimes ranging from soaping windows and sidelining streetcars to setting fires and throwing bricks through windows.
The flash point came on Halloween in 1938 when Des Moines police answered a record 550 calls concerning vandalism. Krieg, along with the Community Chest' group work council, began a campaign to encourage less violent forms of Halloween fun.
They set aside Oct. 30 as Beggars' Night and got the word out to the public that on that night - and only that night - children would be allowed to go from door to door and say the phrase "tricks for eats." The council urged that "eats should be given only if such a 'trick' as a song, a poem, a stunt or a musical number, either solo or in group participation, is presented."
The next year, the group work council again promoted the Beggars' Night concept, this time as a way to aid the war effort. An article published in The Des Moines Register on Oct. 29, 1942, carried the headline "Kids! -Don't Help the Axis on Halloween" and included this poem encouraging proper behavior:
"Soap and ticktacks are taboo,
Ringing doorbells? Not for you.
Thoughts of pranks, you must detour,
Lest you bet a saboteur."
The Beggars' Night program was so successful that by the mid-1940's, the number of Halloween police calls in Des Moines had been cut by more than half.
"Soap and ticktacks are taboo,
Ringing doorbells? Not for you.
Thoughts of pranks, you must detour,
Lest you bet a saboteur."
The Beggars' Night program was so successful that by the mid-1940's, the number of Halloween police calls in Des Moines had been cut by more than half.
So there ya go.
If you come to my house I wanna see some stunt work! Acrobatics will get you an extra candy bar.
Today's shameless use of my children for ratings comes in the form of a happy dance.
if you missed it...it's the blog link above this post.
There are few things better to come home to every day!
Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween.
PWD
Thursday, October 29, 2009
No Voice, Bedazzled and Halloween with Kids
NOON UPDATE: LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF TODAY'S BLOG FOR A PREVIEW OF OUR NEW TODAY IN IOWA PROMOTIONS.
Good Morning.
We had an odd start to the morning and it just spun out of control from there. Brooke walked into the building and said good morning to us. Now most of you probably get up and talk to a lot of people. We don't. No one else in their right mind would be up at this hour. SO Brooke opens her mouth for the first time only to find out she has no voice. She's a trooper, and it's the start of a ratings period, so she tried. No dice.
We kicked her off the set at 5:30 and told her to go home and get better. Anyone have any voice recovery tips for her?
To the News
Budget
I blog corrected. The Unions ARE willing to talk to the Gov about their contract. We'll see what comes of it but this one seems like a pretty obvious way to save some money.
Obama's Late Night Visit
The President went to Dover Air Force Base last night to meet the bodies of the soldiers who died this week in Afghanistan. I'm interested to hear opinions on this one, only because I'm sure there will be people who will say this was a political move. I may be naive but I can't imagine that's the case. He's the Commander-in-Chief. I have no problem with him going down to meet those boys when they come home. I think it's essential that he meet the families of the men and women who've lost their lives in the line of duty. If you do that for political gain...you have no soul.
Rain/Forecast
Jeriann got an email from a teacher who told her not to mention indoor vs outdoor recess plans. The teacher seemed to feel that telling everyone there should be indoor recess on a day when Noah himself would get nervous, is not our job. The teacher told us the kids then complain about having to go outside if it ends up that they're able to.
Funny, I don't remember it being the kids choice. You're the teacher and an adult to boot. You win. This isn't a Democracy. I appreciate your complaint..duly noted, but I don't care. Go outside and get some fresh air.
Doesn't look like indoor/outdoor recess will be a hard choice today.
Bedazzled
Greg Edwards walked in with a Bedazzled jean jacket on this morning courtesy of the Quilters Show that's in town. More than twenty four thousand quilters and exhibitors will be at Hy-Vee Hall this weekend. This is a lot more than your Grandma's old quilt. Some of the designs are really modern and the techniques range from painting quilts to adding some of this "bling" Greg was wearing. If you detected a smirk on my face, it was watching Greg wear this shirt and jacket. It's NOT his style, but he's a great sport for modeling it. That man will do ANYTHING to support events and tourism in greater Des Moines.
Halloween with Kiddos
I've been accused of being a humbug because we didn't go out and buy a thirty dollar costume for our eight month old kids who won't remember or care about their first Halloween anyway. We made a compromise instead. We got em some fun shirts and their Aunt Amy Made them these Pumpkin Hats. Cute stuff.
Meanwhile Jeriann agreed to give us all a peek at Luke too. He went down to St. Louis with his
parents for a weekend wedding. Luke is stylin' in his tropical pattern suit.
Aren't we lucky!
Have a great day!
PWD
HERE'S A LOOK AT THE NEW PROMOTION FOR TODAY IN IOWA. iT'S ONE OF 24 THEY PRODUCED THAT WILL AIR OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. ENJOY:
Good Morning.
We had an odd start to the morning and it just spun out of control from there. Brooke walked into the building and said good morning to us. Now most of you probably get up and talk to a lot of people. We don't. No one else in their right mind would be up at this hour. SO Brooke opens her mouth for the first time only to find out she has no voice. She's a trooper, and it's the start of a ratings period, so she tried. No dice.
We kicked her off the set at 5:30 and told her to go home and get better. Anyone have any voice recovery tips for her?
To the News
Budget
I blog corrected. The Unions ARE willing to talk to the Gov about their contract. We'll see what comes of it but this one seems like a pretty obvious way to save some money.
Obama's Late Night Visit
The President went to Dover Air Force Base last night to meet the bodies of the soldiers who died this week in Afghanistan. I'm interested to hear opinions on this one, only because I'm sure there will be people who will say this was a political move. I may be naive but I can't imagine that's the case. He's the Commander-in-Chief. I have no problem with him going down to meet those boys when they come home. I think it's essential that he meet the families of the men and women who've lost their lives in the line of duty. If you do that for political gain...you have no soul.
Rain/Forecast
Jeriann got an email from a teacher who told her not to mention indoor vs outdoor recess plans. The teacher seemed to feel that telling everyone there should be indoor recess on a day when Noah himself would get nervous, is not our job. The teacher told us the kids then complain about having to go outside if it ends up that they're able to.
Funny, I don't remember it being the kids choice. You're the teacher and an adult to boot. You win. This isn't a Democracy. I appreciate your complaint..duly noted, but I don't care. Go outside and get some fresh air.
Doesn't look like indoor/outdoor recess will be a hard choice today.
Bedazzled
Greg Edwards walked in with a Bedazzled jean jacket on this morning courtesy of the Quilters Show that's in town. More than twenty four thousand quilters and exhibitors will be at Hy-Vee Hall this weekend. This is a lot more than your Grandma's old quilt. Some of the designs are really modern and the techniques range from painting quilts to adding some of this "bling" Greg was wearing. If you detected a smirk on my face, it was watching Greg wear this shirt and jacket. It's NOT his style, but he's a great sport for modeling it. That man will do ANYTHING to support events and tourism in greater Des Moines.
Halloween with Kiddos
I've been accused of being a humbug because we didn't go out and buy a thirty dollar costume for our eight month old kids who won't remember or care about their first Halloween anyway. We made a compromise instead. We got em some fun shirts and their Aunt Amy Made them these Pumpkin Hats. Cute stuff.Meanwhile Jeriann agreed to give us all a peek at Luke too. He went down to St. Louis with his
parents for a weekend wedding. Luke is stylin' in his tropical pattern suit.Aren't we lucky!
Have a great day!
PWD
HERE'S A LOOK AT THE NEW PROMOTION FOR TODAY IN IOWA. iT'S ONE OF 24 THEY PRODUCED THAT WILL AIR OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. ENJOY:
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
No Help, An Iowa Soldier's Silver Star and The Dump
Good Morning!
I've got to start out with something we're all pretty excited about. I think I wrote here a few weeks ago that we'd shot some new promotions for Today in Iowa. They set up a camera and we all just talked for a while. We talked about each other, about our crazy hours, coffee, traffic. Well, they crafted that conversation into about two dozen promotions for Today in Iowa. I think they'll answer a lot of the questions people usually ask us, and I think they'll give you a good idea how much we really do enjoy working together. Look for the promotions to come out a few at a time over the next few months. Enjoy!
The News:
State Cuts
Well here's a shocker.
The State's largest Union says it negotiates a contract every two years. They say they've done that and any negotiating needs to be done with the entire bargaining unit. Hmmmmm. OK well thanks for all the help..the seven hundred people that are about to get laid off will be in tomorrow to see about benefits.
I've been in a Union and have benefited from collective bargaining. I think it's got it's place protecting workers from unreasonable work conditions and making sure worker salaries increase when the company turns a profit.
I get the negotiating tactic here from the Union. I get that Unions feel they've worked hard for the benefits and salaries they've earned and that they don't want to back track.
The thing I think some Union leaders miss is that the Union workers aren't alone in dealing with these issues. EVERY worker is taking pay and benefit cuts right now. EVERY worker is seeing an increase in benefit contributions. EVERY worker is seeing costs outpace pay increases. And by the way, MANAGEMENT is seeing the same cuts.
These state jobs are good jobs. They have good benefits. If it would save even two or three hundred of these jobs that are potentially lost, isn't it in the Union's best interest to keep those people working?
What would a temporary freeze in contract pay increases save the state this year? Polk County's AFSCME workers took this kind of a pay freeze through some hard budget times a few years ago. To my mind it gave them great credibility and even more leverage the next time they negotiated.
Isn't the point of the union that everyone sticks together? Deals with adversity together? I guess not.
Iowa Soldier and A Silver Star
There's a story in the Washington Times this morning detailing an Iowa native who is being awarded the Silver Star for his heroism and bravery in Vietnam. Great Story, just thought I'd share the Iowa pride.
The Dump
Had some errands to run yesterday. One of them took us out to the Metro East Landfill. Just wanted to share the process so you are aware. If you have an old appliance you need to get rid of you can take it out the the Landfill. If you pay $10, they will take all the reusable parts off the thing and recycle them. Sounds a lot better to me than letting my microwave rot for eternity.
The process was easy and took about three minutes total. See the Metro Waste Authority Website for more details.
Need to get on a few morning chores here. I've been asked to be Godfather to my best friend's son Evan. I apparently need to fill out some paperwork for the Church. Also having coffee today with the folks from Prevent Child Abuse Iowa. I will be emceeing their event the first weekend in November again. Pottery for Prevention is always a fun event. If you have the evening free I would love to see you all come out and support a great cause!
Hope you have a good day!
PWD
I've got to start out with something we're all pretty excited about. I think I wrote here a few weeks ago that we'd shot some new promotions for Today in Iowa. They set up a camera and we all just talked for a while. We talked about each other, about our crazy hours, coffee, traffic. Well, they crafted that conversation into about two dozen promotions for Today in Iowa. I think they'll answer a lot of the questions people usually ask us, and I think they'll give you a good idea how much we really do enjoy working together. Look for the promotions to come out a few at a time over the next few months. Enjoy!
The News:
State Cuts
Well here's a shocker.
The State's largest Union says it negotiates a contract every two years. They say they've done that and any negotiating needs to be done with the entire bargaining unit. Hmmmmm. OK well thanks for all the help..the seven hundred people that are about to get laid off will be in tomorrow to see about benefits.
I've been in a Union and have benefited from collective bargaining. I think it's got it's place protecting workers from unreasonable work conditions and making sure worker salaries increase when the company turns a profit.
I get the negotiating tactic here from the Union. I get that Unions feel they've worked hard for the benefits and salaries they've earned and that they don't want to back track.
The thing I think some Union leaders miss is that the Union workers aren't alone in dealing with these issues. EVERY worker is taking pay and benefit cuts right now. EVERY worker is seeing an increase in benefit contributions. EVERY worker is seeing costs outpace pay increases. And by the way, MANAGEMENT is seeing the same cuts.
These state jobs are good jobs. They have good benefits. If it would save even two or three hundred of these jobs that are potentially lost, isn't it in the Union's best interest to keep those people working?
What would a temporary freeze in contract pay increases save the state this year? Polk County's AFSCME workers took this kind of a pay freeze through some hard budget times a few years ago. To my mind it gave them great credibility and even more leverage the next time they negotiated.
Isn't the point of the union that everyone sticks together? Deals with adversity together? I guess not.
Iowa Soldier and A Silver Star
There's a story in the Washington Times this morning detailing an Iowa native who is being awarded the Silver Star for his heroism and bravery in Vietnam. Great Story, just thought I'd share the Iowa pride.
The Dump
Had some errands to run yesterday. One of them took us out to the Metro East Landfill. Just wanted to share the process so you are aware. If you have an old appliance you need to get rid of you can take it out the the Landfill. If you pay $10, they will take all the reusable parts off the thing and recycle them. Sounds a lot better to me than letting my microwave rot for eternity.
The process was easy and took about three minutes total. See the Metro Waste Authority Website for more details.
Need to get on a few morning chores here. I've been asked to be Godfather to my best friend's son Evan. I apparently need to fill out some paperwork for the Church. Also having coffee today with the folks from Prevent Child Abuse Iowa. I will be emceeing their event the first weekend in November again. Pottery for Prevention is always a fun event. If you have the evening free I would love to see you all come out and support a great cause!
Hope you have a good day!
PWD
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Random thoughts and Tweets
Good Morning!
I'll start by talking about Twitter a little. I signed up for this thing to try to use it for work. The
problem is, I don't always think I have something valueable to share. It leads to this...a note form a loyal blogger. C in Marshalltown writes:
Growing up in Chicago I enjoyed reading Mike Royko's column in the Chicago Tribune. The Trib has a story this morning about a women who is auctioning off a letter written by Frank Sinatra to Royko after a scathing column Royko wrote about Ol Blue Eyes. Wish I had 15 grand.
I'll start by talking about Twitter a little. I signed up for this thing to try to use it for work. The
problem is, I don't always think I have something valueable to share. It leads to this...a note form a loyal blogger. C in Marshalltown writes:Okay - call me old (or something)but I just don't get this Twitter thing. I went to TWITTER, signed in, and I actually found Patrick except NOW WHAT DO I DO????? Am I missing something?
No you aren't C.
I need to Tweet more. Here's the problem. I don't want to be one of these people who tweets stupid stuff...flooding you with information you don't need.
I have a couple of thoughts. Would you like to hear what's going on on the set? Would you like to hear the morning's "other" conversations among the TII crew? Would you like me to send links to stories I think are interesting as I see them cross the headlines? I want to make this user friendly so let us know what you'd like and we'll try to make it work.
On to the news:
H1N1
I just got off the phone with the Polk Co Health Department. They're creating a waiting list but we want to make sure you all know, this is only for pregnant women. The number is: 323-5330. Again, only pregnant women can get on that waiting list. Those women will get a call back.
I also suggested the PCHD take the time at the next clinic to come out and count the number of people who intend to actually get the mist vs the shot. The PCHD worker will eventually reach the point in the line where the vaccine would potentially run out. They can post that person at that point in the line. That would let everyone who lines up after that point that ...you wait at your own risk. There may be doses left, there may not.
I would stress again, the PCHD is dealing with a very difficult situation and they're trying their hardest to think about accomodating everyone. the problems is, that's never going to happen. Someone will always have a way to do it that's more convenient for them.
Sinatra Letter
Growing up in Chicago I enjoyed reading Mike Royko's column in the Chicago Tribune. The Trib has a story this morning about a women who is auctioning off a letter written by Frank Sinatra to Royko after a scathing column Royko wrote about Ol Blue Eyes. Wish I had 15 grand. LLoyd
Some of you emailed us to ask why Officer Lloyd needed a fundraisewr to pay for medical expenses. I think the emailers were asking why the officer's insurance and workman's comp don't cover those costs. They will cover much of the cost, but as anyone who's gone through a major medical procedure knows...the cost, even a fraction of it can run into tens of thousands of dollars. On top of that family may have to take unpaid leave to be with or care for a loved one if they get into this kind of medical situation. I'm not sure of the circumstances here, but I'd caution people to not jusmp to the conclusion that insurance covers everything...it doesn't.
This is It?
I put the question mark there cause this seems to be the concensus among reviewers of the New Michael Jackson documentary. There's not a lot there. Hardcore MJ fans will like it but I think I'll wait until it's on the clearance bin at Blockbuster...even then I don't think I'm interested.
Things that Annoy
The story we read about "peephole" driving brought this up. I admit the people who don't clear off the entire car before driving in the snow bug me. If you want to crash your car, go ahead. Please don't increase the chance that you're going to crsh into mine.
Brooke's annoyance of the morning was people who wear Jeans to a wedding. I agree. This is one of the most important days of your friend's/relative's life. Get a pair of Dockers or a skirt.
Finally Kudos to my wife for quieting a screaming kid last night. The kids weren't ready to go to bed. Mom and Dad were.
So, we put em down...near thier normal time. The problem was they got up late from their nap...so they weren't ready. If you combine that rough start to the night with an early wake-up call...it can be a trying morning for a Mom. It's morning's like this I wish I could be there to help a little. JT decided to be a little bit of a drama queen this morning and Will has learned he can scream. He just shreiks. The good news is, he's not in any kind of excruciating pain....the bad news is...he decided he's very good at screaming and wants to show off the new vocal skills. Crying with a dab of random shreiking...it's every parent's dream wake-up call.
On a more positive note, the boys have discovered each other and have even started to make each other laugh. We never know when it's going to happen, but it's pretty funny when they do it. They still make us smile a lot more than they make us want to go hide under the couch.
I hope you had a great start to the day!
PWD
Monday, October 26, 2009
Flu Clinic, Football Weekend and A Big Thank You!
Good morning and welcome to Monday
I win the idiot award for the weekend. It seemed everything I touched, I broke. We went oput to the Polk Co immunization clinic around Noon and as I was backing out of the driveway I forgot our second car was parked down the driveway. I didn't hit it hard, but it was hard enough to crack the bumper of the our Civic. Nobody got hurt and the damage was minimal, but I think many of you will understand when I say, I just feel like and idiot. Then I was cleaning out our bird feeder (there may be nothing more disgusting than a crusty bird feeder) and as I was gripping the plastic to shake some of the water out, I cracked the plastic. Glue will likely seal it up but again...idiot.
We'll hope the week starts out better.
Flu Clinics
As I mentioned we went out the flu clinic at Noon to see if we could get the boys a shot. We quickly realized we weren't even going to come close. The line was out the Varied Industries Building, Around the corner by the Grand Avenue Exit, Down that whole block to where the DART busses drop shuttles off at the Fair and around another corner up the street. There had to be a thousand people in line by the time we got there. Please read no blame of anyone else for our tardy arrival. We were late and knew it was a long shot we'd get the boys vaccinated.
I have a couple of observations.
First, the line was moving well. Anyone who got in, it sounds like, got treated quickly and efficiently. I would disagree with anyone who says Polk County didn't do it's planning work. they did. I would say maybe they need to simply add on for more efficiency.
It would have been helpful to have a Red Cross Volunteer or someone outside walking the line. That person/persons could answer questions people have...remind people of who is eligible. And maybe most importantly could estimate how many people have already come through, and how many are still in line. That way when you reach the 2200 mark, you can say to the people who are lines up after them, maybe you'll get a shot maybe you won't...but this is the point at which 2200 people are ahead of you. It might save a lot of waiting. Those volunteers could also estimate the time it takes to get into the building from the back of the line. Amusement Parks do this...I would think there's a way. That way when someone shows up wanting to know how long they'll have to stand outside...they can get that information.
Just suggestions. Again, I think the County is doing a big job under bad circumstances.
Football
I worked this weekend to fill in for vacationing reporters. That meant I got to go up to Ames to be there for the welcome home celebrations for the Cyclones. What a great vibe in that building! What a great moment for those student athletes! They haven't had an easy time of it the last couple of years. A lot of that frustration washed away with a win in Lincoln. If you missed the video of Paul Rhodes talking to his team in the locker room, you need to see it. That's the kind of passion Cyclone fans want to see out of their coach. We also interviewed Jamie Pollard. He choked up talking about the emotion Coach Rhodes showed. I;m sorry but you can't fake that. It was clearly a moment that mean a lot to him. Both Pollard and Rhodes are a class act. Congrats Clones!
Congrats also to Hawkeye fans. Iowa football is a great story. They win with gritty defense and an offense that does just enough to win. I think Hawk fans would like to see a few more games where the outcome isn't in doubt until the last play.
Race for the Cure
A big thank you to all of the people involved int eh Race for the Cure. They helped us look beyond the actual event to some of the latest technology and innovation coming down the pike for women with breast cancer. I am sorry we didn't get to run the story Saturday night. Football got in the way. We aired the story Sunday and it's online if you want to see it.
A side note. I went to the race Saturday morning and saw two women SMOKING in their Race T-shirts as I walked away. I can't imagine how someone could be more disrespectful! These women and Men are fighting CANCER!
Healthcare Hoo-Ha
I wanted to put this article in the blog this morning. Another reminder we should all think for ourselves. Sometimes people take it for granted that a politician is just trying to stick up for the little guy. These politicians are simply looking out for themselves. It's pretty clear that have no idea what they're talking about.
It's a lot easier to demonize an entire industry than it is to try to make your case on the merits.
America's Family Coaches
Thanks also to America's Family Coaches, Dr Gary and Barb Rosberg. The Rosberg's invited me to speak about my parents marriage and their influence on my own view of marriage. I hope I added some perspective to the night.
I know I enjoyed meeting some new friends and listening to the Rosberg's passion about the issue of keeping marriages together in Iowa. I particularly think their work among our military families will be important in the year to come. If you're looking for more information about the effort, here's their website.
I hope you all have a good day.
And get some comments going. If you think the blog is boring or there's nothing to say...let us know. We want to use this as a place to get a discussion going. Let me know what you want and we'll include more of it.
PWD
I win the idiot award for the weekend. It seemed everything I touched, I broke. We went oput to the Polk Co immunization clinic around Noon and as I was backing out of the driveway I forgot our second car was parked down the driveway. I didn't hit it hard, but it was hard enough to crack the bumper of the our Civic. Nobody got hurt and the damage was minimal, but I think many of you will understand when I say, I just feel like and idiot. Then I was cleaning out our bird feeder (there may be nothing more disgusting than a crusty bird feeder) and as I was gripping the plastic to shake some of the water out, I cracked the plastic. Glue will likely seal it up but again...idiot.
We'll hope the week starts out better.
Flu Clinics
As I mentioned we went out the flu clinic at Noon to see if we could get the boys a shot. We quickly realized we weren't even going to come close. The line was out the Varied Industries Building, Around the corner by the Grand Avenue Exit, Down that whole block to where the DART busses drop shuttles off at the Fair and around another corner up the street. There had to be a thousand people in line by the time we got there. Please read no blame of anyone else for our tardy arrival. We were late and knew it was a long shot we'd get the boys vaccinated.
I have a couple of observations.
First, the line was moving well. Anyone who got in, it sounds like, got treated quickly and efficiently. I would disagree with anyone who says Polk County didn't do it's planning work. they did. I would say maybe they need to simply add on for more efficiency.
It would have been helpful to have a Red Cross Volunteer or someone outside walking the line. That person/persons could answer questions people have...remind people of who is eligible. And maybe most importantly could estimate how many people have already come through, and how many are still in line. That way when you reach the 2200 mark, you can say to the people who are lines up after them, maybe you'll get a shot maybe you won't...but this is the point at which 2200 people are ahead of you. It might save a lot of waiting. Those volunteers could also estimate the time it takes to get into the building from the back of the line. Amusement Parks do this...I would think there's a way. That way when someone shows up wanting to know how long they'll have to stand outside...they can get that information.
Just suggestions. Again, I think the County is doing a big job under bad circumstances.
Football
I worked this weekend to fill in for vacationing reporters. That meant I got to go up to Ames to be there for the welcome home celebrations for the Cyclones. What a great vibe in that building! What a great moment for those student athletes! They haven't had an easy time of it the last couple of years. A lot of that frustration washed away with a win in Lincoln. If you missed the video of Paul Rhodes talking to his team in the locker room, you need to see it. That's the kind of passion Cyclone fans want to see out of their coach. We also interviewed Jamie Pollard. He choked up talking about the emotion Coach Rhodes showed. I;m sorry but you can't fake that. It was clearly a moment that mean a lot to him. Both Pollard and Rhodes are a class act. Congrats Clones!
Congrats also to Hawkeye fans. Iowa football is a great story. They win with gritty defense and an offense that does just enough to win. I think Hawk fans would like to see a few more games where the outcome isn't in doubt until the last play.
Race for the Cure
A big thank you to all of the people involved int eh Race for the Cure. They helped us look beyond the actual event to some of the latest technology and innovation coming down the pike for women with breast cancer. I am sorry we didn't get to run the story Saturday night. Football got in the way. We aired the story Sunday and it's online if you want to see it.
A side note. I went to the race Saturday morning and saw two women SMOKING in their Race T-shirts as I walked away. I can't imagine how someone could be more disrespectful! These women and Men are fighting CANCER!
Healthcare Hoo-Ha
I wanted to put this article in the blog this morning. Another reminder we should all think for ourselves. Sometimes people take it for granted that a politician is just trying to stick up for the little guy. These politicians are simply looking out for themselves. It's pretty clear that have no idea what they're talking about.
It's a lot easier to demonize an entire industry than it is to try to make your case on the merits.
America's Family Coaches
Thanks also to America's Family Coaches, Dr Gary and Barb Rosberg. The Rosberg's invited me to speak about my parents marriage and their influence on my own view of marriage. I hope I added some perspective to the night.
I know I enjoyed meeting some new friends and listening to the Rosberg's passion about the issue of keeping marriages together in Iowa. I particularly think their work among our military families will be important in the year to come. If you're looking for more information about the effort, here's their website.
I hope you all have a good day.
And get some comments going. If you think the blog is boring or there's nothing to say...let us know. We want to use this as a place to get a discussion going. Let me know what you want and we'll include more of it.
PWD
Friday, October 23, 2009
Flu Clinic, Budget Bogus and Busy Weekend
Good Morning.
The good news is, I got an extra hour of sleep. The bad news...I hadn't planned on getting it. Sally woke me up at 3am. "You can't turn your alarm off and then go back to bed!" Thank God I'm married to a human clock.
I sped up the getting ready for work routine and I was at work by 3:30.
I should take the opportunity to say we are lucky to have such a great team of producers on Today in Iowa. Even though I was late, I wasn't worried about the show. They do a great job and don't get enough of the credit for our collective success. Thanks Team!
The News:
Facebook Candidate
Roxanne Conlin says she's likely a candidate for US Senate in Iowa next year. She made that statement on her Facebook page yesterday. Conlin would join two other men who are running for the Democrat's nomination. Can you name them? I think that's the point. Leaders in the party aren't happy with either so they're looking to recruit a name like Conlin.
We are efforting
Flu
I wanted to thank The Polk County Health Department and particularly Sarah Tompkins for her time yesterday in our studios. She answered a lot of questions about H1N1, this weekend's flu clinic and about the vaccine itself. The Clinic is from Noon to Five, or until the vaccine runs out Sunday. If you want more information about the clinic, or you want to read the answers to some of the questions Sarah fielded, go to whotv.com.
Budget Bogus
In all the debate over the State's budget there are a lot of people standing there saying...well, if you cut this department, these criminals may hurt you, or these kids may be hurt, or these families may pay more for college! Yep.
Here's my problem with making these dire predictions. What are you going to do? We don't have the money.
Make arguments all you want about the budget process last year. There's plenty there to debate. The problem is, we made a budget that we had no chance of meeting. It's not as if we overspent our allowance. We never had a reasonable expectation of getting the allowance in the first place.
Politicians have to stop lying about some of these hard choices. I use that word on purpose. Leaders at the Statehouse can try to justify decisions last January all they like but I don't think any of us felt BETTER about the economy back in January. I don't think anyone could honestly think the State was going to recover that fast. Everyone was saying this was going to be a long drawn out recession.
Still, leaders passed a budget that funded a lot more programs and jobs than we could afford. They did it because they didn't want to be voted out of office. Layoffs, cuts, reductions all equal voter anger...damming campaign commercials and eventually lawmakers losing their jobs. This was self preservation, not management of the state.
The naysayers aren't clean on this one either. If you are going to object to the spending, you have to come up with a viable plan to reduce in areas that aren't needed, while maintaining the revenues the State brings in. Just standing there saying, "you're not doing a good job", isn't enough. It should be equal justification for throwing a lawmaker out of office.
No one said being a State Lawmakers was going to be easy. These are complicated choices. Dig in and then explain why the choices you made were responsible, and ultimately in the best interest of a majority of Iowans.
Isn't that easier than trying to explain why you have to cut someone's job right before Christmas?
Runaway Plane
Did you hear about that Northwest Airlines plane that flew right past Minneapolis this week? Ummm, hey guys...there goes Minneapolis, ya wanna pull over?
The scary part of this is that they were out of radio contact for an hour and a half. If you've ever listened to the Air Traffic Control on a flight, you know these controllers check in all the time with each flight. There''s hardly a ten minute period where they're not getting new instructions or a new radio frequency.
I find it really hard to believe that these pilots were so engrossed in conversation that they forgot to call in. If they were, I find it hard to believe they'll be flying planes much longer.
Twitterific
So I broke down and finally signed up for Twitter. Don't look for my tweets to fill up your inbox or your cell phone though. I did it to test out a service our consumer expert was plugging from AOL. I've long thought that used well, Twitter can be effective for us. Used well is the key. Yesterday we used Twitter to tell people we'd be having the Polk County Health Department live on the Noon News. We wanted people's questions about H1N1. It worked well. If you're wondering how I'll use Twitter in the future, that's a good example. We'll try to promote things you might be interested in on our shows and solicit viewer opinions and participation. No tweets about the cup of coffee I'm about to buy or how I'm going to take a nap. WHO CARES?
BTW I am PatrickWDix on Twitter.
Busy Weekend
So I'm scrambling to get this blog done before I have to leave for West Des Moines. I'm shooting a story for tomorrow night on Breast Cancer. it will follow our coverage of Race for the Cure and I hope it will be interesting to many of you. This afternoon I've got to get ready to emcee an event for Barb and Gary Rosberg. The Rosberg's work with married couples, particularly military marriages has caught our attention. They'll be making some announcements in the coming weeks about new ideas and initiatives they'll be working on. I'm glad to help out with the launch of some of that tonight.
The late night means I need to get home and sleep because tomorrow will be even busier.
I need to get down to Race for the Cure to finish up my story for tomorrow night and then I'm working tomorrow night. Vacations/sick time/maternity leave are all pulling our staff in different directions so I was glad to step in and help out for the night.
The good news is, I got an extra hour of sleep. The bad news...I hadn't planned on getting it. Sally woke me up at 3am. "You can't turn your alarm off and then go back to bed!" Thank God I'm married to a human clock.
I sped up the getting ready for work routine and I was at work by 3:30.
I should take the opportunity to say we are lucky to have such a great team of producers on Today in Iowa. Even though I was late, I wasn't worried about the show. They do a great job and don't get enough of the credit for our collective success. Thanks Team!
The News:
Facebook Candidate
Roxanne Conlin says she's likely a candidate for US Senate in Iowa next year. She made that statement on her Facebook page yesterday. Conlin would join two other men who are running for the Democrat's nomination. Can you name them? I think that's the point. Leaders in the party aren't happy with either so they're looking to recruit a name like Conlin.
We are efforting
Flu
I wanted to thank The Polk County Health Department and particularly Sarah Tompkins for her time yesterday in our studios. She answered a lot of questions about H1N1, this weekend's flu clinic and about the vaccine itself. The Clinic is from Noon to Five, or until the vaccine runs out Sunday. If you want more information about the clinic, or you want to read the answers to some of the questions Sarah fielded, go to whotv.com.
Budget Bogus
In all the debate over the State's budget there are a lot of people standing there saying...well, if you cut this department, these criminals may hurt you, or these kids may be hurt, or these families may pay more for college! Yep.
Here's my problem with making these dire predictions. What are you going to do? We don't have the money.
Make arguments all you want about the budget process last year. There's plenty there to debate. The problem is, we made a budget that we had no chance of meeting. It's not as if we overspent our allowance. We never had a reasonable expectation of getting the allowance in the first place.
Politicians have to stop lying about some of these hard choices. I use that word on purpose. Leaders at the Statehouse can try to justify decisions last January all they like but I don't think any of us felt BETTER about the economy back in January. I don't think anyone could honestly think the State was going to recover that fast. Everyone was saying this was going to be a long drawn out recession.
Still, leaders passed a budget that funded a lot more programs and jobs than we could afford. They did it because they didn't want to be voted out of office. Layoffs, cuts, reductions all equal voter anger...damming campaign commercials and eventually lawmakers losing their jobs. This was self preservation, not management of the state.
The naysayers aren't clean on this one either. If you are going to object to the spending, you have to come up with a viable plan to reduce in areas that aren't needed, while maintaining the revenues the State brings in. Just standing there saying, "you're not doing a good job", isn't enough. It should be equal justification for throwing a lawmaker out of office.
No one said being a State Lawmakers was going to be easy. These are complicated choices. Dig in and then explain why the choices you made were responsible, and ultimately in the best interest of a majority of Iowans.
Isn't that easier than trying to explain why you have to cut someone's job right before Christmas?
Runaway Plane
Did you hear about that Northwest Airlines plane that flew right past Minneapolis this week? Ummm, hey guys...there goes Minneapolis, ya wanna pull over?
The scary part of this is that they were out of radio contact for an hour and a half. If you've ever listened to the Air Traffic Control on a flight, you know these controllers check in all the time with each flight. There''s hardly a ten minute period where they're not getting new instructions or a new radio frequency.
I find it really hard to believe that these pilots were so engrossed in conversation that they forgot to call in. If they were, I find it hard to believe they'll be flying planes much longer.
Twitterific
So I broke down and finally signed up for Twitter. Don't look for my tweets to fill up your inbox or your cell phone though. I did it to test out a service our consumer expert was plugging from AOL. I've long thought that used well, Twitter can be effective for us. Used well is the key. Yesterday we used Twitter to tell people we'd be having the Polk County Health Department live on the Noon News. We wanted people's questions about H1N1. It worked well. If you're wondering how I'll use Twitter in the future, that's a good example. We'll try to promote things you might be interested in on our shows and solicit viewer opinions and participation. No tweets about the cup of coffee I'm about to buy or how I'm going to take a nap. WHO CARES?
BTW I am PatrickWDix on Twitter.
Busy Weekend
So I'm scrambling to get this blog done before I have to leave for West Des Moines. I'm shooting a story for tomorrow night on Breast Cancer. it will follow our coverage of Race for the Cure and I hope it will be interesting to many of you. This afternoon I've got to get ready to emcee an event for Barb and Gary Rosberg. The Rosberg's work with married couples, particularly military marriages has caught our attention. They'll be making some announcements in the coming weeks about new ideas and initiatives they'll be working on. I'm glad to help out with the launch of some of that tonight.
The late night means I need to get home and sleep because tomorrow will be even busier.
I need to get down to Race for the Cure to finish up my story for tomorrow night and then I'm working tomorrow night. Vacations/sick time/maternity leave are all pulling our staff in different directions so I was glad to step in and help out for the night.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Cuts, Cancer, and Costumes
Good Morning...
The Governor and Department of Management took the budget cutting recommendations and started reviewing them last night. The Clock is ticking on this one. There are people saying the cuts could mean anywhere from a thousand to two thousand jobs lost. We should see more detail when they start releasing the proposals for cuts on the Internet at eleven this morning.
Fun morning in studio as we welcomed out promotions guru Kevin Rivers. He was shooting some "behind the scenes" video of us for a new set of promotions that will run soon. He says he thinks they're going to be good. I hope they will show you a different side of our personalities and possibly make you laugh. Cause who doesn't need a good laugh these days.
In the news:
Cuts
The Governor and Department of Management took the budget cutting recommendations and started reviewing them last night. The Clock is ticking on this one. There are people saying the cuts could mean anywhere from a thousand to two thousand jobs lost. We should see more detail when they start releasing the proposals for cuts on the Internet at eleven this morning.The School Districts are also cutting as a result. All of these Board members are getting up there talking about the political realities in front of them...none of their Union supporters are going to like job cuts very much.
How about the actual reality? There is no money.
So, you can either keep the jobs and raise taxes (making your constituents mad), or you can cut the jobs, keep taxes where they are, and get dropped like yesterday's trash by the special interests that helped get you elected.
Welcome to the world of the unpaid, part-time group that controls most of the property tax money you give to the government.
Flu
My worry continues to build about this flu season. Today we hear a flu forecast for the state. Business leaders are tuning in to talk about what they'll do with employees. Here's my prediction: The number of people who get sick this season is going to surprise everyone...even the ones who thought this flu season would be bad. We're starting to look for activities we can do "at home".
Cancer
Probably the most interesting article I read this morning was in the New York Times. Did you 
see this one? It basically says the American Cancer Society is ready to say the risk of early screenings for some cancers may actually put you at risk! Sound backwards? It does until you see the research. It is leading some doctors to conclude that early detection, particularly of colon and breast cancer, is leading to treatment of relatively minor cancer cases and causing docs to miss more deadly cases. Read the article. Timely because we've got Race for the Cure this weekend.
see this one? It basically says the American Cancer Society is ready to say the risk of early screenings for some cancers may actually put you at risk! Sound backwards? It does until you see the research. It is leading some doctors to conclude that early detection, particularly of colon and breast cancer, is leading to treatment of relatively minor cancer cases and causing docs to miss more deadly cases. Read the article. Timely because we've got Race for the Cure this weekend. For Parents
Two studies we showed you this morning...one says don't use your kid's car seat in the home. The Study by University of Cincinnati says a lot of kids get injured when parents put their kids in the car seat up on a table or high surface. The chair falls off, the kid gets hurt. Worse, the kid can fall onto a softer surface (bed mattress) and can suffocate.
The second study talks about pacifiers and their connection to speech impediments. A group studied the link and found kids who use the Binky longer have a higher risk of some speech disorder. It's reason #32 I feel lucky that our kids simply spit out the pacifier one day.
Unit Citation
Our Producer picked a great story for early in our newscast this morning. It was about a Vietnam era Army unit cited for it's bravery saving about a hundred men pinned down i
n the jungle. The unit's story was largely forgotten until now. Their commander petitioned the Army for years, believing they should be awarded individual and unit commendations. This is a good article about the unit. Here's some information about the Presidential Unit Citation. Look at the units who've earned the citation since WWII. It's a highlight reel for our military.
n the jungle. The unit's story was largely forgotten until now. Their commander petitioned the Army for years, believing they should be awarded individual and unit commendations. This is a good article about the unit. Here's some information about the Presidential Unit Citation. Look at the units who've earned the citation since WWII. It's a highlight reel for our military.Costumes
MSNBC has it's most offensive costumes for Halloween online. Agree Disagree? Discuss amongst yourselves.
Have a great day...
PWD
Monday, October 19, 2009
Deployment, H1N1 and Hoax
Good Morning!
Thankfully it was a quiet weekend after another busy week. We're going to ramp it up again in our house over the next few weekends but that's just the time of year. Between now and Christmas I think we've got two weekends where we are not hosting someone or are already booked up with plans. FOR ALL FAMILY READING THIS...WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE PEOPLE HERE>>>WE LOVE YOU A LOT. Please don't read any complaint in the reality of our schedule. It's great to have people here, to fuss over the kids and mostly to enjoy their company.
The News:
Deployment
Our friends at The Des Moines Register got the exclusive this morning...The Iowa National Guard is preparing for it's largest overseas deployment since World War Two. The 34th Infantry Division's second Brigade will be called to go overseas according to the report. We should get more details from The Guard this week. i do not envy the families of the men and women who serve the Guard, but I will say over and over again how much I appreciate their service.
H1N1
Don't get mad at the Polk County Health Department. They're handing out the H1N1 flu vaccine as fast as they can. They've had three shipments and all three are gone.
We are continuing the debate over vaccination/no vaccination in our house. I've heard Doctors say to get it, and I've heard Doctors say don't get it. I continue to believe that the risk of getting a vaccine is less than the risk of my twins getting sick with H1N1. If I didn't do it and my child died because I made that choice for them, I don't know if I could forgive myself.
BTW, you know how much I love to read the emails that come into whotv.com. Here's one that caught my eye. It's about H1N1.
It's 10:32 AM Sunday. If you will go outside right now and look at the sky north and south you can see planes way up in the atmosphere going from the east to the west. It looks like a plowed field. The vapor trail are different becauuse instead of just finally disappearing they ar spreading out over the entire sky. This exactly how the video that Ron Paul is in shows that they are seeding the atmosphere with someting. You may think this is a joke but just wait and see if the flu gets a lot worse or the strain changes.
My wife thinks I should call Ron Paul's office just to see what he says about being lumped into this email.
I will call on my "play the tape to the end" logic to address this.
So, Someone actually believes that the government is seeding the skies with H1N1 flu to get us all sick? To what end? To kill some of us off? Is there some secret society of people who are being told about this beforehand so they don't get sick? If so, Where do I sign up? Is there a secret handshake? If I can't make the meetings is there some sort of public service I can do to make up for it? Will there be coffee at the meetings? Are there dues?
I'm upset I didn't make the first cut list of people in the Secret Cloud Seeding Society.
Hoax
Good to see Prosecutors are on the Balloon Boy hoax in Colorado. Anyone else feel like this one borders on child abuse if the allegations are true? If this is true, and proven in court, I hope they throw the book at the Heenes. Maybe then there will be some disincentive to making a total idiot out of yourself...just to get a reality show.
I have to go to a meeting for an event I'm hosting later in the week. I'll give you some more details tomorrow if anyone needs plans for Friday night.
Have a good one!
PWD
Thankfully it was a quiet weekend after another busy week. We're going to ramp it up again in our house over the next few weekends but that's just the time of year. Between now and Christmas I think we've got two weekends where we are not hosting someone or are already booked up with plans. FOR ALL FAMILY READING THIS...WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE PEOPLE HERE>>>WE LOVE YOU A LOT. Please don't read any complaint in the reality of our schedule. It's great to have people here, to fuss over the kids and mostly to enjoy their company.
The News:
Deployment
Our friends at The Des Moines Register got the exclusive this morning...The Iowa National Guard is preparing for it's largest overseas deployment since World War Two. The 34th Infantry Division's second Brigade will be called to go overseas according to the report. We should get more details from The Guard this week. i do not envy the families of the men and women who serve the Guard, but I will say over and over again how much I appreciate their service.
H1N1
Don't get mad at the Polk County Health Department. They're handing out the H1N1 flu vaccine as fast as they can. They've had three shipments and all three are gone.
We are continuing the debate over vaccination/no vaccination in our house. I've heard Doctors say to get it, and I've heard Doctors say don't get it. I continue to believe that the risk of getting a vaccine is less than the risk of my twins getting sick with H1N1. If I didn't do it and my child died because I made that choice for them, I don't know if I could forgive myself.
BTW, you know how much I love to read the emails that come into whotv.com. Here's one that caught my eye. It's about H1N1.
It's 10:32 AM Sunday. If you will go outside right now and look at the sky north and south you can see planes way up in the atmosphere going from the east to the west. It looks like a plowed field. The vapor trail are different becauuse instead of just finally disappearing they ar spreading out over the entire sky. This exactly how the video that Ron Paul is in shows that they are seeding the atmosphere with someting. You may think this is a joke but just wait and see if the flu gets a lot worse or the strain changes.
My wife thinks I should call Ron Paul's office just to see what he says about being lumped into this email.
I will call on my "play the tape to the end" logic to address this.
So, Someone actually believes that the government is seeding the skies with H1N1 flu to get us all sick? To what end? To kill some of us off? Is there some secret society of people who are being told about this beforehand so they don't get sick? If so, Where do I sign up? Is there a secret handshake? If I can't make the meetings is there some sort of public service I can do to make up for it? Will there be coffee at the meetings? Are there dues?
I'm upset I didn't make the first cut list of people in the Secret Cloud Seeding Society.
Hoax
Good to see Prosecutors are on the Balloon Boy hoax in Colorado. Anyone else feel like this one borders on child abuse if the allegations are true? If this is true, and proven in court, I hope they throw the book at the Heenes. Maybe then there will be some disincentive to making a total idiot out of yourself...just to get a reality show.
I have to go to a meeting for an event I'm hosting later in the week. I'll give you some more details tomorrow if anyone needs plans for Friday night.
Have a good one!
PWD
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Trip of a Lifetime...
Good morning,
I'll take and respond to any comments or questions you have about the day's news but this is really the first chance I'm getting to write down some thoughts after Tuesday's Honor Flight. I'd like to do that while some of these are fresh in my head.
-For those of you who don't know we spent the day with part of a group of about 500 Iowa World War Two Veterans in Washington DC. Honor Flight is a program that gets WWII Vets from all over the country out to DC so that can see the Memorial built in honor of their service.
-The day started early (3am) for most of these guys. They are in their 80's and 90's so getting around isn't always the easiest, but I would have sworn I was on an eighth grade field trip when I got to the airport. You could really see how excited these Veterans were for the opportunity.
-One of the first images we caught was one we would see all day. As these men and women walked through the airport, people clapped, came up to them and said thank you...and even saluted. It restores some faith in the decency of people.
-They would never accept it but a huge credit needs to go to the men and women who served as Guardians on this flight. They were volunteers who took their own time and a lot of their own expense to be with these Men for the day. They took care of them, made sure they could get on and off planes buss and trams safely, that they were fed and most importantly that they had the best experience possible. Selfless is the word that comes to mind. Part of this group of volunteers came from Iowa with us, but some of them showed up in DC. They were mostly young professionals who saw this as they best volunteering opportunity for them. Kudos!
-I couldn't put all of the stories I heard Tuesday into our story Wednesday. If I had all the time and resources in the world I would make a point of putting as many of these vets on tape as I could. I would love to be part of a project to preserve their stories.
And it's not just the war stories, one of the Vets we talked with on our bus didn't serve in combat during WWII but he stayed in the Air Force after the war. He was part of a project that helped develop the predecessor to GPS. Talk about interesting!
-I was very flattered by the number of men who asked if they could take a picture with us during the day. I'm sure it was part of recording memories of their day, but the pictures would mean more to me that I can say. I hope some copies come my way.
-Finally kudos to Casey's for sponsoring this trip. It will become increasingly harder to get these men to Washington DC to honor them and I hope Metro area business leaders commit to doing it. They may be smaller groups, more medical precautions will certainly be required, but these veterans deserve the show of respect.
-I'm probably leaving a lot out and I'm happy to answer questions about the flight if you have them.
I hope you have a good day!
PWD
I'll take and respond to any comments or questions you have about the day's news but this is really the first chance I'm getting to write down some thoughts after Tuesday's Honor Flight. I'd like to do that while some of these are fresh in my head.
-For those of you who don't know we spent the day with part of a group of about 500 Iowa World War Two Veterans in Washington DC. Honor Flight is a program that gets WWII Vets from all over the country out to DC so that can see the Memorial built in honor of their service.
-The day started early (3am) for most of these guys. They are in their 80's and 90's so getting around isn't always the easiest, but I would have sworn I was on an eighth grade field trip when I got to the airport. You could really see how excited these Veterans were for the opportunity.
-One of the first images we caught was one we would see all day. As these men and women walked through the airport, people clapped, came up to them and said thank you...and even saluted. It restores some faith in the decency of people.
-They would never accept it but a huge credit needs to go to the men and women who served as Guardians on this flight. They were volunteers who took their own time and a lot of their own expense to be with these Men for the day. They took care of them, made sure they could get on and off planes buss and trams safely, that they were fed and most importantly that they had the best experience possible. Selfless is the word that comes to mind. Part of this group of volunteers came from Iowa with us, but some of them showed up in DC. They were mostly young professionals who saw this as they best volunteering opportunity for them. Kudos!
-I couldn't put all of the stories I heard Tuesday into our story Wednesday. If I had all the time and resources in the world I would make a point of putting as many of these vets on tape as I could. I would love to be part of a project to preserve their stories.
And it's not just the war stories, one of the Vets we talked with on our bus didn't serve in combat during WWII but he stayed in the Air Force after the war. He was part of a project that helped develop the predecessor to GPS. Talk about interesting!
-I was very flattered by the number of men who asked if they could take a picture with us during the day. I'm sure it was part of recording memories of their day, but the pictures would mean more to me that I can say. I hope some copies come my way.
-Finally kudos to Casey's for sponsoring this trip. It will become increasingly harder to get these men to Washington DC to honor them and I hope Metro area business leaders commit to doing it. They may be smaller groups, more medical precautions will certainly be required, but these veterans deserve the show of respect.
-I'm probably leaving a lot out and I'm happy to answer questions about the flight if you have them.
I hope you have a good day!
PWD
Monday, October 12, 2009
H1N1, Honor Flight and Weekend Home
Good Morning!
I hope your weekend was as relaxing as ours. We finally didn't have to go anywhere or host anyone. We've loved our travel schedule and our many visitors but it's nice to have a weekend just to check a few things off the list. I finally got some thank you noted written, the lawn mowed, the laundry done, we ran a few errands and vegged out a little. Good rest for what I am sure will be a busy week.
H1N1
The vaccine that showed up last week in Polk County is already gone. they expect another shipment in this week and this one could include the H1N1 shots. I've been back and forth on this one but after a visit to my doctor's office, and a Facebook post from a friend I consider one of the smartest people I know...I'm convinced to get the vaccine.
I know there are people out there who won't do it but as the Surgeon General said this weekend, the risk of not getting the shot far outweighs the historical risk of any complications from getting it.
Honor Flight
I'm really excited to be a part of what will be the largest Honor Flight ever assembled tomorrow morning. I checked with the national Honor Flight organization and they told me no Honor Flight hub has ever assembled these kinds of numbers. It looks like as many as 500 Iowa Veterans will be going to Washington DC for the day to see the memorials that honor their service.
Today, I get to spend some time with these guys at a lunch in their honor. I could spend hours listening to the first hand accounts of their service. I'll be gone tomorrow morning and Noon and Wednesday morning most likely, but we'll try to file some reports from DC so you can share in the experience with us. A tip of the cap to Casey's General Stores who will be sponsoring this Honor Flight.
Hope you have a great week
PWD
I hope your weekend was as relaxing as ours. We finally didn't have to go anywhere or host anyone. We've loved our travel schedule and our many visitors but it's nice to have a weekend just to check a few things off the list. I finally got some thank you noted written, the lawn mowed, the laundry done, we ran a few errands and vegged out a little. Good rest for what I am sure will be a busy week.
H1N1
The vaccine that showed up last week in Polk County is already gone. they expect another shipment in this week and this one could include the H1N1 shots. I've been back and forth on this one but after a visit to my doctor's office, and a Facebook post from a friend I consider one of the smartest people I know...I'm convinced to get the vaccine.
I know there are people out there who won't do it but as the Surgeon General said this weekend, the risk of not getting the shot far outweighs the historical risk of any complications from getting it.
Honor Flight
I'm really excited to be a part of what will be the largest Honor Flight ever assembled tomorrow morning. I checked with the national Honor Flight organization and they told me no Honor Flight hub has ever assembled these kinds of numbers. It looks like as many as 500 Iowa Veterans will be going to Washington DC for the day to see the memorials that honor their service.
Today, I get to spend some time with these guys at a lunch in their honor. I could spend hours listening to the first hand accounts of their service. I'll be gone tomorrow morning and Noon and Wednesday morning most likely, but we'll try to file some reports from DC so you can share in the experience with us. A tip of the cap to Casey's General Stores who will be sponsoring this Honor Flight.
Hope you have a great week
PWD
Friday, October 09, 2009
Peace Prize, Moon Crash Landing and The Bet
Good Morning.
I'll start this morning by wishing my wife a Happy 10th Anniversary. 22 years ago I asked her out for the first time and ten years ago I got lucky and convinced her to make it permanent. This year in particular I've been reminded why she's one of a kind. Through some personal adversity, the birth of twins, adjustment to being a Mom, and finishing up her MBA, she's continued to show the grace and good humor I love. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else.
To the News
Peace Prize
What a way to wake up. The President found out he'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this morning when he got up. The announcement was a huge surprise as President Obama's name hadn't even been mentioned. As I write this we are hearing he is declining the award saying there are more deserving people. I agree. It may be viewed as a political move, but it's still the right thing to do.
Moon Crash Landing
NASA crashed a rocket into the Moon this morning but we won't know the results for a few hours. The idea was to send a cloud of rock and dust into the Lunar atmosphere to analyze it to see if there is water on the Moon. A trailing satellite was supposed to send back images and analysis of the cloud. We're hearing they lost contact with that satellite just before it was supposed to fly through the cloud. Oooops!
So here's a question: Are NASA projects like this worth it? Is discovery for discovery's sake a good thing? BTW this cost $57 million.
The Bet
I woke up deflated by the news Missouri lost to Nebraska last night. That meant I had to wear Erin Keirnan's Big Red hat on air this morning. No problem. I will take the loss in stride. As I wrote a Nebraska fan via email this morning...I hope this is the start of a VERY competitive series between the schools. It wasn't that way when I was at MIZZOU.
President's Cup golf should cheer me up. Zach Johnson won his match Thursday morning...Hopefully he continues to play well.
I gotta go get Sally a cup of coffee. I might get one myself.
Hope your weekend goes well. Bundle up out there!
PWD
I'll start this morning by wishing my wife a Happy 10th Anniversary. 22 years ago I asked her out for the first time and ten years ago I got lucky and convinced her to make it permanent. This year in particular I've been reminded why she's one of a kind. Through some personal adversity, the birth of twins, adjustment to being a Mom, and finishing up her MBA, she's continued to show the grace and good humor I love. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else.
To the News
Peace Prize
What a way to wake up. The President found out he'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this morning when he got up. The announcement was a huge surprise as President Obama's name hadn't even been mentioned. As I write this we are hearing he is declining the award saying there are more deserving people. I agree. It may be viewed as a political move, but it's still the right thing to do.
Moon Crash Landing
NASA crashed a rocket into the Moon this morning but we won't know the results for a few hours. The idea was to send a cloud of rock and dust into the Lunar atmosphere to analyze it to see if there is water on the Moon. A trailing satellite was supposed to send back images and analysis of the cloud. We're hearing they lost contact with that satellite just before it was supposed to fly through the cloud. Oooops!
So here's a question: Are NASA projects like this worth it? Is discovery for discovery's sake a good thing? BTW this cost $57 million.
The Bet
I woke up deflated by the news Missouri lost to Nebraska last night. That meant I had to wear Erin Keirnan's Big Red hat on air this morning. No problem. I will take the loss in stride. As I wrote a Nebraska fan via email this morning...I hope this is the start of a VERY competitive series between the schools. It wasn't that way when I was at MIZZOU.
President's Cup golf should cheer me up. Zach Johnson won his match Thursday morning...Hopefully he continues to play well.
I gotta go get Sally a cup of coffee. I might get one myself.
Hope your weekend goes well. Bundle up out there!
PWD
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Cuts, Annoying Words, and The Bet
Good Morning!
I'm off today...I have been all morning. I swear to God I almost fell in the shower three times this morning. Not sure exactly what's going on beyond the normal lack of sleep but I'm fighting through it.
Budget Cuts
Connick JR says this is no joke
I'm off today...I have been all morning. I swear to God I almost fell in the shower three times this morning. Not sure exactly what's going on beyond the normal lack of sleep but I'm fighting through it.
Budget Cuts
Well, it doesn't look like it's going to get any better here in Iowa anytime soon. $415 million is a lot to make up in the state budget. I feel badly for the state employees who will have to worry about losing their jobs. The next weeks and months will be tense and an uncertain future is about the last thing any of us want right now. That said, the leadership might have looked at this a little more closely when making the budget for this year. Here's a personal example. If we didn't have to go to Maine for this wedding, Sally and I would not have planned any travel this Fall. It's just not prudent to spend money on things you "want" when you might not have enough for the things you need.
Paperless Tickets
If you are going to the Miley Cyrus Concert tomorrow night...leave early. I hope there won't be problems but there is the potential for some. The Wells Fargo Arena is doing it's first fully "paperless" tickets for the concert. You purchased the tickets with a credit card and you will need the card and an ID for the person who's name is on the card to get the tickets. If you bought the tickets as a gift...you have to keep on giving...of your time. Go down to the Arena at 5pm and you can get your friends in with your ID and credit card.
If you are going to the Miley Cyrus Concert tomorrow night...leave early. I hope there won't be problems but there is the potential for some. The Wells Fargo Arena is doing it's first fully "paperless" tickets for the concert. You purchased the tickets with a credit card and you will need the card and an ID for the person who's name is on the card to get the tickets. If you bought the tickets as a gift...you have to keep on giving...of your time. Go down to the Arena at 5pm and you can get your friends in with your ID and credit card.
I like the idea, thought I think it needs some refining. This all started when scalpers were getting like $2500 for Miley Cyrus Tickets last year. Promoters think this will cut down on people buying blocks of tickets then scalping them for higher prices. Maybe this will carry over into sports and we could actually get Cubs Tickets for face value.
Connick JR says this is no joke
And I would agree. Did you see the Today show this morning. Harry Connick Jr appeared as a judge on an Australian variety show and this was the outcome:
Next time I feel bad about the trash we put on TV here in the US, all I have to do is remind myself it's MUCH worse around the globe. I don't even know what to say to that.
ISU Solar Decathlon
Did you see the ISU student we had on from the Solar Decathlon competition. If you had any doubts that ISU is turning out the leaders of a generation that will transform the way we use energy...this should put them to rest. The team took two years to build a solar powered home. The took it apart, got it to Washington DC and reassembled it. Here's more info on the competition.
Annoying Words
What are the most annoying words you hear each day. Brooke said it was the word "like" sprinkled through conversations. I'd agree with that. I'm interested to hear your suggestions though. What word or phrase do you hate to hear each day that annoys you?...I want responses here! Here's the full Marist College Survey raw results
The Bet
Sports is going to be a big focus for me this weekend. the President's Cup is on NBC so I'll be watching a lot of that, but it all starts tonight with the Nebraska Missouri game. The game will probably determine who wins the Big 12 North so I had to make a small wager with Husker Superfan Erin Kiernan. If Mizzou wins she has to wear some Missouri gear on the are...and visa versa for me. So watch tomorrow morning to see who won! Go Tigers!
Marrying in the Mud in Maine
The tales from Maine continue this morning with a report on the bravery of my wife's cousin Taryn and her now Husband John. they had a idyllic setting for an outdoor wedding in Maine...on the water...it was perfect. Then it rained...all day. Not once did I hear either of them complain. The rolled with the changes all day and had what I thought was a lovely wedding.
Their ceremony was simple but was very personal. It could only have belonged to these two people. The reception featured some great food including pork tenderloin with a chipotle blueberry sauce on the side. Who knew I'd need to go to Maine to find a new recipe for pork!
The rain kept coming down outside the tent but the ground around us kept soaking it up. by the end of the night heels were sinking into the ground that there was some mud. We left just before a huger downpour. Sally's Mom said the only safe place was the dace floor. The rest of the area around it was flooded...so people just got up and danced! A lot of people would have let that ruin their day. Not Taryn and John. They're a great couple. Glad to welcome John into the Rosenthal Outlaws!
One more story. We walked up the street to Walker's Point where the Bush Family has it's 
compound. WOW. What a place! We actually saw Mrs Bush walking their dogs and President Bush flew past us in his boat on the way in from a ride. Pretty cool...he had a Secret Service boat trailing him.
compound. WOW. What a place! We actually saw Mrs Bush walking their dogs and President Bush flew past us in his boat on the way in from a ride. Pretty cool...he had a Secret Service boat trailing him. This picture is of us just after we dipped the boys toes in the Atlantic. Now all we have to do is get them out to LA to see Auntie Kay and they can say they've been in the Atlantic, Pacific and The Gulf of Mexico.
Overall a really nice weekend full of fun memories.
Have a good one
PWD
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Budget, Sex or Cell Phones, Lovely Lolo
Good Morning! A lot to talk about today so lets get to it.
Budget
The State of Iowa will get the same news most of us have been dealing with all year. Budget shortfalls. The Revenue Estimating Conference meets to tell the Governor how much money they think the state will have by the end of the year. This is an educated guess based on a lot of factors but the Register reminds us the Conference has been off by hundreds of millions of dollars in the past. This is supposed to be an estimate...
Branstad
It looks like the former Governor is making his next move toward a candidacy next year. He's filing paperwork with Iowa Ethics and Campaign Finance Disclosure. It's not a sure thing but it is one more sign that the crowded field of Republicans who say they want to run show no wide popularity around the state. All of them have to be smelling blood in the water given the two negative stories about Gov Culver's current administration and his former office of Secretary of State.
Rural Roads
Iowa is at the top of a list of states where driver fatalities happen most often on rural roads. Makes sense I guess when you consider the number of "rural" roads vs urban roads in our state.
Sex vs Cell Phones
A Chicago Tribune survey shows three of every ten people would be willing to give up sex rather than their cell phone for one year. What do you think? Agree? I put the poll up to the right.
Lolo
A lot of people have an opinion about Lolo Jones' decision to pose for the ESPN Magazine "Body" issue. I think the picture is tasteful. More amazing is Lolo's comment that she's 160 lbs in season. Anyone think Lolo is fat? I didn't think so. If more people concentrated on getting an appropriate body shape and less on the number (weight), we might be way ahead in the fight against obesity. Want to vote on our poll? Click here
BTW we got an email from someone upset we showed the pic in the first place.
I was very dissapointed to see WHO highlight their web posting of a nude picture of LoLo this morning. Even more dissapointing is the effort to legitimize it by putting a poll around it. The news should be a media outlet that families can trust - especially the local news.
I don't think I have to tell you that your poll reflects men who are attracted to the picture and want more - of course they are going to vote 'yes' - is that really the market that WHO wants? Those who know it's wrong, stay away from the picture - I have not viewed it on the website. My assumption is that she covers enough to keep it in the relm of soft porn.
I can't say for certain what LoLo's motivation was for this aside from money and attention. "Providing a healthy image" is a lie that women use who don't want to own up to the immorality they are promoting. I know news are driven by ratings. WHO ratings have taken a dive in my mind and I expect in the minds of others who normally appreciate your stories.
I would like to see WHO apologize on the air for being a part of this - to acknowledge that many viewers were disappointed in WHO, that WHO made a mistake in promoting the picture and has learned from the experience.
I'll be happy to watch the broadcast where this takes place and will tell my friends about it. Please let me know when it will take place.
Budget
The State of Iowa will get the same news most of us have been dealing with all year. Budget shortfalls. The Revenue Estimating Conference meets to tell the Governor how much money they think the state will have by the end of the year. This is an educated guess based on a lot of factors but the Register reminds us the Conference has been off by hundreds of millions of dollars in the past. This is supposed to be an estimate...
Branstad
It looks like the former Governor is making his next move toward a candidacy next year. He's filing paperwork with Iowa Ethics and Campaign Finance Disclosure. It's not a sure thing but it is one more sign that the crowded field of Republicans who say they want to run show no wide popularity around the state. All of them have to be smelling blood in the water given the two negative stories about Gov Culver's current administration and his former office of Secretary of State.
Rural Roads
Iowa is at the top of a list of states where driver fatalities happen most often on rural roads. Makes sense I guess when you consider the number of "rural" roads vs urban roads in our state.
Sex vs Cell Phones
A Chicago Tribune survey shows three of every ten people would be willing to give up sex rather than their cell phone for one year. What do you think? Agree? I put the poll up to the right.
Lolo
A lot of people have an opinion about Lolo Jones' decision to pose for the ESPN Magazine "Body" issue. I think the picture is tasteful. More amazing is Lolo's comment that she's 160 lbs in season. Anyone think Lolo is fat? I didn't think so. If more people concentrated on getting an appropriate body shape and less on the number (weight), we might be way ahead in the fight against obesity. Want to vote on our poll? Click here
BTW we got an email from someone upset we showed the pic in the first place.
I was very dissapointed to see WHO highlight their web posting of a nude picture of LoLo this morning. Even more dissapointing is the effort to legitimize it by putting a poll around it. The news should be a media outlet that families can trust - especially the local news.
I don't think I have to tell you that your poll reflects men who are attracted to the picture and want more - of course they are going to vote 'yes' - is that really the market that WHO wants? Those who know it's wrong, stay away from the picture - I have not viewed it on the website. My assumption is that she covers enough to keep it in the relm of soft porn.
I can't say for certain what LoLo's motivation was for this aside from money and attention. "Providing a healthy image" is a lie that women use who don't want to own up to the immorality they are promoting. I know news are driven by ratings. WHO ratings have taken a dive in my mind and I expect in the minds of others who normally appreciate your stories.
I would like to see WHO apologize on the air for being a part of this - to acknowledge that many viewers were disappointed in WHO, that WHO made a mistake in promoting the picture and has learned from the experience.
I'll be happy to watch the broadcast where this takes place and will tell my friends about it. Please let me know when it will take place.
Sure, that will be right after I dance the Tarantella on the news desk and right before I shave my head on air.
Maine
Still waiting for some pics to be emailed my way from the wedding but Day 2 of stories includes my trip tot he Clinton MA Emergency Room. I hurt my hand somehow and woke up Friday morning unable to make a fist with my left hand.
Maine
Still waiting for some pics to be emailed my way from the wedding but Day 2 of stories includes my trip tot he Clinton MA Emergency Room. I hurt my hand somehow and woke up Friday morning unable to make a fist with my left hand.
I thought I might have broken something so I called the Insurance Company and asked if I could go to an urgent care clinic or some sort of clinic that was more Doctor's office and less Emergency Room.
The response? I could drive like 100 miles to the nearest urgent clinic in network or five minutes to any one of about four emergency rooms. The cost to go to an urgent clinic nearby would have been $1000 plus 40% of the remaining cost over the first thousand. $150 to go to the ER
Hmmm. I think I'll go to the ER. I didn't need to...but I did cause it cost me less. I had very good care and some really nice people to deal with at the hospital but the point is I shouldn't have been there in the first place. It would have cost everyone less for me to go to the Clinic.
No broken bones but they gave me a splint to wear for a while. Still hurts and the ability to make a fist sort of comes and goes. The diagnosis was swollen tendons...too much golf in too short a time apparently. More from Maine later.
Have a good day
PWD
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Movies, Monday Night Football and Maine
Good Morning!
Back to work for me...and thankfully the end of what has been a busy few weeks.
I'll get to our trip in a few...first the news
Movies
What a mess. The tax credit for movie makers here in Iowa is a good idea but the execution, it seems, leaves A LOT to be desired. It appears money was misspent and mis-allocated. Now we get to figure out who did what. It strikes me as we read about this story that the economic boom we all enjoyed in the 90's got a lot of people used to making money the easy way. It seems to me business has become accustomed to the perks and pleasures of working in that environment. Now that money is tight for everyone, it seems to me people are more willing to cut corners or bend rules so they don't have to work as hard.
Val-Air
I live nearby...not near enough where I should be able to hear the music at the ValAir, but I still do on some summer nights. When the bass really gets going at one of those concerts I confess to thinking about calling Police to complain. It's not an unreasonable request, and it's not as f the solutions are keep the music or lose business. The Val_air could invest in some soundproofing for it's building and at least try to make it more friendly to the neighbors. The City could step in with some tax credits or financing options for the business and everyone's happy. It's not an either or. I like the Val-Air and I want concerts to keep coming to Des Moines. I think the homeowners have a reasonable beef here though.
MNF
I can't point to two teams I dislike more than the Packers and Vikings but I found myself unable to turn off the Monday Night Game. It was a great atmosphere and a great game.
Now we turn out football attention to The Nebraska/Missouri showdown Thursday night. What should I wager with the newsroom's biggest Husker fan Mrs Keirnan?
Maine
I will add pictures and stories to go with them as they come in this week, but Sally and I made a very long trek to a family wedding in Maine this weekend. The first story comes the night we left. Our flight wasn't full and we were traveling with the boys. That's a circus in and of itself, but the team from United at the Des Moines Airport made it A LOT easier. They found us a row of seats that wasn't occupied and allowed us to sit our kids in their car seats all the way to Boston. It made a HUGE difference. I should not be surprised that the Airport staff here in Des Moines was BY FAR the nicest we dealt with along the way.
We stopped in Boston to see some life-long friends who happen to have twin boys that are about two and a half. I've seen my future...lets just say I need a Valium. There's a lot ahead of us that we haven't even considered but it's nice for Sally and I to have a glimpse at what we might encounter. It gave us a chance to talk about some things...parenting styles and situations we might not have thought of. We liked a lot of what we saw in our friend's house so Thanks Tim and Amy for being a great example! They're also great hosts. We miss our friends and wish they were closer.
On to Maine Friday morning and Sally's Cousin Taryn's wedding. The pictures need to help tell the story here so I'll get them ASAP, but here's a teaser or two. We needed SCUBA flippers for the reception, We had a morning meeting with President George HW Bush and I tested the patience of about three hundred travelers between here and Boston.
Have a good Day!
Back to work for me...and thankfully the end of what has been a busy few weeks.
I'll get to our trip in a few...first the news
Movies
What a mess. The tax credit for movie makers here in Iowa is a good idea but the execution, it seems, leaves A LOT to be desired. It appears money was misspent and mis-allocated. Now we get to figure out who did what. It strikes me as we read about this story that the economic boom we all enjoyed in the 90's got a lot of people used to making money the easy way. It seems to me business has become accustomed to the perks and pleasures of working in that environment. Now that money is tight for everyone, it seems to me people are more willing to cut corners or bend rules so they don't have to work as hard.
Val-Air
I live nearby...not near enough where I should be able to hear the music at the ValAir, but I still do on some summer nights. When the bass really gets going at one of those concerts I confess to thinking about calling Police to complain. It's not an unreasonable request, and it's not as f the solutions are keep the music or lose business. The Val_air could invest in some soundproofing for it's building and at least try to make it more friendly to the neighbors. The City could step in with some tax credits or financing options for the business and everyone's happy. It's not an either or. I like the Val-Air and I want concerts to keep coming to Des Moines. I think the homeowners have a reasonable beef here though.
MNF
I can't point to two teams I dislike more than the Packers and Vikings but I found myself unable to turn off the Monday Night Game. It was a great atmosphere and a great game.
Now we turn out football attention to The Nebraska/Missouri showdown Thursday night. What should I wager with the newsroom's biggest Husker fan Mrs Keirnan?
Maine
I will add pictures and stories to go with them as they come in this week, but Sally and I made a very long trek to a family wedding in Maine this weekend. The first story comes the night we left. Our flight wasn't full and we were traveling with the boys. That's a circus in and of itself, but the team from United at the Des Moines Airport made it A LOT easier. They found us a row of seats that wasn't occupied and allowed us to sit our kids in their car seats all the way to Boston. It made a HUGE difference. I should not be surprised that the Airport staff here in Des Moines was BY FAR the nicest we dealt with along the way.
We stopped in Boston to see some life-long friends who happen to have twin boys that are about two and a half. I've seen my future...lets just say I need a Valium. There's a lot ahead of us that we haven't even considered but it's nice for Sally and I to have a glimpse at what we might encounter. It gave us a chance to talk about some things...parenting styles and situations we might not have thought of. We liked a lot of what we saw in our friend's house so Thanks Tim and Amy for being a great example! They're also great hosts. We miss our friends and wish they were closer.
On to Maine Friday morning and Sally's Cousin Taryn's wedding. The pictures need to help tell the story here so I'll get them ASAP, but here's a teaser or two. We needed SCUBA flippers for the reception, We had a morning meeting with President George HW Bush and I tested the patience of about three hundred travelers between here and Boston.
Have a good Day!
Monday, October 05, 2009
Monday.. Monday! And Fresh Tomatoes make me happy
My favorite part about Monday is that I can always count on Jeriann to come into the newsroom and yell, "Happy Monday everyone! We're one day closer to Friday." We always need something to work toward, right? This always brings a smile to my face. Because let's face it, Monday mornings can sometimes be a little difficult. It's not that I don't enjoy coming to work. It's just hard getting back into the routine. I had a good weekend. It was relaxing and I was actually a little happy about the gloomy weather because I didn't feel pressure to be outside. Do you ever feel guilty about staying inside when it's nice out? It felt good to stay inside and watch movies and read books to Evan. He's really into dump truck books right now. He could sit and listen to me read for 3 hours straight. No kidding.
My sister brought over some tomatoes from her garden on Friday. You forget how good tomatoes can be when you're always buying them from the grocery store. At the store, they're usually coated in wax and they just don't have that some ripe color and flavor. I am definitely going to savor them because I know this could be the last time I get a good tomato.
This weekend, my husband I were cleaning out our freezer and cupboards and I suddenly started feeling really guilty about all the food we have that we haven't used. You know how you buy a can of something for a recipe, and then you never make it and it sits in your cabinet and then you forget about it and then buy another can of the same thing the next time you want to make that recipe? Well, I vowed this week to use up all the canned items we have and everything in the freezer before I start buying new stuff. Of course, I'll have to buy some new things like milk. But I am determined to use up all the food. Does anyone have any suggestions for green enchilada sauce, garbanzo beans and canned cherries? This could get interesting.
Hope you all have a good week. See you tomorrow!
My sister brought over some tomatoes from her garden on Friday. You forget how good tomatoes can be when you're always buying them from the grocery store. At the store, they're usually coated in wax and they just don't have that some ripe color and flavor. I am definitely going to savor them because I know this could be the last time I get a good tomato.
This weekend, my husband I were cleaning out our freezer and cupboards and I suddenly started feeling really guilty about all the food we have that we haven't used. You know how you buy a can of something for a recipe, and then you never make it and it sits in your cabinet and then you forget about it and then buy another can of the same thing the next time you want to make that recipe? Well, I vowed this week to use up all the canned items we have and everything in the freezer before I start buying new stuff. Of course, I'll have to buy some new things like milk. But I am determined to use up all the food. Does anyone have any suggestions for green enchilada sauce, garbanzo beans and canned cherries? This could get interesting.
Hope you all have a good week. See you tomorrow!
Friday, October 02, 2009
Tired eyes, cold weather and David Letterman
Good morning everyone. It's just Jeriann and me today. Pat is off for a couple of days hopefully getting some rest and enjoying some time with his boys. We usually cheer for Friday, but today Jeriann and I are especially grateful it's the weekend. Mostly because we didn't get much sleep last night and need to desperately catch up.
I had the pleasure of emceeing a fundraiser for a great organization called Serve our Youth or SOY. It's a youth mentoring program that pairs middle school students with adults. What makes this program unique is that the kids involved in the program have a parent serving time in prison. And this is important for a lot of reasons. What sociologist have found is that children with parents incarcerated often go on to get in trouble with law themselves and spend time behind bars. So, SOY tries to offer these kids a positive role model and someone who simply cares about them and their future in order to break that viscous circle. Last night's guest speaker was Brian Brown. He's the director of the Drake Relays and his personal story is amazing! And, he also happens to be a part time Baptist Minister, so he is an AMAZING speaker. He grew up in a small town in Louisiana with very little m
oney. But he was able to lift himself out of poverty and go on to get an education (his Ph.D., actually) by using his high jumping talents to get to college. Anyway, his path eventually led to Des Moines, a place he says he now calls home. It was a great night, but as a result, I am a little sleepy this morning. As for Jeriann, she hosted a Wellness Conference and said it was almost 10 when she finally fell asleep. So, forgive us if our eyes had a few more dark circles under them.
So... this weekend, I am planning to get my warm clothes out of the closet. I turned the heater on yesterday for the first time and last night I was cold when I get into bed. Fall is here! One thing I really want to do this year when it's NOT raining is head to a pumpkin patch, apple orchard or some kind of farm where Evan can run around and have a little fun. Any suggestions? I know there are several in the area. But I have no idea which ones are the best. Send me some ideas.
Did you catch the story about David Letterman? How bizarre. A CBS employee was trying to blackmail the late night host him by threatening to go public with details about Letterman's sexual relationships with women on his staff unless he paid 2 million dollars. So, instead of going on along with this threat, Letterman told authorities and then announced the bombshell admission himself on air last night. When he told the audience, they laughed. I don't know if they didn't realize it was a serious story and not a joke, or if they thought Letterman was trying to be funny about it, but it was very awkward to watch. So, does this help his ratings or hurt them? We'll find out.
Well... I hope you all have a nice weekend. See you back here on Monday.
Brooke
I had the pleasure of emceeing a fundraiser for a great organization called Serve our Youth or SOY. It's a youth mentoring program that pairs middle school students with adults. What makes this program unique is that the kids involved in the program have a parent serving time in prison. And this is important for a lot of reasons. What sociologist have found is that children with parents incarcerated often go on to get in trouble with law themselves and spend time behind bars. So, SOY tries to offer these kids a positive role model and someone who simply cares about them and their future in order to break that viscous circle. Last night's guest speaker was Brian Brown. He's the director of the Drake Relays and his personal story is amazing! And, he also happens to be a part time Baptist Minister, so he is an AMAZING speaker. He grew up in a small town in Louisiana with very little m
oney. But he was able to lift himself out of poverty and go on to get an education (his Ph.D., actually) by using his high jumping talents to get to college. Anyway, his path eventually led to Des Moines, a place he says he now calls home. It was a great night, but as a result, I am a little sleepy this morning. As for Jeriann, she hosted a Wellness Conference and said it was almost 10 when she finally fell asleep. So, forgive us if our eyes had a few more dark circles under them.So... this weekend, I am planning to get my warm clothes out of the closet. I turned the heater on yesterday for the first time and last night I was cold when I get into bed. Fall is here! One thing I really want to do this year when it's NOT raining is head to a pumpkin patch, apple orchard or some kind of farm where Evan can run around and have a little fun. Any suggestions? I know there are several in the area. But I have no idea which ones are the best. Send me some ideas.
Did you catch the story about David Letterman? How bizarre. A CBS employee was trying to blackmail the late night host him by threatening to go public with details about Letterman's sexual relationships with women on his staff unless he paid 2 million dollars. So, instead of going on along with this threat, Letterman told authorities and then announced the bombshell admission himself on air last night. When he told the audience, they laughed. I don't know if they didn't realize it was a serious story and not a joke, or if they thought Letterman was trying to be funny about it, but it was very awkward to watch. So, does this help his ratings or hurt them? We'll find out.
Well... I hope you all have a nice weekend. See you back here on Monday.
Brooke
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
