Memorial Day Weekend

We'll make this a quick sendoff to a long weekend
The News:

Fires
I saw a couple of people on Facebook asking what the smoke near the fairgrounds was...turns out it was further east than that. Hawkeye Wood Shavings? Yeah that one was going to be a tough fire to fight.
A second fire in Windsor Heights took fire fire departments to put out. The homeowner and her pets were safe.

Don't ask Don't Tell
See earlier posts on this but I agree with the House vote repealing Don't ask Don't tell. If some of you are on the fence about this issue, let me enlighten you on some of the opinions of those who would like to see this policy stay in place, and what they believe will happen if it's repealed.
Now I am SURE there will be legitimate issues to deal with if this policy is repealed. That is not one of them.

Honor Flight

Central Iowa Honor Flight announced they'll take about 700 more World War Two Veterans to Washington D.C. this summer to see the WWII Memorial. We've been invited and I'll be honored to go along again. I'm excited to tell more stories of our amazing Vets.

BTW, the second flight is courtesy of Bill Knapp. Knapp himself is a WWII Vet. He was in studio this Noon hour and told me about Captaining a landing craft carrying Marines to the beaches Okinawa. This is a gift to his fellow Vets.

I'm getting out to play some golf today thanks to my wonderful wife.

Have a good weekend

PWD

Standoff, Topkill and Art?

Good Afternoon. A satalite intervew cut into the morning time for me so here I am blogging at Noon.

To The News
Standoff
Overnight we had a standoff in Ogden. it's not what you would call a "short" drive. Thanks to our overnight oncall photojournalist Randy Schumacher for his efforts in getting this story back to us by 5am.
Sheriff's Deputies say the man "ambushed " them as they entered the house to get him out. There was some concern from his family/friends that the man might take an overdose of drugs so the Sheriff made the decision to go in. Highlighting the dangers in situations like this, one of the Deputies took a bullet off his Kevlar Helmet.

Topkill
As I write this BP appears to be starting its "topkill" procedures. Basically they're going to try to dump enough mud and junk on top of this well that it will stop the flow of oil. Good luck.

Art
Our best discussion of the morning came over the story of a 4th grade art teacher in Des Moines. She showed a video of work by an artist named Keith Harring. The video is mostly full of images that could hardly be seen as offensive, but there are a couple in there that probably cross a line. At fist I said, what's the big deal? Brooke had a different perspective. She said it was something she wouldn't show a 4th grader and wondered why the teacher had to show it at all?
After a pretty good debate we came to a middle ground. The Art probably isn't pornography and the Police didn't need to be called, but The Principal did. There are plenty of examples of this artist's work that don't involve questionable topics. Bad judgment from the teacher and an overreaction from the Mom, but for sure an issue that needed to be addressed.

I'd love to hear what some of the parents and non-parents have to say about it.
I hope you have a good day.
PWD

Hot Hot Hot

5:55AM
I might actually spontaneously combust...
The AC was off when we all walked in this morning. We did the first hour of the show without AC. I thought of he scene from the first Batman movie where all of the News Anchors can't wear make-up. We looked bad. I sweat a lot anyway, but this morning was plain uncomfortable.

So we're back up and running here in the A/C department at about 6:40am...everyone is more comfortable and no longer so irritable that they might come to fisticuffs with their co workers. Thanks to our Chief Engineer for his early arrival to the studios this morning.


To the News:
Overnight
There was another incident near Evelyn Davis park last night. Police are still getting details this morning but we know there were two shooting victims. One woman was in the street when police showed up. Pretty scary, but I thought the bright spot of this one was that the neighbors and other people who'd gathered around the crime scene were cooperative. Police were quick to point that out. The area near the park has certainly had more Police calls than my neighborhood but that doesn't mean it's dangerous or that the people who live there are bad.

Slipknot
The bassist for the band Slipknot died in an Urbandale Hotel yesterday. Paul Gray was one of the first members of the band that had one of the most loyal followings in music. If you don't like the music (and I do not care for it), you have to respect that every person who ever met the people in this band say they are/were the greatest people, not airhead rockers caught up in themselves.



Why?
Why are we giving the Salahee's(sp) another second on TV? These are the White House Party Crashers. They tried again last week when the WH was honoring the Mexican President. They were stopped but I just can't imagine what is interesting about these people. they're clearly publicity hounds...egomaniacs??? C'mon Today Show...Really?



Don't Ask Don't Tell
Time for this one to go away.
They're using the same arguments about gay members of the military that they used to make about African Americans and Women...Openly gay men and women serving will lead to a breakdown in unit cohesion. Get over it. If you are brave enough to serve in the Armed Forces in this country, the rest of us aren't in any position to set conditions on that.

As we discussed yesterday, there are those who don't want men and women serving openly because it will break down the stereotype of gay men and women as some sort of deviant. My God, if gay men and women can serve in the Military and serve as good parents (see yesterday's post), how will Apple Pie eating Family values people criticize them?
We're scared of what we don't know...and most of us aren't comfortable with the life that openly gay men and women live. This will come in time. The point is, there is no reason, if qualified physically and mentally, that these men and women shouldn't serve their country...proudly and openly.

House Church
If you missed Brooke's story about the Home Church movement in the Metro, you should catch it online. It was an excellent story. She had some challenges getting people to talk about it but it was an interesting look inside other faiths and the way people practice.
I happen to agree with the people who practice their religion in their home or with a smaller group, church is just a building. The people inside it make up the community of faith, and wherever they are worshiping together, I can't imagine God minds it all that much. There are faiths, including my own, that disagree. I actually had a West Des Moines Priest tell me one time that if I didn't go to church every week that I was not practicing my faith. Sounds like a guy that wants to make sure his job is important to someone. If you ask me, actually practicing faith is an every day act that takes place outside of any formal church setting.

Something about wherever two or more are gathered...I know I've read that somewhere....

Daddy Daycare
Our boys were still feeling a little punky yesterday and I was on my own cause Sally had to work late. I was pretty proud of myself, JT needed some Pedialite so I got everyone into the car at 5:13 and was pulling back into the driveway by 5:26 having gone to the store, strapped the boys into the stroller, shopped, back out to the car, into car seats and back home. I'm channeling NASCAR pit crews these days when I take the boys anywhere.

Hope you have an efficient day!
PWD

Adoption, Tourism and Teeth

Good Morning
I have to run to my 6 month teeth cleaning and get yelled at for not flossing enough...sound familiar?

We'll so the news quickly

Adoption
So two of the three Republicans running for Governor don't want same sex couples to adopt. Good, I'm sure all of those kids would be better of not going to a home and living in a state run home instead.
By the way, can't a single person adopt a kid? So how would you know if that person was gay or straight? Do we ask that on the application? And since when was that prerequisite for parenting. No one asked me while we were in the hospital.
The implication from Republicans is that "The Gays" are not fit to be around children. The moral fabric of the universe will tear and we'll all be swallowed up by immorality. Give me a break. How are you going to balance the budget?

Tourism
The State of Iowa is hoping more people stay close to home in the Midwest to spend their summer vacation dollars. I hope so too. Iowa is a beautiful place.

Swimming
The American Academy of Pediatrics put out new recommendations for how soon kids should take swimming lessons. They used to say 4. Now the new recommendation is anytime after a year. of course "swimming' lessons is a bit of a misnomer. It's more like getting used to the water. The Docs feel, as many people have for years, that kids who are introduced to the water at an early age may be better able to stay afloat earlier and therefore, prevent drowning.

Access
The Duchess of York is selling access to the Prince (her former husband). Two questions: Who would want access? and Is the first month of meals free?

Hawks
The mighty Blackhawks are in the Stanley Cup Finals. Couldn't be more excited. Watched the game with a sick kid on my lap Sunday. I had Sally take a picture so when he turns 25 and the Hawks haven't made it back to the Finals, I can show him the picture to prove he watched the last time they made it.
Have a good one
PWD

Reform, Debate and Retired

Good Morning...
I confused Jeriann yesterday with the blog. The timestamp indicates (correctly) that I started the blog Wednesday but didn't finish till Thursday. So apologies if anyone thought I was behind again...
Jeriann gets the line of the morning. One of the challenges of her new HD weather tools is that the color of her outfit matters a lot more these days. This morning her blue suit started to "key out" which means you could see though it right to the maps on the wall. It prompted Jeriann to ask, "Why can you see my weather maps through my skirt?"

To the news
Reform
The Senate Passed Financial reform last night with the help of Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. Grassley's office issued this statement from the Senator after the vote.
“There’s no question this bill has flaws, but a message needs to be sent to Wall
Street that business-as-usual is over. After what happened leading up to the
2008 financial crisis, something’s got to change. Taxpayers need protection. Big
banks and financial institutions took advantage at the expense of average
Americans, and the system let them get away with it. This bill takes a step in
the direction of trying to fix things. It starts to open up the Fed. It puts the
massive derivatives market in the light of day. Other reform is needed, too,
starting with Fannie and Freddie. It’s a matter of transparency and
accountability.”
The statement goes on to say:

Grassley offered a number of amendments to the bill during Senate debate to
increase transparency and accountability in the bureaucracy and industry,
including the Federal Reserve, the Securities and Exchange Commission,
credit-rating agencies and Congress itself. He won passage of his amendment to
establish for employees of credit-rating agencies the same whistleblower
protections he secured for corporate employees after Enron, and the Senate
approved an amendment he cosponsored to remove the conflicts of interest that
compromise assessments by credit-rating agencies. Grassley also won passage of
his amendment to strengthen the hand of Inspectors General throughout the
federal bureaucracy to fight fraud, abuse and mismanagement. Grassley’s IG
amendment was adopted by a vote of 75 to 21, and responded to language in the
original bill which would have undermined the independence of Inspectors General
at five federal agencies dealing with the financial system.

Say what you want but if your idea is to do nothing and let the marketplace correct itself...you're crazy. It's not going to happen. this is a case where consumers need some protection. If you want proof, look at your 401k. Is this the right bill? I haven't read it, but I wouldn't fault Grassley for his vote.


Debate
I didn't think there was any way the Republican nominee for Governor would look weaker than our current Governor going into the general election. Thanks to the kind of debate going back and forth among the candidates...I think it's going to be a dead heat to start.


Retired
The Barnstormers will retire Curt Warner's number tonight at the game. He's certainly deserving of the honor. For me, what's more exciting is the idea of Warner's as analyst. I'd love to see him on a Sunday broadcast. We'll see how he does with the NFL Network this weekend.

One more thing...to follow my AM tweets follow me @PatrickWDix
I hope you all have a good weekend.
PWD

Incentives, Big 10 and HD

Good morning.
We hope you all enjoyed the first Today in Iowa Broadcast in High Definition. We're still working though some of the technical transition but our behind the scenes production and engineering crews have worked so hard to pull this off. It really is a huge effort. Just to give you an idea, we were not in HD yesterday morning. Our team had to essentially move our entire control room to another location in the building in five hours between the Morning and Noon shows. Great Job!
It is another reminder that we work with some pretty amazing people here at WHO. In an industry where the stereotype is pompous and egotistical, there are a lot of people who's first priority is making sure the group looks good.

To the News
TPI
Here's the hard part about Economic Development in a recession. I bet about a dozen other states are willing and able to give TPI composites some sort of big incentive to build a plan in their state. The Wind Turbine manufacturer already has a plant in Newton and already got millions in breaks and incentives from Iowa and Newton. Now they're laying people off in Newton. I can see where some people would be reluctant to give more to get TPI to expand here. Here's the catch. If you give now and put a critical mass of workers and investment here, it may be harder for the company to leave. On top of that, what other industries decide to move to Iowa if TPI expands here? I'm not advocating, I'm just saying it's not a simple question.


Backlash
I missed blogging yesterday...actually I started and didn't finish...Big day sorry.
Anyway the pundits are still talking about Tuesday's Primary elections in four states.
Big name candidates either lost or are going to be in a runoff. It appears the electorate is angry with Washington and is willing to transfuse some new blood into the system. I saw a really good quote in one of the articles on the elections that summed up my feelings about the changes. A lot of these candidates are generating a lot of fire in the electorate. The question is, do they want to heat the building with it, or burn down the capitol?

Big 10
The subject of league expansion has dominated radio sports talk this week. I can only say as a Missouri fan, I'd love to see them join the Big 10. It would produce instant rivalries. Iowa v Mizzou is , of course the one I would look forward to most, but Illinois Missouri is already a big one. I don't feel that way about any big 12 opponent except Kansas, and I'm sure Mizzou would still schedule KU for its non-conference season. Just my two cents...Hawkeye fans?

15 months
Because I know all of you were waiting with bated breath to hear this...our kids passed their 15 month check-up with flying colors. Actually that's not for you. It's for the Grandparents who are regular readers of this blog. Their heads are larger than normal (insert joke here) but otherwise they seem to be right on the mark.

Odds and Ends
Glee with Neil Patrick Harris was phenomenal. Best of the season, Parenthood slips to a close second in my book. The HBO Series The Pacific had a great finale, but overall the stories were a little heavy on the gore and light on the history. I wanted to know more...so I'm going to go read more......The Chicago Blackhawks are up 2-0 in the Western Conference Playoffs. So I'm probably going to see The Hawks win a Stanley Cup before I'm going to see the Cubs win a World Series...Here's your quarterly reminder...first pedal on the right...accelerate when getting on to the freeway!!! You're going to get someone in an accident if you don't GO FOR IT!... Racing begins at Iowa Speedway in Newton this weekend. We had one of the drivers from the K&N Pro Series East West Challenge on this morning. Great guy, Sophomore at DUKE! Ya think he understands the physics of racing?...KFC insures heart specialists will have a job into the new century by keeping the Double Down on it's menu. Two slabs of fried chicken, bacon and cheese, what could go wrong?

With that I'm off!
Have a great Day
PWD

Stand-off, DLP, and St.Helens

Good Morning!
We're getting a little punchy around here. The extra practice for the HD transition is paying off but we're on the news set a lot more than usual these days so we were a little looser than usual too. Hope you had some fun along with us this morning.


Stand-off
We don't know the exact details but there was a stand-off in southwest Iowa (Brooks). A guy shows up at his neighbor's house shot twice and asking for help. he told friends the guy who shot him was still in the house. Sure enough, as deputies approached the house, the guy shot at them and hit one of the Deputies...he's OK. We'll likely hear more as the day goes on.


Alcohol Poisoning
Who gives a 13 year-old a Jagger-bomb? Are you kidding me? The kid showed up at the hospital with a BAC that would have killed most people. So how many of you parents are re-evaluating how soon you have a conversation with your kids about booze? How many of you are re-evaluating how you consume alcohol in front of the little ones?

Mt St Helens
It's been 30 years and I can't believe it. 30 years since the side of Mt St Helens blew off. That summer my family took one of our only big vacations. We took the train out to Seattle from Chicago. So I thought we were out there a few days before or after it happened. My brother Joe says we didn't make ti out to Seattle till August. My Mother will settle this. Either way we all collected a jar of ash. I had mine for a long time. Threw it away at some point. Joe did not. He says he doesn't know where it is but it's somewhere.
The point is..it was thirty years ago today.

DLP
So we tried to guess what DLP meant this morning during the TV giveaway. Turns out Brad had the only guess and he was wrong. One of our viewers made sure we knew we were wrong with a pointed email. Thanks you, as always. BTW, it stands for Digital Light Processing.

Have a good day
PWD

Primaries, Postings and Roadtrips

Good Morning...
It was a busy weekend so we'll get right into it...

Primaries
So we're about a month away from the Iowa Primaries and tomorrow we get another indication of how incumbents across the country are going to do this fall. I just watched the small snippet we had on the Tea Party Debate and some of the answers I'm hearing don't really sit well with me. It's nice to say you're going to cut the federal budget by 50 percent but anyone who says that has no idea how the process works. I know that's what the Tea Party people believe and it's what they want to hear but I also know a few people who really believe in that movement. I know they're smart enough to know change will come in smaller increments than that. The idea is to get somebody in office who doesn't have their hand out...someone who might make decisions based on their constituents wants and needs...not their own

BP
Will you drive by a BP gas station after this Oil spill in the Gulf? We had a debate about it this weekend with some friends. I'd be interested to hear what most of you say and why.

No Paddy No More
We learned Paddy O Prado will not be racing in the Belmont Stakes. Paddy gave us a reason to watch some of the Triple Crown racing and be excited about it. maybe it even introduced a few of you to horse racing. If you get a chance spend an afternoon or evening out at Prairie Meadows. You don't have to Gamble if you don't want to but i think the animals are amazing and it's a fun (and yes FAMILY) atmosphere out at the track.

Postings
The Today in Iowa team extends its congratulations to our former co-worker Trisha Shepherd. She had a baby Girl this morning. We are told that Mom and Daisy May are both doing fine. We learned of the birth thanks to a post from Trish on Facebook...three hours after the baby arrived! That woman is a force of nature.

Road Trip
Sally the boys and I packed up the family Roadster and headed up to Minneapolis to see friends this weekend. We had a really nice time Saturday. if any of you are up in the TC anytime soon, I recommend the Como Zoo for a free weekend activity. We also took a ride on the Historic Carousel that used to be over at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. I will post pics when I get home and download them from the camera.
It's good to see friends but it sure is work getting those boys on the road, and making sure you have everything you need. I married the right woman in this regard.

I would love to hear your best tip for kids and vacations. Tips for long road trips, tips for hotels that cater to kids, best trips or destinations for kids etc...

Until then have a good day!
PWD
I hope you all

Have a Great Weekend

We've got a few minutes before our afternoon HD practice for the Noon show. Bret is on his way back from the Science Center so I thought I'd throw up a quick blog.

-I will never understand why people don't just pull to the right when an ambulance of Police officer is coming up behind them. I suppose it's because they're not paying attention. I admit to having the music up too loud a couple of times as a younger driver and missing the lights behind me. The crazy thing is people don't seem to know what to do even when they Do notice the Ambulance. Any crazy stories from our bloggers?

-Space Shuttle Atlantis is t-minus about one hour as of the writing of this blog. You can still catch the Launch at the Science Center of Iowa.

-Labron to the Bulls? That the rumor as of today. There's something that could make me start watching Bulls games regularly again.

-Speaking of they're having their fifth anniversary down at SCI this weekend. Five dollar admission and five dollar Imax movies.

-Paddy OPrado is one of the favorites for the Preakness stakes this weekend. I'
l'l be watching if I can and if I can't I will be getting to a TV or internet connection as quickly as I can. If you missed Andy Fales story about Pimloco racetrack, go to the homepage and take a look. great reporting as usual from Andy.

-Play Golf America is hosting it's Iowa event at Longview Golf Center today from 3-8. There's free food from Okaboji, fre lessons from moire than a dozen PGA Pros and Free tickets to the Principal Charity Classic for the first 500 people who show up. Not bad...plus you get to hit balls for free. If I weren't otherwise engaged this afternoon do you know where I'd be? David Gantt was on our Noon News talking about the effort. Full disclosure: I take lessons from David...he's great and really does hep.

I hope you all have a great weekend Bret's back...time to practice HD We'll introduce you to all the new technology next week.
PWD

Memorial, Potty Parity and More Rehearsal

Good Morning,
HD rehearsal continues this morning so we're back on the set. For whatever reason I'm doing better with the schedule today. Maybe it's the workout I got in yesterday, maybe it's just the fact that I was mentally prepared for a longer day. Either way, it's going well.
To the blogger's comment yesterday, I am told if you don't subscribe to the HD TV or have an HD TV you may notice some difference but you won't get the full HD experience. I'd make the investment if I were you... It's one more reason to win yourself an HD TV in our giveaway this month. Register each day.

To The News
Memorial
I can't imagine the Father's grief in going to meet his son's body as it arrived in the US. I am struck by the combination of grief and pride. Even in his own sorrow, that father realizes his son did what he wanted with his life by joining the Marines and died in the service of something greater than himself. The death of a 19 year-old is a tragedy but I have a hard time thinking that it's a life wasted.

Fake Stabbing
The mayor of Chicago says the Windy City is going to sue the University of Iowa Professor who faked his own stabbing on the City's Riverwalk a few weeks ago. The story was met initially with headlines about the City of Chicago not being safe. Radio, TV Newspapers across the Midwest carried the story. Mayor Daley wants all of those Media outlets to carry the story of the hoax in the same prominent position they did the first story. I agree.

Potty Parity
The story of the morning for me came from ABC.
It detailed a new bill that some members of Congress ACTUALLY PROPOSED! It would mandate the number of toilets in public buildings. The idea is that women are being discriminated against because there are fewer toilets is offensive to me.
You are at a BASEBALL GAME that you PAID to go to. The fact that you have to wait to go to the bathroom is not oppression.
Just because women go to the bathroom in packs that rival small religious cults, We shouldn't go all Bob Vila on every Public building in the country, replacing toilets left and right. You still can GO to the bathroom, you're not being denied the right to pee. If everyone goes at once during intermission...thems the breaks.
And while we're on the subject of discrimination...have you ever been into a Men's Public bathroom? Have you been to the Women's facility next door? You wanna talk about discrimination...How bout we mandate an extra cleaning crew for the Men's room?
My point is, this kind of nonsense issue takes away from genuine equal rights issues. Pay Equity, actual sexual discrimination in the workplace and Sexual harassment are all still issues in the United States.
What are these lawmakers doing to deal with those serious issues? Nothing is the answer. They're taking on this nonsense issue because it's easier to understand and has less nuance. They're hoping you don't notice that there's a bathroom down the hallway that no one is using but the women cleaning it after you use it is being paid about two thirds of what the men on the cleaning crew are making.

Thanks I needed to get that out...
PWD

Rehearsal

Good Morning.
I write you this morning from the set at 8:13am. What, you ask, am I doing on the set at 8:13am? We're rehearsing. This is all preparation for our transition over to full HD TV. We'll see how it goes but we're all excited to share our tiniest pores and smallest facial imperfections with you at 5am. Just kidding. It will be interesting.

To the news
On the Trail
We hear about a lot of robberies in the Newsroom overnight. This morning we heard one that sounded VERY different. Some guy tried to rob a gas station and the clerk fought back. The suspect caught a knife in the arm and was bleeding as he left. Police followed the blood trail to an apartment. I guess this guy was a glutton for punishment cause he decided he didn't want to go quietly. He jumped out a second story window. Police caught up to him on the lawn.

iPhone...I Wait
So I guess I'll have to wait for an iPhone for now. The agreement with AT&T goes through 2012 so it doesn't look like there's going to be a Verizon Phone this year as has been reported. I'm not that upset...I'd like to see what they're going to do with the 4G iPhone before I get one anyway.

Brooke is back on the Caffeine
After a day telling us she was going to try to drink less coffee, Brooke filled up again this morning. I think maybe she tried to go cold turkey. Can't do it all in one day, but we'll try to help her cut down on the caffeine. I'll take the extra cups of coffee.

OK I have to rally for the Noon. Please... If we look tired this week...be kind. We're doing twice the newscasts behind the scenes.
PWD

Suspended, Charity Classic, and Brad's Back

Good Morning!

Your questions are answered...requests to hear my voice A LOT less are fulfilled...Brad is back. We told you he was on an extended break and that's over now. Welcome back Brad!

To the News:

Suspended

The Carlisle City council suspended its' Fire Chief last night after a two hour closed door session.

The accusation is that the Chief was drinking, or worse, that he was drunk while responding to an emergency call. First reaction is, "How could he?" How could he be so reckless with other people's safety? How could he be so disrespectful of his colleagues and their professionalism? We don't know that the chief is guilty of anything (though a police report says he blew well over the legal limit when he took a Breathalyzer). The investigation continues.

Tornados

Movies come to life...we learned one of the towns hit by a twister last night (Wakita) was actually portrayed in the movie...Twister. As Jeriann says, the name of the town may have been the only thing accurately portrayed in the movie.

Big Mouth

I officially apologized to Megan Reuther last week for opening my big mouth and letting it slip that she was pregnant. She said it wasn't that big a deal, but I felt bad for saying something. We've known for a few weeks that she's expecting so when I saw here trying out the wooden shoe dance down at Tulip Time I thought...man she's game for anything! So add your congratulations to ours for Megan and he family!

Charity Classic

We went over to Glen Oaks CC for the Principal Charity Classic Media Day Monday. The tournament set up a little putting contest for five Media members and five kids from the charities that benefit from the tournament. I got to compete with Kate Pixley. Kate is a fifth grader at Crossroads Elementary. Together we represented Bravo and Connecting Kids with Culture. We didn't win but we had a good time trying and Bravo still got $500 bucks for the effort.

The golf tournament is 22 days away and everything looks good at Glen Oaks. This event brings a lot of money back into the Charities that benefit and is a great way to showcase the Des Moines Metro Area. PCC was named event of the year on the Champions Tour last year. It's well managed for sure but the other thing we hear EVERY year is that the players recruit each other to come to this event. They love the hospitality they're shown here and the fans who support them on the course. Evidence of that comes in the form of Champions Tour Newcomer Fred Couples committing to play here this year.

We only got to play about six holes of the golf course because of the rain that moved in but the Team of Pat Dix, Chris Hassel and Former Principal Chairman and CEO Barry Griswell came in 1st place! That's the first time I've ever been part of a winning team in one of these things.

Hope you all have a great day!

PWD

The Dow Did What?, Be Cool and A Foursome I'd Like to Be a Part of

Good Morning...
Friday morning went exactly how Jeriann said it would. It's not often she's one of my first bleary thoughts as I try to get my bearings...but this morning as I got my first look at radar there was Jeriann's voice telling me it was going to rain REALLY hard right as I was going to work. It turned out that it started raining really hard right after I got to work...so that's a good thing. At least it's not going to rain tonight. I'm headed to the I-Cubs game. I'll be the one under the parka...

To the News

The Dow Did What?
So I was on the phone with our financial advisers office yesterday. I called asking a mundane question about Sally's IRA. I thought the person I was talking to seemed a little distracted and confused that I was calling with THAT particular question. I didn't have the TV on so I hadn't seen the news yet. The Dow fell almost a thousand points before rebounding at the end of the day. It was still down more than 300 points. Do you remember the days when that would have set off a panic? The best part about yesterday...someone may have typed billion instead of million...and that set off a panic inside a major slide. Anyone know where I can get a mattress to store my money in?

Big Box
The box is being lowered to the bottom of the Gulf as we speak. This is one of those feats of engineering that makes me ask: How did they do that?

Good Hearted Iowans
I commend the woman guiding the geese and her goslings across the street along 86th in Urbandale yesterday. Traffic stopped, no one seemed annoyed and the family made it across the street safely. Good Job.
Speaking of... a goose has chosen a bad place for a nest. Next time you're out at Valley West take a look at the end of the parking lot by the corner of 35th and Westown Pkwy. Mom and Dad are both there and have been for a week or two.

Be Cool
So Mother's Day is Sunday and that means I have the need to sneak around so my wife doesn't find out what the boys and I are getting her. This year I have accomplices in my plan and that makes it harder to sneak around. So remember, if your husband is having hushed conversations or don't want you to see text messages or receipts out of his pocket this week...you might check the calender. It's likely your birthday, Mother's Day or Christmas.

A Foursopme I'd like to be a part of
Teri Hatcher is playing at the Principal Charity Classic Pro-Am. ABC always gets a big name star our to the tournament and this year she's it. Apparently her swing IS real and it's SPECTACULAR!
My wife has a great golf swing and I have to say...it's pretty attractive.

Hope you have a great weekend
PWD

Noon Update: Fishing

Check out a new fishing tournament for just about anyone starting this Summer

Catching Up

Good Morning
I intended to blog yesterday and even got into it a bit, but just didn't close the deal.
So here we are Thursday morning and there's a lot to catch up on.

Gulf
When a problem comes along on the scale we're seeing in the Gulf of Mexico, there usually aren't any plans for how to deal with it. They've never had to deal with anything like this before. That said, it's out of situations like this that innovation emerges. If this box they've developed works, it will be a first.
The environmental impact is going to be huge. We have no idea what it's going to be yet...just ask the people up in Prince William Sound.

Heart Procedure
Former Gov and current candidate Terry Branstad had an elective procedure to put a stent in his heart. The former Gov has had a heart attack in the past. As anyone who's been around a heart attack survivor knows, they pay pretty close attention to this stuff. A stent is very common and does not reflect degrading health for Branstad.

Older Moms
A new study by the Pew Research Center shows more older women are having children. Interesting article and conclusions here.

Sports and Opinion
Should sports have an opinion about political issues? Should Sports be the place to debate subjects like excessive use of force by law enforcement?
These two questions are being debated on sports radio a LOT the last few days.
First the kids ran on tot he field at a Phillies baseball game. A security guard tasered him. Second, the Suns decided to protest Arizona's new immigration law by wearing their "Los Suns" jerseys.
Lets do this one at a time. I say taser the kid. I think that especially after seeing the tape. no one was catching up to this kid and everyone was telling him to stop. He'd made his point,, "I am a drunk idiot who will never do anything more significant in my life than jump on to the playing field of a sporting event." Once you're there...just stop and take your imminent arrest like a man. Instead he continues to run around. To what end? Is he mad at one of the players? Has he lost a lot gambling on baseball and has a score to settle? Both are far fetched but my point is, when is this going to happen and we're going to be talking about a player hurt or killed? Don't say that's ridiculous. It could happen and you know it could. My point is, you are aware of the rules when you walk into the ballpark. The kid broke the rules and the security guard used the force necessary to get the kid down.
Second issue. I think sports can be a catalyst for social change in certain instances. People point to Jackie Robinson, the 1976 Olympics in Mexico City...we know sports can have a profound effect on cultural change. I think the Suns live in Arizona. If they don't like the new law they have a right to make this kind of a statement and enter the debate. They may even change a few minds. They also risk losing fans. Maybe this is exactly what Republicans in Arizona wanted. the entire country is talking about this law now and whether it's the right thing to do...and it's forced people to ask questions about what the Federal government is doing to secure the borders. it would be sad if this is what it took to have a serious debate about immigration reform, but maybe that's exactly what will happen. I hope it does. I don't agree with the Arizona law...too many ways to abuse it. I do, however, think we're long past time to find some help for our southern border states.

On TV
If you've not seen this week's Glee and this week's parenthood...the shows have pulled to a neck and neck tie for me. Great to have a real blockbuster show back in NBC's lineup.

Ethics
OK so I forgot to hit publish here...that's not the ethics bind...I'm talking about a story making the rounds on sports radio today. A College golfer threw a sudden death playoff so a fellow competitor could go to Nationals. The first guy was already qualified, the second needed to win the playoff, so the first guy hit his tee ball into the woods.
It's a good debate. Would you want to go to Nationals if you knew someone GAVE it to you...Charity?

Haircuts
We took the boys for their first official haircuts yesterday. It didn't go particularly well. Neither one likes sitting still for very long and neither one of em liked the cape you have to wear to keep the hair off you. The stylist did a great job given the circumstances and I think we accomplished our goal. I'll post some pictures.

Have a good morning!
PWD

Arrest, Recalls? and What a Deal!

Good Morning!
Little bit of a rough show this morning but hopefully it wasn't too noticeable. We're continuing to work toward new technology and upgrades that should make your viewing experience a lot better. In that spirit, I'm trying to get over my fear of Twitter. I updated my account so I can post a mobile update. I'm still not sure I am going to use it every day but maybe before shows we'll give those of you who are interested an update about what's going to be on. If you'd like to follow me it's www.twitter.com/PatrickWDix.

To the News
Arrest
This morning would have been a good time to use the update. Overnight New York authorities arrested a man in connection with the failed car bombing in Times Square this past weekend. He is a naturalized American citizen and some terrorism experts are already saying this guy was acting on his own. Little to early to make conclusions if you ask me.

Backstrom
Heartbreaking, that's what I think when I read about the DCI's conclusions and the family's reluctance to accept them. The DCI now says Ben Backstrom died from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His parents say he left a note saying he'd witnesses a crime and someone as threatening his family because of it. There's a lot of speculation. Was this a prank that went way too far? Was it a suicide Ben tried to cover up with the story, or was he really in danger? We may never know.

Chops
The County will vote to release the Iowa Chops franchise from it's obligations this morning. Since the Chops folded here in Des Moines they've been trying to move south to Texas. The problems with that is they had a ten year agreement with Polk County to be the main tenant at Wells Fargo Arena. The County's been doing just fine without the Chops and a protracted legal battle would cost taxpayers so it's time to cut bait here. Te County says the AHL is still interested in bringing another franchise here. County Leaders are learning they key to success is local ownership. They also admit the Chops had a deal with Global Spectrum that didn't set the team up to succeed. Polk County is learning what works at WFA. I still think a partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks or St Louis Blues or Minnesota Wild would work.

Recalls
We got a double whammy at our hose where the recalls are concerned. We had some of the Tylenol that was recalled and had two cribs that were on the recall list.
The Tylenol recall would have been comical if we weren't talking about...you know...drugs for our kids. We looked at the company's new release recalling the specific doses of the medicine and saw it matched the bottle we had. We took it back to a Big Box retailer where they scanned the box and told us our bottle wasn't covered under the recall. We went back home and checked again...sure enough the numbers matched the recalled lot #'s. So either this retailer wasn't giving the right information or the news release was wrong. We ended up taking it to Hy-Vee who just trusted that we'd read the number right and exchanged the bottle.
The cribs are a little more complicated. Both the boys are sleeping in recalled cribs. I had to check with one of the other parents in the room before I wrote that to make sure DHS wasn't going to come and arrest me for negligence. We found out about the recall and immediately sent away for the "fix" kit. Here's the problem. the company says they'll be here in 2-3 week. I'm sorry what? Where the heck am I supposed to sleep my kids until then? Do I go out and buy a new crib for each of em? That's just stupid, especially because there is no defect with my crib. The rail is attached solidly...believe me I am checking it like four times a day. I'm checking the boys before we go upstairs for bed...I'm checking that no one has rolled somewhere they shouldn't when I come downstairs in the middle of the night to go to work...
I'm worried about it, but I don't have a lot of choices right now. Recalls aren't perfect and ultimately it's up to us as parents to make sure our kids are safe...it just gets harder when the information you get isn't complete, correct or conducive to the day to day.

Hope you all have a good one...
PWD

Accident, Close Call and When Nothing Works

Good Morning,
This morning, nothing worked. I shouldn't say that. Actually, I didn't finish getting ready last night. I came down to the kitchen this morning to find the coffee maker on but no coffee in the pot. Quick coffee making tip. It helps to put water in the coffee maker before you go to bed if you want the timer to work.
I was a little later than I normally get in because of my coffee SNAFU, but other than that it's a good Monday.


To the News:
Accident
Not too far from my house, a car was speeding down Pleasant and didn't stop for the intersection at 63rd. I use that street every day and can't imagine. you can see the intersection coming over the hill on Pleasant for a GOOD 100 yards. Something else was going on here. One person died in the accident


Close Call
In New York City they're still trying to figure out who the man in the video is. If they're right, this is a guy who had something to do with placing a crude car bomb near Times Square. Meanwhile an overseas group is claiming responsibility. US authorities aren't saying if it's home gown terrorism or if it's some group outside the US.
You knew it was coming, but the good news is, the system worked. Somebody saw something suspicious, and alerted Police who actually went through their procedures and figured out how to dismantle this thing safely.

Chops: Afternoon UPDATE: The County will release The Iowa Chops from it's 10 year agreement to stay in and play in Des Moines. The franchise folded last year but had years left on it's contract and a 12 million dollar penalty if it moved the franchise early. The County has been in talks with the franchise after it folded. Hockey was supposed to be the main tenant in the Wells Fargo Arena and when the team folded there were fears the Arena would go into the red. Turns out WFA didn't need the Chops. It's doing fine this year.
IO talked to one of the County Supervisors this morning and asked if the County was going to pursue a hockey franchise. He told be the AHL still thinks Des Moine sis a viable market. I asked if the agreement with any potential franchise would have to change for it to be successful. He agreed with that but also pointed out that success from the Barnstormers and Energy came along with local ownership. I still hope someone makes hockey work here.

Music
Sally says my geekdom elevated to a new level this weekend when I used some of our iTunes money to get some new Music for my kids. It's for me really. I am trying to make sure my kids DON'T get some of the really terrible children's music, and instead listen to the tunes that have a little wider appeal. I will post the playlist for you parents later this afternoon. I think I found some good stuff.

Have a good day,
PWD