Good Morning!
The Winter storm slowed down a little and that means more of the day will be OK to travel on Iowa roads. That's good news for people who can't get on the road till they get off work. I always feel badly for those folks. they have little control over when they can leave and are at the mercy of Mother Nature getting to family and friends for the Holiday.
Drive safely!
Vacation 1
At least everyone who has to work the holiday here at Channel 13 will have a lot to talk about. As the storm slowed down overnight, it started to become apparent that Christmas Eve and even part of Christmas Day we'd be cleaning up. AAA says 92 million Americans will be traveling for Christmas...80% of those will be on the road. Be careful and use the information the Iowa DOT provides. No Christmas party is worth going into a ditch over.
Vacation2
The President is in Hawaii today to start a vacation with his family. He had a series of "victories" in Washington before he left. The National Press made it out to be some sort of comeback after the national election. It may have had something to do with so many members of congress not having to answer to voters anymore. Either way I don't really care. I like it when the two parties can get together on something. It seems the last two years have been full of endless hearings, news conferences, pontification and bluster...but not a lot of actual work. We'll see what the Republicans can muster when they take control of the house.
Speaking of the Feds:
Many of you likely saw this yesterday on Facebook but I wanted to share. The CIA is putting together a task force to look at the implications of the Wikileaks release of clasified Diplomatic cables on national security. Predictable they named the task force. The Wikileaks Task Force. This being the government, they've got to use the acronym. WTF. Indeed.
Vacation3
This on refers to my vacation. I'm off until the end of the year. We'll be hanging around town so if you see a guy that looks like Otis from the Andy Griffith show...it may be me.
I plan on relaxing as much as possible over the next week and a half. I'm looking forward to Christmas in our new home with he boys, my parents, my sister, Sally's parents, friends and other various and sundry characters.
I'm ending my 12th year at WHOTV and I am, as I have always been, grateful to be working with such great people.
I have a co-anchor who keeps me grounded and positive....
A Meteorologist who keeps us on our toes and is always looking for ways we can improve our show.
We have a traffic guy with more personality in his right pinkie than most people have in their whole family.
A reporting/videography crew that works harder in three hours than most people do in a full day...
Producers that work overnight shifts, rarely complain and still manage to turn out a great show every day...
and a Production staff that makes us look better than we deserve most of the time.
I am very fortunate, and look forward to another great year in 2011!
Hope you have a good one too!
PWD
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Census, Do you Wanna Dance, and Moondance
Good Morning!...The answer is No. Jeriann is not out because she had her baby. She's just off for Christmas...the baby comes in January.
To the News
Census
So we get a count of the Population...how appropriate at Christmas right?
The Census preview we had showed some states losing congressional seats but didn't name Iowa. That doesn't mean the predictions of Iowa going from five seats to four won't come true. We will await the numbers.
Da Bears
NFC North Champions isn't something I thought I'd be able to say about the Bears. Any playoff advancement at this point would be a bonus.
Do you Wanna Dance?
I expect Kevin Bacon and Sarah Jessica Parker to come out and start reading Bible verses about dancing after reading the Des Moines Register this morning. Johnston HS parents are worried about the type of dancing some of the kids are doing. it wasn't just one person either and they didn't sound like they wanted to see kids dance with enough room for the Holy Spirit between em. These were parents that said they basically witnesses some softcore porn at a HS dance.
I'm of two minds about this one. My first reaction was...is it REALLY that bad? Grinding your date isn't exactly new. Ask Jennifer Grey.
My second reaction was as the future parent of a teenage boy. I admit to hoping my boys play sports and don't recognize that girls exist until they're ready to go to college. That side of my is horrified that a kid this age would do something like that in public.
So my brain comes down in the middle of this. Turn up the lights, get more parents to come to the dances. Are kids really going to do this in front of their parents or their parent's friends? Even if they do...you can tell em to stop. This is one where you'll know it's wrong if you see it.
Moondance
Brad says he saw the Lunar eclipse when we was coming in this morning. I didn't notice and wasn't expecting to because I thought it would be cloudy. the cool part of this event, to me, was the timing. A lunar eclipse like this hasn't happened on the winter solstice since the mid 1600's, and won't happen again until 2093.
Hope you all have a good day!
PWD
To the News
Census
So we get a count of the Population...how appropriate at Christmas right?
The Census preview we had showed some states losing congressional seats but didn't name Iowa. That doesn't mean the predictions of Iowa going from five seats to four won't come true. We will await the numbers.
Da Bears
NFC North Champions isn't something I thought I'd be able to say about the Bears. Any playoff advancement at this point would be a bonus.
Do you Wanna Dance?
I expect Kevin Bacon and Sarah Jessica Parker to come out and start reading Bible verses about dancing after reading the Des Moines Register this morning. Johnston HS parents are worried about the type of dancing some of the kids are doing. it wasn't just one person either and they didn't sound like they wanted to see kids dance with enough room for the Holy Spirit between em. These were parents that said they basically witnesses some softcore porn at a HS dance.
I'm of two minds about this one. My first reaction was...is it REALLY that bad? Grinding your date isn't exactly new. Ask Jennifer Grey.
My second reaction was as the future parent of a teenage boy. I admit to hoping my boys play sports and don't recognize that girls exist until they're ready to go to college. That side of my is horrified that a kid this age would do something like that in public.
So my brain comes down in the middle of this. Turn up the lights, get more parents to come to the dances. Are kids really going to do this in front of their parents or their parent's friends? Even if they do...you can tell em to stop. This is one where you'll know it's wrong if you see it.
Moondance
Brad says he saw the Lunar eclipse when we was coming in this morning. I didn't notice and wasn't expecting to because I thought it would be cloudy. the cool part of this event, to me, was the timing. A lunar eclipse like this hasn't happened on the winter solstice since the mid 1600's, and won't happen again until 2093.
Hope you all have a good day!
PWD
Monday, December 20, 2010
Standoff, DADT, and Judges Lawsuit
Good Morning...
We begin our Holiday week with a little breaking news and plenty of controversy to end the year.
I got tweaked again for calling the Girls...Girls.
A woman called Friday to say she didn't want me to call Brooke and Jeriann "girls". She said she used to work as a nurse. She said when she was still working, the Nurses struggled to get the Docs to call them "Ladies"...and not "Girls". I've posted these thoughts before but here's my take.
I have more than a professional relationship with Brooke and Jeriann. They are my friends and my colleagues. Just like a woman might say she is going to dinner with "the girls" when referring to her friends, I would say the same about my friends here.
More to the point, wasn't the Nurse's request intended to change of behavior, not words? If I behave with respect toward you isn't that the desired outcome...actual equality?
Sometimes I feel like we get caught up in debates like this and it overshadows actual issues of equality. At one time, these types of embedded culture were very important to debate. Those debated helped change culture. We'd all look sideways at someone in an office setting if they called a female colleague "sweetie".
There is certainly still discrimination of all kids in the workplace, but if you ask younger workers, I think they'd tell you we enter the workplace on a largely equal footing. In saying this I'm intending no disrespect to the women who forwarded important issues and fought cultural stereotypes in the American workplace. The good news is their efforts are bearing fruit now.
To the News:
Standoff
Thanks to Roger Riley and Megan Reuther for putting together this overnight news. It looks like a domestic situation got out of control. A lot of us talk about Holiday stress...and it may be for us . There are a lot of people who have even more serious trouble with the Holidays and depression or stress. I'm not aware that was the situation here but it's a reminder of that possibility.
DADT
This was a misguided law to begin with. It's long past time for it to be repealed. Now here's my question. A LOT of people are in favor of letting openly gay men and women serve in the Military. If they're willing to die for their country, the thinking goes, they should be able to do that.
So why is it OK for these Men and Women to die for our freedom, yet it's not OK for them to enjoy the same freedoms and rights the rest of us do?
Much like the issue of equality in the workplace this issue of the rights of gay men and women will become a non-issue as the years go by. Younger people don't care. They realize that now law, is going to change the facts. These people are gay. Ignoring that is not going to make them go away.
Judge's Lawsuit
This feels a little bit like sour grapes. If the law wasn't followed I guess they should vote again, but do we really think the outcome is going to be different? I would guess even more people would be mad about having to vote again.
Worst of the Best
I love Christmas music and agree with a lot of people...it's hard to dislike any of it. That said, there are a lot of...less than desirable versions of Christmas songs. So do you have a "best of the worst"?
Hope your Holiday week is beginning well.
PWD
We begin our Holiday week with a little breaking news and plenty of controversy to end the year.
I got tweaked again for calling the Girls...Girls.
A woman called Friday to say she didn't want me to call Brooke and Jeriann "girls". She said she used to work as a nurse. She said when she was still working, the Nurses struggled to get the Docs to call them "Ladies"...and not "Girls". I've posted these thoughts before but here's my take.
I have more than a professional relationship with Brooke and Jeriann. They are my friends and my colleagues. Just like a woman might say she is going to dinner with "the girls" when referring to her friends, I would say the same about my friends here.
More to the point, wasn't the Nurse's request intended to change of behavior, not words? If I behave with respect toward you isn't that the desired outcome...actual equality?
Sometimes I feel like we get caught up in debates like this and it overshadows actual issues of equality. At one time, these types of embedded culture were very important to debate. Those debated helped change culture. We'd all look sideways at someone in an office setting if they called a female colleague "sweetie".
There is certainly still discrimination of all kids in the workplace, but if you ask younger workers, I think they'd tell you we enter the workplace on a largely equal footing. In saying this I'm intending no disrespect to the women who forwarded important issues and fought cultural stereotypes in the American workplace. The good news is their efforts are bearing fruit now.
To the News:
Standoff
Thanks to Roger Riley and Megan Reuther for putting together this overnight news. It looks like a domestic situation got out of control. A lot of us talk about Holiday stress...and it may be for us . There are a lot of people who have even more serious trouble with the Holidays and depression or stress. I'm not aware that was the situation here but it's a reminder of that possibility.
DADT
This was a misguided law to begin with. It's long past time for it to be repealed. Now here's my question. A LOT of people are in favor of letting openly gay men and women serve in the Military. If they're willing to die for their country, the thinking goes, they should be able to do that.
So why is it OK for these Men and Women to die for our freedom, yet it's not OK for them to enjoy the same freedoms and rights the rest of us do?
Much like the issue of equality in the workplace this issue of the rights of gay men and women will become a non-issue as the years go by. Younger people don't care. They realize that now law, is going to change the facts. These people are gay. Ignoring that is not going to make them go away.
Judge's Lawsuit
This feels a little bit like sour grapes. If the law wasn't followed I guess they should vote again, but do we really think the outcome is going to be different? I would guess even more people would be mad about having to vote again.
Worst of the Best
I love Christmas music and agree with a lot of people...it's hard to dislike any of it. That said, there are a lot of...less than desirable versions of Christmas songs. So do you have a "best of the worst"?
Hope your Holiday week is beginning well.
PWD
Friday, December 17, 2010
Passed, Presents and the Near Future
Good Morning!
Brooke and Jeriann are off for the next week for Christmas. Merry Christmas ladies!
...But, damn you Brooke Bouma! She was nice enough to bring in cake balls this morning...my God they're good...and RICH! I worked my backside off at the gym last night trying to reverse course on the SS Weight gain. Unfortunately my Titanic stomach hit an iceberg with Brooke's cakeballs.
To the News
Passed
What are we going to talk about in Washington if we're not talking about this tax deal. In the end a lot of the bluster we heard from House Democrats was just that..a lot of hit air. Can Washington stop wasting my time with the manufactured drama now? Another two years of compromise where no one is happy would look pretty good to me.
Presents
Boxes have started to show up at our house and we don't know who they're for. We assume our children because people love them more than they love us now(I'm just kidding Mom, I'm just kidding!). So for any of you that have sent a random Christmas gift to my house...thank you!
Ghosts
I think we've figured out where the ghosts are coming from in our new house. Lights and fans have been turning on at random intervals in our bedroom and the sun room. It worries me a bit. I wondered if we had some loose wiring that might spark a fire...nothing to mess with. Turns out we've got two remote controls for the ceiling fans and they're on the same frequency. We've been furiously trying to make the one upstairs work before bed and I think we've been turning on the one downstairs. It freaks me out when I come down in the middle of the night and the fan and lights are on.
Mrs B
Got some sad news from my sister this morning.
About the time I met my future wife I was an awkward seventh grader entering Wilmette Junior High School. I was lucky to have a lot foo great teachers that encouraged me, but on that unknowingly put me on a track to be in front of a camera for a living was probably Camille Bertagnolli. She was the music teacher and she was GREAT. This came in my email from my sister who is now a teacher in the Wilmette Schools:
Please join us in expressing our sympathy to the family of Camille Bertagnolli.
Camille taught music at WJHS during the 1980's and early 1990's. After Camille retired, she moved to Door County, Wisconsin. She was very active in community music programs in Wisconsin and was the founder of the East Wind Conservatory in Door County, Wisconsin. At WJHS, Camille was a greatly loved music teacher who was able to bring the best out of students, especially students who were not inclined to sing. Camille passed away on August 22, 2010.
I was inclined to sing but didn't have a lot of inclination to be a leader. She was one of the first adults that convinced me I could be a leader if I wanted to.
RIP Mrs B.
Near Future
Today begins the run up to Christmas and as I said, for me this year it means a week without Jeriann and Brooke before I go on vacation myself. I have high hopes it will go quickly. this is the first time in our lives that Sally and I will spend Christmas away from Chicago. Time to start some new traditions with our new family and they're all being gracious about making the trip to Des Moines. But we've got a lot to do to make sure the near future goes smoothly. It's not that it's hectic work. Sally has taught me over our marriage that it's a lot more fun doing all the work beforehand so when your guests arrive, you can be part of the party.
Hope you all have a good weekend!
PWD
Brooke and Jeriann are off for the next week for Christmas. Merry Christmas ladies!
...But, damn you Brooke Bouma! She was nice enough to bring in cake balls this morning...my God they're good...and RICH! I worked my backside off at the gym last night trying to reverse course on the SS Weight gain. Unfortunately my Titanic stomach hit an iceberg with Brooke's cakeballs.
To the News
Passed
What are we going to talk about in Washington if we're not talking about this tax deal. In the end a lot of the bluster we heard from House Democrats was just that..a lot of hit air. Can Washington stop wasting my time with the manufactured drama now? Another two years of compromise where no one is happy would look pretty good to me.
Presents
Boxes have started to show up at our house and we don't know who they're for. We assume our children because people love them more than they love us now(I'm just kidding Mom, I'm just kidding!). So for any of you that have sent a random Christmas gift to my house...thank you!
Ghosts
I think we've figured out where the ghosts are coming from in our new house. Lights and fans have been turning on at random intervals in our bedroom and the sun room. It worries me a bit. I wondered if we had some loose wiring that might spark a fire...nothing to mess with. Turns out we've got two remote controls for the ceiling fans and they're on the same frequency. We've been furiously trying to make the one upstairs work before bed and I think we've been turning on the one downstairs. It freaks me out when I come down in the middle of the night and the fan and lights are on.
Mrs B
Got some sad news from my sister this morning.
About the time I met my future wife I was an awkward seventh grader entering Wilmette Junior High School. I was lucky to have a lot foo great teachers that encouraged me, but on that unknowingly put me on a track to be in front of a camera for a living was probably Camille Bertagnolli. She was the music teacher and she was GREAT. This came in my email from my sister who is now a teacher in the Wilmette Schools:
Please join us in expressing our sympathy to the family of Camille Bertagnolli.
Camille taught music at WJHS during the 1980's and early 1990's. After Camille retired, she moved to Door County, Wisconsin. She was very active in community music programs in Wisconsin and was the founder of the East Wind Conservatory in Door County, Wisconsin. At WJHS, Camille was a greatly loved music teacher who was able to bring the best out of students, especially students who were not inclined to sing. Camille passed away on August 22, 2010.
I was inclined to sing but didn't have a lot of inclination to be a leader. She was one of the first adults that convinced me I could be a leader if I wanted to.
RIP Mrs B.
Near Future
Today begins the run up to Christmas and as I said, for me this year it means a week without Jeriann and Brooke before I go on vacation myself. I have high hopes it will go quickly. this is the first time in our lives that Sally and I will spend Christmas away from Chicago. Time to start some new traditions with our new family and they're all being gracious about making the trip to Des Moines. But we've got a lot to do to make sure the near future goes smoothly. It's not that it's hectic work. Sally has taught me over our marriage that it's a lot more fun doing all the work beforehand so when your guests arrive, you can be part of the party.
Hope you all have a good weekend!
PWD
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Hawkeye Perspective, Estate Tax and New Addition to the Family
Good Morning!
We had two great stories in our newscast. Another soldier came home for the holidays and surprised his family near Cedar Rapids. Those never get old.
We used the second story as our Facebook question this morning. Anonymous donors gave $100,000 to the Art program at Lynville-Sully HS after the teacher put out a plea for more supplies. We wanted to know, if you had $50,000 to give anonymously, where/who would you write the check to?
Think about that while we offer you some other tidbits
Hawkeye Perspective
Is it fair to blame Coach Kirk Ferentz for all of the problems in the Iowa Football program? Well, some would says he's the leader...he's the CEO.
I thought a co-worker had an interesting perspective on this though. He pointed out that in our building, we've got about 60 employees. Our General Manager(The Boss) probably knows most, if not all of them by name. He doesn't know who their roommates are, he doesn't know what they do when they're not inside 1801 Grand. Ferentz has 150 players, plus staff. Now, this wasn't just some walk-on...it was one of his best players allegedly wrapped up in using and selling some pretty hardcore drugs.
Still, before people decide what Ferentz "should" or "shouldn't" have known...a little perspective.
Estate Tax
Someone explain to me why this would be a good idea.
I don't care who you are, I don't care what your economic circumstance is; no one has the right to come in and take money you've accumulated over a lifetime. Ask a Farmers. They'd be hurt if Democrats got their way.
Even more interesting was some quick research I did on the Estate Tax. Originally this tax was set up on estates over $50,000 in 1917. In today's dollars the article said that would be more like $11 million. The tax started at 1% at that amount and went up to 10% on estates over $5 million. That would be a billion dollars in today's money.
Some of you will be thinking...it doesn't matter how much you tax someone's estate after they die, it's too much! If that's your argument I have one more thought. One of the arguments made for tax cuts on higher incomes is that those people are the ones creating jobs and driving the economy. Fair enough.
So why not have a SMALL tax on a large estate, accumulated over a life where the Government has given your higher income (or small business income) a tax break so you can succeed and pass on some of your success to the next generation? I'm not advocating the 45% tax Democrats are proposing, but on 11 million dollars, why not a 1% tax?
Some of you will argue the merits of ANY taxes but I am offering these thoughts in the real world. We have a tax system, and I'm talking about give and take.
To that point...
A friend posted this article on Facebook about who actually stimulates the economy when given a tax break.
Turns out the Congressional Budget Office found it was the wealthy and lower income earners that actually spend when given more disposable income. The middle does not spend...they save.
Under that argument, the "middle class" should actually be shut out of the tax breaks. Of course, then politicians couldn't try to convince you they're doing this "for middle class Americans"
Also I was talking with Brad today about why it may be in the best interest of higher income earners to pay more in taxes (they already do). It's called "The veil of ignorance".
The term came from John Rawls. Here's an article I found explaining the concept.
If your head is now spinning after reading a defense of cutting the Estate Tax and an explanation of John Rawls in the same blog...well, I told you it wouldn't be easy to describe my politics.
The Heat is on!
Thanks to the folks at Green's Heating and cooling we are back in a warm house and operating more efficiently. Heath, our tech, was great. He got his work done quickly and even worked around the boy's nap schedule. They slept well, the house held enough heat so we didn't freeze and now I've got a boiler system that works the way it's supposed to.
I hope you all have a good day. I'd love to hear your comments...
PWD
We had two great stories in our newscast. Another soldier came home for the holidays and surprised his family near Cedar Rapids. Those never get old.
We used the second story as our Facebook question this morning. Anonymous donors gave $100,000 to the Art program at Lynville-Sully HS after the teacher put out a plea for more supplies. We wanted to know, if you had $50,000 to give anonymously, where/who would you write the check to?
Think about that while we offer you some other tidbits
Hawkeye Perspective
Is it fair to blame Coach Kirk Ferentz for all of the problems in the Iowa Football program? Well, some would says he's the leader...he's the CEO.
I thought a co-worker had an interesting perspective on this though. He pointed out that in our building, we've got about 60 employees. Our General Manager(The Boss) probably knows most, if not all of them by name. He doesn't know who their roommates are, he doesn't know what they do when they're not inside 1801 Grand. Ferentz has 150 players, plus staff. Now, this wasn't just some walk-on...it was one of his best players allegedly wrapped up in using and selling some pretty hardcore drugs.
Still, before people decide what Ferentz "should" or "shouldn't" have known...a little perspective.
Estate Tax
Someone explain to me why this would be a good idea.
I don't care who you are, I don't care what your economic circumstance is; no one has the right to come in and take money you've accumulated over a lifetime. Ask a Farmers. They'd be hurt if Democrats got their way.
Even more interesting was some quick research I did on the Estate Tax. Originally this tax was set up on estates over $50,000 in 1917. In today's dollars the article said that would be more like $11 million. The tax started at 1% at that amount and went up to 10% on estates over $5 million. That would be a billion dollars in today's money.
Some of you will be thinking...it doesn't matter how much you tax someone's estate after they die, it's too much! If that's your argument I have one more thought. One of the arguments made for tax cuts on higher incomes is that those people are the ones creating jobs and driving the economy. Fair enough.
So why not have a SMALL tax on a large estate, accumulated over a life where the Government has given your higher income (or small business income) a tax break so you can succeed and pass on some of your success to the next generation? I'm not advocating the 45% tax Democrats are proposing, but on 11 million dollars, why not a 1% tax?
Some of you will argue the merits of ANY taxes but I am offering these thoughts in the real world. We have a tax system, and I'm talking about give and take.
To that point...
A friend posted this article on Facebook about who actually stimulates the economy when given a tax break.
Turns out the Congressional Budget Office found it was the wealthy and lower income earners that actually spend when given more disposable income. The middle does not spend...they save.
Under that argument, the "middle class" should actually be shut out of the tax breaks. Of course, then politicians couldn't try to convince you they're doing this "for middle class Americans"
Also I was talking with Brad today about why it may be in the best interest of higher income earners to pay more in taxes (they already do). It's called "The veil of ignorance".
The term came from John Rawls. Here's an article I found explaining the concept.
Rawls’ solution was what he called the veil of ignorance. Assume that you arriveThat's why I accept the idea of higher earners paying (slightly) more in taxes. If used properly, it would help everyone.
at the bargaining table with no knowledge whatsoever of your social status,
economic power, ethnicity, religion or gender. Then, asks Rawls, what kind of
society would you want to set up? The answer, he argued, is a society that would
guarantee maximum liberty equally distributed among its members, as well as an
equal distribution of wealth and power, unless there are situations where some
sort of unequal distribution would favor everyone and if everyone had an equal
opportunity of being so favored.
If your head is now spinning after reading a defense of cutting the Estate Tax and an explanation of John Rawls in the same blog...well, I told you it wouldn't be easy to describe my politics.
The Heat is on!
Thanks to the folks at Green's Heating and cooling we are back in a warm house and operating more efficiently. Heath, our tech, was great. He got his work done quickly and even worked around the boy's nap schedule. They slept well, the house held enough heat so we didn't freeze and now I've got a boiler system that works the way it's supposed to.
I hope you all have a good day. I'd love to hear your comments...
PWD
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Rumor Mill, Those Activist Judges and Snowblowing
Good Morning!
Lots to talk about this morning....It's been a while so a little of this will be catching up.
Rumor Mill
I won't pretend to know anything about what's going on in Iowa, but from an outsider it starts to appear where there's smoke, there's fire. There's a 10AM news conference this morning. I am interested to hear why both the Head Football coach and Athletic Director need to be part of this.
Those Activist Judges
A Federal Judge in Virginia declared part of the Federal Healthcare Law unconstitutional. I'm waiting for the outcry.
Let me see, a Judge or Judges rules that part of a law passed by a group of lawmakers is unconstitutional.
I think I remember some Iowans who were pretty upset over "A judge circumventing the will of the people and overturning a law passed by the elected Representatives of the people!"
I highly doubt anyone upset over the Iowa Marriage decision would be upset over this ruling.
Before you shoot off emails telling me that these are two different issues...I agree..they are. My point is, the people who were so upset about "one unelected official, who's accountable to no-one, overturning decisions make by elected officials accountable to their constituents" can't just pick and choose where to make that argument.
In that way, this case is the same.
Snowblowing
I asked on Facebook today...how early is too early to use a snowblower. There were a few people who told me I could fire the thing up at 2:30 when I'm getting ready to leave.
I don't think I could do that to my neighbors. What do you think.
iPhone or Droid
I'm torn up. My contract is up with a certain large nationwide wireless carrier in January. When it's done I could choose to go with another carrier that's got exclusive rights to the iPhone. I could also wait for my carrier to get it's version of the iPhone. I am reading there will be a version out by late January at the earliest and March at the latest.
Make an argument for what you think the best decision would be.
Cards and Letters
Christmas cards are showing up at our house and we're posting them on our Kitchen wall. It's so great to see how families grow, How your old friends are doing...even getting a quick Merry Christmas is great. We've had a debate for a while in our house about the Christmas letter. Should you write a personal note to each person you send a Christmas card to? Is a form letter enough? What do you think.
The boiler guy is coming, we hope, to fix the problems we've had heating our house evenly. It's gonna be cold in my house today until he's done. Wish me luck.
Have a good one
PWD
Lots to talk about this morning....It's been a while so a little of this will be catching up.
Rumor Mill
I won't pretend to know anything about what's going on in Iowa, but from an outsider it starts to appear where there's smoke, there's fire. There's a 10AM news conference this morning. I am interested to hear why both the Head Football coach and Athletic Director need to be part of this.
Those Activist Judges
A Federal Judge in Virginia declared part of the Federal Healthcare Law unconstitutional. I'm waiting for the outcry.
Let me see, a Judge or Judges rules that part of a law passed by a group of lawmakers is unconstitutional.
I think I remember some Iowans who were pretty upset over "A judge circumventing the will of the people and overturning a law passed by the elected Representatives of the people!"
I highly doubt anyone upset over the Iowa Marriage decision would be upset over this ruling.
Before you shoot off emails telling me that these are two different issues...I agree..they are. My point is, the people who were so upset about "one unelected official, who's accountable to no-one, overturning decisions make by elected officials accountable to their constituents" can't just pick and choose where to make that argument.
In that way, this case is the same.
Snowblowing
I asked on Facebook today...how early is too early to use a snowblower. There were a few people who told me I could fire the thing up at 2:30 when I'm getting ready to leave.
I don't think I could do that to my neighbors. What do you think.
iPhone or Droid
I'm torn up. My contract is up with a certain large nationwide wireless carrier in January. When it's done I could choose to go with another carrier that's got exclusive rights to the iPhone. I could also wait for my carrier to get it's version of the iPhone. I am reading there will be a version out by late January at the earliest and March at the latest.
Make an argument for what you think the best decision would be.
Cards and Letters
Christmas cards are showing up at our house and we're posting them on our Kitchen wall. It's so great to see how families grow, How your old friends are doing...even getting a quick Merry Christmas is great. We've had a debate for a while in our house about the Christmas letter. Should you write a personal note to each person you send a Christmas card to? Is a form letter enough? What do you think.
The boiler guy is coming, we hope, to fix the problems we've had heating our house evenly. It's gonna be cold in my house today until he's done. Wish me luck.
Have a good one
PWD
Friday, December 10, 2010
Happy Friday!
Good morning. It's Friday! Jeriann says she is giving today a 10. This is going to be her early Christmas present to central Iowa. I am looking forward to getting outside and letting Evan run around for a while. I think it will do us both some good.
I think we are going to the Jolly Holiday Lights tonight and getting a picture with Santa. Can you believe we only have 2 weeks until Christmas. I still have to do all of my shopping.. not just some of it... all of it. No stress here! :)
Hope you have a great weekend. See you on Monday!
I think we are going to the Jolly Holiday Lights tonight and getting a picture with Santa. Can you believe we only have 2 weeks until Christmas. I still have to do all of my shopping.. not just some of it... all of it. No stress here! :)
Hope you have a great weekend. See you on Monday!
Thursday, December 09, 2010
"Rich", Feller and My Friday
Good Morning!
I realized about half way through getting ready this morning that this is my LAST day of the week! Awesome!
Sally and I are taking the day to make sure we've got Christmas in order before our families come for the holiday. That will look something like a trip to the Mall. Say a few Hail Marys for me.
To the News:
Rich
In this debate over tax rates (and lets be clear it's about tax rates, not tax breaks), the words "rich" and "middle class" are being thrown around a lot. So I asked people what their definition of "rich" is. In true Iowa fashion, most people answered that their lives are "rich" because of the people in it.
I agree, and feel the same way, but I was asking about a bottom line number.
The responses to that question were fair as well. It's a moving target. A lot of people said if you make $50k you want to make $100k, if you make $100k, you want $150k...you get the point.
What do you think? What's the point that you can pay all your bills, save for your future and still have enough leftover to buy the stuff you want.
Feller
This morning news about the health of Baseball Hall of Fame and Iowa Native Bob Feller is a study in how the Internet and social media can get out of control. One paper outside of Cleveland posted a story on its website that said Feller had died. The obituary was actually a well written , but no one will ever remember that. They going to remember this paper posted an obituary for a man that was still alive.
We talked about it and after some very good counsel from our Sports Director decided not to run the story. Keith was actually up all night long watching the news. I thought it was just jet lag from his trip to Italy. He says it was a little more than that. He was fascinated by the momentum built up for the story about Feller dying, simply because this one paper posted it as fact.
-Had a great breakfast with some WHO-TV alumni. They've started their own Media company and I couldn't be happier for their success. All deserve it.
We'll see if I can get through the Nooner.
Have a great day and a good weekend. I'm back Monday.
PWD
I realized about half way through getting ready this morning that this is my LAST day of the week! Awesome!
Sally and I are taking the day to make sure we've got Christmas in order before our families come for the holiday. That will look something like a trip to the Mall. Say a few Hail Marys for me.
To the News:
Rich
In this debate over tax rates (and lets be clear it's about tax rates, not tax breaks), the words "rich" and "middle class" are being thrown around a lot. So I asked people what their definition of "rich" is. In true Iowa fashion, most people answered that their lives are "rich" because of the people in it.
I agree, and feel the same way, but I was asking about a bottom line number.
The responses to that question were fair as well. It's a moving target. A lot of people said if you make $50k you want to make $100k, if you make $100k, you want $150k...you get the point.
What do you think? What's the point that you can pay all your bills, save for your future and still have enough leftover to buy the stuff you want.
Feller
This morning news about the health of Baseball Hall of Fame and Iowa Native Bob Feller is a study in how the Internet and social media can get out of control. One paper outside of Cleveland posted a story on its website that said Feller had died. The obituary was actually a well written , but no one will ever remember that. They going to remember this paper posted an obituary for a man that was still alive.
We talked about it and after some very good counsel from our Sports Director decided not to run the story. Keith was actually up all night long watching the news. I thought it was just jet lag from his trip to Italy. He says it was a little more than that. He was fascinated by the momentum built up for the story about Feller dying, simply because this one paper posted it as fact.
-Had a great breakfast with some WHO-TV alumni. They've started their own Media company and I couldn't be happier for their success. All deserve it.
We'll see if I can get through the Nooner.
Have a great day and a good weekend. I'm back Monday.
PWD
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Cake and coffee
Good morning everyone. Pat told me I get to do the blog today in honor of my birthday. Actually, he was joking. He had to leave a little early and I told him I would take care of the Morning Buzz.
Today is my birthday and at 8:41 a.m. it's been great so far. Mainly because I got to eat cake. And this wasn't just any cake. This was award-winning cake. Jeriann picked it up at a place in Valley Junction called Let Them Eat Cake. I usually don't like cake frosting. You know the kind I am talking about with all the sugar and Crisco. But this cake had the most creamy frosting I have ever tried. And since I am Dutch, Jeriann got the almond flavored cake. It was out of this world! Megan Reuther thought it was so good she said, "I am so glad you were born." Anyway, it was very thoughtful and a wonderful way to start the day. Oh, and I should mention Brad Ehrlich got me Starbucks today. Went very nicely with the sweet treat. And, Pat got me something I'll have to wait until 5:00 to indulge in: champagne! Thanks everyone!
And, I have to admit it's been fun seeing all the Birthday wishes on Facebook. Kind of nice getting a message from friends you haven't talked to in a while.
The news..
The headline this morning was the arrest of Hawkeye Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. Police found cash and drugs in his apartment. And he tested positive for cocaine and marijuana. I thought Shawn Terrell's blog on Murphy's Law was really good. Even as reporters, we can still be surprised and disappointed by the people we cover in the news.
That's all for now. Have a great "hump day" as Jeriann would say.
Today is my birthday and at 8:41 a.m. it's been great so far. Mainly because I got to eat cake. And this wasn't just any cake. This was award-winning cake. Jeriann picked it up at a place in Valley Junction called Let Them Eat Cake. I usually don't like cake frosting. You know the kind I am talking about with all the sugar and Crisco. But this cake had the most creamy frosting I have ever tried. And since I am Dutch, Jeriann got the almond flavored cake. It was out of this world! Megan Reuther thought it was so good she said, "I am so glad you were born." Anyway, it was very thoughtful and a wonderful way to start the day. Oh, and I should mention Brad Ehrlich got me Starbucks today. Went very nicely with the sweet treat. And, Pat got me something I'll have to wait until 5:00 to indulge in: champagne! Thanks everyone!
And, I have to admit it's been fun seeing all the Birthday wishes on Facebook. Kind of nice getting a message from friends you haven't talked to in a while.
The news..
The headline this morning was the arrest of Hawkeye Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. Police found cash and drugs in his apartment. And he tested positive for cocaine and marijuana. I thought Shawn Terrell's blog on Murphy's Law was really good. Even as reporters, we can still be surprised and disappointed by the people we cover in the news.
That's all for now. Have a great "hump day" as Jeriann would say.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Deals and Drips
Good Afternoon...
It's been a battle to get on the computer for the last two days. I had to change my password. It seems we have to change them all the time. So I changed the password but it seems none of the systems got the message. I tried to log on again...no dice.
So after a frustrating and less than productive 24 hours...I'm back.
The News:
Deals
If the President continues this kind of course, I think he might confound the experts and get elected for a second term.
The President compromised, and so did Republicans. I think most Americans would says they agree with that concept. There will be people who say the President caved...that he got beat. We always like to have a winner and loser. I disagree.
Do you think most Americans are going to care that EVERYONE'S tax rate stays they same? No. They care that THEIR tax rate stays the same. So in this deal...The President's compromise makes a lot of people happy.
The reaction from Congress was a study in what's been wrong with the leadership for the last four years. They're mad. They want a fight. I don't care about your fight...I care about my tax rate.
If the President wants to, I think he can regain control of his own party here. He'll have to share the spotlight with Republicans but he can also get compromise out of Republicans and might even get something done. What are Dems going to do? Complain? They'll look like idiots.
Ken Root makes one more point. A lot of these Democrats aren't going to be around for the next Congress, so you might see a few of them throw a grenade or two into this compromise so it doesn't happen. That'll make Democrats popular.
Drips
I went to put make-up on today. You've heard the exercise we have to go through to get ready for the show. One of the steps is shaking the bottle of make-up. I swear the top was screwed on...It's a new bottle. Before I knew what was happening...there was make-up everywhere including my pants.
What a drip.
I hope you have a good day!
PWD
It's been a battle to get on the computer for the last two days. I had to change my password. It seems we have to change them all the time. So I changed the password but it seems none of the systems got the message. I tried to log on again...no dice.
So after a frustrating and less than productive 24 hours...I'm back.
The News:
Deals
If the President continues this kind of course, I think he might confound the experts and get elected for a second term.
The President compromised, and so did Republicans. I think most Americans would says they agree with that concept. There will be people who say the President caved...that he got beat. We always like to have a winner and loser. I disagree.
Do you think most Americans are going to care that EVERYONE'S tax rate stays they same? No. They care that THEIR tax rate stays the same. So in this deal...The President's compromise makes a lot of people happy.
The reaction from Congress was a study in what's been wrong with the leadership for the last four years. They're mad. They want a fight. I don't care about your fight...I care about my tax rate.
If the President wants to, I think he can regain control of his own party here. He'll have to share the spotlight with Republicans but he can also get compromise out of Republicans and might even get something done. What are Dems going to do? Complain? They'll look like idiots.
Ken Root makes one more point. A lot of these Democrats aren't going to be around for the next Congress, so you might see a few of them throw a grenade or two into this compromise so it doesn't happen. That'll make Democrats popular.
Drips
I went to put make-up on today. You've heard the exercise we have to go through to get ready for the show. One of the steps is shaking the bottle of make-up. I swear the top was screwed on...It's a new bottle. Before I knew what was happening...there was make-up everywhere including my pants.
What a drip.
I hope you have a good day!
PWD
Friday, December 03, 2010
CHRISTmas, Cute Babies and Ronnie
Good Morning,
Sorry I am getting to this a little late...it gave me time to collect my thoughts about this thing with the Christmas trees.
I appreciate all of your comments on the Facebook page. We love to hear what you're thinking. After reading this story and shaking my head a few times I think I came to a realization this morning. Maybe we're framing a solution to this untimely tree-trimming in the wrong way.
People who object to Christmas trees because they feel it brings religious overtones to public school are within their rights to voice a concern. I understand the argument, I really do.
People who complain about Christians getting the short end of the PC stick have a real beef too. Is there really something that offensive to you about someone coming up and essentially saying, "Peace on earth...Good will toward Men"?
Both extremes of this argument end up sounding a little shrill to me. I thought, there has to be some middle ground.
Someone is going to have to explain to me the problem with decorating a school appropriately during any holiday season (not just the Christian ones).
Why can't this be a learning opportunity? The school does not have to advocate a religion. This doesn't have to be majority rule. It just has to stay appropriate. A tree falls within those boundaries.
Traditional Songs don't just declare religious beliefs, they are a tool to learn about history and culture. Would anyone who studies the arts be better off not hearing or singing a Shubert Mass? We did that piece in a concert Choir in High School and learned about Schubert!
There's a story to be told about the writing of the song Silent Night.
I learned about Jewish traditions when we sang songs about the Maccabees.
Would it be the worst thing in the world for our children to know how to pronounce Yom Kippur (does not rhyme with Yum Gipper)?
How about a little more understanding of Ramadan? I know I could use a little knowledge.
But it will take a School District risking it's legal budget and make the harder choice. It will take adults putting in extra effort to make sure that concepts behind all of these religious traditions are incorporated fairly into school life...not necessarily the classroom.
One more thing, I understand the frustration of Christians who feel the true meaning of Christmas is being watered down, and that one or two people get to stop the majority from celebrating an important cultural and religious holiday.
This won't be what most of you want to hear but, Christians wringing their hands about their oppression because we can't put up a Christmas tree at the local High School just doesn't resonate with a lot of people. Christians are hardly oppressed. It ends up sounding like bullying..."You all should do what we want, because we're the majority and we said so!!!"
Not exactly the Spirit of the Season.
Maybe we should follow the lead of a lot of the people who commented on our Facebook page. They remind us that this is a season of goodwill, hope, peace and most of all giving of ourselves.
A gentle reminder of those principals behind this season of celebration might be better received than a stern reprimand.
Many of you know, I am a big fan of separation of Church and State, I believe we should protect the minority...but we also shouldn't run away from an opportunity to educate just because it might be uncomfortable or because it comes from the Majority.
I'm sure I will learn more when I read your comments.
Ronnie
RIP Ron Santo. I Loved listening to the radio when the Cubs were playing just to hear what Ron was going to say.
Cute Babies
I am trying to figure out how to load up a happy dance from our boys that we used this morning...I may or may not get to that this afternoon. I have something better to make up for it. Megan gave me a pic of young Cathryn. She also wrote this small update:
Sorry I am getting to this a little late...it gave me time to collect my thoughts about this thing with the Christmas trees.
I appreciate all of your comments on the Facebook page. We love to hear what you're thinking. After reading this story and shaking my head a few times I think I came to a realization this morning. Maybe we're framing a solution to this untimely tree-trimming in the wrong way.
People who object to Christmas trees because they feel it brings religious overtones to public school are within their rights to voice a concern. I understand the argument, I really do.
People who complain about Christians getting the short end of the PC stick have a real beef too. Is there really something that offensive to you about someone coming up and essentially saying, "Peace on earth...Good will toward Men"?
Both extremes of this argument end up sounding a little shrill to me. I thought, there has to be some middle ground.
Someone is going to have to explain to me the problem with decorating a school appropriately during any holiday season (not just the Christian ones).
Why can't this be a learning opportunity? The school does not have to advocate a religion. This doesn't have to be majority rule. It just has to stay appropriate. A tree falls within those boundaries.
Traditional Songs don't just declare religious beliefs, they are a tool to learn about history and culture. Would anyone who studies the arts be better off not hearing or singing a Shubert Mass? We did that piece in a concert Choir in High School and learned about Schubert!
There's a story to be told about the writing of the song Silent Night.
I learned about Jewish traditions when we sang songs about the Maccabees.
Would it be the worst thing in the world for our children to know how to pronounce Yom Kippur (does not rhyme with Yum Gipper)?
How about a little more understanding of Ramadan? I know I could use a little knowledge.
But it will take a School District risking it's legal budget and make the harder choice. It will take adults putting in extra effort to make sure that concepts behind all of these religious traditions are incorporated fairly into school life...not necessarily the classroom.
One more thing, I understand the frustration of Christians who feel the true meaning of Christmas is being watered down, and that one or two people get to stop the majority from celebrating an important cultural and religious holiday.
This won't be what most of you want to hear but, Christians wringing their hands about their oppression because we can't put up a Christmas tree at the local High School just doesn't resonate with a lot of people. Christians are hardly oppressed. It ends up sounding like bullying..."You all should do what we want, because we're the majority and we said so!!!"
Not exactly the Spirit of the Season.
Maybe we should follow the lead of a lot of the people who commented on our Facebook page. They remind us that this is a season of goodwill, hope, peace and most of all giving of ourselves.
A gentle reminder of those principals behind this season of celebration might be better received than a stern reprimand.
Many of you know, I am a big fan of separation of Church and State, I believe we should protect the minority...but we also shouldn't run away from an opportunity to educate just because it might be uncomfortable or because it comes from the Majority.
I'm sure I will learn more when I read your comments.
Ronnie
RIP Ron Santo. I Loved listening to the radio when the Cubs were playing just to hear what Ron was going to say.
Cute Babies
I am trying to figure out how to load up a happy dance from our boys that we used this morning...I may or may not get to that this afternoon. I have something better to make up for it. Megan gave me a pic of young Cathryn. She also wrote this small update:
Cathryn is doing great! She loves to smile-especially when we change her
diaper. Her big brothers are very proud-Daniel loves to give her the binky. Alex
says she has perfect little hands, a perfect little nose and the most beautiful
blueberry eyes.
We couldn't agree more. And again, we're glad to have Megan back!
PWD
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Fire, Megan's Back and Brooke's Gone
Good Morning!
Brooke was off the set this morning because she had a later than normal night. She had a walk-on role in Mary Poppins at the Civic Center! How fun does that sound. I have to admit I would have been really nervous if I were Brooke. I mean they weren't asking her to sing the lead in the show or anything but still...you can make a pretty big fool of yourself. I'm sure Brooke did great. Anyone out there see her? We got offered tickets late to the show but couldn't go because we already had plans.
I'll combine our Breaking News this morning with Megan's return.
I can't tell you how nice it is to have her back in the newsroom. We don't have a huge team here in the morning to begin with so when someone is gone it really makes a difference. I am glad Megan had the time for her family but we sure missed her.
Megan and our photojournalist Trent hustled this morning to get out to a house fire in Delaware Township. The house was a total loss but the family living there got out OK.
VERY scary. I'm thinking we should do a little drill at my house to make sure we know our jobs in case of an emergency. I was so used to our old house that I didn't really worry about what to do in case of a fire. Maybe it's having the kids, maybe it's just the nature of living in a new place...I am more worried about it now than I was three or four months ago.
Escapee
How bad is it when you own sister tells the public we'd all be better if you were dead? Not to make light of it, but we get people walking away from this work release station all the time. It's a risk of this kind of program, but I think the vast majority serve out their time quietly.
Contract
I'm not sure how any leader in State government can justify four raises unless than two years (no matter how small) right now. I don't care what party you represent, it just seems like it's not the right time. State revenues are going up, yes, but that only gets us back to where we were.
On a side note, if you get voted out of office, you shouldn't have to sit on your hands during the transition, but you should probably respect the fact that the voters didn't want you making anymore long term decisions.
This feels like a decision that both ties the hands of the people who come after you, and ignores the results of the election. For some people, that's going to make it seem like Gov Culver is trying to set a few bridges on fire as he leaves the State Capitol building.
I hope you all have a good day.
PWD
Brooke was off the set this morning because she had a later than normal night. She had a walk-on role in Mary Poppins at the Civic Center! How fun does that sound. I have to admit I would have been really nervous if I were Brooke. I mean they weren't asking her to sing the lead in the show or anything but still...you can make a pretty big fool of yourself. I'm sure Brooke did great. Anyone out there see her? We got offered tickets late to the show but couldn't go because we already had plans.
I'll combine our Breaking News this morning with Megan's return.
I can't tell you how nice it is to have her back in the newsroom. We don't have a huge team here in the morning to begin with so when someone is gone it really makes a difference. I am glad Megan had the time for her family but we sure missed her.
Megan and our photojournalist Trent hustled this morning to get out to a house fire in Delaware Township. The house was a total loss but the family living there got out OK.
VERY scary. I'm thinking we should do a little drill at my house to make sure we know our jobs in case of an emergency. I was so used to our old house that I didn't really worry about what to do in case of a fire. Maybe it's having the kids, maybe it's just the nature of living in a new place...I am more worried about it now than I was three or four months ago.
Escapee
How bad is it when you own sister tells the public we'd all be better if you were dead? Not to make light of it, but we get people walking away from this work release station all the time. It's a risk of this kind of program, but I think the vast majority serve out their time quietly.
Contract
I'm not sure how any leader in State government can justify four raises unless than two years (no matter how small) right now. I don't care what party you represent, it just seems like it's not the right time. State revenues are going up, yes, but that only gets us back to where we were.
On a side note, if you get voted out of office, you shouldn't have to sit on your hands during the transition, but you should probably respect the fact that the voters didn't want you making anymore long term decisions.
This feels like a decision that both ties the hands of the people who come after you, and ignores the results of the election. For some people, that's going to make it seem like Gov Culver is trying to set a few bridges on fire as he leaves the State Capitol building.
I hope you all have a good day.
PWD
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
