Good morning and Happy Hump Day (as Jeriann likes to say)! I don't have a lot of time but I thought I would share something Jeriann and I have been discussing the past couple of days. For the past three weeks (or maybe even longer) we have been battling sinus infections, bad colds and the stomach flu and so have our kids. It's such a drag! Thanksgiving was a mess for both of us as our families were either throwing up or coughing up something. I told Jeriann I was talking to the contractor who is doing some work in our basement about our unhealthy family and he told me I need to start eating more peppers. And not just any peppers, but hot peppers. He swears they keep him healthy and he never gets sick. And this is coming from a guy who spends winters outside for 8 hours a day and has two young kids who are always bringing home "something" from school. So, yesterday I decided, "what the heck?" Jeriann laughed but I am dead serious. I couldn't really find any research to back me up on this, but I did come across an article about Hillary Clinton and how she eats them every day to stay healthy. So, we'll see what happens. My husband thinks they may give me an ulcer... but I am thinking that might be better than the stomach flu and a sinus infection again!
Brooke
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Teens making news, more bad news for Cain and the best gift you ever got
Good morning everyone.. It's Brooke again. As I sit here at my desk writing this post, the sunshine is coming in through the windows behind me and it looks beautiful outside. Jeriann says the wind and cold temperatures will make it feel awful today, but as long as we have a little sun I am a happy camper!
Teens making news
We do a lot of stories on teenager who inspire us but the past couple of days it seems like all the bad news come from teenager making bad decisions. When I first got in to work this morning, Lisa our morning producer was talking about a late night high speed chase that started when officers tried to pull over someone speeding. The driver took off and ended up at Otter Creek golf course when patrol officers put down stop sticks that punctured his tires. That's when he took off on foot and got away. Police finally caught up with him two hours later at a gas station where he was trying to call a cab. Oh, and investigators found drugs and a gun in his car. Police on the scene called him "dangerous." But the most disturbing detail of all is that we found out he was 15!
Another story from the morning involved a guy who watched his car get stolen from his driveway. The man chased the thieves and they tried to beat him up when he finally caught up with the them. And again, the worst detail in this story is that the thieves were 14 and 15.
Cain's campaign trouble
You have to wonder how much longer Presidential candidate Herman Cain will stay in the race. Yesterday, another woman came forward and said she had a 13 year affair with him. Whether any of this is true or not, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which he'll be able to regain his footing in this race.
Goodwill Oops
This is the story that me feel the worst this morning. An 80 year old Quad Cities man donated his old suits to a Goodwill store recently and forgot that he had stuffed $13,000 dollars in one of the jacket pockets. Who stuffs that much cash in their clothes and then forgets about it, you may ask? Well, apparently he hid his cash life savings in different garments in his closet. It's hard for most of us to understand why anyone would do that, but for anyone who has lived through the Great Depression or shortly after, may have a legitimate fear of banks losing their money. That's because it really happened! Goodwill says it is searching for the money. I pray the man gets it back.
Best Holiday Gifts
Finally, our friend over at Life 107.1 radio station were asking listeners today to share their favorite Christmas present that didn't cost a thing. It got some of us talking about our favorite gift, and it's inspired me to make something for Christmas this year. My favorite gift came from my brother and sister-in-law last year. They took all of my husband's late mother's recipes and typed them on index cards and put them in a recipe holder. As someone who loves to cook, this was just about as good as it gets. It not only gave me a small glimpse of a woman I never got the chance to meet, but it was incredible practical. I have made a lot of those recipes this past year and it's been a walk down memory lane for my husband. This year, I have decided to make something for my family that I hope they will enjoy just as much. I can't share the details, but I think they are going to love it. And best of all, it won't cost me more than a couple of bucks!
Have you done anything similar?
Have a great day everyone!
Brooke
Teens making news
We do a lot of stories on teenager who inspire us but the past couple of days it seems like all the bad news come from teenager making bad decisions. When I first got in to work this morning, Lisa our morning producer was talking about a late night high speed chase that started when officers tried to pull over someone speeding. The driver took off and ended up at Otter Creek golf course when patrol officers put down stop sticks that punctured his tires. That's when he took off on foot and got away. Police finally caught up with him two hours later at a gas station where he was trying to call a cab. Oh, and investigators found drugs and a gun in his car. Police on the scene called him "dangerous." But the most disturbing detail of all is that we found out he was 15!
Another story from the morning involved a guy who watched his car get stolen from his driveway. The man chased the thieves and they tried to beat him up when he finally caught up with the them. And again, the worst detail in this story is that the thieves were 14 and 15.
Cain's campaign trouble
You have to wonder how much longer Presidential candidate Herman Cain will stay in the race. Yesterday, another woman came forward and said she had a 13 year affair with him. Whether any of this is true or not, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which he'll be able to regain his footing in this race.
Goodwill Oops
This is the story that me feel the worst this morning. An 80 year old Quad Cities man donated his old suits to a Goodwill store recently and forgot that he had stuffed $13,000 dollars in one of the jacket pockets. Who stuffs that much cash in their clothes and then forgets about it, you may ask? Well, apparently he hid his cash life savings in different garments in his closet. It's hard for most of us to understand why anyone would do that, but for anyone who has lived through the Great Depression or shortly after, may have a legitimate fear of banks losing their money. That's because it really happened! Goodwill says it is searching for the money. I pray the man gets it back.
Best Holiday Gifts
Finally, our friend over at Life 107.1 radio station were asking listeners today to share their favorite Christmas present that didn't cost a thing. It got some of us talking about our favorite gift, and it's inspired me to make something for Christmas this year. My favorite gift came from my brother and sister-in-law last year. They took all of my husband's late mother's recipes and typed them on index cards and put them in a recipe holder. As someone who loves to cook, this was just about as good as it gets. It not only gave me a small glimpse of a woman I never got the chance to meet, but it was incredible practical. I have made a lot of those recipes this past year and it's been a walk down memory lane for my husband. This year, I have decided to make something for my family that I hope they will enjoy just as much. I can't share the details, but I think they are going to love it. And best of all, it won't cost me more than a couple of bucks!
Have you done anything similar?
Have a great day everyone!
Brooke
Monday, November 28, 2011
Losing a friend
Good morning everyone. Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. Patrick is off the rest of the week, so I will be doing your Morning Buzz.
This morning I write this post with a heavy heart. Some of you may have already heard that Bobbi Silvernail, one of our former WHO Today in Iowa anchors passed away over the weekend. I met her when I first started working at WHO in 2000 and I was lucky to count her as a friend over the years. She was a lively spirit and I she always put a smile on my face. I talked to her husband yesterday and he told me doctors still don't know what happened. She stopped breathing Thursday morning and never recovered. I will never understand the pain her family is going through, but I hope they can focus on the good times and that big smile of hers, like I always will.
Hope you all were able to count your blessings over Thanksgiving. I know I did.
Rest in Peace Bobbi.
This morning I write this post with a heavy heart. Some of you may have already heard that Bobbi Silvernail, one of our former WHO Today in Iowa anchors passed away over the weekend. I met her when I first started working at WHO in 2000 and I was lucky to count her as a friend over the years. She was a lively spirit and I she always put a smile on my face. I talked to her husband yesterday and he told me doctors still don't know what happened. She stopped breathing Thursday morning and never recovered. I will never understand the pain her family is going through, but I hope they can focus on the good times and that big smile of hers, like I always will.
Hope you all were able to count your blessings over Thanksgiving. I know I did.
Rest in Peace Bobbi.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thanksgiving, Shopping and Taking a Break
Good Morning!
I hope yo
u all survived your Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. I'll share a few photos from last night at our house. Thanks to a great organizer and Head Chef...we had a great meal and all of the cooks made it look easy getting it to the table.
We had Seventeen people at our house which meant we had to move a little bit of the furniture around to fit some long tables.
My brother Matt brought over a turkey so we did did a little dual carving and we set up a buffet in the dining room rather
than serving from the table. it made things a lot easier.
One more thing; I saw this quote and used it for our Grace before dinner last night. I kept thinking how easy it was to be thankful with Family and friends around us; how easy it is to appreciate what you have when you are eating his wonder meal.
The trick is to make more days of the year like Thanksgiving. This quote reminded me of that:
Just a thought about saying thank you every once in a while.
Shopping
Tens of thousands of people went out last night looking for good deals at stores and Malls across the Metro. Jordan Creek estimated they had 50,000 people at the Mall last night from Midnight to 2AM. That's crazy. I see the appeal in getting some good deals and if it's stuff you were going to buy anyway...it makes sense...but this tradition is getting earlier and earlier.
We reported on the incident where shots were fired at Valley West Mall this morning just before the place opened up. West Des Moines police assured us no one was hurt and that it was perfectly safe to go shopping. We tried to emphasize that all morning long. It was an awkward story to report. We didn't want to overstate the seriousness of the report, but at the same time...someone fired a gun at a Mall on one of the busiest days of the year. It's hard to ignore.
Taking a Break
I leave you in the well qualified hands of Brooke and Jeriann for the next week. Sally and I are taking a break. I wouldn't call it a vacation cause I'm not going to be laying by a pool or on the beach. Still, it will be nice to be at home with the boys a little more and to have some alone time with Sally. We have both planned.
I hope you all have a great rest of your weekend. We'll see you in a week!
I hope yo
u all survived your Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. I'll share a few photos from last night at our house. Thanks to a great organizer and Head Chef...we had a great meal and all of the cooks made it look easy getting it to the table.We had Seventeen people at our house which meant we had to move a little bit of the furniture around to fit some long tables.
My brother Matt brought over a turkey so we did did a little dual carving and we set up a buffet in the dining room rather
than serving from the table. it made things a lot easier.
One more thing; I saw this quote and used it for our Grace before dinner last night. I kept thinking how easy it was to be thankful with Family and friends around us; how easy it is to appreciate what you have when you are eating his wonder meal.
The trick is to make more days of the year like Thanksgiving. This quote reminded me of that:
Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.
- William Arthur Ward
Shopping
Tens of thousands of people went out last night looking for good deals at stores and Malls across the Metro. Jordan Creek estimated they had 50,000 people at the Mall last night from Midnight to 2AM. That's crazy. I see the appeal in getting some good deals and if it's stuff you were going to buy anyway...it makes sense...but this tradition is getting earlier and earlier.
We reported on the incident where shots were fired at Valley West Mall this morning just before the place opened up. West Des Moines police assured us no one was hurt and that it was perfectly safe to go shopping. We tried to emphasize that all morning long. It was an awkward story to report. We didn't want to overstate the seriousness of the report, but at the same time...someone fired a gun at a Mall on one of the busiest days of the year. It's hard to ignore.
Taking a Break
I leave you in the well qualified hands of Brooke and Jeriann for the next week. Sally and I are taking a break. I wouldn't call it a vacation cause I'm not going to be laying by a pool or on the beach. Still, it will be nice to be at home with the boys a little more and to have some alone time with Sally. We have both planned.
I hope you all have a great rest of your weekend. We'll see you in a week!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Travel, Pandering? and Speed
Good Morning!
Morning fog will slow some people down as they head off for their Thanksgiving break. it's a lot better than snow! My own family is leaving Chicago as we speak. It will be a full house by the time we get to dinner tonight.
The News
Travel is in the news. Des Moines will open its cash registers as unwitting travelers speed through the curve at Polk Blvd and get zapped for excessive speed. The City has issued 4400 citations so far with its speed cameras and red light cameras. Not all of those people have paid, but the City is making up a tiny fraction of its budget shortfall for sure...
I am not sure what people are complaining about with these things. You are speeding. If the City had a camera on the street and it caught you breaking into a business...they would prosecute you. Why not catch people speeding with cameras?
I'm still hoping the City of Windsor Heights passes an ordinance making it a requirement to be able to merge if you are going to use the highway. Seriously people, it's NEVER the safer option to just STOP at the end of the ramp. It's the daily 4pm bad driver back-up on 235.
Pandering
Just saw the Highlights of the debate last night...I'll tell you why in a moment...
The one that stuck with me this morning was Governor Perry's answer on Border Security.
He said in the first twelve months of his administration...the border will be sealed off...secure.
Even if he spent every hour of every day working with all of the border states to try to get that done...and even if a Republican controlled Congress would appropriate the funding it would take to make it happen...I still don't think you could get that done.
Sometimes I am not sure if these Candidates think it's better to "Go big or go home"...Than it would be to give an honest answer to the question. Is it pandering or an overinflated sense of what you can get done?
Facebook
Other people's comments on Facebook make me reflect on my own participation.
I try not to comment on someone's status unless I have something to say that is directly to the point of what they posted. I may give a recommendation for a place to eat. I may offer congratulations on a new job. I try not to give a random comment that turns the Friend's post into a story about me. Yet, this is what seems to be happening so often. You ask a direct question on Facebook and someone turns their comment into the written equivalent of a two year-old jumping up ad down yelling "Look at me!"
I admit to posting my share of gratuitous videos or pictures of my kids or the fun stuff we're doing. I'm sure other people look at it an roll their eyes. One person's fun update s another person's annoyance. I'm sure if I were honest about it...I do it, in small part, to attract comments about how cute my kids are or how great a family we are. Who doesn't? That's excusable...even understandable. I love seeing pictures of other people's fun times, or debating a good question I have an opinion on. I don't turn it into a venue to comment about how bad my own life is so that other people will comment how sorry they are for me.
It's makes me sad to know there are people out there craving attention that badly and who feel forced to seek it out this way. Maybe this Thanksgiving, reach out to a friend you haven't connected with for a while on Facebook and exchange a couple messages. See how they're doing...ask for a picture of their family...inquire how their job is going. Maybe you'll make that person's day.
Chores
So we went out and got the Christmas tree last night. It's a four year streak now. The first tree we pulled off the pile is he one we took home. It's a little skinnier than the one we had last year...but last year we didn't have furniture in the Living Room.
The Boys are excited. They "helped" us pick the tree out. We tried to go get haircuts beforehand...it didn't work. The line was too long...or if you believe J.T. "I'm too busy to get a haircut."
Family Picture this afternoon so time for Dad to go get a haircut.
See you tomorrow morning!
Morning fog will slow some people down as they head off for their Thanksgiving break. it's a lot better than snow! My own family is leaving Chicago as we speak. It will be a full house by the time we get to dinner tonight.
The News
Travel is in the news. Des Moines will open its cash registers as unwitting travelers speed through the curve at Polk Blvd and get zapped for excessive speed. The City has issued 4400 citations so far with its speed cameras and red light cameras. Not all of those people have paid, but the City is making up a tiny fraction of its budget shortfall for sure...
I am not sure what people are complaining about with these things. You are speeding. If the City had a camera on the street and it caught you breaking into a business...they would prosecute you. Why not catch people speeding with cameras?
I'm still hoping the City of Windsor Heights passes an ordinance making it a requirement to be able to merge if you are going to use the highway. Seriously people, it's NEVER the safer option to just STOP at the end of the ramp. It's the daily 4pm bad driver back-up on 235.
Pandering
Just saw the Highlights of the debate last night...I'll tell you why in a moment...
The one that stuck with me this morning was Governor Perry's answer on Border Security.
He said in the first twelve months of his administration...the border will be sealed off...secure.
Even if he spent every hour of every day working with all of the border states to try to get that done...and even if a Republican controlled Congress would appropriate the funding it would take to make it happen...I still don't think you could get that done.
Sometimes I am not sure if these Candidates think it's better to "Go big or go home"...Than it would be to give an honest answer to the question. Is it pandering or an overinflated sense of what you can get done?
Other people's comments on Facebook make me reflect on my own participation.
I try not to comment on someone's status unless I have something to say that is directly to the point of what they posted. I may give a recommendation for a place to eat. I may offer congratulations on a new job. I try not to give a random comment that turns the Friend's post into a story about me. Yet, this is what seems to be happening so often. You ask a direct question on Facebook and someone turns their comment into the written equivalent of a two year-old jumping up ad down yelling "Look at me!"
I admit to posting my share of gratuitous videos or pictures of my kids or the fun stuff we're doing. I'm sure other people look at it an roll their eyes. One person's fun update s another person's annoyance. I'm sure if I were honest about it...I do it, in small part, to attract comments about how cute my kids are or how great a family we are. Who doesn't? That's excusable...even understandable. I love seeing pictures of other people's fun times, or debating a good question I have an opinion on. I don't turn it into a venue to comment about how bad my own life is so that other people will comment how sorry they are for me.
It's makes me sad to know there are people out there craving attention that badly and who feel forced to seek it out this way. Maybe this Thanksgiving, reach out to a friend you haven't connected with for a while on Facebook and exchange a couple messages. See how they're doing...ask for a picture of their family...inquire how their job is going. Maybe you'll make that person's day.
Chores
So we went out and got the Christmas tree last night. It's a four year streak now. The first tree we pulled off the pile is he one we took home. It's a little skinnier than the one we had last year...but last year we didn't have furniture in the Living Room.
The Boys are excited. They "helped" us pick the tree out. We tried to go get haircuts beforehand...it didn't work. The line was too long...or if you believe J.T. "I'm too busy to get a haircut."
Family Picture this afternoon so time for Dad to go get a haircut.
See you tomorrow morning!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Superfail, Occupy?, and Catching up from a Crazy Weekend
I tried to start this yesterday and didn't get it done. It's a mirror of a lot of other things in my life right now.
Super Fail
So The Congressional Supercomittee didn't do its job. The trillion dollars in cuts that were supposed to kick in as a penalty? Well, maybe they won't actually kick in. It's like a parent giving a two year-old and ultimatum and then backing off and giving the kid what they want anyway. the kid never learns and neither does Congress. Last election cycle the message from a lot of voters was "kick the bums out". I can't imagine the message is going to be any different this time around. Voters are sick of watching these guys go to Washington to make nearly 200k and not get ANYTHING done. It's really fascinating to watch a group of people you would think is pretty bright, be so clueless about the mood of the people they serve.
Occupy?
So an Occupy Des Moines protester had marijuana on him when he went into a bank trying to be arrested? Not smart. Another distraction and an opportunity for people who were ready and willing to dismiss this movement...to do it.
Then there's the protest this weekend against the School of the Americas. If this is a movement against Corporate greed, someone stop other groups from trying to co-opt it.
We see...and cover the protest of the School of the Americas EVERY YEAR! Dressing it up as an Occupy Protest makes it look like you either can't get coverage for the protest when it's presented on its merits...or that the Occupy Protests have yet another goal...muddying the water further. Either way it's a weekend full of headlines leading to legitimate questions about how serious this movement is.
Forum
The Family Leader held its forum over the weekend and I can't say there were any major surprises out of this one. The people who believe in this groups message heard what they wanted to hear. I can't say I think this made any difference at all in the overall race...it's not as if Caucus night we're going to be standing there saying..."That Family Leader Forum...that was a turning point.". In that way this forum is a lot like some of the other debates.
Weekend
This is really an extended weekend isn't it? You have family coming no later than Wednesday night if they're coming from out of town. if you're like us, that meant a lot of work this weekend so you don't have to do it all at the last minute.
I find Thanksgiving isn't one big project...it's a million little five minute things that need to get done. That's how my weekend went and how my week is going.
Sally and I did a lot of cooking this weekend. We put some stuff in the freezer for the boys to eat over the next week or so, made some meatloaf, made stew for the night before Thanksgiving, we did the shopping for Thanksgiving (ouch), and came up with a plan for where we're going to put all seventeen people at the dinner table. We also managed an outing to the skywalk Sunday morning so the boys could blow off a little steam. They've been cooped up cause they've been sick.
Today we start the run-up to Thanksgiving. I have to test all the light while the boys are napping. We'll get haircuts for the boys followed by the purchase of a Christmas tree. Tomorrow everyone shows up, but before they do, we're going to get a family picture for our Christmas card. It's a full dance card.
I say this without an ounce of complaint. As I said, a lot of small projects done over a few days (we hope) will reduce some of the hustle and bustle of the Thanksgiving weekend.
Hope you have a great day.
PWD
Weekend
This is really an extended weekend isn't it? You have family coming no later than Wednesday night if they're coming from out of town. if you're like us, that meant a lot of work this weekend so you don't have to do it all at the last minute.
I find Thanksgiving isn't one big project...it's a million little five minute things that need to get done. That's how my weekend went and how my week is going.
Sally and I did a lot of cooking this weekend. We put some stuff in the freezer for the boys to eat over the next week or so, made some meatloaf, made stew for the night before Thanksgiving, we did the shopping for Thanksgiving (ouch), and came up with a plan for where we're going to put all seventeen people at the dinner table. We also managed an outing to the skywalk Sunday morning so the boys could blow off a little steam. They've been cooped up cause they've been sick.
Today we start the run-up to Thanksgiving. I have to test all the light while the boys are napping. We'll get haircuts for the boys followed by the purchase of a Christmas tree. Tomorrow everyone shows up, but before they do, we're going to get a family picture for our Christmas card. It's a full dance card.
I say this without an ounce of complaint. As I said, a lot of small projects done over a few days (we hope) will reduce some of the hustle and bustle of the Thanksgiving weekend.
Hope you have a great day.
PWD
Friday, November 18, 2011
It's Friday
That means this will be a random collection of thoughts...
Let's begin.
Stabbing
What's the deal in Des Moines lately? We've had more than our share of overnight news lately. This stabbings the latest event. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt.
Occupy 2 Months
The marches and gatherings are starting to blend together...Still no cohesive message or goal. Corporate America Bad is not a goal.
I heard an interview with a guy who was part of the occupy Boston movement yesterday on NPR. He now has a job in the corporate tower overlooking the Boston encampment. He and some friends say they are looking at developing a website for more people to get involved, help them learn how to run for local office etc. Bravo! He gets my vote for the first constructive thing I've heard out of this group. Being mad and protesting is one thing. I have great respect for the people who have a beef and then try to follow through with constructive ideas.
A side note. My cousin's car was stolen. Police located the car near the Occupy encampment in her city. Here's her Facebook post describing how she found the car:
I'll let that speak for itself.
Bachmann
I'm impressed with Michele Bachmann's response to a student at Drake University yesterday. She was explaining her Healthcare plan and the kid blurted out..."So just screw the homeless and the poor?" I'd expect a more nuanced question from someone getting a world-class education. If you dislike Bachmann, and I have been critical at times...that's fine. You don't have to go to her speech. If you are there, she deserves the respect we should give a candidate for President. Questioning her plans and engaging the candidate with tough questions is surely a good idea...blurting something like that out is not high minded debate.
Coach?
Missouri's head Football Coach Gary Pinkle was arrested for DWI the other day. Pinkle apologized immediately. he didn't lawyer up...he took responsibility and had the best explanation of a situation like this. He said he preaches good decision making to his kids all the time. He made a bad decision and never should have put himself or the University in that position.
Ok I hope you all have a good weekend.
PWD
Let's begin.
Stabbing
What's the deal in Des Moines lately? We've had more than our share of overnight news lately. This stabbings the latest event. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt.
Occupy 2 Months
The marches and gatherings are starting to blend together...Still no cohesive message or goal. Corporate America Bad is not a goal.
I heard an interview with a guy who was part of the occupy Boston movement yesterday on NPR. He now has a job in the corporate tower overlooking the Boston encampment. He and some friends say they are looking at developing a website for more people to get involved, help them learn how to run for local office etc. Bravo! He gets my vote for the first constructive thing I've heard out of this group. Being mad and protesting is one thing. I have great respect for the people who have a beef and then try to follow through with constructive ideas.
A side note. My cousin's car was stolen. Police located the car near the Occupy encampment in her city. Here's her Facebook post describing how she found the car:
I'll let that speak for itself.
Bachmann
I'm impressed with Michele Bachmann's response to a student at Drake University yesterday. She was explaining her Healthcare plan and the kid blurted out..."So just screw the homeless and the poor?" I'd expect a more nuanced question from someone getting a world-class education. If you dislike Bachmann, and I have been critical at times...that's fine. You don't have to go to her speech. If you are there, she deserves the respect we should give a candidate for President. Questioning her plans and engaging the candidate with tough questions is surely a good idea...blurting something like that out is not high minded debate.
Coach?
Missouri's head Football Coach Gary Pinkle was arrested for DWI the other day. Pinkle apologized immediately. he didn't lawyer up...he took responsibility and had the best explanation of a situation like this. He said he preaches good decision making to his kids all the time. He made a bad decision and never should have put himself or the University in that position.
Ok I hope you all have a good weekend.
PWD
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Deadline, Part-Time and The Cup
Good Morning!
The Infirmary was open this morning in the WHO-HD Newsroom. Brooke Jeriann and I are all sick. I thought I'd jumped out ahead of it but I guess not. So some drugs and a lot of paper towel later...We all got through he show.
Our boys are still on Steroids...any of you who've had two year-olds on these steroids knows what I mean when I say they're moody. I mean crying one minute...laughing and playing the next...hitting each other and themselves the next...I think we need a rubber room. Some of the stuff they say is pretty funny, JT just can't stop crying and Will is very dramatic with his swings...throwing himself into a heap like Scarlet O'Hara and crying. We just have to remember it's the steroids talking.
To the News
Deadline
So the Super Committee has to come up with its recommendation and pass it by next Wednesday? Good luck with that. And if the Super-committee Doesn't pass anything? these automatic cuts? Can't a future Congress just reverse the damage?
I hate to break it to all the people that want to blow up the Federal Government and start over but compromise and a little medicine for everyone will probably still be the best solution. If you Cut Federal workers and lay off more people how is that going to help increase revenues?
And, please, save your...Washington has a spending problem. You don't have to preach to me... You are also living in an alternate Universe if you actually believe there won't be unintended consequences to severely cutting budgets without finding ways to increase revenue as well. Think about it...it doesn't make sense.
Part-Time
Rick Perry proposed a part time Congress while on a swing through Eastern Iowa. I'm sure some of you think that sounds good too. He wants to cut Congressional pay in half and cut the time they spend in Washington by half.
This is one of those things that sounds good. We should all have the best health care in the world...Our kids should all be in safe drug free schools...I should get everything on my Christmas list. These kinds of things are the easiest lies politicians tell.
The 2010 elections swept a new Tea-Party wave into Washington. A lot of the Freshman campaigned on the fact that they were going to cut government and they're doing exactly that. It's also what Democrats did when they won Congress in 2006.
Here's the problem...governing is the art of compromise. Coming in and sticking to a hard line...not even listening to the other side makes good TV. It helps raise more money for re-election but it's compromise that makes good government. I don't expect my Congressional Representative to turn his/her back on their principles but at the same time, I do expect them to be reasonable people.
The problems we've got are the result of decades of bad decisions. They aren't going to be sorted out by people who have one answer.
Park it
The Occupy Wall Street folks got kicked out of the Park they were living in. The City says they can protest there all they want...but they can't set up a permanent tent city.
I couldn't agree more with the decision the City of New York and the Judge who backed the decision made.
As Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday, the 1st Amendment gives you the right to assemble, to protest and to speak freely. You can do all of that without setting up a tent City in the middle of New York.
The coverage of this event was mind-boggling. Some of the protesters came to the "General Assembly" to complain that they'd been disenfranchised by the Occupy leaders. The people camping out started calling some of the group's leaders, the 1% of the 99%. Their reasoning? The group has raised a ton of money...but this group of campers hadn't been provided with the supplies they needed to live comfortably in the Park in the winter.
So just so I have this straight. You've been disenfranchised by the Economy as a whole and see it as the responsibility of those with more to give you some of what they earned. Then, when you form a group of like minded people, you've been disfranchised from the group of protesters because they won't give you the resources donated to the group so you can survive? Anyone see a pattern here?
I actually thing the Occupy Des Moines group has made a better case for themselves. One of the very noticeable things about the Des Moines protest? They're generally following the law an recognize they are protesting on City property...it doesn't just belong to them.
Second...the camp is empty during the day. A lot of these folks have jobs. They work during the day and are trying to bring about some change is their free time.
I am not sure what the solution s to help build a stronger middle class. This country certainly needs one. It's the driver of the economy. I do know this...it isn't just going to happen because wealth shifts from one group to another. It's a lot more complicated than that.
The Cup
The President's Cup starts overnight tonight in Sydney. they're actually seventeen hours ahead of us...so the math is a little harder to do....I am DVRing all of the Golf Channel and NBC coverage. Watching team golf is one of my favorite things to do.
I hope you all have a good day.
As always your comments are welcome.
The Infirmary was open this morning in the WHO-HD Newsroom. Brooke Jeriann and I are all sick. I thought I'd jumped out ahead of it but I guess not. So some drugs and a lot of paper towel later...We all got through he show.
Our boys are still on Steroids...any of you who've had two year-olds on these steroids knows what I mean when I say they're moody. I mean crying one minute...laughing and playing the next...hitting each other and themselves the next...I think we need a rubber room. Some of the stuff they say is pretty funny, JT just can't stop crying and Will is very dramatic with his swings...throwing himself into a heap like Scarlet O'Hara and crying. We just have to remember it's the steroids talking.
To the News
Deadline
So the Super Committee has to come up with its recommendation and pass it by next Wednesday? Good luck with that. And if the Super-committee Doesn't pass anything? these automatic cuts? Can't a future Congress just reverse the damage?
I hate to break it to all the people that want to blow up the Federal Government and start over but compromise and a little medicine for everyone will probably still be the best solution. If you Cut Federal workers and lay off more people how is that going to help increase revenues?
And, please, save your...Washington has a spending problem. You don't have to preach to me... You are also living in an alternate Universe if you actually believe there won't be unintended consequences to severely cutting budgets without finding ways to increase revenue as well. Think about it...it doesn't make sense.
Part-Time
Rick Perry proposed a part time Congress while on a swing through Eastern Iowa. I'm sure some of you think that sounds good too. He wants to cut Congressional pay in half and cut the time they spend in Washington by half.
This is one of those things that sounds good. We should all have the best health care in the world...Our kids should all be in safe drug free schools...I should get everything on my Christmas list. These kinds of things are the easiest lies politicians tell.
The 2010 elections swept a new Tea-Party wave into Washington. A lot of the Freshman campaigned on the fact that they were going to cut government and they're doing exactly that. It's also what Democrats did when they won Congress in 2006.
Here's the problem...governing is the art of compromise. Coming in and sticking to a hard line...not even listening to the other side makes good TV. It helps raise more money for re-election but it's compromise that makes good government. I don't expect my Congressional Representative to turn his/her back on their principles but at the same time, I do expect them to be reasonable people.
The problems we've got are the result of decades of bad decisions. They aren't going to be sorted out by people who have one answer.
Park it
The Occupy Wall Street folks got kicked out of the Park they were living in. The City says they can protest there all they want...but they can't set up a permanent tent city.
I couldn't agree more with the decision the City of New York and the Judge who backed the decision made.
As Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday, the 1st Amendment gives you the right to assemble, to protest and to speak freely. You can do all of that without setting up a tent City in the middle of New York.
The coverage of this event was mind-boggling. Some of the protesters came to the "General Assembly" to complain that they'd been disenfranchised by the Occupy leaders. The people camping out started calling some of the group's leaders, the 1% of the 99%. Their reasoning? The group has raised a ton of money...but this group of campers hadn't been provided with the supplies they needed to live comfortably in the Park in the winter.
So just so I have this straight. You've been disenfranchised by the Economy as a whole and see it as the responsibility of those with more to give you some of what they earned. Then, when you form a group of like minded people, you've been disfranchised from the group of protesters because they won't give you the resources donated to the group so you can survive? Anyone see a pattern here?
I actually thing the Occupy Des Moines group has made a better case for themselves. One of the very noticeable things about the Des Moines protest? They're generally following the law an recognize they are protesting on City property...it doesn't just belong to them.
Second...the camp is empty during the day. A lot of these folks have jobs. They work during the day and are trying to bring about some change is their free time.
I am not sure what the solution s to help build a stronger middle class. This country certainly needs one. It's the driver of the economy. I do know this...it isn't just going to happen because wealth shifts from one group to another. It's a lot more complicated than that.
The Cup
The President's Cup starts overnight tonight in Sydney. they're actually seventeen hours ahead of us...so the math is a little harder to do....I am DVRing all of the Golf Channel and NBC coverage. Watching team golf is one of my favorite things to do.
I hope you all have a good day.
As always your comments are welcome.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Alert, Interview and Sick Season
Good Morning!
Brooke is sitting next to me and summed it up nicely..."I'm sick", she said. We all are.
Jeriann says both her boys are sic and so is she...sinus infection. Brooke said they thought Evan had a bad cough. In my house, we found out both our boys have Croup. Yikes. So it stand to reason that, despite drenching ourselves in hand sanitizers and towling off everything we touch with disinfecting wipes, there's almost no way to avoid the germs. You can only hope to contain them. Tis the Season
Alert
Overnight two campuses asked students to stay in their dorm rooms after reports of a man with a gun on or near campus. UNC Asheville sent an alert out after someone was robbed at gunpoint. University of Iowa sent a Hawk Alert out last night after news of a guy with a gun near campus came out. Police found the guy but didn't release any details about whether he was arrested.
Interview
What was Jerry Sandusky thinking? What was his attorney thinking? Maybe they think they've got nothing to lose. If you've read the Grand Jury indictment or followed the story there probably isn't much that can change your mind about the accusations. I'll say this: we got a glimpse into what Sandusky's Lawyer is going to try to do. He said they've been looking for some of the kids involved in these alleged incidents...they go unidentified in the report and would be in their 20's. It's likely they wouldn't look anything like they did when they were kids...So Sandusky's Lawyer says they've found these kids...and that they have a much different account of what happened. There's no way to verify if these were actually the kids involved.
Occupy
So the NYC Police went in and cleared the park where Occupy protesters were staying. The Protesters were predictably outraged.
Here's my thing. No one is telling you you can't protest...no one is telling you you can't be there all day every day. What they are saying is that you can't make this your permanent residence...set up housing. The Constitution doesn't give me the right to build a home wherever I like...it gives me the right to gather and protest. The Occupy people have the ability to do this the same way today that they did yesterday. You can't live there.
I encourage this group's active protest...Protest.
I've seen Unions run picket lines 24/7 for months at a time...why is that less effective? You are still occupying the park...If your message is as strong as you say...you represent 99% of the people in this country by your own estimation...why aren't there enough people to take shifts...occupy all of these cities and keep this movement alive?
I say again, it seems to me there are plenty of chances for this group to make a true difference. Standing on the sidelines complaining about how you can't get into a position of any power or decision making because money has corrupted the system...and then watching as the Mayor of your City returns to office unopposed? That doesn't make sense. How much would it have cost to run someone for Mayor? How many of these Occupy people would be willing to support a candidate who believes in their principals? Decisions are made by those who show up.
If you are the 99% it should be pretty easy to get someone elected in a City the size of Des Moines.
Hoops Returns
I was sorry to report UNI lost it's one In the morning game to St Mary's. I am glad to be reporting on College basketball again. I love the season. Iowa State and Drake play tonight.
While we're on the subject I am one of the BIG fans of the Carrier Classic game last Friday. I will watch Harison Barnes every chance I get. He's a rare talent and really fun to watch play the game.
That said, I thought the President's speech before the game was a FLOP. Don't stand on that floorwhile everyone is waiting for a great game to start and give a speech about the legislation you're trying to get through Congress! There are millions of people tuned into this game who don't follow politics. They might vote. Show em you're more than a Political wonk after a vote. You are also a basketball fan!
How about a simple thank you to the Men and women on that Carrier and the men and women serving all over the world. An acknowledgement that this game is a little way to say Thank you to them on Veterans day weekend. It's a powerful symbol of the freedom we enjoy..the freedom they protect with their sacrifice....
Stick to stuff we can all agree on.
Sexy Brooke
Cityview dubbed Brooke as one of its sexiest people in Des Moines this year. She is as embarrassed as I've ever seen her. She may have sprained her eyeballs rolling them when we talked abut it. I meant what said in the article about her. Broke truly is one of the nicest people I know. If you're truly looking for an attractive person...you might want to look for that quality first...looks like Brooke has are a bonus.
I hope if you agree or disagree with me...you'll say so. We always love to hear your comments.
Have a good one
PWD
Brooke is sitting next to me and summed it up nicely..."I'm sick", she said. We all are.
Jeriann says both her boys are sic and so is she...sinus infection. Brooke said they thought Evan had a bad cough. In my house, we found out both our boys have Croup. Yikes. So it stand to reason that, despite drenching ourselves in hand sanitizers and towling off everything we touch with disinfecting wipes, there's almost no way to avoid the germs. You can only hope to contain them. Tis the Season
Alert
Overnight two campuses asked students to stay in their dorm rooms after reports of a man with a gun on or near campus. UNC Asheville sent an alert out after someone was robbed at gunpoint. University of Iowa sent a Hawk Alert out last night after news of a guy with a gun near campus came out. Police found the guy but didn't release any details about whether he was arrested.
Interview
What was Jerry Sandusky thinking? What was his attorney thinking? Maybe they think they've got nothing to lose. If you've read the Grand Jury indictment or followed the story there probably isn't much that can change your mind about the accusations. I'll say this: we got a glimpse into what Sandusky's Lawyer is going to try to do. He said they've been looking for some of the kids involved in these alleged incidents...they go unidentified in the report and would be in their 20's. It's likely they wouldn't look anything like they did when they were kids...So Sandusky's Lawyer says they've found these kids...and that they have a much different account of what happened. There's no way to verify if these were actually the kids involved.
Occupy
So the NYC Police went in and cleared the park where Occupy protesters were staying. The Protesters were predictably outraged.
Here's my thing. No one is telling you you can't protest...no one is telling you you can't be there all day every day. What they are saying is that you can't make this your permanent residence...set up housing. The Constitution doesn't give me the right to build a home wherever I like...it gives me the right to gather and protest. The Occupy people have the ability to do this the same way today that they did yesterday. You can't live there.
I encourage this group's active protest...Protest.
I've seen Unions run picket lines 24/7 for months at a time...why is that less effective? You are still occupying the park...If your message is as strong as you say...you represent 99% of the people in this country by your own estimation...why aren't there enough people to take shifts...occupy all of these cities and keep this movement alive?
I say again, it seems to me there are plenty of chances for this group to make a true difference. Standing on the sidelines complaining about how you can't get into a position of any power or decision making because money has corrupted the system...and then watching as the Mayor of your City returns to office unopposed? That doesn't make sense. How much would it have cost to run someone for Mayor? How many of these Occupy people would be willing to support a candidate who believes in their principals? Decisions are made by those who show up.
If you are the 99% it should be pretty easy to get someone elected in a City the size of Des Moines.
Hoops Returns
I was sorry to report UNI lost it's one In the morning game to St Mary's. I am glad to be reporting on College basketball again. I love the season. Iowa State and Drake play tonight.
While we're on the subject I am one of the BIG fans of the Carrier Classic game last Friday. I will watch Harison Barnes every chance I get. He's a rare talent and really fun to watch play the game.
That said, I thought the President's speech before the game was a FLOP. Don't stand on that floorwhile everyone is waiting for a great game to start and give a speech about the legislation you're trying to get through Congress! There are millions of people tuned into this game who don't follow politics. They might vote. Show em you're more than a Political wonk after a vote. You are also a basketball fan!
How about a simple thank you to the Men and women on that Carrier and the men and women serving all over the world. An acknowledgement that this game is a little way to say Thank you to them on Veterans day weekend. It's a powerful symbol of the freedom we enjoy..the freedom they protect with their sacrifice....
Stick to stuff we can all agree on.
Sexy Brooke
Cityview dubbed Brooke as one of its sexiest people in Des Moines this year. She is as embarrassed as I've ever seen her. She may have sprained her eyeballs rolling them when we talked abut it. I meant what said in the article about her. Broke truly is one of the nicest people I know. If you're truly looking for an attractive person...you might want to look for that quality first...looks like Brooke has are a bonus.
I hope if you agree or disagree with me...you'll say so. We always love to hear your comments.
Have a good one
PWD
Friday, November 11, 2011
Abuse, History and Wicked
Good Morning. My friend Tim out in Boston might say, I'm "wicked" tired this morning. Sally and I went to dinner and a show for a little date night last night. It was let when I got home...it was worth it. Good show. A little amped up sound for the first ten minutes or so, but the music and the technical crew got better as the show went on.
To the news!
Abuse
What are people thinking? If you take care of kids...anywhere, you better be prepared to have any action you take against the kid you care for scrutinized. Hidden cameras are GREAT. And a great way to make sure your kids are being cared for. I'll Quote Tim out in Boston again when he told us, "if you aren't 100% sure your kids are with someone who will protect them and make sure they're safe...you have to make a move to some other arrangement."
In this case the caregiver didn't exactly look like the brightest bulb on the tree. I hope authorities follow up.
History
A nice woman called to let me know that 11/11/1940 was a significant weather date for Iowa. Known as the Armistice Day Blizzard, a warm day turned into a blizzard and caught hundreds of hunters off guard along the Mississippi River. Here's the story from the National Weather Service.
Golf
Seems like it should be off season for golf...and it is. But Tiger Woods is playing in the Australian Open and is killing it! Tiger shot 69/67 and apparently has looked great doing it. I would love to see him win again, especially going into the President's Cup next week (on NBC). As so many people have said Golf needs Tiger.
Our Flat Matt made an appearance in the Papajohn Sculpture Garden this morning. A lot o
f people got that he was in the park...not many actually got the name of the sculpture. Nomade
Jaume Plensa uses letters as the basic components of much of his art, which explores communication issues whether between individuals or cultures. This work depicts a crouching, anonymous figure,
with a “skin” composed of letters from the Latin alphabet. The sculpture exemplifies Plensa’s ongoing interest in ideas presented
in written text, as well as the human body and how it perceives the world around it. He has described individual letters or
symbols as components that have little or no meaning on their own, but blossom into words, thoughts, and language when
combined with others. Plensa’s screens of letters offer a metaphor for human culture, in which a person alone has limited potential, but when formed into groups or societies, becomes stronger. Nomade engages the
viewer on many levels, from our recognition of the letters that form the shape, to our own physical interaction with the work as
we view it from afar or from inside the work’s interior space.
Good job! It's been fun doing this all week. Maybe when the Today show does Where in the World again we can revive Flat Matt.
...and one more note. Raygun t-shirts put together a "Battle of the Weathermen" t-shirt that's pretty funny. Our own Jeriann Ritter is dubbed "F-5" Ritter. I asked her this morning if she thought they were calling her powerful...or a blowhard?
I kid because I care...
Have a good one
PWD
To the news!
Abuse
What are people thinking? If you take care of kids...anywhere, you better be prepared to have any action you take against the kid you care for scrutinized. Hidden cameras are GREAT. And a great way to make sure your kids are being cared for. I'll Quote Tim out in Boston again when he told us, "if you aren't 100% sure your kids are with someone who will protect them and make sure they're safe...you have to make a move to some other arrangement."
In this case the caregiver didn't exactly look like the brightest bulb on the tree. I hope authorities follow up.
History
A nice woman called to let me know that 11/11/1940 was a significant weather date for Iowa. Known as the Armistice Day Blizzard, a warm day turned into a blizzard and caught hundreds of hunters off guard along the Mississippi River. Here's the story from the National Weather Service.
Golf
Seems like it should be off season for golf...and it is. But Tiger Woods is playing in the Australian Open and is killing it! Tiger shot 69/67 and apparently has looked great doing it. I would love to see him win again, especially going into the President's Cup next week (on NBC). As so many people have said Golf needs Tiger.
Our Flat Matt made an appearance in the Papajohn Sculpture Garden this morning. A lot o
f people got that he was in the park...not many actually got the name of the sculpture. NomadeJaume Plensa uses letters as the basic components of much of his art, which explores communication issues whether between individuals or cultures. This work depicts a crouching, anonymous figure,
with a “skin” composed of letters from the Latin alphabet. The sculpture exemplifies Plensa’s ongoing interest in ideas presented
in written text, as well as the human body and how it perceives the world around it. He has described individual letters or
symbols as components that have little or no meaning on their own, but blossom into words, thoughts, and language when
combined with others. Plensa’s screens of letters offer a metaphor for human culture, in which a person alone has limited potential, but when formed into groups or societies, becomes stronger. Nomade engages the
viewer on many levels, from our recognition of the letters that form the shape, to our own physical interaction with the work as
we view it from afar or from inside the work’s interior space.
Good job! It's been fun doing this all week. Maybe when the Today show does Where in the World again we can revive Flat Matt.
...and one more note. Raygun t-shirts put together a "Battle of the Weathermen" t-shirt that's pretty funny. Our own Jeriann Ritter is dubbed "F-5" Ritter. I asked her this morning if she thought they were calling her powerful...or a blowhard?
I kid because I care...
Have a good one
PWD
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Fire, Firing, and Flub
Good Morning.
Lost of news to talk about this morning
Fire
We've had a lot of early breaking news on Today in Iowa Lately. It's a weird phenomenon that's tough to explain. I feel bad 30 people had to spend time out in the cold this morning as the result of a fire. I'm glad there wasn't more damage. The weird part is that it makes my job a lot more interesting when something like this happens. It's not often we have "good" breaking news. The result is we all end up feeling bad.
Firing
There's no other way for this story at Pen State to end. As much as Joe Paterno has been an icon in College Football, it's not enough. He has to go and go now.
I made the mistake of reading the indictment of Jerry Sandusky this morning during the show. Two things strike me. My first thought was that I need to be honest and open with my boys about what is appropriate and what is not. It's tough reading this stuff as a parent...but these young men were stalked and preyed upon by a diabolical , insidious rapist. You see the pattern and understand this guy lived outside the bounds of human decency. The thing that shocked me was the number of people who seemed to know and never told authorities...including the authorities themselves. according the the indictment, at one point a cop told this guy "Don't shower with kids anymore". Really?
The kids who rioted at Penn State last night will look back on their actions after they have kids of their own and be ashamed of themselves. Idiotic doesn't cover it.
Flub
Everyone is talking about Rick Perry's response during last night's debate. it's already dubbed the "Oops moment". It's too bad. A lot of people like Perry and think he's a good leader. I think we're finding out why the vetting process is so long.
Another thought that crossed my mind is this. just because someone is a good speaker, has the same moral code as you, or even if they're a good Governor...it's doesn't mean they will make a Good President. that doesn't erase any of the things that make them good in their present role. Rick Perry isn't an idiot...He just isn't good standing on tat stage recalling this amount of information. While that may give a voter pause about his ability to be President, it shouldn't reflect on his previous accomplishments or his character. You try it. I bet most of us would have at least one flub this big.
Flat Matt
I thought I had you guys on the clue this morning but it turns out you are all smarter than the average Bear (me).
Here's the clue:
So you all got it. it's the High Trestle Trail Bridge.
Another clue and another show tomorrow.
As always we love to hear your comments and questions.
Please feel free.
PWD
Lost of news to talk about this morning
Fire
We've had a lot of early breaking news on Today in Iowa Lately. It's a weird phenomenon that's tough to explain. I feel bad 30 people had to spend time out in the cold this morning as the result of a fire. I'm glad there wasn't more damage. The weird part is that it makes my job a lot more interesting when something like this happens. It's not often we have "good" breaking news. The result is we all end up feeling bad.
Firing
There's no other way for this story at Pen State to end. As much as Joe Paterno has been an icon in College Football, it's not enough. He has to go and go now.
I made the mistake of reading the indictment of Jerry Sandusky this morning during the show. Two things strike me. My first thought was that I need to be honest and open with my boys about what is appropriate and what is not. It's tough reading this stuff as a parent...but these young men were stalked and preyed upon by a diabolical , insidious rapist. You see the pattern and understand this guy lived outside the bounds of human decency. The thing that shocked me was the number of people who seemed to know and never told authorities...including the authorities themselves. according the the indictment, at one point a cop told this guy "Don't shower with kids anymore". Really?
The kids who rioted at Penn State last night will look back on their actions after they have kids of their own and be ashamed of themselves. Idiotic doesn't cover it.
Flub
Everyone is talking about Rick Perry's response during last night's debate. it's already dubbed the "Oops moment". It's too bad. A lot of people like Perry and think he's a good leader. I think we're finding out why the vetting process is so long.
Another thought that crossed my mind is this. just because someone is a good speaker, has the same moral code as you, or even if they're a good Governor...it's doesn't mean they will make a Good President. that doesn't erase any of the things that make them good in their present role. Rick Perry isn't an idiot...He just isn't good standing on tat stage recalling this amount of information. While that may give a voter pause about his ability to be President, it shouldn't reflect on his previous accomplishments or his character. You try it. I bet most of us would have at least one flub this big.
Flat Matt
I thought I had you guys on the clue this morning but it turns out you are all smarter than the average Bear (me).
Here's the clue:
So you all got it. it's the High Trestle Trail Bridge.
Another clue and another show tomorrow.
As always we love to hear your comments and questions.
Please feel free.
PWD
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Snow Falling, Status Quo, and Flat Matt 3
G
ood Morning.
ood Morning.I vowed you wouldn't be able to get the clue for Flat Matt so easily today.
It worked until we put the picture up.
You are all very observant. Flat Matt visited Jack Trice Stadium and the new Video Board.
wed the clue: Our Matt is right at home on this Central Iowa Landmark (Flat Matt on a Flatscreen TV).Born September 3rd. it's actually from South Dakota (The Company that built the board is from SD)
If you missed it the first time...look North! (You can watch replays on the video board)
We'll try to make it even harder to guess tomorrow.
We also got a Facebook post criticizing us for having a little fun with this. I am not sure how much more we could have done with the weather/school closings/power outages etc this morning.
Snow Falling
Speaking of, we've got some trees down in my neighborhood. The snow was so heavy it too down a lot of branches including three or four over my neighbors house. No damage that I can
see...that's good. You could hear the trees groaning under the weight of the snow when i was walking to the car!
Status Quo
For the most part your municipalities will continue to be governed by the same people. City Councils and Mayors ran unopposed in a lot of cases. I guess you can't blame voters for ignoring the polls in that case. It's a Chicken and Egg scenario. If there were more people willing to run for positions on City Councils, maybe more people should show up. Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald reminded us that between Schools and Cities...Those elected officials control about 50% of your property tax $$. It's important.
Status Quo II
Democrats keep their slim majority thanks to a special election win by Liz Mathis in eastern Iowa. This means a Constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage is DOA.
Status Quo III
The Personhood Amendment failed in Mississippi as well. I can't say I am surprised. the amendment brings up WAY too many questions. I say again, if anyone thinks a law like this would stop abortions, they're kidding themselves. I continue to think a better use of resources would be education for young people about the responsibilities they take on if they decide to become sexually active. The goal shouldn't be stop abortion...it should be making sure that every couple who makes an informed decision to have children is able to do that, and every effort is made to avoid unplanned pregnancy before conception!
Paterno
I haven't read the indictment in the Penn St Abuse case yet. I've been told by friends that it made them angry and sick to their stomach all at once.
Off to Lincoln High to do a Career day this morning. Then today at Noon we've got some great guests. The Volunteers who helped make the Central Iowa Honor Flight happen are going to be on talking about a documentary they produced about the flights. I am excited to see it this afternoon. Tune in at Noon to find out more about why they took on the news project.
Have a good one
PWD
Monday, November 07, 2011
Priorities, Moving, and Flat Matt
Good Morning!
Monday morning and we've got some good stuff to talk about it. Lets get to it!
Priorities
If you were doing the math and were confused this morning you weren't alone. We used a bunch of statistics to talk about the priorities potential Caucus participants identified as important. The percentages didn't add up to 100% because the pollsters asked for two top priorities. I have a hard time, then, listening to any argument that says Republicans put moral issues as their top priorities. Even in the top two, issues of morality got 10%. Why then do these issues get pushed? The Register explains, even if it's small, the group identifying these issues as their top priorities are strong. They show up. Until Republicans who identify fiscal issues as their priorities show up in equal numbers...and as consistently, we'll continue to hear how important these issues of morality are.
I say this only because the poll confirms what I suspect is true. Most Republicans care about morality...they consider themselves moral people, and they vote, in part on issues of morality. I think anyone who believes anti-abortion or anti-same sex should be a top priority, is delusional.
Moving
So Missouri is going to the SEC. Make your jokes all you like. If Iowa State has a dream season and wins eight games...they'd likely still be fourth fifth or sixth in the Big 12. Mineke Car Car Bowl anyone? Heck...even the Insight Bowl is in the dead spot between Christmas and New Year...yawn.
I like the Bowl timing and the $$ for the mid-level SEC teams better.
If I were an optimist I would say this. MIZZOU could compete. If you assume three non-conference wins each year...Vanderbilt, Kentucky and (sorry Fred) Tennessee should all be wins. That gets you to six and makes three games against Georgia, Florida and South Carolina big games. We may get hammered...but I like Gary Pinkel's chances recruiting in the southeast and playing some of these teams over the long term.
Add to that the fact that MIZZOU stand to make three million more next year than they would have staying in the Big 12. I would also include the surge of revenue the University and The City of Columbia will get when SEC fans take a road trip to see their newest neighbor. Iowa state Fans don't travel to Columbia...wanna bet that Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Vandy fans will?
In Basketball it's about the same. We should be competitive will all but Kentucky. Missouri is used to having a tough road in Conference Basketball play.
Finally, i think Missouri and Kansas will find a way to work out a continuing rivalry. The Football game should move to one of the first games of the year. It would be a feature game on national TV during weekends that don't offer too many good games. In Basketball, a border showdown over Christmas would draw A LOT of fans to Kansas City.
Overall I like it.
Flat Matt
So you all got the first clue pretty easily. We'll try to make tomorrow's harder. For those of you who missed it, Flat Matt was at the AE Cows. Tomorrow's clue will go up on Facebook at 5Am. Hopefully we can redeem ourselves.
Hope you all have a good day!
PWD
Friday, November 04, 2011
Paying Attention, Jobs, and Flat Matt
Good Morning!
A Coffee delivery from my boys is on the way to the studios. So I'll get right to it on a Friday Morning!
Paying Attention
I feel like the debt crisis and the situation in the Eurozone is something we all should be paying more attention to. Our Economy is tied (whether we like it or not) to what happens over there. I just can't get myself all that worked up over it...and I don't understand it. Greece is in bad shape...that's for sure...but the Greek people don't seem to grasp the situation...and it isn't as if we're problem free.
Jobs
The new national jobs report came out today and the unemployment rate inched down by a fraction. Still the Economy isn't creating enough jobs to make any kind of a dent.
that said, I thought Dave Price's Story about Smartphone Apps was interesting. A kid not out of college yet learned how to develop these apps from Youtube tutorials and a book. It's that kind of story that leaves me thinking...succeeding in this economy is tough for sure...but if you work hard to find a need, take a risk and put a lot of hard work behind it...there are ways to make a living that have nothing to do with Fortune 500 companies. The 99 percent need to stop relying on the one percent they vilify for help. Make your own way. It's not easy...but it can be done.
Flat Matt
We are celebrating along with NBC's Today show. Matt Lauer's reviving his Where in the World segments next week. We are playing along with Where in Central Iowa is Flat Matt! Each day we'll have a clue as to where we placed "Flat Matt". There will be a clue and a picture.
Monday's picture will pop up on Facebook and on the air at 5AM. Here's part of the first clue:
NOT AS GOOD AS MOM BUT CLOSE,CHOCOLATE, BUT NO GOATS.
We'll give the rest of the clue next Monday...but chew on that for the weekend.
I hope it's a good one!
PWD
A Coffee delivery from my boys is on the way to the studios. So I'll get right to it on a Friday Morning!
Paying Attention
I feel like the debt crisis and the situation in the Eurozone is something we all should be paying more attention to. Our Economy is tied (whether we like it or not) to what happens over there. I just can't get myself all that worked up over it...and I don't understand it. Greece is in bad shape...that's for sure...but the Greek people don't seem to grasp the situation...and it isn't as if we're problem free.
Jobs
The new national jobs report came out today and the unemployment rate inched down by a fraction. Still the Economy isn't creating enough jobs to make any kind of a dent.
that said, I thought Dave Price's Story about Smartphone Apps was interesting. A kid not out of college yet learned how to develop these apps from Youtube tutorials and a book. It's that kind of story that leaves me thinking...succeeding in this economy is tough for sure...but if you work hard to find a need, take a risk and put a lot of hard work behind it...there are ways to make a living that have nothing to do with Fortune 500 companies. The 99 percent need to stop relying on the one percent they vilify for help. Make your own way. It's not easy...but it can be done.
Flat Matt
We are celebrating along with NBC's Today show. Matt Lauer's reviving his Where in the World segments next week. We are playing along with Where in Central Iowa is Flat Matt! Each day we'll have a clue as to where we placed "Flat Matt". There will be a clue and a picture.
Monday's picture will pop up on Facebook and on the air at 5AM. Here's part of the first clue:
NOT AS GOOD AS MOM BUT CLOSE,CHOCOLATE, BUT NO GOATS.
We'll give the rest of the clue next Monday...but chew on that for the weekend.
I hope it's a good one!
PWD
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Standoff, No Snow, and Palindrome
Good Morning!
Our floor Crew informs me today is a palindrome. That the numbers that represent the date is the same forward and backwards. The date is November 2, 2011. So if you represent that numerically, 11-02-2011.
I guess I am an Uber-geek because I think this stuff is interesting. So much so that I went out and Googled it looking for more information...and boy did I get it. Here's part of an article I found from Aziz Anan at University of Portland:
Our floor Crew informs me today is a palindrome. That the numbers that represent the date is the same forward and backwards. The date is November 2, 2011. So if you represent that numerically, 11-02-2011.
I guess I am an Uber-geek because I think this stuff is interesting. So much so that I went out and Googled it looking for more information...and boy did I get it. Here's part of an article I found from Aziz Anan at University of Portland:
Nov. 2, 2011 represented as 11022011 is a one-of-a-kind palindrome date with respect to all palindrome dates contained in all four-digit years. Why?
First, number 11022011 equals 7 x 7 x 11 x 11 x 11 x 13 x 13, that is, the product of seven square, eleven cube and thirteen square where numbers seven, eleven and thirteen are three consecutive prime numbers! So, number 11022011 is divisible by the product of the squares of three consecutive prime numbers! Furthermore, it's also divisible by the cube of the middle prime of the three consecutive primes! In fact, 11022011 = 72 x 113 x 132 where, interestingly enough, the three superscripts side-by-side constitute 232 which is also a palindrome! Fascinating, isn't it? No other such palindrome date exists in all four-digit years.
In addition, since 7 x 11 x 13 yields 1001, another palindrome number, one could also express date 11022011 as 1001 x 11 x 1001 where the left and right sides of this expression divided in the middle are almost mirror images of one another! Isn't that something?
Also, if date number 11022011 is split into four two-digit numbers as 11, 02, 20 and 11, the first two numbers add up to 13 and the sum of the last two is 31, and 13 and 31 put side-by-side yield 1331 = 11 x 11 x 11! Now, by introducing two zeros in-between the digits of the first and last elevens, this expression will change from 11 x 11 x 11 to 1001 x 11 x 1001 = 11022011! Wow!
If that hurts your head...sorry. I just thought it was cool.
Standoff
We've been experiencing a string of overnight stories worth telling you about at 5AM, Last night it was a guy shooting a gun through the windows of his home near Altoona. Police called in a SWAT team right away...but by the time negotiators showed up to talk to the guy...he'd decided to give himself up.
No Snow:
Jeriann is going out on a bit of a limb today. When she looks at all the forecast data, she says she just doesn't think there's going to be enough moisture around tonight by the time it gets cold enough to snow.This is what we like, and what we hope you appreciate, about Jeriann. She is not wishy washy on her forecast. "Chance of" this or that doesn't often enter into her forecast. She tries to tell you what IS going to happen not what MIGHT happen. If she's wrong, she says so...but at least she's trying to give you a definitive answer rather than hiding behind, "well I told you it might/might not snow".
Landing
Did you see the Polish pilot land that 767 without wheels? That was amazing! It takes a lot of skill and some luck to have something like that go off without incident.Tell All
Jack Abramoff has a new book out about lobbying in Washington. Here's the preview.
Sharing the Wealth
The Today in Iowa team has gone in on a Powerball ticket the last two drawings.
We didn't win a lot last time but we won something at least. Everybody dropped a buck in. If we won the $245 million jackpot we'd all be comfortable, but I doubt there's be a Today in Iowa Team to do the News Thursday morning! I always ask...what would you do if you won the jackpot?
We didn't win a lot last time but we won something at least. Everybody dropped a buck in. If we won the $245 million jackpot we'd all be comfortable, but I doubt there's be a Today in Iowa Team to do the News Thursday morning! I always ask...what would you do if you won the jackpot?
Advice
What would you do? We had a significant renovation done to our home when we moved in. Our Contractor hired his subs to do electrical, plumbing painting etc... The Electrical guys did a number on our home. Yesterday I found the third problem in the last year left behind by the contractor. Live wires were left exposed in a crawl space. We found the problem because motors on two heating elements in the kitchen weren't working.Now, it's been a year, I've called to address my concerns twice already and the Owner, to his credit, did his best to make it right. I don't want money, but would you want to know about this latest problem if you owned the business? I'm not sure about calling.
Moment of Autumn Zen
The boys reminded us...they don't need toys or iPads or x-boxes. A god walk can be a lot of fun for a two year old when the leaves are falling.
Have a good day!
PWD
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Slow start, Republicans and New Car
I better get started on this now...cause I've tried to start a blog each of the last three work days...and failed.
This was one of those morning it was tough to get out of the house. The monitor we have in our room kept cracking like there was some interference with the signal. That was keeping Sally awake. I crawled under the bed to unplug it and move it across the room. No help.
So I went into the boys room to move the transmitter. I woke Will up in the process. He seemed upset and asked if he could go downstairs with me. So I took a couple minutes to calm him down and get him to go back to sleep. So it was a struggle to get out the door.
Here's the News and a little catching up
Republicans
The Manufacturing forum in Pella should be interesting. I'd like to hear what these candidates have to say about manufacturing. I'd want to know if they grasp how the world is changing and where the US fits into the overall picture of manufacturing. i think anyone who's looking for a Maytag factory to come back to a place like Iowa isn't paying attention. That doesn't mean manufacturing is dead in Iowa. it means we have to change our thinking about manufacturing radically. Lets see if the Candidates agree.
-Welcome to the front-runner's seat Herman Cain. These allegations and the conversations surrounding them bring up some uncomfortable issues within the Republican party and in American Politics in general.
-How do you convince yourself that you can still win the Iowa Caucuses when you've dropped so hard in the Polls? That's the question two of the major campaigns have to address. I supposed you are trying to consolidate all of the religious conservative Caucusers but I would have to ask myself...where do you go from there? South Carolina? you would have already lost New Hampshire. Florida is next and as you get farther away from Iowa it would appear the number of religious conservative voters gets lower and lower? So one would have to ask...who are there people who feel this should be the direction of the Republican Party, when clearly, that's not the reality on the ground in so many parts of the country?Report Card
Iowa gets it's report card for grades four through eight. I would think this might be a starting point the administration uses for it's reforms.
Split
I really don't care about Kim Kardashian's Wedding or her Divorce. How is it not clear to anyone who watched this woman that all of this was planned? It's pretty clear she doesn't care about anyone but herself...and that she'd do anything to further her own name and celebrity. And lets review...her celebrity stems from her Father's job, a sex tape and now a failed marriage. We're the idiots for continuing to watch this train wreck of a person.
New Car
I went into my dealer this weekend after a quick phone conversation. I'm a leaser. I'm two thirds of the way through my latest lease and knew the values of used cars were pretty high. Turns out the value was good enough that I got out of my old lease...got into the 2012 version of my car and lowered my payments by $20! Sounds good to me.
The best part of it is that the 2012 version of the car has bluetooth capability for phone and music. I really like it...and you can't beat the smell of a new car.
I hope you have a good day!
PWD
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