Link to KansasPrairie.net

2/22/2008

SMU CHOSEN AS SITE FOR GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY CENTER

Filed under: family, political musings — Peg Britton @ 8:07 pm

Southern Methodist University has been chosen as the site of the George W. Bush Presidential Library, Museum and Institute, after a competition with seven other institutions. The entire complex of library, museum, institute and conference facilities will be known as the George W. Bush Presidential Center. The announcement was made February 22 by the Bush Foundation on behalf of President Bush.

Granddaughter Mackenzie and Luke Vahalik graduated from SMU. As I recall, Laura Bush did too….and my friend, Janis Gore.

For more information, click here.

I’M A BIG FAN OF FRANK REESE AND HIS TURKEYS…LET DENA STOLZ DELIVER THEM TO YOUR DOOR

Filed under: prairie musings, friends, ellsworth — Peg Britton @ 4:47 pm

Have you ever thought about raising heirloom turkeys? You know…the kind that Frank Reese has devoted most of his life to preserving?

The kind that almost disappeared off the face of the earth?

The kind that cost an arm and a leg and you wonder how a turkey can cost THAT much?

These aren’t your everyday store varieties…these are heritage turkeys, grown free-range, vegetarian-fed without antibiotics for your quality dining.

One of my good friends, an ex-New Yorker who came to call Kansas her home, has ordered these turkeys FROM NEW YORK, and loved them, but balked at the freight. Finally, she donned her detective hat and discovered they weren’t grown in New York at all, but right here in Kansas a click from where she lives.

Now she tells me that instead of driving to McPherson and buying her Frank Reese turkey at Krehbiel’s, she’ll save even more by buying a poult for $8 and grow her own turkey for Thanksgiving.

Something seemed to be missing from this story, so I called on my friend and expert turkey guy, Ryon Carey, who has his own bird farm and also helps Frank with his business, to give me the lowdown on turkey growing. Here’s what he had to say:

$8.00 for each poult is correct, but it isn’t quite that easy. Raising turkeys is not an easy task. I’ve found that if you look at them cross - they die. For instance, I have heard Frank tell people if they want 6 turkeys for thanksgiving, etc. they need to buy 12. In my experience that might be enough to get 6.

Frank’s turkeys are much hardier than the industrial kind, but raising small numbers of birds is tricky. So, if you factor that you have $16.00 invested in each live bird.

Then you have to feed it for 26-32 weeks. The turkey will eat on average about 1/2 pound of feed each day. So you need 90-100 pounds of feed for each bird. That will add approx. $20 to each bird.

So if all goes well you have finished birds for $36. Remember too, you will have both hens and toms and their weights will vary greatly…toms might weigh 20 lbs dressed and hens 8 lbs.

Then comes the killing and dressing. A large part of the cost of bringing turkeys or chickens to market is the cost to transport them to the slaughter house, process them, package them and send them to market. I think this adds about $10.00 and up to each bird.

Therefore, raising your own birds is not quite the bargain your friend thinks it is. I’d suggest if she wants a fresh bird, and is willing to butcher it herself, have her come to Lindsborg before Thanksgiving and buy a live bird from Frank or me. Then she is letting out economies of scale produce better value and we’re taking the mortality risk.

Chickens are the same story - the best bet is to come to Lindsborg and buy them live, directly from me if you want to dress them or order them and pick them up at Krehbiels and save all that shipping.

Or better yet, order them from Dena Stolz and have her deliver them to your door.

Now, there you have it. The best of both worlds.

Thanks, Ryon!

THERE GOES YOUR HARD-EARNED MONEY….

Filed under: prairie musings, energy — Peg Britton @ 3:53 pm

Would you like to know how much money Sunflower Electric spent last month on advertising to convince us that expanding a power plant Kansas doesn’t need is a good thing, shipping 95% of the power generated from it to users out of the state is a good thing, and providing us with 2.8 million tons an hour of CO2 to suck in our lungs is a good thing for us?

At least $190,000…just last month.

In addition, eight Sunflower representatives have been registered to lobby on its behalf in Topeka this session. Tri-State, Midwest and a Sunflower member cooperative, Wheatland Electric Cooperative, also have lobbyists at the Statehouse advocating for the Sunflower bill.

Guess what else?  It’s working.  They are twisting arms to get our representatives in Topeka to see things their way and support their expansion project.

Who thinks large corporations are not running our government?  Raise your hands now.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, KAREN BRITTON

Filed under: family — Peg Britton @ 9:48 am

SUPER DELEGATES TO THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

Filed under: political musings — Peg Britton @ 8:04 am

Ryon Carey explains it best:

The super delegates are 20% of the total delegates to the convention. They represent 40% of the number of delegates needed to win the nomination.

And from the Washington Post:

Super Delegates are not elected through the normal primary and caucus process. They are designated by party rules and include high elected officials (members of Congress and governors), party committee members and some former office holders. Unlike delegates awarded through primaries and caucuses, super delegates are not required to stay pledged to a specific candidate. In 2008, the Democratic Party has designated 796 super delegates. An estimated 4,049 total delegates will vote at the national convention, including super delegates. A candidate needs a total of 2,025 delegate votes to win the party’s nomination.

To see the list including “unpledged” or “super” delegates to the Democratic Party’s 2008 national convention, click here.

2/21/2008

LANCE KINZER, THE HOLY ONE, IS TRYING TO IMPOSE HIS BELIEFS ON US….AGAIN. WRITE HIM…

Filed under: political musings — Peg Britton @ 5:50 pm

State Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, is holier than thou. He’s the holiest of the holy and he wants all the rest of us to live by his rules. He’s an attorney and can draft bills regulating how he thinks the rest of us should live faster than you can blink your eyes.

He’s against everything most of the rest of us are for which includes freedom from people like Kinzer. He’s very, very holy and perfect.

He initiates all the “hate bills” in the Kansas Legislature. He is against anything that will give equal rights to those who have none. His latest hate bill is to try to deny domestic partnership registries from ever happening anywhere else in the state. HB2299. Hate.

Gay, lesbian and unmarried couples have said a domestic registry could help them secure health insurance benefits for their partners. No such bill has been proposed. Kinzer wants to see to it none is every proposed.

Such a registry would allow unmarried couples — both same-sex and heterosexual — to register their domestic partnerships at City Hall. Lawrence was the first city to pass such a law and Kinzer had apoplexy when it could see such fairness spreading across the state.

In Lawrence 31 couples have signed on since they passed the registry. Kinzer filed a “personal” law suit against the city for passing the registry. The registry was initiated at the requests of gays, lesbians and het couples who are not married. It’s the fair thing to do, but Kinzer doesn’t like gays, lesbians or heterosexual partners who live together without the benefit of marriage.

Kinzer said that rules affecting couples should be the same throughout the state. That translates to mean no couple, unless married, should receive benefits to help them with problems they have simply because they aren’t married.

“On an important public policy matter … we should have one uniform law for the state,” Kinzer said.

Opponents of the bill, however, said many cities have different ordinances in response to the needs and desires of their local residents.

On the issue of health benefits, Kinzer said if couples are denied health insurance because they are unmarried, then they should get married. WHAT????

Hear that? Everyone should get married if they want health benefits, he bellows.

That brought a sharp response from state Rep. Thomas “Tim” Owens, R-Overland Park, who said, “We are a nation of freedom, and I get real tired of hearing people try to shove down our throats how they believe that everybody else should act.”

Tim Owens is my hero. YAY for Tim Owens.

“I just hope this now gives us an opportunity to move on to health care and education, and some of the issues that I think the people of Kansas would like us to focus on instead of issues like this that are just political wedge issues and don’t really have much substance to them,” said State Rep. Paul Davis, D-Lawrence.

I’m reminded that U.S. Senator Larry Craig railed the same way against gays, lesbians and unmarried heterosexual couples.

lance@lancekinzer.com/ Here is his address. Write him and tell him what you think. I’ve written. Have you?

NOT A MINI-STROKE

Filed under: prairie musings, family — Peg Britton @ 4:55 pm

Dane didn’t have a mini-stroke, TIA or anything of the sort. There was confusion about this because one of his former clients, and our friend, did have a TIA and was in the hospital the same time as Dane.

Dane has an infection in his blood stream and bladder that is being treated with antibiotics. It wasn’t MRSA or staph so it can be treated with some thing other than vancomycin (which they started him out on, assuming that’s what it was).

He was here today for lunch and was a lot sharper than I am…but then he always has been. He arrived at 9 and left at 1:00 and was ready to lie down this afternoon. My friend Karmi Green was here to join us for lunch and Dane enjoyed her visit enormously. She’s the new Prairie Enterprise Facilitator having taken over from Linda McCowan.

For you displaced Ellsworthites, I can tell you it has been cold today, down in the 20s. It helped to have the wind elsewhere. Spring is bound to show up one of these days.

Kenz and Luke are back at work after a very short visit; Ally is visiting friends in Denver for the weekend; Karen will be a year older tomorrow so we’ll celebrate over dinner somewhere. Everyone else in this family is in school, working or retired.

Thanks for tuning in…and especially thanks for inquiring about Dane.

WANT TO GET YOU GED?

Filed under: print news — Peg Britton @ 7:56 am

Have you always wanted to get your GED but couldn’t find the time?

The Barton County Center for Adult Education is now offering a distance learning program.  Students will prepare for their GED through an online service that is geared toward all levels of learning.

There is a non-refundable $100 fee that covers orientation,  practice tests, and the GED examination.

In addition to virtual learning, students receive weekly assignments and tutoring with an instructor.  In this way, a student may achieve a GED through the convenience of studying at home.

For more information and to register for an orientation, contact Luke W. Seitz at  620.793.5794 or e-mail at seitzl@bartonccc.edu.

2/20/2008

SHARE A SPECIAL MOMENT

Filed under: prairie musings — Peg Britton @ 10:16 pm

I want to share this lovely message from a friend who is in the Air Force in the State of Washington. Her husband is in Iraq. They have two young girls.

I thought I’d share an interesting tidbit that makes you realize the world is small, no matter how big it seems sometimes. My husband called me from Iraq tonight, which is early morning for him, (11 hours ahead) and told me to go outside and look at the lunar eclipse, so that we could be looking at the moon at the same time. It makes us feel closer to know that even though he is more than half-way around the world we can share a special moment. So I took my girls outside so they could look at the same eclipse as their daddy, and called my sister in Hutchinson, KS, who couldn’t really see it because of the cloud cover, and my in-laws in Atlanta, GA and we were all looking at the eclipse at the very same moment. I thought it was wonderful that we as an extended family in all different places of the world could share a little something that is special.

LOCALLY GROWN, HEALTHY, ORGANIC FOODS AVAILABLE IN ELLSWORTH

Filed under: prairie musings, ellsworth — Peg Britton @ 9:36 pm

Studio 121 is dedicated to your total health and well-being.  To aid you in your goals, we are offering a chance to order many of your staple food items so that you can pick them up here in Ellsworth!  We are partnering with Prairie Land Market in Salina, a cooperative of area organic farmers to bring you the freshest, tastiest, healthiest foods.

Their list includes, but is not limited to:
Breads, Grains, Bread Mixes, Beans
Meat & Eggs
Bison, Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, Pork
Seasonal Produce
Honey
Lavender Products

Do you have special dietary needs?  We can also order name brand gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free organic foods.

If you are interested, please let me know.  There are no fees for signing up, I only need an idea of how many people would want this service.  Also, if you have questions - don’t hesitate to ask.

Dena Stoltz
121 E. First street
Ellsworth KS 67439
phone { 785 531 0192 }
www.studio121ks.com

QUOTES ON “HOLCOMB” FROM SVATY AND SEBELIUS

Filed under: political musings — Peg Britton @ 7:01 pm

The Holcomb expansion is not in the best interest of all Kansans. It’s political/corporate strong-arming. Rep. Josh Svaty and Gov. Sebelius are standing their ground.

From Forbes.com:

But the bill’s critics still argued that its only real purpose was to see that Sunflower builds its plants.

Rep. Joshua Svaty, an Ellsworth Democrat, said legislators eventually must lessen the state’s heavy reliance on coal-fired plants, which provide about 75 percent of Kansas’ electricity.

‘There’s a lot said at the end of this debate about how this is a forward-thinking energy policy for the state, and I’m trying to find it in the bill,’ Svaty said.

In a statement, Sebelius said: ‘Unfortunately, it looks like the final House version has less encouragement for either wind energy or carbon mitigation and further restricts the ability of the secretary of health and environment to protect the environment or the health of Kansans.’

Both the House and the Senate bills would prevent the secretary, the state’s top environmental regulator, from imposing new emissions standards without legislative approval.

From Hays Daily News:

Last month, Sebelius proposed a compromise under which Sunflower would be allowed to build one of the plants if Sunflower committed to investing in wind farms and conservation programs — a deal the Hays-based utility rejected.

Sebelius hasn’t ruled out allowing a second coal-fired plant, if the state imposes “real and meaningful” limits on carbon dioxide emissions first, spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said. But both chambers rejected proposals for what would have been the state’s first limits on CO2, linked by many scientists to global warming.

Sebelius’ administration denied an air-quality permit for the two plants in October, blocking their construction. Sunflower has told legislators it needs a permit for its $3.6 billion project by June 1, and some key legislators are taking that deadline seriously.

Rep. Joshua Svaty, an Ellsworth Democrat, said the legislation needs to move Kansas away from its heavy reliance on coal-fired plants, which provide 75 percent of the state’s electricity.

“Nothing about the bill that just passed the House suggests that we are trying to move forward,” Svaty said. “We just kind of cleared the way to go back to standard business as usual.”

NEW THINGS GOING ON IN TOWN…

Filed under: prairie musings — Peg Britton @ 4:55 pm

I’ll soon have some new stores to add to my “Store” list (the list to the right).

There is a western store opening on the highway in the “Chicken Roost” aka Holm Motor Co. building. They will carry about every thing a person who’s into horses would want…trailers, boots, saddles, tack, etc. Dana Jones will be manager of the store. It’s not open as yet, but they are painting the interior and getting ready to move in merchandise. They also have another store in Topeka.

Caleb and Marissa Schultz have opened a new shirt shop called Make Your Own Mark. It’s far more than a shirt shop as they carry hats, and have all kinds of “bring attention to me” wearing apparel. It’s located at 108 E. First. While not a retail outlet, per se, her shop provides screen printing, embroidery products, custom printing and design. She is open by appointment, 531-2408.

A couple of doors east of Mark Your Own Mark, is a liquor store under new ownership. Amy and Pete Eck assumed ownership of Downtown Liquor & Spirits, 112 E. First Street. Hours are Mon-Thur. 9 am-10 pm; Fri-Sat, 9 am – 11 pm. Telephone 472-4120. Pete also owns Eck Welding & Repair.

Josie has some delightful new products for home fragrancing in the Antique Mall. There are Beanpod Candles that are clean burning, earth friendly and made from soy beans. They will not leave any black soot residue on furnishings or walls. In the same line of fragrances, you can be creative with soy beads with candle seasonings and melter recipes. Or, you can just arrange your favorite beads in a bowl or dish as you would potpourri.

Josie also has a new line of lip balm made from shea and mango butters, jojoba, beeswax etc. It’s by honey house. The peppermint flavored balm is wonderful. And, she has Belly Bar Soap and Bee Bars for dry skin sufferers. That would be me and I’m looking forward to trying it. The soap is a tad pricy, but if it works….it’s worth it.

When you’re browsing about town, take a look at the new products our various stores have to offer. When you’re buying a card or gift at Robson’s, don’t overlook the Olive Butter on the checkout counter. It’s very nice and the smell is wonderful. I’m hooked on it.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HOUSE TODAY WITH DOMESTIC PARTNER REGISTRIES

Filed under: political musings — Peg Britton @ 4:10 pm

Here’s the quick version: The Kansas House just voted 66 to 50 to refer the proposed statewide ban on domestic partner registries — House Bill 2299 — to the House Judiciary Committee for more study. This means the ban is still alive, but not moving forward. The ban itself did NOT come up for a vote by the full House.

The vote on referring the bill to committee was a recorded roll call vote. Once the House Journal for today is posted, we can see how everyone voted.

Much parliamentary maneuvering ensued before House voted to refer the bill back to committee.

For the rest of this report from Diane Silver, please click here.

TAKE THE GLOBAL WARMING TEST

Filed under: energy, print news — Peg Britton @ 9:44 am

Click here to take the test. It includes 10 questions.

I guess I’ve been doing my homework pretty well. I got them all right except for #9. Give it a try…there is good information here.

Caution: This section contains sound science, not media hype, and may therefore contain material not suitable for young people trying to get a good grade in political correctness.

2/19/2008

KATHLEEN TO CAMPAIGN FOR BARACK IN CINCINNATI

Filed under: political musings, print news — Peg Britton @ 5:02 pm

Kansas governor to campaign for Obama in native Cincinnati
Associated Press Posted on Tue, Feb. 19, 2008 01:12 PM

CINCINNATI | Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is returning to her hometown to campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The Obama campaign says Sebelius will lead a community issues gathering Wednesday afternoon in a union hall in Cincinnati. Her father, former Ohio Gov. John Gilligan, also is expected to speak.

Sebelius endorsed Obama before the Kansas caucuses this month, which he handily won. She won re-election in 2006 in a Republican-leaning state with nearly 58 percent of the vote. She has been mentioned among potential running mates for the Illinois senator if he wins the nomination.

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Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in Vogue Magazine

2/18/2008

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHNNIE GODDARD….ELLSWORTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CITIZEN OF THE YEAR.

Filed under: prairie musings, friends, ellsworth — Peg Britton @ 9:02 pm

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Warden Johnnie W. Goddard

A native Kansan, Johnnie Goddard, with his wife, Karen and children, reside in Ellsworth. A 1981 graduate of Minneapolis High School, Johnnie received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Social Science from Kansas State University.

Johnnie first worked for the State of Kansas at the Kansas State Industrial Reformatory (KSIR) in Hutchinson, Kansas, as a Corrections Officer and a Farmer III from 1985-1988. He then transferred to the Ellsworth Correctional Facility (ECF) where he held positions of Corporal, Sergeant, Corrections Counselor I, Corrections Counselor II, Unit Team Manager, Deputy Warden, and his current position of Warden.

As Warden at ECF, Johnnie has worked to establish positive employee morale while seeking to recruit and retain quality employees. He has established innovative programs and employment situations for inmates through partnerships with local manufacturers and numerous area employers.

A vocational homebuilding program was introduced in 2005 to build medium income family homes as training projects for inmate students. These homes are sold at public auction at ECF two times per year.

Warden Goddard has sought to create programs and activities that engage the outside world with the positive contributions that inmates can make from within the correctional setting. The ECF Post Rock Jaycees Chapter has been widely noted as the Number One Jaycee Chapter in Kansas. This service organization has routinely donated over $20,000 per year to worthy causes throughout the region.

Programs such as the ECF Bicycle Refurbishing Program, where inmates perform bicycle restoration, and Wheels for the World, which involves inmates in renovation and repair of wheelchairs for distribution in developing countries, have flourished during his tenure along with many other noteworthy activities.

This year Warden Goddard will celebrate 23 years of service to the citizens of Kansas.

Warden Goddard is active member on the USD #327 Board of Education. He is also an involved member in this community and loved. He is also an active member of the Kansas State Catbackers organization and loves purple wild cats.

Congratulations, Johnnie. You are most deserving of this award. We’re very proud of you and your many accomplishments in behalf of the Ellsworth Correctional Facility, the City of Ellsworth and the State of Kansas.

DANE UPDATE

Filed under: prairie musings, dane — Peg Britton @ 3:27 pm

Dane is about the same and will probably move into a swing bed tomorrow for a few days. They need to put a PICC line in and the only one who can do that is sick at home. Dane has lost 10 pounds so that is a very good thing. Food doesn’t taste very good to him. It’s probably all the meds that make a difference.

Another good thing is that his infection isn’t MRSA this time which makes it easier to treat. But the sepsis is still a worry. For those of you who aren’t aware, sepsis refers to a bacterial infection in the bloodstream or body tissues. This is a very broad term covering the presence of many types of microscopic disease-causing organisms.

Mackenzie and Luke landed back in Royse City at 3:15 this morning. I wish they could visit more often…and they do as well. Time just passes too quickly when they are here.

I spend most of my time at the hospital so I’m not blogging as much right now.

I’m just fuming about the turn-around with the Holcomb plant…all because of the pressure put on by Sunflower and the Senate members not only forgetting but not caring a lick who they represent. The state has no energy plan and energy development in the state is being run by large corporations. The water plan for the state is controlled by a few huge land owners in western Kansas. We’re in an environmental/natural resources mess in Kansas.

Right this very minute, 59 people are reading information on my blog. And, 275,349 people from “everywhere imaginable” have hit on my blog so far this month. Go figger!

THE CORPORATE TAKE OVER OF JAY EMLER AND THE KANSAS SENATE. WE’VE BEEN RAPED!

Filed under: energy — Peg Britton @ 2:56 pm

No one is paying attention to Kansas voters or what OUR opinions are regarding the Holcomb expansion. People across Kansas don’t want new coal plants being built anywhere, particularly in Kansas. A Land Institute poll clearly showed that.

Now, as corporations are wont to do, the Sunflower Electric Power Corp. has raided the Kansas Senate. The final vote was definitely veto proof, 33-7. It’s the worst possible bill that ever could be devised….except for Sunflower who drafted it and inserted their own language.

The bill prevents the Kansas Department of Health and Environment from using global warming as a reason for blocking new coal plants and holds them hostage. What this means is that Jay Emler and his cronies told the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to forget about the health of the citizens of Kansas and go stick their collective heads in the mud. Everything good that was in the original bill was dumped so that Sunflower could have its way.

What this also means is that the bill that was originally passed by theHouse was gutted and the Sunflower language was inserted making it a “gut and go” bill. So, in essence it means the House has already passed the bill even though House members never voted on this particular bill. The bill could go to a conference committee, get a quick vote and be passed before any of us could do anything about it.

It’s a rape…a total violation of our rights.

Based on the federal government’s analysis of coal from Campbell County WY, the source of the coal they use, the plant would emit 2.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide an hour when operating at full capacity. If the plant operated non-stop, it would emit 12.2 million U.S. tons a year.

No problem says Senator Jay Emler and Senate President Steve Morris. We will just build us a great big, gigantic, humongous bioenergy center which will capture the CO2 from the plant and turn it into ethanol, biodiesel or nutrients for feedlots. Never mind that this has never been done and years of research needs to be completed before it might be possible. Feed the citizens a bunch of lies as NO ONE IS LISTENING ANYWAY!

Duane Schrag of the Salina Journal is listening. Read his front page story dated Sunday Feb. 17, 2008, “Spinning Oil Out Of Coal”. If you can access the archives of the Salina Journal, you’re a better person than I am. Their website is the bane of my existence. It’s an excellent article, nonetheless.

Sunflower says it plans on operating at about 92% of capacity which would bring the emissions to 11.2 million tons a year.

Sunflower says it’s bioenergy plant will capture 40% of the CO2 and use it to grow algae. When Dale Schrag of the Salina Journal asked for details about the scale of the carbon capture operation, Sunflower ran out of answers.

Holcomb talks about building an algae reactor but can provide few details. Tests to determine the amount of land needed have been conducted and if you assume a massive operation could operate year around with the same efficiency, to capture 40% of the CO2, (Sen. President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton says they will capture 45%) would require a 16,700 acre bioreactor — roughly five times the area of Kanopolis Lake. No one even knows how to construct or operate a facility like this yet, but Senators Morris and Emler appear to have all the answers. No one else in the world seems to have any answers because years of research are needed before they can build a commercial plant to capture CO2.

I’m still fuming over the possibility of the Holcomb expansion ever becoming a reality. That just isn’t the right thing to do no matter where it’s located…no one wants to be the ash tray of the Midwest except for a few people in Western Kansas who look at the Holcomb expansion as being their economic salvation. Kansas will become the dumping ground so we can export electricity to surrounding states who want to remain “green”. They might as well make Western Kansas a nuclear waste dump as well. If you leave the decision to Jay Emler, and it means 50 jobs, we’ll be a nuclear waste dump, a home for smelters, chemical plants, and mega hog farms.

Thanks Senator Emler!

This is an election year. Are we going to tolerate this abuse of office, or throw Jay Emler and his cronies out?

2/16/2008

RINGO AND THELMA UNITE

Filed under: prairie musings — Peg Britton @ 5:16 pm

Today Thelma and Ringo participated in a scientifically executed experiment which could only come from the minds of two engineers who shared a naughty desire to see how dogs and robots really do interact.

In previous posts, it has been clearly stated that Ringo seems to be jealous of Thelma’s job. Feeling much like an older sibling who is being out shined by a new born baby, Ringo has tried multiple efforts to rid the home of Thelma. His first attempt of ignoring Thelma did not get him very far, she still spun and whirred at his feet even though he refused to lay eyes on her. So he went more drastic, and started shedding at a ever-increasing speed in an attempt to stop her dead in her tracks, clog up her inner workings and watch her retire to the room of old electronics that are living out their last days amongst dust bunnies. Thankfully, Thelma’s keeper is not afraid of removing a couple screws and cleaning her out to make her run just like she was new. Then Ringo’s efforts were fully stopped dead in his tracks when he was taken for a shave which reduced his 4 inch hair to about 1. Thelma laughed knowing the shorter hair wouldn’t slow her down a bit.

So today in an attempt to make peace amongst the creatures that wander underfoot, Mackenzie and Luke pulled their dual knowledge together and executed the experiment.

It involved Thelma enticing Ringo. She was more than happy, and even admitted she has a bit of a crush… the way Ringo smiles and jumps in glee is something she finds really attractive.

So here is step #1 of 20 (haha, just kidding, you think the engineers really went THAT far? We are on vacation and could really only think of 2 steps.)

BAITING THELMA SO SHE CAN IMPRESS RINGO…
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She giggled and ran in her crazy, unexpected circles knowing she had Ringo interested. She twirled her brushes extra fast and didn’t dare go near any rugs for fear of getting stuck and needing assistance from the humans, which is clearly a sign of weakness.

Pretty soon Ringo got really interested… and step #2 went into action before our eyes…

RINGO NOTICING THELMA AND AFTER CATCHING A GLIMPSE OF HER BACK-SIDE, GOING STRAIGHT FOR THE BAIT
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SUCCESS! The engineers cheered at their cleverly executed experiment which will bring cheers from dogs and robots across the nation.

Ringo, how did it go?
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Ringo reports it was great, but was ready for Thelma to re-bait herself. He was full of smiles!

Then the two engineers huddled together and realized they may have started something very, very bad. Even though it may please Thelma, Ringo is very likely to start stalking Thelma whenever she’s out of her home whirring around. Uh oh, what are we going to do? You’ll have to check back for updates, these engineers are headed back to Dallas and are leaving the rest to grandma.

-Mackenzie

2/15/2008

ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR KANSAS

Filed under: political musings — Peg Britton @ 8:17 pm

St. Mary’s Academy, which is a religious, private school northwest of Topeka, was getting ready to play a competitive high school basketball game when the game was called because a school official said that Michelle Campbell could not referee the game.

The reason?  Campbell, as a woman, could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy’s beliefs. Campbell was dumbfounded as were the male referees who walked off the court in support of Campbell.

For the entire dumbfounding story as carried in Sports Illustrated, click here.

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