Corruption and Greed

I just read a news story online at Yahoo News. It is about the Illinois govenor, Rod Blagojevich, who has been arrested due to allegedly scheming to "sell" the senate seat vacated by Barack Obama after his election as president. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081210/ap_on_re_us/illinois_governor_scheming_for_dollars
Now, I am not an expert at politics by any means, nor am I pollyannish enough to think that only good and right is done at the different governmental levels. I know there is corruption at probably every level of government. It nevertheless sickens me to read or hear about such blatant nose-thumbing by high ranking politicians. We, the constituents, put our faith in the people that are elected, and when they do things that are so self-serving, it so disheartening.

Every generation ahead of us has had it's share of scandals and issues, but our world today is just spinning out of control faster and faster, harder and hard. Where will it all end? Will we, as a society, be able to ever be able to regain control of just doing the right thing?

Dr. Ruby Payne

Yesterday, November 18, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop sponsored by Greenbush, the educational service station for Kansas, which is located in southeast Kansas. The workshop was held at the Topeka Performing Arts Center in Topeka, and the speaker was Dr. Ruby Payne, an author, researcher, former educator and administrator from Texas. Dr. Payne has written a book called A Framework for Understanding Poverty. It was published originally several years ago, and has been updated several times. I had actually had the opportunity to read the book a year or two back when I took a class on classroom disicpline/bullying through Ottawa University. The instructor in that class actually used this book as the "textbook". Over the past year, I have re-read the book or sections of the book over and over, and have referred it to friends and acquaintances in different settings in which folks work with others.

I found this book incredibly insightful. It was so refreshing to read a book which "said it the way it was" without trying to sugar coat issues too much. The book addresses folks who are in poverty, primarily generational poverty, and the different ways of thinking from poverty to middle class to affluent. It is a great read not only for people in the educational setting but also for employers dealing with employees who fall under this category. Although it does not give any "fix its," it does provide some food for thought as to why something is the way it is.

I strongly urge all employers to read this book. It's a quick read...go through it in an evening. Anyone who has any dealings with children and families and individuals, in general, period, should read this book.

It was interesting to hear Dr. Payne speak on her book. She addressed the fact that she has many critics of her book and the issues she has raised in it, and has been challenged as to her data. She freely admits that this is an anecdotal study. She studied people and families for like 30 to 35 years, and wrote about the data and information she gathered. It should be taken as thus.

If this book is not in the library yet, I urge you to Inter-library loan it and read it. It's a must!

25!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was just on iTunes, and discovered something really amazing! In looking at the Country Top 100 sounds, Taylor Swift has 25 of them! That is one-fourth of the top country songs this week!...at least on iTunes... She has 12 of them on the Top Song of iTunes period. Her new album, "Fearless", came out yesterday, I believe. She is like 18 years old and just amazing. She writes her own songs, and just about all of her singles on her debut album were hits.

Country Music Association (CMA) Awards are TONIGHT!

I used to be a real awards show junkie. I would look forward to them all! ...and watch 'em from start to finish. I don't have so much time to do that anymore, and plus Bruce doesn't really get into them too much. One that I try really hard to watch every year still however is the CMAs. They are on tonight on ABC, beginning at 7:00.

http://www.cmaawards.com/2008/

2008 Final Nominees

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Sugarland
Keith Urban
Oooohhh I can't decide....I LOVE Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, but George is a legend!!!! Where is a woman????? Well, all right...there is a woman in Sugarland, I guess, isn't there....

Female Vocalist of the Year
Alison Krauss
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
My favorite is Martina still, but I also like Taylor and Carrie and they are just HUGE right now so I think it will be one of them.

Male Vocalist of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Alan Jackson
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Keith Urban
See entertainer of year above...same comments....

New Artist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Rodney Atkins
Lady Antebellum
James Otto
Kellie Pickler
I like Rodney and James, but my fave is Lady Antebellum.

Vocal Group of the Year
Eagles
Emerson Drive
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts
I like Lady Antebellum, but Rascal Flatts has been awesome!

Vocal Duo of the Year
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland
The Wreckers
Ehhhh...I don't know...not my favorite category...B&D will probably win, but I like Montgomery Gentry.

Single of the Year(Award goes to Artist and Producer)
"Don’t Blink"Kenny ChesneyProduced by Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney
"Gunpowder & Lead"Miranda LambertProduced by Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke
"I Saw God Today"George StraitProduced by Tony Brown and George Strait
"Stay"SugarlandProduced by Byron Gallimore, Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles
"You’re Gonna Miss This"Trace Adkins
I love George Strait's song, or else Trace's.

Album of the Year(Award goes to Artist and Producer)
Carnival RideCarrie UnderwoodProduced by Mark Bright
Cowboy TownBrooks & DunnProduced by Kix Brooks, Tony Brown, Ronnie Dunn and Bob DiPiero
Good TimeAlan JacksonProduced by Keith Stegall
Just Who I Am: Poets & PiratesKenny ChesneyProduced by Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney

TroubadourGeorge StraitProduced by Tony Brown and George Strait

Hmmmm...don't know....

Song of the Year(Award goes to Songwriter and Primary Publisher)
“Good Time”Alan Jackson
“I Saw God Today”Rodney Clawson
“Letter To Me”Brad Paisley
“Stay”Jennifer Nettles
“You’re Gonna Miss This”Ashley Gorley

I saw God or You're Gonna Miss This

Musical Event of the Year(Award to each Artist)
Josh Turner featuring Trisha Yearwood“Another Try”
Reba McEntire and Kenny Chesney“Every Other Weekend"
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss“Gone Gone Gone”
Sugarland featuring Little Big Town and Jake Owen“Life In A Northern Town
Kenny Chesney (duet with George Strait)“Shiftwork”

Probably....Sugarland one....

Music Video of the Year(Award goes to Artist and Director)
“Don’t Blink”Kenny Chesney
“Good Time”Alan Jackson
“Stay”Sugarland
“Waitin’ On A Woman”Brad Paisley
“You’re Gonna Miss This”Trace Adkins

Ummmmm.....I don't think I've seen any of 'em......

Musician of the Year
Jerry Douglas – Dobro
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
Dann Huff – Guitar
Brent Mason – Guitar
Mac McAnally – Guitar

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" comes to NE/NC Kansas

Fans of ABC Television's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition know exactly who Ty Pennington is, and know exactly what he does each Sunday night. This week, a Kansas family, specifically a family from Chapman, fellow NCKL school community, is going to have the "Ty-experience"...and it sounds as if they deserve it.

Following is a story copied from the KAKE-TV ABC Affiliate website out of Wichita, http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/34268614.html:

"Ty Pennington and designers from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" surprised the Patrick Tutwiler family with the big "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" bus and limousine to inform the family they have been selected for a home build in Chapman.

"The Tutwiler Family, who have been living on a military base ever since their house in Chapman along with much of the town was devastated by a tornado on June 11, 2008.

"Patrick Tutwiler was shot in the neck by an Iraqi sniper and returned home with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, memory loss and speech problems. Less than a year later, their modest home was hit by an F4 tornado. Patrick and his wife Crystal pulled the family into a closet and used their bodies as human shields while the tornado tore the house apart. Patrick, Crystal, their four children and nephew were living on a nearby military base temporarily until Patrick was given his official military discharge.

"Because of Patrick's injuries and his current part-time employment, the family's finances cannot afford to rebuild or purchase a new home. Now it is up to "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to build this dedicated soldier a safer and stronger place they can call home.

"While Ty and the designers, A local builder coalition of A.F.MC. Construction and Remodeling, Inc. of Salina, Kansas; American Dream Development of Junction City, Kansas; Blixt Construction, L.C. of Chapman, Kansas; Harris Custom Homes LLC of Chapman, Kansas; and Ponton Construction Inc. of Salina, Kansas; and hundreds of volunteers and workers are rebuilding their home, the Tutwiler family will go on vacation. Work crews will work 24 hours a day until the project is done. The family will return on November 18th with viewing in the afternoon.

"The design team for this episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" will feature team leader Ty Pennington and designers Paul DiMeo, Paige Hemmis, Michael Moloney and Ed Sanders.

"The location address is: The Tutwiler Family 330 West 6th, Chapman, Kansas 67431. Spectator viewing locations of the project are available with shuttle transportation from the Kansas Auto Racing Museum.
KAKE will have live reports from Chapman this afternoon. "

What an amazing story of this family; definitely seems like a wonderful recipient for this experience and this home. We wish them all the luck and happiness that it sounds they deserve.

Teaching an old dog.....

I have a hobby....it might be considered an obsession....I scrapbook! Okay, if there are any men reading this, bear with me, I am not going to blab on about scrapbooking...I'm using it as a tool in my entry today. IMO, hobbies are EXTREMELY important! They provide an outlet for creativity perhaps as mine does; it provides a stress release opportunity; it provides an opportunity to perhaps get together with friends or even to meet new people who share the same interests. It also, unfortunately, can be a way for person and money to part ways. Some hobbies can be costly (just ask my husband...or on second thought...DON'T! LOL)

I love to browse other folks' blogs, and that's what gave me the topic for today. I came across one of my scrapbooking blogs that I look at periodically, and the author was writing about reuse and recycling. We recycle at our house (thanks to my husband....he's big into recycling items collection and making the monthly trip to the drop off point). He is also really good about reuse...reusing those things that still has a life....that is why I find those folded up pieces of aluminum foil in the drawer by the mish mash of ziploc baggies!....and the foled up paper towels stuck in the dispenser.

The following is an excerpt from the blog that caught my eye:

"Fix it Up
Wear it Out
Make Do or
Do Without"

"My great-grandmother Francis Meyer Gramlich was often known to say these four lines. I am so glad to hear they are resonating with a new generation in a new era. Americans do take up a very large footprint on the world of material goods. Perhaps we can minimize that impact --one home at a time. Let's use those Seven R's: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Refurbish. Redo. Repurpose and Renovate." ~Rockster from http://myall2.blogspot.com/

I admit that I am not the best at any of this....I like new stuff. But....I'm learning. I'm trying to go green. I have my little shopping bags that I've purchased at Dank's and take back each time I go in. I've also started taking them into other stores in the community, and they've all seemed excited when I do that. *The bags at Dank's are the best. They are $1.00 a piece, and they have a bottom square of cardboard stuff that makes the bottom sturdier and they stand up really nice. Heaven knows I hardly ever buy new clothes...So I am "reusing" my clothes and shoes for many many years! Hubby is recycling cardboard, glass, plastic, aluminum cans, newspapers, magazines, etc. The recycling pick up in Marysville is the first Saturday morning of the month (I think until 11:00 a.m.) across from the National Guard Armory, by Lakeview ball fields.

"The Fallout"

...of the elections, of course.


No, I haven't felt them yet. Of course, I've been avoiding the national news, and the local and state news, too, I suppose. Heck, I didn't even listen to the weather forecast on Wednesday when I took Allison to Topeka to see Sesame Street Live and it RAINED on us!!!! I guess I'm being an ostrich, but sometimes life is easier that way, huh?


First, the national headlines....I think we all knew who was going to win the presidential election. I am pleased that we lived in a historically significant time in American when a black man was elected president. It is significant. I also wish him luck. He has a long, tough road ahead of him. Not only with all of the issues facing him, but two, I believe, white supremists were bound over for trial for threatening to kill Barack Obama and other blacks. Geez! That just sickens me!


Second, who is really in control of these United States of America? The President or the Congress? Congress... Which Nancy Pelosi wasted no time Wednesday morning making known some of things she would like to see get done.


Third, on a local level, USD 364 voters turned down, almost 2:1 again, the $25M bond issue. Are they going to try it a third time without trimming it down? It sounds that way. Third times a charm?

Multi tasking

It's a big day!

Election day and high school football night...and Kiwanis Pancake day, too, of course!

Right now, as I sit here with the laptop sitting on the footstool in my living room, the TV is tuned to ABC television, watching the national election results, listening to another radio station broadcasting a football game on one radio, and of course our radio station on another radio broadcasting the Valley Heights game, sending my husband periodic emails on updates of scores, and any results, etc., that I can find, as he sits over at the radio station managing his end of things. Thus how our lives go every now and again when there are a lot of things going on that need to be on the air. Allison is feeling neglected every now and again, of course, but she has found her babydolls and is getting solace and comfort with them right now.

I am SOOOO ready for the presidental elections to be completed and it is kind of interesting watching the results on television. I think we all pretty much know how it is going turn out. It is going to be historic however it does happen to turn out...either the first black man as president or the first woman as vice president. It is a big night.

In talking today, we just wish that whomever gets elected tonight had a magic wand that could fix all of the problems of the US and the world. Unfortunately it's not that easy. Whomever takes over in January will face an uphill, steeply uphill battle, in righting this topsy turvy economy.

On a more local level, statewide, initially the report I heard was that Jim Slattery was leading Pat Roberts; since then it has turned around, and I believe that Pat Roberts has been declared the winner again. I think that was expected again, too, but hopefully he was humbled a bit and remember whom he is working for in the Congress.

On a very local level, we shall find out soon how the school bond issue is going to end up...will the voters' pass it this time around? We'll soon see.

A news story caught my attention on the local evening news this evening out of Topeka. Manhattan city voters will have an issue on the ballot next week, Tuesday, November 4, which will address a smoking ban in certain areas of Manhattan. Called the "Clean Air Ordinance," if passed, Manhattan will join other communities across the country putting a ban on smoking in public areas.

The website, www.cleanairmanhattan.org states the following:

"The CAM Ordinance does NOT regulate smoking at:
Private residences and cars; parks;
golf courses;
parking lots, streets and sidewalks;
K-State grounds and parking lots, including tailgate parties;
private picnics and parties, outdoor public events such as Purple Power Play on Poyntz, Aggieville New Year’s Eve Celebration, Juneteenth, etc."

"Where smoking will be regulated by the ordinance:
Buildings in which the public is invited
Buildings in which employees work
20’ from entrances to above buildings
Seating areas at outdoor events, such as stadiums and bleachers
All hotels and motels
All bars, restaurants, and private clubs, including patios, will be smoke free ensuring a level playing field for over 18 bars that do not have enough space to provide smoking patios"


Okay, now I will admit that I found this data on a website for one side of the issue - primarily because I couldn't locate anyplace on the internet where the ordinance was printed that was "middle of the road." So, we'll go with this, and you can still make your own call on the matter.

The .pdf file on the ordinance can be read here:
http://www.cleanairmanhattan.org/FINAL%20CAM%20ORDINANCE%2006.24.08.pdf
It is about 9 pages.

I don't smoke. I've never smoked. Well, okay, once when I was in high school when I was with other girls who smoked I did try it; and again when I was in my early 20s and at a bar with friends I smoked another cigarette, but that was it. And I didn't really like it. I still don't like it. In fact, I don't like to go to bars anymore very much because of smoking (and I'm getting OLD). When we go to a restaurant, I request nonsmoking. It bothers me when I am near someone and I can smell old stale smoke on their clothes. Ick!

With that said, I personally don't support a public smoking ban. I totally cannot get into telling people what they can and cannot do with a "legal substance." If they want to ban smoking, then make tobacco illegal. Oh, I know, I have read and heard all about second hand smoke; and I agree, it's dangerous. So are a lot of other "second hand" things.

I appreciate when restaurants and bars have separate areas for smoking and nonsmoking. If a restaurant or bar is small and doesn't have room to separate, don't penalize the business. If they want to continue to offer smoking tables, then put a notice on the door that smoking and nonsmoking space is available, and the folks can choose whether they want to enter the establishment....if you don't smoke and don't wish to be around second hand smoke, then don't go into the establishment. To me, it's that simple.

Your thoughts?

What to blog about.....hmmmmmm

Hello readers....(knock, knock, knock....anyone out there?) If you were, you probably aren't any longer, huh? It's been almost a month since I made a post. Why?
1. I can't think of anything new and terribly interesting, and attention grabbing, to write about.
2. For some reason or the other, it has been incredibly busy at our house...Allison had her 4th birthday, we had a couple of parties, subbing, working, volunteering, etc. yada yada yada....
3. Because I can't think of anything thought provoking, I'm using the busy-ness as an excuse! LOL

So, what's up?

Let's see.....
*Election day is just a couple of weeks away....Thank goodness! If you are like me, you are getting terribly tired of hearing all of the fighting and nitpicking flying between some of the candidates on the state and national level. Can anyone really make a difference and make the changes we desperately need?
*Locally, USD 364 is going to try to pass the bond issue again this election day. I really haven't heard as much about it this time around, just that they were opening the schools up on Sunday afternoons for tours. Is attendance good on those tours?
*The economy basically tanked...terribly scary.... I'm so glad we live in the midwest where generally we are more conservative and didn't necessarily (hopefully) feel the total brunt....yet... I hope it's all on the way back up.
*Weather....fall is here and cooler weather is too....later this week Topeka weather folks are forecasting spitting snowy showers Thursday night. Dig out the electric blankets and heavy coats!
*Flu shots....everywhere I turn around, people are talking about flu shots. Are you getting one? I haven't had one since I was teaching in the public school setting. Do I need one this year?
*Entertainment news .... what's up with Madonna? Midlife crisis? A western movie is out - Appaloosa; and High School Musical Senior Year is almost here.
*Have you seen the Astro Theater in Marysville this week? I LOVE what I'm seeing happening there! The "fake" facade has been removed from part of the building, and what I assume to be the original ornate front is showing. If the plan is to spruce it up, it will be beautiful. How neat!