An Ozark Perspective

2011-01-29T09:26:00.000-08:00

There's a man with a gun over there, telling me I've got to beware.

Bus riders: have you ever heard of Gregg Hartley?

He describes himself on his twitter page as a Republican policy advisor.

Opensecrets.org, however, sees it another way and The Washington Post reports that "He (Hartley) has reorganized the firm and turned it into a predominantly Republican operation."

The firm with which he is, for now at least, Chief Operating Officer of, Cassidy & Associates, is one of the largest lobbying firms in D.C. One of their clients is City Utilities of Springfield, MO.

According to their website, Cassidy & Associates has "helped businesses, non-profits, and political figures navigate their way through once-in-a-lifetime crises that resulted from federal action."

Hartley also understands social media. His Twitter name, GreggLHartley and lists his location as "The Shady Side", clocks in this morning with over 4,000 tweets.

Earlier this month, The National Journal's Jeremy Jacobs reported:

Former Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman picked up a big endorsement for her Senate bid on Thursday: Gregg Hartley.

Hartley is one of the top lobbyists on Capitol Hill, currently working for Cassidy and Associates. He has deep ties to Missouri, having served as Sen. Roy Blunt's (R) chief of staff as he was ascending the leadership in the House.

In an email to his personal email list -- obtained by Hotline On Call -- Hartley threw his weight behind Steelman. The email had the subject, "Steel Magnolia from Missourah," and in it Hartley wrote that he is ready to back Steelman even though it is unclear whether there will be a contested Republican primary.

"Too early to know for sure if there will be a serious primary or to predict winners," Hartley wrote. "But supporting a solid candidate isn't always that big of a choice. I've made mine."

Hartley also encourages the recipients of the email to visit Steelman's site and to consider making a contribution.

Talent this week announced that he would not seek the senate seat he lost to a Mccaskill in 2006.

Hartley, who supported Gary Nodler in the August primary, quickly shifted his allegiance to Billy Long and frequently tweets about it.

This morning, after I finished reading the print edition of the Springfield News-Leader (I love the smell of newspaper ink in the morning, it smells like...home), I switched to electronic media.

There I tumbled upon a series of twitter exchanges that started several days ago between Bungalow Bill (remember him? he's Christian County blogger who got a visit from Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott and the F.B.I. for being critical of Billy Long.) and Hartley -- back in the day, we'd call it a 'pissing contest'.

Does anyone else wonder why Gregg Hartley, the COO of one of the most, if not the most powerful lobbying firms in Washington D.C., Cassidy & Associates, is allowing himself to get ruffled by a constituent of Billy Long's who asks tought questions and who was labeled by the Springfield News-Leader as a "thorn"?

The F.B.I. agent who, with Sheriff Arnott sitting on the couch next to him, conducted the interview, said to Bungalow Bill, the blogger in question, "You are absolutely in your to do just that (question Long)and more power to you. That's what you're supposed to be doing: holding people accountable. Because that's the people we elect and they are supposed to be accountable to us. And somebody's got to do it and more power to you."

Yesterday, Hartley retweeted this from JamesMNHarris (as Bus riders may or may not know, Harriswas part of the Billy Long campaign team with Jeff Roe. Harris also achieved some sort of notoriety, I guess, caused by some stuff that went on in Washington MO during the election-- another pissing contest?): Amazing how individuals w/ no journalism training, but email or blog now think they are now reporters. Self proclaimed importance.

Sure looks like somebody is ruffling some feathers!

Getting back to what started this post, also on Hartley's twitter feed this morning is this:

Hill COS agreed this week to help with efforts for Veterans in Defense of Liberty..... about 6 hours ago via web from Shady Side, MD

I don't know who the "Hill COS" refers to, but I sure do know who the "Veterans in Defense of Liberty" are: That's the group formed earlier late last year by Scott Magill

They have a website and a member of the board of directors is Sam Paredes.

VIDOL also endorses candidates. Their website boasts "75% combat efficiency with 2010 endorsements".

Ah, angry people who are mad at the government and guns.

Janet Adams Is A Liberal?

2009-04-23T19:57:00.001-07:00

Who is Janet Adams? She must have been some powerful candidate that Shane Schoeller raised in excess of $169,000 to defend his seat against her.

In a letter sent this week to Schoeller supporters, Roy Blunt said, "Unfortunately Shane had to spend $10,121 more than he raised to retain his seat."

WHAT? According to a report Schoeller filed with the Missouri Ethics Commision 8 days before the election Schoeller reported raising $169,000 and spending $112,030 on the race.

I can't dig deep enough to know where the money is going but he 2009 MEC reports appear to indicate that he is carrying someone on the payroll. Must be his full-time, paid Ponzi person. Ponzi comes into play because he took money from one source to pay to campaigns other than his own. to the tune of over $12,000. But the Schoeller Ponzi Scheme is legal.

Remember these posts from KY3's David Catanese?

January 22, 2009: Schoeller considering run for congress.

January 31, 2009: Site set up to draft schoeller for congress.

February 27, 2009: Schoeller: I will not seak the 7th Congressional Seat.

Goodman is said to have the support of the Blunt/Ashcroft machine.

Schoeller's pedigree is deep: Matt Blunt appointed Schoeller's wife fee agent for the Nixa License Plate Office. She has received almost $800,000 in fees since her appointment. Schoeller has been a staffer for the Homebuilders Association, Students in Free Enterprise, on the staffs of John Ashcroft, Kit Bond, Roy and Matt Blunt....and don't forget, he's another shining alumnus of Southwest Baptist University..Do you remember who used to be president of that University?...and now, a campaign finance money launderer trained by the masters.

One of the ways to get around the campaign limits prior to their removal, was this simple scheme:

Special Interest Group A maxes out their contribution to Candidate A who is in a tough fight. So Special Interest Group A maxes out their contribution to, say, Candidate B who is scored as safe to retain his seat.

Candidate B then takes that contribution and passes it though to Candidate A. Candidate B launders the money, obscuring its origins, so much for transparency in government.

Pretty slick, ain't it! And not only that, it is legal!

But wait!, There's MORE!

Candidate B is having a good campaign. His opponent is weak and not raising much money. Candidate B is having good returns from his fund raising efforts. Lots of people are giving money to candidate B because they believe in him.

Candidate B meanwhile gives cash to candidates who are cash strapped. He takes the money people gave to his campaign and gives that money to the campaign of Candidate A.

Again, all legal.

But getting back to Janet Adams, the 'liberal' who, according to Roy, caused Shane to spent all his money and an additional $10,121.00" I tried to verify this information on the MEC website but the website is giving out error messages like Ralph used to pass out silver dollars.

I can see it now-----Roy goes to Shane and gets Shane to drop out and support Goodman for the 'good of the party'. As a token of his appreciation, Roy will help Shane with his fundraising efforts in his district and maybe even help him go for Speaker.

Term limits really presents some opportunities that used to take years to fall into place.

We will see how this plays out as we get closer to 2010.

test

2008-10-19T18:15:00.001-07:00

Kristin, who lives next door, has received some of those robo calls over the past week. Actually she has received more, but if she is not home the calls go to her answering machine and she erases them. I told her to keep them and forward them to David Catonese over at KY3 political blog.

Kristin doesn't like the robocalls. They are nasty, suggesting Obama pals around with terrorists and.... well, listen for yourself. This is the call she received:

These robocalls seem to be originating from FLS Connect out of St. Paul Minnesota. Here is their website.

"I know these guys well. They become partners with the campaigns they work with. From designing the program to drafting scripts; from selecting targets to making the calls in a professional, successful way they work as hard to win your races as you do."
—Karl Rove

Yeah, the same Karl Rove. Not only that, one of the principals of FLS, Tony Feather had his start with the Missouri Republican Party.

A former executive director of the Missouri Republican Party, Feather is known for his fierce campaign tactics on behalf of candidates like John Ashcroft and former Missouri Attorney General Bill Webster. Feather ran Webster’s 1992 campaign for governor; Webster not only lost but went to prison on charges related to misusing his office for campaign purposes. Feather is also a compatriot of Karl Rove, whom he first met in 1974.
Feather founded Feather Larson Synhorst with another GOP operative, Tom Synhorst, who is sometimes referred to as the "Johnny Appleseed of Astroturf."

FLS is responsible for many of those annoying robo-calls to voters that arrive during the days leading up to elections.

Do robocalls work? well, robo calls are cheap.

They have been used before in campaigns. One candidate really seems to like them. (Say, is that the same Tim Trower?)

How will the call be phrased? Will it be pro candidate or an anticandidate ad? Why do I get this gut feeling that I am going to be a target of robo calls?

Maybe because we look to the past to predict the future?

My Sister Has A Yard Sign In Front Of Her House.

2008-10-11T19:48:00.001-07:00

A horse rider I am acquainted with was coming back from riding horses at Wilson's Creek Battlefield this morning when she saw a yard sign in right-of-way in front of my sister's house. She called me with his cell phone and told me I wasn't going to believe what she just saw.

I halfway expected it. Since my mother passed away last March, two of my sisters have stymied every attempt by the other eight children to settle Mom's estate and get on with our lives. It has not been easy.

You all know that old saying, blood is thicker than water? Well, there's a deeper level to that saying, money is thicker than blood.

Eight of the ten of us siblings communicate frequently, mainly via email. The other two siblings have refused our emails, phone calls and accept only registered letters and have demanded that any attempt to communicate with them be done through their attorney.

It is sad for us. I know Mom would be sad too. Dad wouldn't have tolerated it. He never tolerated this type of behavior, especially from his children.

Anyhow, I told my friend that I was not surprised to see the sign in front of her house. I felt it was a pretty good indicator of her state of mind and her opinion her brothers and sisters.

I was originially going to title this post, "Mom would kick her out of the will if she saw this sign" when I realized she already had. Oh, and that sign and that trailer for sale up there, they are on the right-of-way

test post debate

2008-09-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

I watched last night's debate at the bus barn with my son-in-law, who is the only Republican in our immediate family. Now, if you don't think dinner table discussions are lively around here you got another thought coming. I enjoy a good political discussion with my son-in-law.

But last night we promised our wives that we would not comment on the debate while the debate was in progress but would save our impressions for after the debate.

How'd it go? Pretty good. No one's opinion changed. He is still a McCain supporter; I am still an Obama supporter. What we did agree on is this: McCain didn't make any mistakes and was tightly controlled, and Obama held his ground on foreign policy. McCain scored points on earmarks and spending and Obama did best when he tied McCain to Bush. McCain fumbled in his remarks on Pakistan."

Neither of us thought independents were moved by last night's debate. We think the big event will be the vice-presidential debate next week in St. Louis between Palin and Biden. Both of these candidates will be a heartbeat away from the presidency...their performance -and both are gaffe prone- may very well tip the scales of the election.

McCain seemed tense in last night's debate. Pundits commented on his body language and rigidity. I thought it was just classic McCain.

Obama appeared more relaxed and where he agreed with McCain, he said so. It is too bad that the partisanship of McCain's staff produced this ad:
In my world when you tell a political opponent that he is right or words to that effect, you are stating that you are willing to look beyond partisanship and recognize a good idea, or good plan, or good work for what it is: a good idea, a good plan, good work. To imply it is an endorsement or a sign of weakness is disingenuous and misleading and not fair to voters. It also indicates the sneakiness that most of us don't like to see in our political campaigns.

Why do I bring this up? Last Wednesday, I was at a candidate forum here in Springfield. The Greene County candidates for county commission, sheriff, public administrator and circuit clerk spoke. The county commission candidates and sheriff candidates, during their speaking time, touched on the jail overcrowding.

When it came my turn to speak, I also spoke about the jail overcrowding: on Tuesday there were about 589 prisoners in the jail which is staffed for 450 prisoners. Even though there is significant understaffing, the jailers are still doing a good job keeping the jail running efficiently.

Of those 589 prisoners, twenty-four have already been sentenced to prison and are awaiting transfer to Department of Correction facilities, but because the Circuit Clerk has not processed the final disposition of their case files, they (the prisoners) remain in the Greene County Jail. The cost to the county to keep these 24 prisoners in the Greene County Jail while they wait for the Circuit Clerk to process their paperwork is over $1,000 a day.

The current circuit clerk,who was appointed by Matt Blunt, when it came his turn to speak, said he was glad to see that his opponent (me) endorse the Republican candidate for Greene County Sheriff. I guess in his world saying someone is doing their job is taken as an endorsement.

He further went on to say that his office is understaffed and that is why the paperwork hasn't been processed yet.

The circuit clerk's office is about as non-partisan as you can get here in Greene County. To inject partisan politics into this race is extremely inappropriate. I have said all along that the issues in the Circuit Clerk's race accuracy, efficiency, competency, the ability to read and follow directions, and who has the capability to judiciously lead and manage the office.

I have avoided promoting my candidacy on this blog but I couldn't let this go unnoticed. Jim Lee

PS--this blog is a public service of blognet.com. Anyone can get a blog from blognet.com

2008-06-10T18:40:00.001-07:00

video

Regarding Springfield City Council's Email Addresses.....test post

2008-05-02T08:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I posted about the Shoot-Out On The Public Square.
The last paragraph of that post:

(Did you ever notice that when you go to email city council from "The City" website, what the email addresses are? They all seem to have the same email address: CityCouncil@ci.springfield.mo.us.)

LifeOfJason has been kind enough to post the City Council members' personal email addresses in a downloadable file on his blog. I'm working on getting their cell phone numbers for you.

Shrinkage?

2008-04-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

test

2008-04-01T07:10:00.001-07:00

Thanks for riding the Bus! No need to tip the driver! Today, April 1, 2008, I am posting my 787th post on this blog. I think I am going to park this blog for awhile. I don't feel the passion for writing here that I once did. And I get tired of people pissing on my leg and telling me it's raining. Besides, it's Springtime in Springfield and budget crisis' aside (doesn't the county run on sales tax too?), there are sidewalks to build and grass to mow and empty septic tank holes to fill.
I spent almost all of last summer re-doing the Airstream. Now that I got it finished, now that I got the suburban all set to go, I am going to use them. Yeah, that's the ticket. I'm gonna take a thousand dollars and head west until I've spent 500, then I'm gonna turn around and come back. The private nurse says with three dollar gasoline I MAY make it to Tulsa and back.
This weekend, my wife and I are taking the Airstream down to Branson for the weekend. We know some fellow Airstream travelers and we rendezvous in Branson at Compton Ridge Campground twice a year. Here are some photos from last October's gathering.

I will be 59 years old next month. I guess I finally realized I will never be Superman. I have been retired for three years now and I got a few more stars I am going to shoot for, it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.

So, I am going to take a break for awhile. Thanks for riding and I appreciate you. (four row, last person on the right, 1968)
An Ozark woman

Cream pie

A Conversation From 1988

2008-03-30T23:12:00.000-07:00

Fred Wells, Mushe Wells (with straw hat), Frank Evans, George Crable. Unknown Boy, Tillie Crable, Bessie Evans. Tillie, Bessie, Fred and Mushe were brothers and sisters. This photo was taken somewhere in Iowa in the mid 1930s.

“The earliest president I remember? I don’t remember. Franklin Roosevelt, I guess. Herbert Hoover, I remember him. Everyone was so glad when Roosevelt won.

“We were living in Oskaloosa, Iowa. (1932). My Dad had rented a barn and he was in partners with a man named Porter trading horses and they kept the horses in the barn.

“I was born in Mason City, Iowa in 1919. My Mom and Dad were playing the fair there. I think the dates are the same because you remember when we played it with Bill Dillard Shows; we celebrated my birthday there and had a big party.

“My Grandfather came over to this country from England; I think it had to be in the 1880s. Both families (maternal and paternal grandparents) came over here.”

“Why do you think they came over here, from England?” I asked.

“Why to make a living. The whole family came. My Grandfather had an affair with a girl on the boat over and he fathered her child. He used to write to him all the time when he was growing up.”

I asked what happened to the boy.

“Oh, I don’t know. Just grew up I guess.

“My Mother and Father were both born in America. They had beautiful wagons, the fanciest wagons you ever saw. The wagons were just for sleeping in, big feather beds. You had your tent that you lived into. I remember my Mother telling me about the tents.

“And they’d travel about fifteen to twenty miles to the next spot and that was as far as they would go in a day with the horses.

“Your Uncle Ben was one of the first travelers to get a car. It could be started with a key and Mom would tell us stories about his car. Uncle Ben and Aunt Claire
“Every night when he crawled into his wagon to sleep, he run a log chain out to this car and chained it to his ankle. He wasn’t about to let anybody steal his car.

“I was one of the first women to drive. I was twelve years old and I think my Dad taught me how to drive so I could take my Mom places so he wouldn’t have to. Mom never learned how to drive.

“George (her husband) worked in the CCC Camp building brick roads in Ottumwa. We got secretly married and my folks wouldn’t have nothing to do with him. They kept on trying to get me to go back. After about six or seven months they quit trying.

“We were living in Fairfield, Iowa at George’s folks’ house. George’s little brothers used to walk along the railroad tracks and pick up coal that had fallen off the trains. It was so cold that snow blew in the cracks of the house. Upstairs was so cold that you could put your snow covered shoes on the floor and a week later they would still have snow on them.

“One time we went over to Richmond to visit some relatives of mine and to go hunting, they had invited us over. So we got all dressed up warm and drove over to go hunting and when we got there nobody was home.

“As we drove into their yard, it was just covered with chickens and two of them jumped into our car. I closed the door and told George to drive out of there, fast. We had chicken dinner that night.

“My Mom and Dad was living in Hot Springs then and they called and George and I went down there and bought a little trailer and they gave me a ball game as a wedding present. And that is how we got our start in the business.Uncle Ben and Aunt Claire hold little Sammie,
“We were in Oklahoma when Pearl Harbor happened. George had gone to welding school, so he went to Detroit to get a job working in a defense plant.

“After about three months, he called and said he had a place to park the trailer so Dad drove me and the trailer up there and he took a bus home.

“When George knew he would be drafted, he enlisted so he would have his choice of a job. He was sent to Fort Dix. My Dad came up and drove my trailer back to Arkansas. This was in 1942.
“When George got stationed in Paris, Texas and knew he would be there for awhile, I went down there and stayed three months in a hotel for women whose husbands were in the service. We’d sit around and crochet and play cards and just chit-chat.

“Remember when we played Washington, Iowa, and that woman came out to visit with me? She was one of the women who was in that hotel with me. We’d sit in the lobby when it was hot and it was always hot, until maybe one in the morning.Tillie and friends in Paris, Texas, 1940s during the ware years.
“One night, a man came in and thought the hotel was a house and told the bellhop he couldn’t make up his mind which one he wanted and one of the girls was me. We laughed about that for a long time.

“We found a spot to park our trailer and I went home and got it. My Mom and Dad and I drove it back and we got all parked in a nice little park. George’s little brother, Marvin, one of the twins, was living with us then because there was so many people to feed in Iowa. Besides, he was good company. He was about eleven.

“We’d get to see our husbands on weekends if we were lucky. One girl came down and didn’t have no place to stay so I let her bunk with me until she found a place. She was a wealthy girl, her husband was an officer. She always wanted to know if I had a girl or a boy. When Sam was born she sent a big box of baby clothes to Sota, Kansas.

“This trailer park was about six miles from the camp and about three miles outside Paris. One day, as I was driving into town, I saw an old merry-go-round and a Ferris wheel sitting in a field. The man’s name was Doc Sugar and he just town kids working his games.

“Well, I had my old ball game in the back of my pickup so I asked him if I could set it up. He says he didn’t know but he would think about it.

“I asked him what the privilege would be and he wanted a percent or $25.00 a week. That was a lot of money in those days. The first two weeks was just jam up and then it slowed off, but it still was a little gold mine.

“I paid him $25.00 a week and George came out and moved my trailer to the lot. Doc Sugar charged me for lights for my trailer but it was sure nice having it on the lot.

“Then George got TB and was shipped to Minneapolis. Some people on the show drove my trailer to Sota, Kansas, where Mom and Dad was working at the time. I gave the man, I can’t remember his name, one hundred dollars for moving the trailer.

“When the war ended we were on William T. Collins Shows and I remember the whistles blowing and the bells ringing. Everybody was so happy the war was over.Truck with new tires

“After the war was over, my Dad and George formed their own show. I remember George buying a truck just because it had good tires on it. He drove out to Salem, Oregon to Everly Aircraft and picked up the first Octopus made after the war ended. It was brand new and took them six weeks to get back.New Octopus from Everly Aircraft, Salem, Oregon, 1945
“We traveled Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and all the family would live in Pine Bluff in the winter. George had a little radiator shop there and kept the ride men working through the winter. Sam, Fred and Murle at the radiator shop in Pine Bluff, AR, 1946?
“We all had our trailers parked in back of the shop. Mom and Dad, Brother Fred and his wife, Mushe and Britty, Cousin Nelson and his wife Jean, Naylor, all the family was there. Mushe, Britty and baby Fred, somewhere in Iowa, 1946?
“George and I were the first ones to get a TV. I had a beautiful trailer with a big front window. Every night everybody would look in the window at the TV. We got one station out of Little Rock and it only came on at night.

I asked her, “What was important to you, then?”

“Oh, I don’t know for sure. I guess having enough food on the table and being happy. Staying close to my family is important also. I think all you kids have basically the same values we had when we were growing up: trying to stay healthy and happy and to take care of your family. We have always been family people and you just take care of your own.”

2008-03-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Mary Louise Lee nee Bansbach, attended to by her daughter, Mary Jane Moooneyham, left this life peacefully Wednesday, March 26, 2008, at 5:50 AM. Mary Lou was born in St. Louis, MO on April 30, 1928, the oldest of three sisters.

She was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-six years, Bob Lee; her parents, Alphonse and Eleanor Bansbach; her two sisters, Evelyn Wells and Carole Lonergan; and a grandson, Drew Pridgeon.

Mary Lou is survived by her ten children: Bob, Jim, Tom, Mary, Carol, Jane, John, Ed, Ellen and Joan. She is also survived by fifteen grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Mary Lou had a variety of interests and enjoyed many things in her life. She enjoyed working in the dirt and planting flowers; sipping instant coffee on the deck of her lake cabin; quilting and creating fine needlepoint and embroidery; lunches with “the lunch bunch”; walking through hardware stores; and visiting with her family and friends. She was a sensitive and thoughtful soul.

Her children appreciate the comfort and solace given to their Mother in her final days by her friends Jo, Beth and Jill and her caregivers Elaine, Gloria, Ellen, Linda and Stephanie.

Mary Lou gifted her body to Mid-America Transplant Services. Services will be held at a later date.

2008-03-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

Mary Louise Lee nee Bansbach, attended to by her daughter, Mary Jane Moooneyham, left this life peacefully Wednesday, March 26, 2008, at 5:50 AM. Mary Lou was born in St. Louis, MO on April 30, 1928, the oldest of three sisters.

She was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-six years, Bob Lee; her parents, Alphonse and Eleanor Bansbach; her two sisters, Evelyn Wells and Carole Lonergan; and a grandson, Drew Pridgeon.

Mary Lou is survived by her ten children: Bob, Jim, Tom, Mary, Carol, Jane, John, Ed, Ellen and Joan. She is also survived by fourteen grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Her children appreciate the comfort and solace given to their Mother in her final days by her friends Jo, Beth and Jill and her caregivers Elaine, Gloria, Ellen, Linda and Stephanie.

Mary Lou gifted her body to Mid-America Transplant Services. Services will be held at a later date.

2008-03-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

I "Fingered" The Doc: No Paper IN The World Would Print What Went On In That Motel.

2008-03-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

by Jack Weeks, Police Reporter, Houston Chronicle. Pitt from the Press, a rival newspaper, caught the phone in the press room.

"For you, Jackson." He'll always regret turning that call over to me.

An iron-throated voice rasped: "Listen close. I'm not going to say this twice. You know all about the goofball party three days ago. You want to know the name of the guy who's peddling the stuff?"

Did I want to know the guy's name? Does a monkey have a tail?

"Keep talking," I said, "I'll be right here."

"I can't say too much where I am," he said cautiously. "You got to meet me somewhere."

I told him to name the spot. He picked a drive-in out in the east end of the city. I kept my voice low all the times I was talking. If Pitt tumbled, he had to be a lip reader. He was no lip reader. When I hung up the phone and reached for my hat, he asked, "Where you going, Jackson?"

"To Homicide," I lied, "Got to check a guy's record. That was a new re-write man on the phone. You know new men, they ask a million questions."

I ducked out fast before he got wise. Riding the elevator down from teh third floor of the police station I had time to think things over.

Three days ago the city was shocked when eight teenagers, including several girls, were caught by the Vice Squad in a tourist cabin. Detectives had seized several bottles of pills in the room. These pills, a chemist's analysis disclosed, were barbiturates, known to pillusers as goofballs.

I'll tell you what a goofball does: it'll get you high as a kite and make you lose most of your inhibitions. That's what it did to those eight kids.
That teen-age party was a beaut. Three of the youngsters got trips to the hospital out of it. One girl nearly died. It was more than twenty-four hours later when she recovered consciousness.

What had gone on in that tourist cabin we never told our family newspaper readers. You could have gotten a fair idea just by reading between the lines. The party was the daddy of all juvenile sex orgies.

The newspapers screamed for the cops to find the monster who had sold the pills to the kids. Vice Squad officers grilled the youngsters for hours. They learned everything but the source of the goofballs. It was several years ago that the Texas legislature passed a law forbidding the illegal sale and possession of barbiturates, after a terrific crusade by my newspaper. Now I had a telephone call: A man with a raspy voice wanted to spill the name of the peddler who had sold those pills to the juveniles.(Continued on page 47)

Leaders In Costumes

2008-02-25T15:29:00.001-08:00

The internets is afire with this photo of Barak Obama dresses as a Somali Warrior. I am not sure what all the uproar is about, lots of times our leaders dress up in costumes, it's no big deal. Just because they are dressed as something, that doesn't mean they are that something.

How To Blow $1.2 Billion Really Fast

2008-02-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

Crash a B-2 Stealth Bomber
A B-2 Stealth Bomber crashed late Friday evening, Springfield time, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The two pilots ejected safely and are reported in good condition. This is the first crash of the 1.2 billion dollar bomber. All 21 of the B-2 bombers are stationed at Whiteman AFB, outside of Warrensburg, MO. (should that be all '20' of the B-2 bombers are stationed at Whiteman?)
View Larger Map of Whiteman AFB, MO

View Larger Map of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam

2008-02-20T19:09:00.000-08:00

Constant Bus riders are aware that there is a local blog that chronicles the life of a guy named Jason (that's a picture of Jason before he learned the correct way to ask a girl for a date to the blogaronis.) Bus riders also know that Life Of Jason and the Bus Plunge often blog on different topics. In fact, there are many differences between the LOJ and the Bus. For instance, the Bus has a bus, LOJ doesn't have a bus. LOJ lives in a 2-story house, the Bus lives in a brick house. LOJ drinks hot chocolate, the Bus drinks coffee.

Another example of the differences between the Bus and LOJ: Last week during the running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR's premier stockcar race, the Bus was able to watch the race free of unwanted interruptions and cheer on Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch, the Penske drivers who finished first and second. LOJ's distress at watching his favorite drivers Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have a bad day at the race was compounded by telephone calls from the Missouri Deputy Sheriff's Association. LOJ blogged about the interuptions: you can read the post and all the comments here.

Money quote from LOJ: "And what in the world is the Missouri Deputy Sheriff’s Association doing calling me anyway?" Notice who called LOJ, the Missouri DEPUTY Sheriff's Association, the DEPUTIES called LOJ.

And that brings us to the major difference between the Busplunge and the LOJ. The Bus doesn't get his Daytona 500 interrupted by a phone call from the deputy. No siree bob, the Sheriff himself took the time to write the Bus a personal letter, personally delivered to the Bus's front door by a uniformed representative of the United States Government. Yes Sir, LOJ, the Sheriff knows how important the Bus is. The Sheriff knows the Bus is #7 this week.

LOJ gets a phone call from a deputy. The Bus gets a personal letter from the Sheriff. Major difference.

2008-02-19T18:02:00.000-08:00

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2008-02-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

TAMPA - A pastor has a new challenge for his parishioners. It involves sex - a subject that may be taboo in many congregations.

The Relevant Church in Tampa's Ybor City has issued a 30-day sex challenge.

"It's going to be tempting and awkward at the same time for sure," said parishioner Brent Cayson.

Single men and women can't have sex for 30 days, and married couples are urged to have it every day.

"If you look at studies, studies say in 30 days you can develop a habit," said Pastor Paul Wirth.

It definitely caught wives in the church by surprise.

"Our married people are far more fearful than our single people," said Wirth.

"Sex is about more than intercourse and that's what we're trying to tell people," said church member Jarret Haas.

Wirth has found biblical references that he says suggest Jesus disapproved of pre-marital sex and promoted sex in marriage. So, he believes people connect to God through life-long commitment.

That's why he tells his single followers to abstain, and his married followers to indulge.

Wirth is a former Baptist. He founded his non-denominational ministry three years ago. And he markets his church by tackling unusual or controversial topics.

For those who can't move to Tampa,or are loveless and lonely, the Bus has taken matters into his own hands and posted an informational post over onOzarks Offbeat that will help you achieve the same results in your home town.

ALL RIGHT, KEEP MOVING, NOTHING TO LOOK AT HERE, STAY IN YOUR LANE,

2008-02-13T14:36:00.001-08:00

KEEP MOVING, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD, THAT'S RIGHT, KEEP MOVING, NOTHING TO SEE HERE, KEEP MOVING

A truck was traveling down highway 169 at around 1 o'clock in the morning near Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Motorcyclist was traveling at ~120mph and ran into the back of the moving semi-truck.
Truck driver said he felt the impact, and it took almost a 1/4 mile for him to pull over. We all slow down to look at wrecks.

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2008-02-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

This sort of reminds me of the tearing down of the Frisco Depot back in 1967.
That too was done in a big hurry. And Branson Landing , something unique to branson is gone, could be anywhere mcdonald's

I always liked that fountain and it wasn't until the letter to the editor appeared in the paper in December, I never connected it to the designerLawrence Halprin.

As a junior member of this community (compared to Councilman Manley) it seems that the council is bending over backwards to the developer of the Heer's building.
Councilman Manley appears to be in a rush to spend our money.
I agree with Chiles, the developer of the fountain should have been brought in on the process.

The SN-L has a story here. Life of Jason has the liveblog here.

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2008-02-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

Remember this post from last October: I Can't Drive 55
Turns out the guy was a prophet who was ahead of his time:

There would be an introduction to the Pace Car Program, which involves residents voluntarily signing a pledge to drive the speed limit in their neighborhood and all city neighborhoods. Residents have more power than they realize to slow the pace of traffic on their own streets.

I think the 25mph speed limit is a good idea on neighborhood streets. I earlier had some correspondence with Michael Brothers of the city on what is a 'neighborhood street'.

Jim,
Here are the answers to your questions about the speed limit changes. The answers are from Earl Newman, our head traffic engineer. Please do post them on your blog if you want, along with any other links you think people mightvbe interested in. One of the handiest links is to an interactive map that shows exactly which streets which be at what speeds after the proposed changes. You have to zoom in a bit.

Also, do you care if we post these questions and answers on the forum on our Web site? Others may have similar questions. Let me know if there's anything else you need. Thanks.

Mike Brothers
Special Projects Coordinator
City of Springfield
Office: (417) 864-1119 Fax: (417) 864-1114
mbrothers@springfieldmo.gov
www.springfieldmogov.org

-What is a residential street?

The proposal for 25 mph speed limit will mostly effect neighborhood streets. The criteria we are using includes those streets which have single family residential development on both sides, two lanes for traffic movement and carry less than 1,500 vehicles per day.

The way the 25 mph speed limit would be implemented is to change the General(Blanket) Speed for the city from 30 mph to 25 mph. This means that a motorist is to assume that in the absence of speed limit signing higher or lower than 25 mph, the speed limit is 25 mph. In this regard, the City Traffic Engineer would have the flexibility of signing streets at a higher speed limit if needed based on a traffic study (of prevailing speeds, volume and location). Only City Council can approve the posting of speed limits lower than 25 mph.

Our intent is to keep all major streets (Expressways, Major Arterials, Secondary Arterials) and most Collector streets at their current speed limit. There will be a few residential collectors that we will be able to sign as 25 mph if they meet the criteria listed in the previous paragraph. The streets that will be changed if the proposal is approved will mostly be neighborhood local streets but we will also lower the speed limit other local streets even with non-residential development, i.e. industrial local, commercial local, etc.

-Is Fremont considered a residential street?

Fremont Avenue has mostly single family residential development north of Sunshine. However, having residential development along a street does not make the street a ³residential street² from a traffic perspective. Having single family development along both sides of the street is one consideration for posting 25 mph but we must also take into account the traffic volume. As an example, Fremont north of Grand has single family residential development but carries over 2,000 vehicles per day. Since Fremont is a Collector Street, we would not be able to post 25 mph on this segment of street. Fremont Avenue is classified as a Collector Street north of Sunshine and is classified as a Secondary Arterial south of Sunshine.

- How about Portland? I live on West Portland and I am comfortable with 30 mph. On the streets that come off Portland, New, Missouri, Ferguson, etc, 30 is too
fast.
Portland Street is classified as a Collector Street. The street carries just over 1,500 vehicles per day. We propose leaving the speed limit on Portland Street from Fort Avenue to Glenstone Avenue at 30 mph. The other streets mentioned are local streets and we would reduce those streets to a 25 mph speed limit.

-Is Grant between Parkview and Sunshine considered residential?
There is residential development along Grant Avenue between Parkview H.S. area and Sunshine. However, the street is functionally classified as Secondary Arterial and carries over 5,000 vehicles per day. This street will remain posted with a 30 mph speed limit.

-How about Stanford between Campbell and Grant.
Stanford Street is classified as a local street and meets all criteria for posting with a 25 mph speed limit.

The SN-L has an article about the proposed lower speed limits. City Council will talk of it this evening. If you don't want to get out in the weather to go to the City Council meeting, they are televised on mediacom cable channel 23 and Life of Jason usually liveblogs them

2008-02-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

Kate Smith sings "God Bless America".

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2008-01-16T18:29:00.000-08:00