Hope you had a great weekend and that very few of you had plans disrupted by the storms.  I know it was a big weekend for graduations and such….

What’s in a Warning?

I ask because we had the sirens go off last night.  I am in the Central to west-central part of the city of Des Moines and we heard sirens go off five times…So did Brooke on the South side.  When I heard the sirens I checked the information…there was a warning for Polk County and we went to the basement.  We really didn’t need to be there.

I know I know…I am going to get some angry emails from Emergency Management personnel saying the outdoor sirens are simply a warning for people who might be outdoors that they should seek shelter.  That’s a change in the last year or so.  My problems is…I’m not sure a lot of people know that, so they assume there is a warning associated for their area with the siren.  When a storm like this happens and the sirens end up alerting us of…nothing…then I think people might begin to disregard the sirens…That’s not good.

Weather radios are always best and cell phones have apps like 13 Warm Me to make sure you have updated information…But the sirens have just become confusing.  When I got in this morning our reporter Jenny told me her sirens in West Des Moines DIDN’T GO OFF!!  She’s in Polk County too.  She was about 10 miles closer to the actual tornado than I was and she didn’t get sirens.  How does that help?

My point here isn’t to criticize the emergency managers…they’re trying to err on the side of caution and make sure everyone stays safe.  My point is to wonder aloud if we couldn’t use a better system?  Reverse 9-1-1 is technology that’s existed for a while.  You can target specific addresses.  Mid-American Energy knows when my lights are back on and calls me to tell me so.  Why can’t the County come up with a system that warns specific neighborhoods and addresses?  Why can’t my cell phone be programmed to allow an emergency agency to call or text me when there is a severe weather alert?  Isn’t that enough?  Along with the radios isn’t that enough?  What did you think about the sirens/radios/smart phone warnings you got last night?

Worth it

We had a long Saturday with the Boys.  We attended the CureSearch walk down at Principal Park Saturday morning to support a friend in the boy’s PMO class last year who is fighting valliantly against brain cancer.  The stories of survival are inspirational and the stories of the children who didn’t win their battle with cancer remind us to appreciate every day with our healthy kids.

After the walk we headed to Sesame St live.

 I didn’t know what to expect but the reaction

was enough to get me choked up.  JT loved it!  His face said it all..
I hope you all  have something in our day that makes you smile like that!

Have a good one,

PWD

Progress?

The story of an Urbandale teen targeted with a racist pamphlet makes you wonder how much progress we’ve really made where race is concerned.  Out and out racism is largely gone from our laws and public policy, and Iowa seems to be a progressive state where race is concerned.  That said, I wonder how much racism still bubbles under the surface.  We are not the most diverse state.  We have a lot of people who may have grown up in an all white or largely white community and so are not used to interacting with someone of another race.  So here’s my question: To what extent do you think Iowans hold racist attitudes, even if they don’t exhibit them outwardly?  I’ll be interested in the answer.

Powerball

I didn’t buy a ticket for this one but that will change before Wednesday.  $475 Million is a lot of money.  I’ll open the floor for any suggestions on how to spend it… after I buy a new set of irons.

Tiger Tale

Looks like all of the people ready to pounce on Tiger Woods saying he was “lying” when he said he heard a Marshal give him the all clear before he hit last Saturday and disturbed Sergio Garcia…you owe the man an apology.  The marshal in question came forward and said he did in fact say that to Tiger.  The was no sinister intent to Tiger pulling a club as Sergio hit so as to get a reaction from the crowd.  Two great articles on this story from Golf Channel.  One sorts out the controversy, and the other talks about Sergio Garcia and his Victim’s mentality.  I agree.

Pushing

Speaking of golf I took the boys for their first ever trip to a real golf course yesterday.  We’ve gone to  a driving range before and hit balls but I wasn’t sure if they were ready to go with me and ride along for none holes.  I confess to being slightly anxious about their golf future.  I want them to play…selfishly because I want to be able to spend that kind of time with them.  Golf has been a great connector for my Dad and I.  I think it’s a game kids should learn because it’s one of a handful of sports you can play all your life.  It teaches social skills.   As a kid I got my first lessons in meeting and socializing with adults when I would go out to a golf course and play as a single.  The game has helped me germinate and sustain friendships that I might not otherwise have.  I love the game of golf and naturally because I’ve had a great experience I hope they would want to play as well.

But, I don’t want to be the Dad who pushes his kids.  I feel like I’m just asking them to hate golf if I push too hard…so I am trying to take some good advice and letting my kids do what they want where golf is concerned.  I broke that rule a bit Wednesday.  I took JT with us, even though he said he didn’t want to go.  I thought he would have a good time and so I asked him to try this new experience.

It went well.  I never asked either boy to hit the ball, though they both carried their club around and hit a few times.  I asked for their help and gently tried to teach some basic rules ad etiquette.  They both told me they had a great time…I told them I was really glad they came and that I was proud of them for trying something new.  When I asked what the best part of the outing was the answer came without hesitation: Cheese Puffs and Gatorade for a snack!  They are still four.

They may not play golf the rest of their lives or love the game like I do but I will remember this experience for the rest of my life and hope I get a lot more time on the golf course with them.

Your opinions on these or other topics are always welcome.  Please feel free!

Have a great day!

PWD

Well those of you who were complaining about the cold weather and wishing for the start of summer…you get your wish today.  Mid-ninties…give those plants some water to suck up.  Our small Veggie garden has some sprouts popping up through the soil.  The boys are very excited.  We are also VERY lucky to live in a Neighborhood that has beautiful flowering trees.  They are exploding this week!  So are my allergies!

The News:

Cruelty

So a group of kids attacked a small dog with rocks and BB guns.  We’ve been talking about behavior…learned and taught among the three parents on the set.  I can’t help but think about some of the things we are already running into.  SpongeBob comes to mind as a popular but idiotic example of what passes for kids TV.  If it doesn’t teach my kids letters, numbers or some altruistic message while holding off on the fart jokes…I don’t want it on in my house.  I watch a lot of sports with the boys but I often change the channel when there’s a commercial I don’t like.  NBC’s Grimm is not for kids.

I’m not one of those parents…I’m not keeping my kids away from the TV in favor of activities like weaving baskets from hemp grown in our backyard….I use the TV as a babysitter as much as the next guy, but we are conscious of it.  Not all Disney Movies are appropriate for a four year-old.  We also are usually there to watch with our kids.  We can talk to them about what they are seeing.  It may seem like a small thing…how much can TV influence your kids decisions, right?  Ask the Pomeranian at ARL.

Change

Minnesota becomes the 12th State to legalize same-sex marriage today.  It will go into effect August 1st.  Just six months ago, Minnesota voters defeated an amendment to the State’s constitution that would have banned same-sex marriage.

Maybe I’m not looking at this the right way but isn’t this vote a clear sign that the elements pushing for constitutional amendments defining marriage are simply a vocal minority?  here in Iowa we see the numbers have turned in the past few years if you believe public polling.  I wonder if more Republican politicians would say they support same-sex marriage or would say they at least have no objection if it didn’t mean that they would see a primary challenge and a loss of donations.  If it weren’t about money…what would they think?

Big Brother

The President says he is outraged at the IRS for it’s targeting of Tea Party groups.  Is it funny to anyone else that it’s a Democratic Administration being accused of this kind of behavior.  Now the Justice Department was looking at Phone records from AP reporters and editors…and not just work phones.  They were looking at home and personal cell phones.  Next time someone brings up The Bush Administration and weapons of mass destruction, enhanced interrogation, or warrantless wiretaps…I think we can end the conversation by saying there aren’t many…if any angels in Washington D.C.

Fore!

Murph got it right.  It’s simply unfair that more video scrutiny is placed on Tiger Woods than on any other golfer.  The Marshals that were on the hole where Sergio and Tiger had their little incident came out last night and told Sports Illustrated Tiger wasn’t telling the truth about the incident.  They say they never gave him the heads up that Sergio hit.  Who cares?  The two were 50 yards apart…Sergio clearly had time to stop his swing and back off when he heard the noise.  Look, there are people who don’t like Tiger and people who don’t like Sergio.  Not a big deal but the noise incident with Sergio and then the drop Tiger took off the tee when he duck hooked and dunked his ball on 12 show people are just looking for an excuse to call Tiger a cheater.  Everyone on that tee at 12 says the drop was good.  Those are the people who are supposed to use their best judgment to make the decision.  I have no problem with it.    I’m glad Tiger is winning.  He does things with a golf club no one else has done.  I will root for him on the golf course.   I don’t need him as a role model off the course.

Mother’s Day

We had a great Mother’s Day with Sally’s family (my mother is still on another continent) at  Blank Park Zoo.  the trip included a ride on the train and the Carousel so they were pretty happy.

It was supposed to be about Mom…but as always in our house it ends up being about two four year-old boys.  That’s just the way it is right now.  They were both appropriately appreciative of their Mom and their Grandma Sunday.  

But they also got new bikes…so the day went pretty well for them too.

I hope you all have a good day.

PWD

We’re always happy to have our friend Megan Reuther up on the News Desk.  She’s in for Brooke this morning.

The news:

Swatting

Who’s the Jackwagon who thinks this is a funny joke?  I hope they find themselves in need of The Police Department just as they are making one of these prank calls…and that the Police are tied up.  Actually I hope they just find the person who did this and put em in jail.  Maybe as part of the sentence they should have to meet people who’s loved ones died because police couldn’t get to them on time.

Merge

Here’s my quarterly reminder…more important during construction season …accelerate when you get on the Interstate please!  I was behind a woman who decided 45 was as fast as she could go getting on at Valley West Drive…As the traffic is flying by, I had to dive into a much faster traffic flow to make it out of the merge lane…

Get up to the speed of traffic on the ramp and shove your way in!

Who?

Am I supposed to care who Jodi Arias is?  I don’t

Mother’s

Jeriann gave the men in the audience a challenge this morning…Ask your wife what they want for Mother’s Day.  I chuckled…because whether its your Mom or your wife…I bet most Men would say the answer they get is something along the lines of “Just a hug or some time with all of you…”

OK, but if we fall for that and your fellow Moms get showered with gifts and pampering, are you going to feel slighted?

I won’t do it.  A Mother’s Day gift is forthcoming.  I’d be interested in the opinions of both the Moms and the Husband/Sons.

Scoring

Iowa’s Zach Johnson shot a beautiful round of 66 at the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrasss.  The Players Championship is called golf’s fifth major and it would be great to see Zach compete again.  He was second here last year and yesterdays round in the 60′s makes it five rounds in a row in the sixties for Zach.  I tell you all of this because if you watched any of the coverage on Golf Channel yesterday, you may not even know Zach is playing in the Players Championship.  It’s like the announcers on Golf Channel have some sort of bet to see how little they can mention his name when he’s on the leader board…This guy is a major winner and a perennial top 20 on the Money list.  He’s not flashy but he is good…I hope he forces all the announcers to call his name a lot Sunday.

Dining

We were fortunate to be included in a fundraiser last night for the Central Campus Culinary Arts program.  The High School Students were responsible for preparing food, taking orders and serving.  We couldn’t stay for dinner but I brought in the “Central Campus Chocolate Cake” this morning to share.  It was great, and the students did a great job taking charge of the night.  It also helps to have great company for a great dinner and we had plenty of that.  Thank you to Scott and Kristen Carlson for the invitation!

I hope you all have a great day!

PWD

It’s never a good start when the power goes off in the newsroom about a half hour before we go on.  The emergency generators kick in but it causes all kinds of problems that just have to be reset.  This morning the biggest for Brooke and I was that we couldn’t hear anything that was going out over the air…it’s unnerving.  Our terrific Engineering staff came in and got everything working before we had our interview with Sen Grassley.  That would have been a DISASTER if we couldn’t hear him.

Wind

So Mid-American Energy is going to make a $1.9 billion investment in new wind generation capacity.  When the towers go up Mid American anticipates it will get 39 percent of its generation capacity from wind.  So who could be against cleaner power generation at no cost to the state in tax credits or incentives?  Apparently one of our viewers.  Here’s the email:

…When this technology is replaced in the future,as all technology is, who will be responsible for removing thousands of these giant towers, the millions of tons of concrete, and restoring the land ?

Ok…were to start? Environmentalists have been clamoring for a reduction in coal and even natural gas power generation because gathering or using those two resources has an impact on the environment.  Now that the state is being handed (not paying for) a 2 BILLION dollar investment in wind technology (I’ll get to that in a minute), the guy who’s concerned about the land is upset about how wind generation scars farmland???  The lights need to come on…so how do you want to accomplish that?

The first concern is even more laughable…technology?  Replaced?  Last I checked, wind power has been around for…well…centuries.  is there some concern that the wind is going to stop?  if there’s a more efficient way to harness the energy, I expect those poles grounded in millions of tons of concrete will come in handy…

It makes you wonder if the person is actually concerned about the environment or if they’re just upset that it’s a Republican administration on watch when this kind of investment gets made.

Water

I had the Iowa Environmental group stop by my house last night.  The kid they sent over (probably a volunteer or intern) informed me that clean waterways in Iowa were their priority.  He said that 400-some Iowa waterways weren’t suitable for fishing, swimming or boating because of “runoff from Big-Ag” and we’ve had trouble getting anything done about the pollution because Big-Ag has Terry Branstad in the Governor’s office”.

I couldn’t stand it anymore so I jumped in.  I asked him if “Big-Ag” was the only problem?  If there might be any other sources of pollution in Iowa’s waterways? I also asked if it was really just the Governor holding things up?  His response was , “So are you with us on this?”

I told him I want clean waterways but I don’t support partisan efforts to blame one group or another.  ”Big Ag” generates jobs and tax dollars and helps support and feed all of us.  They certainly have a responsibility to be stewards of the land and I understand that isn’t always the case.  That said, an issue like this is so complicated that it’s insulting to have someone boil it down to “Big Ag and the Governor”.  Real solutions to problems come from people with a comprehensive approach not an entrenched ideology.  Cleaning up Iowa’s waterways should be a priority, but there should be ways to allow Agriculture to thrive in Iowa without handicapping it with undue burden.

Anyway, I just don’t like it when someone shows up at my door trying to get me to support a greeting card length slogan as an approach to a problem.  We need to question these groups on both ends of the spectrum more.

Postcards from Normandy

My Mom and Dad are just wrapping up a trip to Normandy, France.  I’m super jealous…

I’ve always wanted to go…and will some day.  So my Mom knows this and sends me a really nice note describing their day touring the Norman Coastline and the battlefields of D-Day.  I had to laugh at her summary of the history:

We have lots of info on the battles and how the US was smart and the Germans not so much..  It was stunning. 

That it was.  I’m sure I will get the unabridged version when they get back.  Cant wait to see the pictures.

Hope you all have a good day!

PWD

Jeriann says best day of the week today…yesterday will be hard to top.

Vote

Warren County goes tot he polls for a special election on the future of a casino in Norwalk.  I don’t think the Iowa Racing and gaming commission would approve it anyway but you never know.  voters we talked to think its going to be close…The county already has seven or eight times the number of absentee ballots it usually does.  That number will go up…

Selfishly I hope it fails.  Warren County is too close to Polk County and right now gaming revenue supports a lot of community efforts here.  If you ask someone in Warren County if they use the Zoo, the Science Center, the Civic Center…I bet a lot of them would say yes.  If they do then they benefit from Polk County gaming revenue.  Why would you want that to go away?

Free

The story of three women kidnapped in Cleveland is chilling.  It is amazing that these women are blocks away from where they were abducted but Police never found them.  SO many questions…what happened to them?  Why did these men abduct the women in the first place?  Is the Child they were seen with one of the women’s son?  How did they get free.  It will be a movie before you know it.

PCC

It was Media day for the Principal Charity Classic yesterday so we went and played the golf course that will host the tournament for the first time this year.  The tournament has a great line-up of players but the question is…will they like Wakonda CC as much as they liked Glen Oaks?  They REALLY liked Glen Oaks.  I can’t see how they would complain about Wakonda.  It is in the best shape I;ve ever seen.  Part of that is the weather but the crew out there has done a great job particularly with the putting surfaces.

I think the fans are going to like this venue a lot more because the holes are closer together.  The 16th green, 17th tee, 17th green and 18th tee are within a couple hundred yards of each other.  If you stand at the top of a hill at 16 you can see everything happening on all three holes.  It should be loud down there on Sunday.  Three weeks to the start of the tournament.

Hope you have a great day!

PWD

Seriously I (with a little bit of annoyance in my voice)

I had a good attitude about it the first day and a half but waking up this morning and driving into work felt more like December than May.  At some point I’d like to play golf this spring.

The situation is semi-serious for hundreds of people south of Des Moines this morning where the power went out.  At least the temperature is supposed to rebound.  I feel bad for Sally, she is headed to Minneapolis today for her Cousin’s wedding shower.

Seriously? II (with some sarcasm)

After denying taking any payments from Michelle Bachmann’s Presidential campaign, now, State Sen Kent Sorenson is trying to tell people that even if he did take the money…it wasn’t against Senate rules?  Really?  This isn’t going to end well.

Seriously? III (sarcastic and a little angry)

If you’re the Senate Minority leader and one of your members is under investigation for an ethics violation… you don’t have any comment on it?  I understand it’s an ongoing investigation…I understand you don’t want to throw one of your members under the bus…but responding to a question about ethics rules by saying “I’m not a student of that…situation….I’m concentrating on getting crops in the ground and working for the people of the State of Iowa”!?!?!

Anyone who listens to that is left to wonder whether you actually don’t know the rules of the Senate,(which would be astounding at this point because we’ve been talking about it for months) or it leaves the impression that you don’t want to talk about it because you know something or did something wrong.  Either way, that’s a bad answer.

Seriously IV?

If you listened closely you could hear a beeping noise in the studio this morning.   Brooke described it as being like some sort of slow torture.  It was the result of snow on a satellite dish on the roof.  I tried to go upstairs and shake the snow off myself but, wisely, management locks the door to the roof and does not let unauthorized personnel up there. I tried…

Really V?

So I had to go to the Doctor yesterday to discuss options for treatment of a condition I’ve had for years.  It’s no big deal but the Insurance company suddenly decided if I wanted to keep taking the prescription at home I would have to take frequent tests.  If I didn’t get the tests, they would still let me take the same drug but I would have to go tot he Dr’s office and have a nurse administer it every two weeks.  That sounds more expensive to me.  I called the company.  The very nice woman told me the tests were for my safety.  Now, I know (because my Dr told me) that the every two week treatment comes with increased risk of side effects.  So that doesn’t sound safer.  He also told me its the exact same drug that I would take at home…so if they’re wiling to let me take it at the Dr’s office but not at home, I am left to assume this is about money and has nothing to do with my health or safety.  My Dr agreed.

I can’t imagine why so many people think the Healthcare system is totally screwed up.(there’s some more sarcasm)

Have a great weekend…seriously.

PWD

Semantics

So if I were a State Senator accused of taking money when I shouldn’t have…I am not sure I would be saying I didn’t do anything wrong…I would be saying, I didn’t take ANY MONEY, here are my checking statements, here are all of the accounts I hold and that my family holds…I didn’t take any money. I didn’t take any money… Oh and did I mention  I DIDN”T TAKE ANY MONEY!

Coming Out

Like a lot of people I understand the significance of NBA player Jason Collins’ decision to come out as being gay.  That said, I am underwhelmed…I don’t think it’s a big deal that this guy is gay, at all.  He is a basketball player that can play at the highest level…that’s the only thing that should matter.  As far as comments from some analysts that he “can’t be a Christian” if he’s gay.  Who’s going to stop him?  I’m really curious.  Is he not allowed to love his neighbor?  Should he check with a “real” Christian before he feeds the hungry, clothes the naked?  If he has a personal relationship with Jesus are you really the person to say that’s wrong?

I’m aware of the arguments people are using to make their case…I’m not being dense…I just wonder when people are going to stop worrying so much about what they perceive as other people’s sins and start concentrating on living the best life they can.

I also heard a debate over the Boy Scout’s newly proposed policy of letting openly gay members in but not gay leaders.  The guy behind an organization of local scout leaders says it’s against the scout oath for someone to be gay because it says:

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

So I guess the morally straight part is the argument against having gay leaders or members?  So again, question.  Boy Scouting is worldwide.  So are all of the other Scouts in the world immoral?  Not all of them believe in the same God, or any God at all.  So why can’t someone who is gay be physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight?  The last is subjective.  What I consider “moral” behavior might make someone else blush…or roll their eyes.  The point is, this has nothing to do with Scouting principles.  Whether it’s fear of the unknown, or ignorance or intolerance… the people complaining about including gay people are the people who are not upholding the proud tradition of scouting.

Weekend Recap

We had a great time with the boys this weekend.  On Friday the three of us went out to one of the Big Box Home Improvement Stores looking for a raised garden box.   I knew they had them because I’d looked online.  When we arrived I asked where they were.  The kid in the Garden center looked at me like I had two heads and said, “I don’t think we carry anything like that”.  Really?  In the Garden center?  You don’t carry anything like that? Undeterred, I went looking for a manager.  He found the boxes right next to where the first kid was standing.  I don’t mind if someone says…”Well, I don’t know but I will find them for you”  This kid just didn’t want to go looking…or it didn’t occur to him.  I sent a quick tweet about it and included a mention of the Store’s national account.  They replied within minutes and asked what happened.  I got an email from the store manager quickly after that.  The response alone is enough for me to keep shopping there.  I don’t mind mistakes or lapses in customer service…the real test of a company is how they deal with a bad situation.

We built the garden box Friday.  If I can do it…anyone can.  Here are the boys in front of their new plot of earth.

Saturday morning Sally was going out with her Mom so the boys and I went out to the park in the morning and we hit the driving range in the afternoon.

I mowed the lawn while Sally and the boys planted our garden.  Then Will helped me clean off the grill and we fired it up for the first time this year.  I recount the day because the boys have stopped taking a nap. The timing is great because we can go outside and do things…they’re so tired by the end of the day that they hit the pillow and fall right asleep.

Top of the Morning

As I am trying to fall asleep these days, I am not doing myself any favors reading the new book, Top of the Morning.  It’s about Morning Network TV.  Who knows if it’s true or not but I am really enjoying some of the behind the scenes stories.  If you are a Today Show fan…pick it up.

I hope you all have a great day!

PWD

There are some interesting debates in the news right now…so we’ll jump in and ask some questions:

Breeds

Is it the Dog or the owner?  The recent attack on a 4 year-old girl has Prairie City thinking about changing its’ vicious dog ordinance.  The experts tell us it isn’t the breed, it’s the training we give the dogs.  That’s believable.  Kids and animals can be a volatile combination but not because of the animal.  Kids don’t know what they’re doing around animals and can grab or pull.   The dog may be acting on instinct.  Adults and owners of any pet have to be aware of kids when the pet is around.  We have a seven pound cat…she hardly has enough teeth left to break someone’s skin and she’s de-clawed in the front.  Still we continue to watch our kids around her.  The boys love her but their excitement often gets the better of them when she comes into a room.  They can be too rough with her.     So what do you think?  What’s the right balance with kids and pets?

Childcare

We focused on the fact that Iowa Childcare laws are still lacking significant oversight.  They do.  I never fully understood how hard it was to find quality childcare until I was faced with the decision.  We are so fortunate to be in a position to afford the care we want.  Not everyone is.  There are hundreds if not thousands of quality, in-home childcare facilities in Iowa with dedicated owners who love the children they care for like they were their own.  There are also terrible situations where the adults aren’t qualified to care for themselves much less five kids.  As a parent the only thing you can do is ask a lot of questions and try to find the best situation for your family.

Cheating

I hear about the cheating on standardized testing over at a Davenport Elementary school and I can already hear critics saying, “This is why we shouldn’t use standardized testing to  evaluate how kids are doing.”  I can hear them saying…it puts too much pressure on teachers and they teach to the test.  I have a friend who’s talked about this.  She teaches according to her curriculum and works with kids on concepts.  Her teaching partner in the other third grade class teaches to the test…  She gets nervous every year that her real work with her kids won’t be reflected in the scores…kids can have a bad day, they can be bad test takers…the list of worries goes on.  I still don’t think that’s enough to throw out standardized testing.  Kids need concepts but they also need rote knowledge…reading writing and ‘rithmatic to quote a few teachers in my past.  there are certain things you should have to know before you move on in certain grades.  These tests can measure that kind of learning.

The fact that a teacher was likely the one who cheated is inexcusable…Every job has pressures…every job has a time of year or one event that can define your performance.  We just started our May “sweeps”.  Do you think its fair that a small sample of people, willing to divulge what they watch for a month can get one of us fired?  Maybe not but it can happen.  Why are teachers different?  Step it up and make sure every one of those kids is as well prepared as they can be.  I seriously doubt any teacher that does would be fired.

Legacy

The Today Show is live in Dallas for the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential library. I know some people still view President Bush as a punchline.  He certainly made his share of bad decisions.  I still think history will be MUCH kinder than present day pundits.  I’d love to know how the Secret Service approached a day where all five living Presidents are in the same place…two weeks after a bombing at a major public event.

Prom

How much is too much for 18 year-old kids?  We had a story from Visa that said the average High Schooler would spend $1000 on prom!  What did you spend?  Is that too much?  Do they really need the limo and the expensive dinner?  I’m not criticizing…I’m actually asking.  What do you parents of teenagers think about all of this?

I hope you have a great day!

PWD

Apparently I am slowing with age.  Anyone who took the “over” on my time from the Grand Blue Mile yesterday got it right.  I was about five or six seconds slower than I was last year.  Lots of bobbing and weaving through traffic at the beginning didn’t help but I’m glad I tried and given the windy cold conditions, I was pleased that I didn’t lose more time.

Considering the weather forecast, the crowd was great.  Our boys ran the entire way through the mile course and they were so excited.  They hit the pillow last night and CRASHED.  I am considering instituting a mandatory mile run before dinner every night.

Depressing

If you thought the first few stories in our newscast were depressing this morning..you weren’t alone.  So did we.  Sometimes the news, is the news.  We can’t just ignore it.  But I did want to say, we recognize it, and that it isn’t any fun for us to read.

That said, this is our job, and I get a little tired of journalists complaining about how “hard” their job is.  Reading stories about kids being killed is certainly disturbing as a parent…but we do not have a “hard” job.  We’re not digging ditches.  We talk to people, we hear some horrible stuff, and we act as a filter so you don’t have to get all of the gory details.  Sometimes you hear/read things you’d rather not as a journalist but, that’s your job.  Ask a D.A, a firefighter, a coroner… or an actual ditch digger.  Seeing or hearing about some of these subjects in the news doesn’t hold a candle to those jobs.

Inciting

A local Pro-life activist told the paper that it would be a “blessing to babies” if someone were to shoot abortion providers.  He says he wasn’t trying to incite anyone to that specific action.  I’ll give pro-life activists credit for disavowing the comment.

That said, this is the kind of thing that continues to make me question if pro-life activists go too far.  Words like “slaughter” and “Murder” and “genocide” are thrown around like they’re nothing.  Words matter.  I sometimes feel like the pro-life lobby forgets one thing:  Not everyone believes life begins at the moment of conception. It’s the right of other American citizens to answer that question for themselves.  Science can not tell us definitively life begins on X date.  So we are left to our own faith and ethics to decide that question.

I will ask again, why not turn the focus toward stopping unwanted pregnancies and making sure young men and women are making choices about the time and place they want to start a family?  If there are fewer unplanned pregnancies, how many abortions do you think we’d have every year?  Encouraging people to become parents at the time of their choosing is one thing I think a lot of people could actually agree on.

That’s just want I am thinking about.

I hope you will feel free to comment, disagree or agree as you see fit.

Have a good day!

PWD

Some quick shots this morning for the blog

Facebook

The Data Center for Facebook in Altoona won’t create 10,000 jobs or anything but it is a major development for Iowa.  Getting these Tech companies to begin a relationship with Iowa is never bad.  As they expand and have different needs…who knows?  It’s a great get for Iowa.  Congratulations to the Economic Development team at the State.

Affidavit

The Description of events from Rep Michelle Bachmann’s former Chief-of-Staff is pretty bad for Sen Kent Sorenson.  He got paid is the bottom line(of the allegation).  Where the money came from and who knew about it…what the actual Senate rule says will all be debated.  I find it interesting that Sen Brad Zaun was pretty closely aligned with the campaign too…no mention of payments to him.  If it was fine to get paid wouldn’t Zaun have done the same?  Also you have to ask, if Sen Sorenson thinks this isn’t wrong…why run it through another company and not directly from the Bachmann Campaign? I will be interested to hear all the answers when the Ethics Committee investigates.

Do you think Sen Sorenson should resign?

Grand

It’s going to be cold tonight for the Grand Blue Mile and the kickoff for the Drake relays. Who’s got the over under on my time for the mile tonight?  I’m going for a sub seven minute mile but I’m not sure I can do that.  The boys are excited.  They are going to run as much as they can.  They would like someone to cheer for them.

Garden

So we are going to start a vegetable garden in the backyard for the boys this Summer.  I was a little hesitant to do this but then a lightbulb went off over my head this morning.  A raised garden box now seems like it will make things a lot easier.  So who has suggestions for our little garden?….and remember it will be a little garden

Fired

So this kid in North Dakota got fired for uttering off-color language as his first words on air. The Today Show was kind.  All of the Anchors say…don’t fire him…and who would want to see a kid fired because he screwed up once?  I wouldn’t.  That said, if you watch the rest of the tape…it was a disaster.  We’ve all had those moments…I was late for a cut-in one time…couldn’t catch my breath…people thought I was having a heart attack on the air. Heck, yesterday a bad pronouncer in a script threw me off so badly that I butchered the name of the Boston Bombing suspect.  We all make mistakes…some of them sloppy and stupid…  But this kid just didn’t seem like he had the presence to be on camera.  If he’s bad…his boss has the right to fire him…if he has the goods…one screw up shouldn’t dictate his early career.

Last but not least a Happy Birthday to Jeriann.  We hope she is enjoying her birthday!

PWD

When it rains it LITERALLY pours.  The News cycle lately has been as busy as I can remember in long time.  Boston, Texas, Chicago, Seattle…the stories keep coming…all of them would hold the attention of the country for a few days…So lets get to it…

Standoff

After 33 Hours, a stand-off ended when police were able to use a taser on the man involved.  We haven’t had a situation like this for a long time in Des Moines. I suppose that’s a credit to the Men and women in law enforcement for not letting situations spin out of control.  I’m sure they have cases that might devolve into a stand-off all the time.

B-Serious

Watching the resolution of the situation in Boston was a relief.  I thought the Police did a phenomenal job under a great deal of stress.  Message recieved…don’t screw with Boston.

I thought some of the early response to the tragedy and then to the shootout and manhunt was ridiculous… I couldn’t watch CNN.  Every reporter on the scene of that manhunt ran out of words.  They were up for a day and a half straight under a great deal of stress.

I thought some of the stuff that was asked/said right after the manhunt Friday was pretty stupid.  One of the reporters who was at the Governor’s News Conference asked, “Do you regret your decision to give the all-clear in the afternoon given that this guy was still in the area?”  this is the same reporter who, if they’d kept everyone in their homes, would have said “Do you regret keeping people under house arrest for so long?”  The City had just been through a pretty intense day.  The Suspects were in a shootout with Police and then one of the two escaped.  Police conducted a house to house search looking for a guy who’d been chucking bombs at them.  The story Friday night was how they did it.  Ask you follow-up questions in the two weeks worth of stories you’re going to have to do.

Also on my idiot list is the guy who called a radio show I was listening to.  He criticized the people of Boston for “rolling over” when the government set up “Marshal Law”.  Look, I get that there are people out there who don’t like the Police.  To paraphrase what Brian Williams said Friday night, They are the last people you want to see in your rear view mirror, but the first you want to see in front of your home when shots are fired.  Anyone who tried to make a political issue out of the situation in Boston isn’t going to get very far.  This didn’t happen because Boston didn’t have enough security.  The Shootout didn’t happen because police did something wrong in the chase.  The manhunt wasn’t an attempt by the government to oppress people.  The best part about what we saw unfold last week in Boston was that, in a crisis, neighbors were genuinely concerned about their neighbors…and I include the Police in Boston.

I’m sure this isn’t true of everyone in Boston or the US for that matter but I feel as secure or more secure after all of this…not less.  The Police reaction, the reaction of people during and after the crisis… builds faith in the American system and in this Democracy…

Great Dive

Sally and I went to Louie’s Wine Dive for the first time Saturday night.  This place has been around for more than a year but we are just getting around to having dinner there.  We thought it was great, and can’t wait to use the patio.  I love places where the bar staff is knowledgable enough to listen to your taste in wine and give you a glass you’ve never tried before.  It’s not snobby, to me, it’s what’s fun about wine.  The food was also excellent as was the service.  We will be back…and if you suburbanite haven’t ventured into the edges of the Drake Neighborhood to give Louie’s a try…do it!

I hope you all have a great day and a great week.

PWD

OK now we’re complaining about too much rain.  We just can’t seem to get it right.  Remember we still have a long way to go to catch up from our drought last year…and though it seems too much to handle all at once…we’re soaking up the moisture and that’s good.

Covering Tragedy

So I saw a post on Facebook…you knew this was coming…where a woman was ranting about the Media and its’ coverage of the little boy who died in the Boston Bombing.  She was lamenting the fact that reporters were still stationed outside the boy’s home.  ”Leave them alone”, she said.  And in most cases I agree.  Most of us would want privacy if our family was put in the same situation.  It’s worth noting here that in some cases media can act as a way of mourning for a family who’s had a loss like this one.  I know I’ve told this story here before…I was reporting once and decided not to call a family who’d lost a teenager.  I felt like I was showing respect.  I got an angry phone call from the father asking me why I didn’t call them.  Was his son not worth talking about on TV?  I tried to explain that I was trying to give him some privacy but he was really mad.  Ever since I’ve advocated asking.  Let the family know they have our condolences, let them know where they can reach us if we can do ANYTHING for them and then go away.

-On a side note…the stories of the people who helped Monday in Boston are inspiring.  You can only hope you would act the same way in the middle of that kind of confusion and fear.  Heroes run INTO the fire.

Ceremony

Say what you want about Margaret Thatcher, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the ceremony and the setting for her funeral.  The British know how to do ceremony.

I’m flabbergasted at the people who felt the need to protest Thatcher’s funeral.  Why isn’t anyone on Facebook calling this disrespectful.  The Woman is dead!  There will be opportunities to debate her legacy and her policies..historians will be doing it for years.  What good comes from protesting the day her family is trying to bury her?  Brooke told me someone organized thousands of people to download Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.  The BBC has a show that talks about trending downloads of music.  If the downloads got high enough, the announcer would have to say Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.  Who thinks that’s funny?

Cost

The Public hearing on Medicaid expansion was more of the same last night.  Supporters of the expansion say the Governor’s plan costs more up front and that the math doesn’t work.  Advocates of the Governor’s plan say The Feds may not pay for expansion like they’ve promised to do.  In my opinion, no one is talking about the real issues.  Simply put Medicaid covers and treats sick people…but does nothing to help people be well.  There’s no inventive to be healthy.  You want to see costs explode?  Let people get sick and just keep treating them for it.  Orrrrrrr…. we could, as a State, decide that it’s a better idea, and cheaper in the long run to make sure people have incentives to be well.  We need to train people to be healthy and let them have a stake in their own well-being instead of telling them someone else will take care of it for them.

Other Notes

-I don’t know why, I flipped on Vegas Strip on Tru TV yesterday.  I don’t usually care about cop shows like this one but I was thoroughly entertained.

-Pat Summerall Died.  The legendary broadcaster is one of the first voices I remember calling football and golf for CBS.  Watching him do his job was one of the reasons I thought it would be cool to do this job.

-Drake Relays are next week.  I will have no hesitation bringing my kids down to the Grand Blue Mile to participate.  I am going to run.  I am hoping to better my time from last year which…i think was in the 7 minute range.

-We went to Gateway for their kids eat free Tuesday night.  It was packed as usual.  I don’t feel bad  bringing my kids when the expectation is that a lot of kids will be there… that said, I like our kids to sit quietly.  We don’t like to plug them in to an iPad or iPhone so that we can finish dinner but there are times…

So I wanted to ask, may of you are parents…Should you take advantage of technology and let your kids play on the phone to keep them quiet in a restaurant?  No wrong answers and no judgement.

I hope you have a great day!

PWD

It was a crazy Monday…then I found out my Monday was a piece of cake.

I ran around all morning trying to get tax forms signed.  I didn’t have my act together so one trip to the accountant’s office turned into three.  I also forgot to get clothes for the boys so I had to make an extra trip out west to drop those off.  The result was a disorganized and frustrating morning that ended when I cut a big check to the government.

And then you get a little perspective on your life.

Boston

The alerts started coming across my phone just as I was getting ready to take a quick nap yesterday.  I turned on my TV and, like a lot of people, was locked in for the next few hours…

I thought NBC’s Brian Williams did a good job of not reaching any conclusions while still using experience to describe the scene.

If this is an act of Domestic Terrorism, you have to ask yourself…what are you so mad about that you would target innocent people..runners?  What in the world is controversial about running?

If it’s an international terrorist group the same kind of question crossed my mind yesterday.   When Americans venture outside the US, I think we all accept that there is risk of being a target.  If you come to our country, and worse, target one of the nation’s iconic events or landmarks…you’re done.  No one is going to forget…no one is more scared today.  You simply strengthen the resolve of people you are looking to destroy.  In fact you picked an event where people from all over the country and all over world are involved.  Congratulations on making sure everyone feels like this effected them personally.  I mean how stupid do you have to be?  Have you missed the last ten years?  I bet Bin Laden thought he got away with it too.  And Boston?  Not the City you want to screw around with.

Immigration

Looks like a serious proposals from the Senate on Immigration reform.  The path to Citizenship looks long but manageable.  It also allows people who are law-abiding to come out of the shadows and get right with the feds.  I agree that border enforcement needs to ramp up as a part of this.  It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.

Guns

The gun debate continues as well in Washington.  I am not moved by the idea that asking gun owners to register would infringe their rights.  This new bill SPECIFICALLY prohibits the establishment of a Federal Gun database.  What’s more, if that’s your argument…why do we have laws at all?  It certainly isn’t going to STOP someone from getting a gun, but why not make it harder for criminals to slip through the cracks?  Criminals would have to go to the black market…  One can only hope prices rise and access gets more difficult.  Why is that a problem?  If you are a law-abiding gun owner you will register…everything will go smoothly and you can buy your guns.

Young at Heart

I was out watching the Masters on Sunday with a friend.  We were sitting at the bar at Americana for most of the afternoon.  It was quiet until about five when we started seeing a lot of groups of ladies…most of whom had at least on sparkled or bangled piece of clothing on.  It took us a few minutes to put the crowd together with the fact that Bon Jovi was  playing last night.  It was interesting people watching and I imagine there are more than a few people woke up Monday morning saying…”I’m not 21 anymore”.  You haven’t been for about 20 years. Good for you for trying though…

Penalty

So the coverage of Tiger Woods post-round two-stroke penalty on Saturday morning was like watching a Supreme Court ruling.  I disagree with the penalty and think that all of the commentators with their undies in a bunch calling for Tiger to DQ himself were acting like idiots.  Why?  Here’s why…The photographer who took these two photos verified he didn’t move…whereas the TV camera everyone was relying on for a view of the shot admitted he moved between the two shots…So even if Tiger intended to drop behind his first shot…it would appear he is standing inches from where he hit his first.  So do you penalize him for impure thoughts?  Golfers use the rules all the time to gain advantage…and would say this rule was ambiguous enough that Tiger’s drop was legal.  We’ll never know what would have happened…but I think the drop was legal.

42

I will also be in the minority opinion in saying I didn’t like 42. Maybe its the fact that I went into the movie expecting so much.  Hollywood was served up a story that showcased some of the darkest parts of our recent history and some of the people who were brave enough to stand up and say it was wrong.  I felt like there were a few scenes in the move that captured how hard it must have been…but at times I felt like the movie used crescendoing music in place of actual drama.  Why would you do that?  There was plenty of drama in Robinson’s life.  A lot of critics wrote a reviews similar to this one I found from The Wall Street Journal‘s Joe Morgenstern:

“…at its best, Brian Helgeland’s celebration of Jackie Robinson … rises to a level the subject deserves.” At other times, however, it comes across as “ponderously reverential.” Boseman “is appealing in the title role, even though he’s limited by the predictable writing,” and overall “42″ is a “handsome studio production” — although “the downside of all this studio gloss is the cautious studio style.” In other words, he wrote, “what’s been carefully filtered out of the film as a whole is the tumult and passion of Robinson’s life.”

It was good but I wanted more.

I hope you all have a good day.  Stay warm!

PWD

Immigration

I have to admit I am surprised at the new NBC News/Wall St Journal poll on immigration.  Two thirds of the people who responded think there should be some path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.  I didn’t expect that number.

The Today show visited Ottumwa as an example of a Midwestern town that is dealing with an influx of immigrants.  It is, of course, but I wonder what people will say about the Today story. I haven’t seen the story,  I’d be interested in your comments once it airs.

I get the sense that it will be very positive for Wapello County and Ottumwa.  To be sure, community leaders have stepped up to try to make a difficult transition for the town and its’ new residents a little easier.  Some of the things they’ve done are innovative and worth recognition.  I hope they also recognize that the process of integration for towns is ongoing.  There will always be a segment of the population the longs for “the way it used to be” and a segment of the population not willing to open their horizon and accept the changing face of their community.

It seems a lot of Iowa towns took the issue of immigration head-on and its paid off.  Our history is full of periods where immigrants have been vilified…times when the transition has been hard.  If our Irish, German, Jewish or Italian great Grandparents could talk to us about this, I think they would tell you this is an old story with a new face.  Latinos bring so much to the melting pot.  In the end it’s always been worth the growing pains to welcome new groups to our country.

Education

Republicans made a big concession on the School reform debate.  They gave Democrats the 4% growth they wanted.  Now what are Democrats willing to compromise on?  Nothing apparently.  So they’d like more money to keep doing what we’re doing in schools?  Nothing’s broken?  That’s a hard position to make the case for.

Practice

So I was talking about the fact that 13,000 tickets had been issued for this weekend’s practice for the Iowa Hawkeyes at Valley Stadium; which holds no more than 12,000.  I was saying there might be a lot of people who don’t go out to Valley because, for instance, The final round of The Masters is on.  Jeriann almost sprained her eyeballs rolling them into the back of her head.  So I asked for some viewer feedback.  The only four emails we got were from Hawkeye fans who said they would watch the Masters instead of going to practice.  I’m not calling into question the loyalty or sincerity of Hawk fans…I’m just saying, the season doesn’t start for months.

Masters

This also has the potential to be one of the better Masters in a long time.  Tiger, Sergio, Dustin Johnson and 50-something Fred Couples are all in the hunt.  Oh, and by the way, Zach Johnson made the most of a couple of weeks off.  His putter is working and so, he is also in the mix at three under.  If you need me I will be in front of a TV.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

PWD

I must have looked a little ridiculous yesterday.

The boys are letting go of their afternoon nap and so we are having to find activities.  Thankfully it was sunny and warm yesterday so I decided to take them on a LONG bike ride.  They don’t have real bikes yet so we’re talking about trikes.  We set off, and I thought if everything went REALLY well we could make it all the way around the 4.5 mile loop I usually run down the Walnut creek trail.

The problem is, taking these boys anywhere is still a little like herding cats…cats on tricycles!  Getting them to stay to the right was hard enough…then I had to get them to pedal.  I spent much of the ride behind the two of them pushing both bikes and trying to get the boys to steer straight.  I probably looked ridiculous.

I admit my motives were suspect.  I wanted them in, bed and asleep early. Anyway, if you passed us on the trail…my apologies for the four-year old who almost ran you off the road…

On a serious note…for the parents out there…I am hesitant to get bikes with training wheels for our boys…the guy at the bike shop wants to sell us one of those balance bikes to teach them how to ride…but it’s time for our guys to get off of trikes.    What has worked for you?

Lots to catch up on today

-The rain is welcome if you ask me.  I’m sure someone would rather not see it but I, for one, would like to see as much rain as we can fit in comfortably in the next month or two.

This is the week things are going to start greening up.  I think I’ve written here before.  There is usually a day where it really strikes you…things are green, blooms come out on the trees and flowers…spring, literally pops out!  I think we’re going to see that by the end of the week.

Rejected

So the Iowa Senate rejected two of the Governor’s appointments for the Board of Regents.      Is it ironic that, in rejecting politics brought to the board by one of the nominees, Senators are playing the ultimate political game?  I think we probably have other people who can serve on the Regents but I don’t think the senate should exercise its veto of these candidates unless they are unqualified.  Neither fo these two men is.  I agree with the Des Moines Register…they would have been confirmed.

Suicide?

Rick Santorum said this morning that it would be political suicide for Republicans to change their stance on same-sex marriage.  Sometimes its hard to understand what world the Senator is living in.  By every measure, the idea of same-sex marriage or at least civil unions is growing in popularity in most states. Republicans who think for themselves on this issue are changing their position and I would guess more will follow in the months to come. If Republicans make this an issue again during congressional mid-terms or primaries..they will continue to lose ground.

The Most Wonderful Time…

It’s Masters week and that means I will be in front of the TV at every opportunity, watching news conferences, listening to analysis of why this par three will be more critical than that par three…if they’re playing video of the golf course, I’m in.  Augusta National is definitely on my bucket list…I actually aspire to know someone important enough to be a member at Augusta…who will also like me enough to take me down there to play.

National Championship

I was sorry to have to go to sleep halfway through the first half.  It was one of the best national Championship games in a long time.  I like the fact that Louisville just won the game.  Michigan didn’t play badly, they didn’t choke… they just played a team with talent that was a little bit better last night.  Watch out for next year however…Meeeechigan is going to be good!

Time for a quick nap then back to work…

Have a good one!

PWD

The News

Chase

I continue to wonder how someone thinks they are going to outrun the police…especially in the middle of the night when they can basically take every Police officer on the road and get them chasing you.  Stop sticks work…and you aren’t getting away.  Better to face up to the warrants you’ve got than to add a few other charges.

How Far?

…Is too far when you are talking about security for schools?  In Centerville a guy who says he was talking about the lax security at his granddaughter’s school was arrested and charged with terrorism.  I cant’ imagine the pressure law enforcement must feel.  They are under a microscope and if they decide this guy isn’t a threat, and then he does something to harm kids at a school…it’s going to come back on them.  That said, this really does seem to be a misunderstanding.  This guy isn’t some crazy with an armory in his basement and a survival bunker.  You can only hope that prosecutors and a judge can figure this out.

It’s a reminder that even joking or mentioning anything like this isn’t funny…and it’s easily misinterpreted.  Equate this one to joking about a bomb in the TSA line at an airport.

Speaking of misunderstandings…

The Register has a story about a kid who’s on the sex offender registry for dating and having a consensual relationship with a freshman in high school when he was a senior.  He’s trying to change the law to allow some flexibility in cases like his.  I understand why the law is on the books.  I just think sometimes we don’t stop to make an exception where one is obviously warranted.  It also appears someone targeted this kid by turning him in for a suspected probation violation.  There are people who get out of jail for…lets say a fourth DUI after one year of a five-year sentence(see yesterday’s news)…and we’re worried about this kid?

Rutgers

They fired Coach Rice and that’s the right thing to do…I can’t see how the Athletic Director keeps his job.  If the President of the University saw the tape…it’s hard to talk about the standards of the University when you didn’t adhere to them?

The Chiz

Someone is alleging that Coach Gene Chizik violated NCAA rules when  he was at Auburn?  I’m shocked…shocked!  Iowa State is soooooo much better off without him than they ever were with him.

Late Nights

Now I want to get out to see a Tonight Show in Burbank before it moves to NYC.  Great choice from NBC.  I still feel bad for Conan.

I hope you have a good day.

PWD

I went for a run yesterday outside for the first time (my nike+app informs me) since December.  I was proud of the fact that I did my 4.6 mile circuit without stopping but my legs are complaining a bit this morning… it’s supposed to be even nicer today so get out and enjoy the weather!  Incidentally I use the Walnut Creek trail that runs through the intersection of 63rd and Grand.  It is still open…they just detour you around the construction.

The News

Arrests

Des Moines police have been busy, concluding investigations on the fatal hit and run March 16th that killed a man and the brutal beating and carjacking that happened February 26th.

The one lady arrested for the hit and run had four OWIs…FOUR!  Police can’t stop people from getting behind the wheel of a car but man…it makes you wonder who’s in the car next to you.

Silly Season

So get ready for silly season at the State Capitol.  We’re getting to the point in the session where lawmakers run out of other stuff to do and are waiting for negotiations over the budget to conclude.  This is when we start hearing about a special law declaring Iowa “the bestest state ever” or where we have to suffer through a tantrum from some lawmaker who’s decided to make noise about a pet issue that has no chance of passing but will score him/her points with his/her constituents.  If they don’t have anything to do, they should go home and come back when there’s a budget to vote on.

Threats

So I’m torn between uneasiness over North Korea’s threats and the potential consequences on our military and total disregard of the bluster coming from Pyongyang.  I mean this is a country that is essentially starving…it’s a political system that even the Chinese have reformed and even if they decided to attack South Korea, I’m inclined to think most of the North Korean soldiers would lay down their weapons within a day or two. Still they say they can produce small nuclear weapons and if they use em…a lot of people could die.  So is it worth it to let these guys mouth off or are we doing the human race, and a whole lot of North Koreans a favor by taking these guys down and reunifying Korea?

Rutgers

I had a coach that yelled a lot as a Freshman in High School.  he wasn’t nearly as abusive as this guy from Rutgers but he certainly controlled by fear.  He told us when we started practice freshman year that f he was yelling at you…be glad, at least he was paying attention to you.  It’s when he WASN’T yelling at you that you had to be concerned.  It’s an old school way of getting things done.  To many coaches have shown a better way of doing things over the years (see Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery).

Vine

So Arielle Nixon showed mt a new APP for the iPhone yesterday.  it’s called Vine.  This is probably not new for a lot of you but it essentially lets you take a short video montage to post online.  I see a good use for behind the scenes fun on the morning show, teases and serious breaking news coverage.  Try it out!

I hope you all have a good day.

PWD

Some quick thoughts…

Construction

This season is going to be brutal again.  I say that because, along with the Grand Ave closing at 63rd, there will be multiple projects on 235, 35/80 and 35.  You might want to get up a little earlier over the summer.

Construction 2

The importance of a downtown hotel attached to the Events Center can’t be overstated.  The City needs it.  If you want to move up to the next level of event…that’s the ticket.  It looks like it’s going to happen.

Construction/Conservation

So a fertilizer plant down in Lee County that’s worth more than a billion dollars is going forward but they’re going to have to dig carefully…There might be some remnants of fire pits or clay pots.

Now, I am a lover of history and believe in preserving culture and heritage through historic sites.  That said, where were the people who believe this to be an important site before the plant was going to go up.  Is this just a way for someone else to pay for your exploration?  If there are human remains…surely the right thing to do is stop construction and deal with the remains in a respectful way.  Is the world really going to miss the example of a fire pit?

Court

Good for the Iowa Hawkeyes…playing for a chance at the NIT finals.  that team is going to be good next year and they can gain invaluable experience in game

s like tonight’s.

Easter

Easter at our house was a fun day.  Thank goodness it

was nice enough to go out and hunt for eggs.  Both Will and JT didn’t have the egg hunt concept down though…they would throw the eggs.  As long as they have fun.

Have a great day
PWD

Warmer weather has a lot of us outside more these days.  Enjoy it while you can.

The News:

Names

The Family Leader is at it again.  Chuck Hurley got up yesterday flanked by State Lawmakers to let us know “The Gay people are coming for us”, as if this is a Zombie attack.  The hilarity of this is that I don’t think you could find a gay person who would make a pass at, much less sleep with Chuck Hurley or Bob Vander Plaats….  No one is trying to indoctrinate these kids.  Ask yourself this, if you are heterosexual, is there any conference or amount of convincing that could make you have sex with another man?  Even if you argue these kids are impressionable… think back to when you were a teenager.  Would you have called yourself gay if you weren’t absolutely convinced that you were?

The really sad part is… a bunch of people who claim Christianity guides them, show no compassion for kids who are ostracized in their schools.  What would Jesus do?  He wouldn’t call children, or the people trying to help them evil.

As much as I hate to admit it, The Family Leader has a point in that, the conference shouldn’t have a session called “Who’d Afraid of the Big Bad Right?”.  It’s going to be led by one of the State’s leading liberal groups.  Just a question for the folks running this conference: What if one of the gay students is a Republican?  You set up a scenario where the kid has to hide who they are in order to fit in.  Sound familiar?  Being gay does not make someone a liberal by default.  If your goal is acceptance of differences, how are you modeling that with your choice to name the session?

Arguments 1

Just a quick thought about the Supreme Court arguments.  As hard as they tried to sidestep the issue altogether, i think the Justices are going to have to decide part of this issue.  I think a lot of commentators are right in that, DOMA will be struck down and the power to legislate marriage will be affirmed as a States right, and Federal benefits would be extended to Same sex couples in States where it is legal.  That also likely means Prop 8 would probably be upheld.

The issue is moving for sure and even if this goes back to the states, I think you will find more and more people who affirm the right of Same sex couples to marry.

Arguments 2

If you are going to have a meeting explaining why you should build a casino in Warren County…don’t try to disguise it as some sort of town hall meeting.  It’s a meeting to convince people they should support the casino.  That’s it.  Every time something like this happens, it erodes trust in the motives of the company that wants to build the project.  Wild Rose tried to announce its casino project by putting this “Citizens” group out front first.  After failing four other places (and a handful of other ideas we never heard about), Wild Rose is trying to build a casino again.  This is not a Warren County Project.  If it is, then ALL of the profits should go back to Warren County and  it should be run by a Board of appointed Directors much like Prairie Meadows.

Bids

This morning…We took up the question of an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bid for Des Moines.  The City has proven over and over that it can host an event like this.  The NCAA just has to say we can do it.  I hadn’t thought of it before but we should also get a “Frozen Four”.  Great neutral site for all of the Midwest teams.

One more thing, The cities that are hosting the tournament this year aren’t getting butts in seats.  Does anyone here think Wells Fargo arena would look as empty as Washington DC did last night?  That was embarrassing.  Even if those are corporate seats or fans of the teams in the next round…why wouldn’t you go to both games?  I think Iowa fans would, and that’s one of the many reasons we should be given a second round slot in tournaments to come.

Mayor

Good fr Iowa State!  Fred Hoiberg has the ability to build ISU into a Big 12 and national contender annually.  He is also a good guy.  Nice to see one of them finish first.

Bacon What?

We got back tot he newsroom after the show yesterday and Brooke had a news release from a company selling…get this…bacon flavored condoms and bacon scented sunscreen.  I like bacon…and I don’t get either of those.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend!

I hope you all have a great day!

PWD