Clearly, a bad business decision when measured by anyone with half a brain.  But that was what it was and I actually think that I am going to be better off in the long run. 

That story, is pathetic.  It illustrates a case of people with no resolve.  It demonstates poor planning.  It showcases a lack of forethought regarding the consequences for short term actions. 

I was even told, "we hope that things turn around so that can bring you back."  Yeah, right. 

But all that said, the more interesting and real story goes back to September 2008.  It was 29 September 2008 when things got.....interesting. 

It was a Monday morning, no different than most other Mondays.  I was doing the show, things were going fine.  Then at 9am, I got off the air and my program director, Brian Wilson, came to me with a very somber look and asked me to the conference room. 

In the conference room, I am met by the market manager, John Walker.  I sit down and ask what's going on.  Walker tells me that they are letting me go.  I let a look of surprise, very genuine surprise, cross my face and ask why.  Walker tells me it is because of an incident the previous week.  Again, I let surprise appear across my face, this time feigned surprise, and ask what he is referring to. 

Now, let me back up and explain.  Ten days prior, on 19 September 2008, there was an incident on the air.  NOT on my show, but on "Partyline" which was hosted by Rick Sinclair.  To that point, Rick would often ask me to be on the show and help him flush out topics and stir up phone calls.  I thought it was good cross-promotion with my show, since Rick did not have any local competition and I did.  Well, on this morning a caller baited me.  I knew it and I took the bait.  Stupid.  He was telling his usual lies and half truths, and I called him on it.  They he blurted out to Rick that "tell your friend to get his panties out of a wad." 

And that was when I crossed into a grey area.  I responded by saying, and this is the exact quote...I heard the recording as did many others..."Lefty, why must you be so Goddamned rude!" 

Oops. 

But, I immediately apologized to the caller and everyone listening.  Had Cumulus Media been a responsible broadcaster, they would have had a eight second delay and a dump.  But, they didn't.  And remember, I was a GUEST at this point.  Nonetheless, I was wrong. 

Not to the point of an FCC violation wrong, but wrong.  Contrary to the lies spread by a certain former State Representative and others, I did not drop the so-called "F-Bomb" on the air.  The recordings prove it. 

Immediately, I called my program director, Brian Wilson, and asked if he would be in the Jefferson City studios because I needed to talk to him face-to-face.  Brian was in Jefferson City that afternoon and I told him face-to-face what happened, that I immediate apologized on air, and I apologized to him.  I asked Brian what to do. He told me that he would handle and keep me posted.  That night, I did the Jays football game.  I worked the next week as well. 

So, now we go back to the conference room ten days later, 29 September 2008.  I have just been told that I was being fired.  And it was for an incident the week before.  Since nothing happened the week before, I feigned ignorance...something that I became good at by seeing the real thing way too often.  After we get back around to admitting the incident was ten days prior, I tell Walker that I had immediately gone to Brian, told him face-to-face, and nothing was done for ten days.  I asked Walker, why the ten day delay in making this decision.  He gave me several bull-shit explanations about reviewing things and complaints didn't come in and so on. 

Then came the icing on the cake...and this is when I made my moves.  Walker told me that after seeing several e-mails that I have sent to other staff and management he had come to the conclusion that I was an angry person and that he could not have a "loose cannon" around. 

To this point, I remained perfectly calm.  Amazing in the face of what I was being challenged with.  So, I stayed calm and asked Walker to cite me some examples of this anger.  He tried to, but couldn't.  Then Walker continued that is just the aura that I give out.  I looked at him, then at Brian, with a puzzled look.  "Where does this come from, John?" 

Walker again struggled to find a suitable explanation.  And it was at this point that I employed a strategy I had only read about.  The book is, "The Action Hero's Handbook"....and it is half serious and half humorous.  I'll go into more, as the story moves along. 

Walker leans in with his hands clasped, I do the same.  He speaks softly and explains...well, I am not sure what...something about his concerns over my employment.  I nod and reply to Walker with the exact same tone of voice, pacing, enunciations, and inflection. 

This continues for several minutes.  Everytime Walker changes his posture or to vocal delivery, I match him without being mimicking.  Had Walker put on his driving gloves, I would have been lost.  Thankfully, that didn't happen. 

Walker tried to build up negatives on me, most of which were not accurate and Brian backed me on them, and I countered him with everything that I had done positively.  My community involvement, my working with the sales department, and so on....all while matching the posture and vocal delivery of John Walker. 

This had gone on for about 25 minutes.  I sensed that I was making progress, but didn't know for sure, so I made my move.  I threw out two key pieces of information for him to digest. 

First, I was a guest on a show, not the show host or even co-host.  Walker debated that by, and rightfully so, stating that didn't matter to a listener because I was known as the morning show host.  I did counter, and he agreed, that I was not at the control of the board, the microphones or the telephones.  That point might have been moot.  But they second point made him fall back in his chair.  I informed Walker that KLIK operated its live local programming without a recommended delay and dump system. 

While hunched back in his chair, he looked to Brian.  Brian confirmed what I had told him.  Rather than ask why we didn't have one, Walker's tone changed.  I knew that he did not have that piece of information.  I knew that he had no understanding, no basic comprehension, of how talk radio worked.  Simply put, he didn't get the format.  But he did get that a delay and dump might be a good idea...more so for callers, but also for guests. 

The light was appearing at the end of the tunnel, and by now I knew it was not a train coming to run me over.  Walker tells me that he is going to do something that he has never done before.  Never ever, and doubts that he will do it again. 

John J. Walker is going to give me a second chance. 

I am not going to blow this, so I keep with Walker's posture and vocal delivery.  He leans in, as do I, and he tells me that he is going to give me my job back.  BUT, I will be suspended for two weeks...without pay.  I only nod in agreement.  Walker tells me that during that time, I will talk with Brian on a daily basis and we will develop a plan for the future of talk radio in Jefferson City.  (That is really funny in hindsight, isn't it.)  I will be a nice, non-confrontational and warm talk show host.  Knowing, that is just not going to work, I simply continue my mimicry of Walker.  He tells me that whatever I had done in the past was all going to change.  I broke from my mimicry, slightly, to ask him about doing the things that worked...that were different than what was happening in the market.  Apparently, dazed and confused by what I could possibly be referring to, he just referred me back to Brian for direction. 

I knew that I had won, but I could not react.  Brian said that we would meet for lunch that day to start the work on things. 

I then turned back to the driving gloved one to ask if the two weeks meant that I came back on a Monday or Tuesday.  He said Tuesday.  We shook hands and I started to get up from the table. 

That was when I pulled what was nearly my final trick.  I did the Lt. Colombo thing, but with two eyes.  I asked him, "Oh, John, I have four clients that I do live ads with.  How do you want me to handle them for the next two weeks?" 

The tables have apparently turned, because the angry person was not me, it was Walker.  And I asked out of concern for my clients and he knew that, so it was a responsible inquiry. 

"Just be back here next week Tuesday and we'll move forward.  Now, if you will excuse us, Brian and I need to talk privately." 

But it didn't end there.  Yes, I left the room...and left the building. 

I called Kathleen to tell her the story, but did so in a bad way.  I opened the conversation by saying the bad news is that I got fired...... 

After hearing the whole story, she was fine...but mad over my opening. 

What made this bad was the lost opportunity....and the fact that they made my co-workers lie to our audience.  I did meet Brian Wilson for lunch, but I did not eat.  Couldn't eat.  It was at that lunch were Brian and I discussed how we move forward.  He brought up a very valid point.  I was hired by Brian and a Market Manager who understood talk radio, Liz Hanlon.  He and Liz both knew that a decent talk show host had to stir the pot a little bit.  Had to get people talking and push the envelope.  I did all that, but John J. Walker did not get this. 

Hell, he didn't even suspect it.  He'd rather have me bore my audience by talking about the beautiful sunrise and the impact it would have on the cattle...or maybe on the hog futures.  Who knows.  He certainly had no interest in me doing what I was hired to do, polarize people...have them form an opinion....make others think.  And Brian realized this, so he asked me to just tone things down and hope that we can ride it out past the election season...then to where it would be forgotten. 

Finally, I pulled out one final request and I needed to have Brian run it through the system for me....if I could sell him.  I let him know that a week off with pay would hurt my family, but clearly not as much as losing my job would.  And I reminded him of the seven comp days that I had built up from having worked holidays in 2007 and 2008.  I asked that we apply those.  Intially, Brian thought it was pushing it.  But then I reminded him, it would be less work on the Business Manager to mark my time off as comp days rather than unpaid.  He agreed that he could sell that, and he did. 

But what I couldn't get him to do was to use this situation as a publicity stunt.  He would have loved to do that, but that was something he knew Walker would never go for.  But he tried.  And it was more proof that Walker had no clue about how to use talk radio. 

The worst thing about this situation was the position that David Gaines and Scott Smith were put in.  They could not address why I was gone.  Scott was in the hosting chair and was told that I was on vacation.  Yeah, so was Axel Foley in "Beverly Hills Cop" right?  David knew what happened, but was told to not discuss it with anyone. 

Phone calls came in to the show.  I heard some.  I squirmed at how uncomfortable my friends sounded having to field these questions.  I was angry at the position that they were put in by John Walker.  It was unfair to them and it was unfair to my listeners.  Several people pointed out that I was so open about when I took vacation, that they didn't buy it.  One went as far as to say that they knew people were trying to get me fired. 

When I did return the following Tuesday, David asked me, on the air, how my vacation was.  I responded by saying, "oh, is that what we called it?"  I figured that David had been uncomfortable enough for a week, my little comment my bring out a chuckle. 

A few weeks later, Cumulus Media did their best to ruin their product by getting rid of many wonderful people who were responsible for creating that product.  It was not limited to my friends in Jefferson City and Columbia, like Richard Matthews, Ryan Merrill, Bryan "B-Love" Fulcher, but also folks like Sarah "Ripley" McClune in Montgomery, who I worked with in Knoxville.  I was surprisingly spared that time, but not in February when the product in Jefferson City and other locations was completely scrapped. 

But one year ago today, I had a major loss that I turned in to a major win.  Who knew that a little over four months later, it would no longer matter.  All because someone in Atlanta, Georgia, knows what is best for making money in Jefferson City, Missouri. 

Unlike 6 February 2009, I look back at 29 September 2008 and laugh.  Psychological gamesmanship worked.  That section in the "Action Hero's Handbook"....in case you hadn't figured it out...is called, "How to perform the Jedi Mind Trick." 

And yes, it does work best on the simple, weak-minded and egotistical.  That was proven on 29 September 2008.

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Have a great day.  More updates when I feel like it.  All the best.

My first thought was, what an asshole.  In fact, that is consistantly what I have thought about him. 

Until last night. 

While watching the premiere of "The Jay Leno Show" (which I will give a C+....first episodes tend to be rough, I expect improvement), Kanye West was previously booked to be on the show.  He was to be a musical guest, performing with his mentor, Jay-Z, and Rihanna.  But before he performed, he came on stage for a one-on-one with Jay Leno. 

That was when I noticed something.  And it is possible that I look for these things, kind of like Art Bell's and George Noory's listeners looking for aliens under their beds. 

West had a hard time making eye contact with either Leno, the audience or the cameras.  When Leno asked him about how his mother would react, West simply looked down, stammered and really didn't answer the question. 

Beyond this, if you look at the actions that have gotten West the negative publicity in the past.  He has had a tendancy to act in socially inappropriate ways, to say inappropriate things. 

Have you figured out where I am going with this yet?  Let me continue. 

Look at his "art"....which would be his music.  While creative and respected in the circles to whom he is targeting, some could argue that Kanye West is highly influenced by other artists and lacks some originality.  I admit that I am not exactly his target audience and that I am not an expert in the genre in which he performs, so my comments are based on what I have heard from others. 

Figured it out now?  If not, let me throw it out there for consideration.  And know that I am HARDLY an expert and I am not a diagnostician, nor psychologist. 

But it is possible that Kayne West has Aspergers Disorder.  And know that I do not use AD as an excuse, more of an explanation. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Aspergers Disorder is on the Autism spectrum, but it differs from most forms of autism by the fact that is does not, usually, impact normal use of language nor cognitive development.  In fact, often times, the language used by those with AD is just different....very atypical. 

Why do I think this is possible for Mr. West?  His awkward eye contact and use of language when talking with Jay Leno AND in his outburst Sunday night seemed similar to what I see in a 12 year old every day. 

My son Ben has AD and sometimes Ben speaks when it is inappropriate, though he has never pulled a microphone from someone's hand to do so.  Eye contact was impossible with Ben when he was 4 or 5 years old, but it has gradually improved. 

Aspergers Disorder is broad in its spectrum as well.  Ben may be a little more extreme than some with AD and Ben may be less extreme than others.  And Mr. West may be slightly in the AD spectrum.  If so, it does not excuse him...though it may offer some explanation.

The biggest thing that I noticed about Kanye West, in his history of odd and inappropriate antics, as well as with his brief interview with Jay Leno, is that he seems to not be able to control his instincts. 

Again, I am not defending him.  Maybe he is truly sorry.  Maybe there is something else going on.  But if he does have AD, this can be explained to a point...but again, not excused.

Or, maybe Kanye West does not have AD...maybe Kanye West is just an asshole.

Something to think about....or not.

Since Obama took office, the Republicans have been trying to find their next leader.  Will it be Mitt Romney?  Sarah Palin?  Dick Cheney?  Maybe Dr. Bill Frist?  Newt Gingrich??

So far, and it is very early, no one has emerged as a potential leader for the GOP.  Maybe it is time for them to think outside the box.....and about someone who regularly faces seven or eight in the box. 

You may think that I am kidding, but I am deadly serious here.  The answer could be as simple as Peyton Manning. 

Really, #18 could be #45.  Think back to how we just elected a President on "Cult of Personality" and we barely knew HIM. 

There are few Americans who do not know who Peyton Manning is.  Super Bowl MVP, Three TIME NFL MVP, and probably one of the best pitchmen still alive (remember, Billy Mays is dead...but he is still selling).  Peyton Manning is quite media savvy, articulate and well educated. 

And, think back to the 1952 election.  Both the Republicans and Democrats were courting General Dwight David Eisenhower to be their nominee.  The Republicans got him and in doing so, they got an experienced leader....and the White House. 

With Peyton Manning, the Republicans would get a very charasmatic leader once again.  Manning could be the Eisenhower AND the Reagan figure that they have been searching for in the last 20 years. 

So, what are the problems? 

Well, would he want to pursue politics?  He has donated to Republican candidates in the past, but I am not sure he has ever actively campaigned for anyone.  At this point, why would he? 

Next, would he quit football to run for the Presidentcy? If he won a couple more Super Bowls, this becomes more likely.  I am certain that he wants to be known as the best in the game.  For now, the standard held up is probably Joe Montana with his Super Bowl championships.  Some could argue Terry Bradshaw, but his persona on TV may have hurt that. 

Peyton Manning is not too young to be our next elected President.  He was born on 24 March 1976, so he would be 36 years old, nearly 37, by 20 January 2013.  He is a natural born United States citizen.  And has been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.  He hits all of the constitutional requirements. 

The biggest issue with his candidacy is getting him to run. 

But hasn't it always been like that?  Peyton Manning would prefer to sit in the pocket and throw the pass. 

Maybe not if he thinks his country needs him. 

Think about that for a little while.

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Could Peyton Manning serve as President of the United States and still be the Quarterback for the Colts?  If so, can he have Secret Service agents on the field with him.  Talk about protecting your quarterback.

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Have a great week!!

But one thing that I have noticed is a definite split in this country.  There are those that remember, vividly, how the news from eight years ago impacted their lives at the time and possibly changed how they lived their lives from that point forward.  Some became much more serious, others became more "happy-go-lucky" in their approach to life knowing that it could all end at any moment. 

Then you have the other group.  These are the people who really scare the hell out of me.  These people the ones who were not impacted by the news from eight years ago, at least not in any noticable way, and those who think the attacks were orchestrated from inside our borders.  I link them together because there are some similarities...mainly the cynicism. 

It is possible that I was impacted by these events because I have always been a news junkie.  It might be due to my trip to New York three months after the attacks, and the smoke was still rising from the World Trade Center site. The smell was both indescribable and unforgettable.  These factors combine inside me and make 11 September 2001 a turning point in my life. 

Some, could care less.  Or they are among those who did care, but have since forgotten.  It appears to me that many of them have positions of power in our country, whether in elected office, positions in media, or other.  To these folks, eight years later, 11 September 2001 was just another day.  Are they cold?  Does ignoring it fit their agenda?  Do they think the rest of us are just jingoistic dolts? 

I know these people and you do to.  They might be "friends" or family, or maybe casual acquaintences.  These are the people that I have told that the two days that really changed my perspective on life were 4 October 1995, when my first child was born and the sense of responsibility in life really hit me, and 11 September 2001, when I saw something that was simply beyond comprehension to that point in my life. 

The others in this sad group are the so-called "9/11 Truthers" or as prefer to call them, complete whack jobs.  There are several groups out there, but one of the loudest, most obnoxious and ill-informed of them is a fool named Alex Jones.  But there are thousands of others.  They think that Michael Moore is a responsible documentarian and not the American version Leni Riefenstahl.  (Many more of you may NOW know who Riefenstahl was after "Inglorious Basterds" hit theaters....or not.)  These folks are so cynical and paranoid that they think the government has been capable of creating a conspiracy with so much competancy and secrecy that the "truth" has been surpressed for eight years.  They also probably think that the moon landing was faked, JFK is alive, well and attended Teddy's funeral with Elvis and the Titanic was sunk by German U-Boats in a prelude to World War I.  Maybe I am exaggerating, but I have no respect for these weak minded fools.  I actually pity them for their short comings.  They watched "Loose Change" and found the assertions in that film to be more credible than anything ever broadcast on "60 Minutes" in its 40 year PLUS run.  They believe those who have no credentials over those with years of education and experience.  A nuclear physicist should be trusted on topics of nuclear physics, but I KNOW a structural engineer should be trusted when it comes to explaining why a building collapsed over that physicist. 

Cynicism is important and necessary.  Obviously.  I am very cynical when it comes to a lot of things that the Government and our politicians want to do "for us"...because it is really TO US.  Healthcare and Health Insurance being the latest example.  But using "false flag" plans and exercises used during the Cold War as examples of how our government is willing to sacrifice its citizens for some perverse gain.  That is sick. 

And what really bothers me is that many people use these paranoid delusions do formulate their political positions.  I knew dozens of people who voted for John Kerry, who is NOT a "9/11 Truther", because they they felt that President George W. Bush orchestrated the attacks. 

I have spoken out against these nuts for years....these intellectually challenged folks need to be qualified for others so that their influence is limited. 

So, as you see the news reports and reflect back on what really happened eight years ago, remember that there are many out there among us with the intellectual capacity of a lobotomized earthworm who wish to spread these colorful ideas.  I can only advise this.  Know your sources.

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Tonight, on CBS College Sports, at 7PM Central, High School Football featuring the Jefferson City Jays at Fayetteville, Arkansas.  DirecTV subscribers, that is channel 613.  If you are a cable subscriber.......really?  I guess picture quality doesn't matter on a 19 inch Philco.

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OK, College Football enters its second week.  Several interesting and very compelling games, unlike the first week where there were few compelling games, will be played. 

The biggest, and I base it on rankings NOT my biases, is the University of Southern California Trojans travelling to Columbus, Ohio to face THE Ohio State University Buckeyes.  (I capitalize THE because they always stress that world when giving the name of their university.....apparently, it is THE most important part.)  Last year, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Trojans dismantled the crew of Captain Sweater Vest, 31-3.  At the Horseshoe, will the results be any different?  I'd think so, but not the ULTIMATE result...Trojans will still get the win, probably closer...I'd put it at 31-17.....the last seven coming late for the Buckeyes.

Notre Dame shut out Nevada last week, 35-0.  This week they go to the Big House in Ann Arbor.  Not sure if the Wolverines are really back or not.  Something in Michigan has to rebound, it is not the auto industry, it is not the economy in general, they are heading into the time of year where the weather gets crappy, so who knows?  I am not convinced that the Irish are back yet either.  This could be a well matched game.  It could also be well matched in the area of bad football.  Notre Dame by 3 in this one.....but that could be 42-39 or 3-0. 

I find the matchup between Kansas and Texas-El Paso compelling...but I am probably in the minority on that one.  After the last two seasons, I am starting to think Kansas is developing a feel for a ball that is not round....could be due to having a coach who is....(boo...that was horrible).  The Jayhawks are on the road in El Paso, playing a team that is still in a period of rebuilding, much like their coach is trying to do with his career.  I think the Jayhawks get the win, but I will admit that I really like the Miners offensive coordinator, Bobby Connelly.  Met him on several occasions, when he was with the Alabama Crimson Tide, and he even gave me a cigar after the Tide beat my Vols back in 2005.  Jayhawks by 10 on the road.  (Oh, Mizzou alum and Columbia native Tom Hart will be calling this game on television.  I know how much he loves the Jayhawks, but Tom is a professional....and another one of the good guys.)

Mizzou hosts the Bowling Green State Falcons tomorrow night.  The Falcons are lead by former Tennessee Offensive Coordinator Dave Clawson, a man who SHOULD be remembered for his one year on The Hill that resulted in Phillip Fulmer losing his job.  (I like Phillip and Phillip is to blame, he hired the guy.) If the Tigers don't hang 60 on these guys, it will be a long year for the Black and Gold.  OK, maybe not, but it certainly could open some questions for when they host the Furman University Paladins next week. 

Finally, I really wish that I was in Knoxville this weekend.  My Volunteers host the fucla bruins at Neyland Stadium.  This is like a perfect storm of college football for me.  The team that I have detested for the longest time takes on my favorite team (and alma mater) in an intersectional game.  Last year, the defeat at the Rose Bowl stung as it set the tone for a horrible season.  My brother Topher, a USC alum, always said that his two favorite teams are USC and whoever is playing fucla...with Tennessee being third (due to the number of games he has been to there AND possibly the connections that Kathleen and I have with the program).  This week, the Vols move up to number two for Topher...and I really hope they do not disappoint.  While I am not convinced that Lane Kiffin has the Vols hitting on all cylinders yet, lets face it...Western Kentucky is not the benchmark a team needs....I think he has done more so far than Slick Rick Neuheisel has for the cruddy little bruins.  I put this one as Vols 28, bruins 12.

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That is it for this Friday.  Have a great weekend!

Beat the Buckeyes!! 

And Go Big Orange!!!

So there is the problem. The root cause cannot be clearly identified. 

Two things happened this week that are worth pointing out.  First, the speech of President Obama to public school children.  On the surface, this should be fine.  But when the news broke that there were going to be materials distributed, to be used in conjunction with the speech, included asking for students to write papers answering how they could help President Obama. 

There was a lot of outrage, and there should have been.  Why?  Because that is a tactic eerily familiar to those actually remember their history.  This was, whether intentional or not, a tactic taken from the Hitler Youth handbook. 

Did President Obama's people want to use this to indoctrinate school children?  Personally, I doubt it.  But it certainly fueled the fire for those who do not like the President.  As I have often said, you do not give ammunition to your enemy.  Obama's people did just that. 

Now you can see the problem.  Assuming this was just an honest mistake, and if Rahm Emanuel was involved this is a hell of an assumption, it was a very sloppy one.  Sloppiness leads to a lot of big questions. 

How could this have been avoided?  Possibly by releasing an outline of the speech WHEN the speech was announced.  Not full text, but the bulletpoints.  However, I am not naive enough to believe this would have quieted all of Obama's opposition.  Zealots exist on both sides of the political aisle and even presenting 100 percent honesty will not appease them. 

Personally, I think every President should address school children every year with a message to encourage them to work hard, etc. 

The hypocrisy on this really comes from the media.  The story has been the outrage from Obama's critics.  Just the opposite of what the story was back in 1991 when President Bush gave a speech with a similar message.  In 1991, that led to a Congressional investigation.  Why?  Lack of trust and/or lack of honesty. 

Cynics everywhere have been fed a great buffet from our friends in Washington.  And they keep on feeding us.  I guess this is a case of Obese Cynicism.....and rather than treating it, they are feeding us more and more.  Sorry, but I have not heard of any way to treat this case of Obese Cynicism. 

It is possible that drugs, alcohol or frontal lobotomy surgery could work.  But that just removes the cynicism by leading the cynics to apathy.  And apathy leads to ignorance. 

Which gets us to what many know that we have now.  People don't know and they don't care. 

And that gets us back to the 1930's Germany analogy.  If they are not messing with me, why should I bother to get involved? 

My opinion is that the President and his staff are sloppy, especially in this case.  I hope that I am right, but I understand those who fear that there is something deeper here. 

Admittedly, I do not trust President Obama, but that is based on his lack of experience, faultering track record as President and mostly, as my parents taught me and warned me, people judge you by the company you keep.  That is MY biggest issue with him.

------------------------------

Last night, the other thing happened.  President Obama gave a speech to Congress trying to revive his plans for healthcare reform. 

Many would call this, as I would, beating a dead horse. 

Let me admit, right now, that I did not watch his speech.  Why?  Few speakers can talk as long as he can and say absolutely nothing. 

With that said, I will openly admit that I will not believe anything that he said last night when it 180 degrees from what he has said in the past. 

Now, he is against a public option or public takeover, so he says, of our nation's healthcare system.  But he has been in favor of it in the past...for YEARS in the past...suddenly he has a change of heart.  Yeah, call me a skeptic.  Especially, when you add in his allies who are still for the public takeover.  The "yellow flag of caca" gets thrown on this.  Back to the lack of honesty/lack of trust thing.  (He has lost my trust early last year and will take a LOT to get it back.) 

You see, I am like a lot of people.  I believe that the reforms that President Obama and his ilk are intended to lead us to the universal healthcare eventually.  Some, like my own mother (a very intelligent and informed person), do not see the problem with this.  (I know, it boggles my mind, too.  But intelligent people can disagree....if we had the same information, we may not, but I digress...)  I have explained this in the past, but for those who continue to miss the point, here it is.  Universal healthcare does NOT make any one any healthier.  (Ever heard the saying, "You can lead a horse to water....)  It also would remove incentives for innovations in health care.  Sorry, the altruistic nature of people is limited.  Taking away the ability to profit, and fund future research, is an insane idea. THAT is why it is bad.  I know some of you will still not get it.  But I guess you will never understand why capitalism works best with the nature of human beings.  (Been listening to "Imagine" a bit too much??)

Again, I do not know what "Dear Leader" said last night.  And it really doesn't matter what he said, I will not believe him.  I have NO reason to trust him.  He violated the trust, as did his predecessors, that I initially grant anyone. 

I told a friend of mine that he and I could sit down and solve the rising costs of healthcare problems in about two weeks.  I said that we are both reasonably intelligent people and, MOST importantly, we have NOTHING to gain by putting forth our reform agenda.  "Dear Leader" and his allies, as well as his opponents in elected office, all have something to gain by doing things their ways. 

What "Dear Leader" and everyone in Washington is missing...and I am including Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Socialists in this...is quite simple.  They are not addressing the root causes of the spinning out of control costs. 

My mom like to point out an ourageous charge for an MRI that my dad had.  And it does sound outrageous.  The insurance company didn't pay that charge, they paid a pre-negotiated price.  And that price was based on several factors, including what they charge Medicare and Medicaid.  But, imagine this, what if the doctor had ordered the MRI, but instead of sending Dad to the MRI people, he gave the orders with a list of companies for him to choose from that did MRI's. 

I'll admit that I do not know how many options there are in the Kansas City metro area for MRI's, but if companies had to compete for the business, you can bet the prices would drop.  And the business models would be forced by the marketplace to streamline so that they could be profitable.  

Another area is in Emergency care.  Emergency Rooms cannot, by FEDERAL Law, be turned away.  If I walk into an ER with sniffles, they MUST treat me.  Trioge doctors and nurses are highly trained, and expensive, professionals.  They need to help those having heart attacks, strokes, stabbing victims, etc., and not those with seasonal allergies. 

Those are not areas that I have heard ANYONE in Washington addressing.  Why is that?  Simple, because those are areas that would not give them any more control over "We the People"....that is why it won't happen. 

Again, that is why I have, and many others do to, a lack of trust in them.  Because they have a lack of honesty.

------------------------

Finally, I have been beating this dead horse.  I guess I have been hoping the horse is not dead, just napping.  The first three words in the Constitution of the United States are "We the People" for a reason.  It is NOT "We the Government" nor should it be.  Too often, our two party system has used their positions to restrict "We the People" to levels that go beyond the intent of the Constitution. 

Why do you think the sale of firearms have gone up drastically the last several years? 

Why do you think that bloggers have gained popularity every year?  Technology making it easy for us to get out messages out is part of it, but a lack of faith and trust in the traditional media, due to them not doing the job they once did, has opened a big door for the views of those all over the political spectrum. 

Unfortunately, too many just don't care.  And the apathy, as well as ignorance, leads to "We the People" losing the power we once held. 

I don't care if you are a Republican, Democrat, Socialist, Libertarian, Independent or other.  I just hope that you can see the problems when either side in our two party system moves toward Authoritatianism. 

But I have little faith.

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Time permitting, a preview of College Football tomorrow.  Programming note, DirecTV subscribers can watch the Jefferson City Jays on CBS College Sports (Channel 613) tomorrow night at 7:00PM Central. 

Have a great day.

Why?

Good question and one that I cannot give you a firm answer on.  I can tell you that many people were telling me to simply keep my opinions to myself for a while. 

Well, that just doesn't work for me.  Simply put, if my IDEAS are a threat to someone, then it is THEIR problem, not mine.  The open exhange and debate of ideas is what got this nation to where it became not only a great experiment but also a great nation.  If anyone is muzzled now, even voluntarily, that greatness is in peril.

So, since last I posted our nation had a great loss. Yes, Billy Mays passed away.  The upside is that his ads are still running.  Personally, I wouldn't run his health insurance ads any longer, but that is just my opinion.

Oh, yeah...I am back to work.  No, for those who haven't heard, I am not back on the radio.  In fact, I have jumped into Mr. Peabody's Way-Back Machine and returned to the career that Jay Kersting had in the 1990's.....the wonderful and always evolving world of Information Technology.

John Landwehr, Mayor of Jefferson City, asked me one of the best questions when I announced my new position.  What was Information Technology in 1992, carbon paper?  Actually, he was not too far off.  Before I get to that, let me tell you that the company I work for now, Midwest CompuTech, started as a TYPEWRITER company in the early 1980's.

So, to answer John's question, I went back in to the deep recesses of my brain to recall what the I.T. world was like back in 1992.

First, I started on the retail floor at CompUSA's new Brookfield, Wisconsin, location.  In some ways, we were glorified stock boys.  But we had to have some knowledge.  Unfortunately, I had NONE when it came to networking.  My previous employer ran off of a highly reliable SneakerNET system.  [If you are unfamiliar, SneakerNET consisted of using athletic shoes to quickly move data, via 5.25" or 3.5" floppy discs, from computer to computer.]  Terms like token-ring, ethernet, BNC, Cat3, Novell and others were completely foreign to me.  Hell, they were to nearly everyone else that I worked with...save a couple of guys in the Corporate Sales division.

But I learned a lot of this stuff quickly.  And in 1992, things were simpler.  There were no CD-ROM drives really.  They started to hit the shelves around Halloween, and by then I was already slated for a management position at the new Las Vegas store.  [A move that definitely changed my life.]  Sound cards were extra and most were monophonic.  If you had a new 14.4 kbps modem, you were flying on-line.  I was happy with my 2400 bps modem and my complimentary Prodigy membership (due to being a CompUSA employee....  WRJT68A was my Prodigy ID).

My time on the retail side of things was fairly short.  I left Wisconsin for Nevada and was in management there.  When I was stupid enough to leave Vegas for a job in California, I continued on the weekends at CompUSA in Woodland Hills, CA.  After the screw job from my employer in Cali, I went back to Wisconsin and got back on with CompUSA full time, thanks to some advance work by my very good friend Adrian Narvaez, this time as a supervisor in the Front End.  Later I transferred to the Roseville, Minnesota, store where Adrian was Retail Manager.  He had introduced me to the Front End Manager there a few months earlier...so I was "inspired" to move to there.  And a year later, I was talked into moving to the Corporate Sales world by several people.  Mainly by my then fiance...the former Front End Manager...and the regional Corporate Sales Director, Larry Fredrich, who was the Corporate Sales Manager in Brookfield back when I started. 

Things rapidly changed in the mid 1990's.  Businesses were brand loyal, HP customers did not want IBM's, IBM customers though Compaq was garbage, Dell had taken their product back in house and we could not sell them, our Compudyne systems were a great value, but a lot of folks were concerned over their reliability.

Today, things are seemingly standard enough that the brand of PC doesn't matter....as long as it works.  Software is a bigger concern.

When I started, there were two different versions of MS-DOS floating around...3.3 and 4.01.  The latest version, MS-DOS 5.0 was available but not yet adopted.  Microsoft Windows 3.0 had been out for a couple of years.  Windows 3.1 came out within a month of my entry into the computer biz.  And a year later, PC Magazine released a survey that showed 28% of all Windows users only used Windows to play Solitare.

A deck of cards would be cheaper, but they don't shuffle themselves DO THEY?  Nor can you change the back of the cards.

A lot has changed since 1992.  Today, I am posting a blog entry on a piece of software being hosted somewhere out in Cyberspace. 

That is the model of the future for a lot of companies, schools and maybe even homes.  You will hear the term "Cloud Computing" more and more over the next few months.  Today, a lot of people store their data on "a Cloud" but more and more, especially clients of Midwest CompuTech are learning how to run applications on a Cloud.  The advantage, they are learning, is longer lifecycles for their workstations.  Longer lifecycles means less money being spent to replace hardware.

And taxpayers in a lot of communities are learning this is a great way that their school districts can save a LOT of money....or put it back in the classroom where it belongs.  Not here in Jefferson City yet, but Midwest CompuTech is trying to show them the light.  TruCloud for Education is a great product that we offer our school district clients.  And we  have a version for business clients as well.

OK, enough of the advertisement.  Simply put, I love what I am doing.  I really do.  I come into the office everyday trying to educate myself so that I can let my clients know what is coming next.  That is what is so exciting...the always advancing technologies that make things easier, but now also save money AND increase productivity. 

Do I miss radio?  Yes and No.  I miss the interation every morning with those of you who listened, called, e-mails and faxed stuff to me.  I really miss that part of it.  I think that we had a lot of fun, the whole team we had, and that part I miss. The corporate crap where I had to sit around "just in case" I was need to record an ad, fix an ad or to dub in the barter advertisments that paid for our lousy syndication...NO, I don't miss that at all.  The egotistical market managers that I had to deal with, the ones who only cared about themselves and would throw their staff under the bus in a second just to make themselves look good, NO, I don't miss that at all. 

I also don't miss the spineless weasels in the radio biz who would act like your buddy to your face while try to sodomize you behind your back (figuratively folks, not literally...at least not to me). 

Simply put, I miss the you, the listeners, and those who were part of the show, but little else.  Especially not the 4:00am wake ups.

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How many of you are pleased to see the authoritarian moves that our government has been taking? 

Now, I know some of you will point back to the PATRIOT Act, but that is just one example. 

Personally, I point all the way back to 1913 when the Sixteenth Amendment was radified on a series of lies. 

But what really scares me is the fact that Cult of Personality, and I don't mean the song by Living Colour, has gotten us a President who is trying to lead by the same Cult of Personality that got him elected. 

Now, I made no secret that I thought many who supported him were mindless zombies.  And I based that the fact that too many of them could not tell me why they voted for him other than the very clear concept of "change".....yes, many times I followed up with "what kind of change" and could not get an answer within the bounds of reasonable human comprehension. 

OK, they like the guy.  Then say that.  But don't tell me he is of high character, which several people did...and I could provide a list of names, when you have no track record to base that on. 

You see, what really bothered my was when the White House staff, led by Linda Douglass, former member of the liberal media, asked to have people send "fishy" sounding e-mails and the sources of them to the White House at flag@whitehouse.gov so that they could review them. 

Hmmm....it sounded a little like Joseph McCarthy to me...maybe Billy Wilkerson....certainly a little bit like Richard Nixon's enemies list. 

So, I reacted.  I sent this to flag@whitehouse.gov back on 10 August 2009. 

"Joseph Kersting, aka Jay Kersting, of Jefferson City, Missouri, is a major outspoken opponent of the President's healthcare plan.  Mr Kersting calls the plan a "Vote Buy" and means to breaking the nation.  Mr. Kersting used to be a radio talk show host on KLIK in Jefferson City and WNOX in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Thank you.

Very Sincerely,

Joseph Kersting"

You know what I got?  I got added to the White House SPAM list.  Others are probably referring to me in general terms, if you have followed the news lately, as a "domestic terrorist" because of my positions.

Whatever.  I will only say this.  I remember learning how America was founded by rugged individualists.  Henry David Thoreau tried to get back to some of that by sequestering himself at Walden Pond. 

Not any more.  Today, it seems that everyone is looking for a handout from the government.  Sure, I just came off of six months of unemployment where I drew every single last penny to which I was due from unemployment insurance.  But, my employer and I paid into that program.  And I used that money as a hand up, not as a hand out.  I KNEW it was limited. 

But too many others feel that the government owes them something.  And they are right.  They owe them public safety.  They owe them national security.  They owe them a strong national infrustructure.  Those things are what allow the INDIVIDUALS to them support themselves and each other. 

Finally, before I move on to an important topic, college football, let me ask you this.  But this only applies to you who work in the private sector.  Would you like the Federal government to open up a business to compete with what YOU do, knowing that they can tap in to the Federal taxpayers money to subsidize what they do....and therefore provide their products and services at a lower price?  Would you like THAT kind of competition?  Really? 

If you would, I have two things to say to you.  First, have you REALLY given that question some thought?  Second, are you REALLY that stupid? 

Talk to your insurance agents and brokers.  They are facing this real possibility.  How do you think THEY feel?

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The college football season has now begun.  Personally, I think any school that schedules a THURSDAY night game is a CHUMP school.  Selling out to make a few bucks and get a little national exposure.  Thursday nights are for watching decent television, stuff like "Burn Notice" or "Royal Pains" and college football has NO place on Thursday nights.  Visiting teams, I know you have no choice.  But if your school HOSTS a Thursday night game, shame on them.  That is as WEAK as scheduling a Division 1-AA opponent in your non-conference schedule (and Tennessee has UT-Martin on their 2010 schedule....I am PISSED about that.  WEAK!!). 

Last night, Indiana hosted Eastern Kentucky and beat them 19-13.  Woo....  NC State hosted and lost (GOOD, serves you right for hosting on Thursday) to South Carolina 7-3.  Boiss State hosted and beat Oregon 19-13.....and that was the peak of Boise State's schedule in 2009.  They will run the table and cry for a BCS bid for the next three months.

Here are the rules. Friday night is for High School football.  Saturday is for College Football.  Sunday and Monday are for Professional Football, with the Thanksgiving exception and the wrap of the regular College Football season. 

Tomorrow, a continuing to improve great college venue, Neyland Stadium plays host to a team playing its FIRST Division 1-A (or if you prefer, Bowl Subdivision) game, Western Kentucky.  The Tennessee Volunteers roll out a new look under a new coaching staff.  (Including Holden, Missouri, native and Central Missouri alum Jim Chaney as Offensive Coordinator.....a good reason for Missourian's to support the Volunteers!)

I look forward to a good season of college football.  Go Vols!  To my Trojans fan friends, Fight On! 

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Next posting will be ....???  We Will see!! 

All the best and have a great weekend!

But this is really sound thinking and a good approach to your daily like, you have to follow me for a little while so that I can illustrate how.

Back in 1991, I was working at the Americana Lake Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, as a Security Officer.  The job was mostly reactionary in nature, but we also had to do Loss Prevention reports for management.  There were other duties that I was specifically assigned, but that is for another time.

Anyhow, the resort closed in October 1990.  The plan was for major renovations for the place.  And it was an incredible place.  Key word there is WAS.  And now it is again. 

For those of you who never heard of it, it is now the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa.  In 1968, Playboy Enterprises opened the resort.  The place had two 18 hole golf courses, a ski hill, an airport, a skeet and trap range, a fitness center with indoor tennis courts, a 335 room hotel, dozens of condos and a convention center.  Oh, it also had its own sewage treatment plant and network of fire hydrants.

I admit it, the job was pretty sweet overall.  Not much happened there during the winter when we were closed.  I worked two of those winters.  The summers were different.  The hotel was opened for the summers and it was a busy place.  Often times it was insanely busy.

OK, so I have set the scene.  Summers busy, Winters not busy.  

During the winters, the security staff would get bored as hell.  I usually worked second shift during the week and third shift on Friday and Saturday nights.  Even slower during those hours.  I'd drive around property a few times in my eight hour shift.  Never saw much.  I walk through dark and empty buildings at least twice during my shift.  Most of my time was spent hanging out at the front desk during the winter doldrums.

Then it happened.  

On a Thursday night at shift change in March 1991, I made a comment to Pete Bauman and Mike Slein, two of the Security Department supervisors. I ran down a litany of oddities that I had experienced in my 10 months working there.  Then I said, "at this point, nothing can happen here that will surprise me."

Mike immediately said to me that I should never say such a thing.

I arrived early for my Saturday shift.  It was 11:15pm and I did not officially start until midnight and I wrapped at 8am on Sunday.  Traditionally, the morning shift would get in by 7:30 so the third shifter could duck out early if paperwork was done. 

As I walked in to the building, I heard a strange trickling noise.  Thought it was melting ice running down the building.  I checked in at the office and mentioned this to Pete.  Then I went to punch in and I heard some noises in the Boiler Room that I didn't recognize.  Maintenance was gone by 9pm, so I knew they were not doing any work.

As Pete was leaving, he noticed that running water noise was quite loud.  He came back to get a flashlight and I joined him out front.  

We found the problem....melting ice does not melt upward 18-24 inches, it runs downward.

The sprinkler system main burst, the high volume pump was working constantly (the noise in the Boiler Room) and that cause the trickling to become a nice little fountain in the front of the hotel.

Pete called the Chief Engineer, who lived on property, while I went to shut off the water supply lines to the pump.  Ironically, we were just given an introduction to that part of the system a week before.

Gene, the Chief Engineer,  came up to the hotel, cursing a blue streak that I hadn't heard since watching a Richard Pryor stand up performance.  Now for the record, prior to this point Gene didn't like me or anyone else who worked in Security.  We were responsible for his staff shrinking in his mind.  Television thefts by his staffers was the cause in our minds. 

Anyhow, Gene is jumping on me for not noticing the problem early and implied that we were a bunch of lazy, no-good, so-and-so's and were going to cause him a problem.  I snapped at him and let him know that I caught the problem before I punched in for my shift and failures due to "poor maintenance" are things that I can only report.

Yeah, not making friends here.  Neither was Gene at this point.

Pete came in and detailed that he was outside at 10:30 and downstairs near the Boiler Room at 11:00.  There were no problems at that point.  Pete then explained that once we found the problem, we could not check the Boiler Room because we didn't have a key.

Gene was paranoid.  He was a paranoid control freak which just made things worse.  Especially, when it came to working with other departments.  This was acutely apparent at this time.

Anyhow, once Gene got past blaming Pete and I for the situation...the one that we prevented from getting worse, he finally got the Boiler Room open.

There was SIX FEET of STANDING WATER in the Boiler Room.  This is not a small room.  It is about 40 feet wide by 100 feet long.  Quick math for you 40 times 100 is 4000 square feet.  That is nearly TWICE as big as my house.  And it had 18 foot ceilings.  Big room....and now, it was a swimming pool.  A very dirty and dangerous swimming pool, but that is what it was.  Oh, back to the math, 4000 square feet times six feet deep is 24,000 cubic feet of water....minus the displacement of the parts of the boilers and other equipment in that water.

Gene called two of his best guys in to help out.  But at this point, all we could do was wait for it to drain.  Pete and I wanted to let the General Manager, Don Willey, know what was gong on.  Gene begged us to wait until we knew the extent of the damage.

So, Pete went home and I continued on my shift.  I checked with Gene to see how things were progressing.  By 4am, the water had drained.  Gene and his staff then were able to go in to the Boiler Room to check on damages.

Remember how I said that a little paranoia is a good thing?  And how I said that Gene was a paranoid control freak?  Well, it paid off.

Nothing was damaged.

Four hours underwater and NOTHING was damaged at all.

Gene's paranoia over worse possible scenarios led him to make sure that everything was prepared for those worst possible scenarios.  Oh, and he was DAMNED lucky.

By 6:00am, Gene insisted on calling Don to let him know what happened.  He told Don that the diligence of the Security Department kept the situation from getting out of control and prevented damage to things in the Boiler Room.  Gene even apologized to Don, not a control freak but a guy who liked to know what was going on at his resort, for not waking him.  Gene's spin was that there was not time because we were all working together as a big happy family for the greater good of the result.

Clearly, this was something that I would have to throw the ever popular "Yellow Flag of Caca" on.  But by this time, I didn't care.  It was a "bonding" experience for the two departments.

Gene became a little less paranoid.  Vigilant would be the term Gene would have used to describe his stance.  After the great Boiler Room flood, I'd agree.

The lesson for me came not only from watching how Gene acted, reacted and changed, but from the need to be vigilant in my boredom as well.

Like I said, a little paranoia is can be a good thing.  Too much, can be self destructive.  See Richard Nixon if you disagree.

The surprise obviously was the events that happened.  But also the slight change in the working relationship between departments.

--------------------

Where did this come from?  Well, I was in a parking garage earlier today.

You are probably scratching your head over that.  But think about it.  Parking garages and parking lots are places that you should really keep all of your senses on high alert.  There are millions of stories of people being attacked in parking lots and parking garages. Men, women, children, groups, etc., have all been victims in these settings.  A family member of mine can testify to this first hand.

I do not worry much about me.  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not something that leave you oblivious to your surroundings, at least, not for me.  In my case, I tend to be hyper-aware of what is happening around me, to the point that I am distracted from what is right in front of me.

When walking through a parking lot or garage, I am always looking for things that do not seem to be in place.  A person sitting alone in their car gets my attention and I try to make eye contact.  

This comes from the time at the resort.  Often times, people would park in the back of the lot.  Usually up to "no good" of some sort.  Like the guy waiting for his buddies who were trying to steal all the towels of a maid's cart.  I stopped them with their "booty" and called the Sheriff's Department.  In this case, the Deputy had me look in the car for resort property.  In my search, legal as a private individual, I found two gallon sized bags of something that I do NOT think was oregano.  I also found a couple of 35mm film can sized vials that were not resort property.  I set those outside the car and they popped open and had a rock of some sort in them. 

The resort got their property back, so we did not press charges.  However, the witness to the private search, the Deputy, had to do his job.

I am not bragging in sharing this story, just explaining that it is important for people to be aware, sometimes hyper-aware, of their surroundings.

Like in the case of the resort, I was familiar with my surroundings.  If something was out of place, it was easy to catch.  But when it is not your job to look for it, this can lead to complacency.  Sort of like most traffic wreck with injuries or fatalities happen within ten miles of home, you need to stay aware in places you know too well.  Those are the places where you can more easily catch the things that are out of place.

Just some friendly advice.  Take it for what it is worth, or dismiss it.  Up to you.

-------------------

I guess the bigger point that I may be getting around to is this.  Have had times in my life to be paranoid about things.  I have actually had suspicions about not getting jobs in the past.  And my suspicions proved true in some cases.  I remember a certain promotion at CompUSA that I did not get and my suspicions over why were true.

In others, I was not concerned and I either got the job on my own merit or lost out to some perceived as better qualified.

I bring this up because someone asked me about it the other day.  It was in jest, but it is worth addressing.

I am not paranoid.  Frustrated, obviously. 

In April, I got excited about a job that I was well qualified for.  I knew that I nailed the interview and had an excellent background for it.

But I didn't get it.  I wasn't as connected as the person that got the job.  Some people thought that I felt I was "blackballed" from the job.  I don't think that was the case, I just wasn't political enough to benefit from what could be called a patronage job.  I've never played those games well, and if someone was equally qualified but better connected, of course that person gets the job.  I get it and, while I don't like it, I can accept it.

I am trying to find work.  If I lose out on a position, I lose out.  It happens.

There are ten million Americans out of work right now.  Jefferson City, Missouri, has a lower than the national average unemployment rate.  This is a good thing.  But, the opportunities for those of us out of work seem limited here.  In my case, it is not that people don't want to hire me, it is that they don't have a place to put me or know what I could bring to their organization.  The former, I can't fix.  The latter, I have to sell myself on.

So, I have missed out on some jobs.  It happens.  I know this.

And obviously, I am not important enough to have someone blackball me.

What I do know is that I could leave this area for what may be a quick fix to the lack of employment situation.  But even that doesn't seem like a good idea.

A friend on Facebook shared with me that she applied for a radio job in a very small market.  It was a job that she would be a great fit for, even though it was in a much smaller market than she worked in her last two stops.  Over qualified, but she wants back in the game.

TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY people applied for this job.  A job that would have looked crummy just eighteen months ago.

She didn't get the gig.  However, it is safe to guess that someone with less experience got the job because they will work for minimum wage to gain experience.  She is clearly frustrated.  She has been out longer than me.

For me, I am better off sitting put in Jefferson City and trying to find something here.  Kathleen has a really good job and if I got a job somewhere else, there is no guarantee that she could replace what she has.

I have joked about our situation in ways that should illustrate that I am the OPPOSITE of paranoid...and this is due to Kathleen.

Everyone likes her and wants to keep HER here....so people are motivated to find me a job....to keep HER.

So, while I may bitch, whine and moan.  And some of you may think I sound paranoid from time to time.  I wanted to explain this is not who I really am right now.

I am simply a frustrated guy without the creative outlet that I once had.

That is unless you are all really out to get me.   If so, I will have to rethink things.

----------------------

In closing, someone asked me last week if I was tired of people asking about my employment situation.  I told her I wasn't....I was tired of giving the same answer. 

Spin doctored that situation, but that IS how I feel.  If people ask, they are concerned, even if it is just being polite.  I appreciate that and I take the inquiries as sincere concern.  Maybe I am naive, but I would prefer to think the best of people, not the worst.

Thinking positively about things is always the best approach.  

But maining vigilance, as I mentioned earlier, should be kept with that approach as well.

--------------------------

A rare afternoon entry.  And three this week...go figure.  

I am rethinking my approach to things and trying to figure out what I can create for myself in the way of a career.  

I will have a job and that may become a career.  If not, I am going to have a backup plan.

Again, vigilance...not paranoia.  

I was blindsided on 6 February 2009.  Don't want that to happen again.

All the best...comments welcome.

I felt terrible that day.  And it had nothing to do with a former USC great being accused of murder.  It had everything to do with me wrestling around with my girlfriend and accidentally chipping her front tooth with my watch band.

We were goofing off at her mom's apartment and I don't know how it got to the point where my watch band ended up making contact with her teeth.  But I felt horrible about it...and I still do.

My girlfriend's mother made a joke about it...she told me, "You broke it, you bought it."

We all laughed.  She was a very funny woman.  

Less than a year later, that girlfriend became my wife.

And about her mother, when I asked Kathleen to marry me, she called her mom.  She asked to speak with me.  Her first words were, "What took you so long?"

So while I remember that day fifteen years ago and feel horrible about that accident, I remember the sense of humor of my mother-in-law even more so.

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I am one of those people who reads his horoscope on occasion, but I do not give it much more thought other than for entertainment.  In fact, I like reading it after the fact to see if it was close to accurate.  

In the west, horoscopes are broken down by a months that are offset by actual months by eight to ten days.  In eastern cultures, like the Chinese, they have yearly cycles.

Again, I find horoscopes interesting and entertaining, but I have never led my life by horoscopes.

So, there is the set up.  For those of you who believe in horoscopes, I hate to possibly burst your bubble.  

17 June 1943 is the date of birth of BOTH Barry Manilow AND Newt Gingrich.

As Jim Bohannon would say, do you still believe in horoscopes?

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Yesterday, I made a few strong statements in the blog entry.  [By the way, if you are reading this on Facebook, the format is EASIER to follow at the source page, http://blog.jaykersting.com]

I hammered this silly plans for improving healthcare.  Some of the response I got accused me of a lack of logic in my argument.  My general response to that was that the greater point was a BIG picture view.  Adding additional levels bureaucracy does not help a situation that has been hurt by bureaucracy.   I stand by that statement and it is completely logical.

Pumping more water on to the Titanic was not going to save the ship.  Rearming the Japanese would not have ended the war in the Pacific sooner.  

Streamlining would be the way to improve the healthcare system.

How?

Tort reform would be a good first step.  Removing most the legal worries from insane lawsuits is a good first step.  Encouraging competition from providers is another.  More urgent care centers to take pressure off of Emergency Rooms is yet another.

Emergency Rooms have become a source for healthcare due to a general cultural ignorance.  No one is without access to healthcare.  Anyone can go to an ER and get treated, whether you can pay or not.  Period.

Urgent care clinic do cost money, but there are also free clinics.  In fact, when the debate was going on here in Jefferson City regarding a casino, one of the biggest arguments against casinos was that they prey on the poor.  I suggest then, as part of allowing a casino to come here to Jefferson City, make the casino pay for TWO free health clinics for the poor...one of them COULD be at the casino site, the other had to be at least 8 miles away.

A lot of my current beliefs come from a couple of interviews that I did with Dr. David Gratzer.  Do a Google search on Dr. Gratzer and you will learn that he is with the Manhattan Institute.  You will also learn that he is Canadian and knows the flaws in their system.  

Remove the levels of bureaucracy.  That is the solution.  There are MANY ways to do it, I just offered a couple of them.

I know that I do not have all the answers.

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I also made a comment yesterday about President Obama.  

Several of you agreed with my assessment.  Some of you disagreed with my assessment.

And still a few others thought that what I said might have been beneath me.

To them I say this...you think better of me that I deserve.  

Did I call him a name?  Yes.  Do I regret it? No.  Did I explain how I came to that conclusion?  Yes.  Would I, if given the opportunity, say it to his face?  Yes, but I would do so in the form of a question.  As in, some of your critics, like me, think that your lack of action regarding dangerous nations in the world, think you are a "pussy"...what do you say to them?

Is that harsh?  Of course.  That is the point.  Calling someone a wimp or coward lacks the impact.

And having spend several years in talk radio, I know that you have a few seconds to get your point across.  I chose the short path.  I did not choose, like the President does, to filibuster and ramble, and cut to the chase.

Again, I do not apologize for this.  

Some will use this against me.  And there are several reasons why they will do so.  It is possible that a potential employer will choose to NOT hire me because they disagree with my opinions.  That will be THEIR loss because their shortsightedness and stubbornness will cause them to miss out on having a strong employee.

Others may think better of me for standing by my beliefs and convictions.  Hopefully, this will be someone who realizes that debate and discussion of issues is healthy in our world...and having someone like me could help their organization.

The point again is, disagree with the message but do not hold that against the person.  Doing so may prevent you from finding the stuff that you do like.

Myopathy is correctable, but you must recognize the disorder to fix it.

-------------------

Back to a discussion of the job hunt situation to wrap up. 

I have one job out there that I am sending a package to.  Nothing else out there.  The sad state of radio is keeping me from getting back in that game.  

In fact, I actually met a radio group owner in the last month and he knew who I was (shocked me) and wished he could do something to help.

The bottomline for me is the same for the economy in general.  

Fear.

Business owners are fearful right now.  That is what put me on the sidelines in the first place.  [My show and station were above budget at the time that I was cut.  Fear of the future is why I was cut.]

I go back to praise for two former Presidents of the United States.  I do not agree with the policies of either one of these men completely, but I do agree with a general tone that both laid out.

Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan were both great leaders BECAUSE they led the average American to think bigger than themselves.  To face the fears HEAD ON.  

FDR did not get us out of the Great Depression with his policies, it took a war to do it.  Reagan did not get us out of the last major recession with his policies, he reached across the aisle and practiced TRUE bipartisanship to make it happen.

After yesterday's post, you probably realize that I have little faith in the current crop of leadership in this nation.  Sure, I took on the President, but his opponents are not showing that they are any better.

Herman Cain told me in my interview with him in July 2005 that leadership is getting people to do things that they are not already inclined to do.  

Get past the fear.  Face the fears head on.  

If you can do so, you will win.

At this point in my life, there are a lot of things that I have yet to fear.  But the current situation has also given me a big dose of something that all of us need from time to time.

Perspective.

-------------------

Have a great Wednesday....Anything Can Happen Day!!

OK, that was a bad joke and a stolen line from "Office Space" but my motivation to post has been limited.  I just don't see the point since I mainly used this blog as a guide for the shows I did.  

But every so often, I will see things and notice that they are just NOT right.

Here are some examples.

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Been hearing a lot of talk, AGAIN, on "fixing" our healthcare crisis.

Yes, our healthcare system needs fixing.  But remember, it is the BEST IN THE WORLD.  And looking elsewhere in the world will NOT make it better.

Think about this for a second.  They SAY it will cost $1,000,000,000,000 (that is one trillion....if I have enough zeros).  Some estimates put it at THREE TIMES that.

And how are they going to fix it?  Well, let's take a step back.

What is causing healthcare costs to spin out of control?  A few things are responsible including the costs to educate new physicians, the research and development of new pharmaceutical products as well as the research and development of new treatments and surgical techniques.

Those are all things that are worth the increase in costs.

But what isn't worth it is the exponential growth in legal costs.  Not just malpractice, but that is a huge chunk of it.  It is all legal protections that physicians must have that are spinning things out of control.

That has led to the Medicare and Medicaid costs to spin out of control.  Which in turn leads hospitals and doctor's offices having to offset those costs by piling on the private insurance.

How else do you explain the $10 pacifier that our insurance was charged for back in October 1995?  The same pacifier that we bought at Target in a 3 pack for under $5!!!!  And our three pack had Disney characters!!!!

The approach being proposed by the Obama Administration does not even discuss these problems.  Listen for the term "tort reform" and you will only hear it when the plans are being opposed.

So think about this for a second.  The problem with healthcare is the weight of bureaucracy crushing the system.

Their solution?  Add more bureaucratic pressure.

Stupid is an understatement.  

----------------------

Now, many of you out there still "love" this President of ours.  I, personally, do not get it.  

Ignorant masses of people put this man in his position because they bought into the "Cult of Personality" that surrounds him.  

Too many people do not know what this means.  When I say the phrase "Cult of Personality" to people, I often get the response about the song by "Living Colour" from 1988.  

That is not a BAD response, actually.  Listen to the lyrics of the song.  It actually explains the concept.  Doesn't take a side necessarily.

I will.  I am and always have been an issue voter.  When someone goes against their issues they campaigned on (see George W. Bush) , I can criticize that person for their change.

When you campaign on vagueness like "Hope" and "Change" and people support you for that, they have nothing to criticize you on later.

Brilliant for the candidate.

But it makes a lot of you out to be the suckers that I thought you were.

-----------------

Now, let's shift over to the foreign policy arena.

That speech in Cairo was a disaster.  Period.  

The United States of American is an imperfect nation that has done more in the last 150 years for the world than ANY OTHER NATION.  Do not apologize for us being better.

North Korea is ramping up to hurt some of our allies.

The President does nothing.

Iran had an obviously illegitamate election.  

The President is silent for three days.

It is actually quite simple.  Barack Obama is a pussy.

And it worse than just those two examples.  He is reverting back to pre-September 11th policies when it comes to terrorism.

To President Obama, terrorism is a CRIMINAL JUSTICE problem. It is not a MILITARY problem.  That is why there are terrorists being Mirandized in Afghanistan.

WHAT?

You get caught shooting at SOLDIERS or setting Improvised Explosive Devices on a roadside, and you are going to end up in a drunk tank with someone who crashed his SUV into a speed limit sign.

Why?

Because it is a change from George W. Bush's approach.  And because Bush did it, in their feeble little, misguided and ideologically manipulated brains, it is wrong.

North Korea, Iran, the series of apologies to the world, and this current move to tell terrorists that they "have the right to remain silent, have the right to an attorney" etc., all backs my assertion.

President Obama is a pussy.

And unless he changes NOW, our nation will be weaker because he is a pussy.

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As you, as regular readers (when I did regular updates), know I am a big fan of Megyn Kelly on Fox News Channel's "America's Newsroom" (8-10am Central).

I like her interview style and the way she moderates debate on the program, specifically in her "Kelly's Court" segments.

As it turns out, my son Ben is a big fan as well.  He kept asking me if I knew who was on "America's Newsroom" on Fox News Channel.  If I answered Bill Hemmer, Ben would say, "him too...but who else?"

Last week, I e-mailed Megyn Kelly to let her know about her 11 year old fan with Aspergers. 

To my surprise, Megyn Kelly wrote back.  She shared with me that she has a family member with Aspergers and told me to tell Ben that she was "rooting for him."

Clearly, I like her more now than I did before I sent the message.

----------------

Next update coming.....whenever....

General Motors recent successes have been in selling SUV's and Trucks.

General Motors is now owned, majority owned, by the United States Government.

The United States Government is one of the greatest organizations in the history of the world, BUT the United States Government is not known for being able to move quickly and adjust to changes that are necessary in the business world.

President Obama said that the U.S. Government will get out of the car business as quickly as possible.  I hope this is true.

The longer that "We The People" are in the car business, the closer we may get to the KdF series of small cars.

If that is too subtle for you, let me translate.  "Kraft durch Freude" is German for "Strength through Joy"....heard that before?  Yes?  No?

Well, it came about during a time when another nation decided that government ownership of a car company was a good idea.

Meanwhile, Ford is doing quite well without further government money and without filing for bankruptcy.

Hmmm....

--------------

Speaking of Ford, I drive a 1997 Ford Taurus G.  Not a great car, but a decent car.  Reliable?  Well, sort of.  It usually gets me from Point A to Point B without much difficulty.  Especially if I am not going very far.

So a week ago, when I was driving up to Kansas City with Ben, I was not pleased when the locally reliable Taurus decided to stop for me at a traffic light.  

Here is the short version.  When driving into Sedalia, the battery light came on and all of my gauges quit.  No speedometer, no tach, no fuel gauge, nothing.  I was going to stop at gas station in Sedalia.  However, the car decided to die about a block away.  Again, at a traffic light.  

Luckily, I was able to push and steer it out of traffic into a closed gas station and call AAA.

The tow driver arrived and we jump started the car.  It ran for a couple of minutes, then died again.

Neither the driver, nor I are mechanics, but we quickly determined that this was either a battery problem or a alternator problem.

He had a friend who worked at the Sedalia O'Reilly Auto Parts, so he towed us down there.  His friend tested the battery and it was dead....but not permanently.  

The O'Reilly guy directed me to a mechanic across the street, Terry from Terry's Auto Service.  

So, it was $166 for the alternator.  A tow across the street from AAA, and Terry got the new alternator installed for $30.  Ben and I were on the road.  

The delay was actually about two hours, but the real point of the story is that a lot of good people helped us out.  Chuck, the tow driver, did not have to do anything but give us a ride to a garage up in Kansas City...if we chose that.  Rather, Chuck gave us a possible solution by introducing us to people he knew right there in Sedalia.  

So, the thank you letters are on their way later on today, but my car got us to Kansas City and back.  Thanks to Chuck, Cameron and Terry.

Now, if they could have done something about that ball game result.

-------------------

It has been a while since I updated.  I pointed out then that there are is a loser out there who posts anonymously on this with stupid comments.

The latest just made me laugh.  It was short and sweet.

"Your right.  GO AWAY!!"

First off, the IP address was 74.248.200.100 and it is in Knoxville.

I think this pinhead meant You're...as in the contraction for You Are.  And since I am not in Knoxville, I have "gone away" for that person.

Finally, coming to MY BLOG is completely optional.  If I have left, and this person should be happy with that, why is this inDUHvidual follow me?

I am giving this loser some attention.  Probably what this loser wants, and that is fine.

Know that I am laughing at you.  And I have posted your IP Address, which is from BellSouth, now AT&T, in Knoxville, so it probably a shared IP.  

-----------------

Finally, is it just me or is "Toby's New Trick" not so new any more.

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Have a great day.

Often, I mention Facebook on this blog.  Some of you only read the blog on Facebook (I would encourage you to come to the site directly as the larger font and better spacing makes my normally incoherent drivel easier to sort through.  http://blog.jaykersting.com is the site.)

OK, back to my point.  I will fumble around Facebook and see what my "friends" are doing, or have done, etc.  And it is interesting.  Sometimes, I realize that what they have going on in their lives seems to be better than what is going on in my life.

But I learned something from my mom a long time ago.  When you look at someone else's life, you do not see the whole picture...and if you think you want to trade places with them, remember that you have to trade everything.

Good point.

So, some will look at me and say that Jay Kersting is not...and here comes the list.....

Jay Kersting is not....

Successful.  OK, define success.  While I am not successful in my career path currently, I did achieve a hell of a lot more then some people probably expected and more than many of my classmates in the University of Tennessee Department of Broadcasting have.  I have a nice family and a marriage that has endured many problems but has survived 14 years and counting.  I don't have a nice car, but I have a nice, modest home.  

To some, I am not successful.  To others, I may be the picture of success through some mild adversity.

Jay Kersting is not....

Smart.  No, probably not smart when you look at some of my life decisions.  But in the end, in the big picture, some things have worked out.  I probably was too dumb to see it when I finished high school, but I wasted some opportunities.  You know what?  Had I not screw those things up by NOT being smart, I would not have what I have today.  And by that, I mean the important things like my family.

Had I not flunked out of CMSU in 1990, I never would have gotten the job with CompUSA that took me to Las Vegas, that led to me to becoming good friends with Adrian Narvaez, who would not have been able to introduce me to Kathleen.

So, I may not be smart in the traditional sense.  I may be lucky.  But I worked pretty hard to be that lucky.

Jay Kersting is not....

Hard working.  Now that is one that I will fight you over.  I have always said that there is a method to my madness.  I work smarter rather than harder.  There is usually a better way to do things and I have found that better way.

Why did I seek a job in talk radio?  Simple.  I have been an information junkie forever.  What is the best way to channel that into something where you can draw a paycheck?  I figured it was talk radio.  I was probably about five or ten years too late getting in to the biz, which is why I am "on the beach" now.  I will have to find a new way to channel this "habit" into a career.  No idea how.

Meanwhile, I am working on our small garden here at the house.  I spend a lot of time checking on and trying to improve my fountain.  When someone needs a volunteer, I am quick to jump in and be that volunteer.

So yeah, I am hard working. 

Jay Kersting is....

Ready to go.  Openminded.  Looking for opportunities.

And most importantly, wanting a chance to prove that I am those things that many do not think that I am.  

I expect to hear from the cowardly loser back in Knoxville who makes anonymous postings to this blog (but never get seen by anyone but me due to my rules on postings).  It gives me a chuckle.  This person tells me to "go away" or calls me names,  but yet this person wastes their time reading the blog.

Sad.  This person IS a loser.  

Not me.  No matter what you think.  You are not seeing the whole picture.

Nor am I when it comes to your life.  

We can all agree on that.

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A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Rodney Slater, Secretary of Transportation during President Bill Clinton's second term.

Interesting guy.  We chatted about some of the contents of the Energy Bill of 2007.  One thing really stood out about Secretary Slater's positions.

He was against the CAFE standards that were in that bill.  At the time, those standards were to be upped by the 2020 model year.

Yesterday, President Obama moved it up by four years.  And I really don't have as much of a problem with that as some do.  It is a four year shift on something that was already going to happen.

Pushing NASA to get things going four years sooner would be better, but that is a different subject.

Slater made a great point.  His assertion was that by focusing on CAFE standards as the solution, it still keeps the focus on old technology.  Resources that COULD and SHOULD be diverted to new technologies are wasted on a "band-aid" type solution.

Several groups have looked in to this.  First, they know that the easiest way to improve CAFE standards is by cutting vehicle weight.  That will make the cars less safe.  Second, the improved milage could lead to more driving, therefore no net savings in the amound of fuel used.

But I am with Secretary Slater on this, and this is where NASA could come into the equation.  New technologies are the most likely scenario to improve the polution problems and the fossil fuel usage.

Again, I have more of a problem with what was done two years ago compared to what was done yesterday.

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Wednesday means, as you know, "Anything Can Happen Day"....so, here's to hoping good things happen for you.  All the best!!

I know many others who have been out longer.  And it with that in mind that I will focus on other things that happened in the first 100 days.

First, I was able to speak with several classes at Thomas Jefferson Middle School about the importance of having good public speaking skills.  This was a very rewarding experience with these young folks and hopefully I was able to give them some reasons to take the development of this skill, or growing of the confidence to use this ability throughout their lives.

Second, I took the time to dig in a little deeper this year into the Capital City Cookoff.  I had the time and felt this was a great way to use it.  Later this week, we will present a check to the Special Learning Center Foundation that will blow our previous donations out of the water.  This was not my doing, but I was a small part of it.

Third, I have been able to spend more time with Alex and Ben.  With Alex, a lot of this was in being the one who was able to make it to the track meets, even working at a couple of them.  Later, I coached Alex a bit on this discus throwing and that may have led to his improvement in his final meet.  I also was able to take him to the Emergency Room when he had the foot injury at a meet.  (I could have if I had been working, but it is likely that Kathleen would have due to the late hour.)  

For Ben, I was able to volunteer at a party at his school and to be a field trip Dad.  When something at school went badly for him, I was able to respond by going to the school to help.  Beyond all of that, I have been able to spend most every morning helping Ben get off to school.  He did it by himself when I was working, but this was more for me than for him.  Giving us some one-on-one time we otherwise wouldn't have.

But there have been some negatives.  And these are not about me.  Two of them came from over the weekend.

A friend's father was in a motorcycle wreck back in April.  He spent three weeks in the hospital before he passed away on Friday.  I feel horrible for her right now.  Her loss put my "problems" in perspective.  Her sense of humor through it all has inspired me.

Then on Saturday, I learned that the man who introduced me to Kathleen is again facing cancer.  Adrian Narvaez fought this before and won.  But it is back, and he is fighting again.  He will win.  I could tell by talking with him that he is scared, but that he is also determined.  I offered to go out and help him if he needed it.  His brothers, nieces and nephews are all out there with him and I know they will help.  But, he knows that I am sincere and he knows that he can count on me.

For all of my frustrations, I have these joys to look at.  For all of my frustrations, I have these friends with bigger issues to face that inspire me.

As the saying goes, I have my health...as questionable as THAT is....and as long as I have that, I can move forward.

----------------------

Many of you know that I have been focused on baseball this spring.  In fact, I have gone as far as to say that all I have right now is Kathleen, Alex, Ben and baseball.

Last night, I had to make a quick run to HyVee and I found a Mets/Giants game on 810 WHB (out of Kansas City...I do not listen to much Jefferson City radio after 9am on weekdays, wonder why?).  I do not like either team and I am not a National League fan, but I listened to the beginning of the game.

I watched the Royals games on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday...and fell asleep to their game on Friday, it was after a two and half hour rain delay.  They split the series with the Orioles, but are still just one game out of first place.

Considering they did lose six straight, being one game out is pretty amazing.  

Next up, the Cleveland Indians then a road trip to St. Louis.

--------------

All for now.  Have a great week.

Definitely flip-flop weather.

So, when I heard of a "flip-flop" in Washington yesterday, I was not surprised.

First, let's go back to my feelings on political "flip-flops" that I had articulated last year.  If someone changes their mind based on receiving more, new and different information, that is called being responsible.

So, I applaud President Obama for changing his position on the photos that the ACLU wants released to the public.  

This will, based on what happened when the last pictures came out, save lives.  

For the life of me, I understand why the President initially didn't want to fight it.  Simple...he didn't think he could win.

Thankfully, the military said to him, and convinced him, that there are ways that he could win.  

I have no idea what the ACLU could possibly gain by getting their grubby little hands on the pictures and videos.  Unless the goal was to wash those grubby hands with the blood of our soldiers.

Back when I was working in radio, a caller brought up how bad the ACLU was.  I responded by saying that they have done a lot of good.  The caller challenged me, something that I loved most about the talk radio format, by asking for an example.  

Got me.  I could not name anything.  I later realized that the ACLU was involved in Brown v. Board of Education (Topeka) and that was a good case and a good decision.  

Beyond that........using John Scopes?  Defending Rush Limbaugh's privacy rights?  (That last one is still surreal to think about.)

What does the ACLU have to gain?

Simple, they gain publicity and the rally up the sympathetic base of extreme left-wing zealots.

They gain....MONEY!

The President made the right decision.  I hope he fights this until he wins, whether that be by the unlikely result of getting a Supreme Court decision or otherwise.

Should these pictures come out?  Let me give you my surprise answer, yes.  Yes they should.

No now.  Not while we have our nations women and men in harms way. Not until we have strong relationships with the mid east region.  Not until we can present them in a historic perspective.

What the ACLU wants is dangerous.  What the ACLU wants is counterproductive.

The best place to display these materials, several years down the road, is in an exhibit at the Smithsonian.  It should be treated much like My Lai, because it has been legally.  Action was taken against the bad actors, just like My Lai.  There is NO point in exposing these things to the world RIGHT NOW.

Time heals all wounds.  These few who committed these acts have been punished, the innocent should not be harmed because of their actions.

Not now.

Not ever.

-------------------

Personal note.  Shortly after posting my last blog entry, I received an update on something that a friend is going through.

I will not go in to the details as to who, she knows who she is and others may know her.

Basically, this friend now knows that her father is going to die soon.  This was caused by an accident.

She is about to lose a parent, something that I have been blessed by NOT having that happen to me.

What she is going through right now is nothing compared to my bitching and whining about.  I have my parents.  Hopefully, I will for a while.  She will not.

I have told her that my thoughts and prayers are with her.  

Perspective can help the rest of us in dealing with what makes us upset and angry.

Now I know how self-absorbed I have gotten over my situation.  It reminds me of an episode of M*A*S*H that Patrick Swayze was in.  Swayze's character was diagnosed with Leukemia.  Hawkeye wanted him to go to Toyko to start treatment, but he wanted to stay until his buddy was awake and alert.  Meanwhile, Father Mulcahy was dealing with a Cardinal coming to the 4077th.   He was stressing out and angry with the rest of the unit.  Then he was a depressed Hawkeye in the mess tent and confronted him...and it was then that Father Mulcahy got his dose of perspective.  He forgot about impressing the Cardinal.....and in the end, he did impress him.

As big as my perceived problems are, others have it worse.  

I will try to forget about me for a while.  It is hard to separate.  It is hard to be a dispassionate observer of your own life.  I need to.

Because right now others need my attention, my good thoughts and my prayers.

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Herman Cain wrote a book a few year ago called "They Think You're Stupid"....and it is a fantastic read.  And it actually predicted some of what he have seen happen politically the last three or four years.

Mr. Cain is a genius.

That said, "She thinks we're stupid" could apply to Nancy Pelosi today.

She is parsing her words.  But I will not.

She lied.  She lied and lied and lied and lied and lied.

She knew about "enhanced interrogation techniques" back in 2002.  She lied about it since then.  

Since both Democrats and Republicans don't like me, I don't mind saying it.  This is a now being played out of the Democrats "How to handle when when of our own is caught lying" playbook.  Deny first, when the denials fall flat, parse words and spin.

Republicans have a different method.  Have ONE fall on his sword so the rest are protected.

And you wonder why I have a problem with the two primary political parties.

I don't mind saying in now.  My words are already out there on this, so there is no harm in repeating it.

I feel that the parties and their members put party ahead of country.

Can someone prove me wrong and restore my faith in our system?

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I made a comment on Facebook yesterday that I am not a sycophant.

Some people may not know what that means.

Merriam-Webster's On-Line Dictionary defines sycophant as "a servile self-seeking flatter."

In other words, an ass-kisser seeking personal advancement.

Eddie Haskell

I am blunt and I am direct.  That may be part of my problem in getting a job, but it should not be.

As I have explained to those who have taken the time to talk to me, I am going to challenge behind closed doors, but I will convey the message when in public.

I am loyal, but my role should be to prepare those who will face the public for what they are going to get.

If I was ever in a position of political power, I would not surround myself with a bunch of sycophants.  Too often, that is EXACTLY what happens.

Democrats know this and cite the Bush Administration as an example.

Republicans knows this and cite the Clinton Administration as an example.

The problem is that they are both so BLINDED by their own ideology, or worse yet, by their own personal advancement, that they cannot see it when it happens on their own side.

Debate and discussion are HEALTHY.  Being surrounded by a bunch of Eddie Haskells, telling you how smart, how pretty, how loved you are is NOT.

This is why I was good at what I did.  I shot straight and I backed it up.  No one worked for me, so no one fed me BS as to how good I was or wasn't.  Unfortunately, no one fed me the truth as to what I needed to develop further.

I can be that guy.

Who has the guts, no BALLS, to let me?

----------------

Have a great Thursday.

I thought that happened on 6 February 2009.  I was wrong.

I thought that happened when I had my car wreck at the end of February.  I was wrong.

It might have been yesterday.  

For the second day in a row, I intended to go for a ride on my bike.  For the second day in a row, my right knee had other plans.

So, after icing my knee, I decided to call over to the Missouri Department of Corrections, where I had interviewed on 15 April 2009 for their position as the Chief Public Information Officer.

I didn't feel good about that call.  The person who answered was intentionally...well, the term deceptive isn't right....neither is distant....I guess maybe obtuse is the term.  The call lasted just 58 seconds in which time she twice told me, and I quote this one, "I will pass this along to the Director."  After the first time, I asked directly if I was still under consideration.  All she did was offer that same reply.  In hindsight, I am certain that this was rather uncomfortable for her.  

58 seconds.

At 3:49pm, my cell phone rang.  I answered it.  The conversation lasted just under two minutes.  And in those two minutes, some major wind was taken out of my sails.  Director of Corrections George Lombardi apologized for taking so long to get back to me, but they made their decision about ten minutes before I called in today.  And despite "having a great interview" they went with someone else.  He wished me well.

End of call.  No idea why someone else and not me.  Could be something on their resume.  Could be the fact that despite being born in Missouri, they had a problem with my living most of my life elsewhere.  Could be something I said or did in the past.  Could be political patronage.  No clue.

Their mistake.   I wish them well.  They will never know what they missed out on by not hiring me. 

Their loss. 

I was on my way to Alex's final track meet of the season when I got the call.  You may have heard that we did some work on his discus throwing over the weekend and I was excited to see how he would do at the meet.  I didn't tell him the news...I still haven't.

He did OK in the shot put, which was his first event.  He was within a foot or so of his personal best.

But over at the discus, he looked decent in his warm-up throws.  His first throw went out of bounds...I called him over to suggest what might have gone wrong.  He agreed with me.  

His second throw looked pretty good, but I couldn't tell how good from where I was at.

It was more than pretty good.  He beat his previous personal best by nearly 14 feet!!!!

He was smiling from ear to ear.  He thanked me for the help over the weekend and wants to do more for next season.  He even wants to take my disc with him when he goes to the Joseph Baldwin Academy at Truman State University this summer...so he can practice.

BEST PART of my day without any doubt.

Then I stayed up to watch the Royals game.  Excited because former Tennessee Volunteer Luke Hochevar was going to get his first start of the season.

Luke was shelled.  Out of the game after 8 earned runs in two innings.  

Now I am not that great at math, but I think that is an ERA of 36.00 in his first outing.  Thankfully, Zach Greinke is still on the team.

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I posted an update on Facebook regarding this job situation.  I appreciate all of the well wishes.  I really do.

But that said, being told that this is not God's plan does NOT make me feel any better.  Sorry, it just doesn't.

I consider myself to be a rather spiritual person, I am a confirmed Catholic but I do not regularly attend services and I do pray a lot.  I mean a lot.

I get that this job was not God's plan.  But hearing it does NOT help.  I know it...

I know that giving up eight runs in two innings is bad also, I don't need to watch it again on MLB Network today.

I really do appreciate people thinking of me.  But telling me you are sorry to hear the news would have done me a lot more good.

I do not know what God's plan is.  I have only been granted interviews for TWO jobs in the first 96 days that I have been without work.  I did not get either one.

I estimate that I have sent resumes, applications and inquiries to at least 100 different companies/organizations.  Only two wanted to interview me.

Hell, I am tempted to apply for a lousy radio job in Fargo, North Dakota, because I am about that desperate.  I sure hope THAT is not God's plan.

I don't mean to offend anyone.  I really don't.  But stating what is obvious to me does not help my confidence.

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Confidence is a key word for me now.

I am fresh out.

I can only think of the words of Joe Hallenbeck (Bruce Willis) in the movie "The Last Boy Scout"......"nobody likes you, everybody hates you, you're going to lose.  Smile, you F***!"

I am negative.  I do not know how to shake it.

I had confidence until yesterday.  I really did.  

So many positives going on, except for my damned right knee, and I really thought that I was on my way back to being a contributor to the greater economy of the world.

Nope.

Now what?

Well, suggesting that I try even harder now is INSULTING.  I have NOT been sitting on my ass the past 95 days...I have been looking for work.

No one wants to hire me and that is a confidence killer.

I have good work ethic.  I have good work experience, varied if nothing else.  I have an education.

So, have I hit bottom?

I hope so.  Because if I have, things can only get better.

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Maybe part of my problem is that I took advice from people that went against my principles.

I shut my mouth.  Maybe that was the wrong thing to do.  

For now, I am not posting anything that might be considered controversial.   I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings....God forbid.  (Meanwhile MINE have been trampled on!!)

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News commentary.  Today is Carrie Prejean's 22nd birthday.  Happy Birthday to this much maligned young woman.

All of you who have attacked her for HER opinion, shame on you. (Probably the same type of pinheads who would use my previous work in the entertainment business against me.)

I have been pretty clear on this...I do not agree with her.  I personally do not see HOW gay marriage impacts my marriage.  I just don't care.  Not my battle and I will not get involved.  I do not see it as a civil rights issue either.  Homosexuals are allowed to vote, not kept as slave laborers....this marriage thing...well, not letting them get married MIGHT be doing them a favor.

I say let anyone serve in the military.  Let anyone marry someone else.  Don't tell me what I can and can't do....and more importantly, do not cause any harm to me along the way.

I am happy for Ms. Prejean.  She keeps her crown.  She has her opinion.  I respect it, others did not and they should be ashamed of themselves.  

If they are not, then I hope they realize how INTOLERANT THEY ARE and change their ways.

You see, it is really quite simple.  They are the problem with our society today, not Carrie Prejean.  She answered a question honestly.  You don't like the answer to an opinion question, fine, disagree.  Do not attack the person.

Doing so, puts you on the level of Al-Qaeda, Taliban, Bolshevism, Nazism, etc., where the rights of the individual are discarded.

Is that the world YOU want to be a part of?

If you are not part of the solution then you ARE part of the problem...SO QUIT BEING PART OF THE DAMNED PROBLEM!!!

Am I clear?  Because I used to stutter, I feel I need to ask that.

Am I clear?

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There is a 21 inch long scratch on the bottom of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.  NASA is calling it a scratch, because calling it a gouge would cause a panic.

The shuttle is old and needs to be replaced.  Sadly, the bureaucratic pinheads in Washington have seen fit to NOT give the money to NASA to get Project Constellation and the Orion spacecraft ready....at least not for five or six more years.

So now we have a shuttle that MIGHT be in trouble.  It may not be, but do you want to take a chance?  That is why NASA is readying another shuttle to go up for a rescue.

Good idea.  Plans for missions with multiple shuttles were discussed in the early 1980's....back when the second launch site was built at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

I wish the astronauts success in their mission to update the Hubble Space Telescope and a safe journey home.  But in a way, I think it would be a nice and inspirational move...to inspire our nation's youth...to launch that second shuttle.  Especially if it was to simply do a minor repair and land BOTH shuttles safely.

THAT would be a proud moment that I think our nation needs.  

And then the cranial-rectal inversion in Washington, as it goes for NASA at least, can be reversed.

Maybe I am too hopeful.  I should know better.

Every President in my lifetime has neglected NASA, Obama being the exception.  He hasn't had a chance to do HIS damage a la Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush.

I hope he doesn't either.

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It is Wednesday.  Tuesday is gone.  Thank GOD!!  Wednesday IS "Anything Can Happen Day" and who knows what can happen...and who knows what will happen.

Hopefully, I can find a way to get my confidence back.  I have never been a big smiler, but I'd like that back too.

Leave it to "Anything Can Happen Day"...

See you on Facebook and Twitter....links for those who aren't there yet.

Well, here are a couple of small things.

Thursday night, I met up with Jim Logan and got my chance to actually use his DJ setup.  Jim has had a couple of gigs that he cannot do, so I will do them for him.  Wednesday morning, I went to his place and saw all of his cool stereo equipment and his DJing setups. Very nice stuff.

Thursday night was the annual Downtown Dinner Dash and Jim plays music on Madison Street for the dessert crowd.  He allowed me to run things with him.  

It was a lot of fun and it was nice to know that it is something that I had no problem doing after a long time away from doing it.

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No news on the job front. Got a couple of rejections the week before last, but I am still working on a couple of others.

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Kathleen suggested I go for a bike ride today, something that I have not done in a while.  So, I went, got started and popped my right knee out of place.....OUCH.  Happens on occasion, so not surprising.  

Instead, I am icing my right knee.  I will DO it tomorrow.  

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Now, I am not blaming my knee problem of today on this, but instead sharing so that you know I have not been completely sedentary recently.

Saturday, Alex finally asked me to take him to the school and work with him on his discus throwing.

Let me open by saying this, I was NOT a good thrower in my day.  I was firmly mediocre.  But, I was able to help those who threw with me by offering some coaching.  

I guess that I was a little proud of helping others do better, even though I was not able to improve much myself.

I offered Alex a few suggestions as we threw.  And he had a big challenge while throwing.  He was using a disc that was twice as heavy, and bigger around, than he is used to throwing.  He actually was able to throw within about 5 feet of his personal best.

On Sunday, at Kathleen's suggestion, we went back to the school and I worked with Alex, while Kathleen and Ben did some walking and running around the track.

Both Kathleen and Ben tried to throw the disc a little bit as well.  

Yeah, we spent our Mother's Day family time discus throwing.  I doubt you know anyone else who did that this Mother's Day.

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And finally, last night we watched "Mamma Mia!" on DVD.

Background.  I offered to take Kathleen to see it in the movie theater last summer, but we never got around to it.  I didn't want to see it, but I thought it was a nice offer.

So, at Christmas, I got her the DVD.  

Up until last night, we had not watched it.

That was as good as it got.

Horrible is the only word that comes to mind.  The best part of the movie....THE END...The Part Where It Is OVER and you get to eject it from the DVD player!!  That part was AWESOME.

Kathleen did not think it was as bad as I did, but she was less than impressed.

How bad you ask?  "Sliver" bad.  "Grease 2" bad.  "Morons from Outer Space" bad.  It was as bad as Pierce Brosnan's singing.

If you are a fan of ABBA, then you might like it.  I do not hate ABBA, but this movie, and I assume the Broadway musical that spawned it, was an excuse for ABBA fans to inject way too many of ABBA's songs into a story.  

The term I came up with was FORCED.  It just seemed forced.  I am talking as badly forced as the pop culture references in "Sharktale" or any of the "Shrek" movies.  

Beautiful scenery, awful story.  

If you like this movie, seriously, rethink it.   You may want rethink a lot of things that you enjoy while you are at it.

No more examples here.  I have given you enough.

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Have a great week.  NOTE: I update Facebook and Twitter more often these days.  Shorter formats, but also a lot more random and irreverent postings.