Jay Kersting's Blog

Let me open with a big thank you to my friend Lori Snyder.  I got up this morning and I opened my e-mail to find an e-card from Lori to wish me a Happy Birthday.  And give me a BIG laugh. 

Helped set me in a better mood.

I saw another greeting from Jim Welch.  Thank you, Jim. 

Then I jumped over to my business e-mail and I saw Happy Birthday wishes from Mark Mehmert and Lindy Apon.  Thank you too.

So, I am in a pretty decent mood.

Normally, I am not on my birthday.  Not so much any longer.  Why?

Well, because there are really no reasons to any longer.  I mean, 38 is not exactly a milestone of any kind.

But here is the reason.  Having another birthday is better than the alternative.

So, for all of you who have already wished me a Happy Birthday, again, THANK YOU!!  Really, that sort of helped set my mood.

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

Back on this date in 1970, besides my birth, it was "Black Tot Day" in the British Navy.  The rum ration, or tot, was brought to an end.

No, I will not be making up for it.

Well, on second thought.  That would improve this coffee.

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

OK, I have not seen it outside one of the many news and news-commentary shows that I watch.  But I think it makes a decent point THEN it falls flat.

I am referring to John McCain's new ad that says Barack Obama is the biggest celebrity in the world.  

What it should say is this.  Barack Obama is a widely popular here and around the world.  Then show the Parisite Hilton and Britney Spears pictures and say that do you really want a celeb as leader of the free world?

Or go in another direction.  I am certain that some people look back at high school and question the leadership of their class.

Now, I can say in all honesty that I am not one of them.  And I am not saying this because it is possible that Jim Johnson is reading this.  Jim was a great guy back then and he STILL is.  Jim is also a real bright guy.  And Alex Arestides was our junior class president.  Also a real sharp guy....probably smarter than Jim because he did not want the responsibily of running the reunions (which Jim did a great job with).  Anyhow, my point is that some of you who are reading this are possibly looking back at whoever your class president was and simply shake your head.

That is the direction that I would have gone with.  Both angles, the bimbo celebs and the high school leaders who everyone thought was cool, but can't do anything. 

Make the case that Popular = Ineffective.

But who asked me.  I am not involved in the campaigns for a reason. 

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

Got the final numbers from the Empty Hook radiothon to get backpacks and gear for homeless school children in the region.  Our stated goal was at least 375.

Well, YOU made that goal a damned joke.  Thanks to YOUR generosity, we can provide 701 backpacks.

Thank you for your generosity.

----------------- 

Have a GREAT Thursday.   

Posted by Jay Kersting at 04:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

options

Tuesday is the primary election day here in Missouri and we are running things right up to the end.

Today, I once again have State Treasurer Sarah Steelman on to tell us one last time why we should support her for Governor.

Tomorrow, we get our FIRST visit from Congressman Kenny Hulshof to tell us why we should support him for Governor.

We offered both candidates many chances to appear and even worked to schedule a debate.  Both sides agreed to do a debate, but neither side EVER got back to me to set a time to actually do it.

One question that WILL be asked of both candidates is if they will agree to do an on-air debate with Attorney General and Democrat candidate for Governor, Jay Nixon.   If we get each of them to commit, then we have a reason to request the same from Mr. Nixon.

If you have questions for the candidates, e-mail me with them to help expedite the process.

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

Ted Stevens once said that the day that drilling in ANWR was vetoed was one of the saddest days of his life.

I think yesterday probably is added to that list.

The longest serving Republican Senator had some nice renovations done to his house.  The included adding a story to the bottom of the house.  Yeah, the bottom!!  Nothing wrong with that, I guess.  Except how was it paid for?

And therein lies the rub.  

The man behind the bridge to nowhere is also accused of getting some really nice vehicle swap deals.  I'd love to get someone to swap my 1997 Ford Taurus G for a 2009 BMW 645ci (blue or green in color, in case anyone reading gets any ideas).

Again, a case of not the crime, but the cover up.  Or more specifically, the lack of disclosure that got him indicted.

Oh, and in case you missed it, he is up for re-election this year.  

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

Scary situation out in Southern California yesterday.  An earthquake hit Chino Hills measuring 5.4 on the Richter Scale.  It was about 7 miles deep, but I am honestly not sure the significance of that.

So, what is happening now?  Talk about the BIG ONE hitting Los Angeles is NOW all over the nation and international media.

This just in, Mr. Little, a local chicken, says the sky is falling.

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

Have a great Wednesday. 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 06:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

Today, we are having the Empty Hook Radiothon to help purchase backpacks and gear for homeless children in Mid-Missouri.  There are an estimated 375 children without a home who make the effort to go to school in our region.

For just $18, you can purchase on of the backpacks full of gear for these children through "Feed the Children" by calling 888-276-3663 or by visiting the website via KLIK1240.com or directly by clicking here. 

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

Conservative books made him do it.  Huh?

Yeah, and Road Runner cartoons led me to spend all money on ACME products.

The latest on the Knoxville church shooting is that Jim David Adkisson was driven to a distain for the liberally permissive nature of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church due to the conservative literature that he had in his home.

And he was mad that he couldn't get work.

Here is what I have learned from the people in Knoxville that I have chatted with.  He has been married up to five times and had an order of protection against him by his last ex-wife.  One of this books in his possession was "The O'Reilly Factor" by Bill O'Reilly.

I own that book.  What does that say about me?

A nut is a nut while not necessarily nuts in a clinical way.  

More will come out of this story in the next few days.

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

Have a great Tuesday. 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 06:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

Yesterday morning, I checked my e-mail after watching Fox News Sunday and Meet The Press.  It was then that I learned of a church shooting in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Church shooting!  WHAT??

As most readers of this blog know, I spent ten years of my life in Knoxville, Tennessee, and still have friends (and for the next few weeks, family) in that area.

This church was not in a dangerous area.  Far from it.  Kingston Pike through Sequoyah Hills is a very nice part of Knoxville with a number of churches and synagogues on it.  In fact, my friend Dan Reilly labeled the area, with no disrespect intended,  "God's Strip Mall" because of the variety of faiths represented on that short stretch of roadway.

I remember the Tennessee Valley Uniterian Universalist Church.  I had been in the building once that I recall.  That was to look at a pre-school/daycare coop program.  Due to a number of reasons, we did not end up sending Ben there.  But we knew it was a very good program.

I also remember living near there, literally on the wrong side of the tracks, on Sutherland Avenue.  And the radio studios are about a mile away.  Since I was a traffic reporter, I drove down that stretch of road several times each day. 

I do not think that I knew either of the victims, nor the shooter.

I will close out by directing you to the blog of my friend Dave Foulk.  Dave was the one who sent out the e-mail alert from WNOX-FM in Knoxville that told me of this sad story.  He tells another story that may shine some light on the insanity that sometimes grips our world.

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

Last week I got a call from a man that I met back in April.  In April, he came on the show to share his story of how he faced terminal brain cancer and beat it.  Then he set out to share his story of hope with others and doing so through a rather unique medium.

Professional wrestling.

Michael Burris set up a match at Blair Oaks High School and brought in Ted DiBiase (The Million Dollar Man) as a name that wrestling fans would know.  I was very interested in the stories that both men had to share.

Michael told me last week that he has had a reoccurance of the same type of cancer.  Tomorrow, he has surgery as part of his battle.  

I find his attitude to be quite refreshing and admirable.  I told him that it reminded me of the approach that Tony Snow had when he faced colon cancer.  And I added that I hope his success is greater than that of Mr. Snow.

If you wish to keep up with the progress of Michael Burris, check out his website at www.rejoicinginhope.org for updates. 

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

For those expecting some political stuff this morning, I do not want to let you down.  I did watch Barack Obama on Meet the Press.  My advice to him is simple. 

Senator Obama, the American people are very forgiving.  I have offered this same advice to President Bush.  Admit that you have made a mistake regarding the troop surge.  Do not tap dance around it as you have.  Simply admit that, in hindsight, you were wrong.  That shows GOOD judgement.

Not doing so, shows bad judgement.  And that is what many critics, like ME, have been hammering you on for a long time.

Learn from Bush's mistakes.  Do not copy them.

The last thing that this country needs is ANOTHER President who doesn't make mistakes.  (Bill Clinton didn't make any...and later admitted a slight error.  And George W. Bush admits that trading Sammy Sosa was a mistake, but that is it.)

You should be human.  Show it.

Oh, and a sense of humor would go a long way.  Seriously, lighten up.

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

Have a great week. 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 07:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

options

I got home from work yesterday and caught the last 20 minutes of Barack Obama holding mass in Berlin.  And yes, it did completely creep me out.  All that was needed was Leni Riefenstahl there to film it.

OK, it wasn't quite that well organized.

So, looking at the content.  WOW....great hopes, NO ANSWERS!!

At what point will we finally hear from Senator Obama how is plans on doing all of the things that he talked about yesterday?  

The answer is that we won't.

He can't.  He was reaching well beyond what he COULD control even IF he was President.

In other words, he is not heeding the advice of Casey Kasem.  While he is reaching for the stars, he is NOT keeping his feet on the ground.

When I worked in sales, I learned a key phrase.  "Undersell and over deliver."  

Barack Obama is EXACTLY the opposite.

Let me be clear.  Barack Obama is NOT alone, John McCain and 95 percent of all other politicians do the exact same thing.

But doing so in front of 200,000 people who can't even vote for you?

Just creeps me out.

Maybe it is a bias against large German political rallies.

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

The Royals broke their skid by beating the Tampa Bay Rays last night 4-2.  

That should help the last day of this promotion.

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

Nothing else to add really.  Thank you to the folks here at HyVee for having us out the last three days and to the Royals helping us put a great promotion together.

Have a great weekend. 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 07:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

options

First off, sorry for the delay in get this posted.  My internet connection is fine when on remote at HyVee, but just awkward getting all of this written up while on site.

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

Do you remember the "Pine Tar Incident"?  It was 24 July 1983 at Yankee Stadium.  Two outs, top of the ninth and the Yankees leading 4 to 3.  Royals shortstop U.L. Washington (and his toothpick) was on first base.  Goose Gossage was pitching for the Yankees.  George Brett came to the plate and hit it over the fence to score Washington and himself giving the Royals a 5 to 4 lead.

Billy Martin then decided to challenge Brett's bat as being illegal. Home plate Tim McClelland took the bat and measured the amount of pine tar by using home plate (17" wide, the legal limit being 18").  McClelland ruled Brett out.  

Cut to the famous video of Brett running out of the dugout.

Dick Howser, manager of the Royals, immediately protests the game.  

Later, American League President Lee MacPhail, a one time AND long time Yankees Executive, ruled against the Yankees.

It all comes down to Rule 1.10 (c) and how it is penalized.  Since that incident, there is now a further explanation given based on this  ruling.

MacPhail ruled that the bat having pine tar, while still illegal, did not impact the use of the bat or the effect of the bat on the ball.  And that rule 1.10 (c) did not allow for the batter to be called out.

On 18 August 1983, the game was resumed and completed.  Of course, Billy Martin had another trick he wanted to play.  He claimed that there was no way to know if Washington or Brett touched all of the bases.  However, this was killed when umpire Davey Phillips produced affidavits from the original umpires saying that they had touched them all.

A bizarre little note in the history of baseball...and it all happened 25 years ago today.

------------------ 

Have you seen Bill O'Reilly's latest rally against MoveOn.org?  Apparently, MoveOn.org is stating that Fox News Channel is racist.

George Soros is trying to discredit them, since he can't beat them.

Dirty tricks is not something that a Jew who worked with the Nazi's is above, obviously.

I agree with with O'Reilly on this issue.  You do not call someone a racist or bigot without having having a LOT of evidence to back it up.  I had a listener try doing that to me, I would not stand for it nor will I ever. 

I also agree that if MoveOn.org is funneling money to a political candidate, that candidate needs to return that money and further distance themselves from that organization.

Barack Obama has not done this.

Which leads me to this conclusion.

MoveOn.org in is to the Democratic Party in 2008, what the Ku Klux Klan was to the Democratic Party (specifically in the South) in 1870. 

Am I as bad as George Soros for saying that?

The facts are that both act on behalf of the party while attempting to give the party deniability.  Show me where I am wrong.

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

Have a great rest of your Thursday.   

Posted by Jay Kersting at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

Out on remote at HyVee the next few days, so my entry today will be a little short.  I will have longer and more detailed entries in the next couple of days.

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

First off, I am soooooo glad to have my sons back in Jefferson City after they spent 3 and a half weeks in East Tennessee with their grandparents.  I will joke about having to feed them, but I am very happy to have them back.

I also know that they had a great summer in Tennessee.

It was also nice to see Mom, as brief as her visit was.  But soon, we will see them more often when they are only two and a half hours away.

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

I did get a chance to see part of the Senator Obama press conference in Amman, Jordan.  And it may be my personal biases, but Obama did seem a bit presumptive, not to mention a little less articulate.  

Feeding my theory that he is the Democrats "W" and that is why they like him.

So add this to the lexicon of the show and blog, D.W. for Democrats W.

Of course some other terms include:

"Yellow Flag of CaCa" - the FCC compliant way to say that something is...uh, B.S.

"The Ambulance Chaser" - John Edwards, former Presidential candidate and attorney who made his millions from his personal injury law practice.

More terms to be defined as we go on.

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

Have a great Wednesday, "Anything can happen day" and stop by HyVee if you are here in Jefferson City. 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 06:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

It has taken me a long time.  And for a while, I thought I got it.  But now I know, without ANY doubt, why Democrats like Senator Barack Obama so much.

I thought for a while it was because he was a different kind of politician.  But, I was wrong.  And for those who disagree, welcome to this blog. I highly recommend the archives.

But here is an example of why Democrats like this guy.  Yesterday, Senator Obama had this exchange with ABC News' Terry Moran.

Charles Krauthammer, syndicated columnist, put it best.  A fine piece of jibberish.

That is a very nice way to not only say nothing, but also deny making a mistake along the way.  When the mistake is all too obvious.

Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but Moran's question was set up with the "knowing what you now know" phrase.  

So, this gets me to my point.  And I wanted to present my evidence, this latest round of evidence at least, to back up my point.

The reason why Democrats like Barack Obama so much?  He is THEIR George W. Bush.

OK, so he may be a little more articulate.  But like W., he says nothing.

And like W., he doesn't make mistakes.  Just ask him.  Terry Moran did.

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

The New York Times.

The standard bearer of news.  You know, all the news that is fit to print.

Unless, of course, it is an Op-Ed piece by a Republican Presidential candidate apparently.

Here is the L.A. Times version of this story.   

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

And finally, I am glad that I do not work for a station that carries this idiot.  Not any more at least.

Ignorant fool with all of the sincerity of Bill Clinton. 

Over diagnosed?  It is possible, but his initial statements were simply stupid.

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

Have a GREAT Tuesday.   

Posted by Jay Kersting at 06:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

It is kind of a sad statement that news of the US having a representative sitting at a meeting where the subject of Iran's nuclear program is being discussed with Iran bring no real news.

Then the news of a Presidential candidate who has talked about how Afghanistan IS the focus of the "War on Terror" actually goes to Afghanistan for the FIRST time renders no headlines.

Wow....what a weekend of, uh, nothing.

Oh wait, "The Dark Knight" had a big weekend at the box office, the biggest opening for a non-holiday weekend.  

And the Royals took 2 of 3 from the first place White Sox in Chicago.

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

The biggest news of the weekend for me.  My parents have a contract on their house!!!  They are moving next month.  Sure, I lose my garage for a little while, but they did the same for us.  I am looking forward to having them stay with us for a little while.  AND more importantly, for them to be closer to us for the long term. 

Excited to have them closer....and soon.  

Now, I have to admit this.  Their willingness to travel to see us has made things so much easier in our first full year here in mid-Missouri. 

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

I watched Fox News Sunday yesterday to see what Admiral Mike Mullen had to say about what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Again, nothing real earth shattering there.  He seems like a sharp guy.  Chris Wallace asked him if it was safe to say that we were now winning in Iraq but losing in Afghanistan.  Mullen was quick to deny both of those points, essentially adding that either perspective was premature.  

But that was not my big takeaway from the show.

Then you had the panel segment with Brit Hume, Jill Zuckman, Bill Kristol and Juan Williams.  Sure there were some thoughts on Barack Obama's "Victory" tour of Afghanistan, Iraq and parts of Europe.  But even that did not stick with me.

What did stick with me was the "Power Player of the Week" segment at the end of the show.  Earl Morse is the founder of "Honor Flight".  If you are not familiar with "Honor Flight" programs, they take World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., on day trips to see the World War II Memorial on the National Mall.

Earl Morse learned from many vets that they were unable to make it, due to finances in many cases, health in others, so he recruited pilots to take the vets to DC.  Then others got word of the "Honor Flight" program and they have since expanded it.  

If you missed the segment, I think it is worth a peek.  Here is where you can find the video. It is called the "Power Player Plus" and you will see it about a third of the way down the page.

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

114 to 48 is an amazing score, right?

Basketball?  Nope.

Certainly not football.

Baseball?  Of course not.  That would be a month long game.

So, what is that 114 to 48 score?

It is the number of minutes of time that the so-called "big three" network news programs have dedicated to the two presumptive nominees since they clinched the nomination.

Guess who got 114 minutes and who got 48 minutes?

Care to explain to me why this is acceptable?  

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

Have a great week and add your comments. E-mail me....IF I get enough to make it worthwhile, a new "E-Mail of the Day" segment begins today!!

Posted by Jay Kersting at 06:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

Let me be perfectly clear on things.  Al Gore is not a scientist.

The lecture that became that movie that got him that award from the guy who invented dynamite has been debunked by numerous scientists. Don't believe me, look it up.  Check out a booked called "The Deniers" which was written by a self-professed environmentalist.....who actually has the record to back it up.  Lawrence Solomon met with dozens of respected scientists who have debunked Albert Arnold Gore, Junior of Washington, D.C.

But yeah, Hey, Hey, Hey, It's former VP Albert.  And he's got a song for you.  And this is going to show you a thing or two.  

OK, we'll have some fun now.  And I am hoping you will be learning from each other.  Just not from Albert.

First, keep in mind that the militant GREEN are the new Red.  Next, look at what Albert is saying we need to do AND, more importantly, how it would be paid for. 

What is scary is that it seems that both of the main candidates seem to support a lot about what Gore is saying!

WHAT??

First, let me tell everyone that I have installed Compact Fluorescent Bulbs throughout most of my house.  Yes, they cost more up front, but they are saving me money when the boys leave lights on.  Second, I have gotten nitrogen put in the tires of both of our cars, and my mom's car, in order to save gasoline.  I do not water the lawn, even though Kathy would like me to and we have a sprinkler system, because it is a waste of fresh water.

I am environmentally aware, but not a tree hugger.  I also learned in my geology classes at the University of Tennessee that our planet warms and cools in cycles.  There have been dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, of such cycles.

So, lets say that Gore is right, we are in a period of warming.  How long will it last?  What is truly causing it?

For the second question, I have an answer and evidence to back it.

The Sun.

You know, the big glowing ball of burning gas that you see in the sky.  Tends to be yellow to orange or red in color.

The evidence?  The shrinking polar ice caps on Mars.

OK, now let me get back on topic here.  

Albert wants to tax you to fix the problem.  He is trying to say it is a noble as President Kennedy's call to go to the moon in the 1960's.

That is a bit presumptuous of him, isn't it.  Don't tell me how important you are, let your words prove their merit.

It would be like me telling my listeners that my show is the Rush Limbaugh Show of the 21st Century.  A dream, not unlike Albert's words.

Kennedy's call for the moon didn't cause direct pain on the American people, did it?  Gore's call for extreme green will cost everyone.

Now, I like the moves of T. Boone Pickens.  And even if his moves are mainly self-serving, which I do not necessarily believe they are, they set a good example.  If you haven't seen it, check out his website again.  PickensPlan.com

I don't think Gore's call to increase our costs for energy is responsible when that is one of the things that is breaking many of us.

Energy is THE issue of the 2008 campaign for Congress and the White House.  Energy impacts the economy, therefore, energy is the bigger issue.

Who do you think has the better plan?

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

"Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" no more.

The tomato warning has been lifted.  Yes, I said tomato and I am not a confused child with a cute speech problem.

It just sounds weird to say "tomato warning" but this was a serious concern...and still a bit of a mystery.

Now, watch out for certain peppers.  Jalapenos among them.

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

Oh, back to energy for a second.  I will say that I like the "X-Prize" like effort that John McCain has presented to develop better battery technology.

Financial incentives to private companies or individuals show the most promise.  

While I appreciate the efforts of our nation's national laboratories, a lot of that work is done in a private-public partnership these days.

Anything government can do, private efforts can do without breaking the taxpayers.

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

Episode Two or Season Two of Burn Notice last night.   It didn't disappoint.

Again, if you are not watching this show, give it a shot.  I give up much needed sleep to watch it...and I still Tivo it!

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

Have a Great Weekend!!  Add comments, send your e-mails and come out to HyVee next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to see the show, enter the contest and have breakfast.

E-mail of the day, will begin on Monday.  But only on days when worthy e-mails make it to me. 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 06:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

If you haven't seen the latest from JibJab yet, check it out here.

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

So, am I wrong and is Jon Stewart right? Possibly.

What I am referring to is the reaction to the The New Yorker cover cartoon.  Go here and see this what Jon Stewart said on The Daily Show back on Tuesday night. The whole segment starts about 6 minutes in, but the real meat of it is at the 8 minute mark.

Stewart said the reaction from the Obama campaign should have been different.  "Let me put the statement out tfor you, 'Barack Obama is in no way upset by the cartoon that depicts him as a Muslim extremist.  Because you know who gets upset at cartoons?  Muslim Extremists!  Of which Barack Obama not.  It is just a F****** cartoon.'"

Now I know that Jon Stewart was going for a laugh, and he got it.  But maybe he is making a better and stronger point that the thin-skinned junior Senator from Illinois could learn from.

Think about it for a second or two.  If Obama does not express outrage, that puts EVERYTHING on John McCain to react or not react.  If McCain expresses the outrage that he did express, then he doesn't get satire, right?  If he does nothing, then he is out of touch.  If he says it is no big deal, like Stewart says that Obama should have done, then he can be portrayed as an insensitive bigot by the jihadist cells working for the Obama campaign.

I tend to believe after hearing Jon Stewart's piece, that Barack Obama screwed up.

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

By the way, that is not to say that I still don't think that the cartoon was sort of in bad taste.  I do think so.  I get the satire behind it, but I think good satire has a basis in truth.  The picture of Barack Obama in the Muslim garb does have a basis in truth, we have seen the picture.  But nothing else there does. 

And, the cover has little to do with the story.  All they have in common is that Barack Obama is the centerpiece.  Period. 

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

Now to get back to the main topic of the day, can the candidates learn anything from comedy?

Overall, the definitive answer is, well, maybe.

Late night shows are able to easily take on John McCain.  Take every old joke you have ever heard and you can adjust it to a McCain joke.  He has done it himself.

But the lack of jokes about Barack Obama actually hurt him.

I am serious with this one.

No jokes about him, allowing him to react to the jokes, do not allow us to see that he has a sense of humor.

Now, I really don't think that he does.  If he did, we would have seen it by now.  

Instead, we see a stiff and thin-skinned robot who can work masterfully off of a teleprompter.

Think about that a little bit.

It might be ANOTHER reason why he will not do joint townhall meetings with John McCain. 

Does he do ANYTHING impromptu?

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

If you are here in Jefferson City next week, join me at HyVee on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (7/23-25) for the show and register for a pretty exiciting Kansas City Royals prize pack.

We will be giving away 10 - Family Four Packs of tickets to the August 2nd game when the Royals host Mid-Missouri native Joe Crede and the Chicago White Sox.  Not only can you get the tickets to the game, but HyVee is throwing in $25 worth of GAS!  But, as Billy Mays would say, there is more.  We also are giving you $20 worth of concession vouchers per ticket, $80 for the four-pack, so you can eat and drink at Kauffman Stadium.

And here is where I get to "triple the offer"...no, not more tickets, but all of the winners can come to Kauffman Stadium early and we will go down on the FIELD for batting practice!

You have to come to HyVee during the show, I will be in the food court, to register each day.  You do not have to be present to win, but you need to register each day in order to win.

I hope to see you at HyVee next week during the show.  Lots of good guests will be joining me there over the three days.

---------------- 

Have a great Thursday.   Add comments and send your e-mails. 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 05:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

Yesterday, I drove to St. Louis to conduct an interview with a very interesting author, Andre Dubus III, and more importantly to pickup Kathy and her luggage at Lambert Airport.

I believe it was Meatloaf who sang, two out of three ain't bad.

Well, tell that to Kathy.

Our plan was for me to drive in circles until she had her luggage.  Well thankfully, my bladder had other plans.  So I parked, walked in and saw Kathy at the carosel waitiing for her luggagge.  I went to the bathroom and came back to see Kathy still waiting.

Because our luggage is of the variety that I would simply called "standard issue" I thought it might have gotten pulled aside.  So, she waited while I looked all around luggage carosel M6.  Then M5.  

I entered the terminal at the door where the airline luggage offices were at.  Northwest's office was closed.  This is not a good sign.

After conducting further investigation of the lower terminal and finding no help, we went to the ticket counter.  There we met Cynthia.  Cynthia was the sweetest and most compassionate airline employee that I have ever encountered.  She did some computer searches for the luggage.  She took us downstairs to see if it arrived before Kathy.  (It didn't.)  Kathy broke down in tears because some of the items in the bag are not replaceable.  Cynthia offered Kathy a hug (something I had been doing throughout the ordeal).  Clearly, Cynthia went above and beyond that of most employees.

In the end, we headed home with out the luggage.  As of 9:00 last night, we know nothing more of the luggage.  Kathy is still very upset, but we will give it a little time.  

And we can hope for the best.  I will share the resolution of this problem as soon as we have some.  For now, do NOT EVER check-in bags curbside.  Especially, not in Detroit.

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

It took 15 innings, but the American League won again.  Sure, it was not the 2-run win that I predicted.  However, it was a win.  The National League last had a win back in 1996.

Add that series of losses to the way that the AL spanks the NL in interleague play every year since 2003.  Or, has it been longer?

Anyhow, I didn't stay up and watch the game.  I did catch the pregame festivities and I noted a very strong Missouri flavor to it.  Beyond the players and hall of famers, you had Kennett native Sheryl Crow sing the National Anthem.  Then you had the B-2 Spirit fly over Yankee Stadium from Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster.

So, will it have a New York flavor in St. Louis next year? Or do they need to "pay it forward" and give it a little Southern California cool next year.

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

Will off shore drilling really help prevent oil from washing ashore?

I heard a couple of reports making that argument.  The concept is that the manmade removal of pressure from the natural deposits will prevent the natural leaks or crude oil.

I am working on a guest to address this issue.  Could have someone tomorrow or Friday.

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

Have a great Wednesday! 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 05:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

By now a lot of you have seen the cover of the New Yorker magazine.

Well, if not, here is a story with a copy of the cover. 

I think Senator Obama's outrage is genuine and justified.  I think Senator McCain stepping up and expressing his outrage is probably genuine and justified as well.

The concept was to illustrate several of the distortions that have circulated around Senator Obama for several months, if not years.

Sure, it was satire.  But it was done in a pretty poor way.

Is Al Franken, master of poorly executed satire, now working for The New Yorker?

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

Today, I am going to St. Louis to conduct an interview with an author who will be there for a book reading.  I have decided that the interview will be 16 minutes and 22 seconds long, and I have yet to meet the man.

You are probably thinking that I am making a prejudgement of the subject of the interview without having met him. And, you would be right.

I am not coming up with a great parallel, but this is sort of how I view Barack Obama's newest statements regarding the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan BEFORE he goes there.

If he had gone there and made the EXACT same statements, well then I think I would see some sincerity behind the statements.  

Simply put, his op-ed yesterday and his speech today are hollow and without merit.

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

Scroll back up the page and you will see something that I have added to the blog.  Politifact.com's widget showing five of the political claims that they have researched will now appear on this page throughout the rest of the 2008 election season.

I highly recommend that readers of this blog take a look at the claims and the validity of them.  And read further on these issues.

Notice how much spin and distortion is coming from both parties and both candidates.

(SAFARI users, I noticed that the widget was not loading in the Safari browser.  No explanation for this, sorry.) 

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

Um, care to rephrase that?

------------------ 

Many folks did not understand my outrage over the coverage of the death of Tony Snow.  Some thought that my outrage was directed at all liberals.  That is not the case, go back and read my comments and if I am not clear, e-mail me for further explanation.

I do think that most liberals are misguided because they clearly have a simplistic view of the world and want to help everyone, worthy or not.  They'd rather give a man a fish, than teach a man to fish.

Let me be clear, these vile and hate filled liberals who said the horrible things about the late Mr. Snow are the targets of my ire.  They are sick and disgusting people.  

Most liberals are good people.  Misguided and often underinformed, but usually good people. 

Guess what?  I am not a liberal and I think I am a good person.  There MIGHT be a few others who do too.  Do you care to argue that?   

And that is the biggest problem that I have with liberals.  They think that they are better than conservatives.  They are not.  Their political ideology does not make them a better person.  PERIOD.  

That is what offends me most about liberals.  I have even seen members of my own family labels others in the family in ways that imply that one of us is better than others based on their ideology.

That really hurt the first time I saw/heard it.

By now, I am used to it.  But it still hurts. 

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

I do not often listen to Bill O'Reilly's Radio Factor, even though we carry it here on NewsTalk 1240 KLIK.  Yesterday, I made an exception because I knew that he would be sharing my view of the media treatment of the death of Tony Snow. 

I went to his website to see the copy of the Associated Press obituary that outraged me when I saw it Saturday afternoon.  Here is a link to it and O'Reilly has boldfaced the sections that were particularly offensive. 

I sent an e-mail to the head of the AP, Tom Curley.  I sent it with a read receipt request.  I got confirmation this morning that he deleted it without reading it.

I am not surprised. 

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

Yeah, I am in a bit of a mood today.  Thanks for bearing with me.  Please add your comments as you see fit.

Oh, and have a great Tuesday!! 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 04:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

By now you may have heard, Anheuser-Busch agrees to be sold to InBev for $70 a share, up from the earlier $46 Billion bid of $65 a share to a now $52 Billion bid.  The combined company will be known as Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Interesting to note, the companies have said what I said weeks ago.  There is little to no geographical overlap, so all of the A-B breweries will remain open.  No loss of jobs is expected initially.  However, there is something to keep in mind that puts some in a less than comfortable position.

Carlos Brito is the CEO of InBev and will be the CEO of the combined Anheuser-Busch InBev.  Brito has a history of creating effiencies.  Read as, slashing underperforming areas within the company in favor of other parts of the company.

While running InBev's North American operations at LaBatt in Toronto, Brito shut down a brewery and cut twenty percent of the white collar work force.

So, the question now is, how much fat needs to be trimmed from A-B?  And how much of that fat is here in Missouri?

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

Happy Birthday wishes go out to my older brother, Topher this morning.  Today, he begins his 40th year.  

That is to say that he is 39 today, but saying that he is beginning his 40th year is more likely to get to him a little bit.

And younger brothers never, ever, want to annoy their older siblings.

Seriously, Happy Birthday Topher!!  All the Best!!!

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

Saturday, I posted a blog entry regarding the death of Tony Snow.  In that posting, I made a comment that I thought a lot of those who attacked him in life would be hypocrtical and say nice things about him in death.  Well, so far, I have been proven wrong.

Back when Snow went public that his cancer returned, posters and commenters at websites like the Huffington Post made a series of mean, very nasty and sub-human comments about Snow.  Real sick stuff.  (Worth noting that I didn't see that kind of vile material coming out when Ted Kennedy announced that he had cancer.  If you did, send me the links.  I am certain they existed.) 

Well, the Huffington Post had to close down their comments section Saturday morning due to the vile stuff that was being posted there.  That explains why I didn't see any of that garbage on Saturday morning when I snuck a peek in to that sewer.

But even the Los Angeles Times fielded a bunch of nasty comments about Tony Snow in his death. 

You want to know why I don't like liberals?  Look at those comments.

These people are as vile as their comments.  I hope that sometime down the road these people are called out for their comments.  I hope these people realize someday how full of hate they are and come to regret that their words are out there for Tony Snow's children to read.  I hope these folks have the opportunity to face Tony Snow's wife Jill, or his three children who now go on through life without a father.

But these sub-human slugs will never realize that what they did is wrong.  They have no soul.  And the place in hell they hope that Tony Snow is in, currently hold reservations for them.

And that is why I really dislike liberals.  I do not hate them.  I pity them.

They need our pity.  Because they will probably never earn our respect nor love.  That only leaves pity.  And disgust.

And let me take this a step further.  If you are one of those vile and disgusting sub-humans who walk this planet and you read this blog, stop.  I don't want you reading this.  And I certainly don't want you listening to my show.  Both are for human beings, and you don't qualify.

---------------------- 

And on that note, I have gotten that weight off my chest, I wish all of you who do read this blog and who do listen to the show the best.  Have a great week.  

And please feel free to subscribe to this blog and add your comments. 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 04:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

Again, another rare weekend entry...maybe not so rare.  I woke up to the news that Tony Snow succumbed to cancer at just 53. 

Many folks remember Tony Snow as the White House Press Secretary.  And many others may remember him as the first host of the Fox Network's "Fox News Sunday" (which is replayed on Fox News Channel on Sunday afternoons).  

I know that many on the left did not like him because of the jobs that he held, and that many of those hypocrites will come out of the woodwork and say nice things now that he has passed.  Those are the people that I will be really upset with the next several days.

As for me, here is what I remember about Tony Snow.  He was my travel companion during some of the darkest days of my life.  Let me explain.

In December 1993, I quit my job after getting sick of being screwed over by my employer (the refused to pay what was $4500 in commissions because they deemed them a "windfall"...and by December 1993, that number had grown to $7200).  I left them shortly after the other full-time sales person left the company.  I decided to move back home with my parents and go back to school.

I left California on a Sunday, stopped in Las Vegas for dinner and a little blackjack (I won).  That night I stayed in Green River, Utah.  

Monday morning I got back on the road at 9am, drove for a bit listening to my CD's, then after an hour I was over that and because all of my crap was loaded in the back of my 1991 Ford Probe and I couldn't get to the CD changer.  So, I turned on AM radio.  Good old stand-by, AM radio.  Why I love it now is obvious, but back in 1993, you could find some programs on talk radio and just change to the next station to get the same program on the next station during a commercial break.

Anyhow, let me get back on track.  I was looking for Rush Limbaugh.  Back in 1993, he was very, very entertaining and not as  egocentric as he seems to be today.  But, he was not on that week.  Some newspaper columnist named Tony Snow was.  I had no idea who this guy was, but I gave him a chance.

Glad I did.  So for Monday driving through Utah and Colorado, I had Tony to keep me busy.  Then again on Tuesday through Nebraska and Iowa, I had Tony to keep my mind active.  I really came to appreciate this man as more than some writer, most of whom make a LOUSY transition to radio.

A few years later, this new channel launched to compete with CNN.  And who was on that channel?  Tony Snow.  And I became a fan of his TV shows.  

Fast forward to 2005-2006, and I am working as a fill-in host for "The Phil Show" on WNOX-FM in Knoxville, Tennessee.  I have one caller comment that I sounded like Tony Snow.  Then another and another.  I never thought so, nor do I still, but I certainly found that interesting.  And better than being told that I sounded like a number of other voices, Gilbert Gottfried comes to mind.  I still don't hear it, but then again, my voice sounds different to me than it does to everyone else.

I really appreciated the work that Tony Snow did in his various roles.  He is one of the few who gave up a career in television for the more pure medium of radio.  Chris Wallace took over "Fox News Sunday" because he wanted to move to the new radio syndication division of Fox News.  I have a lot of respect for that move.  

Later, he gave up a that well-paying job to work in the White House, where he earned $155k....and no endorsement opportunities go with that gig.

I never had a chance to meet him, but like a lot of his viewers and listeners, I always felt like I knew him.  I know that I will miss him.

God bless you Tony Snow. 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

First and foremost, Happy Birthday, Mom!!!!

Have a GREAT birthday and we look forward to seeing you soon.  

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

Dennis Kucinich appeared on "America's Election HQ" on Fox News Channel with E.D. Hill yesterday afternoon.  I knew the man was a bit nutty and hell-bent on getting President Bush impeached and removed from office.  I sort of thought that he was odd, but now I know that he is ALSO a liar.  

Kucinich parroted the line about "one-million dead Iraqis" while on Fox.  E.D. Hill did not acknowledge it and the interview wrapped.  I would have POUNCED on that because it is a well documented fact that the claim of "one-million dead Iraqis" has been covered in, this is me being polite, The Yellow Flag of CaCa!!

In fact, the only ones who are asserting this Yellow Flag of Caca claim are left-wing zealot groups.  Type in the phrase "one million dead Iraqis" at your favorite search engine and look at the blog sites that come up.  Every single one of them is absolute crap...UNTIL my site is indexed by Google and it appears in the mix.

So, until that time, click on that link and it will give you a Google search on that phrase and you will see Daily Koz, Huffington Post and others.  The first one that came up when I did this search on Thursday was a group called "Just Foreign Policy.org" that has such open-minded board members as Tom Hayden and Julian Bond.  (For those who do not know me well, yes, that IS sarcasm!)

Have Iraqis died since March 2003?  Yes.  Have their deaths been due to the United States and over 60 partner nations and the invasion?  Some.  

But ask yourself this big question.  How many Iraqis died during the 35 year reign of Saddam Hussein due to his actions?  Some estimate over 2 million, though not all of them were fed into a wood chipper by his sons.   And that number may be greater. 

Now, I do not bring THAT up to justify the war in Iraq.  Personally, that argument needs to go away.  It's done, now we need to finish it properly and get out.  Just like we have in Germany, Japan, Korea, Kosovo, etc. 

The facts are the facts.  The CaCa is CaCa.  Do not buy into it from EITHER side of the political spectrum.

These groups who bring it up hate America when a person with an "R" behind their name is in the White House.  The groups hate it more when the Congress is led by those with that same letter of the alphabet behind their names.  And when people with the fourth letter of the alphabet are in power, they tell us how great things are or were.  Like back in 1977 until early 1981.  Ah, good times.

In other words, you cannot trust them.

Nor can you trust their polar opposites.

Who can you trust?

Isn't that obvious?  Your favorite host of your favorite morning show here in Jefferson City. 

OK, OK....when I come up with someone better, I'll let you know. 

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

And now for something really important.  Last night was the season premiere of "Burn Notice" on USA.  

LOVE this show!!

It is described as an action-comedy.  If you haven't seen it, make an effort to check it out.  USA is well known for their show marathons and I am sure that they will replay, again, the first season episodes.

OR, you can be like me and get the DVD.   Actually, it was a Father's Day gift.

Well anyhow, we watched the last episode, a two parter, before the  premiere.  Nerdy?  Yeah, maybe.

In other words, I recommend that you become acquainted with Michael Westen. 

Very good start to the second season.  I was afraid that I would be let down, but that didn't happen. 

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

Oh, are you a Dish Network subscriber here in Mid-Missouri and you can't get KRCG/CBS?  Maybe this can help.  Shoot me an e-mail and I'll get you the account number for the $50. 

--------------------- 

Have a Great Weekend! 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 05:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

Reverend Jesse Jackson is a little jealous of the success of his fellow Chicagoan.  But that is NOT the way he is spinning it, just how I am reading it.

I would have thought that someone as media savvy as Jackson would know that if you do not control the microphone, you must assume that it is on.

If you missed it, Jackson said that Obama was, "talking down to black people.  I want to cut his nuts out." 

I can only speculate that by saying, "cut his nuts out," that Jackson would leave the scrotum intact. 

Why would Jackson say that?  Why does he have a problem with what Obama is saying?

Simple, Obama is telling the same people that Jackson talks to a very different message.  Jackson want that audience to play victim.  Obama wants that audience to assert themselves for their own good.

Whitey believes Obama is giving the better message.  It is a similar message to what Bill Cosby and others have been saying.  Get an education, learn a foreign language, prepare yourself for life.

But Jackson thinks Obama was talking down to people.  Because he is NOT operating out of Jackson's playbook.

To that I say, Good Call Senator Obama!

And shame on you Reverend Jackson.  You didn't get the nomination 20 years ago.  Get over it.  And put your scalpel away.

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

This weekend Senator Obama taped an interview with his family for "Access Hollywood" and because that show is complete crap, I didn't see the entire interview.  I did see some clips from the interview and I thought it was kind of amusing.

In fact, I thought his daughers were incredible cute and absolutely hillarious.  I guess, as a parent, I find kids to be a great part of life.

Now, Barack Obama regrets doing the interview.

WHAT???

He thinks that he is being criticized for using his children for political gain.

Duh?  That is what politicans do.

In all honesty, I think he was getting criticism for not appearing with his children.  Now he does, and he is being criticized.

Give the guy a break, really.

It is not like he was "pimping them out" like they are Chelsea Clinton.  Of course not....the Obama girls are cute.

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

The Pentagon is re-examining the bid process for the KC-45 airfueler.  Northrup-Grumman/EADS beat Boeing for the contract, but Boeing has since expressed concerns over the opposing bid.

The decision will be made by December.

I said earlier that the actual aircraft offered by Northrup-Grumman/EADS was a better fit for the application.  I don't like using the Airbus A330 airframe because it is subsidized by the various European governments.  But beyond that, they also offered better delivery times.

As I understand it, they are not allowing the bids to be re-opened, but rather re-examining the process and the content of the bids.

Good luck Boeing.  I hope that you can get the bid, and get some of that work in OUR state.  I just wish that you had offered a better aircraft so that this discussion wouldn't be taking place.

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

Comment away as you have time.  Have a GREAT Thursday!! 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 05:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

A BIG story here in Missouri is the continuing drama surrounding the Anheuser-Busch/InBev take over battle.

Now, A-B has filed a lawsuit alleging that InBev does business with Cuba.  For that reason, A-B is hoping that federal regulators will step in and BLOCK the hostile takeover bid.

Will this work?

Well, a couple of things to think about.  This lawsuit could be made moot by InBev spinning off their Cuban interests.  And that makes sense.  Which target would you rather market your products to, the poor and oppressed twelve million people in Cuba or the 300 million people of the United States?  Uh....yeah, tough choice.

However, this is the other point that you need to ponder.  InBev is offering $46 BILLION dollars for A-B and spending a lot more in the process.  And this money is largely BORROWED money.  (Clearly, management of InBev does not listen to Dave Ramsey.)  This legal move could be enough to push InBev to stop, or so A-B hopes. 

The drama continues.....

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

Have you seen the television ads that open with the statement, "In 1970, we imported 24% of our oil."???

Pay attention to these ads because the man behind them has some definite credibility on this issue.

T. Boone Pickens is, and admits as much in the ad, a lifelong oil man.  He is also a hedgefund manager.  He's done alright with that line of work, too.  He has donated over $400 million to Oklahoma State University, and they invested some of that back with him to grow that money.....and he has!

Anyhow, Pickens is starting with getting 667 wind turbines on-line by 2010 in Sweetwater, Texas.  His main goal is to get us off of foreign oil and on to other energy sources.  Pickens is putting his money where is mouth is.

And he has the money to put out there.  He is trying to get the attention of whoever the next President is.  Pickens knows what I have been saying, ENERGY IS THE ISSUE IN THIS CAMPAIGN!!

Check out the details at PickensPlan.com when you have time. 

T. Boone Pickens is 80 years old.  I hope he is around long enough to make sure that he is able to push change.

That IS CHANGE that we can BELIEVE IN!!

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

By now you have heard that the DNC is moving their biggest event of the convention out of the Pepsi Center.

Yup, the Democrats will have their nominee accepting the nomination at Invesco Field, where they can get 75,000 people there to take part in the festivities.

The comparisons are being made to Los Angeles in 1960.  Then Senator John Kennedy accepted his nomination at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum rather than in the L.A. Sports Arena.  This made sense, and was telling for the future of that building, because no one ever won anything of note in the Sports Arena.

But, as you would expect, my take on this move is a little bit different than most.  And I base my thoughts on what we have seen throughout the Obama campaign.  The junior Senator from Illinois has always drawn huge crowds.  And huge political rallies make me a little nervous.

The only thing that keeps me from being to worried too much about this rally....Leni Riefenstahl is not alive to film it.

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

Have a great Wednesday!  Comments are encouraged. 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 06:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

options

Barack Obama and his staff had a little scare AND had to make a change yesterday.  The MD-80 charter from Midwest Airlines had a problem keeping it's nose up and made an unscheduled landing in St. Louis.  The problem?  An emergency ramp deployed in air and even if you have a casual knowledge of aerodynamics, you can see why this would cause a problem.

His speech was moved to St. Louis instead of Charlotte.  

As for Midwest Airlines, they have a pretty decent record in safety and maintenence.  Early in the life of the airline, then known as Midwest Express, they had a horrible crash at Mitchell International in Milwaukee.  Throughout the Nineties, they were used as an example of doing things right by the FAA.

In other words, this was probably just a freak situation.

I wish that I could reach a friend of mine from second grade through high school, Todd Luebstorf...who I just saw over the weekend.  (I thought I had his e-mail address, but I had it wrong.)  Todd is a supervisor in the maintenence department at Midwest Airlines.  He could confirm my belief that this was a freak incident....though probably NOT in an official capacity.  (I'll try to find a way to reach him.....my mistake in thinking that I had his e-mail.)

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

Barack Obama offered his thoughts on the InBev hostile buyout of Anheuser-Busch while he was in St. Louis.  To paraphrase Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) from the movie "Kingpin"...he's against it.

No comments from John McCain, who has a bit of a stake in this.  His wife and her family acquired their wealth as distributors of Anheuser-Busch products. 

And that is why I think McCain needs to counter Obama's "3rd Bush Term" rhetoric by saying he represents a FIRST Busch Term....that should lock up Missouri.   An big gutted men who enjoy football all across the nation.

That is a key demographic.  Could be a winner.

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

I won't link this on here, because The Associated Press would want to charge me to do so, but there is an AP-Yahoo poll out that shows......and I cannot make this up....pet owners prefer John McCain.  Dog owners are even leaning more strongly toward John McCain.

I guess it will be a RUFF, RUFF battle for Barack Obama to change their minds.

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

Another AP-Yahoo poll showed some interesting thing about the negative view of the candidates.  Now, I usually have a negative view of candidates because I tend to just not like partisan politics as usual, which is what we have again this year.  Any how, this poll showed that Barack Obama is being held in an increasingly negative view by white voters.  It is now up to 52 percent among whitey.

Does that mean all those folks are racist?

Of course not, but in posting these results, some will jump to that conclusion.  And because of that, it makes us white folk look bad.

Maybe some don't like him because of......

Polls lead to stereotyping, stereotyping leads to fear, fear leads to hate, hate leads to anger, anger leads to the dark side.

Dammit.  There I go to quoting Yoda again.

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

Finally, baseball fans help me out.  The Royals have Joakim Soria on the All-Star team and wouldn't it be nice for Trey Hillman's "never say die squad" to have a second member at the Midsummer Classic? Got to the Royals website and cast your vote for Jose Guillen. 

VOTE Early and Often...I love that Major League Baseball lets you vote Chicago Style.

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

Have a great Tuesday!! 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 06:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

options

It is not often that I get a long weekend away from work unless I am requesting time off.  This past weekend was one of those times when I got one, and yes, I did take advantage of it.

Kathy and I went to East Troy, Wisconsin, for my 20 year high school reunion.  First, it is hard to believe that it has been TWENTY years.  But, it has.  Second, I wasn't sure that we would actually make it there this year.  I missed my 10th due to a number of reasons.  And things this year are a bit tight due to this little thing called FUEL prices.  But we were able to make it happen and I am so glad that I did.

On our way up there, I told Kathy the story about this bad film we were shown during our Freshman orientation.  The film had a bad stand-up comedian telling the audience how our high school years would be the best years of our lives.  Even at the time, that was a thought that depressed me.  Really, my life will peak between the ages of 14 and 18?  

THANK GOD the film was wrong.  And not just for me, but for most, if not all, of my classmates as well. 

Sadly, about a third to half of us made it back.  A lot of the classmates that I really wanted to see were there, others that I wanted to see didn't make it.  We also had a picnic on Saturday where a lot of our former teachers made an appearance.  Nice seeing a lot of them too.

But here was the best part of the weekend.  Getting reminded of some old stories that I had forgotten about, and hearing some from what has been happening in the lives of my classmates since 5 June 1988.

I believe that Kathy was a bit surprised to hear about the time that a dead deer was drug into the school.....and NOT as a prank.  It was brought in by a couple of the GIRLS and taken to the Biology room to be disected in an Advanced Biology class.   I swear to you this actually happened.  The funny part, like there needs to be a funny PART, was that they started to bring it in the door near the cafeteria during lunch hour.  It was decided to bring it around to the front door instead.  Didn't want to have the pie eating contest scene from "Stand By Me" being re-enacted in the lunch room.

That conversation led to the revelation that there is a program in mid-Wisconsin, near Stevens Point apparently, that is like a "Dial-A-Deer" concept.  My discus-throwing buddy (we were deeper friends that that, I think) Lynn Markham told us a story of a such a program where she lives.  In order to help with the deer population, they would "thin" the heard and call people to offer the raw material to folks who wanted to have venison off-season.

But it gets better than that, and I will share the story of that at a later time....at least in writing.  I may talk about it this morning.

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

Not much excitement from the world of politics over the holiday weekend.  More I am sure this week.

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

And speaking of East Troy, Wisconsin, look at this story.  Shocking! 

------------------- 

Have a GREAT Week.  Comment as you have time or interest! 

Posted by Jay Kersting at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

options

Regular readers here noted that the Blog did not get its usual morning update yesterday.  The quick explanation is simple, Yahoo! had the site down and I do not know the reason why.  However, I was able to get an afternoon update posted.

Yesterday afternoon, I posted about the verdict in the James Keown murder trial.  You can find links to that story by going to yesterday's post or doing a Google News search under his name or anti-freeze. 

Throughout the trial, and all of the hearings leading up to it, I never expressed my thoughts in writing or on the air about this case with one exception.

That was when I said that I wondered what the jury was thinking of the presentation from the two sides.  Reading the print media reports left me wondering even more.  Having recently been on a jury,  and jury foreman (no bump in pay for that gig), I knew that how the jury was receiving the information was the key to how this case would be decided.

Print does not carry emotion, and that left the story incomplete.  Television carries too much emotion and sometimes too much information, we saw that in the People v. Simpson trial, and too many knew Simpson was guilty but they were tainted by knowing things the jury didn't.  Radio provides information quickly and accurately, but can lack the emotion of television.  All of those mediums are great, but they all have their faults and that leads to armchair jurors to make mistakes in how they see what happens in the courtroom.

I never met James Keown, so I have no basis to form an opinion on him. I can only go with what I know from the media.  And from those who once worked with him.

It is for that reason why I will not jump to any opinions on a man who now faces spending the rest of his life in a prison cell in Massachusetts.  I simply feel that letting the record, his record that was exposed in court, stand for itself.  There is no need for me to pile on. 

The fact remains that someone who once sat in this ratty, broken down and ripped up nasty chair in this studio is now a convicted murderer. 

What more needs to be said? 

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

John McCain seems to get more traction out of the blunders of the Barack Obama campaign than he does out of his own campaign.

Sad.

Something has to change for the Naval Aviator, turned P.O.W., turned Congressman, turned Senator and Author, and probably soon.

Well, help may be on the way. 

Will this be good for the political discourse?  Time will tell. 

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

And finally, I end on a personal note.  Today, after the show, Kathy and I head to East Troy, Wisconsin.  

Where?  

Why?

Well, for those who do not know, East Troy, Wisconsin, is where I graduated from high school back in June 1988.

The last time I was in East Troy was July 2000.  And then, just for a few hours.

The last time I spent a night in East Troy was in June 1997, when we were moving from Minneapol