ark city revived

New political parties

2011-10-17T11:31:00.000-05:00

I have not been paying a lot of attention to the Occupy Wall Street protests, but it looks like they are gaining some ground. Here is a story.

This looks to me like another version of the Tea Party. While the Tea Party is pretty much a conservative outfit, this new one is pretty much a liberal outfit. I know both claim to not be either ... but if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck .........

While the Tea Party made its hay with anti-government rhetoric, the new group is all about anti-rich rhetoric. It is worth noting too that these anti-greed protestors appear to be fairly rich themselves.
Ah the hypocrisy of politics.

The Tea Party's thing was how bad government is, yet they want to run government.

The new group is against wall street and corporate greed, yet ... “To the villainy-of-the-rich theme emanating from Washington, a child is born: Occupy Wall Street. Starbucks-sipping, Levi’s-clad, iPhone-clutching protesters denounce corporate America even as they weep for Steve Jobs, corporate titan, billionaire eight times over,” columnist Charles Krauthammer wrote Thursday.

But politics in general is not about truth, reality or solving problems. Politics is about rhetoric and ideology. Style ... no substance. So the two groups - Tea Partiers and the 99 Percenters (i guess thats what they call themselves) - are no exception.

The thing is. Republicans and Democrats are so out of touch and both are becoming irrelevant. Maybe - hopefully - people are getting more weary of the fighting and seeing that its all smoke and mirrors.

The new parties suffer from the same hypocrisy and lack of substance, but they at least are following the model of becoming a political party. Political parties are a necessary evil, just like money is. .. You cant win an election - or promote ideology - without some sort of organization. and some cash.

There have been changes over the years in political parties. Even as we have pretty much always had a two-party system, they have both changed. There were the Whigs once upon a time.

I think there will be even more parties emerge as people grow more weary of the Republican - Democrat claptrap. Right now the two new parties are just a different version, perhaps a bit more extreme, but still ... Tea Party-ers are basically republicans and 99 percenters are basically democrats - I know both will deny that, but .... its still the truth.

What I would like to see is more parties. And ideologies that are neither conservative nor liberal. Ive said before, I think the biggest problem we have in America is the ongoing boring battle between the two. Someone is making a fortune with this battle and we have no progress to show for it. For now politics is just about "which side are you on" and not about actual solutions.

At least the new groups are a starting point.

2011-10-16T10:55:00.000-05:00

Greetings
Someone suggested i do an update yesterday. I thought that sounded like a good idea.
There are still a few people coming here and I appreciate all 10 of you :) ...
It is kinda interesting, the stat tracker that I put on here shows different numbers than what Google shows.. Google shows more visitors.

Anyways. I am a sports writer in Ardmore, Oklahoma. I was getting paranoid there for awhile, and that is why i was vague about what was going on. But now Im here, and its going ok.

The biggest thing is that I now work at night. Like from 4 pm. until midnight, or even to 1 a.m. at times depending on how busy it gets. I go to a lot of high school games. We put the paper together at night and it is on doorsteps by daylight. We cover about 15 high schools. Teams go to Oklahoma City now and then, so I go there a lot as well.

People take high school sports seriously here, and they expect the paper to let them know what is going on in this area. I like that really. Also my boss has high expectations. Higher standards here.
I did try doing some of that at the paper there, but it was difficult.
It is expected here, that work will be of high quality and be done on time .... no drama, no bs, just do it.. Things do still fall through the cracks at times, especially in sports, because of the high amount of information you are dealing with and all at deadline. I like it though.

Working till 12 or later at night, i end up staying awake until 2 am. or so. There is the deadline rush, so Im still a little hyped up when work is done, so its really hard to go to sleep soon at all. That has been the biggest adjustment. Im trying to not stay up so late and get up earlier so I can do more fun things. I have my free time before work, instead of after.

I found a nice place to live. It is in one of the nicer areas of town. I am in a small building out back of a larger house. The lady decided to rent it out after her husband passed away. He used to have an office here.

I am still visiting churches. Some days I dont get up in time and ive just not found the right place yet. The big baptist church was good. The main church has mostly older people. They also have a church for younger people at the same time, which is more like going to a rock concert ... but that is fun to.
The methodist and presbyterians downtown do the same thing, but thiers is not so much like a concert. There is a bit of tradition mixed in.

Im just enjoying going to different places.
Ill write more about my adventures here tomorrow, or later on today.

Anyone out there?

2011-10-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

I see the blog is still getting a few visits.
Where do we go from here?
im not really in ark city enough to know whats going on now.
let me know if you have any suggestions.

Blackmon, Weeden chat on Twitter

2011-08-09T12:54:00.000-05:00

Blackmon, Weeden chat on Twitter

Oklahoma State Football begins

2011-08-07T12:33:00.001-05:00

Oklahoma State Football begins 2011

political quote

2011-07-24T11:07:00.002-05:00

"The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected.

gk chesterton, 1906

small town corruption

2011-07-12T10:38:00.000-05:00

here is an ap story about a small town in arizona and its corruption ...

http://news.yahoo.com/arizona-town-disarray-mayor-alleges-corruption-012411346.html

On another note ... I need to get in touch with "d." .. if youre out there, send me an email .. even if your not out there, send me an email ..

Another doomsday prediction

2011-07-11T19:23:00.002-05:00

Guess you dont have to be a religious fruitcake to be a fruitcake....

http://news.yahoo.com/believers-mysterious-planet-nibiru-await-earths-end-103803162.html

Open Tuesday

2011-06-28T10:21:00.002-05:00

Its open blog Tuesday
What do you want to talk about....

picture worth a thousand words?

2011-06-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of an advertisement along interstate 35 south of oklahoma city.
I just thought it was really interesting, and a sad comment on our culture.
some will say, one is legal and one is not, but i dont think that matters.
what about the underlying message?

back in the saddle

2011-06-24T15:54:00.000-05:00

Greetings all
assuming anyone is still out there.
ive had major technology problems. also a battle with the local internet provider
which is AT&T, and it sucks, and thats about the best thing i can say about it. i highly recommend not using them for internet if you have a choice.
and on top of that. something blew up my router and corrupted my windows...
so finally its all fixed.
I could have found a way to post i guess. but it was kinda interesting taking a break from technology fora little while.
i do so much of that at work.
I was in ark city a couple weeks ago. looks like the hike and bike trail is taking shape.
What is going on of interest up there?

Free Speech

2011-05-27T14:52:00.001-05:00

Here is something I have been thinking about. Freedom of speech seems to be under attack.
Last week an NBA player was fined $50,000 - that amount may not be right - for making a "gay slur" towards a fan.
A few months back Kobe Bryant, also of the NBA, was fined $100,000 for saying something was "gay."
And this week a tv commentator got in trouble for calling conservative woman politician a slut.
Now im not thinking about the gay issue, or any other issue.
The problem to me is freedom of speech. What does it say about freedom of speech when you can be fined, suspended, or even fired for making a comment.
Whether the comment was right or wrong is not the point. In all of those instances it was bad judgement and not a good thing to do. Does that make it right to take disciplinary action against them?
They were all on the job at the time, so i guess you could say they were representing their company.
There might be a conflict of rights there, so its not black and white.
But still I think there is a tendency now a days in our culture to squash freedom of speech.
Should offensive speech be allowed"?
How do you define offensive?
If you only allow freedom of speech to those you agree with, do you have freedom of speech?
Just some questions to spur discussion.

Something else that seems odd to me here. It is the liberals who seem more likely to take action against someone for bad speech. Arent liberals supposed to be the ones who want to let everything go? But not offensive speech apparently. hmmmmm

Where are the birthers?

2011-05-18T13:45:00.000-05:00

Ok. Birthers would you like a little barbeque sauce with your crow.
For months - years even - you have called for the president to come clean about his birth certificate.
He has finally done so - and I still think he should not have.
But... where is the fairness? Where is the admission of being wrong? Where is the being honeest and "coming clean" that you called for.

Remember that book that was to be released that was going to blow this thing out of the water and be a book that finally exposed the president ... well i guess it is still being released..
Below is a press release about it.
But come on birthers .... lets have a little transparency.....

Let me introduce you to Jerome Corsi.

This week he released a new book that the publisher says will be a bestseller "of historic proportions."

The title is "Where's the Birth Certificate?" -- yes, really.

Corsi's work is a greatest-hits reel of delusions, ranging from 9/11 conspiracies to claiming that there is an infinite supply of oil in the Earth's core. In 2008, he published a book about Barack Obama claiming, among other things, that he (a) is a secret Muslim; (b) is secretly anti-military; (c) secretly dealt drugs; and (d) secretly supported terrorist actions when he was eight years old. So many secrets!

FactCheck.org called Corsi's work "a mishmash of unsupported conjecture, half-truths, logical fallacies and outright falsehoods."

There's really no way to make this stuff completely go away. The only thing we can do is laugh at it -- and make sure as many other people as possible are in on the joke.

Prayer meeting ?

2011-05-14T11:01:00.000-05:00

I just saw on brand-x website, that city attorney is concerned that the city "might" be sued over its practice of having a prayer before meetings, done by area ministers.

I just wonder if it is a good use of taxpayer money to pay the city attorney to prepare briefs on issues where the city "might" be sued. Someone could stumble on the front steps of city hall too, and sue the city. Anyone can sue anyone over anything. It just costs a couple bucks to file the paper work for a lawsuit.

I suppose this is a topic to be debated, but i think another issue here is whether the city should be paying its attorney to find areas where the city "might" be sued. This has been a long-standing practice, and many city commissions do this. There are constitutional ways of going about it. It will be interesting to see if this becomes a hot button issue in ark city.

Live blogs

2011-05-14T10:43:00.000-05:00

We are having the state track meet here today for two classifications. I am going to be doing a live blog there. This will pretty much just be state track results, so probably not of much interest to you folks up there.
But just in case anyone wanted to see it, it will be at www.ardmoreite.com
1-5 p.m. today, saturday.

friday

2011-05-13T11:55:00.000-05:00

Google has been having some trouble looks like. I posted something yesterday and now I dont see it at all. Couldnt sign on last night at all.
Seems to be working now.
Talk about whatever you like in this space.

another update

2011-05-12T10:22:00.000-05:00

Howdy folks.
We are almost at the end of high school sports season down here. Spring time sports is the busiest time of the year, and spring time sports playoffs are just crazy. It is almost over, but that is why i have not been posting.
I am going to be doing some live blogging at sports events. State track meet this weekend.
I am getting immersed in high school sports here. Paying more attention to who is hitting home runs, and who is nearing10 seconds in the 100 meters, is actually more fun than paying attention to what politicians are saying.
At least in sports, there is a winner and someone who did not win. As opposed to politics, where no matter what happens, both sides claim a victory and spin it their way regardless.

There are some good athletes down here, so that makes it fun. They play at a high level in most sports. But once the high school season is over things should slow down a bit.

Tourism
There is a tour of train depots coming up. Sounds interesting and I just heard about it yesterday. But the tour ends with the Heartland Flyer at the Ardmore train station. The depot here is still active, and is one of the old ones that has been restored.
Several train depots have been restored here.
I know there is one rotting to death in Ark City and some group is allegedly trying to do something to save it.
Ive even heard that the Railroad company is willing to give it away.
Hope someone will take up that project in earnest.

Ok, dont know if that will get people going.
But ... just in case ... guns, abortion, taxes, obama, bush, lowes and mel kuhn. . oh, and dotty smith.

Commision and other stuff

2011-05-01T23:48:00.000-05:00

Noticed that the city commission there in ark city is going back to the mid-day Friday work session.
This is a sign that the old order, which is now the new order, has taken over.
The argument for thursday evening was so the working public could come to the meetings. The argument against that was that no one ever comes anyway, and i guess it is more convenient for members to meet at that time.
Of course if commissioners have a day job, that could be an issue.
As a reporter, the work session is always much more interesting than the meeting. I once covered a commission in another state and rarely actually went to a meeting. The meetings are a formality in a sense while the work session is where stuff gets hashed out.
You can still go to the regular meeting and you can still speak there.
The thing is, its rare for very many people to show up at a work sessions or at a meeting.

I saw where they have found bin laden and he is dead. Both sides are already lining up to take credit. Both sides should be embarrassed that it took them 10 years. :)

here is some humor

2011-04-28T12:18:00.002-05:00

http://www.borowitzreport.com/

What will the birthers say now

2011-04-27T12:55:00.000-05:00

How will the birthers discredit this?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110427/ts_yblog_theticket/white-house-releases-obama-birth-certificate

economy

2011-04-26T16:34:00.002-05:00

AP story says economy is growing steadily
things are looking up all over

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110426/ap_on_re_us/us_ap_economy_survey

how will the republicans say this isn't so ...
and
how will the dems take credit ...

im the one saying its a natural cycle that happens because it happens and not that much can affect it.

which side are you on

2011-04-23T10:07:00.000-05:00

Here is a comment made in another string. It was the comment i wanted to hear in a sense, because it opened the door to the rant that follows :)

I suppose I could answer your question with a question.
What's the Democrat answer?

well thats the point ive been making for months - maybe years -
your only answer to "what is the republican answer" is "what is the dem answer"
which is to say ....the only thing we can say is the other side is worse...
or the only answer you have is to point at the other side.

the dems say the same... their answer is _ at least we're not as bad as the other side -

neither party has any answers, its time to move beyond parties. there are other parties, and new parties can be started... and will eventually when enough people get tired of the dem-pub, cons-lib fighting.
the idea that we have to have a two party system is a lie ...
if you think beyond your ideology at all, you will see that there are many issues where con-lib does not fit. neither side is right about everything, and in more cases than not, both sides are wrong
both are extremes. you can look at every issue through the lense of your partys ideology if you want, but if you take the glasses off, you will see that both sides are just putting their spin on every issue ... there is no truth, just the left or right spin...

so many times it happens, if you disagree with someone, or question something they say, they dismisss you as a lib or con... they wont even think about the issue, its just a matter of which side you are on.

its not even about politics really, its about money - cash flow....
i wish people could see the money that is being made creating this divisiveness in our country. if anytihng will destroy us it is the divisiveness, but the media mogules - both con and lib - are more into making money than caring about the country.. yes our economy has problems, it has had problems before, it will recover, and when it does many other problems will be fixed.
Dont you remember the 80s and hyper inflation? or was that the 70s? .. then it got better in the 90s, and of course both sides took credit.

but just think about the major spokespersons for both sides. (i really dont listen to any talk radio or tv anymore, i dont even know their names anymore... i guess rush is still around?)
they need to keep ratings up, they need to sell books, papers, etc., so keeping the division going is how they do that....

we are not sinking, that is just b-s /... part of the selling of division is the selling of fear and paranoia.. remember the "RED" scare of the 60s the cold war and all... now it was serious with the nukes around, but the ruskies were just as scared as we were and doing the same things as far as selling the population on fear and paranoia.

look at our history honestly .... we have had problems before, worse than now... and we always came through...
WWII could easily have been lost, there was the great depression (and real socialism was waiting in the wings to take over then. i think it was more a threat then than now)
after the civil war, just about any country could have invaded and taken over.
had the brits not been so arrogant, they would still own the colonies..

the economy will improve.. things will get better and the cycle will start again.
i really think a lot of it is just natural cycles that we really cant do anything about, we can maybe influence them some, make it faster or slower, but the cycles are natural and you cant really fight nature.....

Figured it out

2011-04-21T11:26:00.000-05:00

Last night I figured out this whole birth certificate thing.
It is really a rather clever conspiracy. Obama is pulling the classic bait and switch scam.
As many have pointed out, he doesnt have a lot of qualifications or experience. So he needed something to distract everyone from that, because he could really get a lot of grief over that.
And he needed something to keep people busy so as to not notice his agenda - which is really the elite liberal agenda. By the way, this is how he rose so fast in political circles. he is the front man for the vast left wing conspiracy.
So there were actually two things that needed to be hidden. or at least enough of a distraction so he could more easily pursue his agenda.

To throw the right wing off his tracks, he came up with a distraction.
He needed something that would keep people busy, and keep them chasing, so they would not notice the real things that needed hidden. or at least throw them off enough so he could get more things through.

He was born in hawaii, and his father is from kenya (i think thats right, or some other country) .. whatever. that was the framework for the bait and switch.
People love a conspiracy, there are large groups who think we never went to the moon, that elvis shot JFK, or that it was someone else anyway, or even that bush was really behind the 911 attacks.
What better distraction could there be? had he been born in iowa, it might have been a tougher sell, so hawaii made it much more convenient.

So the idea is sent out there. Of course the right wingers hate him, they would hate any liberal president. so obamas people knew that the fish would be biting so to speak,
so they send out this morsel and the right wingers grabbed the bait.
So that was the bait and switch. The first ones to put out this idea were no doubt closet liberals working as double agents in conservative circles. With the internet, you have no way of knowing who someone really is ... do you know for sure when this claim started? and who started it?
Its like criminals running from the cops. make them think you are going north and youre really going south.

So a lot of energy is expended on this birth certificate thing, while obama sails along happily with not that much attention being paid to his real weaknesses. He is laughing his behind off in the white house...

Now, this is the real reason he does not, and cannot, show the long form. or even more evidence that would remove any doubt. (actually he is really ticked at the liberals who keep showing evidence, or perhaps they are part of the conspiracy as well?)
If he did, the con would be over. and he would be in real deep doo doo... the right wingers would then be on his tail for real.

here it is, birth certificate

2011-04-20T15:23:00.001-05:00

and here is a link with some actual evidence
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html

so would birthers be convinced if he showed a new one?

what about
, the conspiracy would need to be even deeper than our colleagues realized. In late July, a researcher looking to dig up dirt on Obama instead found a birth announcement that had been published in the Honolulu Advertiser on Sunday, Aug. 13, 1961:

Obama's birth announcement

The announcement was posted by a pro-Hillary Clinton blogger who grudgingly concluded that Obama "likely" was born Aug. 4, 1961 in Honolulu.

Of course, it's distantly possible that Obama's grandparents may have planted the announcement just in case their grandson needed to prove his U.S. citizenship in order to run for president someday.

what's going on

2011-04-19T10:35:00.000-05:00

See i write a well thought out piece about a topic i find interesting, and it gets no responses. But just mention certain issues, and that gets people going.

Well i did want to write about what i am up to these days. I am not exactly in Texas. I misled everyone for a reason. I am almost in Texas. I am in Ardmore Oklahoma, which is not far from the lone star state... I am a sports writer. Just go to ball games, tell the tale, and help out in putting together the sports section and updating the paper's website. Interestingly enough, the higher-ups here have an Ark City connection. The publisher was once the publisher at the Traveler, way before it was sold, and was aware of winfield and the people at the paper there... so maybe there was a little bit of understanding.

The reason I misled everyone is I became paranoid. For months I realized that i needed a regular steady job. My freelancing was doing ok, but just ok... So I started applying for jobs. Papers or other publishing companies, would show interest, we would be going through the "dating" process so to speak. Interviews and all that. I was very open and honest about what happened in AC ...
So then I would tell people in ark city, well i had an interview with this company... and suddenly that company lost interest... no explanation no reason .. just not interested anymore.. each time it was exactly the same thing..
So I misled everyone about where this job was. I got offered the job... It does make you think...maybe it was just a coincidence .. or maybe not... i just know what i saw.

I like the paper here a lot. Totally different culture than where i was before.. higher expectations and standards, and a spirit of teamwork. The bar is raised, but there is also a great sense of appreciation and value in what is being done.
Also I am not in management by any stretch. Just a lowly reporter - albeit in sports. So i dont have to be concerned about the big picture at all, or what others are doing... I dont even have to worry about tomorrow's paper.. how it will get done, what will be in it. I am only concerned with what game i am going to today, and what help is needed on the desk (putting the paper together)...so it is much less stressful.
I found a neat place to live. It is a garage apartment type thing in someone's back yard. All my utilities, including cable tv and the net, are included in my rent, so i only have one bill to pay...
I hate to admit it, but life is pretty good right now...

The only thing that has been difficult at all is getting used to working for a morning paper. I work "second shift" .. 3-4 p.m. to midnight. I am getting adjusted though..

So that's it. I may write more about my job and what its like here.

Evidence ...

2011-04-18T12:10:00.000-05:00

Here is a story that illustrates what i was talking about in my previous post about what the bible says. This story is much shorter, and much better written...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110418/wl_uk_afp/britainreligionchristianseaster

This is a good example of using evidence, science, and the bible together to try to find truth.
This article talks more about the last supper ... what day was it ... i think the conclusion of the person here is very valid ..

Related to that is the issue of Good Friday and Easter, the church celebrates his death on good friday and his resurrection on sunday .. and still says he was in the tomb three nights and three days...
and many people have gone through a lot of gyrations to make three days out of friday night to sunday morning ...
A clear reading of what the bible actually says would mean that he was crucified on wednesday.. taking the bible and matching it up with the jewish calendar of the time ... not our modern calendar.
As the article suggests, the last supper was wednesday night, and easter was on sunday....

what the bible says

2011-04-18T11:48:00.000-05:00

Here is a post from another thread. I thought it was interesting and it raises some good points.

JJ, what if the Bible clearly did say when life began? What then? Do you take everything the Bible says as fact,without argument even in the face of contradictory scientific proof? What do we do with our reason and intellect? I think part of the problem we get ourselves into, is that we believe the Bible has something to say about every facet of our lives, and have used it to polarize ourselves.

This got incredibly long, sorry, but it was fun to write.. if you read it all, then comment, ..:)

God created us with a brain, and gave us reason, logic and intellect for a reason.
The bible itself says "examine everything carefully, keeping the good and discarding the bad."
We do not need to stop thinking
That is a huge problem in religion today. People twist the bible to make it say things it does not say, and when that happens you do have to stop thinking. atheists also take things out of context to try to prove it wrong ...
Some things are tradition and not biblical. Galileo got in trouble with the church because of his discoveries, and advocating the idea that the earth goes around the sun instead of hte other way around.. the problem was, that was church tradition. and not bible...
The bible does not say either way. It does say things like the sun rising or setting, but ... that has been a common way of phrasing things since we had words. we still say that today, but it really doesnt. we say today the sun isnt shining when it is cloudy ... everyone knows that isn't literally true. yet we still say it all the time ..and everyone knows what is meant

An example today is the idea of creation. Seven literal 24-hour periods, or seven periods of time.. i lean towards the latter, there are logical problems with the seven 24-hour period idea, one being that the earth was not created on day one, so you could not measure day one ... also the hebrew word translated "day" can just as easily be translated into English as "time" ..
That is not the real issue in my opinion. Whether it was 7 days, 7 seconds or 7 bajillion years doesnt matter.. There is no real controversy here between science and the bible .. the problem comes when you try to force it to say something it does not say.
The real issue is ... "In the beginning God Created"
The problem is on both sides. Athiests take evolution to mean God did not create..wheras pure science based on observation, experimentation and reason, cannot say one way or the other. it can only say that species develop over time. .which does not contradict the bible at all. The bible does not say..

If there is a logic problem, or even a blatant contradiction with science, that should raise a flag.
You don't blindly choose one or the other,
If that happens, you need to study more. chances are the problem is more in your understanding than with either science or the bible.... a huge problem is that people think they have things figured out so they blindly go forward and twist the bible or science to fit that set of beliefs .. religious people, atheists, pubs, dems ... the problem is they are interpreting evidemce through the lense of their ideology, which is backwards.. which is why i say truth is more important than ideology.... are we willing to admit that our ideology might be wrong? What do you do when you are faced with evidence that contradicts your beliefs.. many people dismiss it .. what we should do in that case is study more..

If you cannot show a clear teaching throughout the entire bible on an issue, ... then to be intellectually honest, you have to say ... it doesn't say. and you should keep studying...also another important point .. studying an issue is not trying to find evidence to fit your beliefs .. it is pursuing truth where ever it leads, and if you have to change your belief on an issue .. then .. you have to make a choice.
Some people say they are using biblical principles in making decisions. I say that is a dangerous idea... and that is one area where i am a bit radical even in christian circles.. it is a slippery slope from "biblical principles" to making it say what it does not say....

A key point in biblical interpretation is understanding the type of literature it is. What was the intent of the writer? Also context is everything... one verse by itself does not mean anything .. for any issue you have to seek what the ENTIRE bible says about it..
Interpreting the bible is no different than interpreting any piece of literature. To really understand what the bible actually says, you have to study a lot, you have to think a lot, and use reason a lot.

The Psalms are poetry. we all know what poetry is .. so the ideas presented in poetry are literally true, but the words used are metaphors. whether the things literally said are true is irrelevant.... the psalms are more for comfort and thinking about things in different ways - just like any poetry is - so it should not be used for setting doctrine... psalms speak of God's strong right arm ... God doesnt have arms, God is not a person with a physical body ...
Jesus told stories, parables, these are stories to make a point. the points are literally true, but the stories themselves may or may not be, He talks about a sower and the seed, and how it grows if it is in good soil... he is not talking about how to farm here..
Other times his sermons are recorded, and these are clear teachings .. love your neighbor as yourself.. that is a direct order from the chief :)

And there are times where the bible does speak to an issue, but it is not clear .. the problem is that people want it to be clear, so they take one part and ignore the other part.
Free will and predestinaiton is one issue .. this is a deep philosophical issue.. the new testament writers say both and seem to have no problem with that .. to me that should be part of the equation... if they didn't have a problem .. why do we?
It really is like .. can god build a rock too big for god to move?
It is easier to pick one or the other and make the bible say that .. but ... we should be looking to what it actually says ..
Some people ask what about when the bible contradicts science (my answer to that is, you don't yet have it figured out.) ,... i like to ask, what about when the bible contradicts your ideology?

Many controversial issues are controversial because there is room for interpretation. We dont have all the evidence, or what evidence we have does not really answer the question.
So we take up what evidence fits our belief system and dismiss the rest as heresy ... its easier to do this than it is to actually think.

So.. if you can line up what the bible says, what pure evidence says - what you can see,.what you can think .. if they all line up, then you have truth .. if they do not all line up the problem could be that you do not yet really have it figured out and need to study more..
You don't need to shut off your mind or intellect when studying the bible - or anything else, but you do need to try to shut off your ideology...

hot button issues

2011-04-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

In another post we were talking about the hot button issues. I was saying they could be solved if people wanted them solved.
I wanted to comment first on the thing about compromise itself. Then someone asked about if I would compromise my religion. I dont think that is a legitimate argument against compromise. You cant "make" someone believe something, even though i guess you could make certain religions illegal as they do in muslim countries.
But I have my beliefs. I realize some dont agree with me. The thing is, I just dont have a burning desire to show them where they are wrong. I could be wrong on some things. We dont need to agree on ideology - or a set of beliefs. That is not the real issue. The real issue is actually solving problems and doing things that matter, instead of just continually arguing the same arguments over and over.
Here is an example. I really do believe pornography is wrong, on many levels. However, I think it would be a big mistake to make it illegal because even the supreme court can't define it. So, while i dont change my belief, i have to "allow" it..
Here are my answers to the three hot button issues that were raised.
These are just not black and white issues as some try to make them be.

Democrats are for bigger government, and Republicans are for smaller government.
To some extent this is a bogus argument. we have a huge country, more than 300 million people. so everything is bigger. Wichita has to have a bigger govt. than Ark City just by the nature of each city.
The real issue is what do you want "government" to do.
Those who are against "big" govt and govt. interference are not intellectually honest. They want govt. to tell people what drugs they can use, how fast they can drive their car, which side of the road to drive on. they want abortion to be illegal, they want govt to not allow other people to take your stuff from you...(stealing) . and the list goes on ....
The answer here is to stop the rhetoric and work on issues. WHAT do we want govt to do? The constitution says by the people and FOR the people. So ... maybe we have to have 100 questions on the election ballot.

Democrats are pro-abortion, and Republicans are anti-abortion.
This is an issue that is not as black and white as either side wants to make it. It is not about choice. You make the choice when you do what you do to make a baby....
The real question is when does life begin?
people used to think that if you had sex for any other reason than making a baby, you were doing wrong... even with your spouse.
With all the advances of modern medicine surely we could define when life begins ..
so we have to "agree" on that question. you dont change your ideology and agree with it necessarily, but you get something and you give something ...
The bible really does not say when life begins. the verse often quoted - God knew you in your mothers womb - is a poem full of allegory .. it should not be used to set doctrine - that is just basic sound biblical interpretation..

Democrats are anti-gun, and Republicans are pro-gun rights.
Again, here both sides need to get over themselves a little bit.
Dems need to concede that most americans want their guns and that owning guns is a basic right.. even the supreme court has said this.
Pubs need to be honest about regulation, and understand that you have to have some kind of law .. even pubs dont want a 5 year old carrying a gun to kindergarten... or a blind person carrying a gun.
So, Dems admit to the basic right to own a gun, and Pubs admit that there needs to be some regulation...

Ok, there you have it, ...
let the arguing, er discussing begin.

election results

2011-04-05T22:06:00.001-05:00

A reader posted this on another thread, just passing it along.
Comments??
Amazing to me that less than 650 votes would have won a seat .. wow..

Arkansas City City Commission (unofficial results as of 8:50 p.m.)

•Joel Hockenbury — 788
•Charles Tweedy III — 705
•Chad Giles — 648
•Jean Snell — 501
•Ron Hirst — 431
•Dotty Smith — 330

DUI bill

2011-04-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

I saw where the DUI bill has stalled in the Kansas senate. They were going to make the law tougher.
I know lots of conservatives get upset about the idea of looking at what other countries do, but ... it would be interesting for people to understand what they do in Europe.
Here in the U.S., we see driving as a right. and we dont have the infrastructure for public transport, so it is a necessity as well. If you dont live in a major city like New York or Chicago, a car is a necessity. In the large cities here, and in Europe, a car is really a burden.
They do take driving more seriously in Europe. You have to be 21 i think, or maybe 18. And you have to take serious driving classes. You cant just show up and take a test like you do here. You have to pass a hard driving course and it costs a few thousand dollars to get a drivers license.
THey dont mess around with laws either. When I was in Europe i got a parking ticket, and it cost nearly $100. From what I hear, a speeding ticket can cost several hundred, and second offense you might lose your license. Drunk drivers lose their license and go to jail for a long time. They have cameras that record speeders. You dont get pulled over, you get a picture of your car speeding in the mail, and showing your speed and how much your fine is.
I was really surprised when i was in Europe, that everyone was going the speed limit. You know here, when its posted 50, everyone drives 59 or more.
Im not sure its feasable in the U.S. because of the large rural areas and lack of public transport ... but driving could be taken more seriously in the U.S.
In some states you have to buy a legal ad and run it in the newspaper, with your picture, saying that you got your second dui .. thats an interesting idea too.

city commission ?

2011-03-30T14:34:00.000-05:00

What do you all think about the candidates for city commission. I understand they wrote answers for the paper, but i didnt read the article.
Time is flying, hard to believe its been so long since i have posted. I am fairly busy here. Getting adjusted to new surroundings takes time.
So talk about the candidates if you like, but please no slanderous stuff or criminal allegations.

voter id

2011-03-18T15:15:00.000-05:00

Here is something from AP about requiring voters to show a photo ID at the polls when voting.
I still remember the first time i voted in Kansas, i tried to show three people my ID, and none of them wanted to see it ...
in south carolina you have to show an id with your address on it, and it has to match what is on the roll. which is what i was used to.
People think this measure is about illegal immigrants, and maybe it is ... but to me it just makes sense that people should have to prove they are who they say they are in order to vote.
you could go through a phone book and vote 10 times in 10 different precints the same day just by saying you are a different person each time ...
ive always thought it was a bad idea to not require some ID for voting.

TOPEKA (AP) — A Kansas Senate committee endorsed an election fraud bill Thursday after members rewrote legislation from Secretary of State Kris Kobach to delay the proposed start of his plan to require anyone registering to vote for the first time to prove they are a citizen.

The Ethics and Elections Committee also stripped the measure of provisions Kobach sought to increase penalties for some election crimes and give the secretary of state's office the power to file and prosecute election fraud cases in state courts, along with the attorney general and county prosecutors.

But the committee kept intact a proposal from Kobach to require voters to show photo identification at the polls, starting next year. That provision would make Kansas the 10th state with a photo ID requirement, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

regulation, bank reform and internet control

2011-03-17T11:53:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple links from Politico, that point to the differences between the Gop and Dem on reform, regulation, no regulation etc.,
Gop silently repealing banking reform,

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51458.html

and one about internet regulation

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51266.html

Seems to me, pubs want no regs on banking while dems do. Dems want no regs on the net while dems do.

Local drug war

2011-03-08T09:49:00.000-06:00

Here is a press release Police Chief Sean Wallace sent out, which is what he said to a state senate committee last week. They want to make the drug pseudoephedrine a prescription only medication. This is the essential drug in allergy medicine that you can now get without a prescription.
A box of this costs around $5, and it is used for making meth. it is also used by people who have allergies.
If it were a prescription only med, you would have to have a doctor visit and get a prescription, so the cost - including the doctors visit, would be around $50 if you dont have insurance, and probably $15-$20 if you do have insurance.
I know this drug is abused to make illicit drugs, but ... this is punishing the citizenry for the actions of a few. Wallace feels this would prevent meth-makers from getting the drug. So how hard would it be for them to go get a doctors prescription? All they would have to do is sneeze a bit for the doc.... and pay a little more than they pay now...
I do at least agree with Wallace that we need to let our state senators know what we think of this bill.
:)
below is what Wallace sent out:

I am in full support of SB131which proposes to make pseudoephedrine a prescription only drug. Chief Dan Parker of Winfield Police Department and I are both located in Cowley County and our agencies are part of a countywide drug task force along with Sheriff D uld add that affect the safety, health, and the crime rate of our perspective cities.

When pseudoephedrine was first required to be kept behind the counter in July of 2004, we saw a drop in Methamphetamine labs and sales in our county. However, the “tunnel vision” addiction of Meth led the users to problem solve ways to acquire pseudoephedrine in spite of the restrictions and resume methamphetamine production. The method “smurphs” are using to finance the purchase of pseudoephedrine has caused our theft and burglary rate to sore. The “smurphs” steal scrap metal, copper from air conditioners, and commit other burglaries and thefts to acquire the funds to purchase pseudoephedrine legitimately. The “Smurphs” then fan out to the various stores in our jurisdiction and buy their limit of pseudoephedrine and meth production continues. These methods used by “smurphs” have increased methamphetamine production in Cowley Co. and now 30% of the drug crime we investigate is methamphetamine related.

The current controls on pseudoephedrine may be working statewide but are not working in southeast Kansas and further steps are needed to curb meth production. Logs are great, but many pharmacies employee minimum wage workers at their counters and they are not diligent to verify ID cards and driver’s licenses. Corporate pharmacies keep electronic logs but like all transactions at these type of stores, transactions are done with electronic readers and signature pads that the clerk never views so purchasers of pseudoephedrine can write anything. If Kansas strengthens the current restrictions to include requiring pseudoephedrine to be on the same computerized tracking network it still will not prevent “smurphs” from funding their efforts by theft and from going out in force and buying up their limit of pseudoephedrine at the over the counter drug providers in our jurisdiction. If pseudoephedrine is prescription only, no amount of thefts and mobilization on their part will allow them to obtain the product.

whats up

2011-02-28T12:13:00.000-06:00

Ive been here a few days. Things are going well. People seem nice.
So whats on your mind"?
Talk about whatever you want below :)

Gone to Texas

2011-02-22T11:20:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone.
I think there are still a few readers out there. I have taken a job down around Texas and will be starting there very soon .. as in later this week. Its been in the works for awhile and that is one reason i did not file for the commission race but it was not official until this past weekend.
Anyways, Ill not be around Arkansas City much anymore. Just on weekends for awhile, before we make the move. That is assuming things work out well there. But if not ill come back and see what happens then.
So a new adventure will begin late this week. I am being intentionally vague about where the job is for a good paranoid reason. :)
So just wanted to say adios.
Ill leave the blog up for awhile so you all can cuss and discuss everything.
Or if people let me know they are still interested in reading it, i might post weekly for awhile.
Hopefully ill fare better than Davy Crockett. When he left Tennessee, after he lost his bid for reelection to congress, he said, to heck with you all, im going to Texas. He went from there to the Alamo.

Update on the blog

2011-02-15T12:17:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone
I have been in Oklahoma and Texas recently on business. So I have not had time to do much updating or reporting.
Also, I am heading out to Tennessee now. I have had a death in the family and need to be there.
I might try to update some this week.
But likely will be next week before I can even think about doing anything much on here.
Feel free to discuss whatever you like on this post.

Swiss gun control

2011-02-14T07:59:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to an interesting story about guns in Switzerland. Most of Europe tends to not like our ideas about guns, but it appears the Swiss love their guns and wont give them up.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703515504576142190857662716.html?mod=WSJEurope_hpp_LEFTTopStories

This was too cool to pass up

2011-02-09T17:11:00.002-06:00

http://www.theonion.com/articles/republicans-vote-to-repeal-obamabacked-bill-that-w,19025/

Something new

2011-02-04T08:33:00.000-06:00

Ok Sports Fans. I was just wondering about something.
Can we do a post and discussion of things you like? or have enjoyed recently.
Just post something you enjoyed recently .. big or small.
Here is is my contribution.
Sunday Piper Lee Ewing sang at our church. It was really good. I dont even remember the song. I had forgotten what a voice she has. That was really nice. She is singing again tonight at College Hill Coffee Shop in Winfield, along with Tim Durham and some others. .. so im excited about that.
Ok.
Your turn .....

Cowley games moved again

2011-02-02T18:44:00.003-06:00

The  Cowley College men and women's Homecoming basketball games versus Kansas  City have been moved to Monday. Women's game at 6 p.m. and men's game  at 8. Fans are being asked to wear white in support of the Tigers. The  first 100 students in attendance will receive a free white Cowley  t-shirt.

More on the coming storm

2011-01-31T20:45:00.001-06:00

Here is something Brian Stone, director of county emergency management is sending out. Also, the the NWS is calling for blizzard like conditions in oklahoma tomorrow. ..
Here is what Brian sent.

We recently completed a conference call with the NWS about the upcoming storm. Below is the graphic with current snowfall predictions:

The snow is anticipated to begin tomorrow morning (6am timeframe approximately) and last through tomorrow night. It is expected to be a fairly constant snow with accumulations as seen above.

High winds (30mph with gusts up to 40mph) can be expected in places. Wind chills will drop to dangerous levels Tuesday night into Wednesday. The snow is not expected to create major issues on power lines or trees (mainly due to high winds). Drifting snow is a concern and could be up to 4-6’ in southeast Kansas.

The good news is that this is not expected to be an icy event. The majority of liquid moisture is predicted in far southeast Kansas near the Kansas/Missouri/Oklahoma corner and then areas further east. While some icing is still possible, and elevated surfaces could be slick, a major ice storm is not predicted.

Winter storm coming

2011-01-31T08:54:00.000-06:00

Looks like we will be getting some snow. National weather service is predicting a "significant" winter storm. They do tend to give out the maximum possibilities, and usually it is less than they say, but still it looks like it could get nasty out there.

Here is the winter storm warning from the NWS

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS... 9 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW IS LIKELY ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES ARE FORECAST FOR THOSE PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS ALONG AND EAST OF I-135.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS... A GLAZE OF ICE IS EXPECTED THIS MORNING... ESPECIALLY FOR LOCATIONS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 400.

* WINDS... NORTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BETWEEN 25 AND 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING.

* IMPACTS... THE FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL RESULT IN LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ON EXPOSED SURFACES AND UNTREATED ROADS THIS MORNING. HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL MAKE DRIVING DANGEROUS FROM TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THE STRONG NORTH WINDS MAY RESULT IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT... ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS... WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS OF 15 BELOW TO 20 BELOW ARE LIKELY BY TUESDAY NIGHT.

Fox & Friends Segment Replaces SOTU Audience Laughter And Applause With Cricket Sound Effects

2011-01-27T23:23:00.000-06:00

<em>Fox & Friends </em>Segment Replaces SOTU Audience Laughter And Applause With Cricket Sound Effects

Deadline for commission

2011-01-25T11:47:00.000-06:00

The deadline for filing for city commission is in just a few minutes. at noon today.
I thought a lot about it, and talked with a lot of people, but in the end, decided to not throw my hat in the ring.
Real mixed feelings. I really wanted to. And now is a good time for a newcomer to make an effort.
It would have been fun, would have been a good experience win or lose.
There was just too much to overcome though.
And i really dont think i could make a four year commitment.
That was the biggest issue. If it were for a two year term, i would have done it.
Well ill just keep being an observer and maybe ill get more involved in some other way.
Be interesting to see how it shakes out.

Controversial ad

2011-01-20T22:45:00.000-06:00

Here is a controversial video. Some thought it funny, some were offended. What do you think?
At one point it had a chance of being on during the super bowl, it wouldnt have been anyway, but it got pulled anyway, if that makes sense?

MLK celebration Sunday

2011-01-13T21:02:00.002-06:00

The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration of unity ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday in the Brown Center at Cowley College. This years’ theme is “Honoring the Past…Inspiring the Future” and will feature performances from the Arkansas City Magic Voices Show Choir, the Cowley College Dance Theatre group, Delphia Jennings, and a special guest speaker, Rodney Worsham.

The event will also include the presentation of the Joe B. Avery Community Spirit Award. This year’s award winner is Pastor James Watson, Jr. Cub Scout Pack #328 will present the flag and flag salute and Cowley College student Caleb Sherron will sing the Star Spangled Banner to start the celebration.

The event is a gathering of song, praise, fellowship, and tribute. It is free and open to the public. The Celebration of Unity is sponsored by the Arkansas City Human Relations Commission whose mission is to promote good will in the community.

A reception will follow in the Earle N. Wright Community Room and Gallery. Refreshments will be served by the Arkansas City Soroptimist Organization.

Arizona Shooting

2011-01-11T10:22:00.000-06:00

In the wake of the Arizona shooting it's not surprise that some liberals are calling for more laws on guns. I think many of us agree that guns are not the problem. Here is a story in Politico about how there is not much of a chance of any anti gun laws passing now. It does take somewhat of a liberal bent, but it does show that the climate is not conducive to more gun laws now.

This was the act of a crazy person, but he was likely influenced by what he heard in the media. His mental instability was a major factor, but ... how much impact did political radio and tv have? Here is an opinion piece that thinks it was a lot..

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/10/opinion/10krugman.html

And here is one that says the political rhetoric is not to blame.

http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1101/stewart_rhetoric_isnt_to_blame_.html

I am not saying at all that conservative radio - rush limbaugh, hannity , or Fox news - should be shut down or silenced. I am however, saying, that they should take a long look at the stuff they promote and the hate they foster.
Of course the left has its own radio and media people, who foster their own brand of hate and fear mongering..
This time it was a crazy person going off the deep end. But how far are we from more widespread violence?
I do think the conservatives are just a bit worse than the liberals, but thats like saying one hog has a little more mud on him than another..
The problem is not conservatives .. the problem is the fear and hate being pushed by radio talk shows, tv talk shows and political rhetoric in general.
Thus the price of freedom of speech.
But if the trend of pandering hate and fear continues ... we can expect more violence. If all you hear is how evil government is, then you are going to hate government .. and maybe you will eventually feel encouraged to take action in the form of some type of violence.

I think the side not in power makes the most noise. The viotrol against bush made the liberals louder during the bush administration, and now that the dems hold the presidency, the conservatives are spewing more hate and fear. Like I said, it isn't the republicans - or even the tea party - its the general political climate. This is my conspiracy theory i guess. This debate between left and right, is not a debate at all ... it is just part of the media making money selling fear.

The answer is to stop listening to them. To not buy into the polarization of our culture. If you are a conservative, you need to realize all liberals are not evil socialists, and if you are a liberal you need to realize that all conservatives are not evil fascists.
Also, you do not have to choose sides in this thing. That might be the best idea. A few in the media are making a fortune on this polarization - making us think we have to be one or the other and hating the other side.
This whole political debate in our culture is not about solving any problems or having any progress. The polarization is about making a buck selling fear and hate.

Now its a crazy man in arizona shooting a few people. What will be next?

City direction

2011-01-06T09:03:00.000-06:00

Ok, looks like the blog is working now. I am still in Tennessee, but should be home by the weekend. This area of the mountains is like a big city now. Traffic is awful. But then, im used to ark city traffic now...
Anyways, I saw in Brand-X that Lane Massey had a "secret" severance package drawn up even before Archer left. Im not so sure that is a real conspiracy though. The package was probably there in his contract just like it was for Archer.He would have gotten that money anyways.
The problem I have with all this is the total money being spent. Massey is getting around 40 grand and Archer is as well. With other expenses, paying a temporary CM, and costs involved with finding new people .. this thing could get to $100,000.
And for what reason?
is it worth $100,000 to change the leaders of administration?
All of this was in executive session, so other than the fact that commissioners were unhappy, we don't know what exactly they were unhappy about.
As a casual observer, it is hard to see how either of them were doing such an awful job...
We will see who replaces them, and whether it was worth it, but it will be a couple years before we know for sure.
Its going to be real interesting to see what happens there.

Whats up with the city

2011-01-05T23:15:00.001-06:00

Holidays

2010-12-30T16:14:00.000-06:00

Im out of town again, in Tennessee. Ill try to post some while I am here.
I wont be able to make the commission meeting next Tuesday, but Ill get back in the saddle soon after that.
I took the interstate, which is more straight, faster and boring..
but sometimes a boring trip is a good trip.

Heard that the city will be considering a permit to allow a pig statue? in front of the wb meats store in town.
Seems like it would fit the buisness.
Be interesting to see what you all think about that.

santa claus

2010-12-24T16:03:00.000-06:00

Here is a link to keep up with santa claus

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

City

2010-12-22T22:46:00.000-06:00

Looks like I picked a bad time to miss a meeting Tuesday night. Had something come up, was unavoidable.
But Ill try to get back in the saddle for the next one.
There are some strange things going on right now around town hall. The chief of administration, Lane Massey, has resigned. Lots of people have quit and there are rumors of others doing so as well.
And the commission wants a new direction with a new city manager.
There does seem to be some discontent in all circles.
Thus the need for more focused leadership.
The commission should be setting policy and not be involved in day to day matters at all.
at least thats my take on it.
Is anyone getting ready to run for commission?????

Eclipse

2010-12-21T05:28:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from the eclipse last night

Eclipse

2010-12-20T08:41:00.000-06:00

Tonight will be a total eclipse of the moon, or in the very early morning hours of tomorrow, depending on how you look at it. Supposed to start about 1 a.m. and last past 3 a.m.
Weather should cooperate. Some light clouds and not as cold as it has been lately.
An interesting aspect is, that tomorrow is also the winter Solstice. This has not happened - eclipse same day as the solstice - since 1638, and wont happen again until 2094. For pagans the solstice is huge, and eclipses are meaningful too, so ... the combination should be even more.

Here is a story from the weather channel about it ..Lunar eclipses are not that rare. They are cool to see. Ill likely be at my hideout near the river watching.

Wise men, or magi ... who were they ?

2010-12-18T22:54:00.000-06:00

Here is the story I said I was going to write about the Wisemen, or Magi, from the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus. I had meant to do it in a different format, but here it is.

In the gospel of Matthew we see the story of the birth of Jesus, and the arrival of Wise Men, or Magi, from the East. The word “wise men" is a traditional word, but in the original language, the word is Magi, or Magician.

These were astrologers from the East, who somehow knew of the prophecies concerning the Messiah and they had followed his star and come looking for him. Matthew says the town was in an uproar over the Magi showing up and asking about this newborn king.
From the traditional play we get three wisemen or magi, but that is because they brought three gifts. Quiet probably there were a lot more than three, and they were probably running around all over Jerusalem asking these questions - Where is the one born king of the Jews?
It would have been troubling for the religious community, and it would have been a problem for the political powers in Jerusalem. Rome ruled, and Rome did not take kindly to the idea of there being any king but Ceasar. Herod had been appointed king. One “born king," would be the rightful ruler, and not one appointed, so these questions would have been troubling to many.
It is possible that the Magi saw the star on the night Jesus was born, but they certainly were not there that night. Most scholars beileve they came from Persia, which was 1,000 miles away. It probably took several weeks to get ready for the journey. Just imagine walking from New York to St. Louis, which is about 1,000 miles. The trip might have taken a year or more.
Some scholars suggest they had been influenced by the teachings of Daniel in Babylon. Regardless, they knew the prophecies. They may have seen the star the same time the Shepherds did, but had to travel a much greater distance.
Exactly who these Magi were is not certain, but it could been Persians from the area around Babylon. When the Hebrews were in captivity Daniel rose to power and became chief of the Magicians. The story is told in the Old Testament, Daniel 5, about how he was in charge of all the magicians.
They could have been descendents of those same magicians.
Magician is a much different word now. At that time it meant people who studied the stars, much like astrologers now, and they were probably also philosphers and mystics to some degree. With Daniel’s influence they could have had all the ancient scriptures of the Jews as well.Matthew 2:11 says they found the child Jesus, worshipped him and gave him gifts.
The Greek word for Child in that verse is “Tekna” as opposed to the baby “Brephos” who was laid in the manger. Tekna refers to a small child, like a toddler perhaps.
When King Herod got word of this, he was understandably upset. He knew the prophecies, and that Jesus was to be a king. This threatened his rulership, and if the Roman government found out, it might put his own life in danger.
Herod also gave the order to kill all babies under the age of 2 (in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi) Matt. 2:17. So its possible he could have been as much as two years old and perhaps they were still living in Bethlehem.
By the time it happened, Joseph and Mary had fled to Egypt with Jesus, and the wise men had slipped out of town as well.

Interim City Manager

2010-12-17T10:55:00.000-06:00

Richard Chesney has been chosen to serve as Interim City Manager for Arkansas City, starting January 4, after current City Manager Steve Archer's resignation becomes official.
Commissioners interviewed him and Jay Newton, another candidate, during an executive session, or non-public meeting, Thursday evening. After the interviews commissioners came to a consensus on hiring Chesney. They will vote and make it official at the regular meeting next Tuesday.
Chesney is to start Jan. 4. He will be paid $2,000 per week and will also receive use of a city car, or a car reimbursement. He will stay in Arkansas City during the week, Mayor Patrick McDonald said.
The city will then begin a search for a regular full time permanent City Manager.
Over the past few years the city has had two city managers over a relatively short period of time.

Observation

2010-12-17T10:48:00.000-06:00

I thought it was interesting that, a few days ago I posted a link to an article I wrote about the birth of Christ.
Several people were up in arms. There are about 20 comments there, many critical of me "forcing" religion on people, and I deleted several that were of the same type.
Yesterday I posted an article about the Pagan God Janus, which is where the name of the month "January" comes from.
No comments. Nothing. No one was upset about me "forcing" religion upon them.....
Just thought that was interesting and needed to be pointed out.

City Commission Worksession

2010-12-16T16:58:00.002-06:00

City Commission Work Session

Origins

2010-12-15T21:46:00.002-06:00

I thought this story was interesting about the origin of the month of January.
http://www.helium.com/items/789498-understanding-janus-pagan-god-of-january

Time of change for city

2010-12-15T14:37:00.001-06:00

City Commission worksession may not be all that interesting tomorrow night, except that they may interview candidates for interim city manager in executive session (non public meeting). Nothing illegal about executive sessions, and sometimes it is probably a good thing. I just want to point it out when they do it ...
The deeper issue of course is what the city commission is doing. They will be giving current City manager Steve Archer $33 grand plus other bennies in exchange for his resignation. This is in essence four months pay. During those four months the city will be paying another salary for an interim and possibly a new city manager.
The search for a new city manager will take time and money too.
We are probably looking at at least $50,000 to make this change...
Only time will tell if it is worth it.

Three city commissioners will be up for re-election in April. Deadline for applying for the race is Jan 25. at noon. The filing fee is $10. There is cost involved in running a campaign, but I suppose one could spend as much or as little as he or she wanted.
I am still thinking of running. If i did, i would have to quit the blog.
But I would like to encourage other people to run as well.
Public discourse is a good thing. The election campaign is about that.
We need vision... direction.
With the current political landscape of incumbents being unpopular in general and with the state of flux the city is in .. i think now is an excellent time for someone new to the process to run...

Worksession is 5:30 p.m. Thursday, and regular meeting is Tuesday at 7.
Say what you like about the commission, but they do welcome people at the meetings. They will let you talk even. Ive been around a lot of commissions in different states. I would have to say that the commission here is as open as any i have seen as far as letting the public speak at meetings.
Their rule that it has to be something not on the agenda does seem a bit odd, but ... if you are paying attention to the issues, there is a time when things are being discussed but not yet on the agenda, so there would be the opportunity.
Hope to have the live blog going Thursday at 5:30..

Signs and wonders in the sky

2010-12-13T13:32:00.000-06:00

According to an email from one of the profs at Cowley College, we are in for a meteor showers the next couple of nights, and a lunar eclipse is coming soon. So some cool stuff happening in the night sky.. Just thought i would pass this along.

The Geminids are coming!!

The Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak early Tuesday morning. You will be able to see them after the sun goes down this evening by finding a dark location and looking toward the eastern sky. Activity should start picking up around 8:00 – 9:00pm with the best viewing being after 2:00am tomorrow morning when the radiant, where the meteors appear to originate in the sky, is high above the horizon. The Geminids are pieces of debris that come from asteroid 3200 Phaethon which was discovered in 1983. Peak rates of 40+ meteors per hour are expected.

Weather permitting, we should also be able to see a total eclipse of the moon on December 21. The earth casts a shadow behind itself in space just as a shadow is cast behind you when facing the sun. When the alignment is just right and the moon enters this shadow, we experience a lunar eclipse. At approximately 12:55pm on the 21^st the eastern edge of the moon will start to enter the shadow of earth. As the moon continues in its orbit, more and more of it will disappear until it is entirely eclipsed at approximately 1:55am.

The moon will begin to exit the shadow of earth at approximately 3:15am, and the entire moon will be visible by 4:20am. Total lunar eclipses are not rare, but they don’t happen every year either. The last lunar eclipse was two years ago and the next won’t be for another two years. No special equipment is needed and this is a good astronomical event to take pictures of.

Happy Skies!!

Todd Shepherd

Social Science Department Chair

Cowley College

City meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday

2010-12-07T17:16:00.001-06:00

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=072eee686f" >City Meeting</a>

Live Blog tonight

2010-12-07T13:34:00.000-06:00

The Live Blog will be going tonight (Tuesday) at 7. for the City Commission meeting.
Could be a very interesting meeting, as the commission will be talking about the city manager's contract.
Rumor has it that the commission is set to not renew his contract.
May or may not be true, but there are rumblings. This would be a good meeting for you to attend, for everyone to attend.
Far as I know, the City Manager has done a good job, things are going ok with the city - the recent financial audit gave them good marks, and the performance audit that the city spent around 30,000 on not too long ago, said things were basically OK.
Nothing has been said about that study since.
Things could be interesting tonight.

Jesus was born at a relatives home in the guestroom.

2010-12-05T15:03:00.000-06:00

Jesus was born at a relatives home in the guestroom.

City worksession

2010-12-02T17:26:00.001-06:00

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=7c64a7a5d3" >Dec. 2, 2010 City Worksession</a>

Cars broken into

2010-11-29T08:58:00.000-06:00

There's been some thefts from autos recently, two ACPD press releases are below. Just a reminder to lock your vehicle.
On 11-28-2010 Officers responded to citizens’ calls that a male and female were getting into vehicles in the area. Both suspects fled the area. The female, Sadie Bishop 28 of Ark City was apprehended quickly. After a short foot pursuit the male suspect, Toy James Martin, AKA “TJ” 28 of Ark City, was also apprehended. It was found that three vehicles had been entered and items taken. Both were transported and remain at the Cowley County Jail on charges of Burglary-Auto x2, Theft x2, and Criminal Trespass. There bond was set at $8,750.00 each.

On 11-21-2010 officers of the Arkansas CIty Police Deparment took 2 seperate reports from female victims that had purses stolen from their vehicles. In investigation officers obtained video from different locations throughout town and 2 possible suspects were identified. On 11-23-2010 an alert employee of SCKMC observed 2 male subjects looking in vehicles near the hospital. Officers located these 2 subjects in Wilson Park and in talking with them learned they were responsible for the recent car burglaries. Bot suspects, from Alabama had just recently moved to Arkansas City. Both had stolen property on their person at the time of arrest.
After the two suspects were transported to the police deparment, they were interviewed, however was not willing to give up any additional information. Officers did learn that the subjects had been staying at a residence in the 1000 block S. B Street. Officers went to that residence and during a consent search of the residence located more stolen property and drug paraphernalia. Most of the stolen property was returned to the one of the victims.
Cody Crane and Nicholas Hulsey were arrested for Burglary MV X2, Theft X2, Criminal Use of a Finacial Card, and Possession Drug Paraphenalia. Both are currently in the custody of the Cowley County Jail on $10,000.00 bond each.

River development

2010-11-26T09:21:00.001-06:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/26/us/26artist.html

BP Spills Coffee

2010-11-22T09:04:00.000-06:00

What is news

2010-11-21T22:26:00.001-06:00

Here is a good story about the demise of news, or real news reporting. We have so many more sources now, and most people tend to get their news from sources they agree with, so ... they get a biased message and they do not get their own beliefs challenged by hearing the other side.
This story is by retired newsman Ted Kopell.
Here is the link to the story

Volleyball

2010-11-21T08:44:00.000-06:00

Here are the results from the National Volleyball tournament.
Cowley won third place. the second game listed is for the national championship match

#26	Cowley def. Glendale (3rd Place)	(25-10) (25-15) (15-25) (25-21)
#27	Pasco-Hernando def. Johnson County (1st Place)	(26-24) (13-25) (25-21) (23-25) (15-12)

Festival of Trees

2010-11-20T08:59:00.000-06:00

The Festival of Trees is going on this weekend. Several groups, businesses and individuals have put together Christmas trees, wreaths, and other types of decorations. They are on display at the Wright Room at Cowley College. They will be auctioned sunday as a fund raiser for Habitat for Humanity.
There is also entertainment :

SAT 1:30 PM TWILITERS
2:00 PRARIE VOICES
2:30 JEFF ADAMS
4:00 TONYA LOFTIS

SUN 2:30 SYLVIA RIGGS

Santa Clause will be there too.

Cowley Volleyball loses in Semis, will play for third Saturday

2010-11-19T21:40:00.002-06:00

For the second time this season, the Cowley College volleyball team suffered a five-game defeat at the hands of rival Johnson County. This time, the Lady Tigers led two games to one before the Lady Cavaliers rallied for the win by scores of 22-25, 25-23, 15-25, 25-22, 16-14 Friday in the semifinals of the NJCAA Division II National Championships played in Wisconsin Dells, WI.
The loss was only the second in the past 35 matches for the Lady Tigers, with both defeats coming at the hands of Johnson County. The second-seeded Lady Cavaliers advance to Saturday's national title match versus ninth-seed Pasco-Hernando Community College, while the third-seeded Lady Tigers will play in the third/fourth place game vs. No. 12-seed Glendale Community College.

More details on Cowley Volleyball

2010-11-19T10:18:00.001-06:00

By Rama Peroo
Trailing sixth-seeded Kishwaukee (IL) Community College two games to one, Cowley College head volleyball coach Jenifer Bahner made a move that would jumpstart her team to a come from behind win in the second-round of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament played Thursday in Wisconsin Dells, WI.
With her team only one game away from having its national championship dreams dashed, Bahner changed up her lineup before the fourth game and moved sophomore libero, Elena Berroteran, to the front row. The move paid off as Berroteran would spark the team and finish with nine kills in the last two games. It was only fitting that Berroteran would spike home the final point in the decisive 18-16 win of game five.

“I felt we needed someone to put pressure on their defense and moving Elena to the front row made a huge difference in the match,” Bahner said.
Cowley ended up winning the match by scores of 21-25, 25-15, 27-29, 25-20, 18-16. The victory avenged a season-opening loss to Kishwaukee in a match played at the Johnson County Tournament.
“That was a great game against a very good team,” Bahner said. “That is what nationals is all about is playing great teams and having to battle to win.”
With the victory, Cowley advances to take on Jayhawk Conference foe Johnson County tonight at 6:30 p.m. The second-seeded Lady Cavaliers are 29-5 on the season.
In the win over Kishwaukee, sophomore outside hitter, Roslandy Acosta, had a match for the ages as she finished with 29 kills, 21 assists and 14 digs.
“She stepped up and was the great player that she is,” Bahner said. “She made big plays when we needed them and did it while being a leader and great teammate.”
With the move of Berroteran to the front row, Kaitlin Stearns moved from her spot as a defensive specialist to play libero.
“Kaitlin did a great job making that transition and we didn’t miss a beat defensively,” Bahner said.
Freshman setter Molley Scanlon finished with a team-high 30 assists and five aces, while Berroteran led Cowley with 15 digs.
Earlier in the day, Cowley opened the tournament with a 25-22, 25-8, 25-14 win over 14th-seeded Moraine Valley Community College.
In the win, sophomores Sarah Skinner and Lindsey Chandler led the Lady Tigers with eight kills and seven kills, respectively.
“I was proud of those two to step up and do well at nationals,” Bahner said.
Freshman defensive specialist, Shanna Seyfarth, chipped in with seven digs.
“It was great to see her rise to the occasion,” Bahner said.
Cowley (33-3) has won 33 of its last 34 matches with its only loss in that time coming at Johnson County on Oct. 27.
Bahner and the rest of the Lady Tigers have been hoping to get another shot at playing Johnson County. This time, the winner will advance to Saturday’s championship match at 6:30 p.m., while the loser will have to settle for playing in the third place match.
“We knew we wanted to play them again, I think this will put a little more fire in us,” Bahner said. “Johnson County is a good team. It will come down to who is going to go out there and fight for it the most. We will be ready for the match.”

Cowley Volleyball advances

2010-11-18T21:04:00.000-06:00

The Cowley College volleyball team advanced, as did Johnson County, setting up a semi-final showdown between the two Friday at 6:30 p.m. where they are at the national tournament in Wisconsin Dells, Wisc.
Cowley had a battle on its hands, beating Kishwaukee in five games - 21-25, 25-14, 27-29, 25-20, 18-16.
Johnson County beat Illinois Central in four games to advance.

After Friday evening;s match, , Cowley will play two more matches on Saturday. The Lady Tigers will either be playing for the national title at 6:30 p.m. or for third place at 4:30 p.m. Cowley and Johnson split games during the regular season, both winning on their home court.

Cowley Volleyball wins opener

2010-11-18T12:48:00.000-06:00

The Cowley College volleyball team defeated Morain Valley (25-22) (25-8) (25-14) Thursday morning.
The team is set to play Kishwaukee at 5:30 p.m. today.
A win there would put them in the semi-finals on Friday at 6:30, and they could face Johnson County at that time.
A loss this afternoon would mean they would play again Friday at 2:30 in the losers bracket.

City Commission Live

2010-11-16T18:52:00.001-06:00

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=2bdefb172f" >11-16-10 city commission</a>

Cowley Volleyball team headed for nationals

2010-11-16T13:30:00.002-06:00

Ranked No. 1 in the final regular season NJCAA Division II national volleyball poll, members of the Cowley College volleyball team gathered for a photo prior to leaving for the NJCAA Division II National Championships, which will be held Thursday through Saturday in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Despite being ranked No. 1, the Lady Tigers (31-3) were given the third seed in the tournament by the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Committee. Iowa Lakes (37-7), a team Cowley has already defeated twice this season, was awarded the No. 1-seed. While, Johnson County (27-5) is the second seed.

Cowley will play No. 14-seed Moraine Valley Community College (34-6) Thursday morning at 9. The winner of the match will play later that evening versus the winner of the match between No. 6 seed Kishwaukee (Ill)College (40-10) and No. 11-seed North Platte (Neb.) Community College (31-9).

Obama kids book gets fox news treatment

2010-11-16T08:33:00.002-06:00

http://gawker.com/5690436/fox-news-turns-obamas-kid-book-into-anti+american-war-epic

Cowley women win national cross country title

2010-11-15T13:03:00.002-06:00

Lady Tigers cap remarkable season with national title

Leaving no doubt as to who the best junior college women’s cross country team is, the Cowley College women’s cross country team captured the program’s first-ever national championship Saturday at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I national championships held in Spartanburg, S.C.
Cowley (75 team points) finished eight points better than national runner-up South Plains Community College (83 points) and 11 points in front of third place Lansing Community College (86 points). There were 38 teams competing in the women’s race.

Cowley head coach Vince DeGrado, who was named the NJCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, could not be more proud of his national championship squad.
“Something you never see at the national meet is three teams running the best they possibly can and that is what we had was three teams giving their absolute best efforts,” DeGrado said. “What made it so much sweeter was knowing those top-three teams ran their best.”
As they have done all season, Lady Tiger teammates Purity Cheruiyot and Kaitlyn Belisle, crossed the finish line one right after the other, with Cheruiyot (10:18.58) placing fourth and Belisle (10:19.07) finishing fifth. Both Cheruiyot and Belisle were named first-team All-Americans.
“Kaitlyn had a great finish and out-sprinted a half-miler champion from South Plains,” DeGrado said.
Cowley then had three runners follow each other across the finish line with Val Bland (10:19.55) placing 21st, Cassy Kendrick (10:19.56) placing 22nd, and Erika LaCroix (10:19.57) finishing 23rd.
“That was incredible,” DeGrado said.
Freshmen Jessalyn Lanoy (10:20.02) was not far behind as she placed 28th.
“Erika and Jessalyn played a huge part in us winning,” DeGrado said.
Sophomore Leigh Ann Omarkhail (10:21.13) capped her Cowley career by finishing 52nd.
El Paso Community college’s Florence Ngetich won the women’s race with a time of 10:18.08.
Counting the national championships, the Lady Tigers won six of the eight meets they competed at during the fall.
“It took an all out effort from everyone, the girls rose to the occasion,” DeGrado said.
Cowley will lose Cheruiyot, Bland, Kendrick and Omarkhail to graduation as well as Elly Adamson, who was unable to run at nationals due to injury.
“My heart goes out to her,” DeGrado said.
A celebration to honor the Tiger cross country teams’ national championships will be held Wednesday at noon inside W.S. Scott Auditorium.

City Commission worksession preview

2010-11-15T09:53:00.000-06:00

The city commission of Arkansas City will have its worksession at 5:30 p.m. today. It was moved from last Thursday because of Veterans Day. Regular meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday.
I hope to have the live blog going both times.
Here is what is on the agenda
Receiving the annual audit report of the city's finances
Renewing contract with the chamber to operate a convention and visitors bureau
Consider awarding a contract to Dondlinger & Sons for improvements to the water treatment plant.
Set hearing dates on dangerous structures
Setting a public building commission meeting for Nov. 18 , 6:15 at city hall.
Setting a special worksession for Nov. 18, 7 p.m. at the hospital for a master plan report.

See you all there.

Roof repair refunds available

2010-11-15T09:46:00.000-06:00

Here is something from the city's website about that guy who didn't finish people's roofs.

NOTICE TO 4-STATES EXTERIORS CUSTOMERS

NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS THAT HAD DEPOSITS FOR ROOF WORK NOT HONORED BY CHRIS HAAS DBA 4-STATES EXTERIORS.
The City has received the funds from Mr. Haas Compliance Bond in the amount of $4,000.00. These funds will be distributed to property owners that can verify their losses. All funds will be evenly dispersed.
If you were a customer of 4-States who had their monies taken without work being done and you have not received a refund or had the work completed than you will need to come by City Hall 2nd floor and fill out a request. You will need to bring proof of loss, canceled check, contract or receipt.
The deadline for claims will be November 30, 2010 at 5:00 pm.
MATT ROWLAND, DIRECTOR
CITY OF ARKANSAS CITY
BUILDING, PLANNING AND CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICE
CITY HALL, ARKANSAS CITY
620-441-4420
OFFICE HOURS ARE M-F 8-12 & 1-5

AC City Commission

2010-11-11T11:46:00.000-06:00

City Hall is closed today for Veterans Day. That means there will be no city commission worksession meeting today. The worksession has been moved to Monday at 5:30 p.m. The regular meeting will be Tuesday as per the normal schedule.
I will try to have the live blog going.

McGee signs with Iowa State

2010-11-11T11:41:00.002-06:00

McGee taking his game to the Big 12, signs with Iowa State

Coming off a stellar first season at Cowley College in which he was named the Jayhawk East Freshman of the Year and a First-Team All-Region VI selection, Tyrus McGee was joined on Wednesday by his Tiger teammates and coaches as he signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Iowa State University next season.
McGee’s 532 points last season were the 20th most ever scored in a single season at Cowley. The 6-2 sophomore from Stringtown, OK, averaged 16.6 points and 5.3 rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 44 percent from three-point range.

He has helped Cowley to a 3-1 start by averaging a team-high 12.3 points through the first four games of the season, while also averaging 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
“Tyrus is such a unique player, I think the number one thing the coaches recruiting him saw was how hard he plays and secondly, his ability to make shots,” Cowley head coach Tommy DeSalme said.
McGee was recruited by several NCAA Division I schools, including Oklahoma State University, the University of Colorado, Indiana University, Texas Christian University, Creighton University, and Wichita State University.
However, he felt a connection with first-year Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg, who earned the nickname “The Mayor” while being selected a First-Team All-Big Eight player at Iowa State in 1995.
“Having the head coach (Fred Hoiberg) recruit me led to me signing with Iowa State,” McGee said. “The school has a good atmosphere and I got along well with the players and coaches on my visit.”
After a distinguished collegiate career, Hoiberg spent 10 years playing in the NBA (National Basketball Association), and was previously the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Hoiberg knows a thing or two about shooters and feels McGee is about as good as they come.
“My staff and I feel Tyrus is one of the best junior college players in the country,” Hoiberg said. “He is a winner, a leader and adds immediate experience to our backcourt. Tyrus is an outstanding scorer and shooter who can knock down the big shot when his team needs it most.”
DeSalme has enjoyed the opportunity to coach McGee and thinks the hard working sophomore will make an impact on the Iowa State University basketball program, while also leaving his mark at Cowley.
“You don’t get the opportunity very often to coach that special of a player,” DeSalme said. “He has such a love for Cowley. It is a neat day for him to be able to represent Cowley, while moving on.”
The sports administration major credits Cowley College and DeSalme with helping him achieve his goal of signing with an NCAA Division I program.
“Cowley has helped me a lot,” McGee said. “I would not be signing with a Big 12 school if it were not for coach DeSalme.”
Spoken like a true leader and the driven player that he is, McGee expressed his thoughts on this year’s Tiger basketball team, which was picked to win the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division.
“We have got a chance to be good, but we can’t expect anything,” McGee said.

Veterans Day Thursday

2010-11-10T23:44:00.000-06:00

Veterans Day Parade, 11 a.m., Thursday, Washington and Summit

The Arkansas City Rotary Club invites you to join with us, your friends, and neighbors in displaying the American Flag on the five major holidays of the year: Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. The first 30 flags were placed today...Veteran's Day.

The "City of Flags" is a service project for the Arkansas City Rotary Club, a group of dedicated business people who provide humanitarian service throughout the world. This project allows Arkansas City residents an opportunity to show their pride and love for our country. It gives our community a great patriotic spirit, and at the same time the proceeds will help so many people locally. Funds raised will be used to support a variety of local service projects including: youth projects, shelter boxes for victims of disaster, Arkansas City Police and Fire Department projects, scholarships, library projects, etc.
For more information contact the Ark City Rotary Club at arkcityrotary@gmail.comv

Man dies after being crushed by car

2010-11-10T23:34:00.000-06:00

Here is something from the Ark City Police

On 11-06-2010 around 3PM, officers were dispatched to a report of a car that had fallen on a person on north 4th street in Arkansas City. Upon arrival, officers saw a man's legs coming from under a car. Te front wheels had apparently been removed to work on the car. Officers learned the identity of the man by speaking with a neighbor. Officers tried to speak to the man but received no response. Officers assisted a neighbor in lifiting the car off of the mane with a scissor jack provided by the man.

Two officers were then able to pull the man out from under the vehicle as EMS arrived. The man's face was flushed, he was not breathing and he was cold to the touch. Reports from those present indicated that the man had only been down for a couple minutes. Officers immediately began CPR assited by EMS. Officers continued on with rescue breaths for several minutes as EMS continued to treat the man medically. CPR was continued as the man was transitioned to a cot, secured and placed in the back of the awaiting ambulance. As the man was placed in the back of the ambulance he began to breath on his own. He was later sent to Wesley by way of EagleMed and later that evening was stable an still breathing on his own. I understand, howeer, that the man died of his injuries the following day.

Due to the officers' and neighbor's quick thinking to get the man from under the car and to begin CPR as quickly as they did, the man lived for several more hours. These officers and the neighbor should be commended for their actions. The Arkansas City Police Deprtment urges persons working on their autos to take every precaution to secure them before getting under the auto to service them. Accidents such as this are almost always preventable. Our hearts and prayers go out to the man's family.

--

Open topic

2010-11-10T09:46:00.000-06:00

I dont have a topic today. The election is over, nothing has changed, and nothing probably will change.
That's about as good of naysaying as I can do.
What do you all want to talk about?

First Miss Walnut Valley crowned

2010-11-08T12:30:00.004-06:00

Sparks crowned Miss Walnut Valley

A little more than a week after finishing as the runner-up in the voting for Queen Alalah, Cowley College sophomore Jade Sparks was crowned the winner of the first annual Miss Walnut Valley Pageant held Sunday inside the Robert Brown Theatre.

Miss Walnut Valley is a preliminary pageant for the Miss Kansas and Miss America organization. The event was emceed by Miss Kansas 2010, Lauren Werhan.

Phases of competition included private interview, talent, swim wear and evening wear. Winners received scholarship money and prizes. Sparks also earned a spot in the Miss Kansas pageant in Pratt, KS.

Along with being crowned Miss Walnut Valley, Sparks received a $1,000 scholarship. She received an additional $200 in scholarship money for winning four phases of the competition.

Ashley Crane was named first runner-up and was awarded a $500 scholarship, while Erica Mahan received a $200 scholarship for being named second runner-up. Cowley College sophomore Shaelynn French was the third runner-up and received a $100 scholarship.

At Cowley, Sparks is one of four students on scholarship for Jennifer Blatchford’s dance program. She is also a student ambassador, a secretary for Act One, and a member of the CC Singers and Concert Choir.

Sparks performed a Jazz Dance to “Wonderful” and her platform is Jodi’s Voice: Increasing Stalking Awareness.

Other contestants were, Cowley College student, Tracey Marr, Ashley Mantei, and Hannah McComb.

Members of Ark City Dance and the Cowley College Jazz Combo performed at the event. While, prizes were provided by Donna’s Designs, Rogers Family Dentistry, and the Miss Walnut Valley Board.

Miss Walnut Valley Scholarships and Awards:

Miss Walnut Valley 2011 $1000.00 Scholarship – JADE SPARKS

1^st Runner-Up $500.00 Scholarship – ASHLEY CRANE

2^nd Runner-Up $200.00 – ERICA MAHAN

3^rd Runner-Up $100.00 – SHAELYNN FRENCH

People’s Choice Award $50.00 Scholarship by Miss Walnut Valley Board – JADE SPARKS

Talent Award $50.00 Scholarship – JADE SPARKS

Physical Fitness Award $50.00 Scholarship – JADE SPARKS

Evening Gown Award $50.00 Scholarship – JADE SPARKS

Interview Award $50.00 Scholarship – ASHLEY CRANE

Most Inspirational Gift Basket by Miss Walnut Valley Board – ASHLEY MANTEI

Volleyball team headed to nationals

2010-11-08T10:07:00.001-06:00

Volleyball headed back to national tournament

Capping a second straight undefeated season at home, the No. 1-ranked Cowley College volleyball team qualified to compete at the national tournament for a sixth straight season as they won the District N Tournament played Saturday at W.S. Scott Auditorium.
In the first match of the day, Cowley defeated Allen County 26-24, 25-14, 25-19 to advance to the championship match versus Coffeyville, who defeated Butler 25-19, 22-25, 25-22, 25-19 in the day’s second match.

Cowley started slow in the first game and committed some costly errors in a 21-25 loss of game one. However, they quickly regained its focus and crushed Coffeyville 25-9 in game two.
“We came out more aggressive in the second game and served much better,” Cowley head coach Jenifer Bahner said.
Leading only 11-9 midway through game three, the Lady Tigers busted the game open with six straight points en route to a 25-13 win. Game four went nearly the same as Coffeyville trailed only 11-8 before Cowley used a 10-3 run to pull away for the win.
Cowley is now 31-3 on the season. Coffeyville finishes the year with a record of 24-19.
Sophomore Roslandy Acosta, the Jayhawk East Most Valuable Player for the second straight year, finished the two matches with 32 kills and 37 assists. While, freshmen Danika Maggard and Emily Barto added 22 kills and 14 kills, respectively.
“It’s great to see our two freshmen outside hitters in Danika and Emily step up and do great things, while also pushing the older kids,” Bahner said.
Sophomore Kelsy Patterson, who has been limited all season due to a knee injury, came off the bench to finish with 12 kills in the two matches.
“Kelsy really rose to the occasion,” Bahner said. “She has shown what playing with energy and a positive attitude can do for a player.”
Freshman setter Molley Scanlon also played well and finished with 49 assists and four aces, while sophomore libero Elena Berroteran finished with a team-high 35 digs.
Cowley has already played several of the top teams that will be at the national tournament and will prepare to make another run at a national title after placing second a year ago. The NJCAA Division II National Tournament will be held Nov. 18-20 in Wisconsin Dells, WI.
“Our first goal was to get to the national tournament, but now we want to do better than last year,” Bahner said. “A huge part of our success will be minimizing our errors and not beating ourselves.”

Cowley Volleyball wins district

2010-11-06T16:18:00.003-05:00

Cowley College volleyball team beat Coffeyville 3-1 to win its district tournament Saturday. The Lady Tigers now advance to the nationals to be held next weekend in Wisconsin.
Coffeyville played inspired the first game and won that one. From there Cowley

took over and rolled to the win.

Dirty Politics: Mudslinging in the U.S.A.

2010-11-05T23:11:00.000-05:00

Dirty Politics: Mudslinging in the U.S.A.

All district volleyball

2010-11-05T14:24:00.001-05:00

Acosta repeats as Jayhawk East Most Valuable Player; Barto named Freshman of the Year

Putting together one of the best regular seasons in school history, the No. 1-ranked Cowley College volleyball team was well represented on the All-Conference and All-District teams.
Highlighting the selections were sophomore Roslandy Acosta and freshman Emily Barto. Acosta was named the Jayhawk East Most Valuable Player for the second straight year, while Barto was tabbed the Jayhawk East Freshman of the Year. This marks the second straight year a Cowley player has won the awards.

“For us to win those honors two years in a row is a great thing for Cowley,” head coach Jenifer Bahner said. “It shows we are bringing in good kids.”
Acosta and Barto were joined as first-team all-conference and all-district performers by sophomore teammate, Elena Berroteran.
Acosta has amassed a team-high 362 kills to go along with 545 assists and 68 blocks.
“Rose does so much for our team offensively and as a setter,” Bahner said. “It has been great to see her grow into a great teammate and leader.”
Barto has tallied 267 kills and 44 blocks in her first year at Cowley.
“I am excited Emily got this honor because there are a lot of great freshmen in the conference,” Bahner said. “I think her ability to play more than one position at a high level swayed the coaches in their voting.”
Berroteran, who was mysteriously left off the first two-teams in the voting for all-conference honors as a freshman, has excelled as a libero for the Lady Tigers. She leads Cowley with 474 digs on the season, while adding 44 aces.
“I felt Elena didn’t get the recognition she deserved last year, so I was happy the coaches recognized what great contributions she makes to our team,” Bahner said.
Sophomore middle hitter Lindsey Chandler was also recognized for her solid play by being named a second-team all-district performer and an honorable mention all-conference player. Chandler has racked up 267 kills and 58 blocks this season.
“There are a lot of great middle hitters to compete against, so I was very happy for Lindsey,” Bahner said. “Statistically, she has done a lot of great things for the team.”
Cowley will attempt to get back to the national tournament when they host the District N Tournament Saturday inside W.S. Scott Auditorium. The Lady Tigers will host Allen County at 10 a.m. with the winner advancing to the championship match at 2 p.m.
All Conference Jayhawk East:
First-Team: Roslandy Acosta, Cowley; Brittany Brown, Butler; Nicole Rockhold, Allen County; Macie Kuker, Highland; Emily Barto, Cowley; Elizabeth Stevenson, Kansas City; Elena Berroteran, Cowley.
Second-Team: Annie Gladbach, Kansas City; Nikki Specht, Johnson County; Shannon Majors, Johnson County; Lindsey Williams, Butler; Pamela Lima, Coffeyville; Emily Hester, Johnson County; Erin Hardy, Johnson County; Mackenzie McCartney, Highland.
Honorable Mention: Lindsey Chandler, Cowley; Tayler Green, Johnson County; Kayla Zoglman, Butler; Amanda Newlin, Butler; Alex Schmitt, Neosho County; Ali Jacobson, Johnson County; Katie VanLue, Fort Scott; Eleanor Palaita, Independence.
District N selections:
First-Team: Roslandy Acosta, Cowley; Brittany Brown, Butler; Elena Berroteran, Cowley; Nicole Rockhold, Allen County; Emily Barto, Cowley; Pamela Lima, Coffeyville; Lindsey Williams, Butler.
Second-Team: Kayla Zoglman, Butler; Taylor DeMint, Coffeyville; Fernanda Silva, Coffeyville; Katie VanLue, Fort Scott; Lindsey Chandler, Cowley; Amanda Newlin, Butler; Amber Blunt, Coffeyville.

Hope for the future

2010-11-05T10:31:00.001-05:00

There is reason to be positive in Arkansas City, though I'm sure they resident naysayers will find problems, but, after Tuesday's city meeting, I was encouraged.
A contract for the hike and bike trail was approved. They were almost at this point a few years ago, but the commission failed to push it through. Hopefully this time it will make it, and it looks like it will. It is not going to cost the city anything, or not much anyway, with the state picking up the tab. Someone on the blog raised the issue that state money is still tax money, so it is still costing us something. Granted, it is still tax money, but it is money already paid. The only question is where it will be spent. It would be just plain stupid to turn it down and let some other town have the money, when we have paid the taxes already.
So it looks like it will make it this time. Still, its a year away from being completed.
This adds to the quality of life, one more thing that makes the town appealing. Any industry or business looking to locate here- not to mention any families that might be considering moving - look at amenities a town has. A hike and bike trail on the levee is a positive that can only help.
It has the potential to attract other businesses as well, and could eventually raise property values, which will raise money for local government. That means more services without more taxes.

The second thing that was encouraging was the report from the group involved with the recreation commission to develop ponds in the area. McFarland Pond and Kneebler are the main ones. Some nice things have been done at Veterans pond .. er lake. More needs to be done, and adding the others to the mix is good too.
This is another thing that can improve quality of life and could improve property values.
They will be looking for state and federal grants. We need to be taking advantage of those because we have already paid the taxes. Currently our tax money goes for projects in other towns and other states, so we should be able to reap some benefit through a deal like this.
Id like to see the rivers get included more in this development, but all things take time.
It was good to see the group making their presentation. These are people with some vision. That is what we need in Arkansas City, more vision, more ideas, and more people willing to actually make them happen.
(there was a rather lengthy executive session after Tuesday's meeting, involving lawyers. There are some negative things going on as well, and no one is talking. It will break before long though.)

Volleyball update

2010-11-05T10:19:00.000-05:00

The Cowley College volleyball team will host its district tournament Saturday, and will advance to the nationals if they win the tournament.

Cowley will now turn its attention to hosting the District N Tournament on Saturday. The Lady Tigers will face Allen County (16-19) at 10 a.m., while Butler (26-10) and Coffeyville (23-17) will square off at noon. The winner of the day’s first two matches will play in the championship match at 2 p.m., with the winner advancing to the national tournament in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Cowley lost at Johnson County a week or so ago, but Johnson is a huge rival and also a top-five team. The two could meet again at the nationals. The first time Cowley went to the nationals they played Johnson County in the finals in Arizona. Cowley has returned to the nationals every year since then. I believe this is the sixth year if they make it.

Cowley should win, but you never know. Cowley has beaten all three teams during the regular season.

Come on out and support the team on Saturday.

The votes are in

2010-11-03T00:02:00.000-05:00

Here are Cowley County vote results from Tuesday's election.
Looks like a pretty high turnout, around 10,000 ...

http://cowleycounty.org/clerk/election/allprecincts_unofficial2.pdf

City Meeting

2010-11-02T18:55:00.001-05:00

11-2-10 Meeting

City Commission Live Blog

2010-11-01T16:54:00.002-05:00

City Worksession

Won't Get Fooled Again Lyrics

2010-10-31T22:59:00.000-05:00

Won't Get Fooled Again Lyrics: "Who Won't Get Fooled Again lyrics in the Who's Better, Who's Best Album. These Won't Get Fooled Again lyrics are performed by Who Get the music video and song lyrics here. We'll be fighting in the streets with our children at our feet And the morals that"

Best political song ever

2010-10-31T22:54:00.003-05:00

Williams crowned Queen Alalah LXXIX

2010-10-29T23:00:00.000-05:00

By Rama Peroo
Cowley College
Having been crowned Little Miss Arkalalah at the age of five, Jordan Williams is now all grown up as evidenced by her being crowned Queen Alalah LXXIX during the coronation ceremony held Friday at Cowley’s Robert Brown Theatre.
Williams, an Arkansas City native, is the daughter of Kevin and Teri Williams.
The first runner-up was Jade Sparks, another Ark City native. The other three candidates were Jessica Coldwell, Amy Dunlap, and Erin Griffiths.
Williams attested to being the most nervous of the five candidates, but said the end result made it all worth while.
“Being crowned Queen Alalah is amazing,” Williams said. “This was an awesome experience that I will always remember.”
Queen Alalah LXXVIII, Ali Nittler, was on hand to pass her crown onto Williams.
The coronation also had performances by Prairie Voice, Ark High Singers, Ark City Dance, AC All Starz, and Ryan Smykil.
Lance Niles served as the Master of Ceremonies and introduced the former queens and the visiting queens from surrounding towns in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma.
Union State Bank president, John Sturd, was introduced as the 2010 Arkalalah parade grand marshal. While, Jevin Foust and Madi Jennings were crowned Little Mister and Miss Arkalalah.
At Cowley, Williams is the vice president of fellowship for Phi Theta Kappa, is a student ambassador, and is a member of the spirit squad.