Speak Out November 8, 2007 through May 8, 2008

dont patronize me..........valley forge was cold.........and one time i killed 43.5 red coats with 2 shots and my bayonet! 4 also died from tetnis because of wounds i inflicted but i dont count those, i chalk those up to modern medicine........

finally somebody gives JJ some credit.

i was just watching on the news that clay county wants to sound the tornado sirens for other things than a tornado. Hail and high winds also. They failed to sound the tornado siren when the tornado hit and people didnt get any warning.

Those sirens are meant for one thing. Sounding it for wind and hail will lead to confussion and when a real one hits,again and it sounds people may not respond to it cause they think its just hail or wind. baaad idea.

They also say after the fact,that it wasnt sounded because its meant for outdoor warnings only. maybe so in there eyes but i live along way from the siren here and in bad weather with tornado watches and warnings people tend to turn down tvs and keep noise levels low so they can hear it.I know i can hear ours in the house. people may wait until they actually hear the siren go off to run for cover.. Clay county is making excuses.I sure hope our town never trys to do something so dumb.

I think the reporters should stick to their other duties and leave the blog to the readers.

After all, they have their articles and their columns/blogs to say their piece. How many forums do you need Ms. Gorrell, Ms. Fairchild and Mr. Crump?

Let me think.................hmmmmm........

$153,408.00 plus tower cost estimated at $200,000.00 vs. $0.00. Which one would be a better deal for the taxpayers of Saline County? But why quible of a few hundred thousand dollars; after all there were criteria & guidelines to decide which site was........oops that didn't happen either. The citizens of Saline County should be outraged!!

What a great idea Muffin. I'm not a farmer or related to any but I'm getting a bit tired of all the farmer bashing. If it was such an easy job with great pay and all the benefits, don't you think that people would be knocking each other over to buy all the land and equipment so they could all be those rich farmers with the 6 month a year jobs?

Here's an idea, why don't Jody and JJ play fantasy farmer. You know, like the fantasy football leagues they have.

We'll "give" you 2,000 acres. You purchase the all the equipment -- tractor, planter, combine, trucks for hauling, etc. -- either new or used, your choice. Allow fuel for all equipment, seed, chemicals and other inputs needed, allow for one paid employee and give them benefits if you can afford them in your plan, cost of any repairs to machinery needed during your planting/cultivating/harvest period -- I'm sure you can find a Web site for national averages for cost of repairs on an average year, interest on loans for equipment -- remember, we gave you the land so no interest payment there nor payment for land you might rent to make up your 2,000 acres. Again, I'm sure you guys will find a site with average ag interest payments for equipment.

Base your crop yield on the area you live in and report back to us what your giant profit is so you can get paid.

I'm sure you'll both share your farm budget plan and outcome with us. Can't wait!

Good golly, folks. I do believe April Fool's came a month or so late. Here's my conspiracy theory:

Read all the posts of the last 4 days from anyone whose screen name starts with J. One of them claims to be well past 50, but writes like a teenager with the emotional stability of a Ritalin addict. And, ironically, there is no "conversation" between the J's. Also worthy of noting, Jody seems to have a real grasp for the local political scene (Ms. Plattner) for one who spends his days informing hundreds of small town papers...taking out time for a few vices (that's a good one).

Note: All the information from Jody on the farm subsidy program that is *reliable* is cut and pasted--on Ms. Platner too, for that matter. Oddly familiar. And, there is an eerily common discontent amongst the J's for farmers. Hmmmm...

Wake up everyone. The joke is on us...

Did You Know Marshall Once Had A Racetrack?

www.sportsmansspeedwaymarshall.com

WOW!!!!

I am glad I have a job that gives me a lot of time to read the Democrat news speak out column. Seems like Jody came in and got everyone riled up. I did look through the list and noticed a few names I recognized on that list. Of course the names I noticed were small family farms and not corporations. Going by the names I know and have knowledge of how much each makes, it seems they are not even making one percent of their total income from the subsidies. I don't know if the same is true for all farmers on the list, so if anyone knows that information could you share it with us.

I have a question for the farmers on here. Aren't there some "agreements" and "rules" that farmers must follow to receive subsidies? I thought farmers had to plant X amount of this and X amount of that to follow the rules and receive the subsidies. I was also under the impression that the subsidies were there to get farmers to grow more of a product that wouldn't be as profitable without the subsidies. For instance lets say soybeans are going for $6 a bushel and corn is going for $3 a bushel. What farmer in his/her right mind would plant corn that year when he/she could make twice as much growing soybeans? Is this not why the Government would subsidize the corn (in this example) so those farmers would grow corn instead of soybeans. Otherwise we would have a surplus of soybeans and a shortage of corn. This would be passed down to the consumer and for that year we would be paying an outrageous amount for corn.

Now for math, if the above is true, wouldn't the larger farms make more in subsidies than the smaller farms. If a farm has 5,000 acres and plants 2,500 in corn and gets $2 (in subsidies) per bushel for the corn and got 50 bushel per acre then that person would make $250,000 in subsidies. Now if a farm had 500 acres and plants 250 acres with corn at the same $2 in subsidies and the same 50 bushels per acre, that farmer would make 25,000 in subsidies. I am not sure how the system actually works but in my calculations, all farmers get the same subsidy, but of course the larger farms will make more due to producing more product. If I am way off, would one of the farmers, or at least someone with close knowledge of how the system works let me know.

Now for my opinion on the issue: If the subsidies are taken away, the price of one product will go up for the consumers. If corn is selling for more, the farmers will grow corn. This would mean a surplus of corn and shortage of soybeans. If soybeans are selling for more the farmers will grow soybeans. Once again this means a surplus of soybeans and shortage of corn. This will result in the consumer paying a significant amount more for the product that has a shortage. If the large or "corporate" farms are not given the same subsidies as the smaller farms then the large farms will simply grow the product that they can get the most money for. Of course once again the cost is passed on to us, the consumer.

Ok Jody you mentioned a solution. "It centers around taking land and giving it to others; the creation of collective farming; and sharing the wealth."

Isn't this socialism at its finest. Let me guess you have dined with Chavez and Castro as well? Why don't we just nationalize all business that you don't like and see how that works?

Jody: Ms Plattner has many other activities going on besides what you listed. This item was posted several weeks ago and was quickly buried without any comments. Perhaps it bears repeating:

According to the 'Marshall Democrat News' (03/25/08) Commissioner Becky Plattner announced she is seeking the office of lieutenant governor and filed Friday, March 21, to be on the August primary ballot. In the announcement she stated: "I'm not going to run a hard campaign," I am committed to serving the people of Saline County. I just want to get my name in the hat...."

According the 'Slater Main Street News' (04/24/08) Commissioner Becky Plattner announced on April 19 the she will be running for Lt. Governor in the 2012 election. In the announcement she stated: "...I have given this much thought...My focus will be on the 2012 election and I hope...I will be the next Lieutant Governor of Missouri."

She is still listed on the 2008 ballot, according the Sec. of State Robin Carnahan' web site. According the Mo Ethics Commission web site, no reports have been received about financial disclosure, direct expenditures, campaign/campaign committee report, or a statement of exemption. Can someone explain these apparent errors, oversights, ethical lapses and mixed messages or did I miss something in political science class?

Is Becky Plattner running for Lt. Governor this year and announcing her "re-election" campaign a month later? Has she withdrawn from the 2008 election? Is she stating she will not run commissioner again? Does she plan on running "hard" in 2012 and use 2008 as a 'rehearsal'? Does she plan on filing campaign finance reports required by law? Does she have any idea what she is doing?

did you know??? i have the most sucessful blog in saline county history?

You know, Ratty in The Wind and The Willows was a swell sort of rat. This River Ratt fellow there in Marshall, MO. must have access to wacky tobaccy or is smoking corn silk.

Have you read each and every post I've made (yeah, there are a bunch of 'em!) because I've covered your question. Here's your answer, AGAIN, http://www.ewg.org/about

Next (because I've been there and done that) will come the wails of "LIAR! YOU CANNOT TRUST WHAT HE'S SAYING!" Go fly a kite.

The issue is that Farm Subsidy program in the USA is BUSTED. Are we going to fix it or let it continue to take advantage of not only the tax paying U.S. citizen, but the true family farmer who doesn't get a single penny from this boondoggle of a program.

It's fun seeing these "farm family" wagons circle. I admit it. Not yet has a single post been made which cites the stunning data I have provided you. Perhaps it's due to the poor, rural school system whose budget is eclipsed by these farm give away deallybobs?

By the way, is Becky Plattner still in office there in Saline County Missouri? I ask because I find that in 2006 while running for re-election she had been the "....presiding commissioner of Saline County for four years....". Was she re-elected?

Think maybe there was a reason she had been the boss lady of the County? Check it out at:

http://farm.ewg.org/farm/persondetail.ph...

If she's part of that Plattner operation, we find a total for the past ten years coming in at $1,121,322.00.

Wait! Now I'm finding this: "Gov. Matt Blunt today appointed Becky L. Plattner (D) to the Missouri Conservation Commission." That was August 7, 2007 ( http://www.gov.mo.gov/cgi-bin/coranto/vi... ).

Woops! That same article indicates she's still running Saline County Missouri! My, my, my! Must be really hard and tiring work; but someone who "cares" has got to do it, I guess. The article continues: "Ms. Plattner, 49 of Grand Pass, is the presiding commissioner in Saline County and serves as financial manager for Plattner Brothers L.L.C. Custom Farming. She has served as a consultant to the Grand Pass Special Road District, Grand Pass Pump Levy District....". Sakes alive! This is one busy woman.

But, but, but....wait....what about the drug problem Mr. Post noted when he said a lot of young people there in Saline County Missouri had "...."grown up in an environment of drug use." ? He wanted the county to deal with that. Did it? (I doubt it.). What? This Chris Post must have had some dang subversive ideas. This very paper wrote:

'An issue that Post said is important to him is the fact that young people leave Saline County for other areas which have more opportunities. Post said he would fight this trend by trying to develop more opportunities for young people to work by promoting white-collar jobs -- such as technology, engineering and accounting.

"He said that Saline County has done a good job in attracting industrial parks, but improvements could be made in bringing tech parks to the county. He said that there "is no reason Saline County could not become a tech center of the Midwest," adding there aren't any "tech parks" within an hour of Marshall.

"Post also said young people not only need a way to make money, but a place to spend money as well. Post said that he wants to change this by promoting retail expansion." (July 27, 2006) ( http://www.marshallnews.com/story/116204... )

Isn't it funny how the government works and how the same old same old just keeps on trucking......??!!

Vote for David Cook (from Blue Springs, MO)on American Idol tonight! My daughter was friends with David in high school. Not only is he enormously talented, he is also one really nice guy! Go David!

To Jody:

Lets be honest here. I have met Ken Cook. I believe he is a graduate of the University of Missouri. I have read his work extensively. Any time I want to read the thoughts of an environmental wacko, I turn to Ken Cook. But the honest answer is that it doesn't promote his agenda. When something doesn't promote your personal agenda one excuse is as good as another.

I still want to know why when you referred earlier to something that EWG did in 2002 you referred to the organization as "we". You said "In 2002, we founded the EWG Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective and subsidy-shifting policies."

Are you being honest now when you say you have no affiliation with them or were you being honest then when you referred to them as "we"

Steak and fancy wine with ADM? Doggone it, I must have missed that invitation. Oh, wait, I know! It got lost in the mail.

Again, Jody, you descend to the personal attack on those who disagree with you.

This is what I find objectionable. Over and over again, this is your tactic. If you can't get agreement with your position, out comes the club. If your argument doesn't sway your opponent, you start swinging from the heels.

I have to admire your persistence, if nothing else.

No, I am not paid one thin dime by EWG or anyone else. I do this because I believe in it. I do contribute money to EWG. Haven't even met a single person associated with EWG...one of the great aspects of the internet. I HAVE met and dined with Bob Dole many a time as well as George McGovern and some other boys from the U.S. Senate....but that was just for show. Even met McCain a couple of times. Big deal. I'd LIKE to meet the EWG guys....they're a lot more effective than the politicians I've eaten with!

If you've troubled yourself to look around the EWG website http://www.ewg.org you will see I have merely copy and pasted data and statements from the site....perhaps without quotes....but hey....we're just a common folk....ain't necessary to be "technical".

I'm just a crusty old geezer who believes in "paying forward". Ya reap what ya sew....ain't that how it goes.....errr...went?

Silas Marner is my hero.

Hey folks,

Don't blame Jody. Jody is an activist hired by EWG to create hate and discontent in rural America. Jody is paid to find blogs run by small town newspapers and get the EWG word out there. The EWG website has been in existance for several years. The information on it is public information and the public has a right to know it.

EWG is a radical leftist organization. They believe that global warming is real and is caused only and totally by humans. They believe in transferance of wealth by the government. They just don't want farmers to be a recipient of that transferance.

Maybe EWG, if they are really interested in protecting the taxpayer interest, would find and post a list of recipients of welfare payments, food stamps, disability payments, and so many good social programs. If we are amazed at what farmers are getting I bet it would be just as entertaining to know which of our neighbors are getting disability checks each month. Hey folks, it is easier than you think. But is the payee information public? That might violate someone's privacy.

You're absolutely right, Jody, I do collect a pension check, although its "fatness" might be in some question.

Trust me when I say your posts caused no tears. I will say again that you have the right to give your opinion, but will also stress again that others are free to agree OR DISAGREE.

"Can people on this message board agree the Farm Subsidy program is broken and needs to be repaired?"

Absolutely - and we can disagree, too.

get a clue: I'm not quite sure what it is you want me to do. Jody has been quite vocal in the last several days. He has a right to his opinion, as you do and as I do. The subject he raised is one of interest to me, so I have responded. There are plenty of people here who create a stir and plenty who tell their stories. Again, they have the right to do so. Jody is the one who was resentful that he was asked to tell us something about himself; he's expressed his indignation on that subject more than once.

If you tell someone something and present it as a fact, the person you tell has a right to ask you how you know it and on what basis you believe it. Jody didn't like that.

Oh, golly gosh, Jody, I forgot to make it clear that I do not currently work for the largest farm equipment manufacturer in the world - I am retired from said corporation, and am now employed with this newspaper. I am proud of my association with both.

I completely agree with Cheetah - you decided to post your opinion and create a stir. I have no argument with that at all - certainly it's your right to do that.

But it must be said - you started the party and after administering a thorough spanking of Saline County and its hard-working farm families, you are resentful of our request that you state your qualifications for so doing.

We have your information, we know your opinion, many of us disagree with you, and have good reasons for doing so. What else is there to say?

Jody,

Potentate. Huh. That's new vocab for us hillbilly bloggers. Have a problem with authority, do we?

To be so fanatic about your "cause", you certainly seem to be derailed quite easily by emotion when your credentials and/or motives are called into question, IMPBO (in my psycho babble opinion). In the last few posts, your mission has been one of defense and telling me what I am and am not. Correct me if I'm wrong but...didn't you start this topic? You put yourself out there for public critique buddy..not me:)

Hah...and sage? Well....uh....who's talking who's conversation now?

Reprise: What do YOU plan to do fix the subsidy *problem*? Not the "govment". YOU. What do YOU plan to do? Does your rhetoric present a viable solution that isn't smeared by bias? You've made such a public spectacle about this...surely you have some plan of action you are personally prepared to implement?

Peace and tranquility, good Sir.

Hey, River Rat...

I like your post name! I grew up round the rivers myself. (Assuming by your name, you may live by the Mighty MO.)

I miss camping on the sand bars, waking up wet, from the barges passing by. We would boat by those who's homes were just a climb away from the water and met the greatest people.

For me... things are so different now. How my parents/ grandparents found the time and means to give me those wonderful memories on the river, I haven't been able to give my children. We camp, ALOT! Just not able to get out on the water.

I love it!

Smokin' Cheetah:

YOU speak for NOONE but YOURSELF. I was very aware when YOU asked about my PERSONAL details that YOU were looking for a KNIFE to STAB ME with. YOU are not a problem solver; YOU are not a potentate; YOU are not a sage; YOU have YET to address the very issue of just how broke the Farm Subsidy System is; YOU prefer to focus on FORM over FUNCTION; YOU are a name caller.

The farm subsidy system in this nation is broken. It needs to be repaired. Rural America depends on it. If it is not repaired, the death of one small town after another will continue; rural poverty will grow; people will suffer.

Oh, sure...I've heard of that fellow. You heard of this fellow, Robert Zimmerman? He wrote something for YOU. I won't post the complete stuff, but here's a sample:

Well, you walk into the room

Like a camel and then you frown

You put your eyes in your pocket

And your nose on the ground

There ought to be a law

Against you comin' around

You should be made

To wear earphones

Because something is happening here

But you don't know what it is

Do you, Smokin' Cheetah?

Tah, tah!

Jody,

The incompetent with nothing to do can still make a mess of it.

(Laurence J. Peter)

And I am gainfully employed. I just work different hours than some. Of course, you aren't contributing to the workforce (or anything constructive) anymore, as demonstrated by your ability to sit on the computer all day and hand out potshots.

Jody,

Realize that if you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it.

(Anthony J. D'Angelo)

What's your story, Smokin' Cheetah? You the "voice of reason" in Saline County Missouri?

You're way off target about the purpose behind making these posts and providing links. I do it all day long in hundreds of small town, rural papers which have on-line access in between day trading and social stuff....not to mention time out for vices!

"You're jaded". My experience has been that people who make "you" statements, not making "I" statements, do so because there is no "I"; that the person making the "you" statement, typcially, has little insight.

Ya don't need to worry about little ole me and my perspective on life. I enjoy what I do; don't "...feel sorry...." in the slightest for my long dead Daddy and Mom; know they gave me a good life but also know that my old man was right when he said "Get out of this hick town; the City is for you...". Boy and how!

I like to look at these small little burgs; recollect just how controlling and myopic they really are when you get right down to it; and realize I have the best of both worlds given I am fortunate enough to own in both the City and the Country and outside the USA. These postings are kinda sorta my way of "paying it forward", but I do own they're a source of amusement for me as well; Particularly when the mud starts getting thrown.

It's a funny thing, Smokin' Cheetah....sometimes these postings denigrate to "...getting personal...". Trust me: I can sling it with the best of 'em.

However, the point still remains that the Farm Subsidy system in the USA is broken. Them that has gets!

(For those just now tuning in: Want to see how much money is flowing into Saline County farmers? OK! Just click on this link!!

http://farm.ewg.org/farm/top_recips.php?...

Jody - seems to me you have described how anybody with any sense does any tax return, "using every single line of the IRS tax code to figure out ways to reduce tax liability." Taxes are necessary, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take at least legal advantage of breaks to which we are legally entitled, does it? Tax cheating is another matter, but criticizing someone, anyone, for taking maximum advantage of their position, to enhance their personal bottom line is more than a little off the mark.

first off...who says i wear panties?

Boo hoo JJ. Wear your big boy panties when you come in here.

And the only thing that JJ serves up is crap.

Mr. Crump, could you please delete all the comments that JJ has made where he has personally attacked anyone by trying to make them look inferior to him?

Boooooooooooo hooooooooooooooo! :(

there are a lot of comments on the farmer driving the nice new diesel trucks, but did anyone stop to think that they are actually one of the farmers equiptment. they get around better than a regular gas engine, pull the necessary trailers better, get better fuel milage, and last longer

at least JJ doesn't serve leftovers . . .

I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.

(Harry Truman)

The first person to hurl an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.

(Sigmund Freud)

Jody,

It is only prudent to never place complete confidence in that by which we have even once been deceived. (Descartes)

"We aren't big enough to hire our own opinion columnists."-E.Crump

so they have me do it! because im the only opinion that matters in this one horse town! viva la mexico......happy cinco de mayo....see ya at los tres!

BD42-

You're the kind of poster that pours gasoline on a fire like me. Posters like you are what keep me around, frankly and demonstrate I'm making my point.

Clearly the facts are bugging you and maybe even perhaps getting to you a might bit. I don't know....and I don't care.

Here's a good one for you:

"Popularity is the sure sign of mediocrity..." (George Bernard Shaw)

Jody spake thusly:

" ... sanctimonious nature of what is supposed to be an objective newspaper column which then goes way off any manner of journalistic standard by '...being personal...' "

It's perfectly fine to disagree with the opinions expressed by a columnist or blogger, that's pretty much routine, but you should understand that both formats are specifically intended to allow people (including journalists!) a place to express their opinions, including personal opinions (is there any other kind?).

Marcia's column may have conflicted with your views but it did not violate journalistic standards.

Possibly you've mistaken us for a different type of operation (I'm guessing you've never been to Saline County). We're a small paper. Our reporters have to be very nimble. They write stories about anything and everything. They juggle notebooks and cameras. They stuff ads in the paper. We aren't big enough to hire our own opinion columnists. We do that ourselves, too.

You've taught me much in the past few days. This is an area in which I may be able to return the favor...

Jody,

Why don't you just shut the hell up? You're obnoxious and disliked.

Eric:

I'm going to do this Ricky Ricardo 'splainin' one last to you so you can get off the dime:

I NEVER TARGETED one family. I posted public statistics on one guy who I wasn't even certain was even related to your columnist. Same last names don't amount to much, but I own I thought I was close. The stuff I posted, again, is public record and the sanctimonious nature of what is supposed to be an objective newspaper column which then goes way off any manner of journalistic standard by "...being personal..." was the final straw. After I read that pabulum, it struck me that some facts needed to be revealed.

Am I wrong in thinking that folks had no clue this stuff was out for public scrutiny if only one knew where to go? My money says the local Grange has been having a lot to chew on these past several days! No?

I inform, from the data base, hundreds of rural American's just what's going on in their little neck of the woods all over the USA via these on line forums. I have yet to "win a friend" amongst the folks who get the money! Most want to skin me alive. I'll live.

I sorta like Twain, too. Here's one right back at you: "Familiarity breeds contempt. How accurate that is. The reason we hold truth in such respect is because we have so little opportunity to get familiar with it."

- Notebook, 1898

"Why my personal life is of import escapes me."

Jody,

You say that facts is facts, that you are objectively presenting factual data that we should be persuaded by or we're idiots -- and seem to get in a twist when people get "emotive" on you.

But *how we use facts* matters as much as the facts themselves. Remember Mark Twain's famous quip on the subject? "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." Like guns, facts don't hurt people. But if you pick up a fact and pull the trigger, well...

When you use facts in an attempt to discredit and embarrass specific people, then it's perceived as a personal attack, whether you meant it that way or not. If you're really mystified by the response you're being mighty naive.

And when you attempt to discredit someone, they naturally want to know who's doing the discrediting. *You* have made credibility an issue, so why are you surprised to find that you are expected to divulge a little of your own history?

It's mighty easy to hide behind a facade of pseudonymity and cast stinging aspersions.

But I do thank you for telling us about your experiences with farming. It adds to your credibility to know your story, to know that you have first-hand experience not only with farming but with the bitterness of clinging to principles that new economies seem to be trampling as they rush past.

Sometimes people form their stubbornest opinions on things they know least about.

Not the case with you, obviously.

But please don't be surprised that people want to know your story. My wife has a bumper sticker on our car: "The shortest distance between people is a story." Facts are fine, but humans do not live -- or think -- on facts alone.

Bravo, Cheetah - as usual, the voice of reason.

When I knew less about farming myself, I thought it must be a wonderful life - pictured myself bustling around the farm house, canning and so forth ... a very rosy and "romantic" vision that any farmer I know would laugh at today.

It's a tough life, depending on wind and weather to carry you - or to destroy you. I cannot imagine what the average farmer goes through mentally during times of drought, watching a crop shrivel to dust and die while he can do nothing at all to stop it.

My 30+ years working for the world's largest agricultural manufacturer taught this city girl a great deal - and made me realize there is a lot more I do not know. But it did teach me that American farmers are not standing around twiddling their thumbs and waiting for the next "handout." We are lucky, all of us, that they are willing to take a gamble on Mother Nature each and every year and when they lose, as they sometimes do, to be willing to do it again the very next year. Their optimism, and dogged determination, puts food on the table every day.

well muffin thats exactly what i said. I dont understand too much about farming. All i know is what i see. Generations of farmers who have had there land,homes and many other things handed down to them for free. Not having to pay for there homes or anything. I wish i was fortunate enough to have lived here all my life and had a farm handed down to me like that so i can live rent free and own my own home. Desptite the fact my husband made 65 grand last year with his union job,and all the heath and retirement benifits my family recieves for his hard earned work. we still pay for those beifits right out of his check every week. So it does come at a price. Its not free we pay into that. its not just givin to us.

Then when the weather hits hard,it freezes,it rains its too hot to cold or the economy stops building we get no paycheck. and we dont get free money try living on unemployment for three months with a family of 5 dear. u cant do it.If it wernt for my husband and the bricklayers unions alot of people would not be gambiling in those casinos they like to visit and get drunk in so much,nor would there be a place for all the criminals to go when crap happens,nor would there be banks,walmarts,baseball staduims or most of kc and any other big city in the country built. and wed all be living in clay houses. My husbands job is just as important as the farmers if not more they may feed part of the country but we build all of it.

I work with a lot of "farmers". Meaning when I see them where I work (non farming industry) it is because they are at thier second job. Most farmers today are forced to work a second job and as far as the govt helping them out, I'd much rather see my tax dollars going to help a Saline Co. farmer then shipped off to Baghdad to be siphoned away by the likes of Haliburton and KBR!

As the holder of a mortgage on my own house, Jody, I would hardly suggest that everyone is debt-free and/or undeserving of help. What I AM suggesting is that your insistence on focusing on what farmers (who provide a service essential to us all) receive in subsidies without also providing information on how much debt they are carrying to provide that essential service is a very unfair and very unbalanced view of their financial circumstances.

So..........

How 'bout them K.C. Royals?

It's unfortunate the site you mention does not also mention the indebtedness of many farmers for their land, their equipment, feed, seed, fertilizer...that would strike me as only being fair.

Gal66, you go girl!

Your post opens up the discussion for those who don't "farm" and feel the need to understand why their salary or retail business doesn't get any money from the gubment because "...it's a bad retail year...".

The farmers are very skilled at the circle the wagon approach.

It's time for the regular folk of Saline County to contact their Congressperson (Ike Skelton) and ask for some free money, too. Better yet, suggest that the Farm Subsidy give aways need to be re-examined, at the VERY least.

If you think that these "farmers" don't have a strong connection with their Congressperson, you might want to reconsider that. My money says they might even be on first name basis and had one or two over to the "farm" for that nice corn fed STEAK dinner.

Me? I'll keep eating chicken and hamburger because that's what I can afford.

Send an email to Skelton...or maybe a fax. I'll help any and all who need email addresses or fax numbers. It's time the USA relook the farm giveaway program, isn't it?

Here's the link to see what your "neighbor" is getting in subsides. Please remember MOST farmers only get a couple hundred bucks a year. These guys in Saline County UNDERSTAND the system and work....rather well.

http://farm.ewg.org/farm/top_recips.php?...

Once you get to the link and you see a "family farm" name you're interested in, click on the name. After you get to the page with that "family farmer" as the subject....look a little lower for yet another link to click on so you can see how much moolah they have been GIVEN since 1996.....again....IT's FUN!!!!

I hate to get in this farmer conversation but i having lived in farm country for only 5 years of my life and not undestanding to much about there way of life. I would like to know few things from what i have seen.

I never see a poor farmer. Why. There all driving brand new 40 thous doller trucks,lots of toys along with them like motorhomes,horses u name it. they seem to live way better than the rest of us for sure.

How much do they really work. 6 months out of the year maybe.

Im not bagging on them i would just like to know since you are talking about all the money the government gives them on top of all there hard work. If they have a bad crop its ok heres some taxpayer dollers to take care of your lives. and buy you a new truck.

My husband works 40 hours a week busting his butt as a union bricklayer in kansas city. he makes alot of money. But when the weather turns bad and he cant work no one gives us any money.and hes part of the workforce that builds this country. no ones taking care us his family when he cant build.

Why in the hell should farmers get subsidies?

I sure as hell don't get any for my retail business and I sure have not made a million dollars in the last 10 years.

Talea...talk about closed minded. I will make my point and go home. Whayyyyyyyyyyyy.

talea--

Your post is the one that used the word "capitalism" and that being the case I provided you data on what a really capitialistic market place is all about. At least you note that the "family farmers" who take subsidy payments are junior members if not full fledged members of Corporate America:

A. Employment Security benefits are NOT a subsidy. That is a benefit for working for an employer.

B. Medicare and Social Security are NOT subsidies.

C. College grants and loans are NOT subsidies. Each REQUIRE a "means test": You must demonstrate you are eligible due to the family income.

The "Farm Subsidy Program" is broken. Anyone that refuses to recognize this reality is simply being...well...uniformed is the polite word I shall use. Evidently, you're not reading the facts and prefer a "circle the wagons" approach at the expense of the real family farmer. Given the meager amount most recipients collect--a few hundred bucks a year--subsidies can't possibly make most farmers rich (two-thirds of farmers collect no farm bill subsidies at all). Let's be clear. Farm subsidies go to, and benefit, the businesses and people who collect them, no matter what bills it helps them pay, no matter how bitterly or resentfully they pay them--with taxpayers' money.

Perpetuating the subsidy status quo, which would provide millions of dollars to a narrow minority of beneficiaries over the next five years at the expense of other farm bill constituencies at home and to our trade partners around the world is just wrong, and well, stupid. If Congress maintains the same spending allocations provided in 2002, over the next five years hundreds of thousands of farmers applying for USDA programs to share the cost of conservation practices will be turned away for lack of funds.

The nation's under-funded federal school lunch program will continue to serve nutritionally inadequate meals. Farmers growing fruits, vegetables and other unsubsidized crops, and a majority of livestock producers...will be bypassed by the farm bill once again while their industries face environmental challenges at home and economic competition in a globalized marketplace. Proponents of rural development and scientific research will have their program funds further strained, as rural areas lose businesses and population and the country loses more of its edge in agricultural knowledge.

The important policy questions in this farm bill cycle have much less to do with what becomes of subsidy payments than with who receives them, and why. Congress has sloppily decreed through the years that you can collect farm subsidies whether you really need them or just because they're there for the collecting. You'd be stupid not to partake either way.

It is suggested we as a Nation don't propose that only farm subsidies come under scrutiny. Many others have been and are being challenged--like royalty-free hardrock mining, nuclear energy, and many others. But it's commons sense to take a hard look at how we subsidize, and who, within agriculture. Society can surely have a smarter, fairer, more productive investment portfolio in farmers and rural America than the list you see on our Web site. Thanks for the post.

http://www.mulchblog.com/2007/06/full_di...

for talea:

A true capitalist doesn't need a price support subsidy handout.

A true capitalist sinks or swims per the market place.

Suggest Adam Smith's writings are re-visited so capitalism can be understood. I know it's so much easier to think from emotions rather from the brain.

Oh....is there a subsidy somewhere for those people of Saline County, the state of Missouri....or heck....any where else in the USA where the gubment gives money to "...hard working people...."? Best I've been able to find is...well.....nothing. HIM THAT HAS, GETS!

Let me try and rephrase this post so it doesn't get deleted again.

I know welfare when I see it!

I encourage you to check out the list of area farmers that have received plenty of subsidy money over the last 12 years. Some in excess of $1 million dollars!

Interesting info:

http://tinyurl.com/6rzyp3

Let me re-phrase....Why are my posts being deleted by the editor???

Congrats to all of the Graduates today at Valley. It was a very windy day but everyone kept their speeches to a minimum and a good time was had by all

=)

By the way, Jody, I don't think my mother would recognize me in this conversation beings she named me "Eric," not "Editor." "Editor" is just a job title. You wouldn't want me to call you Agricultural Subsidy Opponent Smith would ya? ;-)

Editor Crump:

Bluntly, I do not like the tone of your written word. Are you posting as the Editor of a newspaper or as a "regular Joe" because it sure looks like you're posting as an Editor of a paper beholding to the powers that be in a farming county and a publisher who is hand in glove with the lot of them.....

Irrespective, the jury is out about the Cellulosic Ethanol. HOWEVER it merits as much if not more money being dedictated to price supports to farmers....and that is what this matter is all about....FARM SUBSIDIES...NOT alternative fuels. However, again, to simply humor you I'll give you some data that you could easily find on your own....I'll be your "field hand" and give it to you:

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, corn-based ethanol provides 26 percent more energy than is required for its production, while cellulosic provides 80 percent more energy. And while conventional ethanol reduces greenhouse-gas emissions 10 to 20 percent below gasoline levels, the reductions with cellulosic range from 80 percent below gasoline to completely CO2 neutral.

However, again, land scarcity is the issue with cellulosic ethanol. BUT where there is a will there is a way. More data:

Do we have enough land to support a cellulosic-ethanol industry without also competing with food or destroying the environment? The answer is ... maybe. According to a recent study from the University of Tennessee, as many as 100 million acres of cropland and pasture will need to be devoted to switchgrass to produce enough ethanol to offset 25 percent of petroleum use. Currently, U.S. farmers have about 80 million acres in corn, 15-20 percent of which goes into ethanol production.

Since land scarcity will clearly be an issue, some analysts argue that any biofuel strategy will need to be accompanied by a strong dose of conservation. According to "Growing Energy," a 2004 Natural Resources Defense Council report on biofuels, the U.S. is on track to consume 290 billion gallons of gasoline for transportation in 2050. By boosting fuel efficiencies and reigning in urban sprawl, the report says, we could feasibly cut this figure down to 108 billion gallons.

CONSERVATION is the operative word here, just in case abstractive thought is difficult not only for you, but for the rich farmers of Saline County Missouri of saw the quick buck available through subsidy support of corn at the expense of food for the people.

So here's where the mathematics of biomass come in. NRDC has forecasted that the number of gallons of ethanol produced per ton of dry switchgrass could jump from 50 gallons to 117 gallons by 2050. Crop experts say that current averages of five dry tons of grass per acre could easily double under a standard breeding program. These combined boosts in efficiency mean that enough switchgrass could be grown on a reasonable chunk of land to produce 165 billion gallons of ethanol by 2050. And because one gallon of ethanol contains 66 percent of the energy content of gasoline, 165 billion gallons of ethanol equates to -- you guessed it -- 108 billion gallons of gasoline.

On the efficiency side, it demands radical cuts in fuel usage. On the ethanol side, it requires an infrastructure of pipelines and pumps specially designed to transport the hygroscopic fluid. (Railcars and barges currently do the job, but this adds to both CO2 emissions and expense.) More tricky is the problem of the ethanol production itself. Cellulosic biomass is bulky and materially complex, unfit for the same methods of ethanol extraction used with corn. In order to even get the stuff into manageable form, processors must soak it in a pre-treatment bath, followed by an acidic or enzymatic digestion that splits it into simple sugars.

Researchers are now trying to engineer a bacterium that can chomp through all of these sugars at once, but for now the multistep digestion procedure is a requirement. The future of ethanol production will rely not only on streamlining that digestion, but on combining all processes -- from pre-treatment through fermentation -- in a single genetically engineered microorganism.

"The best, immediate option would be to conserve: to use less gasoline."

Research, Editor Crump....not a quick buck for a handful of "family farms" (corporate farms) is what is needed.

States like Iowa REQUIRE corn based ethanol. Guess which state is the top recipient of corn subsides? Look it up. I've provided you the data and yet your posts and emails to me are "attack based".

Remember, please, that Saline County is made up of many more people than a handful of farmers taking the quick buck and getting, well, even more wealthy than they already are via the Farm Subsidy Welfare giveaway....be it to corporate America or the "family farms" who seek to emulate the corporate.

When is enough is enough? When shall personal quest for the almighty dollar be eclipsed by doing the right thing?

( http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/... as data source, among others).

Again, though, let's get back to how much money is flooding into a handful of wealthy "family farms" in Saline County. You've done a good job in protecting those that keep one afloat....it's now time for the average Joe and Jane to weigh in as to their thoughts on the money flowing into a handful of wealthy land owners/"family farmers" who want to plead "It's in your best interest..." as they laugh on their way to the bank with free money from USDA which was obtained off the work of the back of the common man via income tax payments.

So for the regular guy, here's the link again to discover who amongst you is taking in money for free from our government, legally, and trying to convince you, the regular, financially strapped guy or gal who toils day in and day out in a rural community with little opportunity for betterment:

http://farm.ewg.org/farm/top_recips.php?...

when you see a name that is of interest to you, click on the name.

after you click on the name look for the link that says: Subsidy Information for Recipient, 1995-2006

Click on that and don't become too angry.

Jody wrote: "it is clearly recognized that farmers are a distant 2nd from who is really getting that subsidy money..."

Just for the sake of discussion, how is "corporate farming" defined in the literature? Vertical integration, number of acres, on=site vs. absentee ownership, what? If a (any) farmer is growing upwards of or over 80% of their crops for export, livestock feed and/or ethanol, and sale of those crops is contracted to a particular upward corporation, does that not qualify...?

Editor Crump,

Simply because one questions National policy relative to price supports and corn based fuel, doesn't mean one is "... allied with (or at least going in the same direction as) the oil industry....".

I have many environmentalist views. I'm "green", but I still drive a car. I will state that from 1990---2001 I relied 100% on a bio-diesel type fuel in that I made deals with fast food restaurants and such to drain their oil traps for them! I ran on 100% spent cooking oil with NO modifications to an old Mercedes 220D. NO modifications. I did change the fuel filter every 1000km. I didn't do it to be "green", I did it because I am frugal and it made sense to me. I'm over that at this point. I was living somewhere where that was easy to do. However, it was then that I began to look to Europe and Asia to see what they were doing relative to alternative fuels. It was eye opening and I'd happily trade my car for the mass transit systems I've seen. Even small, dinky little towns have them. All over the place.

I've lived "off the grid" in the Caribbean for a couple of years, relying 100% on wind and solar for juice, and cistern water for water: No rain, no water. One learns to live in a conservative fashion. I did not want: I had a/c when I needed it and as much electricity as I could handle. It was no big deal...just some "fun time" for an old guy.

I have used wood to heat for the past 25+ years when in cold climates. I will NEVER trade away my Jotul (Norweigan built) cast iron stove for natural gas! I may obtain yet another cast iron stove to burn sawdust pellets, not corn! Environmentalists will tell you that wood heat is bad for the enviroment. Big deal. It's cheap for me and I'm selfish about it. However, at least I know it and own it. As well, I'll trade being my own man for paying a fat cat utility company any day. It's all a compromise. I do suspect rather strongly that my "carbon footprint" is nowhere near as large as most. I use less than 900 gallons of water per month per my water bills of the past 8 years. I conserve.

There, I've "shared" some about the way I live.....folks in Marshall seemingly have to have this kind of information....why escapes me, but there it is for you.

So, again, simply because one suggests the farm subsidy program is a welfare for the rich program, doesn't mean one is holding hands with oil. Both are unctuous. The oil boys aren't quite as pious as the farmers, though. Additionally, it's made clear in the posts I've made, if the school marms have even taken time to read them, that it is clearly recognized that farmers are a distant 2nd from who is really getting that subsidy money.....nonetheless, it doesn't excuse them from the very real fact they're participating in a federal give away whose time has come and gone and needs revision.

Kathy - in the midwest, 'environmentalIST' tends to get derisive "tree-hugger" sorts of responses. If anyone is actually concerned about the whole environment, they are generally slammed as being somehow mentally deficient so avoiding buzz-word labels seems prudent.

Eric - I don't know that environmentalists are allying or really going in the same direction as oil companies except tangentially. The oil companies are trying like all merry hell to hang onto control of the energy market until they can figure out a way to corner the technology, as far as I can see - which is limited since I am not a corporate mind reader - but it seems to be going that way.

People who are actually concerned about the environment are looking at how the technology can be spread out and around among MANY producers, regional viability, and multi-model approaches. They are not trying to control competing technologies or markets as much as trying to find viable, sustainable solutions.

Policy, whether we like it or not, IS political - them that has the $$ get the policies that benefit them the most. This has been particularly true over the last 25 - 30 years and in the last decade for sure. The whole idea of public policy being for the good of the public is about dead due to lobbyists and corporate control of same. Our public watchdog institutions have been systematically gutted, defunded and dismantled in favor of corporate-written wish lists like Cheney's secret energy commission.

While it may appear to be going in the same direction, it is akin to saying that the makers of clusterbombs are allying with the urban renewal planners - they both tear down old buildings... Just MHO...

Correct me if I am wrong, but "Jody" either represents or is in tune with EWG, which, I believe, stands for "Environmentalist Working Group," so labeling him/her as an environmentalist seems quite appropriate, does it not?

Eric - there are no quick fix solutions. I don't think Jody was claiming to be an environmentalist, but rather was looking at how the Farm Bill has been hijacked by corporate interests.

The issue, again, is how policy is developed, who is making it, who is benefiting from it, and who is paying for it upfront and 'behind the curtain'.

If the top 17% are getting 84% of the $, then don't you think the deck is just a bit stacked?

Thank you for your question, Editor Crump. Let's first begin, however, with another question: Where have I ever stated that I am "an environmentalist"? Please don't place tags on me. Let me do that. I don't label myself as anything other than a common sense man who knows when the government and the rich guy are making an end run to try to pull the wool over my eyes.

I do not necessarily have a solution to our energy woes. However, I do know that the we as a Nation must reduce our consumption; first things first, after all. Turn off that light. Walk. Car pool. Does Johnny really need to be driven to the football practice or might he walk or ride a bike? Does Jane really need to be driven to school? Etc. Keep the home colder in the winter and hotter in the summer. Poor folk already do both of those.

The development of a comprehensive mass transit system across the USA is something that is inevitable in my view. Owning an automobile needs to cost a body lot of money and as a compromise to not owning one, our Country offers, instead, public transport that is affordable: Buses, light rail, trains, etc., etc., etc.

I've always been one who questions the all inclusive solution. I've done the same with "alternative fuels". It looks good on the surface, slick politicians sucker trusting citizens into the quick fix, and BANG! another problem. History repeats itself over and over in this regard. Bob Dylan noted "You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows...". That's the deal with the "quick fix" of corn ethanol. I am well aware that the farmer is a very distant 2nd with respect to getting money for ethanol....the vast majority of it goes to Big Business. I don't think the farmers really want to be in bed with those guys. Than again, a buck is a buck, Mr. Editor.

Here's an idea that took me five minutes to find:

Who should get the subsidy?

In 2006 ethanol blenders were handed $2,500 million in subsidies while the Department of Energy awarded $385 million spread over four to six years to help build cellulose ethanol plants. That's about 32 times less per year. But celluse gets a bit of subsidy from the USDA. Altogether it may get 10% as much as corn-ethanol. The problem is the lobby for cellulose is much weaker than the corn-ethanol lobby.

Corn ethanol does not need subsidies. Cellulose ethanol research does--it would actually do some good. But's what's needed is research, and very small-scale plants, not the big ones that are being built on pretense.

http://zfacts.com/p/63.html

Conventional ethanol and cellulosic ethanol are the same product, but are produced utilizing different feedstocks and processes. Conventional ethanol is derived from grains such as corn and wheat or soybeans. Corn, the predominant feedstock, is converted to ethanol in either a dry or wet milling process. In dry milling operations, liquefied corn starch is produced by heating corn meal with water and enzymes. A second enzyme converts the liquefied starch to sugars, which are fermented by yeast into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Wet milling operations separate the fiber, germ (oil), and protein from the starch before it is fermented into ethanol.

Cellulosic ethanol can be produced from a wide variety of cellulosic biomass feedstocks including agricultural plant wastes (corn stover, cereal straws, sugarcane bagasse), plant wastes from industrial processes (sawdust, paper pulp) and energy crops grown specifically for fuel production, such as switchgrass. Cellulosic biomass is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, with smaller amounts of proteins, lipids (fats, waxes and oils) and ash. Roughly, two-thirds of the dry mass of cellulosic materials are present as cellulose and hemicellulose. Lignin makes up the bulk of the remaining dry mass.

( http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/enews/... )

Taking into account the energy required to grow the corn and convert it into ethanol, it has been determined that burning the biofuel as a gasoline additive actually results in a net energy loss of 65 percent and in all likelihood, much more. Corn is not 'free energy'. The cumulative energy consumed in corn farming and ethanol production is six times greater than what the end product provides your car engine in terms of power.

If ethanol is as much of an environmental Trojan horse as the data suggests, what is the solution? Some researchers see several possibilities, all of which can be explored in tandem. First, is to divert funds earmarked for ethanol to improve the efficiency of fuel cells and hybrid electric cars. (Adapted from materials provided by University Of California - Berkeley; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200...

"Abusing our precious croplands to grow corn for an energy-inefficient process that yields low-grade automobile fuel amounts to unsustainable, subsidized food burning...." says Cornell professor David Pimentel (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences). Pimentel, who chaired a U.S. Department of Energy panel that investigated the energetics, economics and environmental aspects of ethanol production several years ago, subsequently conducted a detailed analysis of the corn-to-car fuel process.

"Corn production in the U.S. erodes soil about 12 times faster than the soil can be reformed, and irrigating corn mines groundwater 25 percent faster than the natural recharge rate of ground water. The environmental system in which corn is being produced is being rapidly degraded. Corn should not be considered a renewable resource for ethanol energy production, especially when human food is being converted into ethanol".

o The approximately $1 billion a year in current federal and state subsidies (mainly to large corporations) for ethanol production are not the only costs to consumers, the Cornell scientist observes. Subsidized corn results in higher prices for meat, milk and eggs because about 70 percent of corn grain is fed to livestock and poultry in the United States Increasing ethanol production would further inflate corn prices, Pimentel says, noting: "In addition to paying tax dollars for ethanol subsidies, consumers would be paying significantly higher food prices in the marketplace." (data taken from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200...

Corn ethanol subsidies totaled $7.0 billion in 2006 for 4.9 billion gallons of ethanol. That's $1.45 per gallon of ethanol (and $2.21 per gal of gas replaced).

Even with high gas prices in 2006, producing a gallon of ethanol cost 38¢ more than making gasoline with the same energy, so ethanol did need part of that subsidy. But what about the other $1.12. Not needed! So all of that became, $5.4 billion windfall of profits paid to real farmers, corporate farmers, and ethanol makers like multinational ADM. Why is it the farm states put up with this?!

Where did those subsidies come from:

1. 51¢ per gallon federal blenders credit for $2.5 billion = your tax dollars.

2. $0.9 billion in corn subsidies for ethanol corn = your tax dollars.

3. $3.6 billion extra paid at the pump. (see data from http://zfacts.com/p/63.html)

Smokin Cheetah and Jody keep up the good work. You guys exemplify the great American populist tradition. Thankfully it has reared its head again during these for the common man, troubling times. Populism is a movement that conservatives, liberals, and all in between can come together to promote the welfare of the working class which is most of us. Populism is anathema to the rich and they will do all they can to still its voice. They have a greater percentage of the wealth of our country than ever in our nation's history. They own the television networks, They own the radio commentators. They do not own the internet which is largely the only unfettered forum of ideas remaining. It is the fresh place for truth. It is the only source that does not feed us what the powerful want us to hear. It is the only source that dignifies us by demanding that we each think for ourselves, and select the truth from a plethora of ideas. We can hope that we are up to that task. We better be.

Just out of curiosity- why did the 911 article suddenly disappear from the main page.....after all, it was one of "This weeks most read stories".

Well, Berne, I am not sure where to begin. Suffice to say that it was the perception of school marms that I was "...on the attack...", and later email from the Editor confirmed this non-reality.

I do own that ONE post did specificially list date from the Farm Subsidy database which listed the PUBLIC RECORD PAYMENTS to a specific farmer.

Irrespective of the past, and in the interests of creating a public discourse, I shall copy and paste one post (I didn't start keeping copies until the massive deletion of my posts, so I don't have them all....).

"The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles.

"In 2002, we founded the EWG Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization that advocates on Capitol Hill for health-protective and subsidy-shifting policies.

"Our research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know. It shames and shakes up polluters and their lobbyists. It rattles politicians and shapes policy. It persuades bureaucracies to rethink science and strengthen regulation. It provides practical information you can use to protect your family and community.

And because our investigations and interactive websites tend to make news, you've probably heard about them. Even if you've never heard of us. Which is fine. We'd rather you remember our work than our name." (quoted from the http://www.ewg.org website under the ABOUT section).

http://farm.ewg.org/farm/top_recips.php?... is an internet link that will show you the top recipients of farm subsidy payments in Saline County Missouri over the past ten years. Simply click on the name and you will be taken to another link that will show the payouts over the past ten years. Take a look at it and you may just be surprised about how much money is involved. It's all public record because they're federal farm welfare payments.

We're trying to find a way to give the common folk access to information that will help you understand why the price of food, gasoline, and everything else (your HOME?) is so sky high? Are people ashamed of how much money they've been given by the farm subsidy program? Inquiring minds want to know. http://farm.ewg.org/farm/persondetail.ph... is a link that demonstrates how focused a report one can obtain on the EWG website. It's fun!

Mr. Crump:

Thank you for the open discourse. You note: "As Jody's recent comments suggest, farm subsidies are an important part of this area's economy."

Let's be clear on this point: It's important for a SELECT HANDFUL OF SUBSIDY RECIPIENTS....the farm subsidy payments to this handful of Agribusiness operation is not that impacting on the vast majority of Saline County Missouri residents and tax payers who earn nowhere near the money being paid out in these subsidies. To assert the average Joe and Jane earn what these Agribusiness operations earn belies an ignorance as to how the economics of the U.S.A. actually work.

I'd like to add one comment to BJ's post. If after a hard days work you decide to go out it's ok to shower and change clothes. It's hard to decide which is worse, your crude behavior or blended spell that you are emitting.

Standing ovation for bj!!! THank you!!!

http://reason.com/news/show/126236.html is a web site that will outline rather nicely the silliness going on in Washington right now relative to how much welfare farmers are going to receive.

"First, what do the farmers get? Answer: A lot. Last year, net farm income reached a record level of nearly $89 billion due to high crop prices. Farm household income averaged $84,000 in 2007..."

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=&q... will take you a google search which will provide you with all manner of objective news reports about the impending farm welfare program law about to passed by Congress. Now's the time to contact your Congressperson and let them know what you think. Trust me, the rich farmers are in daily contact with the offices. To the victor goes the spoils!

jodi I went to your link and I found it informative. I also went to the story King Corn and read the comments. I found all of this informative. I think the discussion pro - con is helpful for me to even start to understand the issue. I believe you are very passionate about what you believe. I don't know about what posts have been deleted, I didn't see them. I detect a tone in your responses as almost shouting. Clam down, state your facts and lets continue. I'd like for the discussion to continue.

I don't know.. maybe I have taught my kids better but they know how to act out in public. They know when the time to be loud is and when it's time to just sit down and be quiet.... because that's how I was raised.... Don't throw fits in the stores.... be nice and polite when you are out eating or in a public place. Yes kids are supposed to be loud and rambunctious but there is a time and place for that. I just have to look at my kids one time if they do happen to act up and they know to stop. They do not scream or look over the booths at other people while out eating... and if I happen to get the chance to do something where I do not think my kids will be able to handle sitting for a long period of time I find a baby sitter. If I can't do that then I stay at home with them, order a pizza and watch a movie, family night.

=)

I think restaurants should have couples areas and family areas. If I get an evening out with my spouse without our child I don't want to listen to someone else child screem and throw a fit. If I leave my child at home I don't want to put up with someone elses acting like a heathen! I really hate when they turn around in the booth in front of or behind us and think it's fun to try to include themselves in what's going on at our table. Mom and Dad just think it's cute. I don't think it's cute!!! I think it's annoying!!!

Sorry Kathy I didn't take those small business into account. I should have said, the boss could pay him a lot higher than the minimum wage guideline if he wanted to. The fact that he doesn't want too speaks for itself.

NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY DUMMY!!!!!!!!!!

Federal and state minimum wage laws do not apply to every business everywhere. Web sites for the U.S. Department of Labor and the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations give details about businesses that are exempt. In most cases, service and retail businesses with annual gross sales of less than $500,000 are exempt from these laws.

Ok jj I see your point. Minimum wage always chases inflation. Unfortunately inflation is a fact of life. Until the 1970's a person earing the minimum wage was not in poverty. The great benefit to the people was they could enjoy some of the finer things of life. The great benefit to the government is that it did not have to support minimum wage earners.

Minimum wage also chases the costs of goods. Unfortunately, it only happens when congress mandates the increase. Their has never been a minimum wage increase that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hasn't fought. Big business doesn't care about you. I have never known a businessman who didn't make decisions in his best interest on my account.

Supply and demand (whether real or manipulated) is the yardstick by which the costs of goods rises or falls.

yomomma- is this where I'm supposed to fight back with name calling? I'm sorry, but I got out of the 3rd grade many years ago. I also quit using terms like "NOT"! Maybe you should try and stay on subject like the rest of us adults just stating our opinions.

Well yomomma- if you had any clue as to what was going on- you would know that the land Slater offered is the ONLY piece of land that met ALL of the Criteria. Unlike the site that was chosen.

The China Act is what i, and i alone call it...because it allows china to produce things alot cheaper then us....you think we could make bottle rockets in america that cheap? with all the gun powder we would have so many stupid saftey regs and rules that it would cost 10 cents to make one.....heck we dont even hold them accountable when they send us unsafe products, so we allow them to cut another corner that wouldnt fly in america due to over abundance of fat ambulance chasers...... when you celebrate idependance day with your chinese fireworks....realize...we are not independant

jj, this is going to be a long post because I want to address the some issues that you brought up in your last post. One thing you forgot to mention is that Coca Cola buys sugarcane from Gautama instead of Hawaii or other countries because it's cheaper. It's harvested by the use of slave labor but who cares it's cheaper. There's a great book titled 'I A Guatemalan' that won the Pulitzer Prize in literature. It describes how foreign investment directly effects the lives of the people in that country. It's a great read but I doubt you would agree with it because it contradicts most of your posts.

Unions have their beginnings in such places as The Matewan Incident right here in the USA. You should try to do the job of one of those 5 city workers. Let's say you have one particular job that requires a skill, an electrician, and you have to splice a wiring truck line that is damaged. Do you just jump in and start working or do you wait until the backhoe arrives on a trailer pulled by a truck driven by another skilled worker; is unloaded and operated by another skilled worker and digs the trench first so you can get to the line. Now do you jump right in and go to work or do you wait until the safety cage is off loaded from a truck driven by another skilled worker and is lowered into the trench to keep you from being killed if/or when the walls cave in on you. Now that you are finally down in the hole should the rest of the workers leave or would you like for some of them to hang around just in case you might need a special tool or materials handed down to you. To say the least you might want one or two to be around to control the traffic zooming past you. And when you are finally done with your job I don't think you'd want to try to remove the cage from the trench and reload it onto the truck and return it to the city garage. If you did then you could run back to the job, fill in the trench, cleanup around the job site, reload the backhoe onto a trailer and drop it off at the city garage. You might want to read the book by Upton Sinclare called 'The Jungle'. It will give you more information about why we now have OSHA and the FDA.

In 1968 the minimum wage was $1.00 an hour. In the 1940's my dad worked at a lumber mill for $.50 an hour. In that 25 year period the cost of necessity's went up. Did the prices ever go up on anything you wanted to buy over the last 25 years. Your argument is the same argument that businesses espoused over a hundred years ago.If it wasn't for the minimum wage , if it wasn't for the hard work of others establishing unions and collective bargaining we could be getting other countries to outsource their jobs to us. The wages that Americans make directly effect the economy in this country. Think about it! If Americans don't have money to spend then they can't buy anything. The businesses in this country couldn't survive trying to sell their goods to Americans who couldn't afford their products. I think somewhere in here you can see how everything is connected with something else that directly impacts on your life and every one else in this country.

I looked for your reference made when you were referring to the Fair Labor Standards Act. Nowhere could I find a reference to The China Act. I would like to know your source on this one if you have one. By the way, What's wrong with being fair about anything?

Halliburton, the company that makes more money that most nations moved it corporate offices off shore last year. They didn't do it because pipeline labor in Iraq or the Persian Gulf is cheaper. They pay high wages for American and European contractors to come over there to do the work. No, all the money they earn offshore, if it's kept offshore then they don't have to pay U.S. Corporate taxes on those earnings. Oh, they're still here just the corporate charter was established over there. The big bosses are still seen around town doing what they do, but now that they have moved their charter to Bahrain they are considered a foreign owned corporation.

JJ, if I've made any mistakes I apologize. Maybe someone else can put some input in on my post. It's late an I'm going to bed.

The U.S. stopped being self sufficiant when we started paying 5 city/union workers to stand around and watch one guy work for X bucks an hour and benefits. the u.s. stopped being self sufficiant when we started OSHA. the U.S. stopped being self sufficiant when we started minimum wage. the U.S. stopped being self sufficient when we chose capitalism but allowed the government to 'protect' the workers.....Fair Labor Standards Act (aka The China Act) drives American companies to purchase products from places where no such laws and regulations exist, because they can produce things much cheaper.

saline mo - We hope to get clarification on the site selection criteria and the scoring tomorrow. We were not able to reach anyone today; minutes of the meeting came to us too late in the day to do much more than simply post the information available to us.

The correct spelling is "heparin". It is a drug used to thin the blood. Go to www.webmd.com for complet info on this drug.

kt_01,

i'm certain President Bush is not solely responsible for globalization.

Muffin, I don't really know what heprin is. Is that an exotic food that and American ate and died or was it from a person who was eating pet food trying to survive?

Yesterday, the national news services reported that the Navy has sent another aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf. It was reported as everything from saber rattling to a direct statement to Iran to back off in their suspected suppling of weapons and training Shiite militants. Does you think that the news programs are honestly reporting the news or making it sensational for the purpose of increasing their ratings. I didn't hear any of them reporting that it is " SOP-Standard Operating Procedure" to replace one carrier with another before the a carrier on station returns from deployment.

EiEiO - I think you've taken offense where none was intended. I used the word "challenged" to describe those inductees who need waivers - the story I cited specifically referred to those with criminal waivers. I posted that information in support, not opposition, to the waivers. People who are given a second chance often demonstrate, as many of these young people obviously have, that they deserved that second chance. The statistics published by the Army bear that out. Redemption, after all, is surely one of the most Christian of all Christian principles.

NanaDot, one of my neighbors, a girl who had two children and to stays in correctional facilities for Meth convictions successively negotiated the mazes and was allowed to enlist in the Army. When she tested positive for drugs during induction she was sent home for 60 days to clean out. On her return she lost her $20,000.00 sign-up bonus but is currently serving her enlistment.

Remember Arlo Guthry?

EiEiO - BTW, the Heritage Foundation study that you cited? Understand that they are a neo-conservative free-marketer think tank who helped fund and promote the Bush Doctrine, formerly known as "the project for a new american century".

Do a little research JJ....really.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Nationa...

sorry john q i was speaking from personal experience. not the same wishful thinking well that the 'public' draws from. id say 10 percent join the army to get rid of criminal convictions WOW THAT IS PATRIOTIC! most people are strapped for cash when a nice dressed snake oil salesmen comes to school and signs them up. if people join out of patriotism that must mean, according to the facts, poor minorities are more patriotic then the middle and upper class majority! maybe we should deport them? OHHHH SAAAAY CAAAAN YOUUU SEEEE

jj. your previous post was insipid and unnecessary. Most soldiers join the military out of a sense of patriotism. For over two hundred years of America's wars many joined for this reason, thousands of others were drafted. They had no say in the manner. It was either serve or go to prison.

one time i was imprisoned, held against my will, and beat........i thought it was a good time....maybe i should change my stance on this issue.......

Smokin' Cheetah,

I have read all the entries on this matter thank you very much. Sorry I was misconstruded by your words and took them in the wrong light. I see your point exactly and agree.

And Rex, it was I who made the 5 star comment. If you want to "pee" and moan about it then do so. If the people on death row expierence rape, gangs and the like in prison then good. Let them expierence torture before they die. I am sure that the people that they killed were tortured in some way before they took their life. You don't think seeing someone pull a gun on you and see and hear the shot coming torture? Being cut up not torture? Being raped then strangled to death not torture? At least the people on death row know their fate. People minding their own bussiness and living their life from day to day and are victoms have no idea.

At this point I would like to reiterate one point in my previous posting. After one of the men on Missouri's death row was exonerated of the crime committed he was still held in prison. Governor Blunt wanted the man to remain in prison until a staff member from the Attorney General's office argued to block the court from ordering his release.

When asked by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri why the Attorney General's office and staff were still seeking the death penalty the Attorney representing the state replied that the man was found guilty by a legally constituted court of law, convicted by a jury of his piers and therefore the state should carry out the verdict of the jury and the order of the court.

A prisoner is held in prison because he has been found guilty in a court of law. A finding of innocence doesn't negate the courts findings. He has been found guilty in a court of law. This is the principle of law not the actual facts that may be brought later.

I've heard the argument/complaint that prisoners in prison have it made; food, health care, cable etc... I don't think there are many people who would like to exchange places with a prisoner just to receive these benefits..

Thank you, John Q.

I honestly hadn't considered or realized most of those things. I'm learning to bend.

I guess I would still argue that if the evidence is irrefutable, then a lot of these costs are unnecessary. If the sentence is death, and the evidence is concrete, I say make it a speedy process and save the money. But again, thank you for the insight...it is information I will certainly weigh in my opinion of how the money is spent:)

And frankly, clue, while I agree with your position on the death sentence, I disagree that you see things quite clearly. Poster to poster, I challenge you to read more than one entry if you're going to get the context of the conversation fully...and develop an ability to see both sides of the picture.

Anyone can find this information on the net, but the average cost to keep a inmate on deathrow 1 year is $35,587. A single bullet, less then a buck.

SecretAgentMichaelScarn,

And as far as my comment about a 5 star hotel, I have not misskewed the perception of reality at all. To what they would consider a 5 star hotel is living on death row is much more appealing then being put to death by leathal injection as soon as they are found guilty of the crime they committed.

Or would you consider being put to death worse then living in a prison cell with a warm bed, hot meal and cable a better option?

Kathy Fairchild,

Yes I can and do sleep well at night knowing that justice is served to those who deserve it. But I do have a problem sleeping knowing that innocent service women and men are dying for a something that doesn't even have anything to do with this country. I have many friends that are overseas willing to put their lives on the line for people like you and I to speak our minds. This I have a problem with.

So, you think that it is alright to let people that have killed use your money to live in the lap of luxury? It is fair for them to live while they might have kidnapped, raped a little 6 year old girl numerious times then cut her to pieces hoping that she would never be identified? I don't see how you can do that. I would sleep even better knowing that all these people that have committed crimes such as this were put to death sooner instead of sitting on death row for 20-30 years.

In reference to the bill in committee by Rep. Deacon, "128 people have been released from death row nationally with evidence of their innocence; three of these people were from Missouri."

"In a series of ruling since 1991, the Supreme Court has drastically restricted the rights of death row prisoners to appeal their convictions and death sentences in federal courts, even in cases where prisoners present compelling evidence of innocences. In 1996, new legislation drastically limited federal court reviews of death penalty appeals, and gutted funding of legal aid services for death row prisoners."

On the executions moratorium the bill establishes a three year time period where a committee would investigate and report back to the Missouri House and Senate on the numerous intricacies on carrying out the ultimate penalty verses a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Economics also play a part in our penal system. According to the national average it now costs five times more to put a prisoner to death verses incarcerating them for life.

As a side note. I watched a program last year on the History Channel about Americas prison system from it's establishment until the present. In the program they interviewed a man in Oklahoma and he played a song on the guitar called "Buried Alive." In Oklahoma he was keep in an underground prison awaiting execution. The underground prison utilizes it ground contact to reduce it's heating and cooling costs. Escape from this prison is virtually impossible. Prisoners would have to escape through the multiple security check point to get into the hallway that leads to the surface. One week before his scheduled execution he was found to be innocent of the crime for which he had been convicted. The finding of innocence does not mean a release from prison. It sometimes takes up to a year before the process is completed before they can be released from their cells.

On one of the three cases in Missouri both Governor Blunt and an assistance attorney general of Missouri resisted the release of one of the three persons being held on death row. When asked by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri why the Attorney General's office and staff were still seeking the death penalty The Attorney representing the state replied that the man was found guilty by a legally constituted court of law, convicted by a jury of his piers and therefore the state should carry out the verdict of the jury and the order of the court.

As a final note, Rep. Deacon stated that in the beginning he was for the death penalty but based on the report findings that he could introduce the bill in order until the findings committee could report to the state legislature. At present there is a three-three split in on the bill and until there is an agreement in the committee the bill will never see the floor for consideration.

I agree that endless appeals at taxpayer expense are absurd. There should be a single appeal, to closely scrutinize and verify the original court's decision. Life in prison or death penalty either one. End of appeals. Do I believe in the death penalty - yes. Is it misused and abused - oh, yeah. Do we need to CLOSELY and CAREFULLY and VERY SELDOM apply it, yes.

Do we use prisons as a holding pen for the 'undesirables' - looks that way. THAT needs to change.

I have not done the research, but my guess is that a very high percentage (i.e. 95% or higher) of appeals in death penalty cases are handled by public defenders (i.e. free attorneys for defendants). To accurately determine the taxpayer costs of incarcerating someone before he or she is put to death, one must factor in the costs of the public defenders since all taxpayers are footing that bill also.

a five star hotel? what? even if you are only trying to be sarcastic with an attempt to prove a point, it still sounds like you might have skewed perception of reality. get a clue.

get a clue: You said " I think that the percentage of innocent people, with todays technology, is VERY low if none."

The number of innocent people executed is definitely not zero, so how many deaths would you be willing to tolerate before it's too many? Where is the point at which "very low" becomes unacceptably high?

Think of it this way: the percentage is VERY high if it's you, and you didn't commit the crime.

To be unfairly imprisoned for a long term is pretty ugly all by itself and the number of such imprisonments is getting higher as we speak. At least in those cases, the person can be released from prison.

The problem with the death penalty is that it's final. Could you sleep at night if you knew you'd sent the wrong person to his/her death? I'm certain I could not.

Mr. Crump,

Nothing in the country is 100%. Take a look at all the servicemen and women that are giving their lives for this country everyday. They are innocent as well when they die for us all. Does that make it right, no. Does that make it wrong? What is the answer there? They know what they are getting themselves into when inlisting right? But to die for what you believe in is right, right? But for a person that have committed a unspeakable crime is wrong? I think not. Innocent people die everyday for lesser things. I think that the percentage of innocent people, with todays technology, is VERY low if none.

I really don't think that people stop and evaluate that the alternative, getting a life sentence, is really not a alternative at all. They sit in prison soaking up tax dollers getting a education, free cable, showers, hot meals and a nice warm bed to sleep in. They are essentially at a 5 star resort for the rest of their lives and we the tax payers are paying for it. They kill and we pay for them to live. What is wrong with that picture?

"my god is a forgiving god"???? read the good book, my friend. for every verse saying that, there's 5 that say the opposite. if i err, i prefer to do so on the side of authority. god bless you and help you to understand the way.

"put someone to death? as long as racism, sexism, etc exist no jury should ever have that right" http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080417/ap_o...

-- Posted by JJGates on Wed, Apr 16, 2008, at 8:35 PM

unfortunately for all you JJ bashers,

JJ is spot on about prejudice and capital punishment. my god is a forgiving god. JJ is right...as usual.

taking shots at JJ is in style....let me tell ya!

Get a clue,

You note that "God believes in punishing wrong doers." But who's doing the punishing on this earth? That's where I run into a problem with the death penalty. The legal system is a human institution. It does the best it can, but it inevitably makes mistakes.

The consequences of those mistakes, when it comes to the death penalty, are more than I care to risk.

It seems to me that when we ask the state to kill, we all bear the responsibility when an innocent person dies.

JJ, you behave now, I'll see you at the meeting next month.

get a clue, do you think we should follow the Levitical laws in todays society?

It is so funny JJ that you state that people here are "riding" your coat tails. Trust me, no one here wants to be you. Of all people to be, you certainly are not at the top of my list or on my list period. It is just so sad that people can not just come here and put there two cents in with out you coming out of the wood work ,like a cockroach, and disreguard people and their thoughts. It just proves what kind of person you truely are. I am sure you laugh more then the rest of us. You enjoy making other's lives a living heck and making them feel like they don't matter. To me, that is kind of sadistic. You truely have something to say, but more then none you have crap to start then want to accuse people of wanting to be you. I truely feel sorry for you.

I think that people come here to speak their mind about issues and know that they have a voice in their community, not to be blackballed and called "wanta-be's" by you.

call it a hunch......im pretty sure i laugh more then all of u combined

prd123,

JJ is locked in his cellar of stupidity all day so he has no time to get out into the real world. May it be Marshall or even Slater.

OUCH JJ! Was that supposed to hurt? I can't count but maybe 1 thing that was true about your statement, yes Slater did have Steve McQueen.........and Ken Taylor who you obviously never had the pleasure of knowing. Hmm no modern day racers? What about Ricky Kimberling, Sonny Kimberling, Bryan Grimes, Brett Shepard, those aren't modern day racers? 2 cops huh- wow you obviously can't count....it goes like this 1-2-3-4-5-6-7. That's 4 full time, and 3 part time= 7.

No curbs or drains? Gosh how long has it been since you've been to Slater? Evidently years. Every street in Slater has been paved in the last 10 yrs...no holes, like Marshall. They also just completed a million dollar storm sewer project, if you don't understand what that means, it includes CURB AND GUTTERING.

As far as Marshall being the perfect place for the 911 center......well that's just a matter of opinion.

So AGAIN- get your facts straight and make it worth reading about!

Finally a comment from JJ on 911. Thought maybe you just weren't educated enough to comment- looks like I was right! Why don't you come up with something new and worth reading.

put the 9-1-1 center in marshall!!!!

reason 1

slater probably burnt our courthouse! they may have been cooking something up in there....

reason 2

steve mcqueen

reason 3

is it really an emergency when someone in slater is hurt?

My dear Rex,

In a battle of wits, you are unarmed. Remember, it's better to be thought a fool and say nothing then to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Say hi to JJ for me.

kt_01

As far as gas prices I agree. The oil companies will give any number of excuses, but as I have said before I have not seen even one station out of gas. Am I the only one who thinks that is a little odd? I think we are all waiting to vote democratic in Nov. That is something that we can do about it.

RE: 9-1-1

I'm not advocating one location over another. However, there is an interesting point in "what about a disaster"--but on the other side of the coin. In the event of a disaster (i.e. large electrical storm) I think one of the things that should be considered is what location is most likely to be repaired, up-and-running more quickly? That applies to phone lines, fiber optics, electrical lines, etc. Admittedly, I have no clue how self-sufficient these types of systems are. This is just one thought.

Wasn't one of the reasons for voting on the enhanced 9-1-1 was so that citizens in other parts of Saline County (NOT in Marshall) could actually have dependable 911 service? If so, then does it not make sense to locate this enhanced program in Slater or similar?

While Marshall may be the county seat, it does NOT serve the whole county. If you are outside of Marshall, you are basically on your own, as I understand it. So why not have services that are actually supposed to be county wide be out IN the county?

I agree with Missouriwoman.. I too was in a funeral and it seemed like no one would pull over for it.. I think they are disrespectful to.. We need help from the MPD on this too.. When people see the police car, than they pull over..

Here is a link to the Missouri Driver's Guide. Find information about funeral processions at the website listed below, on page 63.

http://dor.mo.gov/mvdl/drivers/dlguide/d...

Note there are rules for both sides of the question - drivers who are *in* the procession have rules, too.

Do people even know the meaning of RESPECT these days?? I don't think they do.. As a child we were taught that darning a funeral possession that you pull over. I recently attended a funeral and you just wouldn't believe how disrespect people are.. What is wrong with people? Have they just not been taught to be RESPECTFUL? Or is it that they are just very DISREPECTFUL AND UNCARING PEOPLE.

We were leaving a local funeral home here in Marshall and on the way to the cemetery and was almost cut off at an intersection and then when we got on the double hwy, people were passing us. I find this very rude, and DISREPECFUL.

Maybe there should be more info in the newspapers, radio stations, tv and in schools, and parents should talk with their children about RESPECT.

While I'm on the subject, What happened to RESPECT YOUR ELDERS? We were always taught that also. I could go on and on about RESPECT but I believe this is enough for now.

What are we wanting JJ?

How about an actual useful comment from you for a change. Your sad little quest for attention is growing very tiresome.

prd123 has a very good point. I'm very concerned about Saline County's way of thinking. Wouldn't this proposed site be voted on by Saline Citizens? This is something to follow and be heard when the time comes.

The glaring difference between the oil crisis of the 70's and what's going on now is that I have yet to see any station that is out of gas. We are being bled dry for the sole sake of greed.

Gas prices are going nuts. Nut prices (and most other groceries) are going up. A story in the NY Times today talking about how people are getting by includes this quote: "It hasn't gotten to human food mixed with pet food yet, but it is certainly headed in that direction."

www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/business/27sp...

I wonder what everyone's doing around here to make ends meet. I know I'm having flashbacks to the late 1970s, when I was in the habit of coasting down hills to save gas.

Anybody thinking about taking up bicycling? :-)

bet they go QB, Wr, RB today. id like to see a fullback personally

p.s. im not 12....but when i was i used the word 'not' as you did.

i thought so to! but why do your posts show up in JJland? oh yeah because you live there........

-- Posted by JJGates

This sounds so mature. Not. How old are you 12.

According to the 'Marshall Democrat News' (03/25/08) Commissioner Becky Plattner announced she is seeking the office of lieutenant governor and filed Friday, March 21, to be on the August primary ballot. In the announcement she stated: "I'm not going to run a hard campaign," I am committed to serving the people of Saline County. I just want to get my name in the hat…."

According the 'Slater Main Street News' (04/24/08) Commissioner Becky Plattner announced on April 19 the she will be running for Lt. Governor in the 2012 election. In the announcement she stated: "…I have given this much thought…My focus will be on the 2012 election and I hope…I will be the next Lieutant Governor of Missouri."

She is still listed on the 2008 ballot, according the Sec. of State Robin Carnahan' web site. According the Mo Ethics Commission web site, no reports have been received about financial disclosure, direct expenditures, campaign/campaign committee report, or a statement of exemption. Can someone explain these apparent errors, oversights, ethical lapses and mixed messages or did I miss something in political science class?

Is Becky Plattner running for Lt. Governor this year and announcing her "re-election" campaign a month later? Has she withdrawn from the 2008 election? Is she stating she will not run commissioner again? Does she plan on running "hard" in 2012 and use 2008 as a 'rehearsal'? Does she plan on filing campaign finance reports required by law? Does she have any idea what she is doing?

Where the heck is JJland? Oh, in your own LITTLE mind. Must be nice to have your own pretend world. Goes back to you being so lonely. You are truely your own best friend. Must be nice to be so lonely in JJland. This is where you come to get noticed because otherwise no one would know who the heck you are or even care.

You wish you were the MASTER JJ.

You are the MASTER of your own little world but that is it I am afraid.

I wonder if JJ has a cell phone and a house phone. That way he can call himself to hear his own voice much as he does on this Web site. Geeeeez.

civil unrest is a mini revolt......and we are entitled to according to that old piece of paper no one reads

JJ - please, none of that leftist sentimentality... civil unrest is treason, according to the Patriot Act at any rate...

Credit to the owner of the Casa D'Ice restaurant in North Versailles, PA. for this chuckle:

"Two Presidential candidates will each blow over $150 million to get a job that pays $400,000 a year. Must have a great dental plan!"

Bil Lepp is like the JJGates of storytelling. I'll be there!!

wow would i rather see jeff gordon race or listen to a story? lets hope the rapture happens between now and 7

jj, I'll give you a quote from Mark Twain that goes along with you words. "for that fact, sometimes a patriots job is to protect his country from its government".

insurance is based on the same thing as a slot machine........take in x and pay out y while x>y ALWAYS (over the long haul)! go to booneville and pull the slot arm down instead of shaking the arm of some suit if you want to gamble.............

here is a link to the quakes in the midwest in the last 6 months. As u will see there is nothing higher than 4.6. Most average between 1.0 and 3. 4.6 is rare.

http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recente...

Just curious, Huck: To what denomination do you belong?

John Q.,

So I'm assuming that you've accepted eternal damnation? I'll pray for you.

i <3 huckabee, I feel uncomfortable around "religious people" because of this very behavior. It's not a giant leap from wanting to live and do everything for God to living your life and expecting God to do everything for you. If you will, Christianity is a state of willingness to share and do for others freely and unselfishly in the name of Christ. We are taught to reach out and lift others up not browbeat and put others down. It's not a condition of authority but servant hood. If a person is totally honest about his beliefs in God, Yahweh, Alla, or whomever you pray to or have faith in, count the number of times last week that you asked God to help you do something instead of offering yourself to do something for God. Christianity is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. A relationship of servitude. Not a badge of honor as though we had won something.

Has anyone else had much luck with putting in their gardens?

correction: that should read "happiness"

god bless

JJ is really the only constant in life. God bless JJ and God bless the USA.

I've made my position know in my writings. I feel uncomfortable around religious people. This bantering back and forth using Jesus and arguing through scriptures will probably never convince anyone to change sides. Making light of something that many hold dear only exacerbates the situation. I for one will go back to my blog and finish my article on guns and people killing people. Somehow it seems more peaceful writing that blog than trying to be a voice of reason over here.

"Jacob said, 'I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.'"

(Genesis 32:30)

"No man hath seen God at any time." (John 1:18)

is someone lying?

And Jesus said, "For judgement I am come into this world." (John 9:39)

"I came not to judge the world" (John 12:47)

say what john?

"Whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness." [Mark iii, 29.] no point of turning back now

See Marshall's History

www.sportsmansspeedwaymarshall.com

John McCain is the only pres. candidate that does not have initial plans to raise taxes if elected. There are official sources to back that up. Does that alter the liberal mindset to vote for him, or is liberalism a disease that has no cure?

Smokin' Cheetah,

Are you suggesting suicide?

everyone on here should change there names to something jesus4 life would find offensive. how about wtf1,2 3 and so on.

yeah,smokin cheetah is right.The bible thumping preachin on screen names is old get over it.

also, jj, free speech is limited by laws against obscenity. so, for example, if someone had the screenname "what the f....." if that were to be taken as objectionable by the reasonable person, it should be removed i think. god bless and keep you all, my marshall brothers.

well the constitution says you can have free speech and the right to bear arms........i guess a combination of those 2 is illegal? should i start dumping tea now?

John Q. Sorry for the late reply. Yes it was an original poem. It came to me as I read your blog Waterboarding. You are welcome to use it as you wish. Poems are really cheap in our society, in this case free. If you are interested there are several I wrote at the time this awful war started that are posted at Voices In War Time, and Poets Against The War. I think you probably have access to my name through the newspaper. Just go to the websites, plug in my name, and it will take you to them. By the way there are many good poems at those sites.

last time i ever check the weather on this site...........look what it says for tomorrow......

Snow Showers Likely

High: 76

Low: 58

and you think my ramblings (ramblings as in truthful writings of pure facts) are crazy.....

JJ thinks he is the smartest person here. And he is not full of himself. You and I both know what he IS full of. Watch and see what kind of responce I get. It is that wonderful intellegence talking, lol.

LOL,

JJ even though ur full of yourself 80 percent of the time and u remind me of my brother way too much. You are so full of it you actually make me laugh alot of the times.

I just cant figure out if your really this full of it or its just something you do to be funny.

There's more evidence in cases like this than just a person showing up and knocking on a door. There's also all the transcripts of online conversations tied to the suspect that establish intent. If a person says, "I'm going to come over to your house and buy drugs at 4 p.m. Tuesday" then shows up at 4 p.m. Tuesday you have at least circumstantial evidence to indicate intent to commit a crime.

I see your point though. What if the whole online conversation was a joke? Or a game that the law enforcement agents didn't understand?

Ah, but what separates this case from a drug deal is the victim. If the cops wait to make the arrest until after an actual crime has been committed, there's a victim whose life may be ruined.

And of course, in this case Handel was not charged with having sex with a minor. He was charged with an "attempt to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity."

Online conversation to set a meeting + showing up at the door does seem like a fairly clear attempt to me.

i am irritating to most because im soooo handsome and i know everything. i do always talk negative but even number negatives (2,4,6,.....) always equal positives.... i dont say much out of my mouth though, im sorry kaynmo if in your head you put a voice to my typed words (if you do please use one similar to James Earl Jones but deeper, 2 times the bass, & more manly sounding)......if i get this much response saying nothing that matters i would almost be afraid to post something that did! keyboard sales would triple in marshall because of the excess use. you are right though. i am a bunch of hot air. i guess its better then cold....never heard of a cold air ballon and if there was one it would never get off the ground. that might be your problem.

wow. you guys really like to go out of your way to bash on JJ. you are just internet bullies.

you are like one of those people who hate a tv show but tune in every week just to complain and say how bad it is.......change the channel

Freudian slip? how ironic.....if a high meth head gave u relationship advice would you take it? so dont let a cocaine addict give you physcology advice and or terminology. this also goes for all of the 'sons and daughters' of the father of physcology.

did i ever deny wanting to do that BC? and also thank you BD......and if drinking mist at the gun store watching girls play four square is blue....call me papa smurf (true colors)

We should appreciate what we have when we look at JJ Gates, it's sad that every article I read on this website has his opinion pasted at the end. I feel bad for the guy.

Anyone read Stephen Kinzer's "OVERTHROWN"?? He does make the point that the pattern of our foreign involvement has more to do with corporate interests than actual security interests... Given the maps that Cheney and gang plotted long before the current conflict, the record oil/gas profits being made, the minor detail that the oil, chemical, weapons, and mercernary companies are all making a killing, doesn't it make you wonder just a wee bit???

Reference the inquiry of a full scale troop withdrawal in Iraq.........

Disaster, plain and simple. Fact is, it will never happen unless a liberal gets in office, period. All I know is that progression is happening over there and despite all the civilians that you hear say "our soldiers are getting killed left and right over there, bring them all home", we are doing some good. Bless those that have died in battle! They have not died in vain! They died so that you all can type whatever and whenever you want on this forum, so that we all can sleep peacefully at night knowing we are safe, and that they are serving God by protecting those who cannot protect themselves. If any of you that read this are one of those people that serve in the military, Thank You! If you are one that blames our leaders for the death's of our soldiers, shame on you! Those soldiers that died were not drafted, nor were they coerced into enlisting in the military. They did it with honor. Don't take that from them!

Ulitmately, our troops will always be deployed SOMEWHERE! Whether its 10,000 soldiers or 100, there will always be an operation in foreign territory. It would be foolish for us to pull out now, especially with all that we've done and as much as we've accomplished.

no its just that farmers=trouble

see vietnam...

on another topic...who had the bright idea of putting the Saline County Alternative School within 50 yards of Cotts Firearms and Pats Liquor? they share the same parking! in theory i could buy a gun and a half gallon of canadian mist, sit in the back of my truck and watch teen girls at recess? only in marshall.....this looks like a jim the wonder dog miracle

saline mo, I agree with the profound lack of respect and trivialization tactics. Personally, I don't care if the candidate is pink with purple polka dots, what does he or she have to offer in terms of solid options. Name-calling, gossip and outright lying demeans the serious discussion we all need to be debating. I would like to suggest a minimum level of civility in which the candidates are all properly addressed as Senator.

slaters baseball team is 1-7...but dont get down guys....keep trying hard slater

In JJ's usual way of things he's actually made a bit of a point (other than the fact he's slamming Catholics and Mormons).

I don't usually get involved in politics, but I'm getting a little ticked off with certain people referring to Obama the way they have.

It's one thing to say he's a Muslim, another all together to put him in the same class (lowest) as some of these radical, terror reeking jihadists.

I'm not the man's biggest supporter, but it doesn't mean I'm going to go off the deep end and start making unfounded and plain stupid claims.

I won't say he'll make a good or bad president either way, but civility doesn't have to be tossed out the window, either.

Stinky pinky, the Muslim holy book is the Koran not the "coran" He is NOT a muslim. I will open my "yap" whenever I feel necessary this is America isn't it?? I will not argue with you because arguing with a fool proves that there are two. Use spell check before you respond. Have a nice day!

supporting hilary is like rooting for the duke blue devils to win the ncaa tourny...last year.....ITS OVER SHE LOST!

From The Associated Press:

"A 5.4 earthquake centered in southern Illinois rocked people awake throughout the Midwest Friday morning, including in Missouri.

It happened just before 4:37 a.m. and was centered near West Salem, Ill., about 150 miles east of St. Louis."

Dang thing woke me up! Anybody else feel it?

HOLY COW!!!!

I had no idea, not to bring up old news, my screen name is soooo offensive. But you all know those Democrat "elitists" always think they are above all others. I think Jesus4life supports Hussein Obama Bin Laden. Anyway it is only offensive if YOU generate the inuendo!!!! Ding dong round 3 lets go.

Onpont i think you are correct. People like to just come on this site to twist words and act like children. Im really supprised jj did not give a stupid comment. give him time im sure he will.Sometimes its like a mental battle for morrons.

onpoint: you do NOT in fact know anything about whom I support. Where or in what venue did you see Sen. Obama's name listed in the way you have it?

Onpoint, it is clear that you are not being a "smart @$$" because you can't even spell the man's name correctly. It's Barack Obama. He is not a muslim. Furthermore I believe the only thing YOU choose to see about Obama is negative. I've seen many positives in his campaign.

How about Barak Osama Bid-Laden Obama? Does anyone on this forum support him? If so, please explain why! I'm not being a smart @$$, but really...I'm trying to find out what good things come from this candidate that people support. I've seen nothing but negative evidence against him so far...

No,

I think you've just revealed that JJ acutally posts under three different screen names.

jj,

It might pain me to say so but I think you are right on the money with your response to the death penalty for rapists.

Could someone bring me up to speed on when the mayor told David Kemm "this is your last chance". What was the context or why did she even say that? I think Dave's clean up program is wonderful and he should be applauded for his efforts. Good work Dave.

I thought I would never say this, but congratulations to David Kemm!

His city cleanup day was his best yet and it's nice to see someone taking positive steps to make their little part of the world a better place.

It's a good thing he didn't get discouraged by the Mayor's comment "this is your last chance." Nice job David!

i would like to say if i went in to hr block and was treated that way i would have asked to speak to the owner because i have heard other people talk about how rude the office manager is. and i personally think hr is better than goin to an accountant cause at least they sit down and explain things to you and not just you drop it off and come back in a couple weeks to pick it up. on the other hand about the RALs if people choose to get there money that way that is on them not everybody has a checking or savings account to get direct deposit.

H&R - just posting to agree that I think almost anyone probably is better than H&R, well especially that one on Odell. I filed there last year and the accountant had NO CLUE how to use her own computer and how to mark yes, no, or enter in information that I was telling her. I had to explain to her where to scroll down, etc. I finally just took the keyboard away from her and did it all myself. I never spoke up to anyone and just paid the full price. I'm a chicken, but I learned my lesson the expensive way and won't be repeating my mistake. I do like the boxed tax programs you can buy as well as the online ones.

Sex crimes of this calibur. Yes

Repeated sex offenders. Yes

If someone committs "Cruel and unusual" acts causing death or dismemberment requiring surgery- they should ,case by case, not be alive.

Cruel and unusual punishment is what he inflicted on the child so I could really care less about him. Take him out.

In fairness I should state that virtually any accountant or accounting firm can offer the Refund Anticipation Loan. H&R is being accused of not explaining the process thoroughly, thus, misleading people.

To kaynmo - Thanks for the eye opening information. I personally don't use H & R, but have considered it thinking it might be cheaper than my own personal accountant. Based on your information, I think I'll stay where I am.

To catlover - Amen! Spencer is a wonderful person; too bad we couldn't talk him into running for school board! But he's smarter enough to know better than to throw himself into that fire! Kudos to him and all he does!!!

For kaynmo:

Your experience sounds like that of a typical *chain store*. What you experienced at the local office with regard to surprise fees is one of the reasons the IRS is investigating H & R Block nationwide.

Who out there filed their taxes with H & R via the "Rapid Refund" and got their check in 2 or 3 days? If you got your money that fast, it wasn't Rapid Refund. It was the Refund Anticipation Loan, or RAL. The IRS is on H&R for not being more clear about what the RAL is.

The RAL is a short term, high-interest loan made to you by one of several participating lenders. It is a loan to you based on what your refund is "anticipated" to be. You get the check and hopefully all goes well, forgetting of course you just gave away about 14.9% of your money in interest. When the IRS processes your return, the actual refund goes to the lender that gave you the short-term loan instead of back to you--you already got the money.

This info is a day late I realize, but this RAL can be a dangerous game to play. There are mulititudes of reasons the IRS can keep your refund (aka "offset"): Deliquencies in government housing loans, student loans, child support, even some forms of credit card debt. If the IRS offsets your refund, the money you have coming goes to pay these people. Here's the problem: you signed a legal document agreeing to pay this loan you just took out--one way or the other. If your refund is offset, the lender that loaned you the money on a RAL does't get repaid by the IRS, and you will be sued for the loan amount--and this is all perfectly legal. The worst part of this is, you won't find out there's a problem until weeks or months down the road when this lender calls you up telling you your gonna be sued...long after that return is already spent.

The biggest problem the IRS is having with H&R is not explaining all the possible problems with the RAL.

Oh, and did I mention H&R tacks on their own "fees" for this "rapid" service?

kaynmo, is that the best you can come back with? actually, it probably is.

JJ wins!

has anyone ever waited till the last minute to do something then complained? i did......then i grew up and realized i was wrong

Wish the businesses in Marshall would take a hard look at the American flags they are flying. Some are in horrific condition. Seems disrespectful to fly torn and tattered flags. Come guys, take pride not only in flying our flag but doing so appropriately, too.

Sorry, SAMS. I don't know anyting about Frosting lattes.

I have no problem with peoples' choice of screen-names.

I DO have a problem with peoples' apparent proof-reading phobia.

You just spent twenty minutes crafting your argument about crosswalks, taxes, screen-names, etc. Take twenty seconds to make sure it is typo-free.

ps. I found, like, seven errors looking over this post. IRONY!

I agree with what the f..., who died and left Jesus4Life the authority on what screen names are offensive here. There are not guidelines on this blog as to what you can use as your screen name. So you can use whatever you like. I think if your mind is in the gutter you might believe some of the names are offensive, however, I'm more concerned with what people have to say...not what their name is. Say you had a co-worker with the name of Beelzebub. Would you tell him you think his name is offensive. Would you not be friends or communicate with him simply because you did not like his name? Would God approve if you did treat other people that way? It's no different here. I might find your screen name offensive, but I ignore it and continue to post to what you have to say, not what your name is. If you think so many names are offensive on this blog why don't you find a nice religious blog to post on and leave people and their screen names here alone. Otherwise, climb down from your pulpit, quit judging others on their names, and listen to what they have to say. What would Jesus do? He would accept people for who they are, and not judge them by their name.

Happy Tuesday!!

i would just like to say that i find the sign on name "stinkypinky" offensive. please remove it so i dont have to be subjected to innuendo.

JJ you need to take a chill pill dude. Go smoke something!!!!

I've got a suggestion...call it a happy medium, if you will:

Why don't we encourage our fine city to install those tell-tale illuminated hand signals at ALL of the crosswalks with traffic lights and teach kids to use them? I sat virtually through an entire green light on Odell the other day by the square waiting on a bunch of kids to cross against the light. By the color of the light, I could have proceeded forward. Because the average four-feet-tall flesh tones in the street in front of me walking between two painted lines, I had to wait. No big deal. A little frustrating that they didn't know any better, but no big deal.

I went home, enjoyed a frappe latte, watched the sunset, and logged on to the MDN for some entertainment.

heres nomads own words.I do not wait for the vehicle. HIT ME BABY! 'cause I'm in need of some $$$! It'll only hurt for a bit.. and if it's longer?? That's ok.

Keep telling yourself you dont need mental help with this problem you have. all it takes is one careless driver,one drunken driver,one old person with bad reactions and vision.

If you need money so bad as to encourage people to get hit on purpose i sugest you try to find a job.

One theese days ull cross carelessly,get hit by someone who has no insurance,is poor,and ull end up in a wheelchair while us taxpayers pay for your every need.And you will be nothing more than a burden on an already messed up welfare system that was meant for people who need real help and not for frauds like u claim to be.

Congratulations are sent out to Mr. Kemm on his "Successful" Clean up Marshall event. I remember reading that OUR Mayor and City Council gave him "one more chance".

Who cares how many people turn out to help. Mr. Kemm is trying to give the city he grew up in, a courtesy. He should be backed by all of Marshall's officials and organizations.

Mrs. Fairchild has already posted this... so-I'm not understanding why those who have read it are ??ing the subject.

MUST means you HAVE TO STOP, for a person in/at a CROSSWALK.

Crosswalks and stop lines: Page 29 of the MO Driver's Guide (found, a few scrolls away from the beginning of the chapter3)

When required to stop because of a sign or signal, you MUST stop before your vehicle reaches the stop line or if there is one, the CROSSWALK.

CROSSWALKS DEFINE THE AREA WHERE PEDESTRIANS ARE TO CROSS THE ROADWAY. YOU MUST YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS IN OR ABOUT TO ENTER A CROSSWALK. Not all crosswalks are marked. Be alert for pedestrians when crossing intersections that do not have defined crosswalks.

I am a person that will CROSS in a crosswalk if there are no cars directly in the crosswalk. If a vehicle is approaching the crosswalk and I am already there, I do not wait for the vehicle. HIT ME BABY! 'cause I'm in need of some $$$! It'll only hurt for a bit.. and if it's longer?? That's ok cause your insurance will pay! I get a vacation & you get a criminal record for breaking the law!!

Oklahoma Reader, I have read and reread your poem several times and appreciate you sharing it with us. Is this an original poem or do you have a source for it? I have copied the poem and would like to use it at a later time. In addition to the poem I will offer the following quote.

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

-HERMAN GORING AT THE NUREMBERG TRIALS

I the history of war it seems this game plan keeps being played out.

John Q.

anyone see the irony here? this is my hobby if you couldnt tell.......... are u unhappy as a person?

I am not going to get into a silly argument with someone who has nothing better to do, but sit around all day, and post comments on a website. Get a hobby.

It looks to me like this "JJ Gates" seriously needs to get a life.

onpoint,

Your funny. To get ur undies in a bunch over me saying damn few times is crazy.Its not discrimination at all. Theres alot of other words i could have said and i chose not too. U said wtf. thats bad. Is that how u talk to people does the fword come out of your mouth so freely like that.do you always talk like a drunken truckdriver.

WTF Crump? kaynmo posted "damn" twice and its still there?!?!?! I feel discriminated for getting some of my postings deleted!

We the people need to just have some common courtesy for one another. In the winter or summer you the driver have your heater to warm you and in the summer you have your air conditioner to cool you. the person walking has neither. I myself will wait to see if a car is going to stop before going into the cross walk. I have always thought and been told the person in the cross walk had the right of way. But what do I know.

thats why i have a kid nomad! i parked at that house and they walked up to the car..........

You're very welcome, Smokin Cheetah.

I get very annoyed driving past the college seeing the students and faculty waiting to cross and not one car will... until me!

Smokin Cheetah and Nomad......

Your link still does not prove your case! And nice try, because I was nearly hit a few years ago while walking in a crosswalk and I tried to press charges on that person. I was told that "drivers are not trained to look down at the road while driving." Which makes sense to me. When I drive, I don't look down at the road like a moron. I look ahead and through curves so that I don't crash. However, if you see someone in the middle of the street, it's only common sense to slow down and yield.

When one of you finds a statute that backs up your theory, let me know so I can appeal my case. The link you displayed is not statute.

Thanks for that link, nomad. How silly and "old school" of me to assume someone would take the time to actually pick up a book:)

It harkens me back to the solid yellow lines in front of the liquor store on Odell...and people's penchant for not obeying them!

Seriously, that's a great link. Thank you!!

I have to add, those painted *legal* traffic markers would be easier to obey if they were a tad bit easier to see (hint, hint).

Stopping for a Pedestrian at/in a crosswalk IS the law. Always has been. Someone should look into yanking your license if you didn't know that one.

Here's the link. You should definatly brush up!http://dor.mo.gov/mvdl/drivers/dlguide/chapter3.pdf

me1234: That is precisely one of the biggest problems with the district. Information that is supposed to be confidential is continually "leaked" to the public, therefore the public always knows whats going to happen before the employees do. There is a huge issue of distrust within the district, and this "leaking" is a major contributor. As a board member or administrator, if you are privy to information that should be kept confidential, then do it. I can't tell you how many times I have known about situations days and weeks before it was made public. Not because I am in close contact with anyone, but because someone I know knows someone who knows someone etc. For some reason, many who are put into these types of positions just can't keep their mouths shut when they need to!

Okla Reader,

You are correct. This adminstration is downright treasonous. Let's not forget compromising CIA operatives

(expect to see a full pardon of Scooter Libby in the near future) because of a politcal hissy fit and that's just one more example of a long list of either incompetence or criminal complicity. Apparently our constitution, for which the president is sworn to defend is nothing more than a nuisance to be brushed aside.

We are told that we have to win this war while no one can define what winning is. Meanwhile private contracters are raking in obscene amounts of our tax dollars while our country is spiraling towards bankruptcy. Gas prices have almost doubled in just under three years.What does GW do? He smiles, shrugs and goes on yet another vacation which seems to be all he is good at as he taken more than any other president in history.....more than any other president in history.

I could go on and on but anyone who's ever seen anything other than FOX news already knows the score. I have written Mr. Skelton and encourage others to do so as well. These people need to be held accountable in a legal sense. If we do not demand this we will continue to get more of the same. People have to see past their parties. Don't turn a blind eye just because you may have voted for those in office because you are getting screwed as well.If GW has done anything he has made me pay more attention.

Alphadog...

I'm quite impressed that you would share scripts from "ON SHEEP, WOLVES, AND SHEEPDOGS". However, you should give credit where credit is due. ON SHEEP, WOLVES, AND SHEEPDOGS is from the book, On Combat, by Lt. Col. (retired) Dave Grossman, US Army Ranger, Former West Point Psychology Professor. I'm not sure who Charles Grennel is, but I commend him on quoting Lt. Col. Grossman from his magnificent book.

i was also taught the same thing in the halls of MHS... honors world history to be exact..... quit burning my comments you slaterite

when will my flat out word just be good enough? no source should be needed other then myself.

Saline County Courthouse was built 1882. The courthouse replaced an earlier courthouse destroyed by fire in April 3, 1881. Slater was competing for the county seat, and each community accused the other of arson.

we live in a place where 15 percent vote and i get pounded for being negative (more then 15 percent of my posts are postive!)........maybe its you all that are over optimistic.......nothing positive can come from a place where only 15 percent of the people care enough about the area to cast a vote! im currently accepting apologies.....

http://www.marshallnews.com/story/101420...

I haven't been to Sweet Springs lately. is it really like the wild wild west?

we all like jesse james, and we love old western movies. but then we frown on todays criminals because we are old and out dated. well not all of us.....so let me applaude the sweet springs bank robbers! hip hip hooray! recession=aggression! i guess they got tired of waiting on their tax rebate check.

im not ray liotta or henry hill, although i live my life eerily close to the latter......why do i always see that helicopter? anyone know what its doing? is it just following me? i need to go to pittsburgh :)

To Alphadog...as the proud son of a sheepdog, a sheepdog who made the ultimate sacrifice for this great country, I thank you for your great words!

This letter was written by Charles Grennel and his comrades who are veterans of the global war on terror. Grennel is an Army Reservist who spent two years in Iraq and was a principal in putting together the first Iraq elections, January of 2005. It was written to Jill Edwards, a student at the University of Washington who did not want to honor Medal of Honor recipient USMC Colonel Greg "Pappy" Boyington a University of Washington alumni's, prior to a planned ceremony early February 2008. (For those of you who are too young to remember, the TV show Baa Baa Black Sheep was based on the heroics of this WWII fighter pilot) Ms. Edwards and other students (and faculty) do not think those who serve in the U.S. armed services are good role models.

_________

To: Edwards, Jill (student, UW)

Subject: Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs

Miss Edwards, I read of your student activity regarding the proposed memorial to Col. Greg "Pappy" Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. I suspect you will receive a bellyful of angry e-mails from conservative folks like me.

You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of generations of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you and your fellow students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways of youth and your naiveté. It may be that you are, simply, a sheep. There's no dishonor in being a sheep as long as you know and accept what you are.

William J. Bennett, in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997 said: Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident. We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

Then there are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

Then there are sheepdogs, and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf. If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the uncharted path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

We know that the sheep live in denial; that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours. Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, Baa. Until the wolf shows up; then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them.

This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door. Look at what happened after September 11, 2001, when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes. The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes.

Maybe I could have made a difference. You want to be able to make a difference. There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent c rimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself. Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When they learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd and the other passengers confronted the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers, athletes, business people and parents from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." Edmund Burke

"Only the dead have seen the end of war." Plato

Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice.

But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between.

Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. It's OK to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheep dog. Indeed, the sheep dog may just run a little harder, strive to protect a little better and be fully prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep moving from baa to thanks.

We do not call for gifts or freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a small pat on the head, a smile and a thank you to fill the emotional tank which is drained protecting the sheep. And when our number is called by The Almighty, and day retreats into night, a small prayer before the heavens just may be in order to say thanks for letting you continue to be a sheep. And be grateful for the thousands, millions of American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.

May God richly bless all the Sheepdogs of America!

It's about time..........

i was number 150 :s

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL 4H. The 4H Jr Leaders are having a taco supper at the Fairgrounds Multipurpose Building from 4:30-7:30 this evening. Freewill donation will be accepted. Carry-outs will be available. THE PROCEEDS ARE GOING TO REBURBISH THE INTERIOR OF THE COOKSHACK. THANKS TO ALL WHO HELP OUT.

No point?? I must disagree. The issue of representation is exactly the point. The meetings are open to the public; what I still don't understand and you have not and cannot explain is why all committee members are from Marshall. It is the commissioners duty 'appoint' the members and make sure of proper representation.They have "ignored" imput through their own actions and appointments . It appears that at least four of the members live in Marshall (three live on the same street). I fail to see how this is giving equal voice to all the citizens of Saline County. That chance will come tomorrow and I urge everyone to vote based on facts, history and personal beliefs.

There is no point to modemocrat, he/she feels that they have had no representation because the commissioners didn't join every group in Saline County and the committee members don't live in his/her community. Based on this there is some kind of paranoia that they don't hold the views of the entire county as equal.

I have seen several announcements of the meetings of the courthouse committee. I have not attended but as far as I can tell they have all been open meetings. If anyone failed to attend the meetings, or contact one of the committee members to express their views, then who's fault is that. Modemocrat has not given a single example of how the commissioners or committee members have ignored or refused any outside impute or opinions in this issue.

Even if you choose to think your opinion has been ignored, we the citizens ultimately have the finial say tomorrow at the polls.

The courthouse renovation committee members are: Paul Porter, Bryan Berlin, Lucy Fletcher, Lee Hamilton and Brad Bartlett. All of them are listed in the Marshall section of the phone book. We've published this information several times, each time saying they were all from Marshall, and so far, none of them has contacted the paper to say that isn't so.

In your earlier post, you asked for the names of your representatives - do you mean the names of the commissioners, or the names of the members of the courthouse preservation committee, or both? I noted also that there seems to be some confusion on who lives where - can you clarify that for me? I have the names, if you want them, and their locations. I have the impression that you believe the newspaper has published incorrect information and I'd like to help you out, if I can. To date, after the publication of several stories on the courthouse renovation, no one has said that our information on committee members is uncorrect until now.

With all due respect, how could the three commissioners belong to every chamber in the county? Where would they find the time to attend meetings?

See Marshall's Racing History

www.sportsmansspeedwaymarshall.com

Upkeep is a good issue. Alot of people took considerable personel time and trouble to refurbish and re-attach the illuminated flag on the north side of the court house. Now it appears as if it needs a few new bulbs but nothing has been done. I guess it will be left there to rot like before?

Hey, modemocrat! You sound as if you maybe a former county commissioner. Sometimes elected officials get to pick up the pieces of what others neglected to do when they had the chance!

Good point, modemocrat. It would be a good move to make sure that there are funds for upkeep and maintenance after the renovation is finished so we don't face this again in 20 years. I guess my point is that we can quibble about how we got to this point but the reality is that the structure needs to be renovated.

i think the thing most people are missing here is that jesus hates tax collectors. if you try to collect taxes for the courthouse, you are no better than them.

Please vote for the sales tax to refurbish the County Courthouse. Those of you who see it each and every day can not help but take it for granted. I did when I lived there. Familiarity breeds contempt.

It is a classic monument to what's good about rural America. Neglecting it will only promote the image that is pervading county seats all over this country, shabby little town squares with boarded windows, and courthouses falling down. What will people think when they come to your town square and see that? Most of you have a sense of pride about your town, just as you do your home ,or your car. It is in your best interest to continue to extend that sense of pride beyond what you personally own. If nothing else that grand old building draws the eye away from the shuttered shops, and the mind away from thoughts of Walmart that caused it. If you can, after you vote to preserve your heritage take the time to walk around your square. Enjoy remembering what it once was. Dream of what it might be.

it was the same thing! i took out a quote from a movie! you knocking the american classic film?

We are going to be voting on another new tax next Tuesday (this time for courthouse renovations). The county commission discussed and appointed a committee to offer solutions. I would like to commend the committee for their time and hard work on this project. I still question why no representatives have been included that live outside the Marshall city limits. Two reasons have been suggested: 1) there was a time crunch and the committee was needed quickly for a grant application; 2) That citizens have not come forward to express an interest in helping.

I accept the premise of the grant timeline; but not to have appointed anyone else in the two plus years (since the committee was first formed seems) like adequate time to find others willing to serve. The committee was "appointed", a big difference from a "volunteer" situation. Showing an 'interest' in a project in Saline County has little correlation in being chosen to serve. There were over a dozen citizens that volunteered their time to work on getting County wide 911 organized and passed. Out of this group only ONE was appointed to the initial committee.

The question has also been raised as to why the Saline County Commission is a member of the Marshall Chamber of Commerce but no other 'Chamber' or similar group in the other communities. The answer was that 'they had not been invited' to join. Does this mean that to be 'appointed' by the commission, a person needs to 'volunteer' but for the commission to belong to a 'volunteer' organization the commission needs to be 'invited'? I believe the above demonstrates the detachment our current county commissioners have with the citizens they are suppose to represent. While the citizens have the final vote on the courthouse tax increase, it is worth noting the methods used for various projects over the past several years. A tax rate approaching 8% is very high and with a recession looming, gas prices headed towards $4.00/gallon, food prices rising, housing downturn we must ask is this the best time and way to renovate our courthouse?

I am so bummed out right now. I just got back from town (I live out in the country) after running some errands. It's Saturday night and the town is dead. Of course, I know this has to do with high gas prices. I about choked when I saw gas for $3.10 at Break Time. This is just making me sick. Each week that I gas up and see the price rising, I wonder when it will end. Food prices are higher, everything is more expensive, and my family is barely making ends meet. I HAVE to gas up each week to get to work and town or there wouldn't be any money coming in to pay the bills. I read in paper the other day that for the third month in a row America has lost more jobs than gained. I no longer hear about the financial problems we are facing as a nation, but now I can clearly feel and see them. In my lifetime, I personally have never seen such a national crisis. I guess this is just me venting, but also hoping that things will change for the better soon.

Alphadog, keep up the good work. The sacrifices of our troops and their families are greatly appreciated. Some of our complaints must seem pretty trite compared to what you're going through. Hang in there!

Yeah...

A bright idea to put a tax issue on a ballot during a recession...Go figure.

Makes you stop and think doesn't it?

You wonder what world some of these people who makes these decisions are living in...

Take a look around for crissakes..count the cars going up and down Odell or College streets after dark during the week...You can count on them on one hand..

There's no money folks..wake up!

I agree about them standing in the street id like to know where the money goes isure cant get any help here and i know of elderly that cant either .

It's springtime again and another payday is here...how can I tell?

Legal panhandling time at the 4-way stop at Odell and Yerby streets, that's how.

I'm all for charity and these organizations that do good things for people, don't get me wrong. But, to be practically held hostage on our city streets so they can collect money is just not right.

I have seen several problems arise from this.

One, traffic backs up tremendously during busy times causing frustration and impatience.

Two, I have personally witnessed several near misses or hits because people are either talking, getting out money or trying to hurry through the intersection to avoid them.

Three, the "takers" seem to think that they are at a local coffee shop and it is time to chat up anyone who happens to drive by. Please, do your chatting on your own time, not mine. It's a road, not a social.

Four, people asking for money at one of Marshall's busiest intersections is just plain wrong. Do good things, but get your money to do these things in another way. Don't use a city street to stand there and beg. This is usually called panhandling and I thought it was illegal.

support taxes....support our community! am i the only positive voice in marshall... :)

what about them 3-0 royals!

I have to say eric on your post about Iraqi people is so right. The people there tend to get a bad rap. Growing up in california amoung diverse races i have known many from that part of the world. Most of them are pretty good people.

I hate how people who dont really know theese people treat them or have opinions that they are all bad because of 911. its just not true. it shows the ignorance that todays society has toward that part of the world and its all based on bad media. Not from experiance.

Very good points, Saline MO. This should be thought of when voting on this tax.

Dear Mr. Crump.

Not all liberals are "wimpy". I believe that phrase constitutes name calling just as if you were calling someone "ignorant". Who moderates and or removes your posts? For the record, I am just drawing a parallel to other posts deleted for vitually the same offense. Is there a distintion because it is directed at a group of people as opposed to a specific individual?

yeah bd...just ignore the truth

bd42, what an ironic post.

let's just ignore JJ and not post about him.

I stand by my post of several weeks ago. Stop responding to jj and he will disappear. He's just feeding off your angry responses.

Heck I forgot the "Saline County Health Department Building came in at $1.5 million"

Now I can't ponder why the old hospital couldn't have been wonderfully renovated for 1/4 of the $1.5 million and we couldn't have made do. Feels like some kind of Christmas dejavu with the kids wanting a new bike when the old bike would work just fine if the tires were aired up!!

Gee whiz I hope future repairs and upkeep are included in the cost of these million dollar buildings and we aren't going to have to raise taxes again!

how could you have a local blogs section without jj gates? insane!

I am going to have to agree about the no new taxes. If I wanted to live in Illinois or anywhere else where taxes are higher I would pack up and go. I live here in part because the taxes are less.

I tend to agree that it seems everytime something new is needed a tax increase is thrown on the ballot. I have seen some totally awesome homes the size of the new ambulance district with interior finishes that would rival a palace that are in the $300,000 to $500,000 dollar range. So 1.1 million for a metal building with a little stone for decoration seems like someone(the taxpayers) got a raking over the coals.

Don't get me wrong I'm all in support of emergency services but don't try to force feed us into thinking that half a million couldn't have accomplished the same thing. It really defeats the purpose of getting a tax rebate check from the federal government to then turn right back around and give it back for county taxes or any other tax for that matter.

I think the courthouse is in need of repairs but I also think this was poor planning. I mean when you buy a house you know that future repairs will have to made on occassion, you will have to paint, put new shingles on, fix plumbing, etc, etc... Maybe we the taxpayers should put in for a bond on the ballot to fix our homes whenever home repairs are needed. Hope my point is made...NO NEW TAXES!!!!

I also do not believe the court house renovation needs to be funded by a city sales tax- unfortunately~ that is the only choice our Council will give.

I do believe there has been purchases that were not "in need", now the court house has been put off and is "in need" of repair, hindsite is 20/20. This should have been planned for.

With the economy in this horrible rutt, I have explained to my family that there is great need to ask, "Is this a NEED or a want." before purchases.

I also would like to know... How many employers would tolerate an hourly paid employee whom chooses to go green and ride a bicycle that, (in their job description) needs to do errands: bank, post office, meetings, marketing, office supply.

I am not far from my employers bank and the post office, I walked a couple of times about 3 years ago and was told I was gone too long. Just curious on others views!

Let our city and county government "leaders" who wanted the Supercenter here pay for the improvements..since they're sucking tax dollars out of the county one family and one small business at a time..

That seems fair..

More on the sales tax issue - the tax attached to the courthouse vote is 1/4 of one cent. You're correct that it raises the total amount of sales tax, but not by a great deal. Also a part of the ballot issue is a "sunset" provision, which retires the tax after seven years. In addition, the money raised by the tax cannot be diverted for other purposes, and includes funds for maintaining the courthouse once the renovation has been completed.

I have just gotten out of the service and trying to get up to speed on happenings in my home county. I have heard there is a sales tax provision for courthouse repairs on next weeks ballot. Is it true that this will raise the sales tax in our county to almost 8%? This seems rather high compared to the rates I paid while living in several other states. I was also told that last year the county commissioners received a pay raise; if this is true it appears some priorities/leadership is lacking from our county officials. I know that the tax is very small; but combined with the other sales taxes currently being paid, you will not be paying an 'extra' $0.25 for $100 worth or groceries.....rather you will now be paying $8.00 in sales tax for those groceries. I have heard other stories regarding this issue and was curious as to what others think. We have a beautiful court house.......is this the best way to go about preserving it?

Way to go smokin cheetah. :)

It was because you called someone ignorant.

Ignorance does not mean stupid, it just means someone doesn't know any better. I guess Eric considers calling someone ignorant "name calling". I wonder if it matters how it's framed, for example: you can't say "your ignorant", but can you say

"yor are showing your ignorance"? Hmmmm......

A little humor for the post-April Fool's day enthusiast. Makes you wonder about all the time spent picking on spelling errors:-)

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg. THE PHAOMNNEAL PWEOR OF THE HMUAN MNID. Aoccdrnig to a rseearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

Now I'm tinkihng aobut all the tmie I wtsead in sochol lrenanig how to slpel..

quoting marx? since communism is so super-successful, maybe you can grant me a loan comrade

i agree with jj...iraq should be the 51st state, because it should belong to the true faith...american christians

Glasgow, Blackburn, Gilliam, and Slater? i do not recognize you as towns, so i cannot say i care about what happens there...in my humble opinion i veiw you as tribes of meth(peace) pipe smoking natives that we must drive west. (i need all the blankets of the sick i can get my hands on, preferrably small pox)

gracie thanks for the compliments....if we havnt met you are missing out, let me tell you.....and i feel sorry for you.....but dont give up yet! gastric bypass, a few nips and tucks, and maybe in enlargement or two and we could go to caseys on a date! ill even let you order a large fountain drink! its something to think about

Love Always,

The Voice of Truth in the land of meth

JJ Gates

I would like to know why you deleted my opinion

In due time people will see JJ for what is really is. And that is something I can not state on here unfortunatly.

Good points JJ. good thing that slater isn't a very good cross section of our country, otherwise capitalism probably wouldn't work well. Good ideas are needed for capitalism to work... and, well ... not many of them are come from slater.

I would have to agree with duke. JJ is a flamer!

My point is not that I want Congress to bail us out of the gas crisis. They can't and won't. My point is that Congress is "all show and no go" on the issue. They grandstand on television, but probably still quietly take contributions from big oil. My guess is that America will not get serious about alternative energy until gas reaches $5 a gallon or more. I am confident Congress has better ways to spend their time, and our money!

we live in america, and if you open a business you should be able to charge what you want....you babies cant expect congress to bail you out when YOU WILLINGLY pay high prices for gas...either budget better or dont buy it....sheesh....we might as well go communist.....CAPITALISM YOU BABIES READ ABOUT IT

i just read anthony and cheatahs charming convo...and then i realized its april fools day...hahahahah you guys really had me going.....saps

To: Smokin' Cheetah

I would like to thank you for what you said about me. I really appreciate it. I do my best!!! I do my best in school, I love my town but I want to see the world I want to see other people's lifes in action. I plan on attending college this fall and major in economics and minor in international business. I really appreciate the advice you gave for a successful life,you really summed it all up!!! Thanks again for what you said I really do appreciate it. GO SHS!!!

anthonyn08,

I want to commend you. You seem like a well-rounded young man with initiative and a desire to succeed. I don't even know you and I'm proud.

My eyes have been opened WIDE quite recently. In the very near future there are going to be an overwhelming number of worthless ex-locals talking about how bad Saline County is. They will be the ones who didn't give a crap about themselves or anybody else, got in trouble, got busted, swear it's everybody else's fault, and have no idea what accountability is...mainly because they've been enabled by parents and gaurdians who didn't want to commit the time it would have taken to straighten their little "prince" or "princess" out. The future is bleak, indeed.

After witnessing what I have witnessed in this place the bloggers defend vehemently (Marshall), I'm tellin' ya now kid, I'd personally dontate to your college fund. Here's Cheetah's advice to you--three simple rules for a successful life:

Tell the truth;

Don't put words in people's mouths;

Do what you say you're gonna do.

All of these things..these three simple things...will define your integrity. Without integrity, I don't care where you go or what you do YOU WILL FAIL.

Good luck, and keep posting!! You're a bright young man.

Amen, Congress needs to get their priorities in order!!!

To: prd123

Thank you for responding to my comment and making it aware to me that Highway 240 is a state highway. What I was trying to say was for the Slater City Council to possibly work with MoDot in making that intersection safer for people in the community as well as visitors that come for special events,etc. I would like to say again that a traffic light would make that intersection much safer.

To: All those that think Slater people are dumb

Well I am from Slater and I do my best in school and I am a senior this year and we have a lot of smart people in our class. My fellow peers are talented and caring people. I love Slater and although I want to move out of the state and see the world, I will never forget Slater and the loving people from the community!!!!

if you want some nice kids clothes at low price you should go into serendipity. yes the clothes aren't brand new but hey, my kids love them plus they are about the same price as wal mart.

the roads in this town are always messed up because they are consistently working on the good roads while the bad roads are slowly becoming the good roads.

activities at the ymca... you can sign up for assistance to help cover most of the cost of the programs so you won't have to pay the full price and the kids can still participate in them.

we don't have many grocery stores in this town due to the fact that wal mart has run most of them out of town. do you remember north iga? yes it may have been a small store but now everyone on that side of town can't just run down the road for some bread or chips. they have to go to patricia's or... you guessed it wal mart. eventually wal mart is going to be the only thing in this town. it is going to put everything else out of business. but that's just my opinion.

weather reports on here.. seriously.. you can never get tired of seeing that. quit worrying about coming up with something smart to say so it will get people riled up. you have your own blog to do that on. also would you kindly use some spell check when you are trying to use someone elses name and replacing the first initials with yours.

Thank You.

JJ, whatever would make you think I was referring to you???? Unfortunately, the term "LOL" is not quite strong enough to cover my laughter right now. You, sir, would never be guilty of any tongue-in-cheek comments!

From an Economist - "The Recession is a Media Myth"

John Lott's website

http://johnrlott.tripod.com/op-eds/FoxNe...

The 'Recession' Is a Media Myth

By John R. Lott, Jr.

missouriwoman...i think i am in love!

how bout them kc royals!!!! hey one of many...zip it.... recognize when you are n the presense of greatness por favor...

jose joakim gates

P.S. those wind damage reports are so old! i seen all of that when i was driving around drinking that whiskey (canadian mist) apporx 11 am.....nice try.....now if you will excuse me i have some kc royals celebration left in me....so if you see me driving stay to your side! did i mention i dont like steve mcqueen? do you need proof? i do... 80 proof...later

two quick things:

1. Just read an email from the MPS about not having enough $ to pay the current staff next year their salaries and career ladder if the staff numbers are maintained. They are trying to not replace some VERY vital teaching positions, which means larger class sizes and less special services for students. This is not fair to our students. I support career ladder, but something needs to change so that students' needs are fairly met.

2. I read some comments on here about crappy kids' clothing from Wal-Mart. I don't have kids, so I don't know a lot on that topic, but what about clothing from Adventure Quest Kids on Odell street for those that want to stay local?

A house in the 300 block of East Arrow has a tree laying on it.

Eric,

Probably old news by now, but Sherwin-Williams is missing a roof and HVAC from the roof top. Folded over like a sardine can...

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities." Dr. S.

JJ's new blog coming tomorrow...it will be toned down a notch (sometimes) to allow for real discussion....

thanks for raining on my parade, mr. editor....

my god is a forgiving god...on behalf of MDN, sorry

McQueen sounds like a pink mcdonalds sandwhich...... youre right though slater does have a good gene pool.....look at the football team! gooooooo wiilllldcats!

caseys pizza should be a 4 star restaurant!

lol slater fighter pilots? (the probably are janitors that write home and say they are saving the world)

pro athletes? (playing in europe for 35k is hardly prestigous, and joe kline is a joke)

doctors and lawyers? (they need them to get their family out of jail because of all that bath 'tube' chemistry. and they do have alot of doctors, which is a good thing....someone has to deliver the middle schoolers little bundles of joy.....)

jj (the blog is back tomorrow morning)

To anthonyno8-

Thank you for your interest in making the roads safer going into Slater. It is to my understanding that a new Casey's store is going in around this location and that the City has met with MoDOT to address this intersection.

However- it is a STATE road and is primarily up to MoDot on what gets done. Please keep that in mind.

LOL. ok jj that was damn funny post. Mqeen was a looser. but slater is a craphole so they have to idolize someone on there own wavelength i guess.

If u look at census statistitcs for slater you will find that slaters statistics as far as educations n stuff is low,most have only a 9th grade education. I lived there for awhile and hated it lol. so your post realy cracks me up. thanks for making me laugh today i enjoyed that.

Response by Eric Crump/Editor:

Educational attainment in the Slater school district, according to the 2000 census, as posted on the Missouri Census Data Center website:

Over 25 Yrs of Age, total: 1,582 / 66.5%

Less Than 9th Grade: 197 / 12.5%

9th thru 12th grade, No Diploma: 272 / 17.2%

High School Grad or GED: 691 / 43.6%

Did Not Attend College: 1,160 / 73.3%

Some College, no degree: 254 / 16.1%

Bachelors: 108 / 6.8%

Masters: 42 / 2.7%

Prof School Degree or PhD: 18 / 1.1%

Graduate or Professional Degree: 60 / 3.8%

http://tinyurl.com/2hluj6

when your country is at war its like a basketball game and we are on the bench...we should root on our starting 5 to beat the other team....not pull out to the locker room! its the 3rd quarter we need to win!

we should sort ncaa teams by red state and blue state and see whos better lol!

this is my 'march madness results show which party is right' theory

red states atleast 3 of 4 presidential elections........

texas, kansas, carolinas, florida, georgia, oklahoma, indiana, mississippi, idaho, and alabama...

of those 11 republican voting states look how they were represented in the tournament....

kansas, south alabama, butler, boise state, oklahoma, winthrop, notre dame, indiana, north carolina, clemson, kansas state, davidson, duke, georgia, xavier, baylor, purdue, texas AM, BYU, Mississippi Valley State, austin peay, texas, miami, mississippi st., texas-arlington

wow and i dont even know where oral roberts, marquette, cornell, st marys, mt st. marys, belmont, siena, american, or george mason is! and thats 25 of the field of 64 teams! out of only 11 states! not to mention the previos years champions....floridax2

this theory may be a law soon.....

jtephon jurry gates

I am proud to be an American and proud of my hometown community and their support of the Vets for Freedom Tour and proud of my brother's effort to get the tour to include Marshall on their route. Our military deserves all the Thank Yous we can give them.

Well, just to set the record straight. I am all for alternative energy, i.e. wind, ethanol, etc.

They are just not the Godsend everyone is making them out to be. But they can be with the right guidance, courage and determination that Americans have at our disposal.

We need to pursue a different direction for our energy needs in order to get rid of our dependence on foreign oil. In the short term we need to drill more for oil including Anwar. Build more refineries, and think serious again about nuclear reactors. We need to set our sights and goals of where we want to be in the next 10, 20, 30 years. We need a program like the one John F. Kennedy had when we went to the moon and adapt that attitude and resources towards that goal. This is America, we have the knowledge, the money, and the smarts to achieve this reality.

China and India will have more cars on the road then America in less than 15 years. They are vying for oil imports on a huge scale. Oil will then be more of a shortage then it is today.

Apply this wherever you choose; this is my personal philosophy on life, and it saves me a lot of grief:

If you're going to come at me with the "somebody said..., but I'm not gonna say who" junk, save your breath and your fingernails. If you're going to waste my time telling me what you are so certain I need to be aware of, have the decency (and the "uh-huhs") to state your sources--or at the very least imply that you actually have some source. This practice leaves the person whose ear you're bending with no alternative but to hear *you* and gives no resource from which to gather reliable information; no probability of forming an educated opinion or learning any truth based on anything but gossip.

Here's another Cheetah credo, learned from my best buddy: If you're pressuring me for an answer right now, the answer is NO. Give me some time to consider the facts and that answer may change. You rarely go wrong with "NO".

Catlover, when exactly is "eventually". I'll wait patiently for the "truth" to be revealed! As for the articles about Mr. Blakely's release from the school district, this episode is just one of many. Again, please ask school district employees about their concerns! Most employees of the district at the time can share details of his "work" in the district.

Thanks, DAgates, for your comments. I wholeheartedly agree. I have seen no special interests or hidden agenda from this board, and would love to hear of specific examples of such if you have them. They are unpaid volunteers who were elected to do just what they did! I'm sure it hasn't been easy on them. Some make it sound like they are a secret society of evildoers who sit around and plot their next move. I wonder how many of us would volunteer to put up with the abuse they've had to tolerate. I also do not know much about some of the other candidates and would love to be informed before the forum Monday night. Let me know if you have info.

Cheetah, thanks for the info on one of the candidates for school board. I found it very useful. I am using the MDN search to check out all of the candidates!

The City of Slater needs to think about putting in a traffic light as you head north into town off of Highway 240. The area I am referring to is on the curve where you go left into to town or go on around the corner past Break-Time. I know this would cost a lot of money but it is not safe at this "intersection." i have witnessed a couple of accidents at this location and have alomost been in an accident myself. Big trucks come flying into town and do not slow down at all. I really think there needs to be a traffic light at this location and the members of the city council in Slater need to talk about this issue.

I wish people would stop making vague comments and just present the facts and evidence so we can make an informed decision. I hate voting on the "ole warm and fuzzy gut feeling." Why does everything have to be a big secret, if you know something then just tell us!! Or do you not really know anything??? Are we just trying to stir the kettle with some insinuating propaganda??

Saline, that is interesting? Could you expand on a specific incident with the board member that you feel has not had the best interest of the students in mind? Maybe you could even give us specifics about the personal agenda you are insinuating has occurred? We would all love to hear the facts and evidence so we can make a more informed choice on voting day. Which new board candidate do you feel would be better and why?

Dear What the f......,

I agree. In fact T. Boone Pickens, the Texas oil-man who admitted he once opposed ethanol has now changed his mind.

Recently on CNBC's daily "Squawk Box" he said that America's purchases of foreign oil are costing the country a half a trillion dollars every year.

"You take 10 years, and you have $5 trillion," he said. "That's more than $1 billion a day. We can't stand that."

He now supports increased ethanol production.

"I'd rather have ethanol and recirculate the money in the country, than to have it go out the back door on us."

For his part in diversifying our energy supplies, Pickens is investing $10 billion in wind energy.

(Forrest Laws, Delta Farm Press)

Dear Kaynmo:

Using the blend now available at Missouri gas stations, which is 10 percent ethanol, most do not see any difference in gas mileage. On a personal note, I find a slight increase in mileage with the 10 percent blend.

E-85,which contains 85 percent ethanol, can can only be used in engines approved for that blend. It does cause a drop in gas mileage, but does cost less- often offsetting the difference. From what I understand, engines more capable of using the higher blends are in the works and will lessen the mileage differences.

And Dear Conservative: It is obvious you don't think much of ethanol. You certainly have that right. I stand by my earlier comments.

Sincerely,

Marcia Gorrell

Agriculture Reporter

Marshall Democrat-News.

I was not aware of a fact about ethenol based gas up until recently. You will get 20 percent less mpg using it than you would with reg fuel.so is the cost to use it and the added impact is has on corn production even worth it in the long run.

ETHANOL FACTS

Since 2000, the share of U.S. corn crop devoted to ethanol production has increased from 6 percent to 25 percent -- and climbing.

Even if the entire U.S. corn crop were diverted to ethanol, it would replace only 12 percent of the country transportation fuel.

Substituting corn-based ethanol for gasoline results in little reduction to greenhouse gases and produces poorer gas mileage.

Robert Samuelson, Washington Post

Wholesale turnover of Midwestern farmlands to plant corn for ethanol has inflated the price of food, from wheat to meat. More intensive land use also has drawn down water supplies in America's bread basket, and energy is burned up tilling, fertilizing and hauling the crop to ethanol plants.

Monday, January 7, 2008

The Fallacy of Ethanal

There have been a number of people who have been trying to convince us that ethanol is a viable source of energy. But is there any truth in what they claim?

According to David Pimental (agricultural expert, Cornell University) it would take 11 acres of farmland to grow enough corn to make enough ethanol to run the average U.S. automobile for one year, if blended with gasoline, as it now is. This is equal to the amount of farmland required to feed seven people for one year. More important, 131,000 BTUs are needed to make one gallon of ethanol, while one gallon of ethanol has an energy value of only 77,000 BTUS. This means it takes 70 percent more energy to produce ethanol than the energy that is actually in the ethanol.

Every time you make one gallon of ethanol, there is a net energy loss of 54,000 BTUs. In other words, production of ethanol creates a substantial LOSS of energy, making ethanol production unsustainable. An acre of U.S. corn yields about 7,110 pounds of corn for processing into 328 gallons of ethanol. But planting, growing and harvesting that much corn requires about 140 gallons of fossil fuels. But even more important is the fact that we cannot replace the fossil fuel with ethanol, because ethanol is so much more expensive than fossil fuels when you add the costs of converting the corn into ethanol.

The growers and processors can't afford to burn ethanol to make ethanol. U.S. drivers couldn't afford it, either, if it weren't for government subsidies to artificially lower the price. Now, here is something the ethanol crowd won't tell you. Corn is a "heavy feeder" - it requires more fertilizer, more nitrogen and phosphorous than most other crops, erodes soil about 12 times faster than the soil can be reformed, and irrigating corn uses up groundwater 25 percent faster than the natural recharge rate of ground water.

In short, corn is not a sustainable energy source, especially in the amount that would be required. And then we must consider costs to consumers. Using all the corn necessary to make a difference results in higher prices for meat, milk and eggs because about 70 percent of corn grain is fed to livestock and poultry in the United States. Increasing ethanol production would further inflate corn prices. Your food costs would increase significantly. And if a drought occurs, food for human consumption could disappear. And, to make matters worse, the U.S. Census states the world population is expected to double over the next 40 years. With food resources already strained, can we really afford to turn food into fuel?

If all the automobiles in the United States were fueled with 100 percent ethanol, a total of about 97 percent of U.S. land area would be needed to grow the corn. Corn would cover nearly the total land area of the United States. I would like to see America become self-sufficient insofar as energy is concerned. But before we jump onto any bandwagon, we really need to look at the bigger picture, and ask ourselves what the ultimate cost would be. What are the long term effects? Is it sustainable? Does it cost more to make than what you get? What are the dangers?

I just hope we do not run out of time before we find answers.

To whom it may conern,

As stated before I was more than willing and hoping to move on from the subject but I will not be bullied and I will not change my screen name. Period. End of of story.

http://www.nida.nih.gov/MarijBroch/Marij...

Coming on this page everyday is like talking to middle schoolers. Each and every single one of them has something to say but after a while no one really cares anymore. Please can we just talk about the news......I see people are trying to but it seems that the screen name debate is still going strong. It's like you get on every so often and if your post about the screen names isn't showing on the first page you have to think of something to say just so your name will be on one of the few posts that show up on this speak out section. Don't get me wrong I am all about defending something but this has gone way too far....even for a middle schooler. So would you all please do everyone else on here a favor and stop it already. Let's all act like grown ups here. Please talk about something else other than yourselves or if you can't do that do as kay suggested and go fight it out somewhere else. I'm sure that the Humanics group at Valley has some boxes that you could use to make a ring and you can do it right there on campus.

I want to make sure I am following Hillary Clinton's logic. She says that SHE is qualified to be commander in chief and that MCCAIN is ready to be commander, but that Obama is not! If she is being truthful, and assuming Obama is the evenutal Democratic nominee, is Hillary suggesting we should vote for McCain over Obama in November? Hmmmmm!

I'm sorry I couldn't hear you over your bong gurgling. Whatever pothead peace out!!

DAgates,

So it's official then, the US us trying to get rid of tobacco? I'll thank you not to speak for me. I don't want to hear any song and dance about how it's costing you money either. Smokers pay through the nose for the right tot smoke and it's not our fault that money does not end up going where it's supposed to go. Once a smoker get's sick thier days are probably numbered, it's the reasonably healthy unisured senior whose illneses may last for years and years that will put the real burden on you. Last I checked this was a free country and I'm saddened as we send our troops into harms way and for what? Your undestanding of marijuana is below rudimentary. Before you judge others perhaps you should take a look in your own medicine cabinet and ask your self why you take those drugs.Is any drug in your medicine cabinet a life and death matter or do most of those drugs just make you feel better? It's sounds to me like you have fallen for all of the hysterical hype about refer madness that made it illegal in the first place. I speak experience and you seem to speak from ignorance. If you ask I'll be happy to provdide you with complete info on how William Randolph Hearst and the Dupont family conspired to make marijuana illegal. It had to with the wonderful hemp fibers that threatened their lumber and paper businesses. It had absolutley NOTHING TO DO with any minor narcotic effect of marijuana.It had to do with profits. Welcome to Amerika.

Lots of bad, false information was out and around on a former school related member who is running for the School Board. Many people never heard the true story. At least when he is elected he will not sit on the Board like a bump on a log and believe everything he is told. He is an intelligent man who will be able to understand and respond to what is presented to the Board and ask questions just not agree with everything presented to the Board.

I have been reading the news articles about the Missouri National Guard. I am just wondering when will something ever be written about Active Duty soldiers that are from the Saline County area? Even though I am in Iraq right now, and when not deployed I am stationed in Germany, I still count Slater as my home.

Kathy, in reference to Priest's in a box/mall/online check:

Church Central home - christian church web site with news

"Confessions of a Pastor," Craig Groeschel (Multnomah, September 2006) ... into a sports car that zipped into the parking space he had eyed at the mall. ...

churchcentral.com/nw/s/template/Article.html/id/24474/printable/yes

Forgive us, father; we'd rather go online - CNN.com

... staff makeshift confessionals in malls with rotating priests, the ... Roman Catholic Church officially opposes online confessions, the Archdiocese of ...

cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/03/13/online.confessions/index.html?

StreamingFaith.com - Announcement: Online Confessions Now Good For The Soul

... create and staff makeshift confessions in retail malls with a rotation of priests. ... confessions don't go directly to God through a priest or a church doesn't ...

streamingfaith.com/community/announcements/announcement.aspx?...

A Comeback for Confession - TIME

... a perfunctory exercise about church rules instead of Christ's teachings. ... and some priests are even hearing confessions in venues likes shopping malls. ...

www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,917...

MALL

(PDF)

... can stop by the mall's. newest store and go to confession. ... the church has," said Bishop Donald Trautman. "We traditionally have had confessions Saturday ...

www.eriercd.org/pdf/FL210.pdf - 1197k - View as html

Occidental Orthodox Church of the Augsburg Confession - Homepage

... faithful to Holy Scripture and the Confessions of Christ's church. ... space is a viable option as found in strip malls, shopping centers, and the like. ...

lutheransonline.com/servlet/lo_ProcServ/dbpage=cge&gid=200535077059... - 41k - Cached

xxxchurch.com/blog_post.php?b=confessions&p=64 - 43k - Cached

#

Montrose School

... from the Capuchin order now hear confessions at a mall in Colorado Springs. ... Vatican will go to revive confession -- the church has taken a hard stance ...

www.montroseschool.org/parentreading1.ht... - 18k - Cached

WOW, This blog has gotten down right mean in the last week. Everyone take a nice chill pill, go out and have a nice steak dinner and then come back to RUMBLE..... :)

I am very dissapointed with the county commission, it appears they have done very little since they have been in office to start a savings program for the repair of the court house, it appears all they can think of is higher taxes, we pay enough taxes now, they should be there to serve the people not to want to raise taxes all the time. they have poor planning it seems. they should have done more sooner, raising taxes on tax burdened citizens is not the answer, its tough just making a living and paying bills without more taxes. WAKE UP COMMISSIONERS, if people would speak up, they will tell you enough is enough. NO to more taxes.

It hasn't been the same without JJ. There's actually been discussion that made sense, was interesting, and anyone could follow.

if your favorite team was winning by more then 80k would you be happy with the lead? sure you would so dont mouth my boy tommy franks, g bush, or the war!

if war was a ncaa basketball tournament we would be the number one seed! we should embrace our role as the favorite and dominate the weak.

i have returned from my pilgrimmage....not unlike the one malcolm x made, however mine was to the real holy land....memphis tenn.... that beale street holy water works wonders!

Ju Ju Gates

"Priest in a box"

Sounds like a more convenient way for them to meet little boys and the church to turn the other cheek...oops, I mean ignore it.

So far, a google search on this topic has led me to only two places where "mall confessionals" are located - one in Colorado, which has been in place since about 2001, and another in Warsaw, Poland. Does anyone know of any others?

A priest can hear anyone's confession at any time, so why not at a mall? This particular rite of the Catholic Church does not require the participants to be in a church to be valid.

Hey Eric, how about an editorial on religion. Any point will do. Something must be done to stir reader's passions! Everyone is entirely too passive. Seriously I think this is a wonderful outlet for people to air frustrations. When it is done here every body gets to blow off a little pent up steam. If it was done face to face we would all kill each other. Now what would God think of that? Oops, we have already done that. Sorry God.

p.s. ....i'm not even sure if half of you get on here and actually look at what is in the newspaper. that's all I have to say about that.

Holy moly, I went to sleep for a while only to awake to see the blog site has gone completely south. Crap let me wake up split persona,JJ, and see if he can lighten the mood with some of his comical satire. JJ wake the hell up before we have a religious war breakout!!!

Are suggesting that I am a eunuch or are you proposing to make me one, assuming of course that I am a man?

Jesus4life are you theatening me?

sorry eric. my bad. let me repost it.

Deuteronomy 23:1

"No one who is emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD."

"What the f", read and adjust your behavior accordingly.

oh wow now we're editing out bible verses...this paper really is truly lost...jesus said i am the truth and the light but if people want to live in darkness, there's nothing you can do

By the way, I'm surprised you didn't "bleep" out the word "emasculated."

Or do you know to what it refers?

Well, I'm not going to say all the effects of religion on the world are good. That would be going against my own remarks.

But as to radicals of any faith, it's the people (or rather, from what I can deduce, it is the people) and not the religion itself to blame.

There are Muslims out there who are some of the nicest people you'd want to know, just as devout to their beliefs, but not following some crazy jihad leader.

And to kaynmo or LOL or whatever your name is, you'd be surprised at how many scientist are coming to the conclusion that there had to be a higher intelligence behind the formation of this world.

LOL,

It cracks me up to see how people react to bringing up problems with religon theese days.

I know something that will realy get people going lol.

Wheres the proof god exists at all. Recently scientists discovrd that meteorites that crashed to earth may have held the secrets to creating life.

If god made man why was there cavemen. especialy if he created man in his own likeness. Sorry dudes but cavemen and god look nothing alike lol.

Without proof,the bible is nothing but a book of stories created by man.to make people act a certain way and give them rules to live by.

Dont get me wrong i belive in god. but theres alot of stuff that just dont jive with it being true.no one knows for sure. so what if all the bible thumpers are preaching and living there life for something that dont exist then there lives will have been fake lol.no one knows for sure and maybe never will. but all the churches will and are getting large profits from those who live there life for the lord.

While I don't particularly care for WTF's screenname (nor do I think it's very inviting to intellectually stimulating dialogue) I do respect his/her freedom of speech to use it. Just as I respect Jesus4Life's right to use his or her screenname. The Bill of Rights protects freedom of religion, while also protecting freedom of speech. To criticize one while hiding behind the other is hypocrisy. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's that simple.

Marshall once had a speedway...

www.sportsmansspeedwaymarshall.com

With all that is going on in the world today, not to mention locally, can it be that the best debate that can be had here involves the names some of us use when posting? Reminds of rocking a chair. It gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere!

My family has had some bad experiances with the holyer than thou bible thumpers trying to force god on them.

My 8 year old came home from a friends house one day,a friend hes had for two years. He was little upset and i asked him why. He told me that his friends mom came out of the house and told him he cant play with my son until he goes to church. i had to sit down with him and explain this whole thing and how they are in the wrong and he still didnt understand why. i realy wanted to go over to her house and get nasty with her and ask her who the hell she thinks she is. It realy made me mad.but i just left it alone and i told my son next time she says something like that to him tell her shes going to hell and walk away.of course he wouldnt lol.

How about the churches in the town that only the small clicks of the people that think they are better than everyone use to join so they can get in good with the rest.

I thought being all about god meant love thy neighbor. not just love thy neibors that go to church.

Then theres the ones who come to your door and when u say sorry not interested they get mad and tell u in front of your kids that your whole family is going to hell.

I thought god wanted people to not judge each other but yet the thumpers are the worst at judging people. My kids not good enough to play with there kids cause we dont go to church. I say there the ones that should go to hell.

Even worse are the ones on tv that preach the end of the world all the time. Thats a load of crap. or who blame the war on god saying its his will. and hes punishing the world. theres so much bull being slung by the religious groups and yet people are dumb enough to belive it.

There serious problems with religon theese days. and it just keeps getting worse. theese people need to step back and re think there ways.no one is better than anyone just cause they go to church.

What fun would life be without so many people flinging insults so often at so many other people. I suppose it can't be helped, now and then, but it sure is an unfortunate reflex to have.

I suspect insulters neglect to think how it makes *them* look (it's tough to sling mud without getting a little on ya).

WTF?

I would like to refer everyone to 2 Kings, Chapter 2 verses 23-24, because I think it has special relevance to the attacks i am suffering because of my religion:

"Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!" So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths."

Look out for bears, unbelievers. They are soulless killing machines that serve the LORD. God bless you all.

Cjay,

Once again I couldn't agree more. Keep in mind that I didn't bring it up and hope that we'll all move on to more important issues.

I couldn't agree more cjay, but I will defend myself.

Superwiner,

If I told you it was inadvertant would you believe me?

While we're on the topic of discussing things that Marshall needs, I would like to say that I love the "Welcome to Marshall" sign on 65 Hwy. However, it would be nice to see a Marshall High School flag and a Missouri Valley College flag flying along with the two American flags. We have two educational campuses in this town that bring in lots of visitors every year. Why not showcase these two attributes of the community?

Great comeback...now you have really instilled legitimacy to your posts. We do live in the bible belt right. Forget about my previous post the path you're headed you won't get to see the Pearly Gates much less go through them! If you don't get the picture that there are young adults (maybe even some children) mothers, sister's grandmother's that come to this site and see your "What the f…." posts and would take offense then you were raised without any manners. Seriously God Bless You.

I wasn't thinking of a clothing store or even a shoe store, per se. Just as someone else said earlier, I buy my clothes (and my children's clothes) second hand -- at local stores or at garage sales. The clothes are just as good and a whole lot cheaper!

Someone else said something about just having a wider selection. That's what I mean too. More options. With the new convention center, surely Marshall can do something like what Arrow Rock has done -- make a destination, something to do when visitors are not at a meeting (or the theatre). Even Blackwater has a bit of a draw in their downtown area.

All I'm saying is that there needs to be some unifying vision and goals about what we want to accomplish in Marshall and then pursue those goals. To just sit by and let it happen without direction (or even worse, nothing happens at all) is not a good idea.

All this flap about my screen name and people

still wonder why I chose it. What if I decided to find Jesus objectionable

especially when used as a lowly screen name?

Blasphemy!

Perhaps I went on to say "Please remove this nametag and stop referencing it. It(Jesus) is offensive to me"

A religious zealot's hysterical reaction to something as benign as a screen name. A screen name that some may find provactive but is not profane. Your condemnation is not without appreciation as I could not have asked for a better example of why I chose it in the first place. Let it go.

I will not change it.

As much as I would love to see a clothing store in this town it's not going to be anything cheap by any means. Yes I am one of those people who shop out of town every chance I can and spend the extra money for those "name brand" clothes. I do not think we need to get another restaurant in this town..We have so many already and yes most of them serve the same thing, yes most of them aren't a sit down place, yes a couple of them are mainly used for bars but the fact is that we had a nice sit down place to eat. Golden Coral... and in the same building we have had a couple Chinese places come and go also. I am not quite sure a Sears would work here very well and neither would a JC Penny's, since we already had one and it didn't work due to the space it was placed in being too small to put everything that people wanted in it. Although all of the ideas that I have seen would be great ones you have to think about what would actually work in this community and not one that is twice the size of Marshall

It's actually just one word SUPERWINER Whiner is intentionally mispelled. You know like would you like any crackers with your wine, whiner.

Gee let's get to it..how many times do you have to get duped before you quit buying from Walmart? Sounds like you have bought more than three is that right?

As far as quality "crap" my kids outgrow their clothes in about 6 months. Second of all, I just go to garage sales and pick up jackets/coats and all other clothing for .50, name brand by the way.

As far as quality some of us are forced monetarily to shop at Walmart (or garage sales) and can't afford to shop at your places of choosing (actually neither can you or you would drive the 30 minutes to Sedalia, to JC Penny or any of the other plethra of clothing stores that provide your quality expensive clothing, instead of whining about your zippers). By the way those zippers can be resewn on and replaced completely for about 2 buckeroos,lol, go to the back of Walmart where the sewing section is and pick one up and sew it on yourself, you can sew right?

Well regardless you have made the top ten on my Superwiner list. Congrats

This issue has come up once before, and I'm not surprised to see it come up again.

On one hand, it's important that quite a wide portion of the community feel comfortable reading and posting comments here. If screen names are offensive, that's a problem.

At the same time, we can very quickly get into a situation where concern about offending someone, anyone has the same effect, paralyzing the conversation.

I'd like to encourage everyone who has a screen name they consider daring and provocative to rethink whether it's the best way to represent themselves.

I would also like to encourage those who find some names offensive to consider looking the other way. As has already been noted, what one person finds offensive, another person doesn't, and so on, endlessly.

Finally, I would suggest that if anyone feels the need to object to another's name, please do so courteously. Human nature being what it is, a caustic complaint is *less* likely to gain cooperation than a courteous request.

lol ok i need to comment on one more thing jesus for lifes dislike for the screenname what the f---. cause its funny.

I actually am less offended by wtf screenname than by jesusfor life.

But only cause some people that are very religious seem to feel the need to shove there beliefs in everyones face. Its kinda like the gay coming out of the closet. and has to let the world know. Why cant u people just have your beliefs but not try to force it on the world around you. theres nothing wrong with beliving in god or anything i think people should have that. but not to the extreme that it takes over your whole life and you feel the need to thump it on our heads over n over.

When i see screennames like jesus for life i know thats the type were dealing with.

what the f--- is just saying it like it is. lol. and it applies to everything in this world.wtf keep the name.

You all have way too much time on your hands to be sitting around picking out things to talk about such as username's on an open forum.

Ok jesus4life,

Mine screen name is what it is. I can't help where your mind goes when you read it.

Perhaps I'll change my screen name to "Pro-choice" How's that? Is that more or less offensive to you? You chastise me for an offensive screen name while invoking Jesus's name in yours. I would argue that to alot of people your screen name is far more offenive than mine. Perhaps you should just be honest and change your name simply to "the hypocrite"

What about a new movie theater or getting the already established/built amphitheater at the fairgrounds going.

I mean really how often are you going to buy a big purchase like a riding lawn mower from Sears (every 10 years). JC Penny just left our fair community not to recently. Those businesses are not wanted in our community except by the few. If they were wanted the citizens would have supported them by spending their money at the establishments instead of going and buying a riding lawn mower for $2000.00 cheaper at Wal-mart or a zippered jacket that you can replace for $20.00.

The "Love/Hate" relationship with Wal-Mart continues in Marshall. I can remember the days when we could not get a Wal-Mart store quick enough for most folks. When we did, and Sedalia got a "Super Center," everyone in Marshall was hoping for the day we got our own "Super Center. Now we have it and in the process have lost several home town stores. They will never come back. Remember the days when we had grocery stores in each part of town? I agree that Wal-Mart seems to sell everything chinese, but what are people doing about it...other than spending their money at Wal-Mart? Be careful what you ask for!

WTF - We try to shop locally as much as we can, too, but it isn't always easy. Smaller businesses cannot take advantage of the economies of scale that make prices at national retailers lower. On the other hand, local stores often make it up in superior service. On another blog, I've collected several suggestions from people for new businesses in Marshall, including a bridal shop, bookstore, children's clothing store and bakery. I'd be delighted to see any of those opened by a local owner. Unfortunately, I don't have any big bucks to hand out to get them started.

What the f... - Yes, that's correct. The Sedalia Sears store is a small one and a Marshall store would be similar. I'm not promoting one store as the "savior," only pointing out that there is room for more in Marshall than currently exists. The number of people complaining about the current lack of options is an indication that more is needed. What that will be or should be is anyone's guess, but it's a *start.*

Oklahoma Reader - With all due respect, that "delightful" couple of hours on the road to Kansas City is becoming more expensive every day and a good deal less than delightful in the heavy traffic on I-70. The problem is that there is so little in the way of retail here that out-of-town trips for some things are no longer optional, but necessary. As to the oft-mentioned issue of the need for restaurants, The Pear Tree is located in the tiny, out-of-the-way town of Bevier, with a population of less than 800 - if it can be done there, why not here? Small towns everywhere are enjoying a resurgence, lifted by the desire of many to live in smaller towns instead of overcrowded, too-busy cities, but that shift requires more services, more retail and less need to drive long distances. Sitting as it does in the middle of Saline County, Marshall is ideally situated to be the pivot point of more economic activity than currently exists and, I believe, can take that position and build on it with the right mix of businesses.

I am wondering as to whether or not the populace's mobility, habits,and traditions (in consort) inhibit the establishment and success of new service enterprises in Marshall. I am also wondering just what is that you want. From what I have read on this blog there appears to be a vague desire for "something", but no expressed specific need.

Concerning my first query I mean that access to about anything that you may desire is a one hour trip east, or west on I-70. A trip of an hour or shortly over that can be a delightful trip, alone or with friends, ending in a cornucopia of products. In fact it is a tradition, and with some a habit to do just that. For example, the prom is coming up and I would be willing to bet that most of the young ladies planning for that event either are going to, or would prefer the opportunity to shop for their dress in Kansas City. Even if there is a nice selection in Marshall they would still prefer the trip. Kansas City is the Fairy Godmother for smalltown prom bound girls. I have heard residents of Marshall grouse that there is not a really fine restaurant there. Supposing that there was one, how many would really prefer to dress for dinner, prepare to spend an unusual sum of money, and then drive eight blocks to a place that you pass every day to have dinner surrounded by people you see every day. It may be that the gild would soon be off the lily no matter how fine the restaurant.

What I suspect may be occuring is an expression of disquietude on the part of residents. A vague sense of lack, of hungering for more, the Achilles heel of small towns, that monster monotony. After all the fact is every thing you need, that you must have, is there, including some wonderful things that the cities do not have. Enjoy them. Frankly I miss them.

Yes, it's true that Sears has been here before and failed; however, the business model being pursued this time is different, requiring less cash investment by the person owning the business, just for starters. If Sears didn't think they could make money here, they wouldn't be looking to put a store in Marshall. What didn't work 10 or so years ago might work today - they must think it's worth another shot, and I hope they're right.

I'm glad this subject keeps coming up, because economic development is a mighty complex thing, tricky to do right, hard to make work at all. Although it's not possible (nor advisable) to micromanage business too much, it is worth talking about what businesses we'd like to see in town and why.

I suppose we just need to keep in mind that we aren't likely to get exactly what we want, but the conversation is still important because if no one knows what the community wants, we'll get -- whatever.

Also good to keep in mind that business doesn't follow romantic notions of community self-image. Business follows the money. Whether we like it or not, for better *and* for worse, that's the way it is. To expect otherwise (and I'm not saying anyone here is; mostly just thinking aloud here, reminding myself) would be like expecting mothers to abandon their babies. It happens, rarely and with tragic results, but it goes against the way most mothers are built.

The conversation is valuable, but of course, how we spend our money speaks louder yet.

BD - I have mixed feelings on this subject. Glad to see more development here, but as you point out, another pharmacy may not be the thing we need the most. Sears has been looking for an investor in Marshall for several years - we did a story on it last fall - and still no takers. It's a great opportunity, and the investment required is not completely out of range. Maybe someone will take that on.

"Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does -- except wrinkles. It's true some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place." Abigail Van Buren, advice columnist

"The best things in life aren't things." Art Buchwald, columnist

"Every winner has scars." Herbert Casson, journalist

I wish everyone and their family a Good Friday and great Easter!

Oh yes, another after thought before I go to bed. I feel like Columbo in pajamas. I think the people from New Orleans want to go home. I think the people of Iraq want to go home. I think our heroes in Iraq want to go home. I think the people of Darfur want to go home. Mr. President, won't you please help somebody go home?

Conservative,

Well that's beautiful narrative indeed. First of all we now that retired General didn't write it. Secondly what does invading Iraq have to do with the war in terrorism other than creating more so we can feel justified by our actions. It's a catch 22. Five years and a trillon dollars later (btw the way if you were to stack one trillion dollar bills it would circle the globe 2 3/4 times at the equator. )what have we got? Bin Laden? No. Diminished respect in the world?Yes. No doubt terrorism is a threat to everyone in this world not just us. It should be fought with intelligence and prudence, not the belligerence that we have shown for the past 8 years. These may seem harsh words but they are said out of love for my country, not blind faith of it's leaders.

An Articulate Piece written on the War we are Fighting

The writer of this narrative is Dr. Vernon Chong, Major General, USAF, Retired.

"For what it's worth ...

This is the most cogent and powerful essay on the threat of Islamic terrorism I have ever read. Dr. Vernon Chong is, without a doubt, the most articulate and convincing writer I have read regarding the War in Iraq . If you have any doubts, please open your mind to his essay and give it a fair evaluation. It's also eerily applicable to other current issues, such as Iran 's nuclear program, immigration, NAFTA's impact on American jobs, trade deficits, etc. I had no idea who Dr. Chong is, or the source of these thoughts, so when I received them, I almost deleted them, as well-written as they are. But then I did a Google search on the Doctor and found him to be a retired Air Force surgeon and past commander of Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio ."

Dr. Vernon Chong, Major General, USAF, Retired

To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it. Our country is now facing the most serious threat to its existence, as we know it, that we have faced in your lifetime and mine (which includes WWII).

The deadly seriousness is greatly compounded by the fact that there are very few of us who think we can possibly lose this war and even fewer who realize what losing really means.

First, let's examine a few basics:

1 When did the threat to us start?

Many will say September 11, 2001. The answer, as far as the United States is concerned, is 1979, 22 years prior to September 2001, with the following attacks on us:

* Iran Embassy Hostages, 1979;

* Beirut, Lebanon Embassy 1983;

* Beirut, Lebanon Marine Barracks 1983;

* Lockerbie, Scotland Pan-Am flight to New York 1988;

* First New York World Trade Center attack 1993;

* Dhahran , Saudi Arabia Khobar Towers Military complex 1996;

* Nairobi , Kenya US Embassy 1998;

* Dares Salaam , Tanzania US Embassy 1998;

* Aden , Yemen USS Cole 2000;

* New York World Trade Center 2001;

* Pentagon 2001.

(Note: during the period from 1981 to 2001 there were 7,581 terrorist attacks worldwide.)

2 Why were we attacked?

Envy of our position, our success, and our freedoms. The attacks happened during the administrations of Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton and Bush 2. We cannot fault either the Republicans or Democrats, as there were no provocations by any of the presidents or their immediate predecessor, President Ford.

3 Who were the attackers?

In each case, the attacks on the US were carried out by Muslims.

4 What is the Muslim population of the World?

25%.

5 Isn't the Muslim Religion peaceful?

Hopefully, but that is really not material. There is no doubt that the predominately Christian population of Germany was peaceful, but under the dictatorial leadership of Hitler (who was also Christian), that made no difference. You either went along with the administration or you were eliminated. There were 5 to 6 million Christians killed by the Nazis for political reasons (including

7,000 Polish priests).

(seehttp://www.Nazis.testimony.co.uk/7-a.htm

Thus, almost the same number of Christians were killed by the Nazis as the six million holocaust Jews who were killed by them, and we seldom hear of anything other than the Jewish atrocities. Although Hitler kept the world focused on the Jews, he had no hesitancy in killing anyone who got in the way of his extermination of the Jews or of taking over the world - German, Christian, or any others.

Same with the Muslim terrorists. They focus the world on the US , but kill all in the way -- their own people or the Spanish, British, French or anyone else. The point here is that, just like the peaceful Germans were of no protection to anyone from the Nazis, no matter how many peaceful Muslims there may be, they are no protection for us from the terrorist Muslim leaders and what they are fanatically bent on doing -- by their own pronouncements

-- killing all of us "infidels." I don't blame the peaceful Muslims. What would you do if the choice was to remain silent or be killed?

6 So who are we at war with?

There is no way we can honestly respond that it is anyone other than the Muslim terrorists. Trying to be politically correct and avoid verbalizing this conclusion can well be fatal. There is no way to win if you don't clearly recognize and articulate who you are fighting.

So with that background, now to the two major questions:

1 Can we lose this war?

2 What does losing really mean?

If we are to win, we must clearly answer these two pivotal questions:

We can definitely lose this war and, as anomalous as it may sound, the major reason we can lose is that so many of us simply do not fathom the answer to the second question - What does losing mean?

It would appear that a great many of us think that losing the war means hanging our heads, bringing the troops home, and going on about our business, like post-Vietnam. This is as far from the truth as one can get.

What losing really means is:

We would no longer be the premier country in the world. The attacks will not subside, but, rather, will steadily increase. Remember, they want us dead, not just quiet. If they had just wanted us quiet, they would not have produced an increasing series of attacks against us over the past 18 years. The plan was, clearly, for terrorists to attack us until we were neutered and submissive to them.

We would, of course, have no future support from other nations, for fear of reprisals and for the reason that they would see; we are impotent and cannot help them.

They will pick off the other non-Muslim nations, one at a time. It will be increasingly easier for them. They already hold Spain hostage. It doesn't matter whether it was right or wrong for Spain to withdraw its troops from Iraq . Spain did it because the Muslim terrorists bombed their train and told them to withdraw the troops. Anything else they want Spain to do will be done. Spain is finished.

The next will probably be France . Our one hope with France is that they might see the light and realize that if we don't win, they are finished, too, in that they can't resist the Muslim terrorists without us. However, it may already be too late for France . France is already 20% Muslim and fading fast.

Without our support, Great Britain will go, also Recently, I read that there are more mosques in England than churches.

If we lose the war, our production, income, exports, and way of life will all vanish as we know it. After losing, who would trade or deal with us if they were threatened by the Muslims? If we can't stop the Muslim terrorists, how could anyone else?

The radical Muslims fully know what is riding on this war, and therefore are completely committed to winning, at any cost. We'd better know it, too, and be likewise committed to winning at any cost.

Why do I go on at such lengths about the results of losing? Simple. Until we recognize the costs of losing, we cannot unite and really put 100% of our thoughts and efforts into winning. And it is going to take that 100% effort to win.

So, how can we lose the war?

Again, the answer is simple. We can lose the war by "imploding." That is, defeating ourselves by refusing to recognize the enemy and their purpose and failing to dig in and lend full support to the war effort. If we are united, there is no way that we can lose. If we continue to be divided, there is no way that we can win.

Let me give you a few examples of how we simply don't comprehend the life and death seriousness of this situation:

President Bush selects Norman Mineta as Secretary of Transportation. Although all of the terrorist attacks were committed by Muslim men between 17 and 40 years of age, Secretary Mineta refuses to allow profiling. Does that sound like we are taking this thing seriously? This is war! For the duration, we are going to have to give up some of the civil rights to which we have become accustomed. We had better be prepared to lose some of our civil rights temporarily or we will most certainly lose all of them permanently

And don't worry that it is a slippery slope. We gave up plenty of civil rights during WWII, and immediately restored them after the victory ... and, in fact, added many more since that time.

Do I blame President Bush or President Clinton before him?

No, I blame us for blithely assuming we can maintain all of our Political Correctness and all of our civil rights during this conflict and have a clean, lawful, honorable war. None of those words apply to war. Get them out of your head.

Some have gone so far in their criticism of the war and/or the Administration that it almost seems they would literally like to see us lose.

I think some actually do. I hasten to add that this isn't because they are disloyal. It is because they just don't recognize what losing means. Nevertheless, that conduct gives the impression to the enemy that we are divided and weakening. It concerns our friends and it does great damage to our cause.

Of more recent vintage, the uproar fueled by the politicians and media regarding the treatment of some prisoners of war perhaps exemplifies best what I am saying. We have recently had an issue involving the treatment of a few Muslim prisoners of war, by a small group of our military police.. These are the type prisoners who just a few months ago were throwing their own people off buildings, cutting off their hands, cutting out their tongues, and otherwise murdering their own just for disagreeing with Saddam Hussein.

And, just a few years ago, these same type prisoners chemically killed 400,000 of their own people for the same reason. They are also the same type of enemy fighters who recently were burning Americans and dragging their charred corpses through the streets of Iraq And, still more recently, the same type of enemy that was and is providing videos to all news sources internationally of the beheading of American prisoners they held.

Compare this with some of our press and politicians, who for several days have thought and talked about nothing else but the "humiliating" of some Muslim prisoners -- not burning them, not dragging their charred corpses through the streets, not beheading them, but "humiliating" them.

Can they be for real?

The politicians and pundits have even talked of impeachment of the Secretary of Defense. If this doesn't show the complete lack of comprehension and understanding of the seriousness of the enemy we are fighting, the life and death struggle we are in, and the disastrous results of losing this war, nothing can.

To bring our country to a virtual political standstill over this prisoner issue makes us look like Nero playing his fiddle as Rome burned -- totally oblivious to what is going on in the real world. Neither we, nor any other country, can survive this internal strife. Again, I say, this does not mean that some of our politicians or media people are disloyal. It simply means that they are absolutely oblivious to the magnitude of the situation we are in and into which the Muslim terrorists have been pushing us for many years.

These people are a serious and dangerous liability to the war effort. We must take note of who they are and get them out of office. Remember, the Muslim terrorists stated goal is to kill all infidels. That translates into ALL non-Muslims -- not just in the United States , but throughout the world. We are the last bastion of defense.

We have been criticized for many years as being 'arrogant.' That charge is valid. We are arrogant in that we believe that we are so good, powerful, and smart that we can win the hearts and minds of all those who attack us, and that, with both hands tied behind our back, we can defeat anything bad in the world. We can't!

If we don't recognize this, our nation, as we know it, will not survive, and no other free country in the world will survive if we are defeated.

And, finally, name any Muslim countries throughout the world that allow freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, equal rights for anyone -- let alone everyone, equal status or any status for women, or that have been productive in one single way that contributes to the good of the world.

This has been a long way of saying that we must be united on this war or we will be equated in the history books to the self- inflicted fall of the Roman Empire . If, that is, the Muslim leaders will allow history books to be written or read.

If we don't win this war right now, keep a close eye on how the Muslims take over France in the next 5 years or less. They will continue to increase the Muslim population of France and continue to encroach, little by little, on the established French traditions.

The French will be fighting among themselves over what should or should not be done, which will continue to weaken them and keep them from any united resolve. Doesn't that sound eerily familiar?

Democracies don't have their freedoms taken away from them by some external military force. Instead, they give their freedoms away, politically correct piece by politically correct piece.

And they are giving those freedoms away to those who have shown, worldwide, that they abhor freedom and will not apply it to you or even to themselves, once they are in power.

Muslims have universally shown that when they have taken over, they then start brutally killing each other over who the few will be controlling the masses.

What is happening in Iraq is a good example. Will we ever stop hearing from the politically correct about the "peaceful Muslims?"

I close on a hopeful note by repeating what I said before: If we are united, there is no way that we can lose. I hope now, after the election, the factions in our country will begin to focus on the critical situation we are in, and will unite to save our country. It is your future we are talking about Do whatever you can to preserve it. I reiterate: our national election is under way.

After reading the above, we all must do this, not only for ourselves, but for our children, our grandchildren, our country, and our world. Whether Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal ... and that includes the Politicians and media of our country and the free world.

.

its all worth it...i need cheap gas! for real! the american empire needs to grow! if you dont want to go to war id start by not signing up....

The DNC caused the current problems in Florida and Michigan, but wants someone else to figure out how to solve the problem it created. The DNC created the problem, let them solve it and solve it soon! The failure to do will only work to the detriment of the party in November. The candidates will not get it worked out between them and the continued fighting on the matter is just giving McCain more ammunition and is taking attention away from the real issues. Like "Iran training Al-Quida in Iraq." Sorry, Sen. Lieberman just corrected that on my behalf to "Iran is training extremists in Iraq." Could'nt resist!!!

An after thought before I go to bed and try to sleep on this sorrowful night. Some who read the comments I made a few minutes ago will react with anger and disdain. The thought that will cross their minds may run something like "thats not true, there are not one hundred thousand unofficially wounded soldiers". Well think about it. Every soldier who shot women and children in that hell hole is a wounded soldier. Every soldier who had his dead buddie's blood and guts splattered on him is a wounded soldier. Every soldier who came home and can not escape the daily replay in his or her mind of events so horrible that we civilians can not even imagine them is a wounded soldier.

Did the phrase a million dead Iraquis cause not even a blink of your eye? Then think of it this way. Imagine one hundred children collapsed in the street with their arms torn off, or blinded with blood all over them. Imagine mothers screaming in the street as they gather the bodies of their dead children. Imagine a father whose only son was just blown to bits before his eyes. Do you now get the point? This happens every day in Iraq. We opened the lid on Pandora's box. Yet these few simple words may well be expunged from this paper because it is too graphic, and after all we must protect our children. How ironic. Sleep tight.

oh ps....what do i have to do to get a local blog? ill cover the royals or something....im the real writer here.....geez

j-double

I don't know the names, but welcome home guys. And my sincere thanks for your service to your country!!!!

I seem to recall from my high school days that the Constitution gave Congress the direct jurisdiction over DC. Congress is considered to be the "supreme authority" over DC. DC has an "at-large" representative in Congress, but that rep has no vote. DC is treated just like American Samoa, Puerta Rico and Guam.

I think first we must rationalize and distinguish the difference between gun "control" and a gun "ban".

I own several firearms myself. Yet, I can't in good faith see how most of the population should ever be allowed to possess a fully auto-matic firearm or anything capable of destroying a small building with one projectile. In that respect, I support gun control--and laws that restrict who may or may not possess firearms.

What is at hand in D.C. is an outright ban on handguns of all types, and I agree with Eric--necessary or not, I can't see how this is remotely Constitutional. Yes, state by state and locale by locale controls are in place and should be encouraged and supported. And they are. That's why some states such as Missouri now have Conceal and Carry permits and others do not. However, concealing and/or carrying is not the same as owning. Until this law was passed in Missouri, I could own a handgun....I just had to have it in plain site at all times. And with or without that special permit, I am required to legally register that firearm with the authorities. Missouri, in my opinion, has supported the idea of restrictions by locale by implementing the Conceal and Carry PERMIT. Just because the law exists doesn't mean I am eligible--I don't have the permit. Even if I had that permit, I still wouldn't have unbridled freedom to pack heat anywhere I want to go. Private businesses as well as public building have more strict rules than those of the state. Just look at any school building or library--no concealed weapons..signs posted everywhere. So, again, regulation by an even smaller demographic is encouraged and supported.

Even the restrictions have been amended and loosended somewhat. Until a year or so ago in the state of Missouri, if an intruder entered my home and I opened fire I better be able to prove the intruder was armed and dangerous and that my life or that of my family was in immediate and/or eminent danger. Otherwise, I could be charged with manslaughter. That law has changed to give the citizens of this state the right to defend themselves legitimately with lesser possibility of legal recourse. I say lesser because gun ownership/control laws still apply.

Now, on a side note: I have to chuckle (nervously) at the irony of this current news event....

First, Washington D.C. is the capitol of the United States, and at hand is what appears to be a violation of the United States Constitution....in the capitol of the United States!

Second, the United States has long regarded itself as the police of the planet, but it's capitol has the highest crime rate per capita in the nation. Hmmmmm......

And third (being fair), the Constitution of the United States is supposed to guarantee certain rights. But what is a promise if it can be amended? If this document is so solid, then why 200 years later is it a "fluid", ever-changing interpretation and still a source of great argument at the highest level?

I realize I may be over-simplifying this a little. But can't it be fairly stated, perhaps, that others have over-complicated the Constitution?

Nearly a lifetime ago when I attended good old Marshall High,there were enough guns in the trunks of cars parked in the school parking lot to start a small war. That was during hunting season. We would go to the Missouri River or where ever before the crack of dawn to hunt. We would then race back to school with no time available to take the guns home before getting to class. That was then, this is now. Customs, and yes, laws change with changing circumstances. It is necessary. Fortunately Marshall will not likely ever experience the squalor and violence of our urban ghettoes teeming with the unfortunate underclass. It is not because of Marshall that restrictions concerning firearms must be considered. It is for those places.

Washington D.C., the locale of the law now being considered before our Supreme Court is "those places". They have perhaps the most restrictive gun law in our nation. It was enacted out of desperation because innocent people caught up in the crossfire were being slaughtered in the streets, and because the police were out gunned by the gangs, as well as several other related reasons. It is a local law to deal with a local problem. Generally speaking local laws work best. Federal laws are often a bad fit in many locales. It is a core conservative principle that state's rights prevail over all federal rights not stated in our founding documents. Purportedly we have a conservative Supreme Court. It will be interesting to see if they hew with principle in mind concerning the instant case, or are swayed by other influences.

A few more FACTS about why gun control is good for everyone. And the United Nations wants this for us all!! NEVER!!!

Turkey established gun control in 1911. From 1915 through 1917, 1.5 MILLION Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

The Soviet Union established gun control in 1929. From 1929 through 1953, 20 MILLION political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Germany established gun control in 1938. From 1939 through 1945, 13 MILLION Jews, Gypsies, HOMOSEXUALS, the mentally ill, and other "mongrolized" people, were rounded up and exterminated.

China established gun control in 1935. From 1949 through ???, 20 MILLION political dissidents and others, unable to defend themselves, have been rounded up and exterminated.

Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 through 1977, 1 MILLION "educated people", unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 through 1981, 100,000 native Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 through 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

The United States started establishing gun control in 1934...........NAW!..........I won't even! But you THINK about it a little, OK??

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Nomad is definitely right. Obama should absolutely drop out of the GOP race. I didn't even know he was in it.

The DEMOCRATIC race, on the other hand. He should ride that one out...

I just got off the phone with Sheriff Wally George a few minutes ago. He said a judge has now been assigned to Jerry George's case. The judge is Michael Midyett, associate circuit judge in Chariton County. I didn't have time to ask about what happens next. Guess the ball is in the judge's "court."

Correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to recall that when the Revolutionary War was fought, our side fought with their own personal weapons against a tyranical government. In other words, our government did not issue arms to our soldiers. Had that been the case, the Union Jack might still be flying over our country!

One more thought before I hit the sack. If you are sick of Bush and what he has done to our country, find out how often your United States Representative, and your Senators have voted in favor of what Bush wanted. If it is a high percentage, throw them out. You can Google voting records in Congress easy enough. Heck, maybe a reader with more internet savvy than this old codger will even enter a message with a click on that will take you to the voting records. Do not, Do not, support someone because they are a nice fella, or say in campaign slogans what you want to hear. Simply find out how they truly vote. Anyone who has supported Bush down the line, including John McClain has had a hand in ruining our country, They have failed. It is time for change. Folks, we are in a recession (a euphemism for depression), jobs are being lost,our stewardship of this good earth has been shameful, we are in two wars which will go on forever unless drastic change occurs, China owns us. Hopefully it is not to late. Time's a wastin, do it now, for the little children even if you don't care enough to do it for yourself.

I am sick of people flailing the "Democratic Congress".What we have is a Senate with slightly more Democrats than Republicans. Every time the Democrats in the Senate try to do something good for our country and its people it is vetoed by Bush. Then his robotic Republican supporters in the Senate vote to sustain his veto. There are not enough Democrats to override the veto. If we want action and change in Congress we must elect more Democratic Senators so that the incompetent Bush can no longer control what is done. Fed up with an inept congress that thwarts stem cell research, real response to global warming, ending the Iraq war, and a myriad of other issues that drive us nuts? Then throw the rascal Republicans out of office. Let them talk about their narrowly fixated social issues in their living rooms, and on Fox News. America is in a mess. Elect Democrats, lets go to work on our problems.

I wholeheartedly agree that George W. Bush has been a huge disappointment and failure! However, there is much more blame to be shared. Where has Congress been the last few years? In 2006, the Democrats promised that if elected, they would end the war in Iraq. That they would "correct" the economy. That they would bring gas prices down. That they would fight Bush at every turn. Where has Congress been since the Fall of 2006 (Dems and Rep.s alike)? To be very honest, there are very few people in Washington I trust and I am growing to distrust them more with each passing day. For the most part, our elected officials are not in DC to watch over our best interests. They are there to line their own pockets and to get re-elected. We believe their promises and give them our votes. We then act surprised when their promises ring hollow. Senators McCain, Clinton and Obama are being paid to serve as senators from their respective states. How many days of work have they put in over the last 18 months to represent the people of Arizona, New York and Illinois? How many senate votes have they missed while on the campaign trail? What a mess!!!

As the agriculture reporter for The Democrat-News and a family farmer, I feel I would be remiss in my duties to not reply to "The Conservative."

Food vs. fuel: The great debate, but many falsehoods have been printed. The truth is that the price of corn has a small impact on food prices. After all, farmers only get 19 cents per dollar spent on the items you buy at the grocery story.

So if it isn't ethanol, then why are food prices rising? Simple: Energy prices. "Energy is required to produce, process, package and ship each food item. While it may be more sensational to lay the blame for rising food costs on corn prices, the facts don't support that conclusion. By a factor of two to one, energy prices are the chief factor determining what American families pay at the grocery story," according to John Urbanchuk of LECG, LLC.

In fact, a Consumer Federation of America report criticized the oil industry for failing to use ethanol as a way to increase supplies of refined gasoline. The study notes that the use of ethanol could actually help reduce food price increases. "Higher energy prices cause higher food prices," says CFA director of research Marc Cooper.

On a local note, last fall, ethanol was selling from Mid-Missouri Energy in Malta Bend for less than a $1 a gallon. Ryland Utlaut, director of MME's board, stated at the time they couldn't the product into the market - even at low prices. Now, the ethanol prices have rebounded some, because as he said, they finally realized what a bargain ethanol was. Note: the "subsidy" of ethanol that people talk about goes straight to the blender, who puts the 10 percent ethanol in the gasoline. Without it, ethanol producers wouldn't be able to get in the market at all, instead MTBE and other oil-based additives would be used. Big oil doesn't want to lose even 10 percent of their profit.

Also when I went around to local gasoline stations to ask about the Missouri 10 percent ethanol mandate, a local gas station owner told me that adding the 10 percent ethanol actually lowered the price of a gallon of gas.

I'm not sure where The Conservatives' ethanol figures came from, but here are the facts.

For every 100 units of energy used to make ethanol, 167 units of energy are created in the form of ethanol. This includes the energy it takes to plant, grow and harvest the corn.

And now, one bushel of corn yields 2.8 gallons of ethanol, up significantly from just a few years ago (and bound to go up and up.) The Conservative talks about 100 percent ethanol, but I need to note that so far no U.S. cars are manufactured to run on pure ethanol. (Indy racecars do, though.) But using the same figures, I came up with 304 bushels of corn to power that car. The average Missouri farmer yields over 130 bushels of corn per acre, which means it would take only a little more than 2 acres to power that car for a year. (Not 11 acres). In a good year, and with increasing technology it is more likely less than 1.5 acres. And using the stated figures, it means the average U.S. car on ethanol would only get 11.7 miles per gallon. However, currently the Ford Taurus Flex Fuel vehicle (which uses 85 percent ethanol) gets 19.4 miles per gallon. It is true that E85 cars get a 5% to 15% drop in fuel economy. This will vary based on temperature and driving conditions. For comparison purposes, aggressive driving habits of any car can result in a 20% loss and low tire pressure can reduce mileage by 6%.

Also E-85 is much lower priced than traditional gasoline, making the loss of fuel efficiency negligible.

Also note, that with 10 percent ethanol, gas mileage is not adversely affected. Although, it isn't scientific, my car actually is getting better gas mileage with 10 percent ethanol.

I can't figure out the facts The Conservative used about 97 percent of the land covered with corn. But I do know that every year U.S. farmers have raised productivity of each acre. Last year, they again raised a record number -- over 13 billion bushels of corn.

Also think about this, I don't (nor does anyone I know) see corn ethanol as the only type of fuel needed to make us significantly less dependent on foreign oil. I believe like many people that we need many different energy sources including cellulosic ethanol, soy-diesel, hydrogen, our own crude oil sources etc...so we are never again at the mercy of countries who hate us so much.

But in the meantime, think about this: U.S. annual gasoline demand increased from 130 billion gallons in 2000 to 141 billion gallons in 2006. During the same period, U.S. ethanol production went up from 1.6 billion gallons to 4.9 million gallons. So ethanol satisfied 30 percent of the new gasoline demand.

So the real question is: How much would you pay for gasoline and food today - if it weren't for ethanol?

I thought the Iraq war started because he had weapons of mass destruction. How many years has the war been going on....how many weapons of mass destruction have been found...a big whopping zero!! Don't buy into the Bush propaganda. Bush is an idiot and hasn't done anything worth while for this country, except help big business. Record profits for gas companies 70 billion dollars profit (that's after all the bills have been paid).

Hey I'll be spending my tax rebate on county taxes at the end of the year...or at least what I haven't spent off setting on rising Bush Gas Prices.

Typesetter,

There are a few things in your opinion that are down right false. This is not the Presidents War. One is the president can't declare war, only congress can. Second the war with Sadam was started because he violated the UN sanctions repeatedly over the years.

This regime change was necessary because Saddam was an international outlaw. He had violated the 1991 Gulf War truce and all the arms control agreements it embodied, including UN resolutions 687 and 689, and the 15 subsequent UN resolutions designed to enforce them. The last of these, UN Security Council Resolution 1441, was itself a war ultimatum to Saddam giving him "one final opportunity" to disarm -- or else.

The ultimatum expired on December 7, 2002, and America went to war three months later Contrary to everything that Al Gore and other Democrats have said for the last four years, Saddam's violation of the arms control agreements that made up the Gulf War truce -- and not the alleged existence of Iraqi WMDs -- was the legal, moral and actual basis for sending American troops to Iraq. Al Gore and Bill Clinton had themselves called for the removal of Saddam by force when he expelled the UN weapons inspectors in 1998, a clear violation of the Gulf truce.

This was the reason Clinton and Gore sent an "Iraqi Liberation Act" to Congress that year; it is why the congressional Democrats voted in

October 2002 to authorize the president to use force to remove him; and it is the reason the entire Clinton-Gore national security team, including the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central Intelligence, supported Bush when he sent American troops into Iraq in March 2003.

Here is another one you can not blame the President for either. The main problem with today's gas and oil prices is the lack of drilling, and refineries. Now who is the main culprit to blame here. "The American Automobile Association issued a press release questioning the federal governments policies on gasoline refining that have resulted in more than 15 different varieties of gasoline being used across the country. "While these 'boutique' fuels have helped clean the air, they also have seriously hampered the efficient production and distribution of gasoline," AAA said." Finally, because of government restrictions, oil production in the United States is in decline while demand continues to accelerate. According to the Oil and Gas Journal, U.S. proven oil reserves have declined by around 20% since 1990, with the largest single-year decline (1.6 billion barrels) occurring in 1991. Who is the blame here Whaco enviromentle groups like the Sierra club and Liberal Democrats that have not allowed any drilling for oil in decades. Plus No refineries are allowed to be built either. (Blame the right people for this).

The blame for the housing markets fall to the greedy bankers and loan companies. The floating note is a big problem, second is that they are making loans to people that can not afford them. Third is they are loaning money with people without a big enough down payment to have an investment in the properties. Most of these buyers are flippers and investment buys.

Now food, Whooo, the main problem is with ethanol. When you take the main staple corn and turn it into ethanol you raise the price of corn and take the main staple out of food . That makes it nice for the corn growers but alas the cattle growers and the chicken farmers can not afford to feed the animals (whalla, you have high meat prices.) Plus anything else made out of corn goes up as well. Now ethanol by itself is not as efficient as a fuel. You lose anywhere from 4 mile per gallon per mile. "Neither increases in government subsidies to corn-based ethanol fuel nor hikes in the price of petroleum can overcome...a fundamental input-yield problem: It takes more energy to make ethanol from grain than the combustion of ethanol produces." "The average U.S. automobile, traveling 10,000 miles a year on pure ethanol (not a gasoline-ethanol mix) would need about 852 gallons of the corn-based fuel. This would take 11 acres to grow, based on net ethanol production. This is the same amount of cropland required to feed seven Americans. If all the automobiles in the United States were fueled with 100 percent ethanol, a total of about 97 percent of U.S. land area would be needed to grow the corn feedstock. Corn would cover nearly the total land area of the United States." "Ethanol produced from corn clearly is not a renewable energy source. Its production adds to the depletion of agricultural resources and raises ethical questions at a time when food supplies must increase to meet the basic needs of the rapidly growing world population."

As Typesetter said When gas prices are reasonable, so are the prices of everything else. Then people will begin to spend their extra money again.

On your thoughts for election day, You may not want what you wish for. Democrats will raise you taxes. They will let the Bush tax cuts expire. That alone will raise the taxes for the average family with an income of $65,000 up as much as $1500 more a year. That will really take out more of your food and gas money honey.

The President says were just going through "a period of adjustment". I don't think I want to adjust to our country going to hell in a hand basket! I can hardly wait for election day!

Quote from Hillary of you are well enough off that the tax cuts may have helped you,' Sen. Clinton said. 'We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.'" (Beth Fouhy, "San Francisco Rolls Out The Red Carpet For The Clintons," The Associated Press, 6/29/04)

To Date, Hillary's Campaign Proposals Would Cost Over $665.9 Billion If She Could Get Them Enacted Into Law. "Clinton's price tag is $110 billion a year, but analysts say her [health care] plan will cost a lot more than that. That alone would make your taxes go up to over $3000 a year in taxes for the same family making $65000 a year.

That's enough for now, see ya later.

The Conservative

I believe in re: to the Meth topic, I wasn't speaking of the place where meth is USED or people being NABBED for having posession of it. I, personally was speaking of the manufacturing of it.

JJ,

Missouri *is* considered the meth capital of the nation -- and not without cause. But the statistics, looked at from another angle, show that actually California law enforcement nabs much much much more meth than gets nabbed in Missouri. So maybe we're only *one of the* meth capitalS of the nation.

I agree with you jj! I want to say more but im kinda scared

sorry i have not posted in a bit..... i have been sleeping in gilliam since my zippo ran out.......

Everyone needs to remember that the job of law enforcement is to investigate people suspected of committing crimes and arrest them if the investigation reveals probable cause to believe the person committed a crime. After that, the matter is up to the Prosecutor, Judge and maybe a jury. If you have complaints about how a person's criminal case is ultimately disposed of, don't direct those complaints to law enforcement. They did their part and cannot control what happens afterwards. We have great law enforcement here in Saline County! The next time you see a law enforcement officer, a sincere "thank you" would be nice. They certainly are not in it for the pay!

I just wanted to stop by the wall here and take my hat off to a job very well done by Sheriff Wally George and his wonderful crew of Deputies as well as the Missouri Highway Patrol! All of you outstanding people make it a joy to live in Saline County keep up the good work take the negative with a grain of salt and keep doing what your doing! Meth is an issue of concern for everyone and I'm glad our county has taking it by the horns!

Get a Clue,

My post was also removed! I guess you can't mention certain people on this site or you get removed.

Eric,

If something is fact, it is not illegal to voice an opinion or state the fact! I have just started posting here, and I am getting the feeling that a certain few in Marshall are in charge of this. I am not talking about you or the Democrat news; I am talking about the few people outside of the paper that will not donate money or place ad's if you publish stories about them or their family. Once again what I stated in my post you removed were facts about someone who was CONVICTED of meth possession and production. He got probation and while on probation got caught with possession again and only got "30 days shock". This is fact, why delete my post. Oh yeah it was one of your boys...I forgot!

Some of you must not get the hint. This is exactly what JJ wants you to do. BEG him to start posting again. OMG! Just let it be! He hasn't posted and you all that support him are still going on. If you miss him that much, go to his blog. He posted the link for a reason. For those that like him to go there. So, do just that. Please!

Typesetter, I feel your pain. And I can hardly disagree with most of what you said. I think to put the blame for all of your points squarely on the shoulders of one or two men--the pres and the VP--is probably a little irrational. But again, I understand.

I think the root of most of the problems you've identified--and they are REAL problems--comes down to simple supply and demand and this country's attitude about our worldly status.

Yes, gas is $3.00 a gallon...and we are still pumping it into our SUV's, boats, wave runners, RV's and travel trailers. For that matter, we're still buying those gas hogs and weekend pleasures. For some, yes, it is simply a need to get back and forth to work. But watch any prime-time TV these days and you're still going to see the ads for the boat shows, car shows, etc.

A lot of the hype over this war was pinpointed very well in another user's post--we want what we want when we want it, and that is usually all we can get as quickly as possible regardless of the price. The price isn't always defined in dollars and cents. Sometimes that price is much higher. The point was our immediate access to (war) information and our insatiable, blood thirst for it. 24/7. It was Desert Storm that put the fledling CNN on the news map. We were hungry for the info, and they were daring enough to stick around and get it.

What's my point?

Greed. Not just on Bush's part, but on the part of the American population at large. And not just money greed. It's "everything" greed. In fact, I think subconsciously we know how greedy we are--so much so that it drives our thirst for information; we are paranoid over the idea of someone getting something over on us. We have to know it first, see it first, own it first, be the biggest and the fastest. Those who have more than we do are easy targets for the frustrations we feel when we don't have "it"...whatever "it" is.

Yet, I can very much sympathize with your feelings. I think most of us can sympathize with having to tell one of our kids "no, I'm sorry, you can't have that...I just don't have the money..."

I think JJ is way over rated. He just seems like some young kid that has not found himself yet with nothing better to do with his time. If JJ would spend his time making a difference in the world and not running his mouth he might do something good with his life.

Do we have a double standard here Cat Lover? You say if we don't like what JJ has to say skip over it. Well, back at you. If you don't like what we say about JJ skip over it.

Can't understand why so many feel they need to come to the defense of JJ.

Actually, screw the politicians. They are all out for themselves and their partisan goals. The country is in the shape it is because of politicians.

I would rather hear about fires, meth and JJ Gates!

What bleeds, leads!

Then check out his blog and read his comments there.

Seems like JJ monopolizes the site. I believe he had his feelings hurt earlier and stated he would go away. He's still here. What does that tell you.

Here are my thoughts on the new superintendent:

1. Sound financial management is a must. Spend money where it needs to be spent;

2. TEAM WORK; (don't make it an "us v. them" situation. You are not a ruler, you are a co-worker with everyone else in the district);

3. Listen to your co-workers from top to bottom! They are the best and are hard workers when treated professionally.

4. Get into the buildings and meet your co-workers. Know their names and acknowledge them when you can! Treat them like you wish to be treated.

5. Always be guided by what is best for our children!

Do these things and you should have a job in Marshall for a long, long time!

You know Mr. Crump, I know many of us would love to answer your question. But, what good does it do for ANY of us to give an oppinion when we are going to get shot down by JJ and his lame comments about our thoughts. I for one have a list, but I am not going to waste my time here listing it for you. I will just go to the few board members that I am close to and give them my thoughts. At least I know there I will be heard and understood.

I love ya BD42. We are on the same page!

i have not posted in days!!!! get a life, and be for real......geez

You know, if enough of us ask (by posting), maybe we can get jjgates removed from the list. Other than that, it would help if no one responds to his idiocy.

In response to comments about arrest at rural Slater home of Joel Harris:

It is a terrible state of affairs that meth has taken hold of so many people. It is a good thing that our law officers have been on such alert to those making meth. But, there is a definate problem that is not being solved through the judicial system. Meth makers are getting caught (good), going to jail and out of society (good), being released and making more because they have not had their problems and addictions dealt with (BAD).

I am convinced that they are not stupid people, they surely know a lot about chemicals and how they work together. They even know how to cook it, use it, and then use regular store items to "clean" their blood before they go to their probation officers. If they spent half as much time using their brains for good things think what could happen.

I totally agree that I want those who make meth, deal drugs, and such out of society. But, the fact remains that they are here and their addictions are not being treated! The cops in this area are surely doing a good job considering how many people in this county are using, making, and getting hooked on this awful, evil drug and others everyday.

All people should pray everyday for those with addictions that they would get the treatment they need to be a productive member of society, pray for the law officers of this county, and for those family members that been affected by the addictions of their loved ones.

maybe we could go grab 4 meal at taco bell gal? ya know it is friday.

jromeo j. gates

id tell ya 6' 1'' 225 but that wouldnt be believable no would it..........

and if its looking for a real blog......im interested

yeah it smells like the Lemon Chicken from New China

email address please...........

first of all thanks for reading my filthy blog......i have had over 500 visits in 2 days! good ole boys like you make it possible...second of all dick tracy, why would you close in on me? ask and ill tell you who i am...maybe we could meet up....and your in luck...taking care of good ole boys happens to be a hobby of mine and my specialty.

Jeric Jil Gates

why you was at home watching larry king live i enlisted so i really dont want to hear it........

kathy why on earth would anybody in america sew? when we can just have children is southeast asia do it. they love it and it helps them pass the time. thank you wal mart.

There's no question it's a serious problem. Case in point - there used to be one, perhaps two fabric stores in Marshall. When a large retailer moved in and sold fabric by the yard, too, those businesses were unable to compete and closed. A year ago, the large retailer decided to close down their fabric business. For the moment, it appears they've changed their minds, but I would not be surprised to see it happen. If you happen to quilt or sew clothes, your nearest option will then be at least 30 miles away. And this is only one example - there are plenty of others, I'm sure.

tradition smasmishin......i just saved a bundle at wal mart!

I have to work in Sedalia, but I try to spend most of my earnings here in Marshall. We moved here from Sedalia, because of the schools/environment.

My child got laid off from a good job be4 xmas, and has been hard pressed to find another 1 because there are just not that many places in Marshall for a teen (under 18) to get a job. More jobs (fast food ect.) would free up jobs for the collage students so their parents don't have to pay, or they don't have to spend grant money for gas to get to Sedalia for a job that pays

Niuges,

I'm not asking you to be specific about your occupation in the interest of identity and all. But comparing Marshall job opportunities to Sedalia job opportunities, can you give some examples of similarities? I can think of a number of occupations in Sedalia that Marshall has never had. You pose a real economic question. I'm just trying to understand:-)

Thanks

SecretAgent, I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Don't sharpen a pencil with a cotton swab if you're trying to make a point.

If the businesses would offer competing wages, I would work in Marshall. When a person applies for a job in Marshall and gets offered $4.00 to $7.00 less an hour for the same job description, well, it doesn't really take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. I will continue to commute to Sedalia and spend my money there.

"Yeah maybe so huh!!"

I hope that the board members and the mayor reads this because our town eventually will end up a town with nothing in it. They have enough fast food and retail in it for now. They need to concentrate on the needs and wants of our towns people!! I hope alot of you agree with this!

I know that people have heard of a Walgreen's coming to Marshall. I think that Marshall citizen's should have the say so on factories coming to Marshall. We need to promote factory businesses here so the people of Marshall don't have to travel 30+ miles to go to work and give the towns of Sedalia and Boonville their hard earned money. Not to say paying for the High gas prices to get there. My cousin works in Boonville and she spends roughly $50 to $60 a week on gas to get back and forth to work. It's rediculous!!! The mayor and the board don't want factories here because they want this town to be for the elderly.

We'll for their information, as long as there is a college here, there is always going to be kids no matter what. I think that the people of Marshall need to put their foot down and tell these people that's running this town to get some major businesses in here. It will bring more money to the town and promote other businesses. I think we need a new mayor and board or they need to get on the ball...

Does anybody remember White Water or is everybody afraid to bring that up for fear that they too might disappear?

Godzillary is not completely lifeless, but doesn't have the numbers on her side. If she drops out, how much does it help the chances of Obama democrats winning the White House over McCain?

Since we can apparently promote other sites on here.

Read The Sedalia Democrat!

www.sedaliademocrat.com

And to Eff Ess - thanks for the pats on the back!

"I don't think those names can be counted on to reliably indicate a person's vocation or affiliations," posted Eric Crump.

So are you telling us that Smokin' Cheetah may not actually be a cheetah? let alone a smoking cheetah? My world has just turned upside down!!

Thanks again E. Crump for setting us all straight. Your passion for your work really shines for the world to see on this website and of course in the print edition. Even though you probably get paid for doing your job, I want to say thanks anyway. Thanks for being a friend.

OBTW (that means "Oh By The Way" and is also the name of Kathy Fairchild's blog. Everybody should check it out if they haven't already), keep up the great work!! I do not take for granted that we have a great daily paper and website.

What a mess!!! marshall has always been full of characters but i'm thinking it is full of something else about right now!! i don't think you deserve a forum to dog and bash every little thing. serves no real purpose!!

Congrats to Secret Agent on the grammar award. I wondered how long it would take someone to notice that.

You are correct...contraction. The point being there is way too much attention paid to this kind of crap rather than voicing valid opinions or observations of merit--spelled correctly or not--in this community.

I have to be honest, if I were looking to this forum for insight into a community to move my family to, I would avoid Marshall--not for the hate and aggravation, but for the simple stupidity. The last census was conducted by Toys-R-Us.

MHS Teacher, you are a prime example. Look at your response to BDawk and tell me how you feel about yourself. I stand by my position. A dumb*** comment like that is the last thing that should be expected from a teacher. Using my earlier example, I'd damn sure question the quality of education offered in Marshall if yours was the only post from which to draw a conclusion.

By the way, congrats. I'll get my cigar from ya at the drive-thru.

MHS Teacher, Don't think you would get a "vacation" as a teacher unless you are suspended for not doing your job. oops,

that is just being too negative. OH, I forgot to tell you teachers do not get vacations while school is in session. Hmmmm

3 arrested for allegedly attempting to produce methamphetamine in rural Slater home March 1............ St. Peters Alum was one of the busted (i know this for a fact) .....thats what happens when you put religion in the class room.....he probably needed MHS Teacher! does st. peters have DARE?

When the Mexicans are running across my border?

every time a immigrant makes it i smile because my grocery bill just went down 2 cents. And someone else is in this country that really appreciates it. not to mention senoritas......

the homosexuals are allowed to marry?

i bet their divorce rate is alot lower then men and women! and where else would i get my fashion?

terrorists threaten my children?

then ill save them in dramatic fashion and sell the rights to TBS for a movie deal.

JJGates,

Only Mike Huckabee can reform this country into God's country. Real Christians know this to be true.

When the Mexicans are running across your border, and the homosexuals are allowed to marry, and the terrorists threaten your children, who do you want in power? That liberal Commie in sheep's clothing, otherwise known as John McCain? Not I, sir, not I.

Teacher and Cat,

I would like to point out Teacher's use of "lets" correctly used would actually be a contraction and not a conjunction.

- SecretAgent

Sorry FS. I couldn't make it too complicated. This is MHS Teacher we're talking about....had to dumb it down for the target audience.

Smoking-

not as clever.

love,

eff ess

teacher,

shouldn't you be teaching?

MHS Teacher,

If the sentiment you truly feel from BDawk's post is reflected in your response, AND if you truly are an MHS Teacher, I hope I read about the board of education accepting another resignation soon. No wonder Marshall High School has such a horrible reputation...

I grieve for the family as well. However, have any of you given any thought to the grief and possible terror the young kids who found this guy might be feeling?

It is quite the shame that while a family grieves over the loss of a loved one, many of you are on here arguing who is right and who is wrong on the whole issue.

In many regards, I could expect it from those such as JJ, and even a few others, but for the tit for tat, back and forth, that the "editors" have succombed to is highly disappointing. I am sure the family is really interested in reading how and who should receive so called credit for breaking the story. As with most other media outlets, bad news is business. The important part isn't who brought it to you first, it is how do we help a fellow community family move on. There is an obligation to this community that the MDN has, and most of this filth doesn't belong.

To the family of the gentlemen that was found, some of us truly grieve with you, while otherrs try to make a name for themselves in the "public" forum.

I would like to wish everybody a happy National Grammar Day, however.

a friend of my enemy is my enemy. therefore a co-sign of my internet enemys post is like kicking my little baby! and i wont have it.

nomad have you been having sleepovers again? or you must be suffering from hilaryitis. i found it on webmd. its a mental condition in which you continue to fight losing battles, without any realistic hope of victory. normally your battle is against a younger, bronze, good looking, sharp, (i could go on and on) young men.

effess, that is quite the ironic post.

Again, I point out that this had nothing to do with JJ and I stand by my comment. I did, in fact, read all of the comments previously posted, including the one by our editor, Eric Crump. I would classify the response by JJ as being more in the nature of a rant than anything else. He is free, as am I, to post as he wishes, however.

JJ - my posting had nothing to do with you whatsoever. I merely pointed out nomad's correct identification of why newspaper and other media do not always publish information immediately. Praise for nomad is not criticism or you or anyone else. A little testy today, are you?

Nomad, thanks for your posting about the identification of the man who died in Foothills Park this weekend. It neatly made the point that public sources like the newspaper have a responsibility to the family that others often fail to recognize.

nomad the news never sleeps.........thats why i dont........im a pulitzer in the making

I believe Mr. Crump and the other reporters do have a "LIFE" other than the MDN. Therefor, it is quite understandable that this site is not updated 24/ 7.

I do pray for the family and friends of the man found in the park. What a horrible shock this must have been.

Bunny McHappypants! that two timing scallywag! she took me on a date in gumdrop forest last week! im heartbroken...... i wish DARE worked so i had better ways to cope with my emotions. (genereations closed so im running out of options)

maybe i am

Along the lines of thewayIlive2268's post on parental attitudes, see http://tinyurl.com/2xun3d

The author argues that a sense of entitlement is widespread and still spreading. And that it erodes the possibility of happiness since disappointment is inevitable.

Oh I understand. It is you that is lost in self absorbtion and 10 different personalities.

So what did all the wonderful people of Marshall do with their weekend since we had warm weather? I spent my time with my children. Riding bikes, running, had a picnic and even got a kite. We were truely blessed with wonderful weather this past weekend. Wish we could have more of it. Did you spend your time in Marshall or out of town?

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY EARPLUGS?

How do motorcycles get away with being so loud on our city streets?????!!!!!

They fit right in with the subwoofers rattling my windows and the mufflerless cars on our streets.

Mayor? Council People? Chief Of Police? Answers?

I believe he is about as annoying as the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons. Whaa, whaa, whaa.

if youd like i could come to your house tonight and deposit a 'dna' sample.........

yes rex, and im right again in saying...you are right

correction....there

more breaking news! BRAD PITT HAS A NEW HAIR CUT!!! MORE ON THIS LATER......developing

"Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news, according to a new survey." http://www.reuters.com/article/internetN...

I'm the the Marshall Democrat News and JJ are part of this internet revolution.

I love the site. Keep up the greatest work.

yeah what he said!

jclark jkent gates

Rex,

I sure am.

MHS Teacher,

We can thank JJGates for the disrespect that you speak of. But then again, I guess we can thank the Marshall Democrat News as well for allowing him to do so.

ive been talking up david kemm since the original forum about 3 years ago! it was because of my 'heated' david k arguements that the former board was removed......

but enough of that JJ is dropping another story before marshallnews.....

DEAD BODY FOUND AT INDIAN FOOTHILLS PARK......AT THIS TIME IT IS UNIDENTIFIED...SOURCES SAY IT WAS FOUND DOWN NEAR THE CREEK...more info will be available when the only real news source in town (me) finds out..........DEVELOPING

if someone is disabled or so old they cannot manage their dolla dolla bills.....do they really deserve them? NO NO AND NO.....

it has something to do with nascar, deer hunting, low IQ, and busch beer........everyone that does seems to be linked to all four

JJ, don't quote me. I've already stated I recant! At that specific time you were not typing random blurbs of poo poo. As it is my opinion that you and others are now are typing random blurbs of poo poo. Just as this would be a random blurb of poo poo.

Hey JJ,

Who care what these other (real nameless) people are expressing? I like and don't like what many subscribers have typed.

I enjoy reading what your opinion and everyone else's opinions are. Even if I don't agree w/ some. We are all having good fun and the topics are in juction with what is effecting us in the norm and not so normal way.

I'd like to think I am an expert in being a good procrastinator. Which is part of AADD. I like to read back on what I have expressed and see who has taken interest on something I have commented on.

If you don't like to read what I write... DON'T READ IT. If you don't like what JJ or Superwiner or Smokin' Cheetah or Purpuless is typing DON'T READ IT!

-- Posted by nomad on Wed, Jan 30, 2008, at 11:43 AM

Happy Leap Day! Flip flops are in abundance!

teachers_wife,

I would completely agree with what you just said if you were a man. Perhaps you could have your husband post comments on this website instead?

JJ,

Your post where you said you were funny...., now that's hilarious.

thats why the marshall test scores are low! you asked ' I wonder how it is possible for a researcher to measure any prevention program.' DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR maybe if you read the study you would find out! do you teach your kids to respond without reading?

i dare to get some halfway decent teachers.......

jjgates

Hey JJ,

Thanks for the belly laugh. Love Robin myself. Genie's are pure trickery, not like witches. Witches are sneaky. They'll send a spell to poke your eyeballs out.

how bouts a little gravy for them biscuits...

The final edition of the largest evaluation of the DARE program has concluded that the DARE program does not reduce drug use, and, in at least category of marijuana, the DARE graduates smoked more frequently than the controls. The report concluded: "The DARE program's limited effect on adolescent drug use contrasts with the program's popularity and prevalence. An important implication is that DARE could be taking the place of other, more beneficial drug education programs that kids could be receiving." ("How Effective is DARE", American Journal of Public Health, Sept 1994, p 1399).

OH MY OH MY JJ IS RIGHT AGAAAAAIINN

In February 1997, the Research Triangle Institute completed a four-year study sponsored by the Department of Education. The study, which tracked 10,000 fifth and sixth graders from 1991 to 1995, found programs other than DARE to be more successful in preventing drug use and promoting anti-drug attitudes among students. The report recommends that DARE increase emphasis on role-playing and decrease emphasis on self-esteem and establishing negative attitudes toward drugs (E. Suyapa Silvia and Judy Thorne, "School Based Drug Prevention Programs: A Longitudinal Study in Selected School Districts," Research Triangle Institute (Chapel Hill, NC), February 1997).

In September 1994, the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina completed a project sponsored by the National Institute of Justice which analyzed eight of the top studies of DARE. The researchers concluded that the program had only a short-term effect on reducing drug use, and that several other interaction-based drug education programs were more effective in preventing drug use (Susan Ennett, Nancy Tobler, Christopher Ringwalt, Robert Flewelling, "How Effective is Drug Abuse Education? A Meta-Analysis of Project DARE Outcome Evaluations," American Journal of Public Health, September 1994

Muffin,

No list of positive things in Marshall is complete without mentioning the Jim the Wonder Dog Memorial Garden.

It's too easy for folks to think their glass is half empty rather than half full. Marshall has so many positive things going for them....an active tourism commission, the Martin community center/Beazley aircraft museum, better intersections on highway 65, improvements at the fairground, health office, new ambulance building, Missouri Valley College and on and on. While they may not be perfect projects - too much tax money on the ambulance Taj Mahal, city more than likely subsidizing Martin/Beazley daily operations, we are a most fortunate community. Scary that I would be of the opinion as JJGates, if you don't like it here move or be a plus rather than a minus.

I find it interesting that there are so many people who dislike the Marshall community bashers. They constantly bash the bashers of the school, the community, the DARE program, career ladder, women, the skate park, and every other excuse they can think of for their miserable lives. If they are unhappy with this community and its bashers, MOVE! Get a JOB! Do something productive with your your life and shut up!

the original one,

JJG

again rex you are wrong....its because the broom is a woman only tool. guys have hammers and real stuff

mrs fairchild! did you just address me as 'your goodness'? please stop im blushing! sorry ma'am cant talk now, but i am the victim of yet another personal attack....

okay theway,

i always thought that being small minded was partly the inability to accept others thoughts and opinions. and a general trait of a small town, but i guess noooot marshall. and especially not you all i mean heck you guys are what 3,4,5 generations removed from slave staters......hahahahaha.......hmmmmm sounds like i am a victim of closed mindedness, you wont let me express my opinion without personal attacks. they did the same thing to Jesus. mel gibson if youre listening I NEED A FEATURE FILM. boy was i wrong! i thought the dinosaurs were killed off? they were around for a long time, they were old, fat, and cumberson and then one day (thankfully) they were no more, they were replaced.......people such as the posters have kids and they believe DARE is soooo good and the community is so great then they are suprised when little timmy's dollar bills are rolled up, jenny is knocked up, and thier is money missing off the dresser. (i love chris farley). hopefully i am never ever as nieve as some of these people. but what should i expect these are second gen./relatives of folks who thought a dog was magic....oh oh and thats not even the kicker THEY DIDNT EVEN MAKE MONEY OFF IT! hahahahha ive came to the conclusion that, if something is to good to be true and the person responsible does not make money off it....it was in fact too good to be true, cuz if it was true they would either be rich or they have an IQ of approx. 47 and are so out of touch with the way things work they dont want money.

so let me get this straight you read my posts for months and decided they warrented a response! awww i love you too..

now if you excuse me its time to make pancakes,

Lt. Gen. Sir. Dr. Jacques Jafar Gates

As a resident of Marshall I find it sad that we have such small minded people like i <3 huckabee and JJGates. Huckabee, do you think that a woman is not capable of having an intelligent conversation or able to have opinions of major issues? If so that is very sad and you need to get your head out of the past. I know several women that are very intelligent.

As for, JJGates, the comments that you make just lets us know that ignorance is still a major problem. I have been reading the post for several months and I have come to the conclusion that you are a very sad and lonely soul. It is apparent that you have several opinions about the community and the people in it but they are all negative and that is sad.

The DARE program is a great thing for the kids in Marshall. The four or five month class is not supposed to put some "magic spell" on the kids that makes them immune to drugs, alcohol, and violence. It is meant as a foundation for the children it is the PARENTS responsibility to make sure they build on that foundation. If that is not done you can not blame the officer's that present the program, like I said they only work with them for four or five months.

I also find it sad that you need someone to test positive for drugs so you can get a job. If that is the deciding factor between you and the person that test positive, I think I would have to re-evaluate myself and figure out why someone else's dirty urine leads to my success.

Dear Kat,

when im a middle aged adult i hope i can blog for marshallnews.com! please tell me the secret to your success. i mean you get paid to blog and i dont.....maybe thats why you get more response to your postings then i do......

love,

Jerome JaRon Gates

Huckabee, please feel free to raise any issue in which you're interested. There are more than a few intelligent and thoughtful bloggers waiting to respond. You may have to be patient and persistent in wading through many postings that drive the discussion in an unexpected direction, but that is the price we pay for our freedom of speech.

I don't fully understand the underlying motivations of the posters on this website, but most of these posts are nonsensible. Can we perhaps talk about some serious subjects effecting our community rather than this preposterous drivel?

the color of money...clever.

huckabee,

are you serious? please keep current with the posts. moderator, please feel free to remove i <3 huckabee's most recent comment.

Green iiiii, Do you have a black cat? If your cat is black, are you evil, a witch, or evil and a witch? I ask because historically, black cats are symbolically associated with witchcraft and evil. Also if you are evil, a witch, or both; what is your favorite type of pizza?

if he lets his subscription run out.....ill purchase 2!

wow! green eyes has a wonder cat! somebody erect a statue!

somebody tell the tourism committee to change their slogan to "Smart dog, smart cat, and morons."

Can a cat pick out colors a person was wearing? Could a cat pick out a car by its owner, color, make, or license plate number? Can cats pick out a variety of trees or shrubs, names of a business, or the occupations or homes of strangers?

Can cats read a variety of written languages?

I don't care for cats; they are for witches.

No kidding? We had a cat when I was growing up that played fetch, too -- with chunks of dry dog food! It was a hoot.

I find the discussions about DARE interesting. I have a friend who teaches DARE, and I'm told the current curriculum deals not only with drug education, but also peer pressure, bullying, anger management, violence, and many other issues. Also, I believe the Missouri Department of Education health requirements mandate that drug education be covered in public schools. I have heard that parents may opt for their children to be excluded from the program, but most of the time, their reasoning is because they don't like their own children questioning their parental alcohol and drug use. Interesting! Make sure you are not assuming that education has stood still since you were there fifteen years ago. This 'taint your granny's world these children are living in!

JJ remember that weird cartoon they showed us in the beginning of DARE...you remind me of that big fat rolled up lady joint character, you talk like you think what you say is important but you come off to the rest of us stoned out of your gord not making a bit of sense.

ish runs downhill........the man has to discipline the wife.......and if he fails to then she fails to discipline the child.......and when that happens the dog craps everywhere and the dog doesnt discipline the cat....and then the fish go nuts.........

i don't have a problem with beating children either

Small minds discuss people,

average minds discuss places,

and great minds discuss ideas

Elanor Roosevelt

I'm sorry I have a hard time understanding your alter ego ramblings most of the time. Hey while I have you here, I don't know what side of the brain JJGates is using, the right or the left, but what ever side your not on, would you mind punching the other side in the face.

Hey, "cuz they are forced"....we are talking about 5th graders right...10 and 11 year olds right...so your alter ego means forced like when a 5th grader is forced...

1. To eat all the food on their plate.

2. To take a bath before bed.

3. To make their bed.

4. To go to school.

5. To do their homework.

6. To clean their room.

7. To brush their teeth.

I could go on and on with things 5th grade children are forced to do, they are children after all, and have to be forced to do almost everything that is productive for their betterment. If they weren't forced they wouldn't do any of the above and would do nothing but sit in front of tv or xbox/playstation all day.

"i hate to bust your bubble nomad but i graduated from DARE and so did all my drinking buddies............they do it cuz they are forced......... the effects are minute.....its a nice thought though but im a realistic guy.

Dare class of 1996,

Jay Jackson Gates"

"cuz they are forced" you mean like they had a gun to their head and were told to guzzle the beer or do you mean "cuz they are forced" like they had a big crowd standing around them yelling "CHUG, CHUG, CHUG".

I'll steal a line from your alter ego DAGates, "Ooooh, look at me I'm the Waterboy". The stuff you spew, wow!!

Why don't you tell us what would work besides DARE (not talking about what would have worked for you as it sounds like nothing would have, you are clearly one of those people pleasers who needs attention whether it be positive or negative attention.)

Flip-flops year round would be heaven sent! This lady bug was definitely born in the wrong generation.

yeah i know i cannot stand this 'democratic' climate.........just pick a side so we know what to expect!

marshall dem news might be the worlds leader in terms of girls basketball news.

just thought id add that......seemed relevant

jacob jones gates

outside,

why don't you blast tech-savvy news readers in your community by calling them morons?

...yawn....zzzzzz.....

intelligent posts indeed. These opinions from graduates of past DARE programs are most insightful. I'm not familiar with the current DARE program, but right now I am not prepared to say that the program does more good than bad. some might say that DARE is the gateway to drugs. You learn about drugs and their effects. Kids are curious.

WOW! Intelligent postings... not random blurbs of poo poo. I would be so-- understanding if the Dem News did close off this forum.

Sad, though. I enjoy posting and reading different views of local/ visiting readers.

Any program that sends a positive, encouraging message to our youth is well worth an optimistic view through my rose colored glasses. The local police men/women try to instill to these children, courage, to go against this poisonous grain. Whether it is friends or family being the bad influence.

Get 'em young, show our kids the facts and educate them on other positive influences.

Oh good. Another know it all on the board. rex care to explain your comment???

with the exception of like 5 people, everybody is on dope.

Hey... hate to point out the obvious but didn't everyone graduate from DARE...I mean really hasn't it been around for like 15 years in our Wonder Dog loving community. I mean I even graduated back when it first started. Just because a few weak minded folks succumbed to peer pressure doesn't mean everyone else did. DARE works for those who actually listened and for those who had parents that looked out for them like mine.

read my other post get a clue...and then get a clue........who does that describe?

Sorry, that comment was for JJ. My computer messed up and didn't type that it's self.

you exposed me get a clue..... i am a middle aged, middle class, marshall parent. i used to have hopes and dreams now i just waste away in saline county. i am so marshallized i frown on new opinions and ideas. i dont see humor in everyday things. i take everything seriously. i spend a small amount (but an amount nonetheless) of my time arguing with some guys bogus internet persona. i take pride in trying to expose a joke as nothing more then a joke. in fact jokes anger me because they are not funny. i am a stick in the mud. i am so weak that some punk can copy paste some wikipedia article and throw together a few run on sentences (mostly without caps) and i cannot let it be, i have to respond, i attack his fake name personally, i am so lame it actually angers me......wow i am a loser

i hate to bust your bubble nomad but i graduated from DARE and so did all my drinking buddies............they do it cuz they are forced......... the effects are minute.....its a nice thought though but im a realistic guy.

Dare class of 1996,

Jay Jackson Gates

Back on November 4, 2005 The Marshall Democrat-News ran a story entitled "Electric flag again "waves" from Courthouse." According to the article the United Daughters of the Confederacy had taken donations and several local business had donated time and resources to refurbish the electric American flag that hangs on the North side of the Saline County Courthouse. The article stated the flag had been mounted on the Courthouse in 1917 but had not been working since the 1980s. I remember the flag "waving" from when I was a child. I thought it was great when the effort was made to refurbish the flag. But now there are several lights on it that don't light up and I have not seen it "wave" in some time. Seems like it was a big deal to get it refurbished but it has been allowed to start to deteriorate again in just a few short years. I believe when it was refurbished it should have also been taken into consideration what it was going to take to keep it in proper working order for the future. I know people are strapped for money with the economy the way it is right now but maybe another drive for donations needs to be done to at least replace the burned out bulbs??

i dont have a mouse i just use the keyboard genuis.........and thank you cup cake because it is whatever....whatever i say

Careful you don't get any of that gratification on your mouse, JJ.

yeah you got me...im an extremist....EXTREMELY AWESOME, SMART, CUTE, PRETTY, GOOD SCENTED, AND TOUGH. however i always find myself fighting these battles they are like My Wars. i just feel you dont understand me cheatah....i wish we could just go camping at van meter or something so i could concentrate my energies on you and help you to understand i only mean good.

this person does have political affiliation it seems. you are correct they dont originate from the USA. these ideals seem to come from a more devine place. maybe thats why some fight these words with such vigor.

"If history is truly a teacher, then (someone) will likely go the way of (his) historical twin sometime soon and of (his) own accord." you CROSSSED the line with this one! are you planning to NAIL this man you speak of? because thats what happened to the "historical twin" you speak of.

your pal

(someone) aka (his)

any word on the railway crossings? railroads are vital. FYI

Right now, I'm spending quality time with Jonah Matranga. He's a genius from San Francisco. Brilliant in mind and voice. His bands include Far, New End Original, onelinedrawing, and Gratitude. Currently, he's flying solo. But, nonetheless, it's magical! Lyrically beautiful.

JJGates,

of course you are perfect. We, being everybody, cannot blame you for imperfect technology.

Oh my goodness! JJ has a fault! He can not spell! Mark it on the calendar. This way all can remember he IS NOT PERFECT!! Among other things that is.

first lance armstrong now the indian jones look? nice mr c!

nader is a mccain pawn...he will steal votes in the starbucks regions to allow america to keep its backbone (republicans) in office.......thanks ralph youre a hero! (george bush taking over for clinton was like your kids bringing the car back spotless...but on E)

secret service, armed forces, and eric crump....what do they have in common? the protection of the most important things in america...in reverse order..... my feelings, the country, the president

You have GOT to be kidding!!! Practice what you preach Justin, I mean JJ! Do us all a HUGE favor and fall off your high horse. Handsome?? Smart?? Hold on while I die laughing.

I am being PERSONALLY ATTACKED!!! HELP ME!

"Cry me a river JJGates" please use your own material i have used the phrase...'cry me a river justin timberlake' numerous times on this board. i know im cool and all but please do not use my words even though you are not able to come up with your own.

thanks

-- Posted by JJGates on Sat, Feb 23, 2008, at 12:07 PM

"Cry me a river JJGates" please use your own material i have used the phrase...'cry me a river justin timberlake' numerous times on this board. i know im cool and all but please do not use my words even though you are not able to come up with your own.

thanks

Eric,

Your a bluegrasser? I'm working on Clinch Mountain Backstep on the banjo.

Everyone has their own set of chords and lyrics that is their life. A theme song. What is in everyone's ears? What genre do you prefer and what has been playing lately?

hilary might as well have said......im done! oh im proud to be here with obama...yeah yeah yeah give me a break.

geez mr. crump i feel like brittany spears, all i want to do is live my life and these people always want to make me the corner stone of their lives and conversation. okay okay ill apologize.... sorry for being smart and right all the time. does that make it better? all i do is state my honest (correct) opinion and respond to attacks against myself (aka defend). im sorry you guys cant deal with that, or deal with my genius.

your BFF,

the dashing and always handsome

Gen. Dr. Sir Jobe Judas Gates Jr.

John Dickerson over at Slate agrees that Clinton debates well:

"It's easy to see why Hillary likes debates. They match her natural rhythms the way the theater hall matches Obama's speech and body language. Clinton looks more at ease in the setting where she can knock out facts and offer specific details about her programs, like creating a trade prosecutor to monitor international agreements, or her plan to freeze foreclosures. Her performance in Austin no doubt bucked up her troops by reminding them why they liked her, and it gave anyone sitting on the fence more to think about."

(http://www.slate.com/id/2184892/nav/tap3/)

But he says Obama stayed with her for the most part, so her performance probably won't be enough to make a serious dent in his momentum.

Boy it is obvious that JJGates is being protected by the people at the Democrate news. Thanks for deleting my comment. It is also very two-sided that you let him speak his mind and be little people but when someone tries to go against him, oh no that can't happen!

Thanks a lot. Now I know why I stayed away from adding a comment as long as I did. It is just like Marshall to favor "certain" people and barricade them from any harsh words even when they deserve the same thing they are dishing out. The good old town will NEVER change.

Mac Davis' work in music seemed sometimes to be overtly sexual. For example, "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" (in which he pleads with a woman not to get too attached to him because he doesn't want to commit to a full-time relationship with her) was one of them, as well as other hit songs like "Naughty Girl" and "Baby Spread Your Love on Me". He wasn't alone in this; many country songs popular in the 1970s and 1980s featured sexual overtones.....cheatah why do you want me to listen to this guy? you are a democrat but uhhh i aint......keep your distance please.......

The Marshall Street Department should be commended for doing a good job clearing the streets. They have one of those thankless job. Kudos to all

You know, JJ, on behalf of all of us standing in line I must say "Thank You". You make it incredibly easy to want to step out of line...if only for a moment. You have challenged me to rise above. You, sir, will forever have a place in history.

Mac Davis must have been a prophet. He wrote and recorded a song about you 35 years ago...during the hippie movement...

He even started it with, "Oh Lord..."

Oh, 'fore I forget. When Jesus issued that challenge, no one took him up on it. Are you going to be so bold as to say you would/do challenge Christ?

Thank you lookin'in. After re-reading, I can see where what I said may have been interpreted differently by different people...part of the same discussion really:-)

This string started with a comment about the problems with organized religion. Do you know what a "Sharp-shooter's fallacy" is? It's a term generally used to describe how a problem is solved...sometimes. I think it is a good metaphor for how we choose our theological preferences sometimes also. The sharp-shooter's fallacy basically tells us to shoot the barn wall full of bullet holes, THEN come back and draw the bullseye around the one we want.

In my life, I have come to learn these simple truths:

1) There was only one perfect man, and I ain't Him;

2) Though I consider myself a believer in and a follower of Jesus Christ, I am waaaaaaayyyyy at the end of the line most days;

3) (As my daddy always said) there are but two people for whom to have reverant fear: Jesus Christ and His Father;

4) For ALL have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; and...

5) Regardless of faith, theology, denomination, belief, non-belief, or what any of the denominational handbooks, bylaws, constitutions, and rules of order state...we are all given one gift without compromise and without limitation. That is the gift of free will...the freedom to choose. The fact is, none of the rest of that stuff can remotely begin to matter until a choice is made.

If my theory of our forefathers is true, then that is where they failed as well. They wanted freedom from religious persecution and the freedom to worship as they desired. Well, they each circled the hole they wanted to be the bullseye. Maybe they should have been concentrating on worshiping for the sake of worshiping rather than spending so much time on developing different ways of doing it...

I made a statement about our Constitution in my earlier post. The Constitution is widely regarded as the most prominent document of our time. The authors are respected as forward-thinkers who created a system of laws for generations to follow, and credited for making it a document that could be changed or amended as needed. But...what if.....what if what really happended is someone said, "you know, we can't even get this Bible following thing right without arguing about it. Do we want really to marry these colonies to a system of law that can never be changed?"?

Let that one rattle around for a while when you're trying to sleep tonight...

Mr. Crump, to respectfully clarify, I am Christian, my spouse is a self-professed aetheist and one of my children is a self-professed paegan. So I am not bashing Christians per say...it has just been my experience that there are too many people out there that have put too much importance on the person/place delivering the message than on the message itself.

this might be the only message board in the history of Al Gores internet that you can find convo on Senator Joseph McCarthy (hero), scientology(the real faith), deer hunting(nascar+guns sounds safe), a wonder dog (fruad), and The Salem witch trials (before minorities the po-po harassed women) and all of this is at the same time. if someone asked me to describe marshall missouri i couldnt. i would just have to point them to this board, this is marshall at its finest. and im proud to be the spokesman. im proud to be the smartest, most handsome, down right coolest man to ever rest his unbreakable, flawless, lemon scented bones in the county seat of the county saline.

"the truth"

jimmy johnson gates

It is part of our human nature to wish to be with those who are like ourselves. This allowed us to band into survival groups, tribes, villages, etc. and as such, to become civil societies. Unfortunately, the definitions of who was 'like us' became narrower and more restrictive as populations grew larger and more diverse. Those who were NOT 'like us' were considered 'bad', and the numbers of 'not like us/bad people' grew as the global population grew. Whether it is religion, skin color, or favorite foods, - we find ever more ways to divide "us" from "them". Even tho we now know that we are all related and we all live on one little blue marble in the sky, we still revert to 'my way or the highway'. And that will, just as surely, be the death of us all. Survival is not dependent on the 'strongest', 'fittest', or any other lone-wolf fantasy, but of the most cooperative, resilient and adaptable social groups. Or as Dr. King noted, we must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools.

Now how we define 'brothers' is the rub - do they have to be carbon-copies of ourselves, or do they, as equal human beings, have the right to think, behave, or worship differently? That IS the American experiment - out of many, one.

So, how do we define that "one" - my definition or yours?

I am a daily reader of the Marshall paper both online and paper. I also read other newspapers from the area online. I would just like to remind the folks that post on here that other people see what you write and it looks ridiculous. I fully appreciate an open blog but remember - this one can't be missed by folks that may be looking for a town to visit or move to as it's right there on the front page. I am a very open person and agree that everyone is free to have their opinions but if people want to take "digs" at each other and have type of back and forth strange conversations - email each other. No one else can follow what the few of you go back and forth about. I would just like the paper to remain respectful.

OK Rex, lets just get this straight. The salem witch trials were a blight on American history. Neighbors against Neighbors actually I could say you were a witch just because I personally disaproved of your comments and the only way you could disprove it was by sinking in a lake and thus drowning or by not being consumed by flames on a pire. Last time I checked you're flamable so you must be a witch. Religous governments are intolerant and ignorant, thus bad. Saudi Arabia, Holy-Roman Empire, Spanish Empire, Great Britain before seperation of church and state. Remember the Puritians came over for some reason and that is religious freedom. Then they were free to burn and hang who ever they wanted and men were free to beat their wives with a stick no bigger than your thumb. You know those lusty women are always trying to corrupt our communities unless we keep them in check. Ok now to Joe McCarthy. Here is a little insight to your hero. "McCarthy's tactics and his inability to substantiate his claims led to his being discredited and censured by the United States Senate. The term "McCarthyism," coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, was soon applied to similar anti-communist pursuits. Today the term is used more generally to describe demagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations, as well as public attacks on the character or patriotism of political opponents." Now that being said lets pass out the marijuana hats for liberals, the yellow stars for jews, and we can move toward a religious government that can really accomplish something.

OK. New topic:

Any takers on who the first presidential candidate will be to add the news of Fidel Castro stepping down to their political campaign/goals?

Maybe this could be a poll question of some kind? Eric?

Just my thoughts on the leading presidential candidates:

With all the hype and stereotyping of the last two presidential elections centering around a "religious, conservative" Republican party and a liberal "smoke-if-you-got-'em" Democratic party, I am equally confused about McCain's surge to the lead. He has openly opposed a constitutional ban on gay marriage, openly supported federal funding of stem-cell research, and equally supportive of abortion rights. If you look at how we have pigeon-holed the idealogies of the two major parties, McCain's positions are as much Democrat as the Democrats!

As for Hilary Clinton, I honestly worry about her nomination and election to the office of President for much of the same reasons this country has come to rue George W's tenure. The general consensus for some time is that GW set out to finish what his daddy before him started. Hilary's rise in politics has been meticulously calculated since her election to the Senate...and I see her using the office of President to pick-up and clean-up where Slick Willy left off; cleanse the family crest, so to speak. In my opinion, that is where George W failed, and that is where Hil will fail if elected: they (will) both choose to forsake our democracy for their own dynasty...good or bad.

Addtionally, Clinton and Obama have a potential historical asterisk by their names in that if Obama is elected president, he will be the first African-American to hold that office; if Hil is elected, she will be the first woman. My concern if either of these people are elected is that their successes (and worse yet, their failures) will be swept away casually and excused by the fact that he or she is the "first". In other words, I can see where Obama's or Clinton's judgments may be perceived less than objectively by an American public focused more on the fact that he is the first African-American or she is the first woman elected President of the United States.

Rex,

That's hilarious! I'm so glad that you are joking.

Eric,

It is a little strange considering McCain's political reputation. It also makes one wonder who is doing the voting. McCain has a reputation for reaching across party lines to help out but seldom seems to ask for the same in return. I think that attitude sells to the public though it is frowned on within party lines. Personally I like a guy who disregards the company line to do what is right but it seems he doesn't seem to be one to initiate things himself.

I think it goes back to the same old issue in politics-the right people aren't always running. (And yes this applies to your local offices and boards sometimes) We've fallen into a lesser of two evils election process for the most part. We want our country run by the best, most qualified person. Was that person really George Bush? For that matter was it Al Gore? Probably not. But it's who they marched in front of us.

For years we've been the best team in world, but when it comes right down to it we always seem to run out the third string QB for election time. That is why many feel that either Clinton or Obama will walk all over McCain. If you aren't a power broker in your own party then why should we give him the ball.

Sorry I didn't phrase that correctly...but...I still think I got my point across...and yes, serviceman is right....would like to read more "intelligent" conversation on here.....

somebody (niuges) doesn't know how Jeopardy is played.

School Districts for $2,000-Alex...

dedicated teachers, staff and students, 94% avg attendance rate, three times accredited with distinction, 86% graduation rate, 62% placement in post-secondary schools after graduation, 86% placement of career/technical center graduates, $8,216 per student expenditure, 1 computer for every 4 students, outstanding Booster Club, award winning band, orchestra, choir programs, award winning academic teams, FFA programs, strong CTA, Parents as Teachers Program, strong Eduational Foundation, many, many extra-cirricular activities, award winning athletic teams and probably the best sports complex in the state, all with 55% free or reduced lunch eligible students and outdated buildings....What is the Marshall Public School District? The horse that some people now choose to saddle up is dead. Stop beating that dead horse and show some OWL PRIDE!

Hey, JJ stay in that saddle for awhile and wridden. You are on to something.

ill take School Districts for 1000 Alex.... murder/attempted suicide, domestic violence, sub-standard test scores, fist fights amongst coaches...... uhhh what is marshall public schools. Jennings eat your heart out!

Johan Jorge Gates II

(back in the saddle)

question for the staff......if i make a post with nothing but copied and pasted statements from local stories you wrote would you delete it?

Local politics are interesting, but in November we will be electing a new President. Both races are newsworthy. On the GOP side of things, Huckabee is having fun beating up on McCain, the "presumptive nominee". For the Dems, they finally have not one, but two, legit nominees in Hill Clinton and and B. Obama. I, for one, cannot wait for the next primary, caucus, or debate.

Well BDawk, I'm guessing you will never know who that phrase was intended for. You see, protocol seemingly allows for the posting of obvious pointless statements with no bearing on the context or subject at hand (as it says right above this text box '...and try to stay on topic'). If JJ....oops, I mean, if anyone SPECIFIC answers that question, he may "alienate" someone from an otherwise "entertaining" conversation.

these valley alum hippies write essays...and arrange press releases....

yeah, you tell them to contact Secret Agent Michael Scarn. that is a deal.

love always,

Secret Agent Michael Scarn

if a bad movie is at the theatre you shouldnt go to support the actors. it gives them a false sense of what they are doing is actually good and and entertaining, right?........ so why go watch a sport that you have no interest in watching? oh i know why, and so does everyone but they dont say it. so everyone think to yourself about the greatest plays in womens basketball history. okay im done.....quite a highlight reel....... jjgates theory of events states

attendence/weather-admission cost= relavence

okay is that theory wrong? prove it.... i crossed referenced different data in the Gates397EmG Super computer and it only proved my theory flawless. the inputs where as followed WNBA, a league of thier own, the lifetime tv network, marion jones, hilary, woman astronaught in diaper, madonna, pam anderson, new york, xena, aunt jemima, first ladies, whatever the vice president lady is, and danielle steele... as opposed to nba, world war II, spike tv, carl lewis, bill, john glenn, elvis, kid rock, flavor flav, he-man, uncle ben, presidents, vice presidents and mark twain.

Czar Jack Justice Gates Jr.

Gal66,

As far as sports go, it is evident that the passion is definitly in the realm of football, which is fine, but other student athletes deserve the recognition as well.

On to the other subject that you touched on, I have shared several ways that the park could do better with some of their programs. If you scroll back to some previous posts you will see some of the ideas that were suggested. most of these, biased or not, were directed towards the softball programs. There are certainly possibilities outside of that as well.

What I said in my post, which I thought I clarified, but let me do so again for those not paying attention. i am not pointing a finger at the Director and Board only, but at the Dept. all the way down to the coordinators of the programs. I do feel that better decisions should begin at the top, but the parks problem stems further then that.

I am sure Mr. Stubblefield would be gracious to sit down and talk with anyone, hell I have sat down with him many of times, and have even suggested some things as well. Maybe he doesn't see them as being resourceful or usefull, to each is own.

As far as crying, I haven't shed a single tear yet. I am passionate about our youth, I want them to have a chance, I want them to exceed, I want them to have opportunities. Is that crying???

Once again, I am not targeting Mr. Stubblefield, i repeat it is not ENTIRELY his fault, but he should burden much of the blame. That's what happens when you are the high man on the totem pole. I personally don't feel that we take advantedge of enough opportunity, bottom line. there is no reason that this town can't host tournaments all summer long, basketball, football, baseball, softball, soccer other then the fact that we don't have the resources to do so.

So back to my earliest point. Too many broken promises!!!!! If we had what we were promised, we would have all of the resources in the world to operate in the black.

Nuff said!

BDawk,

Kudos and ditto on every sentence you typed!! 'Nuff said.

After reading some of the posts on here today, I am really amazed that some of the individuals that write such outlandish idiocracies are intelligent enough to turn on their computers.

Don't vote for Obama because of his name resembellence to a sadistic leader in another country??? I can't believe I wasted 2 minutes of my life reading such nonsense.

1/2 cent taxes being nothing? It's not the fact that we are being taxed, that part of it is fine with me. The problem is as simple as this. Walk into McDonalds order a Cheeseburger, leave, go home, open the bag, and pull out the chicken sandwhich they gave you instead. Are you hapy now? Is that what you paid for, what you work for, what you volunteer in your community assisting others for. I coach in this town, I teach, I tutor, I spend more time with other youth then i am able to with my own at times. I have no problem "giving back", hell, I'm not even from here for that matter. The fact is, be up front, if we are going to spend our hard earned money supporting programs in the community, great, just let us know which ones they are going to be, and then do it!!!!!

And by the way, the park not being money maker, go to school, learn something about Parks and Rec, and then repost. Yes you are right, it is a service for the community, but don't be fooled that it doesn't generate revenue. Just because it isn't run effectively and to the highest potential that it could, doesn't mean it is supposed to break even. Our Parks and Rec department could do just as other's around do, they just don't put the same effort and emphasis in making sure those that are running the programs, and I am not talking directly about the Director or the Board, but those running the programs as well.