Kansas
updated
9:27 a.m.
President Barack Obama gave his speech the other night--Declaring the combat mission in Iraq over after more than seven years, President Barack Obama also sought to use the milestone Tuesday night to buy patience from voters on the economy, and patience from fellow Democrats on the war in Afghanistan, according to The Wichita Eagle. A few questions come to mind. Why don’t more Americans o...
Otto's War Room - Wed 10:28 p.m. - 2 clicks 
“In the republic of mediocrity, genius is dangerous.” -Robert Green Ingersoll Recently I watched the documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” Though no ONE entity was singled out as the murderer, it was evident that the car companies, in collusion with the gas and oil industry were mostly to blame. GM designed and produced viable [...] ...
Prarie Populists and Progressives - Wed 2:04 p.m.
Oh my. Oh. Dear. My. I just realized that today marks the beginning of the second quarter of this quest. This is seriously spooky because I haven’t journeyed nearly as far as I had intended by now. How could a whole quarter already be over? (Insert your favorite cry of frustration here.) I have learned a few things. Continue reading → ...
In This Moment - Wed 9:40 a.m.
Yes, it’s a silly poll. Maybe all polls are. But it gives me hope that Republicans really could nominate her. Sarah Palin may be on a hot streak with her congressional endorsements, but 59 percent of Americans think Sarah Palin is not fit to be president of the United States, according to a new 60 [...] ...
Prarie Populists and Progressives - Wed 4:24 a.m.
I’m beginning to think I wrote a litmus test, not a blog post in Monday’s “Wherein I Confess To My Christianity Problem.” In comments I’ve received in private conversations, here on this blog, on Facebook and on Bilerico where I cross posted, the discussion has been interesting, to say the least. Some people seem to only see my anger at Christians and cheer me on. Others say I’m ste...
In This Moment - Tue 4:27 p.m.
A new Gallup poll shows the GOP leading the Democratic Party by 10 points in a “generic ballot” test, which asks whether the voter prefers a Republican or Democratic candidate. That’s the GOP’s largest lead in the 68 years that the generic-ballot question has existed. Should Democrats panic? Well, a Newsweek poll showed voters split [...] ...
Prarie Populists and Progressives - Tue 8:25 a.m.
President Obama returned to the White House ready to get back to work, giving a brief speech on Monday about the U.S. economy. Obama said that his administration is planning to kick-start the economy with several quick measures: extending tax cuts for the middle-class, redoubling the government’s investment in clean energy, adding further tax cuts, [...] ...
Prarie Populists and Progressives - Tue 5:09 a.m.
Tonight President Obama addresses Americans about pulling combat troops out of Iraq. It was a time table set by his predecessor, but never mind that, since the world began on January 20, 2009, it is his responsibility. I agree. President Obama is the commander in chief and this ultimately is his decision and his responsibility. [...] ...
Prarie Populists and Progressives - Tue 5:09 a.m.
From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner : There are certain sacred cows that the government never messes with….until now. One of such cows is Social Security. And yet it is in danger of being done away with. There are actually politicians that want to end Social Security. That would make it impossible for millions to ever retire. They would be forced to work until the reach the grave. Thos...
Otto's War Room - Mon 10:03 p.m. - 8 clicks
A week after Katrina hit New Orleans, Federal Government officials and private relief organizations were still discussing how to send aid to the area. ACORN, which had been organizing low-income and working class residents in the city since the 1978, had already moved into action. Banks were giving their middle-class, mostly white customers ninety days or more to make their payments, but borrowe...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Mon 3:22 p.m. - 2 clicks
I should probably turn in my goodness card. I blew up — via email — at a well-meaning Christian who wrote to tell me that all I needed was prayer to find the Holy Spirit. This happened about a week ago. I’ve been mulling over the incident ever since and have realized that I need to make a confession: I have a Christianity problem. To be specific, I’m rather famous among my friends f...
In This Moment - Mon 6:26 a.m. - 2 clicks
My own religious beliefs can be found in the books of Epicurus, (Έπίκουρος, 341—271 BCE). What appealed to me is that he rejected the existence of Platonic forms and an immaterial soul, and he said that the gods have no influence on our lives. It is not straight up atheism, but it is fairly close. It is based on materialism and the idea that humans and not gods are responsible for our well-...
Otto's War Room - Sun 10:49 p.m.
Recommended Audio: Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' Speech Rotten Eggs and Our Broken Democracy Amy Goodman writes for Truthdig.com: "What do a half-billion eggs have to do with democracy? The massive recall of salmonella-infected eggs, the largest egg recall in U.S. history, opens a window on the power of large corporations over not only our health, but over ou...
Community Bridge - Sun 7:29 a.m.
It's called the Kalamazoo Promise and it is funded entirely and in perpetuity by private, anonymous donors. Their goal - to send every school-aged child attending Kalamazoo Public Schools to community college, college or a university in the state of Michigan. Many observers called it 'groundbreaking', 'a bold new experiment', and 'a model for America'. I call it a 'no-brainier'....
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Sat 4:06 p.m.
Ahhh...finally a little down time this week. The summer program is over and we are ramping up for our After-School programs. No light task, but it does allow for a slight reprieve. To allow me to procrastinate the planning I need to do for the Education Department training week and ensure I'll be working under a tight deadline for no reason, I decided to change offices. It's a bigger office ...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Sat 9:42 a.m.
Community Bridges opens with Donna Schenck-Hamlin who fills us in on this year’s Movies on the Grass schedule. Then, Roy Crenshaw from Big Brothers – Big Sisters of Riley County joins us to talk about volunteering for their organization. Brandon Haddock then tells us about K-State's new LGBTQ Resource Center and we close out with this week's edition of The Breakdown with Chr...
Community Bridge - Sat 7:09 a.m.
Our second hour opens with Gloria Freeland and Steve Smethers in a discussion of K-State's A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications Centennial. We close out this week by rebroadcasting a clip from the Tavis Smiley Show featuring author Tim Wise, author of Colorblind and White Like Me , discussing the ideals about a post-racial American and the way to solve ra...
Community Bridge - Sat 6:01 a.m.
In recent weeks, there has been a controversy in New York City involving a Muslim center that is a few blocks from where the Twin Towers once were. This controversy highlights the misperceptions that many people in this country have about Muslims. Bob Hooper, a regular blogger in Everyday Citizen, wrote an informative blog about the prejudice and anger among certain groups of Christians toward...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Fri 8:27 p.m.
Here is topic that is seldom discussed by adults, and which, in my opinion, begs discussion and clarification. A dictionary might go on for half a page, but I will submit what I believe is a very simple and quite adequate definition. Lying is knowingly representing to another, or to others, as a fact or truth, something the speaker or writer knows to be false. This is not the same thing as expr...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Fri 11:22 a.m.
Does it concern you that 46% of republicans believe the President is Muslim? Or that 27% doubt he is a citizen of the United States? If so Read Timothy Egan of the New York Times post from 8/25 (http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/building-a- Where do Jerry Moran, Sam Brownback and Mike Pompeo stand on the president's citizenship and his religious affiliati...
Buffalo Blog - Fri 8:45 a.m. - 10 clicks
A Sunday fund raiser was held for the Socialist Party of Kansas. The event was held at Kirby’s with a raffle and book sales. While this party is officially affiliated with the Socialist Party U.S.A. it is run mostly by Wichita State University Students. As with many such groups, it acts as an umbrella for people with different ideas and tendencies. For many of these people it is either an introd...
Otto's War Room - Fri 7:42 a.m. - 11 clicks
The Cordoba House could have been and still could be a powerful healing force for good, an educational tool, and a wonderful symbol of tolerance and inclusion of true American values. It won't happen. If it goes forward, the Cordoba House will become a target of hate-mongers instead of a symbol of peace. It will be defaced and vandalized, and the media will rush to cover the incidents while aski...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Thu 8:22 p.m. - 2 clicks
Kim Jong Il (김정일) is on a visit to China this week, according The Wichita Eagle; (Democratic People’s Republic of ) North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong Il was in China Thursday on his second visit this year to his country's biggest source of diplomatic and financial support, according to teachers at a school he visited. China is about the best and only ally that the Democratic ...
Otto's War Room - Thu 10:27 a.m. - 10 clicks
Sam Harris’ pre-release publicity tour for his new book T he Moral Landscape continues, as he once again tries to explain his point. This new Q & A on his website provides a good overview. I find his discussion of the term “moral landscape” to be the most heartening because it includes the notion that there is more than one way for humans to be moral. Perhaps the idea of multipl...
In This Moment - Aug 26
Former Republican U.S. Senator from Wyoming, Alan Simpson, is a co-chair of President Obama's recently formed bipartisan commission tasked with producing ideas to reduce the government's long term deficit. The other day he responded to a critic by asserting that the American people overuse Social Security claiming that the program is a milk cow with 310 million tits. While I disagree with Sim...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Aug 25
Ultra-conservative Sam Brownback is turning heads in Kansas by driving around in a gigantic (presidential candidate type) campaign bus. The only problem for the man who wants to be the next Governor of Kansas? The bus is from Alabama, was wrapped in Alabama, and has Alabama tags. The Kansas companies that provide these services are not very happy with Kansas' Senior Senator. And people are ...
DailyKos (Kansas) - Aug 25 - 5 clicks
Yale Psychologist Paul Bloom believes human beings are hard-wired to be moral. During the discussion of his work at the Edge Foundation conference on the New Science of Morality, Bloom clarifies that he’s more hesitant about his conclusions than he might first appear, but his work still has interesting implications. If any of this is true, then what are the mechanisms that push us t...
In This Moment - Aug 25 - 2 clicks
From http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_REVOLUTION : Sanhati, a forum for solidarity with peoples' struggles in India, successfully organized a protest demonstration in front of the Indian Consulate in NYC on August 13 against Operation Green Hunt to coincide with India's independence day on 15th August . The protest demonstration was endorsed by the Alliance for a Secular and Demo...
Otto's War Room - Aug 24
From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner : Should a Muslim cultural center be built near ground zero in New York? This is the issue that won’t go away. In a way it is a non-issue but it stays in the news anyway. It was in The Wichita Eagle this Sunday. It was in an earlier article I wrote. I also compared one of our modern issues, Gay Marriage, to going back and voting to bring slav...
Otto's War Room - Aug 24 - 9 clicks
I did it. My goal was to meditate and pray every day for seven days, and I succeeded. Wahoo for me! This turned out to be far easier than I had expected because once I made the commitment, I discovered that I was hungry for spiritual practice. What had previously seemed impossible to wedge into my daily schedule suddenly seemed easy. So, I finished my week. Now what? I find that I w...
In This Moment - Aug 24
The other shoe has dropped for Harvard researcher Marc Hauser with the announcement that he has been found guilty of scientific misconduct . In a well written and interesting piece, Florida State Professor Michael Ruse puts this in context and argues that Hauser’s actions hurt all scientists. The questionable research involved studies on monkeys. For the purposes of my quest... Read More. ...
In This Moment - Aug 24
by Somat Ghimire This article is from The Red Star – Issue 15, June, 2010 Just before starting the general strike, UCPN Maoist organized all party gathering at a hotel Yak and Yeti. Writers, journalists, traders and businessmen and workers of civil society were present in the gathering. These all expressed their opinion on the starting phase of the programme. Then, UCPN Maoist Chairman Prach...
Otto's War Room - Aug 23
-CPPAugust 23, 2010 From Information BureauCommunist Party of the Philippines; The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today hailed the successful tactical offensive launched by the New People's Army in Catarman, Northern Samar last August 21 and at the same time assailed Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Deles for saying that the Samar ambush "will make the way forward (to peace) more dif...
Otto's War Room - Aug 23
How often to us Leftists in Wichita get a chance to get together and hang out. It's from 6 to 8 Sunday night. ...
Otto's War Room - Aug 22 - 9 clicks
Recommended Audio - Obama: No Corporate Takeover of Our Democracy In his weekly address the President calls out Republicans for blocking campaign finance reforms that would address the Supreme Court decision opening the floodgates of corporate money into elections. Transcript available at Truthout.org . What Will Become of Us, of America, If We Continue on this Pa...
Community Bridge - Aug 22
Dr. Laura Schlesinger quit her radio show this week to regain her First Amendment rights. After repeatedly using an extremely offensive, racist word on the air, Dr. Laura wants to be able to say what she wants, where she wants, how she wants, why she wants and more. To paraphrase another (former) public figure, we won’t be able to kick Dr. Laura around anymore. She is taking her ball, and going ...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Aug 20
I am glad to hear that President is taking recess time of his own, away from the interruptions of usual family affairs and politics. I wish him to recharge himself with passion, vigor and energy during this vacation to emerge with the clear view of priorities of political and 2010/2012 election issues and what is most important for this country and him. I sincerely wish to see him succeed in his ...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Aug 20
Troops are leaving Iraq and the reaction from the US press is “ataboy” to a job well done. (We leave behind 50,000 troops). Now that we are leaving, we hear all these self congratulating military people talking about how they “gave these people democracy and they will now have to make it work.” Another way of looking at it is that we came to invade and leave these people with a mess to clean ...
Otto's War Room - Aug 20
الهيمنة والغزو ارهاب ام ديمقراطية ...؟؟؟ من يرهب من ... و من يفترس من ؟؟؟ هل الشعوب ترهب الامبرياليين وتفترسها ام الامبرياليين يرهبون الشعوب ويفترسونها ؟؟؟ الراسمالية بطبعها " دكتاتورية ارهابية " هل لائحة جنيف التي اقرتها الجمعية العامة للامم المتحدة في 10 كانون الاول 1948 بما تسمي لائحة حقوق الانسان تتفق ممارسات الامبرياليين ام ماذا ، بالرغم ان حقوق ا...
Otto's War Room - Aug 20
Is goodness a gift from God, the result of reasoned thought, or something else far more visceral? And if the gut reigns, then how can we ever pull ourselves out of the moral mud? Two reports this week offer perspective, and one even provides hope. Continue reading → ...
In This Moment - Aug 20
From Amnesty International; We deserve to know why civilians were used as human shields against bullets . And why observers and journalists were barred from entering the war zone. But the government of Sri Lanka doesn't seem as interested in finding out.The country had been embroiled in a bitter conflict for nearly 30 years. Now instead of demanding justice, the government has set up yet another...
Otto's War Room - Aug 19
My friend Marcia Epstein has committed an act goodness. Yay Marcia! She writes on Facebook: Diane, in your honor: This evening I bought groceries and the cashier was not having a good day. So I added a Snickers to the end of my pile. After the candy was scanned I asked the cashier to hand it to me. Read More. ...
In This Moment - Aug 19
Those of us who take jobs as teachers, educators, and social workers know what we're getting into when we sign up for the degree and the job. We sign on to higher salaries than people without an education, but lower than most degreed people make. But, for the most part, making the big bucks is not our intent. In fact, the longer I'm in education, the more my job becomes a day-by-day battle to ens...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Aug 19
From http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_REVOLUTION ; Dear Comrades, we are maintaining Revolutionary Video Blog Site for collecting many revolutionary Video source to single place. It is showing on http://slmarxist.wordpress.com/ . Please see & visit it. thank you Long Live Marxism Leninism Maoism! New Marxist Study Group (NMSG) Sample: http://slmarxist.yolasite.com/ ...
Otto's War Room - Aug 19
I’ve kept my word . Every day this week I’ve added meditation and prayer to my morning routine. The results have been interesting. I start by meditating for 15 to 20 minutes and then I pray, and then I, ah, cry. The crying part has been a shock. I didn’t plan on tears or seek them. Read More. ...
In This Moment - Aug 19
Shorting Economists: The ‘Experts’ Keep Getting it Wrong Steven Hill writes for Truthdig.com: "That modern-day guild known as “economists” has been on a self-righteous rampage lately. This latest rash of finger-wagging was kicked off by the Greek debt crisis. Looking at tiny Greece, these economic Cassandras foresee a menacing future for the entire global economy if President Barac...
Community Bridge - Aug 19
Overland Park, Kansas — August 18, 2010 — Dr. Lisa Johnston has earned the endorsement of the Mainstream Coalition, a highly respected nonpartisan political organization. “I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Mainstream Coalition” said Lisa Johnston. “I believe that Kansans want leaders who are reasonable, moderate, and dedicated to representing the inter...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 18 - 3 clicks
From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner It would seem as if Wichita is obsessed with graffiti. Some people consider graffiti artwork, rather than just vandalism. It is true that some of it is pretty trashy and it is not always appropriate on someone’s private building. But in many parts of the world it is not even considered vandalism; it is considered freedom of speech. And for some loca...
Otto's War Room - Aug 18 - 2 clicks
Today I came across research that prompted me to consider a rather nasty question: Has our culture become so stressed and dysfunctional that we are swiftly becoming incapable of acting morally? The first warning note was sounded by Notre Dame Psychologist Darcia Narvaez who posted a paper on The Decline of Children and the Moral Sense on her Psychology Today blog. Narvaez writes: Read More...
In This Moment - Aug 18
From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner There are plenty of times that US citizens should rise to the occasion and point out to our politicians that they made a bad call. Unfortunately, bigotry and ignorance make most politicians of both parties cringe and run for cover. The latest incident involves the building of Islamic Center (It may not actually be a mosque) over what has been descri...
Otto's War Room - Aug 17 - 2 clicks
The Government of India has carried out an anti-insurgency policy, called Operation Green Hunt, to strike at and get rid of Maoist fighters of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). There has been little mention of the civil war like conditions of India in the mainstream US media. It does appear that news of this attempt by the Indian Government to wipe out the people’s hopes for a more humane sys...
Otto's War Room - Aug 17
Forget A Double Dip, We're Still In One Long Fall Robert Reich writes for Business Insider: "It’s nonsense to think of the economy heading downward again into a double dip when most Americans never emerged from the first dip. We’re still in one long Big Dipper. More people are out of work today than they were last year, counting everyone too discouraged even to look for work. The number of ...
Community Bridge - Aug 17
I’m beginning to understand Sam Harris’ argument. He’s seeking an alternative to religion as the basis for morality, and he’s seeing morality as the core issue of our time. In a presentation and lengthy discussion at the Edge Foundation conference on The New Science of Morality , Harris explained that he wants science to take on the project of moral persuasion. How can we persuade all of ...
In This Moment - Aug 17
Last week President Obama said that Muslims have a Constitutional right to build an Islamic Studies center near Ground Zero. The next day he said that he did not endorse the "wisdom" of their choice to build it there. There is nothing hard to understand in, or unreasonable about believing, both of his statements. Yet fools, and the majority of our mainstream media pundits, think otherwise. The...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Aug 17
I appreciate the suggestions folks posted about how I might practice goodness for the rest of this quest. Yesterday, however, while sitting in a car with the air conditioning running and deep in an unexpected conversation, I took the leap and committed to an experiment. My friend and I pledged to engage in daily practices designed to help us reach our spiritual goals. Because it seemed o...
In This Moment - Aug 16
petition @katiecouric to ask Petraeus tough questions & expose his effort to extend the #Afghanistan War. http://act.ly/2as RT to sign. AfghanistanDocu from Los Angeles with 3,066 followers started this. ReThink Afghanistan, Congressional Hearings Now While There's Still Time. Watch Robert Greenwald's Full Length Documentary Online at rethinkafghanistan.com http://www.rethinkafghan...
Otto's War Room - Aug 15
In our second hour we will broadcast the documentary: Votes for Women! by award-winning producer Sandra Sleight-Brennan . "Votes For Women" was the slogan on the banners that many American suffragists wore in the 72 year struggle to get the vote. On August 26, 2010, we celebrate Women's Equality Day and the 90th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment. The documentary uses...
Community Bridge - Aug 15
Community Bridge opens this week with the founder of Living Liberally , Justin Krebs , joining by telephone for a discussion of his new book: 538 Ways to Live, Work and Play Like a Liberal. Krebs will be in Kansas to conduct a book signings in Kansas City, MO, on Monday, Aug 16th, 6:00pm - 9:00pm, and hosted by Drinking Liberally Kansas City. Then on Thursday August 19th at 7:00 pm ...
Community Bridge - Aug 15 - 3 clicks
Recently on these pages, I reviewed Tunes of Glory, 1960, directed by Ronald Neame, the fictional screenplay by James Kennaway based loosely on the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. A few weeks ago, a fellow member of Clan MacLeod, who had read my review of Tunes of Glory, called my attention to another film involving the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. I obtained To End All Wars from Netfli...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Aug 15
So the Pompeo campaign got caught slinging mud...and why is anybody surprised? It is what he and his party do. I'm not running for office so I'll say it like it is, it's typical. They got nothing. Their economic mismanagement brought the world to the brink of financial ruin and their lies caused a war that could have been avoided (that's Iraq for you Pachyderms). How do you come back from the pol...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 13
If there is any validity to new research, then we finally have a scientific rationale for what Jesus noted all those many years ago. From the King James Bible: And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God As weird as it is to see me quoting The Bible, it is even sadder to see the following exp...
In This Moment - Aug 13
From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner -Steve Otto Mistakes happen, but this one should be a wake up call to all those conservatives who don’t want to rile up the non-racist people and the moderate conservatives who are not out to stick racist labels on others. The Wichita Eagle has alerted the public that Congressional candidate Mike Pompeo, for the 4th district which has been vaca...
Todd Tiahrt's Folly - Aug 12 - 3 clicks
In the last two columns, I have risked irritating any I may have missed, by tangling with American perceptions and practices of Christianity. One internet reader said I had missed the point: "This nation was and is founded on fundmental chrisian [sic] beliefs and ideals. The facts [Mr. Hooper] lays out that what is seen in behavior is different than the ideal......well that is the nature of t...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Aug 12
What happens to the field of moral psychology when one of its most prominent researchers is under investigation for tampering with his findings? This question is anything but academic since the news broke this week about a years-long investigation at Harvard. Read More. ...
In This Moment - Aug 12
Economists without a Clue Dean Baker writes for Counter Punch: "The latest cool thing for the Washington elite is to beat up on school teachers and firefighters for their overly generous pensions. It turns out that some of these public sector employees get enough money in their pensions that they can actually enjoy a decent retirement." The Rubin Con Goes On Robert Scheer wri...
Community Bridge - Aug 12
As I continue to wade through the discussions from the Edge Foundation’s conference on The New Science of Morality, I keep bumping into ideas that set off fireworks in my brain. These, by the way, are delicious, sweet fireworks. Today I’m struck by Harvard Assistant Professor Joshua Greene’s assertion that we have to understand how human beings think/feel/act morally, or face the conseque...
In This Moment - Aug 12
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -- Thomas Paine, 1737-1809 On July 29, I listened to Brown University biology professor and textbook author Kenneth Miller speak on evolution and religion. The forum was sponsored by Fort Hays State University's Science Cafe . A self-described devout Roman Catholic, Miller accepts Darwinian evolution as fact, including what fundamentali...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Aug 11 - 3 clicks
It’s been weeks since the Edge Foundation held its amazing conference on The New Science of Morality, and I still haven’t been able to digest all that was discussed. I couldn’t attend this select meeting, but like many other people, I’ve been eagerly catching up at the conference’s website , which features transcripts and video of presentations and discussions. The conference focused on ...
In This Moment - Aug 11
Hey GOP! I'll see your the 14th amendment and raise you the second. Now...as a hunter and gun owner I have no intention of advocating the repeal of the second amendment, but do you see where this is headed? Constitutional amendments are not there to be changed or repealed for political convenience. Otherwise who is to say that all of them couldn't be changed at some point given the...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 11
I’m not only seeking an intellectual understanding of goodness on this quest, but also a path to practicing goodness. The problem, of course, is figuring out how to actually do that. In other words, how exactly does a human being practice goodness on a daily basis? Read More. ...
In This Moment - Aug 10
Please feel free to insert examples from your area into the following commentary and forward to others as you see fit... So you say you are against big government spending? Recently CIBOR, are research facility at Wichita State University, grew bone in a mammal for the first time without the body rejecting it. It's a break through that could potentially help soldiers and crash v...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 9 - 8 clicks
A Bleak Jobs Outlook Dean Baker writes for The Daily Beast: "For the second consecutive month, the economy created virtually no jobs, net of temporary Census jobs. The Labor Department reported that the economy lost 131,000 jobs in July, 12,000 less than the 143,000 drop in the number of temporary Census workers. The June numbers were revised down by 100,000 to show a gain of 4,00...
Community Bridge - Aug 9
Charles Schollenberger and his campaign staff wish to thank many Kansans around the state for their efforts in our behalf. While not ultimately successful in the recent U.S. Senate primary, we are proud that we were the only campaign that took a serious position on many of the major issues facing the country while at the same time proposing solutions. We started out campaigning for both the hea...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 8
As part of our efforts to celebrate Women's Equality day and the 19th Amendment's 90th anniversary on August 26th, Community Bridge opens with Kari Ann Rinker , President of the Kansas Chapter of the National Organization for Women , along with Amber Versola and Vicki Stangl in a discussion of where women stand in the state of Kansas, what still needs to be done in the fight for women's ...
Community Bridge - Aug 8 - 2 clicks
During our second hour, following this week's Media Minutes, we take a look at the Blues with KSDB's Benjamin Detrixhe. Detrixhe hosts a speciality show on KSDB - Blues Power with Ben - dedicated to the Blues music genre. With Detrixhe spinning tunes, we will look at the historical development of this unique American musical form over the last century. MP3 File ...
Community Bridge - Aug 6
Six Charts That Suggest the Unemployment Crisis is WORSE than It Looks The Huffington Post reports: "If today's uninspiring data on the mounting jobs crisis isn't enough to convince you of how difficult it will be to turn employment situation around, we've gathered some graphical evidence of just how bad it is out there." Recommended Audio: GRITtv - Welcome to Recovery for the Ri...
Community Bridge - Aug 6 - 2 clicks
Bestselling author Sam Harris has proposed yet another heretical idea: the notion that science can and should answer questions of good and evil, right and wrong. He appears to be arguing that science should shape morality and define goodness and what constitutes a properly lived life. Already his ideas have sparked a huge online debate. Read more. ...
In This Moment - Aug 6 - 2 clicks
Sadly but predictably, mudslinging in the Kansas U.S. Senate race began around 1 a.m. on Wednesday in Senator John Cornyn’s congratulatory statement to Congressman Jerry Moran. Cornyn stated, “Democrat nominee Lisa Johnston has clearly demonstrated that she would simply serve as another rubberstamp for President Obama and Harry Reid’s out-of-control economic agenda if she make...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 5 - 2 clicks
Dr. Lisa Johnston was very pleased to accept the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate late Tuesday evening. Johnston won over a field of four other Democratic candidates. “I am honored by the support of our Democratic primary voters”, said Lisa. “I am looking forward to campaigning in the coming months and working hard to gain support from voters in the general election.&rdqu...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 5
I’m interrupting your regularly scheduled goodness programming to contemplate an issue of politics and civil rights, and to take note of the federal court ruling overturning Proposition 8. To my thinking, this decision is a very good thing, but I don’t want to focus today on the issue of goodness so much as the issue of politics and mood. When I see people celebrating around the country,...
In This Moment - Aug 5
Goodness is hideously boring, banal, unsophisticated and ignorant of the realities of life, among many other things, or at least that’s what I’ve been told as I’ve journeyed on this quest. Not everyone has this attitude, but some do. As I’ve talked to more people about the topic, I’ve begun to hear what some see as the downside of goodness. First, there’s this problem of one’s mother. Actua...
In This Moment - Aug 5
I’ve wondered if this day would ever come. We attacked Todd Tiahrt relentlessly for four years or more. He finally lost an election trying to move up. I could go over the reasons we attacked his so relentlessly and why we wanted to stop him so bad, but for know I need to change this site to a new direction. I will now go after any Kansas politicians that his ripping off the public for his own pers...
Todd Tiahrt's Folly - Aug 4 - 3 clicks
In the August 2nd Survey USA poll conducted for KWCH in Wichita examining the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, Dr. Lisa Johnston continued to maintain the substantial lead she has held for all primary polls that have been conducted. In this latest poll, 29% of respondents indicated that they would vote for her today as compared with 21%, 12%, 7% and 6% for her opponents. ...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 3 - 2 clicks
A wise friend suggested to me the other day that goodness is not a state of being, or even a set of actions. Goodness, she said, is an aspiration. “I start each day seeking to be good and always fail, but at least it’s what I aspire to do.” Read More. ...
In This Moment - Aug 3
By Stuart Elliott Taken from: http://newappeal.blogspot.com/2010/07/who-i-am-voting-for-in "I don't ever remember so many choices in the Kansas Democratic primary as we have this year. There has been a lot more heat and dollars spent on the GOP side, so the information to make an informed decision has been hard to come by. For what it is worth, here are my ...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 2 - 5 clicks
Leading U.S. Senate Candidate, Lisa Johnston, will attend the election watch party sponsored by the Johnson County Democratic Women. The Tuesday, August 3rd election watch event will take place at the Lucky Brewgrille at 5401 Johnson Drive in Mission, KS starting at 7 p.m. Lisa invites all her supporters to attend the event and take part in the excitement as we find out who the voters hav...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 2
In a Topeka Capital-Journal article , Dr. Bob Beatty applauded leading U.S. Senate Candidate, Lisa Johnston, for running the most successful campaign on limited funds: " Lisa Johnston's campaign for U.S. Senate on the Democratic side has been impressive. Her last campaign finance report showed she had spent less than $5,000, but her website is excellent. She is the only Democratic ...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 2 - 4 clicks
Kansas City Star Editorial - June 30, 2010 "Give Schollenberger credit for addressing one of the most important issues facing Kansans in the coming years - how to boost fortunes in the western half of the state... Schollenberger's playbook: Get this campaign back on issues that affect Kansas and Kansans" Kansas U.S. Senate candidate Charles Schollenberger is now supporting the ...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 2 - 4 clicks
From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner - Steve Otto There isn’t much difference between Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt, the two Republican rival in tomorrow’s primary for the US Senate seat in Kansas. And yet there seems to be a lot of people planning to go to the polls and vote for Moran simply because they don’t like Tiahrt. To say they “don’t like him” is often putting it mildly. Some sa...
Todd Tiahrt's Folly - Aug 2 - 4 clicks
I’ve now completed two months of this quest. I’m 63 days, two interviews, 65 posts, 96 comments and a dozen Facebook discussions into this thing, and I don’t have much of an answer yet. I do know that when first confronted with my question (What is goodness?) 99.9 percent of people respond with blank stares. I can’t tell whether they are stunned into silence by my choice of topic (Who care...
In This Moment - Aug 2
Why the Feds Fear Thinkers Like Howard Zinn Chris Hedges writes for Truthdig.com: "Today I will teach my final American history class of the semester to prison inmates. We have spent five weeks reading Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States.” The class is taught in a small room in the basement of the prison. I pass through a metal detector, am patted down by a guard and ...
Community Bridge - Aug 2
In recent weeks, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Lisa Johnston has continued to draw interest as the best candidate to face the Republican U.S. Senate nominee in November. With a clear message of leadership rather than politics as usual, an emphasis on education, and a well executed communication strategy, Lisa is working hard to expand her lead over the field of Democratic candidates and win th...
Buffalo Blog - Aug 2
Cheryl Hudspeth , Democratic Candidate for Kansas' 2nd Congressional District , joins host Chloe Beeman in studio for a discussion of key issues facing Kansas voters: the economy, bringing the defense budget under control, education, and the environment. Hudspeth shares her opinions and discusses how to respond to the many concerns we face. MP3 File ...
Community Bridge - Aug 1 - 2 clicks
Following this week's Media Minutes, Secretary of State Chris Biggs joins us in the KSDB studio to discuss the Secretary's job, key issues in this year's election campaign - from voter fraud to immigration - and his criticism of candidates who want to use the office for their own political agendas. Visit Bigg's campaign webpage . MP3 File ...
Community Bridge - Aug 1
JUDY: It’s a total misunderstanding of how that really operates. DIANE: So, it was a matter of only looking for short-term benefits for themselves, and misunderstanding that we’re really all fingers on the same hand. JUDY: Yes, and also a misunderstanding of how things work because they’re blinded by their desire. It’s this idea that we won’t have a explosion in the Gulf, and we won’t h...
In This Moment - Jul 30
STAN: But ultimately you return to the group, you return to the world. JUDY: Don’t leave off walking meditation. STAN: And (we also do) walking meditation, which many people see as a form of relief between the periods of sitting meditation. [I laughed because that was certainly the way I thought of walking meditation.] It serves that function, but the idea is to continue to practice and...
In This Moment - Jul 29
Winfield Daily Courier editorial - July 27, 2010 Our preference in the Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate is Rep. Jerry Moran. Neither he nor our own Rep. Todd Tiahrt has distinguished himself in this campaign. But Moran's brand of conservatism is a bit more moderate, more balanced, than Tiahrt's. In the Democratic race, Charles Schollenberger stands out. He knows the issues and...
Buffalo Blog - Jul 28 - 3 clicks
From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner One of the problems with US democracy is the huge amount of corporate dollars that go to candidates who run for office. Those who take these large contributions are on TV all the time. Candidates who go for small contributions from the common people rarely get their message out, so they can’t win.Those who do win have an obligation to make sure the ...
Todd Tiahrt's Folly - Jul 26 - 2 clicks
The Case For Elizabeth Warren Katrina vanden Heuvel comments for The Nation: "Elizabeth Warren should be the top contender to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. After all, it was her brainchild, her baby. But instead of celebrating the leadership and creativity of Harvard law professor and Congressional Oversight Panel chair Elizabeth Warren, reports are that she faces...
Community Bridge - Jul 24
Note to U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Bush cut taxes but didn’t create jobs Cynthia Tucker writes for the Atlanta Journal Constitution: "You have to give business executives credit for their gall. They held a 'jobs summit' yesterday demanding that President Obama cut taxes and pare back government regulations. If he does those things, they’ll create more jobs. Led by the U.S. Chamber of Co...
Community Bridge - Jul 20
From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner -Steve Otto A new ad by Todd Tiahrt makes it clear he does not have any faith in the constitution of this country. He has his favourite lackey Gracia Burnham, a self-serving hypocrite who has profited by her own husbands death, and who wrote a book on it called In the Presence of My Enemies about her time as a captive by Moslem rebels in the Philippi...
Todd Tiahrt's Folly - Jul 18 - 3 clicks
For our second hour we welcome director Michael Ramsdell in a discussion of his film Anatomy of Hate; Dialogue of Hope , which screened earlier this spring here in Manhattan. The film reveals the shared narratives found in individual and collective ideologies of hate, and how we as a species can overcome them. The DVD is available for check out from the Manhattan Public Library . ...
Community Bridge - Jul 16
