Tribute To Melissa

Kendall for Council

Photo Ben Stanton - KCII Radio

I have known Mark Kendall as a citizen, accountant and friend since he first arrived in Washington. Never wavering, Mark has supported a vision of Washington as a community with the potential to be a destination for visitors and for those seeking a safe, viable and culturally complete home for their families.

Mark supports a balanced budget that allows for planning and growth. He has the courage of his convictions and the requisite knowledge to rationally and responsibly discuss the issues that confront our community.

While many in Washington were bemoaning its perceived decline and preparing for its extinction, Mark Kendall was fostering a vision of community development linked to volunteerism and a solid structure for long-term commitments from new and traditional benefactors.

Mark is an indefatigable friend of all who will set aside their fear and insecurity to embrace a new paradigm for Washington, a Washington worthy of investment and cooperative enthusiasm. Mark has involved himself and will continue to dedicate himself in every forum in which our future as a community is discussed. He is energetic yet reasonable, responsible and cautious.

Citizens can once again feel secure and hopeful that Washington is on the right track. Your vote is required now. Your promise of continuing support is required now. Support candidate Kendall and then Councilman Kendall. Gift him the loyal corps that ensures that his personal commitment to Washington is also the resurgence of a new generation that tirelessly serves the advancement of our opportunities and the solidity of our infrastructure.

Let Them Eat Cake

Crocs We Hardly Knew Ye

A number of well-known brands disappeared in the last year in large part due to economic forces. Many of them were in the retail industry, led by Circuit City. ATA and Aloha airlines are gone. Gateway Computers has effectively disappeared after being bought by Acer. It still has a website, but the brand is no longer marketed.

As the recession deepens and stretches out quarter after quarter, more companies will close or will shut divisions. More brands will disappear because their parent firms fold or can no longer afford to support them. Other brands will be obliterated by mergers.

Here is a compiled a list of the top brands that are in danger of disappearing. Some you may be able to capitalize by purchasing products which may soon be extremely rare and valuable.

Crocs (CROX) Borders (BGP) Avis/Budget (CAR) Saturn (General Motors GM) Esquire Magazine (The Hearst Corporation) Gap (GAP) Architectural Digest Magazine (Condé Nast Publications - subsidiary of privately-held Advance Publications) Eddie Bauer (EBHI) Palm (PALM) AIG (AIG) United Airlines (UAUA) American Airlines ( US. AMR - AMR) US Air (LCC) Yahoo! (YHOO) Motorola (MOT) Old Navy (GPS) Countrywide Financial Corporation (CFC) E*Trade (ETFC) KMart (KMRT is no longer valid. It has changed to SHLD) Dodge (Owned by privately-held Chrysler company) Gateway (GTW) Vonage (VG) Circuit City (CCTYQ)

Hummer(General Motors GM) Six Flags New Orleans (SIXF) Gleem (Procter & Gamble Co PG) Pioneer's Kuro TV (PIO) Minneapolis Star Tribune Ore-Ida Fun Shape Tater Tots (HJ Heinz Co HNZ) Pontiac (General Motors GM) Handi-Snacks pudding (Kraft Foods Inc KFT) Saab (General Motors GM) Kool-Aid gels (Kraft Foods Inc KFT) The Checkout Channel (Turner Broadcasting System TWX) Ambi Pur (Sara Lee – SLE)

Thank you, GreyorGray!

Iowa Legislature Invites Drunk Driving

Dear Governor Branstad,

I just heard that the Senate has passed the Class "E" liquor bill to allow gas stations to sell hard liquor as a part of their gas station. PLEASE DON'T SIGN THIS BILL! Iowa is in the top ten for binge drinking in the nation. This is not something to be proud of. If we allow more access to hard liquor, we will see an even bigger increase in binge drinking rates and all the state's costs that go into dealing with these issues in our communities. Right now I believe there are 71 gas stations that have built on the separate or divided a room with a separate door making it legal for them to sell hard liquor in their convenience store. If you sign it, there are 1,890 gas stations/convenience stores that currently have only a Class B (beer type) liquor license—most of them will likely sell hard liquor too if they are easily allowed! The current law loophole that allows separate or divided rooms are NOT a good idea, either. Any place you put alcohol that effects your body and combine it with a place to gas up your car is NOT good. By signing this bill, we will be taking a big step back in Iowa to prevent teens (and adults) from abusing alcohol. I recently talked with Lt. Governor Reynolds about alcohol abuse in Iowa, and I believe she agrees that something more needs to be done to prevent it. This will increase access to hard liquor tremendously all at once in Iowa if passed, as well as be a dangerous combination of buying hard liquor at the same place as purchasing a tank full of gas for the car! Please choose NOT to sign this bill. It will save Iowans' lives.

Thank you, SAFE Coalition!

Walker Budget Endangers Wisconsin Veteran's Trust Fund

The Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs says the 2011-13 budget proposed by the governor would endanger the Veterans Trust Fund.

In a letter to Governor Scott Walker released Monday, Secretary Kenneth Black said Walker's budget plan would "not provide additional support to ensure the solvency of the Veterans Trust Fund."

The statement also says the Walker budget does not fix the structural deficit in the Fund. Black says the proposal would divert money dedicated to Veterans Homes to fill the deficit and subsidize veteran benefit programs.

Parents Can Prevent Underage Drinking

Photo by Action Press / Rex Features

Parents are the #1 influence on adolescents and there proven strategies parents can use to prevent their teenagers from drinking.

1. Talk to your children early and often about alcohol and discuss your family's rules about underage drinking. Set clear and specific expectations that they not drink alcohol and explain the risks to them. The “forbidden fruit” theory is a myth. There is a growing body of research showing that youth are less likely to drink when alcohol is less available and when there are clearly communicated rules stating they should not drink alcohol.

2. Be involved. Research indicates that children are less likely to drink when their parents are involved in their lives and when they and their parents report feeling close to each other.

3. Monitor your children. Know where they are going and with whom. Network with other parents, especially the parents of your child's friends. Don’t fall prey to the line “but Mom, everyone is doing it!” Despite this strongly held belief, most teens aren’t drinking.

4. Set consequences and follow through on them.

5. Set a good example for how to use alcohol moderately or by not drinking at all.

Thanks, Sarah!

Open Letter to Iowa Speaker Kraig Paulsen

While you've been worrying about whether the obscenely rich and environmentally irresponsible are gorged enough to regurgitate into your campaign funds; education, healthcare and child safety have been compromised to the extent that no socially conscious employer would think of settling here. Where are the potential employees going to be nurtured? I don't think most technology companies will consider the penitentiary to be a reliable conduit for human resources.

The art of governing is about providing balanced opportunities for citizens while insuring their security and their rights. Your party's abysmal record of embracing any thoughtful approach to governing for the people is a masterpiece ablaze in neon.

I ask of you the same thing I asked of Representative Klein; stop spending your time trying to find ways to abrogate Iowans' rights. Elevate the level of discourse when deciding our future. I do realize that slashing education and healthcare funding will create more opportunities for you to sell your political agenda to the unwitting. History, however, will record your assault on reason accurately. Alas, those very books will make a nice bonfire to keep your party's fatted calves toasty warm and dually serve to ensure that the populace remains unaware of your real motives.

Social Justice - It's Not Just for Sunday

Thank you, Phil Carver!

Janis Joplin Tribute - Cry Baby

Thank you, Dan!

Open Letter to Rep. Leonard Boswell (IA)

I fully support the presence of a public option in the health care bill. Our system is one of the most expensive in the world because of the obscene profits allowed the insurance companies for depriving their clients of appropriate coverage. Senators and Representatives are scrambling to pay back these entities for their previous campaign contributions. Citizens deserve more.

We want a public option. Powerful forces are arrayed against us but we must stand firm, Mr. Boswell. I know you are under a huge amount of pressure from some very wealthy interest groups but Iowans are not wealthy, as you know, and we are not usually a loud and inappropriate citizenry, but we do know what is right for Iowa.

We have been on the short end of Medicare funds distribution for some time. Iowa’s hospitals and doctors are reimbursed at some of the lowest rates in the nation. Where are our representatives? If you won't protect us from monopolies and price gouging, who will, Sir?

When I have had a chance to vote for you, I have supported you because your statements sound considered and your responses are reasonable. Please, we beg you; this may well be our best chance to have the crushing burden of health coverage lifted from small business and the American people. This is no time for partisanship as you say.

As a frequent board, organization and committee member, I know that there are many ways to look at costs when planning. I ask only this: (1) Consider the cost of leaving things the way they are. (2) When evaluating costs, don't discount the potential for increased revenue from businesses that may thrive freed from the unfair burden of covering their employees. (3) Iowa citizens will be paying for coverage no matter who offers it, government or business. Paying many millions of dollars to health care executives to find ways to deny coverage to the elderly, women and children yields benefits for very few. (4) Citizens have no recourse in their struggle against the banking and insurance monoliths.

Sir, please end this injustice. No one elected you to be a Social Darwinist. No one 'deserves' to die and no one is 'fated' to die. Health care should not be slathered on the affluent and withheld from the destitute - not now, not ever.

In conclusion, once again, please end this travesty now. Save money by trimming pork from all of the rest of your fellows' self-serving agendas. Increase taxes if you must and then adjust the system to make it fair to the poor and disadvantaged. Please do not stop until we have a fair and just health care offering for YOUR people, for Iowans.

Hate and The Conservative Caucus

An Open Letter to The Conservative Caucus (In response to their 'US Taxpayers' Campaign Against a Multilingual America')

What disgusting, vile and hateful little nest of morally bankrupt buzzards is this?

Our republic was built on finer stuff than this and was forged from the talents of people fleeing the very kind of crap you are peddling. Your views are hermetic, bigoted and totally antithetical to anything for which this country has ever stood.

We live in a world that cries out for even-handed and unprejudiced leadership. You are liars and vigilantes and do not deserve the protections of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights but you have them nonetheless.

Intelligent people everywhere hold you and your narrow-minded allies in absolute contempt. It is my fervent wish that justice prevail and your hate speech will one day be silenced forever.

I have made a donation to NCLR (National Council of La Raza) in direct response to your request that I sign your petition. I hope this fascist effort cost you dearly and yields the response it deserves - overwhelming outrage and national action to combat this putrid screed and those who fostered it.

You disgust me.

Grassley Doesn't Even Understand His Own Insurance

Charles Grassley has successfully complained about every aspect of government spending while uniformly managing to vote not to support the citizens of his state. Who is he representing? Oh Lord, please forgive me, of course! Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Merck, Principal, United Health, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, ExpressScripts, Medco, Mutual of Omaha, Caremark. I wonder why?

Thank you, Blog For Iowa

Alley Cat Allies

It’s easy to talk about feral cats and the nation’s current animal control and shelter system. More than anything, outdoor cats need a voice:

* Call your local shelters and pounds. Ask them if they have programs for feral cats. Tell them you support humane standards of care for outdoor cats.
* Contact your local elected officials. Tell them you want the animal control system to be held accountable and to change.
* Tell your friends, family, pet sitter, groomer, veterinarian, and others that you don’t think it’s OK to kill healthy animals, just because they’re not socialized to people. Tell them how they can join and become part of the collective action.
* Spread the word about National Feral Cat Day on October 16.

Start conversations about outdoor cats. The cats will thank you. Donate here.

Intolerance Of The Religious Right

Is there nothing that involves hate that doesn't smell like Steve King?

Thank you, oneiowa.org! Contribute to this cause.

The Dumbing Continues

Thank you, The Eight Things

Rhythm

My Favorite Geek T-Shirt

Credit: Oddee

Wasting Away In Boehnerville

The monthly data for industrial production show a near three-year collapse under President Hoover, ending when FDR came to office in March 1933. Production rocketed by 44 percent in the first three months of the New Deal and, by December 1936, had completely recovered to surpass its 1929 peak.

Orlan Love: The Cedar River

Orlan Love is one of the Cedar Rapids Gazette's best writers. His prose is similar to that of Hemingway but in a class of its own. The poetry is in the simplicity that allows the reader his own range of creative synthesis.