I really shouldn't write angry political letters in the wee hours of the morning. I just spent several minutes typing up an original (not form letter) email to one of the KS Senators in response to his newsletter piece (yes, I'm on the email list) about supporting a balanced budget amendment. As a true descendant of Grandma Fanny, I gave that man ( Read more... )

I was listening to NPR driving in the car today. As I listened to the coverage of debate on the "debt ceiling showdown," I wondered, "Where are all the grownups in Congress? These people sound like a bunch of squabbling toddlers. Either the American people were conned into voting for them or our collective intelligence is much dumber than I

I like to joke that M. is a curmudgeon-in-training, we bought a house with a yard just so M. could yell at the kids, "Get off my lawn!" (NB: To my knowledge, M. has not actually uttered this phrase in response to actual kids since we have lived here.) I may be joining him shortly. I like to think the best of human beings, but I also enjoy the ( Read more... )

After a two week absence, Llama provides a recap:

*The Autism Walk was freezing at the Kansas Speedway (wore my long underwear and everything.) Much to my dismay, the walk was around the actual Speedway, not inside on the track (like I had hoped.) Still was fun. Since there were vendors giving out food at 8am, I ate for breakfast: a hot dog, hot ( Read more... )

I don't pretend to understand health-care reform. I haven't read the bills before the House, before the Senate, the various amendments being kicked around in the various committees. I haven't attended a town hall. I haven't burned my congressman in effigy. That being said, not doing any of these things does not prevent me from having an opinion ( Read more... )

In an effort to show solidarity with my fellow Jews, I put on a skirt and jacket this morning and went to synagogue. The Fred Phelps clan (aka the Westboro Baptist Church "WBC" - readers may be familiar with their antics from the Llama-ville days of the journal) were picketing Congregation Ohev Shalom in Prairie Village this morning prior to ( Read more... )

It appears former wacky fun Johnson Cty DA/KS Atty General is facing investigation from the KS Attorney Discipline folks, though it's unclear if its for Phill's recent mailbox malaprops or for other prosecutorial peccadillos... ( Read more... )

In case you were wondering about former local wacky fun DA Phill Kline's current hijinks...( Read more... )

Fundraising from time-immemorial has involved finding someone with a lot of money (a king, a patron, a wealthy landholder) and coaxing him or her to give it to you to finance your cause. Sometimes this has been with the promise of a great return on investment (Columbus seeking funding from Ferdinand and Isabella), artists seeking patronage to ( Read more... )

Thursday night, I had the opportunity to attend a brainstorming session held in a last-ditch effort to save Coro Kansas City. Coro is an awesome program that aims to foster civic engagement amoung young people by exposing them to how the various components of a city work together. In Kansas City, the program has been a 10-week summer internship, ( Read more... )