Michael Barone:

Roadblocks. That’s what Barack Obama has been encountering on the audacious path toward a European-style welfare state he has set out in his budget and other proposals.

He continues to insist that America cannot enjoy real prosperity again without higher taxes on high earners, a government health insurance program, a cap-and-trade program that amounts to a tax on energy and the effective abolition of secret ballots in unionization elections. The fact that there are large Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress made it seem that the path was open. But roadblocks have started to appear.

One has been set up by the Senate Budget Committee. Chairman Kent Conrad of North Dakota, whose concern about budget deficits has persisted even though we no longer have a Republican president, has apparently decided that cap-and-trade is off the table for this year. But calculation as well as conviction probably lay behind his decision.

The AP:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - Well, at least the salsa is low-cal. The West Michigan Whitecaps, a minor league baseball team, will be offering up major league cholesterol, carbohydrates and calories in an enormous hamburger being added to the menu this year at the Fifth Third Ballpark.

The 4-pound, $20 burger features five beef patties, five slices of cheese, nearly a cup of chili and liberal doses of salsa and corn chips, all on an 8-inch sesame-seed bun. That’s a lot of dough!

The Grand Rapids Press reports that anyone who eats the entire 4,800-calorie behemoth in one sitting will receive a special T-shirt. Saner fans can divide it up with a pizza cutter and share.

From American Solutions:

www.AmericanSolutions.com

We were promised change and transparency, but we’re getting neither.  Instead, we’re getting more failed bailouts and evasive answers on where our tax dollars are being spent.

We’re getting dog and pony shows in Washington, where the people who are “outraged” by AIG bonuses, namely Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Senator Chris Dodd, are the same people who had lobbied for them in the first place.

It’s hard to believe but Secretary Geithner, who couldn’t handle paying his own taxes, has unveiled yet another bailout plan to purchase toxic assets that could end up costing up to $1 trillion. This is on top of President Obama’s proposed $3.6 trillion budget.

The good news is that our alternative agenda, 12 American Solutions for Jobs and Prosperity, is gaining momentum.

Just recently, Rep. Tom Price from Georgia introduced all 12 Solutions on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. This is great progress, and we must build on it before Secretary Geithner tries to ram through another $1 trillion bailout plan.

Our goal is to raise $100,000 in the next week so that we can continue to get this positive agenda out in the media to reach more Americans.

Can you chip in $25, $50, $100 or anything you can to help out in this effort?

For your contribution, we’ll send you 25 Solutions Cards, so you can become an advocate in your community and pass them around.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Dave Ryan
President & CEO
American Solutions

P.S. Now more than ever, we must focus on stopping bad policies that will ruin our economy, and communicating a real alternative agenda.   Please make a special contribution of $25, $50, or $100 today to help us with this urgent campaign.

News release:

Dear StopPoliticalCalls.org Member:

I have exciting news.   Citizens for Civil Discourse, the parent non-profit
organization of The National Political Do Not Contact Registry, is a proud sponsor of a new bi-partisan coalition called:

–> Ask The President

“We are calling on the President to start a new tradition to open up the White House: invite new and independent voices into the East Room by pledging to take a citizen-generated question at presidential press conferences. To put this idea into action–and give the busy White House something tangible to work with–a broad coalition of new and traditional media are teaming up, including The Nation, The Washington Times and the Personal Democracy Forum, to begin gathering questions from you, the public.”

Of course, OUR question is this:

“When will voter’s have the option to opt-out of Political Robocalls, just like consumers opt out of telemarketing calls? It is time for a Voter’s Privacy Bill Of Rights.”

Please take a moment to visit the Ask The President website and vote for OUR question.  Who knows, perhaps a reporter will ask OUR question about Robo Calls! (more…)

LifeNews last month:

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — President Barack Obama has upset the pro-life community with his repeated actions to promote and force funding of abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Now, he has stuck his foot in his mouth with a comment offending the mentally and physically disabled.

Appearing on the Jay Leno program on Thursday evening, President Obama talked about his poor bowling skills and said he recently bowled a 129 game.

“That’s very good, Mr. President,” Leno responded sarcastically.

It’s “like the Special Olympics or something,” the president said.

The remark has taken on a life of its own today as pro-life groups and members of the disability community are upset.

Reuters:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) - Smart or thin? Rich or ugly?

Women still have a complex and contradictory relationship with their own image according to a poll released on Tuesday that found 25 percent of those questioned would rather win the “America’s Next Top Model” TV show than the Nobel Peace Prize.

And although 75 percent of women surveyed said they’d be willing to shave their heads to save the life of a stranger, more than a quarter of those taking part admitted they would make their best friend fat for life, if it meant they could be thin.

As for that age-old dilemma of whether to marry for wealth or looks, half of the 18- to 24-year-olds questioned said they would marry an ugly man if he were a multimillionaire.

JCCC:

JCCC SCIENCE DIVISION PRESENTS AN EVENING WITH THE STARS ON APRIL 4

Leo “Bud” Johns of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City will give a presentation on “Kings and Queens, Myths and Monsters: A Tour of the Spring Sky” at the JCCC Science Division’s Evening with the Stars at 7 p.m. April 4 in the Craig Community Auditorium, 233 GEB.

The program will be followed by night sky observing, weather permitting, with Dr. Doug Patterson at the Paul Tebbe Observatory located on the roof of the CLB.  Some objects of note that will be viewable are:
*  The Orion Nebula
*  The Pleiades Cluster
*  The Double Cluster in Perseus
*  Saturn
*  and the Moon.
For more information, contact William Koch, wkoch@jccc.edu, ext. 3725, or Doug Patterson, dpatter@jccc.edu, ex. 4268.

From OP:

March 31, 2009

Overland Park offers an online Employment Recruitment System for those looking for or applying for jobs with the city. The system provides information on full-time, part-time and temporary job openings.

Current openings include:

Engineering Intern

Court Security Officer (Part-Time)

Laborer, Parks & Recreation
Laborer, Golf Course

Manager, Maintenance Operations
Lifeguard I, Matt Ross Community Center

• Community Center Attendant, Matt Ross Community Center
• School Crossing Guard
• Group Exercise Instructor, Matt Ross Community Center
• Personal Trainer, Matt Ross Community Center

These listings are updated weekly, or as necessary, and are subject to change at any time.

For more information on any of these jobs, please visit the Employment section of our Web site, www.opkansas.org.

From K-State media:

TO VIEW AND PRINT INDIVIDUAL NEWS ARTICLES, please go to http://www.k-state.edu/media
———————————————–
In today’s news from K-State for Wednesday, April 1, 2009:

We will have two e-mails this morning.

1) RESEARCH: K-State’s Kyeong-Ok Chang Receives $5.1 Million Grant from National Institutes of Health for Norovirus Research

2) MANHATTAN interest/ TIMELY: K-State’s Sixth Diversity Summit April 3 to Feature Address by First Female Chief of the Cherokee Nation

3) Two Faculty Members from K-State’s College of Education Receive Awards

4) MANHATTAN interest/ TIMELY: Feature Fiction Writer Helena Maria Viramontes to Present Reading at K-State
(more…)

Heritage:

News of the massive amounts of deferred compensation due to employees of AIG’s disgraced financial services unit has enraged the public. That rage has spurred Congress to fast action, and it is now considering legislation that would impose confiscatory tax rates on that compensation, as well as all pay above a certain threshold to employees of companies receiving large government bailouts.

As regards income due to AIG employees, this measure is a punitive one, intended to punish the company’s employees and executives for conduct that Congress and the public believe demonstrates greed and selfishness. This raises serious constitutional concerns. First, it may be tantamount to a bill of attainder, with respect to those individuals, and so prohibited under the Constitution. Second, it could constitute an unlawful taking of property.

But whether or not the measure is legally permissible, it is bad policy because it injects massive uncertainty and risk into compensation agreements at a time when the expense of doing so is likely to be great.

From Sen. Steve Abrams:

Steve Abrams Newsletter From Topeka March 26, 2009 In This Issue Thank you Surface Owner’s Act Women’s Right to Know Restricted Driver’s License A Few Others SB 169 is the Gender Identity Bill.  It expands gender identity for homosexuals, trans-sexuals, bi-sexuals, and cross dressers as a civil right.  It would allow these same individuals to receive recompense if they were fired or otherwise discriminated against if it was because of their sexuality.  It passed out of  Fed & State Committee on a 5-3 vote.  I opposed it. I have answered many hundreds of emails and letters, and seen many people in my office and talked to lots on the phone.  If you have a question, email me at sabrams@hit.net and I will try to respond.   Senator Steve Abrams Dear Kansas, The Kansas Senate dealt with a great number of bills the last couple of weeks. I would like to offer an outline of just a few which I think will be of particular interest to you. As always, if you have questions regarding these or any other issues, please feel free to contact me at sabrams@hit.net .  It is an honor to serve at the capitol, and I value your support and ideas. The big discussion around the Capitol is the poor economy, and subsequent lack of state revenue funds.  There are many people (school personnel, state employees, program administrators, Senior Centers, and etc) who write or call asking that we increase funding or at least, don’t cut funding for their particular issue.  I continue to say, “State Revenues are decreasing, and various program funding will be cut.  There will probably be a few that are held constant, but it will be the very small exception that is increased.” But we really won’t know how bad (or good) the FY 2010 budget will be until we receive the Consensus Revenue Estimate Report in the third week of April.  At that point, we will be able to have a lot better idea what the individual programs and line items will look like. Surface Owner’s Act SB 184 is the Kansas Surface Owner’s Act.  There may not be a lot of widespread interest in this bill, but for those people who are interested, it is hotly contested.  The issue pits land owners against the mineral rights lessees.  Land owners were claiming that some mineral operators were treating them poorly, i.e., not notifying them when the operator wanted to drill a well, plug a well and so forth.  Some land owners were wanting to be notified several days in advance every time an operator went on the property.  The operators were claiming that advance notification in all situations would increase expense and make it extremely difficult to even do business, as well as make it impossible to deal with time sensitive issues, such as pulling the rods on a well.   It also would have effectively put a new clause in every contract now in force. The end result was an amendment that says that operators will file a notice (in advance) with the KCC for drilling a well and locating a well road, plugging a well, and change of ownership of the operator.  The KCC will then notify the recorded land owner.  The mineral operator will still have unfettered access to the lease, provided the operator stays on the well road, well site, and tank battery site.  This was a compromise that helps protect land owners, yet does not impose undue hardship on the mineral operator.  It passed the Senate 40-0.   I supported the bill. Women’s Right to Know SB 238 makes many changes to the Woman’s Right to Know Act which sets out the information a physician must provide to a woman before an abortion.  SB 238 would require physicians to give pregnant women an opportunity to hear the unborn child’s heartbeat or view an ultrasound at least 30 minutes before the procedure.  A Physician would also be required to meet with each woman for no less than 30 minutes to answer questions and provide information. Documentation substantiating a physician’s diagnosis for terminating a pregnancy must remain on file for a minimum of 10 years. The bill passed with a surprising margin of 32 to 6 and now goes to the House for consideration.  I supported the bill. Restricted Driver’s Licenses HB 2143 modifies the restricted driving permit and license requirements for drivers under the age of 17, establishing a graduated process for those who want a driver’s license in Kansas. The bill, now in the House for consideration, makes a number of changes regarding age of eligibility for licensing, hours during which driving is permitted by those who hold a restricted permit, who can legally supervise a student or restricted driver, activities for which student drivers may operate a vehicle, and the number of passengers allowed in a car with a driver who is not fully licensed. Penalties and restrictions are also spelled out for anyone who violates the proposed new laws. Basically, restricted permit holders may only carry passengers who are siblings or holding an unrestricted license, in addition, there are restrictions about driving at night. There are a couple of waivers, one for driving to school, and the second is driving to work.  I supported an amendment to give another waiver for driving to church youth group, but it failed to pass. Of greatest interests may be the new restriction that says explicitly: young drivers not fully licensed may not use any wireless communication device while driving except to report illegal activity or to call for emergency help. The effective date will be Jan 1, 2010.  HB 2143 passed the Senate on a vote of 35-5.  I opposed the bill. A Few Others SB 75 authorizes a city or county to establish a consolidation study commission to prepare and adopt a preliminary plan for city-county consolidation. A majority of voters must approve of the consolidation.  The bill does not require a dual majority.  A dual majority says that a majority of voters in the unincorporated area and a majority of voters in the city must BOTH approve it.  This bill does not require that feature.   If the study commission only requires a single majority, then a majority of voters in the city could pass the consolidation.  SB 75 passed 27 to 11.  I opposed the measure. SB 285 amends statutes on expenditures from the Kansas Universal Service Fund (KUSF) to provide $10 million in funding for the Kan-Ed program through June 30, 2012. This is an existing expenditure, and for the past decade or so, Kan-Ed has provided high-quality network connectivity linking schools, libraries and hospitals in Kansas to similar institutions within the state and throughout the country. It passed 37 to 3.  I supported the bill. SB 201 requires the U.S. flag to be displayed at half-staff one day per month to honor those active duty members of the military that were killed in the line of duty during the preceding month.  The Governor will publish a list of those who are being recognized.  It passed the Senate on the way to the House with a vote of 40- 0.  I supported the bill. Sincerely, Senator Steve Abrams

AEI:

Although President Barack Obama has named foreign policy teams for the Middle East, Asia, South Asia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, he has yet to designate anyone to oversee diplomacy close to home in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is just a matter of time before “Latinamericanists” renew their complaints that the region’s problems are the result of U.S. indifference. The truth is, what Obama does to put the United States’ own house in order will benefit our neighbors more than anything he can do right now for the region. Perhaps more important, Latin Americans would do well to focus on unfinished business of their own to head off another “lost decade.”[1]

During the last ten years, relative political stability, sound economic policies, and high commodity prices produced respectable growth in many countries in Latin America, with average annual growth rates running from 2.4 percent to 4.1 percent in the anchor economies of the region.[2] With a couple of notorious exceptions, most of the region’s leaders have governed responsibly, and several countries have made strides in reducing the percentage of their populations living in poverty.[3]

The Star:

I just finished a two-part analysis of the decline in Kentucky basketball and what that means to KU’s chances of catching them for all-time wins. Kansas is 18 behind right now (1,988 to 1,970). Anyway, some of the assumptions going into 2011 are based on the disharmony associated with changing coaches. However, if Kentucky were to bring in Calipari, that would make me have to reconsider much of what I wrote. I was planning on posting Part 1 Wednesday night/Thursday morning and Part 2 the next day. So, I’m a little PO’d that I may have to rework it.

That’s my problem with Calipari going to Kentucky, but of course, it is also KU’s. For decades Kansas has trailed Kentucky in all-time wins. Before Williams arrived, Kansas was around 100 victories behind. Cutting it to 18 is a huge accomplishment. This record is no ordinary record. Other than championships, it’s probably the mother of all team records in college basketball. North Carolina has 1,983 as I type this and getting by them will be tough as well. But, you have to start with the most vulnerable. It’s like a Cheetah attacking a herd of antelopes. You go for the baby with the limp. When you’re hungry again, you go for the momma.

Flint Hills:

Title: Off to the Emerald City

Author: Gregory L. Schneider

Did you know that the Kansas state budget is balanced for 2010? You didn’t? Then you must not have received the memo from the Governor’s office issued on February 27, 2009, a few days before President Barack Obama nominated Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of Health and Human Services.

As she prepares to make her way down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City (also known as Washington, D.C.) Sebelius gleefully declared that the infusion of federal funds from the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the Orwellian name for Massive Handout) has allowed Kansas to avoid any additional cuts in state spending over the $600 million the governor is leaving the legislature to cut for next year. How responsible of her. Except for the gaping $600 million deficit, the budget is now balanced. (more…)

From the tech/Web site Fort Hard Knox:

LOOKS LIKE IT’S TIME FOR ANOTHER TEA PARTY

What do you do when the government isn’t listening to the people? When the people you elected to represent you - aren’t? You hold a tea party! It was pretty effective 235 years ago. Of course now we’ve gone all high-tech, using social networking to spread the word and take it national.

In the true independent spirit of America, reminiscent of cat-herding, everyone’s in charge of this thing, and no one’s in charge. It doesn’t matter - Just take charge of yourselves and your families this Friday, February 27th around lunch time, gather your flags, signs, T-Shirts and comfortable shoes, and head on down to the gathering closest to you, and represent. Here are a few helpful links for learning about what’s going on where, and how you can help:

Sign the Americans for Prosperity Petition at Taxpayer Tea Party
The New American Tea Party - Blog
WorldNetDaily.com - Senator echoes Tea Party rally cry: ‘People have to show that they’re not going to take it anymore’
Suggested Sign Slogans (more…)

Computerworld:

With your birth as our starting point, then, let’s look at the biggest desktop OS milestones of the past 40 years.

1969

Unix was brought to life on a spare DEC PDP-7 at AT&T Bell Labs. When AT&T decided to abandon the Multics (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service) operating system on its minicomputers, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie cobbled together an operating system so they could continue to play a space travel game that Thompson had developed. A colleague gave the system a jokey name based on Multics — UNICS, the Uniplexed Information and Computing Service, which morphed into UNIX or Unix.

Lenexa:

Dumpster weekend for Lenexa residents is April 4-5

Electronics recycling coincides with dumpster program

Lenexa residents have the opportunity to drop off unwanted items, including electronics for recycling, at the city service center during the annual dumpster weekends. The first dumpster weekend this year will be held Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5.

Fees per load, ranging between $15 and $40, will be collected at the entrance gate. A $10 recycling fee will apply for each CRT monitor and TV that is dropped off. Additional fees also apply for tires and appliances containing Freon.

Items may be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day during dumpster weekend. The service center is located at 7700 Cottonwood Drive (enter from 79th Street by the soccer fields across from Mill Creek Elementary School). Proof of residency will be required at the entrance.

More information about dumpster weekends as well as this year’s curbside pickup is available on the web, or you may call the service center at (913) 477-7880, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Keeping citizens informed.
Lenexa’s newsletter is published bi-monthly.

For more information: Susanne Neely, Communication Coordinator
913-477-7557 • www.ci.lenexa.ks.us

Computerworld:

March 23, 2009 (Macworld) Reader Sabrina has a common, but potentially delicate, question. It goes a little like this:

I was given my mother’s iMac because she passed away but I don’t know the password. How can I gain access to this Mac?

I suggest this question is a little delicate because you could use the method I’m about to describe to access any Mac. And that may be a problem for parents who want to keep kids out of their stuff (and vice versa). On the other hand, situations such as yours (as well as problems that come up when you purchase a used Mac that hasn’t been properly cleared) invite a response.

That response is this in regard to OS X 10.5: Locate that Mac’s installer disc or a recent OS X installer disc (a Tiger or Leopard disc, for example). Insert that disc into the Mac’s media drive and hold down the keyboard’s C key to boot the Mac from that disc.

MRC:

An offended Chris Matthews, on Thursday night’s Hardball, was so shocked by Sarah Palin’s claim that there wasn’t anybody to pray with on the McCain campaign, that he hurled multiple insults Palin’s way, calling her “a little scary,” and asked if Palin thought McCain was “the Anti-Christ?” Matthews was appalled by Palin’s recent revelation that she had trouble finding someone to pray with before her vice presidential debate and the MSNBC host worried such talk about “The Deity in a political environment” wasn’t “normal.”

NRO:

Stars hire ghost-twitterers:

The famous, of course, have turned to ghostwriters for autobiographies and other acts of self-aggrandizement. But the idea of having someone else write continual updates of one’s daily life seems slightly absurd.

Ya think?

From the NW Johnson County Republicans:

Dear Members and Friends of NWJCR:

This e-mail is to serve as a reminder of our next meeting this coming Monday, April 6, at 6:30 p.m. at Barley’s Brewhaus in Shawnee. It is located at 435 and Midland. We will be meeting in the Wheat Room, just like last time.

You will not want to miss this meeting, as we have have lined up a very impressive lineup of people to discuss life issues facing the state of Kansas, including the recently passed and signed Women’s Right to Know and See Bill, as well as other issues surrounding abortion in Kansas. (more…)

From AFP:

Dear Friends,

Today, as I write to you, I am encouraged beyond expectation that we can win this battle to protect our economic freedoms.

Let me explain.

Last night, we held our first ever Pennsylvania Americans for Prosperity grassroots event in Pittsburgh with special guest Joe the Plumber.

The focus: rallying grassroots activists against the job-killing “Card Check” legislation being pushed by President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Big Labor Unions. This terrible legislation will also take the secret ballot away from American workers when the decision is being made as to whether or not their place of employment will be unionized.

At a Radisson Hotel on a Monday evening during rush hour at 5:30pm (no one ever said we’d make it easy!), just over 230 freedom loving grassroots activists turned out to make their voices heard!

These folks were from all walks of life.

Sitting within hand-shaking distance of me during my speech was a fiery World War II veteran who told me he “knew a little about fighting for freedom and he was proud to be fighting for freedom again.” Another lady drove an hour and a half from north east of Pittsburgh to attend the event because she “got our email and decided she had to do something.”

We had company from the other side. Well over 100 union activists showed up waving signs and praising President Obama’s position in support of the job-killing “Card Check” bill. They chanted, jeered and booed through much of our event, but that’s okay.

It’s good for our activists to see up close our opponents who want a bigger government, and frankly, less freedom for American workers.

After the event, person after person told me, “I’m in this fight for the long haul” or “I’ve never gotten involved before but now I am.” One small business owner — he runs a printing business — summed it up best. He said, “Tim, I just want government to leave me alone, to let me run my business and raise my family. But if I want to be left alone I’ve got to get involved and stay involved and that’s what I’m going to do.”

That small business owner is right. If we want the freedom to run our own lives, earn a living, raise our families, in short live the American Dream — then we’ve got to roll up our sleeves and do the “hard work of freedom” or it will be lost.

I believe we’re going to win this “Card Check” battle. Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, whose vote we are working to influence through these events in his state, has indicated he will oppose “Card Check” legislation. It looks like we may win the votes of 1 to 3 Democrat Senators as well.

But, we’ve got to keep the pressure on.

Today we’re doing grassroots events in Harrisburg and Philadelphia to further drive home our message that “Card Check” legislation kills jobs and takes the right to a secret ballot away from American workers.

The Senate may take “Card Check” up in the next few weeks. If they do, we’ll alert you to be ready. But, don’t wait for the warning. Contact your Senator today at 202-224-3121. If you need more details on the legislation, go to www.savemyballot.com or visit our website at www.americansforprosperity.org.

By the way, I met a number of folks at the Pittsburgh rally who first got involved through the NoStimulus.com effort! It was great to hear their stories and to say hello to them. I hope to see you at an event soon!

Tim