Latest Blog Posts
Republican Roger Lashes Out at Liberals
Poor Roger Yant. First he lost in his quest for the Mayor’s office. Now he’s getting picked on at the drug store:
I was standing there not saying a word, and the lady directly in front of me turned around and said, “You’re that stupid Republican, aren’t you?” First I was stunned, and then said meekly, “Yes.” Not wanting to take it further, I just said nothing else.
She turned around a second time and said, “I suppose you like Bush, don’t you?” I then said, “Yes, I love him, I think he is doing a good job.” She then went ballistic on me, so I said that at least he wasn’t having sex in the Oval Office like Clinton.
The entire letter is worth a read. Now aren’t you disappointed Mayor Yant isn’t running things around here?
Lincoln Composites Expands
The news isn’t as sexy as Verizon’s 800 jobs, but kudos to local company Lincoln Composites on opening a new 60,000 square foot operation at the Lincoln Airport’s rail center.
Erbert and Gerberts Has Opened Downtown
The oddly named Erbert and Gerbert’s has opened Downtown in the former Homer’s location. Yes, it’s another sandwich shop, but hey, competition is good, right? If I can figure out where The Missus hid the menu we grabbed I’ll post photos. Until then, there are menus on their website.
Another Twist in the (Bleep) Trial
You may or may not be familiar with the names Tory Bowen and Pamir Safi, but I’ll bet you’ve at least heard about the rape trial in which the judge banned the word “rape”. Yesterday, Ms. Bowen and her attorney got smacked around by U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf for filing a lawsuit against the trial judge regarding the language ban.
What surprises me most about this whole mess is that the issue of language bans in the courtroom isn’t pretty much settled. It makes perfect sense to me that there should be limits on what an accuser can present as “fact” against the defendant. After all, determining facts is what the court process is all about. I’m no legal scholar so I won’t pretend to know where those lines should be drawn. But it seems intuitive that some limits are in the best interest of the justice process. Thus, I’m surprised there aren’t some relatively standardized guidelines governing what can and cannot be said in different contexts.
For Those Times When You Want 50 Cent to Sound Like Charlie Brown’s Mom
I am stumped. Why would anybody steal speakers from fast food drive-thrus? Is there any use for those speakers?
The speakers are valued at $200 and $50. I think the restaurants need to get their money back. I have never run across a drive-thru speaker worth more than about $6.50. What do you get for $200, extra static?
The Senate Election is Today. Who Wins?
Chuck is out. Bruning, Johanns, and Kerrey are (probably) all in. If the election were held today, who would get your vote? Your preferences aside, who do you think would actually win?
Attack of the Old Folks Home
Much to the displeasure of their knew kneighbors, AgeMark’s new assisted living center in the Knolls near 27th and Old Cheney was approved by the City Council. I hate to beat a dead horse, but I still don’t understand why an Alzheimer’s facility is a threat to any neighborhood. “Old folks homes”—to group them broadly—are among the best neighbors you could possibly hope for. I think sometimes people just like to be cranky.
UNL is Growing
UNL’s enrollment is up a whopping 3.9% this year, a sure sign that the University’s recruitment efforts are working. The upside for Lincoln: more students means more capital of all types coming into town. There’s the economic capital, sure, but don’t forget about the gains in human and social capital as well. And a certain percentage of each year’s class will decide to stay in Lincoln after graduation.
Plus, somebody has to keep all those Downtown bars humming.
The Bullfrog Croaked
The Missus took Robbie to get his haircut at Lollipops (70th and O) on Saturday. She noted an absence in the shopping center: Mexicali Bullfrog was gone. I have to admit I’m not too surprised, but I am bummed. The food was good and reasonably priced.
Ribbit in peace.
Get Our Yer Cornheads!
The GameDay crew is coming to town on Saturday. On the plus side, the Huskers are 5-0 when GameDay comes to town. On the flip side, we’re playing USC. My money is on Lee Corso picking the Powerful Prophylactics over the Huskers, so get your “boo” voice in shape.
Screaming Yellow Zonkers Are Back!
Well no, not really. But ConAgra purchased Lincoln Snacks, former makers of Zonkers, and there’s a teeny tiny itty bitty chance Zonkers could make a comeback. At the very least, Poppycock and Fiddle Faddle will continue to be made.
What are Screaming Yellow Zonkers, you might ask? I have never seen the popcorn covered in a yellow sugar glaze, but my parents used to talk about it. Zonkers aren’t available any more, but the Zonkers website lives on.
Water Costs Money
The NU Regents approved a plan to outfit all NU housing with fire sprinklers by 2017. I know what you’re thinking: Why wait ten years? You already know the answer, of course. Money. $16 million plus, to be specific.
In the grand scheme of things, $16 million is a relatively manageable, though big, chunk of change. Problem is, if NU diverts that money from other areas to speed up the process, which areas should be cut? That isn’t a rhetorical question. Raising tuition is all but off the table. Getting more money from the Unicameral would be extremely difficult. That leaves taking pieces from the existing budget. So if you think the process of installing sprinklers in NU’s residence facilities should be sped up—I do—where would you get the money to pay for it?
Riddle Me This
- I net myself the best women in the country to serve for me, but my wife Wendy doesn’t badger me about it. Who am I?
- I’m hungry for a little New York-style comfort food and a conversation with a man with no footwear. Where should I go?
Sorry there are only two. Gotta get to work!
Two Fairly Bad Ideas
Both Kearney and Sarpy County want the State Fair. Kearney would put it near the Archway, while Sarpy County would place it near I-80 and Gretna. Perhaps I’m being overly cynical here, but why should Nebraskans trust those two entities with the Fair? Kearney wants to place the Fair next to the most over-hyped tourist attraction in state history. Who trusts Kearney’s predictions about the Fair’s likelihood for success at that location after the Archway flop?* And Sarpy County wants to place the Fair next to one of the most spectacular shopping center failures in the state. That hardly seems like a foundation for success.
What’s next, Boyd County pitching to site the Fair at the former proposed nuclear waste facility?
* Yes, I hear the Archway is actually pretty neat. That isn’t my point. Compare the pre-construction promises with the post-construction reality.
Gone with the Windstream
In a year filled with many pieces of good employment news for Lincoln, Windstream has decided to drop 100 positions in Lincoln. The broadband customer support positions, which averaged $15 per hour, will move to Ohio and India. Another piece of the former Lincoln Telephone chips away…
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