Lincolnite

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.

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?

1. 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?
2. 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!

I don't think I need any more proof than this to show beyond a reasonable doubt that The Missus is trying to kill me: Isn't that the most evil murder weapon you have ever seen? It is composed of Ho-Hos, chocolate pudding, and Cool-Whip. Oh, but what a way to go.

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.

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...

I figured I'd make it clear in the title what this post is about. Folks bored by College Football should just pass on by. First, Coach Callahan's contract has been extended and he has received a raise to $1.75 million. His players, on the other hand, will continue to receive a $0.00 salary for their efforts that create untold millions of dollars in economic value. Second, what's the deal with Michigan being bumped out of the polls (from #5)? Sure, they lost to a I-AA team, but so what? That I-AA team just happens to have won two consecutive national championships. Imagine if Michigan had lost to, say, Baylor. History suggests Michigan would not have dropped out of the polls in that case. But why not? Appalachian State could probably beat Baylor 8 times out of 10. Not that I'm defending Michigan. They blew it. I just think the polls are silly.

Dan Marvin wants DiAnna Schimek's seat in the Unicameral, so he plans to run for it in November 2008. If elected, his City Council seat would be vacated in January 2009, and the vacancy would be filled by ... the Council itself? How weird. Oftentimes committees replace their own members, but an elected body?

The Nebraska State Fair almost hit 300,000 visitors this year. That's small potatoes compared to some of the other fairs out there (Iowa), but hey, we'll take what we can get. Love or hate the Fair, it's good for Lincoln, and it's good for Nebraska. Probably not good for our arteries, though.

Hawthorne Elementary's supporters came out in droves yesterday to protest the potential closing of the school. Many of the supporters' arguments just aren't very persuasive, but yesterday at least one new argument came to the fore: although the number of families with young children is small right now, the neighborhood is primed for an influx of younger residents as long-time elderly residents gradually leave. I don't know if the facts support that contention, but it's a good theory. Much better than one woman's statement that "this is the only school that [she has] seen that they are so friendly." Setting aside whether or not you think Hawthorne and Dawes should close, do you think they will? Do you think the Board of Education will follow through on this proposal?

I have previously noted a few outstanding auto repair outfits here in town I have had experiences with, such as Economy and Performance in downtown and also Fayad's, both of which seem to operate largely on good word of mouth. Add to that list Rick Hein and the Tuffy Auto Service Center on 14th and Pine Lake Road. After some punks let the air out of my car tire on Saturday morning, I took it over to the Tuffy's - which just happened to be both open on Saturday and the closest repair shop to where I was. Within minutes of my arrival, Rick took the time to remove and inspect the tire thoroughly, put it back on, and had me on my way shortly thereafter, without any charges. Kudos to Rick and Tuffy's.

Have you noticed how the Journal Star is branching out these days? They have the newspaper (of course), and its accompanying website; there are a bunch of podcasts; there are mags like Wheels for You; they've just come out with a new recycling program; and I've been told they're even building a handful of houses. Ten bucks says a Downtown sandwich shop is next on their agenda.

I haven't been able to listen to KLIN's web feed lately. Have any of you tried it recently? Is it just me, or do you come up empty as well?

How 'bout those Huskers? Sure, it was "just" Nevada, but it was still a nice win. (Aren't they all?) I don't think we should have any visions of a top-five finish at this point, but it's at least plausible that we'll take two of the biggest three games (USC, Mizzou, Texas) this season. How 'bout those Huskers? Yeah, those Huskers, the ones in tight shorts and pony tails. Five games down, three ranked teams squashed. Not a bad start to the season. Who hit the State Fair this year? How was it? Robbie and The Missus went for a couple hours one day, but I never did make it. I'm bummed. I really wanted a Twinkie on a stick. Fall is almost here. I'm not ready.

Go Big Red!