Lincolnite

Is there any better way to dehumanize a people than to feel the need to justify their humanity?

The Arena Task Force has moved away from the Haymarket Post Office site and is now focusing primarily on the two remaining sites: behind the train station, and the south end of the Haymarket. That's not to say the Post Office location is completely out of the running, but it's clearly the least favorite child. So which of the last two makes the most sense? I don't know that there is a clear frontrunner. The train station location, done right, could be really neat. The station would act as the front door, giving new life to a neat old building. The south location, on the other hand, would clean up a chunk of Downtown that isn't currently much to look at, and it would extend the reach of the active portion of the Haymarket. It's the latter point that really intrigues me. But the devil is in the details. Frankly, I'm still a little interested in the possibilities of a location east of Downtown. There are probably more complications over there, but I like the idea, at least in theory, of an arena and convention center kicking off development in Antelope Valley. We already know John Q. Hammons likes the area, so other developers would be certain to jump in as well.

The Journal Star's positive coverage sure didn't hurt anything, but my impression is that the State Fair earned itself some good ratings from visitors this year. The final attendance count isn't in yet, but it sounds like it should be up from last year. Even slow, incremental progress is good news for the Fair at this point. That being said, the Nebraska State Fair still doesn't have that "killer" feature, nor does it offer the whole shebang to draw in the widest possible range of visitors. But if attendance keeps creeping up each year it demonstrates a commitment by visitors, and that, in turn, means they will make their preferences known. A few of my suggestions:

1. The Fair has to find a way to upgrade some of State Fair Park's facilities. Whether that be in the form of new facilities or remodeled existing facilities, a facelift is in order. Perhaps the Fair Board should play the lottery...
2. I like that there were "hot spots" and "calm spots" across the fairgrounds, but some spots were just plain dead. Some of the dead spots really sapped the Fair's energy. They need to find a way either to get rid of those dead spots, or to somehow convert them into assets.
3. The proselytizer-to-vendor ratio was way too high. The solution, I think, is more vendors and activity booths, rather than fewer proselytizers. (Not that I'm a fan of being told I'm going to Hell while I'm trying to have a good time at the State Fair.)
4. How about more free activities for adults? How-to seminars; state government information booths; a variety of lectures, speeches, and debates; and so on. They don't all have to be big draws (although some should be, of course). Instead, the mere presence of more activities and options makes the Fair more interesting.

What are your suggestions?

72 degrees. That's the highest expected temperature for this Labor Day weekend. A good portion of the crowd at today's Husker game will be wearing jackets. Jackets at the first game of the season. I'm speechless. 72. Wow.

It's game day, ladies and gentlemen, as the Huskers return to Memorial Stadium to kick off the 2006 season. And that means it's time for one of my almost-never-accurate score predictions: Huskers 52 La. Tech 17 There you have it. If you picked that score, you can rest assured you're going to lose the pool this week. Go Big Red!

Mr. T and I dropped by Phreddy's Phillies (or whatever Papa John's is going to be called) for a couple philly cheesesteaks. For five bucks ($5.50 to add mushrooms and jalapenos) you get a bunch of meat, onions, and green peppers stacked on a fresh roll, along with a pile of seasoned french fries. Healthfood it ain't -- Mr. T likened his post-eating condition to having raw egg yolks flowing through his veins -- but if you're looking for a good cheesesteak, you aren't really interested in its healthfulness, are you? I've been hankering for a good cheesesteak in the Downtown area for a few months. I think I've found my place.

Note to Lincolnite readers: I'm not Phuong Phan who wrote in to the Journal Star today, but I've said these basic words before:

To get to my house, I have to take a few turns first through the neighborhood. Now, we all know that the law states: at a residential intersection, the car to the right of you has the right of way. I’ve noticed some people decide that it’s the car on the "road most traveled." The first couple of intersections in the neighborhood are the ones that worry me the most because they’re the busiest. Turning into a neighborhood from a busy street that has a 40-mph speed limit, it’s hard to maintain a slower 25 mph for the first couple of blocks. People assume that since they’re on a "main road" that shoots straight through the neighborhood, they have the right of way all the way through. I think we should regulate this better by putting in a couple of yield signs. If we don’t, accidents are bound to happen and it will be harder to determine who’s at fault.

The case of Former Nebraska State Patrol Trooper Robert Henderson is fascinating to me. Long story short, Mr. Henderson is a member of a group associated with the Ku Klux Klan. The State Patrol didn't think that was consistent with its principles, so it fired him. Now, Henderson has also been fired from the Nebraska Safety Council. The fascinating part, to me, is the question of where the line is drawn regarding which organizations a person can belong to, and which beliefs he can profess, before it is OK for the government to act against him. There are easy cases: a person who has expressed a desire to kill the President probably shouldn't be allowed to work with the Secret Service, no matter how qualified he may be. Henderson's case is somewhat fuzzier. He hasn't broken the law, he hasn't been accused of failing to properly do his job. Instead, he was fired only for his association with an organization. It's easy to understand why the Patrol wouldn't want a person associated with the Klan among its ranks. The missions of the Patrol and the Klan are, shall we say, inconsistent with each other. I don't think I would have any problem with the Patrol not hiring a person like Henderson. But firing him for his association with an organization feels very wrong. I don't expect many of you agree with me, and that's fine. But if you don't, I ask this of you: Where is the line? Who gets to draw the line? Which organizations and beliefs are OK, and which are not?

I always used to think it was an innocent accident when bus drivers left a student on board. Although I still consider it an accident -- albeit occasionally with tragic consequences -- I'm now more inclined to think of it as an act of negligence rather than an accident. Why? Because it happens all the time, and bus drivers (and others responsible for helping with buses) ought to know better. The latest such incident in Lincoln happened on Monday. LPS procedures require bus drivers and bus aides to check the bus to ensure this doesn't happen; they didn't, and it did. Checking the bus ought to be as automatic as stopping at railroad tracks. Why isn't it?

Five things I love about Husker football season in Lincoln:

1. Anticipation. I love the jittery anticipation evident in Lincoln before the game.
2. Red. I've been conditioned to love seeing throngs of people all wearing red. I miss red.
3. Game day snacks. Nachos, cocktail weenies, buffalo wings... I love 'em all, and they are much more common during football season.
4. Pride. Nebraskans are so proud of Husker football. Some scoff at the pride as "childish" or "unrefined", but I think it's fun.
5. The game. Win or lose, I love a game of well-played college football more than any other sport.

The Missus, Robbie and I ventured to the Nebraska State Fair last night. It wasn't nearly as busy as I would have expected for such a beautiful evening. Then again, Wednesday night probably isn't the most popular night to go. In any event, I was pleased overall with the experience. The Fair has done a good job, for the most part, of keeping the activity dense enough to keep visitors' interest, but not so dense that you feel unpleasantly crammed in. Robbie did a good job throughout the evening. Most of the time he just looked around, babbled, and drooled. Frankly, that's what several of the other fairgoers were doing, too, so he fit right in. I want to quickly note that I was able to track down a few of regular commenter Karin's photographs. Good work, Karin! I found three of her pieces: Spin, Glassware, and a portrait of a man. (After that I had to stop searching because I was going cross-eyed trying to find her name among all of the photographs.) If you go, see if you can track down her pieces. And now my dining adventures. I mentioned previously that I wanted to eat at least three foods on a stick. Well, I did it, and although I enjoyed each food at the time, I thought for sure I was going to lose it all in the middle of the night. Too much grease makes Mr. Wilson a woozy boy. Anyway, I began the evening with something a little adventurous: gator on a stick. It was served to me by a woman who was born amidst the turmoil of the Civil War, and who only leaves the deepest parts of the bayou to serve her fancy cuisine at state fairs, so I knew it had to be good. It was. The freshly-fried piece of meat was tender, juicy, and very delicious. It was lightly seasoned and tasted a little like chicken, but with a bit more flavor. Tasty stuff. Next I went with a traditional corn dog. You can get a corn dog from pretty much any vendor at the fair, so I picked one that appeared to be keeping their product pretty fresh. It was the best corn dog I've ever eaten. Of course, it was also the only corn dog I've ever eaten, so that isn't saying much. But I feel more complete for having finally tasted a State Fair staple. Finally it was time for dessert. Even though I really wanted shaved ice, I knew I had to go for something on a stick. There was really no question in my mind what I had to go with: a fried Twinkie. The young man pulled a Twinkie on a stick out of a freezer, dipped it in batter, and fried it for a couple minutes. He pulled out the golden glob, coated it lightly with cinnamon, and handed it to me. I bit in and, lo and behold, it wasn't half bad. In fact, it was pretty darn tasty. I would definitely try one again. So there you have it, my foods-on-a-stick adventures. What's your favorite food on a stick? Which foods on a stick have/will you sample at this year's State Fair?

Last Friday I said I planned to eat at least three foods on a stick when I go to the State Fair this year. Well, the Wilsons are headed to the Fair tonight. I think I have at least two of my foods on a stick picked out -- a corn dog and a Twinkie -- but I can't decide on a third. I could always just wing it when I get out there, but why pass up an opportunity to let you folks chip in? So there's your assignment: pick me out a good food on a stick. Whaddaya say?

One thing I really like about some of Lincoln's newest arterials is the presence of landscaped medians dividing the lanes of traffic. At the same time, I really hate those medians. Some of them are attractive and well-maintained; others look as though they ought to be condemned. Some are festooned with nice grasses, flowers, and trees; others, with weeds and trash. Having landscaped medians is both a big opportunity and a big responsibility. I'm not sure that the City is up to the challenge. That's not a criticism of the City, per se. The City can only do what they have money to do, and given all of the other things demanding monetary attention, landscaped medians really oughtn't be high on the list. But it is, I think, fair to criticize the City for biting off more than it can chew by taking on new maintenance responsibilities every time a road is newly landscaped. So here are my questions: Do we, as a community, want to bother with landscaped medians? Are they worth the building and maintenance costs? If not, what do we replace them with? If so, how can we better take care of them? One of my suggestions -- and one of the most obvious, I think -- is to enlist the assistance of nearby neighborhood associations. But most new(er) neighborhoods face inward, so many of them don't consider their bordering arterials to be a part of the neighborhood. Without a sense of ownership over the streets, there is little incentive to keep them looking tidy. Your thoughts?

Two quickies: Those Who Live in Glass Houses...

The [proposed anti-grafiti] ordinance would establish mandatory minimum fines, starting at $200 for the first graffiti offense, and require property owners to remove graffiti within 15 days of receiving a notice from the city. ...An abandoned gas station owned by the city has had a big red graffiti tag on it for weeks, he said. ... Where is it? 48th and O, one of the city’s busiest intersections.

Shrinking Government? City Councilmember Robin Eschliman wants to disband the Railroad Transportation Safety Board, of which she is a member. A government body wants to eliminate itself? Well, sort of. She has proposed dumping the RTSB, but nobody else seems to share her enthusiasm. Her solution? She wants to ask the state legislature to expand the RTSB's role. *sigh* So close, and yet so far. From the Lincoln Journal Star.

Last Friday I was involved in three different situations that required me to be a good samaritan in one way or another. The first was on the bus on the way home from work. The college student in an adjacent seat left his wallet behind. I grabbed it and gave it to the bus driver. The second was as The Missus and I got out of our car at Southpointe later that evening. The folks in the car next to us left their lights on. Although the couple was gone, we had noted the woman's pants -- they were a very distinctive color -- so when we went into the courtyard to listen to the free concert, we were able to find her and warn her about her headlights. The last situation was near the end of the concert. The woman sitting next to us left her shopping bag behind. The Missus noticed it, I picked out the woman and her husband in the crowd, and The Missus chased her down. But that's not my point. I hadn't had any good samaritan moments for a while, so I was due. And besides, none of those situations was all that big of a deal. But I digress. Fast forward to lunch today... The Missus and I were eating at Samurai Sam's when a man walked in. He looked vaguely familiar, but I'm always saying "doesn't that guy look like somebody we know/some famous person?" so I figured that's what was going on. But then he walked over to our table. He leaned forward a bit and said, "Thanks for finding my wife's package the other night." What are the odds! And such courtesy taking the time to say thank you. One of the things that bugs some people now and then about Lincoln is how hard it is to be anonymous. One of the things I love about Lincoln is how frequently these moments of social serendipity occur.