Nebraska’s Kids Be Gettin’ Smarter

By: Mr. Wilson on August 15, 2007
According to our ACT results, Nebraska's kids are getting smarter. Insert disclaimer about standardized test scores here. Half of Lincoln's public high schools had higher-than-average scores (East, Southeast, Southwest), and half had below average scores (Lincoln High, Northeast, North Star).

Turco!

By: Mr. Wilson on August 15, 2007
Some of you are sick of hearing about Ricky Turco. I understand. You may as well just skip this post. Many of you, however, still want to know the latest info on him. This post's for you. I wish I could feel bad about picking on Ricky Turco. But until the guy accepts responsibility for the death of Megan Churchill, I just can't. For that matter, he needs to accept responsibility for a whole bunch of things. Alas, it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Anyway, Ricky Turco pleaded no contest to manslaughter charges related to Churchill's death, and he pleaded guilty to charges associated with a break-in at Lincoln High. As part of the plea agreement he won't face several other charges. He faces as many as 45 years behind bars.

Another Look at a New Bennet Martin Library

By: Mr. Wilson on August 14, 2007
I'm all in favor of building a new, landmark library somewhere Downtown to replace Bennet Martin Library. I agree with supporters that a new library could be built in such a way that would make it a real draw. I don't agree with all of the proposals -- such as making the library hog an entire city block -- but those issues can be worked out. I picture something on half a block. I imagine some sort of public/private partnership, or perhaps a partnership involving multiple government entities. At street level, I picture small businesses, a prominent main entrance to the library, and -- this could be cool, I think -- a separate entrance to the library's computer lab, perhaps paired with a coffee shop. The library could even serve as a bus terminal, though that activity should happen on the side rather than at the front entrance. How do you envision a downtown library?

Antelope Valley Progress

By: Mr. Wilson on August 14, 2007
Deena Winter points out some Antelope Valley-related projects approved Monday by the City Council. It's nice to see progress being made in the Valley, but I can't wait for the day when fully private projects in the area finally start rolling in. That's when we'll know the Antelope Valley Project was worth the investment. One of the projects approved by the Council involves demolishing three houses on O Street between 25th and 26th Streets. The Preservation Association of Lincoln opposes the demolition. PAL president Jo Gutgsell noted that "It is a mistake to envision new as being special". Very true. But also true is the opposite: keeping old things around just because they're old is likewise a mistake.

By the Time It’s Built, This Belt Won’t Fit

By: Mr. Wilson on August 14, 2007
I'm starting to think the South Beltway will never be built. That's not true; it'll be built eventually. But I'll be impressed if it's completed -- or even nearly completed -- by 2015. And the East Beltway? Lordy. We're talking 2020 and beyond. It'd be easier to just make 84th Street's freeway status official.

Getting Older Every Day

By: Mr. Wilson on August 13, 2007
I swear I can see Robbie grow each and every day. It's not so much his size that's changing. He's still very much a shrimp. Rather, he learns new things and tries new activities all the time. It really is amazing to watch. One of his firsts this weekend was that he finally tried -- and liked! -- some new solid foods. He ate several pieces of apple and banana, rather than just their mushed-up versions. Until now, Robert's gag reflex has been on hyperdrive and it has been all but impossible to get him to try foods with certain textures. (Would you be eager to try new foods if every time you did so, no matter how good it tasted, you horked a little of your lunch into your lap?) I'm crossing my fingers that this may be the start of a new trend. I taught Robbie to blow kisses. Every kid needs to know how to blow kisses. The other day Robbie and I walked all the way around the block. That was a big milestone. It took us a while, but by the end those little legs had traveled over a quarter mile without any help from dad. That's gotta be like 10 miles in toddler distance. The Missus and I keep mental lists of observations we have made regarding folks' interactions with Robbie, in particular regarding his adoption. I caught a new one the other evening. I walked around Old Navy while The Missus tried on several outfits. One woman really took a liking to Robbie. At one point she said, "He certainly is a keeper." I use that phrase all the time, so at first I didn't think anything of it. Then I realized something: some adoptive parents and adopted children might really take offense at the notion that some kids are "keepers" while others are not. I had never thought about that interpretation until just then. Hmm, I'm going to have to be careful about how I use that phrase in the future. Oh, one last thing before I go. Yes, Mrs. CU, Robbie and I will be dropping by soon to see you. He looks forward to helpfully pointing out all of the non-baby-proofed items in your house. 😊

Pushed to the Limit

By: Mr. Wilson on August 13, 2007
Boy oh boy did I feel sorry for The City Limit Band on Friday night. They tried to put on a good show out at Southpointe, but that's tough to do when you've got a 100-degree sun staring you in the face, you're standing on bricks that have baked in the sun all day long, and you're playing for a tiny brave-but-over-cooked crowd. Not to mention the fact that they were going head-to-head with Ribfest. Well guys, I don't know if you felt appreciated at the time, but I thought you played well. Here's hoping your next gig is a little more pleasant.

The Journal Star Hates Women

By: Mr. Wilson on August 13, 2007
Andrew Borakove thinks the Lincoln Journal Star is biased against women:
Despite the many letters to the editor from residents outraged at the Journal Star’s recent coverage of the young woman who allegedly left her newborn at the hospital, it is obvious that your paper continues to show a double standard, and dare I say, an obvious bias against women.
Go ahead and read the rest.

Jeff Fortenberry is Nebraska’s Porkiest Congressman

By: Mr. Wilson on August 10, 2007
Members of Congress love their pork. Fortunately, two out of Nebraska's three Representatives -- Lee Terry and Adrian Smith -- showed a little restraint this year. Rep. Terry voted against pork 46 out of 50 times. Rep. Smith wasn't too far behind at 42 out of 50. But the man who represents our district didn't do so well. Representative Jeff Fortenberry voted against pork only 19 out of 50 times; that is, he voted in favor of pork 62% of the time. That's especially interesting when you consider ol' Fort's stand on taxes and spending:
My priorities are good tax policy, fiscal responsibility, and policy reform to deliver important public services to those in need while prudentially managing revenues. I believe allowing families and persons to save, spend, and invest more of their own money strengthens the economy. Taxes should be simple, reasonable, and moderate. The evidence is clear: tax relief has stimulated economic growth and increased productivity and federal revenue. As your Congressman, I voted to prevent tax increases on families and small businesses. I have supported estate tax relief to protect family-owned businesses and farms and allow all Nebraskans to pass their earnings to future generations. Government can and does do many good things. Yet spending your money should be done with a spirit of fiscal discipline. I recently supported legislation (the line-item veto) that gives the President the authority to eliminate wasteful spending items and allows Congress to revote on the measures. I believe this is one way to encourage fiscal prudence and increase lawmakers’ accountability to taxpayers.
Among Fort's preferred pork: $1 million for the Center for Instrumented Critical Infrastructure in Pennsylvania, despite the fact that the Center's existence could not be confirmed by the man who asked for the money.

Feelin’ Hot Hot Hot

By: Mr. Wilson on August 10, 2007
Urgh, I'm a little off schedule this morning, so there won't be much for postings this morning. Sorry 'bout that. I'll pull a Nebraskan and talk about the weather. How 'bout that heat and humidity? Nice, isn't it? Look for heat index values above 110 on Saturday. That actually makes me glad to have to sit in a classroom most of the day. Oh, now is probably a good time to remind people that Nebraska does not experience "95% humidity" in the heat of the day. We're usually in the 30%-50% range. I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but it's still awfully dang hot. By the way, the musical reference for the title of this post is pretty obvious. But nobody caught the "Boys and Girls Together" reference from the other day. That one came from a tune on Chase's self-titled first album. Come on, surely I'm not the only one who owns that album. Can I see some hands...?

My Son is a Cannibal

By: Mr. Wilson on August 9, 2007
Sentences you don't plan to hear:
"If your son doesn't stop biting kids he won't be allowed to come back to the Y."
Maybe I'm a bad parent, but the first thing I did when I heard that was burst out laughing. For one thing, the mental image of shrimpy little 15-month old Robbie walking around and nibbling on other kids is pretty amusing. And then there's the woman's reaction to Robbie biting one kid. I may be mistaken, but I was under the impression that kids bite each other now and then. They're experimental that way. Kids skin their knees; they have tantrums; and they occasionally bite. Threatening expulsion after one incident seems a tad over-the-top. That's like threatening to put a puppy to sleep after it playfully nips at your finger. Plus, it's a little refreshing to see that Robbie is trying new foods. Not that I condone biting, of course. If we ever catch Robbie biting someone he will be punished to the extent you can punish a 15-month old. We've had pretty good success with our discipline techniques so far (knock on wood!), so I don't see why we can't nip this behavior in the bud, if there's even anything to nip. Robbie aims to please; he is typically mortified to discover that he did something that makes mom and dad mad. Anyway, here's hoping our little cereal biter doesn't become a serial biter. At the rate prosecutors are charging kids with crimes these days, little Robbie could find himself with a rapsheet before he's two.

Who is Up for a Good Ribbing?

By: Mr. Wilson on August 9, 2007
The Capital City Ribfest starts today outside Pershing Auditorium. Would anybody care to join me for some good food -- most of the vendors have more than just ribs -- and good company? I will be at the front gate entrance near the YWCA on N Street at Noon. I'll be the six-foot bald guy wearing an orange polo, and Mr. T will be my goofy-looking sidekick. Even if you don't get there at Noon, I do hope you'll say hi if you see me.

Speeding Along on the Interstate

By: Mr. Wilson on August 9, 2007
Lately there have been a few crashes on I-80 near the Platte River. As a result, the speed limit in that area is being lowered. But that news isn't very interesting. What caught my eye was this:
Drivers frustrated with delays caused by the work zone probably will be happy to hear construction may end sooner than planned, [Nebraska Department of Roads spokeswoman Mary Jo] Hall-Oie said. "We're hoping it could be done yet in December of this year as opposed to fall of next year," she said.
That would be some ten months early, give or take a couple months. If true, somebody buy those construction workers a box of donuts! Do you think we could get that construction crew on the O Street bridge replacement project?

Recess Was a Success! Tomorrow: Ribs

By: Mr. Wilson on August 8, 2007
Well that was fun! Thanks to everybody who showed up to the very first (and certainly not last) Lincoln Recess. I think there were ten of us, plus two random dudes from Wells Fargo who joined us for a couple rounds of jump rope. Oh, and raspberries to Mr. T who decided to show up five minutes after the rest of us had headed back to our offices. You can find photos of the event over at Flickr under the tag lincolnrecess. Don't forget, Ribfest starts tomorrow. I'll plan to be there at noon. More info (such as a meeting location) in the morning. Thanks again, everyone!
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