Weekend Rants

* Who in God's name can be undecided in this election? Who are those people? Have they not been paying attention????

There's a clear distinction between the policies, temperament, and attitudes of the two men at the top of the ticket. (I won't even discuss the two VP combatants - one is so woefully unqualified there's simply no question as to who's the better choice.)

Two more days and then it'll be over. At least, I HOPE it will be over. Lawyers are being mobilized everywhere to be on alert Tuesday and THAT is certainly worrisome. (Anybody remember 2000? Oh, what a difference that would have made.)

Please, God, give us a clear outcome on Tuesday night....


* So Funk is now telecommuting, doing his job from his house in order to diminish the separation time from his dearly beloved.

How nice for them both. I telecommute as well - when I can - and find I'm infinitely more productive when I don't have to deal with the phone calls and other interruptions - I don't have to waste time with the whole makeup-dress-for-success ritual, nor do I have to spend an hour in traffic getting to and from work. I have access to my work computer via the Web, so can keep on top of email and dive into any files I need from the job.

I get a helluva lot done working from home. And I enjoy it. I work in my pajamas, get dressed only to walk the dog, can throw dishes in the dishwasher or do other small tasks as I wander around the house thinking about whatever it is I'm working on.

My spouse works at home, too - his studio and shop are at the other end of the house. Not sure what Gloria and Mark do, but we pretty much ignore each other, meeting occasionally in the kitchen as we both head for the coffee pot.

I use my telecommuting time for those projects that need quiet and thought - usually some big writing project I'm having to deal with. But most of the time, I drag myself into the office because I STILL HAVE TO INTERACT WITH PEOPLE. I still have to 'show up.'

The mayor's giving telecommuting a bad name.

And for someone who keeps saying working with the city council is his number one priority, well, it just doesn't jibe. The quote from Terry Riley in the Star was on point: this will give the council more cohesion. (As I've said before, keep looking for 12-1 votes coming out of the Council Chambers on the 26th floor of City Hall.)



* Though I gigged undecideds in the Presidential election a few paragraphs ago, I must admit to waffling myself on the light rail vote.

Con: it costs TONS of money; only goes a short distance; we have so many other needs.

Pro: it could be the starter line for a larger light rail system (that's been the case in most cities elsewhere in the country); it provides jobs at a time when we need them; and its economic benefits (again, if you look at the experience of other cities) usually returns $6 to $7 in economic development for every $1 spent on the light rail line (the development springs up around the light rail stops...).

This is probably going to be one issue I decide as I'm standing at the voting machine.

Either way, after the election, watch Mike Sanders. I expect the Jackson County Executive to grab the transit leadership mantle from the ineffectual mayor of KCMO (Cows? Give me a break.) And a great community NEEDS good transit. (Notice I didn't say light rail - I said TRANSIT. Buses, BRTs, commuter rail - ie over existing railroad tracks - are all a necessary part of any good transit plan.)

Debate #3

A little bit of new ground broken, but not much. I heard a couple details from both Obama and McCain last night, but again - not much.

I liked what Michael Beschloss said last night on PBS' post-debate analysis: that when a candidate goes on the attack, he is the one most diminished. Especially when his opponent seems cool as the proverbial cucumber in the face of whatever...

I hope that's true. I hope that - whoever wins the election - the rest of us realize what a mess we're in, decide to get over ourselves, and focus on what's really important.

Recommendation: PBS is a welcome refuge from the self-important chatterers on the commercial networks. Their analysis - following the debates and on election night - is thoughtful and balanced. What a relief...

Sunday Morning Rants

* Is the election over yet????? My God, this is going on FOREVER.

* I wrote a few weeks ago that I thought I'd probably like Gloria Squitiro if I met her outside of City Hall. (I tend to like earthy, outspoken women - being one myself.)

After the incident at KCI, I've changed my mind.

Throwing her weight around, being "snotty and sarcastic" (as the skycap testified), threatening the rage of the mayor's office at two people just doing their jobs, are NOT the kinds of behaviors of which I approve.

And does she remember 9/11? Jeez....

* Is this what the start of the Great Depression felt like for my grandparents? Too bad they're no longer here to share that experience. I could use the advice.

* Screw the finger-pointing. BOTH parties are to blame. The subprime mess started in the Clinton administration with an effort to get those who couldn't really qualify into houses of their own. Then Bush loaded up that program even more. A noble idea - but......

Add to that the GOP anathema toward regulation and, well, here we are.

* Back to the Funkhousers: the mayor has managed to make himself completely irrelevant. Notice the recent spate of 12 to 1 votes? The City Council is obviously moving on without him. All he has left is the bully pulpit and, when your colleagues are ignoring you, YOU DON'T MATTER ANYMORE. Even Deb Hermann and Bill Skaggs - one time allies - have gone over to the other side, voting with the rest of the councilmembers.

What I thought was principle turns out to be massive stubborness.

* And is anybody as scared as I am at the way this election has turned? Whack jobs yelling "Kill him" and "Off with his head" at the latest McCain-Palin rallies...as those two candidates try to turn him into 'the other'?


To hell with it all. I'm going for a walk in the woods and relish in the fact that Mother Nature bats last.

Debate a Rerun???

McCain voted with Bush 95% of the time. Obama's going to raise your taxes. No, McCain's going to. Obama didn't support the surge. No, McCain blew it by supporting the original (mistaken) Iraq invasion. Etc. etc. etc. heard that all last Thursday - and was hoping for some fresh material in the second debate.

I've got the message points down, boys, could we move onto something NEW? Maybe something RELEVANT? Like the fact that we seem to be going down the economic toilet and - specifically - WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT????

I think copying our Mother Country might be a good idea: in Britain, you're only allowed to campaign for four weeks (or something like that). I know, I know...free speech and all that. Except most of the speech isn't free...it's paid for by special interests with way more money than you or I will ever see.

Everybody says they hate the negative campaigning but guess what, boys and girls: the candidates and their overpaid advisors happily get down into the mud BECAUSE IT WORKS.

And by the time the campaign is over, whoever emerges the victor is covered in the aforementioned mud, and is hated and despised by those whose candidate lost. And the national vitriol continues...

Sad sad sad.

Election Vacation

The remote control is my new best friend.

Irritating campaign commercial? Bloviating TV talker? The 'mute' and 'last' buttons are getting a workout at our house. (Does anyone still remember having to get up and walk across the room in order to change channels and/or the volume?)

I refuse to watch ANYONE'S campaign ads - they're essentially worthless, usually nasty, and absolutely unhelpful. (God luv the mute button.)

Same goes for the angry chatterboxes on the cable news networks. I wish they'd all just shut up. Or maybe we could put them all in timeout and send them to their respective corners to think about their behavior.

I've watched the debates...and will continue to do so, more for the entertainment value than anything else. I know the candidates' positions, though still need to do a little more research into some of the local/state offices and figure out whether to vote for or against light rail.

I urge you to join me on my election vacation. Pick up that remote and feel a real sense of freedom. Of power.

Yes, that sense of freedom and power will be fleeting - how much control do we really have in our lives - but the momentary satisfaction of shutting some asshole up is delightful.