Grand A"Fair" - Day One...

Wow...it was packed...automobiles lined both sides of the streets for blocks...filling church parking lots...children filled with excitement...people wheeling in in wheel chairs...I kid you not.  Not on the south side of town...but the north.  Day one of the State Fair...and Skagway North...GI's long-time super market puts on it's annual free customer appreciation barbeque with live entertainment at Abbott Park across the street from their store.  I bet there were over a thousand people served.  Didn't see any out of county freeloaders...it was a majority of hard working Grand Island people.

Heineman was at the State Fair Grand Opening with his toothy cheerleader smile working the crowd...Mike Meister showed up in his Goodwill suit...is it seersucker?...and bad mouthed the Gov. on the 6 o'clock NTV news.  Funny thing was...Heineman followed Meister and although he didn't throw any cheap shots back at Meister...he did go out of his way to make sure he said he wasn't going to lower himself by throwing any cheap shots at Meister like Meister threw at him.  A true gentleman politician wouldn't have even acknowledged that Meister made a cheap shot in the first place.  Sticks and Stones Governor.  Heineman's mistake of the day was not showing up at the Skagway barbeque and hanging out with some real Nebraskans.

One proud moment for GI and the State Fair came when our Mayor proclaimed..."Take a whiff...we don't stink anymore."

Greatest BS Story of the Year...

If you believe this to the degree it is being reported...I have some bridge stock on the Platte River you might be interested in.

Hindenburg Update....

The father of the "Hindenburg Omen" has parachuted from the ship.  Thought the DJI was on a slight rebound early this afternoon then it tanked.  Obama's "Summer of Recovery" continues...tanking markets and housing values in the toilet. 

The Best Way To Get To The State Fair...

Ok...there is no best way...expect traffic congestion and delays once you hit the GI city limits...I am sure the local AM newsradio will be providing traffic updates.  

If you are coming in on the newly finished South Locust "Obama Stimulus Expressway" (paid for with "free money" I might add) expect the first bottleneck at the south Wal-Mart.  There are two poorly placed traffic lights within less than a block of each other at the Highway 34 junction and unless the City Engineer or Traffic Division has a brainfart and realizes this will be a problem...there will be issues.  The next bottleneck will be at the main entrance on South Locust on the west side of Fonner.  On an average day there is lots of local traffic going both ways and with Fair traffic crossing into Fonner from the north it will be jam city.  I wonder if they will close off left turns from the north into Fonner?...or if they will use the traffic light or have the NSP doing hand and arm signals?  It's two lanes each way and unless the locals stay home it will be gridlock.  A story in this morning's foot-wide newspaper tells how the local Chamber of Horrors...er...Commerce will be conducting daily prayer services during the Fair to pray for smooth traffic flow.  Everyone is "hoping."    

If you are coming from the east I suggest taking the east exit on I-80...cruise into town on 34/2...take the free turn onto South Locust and then wait in the mile-and-a-half line like everyone else...keep to the right.  Coming from west or north...you are on your own...everyone knows no one lives west or north of GI.  Don't try parking in any of the surrounding business lots...they are already posting notices in the local foot-wide newspaper saying violators will be towed.  Skagway South and Advance Auto Parts...as well as some other businesses are offering $10.00 parking but it is limited to a few stalls.  Shuttle service will be available from satellite parking areas where-ever they are.     

As a good citizen I promise to avoid South Locust during the Fair.  The key is to drive safely and be patient.  And no road rage...

No Change Here...

Getting back to the serious side of things....the right of our out-of-state and overseas military personnel to vote in local and national elections has been a hot button issue with me for years.  

In 2008, when Nebraska's Democratic leadership decided to be like Iowa and control ballots with a "caucus"...one issue that jumped out immediately was how this process denied our military personnel a fair shot in picking candidates.  I wrote members of the NDP and Ben Nelson pointing out how a caucus would not let our troops be a true part of the process.  All I got back was lip service.  Nebraska's first Democratic Caucus came and went...in utter failure and with record low participation...contrary to their toutings.

Things haven't changed a lick for our troops...their voice remains stifled and our friends in D.C...on the Democratic side for some reason...still turn their backs on the men and women they send into harms way.  Get off your butt Senator Nelson and straighten this mess out.  Our troops have earned their right to vote...and to have their vote counted.

Snub The Tub...

Prince Charles says the Brits...and the rest of us I guess...should rip out our bathtubs and stick to a short 5-minute shower to help stem the tide of excess carbon use that he and "Chicken of the Sea" James Cameron believe is destroying our planet.  The princely comments were more amusing than the article...especially the one from the poet in St. Louis. 

Loose Cannon Alert...

Chuck Hagel tooted his horn again today endorsing Pennsylvania's Joe "Gimme A Job and I'll Leave Arlen Alone" Sestak as his pick for the U.S. Senate.

Political motivation???  You betcha...Hagel is hoping Obama will look his way when he reloads his cabinet...Secretary of Defense...Secretary of Defense.  It's funny in a sickening way how far ego drives politicians. 

GI Independent Newsdogs Asleep At The Wheel...

Well maybe...it could just be selective news reporting by our local foot-wide parakeet cage liner.  I find it odd that NTV and KHAS both picked up on the report yesterday and the crimebeat crew at the Independent remains majorly "scooped."   

The little voice in the back of my mind says the Independent suffered a "Chamber of Commerce" moment and chose to ignore the story...but then again you can only fit so much news into a foot-wide newspaper...especially when the County Sheriff is taking away our fishing and crane viewing rights.  The funny thing is...well not funny...they dumped the body next to the bridge so the signage should also restrict the area around the bridge. 

 

Putting The "Spill" Into Perspective...

The Grand Generation...

VJ Day, Honolulu Hawaii, August 14, 1945 from Richard Sullivan on Vimeo.