Confessional

Since returning from St. Louis I have discovered that I'm a criminal. A transgressor against society. A law-breaker. And I just can't stop!

I have let my tags expire. And not by just a little bit either. The plates on our van expired in March.

What happened was I thought my car's tags were due to be updated in July. Last year, I knew I got the two-year tags for one of our vehicles, and I thought it was the van. But I was wrong.

What's really funny, or perhaps pathetic, is that even though I have driven care-free for three months, now that I know I'm breaking the law I feel like I am a paranoid mess every time I get in the van. I know the cops know I'm out there, and I secretly debate the pros and cons of driving on side streets-- I think I can blend into traffic more on the big streets, but then that's also where I'm more likely to see the police.

I should be able to get the vehicle legal with my next check, but we are just too broke for me to do it before then. Yes, every year I pay our property taxes when I need the new tags. This is maybe not the best system.

It would be easy for me to break off into a diatribe about how unfair it is that we should have to pay property taxes at all. Haven't we already paid taxes on our cars? But, out of guilt, I digress.

This time 'round I am going to have to pay taxes on three vehicles. The car we bought my step-son when he turned 16 has been broken down for a year now.

I'm trying to sell that car now, and have placed an add in the paper (CFP, of course). $250 or best offer. If I would have been smart, I would have sold the thing before January 1. I held onto it, thinking we might fix it with an unexpected $1,700 windfall. That dream has died.

If I sell it this week, just maybe, I can pay the taxes on it.

I guess I could go ahead and get my state inspection over with. I'm sure I will only have to go to four or five places to find a mechanic who has the time to give me one. I would like to go on and on about that, too. But, who wants to hear about a criminal's problems?

St. Louis

I'm back from St. Louis. I've been on vacation this week, and it was nice to get out of town. Val and the kids and I went up and stayed with my dad for a few days. We wanted to go to the zoo, but ended up doing something much more fun.

We went to the City Museum. The place was really cool. There were caves and tons of little tunnels and big long slides. It wasn't free (dad was kind enough to pay), but it was awesome and I think it was worth the money. My dad was saying that everything in the place was recycled-- I couldn't get the Web site up on my computer to read the "about us". It appeared to be-- old re-bar and metal of all shapes and sizes bent into things to climb on. It was a really cool place.

Vanishing Piece of Springfield

Popular Springfield blogger Jason Wert announced he will bring his site to a close today to focus on his work with an online ministry project tentatively called "The Prayer Channel."

"As I was praying and working tonight on the web aspect of a new ministry God has begun I knew that we’d reached the point where I didn’t have enough time between God, family and work to dedicate to continuing to run this site with same level of commitment" Wert said in what appears to be his final post as head of Life of Jason.

Wert recently won the 2009 Blogaroni for "Blog of the Year" at the Springfield Local Bloggers Association Awards ceremony. He also won "Best News Blog," "Best Local Coverage Blog," and "Blog Post of the Year."

I've only been aware of his site for about six months now, but it became clear to me quickly that he was one of this area's best reporters. In his "Thank You, Goodnight." post he thanked the past and present mayor, members of City Council and several other city officials for being open and available to him. In my opinion, the fact that he had so much to thank them for is a testament to his own effectiveness as a citizen journalist.

His coverage of City Council, his interviews in the last two (at least) election cycles and his personal take on the politics of the failure behind this session's Autism Bill (which was really great) all speak to his abilities, and the unique place his site has filled in the Springfield area.

Best of luck, Jason.

Little Black Box

Here's a new poem.

Little Black Box

I am:

System of a Down: Spiders
Beck: E pro
Beastie Boys: Sabotage
Lil' Wayne: Got Money
Outkast: Bombs Over Baghdad
Justin Timberlake: Love Stoned
Radio Head: Everything in its Place
Weezer: Say it Aint So
Tool: Undertow
Nine Inch Nails: The Perfect Drug
U2: A Sort of Homecoming
Lil' John: Snap Your Fingers


I still want to be:

Blind Melon, Pachelbel, Nickel Creek, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam.

I've seen you there God. I've felt you there.

To the father I pray, to the alter I bring. My own relationship. Our own conversation.

pathetic man

Okay, this has to be one of the funniest things I've ever read.

Welcome, The Water is Fine

I'm full of faults.

I have my own issues. I sometimes get angry too easily. I'm sometimes flighty, and I think I daydream too much. I haven't checked my credit score in awhile, but I'm pretty sure it stinks-- I've never been good with money. And I've probably just scratched the surface. So, I'm going to do my best to not sound self-righteous here.

But... I'm glad to see Becky Spence and the eminent domain issue finally getting some attention from the other local media outlets.

It's an important story. And its been a story for awhile now.

I understand that most people are busy with their own lives. They seldom have the energy or time to pay much attention to local government.

Reporters and media-types are busy too. Always running from one story to the next, hoping to get enough sources and hit deadlines.

But when the government or (in the unique case of Springfield) a city-owned company such as City Utilities begins taking away our rights or our property, we should all pay attention.

If its true that the media is the fourth estate and should be a watchdog of public officials, then where have you all been?

I've been hoping for weeks to see more play on this story, and I just haven't found it.

As someone who is trying to be objective and fair, I've been happy to talk to CU spokesperson Joel Alexander: (paraphrasing) 'we are still pursuing negotiations;' 'bus ridership is up since 1995.' But, as someone who attended Spence's hotel-plan meeting said, "when was the last time you saw a bus that was more than a quarter full?"

And really, who cares if her hotel is viable (though that adds an interesting element to the story)-- It's her land!

Serious questions still need to be asked of CU. How much would implementing a grid-system cost? How full are buses during peak hours? Why didn't someone review the findings of the feasibility study and see that the "fatal flaw" (page 54)in sites 2A, 2B, and 3 (city-owned) was that they would take away downtown parking when two new parking garages where being put up in the middle of downtown? I missed the last one myself-- but, I asked on Tuesday. Joel said he'd get back to me. He didn't. But now it doesn't matter. CU announced Wednesday it is looking into city-owned properties again.

When issues like these pop up, we all need to pitch and be a set of eyes.

City Council members did the right thing by questioning CU's plans to use eminent domain. They were right to get involved. They know the city has other properties to build an unnecessary bus station on.

I hope others stay on this story now that they've picked it up. Please don't just leave it to me. I've got my own issues.

It's Wakey, Wakey Time

I have to get up and get going today because there is a lot on to be excited about.

For one thing, Becky Spence is holding her public meeting today. Check out the 6-03 issue of the Community Free Press to see what I'm talking about. I think this issue turned out really well. Kara's "15 minutes with" Tom Prater and Bob Mace's "Hot Air" are big highlights. Though I won't tell either of them. Mace, in particular, already knows how great he is.

For second, its the kids last day of school. For me, that means no more waking up at 6 to take my wife to work. My step-son has been driving my car to school so that he can pick up his younger brothers, and then his mother, in the afternoons. So, post-today begins a new routine. That's right, I can sleep until 7 or 7:30 if I want now.

For three, Coach Wade talks. I just found the story on the News-Leader Web site, and am not sure I could be more excited. The former SBU coach talks about his humbling (it seems like he said the word "humbled" like 100 times) Survivor experience.

Survivor is one of the all-time great shows, so the Wade interview was required reading for me. Matt Baker did a good job on the article. I only wish he would have held Wade to the fire a bit more about lying on the show. We all saw it, Coach. Sierra knows, and so do the rest of us. Coach is still the victim, of course. But, it was good to see that he seems to be knocked down a peg or two.

Wakey, Wakey. The sun is shining, y'all.