The Bosque

It's Leap Day today...whoohoo! Now break out your Atari 2600 and play some Frogger. :)

So the Tennessee GOP got its knuckles rapped by the national committee for using Obama's full name in some campaign literature. Of course, the TN GOP (along with Rush) call it a freedom of speech issue. But you and I know damn good and well that it looks like full-court fear mongering...especially when you add his "Islamic" photo that made the rounds earlier this week.

If I were him, I'd probably call their bluff and say, "Yep, you're Goddamn right that's my name! What about it, bitch?!" Then I'd pull out a pistol and kneecap the punk that tried to play me.

*ahem*

I don't care that he dressed in native garb while visiting Kenya 2 years ago. I don't care that his middle name is Hussein, though it is damn funny. I only care about his ability to lead us...and I think he's got that mojo going.

The St. Louis Rams cut wide receiver Isaac Bruce today.

Ike was the last Los Angeles Ram...he played 14 seasons in a Rams uniform...only Jerry Rice and Tim Brown have more receiving yards in history than him...his 73-yard reception touchdown in Super Bowl XXXIV was the game winner...he is probably the most beloved Ram (at least since they moved to St. Louis)...one of the nicest guys in sports--and in general...one of the most underrated and underappreciated football players ever. Apparently the Rams wanted to free up some cash and the 2 sides couldn't come to terms on a new contract.

Wow...this sucks. For some reason, the NFL salary cap always seems to be fucked up...you always see teams letting go perfectly good players as a result of it. Maybe there's still a chance of him coming back...we'll see...

We've all known that Rush Limbaugh is a bit off...he grew up in Cape Girardeau, MO; flunked out of Southeast Missouri State University; worked for the Kansas City Royals; is a recovering drug addict...but apparently the poor guy is starting to suffer from dementia.

He is encouraging Texas Republicans to vote for Hillary in next week's primary. He believes that by doing so, it will continue "the chaos" that exists in the Democratic Party.

Wow...does he really think that true-red conservatives will simply vote for Hillary? I suspect that the mere thought of it induces seizures in most of them. They could probably vote for Obama, because he's just confusing to them. But Hillary? The devil in heels? Oh hell no! They'd probably rather have gay marriage than vote for her in any election!

I think I need to explore this further. Because if a lot of Texas Republicans really want to do this, they may be nuttier than Rush.

Today was Filing Day for candidates that want to be on the ballot in Missouri for the August primary. This got me thinking...

Actually, I've been thinking about this for a while. We elect politicians to serve us...but don't a lot of them seem to serve themselves? It doesn't matter what their constituents think, but what works best for them.

So, I've thought about running for office--not sure what...maybe St. Louis Alderman or Missouri State Rep...something small to start with. But if I run, it's going to be as an independent. And I'm going to try to represent what my constituents want...even if I think it's crap. If I live in an area with a bunch of die-hard evangelical conservatives, then I would represent their wishes while respecting minority views. After all, isn't that how it's supposed to be anyway?

I'm not filing for this election...maybe in 2 years, or if a special election comes up. We'll see...get your campaign funds ready!

I've seen this statement come up a few times now: "Barack Obama is a Muslim." Even my brother said it last week. Apparently, there is some confusion as to Mr. Obama's religion, so let's it clear it up right now.

Barack Obama is not a Muslim; he is a member of the United Church of Christ...April and I were married in a UCC church. His father was originally a Muslim, but became atheist. Obama has never been a Muslim. But even if he were a Muslim...big fucking deal. There was a big deal made of Kennedy being Catholic...and what became of that? Well, he became president, did a pretty decent job and was assassinated. He didn't take his orders from Rome...what makes people so afraid that Obama is going to take orders from Mecca? Or al-Sadr? Or Farrakhan?

Or are people just afraid because he's black and whupping ass?

I'm in a bit of a quandary of sorta my own doing.

I have a car--Malibu Barbie, but it is technically not mine. My parents "bought" it for me 3 years ago. I say "bought," because they purchased the vehicle with the intention of me making the payments on it in the short-term future. They did this because the car I had crapped out, but I had shitty credit and no plans to buy another one. Though I am grateful for their help, this was done without my knowledge or blessing...not to mention, my mother is notorious for using her help as a weapon when it suits her. They bought the car in April 2005, and I took over the payments on it the following January.

Sadly, the two jobs I have held since returning to St. Louis have involved extensive driving--300 miles per week on average. When I got the car, it had 35,000 miles on it; it now has 98,000. The warranty expired on the car in December, when I rolled 95,000.

I've taken pretty good care of the car, but with all the driving, it has some wear and tear. And the '97-'05 Malibus/Classics don't have great resale value, especially given that they were sold extensively as fleet vehicles. In its current state, the car is worth about $3400...but I still owe $5800 on it.

I've tried to get rid of the car twice already, both times ending in failure, primarily because I still have shitty credit in most circles. I've been quietly looking at new cars over the past 2 months, but have been disappointed with the search. Realistically, the most I'm going to be able to afford is a compact car, like a Corolla or a Cobalt...which is perfectly fine with me. But a lot of dealers don't seem to want to work with us, because we have so much negative equity on the Malibu. If I were willing to buy a more expensive car, it would probably be doable. But I'm not going to fuck myself on the loan payment...I know what I can afford, and a car like a Camry, a new Malibu or an Altima would be too much to handle. I have $2000 in savings, but I'd like to use most of that for taxes and licensing, plus leave some money in the account alone.

The main reasons I want to rid myself of Malibu Barbie are 1) It's been a pain in the ass maintenance-wise, and I fear it's only going to get worse now that it's out of warranty; and 2) The Malibu is the last vestige of "control" my mother has over me, and I want to get rid of it.

I dunno...it's all so fucking frustrating sometimes. I know that the biggest issue here is that I fucked my credit by filing bankruptcy 3 years ago. I know that I need to pay the consequences for that (and knew I would when I filed), but it just makes me want to scream sometimes. And I wish my parents wouldn't have bought the damn thing. Their original idea was to help me buy a car after I moved home...and I would have been more than content with a less expensive and more used car. I know my mom's intentions were good, but they're contributing to my frustration right now.

Things could be worse...but I'd like to make the things that suck right now better...now.

Hey peeps,

You can now post comments about any Manifesto I have on here, using your Google account or an OpenID user account (like AIM).

Enjoy!

The full text of the following story is being posted due to the short lifespan of stories on newspaper websites.

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia's battle to tap into the Tennessee River by re-visiting a centuries-old border survey passed both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly Wednesday.

The Georgia Senate unanimously passed a resolution to pursue a claim that the south side of the river —at least— belongs to Georgia. The Georgia House passed a companion resolution, though with some dissent. House members approved the measure by a 136 to 26 vote.

State Rep. Harry Geisinger (R-Roswell), sponsor of the House resolution fielded questions from lawmakers skeptical that revisiting an ancient dispute is worth the effort. One asked what would happen in the state of Tennessee ignored Georgia's claim.

"I think we may find ourselves in court and I think we will have a strong position," Geisinger said.

In the Senate, lawmakers broke into a rendition of "This Land is My Land," as Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth) stood up to speak. Shafer introduced the resolution, which has been mocked by Tennessee lawmakers and scoffed at by some folks who live in the small border towns that would be affected.

Lawmakers want to fix a problem caused by an inaccurate land survey from 1818 that improperly marked the Tennessee-Georgia border south of where it should be. Shafer's resolution would establish Georgia's real northern boundary about a mile farther north into what is now Tennessee —giving Georgia access to the massive Tennessee River.

"The boundary of the state is the boundary of the state and can only be changed by acts of the Tennessee and Georgia legislatures and of the U.S. Congress, " Shafer said. "It cannot be changed by a mathematician with a faulty compass."

"Do the math," Shafer said, "There's more Georgia water in the Tennessee River than there is in our own Chattahoochee."

Are you fucking serious?! If Georgia weren't facing water shortages, I don't think you'd see this happening. Perhaps they should consider ponying up for water from Tennessee...or a desalinization plant on the Atlantic.

Greetings peeps!

After 4 years, I have decided to end the Bosque forum. The board has been hit with an immense wave of porn spam lately, and now it's becoming difficult to limit and delete such users and posts. With the domain name about to expire and so few people actually posting on the board, I don't think it is worth upgrading the board or purchasing vBulletin to fight it.

I will still be posting (almost) Daily Manifestos here at the blog, but have not yet decided whether I will turn on commenting here or possibly reopen the old Manifestos section at cellar.org. We'll see...stay tuned!

Thank you for your support of the board over the past 4 years. It's been fun, but it's time to start a new chapter.

Peace,
T-$

The full text of the following story is being posted due to the short lifespan of stories on newspaper websites, and because this story appears to be one that might be updated.

From the Seattle Times: The city of Seattle last week rejected a $26.5 million offer from the Sonics' ownership group to buy out the last two years of the KeyArena lease, continuing the ongoing battle over the NBA franchise.

NBA Commissioner David Stern, who revealed the offer Saturday during his annual address at the All-Star Game in New Orleans, said he supports Sonics Chairman Clay Bennett's attempt to move the team to Oklahoma City and expects Seattle's first major professional team to leave town either this year or in 2010.

"I accept that inevitability at this point," he said. "There is no miracle here."

Stern's comments drew a strong response from Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis.

"If Mr. Stern had any kind of integrity, he wouldn't be trying to hijack this team out of Seattle," Ceis said. "David Stern hasn't lifted one finger since Clay Bennett bought this team to do anything to try and keep it in Seattle. It's been an ongoing conspiracy between the league and Clay Bennett to hijack this franchise out of Seattle."

Since purchasing the team from Howard Schultz on Oct. 31, 2006, Bennett unsuccessfully tried to gain support from city and state lawmakers on a $500 million arena in Renton before filing relocation papers with the NBA. The city filed suit June 16 to block the move.

Stern sounded extremely pessimistic about the Sonics staying in Seattle.

"It's apparent to all who are watching that the Sonics are heading out of Seattle," the commissioner said. "There's not going to be a new arena. There's not going to be a public contribution.... "

The Seattle Times obtained a document dated Thursday in which a law firm representing the Professional Basketball Club, which owns the Sonics, sent a letter to Seattle City Attorney Tom Carr offering to settle the lawsuit against the team.

In the document, attorney Bradley Keller states that if the city wins its case, it can expect no more than $4.1 million in revenue-sharing and rental payments and admission taxes during the 2008-09 season and $3.8 million the next, which would leave $26.5 million on the city's outstanding debt to KeyArena from the $73.4 million bond used for renovation.

The Sonics offered to pay off the debt and gave the city a 5 p.m. Friday deadline to respond.

Carr declined the offer.

"I sent them a letter saying it was low and they miscalculated the debt amount, if that was their goal, and that we couldn't accept it at this point," Carr said. "The city's intent is to hold them to the lease.

"I don't know what Mr. Stern is trying to do. I will say it's a sad fact that he's treating a 40-year NBA city like this. I suspect what they are trying to do is put pressure on the decision makers. But when an NBA team signs a lease to play for 15 years, they should play for 15 years and not play games like this."

According to city officials, the Sonics' offer doesn't account for $10 million in lease payments.

"Bond holders are entitled to that," Carr said.

In preparation for its lawsuit to block Bennett's move to Oklahoma City, the city of Seattle has subpoenaed the NBA for records concerning the sale of the Sonics to Bennett's group.

Ceis said the Oklahoma City-based ownership group has refused to provide information requested in discovery.

"That is in front of the federal magistrate to decide what to do," he said.

Bennett's spokesman Dan Mahoney declined to comment and said the commissioner "said everything we need to say."

Stern said he urged Bennett's group to make the offer to buy out the lease and pay off the debt from the 1995 renovation of KeyArena.

"All I can tell you is that in response to that request by me, the offer was made, and it was rejected," Stern said. "I think it's bad public policy."

The NBA commissioner also said he believed the city's rejection had nothing to do with Bennett.

"They're equal-opportunities deniers of aid," Stern said. "Howard Schultz, who was a resident of Seattle, who owned the team previously, who invested time and energy leading lobbying efforts at the city council, at the county level and at the state level, was unsuccessful. Clay Bennett actually spent more money, developed more plans, made more visits, and the answer was no, no, a thousand times no."

I don't understand what exactly the problem is with KeyArena, especially since it was essentially rebuilt just 13 years ago. And I would think that the City of Seattle is not overly unreasonable in the lease terms there. But based on what I've read, Clay Bennett is hell-bent on moving the team to Oklahoma City unless he gets a sparkling new arena. And I don't blame Seattle for saying, "Fuck you!"

From the Washington Post: Eight people are dead and at least three were injured after police said a driver struck a group of people watching an illegal high-speed race early this morning in southern Prince George's County, marking one of the deadliest street racing incidents in the Washington area.
This Story

At least six of the dead were hit while watching the race in the dark about 3 a.m., along Indian Head Highway (Route 210) at Pine Drive in Accokeek, police said. One of the fatalities was a passenger in a white Crown Victoria that struck the group about 3 a.m., said Cpl. Clinton Copeland. He said one person also may have been hit by a tractor-trailer that came upon the scene but had not been involved in any race.

"It was a very horrific scene with the number of individuals in the road at one time and the amount of debris," Copeland said. Shoes and pieces of clothing littered the road's grassy median for up to 200 yards.

It was unclear whether the older model Crown Victoria that police say struck the crowd was involved in the street race. WRC-Channel 4 was reporting that the Crown Victoria driver told police he wasn't in the race but had been blinded by smoke and exhaust from other vehicles that were revving up to race. As a result, the driver told police that he could not see the spectators, WRC reported.

Police are investigating the possibility that another driver or drivers involved in the race fled the scene because the Crown Victoria was the only one still there when officers arrived, Copeland said.

Here in St. Louis, Gateway International Raceway has nights where you can take your car there to race others--or just hang out with racers and peeps--for $10. I've never been to one, but it always sounds like a good idea and a good time.

The full text of the following story is being posted due to the short lifespan of stories on radio websites and because this story appears to be one that might be updated regularly for some time.

From WBBM Radio, Chicago: A shooting at Northern Illinois University today has reportedly left several people wounded -- according to an eye witness a man with a shotgun began firing during a lecture at Cole Hall on the NIU's De Kalb Campus.

Parents/Students can call these numbers for more information:

* (815) 753-1573
* (815) 753-1574
* (815) 753-1575
* (815) 753-9564
* (815) 753-6143

Authorities confirm at least 3 people have been shot. According to the Kishwaukee Community Hospital website up to 15 victims are expected at the hospital an 3 or 4 of those victims have suffered head wopunds.

A witness told WBBM a young man pulled out a shotgun and began firing inside a lecture hall. The shooting apparently took place during a science at Cole hall on the University's De Kalb campus.

"The shooter came from an emergency exit -- shotgun in hand -- and began shooting toward the middle of the lecture hall.," the witness said. The shooter then began firing at the professor, according to the witness.

Unconfirmed reports indicate a gunman may have been taken into custody.

A witness told WBBM a young man pulled out a shotgun and began firing inside a lecture hall. The shooting apparently took place during a geology class at Cole hall on the University's De Kalb campus.

The witness tell Newsradio 780 that the professor may have been shot, however these details have not been confirmed by police.

The incident apparently happened around 3:15 p.m.

The Northern Illinois University website is reporting a possible gunman on campus. The website message is urging all students and faculty to take cover and get to a secure location.

The message urges everybody to avoid the the King Commons and all buildings in the vicinity.

A week ago today, Cookie Thornton killed 5 people at a Kirkwood City Council meeting before being shot to death by police...he was buried today.

I don't think anyone would dislike this gift, no matter who you support for president.



Available for purchase here.

The full text of the following story is being posted due to the short lifespan of stories on newspaper websites and because this story appears to be one that might be updated.

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: KMOX radio personality Paul Harris has been fired, apparently part of cost-cutting ordered by corporate parent CBS Radio.

Harris said there also were cuts at KEZK, another CBS station here.

"I was told I was being laid off," he said. "The guillotine came down on me."

Harris was told at a noon meeting Monday and did not take the air for his 2-6 p.m. slot. The show was removed from the list on KMOX's website Monday night and later replaced with "To Be Announced" on the schedule. Station executives could not be reached for comment. Another KMOX host, Mark Reardon, filled Harris' slot Monday.

Harris said he planned to take a few days off before deciding what to do next.

"I'm very sorry to lose the venue," he said. "I loved working in that building and that radio station."

Harris said listeners could reach him through his website, paulharrisonline.blogspot.com. His KMOX e-mail account was deactivated Monday.

On his website, Harris described his wide-ranging show as "talk radio for people who never thought they'd listen to talk radio." Harris also writes occasional opinion pieces, some of which have been printed in the Post-Dispatch, and appeared nightly on KMOV-TV (Channel 4) in a piece discussing each day's "hot topic."

KMOX's corporate parent, CBS Radio, has ordered layoffs at other stations around the nation in recent days. St. Louis radio historian Frank Absher said cutbacks have been sweeping an industry buffeted by challenges.

"KMOX has for many, many years been a jewel in the crown for CBS," Absher said. "Now it's showing how widespread it is. In the past, it would have been unbelievable for this to happen here."

He said the challenges to the industry boil down to a decrease in listeners and advertising revenue.

"People are finding satellite radio, Internet listening, iPods and all of that stuff," Absher said. "There are fewer ears listening to the commercials."

That means the stations can't command the advertising rates they have in the past, Absher said.

"I really hate to see what is happening in radio," said Absher, who worked at one time for KMOX and is the station's historian. "Unfortunately this sort of layoff has become so common, the concern I have is they are going to slim down the product so much that radio will lose even more listeners."

I listened to Harris's show at least 3 days a week...it was informative and entertaining without being over the top. Hopefully we'll see him back on radio in the not-too-distant future. And he still has his website.

From ESPN: Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik underwent surgery to close a deep gash on the right side of his neck and was in stable condition Sunday night after he was cut by a teammate's skate during a game.

Interestingly, the story mentions the very incident I'm reminded of:

Zednik's injury was eerily reminiscent of an injury sustained by Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk about 19 years ago at Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium. On March 22, 1989, Malarchuk severed his jugular vein when St. Louis Blues forward Steve Tuttle was upended while skating toward the crease, slicing Malarchuk with a skate.

Malarchuk required over 300 stitches but spent only one night in the hospital, returning to practice after four days. On April 2, he played the final five minutes in the season finale, less than two weeks after his injury.

I can remember seeing that...and I vividly remember the blood gushing from Malarchuk's neck after the incident. I also remember the press mentioning that if he had been on the other end of the ice, he would have bled to death. Thank God Zednik's gonna be alright.

When Kanye won the Grammy for Best Rap Album tonight, his speech ran long. Not surprising...we're talking about Kanye here.

He was talking about his mom when the "wrap it up" music started, to which he said, "It would be in good taste to stop the music."

And the music stopped.

Herbie Hancock then showed the young pup how it's done...by winning the Album of the Year award. Fucking awesome...the dude is a beast.

And Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have another thing in common now--both are Grammy winners. Obama won for his spoken version of his book "The Audacity of Hope."

I wound up watching the entire show by accident...it wasn't too bad. A bit bizarre and over the top, but I've seen worse.

A comment taken from a blog on the Fox News website:

I finally know what change Barack Hussein Obama will bring to America! He will change America from a Christian nation into an Islamic nation, if we let him. People everywhere had better wake up! The Dumbacrats are voting to elect a Muslim into office! Please everyone who is conservative and Republican get behind Mccain in November, he is still better than Hillary and the Muslim Barack Hussein! Barack Hussein Obama is the most Pro Abortion candidate, and most Liberal. He is a heartless BABY KILLER, who doesn’t even want to give medical care to babies who survive abortion. That’s not what I call a Christian, Barack Hussein is a Muslim, and always has been a Muslim. His whole family on his fathers side are Muslim! Vote Republican!!!

...apparently been exaggerated.

An old friend of mine from high school found me on Facebook yesterday...we haven't talked in almost 10 years. This friend mentioned that he was told by another old friend that I was dying of a rare disease.

I did not know that I was dying! Behold the power of the internet...I have been advised of my impending demise!

:)

So, I told him about my cardiomyopathy...and clarified that I am not dying. Not yet anyway.

I actually got some tests done last month, as I have a new cardiologist under April's health insurance. Unfortunately, the news is not so good. My refraction rate (the rate at which blood flows through the heart) is down to 35-40 percent, from 50 last year; normal is 55. When I was first diagnosed in early '05, I was at 30.

The real problem though is that my last tests were done in the clinic system...and while I appreciated their help, I didn't exactly get the best care. So for all I know, their tests could have been shit...maybe nothing really changed at all.

But I know that my weight ballooned from late '05 to early '07, though my weight has essentially been the same since early '07. And I know that I haven't felt so well in the past few months. And I feel like I'm finally feeling my age, which just kills me.

All I can do is take the meds and try to be healthy...but Goddamn...it is so fucking hard. But I have to do it. I have to be married to April 60 years minimum or else she's going to bury me (instead of cremating me). :)

...and not in a good way. This is just...wow...

The full text of the following story is being posted due to the short lifespan of stories on newspaper websites and because this story appears to be one that might be updated regularly for some time.

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website:

Six people, including two Kirkwood police officers, a Kirkwood city council woman and the gunman, were killed tonight at Kirkwood City Hall, a St. Louis County police spokeswoman said about 9:25 p.m. Two others were wounded. Add one of the wounded at St. John's Mercy Medical center is in critical condition.

Officer Tracy Panus said the man approached City Hall and shot one officer outside, then entered the building and shot and killed another officer.

"He shot three other people who were attending the council meeting. They also are deceased," she said. "One of the members attending the the board meeting was transported to an area hospital."

The Post-Dispatch has confirmed that one of the dead was city council woman Connie Karr.

"He has shot seven people, killing five of them," Panus said. "Kirkwood police officer returned fire and killed him."

Dave Bundy, the editorial director for the Suburban Journals, said that one of the newspaper's reporters, Todd Smith, was injured in the attack.

"We don't know if it was a ricochet or what, but it hit him in the hand and shattered a bone or two," said Bundy, who spoke with Smith in the St. Johns' emergency room.

As medics were removing him from the scene, Bundy said, Smith called his editor and asked that a replacement be sent to city hall to continue reporting the story.

EARLIER

An armed man walked into a Kirkwood city council meeting Thursday night and shot several people, including the at least one police officer, the city’s mayor and several council members.

A correspondent for the Post-Dispatch who was attending said the 7 p.m. meeting had just started — the mayor was starting the meeting just after the Pledge of Allegiance — when the man rushed into the council chambers yelling and began opening fire with at least one weapon. She identified the man as Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton, a man she knows from covering the council.

"He came from the back of the room," said Janet McNichols, the correspondent. "He kept something about, ‘Shoot the mayor’ and he just walked around shooting anybody he could."

McNichols said the shooter first fired at Tom Ballman, a police officer at the meeting. She said she looked up to see the officer shot in the head.

Thornton then targeted Public Works Director Kenneth Yost, who was sitting in front of McNichols. He was also hit in the head, she said.

"After that, I was on my stomach under the chairs," she said. "I laid on my stomach waiting to get shot. Oh God, it was a horror."

McNichols said Thornton continued to yell about the mayor, and from his voice and the gunshots, she could tell he had approached the dais at the front of the room where the council sits behind a semicircular desk.

At some point he fired at City Attorney John Hessel, who told McNichols he fended the attacker off by throwing chairs. She saw Hessel later, appearing uninjured except for a knot on his head.

Among those hit, in addition to Ballman and Yost, were Mayor Mike Swoboda, and council members Michael H.T. Lynch and Connie Karr, McNichols said. Conditions were not known for any of them.

Then police officers burst into the room and there was more yelling, McNichols said. First, Thornton saying he had a gun, she said. Then gunshots and the officers saying they’d got him.

McNichols said about 30 people were in the council chambers at the time of the shooting. Witnesses were herded into offices while police secured the scene. Later they were taken to the police station to be interviewed.

Thornton was not a stranger to the council, where he was often a contentious presence. In May 2006, he was handcuffed and pulled from a meeting. He was charged with disorderly conduct and released.

McNichols said he often aimed his ire at the mayor and at Yost.

Late last month, a federal judge in St. Louis dismissed a lawsuit in which Thornton, representing himself, claimed Kirkwood officials violated his free speech rights by prohibiting him from speaking out at meetings.

In a ruling Jan. 28, U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry took into account that Thornton had twice been convicted of disorderly conduct for disrupting meetings in 2006 with off-point complaints about persecution by officials.

"He came to many, many meetings and always said terrible things to the mayor," McNichols remmebered. "He’d come to the meeting and he’d have a big easel and a picture. a donkey on there and call the council asses."

Sportscaster Doug Vaughn of Channel 4 told that station that he went to Kirkwood High School with Thornton and saw him through the years. He said Thornton’s behavior changed after police cracked down on his parking of vehicles for his construction company outside his home in Meacham Park. He felt harassed, Vaughn said.

"He could not have been a nicer guy to those who knew them but I think this problem with the city drove him completely crazy," Vaughn said in the TV interview.

City Hall is at 139 Kirkwood Road. Three blocks surrounding it were quickly cordoned off as dozens of police cars, firetrucks and ambulances from other districts, including Normandy, Eureka and Des Peres, poured in to help.

Even an hour after the shootings, ambulances and fire rescue vehicles were still arriving at the scene.

Media were kept about three blocks from the scene.

Dotti Durban and her husband, Mike, had planned to attend the City Council meeting to learn about an idea to rezone an area near Manchester and Lindbergh but she got held up at work.

She was met by dozens of police cars as she drove to city hall in hopes of catching part of the meeting.

"Lucky for us that we weren’t at that meeting," Durban said.

Here are screenshots from several news networks:

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's website: Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain each won their respective Missouri presidential primaries with come-from-behind, 8,000-vote victories.

While it'd be nice for Obama to steamroll Hillary, we know that ain't gonna happen. I'm content to see this go all the way to Denver in August.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you:



Kennedy Lynn
19 inches
5 lbs., 5 oz.
8:09PM (ish)

I'm not sure why my brother never talked about this...I will though. It's public knowledge...and this is my blog...so nyah!

Tim is going to be a daddy any minute now. He was dating this friend of his, Korey, and things happened...and here we are. They're not together anymore, so we refer to Korey as "Tim's baby momma."

The baby (it's a girl) is due on March 13th (which incidentally happens to be both my maternal and paternal grandmothers' birthday)...but Korey's water broke early this morning. Apparently Korey has preeclampsia, but her and the baby are doing fine.

So...any time now, April and I are going to be an aunt and uncle...which is pretty exciting. I'm just glad I'm not the daddy. :) Cross your fingers and hope for the best!