Random Bytes: Don Imus, President Pelosi, Larry Birkhead & Sanjaya

......[c]2007 by
Richard L Zorek

.........04.12.07............
Contrary to popular belief, Don Imus is still alive, at least for now. That was revealed after it was reported he made some crude racial comments on his show last week. MSNBC pulled the plug on the simulcast after someone told them that his show was being broadcast on their network..............The Senate has passed another bill for stem cell research which is destined to be vetoed by President Bush. The Senate waited until Nancy Pelosi got back from her self-appointed job as President in the Middle East to see if they couldn't get it by her without a veto..................The Pentagon is offering financial bonuses for miltary men to stay in the service. Defending our countries freedom is now a lucrative position.............Larry Birkhead is the dad of Dannie Lynn, according to the DNA results. The results also showed he is also the dad of Angelina Jolie's adopted baby, Katie Holmes new baby, and Sanjaya Malakar.................The house once lived in by Johnny Cash went up in a ring if fire this week.............And Sanjaya did not go up in a cloud of smoke on American Idol, but survived another week. At least that's the way I heard it........

From the "This Was Inevitable" File.....Where is Society's Newly Created Leper Going to Go?

MIAMI (By JOHN PAIN, Associated Press Writer)
- Five convicted sex offenders are living under a noisy highway bridge with the state's grudging approval because an ordinance intended to keep predators away from children made it nearly impossible for them to find housing.

Some of them sleep on cardboard raised slightly off the ground to avoid the rats. One of the men beds down on a pallet with a blanket and pillow. Some have been there for several weeks.

The conditions are a consequence of laws passed here and elsewhere around the country to bar sex offenders from living near schools, parks and other places children gather. Miami-Dade County's 2005 ordinance — adopted partly in reaction to the case of a convicted sex offender who raped a 9-year-old Florida girl and buried her alive — says sex offenders must live at least 2,500 feet from schools.

"They've often said that some of the laws will force people to live under a bridge," said Charles Onley, a research associate at the federally funded Center for Sex Offender Management. "This is probably the first story that I've seen that confirms that."

The five men under the Julia Tuttle Causeway are the only known sex offenders authorized to live outdoors in Florida, said state Corrections Department spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger.

"This is not an ideal situation for anybody, but at this point we don't have any other options," she said. "We're still looking. The offenders are still actively searching for residences."

But she conceded a point that many experts have made: This "is a problem that is going to have to be addressed. If we drive these offenders so far underground or we can't supervise them because they become so transient, it's not making us safer."

County Commissioner Jose Diaz said he had no qualms about the ordinance he created.
"My main concern is the victims, the children that are the innocent ones that these predators attack and ruin their lives," Diaz said. "No one really told them to do this crime."

The men must stay at the bridge between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. because a parole officer checks on them nearly every night, Plessinger said.

They have fishing poles to catch food, cook with small stoves, use battery-powered TVs and radios and keep their belongings in plastic bags. Javier Diaz has trouble charging the GPS tracking device he is required to wear; there are no power outlets nearby.

The whoosh of cars passing overhead echoes loudly under the causeway, which runs over Biscayne Bay, connecting Miami and Miami Beach.

About 100 feet away are the bay's blue-green waters, where a family with young children played in the water this week. In the near distance, luxury condominiums rise from the coastline.

Javier Diaz said he and the other men fear for their lives, especially because of "crazy people who might try to come harm sex offenders."

The five committed such crimes as sexual battery, molestation, abuse and grand theft. Many of the offenses were against children. The state moved the men under the bridge from their previous home — a lot next to a center for sexually abused children and close to a day care center — after they were unable to find affordable housing that did not violate the sex-offender ordinance.

Twenty-two states and hundreds of municipalities have sex offender residency restrictions, according to a California Research Bureau report from last August.

Random Bytes: Rolling Stones, Metallica, Love, Knight Rider, and Jesus Obama

.......[c]2007 by
Richard L Zorek

.........04.03.07............The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards confessed that he snorted cocaine with his father. His father was dead already, though, and what Richards snorted was cocaine with his dads cremated ashes. Street value of cremated ashes has now increased...................The parents of a baby in Sweden are fighting to have her named Metallica, after the heavy metal band. Swedish officials declined the name because of it. Had they been in America, we name kids all kind of questionable names like Dweezil, Moon Unit, and Rosie O'Donnell..............It's spring! Time for Love American Style: Domestic shootings in Washington and Atlanta this week. Doesn't love mean never having to say "reload?"...................Kitt, the talking car from the 80s TV show, Knight Rider, is for sale for about $149,000 in California. Not a surprise considering that gas is almost $4 a gallon there. Even Kitt can't talk himself out of that price..............A Chicago Art School student has created a statue of Jesus that looks a lot like Barack Obama. in fact, it is supposed to. Didn't the Democrats promise they would walk on water if they got control of the Senate?. At least that's the way I heard it...............

Random Bytes: Funkhouser, Green Water, Rockhurst, Star Wars & Pot

.[c]2007 by
Richard L Zorek

.........03.26.07............
Tommorrow people will vote for a new mayor in Kansas City: Funkhouser vs Brooks. Brooks is upset because Funkhouser visited what Funkhouser referred to as "average residents in the black side of town" because Brooks is relying on the vote from the "average residents in the black side of town." ......................North Kansas City homes have been told that the green water isn't harmful. "It's OK for average residents from the green side of town to drink it," water department officials said.............................Students from Rockhurst spent the night sleeping in cardboard boxes and then will spend the week eating rice and beans in order to draw attention to the plight of the homeless in Kansas City. If it doesnt draw attention to them, then the smell may drive them out of the area....................Star Wars "R2D2" mailboxes will be showing up around the Kansas City area just in time for "The Force" to take all your tax money....................An Independence man shot at an animal control officer last week. It turns out that he was growing marijuana in his basement. The animal control officer arrested the two pit bulls for possession. At least that's the way I heard it.......

Freedom of Religion vs Freedom From Religion: Never These Paths Should Cross

.......03.24.07....[C]2007 by Richard L Zorek........It was Pearl S Buck who is quoted as having said, "When men destroy their old Gods, they will fimd new ones to take their place."

I am reminded of that as I have read some of the dialogue on various internet blogs in light of the Kansas City Star's publication of the articles about First Family Church written by Judy L Thomas. The articles did not deal with any theological issues of the church, but largely suggested a lot of financial irresponsibility on the part of its leader, Dr Jerry Johnston. As I have said before many times, I cannot defend or not defend the allegations. The articles left a lot of questions unanswered and left a lot of possibilites which will have the blanks filled in by the imagination of whoever is reading it and however they want it to be understood. And there is wide variety of "imaginations" who are offering their opinions.

I, of course, believe in free speech and free press. But, I also believe in the freedom to question that motivation. Why would the KC Star include the information that Judy L Thomas is a member of the Methodist Church of Resurrection? A moot point considering the focus of the article. Not if the Star wished to fuel a "war" between the two congregations which are far apart from each other on the political and doctrinal extremes. Thomas, as I wrote in an earlier article, is the co-author of a book (Wrath of Angels) which basically suggests that anti-abortion activists are violent because of frustration (She lived in Wichita during the time when "Operation Rescue" was very active in the area). Johnston, of course, is an outspoken leader against abortion in the Kansas City area. Though none of these things were mentioned in the article, it just wreaks of a suspicious motive. However, imagine the Star articles working to the real extreme and First Family Church is dissolved (not likely, of course, but what if?). Will that stop the "anti-abortion" movement? No, of course not.

Extinguish ones church leader and they will find another. At least as long as freedom of religion remains free in America. To me, that is what is at issue with the article. Those who are not part of First Family Church, nor believe as they do, jump on the bandwagon to see it "exposed." What, then, will stop another writer with another agenda from exposing your church or religion for whatever they wish to "expose?" Let him who is without sin cast the first stone? Or, he who lives in a glass house....... This is where the ground becomes dangerous and the need to proceed needs to be with utmost caution.

Random Bytes: Soda, Wolfgang Puck, John Edwards, Bill Clinton, and Sanjaya

.......[c]2007 by
Richard L Zorek

.........03.22.07............
A report in the Academy of General Dentistry Journal reports that if you put your teeth in soda for 48 hours, it will damage the enamel. So, do not swim in your Mountain Dew..............................Wolfgang Puck has made a change in his restaurant menus and will only serve animals that have been treated humanely while they were alive. This allows them to be fried with dignity.................Democratic candidate John Edwards is pressing on with his campiagn in spite of his wife's recurring cancer. He is a congressman, so, of course, he and his wife have health care........................Simon and Schuster plans to publish a book about Bill Clintons favorite subject, entitled "Wrestling History: The Bill Clinton Tapes." It includes intimate interviews with Clinton while he was in the White House. The steamy illicit sex scenes were deleted, so the book is very short........................ and hell froze over while Sanjaya survived another week on American Idol. At least that's the way I heard it.................................

Random Bytes: TIF Audits, President Bush, and the "evil" Mennonites...

....[c]2007 by
Richard L Zorek

.........03.21.07............Mayor Kay Barnes is upset about the TIF report from the auditors office indicating a $233 million shorfall in revenue. Candidate Funkhouser, who was the auditor, started the audit and it was finished by acting city auditor Gary White. Mayor Barnes now wants the auditors office audited to weed out numbers that are not loyal to her agenda...................President Bush came to Kansas City and toured the Ford Plant in Claycomo and the General Motors plant in Fairfax. He applauded efforts to use ethanol, which is made from corn seed. He suggested that it would be great if fuel could be developed from wood chips or switchgrass. I think it would be a boost for everyones economy if fuel could be developed from dandelions.................Missouri is chasing the Mennonites out of the state by enacting laws which force everyone to have a picture ID on a license. Mennonites do not believe they should photograph themselves as it is a "graven image." The law is designed to make people more secure although it is not clear how the Mennonites threaten Missouri or how the increase in Kansas City gang warfare would be decreased if all the gang members had photo IDs. At least that's the way I heard it..........

Random Bytes: KCI Airport, Lenexa, Extreme Makeover, Funkhouser vs Brooks

.....[c]2007 by
Richard L Zorek

.........03.13.07............Kansas City International Airport has a new piece of art called "Strange Attractor of Kansas City," designed to suggest future travel through "wormholes or time machines" as concieved through the illustrations of Stephen Hawking. It was not announced what the cost of wormhole travel will be or if there will be first class and coach time travel..................Lenexa also has a work of art located near 87th street and I-35. It is called "Lenexas Wormhole". That name sounded more creative than "Bridge With No Purpose." Designers say it originally had a purpose and was to connect with 75th street, but the budget didnt have enough money to complete it and may not be completed until 2011. Until then, it is a wonderful display of concrete engineering which will probably need to be rebuilt by 2011 in order to meet safety standards...................ABC's Extreme Makeover is building a house in North Kansas City. They originally were brought here by a tearful request from Mayor Kay Barnes to build a new stadium for the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, the Penguins renegotiated with Pittsburgh and will stay there. So, the Jacobos family from North Kansas City were next on the list and got a visit from Ty Pennington and the crew on Sunday morning. "Wake up, Mayor Barnes and Penguins," Ty yelled, but quickly realized he had the wrong script and corrected himself. Ty said he thought it seemed like kind of a small neighborhood for a hockey stadium. The Jacobos have twelve people living in the house, though, so Extreme Makeover may need to build a stadium anyway. If they can't build a big enough house, the Sprint Center is available and Mayor Barnes is offering free rent........................Mark Funkhouser and Al Brooks held a small debate/forum for the Latino community at the Guadaloupe Center. Neither speak Spanish and never understood any of the questions. At least that's the way I heard it..... ........