ARE AUSTRALIANS OKAY?

With all the hubub about selling a few of our US port terminal operations to an Arab company, I thought I'd ask the question on a local level.

Grassley: Reject ethanol plant sale - Des Moines Register

Sen. Charles Grassley says farmers shouldn’t sell control of Midwest Grain Processors LLC (MPG for short), one of of the largest farmer-owned ethanol operations in Iowa. Grassley, R-Ia., said today that farmers need to retain control of ethanol plants and other agribusiness projects if they are going to get the most benefit from new processing operations.

Ultimately, it's up to the farmers/owners who originally invested in the plant. But it'll be interesting to see if they're willing to sell 60-percent of the ownership to...

An Australian company...TA DA!! Global Ethanol is somewhat new...even according to Australian news sources, not much is known about them.

Little is known about Global Ethanol. Director Timothy McMahon yesterday referred questions to fellow director Trevor Bourne, who is in the US. Its major shareholders are companies associated with Mr Bourne. The ethanol production market in the US is bigger than Brazil's output and is dominated by grower-owned co-operatives.

In addition, there are bigger plans for the ethanol industry...

MPG chairman David Nelson said its new partner planned to buy a Nebraska company with permission to build a 272 million litre plant. MPG currently produces
409 million litres per year and is planning to open a 259 million litre facility later this year. "We've got the same philosophy of getting the industry grown and consolidated . . . and going globally with it," he said.

Just remember, you had your chance. What seems like a good idea now will turn into the next "big-Ethanol" and "consolidation" and "lack of regulation" complaints of tomorrow.
-----------

NOW THIS IS A DISH I COULD EAT

Pardon the pun. I know it seems a little unseemly for me, but I just had to comment on the story today in the Quad Cities Times.

Q-C woman is finalist for ‘Sexiest Vegetarian’

To me...there's nothing more sexy than a woman eating a man-sized steak (no pun intended), but Erin isn't too bad to look at. Curiously, the Quad Cities Times didn't have a photo posted for the story until much later in the day, but as you can see, she is quite striking.

So was Hitler I guess...he was a vegetarian too.

Oh, I'm not saying that vegetarians are Nazi's...just that they act like them. But if you're a member of PETA and you live on the presumption that all vegetarians are healthy, wealthy, and wise...you should be prepared to die by the same presumption. Of course, many say Hitler wasn't a TRUE vegetarian...but I'm guessing neither are very many who also say they are.
Even Erin Seddon wasn't a TRUE vegetarian until she saw some PETA propaganda...

“I used to love steak like the next guy,” said Seddon, 25, who works for US Cellular. “I don’t even crave it now.” The change in lifestyle for the Pleasant Valley High School graduate came last year when she saw a PETA-produced video, “Meet Your Meat.” She has always eaten well, but what she saw in the video made her reconsider the protein in her life.

You will...

The spring grilling season is just around the corner. Isn't that sexy?

THE NEW SURIBACHI

A friend of mine who is serving in Iraq sent me a copy of the photo on your left. Apparently, it's making quite the rounds in Iraq...becoming one of the most popular he can remember. It is not digitized...I'll even include the link to the original story behind it. It's one of those rare forwarded emails that seems to have taken on a life of it's own. Yes, he's flipping the bird.

So far, only the Omaha World Herald has seen fit to print it in a news story last October. I’m not saying it deserves to be republished…mainly because the photo was taken last year…but it certainly speaks to the attitude and morale of those that are there. If we’re demanding more photos of Abu Ghraib, it would seem to me that maybe we should be demanding to see more of these.

This is his story compiled from a couple of stories from the Omaha World Herald. I encourage you to read them yourself.

First Story on September 24th, 2005

Follow up Story on October 19th, 2005

The Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant in the picture is Michael Burghard, part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team that is supporting 2nd Brigade 28th Infantry Division (Pennsylvania Army National Guard).

He is on his third tour in Iraq. He had become a legend in the bomb disposal world after winning the Bronze Star for disabling 64 IEDs and destroying 1,548 pieces of ordnance during his second tour. Then, on September 19, he got blown up. He had arrived at a chaotic scene after a bomb had killed four US soldiers. He chose not to wear the bulky bomb protection suit. "You can't react to any sniper fire and you get tunnel-vision," he explains. So, protected by just a helmet and standard-issue flak jacket, he began what bomb disposal officers term "the longest walk", stepping gingerly into a 5ft deep and 8ft wide crater. The earth shifted slightly and he saw a Senao base station with a wire leading from it. He cut the wire and used his 7in knife to probe the ground. "I found a piece of red detonating cord between my legs," he says. "That's when I knew I was screwed."

Realizing he had been sucked into a trap, Sgt Burghardt, 35, yelled at everyone to stay back. At that moment, an insurgent, probably watching through binoculars, pressed a button on his mobile phone to detonate the secondary device below the sergeant's feet. "A chill went up the back of my neck and then the bomb exploded," he recalls. "As I was in the air I remember thinking, 'I don't believe they got me.' I was just ticked off they were able to do it. Then I was lying on the road, not able to feel anything from the waist down."

His colleagues cut off his trousers to see how badly he was hurt. None could believe his legs were still there. "My dad's a Vietnam vet who's paralyzed from the waist down," says Sgt Burghardt. "I was lying there thinking I didn't want to be in a wheelchair next to my dad and for him to see me like that. They started to cut away my pants and I felt a real sharp pain and blood trickling down. Then I wiggled my toes and I thought, 'Good, I'm in business.' As a stretcher was brought over, adrenaline and anger kicked in. "

I decided to walk to the helicopter. I wasn't going to let my team-mates see me being carried away on a stretcher." He stood and gave the insurgents who had blown him up a one-fingered salute. "I flipped them one. It was like, 'OK, I lost that round but I'll be back next week'." Sgt Burghardt's injuries — burns and wounds to his legs and buttocks — kept him off duty for nearly a month and could have earned him a ticket home. But, like his father — who was awarded a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for being wounded in action in Vietnam — he stayed in Ramadi to engage in the battle against insurgents who are forever coming up with more ingenious ways of killing Americans.

Kind of reminds you of this one, doesn’t it?


Seeing as they might be kind of bored with the gay cowboy, evil Big-Oil, gay playwrites, vengeful jews, anti-anti-communist type movies...maybe Hollywood would like to make a movie people would like to see. Like the story of Sgt Burghardt...

Marines…most of America will never understand them…but God bless them…


BTW: If you can find something worth sending, please contribute to the following:

The Greater Washington Chapter of the Surface Navy Association is requesting contributions of recently released movies on DVD to be delivered to the Navy National Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland, for the entertainment of Sailors and Marines who are recovering there from injuries received during their military service.

Please send movies by 9 March to:

Surface Navy Association
Greater Washington Chapter
c/o Captain Edward H. Lundquist, USN (Ret.)
Anteon Corporation CSSO
1100 New Jersey Ave., SE, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20003

ON WITH THE ISSUES YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT

I have been busy repairing and updating the new WMT website...the server flipped over to the unfinished new version and I have been scrambling to get things set right. It's not my fault...really. I'm just doing what I can to help because I'm such a nice guy.

Anyway...Democrats are battling over the tough issues, I see. A story in the Des Moines Register today had two of Dem candidates (sic) fighting over the words idiot and insane. Nevermind what else the debate entailed, it's the only part of the debate the Register saw fit to print...

Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver repeatedly dodged a question Tuesday about why his office made a mistake that will leave the outdated words "idiot" and "insane" in the Iowa Constitution. Culver, who appeared in a Des Moines campaign debate with two fellow Democrats running for governor, was asked three times about the mistake in a testy exchange with candidate Michael Blouin.

You see, our Iowa Constitution still believes there are idiots out there and some are considered insane. In the section on suffrage (voting), it says:

Disqualified persons. SEC. 5. No idiot, or insane person, or person convicted of any infamous crime, shall be entitled to the privilege of an elector.

So naturally, the PC movement would have us change that part to something we like better.

Iowa legislators had agreed in 2003 to strike the words "idiot" and "insane" from the Iowa Constitution, replacing them with the more socially acceptable term "mentally incompetent" when referring to certain people banned from voting.

I guess it was a debate centered on whether or not Chet was actually carrying out his duties as Secretary of State (in charge of elections). The point was a good one and one that is legitimate for Blouin to make.

But Culver's office failed to publish a notice of the proposed changes in 2004. In addition, Chief House Clerk Margaret Thomson's office was required to publish the amendment in its entirety in the House Journal, but it was only published in part. As a result, the proposed constitutional amendment won't be on Iowa's election ballot for consideration by voters this November.

Darn...I guess we'll have to vote for the other idiots on the ballot instead. You just can't beat a good headline like what the Register gave it:

Forum gets testy over 'idiot' issue

For my money...I'd rather have them debate the question of whether or not we should allow convicted criminals to get their voting rights restored automatically when they get out of prison. That's something that Vilsack may have to debate since he signed an executive order restoring their rights...even if they don't pay their fines and restitution.

Maybe when we start hearing about the real issues...the Register can let us know then...

LIL' ABU GHRAIB

So let me get this straight...all of the networks and newspapers that didn't want to publish the Danish cartoons for fear of stoking Muslim violence...now see some reason to publish more photos from a three year old story?

From Salon.com:

"...The horrors carried out during the last three months of 2003 by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison are shockingly familiar and, at the same time, oddly remote. The torture photographs that were published when the prisoner-abuse scandal first exploded have lost their power to shock. We have all seen the pictures repeatedly..."

They're just warming you up to try and explain what the new news here is...

(By the way, in case you think I'm not being fair - here's a link to the new Abu Ghraib photos. CAUTION...nakedness and other things that are kinda queasy.)

I think the best part of their editorial thinking is this part:

Eventually this visual repetition numbs the senses. All these ghastly images have been viewed so often that they seem to belong to a different war conducted by a different superpower in a different century.

Yeah...numb the senses. So you're showing the new photos (actually old photos) - why again?

The images themselves partly answered the why-publish question for us.

Oh...well in that case...can I see the Danish cartoons again? We can't possibly be numb to something most of you haven't seen fit to show us yet. I've seen them and the images themselves partly answered the why-publish question for me.

---

On an entirely different matter.

I just want to once again give out a big YEAH! to my friends at BugMeNot.com

In case you don't know about BugMeNot, it's a website of people who have had it up to here with having to fill out mind-numbing questionnaires whenever you want to see free content on a news or other site. I usually encounter these a lot because I look through several different website versions of newspapers and it can be especially maddening to have to remember all those usernames and passwords.

Sure...use the same one for all of them and it's no problem, right? Have you tried that? You'll end up with a "username already taken by another user - please choose another" response. Plus, in signing up to a lot of these, the email bag gets filled up with a lot of crap.

So here comes BugMeNot...simply open another browser (or use your tabbing feature on FireFox) and put the website you are being asked a username and password for...REMEMBER, this only works for NON-paid news sources. I think if any of these brainiacs had any grey matter, they'd all start charging for it like our local Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Once you do...you'll be given a username and password that someone else has already used. And because they have now re-designed the website, they offer several versions for each.

EXAMPLE:

The New York Times
username: spamcop
password: spamcop

I use it all the time...it works wonders and saves an awful lot of time. Sometimes the news outlets get wise, but usually someone else will submit another one that works.

CAREFUL GOVERNOR...BRITNEY IS SO 10-MINUTES AGO

Another sign that Governor Vilsack may be seeking higher office...

Vilsack cites pop star’s haste in backing of gay unions - Des Moines Register

"I do think that we as a state ought to honor commitments, and we ought to reflect that in policies that we have," Vilsack said. "I personally don't think that it is fair . . . for Britney Spears, who was married for 51 hours to some guy in Las Vegas (for) that guy (to have) more rights than someone who's been committed to another person for 25 years."

In his ever increasing skill at straddling (pardon me) both sides of the fence, the Governor was expressing his support for gay marriage. Well...maybe not gay marriage...but something called "civil unions" or maybe not...heck...you try and figure out where he stands:

Vilsack, a Democrat, said marriage should continue to mean a union between a man and a woman, but he sees no need to put Iowa's law banning same-sex marriage in the state Constitution. He acknowledged that the Legislature was unlikely to share his support for granting civil unions.

Pointing the finger of failing marriages at Hollywood is easy. Iowa isn't nessarily crawling with pop stars...or stars of any kind. Heck, Iowa residents get all gooey for any sub-famous celebrity who ever steps inside our borders. Just last year, our Senate passed a resolution honoring Annette Bening for her "ties to the state"...even though she's never lived here, wasn't born here, or even knows how to point Iowa out on the map...

What is this all about? Well...there's a lawsuit filed by some gay couples to get marriage re-defined in Iowa so I can marry my brother if I want to. Iowa has a law that limits marriage to that of a non-related man and a non-related woman. If successful, the lawsuit would overturn that law and requirement. In order to make sure that our definition of marriage is Constitutional...

Senate GOP leaders would like to debate a proposal passed by the House last year that, with voter approval, would amend the Iowa Constitution.

With voter approval. You would have to vote on an amendment to add it to our Constitution. But who doesn't want you - the little guys - vote on it?

Democrats are opposed to such a debate in the Senate, where the party split is
25-25.

They don't even want to debate it...because they know where most of you stand and they might lose a few seats if they do what they really want to do. Better to make fun of celebrities than actually do anything. There may also be a chance that the Iowa Film Office could be negotiating to have the sequel to Brokeback Mountain filmed here...

Besides, I hear Britney is fully married now (to a man) and has a kid...she's probably still a good poster child for your youth driving safety initiative:

DOES THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORP KNOW ABOUT THIS?

I'm amazed here on Tuesday...more than 48-hours between the time of the incident and when we're hearing about it...that the press is being so nice to a local politician:

Legislator wields gun at harassing man - Des Moines Register

State Rep. Clel Baudler, a retired state trooper, displayed a handgun Saturday in a confrontation with a man who Baudler said has harassed him repeatedly in the past.

Baudler, R-Greenfield, was in Atlantic on Saturday for a 10 a.m. legislative forum at City Hall. He said Whetstone made a threatening phone call to him early Friday and said he'd be at the meeting."He says, 'I'm sending you to the brain hospital,' then after another long pause, he said, 'In a body bag,' " Baudler said Monday. "I felt that was a direct threat on my life."

Yeah...seems like a threat to me? And just what did the Representative do? Notify police? Call the Des Moines Register?

Baudler called 911 twice. The second time, he told officials he'd meet them in the Cass County Courthouse parking lot, Sage said. There, Baudler remained in his truck and waited for law enforcement to arrive. Whetstone approached the vehicle, and Baudler struck him in the face, Sage said."I showed him that I was armed," said Baudler, who has a permit to carry the gun. "I pushed him back."

Sounds like maybe he should invite Vice President Dick Cheney to hunt here in Iowa.

So he didn't contact the Iowa Legislative Press Corp...hmmm. Wonder if they're upset?

So far, no comment from any of the columnists at the Register or the Editorial Board...but I expect one within the next 48-hours. On the VP Shooting story, of course...not this one.

IOWA SLOTTERY WON'T BE THE LAST ATTEMPT

Even before the current controversy involving the TouchPlay lottery machines is done, there's another possibility on the horizon. Iowa was among the first to install and use the machines that first made their "prototype" debut in 2001. The machines aren't technically slot machines because they don't pay out based on random chance...they're pre-programmed just like the old-fashioned scratch off tickets you can buy. They just do it in a more fun (according to lottery officials) and faster way. That's why there's been so much controversy. I'll bet that if you went out and polled people randomly, they would be surprised that they're not randomly choosing winners.

Thankfully there is a controversy...because without one, I have no doubt the latest tactic to get you to voluntarily give your money to the government would ALSO be implemented in Iowa.

Internet lotteries.

As revenues from traditional games decline, lawmakers look to the Internet for income - Boston Globe.

States like Illinois and North Dakota are already ahead of the game - so to speak...in attempting to pass laws allowing scratch-off tickets and other state games (not multi-state lotteries like Powerball) to be played on-line.

"...a just-completed consultant's study commissioned by Cahill indicates online lottery games would not only reduce costs but stimulate sales by bringing in consumers who would never think of picking a number or scratching a ticket in a convenience store..."

The reason they're wanting to move to the internet?

46 percent of the public buys lottery products at convenience stores, but only 2 percent say they shop at convenience stores regularly. So now, in between looking at boobies, you can play the lottery at work too.

Think I'm kidding? Try the Tetris game from New Jersey...CLICK HERE.

A New Jersey Tetris or Cyber Slingo ticket costs $5 and works much like a scratch ticket, except instead of rubbing off the surface of the ticket the player plays the Internet game. A good player can make the game last an hour before discovering whether the ticket is a winner or a loser. Tickets must be purchased and redeemed at lottery locations, so unless you win a big one...you'll have to travel to New Jersey and redeem them. But how long before you can do that through the mail?

"...In most of the states, proponents have dealt with concerns about underage players by requiring participants to open gambling accounts or collect prizes in person..."

Or their relatives, or friends, neighbors...I'm sure there's a way around that, isn't there? Most people work really hard at trying not to work...so I imagine there will be some really creative ways to circumvent those "rules"...don't you? They've already tried in Iowa...

"...In Georgia, a bill approving lottery games on the Internet passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate. In Illinois, the state Senate last year approved a measure authorizing online games. The bill is now in the House and may have a chance this year because the state is scrambling for revenues. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has opposed online lottery games in the past, but he seemed to hedge early this year when he proposed and then withdrew a keno game to fund school construction bonds..."

Don't you think our Quad-Cities area will make it a bit easier for Iowa residents to skip over the river and find an Illinois outlet to "appear in person" to collect their winnings? And wasn't the competition from Illinois one of the reason Iowa expanded casino gambling in the first place?

And that isn't even the least of it...

"...lotteries in other countries, particularly the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and most of Scandinavia, have responded to slowing revenues by moving more of their games on to the Web, interactive television services, and mobile phones..."

The link on the UK is for example purposes. But you can't win if you don't play, right?

The great addiction to gambling for revenues is not going to go away anytime soon. I mean let's face it: Government can no longer come up with creative ways to take our money through taxation...we're wise to that old trick, aren't we? So why shouldn't they come up with more ways to have us give it to them voluntarily and be happy about it?

By the way...you'll probably see this story in the next couple of days or weeks depending on how long it'll take the mainstream media to catch up. They will...eventually.

CLEANING OUT THE EMAIL BAG

Just a lazy post today. I went through all my email over the past week or so...enjoy. I've removed most identifying info - other than first names in italics. I've also protected some of the names of people here at the station. My replies are in bold.

Eddie;
what happened to the good afternoon show that used to be on?...i called and to find out and the screener said im now allowed to ask you anything about that...wow...talk about a phoney show where ya cant ask what ya want...[the previous host] sure never did that...

G: Yes he did. Employment issues at a radio station isn’t necessarily compelling content.

Marilyn;
Miss you in the morning, you were the one that kept me going here at work. Was wondering if you were going to return now that Bob Bruce is gone. I do not get a chance to listen to you in the late afternoon. Coming back any time soon?

G: No. The move is permanent…or as long as the next ratings period.

Eric;
Sorry to see you leave the morning show. My wife and I really miss ya. I had been debating whether or not to get satellite radio and you pretty much made that decision for me. Your show in the afternoons just doesn't fit my schedule. Is there any chance of you coming back to the morning show?

G: No. The move is permanent. Check in for the local weather forecast sometime.

Brenda;
COME BACK!!! Hope you decide to go back to morning shows!! [Current Host] is too calm or is he temporary? I rarely get to listen to you depending on my work schedule and always enjoyed your controversy in the mornings. Sorry [he] does't have it and I will be searching for a new AM show soon. You were my link to the interesting news and fun stories! No need to read this on the air I'm probably too busy to listen anyway. My 5am to 7am morning are pretty dull now . Sorry you left Thanks for letting me vent. Brenda

G: [Current Host] is just filling in until they find a new host…an announcement should come soon.

Lori;
I haven't e-mailed for a while, but I just wanted to say,HOW YA DOING? Ha ha ha, hope you are good. I am very glad to hear you at 4:00 in the afternoon, I have a better chance of listening to you while I am at work then. You aren't the rebel rouser others claim, like you said, you interject with intelligence. Don't others crave that besides me?
What a concept. Tonight's show was great about things you should ban, how ridiculous is that, that these people are trying to ban smoking in all places, but where do you draw that line? Yeah, ban egg yolks until you are 21, what a hoot!

Well, I enjoyed it. Thank you. Keep up your fantastic work. You are refreshing to us in this stagnant state of listening to people with no talent. You got it.

G: I’ll keep it up as long as they let me.

Patricia;
Greg – Really miss your program in the early morning weekdays slot. Not sure what the situation is, or if it was your dream to move to a later slot, but you gave WMT Radio the “punch” it badly needed in the early morning (when I listen to the radio). I hadn’t enjoyed early morning radio that much since Jerry Carr was on (a few years ago). The past two weeks have been like watching paint dry, and I’m trying to find a more lively station for morning listening. Will this change be permanent or temporary for you? Wishing you the best in your radio career… you’ve got what it takes to go far!

G: It is a permanent change…and no, it was not my choice. Ratings were fantastic (#2 in the market) for the show, but management wanted to try something less controversial.

Ricky;
I felt like the kid that goes out to the store and comes home to find that his folks have moved and left no forwarding address.

I checked into the WMTRadio.com web site and discovered you were not in the morning slot. I wish you good luck with the new slot, I know you will do well if you are allowed to be the kind of host you want to be. I will miss you in the mornings, and since I have little time in the afternoons I will miss you then too. I will check in from time to time as I have an opportunity.

When we get back to Iowa in April I hope the morning slot will be filled with someone who is at least close to the humor and intelligence that you brought to Iowa in the mornings.

G: No guarantees, but understand that the same people that hired me are doing the replacing.

Mark;
I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that you are certainly missed as a morning personality on WMT. I drive a lot in the mornings as part of my job, and I was a loyal listener. I don't get a chance to listen to your afternoon program as much, but if I do happen to be in my car during your show, I'm definitely tuned in.Luckily, I can still check in on your blog from time to time (for some reason I have a problem posting comments, though - I just get the source code and am not given the opportunity to spout off).Anyway, I hope you are enjoying your new time slot, though I must say, I find my morning drive a little less enjoyable.

G: For some reason, using Mozilla’s Firefox doesn’t work as well for the blog posting of comments. Try Internet Explorer. I have the same problem, so I use IE when I post my columns.

Leana;
Hey, where are you in the mornings? I miss your biased am show! All the info and your way of thinkg of it is great. Please return to the am drive. Thanks. I listen to you on my way to work.
Leana
KWAY Radio

G: Interesting…doing show prep were you? The change is permanent until they name a new host…any day now.

Carole;
Your program today regarding the Bentley trial is a public service. Although I don't have young children, I think it is the responsibility of all of us to understand what is lurking out there under the slimy rocks. I thought I knew what necromanic was, but I can't seem to find a good definition. I thought it was sexual obsession with a corpse. Perhaps I have the wrong spelling. In looking it up I landed in a possible porno site....boy, did I scurry out of that in a hurry. Could you please give me the spelling......from what I could determine is was cultish. Thanks again for letting people know it is OK to listen to these news casts. Thank you again, Greg....I enjoy your program and listen just about every afternoon.

G: Necromantic: given to or produced by or used in the art of conjuring up the dead. Yes, it’s what you thought it was. Since we have no death penalty in Iowa, I wonder if he’ll sue to have the right to practice it in prison granted.

Jon;
Hi Greg, Three of us drive in to work from Anamosa at 5:00 in the morning, and we listened to you every morning. WHen are you coming back, we miss you .

G: I am not coming back. Someone else will take over.

Marie;
Oh, I do miss your news, opinion etc in the morning. All of a sudden one morning you weren't there. I'm sure [Current Host] is a wonderful person, however, mornings are just not the same.

Apparently you do an afternoon show now, hopefully this was a raise/promotion type of change for you and your family.

G: No raise. And it’s still what I love to do…

John;
As you can see by the return email address, I’m a teacher. I have listened to you belittle teachers in both the public school system and in the private day care system, and I do not like it. I especially don’t like it when you try to convince your listeners the education profession does not deserve a cost of living pay raise. I will not be listening to your show in the future.

G: I said not ALL teachers deserve a raise. Only the good ones. I hope your students listen better to you than you do to me.

Jerry;
WMT has been a fixture in our lives ever since we were kids, and the current format has been a little "different" for us (mainly me) to handle.

I absolutely QUIT listening in the afternoon drive, because I didn't need an "experience" with someone so in-your-face as the Absent One. I felt like I was being yelled at all the time, even though (some of) his "stuff" did have a little substance.

I guess now that YOU'RE there in the afternoons, I may tune in again.

Odd - - - I've stuck with WMT, even through all the years I worked at KXEL in the 1960s and early 1970s !!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's always been the "class" station in this part of the country, so I'm counting on you to keep it that way.

G: I’ll do my best to maintain product standards in the context of FCC rules and regulations.

Russ;
What is this term I’ve been hearing you say at the end your program lately? Are you saying Yahweh? Why are you saying it? Just curious.

G: It’s a secret.

Shane;
What casues you to think that everyone out there is a right wing hack like you. Everytime you have anything negative to say you are talking about dems. Anytime it is positve it is about Rice Bush, and the Republicans etc.. I used to love this station when Bruce was here, now I listen to you for four minutes and you offend me. How bout the cartoons depicting Clinton, Kennedy? Do not want to bring those up cause it is against your agenda!!! YOu make Rush look like a liberal. Gronstal happens to not believe in the death penalty. As I do not believe in it, is that wrong? YOu should come to my Methodist church and read some information posted about the death penalty. How bout a little fairness. I know you are not capable of this. If I wanted to listen to O'Reilly, Hannity, or LImbaugh I would, I did not think that WMT was right wing radio?

I know a topic, the Republican corruption in congress? Ever hear of that? It just gets real old being offended everyday,

G: Four minutes is a little tough to make such a long and detailed judgment, don’t you think?

Joan;
WHEN WILL YOU COME BACK TO THE EARLY MORNING SHOW? I MISS YOU NOTHIG OF ANY INTEREST ON [Current Host] ORNING PROGRAM i KNOW LONGER LISTEN.

G: I won’t come back. Someone else will take over. Keep listening.

Beverly;
Haven't heard you in the morning like forever. Where did you go?? Will you be back? It's not the same morning show without you. It's boring. Your picture still lists you as the morning personality. Come home soon.

G: I won’t be back. The station website is being totally re-vamped and will be updated with all the current information.

Shane;
It was good to hear Senator Grassley on the radio today. What I do not understand is why neither of you care about civil liberties? If you have read history you would know that a man named Jay Edgar Hoover corrupted the wire tapping to spy on Nixon's enemies. Do you actually believe this joke of a president is beneath such actions. The man is a liar and will stop at nothing to get all the power in the world. I am so scared that people like you, Sen. Sessions, Sen. Harkin are falling into McCarthism. WOuld you consider haveing senator Harkin on your show? I would guess not. YOu seem hate anyone that disagrees with your thinking. Some sort of balance would be great? Do others get offended by you as well? I have listened to like 5 minutes in the past twooo days and I am bothered.

G (exasperated): Well, one additional minute is an improvement. (see above Shane email). I'm sorry you feel that way. I have attempted in the past to get an interview with Senator Harkin, but he refuses unless questions I ask are provided in advance. Senator Grassley also sits on the Judiciary Committee that is holding the hearings, so I felt it appropriate to have him on the program since he was there listening to the evidence.

You apparently need to listen a little bit more than just five minutes because you're seriously misinformed about what I believe or said. Either that, or stop the sniping from the tall grass on email and use the phone like everyone else. I'm always amazed...a few people like yourself complain about the content of the show, but never defend their own beliefs in any other way than an email or a call to my boss. Call the show if you're so upset...

Had you listened more than 5-minutes, you would have heard me mention JFK's wiretaps on Dr King among others, and President Wilson, FDR, and others...all who have exercised Presidential power to monitor foreign intelligence matters. In the case of President Kennedy though, it wasn't foreign intelligence he was seeking. FDR order the search of every piece of mail leaving the United States following Pearl Harbor...Wilson did the same. Were they power hungry liars?

Thanks for your comments, but try not to email anymore. Just listen and call like everyone else. Why should I be the only one to read your viewpoint?

Shane;
Becaus I know how people like you Hannity, Rush, O"Reilly work. You do not let people talk, you rip people without them being allwed to defend themselves, and you do not tell the truth.

Thanks for your response, In the morning I could turn you off, but now I have very few options, accept Ed Shultz. you might want to listen to him some time. YOu extreme fanatical right wing people just really have ruined our country in my opinion, and it scares me for my family.

G: Want to go for six minutes?

Jim;
I sent Senator Harkin an email expressing my displeasure with his negative vote on the Alito nomination. He sent back a standard form letter that was written in a manner that attempted to appease his supporters noting that it was "unfortunate" that Alito was ever considered for the job based on his record. Further, Harkin expressed concern that Alito would "undo" all that had been done in the area of discrimination against the disabled.

At best, I would think that the Senator could have responded with a letter written from the standpoint that some constituents are in total disagreement with his opinions.

I also inquired as to why the Senator avoids appearing on the Jan Michaelson radio show. Of course, the response did not discuss this.

This matter came to mind a couple days ago when you had Senator Grassley on your program. Since I do not recall ever hearing Senator Harkin on your program, does he also have an issue with you? I guess if I listened to NPR there might be an opportunity to hear him; but, my radio dial does not go there.

G: I am so glad you asked the question because I got raked over the coals by some for not having Harkin on the show yet...

I am not the only one Senator Harkin has an issue with. In more than 15-years in radio, I can count on two fingers the number of times I have had the opportunity to interview him. They happened during election years (90 and 96), so I don't know if that counts.

I have pestered his office on a number of occasions to have a nice sit down...or phone interview. Every time I do, they ask for me to provide a list of questions I would be asking. Since I don't like to do that for anyone (including President Bush whom I have interviewed), I refuse...that's usually as far as the request ever goes. The one additional day (2000 presidential time) I got a call from his office and handlers requesting airtime I refused. They were incredulous...I said I wanted a list of comments he would be making. I told them it also fell within my personal campaign finance reform plan...a ban on interviews with politicians 60-days before a general election.

As an FYI...if you have a trained enough ear (and I do because of the business I am in), listen very closely the next time you hear a significantly long comment from Senator Harkin on the airwaves...the Big Show, sometimes a news story, etc...notice that he never has any vocal pauses like "ahh" or "umms"...My point? Senator Harkin is a very good reader...very rehearsed.

Listener;
You are one funny dude. They keep you on for 3 whole hours??? Wow! You seem to enjoy pushing people's buttons. Don't you? lol

Well they could take off a few ball games. That would give you a few more hours. I think you would be good at having a regular talk show, but always be yourself....controversial ;)

You've been called left-wing and right, too, so you must be doing a good job.

Sorry to hear about your....cancer?? Didn't catch the whole story...

G: Read the book someday.

Recent Blog comment;
I really like your commentary both on air and in this blogsite. I have a basic radio question for you. My perception is that AM drive gets more listeners because people are getting up, preparing for work and then drive to their daily career choice--all with the radio on. During the PM drive you have a less amount of time to reach people as they reverse the migration home and are busy with dinner, activities and relaxation.Is that true? If so how do you change your show from AM to PM drive given these parameters? I would appreciate the insight to your radio world.P.S. If I had the time and cash I would go to the tour that you are promoting. I have been to many of the sites that you will visit and you are right--its almost an out of body experience to stand where Lincoln stood on the cemetery at Gettysburg. If you ever get a chance, get up early and visit the Gettysburg battlefield before anyone else is around. I did so one October morning -- what a sight and feeling.

G: Your perception about AM and PM Drive is true to a point…but PM Drive allows for a bit more expanded and long-form segments. Morning drive is much more fast-paced and leaves little time to develop issues and stories in-depth. The thinking on morning shows these days is to have a lot of fluff, happy-talk, and avoid controversial issues…entertain, entertain, entertain. While that is true of all radio, I wanted to try a show that would localize major issues, educate, inform, and entertain while not avoiding the news everyone is aware of and talking about…immigration, war, civil liberties, crime, etc. The ratings success proved I was winning. We had the highest ratings in more than 2-years and a much younger audience started to develop. The most recent ratings results moved the station to a 10-share for the first time and overall ranking to #3…up from #5. Now I get to do the same…more in-depth…for the afternoons. Yes, there are more available listeners in the morning. But I’m out to change that in the afternoon.

MIXED MESSAGES

Don't get me wrong, I applaud Iowa Democrats for wanting to do something about illegal immigration. Saying and doing are two different things, though. I was shocked...shocked I tell you...to see the headline this morning:

Democrats target illegal immigration

Curious about the change of heart, I read the article and find that technically, they aren't targeting illegal immigration, just those that hire them. Again, congratulations...that's a very nice thing to wake up to in the morning. All is well in the world when a party long identified with wanting to grant rights, privileges, and government programs to illegal immigrants - changes stripes.

A proposal backed by Democrats in the House and Senate seeks to impose fines and possible jail time for corporate leaders engage in unfair business practices aimed at exploiting cheap labor.

Good for them...but lets make sure it's all businesses...not just "corporations" like Wal-Mart that will get more press notice.

You see, when someone comes down hard and fines Joe Slobatnik's Gardening Service and fines them for hiring 2 illegal aliens, it doesn't make a whole lot of news...so the Homeland Security US Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly INS) doesn't go after them. Instead, they focus their attention on big attention-grabbing-well known corporations so the news is bigger...that makes a lot of Americans feel like they're doing something, you see. Meanwhile, an estimated 11-14 million illegals are working for company's like Joe's.

The legislative package also would outlaw human trafficking, provide whistle-blower protections to employees who expose the hiring of undocumented workers, and establish an employer accountability bureau...

Again...good for them. I'll never forget: I got a call from a very angry guy one morning who was just so upset about the number of illegal aliens he worked with...and I asked him why he didn't turn them into the INS. He didn't answer. Many people don't have a clue as to how to go about turning in a suspected illegal alien (and finding out how from the link I provided is very confusing)...but if you sit outside the Home Depot long enough in the morning, you'll see them piling into a truck to go to some job site.

In addition...

Legislative Democrats also are seeking to shut off state assistance, economic development grants or tax cuts...

Oh boy...this is getting good! Cut off state assistance! By all means! No more automatic enrollment in public schools, in-state tuition rates at Universities, Medicaid, Medicare!!

...to corporations proven to have hired illegal, undocumented workers.

Oh...sorry. Got a little excited there. It's just the corporations who would have to obey the law...not the illegal immigrants.

Still, it's a good start for a party who has tried to grant drivers licenses to illegals, supported a lawsuit against the state for the right to drivers licenses, and has among their supporters a lot of people who want to do the same.

Is this an election year?

ART TAKES A BACKSEAT TO POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

Has it come to this? How whacked out do you have to be to complain about a painting given to you because it "brings up gender and ethnic issues"?

Look, it's okay with me that you may be for or against the war. I frankly don't give a rip. But to waste time in a Board of Supervisors meeting discussing whether or not a donated painting has enough black people or women in it is just silly.

From the Quad Cities Times...

What began Tuesday as a regular meeting of the Scott County Board of Supervisors evolved into an impromptu class on art appreciation. And it showed that opinions on works of art, like beauty, depend upon the eye of the beholder. A framed print, titled “Honoring Iowa’s Heroes,” will be presented to the board Thursday by Bill Tubbs, who was governor of Rotary International District 6000 in 2004-05 and is publisher of the North Scott Press, a weekly newspaper based in Eldridge, Iowa.

How nice of him, eh? Yeah, well...here's the offending painting:



And Democrat Chris Gallin is not sure it should hang in a place of honor...

On one side, the artwork depicts some soldiers in a barren combat setting. On the opposite side is a woman flanked by two children in an idyllic setting — the grassy shore of a rural stream. She appears to be waving toward the soldiers. The painting brings up gender and ethnic issues, Supervisor Chris Gallin said, noting that none of the figures in it are minorities and that there are no women among the soldiers.

With a name like Chris...I wondered what gender or ethnicity the Supervisor was. You know I had to look and see. I think I was right...or wrong. You be the judge...

Then, I looked at the other members of the Scott County Board of Supervisors...and they kind of all look the same too.

L-R--Tom Sunderbruch, Larry Minard, Jim Hancock, Greg Adamson

In the meantime, they need a definite policy to handle these kind of important decisions in the future.

Gallin said there should be a plan in place because future donations are possible. But longtime Supervisor Jim Hancock said it was the first gift to the county of its kind in his memory. “Aren’t we overdoing this?” he asked.

No, sensible Jim...you're not overdoing it. Just do the right thing and ban all artwork and public displays so you can work in the nice slate-grey Soviet-style buildings you deserve.

“Are we pro-war or pro-peace?” Gallin asked, adding, “I’m not sure this fairly depicts Iowa’s part in the war.”

And I'm not sure your opinion fairly depicts Iowa's high educational standing.

JETSETTA GAGE, EXIT 22, 2-MILES



The next great debate in Iowa isn't about the bottle return bill (thank God). It's roadside memorials. An article this week in the Iowa City Press-Citizen titled "Cross stirs debate" is just the beginning. It involves a 6-foot cross erected at the site they found Jetsetta Gage's body. The 10-year old girl was raped and murdered by Roger Bentley who was recently found guilty of the crime and will be sentenced to life in prison. I could be wrong, but it shouldn't be too long before our lawmakers have to deal with creating special legislation for the construction of roadside crosses marking a death, accident, or other memorial.

In fact, none other than the New York Times has an article this week as well highlighting the "controversy."

I'm at a loss to explain why this is so upsetting to people, but the American Athiests have filed lawsuits in some states to force their removal and enforcement of state laws governing sign placement.

I've searched the Iowa Code, and can only tell you that there are a lot of restrictions on the placement of various signs...but none specifically aimed at the religious signs featuring crosses and other memorials.

The history of placing signs to mark someones passing is very old. According to Professor Bob Bednar of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas...

The practice of placing crosses to mark the spot where a person died started with the Spanish settlements in the Southwest. Called "descansos" -- places of rest -- roadside crosses were not only erected to commemorate the dead, but to also serve as expressions of grief. While the cross is meant to signify the place where the soul has left the body before it could be consecrated, particularly in Catholic traditions, it has now become a universal smbol of remembrance and reflection.

For the residents of Frytown (near the location of the Jetsetta Gage memorial), it's more of a matter of wanting them removed to "move on from the tragedy"...resident Fran Christianson:

"I want it removed because everybody in this community, every time we drive by it, we are constantly reminded. The rest of the world gets to move on from that tragedy, but we can't move on from it in this community...This community feels great grief. We feel great grief because it was in our area and there was not a thing that anyone one of us could do to prevent it."

From what I'm able to gather, Fran is a realtor in the Iowa City/Coralville area. So it may be more than just "moving on" she wants to do...it may hinder some of her drive-arounds with prospective property purchasers.

Still, a growing number of states are creating regulations or fixing laws that would subject them to fines or removal. Some are trying to work out a way to allow them...here's a roundup of some of them.

· Colorado, Massachusetts and Wisconsin prohibit roadside memorials.
· West Virginia allows roadside memorials, but permits transportation officials to remove them without notice if the markers are deemed a safety hazard or interfere with regular highway maintenance.
· New York leaves it up to municipalities to implement rules.
· In California, roadside memorials are allowed for victims killed in a crash involving alcohol or drugs, and victims' families must pay the state a fee of $1,000.
· Missouri does not allow roadside memorials but encourages victims' families to participate in the state's adopt-a-highway program, which recognizes victims with a sign. The families sign a three-year agreement to clean litter from and maintain the landscape at their adopted site.
· Texas and Florida allow only state-funded uniform memorials that can be applied for by contacting the departments of Transportation. Florida memorials are plain white, bear the victim's name and read "Drive Safely." · And New Mexico residents can purchase a sign from the state for $200 that will remain in place for one year. But officials also said crosses and personal markers that inevitably dot the roads are permitted "as long as they don't pose a nuisance" to highway workers.

So far, Iowa isn't doing anything about them. But the law DOES say that any sign..."including over-hang, must be completely on private property"

The New York Times story (on Sunday) took a very negative tone toward them. Of course, they quote a Professor at the University of Dayton in Ohio who is a well-known hunter of all things right-wing. According to an old website of his, he's a proud member of something called, "Marxist Sociology"

Roadside memorials...have become so numerous, and so distracting and dangerous, highway officials say, that more and more states are trying to regulate them. Some, like Montana and California, allow the memorials, but only if alcohol was a factor in the crash. Others, like Wisconsin and New Jersey, limit how long the memorials can remain in place. Now, in a move that is being watched by other states, Delaware is taking a different approach, establishing a memorial park near a highway exit in hopes of discouraging the roadside shrines. The park will include a reflection pool and red bricks — provided free to the loved ones of highway accident victims — with names inscripted to honor the dead.

These clearly are not on private property. Anyone wanna join my pool and choose a day when they'll start tearing these down and enforcing the law?

THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW

In an attempt to settle in my own little way this whole debate over "domestic spying"...I present the following photo taken from the San Diego telephone listing book. Pay particular attention to the name circled in red:

Now, pay attention to the following excerpts from a report on MsNBC by Lisa Myers in 2004. The report comes on the heels of September 11th Commission Report release and it's findings.

"...In January 2000, al-Qaida's top operatives converged on Kuala Lampur for what's known as the 'Malaysia meeting.' Suicide operatives Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Midhar, both Saudis, arrived for a 9/11 planning meeting, handpicked by bin Laden..."

Does the name in bold ring a bell? Good...keep reading.

"...On Jan. 15, 2000, al-Midhar and al-Hazmi flew to Los Angeles. They were the first two 9/11 hijackers to enter the country for the mission...phone calls came from halfway around the globe, in Yemen. The super-secret National Security Agency was monitoring a Yemen house around the clock. Inside was a so-called al-Qaida switchboard, which received calls from bin Laden and relayed messages to his operatives around the world..."

By the way, they got into the country LEGALLY by applying for and receiving valid visas...but you have to see these visas to believe it.

Okay, so we have foreign phone calls of identified al-Qaida operatives...keep reading...

"...in early 2000, days after the two hijackers settled into a San Diego apartment, al-Midhar got the first of what would be a dozen calls from the switchboard in Yemen. The NSA intercepted the calls and knew they were to someone named Khalid. But it failed to detect the crucial fact that this known terrorist facility was calling someone inside the United States..."

...to people in the United States.

"...The NSA had the technical ability to pick up the actual phone number in the United States that the switchboard was calling, but didn't deploy that equipment, fearing it would be accused of domestic spying...The final call from Yemen to the hijackers came only weeks before 9/11..."

But they didn't connect the dots because they were afraid it might be domestic spying. Hmmm...

By the way, remember the guy in the phone book? Yep...that was him. He ended up in this plane...or what was left of Flight 77, killing 189 people:

Now let me get this straight...

1. George W Bush dropped the ball by not connecting the dots prior to September 11th.

2. George W Bush took his eye off the ball and al-Qaida when we went to war in Iraq.

3. George W Bush is wiretapping Americans' phone calls over some excuse that they're from suspected al-Qaida terrorists.

Do I have that right? Are you leftist loonies completely insane?

TERRORISM WORKS

In between my weekend duties of full-time playmate for my kids, my eyes and ears kept pulling me toward the television screen and the curious stories about the riots in some European and Muslim countries. Thankfully, even 3-year olds can tire of Barney and Friends...so I watched some of the coverage.

According to what I gathered from Fox News/CNN/MSNBC, etc...some cartoons were published that freaked out a bunch of muslims and they started burning cars and firing guns in the air. That kind of behavior isn't all that un-common in Middle Eastern countries for happy events, but it has now led to deaths, a jihad announcement, and general hand-wringing by foreign leaders.

Of course...a lot of that is mostly wrong.

Naturally, I had to do some checking to find the truth. First, the political cartoons were published in September last year...not this past weekend as the press had me believing. Why are they rioting now? Lorenzo Vidino of National Review has an excellent explanation today. It sounds like they had their very own version of Jesse Jackson running around hawking the cartoons and stoking up the heat for quite some time.

Still - just what was so offensive about the cartoons? None of the media outlets has seen fit to publish them. I'm curious...so I hunted them down and the ones I could understand (I don't speak Danish) are published below today's post. Sure, they're offensive...but no more offensive than a Christian Crucifix in a jar of urine or a large lipped Condoleezza Rice as a mammy cartoon. And lets not forget the media's zeal to publish photographs of the burned bodies of Americans hanging from a bridge or video of someone getting their heads chopped off.

The Philadelphia Inquirer had no trouble making them available on their internet site, but made an emotional appeal to calm the local muslims and went to great lengths to explain themselves and why they were so torn over the idea.

"...Most American news outlets, caught in a dilemma between showing controversial cartoons of the prophet Muhammad and offending the religious sensibilities of muslims, have declined to publish the drawings. While Muslim protests and calls for boycotts continued to erupt around the world yesterday over cartoons regarded as an insult to Islam, few American newspapers followed the lead of European publications in showing the caricatures..."

Again...that never stopped you from running something controversial before. In fact, the media ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the whole wiretapping story that even non-partisans admit caused a huge amount of damage to our efforts in fighting terrorism.

"...The Inquirer's decision apparently places it among a minority of American publications to publish the cartoon. The Associated Press, the nation's largest wire service, declined [their] request to transmit photographs of the cartoon 'because they didn't meet AP standards for acceptable content,'..."

Here's the disclaimer in the publication of the cartoons.

"...The Inquirer intends no disrespect to the religious beliefs of any of its readers. But when a use of religious imagery that many find offensive becomes a major news story, we believe it is important for readers to be able to judge the content of the image for themselves, as with the 1987 photograph by Andres Serrano of a crucifix in urine. On that basis we reprint this cartoon..."

So now the major media knows what being afraid is all about...afraid to run a cartoon because of the problems it might create. Kind of like being a victim of terrorism.

And before your curiosity is paid off, there's the matter of my own disclaimer.

Greg Alan intends no disrepsect, but if you don't laugh at least a little bit, you're wound a little too tight. In reality, I wanted to publish these to see if any Muslims in America would freak out like they're doing so in other countries. Of course, Muslims living in a democracy are less nutty and extremist than those in countries where they cut your hands off for petty theft. Which is George Bush's whole point about spreading democracy beginning with Afghanistan and Iraq.

That last one is actually kind of funny...but these next ones clearly are not funny. But they're also not cartoons...they're real.

This IS a war, people...we shouldn't have to worry about being politically correct.