While I (purposely) missed Bush's talking to the walls - er - HALLS of Congress, the following paragraph in the Associated Press review caught my eye:
"Bush also called on Congress to address the looming financial problems facing Medicare and Social Security, a task made all the more difficult by Bush's failed attempt to create individual retirement accounts two years ago."
Did Bush REALLY say that? The GALL of the man.
Bush: What about the BILLIONS you've spent and continue to spend on this sorry-assed foray of yours into horribly-flawed foreign policy (Iraq "war")?
Ok, ok. I'm not being fair there (HaHa).
Then let me address his empty rhetoric about a "domestic energy policy."
On September 11, 2001 as the World Trade buildings burned, I mentioned to those watching with me that NOW and I meant RIGHT NOW was the time to start a COMPLETE and COMPREHENSIVE energy policy that "gets us off the teat of Middle Eastern oil."
You see, contrary to a stupid-assed anti-drug commercial that ran around that time, it is OIL not illegal drugs that provide a huge percentage of cash to terrorists.
Bin Laden (where IS BL???) is related to Saudi petro sheiks, not Tommy Chong or any of HIS people.
Six years later and nearly out of his 2nd and last disasterous term (there IS a God? No- a constitutional amendment)- Bush NOW mentions that kinda maybe they ought to DO something.
Please refer to the title of this post for this Libertarian's response to that and virtually anything Bush said or says.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Example 1,363 Why The KC "News" Media Fails It's Citizens
VERY interesting article posted by local blogger Joe Miller on TIF's (welfare for the wealthy developers and their friends) titled "more tif" at http://kansascitysoil.blogspot.com.
Monday, January 22, 2007
No Health Insurance? Get Convicted.
Yet another sad commentary on our society, compliments of the Associated Press.
GKM
State Inmates Outlive People on Outside
Jan 21, 5:21 PM (ET)
WASHINGTON (AP) - State prison inmates, particularly blacks, are living longer on average than people on the outside, the government said Sunday.
Inmates in state prisons are dying at an average yearly rate of 250 per 100,000, according to the latest figures reported to the Justice Department by state prison officials. By comparison, the overall population of people between age 15 and 64 is dying at a rate of 308 a year.
For black inmates, the rate was 57 percent lower than among the overall black population - 206 versus 484. But white and Hispanic prisoners both had death rates slightly above their counterparts in the overall population.
The Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics said 12,129 state prisoners died between 2001 through 2004.
Eight percent were murdered or killed themselves, 2 percent died of alcohol, drugs or accidental injuries, and 1 percent of the deaths could not be explained, the report said.
The rest of the deaths - 89 percent - were due to medical reasons. Of those, two-thirds of inmates had the medical problem they died of before they were admitted to prison.
Medical problems that were most common among both men and women in state prisons were heart disease, lung and liver cancer, liver diseases and AIDS-related causes.
But the death rate among men was 72 percent higher than among women. Nearly one-quarter of the women who died had breast, ovarian, cervical or uterine cancer.
Four percent of the men who died had prostate or testicular cancer.
More than half the inmates 65 or older who died in state prisons were at least 55 when they were admitted to prison.
State prison officials reported that 94 percent of their inmates who died from an illness had been evaluated by a medical professional for that illness, and 93 percent got medication for it.
Eighty-nine percent of these inmates had gotten X-rays, MRI exams, blood tests and other diagnostic work, state prison officials told the bureau.
---
GKM
State Inmates Outlive People on Outside
Jan 21, 5:21 PM (ET)
WASHINGTON (AP) - State prison inmates, particularly blacks, are living longer on average than people on the outside, the government said Sunday.
Inmates in state prisons are dying at an average yearly rate of 250 per 100,000, according to the latest figures reported to the Justice Department by state prison officials. By comparison, the overall population of people between age 15 and 64 is dying at a rate of 308 a year.
For black inmates, the rate was 57 percent lower than among the overall black population - 206 versus 484. But white and Hispanic prisoners both had death rates slightly above their counterparts in the overall population.
The Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics said 12,129 state prisoners died between 2001 through 2004.
Eight percent were murdered or killed themselves, 2 percent died of alcohol, drugs or accidental injuries, and 1 percent of the deaths could not be explained, the report said.
The rest of the deaths - 89 percent - were due to medical reasons. Of those, two-thirds of inmates had the medical problem they died of before they were admitted to prison.
Medical problems that were most common among both men and women in state prisons were heart disease, lung and liver cancer, liver diseases and AIDS-related causes.
But the death rate among men was 72 percent higher than among women. Nearly one-quarter of the women who died had breast, ovarian, cervical or uterine cancer.
Four percent of the men who died had prostate or testicular cancer.
More than half the inmates 65 or older who died in state prisons were at least 55 when they were admitted to prison.
State prison officials reported that 94 percent of their inmates who died from an illness had been evaluated by a medical professional for that illness, and 93 percent got medication for it.
Eighty-nine percent of these inmates had gotten X-rays, MRI exams, blood tests and other diagnostic work, state prison officials told the bureau.
---
Friday, January 19, 2007
Bury The Utility Lines
Tens of thousands residents of Oklahoma & Missouri remain without power after last weekend's ice storm.Another storm threatens these same areas this weekend (the Kansas City Metro should see 3-4 inches of snow).
Untold millions of dollars have been lost by the stricken utility customers. The utilities themselves will bear a huge cost to restore services.
Overhead utility lines are succeptable to many kinds of severe weather and accidents. Trees along powerline routes have to be trimmed or removed. Not to mention a spaghetti of utility wires are simply unsightly.
Ask St. Louis metro utilities how much three severe storms since last summer have cost them. My bet is that those utilities could have buried hundreds of miles of lines for what they have spent to restore the downed ones.
With buried lines, weather-related problems and their accompanying disruptions are virtually eliminated. The public then needs not be concerned with downed lines as the lines are already down - underground.
The cost of the initial burial of the lines could virtually be recouped after a few severe storms move through a utility's service area.
Granted, the cost of burying utility lines would be prohibitive in lesser-populated and rural areas.
However there is no excuse for utilities serving large cities to not strongly consider and/or implement a program of burying their service lines.
Live Holed-Up & Die
Holed-Up Tax Protester, Wife Convicted
Jan 18, 5:54 PM (ET) By PHILIP ELLIOTT
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A man who has holed up with armed supporters in his cement-walled house for most of his tax evasion trial was found guilty Thursday, along with his wife, of failing to pay federal income taxes for a decade.
Ed Brown has said he will defend himself against capture if necessary.
U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier said Thursday that members of his staff continued talking by telephone with Brown and had no plans to confront him.
Ed Brown's wife, Elaine, a dentist who earned most of the couple's income, has been staying with a son in Massachusetts and attended the trial.
The Browns, of Plainfield, contend the law does not require them to pay federal income tax, while the government says the Browns owe more than $625,000. The Browns stopped paying income taxes in 1996 and stopped filing returns in 1998, a prosecutor said. They could each face decades in prison.
A jury decided they employed a scheme to hide their income and avoid taxes in part by using postal money orders in increments just below the reporting threshold to pay for their hilltop compound. Courts have routinely rejected similar attempts by other taxpayers.
Marshals now have to consider how to seize the Browns' assets. The jury was deliberating whether the Browns should lose their home.
"We've established a good line of communication, all of our conversations have been amicable and friendly, and that's how we expect they will continue," Monier said.
Ed Brown stopped attending court midway through the trial, which began Jan. 9. His wife remains out on bail pending the couple's April 24 sentencing; she has said she loves her husband, but that his way of handling the case is not hers.
A man who answered the telephone at the Browns' house Thursday afternoon said Ed Brown could not come to the phone, but had expected a guilty verdict.
"He's here at the house, and he's not leaving of his own free will," said the man, who identified himself only as Bernie.
Ed Brown, a retired exterminator, has said he stayed home to protest a system that had already convicted him.
"Most Americans would cower and cringe and raise their hands and surrender like a good little slave," he told reporters at his home this week.
"I won't. Under no circumstances. I do not tolerate cowardliness, oppression, bulliness, and I certainly don't tolerate a federal agency that has absolutely zero jurisdiction in my state, never mind in my county, in my town."
Jan 18, 5:54 PM (ET) By PHILIP ELLIOTT
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A man who has holed up with armed supporters in his cement-walled house for most of his tax evasion trial was found guilty Thursday, along with his wife, of failing to pay federal income taxes for a decade.
Ed Brown has said he will defend himself against capture if necessary.
U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier said Thursday that members of his staff continued talking by telephone with Brown and had no plans to confront him.
Ed Brown's wife, Elaine, a dentist who earned most of the couple's income, has been staying with a son in Massachusetts and attended the trial.
The Browns, of Plainfield, contend the law does not require them to pay federal income tax, while the government says the Browns owe more than $625,000. The Browns stopped paying income taxes in 1996 and stopped filing returns in 1998, a prosecutor said. They could each face decades in prison.
A jury decided they employed a scheme to hide their income and avoid taxes in part by using postal money orders in increments just below the reporting threshold to pay for their hilltop compound. Courts have routinely rejected similar attempts by other taxpayers.
Marshals now have to consider how to seize the Browns' assets. The jury was deliberating whether the Browns should lose their home.
"We've established a good line of communication, all of our conversations have been amicable and friendly, and that's how we expect they will continue," Monier said.
Ed Brown stopped attending court midway through the trial, which began Jan. 9. His wife remains out on bail pending the couple's April 24 sentencing; she has said she loves her husband, but that his way of handling the case is not hers.
A man who answered the telephone at the Browns' house Thursday afternoon said Ed Brown could not come to the phone, but had expected a guilty verdict.
"He's here at the house, and he's not leaving of his own free will," said the man, who identified himself only as Bernie.
Ed Brown, a retired exterminator, has said he stayed home to protest a system that had already convicted him.
"Most Americans would cower and cringe and raise their hands and surrender like a good little slave," he told reporters at his home this week.
"I won't. Under no circumstances. I do not tolerate cowardliness, oppression, bulliness, and I certainly don't tolerate a federal agency that has absolutely zero jurisdiction in my state, never mind in my county, in my town."
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Another Bullet for Bannister
Today, a new taxpayer-supported (TIF's) Wal-Mart opened on the site of the old Blue Ridge Mall at 43rd Street & Sterling.
By the time this is posted (6 pm), Wal-Mart closes their store in the 9000 block of Hillcrest, caddy-corner from the ghost-like Bannister Mall.
That stretch of Hillcrest from 87th Street to Bannister now resembles the aftermath of a neutron bomb explosion.
I propose renaming that stretch of Hillcrest after Chuck Eddy, the KC councilman who would want to be mayor.
That way people would be constantly reminded of just how effective Eddy was in keeping what once was one of the city's most bustling retail areas from becoming a ghost town.
By the time this is posted (6 pm), Wal-Mart closes their store in the 9000 block of Hillcrest, caddy-corner from the ghost-like Bannister Mall.
That stretch of Hillcrest from 87th Street to Bannister now resembles the aftermath of a neutron bomb explosion.
I propose renaming that stretch of Hillcrest after Chuck Eddy, the KC councilman who would want to be mayor.
That way people would be constantly reminded of just how effective Eddy was in keeping what once was one of the city's most bustling retail areas from becoming a ghost town.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
A Cuppa Kansas City Whine?
Yeah I know, this is the Internet and anybody can basically say anything, whether it's true or not.
I read the piece posted below on fellow local blogger Tony's Kansas City http://tonyskansascity.com site.
It is a response to an article Tony posted on T.I.F.'s (Tax Increment Financing) and other forms of governmental welfare for wealthy land developers and their friends.
After sleeping on the words this commenter had to say, Frank Zappa's masterpiece "It Can't Happen Here" came to mind.
The wake-up irony is that it damn well CAN happen here and maybe, just maybe, what is posted below - exactly as it was posted there - has some merit and justifies further journalistic investigation.
GKM
hip critic said...
Lets talk about Bartle Hall, Tony. The expansion project has experienced some serious, very costly mistakes. For instance, they have a minority contractor (who the city always uses) doing the HVAC system who has no idea what he's doing; concerning HVAC that is.
Example: He bids higher than hell and receives the job... EVERYTIME. In this particular case he bid the job for like 10 guys. He sent around 4, 1 whiteboy doing most of the work. When they quickly fell behind (had every other trade waiting on them, sitting by the way) the City came in saying ...SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. *holding hand over the minority contractors mouth*
The city paid another contractor to come in (out of cities pocket and not deducting money from contract of minority firm). They paid this other contracting firm (non-minority by the way) BIG money to catch this other firm up so the sheetrockers, and every other trade could get back to work, instead of sitting for a third month straight while these other guys wandered aimlesssly towards the end.
Let me break it down, we have:
(1)Bartle Hall Expansion way behind schedule.
(2)Minority HVAC contractor allowed to not fulfill contractual duty to city. Not only allowed, but is given incentive to not fulfill.
(3)City paying a "ghost" company to stand beside this company in catching up so the other trades could begin working again after 2-3 months of sitting on the sidelines.
(4)Never having made this public.
I am pissed and you should be too. Not as pissed as my "whiteboy" friend who allowed them to shine as long as they did by being the only one working though. They said he had a big mouth. I wish I could tell you more but he refuses to talk anymore about it until he sues the fuck out of the city for allowing this to transpire. Not only allowing it, but encouraging it.
The sad part: Funkhouser has yet to say anything about it and this firm will probably have future contracts and may currently be pulling the same SHIT at the Sprint Center. I told you fuckers it would get bad before the Elections. That aint shit either.
Funkhouser (as former auditor or whatever!) you have knowledge of this. Surely. If you continue to fail to point these things out you will be placed on my political suicide blog, where Chuck Eddy is getting very lonely. You could have athreesome later tonight with Weaver and Eddy.
*winks at Tony*
1/10/2007 11:42:53 AM
I read the piece posted below on fellow local blogger Tony's Kansas City http://tonyskansascity.com site.
It is a response to an article Tony posted on T.I.F.'s (Tax Increment Financing) and other forms of governmental welfare for wealthy land developers and their friends.
After sleeping on the words this commenter had to say, Frank Zappa's masterpiece "It Can't Happen Here" came to mind.
The wake-up irony is that it damn well CAN happen here and maybe, just maybe, what is posted below - exactly as it was posted there - has some merit and justifies further journalistic investigation.
GKM
hip critic said...
Lets talk about Bartle Hall, Tony. The expansion project has experienced some serious, very costly mistakes. For instance, they have a minority contractor (who the city always uses) doing the HVAC system who has no idea what he's doing; concerning HVAC that is.
Example: He bids higher than hell and receives the job... EVERYTIME. In this particular case he bid the job for like 10 guys. He sent around 4, 1 whiteboy doing most of the work. When they quickly fell behind (had every other trade waiting on them, sitting by the way) the City came in saying ...SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. *holding hand over the minority contractors mouth*
The city paid another contractor to come in (out of cities pocket and not deducting money from contract of minority firm). They paid this other contracting firm (non-minority by the way) BIG money to catch this other firm up so the sheetrockers, and every other trade could get back to work, instead of sitting for a third month straight while these other guys wandered aimlesssly towards the end.
Let me break it down, we have:
(1)Bartle Hall Expansion way behind schedule.
(2)Minority HVAC contractor allowed to not fulfill contractual duty to city. Not only allowed, but is given incentive to not fulfill.
(3)City paying a "ghost" company to stand beside this company in catching up so the other trades could begin working again after 2-3 months of sitting on the sidelines.
(4)Never having made this public.
I am pissed and you should be too. Not as pissed as my "whiteboy" friend who allowed them to shine as long as they did by being the only one working though. They said he had a big mouth. I wish I could tell you more but he refuses to talk anymore about it until he sues the fuck out of the city for allowing this to transpire. Not only allowing it, but encouraging it.
The sad part: Funkhouser has yet to say anything about it and this firm will probably have future contracts and may currently be pulling the same SHIT at the Sprint Center. I told you fuckers it would get bad before the Elections. That aint shit either.
Funkhouser (as former auditor or whatever!) you have knowledge of this. Surely. If you continue to fail to point these things out you will be placed on my political suicide blog, where Chuck Eddy is getting very lonely. You could have athreesome later tonight with Weaver and Eddy.
*winks at Tony*
1/10/2007 11:42:53 AM
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Burn Baby Burn - Johnson County, Kansas firefighting motto?
This is my critique of the Overland Park, KS. fire department and their 3-alarm fire in the 7900 block of Santa Fe Drive Tuesday morning (January 9).
First I will qualify my opinions - I was trained and spent 5 years as a firefighter for Kansas City, MO in the mid to late 1970's. My respect for the profession is and remains immense. We were trained to attack structure fires at their source - which was more often than not - inside the structure.
What I saw taking place in downtown OP that morning did not seem to befit a highly-trained and lavishly equipped (sub)urban fire department.
The initial alarm was sounded around 6:50 am and within 10 minutes came the first pictures from KSHB's television news helicopter. There didn't seem to be all that much smoke and only a small amount of flame coming from a roof vent in the about 30-foot-wide and 80-foot long business in a strip-type shopping center.
There didn't appear to be any firefighters on the roof of the burning liquor store nor did there appear to be any crews inside nor trying to get inside the structure.
Soon, there were two aerials raised on the east & west sides of the fire building. Two streams from handlines could be seen throwing water from an alley on the backside of the building. The aerials began playing their master streams onto the still-small fire on the roof - then - reportedly because of water supply issues - shut them down for about 10 minutes. There was still no visible attempts to make access to the interior of the building with handlines to attack the seat of the fire.
Forty-five minutes after the initial alarm was sounded - the small flames had engulfed much of the eastern third of the roof and blossomed out of openings in the rear of the building and heavy gray-black smoke billowed southeastward in the gusty northwesterly wind. Around this time, a 3rd-alarm was sounded. When that section of the roof collapsed - the aerial water streams finally made headway on the flames.
At one point - even a FOX-4 news anchor remarked about how the fire which seemed so small & containable early on had gained so much ground on what seemed to be adequate firefighting resources.
This fire is in line with another firefighting fiasco I witnessed in Olathe in 1983 or 1984 - when fire virtually destroyed a plumbing fixtures business. After that fire - I actually obtained my OWN firefighting equipment for our home - not trusting my family's life & property to the OFD.
In addition- I was told by a longtime friend who is a retired KC-MO chief fire dispatcher of another incident while he was on the job.
In that incident- KC-MO fire companies had been called to assist a Johnson County, KS. fire department on a structure fire and those KC-MO crews made entry to the burning structure to attack the fire. The JOCO chief ordered the crews out but those crews - according to my source - resisted leaving as they had nearly "knocked down" the flames.
That resistance reportedly created some "issues" between the JOCO chief of that fire's operation and KC-MO's department.
The Metro's 'big-city' fire department only engages in "surround and drown" fire-fighting tactics as a very last resort.
Frankly, if I lived in or had a business in Johnson County, I would want - no - PREFER the KC-MO fire department and their rapid and professional fire-fighting tactics to respond.
First I will qualify my opinions - I was trained and spent 5 years as a firefighter for Kansas City, MO in the mid to late 1970's. My respect for the profession is and remains immense. We were trained to attack structure fires at their source - which was more often than not - inside the structure.
What I saw taking place in downtown OP that morning did not seem to befit a highly-trained and lavishly equipped (sub)urban fire department.
The initial alarm was sounded around 6:50 am and within 10 minutes came the first pictures from KSHB's television news helicopter. There didn't seem to be all that much smoke and only a small amount of flame coming from a roof vent in the about 30-foot-wide and 80-foot long business in a strip-type shopping center.
There didn't appear to be any firefighters on the roof of the burning liquor store nor did there appear to be any crews inside nor trying to get inside the structure.
Soon, there were two aerials raised on the east & west sides of the fire building. Two streams from handlines could be seen throwing water from an alley on the backside of the building. The aerials began playing their master streams onto the still-small fire on the roof - then - reportedly because of water supply issues - shut them down for about 10 minutes. There was still no visible attempts to make access to the interior of the building with handlines to attack the seat of the fire.
Forty-five minutes after the initial alarm was sounded - the small flames had engulfed much of the eastern third of the roof and blossomed out of openings in the rear of the building and heavy gray-black smoke billowed southeastward in the gusty northwesterly wind. Around this time, a 3rd-alarm was sounded. When that section of the roof collapsed - the aerial water streams finally made headway on the flames.
At one point - even a FOX-4 news anchor remarked about how the fire which seemed so small & containable early on had gained so much ground on what seemed to be adequate firefighting resources.
This fire is in line with another firefighting fiasco I witnessed in Olathe in 1983 or 1984 - when fire virtually destroyed a plumbing fixtures business. After that fire - I actually obtained my OWN firefighting equipment for our home - not trusting my family's life & property to the OFD.
In addition- I was told by a longtime friend who is a retired KC-MO chief fire dispatcher of another incident while he was on the job.
In that incident- KC-MO fire companies had been called to assist a Johnson County, KS. fire department on a structure fire and those KC-MO crews made entry to the burning structure to attack the fire. The JOCO chief ordered the crews out but those crews - according to my source - resisted leaving as they had nearly "knocked down" the flames.
That resistance reportedly created some "issues" between the JOCO chief of that fire's operation and KC-MO's department.
The Metro's 'big-city' fire department only engages in "surround and drown" fire-fighting tactics as a very last resort.
Frankly, if I lived in or had a business in Johnson County, I would want - no - PREFER the KC-MO fire department and their rapid and professional fire-fighting tactics to respond.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
BLESS THIS MAN!!!
This man's unselfish act for a fellow Human Being literally brought tears to my eyes.
May his unselfish act inspire ALL of us!
Man Recalls Rescue on NYC Subway Tracks
Jan 4, 4:15 AM (ET) By DEEPTI HAJELA
NEW YORK (AP) - It took only an instant for Wesley Autrey to decide to jump into a subway track to rescue a stranger from an oncoming train.
In hindsight, even he is somewhat startled by his dramatic decision, Autrey said Wednesday. But knowing he narrowly escaped injury or possibly death, the 50-year-old Harlem construction worker doesn't regret his choice.
"I did something to save someone's life," he said.
The father of three has found himself the object of public attention since Tuesday, when he saved a young man who had fallen onto the subway tracks by pushing him into a gap between the rails.
Autrey planned to make the rounds of the morning television shows on Thursday, tape an appearance on David Letterman's CBS "Late Show" and visit City Hall to be honored by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, Autrey said the impact of the risky rescue was sinking in.
"It's all hitting me now," Autrey said. "I'm looking, and these trains are coming in now. ... Wow, you did something pretty stupid."
While waiting for a downtown Manhattan train, Autrey saw Cameron Hollopeter, a 19-year-old film student, suffering from some kind of medical episode. After stumbling down the platform, Hollopeter, of Littleton, Mass., fell onto the tracks with a train on its way into the station.
Autrey, traveling with his two young daughters, knew he had to do something.
"If I let him stay there by himself, he's going to be dismembered," the Navy veteran remembered thinking.
He jumped down to the tracks, a few feet below platform level, and rolled with the young man into a drainage trough - cold, wet and more than a little unpleasant smelling - between the rails as the southbound No. 1 train came into the 137th Street/City College station.
The train's operator saw someone on the tracks and put the emergency brakes on. Some train cars passed over Autrey and Hollopeter with only a couple of inches to spare, but neither man suffered any harm from the incident.
Hollopeter was taken to a nearby hospital; Autrey refused medical attention - and then went to work.
Autrey went by the hospital Wednesday afternoon for a visit with Hollopeter and his family. Afterward, he and Hollopeter's father addressed reporters.
"Mr. Autrey's instinctive and unselfish act saved our son's life," said Larry Hollopeter, his voice choking up.
Following the incident, calls came in from all over the country, offering rewards, as people found themselves inspired by Autrey's bravery. His mother beamed over him.
May his unselfish act inspire ALL of us!
Man Recalls Rescue on NYC Subway Tracks
Jan 4, 4:15 AM (ET) By DEEPTI HAJELA
NEW YORK (AP) - It took only an instant for Wesley Autrey to decide to jump into a subway track to rescue a stranger from an oncoming train.
In hindsight, even he is somewhat startled by his dramatic decision, Autrey said Wednesday. But knowing he narrowly escaped injury or possibly death, the 50-year-old Harlem construction worker doesn't regret his choice.
"I did something to save someone's life," he said.
The father of three has found himself the object of public attention since Tuesday, when he saved a young man who had fallen onto the subway tracks by pushing him into a gap between the rails.
Autrey planned to make the rounds of the morning television shows on Thursday, tape an appearance on David Letterman's CBS "Late Show" and visit City Hall to be honored by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, Autrey said the impact of the risky rescue was sinking in.
"It's all hitting me now," Autrey said. "I'm looking, and these trains are coming in now. ... Wow, you did something pretty stupid."
While waiting for a downtown Manhattan train, Autrey saw Cameron Hollopeter, a 19-year-old film student, suffering from some kind of medical episode. After stumbling down the platform, Hollopeter, of Littleton, Mass., fell onto the tracks with a train on its way into the station.
Autrey, traveling with his two young daughters, knew he had to do something.
"If I let him stay there by himself, he's going to be dismembered," the Navy veteran remembered thinking.
He jumped down to the tracks, a few feet below platform level, and rolled with the young man into a drainage trough - cold, wet and more than a little unpleasant smelling - between the rails as the southbound No. 1 train came into the 137th Street/City College station.
The train's operator saw someone on the tracks and put the emergency brakes on. Some train cars passed over Autrey and Hollopeter with only a couple of inches to spare, but neither man suffered any harm from the incident.
Hollopeter was taken to a nearby hospital; Autrey refused medical attention - and then went to work.
Autrey went by the hospital Wednesday afternoon for a visit with Hollopeter and his family. Afterward, he and Hollopeter's father addressed reporters.
"Mr. Autrey's instinctive and unselfish act saved our son's life," said Larry Hollopeter, his voice choking up.
Following the incident, calls came in from all over the country, offering rewards, as people found themselves inspired by Autrey's bravery. His mother beamed over him.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Scattered Cumulus
My take on:
*IRAQ- As the American death toll passed the 3,000 mark, where is the American public's outrage to this fiasco? Are the young people fearful of another Kent State? Do most adults own Halliburton stock? Does ANYTHING make Americans angry?
*GERALD FORD- The former (unelected) president was called "a decent man" by most accounts. To me, "decent" people do NOT pardon criminals. If I have to hear the crap-line that Ford's actions "helped heal" this nation one more time, I'm going to hurl. All Ford did for the USA was to make it clear that the ones in power are above the law (see next). American law applies mostly to the poor and those with no influence. If a rich and/or powerful American is convicted of ANYTHING - at worse they spend their incarcerations in country-club-type prisons.
*GEORGE W. BUSH- So folks- when are the impeachment proceedings going to start? Why? How about lying to the American people? 3,000 dead Americans in a "war" that should never have been? These points are just for starters. Don't the American people get outraged over anything anymore or are we truly the sheep we've become?
*ROSIE O'DONNELL AND DONALD TRUMP- My apologies to environmentalists, but these two should be abducted, bound & gagged, and dropped in the middle of a school of sharks in the Pacific Ocean.
*CELEBRITY "NEWS" ON LOCAL NEWSCASTS- This is the latest trend for local newcasts trying to be everything to everybody and resulting to be little of anything for anybody. Compare the time spent reporting local "news" as opposed to 15-20 years ago. Simply LESS filler between commercial breaks.
*THE UPCOMING KC MAYORIAL ELECTION- Half the field of the 11 candidates- being career politicians and already having influence in Kansas City's direction- should be summarily eliminated. Mark Funkhouser is far and away the BEST candidate for our next mayor because he cares not only about this city- but the people in it.
*TAX RELIEF FOR THE WEALTHY- Also known locally as TIF's. If the power brokers in this city take enough of the rich people's real estate off the property tax rolls, we'll ALL be living in government-subsidized housing or under the crumbling bridges (see next).
*THE KANSAS CITY STAR- This rag has never met a tax increase or TIF they didn't like. Their unabashed support of corporate sports teams (the stadium renovation tax) and LACK of support for a decent mass transit plan for this Metro proves to me they don't give a damn about Joe & Jane working person.
*PHIL KLINE- This moron has no shame. Proof again that Johnson County Republicans should not be allowed to reproduce.
*SMOKERS- Do I get a chance to inflict MY will of what I don't like on everybody else? I have a list!
*THE KC CHIEFS NFL FOOTBALL TEAM- Amazing what can be done nowadays with smoke, mirrors and special digital effects. One and out of course and GO JAYHAWKS!!
*IRAQ- As the American death toll passed the 3,000 mark, where is the American public's outrage to this fiasco? Are the young people fearful of another Kent State? Do most adults own Halliburton stock? Does ANYTHING make Americans angry?
*GERALD FORD- The former (unelected) president was called "a decent man" by most accounts. To me, "decent" people do NOT pardon criminals. If I have to hear the crap-line that Ford's actions "helped heal" this nation one more time, I'm going to hurl. All Ford did for the USA was to make it clear that the ones in power are above the law (see next). American law applies mostly to the poor and those with no influence. If a rich and/or powerful American is convicted of ANYTHING - at worse they spend their incarcerations in country-club-type prisons.
*GEORGE W. BUSH- So folks- when are the impeachment proceedings going to start? Why? How about lying to the American people? 3,000 dead Americans in a "war" that should never have been? These points are just for starters. Don't the American people get outraged over anything anymore or are we truly the sheep we've become?
*ROSIE O'DONNELL AND DONALD TRUMP- My apologies to environmentalists, but these two should be abducted, bound & gagged, and dropped in the middle of a school of sharks in the Pacific Ocean.
*CELEBRITY "NEWS" ON LOCAL NEWSCASTS- This is the latest trend for local newcasts trying to be everything to everybody and resulting to be little of anything for anybody. Compare the time spent reporting local "news" as opposed to 15-20 years ago. Simply LESS filler between commercial breaks.
*THE UPCOMING KC MAYORIAL ELECTION- Half the field of the 11 candidates- being career politicians and already having influence in Kansas City's direction- should be summarily eliminated. Mark Funkhouser is far and away the BEST candidate for our next mayor because he cares not only about this city- but the people in it.
*TAX RELIEF FOR THE WEALTHY- Also known locally as TIF's. If the power brokers in this city take enough of the rich people's real estate off the property tax rolls, we'll ALL be living in government-subsidized housing or under the crumbling bridges (see next).
*THE KANSAS CITY STAR- This rag has never met a tax increase or TIF they didn't like. Their unabashed support of corporate sports teams (the stadium renovation tax) and LACK of support for a decent mass transit plan for this Metro proves to me they don't give a damn about Joe & Jane working person.
*PHIL KLINE- This moron has no shame. Proof again that Johnson County Republicans should not be allowed to reproduce.
*SMOKERS- Do I get a chance to inflict MY will of what I don't like on everybody else? I have a list!
*THE KC CHIEFS NFL FOOTBALL TEAM- Amazing what can be done nowadays with smoke, mirrors and special digital effects. One and out of course and GO JAYHAWKS!!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
KC MetroRegion Overnight News for Sunday, December 24, 2006
TWO SHOT - ONE DIES - IN KANSAS CITY, KS>>> Overnight weather began with clear skies then clouds moved in around dawn. Temperatures held in the upper-20's to the lower-30's.
PLEASE WATCH KSHB NBC41 - ACTION NEWS FOR THESE AND OTHER BREAKING NEWS STORIES.
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