The last few weeks have been great for newspapers — from the news standpoint, anyway.
From Hillary Clinton’s concussion to the tax deal in Washington to the Chiefs’ lightning-bolt hire of a new coach, it’s been a windfall for us news hounds.
Today, if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to comment on a few of the stories that have caught my attention.
1) Like most Chiefs’ fans, I’m glad that Andy Reid will be coaching the team for the next few years, at least. He seems like a very down-to-earth, honest guy, and he’s got a lot of wins on his resume. But, holy smoke, did you get a load of the guy’s wardrobe? He needs a new tailor…real bad. Just because a guy is fat doesn’t mean he has to look like he’s a fabric salesman’s dream come true…
Kansas City Star photo
2) Once again, the Jesuits have demonstrated that they are the best at educating our youngsters and doing everything possible to mold their students into responsible citizens.
Rockhurst High School’s new drug-testing program, to begin next summer, is bound to intercept and redirect many students who are using recreational drugs, like marijuana. Wisely and correctly, Rockhurst officials are pitching the initiative as a “health and wellness” program. The first time a student gets caught, he will be brought in for counseling; the second time, he could be disciplined and will be put on notice; and the third time…well, he’s out.
Not only does the program look excellent, but the way Rockhurst officials, including Principal Greg Harkness and President Terrence Baum, rolled it out was a thing of beauty. After two years of study and groundwork, Rockhurst officials informed faculty, students, parents and the news media in a matter of a few hours one morning last week. Then, Harkness answered questions from the media all afternoon, and several students were made available to discuss the program on the record and in front of cameras.
Congratulations to Rockhurst on skillfully planning and publicizing this unprecedented program — unprecedented in Kansas City, anyway.
3) On the national front, President Obama has chosen an outstanding person, in my opinion, to head the Defense Department. You’ve got to love it, don’t you, when a guy like Chuck Hagel, who has been in the battlefield, says he views war as the very last resort? The last thing you want in that job is some trigger-happy muscle flexer who wants to crack skulls all over the world.
I predict that the Senate will approve him. Yes, he made a big mistake in 1998 when he described a U.S. ambassador nominee as “openly, aggressively gay.” I’m sure, however, that his views on that subject have changed significantly — just like those of a lot of formerly homophobic folks. As liberal as I am, I have to admit that coming around to a “live-and-let-live” philosophy regarding homosexuality was difficult for me.
4) 
In an open letter in today’s New York Times to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, columnist Joe Nocera praised Bloomberg for wielding the shrillest and most effective voice on gun control. Nocera called on Bloomberg to go to bat for gun control with his energy and his money (net worth $20 billion, says Nocera) after his third and last mayoral term ends in December.
“There is, quite simply, no one else in America who has a better chance of moving the country toward a saner gun policy than you,” Nocera wrote, addressing the mayor. “It is an effort worthy of your talents, and your money.”
5) Let’s end on a head-scratching note…In a story out yesterday, some scientists have concluded that the cause of fingers wrinkling after being in water for some time is a function of evolution. Laboratory tests have confirmed a theory that wrinkly fingers let us get a better grip on wet or submerged objects, acting like a treads on a car tire.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go bathe my hands and make a run to the Plaza to get as many coins as I can from the Mermaid Fountain.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Mr. Reid would appear to be a heart attack waiting to happen regardless of whatever he’s wearing (or not wearing). And he replaces an equally rotund head coach. Maybe Clark Hunt is paying them by the pound these days.
Remember when Mangino was coach at KU and the press would ask him about his weight? It doesn’t seem like Reid is the type of guy you put that question to…Leave the bear alone.
It looks like Andy’s paycheck goes to dress his wife. That mink coat she was wearing when they came to kc must have cost him.
I didn’t notice that, Jack…Maybe that’s why his wife can put up with him being at work 12 to 14 hours a day.
4 outta 5 Fitz. A temporary Vulcan mind meld.
Bloomberg shilling for gun control behind armed guards and gated enclosures speaks more to CONtrol, then GUN Control.
Drawing a straight line reference from Sandyhook to disarming citizens who feel less protected every day, by local, state and national authorities by way of the crime accompanying changing demographics, is a racist disingenuous red herring from the liberal camp.
270 murders of Black Chicago school aged children took place last year in a state with the most draconian gun control laws in the nation. Now, with 20 white kids gunned down by a psychotic whack job, the emasculation of law abiding citizens with anti-gun laws is political patina covering the real motive, aquisition of power. “The “Never Let A Crisis Go To Waste” mentality of Rahm Emanuel embraced by liberals with agendas having zero to do with the actual safety of children and everrything to do with the culture war.
The only thing more racist than paying attention to 20 dead white kids while 270 kids a year die in Chicago compliments of failed social engineering policies overr the last 60 years, would be if 96% one specific group of around 15 million people voted for a man because of the color of his skin.
Time to puruse Tom Wolfe’s “Back To Blood” and face the facts.
Multiculturalism and diverstiy have failed all over the world, Europe is melting down. America is Balkanized more and more each minute. The government will not and can not protect you.
People are buying guns for self defense in anticipation of the coming sea change in political power.
Not every one is safely esconced in JoCo, or as with Mr. Bloomberg, Mike Moore, Hollywood movie stars, et al, behind gated communities with armed guards.
We hoi polloi are sentenced to the front lines.
We know that gun control removes guns ONLY from law abiding citizens.
We know that thugs, killers and criminals will never turn in a single gun.
We know power stems from the end of a gun barrel, because Mao killed 60 million of his people with no armed resistance.
We know governments and laws change, not always for the better.
Here is a toast to the dead Jews in the Warsaw ghetto who held off the Panzers for so long with sitcks and stones.
4 outta 4 is really good!
:)
Here is a Commie in Russia that agrees with me.
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/28-12-2012/123335-americans_guns-0/
Pravda is a liberal publication, right?
Chuck — As I have said since Adam Lanza went to battle against the innocent children at Sandy Hook Elementary School with his Mommy’s military-style gun collection, I think it’s fine for people to have guns that go bang-bang. That’s adequate for hunters and even spouses who aspire to kill their spouses.
But when it comes to guns that go rat-a-tat-tat, unh-uh. Not necessary, not good.
You’re absolutely correct that Reid needs a decent tailor. Even cheap suit establishments can alter their garments so they fit. As for his abilities as a coach, I’m not terribly knowledgeable on sports, but why is a coach who won 4 games that much better than a coach who won 2 games?
As for Rockhurst, you’re also right on target there, but after that, it’s downhill all the way.
Chuck Hagel is an anti-Semite who fits right in with King Hussein’s pro-Islamic terrorist agenda, but I predict he will have tough sledding. Sen. Roberts has already come out against him.
The coverage of 2nd Amendment issues lately has been a national disgrace. This kid was not armed with a “military-style gun collection”. After conflicting reports (most of which were exaggerated and ill-informed as usual) we discovered that he had two pistols inside the school and a shotgun left in the trunk of his car. None of these weapons could be described as “military-style” and every act he committed with them was already covered by existing laws.
That, of course would not deter a totalitarian minded thug like Bloomberg. Are you seriously considering turning over our Bill of Rights to an idiot that wants to tell you how big your soda can be? Really? And it goes down hill from there.
In New York state a far-left “newspaper” published an interactive map which treated law-abiding citizens like child molesters. In addition to showing criminals which houses would be easy targets and which could be the source of obtaining weapons, it showed a stalker where his victim now lived and put her life at risk; gave the inmates of the county jail the addresses of their guards so they could intimidate and threaten to harm their families; outed the addresses of numerous current and former law enforcement officers, endangering the lives of their families and in general embarrassed and endangered their entire community.
Normally I’m a fan of an unfettered First Amendment rights, but in this case, given the potential for untold harm that could come to the community I applaud the responses citizens have taken in self-defense including, but not limited to publishing an interactive map of the newspapers employees, cancelling some 40,000 subscriptions (one can only hope they will be able to put this rag out of business) and sending in enough threats that the rag itself now has armed guards patrolling its headquarters (which will presumably be listed on their next map). An additional open records request for similar data from a nearby community was met with open hostility from an official who vowed to “Fight until hell freezes over and then we”ll fight on the ice.” Fortunately for the citizens of Kansas our legislature has protected us from such irresponsible requests.
So 1.5 out of how many points? You’ve had better days, but still a fun column to read, as always.
I’m also a fan of good copy editors, and for good reason.
Good to have you weigh in, John. You always raise good points…I really don’t Hagel can be billed an anti-Semit, though, if the only evidence is that he used the term “Jewish lobby.” There is a hell of a Jewish lobby, and they wield their power so effectively that most of our Congress members cower before them.
But, hey, the most pressing concern is Reid’s wardrobe…I wish I could take him up to my tailor, Eric Blond, at 63rd and Brookside. For about 10 grand, he’d have the big boy looking good. And Andy’s got the money, we know that…
He doesn’t need 10 grand, any decent seamstress can shorten his jacket sleeves and do the alterations to even make a cheap suit look good (even on a carcass like his).
I’m not so politically correct, nor is Sen. Roberts, that i would try and deter anyone’s career for one misstatement. In Hagel’s case, his dealings both in DC and with Jewish groups in Nebraska has been extensive and combative. It goes far enough beyond one statement that the term anti-Semitic has been applied by folks far more cautious with their rhetoric than I.
I agree with you though, there is an extensive Jewish lobby and it is not restricted to Jews. It includes those of us who recognize that Israel is the one state in the mideast that actually shares our values and beliefs and must be preserved if the region is ever to be pulled kicking and screaming into the 13th century.
PS, thanks for the plug, I’ll check your guy out. I usually get my stuff from Rick the tailor, but haven’t needed anything in years.
You might be right about Hagel; I just don’t know a lot about his background. Do you think he’s going to get confirmed?
Jesus Christ Fitz! Your breaking balls on the “sartorially” challenged Andy Reid? What next, a critique of Jim Tom from Moonshiner’s wardrobe? Being fashion forward in my, “Wintour of Discontent”, I can assure you that a man makes the clothes more than the clothes make the man. I”ll take Beckham off the rack at Walmart any day over Mr. Reid from Saville Row. Andy Reid is a pig, mediocre coach over the past several years and a failure as a father.
Why not break some balls on his parenting skills or lack thereof due to his 18 hour days pursuing the Lombardi Trophy. His boys turned out great didn’t they? And he gets props for visiting them weekly while they were in jail. Regular friggin’ Ward Cleaver this one.
Guns that go rat-atat-tat, or brdbrdbrdbrdrd, are illegal. Those would be fully automatic. And enough with all the “assault rifle” BS. I could conceal under a windbreaker or light jacket, 2 9mm Glocks with 21 rounds each plus a tactical vest that will hold 20 more clips…..giving me a total of 462 rounds. With my shooting skills I would imagine I could get a hit count in the 400’s and a kill count in the 275 to 325 range. Adam Lanza couldn’t even be my opening act.
The libs are blaming the stove for obesity. How about some #odda%ned personal and parental responsibility in this crapper of a country? Too hard?
If bad parenting were a felony half the nation would be locked up. And you wanna solve that problem by taking away my Second Ammendment Rights. Cold Day In Hell when that happens.
I own a small arsenal by most standards. I appreciate the craftsmanship of a well made firearm. I appreciate the skill and discipline necessary to shoot 2″ or 3″ groups at 50, 100, or 250 yards. I enjoy the math, science and physics behind making calculations to adjust for humidity, terrain, wind direction and speed. I don’t hunt. With my skills it’s not a fair fight whacking Bambi at 500 yards. If I wanna kill a deer or a bear I’ll do it with a big ass knife. I will lose that fight but die with honor.
I’m willing to kill and die for all of your First Ammendment Rights and my Second Ammendment Rights. How many of you will say the same for me?
Yet in NYC it’s been reported that “some” people are using their welfare EBT cards at strip clubs, liquor stores and porn shops. Why in the hell is there no call to ban EBT Welfare cards for improper use? Because they are WELFARE RECIPIENTS, a key democrat constituency! They pose no threat to the ever growing totalitarian regime that old white guys with God, Gold and Guns do.
Maybe, just maybe if we could cut down on welfare fraud, which is a helluva lot more rampant than school shootings, we could put armed guards in all the schools.
Sans Secret Service agents, the school the Obama girls attend, Sidwell Friends, has a SECURITY TEAM of 9-11 armed individuals. WTF? If it’s good enough for those kids…..why not all kids?
The hypocrisy among liberals is priceless. When nanny Bloomberg, Michael Moore and Rosie ODonnell lay off their armed security details let me know.
In the meantime Old Glory is coming down from in front of my house and the Gadsden Flag is going up. Don’t Tread On Me!
A lot of great fathers have kids who have gone off the tracks, Smartman…You know that. That said, I have no idea about his parenting skills. I do sympathize with him for his loss…In fact, I think the loss hit him so hard that he doesn’t realize how shabby he’s looking in those poorly tailored sheets he wears.
It’s not going to be a pretty sight when the cameras focus on Andy on the sidelines. He’ll look a lot better, though, if the Chiefs are able to build up and hold onto some big leads.
Here is the link for the usual suspects with regard to welfare fraud.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/poor_some_ugar_on_me_0Hq1d3iPnvj2RwpsEDS7MN
Both of Obama’s latest nominees are controversial, the CIA guy for reasons I don’t understand yet. Hagel probably more so because there is a strong “Jewish lobby” and their history with him has apparently been long and unsatisfactory. That would be added to bipartisan concerns that already exist with the regime’s current mideast policies. I can’t imagine that Roberts would have come out against him so fast were there not substantial opposition to him. Career politicians are just not known for crawling out on limbs all by themselves.
Make that three nominees. Geitner is also going and Obama has picked an abrasive choice for that position also. Every choice is not only controversial, but controversial in a bipartisan manner. He’ll probably get all three of them, but may lose several friends along the way. I predict he goes out as the most hated president ever. Should be an interesting four years.
More hated than Nixon???
Good question. We do tend to get hung up in the moment, don’t we? I suspect Lincoln was rather unpopular in his time as was perhaps FDR and others who were associated with significant amounts of change and social upheaval during their tenure.
That said, I think Obama brings out a certain level of angst that is absolutely visceral. He seems to enjoy rubbing his opponents’ noses in the dirt and ridiculing them, and these three nominees may reflect that attitude to a certain extent.
Geitner’s replacement was very abrasive during previous Congressional hearings and made few friends and both of the others are generating bipartisan opposition (although probably not enough to defeat them). The worst part of his divisive mentality for me is that I think he will set race relations back decades by constantly playing the race card and deliberately ginning up racial animosity to cover up his blunders.
The irony there is that he has done little, if anything for the minority community and his own personal background and ideology is derived more from his white upbringing and education in elite, predominantly white institutions. His policies are essentially European social democrat in origin and it’s not hard to see why his half brother refers to him as “the white guy”.
I do think that if he is to be judged positively by rational and independent minds, it will have to be in a historical context where the impact of his presidency can be seen in a larger context.
Fitz, I realize there is no direct correlation between time and energy expended on parenting and results. I am willing to wager that a man that works 18 hours a day chasing a trophy for professional validation will most likely not spend quality time with his spouse or children thereby putting the development of those relationships and individuals at risk. Just look at Peter Lawford’s son Christopher or Ted Kennedy’s son Patrick. Both had serious addiction problems in large part due to a lack of guidance and intervention from fathers orherwise too busy for fatherhood. They have said as much publicly and in articles or books they have written.
Come judgement day I’m sure Mr. Jesus will judge Andy Reid more on the type of father and husband he was than whether or not he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.