Ah, Tuesday night. I’ve got the house to myself. The lights and television are all turned off. I’m headed downstairs to write this weeks column. This week was supposed to be a snap. Misty, my daughter was due with her second child Monday. We were finally going to find out if she’s having a boy or a girl. So here it is Tuesday night. No baby. I’m going to stick my neck out here and say it’s going to be a girl. And I’ll bet she’s going to be exactly like her mom and her grandmother. She’s already proven she can be stubborn and has no problem with being late. And it’s a safe bet that I’m going to be in a lot of trouble for saying that.
Now I’ve got to find something else to talk about. I know, how about that investigative hit piece KCTV News out of Kansas City did on Phil Kline earlier this week? They’re all up in arms over the fact Kline fired 7 attorneys when he took over the Johnson County District Attorney‘s office. Apparently they want us to believe this is the first time anything like this has ever happened. It’s funny how they ignore the fact that their hero, Paul Morrison came in and fired 25 or 30 people here in Topeka when he took office as our new Attorney General. Like everyone, I thought it was pretty much standard practice to get rid of your opponent’s supporters and replace them with your own people after such an election. Hey, why let a few silly facts get in the way of a good story, especially when your target happens to be a pro-life conservative.
In an attempt to prove Phil Kline isn’t doing his job they used six months worth of his parking records to see when he came and went. Because of the fact that that these records are routinely deleted from their system the records were woefully incomplete. In fact, there were entire weeks and even entire months not accounted for. But that didn’t deter KCTV from manipulating the numbers they had available to them to come to the conclusion that Kline is spending just 29 hours a week at the Johnson County Courthouse. Oh, what a scandal. You don’t suppose a District Attorney might spend part of his day, at least every once in a while somewhere besides the courthouse, somewhere like an office, preparing for cases do you? Nah, that doesn’t fit into the story. During their six month investigation they claim to have spent weeks on end camping out in front of the apartment Kline has leased in Johnson County to prove he isn’t living there. They followed him from his office in Kansas City to his home in Topeka where his family still lives. Their crack, investigative team followed and filmed Kline’s wife dropping off and picking up their daughter from school in Topeka. Oh my, this scandal just keeps getting better. Imagine, a woman married to an elected official having the nerve to take her daughter to school.
You’d think since this report was the product of a six month investigation KCTV could have found out that Phil Kline said from the beginning his family would continue to live in Topeka. Apparently KCTV isn’t satisfied with the amount of time he spends in the apartment he has leased in Johnson County. But it would appear it fulfills the legal requirements to hold the job whether they like it or not. You’d also think that during this six month, in depth investigation they probably should have discovered the fact that Phil Kline has publicly stated he won’t seek another term as Johnson County District Attorney. Actually, Kline said he’s not interested in any public office so I’m really having trouble understanding what this “scandal ridden” story was suppose to accomplish in the first place. From they way I see it, all it accomplished was to make your station look stupid. The investigation looked like it was done by amateurs, the actors, I mean reporters looked like they were amateurs. Maybe one day the adults will take your station over again and you can actual report the news instead of trying to create it.
I’d like to be the first to nominate your so-called investigation for the “Biggest Piece of Journalistic Crap of the Year Award.” Oh yeah, Robert Hecht, I can’t imagine why you’d allow yourself to become a part of this trash. I’m sure I’m not the only one you disappointed today.
Kevin McGinty can be reached at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Rosa Smith
We were running later than I had hoped and suddenly found ourselves racing the Sun. We had roughly an hour to find it. Not to worry, Eric knew a shortcut. I got to tell you, I had my doubts about his shortcut but what choice did I have? Let’s do it then, I’ve got to get that picture.
Last week I was working in the Liberal, Guymon Oklahoma area. Tuesday and Friday my travels even sent me into Texas. It was kind of a little homecoming for me. I went to grade school in a little town called Keyes Oklahoma, it’s about 30 miles from Guymon and that‘s where my parents did a lot of their shopping. So, yeah it was a cool trip. If you’ve never been to that part of the state, you ought to do it sometime. You can drive for miles and not see a tree. But you will see thousands of yucca plants, sage brush, and the world famous, tumble weeds. My wife used to crack me up. When we lived in Greensburg, she used to cheer on the tumble weeds as they bounced their way across an open field and actually rolled over a fence instead of becoming trapped by it. Hey, you learn to entertain yourself when you live in a small town.
Sorry, I got off track there. Do you remember when I told you about living in Greensburg? I talked about a friend of mine named Eric, who worked at Dillon’s, remember that? I also talked about a road trip we used to take to Belvidere, and I told you that one day Eric and I were going to take that trip again. I stopped by his house on my way back from Liberal last Saturday and we took that trip. And what a trip it was.
Thanks to the “big blow,” as Eric’s wife, Roni, affectionately refers to the Greensburg tornado now live in Haviland. The three of us headed out, we had about 20 miles of country roads, some of them in good shape, some not. I had never been to Belvidere this way, and I though for sure we were lost most of the time. Eric and Roni both assured me this was a good shortcut. Then suddenly we were on the ranch and things started to look familiar. We came into Belvidere from the backside, instead of heading into town, we headed straight up the hill about a mile outside of town. It’s pretty much the highest point around. You can look around and all you can see for miles are the rolling hills and an occasional pond. We pulled over for a couple minutes but we had to keep going, it was going to be dark soon. We drove farther into the ranch. We passed the cattle guard my friend, Tim, crashed his truck into, remember that? Well, I hate it, but they moved that old truck years ago. We drove past the road that lead to Tim’s old house. We eventually went back for a look, but right now we had to keep going. It was about a mile from Tim’s driveway. Or so I thought. We were looking for a trail off the main road. Actually, it was just a couple of cattle trails we used to follow, but it worked.
There it is! You sure? No, but it sure looks like it. See that small hill over there? I’m pretty sure it’s right over there along the creek. You gotta remember, it’s been 18 years since I’ve been down here. We figured we had about 15 or 20 minutes of sunlight left. This had to be the right trail. We went for it. It started out okay, I guess. But after just a couple hundred yards the trail was completely gone. The grass was almost even with the hood of Eric’s truck. I thought for sure he was going to back out. But he kept going. We crested the hill and just he kind of stopped.
There it was. This is where a young girl named Rosa Smith is buried. According the her headstone, she was born in 1868 and died from burns fighting prairie fires in 1884. She was just 16-years old. I’ve always wondered who she was and I used to come here from time to time. I’m not sure why, I just did. I guess I wanted to know her story. I can only imagine how hard it was on her family to have to leave her behind like they did. But most of all, I feel sorry for Rosa for being here in this lonely place. And now after all these years, I was back.
Eric and Roni, thank you for the most memorable road trip I’ve had in years. Take care.
Kevin McGinty can be reached at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net
Last week I was working in the Liberal, Guymon Oklahoma area. Tuesday and Friday my travels even sent me into Texas. It was kind of a little homecoming for me. I went to grade school in a little town called Keyes Oklahoma, it’s about 30 miles from Guymon and that‘s where my parents did a lot of their shopping. So, yeah it was a cool trip. If you’ve never been to that part of the state, you ought to do it sometime. You can drive for miles and not see a tree. But you will see thousands of yucca plants, sage brush, and the world famous, tumble weeds. My wife used to crack me up. When we lived in Greensburg, she used to cheer on the tumble weeds as they bounced their way across an open field and actually rolled over a fence instead of becoming trapped by it. Hey, you learn to entertain yourself when you live in a small town.
Sorry, I got off track there. Do you remember when I told you about living in Greensburg? I talked about a friend of mine named Eric, who worked at Dillon’s, remember that? I also talked about a road trip we used to take to Belvidere, and I told you that one day Eric and I were going to take that trip again. I stopped by his house on my way back from Liberal last Saturday and we took that trip. And what a trip it was.
Thanks to the “big blow,” as Eric’s wife, Roni, affectionately refers to the Greensburg tornado now live in Haviland. The three of us headed out, we had about 20 miles of country roads, some of them in good shape, some not. I had never been to Belvidere this way, and I though for sure we were lost most of the time. Eric and Roni both assured me this was a good shortcut. Then suddenly we were on the ranch and things started to look familiar. We came into Belvidere from the backside, instead of heading into town, we headed straight up the hill about a mile outside of town. It’s pretty much the highest point around. You can look around and all you can see for miles are the rolling hills and an occasional pond. We pulled over for a couple minutes but we had to keep going, it was going to be dark soon. We drove farther into the ranch. We passed the cattle guard my friend, Tim, crashed his truck into, remember that? Well, I hate it, but they moved that old truck years ago. We drove past the road that lead to Tim’s old house. We eventually went back for a look, but right now we had to keep going. It was about a mile from Tim’s driveway. Or so I thought. We were looking for a trail off the main road. Actually, it was just a couple of cattle trails we used to follow, but it worked.
There it is! You sure? No, but it sure looks like it. See that small hill over there? I’m pretty sure it’s right over there along the creek. You gotta remember, it’s been 18 years since I’ve been down here. We figured we had about 15 or 20 minutes of sunlight left. This had to be the right trail. We went for it. It started out okay, I guess. But after just a couple hundred yards the trail was completely gone. The grass was almost even with the hood of Eric’s truck. I thought for sure he was going to back out. But he kept going. We crested the hill and just he kind of stopped.
There it was. This is where a young girl named Rosa Smith is buried. According the her headstone, she was born in 1868 and died from burns fighting prairie fires in 1884. She was just 16-years old. I’ve always wondered who she was and I used to come here from time to time. I’m not sure why, I just did. I guess I wanted to know her story. I can only imagine how hard it was on her family to have to leave her behind like they did. But most of all, I feel sorry for Rosa for being here in this lonely place. And now after all these years, I was back.
Eric and Roni, thank you for the most memorable road trip I’ve had in years. Take care.
Kevin McGinty can be reached at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net
Sunday, November 11, 2007
We're All Doomed
I’ve spent a lot of time out of town lately, in fact, this week I’m hanging out in beautiful, Liberal Kansas. I hate being gone but it gives me a chance to read newspapers from other parts of the state. I’m a big letters to the editor fan and I’ve got to tell you Governor, a lot of people in southwestern Kansas are mad as hell. But then I spent last week in Garnett. Looks like they feel the same way in southeast Kansas too Governor. And according to the letter in last week’s Metro from Senate President, Steve Morris and Speaker of the House, Melvin Neufeld it looks like you ticked them off too. Good luck getting anything done for the rest of your term. I’d be willing to bet that a lot of that Republican cooperation you’ve always enjoyed is going to be a little harder to come by from here on out.
I understand that the whole Holcomb power plant thing was politically motivated. That much I get. But what’s your problem with the Kansas wine industry? Your people say you were trying to be funny. I’ve got to tell you Governor, you’re not a funny person. I’ve done my best to defend you though. I’ve tried explaining that it was because of the Hollywood writers strike. Sorry, most people I’ve talked to aren’t buying it.
I don’t want to mislead you, there are plenty of letters from true, dedicated, followers of the global warming movement. In one letter, a woman talked about a family picnic. She said that while the others were off having fun being together, all she could feel was sadness because of all those Styrofoam cups and plastic plates and what they were doing to mother earth. In another one, a man said the debate was over. His kids were doomed. He pointed to the melting glaciers and drowning polar bears as his proof. The man was terrified. Most all of them follow the same theme, we’re all going to die. And it’s all America’s fault.
I‘ve got to be honest here, you had me once. Remember back in the seventies, when hair spray was destroying the ozone layer? Then you gave us the really bad news. It seemed the earth was cooling and we were headed toward another ice age. The polar ice cap was expanding at an alarming rate, all the crops were going to die, and there was going to be mass starvation. Remember that? Yep, the debate was over. We were all doomed.
Guess what? You were wrong. None of the dire predictions you made came true, did they? In fact you’ve been wrong about almost every weather related prediction you’ve ever made. Just look at this year’s hurricane season. It was supposed to be the worst one ever. Didn’t happen, did it? Kind of makes you look a little foolish, doesn’t it?
The global cooling hysteria of the 70’s gave us environmental laws that have pretty much shut down domestic oil production. We haven’t built an oil refinery in what, 30 years? These laws are directly responsible for our current dependency on foreign oil and we’ve all seen how successful that’s been. You’ve just got to love $100 a barrel oil. Now you’ve turned your efforts towards making America dependent on our electricity needs. Why?
Governor, I hope your efforts pay off for you in the form of a cabinet position in Washington or whatever it is you’re looking for by shutting down the Holcomb plant. Because it looks like you’ve made so many enemies here in Kansas that even your tree hugging supporters in Douglas and Johnson County can’t help you this time. Good luck, you’re going to need it.
Kevin McGinty can be reached at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net
I understand that the whole Holcomb power plant thing was politically motivated. That much I get. But what’s your problem with the Kansas wine industry? Your people say you were trying to be funny. I’ve got to tell you Governor, you’re not a funny person. I’ve done my best to defend you though. I’ve tried explaining that it was because of the Hollywood writers strike. Sorry, most people I’ve talked to aren’t buying it.
I don’t want to mislead you, there are plenty of letters from true, dedicated, followers of the global warming movement. In one letter, a woman talked about a family picnic. She said that while the others were off having fun being together, all she could feel was sadness because of all those Styrofoam cups and plastic plates and what they were doing to mother earth. In another one, a man said the debate was over. His kids were doomed. He pointed to the melting glaciers and drowning polar bears as his proof. The man was terrified. Most all of them follow the same theme, we’re all going to die. And it’s all America’s fault.
I‘ve got to be honest here, you had me once. Remember back in the seventies, when hair spray was destroying the ozone layer? Then you gave us the really bad news. It seemed the earth was cooling and we were headed toward another ice age. The polar ice cap was expanding at an alarming rate, all the crops were going to die, and there was going to be mass starvation. Remember that? Yep, the debate was over. We were all doomed.
Guess what? You were wrong. None of the dire predictions you made came true, did they? In fact you’ve been wrong about almost every weather related prediction you’ve ever made. Just look at this year’s hurricane season. It was supposed to be the worst one ever. Didn’t happen, did it? Kind of makes you look a little foolish, doesn’t it?
The global cooling hysteria of the 70’s gave us environmental laws that have pretty much shut down domestic oil production. We haven’t built an oil refinery in what, 30 years? These laws are directly responsible for our current dependency on foreign oil and we’ve all seen how successful that’s been. You’ve just got to love $100 a barrel oil. Now you’ve turned your efforts towards making America dependent on our electricity needs. Why?
Governor, I hope your efforts pay off for you in the form of a cabinet position in Washington or whatever it is you’re looking for by shutting down the Holcomb plant. Because it looks like you’ve made so many enemies here in Kansas that even your tree hugging supporters in Douglas and Johnson County can’t help you this time. Good luck, you’re going to need it.
Kevin McGinty can be reached at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Shawn Lucas
He’s here! 8 pounds-14 ounces and he’s 21 inches long! Hurry up guys, I want you to meet my son! Those were the words of my oldest son as he burst through the door of the waiting room at Stormont-Vail last Monday afternoon.
I’m not sure if there’s a better time in a man’s life than the moment one of your own kids hand you their own new born child for the first time. No, life doesn’t get much better than that. If you’re already a grandpa, you know what I’m talking about. If not, be patient, it’ll be your turn sooner than you think.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve always loved being a dad. But man, there’s so much work involved. It starts as soon as the kids are born. First, you have to be there for that. Then there’s the stinking, diaper thing. God, I used to hate that. There’s the sleepless nights and as I’ve found out, those nights can last well into their teenage years. Being a dad, you’re expected to be the bad guy sometimes. I was never good at that part but I did try. And yes, I made plenty of mistakes.
Being a grandpa is so much easier. Take the delivery room thing. Been there done that. And I don’t ever have to do it again. Yeah, sitting in the waiting room for someone to come get you is way better. By the time you see the baby, he’s been cleaned up and they have him all wrapped up in his blanket. Yeah, the dirty diaper thing has already started. But it’s not my problem. And as for having to be the bad guy. That’s not my job anymore. I see my roll as the spoiler. I pretty much let them do whatever they want and send them home to let their parents figure it out. Maybe, deep down it’s my way of paying my kids back for some of the crap they pulled when they were younger. Just kidding.
My son and his wife named their little boy Shawn Lucas. My son’s name is Lucas and my middle name is Shawn. Yeah, they named him after the old man. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
Shawn and I have had a couple of pretty good talks. I can already tell he’s going to be a good football buddy. You should have seen his eyes light up when I told him the Chiefs were playing Denver at home this weekend. I’ve already told him not to worry if his parents won’t let him have that candy bar he wants. He can come over to grandpa’s and have all the candy he wants. Oh yeah, that new toy he wants and his dad said no. I’ve got that covered too. Yeah, this is going to be fun. I think he’s excited about going to Lone Duck Campground Colorado in August. He’ll be 9 months old by then. I wonder if that’s to young for him to learn how to light the camp fire. Just kidding.
I’m not sure what I’ve ever done to deserve the blessings I’ve been given. And you’d think having a grandson in November is as good as it gets. But there’s more. My daughter and her husband are expecting their second child and she’s due in about 3 weeks. Two new grandkids in one month! How cool is that?
So Shawn, enjoy being the baby of the family while you can. I’d like to be able to tell you if your new cousin is going to be a boy or a girl but your aunt Misty decided she wanted to be surprised. I’ve explained to her that I’m not a big fan of surprises. She explained to me that that’s too bad. Yeah, being a grandpa is alot easier.
Kevin McGinty can be reached at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net
I’m not sure if there’s a better time in a man’s life than the moment one of your own kids hand you their own new born child for the first time. No, life doesn’t get much better than that. If you’re already a grandpa, you know what I’m talking about. If not, be patient, it’ll be your turn sooner than you think.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve always loved being a dad. But man, there’s so much work involved. It starts as soon as the kids are born. First, you have to be there for that. Then there’s the stinking, diaper thing. God, I used to hate that. There’s the sleepless nights and as I’ve found out, those nights can last well into their teenage years. Being a dad, you’re expected to be the bad guy sometimes. I was never good at that part but I did try. And yes, I made plenty of mistakes.
Being a grandpa is so much easier. Take the delivery room thing. Been there done that. And I don’t ever have to do it again. Yeah, sitting in the waiting room for someone to come get you is way better. By the time you see the baby, he’s been cleaned up and they have him all wrapped up in his blanket. Yeah, the dirty diaper thing has already started. But it’s not my problem. And as for having to be the bad guy. That’s not my job anymore. I see my roll as the spoiler. I pretty much let them do whatever they want and send them home to let their parents figure it out. Maybe, deep down it’s my way of paying my kids back for some of the crap they pulled when they were younger. Just kidding.
My son and his wife named their little boy Shawn Lucas. My son’s name is Lucas and my middle name is Shawn. Yeah, they named him after the old man. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
Shawn and I have had a couple of pretty good talks. I can already tell he’s going to be a good football buddy. You should have seen his eyes light up when I told him the Chiefs were playing Denver at home this weekend. I’ve already told him not to worry if his parents won’t let him have that candy bar he wants. He can come over to grandpa’s and have all the candy he wants. Oh yeah, that new toy he wants and his dad said no. I’ve got that covered too. Yeah, this is going to be fun. I think he’s excited about going to Lone Duck Campground Colorado in August. He’ll be 9 months old by then. I wonder if that’s to young for him to learn how to light the camp fire. Just kidding.
I’m not sure what I’ve ever done to deserve the blessings I’ve been given. And you’d think having a grandson in November is as good as it gets. But there’s more. My daughter and her husband are expecting their second child and she’s due in about 3 weeks. Two new grandkids in one month! How cool is that?
So Shawn, enjoy being the baby of the family while you can. I’d like to be able to tell you if your new cousin is going to be a boy or a girl but your aunt Misty decided she wanted to be surprised. I’ve explained to her that I’m not a big fan of surprises. She explained to me that that’s too bad. Yeah, being a grandpa is alot easier.
Kevin McGinty can be reached at: kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net
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