tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59571942011-04-21T19:02:43.720-05:00The Gloss On LifeMy personal views on just about anythingAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comBlogger1471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-77888742862066051962008-11-24T20:19:00.002-06:002008-11-24T20:21:37.775-06:00Chernobyl RevisitedSome time back, I ran across this web site, hosted by "Elena". She takes her motorcycle (and Geiger counter) on a trip back into the frozen time of Chernobyl. It's fascinating and eerie and worth the 20 or 30 minutes it takes to read through her journey and view the scene. Enjoy the ride.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-65866017665514483562008-11-22T12:52:00.002-06:002008-11-22T13:03:29.175-06:00Biblical ErrorSee if you can guess which sect of Christianity (I use that term loosely) is based on the following biblical error.It all starts with Genesis 2:21-22So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the mans' ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-52865620741886159722008-11-13T20:06:00.002-06:002008-11-13T20:10:28.264-06:00How Ameren is dealing with Proposition CWell, that didn't take long. Ameren has a Pure Power initiative going now. Individual customers are asked to buy RECs (Renewable Energy Credits) for $15 per 1000kWh. Given that they need about 2 million MWh, they only needs customers to purchase about 2 million of these RECs to satisfy their part of Proposition C.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-21149136839237454342008-11-12T18:00:00.004-06:002008-11-12T18:39:43.417-06:00Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne AustraliaI was reading a daily devotional (a day late) and the entry for Veterans Day talked about the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne Australia. It was built in the early 1930s as a tribute to those soldiers who served in World War I. It has since been expanded to serve as a shrine for all veterans. What captured my attention, however, was this.Ray of LightAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-70070984527067811612008-11-11T18:01:00.002-06:002008-11-11T18:08:01.150-06:00Ignorance of the LawI've heard many times that "Ignorance of the Law is no excuse" and that does seem to be reasonable advice. I wonder, however, if that really does make sense.In particular, what is required is that one must know the relevant law before taking a particular action. We all know the normal stuff, generally regarding criminal law or traffic rules and such, but is it really AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-8409558355582703752008-11-08T06:33:00.003-06:002008-11-08T06:48:59.809-06:00What would I do different with Proposition C?So, if I were required to rewrite Proposition C, what changes would I make? First, let me say that I think the market would be best positioned to address this. By allowing customer to contract with their own power suppliers and purchase their own green power, they would vote with their dollars. They would also pay the costs of their choices.However,AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-18917268589527687662008-11-07T18:11:00.003-06:002008-11-07T19:41:10.410-06:00Practical Effects of Missouri Proposition CNow that I've examined the text and found it seriously wanting, I want to go through a bit of practical analysis to see just what it might mean and whether or not it is even possible to comply with this new legal mandate.I'll start by referencing the Missouri Public Service Commission 2007 Annual Report. In that report, on page 6, we find total AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-25395208608442386782008-11-07T17:18:00.003-06:002008-11-07T17:57:08.114-06:00Killing the nuclear power industry?It would actually be pretty easy. Currently, I think there are about 25 applications on file with the NRC to either build new plants or new units at existing plants. That's a significant number, considering that each unit can supply roughly 1200MW of power.But, when President-elect Obama takes office, he could kill them all with the strokes of a pen. First, AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-65969794585330877972008-11-05T20:08:00.003-06:002008-11-05T21:42:46.280-06:00Missouri voters approved Proposition C, mandating the use of renewable energy. I don't think the voters realize just what the legal text says, so I'll try to work through some of it. It was obviously written by people who have not a clue about how businesses actually work.The actual legal text is located at this link. Note that the statute performs a wholesale replacement of the existing AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-43755651393175038652008-11-05T19:50:00.001-06:002008-11-05T19:51:11.670-06:00Well, my company has instituted a new blogging policy and as long as I don't mention the company name, I'm good. I'll try blogging some again, now that the 2008 presidential election is over. It should be a "fun" 4 years.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1109437352763131952005-02-26T11:01:00.000-06:002005-02-26T11:02:32.763-06:00Sorry, I've been away for a while. Life got in the way, as it has a habit of doing from time to time. Posting here will still be irregular, but should continue now.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1082728454633702972004-04-23T08:53:00.000-05:002004-04-23T08:58:22.890-05:00Well, that's one way to lower class sizes
NEA supports pro-abortion rally this weekend in Washington DC.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1080923649099104872004-04-02T10:25:00.000-06:002004-04-02T10:39:16.200-06:00What God is Teaching me about Developmental Delay
Yesterday, the Special School District in our county arranged for an IEP to determine my daughter's Education Diagnosis so that a proper placement for next year (she starts Kindergarten) could be determined.
The Speech Path, OT, PT, her current Special Ed teacher, and a diagnostician from the SSD were all present as were her mother and myself. IAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1080171966533728672004-03-24T17:39:00.000-06:002004-03-24T17:49:34.403-06:00Links to Fred Weber Inc.
If you plan to contact Fred Weber Inc. directly, please be polite and do not use inflamatory language. Address the issue at hand, express your opinion (perhaps read it again before sending it), and be courteous. Contact information for Fred Weber can be found at the company's web site.
This particular page also has blurbage about Fred Weber's wholly owned (?) AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1080171486258986982004-03-24T16:49:00.001-06:002004-03-24T17:41:34.200-06:00Anti-SLAPP legislation in Missouri
Unfortunately, Fred Weber can get away with a SLAPP suit right now since Missouri doesn't have an ANTI-SLAPP statute.
There is a bill, SB 807 which is waiting to be placed on the Senate calendar for a vote. The bill is narrowly tailored, however, and may not include the circumstances surrounding the present case.
Please contact your state senator and AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1080168755148143342004-03-24T16:49:00.000-06:002004-03-24T16:56:03.483-06:00Fred Weber Gets Mean
The trash transfer station saga continues. After filing a SLAPP suit against the opposition, Fred Weber is now seeking to legal remove Councilmember Campisi from the Appeal hearing.
This section of south St. Louis county is unincorporated and has a single representative, Mr. Campisi. If Fred Weber is successful in getting Mr. Campisi removed from the hearing, the area AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1080148060184910112004-03-24T11:00:00.000-06:002004-03-24T11:11:08.060-06:00Elections in St. Louis County -- April 6
The next set of elections is coming in St. Louis County. In my neck of the woods, we're selecting 2 school board places for the Mehlville school board (3 year terms) out of 3 candidates. I plan to vote for Tom Correnti and Karl Frank Jr. (Driving around today, I noticed that Mrs. Diekemper and Mr. Correnti had yard signs out. The interesting thing was AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079830106244674272004-03-20T18:38:00.000-06:002004-03-20T18:51:48.640-06:00Kid's Menus at Restaurants
I have a simple question: Why are kids menus at restaurants so vastly different from adult menus, not just in portion size, which is expected, but also in the nature of the offerings?
Go into just about any restaurant (Bob Evans is one exception) and look at the kids menu. You'll see mac & cheese, chicken fingers with fries, grilled cheese, etc., regardless of what AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079809829329362822004-03-20T12:55:00.001-06:002004-03-20T15:10:10.420-06:00The Saint Louis Zoo
Over the years, I have visited a number of zoos both in the US and abroad. While I lived in Dallas, my ex-wife and I visited the Ft. Worth Zoo on occasion. Back in the early 90's, it was one of the few zoos which was undertaking the (expensive) transformation to more natural enclosures. The Dallas Zoo wasn't that great.
On moving to Colorado Springs, we had the opportunityAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079810957123766862004-03-20T12:55:00.000-06:002004-03-20T13:32:39.420-06:00Societal Bias Against Single Fathers
Look around at organizations devoted to single parent families and helping single parents raise kids and you'll inevitably see those organization targetted almost exclusive to single moms. It's frustrating as it really implies that single dads are not welcome.
Even here in my apartment complex, that attitude holds sway. My next door neighbor has a couple ofAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079742600519347402004-03-19T18:25:00.000-06:002004-03-19T18:33:21.716-06:00School Cafeteria Part III
Well, this just gets more interesting. Food was not delivered to some schools for 2 days in a row. Yesterday, one of the schools received lunches from a nearby ministry operation. (Calling the ACLU -- there must be some sort of violation here.) Today, that same school arranged with the ministry to have a BBQ.
The kids almost went hungry again. The culprit this timeAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079644278196725312004-03-18T15:05:00.000-06:002004-03-19T07:14:54.000-06:00School Lunches Today
After Tuesday's illnesses, the schools in the Saint Louis public school system (city) arranged for boxed lunches to be delivered to the various elementary schools. OK, the district is trying while the cafeterias are shut down.
So what happens? (Hint: the drivers of the delivery trucks are all members of the Teamsters Local 610 and are set to lose their jobs in 2 weeks whenAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079577476966387072004-03-17T20:37:00.000-06:002004-03-17T20:41:57.013-06:00School Children Ill
The big story last night and today here in St. Louis has been the large number of school children in the St. Louis City School District who were taken ill with apparent food poisoning after eating in the school cafeteria. The mysterious part was that this happened at more than one school.
The district, before the current school year, fired all of it's cafeteria workers and AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079574381703456672004-03-17T19:46:00.000-06:002004-03-17T19:49:40.060-06:00Sunshine Law update
Missouri House Bill HB 870 which was to add various electronic formats to the types of media used to record public meetings and on which various meeting information is to be made available upon request, is apparently stalled in the House Judiciary Committee.
A similar bill, HB1402, which updates the Sunshine Law to specifically include the administration of the University of AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079573179996403232004-03-17T19:26:00.000-06:002004-03-17T19:29:38.560-06:00Mehlville School Board -- Part II
Another editorial in the same Concord Call weekly newspaper talks about the board chairman, Bill Schornheuser, and calls for his resignation. That's a pretty serious charge.
Apparently, when Mr. Schornheuser learned that 3 candidates were running for the 2 open places on the school board (3 year terms, I believe) and that one of the candidates, Karl Frank Jr., AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079570801341907212004-03-17T18:46:00.000-06:002004-03-17T18:49:59.640-06:00Two Bible Studies
I'm currently in 2 bible studies. On, a biweekly study, is discussing the topic "Waiting Upon the Lord." Since for me, waiting implies statis (think about what you can do while waiting in a doctor's office) I have had a hard time really grasping this concept.
The other study is a weekly study on the Gospel of John. We're about 8 weeks in now and as leader, I'm preparing the AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079568562120658692004-03-17T18:09:00.000-06:002004-03-17T21:05:54.373-06:00Concealed Weapons Permits in St. Louis County!
The County Council, in breaking news, voted today 5-0, to allow concealed weapons permits to be issued in St. Louis County. Permits may be issued starting as early as this coming Saturday, March 20.
Stay tuned for more.
Note, this was from a FOX 2 KTVI over the air news broadcast. At present, I have been unable to confirm this.
UPDATE: This for AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079567877125920462004-03-17T17:57:00.000-06:002004-03-17T18:01:15.873-06:00Mehlville School Board Election -- April 6
The Concord Call a local weekly newspaper all residents within this section of unincorporated South St. Louis County receive (or one of the sister publications) has an article today about the candidate forum. I must say that the incumbent candidate, Mrs. Rita Diekemper completely misunderstands the Sunshine Law. I used to be County Chair of the St. AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079562252795420662004-03-17T16:24:00.000-06:002004-03-17T16:27:52.060-06:00Down Syndrome Educational Conference
Did you ever have one of those periods of weeks where literally every event imaginable seemed to happen? They didn't happen all at once, but seemed to fit neatly into my schedule so that there was no available time to do much of anything else.
Anyway, the big event this past weekend was to attend the annual Educational Conference here in St. Louis sponsored AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1079559447864852632004-03-17T15:37:00.000-06:002004-03-17T15:40:46.090-06:00The Latest Christian Carnival is Up!
You can find the latest Christian Carnival here hosted this week by Patriot Paradox.
Check it out.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1078709966005970342004-03-07T19:39:00.000-06:002004-03-07T19:42:30.606-06:00Trash Transfer Stations Redux
Last fall, I wrote about Trash Transfer Stations in South St. Louis County. Since that time, the fight has only become more acrimonious.
Friday's Post-Dispatch contained an article noting that Fred Weber had filed a SLAPP suit against one of the primary opponents in the dispute as well as a firm managing the monies for the opposition organization which hopes to AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1078701899480969772004-03-07T17:24:00.000-06:002004-03-15T17:23:39.216-06:00The kind of Dad God wants me to be
My daughter has Down Syndrome. She is a true gift from God and I love her more than I can possible express in words. Raising a special needs child takes patience (huge bucket-loads) and persistence. As a single father (my daughter's condition is partly what lead to the split, it's partly my communication style, and partly our history of growing up in AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1078692288421329782004-03-07T14:44:00.000-06:002004-03-09T12:16:41.060-06:00God does answer prayer
As I sat with my daughter this afternoon reading books and watching a movie, I got a phone call from a friend, an elderly lady from my last church whom I visit on occassion. I used to drive her to and from church during the winter months when her friends were playing down in Florida. We developed a friendship and can talk to each other. In some respects, I'm the only oneAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1078686572302957732004-03-07T13:09:00.000-06:002004-03-07T13:23:59.340-06:00Focus on the Trivial
I see lots of material on the net, mostly undeveloped opinion, and feel compelled to comment about it at length and in detail. (See, for example, this post by CalPundit and the comments. I could develop a length and thoughtful response which takes both sides to task.)
I see stuff about how to reform the military (which may be a good thing in many ways,) which sorts of AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1078550356136487232004-03-05T23:19:00.000-06:002004-03-05T23:22:33.996-06:00The Medieval Crime Museum
If you are ever in Rothenberg ob der Tauber, you must visit the Medieval Crime Museum there. It has a wonderful collection of devices and such used in the administration of justice during medieval times. It wasn't all stocks or cages. Shame was a large part of that justice system.
Gossips were punished by forcing them to wear a large mask with a huge tongue hanging AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1078549809500697512004-03-05T23:10:00.000-06:002004-03-05T23:13:12.000-06:00Le Struthof
When my wife and I lived (and I worked) in Mulhouse, France, we took a trip up to visit Le Struthof one winters day.
Snow had fallen the night before, about 5" or so, and was threatening again. The sky was gray and a chill wind drifted about, swirling here and there. Le Struthof sits perhaps 50K west of Strasbourg, France, nestled in the Vosges mountains. It is the only AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1078549242259897462004-03-05T23:00:00.000-06:002004-03-05T23:03:44.840-06:00The Passion of the Christ
I have yet to see this movie and given my schedule, I think the next available date I have is the 27th of March. (Yes, I'm writing this on the 5th.) Weeknights are out as are Sundays. Likewise, any weekend when I have custody of my daughter.
On the 13th, there is an all day educational conference here in St. Louis sponsored by the Down Syndrome Association of GreaterAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1078404127027766252004-03-04T06:42:00.000-06:002004-03-04T06:45:06.780-06:00Who pays business taxes?
Chip Taylor notes yesterday a report by COST about business taxes. That report goes blithely forward and discusses business taxes as if businesses really did pay taxes.
Chip goes on to point out that simply stating that businesses don't pay taxes, but simply treat taxes as a cost to be passed on to consumers is correct by incomplete.
Most of the discussion is about taxAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-107823705144307992004-03-02T08:17:00.000-06:002004-03-02T08:20:28.873-06:00Resumed Blogging
The very busy 2 weeks are over and I played a bit of catch up this past weekend. I'll blog more about that in the next couple of days and I think I'm going prepare a post for Carnival of the Christians for next week on "The 4 Natures of Man" with a focus on the spiritual nature. It should be fun.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1077489497921100742004-02-22T16:38:00.000-06:002004-02-22T16:41:38.326-06:00Missouri Public Schools and Our Money
Last Monday, President's Day, a number of public school employees, administrators, and teachers, took a trip to the state capital, Jefferson City, to agitate for more funding for the public schools. Governor Holden, as was required by law, withheld some $200M of state funds pending those funds actually being received by the Dept. of Revenue. Those AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1077372256786624042004-02-21T08:04:00.000-06:002004-02-21T08:07:00.593-06:00Light Posting
Sorry for the light posting the last few and next several days, but life intrudes sometimes. My ex-wife, a practicing Christian Scientist, and I, a practicing evangelical Christian at First Evangelical Free Church, are deciding how our daughter, who has Down Syndrome, should be educated in Kindergarten next year. Our divorce decree spells out some of the details, but that hasn't AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1076937927711860522004-02-16T07:25:00.000-06:002004-02-16T07:28:04.326-06:00The Price of Gasoline
There was an editorial in one of the Seattle-area papers yesterday complaining that gas may end up costing between $2-$3 per gallon there by the summer. The author was attempting to refute the idea that the price rise was due to the tightening supply and OPEC's recent decision to decrease production levels by 1.5million barrels per day starting April 1. He noted that the AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1076779939165633482004-02-14T11:32:00.000-06:002004-02-14T11:34:53.170-06:00Electrical Blackout last Summer Due to Software Bug
The final report was released regarding last summer's electrical blackout in the Northeast. Approximately 50 million households in the northeastern US and Canada were without power for a day or 2 at least.
Now, it turns out, that the alarm programs which were supposed to monitor the electrical grid had become deadlocked and were unable to AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1076779668385189142004-02-14T11:27:00.000-06:002004-02-14T11:30:22.450-06:00The release of Microsoft Windows Source Code
As has been reported by various mainstream media in the last day or so, quite a bit of the source code Microsoft used to build Windows NT and Windows 2000 was released publicly. Microsoft has launched an investigation of what happened and hackers are alleged to be ready to have a field day picking apart the code to find new exploits.
I wonder if AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1076778302970116352004-02-14T11:05:00.000-06:002004-02-14T11:07:37.326-06:00Politics as usual in Chicago?
This story in the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch points to an interesting "coincidence."
It seems that a large firm, bidding for a city contract, just happened to donate $30,000 to the campaign of Gov. Blagojovich. Later, that same firm just happened to be awarded a multi-million dollar contract even though it wasn't the lowest bidder.
Unfortunately, this sort of thingAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1076777268141398312004-02-14T10:47:00.000-06:002004-02-14T11:01:40.420-06:00Laser Isotope Separation
Steven Den Beste responds to Wretchard regarding proliferation of nuclear devices by Al Qaida. In the course of that discussion, he talks about the difficulty of separating U235 from U238 using centrifugal methods.
Back in the mid 1980's when I was in graduate school, I worked peripherally with an effort to determine if laser isotope separation was feasible. The idea AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1076771427890155282004-02-14T09:10:00.000-06:002004-02-14T09:13:02.060-06:00Advice for Men going for their first Prostate Exam
When men turn 40, they are advised to find a Urologist (or use their Primary Care Physician) and have their first PSA and DRE tests performed. Here are a few things to consider before that first exam.
First, abstain from sex or sexual release for at least 3 days prior to the exam.
This is important since the muscles involved in the release AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1076768714758113462004-02-14T08:25:00.000-06:002004-02-14T08:27:48.780-06:00What Kills the most Americans each year?
Some of you might be tempted to say auto accidents (about 40K) or if you're more knowledgable, perhaps you'll say cancer (553,251 in 2001 National Vital Statistics Report (pdf)) or even heart disease (699,697 in 2001.) All of those are big numbers and each death is tragic, but the biggest killer of Americans each year is conventional medicine with a AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1076419276644674152004-02-10T07:21:00.000-06:002004-02-10T07:23:45.076-06:00Mercury, Autism, and Childhood Vaccines
Yesterday (Feb. 9, 2004), I read a report on CNN that the commission on childhood vaccines will once again take up the topic of mercury in childhood vaccines and what effects that might have. (Sorry, no link.)
The report indicated that within the last 3 years (the commission last met in 2001) there have been a number of additional studies which may help AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1076100506886760872004-02-06T14:48:00.000-06:002004-02-06T14:54:49.216-06:00Mercury Impedes Brain Function
This is something we've known for quite a while, but Reuters reports on a recent study done on 1000 children (and their mothers) both prenatal and post-natal.
The diets consisted largely of fish, much of which was contaminated by mercury. There was a positive correlation seen between increased mercury load and irregular brain activity.
So why then to physicians AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1075992341131045642004-02-05T08:45:00.000-06:002004-02-05T08:48:02.343-06:00Homosexual Marriage, Part II
Many Christians are decrying the recent ruling from the Massechusetts Supreme Court demanding that marriage be expanded from it's traditional definition of the union of 1 man with 1 woman. There is also a move afoot to protect homosexuals from what they consider to be hate speech. These 2 forces are going to collide with Evangelical Christian doctrine.
Many AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1075991647867551292004-02-05T08:34:00.000-06:002004-02-05T08:36:51.233-06:00Homosexual Marriage
The Massachusetts Supreme Court has first, carved out a new right, that of marriage between persons not of opposite sexes, and has now determined that separate but equal will not do. The latter clarification following logically from the initial ruling.
I disagree with the court ruling and believe that marriage, as it has developed over the last several millenia is the properAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1075909284347610182004-02-04T09:41:00.000-06:002004-02-04T09:43:57.420-06:00South Dakota Legislature set to Ban Abortion
Joe Carter at The Evangelical Outpost points to legislation currently making it's way through the South Dakota legislature which would ban abortion. He has a series of blog entries (here, here, and here.)
Now, you might think that this is an impossible task, after all the Supreme Court effectively permitted abortion to occur with the Roe -v- Wade AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1075851976481870032004-02-03T17:46:00.000-06:002004-02-03T17:48:35.450-06:00The Great Drug Debate
Tech Central Station has an excellent article, transcript really, of a debate on the issue of drug (re)importation. I highly recommend reading this article provided you've got an hour or so to go through it.
I tend to agree with Dr. Freidman quite a bit when he says that the real issue is the FDA. I've stated that myself on a number of occasions, noting that their AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1075741345996877092004-02-02T11:02:00.000-06:002004-02-02T11:04:43.810-06:00Sewer Bowl
I'm glad that I only watched the last few minutes of the game. I saw the most exciting part of the event and didn't have to subject myself to the (not unexpected) garbage spewed at half-time.
Spending the time at a regular bi-weekly bible study (on "Waiting on the Lord") proved to be a far better use of my time.
I probably won't watch the game at all next year. What's the point? AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1075560664151530592004-01-31T08:51:00.000-06:002004-01-31T08:53:19.200-06:00Radioactive decay sequences
Fusion sequences of stars build up hydrogen gas into other atoms up to and including iron. What about the creation fo the heavier elements? How do they get created?
When a star nears the end of it's life, it continues to fuse heavier elements than hydrogen. When these shifts occur from burning hydrogen to burning primarily helium to burning heavier elements, the AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1075557080341865702004-01-31T07:51:00.000-06:002004-01-31T07:53:35.343-06:00Background Radiation
Let's start with the concept of what is called Blackbody radiation. If an object has a certain temperature and is contained within a vacuum, it will cool at a very specific rate, based on it's temperature difference with it's environment. This property of the matter GOD created is well known and well understood. This assumes a perfect blackbody which does not absorb heat AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1075556322738553882004-01-31T07:38:00.000-06:002004-01-31T07:40:57.263-06:00The concept of the Red Shift
There are several properties of matter which Young Earth Creationists simply overlook in order to demonstrate that the earth is only about 10,000 years old. The Red Shift and radioactive decay chains are but 2 of the most significant.
GOD created matter and he created light. There is no dispute from Christians about that. GOD therefore created the properties of AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1075553129041505292004-01-31T06:45:00.000-06:002004-01-31T06:47:43.450-06:00Evolution -- What is it really?
During this past week, there have been a number of stories arise about the concept of Evolution. In Georgia, there is an attempt to simply banish the word from biology texts. In Missouri, there is a legislative effort to require that Intelligent Design be taught along with Evolution, both as theories.
Joe Carter, in his blog The Evangelical Outpost attempts to AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1075551841552474302004-01-31T06:24:00.000-06:002004-01-31T06:26:16.140-06:00Current Bible Study -- The Gospel of John
Our current small group, 3 guys, is embarking on the study of the Gospel of John. We're not using any formal study guide, but are swapping leadership from week to week, using texts which we find relevant or helpful.
I'm using F.F. Bruce "The Gospel and Epistles of John" a fairly detailed verse by verse treatment (available from Christian Book AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1074709354124746432004-01-21T12:22:00.000-06:002004-01-21T12:26:46.640-06:00Holden's little trick
Today, Bob Holden, Governor of MO, gave his annual state of the state speech as well as sending his proposed budget to the legislature. His proposed budget includes increases in the cigarette taxes, casino taxes, and taxes on the "wealthy" whoever they happen to be. All of these tax proposals require approval by the voters.
A couple of years ago, a proposed hike in the AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1074313285249505132004-01-16T22:21:00.000-06:002004-01-16T22:23:20.280-06:00The Sky is Falling!
During the past year, an estimated 45,000 members of AARP have quit over the groups stance on the Medicare reform bill (including the prescription drug benefit.)
This is horrible, I must say. After all, it's a whopping 0.13% of their total membership. That's got to hurt.
Tell me again why this story makes the Fox News lead?AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1074171614716978082004-01-15T07:00:00.000-06:002004-01-24T06:40:02.436-06:00Can you say "Malfeasance"?
Read this story from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and see if you can't see a problem here.
Officially, the only thing the mayor did wrong was having access to evidence, serious enough by itself. The citizens of that city ought to have his head at the next election. Theft, in any form is wrong, but then to make everyone in city hall aware of the theft, to brag about itAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1074021065348064182004-01-13T13:11:00.000-06:002004-01-13T13:12:55.746-06:00Wealth of Topics
There are many things I have on my plate to discuss here, but will not be able to do much until later in the week.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073871636178664602004-01-11T19:40:00.000-06:002004-01-11T19:40:56.873-06:00Business with a Social Conscience?
CBS 60 Minutes had a segment on tonight's show about Greyston Bakeries and how the company is not only making a profit, but also serving the community.
The company hires folks who would otherwise be on welfare or the street and teaches them some of the most basic job skills -- show up (on time,) work hard, be honest, etc. all while making high end bakery AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073828249323693152004-01-11T07:37:00.000-06:002004-01-11T13:44:29.583-06:00Missouri Public School Funding Lawsuit ... with a twist
I always like stories with twists in them. It makes the reading so much more interesting and now a number of public schools suing the state of Missouri over inequities in public school funding have offered just such a twist.
Back in the 1970's, the MO state legislature regenerated it's school funding formula taking into account various AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073821693917425452004-01-11T05:48:00.000-06:002004-01-11T05:48:34.353-06:00Why Religious Fundamentalists are Republican
It says so right in the bible:
Ecc 10:2 A wise man's heart [is] at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
So there you go. :)
Actually, the Message translates this better:
Ecc 10:2 Wise thinking leads to right living; Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.
No, I'm not going to delve into translation issues, but found this little verse AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073777460407410432004-01-10T17:31:00.000-06:002004-01-10T17:31:20.766-06:00Buying things online
Before the advent of the internet, buying hard to find items was a real challenge, whether it was a tough shoe size, an obscure product, or a something by a less well-known, but cherished company. Those sorts of things were tough to come by.
With the internet, finding and buying those sorts of things has become routine. There is a downside, however. Products which used toAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073774448206435892004-01-10T16:40:00.000-06:002004-01-10T16:41:08.413-06:00Give it back?
It seems the city of Cape Giradeau has a little problem. I'll let them explain.
The city of Cape Girardeau could stockpile $450,000 in motel and restaurant tax money over a seven-month period for tourism and economic development projects after it pays off bonds this spring that have financed improvements in Shawnee and Osage parks. ...
Martin said it would ultimately be up to AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073773717046985232004-01-10T16:28:00.000-06:002004-01-10T16:28:57.440-06:00Lawsuit against a Drug Company, lost in the shuffle
In little noticed news, Peabody Coal Company, based in St. Louis, filed a $35M lawsuit against Merck alleging that Merck defrauded it's employees through it's then subsidiary Medco, a mail order pharmacy. The Jefferson City News Tribune picks up the story.
The lawsuit alleges that pharmacy benefits provider Medco Health Solutions Inc. AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073750066669461582004-01-10T09:54:00.000-06:002004-01-10T09:54:42.740-06:0024 Hour Days
Using the principles of relativity, it is possible to make a 24 hour day last as long as desired merely by changing one's viewpoint. Does that invalidate the possibility of a 24 hour day as the actual extent in the creation story? No, but we must ponder that since Man was not created until the 6th day, the first 5 days can not be described from the perspective of man. Sure, such AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073749543942408542004-01-10T09:45:00.000-06:002004-01-10T09:46:00.123-06:00String Theory and Vibrational Modes
Don't worry about the discussion of creation. At this point, I'm still laying out some scientific background.
The most recent hypothesis about a Unified Field Theory is termed SuperString Theory. In this proposal, the universe has not the 4 dimension we see today (3 space, 1 time) but rather 10 dimensions. The other 6, for some reason, yet to be determined,AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073748329178306002004-01-10T09:25:00.000-06:002004-01-10T09:25:45.543-06:00Zero-point Energy of the Universe
Every physics student who has studied quantum mechanics knows that the space surrounding any particle has a zero-point energy, but that all matter has a ground state which is greater than this zero-point energy. Furthermore, even the background has an energy which is greater than this zero-point energy.
The result is that the background teams with particles AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073747657958506982004-01-10T09:14:00.000-06:002004-01-10T09:14:34.426-06:00The Origin of the Universe
One of the things which has always fascinated me was how the universe began. I was raised in a Southern Baptist church and so got the 6 (24 hour, I might add) days of creation story. Until early adolescence, I had no reason to disbelieve that story as told.
As I started to learn how to think, some details became less clear to me and being intellectually curious by AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073663359352451192004-01-09T09:49:00.000-06:002004-01-09T09:49:39.133-06:00The Lawsuits of Madison County
Madison County, IL, just across the river from St. Louis, MO and considered to be part of the greater St. Louis Metro area, may just have to start looking for a new claim to fame. Based on this report from FOX News, the class action tort reform legislation killed off in the Senate this past October, when only 59 votes could be mustered in it's support, may be backAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073571560728099542004-01-08T08:19:00.000-06:002004-01-08T08:19:40.680-06:00Embryonic Stem Cells
I listen to KSIV rather frequently and occasionally, I hear a commercial regarding the use of adult stem cells versus the use of embryonic stem cells. In particular, the commercial notes that there have been a number of people cured of various serious illnesses using adult stem cells, but none via the use of embryonic stem cells. It concludes that we should therefore not AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073523881055289462004-01-07T19:04:00.000-06:002004-01-07T19:05:01.010-06:00Congressman's Money Back Guarantee?
One of 6 persons vieing for the Missouri 3rd District seat being vacated by Dick Gephardt, is offering a money back guarantee to donors, should he win office. If he is elected and if after the 2 year term, any donor doesn't like his efforts, he's offering a no questions asked, full money back refund. The FEC notes that this apparently, violates no campaign AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073500949550790782004-01-07T12:42:00.000-06:002004-01-07T12:42:48.913-06:00The Last Rung
Or "Why Manufacturing Jobs are moving Offshore" is perhaps a more interesting subtext.
This article from Forbes magazine details why a small ladder manufacture is finally closing up shop. Even though his business has won all legal challenges, the cost of his liability insurance has skyrocketed from 6% of sales to over 29%. He just can't keep up and decided to close shop before itAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073072287856110512004-01-02T13:38:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:38:25.916-06:00Several dozen posts on Prefiled bills in the Missouri House
The next several dozen entries all relate to prefiled bills in the Missouri House. (The Missouri Senate's list is similar, so I haven't gone through it yet.)
I picked out the items which interested me and appear to have some impact, some which have obvious unintended consequences, and some which just go to show that the government has AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073072053086466562004-01-02T13:34:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:34:31.200-06:00Prefiled Resolution: Missouri -- Term limit Redux
HJR 29 -- Term Limits
Sponsor: Ward
This proposed constitutional amendment increases the total number
of years that a person may serve in either house of the General
Assembly from eight to 12 years and increases the total number of
years a person may serve in the General Assembly from 16 to 24
years.
We told them no a few years ago, but they AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073071910232918302004-01-02T13:31:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:32:08.373-06:00Prefiled Resolution: Missouri -- Balanced Budget submission, without tax increases
HJR 28 -- State Budget
Sponsor: Roark
This proposed constitutional amendment prohibits the Governor's
itemized estimated budget plan for proposed state spending from
including revenues that are contingent upon voter approval.
Currently, the governor must submit a balanced budget, as is the requirement in most AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073071737730652622004-01-02T13:28:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:29:15.923-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- DNA database
HB 931 Revises the DNA Profiling System to require DNA samples from any felon and any juvenile adjudicated for a felony or sex offense.
AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073071668071188392004-01-02T13:27:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:28:06.270-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Don't leave a child unattended in a car -- ever
Creates the crime of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle in the third degree.
So if I fill up with gas and head inside to pay (I like to use cash instead of a card) while my daughter is in the locked vehicle, I would now be committing a crime. I must remove her from her car seat, take her in with me, in AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073071453973129762004-01-02T13:24:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:24:32.223-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- From the "Self-Defenseless" department
HB 919 -- Possession of Body Armor
Sponsor: Cooper (120)
This bill makes it a crime for persons who have pled guilty or
nolo contendere to or have been convicted of a dangerous felony
to posses, purchase, or own body armor. The bill outlines
certain exemptions to this law.
The penalty for illegal possession of body armor is a AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073071317790819052004-01-02T13:21:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:22:16.070-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Legislating Science
I love it when legislators think they have the first clue about anything scientific. This bill just goes to show that they do not.
HB 911 -- Standard Science Instruction
Sponsor: Cooper (155)
This bill prescribes definitions for the teaching of standard
science in public elementary and secondary schools by
distinguishing the differences between AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073071145502917582004-01-02T13:19:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:19:23.820-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Additional filings with the MO Ethics Commission
HB 906 -- Campaign Information Disclosure
Sponsor: LeVota
This bill requires any individual, acting on his or her own
behalf or representing any business or committee other than a
candidate or party committee, who purchases print advertising,
purchases or causes any matter to be transmitted on a broadcast
station, or AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073071036975490652004-01-02T13:17:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:17:35.323-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- This will never fly in St. Louis
HB 900 -- Voter Registration Identification
Sponsor: Taylor
This bill requires persons registering to vote to give proof of
United States citizenship and to give their name, address, and
the last four digits of their Social Security number.
After all, St. Louis is almost as bad as Chicago for vote fraud.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073070965530169752004-01-02T13:16:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:16:23.886-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Tax Credit for Pregnancy centers
But only those which don't provide abortions or refer for abortions, ie not Planned Parenthood.
HB 893 -- Pregnancy Resource Centers
Sponsor: Icet
This bill authorizes a tax credit for 50% of contributions to
qualified pregnancy resource centers.
Pregnancy resource centers are nonresidential facilities that
provide assistance and AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073070846970687882004-01-02T13:14:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:14:25.356-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- A problem for religious charities?
HB 885 -- Discrimination Policies
Sponsor: Wilson (130)
This bill prohibits any public institution or entity that
receives state funds from adopting a discrimination policy that
exceeds current federal protections against discrimination.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073070785871524902004-01-02T13:13:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:13:24.263-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Can't punish employee theft, don't ya know.
HB 882 -- Employees' Wages
Sponsor: Graham
This bill prohibits employers from deducting the cost of stolen
merchandise from an employee's wages. Any employer who violates
this provision is guilty of a class A misdemeanor and must
reimburse the employee for the wages unlawfully deducted plus
$500.AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073070705869471492004-01-02T13:11:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:12:19.560-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Shouldn't this have happened a long time ago?
HB 878 -- Child Support Payments
Sponsor: Salva
This bill prohibits any child support check or other
correspondence from containing the Social Security number of any
child support obligee, obligor, or the child entitled to the
support, unless otherwise required by federal law or court order.
Social Security numbers may beAllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073070597668808312004-01-02T13:09:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:10:16.110-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Sunshine law reform
HB 870 -- Sunshine Law
Sponsor: Harris (23)
This bill makes various changes to the Sunshine Law. In its main
provisions, the bill:
(1) Expands the definition of "public meeting" to include
meetings conducted by conference call, video conference, Internet
chat, or Internet message board;
(2) Expands the definition of "public vote" to include AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073070463482308912004-01-02T13:07:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:08:01.956-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- It's sad that we actually need this one
HB 863 -- Assault on a Sports Official
Sponsor: Richard
This bill creates the crime of intimidation of an athletic coach
or sports official, a class D felony. The crime occurs when a
person commits harassment or misdemeanor assault and the act is
motivated by the victim's status as a coach or sports official.
Parents out of AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073070386308516922004-01-02T13:06:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:06:44.800-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Repeal of the Blaine amendment?
HB 860 -- Higher Education Financial Assistance
Sponsor: Rupp
Currently, higher education students who are receiving assistance
from the Missouri College Guarantee Program must meet the same
eligibility requirements as those receiving assistance from the
Charles Gallagher Program, which cannot be used to study theology
or divinity. AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073070209280591912004-01-02T13:03:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:05:38.066-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- "SEX OFFENDER" on drivers license
HB 858 -- Sex Offenders
Sponsor: Dusenberg
This bill requires the Department of Revenue to put the words
"SEX OFFENDER" on driver's licenses issued to any person who is
required to register as a sex offender. The State Highway Patrol
must provide the department with the name, address, and Social
Security number of every person on AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073070080147372562004-01-02T13:01:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:01:38.693-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- More taxes, just what we need
HB 856 -- School District Tax Alternatives
Sponsor: Holand
This bill allows school districts to adopt by voter approval a
personal income tax, sales tax, or both. Moneys raised by the
taxes would not be deducted from a district's state school aid.
For either tax, the school district must specify the purpose of
the tax and the period of AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073069960416645242004-01-02T12:59:00.000-06:002004-01-02T12:59:38.180-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Mental health the same as Physical health
HB 855 -- Health Insurance
Sponsor: Holand
Under current law, there are several exceptions to the
requirement that health insurers who cover services for mental
illness and addictive disorders provide the same coverage as they
do for physical illness. These include exceptions that allow
insurers to limit inpatient hospital AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073069792232651132004-01-02T12:56:00.000-06:002004-01-02T12:56:50.043-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- One the Unions will oppose
HB 844 -- Open Contracting Act
Sponsor: Mayer
This bill establishes the Open Contracting Act. The state and
political subdivisions when procuring products, letting
contracts, issuing grants, or entering into cooperative
agreements for construction of public works may not:
(1) Require or prohibit contractors to enter into or adhere to
AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073069636323932952004-01-02T12:53:00.000-06:002004-01-02T12:54:14.170-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Using Patented (GM) Seeds
HB 829 -- Seed Availability and Competition Act
Sponsor: Shoemyer
This bill is to be known as the Missouri Seed Availability and
Competition Act. The bill requires farmers who plant patented
seed and want to retain seed from their harvest for next season's
planting to register with the Department of Agriculture and pay a
fee of $7 for each AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5957194.post-1073069464300314852004-01-02T12:51:00.000-06:002004-01-02T13:04:22.443-06:00Prefiled bill: Missouri -- Deposit Only Trust Fund
HB 827 -- Hancock Amendment Refund Trust Fund
Sponsor: LeVota
This bill creates the Hancock Amendment Refund Trust Fund.
Taxpayers due a refund of $10 or less pursuant to Article X,
Section 18 of the Missouri Constitution, commonly known as the
Hancock Amendment, may designate on their state income tax return
that the refund be credited to AllenGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00107753541086629092noreply@blogger.com