Allie and I went to see Juno last night. Delightful little film. I haven't seen any of the other films that are up for best picture, but I hope this one wins, because it was heartwarming and uplifting.
If you Indiana folks haven't seen it yet, I think you'd like it.
In other news, work has been up and down. We're working on some things that could really make a difference, but it's up in the air as to weather they'll happen. The first is the budget. The city's finances are completely jacked up, but if we take some strong measures this year, we could begin to turn that around. The problem is that the City Manager has pitted a majority of the City Council against the Mayor and is pushing for a really shitty budget to be adopted, one that would make the city more financially screwed up. From what I understand, he's doing this because he's somewhat delusional about finances, but also because he simply wants to beat the Mayor.
The other thing we're working on getting passed is an ordinance that dramatically reduce the number of metal plates on the city's streets. For those of you who don't live here, Kansas City has an ungodly number of big, bulky metal plates on the streets, to cover utility cuts. They're an inch or so thick, and when you drive over them they jolt your car. They drive people positively nuts. Well, one of the Mayor's campaign promises was to get rid of them. And now that we're pushing to make it happen, we're getting push back from the city water department, which is responsible for a lot of them.
If we can manage to win these two fights, it'll go a long way toward a successful first term, as both issues strike at the very core of what the Mayor ran for. But politics could do them in, and keep Kansas City perpetually screwy.
A Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year
A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year
One of Kansas City Star's 100 Noteworthy Books of the Year
Winner of the William Rockhill Nelson Award for Nonfiction
Winner of the Harry Chapin Media Award
. . .
Forget the nerdy reputation that debate has. Instead think of a scenario as exciting as a sports game with high stakes like triumphing over racism. bad politics and abject poverty... An important, thoughtful and provocative look at race and class in America.
- The Boston Globe
Joe Miller's enthusiasm is infectious and the plot creates the suspense of a good courtroom thriller.
- Entertainment Weekly
The minute I finished Joe Miller's Cross-X, I held the book out in front of me -- amazed, rapturous, and hopeful... Miller's mesmerizing, vivid accounts of the debates will leave you crouched in your seat, holding your breath... An incredibly powerful, daringly hopeful book.
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Irresistible... Miller begins breezily but is soon deeply invested in the Central squad's mission to not only master the debate game on its own terms but revolutionize it with flashes of poetry and hip-hop wordplay... If all these kids could run things, Miller implies, imagine what could get done.
- Elle
1 comment:
i sat in on the town fork watershed committee as a rep for my housing assn; while i am not under any illusions that myself and the 2 or 3 others who showed up at those meeting made a huge difference -that being the job of the rather impressive number of engineers from black and veetch, as well as all the water department folk; both of whom outnumbered citizens at these avents 4 to 1- it was extremely interesting to understand the water/sewage problem this town faces, in detail. moreover, the actual proposals arrived at by the water department and their contractors were as innovative and gree as could possibly be allowed, given the enoormous amount of money that the progect is goint to take...
what i also find interesting is what miniscule play the Star gives the problem - and it always focuses on money, as though the city were simply looking for a way to raise rates...
nor has The Star mentioned the duration of the project. frankly, The Star has been doing the citizens of Kansas City a rather large disservice on this issue.
it's also funny how they covered W.C.'s office to cut the needed employees to free up some money for this - as well as cutting down on a bloated staff: to them, it was simply jobs out the door. just as, should political forces impede the acceptance of the massive sewage/water reconstrution plans, the will also probably simply note something to the effect that the mayor's office was remiss, ergo the EPA had to step in...rather than tell the truth about the epa mandated deadline because the jackasses in the office before him ignored the issue fr so long it's become a danger...
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
don't weaken.
oh, and get that ass W. C outta there.
good luck with the plates - i hate 'em.
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