Advisory canceled!

The winter weather advisory has been canceled.  There is still the possibility of a few slick spots tonight so be careful.

Winter Weather Advisory For Jeffersonville

From the National Weather Service:

...WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR...

.A STORM SYSTEM ORGANIZING OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL BRING A
MIX OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION TO SOUTHERN INDIANA AND NORTH CENTRAL
KENTUCKY THROUGH NEW YEARS DAY. LIGHT SNOW MAY BEGIN AS EARLY AS
NOON TODAY ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA...ALTHOUGH THE MAIN IMPACTS
FROM THIS STORM WILL BE AROUND MIDNIGHT THROUGH MID MORNING ON
TUESDAY ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA AND NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY.
ACCUMULATIONS OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT BUT
COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT WITH INCREASED TRAVEL FOR THE HOLIDAY.

INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>025-030>033-311700-
/O.NEW.KLMK.WW.Y.0012.121231T1800Z-130101T1500Z/
ORANGE IN-WASHINGTON IN-SCOTT IN-JEFFERSON IN-DUBOIS IN-
CRAWFORD IN-PERRY IN-HARRISON IN-FLOYD IN-CLARK IN-HANCOCK KY-
BRECKINRIDGE KY-MEADE KY-JEFFERSON KY-OLDHAM KY-TRIMBLE KY-
HENRY KY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PAOLI...SALEM...SCOTTSBURG...MADISON...
JASPER...MARENGO...TELL CITY...CORYDON...NEW ALBANY...
JEFFERSONVILLE...HAWESVILLE...HARDINSBURG...BRANDENBURG...
LOUISVILLE...LA GRANGE...BEDFORD...NEW CASTLE
410 AM EST MON DEC 31 2012 /310 AM CST MON DEC 31 2012/

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM EST /NOON CST/
THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM EST /9 AM CST/ TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOUISVILLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...SLEET...AND FREEZING RAIN...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM 1 PM EST /NOON CST/ THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM EST /9 AM
CST/ TUESDAY.

* TIMING: PRECIPITATION TYPE WILL START OUT AS ALL SNOW ACROSS
  SOUTHERN INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING.
  THEN...EXPECT A CHANCE OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN...FREEZING
  DRIZZLE...OR SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT THROUGH THE MID MORNING NORTH
  OF THE OHIO RIVER. SOME SLEET COULD MIX IN AS WELL.

  ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE RIVER...EXPECT A LIGHT RAIN OR SNOW MIX
  FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING. THEN...A MIX OF
  SNOW...SLEET...AND RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM AROUND MIDNIGHT
  THROUGH MID MORNING ON TUESDAY. SOME LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL
  ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF TUESDAY.

* MAIN IMPACT: A MIXTURE OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND DRIZZLE COULD
  LEAD TO A GLAZE OF ICE ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA. ACCUMULATIONS
  WOULD BE A TENTH OF AN INCH OR LESS. ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE OHIO
  RIVER...SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN 1 INCH ARE
  EXPECTED. A LIGHT GLAZE OF ICE MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE.

* OTHER IMPACTS: ALTHOUGH ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE
  LIGHT...THE PUBLIC IS URGED TO USE CAUTION IF TRAVELING
  TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY AROUND MIDNIGHT OR AFTER. TRAFFIC WILL
  LIKELY BE INCREASED WITH PEOPLE OUT ENJOYING THE HOLIDAY AND
  LARGE IMPACTS FROM A SMALL AMOUNT OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION WILL
  BE POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET...OR
FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.

Winter Storm Warning For Jeffersonville

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Clark County, including Jeffersonville.  Their forecast calls for 2-3 inches of snow.  At this time the warning is more for northern Clark County as they could receive up to 4-5 inches of snow.  However, this storm is rapidly developing.  Warm air and moisture is coming in from the south while the storm is bringing in the cold air from the north.  The line between the warm and cold air is once again very near us (just like Wednesday).  Also the Storms Prediction Center just issued a statement that "thundersnow" is possible.  Anyone caught in thundersnow would pick up an inch or two of snow very quickly. 

All things considered, I think the forecast for 2-3 inches of snow for us is solid right now.  This is not a storm that requires people to run to the grocery store (unless you planned on going Saturday morning and just want to avoid that).  I will update this blog post if anything changes.

Winter Weather Advisory

We are now under a winter weather   advisory.  Most of the counties to our west, north, and northeast are under blizzard warnings.  Right now the thinking is that after some heavy rain we would end up with a light snow accumulation.  The heavy snow accumulations would start in northern clark county.  With only a few miles to the heavy snowfall amounts and just as many miles to all rain the situation will have to be monitored.

Winter Storm Watch For Jeffersonville

FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE:

Winter Storm Watch

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
441 AM EST TUE DEC 25 2012

...SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATING SNOW LIKELY WEDNESDAY...

.A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO TRACK THROUGH THE
TENNESSEE VALLEY ON WEDNESDAY. ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THIS LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM...PRECIPITATION WILL START OUT AS A LIGHT WINTRY
MIX OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET RESULTING IN SOME ICE
ACCUMULATIONS. AS PRECIPITATION TRANSITIONS TO ALL SNOW EARLY
WEDNESDAY MORNING...A BAND OF MODERATE TO AT TIMES HEAVY SNOW IS
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATING SNOW
ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN INDIANA.

INZ079-084-089>092-KYZ023-032-252200-
/O.NEW.KLMK.WS.A.0003.121226T0300Z-121227T0000Z/
JEFFERSON IN-CRAWFORD IN-PERRY IN-HARRISON IN-FLOYD IN-CLARK IN-
HANCOCK KY-TRIMBLE KY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MADISON...MARENGO...TELL CITY...
CORYDON...NEW ALBANY...JEFFERSONVILLE...HAWESVILLE...BEDFORD
441 AM EST TUE DEC 25 2012 /341 AM CST TUE DEC 25 2012/

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOUISVILLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* TIMING: RAIN WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA LATE CHRISTMAS NIGHT AND
  MAY TRANSITION OVER TO A WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET.
  AS SURFACE TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW FREEZING WEDNESDAY NIGHT
  LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY OCCUR. A TRANSITION TO SNOW IS
  EXPECTED DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS WEDNESDAY. SNOW IS EXPECTED
  TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ALTHOUGH.

* ACCUMULATIONS: THREE TO SIX INCH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE
  POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WATCH AREA WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS
  THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH.

* IMPACTS: SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS MAY CAUSE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL
  CONDITIONS FOR THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. IN ADDITION...WIND
  GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH MAY CAUSE BRIEF REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY
  AND ADD TO TRAVEL HAZARDS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

Winter Storm Forecast To Pass Very Near To Us.

9:30 another model run just went southeast. Not enough to change the forecast yet. But definitely is a reason to stay on watch. 9pm update: If you took all the forecast models and divided them equally the heaviest snowfall would occur along the Ohio River.  But all the models cannot be taken evenly at this point as there are some that that are more reliable than others.  At this point it still looks as if the heavier snow will still be north of here.  But maybe as close as northern Clark County.  So it still bears watching.  I will talk the approiate people tomorrow and relay the info to you.  Right now I would expect 1-3 inches for the Jeffersonville area.

The counties in green are under a "Blizzard Watch".  At this point the heaviest of the snowfall is forecast to go just to our north.  But only by a few miles.  This is something that definitely deserves to be watched.  The JAML Weather Team will be watching the information and will keep you informed.  Also make sure to check your favorite local channel's news tomorrow for any changes to the forecast.  This is for Wednesday.  All travel tomorrow should be fine.  Merry Christmas!

A Wrap Up Of The JAML Christmas Party

After how negative every thing has been this week, I decided to skip the usual "Wrap Up" and try to have some fun.  It is Christmas after all.  If you want my initial thoughts on the City Hall incident just scroll down.  Yes I know that my writings on the Clerk/Judge dispute made me look like a jack ass just a few hours after I posted it.  Also, I will be taking the next week off for the holidays.  Unless we have a snow storm on Wednesday next week.  Its at least a possibility, so keep an eye out for that.  Otherwise, I wish everyone of you a very Merry Christmas and hope all are safe.  Hope you enjoy!

The JAML Christmas Party Timeline:

7:30pm: A half hour before the party begins and the phone rings.  It's Jiyabird.  She would like us to keep the noise down.

7:50pm: Goliath is the first to arrive.  He has a dolly with several cases of Jagermeister.  He thanks both me and Mrs. JAML for the invitation and ask where the bar is at.  He pushes the dolly over to the bar and tells the bartender to take the night off.  "I got this" he says. 

8:00pm:  The guest begin to arrive.  I see several notables.  There is Oracle, Trackrat, Kelley, and HT.  They quickly go in separate directions.

8:10pm:  The city council arrive together.  They all say hello and thank me as they walk in.  Julius takes an extra second to ask me who does my landscaping.  I tell him its good and not to worry about it.  I notice Matt Owen doesn't quite seem as excited as the others.  I stop to ask him why.  He responds "I'm the DD."
I inform him if he needs a soda or anything, to let ME get for him from the bar.

8:15pm:  Quasar and MBHeights arrive smoking cigars.  As they pass by I hear them talking about getting a promotion or something recently.

8:25pm:  I go up to the bar to see G behind it.  I say "champagne please."  He says "Jagermeister coming up!"  I say "no champagne please".  He says "jager".  "Champagne/Jager/champagne/Jager..."  I realize this could take a while.

8:30pm:  As more guests arrive, someone asks who's the jack ass that took up two spots with their batmobile?

8:35pm:  YMC arrives.  He goes to get his name tag.  It says "Q".  He is not amused.

8:40pm:  Tom Galligan arrives.  This causes quite a problem in the parking area around the JAML Compound as it seems he rode in on a bulldozer.

8:43pm:  Grumpy Granny arrives.  She immediately heads to the bar to join Oracle and G.  She is over heard saying that she enjoys the lack of stress that has come with retirement.  Mike Hutt sees her and heads over to say hello.

8:45pm:  The servers announce that the food is complete and ready to be served.  As the crowd  begins to stampede towards the food (either from the thought of free food or G's bar tending) Lisa Smith halts them and reminds us all that it would be appropriate to say a prayer first.  She leads us in prayer and then says to me "thanks for the invite" and wishes me a Merry Christmas.  Apparently she can see where this party is headed and it's not her cup of tea.

8:46pm:  Jiyabird calls and ask for Lisa to keep her prayer down.

8:50pm:  Leah Farris arrives.  As she takes off her coat I notice a nasty bruise that looks like its from a seatbelt.  I ask her if she was in a wreck?  She says no.  It was from the strap on her camera and having to lug it all around the city following somebody.  But she says its healing now.

9:00pm:  Everyone has gotten a plate and begins to converse amongst their groups again.  Someone ask where the mayor is at.  Rumors are that he was either at Jazzercise or Hooters.  But neither could be confirmed.

9:15pm:  Jules arrives looking stunning.  I ask her what took her so long.  She said that sometimes she gets invited to parties and then uninvited and then invited again.  I tell that she is always more than welcome here.

9:30pm:  I'm alerted by Mrs. JAML that there is quite the line to bathroom and she's not sure what the problem is.  I make my way past the line to see Chopper Woman blocking the door.  I ask what the problem is.  Chopper responds "NO! You cant let them in.  Do you know what this will do to your sewer bill?"  I calmly hold her hand and lead her from the bathroom door and explain that JAML Corporate had another good year and that it would be fine.  As we walk away there is the sight of several people dancing in line and a few beads of sweat.  But a possible messy crisis is avoided.

9:45pm:  KFetz, TrackRat, and Kelley are seen talking about the recent incident in City Hall.  Kelley tries to throw out several other possible topics to discuss, but the conversation just keeps getting "bumped" back to City Hall.

10:15pm:  The Jager is really starting to get to the guests.

10:35pm:  Vicki Conlin arrives.  I greet her and ask her why she's so late.  She responds that she didn't get an invitation.  I assure her that I mailed them all on the same day and that I know there was one for her too.  Her response:

11:00pm:  HT seems to be getting very upset with most of the guests at the party.  He is becoming quite angry.  G quickly rushes over to him and calmly leads him over to the bar saying "Let uncle G take care of you" as he walks behind the bar and begins to fix a drink for him.

11:20pm:  There is another knock at the door.  I open the door to find two police officers standing there.  They tell me they are just checking out the party.  That while everything seems all right now, they did receive a complaint earlier about the noise.  Hmmm...

11:45pm:  I pass by Mike Hutt and Tom Galligan who seem to be having quite the lively conversation.  While the crowd noise makes is too loud for me to hear exactly what they are saying I swear I think I heard one of them say something like "miss me yet?"

11:50pm:  We decide we better get a group photo while most of the guests are still here.  Leah kindly offers to take it for us.  We take what seems like a great picture but after looking at it we notice from the back row that Mike Hutt threw up the bird.

12:05am:  G has obviously succeeded in getting HT plastered by this point.  And after the pep talk from G, HT seems to have new confidence in himself.  He yells "everyone hold on.  I'll be right back" and then runs out the door to his car quickly returning with his laptop.  He then goes from group to group showing then some of his photo shops.  Several people could be seen rolling their eyes.

12:45am:  While I'm not sure who, somebody obviously had too much to drink and tried to get a little too friendly with Grumpy Granny.  The loud WHACK! that followed briefly silenced the whole crowd.

1:15am:  With HT on one side of the room showing people his photo shops and Oracle on the other side telling his jokes, there is a large convergence of the two sides in the middle at the bar.  G seems to be keeping up well.

2:00am:  The crowd is quickly beginning to thin out at this point.  I walk over to the bar to see that G still has a nice little crowd.  Grumpy Granny and HT on one side of the bar with a TV on FOX News.  Oracle and KFetz on the other side watching MSNBC and G in the middle playing with the remote on another TV mumbling "wheres the playboy channel?"

7:15am:  I awake with a very nasty headache.  As I look out my window, I am stunned to see a batmobile still in the parking area.  Ever wake to see a batmobile in front of your house in broad daylight?  As I walk downstairs to fix some breakfast I see G and Grumpy Granny still at the bar talking and drinking.  MY GOD MAN!  G says that HT got a cab and then ask if I would like a drink.  I politely decline.

7:20am:  The phone rings.  Jiyabird would like ask us to keep the noise down.

Possible Power Outages

5:15PM UPDATE: JUST GOT CONFIRMATION FROM A RELATIVE THAT THERE ARE POWER OUTAGES ON NORTH EAST SIDE OF THE CITY.

Winds are really howling out there this afternoon.  WAVE 3 reports that about 7,000 LG&E customers are without power right now.  The winds are supposed to be at there highest over the next few hours and thus power outages across Jeffersonville are possible.  Also very cold air is rushing into the area.  By morning time temperatures are expected to be in the 20's.  While if you were to lose power I doubt it would be for more than a few hours but you may want to turn the heat up in your house a few degrees just in case that happens.  Stay safe and warm!

Moore Confrontation-gate: Where Are We Now?

I've read both the press release and the police report and watched part of the press conference as provided by the excellent workers over at gawnews.  And props to Quasar for providing the link on CCC.  So after all of that, here are a few talking points about where we are now.

-There are conflicting statements from both the mayor and his wife.  The mayor states in his statement that at no time did the incident become violent, yet in his statement to the police he states that his wife began to kick and punch him.  My guess on this is the mayor hopes to down play this to citizens who will only see his statement and not bother to read the police report.  I doubt there is any hope of this working as most of the area has already heard the story.

Also, in his wife's description of the event she states that both she and the mayor engaged in physical contact.  According to the her account in the police report : "either he pushed her so she punched him in the stomach or vice versa.  Vicki stated that both were engaged in pushing and hitting."  So we are left with a "he said/she said" from the police report.  WLKY 32 reported that Vicki's attorney stated they would have no comment so we may be left with just the police report.

So it boils down to this: The mayor has stated in a press release that there was no violence.  The police report states that there was some physicality involved in the incident.  And Vicki statement in the police report states that both were actively involved in the altercation.  It becomes a matter of who do you believe.

-The mayor is once again pushing the blame onto other people.  This is the fault of the Internet message boards he says. 

Really Mr. Moore?  Didn't you use those message boards to help get yourself elected?  Didn't you use those message boards to help attack your opponent in last year's election?  Now the mayor wants to condemn those same boards when they are not working so positively in his favor.  Again, I'm not surprised.  I stated on the CCC before his press conference that I fully expected him to play the victim card and he didn't disappoint.  Its truly sad that this person is so easily predictable and so sadly disappointing.

-Moore's supporters (there are a few left) are trying to tell people that this is a non-story.  They are dead wrong.  This was on all the local newscast and the top story on most of them.  Everyone in the region has seen this embarrassing story about Jeffersonville.  This is making Jeffersonville a joke on the news to our surrounding neighbors through no fault of any of the citizens of the city.  This was a domestic dispute that happened on city property during regular business hours.  It is news.  And it is news that has us all hanging our heads a little lower today. 

As you may know, the JAML Corporate Headquarters are located in Louisville.  Through out the day today I was approached several times by workers who don't live in Jeffersonville and asked "What the hell you guys got going on over there?" or something along those lines.  And laughing was generally involved.  When I told a couple of people that there was a press conference scheduled for today someone joked "I wonder if he'll look like Bobby Petrino did at his press conference?"  Jeffersonville has now become a joke and the responsibility lies squarely at the feet of the mayor's office.

-Finally, one of the most despicable things from the mayors press conference was his attempt to hide behind his children.  Asking for this to all stop for their benefit. 

Mr. Mayor, we didn't throw your family in to the public view.  You did that when you ran for political office.  Once you do that, it's no secret that your life and your character become public domain. 

If you really wanted to do what was right, to take your family and the citizens of Jeffersonville out of the spot light of what has become nothing but a joke of an administration, you should have resigned today.  Your family would have then been put out of the spotlight of public view and you could have concentrated your efforts on your personal situation.  And then Jeffersonville could have been allowed to move on from this whole embarrassing mess.  But I knew you wouldn't do that.  That's not your style.  Your only concerned with yourself.  Thats why you switch parties to win elections.  Thats why you "imply" to voters that you will lower sewer rates only to state after the election that the mayor doesn't have the power to change sewer rates.  You played the victim role once again today and once again tried to get everyone to feel sorry for you.  It may have worked on your dwindling supporters but it didn't work on most of the citizens of this city.  You now have the whole city waiting for three years to pass until they are no longer a running joke for neighboring communities. 

I won't waste my time asking you to resign.  That's not your style.  Your ego is to big to admit your own mistakes.  You won't admit defeat.  I'm sure when you lose in three years it will come as a great shock to you.  And I'm sure that your words in defeat will be words that blame others and you will never look at yourself.

Well you should look at yourself.  Because, now thanks to you and your antics, the whole region is looking at you and our community and they are laughing.

Breaking News: Police Called To City Hall.

Ok, I know they are stationed there, but it's late and that's the best I can come up with.  More on this story tomorrow.

http://m.wave3.com/ms/p/a3/31/view.m?id=124279&storyId=20378120&news=Top%20Stories&news2=Main

Bob Barker's Monday Wrap Up/Essay

Note:  I'm done talking about the school shooting here.  I'll be honest, the last few months of the year, and especially the last month, has had too many sad moments.  It has been very hard emotionally on both me and Mrs. JAML.  We're fine, but, we just had more sad and heart breaking moments in a such a short amount of time, than a lot of our lives's combined.  For that reason, I have found myself trying all weekend to avoid the tragedy.  It is heart breaking to even contemplate.  Let alone have to keep hearing about it over and over again.  I understand that it is a national tragedy that deserves every one's attention, but right now, we just can not take anymore.  I truly hope some good comes from  all of this and that we as a nation can move forward and that the nation and the victims and their families can heal. 

That being said, I don't think that there is anything that my little blog on the big Internet can really do that would be meaningful.  There are plenty of people extremely more qualified than I to report and offer legitimate suggestions for how to improve the situation that has lead to these types of violent acts.  I started this blog because I like to write (and maybe one day I will be good at it) and because I wanted a hobby I could enjoy.  Honestly, if I could have known what all would happen in the last few months, I would have held off starting the blog until after the new year.  But I do enjoy it and it has given me a sense of accomplishment to maintain something of a schedule and to keep a working site that aims to entertain and give an opinion.  I know I'm not breaking any news here, so I've enjoyed the challenge of trying to write on "old" news in a relevant way.  And I have been very pleasantly surprised by the traffic the site has had and very appreciative of the kind words that people have offered on my writing.  I have always responded with something along the lines of " thank you very much.  I really do appreciate it." because it is very true.  To hear someone say that they enjoy something that I enjoy doing means very much and has truly been appreciated and has made the blog more rewarding for me.

All that being said, this is my little corner of the Internet and I want it to continue to be a place that I enjoy.  And I imagine that there are others who need to see something else from time to time besides the news on the shooting.  And there are plenty of places to find all of that from much more qualified individuals.  So this will be my little place to get away from it and yours too if you should so choose.  It is in no way any show of disrespect to the situation.  I hope all understand.  Thank you.

This week we celebrate Bob Barker.  The long time host of the longest running and most successful game show in American television history "The Price Is Right".  Barker turned 89 this past Wednesday.  He is truly an American icon.  I don't think that there is a person in this country that doesn't have some kind of clue who he is.  He was warm and welcoming every week day from 11-12 on CBS.  His style of hosting was as routine and predictable as the sunrise.  Yet some how it was so enjoyable and entertaining that you tuned in over and over again to watch it.  You knew when a moment of suspense came, he was going to tease the contestant and draw out the wait for the conclusion.  Yet, it was so entertaining and so much fun that you just kept returning to watch again and again because it never got tired or boring.  And he had the ability to present himself as a man of high class yet he able to relate to and enjoy all of the show's contestants no matter who they were.  And he was the host of the "Price Is Right" foreverrrrr.   And he was the first game show host to say "no thanks" to hair dye.  He decided there was no shame in gray.  And he dedicated himself to animal rights.  After 50 years in television and nearly 35 on "The Price Is Right" Barker retired in 2007, saying "I'll be 84 in December, and I'd like to retire while I'm still young."  It's been over five years since he retired and I still miss him during the daytime.  Here's to you Bob!

-It was a very slow news week around here.  The only real story locally was that Judge Ken Pierce and Clerk Vicki Conlin seemed to have worked out an agreement with respects to the conflict over who should be responsible for collecting fines and fees, and maintaining court records.  You can read the the News & Tribune story here. 

Apparently Pierce and Conlin were able to meet last week and come to a solution on a problem that they had that could have resulted in legal action.  And thus these two have set an incredible example for other local politicians.  They had their differences but were able to put to the side pride and ego to work for a solution their problem that was in the best interest of Jeffersonville.  And truly, avoiding any legal action against another branch of city government is whats is in Jeffersonville's best interest right now. 

Sure they both could have dug their heals in and held their ground and let a court decide it.  But they both had to know that is the last thing that Jeffersonville needs right now.  So when they met, instead of one saying "I'm the clerk" or the other saying "I'm the judge" they just decided to meet and work out an agreement. 

Now lets hope others were paying attention.  And by others I mean both mayor Mike Moore and the City Council.

The mayor needs to see this as the best way to run the city of Jeffersonville.  To meet with the council and find common ground for them to work towards.  Not just going by his stated plan of "they can just vote on items and I'll judge them when they get to my desk" as he has stated before.  That is neither in his or the city's best interest. 

But by putting pride and ego away going to (what appears to be anyway) his opponents and hearing their ideas and sharing his own, perhaps they can find common ground that will be beneficial to us all.  And perhaps just maybe we wont have anymore lawsuits.   And maybe his next three years wont be squandered like his first year was. 

And the council needs to keep the door open for Moore.  First let me say I truly believe the story most of us have heard by now about the council approaching Moore to find common ground and his response being "I'm the mayor."  But for the city as a whole, it is best if they swallow their pride should Moore ever approach them to find common ground.  It would be very hard for them I'm sure.  And I certainly could understand that.  God knows I'm one of the worst people in the world when it comes to putting things in the past.  But as officials elected to do whats best for the citizens of Jeffersonville, I hope (and believe) that they are better than me at that and that they need leave to door open for the possibility of working together in the future for they city.

Two elected officials have set the example to do whats best for Jeffersonville.  And kudos to Conlin and Pierce for doing so.  The city is better because of it.  Now lets hope the mayor can follow their example and that the council is receptive if and when he does.  Its is Jeffersonville's best interest to do so.

-That will do it for this week.  I plan on more post this week and if a "Wrap Up" is needed, I'll post it on Friday with the holiday week ahead.  Until then, feel free to comment below and to like the Facebook Page.  Have a good week everyone!

Wrap Up Delayed

It's been a very long day (sadly champagne or any other form of alcohol was not involved) and I have to get up very early in the morning.  That combined with a slow week last week means I am moving the "Wrap Up" to Monday afternoon.  I'm sorry for any inconvenience and you can expect a full refund. 

New Poll Question

We have a new poll question up on the blog.  This time we ask about character.

Rambling Thoughts On The School Shooting

I have no idea what I'm going to type here even as I start this.  I just plan on typing the first few thoughts that come through my head as I go.  So this will probably be even lower writing than the sub par standard I have set for myself.  But before we get into that, the most important thing that any of us can do right now is pray for the victims and the families affected by this horrible tragedy. 

-This is just horrific.  And that doesn't even do this situation justice.  27 dead humans, most of which are very young children who were at school, is probably the most horrific thing that one can imagine.  There is no justice for a situation like this.  Whether the shooter is alive or dead (in this case dead) there is no way that justice can ever be done to rectify this situation.  That is probably what bothers most people (whether we realize it or not) about situations like this.  Situations like this we just have to take it when they happen.  As people, we don't like that.  We like for "the score" to be even.  But no matter the possible courses of actions going forward, there will never be a rectifying solution for things likes this.  And we are left to just accept these horrible events.

-The shooter.  Reports are that this was a the work of a 24 man who's father was found dead and who's mother's classroom is the one that was the place of his horrific attack.  Obviously this was a man beyond disturbed.  But he will not get any sympathy from me.  Nor should he.  Whatever his sad story was, no matter how screwed up he was, he knew right from wrong.  And he knew this was wrong.  And he selfishly threw away that sense of right or wrong for other decent and innocent human life.  Whatever his sad story was, he felt he needed to push that on other people.  He may have been in pain, but guess what, we all go through pain at some point.  How we deal with pain helps define us as human beings.   He can be defined as a person not worthy of another thought and should be forgotten as quickly as possible.  Sometimes I wonder if that would help stop things like this.  If the shooters story is never told and they are quickly dismissed.  Don't give them their "15 minutes".  Don't tell their story.  He didn't do anything to deserve that.  The victims and their families deserve our full attention moving forward.

-We do have a hero in this.  If you can believe that.  Several actually when you think about all the teachers who did everything they could do to protect the children who were in their care.  But apparently the shooter had a heated argument with the principal before proceeding to his mother's classroom.   The principal, or someone in the office, turned on the microphone to the P.A. system to the school allowing the argument to be heard throughout the school.  And thus alerting the teachers ahead of time that something was wrong.  The principal was eventually shot and killed.  We may never know, but the principal's thoughtfulness (and as it turns out last act) to turn on that microphone may very well have saved lives.  And that's a story that should be told.

-Don't take time with one another for granted.  Ironically, I was just thinking about this today at work before I was made aware of this tragedy.  But for some reason I was thinking of a story when I was a kid and took time to play a video game instead of spending it with a grandparent with whom I was spending the weekend.  I was told afterwards that grandparents was sad about that.  It made me feel horrible.  Now that was a long time ago and kids do that sort of thing.  Heck we all do.  And we will continue to do that going forward.  If we lived every moment like there was no tomorrow, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this.  We all need our diversions.  Hell, if Mrs. JAML didn't get a break from me, she may very well go insane herself.  But what we do need to do is to make sure that we all make time to spend quality time together.  And making sure that we always let loved ones know how much we care.  You can never say "I love you" too many times.

Bird Eating Catfish!

People, our time in power is going to be much longer.  Eventually the animals will overtake us.  They are improving their fighting skills.  Look here:

The Character Issue.

So a while ago it was made public what a lot of us already knew was coming.  The mayor has filed for divorce.  This was not a shock nor a surprise.  Half the town knew it was coming sooner or later.  Probably the only ones to deny that were Moore's most blindly loyal supporters.  His supporters who's only agenda is that Jeffersonville not invest in itself just so they can save themselves a few bucks a month.

It was this same group of people that also told us that this action should in no way affect our view of the mayor.  And to that I say, BULL.

The character issue is and has long been a high topic of debate when it comes to politics.  Private life actions have been used to judge candidates and elected officials since long before I can remember.  Whether it be George W. Bush being pulled over for drinking and driving or Bill Clinton having a inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewisky.  Its nothing new.  Oh sure the Moore supporters (and the number of supporters is shrinking mind you) will tell you that this is different or that is has always been wrong to judge an elected official on his personal decisions. 

Its hooey.  And they know it.

How a person conducts his or her personal life is there business.  Until they enter the public arena of politics.  Once they do that, anything about them becomes fair game to judge their worthiness to be elected or re-elected.  Remember, this person represents you.  In this case it is the whole city.  But it can range from a city district to an entire country.  Either way it reflects on the citizens that voted for that person. 

Now I'm not here to tell you that a person's private life character has to be the most important issue when hitting the voter booth on election day.  I'm not going to tell you where it should rank at all.  For some people taxes are a priority.  For others its vision and progress.  Whatever your system is, though, it should definitely be in there.  Where at is completely up to you.  But don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't use character at all when judging a candidate or elected official.  Those who would tell you that care about nothing but protecting their guy. 

Some will use the excuse "well think about their family" when telling to keep quiet about such things.  That's just trying to deflect the blame.  To those that would say that I respond with, "think about your guy that put himself and his family in this situation after putting his family in the public spotlight by running for office."  That is the move of self-centered, ego driven person who only cares about himself.

Wait a minute.  Does that sound like the way that someone has been behaving since taking office?

So character is indeed a useful tool in judging a person who will not only be making decisions that effect your life but also who will represent you while in office. 

Now, conversely, I wont say that it should be your only measuring stick either.  It shouldn't be.  It should be one of many criteria we examine when judging a candidate.  Lets face it, a lot of us don't worry about taxes because they are capped at what we consider a reasonable rate.  If we didn't have those tax caps, tax rates may very well be higher on our local list than it is. 

But certainly progress and growth and vision are still on that list and should be considered in addition to the character issue.  It should not, however, be exclusive either.  Heck, none of us are perfect.

Certainly a person can have a character flaw and go through an elected term and do great good for the voters.  So great that it out weighs that character flaw.  Lets take Tom Galligan for example.  I think even those who are his biggest supporters know that he has a short temper.  His first term as mayor it was overlooked because people felt the good out weighed the bad.  His second term, however, when it became clear that he was having problems working with the council to get anything accomplished, the voters gave him the boot.   Galligan was a big enough person to realize this flaw and work on it.  His next four year term most of his opponents feared he was working too well with the council.  (Well you cant please all of the people all of the time.)

But the bottom line remains this:  Anyone who tells you in any way that character should not matter in your decision either doesn't realize that elected officials represent the public or are protecting their guy.  So feel free to ignore them and to use character as one of the many criteria when judging any candidate.

The Turtle Neck's Weekend Wrap Up

This week we salute Tom Jurich.  The athletic director at the University of Louisville.  Aka, the "turtle neck."

I wont lie.  I think that he is an arrogant prick and a bully.  But he is also very good at his job and had one of the best couple of weeks any A.D. has ever had.  Two Fridays ago his football team secured their league's automatic BCS Bowl Game birth with a dramatic come from behind win over Rutgers.  Then they were selected to participate in the Sugar Bowl over the Orange Bowl.  The Sugar Bowl being the more prestigious of the two bowls.  Then this week his highly sought after football coach turned down a higher profile job (if not a better over all job, depending on who you ask) at Tennessee to stay at Uof L.  The thought of any Louisville football coach turning down an offer to Tennessee, or any South Eastern Conference job a few years ago would have been unimaginable.  Yet Jurich has made Louisville so attractive, that that's just what Charlie Strong did.  Turn down a job at UT to stay at Louisville.  Add to that, that the school was recently accepted to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, and I can honestly say:  I don't think any A.D. has ever in the history of the NCAA had a better couple of weeks.  Quite the accomplishment for a man who 15 years ago accepted the job to run the athletics's program at an urban university that was known only basketball that had had one or two years at football.  And both of the programs were falling from those heights.  He immediately came in and made a popular decision to remove the football coach.  He made a controversial decision to force out hall of fame basketball coach Denny Crum and replace him with Rick Pitinio.  He then utilized the many corporate sponsors that the city of Louisville had available, in addition to the new revenue created by newly opened Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, to invest into the schools other athletic facilities.  What has happened since is that he has been the head of one of the great athletic departments in all of the NCAA.  As I said above, I think he is an arrogant prick and a bully.  He has strong armed the media.  Their is even a talk show host that says that he helped close a former radio station because he felt they were too critical of the football head coach Steve Kragthorpe.  And he bullied negotiations with the "Arena Authority" so that it is nearly impossible for any events to take place during basketball season.  Making what should be a very profitable endeavour for the city into one that is now just recently had its bond rating dropped again.  All just to make sure that no NBA team could ever play there (and thus, cant take penitential sponsorship money away from the University) and so that UK couldn't play its yearly game in Louisville there.  But there is no denying that he uses those traits and actions to protect and help the University of Louisville.  And that makes him a damn good A.D.  So that is why this week, we begrudgedly say, here's to you Tom...  Bastard.

Now on to the Wrap Up.

-First bit of business, the Jeffersonville City Council has created their own Facebook Page.  Basically, this will cover all the going ons of the city.  Not just that of the mayor.  As well they posted the video of their most recent council meetings.  So that will provide a quick link to anyone interested in the meetings that cant make it to them. 

Ahh, remember the good ol' days when the city Facebook Page covered the whole city and not just what the mayor was doing.  OK, they weren't that old of days, as we are talking about Facebook here.  But you get my point.

-The Indiana State Board of Accounts has agreed that Jeffersonville City Clerk Vicki Conlin should take over the duties of the clerk of the city court.  This basically means that Conlin would be responsible for the funds the court collects and the maintenance of records. 

The attorney representing the clerks office stated however that this is merely an "opinion" and that the court could still disregard it.   If they do, however, I must warn them that this is what they could be dealing with:

(again, any excuse to post this picture)

-According to the Oracle, News and Tribune Assistant Editor Amy Huffman-Branham works on the City of Jeffersonville’s account with his company, specifically relating to the publication of the city’s newsletter.  You can read his story here. 

Some have dismissed this as a complete non-story.  To those people I have two points.  One, this is an end run a round the council telling Moore that he couldn't hire this person who he no business trying to hire in the first place.  Second, I've taken a few journalism classes in my day (and no, I don't consider anything I do here to be journalism) and this is a complete conflict of interest.  One that could seriously tarnish the N & T's integrity.

Example:  Lets say Mikey does something really stupid like show up for Jazzercise naked (this is hypothetical.  I hope).  Lets say that N & T doesn't cover it (the story, not Mikey).  People will say that she may be trying to protect her boss.  Lets say that the N & T does cover it (again the story.  not Mikey).  People could dismiss it as "she must have a problem with her boss."  How the N & T could allow this to happen is beyond me.  But it is a serious conflict of interest that should have never accord from either side.

-The Jeffersonville city council has pledged $10,000 to a lawsuit helping to fight tolls that will help pay for the Ohio River Bridges Project.  Ehhh, I'm not the biggest fan of this.  As I have stated on this blog, I'm not opposed to tolls.  The bridges are needed and I will use them.  The east end bridge will save me time and gas each work day and thus I feel I should help pay for them.

I also understand that downtown Jeffersonville businesses as well as those in Clarksville rely on some visitors from Louisville and thought of less traffic from the Kentucky side of the bridge is a worrisome one.  All in all I don't think the lawsuit will have any effect on the project or the tolls what so ever and that this is more just a case of municipalities telling current and future businesses that we will support you and work to provide the best environment for you possible.  And it isn't that much money in the grand scheme of things so lets call this a well intentioned move that is more symbolic than anything.

-These two topics bring us to Hoosier Taxpayer.  He has lost all creditability with his posts and comments on the previous two topics as well as the sweeps of the Exit 0 area.  It is clear that he has become nothing more than a shill for the mayor who will do/say anything to protect him and try and pass the blame and spotlight on to someone else.  Even to some politicians who have never had a hint of controversy.  He seems to take the stance that its not my guys fault.  Its literally everyone else's.  Illogical, I know.

His stance on that the situation with the Jeffersonville newsletter is a non-story is full of holes and laughable.  As I pointed out above, it is a story of bad judgement and conflicts of interest.  His position that that the council supporting the lawsuit is a big story is just silly.  And his attempt to deflect the blame to the council for the recent sweeps of  the Exit 0 area may be one of the most ridiculous things ever posted on the CCC.  And that's saying a lot.  He brings no facts to the table of debate.  Just silly photo shops and even sillier attempts to find fairy tales to support his side.  He has literally in the past few weeks delved into the area of "lets just throw everything I can up against the wall and see what sticks."

If you are an unbiased observer who only has Jeffersonville's best interest at heart, please ignore him from now on.  He is no longer creditable and should be quickly dismissed as such.

-Jeffersonville has taken steps toward building a new police station.  You can read the N & T story here.  It has approved bonding for the project although states that bonding may not be used.  This story may have a couple of different curve balls though and is something that will have to be closely watched.  Keep an eye out.

-I was with the Oracle and Freddy on The Oracle's Lounge Live!  Be sure to check it out.
-Well that should wrap it up for this weekend.  Sorry for the clip job the internet did to the original post and for the delay.  It's a shame too.  I had another whole segment that was probably the best writing that the world would have ever seen.  It would have made you think, laugh and cry all at the same time.  Sadly I don't have time to re-write that part so I guess the world will have to wait for another day.

My schedule this week is much better so I should have a regular mid-week post plus a new poll question.  Until then, feel free to like the Facebook Page and comment below.  Hope everyone has a good week.

ANGRY BIRDS!

Its a bird eat bird world out there... (finish that joke in the comments section if you want.  I have mine but not feeling like pissing anyone off today.)

The New #1 In Dumb Criminals

It looks like this week is going to be very busy and I don't know if I'm going to get to a column, or finishing the one I have half written.  So with that, I will leave you with the story of dumbest criminal in the history of the world.  And her youtube video bragging about the crime!

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20653564,00.html

Randy Newman's Weekend Wrap Up

This past Wednesday, Randy Newman turned 69 years old.  If you don't know Newman, and most of you certainly do, you certainly know at least some of his work.  You see since the 1980's, Newman has worked mostly as a composer/singer for movies (and some television).  And he's very good at it.  How good?  He's been nominated 20 times for an Academy Award.  20 TIMES!!!  He won twice and also been recognized for his work on TV.  Some of his works in film include songs in Awakenings, The Natural, Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, Seabiscuit, Cars,  Major League and all three Toy Story Movies, just to name a few.   Newmans has a great ability to write a song that fits any created scenario and/story.  He can describe the emotion, any emotion, the movie needs without ever mentioning the emotion.  And his voice is quite simply too good to describe adequately.  It is sophisticated yet energizing and emotional all at the same time.  He can make you cry or smile.  He can bring sorrow to your heart or lift you to new heights.  He can make you sit down and reflect, or he can make you want to dance. He could probably sing "Old MacDonald" and make it sound classical.  Here's a few of my favorites.  And here's to you Randy!



You've Got A Friend In Me:

We're Gonna Get Married:

Burn On:

I Love L.A.:

Now, on to the Wrap Up:

-Ed Zastawny responded to the mayor's lawsuits with a letter in the News & Tribune this week.  You can find the link, the letter, and my thoughts all by clicking right here.  All I will add to it is that this goes along with and backs up all the stories we've heard from everyone else associated with city government.  And everyone is pretty much in agreement with this except for the few last Moore supporters.  So according to them, the whole city government is the problem and not Moore.  I say the math just doesn't add up there.

-The city made a sweep of area around exit 0 this weeks collecting items and throwing them away.  Many of those items may have belonged to the homeless people that sleep under the bridges of the interstate.  This has caused quite the uproar from the group "Exit 0".  They said they were promised that the city would contact them ahead of time so that the people sleeping there would make sure take important belongings with them and that they were not contacted this week ahead of time.  The city says that they were notified.  The N&T has a story on it here.  As I stated on the chatter, I'm staying out of this one.  But for those wondering how this looks on the mayor, here are two comments on the story on their website:

LindaG wrote: 99% I second that motion, and I voted for him! This is unbelievable. I cannot understand why such mean and 'bullyish' behavior. The homeless have been at that sight for years. They do not bother anyone, except a small snob group of Jeffersonville. I'm appaulled, to say the least. This is an embarrasment to our City. Why now? You City officials look like bullies. What is happening to our city? Get a hold of yourselves. You are supposed to work for the citizens. I don't think the majority of the citizens like what you have done with this and a lot of other things. November 30, 2012, 2:48 PM

99 Percent wrote: I think the word some are reaching for concerning Mayor Moore is impeachment. Not just this issue but others also. For a starter here ya go....... Under Article 6, Sections 7 and 8 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana, all state officers other than justices of the supreme court or judges of the court of appeals of Indiana or the Indiana tax court, all other judges, prosecuting attorneys, and all county, city, town, and township officers are liable to impeachment.

-Mike Hutt had some interesting tidbits this week.  One was the possibility of having to pay for trash pick up.  This of course angered a lot of people.  (of course it wasn't the mayors fault)   On this I would say, calm down.  We have a long way to go before we get to that point and there is plenty of time for the city to find a solution. 

-The other piece of gossip was the possibility of a Wal-Mart Distribution Center coming to Jeffersonville.  This would be a great piece of news for the city.  This would mean several hundred jobs opening up right here.  Some posters did express concerns that traffic would be a problem.  I talked to someone who knows a thing or two about distribution centers, and he said that the semi-trucks to and from would not be a problem.  The only time he really envisioned traffic being a problem was when a shift began or ended as that would be a lot of cars at once.  The price of advancement I'm sure.  Lets hope this is for real!

-The Indiana State Police are launching an investigation into an alleged incident at the Lighthouse involving two Jeffersonville police and another man.  Honestly, the best read is on the CCC but best as I can tell is that all we have right now is a man with some injuries and a matter of they say one thing/and these other people say another.  I'm not saying that anyone is guilty or innocent of anything.  Just stating where I think we are right now and that we need to let the state police do their investigation.

-The Clark County Board of Aviation Commissioners is going after Jack Vissing for his handling of the eminent-domain lawsuit regarding Margaret Dreyer.  Is that the same Jack Vissing?  Oh wait.  It is.

-My post of my question to Chopper Woman is in the top five of all time post on the blog.  In the TV business, the saying would be "Chopper equals ratings!"

-Finally, some defense for the New & Tribune.  They ran a story last week about Robbie Valentine's daughter taking a leave from her college basketball team because she is pregnant.  Some people wondered about the motives for running such a story.  Heck, it came up at my in-laws house before the N&T ran their explanation.  Its a legitimate sports story.  When the daughter of a local celebrity (even a minor one) who used to play ball in the area, takes a leave from her college team for a pregnancy, that's news.  No judgements were made or encouraged.  It was just a story about a basketball player that is taking a leave and the reason.  In this case the N&T was right.  And honestly, its not that big of a deal.

-That will wrap it up.  Sorry about the late post.  Three day weekends and draft beer are the devil!  Feel free to comment below and to like the Facebook page.  See ya later in the week!