Today's Feature

Broadcast Decency Bill.

News release

Southwest Missouri Congressman and House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) today applauded passage of legislation he cosponsored, H.R. 310, the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005.

"America’s broadcasters wield a tremendous amount of power over our nation’s children. And with power comes great responsibility," said Congressman Blunt. "The broadcast industry has failed to prove it takes its responsibilities seriously."

Added Blunt: "The Federal Communications Commission needs the authority to enforce stronger penalties for those who broadcast obscenity, indecency and profanity, and that’s exactly what this important legislation gives them."

"Parents, families, educators — and every American who turns on a television or radio — deserve this bill. It’s time to return the public airwaves to the taxpayers who support them."

The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act, which passed by a bipartisan vote of 389 to 38, allows the FCC to impose a fine up to $500,000 against broadcasters for every violation of restrictions on airing "obscene, indecent or profane material."

Additionally, the bill mandates that the FCC hold a license revocation hearing after the third offense by a broadcaster. It also imposes a 180 day "shot clock," giving the FCC 180 days from the date of an initial complaint to determine if the incident in question was indeed indecent and another 90 days to issue a forfeiture order or dismiss the complaint.

For the $1.5 million the City’s Kansas City consultant estimates it will take to put the City up to speed on computers, the City could save over $800,000 buyin’ some 2,400 lap tops.

For the $14,000 the consultant was paid, the City coulda had 22 lap tops and saved another $7,500.

‘Course I don’t know why the City would need 2,422 lap top computers, but if you’re lookin’ at savin’ money, here’s a real deal. You know what they say, a million here, a million there, after a while you’re talkin’ some real money.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

Whew!!! I think we are going to make it through the dreary winter months. This little bit of sunshine has put smiles on our faces. Even had a lady tell me that she has a crocus blooming. Time to start thinking about that seed order and the cardinals and finches will turn their bright red for attracting mates. Even the owls are louder than usual. One took up a post on my chimney the other night awakening me from a sound sleep. Little scarey to hear that so close. Lots to look forward to.

Spotted several dandelions in bloom. Hopefully this does not bring to mind the purchase of weed killer, but taste of those small green leaves in salad. Some enjoy eating the flowers. Throughout the old herb books the dandelion has been reputed for its medicinal properties. It has been referred to as a mild purgative, blood purifier, good for the stomach and lymphatic system.

Modern research on the dandelion root has validated its use for blood building, increasing the flow of bile and beneficial effects on the liver. According to Louise Tenney in Today’s Herbal Health, It is used in Germany by physicians to increase bile flow and prevent gallstones. Because of the many nutrients contained in the common dandelion, it has proven itself to be a valuable "weed".

When I was very young, I had a wart on my elbow. I remember my Dad taking a dandelion and squeezing the milk from the stem onto that wart. After a few times of that, it went away. I was not sure if my Dad was just magic or if the plant had something to do with it. Then, I told my best friend, she tried it and it worked on her too. Suppose that was the time in my life when I knew that God had put those plants there for something besides mowing and have remained fascinated and convinced of their curative properties ever since.

Good time to air out the house and hang those winter blankets for a day in the sun.

artCentral

Rebecca Perry cooks up fine art from odd ingredients

Light bulbs, gourds, wire, polymer clay, shoe polish, styrofoam, spray paint, resin, tree roots are not your usual sculptor’s materials...unless the sculptor is Rebecca Perry, showing her work at artCentral now through March 11.

Rebecca speaks of "...the mystery of the medium...", yet it is her consummate craftsmanship that forges mundane items into art objects ranging from elegant to whimsical. For instance, two gourds enhanced with hammered metal wings become an exquisite pair of shorebirds called "Intertwined", while three other gourds, brightly painted, studded, with copper wire combs become a lighthearted trio entitled "Birds." Meanwhile, pieces such "Serenity" and "Solace", carved out of styrofoam, fulfill with grace and expressiveness the criteria of formal sculpture principles.

How does it all begin? Rebecca Perry laughs at the question. "Oh, I just doodle...and fidget with things," she replies. "My art is an exploration of materials, where one thing leads to another."

Half the fun of Rebecca’s work is knowing the "ingredients" which are mostly "non art." My personal favorite is "Wise Man in a Tree", a pot bellied old man with wizen arms and legs and a fine face, sitting on a small tree root. At first glance, the overall patina gives the appearance of traditional bronze casting. But, no, it’s fabricated from a light bulb, wire, polymer clay, and shoe polish!

There are 12 sculptures in this show, and you will be amazed at this artist’s inventiveness and imaginative ability to transform unlikely materials into fine art. I guarantee it!