Star Trek Movie is Great

No Spoilers!

The Star Trek movie is really great. Go see it if you're at all a Trek fan. Greg, Sharon and I went to a preview tonight and all really enjoyed it. We could all think of tiny little things to nit pick, but they are really tiny. It's a cool story, the casting is great, and you'll walk away feeling like you got your money's worth, plus some. ________________

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The Days Are Full

I have been spending the days doing busy work, but necessary busy work. This time of year requires much paperwork in my job. At times there seems no end to it. But, I'm starting to make headway. It all has to be done, and there's no way to get it done except to just sit at the computer and/or desk and do it.

Unfortunately, it's not very creative work. But, I suppose not everything can fall into that category.

After work I went to Avenue A park and did Qi gong with Terry. I really like that, and it certainly stretches you in ways you don't realize until you later feel the little pull here or there. Wednesday is our evening for that.

When I got back I planted more flowers. I really overdid the seed starting this year and have so many things that still need to go in the ground. I stopped tonight when it got too dark to see, and I left two flats of plants outside. It's supposed to be really nice on Saturday so hopefully I'll get most of it done then.

I want everything to look lush and "overflowing" like this little segment in my front flowerbed. Unfortunately, that happened completely by accident so it's not like I understand how to make it happen again. I just stick things in the ground, and hope for the best.

There are a bazillion things going on in my life at the moment but by the time I sit down to blog I'm too tired to detail them. Maybe by the weekend I will have made it through the "must do" list and will have time to write more.
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Economic Development Costs and Questions about Manufacturing

It was announced today that a company is locating a plant here that will build the nacelles for wind turbines. They will create 400 jobs. Of course, this is fabulous news. What town wouldn't like to have hundreds of new jobs? And these are going to be $16 an hour jobs.

Of course, we don't yet know what we've paid for these jobs because the incentive package details haven't been announced. Cities, counties and states bend over backwards to recruit plants to their locales. Businesses expect piles of incentives and tax abatements, and why wouldn't they - they are in the business of making as much money as they can. Let me be clear that I have no idea what, if anything, this company asked for. I'm just basing this on past deals.

Generally, the manufacturer arrives, and if they ever reach their stated number of jobs, which is rare, they begin to dwindle almost immediately due to automation. Is this the fault of the plant? No. They're in the business of making a profit and it makes no sense to pay 10 people to do a job that can be done with 1 person and a machine. Machines don't demand health insurance. Until we address that huge elephant in the room in this country we're never going to be competitive, but that's another rant.

So, what happens over time with automation is that those 400 jobs become 350 jobs to 200 jobs to 50 jobs. That is the nature of the manufacturing business. No one is doing anything wrong, it's just the way the business works. Google "manufacturing jobs lost to automation" and you'll find plenty of support for that statement.

People always talk about manufacturing jobs being lost to China. In reality, China is losing manufacturing jobs too - to automation. But, automation makes things more productive, and you can't argue with that if your goal is to make more widgets with less money. Or more nacelles.

I'm thrilled we've got 400 new jobs coming to town. That's wonderful. I'm glad we'll have another great corporate entity in town. More positive news there. I'm tickled we're getting involved in an alternative energy business. Yet more good news.

But I think we always need to be honest with ourselves and look at the facts. I can't yet do that in this case because the facts haven't been made public. Maybe it's worth every single cent in tax abatements and other incentives I'm assuming were involved. I've got no big problem with either of those. But I know that since the mid 90s, 60-80% of net new jobs created were by small businesses. I'm not sure we're offering many incentives to those folks.

I'm not in economic development, and I don't know squat about the intricacies involved in these things, but the facts tell me that manufacturing jobs go down in number while small business jobs go up in number. I'm no math genius, but long term  it would make more sense to invest in the thing that increases its number of employees instead of decreases its number of employees. Wouldn't it?

Maybe the sheer force of 400 new jobs in your town at one time is so incredible that it outweighs everything else. And, of course, if folks are employed there for 10 years or 20 years or even 5 years, that's a large amount of money in the economy, as opposed to growing it slowly with small businesses. Maybe it's the "lifetime value" of those jobs as long as they last. But we do need to be honest about the costs associated with them - upfront and in the future.

I don't have the answers, but I certainly have questions. I really do need someone to explain to me why it's beneficial to keep recruiting manufacturing jobs that we can only assume will dwindle in number. But for the moment, I'm just going to celebrate 400 new jobs coming to our community.
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Red Winged Blackbird

A few weeks ago, I was up really early one morning and went out for a drive. It was still dark when I left home. I needed some air, to be out, to breathe some freshness into my body.

At the time I was just starting to fully grasp how my life had changed with a surgeon's knife. I have expected this to be a more emotional journey than it has been so far, but I am so grateful for healing that it seems ridiculous to find anything but joy in daily life.

That morning I went down to Carey Park and near the lake were tons of Red-winged blackbirds. I taped one of them singing. Tonight I was reminded of this video and this poem, which seemed a perfect match.

Words do hold the fire of meaning for me, although lately I've not felt as though I'm expressing myself well. Maybe with more sleep and less stress I'll do better.

Red-Winged Blackbird
by Pasquale Verdicchio

Wind. Wind
and wings of birds.
A red-winged blackbird
sparks against the sky
and green shrubs;
comes to rest in the safety
of calls that break
against our words,
clear and intelligible words,
and light the evening
with the fire of meaning.



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Kansas Sampler Festival Photos

Saturday Mark and I spent the afternoon at the Kansas Sampler Festival in Concordia. I promised more photos.

First of all... there were men in kilts...



I don't know why there were men in kilts. I didn't get a chance to ask because they were busy with Monty's Smoked Jerky of Bird City, Kansas. I'm not sure if this is Monty or not. It is a man in a kilt, however. That I know.



The Kansas Scenic Byways program was there. This is a very cool program that points you toward particular drives in Kansas that are especially beautiful. I see from looking at their maps that I've missed some of them so I need to rectify that very soon. My favorite so far is the Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway near Medicine Lodge, Kansas. It's absolutely gorgeous - hilly, rocky and red.



There were ladies wearing watermelon hats...



And they had a giant Christmas tree decorated with watermelon slices to promote the Clyde Watermelon Festival on Labor Day Weekend. You knew I couldn't pass up anything involving a Christmas tree, right?

The Eisenhower Center in Abilene has some activities planned to commemorate the 65th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion.



One of the things I'm excited about is they're having a tea in September. It's part of a series of events to recreate Ike's Abilene. That celebration is going on for months so there's something for everyone.



Jo Schwartz was working on her art where you could watch. She does pyrography.



There were young men demonstrating roping. It was certainly entertaining, although they were so good they were a bit intimidating.

We wrapped up the day listening to the Diamond W Wranglers.



Wow. They're so good. Every time I see them I'm amazed at the sound four guys can create. They attracted a large crowd, even though it was the end of the day.



The Diamond W Wranglers play at Cowtown in Wichita, complete with a Chuckwagon Supper.



It was great to visit with Martha while I was listening. That's Jim, her husband, there with the guitar. I recorded them doing a classic tune, along with Stu's story about his family's connection to the song.



If you have a chance, go see the Diamond W Wranglers. They're really good. As I told Martha after being at a three hour concert they did at the Fox some time ago, "I didn't get bored at all!" Martha exclaimed, "Oh! Wonderful! That's high praise from you." She understood it was, indeed, very high praise. The highest from me, really. At many musical events I'm looking at the program and counting the number of songs until I can get up and walk around. But, not at their performances - I'm completely lost in the music. And I wouldn't say I'm a particular fan of western/cowboy music - they're just really good.

All in all, it was a fun afternoon. We ended with dinner at the Renaissance Cafe in Assaria, which I also heartily recommend.
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Sampler Festival in Concordia

This is Marci Penner, the brains behind The Sampler Festival, which showcases all kinds of tourist attractions in Kansas. If you're anywhere near Kansas, you can enjoy the Sampler Sunday, May 3. It's in the park at Concordia and the cost is only $5. It's worth every penny. Get thee to Concordia on Sunday if at all possible!

Marci is devoted to preserving rural culture in Kansas and works with eight different categories of things ranging from cuisine to architecture. You can read more on her website for the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

Ultimately, if you have any interest in rural life, you would do yourself a favor by sitting down and reading that entire website. You'll get a little glimpse into Marci's brain. And let me tell you, it's a brain worth delving into. You'll find a ton of wisdom there about how rural communities can make the most of what they have and preserve a way of life.

During the sampler festival, Marci does what she calls "Stumpin' for Kansas." It's one of my favorite parts. She has questions about various spots around the state and everyone who answers a question correctly gets a ticket. Then there's a drawing for a goodie basket at the end of the session and someone gets a nice prize.



Mark, here in the far left of the photo, is excellent at this game. Me, not so good. I'm pleading that I can't think about what Marci is asking and also take a photo every few seconds, which I did. The reality is that I just don't retain details very well, so I'm not good at any kind of trivia game. Remember - you don't ever want me on your team for trivia. A word game? Yes. Trivia? No.

It was a really fun day. Not only did I get to see lots of cool exhibits, but I also ran into some folks I knew. John Divine and I were having a wonderful conversation.



I ran into Andrea and Roger...



And lots of other folks. I also saw some booths of cool places I want to go to.

I'll have more photos to share. But, there were men in kilts, women in watermelon hats, people roping and other people playing music. You need to go if it's at all possible for you.
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Mark arrived this evening about 10. We sat down and started talking and when he went in to get a drink I heard him exclaim, "Patsy, it's almost two o'clock." I couldn't believe that was the case. I was thinking maybe midnight. But, no, it was 1:48.

So, he sprang into action getting prepared for bed. He's the ultimate house guest. Get this - he brings his own bed. Yes, it's true. He brings his own inflatable bed. Generally he headquarters in my downstairs su nporch but it has become the greenhouse, and most of the floor space is taken up with plants, so he's setting up in the dining room.

I, of course, had been talking and hadn't yet blogged, something I feel a need to do every day, even if blogger does not see fit to post it quickly. It's only those of you reading at www.patsyterrell.com who might be seeing delayed posts. Live Journal et al don't rely on ftp. There were people already complaining about it in the blogger forums. And I was one of them. Isn't it amazing what we expect for free these days? Certainly a paradigm shift.

Greg and Mia are off on a trip. Greg tells me he got a photo of the Lope tonight with Alice Cooper. They're also getting to visit with my friend, Jay, who's at the same convention. Mark is on a weekend trip here, of course. It all makes me want to be a trip too. But, I'm not. I'm at home. And, I love being at home, too. I just need a little something to look forward to. But, alas, this is not the season in my life for travel. But soon. Soon it will be my season to travel. Soon. It must be my season to travel soon.

It's my season for sleep right now. I got up pretty early this morning and we have a full Saturday. We're going to the Hutchinson Art Show in the morning and then headed to the Sampler Festival later in the day. I'll be tweeting - with pix - if possible!

Be sure and do something fun on your Saturday. Otherwise, Monday morning will arrive and you'll be wishing you'd made some fun memories to carry you through the work week. This past week was a difficult one for me so I need some fun to make up for that AND some fun to get through the coming one. I hope I can cram that much into one weekend. Obviously, I've decided to give up on sleep. As usual. At some point in my life I will sleep - like normal people do - many hours every night and all.
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All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.