Great Bend, Kan.- A recession is a scary time, everyone feels insecure with employment, family members loose jobs, our standard of living is threatened. The Great Depression of the 1920's was no doubt a very dark and dismal time in America. We were not sure where the country was headed, and those who were sure, did not have a very positive outlook. I just finished reading, "The Worst Hard Time", by Timothy Egan, a fantastic tale about the dustbowl.

I have always been interested in that time period, the time period of the great depression. Growing up in a small town, back in the sticks of Michigan, I was required to ask my Grandmother about it during a school project. I expected some piece of history I had not known about my family and their survival through the depression. Instead my Grandma had a simple answer. She stated, "We did not even know a depression had happened, we were always poor. The depression never left up here."

LAWRENCE, Kan. - "When the moon is in the second house and Jupiter aligns with Mars..." The music swelled from the wispy opening notes to the raucous crescendo of "The Age of Aquarius," and the tribe of actors, high school students or those just out of high school, sang and danced around the stage in a colorful weave that celebrated the age of peace and love.

This, the last show of the summer for the Lawrence Arts Center Summer Youth Theater (SYT) pulled me back over the forty-two years since I'd seen Hair the first time, a Broadway touring company performance in Chicago in 1968. My granddaughter was in the SYT production. It was to be her last performance for SYT and I didn't want to miss it. Also, I wanted to see how the play held up.

GREAT BEND, Kan. - At this point in the First District Republican Congressional race, Dr. Jim Barnett looks to be the front runner. And it's mostly because his TV ads are so good.

It's hard to not like a small town physician, raised on a farm, who appears to be interested in listening, not talking. His sign off line "How about you"? is brilliant. The good doctor wants to know what you think.

TV is one thing. But direct mail, personal contacts, and yard signs go a long ways, too. And Tracey Mann of Salina has the best direct mail, and the best-looking yard signs in lots of locations. His yard signs looks similar to the Moran yard signs---same color and font, and both names start with an "M" and end with an "N." Mann? Moran? Pretty similar.

BASEHOR, Kan. - In this month's Harper's magazine, the magazine's Washington editor, Ken Silverstein, puts together a scary picture of what right-wing Republican, Tea Party, no-taxes governance in action looks like.

Look no farther than Arizona.

LAWRENCE, Kan. - After listening to as much right-wing talk-radio as I can stand and having endless arguments with hardcore Republicans in person and over the Internet, I have now established what it means to be a REAL American patriot. And boy, have I been totally wrong about what it means to be a good American! Just in case any of my fellow pinko-commie-bleeding-heart liberals have also been confused about what it means to be a REAL American patriot, let me clear things up for you.

Being a REAL patriot means that you get a job and you work your ass off until the day you die. You don't ever, ever, EVER apply for unemployment or welfare, because that is pure communism. If you're out of a job for awhile and you lose your house and have to live in your car, you can go wash up at the corner gas station, pull yourself up by your own darn bootstraps and start over. This is America, where opportunities are boundless.

GREAT BEND, Kan. - Arizona has recently come under fire for its immigration bill. I have heard loud arguments from both sides regarding the legal implications of this law. Those arguments aside, we need to look at the big picture. Is this bill by itself going to be effective, or is it just a political ploy to satisfy those upset with illegal immigration? A lot of wording, but nothing more than the government creating more laws and creating a civil rights debate? I am not going to touch that aspect in this article; whether or not the bill is infringing on the rights of American Citizens.

According to Numbers USA and the PEW research center, both of which are bi-partisan studies, 7.7 million American jobs are held by illegal immigrants. The majority of immigrants come into America seeking jobs. Big business lures illegal immigrants in with the promise of a better life; a life where a man and woman can take care of their families, and live a relatively safe existence. The majority of illegal immigrants come to America for employment.

Is it cost effective for American's to go after illegal immigrants one at a time?

EMPORIA, Kan. - Hi, my name is Josh Slaughter, and I have "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome." Now I'm sure half of you laughed and the other half of you are looking for a rope to hang me for being racist. First let me state, it's not my term. That term comes from the United State government who have classified "Chinese Food Syndrome" as a small to no threat to America.

Let me go back though. Let me go back to when it all started, before thousands of dollars of doctor bills. Before the months of enduring more pain than I would ever wish on anyone.

Take a journey with me, through my illness, and be ready at the end for me to call you to action.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Dean Olufson a web design manager from Olathe has been a
Lisa Johnston registered Republican for over 20 years. Having known U.S. Senate Candidate Lisa Johnston for the past eight years, Olufson says he was "quite surprised by her announcement speech and how she articulated her views." Olufson admits he has always voted Republican, yet "I am extremely tired of politics as usual from both sides. I believe she's [Johnston] worth listening to and watching as the race unfolds."

Of his own party, Olufson admits, "While I'm sure she'll be raked over the coals for not having political experience, I think it's exactly what we need." Olufson refers to Johnston as someone who has worked with many in Kansas communities and is not another talking head.

"She has real things she wants to accomplish and she isn't doing it by tearing down the other side. She's more interested in working and listening than she is in getting in front of the cameras and having her 15 minutes of fame. She's an ordinary citizen..." Olufson believes in getting "back to basics" and says that is the message he is hearing and is willing to support.

BOGUE, Kan. - I attended the recent event at Fort Hays State Univ. last Monday, April 26, to hear 7 Republicans and one lonesome Democrat (Alan Jilka of Salina) use up less than ten minutes apiece to introduce themselves, deliver soundbytes on six broad issues, and get an additional closing minute to come up with something really big.

Given the number of candidates and the 90-minute slot, from which was deducted a few minutes for a welcome by Dr. Edward Hammond (and a few more for the moderator, Kent Steward to explain the format, ask the questions and enforce time limits), that seems a generous estimate.

Except for a couple semi-moderates like Marck Cobb of Galva, and Tracy Mann of Quinter, the Republicans tried to out-rightwing one another, appealing to the base, I guess.

GREAT BEND, Kan. - At the 2000 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles, an unknown State Senator from Illinois with a funny name attended the convention, but could not even snare a floor pass to the convention. The State Senator had recently gotten crushed 61% to 30% in a Congressional race in Illinois, and had no discernible future in politics.

Eight years later that unknown State Senator was elected President of the United States. Obama was cocky and foolish to challenge Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) in 2000. But Obama seems to have a habit of trying something audacious, getting crushed, but then making a comeback against all odds.

When Obama, a relative newcomer to the U.S. Senate, challenged Hillary Clinton for the 2008 Democratic nomination for President, he was written off by many as an overconfident upstart. When he stunned everyone by winning the Iowa caucuses, he got overconfident in New Hampshire a few days later -- and lost.