Traveling from as far apart as Garden City, Hays, Emporia and various points in between, representatives from all the state senate districts in the "Big First" participated as delegates and observers, said District Chair Larry Daniels of Dodge City. "In total 74 people attended which I believe is an excellent turnout considering the distances people had to travel because of the size of the district," Daniels said.

The competition was very strong for the election, Daniels said, as 49 Democrats from the district had filed candidacy forms with the state party so their names would appear on the ballot. Five delegates were elected to represent Kansas from the First District.

I have a minor heart problem that is easily managed by a couple of fairly inexpensive drugs. Years ago, my family doctor referred me to a cardiologist. It was then I met Dr. Farhat, a young, red-haired man who came here from Lebanon some years before and started his cardiology clinic with several other doctors of Lebanese birth. Dr. Farhat is a soft-spoken man who treats patients gently and with respect. He explains what's going on with my heart in detail, even when he's running behind because of an emergency he's had to deal with.

When I was a freshman in college, my first scientific method professor hammered into us that there's no such thing as "proof," and that if a scientist used that word then, well, he really wasn't a scientist.

Republicans and the religious right: " see the world in black/white, right/wrong, either/or, yes/no, my-way-or-the-highway terms."

That isn't to say the Dems are always tolerant and open, but in today's society the liberal left are far more tolerant of differing opinions and acceptance of the equal worth of their fellowman, irregardless of their religious or sexual orientation and opinions.

Historically, the established Christian church has lost nearly every argument with science. That doesn't negate the Bible's authority. It only proves that man sometimes ignores his finite knowledge and assumes he knows what, when, and how God created and thinks 'having dominion' means he has infinite knowledge.

For an even more nuanced approach, something that conservatives in general and Republicans in particular don't seem very capable of, watch a video of Jonathan Haidt's work.

As Justice Learned Hand once penned, "The mark of a free man is that ever-gnawing inner uncertainty as to whether or not he is right." And Julian Huxley, "To become truly adult we must learn to bear the burden of incertitude." This idea seems to be almost anathema to conservatives, who see the world in black/white, right/wrong, either/or, yes/no, my-way-or-the-highway terms.

Joe's career is an object lesson to young people who think they have to choose a boring field because it pays well and is therefore "practical." Sometimes just doubling down on what you love can be the most practical thing of all!

Joe's love of wildlife started early. As a little boy in Ohio, he spent as much time as he could with turtles, reptiles, and amphibians. Every day seemed filled with wonders as he learned more and more about his shelled, scaly, and moist-skinned friends. It hurt him, therefore, when he noticed something horrible about his own species: Behind the wheel, some people swerved to hit turtles on the road. Little Joe devised an ingenious revenge. He put the road-killed turtles back together but filled the shells

Immediately I had flashbacks to my worst moments as a Royals' fan - the trade of the hometown boy and reigning Cy Young Award winner David Cone to the Yankees, the Johnny Damon trade, the Carlos Beltran trade, etc. , etc.

Oh, I almost forgot, Ted's news. The Brewers' star player, Prince Fielder, left his team and signed a $215 Million dollar contract with the Detroit Tigers. To add insult to injury, the Tigers play in the same division as the Royals.

What seems to be the problem?

Either start in the northeast corner of the state, or the southwest corner and start counting residents. Draw the lines as near as possible to match county lines. If possible keep entire cities in the same district. They have census records to easily determine populations by counties, cities, and townships. A grade school math class could get the boundaries figured out within a few class periods. If not, they might need a new math teacher and someone to show them how to read maps. Surely, by the time you get elected to the state legislature, you have leaned to add and read simple maps.

Here is a brief explanation of just why Mr. Santorum receives thirty-three and Mr. Romney his seven.

WICHITA, Kan. - International Women's Day, March 8, is a good day to review Radiating Like a Stone: Wichita Women and the 1970s Feminist Movement, a compilation of essays by women who were active in the Wichita women's rights movements in the 1970s. The book, edited by Myrne Roe, covers a wide variety of issues that came to the forefront, not just in Wichita, but across the country, as women came together to deal with "needs not being addressed or services not being provided."