Random Thoughts 4/24/08

• The Chiefs traded star DE Jared Allen to the Vikings. NFL schedules are such that Jared Allen won't see the Chiefs again until they play in Minnesota in 2011. In other words, Allen may never sack a Chiefs quarterback in his entire career. That's good.
• Tax Freedom Day was yesterday (April 23); that's the day when you are no longer working to pay your tax bill. Actually in Kansas it was April 18 (MO - April 14 and OK - April 11). Follow the link to read more about Tax Freedom Day with some especially interesting charts, like the one below.
• The Kansas City Zoo will increase their prices ($10.50 adults, $7 children 3-11). That's fifty bucks for my family, so we're considering a family membership for $65. The discounts, coupons and benefits help the membership pay for itself after the first trip.
• Shannon is leaving for a few days to go the Women's retreat at Ozark Christian College. That means the four boys and I will be on survival mode until Mom returns. We're excited for her to go but it's not easy to do without her; she's the hub that everything we do revolves around.
• Can Mario Chalmers or Darrell Arthur improve their draft position by returning to school for another year? Possibly. They would certainly stand out more on a weakened KU team but they won't likely be coming off an NCAA championship. In the end, I hate to see any player leave school early.
  
• Here's the link to the website I mentioned in Revelation class last night, the Apocalypse Project. I've not read every article yet, but it seems to be from an amillennial view, which is a rare treat in a church culture shaped by Tim LaHaye and Hal Lindsey.
• It's reaching the point, finally, where I have to mow my yard. The problem is that we've added two dogs since last year. That means my yard is filled with debris, dog poo, and holes. My backyard, which used to be kind of nice, is now a wasteland.