Random Thoughts 5/15/12

• The Chiefs have been in KC for 50 years.  But it's only been forty-some years since a championship.  So we've got that going for us.
• 7-Eleven just took over the Texaco Starmart in my neighborhood.  I'm not sure if that's good or bad; QuikTrip dominates the KC market while 7-Elevens are pretty scarce on this side of town.  But 7-Eleven has big gulps and slurpees, so…
• Our church cookout is tomorrow night at 6:30.  Please be there and bring a side-dish.  The meat and drinks are provided.  Everyone is invited!
• The Big 12 might be expanding, perhaps to Florida State and Clemson.  But rumors are swirling about Georgia Tech, Louisville, Cincinnati, and even Notre Dame.  It's not that I wouldn't take Notre Dame, but I think the value of the Irish to a conference today isn't a fraction of what it would have been 30 years ago or more.  I'd hate for the Big 12 to be the conference to finally land Notre Dame only to see them fade into mediocrity.  But then again, legacy and prestige count for a lot in college sports.
• Good news: the architect who designed the proposed Eisenhower memorial in Washington D.C., who planned to depict the president as a dreamy, Kansas farm boy (instead of as the Supreme Allied Commander in WW2 or President of the United States), has agreed to change the memorial.  Sort of.  He'll add a couple new statues of Ike, as a general and as president.  The Eisenhower family complained bitterly about the underwhelming misrepresentation involved here and the commission has agreed in principle to the improvements.  The Eisenhower statue here in KCK is of an elderly Ike fly fishing.  Again, not exactly the uniformed victor on a rearing steed.  Are memorial designers feeling apologetic for winning wars?
• Jostens just announced they are moving about 80% of the remaining jobs in Topeka to Tennessee.  When I was in high school Jostens was one of the companies that made class rings (including Shannon's), prom paraphernalia, graduation diploma covers, and such.  All the production is leaving Topeka.
• About 50 underclassmen declared for the NBA draft at the end of June.  There will only be 60 players taken and this group has to compete for spots with almost 20 eligible foreign players and scores of eligible graduating seniors.  Just like every year, about half of these young men are getting really bad advice from greedy advisers and family members.