I caught this article in the Republic Monitor and it answers a number of questions I’ve always had.

Box turtles live a long time, and females continue laying eggs for most of their lives. They need lots of time to replace themselves, since snakes, raccoons, opossums and other nest predators eat most of their eggs. Before roads crisscrossed their habitat a low reproductive rate was no big deal. Animals that continue laying eggs past 60 years of age can afford to take their time replacing themselves. But the unnatural mortality caused by speeding cars is a problem.

To help, Briggler suggests that motorists slow down when they see a turtle in the road and check to be sure they can safely steer around it. If traffic and road conditions permit, motorists can pull their vehicles off the roadway and carry turtles to the other side of the road and place them at least 15 feet beyond the pavement, facing away from the road.

That’s not something I’m necessarily proud of. The one thing that brings me back is their Traditional Margarita, made with tequila, their knock off brand of orange liqueur and two squeezed limes. Very enjoyable although at $7.50 apiece, it gets expensive quickly. And have I ever been offered a gratis drink, for being a loyal customer? Nah, and that’s what leads me to ‘the other side of the coin’.

The food? No complaints so long as they keep it in the microwave long enough before delivering. Renowned for their speed of service, it’s due to the fact that everything is pre-made and when you can’t even heat it up properly… It’s time to walk away. I’m out searching for an alternative, even if it means getting in my car. I’m leaving Maria’s to the downtown touristas.

Maybe the new summer menu at Mudlounge will fit the bill!

Ozark Mountain Daredevils

This year, Jason posted a story that announced a series of concerts being sponsored by the Park District. The Convention and Visitors Board immediately posted the information on their website, not waiting for formal notice from the Park Board. Apparently some other ‘media outlets’ who should know better also posted the information, leading to this response on Jason’s website:

It looks like this year’s April Fool’s joke on Life of Jason has been targeted toward the Park Board. This fictitious lineup of entertainers was not released by the Park Board. We ask that the administrator of this site please remove the misleading information immediately. A formal release from Parks Public Information Administrator Bob Nelson will be released shortly to all local media. Unfortunately, the fictitious information has already mislead several citizens and local media outlets. For more information, contact the Park Board directly at (417) 864-1049 or visit our official Web site at http://www.parkboard.org.
- Bob Nelson, Springfield-Greene County Park Board

It’s an interesting choice of words – target. I heard through a reliable source that Mr Nelson was unhappy having to handle the calls that came in given his already busy day as a public citizen. Yet when he and the City are trying to get the word out about their latest pet project, Jason’s website is one of the first ones they go to. Is that ‘having your cake and eating it too?’ Maybe they and the CVB should remove “Life of Jason” from their publicity distribution lists. Oh, and for those who missed the posting, it was a well written one until the final few listings, which as Jason himself notes:

I really thought after last year’s April Fool’s Joke that my readers would stop and look at the calendar and think there would be no way our Park Board could afford to bring in Robert Plant and Allison Krauss for a free concert.

One other fine pairing that had the locals drooling, rather then checking their sources, was Big Smith in combination with The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. The Devil’s don’t get together often, the last time was a well-documented affair at the Gillioz. So for those of you who need a fix, here’s a reliable source.

Wildwood Springs Lodge Presents the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. November 5th,6th and 7th, 2009 at The Midwest’s Premier Acoustic Venue located in Steelville MO. Sign up here for their Monthly Newsletter

11:00 Food booths & vendors open on Square
11:30 Irish Idol Contest
12:00 Parade units begin forming (Benton & Commercial)
2:00 Parade begins with Grand Marshal
4:00 Parade disbands (Park Central West)
4:30 – ???? Celebration continues with the Awards Ceremony to be determined

To receive email updates about the parade, submit your email address here:

No one would disagree that there are many choices when deciding where to go for coffee in Springfield. One of the newest options, however, offers more to its customers than just a simple cup of java.

Jonathan and I initially decided to review Sinatra’s Coffee Gallery because of our shared appreciation for the work of the great Frank Sinatra. We believed that we would be right at home, engulfed by this present-day blast from the past. While we were not disappointed by many aspects of Sinatra’s, there were, however, some things that could use improvement.

Ozarks Survivor Contestant Fired From SBU Coaching Job
Wednesday, Feb 18, 2009 @07:33pm CST

The Ozarks man competing on “Survivor” confirms he lost his job at Southwest Baptist University. Benjamin Wade tells KOLR/KSFX he’s no longer the women’s soccer coach at SBU.

Despite the fact that SBU has disassociated themselves with the reality TV star, I’m still seeing TV ads for Survivor that feature Coach Wade in his role as a representative of SBU. I wonder how long that will continue?

About 80 ten-member cooking teams will compete in the Chili Cook-Off for a variety of trophies and prizes, and for bragging rights about chili making prowess. Cooks will be up before sunrise to begin slicing, dicing and cooking at least ten gallons of chili each for the public to begin tasting and judging at 11AM. Chili offerings, many based on favorite and closely-guarded recipes, range from tasty to exotic to really spicy.

And courtesy of The Four-Four, here is the sound line up with commentary:

Beer Garden Stage (Upstairs)
10:45 am – 11:45 am Sequel Dose
Noon – 1:00 pm The Sociables
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm The Ben Miller Band
2:30 pm – 3: 30 pm Jah Roots
3:45 pm – 4:45 pm Speakeasy

Event Stage (Downstairs)
11:15 am – 12:15 pm N2 Deep
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm The Dropouts
2:15 pm – 3:30 pm Chance Ray Band
3:45 pm – 5:00 pm Cory Morrow

Note the appearance by The Sociables at noon at the Beer Garden Stage. We were told when the group announced its “indefinite hiatus” that it would honor the shows it had committed to prior to its decision to stop playing, and this is one such show. It might be the last chance you get to see them in action. You’ll also notice the Jah Roots-Speakeasy double whammy later in the afternoon. The music lineup should easily compete with the chili for your attention, and the music won’t make you fart.

… Seth nails it. Especially when it comes to the Olympic Swimming Committee.

Did I say amazing yet?

I looked to see if there was a consensus on the tax issue, the primary sense I get from the News-Leader today is that the “No vote” is investing more effort. And of course there is the News-Leader editorial advocating the same No vote.

Update – oh oh!