Watch this interview by friend-of-show and WHO-TV political reporter Dave Price and ask yourself what your worlplace is like.  How are women treated where you work?  In a nutshell, former Iowa Senate Republican caucus communications director Kirsten Anderson says she and other women were the targets of sexual harassment from state lawmakers and other staffers.  She says when she took proof of the harassment to her superiors, she was fired.  A spokesman for Senate Leader Bill Dix says harrassment isn't tollerated, and that Anderson was fired for not doing her job. 

Two points here: 

1:  As much as state Democrats might want this to be a political issue, more proof of their assertion that the GOP hates women, it isn't.  That leads me to my second point...

2:  There is NOTHING about this I find surprising.  Have you ever worked in an office that is dominated by men?  In an industry that is thought of as male-dominated? Now tell me how surprised you are by the allegations. 

Sure, there is a lot we DON'T know about this story and never will as it's a personell issue. My guess is that if Kirsten Anderson's telling a true story and if her documentation proves it out, it will look a lot like a ton of other offices in Iowa.  The one obvious difference?  We're talking about state lawmakers--people who are supposed to represent ALL of us.

We learned today that Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald's been hospitalized with a rare neurological disorder than can be, at times, debilitating.  Fitzgerald and his family face a potentially long road to recovery, so I want you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers.  Paul is a good, honorable man who has never failed to respond to us here at KASI whenever we've asked something of him.

In talking to Sheriff's Office Capt. Barry Thomas on the phone, it was very clear to me how much Fitzgerald's staff respects him and credit his leadership for leaving the office running smoothly in his absence. 

Our best to Paul and his family for a speedy and full recovery.

After last night's Ames City Council meeting, where a decision was made to save more than 50 old windows in the public library's renovation and expansion, something's not been sitting right in my mind.  Leave it to a regular listener, to hit it on the head.  Here's part of what Bill wrote:

"My prediction - huge delays and additional cost now that the public knows they can nit pick little special interest items, tie up council and library board time and get changes to an approved plan.  Standby for the advocates of round headed screws to come forward and bully out all the flat-headed screws that will be used in the contruction.  Then the green roof advocates, the permeable pavement adovocates, the no glue advocates."

Man, I hope he's not right. I really hope the decision to back the Historic Preservation Commission's stance on those windows doesn't spur a wholesale re-examination of the entire project.  I know their heart was in the place on this specific issue, but keep in mind what 2nd Ward Council Member Jami Larson said--"where was this discussion two years ago?" 

Big thanks to our Tanzanian friends for appearing on the big show today.  As I said on the air--I think a little bit more about turning on the water at home after I learned many Tanzanians have carry gallon after gallon of water across many miles to meet the needs of an average African family of eight.

We talked about some organizations that are doing good work in Africa--

Check out Empower Tanzania

Learn more about malaria and AIDS effect on Africa at The One Campaign to fight global poverty.

...and this is STOOPID.  Mind-numbingly, face-punch inducingly stoopid. 

The "this" in question is the IRS admission that some "low level" employees subjected groups with "tea party" and "patriot" in their names for extra scrutiny in  applications for non-profit status.  Talk about a gift-wrapped-with-a-bow-on-top present for the Tea Party.  "See, we told you! This is big government at work intruding into to the lives of everyday, hard workin' Muricans!" Good Lord, if I hadn't read it in the news, it would be hard to believe. 

Do you suppose, at some point, President Obama said "Oh, c'mon.  99 problems and now this is one?  You're killing me!"

Now, before members of Congress get their panties in a twist calling for heads to roll, we should inquire which heads they'd like to see on the floor?  The head of the IRS?  As Slate points out in this story...yeah, about that.