Tom Becka

Suspending Disbelief

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Mon, 06/09/2025 - 12:00am

Las Vegas magicians Penn and Teller have a television show called Fool Us. The premise of the show is that other magicians perform in front of the two masters of magic, and they try to do just what it says in the show’s title. They try to fool Penn and Teller. After they perform, Penn and Teller have a little discussion about how the trick was done and then speak in code to the performers. In some form of magic speak, they let them know if they were fooled or not.

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God Grant Me The Serenity

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Mon, 06/02/2025 - 12:00am

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

I find myself saying the Serenity Prayer more and more when I see what’s happening to our country right now.

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One Big Bad Beautiful One Size Fits All Budget Bill

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Fri, 05/30/2025 - 12:00am

I asked Don Bacon if he was proud of his vote for the Big Bad Beautiful One Size Fits All Budget Bill the House passed last week.

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The People Don’t Want To Live In Fear

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Thu, 05/22/2025 - 12:00am

Maybe I missed something. Maybe Governor Pillen was walking the streets of West Omaha knocking on doors and campaigning for Jean Stothert. Perhaps he marched with her in parades. Was he endorsing her in TV ads, and I just didn’t see it?

If he didn’t do any of that, then why is he blaming West Omaha voters for the mayor’s loss?

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Showing Your True Colors

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Fri, 05/16/2025 - 12:00am

When the National Endowment for the Arts recently took away funding from actors, musicians, authors, filmmakers, and more, it wasn’t just an attack on creativity, but an attack on our democracy as well.

Allow me to explain.

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Thanks To The Oracle Of Omaha

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 05/13/2025 - 12:00am

The Wizard of West Des Moines doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as the Oracle of Omaha, but it looks like that might be what we’re facing.

West Des Moines resident Greg Able is the probable replacement for Warren Buffett. And the reports are that he’s not driving his U-Haul 129 miles west on I-80.

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Should The Public Be Paying For Religion In Schools?

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Thu, 05/08/2025 - 1:13pm

Before I get on my soapbox and start my rant, let me begin by saying that I support anyone’s religious beliefs as long as they aren’t using their God to hurt someone else. If they don’t believe their God wants them to perform a terrorist bombing, start a religious war, join the KKK or stand on a corner with a “God hates fags” sign I support their religious freedom.

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Let’s Get Fiscal

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Tue, 05/06/2025 - 12:00am

A battle cry we’ve heard over the years from the far right and the Tea Party has been “Taxation is theft.” To which I reply, “If taxation is theft, what would you call using the roads, the schools, the fire, police, and other public services without paying for them? Isn’t that theft as well?” Like it or not, we do need to pay our taxes.

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The Good Old Days

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Mon, 05/05/2025 - 12:00am

I suppose it is only natural for a person to reach a certain age and long for the so-called “Good old days.”

Whether they reminisce about the music of their day, the cars they used to drive, or the freedom they used to have.

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One Bad Apple Spoils The Whole Bunch

Published by maggie@omahadai... on Mon, 04/28/2025 - 8:13am

Remember when you were in school and one of the bad kids would do something wrong and if the teacher didn’t catch them, she’d ask the rest of the class who did it? If the rest of the class remained silent the whole room would get punished with detention or extra homework.

I’m reminded of that when I see what’s currently happening to the Republican Party. Not only nationally but here at home.