Pink leotards and freedom

For a preview of Sen. Sam Brownback's convention speech tonight, click here. Some odds 'n' ends:

Jan Provost and Jack Brier of Topeka report their favorite protester this week: a woman in a pink leotard, with turquoise-and-leopard-print tights, carrying a sign that said, "Free Martha."

"It's important to understand that, in New York, protest is a form of social involvement," Brier said.

Show me

Prized reader Libby Quaid of the Associated Press sends this piece of Missouri-Kansas trivia:

As goes Missouri, so goes the nation."

It's commonly said inside and outside Missouri. But that actually isn't how the saying goes. For well over a century, the adage was, "As Maine goes, so goes the nation."

Then, when Republican Alf Landon carried only Maine and Vermont against Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, Democratic Party chairman James A. Farley wryly observed, "As Maine goes, so goes Vermont."

Skynyrd, continued

And this from occasional contributor Dr. William Polley of Peoria, Ill., -- on the ongoing Meaning of Lynyrd Skynyrd debate:

Southern rock must have an interesting history. I'm not an expert by any means. But think about it. Elvis, Skynyrd, REM. Connect those dots.

I like Skynyrd for the same reason that I like REM. I like the music -- the sound -- without getting too hung up on the lyrics. (Though I have alwayswondered about that line about Birmingham and the governor.) Let's face it. Southern rock is for driving. It is meant to be listened to inthe car. Bonus points for being in a rural area. Extra bonus points for being in a pickup.

Hear hear!