The Final Exams Week edition of the KGB Carnival

'Tis the season, as you probably gathered from my previous post. It's a busy time, full of giving (exams and grades) and getting (grief/praise, neither, often, deserved). But that very fact makes my hosting this week's carnival of the Kansas Guild of Bloggers a pleasant diversion. With no further ado, then . . .

Kevin Surbaugh, better known as the Prince of Thrift, recently appeared on television and in the newspaper in Topeka as he and Rep. Nancy Boyda promoted a national day of recognition for foster parents. Here, he announces that he has hopes for still more. Best of luck, Kevin.

In the rather straightforwardly-titled "Why my butt hurts," Joel Mathis of Cup o' Joel . . . well, let's just say that students at Mennonite colleges have rather odd ways of dealing with repressed sexual urges.

Joel also was kind enough to recommend that we include this post by his fellow l.com-er Jill Ensley, in which she recounts a recent trip to New Orleans. Beautiful/sad pictures accompany her post. Do go read and see her work--it is painful but important to be reminded that far too much remains to be done in that city.

Lyn Perry appears to have revived Bloggin' Out Loud from its moribund state--good news for this most-visited and linked-to Kansas blog. This week he submits Blue star turns gold, a post in honor of a friend's son who was recently killed in Iraq. [Aside: my mother told me tonight that my brother called her yesterday from Baghdad, from whence he and his unit will go elsewhere in Iraq. Already 102 degrees there, he says.]

Ariel, I doubt, has a set list of household responsibilities for son Aidan to tend to, but he's not one to discourage, either.

It's from today, but C Mac of Bleeding Kansas has a concise summary of some facts concerning the Greensburg tornado.

As you might suspect, even if we didn't actually blog about it, the tornado and the future of Greensburg were and remain much on your minds. Among those of us who did blog about the tornado and our dangerous weather in general these past few days include jd of Evolution, Bruce of It seems to me, Paul of The force that through . . ., and Josh of Thoughts from Kansas.

Over at his place, Bigslip of his eponymously-named blog, has two posts addressing the intersection of Islam and free speech.

Gwynne of The Shallow End apparently really wears watches as bracelets.

And finally, emawkc links to a New Yorker story on the Nelson-Atkins' new wing, and celebrates another Kansas City institution, Boulevard Brewery.

That's it for this week. Next Monday, Josh will be hosting the Carnival over at Thoughts from Kansas . . . you know what to do.