Gurney's attorney said the woman only recently said she had sex against her will, after making earlier sworn statements that didn't mention that allegation. Maj. Gwendolyn Beitz, who is leading Gurney's defense, repeatedly asked the woman whether Gurney had used any threat, force or restraint as they had sex.
She responded that he hadn't. She said the encounter last year began when she stopped by his office at lunchtime and they began kissing, which they had also done in earlier meetings. He took off his shirt and began taking off her blouse, she said.
"I just kept telling him no," she said, then testified she wasn't sure how her clothes were removed or how she wound up having sex with Gurney against a table.
"I didn't want to have sex with him," the woman said. The Associated Press is not naming the woman.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Death Pond
I have two water ponds. The smaller one sits above the larger one and gives the appearance of flowing into the larger one. This spring I discovered only three of my five fish in the small pond made it through the winter and last week I discovered two of those were not doing well so I transferred them to the larger pond and bought 10 feeder goldfish to replace them with. All ten died within two days.
Last year three birds drowned in the pond along with several frogs, including one that tried to consume a bird, which frogs aren't supposed to do.
I am planning on having the water tested to determine if there is a water problem.
I put up a bluebird house a few weeks ago and a bluebird family quickly moved in and before long there were eggs, or maybe just one egg, I'm not sure but there was only one baby bluebird. Yesterday the parents kicked baby out but it was too scarred to fly so I picked it up and placed it back in the nest.
Today when the electricians came to wire my shed I discovered the baby bluebird in my trench so I put it back in the nest again and was promptly attacked by one of the parents. I hoped all would be well, at least until after the workmen were finished. But alas (yes I really used the word alas) the baby was again kicked out of the nest.
It was the lasted victim of the pond of death.
Last year three birds drowned in the pond along with several frogs, including one that tried to consume a bird, which frogs aren't supposed to do.
I am planning on having the water tested to determine if there is a water problem.
I put up a bluebird house a few weeks ago and a bluebird family quickly moved in and before long there were eggs, or maybe just one egg, I'm not sure but there was only one baby bluebird. Yesterday the parents kicked baby out but it was too scarred to fly so I picked it up and placed it back in the nest.
Today when the electricians came to wire my shed I discovered the baby bluebird in my trench so I put it back in the nest again and was promptly attacked by one of the parents. I hoped all would be well, at least until after the workmen were finished. But alas (yes I really used the word alas) the baby was again kicked out of the nest.
It was the lasted victim of the pond of death.
Patience
I have the bread, bacon, lettuce, and the Duke's. The recent rains have done wonders for my crops and now I can just wait patiently for nature to take its course, now that I know there is a good possibility there will be something to eat coming out of this garden this year.
I've lived in Guilford/Randolph Counties for the last 25 years and have never experienced weather conditions anywhere else like I have here. One year we have a drought, the next year it can rain so much that plants drown.
Who knows. This could be the last rain we see all summer. Then again, it may rain continuously for the next month or two.
Nevertheless, it does appear I'll get at least one sandwich out of the garden this year.
Ann Curry apologizes for mixing up her Wheatons
How much does this woman make per year? Mixing up institutions is an honest mistake but for some one who is actually going to a place to give a speech should have paid much closer attention to what she was talking about.
In case you didn't catch the story, Ann Curry was invited to give the graduation speech at Wheaton College in Mass. and she mentioned distinguished graduations from Wheaton College in Illinois.
If she can't get her facts straight when she is personally involved, how can we be sure she knows what she is talking about otherwise?
Maybe she should talk with Dan Rather about fact checking before speaking.
In case you didn't catch the story, Ann Curry was invited to give the graduation speech at Wheaton College in Mass. and she mentioned distinguished graduations from Wheaton College in Illinois.
If she can't get her facts straight when she is personally involved, how can we be sure she knows what she is talking about otherwise?
Maybe she should talk with Dan Rather about fact checking before speaking.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Ground Cover
In the first picture you can see a yellow flower on the right side of the picture. The leaves of this plant are thick, waxy looking circles and the flowers are a yellow star with a red border. The description on the tag of the slowly spreading ground cover plant says the flowers are supposed to be "star-shaped pink and white" flowers. The pink and white is one of the reasons I picked up this plant.
The bottom left photo is a shot of my bamboo plant. I have a rubber liner surrounding the plant so it's growth is confined to a certain area.
The upper right photo is of my purple ice. Last year when I planted it, it was the size of a 12-oz drink cup so it spreads quickly and is easy to plant in other places. Just grab a hand full and cut from the main plant, stick it in the ground where you want a new plant to be, throw some extra dirt around it and water. new this year is a yellow ice plant which hasn't bloomed yet and is still only as big as that 12-oz drink cup.
The last photo, the one on the bottom right, is Lamb's ear. It is a dull greenish gray in color but has tiny deep purple flowers on the tops which bumble bees seem to be attracted too. (As with all the pictures you can click on them to enlarge).
Next year will really be exciting after the plants finish filling in the water fall mound and my new plants get big enough to show themselves off. I've planted candy tuft, grape hyacinth, and lily of the valley on the pond bank just above the
bog garden.
I sure would like to see some pictures of what other folks have done in their yards. The plants in the front flower bed should be showing themselves off soon.
One neighbor and I swap plants from time to time. Maybe some of you would like to join in and share some of your favorite plants?
Vacation
One of my favorite ways of enjoying time off from work is to stay at home and do those things that you say you want to do but never have time. This year my wife and I went fishing in the new lake in Randleman, took in two baseball games, had some friends over for a cookout on my new grill, went to Raleigh for the pig picking and bluegrass festival (mighty good barbecue, mighty good) and plan on taking in a production at the barn dinner theater this afternoon.
I also got some work done. I'm having my new playhouse wired and I dug the trench. It's a narrow hole, eighteen inches deep and about thirty feet long. If I had to pay to have it dug, it would have cost me $400.00 or more whether it had been hand dug or a trencher used.
It's a good thing I look at digging as a good form of exercise. Really, it wasn't that bad except for the rain. I dug about half the trench on Thursday and finished the rest yesterday after having to pump the rainwater out of the trench. It seems that working in red clay for a two day job is a sure way to make it rain.
News from the home front
I have been rewarded thrice this year by my Iris. First, the flowers in the regular garden bloomed, then the Iris in my water garden. Now the Iris in the bog garden are blooming.
One thing that amazes me about that plant, besides the beauty of them, is the fact they have two ways of propagating. Below ground the plants have rhizomes which grow larger each year and the larger it gets, the more flowers that grow above ground. The Iris also have a bulb that appears just below where a flower bloomed. The first time I saw one I thought the plant was diseased but that growth is a seed pod.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Service magic
I needed some electrical work done so I sent my request via Service Magic. To my surprise my phone was ringing before I even logged off the site. I scheduled an appointment with three companies and they came out as scheduled, looked the job over and gave me their edtimates.
The first to arrive was a very nice man with a good personality. He checked things out and to ld me he would sent his estimate via e-mail later, which he did. He did the least amount of looking and checking, asked only a few questions and was gone.
The sencond one to arrive went over everything with a fine tooth come, asked lots of questions and I never thought he would leave.
The third was a Yankee and charmed my wife. He was a cross between the first two men. Tall, good looking with his yankee-Italian accent, he asked questions, checked everthing out, offered suggestions, and stayed and talked to us. He was entertaining. He called back shortly after he left with an idea he had.
The three estimates were close, within $25.00 of each other, which I was surprised about.
As far as the three men I would feel confident hiring either one of them.
The first to arrive was a very nice man with a good personality. He checked things out and to ld me he would sent his estimate via e-mail later, which he did. He did the least amount of looking and checking, asked only a few questions and was gone.
The sencond one to arrive went over everything with a fine tooth come, asked lots of questions and I never thought he would leave.
The third was a Yankee and charmed my wife. He was a cross between the first two men. Tall, good looking with his yankee-Italian accent, he asked questions, checked everthing out, offered suggestions, and stayed and talked to us. He was entertaining. He called back shortly after he left with an idea he had.
The three estimates were close, within $25.00 of each other, which I was surprised about.
As far as the three men I would feel confident hiring either one of them.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Racial profiling?
A woman from Michagan is Miss USA. She may be deserving on her own merits but she is discribed as Arab American and it is the Arab part that seemed to be the emphasis of the story. I wonder how much her heritage played in her winning the crown?
While we are discussing political correctness how many of the leaders of unfriendly countries has Obama actually gone to visit and talk with? I suppose reality serves as a real check against campaign rhetoric.
Americaq has always been touted as the land of opportunity yet when someone who isn't white and of European background does something unusual their native country is added to the American part. Take Obama for instance. If he was born in america then he is american. If he was born in Africa and was naturilized then he would be Africn-American.
The Miss USA would be Arab American only is she was born in Arab (there really is no such place, is there?).
While we are discussing political correctness how many of the leaders of unfriendly countries has Obama actually gone to visit and talk with? I suppose reality serves as a real check against campaign rhetoric.
Americaq has always been touted as the land of opportunity yet when someone who isn't white and of European background does something unusual their native country is added to the American part. Take Obama for instance. If he was born in america then he is american. If he was born in Africa and was naturilized then he would be Africn-American.
The Miss USA would be Arab American only is she was born in Arab (there really is no such place, is there?).
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Confusing
Samples of bad writing by professional journalists abound, like the following example:
"Northwest Flight 255 stalled after takeoff and crashed onto a highway just after takeoff from Detroit. All six crew and 148 of 149 passengers were killed, as were two people on the ground. The sole survivor was a 4-year old girl who was found strapped into an airplane seat by a volunteer firefighter."
The way the sentence is written indicates that the firefighter strapped the sole survivor into a seat which doesn't make for a whole lot of sense. More likely, the survivor was found, strapped in a seat, by a a firefighter.
Some of the more common samples of bad writing occurs in crime reporting. It's amazing what people were shot with and where they were shot. One story reported that the home owner shot the burglar in the kitchen. Exactly what part of the body is the kitchen?
Fortunately, in most cases, the reader can determine what the writer meant even though that isn't a good excuse not to write properly.
"Northwest Flight 255 stalled after takeoff and crashed onto a highway just after takeoff from Detroit. All six crew and 148 of 149 passengers were killed, as were two people on the ground. The sole survivor was a 4-year old girl who was found strapped into an airplane seat by a volunteer firefighter."
The way the sentence is written indicates that the firefighter strapped the sole survivor into a seat which doesn't make for a whole lot of sense. More likely, the survivor was found, strapped in a seat, by a a firefighter.
Some of the more common samples of bad writing occurs in crime reporting. It's amazing what people were shot with and where they were shot. One story reported that the home owner shot the burglar in the kitchen. Exactly what part of the body is the kitchen?
Fortunately, in most cases, the reader can determine what the writer meant even though that isn't a good excuse not to write properly.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
NC 5th out of fifty
The Most Corrupt StatesNo. 5 North Carolina (photo: Gerry Broome, AP)5 of 10Public Corruption: 36
Racketeering & Extortion: 22
Fraud Rank: 1
Forgery & Counterfeiting: 7
Embezzlement: 2
Recent Scandal: Kalu Kalu and Martin Ifeani Iroegbu of Raleigh netted more than $12 million in a Medicare fraud scheme, but they acted more like old-time grifters than seasoned criminals. The team, doing business with legitimate-sounding company names like Enuda Healthsource and Universal Medical Supply, would give presentations at homes and churches, obtain Medicare numbers of unsuspecting patients, and then send prescriptions for unnecessary medical equipment to patients' physicians for signature. The physicians would often nullify entire prescriptions, but the grifters charged Medicare for the medical equipment anyway. Kalu was sentenced in March to 90 days in jail and was ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution.
Source: The Daily Beast
Read Story: The Most Corrupt States
Racketeering & Extortion: 22
Fraud Rank: 1
Forgery & Counterfeiting: 7
Embezzlement: 2
Recent Scandal: Kalu Kalu and Martin Ifeani Iroegbu of Raleigh netted more than $12 million in a Medicare fraud scheme, but they acted more like old-time grifters than seasoned criminals. The team, doing business with legitimate-sounding company names like Enuda Healthsource and Universal Medical Supply, would give presentations at homes and churches, obtain Medicare numbers of unsuspecting patients, and then send prescriptions for unnecessary medical equipment to patients' physicians for signature. The physicians would often nullify entire prescriptions, but the grifters charged Medicare for the medical equipment anyway. Kalu was sentenced in March to 90 days in jail and was ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution.
Source: The Daily Beast
Read Story: The Most Corrupt States
Computers are not private
The recent arrests of two local men in child porn cases should serve as notice that computers are not private. Every computer has a unique "address' just as a telephone has a number so a call can be directerd to that particular phone, a computers address allows information the user seeks to be directed to the particular computer being used.
Pleae also be aware that people lie alot on the internet. In one case a 48 year old man pretended to be a young man and used a picture of his friend. He corresponded with a young lady named jessica and was building a relationship with her. The man who climed the younger guy was his son and also a marine, would keep in touch with Jessica, relaying maeesages between her and his son. When the man's wife found out about the ruse she contacted Jessica. Jessica contacted a person Montgomery had mentioned in his emilas and discovered the other person was the person in the photograph that originally attracted her. She stareted a correspondence with him and when Montgomery discovered that he shot and killed the younger man.
In wasn't until his trial for murder did he discover that the beautiful jessica was actually a fat 45 year old woamn poseing as her daughter.
There really isn't a thing as anonomous on a computer.
That's how police tracked one serial killer. Tauting police, he sent a map to where they could find a victim's body. Tracing the map, police learned that only one had been down loaded by area resisdents in the time frame indicated and tracing that computer, an arrest was made and a conviction gained of a serial murderer.
And let's not forget the resent Craigslist killer. Sure, the internet lead him to his vicxtims but the internet also led police to his door and the jury to the conclusion he was guilty of robery and murder.
Pleae also be aware that people lie alot on the internet. In one case a 48 year old man pretended to be a young man and used a picture of his friend. He corresponded with a young lady named jessica and was building a relationship with her. The man who climed the younger guy was his son and also a marine, would keep in touch with Jessica, relaying maeesages between her and his son. When the man's wife found out about the ruse she contacted Jessica. Jessica contacted a person Montgomery had mentioned in his emilas and discovered the other person was the person in the photograph that originally attracted her. She stareted a correspondence with him and when Montgomery discovered that he shot and killed the younger man.
In wasn't until his trial for murder did he discover that the beautiful jessica was actually a fat 45 year old woamn poseing as her daughter.
There really isn't a thing as anonomous on a computer.
That's how police tracked one serial killer. Tauting police, he sent a map to where they could find a victim's body. Tracing the map, police learned that only one had been down loaded by area resisdents in the time frame indicated and tracing that computer, an arrest was made and a conviction gained of a serial murderer.
And let's not forget the resent Craigslist killer. Sure, the internet lead him to his vicxtims but the internet also led police to his door and the jury to the conclusion he was guilty of robery and murder.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Dysfunctional families
I was unfortunate to grow up in a dysfunctional family although I am sure there are worse families than mine but that really doesn't make me feel any better.
My younger brother does quite well for himself but I have no idea what he makes but I'm sure it is enough to make most doctor's jealous. My older brother makes about 2 1/2 times what I do and he gets along fabulously with the younger one. Me? I never got along with any of them. Still don't even though I try.
My mom will turn 85 next month and although she only ate cottage cheese and tomato wedges since I started the seventh grade and she no longer eats anything since turning 82 she still looks like a little beach ball with a face. I drive 200 miles round trip once a month to take her grocery shopping. Although she usually spends between $300 and $400 each month the sweets she buys are for company. Strange because she claims no one ever comes to see her.
Anyway, foolish me became concerned because last year in fell in the yard and laid there for hours before she got help and two weeks ago she fell in the house and it took her three hours to pull herself unto the couch. I suggested that maybe she could move to Randleman and leave in a hoyse just a few houses away from me. Since she has always objected the tought of spending any money on an apartment I suggested she might purchse the house outright and bank the difference she would make from the sale of her house. 'Oh, that would be wonderful" she exclaimed and she shed a few tears of joy.
"Of course, I'd have to talk it over with your two brothers first."
That was Thursday May 6, 2010. I e-mailed my two brothers and sent them pictures and vitals on the house so they would know what Mom was talking about. On Saturday the eighth, I received a letter from Mom saying that she was going to stay in Hickory because she would miss all her friends and it was too far for them to come and visit and too costly for them to call long distance and she would miss the memories of the house she lives in now and her brother who ony visits her on holidays and her doctors, none of which does her any good, she claims.
On Sunday she talked to the older brother when he came for Mother's day but only because he brought it up just before he got ready to leave. I got an e-mail from my younger brother saying that he thought Mom should sell the house but move into an assisted living facility but in Hickory, not Randleman.
Today I received a letter from my Mom saying she had never intended to mention my idea to my brothers, she would never consider moving from a brick house into one with siding, and that she could just as easily get someone from the church to take her grocery shopping if it was too much bother for me.
My concern was trying to take better care of her and to see to it that she was not left alone for long periods of time.
Now i am being accused of trying to make things easier on myself and to enrich myself by having Mom sell her house.
Sometimes I wonder why I even bother.
My younger brother does quite well for himself but I have no idea what he makes but I'm sure it is enough to make most doctor's jealous. My older brother makes about 2 1/2 times what I do and he gets along fabulously with the younger one. Me? I never got along with any of them. Still don't even though I try.
My mom will turn 85 next month and although she only ate cottage cheese and tomato wedges since I started the seventh grade and she no longer eats anything since turning 82 she still looks like a little beach ball with a face. I drive 200 miles round trip once a month to take her grocery shopping. Although she usually spends between $300 and $400 each month the sweets she buys are for company. Strange because she claims no one ever comes to see her.
Anyway, foolish me became concerned because last year in fell in the yard and laid there for hours before she got help and two weeks ago she fell in the house and it took her three hours to pull herself unto the couch. I suggested that maybe she could move to Randleman and leave in a hoyse just a few houses away from me. Since she has always objected the tought of spending any money on an apartment I suggested she might purchse the house outright and bank the difference she would make from the sale of her house. 'Oh, that would be wonderful" she exclaimed and she shed a few tears of joy.
"Of course, I'd have to talk it over with your two brothers first."
That was Thursday May 6, 2010. I e-mailed my two brothers and sent them pictures and vitals on the house so they would know what Mom was talking about. On Saturday the eighth, I received a letter from Mom saying that she was going to stay in Hickory because she would miss all her friends and it was too far for them to come and visit and too costly for them to call long distance and she would miss the memories of the house she lives in now and her brother who ony visits her on holidays and her doctors, none of which does her any good, she claims.
On Sunday she talked to the older brother when he came for Mother's day but only because he brought it up just before he got ready to leave. I got an e-mail from my younger brother saying that he thought Mom should sell the house but move into an assisted living facility but in Hickory, not Randleman.
Today I received a letter from my Mom saying she had never intended to mention my idea to my brothers, she would never consider moving from a brick house into one with siding, and that she could just as easily get someone from the church to take her grocery shopping if it was too much bother for me.
My concern was trying to take better care of her and to see to it that she was not left alone for long periods of time.
Now i am being accused of trying to make things easier on myself and to enrich myself by having Mom sell her house.
Sometimes I wonder why I even bother.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Showa
Best shot yet of my fish "Showa". It's harder than one would think to get a good shot of a fish.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Iris garden
This Iris garden in on the left side of my home and less than half of the flowers have bloomed so far. I also have my water Iris, both in the water garden and the blog garden. Those are different colors, mostly a lavender to combinations of purples and yellows. Hopefully they will bloom soon.
Relaxing by the pond is so peaceful, especially since i have added a fountain to the pond as well as my waterfall. The waterfall mound is filling in with ground cover plants nicely.
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