It seems that Bumblebees have been busy this year, taking over the jobs that honeybees once did. Besides the obvious differences in size and color between the two bees, there are some similarities. Both bees build hives and produce honey. However, their lifestyle is totally different.
Honey bees build larger and larger hives and tend to stay with one hive for years. Sometimes a group of honeybees will swarm, breaking away from the hive and starting a second one in another location. Bumblebees, on the other hand, only stay in groups of around fifty bees and build new hives every year.
Both bees do pollinate fruit and vegatables. which is good for people like me wwho have gardens. I have three kinds: flower, water, and vegatable.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Before
Tomorrow is the big day for the bathroom remodel. We are having the garden tub (pictured) taken out and a shower stall installed. If not the largest, it will be close to the biggest shower stall put in by bathfitters. It will come equiped with a built-in seat.
Spies are more common than you think
One is left with the feeling that it isn't believed that this woman can be a spy because she is so pretty. Exactly how ugly does one have to be to spy? Seems James Bond and all the beautiful women and transexuals weren't too pretty to be spies in the movies?
Jack Kennedy dated a spy, from Russia no less, and I'm sure she was very attractive.
Spying isn't all cloak and dagger stuff.
And it isn't limited to people with certain looks.
Did the police actually see this?
Man, 81, accused of machete chase near taco stand
Published - Jun 29 2010 03:20PM EST
SALEM, Ore. — Police said an 81-year-old man was arrested after he chased another man around a Salem taco stand while armed with a machete. Salem police said Monday the man accused the taco stand owner of stealing a drill from his nearby business. When the taco stand owner denied it, the suspect left and returned with a machete.
Lt. Dave Okada said the suspect chased the unidentified man around the stand several times before officers arrested him on accusations of menacing and attempted assault. He was booked into the Marion County Jail.
There were no injuries in Sunday's incident.
I was attacked by a mad motorist two weeks ago and the police could not make an arrest because they didn't actually witness the attack on me. Made me feel real safe.
___
Published - Jun 29 2010 03:20PM EST
SALEM, Ore. — Police said an 81-year-old man was arrested after he chased another man around a Salem taco stand while armed with a machete. Salem police said Monday the man accused the taco stand owner of stealing a drill from his nearby business. When the taco stand owner denied it, the suspect left and returned with a machete.
Lt. Dave Okada said the suspect chased the unidentified man around the stand several times before officers arrested him on accusations of menacing and attempted assault. He was booked into the Marion County Jail.
There were no injuries in Sunday's incident.
I was attacked by a mad motorist two weeks ago and the police could not make an arrest because they didn't actually witness the attack on me. Made me feel real safe.
___
Monday, June 28, 2010
An idea
Back in the day when i was running the streets of Greensboro gatering information for my book "Queen of Southgate" I had observed actions by several Greensboro Police officers that didn't seem to be part of their job. I also heard rumors about other cops, particularly one cop who was a central figure in "Cops in black and white" a series of articles written by Jerry Bledsoe that appreared in the Rhino times and covered his investigation into the firing of the Poice Chief of Greensbor, David Wray.
During that investigation I was interviewed by a reporter for the Greensboro news and Record and i gave her the names of two policemen I suspected were involved in shady dealings and that information was rwisted and used to trick David Wray.
It appeared to be apparent that there were some shady goings-on within the Greensboro police department yet with the exception of questionable violations and cover-ups of some minor department policies, nothings substantial was investigated with vigor.
I was reading a story I had read several times before and never really thought there was a connerction but now I'm not so sure. An excerpt from this TruTV story is as follows:
"The connections both Bryant and Vance had made would prove useful in the formation of "Executive Protection, Ltd.," a private security service that they started with Thornton. The business, nicknamed "The Company," was in actuality a front for a large-scale drugs and weapons smuggling enterprise. Bryant, the brains of the outfit, used his connections to obtain and manage the capital they needed to run the operation. Thornton, the logistics coordinator and pilot, arranged the transportation of the goods, mostly marijuana, cocaine and guns, flown from as far away as South America back to Lexington, where the cargo would be sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars to dealers throughout the region. Finally, Vance would serve as the inside man, tipping his colleagues to any official investigations into The Company's activities, for which he would receive a significant cut of the profits. To assist in their expanding operations, the men also "recruited operatives, drawing from a pool of former police officers and drug agents from various state, local and federal agencies," Sally Denton wrote in her book The Bluegrass Conspiracy: The Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Murder."
Thorton was a former narcotics officer and Vance was an investigator for the state
police.
Could it be possibel that there is a more organized group involving some Greensboro cops as there were in this story about "The Company" and not just a small group of unrelated rogue cops as suggested by all the stories that came out during this time.
I suppose without legal proof of concusion, one dare not even hint as such stuff and dare not to even think of names of possible suspects.
Such thoughts would make for an interesting story, if one had the talent to write such things.
During that investigation I was interviewed by a reporter for the Greensboro news and Record and i gave her the names of two policemen I suspected were involved in shady dealings and that information was rwisted and used to trick David Wray.
It appeared to be apparent that there were some shady goings-on within the Greensboro police department yet with the exception of questionable violations and cover-ups of some minor department policies, nothings substantial was investigated with vigor.
I was reading a story I had read several times before and never really thought there was a connerction but now I'm not so sure. An excerpt from this TruTV story is as follows:
"The connections both Bryant and Vance had made would prove useful in the formation of "Executive Protection, Ltd.," a private security service that they started with Thornton. The business, nicknamed "The Company," was in actuality a front for a large-scale drugs and weapons smuggling enterprise. Bryant, the brains of the outfit, used his connections to obtain and manage the capital they needed to run the operation. Thornton, the logistics coordinator and pilot, arranged the transportation of the goods, mostly marijuana, cocaine and guns, flown from as far away as South America back to Lexington, where the cargo would be sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars to dealers throughout the region. Finally, Vance would serve as the inside man, tipping his colleagues to any official investigations into The Company's activities, for which he would receive a significant cut of the profits. To assist in their expanding operations, the men also "recruited operatives, drawing from a pool of former police officers and drug agents from various state, local and federal agencies," Sally Denton wrote in her book The Bluegrass Conspiracy: The Inside Story of Power, Greed, Drugs and Murder."
Thorton was a former narcotics officer and Vance was an investigator for the state
police.
Could it be possibel that there is a more organized group involving some Greensboro cops as there were in this story about "The Company" and not just a small group of unrelated rogue cops as suggested by all the stories that came out during this time.
I suppose without legal proof of concusion, one dare not even hint as such stuff and dare not to even think of names of possible suspects.
Such thoughts would make for an interesting story, if one had the talent to write such things.
Friday, June 25, 2010
rors weigh Chicago cop's word against 5 felons
These accusations have persisted for years and the tales are consistant over time. Looks, walks, talks, and smells like a duck.
Shame but it's a false honor. Not the first time. There was a recent case in which a high ranking police officer, a female cop, was arrested and convicted of murder. She had killed in a rivalry for a mans affection. Just didn't like to lose.
Shame but it's a false honor. Not the first time. There was a recent case in which a high ranking police officer, a female cop, was arrested and convicted of murder. She had killed in a rivalry for a mans affection. Just didn't like to lose.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
News Shorts
A young mother took her two year old with her when she went to visit relatives in Henderson (located in Vance County, about 40 miles north of Raleigh). The two year old accidentally shot himself when he picked up a loaded gun left on the kitchen counter.
That's why I don't allow children in the house. I believe they should be outlawed but if we can't do that, maybe we can kept them locked up and under control so they don't hurt anyone or anything. It seems they are always in to something that they shouldn't be. it's a shame a man just can't kept a loaded gun anywhere in the house without some brat trying to play with it.
In other stories, some about the President, Barrack Obama (in case you aren't sure who it is), has suffered some set-backs. A judge ruled against his ban on off-shore drilling in one case and in another, a provision for the government to control the auto industry was stricken.
Not to worry, these are just a few minor bumps in the road to the governments take over of the American economy. I know some of you just don't believe that and he's counting on that. Even though he hasn't made it a secret many of his followers just haven't recognized the truth yet.
That's why I don't allow children in the house. I believe they should be outlawed but if we can't do that, maybe we can kept them locked up and under control so they don't hurt anyone or anything. It seems they are always in to something that they shouldn't be. it's a shame a man just can't kept a loaded gun anywhere in the house without some brat trying to play with it.
In other stories, some about the President, Barrack Obama (in case you aren't sure who it is), has suffered some set-backs. A judge ruled against his ban on off-shore drilling in one case and in another, a provision for the government to control the auto industry was stricken.
Not to worry, these are just a few minor bumps in the road to the governments take over of the American economy. I know some of you just don't believe that and he's counting on that. Even though he hasn't made it a secret many of his followers just haven't recognized the truth yet.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The changing of the seasons
June 20th is the last day of spring and the first day of summer. June 21st will be the first full day of summer but the 20th is the first day.
This spring has brought much rain, plenty of vines on cucumbers, watermelons, cataloupes, pumpkins, squash, and tomatoes. In my garden, I have been picking tomatoes for 2 weeks, cucumbers for over a week, and have cataloupes the size of, well, cataloupes. My first watermelons appeared on the vines today even though the vines strength like forever.
Blackberries, one of my favorite things to eat, are plentiful this year and early. I've already picked three quarts and the crop hasn't really began to turn from red to black yet.
I always thought that a blackberyy was a blackberry was a blackberry except, of clourse, for the blackberry that is a dew berry but it turns out there are more than one kind of blackberry just like there are more than one variety of just about everything else, including people.
This spring has brought much rain, plenty of vines on cucumbers, watermelons, cataloupes, pumpkins, squash, and tomatoes. In my garden, I have been picking tomatoes for 2 weeks, cucumbers for over a week, and have cataloupes the size of, well, cataloupes. My first watermelons appeared on the vines today even though the vines strength like forever.
Blackberries, one of my favorite things to eat, are plentiful this year and early. I've already picked three quarts and the crop hasn't really began to turn from red to black yet.
I always thought that a blackberyy was a blackberry was a blackberry except, of clourse, for the blackberry that is a dew berry but it turns out there are more than one kind of blackberry just like there are more than one variety of just about everything else, including people.
The Ice plant
A great ground cover plant that spreads quickly, growns to only two inches high, needs little if any attention, and is easy to transplant; just stick a piece in the soil and it will root itself in a couple of weeks.
Comes in three colors, white, yellow and the most popular purple.
Feature Story
http://www.storyhouse.org
A short story I wrote many years ago is the feature story on the home page of storyhouse.org. The owner of the site says it is one of his favorite. The story is labeled as fiction but it is more truth than not.
A short story I wrote many years ago is the feature story on the home page of storyhouse.org. The owner of the site says it is one of his favorite. The story is labeled as fiction but it is more truth than not.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Am I crazy?
If I pay a company to provide a service and they fail to do so, am I crazy to expect them to pay for the consequences of their fraud?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Bold face Lie
"Friendly, Knowledgeable Customer Service
Our friendly and knowledgeable auto glass technicians and customer service staff are dedicated to providing you with fast, quality service - at your convenience. Right from the start - our customer service representatives will answer your questions, handle the details with insurance and get your vehicle scheduled for in-shop replacement or mobile in a manner that is easiest for you.
You can rest assured when a Kimble Auto Glass technician begins work on your vehicle:"
They won't even respond to a request for a quote via e-mail or by phone. Sucky way of doing business. AARP auto club is about to get on my last nerve too.
Want to do business with a good company, try Ames Tru-temper tools. My Mom has a 2-prong hoe (strawberry rack) that is at least twenty years old and works as good as a brand new one. I bought one a few years ago but the head came loose. Ames is sending me a brand new one and all I did was ask how to fix the one I have. That a good way to win a customer for life.
Our friendly and knowledgeable auto glass technicians and customer service staff are dedicated to providing you with fast, quality service - at your convenience. Right from the start - our customer service representatives will answer your questions, handle the details with insurance and get your vehicle scheduled for in-shop replacement or mobile in a manner that is easiest for you.
You can rest assured when a Kimble Auto Glass technician begins work on your vehicle:"
They won't even respond to a request for a quote via e-mail or by phone. Sucky way of doing business. AARP auto club is about to get on my last nerve too.
Want to do business with a good company, try Ames Tru-temper tools. My Mom has a 2-prong hoe (strawberry rack) that is at least twenty years old and works as good as a brand new one. I bought one a few years ago but the head came loose. Ames is sending me a brand new one and all I did was ask how to fix the one I have. That a good way to win a customer for life.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Excerpt
"The report includes the story of an American girl named Harriet who ran away from home at 11 and was pimped out by a man in his thirties. "The police arrested Harriet when she was 13 and charged her with committing prostitution," it says. "They made no efforts to find her pimp." She was sentenced to 18 months' probation, even though she wasn't old enough to legally consent to sex.
That story is one of many horrors recounted in this mammoth document, a compendium of the trafficking situation in just about every country in the world. According to the report, which measures trafficking for both sex bondage and forced labor, 12.3 million people are trapped in modern slavery worldwide. Yet across the globe, only 4,166 trafficking prosecutions were successful in 2009, suggesting that the vast majority of perpetrators are operating with impunity."
In many cases street prostitutes are criminals but in many cases thet are victims.
The justice system has a two-fold purpose and that is to punish and correct. Too often the emphasis is placed on the punish part without any effort to correct the errarnt behaviour. We need a better system.
That story is one of many horrors recounted in this mammoth document, a compendium of the trafficking situation in just about every country in the world. According to the report, which measures trafficking for both sex bondage and forced labor, 12.3 million people are trapped in modern slavery worldwide. Yet across the globe, only 4,166 trafficking prosecutions were successful in 2009, suggesting that the vast majority of perpetrators are operating with impunity."
In many cases street prostitutes are criminals but in many cases thet are victims.
The justice system has a two-fold purpose and that is to punish and correct. Too often the emphasis is placed on the punish part without any effort to correct the errarnt behaviour. We need a better system.
Monday, June 14, 2010
I-40 incident, follow-up part 1
I did receive a response from the captain of the police department in Morganton in which he said
" I can imagine that the incident you described was a very harrowing experience for you. I don’t know all of the facts of the incident but for most misdemeanor offenses an officer cannot make an arrest unless the crime occurred in their presence. It may very well have been that the officers were unable to make an arrest. I will pass your email on to the watch commander that was on duty yesterday so that he may look into the facts and respond back to you. Thank you for taking the time to make us aware of your concerns."
" I can imagine that the incident you described was a very harrowing experience for you. I don’t know all of the facts of the incident but for most misdemeanor offenses an officer cannot make an arrest unless the crime occurred in their presence. It may very well have been that the officers were unable to make an arrest. I will pass your email on to the watch commander that was on duty yesterday so that he may look into the facts and respond back to you. Thank you for taking the time to make us aware of your concerns."
A response
Putting a bow tie on a pig doesn't change the pig into a cow and neither does putting gloves on an unsanitary worker make that worker clean. The health department does not require food handlers to wear gloves. What the health department does require is that a food handler wash their hands before beginning work and after all breaks, after smoking, coughing, sneezing, or eating, after all bathroom visits, and that the food handlers wash their hands or change their gloves after handling uncooked foodsand before handling ready to eat products, and when changing from working with one species to another. Following that procedure will eliminate cross-contaimination.
The biggest concern in the food industry for illness prevention is temperature control and proper storage. There isn't anything a person can do with an ungloved hand that he can't do with a gloved one.
Some employers require their workers to wear gloves but that is a company policy and not one required by law.
Dale E. Sperling
The biggest concern in the food industry for illness prevention is temperature control and proper storage. There isn't anything a person can do with an ungloved hand that he can't do with a gloved one.
Some employers require their workers to wear gloves but that is a company policy and not one required by law.
Dale E. Sperling
Sunday, June 13, 2010
talk about poor English
"The kitten known as Two Face brought the animal to the vet shortly after it was born on Wednesday because its mother refused to"
That is a real sentence from a MS MBC story. I think there is an opportunity for some recent college graduate.
That is a real sentence from a MS MBC story. I think there is an opportunity for some recent college graduate.
June 12, 2010: the I-40 incident
June 14th is Mom's 85th birthday but I have to work so I decided to pay her a surprise visit on the 12th. When I was just a wee lad I used to picked swwet pea blooms for her and on this day I saw some growing beside the road so I picked her a nice bouquet of sweet pea blooms.
I had purchased her a pineapple cupcake from "Cupcakes to go" in Randleman (they were nice enough to put it in a sturdy brown box to protect it during the long trip). Honestly, the girls there are just as sweet as the cupcakes are. I took along with me her birthday card and a pack of party favors, the little horns that unroll and toot when one blows into them.
I sang Happy Birthday to her, she blew out her candle, and she just laughed with joy over our little party. She was happy.
I needed to go to Old Fort and hang a "For Sale" sign on my property (anyone interested?) and just as I was approaching Morganton a vehicle overtaking me to my left threw a can at my car, hitting it. I Called the highway patrol and gave them a description of the incident and the vehicle involved and while on the phone the van exited at exit 104 which is the exit that leads to the highway patrol station.
"My good fortune" I thought. Not so. When the van stopped at the traffic sign, a passenger, a big burly man, got out of the van and walked back to my car and started pounding on it. After five or six hits, he walked back to the van which took off across the intersection back to I-40.
The van then took the next exit (103) and then my call was transferred to the Morganton police. The van then pulled into a service station and I pulled in too but kept my distance. The burly man got out of the van and walked back to my car and tried to pull my door open. He then struck my door glass with his fist three or four times and then attacked my roof. He walked off just as two police cars pulled in.
One officer spoke to me and then spoke to the passenger. As the officer was walking back to me, the passenger got back into the van and they left. The officer told me that he told the man he needed to find a better way to handle his problems and that there was nothing he could do about the incident.
Throwing an object at a moving vehicle (called launching a missile) is illegal as is littering. Since the object throw was a large empty can of beer he could have been charged with carrying an open container. Certainly putting me in fear of my life and limb is an assualt. And I believe the dent on the top of my car is damage to personal property.
I had a taste of what it is like to be a minority as the attacker was Hispanic and the clerk at the service station was Hispanic and was hostile towards me. Excuse me for being an American!
To add insult to injury, I locked my keys in the car along with my wallet which contains my spare key in case I lock myself out of my car. My car was running.
I called my travel club and got a lady with a heavy accent which makes it doubly tough for a person who is hearing impaired. One has to remove ones hearing aid to talk on a telephone or cell phone. She couldn't find the Citgo station on her GPS locator although she did find the Exxon across the street. I finally convinced her to send the guy to the Exxon station and then tell him to cross the street to where I was.
That call took about thirty minutes. Forty minutes later help had still not arrived and I was getting hot, tired and annoyed. I couldn't buy a drink because my wallet was in the car. Ten minutes later she called back to inform me that the help was involved in an auto accident and would not be coming. She had no one else to send but I could hire my own lock smith, pay out of my own pocket, and send them the bill.
That's not what I pay dues to an auto club for.
I had twenty dollars, a cell phone with a low battery caused by trying to give her my location and the aforementioned incident. I do not carry a credit card and I only had a $100.00 in my checking account, probably not enough to get a locksmith out on a Saturday evening to unlock the door of a stupid motorist.
I decided to find me a big rock. Seems like an easy thing to do but it really isn't. Ten or so mighty whacks later, I gave up. Finally a man came over and he offered to break the glass. He grabbed my big rock and it didn't work for him either. So he went to get his hammer. After five whacks he looked dumbfounded at the still shinning piece of glass before him.
"It might be easier to just push it out" he suggested and he placed the hammer head up against the glass and pushed. The glass shattered.
I thanked the man, opened my car door (at least the car was cool) and took off to finish my mission.
After hanging my signs, I stopped for a bite to eat and noticed the lady behind me had a fresh dressing on her hand.
"Just come from the doctor"? I asked.
"Why yes, how did you know?"
"The dressing is perfectly clean and professionally done and by the way you are holding your hand I can tell it is a recent injury. Operation or accident?"
"Accident. I cut it on a piece of glass"
"I thought I was having a bad day" I said "but I wouldn't trade mine for yours."
I sent an e-mail to the captain of the police department in Morganton, NC to protest the way the incident was handled but i have a feeling I'm cursed with whatever malady Dr. J has when dealing with our legal system. I have a long list of horror stories but you don't want to hear them and I don't want to tell them anymore. It's kind of like asking a soldier just home from the war what it was like. He just doesn't want to relive the nightmares.
It happens to be a "Don't ask, don't tell" policy I can relate to.
I arrived back home safe and sound at a quarter to midnight. All and all, it was a good day. I sent the morning with my wife, made my mom happy and got my signs hung, and it wasn't me who had nine stitches from a nasty cut to the main hand.
Life is good and my grass seed finally sprouted and it rained.
Things could be worse: Ask a soldier or a homeless person.
I had purchased her a pineapple cupcake from "Cupcakes to go" in Randleman (they were nice enough to put it in a sturdy brown box to protect it during the long trip). Honestly, the girls there are just as sweet as the cupcakes are. I took along with me her birthday card and a pack of party favors, the little horns that unroll and toot when one blows into them.
I sang Happy Birthday to her, she blew out her candle, and she just laughed with joy over our little party. She was happy.
I needed to go to Old Fort and hang a "For Sale" sign on my property (anyone interested?) and just as I was approaching Morganton a vehicle overtaking me to my left threw a can at my car, hitting it. I Called the highway patrol and gave them a description of the incident and the vehicle involved and while on the phone the van exited at exit 104 which is the exit that leads to the highway patrol station.
"My good fortune" I thought. Not so. When the van stopped at the traffic sign, a passenger, a big burly man, got out of the van and walked back to my car and started pounding on it. After five or six hits, he walked back to the van which took off across the intersection back to I-40.
The van then took the next exit (103) and then my call was transferred to the Morganton police. The van then pulled into a service station and I pulled in too but kept my distance. The burly man got out of the van and walked back to my car and tried to pull my door open. He then struck my door glass with his fist three or four times and then attacked my roof. He walked off just as two police cars pulled in.
One officer spoke to me and then spoke to the passenger. As the officer was walking back to me, the passenger got back into the van and they left. The officer told me that he told the man he needed to find a better way to handle his problems and that there was nothing he could do about the incident.
Throwing an object at a moving vehicle (called launching a missile) is illegal as is littering. Since the object throw was a large empty can of beer he could have been charged with carrying an open container. Certainly putting me in fear of my life and limb is an assualt. And I believe the dent on the top of my car is damage to personal property.
I had a taste of what it is like to be a minority as the attacker was Hispanic and the clerk at the service station was Hispanic and was hostile towards me. Excuse me for being an American!
To add insult to injury, I locked my keys in the car along with my wallet which contains my spare key in case I lock myself out of my car. My car was running.
I called my travel club and got a lady with a heavy accent which makes it doubly tough for a person who is hearing impaired. One has to remove ones hearing aid to talk on a telephone or cell phone. She couldn't find the Citgo station on her GPS locator although she did find the Exxon across the street. I finally convinced her to send the guy to the Exxon station and then tell him to cross the street to where I was.
That call took about thirty minutes. Forty minutes later help had still not arrived and I was getting hot, tired and annoyed. I couldn't buy a drink because my wallet was in the car. Ten minutes later she called back to inform me that the help was involved in an auto accident and would not be coming. She had no one else to send but I could hire my own lock smith, pay out of my own pocket, and send them the bill.
That's not what I pay dues to an auto club for.
I had twenty dollars, a cell phone with a low battery caused by trying to give her my location and the aforementioned incident. I do not carry a credit card and I only had a $100.00 in my checking account, probably not enough to get a locksmith out on a Saturday evening to unlock the door of a stupid motorist.
I decided to find me a big rock. Seems like an easy thing to do but it really isn't. Ten or so mighty whacks later, I gave up. Finally a man came over and he offered to break the glass. He grabbed my big rock and it didn't work for him either. So he went to get his hammer. After five whacks he looked dumbfounded at the still shinning piece of glass before him.
"It might be easier to just push it out" he suggested and he placed the hammer head up against the glass and pushed. The glass shattered.
I thanked the man, opened my car door (at least the car was cool) and took off to finish my mission.
After hanging my signs, I stopped for a bite to eat and noticed the lady behind me had a fresh dressing on her hand.
"Just come from the doctor"? I asked.
"Why yes, how did you know?"
"The dressing is perfectly clean and professionally done and by the way you are holding your hand I can tell it is a recent injury. Operation or accident?"
"Accident. I cut it on a piece of glass"
"I thought I was having a bad day" I said "but I wouldn't trade mine for yours."
I sent an e-mail to the captain of the police department in Morganton, NC to protest the way the incident was handled but i have a feeling I'm cursed with whatever malady Dr. J has when dealing with our legal system. I have a long list of horror stories but you don't want to hear them and I don't want to tell them anymore. It's kind of like asking a soldier just home from the war what it was like. He just doesn't want to relive the nightmares.
It happens to be a "Don't ask, don't tell" policy I can relate to.
I arrived back home safe and sound at a quarter to midnight. All and all, it was a good day. I sent the morning with my wife, made my mom happy and got my signs hung, and it wasn't me who had nine stitches from a nasty cut to the main hand.
Life is good and my grass seed finally sprouted and it rained.
Things could be worse: Ask a soldier or a homeless person.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Memorial Day
It wasn't love of country or a call to arms that caused to to enlist in the US Navy in 1968, a year this country was bogged down in Vietnam. The Vietnamese War was a time that changed America while giving birth to the drug culture. No, my enlistment was the result of a disagreement with my father. My girlfriend at the time was a Texas beauty from a small town named Yokum near the Mexican border who was Catholic. I doubt that the problems this relationship caused could have been worse if one of us had been of a different race or if we had been of the same sex. Her family was just as opposed to us being together as was my family--perhaps more so.
It wasn't as if my parents would have tried to keep us apart even though they did make their displeasure known. What brought about the rift with my dad was my refusal to attend the same church we had gone to that Sunday morning. It seemed the pastor there believed the Pope was the Anti-Christ and shared that view in that mornings sermon. That view didn't set well with Sandra and embarrassed me.
I was given the ultimatum to drop out of school and come home right then or I would be drafted. It was only a few weeks later when I received a latter instructing me to report for duty on December 30. 1968. The draft ended two days later. Rather that go into the Army, I "volunteered" for the Navy, a fact constantly thrown into my face whenever I objected to some action of my "superiors".
I was good at my job and quickly rose in rank to an E-5 but I was never military. I once held hands with another sailor and skipped down the middle of the hanger bay while aboard the USS Midway (A WWII aircraft carrier, USS 41), argued with an officer about whether being under a covered walkway was inside or outside, called for a meeting to protest treatment of minorities in my division aboard ship, was hauled before a commission of the Admiral, the Captain, and six other officers to determine if I was a subversive for requesting additional work, and earned more awards for my work that I ever could figure out how to arrange the medals for.
I hated being herded about like cattle to the slaughter, being stuck in a system that was more evil than those of the governments we were opposing, and watching as others were mistreated for the enjoyment of others.
I hated even more the day the plane crashed on board the ship killing some friends of mine and injuring scores of others. I'm sure their experience in the military was far different than mine, there reasons for joining more noble, and the satisfaction of their job much greater than mine, but I'm also positive they didn't want to die.
Vietnam was a difficult war, not only because America didn't fight to win but because of the attitude of the American people. I can't say if my friends joined the service because they were drafted, because they volunteered to avoid the Army, or because they believed in American, or just because they were not cowards who fled to Canada, but I do know they were good men with lives and hopes and dreams and plans that did not include dieing that day.
Each one of us had our own reasons for being there. Decisions that seemed the right ones at the moment or were forced upon us without us having a viable alternative. but it was our own decsion to be where we were on that fateful day. We all did our jobs and did them the best we could. There were no slackers for each of us knew that every job was important and ever detail needed to be attended to, for the lives of many, including our own, depended on every thing being done right. It didn't matter if it was flying the jet, frying the eggs, or cleaning the bathroom, we had to keep each other safe and healthy for our own survival.
Were the men who died heroes or in anyway special? No, not among their peers for they were all just doing their job. In many ways. all men and women in the service are heroes and special, and especially those who served in Vietnam because it took a lot of guts to volunteer for such an unpopular war and how soldiers and sailors were treated by the american public.
For those who died, I hope it was painless and quick and for those who survived, thanks, for neither will ever be forgotten.
That day, with the flight deck littered with carnage, the ship, with its seven thousand sailors and marines, and all our escorts and supply vessels, were at grave risk. Without our ability to launch a plane in defense we were an easy target for the enemy. Without the dedication and training of the men on board, many more lives could have been lost.
Thanks to all service men and women in every branch of service, in peace and in war, for what you do and for what you risk.
It wasn't as if my parents would have tried to keep us apart even though they did make their displeasure known. What brought about the rift with my dad was my refusal to attend the same church we had gone to that Sunday morning. It seemed the pastor there believed the Pope was the Anti-Christ and shared that view in that mornings sermon. That view didn't set well with Sandra and embarrassed me.
I was given the ultimatum to drop out of school and come home right then or I would be drafted. It was only a few weeks later when I received a latter instructing me to report for duty on December 30. 1968. The draft ended two days later. Rather that go into the Army, I "volunteered" for the Navy, a fact constantly thrown into my face whenever I objected to some action of my "superiors".
I was good at my job and quickly rose in rank to an E-5 but I was never military. I once held hands with another sailor and skipped down the middle of the hanger bay while aboard the USS Midway (A WWII aircraft carrier, USS 41), argued with an officer about whether being under a covered walkway was inside or outside, called for a meeting to protest treatment of minorities in my division aboard ship, was hauled before a commission of the Admiral, the Captain, and six other officers to determine if I was a subversive for requesting additional work, and earned more awards for my work that I ever could figure out how to arrange the medals for.
I hated being herded about like cattle to the slaughter, being stuck in a system that was more evil than those of the governments we were opposing, and watching as others were mistreated for the enjoyment of others.
I hated even more the day the plane crashed on board the ship killing some friends of mine and injuring scores of others. I'm sure their experience in the military was far different than mine, there reasons for joining more noble, and the satisfaction of their job much greater than mine, but I'm also positive they didn't want to die.
Vietnam was a difficult war, not only because America didn't fight to win but because of the attitude of the American people. I can't say if my friends joined the service because they were drafted, because they volunteered to avoid the Army, or because they believed in American, or just because they were not cowards who fled to Canada, but I do know they were good men with lives and hopes and dreams and plans that did not include dieing that day.
Each one of us had our own reasons for being there. Decisions that seemed the right ones at the moment or were forced upon us without us having a viable alternative. but it was our own decsion to be where we were on that fateful day. We all did our jobs and did them the best we could. There were no slackers for each of us knew that every job was important and ever detail needed to be attended to, for the lives of many, including our own, depended on every thing being done right. It didn't matter if it was flying the jet, frying the eggs, or cleaning the bathroom, we had to keep each other safe and healthy for our own survival.
Were the men who died heroes or in anyway special? No, not among their peers for they were all just doing their job. In many ways. all men and women in the service are heroes and special, and especially those who served in Vietnam because it took a lot of guts to volunteer for such an unpopular war and how soldiers and sailors were treated by the american public.
For those who died, I hope it was painless and quick and for those who survived, thanks, for neither will ever be forgotten.
That day, with the flight deck littered with carnage, the ship, with its seven thousand sailors and marines, and all our escorts and supply vessels, were at grave risk. Without our ability to launch a plane in defense we were an easy target for the enemy. Without the dedication and training of the men on board, many more lives could have been lost.
Thanks to all service men and women in every branch of service, in peace and in war, for what you do and for what you risk.
4167
Free Cell game 4167 is a toughy, and the moves needed to clear the first row are gutsy but once that is done, it is clear sailing to victory.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
First of the Year
June 10, 2010, was the day I had my first tomato sandwich of the year from my own garden. I believe the tomato was a Celebrity which I have found to be a really good tomato: round, about the size of a tennis ball or baseball, with a pinkish-orange skin and lots of flavor.
The sandwich was excellent.
The sandwich was excellent.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
First Tomato
My garden looks good this year what with the warm weather and recent rainfalls but this is still early June and I've never expected a ripe tomato before July but there is a nice big one that is turning already. Three or four more days and it will be ripe enough to pick. That first tomato sandwich of the season is coming soon. Wow!
Another believe it or not garden story is blackberries. I actually picked a dozen or so Monday. They were nice big sweet jet black blackberries. I love blackberries and they make the best homemade ice cream. I have dozens of little cantaloupes on the vine as well as some nice size green peppers already.
It's been two years since I've eaten out of a garden (with the exception of a few small scraggly tomatoes I planted last year) due to my move last year. I miss my peach trees. The store bought peach trees don't seem to grow very fast nor have they produced any fruit yet. The tree I purchased last year doesn't look any more like a peach tree than when I planted it and is no bigger than that either.
The ones I planted from seed at the apartment reached six feet tall and produced a bounty crop after only a year. Even though I have grapes on three out of four vines, there are probable only a dozen or so grapes total. The vines are growing fast this year so maybe in 2011 I'll have vines big enough to provide me with some tasty treats.
But for whatever bounty my crops provide me and my family, nothings is more anticipated nor appreciated more than that first ripe tomato for the year's first tomato sandwich.
Another believe it or not garden story is blackberries. I actually picked a dozen or so Monday. They were nice big sweet jet black blackberries. I love blackberries and they make the best homemade ice cream. I have dozens of little cantaloupes on the vine as well as some nice size green peppers already.
It's been two years since I've eaten out of a garden (with the exception of a few small scraggly tomatoes I planted last year) due to my move last year. I miss my peach trees. The store bought peach trees don't seem to grow very fast nor have they produced any fruit yet. The tree I purchased last year doesn't look any more like a peach tree than when I planted it and is no bigger than that either.
The ones I planted from seed at the apartment reached six feet tall and produced a bounty crop after only a year. Even though I have grapes on three out of four vines, there are probable only a dozen or so grapes total. The vines are growing fast this year so maybe in 2011 I'll have vines big enough to provide me with some tasty treats.
But for whatever bounty my crops provide me and my family, nothings is more anticipated nor appreciated more than that first ripe tomato for the year's first tomato sandwich.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Bumper stickers and electricians
Yes, I can connect the two. i recently purchased a storage shed and had it wired for electricity. I hired Interlandi Electrical, LLC from Browns summit, NC to do the work. Nick seemed like a nice guy and was punctually, Informative, and competent to do the job.
He was right on time to begin work, took care of the building permit for me and completed the work on time. The only trouble is, he didn't do it right. He should have known the building codes before beginning a job but he ran the wire under the house sans conduit because he thought my brick foundation precluded him from having to do so. It didn't and he had to come out a second time and do the job right.
Now he wants me to cover the extra cost of the conduit.
It's only $50.00 and the man did work for 6 hours on a four hour job and I will cover that expense for him but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it.
I won't use him again just because he had to redo the job and wanted to to cover his a... I was the one inconvenienced: the inspector and I.
But I have light and outlets in my shed now that work. I'm glad about that.
Oh, yea, the bumper stickers. I've decided to decorate my out building with bumper stickers. Find a free one and want to donate it to me, I'd appreciate it.
He was right on time to begin work, took care of the building permit for me and completed the work on time. The only trouble is, he didn't do it right. He should have known the building codes before beginning a job but he ran the wire under the house sans conduit because he thought my brick foundation precluded him from having to do so. It didn't and he had to come out a second time and do the job right.
Now he wants me to cover the extra cost of the conduit.
It's only $50.00 and the man did work for 6 hours on a four hour job and I will cover that expense for him but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it.
I won't use him again just because he had to redo the job and wanted to to cover his a... I was the one inconvenienced: the inspector and I.
But I have light and outlets in my shed now that work. I'm glad about that.
Oh, yea, the bumper stickers. I've decided to decorate my out building with bumper stickers. Find a free one and want to donate it to me, I'd appreciate it.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Taps by Dr. J
http://drjshousecalls.blogspot.com/
She has a tribute to service personal on her blog site. I served 36 moths over seas, including multiple tours of Vietnam. It was the only war in which service personal went as individuals and returned as individuals. Most of us have never been thanked or appreciated. Whenever I meet a Veteran, I always thak them profusely for their service. I know what they gave up and what they risked for their country.
On memorial day I put my flag out and I had my cook out, like most Americans did. But I remembered my friends who never lived long enough to have a wife or to see their children grow up, or even to come home one last time.
I didn't agree with Vietnam either but I did my duty as an American citizen. Never have heard anyone that the cowards who ran off to Canada. To tell the truth, the vast majority of Americans were opposed to the American Revoluntion. I don't hear many wishing we were still Bristish citizens.
If you are american, be strong, be proud, and above all, be thankful.
She has a tribute to service personal on her blog site. I served 36 moths over seas, including multiple tours of Vietnam. It was the only war in which service personal went as individuals and returned as individuals. Most of us have never been thanked or appreciated. Whenever I meet a Veteran, I always thak them profusely for their service. I know what they gave up and what they risked for their country.
On memorial day I put my flag out and I had my cook out, like most Americans did. But I remembered my friends who never lived long enough to have a wife or to see their children grow up, or even to come home one last time.
I didn't agree with Vietnam either but I did my duty as an American citizen. Never have heard anyone that the cowards who ran off to Canada. To tell the truth, the vast majority of Americans were opposed to the American Revoluntion. I don't hear many wishing we were still Bristish citizens.
If you are american, be strong, be proud, and above all, be thankful.
Bathfitters
Garden tubs look nice, especially6 on TV where one can view a beautiful woman taking a bubble bath in one with candles lining the tub and with a glass of champagne in her hand. The trouble is, almost half the time, that lady becomes a murder victim either while in the tub or shortly after she gets out.
I have one. I have never used it. Soon, I'll have the largest shower in Randolph County, maybe the country, in a private home. It will be the largest one installed by bath fitters, or at least they say it will be. They want a picture once it is installed.
It is surprisingly affordable, considering. If you ever get anything from them give them my name. I could use the $50.00 referral fee.
In a way I feel guilty. It seems that several of my neighbors have had to forsake their house because they could no longer afford to make the payments. One neighbor keeps their food in a cooler on the back porch until they collect some insurance. It's a shame they can't afford to go ahead and purchase a new refrigerator. One neighbor has to use an old push mower because he can't afford to get his riding mower fixed or replaced and another neighbor cut is grass with a weed eater. Times are tough.
In the last month I purcahsed a new mower, a new grill, and large out building which I just had wired for electricity and now I'm having my bathroom remodeled.
I feel fortunate to not only having a job but to be able to buy stuff as well and not go into debt doing so, especially after Debbies knee replacement surgery and both our expensive dental work.
Six years ago I lived in a one bedroom apartment with a park bench as a couch and two folding TV tray stands pused together as a dinning room table. My bed was a fold away and my dresser was the laundry basket.
I had seeing people struggle but I've been there, done that.
I have one. I have never used it. Soon, I'll have the largest shower in Randolph County, maybe the country, in a private home. It will be the largest one installed by bath fitters, or at least they say it will be. They want a picture once it is installed.
It is surprisingly affordable, considering. If you ever get anything from them give them my name. I could use the $50.00 referral fee.
In a way I feel guilty. It seems that several of my neighbors have had to forsake their house because they could no longer afford to make the payments. One neighbor keeps their food in a cooler on the back porch until they collect some insurance. It's a shame they can't afford to go ahead and purchase a new refrigerator. One neighbor has to use an old push mower because he can't afford to get his riding mower fixed or replaced and another neighbor cut is grass with a weed eater. Times are tough.
In the last month I purcahsed a new mower, a new grill, and large out building which I just had wired for electricity and now I'm having my bathroom remodeled.
I feel fortunate to not only having a job but to be able to buy stuff as well and not go into debt doing so, especially after Debbies knee replacement surgery and both our expensive dental work.
Six years ago I lived in a one bedroom apartment with a park bench as a couch and two folding TV tray stands pused together as a dinning room table. My bed was a fold away and my dresser was the laundry basket.
I had seeing people struggle but I've been there, done that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)