It does happen

many years ago I was passing through High Point and was stopped at a traffic light.  I had just dropped my wife off at work and didn't realize she had left the passenger door unlocked.  While I was waiting for the light to change a woman jumped into my truck and urged me to take off. 
I told her to get out of the truck but before I could convince her to leave a police cruiser pulled behind me and pulled his blue lights on. 

He asked me to step out of the truck and then asked for my lincense and registration.  I handed him my license and told him my registration was in the truck so he allowed me to retrieve it.  For some stupid reason I tossed my wallet on the front seat.  Anyway I told the sargeant what had happened and he then told me to stand by my truck while he talked to the woman.  She was arrested on some charge as she was the one the police were looking for. 

When I was let go I picked up my wallet and noticed my money was gone.  I told the cops and the sargeant searched the woman and found the money in the exact amount and in the exact denominations I told him I had.  Instead on returning the money he stuck it in his pocket and told me to have a nice day.  'I want my money" I said.  "You can have it back once my investigation is over" he replied. 

I never saw the money again. 

I still support the police but don't necessarily trust them.

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Perry/Brand Divorcing

What shocking news.  I care so much I didn't even know they were a couple let alone married.  All I know about Kathy Perry is she is a singer and her boobs were too big for Sesame Street.  Russell Brand is an actor, I think.  I've never heard her sing and I've never knowingly seen him act. 

Now don't get me wrong.  I do care when people get divorced, especially after just 14 months.  When entertainers do this I always figure it's for publicity or for promotional of a project they just completed. 
Still, people should be able to get along and work out their differences, especially if they truly loved each other.

Sorry, bad request

Starting yesterday when I clicked on a story featured on Yahoo I sometimes received the message "Sorry, bad request".  That statement may not be meant for me but it reads like "you are a bad person for asking to read the story".  No, yahoo is the wicked one here for promising to let me read a story and then not showing it. 

The tag line show read something like,"Sorry we screwed up"  or at least: "Sorry, the story is unavailable" 

Better yet, Yahoo should not feature the headlines of a story that is not available but above all they should quit making me feel like I am a evil person for asking to read the story they promised me. 

Now that's a long shower

SOMERVILLE, N.J. (AP) — An educator using a secretly installed camera videotaped teenage boys in the shower at a Catholic high school for nearly three years, authorities said.

Are they clean yet?

Why do North Carolinians kill cops?

North Carolina is one of the most dangerous states in the nation to be a police officer.  Why is that?

Bill Maher Tweets

I used to tweet but didn't see any benefit from doing so and it seemsd the only famous tweets are stupid ones, like the tweet from Bill Maher about Tim Tebow.  Some people don't like Tim Tebow because they fell he is forcing his religion on them by his knelling in prayer but we all exercise our beliefs or lack of them in our daily lives whether we realize we are doing that or not.  If one doesn't believe in God then that is their choice and they have that right but if someone does believe in God that also is their right.

Bill Maher also has the right under our constitution to say how he feels abour religion and about Tim Tebow as well but just because someone has a right to do so doesn't mean it's a good idea.  I6t's like the poem I learned in drivers Ed. about the right-of-way.  Ed had the right of way so he threw caution to the wind and exercised his claim but was killed in the ensuing crash.  It would have been better to yield that which he had a right to but some people just have to go ahead and do what they believe that have the right to do regarless of whom they hurt. 

In this case Bill Maher may have hurt himself worse than Tim Tebow.  In case you didn't heasr about the tweet, Bill Maher said that Jesus sure let Tim Tebow down (after Tim Tebow threw 4 interceptions in a loss).  Mr. Tebow nor any other Christian would believe or want you to believe that God plays football or takes sides in a football game.  I would be one of the first to condemn Mr. Tebow if he said otherwise. 

The things Mr. Maher said will not make a difference in Mr. Tebows beliefs but can only serve to hurt Mr. Maher.  He may be correct in that there is no God but I would rather beleive that there is a God and be wrong than believe there is no God and no be right.     

Conn. fire victim had career as safety chief

A mother, her son-in-law and her three grandchildren perished in a fire while the daughter and a contractor escaped the deadly blaze in the newly purchased $1.7 million dollar home.

When do contractors spend the night and why was the wife not with her husband and children but with the contractor when the fire began?  Why would a seasoned security and safety person allow himself and his family to get trapped in a fire?  Why were reports on the cause of the fire no released before the house was razed? 

The last time I had some really intriquing questions about a fire, I conducted my own investigation and determined that the two women and the house quest were up all night partying on liquor and crack cocaine while the two boys slept in an upstairs bedroom.  When the adults finally laid down to sleep it was already past mid-morning and the two boys, aged two and three, were waking up.  One, probably hungry, when into one of the upstairs bedrooms to arouse the adult sleeping there and when he couldn't, took a cigarette lighter.  The two boys began to play with the lighter and started the fire which killed the three year old and badly burned the younger one.  The fire was ruled accidental by the investigators but I didn't see it that way. 

The lady whose lighter was used by the boys to start the fire was a prostitute who in later years moved to Greensboro, NC and is still living there and was recently released from prison.  She is still addicted to cocaine and working as a prostitute. 

No, I'm not going to investigate this fire but I do beleive there is a truth behind what happened that may never be told. 

Press 3 for Southern

After having communications problems with a out sourced service rep, Loretta Johnson from Warner, Oklahoma stated beside Press one for English and Press two for Spanish, there should be a third option "Press 3 for southern". 

So true.

 

The Race for the White House

I am disappointed by this years field of candidates for the White House from the Republican Party and as much so as I was in the election in 2008   However, I do no dislike any Republican  candidate for the White House more than I dislike the current President except for one.  If he is the nominee, I will be voting Libertarian (unless Donald Trump is the Libertarian candidate, in which case I'll consider moving overseas somewhere).

Last year I really hoped the candidate would have been Condoleeza Rice   or Colin Powell but she didn't want to run and Mr. Powell screwed his chances early in GW's first term.  I seldom get what I want though, which isn't always a bad thing. 

Job search update #2

No luck yet.  Will try some more after Christmas.  I will be attending grace Baptist tomorrow as my church isn't having services.  i'm not sure exactly what I;ll do about church in the New Year. 

Perfect couple

Adam Lambert and Justin Beiber would make a cute couple, don't you think?

Wintering fish

Normally I stop feeding my Koi and my goldfish around the middle of November at the latest and don't start again until sometime in March but this isn't a normal year.  I'm still feeding them and as long as they are active I will continue to feed them.  It has been too warm for them to hypernate although they are much less active than normal. 

During the fall the fisd were eating less than normal asI was worried they would not get fat enough to make it through the winter but there have been very few days when I have not had to feed them.  A couple of days I have to give them food at least three times.

The babies are growing.  I have a couple that are at least five inches long although most are in the two to three inch range.  Three have died in the last couple of weeks and I have idea why.  One of them was one I had planned on keeping. 

One of last years babies, Zero, a white fish with a big orange spot on its head, has long beautiful fins.  I suppose it is a butterfly Koi.  I have no idea at this stage if Zero is a boy or girl so I have to refer to the fish as an it.   

The babies are in a wide variety of colors and most of them will be for sale this spring.  Let me know if you or a friend of yours is in the market for some baby Koi.  Pet stores sell theirs for $6.00 and up for 2" to 3" koi and $12.00  and up for Koi 3" to 5".  I will make mine available for half that.  I hate selling them but my pond just isn't large enough for that many fish. 

Merry Christmas

I wish a Merry Christmas to one and all. 

Sad times/ a shrinking church

I feel sad for the little church that I attend and I don' know how to fix the problem.  One lady, 92 now, had one leg operated on and she fell because of it shortly after and hurt herself really bad so she hasn't been able to attend.  Another lady, one severly injured in an auto accident that left her barely able to function has found a boyfriend so she is attending his church now. 
  Our newest members, recently converted, have so many problems in their personal lives that prevent them from attending on a regular basis.  Our missionary has gone out on deputation so he can no longer attend.  Another member only comes when he brings his mother-in-law, the lady who fell and can no longer come. 
  Being a small as we are there are things larger churches can offer that we cannot so it is hard to interest people in coming to our little building.  It is discouraging for our pastor who lives in Thomasville.  We just don't have the workers who can go out nor the money to do much other than survive with. 
  What we need is lots of Xhristians to remember One Way Baptist in their prayers.  If we can get people to pray for our church I believe we will begin to grow.  I have DVD's of our pastor so if anyone wants one please send me an e-mail and let me know how to get it too you.  I will provide them at no cost to any and all who will ask for one. 
  I want everyone to know about Christ and how One Way is trying our best to preach the word.  If we can survive 2012 I believe one day we will grow into a large church that can be a big influence in the lives of our community but people have to support us through their prayers at least.  I don't think it is too much to ask that Christians pray for our pastor and our church.

Football Fan--not

I have not seen a regular season football game in many years and have seen very few superbowl games.  It is not that I don't like football.  I suppose this started many years ago when I decided not to watch a football game until after the World Series was over.  Then I realized that a football is only involved in play around seven minutes in an entire game (and the same people who sit and watch a two or three hoour football game with 7 minutes od action say baseball is slow).  Basebahad drama on every pitch. 

I find one of the biggest differences between baseball and football is that no matter what the score a baseball team can always win or lose up until the game is actually over.  In football the two teams kept playing even though it is impossible for the losing team to win.  Just quit and go home already. 

I dislike all the penalties in football and especially dislike the idea of a touchdown being nullified or called back.  Ever heard of a home run being recalled?  The only penalty in baseball is a balk.  Balks are rare and I've never seen but one called on a catcher. 

Thgeonly thinbg I would change about baseball is the rule that allows the batter to be called out on a foul ball.  If the batter doesn't have a chance to advance to first, he should not be called out.  It would be nice if baseball had cheerleaders too.  But I like the game and admire the skill it takes to be good at the game.  And I love the unppredictability of the game where even the worst team has an even chance to win. 

Driving safer than going to the doctor

Drink the Kool-Aid, boys and girls …

November 7, 2011 in Drug War

Drink the Kool-Aid: prescription drugs are responsible for more deaths than traffic accidents. Prescription drugs such as painkillers are killing more people than top illegal substances like cocaine and heroin combined, while selling rates soar — as well as unnecessary painkiller use.
Not only are pharmaceutical painkillers and other dangerous drugs like antipsychotics handed out like candy, but some are even introduced without testing, or even use perverted study results in an attempt to convey the false image of legitimacy. Drug companies like Merck and Baxter are notorious for their grimy misconduct and fraudulent practice in fervent promotion of their dangerous products.
The most ridiculous fact is that these drugs are legally pushed thanks to careless FDA regulation, and receive little scrutiny by the mainstream legal establishment despite many prominent health officials speaking out. These drugs are cleverly concealed under the guise of ‘treating’ disease, while substances like marijuana thathave actually been linked to improved health are categorized as highly illegal and dangerous by the federal government.
This is a literal Pharmageddon in which medical science peddles harmful pharmaceuticals while toting the supposed dangers of vitamins and minerals.
Of course in the past 27 years vitamins have been effectively linked to 0 deaths, while pharmaceuticals have killed over 3 million individuals
You’re all on Drugs
.

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beach boys

It's hard to believe the Beach Boys are celebrating 50 years together.  Yea, I guess so since I listened to them when I was young.  I think back over the years and how music and listening to music has changed.  The first record I ever purchased was Little Richie and was titled "Good Golly Miss Molly" 

When I was thiteen  WHKY played rock and roll between 9 and 10 pm on a program called night train and I had to rig a portable radio with a headphone to listen to the program.  My parents would have punished me severly had they caught me listening to that kind of music.  A couple of years later WIRC was bold enough to play rock and roll from 5 till 6 pm. 

Back then very few kids had cars, no one used drugs except real gangsters and schools were still segregated.  It seems like a different lifetime although today is a totally different world from the one I was born into.

Anyway, congratulations to the Beach Boys.  Fifty years is a long time in this world. 

child porn and pedophiles

I don't understand these people or the attraction they have for undeveloped people. I can't image being excited by a teent winnie or a flat chest, especially from a tiny person that has no concept of loving making and is physically and emotionally unable to respond in a positive way.  These people who find the young kids sexcually attractive have got to be a demented group straight from the pits of hell. 

Hearing Aids

My new hearing aids have come in but I can't get them until Feb 1.  The doctor wants me to bring my spouse and she is only off on wednesdays and the only appointment available on Wednesdays is at 7:30am unless I wait until March 7th. 

Job hunting Update

I have applied for 4 jobs so far.  One job I had to apply for on-line while another I had to donwload the application from the web.  I am trying to do two places each day.  I'll let everyone know if I find one.   

almost cynical

It seems when one has been disappointed by Christian friends, ignored by loved ones, and leery of strangers, even the well dressed friendly ones who only seem to want to help but really want to trick or scam you, it is good to read about the secret Santa's and the not-so-secret Santa's this Christmas who are paying off lay aways of struggling families, especially at K-Mart stores. 

I know this is a common practice of one of the talk show hosts from 101.1 FM talk radio and I am thinking it is Clark Howard but I'm not really positive.  It might be Neal Bortz as I most often listen to those two, as much for the time they are on and the time I am in my vehicle driving somewhere although I have to admit I find both men interesting. 

I don't know if they paid lay aways or not but I know they frequently go into a Walmart store and look for the poorest looking person who is purchasing things for children and they will pay for the purchase.  They do this around Christmas every year and have suggested that others do the same.  I don't know if their idea finally caught on or if this is a new phenomenon that started spontaneously but it is a good thing. 

Miley Cyrus

"Thank you for the compliment, but these babies are all mine," the former Disney star tweeted. "I wish [people would] realize you don't have to be fake to be beautiful!"

That was Miley's response to some thinking she had breast enhancement surgery.  She is truthful in her statement but if she believes she is beautiful then she is also delusional.    I would really perfer she cover her babies up myself. 

Job Hunting starts today

I so looked forward to retirement but it seems I will have to go out looking for work today.  My wife operation took away all my spending money and so extra money that I had expected won't arrive until March .  There are some thing I want to do but can't because my wife finds things to spend money on faster than it comes in.  To be fair to her, my truck did need some repair work  and I had to remodel my bathroom so I have spent as much as she has, but just in bigger chunks (except for her operation). 

My only wish is that if she needs something that she save up ahead of time for it.  The money she spent on her operation is the money I had set aside for my spending money and our vacation.  I have no money to spend and we didn't get to take a vacation. 

I'm glad the operation was a success but retirement isn't easy unless one has a sucficient income to support oneself.  I had planned for it but one source of income is taking much longer than I had expected.  I was told it would start six months after I applied but it is taking 14 months instead.  Another source of income won't begin for another two years.  In the mean time I have to replace the money she spent on her operation plus the money I didn't get for eight months plyus enough to cover my truck repairs and bathroom redmodel.   

Wheather I have to take a part-time or full time job depends on the amount of pay offered and the hours available. 

I'll keep everyone posted on my job search results. 

kids and vegatables

The best way to get kids to eat vegatables is to not feed them anything white when they are newborns up until they are able to eat on their own.  A great way to get kids to eat carrots is to sprinkle brown sugar over them when you put them in the pot to cook so they will come out tasting like sweet potatoes. 

Other than these two suggestions the only thing I know will work is to feed your kids nothing but vegatables.  When they get hungry enough they will eat. 

By Eric Pfeiffer

I hate the phrase "Just saying...." What the heck is that suppose to mean? Does just because you are just saying mean that the conversation is over? Or does it mean that you have no facts to back up your statements because what you are saying is only an opinion? It is irratating enough when a commenter from the general public ends his comments with the phrase but for a professional journalist to end a news story that way is insulting.

In case you are wondering, Eric Pfeiffer ended his article with that phrase:  he didn't write this blog.  I did. 

women in the news

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi authorities have executed a woman convicted of practicing magic and sorcery. Meanwhile in the USA Michelle Obama helps set a world record for jumping jacks.

.005%

Romney make a $10,000 wager with Rick Perry. Some wrote that the wager equates to just .005 % of Romneys net worth. I don't think I have a net worth because if I were to die I think someone would have to give my estate money in order for me to break even. I do know that as a percentage of my yearly income, .005% is just $150.00. By the way, that is my gross income. Yea, I know it is really gross.

Winter's coming

I don't like cold weather for several reasons. First, it's cold. I don't like being cold. I perfer to be warm. I like summer even though sometimes summer can be too hot. The last half of Spring and the first part of fall is okay but the rest of the year kinda sucks in my opinion. I like to grow stuff, to work in the yard, to play some baseball, to cook out and sit around the water pond and chat with family, friends and neighbors. I retired in June and up until the end of Octomber I had more to do then I thought I could get done. I mowed the grass at the church as well as at home and my Mom's house. I took care of her, helped my wife with her mom, plus all the things that needed to be done at my own house. In the first part of the fall, I decided to cut back the briars and vines that were taking over at the church and it has been ten weeks now and I am almost done. There is a pile of brush six feet high, six feet deep, and 60 feet long that I have cut down. Oh there is much more that could be done but I do not have the equipment nor the money to rent the equipment to finish the job. Pretty much accomplished what I set out to do and that was to clear an area big enough to have a pumpkin patch. Having a pumpkin patch will accomplish several things. First, planting pumpkins will give me a little something to do, the pumpkin vines will cover the cleared land so I won't have to mow that and it will retard the grow of the briars and vines. Secondly, the pumpkins will give me something to sell in the fall to raise money to give to the church. Maybe start a building fund with the money. But before that can be done, I have to finish digging up and clearing out all the vines in the field. The vines are as thick as the grass in most people's yard so it is a job . It would be nice to have a weed torch or a tractor. I can't use a tiller as in just a few minutes of use the vines will entwine the tiller blades and shaft so tight the blades can't turn. Nope, all I have is a weed hoe and a hatchet. I have to pull the vines out one at a time. Of course I have all winter to get the job done.

Third party anyone?

last year we had McCain/Palin and this year it looks like the McCain/Palin ticket wasn't so bad after all. Where are all the Republican super stars that had been talked about? Why were we even talking about Romney and Perry? If we preferred someone else four years ago why would we consider them this time around? I just wish the parties actually stood for something but that isn't true. It seems that all parties are good for is opposing what the party in power if for. I suppose that if Obama had bee against health insurance reform that the Republicans would have been pushing hard for it just like the Democrats fought against the idea of changing the way Social Security is funded. Too bad about Herman Cain but he made the Republican party nomination race interesting and I believe he actually stood a change of defeating Obama. As things stand now, the biggest problem the Republicans have now is themselves. Obama was vunerable but the Republicans have acted so stupidly that he just might win by a landslide again. I wish there were another Lincoln or Washington, or Reagan out there but it only seems we have only a bunch of baggage handlers on the Republican side and a fairy tale President on the other. I wonder too, just how many people are happy with Bev Purdeue? Too bad we couldn't have a do over on the last election.

there, their, and they're

I'm appalled at how many people just pick one of these words without having a clue which is the proper one to use. Not that it will do any good but this is the proper meaning of each one. There: in or at a place, at a point in a speech or action Their: a form of the pocessive case og THEY used as an attributive ajective before a noun. They're: a contraction of the two words they and are. It is not that hard.

Beauty or the beast

WhenI made a comment that I prefer to be married to a good woman rather than just a pretty woman, some people assumed that my wife was ugly. People don't have to be the beauty or the beast. The story was that Christie Brinkley owed $531,000.00 in back taxes. I commented that there was a line from movie where a man says to a woman "you are so beautiful you deserve a good life". I believe the movie was "Water for Elephants" in which a vet who narrowly missed getting his degree from Yale falls in love with the wife of the owner of a circus while he was in their employ. She didn't deserve anything more than anyone else. My first wife was a beautiful woman and looked so much younger than she really was but she was uneducated and self-centered and the older she got the less caring she became. She died of a heart attack and my second wife was a tall long-legged beauty that I discovered was more self-centered and selfish that my first wife was. When I married again I married a woman for her character rather than just her physical beauty. It doesn't matter what she looks like. She makes me happy and is the most important person in my world and I make her happy and she views me as important in her life as well. That is to be desired far above mere looks alone.

Lost Amy Winehouse song

if one was to discover a song by elvis or a composition by Bach or a painting by a famous artist long dead it would be big news and worth a lot of money. An Amy Winehouse song newly discovered may be valuable now otherwise the discovery of the song mighht have been hidden for twenty or thirty years or maybe longer. Afterall, in ten or twenty years no one will know who she is or care that one of her unreleased songs had been discovered. Get it while the getting is good.

You decide what is right

A college educated woman with a good job is severly injuried in an automobile accident and suffered severe brain damage. Shhe was in a coma for a spell and now needs someone to watch over her. She can no longer remember how to do her job, needs constant reminder of her childrens names (they are adults and live elsewhere) and is no more able to care for herself than an eight year old would be to take of their selves. She has had one date with a man who told her she can't wear makeup but asked her to marry him. What is the legal and proper solution to this problem?

A house without a Tub

I can't say if I've ever seen a house without a bathtub but in a few weeks I will own one. My tub cracked so I'm having to replace it. Instead I called bathfitters to install a new shower with seat as I never take a bath anyway. Eighteen months ago they replaced the garden tub with a huge shower (picture on a previous blog) and we love it. Until I get my new shower, I'll have to use the one in the master bathroom. I like it because it is big enough for me to run around in without getting wet.

Monday night rain

My rain gauge register 3.5 inches of rain last night through this morning. Now only if we could receive this much rain this often during the spring and summer we could have some productive vegatable gardens and I could keep my water ponds full. But more than likely our summers will be hot and dry as normal. It really is a pain, and expensive too, to water the gardens and trees during the growing season. I do have a rain barrell which helps but not enough to substitute for what mother nature can do.

lopsided win

Pikeville defeated Kimper 100-2 even after coach pulls first string 1 minute and 28 seconds into the game and forbid his team to play defense during the second half of the game. The administration is considering suspending the winning team for the remainder of the season for unsportsman like conduct. Below is my post in response. The administration should not punish the players for doing what they are supposed to do. It is up to the referees and the coaching staff to control the game. In many baseball and softball leagues there is a rule called the twelve run rule where if one team is behind by 12 or more runs after three innings the game is called and they lose. Such a rule could be instituted in basketball where at the end of the first half if one team is behind so many points then came is called and they lose. In a track match featured last week one runner collapsed just shy of the finish line and had to crawl the rest of the way and he was hailed as a hero for his determination to finish. Maybe the losing team should be hailed as heros for their willingness to continuing playing after being beaten so soundly. If the winning team could score 25 points in less than two minutes and the game is 40 minutes long then they might have been able to score over 200 points but only scored 100 so it seems they didn't run the score up at all. An alternative would be to keep the winning team off the court and let the other team have free reigh at the basket until they caught up. How embarrassing would that have been if they could not score enough to catch up playing no one! Next game, maybe they should spot the losing team 100 points and let them play, like hadicapping in bowling or golf, or allow Kimper to play offense and defense but confine Pikesville to their half the court. Or maybe change the scoring so Pikesville shots only count 1 and Kimpers three. Still, the score would have been 50 to 3. Better yet, why not just let the coachs choose sides that way Pikevilles players would be divided between two teams. Suspending the team for the season sounds like penalizing a pro boxer for knocking out his opponent in the first round by not allowing him to box again or not allowing the best student in class to continue school because they have a 4.0 average or maybe even the United States of America surrendering to Japan at the end of WWII because we had a superior weapon and we just didn't fight fair. + One thing is certain: whoever drew up the schedule and then wanting to punish the winning team will never be cited for superior intellect.

Gifts that won't bust the budget

Thge headline was on an article on MS NBC this morning and the subtitle was "all gifts under $50.00" I suppose that seems inexpensive enough until one stasrts adding up everyonbe on ones shopping list. Wife, two brothers, three sons, mother, mother-in-law, and that's just my family. Most people have family much, much larger. That small group is already 8 people so that's $400.00. I suppose if you are one of the working families that is okay but that is way over budget for me and it was even when I was working. True, I did get a nice bonus in November when I worked but I am not working now. My November bonus was divided between our second vacation and Christmas but that is a past reality. I draw social security and next year when I can work again I will be limited to making $15,000.00 so there really will not be a budget for buying everyone gifts for Christmas. As always things continually need to be fixed--including me. I just spent $700.00 on car repairs and I'll need new tires somnetimr in 2012, I have a leaky pipe in my shower, and I need new hearing aids. That is just the present problems. Can't wait to see what 2012 will bring in new expenses. I worked hard to save money for retirement but unless the economy perks up soon, the shrinking value of investments will eat my savings up. I'll need to sell some land just to get back my losses from my retirement accounts. But that is all future and speculative. At the moment, one $50.00 gift is out of my budget. That doesn't mean I can't give though. I still do the yard work at the church, make the videos for the shut-ins, help make the scenary for the Chritmas play, and many other little things that need to be done. What I lack in money I more than make up in time and a serving spirit so I'm more than okay.

woodpecker walking

I suppose I never really thought about woodpeckers that much. I've always thought that they landed on a branch and sat there while pecking on a tree for insects but today I learned something . I watched this woodpecker walk up to a tree and then walk up the tree. I thought it was amazing. After all, the woodpecker has no hands; just two feet and it has to take one of them off the ground (or tree in this case ) to take the next step so he is supporting his whole body weight while parrallel to the ground and all on one foot. I thought that was really amazing. Animals are so much fun to watch.

Want to smell like Snooki?

0 No, I'm not asking. That was the headline of a MSN homepage article. I suppose it was more of an advertisement because if you click on the headline up comes a picture of Sissy Beiber holding a bottle of perfume with a pink top and a caption that reads "and like Beiber too" Honestly I thought to smell like Snooki all one had to have was alcohol breath. I know, that was mean. Sometimes the truth hurts.

suspended season

There is a story on the web about a basketball team that has been suspended from play whikle the eligibility of one player is questioned. I really don't think winning should be an issue at any level of sports except maybe professional. The truth is no matter how one stacks thing up at seasons ene the total number of wins and losses will be exactly the same. I think there are more importanbt thinbgs to ne gained from playing sports that ones won loss record. The first team I ever played baseball for, the Reds of the minor league in Hickory. NC ended the season with an 0-13 w-l record. I played left field or center field. I played on some much better teams in ther years to follow but I never played for a really good coach. If a coach had taken the time to teach me about the different types of batting stances, or how to steal a base, or how to back up plays or direct infeilders on cutoff plays, I would have been a much better player. Too many of the coaches felt it was their job just to decide who played and who didn't and to figure out how to win. When I coached a little league team I looked for ways to bring out the best in each player and to use their best featuresfor the betterment of the team. If a player was a fast runner but a pooe fielder and hitter, I was use them as substitute runners or base stealers. I do believe that parents, supportters and coaches place too much importance on winning. Like I said, when its all over, they all just break even.

First shower

Somnetime last year I had the shower in the master bedroom redone and posted a story about it on the blog. This week I took my first shower in the thing. Typically I use the one in the main bathroom because my wife and I have such different schudles and sleeping habits its just more covenient for us but the shower I use has developed a leak so I've been using the one in the master bedroom. The water heats up much faster, one doesn;t have that big tub to step into, one can wait until after they get into the shower to turn the water on and still have plenty of room without getting wet until the water warms up enough. It has a seat to sit in or prop ones feet on, safety bars to grab to help you up if you sit in the seat, a built in shampoo rack to store ones stuff in, and plenty of room to completelu dry off before even stepping out of the shower. Its kind of like having a gym locker open shower all by yourself. It was really nice.

Ariz. grandfather roughed up by police in Walmart

Pepper spray,gun shots and police brutality are becoming as much a part of the holiday season as Christmas cars, chia Pets and fruit cake. Most of the items people are pushing and shoving to get could be had online, from the convenience of their own homes and for about the same price, especially on electronic items which have a relatively low markup anyway. Many years ago I enjoyed Christmas shopping and looked forward to our once a year trip to the Eastland Mall in Charlotte to look at the huge Christmas tree and enjoy the sights and sounds of busy shoppers searching for that perfect gift. Nowadays I don't like the traffic, the pushing and shoving and the attitudes of both shoppers and clerks and the danger one puts themselves in by being among the large and unruly crowds. I think if you ask the grandfather in the story today he would have to admit that the money he tried to save on the CD wasn;t worth its final price, that he should not have subjected his grandson to such a mob mentaility, and that shoving the CD down his pants wasn't really such a good idea. And as far as the cop goes, he has a hard job dealing with angry people and charged with protecting people, enforcing the laws, and still expected to act like a gentleman at all times. It seems ironic that the very people who were pushing and shoving each other and yanking merchandise out of the hands of complete strangers to satisfy their own greed while totalling ignoring the rights of others would accuse the policeman of using excess force to arrest a resisting shoplifter.

I would rather read

Newspapers have an advantage over the internet in that you can actually read a story. It seems that more and more the internet is becoming a visual medium, forcing us to watch an advertisment before having to watch a video of the news story. Not many months ago the service provider would inform the user if the story was a video. Now, not so much. Videos are mixed in with regular stories and as often as not are not identified as such. It seems North State is the lastest to join this craze. I once visited the Dateline page as one was given the option of reading the story or watching the video. Now a story is broken down into ten to fifteen segment and one is forced to watch the same commercial over and over and no longer have the option to read the story. One commercial i hate is where the guy says he has diabetus. What the heck is diabetus? Why would a drug company do a commercial featuring a man mispronouncing an illness? Are they trying to make the man sound genuine or are they saying that all members of his ethnic group are ignorant? I know that I am probably in the majority in my complaint about the ads and video versus being able to actually read the story but I suppose if I am allowed to read the provider does get those ad dollars. Well, I'm keeping my dollar and going to buy a "news" paper with it.

Old News

I call this old news because I saw an article about Thanksgiving Day disasters and I had one about six years ago. Yea, it was our first Thanksgiving together and my wife had worked hard to make it special. Just as she had everything layed out in the kitchen the ceiling gave way and tons of water was dumped all over our apartment. Thankfully none of the food was ruinned but we did have to eat out that day: just not exactly what we had in mind for our first Thanksgiving. This year it will be just the two of us again but we live in a house, single story, so no change of a repeat disaster.

Snake at the pond

Northern Water Snake This snake has been living around my pond all summer. I tried to encourage it to find a new home by filling in its hiding place but apparently I failed in that endeavor. This morning I discovered it entangled in my pond netting. Not knowing what type of snake it was I called for help but even then the snake could not be freed without severly damaging my pond netting which would have left my fish vunerable to predators, like this snake. Many years ago I lost a $3,000.00 fish to a blue heron. I since have learned to build ponds that are harder for predators to get into and where the net rests higher above the pond. I'm glad the net prevented the snake from getting into the pond as it was certain to make a meal from my fish. It lived from eating tapoles and small frogs which are easier to catch than the fish are but thos creatures have vacated the premises due to cooler weather. I really hated to kill the snake but not knowing what kind it was and knowing that it would be cruel to let it starve to death I didn't have much choice but to kill it. I sent a picture off to an expert who ID'ed the snake as a northern water snake, which is what I suspected it to be. It is non-posinous but still a mean biter.

Homophopia and weight loss

Strange but two of my most popular posts are one homophopia and weight loss. I suppose maybe because they are issues we all struggle with. Extra weight can be conquered in one of two ways. Eating less or exercising more. Actually thats not necessarily true. One can actually eat more and lose weight but you'll just have to change what you are eating. Right, fruits and vegatables. I can't tell you how to react to gays and lesbians. Frankly I don't care what you are. I just like men to act like men and women to act like women. What you do behind closed doors is none of my business.

City of Refuge

Bible Missionary Baptist Church runs a small childrens home for about a dozen kids called the City of Refuge. The church pastor was once an inmate in prison for selling drugs, mainly to kids. He got saved in prison and after he became pastor of this Rockwell, NC church he wanted to give back to kids the life he once took from them. You can find out more about the City of Refuge and the church by visiting their website at www.bible missionarybaptist.com. The deputation representatives for the home is Greg and Tana Savage. I strongly recommend listening to this man preach as you will receive a blessing like you have never experienced before. The children change from time to time so I can't guarentee that they will sing as sweet next time but they had voices of angels the last time I heard them. If you are a church member somewhere get them for your church. If you don't attend church anywhere, find you one, join and then get them for your church. Or you could look them up online, find out where they will be and go see them there. Then you can get them for your church. And Lordy, please give the man time to preach and not limit him to a schedule. You won't regret it.

Body Aches and good feelings

Last week I walked 53 and a half miles and only walked 1.5 miles the last day. The average walked per person in the USA is about 3 miles or 6,000 steps. For good health it is recommended that we try to walk 10,000 steps a day. My step count was 113,180. I log 8,000 to 12,000 steps from 6 to 7:30 am at the gym while the majority of the rest are logged at the church doing yard work as well as working in my own yard. During the cooler months I don't have as much yard work to do at home so I'm working to clear a half acre of overgrown field beside the church. I'm using a loper, a small hand saw. and a hoe. Sure, using a chain saw and one of those machines that eat threw tall grass and small trees would be much faster but I don't own either and can't afford to rent them as I don't have an income at the present time. All that waljking anf stooping and bending leaves my legs and back sore and tired which makes it difficult to get a good nights rest. I try to give my brain a good workout too and fortunately it doesn't get sore like the rest of me does. The funny thing is I'm the oldest person that attends our church except for Mrs Tickle who is 92 and only comes once a month or so. I know I'm retired and have the time to work around the church but I did the same job when I workedas I'm doing now. The only difference is I walk at the gym instead of on a job now. Honestly, I don't think the men that are twenty or thirty years my junior could keep up with me. I'm neither bragging or complainning: just telling the facts. In spite of being tired it is a good feeling to get a job done. I like the church to look nice. There isn't any way I can clear the whole lot by myself though because there are amny fallen trees scattered about and I don't have the equipment or money to handle that big of a load but I will clear what I can and next summer I can plant some pumpkins so I don't have to mow that area and I'll have something to sell to make money to donate to the church. That makes me feel good too.

Thank you Golden Coral

Each year around Veterans Day Golden Coral offers a free meal to our veteran service members. It is a nice gesture, especially for a Vietnam veteran, who is more often associated with drug use, disdain, and unemployed people holding signs on street corners begging for a handout than honorable service to our country. I know the sacrifice service members make, even without going to battle, and we should all take time to thank a service member, former and present , for their service to our country.

Here we go again

"Tiger Woods has epic collapse" reads the headlines of a Yahoo article on the latest golf tournament. It's been two years since this guy has been a contender in a golf match. If he won a game it won't mean he's back on track any more than the person to win the match is the next superstar. I've been tired of hearing about Tiger Woods for years. Can't sports writers write an article without mentioning his name?

Ashton quits Twitter

A rant about a football coach that wasn't well received byhis fans on Twitter has prompted Ashton K. to stop doing his own Tweeting. that's okay Ashton, I wouldn't ever read your crap anyway.

Happy Birthday

Today I officially became an old man, a senoir citizen if you will. I received many Happy Birthday wishes, a few cards, and spent a lovely day with my wife. For the past 3 months I've been on a walking campaign, logging just under 50 miles a week, about half of that at the gym starting at 6 am. Honestly, I haven't lost any weight but the walking must be doing me some good. I look better and younger in this years drivers lincense phot than I did six years ago. I saw some of my ex co-workers today for the first time in five months. They all remarked how much younger I looked now. I can tell my body is tighter so the weight loss can't be too much futher behind. Today, life was good.

I want to be a supporter

I have urged others to support herman Cain and now it seems there are allegations of inappropriate behaviour on his part. The latest and the first person to go public, is from a woman who claims she was touched inappropriately 15 years ago. She was asking Cain for help getting a new job. First, why was she booked into a motel and if it was necessary, why did let Mr. Cain booke the room? Secondly, she said they were in a car together. Why were they in a car alone? I think she got the story right but the details wrong. It sounds to me like she was the forward one and was trying to set mr. Cain up and he didn't fall for it. This is revenge time and even seeter because she had to wait fifteen years .

More U.S. residents living in poverty than previously thought

How's that hopey, changed thing working out for ya?

I don't like the new blogger but I am being forced to use it. I discovered eight or ten of my blogs that were never published. The ones I wrote on the old blog page were saved to draft but never published by blogger forcing me to go with the new format . To the reader of my blogs the page looks the same but it's totally different on my end.

Gang sets fire to newspaper office in Mexico

Gangs setting fire to newspaper offices sounds like the plot ofsome old westerns mad in the middle of last century depicting eventas that occurred or could have occurred in the old west in the late 19th and early twentieth centuries in the country.

more pain

Writing with crippled hands is hard enough. Now I have tendonitus in my right shoulder. ouch!

Electric roads

Instead on electric cars, wouldn't it be cheaper and safer to make electric roads. Sort of like bumper cars?

Brad Pitt? Really

When writers/ reporters/ people want to talk about good-looking sexy men it seems the ultimate is Brad Pitt. I once saw a movie with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. Of course Brad Pitt was young and Redford was well past his prime. The truth is, Redford made Pitt look like an immature wannabe. Even in his seventies, Redfords good looks and charm outshone Pitts and it was obvious the youner man had a lot to learn from Mr. Redford.

I'm not sure even Redford could hold a candle to Paul Newman. All right ladies, who is the ultimate heart throb: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, or Frank Sinatra?

homophophia

it seems if a person does not whole heatedly embrace and support the gay/lesbian culture then they are labeled as some sort of hate mongering freaks. That just isn't so.

My mom is allergic to fish yet she has sat down with me at a seafood restaurant while I consumed a plate of fish. Just because she won't eat seafood doesn't make her a hater of people who eat seafood. By the same token, people who do not partake in the homosexual lifestyle are not necessarily haters of homosexuals. Calling people despicable names doesn't endear them to your point of view, but rather has the opposite affect of making them resistant to the message.

Economic gains lost

BOSTON (AP) — The economic downturn has erased the gains made by the black middle class over the last 30 years as the unemployment rate of blacks with a four-year college degree has skyrocketed, according to a new study by the National Urban League Policy Institute released Wednesday.

The study said that the unemployment rate for blacks with a four-year college degree has tripled from 1992 while overall black unemployment levels are nearing 1982 levels when it was close to 20 percent.


Still feel good about that hope/ change thing you can believe in now?

Why Obama Won

Most political analysis want us to believe that Obama won the electi0n because he was much better organized than the Republicans and that W opened the door for him to win. Others would have us believe that he won because of his message of hope and change and some would even suggest that he won because of the youth vote and or the black vote. Some even suggest he won because he was the best candidate and the color of his skin had nothing to do with his victory.

Some people were going to vote Democractic this year regardless of whom the candidate was just because they hated the Republicans handling of that office during the last eight years. Some voted for Obama because he wasn't a woman, some voted for him because he was black, and some voted for him because they thought he was the best candidate.

Many blacks voted for Obama just because he was Black (or wasn't white). Many whites voted for Obama because they are prejudiced against Blacks.

Wait a minute, you say. Why would a person vote for someone they believe to be inferior to themselves?

The reason: denial. If a liberal voted against Obama then he/she could be accused of being biased against Obama because of his skin color. Some people want so much to be preceived as being unbiased that they will discriminate against their own race. The reality is that being completely unbiased is just an illusion.

It is prefectly okay to choose our friends from among people we feel comfortable being with. What is not okay is to make decisions based on race , or sexual orientation, or college atttended, or any other arbitary factor to decide in favor of one person or another.

It that light, is was just as wrong to vote for Obama because he is black whether the voter was black and hoping to make history or whether the voter was white hoping to convince himself or others that they were not prejudiced.

Even though there faces would not be shown, how would jurors react? W

Why do people act this way?

Joe Paterno did was was legally required of him when he reported an alleged sexual assualt to his superior but failed to do anything beyond that. Failure on the part of his boses, himself, and the man who saw the assualt allowed the incident to go unpunished and other offences to occur.

Two men, MMA fighters, in town for a tournament, stop a robber who was robbing their motel. The robber claimed he needed to money to take care of his daughter. Modt of the commenters on the story were abusive of the two MMA fighters and many were supportive of the thief.

Thge thief used a gun in the commission of his crime.

I suppose the commenters failed to realize that using a weapon is threatning someones life and perhaps the motel clerk has children of his own to take care of. It really doesn't matter who has the sadder story, there is nevera justafiable excuse for robbing someone, especially at gunpoint.

The robbery was a stranger crime while the sexual assualt was commited by someone who was known to the ones in the know. Like all the sexual predators in the Catholic church that were protected by their superiors.

Perhaps the thinking is the reputation of the institution as a whole is far more important than the lives of the victims. It seems kind of funny that the defending of the robber because he wanted money for his daughter is the exact opposite way of thinking. In this case people are seeming to state that the rights of the victim (who they see as the hungry and needy little girl) far outweigh the rights of the institution (the motel).

Bruce Willis Makes Ashton Kutcher Cry

I did not watch the video because of the ad they try to make you watch and I also don't like to see a man cry. But from the headlines and brief discription of the story, it sounds like maybe Bruce Willis is still in love with Demi Moore.

Cher 'pissed off' at 'Dancing' judges

Chasity Bono cannot dance, isn't a celebrity, and isn't a real guy. I admire Cher for continuing to love and support Chasity (now called Chaz) but let's face the truth here about the judges comments. I doubt anything the judges said to or about Chasity had anything to do with who or what he is but were based soley on his dancing performaces. Sure Cher wanted Casity to win and he didn't so just leave it at that.

What, is she going to sue because her daughter

Happy Halloween

Since I have lived in NC I've never had a ghost or goblin come to my door for treats. I had a few when I lived in Texas. This year I didn't buy candy for the kids and that is the first time I haven't done so. The last time I went treat or treating myself I went as Casper the ghost and I thought I was too old to for that but my parents would not let me have a scary costume.

I went to one halloween party andf a couple of the celebrations Hickory used to have downtown with the bandfs and costum judging contests. We would get 5 tickets which we could exchange for drinks or candy and it was always crowded and a lot of fun, especially when the kids I hung out with won the dance contest to the song "Southstreet".

Belief in God makes us lazy?

In the new study, the researchers primed more than 350 engineering students with the idea of God or faith, for example, by having participants write a sentence using a list of words with spiritual connotations. Students then completed skill tests in which they had to make as many words as possible from a group of letters. When prompted with religious imagery or language beforehand, the students came up with fewer words, regardless of their religious background, than those who hadn't been primed with such imagery.

The researchers think the lack of effort in the "religious-primed" group could be dictated by a belief that fate is in God's hands. If the students believe that God controls their destiny, trying to be better isn't going to help them actually be better, resulting in less effort. This entire thought process seems to be unconscious, but just the presence of these God-conjuring words or images could alter beh



Maybe believing in God doesn't make us lazy but causes us not to use words we might otherwise use, say like profane words, or uncomfortable words.

On a more somber note, 90% of Americans believe in God but a much smaller percentage actually truts God with their life.

The magic of weight loss

I own a Wii. When I first got it I worked out everyday and with those workouts and a change in my diet I lost 50 lbs. While my wife was out following her knee surgery I stopped working out and I slowly gained back 17 pounds but I have managed to level off since then. About six or seven weeks ago I started a walking program and for the last monthI walk between four and four and a halgf miles at the gym and average over 8 miles a day walking.

On the weekends when I don't go to the gym I work out on the wii for at least an hour. I am also controlling my diet like I did before. So far for six weeks of hard work, I'v gained 1 pound.

I have to admit my clothes aren't as tight so maybe my failure to lose weight to this point isn't as bad as it seems but it is frustrating. Still, I'll keep plugging along and one day, that magical weight loss will happen.

A high price for trying to be cool

A thirteen year old kid doesn't try drugs on his own. someone has to get him interested first and trying to be cool and fit in makes him gives drugs a shot. Too bad.

The boy smoked the fake marijuana out of a plastic PEZ candy dispenser. The chemicals in the drugs caused extensive damage to his lungs. Brandon was put on a respirator in June and had a double lung transplant in September.

Now he is dead.

Cheap weddings

After my first wife passed, I met another lady and before long we were engaged. We wanted a private, intimate, low cost wedding but we alsowanted a nice affair. Fortunenately, my aunt was a dress maker and professional seamtress and she just happened to have one of the most beautiful and expensive dresses to give to my bride. The former owner of the dress didn't want it afte her fiance was killed in an accident. She also loaned the bride-to-be a diamon tiffany necklace.

The may that was to do the singing backed out because he had had a falling out with the pastor of the church so we did everything via tape. The wedding march, the songs, everything but the preacher. We had to practice to get the timing down correctly.

My mom was a professional florisr so she made the flowers and did all the arrangements which were so beautiful. The bride was a professional cake decorator and baker so she made the wedding cake. It was quite pretty and tasty as well.

We did spring for professional engraved invitations though. We purchased whole chickens on sale, had cocktails weinnies, delicious cole slaw, and a variety of other eats which we prepared ourselves.

The ushers did a marvelous job, the wedding went off without a hitch, and the reception was a delight. The whole affair only set us back a few hundred dollars.

Of course not everyone has time to prepare all the food and it is unlikely that the bride will be gifted a thousand dollar wedding dress, but still, there is no reason not to have a lavious wedding and run up a huge bill that will keep the newlyweds in time for years.

Redneck dictionary

Obama: all by my.

used in a sentence: "I bought a case of beer and I drank it Obama self. "

hot sauce

I just made a few ounces of habenaro hot sauce but a few ounces goes a long way. I just pour a couple of ounces of vinegar in the blender, drop in 2 cups of haberno peppers and blend. I squeeze the juice into a bowl and then pour into my squeeze bottle. The stuff that is leftover I spread out to dry. It makes great flavoring to sprinkle on pizza.

Yea, the sauce is hot. Just making the sauce will cause ones sinuses to open up. If you get any on your hands be sure to wash thouroughly afterwards. If you don't and you touch your eyes they will burn.

When using the sauce, remeber a little goes a long way. It is 10,000 times hotter than Texas Pete. Og but is it good.

Obama to offer relief on student loans

Buy a house you can't afford, tank the countries economy and wreck havoc around the world and Obama will help arrange cheap refinanacing for you. Make bad loans, wreck the economy, and Obama will bail you out. Borrow money for an education,go to school, and don't want to pay back the money you borrowed, Obama will help you out.

But, he's not a socialist. You don't have to take responisibility for your decisions.

I can't beleive he/she said this

If you're an overweight woman in this competition, losing weight, they love you. If you're an overweight guy trying to do this competition, getting in shape, they penalize you for it, call you a penguin," Chaz was captured telling the cameras after last night's show, which saw him and partner Lacey Schwimmer receive just 19/30 points.

Well, Chaz, if you feel dicriminated against as a man, you should have stayed a woman. You weren't happy being a female so you became a male and now you are complaining about how you are treated as a male. As the country song says, if you've been married more than three times, just maybe the problem is you.

Actually, you should be glad you could even be on the show. Afterall it is dancing with the stars. You are the child of a star, not a child star. You began life as a cut little blonde haired girl and know you are a fat ugly guy. So what part of your life makes you a star?


v

Back in the good old days

Often when a man is caught and charged with murder, especially of a child or really innocent type person and the murder was particularly cruel, someone will comment that they would love the chance to punish the killer.

Well, in the good old days in Germany, the law did it that way. Here is what happened:

When caught, the law's retribution for the evil trio was almost as barbaric as their crimes. Stump's body was tied to a cartwheel and the flesh was pulled from his bones with red hot pincers. Still alive, his arms and legs were then broken with a wooden hatchet and he was beheaded. His headless corpse was then burned alongside his mistress and daughter.

Dumb headlines

"4 quake survivors pulled out alive in Turkey" reads an AP headline for a story that ran on the North State home page. I remember a joke about a plane crashing on the USA/Canadian border. On which side of the border were the survivors buried? was the question. "You can't bury survivors" is the punch line. I guess AP didn't think about that when the above headline was written and the proofreader (if they have them anynore) missed it. Spell check is not going to catch such mistakes.

The headline could have been written "Four Quake Victims Pulled Out Alive in Turkey"
or "Four Quake Survivors Pulled Out of Ruble in Turkey". It should have been obvious that the survivors were alive. If they weren't, they would not have been survivors.

Give a person a college education and a job and he still is ignorant. What a waste.

Now that the world has ended

Now that the world has ended how does it feel to wake up dead? It has been three days and life goes on as usual, which may or may not be a gpood thing. I'm still retired and my wife is still working. I had put away some $4,000.00 so we could enjoy our vacations and to work on some projects around the house but my wife needed foot surgery which wiped out my nestegg so I can afford to spend nothing but it cost something just to live. I need gas for my truck now and then or some little things. I try to make do the best I can.

Hopefully, with the start of the new year I can find a part-time job that pays decently so I'll have a little spending money and enough to save for vacations and such. Even though the world ended three days ago, it seems it costs as much as it did as when we were here. How is that?

What?

.
......Now that Gadhafi is dead, what has happened to his eight children?
.
.By Laura Rozen
Senior Foreign Affairs Reporter
.PostsEmailRSS .By Laura Rozen | The Envoy – Fri, Oct 21, 2011..

"Now that Gadhafi is dead' is totally unneccesary.

People do that a lot. A relative calls an employee just about quiting time and the person taking the phone call picks up the mic and says "If Joe is still in the store answer line 3. "He could have just said"Joe, answer line three."

I don't think Gaddafi's death has anything to do with the fate of his children, or at least not this soon after his death.

Sports

The World Series is going on but the feature stories on the sports pages are mcnabb losing his starting job and a bad interview with a Jets player. I know that football is now a more popular sport but give us baseball players our due. Its not like no one follows baseball.

Survey says

A question on one home page asks "Was the Iraq War worth it?'

Are you asking the men and women who did the actual fighting and their friends and family. the politicians and government workers and military leaders who plan the wars and the manufactuers who supply the equipment, or are you asking the average American who can't locate Iraq on a map (many can't even find the United States)?

World ends today

Discredited Harold Camping revised his end of world predictions from May 21 to Oct 21. many others are predicting the end of the world to be in December of next year. Soon these idiots will quit predicting the end times as we go farther and farther away from the crucifixion of Christ, less and less people will actually believe in the Biblical account as it will be harder to find numbers and formulas and world events that "prove" the end date.

People didn't believe Noah. It had never rained so it was a bizaar event as far as they were concerned. Noah was building this huge boat on dry land and it took 120 years. Of course he was a fool. Abraham and Sari had a baby well passed the time when it was humanly possible for Sari to give birth. These are just a couple of examples from the scriptures of things coming to pass well after it was possible. One thing that god has always done is take the human element out of things. Just like salvation. It isn't of works but pure grace. It isn't about being good. When we realize that there is nothings we can do ourselves but only God can accomplish it, then it will come about.

When the end times do come they will not be a sudden end. There will be a rapture of Christians. There is some controversy of whether this rapture will take place before, during, or at the end of the tribulation period but there is no doubt that it will occur.

One thing for sure, people will deny that it occurred.

The reality is this earth will be around for a long time to come but one day things will come to an end. If it turns out the non-believers are correct then the earth won't come to a sudden end but die a slow death. This natural end of earth will be far worse than the tribulation pictured in the bible and there would be no hope for anyone, in this life or the next, if there is a next.

Church is full

I haven't given an update from One Way Baptist is awhile. No, I haven't lost my enthusiasm for the church but have grown in my desire to attend and to see the church grow, which it has. Melony was back with us last night after recovering from surgery. Theressa had been out also taking care of Melony. With those two ladies back, we had a full house Sunday morning. Terry has to work on Sunday nights but we had a visitor last night.

We have had some good services but yesterday was special. I have never been to a church that shows as much love for each other as One Way. Rev. Garrett is not only a good preacher but a wonderful pastor. The only member not present yesterday was Mrs. Tickle but considering she is ninety-one and has to depend on others to bring her, which they seldom will, we understand.

But even though the house was full , we still would have found room for her, and not only her, but for you also.

Starting this Wednesday night we will begin our new convert classes. No, these classes are not an indoctrination but just some basics of the Christian faith that will provide a strong foundation for the new Christians to build their Christian witness on and a good refresher course for more mature Christians also. Sometimes we all leave or first love.

Most morning services are available on DVD and these classes will be also so if you would like to have one (or more) just leave me a note or contact me at my e-mail address at dsprl2000@gmail.com and I will get one to you.

We will be having our Christmas play on December 11th and we would love you you to come see it. It won't be an elaborate stage production but it will be enjoyable, I guarantee.

On the 23rd we will be having a missionary from Africa speaking in the evening service (starts at six o'clock) and on the 30th we will have Dr. Savage and some of his kids from the children's home presenting a song service. Come and support the kids and receive a blessing.

Our building is small but we have a lot of extra chairs so we will find you a seat.

Sunday school starts at 10 o'clock and worship service begins at 10:30. Prayer room is Sunday evening at 5:45 and evening worship is at 6. Wednesday services begin at
7. The ladies meet once a month on Saturdays and we are beginning a men's prayer breakfast soon as we change our visitation from Thursday night to Saturday.

I also have a home prayer meeting on Tuesday night at my home so if you want to have a more informal setting in which to receive help studying the bible you are more than welcomed to come. Just let me know and I'll give you directions.

The church is located at 604 Sunset in Randleman. Sunset runs from Stout Street to Main street (directly across from Sir Pizza).

Our pastor lives in Thomasville as does our associate pastor but we do have a missionary that is local. Being small we do not have a lot of activities like the bigger churches do. We don't have room for a piano or organ and we don't have Sunday School rooms or a fellowship hall but what we do have is love for each other and a love for Christ and room for you. Come and be with us.

My book makes people quiet

I guess my first book, 'Queen of Southgate" makes people nervous because when I mention the book people get quiet.

AP invents new body part

A player on the visiting team from Phoenix High School was taken to a hospital after being hurt in the third quarter. He later died of his injuries.

What part of the body is the third quarter? o He might have been hurt during the third quarter.

Right as rain

My son contacted me via facebook and told me my niece, whom I haven't seen it sixteen years, was wondering if it would be okay if she contacted me. I said yes and after a few e-mails we set up a date to meet.

I have suffered a lot of heartache and pain from her family which has made me standoffish about people. I seldom let myself get close to people now. A good example would be like this gentleman that starting coming to the church. He's 78
and very lonely since his wife passed away. I took it upon myself to always chat with him and even went to visit him once. We would talk on the phone at least once a week and I took the associate pastor with me once to visit him.

When he came to church he would always look to see if I was there. Once, the pastor and I were together doing some church business and stooped by his house to see if he wanted to join us for breakfast. It turned out the preacher and he had a lot of aquaintences in common and we talked for hours.

The church was going to elect new trustees and the preacher and I were talking about possibilities and I suggested him, except he wasn't a church member. He was contacted about the situation. He hasn't been back to church since nor has he contacted me. He now goes to church somewhere else.

It's hurtful when you reach out to help someone with their problems and want to be their friend but they can't find it within themselves to be honest with you.

Anyway, I took my wife with me when I meet my niece for lunch and we had a nice time talking. I have to admit I made no effort to clean up. I needed a shave and I wore the clothes I had been wearing while working in the yard. I figured there wasn't any use making an effort to impress her when her family has had years to poison her against me. Still, I did pick up the check for her meal and that of her son.

She asked me about some videos I had made when she was young and I informed her I still had one or two left. I emailed her about the tapes but I haven't heard from her in almost two weeks since we meet.

it hurts too much too care.

Stupid article

Search: Man gets surgery to look like Superman
A Filipino man has undergone plastic surgery to look like Superman. (See photos of him.) Herbert Chavez, 35, reportedly began his transformation in 1995 (which surgeries did he have?), and some speculate he may have a disorder (find out which one).

More in the news:

Find out who is trying to repeal a "dwarf-tossing" ban.

Can clothes be made from milk?

Find the first photo of a quadruple rainbow.

I hate reading stuff on Bing. I only have a limited amount of time and I have better uses of it (like writing articles to complain about Bing) then clicking on links to find out stuff that is just as easy for you to just tell me.

Did I mention I hate Bing?
Back to MSN

Correct word or not?

"The distraught Missouri parents of missing 10-month-old Lisa Irwin revealed this morning that they their cell phones were missing when they fantically tried to call 911 after discovering that their "Pumpkin Pie" was not in her crib."

I believe I might be a little fantically calling 9-1-1 if I discovered my baby missing too. Just how many times does one need to call the emergency number in order to be a fantic anyway? And what is a fantic? Or is it a fantical?

I can visualize the parents being frantic when calling 9-1-1 but then most people are when calling in a real emergency: not the "I didn't get my chicken nuggets" or "I need a ride to my crack house" calls but life or death type emergencies.

Really, these journalists need better proofreaders as these types of errors are way to common. When I was young, maybe one such error would be reported in the Hickory Daily Record every month or so but now it is almost every article.

No wonder America is losing its edge.

Electricity rate increase

I'm sure you are aware that Duke Power has asked for a 18.9% rate increase mainly due to a failed wind turbine project. Boy, wouldn't it be nice if we had that power. Go tell your boss that you need an 18.9% pay raise because you purchased a car you can't afford or you were in an ajustable rate mortgage and it went up a lot more than you had anticipated.

Duke power made a mistake. They should just learn to deal with it like I have to and you have to.
Many years ago I took a job making #2.25 an hour. That year I purchased a new car, rented a nice apartment, purchased new furniture, and supported a wife and kid and still managed to save some money.

What is a shame is that 40 years later and after numerous pay raises I can no longer do what I could while I made $2.25 an hour, because inflation has always been higher than my wage increase. Tax rate increases hasn't helped the situation any either.

Over that period of time I've learned how to survive on little but a person can only cut back so much. 18.9% increase is rediculous, by any standard, for any reason, at any time. I'm sure Duke Power will only get a fraction of what they are asking for and the powers that be will think they are being fair to the public and Duke Power by allowing only a 9% or 10% increase. Well hocky puck, it isn't fair to the public to increase rates at all, especially for a failed endeavor Duke Power didn't have to try anyway.

Management should take a cut in pay until Duke Powers loss is made up since they made the stupid decision. For crying out loud, if I purchased a car requiring that I make %600.00 a month payments when I can only afford $400.00, I certainly can't pass that deficit on to someone else. i would just have to sell the car and eat the loss or figure out how to cut back on my living expenses.

Duke Power should do the same.

I don't mind a rate increase to pay for an increase in raw materials, but to pay extra for a failed project is beyond wrong.

Buckle-up

Gravley's passenger was her granddaughter 21 year-old Jessica Wilson of Elon. Wilson was killed as a result of the crash. Trooper Ingraham said Wilson was also not properly restrained by her seatbelt.

From North State home page

Greensboro, NC -- A new grocery store will open in the location of the former Winn-Dixie at 2521 Phillips Avenue.

City leaders are expected to announce the details in a news conference Thursday at the Bessemer Shopping Center. The name of the store will be announced at that time.

The grocery store is expected to employee 20-25 people.

The Winn-Dixie closed its doors in the late 90s and the store has been vacant since.

People who have been pushing for a new grocery store said this is a victory.

"We didn't give up," said Gayland Oliver, who lives nearby and is the executive director of the Eastern Development Growth Enterprise.

"For the senior citizens in Claremont, they may have to catch the bus two and three times a month just to get groceries. They can't take but so much in their hands," he added.

Mary Lou Clapp, a member of the Bessemer Redevelopment Steering Committee, said, "I feel very happy. I think it validates what we've said all along: it's time for our community in the northeast section to be part of the total community of Greensboro."

"We're just happy that this day is finally here," she said.


No one really wanted to open a store there because of the shoplifting and danger to employees. The poor community appreciates a grocery store so much because it gives them a chance to steal food close to home where it is easier to get away with it. Can you imagine having to depend on the city bus system as a get-a-way vehicle?

My best guess is this store will be a Sav-a-lot, an American version of an Aldi--a bag your own, no frills, basic needs only type of store.

Money woes

Since I have retired and moved my money to low-risk mutal funds my nest egg has shrank over $5,000.00. glad i have it in safe investments. Funny thing is, the investment firm wants me to invest more money with them. I don't think so. i can't afford it.

Amanda Knox is innocent

I have followed this story from the beginning and while the prosecution seemed to have a decent case one only had to look deeper into it to realize that some of their evidence was faulty and their theory of what happened just doesn't ring true.

I'm glad she was found innocent as well as her boyfriend. The real killer has been behind bars for years having been convited of the crime before Amanda Knox was tried the first time.

It is possible she killed her roommate but not involving a total stranger, especially involving a sex triangle as the prosecution contended. Police are very good at extracting confessions, even false ones. No, she never confessed but she did point the investigation in the wrong direction under pressure from the police.

Police: Connecticut toddler dies after pit bull attack

Threepit bulls wereinvolved in an attack on a 20 month old girl.

Just friendly pets, good with kids, pit bull owners will argue.

Fire Ant Wars

It seems that the spring and fall bring on a fury of nest building by fire ants and they seem to love my yard. In the last two weeks I have gone through a canister of Seven dust and a 20 lb. bag of ant poison plus a pack of ant bait stakes.

Quite honestly, it seems like the poison just chases them around the yard. Got a neighbor you don't like? You are welcomed to come over and dig up some fire ants to put in their yard.

Man in ice cream cone costume mistaken for KKK protester

Talk about stupid news! A man dress as a waffle cone full of ice cream and even holding a sign that says "Ice Cream" upsets some people because they think he looks like a person in a traditional KKK uniform. Really? The KKK wore waffle cone pants?

Some people think everything is against them but its just not true.

Once when I was working at a convenience store I had a black man getting some gas for his car. He scanned his credit card before pumping so I wasn't concerned about him driving off. After he pumped his gas he came into the store to accuse me of being a racist for watching him as if he was going to steal.

I told the man to look at the pump directly behind him. When he looked he saw a scantily clan, sexy, beautiful young women who was well endowed and left little to the imagination who, incidentally, was pumping gas without credit card or prepaying and on the pump that had the most drive-offs.

"Who do you think I was really looking at?" I asked the man. He left without another word.

Sometimes I was afraid to ask a black person if I could help them because I was afraid they would accuse me of thinking they were trying to rip me off and i was offering them help as only a deterrent. Not so, just doing my job.

Same crowd, different year

It seems that many of the GOP candidates are the same crowd or duplicates of the same people that ran for the GOP nomination four years ago. The only bright spot I see in this bunch is herman Cain.

It seems funny that many of the lower middle class and lower class citizens who supported Obama last election with their money as well as their votes cannot afford to support him with their money this time. Their lives have changed, as he promised, but not for the better as they had hoped. It is amazing to me that the Democrats claim that Bush was an ineffective President yet he is effective enough to still be messin(g) up Obamas Presidency after three years.

Takes a smart man to do that.

Is Jessica Simpson Pregnant?

Not by me.

Optical Illusion

Associated PressVick breaks hand as Eagles fall to Giants
Michael Vick got a helping hand from an official after a hard shot knocked...


The picture must be an optical illusion. It looks more like a football player and Michael Vick are about to embrace than an official helping an injured quarterback. What do you think?

Don't know about birth control?

more young people having unsafe sex
More young people around the globe are having unsafe sex than they did three years ago, a new study found (what are the risks of unprotected sex?). The study also revealed that young people also know less about effective contraception options (learn more about contraception options), and many lacked proper sex education.

Fire Ants

In the spring I had thirteen hills of fire ants but a little seven dust did the trick. But this week the hills started coming back and I needed something that would kill the queen and not just chase the colony from one location to another. With the rain keeping the yard wet it is impossible to affectively treat the fire ant colonies so they are just getting bigger and bigger.

It is so that I am almost afraid to walk in the yard.

Herman Cain

I have been disappointed that more people have not taken Herman Cain as a serious candidate but maybe his win in Florida will enlighten some folks. I am beginning to see his name bantered about on news comment pages and all have been in a positive light.

seriously folks, please give him some serious thought.

Writing in the rain

In the Sunday Tribune (9-25) Ray Criscoe wrote his weekly column in the rain, or at least he said he did. "I came into work Saturday morning to write this column in yet another torrential downpour...."

I know a certain person that think Ray Criscoe doesn't have enough sense to come in out of the rainand he just proved it for her.

Later in the column he discusses time travel and moving faster than the speed of light and traveling into the future. If we could travel faster than the speed of light and then turn around and see ourselves coming that would be going back in time, not forward. It's like your DVR. You can watch a program that has already aired. Traveling into the future implies seeing or being part of events that have not occured yet and as far as I know the only human being that has accomplished that is John when God called him to "come up hither" and see the things which are to be.

As far as the back in time statement is concerned, I would think that light would disperse the farther in moved from its source so that if you could move faster than light then you would see only smaller and smaller segments of what the light was reflected off of the farther away one moved.

Leave the Mc off and you have a winner.

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Former pizza executive Herman Cain surprised rival Rick Perry with an upset victory on Saturday in a nonbinding Republican presidential straw poll in Florida, dealing a disappointing loss to the Texas governor two days after a shaky debate performance.

Wonder what colors they used?

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - A six-tones NASA science satellite pierced the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean and fell back to Earth, the U.S. space agency said on Saturday, but it was not yet known where the remains landed.

lots of rain

Randleman received a hair shy of four inches of rain the last two days, three of which came today. More is expected tomorrow and some Sunday. My water ponds are full as are my rain barrels and my front yard is standing in water as usual after a hard rain. We needed it but I have fire ants in my yard and I can't put out poison until it drys up.

well, that's not quite true. I purchased a box of spikes which lasts for three months so they can go out in the rain.They may take car of the smaller hills and are supposed to work within 24hours and keep working for three months. The other stuff is supposed to kill instantly and is better for the bigger hills.

My neighbor has two large hill next to his driveway but he doesn't care as he is moving, Monday being his last day. He is a good man and a super nice guy but he is dumb as a brick. I'm not sure he can read or write but I do know that he signed up for a bd deal when he purchased his home. His payments are higher than his total income for the month.

This is a life on drugs

Big-voiced R&B diva Vesta Williams, perhaps best-known for her 1980s hits "Don't Blow A Good Thing" and "Congratulations," has been found dead of a possible drug overdose in a Southern California hotel room, coroner's investigators said Friday. She was 53.

Bible study

I am considering beginning a bible study group in randleman, NC Anyone interested?

MJ shipment tracked to NFL players

Three NFL players were at the home of a Bengals player in Kentucky when one of them signed for a delivery of pot. Many of the commenters on this news story were either upset no immediate arrests were made or that pot isn't legal.

It doesn't matter if pot should or should not be legal. It is currently illegal and until the law changes then dealing with drugs is illegal and we should respect that. If you don't agree, change the law, don't just violate it.

But my point of view is different. Why do these people feel they need drugs anyway? I have never smoked pot or used any tyoe of illegal drug. Don't need too. I admit that I once drank alcohol. It certainly did not make me more popular, smarter, or have a better time than when I was alcohol free. it just made me feel bad when I drank too much and but my life and the lives of others in danger. I image its pretty much the same with drugs.

Ask any girl walking the streets in Greensboro or High Point. If they are truthful, and chances are they won't be, they are heavy users of crack cocaine. They are slaves to a fix, selling their bodies for enough money for their next high, forsaking family and friends, robbing, stealing, lying, and betraying people just to get a fix.

I don't need that in my life nor do I care to partake of any substance that will alter my way of acting or thinking just for the sake of altering my preception of reality. In order to have you as a friend I am required to have a drink with you then I care not to be your friend. If you expect me to be tolarant of your illegal activities in order for us to hang out together, then we shall not together.

Even if pot were legal, I have no need or want of it, not even medically. No you keep you spirits, your pot, your hard drugs, and I will keep my sanity and integrity and my sobriety. I don't want to have a drink with you to be your friend and if you feel you must have a drink to be social then there is something seriously wrong with your thinking. I suggest you stay on your side of the street, preferably not in a car, and when you understand I prefer my friends in a now altered state, then we can talk.