Justice-or not.

I grew up when superman showed weekly on TV and father knew best and believed in truth, justice and the American way, that all men were created equal and that lady justice was blind which meant that truth will out because judgement was based only on facts and the proper interpretstion thereof and not on a person's wealth, social standing, fame, color, sexual orientation, nationality, or any other criteria but reality but truth is what we want it to be, justice isn't always fair, and the American way isn't always the best or even the right way, father doesn't always know best, and lady justice is blind, but all to often to truth and justice.
Too often innocent people are convicted, given too harsh a sentence, and kept in prison long after their innocence has been established, punishment is not administered uniformaly, and some guilty people are let out of prison way too early.

Often we want to punishment those that need help, help those that just need to be punished, and haven't a clue to tell the difference.

To be perfectly honest, our country has never been right but it seems that every time attempts are made to correct one set of injustices, others crop up to take that ones place. The worst thing is, Americans can no longer taught about problems and come to a sulotion. We know resort to name calling and charater bashing to get our pointsd across. Shame on all of us.

Ignorance is bliss

It seems Rocky Mount, NC and by association, all of small town southern American is receiving the blame for ten murder victims not receiving national press while a few white women have been featured as lead news stories by all facets of the media (one woman was actually oriental, but she was counted as being white because she wasn't black, it seems).

Not all WASPs are apathetic. I, for one, care. Why the women who gather national headlines do is not because they are white but because they are not only not a typical victim, they are often associated with influential people, hold influential positions, or have great potential, or their disappearance or murder is under highly unusual circumstances. The murder of ten prostitutes, no matter what color, does not fit any of the attention getting circumstances. In fact, these women behaved in the manner that is most likely to result in meeting a serial killer than any other lifestyle.

I'm sure there are a large number of non-white women whose death in like manner would drawn national attention and I can think of at least two whose death would not only drawn national attention but would dominate the news so much one would wish for the days of Michael Jackson and the OJ Simpson trial (the first one).

The truth is, serial killers are hard to catch, especially when the victims willingly get into a strangers car. In fact they willingly get into many different cars during the day and night, almost everyday.

Yea, I would like to very much see this serial killer caught and caught quickly but more than that, I want cases like this and the Green River Killer to draw attention to the victims and muster up a great deal of sympathy for them. Not just because they were murdered but because they are in a situation they cannot escape from without help. No one seems to care and that's the greatest tragedy of all.

Bubbles

We had the housing bubble, the financial bubble, and we may well have a stimulus bubble. With the government borrowing and printing money with no assets to back it up, all this false money is generating real inbterest and real debt. Like living on credit cards and spending more than one makes, the piper will demand to be paid one day. If we can't pay the piper, we will lose everthing we have and the piper crashes as burns as well.

One day the stimulus bubble will burst.

Can we win in Afganastan?

I'm no an advocate of the n-bomb although I believe we made the correct decision in WWII. I want to make this clear from the get-go. I am a veteran of foreign wars so I have offered up my life for my country sp I have more than a patriotic stake in this matter. I fought on land, in the air and at sea, behind the lines in tech support and at the front with weapon in hand. I believe I have a right to speak- a right I have earned.

Vietnam was lost for two reasons. One was we didn't have acheivable objectives and , two, we didn't fight in the proper manner. Our trouble in the middle east is we just don't know when to quit. In Afganistan, our objective was to topple the Taliban government and in Iraq, it was to topple Sadaa Hussein. We accomplished both objectives quickly. We should have just left when the ovjective was acheived.

If Sadaam retook the seat of government or the taliban moved back into leadership, we could have gone back in and kicked their ass out again. And we could do this forever. No, we just don't have enough sense to do this. We just had to go into the tiger's cage, slap it upside the head, and then go about cleaning up the mess the tiger had made, stopping only to slap the tiger in the face ever now and then. In the end, who is going to win this fight?

In wars like these, one cannot win just by kicking the ass of the enemy: one has to also win over their hearts and minds.

legal mj/ no arrests

The government announced that it no longer intends to make arrests in the 14 states where medicinal MJ is legal. It is good that state rights be recognized. I just don't believe there should be but a hand full of people who actually need the benefits of m-probably no more than need alcohol to feel better.

One advantage of being old is that soon this madness will be over. Another is that I greww up in a time when a person could live this long.

This is so wrong

An article on MS NBC said experts didn't believe texting would affect one's ability to spell but something is sure affecting this girl's ability to communicate-and to thin clearly. Another young lady was concerned because her mother will no let her shave yet and she has been teased because of her arm hair. She asked if it is okay to trim it. Here is my young ladies response:

"i shave my arms just dont ask ur mums premittion do it anway i take it u have dark hair samee just keep the razors u used throw them away but like dump em in a bush sum wear and bye razors secretly get em in the house up ur top u can do anything with out ur mum knowing im on the pill nd she dnt know
3 minutes ago."

What we have is no capitalization, no punctuation, and very bad advice; and probably a young woman headed for a troubled life. The pill presents it's own problems and while it does help prevent pregnancy, it doesn't deter STD. Sneaking, fibbing to ones parents, and underage sex is not a lifestyle one should be proud of.

Jason Midyette

Jason Midyette

On February 24, 2006, Molly Midyette (right) called her pediatrician, saying her 10-month-old, Jason (center), was "out of sorts." Three hours later, the doctor examined Jason and insisted on admitting him immediately to a nearby emergency room. On seeing Jason's condition Elaine Rottinghaus, the emergency room nurse, called 911 to report the incident as one of the worst child abuse cases she'd ever seen. When Molly arrived at the hospital with her husband Alex Midyette (left), the son of a prominent Boulder, Colo., businessman, they had already retained a lawyer, who met them at the hospital, and both refused to talk to police. Jason was removed from life support on March 3, 2006, and died. The autopsy revealed that Jason's brain had been bleeding and that he had 37 fractures to his skull and body in various stages of healing. Coroner Tom Faure ruled that the baby had died of "blunt force craniocerebreal injuries." In 2007 a grand jury indicted both parents in Jason's death. Molly insisted she was unaware of any abuse, but on December 12, 2007, she was sentenced to 16 years in prison for criminal neglect in failing to seek help for her injured child. She asked for a new trial saying she had been bullied by her husband and his family, but her request was denied. Alex Midyette, who admitted to accidentally hitting his boy's head on a chair and table, was convicted on February 17, 2009, of criminally negligent child abuse resulting in death.

Review finds no chronic cocaine use

Billy Mays' family: Review finds no chronic cocaine use
Oct. 15, 2009, 1:38 PM EST
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The family of TV pitchman Billy Mays released the findings of an independent medical examiner Thursday, who concluded that the informercial star's cocaine use was not a significant contributing factor in his sudden death.

The report, released by a family spokeswoman, does not refute Mays' cocaine use, but states there is no evidence to suggest he was a chronic user. A review of the official autopsy also concludes that "cocaine was not a significant contributing factor" in his death.

"There is no evidence that Mr. Mays' death was related to acute cocaine intoxication with coronary artery spasm or dissection or even aortic dissection for that matter," wrote Dr. William Manion, the independent medical examiner who conducted the review. "Rather, the use of cocaine by Mr. Mays appears to have occurred a remote time several days before his death."

Mays, 50, was found dead in his family's Tampa condo in June.

The Hillsborough County medical examiner's office conducted the official autopsy. The office classified his death as "natural" but said that cocaine use contributed to the heart disease that killed him. Mays' family disagreed with that finding.

"We found this to be so upsetting that we asked for review by an independent medical examiner," Deborah Mays, the late pitchman's wife, said in a statement Thursday.

Manion, chief of pathology for Virtua Health, a multi-hospital health care system based in Marlton, N.J., wrote that he was asked to review the official autopsy and address "the question of whether or not cocaine was a significant contributing cause" in Mays' death.

Manion said that a review of Mays' past and family medical history indicated Mays had mild obesity, a history of smoking and two close relatives with heart conditions.

"Family and friends found no evidence of symptoms or signs of chronic drug use as would be expected in a long-term chronic drug abuser," Manion states in the report.

Other medical conditions consistent with chronic cocaine use — including kidney disease, stroke, and other cardiac conditions — were absent in the autopsy findings.

Hillsborough County released a statement Thursday, saying the medical examiner's office was "aware of media reports regarding a differing opinion of the cause of death," but that it stood by the findings in its autopsy report and had no further comment.

Mays was known for his energetic commercials pitching gadgets and cleaning products like Orange Glo and OxiClean. He got his start on TV on the Home Shopping Network and then branched out into commercials and infomercials. He developed such a strong following that he became the subject of a reality TV series, Discovery Channel's "Pitchmen."



If a man is killed in a head on car crash while exceeding a safe speed, does it really matter if he was going 5 mph too fast or 20 mph too fast? He is still dead.
This man's family can argue that he only drove too fast occasionally or that he wasn't really the speed that killed him but the object he hit while driving and the fact that he didn't have his seat belts on. He is still dead.

An occasional cocaine user is still a user of illegtal drugs. Maybe cocaine didn't kill him but it certainly didn't help. Use of cocaine damages the heart and it was heart failure that killed him: and he had cacaine in his sytem when he died. His family just needs to accept the truth and move on.

Why certain things are.

updated 9:31 p.m. ET, Wed., Oct . 14, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge challenged the backers of California's voter-enacted ban on same-sex marriage Wednesday to explain how allowing gay couples to wed threatens conventional unions, a demand that prompted their lawyer to acknowledge he did not know.

The unusual exchange between U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker and Charles Cooper, a lawyer for the group that sponsored Proposition 8, came during a hearing on a lawsuit challenging the measure as discriminatory under the U.S. Constitution.

Cooper had asked Walker to throw out the suit or make it more difficult for those civil rights claims to prevail.

--------------------------------------------
A marriage between a man and a woman is not just a Christian institution but one practiced by all cultures and has been practiced from the earliest recorded history. Some people think marriage is just a piece of paper and other think it is a form of government intrusion into ones personal life. It must be something to it that all cultures believe necessary because all cultures practice marriage but one would be hard put to give a convincing argument as to why a marriage should be. One cannot use the "living in sin argument" because the argument would have to include why non-Christian people and people who do not believe in God still practice marriage and feel it is necessary. We just can not adequately explain why.

Certain things we have to take for granted although there is no bases in absolute truth as to why they have to be that way. If one was given a yard stick and a ruler and asked to build a house but was given plans in meters, the project would become infinity harder to accomplish. The reverse is also true. Given plans in inches, feet and yards and measuring tools in the metric system would be difficult. In order to function we have to have standards.

One can argue that a thirteen inch ruler can be used just effectively as a twelve inch ruler and one could not explain adequately why a twelve inch ruler has to be the standard. There is no law of nature or science that requires it to be that way; it just is. People have to have a standard in order to function efficiently.

It has been the standard that a marriage is always between a man and a woman and has been practised that way by all cultures from the beginning of recorded history. It never had to be that way any more than there had to be three feet in a yard, 100 points to a pica, or four quarts to a gallon. Those are just the standards adopted so we can function and communicate effectively.

Of course there is no reason why we should not be able to change our standards. It would probable be better if America was on the metric system. I have no idea how much is a bushel if some one else had not make a "bushel basket". I haven't a clue what a gram looks like although I don't think it's much of anything. Americans are confused about how to measure things because when they want something cut they hold up two fingers and want be to cut the item the distance between their two fingers but they have no clue how big or small that is. One lady asked be if 6 oz. was smaller than a quarter pound. The metric system would probably be easier to use but our government thinks we are not intelligent enough to transition from one system to another (while wanting us to become a multi-language culture). The government could possible be correct about us not being smart enough to adapt to the metric system. Eventually, English will die out in the US and Spanish will become our native tongue.

Maybe I can't give you a good enough reason why gays and lesbians should not get married. I can't tell you why any one does drugs or some people think it's cool to steal, or why any one doubts the existence of God. I can't prove that God exists or prove that he doesn't. He just says he does and I have to take him a face value, just like twelve inches equal a foot, three feet equal a yard, and marrriage is between one man and one one woman. That's the standard the world lives by.

Study: Texting Does Not Affect Children’s Ability To Spell

Maybe so but sometimes texters forget who they are writing too. There was an article on a topic I was interested in but the writer used u r and other shortened versions of words and I found it annoying--so annoying I quit reading the article.

I suppose it doesn't change the world much if they write interestingly or whether I can stay focused enough to read what was written but what is the point of writing if the people interested in the topic aren't interested in the author's writing style?

Koi Ponds and Water Gardens

I enjoy my water garden. Some may wonder what is the difference between a water garden and Koi Pond. Simply, a water garden is built so one can enjoy the various plants that grow only in and around water. One can be smaller and shallower than a pond for keeping koi. I've heard of groups of enthusiats that like to swap fish, plants, tips, and stories but not around here. Anyone know of such a group?

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Gomer Pile of USMC had an expression: Surprise, surprise, surprise. I wonder if the committee that gives the Nobel Peace Prize had that goofy look on their face when they made the announcemnt of this year's winner?

For those that don't know, the committe is appointed by the Netherland parliament, which is a socialist government. That helps explain why Ronald Reagan whose policies lead to the end of the Cold War and took the threat of nuclear war off the table didn't win but Al Gore who hasn't done anything of note except made a movie about a problem that may or may not exist and Barrack Obmama, who hasn't done anything of note except make promises to do something that may or may not need to be done won.

Dr. J calls The award and Obama the Velveteen Rabbit. Maybe so. obma approval ratings went up because of the award. Doesn't mean he did something note worthy. Just means some people have no concept of reality--just like the toys in the story.

Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, and Barrack Obama.

Cardinals vs Dodgers, game two, NLCS

If this was football, your team would be down by six with 12 seconds left on the clock and is forced to kick from thier own 30 yard line. Fans would be heading for the exit as the game is over except for the singing of the fat lady right?

Not so fast. Two out, bottom of the ninth, down two to one, and no one on base. The batter hits a lazy line drive to the left fielder, a player who only commits one error a year, and the game is over, so everyone thinks.

The fat lady had to sit down on this one. The ball was not caught and the Dodgers rally for a three to two win and a two zip lead in the series.

The secret to a happy life

Die young before all the pain of old age sets in.

CBO: Bill Won't Raise Deficit

Whose deficit, mine or the governments?

Oh wait, aren't we suppose to be the same thing?

If I reduce my income through taxes isn't that increasing my deficit?

I'm confused. Exactly how is this bill supposed to benefit me?

CBO: Health care bill to cost $829 billion

CBO: Health care bill to cost $829 billion
Measure would cut federal deficit by $81 billion in 10 years, experts say




Is that like the $20.00 Mom saves when she buys a new dress, or the big sale at the hardware store where dad saves big? And exactly when has a measure only cost what the government thought it would?

Perhaps it is only fitting that since I contribute to the housing of the poor and help feed them too that I might as well pay for their medical care as well. One would think that at least the government would sent me a picture of the family I'm having to help support and yearly updates on their well being. Since I am soon to be retired, I just don't know how medicaid can be cut with out cutting benefits unless its the built in graft that is being eliminated.

It's kind of like when I was homeless and I drove my old beater to the bank to deposit my pay check and this young dude was leanning up against a Cadillac Escalade
while holding a stack of cash which he claimed to be several thousand dollars and then tried to bum a smake from me. There is just something wrong with the system when the honest working man has to pay for the upkeep of the takers. I don't mind helping those that are down on their luck, so to speak but in order to be down one must have been up. If one never had a job or just a meager job because he dropped out of school or has been arrested so many times no one ones to be around you, then I should not be expected to provide for your upkeep.

Exactly, how much of this $829 billion dollars am I expected to pay? More than what I can afford, I bet.

Words of Wisdom

. A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well

Is Katy Perry Dating Russell Brand?

I don't care.

Mailbox Madness

About a year or so ago on my blog, Marvins Observations, I reported a broken mailbox at my old address in the country. It was apparently taken out by farm machinery and I suppose the culprit wasn't aware of the accident. This scenario is somewhat different.

I live in town on a cul-de-sac and my neigbors across the street were partying last night when someone took out my mailbox, somewhere between 7:00 and 11:15 last night. They did leave some evidence behind; pieces of a tail light lens. I reported it to the police department this morning and they are well aware of my neighbors, and not in a good way.

had the offender reported the accident, I probably would have let it go as the mailbox post was easily repaired and the box itself wasn't damaged. But if I see a vehicle with a broken lens that matches the pieces I have, then they will be report4d to the police and will face what ever minor charges the courts would like to administer.

Wht are adults so irresponsible?

Insults and injury

A customer returned some pork chops tonight and claimed they were bad. Of course the customer received a no questions asked refund. The problem is the pork chops were warm, indicating they had been off refrigaration for an extended period of time.

I feel somewhat insulted when a customer returns an and claims we sold them bad product and the perishable item is warm to the touch. i'm not so stupid that i can't realize the customer has had the item off refrigaration for too long a period of time. I also an offended that my professionalism is questioned.

I value each of my customers business and if the customer tells me the truth: I left this in my car and it went bad, or I left it on the counter top and forgot about it, the customer will still get their refund. Why blame me for something that isn't my fault?

Cops: Man can't afford U.S., seeks deportation

Cops: Man can't afford U.S., seeks deportation
Illegal immigrant tells police he can't even pay for his own ticket home.

After confessing to entering the USA illegally and stealing an identity, he was arrested. At his first hearing he entered a plea of not-guilty. Go figure.

taunted at work

Last night I observed a man shopping. What drew my attention was what he had in his shopping cart" a 5-lb bag of potatoes, some tomatoes, a bag of salad mix, and a copy of the weekly ad. Why would that draw my attention?

Thieves aren't the brightest people in the world and in an attempt to cover up for the steaks they intend to steal, they want to appear to be shopping for a cookout. No one but thieves shop this way, from my experience. I looked around for the user of theis shopping cart and saw a man wearing a tan cloth car cap and large oval sunglasses (it's almost 8 pm in Spetember, for crying out loud) who reaches for two packs of steaks without even checking the price or quality of cut. In fact, he wasn't even looking at the meat when he picked the steaks up. He wss looking for someone watching him. I could see the change in the color of his skin when he saw me looking at him.

Maybe next time he will realize that people having a cookout will buy baking potatoes and not 5 pounds of russets, and it takes more to make a slad than lettuce and tomatoes, and to dress like everyone else. Attempts to disquise one elf actually draws attention.

The checkout was extremely busy around that time of night but he had no intention of going through the register. He only waited in line because he saw me up front. He even made the point of walking towards me and yelling "hey" as he waved to me. It was either his weak attempt to intimitate me or to express his frustration at having to wait for another opportunity to steal.

Poor fellow had to stand in line for ten minutes because I was standing there. At 7:58 I walked back to my department to look up my work tools and head to the time clock to punch out. His buggy was still where it was when I left the front end but the man and the two packs of steaks were long gone.

He didn't have to wait so long to steal. I hace no authority to stop a thief--in fact I would get fired if I did. Besides, he is on video tape.

Asia discovery: Bird eating frog

A bird eating frog was discovered in my backyard in Randleman, NC but I doubt it would have drawn any interest from anyone. The picture above is of a small frog trying to consume a house finch. The frog jumped back into the pond with its meal ans drowned.

I had no idea a frog would eat a bird and even less idea that it was a news item.

Now and Then

Reading the comments from the editor of "Our State" magazine in which she mentioned that to her mothers moon pie and a RC or Dr. Pepper was a real treat brought back memories from my childhood.

The kids of today seem to have a disrespectful attitude and an unlimited amount of cash for their petty everyday wants and enjoy a lifestyle that few way back when could even dare to dream about-and I seriously doubt they are any happier with their life than we were back then. Maybe less so, to tell the truth.

I didn't grow up poor, my any means, but we were not rich either. Just average I guess one could say. My dad worked and Mom was a house wife-or stay-at-home mom as one would say now as though that somehow changes a person's dignity for the better.
During the summer and fall somethings we would gather out in the nusery on a vacant lot for a game of baseball but most often we wrapped a sock around a rock and cover that with black tape and played sock ball in the backyard.

For supper, we drank tea, lemonade, or kool aid. No soda was ever served at our house and that was true for many of the homes back then. About the only time I had a soft drink was on Saturday after playing a tough game of baseball and dad would take us to the store and we could get a snack and a soda. I usually got me a Lott-a-cola, the only pop in a 16 oz bottle back then.

My first real job back then was at a grocery store. Sometimes my dad would tell me stories of when he was my age. He worked for some local farmers in the cotton fields and he said he made $1.00 a day plus a meal. I thought how lucky was I. I wasn't fed but I was making 75 cents an hour. I couldn't imagine working for just a dollar.

I've seen a bumper sticker that said "I have more stuff-I win."

Judging how much life has changed just in my lifetime I would have to say maybe to that one--but probably not."

pregnant teenager murdered at her birthday party

Police say the 18-year-old was attending the party at her best friend's home around 2 a.m. Sunday when she asked several uninvited guests to leave.

Witnesses tell the Boston Globe newspaper the men left the second-floor apartment but once they were outside one of them fired several gunshots at the three-story building in Hyde Park, a diverse neighborhood in the southern part of the city.

Maybe this answers why college students shuldn't be allowd to carry guns in school. I'm all for law0abiding citizens having weapons at home but not in public and not under the age of twenty-one.

Asked to withdraw

The New York Times which originally reported the request on its Web site, said that it was President Barack Obama who asked Paterson to withdraw.


I'm sure this isn't the first time that Washington officials have interfered in state politics b ut isn't it up to the people of New York to dicide who they want for governor? If Pateron is weak, would he still win the primary?

Maybe I'm not right on this issue but somehow it seems very wrong to me. Maybe this country needs to find a way to do away with party politics because lately, the system has really begun to stink. It's always had a bad smell but know the stench is becoming unbearable.

Obama first, W. last

This country is so proud of itself for electing a non-white to be president we think it's a big deal Obama is the first. With the population mix of this country changing rapidly, there is the possiblity the George W. Bush could become known as the last white President of the USA.

Say what?

"And the state is paying two security guards $800 a day each to protect him."


I don't make that much a week. Where can I get a job like that?

Joe Wilson a racist?

According to Jimmy Carter, racism was behind Joe Wilson's "you lie comment" and maybe it was. Why is it so easy for people to decry whites as being racist when they disagree with a black person or object to an incident that seems to favor one of another race but no one cries racist when the situation is reversed. A perfect example is Kayne West grabbing the microphone from Taylor Swift and decrying the fact that Beyonce had a great video. What if Beonce had won that one and a white dude had grabbed the microphone from her and started singing Taylor Swift's praises. There would have been cries of racism.

The truth is, we are all racist. You can deny it all you want but if everyone examines themselves closely, one will find many examples of decisions based on preferences for one's own race at the expense of another. That's normal and natural.

Pretty women get much better service at the grocery store that unattractive women do; well dressed people receive more positive attention than poorly dressed people,
and handsome men are more likely to receive a promotion than their less good-looking counterparts. That's a fact of life. That's not racism. you say, but but the truth is, it goes to the same mindset. People react more positively towards other people they feel more comfortable around or would like to spend more time with.

Maybe Americans are afraid of Obama because they perceive his policies of redistribution the wealth. One one hand it seems blatantly wrong to take from one who has worked hard, worked smart, and are making their fortune and give that to people who aren't as successful. Then again, if one looks at the hundreds of years of oppression and prejudice some people faced and the opportunities denied to them. maybe it would seem reasonable that the wealthy got their opportunities because of the color of their skin instead of the natural selection of abilities. Maybe Obama is justifying to right a wrong and level the playing field.

Michael Jordan said a lot about prejudice in his acceptance speech to the Hall of Fame-about shuns and denied opportunities. It's one of the things that made him more competitive. It is one of the things that would make many people give up.

It is a human thing to do what is most convenient for ourselves. We expect certain behaviors from society but we don't necessarily want to follow those same behaviors ourselves. We would love to know that we can get into our vehicles and go where we want and arrive there safely. Yet maybe we haven't check our tire pressure or we drive a little faster than we should or maybe we speed up when the light is ready to change.

As a over twenty-one college student one feels they have the right to drink but as as adult we feel concerned that the university hasn't done enough to curb the growing number of student deaths related to alcohol consumption. Somehow, we feel we are not part of the problem when in fact we are.

The truth is we are all racisst. It's not just whites that are racist. If you are human, you have biased opions and racial preferences. But does that make Jimmy Carter right? Does that make what Joe Wilson said a racial statement? No, to me it just goes to another reason I have always thought Jimmy Carter was the most intellignet idiot I've ever known and the worst President during my life time (and that includes W).

Maybe what Joe Wilson was referring to, even with the provison in the proposed health care bill about denying benefits to non-citizens and non-legall residents, was the fact that hospital emergency rooms still provide care to everyone and are not allowed to ask for proof of citizenship. It's a big loophole that someone has to pay for.

I believe we elected Obama President because he was black. He talked like a white man and white American needed a black President to prove to the world we aren't prejuciced and blacks needed a black person in the white house to give them hope that American is truely the land of opportunity for all.

Now to not support Obama because he is black is just as idiotic as it was to elect him because he is black. He should not have been elcted because of his policies and he should not be supported because of his policies.

BOGO Sales

Everyone likes a bargin but not everyone recognizes one. Not all stores make a customer buy multiple items during a BOGO (buy one, get one) sale but even so, a retailer will sell more of an item advertised that way than if the item was sold at half price or less.

Really!

Backyard moments two

The first shot is of a frog that is attempting to digest a baby bird that drowned in my small pond. The frog eventually jumped back into the pond where it drowned,

The second shot is of a red finch baby taking a nap on my bird bath.

The last shot is of Sandra Bullock who was never in my backyard, unfortunately.

Backyard Moments

These shots are from my backyard.

The first shot is of my lighthouse on top of the waterfall to the big pond. The bloom is from my Hipiscus Tree. The third shot is of three of my Koi: Big yellow (I know it is orange but it was yellow when I got it), Shark (orange with a black top) and Showa. The next shot is of my white Koi with black spots named, what else, Spot, The last shot is of my Sarasa Comet, Sasha.

Observation verified

38 years ago I concluded that children are born prejudiced as a defense mechanism. a recent study seems to verify that six month old kids are prejudiced. Check it out:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/214989?GT1=43002

The case for bigotry

I'd heard many times as a youth that white people were prejudiced because the parents taught the children to be so. I was always bothered by that sterotyped statement because it removed from me the choice of deciding for myself how I would relate to other people but I couldn't prove to myself whether that statement had a ring of truth to it or not. But while in the service, I started observing things that were to lead me to my own answer.

The first thing I noticed happened while I was at a military base isolated from civilization in a remote foreighn country. None of the locals had never seen white or black people in their lives so they didn't not come with any learned prejudices or favortism towards either race. It was only after a few short months there that I began to hear the locals making derogatory remarks and I asked several why? It was because of the way they acted and related to other people I was told.

I adopted a boy from overseas and I noticed his reaction to me and to other strangers. If a visitor was from his own race he didn't not react or reacted fsavorably but he would cry when I came to near him. With that reaction and other things I observed I have come to the conclusion that prejudical behavior towards another is something we are born with and a trait that has to be educated out of us--not something that has to be taught.

No one has to teach a child how to lie or to be selfish. We do have to teach the importance of telling the truth and the rewards of sharing. We never have to teach our children to poke fun at fat people, or tall people, or short people, or red headed people, or people with pimples, or ugly people, or dumb people, or nerdy people, or--and this list can go on for a long time. Maybe you don't like rich people or Democrats, or people with tattoos, or people with a foreign accent. We do have to be reminded to celebrate diversity and to appreciate the role each of us plays in society.

One may oberve the behavior of peoples from other countires and know for sure this isn't just a black/white issue in America. When I lived in Texas, everyone's favorite jokes were about Aggies (Texas A & M) but I haven't a clue as to why. I believe that a babies world is so small and it's ability to communicate is so limited, that it's natural defense is to alert its protectors whenever it preceives uncomfort or threat, real or imagined. A stranger approaching a young child who feels vulnerable with most likely have a negative reaction to that stranger. it's an inborn survival technique and as that baby grows other, it begins to learn how to protect itself and how to more accurately recognize what is and what isn't a threat.

This trait isn't a white thing or brown thing or black thing or even a human thing. It is a natiral instinct for survival. Some people develop the ability to judge a person on thier own merits while others rely totally on childhood survival techniques.

There is one other thing I've learned--name-calling and blame placing isn't ever going to solve the problem. It's kind of like hitting the crying baby to make it be quiet. It just doesn't work. Everyone does know what will work but hitting the baby is easier.

Stock market recovery

Experts claim that it will take the stock market five to ten more years to fully recover, which to me is good news. My 401k is up 150% since February which leaves me with a net increase of 20% in my account over it's high just before the crash.

Contaminated Food Products

I always read stories of contaminated food with skepticism, especially those occurring at fast food restaurants and sealed containers, like one in the news now about a frog being in a can of diet Pepsi. I'm more willing to believe a story if it occurs in a regular restarant or in a place like an office where one worker doctor's up the coffee.

One story of contaminated foord involving a drink can I know is true because it happened to me. It was 1072 and I was in the US Navy aboard the USS Midway in the Gulf of Tonkin. One interprising sailor had a small refrigarator in ths quarters and sold soft drinks. I purchased a pepsi from him and I heard a rattling sound while taking the drink back to my bunk. It turned out that there was a quarter (25 cent piece) in the bottom of the can. I was a little shocked and somewhat miffed at having a foreign object in my soda but relieved it was something of value.

Fairy tales

Lady lumps and baby bumps and a pocket full of posies.

Are you glad government schools teach sex education so we will learn the truth about reproduction?

Responsible Debit Card Use

Some people can't handle credit cards (about 50% of us) and run up huge debts. Some people have problems with their debit cards as well. I was once in both categories but I am the type of person who learns from my mistakes. I never use credit cards, although my wife and I have one. Or rather she has one. I don't even know what it looks like.

I do have a debit card and it stays in my wallet except on Tuesdays. I use it to withdraw my weekly allowance from the ATM. The only other time I ever use it is to buy a tank of gas before i have the opportunity to get by the bank for my allowance. I just subtract the amount of the purchase from my withdrawal and I'm back on track.

A cashless society has it advantages but promoting fiscal responsibility isn't one of them. Using plastic to buy stuff with makes it easy to forget that the money supply is dwindling. Each week I decide what I need to spend money on: A tank of gas, a plant for the yard, a haircut, an oil change, a trip to visit my mother, or a project or want that I need to save up for. Sometimes it comes down to one need or another but not both. Paying cash brings home that reality while using plastic just postpones the inevitable: the piper will be paid or we will face dire consequences.

911 futility

Randleman's police department only staffs the department until 5 o'clock and calling 9-1-1 to have the cops enforce the noise ordinance is an exercise in futility. I wanted a nice quiet neighborhgood to live in and except for one family it is so. ..3
Why is there always one to make things bad for everyone?

Megan Fox Feels "More Comfortable" Kissing Girls

So do I Megan, so do I.

Rumors

I said the day the Michael jackson died that one day rumors will float around claiming he isn't dead and today that rumor finally hit the internet. A video showing an ambulance picking up Jackson's body was referenced with another video of a person who had a strong resembalnce to Jackson' backside hopping out of the back of an ambulance. The proof that Jackson is alive is not only did the person resemble Jackson from the back, the a,bulance was the same make and model as the one which picked the body up and had a similar if not identical paint job.

I'm sorry but I'm sure a city like city like Los Angelas has more than one ambulance and I'm sure more than one similar van was purchased. I'm almost positive that the city would have a similar paint job on all their ambulances. Every city I've ever lived in has standard designs for their equipment. Hardly reliable evidence that the person was Jackson or even a male.

not so sure I want to go

USMagazine, August 26, 2009
Related: Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt
Meet the new Queen of Pop?

Spencer Pratt tells MTV's "The After Show" that his wife Heidi is the "new, modern day, 2010 Michael Jackson."

When host Jessi Cruickshank points out Jackson is dead, Spencer gestures to Heidi and says, "Yeah, but here it is, it's living, like the Holy Spirit."

"Like, Michael Jackson's in heaven," he continues.

Good idea

The governor of California has decided to use Craiglist, e-bay, and the internet to sell stuff to help reduce the states deficit. Maybe Obama could do the same for the rest of the country. We could sell Alaska back to Russia, Lousiana back to the country we bought them from, and swap New York for a % of the debt we owe China.

Instead of holding elections next year, maybe the various states can just aution the seats off to the highest bidders like some governors have.

I also have a plan for health care reform. If one is rich, then you receive the best of care. If you are middle class, then you get what you can afford. if you are employed but poor, you can go to the nurse-in-a-box places along with the unemployed but not broke yet crowd.

If you don't have a job and never had a job, and don't want a job, then you get to attend the end of life classes the government wants to give us. If you are not an American citizen and do not have a legal right to be in this country, you will be entitled to receive alternative medicine treatments in Mexico.

I think I'm going to be sick

http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/lunch-box-sandwich-recipes?gt1=47001

Would anyone really fix and then eat this c---.

Recovery of economy

Word has it that it will take the stock market another five to ten years to fully recover from the bursting of the bubble. (two years ago, a panel of economists on NPR said the bursting of the bubble would be a slow leak-that turned out to be totally wrong).

For me that seems to be good news. So far my retirement stocks have increased in value 150% since February 16, 2009 so I have not only recovered all that was lost but gained a good percentage as well. It was hard to stay in the market but with a few tweaks here and there it has paid off. I have a car payment on one car and my mortgage but otherwise I live on a pay as I go plan. Sometimes it is tempting to borrow money on a credit card to buy some things I need to finish a few projects around the house but I am able to resist. I work too hard for my money to be giving any of my meagar wages to someone else.

If I could pay the balance off within 30 days the I can save enough money in that time period to pay cash for what I want. So far, the economic crisis has worked in my favor. My savings have increased dramatically and I was able to afford a home at a very good price. Now if only I could sell my mountain property.

Evil thoughts

My first thought after learning Ed Kennedy passed was now Obama only has 59 votes in the senate. Does that make me a bad person?

9 trillion dollars

Now that's change you can believe in.

Time for a new party

If Obama can be defeated and the momentum taken out of his tenture in office and the bite removed from his words, the Republican Party might feel as if it has been rejuvenated. But after Bush and the mistakes of the GOP in the last eight years, I don't think America is ready for a revitalized republican Party. It is still the party of business, the ultra rich and the religious right.

What is needed is a new party, one that shows it cares about the people but also encourages self reliance while embracing business but not at the expense of the workers. Maybe it could be called the Progressive Party or the American Party.

political cartoons and fat people

During this health care reform debate, several political cartoons have appeared that depict the high cost of health care is the USA on fat people. One of the most common reasons people file bankruptsy is because of medical bills and it is true that being overwight is not healthy, one cannot say because one is fat, everyone else's health care cost will increase.

Recently a local woman died. She was a beautiful women, in her fifties. Her identical twin sister died a year earlier. Car accidents, hunting accidents, injuries in war time (yes, we are at war), indudtrial accidents, failed murder attempts, cancers, industrial toxins, and other long term illnesses also take a toll on health care costs.

While probably true that for the average person costs of health care increases as they age, but so does the amount of ones income that is spent on health care. To be honest, I do not think that old people and fat people are the cause of the health care crisis in the USA.

Bolt breaks his own world record

Maybe he should be tested to see if he is a girl.

Two Best Buy employees who tackled a shoplifter were fired for violating company policy

I understand the company policy. Many years ago. concealment of merchandise was considered proof and was all that was needed to get a conviction but the law now says that a shoplifter must have passed the registers thereby showing intent by passing up the last opportunity to pay for the items and the store must have continuance of evidence. (Store personnel must actually see the person pick-up an item, conceal it, and must not allow that person out of their sight until stopped).

Under shoplifting laws, an accused person did not have the right to sue the store or its employees if their detention was done in a reasonable manner but under current law, convictions are harder to get and the person must actually leave the store before many stores will stop a suspect. Once they leave the store it is not considered shoplifting but larceny and the accused does retain the right to sue a store if found not guilty of larceny.

Stores now require that only management level employees can stop a suspect to help protect the store from lawsuits and they also forbid employees from pursuing a suspect to prevent injury to the employee.

An employee can be disciplined for violating these policies because their actions in detaining or pursuing a suspect may prove to be mush more costly to the company than the value of the merchandise that was being stolen.

The first ladies pants

Michelle wore shorts and the media reported some people were upset but so far no one has been quoted directly as being upset. I certainly wasn't upset by the shot of her wearing shorts. I was surprised when I found out that the guy on the right with the boobs was actually the first lady but I certainly wasn't upset by her shorts.

Definition: Open Mind

If you listen to my ideas then you have an open mind, but if you won't, then you are a closed minded person. A liberal wants you to tolerate their ideas, tolerate new ways of thinking, and entertain the ideas of change but don't dare disagree with them or they will hurt you or your business. In the story below, some customers disagree with the president of whole foods political views so are calling for a boycott.

I guess it is true: If you agree with Obama, you are liberated, if you don't you are un-American.












Why investors should cross Whole Foods off their shopping lists
Posted Aug 17 2009, 02:15 PM by Minyanville Filed under: Toyota, Whole Foods, Todd Harrison
This article was written by Minyanville's Josh Lipton

The Mother Earth-friendly crowd might enjoy the natural, organic foods lining the pristine shelves of their neighborhood Whole Foods Market (WFMI), but some of them don’t seem as appreciative of the politics of the company’s chief executive.

John Mackey, the controversial co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, penned an editorial last week in The Wall Street Journal, in which he came down hard on Obama’s health care reform plan. Mackey called for a move toward “less government control and more individual empowerment” rather than “a massive new health-care entitlement that will create hundreds of billions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and move us much closer to a government takeover of our health-care system.”

Bing: Whole Foods


Unsurprisingly, not all of Mackey’s Prius (TM)-driving customers appear to agree with his views. (Though he's certainly managed to alienate them before: see CEOs Gone Wild: John Mackey for more.) Now, some of these once loyal patrons are threatening to boycott Whole Foods to demonstrate their opposition.

Those Whole Foods shoppers with a left-leaning political bias and a modem bent have moved to the Internet, where they’re reportedly calling for a boycott on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Read More...

Discuss (3 comments) 277 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this
A Whole Foods boycott?
Posted Aug 17 2009, 01:44 PM by Kim Peterson Rating: Filed under: Kim Peterson, Whole Foods
There is a small movement afoot to boycott Whole Foods (WFMI) after chief executive John Mackey wrote an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal suggesting eight fixes for health care.

More than 10,000 people have joined the "Boycott Whole Foods" Facebook page. The site decries what it sees as Whole Foods' anti-union, anti-health insurance reform, right-wing stance. "Whole Foods has the right to be as hateful and selfish as they wanna be," the page states. "We also have the right to starve them of our $."

Bing: More on John Mackey


I read Mackey's piece, and I'm sure he didn't set out to enrage the good portion of his customer base that leans left. But some customers are upset, particularly with Mackey's decision to include this quote from Margaret Thatcher at the beginning: "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money."

Here's the CliffsNotes version of the rest of the piece: Read More...

Discuss (47 comments) 3,266 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

What if John Edwards had won the Democratic nomination? What if he were president?

He didn't. Why speculate? There are enough problems in the real world so let us deal with them.

Woman sues marriot over rape

Three years ago, a woman was raped at gunpoint in front of her children at a Connecticut hotel. She sued. Now the hotel says she was careless and negligent.
Her claim is that a hotel employee saw a man loitering in the garage area and didn't question him as to why he was there. Apparently his presence didn't bother her enough to seek hotel security or police assistance. If she wasn't alert enough, or concerned enough about her safety and the safety of her children to alert security or the cops, then why would she expect the hotel to be concerned enough to question the man.

The article doesn't say if the victim was of one race and the rapist was of the same or different race but if the rapist was black and was questioned about his presence, couldn't that be construed as racial profiling and maybe the rapist could have sued the hotel for discrimination or cost them business by insinuating the motel.hotel chain was racist.

Cops couldn't stop and question the man because of probably cause laws and unless the employee saw the same man over an extended period of time he may not have had any idea that the rapist was a maintenance worker, a grounds keeper, a quest, or had some other legitimate reason to be there.

It it should have been obvious to the motel worker the man was dangerous, it should have been equally obvious to the victim that the man was dangerous.

I'm sorry she was raped but I'll have to side with the motel on this issue. When are Americans going to start taking responsibility for their own actions and stop blaming others?

It doesn't matter the color, all Presidents lie

The only difference ; if you criticize Obama, you are a racist.

A liberal believes Conservatives are closed minded. A conservative believes he has sound principles to live by.

Some people believed Best Buy was selling $1700.00 TV's for $9.99,

Some people believe Jesus was a white man. Some proposed that he was black just for the shock value. Some people think Obama is Jesus.

Opponenrs of helth care freform think Democrats want to kill the elderly and control the masses by controlling ones access to health care and having access to all your personal records. Democrats think everyone who believes that is crazy.

Obama believes any kind of change is better than the status quo if the status quo isn't perfect. We all can believe in that.

Deli Meat slugfeast

An article in the Courier highlighted the controversial decision by Harris-Teeter to switch from Deitz and Watson to Boar's Head. There is lots of money at stake in the decision but the article was misleading in one point. While it's true that H-T has over 100 stores not all are making the switch at once. For now, only the higher volume stores are changing.

The switch is expensive and time-consuming. Yes, it's a big deal. Boar's head furnished all relevant employees with hats, smocks, and shirts as well as company help during the promotional period and will provide a permanent worker who will be responsible for product rotation, ordering, and stocking.

Deitz and Watson plan to hold a taste test to gather ammunition to fight back with so they can regain the H-T business. Taste isn't the issue here and Deitz and Watson
can't win on those arguments. New Coke won in taste tastes agaisnt Coke classic and we all know what happened in that situation.

I've heard the customer complaints. Not once has anyone commented on rather having Deitz and Watson back or not liking Boarh's head nor have there been complaint about the price. The number one complaint has been the elimination of the Harris-Teeter brand from about the mix in the Fresh Foods (Deli) Department.

Talk me into death

There seems to be some controversy about page 435 of the house bill on health care reform. Some say it's the governments way of getting rid of old people. In the Asheboro paper, one columnists laughed at the looney right and said the provisions on page 435 were just to insure that doctors are fairly compesated for their consulting services.

His arguments were well made and seemed to make nay-sayers seem foolish. But there was a basic flaw in his conclusion that page 435 was just to make sure doctors were fairly conpensated for their services. That flaw, as I see it, is that doctors consult with patients on many issues and good doctors will discuss optional treatment methods with their patients. Those situations were ignored on page 435. The only consulting that the doctors are guarenteed fair compensdation for is for living-will and end of life consulting.

How quaint!

One's insensitive

Of these three men, one was called a racist, another claimed the racist acted stupidly, and the third man demanded an apology. In case you arn't aware of who these men are, one (the alleged racist is a police office) Mr. Crowley. The second man is Mr. Gates, a professor at Harvard who has a high opinion of himself, and the third is Barrack Obama, the current President of the United States of America who happens to hold the world record in spending this country into debt.

Now professor Gates is in his eighties and as such would have a difficult time walking down so many steps. True to form, the President is oblivious to what is going on around him. Mr. Crowley is the one helping the older gentleman down the steps.

I gave Obama the benefit of the doubt and said he wasn't aware of what was happening around him. Even if that were true, which isn't at all a good quality for our countries leader to have, it still is better than the other option: that he just doesn't give a damn.

You decide: fool or jerk

Why Clinton?

The big question lately is what did the USA trade of the release of the two journalists from North Korea. According to one of the journalists, all Kim Jong Il wanted was Bill Clinton in his country and the photo op. Now how does one go about explointing that picture for his own benefit?

Maybe the organization that Bill clinton heads is causing the North Koreans problems and considering the reputation Bill has with women, perhaps Il thought Bill might compromise himself if allowed to travel half way around the world with two grateful women.

links to no where

It seems that the latest gimmick in journalism in the link. More and more stories are being written where there is a link at the end of each paragraph. One such story was on "Mom" jeans, a term I had never heard or paid attention to until Obmama was accused of wearing a pair when he threw out the opening pitch during a ball game.

Now if I had writtten that it the new style, I would have included a link to Mom jeansand asked where Obama was when he was seen wearing a pair and included a link to that story.

I don't have time for that foolishness. If one is going to write a story then say what you have to say. It's okay to add a link if providing a way for the reader to gain more in dept information or to provide background to the story one is writting. To add one to the end of every paragraph or sentence makes for as much pleasure in reading as trying to eat dinner with a fork in your eyeball.


Here is an example article:

What are "mom jeans," and why do people make fun of them?

President Barack Obama has been accused of wearing them. The women of "Saturday Night Live" spoofed them. Jessica Simpson ended up on magazine covers because of them. We search for more on the fashion don't that is "mom jeans."

What are they? Key mom jeans features include a high waist, tapered legs, light blue denim and unflattering fit. (Search found photos.)

Live from New York: "Saturday Night Live" stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler helped further the anti-mom-jeans cause with their 2003 commercial parody. (Watch the video.)

Hail to the not-so-chic: President Obama was accused of wearing the dad's version of mom jeans when he threw out the first pitch at this year's MLB All-Star game. (What did he say about his fashion sense?)

Major fashion victim: Jessica Simpson took some heat for wearing mom jeans, causing speculation about her weight gain. (See pictures of her in the jeans.)

Not just for moms: Some famous, young, childless women seem determined to popularize the denim atrocities. (Who are they?)

Haute couture: High-waisted, pleated jeans were seen on one designer's runways this spring. (Who was it?)

The queen of talk: Oprah Winfrey joined other women on her show for much-needed denim interventions. (See photos of the blue jeans makeovers.)

Not as tasty as it sounds: One side effect of ill-fitting jeans is the dreaded "muffin top." (Find out more about this fashion no-no.)


In that short article there are thirteen (13) links. Who has the time or patience to search that many links, especially about something as mundane as "mom" jeans.

crime and recession

The cost ($28,000) to house a prisoner for a year in a NC prison is finally causing lawmakers to consder changes to our laws to reduce the number of people in our prison system. Indeed they should but not because of the cost. If we are having to build more and more prisons then at some point we have to realize the system isn't working.

One of the situations I've been pointing out for years is with crack addicted girls working the streets, selling their bodies tor money to get their next fix. Society, in an effort to convince these women to stop doing what they are doing is actually making it impossible to "get out" of the business.

They move from place to place, no permanent home, and with their worldly pocession stuffed into black plastic garbage bags. When they are arrested, they lose everything. When released after two or three days in jail they no longer have a place to live or any clothes so they have to start working again to afford a room for the night and a change of clothing.

Somehow it just seems so much cheaper to get these women drug treatment, phycological treatment, and job trainning, and give them a helping hand to enable them to start live again as a clean productive person.

Separate but equal

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino told WCVB-TV the city needs "to rid the department of that cancer."

"An individual preaching hate has no place in our society," Menino told the local television station.


A young police officer quoted what has been determined to be a racial slur on an e-mail and has been suspended from his job. Majpr Menino seems to be on a witch hunt. I believe if I was a white police officer in MA, considering the attitude of the mayor and the President of the United States, I would be looking for a more secure line of employement.

Maybe the solution is to have two police departments: On staffed with white cops who can arrest only white people asnd one staffed by manority cops who can arrest anyone.

Now that would be dealing with the situation "stupidly"

I actually shopped at Wal*Mart

Wal*Mart has great prices, lousy customer service, and bad benefits for employees (which, I admit, may still be better than what the Mom and Pops stores could have afforded to offer). Still, I have resisted shopping there for items I could get elsewhere, especially if shopping locally (from local vendors) was a viable option. But sometimes one just feels like they are being used and enough is enough.

It's not necessarily the fault of local retailers but sometimes operating at a loss is a necessary evil and I'm rather tired of being the one that costs get passed on to. The state wants to raise my taxes, airlines want to charge extra fees, employers want to reduce hours, and manufactures want to pass along cost increases or revenue declines to me.

What I purchased was fish food. I have a backyard water garden with a few fish in the pond. I have been buying Blue Ridge Koi food for years for three reasons. It is a quality food at a reasonable price, I have to shop local pet stores to get it, and it is made in Kernersville. Last year I bought the stuff at Williams Hardware for $7.95 for a three pound bag. I have seen it at other stores for that price to a dollar less but Williams was local. I went in to get some the other day and they wanted $10.99 for the three pound bag. I checked other retailers and found the food for $11.99 a bag.

I'm sure sales are down so the supplier is trying to stay in business at my expenses. I'm sorry but enough is enough. I purchased a 5 pound bag of Wardleys Koi food for $12.86 at Wal*Mart. Sorry guys, but I have to survive too.

Talking about surviving. The stock market fell from 12,000 to around 6,000 and many people lost a lot of money, including myself. But I stuck it out by continually telling myself I'm buying more stock at a cheaper price. My gamble payed off. At 9,000 I have recovered all my money and then some. Yea.

Victimless crime

Of course everyone knows that self-medicating is a victimless crime. Tell that to the family of the young woman who was beaten to death because she couldn't get money for her kidnapper. Tell that to our soldiers who are fighting an enemy financed from drug money. Tell that to the young women walking the streets of our nation selling their bodies in order to get money for drugs.

Great Ideas/Small Minds

Banana flavored popcorn.

He's surprised?

“I have to say I’m surprised by the controversy surrounding my statement, because I think it was a pretty straightforward commentary that you probably don’t need to handcuff a guy — a middle-aged man who uses a cane who was in his own home,” Obama said in an ABC News interview Thursday night


And exactly how tall does one have to be to walk back into his house and get a gun and shoot someone? Police handcuff all suspects, male, female, white, black, old, young, and all other discriptions as a matter of policy. They even handcuff prisoners while they process the paperwork when the prisoner is being released.

So now, is Obama going to detate police procedures and make it improper to handcuff old people using a cane or just black college professor's? What if the professor had only been a part time teacher at Randolph cimmunity College? Would it have been proper to handcuff him then?

Maybe we just put healtj insurance reform legislation on hold while Obama works out all the details of who can and cannot be handcuffed. Maybe it would be better if all future burlary in process calls be ignored if the suspect is determined to be a black male.

Personally I have encountered some black males who were too ready to accused me of being racists. One example occured when I worked at a convenience store. It was a slow day, a rare and welcomed event. A black male pulled up to pump number 5, inserted his credit card and proceeded to pump his gas. About a minute later a car pulled up to pump number nine (the pump most people choose if they are going to drive off without paying) A young woman (hot, may I add without being accused of being sexist)dressed only in a tiny bikini, started pumping gas without either using a credit or debit card or without prepaying.

Now who exactly do you think I was looking at (being a red blooded straight American male). Guess what happened? No, I didn't get a date with the girl but the man came into the store and accused me of watching him and of being a racist.

Another time while working at my regular job I was talking with a customer when a black male came up to the customer and accused him of being a racist and very upset because "you keep watching me without cause." I explainned to the man thast no one was watching him. The person I was talking to had no reason to watch him as he was just a customer.

I could cite example after example but I believe you have the proper picture. I'm not saying racist doesn't occur. I know it does. On my former blog I always posted stories of people, manly black men, who were released from prison after being wrongly accused and convicted of crimes.

I've heard the professors version and I've heard the officer's version and having watched hours and hours of cop shows, I would tend to believe the cop. I have seen instances of cops bullying suspects. A perfect example is on one episode, the sheriif's department in Davidson County was featured. There wasn't enough real crime so a prostitution sting was set up. The local cops grabbed a fat man and drug the dazed and confused man to the pavement and handcuffed him. I honestly believe they (the cops) were trying to act tough for the cameras. I also believe that if they has asked the man to step out of his vehicle, he would have done so. In most situations, the cops just issued the john a citation. There was no need for brute force just like there is no need for Obama to be running off at the mouth.

Master of Deception

When fishing in brown water, use brown colored bait. When fishing in green water, using green colored bait. The idea is not to stand out but to blend in, to disguise as much as possible the deception of free food for the fish.

I didn't like Obamas ideas when he was a candidate for his parties nomination, I didn't like his ideas when he was the Democratic choice, and I haven't cared at all for his ideas since taking office. After his "stupidly" comment, I'm beginning to dislike him personally. But still, I'll have to give him credit for being the best at what he does. He is the master of Deception.

He promised that under his administration pork barre ll legislation would be eliminated yet on one piece of legislation there were 55 add-ons for pet projects and the vast majority of them were requested by Barrack Obama himself. He said he would accept no new legislation that increased the national debt yet his own budget puts the USA into a $1.8 billion deficit in one year alone.

He proposed a August 1 deadline for passing his health care plan and yet on TV he claimed it wasn't his deadline but the deadline of the American people.

I'm sorry, I could go on and on but I'm getting nauseous.

Racial bias President

I am almost positive that the President of the United States has not received a detailed report of what happened between Officer Crowley and professor Gates and spoke how he felt in his heart and not from any special knowledge of the facts that is not know to the general public.

The President said what he meant when he called the Cambridge police stupidily acting and his aides attempt to "quailfy" what the President meant is just a sorry attempt of damage control of a racially charged, prejudical statement that clearly indicates he is not willing to give all races a fair shake.

The police have a tough enough time doing their job without the President of the United States indermining their ability to do their job. If Officer Crowley acted improperly then he should be dealt with in the appropriate manner but the President has no business jumping to conclusions about who was right or wrong or to offer up a blanket charge of stupidity against the entire police force.

Are we going to have to go the route of havng only black police officers arrest black people and white officers arrest only white people? Do we need to require police officers to take the word of everyone who may appear to be doing something wrong? Maybe we can hire only officers that can neither see nor hear so that they cannot tell whom they are arresting?

Or maybe we should elect people to the office of President of the United States that will back up our police officers and not judge the right or wrong of a situation based on the color of the officer's or victims skin.

Racial profiling

A well know author speaking on a talk radio show made the comment that everyone was racist and if you denied that you were a liar. I, for one, totally disagree with that statement and I don;t believe that makes me a liar. I have stated many times that everyone is prejudiced and I will admit that I am but that doesn't make me a racist.

To me, predudice means that one has preconceived notions that may or not be true or one shows favoritism towards one over another. Racism means that one acts with malious towards another just because of that person's skin color.

In the case of the Harvard Professor, the Cambridge police officer was accused of being a racist or of racial profiling but I totally disagree with that assessment. First, the policement didn't stop the professor because he was black. The officer responded to a call by a neighbor to the resisdence of a possible breakin. Just because the professor was famous in certain circles doesn't mean that everyone knew who he was. I saw his picture posted and he looked just like many other people to be, no one that I would recognize. Even after seeing his picture, I still wouldn't know who he was if he walked into my work place.

Most people carry their ID with them so when the police officer asked him for his ID (which he should have-the officer doesn't know that he was the owner of the house-after all. a neighbor just claimed the man was breaking in) and he wanted to walk into another room to get his ID, the policeman has no idea what the man is really in search of. It could be an escape route, a weapon of some sort, or his ID. If you are in a dwelling with a man a neighbor just claimed was being broken into, would you trust the man that was there with your life?

Black Mountain

There is a nice nostalgic article in "Our State" magazine, August, 2009, issue on Black Mountain. If anyone happens to read the article or has visited that area and has an urge to build a mountain home near there Iknow where an acre of land is for sale. You can call David Patneaude for details or visit his website.

The land includes a portion of a nice creek and has a section of a nice deck built near the creek.

David Patneaude
828 442 8316
david@catawbaproperties.com

Increasing taxes, fees, etc is cerainly fair

I am just a poor working man doing the best I can to psy my bills, obey the laws, keep my home and yard clean, neat, and presentable, and maybe put s little aside for emergency and old age. Life is tough and it's hard to save. I could do okay if others would just be responsible too.

Would not it be nice if we had the same control over our financies that the government has over thiers and some businesses have? Next time I pay a bill, I'd like to be able to only pay 97.5% of it since my employer is working me 39 hours per week instead of 40. Wouldn;t it have been nie to have charged your boss a fuel surcharge to come to work when gas prices shot up to over $4.00 per gallon?

Airlines are charging fees for things that once were free, government is placing taxes on things that once were tax free, and companies are reducing work hours and/or benefits that once were taken for granted.

Government officials, needing money for pet projects, take money from social security and leave an IOU. If a company set up a retirement benefit fund for its employees and then raided that account for special projects it would be considered illegal.

Maybe it is time we change the way our government operates and give it a stedy job with a steady income like most people have. If the government has a predetermined income every year then it would be forced to live within that budget, just like you and I do. There has to be a way to stop the madness that is the US government.

The Courier law log

Yes, I am a subscriper to the Asheboro paper. I read the law log every morning at breakfast as I like to know the bad stuff that is happening in real life that could affect me but more than that, I have been looking for the time my neighbor's name would appear.

Today was the day! I thought maybe it would be for larceny, shoplifting, or b & e but it was for drugs: three felony counts.

Working on my book Queen of Southgate (now just Southgate available at Lulu.com ) has given me a sixth sense about certain kinds of people. I had that feeling about my neighbor.

Not for the common man

I just finished an article on work place etiquette which of course centered on behaviour at the office. What if I don't work in an office? Million of people work in retail and in manufacturing. Are we not important enough to write about? I work with a few that sure could benefit from some good work place etiquette (or if the writer thinks we aren't smart enough to understand that word, just call it common sense manners).

How about a good article for the poor fellow whose struggling in everyday life at the factory and hasn't a clue how to invest that $10,000 nest egg in his 401K.

I would write those articles myself but no one reads my stuff.

first 150 days

Observations of the President's 1st Five Months..............
He has.....

1. Offended the Queen of England .

2. Bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia .

3. Praised the Marxist Daniel Ortega.

4. Kissed Hugo Chavez on the cheek.

5. Endorsed the Socialist Evo Morales of Bolivia .

6. Announced we would meet with Iranians with no pre-conditions.

7. Gave away billions to AIG also without pre-conditions.

8. Expanded the bailouts.

9. Insulted everyone who has ever loved a Special Olympian.

10. Doubled our national debt..

11. Announced a termination of the space defense system the day after the North Koreans launched an ICBM.

12. Despite the urgings of his own CIA director and the prior 4 CIA directors, released information on intelligence gathering.

13. Accepted without public comment the fact that five of his cabinet members cheated on their taxes and two others withdrew after they couldn't take the heat.

14. Appointed a Homeland Security Chief who quickly identified as "dangers to the nation", groups including veterans of the military, and opponents to abortion on demand, and who ordered that the word "terrorism" no longer be used but instead referred to such acts as "man made disasters".

15. Circled the globe so he could openly apologize for America's greatness.

16. Told Mexicans the violence in their country was because of us.

17. Politicized the census by moving it into the White House from its Department of Commerce origins..

18. Appointed as Attorney General the man who orchestrated the forced removal and expulsion from America to Cuba of a nine-year old whose mother died trying to bring him to a life of freedom in the United States and approved the pardon of Marc Rich so Clinton could let the felon go free.

19. Salutes as heroes three Navy SEALS who took down three terrorists who threatened one American life and the next day announces members of the Bush administration will likely stand trial for "torturing" a terrorist, who had played a part in killing 3000 Americans, by pouring water up their nose.

20. Flew Air Force One over New York City causing panic at a cost of $400,000 to get a photo you can make with Photo Shop for less than a dollar.

21. Sent his National Defense Advisor to Europe to assure Europe that the US will no longer treat Israel in a special manner and they might be on their own with the Muslims

22.Began the process of nationalizing the Auto Industry and the Insurance industry.

23 Announced that for intent and purposes the Health Insurance Industry will be nationalized.

24 Sided with Hugo Chavez instead of the Rule of Law as Honduras legally deposed Zelaya and installed Roberto Micheletti as President. It must be noted that the army did so following a lawful order of the Honduras Supreme Court.

Joyce DeWitt a k a Janet Wood

Joyce Dewitt played Janet Wood on "Three's Company". She was the perky dark-hairred cutie. Now 60, she looked anything but cute after her DUI arrest.

fixing health care

All I wanted from this broken health care system of ours is a requirement that if I lost my job (even if I quit) that I would be entitled to carry my existing health coverage at the same rate until I was employed again. I don't want to pay for the health care of people to lazy to work or to cheap to provide for their family memebers even if my paying came by hidden taxes. After all, I'm already paying to feed them, house them, and to fix the damage they cause when they wreck uninsured motor vehicles.

I certainly don't believe that the US government will be able to pay for it either and not make me pay for it as Obama said would be the case. Cigarettes already cost more than a dollar more a pack (which could be a good thing except that it is proof of a lie).

Obama's personal stimulus of $13.00 a week is a joke. One has to have a job to get it and 1 in 10 workers no longer have a job and the thirteen dollars a week for those who do go to pay tax increases from local, state and federal governments, and for increased cost of goods from struggling businesses.

What I find so really bizarre is any kind of tax increase during a recession. Too bad individuals can't do what government and busisnesses can do. Wouldn't it be nice to go to the grocery store and buy $150.00 and give the cashier %145.50 and said that because of increaed cost to live, you are forced to tax the store on your purchases or to tell your boss that you will be charging $18.50 an hour instead of the $17.25 you had been making because your ARM just increased.

We can't do that. All we can do is vote. Pay attention and vote wisely next election.

Child's play

Teacher sorry for mock wedding to 4th grader
Parents at Maine school raise concerns over playground ceremony

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updated 11:06 a.m. ET, Tues., July 7, 2009
PORTLAND, Maine - A fourth-grade teacher has apologized for playing the groom in a mock wedding to a student.

The Portland Press Herald reported that Paul Rosenblum agreed to participate after the girl proposed and his class at the Plummer-Motz School in Falmouth, Maine, cajoled him.

At the brief playground ceremony, Rosenblum wore a black graduation gown and a clown tie. The girl had a sheet draped around her clothes for a gown.

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There was no kiss but the newspaper reported the teacher took the student's hand and they ran down a gazebo ramp at the end of the ceremony.

The school later received several phone calls about it.

'Sick with regret'
In a letter sent to parents, Rosenblum said he was only intending to indulge "a little girl's game of dress-up and make-believe." He said he is remorseful and "sick with regret."

"The fact that an adult would consent to 'marry' one of his students, however light the intended context, shows a serious lapse in judgment," he added.

Superintendent Barbara Powers wouldn't say whether any disciplinary action was taken.

"I think it was just lots of class joking around — and crushes and things like that — and the kids thinking it would be a cheerful, fun thing to do for the end of the year," Powers told the newspaper. "The teacher agreed to go along with it, just not thinking it through."

I see nothing to get upset about. If this had been a scene in a movie, I think the audience would have been moved in a positive way.

Queen of Southgate

The shorter version of The Queen of Southgate, entitled simply "Southgate" is available on Lulu.com for $6.96.

Bold, Riveting, and Compelling, November 24, 2006
By Richard R. Blake (Bridgman, Michigan) - See all my reviews


This review is from: Queen of Southgate (Paperback)
This is a story of homeless people, prostitutes, pimps, dealers, and hustlers. Sperling asks the tough questions: How do these people survive? How do they avoid arrest? And, how do we prevent the next child from becoming one of the street people?

After reading a newspaper account of a local fire, in which three year old Tyler suffocated, Dale Sperling became consumed with the question of what really happened. As he researched news reports and internet records of the three adults sleeping in the house, at the time of the fire, he found himself drawn into to a tangled web of deceit, crime, and the human drama of life on the streets of the Southgate District.

Dale decided to find an individual who had experienced drug and alcohol abuse, prostituted their body, and risen above this life to choose personal growth and fulfillment. He then wanted to write their story. Tammy James (TJ) was approached to become the "success" of his book. The book, and Tammy James, became a passion as Dale interviewed dozens of street people, dealers, and prostitutes. He soon became involved in an unusual, intricate relationship with Tammy as friend, protector, and benefactor.

As he traces the steps of Tammy's spiraling descent into the use of crack cocaine Sperling describes in detail the risks of street life. He shows profound insights into Tammy's personality. "I was beginning to understand her motivation better now. TJ wanted the same things we all want: acceptance, friendship, and respect. She also wanted her independence and the chance to express herself. At Southgate, she had all, that she felt, she needed to be happy."

"The more I learned, the more I came to realize that I could not help Tammy. To seek recovery was a decision she had to make on her own. I became an observer and expanded my research to include the total environment."

The environment, pleasure and values of a person influence the risk of addiction. As Dale continued to write he concluded that being a street prostitute was not all about money, nor was it all about drugs. "There was something far more sinister at work in these women's lives."

As work on the book progressed, Sperling continued the focus of alerting others to the dangers caused by using illegal drugs, abusing alcohol and of the effect this has on others, family, friends, and relationships. He reiterates how your influence on others impacts the direction of their lives. This thought provoking account is haunting and heartbreaking. It is a reminder that the choices we make have long range consequences.

Sperling demonstrated spiritual understanding and compassion as he sacrificed of himself to bring this story to fruition. It is a remarkable work well worth reading and passing along to others facing these issues personally or through loved ones caught up in a web of crime and degradation.

Credit card myth

If a family has $125.00 per month left over after paying all necessary bills and living expenses and they find they want a new big screen TV, chances are they will purchase that TV using a credit card. The week after they purchase said TV they have car trouble and are forced to charge that repair bill on their credit card.

Now, and forever they no longer have $125.00 a month left over and will be forced to live paycheck to paycheck. A layoff or even a couple of short weeks at work can force that family into homelessness. Now had they chose to save and/or invest that $125.00 per month, they would have had to do without that big screen TV for four or five months but even after purchasing it, they would still have had enough to cover the emergency repair bill and would have still had the $125.00 or month left over at the end of each month.

If they never had to touch that savings, in twenty years they would have saved $30,000 but would have accrued interest on that. They then could have withdrawn $125.00 a month forever without ever touching the money that had been saved.

Credit cards only stimulate the economy by the amount of debt a family racks up using them and willcause the economy to shrink by at least that amount when a user cannot pay.

The problem most people have is their inability to save their disposable income. People will purchase the most car they can based on their income or buy the biggest house, or the best clothes they think they can afford. If they would pay themselves first, and then spent the rest, they would discover that life would be so much easier and in the long run they will have a much better life that the Joneses ever dreamed of having.

Change you don't recognize

The President ran for office with the slogan "Change you can believe in>' I have no idea what that was supposed to mean but many people embraced it. But as time goes by, what is changing is more than most people recognize. Obama has proven to be a man of action on the home front even as he remains clueless on foreign policy. Unfortunately, to date none of his actions have produced any good fruit.

What I fear is that when is all said and done by this administration we will have been lead down a path to no where and one from which we will find it impossible to reverse course or to espcape from.

What's to think about?

"Lawyer: Rowe deciding whether to seek custody"
July 2, 2009, 3:27 PM EST

Michael Jackson was a great entertainer, I suppose (I can't say for sure since I never saw any of his work) but he was weird. A grown man living in a place he called "Neverland" hanging out with pre-teen kids, particularly boys, sharing his bed with them, and getting himself sued and arrested over the practice. And if that wasn't bad enough, he proved himself to be an equally weird father what with dangling his baby over the railings while standing on a balcony.

So given his less than normal behaviour with children, including his own, what mother in her right mind would have her child raised by such a man and what court would have given him custody? And now the mother of two od his children has to "think" about trying to gain custody of her children now that Jackson has died. If she has to think about it then she should be denied from the get-go. The time to have thought about whether or not to raise your children was before you had them , lady. Afterwards, it should be a lifetime commitment.

I don't have much power or influence in this world but I do have my principles and if the way a person lives their life violates my strongest principles then I will not support that person. An actor was caught on tape having sex with a minor. Even though he is a great actor and has done several films I would have liked to have seen, I will not view them. Call me passive-agressive but it is just my way of dealing with people who engage in criminal or disgusting behaviour.

Perhaps the only principals Miss Rowe is exercising in trying to decide whether to seek custody of her children are monetary ones. If it will cost her more to gain custody of her children and raise them than she will gain from having them she will no seek custody but if she stands to make a handsome profit, she'll go forward with the custody suit. It's apparent she isn't motivated by a mother's love.