Yemen

Back in the day I was young and naive about the world. I was sitting at my MSD position in Sabana Saka, Puerto Rico when I received a message that had originated in South Yemen. It was definitely anti-American but I had no idea of the significance of that message. I received an accommodation for intercepting that communique. It seems it was the first message that had been copied from that area in many years. It gave this country a location and frequency of a possible source for uswful intelligence.

Vile people, even back then. I know countries go to war from time to time and some countries have a deep distrust of each other but I have never heard expressions of hatred for others, even in war time, I I heard from these people towards Americans. This hate was directd at us not because of anything we did or didn't do but just because we were.

I still don't understand that point of view.

Queen of Southgate Update

Some of you know that I wrote a book "Queen of Southgate" which is a true account of what happened in a fire that claimed the life of a young boy and my relationship with a woman involved in that fire who, it turns out, was, and is, a street prostitute in Greensboro, NC.

The book wasn't a success because the subject matter isn't of much interest to the average folk and is a problem most who rather not think about. From time to time I learn of things that happen to the women protrayed in the book. One lady, Lisa, who I referred to as pure evil, is now no longer a street prostitute but a married lady with a job.

One, who really wanted to change her life and re establish a relationship with her children dropped dead of a heart attack a week after ending her legal battles to retain her freedom. Another, Donna Brown, who had two children, the last was by the special police officer hired to police the grounds of the Lost Dimension strip club
and the grounds of the seedier motels, was murdered in Burlington.

A resent event made me realize that I had been given some facts wrong in my book. I knew that TJ's mother has given birth to two daughters when she was young and to TJ after she married a young man. TJ's sisters had children the same age as she was.

I had been under the impression that TJ's parents lived in Raleigh and that her mother died first and the the father. Apparently that wasn't the case. It seems that her parents argued a lot and spent most of their marriage separated. Her father lived in California when he died. I believe he passed away before his wife did.

But what I learned that both shocked and saddened me was to learn that TJ had a brother. The picture of her and her brother identified the two as being three years old but I don't know if that was accurate. It may have only been TJ who was three. The boy was larger and could have been a year or so older. I do know that he was given away. I would hope for adoption but that wasn't siclosed.

One would have the doubts that a little blonde haired green eyed peanut of a girl would have much of a change coming from such a back ground. She didn't.

When she saw her brother's picture, she shed a tear. It is good to know that after all she has been through there is a little part of her that can still care.

Christmas Spirit

I shopped from my computer for Christmas and except for a quick trip to Hallmark and Macy's of Randleman, I ventured into no retail outlets.

I did noticed that my employer did not play traditional Christmas music this year but the regular music that it plays every other day of the year. I was surprised to learn that my wife's employer didn't play Christmas music either.

Is this a phenom at major retailers or just an oversight this year?

Anonymous

Anonymous asked for permission to quote from one of my blogs and I said no. I do not know who Anonymous is or if the quote would be used for ligitimate purposes.

I seldom read other blogs and usually only when chasing a story that takes me to a someones blog and I have never read a blog written by Anonymous. I do, from time to time, come across a comment from Anonymous. Wanting to know a little bit more about this person other than the fact that their command of proper grammar is weak, I ventured into the blogosphere and found a few comments on Roach's blog.

On that blog Anonymous identified themselves as a black woman.

I found that interesting.

Pediatrician Arrested

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland - A pediatrician charged with sexually abusing his patients likely attacked more than 100 children at an office he had decked out with a merry-go-round and a ferris wheel, a state official said Wednesday.

The volume of evidence seized from Dr. Earl Bradley's practice and home, including video tapes and computer files, makes it difficult to estimate the number of victims, said Alexis Slutsky, a deputy attorney general assigned to the state's Child Predator Task Force.

Best Health Care Plan

In spite of the best medical community in the world, Americans do not have the longest lifespan, due in great part to unhealthy lifestyle choices like drugs, smoking, over eating and stress.

Our current President has increased our national debt to an unbelievable high level, and with new costly proposals about to become law, America will be in debt for a long, long time. In order to pay off that debt, taxes will have to be raised and many small business owners cannot afford that and stay in business.

The end result is that eventual Americans will not be able to smoke, or to purchase drugs and eating to excess will be something that is only done in dreams. We will then began to live a healthier lifestyle thereby proving that Obama did, after all, know what he was doing in passing health care reform.

Most of us will one day fall into that 4% category that the new health care system doesn't cover but that is for the younger people to worry about.

News from Randleman

The city police had a large section of Stout Street blocked off around nine o'clock Tuesday, December 22, 2009. That is the street that my wife and I have to take to get to our home.

It seems the police have been busy this week in Randleman. Sunday night there were lots of blue lights on 220 between the Randleman exit and the US 311 exit. There were also plenty of blue lights and an ambulance on High Point Road (the street just in front of Wal-mart) as the street passes over 220. I wonder if the two sites were related?

Terry Fator

Terry Fator?

Never heard of him.

He won America's got Talent year before last. He is a ventriloguist. But..He is no ventriloguist like you have ever seen before.

He has his first CD out, "Terry Fator live in Vegas" which retails for about $15.00 (the CD, not Vegas).

If you have fifteen dollars and need something to spend it on, I highly recommend this CD. Be forwarned though. Have yourself an extra pair of underware handly because it is so funny you will probably pee on yourself laughing.

Not only is it funny, this guy is so talented he will blow you away. Almost a guarentee you'll shed a tear or two before the tape is done.

While you are at the store, you just might want to pick up an extra copy or two. I know there will be someone you will want to share this with but just can't share your copy.

They will thank you.

You will thank me later.

Sherlock Holmes: the man

The movie Sherlock Holmes ad extolls Homes as the world's greatest mind. Yeah, right.

Sure he was intelligent and highly organized and he documented many things that aided him in his work as a detective, but what he is most famous for is his obsevation abilities and the ability to draw correct, or near correct, conclusions from simple things. From a pair of glasses, he was able to tell the sex, age, and looks of a suspect as well as how often she had been to see her optrometrist.

But even Sherlock admitted that his keen obsevation skills were no match for his brothers. "But the elder Homes was fat and lazy, and wealthy, and sat around the mens club and smoked cigars all day.

I draw the line at brilliant when a man indulges in tobacco (pipe and cigarette) as well as cocaine, which Holmes did. He wasn't a rich man and was probably middle class or a little below in income. He would have been much better off financially to have run a detective school or to have been a free-lance teacher of crime fighting techniques than to rely upon his skills for income.

I know that is a contridiction of the belief that those who can do, does that can't
teach. The best teachers are the ones who have already accomplished great things.

Holmes was observiant, intellignet, and accomplished but far from the worlds most brilliant mind.

Sherlock Holms: the movie

I have a complete collection of all the works of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and have watched several shows and movies based on that character but I will no being going to the theater to see Robert Downey Jr. in the newest Sherlock Holmes movie.

One reason is from viewing a trailer, there seems to be special effects embellishments and is not needed in a good Sherlock Holmes story and they second, and most compelling reason, is it stars Robert Downing Jr.

It seems that he once filmed himself having sex with a minor. I vowed then never to see anything with him in it and so far I have kept my promise to myself. I just cant bring myself to support some one who does something so wrong.

"Even so. even if I loved Robert Downey Jrs. work, I still would not see this film.

Did you know that Helm never said "Elementary, my dear Watson."

Watson wasn't a bumbling idiot as most people think. He didn't have the powers of observation that Sherlock had or the ability to link little things together but he was a valuable aid to Holmes on many occasions.

Holmes did say "it is elementary." on two occasions.

The closest thing to special effects in a Holmes mystery was the use of fluorescent paint in ""The Hounds of Baskerville."

customer service

I seldom eat at a fast food place and rarer still at a Mickey D's but there are always exceptions to the rule and variants from the norm. I stopped in the one at Friendly Center (I haven't been there since installment 37 of Black and White by Jerry Bledsoe) and was pleased at how quiet the workers were, how friendly, and efficient.

Posted near where I stood waiting for my order was the picture of the General Manager: she was young and pretty. Save for her and one young man, everyone else working there was latino.

Maybe that explains the improvement in customer service.

Christmas wants

The Asheboro paper features a different need each day for what a family or person needs but cant afford. An unemployed mother wants a computer to help her kids with schoolwork. Maybe she should be seeking a job.

I know for the elderly times are tough and being on a fixed income it is hard to afford extra things but most of what Ive read, if the person really needed the item then they would be willing to trade labor, or expertise, or sell off something they already have for it.

Me. I need a robo mower 1000. Any one who wants to give me one can or you can donate to my robomower fund. Otherwise I might be forced to save my money until I can afford it.

my 2 cents on woods

i grew tired of Tiger Woods years ago. If he won, it was front page news. If he was behind it was front page news. If he didnt play it was front page news. "
Talk about shoving something down peoples throats, the news media is too good at that.

Now that it has been shown that Tiger Woods is a first class jerk, the media is again shoving him down our throats.

"When the media finally decides that Woods is no longer news worthy, I can hear the cry of many "Free at last, free at last, Thank God Almighty, Im free at ;ast."

Al Gore’s carbon tax idea gains momentum

Ed Cone Post

I have to admit that I visited an Ed Cone blog today (kind of like admitting I went into Wal-mart). I have to admit that he presented a good summary of Dr. Js problems she has been blogging about. I'll leave the clarification of any issues up to her but even I understand what it is she hopes to gain from the blogosphere.

During Vietnam there were riots in the streets in protest of the war. I still hear people talk with pride about the million man march and Ive read stories where international pressure has caused a country to back down on a policy it was following.

I'm sure that if enough people with blogs got behind an issue, that the powers that be would have to sit up and take notice.

I would have to agree that it might have been easier to have considered lending understanding and support to the good doctor if her approach had been a little less bitter and hyterical but I wonder too if as many people would have paid any attention if she had, say, a style similar to mine? No body reads my blog.

I wouldnt say having to drive to the east coast of the state each week is a full recovery financially versus maintaining a vialble practice in ones hometown. I can't see where her present financial statues is any justification for saying what happened 11 years ago is a non-issue. We didn't have a crytal ball then and still don't.

Questionable Wisdom

I was listening to a call-in talk show which was offering up the topics of global-warming and Obamas Nobel Peace Prize as topics for discussion. One caller was raving about the business savy of a former vice-president, Al Gore. In discussing the man business venture, the caller mentioned that it took a minimum investment of 3 million dollars to become part of the Gore business venture.

"If I had three million dollars to invest I would he exclaimed and in a few years I'd be a millionaire."

Uh, I think if he had three million dollars to invest, he would already be a millionaire--a multi-millionaire. If in a few years he would be a millionaire that would mean he had lost 2/3rds of his investment.

I believe I'll continue to get my investment advice from another source.

IT'S JUST STUPID

When police are putting a person who is handcuffed into the back of a crusier, they almost always say "Watch your head".

If one thinks about it, a person is unable to see their own head.

Isn't it stupid to tell someone to do something that is impossible?

(some comedians make a good living with weird observations like this0

lawsuit i should have filed

I was just twenty-five. I was hired by the Valdese Printing Company in Valdese, NC. I worked there for about a week when I was called into the owners office. He asked me if it was true I wanted to finish getting my college degree and when i said yes he said " You are fired."

What crosses the line?

Seems some bloggers want to advance the notion that "electronic communication intended to harass, etc." can be extended to any reply to a blog, or any statements within a blog.

Those types of communication falls under our rights to free speech. There are reasonable limits to free speech, like the proverbial yelling of fire in a crowded theater. Another type of speech that is prohibited is outlined in most restraining orders.

The statue on cyberstalking is not intended nor written to prevent the normal flow of communications, even that which we may find annoying, or even statements we totally disagree with.

Call up a stranger and say nothing. Just breath heavily into the phone for a few minutes, or as long as the other person refrains from hanging up on you. Do this repeatedly and see where you will eventually end up. Drive by your ex-spouces or ex-lovers house everyday, real slow, and see if you aren't charged with a crime.

That behaviour is not normal.

Cyber stalking is intended to curb behaviour on the internet that is comparable to unacceptable behaviour via telephone or in person and in no way will be interpreted to affect ever day communication as some bloggers have advanced.

I believe that in the case of a Greensboro blogger charged with cyberstalking a Randolph County blogger, the questioning of the scope and breath of the cyberstalking law is only being questioned because of the unpopularity of the alleged victim to some of the better known bloggers in Greensboro and has nothing to do with fear that the law will be applied outside of its original scope or may limit ordinary and common speech.

One blogger calls himself a satirist but I find him to just be a flippant smart-ass but that doesn't make him any more guilty of a crime than being an acid-tongued crusader make one not a victim. One must put our feelings of the litigants aside and judge the case solely on the merits of the evidence.

Amanda Knox found guilty

of course you don't need me to tell you this but I've followed the case from the beginning. If one reads the prosecution evidence, it seems apparent that she was guilty. If you read the defense view of the evidence, it is just as obvious she was innocent.

Shortly after the murdrs, Amanda Knox and her boyfriend were videotapped embracing and kissing. Depending on your point of view, the scene could have been one of passion or one of compassion.

Even the prosecutor in this case was suspect. In America, he would probable be in jail. At least, he would not have been allowed to prosecute the case.

She received a sentence of twenty-six years, a long time if she is truly innocent but not nearly long enough is she is truly guilty.