The Random Scream

Victory Junction and the Old Guy on a Bike

2011-09-12T23:25:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since I have felt inspired to write anything. Saturday changed that....now I have a million things I want to say and I'm not sure that I can remember them all. I suppose that all I can do is give it my best shot and see what appears on the page.

For some time, I've wanted to get back into biking. I used to ride all the time and it was very relaxing. After my accident, I was a bit reluctant to get back on.....and I didn't exactly get what could be termed overwhelming support from the home front. As time passed, I found I still had the urge to ride, but there remained some doubts and questions.

In July, the urge returned with a vengeance. I finally decided to look for a cheap bike and give it a shot. (Note to self and all reading, buying a cheap bike was a huge mistake. I should have gone with my instincts and purchased a better bike right up front.) After a few weeks of looking in semi-earnest, the local Wal-Mart had a bike on sale. It looked good to me....so I loaded it up and carted it home. Did a quick check on the assembly, made some minor adjustments and voila.....we're off!

That night, I tooled around the neighborhood until my butt was sore, then decided to call it a night. Riding became a daily ritual. Each day I rode a bit further and for a bit longer until I was just over a week in. While cruising around the neighborhood and displaying my prowess on two wheels, I ran over a rock on the roadway. Said rock turned the front wheel violently to the right causing my elbow to make hard contact with the neighbor's mailbox, which in turn, caused me to swing abruptly to the left and directly into a large rolling garbage bin. Brilliant discovery number one.....shoes are way better than sandals at offering protection to your feet. My sandal clad right foot impacted the garbage can in a manner not recommended to the faint of heart. The impact broke the big toe and the toe next to it, as well as ripping the nail almost completely from the big toe. There was blood....lots of it.

For a normal person, this might be the end of the story, but not for me. I managed to get myself in the house....applied liberal doses of Betadine and hydrogen peroxide, wrapped the big toe in a gauze pad to provide some cushioning, taped the two mangled toes together and went out and completed the 5 mile goal I had previously established for myself. I can tell you that the pain was pretty intense, but something told me I needed to complete the ride. It wasn't easy, but I managed to make the full 5 miles.

The following day, the foot was too sore do anything more than hobble my way to the local clinic. They took one look and said I should go to the ER or a foot specialist. I didn't think it hurt enough to merit sitting for hours at the ER....so I opted to return home and read my email. In my inbox was a message from the Victory Junction Camp telling me about a charity bike ride to raise money for the camp. Having long been my favorite charity, I decided it was time for me to really make a difference. I would begin training immediately and participate in the ride.

On the surface, this seemed like a pretty simple task. The camp offered advertised rides of 15, 30 and 62 miles in length. Given that I only had a bit over a month to prepare, I decided that signing up for the 15 mile ride would be the best plan. I sat down with some computer workout software and came up with a training program that would have me up to the 15 mile mark in short order.....and ultimately have me ready for the big event. Each day, I increased the riding times and distances until I was doing 15 miles with no problem. Riding here in the mountains seemed like a great way to prep myself for that simple charity ride down on the Piedmont. In the two weeks leading up to the ride, I alternated 10 and 15 mile rides.....10 miles at a brisk pace, 15 at a more leisurely "charity ride" pace. My toes were slowly healing and I was feeling pretty good about myself. I rode in all sorts of weather, from blazing hot to pouring rain. In the last couple of days before the event, I almost broke my arm patting myself on the back for how well I had done in the preparation department.

We need to jump back in time though, as there is a parallel track to this story. As part of the obligation associated with participating in a charity ride, you are also expected to raise money for the cause you are attempting to support. I did not immediately register to participate in the event, knowing full well that my toes and my general lack of physical conditioning could be a show-stopper. I made up my mind that when I had completed my fifth 15 mile training ride with no issue, that I could safely register and participate in the Camp Event. On August 29, I completed my fifth greater than 15 mile training day and decided that I was good to go for the event. Late that evening, I filled out my registration information and on the morning of August 30, I officially became a registered participant. Now comes the hard part....raising money. There are some effective tools for fund raising that come with your registration. I immediately put them into action and naively expected the money to just pour in. I wasn't asking for much....hell, I told people that a buck would be great and that anything more than that would be incredible!

People began asking questions about the event and I seriously expected the floodgates to open and the donations would come pouring in. The ice was finally broken when my wonderful (and by now, very, very supportive) wife made a donation. That was followed by a donation from a friend since Kindergarten days. Ultimately, I received donations from four additional families and friends that understand just how important this cause is. If you are hung up on seeing how much I raised, I will include the link to the donation site, where your contribution will help make this story that much better!

Just to keep the story interesting, during the course of preparation for the big ride, we were faced with Hurricane Irene, impending surgery for my wife (your thoughts and prayers on September 13 would be greatly appreciated), the anniversary of 9/11 and Tropical Storm Lee, which absolutely devastated our hometowns in upstate NY. Most of our family was out of harm's way, but our son Jon's home was extensively damaged, as was Jan's rental property next door. Jon, his wife Teresa and their two kids are fine, but their home and many possessions didn't survive. Sometimes it is very hard to be 700 miles away.

But, I digress. We worked around the distractions and decided that it was important to complete the charity ride. At 4 a.m. on the morning of September 10, I set out for Randleman, NC and the Victory Junction Camp. The drive over was very serene and I had lots of thoughts racing through my head, not the least of which was switching from the 15 mile ride to the 30 mile ride, just because my training had been progressing so well and I was feeling great. I arrived at the front gate shortly after 8 a.m. and immediately developed a lump in my throat. Just pulling in, I could feel that I was in a very special, very important place. I snapped a few photos at the front gate and then headed to the parking and registration area.

Check-in was quick and painless....and surprise of surprises, my registration number was 43. NASCAR fans will understand the significance, but for the uninitiated, 43 is one of the numbers associated with the Petty family, most notably "King Richard". I took that as a great sign of things to come.

As I mentioned earlier, I spent the drive over contemplating switching to the 30 mile ride instead of the 15, based on how well I felt and how well the preparations had gone. I ultimately decided to stick with the original plan, especially since this was my first attempt at anything like this. During the training leading up to this, I had tried to follow a similar route to the one that was laid out by the organizers on a neat little smartphone app entitled "Map My Ride". Data gleaned from the app indicated this would be a very flat ride with only a net elevation change of 50 feet. Just walking from the parking/registration area to the starting point, it became obvious that there was over 50 feet of elevation change in just that short span. The worst was yet to come!

We had a few minutes to look around before we set out. Like most of the riders, I had a banana and a couple bottles of Gatorade to make sure we were hydrated and fueled. Everyone spent some time looking around, stretching, having the on-site mechanic double check their bikes and just generally reflecting on the surroundings. Unless you are totally numb from the hair down, I don't know how you can't get a sense of awe and respect for what a fantastic place the camp really is. It wasn't hard to understand why some very big names in sports are willing to lend their names, funds and endorsements to the Camps. From Paul Newman to Tony Stewart to Kyle and Pattie Petty...to corporate sponsors like Bass Pro Shops, Norfolk Southern, Sunoco and Wal-Mart....to donations from everyday folks like you and me all go to making for a magical place. At 9:45 we had a safety briefing and thank you for participating session. I think most of us had lumps in our throats by then.

At 10 a.m., the green flag waved and we were off. The first mile wasn't too bad. Many of us learned quickly that you didn't want to try to keep pace with the boys on their fancy road bikes. A group of about 7 of us settled into a routine that we managed to keep for about 9 miles. It became painfully obvious after the first climb that the 50 elevation change bit was totally wrong. There were a number of climbs far longer and far steeper than the climb out of my development.....and I can tell you that climb has stopped a lot of people. By the time I got to mile 10, there wasn't another rider in sight. There were camera crews at several vantage points along the course as well as one crew in an ATV that followed a number of different riders along the way.

Somewhere after mile 10 one of the support vehicles followed me until the rest stop at mile 12. I was plagued by wicked leg cramps on almost every climb from mile 8 on. I can tell you, the thought of stopping crossed my mind more than once. This ride was far more complex than what I had trained and prepared for....but I found myself thinking back to the kids that I was there to support and there were no more thoughts of stopping or giving up. It became a quest, a rite and flat out necessity to finish. My GPS later showed over 585 feet of elevation differential....a far cry from the 50 in all the lead up information. The 15 mile route also turned out to be 17.89 miles, but in the end....it didn't matter. I made it! I made the "victory lap" of the camp on completion too.

After cooling down a bit, eating some bananas and drinking copious quantities of fluids....(did I mention the temperature and humidity? Let's just say that it added to the overall experience).....I had the opportunity to spend about 45 minutes talking with Linda, a volunteer on a regular basis. You couldn't help but be infected by her charming accounts of the kids, the camp and the whole experience. Suffice it to say, our conversation only reinforced the importance of the Camp and the value of our fund raising efforts. The dining staff then provided all the riders and guests with a fantastic luncheon, followed by a concert in the Dale Jr, Amphitheater.

Eventually the day drew to a close, we loaded up our bikes and everyone headed home....a little tired, a little sore, but with hearts filled with the joy of knowing we had been a part of something very special. I'm pretty sure I get the award for the longest travels of the day.....over 450 miles in the car and on the bike....not too bad for a somewhat out of shape 55 year old!

If you've taken the time to read this, would you please also take the time to consider a donation to Victory Junction? Big, small or in between, every bit helps.....and 100% of your donation goes directly to support the campers!

To make a DONATION to Victory Junction

Victory Junction Home Page

More Photos of the Day

I should add this little post script. On the drive home, there was a loud explosion and my bike visibly jumped in the rack. On inspection, I discovered the front tire had blown out....there was a huge hole in both the tire and tube. I'm glad it happened when it did and not when I was flying down the final descent at nearly 40 mph....I suspect that result would not have been pretty.

The Declaration of Independence

2011-07-04T13:27:00.000-04:00

This seems a fitting post for today. The text of the most important document in American history.....as drafted by Thomas Jefferson and signed by our founding fathers. You will note, that this does not say that it is the Declaration of Independence. I will post the actual Declaration at the end.

The Unanimous Declaration

of the Thirteen United States of America

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

As signed by John Hancock and the other delegates from the 13 colonies.

And now for the actual Declaration of Independence......drafted by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia and adopted by the Congress.

“these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states....and that all political connection between them and The State of Great Britain is, and of right ought to be, totally dissolved.”

Not as eloquent as the Jefferson Declaration, but far more effective in making the actual point that the 13 colonies were now in a struggle for their very lives. Happy Independence Day America!

In the Garden

2011-06-15T02:50:00.000-04:00

The new crop of daylilies is in full bloom. The full gallery can be seen at http://frogdawg.zenfolio.com/p277255712

Are You Kidding Me?

2011-02-06T04:57:00.001-05:00

You have to love the Asheville City Council...it isn't every political body that has so little to do these days, they have time to pass ordinances banning advertising. Gone are the dancing mattress, the strutting chicken and the strange worm with leprosy that graced the Sprint store on Patton Avenue.

In a move that defies logic and reason, the Grove Park Inn was told to turn off the spotlights they had rented to promote their Celtic weekend. The reasons given were totally absurd....first, the lights detracted from the city skyline and second, the lights posed a hazard to the motoring public. Let's face it, Asheville has no skyline and if the city were truly concerned with the motoring public, they would focus their efforts on filling in giant craters that fill most of the city streets!

The local TV station did an online poll asking for viewer input on the matter. Most responses were in favor of doing away with this foolish law and allowing businesses to get back to having a bit of fun. There were a few nut jobs that supported the ban, but you could tell from their comments that they were probably under the influence of some mind altering substance. Among the favorites..."the lights pose a serious hazard to planes landing at the airport", "the lights keep me from being able to see the moon" and "I can't sleep with the lights on"!

As for planes having problems landing at the airport, the runway is several miles from the city and the flight path doesn't take them over the hotel to begin with. For the people that couldn't see the moon, it had nothing to do with the searchlights, the current lunar phase ranged from a new moon to a waxing crescent, I think you can draw your own conclusions there. For the fool that said they couldn't sleep with the lights on....where the hell were you trying to sleep? Were you in the Goodyear blimp or a hot air balloon hovering overhead? No, it couldn't have been the blimp, because that would be an illegal form of advertising and it certainly wouldn't be over Asheville.

Wake up Asheville, time to vote these nimrods out of office and get some of these ridiculous laws off the books.

So You Thought You Wanted to be a Poet

2011-01-28T00:44:00.000-05:00

A long time ago, I had aspirations of writing poetry or perhaps a song or two. I was working sixteen hour days in a rather sterile and solitary environment. To keep from going stark raving mad, I began writing in a journal. Most of the entries were random scribblings, but there was an occasional poem and even the framework of a humorous novel.

The journal traveled around the world for nearly thirty five years without suffering more than a dog eared page or two, as well as the expected wear and tear on the outer jacket. The writings grew less and less frequent as the years passed, but the contents still held great meaning and memories for me.

In early June of 2010, I traveled to Charleston, SC for a weekend getaway with my wife. The dogs stayed at home with their favorite dog sitter Kelly. Things were going great until my phone rang while I was on a tour of Charleston harbor. It was my dad with the somber news that my step-mom had cancer. Between the roar of the boat engines, the tour guide giving descriptions and a rather stiff breeze, it was very difficult to hear what dad was trying to tell me. I promised to call him when we landed to get the full story.

Once we were safely back to the hotel, I called dad and was filled in on all the grim details. They were sure it was cancer, but more tests would be needed to confirm things. I asked dad if he needed me to come to NY, but he assured me that there was nothing I could do there that I couldn't do equally as well from where I was. At that point, good thoughts and prayers were about all anyone could do.

The rest of the short vacation was tempered by the news, but we still managed to have an enjoyable time and got to see some great scenery. We headed home on a balmy Sunday morning. The trip was uneventful and we had a great time just talking and spending time with each other. When we arrived home, the dogs were their usual ecstatic selves...thrilled to see us and bouncing off the walls. Jan took the dogs outside while I unloaded the car. It was on my second trip in that I saw the note from Kelly atop a large plastic grocery bag.

I assumed that it was just a simple note telling us that things had gone well and the bag contained the mail. How wrong I was. Seems the dogs had just gone totally insane while we were gone. Chewing on things they never chewed on....blankets, bedspreads and the quilt Jan had made me for Christmas a few years ago. The worst part was contained in the plastic bag. It seems that Zelda really decided that she was mad at me. She had gone into my office and taken the journal off the lower shelf of my desk. All I can say is that there wasn't a whole lot left of my years of work. I was able to salvage a grand total of thirteen pages out of over three hundred. Ouch. And yes...Zelda is still alive. I wasn't happy with her, but it was my own stupidity that caused it to get eaten, I normally kept it in a drawer of the desk.

Spring forward to this week. One of the local newspapers is having a poetry contest. I was pretty sure that there was a short selection in the remaining pages of the journal that might qualify. I spent the last few days trying to recreate the damaged parts and turn the work into something worthy of submission. I have no idea if I succeeded in my quest or not, but I do recall one of my professors telling me that the mark of a decent poem is that it evokes an emotion from the audience. I read the finished product to Jan and she assured me that it caused an emotional reaction. To be fair, she never did tell me what emotion, but I went ahead and submitted the thing anyway.

Without further ado, I give you "Seafaring Blues".

Early morning seas, rising to the wind
The haunting cry of a gull
Beware, the storm begins.
Tossing and turning, losing all my sleep
Still the waves keep rolling
And yet, I long for you.

The sea, it gets so restless
But then, so does my mind.
The rising tide,
Swept you from my side
And still, I hear your call.

Sometimes within you, but mostly without
Clearly, I miss you
And love you even more.
The world is not ours to hold, much less to own
When the call comes to go,
Do we seek a new home?

Searching and yearning, reaching for nothing
Broken hearts weep in sorrow.
Time seems I can’t go on.
I feel my soul sinking, slowly pulled under
Stealing my breath
Like the ebb of the tide.

The sea, it gets so restless
But then, so does my mind
The rising tide,
Swept you from my side
And still, I hear your call.

Sometimes within you, but mostly without
Clearly, I miss you
And love you even more
Time heals the hurt, once the storm has passed
The waves roll on and on
But love remains steadfast.

School Makes Boy Take American Flag Off Bike

2010-11-12T15:28:00.000-05:00

This very disturbing story comes to us courtesy of KTXL-TV in Sacramento, CA. The following is from their website....

Elissa Harrington FOX40 News

November 12, 2010
DENAIR -

13-year-old Cody Alicea rides with an American flag on the back of his bike. He says he does this to be patriotic and to honor veterans, like his own grandfather, Robert. He's had the flag on his bike for two months but Monday, was told to take it down.

A school official at Denair Middle School told Cody some students had been complaining about the flag and it was no longer allowed on school property.

"In this country we're supposed to be free," said Cody. "And I should be able to wave my flag wherever I want to. And they're telling me I can't." Cody had to take the flag off his bike and put it in his backpack, where he kept it all week.

Cody's grandfather says the school was concerned about racial tensions or uprisings because of the flag. He feels if there was really a problem it should have been brought up two months ago, not during Veterans week. And if it was an issue of safety, parents should have been contacted.

"No action should be taken. We don't want any repercussion," said Roger Alicea. "We just want Cody to be proud of what he's doing." Roger says the family is not planning to take any legal action, but they do want to meet with school staff.

Cody says he wants to serve in the military some day, and is raising money for a trip to Washington, D.C. in the Spring.

OK....let's hit a few key points. The school says students were complaining about the flag. Excuse me, but this is America and if you choose to live in this country, you can expect to see the American flag! You should be seeing it in your classrooms every single day, you should be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to it every day and most importantly, you should be respectful of it every day. Do you honestly believe that if you were in some other country, their flag would be removed because some nutcase didn't like looking at it?

Next, the school was afraid the flag might cause racial tensions or uprisings? Are you kidding me? What does race have to do with the American flag? We welcome people from all races, creeds and religions in America. Read our Constitution....it says that all men are created equal. The American flag does not stand for any one race, creed or color, it stands for the United States of America, our country, our home. The flag represents each and every one of us that lives in this country. The American flag is not judgmental, it doesn't turn its back on any American. I could understand the school's concern if the young man was flying a gang flag or a Nazi flag or some other symbol of hatred and intolerance, but for crying out loud, he was flying the American flag in America!

Why didn't the school contact the boy's parents if this was such a major issue? Why did they choose the week we honor Veterans to make this ridiculous decision? Most importantly, why is the person that made this decision still employed by the school? I said it before and I'll say it again, this is the United States of America. Being respectful of our flag is never illegal or contemptible. It is high time that Americans start acting the part. If you want to enjoy this nation and our freedoms, the start living up to your end of the bargain.

Veteran's Day

2010-11-10T23:28:00.001-05:00

Please take a minute to thank all the brave men and women that proudly served our nation! Also make sure to observe a moment of silence at 11:11 in remembrance of those who gave their all.

I'd like to thank all my friends that proudly served....If I inadvertently left you off the list, give me a shout, my memory isn't as good as it used to be.

Pete Ferris
Bob Brown
Woody Withers
Roger Miller
Jim Hollenbeck
Bob Barden
Herb Price
Terry Collins
Bob Houck
Jim Roberts
Al Hinchcliffe
Bob Riggs
Bill Edwards
John Tompkins
Gary Sanders
Beth Wygant
Cheryl Coveney Parente-Roggow
Clara Phillips
Dan Campbell
Doug Way
Ed Malone
Howard Kennedy
Doug Stine
Dale Pierce
Bob Berube
Ray Noe
Larry Buss
John Bednar
Jim Kreyling
James Tompkins
Jamie Holladay
Jim Blow
Joe Cruz
John Woodburn
John Wright
Peg Gilbert Velletta Sellers
Richard Ward
Steve Velletta
Todd Bradley
Tom Wilkin
Pete Hodgkins
Ron Rhinehart
Dave King
Tom King
Roger Townsend
Rich VanEtten
Les Swartz

Government Reform

2010-10-27T16:39:00.001-04:00

Congressional Reform Act of 2010

The Congress of the United States has seen fit to impose term limits on the office of President, yet they feel that they are more important and should be entitled to remain in office for life. Congress also feels that they do not have to abide by the same laws as the people that they impose them on. Isn't it time that the American citizens take back their country and re-establish a government of the people, for the people, as was originally laid out in the Constitution?

Here are some simple suggestions that would go a long way towards making that happen.

1. Term Limits - Maximum of 12 years in Federal Office

A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension

Elected Federal officials shall only be paid for their time in office, they can not retire from that position.
There shall be no "grandfather" clause for those officials currently serving. If they have reached the limits of their terms, their seat shall be vacated and placed on the ballot of the next general election.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in the same Social Security program as the American public..

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately.
All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.
Congressional withholding is calculated exactly the same as the general public.

4. Congress may purchase or invest their own private retirement plans, exactly as the American public is allowed to.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Any annual Congressional pay raise will be based solely on the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress shall immediately disband their current health care system and participate in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress may not impose any laws on the American people from which they deem themselves exempt.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.

The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen.
Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

9. Election and campaign finance reform.

All elections and campaigns shall be funded by the government. Private donations shall go into the election fund.
All candidates for office must declare their intent to run by a date specified by the Board of Elections.
Once there is an established pool of candidates for each office, the Board of Elections shall distribute equal funding to those qualified candidates. This is the only funding allowed to be used for campaign and election expenses. When the funds are exhausted, there shall be no further donations or contributions allowed. In the event one or more candidates withdraw from the election, their unused campaign funds must be returned to the election fund for future elections. (The unspent funds will not be given to the remaining candidates.)

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, that would serve their term(s), return home when their elected term was complete and resume their normal life's work.

Joy and Sadness

2010-09-01T03:13:00.000-04:00

Tonight, God blessed our family by sending us a little angel named Emma Renee Orendorff. She checked in at 4 pounds 11 ounces and 19 inches long. Both Emma and her mom are doing well, but the story doesn't end there.

It is possible that Emma has Down Syndrome. There was no advance diagnosis, so this news sort of struck us like a bolt out of the blue. She will have to have some tests to confirm if she actually has Down or not, but the medical staff seems to think it is a strong possibility at this point.

I hope everyone understands that this is not a request for pity or sympathy. Our family has dealt with this before and we don't view this as something horrible or sad. It happens, plain and simple. There is no cure, but there is also no earthly reason why a person with Down can not live a perfectly normal, happy life.

As many of you know, my oldest and best friend Doug has Down. Yesterday, he celebrated his 56th birthday and his 51st since we have been friends. Doug and I went to Kindergarten together and have remained pals ever since. Some of you may recall reading of our exploits with the Space Shuttle a couple of years ago.

Moments ago, I learned that my dear sweet friend Polly lost her battle with cancer. Words fail me. My heart goes out to John and Beck, James, Sarah, Aunt Sue and the rest of Polly's loving family. There are big holes in many hearts tonight.

Wake Up NASCAR

2010-07-17T23:25:00.001-04:00

Does Carl Edwards actually have to kill someone on the track or in the stands before you get off your dead asses and take some serious action? This isn't a rivalry, this is pure, unadulterated stupidity. Wrecking a driver in front of the whole field on a restart? Are you kidding me?

This nitwit needs to be parked for the rest of this season and I think he should have to go before a review board of fellow drivers and owners before he is ever let on a race track again. Park him...before it is too late.

Fireworks Photography

2010-06-30T09:59:00.013-04:00

Once again, fireworks season is upon us. Everyone loves to watch a great fireworks display and many photographers would love to capture some memories of the event. Lots of folks are reluctant to even try shooting fireworks displays, because they have no idea where to begin....others hesitate to shoot because they are afraid to take their camera out of automatic mode....with any luck, the tips and techniques outlined here will help both novice and experienced shooters take their explosive shots to a whole new level.

The first step in shooting any fireworks display is a bit of preparation. Find out when and where the event is going to take place. Showing up at 10 pm for a display that took place at 9:30 is just as bad as showing up at the fairgrounds to shoot the show, only to discover event organizers decided the riverfront on the other side of town would make a better venue. Taking shots of an empty sky just doesn't hold much appeal. Some of us will be fortunate enough to live close to shoot more than one show...taking notes will help you keep the various displays in order and help you make sure you show up with the right stuff at the right place at the right time!

With camera in hand, scout your location before the show. If you are serious about shooting fireworks, you can make the time to look over the area where the show will take place. Make yourself aware of potential problems before they become an issue. Are there trees, power lines, buildings or even other people attending the event that are going to interfere with your line of sight and therefore, your ability to capture a clean image of the fireworks? Are there powerful external light sources that are going to foul your exposures and wash out the images? Setting up under a street light might make the job of assembling your equipment simpler, but it is not going to be a good thing when it comes to the finished image. Get away from bright lights, utility poles and wires. Trees and buildings can add interest to your finished image, but make sure they will not block the shots. Since most of us won't be shooting with the Statue of Liberty or other famous landmarks as potential focal points, look for locations where the buildings will not dominate the image. Also keep in mind you will be carrying a bit of equipment with you, so finding parking in relation to the shooting locale can also be a major consideration...not to mention the time it will take to actually walk to your chosen vantage point. Plan accordingly and leave yourself ample time to get set up.

Once you decide where you are going to shoot from, it is time to move to the next phase of preparation. Remember, a smart person would take their camera on the pre-show scouting expedition. This will allow you to look through the viewfinder and draw some conclusions about which lens you want to use. Are you going to be close in where a wide-angle lens is the best option? Is a medium telephoto a better choice or are you going to be far enough away the you can take advantage of a long telephoto? For those of you without an extensive selection of lenses, don't panic. You might just have to adjust your shooting location a little bit to properly complement your lens options. Once again, preparation is key. With this phase of the process complete, it is time to head home and prepare our gear for the show.

At home, it is time to start pulling the pieces together. Grab your small LCD flashlight and make sure it works. Make sure all your batteries are charged. Make sure your memory cards are clean, formatted and ready to go. Put fresh cards in your camera(s) before you pack them for the trip. Gather up your tripod(s) and make sure you have the necessary base plates ready if you are equipped with quick releases. Decide which lens(es) you are going to use and mount them to their respective body(bodies). If the lens has a filter on it, take it off. Filters are not your friend when shooting fireworks. Give the lens a good cleaning while you are at it, run the sensor clean function on the camera and give it a quick blow out with your rocket blower. Locate your remote cable release(s). If you have remotes that use batteries, make sure the batteries are not dead. If you are going to experiment with super long exposures/multiple exposures on one image, make sure you have your designated lens cover is ready to go. (Some use an opaque hat, I prefer a piece of heavy black fabric that I can drape over the lens) Set your camera controls for the mode you are going to be using. Most of us are going to use one of three modes....Aperture Value(Av), Manual, or Bulb. For most shooters, Manual will be the best choice...Bulb is best used by advanced shooters looking to experiment with varying exposures/multiple exposures and Av works best for shooting really close in. Set your ISO to 100. Set your Aperture to at least f/8, most of us use f/11 or f/16...some will set it to the smallest aperture available. Set your shutter time to 5 seconds initially. Make sure your lens is set to Manual Focus mode. You can pre-focus if you want...set the focus to the little sideways L shaped mark just before the infinity symbol.(the one that looks like an 8 turned sideways.) The last two items on my list are optional, but a must for me. My wife typically accompanies me, so we toss in a couple of lawn chairs and a small cooler for soda, water or iced tea.

The time has come to load the car and head for the show. Make sure you have everything we have discussed up to this point loaded and ready to go. Give yourself more than ample time to arrive at your destination. Bear in mind that this is typically a holiday and traffic is going to be heavy. If you have done your homework properly, you should be able to locate a decent parking spot and get your equipment to the shoot locale with a minimum of hassle. I have been shooting shows long enough that I know many locations that I can park and shoot from the same spot. That makes life much easier! Set up your tripod(s), attach the camera(s) and remote shutter release(s). Aim your camera in the general direction of the launch point. Make sure your lens is in manual focus mode and if you have enough light available, try to focus on a subject in the launch area...(setting lens to infinity doesn't always work folks...depending on where you are shooting from, your focus may need to be on an area much closer to the camera) Even if you have previously watched or shot fireworks from this location, you will probably have to wait for the initial shot to get the exact location you need to aim your camera.

Your first shoot is probably going to end up being a grand experiment. Shoot in the best mode for the distance...I use 3 shooting modes depending on my proximity to the fireworks. Here are the parameters I start with and a range of distances. Don't feel that you are locked in to these values...these are just starting points. Fireworks allow you to experiment. Trying a variety of settings can help you catch that "special" shot. Don't forget, most shows last 15-20 minutes so you have some time to hone your settings to the optimum values.

Close-in: Less than 200 yards from the launch point. I shoot with the camera in Av Mode. ISO 100 @f/8...this will give you a full frame of burst, which produces ample light for the camera to meter and calculate an exposure. If you want to go manual...try shutter speeds in the 1/15 to 1/4 second range to start. I typically use zoom lenses at this range. I have access to a 16-35mm, 17-40mm, 24-70mm, a 24-105mm and 28-135mm lens, experience has shown me that at this range, you are typically shooting at focal lengths shorter than 28mm....so any lens you have that covers from 10-28mm should work just fine.

Mid-range: From 200 yards to about 1/2 mile, try ISO 100 @f/8 and 1-2 seconds in manual mode as a starting point, adjust as necessary. Here we find ourselves using lenses such as the 24-70mm, 24-105mm, 28-135mm and even the 70-200mm. Depending on the framing of the shot you desire, you can adjust your zoom accordingly. I have shot at every focal length from 24-200mm at this range with excellent results. Play with your settings until you are happy!

Long-range: Shots taken from over 1/2 mile away, try ISO 100 @f/11 and 10-15 second exposures in bulb mode. This is also the mode where I just lock the shutter open and use my black cloth drape to limit the exposure/allow multiple bursts to appear in the same image. Again, I have used lenses in focal lengths ranging from 24mm to 400mm depending on the desired framing.

For examples and EXIF data see this gallery: Fireworks Images

Keep in mind, that these are just tips and guidelines. How you actually decide to shoot is entirely up to you. Experiment and have fun. There is no right or wrong way to shoot fireworks, unless you are turning out blank images....(dang it, I told you to take the lens cap off!) Processing the images after the show gives you a whole new way to interpret the shots....again...there is no right and wrong....do what makes the shot look the best to you. (Fractalius is a fun little program to play with on fireworks shots.) One last bit of advice, don't tie yourself in a knot trying to get the "perfect" shot....there isn't a tremendous market for fireworks photographs...if you are thinking you are going to get rich selling your images....you are in for big surprise. Media outlets grab up a few stellar shots each year, but that is about the extent of the market. Shoot for yourself first! And shoot because you enjoy the challenge!

Quick Tips

1. Scout your location.

2. Assemble your gear. Charge batteries, clear cards, remove filters..

3. Pack car....make sure you have everything, Including spares.

4. Travel to shoot...leave ample time....arrive early.

5. Get set up. Mount lens camera, put camera and lens on tripod. Connect remote or cable release.

6. Place camera in desired shooting mode...Av, M, or B are your primary options....you can experiment with Tv if you are bold.

7. Select your desired aperture....start at f/8 and experiment. (I more commonly use f/11 - f/16)

8. ISO 100 for starters.

9. Pre-focus your camera on a feature near the launch site for the fireworks. Make sure your camera is set to manual focus. (AF will work, but it tends to be very hit and miss.)

10. Once the display begins, use the first couple of shots to review your focus and exposure.

11. If you are satisfied with your focus, you can now experiment with your exposure....try various time intervals from 1 to 15 seconds. Review the shots until you start seeing results you are content with.

12. You can now work on fine tuning image quality:

* If your initial settings give you an image that is too dark (under-exposed), you can increase the ISO setting, increase the length of time your shutter is open or enlarge the aperture on the lens. (Adjust one variable at a time, review your image. Continue adjustments as necessary.)

* You can increase the ISO if the fireworks appear to be too dim. (Go easy, you want to keep the noise levels down.

* If you are including background features and they appear to dim, you can once again increase the ISO. (See previous post)

* If your background appears too bright, you can stop down the aperture 1 stop or reduce the length of time the shutter is open.

* If everything appears to be over-exposed, close down the aperture 1 stop at a time or decrease the length of time the shutter is open or if you have previously upped the ISO setting, you may decrease that.

13. Once you are satisfied with your settings, simply repeat the process with each new launch. Enjoy the show and remember to have fun!

Good luck and happy shooting!

Karma

2010-06-26T15:05:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, I spent a number of years in emergency service. Along the way, I had an idea for a "better mousetrap" to assist rescue personnel in performing their jobs in a faster and safer fashion. Realizing that I had neither the time nor the equipment necessary to manufacture this item, I chose to share the idea with a long time friend that just happened to have the key components that I was lacking.

After countless hours of discussion, fabrication and experimentation, a prototype was developed, which I then took to the field to give some real world testing and experience. By virtue of my job, the "mousetrap" got some remarkable hands-on experience....and the feedback allowed a variety of subtle changes to be made to refine and define the device. It wasn't long before the product was ready to be marketed to the rescue community as a quick, quiet, simple and stable safety innovation.

Shortly after the launch of the device to the rescue community, I was involved in an accident which would forever alter my life. I really had no idea at that point in time that I would never be able to go back to the job. It wasn't long after the accident that the other party involved in the "mousetrap" project showed up at my house. He thanked me profusely for all the hard work I had done on the project, but said he didn't think it would ever take off, particularly without my time and effort to show the device off and instruct people in the proper operation.

At that point in my life, I had to distance myself from the job that I was not going to be going back to, simply to maintain my own sanity. I had to focus on my life as it was going to be and not how it was. Needless to say, I didn't think much more about the strange visit, the possible death of an idea or anything beyond trying to get my own life back on track.

Flash forward to last week.....I am finally comfortable with dealing with the old job. I started doing some reading on rescue operations and was surprised to read a glowing review of my "mousetrap" from a respected national publication. Further research lead me back to the manufacturer's home page. There is much ado on the page about the company's Christian values and integrity. Imagine my surprise to learn that the idea for the "mousetrap" came to my friend "in a dream". The dream showed him the need for the device, the exact components needed and why it was almost a miracle! Seems a wee bit odd to be extolling the virtues of high moral fiber, honesty and Christian belief while stabbing a "friend" in the back.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not as bitter as I sound, I just think it is wrong to refer to the person responsible for this as "a dream". What is really important is the fact that emergency responders now have a very capable, very affordable tool in their arsenal....which makes the job of saving lives much safer and faster. I wish them all the luck in the world and hope that many lives are saved as a result.

Memorial Day

2010-05-29T10:53:00.006-04:00

Many folks view this weekend as simply the unofficial start of summer, a time to fire up the grills, dust off the patio furniture and enjoy the great outdoors with family and friends. All of those activities are fantastic ways to enjoy the warmth of late spring, but none of them could take place as we know them without the sacrifices made by our brave men and women in uniform.

Originally known as Decoration Day, the Memorial Day holiday first commemorated the deaths of soldiers from the American Civil War. Flowers or wreaths were placed on the graves, followed by singing, sermons and then a picnic. First celebrated in Waterloo, NY on May 5, 1866, the holiday gained national prominence as a result of the friendship between General John Murray of Waterloo and General John Logan, Commander in Chief of one of the earliest veteran's organizations, the Grand Army of the Republic. On May 5, 1868 Logan proclaimed May 30 Decoration Day...to be celebrated annually in honor of those who made the supreme sacrifice.

The name Memorial Day came into use in 1882, but it wasn't until after WWII that it gained widespread acceptance. In 1967, federal law officially amended the name to Memorial Day. In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill established a series of three day weekend holidays and Memorial Day was officially designated as the last Monday in May. Many people feel that the rotating date and three day weekend status has cheapened the holiday. There is currently a push among veterans' groups to have Memorial Day restored to a single day event, celebrated on the traditional May 30th date.

Tradition has the American flag flown at half-staff from dawn until noon. During this time many communities and veterans' groups hold parades and ceremonial wreath layings, followed by the playing of Taps and a 21-gun salute. At 3 p.m. local time, a national moment of remembrance is held. Many veterans wear a poppy on Memorial Day in honor of the WWI veterans commemorated in the John McCrae poem "In Flanders Fields"

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Enjoy your start of summer picnics, family gatherings and social happenings...enjoy the traditional Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, baseball games and other sporting events. Just don't forget to take time out of your busy schedule remember the real reason why you are celebrating the day. You might not be able to attend a tribute at one of our many National Cemeteries, you might not even be able to attend a local memorial ceremony, but please take a moment to remember those who gave their all to protect our rights and freedoms.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2010-04-22T10:26:00.001-04:00

On a daily basis, lifelong citizens of the United States and specifically residents of North Carolina line up at the DMV office to get a driver's license. Without fail, they are subjected to abuse and humiliation at the hands of the DMV staff....a barrage of foolish questions, a list of absurd requirements longer than the average giraffe's neck. Birth certificate, Social Security card, your last 86 utility bills, your mail for the past month, notarized statements from 10 relatives and 50 strangers that you are exactly who you claim to be are all going to be needed before the clerk will even look at your application.

Standing in the line next to you is a very nervous young man, whispering to his companion in muted Spanish...."I've only been in America for 12 hours, will they really give me papers?" "Don't worry" mumbles his friend in broken English, "they don't even question people that are obviously Mexican."

The lifelong NC resident is sent home for additional documentation. The illegal Mexican immigrant is handed a driver's license and voter registration card. The DMV clerk says to the illegal in perfect non-English...."Early voting has begun, if you need transportation or help getting to your voting place, just call the number on this card." ??????????????????????????????????

Are you kidding me?

Tiger Woods

2010-04-05T08:13:00.005-04:00

Call me naive. Call me out of touch. Call me whatever you wish, but I just don't understand the media fascination with Tiger Woods' private life. The man is a golfer, not a head of state, not a researcher on the verge of curing cancer.....just an athlete participating in what at best could be called a fringe sport.

Why does anyone think he owes them an apology? Why do you think that he needs to explain his actions any more than Joe Schmoe living next door to you does? Why does the news media seem to think he needs to justify his private life to the people reading this? Do any of you feel that you need to confess your private affairs to him?

It really is amazing that people seem to think they have some inalienable right to know what goes on behind every closed door in the world, and yet, they would be absolutely livid if anyone wanted to scrutinize their intimate actions. Isn't it about high time we accept the fact that people have sex, that people drink, that people smoke and that people do thousands and thousands of actions each and every day that simply are none of our business? Knowing which direction a celebrity wipes their backside does not make me a better person, nor does it make me more worldly or intelligent, it just makes me creepy. If we put half the effort into constructive activities that we put into finding ways to expose people's flaws, the potential for making the world a better place is mind-boggling.

Think about it...if we exerted the same amount of energy tracking Osama bin Laden that we do stalking Tiger, do you honestly think he would still be on the run? Let's get our priorities straight and focus our attention on things that actually matter.

As a somewhat related aside, I have an acquaintance that is constantly reminding me that he is a "good Baptist". For a long time, I wondered exactly what that meant. Now I have the answer. To be a "good Baptist" in Asheville, you just need to drive to Hickory or Spartanburg to hit the liquor stores and lottery retailers....and whatever you do, avoid acknowledging people that act like they think you are their next door neighbor!

The Latest Politically Correct Insanity

2010-02-22T08:11:00.001-05:00

Friday morning has come and gone. Tiger has issued an apology to the world, but the burning question remains....WHY? Whatever his foibles, whatever his transgressions, they have no bearing nor do they concern you, me or anyone beyond his family and the families of the other people involved. Perhaps his corporate sponsors feel they are due one...perhaps even rightfully so, but that could easily have been done in private, beyond the prying eyes of the world.

Tiger Woods is a man, nothing more, nothing less. He isn't a god, he isn't the President of the United States, he is simply an individual that plays golf and plays it extremely well. Unfortunately, much of the world seems to have lost track of this very important perspective. If Tiger has a bad day, makes a mistake or even fails to win....the world is not going to go to war, Armageddon is not going to be triggered, nor is life as we know it going to end.

Honestly, can any of you say you slept better Friday night in light of Tiger's public humiliation?

On Christmas and America

2009-12-24T13:51:00.001-05:00

In 1776, our forefathers created a new country, which they declared to be the United States of America. In the process of creating this new country, the wise men drafted an amazing document entitled the Constitution of the United States of America. This new document was filled with freedom, liberty, hope and promise.

Included in this document are a series of amendments that grant further specific rights and clarify others. Unfortunately, we have a group of idiots that call themselves lawyers that feel it necessary to over-think what our founding fathers had in mind. The issue specifically at hand is contained in the First Amendment to the Constitution. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." This amendment is commonly referred to as directing the separation of church and state.

Let's talk about what they really meant and how it actually effects us. All this document actually says is that Congress shall not enact any law that restricts the formation of a new religion or the right of the people to practice that religion. It may also be interpreted to mean that the government does not specifically sponsor any one religion as being the "supreme" religion. In real world terms, what were they thinking?

The answer is very simple. At the time the United States was founded, there had been a number of years of religious turmoil in Europe. Most of the religions were based on Christianity or the belief in God and his son, Jesus Christ. One church in particular concerned many people of the time, that being the Roman Catholic Church. It wasn't a question of the Catholics being bad or anything of that nature, but instead it was an issue with the structure of the religion itself. Within the church, there is a supreme member, called the Pope. Over the centuries, the Pope(s) became very powerful figure(s) and directed the members of the church in matters beyond the spiritual. It is these matters beyond the spiritual that concerned our founding fathers. Their intent was to create a government free of outside influence, in particular, one that would not be dictated to by a head of state or religion in a foreign land, but instead would be governed solely by Americans living in America.

So, what does all this have to do with Christmas? Once again, extremists have decided that the First Amendment says something that it really doesn't. They have decided that there can be no religion in America at all...no prayer in school, no ten commandments in a courthouse and no Christmas in America. These idiots need to go back and read the Constitution again...America was founded by Christians. Christians that, in their infinite wisdom, decreed that all religions would be free to practice within the confines of our country, including all those religions that make up Christianity! One of the other very important tenets of the Constitution pertains to majority rule. Read up...virtually every function of the Constitution and the Government of this nation are based on the will of the majority. Therefore, if the majority of Americans wish to celebrate Christmas, that is their right...granted to them under the Constitution. By the same token, other religions are also free to celebrate their holidays, feasts and festivals as well.

Go forth and be of good cheer....celebrate Christmas, celebrate Hanukkah, celebrate Solstice, celebrate Kwanzaa or Festivus or any other made up event you want. Just remember that I have a right to celebrate and enjoy my holiday...and I will remember and respect your rights too. However, if you think for one minute that Christmas in America should be stopped because one Atheist thinks it should....you are sadly mistaken. That one Atheist has the freedom to not participate in my celebration, but he does not have the right to stop my celebration. That folks, is the very important distinction that the lawyers of the world seem to have lost sight of.

Merry Christmas and may God bless each and everyone one of us! Be sure and take a moment of your time during this busy holiday season to remember those brave men and women serving our nation in far away places. May God bless and protect them too.

P.S. Don't forget to leave a snack for Santa!

Health Care, Education and other Federal Benefits for Illegal Aliens

2009-09-17T08:33:00.003-04:00

I find it very interesting that people keep using the same lame argument, "your parents and grandparents came from somewhere" when the subject of dealing with benefits for illegal aliens comes up. The vast majority of Americans can trace their ancestors back several generations and in most cases can show that their ancestors came to America legally...they sought permission to enter this country and become citizens. More importantly, they didn't expect the government to hand them a new life on a silver platter.

Since the ultra-liberals want to keep using our grandparents as an example, let's take a look at the facts. There was no government health care plan in those days. You paid the doctor. There was no student aid or subsidized education, you attended public school as long as your family could afford to have you not bringing in an income, then you went to work until you could afford to go on to school, which in the case of most people of that era was never. When you wanted to get a job, a driver's license or anything else that required an application....the form was in English and you either learned enough English to get by or you did without. We didn't print forms in German, French, Italian, Polish, Japanese, Chinese or any other language. If you wanted to be an American, you learned the American way and adopted it...not a complicated concept. While we are on the subject, what about all the people that can trace their roots back to Native Americans? I suppose they don't deserve any rights because they have been here too long.

Seriously, why do we now cater to people that refuse to learn our language, our laws or our way of life? Why is someone that comes to our country illegally entitled to more rights and benefits than a citizen? What next? Are we going to take the alleged terrorists that are currently detained in Guantanamo and set them up in a Holiday Inn? Maybe we should give them flying lessons while we are at it. It is time to wake up, to speak up and to stand up for what is right, what is fair and what we can afford.

9/11

2009-09-12T00:18:00.007-04:00

Every year I expect it to get easier. Every year I expect to wake up and not want to hunt down the scum sucking vermin that felt it appropriate to take away our innocence. Every year I hope some idiot politician isn't going to tell me that we no longer need a military and we can just go forth and sprinkle sugar and honey on the rest of the world and they will love us.

Guess what....8 years have passed and it hasn't happened. My friends and colleagues are still dead. Many of those that went to help the dead and dying are now dying themselves, a very real and brutal by-product of the rescue and recovery process. I still want to personally string Osama bin Laden up by his scraggly beard, hook a set of jumper cables to his testicles and give him a little jolt every so often. I'd like every single American to have a remote control button they could press whenever they wanted...to give him a thrill too. I'd like to personally slap some sense into Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and every other bleeding heart that thinks you can make friends with terrorists or that they deserve the same rights and freedoms as Americans. They deserve nothing more than what they would get in their own country. They deserve no protection under the Geneva Accords...they represent no country, no government or state. They deserve to be treated by the same rules their victims and intended victims were treated to by them. They waged war on civilians, as civilians....time to pay the piper.

We need to draw the line with rogue nations. You are either on our team or you aren't. Pakistan....don't expect another cent in US aid until you turn over the people hiding within your borders. The same needs to apply for all these other places that don't want to help, but want our money...you want us to support you, then damn it, get off your asses and start supporting us. How long can your people eat sticks, weeds and dirt before they revolt? You want something from us...then give us something in return. Americans need to overcome their collective naïveté and understand that these people don't like us and never will...no matter how many times we kiss their asses, no matter how much money, food and medicine we give them or how many times we save them from being bombed back to the stone ages by other nations that are sick of their attitudes.

We can't even take care of Americans. We need a viable health care solution for this country and instead we have idiots dreaming up ways to complicate the process. Medicare and Medicaid have gotten so complex that doctors routinely spend a portion of nearly every day trying to get an opinion from some lawyer in Washington on how to treat their patients. Doctors should decide medical care, not lawyers. Just another example of how messed up this country has gotten. When it comes time to vote, people need to wake up and elect officials that are going to represent the interests of Joe Average citizen, not just the wealthy and arrogant.

The Snake

2009-09-06T14:15:00.003-04:00

As some of you know, I recently completed a cross country safari, that was a mix of both business and pleasure. During the journey home from Mesa, AZ, I experienced one of the funniest episodes of real life that I can recall. The experience was probably heightened a bit by the fact that my good friend Dan Campbell features a beleaguered rattlesnake in his comics, but there is also a good chance that the absurdity of the moment played a pretty big role as well.

To set the stage a bit, I am not a big fan of snakes. This wasn't helped any by a stop at a New Mexico rest area where the first thing that greeted you was a very large sign warning you to be aware of the crawling reptiles. I hopped out of the car with a fairly strong urge to use the facilities. A truck driver exiting them casually said, "Don't worry about the one over in the corner, he's just a little guy and won't bother you." A quick peek around the corner and suddenly I no longer had either the need or the desire to use the restroom. What looked to me to be a very large rattlesnake was lounging in the far corner under the sinks. I managed to wait another hour until I arrived at my hotel before I even had any thought of needing a bathroom.

The following morning, I set out from Clayton, NM enroute to Dallas to meet up with some friends and fellow photographers. The first leg of the trip took me from Clayton to Amarillo. While traveling south along US 287, I couldn't help marvel at the beautiful day and the scenery that was so foreign to me. Vast tracts of flat, interspersed with an occasional rolling hill or a carved out river valley...it was interesting and had my eyes constantly scanning for a photo opportunity. I could only wish to have filmed what happened next.

Ahead of me were a tractor trailer and a large 15 passenger van towing a trailer. I pulled out to pass and had just cleared the semi when I noticed something ahead of the van that looked like a large stick lying in the road. The driver of the van was unable to avoid it and the wheels on the driver's side ran over the object very close to one end. At this point, it became crystal clear that the object was a fair sized rattler...maybe a bit less than 4 feet long. Instead of balling up like most snakes do, this one did something a wee bit different. It stiffened and went straight as an arrow. The trailer wheels struck it and the snake was thrown into the air...still stiff as a board! The snake passed me in mid-air in somewhat of a heads up vertical position, only to meet the radiator shroud of the tractor trailer. Splat! The truck now had a hood ornament with the head of the snake looking back at the driver. Now, if I didn't know better, I could have sworn that that snake looked at me as he went by, with that whole "help me" look plastered on his face. I suspect that I can give Dan the credit for that vision.

The driver immediately slowed his rig and pulled to the shoulder...no doubt to remove his passenger. I, on the other hand, stepped on the gas and headed to Amarillo, chuckling at the absurdity of the moment and thanking my lucky stars that the snake hadn't come to visit my car.

2009- -A Time to Grow

2009-05-11T22:25:00.003-04:00

There is a minor uproar in the mountains about a cartoon that seems to allude to the fact we might be more at risk for swine flu as a result of our penchant for being ignoramuses with a fascination for livestock. Sadly, other than a few vocal transplants taking offense, there seems to be little or no effort to break the stereotype.

Within the past couple of years, there have been numerous incidents that have done nothing but reinforce the notion that all the residents of western North Carolina are a bunch of ignorant hillbillies. The first and probably most painful blow was struck by the nomination of a local high school senior for a prestigious national award. On paper, the young lady was by far and away the most qualified recipient and was invited to NYC to the final screening process. Unfortunately, everything fell apart when she began speaking in the mountain vernacular, instead of using the more formal American English that she obviously knew. Sure, there is a certain charm to a subtle southern drawl....but this was far beyond that.

Local television affiliate WLOS-TV 13 does nothing to help improve the situation. It seems every newscast that they go out of their way to find people that only speak in near unintelligible gibberish to showcase on their newsreels. The subject matter doesn't seem to have any bearing...if they can find someone that talks like they have a mouth full of marbles, on camera they go. Not only that, but the less intelligent the comments appear, the more airtime they get. If you can come across as a total yokel, you virtually guarantee your appearance on the 5, 5:30, 6, 11, 5-7 and noon newscasts...if the story is hot enough, you might make the cycle on two consecutive days. And lest we forget, you will be shared over on the sister station WMYA-40.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of your heritage, but damn...the Civil War ended 144 years ago. It is high time to stop propagating the stereotype and move into the modern era. There are far more intelligent and well educated people living in WNC than there are hillbillies. It is high time to start showcasing the positives!

Cherry Blossoms and a Whole Lot More

2009-04-05T16:09:00.001-04:00

Once again, I am back home on the range after a whirlwind trip to our Nation's capital. A rare opportunity cropped up to meet with a group of fellow Canon photographers and shoot some of the sights and history of Washington. One never knows what to expect from gatherings of strangers...and even though I had previously met one of the other participants, there was still a certain feeling of trepidation leading up to the actual event. I can now safely report that any fears or concerns were totally unfounded. The group I met with just as crazy and fun in person as they are in our online sessions.

DC and the Cherry Blossoms

2009-03-29T01:28:00.003-04:00

The schedule this week calls for a quick trip to DC to meet up with some of the Canon photographers and see if we can get some interesting takes on the cherry blossoms. At least a couple of us also hope to spend some time shooting the National Mall after dark...perhaps get in a few monument shots. Should be fun for all involved. I expect to have pictures by Friday at the latest...maybe sooner if I have wireless service available.

Return to Reality

2009-03-23T14:29:00.003-04:00

Vacation is over and the long drive from Central Florida to North Carolina is now just a painful memory. Sure wish there was a better way to do it....but I don't see anything on the horizon that is going to solve that problem.

On the way home, I stopped at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Even though the region is locked in the ravages of a drought, the bounty of wildlife and scenery was rather incredible. No, it isn't in the same league as the launch of the Space Shuttle...but it isn't far behind. Mother Nature provides some great treats for us as well! The whole purpose for going to Merritt Island was to gather some images of the Roseate Spoonbill, a very unique looking bird, with striking coloration and an even more striking bill.

It is going to take a while to process all the images from this trip...nearly 2000 shots...covering a wide variety of subjects....from the Everglades to the Shuttle and beyond. It was a great vacation...nice to spend time with my parents and my best pal...one of these days my wife might even get to come along too! I suspect she would have as much fun as I always do.

Greetings from Orlando

2009-03-18T11:10:00.009-04:00

Haven't written much of late...busy recharging my batteries in sunny Florida. I've now been here a week and wish I had another week to do all the things I would love to do. For now, I'll just have to settle for the things I've done.

The main intent of this trip was to photograph the launch of the space shuttle Discovery. Originally slated to take off around 9pm on March 11th, STS-119 looked to be a full blown night launch...a small hydrogen leak postponed things for a couple of days and the new launch window called for a dusk launch...at 7:43pm on March 15th. From a photographic standpoint, it posed a few challenges...especially for someone that had no experience shooting a launch, much less one with tricky lighting. I will have to admit, at some point in the process, photography became less than important.

The site we selected for viewing was in the city of Titusville, directly across from the Vehicle Assembly Building and offering a slightly obstructed view of the actual launch pad. Ground level haze also added to the difficulty of shooting the event. Being 11 miles away, I was painfully short in the lens department. One of Canon's new 800mm lenses with a 2x teleconverter would have been just the ticket, especially when coupled to a tripod with a full gimbal head, which would allow for easy tracking. Instead, I attacked the problem with 2 cameras...one with a 300mm lens and stacked 1.4x and 2x teleconverters and a second one with a 70-200mm lens and a 1.4x teleconverter. While these equipment choices worked...I would definitely attack things differently for the next launch.

With me on this safari were my parents and my best friend Doug (who is also my step-mom's youngest brother). For those of you that don't know Doug, he has Down Syndrome. Perhaps his condition served to draw us together originally...starting the day we first met in Kindergarten some 47 years ago and continuing to this day. For whatever reason, Doug and I were drawn together that first day of school, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by our teacher, Mrs Cline. From that day on, she made a point of having Doug and I in close proximity to each other at all times. Even without the teacher's help, I am sure we would have spent most of that school year watching out for each other anyway, because for whatever reason, Doug and I have always had a special bond. Perhaps it came from our classroom, were we had a replica Mercury space capsule that we spent large amounts of our time in and around. Doug and I both liked rockets then and we still do.

As the countdown wound down, you could feel the excitement building. Suddenly, the timer hit zero...the sky lit up and Discovery began what appeared to be a gentle ascent into the twilight. I tried hard to juggle cameras and photograph the event...but suddenly I became more aware of what was taking place by my side...Doug was cheering at the top of his lungs...Go,go,go!!! Next thing I know, we were both cheering...slapping high fives and just plain dancing around with excitement. I tried to snap a few more photos...but a hug from Doug and more cheering just seemed a whole lot more appropriate. I honestly wished that I had a video camera with me so that I could have recorded that moment for posterity. Two small town boys from upstate New York had just flown over the moon without ever leaving the ground...fulfilling a nearly 50 year old fantasy and proving that dreams do come true. I can honestly say that I had leaky eyes for a moment...

I wish that I was a more skillful writer or even speaker, with the ability to craft this tale in a manner that would be easier for folks to fathom. I called my wife after the launch and tried to explain the moment. I failed dismally. She could sense the excitement in my voice, but she couldn't grasp the moment. If you have never had the experience of seeing a Shuttle launch in person, you simply can not begin to comprehend the enormity of a launch event. The sights, the sounds, the feelings...there is an assault on all of our senses...not a bad assault in the strictest sense of the word, but instead more of a sensory overload as the magnificent beast climbs to the heavens. There are only a few launches left on the calendar...if there is any way you could experience a launch in person...I couldn't recommend it any more highly! And I'm sure Doug agrees.

(I should also mention that my folks were pretty darn impressed with the launch too!)

Moronic Mom

2009-03-05T11:40:00.003-05:00

Asheville has been the butt of American breastfeeding jokes for the past month, but this morning the torch has been passed to Kettering, Ohio. What kind of ignoramus would attempt to breastfeed while driving? While we are at it....let's toss in talk on the cell phone while resting the child's head against the steering wheel/airbag.

Feb 28, 2009 10:12 AM
The Associated Press

KETTERING–Police in Ohio say a woman has been charged with child endangering after another motorist reported she was both breastfeeding a youngster and talking on a phone while driving.

Police in the Dayton suburb of Kettering say the caller told them he saw the woman Thursday.

Officer Michael Burke says authorities used a license plate number to track down 39-year-old Genine Compton.

He said the woman told officers she was breastfeeding and wouldn't let her child go hungry.

Burke said the legal concern is that Compton had a child in her lap while driving, not that she was breastfeeding in public.

He said the child was under two years old.

Police say the woman faces up to 180 days in jail and a $1,800 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor.

If your child is that hungry...you stop the car and take care of their needs. Obviously common sense is not a part of this woman's vocabulary. Since this woman has indicated that she feels her behavior is acceptable, I hope the judge gives her the 180 days in jail...if nothing more than to keep her off the highway until the child is weaned!

My Dream Assignment

2009-03-03T02:53:00.001-05:00

Appalachia: The Changing Face of Rural America

Capturing a slice of America that most people would never see or even know exists has long fascinated me.

Going back to a segment of American life that seems to have been overlooked by the mainstream. Documenting the foibles, follies and failures that are so often a part of mountain culture...yet also showcasing the lighter and brighter side of the region as well is the heart of my project. There is a whole segment of American population that the vast majority of people have no idea even still exist.

Your votes and support will help me fulfill this dream. Thanks!

Missing in action

2009-02-23T04:48:00.002-05:00

My post from Saturday has become part of the great vaporsphere. Unfortunately, I didn't save a draft and I can't find it via the cache route...it may still surface, but I can certainly replicate the gist of it here.

Essentially, the post was just to let local readers know of today's planned protest at the local Denny's, where our local boob plans to make yet another statement in an effort to prolong her 15 minutes of fame.

With that background info in hand, suffice it to say that the big protest today was effectively a bust...hehehe There were a few that showed up...but once again the main focus was on our main boob. Dressed in bright red to be sure and draw more attention, she made a big production of nursing her overly large child in the parking lot....all the while complaining that Denny's owed her a huge apology for her outlandish behavior.

There was one fair well spoken young lady from South Carolina that presented some statistics on breast feeding from her county in South Carolina. To be honest, I am not sure what breastfeeding statistics from a neighboring state have to do with a controversy over an Asheville woman choosing to make a natural act into some sort of lewd spectacle, but nonetheless, the facts were presented for those in attendance to digest. The manager for Denny's explained that they have no policy prohibiting breastfeeding, they simply ask that any customer that is causing a disturbance or interfering with other patrons rights either act in a civilized manner or take their show elsewhere.

One can only hope that sooner or later this woman will just dry up and blow away. Maybe she can take her show on the road. That might be just the ticket for prolonging her time in the spotlight. She can make an ass of herself in some other town and Asheville can go back to being just plan Asheville, instead of the butt of every cheap tit joke going.

Broken Blog

2009-02-22T16:20:00.002-05:00

Last night's post has vanished into the vapor. I have to go back and see if I can recover it via the cache. As for there being no posts showing on this page, I just remembered why....you have to post something! The posts are archived each week and if there is no fresh material....the column appears blank. Guess I need to get back on the writing stick. I hope to have yesterday's post restored before long. Thanks for looking in!

Friday the 13th

2009-02-13T11:48:00.002-05:00

Kick off your old tired fears and superstitions, not only is today Friday the thirteenth....it is also hug day. Go forth and share some hugs with your deserving friends and fans! Enjoy the prelude to Valentine's Day....

Making a clean breast of it.

2009-02-12T16:13:00.002-05:00

So yesterday, you heard all about the battle of the boob...today I have to declare the big story a non-story. Seems the young lady involved had a bit of an agenda and has since admitted that she went to the restaurant with the sole intent of causing a scene with the after church crowd. Pretty sad that she felt compelled to stoop to this level, let alone involve a child in her scheme. I am not going to dignify her cause by identifying her and giving it any further publicity. I certainly hope the mainstream media outlets jump on board...particularly the TV station that found it necessary to show her act over and over and over. She's had her 15 minutes of fame and then some...

Breastfeeding Brouhaha

2009-02-11T14:24:00.005-05:00

Sunday morning in the mountains, pretty much like any other, first church and then a stop at a local eatery for a family brunch. You are enjoying your stack of pancakes when you notice a rather buxom young lady and her son walk in and take a seat near you. Nothing so unusual about that, there are lots of single moms and their children wandering around.

What happens next is where things get a bit unusual. The young man leaves his seat and climbs in his mother's lap. He then paws at her neckline until he exposes her breast and begins nursing. Before we go any further, let me categorically state that there is no refuting the benefits of breast feeding and that I certainly have no qualms about that at all.

What makes this a bit beyond ordinary breast feeding is the age of the child...we aren't talking about an infant here, nor even a toddler...we are talking a child that appears to be 4-5 years old. Several patrons that witnessed the event asked to speak to a manager and simply asked if the lady and child could be a bit more discrete. When a request from the management was met with scorn and a scream about rights and freedom...the local police department was called for a clarification.

There is no law or statute that prohibits breast feeding anywhere in the State of North Carolina. That part of the story is good...certainly it should not be left to the state to determine who, when or where should breast feeding be allowed. The police agency confirmed that point and stated that no crime had been committed under state law. However, they also confirmed that the restaurant was private property and as such, they were free to determine what is or isn't appropriate behavior in that establishment.

Had everyone remained rational and respectful of others around them, things probably never would have gotten to the point of having to address what is or isn't the law. Had the woman simply opted to be a bit more discrete, the issue would have been a non-issue and everyone would have been happy. Instead, she chose to make a scene and claim she was standing up for her rights. Customer after customer in the surrounding seats began departing the restaurant, tired of the shenanigans of this woman and her "baby". Eventually, management of the restaurant explained to the woman that she could either cover up or she could leave. After a heated exchange, she left the premises and immediately went screaming to any and every media outlet she could find.

The local ABC affiliate jumped on the bandwagon and went so far as to show this large child nursing during the interview. This set off yet another firestorm of controversy...was it really necessary to show this display on the evening news just to make a point? Once again, extremism rears its ugly head. At what point does breast feeding cease being a normal and natural act and transition to something that is just weird? Since when does the tail wag the dog? What ever happened to majority rule? What ever happened to common sense? What ever happened to common courtesy, respect and an understanding of the rights and feelings of others?

To hear the extremist crowd rant, you would think that they feel it would be perfectly fine if the woman's husband decided he wanted a little snack as well and that it would be within their rights to do so in the middle of a crowded restaurant. I think that might be a bit too far...what do you think?

NASCAR at the crossroads (and every other major sport too)

2009-02-08T08:32:00.004-05:00

Now that the first big event of the 2009 season is out of the way, it is time for the corporate fat cats to do some serious re-evaluation of their greed mongering ways. With the vast majority of the seats empty, NASCAR can only hope that lots of fans enjoyed the race on TV...

Track owners are totally out of touch with reality. Bruton Smith has certainly done some wonderful things for the sport, but he has also blacktopped his own wallet several times over. His comments suggesting that the driver's are to blame for slumping attendance show just how far out of touch the owners and promoters have become. I'm glad to hear that Dale Jr. fired back a very direct and to the point response. He (Jr.) is absolutely right, fans don't come to the race track to get autographs, they come to watch races and the autograph is just a perk. But if the fan can't afford to even walk through the gates, they will not get to watch the race or get an autograph...and they certainly won't be chowing down on $5 hotdogs.

The world of sports has gotten out of control. Somewhere along the line, people have lost touch with reality. Suddenly we are paying people 100 or even 1000 times more a year than we pay the people that protect us from crime, the people that fight the fires that threaten to destroy our homes and property, the people that make us well when we are sick or injured and most importantly, the people that educate our future generations of thinkers and workers. School teachers making $30,000 a year while a baseball or football player gets $30 million to play a game? Folks, you call that what you want, but I call it an obscenity. Fans around the world need to wake up. Sports are just games, simple diversions to give us something to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I have no problem with sports figures being well paid for what they do, because unlike the vast majority of jobs, athletes only have a limited career span. Even so, there is no way that a basketball player is worth more over the life of their employment years than a teacher. Throw in the fact that these people are supposedly college educated and therefore able to find alternative employment after their game playing days have ended, their already absurd salaries become even more insane.

Seems that the fans have been gouged, raped and pillaged for years. It really is a shame that folks in the world of sports have such a dim view of the people that pay their wages. And it is equally as sad that the fans have become such sheep that they continue to accept outrageous ticket prices, insane parking rates, bizarre concession fees and the host of other exorbitant fees that go along with watching a live sporting event. Perhaps our sick economy will finally generate enough of a shock wave to stimulate the fans to revolt against the out of control spending and greed they have been subjected to.

On a lighter note, did anyone notice I picked two of the top 3 finishers last night? I suspect I might have been 3 for 3 had Jeff Burton not been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Wal*mart Cup - The End of the Road

2009-02-07T13:27:00.002-05:00

Just when it looked like Wally*mart was going to be the salvation of NASCAR, the whole deal has fallen apart. As a fan of competitive racing and fair play...I have to say I am disappointed that this deal wasn't put together. If nothing else to stop Chad Knaus from being rewarded yet again for being the biggest cheat in the whole garage area.

Speaking of trouble in the home improvement warehouse sponsorship camps....Home Depot has to make some decisions in the very near future. Do they hinge their good name on some sleazy little punk or do they get out before he embarrasses them big time. Joey Logano has already shown his true colors...he doesn't care who he wrecks and he has no remorse about it. Is Joe Gibbs trying to assemble the biggest cast of misfits on the planet?

I know Tony Stewart had a few rough moments early in his career and between Joe and Bob Nardelli, they were able to smooth the rough edges....but Coach Gibbs is a few years older and Bob Nardelli is now at Chrysler. So that leaves the incoming punk in the hands of the current two biggest punks in the sport. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin setting an example for a kid that is already not much more than a common street thug....oh boy. How long before we have to have armed guards on pit row? Raw talent can only carry you so far on the track. Eventually your fellow competitors tire of your nonsense and take matters into their own hands. The problem with vigilante justice is there is always the risk of innocent victims falling prey to the actions. You won't see a lot of tears for Kyle or Denny or Joey getting stuffed in the wall...but nobody wants to see it happen at the expense of the other drivers on track with them. Suddenly I don't envy Greg Zipadelli...it would be great to see him join Home Depot in departing the Gibbs organization.

On a lighter note...it seems kind of funny to see the Burton name back on the Cat car...perhaps this will bring Jeff the same good fortune at Daytona that it brought Ward. A 14, 31, 29 top three tonight would be great...but it will be even better next Sunday! Here's to a great season for Tony, Jeff and Kevin. And a special shout out to Geoff...good luck in the coming week.

The Wal*mart Cup - Day V

2009-02-02T14:17:00.003-05:00

Just when things were starting to look promising, the greedy track owners have managed to set negotiations back almost to square one. Whoever the genius was that decided that local coverage blackouts would be a good idea seriously needs to be taken out back and flogged. Once that is complete, he needs to go in for a thorough head examination.

The economy is in the freaking toilet. People are worried about silly things like putting food on the table or even keeping a roof over their heads....and some Einstein wannabe thinks that blacking out local coverage of the races is going to increase attendance. I have news for you, not only will it not increase attendance, it may very well alienate some of your loyal fan base. The last thing you need to be doing is running off fans!

There is only one way to increase attendance at the tracks...make it affordable again. People simply have a budget these days...and if they have decide between necessities and luxuries, guess what is going to win. I can tell you that I have drastically cut back on my NASCAR related travel. I would much rather see a race in person than watch it on TV, but when the prices keep spiraling out of sight, I keep my dollars in my pocket.

This isn't rocket science that we are talking here. If a person has a $100 entertainment budget and that is stretching things....they are not going to spend $150 just to buy a ticket, which doesn't include parking or camping or food or travel. What the track operators need to realize is simply this....you can find a way to get that person to the track, into a seat, with a hotdog in hand and a beer on the side....or you can just get nothing. Do the math...100,000 fans in the seats @ $100 each or 20,000 fans in the seats @ $200 each. Me, I'll take the $10,000,000 gate and work with it....but the current crop of geniuses seem to think that they would rather take $4,000,000. Economics baby, simple economics...somebody needs to wake up.

The Wal*mart Cup - Day IV

2009-01-31T03:26:00.003-05:00

Negotiations are continuing at a frantic pace. It is enough of a done deal that teams and tracks have been notified to remove any and all reference to Sprint/Nextel in preparation for the arrival of the new Wal*mart Cup logo. Graphic designers back in the Bentonville, AR home offices are scrambling to come up with just the right catchy logo...to guarantee the fans will immediately recognize and enjoy. Rumor has it that the roll back the prices guy, holding a beer in one hand and a cheesy trophy in the other has the inside track. I wonder if the dangling James Deanesque cigarette will be incorporated as well.

We haven't seen the new championship scoring...but it is no secret that the "Chase" is history. Someone has finally discovered that it is the fans that actually pay for the sport and since they universally hated the artificial championship format....that sucker is gone. In an effort to instill a sense of fair play that NASCAR couldn't seem to grasp, any team penalized for cheating during the course of the season would be ineligible to win the championship. Face it, race fans aren't stupid...and they don't want their champions to be either...if you get caught cheating, you don't deserve to be champion. Also gone is the stupid penalty for a driver displaying a little emotion. Accidentally let slip the F-bomb and you won't be losing points and bucks...the folks in Bentonville only believe in censoring music! Really, think about it...Tony Stewart leads the first 450 laps of the race and is preparing to lap 43rd place Michael Waltrip for the 82nd time....when Michael's immense talent comes to a boil and he turns dead left into Tony in mid-pass...putting them both on the hauler. Do you really want to hear an interview where Tony tell us what a lovely sportsman Michael is, or would you really like to hear what he thinks?

It looks like we will still have to look at the ugly Cars of Tomorrow/Today for at least the immediate future, but expect that come the July race at Daytona...teams will be back in something that looks like a stock car...powered by "stock" motors....if the only engine a consumer can buy in a Toyota is a 4 cylinder...then the only engine in a Toyota on track will be a 4 cylinder. If the biggest V-8 available in the Chevy Malibu is 305 cubic inches...then that is going to be the maximum displacement come race day. One other little kicker will happen while the teams are refueling at the Murphy Oil/Sam's Club gas pumps....each car will be allowed a maximum of 30 gallons of gas for a 500 mile race. Wal*mart is all about green these days and fuel economy standards for the race teams will help reinforce that point.

I hope we have all the details ironed out before the start of speed week!

The Wal*mart Cup - Day III

2009-01-30T11:06:00.002-05:00

Wow...just got wind of some exciting news about the impending Wal*mart/NASCAR merger. The changes are happening so fast that it is hard to keep track of them all. Here are a few of the highlights that have come to my attention in this morning's press releases.

Concessions...you know the little old ladies that push around the microwave and hot plate carts at Sam's Club? Well guess what? They are taking over the concessions at the tracks. They even have an agreement in principle that will allow them to keep those spiffy hair nets! There will be a veritable gourmet selection of items to choose from, the only catch being you are going to have to buy one of those industrial sized frozen packages if you wish more than the one bite sample.

Pit stops...the days of pulling into the pits in front to main grandstand is over. Starting immediately, all tracks will be reconfigured with an exit ramp that leads directly to the Wally*world Express Tire and Lube Center. Cars will be serviced by the crack teams of service technicians voted as the best in regional competitions among all North American Wally*worlds. Cars will be serviced on a first come, first served basis...and all the action will be displayed for the fans on the new Vizio big screens. As an added bonus for the fans, they will be able to purchase the TVs after the race...at demo prices!

Tickets...as was previously mentioned, you will be able to put tickets on layaway and make easy weekly payments. Yes, there is a down side to this method, a ticket that would normally cost you $100 will end up being $200...but you will be able to make simple $4 weekly payments. Ticketmaster and other ticket venues will be totally out of the loop...tickets will only be sold at the new NASCAR customer service desk located in Wally*world Supercenters. All tickets will become first come, first served items. Tickets for the following year's race will go on sale at 8a.m. Tuesday mornings following the completion of each event. Infield spectators and campers will now purchase tickets in the same fashion as everyone else. Ticket packages will come in 4 levels...Level 1 - The Springer Show Rejects @ $25 each - the first 10 rows at any track...Level 2 - Trailer Trash @ $50 each - the second 10 rows at any track, any obstructed view seat and general admission to the two road courses...Level 3 - Fancy Rich Bitch @ $100 each - all remaining grandstand seats from row 21 and up, also the base fee for all infield spectators and campers (each person and each RV in the infield must have a ticket)...Level 4 - The Fat Cat Package @ $999.99 - formerly known as the luxury boxes, now available to anyone with the cash. External camping is free with a $250 purchase that the trackside Supercenter or $100 with any lesser qualifying purchase ($150 minimum).

Watch this space for further updates!

The Wal*mart Cup - Day II

2009-01-29T23:31:00.002-05:00

I think more and more people are starting to embrace this concept. Face it...NASCAR, Wal*mart and trailer parks go hand in hand, just ask any Formula One fan. Cheap beer, generic cigarettes, trashy women, toothless Skoal chomping rednecks, jacked up pick-up trucks and Confederate flags....are common denominators for all three venues.

Somebody is bound to ask what trailer parks have to do with this. Have you ever been to a NASCAR event? One look around and you will see the ultimate mobile home park, one that relocates every single week for 36 weeks before retiring to Florida for a couple of months. It is hard to believe that they don't experience a tornado every single week, given that most of the racetracks are located in the heart of tornado alley. Under Wal*mart sponsorship...fans will have the option of putting their mobile homes up on blocks at their favorite track...they can pay their $50 weekly rent at the customer service desk.

In a radical departure from previous title sponsors, Wal*mart says that it has no desire to demand other sponsors be banned from the track, instead they will just roll back their prices until the competition cries uncle. That means great news for Chip Ganassi, who can now keep Target (to be pronounced tar-zhay from now on, so that it sounds more sophisticated) as one of the prime sponsors of his team. The cell phone carriers will all be back as sponsors too....as long as they agree to put kiosks in every Wally*world and Club Sammy.

Now for the real bombshell. Wal*mart is going to announce that Walgreens is actually a part of the Wally*world family and will be taking over as title sponsor of the former Busch/Nationwide series. They will be handing out free Viagra and condoms to Saturday race fans....and will offer free in-house early pregnancy screenings for 30 days after each race weekend.

Even with all these big changes in the wind...look for one more. Wally*world will absorb Camping World....and the truck racing series will become the Sam's Club Series. Your whole world...now under one macro-economic umbrella. Who could ask for more?

NASCAR Needs a New Title Sponsor

2009-01-28T21:34:00.002-05:00

Rumor has it that Sprint/Nextel is in dire financial straits. Layoffs are at hand and the stockholders are screaming for fiscal responsibility. As a direct result, Sprint/Nextel is canceling their title sponsorship of NASCAR and all other sports events.

Given this sudden financial void...what's a series to do? Certainly they can't fund it on their own....so who best to step in as the lead sponsor? The answer is simple...Wal*mart! Face it, Wal*mart already gets the bulk of the average NASCAR fan's paycheck each and every week...by jumping in as a sponsor, they have opened the door to collecting the entire paycheck.

Look for a huge new NASCAR branded section to slap you in the face the second you enter you nearest WallyWorld. Gone is the handful of NASCAR t-shirts from the men's department...instead you will find full blown souvenir trailers in every store...if it pertains to NASCAR....you will find it at your local store...from tickets to the next race to camping permits to race worn driver's apparel...you will find it on the shelves.

Each NASCAR track will feature a Super Wally*mart in their parking lot. Forget your sleeping bag? No problemo ace! Just wander over to Wally's and snag all your weekend needs. Want a better seat for next year's race? Again, no problemo...just put those tickets on layaway and make easy weekly installments! One stop shopping folks...we have you covered!

Iran

2009-01-25T04:18:00.003-05:00

Simple one word title, crazy deep implications. I am thoroughly perplexed by Iranian fascination with my blog, my websites and my various social networking pages. I don't take pictures of potential terrorist targets. I have no affiliation with any government or government agency. I am not a lobbyist, nor am I connected to any particular politician. I live out in the middle of nowhere....where a terror attack is primarily going to scare some cows.

So, what in the hell is the fascination? I can't see that the average Iranian would have any burning desire to get into the world of a small town American. There certainly isn't any intrigue or mystery in my corner of the world.

Oh darn...I think I just figured it out. These clowns think my basement was Dick Cheney's undisclosed location....Guess again. I can also assure you that it won't be Joe Biden's undisclosed location either....Sarah Palin might have gotten an invite, but she wouldn't have been able to see Russia from here.

I know that someone will ask...how do I know that my various elements of web presence are being viewed by Iranians? The answer is very simple. You can't see it, but each and every page that I have includes some form of tracking device so that I can see what is popular or not, as well as who it is or isn't popular with. So regardless if you are in Boring, Oregon or Santiago, Chile...even Tehran, Iran, I have some idea who is checking me out.

Restored....Sort of

2009-01-23T00:00:00.002-05:00

I couldn't save the photographs or the comments...but I did manage to save the substance of my posts from last year....restored to pre-hate mail status. I am sure that there are people that are not going to agree with the things I said...I suspect it might even irritate a few people, but that is not my problem. I have an opinion and I am entitled to it. I pose no threat to national security...I don't advocate anything illegal...I just share my opinions. If you don't like them...don't read them. For the folks that do read regularly, I'd like to say that I appreciate you taking the time to listen to my musings.

Originally Posted 10/3/2008

2009-01-22T23:56:00.001-05:00

Tuesday's Trash
from The Daily Scream by Dan
When I went to bed last night, I was sure that I lived in the United States. But when I woke up this morning, it would appear that I have somehow moved to Israel. Why else would the Congress of this country be taking the day off in the middle of a national crisis to celebrate Jewish New Year? Yes...the Constitution of the United States guarantees freedom of religion...but nowhere does it say that our Congress is granted the right to celebrate non-traditional holidays. What are these fools thinking? It is understandable for the members of the Jewish faith to celebrate the day, but it sets a very poor precedent when the other members decide to blow the day off as well. What's next? A recess for Canadian Thanksgiving? Bastille Day?

Many Americans are wondering if we are teetering on the brink of the next Great Depression. Our elected officials would rather spend the day playing grab ass at the beach, instead of worrying about the concerns of the American public. How many of these clowns are up for re-election and just how many of them are going to get voted back in? Perhaps it is time for Joe Average to get off his ass and scream a bit...particularly at the voting booth. Time for a change. Time to take back the government that supposedly is by the people, for the people.

Originally Posted 10/3/2008

2009-01-22T23:55:00.000-05:00

Wednesday Wonderings
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Ever wonder how in the hell Hillary Clinton became NY State's Senator? Seems that Senate seats are simply bought and sold. You don't have to be a resident of a state to be the Senator. How absurd is that? Why on earth was an arrogant house frau from Arkansas elected to represent people she has no knowledge of? The sale of Senate seats in NY is not a new concept, Bobby Kennedy bought one back in the 60s.

Hillary isn't the only example....Elizabeth Dole is only marginally better. Yes, she did live in NC eons ago...but left and hasn't been a resident or even much of a visitor for over 40 years. It certainly seems odd that we elect people to represent us that are totally out of touch with the needs and wants of the very people they were sent to represent.

On a slightly different subject, why don't we have term limits on ALL of our elected representatives? We decided we didn't want a president for life....the same should apply to members of the Senate and the House of Representatives....and it should trickle all the way down to the local level. Two terms in any elected post is ample....and we certainly aren't lacking for replacements. Share the wealth...let everyone have a chance to screw things up.

Interestingly enough, I had written the bit about term limits before the nonsense in NYC with King Bloomberg and his sudden desire to ditch the term limits he once supported. Makes you wonder why one person so thinks they are so valuable to the planet that things will just cease to function without their tutelage.

Originally Posted 10/3/2008

2009-01-22T23:52:00.000-05:00

Thursday Thrashings
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Am I the only person that is totally annoyed by negative campaign ads? I swear, they just make me want to smack the boob that dreamed them up.

Almost as annoying as the negative ads is the latest trend of having people in commercials talk like they had just been harpooned. That pained, gasping speak is right up there with dragging fingernails across a blackboard!

In 1979, I owned a Ford f-150 pickup that routinely got 28-30mph....2 wheel drive with a 302 V-8 and overdrive. My last pickup was a 2003 Ford Ranger....on a good day it got 17 mpg....from a rompin', stompin' little 4-cylinder. And American auto manufacturers wonder why their business sucks.

How about that gas crisis in the Southeast US? The lies are simply amazing. I sure hope we never have a true national emergency....no one could respond because the gas all evaporates when there is even a threat. I suppose it could have something to do with the southerners tendencies to hoard things. Anyone ever seen what happens if the weatherman mentions snow? You won't find a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk or a roll of toilet paper. Makes you wonder what these people do when the storm comes...then again...maybe we don't want to know.

Originally Posted 10/3/2008

2009-01-22T23:51:00.000-05:00

Friday Fumigation
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Much ado is being made about Governor Palin's lack of experience. Has anyone bothered to make note that Senator Obama is equally inexperienced. The big difference? One is a Presidential candidate and one is a VP candidate. I think I am a whole lot more concerned about a greenhorn with his finger on the trigger, than I am about one with a supporting role. The VP can gain a whole lot of experience in office without directly harming the nation....the same can't be said for the President.

The elections are still over a month away and the negative ads are coming to a fever pitch. Sure am glad the TV remote features a mute button. I want a TV that automatically cuts the sound off when commercials come on.

Anyone following the Wachovia/Citi/Wells Fargo saga? I think it is wonderful that there is some competition for my bank. I also find it pretty funny that Citi is screaming that since they made the first offer, it has to be honored. Wachovia has a responsibility to their customers to make the best deal possible. Certainly an offer for seven times what Citi was offering merits serious consideration.

Originally Posted 10/3/2008

2009-01-22T23:50:00.000-05:00

It Must Be Fall
from The Daily Scream by Dan

I am not sure what the fascination is with this image, but it consistently gets 50-70 hits a day on my photo gallery. If you are looking for autumn images, be sure to check out the full gallery. http://www.pbase.com/woolburr/flora_fall_foliage_main

Originally Posted 10/4/2008

2009-01-22T23:49:00.002-05:00

Hey...It's the Weekend
from The Daily Scream by Dan
And I wasted today. Just couldn't seem to come up with a good game plan for shooting today. Maybe tomorrow will find renewed motivation.

Dang goat has it made...just eat, sleep and be happy....no wonder he has that laid back look. Goat's eyes are kind of creepy though...I think I will keep my own.

Just signed on for another term on the judging panel for the POTN Photographer of the Year Competition. The only downside to being a judge is not being able to compete for the title. Then again, maybe that isn't such a downer after all. :) Between Photographer of the Year and version 3 of the book...there probably won't be a lot of free time for a while.

Originally Posted 10/5/2008

2009-01-22T23:49:00.001-05:00

Sunday Summary
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Today marked a campaign visit at Asheville High for Barack Obama. Crowds were insane...much as I would like to have gone, staying clear seemed the prudent thing to do. Local TV provided good coverage both live and online....and the other media outlets have plenty of spin to share.

Speaking of marking things...today also made one week on the new fitness kick. Walking a mile or so every day seems to help with the breathing. One loop around my neighborhood is a mile....and it includes about a 200 foot change in elevation. Climbing the main hill is quite the attention getter...but I am sure it is good for everyone that walks it.

I love sports days like this...They usually never happen...The Giants, Colts, Phillies and Smoke all were big winners today!!! A repeat performance next weekend would be sweet! Especially if the Sabres can get their season off to a good start as well.

I didn't take my camera with me on the walk....stupid me...missed a great sunset shot, with a cow silhouetted on the skyline...beauty of a shot...missed. Oh well, I can expect this to be a perfect day. ;) I'm sure the shot would have rivaled the one I posted.

Originally Posted 10/6/2008

2009-01-22T23:48:00.001-05:00

Monday Musings
from The Daily Scream by Dan
The stock market took a nose dive today...based on news from overseas. Sometimes having readily accessible media isn't such a good thing. I the past, there wasn't instant worldwide coverage of news and events....so the markets were nowhere near as volatile. By the time the American market reacted to trouble in Europe or Asia, those markets had already recovered and vice versa.

I suspect the media is also partly to blame for the increase to school violence. When it took 3 days for the people in NY to hear about an event in CA....it lost some of the glamor and punch. Also, by the time the story reached the more remote outlets it had been tempered considerably...and all the glitz and gleam were washed away. Instead people just saw the tragedy for what it was...a horrible moment in time, not the glorification of some loser seeking to make a name for himself the easy way.
How about some fall flahrs to brighten up a gloomy news day? Flahrs? What the heck are flahrs? I have to give credit to that to a drunken resident of a community treatment home just up the street from my old home in West Asheville. He stopped by the house one day...wanting to collect money for "flahrs" for old lady Battleaxe to commemorate her passing. Only trouble is....she isn't dead. I suppose it seemed logical to a drunk.

BTW...the Red Sox moved on in the play-offs. Dare I hope for a Boston-Philly Series?

Originally Posted 10/7/2008

2009-01-22T23:47:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Tatters
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Since I am primarily a photographer and not a writer, perhaps I should actually focus on some photography instead of trying to save the world from the evil politicos! I actually spent time today doing basic camera maintenance. Sensor cleaning is not my favorite chore, but it isn't the nightmare some would have you believe. I prefer the Giottos Rocket Blower and LensPen SensorKlear route. A few puffs with the blower generally takes care of 90% of all cleaning chores. Today required a move to the next level....a few stubborn particles remained after blowing the large chunks away. A couple of gentle swipes with the SensorKlear and we are good to go again.

After completing the cleaning chores, I grabbed one of the cameras and a macro lens for a few trial shots. This was one of the results.

Originally Posted 10/8/2008

2009-01-22T23:46:00.001-05:00

Wednesday Words
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Today was the monthly meeting of our local camera club. I see a meltdown on the horizon. For several years, there has been a bit of a secret society running the show. Suddenly they have all aged and are ready to take a less vital role in running the organization. Unfortunately, they chose to not include any younger members in the day to day operations. Now they are faced with the prospect of having people step down and no one with any experience or connections to take over. There are no officers, no elections and no real leadership....just a "steering committee" to try and run things. The next few months could be very interesting.

I did have the opportunity to play with the new Canon G-10...not a bad little camera. I wish it had a slightly wider zoom range...but it still is a nice option to use when a real camera is just too big. Also found some little visitors while out walking.

Originally Posted 10/9/2008

2009-01-22T23:45:00.001-05:00

Late Thursday
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Fitness program is starting to pay off...made 2 full loops of the "block" today....no cramps and no being winded....it is a start, but there is still a long way to go.

There was a pretty sunset this evening, but nothing that jumped out as photographic. I probably should have taken a few shots, but it just seemed better to watch and enjoy. Besides, I was semi-busy making dinner anyway. Did chicken halves in the oven....with lemonade, olive oil, onions and garlic pepper. Very tasty.

Spent the evening watching the National League play-offs. Phillies beat the Dodgers 3-2...Go Phils!!!

Dharma and Woolburr had fun playing in the yard...they look like they are trying to kill each other...but we know better.

Finally, we have some local political news that just merits noting. One of the local tourism directors was busted for drug possession for the second time in less than a year. This time it led to her resignation....gee, what a shame...it was starting to give new meaning to tripping to Haywood County.

Originally Posted 10/12/2008

2009-01-22T23:44:00.000-05:00

Saturday Stuff
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Today was a beautiful day for shooting....warm, crisp blue skies and the hint of autumn colors beginning to show. Did a loop of northern Buncombe and Madison Counties. Banged out a couple hundred shots...now just need to process them all. See more here.
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Originally Posted 10/16/2008

2009-01-22T23:43:00.000-05:00

Politics as Usual...and an Anniversary too.
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Another day...another lie...can't we hurry this election along? The negative ads are a sure way to get me to vote for your opponent. If you both start slinging mud...then perhaps it is time to write in someone that just wants to do the job. The latest lie pertains to the southeast gas crisis. There are still only about half the gas stations that actually have gas...I seriously have to wonder what they have stockpiled in all those tank farms scattered around the region. You are going to play hell convincing me that those are all bone dry.

Spent Monday night celebrating the anniversary with my lovely wife. Whipped up a special dinner...Steaks (bacon-wrapped Fillet Mignon for her, a slab of prime rib for me), baked potatoes with sour cream, fresh sauteed mushrooms with onion and garlic and of course, the requisite shrimp cocktail. Hard to believe it has been a year both married and in the new house. Jan surprised me with a fabric art project she has been slaving over....a portrait of me. I have to say...it is pretty impressive. Time to celebrate...the Phillies are headed to the Series!!! Now all we need is for the Red Sox to bounce back and win the American League play-offs.

Originally Posted 10/18/2008

2009-01-22T23:42:00.000-05:00

Friday...not Thursday.
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Once again the stock market stumbled and fumbled. People are refusing to heed the advice of the experts and are continuing to panic sell...the market should bottom out sooner or later...then it is time to snap up some bargains. Hell, today might have been a good day to snag a few, but I didn't have any spare millions laying around.

Discovered an old bank note floating around on eBay....signed by one of my customers back in the days of a childhood paper route...he was the president of the bank. It was a totally radical find....and again...if I had some serious extra cash laying around...it would be in my collection.

Originally Posted 10/21/2008

2009-01-22T23:37:00.000-05:00

Shooting, Shooting, Shooting
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Autumn is in full swing and it is time to snag some images. I hope to complete a swing of the NC sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway over the next couple of days. I think I'll head to Cherokee tomorrow and shoot from the southern end of the Parkway back to Asheville...then drive over to Fancy Gap, VA the following day and take the Parkway back to Mt. Mitchell....it still remains closed between there and Craggy Gardens.

Did a partial of both trips on Saturday and today. Definitely want to do the whole route to get some better images for my website....plus I love fall colors. This shot is from the Devil's Courthouse...there are only a few days each year where the sun hits the rock just right at sunset to turn it red...I just happened to catch one.

Saturday was spent near Mt. Mitchell....and again....just happened to capture a rather unique phenomena...Stratus Topclouds

Originally Posted 10/21/2008

2009-01-22T23:36:00.000-05:00

Enough Already!
from The Daily Scream by Dan
What the hell is with all these commercials? It seems like the major trend in advertising, be it political or consumer, is to use spokespeople that sound like they just lost their best friends. Lifeless monotonous voices delivering messages of gloom and doom....even when talking about happy stuff....there is even a depressing sounding Disney commercial...so much for the happiest place on earth!

Can't wait until the election is over so the lying and name calling can stop for a week or two. There are days it is hard to believe anyone could vote for any of these clowns. Sure would be nice if we took back our government...tossed all the career politicians out on their collective asses and re-established the government of the people, for the people, by the people. Then again....we might implode if Washington took on any semblance of reality.

Weather has screwed up the photography plans. Currently have hopes that tomorrow will be a better day....it looks like it might be...if so...then I will head to VA to head back down the Parkway. Come on sunshine! Don't want to lose all the color. The weekend forecast is looking nightmarish. We need rain...but it never rains in October!

Originally Posted 10/27/2008

2009-01-22T23:35:00.000-05:00

Just When I Thought it Was Over
from The Daily Scream by Dan

OK....This crap has got to stop. We have a national do not call list and that should be exactly what it is. No political calls, no sales calls, and no calls from so-called charities. You select who you want to talk to...and who you don't. Lots of people pay for their incoming cell calls....why should I be charged for a call from someone I don't care to talk to or listen to?

The politicians don't dare put any teeth in the law, nor do they dare take away their ability to harass us. I've already told both Obama and McCain that I have heard enough from them...now the local scum are starting to call. Bad enough we have to listen to their stupid negative commercials on TV and radio....

On a happier note, the Phillies now have a 3-1 lead in the World Series. Go Phils!!!

Originally Posted 10/27/2008

2009-01-22T23:33:00.000-05:00

Extremism: the Death of Freedom?
from The Daily Scream by Dan

One word...Why? Why is it that we have lost all sense of reason? Life isn't black and white...and there is no reason that politics should or even need to be. You can't hunt pheasants with an AK-47. You can't expect a 14 year old rape victim to bear her father's child. You can't believe that throwing money at foreign nations is going to make them adore us.

Perhaps you are asking why I called this condition the death of freedom...well, the answer is very simple. When you have no choice in an election...when there is no candidate that serves to protect your interests...you have no freedom. You have become a slave to the machine. It is scary to think that fruitcakes like Nancy Pelosi are actually serving in positions of power in the US. George Bush is proof positive that a complete moron can be elected President of the most powerful nation on earth today. Again, you ask why....

The answer is still pretty simple, as big of an ass as George Bush is, he isn't quite as stupid as Al (I invented the internet) Gore or John (if it weren't for the ketchup, I wouldn't be running) Kerry. Look at the choices for the top office this year...one fool would like you to believe that you will like his tax cut that gives you back $800 a year...only catch being that it is funded by $2000 a year in new taxes. He is the same guy that thinks we can just put the whole country on the Federal payroll, that should solve all the problems. Lenin and Marx? Nah...Obama and Biden. Then we have the nut job opponent that thinks medical research should be banned, you need that AK-47 and it is perfectly ok to impregnate your own children.

How in the hell can you vote for any of these clowns? Time to wake up people...we need some rules and we need some qualified candidates. Election day draws near and even if you aren't satisfied with your choices...do take the time to vote for the best option...whatever you may feel that is. Don't give up your vote just because you are frustrated.

Originally Posted 10/28/2008

2009-01-22T23:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Today and Maybe Tomorrow
from The Daily Scream by Dan
I got an email today asking if I was really one of those crazies that thinks that guns should be banned...Let me set the record straight right now...I believe in gun ownership, I own guns and I love to shoot. That said, yesterday was really about extremism, not about guns. You don't need an AK-47 or an AR-15 to hunt pheasants, I have a lovely 16 gauge Spanish double-barrel that is my favorite bird gun...for pheasants, grouse or quail. The Republican party has taken up the NRA line that if you restrict any gun, you restrict all guns. Bull...pure and simple...bull. Show me a legitimate reason for a homeowner to have an Uzi...or teflon coated bullets. Should a regulated, licensed, insured gun club with a legitimate armory have access to such weaponry? Why not? If they have a place to shoot it safely, if they have a place to secure it at the end of the day so that some nut job can't just walk off with it...perhaps that is an idea to consider.

The Republicans don't have a lock on being nut jobs. I really wonder why it is that the Democrats are so afraid of instituting a national ID program of any sort. You know, if there was a face attached to your fingerprints, attached to your Social Security number, attached to your driver's license, attached to your checking account and any other business you have....there would be far less chance of identity theft. It would be far easier to conduct a census, it would certainly make it clear who was and wasn't in this country legally. Why is it so important to allow people to conceal their identities? If you had to identify yourself, voter fraud would be out the window! Is the Chicago political machine that strong? Certainly it is no secret that they have made sport of having folks that have been dead for decades vote on a regular basis.

Today marked a departure from the norm for the media. I actually heard a couple of apologies for the way they have given Obama the kid glove treatment while ripping Hillary Clinton and later both John McCain and Sarah Palin. I guess they finally realized the Sarah clothing issue was absurd. Now about that experience issue...just exactly what leadership experience does Obama have? None? Imagine that...better vote for him. (for the web savvy...this is where I would normally insert that rolling eyes smiley!)

We have a rather heated battle for the Senate here in NC...on one hand we have Liddy Dole...who has managed to do a grand total of nothing during her tenure in the Senate. Ranked 93rd in overall effectiveness....there is something to brag about. The sad part is that Kay Hagan doesn't exactly have a real shining record either. Should be interesting to see how it all plays out. Should the Republicans lose this seat...it could mark a major shift of power in the Senate...virtually assuring the Dems have the ability to override any Presidential veto.

Tomorrow should bring an improvement in the weather...the World Series can resume...and maybe I can go snap a fresh photo or two.

Originally Posted 10/29/2008

2009-01-22T23:32:00.001-05:00

PHILLIES 2008 World Series Champions!!!
from The Daily Scream by Dan
The title says it all!!! Go Phils!

Originally Posted 10/30/2008

2009-01-22T23:31:00.000-05:00

Politics as Usual
from The Daily Scream by Dan

At some point, you have to draw a line when it comes to how nasty you can get in a campaign ad. Senator Elizabeth Dole crossed that line yesterday. Even after a judge ordered the ad removed from TV, Senator Dole said that she would not remove it. Stretching the truth is one thing, but making up a total lie is another. The voice at the end is purportedly Kay Hagan...in reality, it is an actor. North Carolina doesn't need someone as immoral and unscrupulous as Dole representing them. Anyone that thinks that ad is appropriate is borderline insane and anyone that would run that ad is a complete and utter waste of skin.

Originally Posted 10/31/2008

2009-01-22T23:29:00.000-05:00

The End is in Sight
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Am I the only person that is flat out sick and tired of elections? I don't even care if I vote at this point...I just want it to be over and done. The constant stream of negative ads have simply worn me out. It all boils down to who is the best liar. Pretty sad commentary on our society.

Once this gets over I'll have to find a new range of topics...I might even have to talk about photography! The horrors.

By the way...I have every intention of voting, even if the politicians don't deserve it. The vote is still one of our fundamental rights and it needs to be exercised. There is nothing wrong with writing in a good candidate if there aren't any on the ballot. Perhaps a little recognition will draw them out for the next election.

Originally Posted 11/4/2008

2009-01-22T23:28:00.000-05:00

Hooray! It is Finally Over!
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Wow...so nice to actually watch a few minutes of TV without annoying election ads. I bet Liddy Dole is regretting her decision to use the most repulsive attack ad ever crafted. No doubt it single-handedly derailed any hope she had of returning to Washington for a second term. Maybe we really will see some change in the politics as usual club...wouldn't that be a treat?

Went to vote this afternoon and was surprised by the very light turn-out. I guess everyone really did get into the whole early voting routine. Now we just need to develop a way to vote that isn't tantamount to a second grade popularity contest organized by the class clown. Paper ballots and coloring in little ovals in 2008 is beyond absurd. Give me one legitimate reason we stopped using the good old voting booth.

As I was traveling home from voting...I came across this fellow. Guess it was an omen. ;)

Originally Posted 11/7/2008

2009-01-22T23:27:00.000-05:00

Friday Fun
from The Daily Scream by Dan
It's Friday and another week draws to a close. We elected a new president and a few new faces in the Congress. Some people feel that a huge mistake has been made and some folks think we have taken the biggest step in American history. Only time can tell. Presidential success and failure is seldom measured well until the term over and there is a new face in the Oval Office. I don't think it is going to take that to measure the failure of the Bush Administration. Pretty obvious to even a casual observer that they have totally mucked up everything they have touched.

Today is Billy Graham's 90th birthday. Shame that none of the other noted evangelists were able to follow in his footsteps and maintain a life of devotion and service that didn't include seeing how rich one could become. His own son Franklin certainly doesn't measure up...seems to be a major sleazeball with the sole intention of lining his own pockets and living high on the hog. Happy Birthday Billy!

Originally Posted 11/11/2008

2009-01-22T23:26:00.002-05:00

Time to Reflect
from The Daily Scream by Dan

Today is Veteran's Day. In a strange twist of reality, almost everyone but Veterans has the day off. The men and women of our country that really might appreciate the chance to stop by the local VA Center, War Memorial or cemetery are denied that option. Lord only knows why the people that schedule the events of the day typically arrange for them to be held during typical work hours instead of the early evening when a few more Veterans might be able to attend.

I won't say that my family has a long standing military history, because I honestly don't know that to be a fact. What I do know is that my great uncles Ralph and William Wise served, my dad Robert Houck along with my two step-fathers Paul Blow and Andrew Stash served and my step-brother James Blow and I served. Those that did serve seldom discussed their service or their sacrifices, instead they chose to simply be active in Veteran's organizations such as the American Legion and VFW that supported and furthered the causes of the brave men and women that defended our nation. Uncle Will was a Charter Member of Legion Post 907 in Candor, NY...the post that Dad and I still belong to.

A lot of blood, sweat and tears have been shed to get our nation to the point we are today. Maybe our system isn't perfect, but I can tell you that I haven't found another that begins to compare. We have rights and freedoms that citizens of other nations can only dream of, including many nations that consider themselves to be democratic and free. One of the unique opportunities afforded me during my tenure with the military was being able to travel the world and see a large number of different countries and cultures along with their rights and freedoms or lack thereof. Ask any Veteran and they will probably tell you the same thing, there are many beautiful and exotic lands beyond the shores of America, but when it comes right down to it, there is no place like home.

I think I will venture out later today and pay a visit to the VA cemetery in Black Mountain. My former neighbor Charles England is buried there along side countless other brave men and women. It may be a small gesture on my part, but not one taken lightly. I am very thankful for the sacrifices of our Veterans and I am proud to be an American.

Take a moment from your busy day and reflect on your freedoms...then go out and thank a Vet!

Originally Posted 11/12/2008

2009-01-22T23:26:00.001-05:00

Affordable Healthcare
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Will it ever happen? Are we going to see the day when every American can just go to the doctor of their choice when they need and not have to worry about starving for months to pay the bill?

Until someone in Congress finally has the balls to take definitive action, it will never happen. The first step to affordable healthcare in this country begins with capping these ridiculous awards for "damage" stemming from "malpractice". Sure, doctors screw up, nurses screw up, technicians screw up...anyone involved in the medical practice can screw up. Let's face it, we need to be realistic, a misdiagnosed hangnail is not worth 5 million dollars. We also need to become aware of the limitations of modern medicine. Just because we have the ability to keep a baby born with half a heart alive...are we doing the right thing? Spending millions and millions of dollars to prolong a life that is only going to be filled with suffering doesn't seem all that rational to me.

I'm not advocating playing God...we already have him to take care of that work. What I am advocating is providing comfort care for those folks that have no reasonable expectation of a realistic quality of life. Sometimes just letting nature take its course is the most humane course of action. Think about it, would you wish to spend the rest of your days in screaming agony, hooked to some machine that will keep you alive, just because it is possible to keep you alive...not because there is ever any hope of your recovery?

Modern medicine is a wonderful thing, but until we have effective tort reform, we will never see affordable healthcare. We are never going to see an answer to this until we quit sending lawyers to Washington to represent us. There isn't one of those blood-suckers going that would risk taking a penny from his own pocket...and let's face it...who gets rich off these lawsuits? Only the lawyers.

Originally Posted 11/23/2008

2009-01-22T23:24:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Well, the holiday season is upon us. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm not feeling real festive this year. The bottom continues to fall out of the economy...the real estate market has tanked and people in general are acting pretty weird. Mother Nature is just adding to the fun by dumping snow and record cold temps on us here in the usually warm south.

Don't get me wrong, even with all the gloom and doom around, I still find plenty of things to be thankful for. My wife, my kids, and especially my two little monster granddaughters...Abby and Livvie bring me lots of smiles and make the days worthwhile. I don't want to forget the rest of my family either...Dad and my step-mom, my brother Jeff and his family and my sister Kristin and her brood. Somewhere out there I have another sister...but I haven't a clue where she even is...Washington state I think. Maybe someday I'll find her again.

One thing I am not all that thankful for is my birth mother...she decided to drag me home to America from Germany when I was only a few months old, so she could dump me on my grandparents (my dad's parents) and run off to Florida and play with her boyfriend. At some point, she tired of her boy toy and returned to NY...in time to flush my fish (Christmas presents) down the toilet...because they smelled funny to her...to wash my turtle (birthday present) with Ivory soap...because he smelled funny (he didn't survive the bath)...I spent a lot of time worried about how I smelled...just in case she decided I smelled and needed to die too.

Yep...dear old mom was a loving one...got bored with me and sent me to spend some quality time with her drunken parents...they had company over one afternoon to sit around and get drunk...and told me to get out of the house..."just go somewhere and don't come back until we call you"...so I walked over to a friend's house. Now, mind you, this is the same house that my mother used to go to as a kid...because her childhood friend was the mother of my friend. We spent the afternoon playing and having a good time just being kids. Around supper time, my grandmother showed up...drunk on her ass...swearing and screaming, she started beating on me with a stick. She finally got bored with that and slammed me in the car...the entire drive back to her house was filled with profanity and rants about what a worthless bastard I was. We got to her house and I was dragged from the car and beaten again. Then I was dragged into the house and beaten while I packed my stuff. The beating continued all the way to the car...several sticks and rulers were broken in the process. Once in the car the tirade began again. I was called every horrible name imaginable to a young boy. The old battle axe told me that she never wanted to see me again. We got to my home and I was yanked from the car yet again and slapped across the face several times. My mother stood by and said nothing. Over the ensuing years, that evil woman (mother's mother) never did speak to me again...she bought Christmas and birthday gifts for my siblings...but none for me. When the bitch died, my mother insisted that I be a pallbearer for her funeral. You have no idea how much I just wanted to take that casket and throw it off a cliff.

My mother went out of her way to make Christmas special. Every year she would ask me what I would like and every year I would get some crap that had nothing to do with anything I was even remotely interested in. One of the best was the year I asked for a set of screwdrivers and instead was given a guitar. I am not musically inclined...never have been, never will be. Hell, we even had a discussion about music and I told her repeatedly that I had no interest in it. Come Christmas morning I opened a very suspicious looking package and sure enough, there was this stupid guitar. I was a kid, I cried...I didn't want a guitar...I got my face slapped and sent to bed. Merry Christmas.

I will share more stories of a mother's "love" in the coming weeks.

Originally Posted 12/8/2008

2009-01-22T23:22:00.000-05:00

Holiday Spirit
from The Daily Scream by Dan

Took a short drive to Bristol, TN last evening to see the Christmas light extravaganza at Bristol Motor Speedway. Every year the show grows bigger and better...takes about an hour to make the loop and you get to experience a bit of the high banks of the speedway to boot. If you leave there without a smile on your face, you are in need of a visit or two from Mr. Dickens' ghosts....obviously your name is Scrooge. I had the camera along and snapped off a few shots...some are ok...some leave a bit to be desired. The memories are still there...got to spend a few quality minutes with my wife, so that was an added bonus. You can see the photos here....http://www.pbase.com/woolburr/50_tn_bristol_xmas

On the trip home, I noticed what appears to be a Heisler thermal storage engine, 2 cars and a caboose in Elizabethtown, TN....I need to go back for photos.

Originally Posted 12/13/2008

2009-01-22T23:20:00.000-05:00

Zen and a Fairy Tale
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Fall Floater
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The haunted forest?
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Originally Posted 12/15/2008

2009-01-22T23:19:00.002-05:00

More Crazy Memories
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Now that I have spilled the beans on my bizarre childhood, some of the memories of it make a whole lot more sense. For example, one of my most vivid memories is of my bedroom at my grandparent's house. It now makes very good sense that it would be right off my grandparent's bedroom, since they were the ones taking care of me. For the longest time, I couldn't grasp the concept of why my bedroom would have been connected to their room.

I also have lots of memories of traveling around with my grandfather from a very young age. I guess since I was living with them, it would only make sense. I always felt like such a lucky kid...because my grandparents took me to all kinds of interesting places, to see all kinds of interesting things. One of my favorite memories were the Sunday afternoon drives, which always included a stop somewhere to look at trains. I don't know who was the bigger kid when it came to the railroad, Grandpa or me.

We often traveled to Corning to visit with Uncle Ralph (my grandmother's brother) and Aunt Clara....for some reason my memories of their house are usually very dark...dark in the sense that the inside of the house seemed to have a lot of dark colors and woodwork. They had a less than sociable Cocker Spaniel named Checkers. I seem to recall being told repeatedly that Checkers was going blind and to not bother him....but I also have a pretty vivid memory of sitting on the stairs with the dog with his head in my lap...

Uncle Ralph worked for the railroad...as a engineer. He knew of my love for trains and had promised that when I was big enough, that I would have a ride in the locomotive...unfortunately, he died before that wish was fulfilled. Some would think that might be classed as a bad memory, but I know he had every intention of getting me that ride. Two years ago, I finally got my ride...it was hard to hold back the tears...tears of joy. I know Uncle Ralph smiled that day....and so did I.

Our travels often took us to Pennsylvania. We would either go to Forkston, where my Aunt Arlene and Uncle Shorty (my grandmother's brother) had a summer home on Aunt Arlene's family plot, or to Harrisburg, where they actually lived. Uncle Shorty was anything but short...he was a fairly big character, retired from the Pennsylvania State Police as the head of the Governor's security detail. When you shook hands with him, you knew your hand had been shook. He had a grip like a vice and he expected you to have one too. It was always a contest to see if I could give him a shake that he would be proud of. Dad, Grandpa and I often joked about shaking hands and who would have a sore hand for the longest time afterwards.

Sometimes the travels weren't nearly as far, Uncle Will (yet another of Gram's brothers) and Aunt Hazel only lived five houses down the street. I liked to go there to visit...because Aunt Hazel had fish. I believe that is where the fish that my mother killed off came from...a gift from Uncle Will and Aunt Hazel. But we won't dwell on that...today is about happy memories. I remember going for a ride with Uncle Will on a couple of different occasions...and thinking...wow...we never go this fast when others are driving. Guess he had a bit of a lead foot.

There is one other memory of my grandfather that I need to share. I can remember anxiously awaiting him to get home from work, so that I could hop up in his lap and we could read the newspaper every day. Grandpa often had a cigar or his pipe while we read the paper, waiting for Grandma to rustle up supper for us. The big memory though, was Grandpa's thumbs...I still remember them as being huge...huge thumbs with huge thumbnails. I suppose to a kid three, four or five years old, that anyone's thumbs would seem huge...but I don't have that kind of memory of my dad...just Grandpa. Below is a photo of a smoker's stand similar to the one my grandfather had....except his rack was full of pipes and there was a large gold ashtray.

Time to stop for the day, before this gets much more disjointed. Thanks for tuning in.
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Originally Posted 12/17/2008

2009-01-22T23:19:00.001-05:00

2009 Calendars
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Looking for a great calendar for your home or office? If you like flowers, then check out my 2009 Gallery Calendars. CLICK Frogdawg Fotografix CLICK

Originally Posted 12/20/2008

2009-01-22T23:17:00.001-05:00

Closer to Christmas
from The Daily Scream by Dan
We are now another day closer to Christmas and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of holiday cheer this year. The economy is in the toilet, family is so far away and even the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating with enhancing the festive mood.

It seems like someone is trying to take Christmas away from us. Screw the politically correct and their lame happy holiday greetings....Merry Christmas! Peace on earth, good will toward men. If your religion doesn't believe in God or Jesus...you are granted the right here in the United States to not believe....but I am also granted the same right to believe. I am also granted the right to believe in Santa Claus or any other mythical, mystical, magical or otherwise figure that I so choose to accept as real. If I want to believe that reindeer can fly and have glowing red noses...so be it.

Someone decided to make up a holiday called Kwanzaa. If folks wish to celebrate it, it certainly is within their rights to do so...if I don't care to participate in that particular celebration, I also have a right to do so. The key element here is that while I might not choose to celebrate Kwanzaa, I have no right to expect others to not want to participate. Somewhere along the line we lost track of that concept. When the United States was founded, nearly the entire population was Christian and accepted the Christian tenets. Today, our cultural make-up is far more diverse, but the same laws, rules and regulations still apply. If someone wants to set up a Nativity scene, they have the right to do so...they are under no obligation to hide such a thing from view because it doesn't correspond to your beliefs, you right is your ability to simply walk away and not view or interact. Same thing applies if someone wishes to display a Menorah. That is their right, your right is again to walk away should you not find that display in line with your personal beliefs.

Whatever you decide to do this year, take a moment and slip a buck or two in the kettle for the Salvation Army. They don't ask victims of circumstance their religious beliefs prior to giving aid and comfort, they simply give in times of need. I spent nearly 30 years of my life working in emergency services and when the chips were down and people needed a hand...the Salvation Army delivered!

Don't waste your money making cash donations to the Red Cross, they spend more time attempting to sell comfort and trying to profit from the misfortunes of others than they do providing the aid they claim to dispense. Two huge events come to mind...during a major flood in NY, my father's cousin and her family lost everything to the flood waters, their house dislodged from the foundation and moved downriver. The Red Cross arrived on scene and tried to sell them a sample tube of toothpaste and a child's toothbrush for $3. Similar prices applied to any number of other trial and sample sized products. The Salvation Army arrived and handed the same stuff out for free. Several years later, northern NY State was hammered with an ice storm...power was lost and temperatures were hovering in the brutal cold range. Once again the Red Cross showed up and tried to sell relief...while the Salvation Army quickly set up their mobile canteens and began providing free hot meals to those that needed.

If you want to give to the Red Cross, give them the gift of blood, the gift of life. That is one area where they manage to excel and have yet to contaminate. Donations of blood are typically low this time of year and the need increases. This is a great gift to give, as it truly is a gift straight from the heart...with no strings attached and no expense involved!

Originally Posted 12/24/2008

2009-01-22T23:16:00.000-05:00

APD Gives a Christmas Gift to the Parking Public
from The Daily Scream by Dan
It has only taken 8+ years for something to be done, but finally the Asheville Police Department has given an early Christmas gift to folks that park in downtown. After years of complaints of predatory towing, APD finally decided to attempt a sting operation...it didn't take long.

How sad is it that these sleaze balls would rig payment boxes to make it appear that customers hadn't paid...all so they could haul off the car and then charge exorbitant fees for the (questionably) safe return of the vehicle. How many visitors and even locals have been scammed? This gives the whole city a black eye.

APD...don't stop now. Based on the complaints, you have only touched the tip of the iceberg...it is time to put a stop to this nonsense and regain a small measure of justice for those folks that have been ripped off.

Originally Posted 12/25/2008

2009-01-22T23:15:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas
from The Daily Scream by Dan
Season's greetings. May your day be filled with peace, love and good cheer!
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Originally Posted 12/29/2008

2009-01-22T23:14:00.000-05:00

It's Time
from The Daily Scream by Dan
For years, the US has allowed Israel to run roughshod over their neighbors under the guise of defending their sovereignty. Day in and day out they violate the human rights of any non-Jews within range of their venom, all in the name of past atrocities. Now they are killing innocent women and children in the Gaza Strip...simply because they feel it is their God given right. The Arabs in Gaza had absolutely nothing to do with the atrocities of World War II or any other crimes against the Jewish populace, they just live in an area where it is easy to make them a target.

There was a time when Jews might have made a legitimate claim that they were being oppressed, discriminated against and even the victims of genocide. However, those days are long past, Hitler and his master race are history and today it is the Israelis that levying the very same horrors against humanity that they so long claimed were being perpetrated against their people. It is very obvious that Israel feels that they are above the laws of the civilized world. They have chosen to ignore the United Nations...and very simply, it is time for their nonsense to stop. The member nations of the UN, including the United States need to institute a complete military and economic embargo against Israel. Nothing in, nothing out until Palestinians are given back an area to be their homeland and a legitimate, viable peace accord is put into effect, with real penalties for violations...enforced by the World Court and the United Nations.

Barring that being brought to fruition, as the last remaining superpower, the time has come for the United States to step to the plate and unleash some real military might against Tel Aviv, Haifa and a few other select targets...perhaps then the Israelis will get the message that their rampant disregard for human rights will not be tolerated. Violence seems to be the only language that the Israelis understand and it is time to teach this ugly dog who the master is. Neither the United States nor the United Nations owes anything to Israel and it is high time we quit allowing them to embarrass either of us in the face of the rest of the world.

If it wasn't for Israel being allowed to run amok in the Middle East, we probably wouldn't be faced with the "so-called" global war on terror. It is high time we recognize and take action against the real terrorists.

Historic Day

2009-01-20T23:55:00.002-05:00

Today marks the dawn of a new era in America. Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the United States. Some folks think that the simple act of assuming the role of President is going to be enough to effect sweeping, overnight change. I'm afraid they are in for a rude awakening.

As the old saying goes...Rome wasn't built in a day...and the US is not going to change in one either. It will take some time to implement any true change or meaningful new direction in the country. Obviously, the more cooperation from Congress and the general population, the swifter and easier change will come.

One of the grand ideas of the new administration is to get folks to volunteer. It is a great idea, but we have too many people in this country that think it is their right to sit on their ass while lesser people do the volunteering. It will be interesting to watch this one play out.

One burning question...who dressed the new First Lady for the Balls? Mrs. O is usually quite the striking dresser...the gown she had for the first dance looked like it was made from used toilet paper. That had to be one of the least fashionable and foolish looking things ever worn to an event of that magnitude. She should have stuck to wearing things from her own closet. At least they would have had some style.

Israel Goes Amok

2009-01-15T19:05:00.002-05:00

Today Israel attacked the UN warehouse complex in Gaza. They also attacked a hospital. These are obviously non-military targets. When the hell is someone in the US government going to grow a set of balls and stop this nonsense?

The actions of the Israelis have become criminal. Civilians, women, children and non-combatants seem to have become the favored target. They hide behind a veil of self-protection rhetoric, but I think the whole world is starting to see that targets such as the UN compound are not designed to stop military action, but instead to instill fear and terror.

Shame on the Israelis...immediate and appropriately harsh sanctions should be imposed on them. And if they fail to respond to those...then the time has come for the United States to employ swift and decisive military action. Their blatant lies about the attack on the UN show that they have no remorse and that they are simply out of control. The rest of the free world sits and waits while the US government officials twiddle their thumbs and allow these crimes against humanity continue. When the hell does the light come on in somebody's head and clue them in that this aggression is the whole reason the Arab world is considering a Jihad against the US.

We created this defective puppet, don't you think it is time we regained control of the strings? I really don't want more airplanes crashing from the sky because we refuse to take responsibility for our mistaken faith in Israel to act as members of the global community instead of seeing themselves as the chosen ones or some higher form of humanity than the rest of us. Come on Washington....get on the stick.

Is Football Fixed?

2009-01-11T16:15:00.002-05:00

Let me preface this post...I am just a casual football fan. I don't live or die by who wins or loses each week. I don't play fantasy leagues. I am more appreciative of good players than of good teams. That said, I do have a couple of teams that I would have to say qualify as favorites.

So, three of the four playoff games for this weekend are complete. We are already assured of having a Stupor Bowl. Philadelphia playing Arizona for the NFC championship? No way in hell....something isn't adding up. The two best teams in the NFC just played like they were really first year high school teams. I don't mean they had an off day, I mean they played like they had never even seen a football before. I don't think I have ever seen such pathetic play in the nearly 50 years that I have been watching the game.

Well then, since one half of the league did so poorly, one would have to expect the cream had floated to the top of the other. Guess again, that is not the case. The two top teams here have also been eliminated early, one last week and the second yesterday. There is no way in hell that San Diego or Baltimore could have legitimately beaten the Colts and the Titans.

Regardless of who wins from this point out, the NFL has lost all credibility. One Cinderella story a season might be possible...but there is no way that every single good team loses to a bunch of second rate, no-talent hacks. Hell, anyone that even thinks that San Diego or Pittsburgh deserves to be playing is delusional. I don't think I need to waste any more time watching the NFL...the bets are in, the games are fixed. This is just a shame.

Test

2009-01-10T02:55:00.003-05:00

Just a test posting. No real content. Have a moon.

The Littlest Hobo

2009-01-04T16:37:00.006-05:00

Road Without End
"Looks like we're comin' into town.
Seems like this train is slowin' down.

Can't help but wonder what's in store.
Could be I've been here once before.

A-driftin'. The world is my friend.
I'm travlin' along the road without end.

Ridin' these rails town to town.
Sometimes I think I'll settle down.

But I know I'd hunger to be free.
Rovin's the only life for me.

A-driftin'. The world is my friend.
I'm travlin' along the road without end.

I find adventure everywhere
And friends with whom I'd like to share

This is my stop along the way
Don't really know how long I'll stay

Stop over. The world is my friend
Stop over along the road without end

Traveling around from town to town
Sometimes I think I'll settle down

But I know I'd hunger to be free
Rovin' is the only life for me

A-driftin'. The world is my friend
I'm travelin' along the road without end"
(Ronald Stein)

Anyone remember this show from the original 1958 movie or the 60s TV series? Great entertainment if you are a dog person. I was sad that they had removed the train tracks from my hometown....London couldn't come visit.

Blog Gone

2008-12-31T20:06:00.003-05:00

I have removed this blog for personal reasons. It may or may not return.

1-4-2009 UPDATE....Seems my removing this blog has caused some concern. I can't restore the original posts, because I got so damn mad I deleted them. Seems that I had the audacity to share my view that Israel is at least partially responsible for the problems in the Middle East. Someone took enough offense that they felt it appropriate to make a threat. They didn't have the courage to do so publicly, but instead chose to take a cowardly stab.