Online headline: "San Quentin Death Row Inmate, Found Hanging In Cell" -- Hmmm, after 8 years there, guess the prisoner couldn't stand waiting for justice to be served anymore. Of course, his lawyer will probably sue California for "loss of wages for the next 20 years"... --- Have you seen the current Wild Turkey Bourbon ad? Its 'punch line' is "Give'em the bird". We need to send them a message and tell'em to "advertise responsibly". Give'em the 'silent treatment' at the cash register. --- The 'war on women' by the DIM&DUMBERats has escalated to a new low (if that could be possible). A new video capture has a Planned Parenthood Clinic across the board encouraging the late-term abortions of little girls just because they are girls." --- Simply because lawyers have basically written the election laws so ambiguously that proving misuse of funds beyond a shadow of a doubt is practically impossible, I just hope that the IRS is following the trial closely, and will act decisively if the jury does decide that the money in question was a gift versus a donation. --- Online headline: "Milwaukee Police Accused Of Illegal Cavity Searches" -- Ooops, my bad. Thought there was becoming a defined element of what cavities are legal for the TSA to search and which ones aren't. --- HuffPost headline/story: " New York High School Cancels Plans To Provide Condoms For Prom-Goers * The condom controversy doesn't show any signs of dying down before prom 2013. Do you think schools should have the right to provide condoms at prom? " -- "the RIGHT to provide condoms on prom night"? It was bad enough when the US Supreme Court gave high school students "rights", but why do the schools think they have a 'right' (or responsibility) to do anything but provide basic educational opportunities for taxpayers' children? --- WRBL News3 story: "COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Crews started working in the Liberty District last April to update the water and sewage system to prevent frequent flooding in the area. * Workers have been steadily moving along and the project is scheduled to be completed early next year." -- Shouldn't this have been done/completed back in the early to mid 1990s when the Columbus Water Works held us hostage to either a bond issue or tripling our rates to comply with a government order? The CWW told us our whole sewer system had to be overhauled right then and there. Wot happ'n'd? --- L-E picture of potUS Arpege demonstrating his new military strategy he picked up from the French:

--- L-E's "Quotable": “Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.” - Mother Teresa Catholic nun and missionary, beatified 2003 (1910-1997) -- Hmmm, now we know why she was never asked to speak at a DIM&DUMBERat National Convention. It wouldn't have been nice to try to fool Mother Teresa. --- The debate to hire more people in the DA's office should not be centered on the fact that more crimes are being committed and more arrests are being made. That comes with the territory. I'd be more agreeable with Slater if she wanted to spend money on assuring better qualified juries and more judges to hear all these cases. I am also open to more prison cells to keep criminals incarcerated for their entire sentence. --- A letter in the L-E paints a rosy picture for the Natatorium. Contrary to the rosy picture of succcess the Smiths' write about their past experiences in using a natatorium, the budget plans of this natatorium include only a plan for about 8 days a year for 'swim meets' providing only 2% of the projected revenues. If the Smiths are so enthusiastic about the merits swimming has been for their children, then the Smiths should be used in a campaign for making sure the Natatorium fees for use should be high enough that there would be no operations deficit for the facility. --- L-E headline: "Congradulations! " -- It would behoove the L-E to show/denote that this was an intentionally misspelled play on phonics rather than a proof reader's overlooked correction. "Con-grad-ulations" would show this; as it is, based on the plethora of spelling errors we are exposed to throughout the year, this may not be even noticed by the L-E. --- L-E story: " A Lumpkin Court resident lost 250 pounds of tools, hundreds of DVDs and other items in a Monday burglary, Columbus police said. * Police say a $1,000 Rolex watch and 250 DVDs worth $2,500 were taken from inside the house. * An electric handsaw worth $235 and 250 pounds of tools in two different tool boxes were taken from the storage shed." -- Please tell me the police are looking at this with a tad of disbelief... A Rolex may be worth $1,000.00 when 'hot' but considering the neighborhood of mainly $20K-$40K rental homes, such items reported stolen are not normal for such conditions. --- L-E headline: "Facebook’s Zuckerberg drops off rich list " -- Guess the DIM&DUMBERats will flood the online site with, "Like"s. ---

Online story: "MSNBC's Chris Hayes sparked controversy and debate on Sunday when he said that he felt "uncomfortable" calling soldiers killed in action "heroes" because the term can be used to justify potentially unjust wars. He later apologized for the statement. " -- The story also provided me with the perfect response: a "twitterer" wrote: " One Twitter user said that he was "uncomfortable with calling you (Hayes) an American." --- What is it with liberals? They don't seem to understand the difference between Veterans' Day and Memorial Day; even potUS Arpege. On Veterans' Day, we salute, we thank, we honor all our military men and women, past and present. On Memorial Day, we take a few minutes out of our day to remember those brave soldiers who died in order for America to become and remain free. Even a Memorial Day backyard cook-out is a tribute to them. To feel any different is unpatriotic... period. --- Online story: "WASHINGTON — The White House said President Barack Obama misspoke on Tuesday when he referred to a "Polish death camp" while honoring a Polish war hero. * The president's remark had drawn immediate complaints from Poles who said Obama should have called it a "German death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland," to distinguish the perpetrators from the location. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski called it a matter of "ignorance and incompetence." -- Thank goodness potUS Arpege handled this himself and didn't send VEEP Biden-Biden to represent him; Biden-Biden could have started WW III. --- Online story: "Romney spent Tuesday evening at a Las Vegas fundraiser with Trump, who had toyed with the idea of running for president. Romney says he believes Obama was born in America but has yet to condemn Trump's repeated insinuations to the contrary. * "If Mitt Romney lacks the backbone to stand up to a charlatan like Donald Trump because he's so concerned about lining his campaign's pockets, what does that say about the kind of president he would be?" Obama's deputy campaign manager, Stephanie Cutter, said in a statement." -- "If Mitt Romney lacks the backbone to stand up to a charlatan like Donald Trump"? Huh? I do believe it was potUS Arpege who kowtowed to Trump's demand. --- Online headline: "Cory Booker Communications Director Resigns" -- Yeah right... she either had to say that or end up next to James Hoffa in the New Jersey Meadowlands. --- Online story: "WASHINGTON, May 29 (Reuters) - The head of the U.S. National Weather Service has retired unexpectedly after an internal investigation found that agency employees improperly shifted millions of dollars in budget resources to weather service offices around the country." -- "Retired"? Sounds more like his heat wave was confronted by a cold-front and lightning knocked him off his throne. --- Online headline: "'Don't Fale Me': Student Writes Hilarious Note On Assignment " -- Any further arguments for eliminating remedial students to college? This reminded me of a day back in the 70's when I stopped by our stores personnel department to review recent employment applications. One struck me as a sign of the future. A recent high school graduate wrote in the "Previous Jobs" area of the application, "Non, I just don graduated." I felt my job was pretty safe in the future. --- L-E headline: "Councilman Sumbry says wife’s nap to blame for blue light mishap" -- Hmmm, I guess it doesn't matter which side of the river you live on, DIM&DUMBERats seem anxious to blame their wives for their ills. Along with Sumbry, we have Michael Eddings... Even worse than the "war on women" most DIM&DUMBERats partake in is the "war on wives". --- United Way just announced its results: $6,600,000.00 pledged; $6,006,000.00 actually collected; $5,021,101.00 distributed to agencies; $984,899.00 retained for United Way salaries/expenses. Looks like a couple of things need to be done. First, pledgers not completing such should have their United Way signs/window decals revoked, and United Way needs to curtail its almost 20% of revenues collected from being retained for in-house use. --- Succinct L-E "soundoff": "Democrats are all for tolerance until you disagree with them. Then they go on a personal attack: against God, His Bible, His church, His people, my marriage and family — all things they are ignorant about. " -- Well said! Write more often! --- Another obvious lib's L-E "soundoff": "Why does Columbus treat graduation like church? Graduation is supposed to be a joyous time!" -- Well, when high school graduates pick up their diplomas but have no skills to enter college or the work place, whay are we supposed to be joyous about? Being graduated is suppose to mean you have been prepared well enough to 'graduate' to the next step in life...being more independent. --- I've got it! With all the recent court decisions overturning criminal verdicts based om "ineffective counsel", require all court appointed attorneys and public defenders to buy insurance, and post a 'performance bond'. That way, if an appeal is overturned, the insurance company would pay for the taxpayers' cost of a retrial, and the lawyer woiuld pay more for his/her insurance (or be denied insurance coverage which would keep him out of court cases). --- Paraphrasing a phrase of support from most of our pasts, "Right On, Thomas Orr, Write On!" ---

To the lib Monday 'soundoff-er' who submitted, "Matrimony is not necessarily "holy." Leave the holy part to the church weddings and allow marriage to be legal instead. It won't hurt the holy ones." -- Hmm, Mark 10:9 (KJV) says, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." so I guess the writer either thinks it's OK to 'asunder' a legal ceremony, or a JP has the same power of God. --- Online headline: " NATIONAL POLITICS * Obama to honor fallen troops on Memorial Day -- Oooops, my bad. Thought he was staging a ceremonial resignation; participating in a photo-op during an election year is not honoring. Besides, we are memorializing, remembering. --- A photographer has filed a complaint against Justin Bieber 'for roughing him up'. Yeah, right... That photographer better have a lot of pictures to back his story. --- From L-E story: "Americans spend more money on coffee every year than it would cost to put fresh water wells in every African village. It takes so little to save a life, to give these children a chance to rise above the generations of poverty. But the greatest hurdle is getting people to pay attention." -- Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson.... where are you? Are you listening? Do you even care? --- Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/05/28/2064471/columbus-woman-raises-money-awareness.html#storylink=cpy Lib's L-E "soundoff": "Unions had nothing to do with jobs going overseas. That was done by rich business owners who saw an opportunity to increase profits sinfully on top of the profits that already increased by not creating new jobs." -- Are there people who actually believe this? Unfortunately... but unions are not the ONLY reason, but they are surely one of the top two reasons. The other....the U.S. government via Congress and the regulatory agencies. --- Before it goes any further, Mayor Obamalinson and Council need to publish a detailed break down of the operational costs of the natatorium estimates. Fixed costs are harder to renegotiate, but variables are open season. Let the public see exactly what the budgeting snafu is really about. Whether a 'profit' (in government speak, enough revenue coming in from fees to offset bond interest, utilities, and salaries/benefits) can be made should have been evaluated before the first ground-breaking shovel turned over any soil. Letting a private entity, even the membership based Y.M.C.A., cannot be a solution if the operational costs overruns are as presented, because even the Y.M.C.A. (or other) cannot operate continuously with such a deficit budget plan. --- L-E headline: "Japan’s rice farmers pray over paddies * They hope this year’s rice crop won't be too radioactive to sell " -- "Too radioactive to sell"? How about taking the TSA out of the airports, and have then pat down and sniff every bag of Japanese rice that comes through customs, and reject all rice that has ANY level of radioactivity! --- L-E headline: "Russia condemns its ally Syria over massacre * More than 108 killed, including 49 children" -- Putin must be doing his ''potUS Arpege" imitation. Next we'll find an open mike gaffe where Putin's aide will tell Ahmandine-JIHAD's aide that he'll have more flexibility following the November elections. --- L-E story: "MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Hundreds of people gathered at the Alabama state Capitol to protest the recent passage and signing of a bill that makes some changes to Alabama’s tough law targeting illegal immigration." -- Obviously, millions of Alabamians showed their support for the bill by participating in life. --- L-E story: "OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Each year, an estimated 1.7 million U.S. college students are steered to remedial classes to catch them up and prepare them for regular coursework. But a growing body of research shows the courses are eating up time and money, often leading not to degrees but student loan hangovers. " -- And running the cost up for students (or mainly, their parents) who are taking normal college level courses. The flux of added professors to handle admission of non-college-level prepared students not only drives up the cost of every student's education, the admission processes often give undeserving students a place at a college/university that another more qualified student is rejected for admission. Lets not even go to how many "HOPE Scholarship" dollars are wasted on unqualified students! --- How did the powers that be come up with the name "Beryl" as a tropical storm/hurricane name? Is that a girl's or boy's name? Wouldn't it be tough enough for a child to have to answer to 'Beryl' without having it the same as a tropical storm/hurricane? --- If watching the lack of effort, hustle of Braves players of Saturday is an indicator, it indicates the 8 game losing streak will probably continue...and continue. It wasn't just a comedy of errors we saw, it was a mental breakdown of players who obviously would rather have been somewhere else other than Turner Field. ---

Online story: "Florida officials made it clear Friday that the state will continue to purge as many as 182,000 suspected noncitizens from the state’s voter rolls -- despite a coalition's call to stop the process or prepare for court. * In the last three weeks alone, the Florida secretary of state's office has identified and started to purge what it says are at least 50,000 dead voters from the state's rolls and stripped out about 7,000 convicted felons. Officials at the same time are defending a more controversial plan to remove as many as 182,000 suspected noncitizens from the state's voter rolls. * “Florida has a very shameful history of purging minority voters based on false information before presidential elections,” said Katherine Culliton-Gonzalez, director of voter protection projects for the Advancement Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that works to protect voter rights. " -- "Katherine Culliton-Gonzalez, director of voter protection projects for the Advancement Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that works to protect voter rights. "? If MS Culliton-Gonzalez was concerned about protecting voter rights, she would be working WITH Florida officials to make sure non-eligible people were QUICKLY purged from the voter lists so legitimate voters' rights would be protected! --- L-E headline/story: "Christian Jordanian woman sues her Muslim employer * A Christian Jordanian woman said Sunday she is suing her Gulf Arab employer for arbitrary dismissal after she refused a new dress code forcing her to cover her head." -- In sharia law, it's a different kind of justice when one has her head handed to her. Hope she filed in a California Court. --- Online headline: "Alan Simpson Slams Fellow Republicans For Unwillingness To Compromise " -- First of all, Simpson is a FORMER Republican who was rejected because of his unwillingness to stand his ground on important issues. No one wins in compromise, but the person who caves in the slightest on his values loses then, and will lose more the next time he compromises further. --- Online headline/story: "Ohio Casinos' Opening Cutting Into Winnings For Neighboring States * TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — The opening of casinos in Ohio this spring means the luck is running out for neighboring states that have pulled in an estimated $1 billion each year from gamblers who've been crossing the border to wager at riverboats in Indiana, gaming tables in Michigan and casinos in western Pennsylvania. * With more Ohioans staying home to gamble, those states stand to lose millions in tax revenues that help pay for new schools, college scholarships, roads and bridges. * Indiana alone estimates it will lose as much as $100 million in tax revenue in the first year after all four of Ohio's casinos are operating. * "We were shockingly successful in the early years," said Luke Kenley, a state senator who's a key member of Indiana's budget committee. "But other states have chipped away at us."" -- Government mentality will destroy us all! Indiana State Senator Kenley sums up the greatest injustice, the greatest harm open gambling brings upon our social and fiscal growth... people who can't afford to gamble are running out of money, and can neither sustain their habit/hobby, and will become dependent on the state to exist. --- L-E story: "NEW YORK — Poll after poll shows public support for same-sex marriage steadily increasing, to the point where it’s now a majority viewpoint. Yet in all 32 states where gay marriage has been on the ballot, voters have rejected it. " -- Polls just prove that 'figures don't lie, but liars figure a lot'. What the polls reveal is that most people respect individual privacy, but reject those who want to force their private lives in other people's faces. --- L-E's "Looking back": "Fifty years ago today, May 28, 1962 City’s Crime Rate Lowest in State * Columbus made the best showing among Georgia cities of more than 100,000 population in the FBI’s uniform crime report figures for the first three months of the year." -- My, my, how the times have been a changing. --- L-E story: " ALBANY — School officials are scheduling August hearings for 24 teachers and two principals in southwest Georgia whose contracts weren’t renewed after they were named in Gov. Nathan Deal’s report on test cheating. " -- 24 teachers and 2 principals in one system caught... wonder what the real number is of those who cheated or didn't report what hey saw. 1 teacher/principal cheating is a problem; 24 teachers and 2 principals is an epidemic, that only a mass amputation will curtail. --- From a fellow BCer: Updated potUS Arpege re-election bumper sticker

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Today's Breakfast Club is coming to you from Athens. We went to Atlanta for a Braves Game/Scotty McCreery concert with our youngest, then drove to Athens to visit with our eldest. Carol calls Athens 'God's Country'; others just see it as "a pack of dogs". --- I guess if you hold on long enough, good things do happen. Saw a fellow BCer from the historic district riding his bicycle down Broadway Saturday AM...but on the streets instead of the sidewalks! Thanks, pard. --- L-E headline: "Vatican confirms pope's butler arrested in scandal" -- " promus did is!" ("The butler did it! in Latin - at least according to an online translator source. Took 2 years of Latin but couldn't remember merda. --- Liberals.....they complain about our military budget, yet have nothing to complain about spending more than half the amount of our military's budget on illegal alien benefits. --- Online story: "The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is warning that if $607 billion in tax increases and spending cuts all hit as scheduled -- roughly the beginning of next year -- the U.S. will likely go into recession in 2013. -- Grab your wallet! You know this ia actually sugar coated if the mainstream media printed this. --- HuffPost headline: "Obama's Thrifty Claims Prove False" -- Of course, the HuffPost doesn't have the moxie to do a Joe Wilson analysis of "You Lie!"! Love it when libs turn on each other, but wish they'd learn that a campaign promise made just to get your vote ain't gonna be kept, and potUS Arpege is Hoping the same promise this year will keep'em from Changing their vote. --- Miami Herald (McClatchy, too) Commentary headline/story: "Obama administration reneged on it's secrecy pledge * There were no cameras around to record whether President Obama was winking when, on his first full day in office, he signed an executive order and two presidential memorandums declaring that "every agency and department should know that this administration stands on the side of not of those who seek to withhold information, but those who seek to make it known". * No White House in my lifetime, even that of the infamously secretive Richard Nixon - has been more of an attack dog when it comes to preserving governmental secrecy." -- The party of 'yellow dogs' are now attacking the hand that feeds it. --- Online headline: "Biden: 'If You Harm America, We Will Follow You'" -- "Follow"? Looks to me like Osama bin Biden has been leading the way! --- potUS Arpege's 2012 'slogan' is "Forward".. 'Forward' as in "Back to The Future I Promised in 2008" would be more like it. --- Online story: "One man is dead and another hospitalized after a bizarre assault off Miami's MacArthur Causeway reportedly forced a police officer to open fire. * City of Miami police say the incident began Saturday afternoon about 2 p.m. when an officer responded to reports of 2 men fighting in the bike path of the Biscayne Boulevard exit ramp * The officer...approached and saw that the naked man was actually chewing the other man's head, according to witnesses. The officer ordered the naked man to back away, and when he continued the assault, the officer shot him. * The attacker continued to eat the man, despite being shot, forcing the officer to continue firing. Witnesses said they heard at least a half dozen shots." -- Other than it had to be obvious that the perv wasn't concealing a weapon, why didn't the officers just rush and contain him? Now, every LGB&T & ACLU office will be clamoring to file some sorta lawsuit. --- Online headline: "Former Mubarak PM Demands Partial Vote Recount" -- "Partial vote recount"? What's he want...Algore to recount the hanging chads on his opponent's ballots? --- L-E story: "In the wake of Columbus Council’s negative reaction to the proposed $1.2 million annual subsidy of the city’s new natatorium, city leaders are planning to reopen discussions with the YMCA concerning a possible partnership in the venture. * Tomlinson said that even if some level of subsidy remains for the natatorium, it would be just one of many such subsidies the Consolidated Government pays for civic amenities. * In the current fiscal 2012 budget, more than $1.5 million in subsidies were paid out of the general fund to venues such as the Civic Center/Ice Rink, Lake Oliver Marina , Cooper Creek Tennis Center, Bull Creek and Oxbow Creek golf courses, the Trade Center and Civil War Naval Museum, she said. Add in the $2.6 million that the Trade Center and Civic Center get from hotel/motel and beer taxes and the total of tax subsidies for city facilities totals over $4.1 million, she said. * “None of them are independent profit centers,” Tomlinson said. “But you have to take into account their economic impact. How much sales tax is generated. How many heads are in beds (in hotels and motels) because of families coming into town to visit these facilities.” * There’s a reason, she said, that the private sector isn’t jumping in to develop such facilities. But there is a ion of the reason they are good public investments. " -- With the exception of the Trade Center there should be no "subsidies" (a.k.a. bad management of resources). If the City thinks we should be offering special facilities, then the City should be able to operate them at a profit. If not, the City should vacate (or sell at fair market value) said ventures and clear the way for private industry to take over such ventures. As it stands, if the City lowballs the price/use of such facilities, which it makes it tougher, even impossible, for private businesses to compete for that business as well. A good current example is potUS Arpege has written off space travel as negative, but SpaceX, a private company, just launched a cargo rocket to the Space Lab, and SpaceX will make a profit on it. --- Liberal's L-E "soundoff": "Let’s try to understand this: If I have $1,000 and pay $50 in taxes, I’m paying a higher percentage of my money than a man who has $1,000,000 and pays $5,000. Don’t pity the rich. " -- Heh heh heh..."If I have $1,000...." Liberals must have all been taught 'new math'...by design. First, this liberal says 'if I have a $1,000", not if I EARN a $1000, but even if the liberal has or earns such, he/she ain't gonna pay $50 in taxes; he/she will either pay ZERO or get an unearned income tax refund! --- Another lib's L-E "soundoff": "Mr. Romney says our American students are getting a “Third World education.” Maybe the solution is for all the students to go to expensive private schools like his kids did. " -- Ignorance may be bliss in some cases, but not this one. Only one private school or college even in Columbus has tuition that higher than the per child tax dollar expenditures of our public schools. --- I don't believe it! After all these years, Tim Chitwood actually has a satirically funny column all by himself... well, he may have gotten a few tips from my blog items concerning the MCSD board. --- This is a freaky picture in the L-E concerning a local HS graduation:

The teacher is identified as "a multi-age instructor". What is a "multi-age instructor", and why would this be a selected pose between any instructor and a student? --- L-E story: "ATLANTA — Faced with rising prison costs, Georgia corrections officials are releasing a growing number of sick and elderly inmates to save millions of dollars in medical spending. " -- Excuse me? Maybe GA correction officials can 'show' savings on paper, but how can that be claimed when it's gonna cost US a lot more in other government programs to house, feed, and treat such individuals? Raise hell with your representatives! --- Online headline: "Manure Pit Deaths Ruled Accidental" Oooops, my bad. Thought Clinton had been at another disappointing DIM&DUMBERat fundraiser. --- Online headline/story: "Newport Beach Slaps Obama Campaign With A $35,000 Bill * California has a reputation for being an "ATM" when it comes to presidential campaigns, but one city in the Golden State is tired of bearing the hidden costs of high-end political fundraisers. * Newport Beach in Orange County, Calif., has just slapped the Obama for America campaign with a bill for $35,043.04, reports Corona Del Mar Today. The figure represents the cost of extra police officers, reserve officers and overtime pay that the city contributed to the President's visit in February of this year. " -- Hmmmm, a $35K bill for security...hmmmm... why is that 35K bill sound familiar? Oh!!!! I do think that was the cost per person of the fundraiser! Guess this 'bill' sorta re-compensated either the Mayor's or the Police Chief's attendance that night --- www.BamaJam2012.com, replete with the Pepsi modified potUArpege insignia logo, should be carefully checked to see if it's really an ObamaJam2012 campaign rally promising country music, and apologizing when none of the country music kings actually shows up. --- L-E's "Thought for Today": “Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious. Great speech is impassioned, small speech cantankerous.” — Chuang-Tzu, Chinese essayist (c. 369 B.C.E.—c. 286 B.C.E.) " -- Wow! China has known for 25 Centuries that potUS Arpege was coming! --- Once again, the L-E has printed a political commentary by Karl Douglass without identifying Karl as a paid political strategist of Sanford Bishop. Shame on the L-E! --- From the pits of Leonard Pitts: "We are gathered here today to memorialize a man who revolutionized our lives. * So what did Eugene J. Polley do? What was the nature of his great leap forward? Did he invent the PC? Did he invent the cell phone? Did he invent the Internet? * No. Eugene J. Polley invented the wireless remote. " -- Wouldn't you know it...Pitts, the outspoken voice of the underpaid un/non-employed, idolizes the man who created 'the couch potato'. --- Jason Duffner.... Auburn Tiger replacing Tiger Woods. --- Oh...one comment about the Braves game. Washington's lead-off batter hit a soft single to right field, and as Jason Heywood lazily waiyed for the ball to get to him, the batter took note and made it to second. A fan close by yelled, "That's OK, Heywood!". I yelled, "No it's not, there are kids watching you! Hustle"! ---

Online story: "Republican Gov. Rick Scott signed a law last year that sharply reduces the duration of benefits and makes filing unemployment claims much more of a hassle. The law requires claims to be filed online, creates a lengthy test with math and reading questions and requires workers to keep detailed records of their job search efforts. * "Florida's revised procedures make it just about as difficult as possible for unemployed workers to access unemployment insurance now," said Florida Legal Services attorney Valory Greenfield in a statement." -- Your point? Why shouldn't those filing for benefits 'work' for them? The legal indignation is but a hypocritical act, as the state's policy gives more lawyer's 'work'. --- L-E story: "A driver who fled Columbus police Thursday afternoon was later caught and found with $4,570 in marijuana, reports state. * Antonio Vanderson, 34, is charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, reckless driving, driving while his license was suspended and an excessive tint violation, police said." -- Once again, when someone gets his/her license suspended, the car should be impounded or fitted with a 'boot' for the same sentence duration. --- potUS Arpege is campaigning on the myth that a successful businessman is not necessarily qualified to run a country. He may have a warped point; he's already proven that a successful community organizer is not qualified to run a country. --- Online headline: "Edwards Jurors Looking At More Evidence" -- If it's about whether the money was a gift or a donation can be answered by looking at the giver/donor's tax returns. If it was a gift, the giver/donor's CPA would have known and listed it as a gift on the giver/donor's tax returns. Gifts over the $12/13K amount are taxable at about 50%+/-. If the giver/donor's CPA didn't list it as a gift, then it was a donation to the Edwards' campaign, and must be spent only in accordance to election laws. It's that simple! --- Online headline: "Bill Clinton Fundraiser Deemed "Worst Party Ever" -- Was there any doubt? It was a DIM&DUMBERat Party. --- Online headline: "Killer Cat-sized Rats Invade Florida" -- Ooops, my bad. Thought the Secret Service Advanced Team was in Miami preparing for the DIM&DUMBERat National Convention. --- L-E story: "French President Francois Hollande for the first time provided details of his plan to pull France’s combat troops out of Afghanistan by the end of the year" -- Well, France has certainly had enough practice at surrendering. --- Perhaps if Congress had to abide by all the laws it enacts, there wouldn't be any objections to tax cuts. --- Why would Columbus want to add another 1-cent tax to the taxes we pay on purchases of meals, clothing, entertainment, autos, hotels, gas, and such? When you look at businesses who collect more sales taxes for local/state coffers than the businesses 'net' annually, you have to think that the businesses may be wondering if they are in the wrong business to begin with. --- L-E headline/story: "FERNBANK SCIENCE CENTER * DeKalb schools consider closing center * Science center costs $4.7M each year * About 160,000 people visit the center each year, many of them school children, to learn about frogs, snakes, bugs and other animals and plants. " -- Having experienced being a volunteer chaperone on such a trip for middle schoolers, what I learned most was that none of the exhibits were near as intriguing for them as the day out of regular school and the overpriced Fernbank concession/souvenir counter. What the Fernbank Science Center needs is some excitement and hands on experiences, but that ain't happening. --- L-E headline: "BIBB COUNTY (Alabama) * Inmate, 37, arrested in death of prisoner * Jeremy James, 33, stabbed to death in fight with inmate " -- What do you bet his tax dollar paid attorney will drum up some girlfriend willing to testify the man accused couldn't have done it because he was spending the night with her at her place? And guess what, there's probably a jury there that will find him not guilty. --- L-E story: "ATLANTA — The interim leader of Georgia Perimeter College says the school plans to lay off about 185 employees as part of a broader effort to cut spending. * They also include increased class sizes and will involve faculty teaching more courses. * Watts said the job cuts won't affect tenure or tenure-track faculty members. " -- 185 non-union personnel will lose their jobs, but the folks most responsible for the success or failure will all be around wondering why they can't make ends meet. Those who can, do...... " --- L-E story: "ATLANTA — Two Republicans will run in the primary against state Sen. Don Balfour, who has been accused of improperly accepting state pay on days when lobbyists reported the incumbent was far from the Statehouse. Still, few political leaders in Georgia are facing major primary challenges. * Travis Bowden of Snellville and Steve Ramey of Lilburn met Friday’s deadline to qualify for the July 31 ballot against Balfour, who had a campaign account worth $741,000 at the end of March." -- Another good example of why politicos should have to turn in leftover campaign donations to either the local, state or national coffers at either the end of the election period, or if no one files to challenge an incumbent doing an election cycle. Building a campaign chest over the years is a sure way to discourage other candidates, and for lobbyist to gain special consideration. --- No offense meant, but looking at the list of graduates from Kendrick High, some of those young adults earned their diploma by being able to remember (and correctly spell) all their given names. For someone of entrepreneurial energy, there is a market for individually personalized coffee mugs. --- After scanning the qualifying list for the primaries in July, it's evident I will vote in the DIM&DUMBerat Primary so I can have a voice in who we have to live with for the next 4 years. I am grateful that our local races are now non-partisan so we get to vote on them regardless of the party primaries. --- Oh! Remember that 3 of the embarrassing MCSD board members (voting against personnel promotions) are up for re-election and they all have competition. Also remember those incumbents are raising the school property taxes on you. Check you district to see who you might be able to replace. --- Is Auburn golfer Jason Duffner on a roll or what? He's got a 2 stroke lead at the halfway point this week. --- L-E story: "PHOENIX — A person with knowledge of the situation said the Arizona Diamondbacks and catcher Miguel Montero have agreed to a five-year, $60 million contract on Friday. * The 28-year-old Venezuelan is a clubhouse leader and outstanding defensive catcher. He has thrown out 47.6 percent of the runners trying to steal (28 of 60), best in the National League." -- Baseball has to be the strangest paid sport. Batters make big bucks for only getting out 7-out-of-ten times they bat, and catchers throw out less than half of the runners making attempts to advance to another base on pitch. --- L-E headline: "ECONOMY * Consumer sentiment rises to highest since ’07 " -- Hmmm, there seems to be a consumer reaction to the impending selection of a DIM&DUMBERat to presidency, and when there is an impending removal of the same.

Online headline/story: "Nancy Pelosi Slammed Over Tax Cut Proposal * The Washington Post editorial board on Wednesday night slammed House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for pushing to permanently extend "middle class" tax cuts for people earning up to $1 million, warning that it makes Democrats look "almost as irresponsible" as Republicans defending tax cuts for the rich." -- To paraphrase Rhett Butler, "and she should be slammed, and slammed often", and don't you love it when liberal media start turning on their leaders? --- Here's HOPing, that most of Congress bought into the Facebook IPO, and suffered for their availability to get insider access to such shares. Maybe there will be CHANGE in the laws and rules governing such stock transactions in the future. --- The $1.2 million for the Natatorium is for operational overrun... not just the costs of operations; not just the overrun of construction budget. It's an annual projection and considered "static' as opposed for what we know will be annual growth of expenses. There is something totally amiss in the planning of this facility. Additionally, if you parse Worsley's figures about if you cut operational hours to 60 from 90 hours per week, he can cut those overrun operational costs to about $600K. 30 hours x's 52 =1560 hours removed from budgeting at an average of $384.00+ per hour. This is not a healthy situation, nor is what he says it will take to run the Natatorium. --- This L-E story was in Wednesday's addition, but I wanted to mull it over before commenting: "State Rep. Calvin Smyre, the committee’s other cochairman, told council that the rail study reminds him of Columbus missing out on the Interstate highway system in the 1960s, and that he would hate to see it miss out on the possibility of passenger rail service in the 21st century. * Local attorney Edward Hudson, co-chairman of Mayor Teresa Tomlinson’s passenger rail commission, told councilors that rail service to Atlanta would connect Columbus to 57 percent of the state’s population, 60 percent of its jobs, and 70 percent of its gross domestic product. * “A passenger rail line is really about connecting economic resources,” Hudson said. The economic numbers are impressive.” -- If this was the 20th Century and we were about to enter the 19th Century, I could really get behind this venture, but that is not the situation. This is one of those "BIG" ideas that politicians salivate over as the preliminary money can be spent on their friends, and they will be long gone before any reality will come to fruition, so they won't be around to have to explain what they were thinking (Red McDaniel excepted; he's been around forever). If passenger rail systems were booming (don't dare bring up AMTRAK or MARTA as good examples), then looking for an upgrade would be reasonable, but consumers rejected the continued need for for passenger rail service 40+ years ago. --- President Barack Obama holds a narrow lead over presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney in three pivotal battleground states -- Florida, Ohio and Virginia -- according to an NBC-Marist poll released on Thursday. -- This musta really activated Chris Matthews leg tingling. --- NAACP Silent as Federal Contracts to Minority-Owned Small Businesses Drop - Say it ain't so, Joe and B.O. --- Bill Clinton Poses With Porn Stars At Star-Studded Gala In Monaco

Wonder if he's also acting under his stage name, "Slick Willy"? --- Latest from barackobama.com: "Dear Hal, I've been in President Obama's shoes before -- Bill Clinton" -- We knew he had a cigar fetish, and now he tells us he's into shoes...., and I bet they were 'loafers'. --- Liberal's L-E "soundoff": "There are as many Christian Democrats as there are Christian Republicans. Democrats just tend to act more Christ-like. " -- Well, not exactly 'act', though many 'feel' they ARE Christ, and 'feel' they have the right to determine when life begins, and to spend other people's money on government enslavement programs. --- A near miss L-E "soundoff": "Reading about the natatorium, I’m reminded of that old adage: Anything government can do, private enterprise can do better and cheaper." -- What private enterprise can do better is to know when there a venture has profitability in its future. Take railroads for example; many a fortune was made in the past on passenger service, but the railroads shut those down and concentrated on freight. Railroads acquiesced that the future of passenger movement belonged to the automobile and the airlines. Automobiles give flexibility, and people will put up with being crammed in like cattle for the convenience of getting cross country in 4 hours versus 3 or 4 days and nights. --- Another liberal's L-E "soundoff": "Our military has close to the same expenses as the militaries of all the rest of the world combined, but the Pentagon wants more? No wonder our roads and bridges are falling apart." -- If you don't like your military to be the superior one in the world, move elsewhere. On the other hand, perhaps our roads and bridges would be better (and better maintained if the military was in charge of them. --- Was hoping to see the way Columbus could save $351,000.00 as claimed by Elise Jenkins in her first forum. If she documents that now, the City could start saving more money than if she only reveals if she wins election. Besides, if the City can save more than the $250K Mayor Obamalinson claims we'll save if she can cut garbage pickup to once a week, maybe she'll drop that notion and move on to some other issue we might support her on. --- L-E headline: "Nuke talks with Iran to resume next month " -- Hmmm, meantime, bach in Tehran, nuke work is resumed. NATO, fish or cut bait! --- Seeing the Astrodome being considered for new life is special to me . Saw Mississippi State 'skunk' (36-0) Houston there in September of 1965, and in September of 1978, I heard a sports brief concerning that the Astrodome would actually fit inside of the new Superdome, so I bought a pre-announcement ticket package for the 1979 Sugar Bowl. After all the seasonal dust settled, it was #1 Alabama vs #2 Penn State . Whatta game and experience! --- L-E headline/story: "Civil rights groups call on Deal to diversify bench * They say Georgia’s black judges are being replaced by white appointees * ATLANTA — A coalition of civil rights and attorney groups says African-American judges are being replaced by white appointees in one of Georgia’s most heavily populated black counties and called Thursday for Georgia’s governor to fill vacancies with judges who reflect their communities’ diversity. * The coalition, led by the Rev. Joseph Lowery, said black representation on the bench has decreased from 44 percent in 2002 to 30 percent. * “We need fairness,” said Lowery, head of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, as he stood on the steps of the courthouse. “Do the right thing. We’re not here to ask them for favors. We’re asking them for justice.” * “Governor Deal, working closely with members of the Judicial Nominating Commission, seeks to appoint to the bench the most highly qualified candidates for the bench, whether it’s in Fulton County or elsewhere in the state,” (Brian) Robinson said" -- Dr King must be turning over in his grave! Does Reverend Lowery contend that the color of a man's skin determines his fairness or ability? Shame on him! ---

Online story: "Researchers at Fairleigh Dickinson University updated a study they had conducted in late 2011. That study only sampled respondents from New Jersey, where the university is located. This time, the researchers conducted a nationwide poll. * study has concluded that people who only watch Fox News are less informed than all other news consumers. * People who only listened to NPR or watched Sunday morning talk shows or "The Daily Show" did the best in the study." -- First, I checked, but this was not some reprint of an April Fool's Day story. Since Fox is "fair and balanced", I'm figuring the Fairleigh survey only contacted Fox fans of Juan Williams and Alan Colmes. As for "NPR" and "The Daily Show", I was instantly reminded of an old, really old, joke I heard in my youth about "The Readers Digest". If you want to keep Readers Digest fans uninformed, take it away from them; if you want to keep them misinformed, give it back. Oh, there is one other possibility.. probability... the survey was an extra credit project graded by the Fairleigh Dickinson faculty! --- From the "he's lost it" department - Online headline/story: "Colin Powell Trashes Mitt Romney's Team Of Foreign Policy Advisers * WASHINGTON -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday questioned Mitt Romney's choice in foreign policy advisers, saying that some are so right-wing that the advice they give deserves "second thought." * "I don't know who all of his advisers are, but I've seen some of the names and some of them are quite far to the right. And sometimes they might be in a position to make judgments or recommendations to the candidate that should get a second thought," Powell said during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." -- If this is "trashing", it's only in MSNBC's eyes. "Trashing" is what Powell did to potUS Arpege earlier when he refused to endorse him for re-election. If you have to think about whether you are going to continue supporting an incumbent president...you aren't doing so. --- Online headline/story: "Patrick Fitzgerald Steps Down As U.S. Attorney In Chicago * CHICAGO — In a city and state known for tenacious corruption, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald became known for equal tenacity in going after politicians of every stripe.* During more than a decade in Chicago, Fitzgerald put behind bars a former Republican governor and then his Democratic successor. He traveled to Washington to win convictions of a top aide to the vice president of the United States, and back home targeted an international media mogul and aides to one of the nation's most powerful mayors." -- Hmmm, as I see it, between potUS Arpege and Rahm Emanuel, Fitzgerald is not stepping down, he is escaping with his life! --- L-E story: "The most impassioned exchanges of the evening came amid the Clerk of Superior Court panel, perhaps an unlikely area for fisticuffs in a position one candidate likened to “a glorified librarian.” Challenger Lisa Jenkins, however, charged that Pierce “is not a team player,” and said she could prove it. * “I have documentation that the clerk has gone out and spent over $351,000 of taxpayers’ money that the city could have done for free,” said Jenkins, who vowed to overhaul the office if elected. " -- Before we go any further, Jenkins should come forth with her "documentation" and evidence, and let the voters see for ourselves. Otherwise, she should apologize. --- Doing the math on the $1,200,000.00 operational overrun as projected by Dr Worsley to Council to run the Natatorium. Mind you, this is just for the "overrun" expense, not the operational cost of the Natatorium. At an average of $20.00 a hour, $1,200,000.00 translates into 60,000 man hours. That's an average of over 1153 man hours a week. Again, this is in overrun projections, not the portion that fits into the budget. Why hasn't the Mayor or anyone on Council pointed this out and challenged Worsley on his projections? --- L-E's "Thought for Today": “Responsibility educates.” — Wendell Phillips, American abolitionist (1811-1884)." -- Well, well, well... In a nutshell, two words that sum up a dose of cure needed from the MCSD classroom to the MCSD board room. --- L-E headline: "Doctor who aided CIA gets 33 years * Pakistan rejects U.S. plea to release man who helped find Osama bin Laden" -- Well, there goes any further cooperation between informants and the US information network. On the bright side...DOH... the good doctor probably won't have to serve the full 33 years... his body will probably be given to his family in a matter of months. --- L-E story: "PHOENIX — Arizona’s secretary of state said Wednesday that Hawaii’s official verification of President Barack Obama’s birth records meets necessary requirements, meaning the president’s name will appear on Arizona’s ballot in the fall. * The inquiry launched recently by Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett gave official weight to a long-simmering political controversy generated by those who say that Obama was not born in the U.S. and therefore is ineligible to hold the nation’s highest office." -- Arizona asking for the birth certificate of a presidential candidate is not a 'birther' challenge; it is/was compliance with a U.S Constitutional requirement that should be the responsibility of the DIM&DUMBERat Party to provide before letting any of its party members be considered. Same goes for Republicans. Hmm, that sounds fair; no wonder the mainstream media is outraged! --- L-E headline: "Iran nuke talks snag over dueling demands " -- Hmm, RPGs at 20 paces, or scimitars at arms length? --- There's only 1 thing wrong with Senator McKoon's proposal... ir doesn't go far enough. All things consider, though, it sure is something a lot better than we've had. --- L-E headline: "Inquiry hears of wider Secret Service misbehavior * Senators remain concerned over culture in agency " -- Uh-oh! Someone has uttered the C-Word (culture); can it be long before Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are out throwing the race card? --- L-E headline: "Columbus man charged with aggravated sodomy" -- You'll have to do your own homework and read the third paragraph for yourselves. Just the matter-of-factness of the description of the act is perverse enough to have been censored in decent newspapers in the last part of the 20th Century. Change is not always good. What happened to the adage of 'all the news that's fit to print'? --- Sexual preference is a choice, not a right. Everyone keep/discuss your personal lives,whether heterosexual or homosexual, in private. 'Nuff said. --- L-E headline: "GRADUATIONS * PROPER DECORUM STRESSED FOR BIG DAY * 1,930 Muscogee County students expected to graduate over next 3 days" -- Bet the 307 Columbus High graduates have no clue to "Proper Decorum" after the dr. Crumbs incident. --- Again, what is Congress's obsession with crucifying Roger Clemens? If Congress spent half as much time on extracting evidence and truthfulness from its own members, this country would still not be as in good shape as baseball. --- L-E headlie: "HP to cut 27,000 jobs save $3.5 BillionWhy is this news? If we cut one government job in November, we'll, save trillions! --- L-E headline: "HP to cut 27,000 jobs to save up to $3.5B" Why is this news? If we cut one government job in November, we'll save trillions! --- L-E photo: This is probably a unique photo. If the Muslims win the Egyptian vote, women will probably never get to vote again in Egypt. Talk about a war on women, potUS Arpege is the instigator!

Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker has just demonstrated when and how you can tell when a DIM&DUMBERat actually tells the truth; he apologizes for doing so to fellow D&Ds. --- The latest from barackobama.com: "Meeting the President of the United States is an incredible thing. * Meeting two presidents at the same time? * Now, that's almost ridiculously cool. * If you pitch in $3 or whatever you can today, you'll be automatically entered to join President Obama and former President Clinton in New York City on June 4th -- airfare and hotel taken care of." Well, they certainly have it priced well for the actual value they are offering. Think I may 'pitch in my 2 cents'. --- More latest from barackobama.com: "When Bill Clinton ran for president in 1992, I had just started a job registering voters in Chicago." -- Where...at the Cook County Cemetery? --- Lets look closely at this; potUS Arpege is blasting Bain Capital for investing private money into private businesses that either saved a businesses or saved capital for investors to put into other struggling businesses, and Romney is a bad man for doing this, yet potUS Arpege and friends put over 1/2 a BILLION of tax dollars in Solyndra, and Solyndra went bankrupt AND SOUTH with our money. The difference is that Romney is a venture capitalist, and potUS Arpege is a misadventure socialist. --- Looks like Facebook ...well... fell on its face. --- What on earth were the MCSD board members who voted 'nay' on new personnel assignments "feeling" (because it's all to obvious they weren't 'thinking')? To use people as pawns for some ulterior motive to truly cruel, but to do so in a collusive, backroom concocted manner indicates this was some kind of revenge at Dr Andrews at other people's expense. It has truly backfired on those board members in that the ones running for re-election have alienated themselves from teacher support, and given any opponent a real issue to campaign against them. If there was such a problem, the 5 should have revealed their plan to Cathy Williams so this public thrashing could have been avoided by delaying such appointments until more discussion could be made instead of providing more examples for Ron White to work with at proving his point. --- DIM&DUMBERat L-E "soundoff": "Combine the corruption level of the Obama and Clinton administration at their highest level, and they cannot come close to either the Reagan or George W. Bush administrations." -- Finally, some soul cleansing admittance from a liberal. The combine corruption level of potUS Arpege and "Slick Willy" have set a zenith that even all corruption of every Republican president combined would not come close to their level. --- L-E story: "WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell declined Tuesday to renew the presidential endorsement he gave Barack Obama four years ago, saying he wasn’t ready “to throw my weight behind someone” at this time. " -- Don't you love it when liberals eat their own? If Powell doesn't endorse potUS Arpege, or heaven forbid, endorses Romney, the media will portray him as an 'oreo', and traitor. --- L-E headline: "U.S. CENSUS * 2010 count missed more than 1.5M minorities" -- Hmmm, must have rechecked the video tape at unauthorized border crossing locations. What political grandstanding! How on earth can anyone make such a claim without having any documentation to support such claim? Oh, yeah, it's a Washington-based report. --- L-E headline/story: "NFL MEETINGS * Players’ union not happy with league-mandated pads * ATLANTA — The NFL made thigh and knee pads mandatory equipment for the 2013 season, something the players’ union was not pleased with." -- Hmmm, maybe the NFL should make wearing a helmet mandatory so the players' union could object to that. --- Sophia Grace 'has left the building (hospital)" and is now home.

I do not know what the current execs at Kraft are thinking, but why would they think it's necessary, no even desirable, to change the company name, Kraft, to Mondelez? This is the one opportunity for the shareholders to exercise/vote for 'Hope & Change" in 2012; they will have to approve the name change, but I hope they will vote to replace the directors and executives. Not since "New Coke" has such a blaspheme occurred. --- From the 'how embarrassing can you get" department - WRBL News# story: "The river had just been here and hadn't really had an economic impact on the community,” said Richard Bishop with Uptown Columbus." -- He must not be from around here. The Chattahoochee is responsible for Columbus being here at all! It's our water; it's been providing food, and recreational and commercial ventures from the gitgo. --- Online story: "ASHBURN, Va.—Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan was knocked to the turf when defensive back Brandyn Thompson slammed into him on a play during the team's first full-squad workout in its new indoor practice field." -- Wonder if there was a bounty on the coach? --- L-E headline/story: " “It was an embarrassment to the district. It was an embarrassment to everybody who was there,” (Retiring principal Mike) Johnson said outside the board room. “It was an embarrassment for me because I served the district 30 years, and I’m embarrassed that I have anything to do with those people, the ones who voted ‘no. * He said some board members just wanted to make “a political statement,” adding: “It’s the political side of the board that wrecks things at our level, at the principal level, and at the teacher level and at the student level. It’s the politics that ruins education.” -- Hmmmm, guess some members of the school board want Ron White to highlight them in his next Columbus appearance. This does confirm my 'feelings' that we'd be better off with an appointed school board (again!) and an elected Superintendent. --- Let's hope the MCSD board doesn't further embarrass itself nor Columbus, by bringing Phillips back in as interim superintendent. If the board wants to dig up some one from the past for a few months of figureheading, Dr Pennock is still around town... --- Liberal's L-E "soundoff": "And he paid no taxes * Today’s GOP would call Jesse James a successful businessman. " -- No, the GOP would call him a DIM&DUMBERat supported banking specialist. --- The L-E really is showing its political biases. Judy F. Brouilette is the Treasurer of the local DIM&DUMBERat Party (and what a great, even dictionary picture example of one), and Karl Douglass works for DIM&DUMBERat Congressman Sanford Bishop, but the L-E refuses (yes, refuses, as the L-E staff knows these people personally) to mention such affiliation when the L-E prints letters or columns of them. --- Online story: "The Washington Free Beacon excerpted an email from the White House Visitors Office that asks expectant parents to register their future bundle of joy, "crazy as it may sound." They should give their family name as the last name, "baby" as the first name, "NMN" ("No Middle Name"), and the like. The email goes on to say that, "once the baby is born," the parents should update the information." -- The next time you hear potUS Arpege ranting about how he is the savior of women's right, remember this: While he argues that a fetus is not a person when it comes to infanticide, he demands that when pregnant women tour the White House, that the women denote they are pregnant and the unborn fetus is considered a person in the count of how many people visited 'his' White House. --- L-E headline/story: "The family that flies together … may not get to sit together on some airlines * Buying tickets two or more months in advance makes things a little easier. But passengers are increasingly finding that the only way to sit next to a spouse, child or friend is to shell out $25 or more, each way. * Bouaphanh balked at paying $114 roundtrip in fees to reserve three adjacent seats for him, his wife and their four-year-old daughter on a trip to Disney World. “I’m hoping that when we can get to the counter, they can accommodate us for free,” he says. * Airlines say their gate agents try to help family members without adjacent seats sit together, especially people flying with small children. Yet there is no guarantee things will work out." -- Just when you thought you'd finished getting groped after you passed the TSA inspection, the airlines start groping into your pocket/wallet. ---

Online story: "(Arizona Secretary of State Ken) Bennett further fanned the flames of birther rumors by threatening to keep Obama off his state's ballot if Hawaii failed to comply. * "I'm not a birther. I believe the president was born in Hawaii -- or at least I hope he was," Bennett said. "But my responsibility as secretary of state is to make sure that the ballots in Arizona are correct and that those people whose names are on the ballot have met the qualifications for the office they are seeking." -- You know political parties are not just that.. they are also private parties given rights to select and place members on various ballots. It is up to the parties to comply with U.S. or individual State Constitutions' specification of the qualifications of candidacy. If the DIM&DUMBERats want to place potUS Arpege on Arizona's ballots, it is up to the D&Ds to provide verifiable proof of his eligibility to seek office. Make the D&D's responsible for securing Hawaii's cooperation for Arizona's official request. --- The latest from barackobama.com: "Hal -- You've probably heard me talk about the unprecedented level of negative campaigning we're going to see from our opponents this year." -- Yeah, I've heard you loud and clear, and more often than your opponent. What I want to hear is you talking about your record and how much better I am now than 4 years ago and what I'll be saying 4 years from now if you get re-elected. --- L-E story: "CHICAGO — Thousands of demonstrators upset with the war in Afghanistan, climate change and the erosion of union rights marched through downtown Chicago on Sun-day, taking their discontent on a wide range of world issues to leaders assembled for a NATO summit. " -- I understand a bunch of liberals getting together in protest (versus meeting at a business and working for a living) over union and climate issues, but throwing the war in Afghanistan is a stretch to make the protest seem more American, like baseball and apple pie. This ploy might have worked 50 years ago, but there isn't a draft anymore for war to be an issue. --- From the above article: "It is the first time the summit has been held in a U.S. city other than Washington. " -- Wonder why...could it be potUS Arpege didn't want this to be happening on his door step, or could it be potUS Arpege knows that Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago could take advantage of this chaos to recruit more voters, or was it simply a way to throw Chicago a financial plum to capitalize on the tourism surge for a NATO Convention? --- A letter writer posed some questions in today's L-E: "I do have a question about the tests themselves. The social studies part of the GHSGT is divided into five parts, and the reports show that the students in the state scored 65% on the civics portion, 65% on U.S. history to 1865, 69% on U.S. history 1865 to present, 73% on geography, and 66% on world history. If students flunk four out of five parts of the test, the problem has to be with the test. * Will the state analyze these results and change the test, or continue to pummel students, administrators and teachers? When will the people start demanding a reform of the testing procedures used in this state? " -- The problem is not the test... dumbing down tests to raise scores is not a long term solution. Seems students would be better served if emphasis was placed on subject matter and presentation than for time being devoted on how to take such tests. --- L-E headline: "Conservative donors slow to back Romney campaign By JACK GILLUM Associated Press" -- Finally a liberal 'gets it' but doesn't understand. Huh, you wonder? Conservative money will roll in as Romney meets potUS Arpege head on, so the money being given now to Romney is money that probably would have gone to potUS Arpege 4 years ago. --- L-E headline/story: "JEKYLL ISLAND * $50M makeover reaches milestone * Overall, Georgia taxpayers spent $50 million to give Jekyll Island an updated meeting space, a beachside park and rerouted roads to funnel visitors to those attractions. Gov. Nathan Deal planned to attend a ceremony Sun-day afternoon to open the 128,000-square-foot convention center to the public." -- How refreshing! The taxpayers have been credited for what been done with their money (whether they like it or not)! Thinking about it, we should thank Governor Deal for not doing a "Congressman Sanford Bishop" and acting like he donated the money himself. --- Jason Duffner's 25 foot putt for a birdie on the 18th yesterday was more than just a walk-off winning shot... it was a moment of victory for Auburn over Alabama. --- From the "there oughta be a law" department - L-E story: "Isaac Brandon Jones, 25, is charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug related objects, driving while his license is suspended and a seat belt violation, reports state." -- Once again, when a driver has been given a license suspension, the vehicle he/she was caught in should be either impounded or, at a minimum, 'Denver Booted" in front of the person's house for the duration of the suspension. --- Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/05/21/2055607/driver-not-wearing-seat-belt-busted.html#wgt=rcntnews#storylink=cpy One question that needs to be asked of Trayvon Martin's parents: Are all children born from parents where one is white and the other a minority considered to be 'white"? ---

Online headline: "NAACP Endorses Gay Marriage" -- Hmmm, National Association Approving Cohabitation Perverseness? Know Dr King is proud....NOT! --- Online headline: "Obama: Banks That 'Aren't Cheating Customers' Have Nothing To Fear From Reforms" -- That can be said just as well about politicians from local government to the White House. --- The idea of a public safety net is not lost on Republicans or conservatives. It's not the net that that's objectionable; it's the government and DIM&DUMBERats promoting the "net" as the first or only option rather than one of last resort for people that causes the political split. --- L-E headline: "Minor sewage spilled into Lindsay Creek " -- Hmmm..what's the difference between 'minor' and, I guess, 'major' sewage? I imagine residential sewage is residential sewage. --- Liberal's L-E 'soundoff': "Thank you, Ledger editorial board, for the "civic illness" editorial. Your statements are absolutely correct. Signed: Disgruntled Moderate." -- The only thing 'moderate' about a disgruntled liberal is when he 'fumes' when he votes against whoever is running against a Republican, even when the Republican sounds better than the disgruntled liberal's candidate. --- Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/05/19/2053871/soundoff-for-sunday-may-20.html#storylink=cpy From L-E edirorial: "Just last week, another prominent organization sounded the alarm. The 27-year-old American Rivers coalition issued its 2012 list of the 10 "Most Endangered" rivers in the U.S., and the 'Hooch ranks behind only the Potomac, a main feeder for Chesapeake Bay, and the Green, the biggest tributary of the Colorado." -- I don't know what to attribute problems to the Green River, but it's rather obvious that the Potomac is the port-a-pottie of politics, and the Chatt is the septic tank of Atlanta. Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/05/20/2052932/american-rivers-sounds-the-alarm.html#storylink=cpy --- L-E headline: "Froma Harrop: Grief is not a mental illness" -- Of course, being a Froma Harrop follower is a mental illness, and if she doesn't watch her words, she may get culled from the editorial comment section of the L-E. --- If the Mayor and approves an operational budget for the Natatorium that accepts a $1.2 Million dollar operational deficit (that's only the deficit, not the total operational costs), then we better not hear another peep about how dropping a day of garbage pick up will 'save' a paltry $250,000.00, and she better take another look at the credentials of dr Worsley as we are paying a premium salary for a P&R director. --- Just to set the record straight on taxes paid by Callaway, Callaway does not pay Sales or lodging taxes. Like all retail businesses, Callaway collects those taxes from their patrons, and turns them over to the state Department of Revenue. In other words, if you visited Callaway, in addition to what you paid Callaway for what they offered, you paid the taxes so some politicians could have more money for themselves to control. Callaway only paid "only" $369,617.00 of the $3,025,956.00 the L-E reported as attributable to Callaway's tax load. Isn't it a shame that the politicians intrude so deep into your pocket when you want to have some R&R with your family? Think how much Callaway Gardens and YOU would benefit if politicians didn't want so much of your entertainment and family time dollars? --- From L-E story: "Proclamation and naming of Jim Wetherington Interchange at Interstate 185 and J.R. Allen Parkway - State Rep. Richard Smith. " -- I truly understand the naming of the I-185/Ft Benning intersection for John Flournoy; it's beautiful, and it was his initiative that started the "Gateway Projects", but why would anyone feel honored by having the worst J.R. Allen intersection named after them? --- Another Council Agenda item: "A resolution designating the camellia as the official flower of Columbus. (Councilor Berry “Skip” Henderson)" -- My grandmother would be proud of this; me, too. --- Since the L-E won't identify columnist Karl Douglass as a paid campaign staffer for Sanford Bishop, I'm going to run this May 6th 'item' daily in my blog (and place in the L-E online comments area) until the L-E does the right thing: I see the L-E has run another Karl Douglass column without identifying him as a paid member of the re-elect Sanford Bishop organization. Fortunately, Karl had some pretty wise words to say about financial responsibility of our City. I would have been more impressed, though, if he had directed such advice and comments to his employer, Congressman Bishop!

Online story: A 33-year-old Knoxville, Tenn. man with 30 children appeared in court this week to ask the state for child-support help, Memphis news station WREG reported Wednesday. * Desmond Hatchett has fathered 30 children -- which is believed to be the record in Knox county, according to the Los Angeles Times -- with 11 different women. His youngest children are toddlers and his oldest is 14. * Currently, the state requires him to divide 50 percent of his earnings among the 11 women, some of whom receive as little as $1.49 a month, * How did Hatchett come to father so many children? “I had four kids in the same year. Twice," he told Volunteer TV in 2009. He also told a local news station that year that he was "done" having kids (he had only 21 at the time)." Ron White....you started this so fix it; first the 11 women and the government, then FIX him for good! --- Whatta timely comic strip in today's L-E"

--- Online story: "WASHINGTON — It's been 14 months since a massive tsunami swept over parts of Japan, but federal officials still lack a comprehensive plan for detecting and disposing of the resulting debris that is expected to make landfall on the West Coast by sometime next year, a Senate panel was told Thursday." -- "federal officials still lack a comprehensive plan for detecting and disposing of the resulting debris".... hmmm sorta like 'floating chads', but there's another tsunami brewing about the first Tuesday in November so it's more likely we'll be putting more trash out into the Pacific... like maybe the state of California! --- Washington-President Barack Obama will announce an alliance Friday with nearly 50 companies to produce productivity among small farmers in Africa wiuth the goal of lifting 50 Million people out of poverty * Business executives from agricultural giants such as DuPont and Monsanto will join Obama, along with leaders of 3 African countries who have pledged policy changes that US officials say will improve business climates and encourage investment." -- Huh? Why can't potUS Arpege simply improve business climates and encourage investment in this country? --- It's 'only' May... there's plenty of time for potUS Arpege to replace Biden with Hillary before the DIM&DUMBERat Convention. --- Had an idea presented at breakfast at Evelyn's yesterday morning by a fellow BCer that has merit...very good merit. While the Council is mulling the budget and budget cuts/additions, why not just go ahead and bulldoze the Natatorium now which will not save a good bit of the planned construction costs, but will also save over $1.2 MILLION annually in operational overrun costs (plus what should be the base of operations if on budget). With that in mind, not only will the Mayor have that $250,000.00 she says we would save by going to once-a-week garbage pick up, there'd be enough extra funds not needed to pay for 4 more days-a-week garbage pick up! --- Thanks to a fellow BCer for this: With the death of Osama bin Laden being portrayed as a key element of potUS Arpege, this photo has been released to show how teamwork got the job done.

--- Online headline/story: "GM Won't Advertise During Super Bowl 2013 * Turns out Facebook wasn't the only advertising vehicle that GM was doubting. Now the auto giant says it won't advertise during the next Super Bowl." -- Obviously, potUS Arpege's definition of 'transparency' has been added to the Government Motors' ad playbook, but more importantly, the public won't be reminded as much about "The Volt", and Government Motors can spend the 'saved' money on more important things like buying union votes with pay raises. --- Online headline/story: "Jerry Brown's Facebook Gaffe: Governor Mistakenly Says Company Was Invented In California * He added: "Not in Texas, not in Arizona, not in Manhattan and certainly not, you know, under the White House or the Congress." * But interviewer Charlie Rose pointed out that CEO Mark Zuckerberg and others developed the precursor to the iconic social network at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass" -- Actually it was Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown who was invented and reinvented in California. --- Online story: "WASHINGTON -- The House passed a defense budget Friday that exceeds the deal cut by Congress and President Barack Obama last summer, and that would have to be paid for with cash taken from poverty programs, health care and the federal workforce." -- That's fair... after all, our National Defense is the only expenditure in the programs listed that is mandated by the U.S. Constitution for Congress to be concerned with. --- Online headline: White House Conference Call On 'Underwear Bomb' Plot May Have Disclosed Covert Operation" -- Hmmm, wonder who's neck the White House will offer as the "Scooter Libby" of Underwear-gate? --- Online headline: "New York Tech Booms, Even As City's Jobless Rate Rises" -- oooops, my bad. Thought this was another one of those digital diploma mills programs of signing up the jobless to government backed student loans. --- L-E "soundoff" of merit: ": "It looks like Harvey Updyke has been up and down Veterans Parkway." -- Yeah, it looks like the powers that be replaced the ones still alive with dead trees so they'd all look alike. --- L-E story: " AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court ordered the state Friday to pay about $2 million to an ex-inmate who spent 26 years in prison for murder before his conviction was overturned. * Billy Frederick Allen’s attempts to get the money have been watched as a key case in developing standards for when ex-prisoners should be compensated. State Comptroller Susan Combs resisted paying Allen, arguing his conviction was overturned because of ineffective lawyers, not because he had proven his innocence. " -- There it is again.... "ineffective lawyers". Ever since that has become a legitimate claim for criminals to appeal on, there has become less incentive for public paid court-appointed lawyers to work hard because not only will they still get paid, but they will provide work for another court-appointed lawyer to retry the case! --- With all the recent facts released on the Zimmerman persecution, it's really the integrety of the Florida DA's office on trial.... --- Tim Chipwaad's reporting revealed more about his political bias than what actually went on at the GOP Convention. You have to wonder whether the GOP will ever come back to Columbus, but I guess that pleases Chipwaad. --- L-E headline: "COLUMBUS CONVENTION & TRADE CENTER * THREE FINALISTS CHOSEN FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COLUMBUS TRADE CENTER * Local candidate among those being interviewed " -- Why do government entities like this or the MCSD subject applicants to a 'dog and pony show'? It would be embarrassing enough to have their current employers to think about whether to keep them on if another city doesn't think their employee is good enough for this job the applicant is seeking to leave the one he/she has, but what about the local person should he be rejected for someone from out-of-town? And on the other hand, if the local guy gets picked, what incentive will it be for out-of-towners to even put their name into the hat for future openings? The powers that be should just agree on a candidate, then all get behind that candidate and present him/her as their choice to run the show! --- L-E headline: "Two Benning dining halls closed * Five of 19 dining facilities did not meet standard of 65 percent use " -- Courtesy of the potUS Arpege peace dividend. Serve your country well, but if you get back in one piece, you're healthy enough to find work on your own. --- Letter to the Mayor today: Mayor Obamalinson, Other than wasting tax dollars on a L-E ad (complete with picture), what is the reason for this legal ad, but since it was done, why aren't details of what crime she was convicted of to warrant this expenditure included? " L-E legal ad: CITY OF COLUMBUS vs VALERIE COLEMAN IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Clerk of Recorder’s Court of Columbus, Georgia cause a notice of conviction to be published in the case of VALERIE COLEMAN in accordance with O.C.G.A. Section 40-6-391 (j). So ordered, this 7th May 2012. Michael P. Cielinski Recorder’s Court Judge Columbus, Georgia Pub:May19,2012(2473908) " --- L-E headline/story: "Lobbying question to appear on Republican primary ballot * He filed legislation this year that would have set a $100 cap on lobbyist gifts to lawmakers and set a limit of $750 for travel, meals and accommodations for conferences and speaking engagements for legislators." -- Well, I hope there are 3 choices on the ballot: Yes, No, and I'd rather that legislators be forbidden to accept any gift, meal, tickets or similar bribes from lobbyists or non-family members. --- With all the choices of local crimes, why does the L-E choose to bump local crime stories in favor of out-of-town ones? ---

Online story: "Mitt Romney will campaign Friday in New Hampshire, looking for his own "bridge to nowhere." The Romney camp thinks they have found it in a 19th century bridge no longer used for traffic that was restored with state and federal funds." -- Gosh.. Restoring a bridge that no longer is used for traffic to get somewhere. How dumb can you get... Wait a minute...we have one of those restorations going on right here in River City as we speak. Oooops! --- Online story: "Debt collectors may have a worse reputation in the eyes of the public than members of Congress, ambulance-chasing lawyers and even sleazy tabloid journalists. And some recent headlines won't improve their standing anytime soon. * The earnings of some student-loan debt collectors raised eyebrows when it was revealed this week that some of them make over $450,000, more than twice the pay of the U.S. Secretary of Education. Seven employees at Educational Credit Management, a Minnesota nonprofit group that works with the government to collect on loans in default, earned more than $400,000 through commissions up to 31 percent, reports Bloomberg News. ECM, whose CEO Richard Boyle earned $1.1 million in 2010, is one of 32 groups that oversee student loans for the government." --These must be some of the "shovel ready" jobs potUS Arpege has created, and we know what they are shoveling! --- From the 'if you have no evidence, throw out the race trump card' department - Online story: ""The police concluded that none of this would have happened if George Zimmerman hadn't gotten out of his car," said attorney Ben Crump. "If George Zimmerman hadn't gotten out of his car, they say it was completely avoidable. That is the headline." -- If we are going to play the 'IF' game, what would happen IF Trayvon Martin had not been suspended from school and shipped off by his mother to his father who didn't have a residence of his own to house Trayvon? What IF Trayvon Martin had been more interested in making good grades in school? We can play the 'IF' game forever, and not change the facts, and the facts are supporting Zimmerman's story. --- Please explain to me why Congress is wasting time, energy and money on persecuting Roger Clemens? Congress would make better use of those resources grilling Charlie Rangel, Chris Dodd, and Barney Frank on ethics violations. --- L-E story: "An 18-year-old with two children pleaded guilty Wednesday to robbery and was sentenced to six years in prison, followed by four on probation. * The victim thought he recognized one of the suspects from school, leading him to the Eddy Middle School yearbook. Flipping through the pages, he pointed out Lockhart – who wore a mohawk at the time -- as one of the suspects, said Assistant District Attorney Brad Bickerstaff. * Police then searched Lockhart’s room and found notebooks from the stolen backpack in his closet, Bickerstaff added. * First of all, it’s just stupid,” said assistant public defender Ray Lakes. “He’s had about two years to get his head around how dumb this was.” * Lakes said his client hopes to enter the Job Corps once he’s released from prison." -- The public defender hopes he will enter the Job Corp ? If he wanted a job, he'd been out looking for one of those rather than a victim to rob. How about entering the real world and taking responsibility of the 2 children he's fathered in his mid-teens! --- We may have to look harder at Romney as if he's ready to run for president. Yesterday, he said he wanted to run on the issues... how naive... There's no way potUS Arpege nor the mainstream media is interested in discussing, much less debating potUS Arpege and the DIM&DUMBERat record. --- Online story: "Autopsy results reportedly indicate that 17-year-old Trayvon Martin had injuries to his knuckles when he died, which could support George Zimmerman’s claim that the unarmed teenager assaulted him before he was fatally shot." -- Tuesday it was reported that Zimmerman had 2 black eyes, a broken nose, a busted and swollen lip, back pains, and lacerations on the back of his head for which he was treated for at the scene, and the next day by his personal doctor. Unfortunately, those proclaiming they only want justice can only keep claiming that by ignoring the facts. OK, potUS Arpege (this should be easy for you to do....) and Eric Holder apologize for your rash and racist accusations. Fox News.. NOW fire Geraldo, and Shepard Smith! --- Update - The autopsy revealed that little 12 year old - OOOOPS - 6' 2". 175 pound 17-year-old Trayvon Martin had marijuana in his blood. That would explain both his actions and his sudden urge for Skittles. --- Joe Biden is out on the campaign trail telling his followers that, "They" don't get us! Trouble is VpotUS Biden, is that everyone does 'get' you. You want to destroy and/or punish success. You want your supporters to become millionaires, but on the backs of those willing to work hard to attain it. And stop blaming your grandparents for making you believe what you believe! No wonder his PR personnel doesn't want the press to pin him down for questioning! --- A timely and cryptic L-E "soundoff": "I wonder has God evolved yet." -- I do believe God is, has been, and always will be perfect, unlike a certain pretender to His throne. --- L-E story: "WASHINGTON — For the first time, racial and ethnic minorities make up more than half the children born in the U.S., capping decades of heady immigration growth that is now slowing. * Minorities made up roughly 2.02 million, or 50.4 percent of U.S. births in the 12-month period ending July 2011. That compares with 37 percent in 1990." -- OK, clarification please... how are babies of mixed marriages/relationships 'counted'? Recent media standards have flip-flopped all over the board. potUS Arpege had a black father and a white mother and the media and DIM&DUMBERats consider him a minority issue; George Zimmerman has a white father and a Latino mother but the media and DIM&DUMBERats consider him a majority issue. When will the media and DIM&DUMBERats start considering Americans just as Americans... wasn't that Martin Luther King's dream? --- Letter sent to Council: The downtown parking survey... without the CSU students being fully active in classes, results will be skewed from reality unless there is a follow up survey done, say, in September after the Fall Semester is in full swing. Lets look at another aspect... how accurate will it be? Will surveyors report factually, or will the temptation to make up info prevail? Why not use Metra employees to canvas the garages, but have aerial photography take overhead shots that will have actual vehicles parked and in motion at specific times and at specific intervals. Probably would cost less, too. Lets look at parking costs and the less than enthusiastic use of the garages in downtown. Has anyone actually parsed the rates. To my knowledge, spaces are available at $30.00 a month for a space. On the surface, that sounds like a reasonable $1.00 per day, but in reality, most downtown workers work only 5 days a and need a space only 20 days a month. Throw in that nights and weekends are not charged for, and patrons only get their spaces for 20 days so the $30.00 rate is basically $1.50 a day. How about charging downtown workers a monthly fee of $15.00. On surface, that looks like only $ .50 a day, but based on reality, it's $ .75 a day. Also, since a single ticket now is $17.00 per violation, I'd think more downtown workers would think of paying less than a single ticket (and not having to remember to run out and move their vehicles multiple times a day) would be rather inviting. Certainly, one space at $15.00 will bring in more revenue than zero spaces at $30.00. Another on street parking change would be for making the parking limit 3 hours instead of 2. If you're wanting to attract day customers for lunch and retail sales, 2 hours is not enough time for those customers to eat and shop. Just ideas, and I'm glad things are in motion, but lets make it successful to spend the money on surveys. --- The recent uproar about the L-E playing with comic strips reminds me of the time that the L-E stopped publishing the best two comic strips they've ever had - "Shoe" and "Mallard Fillmore" - simply because their humor was so good that even liberals had to laugh at themselves.. which, by liberal standards, is a no-no because it wasn't politically correct. --- L-R headline/story: "RFK Jr.’s estranged wife hanged herself * A person familiar with the investigation into her death says that authorities have concluded that her death was a suicide. " -- While certainly we grieve at the unnecessary death of people, is it just me, or does it seem that when a woman involved with a Kennedy man in Massachusetts dies, the authorities quickly exonerate the Kennedy men? --- L-E's "Late laughs" : PRESIDENT OBAMA went on “The View.” He went on the “The View” because they’re the only group of women the president trusts his Secret Service agents to be around." -- Don't you love it when liberals turn on their own? --- L-E story: "Two men accused of having almost $20,000 worth of cocaine pleaded not guilty Thursday in Columbus Recorder’s Court and were ordered held without bond. " -- Hmmm, the first question that should be asked is how did they accumulate/'earn' the money to buy that amount of illegal drugs, and then the names should be turned over to the IRS to check their last few years of tax filings. --- Now everyone thinks a 4-team playoff will resolve which football team is #1. Five years from now, everyone will be disappointed that one team got a lucky draw in seeding, and that's not 'fair' so it should be a round-robin playoff. That won't solve anything either so everyone will want a 64 team NCAA playoff system like basketball. When that's not enough, everyone will want to make the playoffs 'double elimination. Why don't we just go back to the system of coaches, media, and Monday morning quarterbacks deciding which team is best, but we better hurry before DIM&DUMBERats start calling for games to be played without keeping score, and that the best looking uniforms should determine the best team. --- Maybe it is better that the US space teams fly in Russian rockets. Can you imagine the embarrassment if our astronauts had to undergo TSA inspections before getting in the shuttles? Look out, Army, Navy, and Air Force...y'all are next! --- The following is sent in response to a fellow BCer. Enjoy and reflect. Burial at Sea (Every American Should Read This!) To only those who would and could appreciate it. This account is one of a kind. A powerful one that touches your heart. Tough duty then as it is now. Burial at Sea by Lt Col George Goodson, USMC (Ret) In my 76th year, the events of my life appear to me, from time to time, as a series of vignettes. Some were significant; most were trivial... War is the seminal event in the life of everyone that has endured it. Though I fought in Korea and the Dominican Republic and was wounded there,Vietnam was my war. Now 42 years have passed and, thankfully, I rarely think of those days in Cambodia, Laos, and the panhandle of North Vietnam where small teams of Americans and Montagnards fought much larger elements of the North Vietnamese Army. Instead I see vignettes: some exotic, some mundane: *The smell of Nuc Mam. *The heat, dust, and humidity. *The blue exhaust of cycles clogging the streets. *Elephants moving silently through the tall grass. *Hard eyes behind the servile smiles of the villagers. *Standing on a mountain in Laos and hearing a tiger roar. *A young girl squeezing my hand as my medic delivered her baby. *The flowing Ao Dais of the young women biking down Tran Hung Dao. *My two years as Casualty Notification Officer in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. It was late 1967. I had just returned after 18 months in Vietnam. Casualties were increasing. I moved my family from Indianapolis to Norfolk, rented a house, enrolled my children in their fifth or sixth new school, and bought a second car. A week later, I put on my uniform and drove 10 miles to Little Creek, Virginia. I hesitated before entering my new office. Appearance is important to career Marines. I was no longer, if ever, a poster Marine. I had returned from my third tour in Vietnam only 30 days before. At 5'9", I now weighed 128 pounds - 37 pounds below my normal weight. My uniforms fit ludicrously, my skin was yellow from malaria medication, and I think I had a twitch or two. I straightened my shoulders, walked into the office, looked at the nameplate on a Staff Sergeant's desk and said, "Sergeant Jolly, I'm Lieutenant Colonel Goodson. Here are my orders and my Qualification Jacket." Sergeant Jolly stood, looked carefully at me, took my orders, stuck out his hand; we shook and he asked, "How long were you there, Colonel?" I replied "18 months this time." Jolly breathed, you must be a slow learner Colonel." I smiled. Jolly said, "Colonel, I'll show you to your office and bring in the Sergeant Major. I said, "No, let's just go straight to his office." Jolly nodded, hesitated, and lowered his voice, "Colonel, the Sergeant Major. He's been in this job two years. He's packed pretty tight. I'm worried about him." I nodded. Jolly escorted me into the Sergeant Major's office. "Sergeant Major, this is Colonel Goodson, the new Commanding Office. The Sergeant Major stood, extended his hand and said, "Good to see you again, Colonel." I responded, "Hello Walt, how are you?" Jolly looked at me, raised an eyebrow, walked out, and closed the door. I sat down with the Sergeant Major. We had the obligatory cup of coffee and talked about mutual acquaintances. Walt's stress was palpable. Finally, I said, "Walt, what's the h-ll's wrong?" He turned his chair, looked out the window and said, "George, you're going to wish you were back in Nam before you leave here. I've been in the Marine Corps since 1939. I was in the Pacific 36 months, Korea for 14 months, and Vietnam for 12 months... Now I come here to bury these kids. I'm putting my letter in. I can't take it anymore." I said, "OK Walt. If that's what you want, I'll endorse your request for retirement and do what I can to push it through Headquarters Marine Corps." Sergeant Major Walt Xxxxx retired 12 weeks later. He had been a good Marine for 28 years, but he had seen too much death and too much suffering. He was used up. Over the next 16 months, I made 28 death notifications, conducted 28 military funerals, and made 30 notifications to the families of Marines that were severely wounded or missing in action. Most of the details of those casualty notifications have now, thankfully, faded from memory. Four, however, remain. MY FIRST NOTIFICATION My third or fourth day in Norfolk, I was notified of the death of a 19 year old Marine. This notification came by telephone from Headquarters Marine Corps. The information detailed: *Name, rank, and serial number. *Name, address, and phone number of next of kin. *Date of and limited details about the Marine's death. *Approximate date the body would arrive at the Norfolk Naval Air Station. *A strong recommendation on whether the casket should be opened or closed. The boy's family lived over the border in North Carolina, about 60 miles away. I drove there in a Marine Corps staff car. Crossing the state line intoNorth Carolina, I stopped at a small country store / service station / Post Office. I went in to ask directions. Three people were in the store. A man and woman approached the small Post Office window. The man held a package. The Store owner walked up and addressed them by name, "Hello John. Good morning Mrs. Cooper." I was stunned. My casualty's next-of-kin's name was John Cooper! I hesitated, then stepped forward and said, "I beg your pardon. Are you Mr. and Mrs. John Cooper of (address.) The father looked at me - I was in uniform - and then, shaking, bent at the waist, he vomited. His wife looked horrified at him and then at me. Understanding came into her eyes and she collapsed in slow motion. I think I caught her before she hit the floor. The owner took a bottle of whiskey out of a drawer and handed it to Mr. Cooper who drank. I answered their questions for a few minutes. Then I drove them home in my staff car. The storeowner locked the store and followed in their truck. We stayed an hour or so until the family began arriving. I returned the storeowner to his business. He thanked me and said, "Mister, I wouldn't have your job for a million dollars." I shook his hand and said; "Neither would I." I vaguely remember the drive back to Norfolk. Violating about five Marine Corps regulations, I drove the staff car straight to my house. I sat with my family while they ate dinner, went into the den, closed the door, and sat there all night, alone. My Marines steered clear of me for days. I had made my first death notification. THE FUNERALS Weeks passed with more notifications and more funerals. I borrowed Marines from the local Marine Corps Reserve and taught them to conduct a military funeral: how to carry a casket, how to fire the volleys and how to fold the flag. When I presented the flag to the mother, wife, or father, I always said, "All Marines share in your grief." I had been instructed to say, "On behalf of a grateful nation...." I didn't think the nation was grateful, so I didn't say that. Sometimes, my emotions got the best of me and I couldn't speak. When that happened, I just handed them the flag and touched a shoulder. They would look at me and nod. Once a mother said to me, "I'm so sorry you have this terrible job." My eyes filled with tears and I leaned over and kissed her. ANOTHER NOTIFICATION Six weeks after my first notification, I had another. This was a young PFC. I drove to his mother's house. As always, I was in uniform and driving a Marine Corps staff car. I parked in front of the house, took a deep breath, and walked towards the house. Suddenly the door flew open, a middle-aged woman rushed out. She looked at me and ran across the yard, screaming "NO! NO! NO! NO!" I hesitated. Neighbors came out. I ran to her, grabbed her, and whispered stupid things to reassure her. She collapsed. I picked her up and carried her into the house. Eight or nine neighbors followed. Ten or fifteen later, the father came in followed by ambulance personnel. I have no recollection of leaving. The funeral took place about two weeks later. We went through the drill. The mother never looked at me. The father looked at me once and shook his head sadly. ANOTHER NOTIFICATION One morning, as I walked in the office, the phone was ringing. Sergeant Jolly held the phone up and said, "You've got another one, Colonel." I nodded, walked into my office, picked up the phone, took notes, thanked the officer making the call, I have no idea why, and hung up. Jolly, who had listened, came in with a special Telephone Directory that translates telephone numbers into the person's address and place of employment. The father of this casualty was a Longshoreman. He lived a mile from my office. I called the Longshoreman's Union Office and asked for the Business Manager. He answered the phone, I told him who I was, and asked for the father's schedule. The Business Manager asked, "Is it his son?" I said nothing. After a moment, he said, in a low voice, "Tom is at home today." I said, "Don't call him. I'll take care of that." The Business Manager said, "Aye, Aye Sir," and then explained, "Tom and I were Marines in WWII." I got in my staff car and drove to the house. I was in uniform. I knocked and a woman in her early forties answered the door. I saw instantly that she was clueless. I asked, "Is Mr. Smith home?" She smiled pleasantly and responded, "Yes, but he's eating breakfast now. Can you come back later?" I said, "I'm sorry. It's important. I need to see him now." She nodded, stepped back into the beach house and said, "Tom, it's for you." A moment later, a ruddy man in his late forties, appeared at the door. He looked at me, turned absolutely pale, steadied himself, and said, "Jesus Christ man, he's only been there three weeks!" Months passed. More notifications and more funerals. Then one day while I was running, Sergeant Jolly stepped outside the building and gave a loud whistle, two fingers in his mouth. I never could do that … and held an imaginary phone to his ear. Another call from Headquarters Marine Corps. I took notes, said, "Got it." and hung up. I had stopped saying "Thank You" long ago. Jolly, "Where?" Me, "Eastern Shore of Maryland. The father is a retired Chief Petty Officer. His brother will accompany the body back from Vietnam..." Jolly shook his head slowly, straightened, and then said, "This time of day, it'll take three hours to get there and back. I'll call the Naval Air Station and borrow a helicopter. And I'll have Captain Tolliver get one of his men to meet you and drive you to the Chief's home." He did, and 40 minutes later, I was knocking on the father's door. He opened the door, looked at me, then looked at the Marine standing at parade rest beside the car, and asked, "Which one of my boys was it, Colonel?" I stayed a couple of hours, gave him all the information, my office and home phone number and told him to call me, anytime. He called me that evening about 2300 (11:00 PM). "I've gone through my boy's papers and found his will. He asked to be buried at sea. Can you make that happen?" I said, "Yes I can, Chief. I can and I will." My wife who had been listening said, "Can you do that?" I told her, "I have no idea. But I'm going to break my ass trying." I called Lieutenant General Alpha Bowser, Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, at home about 2330, explained the situation, and asked, "General, can you get me a quick appointment with the Admiral at Atlantic Fleet Headquarters?" General Bowser said," George, you be there tomorrow at 0900. He will see you. I was and the Admiral did. He said coldly, "How can the Navy help the Marine Corps, Colonel." I told him the story. He turned to his Chief of Staff and said, "Which is the sharpest destroyer in port?" The Chief of Staff responded with a name. The Admiral called the ship, "Captain, you're going to do a burial at sea. You'll report to a Marine Lieutenant Colonel Goodson until this mission is completed..." He hung up, looked at me, and said, "The next time you need a ship, Colonel, call me. You don't have to sic Al Bowser on my ass." I responded, "Aye Aye, Sir" and got the h-ll out of his office. I went to the ship and met with the Captain, Executive Officer, and the Senior Chief. Sergeant Jolly and I trained the ship's crew for four days. Then Jolly raised a question none of us had thought of. He said, "These government caskets are air tight. How do we keep it from floating?" All the high priced help including me sat there looking dumb. Then the Senior Chief stood and said, "Come on Jolly. I know a bar where the retired guys from World War II hang out." They returned a couple of hours later, slightly the worst for wear, and said, "It's simple; we cut four 12" holes in the outer shell of the casket on each side and insert 300 lbs of lead in the foot end of the casket. We can handle that, no sweat." The day arrived. The ship and the sailors looked razor sharp. General Bowser, the Admiral, a US Senator, and a Navy Band were on board. The sealed casket was brought aboard and taken below for modification. The ship got underway to the 12-fathom depth. The sun was hot. The ocean flat. The casket was brought aft and placed on a catafalque. The Chaplin spoke. The volleys were fired. The flag was removed, folded, and I gave it to the father. The band played "Eternal Father Strong to Save." The casket was raised slightly at the head and it slid into the sea. The heavy casket plunged straight down about six feet. The incoming water collided with the air pockets in the outer shell. The casket stopped abruptly, rose straight out of the water about three feet, stopped, and slowly slipped back into the sea. The air bubbles rising from the sinking casket sparkled in the in the sunlight as the casket disappeared from sight forever.... The next morning I called a personal friend, Lieutenant General Oscar Peatross, at Headquarters Marine Corps and said, "General, get me out of here. I can't take this anymore." I was transferred two weeks later. I was a good Marine but, after 17 years, I had seen too much death and too much suffering. I was used up. Vacating the house, my family and I drove to the office in a two-car convoy. I said my goodbyes. Sergeant Jolly walked out with me. He waved at my family, looked at me with tears in his eyes, came to attention, saluted, and said, "Well Done, Colonel. Well Done." I felt as if I had received the Medal of Honor! A veteran is someone who, at one point, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America ' for an amount of ‘up to and including their life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it. --- Since the L-E won't identify columnist Karl Douglass as a paid campaign staffer for Sanford Bishop, I'm going to run this May 6th 'item' often in my blog (and place in the L-E online comments area) until the L-E does the right thing: I see the L-E has run another Karl Douglass column without identifying him as a paid member of the re-elect Sanford Bishop organization. Fortunately, Karl had some pretty wise words to say about financial responsibility of our City. I would have been more impressed, though, if he had directed such advice and comments to his employer, Congressman Bishop!