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!