Nature Wednesday

With autumn upon us, I thought it would be appropriate to have scenes of autumn for this weeks Nature Wednesday. Hope you enjoy it.

Grand Jury Duty

My ex-wife called me yesterday to let me know she was being called to serve in the county grand jury for the month of October. She was nervous and asked me what to expect. I served on the county grand jury for three weeks back in August of 1984. It's not something you ever forget. I tried to assuage her nervousness by telling her that it is likely she won't be chosen. But, that did not calm her down.

I remember taking my summons to the county clerk back in the first week of that August of 1984. He told me that they would be drawing names out of a canister and each name (15 total, 12 jurors and 3 alternates) would be called out. I remember looking around the large room and estimated there were probably 50-60 people there. I liked my chances of not being called. But, as luck would have it, I was the second name called. I was indifferent about serving. Had I known I would be serving for three weeks, I probably would have been upset. Before the names were called, people rushed up to the presiding judge to try and get out of jury duty in case they were called. One man said he was unable to read or write. The judge said that won't matter. If need be, whatever needed to be read, would be read to the illiterate man. After that, over half in line trying to get out of jury duty simply walked back to their chairs. If an illiterate man can't get out, no sense in trying to get out of duty simply because you have a bad ankle or whatever.

The thing I remember most, out of all the cases that were brought up for indictment or not to indict, were the large number of child abuse cases. I would say at least 40% of cases were related to child abuse. I was stunned to discover so many cases of child abuse were right here in my county. And it was disgusting to learn most of the abuse cases of children were sexual abuse. I was just mortified by it. And I was ready to leave jury duty after hearing some of the most vile, disgusting stuff in my life. On another note, child support cases were brought up a number of times. One of the few funny episodes was a social worker detailing that a father of six children by six different women needed to be brought to justice. He was 16 years old. The police caught him riding his bicycle back from a liquor store one Saturday afternoon. One of the few moments of levity during that time. Grand jury duty is something we are all obligated to perform when called upon. But, be prepared for some shocking evidence to be presented to you if you ever get a summons.

Update on Getting My Book Published

I finished my manuscript back in June of this year for "Diary: Alone on Earth." It is still currently in blog format HERE. After much encouragement from followers of that blog and friends offline, I decided to see about getting it published. My first inclination was to go the self-publishing route. That was due to two things; one to maintain my rights to the book and, two, much higher royalties by going this route. I may still go that way eventually. However, I have discovered that book stores do not put self-published books on their shelves. In short, self-published books do not sell well except to family and friends. In my own biased opinion, I think this book has much greater potential than this.

So, I looked at going the traditional route with commercial publishers. I have discovered that it is next to impossible to get someone at a traditional publisher to look at your manuscript without going through a literary agent. So, I decided to go through an online agency that "specifically deals with first time authors." Long story short, they were a scam. I was shocked at how quickly they accepted my manuscript. So, I did a Google search on them and found out how they had scammed many first time authors out of money. In fact, I have discovered (via Google) the majority of so-called literary agents and "traditional publishers" online accepting manuscript submissions from first time authors are scams. That was a disheartening discovery, I freely admit. The next entry I do on this subject, I will delve more deeply into these scam artists who try to steal money from people who are dealing with them in good faith. It's a hard cold fact, but there are some very deceitful people out there who are nothing but the scum of the earth.

Two of the best rules I have discovered, in seeking a literary agent or publisher, is that if an agent charges you a reading fee, he or she is unscrupulous. If a publisher asks you for money to publish, they are not a traditional publisher despite what they may claim on their site. "Money flows from the publisher to the writer." That is one rule I will remember as I go forward. I'm somewhat at an impasse right now. Not sure what direction to go. But, I have faith in my unpublished book. I believe it is a good book (that needs editing, of course). I will not give up until I do succeed in getting it published. Stay tuned.

Hazardous Pay for Teachers

In Tyler, TX, a special needs school teacher was stabbed to death [article link] by a student. Todd Henry was in a classroom assisting three other students when the juvenile attacker stabbed him in the neck and shoulders. No motive has been found as yet for the attack on Mr. Henry. At this time, it was thought to be a random attack by one student. It is not thought to be gang related or racially motivated.

As sad as this story is, it only serves to illustrate the problems teachers face today. My nephew is a school teacher. He has had his life threatened, had bottles thrown at him and seen knives and other weapons students have brought to school. Just last week, locally, a school teacher, who arrived to school early, was robbed at gun point of her purse and car. Two years ago, at this same school a teacher was brutally attacked by a student. This was a gang initiation that the student had to perform as we later found out. It has gotten to the point where some teachers locally are talking about hazardous pay with all the threats being made against them. This may well be an idea that will eventually make it's way to the negotiating table with the teachers union. And, won't that be a sad day in America if that transpires? What happened to the focus on the "Three R's?" Now, the focus is on just making it through the day.

Terrorist in Our Midst

I saw yesterday, in our local newspaper [article link], Omar Hammami swore his allegiance to Osama bin Laden in a 48 minute video. Hammami is from very nearby Daphne, AL, about 30 minutes from my home. The video was entitled "Labaik ya Osama" or "At your service, Osama." The video also shows other terrorists involved in training exercises, chants and other crap that terrorists do in their quest for the 72 virgins upon their death.

Not a lot to say about that, other than it just goes to show you, you really don't know who is living near you. I actually first read about this about 3 or 4 weeks ago. I was surprised by it then. But, to actually hear an alleged American make allegiance to a mass murderer such as Osama bin Laden is just personally disgusting to me. There is no way in hell they can say that the 3,000 men, women and children killed on September 11, 2001 can be considered "casualties of war." These people did nothing to deserve their fate. But, I do believe Osama bin Laden and our local terrorist, Omar Hammami, will deserve their fates. Hopefully, a missile from a Predator aircraft will send them on to their "reward" very soon.

Nature Wednesday

This week, we have a bumble bee doing what bumble bees do, one of the most beautiful snow covered tree sunsets I have ever seen and a whale jumping out of the water. I didn't know they could jump that far out of the water.

"I Cried Because I Had No Shoes..."

Last week, I was sitting in my doctor's office reading magazines that were about a year old when I stumbled across that old saying, "I cried because I had no shoes...until I met a man who had no feet." I've never seen anyone to whom that was attributed. Most say it is anonymous and others have said it was from Helen Keller. I have no idea. But, it brought a special meaning to me in one of the lowest points of my life.

Back in April of 2005, I was going through a divorce. I was having a tough time coming to terms with that event. I thought I was living with a woman whom I would stay married for the rest of my life. It was not to be for a variety of reasons that I have gone over before in this blog. But, until the divorce was final, we were living in separate parts of the house until it could be sold. It was extremely uncomfortable.

One day, my soon to be ex-wife and I had to ride together to return some items to her sister, which was about a 25 minute drive from our home. We did not speak much, which only added to the discomfort. I was not only in mental pain, but physical pain as well. I was suffering with pain in my left leg due to a sciatic nerve that has a long memory. I underwent lumbar disc surgery back in July of '95. The pain only left temporarily. So, as I drove, I was in considerable pain. We came to a four-way stop and I noticed this man in a wheelchair in the parking lot of a boardered up convenience store. He had on a U.S. Army uniform and held a sign that simply said, "Please Help Me." I looked at him as my wife asked me what I was waiting for at the four-way stop. I turned into the parking lot and got out with the yelling of my soon to be ex-wife ringing in my ears. I walked over to this man, he told he was a disabled veteran and had only a small veteran's pension to try and make a living. It could have been a setup, as my shrieking ex-wife was making known to me. But, I didn't think so. I gave the man $10.00 and he cried. I cried too because it was all I could spare him at that time. I cried for both of us and the depths of dispair we both must have felt at that point in our lives. I patted him on the shoulder and wished him the best.

As I got back in the car, the pain of a divorce and the pain in my leg seemed totally insignificant to me. I cried again as I drove off. My tears were not from the pain I was suffering from my leg. My tears were due to meeting a man who had no legs.

So, I'm Coming Out of Cracker Barrel Yesterday...

...and as I was walking to my car, I noticed the car next to my driver-side door had a flat tire. In fact, he had two flats on his car. So, that made me decide to check my car out completely. While I was checking my car, I noticed the car parked next to my passenger-side door had a rear flat tire as well. I had no flats. I started checking around my car and found five other cars with flats. In total, there were 14 cars with flats, some of them had two flats. Obviously, someone with nothing better to do, at 9AM, went around punching holes in car tires with a sharp pick of some type. I went inside the Cracker Barrel restaurant and reported it.

The manager called the police. I stayed, gave my statement and was just giving my information to the police officer when another police officer came up to us. He said, "They have the guy on camera. This was a disgruntled former employee who was fired just two weeks ago for constantly missing work." It seems there is a security camera which records all activity in the restaurant parking lot. So, how does this guy not know that? Or maybe he knew it, and didn't give a damn. Either way, he's in big trouble once he is caught. They have his ID and where he lives. They are just waiting on him to show back up at his home. He'll have a new home at the county jail soon enough.

Handguns Allowed on Amtrak

In a vote of 68-30, the U.S. Senate voted to allowed passengers to carry handguns on Amtrak yesterday [article link]. This was in response to airline passengers being given that right if the guns are not loaded and secured in a safety box. The current Amtrak policy is not to allow firearms of any description on board. This, apparently, was due to the Madrid bombings of a few years ago. Now, this bill must be reconciled with a House bill that does not include the right to carry a handgun on board Amtrak.

I've got to say this surprised me. It surprised me because I thought everyone already had the right to carry firearms on board Amtrak. I didn't even own any type of firearms until I inherited my grandpa's shotgun last year. I would never even think about carrying a firearm on board. But, two years ago, on board an Amtrak ride to New Orleans, I struck up a conversation with a man who told me he was a firearms dealer going to an auction in Houston. I told him I didn't own a firearm, although I sometimes thought maybe I should. Next thing I know, he is bringing a Smith&Wesson .357 to me and told me this is all I would need for home protection. I was stunned and told him it might be a good idea to take that gun back to where he had secured it. He laughed and took the gun out of the box, holding it up so virtually everyone in the car could see it. I can't remember the last time I was so uncomfortable. Someone did report him because he was made to put the gun back in his secured box. Just a shock to learn yesterday it was not lawful to have a handgun on board Amtrak.

Nature Wednesday

A virtual potpourri of nature scenes for this Nature Wednesday. Two really nice scenes and an applauding tortoise I had to include.

Repost of a Favorite

I'm busy with some things today. So, rather than post something that I don't have time to research, I thought I would post another of my "Best Of" or favorite post of mine. This post was made back in May of 2008. It was about my new beagle puppy (and now overgrown ogre) Ralph and I on a nature walk. Hope you enjoy it.

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Nature Walk


It seems like since I retired, I work more now than I did when I was in the active work force. This little computer maintenance part-time job has turned into a full-time job. Thus, I have little time to do the things I would like to do other than this blog (which I have become addicted to on so many levels). Not only does the computer maintenance sideline take up my time, but other things, such as my beagle puppy, place demands on my time. He wants attention...something I haven't had much time for since I bought him about four weeks back.

Yesterday morning, I decided my now 10 week old beagle, Ralph, and I would do what I have always enjoyed since I was a little boy; taking a walk through the woods. There is a nature trail about five miles from my home. The trail itself is about two and half miles long, a bit too long for Ralph. But, I don't mind letting him “walk me” or, in other words, me carry him for a spell. Ralph loves to go walking. He sniffs and barks at everything.

With the entire morning off, I could kill two birds with one stone. One, more time with Ralph. Two, time to myself in nature. From the very start of the trail, you go quickly into a very wooded area. It's not somewhere you would want to be at night. So we are walking along the trail, squirrels jumping from tree to tree, birds chirping, bees humming....aaaah, nothing like nature on a bright sunny spring day. So, we come up on the proverbial babbling brook about a mile into our walk and I decide to let Ralph rest for a while. He's got little legs and he was panting pretty heavy. Plus, he needed a drink of water. I'm just sitting there on a tree stump, watching him drink his fill from the stream and thinking back to my boyhood when I went deep into the woods in MS with other dogs that I loved. We are both sitting and having a good time enjoying the sights and sounds of God's Creation. I remember a many time when as a boy my dogs and I would go out into the woods, I would shoot at squirrels and a rabbit or two. I would always shoot over them. I just have never been able to kill anything unless it was in self-defense. That's as much hunting as I could ever do. Why kill something unless you desperately need it for food? I never saw the sport in killing a defenseless animal with a high-powered rifle. But, that's just me. But, I'm just sitting on the log, watching Ralph run around having himself a good old time. And I start contemplating about things in my life. Some of them I'm not happy about, others I'm satisfied with the outcome. But, this blog entry isn't going into aspects of my life again. This is about me, Ralph and the nature trail.

So, after about 15 minute rest, Ralph and I continue our journey through the woods. Everything was bright and colorful...just a real joy to be alive on a morning like this. There was a tree that had fallen on the trail and Ralph tried to make the jump over it. Unfortunately, he got caught up in some limbs and I had to rescue him. Of course, he had to growl at the tree to make sure it was aware he was definitely an alpha male. We were nearing the end of the trail when something came directly in our path...a skunk. I froze, the skunk froze, but Ralph did not. He charged toward the skunk and I tackled him before he got any further. I heard the skunk hiss and just KNEW I was going to get showered. But, I guess I was still out of range because he did not turn up his tail. I had to hold Ralph, barking, yelping and struggling to get out of my arms. The skunk, thankfully, retired from the field of battle and went on about his business. Unfortunately, it meant I had to carry Ralph the rest of the way. He wanted that skunk. But, he had no idea what that skunk could have done to him. Forget the golden shower defense mechanism. Ralph would have gotten a butt whipping like he never dreamed about. Those things are fierce fighters and I've seen them take on two full grown hound dogs before. They're small but they can more than hold their own against a much bigger adversary.


All in all, yesterday morning was an invigorating, enjoyable occasion for me. I got my mind off a few troubles I have and got to do what I enjoy so much...a nature walk. Besides the exercise, it brought back so many enjoyable experiences I had in the past during my childhood. Nothing really eventful happened (not counting the skunk incident) that I would normally make a blog entry about. Maybe that was the whole point. It was just something simple and free that you receive in life. I've got to make time to do this again...and soon. Hopefully, Ralph (I will upload some pics of Ralph soon...my digital camera is missing in action) will be a little bigger and much wiser the next time I have a free day for another nature walk.

Joe Wilson

As I'm sure most, if not all, know by now, South Carolina U.S. Rep Joe Wilson made an outburst [article link] of "You lie!" during President Obama's healthcare address on TV last Wednesday. The repercussions for Rep. Wilson were fast and furious. He quickly apologized for the outburst to the White House. However, he stated he would not back down on his belief that the healthcare government option would allow illegal aliens to receive healthcare benefits, paid by every taxpayer in the country. AZ Republican Senator John McCain condemned him, as well as the vast majority of Democrats. I was stunned by the outburst myself. I do recall Democrats openly booing former President George W. Bush during a state of the union address in regard to his Iraq War policy. In my opinion, there is a double standard in DC politics. What was deemed appropriate 2 or 3 years ago, is regarded as heresy now.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is demanding Rep. Wilson apologize on the House floor Monday. Rep. Wilson has refused to apologize again. While I condemn his outburst as well, it appears that Joe Wilson was right about the illegal aliens receiving healthcare benefits. I was not aware verification was not in place to establish citizenship in HR 3200. Now, Senate Finance Committee members [article link] are trying to make sure verification is in place in any final healthcare bill. In essence, if Senate Finance members were positive illegals couldn't receive healthcare benefits, they would not be scrambling to make sure it is not possible. It just goes to show no one really knows what the hell is in each respective bill. It makes me think that despite many Democrats saying a healthcare reform bill will voted upon this year, I don't see it happening until everyone know exactly what is in the final bill. That is going to take time to debate. It is going to take time to convince the American people this is needed. Right now, most people are not convinced this healthcare bill is good for them.

Kim Phuc - The Iconic Photo

I'm sure everyone has seen the picture from the Vietnam War of the 9 year old girl running with burns from napalm. You know the one...the one that made you grimmace when you saw it. I thought about placing that photo here. But, I decided against it. If you don't know what picture I'm talking about, click HERE. The first time I saw it, my stomach turned. I was already having second thoughts about our involvement in that war [in which I also served] when that photo came out. But, that one picture, of that 9 year old girl with her clothes burned off her body, was enough for me to change my opinion.

I often wondered what happened to that little girl, did she survive, did she grow up. I got my answer yesterday by reading an article [article link] on Yahoo news. It appears she underwent many skin graft operations, had 65 percent of her body burned and had 17 operations. I found out yesterday her name is Kim Phuc. She is now 46 years of age and has children of her own. According to the article I have linked, Kim Phuc is a "...public speaker, peace activist, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, child welfare advocate, married mother of two, and inspiration to burn injury survivors worldwide. She has my admiration and respect for overcoming such great obstacles in her life. Kim Phuc has made a difference in the world after overcoming such a great tragedy known as the Vietnam War.

Obama Will Never Learn

As I type up this post (about 4PM on Wednesday afternoon), there is information around that President Obama intends to press on with a government run insurance option in his speech to Congress tonight (Wednesday night). According to a report from the Wall Street Journal [article link], President Obama will reinterate his support for the public option to compete with private insurers. The report states that there the option "...will not provide a level of subsidies that give it an unfair advantage over private insurers." President Obama intends to press for this government option despite fervent public outcry about the government getting into the healthcare business.

I'm simply at a loss to understand Obama's thinking. His approval numbers are sinking as a direct result of his stance on healthcare reform. Disapproval of his healthcare initiative is rising. Yet, he intends to press onward into the "valley of death" known as government run healthcare. Whether the government will or will not be involved in the healthcare of private citizens is not the major issue. The major issue is how is the government going to pay for all of this? Savings on Medicare (and they do intend to rip apart Medicare) will not pay for this boondoggle. So, how do they do it? A tax increase on the middle class is the only way it is going to happen. The Obama Administration has hinted at this in recent weeks. But, when push comes to shove, they deny it. All President Obama has to do is look back on another president who went back on his word, George "read my lips, no new taxes" Bush. How did that work out for him? He was a one-term president.
There is a lesson there somewhere for President Obama.

Nature Wednesday

Three more pictures for Nature Wednesday. Not sure if I have shown this lightning pic before or not. But, I think it is awesome.

Strange But True News Stories

In Sarasota, FL, scientists at the Mote Marine Laboratory [article link] are urging Florida boaters to be on the lookout for a robot. Yes, a robot that is used to detect red tide which is deadly to marine life. The underwater robot has been missing since August 31st. Total value for the robot is about $130,000.

In what has to fit in the "If I didn't have bad luck, I would not have any luck at all" category, Johnstown, PA police arrived at the home of Jon Beltz Jr. [article link] home to arrest him. He had been charged with stealing nearly $3000 from a woman's bank account, and selling more than $12,000 of jewelry and computer equipment. When the police arrived, they noticed a freshly dug hole. They also noticed the marijuana plant he was holding in his hand. He got charged with possession.

Finally, in Ft. Pierce, FL, a woman [article link] was thirsty and needed some change for a soft drink machine. Sophia Paulinyce noticed some change in an unlocked car. So, she decided to grab some change and head to the soft drink vending machine. What's wrong with this story is that Sophia took the change from a police employee's car that was parked in a secure parking lot of the police station. She was charged with Felony Burglary. Amount stolen was the grand sum of $7.

LeGarrette Blount Punch

I'm sure most, if not all, reading this blog are aware of the incident immediately after the Oregon-Boise St. football game [article link] ended last Thursday. It seems that during the week, LeGarrette Blount's mouth made some predictions his play couldn't cash during the football game. He had made predictions that Boise St. would not win and some not so nice remarks about the Boise St. team. That is just fine as long as you back up what you say. Boise St. was waiting for him when he entered the blue turf of Boise St. Stadium.

To make a long story short, Oregon got beat again to the tune of 19-8 and the game wasn't really even that close. But, that wasn't the real story. The real story was Boise St. player Byron Hout taunting Blount after the game. Boise St. Coach Peterson tried to intervene, albeit too late. In what has been referred to as the "punch heard around the world," LeGarrette Blount gave a great right jab to Hout's jaw. It was basically a sucker punch since Hout has already turned around. Blount also punched one of his own teammates!!! That wasn't the end of it. Blount had to be forcibly removed from the stadium by police and security personnel. I thought I had seen everything during a football game. But, this took the cake for me. I've never seen a spectacle like that on nationwide TV.

It was thuggish behavior on the part of LeGarrette Blount who may have seen a promising NFL career go down the drain. He is now banned from any further play this season. This effectively ends his college career since he is a senior. The NFL is becoming more and more concerned about bad behavior by its athletes. Will an NFL team take a chance on LeGarrette Blount now? I doubt he will be drafted. But, it is possible he will be signed as a free agent. He had 2nd or 3rd round potential before that ridiculous behavior on TV. Now, he will practice with the Oregon team and watch his teammates play on Saturdays as he contemplates his rather dubious future.

Stupid Criminals

In Bethlehem, PA, police were able to quickly ID the bank robber [article link] at a branch of the KNBT branch on Wednesday morning. 51-year-old Lloyd Virgil Barclay was identified as the robber after he LEFT his wallet at the tellers window! Inside the wallet were Barclay's SS card, and two photo IDs. Police say he laid the wallet there at the window when he took a note from it to hand to the teller with his demands. He still remains at large, however. I suspect he is ramming his head against a wall right now.

It reminds me of a bank robbery at a local bank about six years ago. Two would be bank robbers barreled into the bank with weapons and demanded money. The tellers did as they had always been instructed; they emptied their money drawers and, oh by the way, dropped in exploding dye. As the robbers walked outside, the purple dye prematurely exploded in their faces. Outraged, they tried to get back inside the bank. But, the manager had already locked all doors immediately after they left. So, with purple faces and, perhaps a tinge of red mixed in due to embarrassment, they got in their beat up, old getaway car. Unfortunately, the car would not start. They both lifted up the hood hurriedly in a desperate attempt to start the car. As one was working on it and the other was in the car trying to get it to turn over, about a dozen police cars showed up and arrested both. The case of the "Purple Face Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" was immediately solved.

Crime just doesn't pay.

Couple of News Items On Obamacare

According to a report from Politico [article link], President Obama appears to be backing away from his insistence there be a public insurance option. This has been the main sticking point among Obamacare opponents in their criticism of healthcare reform. Seeing his approval ratings sink to unparalleled depths for a president this early in his tenure, President Obama has decided to shift to possibly a co-op program to counter private insurers premium rates. When this was first announced as a possibility a few weeks back, the outrage from the liberal wing was swift and expected. Healthcare opponents, largely Republican, were not impressed with co-ops as many thought this was simply another way for the government to get their hands into the healthcare field. President Obama will speak to a joint session of Congress on September 9th.

Also, Politico reported [article link] that Senator Harry Reid, when asked how the death of Senator Ted Kennedy would effect healthcare reform, stated "I think it's going to help us." I can't say that statement by Senator Reid surprises me. He is known for off the cuff remarks, heartless though they may be. Of course, he may be having sleepless nights these days. His Republican opponent for his Senate seat, who just recently announced his intention to run, opened up a 10% lead on the unpopular Nevada Senator. Hopefully, this is one political elitist who can be forced into retirement next year.

Nature Wednesday

I know it is still the 2nd day of September. But, it's still hot in most of the country. I'm ready for some cold, cold weather. This has been one of the hottest summers on the gulf coast in a long time. Some pics of mountains with snow and snow covered cabins to cool you off today.

Tax Collectors Looking on Social Networks

If you owe money to the IRS, be very, very careful of what you say if you are on Facebook, MySpace or any of the thousands (millions?) of social networks. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal [article link], government tax collectors are using social networks such as Facebook to track down people who owe Uncle Sam money. According to the article, people who voluntarily put up information about themselves, help the government tax collectors locate delinquent accounts. As an example, a DJ made a Facebook update that he would be working a party (presumably paid in cash) and gave the address. The IRS was there waiting on him the day of the party to collect the money he would owe the government.

The only good news about this is that a federal agent can't send you a "friend request" to obtain more information about you. But, again, anything you voluntarily put up about yourself, can and will be used against you. I would imagine this is not something people thought about when they joined Facebook or MySpace. I think non-government collection agencies are already using social networks to locate delinquent account holders. They may or many not have the restraints in place for federal agents when collecting information.