Too early for Christmas music!

I am growing more and more into a serious Grinch every year.

And I am not alone in my feelings on one topic, the playing of Christmas music too early. Read blog in Atlanta Journal Constitution (you may need to register and log in).

If you read the comment section of the blog, in which I posted a comment, you'll find that many think we should celebrate one holiday at a time. But then there are the "Christmas fanatics" too.

I discovered on NOVEMBER 14TH that another local radio station has gone ALL-CHRISTMAS 24-7. If you live in Warner Robins Georgia and points south, 99.9 FM radio is playing all Christmas music. They join 96.5 in Macon in playing Christmas music WAY TOO DAMN EARLY!

I work and travel all over Georgia and so far only ONE city had their Christmas lights actually turned ON. And that dubious honor goes to the city of Macon, who on VETRANS DAY November 11th, had the downtown Christmas lights turned on.

Other towns started putting up their decorations recently including the city where I live, but the lights are not yet turned on. (and they better not turn them on before we digest our Thanksgiving Turkey)

Now we know the retail stores are already in Christmas mode. After all, this is THEIR time of the year. And Christmas has become nothing more than a marketing season. It is all about ringing sales and turning profits. The only "birthday" that most will celebrate will be the people who were actually born on December 25th themselves or they know someone who was born on that day. And even then it may not be a big deal. But will any of these people, and that includes those who call themselves "christians" remember any other birthday in December? Don't bet on it. Cause it's really all about the gifts.

I was in Columbus, Ga last night (for the third time in a week) and before driving home I needed to do some shopping. I decided to shop for non-perishables before making my 90 minute drive home and in front of 10 different stores in the same shopping complex was a Salvation Army bell ringer. And half of them were wearing Santa hats. It was NOVEMBER 14TH!

Next week, there is a day that is called Thanksgiving. That day is nothing more than a dinner date now.

Bon Appite

Danny Rolling's execution- 16 years too late!

In Florida, someone will be executed by lethal injection for the murders of 5 college students. His name is Danny Rolling. He was sentenced to death in 1994 after pleading guilty for killing college students in Gainesville, Florida. They were students of the University of Florida and SantaFe Community College in Gainesville.

Click below for news on this subject

THE GAINESVILLE MURDERS-DANNY ROLLING TIMELINE FROM FLORIDA NEWS WEBSITE

The disgusting events happened near Labor Day in 1990. SIXTEEN YEARS AGO! And it does seem like it was yesterday to me. I remember the time so vividly as many people are remembering the time when the city of Gainesville and residents from all over the state were scared almost into a panic over the brutal murders of college students near the University of Florida campus.

Everyone in Florida either had someone or knew someone with ties to the college town of Gainesville and we all feared for the safety of loved ones and friends as the bodies of five college students were found during this killing spree.

One of the murder victims was Sonja Larson, who I did not know personally but she attended the same high school with my sister and they were the same age. My sister did not know her directly. Also, the Larson family attended the same church we attended growing up. Although we never knew the Larsons, we knew or worked with many people in Pompano Beach who did know members of the Larson family and experienced the saddness with everyone around us. This was so senseless.

I had three friends who were attending college in Gainesville at the time of this murder spree. One of them lived in the same apartment complex where one of the murders occurred. I remember one of my friends as a staunch beliver of gun control suddenly finding herself taking gun safety classes with her boyfriend and seriously considering buying a firearm for personal protection. Those gun safety classes along with karate classes were suddenly overbooked with people wanting to find any way to protect themselves from what at that time was an unknown murderer killing young college students in their apartments.

Some people were so scared at the time they moved out of Gainesville. Others were pulled out of college there by frantic parents not wanting to take any chances.

There was one suspect arrested for the crime but he was cleared and considered to be somewhat mentally challenged ("slow") and he did not match any of the DNA testing that was done at the time. But DNA tests did match with Danny Rolling and he was indicted for the murders in 1991.

Three years passed then Danny Rolling pleaded guilty in early 1994 and was sentenced to death a couple months later. By then I was living in Tampa and still had two of my friends living in Gainesville. I was making regular trips to Gainesville and I remember that the events of August and September 1990 were more than still fresh on the minds of the residents and students in that city. There was a roadside wall that was made into a memorial for the murder victims with spray painted names and images that remained for many years.

Now SIXTEEN YEARS after FIVE young college students were murdered, the person convicted of the crime will be put to death.

Excuse me for saying this, but this is 16 years too damn late! Danny Rolling was allowed to outlive his murder victims and it is disgusting that the taxpayers of Florida, expecially the families of the victims paid taxes that helped to support 16 years of room and board and legal proceedings that kept that piece of shit alive longer than necessary.

Reading and watching the news of the victims families today, you see that they are still hurting. They had to endure this pain for 16 years and the execution of Danny Rolling will not bring closure nor bring back the lost lives.

I am not a mean spirited person but if only criminals who murder could suffer the same type of demise they put upon their victims. It is just not right for Danny Rolling to be put COMFORTABLY to death with a needle and some fluids. He should die the way his victims did or in a more painful fashion.

No, I don't have any personal connection to this but I am still angry that someone could get away with murdering of innocent people who were there to get an education and hoping to grow and prosper. Those five victims could be outstanding citizens today. They would all be in their mid 30's now, living and working their chosen careers. They could be raising families and living the American dream. The simple fact that the five victims were college students show that they were more accomplished and valuable to society at age 18 through 22 than that worthless Danny Rolling was at twice their age.

I can't help but wonder what anyone could have done with themselves if they were alive today and at the same time I am also looking back at what I could have done for myself during those 16 years. I am fortunate to still be here. But that is for anothe

The Mayor JACKass of Macon Georgia

Mayor Jack(ass) Ellis
I just happened to be online when the TV news came on and the "H-M-I-C" (Head Mayor In Charge) of Macon Georgia, also known as Mayor Jack Ellis is on a rampage ranting about how he is going to clean up crime in the city.

That idiot has been the mayor of Macon since 1999. Excuse me, he believes he is king of Macon. And now he is concerned about crime, after some 14 year old girl gets raped in a vacant house?

Why all of the sudden is he so concerned? Could it be because George Bush is coming to town tomorrow for a fundraiser and there may be some out of town media present? Could it be that yet another corruption scandal is about to come out? Why now does this lame duck (term limited) Mayor jackass give a damn about crime and vacant buildings in blighted areas of the city? Don't tell me he just now discovered theres a problem.

That Mayor Jackass is considering a run for congress once he is out as Mayor of Macon. And if the same idiots who re-elected him for a second term actually vote for him in 2008, then the entire city deserves to crumble into the Okmulgee River.

Sorry for the rant. I cringe every time I see Jack Ellis on TV and I want to thow a shoe at the screen. He is a patronizing parasite. A true example of a politician with nothing but snakes up his sleeves. BS promises and games and then acts like everyone should bow at his feet and kiss his ass.

And thank god I don't live in Macon city limits. I would be totally ashamed to have such a pathetic grandstanding ASSHOLE for a mayor.

WHEW!

I feel better now that I got that off my chest.

Chevrolet Corvette

Today I had a great treat.

I mentioned to some that I was treating myself to a Corvette. Yes, the Chevrolet Corvette sports car that I have loved for a lifetime.

Well, I did treat myself to a Corvette today. Actually several Corvettes!

(What, did you think I was actually going to buy one? Whatever gave you that idea LOL!)

I spent a few hours at the NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM in Bowling Green Kentucky. Which is across the street from the General Motors Factory that builds the Chevrolet Corvette and now also builds the Cadillac XLR roadster.


I had been wanting to go to Bowling Green for a very long time having promised myself that if I ever travel close enough to area (within 100 miles or passing by) then I would have to stop at this museum and spend a couple hours with some fantastic cars.

I attended a wedding in Nashville on Saturday, Bowling Green is about an hour away. So Today was finally the day. Sadly, I could not include the actual tour of the automobile factory as they don't have tours on weekends. But I took photos of the area. Cameras are NOT allowed inside the factory.


Also not allowed are cars made by other manufacturers. Luckily I only drive GM vehicles as my own personal preference. So if I visit the plant, I could park closer to the building.



NON General Motors vehicles have to use designated parking that is FAR from the building. I compare it to banishing smokers to the far reaches of the property. It sucks to be a Ford doesn't it? LOL (sorry)

At least the "Non GM" parking lot is paved.

Inside the museum were lots of Corvettes from concept cars, to each model and body style. There were also personal customized cars on loan to the museum and a special section called "The Corvette Nursery" where someone purchasing a brand new Corvette can accept delivery of their very own car FROM the museum. It is the closest thing to picking up the car from the factory itself.

There is also a theatre presentation and a gift shop. And there are many events for Corvette car clubs and memberships to the museum itself.

The National Corvette Museum is a true haven for fans of the Chevrolet Corvette. Here are some of the photos I took during my near three hour visit.

NEW Vettes waiting for their owners to accept delivery.
The museum had a owner delivery presentation program. You order your new car, fly in to Bowling Green and your new car is presented to you (almost) directly from the factory across the street.


Below are some of the cars on display and my favorate exhibits.

Individuals and clubs can STILL purchase specially engraved bricks for placement in the sidewalk in front of the National Corvette Museum

I found this sidewalk brick from the area where I live.

I definitely plan to return to the museum as the cars on display change often. And I want to spend a great amount of money at the museum gift shop. Also across the street is a car dealership that specializes in classic American Muscle Cars. More to dream about.


And most definitely, I have to return at a time when the assembly plant is open for tours.

Sadly, I did not get to take one of the Vette's home. But I did enjoy my road trip companion, the 2007 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ with the V-6 engine and nearly everything including OnStar and Remote start.

This Malibu is a NICE CAR! And if given a chance, this car will run circles around those Camry's and Accords. It really is that good.

Janet Jackson: Whispering under the BOOM

I'm no music critic. But I do want to share this opinion as I have been so greatly aggravated by a this new song. "Call on Me" by Janet Jackson featuring Nelly

Janet Jackson: Why don't you go buy a one-way ticket to see your brother in whatever country that is he moved (exiled) to. Yes I said ONE-WAY! And please take any recordings you have made since Rythym Nation with you. Bury them in the desert sand and never, NEVA, NEVEAH, EVA, EVER, EVER, EVER curse my speakers with your whiny moan over bassed noise again.

OMFG (you know I have to be really annoyed to say the "F" word) this new song from Janet Jackson and Nelly is HORRIBLE!

I have heard this shit played on the only radio broadcast show I listen to daily, The Tom Joyner Morning show, and even the majority of the show's cast hates the song. (they must be paying Tom Joyner to play that song) or it serves as joke material.

How is it that the rapper (Nelly) sings better than the singer (Janet) in this case? Cause the rapper actually sings while the "singer" mumbles whisper moans through the entire damn song which is straight out of the early 1990's when so-called music contained so much bass that could trigger earthquakes. I hated that over bassed crap back then and MISS JACKSON reminds me that I still hate that BOOM BUMP BOOM drowning out real music and her lame attempts at singing....excuse me, "whisper moaning".

Janet oughta be whipped like her mama whipped Penny with the iron on Good Times back in the day for putting this mess out. (Yeah I said it!)

Now, do my comments help you understand how much I hate this song?


Click on the link below and listen for yourself if you dare.

"Call On Me" by Janet Jackson featuring Nelly FROM AOL MUSIC

Ode to IBM

If it were not for a company called International Business Machines, aka IBM, where would this world be?

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to IBM for the technology that rules our lives today. Everything we do in our daily lives as well as everything we have to put up with in our daily lives is in some way because of IBM.

Typewriters (remember them) were taken to the peak level thanks to an electric typewriter manufactured by IBM.

Data storage and processing made possible because of IBM

IBM brought the first personal computer (The PC) into our homes some 25 years ago. That revolution has evolved into a major part of our daily lives at home and at work. Our ability to communicate online by your reading this blog that I am writing is only one of many small things we can thank IBM for. Or you can curse IBM for it, depending on your opinion. I can thank IBM for my ability to express my thoughts about the good, the bad and the amusing results of their actions.

So I guess you are wondering what the hell am I talking about.

IBM made shopping as we know it today very easy. They invented the first supermarket scanner so you don’t have to read little price stickers and manually punch in the numbers. Most retailers have cash registers manufactured by IBM or use programs created by IBM. Those cash registers make it so easy for the person paid to use the machine. The machine tells the so-called “cashiers” the prices, the total and even how much change to give back to the customer.

So what happens when technology has a little malfunction? The “cashier” actually has to think for themselves. Oh what a tragedy! The cashier may have to do something so difficult like figuring out how much change to give to the customer. They may have know how to count! Oh the humanity.

I had to witness a great ordeal tonight while shopping at the “mega mart super center” place where you can buy everything from food to underwear to cat food or goldfish to feed to the cat. (kidding) You know the place. I am avoiding saying the name of the store, but by now anyone with an eighth of a brain should know what store I am talking about. And that “eighth of a brain” person may just be more intelligent than the average employee of the “mega mart super center”.

An employee of this store had a meltdown tonight. Everything went well right until I gave this person some money. The total was $6.10 and I gave the employee $6.25. And for some reason the cashier’s little fat fingers entered $66.25 as my payment and the IBM cash register told the employee that my change would be $60.15. Somehow this confused the employee who knew that she did not owe me $60.00 in change. (glad she knew that much) but it took a few minutes of frustration before the cashier realized that she only owed me FIFTEEN CENTS.

The sad thing is that I encounter situations like this all of the time. One time, I remember a cashier actually borrowing a calculator to figure out the exact change for a $9.00 order from a $10 bill. Or what about the store clerk who struggled to figure out 6% sales tax on a $10 order. (I am not making this up)

IBM has made it possible for a stores to hire a complete mathematical idiots (or idiots in general). People who can’t understand simple math enough to make change when needed.

Thanks IBM for making life what it is today. Convenient and amusing at the same time.

"Goodbye" Cynthia McKinney

On this morning after the Georgia runoff elections I imagine that Congressional clown Cynthia McKinney is sitting quietly on the floor of her living room feeling sad and blue and taking a break in seclusion with a good drink and listening to her old 45rpm records. You know, the ones she enjoyed when she was a young black girl in Atlanta having a crush on the young (formerly black) boy singing this song.

"Never Can Say Goodbye" by The Jackson Five (1971)

Peeking through the living room window you might see Cynthia McKinney sitting by her stereo, drink in hand, swaying slowly from side to side and contemplating her future as her relationship with the voters is "a little strained". She mumbles to herself "Those evil Republicans crossed over and voted me out".

The night the lights went out

Today is the 29th anniversary of the electricity "Blackout" in New York City.


Where were YOU when the lights went out in New York City on July 13, 1977?





I was living in South Florida and watching TV after 9pm when the three networks ABC, CBS & NBC interrupted TV shows to report that the electricity was out in all of New York City. The "Blackout" as it was called had left millions stuck in Elevators and Subway trains. People were in high rise buildings without air conditioning and some went wild by LOOTING businesses.

My Grandmother lived in Queens NY at the time and we called her to see if she was ok. She was fine and eating watermelon on her front porch. It was a very hot summer time and the city was without electricity for 25 hours. When food began to thaw because of the power outage, my Grandmother and her neighbors pulled out the charcoal grills and barbequed.

Meanwhile I also had a cousin named Brenda who was pregnant at age 17. She gave birth to her daughter during the blackout.

Bernica is now 29 years old....Happy Birthday "Little B"!

And speaking of Babies. There are a lot of 27 year old native New Yorkers that owe their existance to "Con Edison" (the NY Power company) as many people found an intimate way to spend their time in the dark.

There is a song that tells the story of the time when the lights went out in New York City, July 13th, 1977.



"The Night The Lights Went Out" by The Trammps
Was a Disco dance club hit in the fall of 1977.
Written about the July 13, 1977 Electrical BLACKOUT in New York City

To read more about the 1977 New York City Blackout,
go to this wikipedia site.

The AMC July "Movie of the Month"

It is the Independence Day holiday and millions of people are headed to the beaches. And some may turn on the TV and come across the AMC channel and what does AMC offer as their July "Movie of the Month" during the prime beach season?

"Jaws"

Yes, that legendary 1975 film that scared the shit out of of beachgoers back in the day. And still scares some of us today! AMC is so wrong for showing this film during the prime beach season.

Every time this movie comes on I am reminded of the excitement I had as a child wanting to see this movie when it was new. There was a lot of hype over this film before it appeared and it was the great talk at school. Then on a Friday night in South Florida my family was out with some neighbors.

We did our usual family night out. Dinner somewhere and then we were off to the Drive In to see a movie. We always shared our family night with another family, either the Fredricks, my friend Peter and his mom Melissa, or with my mother's best friends, Doris and John and their son Bernard.

This time it was the single/divorced moms and their kids. That being me, my mother, Melissa and her son Peter who was 2 years younger than me and my sister who was the baby of the group at age 4. And we were all especially eager to see Jaws on its premiere night.

That evening before dark we ate dinner at SAMBO'S. Yes I said Sambo's and for those who don't know, it was a restaurant chain very simular to what we know as Denny's today. The chain was named as a combination of the founders names. One was named Sam and the other's last name was BOnnert. But many associated the name with a book about the African character "Little Black Sambo" and people thought the use of "Sambo's" was racist. The restaurants did try to capitalize on the Sambo theme but they were out of business by the 1980's. Many Sambo's locations became Denny's since the type of restaurants were nearly identical. Same type of food, open 24 hours, great breakfast food all the time and lots of toys and characters for the kids.

Anyway, we ate at Sambo's and went to the GOLD COAST DRIVE-IN in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The former drive-in is now the location of a shopping center that includes Office Depot, Winn-Dixie.....and a Denny's.

I even remember the car we were in that night. We were driving Melissa's pea-green Ford Maverick just weeks before she traded it in for a new Ford Mustang II.

Oh the cars of the 1970's

I watched "Jaws" from the back seat of the Maverick. I usually like to walk around some as I did like to play the pinball near the snack bar. But I watched every bit of this movie that night. And I enjoyed it right until a scene when a man slipped of the boat and right into the shark's mouth. Thats when I suddely lost it. I kicked and screamed and nearly created a sunroof in the Maverick. And I wasn't the only one screaming! There was the woman in the van parked next to us. She was screaming too.

No wait! I don't think she was "watching" the movie. (sorry)

Actually everyone reacted to that scene in the film and we were all a bit nervous about going to the beach for a while after that. Melissa and Peter loved to go to the beach and since Melissa was also an occasional babysitter of me and my sister, we always went to the beach together. She was especially protective of us at the beach after we saw Jaws. And whenever I watch the movie I have this automatic reaction to several scenes of the film. When that shark opens his mouth, my size 15 feet rise from the floor! It's almost as if the shark is coming out of the carpet to get me!

THATS HOW MUCH THE MOVIE "JAWS" SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF ME! And I would never watch any of the sequels. Especially "Jaws 3-D". I feared that watching "Jaws" in 3-D would just make me pee. This would not be a good thing for a teenager to do. So I never took the chance of watching hungry sharks in 3D.

So every time I see that Jaws is on TV I have these memories. And 31 years later I still cannot watch the movie with my feet on the floor.

So I admit one fear today. I am not ashamed. But when they show the movies "Ben" or "Willard" I will most likely keep my fear of rats to myself . (I wouldn't want you to think I am a wuss.) Instead I might blog about how passionate Michael Jackson sang the theme song about his love of the rat "Ben" while wondering why anyone is so surprised about how that kid turned out.

The political test.

I havent blogged for a while. But someone posted this on their blog and I thought I would take this "political test" and see how I would do.
The results DO reflect my political beliefs.

Now I have additional proof that I should be a deacon in Neal Boortz' "Church of The Painful Truth".

You are a Social Liberal (71% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (80% permissive) You are best described as a: Libertarian Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

My "Attitude" test in the workplace.

Last night I failed a test.

That test was to see how long before I would nearly blow a fuse while working with an assistant manager recently transferred to my part time job.
I briefly dealt with this person in the past and the first impression was not "good". Then there were some "conflicts" I heard about through the grapevine regarding this person. So I dreaded hearing that he was being transferred to the branch where I work.

I had hoped that my personal test to remain calm would have worked but there were so many factors that played into my not passing the test.

I cannot tolerate stupid people especially in the workplace, this is one of the primary reasons why I left my employer of 11 years last year. Stupid management decisions and stupid co-workers combined make for a workplace that is not a "team" and mistakes get made and the overall "customer" or service suffers. I have a problem with that. A combination of stupid decisions and LAZY inconsiderate co-workers created a problem for me last night.

I am sure that there are many who think that I am not a "team player". Truth is that I have standards. And I do set them higher than most, that is if they even understand the meaning. I want to strive for the best and that requires hard work, careful decision making and dedication. And when I am the only one working to achieve the best quality and environment, yes I do become difficult to deal with. I try to work out the differences and to bring us all to the same page for the greater good. In other words, I offer a solution to a problem rather than just bitch and complain. But when my concerns are not being heard I do get a little annoyed.

So last night, I was a little "annoyed" as we were extremely busy and LAZY ASS co-workers were not working as scheduled. We were down to just 4 people on duty, which is about a THIRD of the amount of people needed last night. Now we did have two quit this week, one because of his work schedule, the other is in the military and was deployed to Iraq. But there were at least two people originally scheduled to work and for whatever reason they were crossed off the schedule from working last night. I know one called in earlier in the day. She also whined her way out of working Sunday (today) because she forgot that she had "plans" for that day.

Funny how people always either get "sick" or something comes up when it is a holiday weekend like this weekend. Sorry, I'm not buying it.

NO, actually I am not sorry! If you were scheduled to work, short of your own death YOUR ASS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE JOB AS SCHEDULED. No excuses, no "emergencies", no "I'm not feeling well" or "my car broke down". 99% of the time it is bullshit and I just cannot tolerate broken schedules. This is why I may be difficult to work with. I know for sure I would be a real bitch to work for. Take that as a warning for anyone I may consider hiring as my daily business grows.

Am I being a bitch? I don't give a damn. I don't think it is all about me but I do think it is about honesty and respect for others. I give my respect and seldom get it in return. My schedule did not require my working 12 hours last night which I had to because of people not working their own schedule. The only person with a valid reason for not being there was the one who was deployed to Iraq. I wish him well and hope he returns home to his family safely and I honor him and all of our military personnel for their service. The other co-workers have NO excuse!

When you call in or don't work as scheduled, you screw the lives of other people. And I see this so often that I just don't have the patience for it anymore. And last night I "expressed" my opinion with my poor attitude and that's when the CONFLICT between me and the new ASSistant manager happened.

apparently, my "attitude" was not acceptable to the new assistant manager who has a history of "conflicts" with his staff. So in the middle of a mad rush, he decided it was time to send me home. And the way he presented it makes him feel as if he were punishing me for my "attitude". Oh boy is he mistaken!

"Punishing" me for sending me home after I worked all day and should not have been there? Punishing me for my "attitude"? Shit! Let me tell you for sure that it was no punishment. It was a relief from dealing with irate customers who were screwed by the actions of other people...NOT BY ME!. It was a relief from working with someone with his head stuck up his ass. And other co-workers nearing the same status. It was a mess last night and sadly when I arrive at work this morning I will probably have to deal with the aftermath.

My rant is based on this well established fact about where I live. Work ethics in this area are pathetic. Actually, the work ethic in America is bad at best, but it seems a lot more prouounced in Central Georgia. People are lazy asses who don't care about anyone but themselves. And most people with "titles" next to their name are often no more qualified for the position than a dead donkey.

Last night, I dealt with a jackass who thought he would flex his "authority" over an "attitude' he did not like while shooting himself in the foot by losing one of his hardest working people (ME) who was forced to remain on duty beyond his schedule because 3 out of the 4 missing people did not uphold THEIR responsibility to show up and do their damn job.

Yes I need the money, but I can do better than putting up with BS. And last night was another stone cold reminder of what I should have done earlier in life and what I need to do RIGHT NOW so that I could distance myself from situations and idiots like what happened last night. And then I shall have a better "attitude".

So, there is a strong possibility that I won't be as much of a workaholic in the near future. Or at the very least I will go in another direction.

And if my "attitude" of high expectations is a problem, get over it!

Bumper stickers for idiots

One of the more sensitive issues in the south is that of same-sex marriage. Most are against it and the only reasons they give are based on their religious beliefs (brainwashing from the bible).

Last year, Georgia was one of many states to have a proposed Amendment to the state's constitution that would forbid marriages between persons of the same gender. The ballot measure passed in favor of the amendment by over 70 percent with heavy support from rural areas around the state. The so-called "christians", rednecks and other uneducated homophobic bigots came out in droves to vote on this issue.

They feel that if two men or two women choose to marry it would "threaten" their own marriages. Bullshit! You who are against same-sex marriages are simply using your political power to stick it to groups of people who you hate. You don't feel comfortable with their "lifestyle" and you are brainwashed by whatever words appear in YOUR version of the bible. Some of you are just plain ignorant.

But enough of my rant. The reason of this post was to expose one of these anti same-sex marriage idiots. The ones who choose to put bumper stickers on the back of their cars to show their bigotry. Like the driver of this car.




And the people who are most likely to have these bumper stickers are those who live in places like Taylor County Georgia. Notice I did not include the entire license plate or entire car.

To show you how far back in the dark ages these residents are, Taylor County is one of several counties in the South that STILL have segregated High School Proms. Now to be fair, the Teylor County School Board ended the separate White and Black high school proms a few years ago. As in late 1990's and early 2000's! And Blacks and Whites have attended classes together in Taylor County for many years before that, but officially ALL RACES can now attend the same Prom in Taylor County. (YEA!) This of course is assuming that many students will actually graduate from Taylor County High School. And even then most 5th graders from another area will be more advanced than a Taylor county graduate. FYI: Georgia often ranks near the bottom in school test scores.

Now, here's what happened. They had the new "diverse" High School Prom and ran into a few problems. Things like Blacks did not like Country and pop music and most of the whites (who have most of their teeth) did not like Rap and Hip-Hop music. So lets just say people did not get along well at the combined prom.

So what's their solution? The Black kids had "their" prom in nearby Fort Valley, home of predominantly Black Fort Valley State University, and the White kids arranged "their" prom at a private country club some 50 miles away in Columbus, Georgia. These were PRIVATE parties by invitation only, so they were not "official" high School Proms. Taylor County still has their own High School Prom, but the support for it is very weak.

So I should not be surprised to see a car with TAYLOR COUNTY GEORGIA license plates proudly sporting their "Marriage = MALE & FEMALE" bumper sticker, provided to them by their favorate religious organization....The 700 Club.

God forgive me, but I hope they get rear ended by a dump truck.

GAY doesn't always mean "happy"

There was a time when I would get so angry with the world, (especially the GLBT world) that I would post something like the following which is still posted on a website that will remain nameless.

I give up! I have been online for several years and most people online only want a hot young piece of ass. Fat, Black and over 30 never fit into even the conversation plans of anyone. Abercrombie and BITCH seems to be the way of everyone's attraction. That leaves me out. All I ever wanted was to meet a diverse group of people and make friendships. But you pathetic fags play games and offer insults to those who don't fit within the stereotype of some twink with model like looks.

Yes, I enjoy finer things in life and intelligent conversation. But you would never know that for your refusal to see beyond the outside appearance. You stuck up bitches ignore me in public places, curse me on message boards and reject me everywhere else. I give up on you! I give up on trying to find any happiness, companionship or whatever within the gay community. You brats are bad whether it is in the big city, the "gayborhood" or right here in the boonies of the small town south. It's all the same everywhere and it is a shame.

If you want to prove me wrong please go ahead. Try to find out that I really could be the best friend you could ever have. But you don't have the nerve to give me the chance.

It was not that long ago when I posted that. I was really pissed off that night. It was a time like today when I really wish things had turned out different for me. For those in the GLBT community, that means "I wish I never came out!"

Last night I woke up after taking an evening nap and felt a heavy amount of emptyness. I wanted to go out but I fear the same challenges that I have faced for years. I would feel out of place and get tired of seeing others enjoying their time with friends and companions. You have to be a certain type of person and have the wonderful looks in order to fit in and I don't have that. So I honestly dont have the nerve to try again. It is like I want to have an instant solution for a social life AND especially for relationships but I know that is not going to happen.

So I sit on another Saturday night at home alone and surfing the web and listening to music. (Sounds pathetic doesn't it?) and my head is about to explode. I already had a frustrating day working, I was tired but I wanted to get out and do something, anything resembling possible "fun" and maybe enjoying the company of others. But I have no one to call and no one to call me and say "hey what are you doing tonight?" or at least "how are you". Everyone is busy out having fun and enjoying life WITH THEIR COMPANIONS!

Problem is, everyone has someone and I don't. It's that damnned threes a crowd thing. And even if I did go out with anyone, I would be the ODD man in the group.....the third, the fifth, the seventh. Either that or I find myself in a group where the the "cliques" develop. And I usually don't fit into that groove either.

It feels weird and probably looks worse for me to ask anyone how do I solve this "problem". I have asked many times over years and have never got a response to the question. But sometimes I get that "you'll find someone someday bullshit" from someone who has no idea how it feels to have never had any real relationships.

DAMMIT! I am so tired of being single, tired of failing at even getting a damn date, tired of meeting bullshit people with games and drama, tired of being looked down as if I were a low life piece of crap, tired of pretending that life is great and I could be happy being single.

Im just tired of all of this. And I am tired of working so damn much to fill the spaces.

Now if I post this blog, it may turn away potential mates, friends, or make those who do know me think that I am losing it. Or maybe people will think that I am unstable. I assure you that I am not unstable, but I also fully admit that I AM losing it! I have lost all patience and confidence in society and I don't know what to do about it. I really wish someone could suggest something that could really work. I wish there was someone who could understand and share some ideas.

But there I go again, wishing in one hand and............you know the rest.

Bullet proof shoes are a good idea!

I heard mention of this incident on a radio show, did a google search and found it easily. A DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) officer is speaking at a Florida high school about crime and he displays an "unloaded" gun and shoots himself in the foot with it.

Video and Code Provided by BoFunk.com

You can hear him say that it was an unloaded gun 30 seconds into the video. As he talks about the gun he pulls the trigger once with the gun pointed in the air and then again with the gun pointed downward and he shoots himself in the foot.

Just before he shoots himself in the foot, he says "I'm the only one professional enough that I know of to handle this Glock 40".

So, is this officer a professional toe shooter? Did he shoot off his pinky toe?

Real life lessons here: Bullet proof shoes are a good idea! Guns are not toys. And one should double check or triple check themselves when it involves the safety of others...or risk making an ass out of youself by shooting yourself in the foot.

Don't beg for money, Use your head!

There are some places where you may come across people who will beg you for money. I tend to avoid those places but yesterday I was caught off guard while at the post office. I was tired and frustrated and moving slower than usual. You might say that I was an easy target for what happened.

I was walking back to my car at the post office I was approached by a young man that I can best describe as being "strange" looking. He was dressed in an "urban" style except that his jeans were pulled all the way up. I assume he was in his late 20's or so and he was well spoken as he was talking to me.

But what struck me was his face. He had so many pieces of jewelry IN his head! I couldn't possibly count how many so lets just say he had every part from the neck up represented with something silver. Ear rings, studs, satellite dishes, etc. I wondered how many channels could he get!

Anyway this young man starts telling me his life story and I knew where he was going with this story. I just knew he was going to ask me for money. Also while telling his story he answered several questions I had before I could possibly get a word in to ask.

He told me that he was "not a thug" although he did appear to be one. He told me that he was new in town and it was his first time out of Chicago. And I thought that with all of this metal in his head he probably distracted flights into both O'hare and Midway and they ran him out of town. But how could he end up in a town next to an Air force Base?

Then he told me that he applied for jobs at every convenience store and restaurant along two of our major streets. He said he was very sure that he would be working at any one of them by next week. Then he said all he needed was "anything I could possibly afford" and that he was headed directly to the supermarket down the street to get something for his two babies and wife living around the corner.

It took him a fast minute to go through his life story to get to the point, he was asking for money. And I actually stood there to listen to his sales pitch. And I did not have to lie to him or be rude in telling him no. I simply said "I wish I had money myself" and he said "Thank you sir for your time and god bless you" then I got into my car and drove away while this young man approached the next person leaving the post office, an older woman who ignored him, got into her brand new Explorer and drove off right behind me.

As I drove away I was thinking about what had just happened. First, I knew I only had three dollars in my pocket. Last night I spent $37 filling my gas tank and $11 on groceries. I was broke, but I would not be hungry and I had plenty of gas. And so did my car. But this guy asking me for money had me analyzing a couple of points in his sales pitch.

He said he applied for jobs at all of the convenience stores and restaurants in the area. I already knew that was BS. Because each of those businesses are owned by someone "foreign" and they NEVER hire anyone. The same people work in those stores all day and night, Husband, wife, baby behind the counter and a relative taking shifts. Same for any Chinese restaurant. As for the other restaurants, do you really think he has a chance at getting an instant job at one of the fast food joints?

And then I found myself thinking about one of the biggest issues I have had about work etiquette. The way you present yourself when you are looking for a job is very important. No matter what the type of work, you damn sure don't arrive at a potential employer with a head looking like a metal scrap yard. Remember all of the jewelry in his head? Then I remembered that we have several pawn shops within walking distance of the location were we met. If this guy was in need of some cash to feed his family, why does he not take some of those rings out of his head, pawn the jewelry and buy some food? There is his own greatest "resource"..... He could USE HIS HEAD!

And maybe if he had used his head BEFORE getting all of the piercing and filling them with pieces of metal, he would not have to beg people for money.

My parking lot pet peeve!

I really hope that somehow some way the person who owns a certain vehicle with Lee County Georgia license plates hears about the comments you are about to read. They may not care about my comments. After all, they obviously did not care about the situation that prompted me to make this blog article. As you read this, you’ll find pictures of the very situation that I found so annoying that I felt steam running out of my ears. I really had no reason to get upset about anything. I would not have suffered one damn bit over this one individual’s action because I was simply making a delivery for the event. I just get annoyed at the type of rudeness this individual displayed on this particular day.

So what got me steamed in the parking lot of HOUSTON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL in Warner Robins, Georgia?


The inconsiderate owner of this vehicle who thought they were so important that it necessary to take THREE parking spaces exclusively for their ONE vehicle. Not just that, they did this as close to the building as possible during an event where people came from all over the state. Parking spaces were limited with all of the school buses and personal cars from out of town visiting this school for an all day event… And this one asshole eliminated the opportunity for two other people to have a parking space.



Most people who don’t want anyone to park so close to their car would park at the FAR end of the parking lot. NOT right at the building near the main entrance as the driver of this TEN YEAR OLD SUV did. You see people do this at many parking lots especially shopping centers. The owner of a car does not want to risk getting a “ding” or a scratch on their precious vehicle. I usually cannot blame them. I don’t want my car to get damaged either. But there is not a single vehicle that is so special that it is entitled to more than one parking space in a public lot. Not one!

If anyone thinks that their car is worthy of taking more space than they really need then I have this advice…

DON’T TAKE YOUR VEHICLE OUT IN PUBLIC! Keep your precious ride at home locked safely in your own garage. Only drive on roads on your own private land where you can control access and prevent others from getting within ten feet of your vehicle. That way, you’ll avoid getting the car scratched, dinged or breathed on.

I have a habit of parking far away from most buildings. One reason is to minimize the risk of getting dinged, the other reason is for the exercise by walking the extra distance. But in no way do I think that any vehicle that I own is more special than anyone elses. Hell, even my "good" car has 118,000 miles on it. It still looks and drives nice, but even when it was new it was no more special than any other car on the road. Just ask the two people on the road who HIT my car in the first two years I have had it. Ask their insurance companies who paid a combined total of $3,100 in damages in those two incidents.

Well, maybe paying to get my car repaired made it special to Allstate and State Farm. They each got to raise someone's insurance premiums and I got to drive nice rental cars for free!

Anyway, people like the asshole that owns this 1990something Mercury Mountaineer with hideous wheel rims really annoy me. People like that deserve getting their tires slashed and doors keyed. Now I am not suggesting that anyone vandalize any vehicle. I am only saying that they deserve it in principle for being an inconsiderate asshole.

There, I said it! I expressed my opinion about the asshole who owned the vehicle that was parked close to a building and utilizing more parking spaces then they were entitled to. Now, let me say a few words about the vehicle itself!


What a waste of money and what an ugly piece of crap! I’ll be nice and say “crap” instead of that other word, but the other word feels more appropriate. The wheel rims are hideous! They make an already ugly SUV even more painful to my eyes. And this is the piece of “crap” that someone felt was so special that they just could not allow anyone to park “close” to it?

That piece of shit (there I said it!) truck should be crushed into a cube! And the person who spent real money on those hideous ghetto wheels should get a real education in how to spend money on something more important. But this SUV probably belongs to a student or someone who was educated in someplace like LEE COUNTY Georgia where the truck was registered. Knowing that, maybe I should cut them some slack.

But not for the parking space incident! I don’t care where you are from or what you drive. No one is ever entitled to more than ONE parking space!

Yeah! I said it!

So you think you have problems

So you think you have problems. Money problems, can't make ends meet, you're in debt. Not getting along in work or business, family or relationship issues, you feel lonely, traffic is bad, car problems, the house is a mess, you have to call a plumber and you dread that bill, on and on and on.

Your problems can be solved easily because they are NOT problems. Yeah I said it. Your problems are NOT really problems.

How would you like to be the one who has had heart problems since childhood and are in need of a transplant at age 22? Or the 40 year old who has cancer and may not live to see her oldest child graduate from high school this spring. Or the unemployed man who was preparing for a job interview when it was discovered that he needed a triple heart bypass while not having any health insurance and he misses a chance at getting a job with a six-figure income. Or the young woman who was in the early stages of a very successful career only to discover she has breast cancer and dies within months.

The examples I mentioned above were presented to me in just the past couple of weeks. I personally know three of the people in the examples that I shared. The other is a fictional TV character in a very real life situation.

The "problems" shown at the beginning of this are nothing in comparison. Money problems could be solved by saving more and spending less and taking every opportunity available that could lead to earning more money. Not getting along with family, work and feeling lonely can be solved by checking the attitude of the person in the mirror. If traffic is bad, find another route. If the house is a mess, clean it!

And if something needs to be repaired? Accept the fact that repairs are a part of life. You have to maintain your car(s) and home, it is part of "ownership". Nothing stays brand new forever, especially when you drive an average 50,000 miles a year! And if you live in a 50 year old house, a pipe is eventually going to break!

So excuse me while I give myself this advice and feel free to apply this advice if you think you have problems in your life.

GET OFF OF YOUR FAT ASS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

GET OVER IT! There are other people that have it much worse than you can imagine.

Oh, and stop bitching about what you think are problems. Nobody gives a damn! And you don't hear the people who REALLY have problems complaining about their lives. They actually appreciate EVERY day of life they have! They aren't backing down from the pressures within their lives. They are living and trying hard to kick life's problems in the ass.

So go kick some ass.

Religious Hyprocracy

I have to call a family friend a hyprocrate!

Isaac Hayes, who until recently was the voice of "Chef" on "South Park". He quit the show because of an episode where the show mocks the religion that Isaac Hayes is affiliated with...The Church of Scientology.

Now I never get into any detailed discussion of religion. However I am a fan of "South Park" and I am a fan of Isaac Hayes for his music. I grew up listening to and have most of his original Albums. Also he and my father, soul singer Eddie Floyd worked closely together at Memphis based STAX Records in the 1960's and 1970's. They were and are friends today.

My late mother always had stories to share about Isaac Hayes. With his success as a song writer, performer and Oscar winner for the movie soundtrack "Shaft" (1971), he lived very nicely and enjoyed his wealth. So much so that he was broke by the 1980's. He continued to work and make music through the years but it was "South Park" that put Isaac Hayes' finances back into a "comfortable" level.

When South Park came along, Isaac Hayes was doing a radio show at a New York radio station. I've heard the show. He was good at it. But he had to get up at 4am to go to work every morning. Not many "entertainers" like to get up that early. But Isaac Hayes did just that for a few years to do his radio show.

"South Park" changed all of that as Isaac Hayes found a new generation of fans as the voice of "Chef". He played the role well and he is just as guilty as anyone related with "South Park" of mocking anyone and anything including religion. But when you mock HIS religious affiliation, he gets upset?

Well Isaac Hayes, you are a hyprocrate! A bald headed nappy bearded hyprocrate!

And it is a shame that a great show is losing a major character over your being an ass.

I agreed with the creators of "South Park" when I read some of their comments saying that "it's a bit disingenuous (for Hayes) to cite religious intolerance as a reason for him pulling out of the show" because the series has lampooned religion since its start, taking shots at Catholics, Jews, Muslims and Mormons, among others."

And Isaac Hayes has cashed many checks being a part of it.

Bad Language on Talk Radio?

I drive so much. And I often listen to talk radio. I have been a talk radio fan for years. From Neil Rogers back home locally in South Florida to former late night TV host Tom Snyder when he had a late night talk radio show in the early 1990's to Neal Boortz and Clark Howard today.

No I am not a fan of Rush Limbaugh, but I even listen to his show occasionally. However I am very proud to say that I am a huge Neal Boortz fan. I listen to his show live daily whenever and wherever I can and again when it repeats at night from a distant AM radio signal, 1110 WBT out of Charlotte, NC. I like to think that I could be the associate pastor of Neal Boortz' "church of the painful truth". Because I like to call it as I see it and I am an equal opportunity critic of many things and people. This blog is a planned example of that.

Today for the first time I tuned into the "Air America" Radio station based in Atlanta. AM 1690 while I was working from Griffin GA across to Monticello and Eatonton. Air America is intended to be the more liberal (or progressive as they call it) voice in talk radio. Air America is available on satalite radio and on a few broadcast radio stations around the US. Those broadcast stations usually don't have the signal strength as the stations that broadcast the more "conservative" talk shows. However I do appreciate freedom of speech and a diverse choice in programing, so I tuned in to Air America and I have two observations.

ONE, I was bored to death with the host who was filling in for Randi Rhodes! The guy was Mike Malloy and he has mostly been a failure in having his own talk show in many cities over decades. I remember him having shows in Atlanta and in Florida and never being able to stand listening to an entire show. I think he is a terrible substitute for Randi Rhodes who I listened to for years on local radio back home in South Florida. She was entertaining to listen to regardless of your political opinion. I hope to catch her show when she is actually hosting it.

Observation TWO, Are they allowed to "cuss" (curse) on Air America? Cause the callers let some words slip and there was no reaction to it. One caller actually said something that sounded like "putting up with that Republican shit" and the host agreed with him. Any other show would have had a delay and the host of the show would have hung up and moved on.

So I ask, is foul language the norm on Air America? If it is and they can get away with it THEN I WANT TO HEAR NEAL BOORTZ SAY SOME CURSE WORDS Dammit!!! It would be priceless to hear Boortz tell a caller to "Go F@#$ Youself". He would be great at it! And finally his ratings would be much greater than any other talk radio host!

Neal Boortz and Bill O'reilly hate each other. If they could speak uncensored, we could know how they really feel about each other. I almost watched Neal Boortz cuss out Phil Donahue when he walked off Donahue's show a couple years ago. I would love to watch him cuss out O'reilly in the "no spin zone".

And if the callers can call into a radio show and say what they really feel, then I can finally call Sean Hannity and tell him exactly what I think he is.....an annoying arrogant ASS!

Still haven't blogged in a while :(

I haven't forgotten about my little blog thing here. I admit that I have been otherwise "occupied" with things like work, work, work and this website called myspace.com!

Also I am in the planning stages for an event coming up in Atlanta. So I really have been busy.

What I have decided to do with this blog is to focus on political and social issues and a new blog that I have on myspace will deal with more light hearted and personal items.

Thats all I have time to say now. I have work to do. I am not one of those lazy fat asses waiting for someone else to pay my bills.

Have a great day everyone!

Haven't blogged for a while

It's been a crazy month. And I could have blogged about so many things. Legends who we have lost, political BS, (and oh how one event really got me angry) the Super Bowl (Yea Pittsburgh), Valentines Day (see my anti Christmas blog articles and apply them to February 14th) and myh work load. I could have talked about a lot of things. I just did not have the time.

I discovered another online world called MySpace and I admit it has taken what little time I do have. But I promise to become more focused and get into what I wanted to do with THIS blog and that is to comment and preach my version of the painful truth. Talking about the issues.

And yes, I do have issues!

Closing Daniel's Book

I first heard this in passing on a morning radio show. Then I immediately went searching online for any news of this and found out that NBC has cancelled "The Book of Daniel" effective immediately. (News Article)

I am suspecting that the protesters will feel that this is a great achievement. They will surely gloat about it and they have fun with it. The American Family ASSociation will claim this as a victory.

I still feel that this was a stupid protest and a major waste of time. I still ask myself what these protesters could have accomplished if they focused on more important issues that really affect their daily lives. Like our economy for example. While these "Christians" were in an uproar over a fictional television show, 36,000 additional job cuts were announced by American corporations.

The truth is there were not many advertisers for the program. While watching I saw more promotions for NBC programs and their upcoming Olympics broadcasts that seemed like mini movies of their own. I just did not see many commercials, either national or local. So I could clearly understand that there had to be a loss of advertising revenue for the TV stations and the network broadcasting "The Book of Daniel". In fact, it was quietly reported that one NBC station pulled the show BECAUSE of the loss of their own advertising revenue. I was disappointed in Monroe Louisiana's KTVE but they are a business and I can't really blame them for their reason if it is true.

I actually enjoyed "The Book of Daniel" for a few minutes. I taped the episodes that aired and I am pleased that I had the opportunity to MAKE MY OWN DECISION to watch this show! I did not have to accept someone else making this decision for me. My local NBC affiliate did broadcast "The Book of Daniel" and I thank them for it.

I also thank the other 225 of the 232 NBC affiliates that recognized that the viewer has a mind of their own and could choose from many channels. Therefore giving them the option to watch or to not watch. Most people choose to NOT watch the show. Ratings were low for this program and for good reason. "The Book of Daniel" was not the best TV show in my opinion. But I did enjoy watching it. I enjoyed the freedom of MY choosing!

It's a shame that 2 percent of the United States of America could not choose for themselves because their local NBC station caved into pressure from a radical "christian" group from Mississippi.

Well, enough of my rant. The Book of Daniel is now closed.

Next...............

Book of Stupid Protests: week three

Every week, another station decides to remove "The Book of Daniel" from their schedule. And in my opinion, the point is rather moot as the show is airing in MOST of the country. And we are already HALF WAY through the series in which the last episode will be shown on February 3rd.

The organized protesting effort is still jamming telephone systems with complaints and each week a SMALL TOWN TV station caves in to the "pressure" to censor a television show They (station managers) say they make the decisions to remove the show because of calls and messages complaining about the show's content or they say things like the show is "inappropiate" for broadcasting during "family viewing hours".

OK whatever! I have been watching the show and I just don't see why anyone would waste their valuable time protesting this show when there are much larger issues to worry about.

This week, the latest NBC affiliates to "serve their community's best interests" by removing "The Book of Daniel" from their schedule are a TWIN affiliate serving Northwest Arkansas. KNWA and KFTA, Channels 24 and 51 in Fayetteville and Rogers Arkansas. They are owned by Nexstar, whos NBC stations in Terre Haute, Beaumont and Little Rock have also banned the show.

So lets rundown which markets have censored NBC's "The Book of Daniel"..

Terre Haute, Indiana
Little Rock, Arkansas
Beaumont, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Tupelo, Mississippi
Meridian, Mississippi
Nashville, Tennessee
Fayetteville-Rogers, Arkansas
Jonesboro Arkansas-Monroe Louisiana

And there is a rumor that Hattiesburg Mississippi may join the list. Jonesboro/Monroe is considering whether or not to continue with the series. Late report is that they pre-empted the show last week. (nobody noticed)

Woohoo! Hattiesburg and Fayetteville Arkansas. The protesters must be gleaming with pride! While even with Nashville on the list they still haven't prevented 1 percent of TV sets from seeing the show. Arrangements were made in many of these cities to carry "The Book of Daniel" on another station in the same city. And that includes the latest addition which will be seen on the local UPN station AS ADVERTISED ON THE WEBSITE OF THE STATION WHO REFUSES TO AIR THE PROGRAM!!

Is this a stupid waste of protest time or what?

By the way, I checked the program listing for KNWA/KFTA "Northwest Arkansas' NBC" and found they offer "Maury" in the afternoons. And today's topic: "I've have 5 men tested, I know one of them has to be the daddy".

And "The Book of Daniel" is offensive to Christian Family Values.

Hmmmm.

Sunny Cold Sunday

Good Sunday morning!

I realize that my recent posts have been a display of my frustration over things in life.
But today I take a break from my "bitch about nothing" mode and just say something personal.

This is a perfect quiet Sunday. Clear and sunny outside but it is too cold. I know its winter but I wish Mother Nature would make up her mind. It was 75 degrees one day this week and 35 this morning. And everyone is dealing with a cold due to the changes in the temperature.

My quiet Sunday morning was very lazy and silent. No music, no movement but no sleep. I just layed in the bed. I really have to get out and I need to work around this messy house. And I am also mixed in my feelings about being alone. I did not mind being alone this morning, but now I am bored. And I have no one to share this bordem with. If it were warmer i'd love to go for a walk and have a good conversation.

I really wish I could go out for breakfast with a companion. But I don't have a companion. Never had one and I am lost on ideas on how to find that person. I can't just go out to eat by myself. It is an uncomfortable experience for me. Besides by this time of the day, the local restaurants are filled with families going to and from church and the coffee shops are filled with smiling couples enjoying their weekend and companionship. I can't stand to see that and not have the same on a beautiful day like this so i'll probably just go to the Starbucks drive thru. That way I could get a great coffee and maybe even a pastry. I have no idea what I will do for the rest of this day.

Either way I plan to enjoy this sunny day.

"Book of Daniel" Censorship expands

Now SEVEN stations have decided to censor NBC's "The Book of Daniel". However NBC has made arrangements to broadcast on another station in some of the cities affected.

Television stations are getting thousands of complaints through an organized effort by religous groups who want the show off the air. They are jamming phone systems at some stations and flooding stations and advertisers with e-mails. And sadly, the protests are working in small form. There are few advertisers for "The Book of Daniel" and the protestors can now boast about the largest market area they have conquered. Nashville, Tennessee.

Joining Terre Haute, Beaumont, Little Rock, Meridian and Tupelo Missisippi are Amarillo, TX and Nashville, TN. WSMV ch4 in Nashville fell to the pressure of hundreds of calls that shut down their voicemail along with letters sent on church letterhead. The letters impressed the general manager of WSMV enough for him to declare that "The Book of Daniel" was not appropiate for the citizens of Nashville. Well I guess Nashville can now feel safe and secure.

Now there is a website targeting Knoxville's WBIR who will continue to broadcast the show despite all of the complaints. (www.wbirboycott.com). The management of WBIR like many cities has basically told their audiences that if they don't like "The Book of Daniel" they could change their channel. They are allowing their audience to make decisions for themselves. And the religious community is not accepting that.

So the cities where television viewers CANNOT make their own decisions are:
Nashville, TN
Little Rock, AR
Beaumont, TX
Amarillo, TX
Tupelo, MS
Meridian, MS
Terre Haute, IN

And what an impact those cities make! 7 out of 232 NBC stations with a combined audience potential that is still less than 1% of anyone possibly watching.

Way to go American Family ASSociation (AFA) and Focus on the Family. You are so dedicated in your protest of "The Book of Daniel". Too bad you weren't as dedicated to keeping "Touched by an Angel" and other shows that are more to your liking ON the air. And what about the success of your family friendly PAX TV network? You know, that "family friendly" TV network that was hanging on by a thread and changed its name to "I" (independent television) and noboby noticed the change. And many of the PAX broadcast affiliates have returned to their former status as a home shopping channel. How entertaining! The whole family can watch the big kitchen knife sale, followed by the jewelery sale and the bread maker show.

God don't like Ugly

When I was growing up, they used to tell me "God don't like ugly".

Well, today comes a news report about an ugly TV station: KARK-TV 4 in Little Rock, Arkansas. This was one of a few NBC affiliated stations that chose to censor a new TV show called "The Book of Daniel" because the religious community complained that the show's storyline "offends" them. These complaints came before the show's debut on January 6th.

The state of Arkansas has filed tax liens against the television station for delinquent payroll taxes dating back to the summer of 2003. (News Article) from Arkansas Business.com

What happened? Didn't God tell them to pay their taxes? Seems to me that they should have been more concerned about their books of accounting rather than "The Book of Daniel".

What about the daytime shows?

I thought I would be "Fair and Balanced" and post as much information about the television stations that refused to broadcast "The Book of Daniel", a new series on NBC. Religious groups targeted "The Book of Daniel" for protest because of the show's storyline which they consider to be derogatory to their faith.

My local TV station recieved many calls asking for the show to be banned. But what I find baffling is that the same station has shown many TALK and COURT shows with topics that may be deemed offensive to someone of a Christian Faith. My local NBC station broadcasts "Jerry Springer", "Maury" Povich, Divorce Court and Judge Judy each weekday. On these shows there are topics that include sex, adultry, immorality and criminal activity available to viewers of all ages on a daily basis. Some of these shows display acts of violence. But there has NEVER been an outcry over these daily programs. Maybe an occasional call or letter sent to a TV station or an advertiser, but never with the amount of volume as the recent protest over "The Book of Daniel".

My local NBC station chose to NOT censor "The Book of Daniel". What I find disturbing is that some of the television stations that did agree to CENSOR "The Book of Daniel" also broadcast either "Jerry Springer" or "Maury" in their daytime schedule.

I decided to look at the websites of the stations who censored "The Book of Daniel" to see any available comments from station personnel AND to check their program listings. I have listed their comments below and indicated whenever they also broadcast trashy daytime tv. Am I exposing a little hyprocracy? I hope so! Because broadcasters who have gotten away with providing trash daytime television for years have a hell of a nerve playing big brother with their viewers over a ficitional program that will be shown late at night.

And people who feel neglected by TV stations "anti christian" or "anti-family" programing should protest ALL shows that may fit that bill, not just some fictional TV program that many protesters have not even seen.

Here are the television stations who censored "The Book of Daniel"

Reported but NOT Confirmed: WTVA Tupelo Mississippi

Stations CONFIRMED.......

WGBC Meridian Mississippi (Market Area Rank # 184)
This station broadcasts "Maury" 11am weekdays.

Comments by Susan Ross, station manager below:

Due to the large number of viewer objections received from our
community, WGBC will not broadcast "The Book of Daniel",scheduled to premiere on Friday, January 6, 2006. In place of this program WGBC will broadcast: StarTrek: Enterprise (8:00p-9:00p) and Reflections off the Ice-From Lake Placid to Torino (9:00p-10:00p).

WGBC TV-30 is a NBC affiliate that provides quality
programming to East Mississippi and West Alabama citizens;
most of this quality programming comes from the NBC Network.
However, the NBC program,"The Book of Daniel" has caused great concern within our community.

WGBC TV-30 is a vital part of our community and therefore we feel an obligation to respect the views of our citizens on this issue.

Susan Ross
Station Manager, WGBC (NBC)



KARK Little Rock AR (Market Area Rank # 57)
"Book of Daniel" was picked up by KWBF (WB) Little Rock

KARK broadcasts "Judge Joe Brown" and "Judge Judy"while KWBF broadcasts "Sex in The City" and "South Park" between 6 and 7pm daily. (no christian complaints about that?)

KARK WILL NOT CARRY NBC'S THE BOOK OF DANIEL After careful consideration, watching the program and most importantly listening to our viewers and engaging them in dialogue, we have decided not to air the NBC program The book of Daniel this Friday night. We appreciate hearing from so many of our viewers who expressed their heartfelt opinions on both sides of the issue. You can watch the Book of Daniel on KWBF-TV, WB 42 right here in Central Arkansas. It will air Friday, January 6th at 8pm.

KBTV Beaumont, TX (Market Area Rank #140)

No comments on their website. And their daily schedule is mostly "safe".

WTWO Terre Haute (Market Area Rank #150)

WTWO Broadcasts "Judge Judy" daily at noon.

UPDATE -- Statement Issued Regarding Pre-Emption of NBC's "The Book of Daniel" WTWO Station General Manager Duane Lammers today [January 6] has issued a revised statement regarding WTWO`s decision to preempt the NBC show "The Book of Daniel". "After reading and hearing much of the reporting on my decision to pre-empt "The Book of Daniel", let me update my comments as follows: "My first obligation to my station is to protect the license granted by the FCC. Current regulations could subject this station to severe punishment, up to and including revocation of our license if even a single person's objection to the FCC found material broadcast by our station to be indecent or obscene. Subsequent viewing of the material within "The Book of Daniel" leaves me no choice but to do my job and uphold the standards of our community." Click here to read legal opinions regarding obscenity, indecency and profanity. ===================== This is the statement issued on January 4: "Our relationship with NBC always provided for the right to reject programming. I am reaffirming that right to let them know I will not allow them to make unilateral decisions affecting our viewers. "Second, I want to draw attention to the worst offenders of indecency on television ... the cable industry, which faces no decency regulations, nor a license renewal. "If my action causes people in our community to pay more attention to what they watch on television, I have accomplished my mission."

"The Book of Daniel" -Book of Stupid Protests (part 3)

I am not good at writing reviews of television shows. So I'll just say that I did watch "The Book of Daniel" and I enjoyed it. There are many things about this show that are over the top and I could see where someone could be offended. I just don't understand why there is so much fuss over this show. I assume this show was meant to be a comedy. I laughed at some of it and I shook my head in amusement of some of it. Overall, this is not the greatest TV show ever, nor is it the worst. One thing is that there are more important things to get upset over than THIS television show.

To update my previous post, the final tally of television stations that censored "The Book of Daniel" is four plus one more not confirmed. The two original stations in Terre Haute and Little Rock plus two more NBC stations refused to broadcast the program. KBTV-4 in Beaumont, TX and WGBC-30 in the metropolis of Meridian, Mississippi. WTVA-9 was reported as the fifth station to pre-empt "The Book Of Daniel" in Tupelo Mississippi, the home town of Ron Wildmon and the American Family Association- The so-called "Christians" who started this whole mess. Together these stations count for less than ONE PERCENT of the viewership of NBC's 230 affiliates.

One group of stations that planned to censor "The Book of Daniel" later reversed their decision and broadcasted the program. "KSN" in Kansas received many calls asking them to NOT boycott the show. That was KSNW in Wichita and their satellite stations that make up KSN: The Kansas State Network (NBC)

Many television station managers have stated that it was unfair to judge a TV show without having seen it while people like Duane Lammers of Nexstar TV and Susan Ross of little WGBC TV in Meridian felt it was necessary to believe that their viewers were not smart enough to choose what they wanted to watch in their homes. Sure, the TV stations recieved calls and e-mails by the thousands demanding that the TV show be banned. But most people had only seen promos of the show or were simply responding to hearsay from christian leaders. Now the callers will bug the advertisers until they get their wish to have this show banned from the air.

Anyway the show was not a ratings winner but there was an increase in viewership during that timeslot, an increase that is surely a result of this controversy. I doubt that the christian protests over the show will make it go away. Lower ratings over time will determine that and that is how it should be. If you don't like a program then don't support it. Change your channel or turn your TV off and read a book. Or go out and have a "Gay ole' Time! Surely there is a WAL-Mart or Waffle House in your little town where you can hang out on a Friday night. Or even better (for you).....go to church!

The Book of Stupid Protests (part 2)

Christians are really in a uproar over the television show "The Book of Daniel". They want the show banned from television.

Living in the deep South, I was waiting for the locals to jump on the bandwagon. And they did not disappoint.

WMGT Channel 41 in Macon got flooded with calls from local churches asking them to NOT air "The Book of Daniel" tonight. But no one has EVER called to complain about Jerry Springer, Maury Povich and the like airing on the same station. Or the trashy Judge shows.

I guess trashy TV talk shows full of immoral guests and topics aren't offensive to Christians, they happen to be Macon's highest rated TV programs during the afterschool and dinner hours.

I am happy that the local NBC station where I live is not going to pratice censorship this evening. They announced that "The Book of Daniel" will be seen as scheduled. But stations in Indiana, Arkansas and now Kansas have decided their viewers are not smart enough to make their own choices. And the station in Little Rock that refuses to show "The Book of Daniel" tells their viewers that the show will be available on another station in the city. So is that an invitation to intentionally lose viewers? Are television stations now in the business of telling people NOT to watch their station? Glad I am not an investor in that operation.


Book of Daniel Controversy
By:Seth Bauguess

A new TV show on NBC is creating an uproar all over the country.

41-NBC has been flooded with emails and calls about the Book of Daniel. The drama is about an Episcopalian priest, his family, and the issues they deal with.

It's a topic that cuts right to the heart of many in Middle Georgia. But is the show taking shots at Christians? Or, does it just show a side that some people don't want to see?

The congregation at Vineville North Baptist Church is not unlike many groups of faith who don't understand why the controversial TV show, is a TV show.

"Have they exhausted all creative elements that they go to a show that offends people of faith?"

Senior Pastor Jerry Dingmore, Vineville North Baptist Church

After receiving hundreds of emails from all over Middle Georgia requesting that we pull the show, we wanted to get both sides of the issue from two men of faith.

"I think it does scare some people to realize the church is supposed to be in the ditch of life. That's the good samaritan story."

Pastor Jim Braswell, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

The "ditch" of Daniel centers on an Episcopalian reverend who struggles with addiction, sees and talks with Jesus often, juggles a rocky relationship with his alcoholic wife, and challenges the authority of the heads of his church.

"Close to reality and perhaps too close to reality for some people."

Pastor Jim Braswell, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

But Jerry Dingmore says this is not reality. He says it smells a lot like another attempt to take jabs at people like him.

"Is the purpose of this truly to entertain or is it about targeting the people of faith?"

Jerry Dingmore, Vineville North Baptist Church

One thing is for sure, as religion continues to work its way into the mainstream, we will continue to see shows like this and movies like the Passion that show both the positive and negative sides of religion and faith.

Two NBC stations have decided not to air the series. One station is in Indiana, and the other is in Arkansas.

The Book of Daniel will air on 41-NBC. It premieres Friday night at 9 pm.

An Icon of My Youth

I have to share this piece of my childhood. My sister called me this evening to inform me that the TV news reported the death of "Skipper Chuck", who was the host of a local children's television show that we grew up watching. His real name was (Charles) Chuck Zink and he was a popular local TV and radio personality in South Florida for the past 50 years. He died yesterday at age 80. (News Article)



The news hit me hard for a minute and brought back a lot of memories. And I mean way back memories for me....the early 1970's! when I was the first one up every morning and watching
cartoons on TV. The cartoons started at 6:30am when the TV station signed on the air.
It was Channel 4 every morning. Batman reruns at 6:30 and "The Skipper Chuck Show" from 7 to 8am. Captain Kangaroo came on at 8 but I never watched that. We had to leave for school after 8, plus when I was 6,7,or 8 years old I thought Captain Kangaroo was for "babies".


But Skipper Chuck was our hero. We could actually be on his show, or he could bring the show to our school. Or we could hear our name called on TV for our birthday. We loved this man! This was the days of only having a few channels to choose from. But we were grateful and thoroughly enjoyed THE children's show of South Florida every morning. The show ran for 23 years, earned TWO regional emmy awards and was intergrated at a time when it was unheard of and not acceptable for Blacks and Whites to share the same spaces in public. That was at the insistance of Skipper Chuck himself in the late 1950's.


Like most kids growing up in South Florida, I wanted to be on the Skipper Chuck show. But the waiting list was 2 years long at the show's peak of popularity in the early 1970's. However I do remember the show coming to my school and other live public events. Mostly, I just enjoyed sitting in front of a Sears TV set tuned to the old WTVJ Channel 4 every morning before school.

The Skipper Chuck show ended when CBS began a morning news show in the late 1970's and by then I was probably too old to watch this kiddie show anymore even though I watced plenty of cartoons well into my teens. Then we moved to New York where I would attend High School. By the time we moved back to S. FLA in the mid 1980's Chuck Zink was doing commercials and entertainment programs for a much older crowd, the senior citizens of South Florida. For them he hosted big band and jazz programs on the radio and I enjoyed listening to some of them.

Chuck Zink also hosted the local edition of the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telephon, a quiz show and some national programs including beauty pageants.

I left Florida 12 years ago and moved on and now I frequently reminisce over my youth. I have had he death of my mother along with so many changes in my childhood hometown area and now the death of the entertainment icon of my youth is less than one year. These were big changes and big losses but happily for me, they are BIG memories.

Cherished memories!

Charles D. Zink aka "Skipper Chuck" (1925-2006)


Photos taken from WTVJ "NBC-6" in Miami. This is the former WTVJ Channel 4 that aired "The Skipper Chuck Show" and was a CBS affiliate that was purchased by NBC in the 1980's, became a NBC affiliate and moved to Channel 6 in 1995. Not to be confused with the current CBS affiliate on Channel 4 in Miami, WFOR-TV.