The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Because of the Germanwings Flight 9525 crash where the copilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally crashed his Airbus 320-200 into the French Alps killing all 150 people onboard, my previous Robservation focused on the aviation industry's need to develop and maintain robust selection and training programs. In addition to these two aspects, however, any organization that wants to succeed must also implement training's evil twin, Standardization/Evaluation. I say evil with tongue in cheek, but...
As we approach the summer of 2015 it is significant to know, as research studies show, that violent crimes occur at a higher rate in the summer season than any other season. There is a current heightened dissatisfaction and anger among some individuals, groups and communities across America toward law enforcement officers. Distain, threats and acts of violence against police have existed for decades whether it is state, county, district, municipality, university or other special police jurisdict...
Saturday, June 20th • 6 am - 12 Noon Saturday, June 20th, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office will be having our annual Kids' Fishing Rodeo from 6 a.m. -12 noon at the Montgomery County Ponds. All youth between the ages of 6-12 are invited to come out and fish! We will have snacks and you only need to bring bait and tackle! Portable bathrooms will be available as well as handicap access. Please no adult fishing-this is only for our youth! Come out and have some family time with our youth! D...
It is an inexpressible honor to speak on this occasion in remembrance and in honor of some 250,000 Southern men, 30,000 of them from Alabama, who gave their lives in a just fight for constitutional government and law, and in honor of thousands of others who served in and survived the war for southern independence. Since 1866 in this city, there has been an annual remembrance of those who died and those who served in the armies of the Confederate States of America. Since 1901, there has been a St...
WHY COUNSELING? Are you troubled by your life experiences or traumatic events? Are you having difficulty in a relationship? Do you find yourself having a hard time overcoming a recent loss? Do you drink alcohol, use drugs or medication to take physical or emotional pain away? Do find yourself wanting to improve overall? Counseling/Therapy is a treatment modality that uses specific techniques of caring that have been created to offer effective, long-lasting help for people suffering from a wide...
Alabama Foundation for Limited Government (AFLG) President John Rice launched another campaign last month in opposition of Speaker Mike Hubbard’s (facing 23 felony indictments) plans to raise taxes on Alabamians and further promote Poarch Creek Indians’ gambling monopoly power. For those who may not know, Mr. Rice is a former State Representative and Senator with a long established record of opposing unnecessary tax increases to support deleterious government expansion. Many consider Rice the...
Now that we're in the last few days of spring, we've had a few great days for weather, and a few days with some heavy rain. But the days I've found a chance to slip out and fish have been the best of the bunch, and with any luck, we'll have more good weather ahead of us, as we're steadily getting into proper fishing season. Just about everybody knows I enjoy catching some bream, as they're easy and fun to fish for. And sure enough, in the many lakes and ponds in our state, we have plenty of plac...
The porcupine is the prickliest of rodents, though its Latin name means "quill pig." There are about two dozen porcupine species, and all boast a coat of needle-like quills to give predators a sharp reminder that this animal is no easy meal. Some quills, like those of Africa's crested porcupine, are nearly a foot (30 centimeters) long. The North American porcupine is a large rodent it is actually North Americas second largest rodent the beaver is the largest. They have stout bodies and short...
In the December issue of The Alabama Gazette, the most successful monthly newspaper in the state, my column dealt with the dilemma that UAB, Troy, USA and other colleges have gone through by moving from D-I AA to D-I in football. Unfortunately, this upward and onward quest has not provided the desired results. The struggles that my friend Larry Blakeney has gone through in order to make this work at Troy has not escaped my attention. In consultation with Coach George "Snoozy" Jones my attention...
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montgomery's "Fighter Ace," Lt. Gen. Charles "Chick" Cleveland met with U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R-AL) and her staff on Wednesday, May 20. Gen. Cleveland and his fellow "Fighter Aces" were later honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in a special ceremony in the U.S. Capitol. Rep. Roby thanked Gen. Cleveland for graciously visiting and sharing stories about his service. "It was such an honor to have Gen. Cleveland in my office this morning. He was kind enough to s...
This has been an eventful year. Thousands of tourists have flocked to Alabama to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March for Civil and Voting Rights. The events that happened in Alabama spurred the enactment of the landmark acts that broke down the legal barriers prohibiting African Americans from voting in the South. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it unlawful to discriminate based on race. It was followed up the next year with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that...
With Memorial Day behind us, I hope we can keep our patriotic spirit through June until the 4th of July. Do not take down the flags, plant a red, white and blue flower bed, or travel to Boston, Philadelphia or to Jamestown, Virginia to immerse oneself in patriotic fervor. Check out some biographies from the library on Samuel Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson for starters. And for the 4th, bake a Flag sheet cake covered in white icing, with strawberries for the stripes and blueberries...
The question sounds almost silly (pardons to the submitting reader), but there are legal consequences of sorts and in many years gone by it was taken much more seriously in certain cases. Beginning with life insurance, the industry typically will not pay life insurance proceeds to beneficiaries in cases where someone has taken their own life within two years (may vary by company) of the policy being issued. So if anyone is so compelled to financially benefit their beneficiaries, they will have a...
For several months this column has focused on various causes of ineffectiveness of the legal system. Most recently we dealt with the extreme ineffectiveness and waste of time that is involved with grand juries in the State of Alabama. Before that we had focused on ineffectiveness that results from the economics of law practice. This column will continue the focus on reasons for ineffectiveness in the legal system. The judicial system itself has certain built in problems. Trial court judges are...
Many Americans have serious concerns about the vulnerability of our unsecured southern border and the danger it presents in allowing easy access to those who are determined to bring destruction on our nation. But while our attention is focused primarily on that southern border, little notice is paid to a federal program that may well be allowing those with evil intent into our country via legal and taxpayer-funded means. The Refugee Resettlement/Asylum Program has existed with relatively little...
Each year our colleges and universities spew forth an avalanche of graduates, many with their heads packed with new information; but few with any regard to knowledge that emerged in centuries past. The world might be better served today if more students of every nation were to have been brought to their attention four century-old literary advice from the pen of William Shakespeare, for example: In Act 1 of Scene 3, Hamlet's chief counselor advises his son Laertes some pearls of wisdom that...
In 2015, more than a million people will be diagnosed with cancer. This alarming statistic affects people and families all over the world. On June 7, 2015, we observe National Cancer Survivors Day in the United States. In support of this day, Social Security encourages checkups, early detection, and awareness, while honoring the survivors who have gone through this battle and defeated the disease. Social Security stands strong in our support of the fight against cancer. We offer services to...
Richard Lieder and David Shapiro in their book, Replacing Your Bags, tell of a middle-aged man who spent several years making the transition from being laid off as the head of a staff department in a private corporation to teaching at a small liberal arts college. He talked about his future. He had tears in his eyes as he said, “Some people when they realize they are about to die, say, ‘Oh no!’ I’m not going to be one of those. I’m taking the risk now to create the second half of my life. I h...
A children's worker spoke to a group recently about innovative teaching. She said an intrepid Sunday School teacher brought fish sticks, a loaf of bread and a toaster oven to the class. She heated the fish and let the children slather them with ketchup. She then taught about Jesus feeding the 5000 with five loaves and two fish. His parents asked one little boy what he learned that day. "We learned about when Jesus fed the crowd with fish sticks and Wonder Bread!" he said. John is the only gospel...
Recipe: A series of step-by-step instructions for preparing ingredients you forgot to buy, in utensils you don’t own, to make a dish the dog wouldn’t eat. Author Unknown. You should try to minimize how true this statement is. There are lists of ingredients that are common to everyday cooking and what can be substituted for that item you forgot. It does works most of the time, but the original ingredient in the recipe is the best way to go. There are times you just have to go to the store. This c...
God is constantly trying to plant new seeds of victory in YOU…and your heart is the soil from which those seeds will grow. However, if you harbor bitterness, jealousy, or pride in your hart, those seeds will not be able to take root and develop in your life. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us, “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flows the springs of life.” Jesus told the story of how the enemy comes to steal the seed of God’s word through temptat...