The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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As we recognize this 15th anniversary of 9/11 it is important to pay tribute to all of the agencies that work together to keep us secure as a nation, including the branch whose efforts we generally know least about-- the C.I.A. International intelligence agencies are absolutely vital in combating terrorism. As such, in the wake of September 11, 2001 many speculated as to whether the attacks on the World Trade Centers and Pentagon could have been thwarted had the C.I.A. merely fulfilled the bulk...
The October 2013 column entitled, “Losing Our Alabama Defense Force” evoked reader comments about the traditional role of militia and how we’ve morphed into the modern nomenclature of “National Guard” further eroding State sovereignty. The dearth of Alabama generals (only about half are State residents) in the Alabama Guard has finally received enough attention to be addressed in Montgomery. Thankfully our State Senate is NOT asleep at the wheel. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when and...
Maxwell Air Force Base is taking its reputation as the “Intellectual and Leadership Center of the Air Force” to the next level as it expands into the realm of cyber warfare. U.S. Representatives Martha Roby and Mike Rogers, whose districts include parts of Montgomery, visited Maxwell on Friday for a briefing from Lt. Gen. Steve Kwast, Commander and President of Air University, on plans to establish the Air Force Cyber College on campus. Gen. Kwast’s vision for the new college is bringing the b...
I have to admit, it takes a lot to impress me. I generally do not go all ga-ga over people or things, but every now and then I am taken by surprise. In my world, I have flown with all types of men and women. Good pilots and not-so good ones. I have met many athletes, celebrities, combat vets, you name it. Although many have been incredibly interesting, few have knocked my socks off. I have flown with Thunderbird pilots, a Canadian Snowbird pilot, a Blue Angel, an Italian Frecci Tricolori pilot,...
First, let us discuss what the divorce rates are to get a better understanding of the need for counseling or marriage and family therapy. Did you know that fifty percent of all North American children will witness the divorce of their parents? Almost half of them will, unfortunately, also observe the breakup of a parent's second marriage (Furstenberg and others -Life Course-). Did you also know that 24 million children in America—one out of three—live without their biological dad in the hom...
Arbitration amounts to privatization of dispute resolution. Many of the States, including Alabama, had a stated policy specifically excluding the possibility of contracting away the right to go to court before federal legislation preempted state law. In 1925, Congress enacted the Federal Arbitration Act to require dispute resolution through arbitration if the parties to a contract agree to binding arbitration for dispute resolution. In the 1980s, the Supreme Court upheld that legislation and...
While many in America are still debating the aftermath of the first GOP presidential debate and others count the days to college football season kickoff, we continue down the path of transformation deemed necessary by the Obama administration with little to no attention from either the mainstream media or the citizenry. Unless you pay very close attention to the barrage of executive orders and directives flowing from the White House, you have likely missed the finalization of the Affirmatively...
In a free society, welfare of any description is never a legitimate function of government. It is in fact, an important element of communism-i. e. "From each according to his abilities and to each according to his needs." It might seem like a great idea to some people, but Russia, North Korea, and several others have proven that it is both an economic and social disaster. Our founding fathers would have never considered even one of the numerous welfare programs that currently consume trillions o...
For far longer than we've been around, man and dog have been a team in hunting as well as life itself. The bond of loyalty and trust between the two is a privilege and a joy that only those who raise a dog can know. Dogs are beyond clever and loyal when brought up with good hand, and their skills are definitely on display when hunting. For starters, there are a whole lot of ways to go hunting with dogs. Be it duck hunting, squirrel hunting, raccoon hunting, hog hunting, deer hunting, rabbit...
Disabled animals don't realize that they are handicapped: "I want to tell you a little bit about special needs raccoons (wildlife) and our disabilities. I have several handicapped raccoons, some are blind, and some are amputees, deaf and six with neurological (brain damage) from mild to severe. While working with these animals all these years I have come to the conclusion that we are a lot like them except it's harder for a human to accept disabilities and overcome them. The difference I see is...
Picking the top college football teams for the 2015 season was more difficult than in most years. The top four teams will of course qualify for the 2015 National Championship Play-Offs. The obvious choice for number one is the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes from last year. They don’t lose any key missing parts. Coach Urban Meyer is a proven commodity. He now has three national championship rings, two from Florida. He has built successful programs at every stop-Bowling Green, Utah, Florida...
September 2, 2015: It is common knowledge that the Indian casinos in Alabama and throughout the country are granted federal sovereignty and are not subject to state intervention and authority. Several years ago state attorney general Luther Strange filed a hail Mary frivolous lawsuit against PCI Gaming Authority for political posturing purposes. The federal district court in Montgomery took about three weeks to rule against the state. It was ludicrous that it was filed. Federal District Judge...
Many years ago, we had Dr. Allen Quist speak at a regional Eagle Forum meeting. He spoke about the changes in American Education and spent a great deal of the speech that evening on The “New Math” being developed, and the “International Baccalaureate”, the brainchild of Unesco and the United Nations. Dr. Quist, a highly respected professor of Political Science at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minn., a theologian, and a popular speaker throughout the United States, served three terms i...
You are invited to fish at the Montgomery County ponds on Tuesday, September 8th from 6:00 am-12:00 noon. Bring your fishing pole, bait & tackle and enjoy fishing and fellowship with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. We will provide drinks and fun! This event is for Seniors only so please no children. The ponds are handicap accessible and there will be portable restrooms available. Directions: Take 231 South, go approximately 7 miles from the Southern Boulevard and look for vehicles with...
Truly you have a troublesome car, but at this point your car has not met the definition of a vehicle with a nonconforming condition under the Alabama Lemon Law. I am assuming this car was purchased from a dealer whose manufacturer has dealers in Alabama. Though not apparent in your case, if you ordered an obscure new vehicle you could have an additional problem in that it may not meet the definition of a Motor Vehicle Dealer under the definition of Alabama Code, 1975, §8-20A-1. which says “The p...
A new publication most senors would be wise to get their hands on is the 2015 Dementia Resource Guide that was put out by the Alabama Department of Senior Services, and was recently the subject of one of Eastdale Estates' weekly Who's Lookin' Out for You? Series held each Tuesday morning there. Mrs. Susan Segrest, Executive Director of the Central Alabama Aging Consortium, spent a Tuesday morning last month at the senior retirement facility explaining the various sections of the publication,...
Social Security listened to customer feedback and made the online appeals process even better. Now, people who disagree with our disability decision can complete their appeal using our improved online appeals process. More than 90,000 people use our online appeals application each month. We’ve certainly come a long way since introducing the online appeal option in September 2007. Throughout the nation, applicants, their representatives, third parties, groups, and organizations use the online a...
Just in the last few days we have heard again about a surfer on the beach who saw two girls in trouble in an undertow just down the beach. Immediately he went into the water and was able to save the girls who were almost out of strength from fighting the current and who would have certainly drowned. We don’t know if there were any red flags up on that beach to warn swimmers of the danger. We do know that swimmers who ignore such warnings are often in trouble and some of them lose their lives b...
I was probably the only one sitting in Sunday School yesterday thinking of Charles Manson. Manson was the crazed cult leader who directed two terrible mass murders in 1969. I read Vincent Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter" years ago, and the author explained how Manson used the Bible to brainwash his followers. Our scripture yesterday was Revelation 9. John wrote about scorpions who torment the ungodly in the days of God's wrath. It's scary stuff. Manson had a unique interpretation according to...
It was August and I was hot, so I decided to do something about it. I couldn’t change the humidity, the temperature or the dew point here in Alabama, so I decided to change my location. I wanted to go somewhere dry, cooler and where I could try new menu items at some new restaurants. Since I am writing about food, I have to keep up my research. Tough job! So I am in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Cooler, with the mornings in the 50’s, and drier days with the dew point below 60 most days. New Mexico is...
September, the transition month between summer and fall, is the month for lots of celebration from Labor day to football victories, and back to school rallies. Also, I suggest it is a great month to travel the region in search of beautiful gardens. These gardens have reached the zenith of growth and beauty. One that comes to mind is the Birmingham Botanical Garden which is only 1 1/2 -2 hours from Montgomery. Birmingham and the State should salute this elegant, well-maintained garden with many...
Did you know that the Labor Day holiday originally started in the late 1800′s? I can only imagine how excited the people were to take a day off from working. Some may have thought, “What a wonderful and new idea!” Created and implemented as a day of rest by those hard working blue collar laborers in New York City, this day continues to be one, that we as a nation, look forward to every September. To put it rather loosely, Labor Day has become a man-made American Sabbath day. A yearly day of re...