The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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There is an old adage that says, "The customer is always right." I will be one of the first ones to say that is total nonsense. On paper, that sounds like a socially righteous attitude to take, but reality tells me something totally different. When a passenger intentionally urinates on the floor of the airplane because he won't be served more alcohol, when a passenger drops the tray table while we are taxiing into our gate in Denver and he starts snorting cocaine, when a passenger fondles a...
Patrick J. Buchanan, author of The Death of the West, wrote about, exposing the De-Christianizing of America. "In the Great War of 1914-1918, Catholic France fought Catholic Austria and Protestant Germany fought Protestant England. Nine million Christian soldiers marched to their deaths. Yet, only Orthodox Russia succumbed to a Communist revolution, and that was more coup d'etat than mass conversion. A prominent Italian communist disciple of Marx, Antonio Gramsci, concluded that two thousand...
While observing the legislature the other day, I fondly remembered a very eventful day as a youth. As a teenager, I grew up working at the Capitol as a Page in the House and Senate. Albert Brewer had been elected to the House from Morgan County in his late 20’s and became Speaker in only his second term. He would eventually let me sit beside him in the Speaker’s box and tell me why certain bills were assigned to the proper committee and the probable fate of the proposed legislation. Brewer ran...
I gotta tell ya, folks, I just got my final turkey hunting fix for the year up in lovely South Dakota! Dan Schofield, Hunter Smith, and myself had 8 tags between the three of us, and in 5 days managed to tag out! The weather was phenomenal; pretty every single day. I've been making this trip each May for 23 years now, and even compared to every other time I've been chasing down those Merriam's Thunder Chickens, this year stands as one of the best. Those birds never disappoint! Of course, good...
This month were are going to try to help you understand one of the most intelligent animals in the US. The raccoon. The Raccoon (Procyon lotor) is native to North and South America having a range that extends from Southern Canada to the northern reaches of Argentina. Raccoons have feral populations in Europe, especially Germany, where they escaped from fur farms and were set loose to be hunted for sport during the time of World War II. The raccoon gets its name from the Algonquin word arakun...
We entered the “hallowed halls” of Lanier in September, 1953 with some trepidation. The massive structure looked more like a college than a high school. There were approximately 2,000 of us milling around, trying to find the right place to be. We had come from smaller junior high schools which served certain sections of Montgomery. But this? This was out of our comfort zone. This was an amalgamation of all sections of Montgomery; Baldwin area, Cloverdale area, Capitol Heights area, Dal...
Public education was and is the great American dream. Nevertheless, since the 1950s, we have seen a broad-based movement toward the privatization of education. It is against this background that I tell my story. Stephen Covey who wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People suggested that one of those habits is “keeping the main thing the main thing.” For public education, excellent, effective education is the main thing. I was born in rural Macon County and attended Shorter High School, a pub...
Once again, there is a lot of noise being made across the country to raise the minimum wage in a make-believe effort to help the poor workers at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. And once again, if any of this crap should ever become law, it will have the exact, opposite effect its promoters are touting. What are our so-called “leaders” thinking? What is going through the minds of these people? Do they honestly believe they are helping anybody? Is it going to help workers pull the...
There are various issues relative to estate planning and divorce. There are instances where an ex- spouse may continue to be entitled to your assets, times when they are automatically disqualified from assets and/ or disqualified from acting as a fiduciary and then there are changes in the law. Finally, there may be times that you may wish for your ex spouse to inherit from you even though by law that might be successfully challenged. With your Last Will and Testament, upon divorce your former...
If there’s a possibility of a bright spot in the current presidential election campaign as well as the ongoing circus known as Alabama politics, it’s learning that it has been far easier to wean myself from the 24/7 news cycle and political commentary than I thought possible. By no means have I shut down access to all news sources or turned a blind eye to the current issues that tremendously impact our communities, state, and nation, but I am attempting moderation to maintain a degree of san...
What makes us motivated to make changes in our lives? Alfred Adler, the father of the Individual Psychology Model, believed that people make choices which bring about pleasure. In other words, find meaning in life. Do you ever feel like you’re stuck and things will never change? That’s true if you never take any action or are too scared to change. We often complain about our circumstance but do nothing to make it better. There are those who believe whatever we speak we will receive. I, too, bel...
Kids Fishing Rodeo Come out and bring your kids to our annual Kids Fishing Rodeo is coming up on Saturday, June 18th from 6 am - 12:00 noon for kids between the ages of 6-12 years. Kids only need to bring their bait and tackle. We provide the snacks, drinks and fun! The annual event is held in the same location: Montgomery County Ponds, 7 miles south of the Southern Boulevard on Highway 231 South (across from Meriwether Road-next to the new Sweet Creek Farm Market). Please remember this event...
By the time this article is published we hope Wetumpka will be selected as the newest designated Main Street Alabama City. This program is designed to bring jobs, dollars and people back to historic communities. The focus to bring vitality and boost economic development in our downtown district will benefit our local businesses, continue to enhance the quality of life and increase the tax base which increases the services provided by the City. This will not be a City run program but a program...
The Autauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Prattville Police Department teamed up and participated in a Dunking Booth to help raise funds for the Central Alabama CrimeStoppers. The fundraiser was held at the Prattville City Fest on Saturday, May 14, 2016 in downtown Prattville, and was very successful with raising over $1300.00 for the organization. We can’t wait to do it again next year. The participants in the dunking booth were: Sgt. Chris Hill (ACSO); Assistant Chief Diane Hamm (PPD); Cap...
Sign in a restaurant. I don't know where except I bet below the Mason Dixon Line. It reads, “ ALL OUR FOOD IS SEASONED. CUZ WE'RE IN THE SOUTH AND WE LIKE IT THAT WAY.” I admit that I'm a hot sauce-aholic. I put hot sauce on almost everything. I don't use hot sauce because I think the food tastes bland or under-seasoned. I just like that extra kick. As some chefs say, “that extra dimension to the flavors.” What ever that means. There seems to be a general increase in the “heat” that is put in f...
June is the month for graduations, weddings, family vacations, trips to the lake or to the beach or to the mountains. In other words, June may be the most fun month of the year. Maybe June is my favorite month because of my birthday. It seems that the older I get, the more time I allot to celebrate my birthday and it is truly getting to where I may be celebrating the whole month. We have had such glorious weather, that the weeding, planting and trimming tasks have been a pleasure. We all know...
Pleasing the clientele anywhere can be somewhat of a vexing problem, and none more vexing that at an institution where the bulk of those being served are well into their Golden Years. The chef at your humble scribe's newest abode, Elmcroft of Halcyon, can well endorse this observation as she was confronted with the following experience: As a general rule, Gloria Crews does an admirable job of pleasing the palates of the residents. But one day she found herself facing an insurmountable odd. A...
Over half a million people who live outside the United States receive some kind of Social Security benefit, including retired and disabled workers, as well as spouses, widows, widowers, and children. If you’re a U.S. citizen, you may receive your Social Security payments outside the United States as long as you are eligible. When we say you are “outside the United States,” we mean you’re not in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Nor...
One of the most sobering events of life for me was becoming a father. There is obvious responsibility that goes with marriage, but marriage is also about partnership and sharing life's ventures. However, with a child, there is a weight of responsibility like nothing else in life. A parent has one chance to shape a life which will affect what happens for generations as well as an eternal destiny. Unfortunately many homes in America are suffering from the phantom father. A man is present who may...
Canadian Army Lt. John McRae was in the line of defense that withstood the German assault in Belgium in 1915. The Germans resorted to chemical warfare using chlorine gas but the Canadians held fast. Later McRae officiated at a colleague's burial. In the ensuing days he noticed how quickly the poppies grew over the newly-dug graves. He wrote “In Flanders Fields” that became the national poem of Canada, and a loving tribute to all the dead in World War I. My mother had three brothers who ser...
Do you believe that certain days throughout your life are anointed? That God has an unexpected blessing meant just for you that day?? Boy, I sure do! And one of those blessed days occurred ten years ago this month. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3: 5-6 Although I had completed my reign as Ms. Wheelchair America/Alabama 2005, the next year I was still receiving req...
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