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Traveling Luck for Big Rock Powerplant, Michigan, United States

United States flag

Where is Big Rock Powerplant?

What's around Big Rock Powerplant?
Wikipedia near Big Rock Powerplant
Where to stay near Big Rock Powerplant

The timezone in Big Rock Powerplant is America/Iqaluit
Sunrise at 09:10 and Sunset at 18:36. It's light

Latitude. 45.3608°, Longitude. -85.1958° , Elevation. 179m
WeatherWeather near Big Rock Powerplant; Report from Charlevoix, Charlevoix Municipal Airport, MI 9.9km away
Weather : mist
Temperature: 2°C / 36°F
Wind: 5.8km/h Northwest
Cloud: Solid Overcast at 100ft

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Geographic features & Photographs around Big Rock Powerplant, in Michigan, United States

a land area, more prominent than a point, projecting into the sea and marking a notable change in coastal direction.
a building for public Christian worship.
a large inland body of standing water.
a body of running water moving to a lower level in a channel on land.
a burial place or ground.
populated place;
a city, town, village, or other agglomeration of buildings where people live and work.
administrative division;
an administrative division of a country, undifferentiated as to administrative level.
a coastal indentation between two capes or headlands, larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf.
building(s) where instruction in one or more branches of knowledge takes place.
an area, often of forested land, maintained as a place of beauty, or for recreation.
a place where aircraft regularly land and take off, with runways, navigational aids, and major facilities for the commercial handling of passengers and cargo.
a haven or space of deep water so sheltered by the adjacent land as to afford a safe anchorage for ships.
a tract of land, smaller than a continent, surrounded by water at high water.
a high conspicuous structure, typically much higher than its diameter.
an elevation standing high above the surrounding area with small summit area, steep slopes and local relief of 300m or more.

Airports close to Big Rock Powerplant

Roscommon co(HTL), Houghton lake, Usa (138.4km)
Sault ste marie(YAM), Sault sainte marie, Canada (157.1km)

Airfields or small airports close to Big Rock Powerplant

Oscoda wurtsmith, Oscoda, Usa (203.3km)

Photos provided by Panoramio are under the copyright of their owners.


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Traveling Luck for Cranberry Campground, West Virginia, United States

United States flag

Where is Cranberry Campground?

What's around Cranberry Campground?
Wikipedia near Cranberry Campground
Where to stay near Cranberry Campground

The timezone in Cranberry Campground is America/Iqaluit
Sunrise at 08:33 and Sunset at 18:35. It's light

Latitude. 38.3253°, Longitude. -80.4419°
WeatherWeather near Cranberry Campground; Report from Sutton, Braxton County Airport, WV 54.9km away
Weather :
Temperature: 27°C / 81°F
Wind: 0km/h North
Cloud: Scattered at 4400ft Scattered at 5000ft Scattered at 7000ft

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Geographic features & Photographs around Cranberry Campground, in West Virginia, United States

a body of running water moving to a lower level in a channel on land.
a path, track, or route used by pedestrians, animals, or off-road vehicles.
an elevation standing high above the surrounding area with small summit area, steep slopes and local relief of 300m or more.
an elongated depression usually traversed by a stream.
Local Feature;
A Nearby feature worthy of being marked on a map..
a long narrow elevation with steep sides, and a more or less continuous crest.
an area, often of forested land, maintained as a place of beauty, or for recreation.
a building for public Christian worship.
populated place;
a city, town, village, or other agglomeration of buildings where people live and work.
a barrier constructed across a stream to impound water.
a burial place or ground.

Airports close to Cranberry Campground

Elkins randolph co jennings randolph(EKN), Elkins, Usa (98.8km)

Photos provided by Panoramio are under the copyright of their owners.

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Japan offers ancient culture and modern conveniences in the same country. Japan can be expensive due to its strong economy and because the high demand of tourism drives up accommodation costs. You can tour Japan on a budget if you plan your trip carefully. One of the easiest ways is to purchase a tour package from a company that specializes in budget tours of Japan, but you can also plan your own budget tour.

You can hire a tour company to plan your trip for you by providing it with the places you would like to see. Tour companies specialize in planning tours and are often able to get discounted rates on accommodations and travel because they bring so much business to Japan. Group tours and self-guided tours are available through tour companies. If you're willing to put in the research, however, you can plan your own budget-friendly tour. Popular tours include the cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka, Takayama and Nagoya. You could also take a grand tour of Japan that features the most popular cities, a family tour of theme parks, a complete experience that includes urban and rural areas, and a cherry blossom tour of a winter ski tour.

Time Frame

Travel in Japan is most budget-friendly outside of peak tourism seasons, which are highest in spring and fall when tourists come to see the world-famous tree foliage. If you hope to get the best deals on hotel accommodations, plan your trip during the summer or winter months when the number of tourists drops. Bear in mind, however, that if you want to see the cherry blossoms, you have to visit between mid-March and mid-April. If you want to include skiing and other snow sports in your tour, the season starts in mid-December and lasts until early April. Like the United States, Japan is north of the equator, so when it is winter in the United States, it is also winter in Japan.

Your accommodations in Japan will be one of the largest expenses of your tour, but there are several ways to stay under budget if you're willing to sacrifice on luxury accommodations. Hostels and dorms are among the cheapest accommodations and are ideal for young adults. Ryokan, minshuku and business hotels can be found at low rates and are ideal for families. Ryokan are Japanese-style inns that provide meals; minshuku are similar to ryokan, but they are usually family-operated bed and breakfasts with simpler rooms. Business hotels provide the basic conveniences of a bed, desk and bathroom. If you don't mind close quarters, a capsule hotel is an affordable accommodation. Guests sleep in enclosed bunk beds and share a shower and toilet room.

Getting around Japan can be a budget-buster, but there are several economical options. The Japan Rail Pass is available to foreign visitors and offers unlimited travel on almost all trains to cover seven-, 14- and 21-day tours. Highway buses cost less than train fare and can save you a night's accommodation if you take an overnight bus. Rental cars are perhaps the most convenient way to get between cities, but you must budget for gas and tolls. Many cities have bicycle rental outlets where you can rent a bicycle by the hour to navigate your way around the city.

Tourists can get the full Japanese experience without breaking the bank by taking advantage of sights with free admission and special discounts or coupons. In Tokyo, you can get free access to the Imperial Palace, East Gardens, Tsukiji Market and Meiji Shrine. If you go to Hiroshima, the Hiroshima Peace Park, Mazda Museum and Daishoin Temple are free. Kyoto features free admission to the Fushimi Inari Shrine, Nishiki Market and the Philosopher's Path. Your hotel might be able to give you a welcome card that includes discounts and gifts in some areas of Japan. Many museums and parks distribute coupons at information centers and you may find discount tickets that combine admission to two or more sights.

About the Author

A former cake decorator and competitive horticulturist, Amelia Allonsy is most at home in the kitchen or with her hands in the dirt. She received her Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and on other websites.

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text: Never thought I would say this since I’m long out of college, but I am in fact reading a book. (Hence why I’ve been quiet here on the blog the last few days) I purchased the The Smashing Book. So far it has been very educational. It is broken up into several really useful topics, although I’ve only made it though the first few. After just two chapters I felt like I had my money’s worth, now everything is just an extra bonus! Any who, I’ll be back to posting regularly in a day or two!


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Afghanistan to free 72 detainees

| Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, 9:03 p.m.

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan government said on Thursday it will release 72 high-profile detainees, a decision that defies pleas by U.S. officials and deals a blow to U.S.-Afghan relations just as the two countries attempt to complete a long-term security agreement.

U.S. officials say the prisoners pose a threat to both Afghan security and American service members based here, claiming their exoneration proves not only the dysfunction of the Afghan judiciary, but also the government's inability to cooperate on even the gravest matters.

President Hamid Karzai declared that the evidence against the 72 men — which had been collected by both the Afghan intelligence service and the U.S. military — was insufficient to warrant formal trials, according to a statement from the presidential palace.

The release, which is expected within days, was ordered after a “thorough and serious review of the prisoners,” the statement said.

In an attempt to keep the detainees behind bars, U.S. officials had handed over reams of evidence against them — enough, they said they assumed, to at least justify formal trials.

But presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi said Karzai and a panel of senior officials had decided that was not the case. “The Americans didn't have any proof against them,” Faizi said.

Bilateral relations, tense before the prisoner release, are expected to worsen, casting doubt on a pact that would permit U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond this year.

During a visit to Kabul last week, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the release “would have an unbelievably negative impact” on U.S.-Afghan relations and would prompt “a backlash in the U.S. Congress.”

U.S. military officials said at the time that the decision would fly in the face of a 12-year effort to bolster the Afghan legal system. The prisoners were transferred to Afghan custody last year, a move intended to show confidence in the Afghan judiciary.

“Release of these individuals by the Afghan Review Board undermines Afghan rule of law, because the Afghan people do not get their day in court,” said Col. David Lapan, a spokesman for the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force.

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Trinity Bar & Venue

Trinity Bar Awards

Book Your Special Event at Trinity Bar Venue

Our dedicated function spaces can cater for any group, from as few as 10 to as many as 200 people. For no charge, you can reserve a private area, and the choice to avail of either our full menu service, or finger-food platters.

Trinity Bar Venue will cater for any type of event: from birthday celebrations, Stag and Hen parties, or after-work drinks and leaving dos; to product launches, sporting and charity events, funeral afters, or even small weddings, our dedicated Events Team will be on hand at all times to make sure your party goes your way!

Enjoy some Finger Food in our Live music venue

Trinity Bar Venue - Sports Bar - GastroPub - Live Music Venue

For more details, or to make a booking, just give us a shout on 01-6794455, or send us an email to

Entrance of Trinity Sports bar and live music venue in Dublin

Trinity Bar Venue Dublin´s Premiere Sports Bar

 While we aim to offer variety at Trinity, there is one thing that always remains constant. That is the quality time you will get to spend here. Our quality goes beyond the taste and technology, a fact apparent from the crowds that gather here. From our extremely fun and friendly staff to the crazy crowd of fanatics who share your passion for rugby and sports, we have the best of lot here at Trinity Sports Bar.
While most of them are young and energetic, you will also find plenty of old sports sharing their knowledge and stories to top off the fun.

So, we have the venue, the menu, and an exciting crowd of people cheering for your favorite team. Plus, the biggest screen in Dublin that is all prepared to give you a crystal clear view of the most adrenaline filled experience this year.

We are just in heart of Temple Bar and we will be showing all the matches. Make sure you have the schedule memorized so you don’t miss even the tiniest bit of action. If you like sports you have to come to Trinity Bar Venue Dublin´s Premiere Sports Bar.

Fixtures (Updated in real time)


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Everybody's Favorite Shiba Inu, An Ongoing Series

Every morning, without fail, she is happy to see me--tail wagging, trying to sit as close to me as possible. If I sleep in, she comes over to my side of the bed and waits for me to get up (and paces and huffs, so I know she's there). It's been eight hours since she last saw me! That's practically forever.

I suspect I will never love another dog quite the way I love this one.

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Tropical Isle® Loves Customer Feedback!

Hand Grenade Man At Tropical Isle® our bartenders and office staff strive to make your visits with Tropical Isle® both offline and online the most enjoyable.  We’re always looking for feedback on ways to improve your experience with us.

Feel free to fill out the form below, send a “snail mail” message, fax us or give us a call with your feedback or questions, we’d love to hear from you!  You can also join our Facebook Fanpage  follow us on our other social channels (Twitter, PinterestYouTube) or sign up for our new Tropical Isle Newsletter.

Corporate Offices

Tropical Isle
718 Orleans Ave. #10
New Orleans, LA  70116
+1 (504) 523-1927 (Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST)
Fax:  +1 (504) 523-1245

  • To order our Hand Grenade Mix (regular & skinny | Horny Gator
    | Tropical Itch) +1-800-Isle Mix

  • For International Orders:
    Please use the form below and choose “International Orders From Our Store” as Your Subject

Contact Tropical Isle:

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Your Message (required)

Please Prove You're Human By Entering The Following Code:

THE HAND GRENADE® IS NOT FOR RESALE– No business or individual other than those owned by Tropical Isle®, Inc. may sell this drink or use the name. Our product is for personal use only. Our mix is a Federally Trademarked product and is a violation of Federal Law to resell any product purchased from Tropical Isle®

Mix is intended for PRIVATE HOME USE only. No Conventions or parties where Admission is charged – No location holding a Liquor License ETC.  We do not ship individual Cups, Toy Grenades etc.- only enough for amount of mix sold. Anyone using the mix for resale is violating Federal Trademark laws and is subject to Penalties.

A $250 cash reward is offered to anyone furnishing information that leads to the identification and termination of the illegal use of our federally registered trademark the Hand Grenade® or Grenade™.


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Thursday, November 30, 2006

OK, so I am taking the time to get this one out of my system

I am so frustrated with people justifying their obvious sin as normal and acceptable in the name of God. Here is an example. Read the comments below the picture after looking at the photo. The condescention in self justification just cheeses me off.

One comment on the photo is correct in saying "covering up the sin on this sign doesn't cover the sin in your heart, if you are indeed gay. While I don't agree with Fred Phelps stand on homosexuality, I do however know that God hates no one but does hate the sin they commit. I know that there is pressure on the church to accept this type of lifestyle, but to do so would reading something into the scripture that just isn't there."

Then some "light in the loafers" abomination says this in response: "read your Bible again very carefully. God loves the sinner and forgives the sin. And speaking as a gay Christian, a loving, monogamous, faithful relationship between two people of the same sex isn't even a sin."

First, there is no such thing as a "gay Christian". That is like saying you are a Caucasian Negro or a giant dwarf. It is an oxymoron of two different antithetical concepts. Next, we are told in the very Bible that this homo admonishes someone to read very carefully the following in Romans chapter 6:

Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

That person who claims to be a "gay Christian" says that because he lives in sin in a monogomous relationship with another abominable individual that it is fine with God who condemns the very sin they are performing as a matter of lifestyle. Sorry, but that is just plain absurd and entirely carnal. The continued performance of sin in the claim of justification by the blood of Christ is trampling his blood under your feet.

We are saved and given freedom FROM sin, not freedom TO sin. People who pervert the God I serve just frost my flakes.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

If you have been following the Michael Richards (a.k.a. Kramer) story

and are a Seinfeld fan, you are going to LOVE this video.

Hester Tower has finally come down

I came home at dusk this evening. As I turned the corner near Selma Cotton Mill, I noticed a piece of heavy equipment sitting at the corner. I did a head check and didn't see the tower. I pulled into the Cotton Mill parking lot to stop and look. No tower. It must have come down today. I didn't recall noticing its absence today.

Thanks for wasting our money, guys. YES, wasting, which is stealing. If there was extra money in some budget to cover the cost of demolition and removal, that just tells me that we are overcharging utility customers by nearly $6000. It also tells me that our town employees got screwed out of $6000 worth of their compensation plans.

I understand the liability issue, however that was a "straw man" argument. If the town has not mitigated the risk for all of these years, then one more year's wait (actually more like seven months) until the budget accounted for the cost is not unreasonable assumption of risk. If anything, the risk was increased by drawing attention to the structure.

Either way, it is obvious that it was an individual's pet project and was "ramrodded" through. In the end, we as citizens paid the price. We always do. Never forget that.

Before you get all bent out of shape, consult a dictionary

This was a funny comic I saw this morning. Look up the words you are not sure of before being critical, though.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Today's entertainment

Teresa and I spent the afternoon together. I had expressed an interest in seeing Casino Royale. It looked interesting, and I wanted to see the new incarnation of Bond in a modern day production and with Daniel Craig as Bond.

I will tell you that this is the best James Bond movie ever. Craig is now my favorite Bond actor. He was the most believable of all actors who have played 007. The movie did not rely on hokey, unlikely inventions. Daniel Craig is not the most handsome of all the Bond actors, which makes him more convincing, in my estimation. He does have a great physique, though, which also contributed to the believability.

The movie has great scenery of exotic locations, a lot of action, and is well made. If you are a Bond fan, then you will love this movie. It is bar far my favorite 007 movie.

We also went to The Meadow Lights again this year. The light show is nothing spectacular for adults, but children may love the train ride around the field. A mother and her young son enjoyed the $2 train ride, which I enjoyed watching as much as the lights.

Their candy shop is great, but expensive. They do have a huge selection, and we stocked up on a few favorites that we don't normally find.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Decent shoes

For years, I have been buying shoes and sneakers that were too big for me so that I could get the width I needed. My father had 5E wide feet. I inherited the same wide feet. I have needed a minimum of a 3E shoe for years, up to 5E depending upon the manufacturer.

My father ordered shoes from Hitchcock Shoes in Massachusetts for years. I get their catalogs, but have never really been able to afford expensive shoes. I am used to spending $20 to $25 at the most for a pair of sneakers. I also don't like the idea that if I order from the catalog and they don't fit, I have to keep sending back the shoes until they do fit. Unless I know that a particular brand and size works for me, I won't order from a catalog.

Regardless of the manufacturer, I would only get about six months worth of wear out of sneakers. The last two pairs of sneakers I have owned, I bought for around $25 and the size 13 Reebock high tops lasted longer than previous purchases.

Recently, a Wide Shoe Warehouse opened in Smithfield. They specialize in just what their name says. I bought a pair of Propet brand sneakers, size 10.5, 5E wide. I am not fond of the idea that they do not manufacture high tops. I called Propet and inquired about them. I just like the support and feel of high tops. Nope, they don't make them and don't plan on making them any time soon. Oh, well. My heel often slides up and down in the back of low cut sneakers, and these are no different. These ones cost over $50, which runs contrary to my desired price range. I just hope that they last a long time.

I also bought a pair of Propet's Cliff Walker model boots there. $85 is a bit high for my taste, but I finally got a pair of shoes that actually fit. Size 9, 5E wide. All they had in stock were the ugly "bronco brown". I had to special order the color I wanted, since the store does not and will not carry the one I want. Go figure.

About a year ago, I purchased a pair of $60 boots at the Timberland Outlet Store in Smithfield. They were a size 12. I love Timberland's quality, but they still didn't fit right. At least they found a good home recently. These Propets do fit well, so I can't complain. They hurt for the first few hours, since I am not used to having shoes that fit on my feet. The arches rarely ever line up properly for me in shoes I buy. It didn't take long to get used to them. Hopefully, they will hold up well. So far, so good.

An obvious double standard

OK, so someone set up a scholarship (and only a $250 one at that) for students to compete to win. The criteria is that to qualify, entrants must be at least one quarter Caucasian. So what? Why the big stink over it? Whites can not get United Negro College Fund money. There are plenty of scholarships available for Negroes, Hispanics, and Asians. There are Black colleges, women's colleges, and many other racial or sexual divides. There is Black History Month, Black Pride rallies, and the like. Let one little scholarship be set up and the criteria is that someone must be...NOT WHITE, just ONE QUARTER White, and people flip out. Hey, many people considered Negro are eligible for this scholarship. Tiger Woods and Halle Berry would qualify.

The double standard is clear. If you are White, only you can be a racist. You are not allowed to have any recognition of your heritage or assist any of your "race". There are no poor White people, apparently, who could use some money to help pay for college. Only Blacks and Hispanics can not afford to go to college without any assistance, is the implication. The man who set up the scholarship said, "There are plenty of poor, white, academically gifted students who need that money just as much." And he is correct.

If someone wants to do whatever he wants with his own money, the world should just shut up about it, be thankful that someone will benefit from that money, and stop looking for things about which to be offended. I paid for my college tuition with numerous small scholarships, just like the one described. Some were as little as $100 or $150. Some were more like $500. Either way, they all added up to a tuition paid education. I still had to provide meals, books, and transportation, but at least the cost of the schooling was covered. I worked full time, almost 60 hours a week to provide for myself.

An article on the scholarship is available here for anyone who wants to read it.

On this day that we as a nation set aside as a holiday (holy day), I encourage all of us to consider the meaning behind this day. Each year, people think of Pilgrims, feasting, and family gatherings.

As early as 1619, men and women gathered after the autumn harvest to give thanks to the Lord who provided it. In 1863, a national Day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed as an annual observance in the United States.

On this day of Thanksgiving, I encourage us all to consider these two questions.

For what are you thankful?

And more importantly...

To whom are you giving your thanks?

As for me, my thanks goes this day and every day to the Lord Jesus Christ who paid for my sins; to God the Father, who gave us His son and provides for me; and to His Spirit who comforts and leads me. Thank you, my Lord.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

For any who care

I reworked my myspace profile. It is very different looking now. I loved Wile E. Coyote, but I wanted something different.

Looking forward to this new toy

From the Modern Firearms website:

Caliber: 7.5x55 mm GP11
Overall length: 1105 mm
Barrel length: 652 mm
Weight: 4.00 kg empty
Magazine capacity: 6 rounds

Swiss army always had very high standards for individual marksmanship, as well as for reliability an accuracy of weapons in use. Since the late 1880s Swiss Army was equipped with Schmidt-Rubin rifles, named so after Maj. Eduard Rubin, who developed the small-caliber rifle ammunition, and Rudolf Schmidt, who developed the straight-pull bolt action rifle. The basic pattern of Schmidt-Rubin was adopted by Swiss in 1889, and then redesigned by the 1911 along with the introduction of the new ammunition, the 7.5mm Gewehrpatrone 11 (7.5x55 GP11). By the 1932 it became apparent that the M1911 rifles and carbines are not up to date, and Swiss parliament authorized development of a new short rifle to replace both G11 long rifles and K11 carbines. In the summer of 1933 the new carbine was adopted as the Karabiner 31, or K31 in short. The K31 was still based on the straight-pull Schmidt action, but with severe modification. Most notable modification was the relocation of the locking lugs from the rear of the bolt to the front part. This resulted in much shorter bolt and receiver, making the new carbine more handy and lightweight. Being intermediate in size between earlier K11 and G11, the K 31 was noted for reliability (at least in the hands of the highly skilled Swiss riflemen), and for great, if not outstanding, accuracy. It was produced between 1933 and 1958, when it was replaced in service with 7.5x55mm Stg.57 / SIG-510 assault rifle. Total of about 580 000 K31 rifles were produced. The K31 also served as a starting point for the K31-55 sniper rifle (also designated as ZfK-55, for ZielfernrohrKarbiner model 1955, or telescope sight carbine), which, while being similar to K31 in general design, was quite different in most details. For example, K31-55 had redesigned receiver with integral scope bases and loading / ejection port moved slightly to the left side, to clear the telescope sight, and a heavier barrel with large muzzle brake / flash hider. K31-55 rifles were fitted with 3.5X magnification Kern telescope sights, graduated up to 800 meters.

The K31 is a manually operated, straight bull bolt-action rifle. The rotating bolt has two opposing lugs at the front, which are locking into the cuts in the receiver ring. The straight pull bolt handle has a large T-shaped handle and a stud, which enters the helical groove on the bolt body. When the bolt handle is retracted, the stud first forces the bolt to rotate and unlock, and then pulls the bolt back for reloading cycle. The receiver has a small opening at the top, which is used to load magazine from the stripper clips and to eject spent cases. Detachable box magazine holds 6 cartridges. Large ring at the rear of the bolt body is used as the manual safety switch, as well as for manual cocking of the striker. When this ring is pulled back and rotated to the right, it locks the firing pin and bolt, so rifle cannot be fired or reloaded. The open tangent rear sight is graduated from 100 to 1 500 meters in 100 meters increments; front sight is adjustable for windage (for zeroing only). K31 carbines were issued with slings, muzzle caps, knife-type detachable bayonets, and carrying pouches for stripper clips.

Yet another reason to encourage concealed carry laws and participation

In every state where concealed carry laws are prevalent and there is a decent amount of participation in same, violent crime decreases. From time to time, I participate and am packing. A lot of it depends upon my mood, my activities, and my work schedule.

I drove right by the scene of the below incident last night. We were in the area after the police were on scene and investigating. I wondered what the deal was at Smithfield's BBQ and up the road at Peedin Street.

Part of the responsibility of carrying a weapon is knowing when and when not to use it. It entirely depends upon the situation as to whether I would engage criminal scumbags like this. The sad thing is that when a responsible citizen does take action, he is often put under intense scrutiny. In Selma, a security guard was even charged with an offense after taking action, fulfilling her duty as a guard and a citizen.

I have not been placed in the situation to confront a criminal like in article below. Therefore I can not say definitively what I would or would not do. All situations are different. I can say that I have no ethical problem with shooting dirt balls like this at all.

From the WMPM web site:

Police are following up on fresh new leads in their search for robbers who have hit four Smithfield businesses in six nights. The latest business robbed was Smithfield ’s Chicken N Barbecue on Brightleaf Boulevard . Two men wearing ski masks, dark clothing, gloves, and armed with weapons, burst into the business around 7:05pm Tuesday while it was filled with about 15 customers and employees. The gunmen forced the manager to hand over cash, but as they tried to flee in the parking lot, an undercover US Customs Agent, armed with his service weapon confronted the robbers at gunpoint. The suspects started to flee in their Nissan Sentra when the officer fired shots at their car, deflating two tires. The robbers crashed their vehicle about two blocks away near Brightleaf and Peedin Streets before they jumped and ran. Police suspect they are responsible for holdups at Andy’s Cheesesteaks on Thursday night, Lowe’s Home Improvement on Saturday night, and CVS Pharmacy early Sunday morning. The businesses are located within a half-mile radius. The SBI is now assisting in the investigation. No one has been hurt in any of the robberies, but police are very concerned because the robber’s actions are so brazen.

So much for vacation

There is a large project going on at work. It was originally scheduled for August. Therefore, I didn't take any vacation in August. It was then pushed off until September. So, no September vacation time, except the one week I could squeak in, knowing that the project would not hit that week. October, now November. The one week I did already have scheduled months in advance was the time for the project. The equipment and vendors were finally lined up, and it coincided with my vacation time.

I worked all last week on the project. Now there is a hiatus until next week, when other departments' and vendors' equipment will be ready for my equipment. I took Monday and Tuesday off. I had most of today off when I got a phone call that my coworker that covers the coastal region is taking time off. His wife is having her baby today. We knew it was coming any day. Now I am back to work. My holiday plans just changed, and I am liable to end up working instead of enjoying a few more days off.

I am trying to merely grin and make the best of it. It is just very typical of my entire life, it seems.

I read this today.

Someone hit my blog in the last day or so with a Google search on Sheriff Steve Bizell. I looked at the link and saw the results of the web search. I found this interesting speculation online:

Johnston Co. Sheriff Steve Bizzel (R): A guy with a great biography, he dropped out of high school to take care of his family, then went back for his GED. He's slowly building his name outside the county and is thought to be considering a bid for Ethridge's NC 02 seat when it comes open.

That will be interesting to see. If he runs against Etheridge, then he will have my support. Then again, I would vote for the neighbor's Doberman over Etheridge.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Finally writing a new post

I know that I have not written much lately on my blog. I have been busy at work plus trying to keep up with a calendar of activity. A lot of people have placed demands upon my time, including friends, family, community, and employer. Today, I am trying to relax some. I am technically on vacation. Last week was supposed to be vacation time, but the long awaited project at work fell during that week, so I had to postpone my time. This week is quiet, since we have gotten as far as possible without other vendors' equipment working properly.

Saturday was our 12th wedding anniversary. We went out to dinner Friday night and exchanged gifts. Saturday was going to be taken up with a day trip somewhere. Instead, I woke up feeling lower than whale dung, so I went back to sleep. Eventually I got up and took a fistful of Aleve. We ended up going shopping in Goldsboro instead of travelling.

Sunday, we decided to go to the Fairgrounds in Raleigh. I went to the Dixie Gun and Knife Classic show. Teresa went around to the flea market. The gun show was packed. I do believe that many people are wanting to go to shows before Democrats try to outlaw them, now that they will be in power. This was the last show of the year and the last one before they take office in January. The show was just OK. As usual, I found some items I really would like to have. However, they were overpriced and I can get them cheaper elsewhere. I did see a .22 target pistol at a fair price that I absolutely loved, but just didn't have the cash. I did manage to pick up a few toys, but won't elaborate.

Other than all of this, I wrote my column for this week, have talked with family, and am taking it easy.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

It needs to happen here, but more stringently

Yet another town has been working to make English the official language for town business.

TANEYTOWN, Md. -- English is now the official language of a central Maryland town of 5,000, after the Taneytown City Council approved a nonbinding resolution, deciding against a charter that had drawn complaints from civil rights groups and residents.

I really don't care about complaints from so called civil rights groups. Not every citizen can have his or her viewpoint implemented. There is nothing wrong with conducting all business in ENGLISH. If people are to reside here, they should assimilate, not have the town assimilate to them.

Monday, November 13, 2006

From my cold dead hands???

Food for thought. Groups like the NRA are single issue organizations. Fortunately, I am not.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Teresa's singing gig

Teresa was asked to sing at the Graham, NC Lions' Club first annual Lionfest. She was asked to perform the National Anthem for the opening ceremony. I caught it on video tape. Here it is.

You can't see me

John McCain does his best immitation of WWE star, John Cena.

Friday, November 10, 2006

The wife and I went to see the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan The movie was very crude, full of off color humor, and made me cringe at times. But I have to say that this is absolutely THE funniest movie that I have ever seen in my life.

The movie really does address the oversexed society of American culture, the ridiculousness of religion, and even exposes many of our own personal bigotries. The movie was brilliantly presented. Even my normally prudish wife literally fell off the movie seat and rolled on the floor laughing. I almost feel guilty for liking this movie, but I laughed the entire time until I was streaming tears.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Prophetic dream come true

I am passing along this documentation of a prophetic dream that was proven accurate. I believe in prophecy and prophetic dreams. I have a journal full of them. The following was emailed to me BEFORE the election results were announced Tuesday night. I waited to see if it came to pass or not before judging. Time was the judge.

A friend of mine who has never voted in his life, and barely knows the difference between Democrats and Republicans, had a dream recently that I think is appropriate for tonight.

In the dream he found himself in the early nineteenth century. He then found himself walking up a flight of wooden stairs towards a room where a seamstress was working on a flag. When she began working on the flag the piece of fabric she started with was red, but he noticed that the fabric was dirty and stained. Then blue yarn dropped from the ceiling, she took it and began to make blue stripes on the red flag.

My family knew what this meant immediately (although he had no clue and that is why he told his dream). Whereas red is always associated with the Republican Party (hence "Red State") blue is always associated the Democratic Party (hence "Blue State"). In other words, that the seamstress would sew blue stripes onto the flag means that the Democrats are coming to power tonight. What's more is that the dirty and stained red flag means that the Republican Party is just that, dirty and stained right now. Yet, that she did not replace the stained red flag with another means that there will be shared power after tonight (i.e., executive in the hands of the GOP and legislative in the hands of the Democrats). Finally, that the blue thread would drop from the ceiling signifies that this power shift is from heaven; it is from God. After emailing different people at MorningStar and a few other prophetic churches including Kansas City, the general consensus amongst the prophetic community is that something is out of balance in regards to our political climate right now and that God will be bringing about a correction tonight.

I'm not the only one

I have been reading a lot of commentary about the election results. I see that I am not the only one who believes that the Republicans did it to themselves; that the media has run a spin campaign for six years and it was successful; that we can look forward to a minimum wage increase, illegal alien amnesty, frivilous investigations into the Bush administration, higher taxes, softened national security, and more redistribution of wealth in the form of entitlement programs.

I have also been reading some comments from other bloggers about the Robinson campaign. Some were from as far away as Canada or New England. One from New Zealand, if I recall. The campaign ran by Vernon Robinson had ads all over the internet for people to enjoy and lampoon. You're famous, Mr. Robinson. Not for good reasons, though. Know what I mean, Vern?

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

A quote I found today

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent full of doubt.

Bertrand Russell

Here is one horrendous result

I was watching the Jim Black race last night along with the local races. Jim Black is possibly the most corrupt politician in North Carolina and has to go. Unfortunately, the returns shown after midnight showed him losing, yet the final results showed him winning by a mere seven votes. SEVEN.

State House (District 100)
James Black (D) 5298
Hal Jordan (R) 5291

As it turned out, the vote tally for Clayton voting districts came out in the negative by just 52 votes. There are 52 more gullible Claytonian voters than enlightened ones.
NO 1095
YES 1043

Maybe the Mansell loss was almost the landslide I thought. It was a 2:1 ratio. I expected it to be worse, though.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Election results

Here are my comments on the election results so far. It looks like the Democrats will take over the U.S. House of Representatives and need just three seats for Senate control. It is sad to see, but I can say that the Republicans did it to themselves. They have spent like drunken sailors, increased the size of government, had several scandals, and been disappointing in other social and domestic security issues such as illegal immigration. They have also ticked off a lot of people about the handling of the war in Iraq. My personal viewpoints aside, a lot of people find that to be an important issue.

Republican leadership on the county level is just as obtuse. Been there, seen that.

As of just after midnight, the Democrats will have a majority in the House by six votes. Hold on to your wallets. Expect bills for tax increases, hikes in minimum wage, failure to renew Bush tax cuts, more calls for impeachment of Bush (though it will never happen), bills to cut funding for the war in Iraq, and socialized medicine to pass the House. Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House? What are people thinking?????

Regionally, I can only wonder why people would vote for Ty Harrell over Russell Capps. Harrell is an arrogant liberal hack and tax dodger. Another race that surprised me is the one between Vernon Robinson and Brad Miller. Robinson led a harsh and shameless campaign. I loved his conservative stances, but his arrogant putz politics really hurt him. He lost in a big way.

In Durham, after all the negative press and the mishandling of the so called Duke LaCrosse rape case, voters actually re-elected Mike Nifong. If his opponent, Lewis Cheek had won, he already said he would not serve. If he wouldn't serve, then the Governor would have to appoint someone to fill that position. Nifong was in the position as a result of appointment by Mike Sleasely as it was. Even if he lost, he probably would have kept the job.

One good result that is yet to be finalized is the race for re-election for NC House Speaker Jim Black. As of just after midnight, the results are 95% reported and Black is losing by a thousand votes. Jim Black is an incredibly corrupt politician and I will be very glad to see him go away. However, I still wonder how anyone can vote for the man with a clear conscience, knowing his corruption. His disgrace was all over the news. I saw interviews with some of his campaign staff, and one Negro lady was raving about what a great man Jim Black is. Is she talking about the same Jim Black we have all been reading about in the newspapers and seen on TV? The same Jim Black who has had many liberally biased newspapers in NC call for his resignation? How can over 4,600 voters be that stupid?

Locally, I am glad to see the Town of Clayton has said yes to voting districts. I am saddened to see the nearly one billion dollar school bond referendum pass in Wake County. The current structure of schools is inefficient and millions of dollars are being wasted. Handle money and manage effectively and then maybe you deserve more. Stop paying for illegal immigrants to go to school free and then perhaps we can slow the rate of growth and need for new schools.

Here are the predictions I made and my comments on the accuracy or lack thereof:

US Congress Dist. 02

Bob Etheridge - my predicted winner in an unprecedented landslide victory Not quite the landslide I thought, but it was still a 2:1 margin.
Dan Mansell - my vote

NC State Senate Dist. 12
Sherry Altman
Fred Smith - my vote and my predicted winner in a landslide Got that one right.

District Attorney District 11
Dale Stubbs - my predicted winner in a tight race
Susan Doyle - my vote I got this one wrong, to my glee. I saw that the results see-sawed throughout the evening as results trickled in.

County Commissioner District 3

C.P. Thompson
Wade Stewart - my vote and my predicted winner Called that one right.

Jerry Holloman
Steve Bizzell - my vote and my predicted winner by a landslide Called that one accurately.

Clerk of Superior Court
Will Crocker - my predicted winner by a landslide I called the result correctly but was surprised that it was a closer election than I thought. I was glad to see that it was not as bad as I thought. Good run, James Gerrell.
James Gerrell - my vote

Supreme Court Chief Justice

Rusty Duke - my vote
Sarah Parker - my predicted winner Called that one right.

Supreme Court Associate Justice

Rachel Lee Hunter
Mark Martin - my vote and predicted winner Got this one right.

Supreme Court Associate Justice
Eric Levinson - my vote
Patricia Timmons-Goodson - my predicted winner Right again.

Supreme Court Associate Justice
Anna Marie Calabria - my vote
Robin Hudson - my predicted winner Correct.

Court of Appeals
Kris Bailey - my vote and my predicted winner I blew this one. Sorry. Wish I was right.
Bob Hunter

Court of Appeals
Linda Stephens - my predicted winner
Donna Stroud - my vote My vote getter is ahead in a tight race as of about midnight and the majority of precincts showing results on various web sites. Glad to see that I may have been wrong.

Superior Court Judge

Jackie Lee - my vote
Tom Lock - my predicted winner Got this one right.

Board of Education (3)

Brian Keith Hale - my vote and my predicted winner Got this one wrong. He came in fourth. Butler Hall came in third.
Dorothy Johnson - my predicted winner Got this one right
Larry Strickland - my vote and my predicted winner This one, too.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Sort of funny looking at it now

I have a few metric tools I use on my web sites. I have one on this blog. Just today someone from Walnut Creek, California did a web search on " water towers for sale" and found my blog. I know where that person can find

My election picks

Here are my picks for the election tomorrow. I will show who I think will win and who I am voting for. I will not include uncontested elections, since those are "no brainers". In less than 24 hours, I should know how accurate these predictions are.

US Congress Dist. 02
Bob Etheridge - my predicted winner in an unprecedented landslide victory
Dan Mansell - my vote

NC State Senate Dist. 12
Sherry Altman
Fred Smith - my vote and my predicted winner in a landslide

District Attorney District 11
Dale Stubbs - my predicted winner in a tight race
Susan Doyle - my vote

County Commissioner District 3
C.P. Thompson
Wade Stewart - my vote and my predicted winner

Jerry Holloman
Steve Bizzell - my vote and my predicted winner by a landslide

Clerk of Superior Court
Will Crocker - my predicted winner by a landslide
James Gerrell - my vote

Supreme Court Chief Justice
Rusty Duke - my vote
Sarah Parker - my predicted winner

Supreme Court Associate Justice
Rachel Lee Hunter
Mark Martin - my vote and predicted winner

Supreme Court Associate Justice
Eric Levinson - my vote
Patricia Timmons-Goodson - my predicted winner

Supreme Court Associate Justice
Anna Marie Calabria - my vote
Robin Hudson - my predicted winner

Court of Appeals
Kris Bailey - my vote and my predicted winner
Bob Hunter

Court of Appeals
Linda Stephens - my predicted winner
Donna Stroud - my vote

Superior Court Judge
Jackie Lee - my vote
Tom Lock - my predicted winner

Board of Education (3)
Brian Keith Hale - my vote and my predicted winner
Dorothy Johnson - my predicted winner
Larry Strickland - my vote and my predicted winner

Johnston moratorium on new homes?

My biggest question is why has the county had no workable plan to deal with growth? We have known for years that Johnston County was one of the fastest growing in the entire nation, not just North Carolina. Are we now being told that there has been no real plan to deal with this growth and leaders are just now coming to realize that we need some form of planning? Hello????

Here is part of an article in today's N&O. Click the link for the whole article.

Johnston may hit brakes
Commissioners consider moratorium on new homes until a plan managing growth is adopted

Johnston County never looked back when its livelihood turned from growing tobacco to growing houses in the 1990s.

While other Triangle counties have placed controls on development -- either by restricting where homes and businesses can go or forcing builders to pay for schools and roads -- Johnston has continued to welcome it.

But now even Johnston leaders are giving growth a second look.

In a surprise move last month, the county planning board voted unanimously to stop approving new homes temporarily until the county adopts new recommendations on managing growth.

A letter to the editor

This was sent to me and to "The Selma News". This is an editorial comment from a blog reader, not my own comments. It is properly signed at the bottom by the author. Don't worry, I know where he lives. :-) (a little inside humor, there)

Historic Site or Slumlord Tenement???

For years I've been a member of a national volunteer civic organization which has a chapter team in Selma. Our Region has three meetings per year to which officers and voting delegates from surrounding teams attend. Each year, our Selma team hosts one of these. We conduct these business conventions in the Selma Courthouse.
Saturday, November the 4th was our most recently hosted meeting. Teams came from all over North and South Carolina to participate, and were lodged in local motels for the two-day event, as usual. One can only imagine my surprise at the drastic change in the condition of our meeting facility from years past.
While I applaud the commendable work that has been done to upgrade the outward appearance of the Court House facade, and the quality of the Selma Visitors' Center (located in the LEFT half of the building), I am compelled to wonder just what color the sky is in the Town Council's world when it comes to the interior of the courtroom itself.
Historically, we and many other groups have used this as a civic meeting room just as it sat; a courtroom...complete with all the trappings of justice including the judicial bench. For quite sound economic and security reasons, such a facility is no longer needed in Selma. However, the action taken so far regarding it is puzzling. We were always accustomed to meeting at the long conference tables used for the prosecution and defense which sat before the bench. They are still there. The bench, however, is not. Instead, it has been ripped out at the roots. The large area of floor where it once resided is now covered with two cheap, mismatched, odd-sized area throw rugs. The lower wall exposed by the removal of the riser platform is now ugly, exposed, ragged, and devoid of plaster. Someone's solution to this eyesore was no better than that of the floor. Three cheap looking artificial plants now sit in front of a four-foot wide portion of the twelve-foot expanse.
All we've heard from the town board for over a decade now are the "history" and "antiques" concepts. Can you say "HISTORICAL SITE"? Could the Town Council please explain what would have been wrong with such an attraction as the original courtroom? Could it not continue to function as a civic room as it has for generations? As an aside to the visitors' center, would not some have gotten a kick out of having friends and family take their picture (perhaps in an available judge's robe) as Selma's honorary "Justice of the Day"? The town has not even seen fit to replace the filthy and stained carpet remnant that serves as a doormat at the entrance. Can the town not cough up even ten bucks for a decent Welcome mat?
Obviously, the emphasis is on making what the visitor sees while passing through the town look respectable. As to what those who actually live and work here see...well, that's not on the priority list. I guess we all remember what Jesus said about all those white sepulchers and cups that were cleaned only on the outside.

Dave Tuttle

Sunday, November 05, 2006

What is it with NC roads?

I have driven a lot of miles in my lifetime. I have been all up and down the eastern seaboard and a few trips out west. My job keeps me on the NC highways a lot. I must say that I have never seen a state with more litter, debris, and roadkill than North Carolina.

Just a few minutes ago, we drove home from Patetown (north of Goldsboro) to Selma and we saw a lot of litter, one dead fox, three dead cats, three dead raccoons, one dead deer, and one dead squirrel. I have never seen a state roadsystem that allows roadkill to stay on the side of the road as long as North Carolina does. I have literally seen carcasses stay on the side of the road for months and never be picked up. This is absurd and needs to change.

A lot of the litter is not necessarily litter but debris blown off trucks. I have seen garbage trucks, dump trucks, and semis have debris blown off them and all over the roadways. I have also seen pick up trucks full of debris lose some of it. This seems to be how most of it happens, as most of what I see is not just something thrown from passing automobiles.

Why are there no real thorough efforts to clean up the roads from debris and animal carcasses in this state? Once in a while, I do see prison work crews bagging litter and every once in a great while an "Adopt a Highway" crew. However, they don't pick up dead deer, cats, dogs, and the like. We need to do better. This state wastes enough money on stupid stuff that we can make the effort to do better.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

OK, so he is facing the death penalty. So what?

There is a lot of noise being made about the possible verdict coming in the trial of Saddam Houssein. He could face a death sentence to be carried out in the method of a hanging. OK. So what? Next!

There have been warnings of a civil war within Iraq if Houssein is executed. From the reports we constantly have heard, the Iraqi people are happy that Houssein is out of power. If that is the case, we should not have any issues with his execution. If the reports are false, then there could be some unrest. So what? I realize that it is the job of the defense to build fear in the populace and court to influence his client's case. However, this should still not be a factor if the judge has any spine.

OK, so let us assume that he will be found guilty and sentenced to death. I believe that it should be a public event, carried on pay per view television worldwide. The proceeds of the event should go to the families of the hundreds of thousands of people he slaughtered or the cost of the war that the U.S. has paid for. Maybe a fund to benefit the families of our soldiers who have died to free Iraq. For that matter, the oil production should be ramped up and all the proceeds from the sale of oil go to pay for our invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Leave me a voice mail for all to hear

Quelle surprise.

Doogie Howser is a homosexual. Like we never saw that one coming.

Friday, November 03, 2006

That poor wet pet

As you may have known from my previous writings, our dog Daisy was a rescue dog. She is still very shy about a lot of things and has not had great socialization. We have been working with her since May. She still is hand shy at times and is unsure of her safety around us. She has made progress in meal time, snack time, and showing affection. Those are wonderful to see.

One area in which she is horrible is bathing. She is a slob when it comes to eating dog food. She often gets dog food gravy all over her fur. Teresa tried bathing her a few weeks ago, and it didn't go well. I told her to take her to Dog Days Inn in Tarboro, where we got her. The owner is the lady who rescued Daisy and the six other Pekingese, cleaned them up, and adopted them out. We figured it would be nice for her to see how Daisy looks n0w that a lot of her fur has grown in and she has put on some weight.

Daisy was scared witless when she came back. She was scared, wouldn't eat, and was literally shivering. We took her to the vet for an exam. I wrote about that, too. It took her a week to get back to her old self of a bouncy, happy, dog food vacuuming Daisy.

Teresa just put Daisy in the tub and gave her a bath. That dog fought furiously. I snapped a photo with my cell phone while the bath was going on. I am posting it here, along with another picture I took of her a while back with the same cell phone. She is adorable.

South Park explains the stupidity of Darwinism. Sounds right to me.

Yeah, in some Bizarro land parallel universe, maybe

This was in The Smithfield Herald as a letter to the editor. This man obviously has live backwards. What color is the sky in his world?

Election time is here again, and if it’s ever been the time for change in this county and this nation, I think it is now.

I am appealing to Democrats, Dixie-crats and truly conservative Republicans. Are you tired of one party running this country and nation? Are you tired of paying for growth and growth not paying for itself? Are you tired of being told by some people how moral they are and how immoral you are because you are a Democrat? Are you tired of borrow-and-spend Republicans telling you how conservative they are while spending more money than Democrats?

Johnstonians will always have a better way of life when Democrats are in control. Please vote Democratic this year, and may God bless.

GLENN McLAMB, Morgan Road, Benson

If you have children ***READ UPDATE***

I found the perfect Christmas gift.

Update: I shared this with a few people I know, including an email list I started years ago. I got some replies of "that was funny" and the like. One bonehead replied with a nastygram. Here it is:

Not funny. Yet another pharisee bashing a godly man. I have had probably more direct interaction with Pat Robertson than anyone on here and good reason to be offended with him, but I do believe that he serves the Lord and only someone with little or no discernment or respect for God and those He uses would mock someone like this. The spirit of antichrist comes in some pretty disgusting packages these days.

-Lonnie Mackley

I responded with the following:

In case you were not paying attention, I DIDN"T MAKE THE COLORING BOOK nor did I "bash" anyone. Talk about little or no discernment. And yes it was quite funny. Did I say a single thing about Pat Robertson? Did I say anything negative? No. Try paying some attention next time before you rant ignorantly and like the pharisee you claim someone else to be. You are
acting hypocritical. If you can't look at what the world says and offers, as the link I posted and laugh at the stupidity while thanking God that you are no longer in the kingdom of darkness as the book's author obviously is, then you are the one with no discernment. Period.

Troy LaPlante

Hate groups in NC

I do believe that there are several groups that have been left out of this list of hate groups in North Carolina. I am familiar with the group The Southern Poverty Law Center, which owns the web site. I have much disagreement with their staff on several subjects. Either way, I thought that this was interesting.

I do NOT write the column titles!

For those of you who read my column in the November 2, 2006 "Selma News", I want to assure you that I do NOT write the column titles that appear each week. I submit the column itself and the paper staff writes the title. Even when I submitted titles, they have written their own.

In the Nov. 2 column, the title given by the paper staff totally distorts the column content and actually yields a totally different meaning than what the column says. For that I wholeheartedly apologize, though it is not something that I have control over.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Campaign 2006

I guess that I just have not watched much television lately, because I have only heard of the negative campaign ads and have not seen many of them on TV. I have seen some in mailers, on the internet, and on phone call recordings. This morning, I heard a few of them while shaving. I don't recall the magnitude of negative ads nor the content thereof in any other election. Even District Attorney races have gone negative.

A thought. If you are a candidate who owes a ton of back taxes such as Ty Harrell or Dan Mansell, why put yourself in the position of being hammered with that during a campaign?

Below is a WMPM news story about the funds of the two campaigns for Congress. I am not surprised that the sell out, corrupt Congressman, Bob Etheridge has the amount of cash that he has for his campaign. Political Action Committees (PACs) have poured money into his campaign. The Mansell campaign surprises me, though. Ninety days out from the election, I was told that they had about $40K for campaign cash. One week out and they have only bested that by $11K. Huh? You know that Etheridge had $750,000 90 days out and you only managed to raise $11k more? It looks like others know what I have known for a while. Etheridge is going to win in a landslide.

Why, if you have such a hard time with campaign financing would you NOT take up someone on their offer of help? Stupid.

Money Flowing In Second District House Race - Second District Congressman Bob Etheridge has raised sixteen times as much money as his challenger heading into the last week of the race for the District 2 congressional seat. Dan Mansell, a Republican from Johnston County is challenging the Lillington Democrat. According to campaign filings, Mansell has raised $51,132 and has spent $37,376 in his bid to upset the incumbent. Etheridge has raised $821,535 and has spent $632,004.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Latino Propaganda

From time to time, I actually watch the cable channel MUN2, a primarily Spanish/bilingual channel. They rerun a program that I catch each week on another network. They are owned by the same parent company, NBC. I just caught an ad that disgusts me. It is for the web site

Basically, the ad goes through how over two million Latinos took to the streets in protests this year for illegal aliens. Note that I did not say for Latinos. There are many Latinos here legally. They were marching in support of illegal immigrants.

The ad goes to mention major cities across the US and the rough numbers that took to the streets in protest. Then the ad goes on to chastise those who did not march, saying that they were just sitting and waiting for others to do something for them while the ones who did march were being good and responsible. One guy in the ad wore a shirt that said "The can't deport us all". The ad went on to say that "it is your country" and encouraged Latinos to vote.

NO, it is NOT THEIR country, it is OUR country. When I say OUR, I mean it belongs to all of us who are LEGAL citizens. What part of illegal aliens do they not understand? It is NOT the country of non-citizens. That is what makes them alien to this nation.

This is just plain propaganda. They keep repeating it over and over again. The Democrats already buy into this garbage since the Latinos are a potential voting block. They really don't care about them as a group or race. All the liberals care about is the alliances they can build to put and keep their representatives in power. They are America hating, anti-capitalist, worshippers of the Church of Socialism.

As I shared once today on the internet, this is an example of the technique exemplified by Joseph Goebbels in the Nazi Third Reich. I have been reading more on his life and techniques lately. I have recognized much of his groundwork being used in the leftist agenda to demonize conservatives and push the Communist Manifesto to reality in this country. I have run across a few people in particular who exemplify this methodology and swallow the propaganda "hook, line, and sinker".

The Latino population has learned from this and is doing the same thing. I for one, am not going to buy into it or allow it to go unchecked as best I am able.

Here is the video about of the ad I mentioned. The video is actually hosted on Makes me think I may boycott that station for now on. I found out that the video does not like Firefox, but it does work fine in IExplorer.

Whiners found a wuss judge

Federal Judge Blocks Pa. Town Crackdown

This article shows why electing conservatives is important. Notice that I didn't say Republicans, I said conservatives. Liberal judges appointed or elected to the bench love to exercise power plays like this and restrict the sovereign will of an elected group of local lawmakers. Judges like this need to find a new line of work.

Someone please tell me how this would be a bad thing

Here is the headline: Hispanics Flee Pa. Town Before Crackdown

I wrote on this blog and in one of my newspaper columns about Hazleton, Pennsylvania's ordinance that gets tough on illegal immigration. Their town was suffering from an influx of illegals and the pursuant increase in crime and drain on the economy. The town had the guts to pass a tough ordinance dealing with illegal aliens, and they started to leave. Now they are leaving in larger numbers because of the coming crackdown.

I wish that the town council here in Selma had the guts to do the same thing. I promise you that if I ever get elected to the town council, an ordinance similar to that in Hazleton will be on the table. I doubt it will happen until then, though.

I want to see lawbreakers and their cost to society mitigated for the taxpayer. I also want to see equity in the services WE pay for. I have several friends who have been disabled because of injury or sickness and can't get Social Security Disability. They have paid into the Social Security system for years and can't draw the very benefit for which they have paid. Let a Hispanic who is here illegally go to the government and they are handed a driver's license, Social Security benefits, welfare, food stamps, and housing assistance.

What is wrong with this picture? Why do people not have the balls to stand up to this as citizens? I already know why politicians don't. It gives them power by courting the favor of an ever increasing possible voting population. That is pure evil.


text:
Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia

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    Percy's Promise is the second episode of the third season. It first aired on Shining Time...

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    Really Useful Engine, alternately titled A Really Useful Engine, is the last song from the...

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Da'Rick Rogers signs as undrafted free agent with Buffalo Bills

Da'Rick Rogers signs as undrafted free agent with Buffalo Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Former Tennessee Tech wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers, an all-OVC selection following a 2012 season in which he set school records, signed a free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills shortly after he went undrafted in the 2013 National Football League Draft on Saturday.

It marked the second consecutive year that a Golden Eagle receiver had signed as an undrafted free agent. A year ago, Tim Benford signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

Rogers tied the school record with 10 touchdown catches in 2012, his only season on the Golden Eagle roster after joining the team in the week leading up to the season opener. In 2012, Rogers caught 61 passes for 893 yards. The 6-foot-3 junior caught 18 passes for 303 yards in a 41-38 double-overtime loss to Southeast Missouri State to set school records in both categories. Rogers played for the University of Tennessee Volunteers in 2011 where he led the team with 1,040 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns.

In addition to second-team all-OVC, Rogers earned the 2012 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Elite Wide Recevier Award for his performance over the past two seasons.

Rogers signed with the Bills an hour after the draft was complete Saturday, and his agent, Joby Branion, confirmed the signing on Sunday, according to the Associated Press.

“They were one of the teams that were the most interested in him all the way through," said Golden Eagle head coach Watson Brown. "They were around a lot. I think that’s a really good fit. He’s now got to go work, and pretty much from fourth round on, you have to go prove yourself. Those top one-or-twos will be kept because there’s so much invested in them, but those other guys have to go prove themselves anyway. He’s got a great opportunity, and has to get his mind right. He knows what he had to deal with. I think he’s paid the price for that, now he’s gotta go earn his way.”

Bills scout Tom Roth had good things to say about the team's speedy signee.

“He’s got it all. His body type is a lot like Eric Moulds. It’s all there,” Roth said on the team's website. “The off the field stuff that happened is why he was undrafted. Out of him, Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson, he’s the most NFL ready in my opinion in terms of route running, balls skills and everything. He can come in and he won’t be behind in terms of coaching and all that stuff.”

The Buffalo Bills announced Monday that the team has agreed to terms with the following 16 undrafted college free agents. They are expected to sign their contracts before the start of Rookie Mini-Camp on Friday, May 10th.
G Zack Chibane – Syracuse
LB Keith Pough – Howard
DE Izaan Cross – Georgia Tech
CB Nickell Robey – Southern California
DB Jordan Dangerfield – Towson
WR Da’Rick Rogers – Tennessee Tech
CB Kip Edwards – Missouri
CB Jumal Rolle – Catawba
RB Kendall Gaskins – Richmond
FB Drew Smith – Albany
WR Brandon Kaufman – Eastern Washington
DT Aaron Tipoti – California
CB Vernon Kearney – Lane
QB Jeff Tuel – Washington State
WR Kevin Norrell – Stony Brook
C Ryan Turnley – Pittsburgh


text:
A massive student-housing community under construction on Tucson’s south side is fully leased and has a waiting list.

The Retreat on 22nd Street, between Park Avenue and Kino Parkway, is on track to open for the fall semester with 774 students in its 189 units.

The giant pool and weekend party bus are the big draws, University of Arizona students say.

Read the rest of this story Sunday, exclusively in the print edition of the Arizona Daily Star.


text:
Saturday, March 17, 2012

Preparing to move to India

There are a ton of things to be done when you are getting ready to move overseas. Our pre-departure checklist was pretty intimidating at first but we have been checking items off of it and it is starting to look like we may actually be able to get it all done without gouging each other’s/other people’s eyes out. Here’s what it looks like a with a little less than a month left before wheels-up:

1. Getting Max added to Paul’s travel orders – Check!

Somehow it was hard for various people at the State Department to understand that leaving for India without our one-year-old was not an option. It took about a year of going back and forth before it was finally done and we could move forward with everything else.

2. Medical Clearances – Check!

We had to just update Paul’s, Nia’s and mine and that was as simple as filling out a one-page form for each of us. Max was born after we had our med clearances done, so we had to start from scratch and get a full medical clearance for him. It took a couple of months and some nudging but it was ultimately done in time.

3. Diplomatic passports – Check!

It took a couple of weeks but not really bad. We all had to appear in person with our applications, so we had to do it on a day when Nia was out of school early.

4. Nia’s school registration – Check!

She is registered at the American Embassy School in Delhi, which everyone says is a terrific school and we are all looking forward to a smooth transition there even though we are arriving close to the end of the school year (end of May). It took a little paperwork but that’s to be expected. The school staff seems very helpful. We were able to transfer all the paperwork online without any issues.

5. Indian Visas – Check!

It took a couple of weeks but we finally got word yesterday that we got them, which is a relief because without them, we can’t get our housing assignment or our airline tickets.

6. Airline Ticket Reservations – Check!

Pretty straightforward except for an error we noticed yesterday. Somehow one of our cats “fell off” the reservation because they thought it was a duplicate. It took a few hours on the phone to get that straightened out.

7. Luggage – Check!

We needed suitcases for our checked luggage. The suitcases we had from before had disintegrated, so after doing some research online, Paul and I hit the stores today. Based on our research, we settled on the expandable, hard-side spinner variety. We came home with these:

Our understanding is that each of us is entitled to one piece of checked luggage free of charge (by the airline) and one more that we can get reimbursed for later. So we got 8 total.  The black and red ones are Jeep Radial 28", which cost $132 each on We bought them for $80 each at Burlington Coat Factory. The gray and navy ones are Revo Cycle 24", a brand we’d never heard of before but they were $41 each on clearance at Ross (compared to $103 each at and, so we decided to give them a try. We’ll have to see how they hold up.

It also became apparent that we needed new carriers for the cats because ours were the wrong size and material. Our old carriers were hard and the airlines wanted soft. Plus, we are flying two different airlines to Delhi (United and Lufthansa) and what do you know, they had different requirements for carrier size!!! It would have been much easier if they had the same requirements but that would be asking for too much, right? So we had to go with the lowest common denominator in terms of size and got 2 Bergan Comfort Carrier (small) at for $27 each. They look like this:

8. Business and social sponsors in New Delhi – Check!

These are the Foreign Service folks  that will meet us at the airport and help us adjust to life in New Delhi. They may do a little shopping for you before you get to post and answer questions about housing, shopping, logistics, services, culture, work environment, office attire etc. From what I hear, a good sponsor is worth their weight in gold when you are new in town.

9. Vaccinations – Almost Done.

  • Humans – almost done. We got ours at the FSI medical office and they are pretty good. They provide you with the country specific information and make recommendations but it’s up to you what you ultimately get. The kids needed 6 shots total. Paul and I needed 9 because we weren’t current on our shots. That’s a bunch of shots, so the med office broke them up into three appointments. We are done with the first two. We are getting things like Rabies, Japanese Encephalitis,  Typhoid, Hepatitis A and B (for Paul and I) and Yellow Fever. We are a little nervous about Malaria and Dengue Fever but were told that we’ll probably be fine in Delhi as far as Malaria is concerned and don’t need to take the preventatives because they have unpleasant to nasty side effects. There’s no Dengue fever preventative, so we’ve been told not to get bit. Easier said than done but I guess we’ll need to make sure we get plenty of bug spray and mosquito nets for everyone. Those of you that have experience living in Malaria/Dengue prone parts of the world, what do you use? I am specifically concerned about the little ones. If you know of a good AND safe bug spray, please let me know in the comments.
  • Cats - current with their vaccines. All we need for them is a final certification by our vet and the US Department of Agriculture that the cats have not gotten some sneaky disease within 10 days of our departure.

10. Final Hindi test – Scheduled.

No, we are not ready to take our final tests but we are more than ready to be done with them.

11. Pack-out – Scheduled.

Of course, it’s wonderful that our stuff will be packed and moved by professional packers but we still need to separate it into four categories, which is quite an exercise. The categories are:

  • Carry on and checked luggage that we take with us on the plane
  • Unaccompanied Air Baggage (UAB) –  up to 700 lb for a family of 4
  • Household Effects (HHE) – up to 7200 lb
  • Long-term Storage – up to 18,000 lb that we can leave behind here in the US

12. Consultations in New York – Scheduled.

Paul has to go to NY for two days of consultations. We scheduled them for the first week of April, which is after our Hindi tests and during Nia’s spring break, so Nia and I can tag along. Nia has never been to NY and I thought it would be nice for her to see it before we move overseas. If you have any ideas for cool stuff to see/do in NY for a 8-year old, please leave me a comment.

13. After-packout temporary housing – Kinda up in the air.

This is where we will stay for a few days (up to 10 allowed) after all our stuff is packed out. We talked to Oakwood Falls Church, which is five minutes from where we live right now but they didn’t have any two-bedrooms available, so we are on a waitlist there. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll either try to fit into a one-bedroom or look for something elsewhere.

14. Housing assignment – Up in the air.
Knowing where you’ll live and what type of space and furniture you’ll have is helpful when you prepare for pack out (remember those 4 categories in #11 above?) but that information is not always available before you get to post. You are given a housing questionnaire about 6 months before departure and you can express your preferences there but ultimately everything depends on what’s available at the time of your arrival at post. We want to be on the compound because it’s across the street from the school but so do others and only about 20% of the people in Delhi can fit on the compound. Those are usually people with kids and they tend to stay put until the end of the school year (end of May), so our chances are not great but hopefully we’ll get lucky.

15. Transit insurance – Working on it.

This is insurance for our stuff during transit. When we moved from Florida for A-100, we didn’t get it. We had a couple of damaged items. They weren’t anything major – a broken coffee table and a cracked bookcase – but you never know what may happen in transit. Plus, the distance is substantially more this time, so we have decided to get transit insurance. We got a quote from Clemens and are thinking about getting another one from Hirshorn. What do you guys do for transit insurance?

16. Selling the car – Working on it.

The car (van really) is not new or fancy but was great having it while we were in the D.C. area as we bought it cash and had no payments and it worked great for us. So far, we have posted signs on the car itself but they haven’t generated any interest yet. We need to clean it well, take some pictures and put it up on livelines, craigslist, facebook and at the FSI cafeteria. Hopefully, one of those will work. If not, we’ll have to sell it to CarMax, which is fine as a last resort but they won’t give us much for it.

17. Arranging for transportation to the airport – To Do.

We will have a ton of luggage in addition to the cats, kids, strollers, car seats etc. , so a normal car won’t work. We will either have to call a van or, as a friend suggested (Thanks, Amy!), a stretch limo and travel to the airport in style.

18. Shopping for stuff that’s not available in India or if it is, it’s insanely expensive – Nowhere near done.

When you are moving to a country that you haven’t even visited before it’s hard to know what you are going to miss, even if you’ve done your research and read all the post reports and talked to people that have lived there. We hear that pretty much anything we may need is available in Delhi these days but some things are 3-5 times more expensive. I know from several sources that I am a Bigfoot by Indian standards. Apparently,  8.5 is the largest ladies’ shoe size available there. I wear 9.5, so I just have to go shoe shopping. I don’t want to but I have to, so I will sacrifice. I am also told that ladies’ unmentionables are not the same quality as in the US, so that’s something else I’ll have to sacrifice for.  Some dry foods (cereal) and drinks (wine) are either not available, poor quality or very expensive but I am not quite sure what to do about those.  Our Costco membership expired recently and it doesn’t make sense to renew it now but I might tag along with one of my sisters-in-law for some necessities.

And yes, preparing to move overseas ain’t cheap. If you have a credit card with a good rewards program, now’s the time to use it. We recently got the amazon rewards credit card and are putting most of our pre-departure purchases on it. You are already spending money like it’s going out of style, you might as well get some points while you are at it (we can use our amazon points on pretty much anything later). Oh, we also have Amazon Prime, which we have enjoyed in the US for a couple of years but hear is nice overseas as well.

What am I forgetting? Any advice, please leave me a comment?

  1. As far as food available, I'm pretty sure that India is a little like China, you can find almost anything--for a price. Then again, since everything else is usually less expensive in India, you somehow don't mind paying $15 for a block of mediocre parmesan. A friend did say that she has a hard time finding dried black beans so if you use those a lot, might be worth thinking about.

    One thing I would say is that, if you are used to American style fresh fruits and veggies year round, put some canning jars in your consummables. At least in China, fruits are pretty seasonal and so it might make sense to can things. We're going to bring some to Delhi

    Bring American freezer bags, sandwich bags, grocery bags, plastic wrap, tin foil, ect. You can probably buy those things at the comissary but it will be much cheaper to buy them in bulk at home and the quality on the local market is nothing like what you are used to in the US. I laughed when my mother-in-law told me to pack in those things but she was so right!

    Indian OTC drugs are usually quite good compared to China but we realized quickly that we needed to start bringing some basic first aid with us in our luggage because, at least in China, you can't buy safe Advil or similar OTC meds on the local market. I guess since Delhi has a big med unit its not such a big deal, but its worth considering.

    This is a total luxury but consider packing your own sheets, washed at home in your luggage. I don't knwo why I thought to do it, but I did and I'm so glad. The sheets they gave us in Chengdu were clean but scratchy and smelled weird. Stripping the bed and putting our own sheets on made us feel like we were home from that very first night. Also, pictures! Put framed pictures of the kids and family members in your UAB, maybe even one or two in your luggage. They will go a long way towards making things feel homey before you get all of your stuff.

    Pack in liquids!! In China we have a lot more product safety issues than in India but even so, think of things like Listerine, do you like a particular kind in the US? Then pack it in! You may or may not be able to find it at the commissary but it will definitely be more expensive than buying it in bulk from Costco before you leave.

    Remember, you can ship just about anything to post via Amazon or zappos or if you need to (long live Amazon!), as long as it doesn't have lithium batteries, glass, or isn't liquid so, if space is at a premium, focus on those things that are forbidden through the mail. Things like clothes for the kids, they won't be able to try on before you buy them, but you can at least order them if you want to!

    Hope this helps! Can't wait to see you guys in a few months!!

  2. no advice, just totally excited for you!! You obviously have a great handle on everything and you will get through it all! Good luck!!

  3. We stayed here: They have bigger rooms for families, they fit under the govt rate (also check that you get an extra allowance that allows for bigger rooms then govt rate -- we did, but we didn't find out until we arrived in Manila!). It includes breakfast, and they have a late afternoon snack hour also included, they have parking (we asked that our car be picked up on the very last day we were there so we can still move around), they're across from the Pentagon City Metro, Pentagon City Mall (yay for last minute shopping!), one mile from Potomac Yard (Target -- believe me, you'll miss Target!), etc etc.

    Anyway, it's closed to everything, and even walking distance to the FSI shuttle from Crystal City.

    Oh, and most importantly, they take pets (we had a dog and a cat with us, and had no problems).

  4. Good luck! So excited for you.

  5. Nice post - good luck! I am checking out the cat carriers, as I need some soft ones anyway and have been too lazy thus far to do the research. Hoping United/Lufthansa lets me miraculously take two cats carry-on so they don't have to go cargo this summer... Best of luck with Hindi and shopping!

  6. Awesome post, Daniela! I am totally stealing your incredibly well organized list for my own!!

  7. I am so glad that you will be there for a year before us. I am counting on you to give me the "real deal"! It will be so much fun catching up and meeting Max. Morgan and Ewan say "hi" to Nia. I've been told to pack lots of my favorite toilet paper for Delhi. I guess their toilet paper sucks there.

  8. You ate on the way. See you there soonish.

  9. I love the pre-move organization! Tackling the shopping list, not so fun, but it will be done before you know it! Good luck! Cheers!

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text:
Tumbler Ridge signs new Peace River Agreement

Trent Ernst, Editor

The new Fair Share Agreement, called the Peace River Agreement was signed in Dawson Creek last Friday.

The agreement was hammered together over the last few months with Blair Lekstrom as chief negotiator for many of the local governments in the South Peace, including the District of Tumbler Ridge.

The new agreement will see $1.1 billion come to local governments in the Peace over the next 20 years, as well as an additional $3 million signing bonus this year to be split amongst the Districts who signed, and a $1 bonus for the Peace River Regional District, bumping the 2015 amount to $49 million.

This is in addition to the $1,890,105 the District has already received as their part of the 2015 fair share allocation.

“The new agreement will provide a permanent framework for municipalities and rural areas to plan for future needs and provide financial stability and certainty to residents of the region by providing to the local governments annual payments that recognize the lack of access to the industrial tax base in rural, unincorporated areas,” says a release from the Province. “These payments will ensure these local governments can continue to make the critical investments in local services and infrastructure over the coming years to maintain the region as a growing service sector for industry, including natural gas.”

The new agreement will see annual payments, starting at a base of $50-million starting in 2016 and carrying on for the next four years. In 2020, the rate will increase by two percent annually through to at least 2035. There will be two opportunities—in 2023 and 2031—to renegotiate the rate increase, as well as renegotiate a new base and annual rate of growth to take effect after 2035.

The amount of payments was of the most contentious issues for many local governments. The previous agreement saw the rate of money paid to the seven local governments in the Peace Region (Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd, Hudson’s Hope, Fort St. John, Taylor, Dawson Creek and Pouce Coupe,) starting at a base of $20 million per year, and indexed to industrial growth.

For 2015, that indexed value rose to $46 million. By 2019, when the previous agreement was set to expire, that value was expected to have risen to $75-million.

This was one of the biggest issues for the District of Taylor and the City of Fort St. John, saying that the municipalities will get about $24-million less over the next four years than under the previous agreement.

Ultimately, though, they chose to sign the agreement along with the other municipalities, saying they plan on re-opening the agreement once the province starts to receive taxes from LNG.

Funding comes from the Province as a lump sum grant to the Regional District. The Regional District in turn distributes the funds among the seven member municipalities based upon a very unique and adaptable distribution formula, which stays the same.

In its simplest form the distribution formula considers, on an annual basis, population, municipal assessment in Classes 2, 4 and 5 and unincorporated assessment in Classes 2, 4 & 5. The effect is that those municipalities with high population and servicing requirements, with little or no industrial tax assessment get the largest share of the funding and those municipalities with a large industrial assessment and relatively small populations get the smallest share.

With the mines closed Tumbler Ridge may stand to get more, though currently the mines continue to pay taxes as if they were still in operation. Because of its large municipal boundaries, Tumbler ridge has more access to industrial assessment than many municipalities.

Premier Christy Clark says that Northeast communities play a fundamental role in growing BC’s economy. “That is why we’re committed to making sure the region gets the long-term benefits of this growth in a way that provides certainty and stability.”

Mayor Don McPherson says that Tumbler Ridge has benefited from earlier versions of this agreement, particularly in times of economic struggle “We sincerely appreciate the continued steps taken by our provincial government and our regional partners in support of this agreement. The commitments made will continue to support the economic certainty of our region. These commitments will also strengthen our capacity for proactive and effective reinforcement and expansion of our municipal infrastructure.”


text:
The Memoirs of Colonel John S. Mosby

  • 23
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  • United States
  • English

More information

This is not a work of fiction! These are the actual memoirs of a legendary leader of partisans who bedeviled the Union army for years, almost within sight of the capitol. With only a few local men under command, John Singleton Mosby's ability to strike fast and then melt away before an effective pursuit could be organized kept the Yankee forces awake and often snarled in knots. With daring feats like capturing a Yankee general out of his bed within his defended headquarters, Mosby made his name a synonym for guerrilla warfare. Even today you can purchase in Middleburg, Virginia, a map showing "Mosby's Confederacy."
The mettle of the man may be judged by the enemies he kept. Said General Joseph Hooker, "I may here state that while at Fairfax Court House my cavalry was reinforced by that of Major-General Stahel. The latter numbered 6,100 sabres. . . . The force opposed to them was Mosby's guerrillas, numbering about 200, and, if the reports of the newspapers were to be believed, this whole party was killed two or three times during the winter. From the time I took command of the army of the Potomac, there was no evidence that any force of the enemy, other than the above-named, was within 100 miles of Washington City; and yet the planks on the chain bridge were taken up at night the greater part of the winter and spring."
Mosby outraged many of his Southern admirers after the war when he publicly endorsed General U.S. Grant for President. After an appointment as U.S. Consul to Hong Kong and a 16-year career with the Southern Pacific Railroad, he came to Washington as an assistant attorney in the Department of Justice. Loyal to the end to his commander, J.E.B. Stuart, Mosby also answered accusations that Stuart's grandstanding cost Lee the battle of Gettysburg.
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