Thursday, May 26, 2005

REO

Speedwagon's show at Arizona Pete's was awesome last night and the place was packed.

Thirtysome years and the band still "rocks".

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

5th and 6th Graders on Science

SCIENCE ANSWERS FROM 5TH & 6TH GRADERS

* The spinal column is a long bunch of bones. The head sits on the top, and you sit on the bottom.

* It is so hot in some places that people there have to live
in other places.

* Momentum is something you give a person when they go away.

* Mushrooms always grow in damp places which is why they look like umbrellas.

* The four seasons are salt, pepper, mustard, and vinegar.

* The alimentary canal is located in the northern part of Indiana.

* Thunder is a rich source of loudness.

* Some people can tell what time it is by looking at the sun, but I never have been able to make out the numbers.

* When planets run around and around in circles, we say they are orbiting. When people do it, we say they are crazy.

* One of the main causes of dust is DIRT.

* A monsoon is a French gentleman.

* To keep milk from turning sour, keep it in the cow.

* Genetics explains why you look like your father, and if you don't, why you should.

* Water vapor gets together in a big cloud. When it gets big enough to be called a drop, it does.

* There is a tremendous weight pushing down on the center of the Earth because so many people are stomping around there these days.

* The cause of perfume disappearing is evaporation. Evaporation gets blamed for a lot of things people forget to put the top on.

* You can listen to thunder and tell how close you came to getting hit. If you don't hear it, you got hit, so never mind.

(via e-mail from a friend)

Saturday, May 21, 2005

The Big Link

The Big Link for this week is here.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Very Proud Father

Jr. just came home with a grade of 90 on his Senior project that ensures he WILL be graduating high school next Friday night.

He picked Multiple Sclerosis to do his project on as his 24 yr. old big sister was diagnosed with the disease late last year and he wanted to learn more about what she would be going through in the years ahead. In his quest to learn more about the disease I think he has helped the whole family understand and come to grip with what Tree is facing.

Grades were:
Research Paper: 2.7 out of a possible 4
Product: 3.1 out of a possible 4
Speech: 3.7 out of a possible 4

Although he didn't get a grade on community service, he had to perform at least 10 hours of community service pertaining to the topic of his project, which he did for the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Greensboro.

His 10 minute speech was what worried him the most. Looking at the grades it must be what he worked on the hardest.

Very fine job Jr. and one proud papa!

Guess he's a large chip off the old block.

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't

Government auditors say that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) paid $31 million in disaster relief for Hurricane Frances, to 12,000 Florida residents who did not deserve the payments.

"FEMA did not adequately inspect homes and used a system of aid payments susceptible to potential fraud, waste and abuse".

What do you expect??

Hurricane Frances, coming 22 days after Hurricane Charley (which killed 27 and damaged 40,000 buildings) was the 4th costliest Hurricane in U.S. history, behind Andrew '92, and Charley and Ivan of 2004.

FEMA had to hire and quickly train 2,000 extra inspectors, who, needless to say, were probably still not very well qualified.

FEMA is charged with going into an emergency situation, (people with no shelter, food, water, clothing, electricity) and getting those people aid as quickly as possible.

Sure there are going to be some bogus claims. Hell, if they had to verify each and every one we'd still be down there verifying from Andrew in '92.

So what do you want??

If FEMA starts doing more inspections and verifying prior to giving aid, they will be criticized for taking too long in getting aid to the victims.

If FEMA does what they need to do to get the aid out more quickly, it becomes easier to defraud.

It's a no win situation.

Personally I think FEMA did a damn fine job in Florida, with 4 storms in 5 weeks.

The auditors evidently have 12,000 names of bogus claims paid. I suggest they contact these people, make them pay restitution or go to jail.

Then they can worry about other "systems of aid susceptible to fraud, waste and abuse", such as welfare, food stamps, Medicare and Medicaid.

"We See The Light"

It looks as though Tax Director Jenks Crayton will be re-instated at the County Commissioners meeting tonight, after more than a month of paid leave while a N.C. Dept.of Revenue investigation was taking place.

Seems that 4 of the 6 Democrat Commissioners that voted to place Crayton on leave have finally "seen the light", after their personal vendetta (second investigation) turned up no wrongdoing on Craytons' part.

It should have never gone this far after the first SBI investigation cleared Crayton, but with our partisan politics in Guilford County, the Democrats had to wage their own little war.

Let's hope that now they can stop all their childish bickering and bullshit, and try to do something good for the county.

Jenks, I'd keep one eye over my shoulder. Bruce and Skip have made you their target, and no doubt they'll keep shooting until they hit you.

Friday, May 13, 2005

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Jenks Crayton---What's Next??

The second investigation report is out.

After the SBI found no wrongdoings on Craytons part, the N.C. Dept. of Revenue presented its findings today.

The N.C. Dept. of Revenue found "no evidence of any wrongdoing by Crayton as it relates to his duties under the state's property tax statutes."

Isn't this what he has been saying all along?

Seems like our Democrat Commissioners have a burr up their ass when it comes to Jenks Crayton,(well 2 or 3 do but they always vote along party lines) and are trying their best to get rid of a tax director that consistently ranks at the top for tax collections in the state.

In the meeting where they voted to suspend Crayton until the second investigation was complete, Bruce Davis, Paul Gibson, and Kay Cashion with her index cards of notes, all said they have heard "serious accusations" against Crayton.

Not one wanted to come forward and discuss the accusations in public, or give Crayton a chance to respond, they just wanted an investigation and Crayton suspended.

So now Crayton has been cleared for the second time and the Democrats are not happy.

Now we can have a Democratic Commissioner Investigation of the Tax Department of Guilford County, North Carolina. Then they can spin it anyway they like and get rid of Crayton.

As I've said before, Crayton works at the will of the Commissioners. If they don't like him, why don't they fire him? Why spend taxpayer money and time on unnecessary investigations, or are you trying to make it not look political?

GOOD LUCK!

I just hope Crayton has the balls to sue you all for slander and defamation of character.

UPDATE: Sue from "Sues Place" was at the meeting today and has a good rundown of things.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Raise

Stupid me.

I always thought that a raise was a reward for a job well done.

Evidently not in this case.

You just have to have the power to give yourself one.

Let's hope our County Commissioners don't agree.

More on the raise here.

Saturday, May 07, 2005

Saturday

Saturday.

No work. 74 degrees. Beautiful sunny day.

Whatcha' gonna do? Work in the yard? Wash the car? Clean the house?

NOT!!

Then come on down to the Carolina Blues Festival in Center City Park, Greensboro NC.

The Matt Hill Blues Band, John Dee Holeman, Kenny Neal, The Holmes Brothers, and Michael Burks will all be there performing and will make for one great festival.

Saw Michael Burks at the Blue Bayou on Thursday night and his set alone will be worth the price of a ticket. The guy is just awesome.

Beer, wine, food will be there. They even have a kids area in which Abe Reid will be performing.

What better way to spend a Saturday?

I'll see you there. Just look for the old man wearing glasses with a goatee.
Hopefully in a vertical position, but with Jr. as the designated driver, who knows.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Will It Ever End?

With this happening and more to come, is there an answer?

Recently becoming unemployed myself, due to my printing job of 24 years "moving" overseas, I know how these people feel.

If we keep this pace up, pretty soon we'll all be working in grocery/fast food, for the government, or in healthcare.

Unless someone finds a way to ship the sick people out.