Monday, November 15, 2010

A Little Atmosphere in the Toilet

We’re getting ready for the holidays around my house. Holidays mean company. Company means one thing: break out the good towels! You know the ones I’m talking about- the ones that you or the kids are never, ever supposed to touch - the ones with the little monograms on them - the ones that are color coordinated with the guest bathroom.

We put out these towels when we are expecting guests, just like a lot of people do. I assume this is supposed to impress people – the fact that we have towels that we don’t actually use ourselves. Now I’ve become so well trained that when I’m a guest in someone else’s home, I’m very hesitant to use their towels. I really believe most people would prefer that their guests don’t wipe their hands on them and if you do, they probably talk about you after you leave;

“Harold, just come look at this bathroom!”

“What is it, Margie?”

“Just look at that! He actually wiped his hands on our good towels!”

“Incredible! You’d think he was raised in a barn. Better check the medicine cabinet and make sure he didn’t make off with my Viagra. You just can’t trust anybody that would use a guest towel! Better see if he flushed, too!”

I always feel a little guilty if I do dry my hands on someone’s guest towels. If I’m lucky or if my host has planned ahead, there will be another towel hanging around that I can use but more likely than not, I end up drying my hands on the shower curtain or the thighs of my britches.

I don’t understand why anyone would put something as utilitarian as a towel in the bathroom and then not expect it to be used but then women put a lot of things in bathrooms that they never intend for anyone to use. My wife has little bowls filled with soaps - soaps shaped like flowers or seashells or fishes. These soaps aren’t meant for hand washing after working on the old John Deere. Then there are the creams and lotions in the odd shaped little bottles that clutter up the sink and tub areas. These never seem to be used either. And of course, there are the candles – of every color, scent, and shape that a woman could ever imagine. Candles that we aren’t allowed to burn even at times when their fresh aroma could be useful.

I suppose women like these things because they are pretty and add atmosphere to the bath. Men don’t really understand the need to have “atmosphere” in the toilet but we generally go along with it. But I still don’t understand this towel thing. I’ll live with it unless it goes too far. The day my wife tells me I can’t use the guest toilet paper, I’m gonna stop putting the seat down for her.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Reader Suggests Solution for Helmet to Helmet Blows in Pro Football

Letters to the Editor
There is a hot subject in the current news about football that concerns how the game is played. This is the dangerous spear tackling characterized by hitting an opponent with the helmet aiming at his head and what can be done to stop the possible brain damage and carnage on football players.
The NFL has said that starting this Sunday (24 Oct. 2010) they will take measures against the offenders if they practice this barbaric, intentional act to maim an opponent. Some of the players will object because this will remove one of their weapons they use to try to win games. If they are more heavily fined or dropped from the team for multiple games, they will scream even louder.
There is a very simple thing that can be done by the officials which will put a stop to this practice in a single weekend and it will not affect the players’ livelihood by taking money from them in fines. All the officials have to do is to start imposing a 30 yard penalty against the team whose member uses the spear tackle.
A 15 yard penalty is obviously not sufficient to prevent the use of the spear tackle but I think the 30 yard penalty would be. This dangerous form of play appears to happen more often when an opponent gets onto the other team’s end of the field and especially when in or near the red zone. I think a 30 yard penalty would be effective at stopping intentional spear tackling because it would result in an automatic touchdown if it happens on a play starting 30 yards or less from the opponent’s goal line. Even further away it would greatly increase the opportunity to score a touchdown. This would immediately get the attention of the owners of the franchises because it would result in lost games and you can be very sure that they would take the necessary action to stop their players from ever using the spear tackle to stop an opponent.
If applied judiciously, It would become equivalent to throwing a boxer out of the ring for a low blow during a prize fight.
Sincerely yours,
Robert M. Mc Cully, Colonel (Ret. ) UFAF, V.C.
October 23, 2010

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Cutie & Sweetie

We have two new inhabitants in our house. You see, after an unfortunate accident, our “beloved” housedog “Buster” passed away and with a young child in our home, it was understood that a new puppy was required. And of course “Doctor Fred” our veterinarian just happened to have a passel of pups for sale in his waiting room. (I don’t think it’s much of a coincidence that Doctor Fred also sells used cars.)

Now before I would agree to another pet, I made my daughter promise that she would be responsible and take care of it. I actually made her swear on a stack of three Bibles, had my attorney draw up a contract for her to sign and made her spit on her hand before we shook on it. While she picked out a single puppy that struck her fancy, I paid the vet bill for the previously deceased Buster and then wrote another check for the puppy. Little did I realize that the check writing was just beginning.

As we took “the sweetest little puppy in the world” home, (my daughter’s words not mine) the pup promptly wet on my car seat. When we got home, my wife was waiting for us, still teary-eyed and a bit melancholy about Buster but she did make the best of it. As anyone with a new pet would do, we sat in the floor to play with “the sweetest puppy in the world” that of course immediately wet on the rug. I should have known that I was in trouble when my wife didn’t get upset at this or the other mess that “Sweetie” was strategically leaving around the living room. In fact, Tracy seemed unusually calm and that should have been a warning sign of things to come.

Even though it was like closing the barn door after the horse got out, my daughter & I took the pup outside. As we sat on the steps and watched for any “activity”, I whiled away the time pondering the absurdity of the theory of evolution, not upon religious grounds but upon a review of my current situation. I mean when you consider that man has evolved from hunters, gatherers and graphic cave artists to the state at which I found myself (waiting in the hot sun for a dog to do her business), it doesn’t really lend much support to Darwin’s Theories.

After twenty minutes of no activity, “Sweetie” was brought back inside where she promptly wet in the foyer just inside the door. As my daughter so cheerfully cleaned up the mess, I realized that my wife was nowhere to be found & neither was the checkbook. I checked the garage and her car was gone. Thinking positively I reasoned that she had gone to get some high powered puppy food for “Sweetie”. You know the kind I’m talking about; it costs more per pound than rib eye steak & has “all the vitamins, minerals & roughage to make your puppy big & strong & poop a lot!”

It wasn’t much later that she came in the door holding “the cutest puppy in the world.”
“Sweetie needed a companion.” She said, “and besides it’s no more trouble to keep two than it is one.” Now I’ve been married for 17 years and even as slow-witted as I am, I know there are some battles that I can’t win. I wasn’t even going to fight this one. Sweetie was excited to see her sister, so excited in fact, that she wet on the rug again. Cutie decided to make it a group activity.

After much debate and at least one roll of paper towels, Sweetie & Cutie became Roxie & Chloe. Now a trip to Wal Mart was required to fulfill the “little darlings” needs. This included five pounds of that puppy food, two color coordinated collars, half a dozen squeaky toys, chew sticks, pig ears, Vidal Sassoon Dog Shampoo or equivalent, puppy pads, doggie perfume, nail polish, air freshener, carpet cleaner and industrial strength paper towels (they’re in the automotive department). Fortunately we already had a pet carrier.

Now I’ve had dogs all my life but most of them were outdoor critters that slept on the porch and chased rabbits when the urge hit them. Roxie & Chloe or “Pee & Poop” as I call them aren’t ever going to make it outside. Why any self- respecting rabbit would either die laughing at the sight of them or try to nurse them. So we were going to have to house train Pee & Poop – errr Roxie & Chloe. Now I had once house-trained a border collie in one day so I figured this shouldn’t be too hard; a rolled up newspaper and sharp voice should take care of this in short order. I discovered that these dogs have very little in common with border collies!

The first night, I think there were 47 little presents left for us throughout the house & this was before bedtime. We finally got them in their cage and quiet around midnight. By four o’clock the next morning, I couldn’t take the whining anymore. I did learn that my wife could actually laugh in her sleep when I told her that she needed to get up & take the puppies outside. Being the good father that I am and knowing that a ten year old needs her sleep, I didn’t bother to drag out my contract with my daughter and wake her with the details of Article IV, Section 1-5 of the fine print. Fortunately, our nearest neighbor is a quarter mile away, so still half asleep, I just slipped on my wife’s bathrobe, grabbed the “little darlings” and took them to the backyard. Instead of taking care of business as they should, they proceeded to make a mad dash for the woods behind our house. Calling them did no good as they were as confused about their names as I was and as some of the names I was calling them were not appropriate for mixed company, it’s just as well they didn’t respond.

Now we have a lot of coyotes in our area and as I didn’t want to put my family through yet another grieving process, I decided I had better bring them back. I took off after them in an uncinched pink bathrobe and not much else. After ten minutes of stumbling through the mud & brambles not only had I lost the puppies but I had also lost the belt to the robe and most of my dignity. I decided to go back to the house and get properly dressed and equipped for a massive search effort. As I crawled out of the woods, there they were sitting on the porch looking at me with their heads cocked to the side as if thinking “What’s that idiot doing out there?”. I’m just thankful that God will forgive us for the use of foul language in times of stress especially between the hours of midnight & five A.M.

Upon bringing them back into the house, Pee & Poop (they’ve earned these names) proceeded to do just that on the living room rug. Knowing there wasn’t much sense in going back to bed, I spent the next three hours following them around with a paper towel in one hand and a rolled up newspaper in the other. I have to give my wife some credit for good judgment, as she never once had the nerve to ask me what happened to her bathrobe.

Later I learned that puppies don’t have much control over their bodily functions until they are twelve to sixteen weeks old and that smaller breeds like Pee & Poop can sometimes take as much as six months to house train. I think these gals are going for the record. My daughter is not so cheerful about cleaning up after them anymore and my wife has to feed them most of the time but the “little darlings” have become part of the family now. Oh, by the way, that contract I had with my daughter; I found a real good use for it at about four o’clock one morning.

This is an older story written several years ago. Roxie & Chloe are still with us. The pink bathrobe didn't survive.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The "Tuxedo Girl" is Baaaack!

I noticed in this week’s Clarion Ledger that “Tuxedo Girl” is back. If you remember last Spring, a high school senior in South Mississippi demanded to have her picture included in the yearbook – a reasonable expectation. She was a honor student, active in school organizations and apparently well-liked and well behaved. So what’s the problem? She only wanted her picture included if she could wear a tuxedo not the traditional gown that was expected and accepted by all other female students.

And her reasoning?

The young lady said she should get to decide how she looks in the senior photo. The school should have no right to enforce their stereotypical views of gender upon her. The student indicates that she doesn’t wear feminine clothing while attending school and that she shouldn’t be obligated to wear them in the yearbook. It is here that it should be noted that it is doubtful that she wore a tuxedo to class either.

The school policy (unwritten but certainly understood by all the other students at the school) is that male students wear a tux and female students wear a gown for inclusion in the yearbook. This student doesn’t claim to be male or suffer from gender confusion, so why is she determined to wear a tux?

Here’s a quote:

"I feel like I'm not important, that the school is dismissing who I am as a gay student and that they don't even care about me. All I want is to be able to be me, and to be included in the yearbook."

So it wasn’t a dress issue after all or even a policy issue – it’s a gay issue – a publicity stunt - designed to draw attention to herself.

Her treatment in the press at that time and by advocacy groups was decidely “pro-tuxedo.” NOW and the ACLU vowed support and threatened the school district with legal action if they didn’t capitulate. To their credit, the school district didn’t and “Tuxedo Girl’ didn’t appear in the yearbook.

Now, after the fame and publicity enjoyed by the gay teenager in North Mississippi who halted a school prom because of her threats against a school district, “Tuxedo Girl” has decided to file her own lawsuit against her school. She seeks unspecified damages and legal costs.

This is what her attorney from the ACLU said, “It’s unlawful to force students to conform to outdated notions about what boys and girls should look like without any regard to who they actually are as people.”

It really comes down to - who sets the standards? Do you accept my standards – Do I accept yours? Maybe Obama can set them for us or Pat Roberson. The ACLU is certainly trying to set some kind of standard for us but I’m not sure what gives them that right other than their deep pockets. Or maybe we should acknowledge that given these choices, there is a place in our culture for tradition, authority and historical precedent because that’s the best option we have.

I can’t help but believe that “Tuxedo Girl” is perpetuating a fraud upon the public by claiming discrimination due to sexual orientation when the issue has nothing to do with sexual orientation – all to obtain publicity.

“Tuxedo Girl’s” claim of discrimination is without a doubt – false. The school system did not single out this young woman and force her to dress differently or treat her differently from other students. She chose to single her self out – her choice.

The school system did not make an issue of her sexual orientation – only her gender. A policy that apparently sits well with all the other students. I’m sure there are some female students that are more masculine than others and some male students that exhibit feminine characteristics from time to time. These students didn’t deem it necessary to draw attention to themselves by dressing in the garb of the opposite sex for their yearbook photo – why not? – Because they didn’t have an agenda – they weren’t seeking attention.

Tuxedo Girl says she had a right to decide how she wishes to appear in the yearbook and that a gown did not represent how she dresses in her daily life. I doubt very seriously that a tuxedo is an accurate representation of her daily wear either. This young woman had a right to choose – whether to be included in her high school yearbook or not but she didn’t have the right (at the expense of others) to use a tradition and a right of passage to adulthood as a means of drawing attention to herself or her sexual orientation – no more than a student who demands to flash a gang symbol or wear an Atlanta Braves jersey or hold their deer rifle in their photo because in their mind it symbolizes who they are.

I have to say to Tuxedo Girl: “ Grow up a little and get on with your life. If you believe that your clothes define who you are, then you are going to have much bigger problems in life than a simple yearbook photo – and if you don’t want people to base their impressions of you upon your sexual orientation then I suggest that you not define your life that way.

As for NOW & the ACLU, I can’t help but wonder how solid their support would be if Tuxedo Girl had decided to add a little something else to her attire – like a ball cap with the slogan “Jesus Saves”.

W. McCully

Sunday, August 15, 2010

I Know What's Wrong with Pelosi, Reed & Obama

Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and President Obama are not real popular right now, even with a lot of the folks that put em in office. It seems like they're just unhappy folks in charge and misery loves company. Now I'm not going to talk any specific politics here. Lord knows there's enough of that out there on the news and Facebook and Twitter. I'm just looking at these folks at a personal level.

Just take a look at them; Obama always going around talkin about whose *ss he's gonna kick, Nancy looks like she swallered a sour pill and Harry, poor Harry, just can't seem to keep his foot outa his mouth.

I know there's a lot a stress in their jobs yet it looks to me like they create a lot of it themselves. But I know what's really wrong with em. I discovered it when I saw a picture of all three of em together. It becomes real obvious when they pose together at some bill signing that just cost us taxpayers - some umpteen trillion dollars;

They 're hungry.

Just look at em. This has got to be the skinniest bunch of leaders this country has ever seen. Nancy looks like one of them stick figures you draw when you're playing hangman, Harry looks like the scared school teacher, Ichabod Crane, in the Tale of Sleepy Hollow and heaven help me- the Prez looks like Jack Skellington in Tim Burton's Movie "Nightmare Before Christmas".

It's hard to make good decisions or be agreeable if you're hungry. Your ol' stomach's a growlin and maybe you got a little low blood sugar to make you a bit dizzy. Things might improve up there in Washington if we could just get these folks to eat proper- fatten em up a bit as my Momma used to say.

It's interesting to note that none of these folks are from the South where we know how, when, what and where to eat. I know they say we're the fattest folks in America and as to how unhealthy we are, but compared to the rest of the country- we do manage to get along better than most and if you look around, we've managed to control our state budgets better than them skinny folks out in California or them high-falootin sushi (we call it bait down here) & salad eatin socialites in New York. A little meat on your bones tends to make you calmer and more thoughtful in your decision making - you see the world with a little more ease.

Now I don't know exactly why these folks aren't eatin - maybe they've got some misplaced concern about their health or appearance but it's obvious it ain't workin for em. Nancy got access to all that fresh seafood at Fisherman's Wharf, Harry could probably eat free at any casino buffet in Las Vegas and the President has got his own personal chef. There ain't no excuse for them to be as skinny as they are. I can only assume it's the environment that they're workin in. I mean everytime I think about the stuff goin on in Washington, I lose my appetite too.

So maybe instead of fussin and cussin at em from a distance, we oughta invite em down here just for some real food. Governor Barbour who is more than qualified in the ways of Southern cookin, could invite them on the pretense of discussing the Gulf situation and then we could whisk them up here to Louisville for some good ol' fashioned fare. We all know Ms. Aline Haynes and a few others could throw a meal together to put anybody in a good mood. People just tend to be more pleasant when their bellies are full of fried chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, purple hull peas, fried green tomatoes and southern cornbread. Now - if you were to top that off with a slice of pecan pie and a serving of Alene Ingram's homemade ice cream, I guarantee them folks couldn't be anything but more agreeable.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Press Release from Congressman Gregg Harper

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Gregg Harper (R–Miss.) opposed two bills today that would lead to a halt in offshore drilling.

“As millions of unemployed Americans search for jobs, the White House and some Members of Congress are determined to advance regulations and policies that will put tens of thousands of those in the oil industry out of work,” said Congressman Gregg Harper. “The White House ignored industry experts, a federal judge, and pleas from Members of Congress when it issued yet another moratorium on deepwater drilling.”

To date, 14,000 deepwater wells have been drilled without any major issues. During the six decades of Gulf water drilling, thousands of wells have been successfully drilled.

H.R. 3534, the “Consolidated Land, Energy and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009” (CLEAR Act), would consolidate regulatory authority of federal mineral and energy resources into one entity. The bill would also create challenges for smaller, independent companies by lifting the liability cap on oil companies in the aftermath of an oil spill.

H.R. 5851, the “Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act of 2010,” would create whistleblower protections in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Harper said that these bills will simply increase costs on the petroleum industry and serve as a de facto moratorium putting more jobs at risk.

“Many of my constituents depend on the offshore oil industry for their livelihoods. During this time of economic uncertainty, our country does not need new policies that destroy jobs,” Harper added.

The oil industry employs tens of thousands of offshore drilling workers nationwide. These high-paying jobs account for $12.7 billion in annual wages. According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, there are 107,210 oil-related jobs along the Gulf Coast.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Marriage Interviews Should be Required

I spend a lot of time looking at the absurdities of life. We do and think a lot of things that don’t make sense. We idolize that Hollywood actor but we hold our nose at the guy who cleans our septic tank. Now which one do you think is more vital to your quality of life? We can all name the star quarterback for our favorite college team but how many of us can name the president of that same university? And we do this in almost all aspects of our lives. We don’t concentrate on what’s important and leave certain aspects of our lives to chance.

Best example; picking a spouse. Most employers wouldn’t dream of hiring someone for a long term position without an in depth background check and job interview yet we leave our choice of lifetime partners to chance. That’s why I think people should advertise for mates and do a detailed interview before even considering marriage. As women often have the most at stake, I think they should conduct the interview. As someone who has given this a lot of thought, I’ve developed some questions along with appropriate answers and not so good answers;

Q: What do you do for a living?
POSSIBLE CORRECT ANSWERS: Teacher, lawyer, plumber, welder, doctor, etc.
WRONG ANSWERS: telemarketer, “I’m between jobs right now”, ACORN Field Representative, Chief Safety Officer for British Petroleum.

Q: How long have you been on the same job?
CORRECT ANSWER: For six years. I’ve had two promotions and four raises since I’ve been there.
WRONG ANSWER: Since last Spring. You see I quit my job every Fall when hunting season starts and then I find me a new one every Spring. That way hunting don’t get in the way of my job. I figure that’s the only way to be fair to whoever you work for.

Q: Why do you feel that you would be good at marriage?
CORRECT ANSWER: I’m ready to settle down and build a future with someone I can love and respect.
WRONG ANSWER: Well, I’ve had a lot of experience.

Q: Do you like children?
CORRECT ANSWER: I’d love to have a couple of kids.
WRONG ANSWER: Rugrats? I’m crazy about em. Love to have 10 or 12 of em!

Q: Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
CORRECT ANSWER: I hope to have a home and family with a little money put away for retirement.
WRONG ANSWER: I’ve always dreamed of being a NASCAR driver, so I’m putting all my money into a car me & my buddies are workin on out back of the house.

Q: What’s your idea of a pleasant evening on the town?
CORRECT ANSWER: After a nice meal in a good restaurant, we might catch a movie or concert and spend the rest of the evening just talking.
WRONG ANSWER: Well, after the wrestling match, we’d grab a case of Old Milwaukee and a couple of bags of pork rinds and go down to the lake and have us a good ol time.

Q: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
CORRECT ANSWER: Well, I don’t mind being alone but I really like being around other people and being involved in lots of activities.
WRONG ANSWER: I’m not really into any of that kinky stuff.

This is just a sampling of things that you might want to know about someone before you enter into a long term relationship or a legal contract with them. Even under the best of circumstances, marriage is tough and without the proper thought and effort, that wedding ring can turn into a suffer-ring.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Blue Suede Toilet Seats

My family and I took a little trip back a few months ago. Spring Fever had set in and we needed to get away from yard work and chasing down income tax receipts. We decided to run up to Memphis and visit Graceland. My daughter has always been curious about Elvis and I thought she might enjoy seeing his home and memorabilia and we could buy a t-shirt or two.

If it’s possible, Elvis is more famous dead than he ever was alive. He’s everywhere and without a doubt the biggest money maker in Memphis. He’s probably still selling more records (CD’s for you younger folks) than most new artists which isn’t surprising considering the sad state of the current music industry. People are still fascinated by his life and music and as a tourist destination; Graceland must rival the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.

But I have to say that I was disappointed. For eighteen bucks a person, you get a bus ride across Elvis Presley Boulevard, a digital recorder and headphones to hang around your neck instead of a tour guide and the opportunity to stand in a crowd of hot, sweaty people; many of whom speak in a foreign language (strangely enough, mostly Northern European) and be herded through the mansion and grounds like livestock at a sale barn. I kept waiting for them to bring out the cattle prod for the older couple in front of us who kept holding up the line because they couldn’t get the lens cap off their camera. The highlight of the tour for my daughter was when the security people watching through surveillance cameras would say “Thank you – Thank you very much.” As they cautioned people to not lean over the railing or attempt to touch the displays.

Now I love Elvis. It’s hard not to love Elvis. It’s a rags to riches story of a young man who changed not only American culture but was a worldwide cultural phenomenon as well. His story has all the pathos and tragedy of any good made-for-TV movie. But what’s been done to his memory is even more tragic.

Elvis has become like Sponge Bob. He’s everywhere. His image is on everything from clocks to cell phone covers. He is an A-number one marketing tool because people just can’t seem to get enough of him. The souvenir shops across the street from Graceland are loaded with everything Elvis. Products range from bobble heads to put on your dashboard to recipe books with “Hound Dog Chili Dogs” and 101 variations of the peanut butter and banana sandwich. I half expected to find “Elvis Hunk-A-Burnin Love Condoms” and “Now or Never Chocolate Laxatives” behind the check out counters.

Something just seems inherently wrong about using Elvis in this way. I felt slimy after the whole experience, like I needed a bath. Granted, Elvis was marketed during his whole career and he wasn’t necessarily known for his good taste. He also didn’t die in the most dignified manner. I think that’s God’s way of reminding us not to get too big for our britches (literally and figuratively). But for his family to license his image for the most inane products isn’t something that should sit too well with his true fans.

I don’t think I’ll go back to Graceland anytime soon. It just tarnished Elvis’s memory for me and I don’t really need another “Blue Suede Toilet Seat”. I’ll just try to hold on to a more pleasant memory of the Elvis that use to be while I’m singing “Don’t Be Cruel” in the shower and using my Kentucky Rain Shampoo, Love Me Tender Conditioner and my Elvis soap on a rope.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Congressman Greg Harper on CMS Appointment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC – The White House is at it again. This time the President has used a recess appointment to fill the top vacancy at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The President is ignoring the Constitution and the American people in the middle of a critical election year.

Some Washington insiders have defended the President, claiming that “Republicans in Congress [had] made it clear in recent weeks that they were going to stall the nomination as long as they could, solely to score political points.” Considering the Democratic leadership never called a hearing on the President’s nomination, Republicans were never afforded a chance to delay his confirmation. To boot, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus voiced his concern that public questioning was removed saying, “Senate confirmation of presidential appointees is an essential process prescribed by the Constitution that serves as a check on executive power…”
And what about the President’s pick? Dr. Donald Berwick has publicly knocked the free market and supports rationing as a cost control mechanism. Dr. Berwick will oversee an $803 billion budget at CMS and is responsible for implementing the bulk of the overreaching “Affordable Care Act.” His responsibilities will only grow under this new health care law as the CMS administrator has be tasked with reducing Medicare benefits nearly $523 billion. Yet Members of the U.S. Senate, both Republican and Democratic, were denied the opportunity to question Dr. Berwick regarding his plans for steering this federal agency.

This appointment comes amid the White House’s campaign to sell their new health care law. The Administration has used taxpayer money to mail 4 million postcards to small businesses and millions of dollars touting a $250 Medicare rebate check that only 1 in 10 beneficiaries will ever receive.

While the President may have dodged a painful Senate confirmation process, this recess appointment has brought new light to the health care debate, reminding concerned citizens of just how damaging this law could be. Mississippians deserve to know that the current health care law will result in lost coverage, raise taxes, cut Medicare and create a new government entitlement program.

For someone who has claimed to be “committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government,” the President sure has spent a lot of time telling just one side of the story.
So I ask the President: Why aren’t you being open about the 87 million Americans who could lose access to their current health care plan under the “Affordable Care Act?” Why aren’t you advertising the $569 billion in new taxes as part of your health care campaign? Why aren’t you promoting the $523 billion in reduced Medicare benefits in the mailing to seniors about rebate checks? And why do you continue to hide behind procedural gimmicks to avoid public reckoning for someone appointed to control a bureaucracy whose budget is larger than 15 of the world’s economies?
If the President were focused on real solutions to control the cost of health care, he would embrace Republican proposals that would lower health care premiums by up to 20 percent compared to the Democratic Members’ plan.
Of course, the White House will defend Dr. Berwick’s appointment and the taxing “Affordable Care Act.” But if the President should opt to show his commitment to transparency in government, he can start with confirmation hearings for his appointees.
For more information, visit www.harper.house.gov.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Immigration - at the Basic Level

You have worked all your life and built a nice home. It's comfortable, fits your needs and you feel safe sitting in your living room or working in your backyard. One day, a man from a neighborhood a few blocks over takes a short cut through your yard. It upsets you a bit and you grumble to your next door neighbor but that's about it. Soon he has worn a path in your well manicured lawn and occasionally grabs a deck chair and once even took a steak off the grill as he passed by. You call the Cops who sympathize with you but explain that they are really too busy chasing real criminals to put any effort into catching this guy.
One day you come home to find him rummaging through your refrigerator and medicine cabinet. This time when you call the Cops, they don't even bother to come as the decision was made to no longer enforce trespassing or breaking and entering laws in your town. The man is pleasant enough as he provides a list of groceries and medical needs that you should pick up for him because he's going to be staying in your spare bedroom for the forseeable future. And since he is now considered to be a resident of your home, if the need arises, you are responsible for putting him on your health insurance and supporting him until he can find a job.
You continue to complain to police and the mayor who sometimes sympathizes with you but never seem to do anything. All your efforts have now caught the attention of the folks who live up the hill in the fancy gated community. Without bothering to discuss the situation with you, they use the local newspaper as a platform to explain why this guy deserves to live in your house and you should be proud to provide for him. When you write a letter to the newspaper editor asking why the man can't live with the folks in the gated community, he refuses to publish it as it is too imflammatory. During this whole situation, you have been subjected to ridicule for your selfish, uncaring and even racist attitude.
In an attempt to be understanding, you ask the man why he wants to live in your house when you know he has one of his own. He simply explains that your house is so much more comfortable and in a safer neighborhood. Life is just so much easier in your neighborhood and besides his kids are out of control at his house and he can't do anything with them.
Throughout this whole situation, financially things are getting tough. You are no longer able to save for retirement or your kid's college fund as you must pay for not only your family's expenses but those of your new house guest. Soon it becomes obvious to you that something has to change or in the near future, you may have to let the house go back to the bank and then no one will have a decent place to live.
Over the years, the immigration issue has become very convoluted by politics and sometimes by legitimate debate. But when you actualy break it down to its simplest level, the obvious situation surfaces.
Obama's administration plans to sue Arizona over its immigration law stating that it is the Federal government's responsibility to set immigration policy. Apparently it is the Obama Administration's "policy" to not enforce existing immigration laws already on the books. To add insult to injury- the planned lawsuit was announced not by official letter to the authorities in Arizona or even in a national press conference but by the Secretary of State while on a visit to Ecuador.
Meanwhile many areas of federal land in Arizona are off-limits to our citizens for safety issues due to the illegal human and drug trafficking and the violence such activities bring to these areas. So in effect Mexican drug lords are controlling parts of our country. There seems to be very little concern in Washington over this invasion of American soil.
It is very obvious that the administration's actions are steeped in some strange brew of liberal politics, elitist guilt and practical ignorance and not in its constitutionally ascribed responsibility of law enforcement. If a fraction of the money, time and effort that will be spent on a lawsuit against the state of Arizona was actually spent on border enforcement in these federal lands, maybe taxpayers could actually enjoy the use of these areas that they pay taxes to the federal government to maintain.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

News By Facebook?

Peabody is a small community nestled in amongst the low rolling hills and small creeks in central Kansas; 1400 souls including cats and dogs. Most folks are retired, farm or make the hour long drive down to Wichita to work everyday; patriotic, hard-working, conservative folk.

I do consulting work for the county that includes Peabody and as I visited with a county official this week, I heard the story that had people in the area, across the state and even across the nation in an uproar. The small cemetery on the edge of town had been vandalized over the Memorial Day weekend. Much like people in our area, the residents are very patriotic and hold the military in high respect. Every Memorial Day, The American Legion displays an avenue of flags in the cemetery. Many are casket flags given to family members who loan them for the weekend for the display and then are returned. Sometime over the weekend, several flags were ripped down and torn apart.

Like most small towns without a daily source of information, the story spread by word of mouth, at the coffee shop, church meetings and down at the local co-op. Some flags became 20, and not only were they torn apart but put in a pile and urinated on. To make matters worse, local law enforcement knew who was responsible but had no intention of pursuing the offenders as they were children of some prominent citizens. People became outraged and some expressed their outrage on Facebook. Some area newspapers picked up on the story without verifying all the details. The story grew and grew and spread by Facebook as far away as California and Georgia. The idea of a protest developed; a rally to show support for our military and to protest the inaction of local officials. There were even threats of violence if the wrongdoers weren't caught and punished. Groups from outside the area announced plans to attend the rally.

All the attention began to split the community as many didn't want the bad publicity for their town, suspicions mounted among neighbors, and accusations flew against the town officials and law enforcement. The situation was getting out of hand-mostly due to a Facebook post and idle gossip.

After two weeks, the truth began to emerge as the Sheriff discussed the matter with responsible media and the individual who made the Facebook posts. Yes, flags were desecrated, nine of them. They were torn from their poles and cut or ripped apart. They were not piled and urinated on. There were several suspects, juveniles and young adults and the investigation was on-going and those responsible would be punished to the full extent of the law. Unfortunately, all the rumors and threats had caused many who may have had information to hesitate in providing it and therefore had slowed the investigation.

Over the last few months, as part of the launching of WWN, I have monitored Facebook closely. It's a good tool used to keep track of friends and share information. But in and of itself, it is not a reliable source of news content. Not too long ago, I watched a story that we first provided in the area take on its own life on Facebook. The firing of a pistol into the air went from an exchange of gunfire to vehicles damaged by gunfire to finally a double homicide. None of which were true. Now I'm certain that the inaccuracies were not malicious and the people who posted them believed in their source of information and no real harm was done. But sometimes, rumors and half truths can be damaging just as it was in Peabody, Kansas. A community has been divided and law enforcement's job in proving a case against the offenders has become more difficult. Just something to think about the next time you forward content that doesn't come from a legitimate news source.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Children & Technology

Technology is one thing in our world that cannot be stopped or controlled in many ways. Whether we like it or not, the children of today are growing up in a world that is surrounded by different technological devices. I have been to restaurants, nice restaurants with table side service, not your typical fast food joint, and seen a nice family sitting together at a table. As I approach the table I almost immediately take note to how well behaved the two children are acting. When I pass the table, I turn and glance to see that the children are both playing handheld video games. Maybe my family is “old fashioned” in that there is no technology allowed at the dinner table. The television goes off and no cell phones are answered, unless there are extenuating circumstances of course. I am calling out the parents today; have a true family dinner with your children every once in a while. Make it something that is family centered. I have heard a statistic on some television commercials that states families who eat dinner together are more likely to stay together. This meaning the children are more likely to become happy, healthy adults who lead drug free lives. By the term "family dinner" I do not mean that the mother goes into the kitchen and spends most of the afternoon and into the evening preparing an immaculate spread on the dinner table. Let's be realistic. This type of setting may be nice to imagine, but does not happen in most families today. A family dinner can be a bucket of chicken or a carton of take-out. It's a family who sits around the table and converses with each other. Growing up, these were some of the best memories I have of my family. Create the same for your children. Take away the video games, turn off the television, and let the voice mail pick up the calls. Take forty-five minutes to hear what your children have to say. I guarantee you will not forget those times and neither will they.

Sarah Peeples

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Sid Salter on Arizona/Mexico & Immigration

Sid Salter comments on the Mexican President's reaction to the new Arizona Immigration Law in the Clarion Ledger - read it here.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Say a Few Words Over 'em

(This commentary also seen on "Cornbread & Potlikker" Blog)
May is the month of memorial. In this part of the country, many people return to the churches of their roots to pay respect to their ancestors. My family does the same. Our history is long in Winston County and my mother’s family has an ancestral plot that dates back to the mid 1800’s. There is something comforting about walking through this cemetery and reading the gravestones of the people that came before you. Not only are the names and dates meaningful but many stones have quotes or Bible passages that were appropriate or near and dear to that person.

In the Deep South, almost all epitaphs are of a religious nature; providing comfort to those left behind but not really telling us much about these people. Were they kind or cruel? Did they lead happy lives or did they meet their end in some unfortunate way? In other parts of the world, epitaphs can be a bit more colorful. Some people utilize humor when dealing with death and write their own epitaphs probably to the chagrin of the remaining family. For example, on a grave marker in England:

“On the 22nd of June~
Jonathan Fiddle ~
Went out of tune.”

Or in a New Mexico Cemetery:

“Here lies Johnny Yeast
Pardon me for not rising.”

Or

~ ANN MANN ~
”Here lies Ann Mann
Who lived an old maid
But died an old Mann.
Dec. 8, 1767”

It’s not difficult to recognize when the deceased didn’t choose their own inscription: the choice often left to someone that probably wasn’t too fond of the person that was just interred. Examples include a grave stone in Nova Scotia:

Ezekial Aikle
Age 102
The Good Die Young.”
Or

~ ANNA PERRY ~
”The children of Israel wanted bread
And the Lord gave them manna
Parson Perry wanted a wife
And the Devil gave him Anna!”

Some epitaphs provide too much information as to the method of death of an individual:

“He died at a public gathering
When the platform
Suddenly gave away.”

Or

~ ANNA HEPEWELL ~
”Here lies the body of our Anna
Done to death by a banana
It wasn’t the fruit that laid her low
But the skin of the thing that made her go!”

Or

“Here lies Lester Moore
Four slugs from a .44
No Les No More.”

My favorite story is a tale of a neglected gravestone in a grassy cemetery. The original inscription was thoughtful and perhaps appropriate:

"Pause, stranger, when you pass me by,
For as you are, so once was I.
As I am now, so will you be.
Then prepare unto death, and follow me."

However someone had decided to add a few lines and had scratched this below:

"To follow you I'm not content
Until I know which way you went!"

All of this probably doesn’t matter a great deal but if you want to be remembered well, you should live your life well. When you think about it, not only do your children choose your nursing home, they also might have a few choice words to remember you by.

Rick Cleveland on the disturbing trend in college basketball

Both Mississippi State and Ole Miss have seen defections from their basketball programs in the last few days. Some kids may have legitimate reasons for their actions but most have taken bad advice or simply have an inflated opinion of their abilities. Rick Cleveland of the Clarion Ledger gives his take on the situation.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Is There Such a Thing as Govt Subsidized Free Press?

The traditional media is having a hard time these days. The big three (ABC, CBS, NBC) are struggling financially as well as almost every major newspaper in the country. Most of them are blaming the internet, cable news- especially Fox and the changing habits of Americans. I contend that none of these things will kill traditional news outlets. I believe they are committing suicide.

When I was a kid, I remember watching the evening news almost every day with my Dad. In our house, it was the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. This was during the time of the Vietnam War and the race to the moon. There was a sense that you could trust Mr. Cronkite and more importantly that the information presented was accurate and without any major attempt to sway your opinion. It was just the news and you took from it what you would. The important stories of the day were covered, onsite with reliable sources. I often recall Dan Rather reporting from the jungles of Vietnam donning a military helmet and surrounded by young soldiers.

Today’s major media outlets have very little in common with their predecessors. The majority of news today is fluff and any serious news is presented with a slant too steep for some to climb. As an example, let’s look at the first four stories on NBC’s news website today:

Karl Rove’s interview about the Republican Party’s attempt to “repeal, replace and reform” the health care bill. – ok – I can buy that one.

The NFL’s change in overtime rules for playoff games.

Ben Stiller’s interview to promote his new movie.

Do cheating spouses deserve a second chance?

75% fluff – no stories on the economy, Afghanistan or Iraq, the war on terror, the situation with Israel or the turmoil in Mexico. No stories on the financial crisis facing most states and municipalities, unemployment or detailing the health care bill so we can understand what we are facing as citizens and taxpayers.

Anybody can do fluff. It doesn’t take much knowledge, money, effort or investigative skills to interview Ben Stiller. Even stories involving politics have deteriorated into interviews of talking heads and creating arguments over political methods rather than serious discussion of policies and their consequences.

And by buying into and slanting news stories toward a political ideology and perhaps more importantly failing to report news stories that don’t favor the ascribed ideology; the national media has alienated half of its potential market. Couple this with their feeble attempts to pass off fluff as news when other media outlets are so much better at the process (National Enquirer, OMG and TMZ, etc) and it becomes easy to see why they are failing.

In the past when an industry was in trouble, those who couldn’t or wouldn’t adapt disappeared and a new and usually better competitor entered the market. Today’s major players don’t seem to believe that the free market should apply to media. They don’t want to spend the money and effort to improve their news coverage and they certainly don’t want to admit that their often slanted coverage is driving away viewers and readers in droves.

What do some of them want? Government assistance - Bailouts. Within the past year, Media figures such as Dan Rather have asked President Obama to form a White House commission on public media to help “save” the industry from corporate and political influences that are dumbing down and sleazing up the news. He argues that a free press must be protected and supported by the government and that the media should not just be a money –making enterprise or journalists will continue to lose their jobs.

Others are quietly pushing for government subsidies to keep news outlets – especially major newspapers afloat because given their current practices, they are not financially viable.

In the past year, we have had either government takeover or extreme regulation of the financial markets, auto industry, education through student loan takeovers and now the health care industry. We now have a press, as a result of its own poor business practices, moral decay and adherence to political ideology that has begun to falter. And much like the corporations that were deemed “too big to fail,” they believe themselves “too important to fail”.

The thought of a government commission and government subsidies to aid the continuation of the “free press” is perhaps the biggest threat that faces our nation - bigger than health care issues, economic bankruptcy and Al Qaeda. The fact that such ideas are even suggested in a free society is stunning and deeply troubling.

The free market is the only method to maintain a “free press”. Those who adapt, correct their methods and make the tough decisions should survive while those who don’t should go the way of the dinosaur. Support your local media such as those that WWN link to everyday and hold them accountable to a journalistic standard and let’s hope that on a national scale that the marketplace will lead us to an efficient, ethical and free press.

William McCully

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Lindsay Who?

I believe Lindsay Lohan's publicist informed her that maybe her career wasn't going so well and it might be time to stir the Hollywood cauldron a bit. Maybe a new movie role, try her hand at the stage or even a guest spot on some TV sitcom? Nope - she's got a better idea.

Let's sue E-Trade!!

It seems that Dear Lindsay puts her stardom up there with the likes of Oprah, Madonna and Cher. In her mind - she is so famous that she basically has a copyright to the name "Lindsay" and the financial trading company had the audacity to use her moniker in one of their "Baby" ads.

You know the ads- talking babies discussing their investments and how easy it is to invest through E-trade. In the specific commercial, a baby boy is apologizing to his girlfriend for not calling her the night before. The girl baby asks if "Lindsay" the milkaholic wasn't over at his place. Lindsay, the baby girl pops onto the screen at about this time and says "a Milk-a -What?'

Ms. Lohan is seeking $100 million dollars in damages and wants the commercials off the air.

Lohan's lawyer claims that E-Trade is not only using her name w/o permission but also her characterization - in other words that milk-aholic baby is a pretty accurate description of Ms. Lohan. It would normally be at this pont that I would sarcastically say " I'm sure her Momma and 'em are so proud!" - but unfortunately I'm afraid they probably are.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Hodge Podge

I just read a letter to the editor of National Geographic concerning the controlled harvesting of redwood trees in California. This reader was opposed to the controlled cutting of these trees which is a legitimate position to take. However his solution was a bit hard to swallow; there wouldn’t be any need to cut these forests if we just reduced the world’s population by three quarters. I noticed that his letter didn’t contain an offer to be the first in line for “self-reduction.”



FYI Documentation obtained by Judicial Watch show that over a two year period as Nancy Pelosi served as Speaker of the House, she has used military aircraft for her travel at a cost of $2,100,744.59 – including $101,429.14 for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol. This averages a bit over $87,500 per month.





Like almost every state in the Union, Mississippi is facing a budget crisis. There is a great deal of debate about where, how and even if cuts be made in state budgets. The figures keep moving and I’m not even sure what the shortfall is going to be, but I thought I might throw out some interesting statistics for us all to consider: Mississippi’s 2010 budget for state funds is roughly 4.9 billion. Over 70% of those funds come from sales tax and state income tax. The tobacco tax and the gaming tax (on casinos) each only provide about 3.5% of the funds available. This 4.9 billion dollar figure does not include federal funds provided to the state.

Where’s this money spent? More than 62% of the revenue goes to education in Mississippi (includes k-12 and higher education) Only about 5% each goes to Corrections and hospitals. Roughly 8.5% goes to welfare programs and over 7% goes to pay the interest on state debt. ( About 55% of the federal funds provided to Mississippi is used for Medicare/Medicaid)