dogggggggg

His blog will close...

2004-08-12T05:33:00.000-04:00

yep it's true... dogggggggg's blog will close in a day or so... it will reemerge somewhere else within the Blogspot domain... but this site is tired... it's been interesting and informative... sometimes people can't go on with their lives... they seem stuck in the past in a place they do now want to be on their way to a place they cannot go with people who don't want to go there with them... pretty much what you do is take the lessons you learned- grab up the people you love and move on... it's perhaps a hard thing to do for some and easier for others... I may not know much, but I know moving on is best.. wishing for something that could not be is a waste of time and emotion... so let's just move onward and upward... Chris.. I love ya babe... thanks for the suggestions on the blog... I will tote em to the next one... let's go play... C'est la vie to the rest of you...

* cries

2004-07-20T11:04:00.000-04:00

We accept responsibility for children who put chocolate fingers everywhere, who like to be tickled, who stomp in puddles and ruin their new pants, who sneak popsicles before supper, who erase holes in math workbooks, who can never find their shoes.
And we accept responsibility for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who never "counted potatoes," who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead, who never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world.
We accept responsibility for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who sleep with the dog and bury goldfish, who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money, who cover themselves with Band-aids and sing off-key, who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink, who slurp their soup.
And we accept responsibility for those who never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them die, who can't find any bread to steal, who don't have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, whose monsters are real.
We accept responsibility for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse out the tub, who get visits from the tooth fairy, who don't like to be kissed in front of the car pool, who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone, whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry.
And we accept responsibility for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who never have seen a dentist, who aren't spoiled by anybody, who go to bed and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move but have no being.
We accept responsibility for children who want to be carried and for those who must, for those we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance.

Ok... so it seems to have been awhile...

2004-07-19T03:18:00.000-04:00

well I could offer a bunch of excuses for not being here- well I mean at my blog post... most of which would be somewhat true, but excuses just the same... let's just see if we can't do better... VBS is over and for that I am say... for some, it was a chance for a young person to come to know Christ... for others, it was a week of seeing young people look inside and check up on their relationship with Christ... for me, it was a chance to see yet again that God is the utmost as he worked a group of about 25 adults hard and gave them rewards that will never tarnish... I can't wait until next year...

Has it been a MONTH???

2004-07-14T17:33:00.000-04:00

soooo. I see it has... and that's a shame... a bit busy, but that is no reason for my slackness here... the weather down in JawJa is intense... heat index of 104 today... and we have VBS this week... gotta keep those kids hydrated while they are outside... gimme 45 degrees again... please???...
watched rescue workers drag a guy out of a ditch after it collapsed on him today... he was one happy guy... short words today... will do better on another day... be well all...

Has it been a MONTH?????

2004-07-14T17:25:00.000-04:00

Has it been a month since my last post???

2004-07-14T17:22:00.000-04:00

Has it been a month since my last post???

2004-07-14T17:10:00.002-04:00

Has it been a month since my last post???

2004-07-14T17:10:00.001-04:00

Has it been a month since my last post???

2004-07-14T17:10:00.000-04:00

Thursdays are kind of aggravating...

2004-06-17T05:44:00.000-04:00

They make me a little angry... the week is still holding on... it's claws dug deep into my arm... I can look at the weekend... taste the freedom it promises... but I am still in the throes of the workweek... Wednesday is gone... God allowed Derrick from Victory Baptist College incredibleness from the pulpit... stones- such a simple topic, but what a lesson God permitted... a buddy of mine, Adam, made me do the Snoopy happy dance by finding my camera lens in the church parking lot... seems in my haste to snap a picture of the church kids heading to camp Monday, I laid aside the lens... drove myself crazy hunting it... he's a lifesaver... now, I can see Friday through the haze... it's getting closer... Fridays the day that slams the door on a week of work, the wind it creates sliding us to the weekend...

I have a question...

2004-06-16T07:26:00.000-04:00

OK... so I may be able to write and take a photo... but about computers I am a bit lacking... so I want to know... what is the best type of connection to have to the internet???... there seem to be a whole lot of variations... just wondering... happy Wednesday...

Back in the saddle...

2004-06-15T12:43:00.000-04:00

OK... this will be a quickie... just to get back into the stream of blogging things down... I have been AWOL for a bit... busy with work...

www.mcduffiemirror.com ...

is where I spend a lot of my words... you'll have to root around for my articles... but they are there... now about all these internet hoaxes... there is a place set up to enlighten us about this foolishness...

www.snopes.com ...

there they have a search engine... simply type in a keyword... I did it when researching the PERFUME SNIFFING garbage I received... I got these two links...

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/perfume.htm

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/robbery/perfume.htm

they both originated in 2001 or thereabouts... so that one has been around fooling people for quite awhile... anyhow... now ya know... let's get to it...

This just might be a....

2004-06-02T08:23:00.000-04:00

multiple blog day... dunno for sure... too early to tell... but I am feeling bloggy... last night I had the privilege of attending an event unprecedented as far as I know... I got the joy of watching three girls accept honors for their involvement in the Girl Scouting program... now the fact they would be honored is proof they deserved it... but their accomplishment was even greater... the three had been involved with scouting for 12 years... 12 !!!! ... today that is unheard of... with the pressure society puts on young ladies to not be a stick in the mud, it is a testimony to the courage of these girls to say BUMP THAT... this is what I want to do and am GOING to DO... add to that the demands of school and boyfriends and jobs and... and... and..... these three graduated from high school a few days ago... and now they have been honored for something which is probably just about as important... dedication to a thing one believes in... see... they aren't all ON DRUGS... way-to-go girls... keep on keeping ON........

It was Memorial Day... I remembered and I DROVE !!!!!!!!

2004-06-01T07:34:00.000-04:00

I spent most of the night filing stories and writing other nonsense. Should have slept, but couldn't. It's just a me thing I guess. I could probably drop off for an hour or two now, but HEY !!!!!... this is THE BLOG... gotta' get this done. Besides, I have something to say. Like that has ever been a problem.

Yesterday was Memorial Day... I thought of our Veterans and those who had fought and died and are serving and dying for our country this very day. Throughout the day I was often reminded that I was enjoying so many things because of what they had done and what they were doing.
I also rode around looking at things. Then headed to the lake. It is close to a 15-mile ride. It was a beautiful day and I thought a picture or two of people doing Memorial Day things would be in order. I'm a newsman. That's what we do.
On my way to the lake, I had the air-coditioner on... nice and cool. Popped in U2's greatest hits and hit the road. The sound inside the car was great. I really admire U2. Their songs are thoughtful... many are about the way things should be or could be.
Shortly after I started, a song came on. The song seemed to beg me to roll down the windows. Crank up the music and DRIVE. I did just that... rewound the song... cranked it up as loud as I could and locked the cruise control on... mmmmmm... let's just say locked the cruise control.
The song ended and I hit replay. It played again and I did it again and this time knew most of the words... and it hit me. You see... I tend to apply music the way I see fit. This song spoke very loudly to me... and I screamed the lyrics very loudly.
As I went around with my errands, I listened to it repeatedly, letting the words talk to me, and applying them to where I want to be one day…

I wanna run
I want to hide
Yeah I want to tear down the walls
That hold me in tonight
I want to break through into a new frame
Where the streets have no name

I wanna feel
Sunlight on my face
Yeah I see the dust cloud disappear
Without a trace
I wanna take shelter from the city street rain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
Still we're building then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

The city's aflood
And our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled in dust
I'll show you a place high on a desert plain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
Still we're building then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there I go there with you
It's all I can do

Oh, oh, love love
Whoa oh
Oh, oh, love
Whoa oh

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
Still we're building
And burning down love burning down love
And when I go there I go there with you
It's all I can do

It's all we know how to do

Then, there will no be time for sorrow
Then, will there no be time of shame
Then, there will
Then, there will be
Then, there will be no time
Then, there will be no time
Then, there will be no time
No time
Then, there will be no time
Then, there will be no... time
No!
THE PLACE THIS TAKES ME TO YOU ASK...???

H-E-A-V-E-N.... If you’re right with HIM… I’ll C'ya there....

Monday... another week begins... but cool last coupla' days

2004-05-31T09:16:00.000-04:00

it's been a day or three since I have fed my blog... and like me... when hungry he get's a little testy... so bear with me... I will try to do better... I promise... before we take some further strokes on another week in progress, let's dust off the weekend... Thursday was singing at the nursing home (no.. they did NOT keep me...) our church has an outreach ministry there and we sing and give a devotional (or a sermon, whichever you purists prefer)... it is awesome to see the sparkle in the elderly eyes when we take our time to spread God's word and a little bit of our joy with them... makes me tear up, cause I will probably be in their shoes one day... and with the way our society is spinning... I wonder if missions like that will be around... *sigh... then we went to gobble some barbecue... (had four meals of barbecue the last three days -- coulda had nine... HAHA...) and a word about barbecue... Ok... it's like this... I go four days without that elixir of joy for me and I do through withdrawal... some brag that they are true connoisseurs of the concoction, choosing to eat the best... that's hogwash, pardon the pun... a true barbecue aficionado eats the best barbecue within his reach anytime... 24/7... ain't no picayunish trivialities like that goin' on here... as long as it's prepared with normal health procedure... I'm there... eyeballs and all HAHA... Friday I covered the 50s and 60s celebration at the Senior Citizens Center... again... they DID NOT keep me... but were kind enough to share bunches of stories with me... they won't all wind up in my newspaper... but they do make me know what was before... and that's important... to know what other wise people experienced makes you a better rounded person... tends to broaden one out a bit.... and seeing such laughter was truly awesome... Friday was my daughter's Jenny's Girl Scout bridging service at the Bentleys... it was awesome to see young girls who work to achieve something celebrate those achievements... with today's society pushing crud music, video games, half-naked dress and the like, it's great to see young girls with some substance... thank God... Sunday was the highlight... CHURCH... as always, that is where I am happiest... I mean I read my Bible three times a day... pray no less than 20 times a day... amazing how much ya can thank him for at a stoplight... but when I am at church, I am in His element... with Christians who care about each other and are genuinely concerned about each other... I mean who can ask for more?... there is no other place on earth I would rather be than at God's house... ya can have Disney World... the Braves game... bungee jumping... parasailing (although it rocks)... just give me God's people in God's house... and now it is Memorial Day... a time to salute those who gave... I heard this awesome song in church Sunday... Mrs. Bentley sang it and an internet hunt didn't turn up the words... so I'm kinda bummed... but it said in essence... to not forget the true path pavers for our freedom... it is NOT the media... although FOX NEWS ROCKS... (had to get that in there.... I have been a FOX follower since close to it's inception in 96' when being one wasn't cool...it was great then, but has evolved to the most interesting, authoritative, hardest working news bunch in the world... and now everyone else seems to have woken up that it is the news with by far the most panache of any anywhere... and Shepard Smith is the NEWSMAN OF NEWSMEN... his in your face reporting matches mine... we both just tell the truth and let the cards fall where they will (and those that don't like ya... bump 'em... it's their problem) ... and from time to time, put in an editorial kick of your own, it's the perfect formula... none of this stuffy stuff... he simply gets it done... his newscast is at 3 p.m. eastern with Studio B... and then the FOX REPORT at 7pm eastern... check him)... ok back to Memorial Day... here's the lyrics to one of my favorite songs...

Didn't I make ya proud
Go and lay my life down
When you called my name
I thought I stood for somthin'
Was doin' the right thing
When I went away
Now bein' back should be so simple
But I keep gettin' these big signals
From everyone
Why do folks sit and judge me
Who ain't seen what I've seen
Or did what I done?

Didn't I burn
Didn't I bleed
Enough
For you?
I've faced your fears
Felt pain
So you won't have to.
Yeah, didn't I do my best,
And wasn't home here when I left?

I've seen boys fall to pieces
Grown men cry out for Jesus
Til they're black and blue.
I thought God was on our side
Weren't we supposed to be the good guys
That would never lose?
Cuz' I don't see no ticker, tape
Or 5-mile parade sayin'
"Thank you, son."
Just folks that sit and judge me
Who ain't seen what I've seen
Or did What I done

awesome song... it's by Montgomery Gentry... have a great Memorial Day... and REMEMBER THEM...

Informed, amazed and tickled at the swish of a few keys...

2004-05-28T04:35:00.000-04:00

The internet is an incredible portal to information, fun and curiosity. It amazes me the knowledge that is available at mere strokes of molded plastic keys… you can visit streaming video from the shores of the Caribbean to whales wallowing aside cruise ships in Alaskan waters. You can find out that with 19 turns (and maybe one or two extra thrown if for good measure); you can leave my hometown of Thomson, Georgia and be in LosAngeles in 35 hours and 27 minutes http://www.mapquest.com/directions. And down to the tenth of a mile how far it is from here to there (2,299.60) or you can set your computer to match the time that governs the world http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/. It also provides no end to humor and inspiration through emails. I really get a kick out of the memos from friends. They either make me laugh, think, sigh or cry and in some cases wonder… “What in tarnation did they sent that to me for???”

Recently, I received two that forced me to spit my Code Red about dad’s office. The first comes from Tom, a retired Georgia State Patrolman. He lives 21 miles from me in a small town. I like small towns, but that subject is for another day. I wondered when I received it if he was drawing similarities to my blogging name or if it was coincidence. I will think the former, for he is a smart man. I thank him.

How To Thoroughly Clean the Toilet

1. Put both lids up, and add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet bowl water.

2. Pick up the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.

3. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids. (You may need to stand on the lid.) The cat will self agitate and make ample suds. (Never mind the noises that come from the toilet; the cat is actually enjoying this.)

4. Flush the toilet three or four times. (This provides a "power-wash" and "rinse".)

5. Have someone open the door to the outside. (Be sure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.)

6. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.
7. The cat will rocket out of the toilet, and run outside where he will dry himself off. Both the commode and the cat will now be sparkling clean!

Sincerely, The Dog

The second comes from my cousin Kathy in Missouri. It takes a stab at men who are close to the top rung of the ladder as far as responsibility for monitoring the safety of our great country. It is OK to poke fun at them, especially when it’s as funny as this email forward. They take it in stride. But at the same time, I think we should be appreciative of efforts made to secure our security. I salute them.

At New York's Kennedy airport today, an individual was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, a slide rule, and a calculator. At a morning press conference, Attorney General John Ashcroft said he believes the man is a member of the notorious al-gebra movement. The FBI is charging him with carrying weapons of math instruction.

"Al-gebra is a fearsome cult," Ashcroft said. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like "x" and "y" and refer to themselves as "unknowns", but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, there are 3 sides to every triangle," Ashcroft declared.

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes. I am gratified that our government has given us a sine that it is intent on protracting us from those who are willing to disintegrate us with calculus disregard. Under the circumferences, we must differentiate their root, make our point, and draw the line." President Bush warned, "These weapons of math instruction have the potential to decimal everything in their math on a scalene never before seen unless we become exponents of a higher power and begin to factor-in random facts of vertex."

Attorney General Ashcroft said, "Read my ellipse. Their days are numbered as the hypotenuse tightens around their necks."

Now wait just a minute !!!!!

2004-05-27T09:02:00.000-04:00

Ok… it’s Thursday… I like Thursday’s… a day away from Friday and that’s a good thing… but this morning I am kind of bent… I listen to preachers on the radio from time to time… I like to hear what is being taught to the masses… keeps me up to date… and from time to time, I can find a thought to help me… but this morning, I’m a bit agitated… a preacher I had never heard before was all irate and said that anyone who watched the Country Music Awards last night is bound for destruction… (I watched a tape of it… and there was some trash there, but that’s how the world is… Bible says so…) he went on that country music was of the devil… and that it all pointed to satan… Say What?? … no wonder there is such skepticism with today’s young and others against religion… people who assume the pulpit don’t know how to speak the truth… I know rock, soul, r & b, country, bluegrass and I am sure others have their bad songs and groups and so forth… but to make a blanket statement like that is absurd… I can pick up any number of mainstream music artists and enjoy their music without falling under the above preacher’s blanket statement… I listen to a lot of gospel too and often prefer it to what is considered mainstream, but I am also intelligent enough to know that life is decisions, be it driving 80 in a 70 zone… California stopping at a stop sign or whether to give that cashier the extra money she accidentally gave you in your change… we all do what we want to do, and go to the places we want to go and find time for what we want to find time for… ok… let’s get real… take this for example… (and if I find his email address, this preacher will hear this too)… have you ever shopped at Wal-Mart?… they sell beer… are you going to hades because you bought M & Ms at a place that sold BEER?… I mean the principle is the same… you are supporting a business that spreads that poison to people that end up killing, beating and hurting others… or do you buy gas at a station that sells beer or cigarettes?… you are supporting a business that sells products that harm the body… and that harming of the body is in direct violation of the scriptures… PEOPLE... I think what we need is to adapt the ability to SEPARATE the chaff from the wheat… we tell our kids and friends to pick out the burnt yuck and not eat it... let's teach them to do that in the choices they make too... ok… I vented… or blogged should I say… I feel better…

My dad’s tribute to his oldest and handsomest (HAHA) son’s blogging…

2004-05-26T06:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday my dad, being the poet he is, set about writing about my blogging experience. He posts poems from time to time at a message board www.gavsv.com . It’s a mainly high school sports message board where fans of high schools across the state get together and brag about things they usually know little about. Dad and I tend to be a bit boastful about our Thomson High School Bulldogs (gotta’ brag here… pardon me… State Champions in 1967 and 1968 in Class A… and three championships under the direction of Luther Welsh. one of the greatest high school coaches in the southeast including the 1984 and 1985 State Class AAA Championship and 2002 Class AAAA State Championship.)

When I saw the poem (well not technically a poem, but a crafty adaptation of a classic song) I was impressed that my dad would do that. He’s pretty cool…. check that… very cool… so, here’s his creation to his son…

Monster Blog

I was working in my office late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
My computer from its desk began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise

It began to jog
And croak like a frog
I knew then it could only be
The Return of The Blog

From my office at the front of the house
No other sound, not even a mouse
Could be heard over all that din
As that computer began to grin

It jumped around
And barked like a dog
It shook its wires
As it did The Blog

I rocked back while sitting in my chair
Because it seemed all I could hear
Was the noise my machine would impart
When it spun around and let a fart

It did The Blog
And jumped like a frog
And barked like a dog
Then laid down like a log

Then I heard a voice in my head
“Wake up!, you’ll fall out of bed”
I staggered to my feet and began to walk
To my office and stop any talk
Of a computer that came alive
Which jumped and all that jive
The office was in such disarray
And so much to my dismay
I saw the computer asleep on the floor
And did nothing but would only snore
It didn’t dance or bark like a dog
It didn’t even do The Blog

Al “Boris” Wallace
2004

The president will speak... who will listen?

2004-05-24T08:51:00.000-04:00

I do not like todays… Monday is tough… for me, it’s a day to yearn for the freedom of the weekend in one sense and then a day for trying to lasso the upcoming week into some kind of plan for attack… the weekend was awesome… on Saturday, I tripped by a flea market (still have NEVER seen a flea for sale at one though) and picked up a WORKING CD, cassette, radio boom box for $2.50… Supertramp’s Breakfast in America (pristine shape) for 50 cents… later in the day, Jenny and I headed to Augusta (Georgia) to see two teens from our church Tom and Nick walk and get the parchment… Tom wants to be a preacher… U GO Boiiiiiiiiii… Nick?… not sure what road he will take… but if he’s like Mike and LeAnn (his parents), whatever he does will be successful… Sunday was church… I yearn for church… it’s like a drug to me… the more I get the more I want… I am happiest when I am there… I celebrate with like-minded people… I listen to My Pastor (Tim’s his name… I just call him My Pastor or Preacher)… simply put, he’s a man committed to God (I DID NOT SAY PERFECT) I said committed to God… he speaks from a pulpit words that do not point the way to him, but the way to God… he calls a spade a spade and while it hurts to apply what he says to my life (it seems I OFTEN come up wanting), I am man enough to know that I need the words to better myself…

Oh… about the subject line above???… sorry, I got carried away. The president will speak tonight to the county and the world… he will lay out his plan for dealing with the war in Iraq… his approval rating for the war has fallen from 61 percent in early 2004 to 41 percent now… and 54 percent of Americans asked said the war is not worth it… that is sad that those figures get to our soldiers… they look at them and say perhaps “great… we do not have the support of the country that sent us…”… or … “the leader that directed our steps here is out of favor”… those words crowd in and tremble their thoughts as bullets ricochet around them… that makes me sad… I hope they do not read or listen to the news… I will listen to him… I support him as the leader of the greatest country in the world… I do not like that soldiers die, but freedom (for our country and the downtrodden, raped, killed and maimed) has a cost… terrorism was carried out (9/11) and more was threatened directly behind that terrible day… something had to be done… we did it… now we have to see it through… whatever the consequence…

School's Out for Summer... my apologies to Alice...

2004-05-22T05:48:00.000-04:00

It was a Friday morning… I was getting ready to head out and carpe diem… phone rings…

“Hey daddy, whacha' doin’?”

“Nothing Jen… whatcha' doin?”

“Just being bored sitting here talking to you.”

“Well now… that’s not very nice….”

“I didn’t mean it like that daddy… I meant there’s nothin’ to do…”

now mind you that was only the SECOND day Jenny (my 12-year-old 18-year-old) had been out of school for the summer… I think it’s going to be a long one… they got out Wednesday and on previous Monday, she told me of all the millions of things she was going to have to do and that she wouldn’t be bored…

Friday was kinda’ bad… at the paper, we got a manila envelope… inside was a consent order about a local doctor who they say gave out illegal drugs without due diligence (proper office visits and exams and so forth…) the order was given to me to check into… small town… upstanding doctor… it taint' gonna’ be pretty…

Ok… word up from industry analysts… talked to em about gas prices for a article I’m working on… they say in Cali - up to $2.65 by July 4… rest of us $2.25… after Labor Day they are PREDICTING it will even out to the incredible basement price of $1.60… I’m goin' horse hunting Monday…

Friday... thank goodness...

2004-05-21T07:32:00.000-04:00

cross the t and dot the i on another week... FRIDAY IS HERE... first, a note about this site... I reached into my preferences and changed to allow ANYONE to be able to comment to this blog... previously, it was set where only BLOGSPOT members could comment... but that was ridiculous... so now it's wide open... like my mouth... I didn't sleep well last night... keyed up after hearing some preachers go after it... went to see a friend graduate from Victory Baptist School of Preaching in North Augusta, S.C. ... there was preaching, praising... it just wasn't long enough, but it was great to see Rusty take the walk and get the parchment... I have known his wife Shelli for years and thier beautiful daughter Ansley for just a bit... (she's a baby... only been here a bit)... I am just happier than a hog in the mud that Rusty can now embark on what God has called for the rest of his life... I have to work on a story about gas prices... don't know alot right now... except $1.86 a gallon is a bit much on my plate... thankful for the ability to drive a bucket of bolts and metal, but just agonizing at the cost to power it... C U soon...

A observation and a clarification... you get a two-for-one

2004-05-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was interesting… someone I thought the world of banned my comments on her blog… I will not post the location of Jennifer Garrett’s blog… it can be found… the reason I am so disappointed is she is a journalist and should be open to allowing views differing from her own… that is what journalists do and that is what bloggers should do if they are brave enough to espouse this belief or that belief… but allowing differences does not mean one should bend and sit by as those differences are continually bandied about without some check on the proceedings… if you are true to the others and yourself… you will speak out your feelings… it is what we teach our children… and shout to others from protest groups, mountain tops and valley depths… Jen’s and my problem stemmed from me posting my beliefs about homosexuality and lesbianism on her blog… she used to celebrate our differences and say it was fine that we agreed to disagree… but now she is accusing me of hate… and that was expected… as usually happens most cannot separate message from messenger… the interesting thing is the words that I posted at her blog weren’t actually mine for the most part… they were from a NY Times news article that agreed with her feelings and some corresponding ones from a publication that did not... the best seller of all time - the Bible… I said a word or two… but for the most part my Tuesday blog entry is what spurned her to block those two comments, and that’s fine… I enjoyed reading her side blog about freedom of expression articles she linked us to… but when the rubber met the road, Jen blocked me, negating my voice on the www for a bit, and she bragged that it was her space… Jen, it’s the web… you are but a surfer on it as am others and I… I will continue to read her blog because she is extremely intelligent and gifted at assembling her thoughts in a manner akin to my thought process as archaic as it is accused of being…

and now a word about the gay lifestyle… as I have said before in Jen’s blog and in speaking to many of you… I have relatives and close friends who are homosexual and lesbians… have for years… and will have for many more… we coexist in a world that demands coexistence to survive… we celebrate our differences over meals and coffee from time to time… they know of my caustic despising of the lifestyle… NOT THEM… but the lifestyle… that’s my right as a human being first and as an American…but they know where I stand… it’s like this… I love the person and hate the deed… that’s what we humans do… and for those who think I am homophobic... you’re wrong… I simply am not afraid to express myself, the same way you may chose to about books, movies, traffic tie-ups, the insipidness of men or women and the list goes on… I choose to voice myself in letters to editors of newspapers in this country… editorial columns I write or in one-on-one encounters on the street corner, in the pews at church, or even in line at DQ… many people have feelings that they hold inside until it explodes out of them and then they have to expend time explaining why they did not speak long before about this perceived injustice or that perceived injustice… I just do it upfront and openly and go ahead and get the hits I will take out of the way… so, getting a few of my feelings banned from this blog or that blog is as insignificant as a yawn I uttered 10 years ago…

my view on the gay community is this… I pray for them daily… I ask God in His infinite wisdom to show them the choices they make are not the right ones based upon God’s Word… but the scriptures are filled with examples of people who will turn from the right to the wrong and do it under the veil of freedom… and that’s fine… it’s been done long before by others and will be done as long as time exists… the way to reach the gay community, if it is to be reached, is through love and patience… but at the same time it is incumbent that we continue to inform them of the errors of their thinking from time to time just as surely as they wave their feelings in front of us… alas, to think that I do not love the soul of everyone is a mistake on your part… it is the actions that surround the soul that cause me to speak as I do… if the gay lifestyle is for you… that is your choice… celebrate it in the quiet as I celebrate my self-perceived normalcy… but if you choose to herald it in front of me… then be adult enough to at least allow me to add my voice to yours as you add your to mine…

Same sex marriages... You have to be kidding... right???

2004-05-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

Today’s post fills me with ire… and sadness… the following quote is contained in the story at this link…

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/18/national/18MARR.html?th

"Your marriage is an example to others of how life is supposed to work," Rosaria E. Salerno, Boston's city clerk, told Joe Rogers and Tom Weikle, choking with emotion as she married the longtime couple in City Hall's first same-sex ceremony Monday morning. "You really are already married. The only thing that's been wrong with your marriage, if I can put it that way, is that it hasn't been public. And this is so exciting because the moment I put my name on that piece of paper, your marriage is public."

My reply to her absurd comment is not mine…. but God’s:

"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman: it is an abomination" (Lev 18:22).
"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall be put to death: their blood is upon them" (Lev 20:13).
"God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error" (Rom 1:26-27).
"Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers - none of these will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9-10).

the Bible is right and CANNOT BE WRONG... ‘Nuff said…

What a weekend...

2004-05-15T21:19:00.000-04:00

People - Barbara Striesand - with a little modification by yours truly

People
People who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world

We’re healthy
And we should help others
But yet let our grownup pride
Hide all we need to do inside
By not helping, we act more like children
Then children

Healthy ones are very special people
They’re the luckiest people in the world
With one person
One very special person
A feeling deep in your soul
Says while others struggle, you are whole
It's time to battle cancer
Let's be people who help people

People
People who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world

People who need people
Are the luckiest people
In the world...

This weekend, your humble blogger saw some lucky people help some other lucky people.
In Thomson, Georgia (population 10,000) and by the way... God's country... we had the McDuffie County (population 20,000) American Cancer Society Relay for Life this weekend... I contracted with The McDuffie Mirror to so some photography and spent the night.
This year's theme was "Cooking Up a Cure."
Jenny (my 12-year-old daughter) and I took a tent. When the Survivor Lap kicked off it was only 88 degrees, but the humidity was 96 percent. You could reach out, grab a handful of air and squeeze the water out. IT WAS HORRIBLE.
But we were there for a noble cause. It was awesome. Almost 2,200 walkers signed to walk comprising 45 teams from all across our county. Close to 250 took part in the Survivor Lap. Almost 3,000 people turned out to see the event begin.
As the evening progressed, there was a low country boil, hamburgers, hotdogs, lasagna and a host of other delectables. It was incredible eating. Groups from religious to punk to barbershop took the stage and entertained the walkers and visitors.
Our local law enforcement peeled back their pride for the good cause and allowed whipped topping pies to find a home on their face. Even our sheriff who is definitely a NO-NONSENSE guy got in the act, bringing two bids of $75 collectively. A local banker had the honor of bestowing a pie valued at $40.
During the luminary ceremony, 1,200 bags circled the track adding a glow to the nighttime that was surreal. A bagpiper played Amazing Grace as people knelt by and passed by luminaries in honor of relatives, friends and loved ones. Candles held by others danced in the night, lighting the faces as tears of joy and sadness mingled in the May evening. The scene made goose bumps the size of strawberries.
As the night progressed, the walkers progressed and so did the money raised. One of our organizer's, the Thomson mayor, said the goal of the event was $175,000. By 9:50 p.m. Saturday night, with close to 12 hours remaining before the event's end, the mayor reported $176,000 had been raised. We were ecstatic.
The night wore on and so did the walkers. The humidity made it so sticky and dew covered everything like a light rain. Sleep in the muggy conditions came at a premium, but some of our crowd could sleep through the second coming.
I slept for an hour. When I woke at 5:30 a.m., it was still dark and I was covered in dew. The camera bag was wet and a layer of water was on the tent, which contained Jenny and a friend who had spent the night, hidden from the moisture, tucked sleepily in sleeping bags.
Before the event, Jenny's motto was... "Daddy, I'm staying up ALL night. You can sleep if ya' wanna." But when youngsters play and walk and are social butterflies as most are, sleep comes much more readily.
Another hour or so and the sun peeked out and welcomed the day. Walkers were still making their laps... and the total was still climbing. By the event's end, $192,000 had been raised and the mayor choked back tears and said. "This is historic and overwhelming. I'm sorry. I get a little teary-eyed."

So do we sir. So do we...

Footnote - The mayor added that he expected the figure to climb to close to $200,000.Our figure last year, close to $140,000 put us at third place in the COUNTRY as far as per-capita fund-raising for the event. Unless some municipality lights it up... we will be first, showing that the people of McDuffie County don't only talk helping the less fortunate... THEY DO IT... What is our success formula? Sorry to boast, but the proof is in the pudding. WE CARE. Add to that an excellent organizational team, and we simply get it done.

WE CAN'T WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR. BRING IT ON.

A NEW START...

2004-05-13T23:05:00.000-04:00

Ok... so I had another blog... I didn't like it... so now I have this one... I will like it...

OK... so it's been a while... OK.... so it's been a LONG while... OKKKKKK.... so it's been a REALLY FRICKEN long while... I'll do better... I got kinda' burned out... so I'm back and since I, two days ago, linked this to my Yahoo profile... it will make me more responsible... perhaps... today's pontification involves coming clean with others most importantly and also ones self...

I have this girl I love with all my heart... but I was relating to her in a way I thought would be more widely accepted... it was perhaps... perhaps not... but it was a fib... and it cause friction between us that should have NOT EVER been there... I righted things... and have found a new freedom that makes me feel fresh and revived and closer to her than ever before... why the heck ... in 45 years... haven't I learned that being true to others first and to one's self second is NOT a CRIME... we guys are idiots sometimes... sheeshes....