Check Out This...

Below you will find a video of several opening scenes from CSI Miami. Is it me or does the sun get brighter almost every time David Caruso lets go with one of his famous one liners. It seems to require sunglasses even in scenes when you notice that it is raining. Oh well, everyone needs a hook because "it's the hook that brings you back". I guess you are all to young to remember Blues Traveler also. Oh yeah, I have gotten a few emails on how to start the video on my site. How about clicking the giant play button in the middle of the video window you &#@!##$%%%$#@%$^^^&^%$#$$##@Q!@!@#$%%^^&^***(* (previous editing done for the sake of journeyguy, don't think he needed to hear all that.)

Just One More Thought

The city council also voted to increase the Mayor's spending limit form ten to twenty thousand dollars. Just in case you were wondering that means he can now by a house without telling anyone, or a car, or two compact cars, 453,286 ZAGNUT bars (man those things are tasty), all this without permission, bidding, or even having to tell you he is doing it. Now I do not personally know our new Mayor, I would like to meet him, but the track record of Monticello Mayor's spending money on their own is rather cloudy. How are those water hyacinths coming along? Or are you all to young to remember?

The Pool And Other Random Shenanigans

What can I say in the age of not wanting to spend money on projects like the hospital, when I see money being spent on the swimming pool. Will this thing ever pay for itself? Sorry by the way for not posting on the weekly newspaper sooner but my time has been rather cramped as of late but things seem to be getting better. Now, back to the show. According to our local newspaper editor the lovely and alluring Beverly Burks(where did Rambo go?) and I am not kidding I think she is attractive and would not dare to speak to her because she is so far out of my league it isn't even funny and I don't know if she is married, blah blah yadda yadda, the city of Monticello is prepared to spend 268,000 to repair the city pool.


Now that long pause was to let that sink in for a moment. 268,000 dollars. And the really interesting thing is the next line stating that the exact amount needed has not yet been determined. Now I know that in the world of construction and contracting that more often you get money back after the work is completed than having to pay more (yeah in fantasy land) so the fact is that this might not be over yet. what would 268,000 dollars buy for a hospital? How many police officers would get radios, weapons, computers, that would help them protect us? How many firefighters would get new turnouts, and hey how about a raise in the volunteer fireman's pay. When I was there you got ten dollars for a structure fire and five dollars for everything else. It may be different now but it can't be that much different. Oh and by the way I posted several weeks ago about there being "zero grade" on the playing fields at the new sports complex. I see that this week they are trying to solve the mystery of water standing on the baseball fields. "HELLO!!!!!" The heating didn't work either because everyone knows that if you have a car that the air conditioning doesn't work in you sell it in the winter and the reverse goes true for the heat. Who checks the heat in the summer to make sure its working? Someone who isn't a complete idiot that is who. Who are these people that our running our great city? Ask yourself some questions. Who has the termite "contract" for city property? Why do some police officers check the door of my parent's store and not mine?(The buildings are actually the same building with a wall separating and the front doors 15 feet apart). What dentists are city employees "preferred" to use? Why is the sky blue? Interestingly enough I can answer that last one. You see honey the light from the sun travels through our atmosphere and is reflected by..........Well, you know the rest.

When seasons Change:

When we ponder the difference between the seasons of our planet we must at some time realize that they are not unlike the seasons of ourselves. Summer coming on fast, one day the temperature is mild, almost pleasant and the next burning like the youth of the early teen, passion and indecision rule us. Winter with its bitterness and hate of the colors of what we are bleaches the landscape of our lives in dull brown hues making everything look alike. Fall coloring our lives in the richest of God’s majesty as if giving us memories in which to fill our time, lest we forget what life really looks like. Spring, creeping, stealthy, but none the less a miracle. Everything destroyed, everything forgotten becomes new again. Our minds fill with wonder as we are lifted into our youth once again and we remember a time when we too experienced everything for the first time. I suppose that at some times in our lives we have all experienced these feelings, these-----seasons in one way or another. In our own way we all see them differently I am sure. In the bitter of winter I find once again a change of seasons. I have seen a hint of color in the dull hues of the cold but it, as many things often are, was fleeting. Now I am left to wonder whether or not spring is bringing on itself or will I have to search it out this time. I am not sure what season I am in right now. I see light, I see color, but I feel the cold and I wonder where the road is taking me, but that does not stop me from traveling

No Title...

Why is it that the words we write for ourselves, are always better than the words we write for others. I am writing a book. I have been working on this book for two years. I have never told anyone that I am undertaking this endeavor, because I have not decided as of yet whether the book is for me or for others. I have always wanted to create something. Whether good or bad something that I can look back at and say that I accomplished. I find myself up late at night writing. I started writing by hand and have since moved in to the computer age. I don't know why I felt I needed to say that. I don't go back and read what I have written and hae never printed as much as one page. Sometimes I just don't understand.

Searching.

I am on a quest. Yes on a quest to discover what religion I am. Yes I believe in God and Jesus. Yes I believe in the Bible. Let me give you some background. I was "raised up" in church. I went to church at Second Baptist one weekend and the Church of Christ the next weekend. So what I guess I am saying is that I believe I am the only one going to heaven and when I get to heaven there is going to be a potluck in the fellowship hall after the morning service. Really, I don't know. I have been to a few churches since I moved back here, but I haven't found a church "home". I am neither Baptist nor Church of Christ or anything else that I can see and it is really beginning to bother me that I do not have a denomination to call myself. Of course I have only attended services anywhere twice in two years so I also must wonder how hard am I really looking? I would like to be a part of a church family. I have no friends here or anyone that I know really well. I left my cell phone at home by accident when I went out of town this weekend and did not miss one call. How sad is that? The interesting thing is the difference in churches from when I was young to now. I live right beside a church. It is twenty feet away. Now when I was young if someone new moved in to the neighborhood near the church usually someone came over and invited you. I am not saying that I will go but it is the principal of the thing. Have religious leaders become as complacent as our political leaders? Are they happy with things the way they are? Or, are there just so many people that need a religious "talkin to" that they just haven't gotten around to me yet? Probably a little bit of all of it I suppose.

Is That All?

In reading the paper today expecting to find a wealth of issues to post about, I came to realize something. Does nothing happen here? The local paper is filled with warm lighthearted advertisements but no real news. Editorials yes, news... not really. I find it interesting as a former and sometimes current news person myself that the folks over at monticellolive.com, seem to have a better handle on reporting news than the local news media. They had the swimming pool discussion days ago, a great story about Mr. Rosegrant, and news from UAM as well. The local paper....not so much. Now normally I do not purchase a newspaper I just read through the copy that my dad leaves out in his store for "folks". Now I know why. Heck even their headlines are more attention grabbing, "Pool Issue Makes Waves". Now that grabs you from the word go, you can tell that's going to be a page turner. Now I doubt that monticellolive has many if any "reporters" on the staff, but that doesn't stop them from reporting. Do I really care who got found guilty of what in the last few weeks? Unless its a murderer, rapist, or other infamous criminal...not really. If you notice from the newspaper anyway we are living in the land of the suspended sentence. Old "so and so" was found guilty of manufacturing methamphetamine they received a suspended sentence, a slap on the wrist, and a fine they will never pay unless they go back to making and selling methamphetamine. It is as if the judges are telling the criminals "stop.........or I'll say stop again". Oh, by the way, the " gossip" on the street is that the city is looking in to or already has acquired the old Ridgeway Hotel in the hopes of making it into city offices. I guess they will be moving their offices from the newly renovated W.C. Whaley school complex......they did move in there after they bought it----------right???

Hey....That Made Me Think.

My last post made me realize something. I was not living here when the idea was started to build a sports complex here in Monticello. Was there a tax passed to pay for that? If there was not never mind. If there was, "HELLO"!!!! We will pass a tax for some ground to play ball on but won't consider passing one so when we need a hospital we have one to go to that can treat us for more than a couple of days before the send us away from our families and loved ones (without us having a choice in the matter). Am I the only one that thinks this is absolutely nuts. Another thing.... What is going on with the building out near the fairgrounds that the MEDC and the city built to sell to industry. All I can see is an empty building with a dirt floor. It seems to me that it would have been less expensive to buy the land and clear it then have an architect draw up several different sets of plans and let the industry pick the one they want to build. I'm not sure it would be as easy to sell a pre-fab building to new industry when usually no two companies need the same design in their building. Some need more office less industrial. Some need office industrial and shipping. well...you know the rest.

What A Wonderful Idea....

Reading the local paper this week I must say bravo to our new Mayor. It is finally time that someone started downsizing the local government. Why do we need a parks and recreation commission? We have only two parks and very little recreation. What ever happened the the camping areas and the playgrounds that were supposed to be readily available at Lake Monticello? Of course everyone knows that one of the reasons for building Lake Monticello was to be an alternate water supply for the city. We have wonderful concrete supports for those pipes that were to be installed but as far as I can see there still are no pipes. The city has recently spent lots of money on things that will never pay for themselves and looking at the price tag for the repairs to the city pool another project is underway. Now not being a sports fan I will never appreciate the new "city sports complex built in Wilmar", but I do understand that you don't build something like that in South Arkansas with "Zero" slope to the ground. If anyone has taken notice water stands there like it was Lake Monticello and with all the fancy curbs built around the perimeter why don't we just make that the new city pool. But, these are issues that have been inherited by our new Mayor, not proposed by him and that is a very important fact to remember. So, "BRAVO MAYOR". Now, lets see about condensing the MEDC and the Chamber of Commerce into one agency with one supervisor. If I remember correctly they are "supposed" to be doing the same thing anyway. I believe that is why they call it a Chamber of "Commerce".

HUH????

I was reading the Monticello newspaper recently and noticed that a new Miss Monticello has been crowned. Now maybe I am old fashioned. Maybe I am crazy and just don't understand the pageant itself. Should the Miss Monticello winner at least have to be from Monticello? Read the headline very slowly and how silly it is will really sink in. Everyone knows that most people read the entire headline and absorb only the first two or three words of it. Miss blankety blank of Warren crowned Miss Monticello 2007. Can we not find a young lady in Monticello worthy of being Miss Monticello. I guess it just goes with the way the rest of the world is going. Importing more than we are exporting. Out-sourcing jobs. It's the republicans, it's their fault we don't have a Miss Monticello from Monticello. Rise up in the lunchrooms and stab them with your plastic "SPORK". Don't know what a SPORK is? Jeez people.

To Someone I Have Never Met.

Jeff Noble.... the last name says it all. I have had a few correspondences with Mr. Noble, and I must say his intelligence is rather frightening. You Mr. Noble are not one of the herd. You have found your own fertile grazing and have staked a claim. Bravo to you sir. Bravo. Oh, I am still considering your suggestion by the way, but I am one of those people who will carry an item around the store while I am shopping before I buy it. Sometimes I talk myself out of it, sometimes I don't.

Something I Know About...

I have had many requests through email and other sources to post about some of my political views and a little more about myself. I have also received comments from people that I have known for years saying that since I began this little endeavor they know more about me than they ever did. Well, thats great. Please understand that there are things that I can say here that I cannot say anywhere else. It is not that many of you do not know who I am, most of you probably do. I have never been a person comfortable about expressing himself and this site has become an outlet that allows me to do just that. I have been working with computers and graphic design for many years and have never felt that I have created anything that I can be proud of. When I was directing the news team at my last place of employment I won several awards, awards for covering a teacher contract dispute, union disputes and the war on drugs. I was always there when something was happening and sometimes as it happened. Even then I never felt that I had done anything to help anyone. There are many beliefs that I have that you may agree with, and there are many you probably will not agree with. I will comment weekly on local news items as well as word on the street type information. I have a rather interesting inside line on some issues facing Monticello which I will not discuss here but please understand I have just recently returned to my hometown and am still trying to catch up. I do believe that the hospital tax should go to the voters and should be passed. I covered a similar event in my last job and can tell you that you do not want a "Critical Access Facility ". If you do not know what that means I suggest you find out because if something is not done that is what you will have. Do you want a care facility that can only hold you for four days before having to transfer you or your loved one to Little Rock? Please research for yourself. I do not ask you to take my word for it. Do not be the sheep following the herd, you can find fertile grazing just fine on your own. Do not follow those who are comfortable with the "status-quo" they are driven by fear and fear brings the silence of a community and complacency of its leaders. We have a chance to do something right for a change.....Well, you know the rest.

I Paid For The Privilege.....

My stepmother and I went to eat a local Mexican eatery last night......Oh God am I sick this morning. I feel as if someone has put one of those aliens in my stomach and it has matured and is trying to get out. Not sure whether it was the food or something that was on the way and I was just unaware. Whatever it is though, I can tell you that I want it to go away. Someone come over here and make it go away. It won't listen to me...maybe it will listen to you. And, the funny thing is I paid for our meal....Yes, I paid for the privilege of feeling like this. Guess that will learn me.

Even More New Content...

In the attempt to make this the most awesome blog ever I present to you even more new content. To the right you will see a link named SNAPSHOTS: These are random shots taken by my camera as the day goes by(not much to see when I'm not here). Another is the LIVE FEED link. This is a link to a live feed from my webcam. Coming soon: Live Monticello Weathercam....

Alas It Is As I Thought...

Yes the folks at Monticello Live will not be linking me to their site for obvious reasons, unless of course I edit the content of my blog and so forth and so on. Hats off to those guys for sticking with they believe in their hearts to be the right thing to do. You have earned my admiration and respect for that. After careful consideration however, I feel that I will be unable to edit the content of my blog. I have been a journalist for many years and directed news teams at radio stations and print media all over the state and this is the first opportunity I have to be honest about the way "I" feel about things. I don't believe that I would be doing the right thing for me if I edited my content. As for monticellolive.com.....keep reading it, it is wonderful. I know I will. Congratulations MonticelloLive you have my full support and respect.

Monticello Has A Blog.

Yes ladies and gentleman Monticello has just broken through the door of the 21st century. I am speaking of Monticello's very own and informative "cityblog." (I think I just made that word up but not sure I will get back to you on that). I will be posting a link to the site on my blog for those of you who are interested. I will say that the site is very informative has interesting articles, opinions, and even some online polls for those of you who are in to that sort of thing. If you have a blog you can even ask them to link it on their site. I will be asking them but I do not believe the content of my site is what they are looking for but never the less they deserve kudos and celebration. Oh and good morning to all my readers, I hope the three of you are feeling well this morning.

There are just some things....

Sometimes there are things that just need to be said.....

Dear Secretary: While I do appreciate everything you do for me, really, there are a few things I need to get off my chest. Please take a memo. Or something.


1. i can't tell you how fucking irritating it is that you always type your emails in lower case. we all learned in first grade that the first letter of a sentence is always capitalized, names are capitalized, and when referring to yourself, "i" is capitalized. you're a secretary for christ's sake. nobody, especially you, is that fucking busy to make one extra mother-fucking keystroke to properly punctuate.

2. In the same vein: Please, quit using the asshat Smiley Face, Wink Face, Sad Face, or Crying Face characters in your emails. I am going to walk over to your cubicle and Kick You In The Face if you persist with using those stupid little emoticons or whatever the fuck they're called. The last thing I want to see in your email is some retarded yellow blob, bouncing up and down with its eyes bugging out, and its tongue wagging at me. Knock that shit off. We're grown adults. It's embarrassing. Really.

3. I don't care, and really don't want to hear, about your personal health issues. I understand you are getting a little long in the tooth these days, and have scheduled more doctor appointments than that fucking boy in the bubble. Honestly, I don't really care. What bothers me is that you felt compelled to explain how the gynecologist kept you in stirrups for "hours" with your clothes off. I really did not need to visualize your saggy, white cottage cheese-ass and varicose-veined legs pinned up, spread eagle into the air. That was so very, very wrong of you to burn such a vile image into the deep recesses of my ganglia. Shame on you.

4. You are _right outside_ my office door. You have a cubicle, which is generally not conducive to keeping conversations private. When you're on the phone, making personal calls, guess what? I can hear you. Again, I'm not a hard ass, and I could give a shit if you make personal calls. But if you're going to talk TO YOUR DAUGHTER about how badly you need "dick" (and I'm not talking about Richard, either) -- please do it somewhere else. Although I understand that women over 55 need sex too, the thought of you getting "dick" in any shape or form, honestly, makes me want to hurl. For all that is good and sacred, please stop.

5. I don't do the hiring or the firing here, and I don't have anything to do with how much money you make. So don't complain to me. I realize you have a car payment and rent. Guess what? So does almost everyone else, sweets. Make it work. Maybe instead of buying out the Macy's make-up department and using every known cosmetic cover-up known to mankind, perhaps you could use some of that money for your bills? Hmmmm. Just a thought.

6. You're a short, pudgy woman. God cursed you and holy shit do you hold a grudge. But you don't have to make it up for it by playing Hitler around here to the rest of the staff. In particular, there is the hot little number they just hired in accounting, and already, she's complained about the way you've been treating her. God help you if she quits because of you. I have never been happier coming to work these last few weeks, lusting after this particular hottie like a sex-starved teenager. Don't screw it up or I'll take away your computer and force you to use carbon paper and that old manual typewriter in the storage room. Good luck surfing the 'net on that puppy.

7. Last, but certainly not least, BRUSH YOUR TEETH. Oh. My. God. What in the holy fuck do you eat in the morning? Onion and garlic sandwiches with a side of shit? Within 30 seconds of you arriving here each morning, those horrific, hell-sent mutant molecules from your disgusting piehole find their way into my office, mounting a full-on assault. I brace myself, because I know within moments you will step foot into my office, spouting your fog of pure evil into my face, forcing me to internally chant "smells like roses ... smells like roses ... smells like roses" to keep you from wearing my breakfast burrito all over the front of your blouse. All this could be prevented with a $3 Oral B and some fucking Colgate. Please. I beg you. Brush those things.

Okay, that should do it. Thanks.

New Content

Be sure to check out the bottom of the page for the new IDIOT of the week video brought to you by the folks at Break.com. A link to their full page can be found under my links to "Lots of Funny Stuff. Be cool kids..and remember. Christopher Walken is a god.

Wrap Up.

Well this week is wrapping up and I can't say that it has been a stellar performance on my part. Work pretty much sucks, personal life seems to be ok but who really knows, and now there is going to be a warm weekend and its going to freaking rain all weekend. What am I cursed. Wait....we have already established that I am cursed, and I probably would not leave the house if it wasn't raining. Oh well...whats a lonely boy to do??

Another Lonely Day

Well it has been another lonely day here at the ranch. I guess I can say it is my own fault. When you are around the house all day you have a problem meeting people. Saw some friends from long ago yesterday. It was interesting, I had been thinking about an old friend of mine from school and had even searched for this person on the internet Friday Night with no luck. Out of the blue on Saturday my friends parents walk in to a store where I am. Now that does not seem interesting I know but they don't live here anymore, no where near here in fact, and I haven't seen them in sixteen years. I now have information to contact my friend. Interesting what happens when you leave the apartment, even if it was only two blocks away. Tomorrow is another work day of course and I am beginning to get more comfortable in my new job. Still not sure if I like it but I am more comfortable. I pretty much work alone so I guess that is right up my alley. For those of you reading and not leaving comments, at least leave one telling me where you are from or email me and let me know how you happened upon my little slice of boredom. Ahh well, the self loathing continues until next time.

What Is It???

WARNING: The following post contains stereotypes and other things that you will not understand if you are not from the south.


Fried Twinkies. Yes, thats right fried Twinkies. Leave it to the south once again to take something with no nutritional value whatsoever and roll it in batter and deep fry it in oil. I had the luxury of partaking in one of these cholesterol laden inventions and I must say that at least we in the south do it right when we do it. Also, fried Snickers Bars. Oh lord what heaven. Now those of you that know me already are aware that I am not the smallest guy in the world, but I used to be much bigger and have been trying to eat healthier but I just could not resist. It's no wonder that Americans are constantly getting more obese. Americans are getting so fat that they have added words like "morbidly" to obese to describe just how large we are getting. Our children recieve reports of their weight with their grades and every day there is some article or periodical talking about how we are getting larger. Only in America do we have to buy two airplane tickets for one person because we are so large. We produce so much excess fat from frying foods that we have figured out a way to use it for fuel in our cars. Welcome to the home of "super size it" because I just can't get enough food with a normal portion of deep fried death that I would normally order. I understand most of you wonder why anyone would even think of the things that I write here. But I say to you, someone has to think about it. So I will leave you for now....I need to finish my Twinkie.

I Freakin Told You and You Wouldn't Listen

You know I’m not exactly sure when people are going to start listening to me. Please refer to earlier post entitled The New Year for a background. Thanks to the folks at Fox News for this little tidbit. Oh, and by the way……I freakin told you. I guess we know now that Victoria’s Secret is KEVLAR!!!


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One woman discovered on New Year's Eve that her bra could do more than lift and support when a falling bullet was halted by the bra strap on her left shoulder.
Debbie Bingham, 46, an Atlanta resident visiting family in St. Petersburg, said her gold-colored bra slowed the falling bullet during the holiday celebrations.
Her injuries may have been much more severe had it not been for her bra strap, said George Kajtsa, spokesman for the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Bingham says she was outside with her daughter and son, ringing in the New Year and viewing the local fireworks display when she felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder at 11:40 p.m.
It was Bingham's daughter, Solanda Bingham, 30, who first noticed the blood seeping through her mother's white shirt.
"We were sitting at the picnic table and listening to music and my mom said, 'Ow,"' the daughter said.
The daughter said she looked over and saw the blood and shouted "My mother's been shot. My mother's been shot."
The bullet was halfway inside of Bingham's bra, and the other half barely breaking the skin, Bingham later told WTSP-TV.
Someone had fired a gun into the air and as the .45-caliber bullet fell back to earth, Bingham was struck. Kajtsa described the wound as a "big scratch with bruising."
Bingham was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg where she was given five stitches. The bullet was lodged in the bra strap and was cut out by doctors.
St. Petersburg police are still searching for the shooter to determine if Bingham was the target of the gunfire or if she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, Kajtsa said.
Shooting a weapon inside the city limits is a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to one year in jail, Kajtsa said.
As for Bingham, she said she is just thankful for her bra.
"It was a very cheap bra. It wasn't very expensive, and I'd love to have a couple more of those bras," she told WTSP.

One thing I Know About Life

There is very little that I know about life. I admit this freely. I have spent time today pondering the meaning of life. It is truly an interesting thing life. It has ups and downs, twists and turns, but overall I guess things could be worse. After all the pondering and wondering I came to a conclusion. The one thing I know about life is none of us are getting out of it alive.

I Just Can't Think of Anything...

I just can't think of anything to write about. Nothing exciting or breathtaking happened in my little world today. I did wonder earlier how long the Presidential funeral was going to last. It's gone on so long now that people are passing out in front of the coffin. I mean really he was a great guy and all and Chevy Chase owes his career to the fact that President Ford was quite clumsy, but come on enough already. An Arkansas man found a diamond in Crater of Diamonds state park weighing over two carats, he named it the Star of Thelma (do I really need to comment here?). I find it interesting news that Iraqis are protesting the handling of Saddam Hussein's execution. Interestingly a couple of years ago if they had protested it would be their hangings on Iraqi television. Once again Your welcome oppressed people of the world. My new job is not near as exciting as I had hoped it would be. I must say honestly that I am disappointed, but not much I can do about it. To be honest I thought 2007 was going to be my year, but so far not really feeling it. The repairman came and looked at the roof today and said there was nothing wrong with it, of course other than the fact that it isn't waterproof anymore which I think is a big issue (I may be wrong about that of course, nowhere in the definition of roof does it say anything about being waterproof I just assumed.) I had been trying to remember the actual title to the theme from the tv series M.A.S.H. , last night I was up late in another in many recurring self-loathing periods when the original movie came on, the name of the song is Suicide is Painless. Believe it or not the song actually has lyrics, they never sing the lyrics on the tv show only on the movie, I suggest you illegaly download it as soon as possible, it's worth a listen. The weather is supposed to get bad as the week goes on, be sure to check out a new link on my blog entitled "local radar" it is realtime radar for Arkansas and is very accurate, it's in the top left corner under the website title. Wow to have nothing to say this post suddenly became rather lengthy.