Pink bloomers

Well, I've sunk to a new high; I have on pink underwear! Or is it the real me and is my feminine side finally coming out?! Just call me "bloomer boy"! I hope I don't start craving ice cream and pickles! Wonder what size bra I would wear ...

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Cometh the Culligan

These are tiny wildflowers and the blossoms
are about one-quarter inch (6.35mm) across.
An ID would be appreciated.


The Culligan people are to come out today to either fix the leaky mess they put under our kitchen sink in 1994, or take it completely out of the house. The small pressure tank, tap, and filters have caused us no end of problems over the years due to numerous leaks. The tank and filters should never have been installed beneath the sink to begin with, but rather in the basement below; they take all the room beneath the sink and the area is unusable. This is the seventh time in the 14 years we've had the system that we have called them out to fix it, and our son has repaired it twice. The pressed-wood bottom of the cabinet fell out many years ago after getting soaked a few times, and several ceiling tiles in the basement bedroom have been replaced twice, plus one light fixture. I need the filtered water because i refuse to drink the crap (literally) that comes out of the city water system. If Culligan cannot repair this to our satisfaction, it will come out and we will go to Lowe's and get one of those bottled water thingies that uses the big jugs on top and chills the liquid. A lot more expensive initially, but it should be a lot lower maintenance. I would not recommend Culligan to anyone.
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Temps here today are supposed to rise to the mid-sixties and we are to have rain. If so, spring should really put on a show by weekend when it is supposed to be warm and pretty. Picnic time in Tennessee!
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I don't know if it was the massive doses of steroids the doc gave me along with the antibiotic for the pneumonia, or something else, but the RA has not hit me like it usually does after going that long without the methotrexate shot. In fact and over all, I feel pretty good. I know; knock on wood!
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Bad mood I

Maybe if we all bought a ShamWow or two from this outstanding guy he might be able to afford a higher class whore, Apparently $1,000 doesn't buy much these days. God bless America!
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That atomic toothed Islamic nation known as Pakistan is almost to the point of all out civil war. Maybe Osama bin Laden can now get his hateful paws on some nuclear wmd's and put a lot we American and Israeli Satanists out of our misery.
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Why didn't Bush invade North Korea instead of Iraq? Oh! I forgot! They don't have oil but they do have big, bad China as protectors. You remember China, don't you? It is that huge communist nation that once pledged to wipe out the American way of life. Well, they finally did it by absorbing us, comrade. I feel the urge to shop at Wal-Mart.
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Yes, I am in a bad mood today; but I'm still quite lovable!
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Stacking the decks

Today is Sunday so we may as well have a sermon; the collection plate may be filled by way of donations through PayPal. Hymns are optional.

I realize you of faith know that faith of itself is enough proof of the existence of God. Taking that as a fact, why is there such a thing called "the science of creation"? Should not belief in the Holy Bible be sufficient? There are in this world well educated and trained scientists whom believe in the word of God, yet are trying to prove it by scientific reasoning and drawing different conclusions from evidence that mainstream science has researched and presented. One example that is popular amongst those looking for threads to cling to is that Jesus and dinosaurs coexisted. Another is their fact of "irreducible complexity", meaning that certain parts of life can be broken down only so far in their complexity to the point that it would have been nonessential or even detrimental to the organism to have it and therefore the outcome is not a product of evolution but instead one of guided creation. The eye of modern mammals is one example used. This "theory" was proposed by Lehigh University biochemist and intelligent design proponent Michael Behe in his Free Press book Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution. Here is his explanation on page 39 of the book:

By irreducibly complex I mean a single system composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, wherein the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning. An irreducibly complex system cannot be produced directly (that is, by continuously improving the initial function, which continues to work by the same mechanism) by slight, successive modifications of a precursor system, because any precursor to an irreducibly complex system that is missing a part is by definition nonfunctional. An irreducibly complex biological system, if there is such a thing, would be a powerful challenge to Darwinian evolution.

I read this book and it sounds good and logical, but take it from me, this theory has been disproved by other biochemists and biologists that have no cross to bear one way or the other. True science has no reason to prove or disprove the existence of God, therefore "creation science" is an oxymoron and a pseudo-science. I have a few simple questions I would like a creation scientist to answer:

• First is the old standby: Where did God come from?

• Where are Heaven and Hell located?
  

• Why are there stars in the sky? There seems to be no need for them in a religious sense.

• Why are there so many different life forms on earth? Do we need all those bugs?
  

• Why are there other planets?

If these simple questions cannot be answered by experimentation using the scientific method of research, then why should anyone believe people like Behe can explain anything as complex as a biological process of any kind without stacking the deck, so to speak?

I'm not writing this to make anyone mad or hurt their feelings, but I wish they would think about these things for a moment.
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Folks, it is great to be alive and be in East Tennessee!

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Conficker

Abandoned Vines home


My friend Maggie has posted an alert about the Conficker worm that can conceivably infect a host of our pc's and cause havoc on the internet. At present, about all we can do as pc users is keep all our security products updated, or as Maggie suggests, unplug our machines before April 1st. Of course, the worm has all the time in the world, and unplugging for a day or two may do but little good.
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I took one Xanax last night, went to bed at 1:00am, and awakened this morning at 10:40; I am still groggy, but rested.
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The congressional Republicans are playing a wise card by poo-pooing every move Obama and the Democrats make concerning the financial situation. At least one thing in the President's plan is bound to go wrong and cause a crisis, and they will jump upon their stumps and tell us 'we told you so'. Under Bush, the Democrats pretty well rubberstamped everything that came from the White House, and that is not very good representation.
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Am I the only person in the world whom likes mayonaise and jelly sandwiches? Yes, I mix the mayo with grape jelly and thickly spread it on sandwich bread. Give it a try! If you've ever eaten sweet-and-sour pork, then you have no room to laugh. One of my childhood friends did and still does like peanutbutter and bologna sandwhiches.
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The Smoking Gun's Mugshots of the Week!!!! The pretty but sad looking arrestee on page 11 has wonderfully kissable lips!

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Shot day

Painted by my late friend, Bro Steve Hill.


Not much happening in my world today. Emails from a couple of friends were answered, and I finally went for my shot; the first one in three weeks. My neck is sorely stiff and I have slept poorly the past two nights, but the neck will have to be lived with until the shots take effect in two or three weeks. A couple Xanax's will take care of the sleeping problem.
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Carolyn took the night off, but will have to go out Sunday to make it up. She prepared a wonderful supper this evening, and baked a chocolate cake with white icing. I will try to make a pic if it doesn't somehow disappear first.
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Never give up on your friends; your enemies sure won't.

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Sweet thoughts

Bug attack ... click on pic to see larger size


The pneumonia is over with as far as I can tell, but I think I am catching a head cold. Yesterday was the best day I've had in many weeks and the RA wasn't bad at all.
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Even though we were poor when I was a young kid, we were by no means destitute. We always had shoes and just enough clothes to get by, and there was plentiful food; but very seldom were non-essential items of any kind—groceries included—purchased. We didn't go to the fridge and get a soda pop or a dish of ice cream; those were luxuries and seldom bought. Besides, we didn't have a refrigerator until the late 1940's, but we did have an ice box. Early of the morning and once each week, a flatbed delivery truck would come out from Harmon Ice and Coal Co.* in Johnson City, and the driver would use a huge (to me) set of ice tongs to retrieve a large block of ice from under a tarpaulin, carry it into the house, raise the top of the ice box and set it inside. The ice would slowly melt and and the water would drip down the insides of the double-wall unit and cool the perishables, finally collecting in a pan beneath. Except in super hot weather, the block would last a full week. There was electricity in the house since 1947, but a used refrigerator wasn't bought until about 1949, due to lack of funds.

Actually we did have treats from time to time. Sometimes my uncles Roy and Fred would sell some blood root, ginseng and other roots, and we would walk the half-mile to the local store and get a soda or a cup of ice cream. Usually once or twice each summer we had fresh lemonade, and one year we had pink lemonade which I thought was simply amazing that they could get pink juice out of a yellow lemon (I used to be easily amazed). At least once a week, mom (grandmother) would bake pies or a a large layer cake, all made from scratch, and in winter she would bake oatmeal cookies. The best part; there was always home canned fruit to be eaten, along with various jellies, apple butter, and jams mom would make. In season, there were plenty of blackberries, raspberries, cherries, huckleberries, grapes, apples, peaches, and gooseberries; mom made a killer gooseberry pie. She also raised small watermelons, and some pretty good cantaloupes.

Being a spoiled brat only child, those early years were easy for me. Most of my entire life has been spent daydreaming, and it all started at mom's house.
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*It is a bit ironic, but one of Carolyn's accounts is Harmon Ice and Cold Storage; it is the same place and the same family operation, but the name has slightly changed to reflect the times.

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Apple butter

Late summer or eary autumn was apple butter making time in the country. Mom (my grandmother) and Aunt Virge (Virginia)—her older sister—would donn their bonnets and spend a day picking up apples and placing them in their aprons from the orchard my grandad planted, and then they would dump their full aprons into baskets and buckets. Most of the apples were winesap or sheep nose varieties, and a few others of which I've forgotten their names. At next daybreak, a wood fire was built over which a huge brass kettle was placed on its wroughtiron stand. Some water and was added and the apples were peeled, cored, sliced, and diced. When several large large dishpans were filled, the fruit would be placed in the kettle of hot water and allowed to cook. Along the way, necessary spices and sugar were added. This process was was repeated until all the apples were cooked, and all the ensuing apple butter was finally canned in blue Ball Mason jars, rubber rings were added, and the tops screwed on tightly. This was probably the only day of the year when the family had to eat the previous evenings leftover food.

To this day, I still love apple butter, and I eat it on and with a lot of other foods, including mixing it with peanut butter. I also use it on pancakes instead of syrup, I eat in oatmeal, and it is used for baked-on cake icing. These days, I go to church apple butter making events and buy enough pint jars full to last us an entire year. I detest the store-bought stuff, but will eat it when my stash goes dry.

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Memories of spring

I was thinking of how spring used to be when I was a kid. The garden would be plowed and disked by now, and the potato sections with the eyes facing up would go into the musky smelling soil under the last new moon of March, which this year will be on this coming Thursday. Planting the garden was usually a family affair, with Mom (my grandmother), my mother and her two brothers pitching in for the hardest parts; Mom would do the later sowing herself. She began her morning at 3:30 by kindling a wood fire in the cook stove and making breakfast, usually sawmill gravy, fried eggs from the hen house, home cured bacon or canned sausage, biscuits, and coffee so strong that afternoon naps were out of the question. By first light on every day but Sunday and when it wasn't raining, she would be in the garden, sowing seed or hoeing hated weeds. By 10:00am, she would be back in the kitchen and preparing dinner (lunch for you non-country folks).
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My uncle Roy would go into the neighboring fields that had been plowed in late autumn searching for creasy greens (field cress). They were the only greens I would eat as a child because they were not the least bit bitter. They were boiled with a piece of fat back, and most folks ate them with apple cider vinegar, although I preferred them straight up. I now buy canned ones in the store and they are still my favorite with corn bread.
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The greatest pleasure of spring was going into the woods in early April and hunting morel (mo·re­­l') mushrooms. I will correct myself; the greatest pleasure was eating morel mushrooms. They were plentiful before subdivisions and other urban trappings took the land, and morels can still be found if one is able to do a little walking over the hills. They were always sliced, washed, and soaked in salt water overnight, then rolled in flour or cornmeal, or a combination of both, lightly salted and peppered to taste, and fried in an iron skillet. Fried morels are the best food that exists on this earth!
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I can think of no better life or way to get an education than being a boy living far out in the countryside during that era; no phones, no tv, no computers; just life.

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Rambles and Rumbles

Someone once called it "home" ...


I suppose I was a bit mistaken in my assumption that the Lady Vols would beat a team that does not have near the talent level as they. Tennessee's women girls looked like they were playing way out of their league, but then, they have been under achieving the entire season. Maybe Pat can go to the junior college ranks to recruit some much needed talent and leadership.
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I feel pretty crappy today from lack of sleep last night. I sweated all night long and am lethargic today, and I am beginning to become a little bit depressed about all of it. Beautiful spring skies and lovely, warm weather is tempering my melancholy somewhat, though.
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Yesterday, we went for a drive through northern Washington and Greene counties, and into Hawkins and Sullivan counties. We didn't find many photo opportunities, but it was good to get out of the house for a spell. Upon returning home, Carolyn made a great supper of meatloaf, potato salad, and other goodies. She makes the best meatloaf and potato salad I've tasted and it has become famous throughout the family. The heck of it is; she doesn't use a recipe. All that leads to my next problem; I cannot taste anything but sweets since I began taking the antibiotic, and to compound that, it has caused thrush on my tongue and back of my mouth. The only cure for thrush that I have found which works is tongue brushing and gargling with hydrogen peroxide, and that is a long, tedious process. I've come to believe that getting old is one disaster after another with a few minutes of sleep in between.
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I'm beginning to wonder just how much of the bailout money that went to Wall Street has been used to pay bonuses? I suspect it is a whole lot more than we will ever know about. Remember the "no strings attached" stipulation in the original Bush administration proposal? These corporate giants do not have to publicly disclose how much went to whom. Bank of America is probably the worst offender, and they no doubt gave huge bonuses to Merrill Lynch employees that caused the broker to go belly up. Sigh ...
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Is it really spring?

I feel pretty good today as far as goes the pneumonia; very little coughing and wheezing. Yesterday was pretty lousy, though. All day, I felt like a gut with the poop slung out of it. The RA is back, my knees are very sore and my feet feel like old Scratch is dipping them in his special pot of boiling hell. Still better than being completely laid up.
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I feel well enough to get out and try to make some photos today. I need to get it done before I become so crippled I cannot leave the house. I plan to visit some back roads near the Sullivan and Hawkins County line. Mainly, I just need to get away from the house for a few hours. Another thing I want to do is visit the creek for my spring bath, but I don't want to get chilled while still recovering from the illness. I may have to postpone the cleansing for a few weeks; but I think I will go ahead and change my under shorts as four months of continuous wearing is about a lifetime for that particular article of clothing. One good thing about wearing them for so long; they stink so wretchedly that cooties refuse to move in.
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We are having some superb spring weather; almost time to break out the shorts and summer shirts. Carolyn has already removed the flannel sheets form the bed and replaced them with muslin bed clothes. She is itching to get some Boston ferns hanging outside. She has several from last year which she kept in the basement over winter, and she will probably buy one or two more and hope the kids will remember to get her one on Mother's day.
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I'm not doing much on Flickr at the present, and may not accomplish but little for a while. I must start concentrating on our income taxes because April 15 is seemingly approaching at the speed of light. I do plan to comment on my friends photos as time allows, but I am so far behind on doing that I may never get completely caught up.
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The Lady Vols play their first game of the NCAA tournament tonight at 9:00. I look for them to win this game, but I do not think they will advance much farther.
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Feeling better

I'm sitting at my desk with evening sun streaming through the window and falling across my shoulders. I have felt great today, with very little coughing and congestion. Possibly by Monday I will be able to resume getting my RA shots before too much damage is done. I was able to get some work accomplished this morning without tiring.
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Have any of you fallen for the congressional posturing on A.I.G.-gate? Even with a new Congress and a new administration in DC, the song remains the same; screw the public and cover their asses. All the promises of reform and open, honest government were set aside by yesterdays vote to tax the A.I.G. executives beyond reason. Before you hurrah our leaders for "trying" to do something to retaliate against a wrong, consider this: If they can arbitrarily tax those executives at 90 percent, they can do the same to anyone whom receives government money of any kind, and that includes people on Soicial Security! It is a shameful lot we have for leaders, and the only solution is to turn them out of office and vote someone else in. It is not going to happen, though. As long as money can buy a seat in congress, we the people will remain unrepresented. Let's change the election laws so that a person has to be elected on his merits and not by the money of special interests.
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Two of our Navy vessels collided. It would seem that with todays sophisticated technology, at least one of them would have known the other was there.
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The Smoking Gun's Mugshots of the Week!!!!!

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AIG-gate

Strangely quiet in DC this day as lawmakers lay low and scramble to find ways to blame everyone but themselves for AIG-gate. Here is a link to a web page that has a searchable directory for the web sites and/or email addresses of our lovely, lovely Senators and Representatives; I am sure they look forward to hearing from you. I tried Chris Dodd's site, but for some reason it would not load; probably a lot of fans visiting him.
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I am actually feeling worse today. It is spring outside and I am inside! Thanks to all of you whom have shown your concern for my health; it is good to have friends whom care.

I have nothing more to say, so ...
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A.I.G. redux

Fodder


I am feeling a little better today, but breathing is still difficult; the cortisone is wearing off and the soreness is returning to my chest. I won't be able to get my arthritis shot until I am completely over the chest congestion, and that may be several weeks. The methotrexate I have injected to treat the RA is what causes me to contract the pneumonia from a simple chest cold or flu. Until I can get the shots going again, I am going to be incapacitated by the RA, and look to laid up for several weeks. This isn't the first time I've been through this.
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A couple of points on yesterday's post:

• I do not condone what A.I.G. and other large corporations are doing, it is just the fact they are doing it with the blessing of our hypocrite elected leaders. Huge bonuses for a lot of unworthy people have been the norm since the Reagan years, and most of it goes untaxed or under-taxed.
  
• After writing and posting the piece, I read that the administration was admitting that it and Congress knew of the bonuses months ago; they say since December and I say since day one!

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I give the Obama administration a failing grade so far, and Congress isn't even worth trying to grade because the grading system only goes down to zero and they are much lower than that.
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I am going nuts wanting to get out in this fine weather and make some photos, but I am using caution and common sense, both of which I am not accustomed to doing. Spring is my favorite time of year, but this year looks like it will be mostly a bust for me. Well, I still at least have my beauty!
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A.I.G.

Give the folks at A.I.G. their bonuses! I know that is going against the grain, but here is why I say it. If they have legal work contracts that say they are due the bonus as part of their wages, then that is the way it should be.

Let me ask you; do you think Congress did not know of executive bonuses before the bailout package was passed? This entire bailout was hatched up by the financial industry and had the blessing of the Bush administration and the sitting Congress, of which Mr. Obama was a part. The ones screaming the loudest right now are the ones whom allowed this sick pact to be stuck to the taxpayers. This contract with the devil was entered into without oversight and Old Scratch is exacting his due! Place your outrage where it belongs; upon the shoulders of the people whom got us into this and the people whom are supposed to be protecting us from this, and the people whom we elected to fix it. Demand justice for yourself and your future! Blame the fat cats in Washington DC! Pointing fingers at A.I.G. is just what your legislators want you to do so they can rise up with righteous indignation and pretend to be protecting you from these Wall Street beasts while at the same time covering their own misdeeds.

Our government is a failure! It has trod upon our Constitution, upon we as tax payers, and upon every American whom has ever lived, worked, fought, and died to make the United States of America the best place on earth to live a life of freedom and justice. It is time we move to take it back and place it in the hands of the American people!
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I am still sick, but I could not help but place my thoughts on the table for your consideration.
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A word on words

I feel my bloom is fading ...


The following is a quote from the Associated Press concerning Obama's plan to help small business: "It's a huge step in the right direction," Giovanni Coratolo, director of Small Business Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said Saturday. "In this economy, having the least amount of risk for banks will incentivize banks to lend to small businesses. A lot of small businesses will benefit from this."

Considering its source, I do not have a huge problem with the statement, but the word "incentivize" is terrible misuse of the English language, even though it is an acceptable word. It is an ugly word made up in some business college somewhere. "Motivate" sounds much better and will be understood by most people. Incentivize motivated me to write this.
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I am still feeling very poorly but making progress; my petals have not yet fallen off my bloom.
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For your viewing pleasure, The Smoking Gun's Mugshots of the Week!!! The dude on page three looks to be one of those guys you don't want to meet in a dark alley or along a lonely stretch of road. The woman on page four just wants mom to come and get her out of another mess. The woman on page five is very opinionated. The guy on page eight will probably someday be the director of Small Business Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and use words like "incentivize" and "utilize".
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Happy Sunday, y'all!
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March Madness

I wonder why the rest of the world says that we Americans are "wasteful"?


It is cold and rainy today in East Tennessee. They say we were 2" (50mm) below normal precipitation for February, so I suppose the drought is not over. I just hope it doesn't become as severe as last summer's dryness.
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Associated Press is reporting that Russia may be considering placing long range strategic bombers in the Western Hemisphere, namely in Cuba and Venezuela. It will be interesting to see how our new president handles this threat to Western sovereignty. My opinion; we should normalize relations with Cuba and that should end that part of it, and telling Little Hitler in South America to "back off or else" should take care of the other part. As for Russia, crazy people ran that aggressive, tyrant state for more than seven decades and they and their disciples are still lurking about; they must be carefully watched by any nation whom loves its freedom. For the United States, we must show the world we have a a real leader as president and that the days of the Six-gun Texas Doofus are over.
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It was this weekend in 1993 when the "blizzard of the century" hit us.
It was one year ago this weekend when my heart went haywire.
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Doc says I have bronchitis and pneumonia. Am taking pills. I still feel very bad, and my back hurts. Back to bed for me ...
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Watauga Flats

Sick ... back whenever ...

The Sermon on the Moon

Last night's hazy moon


I feel terrible! I am now snotting like a fiend and my chest is even sorer. Even geezers like myself who had flu shots last fall are infected with these miseries; I hope I can fight off pneumonia.
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I read that Ford and the Auto Workers have reached an agreement to cut wages and benefits. Will new car prices fall? Dream on!
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The chief of the United Nations, Ban ki-Moon has called the United States a "deadbeat" nation. Why is the US promising to pay 22 percent of the UN's operating budget anyway? There are 191 other member countries so our share of the costs should be less than one percent. While the members of the European Union are laughing their economic asses off at the plight of we fat American wastrells, they still depend on us to carry their begging asses on our shoulders. What country is most responsible for allowing all of Europe and parts of Asia, including Japan and South Korea, to be independent of foreign rule? Who is the biggest buyer of their exports? Who kicked Hitler's ass out of France and Mussolini's out of Italy? Who fought World War II on two major fronts, and won both of them? No nation on this earth has ever sacrificed so many of the lives of their own soldiers to save the soverignty of other nations like has the United States of America! And for you, Mr. Ban ki-Moon, who saved your country's sorry ass from your nothern bretheren? Who buys your Kia and Hyundi cars and sorry electronic products? You deserve someone like Kim Jong-il to liberate your country from the American infestation and I could care less if it happens, and if it does, you more than likely will seek sancuary in the US, you pathetic hypocrite!

Yes World, the United States of America is down right now, but we are by no means on our knees. We will be standing here offering our hand to you when you are again flat on your asses!
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I better shut up before I become really mad; I've already edited out the best parts of the above tirade!
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Rambles

Redneck roadside litter. The area on the upper left will soon be lake bottom.


I read that Citigroup has shown a profit for the first time in months and the stock market made a "significant" rally based on the report. Don't be too enthused about a sustained rally or taking this as the end of the economic depression; so far it is only figures on paper and doesn't show net profit after write-offs.
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Carolyn is having to do more buildings on her own, and I will be taking her over to Fall Branch on Tuesday evenings, at least for awhile.
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We came by Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) while we were out Sunday, and the camping areas were beginning to fill up even as another race was being run in Atlanta. The two races at BMS each year are still the favorite of fans, and although the attendance is down because of the economy and the fact that the NASCAR organization sucks, there more than likely will be 120k+ souls in the stands this coming Sunday, and the night race in summer will draw even more.
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The first sure sign of spring at my house is when Carolyn renews her annual war on ants, especially the big, black wood ants. Ant traps and powders are being placed where ever she sees one of the unfortunate critters. Her feet and hands spell doom for any that cannot move away from her swift retribution. The tiny black ones will be along soon, and they too must face her wrath.
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The chest congestion for both Carolyn and I is becoming worse; our body temps are a little elevated, and we are coughing until our heads ache. I really do not feel like doing much, and she doesn't either. Life!
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Urban Renewal

Bus stop


I feel somewhat better this day; some of the soreness has left my fingers and knees, but now I have a lot of chest congestion, a malady which many other people seem to have. Carolyn is still shaking off the flu, and it is difficult to stop her from her daily activities anyway. She had to work yesterday, and I spent the day either in bed or in front of the tv; neither is a desireable place in such beautiful warm weather as we have had since Friday. It is supposed to get back to winter by the coming weekend.
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Saturday we went out to try and find some photo opportunities, but I became so ill it was nearly impossible for me to lift the camera. I was bound and determined to get us away from the house for awhile, so I drove the back roads to Mountain City and then on to Trade and over the border into North Carolina. I hit some back roads there and then returned to Mountain City and on to Damascus, Virginia. From there, I drove to Abingdon and back home via Bristol and Watauga Flats. It has been 15 years or longer since I was in the Abingdon area, and my how it has grown. Driving on I-81 there is much like driving I-40 in Knoxville. That is another thing that makes me wonder about the viability of Johnson City (JC) as being the commercial leader of the Tri-Cities for much longer. I can see JC quickly becoming a bedroom community for dieing people; people like myself that are past retirement age and do not have a lot of years left.
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Speaking of JC, I read where the Johnson City Development Authority (JCDA) has convinced our wise city leaders to purchase the old Young's Tobacco Warehouse, so it can be demolished and a "green strip" leading to downtown put in its place. Young's is the long building that lies between the Norfolk-Southern Railroad and Lamont Street near downtown. The structure was built in a fashion so that it is curved just like the railroad tracks. After its days as a tobacco warehouse had passed, some of it was used by Faircloth Chevrolet and then Sherwood Chevrolet as an indoor showroom and auto body shop. Another part of the building was used as an Allis-Chalmers tractor dealership for many years, then the White family from Erwin used it as a warehouse for their grocery store chain.

I understand the warehouse is deteriorating from years of neglect, but as far as I can tell, it has yet to become an eyesore or a public nuisance. It wil probably make a nice green area, even though it is jammed against the busy RR tracks on one side and the street on the other. There is a small creek that runs in a culvert beneath the building, and opening it up may help alleviate some of the downtown flooding. Eventually, I can see the little used portion of Lamont Street being closed and more property being purchased on the other side of it.

What makes me mad about the whole thing is JCDA always getting its way with the city commission. Together they have wasted millions of taxpayer dollars in downtown rejuvenation over the past three decades, and nothing has come of it except one block of Main Street has become partially developed, and several beautiful, old structures like the Majestic Theater and the Arcade building have been demolished. JCDA's biggest claim to fame is the Public Library being built near downtown; not in downtown. The library sits near the top of a hill overlooking the old city center, and was an overly-expensive thing to build, it is modernistic, ugly and not conforming to the main theme of renewal which is the old Johnson's Depot after which the town is named.

Furthermore, JCDA just recently convinced the city to purchase the old Interstate Foundry land and adjoining properties to develop as apartments. This tract includes a beautiful green area containg the same creek that runs under the Young property. Many critters—mostly ducks—call this home. Even if it still exists after the huge apartment complex is completed, it will not be the same.Technorati Tags: JCDA, Johnson City Tenn

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Feel bad ... back later.

Farts and mugshots

First day of summer, 2008


The Lady Vols won last night and must play Florida tonight. The Gators have beaten Pat's Baby Vols once already this year.
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Farts cause erections! According to this article, it is no wonder I stay horny! With all the flatulent people I've been around for the past 40 years, most of the blood in my body has pooled in the wrong head! I suppose that is why I am sickly and have trouble thinking straight!
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I like cartoons. I like Spongebob Squarepants. I wonder why there are hardly ever any weddings portrayed in cartoons, yet there are quite a few funerals? I wonder why Patrick Star is pink? I wonder why Mr. Crabs is not Mr. Crab?
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For your viewing pleasure, I present to you The Smoking Gun's Mugshots of the Week.
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Carolyn is cooking and I am about to eat!
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Lady Vols

Don't tell me I've nothing to do!☺



The Lady Vols play Alabama in basketball tonight. It is the Southeastern Conference tournament being contested in Little Rock, Arkansas. Tennessee usually gets a bye on day one of play, but their poor record this year earned them a lousy seeding.
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I am so looking forward to the weekend and temps near 80ºF. The camera is screaming to be allowed out of the drawer, and I need a break myself.
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I am now the proud owner of a Facebook account. Why? I haven't a clue! For the past few days I have been talking to myself.
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It is getting close to game time, so I will not bother you much today.

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Reading, writing, and DC arithimetic

Gulf Fritillary on Zinnia


It appears to me that the Obama mortgage rescue plan talks big and does little. Unlike the Wall Street giveaway, it has so many strings attached that most people who participate will probably wish they had not done so. Not all lenders are willing to use it, and many homeowners who need it most will not be eligible for it.
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I finished another paragraph of the short story I was writing and posted here a few weeks back. I know where I want to go with it, but I am still uncertain how far to go. I ask myself should I keep it as a short story or expand it into a book length story? Should I make it an event driven story where the plot supersedes the characters, or character driven where people control events. For me, it is much easier to write the former and then cause the characters to fit the events. I will have to decide before going much farther, and I am leaning toward keeping it short, mostly due to all the crap going on around me that keeps stealing my attention.

Characters are very hard for me. Some successful writers slowly develop the characters over many pages as it is the recommended way and allows the reader to grow into the plot along with the characters. Others do a character description in a paragraph or two and it is up to the reader to remember the important things. This works well with very good writing, because the reader tends to read more at one time and becomes familiar with the characters. Knowing when to quit describing and not become soap opera-ish is the key. Other good writers simply give the reader a name and a basic fact or two and go on with the story, but it needs to be a very good story.

I will decide in the next few days and go from there.
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Winter to spring

Forsythia 2008

Wow! It cannot stay winter forever, can it? Minus 12º Celsius (10ºF) this morning and a high of 1.6º (35ºF) for all today. Normal is -0.5º(31ºF) and 12.2º (54ºF).


Male rufous-sided towhee 2008

The rufous-sided towhees have returned from their Florida wintering vacations and are in the process of changing into mating colors. There are a lot of birds singing and calling of the mornings, but it is too early for nesting.
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Carolyn is down to two employees plus herself, and now she as a fierce head cold to make her more miserable. I hope she is better by Saturday because I promised to take her on a picnic. The temps are supposed to be around 70ºF (21ºC) and the skies are to be partly cloudy. We both need a break.
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When we are forced to move from our little abode, we may wind up in an apartment. House rent is reasonable right now, but we do not need the hassle of having a lawn to mow, etc. Of course, apartment rent prices have been on the rise, and we may not be able to find anything suitable within our means. Whatever it takes to have a roof overhead, we will do.
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I gave up my Twitter account; I need to stay as anonymous as possible for the time being.

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I wonder ...

October dogwood


Things like this really happen:

Why is it that a 40+ year old heavy drinker can be on Medicaid since its inception and be treated gratis for weekly "heart attacks" at a local hospital? Several years ago he had—free of cost to him—open-heart bypass surgery, and was warned to never again consume alcohol. He turned to God for awhile, and even became a lay preacher, but soon was back worshiping his one true god, Budweiser. He has never been diagnosed as an alcoholic, and freely admits he can quit drinking anytime he wants. Now, whenever he gets drunk (quite often) he goes into a conniption fit until someone phones for emergency services to come pick him up and carry him to hospital emergency room ... for free. He is then admitted to the hospital for "observation" for a few days at no charge to him, and resumes drinking as soon as he gets home. Home for him and his wife is—and has been for nearly all their married life—public supported housing. He receives his medications—which he rarely takes—at a local free clinic. They get food stamps and all other charity available too them. At present, he is getting prepared to go into hospital for knee replacement surgery, gratis. He doesn't even limp! The doctors say he has damage in his knee from some accident or malady and needs the operation.

If he needs it, then he needs it. But why should he be able to get this done for free when he has a trade as a construction worker but cannot hold a job because of his frequent hospital stays? My wife desperately needs a knee replacement done, but she cannot have it because her income is just a few bucks above poverty level. I need a knee and both shoulders replaced, but I cannot afford the Medicare deductible.

No, I was never promised a fair shake in life and have come not to expect one, but I do expect an equal chance in this great nation of ours. I don't want charity; just a chance. I hope Mr. Obama will take this kind of crap into consideration when he sets up his health care programs.
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My friend Maggie posted photos of her garden's spring flowers. Please give them a look.

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