From My Email

MISSISSIPPI DECLARES WAR ON U.S. GOVERNMENT

President Barack Obama was in the Oval Office when his telephone rang.

"Hello, President Obama" a heavily accented southern voice said. "This is Jimmy Boy, down here at Bump's Catfish Shack, in Vicksburg , and I am callin' to tell ya'll that we are officially declaring war on y'all!"

"Well Jimmy Boy," Barack replied, "This is indeed important news! How big is your army?"

"Right now," said Jimmy Boy, after a moments calculation "there is myself, my cousin Tom, my next-door-neighbor and brother Gerald, and the whole dart team from JD's Bait Shop. That makes eight or maybe nine depending if Bump can close the store.

Barack paused. "I must tell you Jimmy Boy that I have one million men in my army waiting to move on my command."

"Wow," said Jimmy Boy. "I'll have to call ya back!" Sure enough, the next day, Jimmy Boy called again. "Mr. Obama, the war is still on! We have managed to acquire some infantry equipment!"

"And what equipment would that be Jimmy Boy?" Barack asked.

"Well sir, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and my brother Mike's farm tractor."

President Obama sighed. "I must tell you Jimmy Boy, that I have 16,000 tanks and 14,000 armored personnel carriers. Also I've increased my army to one and a half million since we last spoke."

"Lord above", said Jimmy Boy, "I'll be getting back to ya."

Sure enough, Jimmy Boy called again the next day. "President Obama! I am sorry to have to tell you that we have had to call off this here war." 

"I'm sorry to hear that" said Barack. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Well, sir," said Jimmy Boy, "we've all sat ourselves down and had a long chat over sweet tea, catfish, greens and pie and come to realize that there's just no way we can feed that many prisoners."

SOUTHERN CONFIDENCE CANNOT BE SHAKEN 

If you are a REAL Southerner, you won't even need to be told to pass this on! GOD BLESS EVERYBODY!

Wishing Everyone A Very

Virginia Flaggers 2012

View More Virginia Flagger Photos Here

Flaggers At Work

Afternoon at the Chapel

Painted Ladies

The 'Painted Ladies' of Hatteras Village.

 This one of my favorite photos captured during my weekend on Hatteras Island.

Ferries, Rain and Fog!

Quick trip to Hatteras for the weekend. Turned into multiple misadventures with the NC Ferry System. On our way to Hatteras, we discovered that the road was still impassible on Hwy 12 with out a 4x4; rerouting our trip so we could crossed over on the ferry from Swans Quarter to Ocracoke. Making that change in our travel plans led us to discover the unique restaurant, the Hyde Away Cafe. Following a nearly 3 hour ferry ride we were starved! Once on Ocracoke we were all set for dinner at Howard's Pub and made a bee line there - but it was CLOSED; instead we back tracked and ate at the Topless Oyster. After catching the 9:00 p.m. ferry to Hatteras we finally made it to our hotel. Yippee!!

Saturday we headed north on Hwy 12 to find out just where the trouble with the road was and I did get a photo of the construction working to restore the road.

We got hung up in traffic on Hwy 12 for a little while this afternoon. According to local residences the dump truck ran over a passenger vehicle - the driver suffered at minimum a broken femur and broken arm. She had been med-flighted out prior to our arrival at the scene.

Our second mission was to go back to Ocracoke to explore and take photos at the Ocracoke Lighthouse. As we arrived at the Hatteras ferry we were informed that a fishing boat had run aground in the middle of the channel; blocking the ferry traffic in the channel. There would be no trip back to Ocracoke, the ferry operator told us that they were not expecting for the ferry to resume operation until after high tide (around 9:00 p.m.). On a happy note we did find out where the Emergency Ferry was operating out of and it looked like a promising way to return home on Sunday.

As the day broke with a slight drizzle in the air and pelicans perched on the piling in the marina. After gathering our belongings together and getting the car parked, I headed off to the marina to capture a few of those pelicans on 'film'.

Then we went off in search of the Community Center and the Emergency Ferry in Rodanthe Beach, which turned out to be a very easy find. I did spend some time while waiting for our departure to snap a few shots around the area. I'm glad I did for once we board the ferry the rain began to come down. 

All intentions I had of doing any work went completely out the window, with the combination of the chilly air, warm blanket, and the sound of the rain against the car roof sleep was only moments away. That two hour ferry ride passed by in minutes for one minute we were leaving one dock and the next arriving at our destination.  It was about that time that the fog settled in and gave us quite a fit for the rest of the journey.

All in all however, we found a number of beautiful areas to shoot and hopefully were able to capture some unique views of the island.

Outer Banks Road Trip Photos

New Mexico Chili Cookoff

I received this in email this evening - it is a MUST read!!

If you can read this whole story without laughing, then there's no hope for you. This is an actual account as relayed to paramedics at a chili cook-off in Santa Fe New Mexico.

Note: Please take time to read this slowly. If you pay attention to the first two judges, the reaction of the third judge is even better.

For those of you who have lived in New Mexico, you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the Santa Fe Plaza . Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chile taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield, MO.

Frank: “Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off.. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table, asking for directions to the Coors Light truck when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native New Mexicans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy; and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted and became Judge #3.”

Here are the scorecard notes from the event:

CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crap, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These New Mexicans are crazy.

CHILI # 2 - EL RANCHO'S AFTERBURNER CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

CHILI # 3 - ALFREDO'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.
Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting sh*t-faced from all of the beer.

CHILI # 4 - 0'BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC

Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. This 300 lb. Woman is starting to look HOT .... Just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?

CHILI # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Jalapeno peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the jalapeno peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted, and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when Itold her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off.. It really ticks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them.

CHILI # 6 - VARGA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, garlic. Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I crapped on myself when I farted, and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my butt with a snow cone.

CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI

Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing. It's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.

CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI

Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?
Judge # 3 -- No report.

Bethlehem Walk

Nativity - Bethlehem Walk, presented by Salem Baptist Church

I attended the Bethlehem Walk last night with Mom. We arrived, what we thought was, early - turned out early would have been an hour sooner. The line was long but did move. Once reaching the head of the line we were escorted through the exhibit. The actors remained in character, even going so far as to ask about the 'magic box' that I was carrying.

Tonight is the last performance (3 to 8 p.m.) - get out to see it if you haven't already done so.

Bethlehem Walk 2012 Photos

November Full Moon

Full Moon Nestled in Pine Bough

Post Thanksgiving Outing

I went out this morning, just after 8:00 a.m., with Bounce to treat him to his weekend Hardees sausage biscuit. Our normal line around the building was nonexistent, yeah!

Since we were out, I thought a quick trip around to the shopping hotspots on Hull Street was worthwhile. Much to my surprise the parking lot at WalMart was nearly vacant. I've seen more cars in the lot on a normal trip to the grocery store on a  regular Friday.

I then drove out the road just a bit further to see how things were at the Target and Best Buy.

Low and behold...The lot at Target was same way. There were probably more employee cars there than shoppers.

On to Best Buy were the there appeared to be a few more shoppers but the lot was still empty compared to what anyone would be expecting on "Black Friday."

We cruised on back home, and have been watching movies and enjoying a crackling fire as I have been working a couple of freelance pieces.

Hope everyone that ventures out today has a very safe shopping day.

Wishing Everyone a

Afternoon on at the Chapel

It was a very productive day at the chapel this afternoon. There were a number of opportunities to share with by-passers the goal of restoring the flags to the chapel.

A couple of ladies were very enthusiastic and even climbed up on the tailgate of one of the trucks to have their photo taken with the flags!

The Yankee hawk made an appearance again as well circling the steeple of the chapel and generally showing off.

It was a great day for meeting people, taking photos, and learning something new. Just listening the to learned individuals who participate in theses events weekly I find that they always have something for me to take away from my time spent with them.

Today as I was packing up to head home, one of the residents that lives on the street behind the chapel, called out to me. She said, "Thank you for your dedication. I appreciate it." The Flaggers changing hearts and minds one at a time.

Afternoon at the Chapel Photos

No More Twinkie's

A huge number of snack foods from my childhood are no more. Killed by the very people that were employed to produce them.

So many children and grandchildren won't have the shared memories of Hostess Twinkie's, Ho Ho's, and CupCakes with the loopy white icing down the center. Not to mention the many other products produced by the company.

In this time of economic hardship, it boggles the mind that they were not willing to back down on demands made of their employer (who was already in bankruptcy) in order to keep a job. Instead they chose to strike, and now they are out of work and have become just another of the many that are now on the public payroll of unemployment.

I sometime wonder about the leadership in the unions today. Are they really looking out for the best interests of the employees or only trying to find ways to actually drive the companies out of business? Just how many of these people did not have to lose a job?

Idiocy on Display

This is amazing! I love it when Judge Judy says that they are sending this tape to Congress. This guy hasn't a clue, even though he is a "3rd year" college student. How hard is to understand? You get aid to pay your rent, you pay rent - not use it to buy other stuff. He admits under oath that he defrauded the government. I hope that the taxpayers in the state where he lives are able to have him prosecuted for the it. 

The woman who he was suppose to be paying the rent to wasn't any better. She wasn't paying the rent either! How can you be upset when someone tries to collect on unpaid rent, when you don't pay!

I'm still shaking my head over the whole thing. It is amazing what we the taxpayers are getting as a return on our investment, from the looks of this it is a big fat ZERO!

 

Signatures on the Rise

It is not terribly hard now to figure out that there are petitions for 49 states to secede from the United State there are at least eight states with multiple petitions.

As theses petitions are reaching the required number of signatures to receive a response from the current administrations, it is going to be enlightening to see how they are handled. Especially from an administration that has a hard time answering any direct questions.

It will be equally entertaining to see how the main stream media is going to handle this story, that they have effectively been ignoring for the past eight days.

Only 2 States Left

Well it looks like everyone is onboard with secession, except Wisconsin & Vermont! It is going to be interesting to see what the numbers look like later this evening.

38. Peacefully Grant the State of Illinois to withdrawal from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
39. Grant the State of New Hampshire to withdrawal from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
40. Peacefully grant the State of Minnesota to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
41. Peacefully grant the State of New Mexico to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
42. Peacefully grant the State of Maine to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
43. Peacefully grant the State of Iowa to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
44. Peacefully grant the State of Washington to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
45. Peacefully grant the State of Massachusetts to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
46. Peacefully grant the State of Hawaii to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
47. the State of Maryland to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
48. the State of Connecticut to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.

Petitions Update

Center Column of the Drudge Report Today

Now there is a minimum of 37 petitions that have been filed to allow their state to withdraw from the United States. There are several states where more than one petition has been created, which makes sense since the petitions are not posted publicly until they have the minimum 150 signatures.

Not to be "outdone" by the secessionist type petitions there several that make requests of the administration to deny the citizens of the United States the right to petition the government:

• Strip the Citizenship from Everyone who Signed a Petition to Secede and Exile Them
• Deport Everyone That Signed A Petition To Withdrawal Their State From The United States Of America.
• Peacefully allow the city of Austin Texas to withdraw from the State of Texas & remain part of the United States

New petitions added since my last posting:

28. Peacefully grant the State of California to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
29. Peacefully grant the State of Wyoming to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
30. Peacefully grant the State of Utah to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
31. Peacefully grant the State of Kansas to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
32. Allow Alaskans a free and open election to decide whether Alaska should Secede from the United States.
33. Peacefully grant the State of Nebraska to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
34. Peacefully grant the State of West Virginia to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
35. Peacefully grant the State of South Dakota to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
36. Peacefully allow the State of Rhode Island to secede from the United States of America and create a NEW Government.
37. Peacefully grant the State of Idaho to withdraw from the United States of American and create its own NEW Government

Add Four More to the List

New petitions this evening from Delaware, Pennsylvania and Nevada the number is now up to 27 Petitions for withdrawal.

With Texas reaching the goal of 25,000 earlier today and Louisiana closing in on that number, there is going to be some sort of conversation on these petitions from within the administration. If nothing more than bringing the dissatisfaction of the people to light, and perhaps even getting the mainstream media to talk about this then something, just maybe can be accomplished.

24. Peacefully grant the State of Pennsylvania to withdraw from the United States of America and to create its own New government.
25. Peacefully grant the State of Nevada to withdraw from the United States of America and to create its own New government.
26. Peacefully grant the State of Delaware to withdraw from the United States of America and to create its own New government.
27. Allow for the peacefully withdrawal of Ohio from the United States of America such that it becomes its own free nation.

Signatures as of 9:30 p.m.

Delaware 1,130                                             Nevada 2,271

Pennsylvania 3,186                                   Virginia 7 (does not become public till 150)

Arizona 5,993                                          Oklahoma 6,094

Arkansas 8,632                                          South Carolina 9,305 & 8,126

Georgia 11,818 & 7,261                               Missouri 7,655 & 7,425

Tennessee 11,999                                            Michigan 8,865

New York 8,574                                          Colorado 9,599

Oregon 7,360                                          New Jersey 7,012

North Dakota 6,472                                  Montana 7,148

Indiana 8,847                                          Mississippi 8,648

Kentucky 8,668                                          Florida 13,227

North Carolina 11,908                                   Alabama 12,753

Texas 44,083                                         Louisiana 22,001
Ohio  336

And the Count is now....

Apparently I'm not the only one that has noticed the petitions that have been submitted for signature. WND has also picked up the story, "Now many states want to secede from U.S."

19. Peacefully grant the  State of Missouri to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.
20. Peacefully grant the State of Virginia to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government. This link was posted as a comment on a previous post but does not seem to be able to be accessed other than by this direct link! According to sources a petition will not appear on the public listing until there are at least 150 signatures.
21. Peacefully grant the State of Arkansas to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own New government.
22. Peacefully grant the State of Oklahoma to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own New government.
23. Peacefully grant the State of Arizona to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own New government.

Texas has been busy collecting signatures. They have reached and exceeded the necessary 25,000 signatures required to have their petition reviewed by the Obama Administration.

New Poster Available

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Created from over 325 images of the VA Flaggers.
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The Count is now 18

18. Peacefully grant the State of Tennessee to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.