Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Attention to Detail

I can't remember the first time I heard those words, Attention to Detail. But, one guy who often used that phrase was another newsman. We worked together in the 1970's and early 1980's. Both of us liked covering hard news, aka breaking news or spot news. Got our adrenalin going, got the motors running. His name was John Randt. He was a Viet Vet, army type. And, he worked in construction when the nuclear power plant was being built in Brunswick County (NC). He also worked the city beat (remember those?) at the Wilmington Star News, and later bccame a reporter, then assignment editor and finally news director at Wilmington's WWAY. Before the days of computers and electronic newsrooms. During the transition from 16 mm news film to videotape.

John was also a lieutenant in the North Carolina National Guard. He was squared away in a world of less than squared away journalists. Somehow, we clicked. We broke a lot of stories, won a lot of awards, had a great time.

Attention to Detail was something John said. A lot. Not only said it, he meant for it to be understood and practiced. He practiced what he preached, too. No story should air, he maintained, until all the facts were clear. A lot of reporters, then and now, don't adhere to that philosophy. Too often, don't let the facts stand in the way of a good story seems to be the standard operating procedure.

Attention to Detail. Not only good for reporters to practice, but good for all of us to consider in our daily lives. Nowhere is that any more important than taking pictures. I attached a number of photos in an earlier blog, photos I took in our backyard as spring started busting out all over. Nothing special They included a lot of attention to detail. The small things. The tiny flower blossoms, complete with a buzzing bee. A cucumber seedling making it's way through the soil's surface. New leaves. Just things that caught my eye. By focusing on detail, and eliminating the background clutter.

Attention to Detail. The days of yesteryear when I could spend a long time lying in the grass, looking for that elusive four-leaf clover, finding june bugs, chasing down lightning bugs. Lying, at night, on my back staring into the heavens, looking for Telstar. "It will look like any other star", the papers reported. "Except it will be moving slowly". I saw a lot of moving objects that looked like stars. Over many nights. "And, it won't be blinking", the reports contnued. Airplanes have blinking lights. Stars, real ones, tend to twinkle. I needed to find a movning object that looked like a star, that neither blinked nor twinkled. And, I did. By paying attention to detail, eliminating all of the other contenders, focusing on the one object out of millions up there. I saw Telstar. Time and again. Kids and adults gathered, once we knew what we were looking for, at the prescribed times, thanks to the paper, to gaze to the heavens. Better than TV re-runs, it was. Not so much light pollution in those days. It was fun, safe and enjoyable. Some of you will remember Telstar. It was a satellite. I even remember the instrumental song, Telstar. I had the LP. Sorry...that's a 33-1/3 Long Playing album. Vinyl. A record. It went round and round, on a turntable. Goodness. Just take my word for it. It was a cool song in those days.

Attention to detail. The smallest details. Open your eyes and your minds. You will be amazed at what's around you. In your own back yard. And, it's a great time of year to do it.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Scrimps and Grits, aka Shrimp and Grits---the easy way

No, that doesn't mean a trip to your favorite restaurant. Though, in Charleston, and a couple other spots, that ain't bad, either.

However, on a Sunday morning (like yesterday), I had a chance to try out a pre-packaged "kit" of the stuff. Thanks to Debbie and the Ship's Wheel at Tideline Marine in Jacksonville (NC). She gave me the kit to try out. And, I did. It's from the Gullah Gourmet out of Charleston and contains most eveything you'll need. Except, of course, the shrimp.


Instructions are simple. There are two packages inside the sack. One is yellow stone ground grits, the other is the gravy mix, rich with herbs.

You can follow the instructions, as did I. The first time. The gravy and the grits were a little thinner than I prefer. Recipe calls for four (4) cups of water for the grits. You might want to try three, instead. You can also reduce the amount of liquid for the gravy, from the suggested 1-3/4 cups to 1-1/2. Of course, you might like both your gravy and your grits soup-y, and that's fine. One thing I 've found, with grits, is that you can cook ém up, and if they're a little thicker than you want, add a bit of milk (I use Half-n-Half) at the end. Makes the grits fluffy and not so thick. This is a good thing to know, especially if the grits set around in a pot after they're done, while you're waiting for everyone to get to the table, or you're waiting for the rest of the meal to finish cooking.

The gravy, likewise, can be thinned out with additional water, near the end of the cooking phase.

The recipe with the kit suggests sauteeing a pound of shrimp. That's about right. No biggie, here. It's simple. A little butter or olive oil in a hot pan, and it only takes a minute or two and they 're ready. Then, per the recipe, add them to the gravy. Your timing for this is important. Make sure:
1) folks are at the table, ready to eat 
2) the grits are just the way you want to serve them 
3) the gravy is right, meaning that it's cooked the prescribed period of time and is as thick or thin as you want.
(Yes, you can thicken the gravy with a bit of flour, but, adding flour to hot liquid results in lumpy stuff that takes a lot of whisking action to correct).

The cooking times given are good. The grits, added to boiling waer, should cook for 30 minutes. The gravy takes about 20 minutes. A little more won't hurt. Just wait until everything is ready before adding the sauteed shrimp to the gravy.

Once the 1,2,3's are done,  add the sauteed shrimp to the gravy mix. Let them simmer for a minute or two, serve the grits, then add the gravy/shrimp to the top of the grits.

The little Gullah kit, along with a pound of shrimp, will feed four people.  Of course,  biscuits on the side are a good addition. A little of the gravy mix, sans the shrimp, on top of the biscuit is a bonus.  No frozen biscuits on hand? And, you don't know how to cook them from scratch? Have you tried those sandwich-thin wheat buns? Not a lot of bread, as in traditional hamburger buns. And, with a little butter, and under the broiler for a minute or two, they are ab-so-lutely good-er'n good.

The Gullah kits are available prepared for she-crab soup, shrimp creole and other.goodies I have a pack of each of these, and you can bet that I'll give them a whirl real soon. There's even some sort of dessert stuff. No doubt, it's good, but I don't cook much in the way of desserts. I'll leave that to someone else.

And, unless I'm drastically wrong, the stuff at The Ship's Wheel was a whole lot cheaper than it was when I did an on-line search. I will check that out later this week. If it is, you might want to keep that a secret. Just between usn's. At least until I get my stash.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Spring Has Sprung. YEA!!!!

After the winter we had, I haven't bumped into anyone who is unhappy about the arrival of spring. For sure, I'm pleased. So, I took a little stroll around the yard today, camera in hand. Just grabbed some pictures that show me that spring is actually here.

From pollen to brand new leaves...here I come, ready or not!



Blooming Rosemary...our "tree" is about four feet tall

First of this year's azaleas

A happy bee...Why can't we have a whole yard full of these?
Ahhh. The State Flower for North Carolina. Dogwood.
New maple leaves


Pretty tropical blossoms
My cucumbers are sprouting!


The grass is growing. Mowing is next.

I love spring.
                                                                          Ahhh-choo

                                                        The trees are dripping. 


Just a pretty day


All that yaller stuff is pollen. It won't last long, so quit complaining.

Beautiful Carolina Sky


Tulip Time

 Wisteria. Lovely flowers. Awful vines.

Maple leaves spring out


                                               I like seeing things grow. It's a potato plant.
In a flower pot.
An old potato.
Just didn't want to throw it away.

Happy Spring. 

Television News. Again.. Not so bad, when it's Local. But...

Better news...pardon the intended pun...this time around.

It was a welcome change watching the NBC affiliate, WITN, Wednesday at 11. Breaking news video of a fire in Onslow County (new at 11), another fire, complete with video and sound bites (I believe it was Greenville)...bites from someone other than dreaded "officials". And, another breaking news, also new at 11, story.

Well-done.

Breaking news is not the only news out there, of course, but it ranks near the top of what an audience...you and me...want to know about. My memory hasn't faded completely, and I know what research shows. At least, research for one market. Market is TV talk for the designated markets, like Wilmington, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Greenville-Washington-New Bern, New York City, L.A.

In the one market, and there's no reason to believe it varies much across the country, Severe Weather is at the top of the list for the majority of viewers. That's what they want to know about more than ANY-thing else. Number two on that list is Crime Prevention/ Safety. News managers will differ on what they interpret that to mean. But, having watched focus groups on a couple occasions, I came away with what I believe viewers want. Since 9-11, it's been pretty much anything that concerns their safety. From fires to murders to traffic accdents. Breaking News. Sort of. The viewers in the focus groups did explain it a bit further. Yes, they want to know about those things. But, they want MORE.

How did that murder happen? What's the untold story behind the headlines? Is my family in danger? What can I do to make sure I'm not a victim?

They want to know the same things about fires or traffic accidents. How can the information they get from TV news be used to safeguard their families, their homes? That's the second step in news coverage. The part that is all too often neglected.

Let's examine a couple stories from last night. Yes, the big woods fire got some attention. Good, colorful video. But, it also contained information about smoke-covered highways, and contained a warning to drivers about hazardous driving conditions.

A fire at a home where the power had been cut off (for whatever reason). The homeowner left to pay the bill, and the utility company restored power. Before the home owner returned home. As (bad) luck would have it, a stove had been left on during the power "interruption", but lit up when power was restored. A story with a messsage, albeit perhaps a bit subtle.

That's good journalism.

Ok, so what's not good about television news? Keeping in mind that weather is king (maybe not in San Diego or Hawaii), it often gets over-played. Take those teases that air between 8 and 11 pm. Pretty much always recorded. Pretty much overly generic or overly specific. My wife hates the tease  concept. She feels that the weather guy or gal should "give it up" during that 5-15 second window of opportunity. But, teases are promos. They are meant to encourage us to watch the upcoming newscast. It is, of course, a marketing strategy. Television news ratings do not reflect how many people watch the teases. Those are program ratings. News bragging rights and the amount sales guys can charge for a commercial during a newscast depend on the ratings, i.e. the number of people watching. The more viewers, the higher the rates.

Ok, that explained, back to those weather teases. They're recorded in many, if not most, cases  immediately after the 6 pm news. Four hours, or more, before the late news at 11.  This is done for logistical reasons in smaller markets. News and Production staffers take dinner breaks after the early news, before they gear up for the late news. Those teases, all too often, run time and time again, the same one, until 10:59. Extremely generic. Some stations record more than one, and rotate them. Some include actual news teases during the evening. Keep in mind that they are recorded.

News teases are ever so important, especially if there are updates or a new story for the late news. Especially if there is breaking news. Even more important when there's no weather. Yes, there are days, as you know, when it's going to be "if you liked it today, you're going to like it tomorrow", when there's absolutely nothing newsy or timely about the weather. If that's the case, and I see no teases to encourage me to stay up for the late news, then I am just as apt to head for the rack.

The weather teases, of course, must do a tad more than "join me tonight at 11 for the latest weather". Yuchh. They must tease but not tell, in their efforts to keep us up for the late news. That's tough, sometmes, especially for meteorologists. Those guys really want to tell us eveything. All the time. Sometimes, too much of everything, as I'm sure you have seen. In general conversation, one day, I asked one of my mets how the heat index numbers were reached. I expected a layman-type of answer, something that I could actually understand. Something along the lines of it has to do with the humidity and the heat and whatever. Instead, the next day, after extensive research, this met brought me a formula that I swear must have been a half page long! And, then...to my horror...he becgan dissecting and explaing that formula.

What I would like, as a viewer, or course, is to get weather and news breaks throughout the evening. That's not really practical for television stations that carry prime time entertainment programming. Local availabilty times are sold at a premium rate. I understand and appreciate that. What would be nice, though, is a tease that promises me a report on upcoming changes for my weekend weather: Boating or headed for the beach or golf course this weekend? There's some stuff you need to know before firming up those plans. Or: Some changes are happening tonight that will impact your morning plans, changes that involve snow, sleet and freezing rain. That would give me a reason to hang around.

All of us have our pet peeves about local TV news, and local newspapers. But, the one thing all of us need to keep in mind is that they are LOCAL! There's a move underfoot for large TV corporations to move towards a centralized news cast. One team of anchors, at a central location, giving non-local-specific news content and calling it local news. A fire, a murder, or a three car pileup is newsworthy for a specific market, but those events will not make a regional newscast. What you will get will be stories of general or universal interest. Wide audience appeal, marketing gurus call it. The cute cat rescued from a tree by a firefighter. Kicker stories, in a local news cast. In a specific market, wide audience appeal includes a lot more stories than it does when the newscast originates from a central location, and is shown on TV stations throughout the southeast, or southwest, or northeast.

That, unfortunately, is where things seem to be going. All a matter of economics and cost cutting, Instead of paying anchor teams in each of the corporation's 10 to 35, or more, markets, they can get away with paying one team. It's like network news on a smaller scale, covering stories that have less meaning to individual towns.

And, more unemployed anchors who can do nothing else.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Breaking News. It Isn't. Anymore.

"We'll be back to regularly scheduled programming in a minute. But, first..."
(Camera Turn to Cam 2)
"Fire units are at the scene of a fire that is threatening one area neighborhood. Flames and smoke from the inferno can be seen from miles away. Reporter Scoop Jackson is at the scene of that mess, and gives us a first hand look at what's going on. Scoop?"

The Glory Days of television news. When breaking news, aka Spot News, was actually happening. Right now. Not something the journalists learned about the day after, gathered the facts, and reported, for the first time, that night, often 15-20 hours AFTER it happened. But, it is still billed as BREAKING NEWS!

As go the Glory Days of telelvision journalism, go the old work horses. Real journalists, those dedicated souls who lived for breaking news, and investigative reporting, and good hard-hitting stories. Stories that viewers actually wanted to see. Those days, it seems, are gone forever. The same fate, it seems, as the work horses of TV News...The Live Truck.

Poor guy. Stripped of its dignity. Still hanging on to "COMES FIRST", part of a branding slogan that actually meant something. Once. On a used car lot, wating for a buyer. Most likely, awaiting a date with metal shears and the recycle bin.

Much like today's version of TV news. Well. Not just TV news. What ever happened to reporters at the scene of breaking or spot news? Newspaper or television. Even radio guys with portable tape recorders. I remember, many years ago, when the manager of a 1000 watt AM radio station, in a station wagon equipped with remote broadcast equipment, rushed to the scene of fires. Big or small. If the red trucks rolled, so did he. If you heard or saw a fire truck running lights and siren, then all you had to do was tnne your radio to 1240 (that's AM radio, children), and within minutes, you knew what was going on. Most often, of course, the events were small. We didn't have to wonder what was going on. We knew.

On television, if there was a fatal wreck or shooting or big fire, we actually saw PICTURES of it on the next newscast. Not anymore. Today, we'll get a Google or Bing map, with some fancy zooming from the fine folks in the production department, and bare details of whatever the event was. No reporter at the scene. No real details. No reaction from the victim or family or friends, no first hand details from the cops or firefighters. No flavor of the event. Kind of like reading the score in the Saturday paper of your high school football team's game the night before. No flavor of the game. Without pictures and sound, today's TV newscasts are all too often little more than milk toast. Boring.

Many of us remember when the Huntley-Brinkley Report on NBC started in the 1950's. Two guys. In two cities. For 15 minutes each night. A national newscast. It contained little more than well written stories about the day's news. Not a lot of pictures. At least, not in the beginning. It did not take long for the network to add video from all over the world, and Television News was off and running.

Man consultants blame the internet for the demise of televisoin news. It goes a lot deeper than that. What radio and newspapers could not deliver, TV could. The internet, admittedly, is often more timely. However, it is not LOCAL. Almost never. And, that little screen cannot give me the feel for what's really happening, not like real cameras with great quality, and solid reporters on the scene.

Maybe I should park myself alongside that lonely old work horse on the used car lot, and wait for recycling.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Wonder What Took So Long...and how many "days, not weeks" it will take to deal with Scum-Daffy

Libya. Gadhafi, one of several spellings used by the media, is at the center of a bullseye. But, he's been there before. 1986, it was, on 14 April, when U.S. warplanes tried to send him to wherever dead people of his faith  go. They got some of Scum-Daffy's relatives, but he was tipped off by an unnamed country (Turkey) and he ran for cover. Forgot to take along his kin folks. But, he survived. Didn't hear much from him for a while, but it turns out that he was one of those behind the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 just two years later.
So, what's happening today? The French (can you even  believe  that?) decided, along with other countries, that enough was enough. They took action, joining Libyan rebels in trying to get rid of Gadhafi and his band of vermin.

The U.S. Obama Administration didn't want to get involved. At first. But, as it became politically popular to join the Bash Gadaffi Faction, Obama decided to change horses. The United States didn't lead the charge on this one, and I guess that makes us look better. More passive, less aggressive.

If Gadahafi is a bad guy, and he needs spanking, I can't for the life of me see why we should wait for the French to decide it's ok. If we want him removed from power, neutralized, then why didn't we just get the job done? Oh, I guess it's because our current administration wants to see which way the wind is blowing before taking action. You have to remember that this is a president with no credentials. A great big ZERO in that department. He's a president that did not think he could do any wrong. That anything he did was ok, because he was "the man".

Then, along came last November. And, the very real possibility that he was going to go the way of Jimmy Carter and George Bush (the first one), and get the boot after one term.  It must have been a scary time for the inexperienced Administration. Guys who had never dealt with real life. People who have jobs simply because the American public was sold a bill of goods.

In 2008, we had, so we thought, the great saviour. Our economic woes were going to be a thing of the past. It was going to be good times again. How'd that work out?

Now, stuck with a disillusioned America, and an economy that is tanking, no way to keep any promises made that got him to Washington, the top dog needs something to show he is really "the man". Waiting for an opportunity, the unrest in Libya looked pretty good. Not to his staffers, mind you. They were still working on the Obama Premise. "Don't do anything effective". Just work on matters that will "equalize America". Interpreted, that means those who have worked hard to earn what they've got must share with those who didn't.

Oh, and the man ordered the U.S. attack without even notifying Congress. He sent them a note two days afterwards. Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.

Nothing but a political opportunity, no doubt.

All of the bombs we're dropping, and missiles we're launching, and the fuel we're burning...and, the military maintains that Gadhafi, himself, is not their target. They do not have orders to kill him. They're just enforcing a no fly zone.  Right. To protect civilians, they say. And, Obama tells us we will  get out in "days, not weeks".  Didn't work in VietNam, hasn't worked in Iraq, ain't gonna work in Libya. If we do, indeed, take our toys and come home in a few days, or even a few weeks, and Scum-Daffy is still alive, the rebels and civilians will be at his mercy. Unless and until he's dispatched, the problem will not go away.

Here's something to think about. Have you noticed the ragtag rebels? They have rocket-propelled-grenades and other military armament. Yes, it's likely outdated. And, for sure, they don't know how to use it. But, they've got it. I do wonder where they got it. And, if they are successful, with the help of foreign invaders like the French and Americans, who's to say they're not going to be a force to reckon with in the near future. It's happened before, and it will, no doubt, happen again.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

A Photo Journey on the River

Did some fishing earlier in the week. My brother in law and I. He caught seven. I got two. But, I had a blast. We kept only one, a 25 inch red fish, aka puppy drum and red drum, and...whatever.
Soooo...I decided to take a quick ride down to the same spot today. Nuttin', honey. Not even a bite. Of course, I wasn't fishing hard. Just passing time. Enjoy nature. What a BEAUTIFUL day on the river.
Hope you enjoy some of the images I captured.
Not sure why I took it. Just another jet. About half way to outer space. Hence the black sky above. That's just how clear the day was. I added a polarizer filter.


Just a dead tree. The creeks along New River have a lot of these recalls by Mother Nature.

Life after Death

These are just cool airplanes. Or, helicopters. Or, just plain Ospreys.

Coasties were conducting some serious training sessions on the river.

Woody Woodpecker was here.

Prepare for Launch!

Launched

Might not be an eagle, but this osprey can certainly soar. A sure sign that spring is now here.


Now, don't you feel better?

I'm Starting a Rebellion. Want to join in?

Yep. I am. It's going to be a personal one. But, I'm inviting all who want to have some fun, and maybe get a little personal satisfaction, to join in.

Another one of those e-mails making the rounds has spurred me into action. You know,  like the one that calls for every American to boycott all Exxon and Mobil stations, and never buy gas from them. They (actually "they" is only one) would soon feel the pinch and start reducing their gas prices. At least, that's the theory behind the proposed boycott. If they reduce gas prices, then other dealers would have to follow. I'm not sure if that would work, but, in theory, it does sound good. It is a fact that dealerships monitor each other in certain parts of town. Back in my journalistic days, one of the biggest dealers in Wilmington (NC) told our reporter that they checked competitors' prices in different zones of the city, and adjusted their prices accordingly. That is why you see pockets of stations in different parts of your community where the prices  seldom vary more than a penny or two. Across town, though, the same companies have a different "set of prices". Price fixing? Nawwww. That would never happen.

Anway, back to the topic. We all complain about it, and comedians make fun of it, even one company uses it as part of it's advertising campaign. When you call a toll-free customer service number, especially after regular hours, you're likely to reach a guy in India. You know. Peggy. U .S. based companies are outsourcing their customer service/complaint calls to the cheapest bidder. It must be a heckuva deal for them, given the cost of international calls. I can't even imagine how little Peggy is paid when he tries to talk me through problems with my H-P printer. He must be working for pennies per hour.

So, here's what we can do. You, and me (or, is it "I"?). And, according to the circulating feel-good e-mail making the rounds, it will work. Whenever you  call your bank, a cable or satellite provider, or any other company and end up with what is obviously not a real Peggy, politely ask to be transferred to a representative in the United States of America. Do not just say America. Mexico, Canada, Nicaragua, Chile...you get the picture...are ALL in America. North America, Central America, or South America. Specifiy the good old USA.

Likely, Peggy will give you some grief, and offer to transfer you to a supervisor. Don't be fooled by that. It's another Peggy. Insist, but do it politely, to be re-routed to a representative inside the USA. Eventually, you'll get there. Here.

The theory is simple. At some point in time, if enough of us are making such demands, we will overload the companies' USA call centers, and they'll have to add personnel. With forced early retirements, with layoffs, with unemployment at 10-percent, who knows. We might just make a difference.

That aside, and just because I am like I am...no apologies to anyone for that...I think I'll look up all of the customer service numbers I can find for every product I own, and give this a whirl. Even if I don't have a complaint. Maybe I want to know, from HP, why I have to plug my laptop in to charge my battery when it plainly says the computer is a wireless model. Same thing for my printer. "I bought it because it claims to be wireless, but I still have to plug it in. Why? Am I doing something wrong?"

Let my personal rebellion begin! As with all good rebellions, though, I need a battle cry of some sort. Any ideas?

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

This is SO politically incorrect. Earthquake causes gas price drop.

My heart goes out to the people of the great nation of Japan. They have suffered a terrible blow to their infrastructure, to their people, to their lifestyle. A natural disaster of this proportion is bound to have an longlasting impact. I truly feel them, as I do for the citizens of Haiti, and other countries devastated by such disasters.

But. (There's always a "but".)

As the e-mail that's appeared in my in-box, time and again, over the past months points out, there are a lot of people in the United States of AMERICA who need help. Not to recover from natural disasters, but just to get by. We have seniors, the unemployed, and others on fixed incomes who can barely make it from one check to the next. I say "fixed" income, but that's not exactly true. The "withholdings" from the checks continue to go up, and...unlike the "checks" for our congressmen and senators...the cost-of-living increases ain't happening. The "fixed" income actually goes down. If you haven't noticed, the cost of gasoline, milk, corn...just about everything you need to survive...is anything but "fixed".
  I'm sure you are aware that your representatives have approved, for themselves, pay increases. Again. I still can't understand why it's ok for the EMPLOYEE to give himself a raise. I always thought it was the EMPLOYER who did that. At least, that's the way it always was for me. And, those raises were based, in part, on how well I performed, as well as how well I maintained my department's budget. If I had performed as poorly as our representatives, and had consistently and routinely, without shame, spent more than my budget allowed, I would not have expected a raise. Of course, if I had been able to give myself a raise, regardless of my performance, I would have been a rich man. But, the company would have been broke. Much like our country is. Fourteen-trillion dollars broke. That's $14,000,000,000,000
broke. Hard to keep track of the zeroes. And, I could have missed a few.

I've been on a tangent, but it is related to the natural disasters all over the globe. This country is broke. We cannot, and are not, taking care of ourselves. We cannot, and should not, be the great saviour of the world. Charity begins at home. When we have eliminated hunger, reduced/eliminated unemployment, taken care of health care (with a workable plan, not the obamacareless plan), when our kids are safe in their homes, when gangs are put out of business, when the drug dealers don't control our streets...then, and ONLY then, should we take on the job of being the great saviour.

Yes, I believe in helping our good friends in Japan and in Haiti and in Chile. I also believe in helping my neighbors when they need my assistance. But, I don't think I'll be mowing their lawn if ours is a foot high. I really don't think my wife would approve.

A final tidbit. And, it's a bit harsh to point out. And, don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger. From today's edition of the Jacksonville (NC) Daily News:

Gas prices have been driven up by recent unrest in the Middle East. But many market speculators are calling for costs to take a dip along with Japan’s oil demand in the wake of the island nation’s earthquake and tsunami last week.

The earthquake that rocked Japan may actually cause the price of gasoline to drop.

Wow. (without an exclamation mark)

Monday, March 14, 2011

Stay Focused on Iran. Head of OPEC.

In his newsletter, last week, former marine Illario Pantano, who is making his second run at the 7th Congressional District seat, has some not-so-kind remarks for the White Hourse and what he describes as their "garbled and ineffectual foreign policy" with regards to the ongoing Middle East boondoggle.

Most of us are aware of the mess in Libya. A mess that should have been corrected many years ago. We tried, but we didn't go far enough. Pretty much the same way we tried with the first Gulf War. We stopped just short of taking care of business.

The focus, these days, in on Libya. A lot of sword rattling from everywhere, including the White House. Lots of noise, not a lot of action. Come on, guys. Khadaffi is a pimple. Pinch him, and he'll go away. No reason to use a lot of bombs. One round, at 1500 meters, will do the job nicely.

It won't solve the problem. But, it will, hopefully, get us back on track. We must concentrate our attention in areas that pose a LOT of potential...strike that...a lot of guaranteed threats to the United States.

From Pantano:

I feel for the Libyan freedom fighters and for the Egyptians, Omanis, Yemenis and Tunisians. I fought a war to liberate Kuwaitis and then another to liberate Iraqis.  And while I believe in compassion, this is not the time for bleeding hearts but rather steely resolve and focus.
American national interest demands that the distractions be put aside and the real threat be brought front and center which is why I call on the President and the congress to use every instrument of our national power to topple the Iranian regime, today.  This is our last best chance to stop Iran with only limited military intervention. Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain are afterthoughts compared to the menace of the Iranian regime on the verge of going nuclear.

Sure seems that the White House folks...the ones with absolutely not one bit of experience in any area save "fund raising" and "community affairs"...see the Libyan skirmish as a chance to take a stand that will give them what they hope will be international credibility.

It would be a welcome change to see them take some action where it's needed. It might not be popular, but we really, really need to devote some attention to Iran. Pre-emptive attention, if you will.

Pantano continues:

The facts of the case are simple.  Iran is dangerously close to becoming a nuclear power and as such will threaten the Middle East, Europe and beyond. The Stuxnet virus, which has temporarily slowed Iran's centrifuge progress and delayed uranium enrichment is a blessing, but it only offers a brief pause.
Furthermore, what little is left of Iranian credibility is damaged by the recent revelation that a 62-year old American citizen has been held in secret captivity for the past three years.  What leader could possibly trust a government that publicly and privately conspires to kill our citizens as Iran has done in both Iraq and Afghanistan?Sanctions did not work with Korea and will not work with Iran, especially not with $100-a-barrel crude. Holding the presidency of OPEC, Iran has once again put a gun to western temples as evidenced by Iranian OPEC governor Mohammad Ali Khatibi telling Reuters: "There is no need for OPEC to boost oil production because consumer worries over supply are mostly "psychological." With the threat of $120-crude the mullahs hold the global economic recovery hostage.Think abot this when you're pumping gas. Not just about your pocketbook while you're at the filling station (that's what we used to call them), but at the supermarket and restaurants. Those folks have their supplies trucked in. Trucks use fuel. Someone's gotta pay for the increased costs. Everyone's got to maintain a profit margin, or they go out of business.

Yeah. Think about it. Encourage your duly-elected represenatives to start representing us. Otherwise, as it was more than 200-years ago, we have taxation without representation. Most of us know what happened next. England does.


Thursday, March 10, 2011

Just a wee bit of fun with Terror Alert Levels

Our good friends and allies, the Brits, have a great sense of humor.
Some of them, anyway.
From the BBC, with tongue in cheek, comes this announcement from John Cleese. And, according to the source, there may be a few modifications from the original report.
We really need to learn how to laugh at ourselves.

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and  have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved."  Soon,  though, security levels may be raised yet again to either "Irritated" or even "A Bit  Cross."

The English have not been "A BitCross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea  supplies nearly ran out.

Terrorists themselves have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to  "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the England issued a "Bloody Nuisance"  warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots (a separate race and culture) have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the  Bastards." They don't have any other levels.  This is the reason they have been  used on the front line of the UK's armed forces for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert  level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are  "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that  destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's  military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to  "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat  Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to  "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels:  "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they  are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These  beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a  really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia , meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to  "She'll be alright, Mate." Three more escalation levels remain:  "Crikey!", "I  think we'll need to cancel the barbey this weekend," and "The barbey is  cancelled."


I wonder why the U.S. terror levels weren't examined. Let's see.
Pink. For Pelosi and her constituents. All is well in la-la land.
Bright orange. They took her plane away.
Beige. Obama's idea of  running a country.
Red. The color of oh, so many states in November 2012.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

NC Spanish Mackerel Tournament


Breaking News Update
Well, not exactly. But, about as accurate as so much of the so-called breaking news we see on all those cable news channels.
Some have asked about the payout of prize money for the NC State Spanish Mackerel Championship.
The total prize money will depend on the number of boats entered. But, as an example, this will be the split if 40 or 50 boats are enterd:
                        First             Second       Third     Fourth
40 entries        975               585             390         (only after 50 entries)
50 entries        1219             609             366         244

With each additional 10 entries, we add another "place".

The committee continues to work on getting additional prizes. Stay tuned for updates.

You see, it's a fun tournament, but there is a chance that you can win some decent money. And, as stated before, anyone can catch spanish, and the anglers on a 13 foot Boston Whaler stand as good a chance of placing in the money as anglers fishing on a 31 foot Contender. 



Rules

North Carolina State Spanish Mackerel Championship
Sponsored by Onslow Bay Saltwater Fishing Club

Date: 11 June 2011
Rain date: 12 June 2011
Time: 5:30 am-3:00 pm
Where: North Carolina Coast
The Onslow Bay Saltwater Fishing Club is sponsoring the 2011 North Carolina State Spanish Mackerel Championship, hereafter referred to as NCSSMC, tournament, or tourney. Fishing enthusiasts are invited and encouraged to participate in what we anticipate will be a family-oriented tournament, one in which everyone has an equal chance of winning.
The purpose of this tournament is to promote fishing, good fellowship, and sportsmanship.
·        Vessels may fish any NC coastal waters, but no lines may be in the water prior to 5:30 am on tournament day.
·        There is no check-out, but all anglers must enter coastal waters from a North Carolina inlet.
·        All anglers must abide by all North Carolina fishing regulations. Captains are responsible for the safe operation of their vessels.
·        The official weigh station will be at Casper’s Dry Stack Marina, 301 Water Street, Swansboro;  34° 41.17' N   77° 7.21' W .The scales will open at 12:30 pm, and all anglers must be checked in at that location no later than 3:00 pm.
·        All times are Eastern Daylight Savings Time.
·        Due to changing conditions at Bogue Inlet, as well as unforeseen and often unscheduled closings of the ICW in the area of Camp Lejeune and Onslow

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Beach, anglers should take those conditions into consideration in planning fishing schedules.
·        Live bait, artificial lures, or a combination of the baits may be used. Fish must be taken with rod and reel. Fish must be caught on Tournament Day.
·        Competing vessels may not congregate or meet with any other vessel during the tournament. Competing vessels may not receive or exchange any supplies, including bait, during tournament hours. The only exception is in the event of an emergency. Tournament officials should be notified via telephone (919-923-9723) or VHF radio (channel  72 or 16) in the event of any emergency.
·        The top three fish from each vessel will be weighed, and prizes will be awarded for the largest aggregate weights. The number of winning places will be determined by the number of entries.
·        In the event of a tie in any place, the first boat checked in will be the winner.
·        Boaters may drop off no more than ONE person at a dock or landing prior to checking in at Casper’s, in order to move a vehicle and trailer to a more convenient location. Nothing may be removed from, or added to, the boat, and no one else may board the vessel.
·        A check-in boat will log your entry number and the official time as you’re approaching the weigh-in location. You must display your assigned number to the persons on the check-in boat. It will be anchored within sight of Casper’s Dry Stack Marina.
·        At the weigh in location, one person 18 or older must exit the boat with only fish to be weighed. There will be no courtesy weigh-ins. We encourage anglers to equip their boats with an accurate digital scale to allow them to select the three largest fish, by weight. If entering the Junior division, those anglers must also be present at the weigh-in.  Junior anglers may be asked for proof of age. For the purpose of this tournament, Juniors are those who are under 16 on 11 June 2011.
·        In addition to the Grand Prize, there will be a Tournament Within a Tournament (TWT) for those wishing to participate. The single heaviest fish                                 

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entered will win the TWT prize, which will be based on the number of participants. The TWT entry is $25 per participating vessel.                        
·        The Grand Prizes for aggregate weight are Primary Prizes;  the TWT Prize is the Secondary Prize.
·        No more than three fish may be weighed for the aggregate category.  
·        In the event of a challenge to the weigh-ins, whether it’s a rules challenge or a weight challenge, the decision of the OBSFC Committee will be final. Protest challenges must be accompanied by $100 deposit. If the challenge is upheld, the deposit will be refunded. If the challenge is denied, the deposit will be forfeited.
·        All fish entered must have been caught by anglers on boats entered in the NCSSMC during the tournament hours, 5:30 am - 3:00 pm, on the day of the tournament, and according to all NCSSMC rules.
·        A University of North Carolina Wilmington marine biologist will examine the entries to verify eligibility. All fish are subject to a complete examination.
·        Fish entered for prizes will be returned to the anglers once all fish have been weighed, and any challenges have been resolved.
·        All anglers and crew are subject to a polygraph examination. Refusing to submit to an exam will result in disqualification.
·        The entry fee is $65 per boat for OBSFC members, and $75 for non-members.  The club will retain the $10.00 non-member fee, plus 25% of the base entry fees for all entries.
The club will monitor VHF channel 72 during the tournament should you should have questions.  You may also call 919-923-9723 on Tournament Day ONLY.
 After you are instructed to drop your representative(s) via VHF channel 72, please back away from the docks. If you do not have a working VHF radio, notify
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the check-in boat when you first check in. You can pick him/her up after the fish are weighed. A pick-up point will be designated. Your representative(s) will be given the weigh slip, and must sign the official form(s).
In the unlikely event that no fish are weighed in, the collected prize money will be used for future Spanish mackerel tournaments sponsored by the OBSFC. TWT entry fees will be refunded if no fish are weighed. Sponsor contributions will be returned if no fish are weighed.
Sponsors for Junior Angler will provide prizes for the heaviest fish weighed in each category. Fish entered in the Aggregate Weight or TWT categories WILL be eligible for these divisions, if caught by a Junior Angler. One or more Junior Anglers on each competing vessel may enter fish separate from those entered in the aggregate category.
Depending on participating sponsors, other divisions may be added.
The North Carolina State Spanish Mackerel Championship rules, as adopted, will not be changed prior to or after the tournament.

         Entry Form
North Carolina State Spanish Mackerel Championship
Onslow Bay Saltwater Fishing Club
Registration Fee: OBSFC members, $65.00. Non Members, $75.00
Total Amount: $_______________________
Make All Checks Payable and mail to: Onslow Bay Saltwater Fishing Club, PO Box 1522, Swansboro, NC 28584
OBSFC Member ___Y  /  N__________
Boat Name:__________________________
Registration #: _______________________
Boat Owner's Name: __________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________
City: ______________________________________________________
State: ______________________ Zip code:_______________
Phone: ____________________
Email: _____________________________________________________
Crew/Phone____________________________________________
Crew/Phone ____________________________________________
Crew/Phone ____________________________________________
Crew/Phone ____________________________________________
Junior Angler/Phone ______________________________________________
This entry form is for the Onslow bay Saltwater Fishing Club North Carolina State Spanish Mackerel Championship (NCSSMC).  I understand that I, as Registrant/ Captain/Boat Owner, am fully responsible for my boat and its occupants at all times. By signing this form and submitting registration documentation and Entry Fees, I herby certify and attest that I have read and understand all Rules and Regulations of the Onslow Bay Saltwater Fishing Club NCSSMC and will abide with any and all decisions of the Tournament Committee. By signing this waiver of liability I hereby agree to release and absolve any and all Tournament Committees, Casper’s Dry Stack Marina and Employees or Agents of these entities of any and all damages or liabilities growing out of the contest after entering the Tournament. By the use of this entry form the entrant acknowledges that he/ she has authority to contract for and
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represent his/ her crew. Release of advertising information, including photographic likenesses, is also hereby granted.
RELEASE AND INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
I, the boat’s owner or operator, my team, and guests aboard agree and understand that the Onslow Bay Saltwater Fishing Club, its members, directors, officers, employees, agents and sponsors (hereinafter referred to as the OBSFC) shall not be liable under any circumstances for any circumstances for any injuries or damages to person(s) or property resulting from or in any way connected with our participation in this tournament whether caused by, or contributed to, by any negligent act or negligent omission of the OBSFC or by any other reason or cause whatsoever. We hereby remise, release, and forever discharge the OBSFC from all claims, suits, obligations, liabilities, losses, damages, costs or expenses which we may have against the OBSFC, arising out of, resulting from, or in any way connected with our participation in this tournament. We understand this release includes claims based upon any negligent omission of the OBSFC. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we hereby agree to indemnify, to defend with counsel acceptable to the OBSFC, and to hold the OBSFC harmless from and against any and all claims, suits, obligation, liabilities, losses, damages, costs or expenses including but not limited to reasonable attorney fees regardless of whether it is caused by, or in part by, a party indemnified and held harmless hereunder, arising out of, resulting from, or and any way connected with our participation in this tournament.
WEATHER - All boats, owners, operators, masters, crews, guests and anglers will operate their vessels and / or fish at their own discretion and solely at their own risk.
INSURANCE - Participants in all tournaments are advised to obtain insurance covering themselves and their vessels’ participation.
Signature required_________________________________________Date________________
Last four of SSN/FED.ID.#______________________________



Gahafi, Khadaffi. Whatever. Jerk. Responsible for Flight 103?

And, I thought, for years, that the U.S. attack on Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi sent this nutcase into seclusion. Well, not so. At least, not according to a now retired CIA spook.

Two years after we nailed some of his relatives in a bombing raid, Gadhafi...who was tipped off by another country and took cover...ordered the attack on Pan Am Flight 103.

The former CIA operative, Frank Anderson, discussed this with NBC News:

"There are two things that you can take to the bank," Anderson said. "The first one is, Pan Am 103 was perpetrated by agents of the Libyan government. And the second thing is, that could not have happened without Moammar Gadhafi's knowledge and consent. There is no question in my mind that Moammar Gadhafi authorized the bombing of Pan Am 103." 

To refresh your memory, 270 people, including 190 Americans, were killed when Flight 103 was bombed over Lockerbie, Scotland. The terrorist attack has remained somewhat of a mystery, though we "seem certain" that some of the low level bad guys have been nailed.

What still puzzles me is that, according to Anderson and others, we knew then that Libya was behind the attack. And, we did nothing about it. Let's face reality for a moment. In this country, the good old US of A, we need absolute proof to convict one of our own. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt. But, in the world of terrorism, I would think that "reasonable suspicion" (I like that) should be enough. Given our history with Gadhafi, I would think that a combination of punitive and preventative strikes against him would have been in order. Punish the bum for what he did, and prevent him from ever wanting...or being able...to do it again. Collateral damage, you say? Yep, there would be some. I think that the deaths of 270 innocent people is justification enough to warrant surgical strikes inside Libya.

If anyone thinks that this country doesn't have the wherewithall to reach out and touch pretty much any leader we want to remove, you should think again. What must be decided is how much collateral damage is acceptable. I can only think that the old philosphy that it was much better to take out one to save a thousand was a good one. We'll never know how many thousands we could have saved had we made an example of this one scum back in 1986.

Too bad we stopped short.

Too bad we haven't corrected that mistake. As of yet, anyway.